Chapter 54

Milo blinked. Well, he thought, this is unexpected. Bode, the strange, somber man from the Department of Mysteries moved forwards slightly.

"Now, Milo, I want you to understand that these are just preliminary inquiries. There are a lot of unanswered questions, and we're just going to try and see if they're worth looking into is all. That business about the execution is just a formality," he said in a dry voice. Milo had just started sighing with relief when he continued. "Unless, of course, you aren't human, and are some form of hitherto-undiscovered magical creature, in which case you'll be staked, beheaded, buried upside-down in sanctified concrete for a year and a day, then dug up, salted, shot with thirteen silver bullets, cremated, and Disapparated into the sun. In my experience, that'll kill anything short of a Dementor."

Milo laughed weakly.

"So," Milo said nervously. "How, exactly, are we going to go about this?"

"The first test is easy enough. Your Potions Master was good enough to brew us up some Veritaserum. You just have to drink a drop."

"And what will that do, exactly?" Milo asked.

"It'll make it impossible for you to tell a lie," Bode said.

"Okay, hit me," Milo said, and reached out. Snape, with a grin, produced a tiny vial of clear potion from his robes. For one brief, extremely embarrassing moment, Milo wished he were a Bard in order to cast Glibness. Snape poured out a single, tiny drop of Veritaserum into a glass of water, stirred it slowly, and passed it to Milo.

"Er," Milo asked. "How long will this last for? It's not permanent, is it?"

"Unfortunately," Snape said, "It will wear off in a few hours."

"Okay then," Milo said, and gulped the potion down in one go. To his surprise, it didn't really taste like anything, and he didn't even feel different. Dangerous, he thought. A colourless, tasteless potion that makes one tell the truth.

"Now," said Bode. "Are you a human?"

"Seriously?" Milo asked. "That's your test? Yes, I'm a human."

"What town or city are you from?"

"Myra (cityoflight!cityofMagic!)"

"And in which country is Myra situated?"

"The Azel Empire."

"And on which continent is this... Azel Empire located?"

"The Azel continent."

"Milo, are you, in fact, from another world?"

"Yes," Milo said simply. Feeling he had to elaborate, he continued rapidly, the words almost spilling over themselves in an effort to be said. "A few months ago, I was summoned, without warning, to a manor near the village I later learned was Hogsmeade by a group of Death Eaters—"

"Oh, surely we're not believing this nonsense?" interrupted Fudge rudely.

"I must remind you," Dumbledore said calmly, "that he is under the effects of Veritaserum."

"Then he must be deluded. His wild tales are proof of that—surely you can see that, Albus."

"We should wait for Bode to finish," Dumbledore said. "And then make a judgement."

"Very well. Carry on, then."

"Milo, I'll be as direct as I can here," Bode said. "Are you a Muggle?"

"No."

"Are you a Squib?"

"No."

"Are your parents wizards?"

"I don't know."

"Are you an orphan?"

"I don't know."

"Are you a wizard?"

"Hells yes I am," Milo said fiercely. "And anyone who says otherwise has another thing coming."

There was a low murmur from the Aurors present.

"Well, there you have it," Dumbledore said. "From his own mouth and under Veritaserum. I don't think this breach of my student's privacy has to go any further, do you?"

"He could be Confunded," Fudge said stubbornly. "In fact, I'd bet my hat that he is."

"If you were going to come to that conclusion in any case," Dumbledore said with a slight edge to his voice, "then, pray tell me, why bother questioning him at all?"

"The Board of Governors insisted, Dumbledore. It was out of my hands."

"I wonder how many of the Governors are under the impression—mistaken, I'm sure—that their families would be put in danger if they didn't insist?" Dumbledore asked.

"Albus!" Fudge gasped, sounding scandalized. "What are you suggesting?"

"Nothing," he said. "I was just thinking out loud. Don't mind me."

"As I am led to believe," Bode said. "Your Potions Master has developed a test which he believes can prove conclusively whether or not you do, in fact, possess any magic. Professor?"

Snape stood up from his desk. He looked... almost happy. Snape happy terrified Milo far more than Snape wrathful.

"Most conventional tests of magic," Snape said in a lecturing tone, "could be fooled if the subject is merely extremely incompetent or weak. Even the simplest of charms can be fumbled by the mentally deficient. That Milo is the worst student of magic to enter this school in a century at least is not in question. What remains to be seen is whether he possesses any magic at all."

Magic isn't a thing you just have, Milo thought angrily. It's something you have to work at. Something you earn. You have to take magic for yourself; it isn't simply handed to you.

"To that end, I have developed a test," Snape continued. "A potion that requires no thought, concentration, knowledge, or effort in the slightest. I will measure out the exact proportions of the ingredients, which will be checked by Albus Dumbledore and any others who wish to. All the boy has to do is pour them into the cauldron and stir once, counterclockwise. If the potion is created, he is a wizard. If not... it will explode, and I will leave him in the more than capable hands of the Ministry to deal with as you see fit." Snape's expression harboured no doubt about what he thought should be done with 'the boy.'

"Er, excuse me," Milo said. He could feel everyone's eyes on him. "Does anyone have the time?"

________________________________________________

Patreon.com/Black_Zetsu

Subscribe to my Patreon for more advanced chapters. The story is at the Bronze level