Chapter 845 - 846

Evan had anticipated this situation during the meeting and had warned Percy to pay attention to any unusual behavior from Mr. Crouch. If Percy had reacted quickly and reported the situation, he would have been hailed as a hero. However, Percy was more interested in gaining favor with Crouch and taking on all responsibilities within his division. He didn't care about Evan's warnings or Mr. Crouch's actual condition; he was solely focused on proving himself at work.

Hearing these details about Percy saddened Hermione, as she was closest to Percy among all of them. Ginny added that there was a fierce argument at home during that time, causing their mother great distress.

"You know she cried a lot," Ginny said in a hushed tone.

"And she rushed to London to talk to Percy, but he kept avoiding her. I don't even know how he managed to avoid meeting Dad when he went to work," Ron added.

Like Harry, recent events had been a source of great distress for Ron. Amid the many troubling issues at home, Percy's situation had cast a shadow over their family.

While Evan and Hermione were on vacation in Egypt, Ron had been stuck at home throughout the entire summer break, unable to go anywhere. Despite being so close to the Order of the Phoenix, they were excluded from all activities and treated like children, not allowed to participate in any meaningful way. Ron had been particularly frustrated because, despite the Triwizard Tournament being rigged, he was one of the champions and had not received the recognition he deserved.

In fact, all three champions had faced unfortunate circumstances. Krum had been controlled by the Imperius Curse, Ron had been attacked and incapacitated in the dangerous Kelpie-infested waters, and Cedric had reportedly turned into a vampire and left Hogwarts without a trace.

With Evan's assistance, Fleur was the only champion who had managed to maintain her dignity. The situation had ultimately pushed Harry and Evan into the spotlight, as they were the ones who had witnessed Voldemort's return. All eyes were on them, leaving the original champions forgotten.

Ron didn't know who to blame, but he couldn't help feeling that things might have turned out differently for him if he had been the one to become the champion again.

"In any case, Percy has taken the 'Daily Prophet' seriously and doesn't believe us," Fred commented.

"He's a complete fool, putting more trust in those senseless reports than in his own family," George added.

"But this situation won't last," Evan said, preparing to talk to Lupin about the current state of the newspaper office. He had resolved to fight the battle of public opinion and use the opportunity to expand the reach of "Hogwarts: A History." As he had mentioned before, it was a challenge and an opportunity to surpass the established media.

"By the way, how did the 'Daily Prophet' report the dementor attack on Harry?" Hermione inquired.

"They didn't mention it at all. They completely ignored the fact that dementors attacked Harry," Ron replied as he piled up a stack of newspapers. "Instead, they focused on Dumbledore being an old lunatic, you and Evan being inexperienced young wizards conducting dangerous magical experiments, and Harry being a deceived individual who was seeking attention in any way possible. They even went so far as to suggest that you and Harry might be behind the rumors of Voldemort's return."

Evan picked up a newspaper that contained a baseless article about a supposed insider revealing information about the Triwizard Cup. The latter part of the article claimed that Evan Mason and Harry Potter could have orchestrated the entire rumor.

"They seem to be determined to discredit us, no matter what they report," Evan remarked before tossing the newspaper aside. Hermione continued to read the paper carefully.

"It's the same here. They wouldn't dare report that Harry was attacked by dementors," Hermione said as she glanced through the paper. "They don't want to acknowledge the presence of uncontrollable dementors. They haven't even reported on Harry's violation of the 'International Statute of Secrecy.' I suppose they're waiting for the Ministry to act..."

Hermione stopped herself mid-sentence, realizing that her words were not appropriate.

"I mean, if the Ministry ever decides to act," she quickly corrected herself. "In fact, as long as the Ministry follows its own laws, the situation shouldn't be unfavorable for Harry."

The conversation returned to the topic of Harry's upcoming trial.

"When are we meeting Harry?" Evan asked. "We can't let him stay at the Dursleys'."

"We don't know; they didn't tell us," Ron said with frustration.

"That's where our new Extendable Ears come in!" Fred declared. "We just need to place this thing, and we can hear everything they're saying..."

"But we must make sure Mum doesn't find out!" Ginny warned. "She'd be furious."

"Don't worry, we'll be discreet," Fred assured her with a mischievous grin. "We've got insider information. Tonight, Snape has to give a report here, top-secret. So, as long as..."

Fred suddenly stopped talking as they heard footsteps approaching in the corridor. Fred and George promptly disappeared; they had just learned Apparition, the magical art of instantaneous travel. They didn't need to walk anywhere; they could simply Apparate, vanishing from one location and appearing in another.

After a few moments, Mrs. Weasley appeared in the bedroom doorway. "I'm sorry to disturb you, dear," she said, her gaze fixed on Evan. "We've just decided to meet Harry tonight, Evan. Can you come along? We need a guide, and only you have been to his uncle and aunt's house..."

"No problem!" Evan replied, standing up and grabbing his wand.

"You and Hermione have just returned from Egypt and might need some rest," Mrs. Weasley continued, "but Remus has a prior commitment tonight and can't meet Harry. Moody says they need an extra person for added security."

