"…"
Cohen glanced at the Dentor, then at Edward, who seed to have completely frozen up.
"So…" Edward started, hesitating.
"How long did you stand there yelling 'Cohen' at this Dentor?" Cohen sighed. "Let guess—Mum's not ho?"
"Your mum left for the States two days ago," Edward replied. "So major Muggle deaths in Chicago needed covering. But… what does that have to do with this?"
"If Mum were here, she'd never let you mix up with a Dentor," Cohen said, setting his trunk by the sofa and flopping down next to Edward. He leaned back, staring at the ceiling. "Guess the spark's faded. If I turned into a Dentor one day and couldn't change back, you wouldn't even know it was ."
The Dentor, floating nearby, mimicked Cohen's pose, drifting to his left and slumping against the sofa. Its faceless, hooded head tilted upward, as if staring at the ceiling too.
"No way I wouldn't know it was you!" Edward said quickly, throwing an arm around Cohen's shoulders. "It's just… this morning, that thing ca in, didn't attack , and headed straight for your room."
It didn't attack?
Cohen turned to the Dentor on his left, then back to Edward on his right.
Maybe it's because of the Dentor acting as a "Horcrux"?
[You know this guy?] Cohen asked the Dentor.
[Like you… but not you…] The Dentor seed to an Edward resembled Cohen in so way.
Probably because Edward's got a Dentor as his "Horcrux" too, Cohen thought. That's not a bad thing—keeps him safe from other Dentors accidentally hurting him. With their current level of understanding, stopping them from harming specific people, especially after leaving Azkaban, would be a nightmare…
Wait—hold on.
"Why's a Dentor from Azkaban here?" Cohen asked Edward sharply. "Is the Ministry up to sothing big?"
"No clue," Edward said. "I was just about to write to Tonks and ask. It ca looking for you, didn't it? Anyway, eaten yet? I'll whip sothing up."
"Nope," Cohen said, shaking his head. "Whole fried chicken. Extra cumin."
[Hungry?] the Dentor asked. [I brought food—]
It started tugging Cohen toward the stairs.
[You didn't bring a prisoner along, did you?] Cohen groaned, rubbing his forehead. [Forget scavenging scraps. Tonight, I'll take you for sothing good.]
The Dentor's thoughts radiated confusion.
[Wizards will try to stop us…]
[You eat, I'll handle the rest,] Cohen said, waving a hand. [With around, no one will spot you.]
The Dentor got excited, doing a little flip in the air.
[Why'd you leave Azkaban all of a sudden?] Cohen cut in. [Did all of you break out?]
[We all left…] The Dentor sent him a mory.
In it, Voldemort and a few Death Eaters showed up at Azkaban, luring the Dentors away with promises of better food and a wizard organization that Cohen was supposedly tied to. The Dentors, unable to resist, followed Voldemort without a second thought.
This one had been sent to deliver the news to Cohen.
[…]
Cohen didn't know how to unpack this.
Voldemort was getting a bit too comfortable crossing lines. Still, getting the Dentors out was part of Cohen's long-term plan anyway. Letting them tag along with Voldemort for now wasn't the worst idea. If it ca down to it, Cohen's word would always outweigh Voldemort's with the Dentors. One line like, "Oh, these are backup snacks I prepped for you," and they'd ditch Voldemort in a heartbeat. The look on his face would be priceless.
The Dentor Empire didn't need Death Eaters or Voldemort, just like Voldemort's grand vision didn't include an uncontrollable wildcard like Cohen.
[Did anyone spot you on the way here?] Cohen asked, a new worry popping up.
If a Dentor showed up on Privet Drive and the Ministry caught wind, Fudge—already losing his grip—might pin everything on Cohen. He'd have to prep for the Dentor Empire's first big move sooner than planned.
The Dentor shared another mory: it arriving on Privet Drive one evening. Two people were walking down the street—one tall, one short. One had a dim soul, like a Muggle's; the other had two bright, intertwined souls.
Cohen knew instantly: Harry and Dudley.
[You went for them, didn't you?] Cohen said, already knowing the answer.
Harry knew the Patronus Charm. No way the Dentor got close.
The Dentor nodded and sent another mory. Harry's stag Patronus had blasted it away. Spooked, the Dentor hid for two days until Harry left Privet Drive before coming to find Cohen.
Since Cohen wasn't around, and the Fidelius Charm kept Harry from reaching Edward to warn him, the misunderstanding lingered.
The Ministry might pin this "Patronus Charm" incident on Harry, especially with Fudge itching to silence his "He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Nad is back" claims. The Trace on underage wizards only picks up magic in a broad area, not who cast it. If Fudge wanted to make trouble, he could, but it'd be a flimsy case.
"Chicken's ready!" Edward called from the kitchen.
"Dobby's got the young master's fried chicken!" Dobby squeaked, thrilled to be back in action.
Just then, a snowy white owl swooped through the window, a letter tied to its leg.
Letters for Cohen could still reach here—the Fidelius Charm protected Edward and Rose, not Cohen, the Secret-Keeper.
[Greece, or Number Five Privet Drive, To Cohen]
[Cohen, if you're back from your travels, can you swing by Number Twelve Grimmauld Place? Got sothing important to share.
Harry.]
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