As the chaos outside gradually subsided, Kyle and the others escorted Mr. Fortescue out of the shadowy depths of Knockturn Alley.
The battle was over. All the Death Eaters had been captured—25 in total, an unusually large number for such an operation. It was evident they had arrived in Diagon Alley with so grand sche in mind. Beyond attempting to abduct a few shopkeepers, they had likely been planning sothing far more significant.
But whatever their plan had been, it was now completely foiled.
Scrimgeour was busy tallying the casualties among the Aurors, while Sirius, Mr. Weasley, and other mbers of the Order of the Phoenix who had co to assist were counting the captured Death Eaters and collecting their wands.
"This is quite a victory!" Fred exclaid with a grin. "Thanks to your information, Kyle, You-Know-Who must be absolutely furious this ti."
"I told you, it wasn't who provided the information," Kyle replied, his tone serious. "It was an anonymous, righteous wizard."
Kyle preferred to avoid taking credit for such incidents. With his increasing value as a target for Voldemort, he knew the Dark Lord might one day co after him personally. For his own safety, he thought it best to remain in the shadows.
When they reached the entrance of the Florean Fortescue's Ice Cream Parlour, Kyle turned to Mr. Fortescue.
"Mr. Fortescue, do you have any idea why the Death Eaters would want to capture you?"
"That's what I want to know," Fortescue replied, baffled. He shook his head in disbelief. How could an ice cream vendor like him beco a target for the Death Eaters? Surely, it wasn't for his ice cream recipe. Even if that were the case, sending more than 20 Death Eaters after it seed absurd.
If they had asked nicely, he would've willingly shared his recipes, for any flavor they wanted. The whole ordeal made no sense.
Kyle studied Mr. Fortescue's face and could tell he was genuinely confused and not withholding information.
"Alright, Mr. Fortescue," Kyle said. "If anything cos to mind, please let us know imdiately. And to prevent another attempt, I suggest you find a safer place to stay for a while."
"Diagon Alley might be your best option. After today, the Ministry will increase security here, so it'll be relatively safer. But if you have another secure location in mind, you can go there instead."
"No, I'll stay in Diagon Alley," Fortescue said firmly.
After the unprovoked attack, his frustration boiled over. "If the Death Eaters want to co after again, let them! Whatever they're after, I won't let them have it!"
Kyle gave him a reassuring nod. "I believe in your determination, Mr. Fortescue. But still, stay vigilant."
With that, Kyle turned and walked away. There was much to clean up. The capture of over 20 Death Eaters had caused considerable destruction, leaving parts of Diagon Alley in shambles.
Kyle drew his wand and began extinguishing the smoldering fires nearby. The scattered bricks and rubble floated upward under his spell, returning to their original places as he repaired the street piece by piece.
From the doorway of his shop, Mr. Fortescue watched Kyle work, lost in thought. As his gaze lingered on Kyle's wand, a realization seed to dawn on him. He thought of Ollivander, another target of the Death Eaters.
Ollivander's expertise in wands had made him famous. Could there be a connection?
Fortescue hesitated, his hand rising to call out to Kyle. But after a mont of doubt, he lowered it and returned to his shop, his expression pensive.
Unaware of Fortescue's unease, Kyle continued helping to restore Diagon Alley alongside others. When the street was finally back to its original state, they prepared to return to the Ministry.
With more than 20 Death Eaters in custody, the Aurors had a long night ahead. Kyle, too, would need to write a detailed report, fulfilling his role as senior assistant minister.
anwhile, the mbers of the Order of the Phoenix gathered together.
"Leave the rest to you," Mr. Weasley said to Lupin. "We'll head ho. I haven't even told Molly what's happened yet—she's probably worried sick."
"Of course," Lupin replied with a nod. "And Sirius, you should go ho too. I'm sure Harry's waiting for you."
At the ntion of Harry, Sirius smiled. The thought of his godson ward his heart.
It was good to feel needed again—just like the old days after they had graduated.
"I'll leave it to you, then," said Sirius. "But don't let them get away again."
"Don't worry, they won't," Lupin assured him.
"See you tomorrow, then," said Mr. Weasley, waving. "Hurry up, boys, we're going ho."
"Coming, Dad," Fred and George chorused, racing ahead of Bill and Charlie.
"I hope Mum left us so dinner—I'm starving," Fred said as they walked.
"But at this hour, it's more like a midnight snack," Mr. Weasley replied with a chuckle.
The group parted ways in the Leaky Cauldron. Kyle joined the Aurors as they used the Floo Network to return to the Ministry.
