Chapter 657: Aftermath and Invitations

Under the serene night sky, Felix strode lightly, followed by a motley crew of wizards trailing behind him, their heads bobbing in a peculiar rhythm.

They turned into an alley where the shops on either side were shut tight, save for the dingy window of the Hog's Head Inn casting a dim yellow light. As the door swung open, out came Aberforth Dumbledore, with his heap of grey hair and beard, taking out the trash. His mouth fell open in surprise at the sight before him.

"Good evening," Felix greeted calmly, continuing on without pausing for small talk.

Aberforth squinted, watching the stiff-bodied wizards with their heads drooped pass by. He grumbled irritably after Felix's retreating figure, "So, the Grim Reaper's back on duty, huh? Looks like quite the harvest this time." He muttered to himself in annoyance, "Which poor soul's turn is it now, Pardis? Three broomsticks?"

His words stirred memories in Felix's mind.

Back when rumors of the Elder Wand were rife, Felix, like tonight, appeared in the night, inspecting the fields like an old farmer, plucking out pests one by one. The Hog's Head Inn, aside from its competitive pricing, also drew favorable reviews from the clandestine wizards for its unique culture of allowing patrons to keep a low profile, making it a prime hunting ground for Felix.

Felix turned back, flashing Aberforth a brilliant smile before moving on.

Aberforth furrowed his brow, cursing under his breath as he abandoned the trash and stomped back indoors, slamming the door shut with a resounding thud. "What's the matter?" a patron inside asked, somewhat intoxicated. "I thought I heard talk of death."

"Shut it!" Aberforth snapped, his hair bristling. "If you can't cough up the money, I'll tie you to the sign outside, you filthy thief."

A disheveled wizard with tousled ginger hair lifted his head from his drink, his bloodshot eyes wandering. "Aberforth?" he hiccupped. "We're pals, after all... It's just money, right? I've got..."

He fished out a few gold Galleons from his grimy pocket and tossed them onto the table.

"Where'd you get the money?" Aberforth was thoroughly surprised.

"Well... I've recently befriended, uh, quite the bigwig... Another... that's the Minister of Magic, you know?" The man chuckled foolishly, taking a couple more swigs of his drink, making a loud sucking sound. "Wow! Mate, this stuff really packs a punch."

Had Felix been here a moment ago, he would've immediately recognized the unkempt man's identity – Mundungus Fletcher, member (and colleague) of the Order of the Phoenix, whom Felix once introduced to Amelia Bones. So, the bigwig in Mundungus's tale wasn't hard to guess.

Felix stood amidst the thick darkness, calmly watching as a dozen or so wizards descended from the sky.

These were Aurors, their wands aglow, illuminating their vigilant faces. A woman stepped forward from the group and approached Felix.

It was Amelia Bones.

Felix handed over the group to the Aurors and walked aside with Ms. Bones, speaking in hushed tones.

"I suggest individual detentions, at least for..." Felix calculated, "...four months."

Ms. Bones raised an eyebrow.

"Are you attempting to interfere with the judiciary?"

"Oh, come on now, I'm your advisor, and once you've interrogated that ringleader, you'll understand the seriousness of the situation. He's quite the clever one, I must say. I've looked over the plans, and in the midst of this information blackout, there's a real possibility he could succeed." Felix succinctly briefed the background of these individuals, leaving Bones astonished.

In essence, this Mr. DeWitt, alias 'Noel,' was planning to maneuver his way into Grindelwald's trust, deceive him with sweet talk to gain authority to act on his behalf, and then, through a series of intricate plans and tactics, take over the old man's political legacy.

The crucial steps of the plan coincided with recent unrest in America and Grindelwald's teaching stint at Hogwarts. DeWitt didn't intend to keep it under wraps, but rather, recruit manpower under the guise of Grindelwald, while using spies embedded in the International Confederation of Wizards to sow discord. When the time was right, he would ignite the powder keg.

And when that happens...

Naturally, the old Grindelwald would be portrayed as an ambitious old man trying to make a comeback and would be promptly locked away. DeWitt could then, under the guise of Grindelwald's successor, rightfully claim the position of the 'Second Saint' (self-proclaimed).

Not to mention, this whole affair would inevitably tarnish Dumbledore's reputation, and Felix himself would be dragged into the mess.

"It's a well-planned scheme, but it's a pity they didn't practice Occlumency better," Felix lamented. "And they don't know me well enough. I'm not as straightforward as Dumbledore."

Bones rolled her eyes in exasperation. "You're surprisingly candid. But, is all that you've said true?" she pressed.

"You find it incredulous too, don't you? But this world has never lacked for ambitious individuals, let alone those with a penchant for gambling," Felix remarked. "So when I confirmed he was an enemy, I breathed a sigh of relief because, truth be told, if those suspicions and ill intentions turned out to be just personal grievances— you know, like corporate rivalry," he shrugged, "I'd have found it troublesome too. Of course, now they're your problem."

Bones shot him a glare.

She smoothed her hair back and after a moment said, "Good timing, I'm planning to meet with the new Confederation Chairman, Bartemius Crouch. The spy's name is Worleston, an assistant under the Confederation, right? Once I've sorted out these people, I'll leave immediately."

She went over to direct the Aurors, who were a dozen steps away, to magically detain the captives. Among the three Aurors guarding them, a female Auror with pink hair stood out in the darkness.

Felix strolled over.

"Tonks."

Tonks surveyed her surroundings warily, then after a few seconds spoke in a hushed tone, "What's up?"

"How've you and Romulus been lately?" Felix asked quietly. Tonks' shoulders slumped, looking somewhat dejected as she replied weakly, "Oh, just the usual."

"It's Lupin's birthday soon—"

Tonks snapped her head around, scrutinizing Felix up and down, which left Felix feeling puzzled this time.

"Do you have time that day?" she asked eagerly, unable to contain herself.

"Uh—"

"We'd like to invite you to Lupin's birthday dinner. What do you think?" she asked, her face filled with anticipation.

"I suppose that's fine, but—"

"That settles it!" she declared decisively, then gave him a pleading look. "Please? Pretty please?"

Felix cleared his throat, muttering under his breath, "Seems like there's something I don't know."

Tonks sighed, looking troubled.

"I'll give you the simple version: we're planning to celebrate at my parents' place for my dad's birthday."

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