Chapter 282

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[POV – Ethan]

'I guess I have to thank some deity, as it would have been hard to get past Sirius and the others if they weren't busy with the journalists.' I thought, dragging Pettigrew down a corridor that was near the fireplaces connected to Floo.

After the elevator stopped at the Atrium floor, I created a cloak of illusion around Pettigrew and myself while also using a spell to draw everyone's attention away from us.

In addition to this spell I also started messing with Pettigrew's mind, making him confused so he wouldn't realize where I was taking him.

And I was glad I did, because as soon as the elevator doors opened I saw Penny and the others being surrounded by a lot of journalists.

I thought they would have left by then, but I don't think even they managed to escape the clutches of journalists hungry for information

And unfortunately for me, Moody was still tagging along with them.

Except I think he was so vigilant and aware of the journalists that he didn't even pay attention to the elevators, and it's ironic that this should happen to him, the sir Alastor "Constant Vigilance" Moody.

But back to the current moment...

After getting past them all I started dragging Pettigrew down this corridor, having separated from my "auror partner" as soon as we exited the elevator, with me dispelling the illusion subtly.

And now I was waiting for the right moment to "let my guard down" to allow Pettigrew to get away.

I was dragging him along while leaving my wand, which was actually still Myers's wand, in my pocket where Pettigrew could easily get to it.

And I knew Pettigrew saw it, because I could still read his thoughts.

I then used my magic sensor, sensing that Moody, Sirius and the others had left the Atrium, and I smiled, realizing it was time.

I then "accidentally" dropped a Galleon that was in my pocket, and I bent down to pick it up.

And in that moment of inattention, Pettigrew rose wide awake, and reached into my pocket, pulling out my wand.

He then pushed me away, and I fell to the floor, turning to him with a "panic" look.

'Hehe, idiot' Pettigrew thought victoriously.

And looking at me with a smirk, Pettigrew started to transform, throwing Myers' wand away from me.

And in front of me I saw the chubby, ugly-faced man turning into a rat, who wasted no time, and turning around he broke into a run, starting his escape.

"No! wait!" I yelled in a panic, scrambled to my feet.

But I wasn't fast enough, and Pettigrew rounded the corner in the corridor, disappearing from my sight.

As soon as Pettigrew was gone my panicked look disappeared, and I stood up with a calm gaze, sensing with my magic that Pettigrew was heading for the Floo hearths.

I continued using my sensor until I felt Pettigrew enter one of the fireplaces, disappearing and escaping.

"Sigh... Mission complete" I said to myself, feeling my shoulders relax.

"Now I just have to hope that my manipulation has worked and that worm will go find its master in Albania"

I then went to the wand that was lying on the floor, and taking it in my hand I studied it, and unconsciously I remembered the feeling of it when I used the Killing Curse, frowning.

Shaking my head, knowing I still had to leave the ministry, I grabbed Myers' wand in both hands and broke it.

And throwing the wand to the floor again, I canceled the illusion and transfiguration spells on me, returning to my normal appearance with my combat and infiltration clothes.

And with one last breath, I cast the Disillusionment Charm on myself, and with that I headed out of the ministry, ready to head back to Hogwarts and finish this mission.

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-After Pettigrew's Escape-

After leaving the ministry I started to go home, walking slowly while lost in thought.

Everything I did, from my staging to the mind manipulation in Pettigrew, was so that in the end Bertha Jorkins would survive.

I could have let fate take its course, but if everything happened just like canon, she would have ended up having her mind ravaged by Voldemort after breaking Crouch Senior's memory spell.

And with her mind destroyed, she would be of no further use, and for that Voldemort would kill her, and I wanted to prevent that.

I'm not a good Samaritan, but if I could stop a death, I would.

Of course, the main reason I wanted to stop Bertha's death was because I freed Pettigrew, and if for some reason he still ended up finding her, her death would be my fault.

I'm not an Albus Dumbledore who can happily accept a few deaths as long as it's for the greater good, and I probably don't even have the conviction and strength to accept all the pain of knowing that I'm to blame for those deaths.

But that was the crux of the matter.

Helping Pettigrew escape could result in a lot of deaths, deaths caused by the wretched rat, and no matter how much I try to deny it, those deaths will be my fault.

And at the end of the day, I ended up being no better than the Headmaster, as I agreed to sacrifice a few people by freeing Pettigrew just to keep the plot going and know when and where Voldemort will return.

'Sigh... For the greater good, huh' I thought on a sneer.

I then looked around, realizing that I had arrived home without realizing it.

I walked over to one of the windows and saw Cele in the living room with Mum, playing and having fun, and using my senses I felt my Dad in the kitchen getting a cup of coffee.

But in addition to my father, I also felt the magic of Ted and Dora in the kitchen, who had probably come to wait for the others to arrive from the ministry with the results of the trial.

Walking across the immaculately mowed lawn, I made my way to where my bedroom window was, which was still open, and taking a leap I jumped up, grabbing the windowsill that was on the second floor, and nimbly and with little effort I slipped through the window, landing on the floor of my room.

Already in my room, I looked at my ATLAS and saw that there were 10 minutes left before I had to enter the Vanishing Cabinet to return to Hogwarts.

Realizing I was going to have to wait, I sat up on my bed, and with a quick spell I changed out of my infiltration and combat clothes into more casual clothing.

As I lay on the bed tired more mentally than physically, I started thinking about when I used the Killing Curse, trying to understand why the curse had affected me so much.

I could feel that my magic still wasn't calm and controlled, and it was in disarray, but at least not as much as before.

And in addition to my magic, I also felt a sinking feeling in the pit of my stomach, remembering how I'd heard Myers' heart stop beating.

'Sigh… right now I'm really hating being so sensitive to magic like this' I thought, frowning, 'But most of all… I'm hating feeling like this'

I thought I'd be like any other reincarnator who would go around killing all the evil villains without feeling remorse, but apparently I'm not that strong.

I don't know if it was a combination of my empathy, Myers' memories, or the curse I used, but I feel like I won't be able to sleep well for a while.

'This sucks' I thought, but was pulled out of my thoughts by the sound of my ATLAS letting me know it was time.

Still with my troubled mind I got up from the bed, going to the Vanishing Cabinet, opening its doors and entering it.

Already inside the cabinet I activated it, and after a few seconds I felt its magic transport me to another place, with me using my sensor to feel the environment outside the cabinet change.

'Now I understand why my other self was so weird when I saw him' I thought with a frown, looking down at my hands.

End.

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(End AN: An honest question. How do I tell a friend he's being annoying?)