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HP - Chapter 199: Correct form of government
🕑 Added 2024-09-06 00:15:06 +0000 UTCJames, before leaving the cell, erased some of Eustace's memories. He doesn't want him to tell the information about his new spell to other people, even though he will be in a Muggle prison and is no longer a threat. He doesn't want leaks, even if they won't do much good. No matter how much they know the spell, they won't be able to cast it successfully.
The spell that would be best categorized as a curse requires a thorough knowledge of magical biology. You must know where the magical veins are located, as you must drive so to speak, and go about irreversibly breaking down and destroying the magical veins.
In addition, you need a competent power, since if the target's magic is far superior to yours, it is unlikely that your spell can leave him magically disabled, and there could be a rebound effect that ends up damaging you.
It is best to do this on a captured wizard in poor condition to rule out such accidents or perform the procedures manually on the wizard's body as a surgeon would. Weaken him manually as James did with Eustace and then cast the spell to finish destroying his magical veins. You must have great knowledge and some skill in your hands, as you are handling a real human body as if you were a surgeon.
James locked the door and started up the spiral staircase. The gloomy castle was in Oxfordshire, a county in south-central England.
James had acquired it with the Potter family's large capital. Since taking over as Lord, he has managed to increase his family's wealth by a large margin. Because of his education as a Rothschild, he is an expert in financial matters and investments.
'Peter will soon be able to rest in peace...' thought James with a slight frown. At last, the first step of his revenge was accomplished. Give Eustace a fate worse than death. He would live the rest of his life surrounded by the Muggles he so detested and without magic as a Squib.
More than two years had passed since the tragic end in the sunken vault. Where Peter died in the subway cave. Since that day, James has remembered every night the lifeless face of his friend.
James studied like a madman, not only his new curse but also the books that talked about Dai Ryusaki's Ancient Runes. He managed to create his artifacts, although they were not at the level of the great Japanese magician. But his path was freer, as the books had thousands of pages that made many things easier.
James made his way to the room where all the data of his research was stored. Innumerable scrolls written in full, papers, etc.
With a simple movement of his hand, all the papers flew to his hand and were stored in his ring that absorbed them in a second, as if it swallowed them.
Just at that moment, someone knocked at the castle door. James was not surprised. He was expecting important guests. He walked calmly to the door and opened it with a slight flick of his wrist.
Three figures appeared in front of James. They were two men and a woman, all adults.
“Madam Minister, come in. You too, Master and Mr. Crouch,” James said in a respectful tone, gesturing for the guests to pass into their secondary abode.
Minister Eugenia Jenkins is a middle-aged woman with dull reddish hair, hazel eyes, a small nose, and an elegant dark violet robe. At James' comment, she entered, followed by the two men behind her.
Mr. Crouch had short gray hair with a very straight middle. A narrow mustache like a toothbrush and a serious face. His attire was a clean, smart, simple robe.
Crouch is the current head of the Magical Law Enforcement Department. The largest department in the British Ministry of Magic.
Finally, the person James referred to as a master in a respectful tone was named Alastor Moody.
His face bore several scars. He had dark hair, small dark eyes, and a stern expression on his face. He belongs to a pureblood family, the Moodys. He is an auror. The most famous of all currently for his magical combat skills, all the criminals he caught in his career, and the amount of Death Eaters he faced since they appeared in 1971.
All three adults held very high positions within the ministry. There was the Minister herself.
“Don't be so formal, James. You can call me by my name,” Eugenia said with a slight smile as she passed into the castle.
“If you are comfortable with that, I will, Eugenia,” James said, agreeing as he closed the door.
Crouch just nodded and followed the minister. Moody nodded and patted James' shoulder amicably.
“A nice abode. At last, you show us where you have imprisoned the dark wizard, Eustace Burke,” Eugenia commented, looking around the place.
“Yes, it is time. My research is finished,” James said as he conjured up some comfortable couches for his guests to take a seat on.
“Research? What exactly are you investigating with the prisoner? It sounds like just revenge,” Crouch commented, speaking for the first time.
He respected James. He never thought he could respect a sixteen-year-old boy so much. He even treated him as his equal.
James a year and a half ago requested Minister Eugenia. He was asking for the surrender of the prisoner Eustace, who was currently in Azkaban for serious crimes committed.
The news of the death of a Hogwarts student at the hands of a group of dark wizards in '74 reached the ears of the entire British magical community. James could not hide it, nor was it his plan to do so. Peter was to be given to his family and have a proper burial.
He, Sirius, and the others had to speak the truth about the vaults. There was no other choice, so the authorities, such as the minister, Dumbledore, and the others, knew all about the incident. However, they were not blamed for anything, as they did not commit any crime. They even took care of dark wizards and a Death Eater.
As for Dai Ryusaki's items, they were a legacy that, in the scrolls he wrote, said that he who finds his treasures will keep them. All treasures were obtained cleanly. Not by stealing, Ryusaki created his artifacts and the money he earned from his work as a teacher and in his artifact business before he was falsely named a dark wizard. or anything like that. Ryusaki created his artifacts and the money he earned from his work as a teacher and in his artifact business before he was falsely named a dark wizard.
James, using his position as Lord, managed to get the objects they had obtained through sweat and tears to keep them for themselves.
A year after the incident, he made a rare request to the minister that Eustace be handed over to him.
