Ruse Aftermath Ⅳ

The funeral of Damocles Belby was a grand thing despite the cold with many representatives of the Ministry of Magic and foreign Ministry ambassadors in attendance. There were many famous potion masters and guild members present to bid a formal farewell to the Potion Master, who had been one of them. And most importantly the hundreds of those that had been cured thanks to the werewolf cures. These men, women, youths, and children gathered to thank and bid farewell to the Potion Master; they would never be able to repay even with their very lives. Still, all those present all had pinned a white medical flower to their lapels such as white foxglove, chamomile, yarrow, and countless other potion ingredients to honor and pay homage to the genius Potion Master.

Soft weeping can be heard among the crowd until the crowd becomes silent except for a few loud sniffs as the wizard clergy member stepped forth and began the solemn ceremony. If the clergy's words brought those in mourning any comfort it was unknown as many in the crowd grieved. The ceremony would continue for some time, and after which, the Minister of Magic Jenkins would speak towards the end.

Among those numb in the crowd was that of a dark-eyed man with dark salt-peppered hair that had become whiter overnight after having learned of the death of his oldest of friends, Secundus Wilkes. He deeply mourned the loss of his friend and felt even more of a failure as his friend Percius Clements had nearly lost his life as a result of his doing. He felt that he should have done more to dissuade Damocles of his foolish plan. But worst of all, the Auror's, who had perished in the attack, and families that were bereavement of their loved ones.

Secundus's eyes roamed as he gazed at the tear-stained faces of many including those known as the famous first four Twizzle, Banks, Smythe, and Glackin. They had been the first to receive the cure and now were proud members of the A.P.D. The A.P.D. members felt as though they had lost one of their own for, without the Potion Master's cure, their lives would be so very different from the present one.

Among those genuinely grieving is a freckled, pale lad with strawberry-blonde-colored hair, Wilfredius, the apprentice of Damocles Belby. The lad genuinely grieved for his master and felt extreme remorse and guilt for not having listened to Auror Percius Clements and released him earlier. Auror Clements had stopped earlier to explain that it was not his fault, but Wilfredius would hear none of it. He had failed his master, and despite that, his Master had still rewarded him by leaving him a portion of his wealth for his studies and ensured that he was to be trained by a rival of Master Belby. It simply was not fair, and he rather would give all that he to have his master back in the galleon's stead.

Auror Percius Clements was missing from the funeral still on duty, but he would later pass by to pay his respects to the deceased Potions Master. And much like Sara Vinovich, Damocles Belby would become a regular visit site as Percius's belated partner. Damocles Belby was not a wizard that he necessarily liked, but he was one that Percius had grown to respect despite Belby's prickly temperance.

Although there standing at the edge of the crowd is a figure, who is naturally giving a wide breach considering his familial relationship to the deceased Potions Master, Asclepius Belby. He had brown hair, dark eyes, pale skin, and resembled his older brother more than his fair share causing those that personally knew Damocles to that more keenly feel his loss. Standing at Asclepius's side is his wife, Annice, a stout witch with clear, kind eyes. The couple stands closely together with their forearms intertwined. Unlike Annice, who leans against her husband's form, Asclepius stands rigidly tall. He had not been able to see his brother while in life, but he would at least properly see him off. For they were Belby's, and Belby's possessed more pride than common sense, at least, that's what their dearly departed mother used to say.

After the speeches were over and done with the crowd begins to pay their respects to Master Belby. Many wept over him until at long last the lines grow short until only those that knew him remained behind despite the chill and late hour. The shadows had grown long and dark, but still there remained standing the figures of Asclepius accompanied by his wife, Annice. They were not the only ones that still lingered behind for there was Damocles' most trusted friend in life, Secundus Wilkes with his family, and Damocles sole apprentice in life, Wilfredius, (whose own family had long ago left to take care of the family farm).

Seeing the late hour, Asclepius quietly turns to gaze at the man, who his older brother had actually called friend, Secundus Wilkes, and the person his brother had only ever taken in, Wilfredius, his apprentice. Awkwardly clearing his throat, he gathers their attention and says, "Er, it is cold, and it is late. I would be honored if you three and your families would join me in parting dinner to remember my brother, Damocles."

"I would be honored, sir," Wilfredius loudly sniffed as he dried reddened eyes. "My family's gone home for the evening to care for the farm, if that's alright, it'll just be me, sir."

"That's fine," Asclepius murmured, before turning expectantly towards Secundus Wilkes.

Before Secundus can answer, the light, curly-haired, Mercury Wilkes pats her neat updo with one hand. "It is late, sir, I need my son to bed," she quietly said as she clutched their only remaining child to her skirt, Silviu Wilkes. The boy looked very much like his deceased older brother S.R. Wilkes except lack his older brother's somewhat curly hair.

"However, my husband may freely attend," Mrs. Wilkes added with a small grin earning a gaze full of gratitude and tenderness from her husband. Lightly placing a kiss on her husband's cheek, she whispers, "It is fine to stay out late, Secundus. You need to grieve, dearest, Silviu and I shall be fine. We shall spend a cozy evening by the hearth reading."

"Thank you for understanding, my dearly beloved," Secundus whispered back, before taking his wife's hand and placing it a solemn kiss to her hand.

Mrs. Wilkes flushes and wrinkles her nose at her husband, before tugging their sleepy son away and apparating home to Wilkes Manor.

Nodding his head at his two guests, Asclepius, and his wife each take a wizard by the arm, before apparating to the cottage in the countryside. With a soft pop, they appear on the pathway leading up to a cozy cottage. Wilfredius quietly thanks Annice for her aid, while Secundus gestures his gratitude before Asclepius leads the way up to the cottage.

They enter a warm cottage that has a cozy hearth roaring tended by a house elf. There are plates of piping hot food on the table accompanied by a bottle of Ogden's Firewhiskey set in the middle of the table with glasses. "Thank you, Teeny," Annice appreciatively said as she removed her cloak and hung it on a cloak hook against the wall.

With a soft pop, a rather small female house elf with rather pointed cat-like ears and large eyes, and a round button nose says, "A pleasure, Miss." Teeny squeaked patting down her tiny doll-like dress and apron, before disappearing with a pop.

Teeny was the daughter of a local family that bred house elves to be purchased. For breeders, they were not the bad sort and at least did not sell off the offspring the minute they were born, and rather waited until the offspring were fully grown. Once the house elf children were fully grown, they were sold off by the breeders. Seeing that their only daughter was to wed into a pureblood family, Annice's family scraped enough money to purchase one of the house elves from the local breeders.

Because the house elves offspring were not separated from their parents until fully grown these house elves were intelligent and good for breeding. These house elves had always sold for good prices and even more so now that the Hogwarts Elves were the standard for owning House Elves. Countless other breeders were going out of business as a direct consequence because no one wanted to own a subpar house elf, while their house elves were near to the standard as the Hogwarts house elves. If anything, breeders were now forced to treat their house elves and properly educate them in order to sell off their wares.

It was rather ironic and strange, but the world was slowly changing. House Elves were not yet seen as people, but they were seen as valuable commodities. And perhaps even someday be recognized for the individuals that they in fact were.