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Chapter 1249: Bad News
🕑 Added 2024-09-29 17:47:15 +0000 UTC"What's wrong?" Ginny asked, looking at Hermione. "Did you not do well in the exams?"
"Oh, come off it," Ron wailed, striding over to Hermione and whipping her results out of her hand to lay them flat on the table. "Blimey, twelve ‘Outstandings’ … and you're actually disappointed, aren't you?"
Everyone’s eyes widened in surprise as they stared at the results. Hermione shook her head.
Mrs. Weasley was originally quite satisfied with Ron's results, which were better than what Fred and George got together. But then, after looking at Evan's results, then Hermione's, she glanced back at Ron's...
Indeed, without comparisons, there was no disappointment.
As long as you passed, you could receive an O.W.L. certificate.
But the value and significance of the certificates were completely different, and the corresponding N.E.W.T. classes that could be applied for were also completely different.
Hogwarts' upper-year magic courses were highly specialized, and each professor had different requirements.
It could be said that with Ron's grades, he would basically be saying goodbye to Evan and Hermione next term.
Two years from now, they would graduate from Hogwarts and the careers and paths they could choose would be completely different.
Their life trajectories might never intersect again, growing further and further apart.
What would remain would only be memories of their school days — fading, distant memories.
Ron was unaware of this, as he was yelling at Mrs. Weasley to bring sausages to celebrate their becoming N.E.W.T. students.
……………………………………………………………………………………………….
Evan and his friends remained within the confines of the Burrow’s garden over the next few weeks.
He spent a lot of time discussing with Hermione the courses they would apply for next term, sorting out his various belongings and magic books, had two long talks with Fleur, and played Quidditch with Harry and the others in the Weasleys' orchard.
As far as Evan could remember, he hadn't had such a leisurely time for a long time. It would have been a happy, peaceful holiday had it not been for the stories of disappearances, odd accidents, even of deaths now appearing almost daily in the newspapers.
A week after arriving at the Burrow, they finally saw Lupin.
He no longer worked for Hogwarts Magic, but had gone undercover among the werewolves.
Lupin looked gaunt and grim, his brown hair streaked liberally with gray, his clothes more ragged and patched than ever, and he brought grisly tidings that had not yet been announced.
"Another Muggle village has been attacked by Dementors and werewolves," he announced. "When the Aurors arrived, they saw hundreds of Muggle adults whose souls had been sucked away by Dementors. The only sounds echoing in the village were the cries of children."
“That’s horrifying!”
"How could they do this?!"
"Remus, you shouldn’t be telling them these things," said Mrs. Weasley unhappily, frowning.
"It would be good for them to know more about this kind of thing. They need to know how cruel their enemies are so that they can be prepared," said Lupin stubbornly. "Besides, this is not the first attack. There are many more horrible things abroad. We are in the middle of a war."
"Why were there Muggle children left in that village? Did the Dementors not suck their souls away?"
"Because of the werewolf Fenrir Greyback," said Lupin. "He was involved in the attack..."
Evan realized at once — Greyback again. That guy was a complete lunatic.
As the most brutal werewolf, Fenrir liked to bite children, infecting them and turning them into werewolves, so that they could grow up in pain and hatred and continue to take revenge on society. It was because of him that Lupin had become a werewolf.
Evan and Hermione had also been attacked by him, and there was a deep-seated hatred between them.
It was easy to imagine that Fenrir had ordered the Dementors to spare the children, just to make their suffering even worse.
"He has about eighty werewolves under his command, and he is the strongest force in the underground world," Lupin continued, his voice eerily calm. "He recognized me, and I had no way of infiltrating. I could only get information from other werewolves."
"Can’t we talk about something cheerful for a change?" Mrs. Weasley emphasized.
"In addition to this attack, there’s some news," Lupin went on, ignoring Mrs. Weasley. "Last night, they’ve found Igor Karkaroff’s body in a shack up north."
"Karkaroff is dead?"
"Yes, it was a horrible death. He was clearly tortured before his death, and the Dark Mark had been set over his body — well, frankly, I'm surprised he stayed alive for so long," said Lupin, shrugging.
"Enough talk about death!" said Mrs. Weasley in a firm tone.
"By the way, did you hear about Florean Fortescue, Remus?" asked Bill, who was being plied with wine by Fleur. "The man who ran —"
"— the ice-cream place in Diagon Alley?" Harry interrupted, with an unpleasant, hollow sensation in the pit of his stomach. "Evan, remember? He used to give us free ice creams."
Evan nodded. He had spent most of that summer in Diagon Alley with Harry the year Sirius broke out of prison.
Fortescue took good care of them, often offering free ice creams and was just a really nice guy.
"Remember … what’s happened to him?"
"Dragged off, by the look of his place."
"Why?" asked Ron, while Mrs. Weasley pointedly glared at Bill.
"Who knows? He must’ve upset them somehow. He was a good man, Florean."
Evan tried hard to recall, he really couldn't remember what had happened to Fortescue. Maybe he had just gone into hiding.
"Oh, talking of Diagon Alley," said Mr. Weasley, "looks like Mr. Ollivander's gone too."
"The wandmaker?" said Ginny, looking startled.
"That's the one. Shop’s empty. No sign of struggle. No one knows whether he left voluntarily or was kidnapped," Mr. Weasley sighed and added, "Times are troubling!"
"Wait, if he's gone, what’ll people do for wands?"
"They’ll make do with other makers," said Lupin glumly. "But Ollivander was the best, and if the other side have got him it’s not so good for us."
Indeed, compared to the less memorable Fortescue, Ollivander was far more significant.
If Ollivander had gone into hiding, it likely meant Voldemort was investigating the secret of the Elder Wand.
The wand chose the wizard. As a wizard's weapon, this seemingly unremarkable little stick held too many mysteries...
Undoubtedly, Lupin's news made the atmosphere suddenly become depressing, reminding everyone that the Wizarding world was in the midst of a war. Now was no time for relaxation.
The following day, Hogwarts sent them letters along with the new term's booklists, detailing the required books for their chosen courses.
Harry's envelope also contained good news: He had been made Quidditch Captain.