Though it was late at night, the main hall of the Ministry was still brightly lit and bustling with activity.
An excited cheer erupted when the Aurors arrived, leading the captured Death Eaters.
More than twenty Death Eaters. It was the Ministry's largest single capture since Voldemort's return and a resounding victory for the Departnt of Magical Law Enforcent.
Alia Bones, the Director of the departnt, approached imdiately, her expression one of both relief and determination. She quickly directed the Aurors to escort the prisoners to the courtroom for initial processing.
The elevators were packed, so Kyle and his colleague Chris waited for the next one.
"Kyle, it's late. Why don't you head ho?" Chris suggested.
"I'd love to, but Fudge is waiting for the report," Kyle said with a sigh. "With sothing this big happening, and the Ministry's first major victory, he's eager to get the news out. The report has to be done before The Daily Prophet goes to print tomorrow morning."
"How about... you write it for ?" Kyle asked, glancing sideways at Chris. "You've written plenty of reports before—this one won't be a problem for you."
Chris suddenly slapped his forehead dramatically. "Oh no, I think I've lost sothing! Must have dropped it on the way here. You go on ahead—I'll go look for it."
Without waiting for a response, he turned and hurried off toward the other side of the hall.
Kyle tugged at the corners of his mouth, unimpressed. If you don't want to write the report, just say so. And the 'I lost sothing' excuse? Really? How cliché can you get?
Shaking his head, he stepped into the elevator when it arrived.
Since there were no other passengers, it reached the ground floor quickly.
Fudge wasn't in his office, which ant he must have gone to the courtroom as well.
Kyle made his way to his own office, where he sat down at his desk. He pulled out a sheet of parchnt, dipped his quill in ink, and began the task of writing the report.
...
It was well past midnight by the ti Kyle finished writing the detailed report. He threw down his quill and rubbed his sore wrist, sighing in frustration.
No wonder my father always complained about writing reports—it's absolute torture.
Kyle leaned back in his chair, considering a solution.
A Self-Writing Quill? No, too obvious. It's fine for copying, but not for original work—anyone can spot the traces it leaves. I'll need to improve the design sohow. A bit of a hassle, but if it saves from this drudgery, it'll be worth it.
Feeling slightly more optimistic, Kyle grabbed the thick stack of completed reports and headed toward the Minister for Magic's office to deliver them.
As he walked down the corridor, he spotted Fudge stepping out of the elevator, looking unusually cheerful.
"Oh, Kyle, I was just about to look for you!" Fudge greeted him enthusiastically. "What a great victory! Over twenty Death Eaters captured—the wizarding world hasn't had such good news in ages. A truly remarkable day!"
"Haha, you should've seen the faces of those who doubted us when the Death Eaters were brought into the courtroom," Fudge added with a self-satisfied grin.
"Yes," Kyle replied politely, "it's fortunate that the Auror Office didn't listen to the naysayers."
"Indeed! And thanks to the tily information you provided, Kyle, tomorrow's papers will carry the kind of headlines we've all been waiting for."
Kyle handed over the stack of reports. "I've already prepared the detailed account you requested, Minister."
"Well done, Kyle! I knew I could count on you," Fudge said, clearly delighted. "Don't worry—you'll see your na prominently featured in tomorrow's paper."
Kyle shook his head. "Minister, the credit belongs to the Auror Office. They're the ones who captured the Death Eaters and kept the public safe. I only played a minor role after the fact."
"Don't be so modest," Fudge insisted. "Without your tip-off, the Death Eaters' plan might have succeeded. You deserve recognition for this."
"I rely passed along an anonymous letter," Kyle said firmly.
"An anonymous letter?" Fudge frowned. "Where is it?"
"It self-destructed after I read it," Kyle explained. "The sender must have cast a protective enchantnt to prevent it from falling into the wrong hands."
"How cautious..." Fudge mused, clearly intrigued. "But who would risk betraying You-Know-Who to send such crucial information?"
Kyle thought for a mont. "The letter did ntion Professor Umbridge. It claid the writer had been inspired to act after learning that she endured the Cruciatus Curse twice but still fought against the Death Eaters. That's what made them decide to betray You-Know-Who."
"So you're saying the credit belongs to Dolores?" Fudge asked.
Kyle nodded. "That's my interpretation. She may not know it, but her resilience made a profound impact on soone."
Fudge studied Kyle with a mix of curiosity and admiration. "You could've taken credit yourself, you know. No one else saw the letter, and if you hadn't told , no one would be the wiser. This could've been your mont to shine."
"I've already made my decision, Minister," Kyle replied evenly.
Fudge nodded slowly. "If Dolores knew, she'd be proud to have been your professor."
