Harry Potter and the Secret Treasures

“Evan, is that your Minister for Magic?” Gabrielle asked, looking at Scrimgeour’s back, “You and Harry just rejected him like that?!”

“Well, I wouldn’t say we rejected him exactly — our positions are just different. Like trains on separate tracks, our paths were never meant to align with Scrimgeour’s,” Evan replied, ruffling Gabrielle’s hair.

Gabrielle nodded somewhat vaguely, as if she half-understood.

“I think he’s really annoying!” said Ginny. “He just wants to use you and Harry.”

“Definitely not a good guy!” Elaine agreed with a nod. “He’s been bad to us too, restricting where vampires can go.”

“Look, let me go back and hit Percy!” said Ron loudly.

“Let it go,” said Hermione. “The Ministry has done a lot of unpopular things, that’s true. But they are fighting Voldemort. We can’t deny that; we’re not enemies.”

At least, not for now. But that wouldn’t last long.

The Ministry of Magic would not be able to hold out for long in a head-on confrontation with Voldemort.

At that moment, Sirius walked over and asked, “What did Scrimgeour want?”

“Same as before. Wanted Evan and me to give him inside information on Dumbledore and be the Ministry’s new poster boys.” said Harry.

“We refused, and he didn’t look very pleased about it,” Evan followed up. “The bad thing is that Scrimgeour doesn’t seem willing to admit the current bad situation, nor is he willing to cooperate with the Order of the Phoenix to fight Voldemort in a way we approve. The Ministry’s position has left them with the choice of a head-on battle and that will only lead to their destruction.”

“Alas, Scrimgeour is a competent Auror, but he’s not a wise Minister for Magic,” said Sirius after a moment’s silence. “The school board replied. With Scrimgeour’s intervention, they do not intend to close Hogwarts, but I doubt how many students will be willing to come back next term. Even if there are more guards protecting this place, it will still be very dangerous.”

“But we’re not in any more danger here than we are at home, are we? Everywhere’s the same now.”

“I actually think that if Harry and I don’t return to Hogwarts, Voldemort probably won’t do anything to the other students for the time being,” said Evan.

Voldemort’s goal was to rule, not to kill all wizards, and the students posed no real threat to him.

Besides, Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry held special significance. Voldemort might very well turn it into a base for training Dark wizards for his army.

If the school closed, he would gain nothing from it.

But Evan was not sure about this. Who knew how insane Voldemort might become now that he’d merged with an evil god?

“Evan, Harry, about not returning to school and that plan you told me about last time; we need to seriously reconsider it,” said Sirius worriedly. He knew Evan and Harry were planning to search for the remaining two keys to the hidden treasure and destroy the remaining Horcruxes, but he didn’t fully support the idea. “Before any of that, Harry, you need to go back to the Dursleys’. That’s the only way to ensure the protective magic Lily left on you remains effective. Then, I’ll go with you to Godric’s Hollow to visit your parents’ graves. Evan, you should also go home this summer and spend time with your parents!”

Yes, this was the last summer break, and Evan hadn’t been home in a long time.

He should really go home this summer vacation, or stay at Hermione’s house for a while.

Then, he was going to Gringotts to take out the Golden Cup, which was extremely important as both a Horcrux and the key to Hufflepuff’s secret treasure.

Given how well-guarded Gringotts was and how troublesome the goblins could be, Evan planned to wait until the Wizarding world was in chaos before attempting it. Ideally, he’d strike after Voldemort took over Gringotts and the goblins had fled, then things would be much easier.

“Don’t forget Bill and Fleur’s wedding,” Ron reminded. “Before that, you have to come to my house first.”

“That’s right, we definitely shouldn’t miss that,” said Sirius.

“And you have to come visit my house too,” Gabrielle added quickly. “If Hogwarts doesn’t reopen, you could come study at Beauxbatons next term. Madame Maxime would welcome you.”

“Or how about America?” Elaine chimed in. “My uncle told me their Wizarding world is amazing. They’re much more integrated with Muggles than we are. We could even go to a Muggle school. Lots of witches, wizards, vampires, and werewolves study there. Oh, and they call Muggles ‘No-Majs’ over there.”

If you added it all up, there would be no end to the list — France, the United States … and Evan had even considered going to China before. It was starting to sound more like a study-abroad tour or a grand adventure. But the path ahead of them wasn’t so rosy. It was a dark and twisting road.

At the end of that road, they would confront Voldemort and the evil god face to face.

The difficult prospects seemed to highlight the beauty of the present golden and peaceful days. Evan did not deny Gabrielle and Elaine’s ideas. Instead, he followed their lead and talked along with them.

One day, they would go and explore that wider and more wonderful Wizarding world.

……………………………………………………………………..

Darkness without end had fallen, and light seemed to have vanished completely.

Two men appeared out of nowhere, a few yards apart in the narrow, moonlit lane.

For a second they stood quite still, wands directed at each other’s chests; then, recognizing each other, they stowed their wands beneath their cloaks and started walking briskly in the same direction.

“News?” asked the taller of the two.

“The best,” replied Severus Snape.

The lane was bordered on the left by wild, low-growing brambles, on the right by a high, neatly manicured hedge.

The two men’s long cloaks flapped around their ankles as they marched.

“Really? Best news?” Yaxley asked doubtfully, his blunt features sliding in and out of sight as the branches of overhanging trees broke the moonlight. “Thought I might be late. It was a little trickier than I expected. But I hope he will be satisfied. You sound confident that your reception will be good?”

Snape nodded, but did not elaborate.

They turned right, into a wide driveway that led off the lane.

The high hedge curved with them, running off into the distance beyond the pair of impressive wrought-iron gates barring the men’s way. Neither of them broke step: In silence both raised their left arms in a kind of salute and passed straight through, as though the dark metal were smoke. …

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