Chapter 22: Back home for Christmus

[Rohan's POV]

The cab came to a halt in front of my house, and I stepped out. After paying the driver, I walked up to the front door. The house was dark, indicating that no one was home. I switched on the lights and made my way to my room. It seemed tidy, probably because Ela had been looking after it for the past two months.

Feeling tired, I decided to take a bath before settling on my bed. As I looked into the mirror, I noticed the toll my recent adventures had taken on me. My face was pale, and there were dark circles under my eyes. I looked as if I had been through a war.

I touched my shoulder, and a slight sting made me flinch. The healing potion I had taken earlier didn't seem to have fully worked yet. The reason for my malnourished appearance was the excessive consumption of potions. While witches and wizards could handle potions well due to their magical vitality, as a muggle, I was affected differently, with the efficiency decreasing by 50%.

This meant I had to consume twice as many potions to achieve the same effect. It had taken a toll on my metabolism and physical well-being. Lying on the bed, I contemplated the events of the day. I didn't dare open the mysterious briefcase; I decided to leave it in the attic and only examine it upon my return to the MCU world.

Speaking of the MCU world, I couldn't help but wonder if the box was a trap to kill me. However, I reasoned that if the Ancient One wanted me dead, she would have done it already. Besides, if it was a setup, the explosion would have occurred immediately, without waiting for hours.

Turning to my phone for answers, I asked the system about the incident. Unfortunately, there wasn't enough data to provide a conclusive response. Frustrated, I tossed the phone onto the table. I regretted not being able to record the box's actions due to the time constraints.

Recalling the day's events, I thought about how I had meticulously prepared for my first day near Hogwarts. Stocking up on potions and a defensive robe proved to be a wise decision, as they had saved my life more than once. Surprisingly, the near-death experiences didn't rattle me much, probably because it was my third time facing such situations.

I was grateful for having used a fake identity, as it meant the Ministry wouldn't be after me. I hoped the people of Hogsmeade were safe and unaffected by the strange occurrence. With these thoughts, I eventually drifted off to sleep.

[About the same time at night, Hogsmeade ]

[At Hogsmeade entrence]

[Rohan's POV]

Amelia Bones, the Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement, stood at the entrance of Hogsmeade. As an alumna of Hogwarts, she was very familiar with the village, and upon hearing about the unusual occurrence, she swiftly ordered her men to investigate. Now, within the protective barrier surrounding Hogsmeade, Aurors were combing the area for clues. Amelia confidently entered the barrier.

As she walked through the streets, she observed the chaos. Villagers were busy repairing the buildings and lanterns. There were many witches and wizards frantically moving about, some even flying on brooms. Kingsley Shacklebolt approached her, and she greeted him with an apology for being late.

"No need to worry; everything here is under control as you instructed," Kingsley reassured her.

"Give me a report," Amelia requested, as they continued walking. Kingsley explained that around 4 in the afternoon, a dark wizard had conducted a ritual near the Forbidden Forest, causing multiple earthquakes.

"Any casualties or serious damage?" Amelia inquired.

Thankfully, Kingsley replied, "No casualties, but the enchantments all over the village have been affected. Lanterns, buildings, storage bags, and items in many shops have been damaged. Other than that, no injuries or deaths."

As they reached the Three Broomsticks, which had become a temporary base for the Aurors, Amelia and Kingsley saw Rosmerta, the owner, sitting alone. They joined her, and Amelia greeted her warmly, "Rosmerta, it's good to see you. It's been a while."

Rosmerta looked exhausted from helping in the village, and Kingsley requested her to share the information she had previously told him. She explained that yesterday morning, a tall, black man claiming to be from America had arrived in Hogsmeade. He introduced himself as Benjamin.

"No one matches that description, possibly a disguise," Kingsley whispered to Amelia.

Rosmerta continued, stating that the man was friendly and stayed at the inn for a while, engaging in conversations with the locals. However, later in the evening, when the earthquakes started, he headed towards the Forbidden Forest and had not been seen since.

"During the tremors, all the magic candles and lanterns began flickering, which I've never witnessed before," Rosmerta added.

Amelia was perplexed by this strange phenomenon. Lanterns and candles should stay lit as long as there is magic in them. She noted down the details in her journal and then walked with Kingsley towards the edge of the Forbidden Forest, the epicenter of the earthquake.

"Have you found anything about this man named Benjamin? What was his purpose here and where did he come from?" Amelia inquired.

"Not much, unfortunately. All we know is that he appeared near Hogsmeade in the morning and disappeared at noon. We believe he appeared during the busy hours so searching is impossible.

Aurors are still searching for clues in the area, and we've identified the spot near the Forbidden Forest where he must have been and caused the incident," Kingsley responded.

"Let's head there and also gather memories from the villagers about the incident," Amelia directed, determined to get to the bottom of this mysterious occurrence.