"It's simply what I ought to do," Kyle said with a smile. "Minister, if there's nothing else, may I be excused?"
"Oh, is it that late already?" Fudge glanced at a nearby clock, startled. "I was going to ask you to sit in on a trial, but if you insist... Do you need a Ministry car to take you ho?"
"No, Minister. If the Ministry could grant temporary permission to use Apparition, that would suffice. I missed the exam and have to wait until next year to retake it."
"Ah, yes, you were busy chasing Dentors at the ti," Fudge recalled casually. "Well, forget the exam—I'll grant you Apparition privileges as a reward for your contribution."
"Minister, are you sure that's appropriate?" Kyle asked cautiously.
"Of course. We both know that test would be no challenge for you."
...
After Fudge returned to his office with the report, Kyle took the lift to the foyer, where Ministry employees were required to Apparate.
By the ti Kyle reached Grimmauld Place, a faint light was visible in the sky. At this hour, he assud everyone would be asleep, but when he pushed open the door, he noticed the lights were still on.
"It's okay, Dad. It's just Kyle," ca a voice.
Bill poked his head out of a room and said, "Co over and have so food before Fred and George eat it all."
"Hey, Bill, it's not as if you eat any less than Charlie!"
Hearing there was food, Kyle hurried over.
The lit area turned out to be the kitchen. Everyone who had returned before Sirius was gathered there, accompanied by a few bottles of wine, so bread, a plate of cornflakes, and a plate of corned beef on the table.
"So, did you find out anything useful?" Mr. Weasley asked, pushing the bread toward Kyle.
"I don't know," Kyle replied. "I've been writing reports and haven't been in the interrogation rooms, but I don't think the Aurors will get anything useful out of them."
"Why not?" Charlie asked, looking puzzled.
"Do you know any of the Death Eaters who were captured?" Kyle asked in response.
Charlie thought for a mont and then shook his head. He had already checked earlier and didn't recognize any of the captured Death Eaters.
"That's why," Kyle said, taking a piece of bread. "Apart from Antonin Dolohov, the others who ca to Diagon Alley this ti were probably just there to make trouble. They're good at that, but they don't necessarily know anything important."
"Unfortunately, Dolohov got away," Mr. Weasley said regretfully.
The Aurors who had gone after him had lost track of Dolohov deep in Knockturn Alley and returned empty-handed.
"No choice. He knows Knockturn Alley better than we do," Charlie added. "Kyle, would you like so brandy?"
Kyle, having already celebrated his seventeenth birthday and thus allowed to drink, hesitated after glancing at the cornflakes and corned beef on the table. He would rather eat than drink.
Just then, the House-elf Kreacher approached eagerly. "Would you like so midnight snacks, Master Kyle?"
Kyle glanced at the scant cornflakes and corned beef left on the table, hesitated for a mont, then nodded. "Just so sandwiches would be fine, please."
"It would be an honor for Kreacher!" the House-elf cried, his face alight with excitent as he ran gleefully into the kitchen.
"Oh, keep your voice down," Fred warned from the side. "Mum was worried all night and only just managed to fall asleep. I hope she didn't wake up."
"Sorry," Kyle said. "I forgot that dostic House-elves can get a bit overexcited sotis."
"It's not your fault," George replied. "But I can't understand why the House-elf wasn't so attentive when we got back."
"Yeah, he wouldn't even get us a glass," Fred added.
The twins complained about Kreacher's preferential treatnt, but Mr. Weasley didn't find it surprising. Having heard from Sirius about Regulus, he knew that as the Black family's House-elf, Kreacher naturally treated Kyle with special care.
While they waited, Kyle suddenly rembered sothing. "Mr. Weasley, do you know why the Death Eaters are after Florean Fortescue?"
"I'm not sure. Maybe they got the wrong person," Mr. Weasley speculated.
"Or he might have offended them in so way," Bill suggested.
"Or perhaps he ntioned the na of You-Know-Who," Bill added.
Aside from that, they couldn't think of any other reason why the Death Eaters would go to such lengths to capture an ice cream vendor.
After a while, Kreacher returned, carrying not only the sandwich Kyle had requested but also fried potatoes, grilled sausages, and a whole roast chicken.
Seeing this, Fred and George looked even more aggrieved. Turning their frustration into appetite, they grabbed the grilled sausages in front of them and stuffed them into their mouths.
Kreacher watched them from the side with a gloomy expression, but the twins didn't care. Fred even gave the elf a smug wink before reaching for a second sausage.
"I can see why Kreacher doesn't like you," Kyle said with a smile.
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