0442 Sleepless Night

"Bertha Jorkins?!"

Sirius, Hermione, and Ron exclaimed in unison. Earlier that morning, while climbing the Stoatshead Hill, Mr. Weasley had mentioned her in passing that she used to work for Barty Crouch and was now under Ludo Bagman. A month ago, she had gone on vacation to Albania and hadn't been heard from since.

Harry's confident expression also dispelled any doubts Sirius might have had. He turned to Bryan, hoping for an explanation, but quickly realized that Bryan couldn't possibly know everything—how would he know how Bertha Jorkins had encountered Voldemort and been killed by him?

But, In fact, Bryan did know about this.

"You saw Voldemort and Cliodna's conversation in your dream," Bryan said, lowering his head and gently rubbing his brow. After a moment of thought, he confirmed that vague unspoken guess which both he and Dumbledore had some time ago.

Harry was an unintentional Horcrux created by Voldemort, with a fragment of Voldemort's soul residing within him. Moreover, Harry might be the only living Horcrux among all of Voldemort's creations and this mysterious magical connection could probably allow Harry to glimpse into Voldemort's thoughts.

Reaching this conclusion, Bryan paused. He discreetly glanced at Harry's eyes, and only after confirming that the light in Harry's emerald gaze remained pure did he look away.

Since Bryan was unwilling to reveal how he knew the mysterious witch or what history they shared, no one could force him to speak. After a moment's hesitation, Sirius asked another question on everyone's behalf.

"Bryan, that last black shadow we saw—" Sirius's tone was heavy. "Was it Voldemort?"

Most people hadn't seen Voldemort's true form tonight; all they'd witnessed was a dark shadow and a blurry hideous creature. Only those privy to certain information, like Sirius and Harry, would make such a connection.

"Why do you think that?" Bryan raised an eyebrow, smiling at Sirius.

"Isn't it obvious?" Sirius replied calmly. "Harry dreamed that this witch was working with Voldemort. Tonight, she appeared here to kidnap Harry. If it weren't Voldemort's order, I can't imagine why Harry would provoke such a powerful witch."

Sirius's voice was filled with worry as he continued, "That devil has always been skilled at manipulating people. More than a decade ago, he gathered a large following through these means. Now, he's found himself another powerful ally—"

Bryan smiled noncommittally. "Even if it is Voldemort, we have Dumbledore on our side, don't we? He will undoubtedly have a solution."

"Yes, Dumbledore is indeed the wizard Voldemort fears most, but you're equally important, Bryan," Sirius said earnestly, causing the young wizards to nod fervently in agreement. "Without you, I fear even Dumbledore would be hard-pressed to handle two powerful dark wizards simultaneously."

"Ha-Ha, thank you for your trust, Sirius—" Bryan smiled gently. "But dealing with a dark lord like Voldemort isn't something one or two people can accomplish. It requires a large group of people working together—"

"A wise perspective, Bryan—" an elderly voice suddenly resounded in the box. Bryan looked up to see a silver phoenix Patronus with azure eyes passing through the illusory sky, suddenly hovering above the table in front of everyone.

"Professor Dumbledore!" Harry called out in disbelief and delight.

"Good evening, Harry—" The silver phoenix nodded at Harry. "I'm truly glad to see that everyone here is safe and sound."

"So, you already know what happened here, Headmaster Dumbledore?" Bryan asked, gazing at Dumbledore's image within the Patronus as its azure eyes focused on him.

"Yes—" Dumbledore's voice was extremely solemn. "I was enjoying some new sweets from Honeydukes in my office when Cornelius sent someone to Hogwarts to find me, requesting my immediate presence at the Ministry. In his office, Cornelius explained everything to me, and of course, I've received information from other sources as well.

If you don't mind, Bryan, I hope you can come to the Ministry immediately. Oh, this is also Cornelius's invitation. From my perspective, after you fully demonstrated your abilities in resolving tonight's terrible crisis, he probably doesn't dare to meet you alone—"

Bryan nodded, standing up from his chair. After putting away Cliodna's staff, he turned to Sirius.

"It's getting late. You all should stay here at the campsite to rest tonight. Tomorrow morning, Sirius you can take the children back to the village of Ottery St. Catchpole."

Sirius nodded slightly. As he watched Bryan stride out to deal with tonight's troubles, for some reasons his eyes showed a bit of disappointment and envy.

"Wait, Bryan—" Sirius called out suddenly, his voice carrying a note of urgency that caused Bryan to pause mid-stride and turn back.

"When you're done dealing with the trouble, if you have time, I'd like to talk to you privately."

Bryan raised his eyebrow, and Harry also gave his godfather a puzzled look.

"I understand," Bryan responded after a moment's consideration, giving a nod before turning once more to leave.

"Good night, everyone—" The silver phoenix winked at Harry and the others. Although it was just a bird, Harry felt as if he could see Professor Dumbledore smiling kindly at them.

"I look forward to seeing you all when the new term begins,"

With these words, Dumbledore's phoenix Patronus dispersed with a puff, transforming into a sky full of dreamlike stars, enveloping the group of pensive onlookers.

As Bryan stepped out of the tent and into the cool night air, he was immediately struck by the realization that the chaos outside had not only failed to subside but had, in fact, intensified to a fever pitch. Everywhere he looked, wizards and witches from various countries were running back from the woods, their faces etched with a mixture of fear, anger, and confusion.

Many were hastily returning to their campsites, frantically packing up their belongings determined to leave under the cover of darkness rather than risk another moment in what they now perceived as a danger zone. Groups of agitated witches and wizards were angrily approaching any Ministry employee they saw, demanding explanations for the evening's events.