James knew that they couldn't hand over the wizard knowing the grudge between them, and he only wanted him for revenge, but he managed to reach an agreement.
The agreement was to support the minister. With his position as Lord, if he decided to support her, the whole Potter family would do so, and now the family was in a great economic moment. This would come in very handy for the minister at this time, as her government was not being entirely effective against the rise of Voldemort and his followers. It had been more than four years since the dark rebellion began, and she had failed to stop it. Many considered her unfit for the challenge and called for her removal.
Monetary and political support. Not only that, James also promised things that he delivered in a short time, gaining even more favor with the minister and Crouch. He managed to get part of House Black to support the minister. Alphard (Sirius' uncle) and Arcturus Black. The highest ranking person in House Black.
Thanks to this, James got Eustace and became his prisoner. It was not easy. It took a lot of meetings and tedious conversations to get him, but he is good at politics and business.
In the agreement, James was not to kill Eustace. Just keep him prisoner in his abode; as long as he didn't die, nothing happened, and that was what James wanted for his research.
“It's not quite revenge. It's research that will be of great help to them against the dark rebellion,” James commented, as with his telekinesis he made a teapot and cups float toward him.
Eugene and Crouch already knew of James' unusual wandless magic abilities, but they couldn't help but be amazed at such control of magic without the need for a wand.
Moody was not surprised by this. He had trained James and knew the extent of his wandless magic powers. This was only the tip of the iceberg.
“What research did you conduct?” asked Moody, who wanted to know as soon as possible what James was doing with Eustace. He knew his student; he wasn't the type who would keep an enemy alive just to torture them for no reason.
He was always curious, but James was very secretive about the Eustace affair. In the deal he made with Eugene, he asked for his privacy. He didn't want people involved in his affairs with Eustace.
James began to tell them about his research into magical veins and the creation of the spell capable of destroying said veins and rendering you magically turned into a squib.
He told the information above; he was not specific about the experiments he performed or the more theoretical parts of the research.
Eugene, Moody, and Crouch's faces changed during the story. They could not believe that a sixteen-year-old boy had created a curse of such caliber. It could even be listed as the fourth unforgivable curse if true.
James, to prove the veracity of his words, led them to Eustace's prison, where he was already awake. He told Eustace to try casting magic, but the bald man appeared to be a lifeless pale ghost.
Using a bit of psychology, he told him that if he did, he would restore his magic veins, so Eustace agreed, putting a crazed smile on his face as he took his wand. It seemed he was no longer right in the head after becoming a squib.
Eustace, with all his might and murderous intentions, tried to cast spells to kill James even though the latter told him he would fix his magical veins. He wasn't in his right mind anymore.
Crouch and Moody stood guard needlessly, as nothing came out of Eustace's wand. Then they returned to the room upstairs. All three adults had rarely seen expressions on their faces.
“Convinced?” asked James with a slight smile. This time, he received looks he had never received from adults in high hierarchical positions before: fear, alarm, stupefaction, and more.
“Calm down. It's not that easy to throw. It can't be used in combat. It would be too risky, and you'd probably end up hurting yourself,” James said with an odd expression.
“Why do you say it will be helpful against Death Eaters?” asked Eugene after James said it's not usable in combat.
James took a sip of his tea, letting the bitter taste spread across his palate as he watched the wizards and witches gathered around him. In a firm, but calm voice, he said, “This curse is not for use in combat; it is true. But its true value lies in its ability to change the landscape of war.”
Eugene looked at him with a mixture of curiosity and unease. “Why do you say it will be helpful against Death Eaters?”
James interlocked his fingers on the table and leaned forward. “Over the years, we've seen how many criminals have been imprisoned in Azkaban only to escape later thanks to the intervention of Death Eaters. Eustace is a prime example of that. Azkaban is no longer the impenetrable fortress it used to be. The Dementors' loyalty is fragile and can change at any time. This curse is the ultimate solution to that problem."
Gazes crossed the room. The atmosphere became more tense. What James was saying was true. Even several criminals were rescued before they reached Azkaban.
“The idea is simple,” James continued. “Instead of relying on the dubious security of Azkaban, we can strip the criminals of their magic, rendering them helpless, and then send them to Muggle prisons, where they won't have the resources or ability to escape.”
Before Crouch could interject, James added, “But that's not the best of it. We must make sure everyone knows what we are doing. Publishing in all the magical newspapers that the dark wizards condemned in Azkaban will be stripped of their magic and sent to Muggle prisons will make this news reach the ears of the Death Eaters and those who plan to join them.”
Moody arched an eyebrow, intrigued. “Why do you want to publish it?”
James smiled, a smile that seemed more calculating than one would expect from a sixteen-year-old. “Because fear is a powerful tool. By going public with this measure, Death Eaters and some extreme supremacists will have a fear greater than any other. Losing their valuable magic. This will not only discourage Voldemort's current followers, it will also make those who are considering joining them think twice.”
He paused, letting his words sink into his listeners. “But it's not just fear we're after. This will also restore confidence in the magical community. People will begin to see the government as a force they can trust, an entity that doesn't just go after criminals, one that neutralizes them without resorting to brutality. It's a way to show power without needing to mimic the ruthlessness of the Death Eaters.”
Eugene felt a shiver run down her spine. It was clear that James had thought of everything, had considered every aspect, every possible consequence. This was not simply the idea of a young man; it was the strategy of someone who deeply understood the power of psychology and politics.