"It's a special time, and we need to be extra vigilant," Moody added in his gruff voice. He had a distinctive appearance, with long, grizzled hair and a missing chunk of flesh from his nose. At the airport, he had taken precautions to verify that Evan and Hermione were not Death Eaters in disguise.

"You must meet Harry, and I have to go," Ron chimed in hastily. "I need to head to the Dursleys' place before them."

"Ron, this is not a trivial matter. You can't just rush in," Mrs. Weasley said sternly, blocking his path. "During their meeting with Harry, they might encounter dangerous Death Eaters at any moment. Evan can look after himself..."

Evan descended the building with Moody, and in the entrance hall, there were seven or eight people gathered, each holding a set of broomsticks.

"These are all security guards. The more, the better," Moody explained, his magical eye rapidly rotating. "Time is tight, and many people have other commitments, so they couldn't make it. We had originally planned to escort Harry to the train station when summer vacation ended."

Moody's demeanor made one suspect that a team of Death Eaters might be waiting outside the door to ambush them. Evan noticed that everyone in the entrance hall had turned to look at them, wearing friendly smiles on their faces.

"What kind of trouble have you been causing lately, Evan?" a witch with sparkling black eyes and short, vibrant violet hair asked warmly as she descended the stairs to approach Evan.

"Hello, Tonks!" Evan greeted her, having seen her before in Lupin's office.

"Don't be so polite. Everyone's quite curious about you," Tonks said as she introduced Evan to the others. "This is Evan Mason, a famous young wizard, a rising star in the magical world!"

Evan wished she wouldn't praise him so much; it was a bit overwhelming. After his article in the Daily Prophet had caused a stir, he had become a controversial figure in the mainstream society. Now, in the eyes of many, he was seen as a dangerous young lunatic.

Evan also met Kingsley Shacklebolt, whom he had seen a few years ago with Mr. Weasley at the Ministry of Magic. Kingsley was a tall, black-skinned wizard who appeared to be quite powerful and trustworthy.

Elphias Doge was a gentle wizard, while Dedalus Diggle, sporting a purple top hat, had a high-pitched voice and eccentric demeanor. Emmeline Vance wore a bottle-green shawl and exuded an air of elegance. Sturgis Podmore had a thick, straw-colored beard and a chin. Hestia Jones had jet-black hair and rosy cheeks. They were all core members of the Order of the Phoenix, known for their strong combat abilities, standing on the front lines against the Death Eaters.

Evan greeted each of them and tried to remember their faces, as he knew they would be working together in the future.

"We should make the best use of our time," Moody said, narrowing his two asymmetrical eyes at Evan. "We've already given Harry's Muggle relatives instructions. They'll be on their way soon. Before they return, we need to go and fetch Harry."

Moody had a small, black eye and another eye that was large and round, emitting a bright blue electrical light. The magical eye allowed him to see through walls and doors, as well as the back of his own head.

"I'll do that to avoid getting in their way," Tonks said happily. "I've sent them a letter via the Muggle postal service, informing them that they've won a prestigious lawn prize contest in the best suburb in England. They should be eagerly awaiting their award ceremony or thinking they're about to receive an award."

Evan could imagine the Dursleys rushing excitedly to the supposed award ceremony, only to find out that the prize was entirely fictitious. This was necessary, as Evan's visits to the Dursleys usually resulted in violent storms. It was best for everyone if they were not at home. At the very least, Dudley wouldn't grow a pig's tail this year.

"Do you and Harry have broomsticks?" Moody asked, noticing that Evan had no visible means of transportation. "You can't use magic outside of school, and the Floo Network is monitored. For safety reasons, we've brought broomsticks."

Evan replied honestly, "I do have my Nimbus 2001, but I haven't used it for a while."

"This is Moontrimmer, an early 20th-century model," Diggle said as he examined the broomstick in Evan's hand with interest. "I've seen this model in my grandfather's pictures. It had excellent performance..."

"That's enough, Diggle. We don't have time for this," Moody interrupted impatiently, urging everyone to move. "We need to get going as soon as possible."

Evan took to the skies on his broomstick, flying smoothly and steadily. It performed quite well. While he had ridden Nimbus and Firebolt before, this older broomstick Dumbledore had used during his school days held its own in certain aspects. Its flying speed might have been a bit slower, but it provided a secure and user-friendly experience. Evan didn't experience any of the usual dizziness associated with flying.

If Harry were here, he'd tell him that this broomstick was the Moontrimmer, a model designed by Boothby's Geleidi Division in 1901. It was ideal for young riders with slender hands, allowing them to ascend to great altitudes with ease and providing strong resistance to wind. The broomstick's end sparkled with a silver glow. Back in its day, it had limited production and a high selling price, making it a premium choice like the Firebolt and not intended for the general public. Even today, it was highly collectible, and many collectors were willing to pay a hefty price for this vintage broomstick.

If Evan had known, he would never have ridden a broomstick worth over ten thousand Galleons. However, he flew through the night sky without realizing the true value of the broomstick.

Under Moody's guidance, they circled the area several times, and Evan felt frozen to the bone. Finally, they descended to Privet Drive, where neat houses and well-kept gardens surrounded them.

"We've arrived!" Evan said as they landed on the lawn of Number 4 Privet Drive.