After some walking, they finally reached the rock near the edge of the Forbidden Forest where the earthquake was supposed to have happened. The place had a circle of thin snow, indicating that it had been pushed away during the event. Other than that, everything seemed normal. There were no cracks in the ground, nor any signs of dark rituals, like dead grass or a foul smell. The whole scene appeared quite ordinary, which was unusual for someone like Amelia, who dealt with dark wizards regularly.

What caught their attention was the presence of a few men inside the crime scene.

"Alastor! What's going on here? Weren't you assigned to a different mission?" Amelia asked, recognizing Alastor "Mad-Eye" Moody among the group. He was supposed to be on a different assignment, so his presence here was puzzling.

"Well, yes. I was, but Dumbledore himself called me here to report the situation and bring along some Unspeakables," Alastor explained.

Just then, Amelia noticed someone behind Alastor. It was none other than Minister Fudge himself, also present at the scene.

"he tagged along, didn't he?" Amelia sighed, It seemed that Amelia did not feel highly of Minister Fudge.

"Good morning, Minister. I didn't expect you to be here at this hour," Amelia said, with a bit of a grin acting surprised that the Minister was involved in this case. After all, this fell under her jurisdiction, and the Minister wasn't usually present at crime scenes, especially during the such late hours.

"Well, yes. Dumbledore called me to report the situation and asked me to bring some Unspeakables with me," Minister Fudge replied, his face beaming with pride at the mention of Dumbledore.

'Dumbledore wanted the Unspeakables to come here, and he just decided to join,' Amelia thought to herself.

"Is Dumbledore here?" she asked.

"No, he had to return to Hogwarts because of something urgent, but he said he would be back," Fudge responded.

The Minister then introduced the two Unspeakables who were intently focused on examining the ground, seemingly oblivious to everyone else.

"Let me introduce you to Orion Stormweaver, a gifted Unspeakable with expertise in the manipulation of elemental magic, and Broderick Bode, known for his exceptional skills in ancient languages."

Both Unspeakables turned their attention to Amelia when they heard their names being called.

"Oh, it's the Head Auror Amelia," Broderick said cheerfully, happy to see her.

"Sir, we came here to investigate and find clues," Amelia said politely.

"Well, so did we!" Broderick replied with a smile. "Dumbledore called us here because of the nature of the event."

Amelia inquired, "Did you find any clues?"

"Unfortunately, no. Your people are searching the perimeter, but we're yet to find anything," Broderick answered.

"On the other hand, we are examining this rock here. It looks like the ritual was conducted at this spot," Orion added.

"Any idea what the goal of the ritual was?" Amelia questioned curiously.

"Well, whatever it was, it seems to have failed, fortunately for us. The earthquakes felt around here were likely caused by the spell exploding," Orion explained.

"Does that mean the dark wizard performing the ritual was injured?" Amelia asked.

"Possibly, yes," Orion responded.

Amelia carefully noted down everything they shared.

Just then, someone arrived and startled everyone present. It was none other than Dumbledore himself, the Headmaster of Hogwarts.

"Headmaster!" Amelia and others called out in surprise and respect.

"Headmaster Dumbledore, you were the first one to come here after the incident. Could you please tell us exactly what you saw happen here?" Amelia asked, as Dumbledore was the one who had reported the incident to the Ministry before the Hogsmeade residents.

[30 sec after Rohan left the place of the incient]

In the calm of the night, a figure apparated right after Rohan left. It was none other than Dumbledore. He was panting as he had never struggled so hard while apparating before. He had used every ounce of strength to reach Hogsmeade, having just crossed the lake.

He looked around and saw the massive clearing near the Forbidden Forest, realizing it was the source of the earthquakes.

"Albus, you're here," he heard from behind him. Dumbledore quickly turned and saw it was none other than his brother, Aberforth.

"Didn't expect you to be here, Aberforth. Why are you here?" Dumbledore asked, surprised to see his brother at this hour and in such a dangerous situation.

"Same as you. Did you also have problems apparating here just now?" Aberforth replied.

Dumbledore nodded in agreement.

"Hogsmeade is in chaos right now. What the hell happened here?" Aberforth said, gazing at the snow clearing.

"Probably a dark ritual that has gone awry," Dumbledore said, kneeling down to inspect the ground.

"But I don't sense any dark magic in the area. In fact, I don't sense ANY magic at all," Aberforth interjected, raising an eyebrow in confusion.

Just then, ominous sounds emanated from the Forbidden Forest, catching their attention. Dumbledore's eyes widened as he observed an entire army of Centaurs, weapons drawn, advancing toward them.

"Centers! This is a dangerous situation, Aberforth," Dumbledore said, his voice calm but firm. "But we must not resort to violence. Let me handle this."