In the distance, the faint sounds of Muggle fire trucks and police cars could be heard. The earlier commotion of Bryan's confrontation with Cliodna and Voldemort had been too grand to completely hide from Muggles, and these government officials were responding to alarm reports to investigate the situation.

However, the Muggles's good intentions would undoubtedly increase the Ministry's workload exponentially. The sheer scale of the memory modifications and cover-ups required to maintain the International Statute of Wizarding Secrecy would be staggering. Mr. Weasley probably wouldn't be able to go home to sleep for the entire month.

As Bryan observed all this, he saw Rita Skeeter suddenly appearing materializing a few distance away, clutching her trademark crocodile-skin handbag as if it were a lifeline.

She moved through the chaos like a shark scenting blood in the water, her jeweled spectacles were glinting in the firelight as she approached everyone in her path. Tourist or Ministry employee, it made no difference to her – each person was a potential source of the sensational story she could feel brewing in the air. Though primarily known for her scathing political exposés and exciting celebrity gossip, it was clear that Rita recognized the potential for a career-defining scoop within the wreckage of the Quidditch World Cup.

The chaotic world before him made Bryan sigh slightly. He couldn't help with the aftermath; it was up to the Ministry to properly handle people's anger.

Gathering his thoughts, Bryan took a step forward, his body instantly slipping into the cracks of space. After a moment of disorientation, he appeared in the grand hall of the Ministry of Magic.

The usually bustling grand hall of the Ministry of Magic was now eerily silent and deserted, even though on ordinary days it would be crowded with wizards attending to various matters. But now, in the dead of night and amidst such an incident, not a single soul was in sight. Even the guards and those on alert duty had been urgently dispatched to the Quidditch field to calm the panicked crowd.

In this uncharacteristic stillness, Dumbledore stood by the Fountain of Magical Brethren, counting with interest the glittering silver Sickles and bronze Knuts at the bottom of the pool. Before Bryan's true form had fully materialized, he had already sensed it and turned his head first towards the slightly rippling air.

"That was quick, Bryan. I thought you might have taken a moment to change your clothes before coming, the night's events have been quite... dusty, shall we say?" Dumbledore said with a smile as Bryan emerged from thin air.

"Thanks for the reminder, Headmaster. I indeed didn't notice that," Bryan replied, glancing down at his attire and they indeed were covered in a fine layer of debris and dirt. With a casual snap of his fingers, the grime and wear vanished, leaving behind robes that looked as if they had just been tailored.

As Bryan strode towards Dumbledore, his gaze swept across the empty hall. The vast space, normally alive with activity, now seemed hollow and almost oppressive in its silence. He furrowed his brows and asked.

"With such a major incident, all the Ministry staff are at the Quidditch field doing their utmost to calm the public. But Fudge..." He paused, his frown deepening. "How could Fudge, being the Minister of Magic, choose to run back to his own office at a time like this? What in Merlin's name is going through that man's mind?"

"Sometimes, Cornelius's actions and views do indeed cause some controversy and confusion—" Dumbledore's bright blue eyes were focused on Bryan, who had come to his side. His tone was calm, seemingly unsurprised by Fudge's foolish behavior. "For instance, just before I left his office, he asked me if there was any way to keep you confined to Hogwarts indefinitely."

"Hah!" Bryan laughed as he tidied his disheveled hair by the pool, hearing Dumbledore's words. "Is that so? Is our dear Minister so concerned that I might seize this 'golden' opportunity to demand his immediate resignation?"

"At least he didn't ask me if there was a way to lock you up in Azkaban—" Dumbledore's silver-white beard quivered, but there wasn't much humor in his eyes. "The abilities you demonstrated to the wizarding world tonight Bryan... they've far exceeded what Cornelius considers to be within acceptable limits. If you were to express even the slightest intention of pursuing the position of Minister of Magic, I believe you would find no shortage of supporters, and Cornelius would be powerless to stop it. Especially since people will surely blame tonight's disaster on the Ministry.

So, it's not hard to understand why Cornelius would make such a humorous request. But, Bryan, I'm sure you realize that from now on, Cornelius probably won't be as cordial to you as before—"

Meeting those penetrating blue eyes, Bryan pursed his lips. "Well, Headmaster, perhaps you can tell our esteemed Minister that if he can persuade the school governors to double my salary, I might be willing to stay at Hogwarts for life."

"Oh, if that's truly the case, I'm sure Cornelius will find a way to fulfill your wish, Bryan—" Hearing Bryan's words, Dumbledore's smile became much more genuine.

It wasn't just Cornelius Fudge who had concerns about Bryan's ambition growing unchecked; Dumbledore before him was also one of them who shared those worries. In fact, he was even more concerned than Cornelius Fudge and Bryan was also well aware of this.

By the fountain, both Dumbledore and Bryan fell into a brief silence. They gazed at the clear spring, observing the pure gold statues of the wizard and witch above the fountain, and the centaur, goblin, and house-elf surrounding them, looking up at the human figures with boundless adoration. After a long while, Bryan spoke softly,

"Is there anything you need me to explain, Headmaster? Without touching on some of my secrets, I'm willing to do my best to satisfy your curiosity—"

Hearing Bryan's words, Dumbledore's aged face relaxed slightly, the light in his eyes flickered and his voice became very gentle. "I must express my deepest gratitude, Bryan. If you hadn't appeared in time, it's unimaginable how many lives would have been lost tonight."

Bryan shook his head slightly. Dumbledore was as astute as ever.

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