As the Centers approached, Dumbledore stepped forward, his aura exuding a sense of authority and wisdom. He raised his hand in a peaceful gesture, attempting to defuse the tense situation.

The Centers advanced towards Dumbledore and Aberforth, their weapons drawn and a sense of hostility in the air. Sylas, the leader of the Centers, glared at Dumbledore and demanded answers. "Wizard, what trickery is this? Are you responsible for destabilizing the magic around here? Have you come to wipe us out after all?"

Dumbledore raised his hand in a placating gesture, his eyes calm yet penetrating. "I understand your concern, Sylas. But I assure you, we wizards are not responsible for this. We, too, are victims of the disturbance that occurred here."

Aberforth stepped forward, supporting his brother's claim. "It's true. We came to investigate the disturbances in this area. Just as you"

Sylas remained wary but appeared slightly less aggressive, curious about Dumbledore's explanation. "Then who, in the name of magic, has done this?"

Dumbledore's gaze was resolute as he replied, "A dark wizard, one who seeks to wield powers beyond their control. They attempted a dangerous ritual, and it went awry, causing what happened."

Another Center, a fierce-looking warrior named Raelia, spoke up with a hint of skepticism. "And you expect us to believe that? How do we know you are not covering up your intentions?"

Dumbledore's voice remained steady and earnest. "I have dedicated my life to defending the magical world, including all magical beings. I understand your suspicion, but I speak the truth. Our purpose here is to prevent further harm and restore the balance of magic."

Aberforth chimed in, trying to bridge the gap of misunderstanding. "We do not wish for conflict. Instead, we seek your cooperation. Together, we can find the dark wizard responsible and put an end to this disturbance."

Sylas regarded Dumbledore and Aberforth warily, contemplating their words, but a glimmer of doubt appeared in their eyes.

Dumbledore extended his hand in a gesture of goodwill. "We do not seek confrontation, but unity. Let us work together to bring the culprit to justice and restore peace to Hogsmeade."

Raelia and the other Centers exchanged hesitant glances, torn between their natural distrust of wizards and a sliver of hope that Dumbledore's words were genuine.

Finally, Sylas lowered his weapon slightly and nodded. "Very well, but know this, if you deceive us, there will be dire consequences."

Dumbledore nodded solemnly. "I understand, Sylas. Let us embark on this journey together, and may the truth lead us to a resolution."

With an uneasy truce established, Dumbledore and Aberforth convinced the Centers that their intentions were sincere.

[End of flashback]

"Well, that happened."

"But what happened to the Centers and what warranted such a response from them?" Amelia asked, curious to understand the situation.

"As much as I have gathered, when the magical explosion happened, all magical creatures near this place were affected far more than people. Many had fainted, and some young ones almost died. It seems like the explosion expelled magic from the area for some time," Dumbledore explained.

"That's Impossible. " Orion blurred out from the back with shock in his eyes.

"Oh i know Orion but it did happen, just a few hours ago. Someone was able to make an entire area devoid of magic and made all wizards in it unable to do magic. Including me. Even Hogwarts was not spared from this. " Dumbledore said without any emotions.

Everyone who heard it had sweat dripping from their foreheads. All of this chaos is because of a dark wizard. A war could have erupted. Thank goodness Dumbledore was there to intervene and save the day.

"So was this an attack on Hogwarts?" Amelia inquired.

"I don't know the goals of the perpetrator," Dumbledore admitted he was as clueless as the rest of them.

Minister Fudge was shaken as well. He commanded, "Head Auror Amelia, I want this place to be warded and secured. Take all the items that were destroyed with you to the MInistry. Leave nothing behind. Pay the people if you have to. No one should know what happened here."

"But the reporters-"

"No 'buts.' I will deal with them." he grumbled " Today's incident should not be disclosed to the public. Obliviate if you have to, it may cause unrest if news comes out that wizards temporarily lost their magic"

"Okay." Amelia sighed and agreed.

Just like that, the night ended working on covering up what had happened.

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i know many people dont like the story because of all this extra talk and MC not being OP and i get it. I have read many HP isekai stories so i wanted to make an original story. with adventure in the wizarding world.

The major issues people have is that he didnt do anything after getting a second life in this world. To those, i want to say that it is very realistic. No normal person can just go to a new world and be incredible. To be a successful, it has to come from with in and no amount of reincarnations and worlds will change that.

To those who say MC is not OP so it is not fun. I ask you this, is Harry Potter OP? is TinTin OP?. At the end of the day HP is an Adventure novel and so i want to keep the spirit of Adventure but from a muggle's pov. I already have many forshadows set if you notice, they will work as in the story until the final act. 

Last, i dont know really. I just started to write this story because i was so much fustrated  with all similar stories. I can only request you to atleast finish year one of Hogwarts (And why heram anyway? you know they are like 13 14 right, how do you read them kissing and fucking GOD!)