Chapter 811 - 812

Evan can clearly remember everything about that old house, but strangely, he can't recall the address; it's as if he's unable to summon it to his mind.

The protection over 12 Grimmauld Place was cast by the utter devotion incantation, hiding it from view through powerful magic...

"Yes, the Order of the Phoenix's headquarters is located at 12 Grimmauld Place in London," Dumbledore said calmly.

As Dumbledore spoke, the address of 12 Grimmauld Place suddenly flashed in Evan's mind, crystal clear. However, he couldn't reveal the location to others; it remained under the powerful influence of the utter devotion incantation cast by Dumbledore.

"I must thank you again, Sirius," Dumbledore continued. "We needed a secure location to establish the Order of the Phoenix's headquarters, and honestly, compared to the ancestral home of the Black family, there are few places with as many protective enchantments as possible. Plus, it's close to Hogwarts, making it easier to maintain and update the protective spells as needed."

"That's nothing," Sirius replied. "That house was just sitting there unused, and I'm more than happy to put it to good use for the Order of the Phoenix." He turned to study a portrait on the wall, his great-great-grandfather Phineas causing quite a commotion.

"Alright, Remus is still waiting for you, and it's quite late. I suggest you both head over now," Dumbledore said, gesturing slightly. Suddenly, the fireplace blazed with aquamarine flames.

After a moment of disorientation, Evan stepped into the fireplace and found himself in front of the fireplace at 12 Grimmauld Place.

Compared to his last visit, the place was unrecognizable. The dark and dingy room he had entered previously had transformed into something entirely different. The rough stone walls were now polished and gleaming, almost reflective, with curtains and decorations in the style of the Black family adorning the room. Everything was neatly arranged in cabinets, and the once-dusty floor was spotless.

Evan blinked in astonishment, hardly believing this was the same 12 Grimmauld Place.

"It's Kreacher," Sirius explained. "He's spent almost a year cleaning up this place, even though no one was living here. And my mother's influence played a role in this transformation."

"Good evening, Master Sirius, Master Evan!" a deep voice greeted them. "Welcome back. Please change into these slippers."

Evan noticed Kreacher, the House Elf, holding out slippers and wearing freshly cleaned clothes. He even wore a false Slytherin locket around his neck featuring a picture of Evan and Regulus, the Christmas present Evan had given him. Regulus had used it to replace Voldemort's Horcrux locket, which was now destroyed.

With this change, the old house radiated new life, and Kreacher's manner was remarkably respectful, a far cry from his previous sullen demeanor. They had retrieved Regulus's body during their travels, which explained Kreacher's transformation.

"I like this House Elf," Evan remarked. "His demeanor has improved greatly from what I remember."

Lupin smiled and welcomed them. He was wearing his worn-out robe at a long wooden table in the room. His spirits seemed to be good.

"Hello, Remus!" Sirius said, giving him a hug, and Evan greeted him.

"Did your journey go smoothly?" Lupin asked as he poured them some coffee.

"We had quite an adventure," Evan replied, summarizing their recent experiences. He also asked Lupin about the current state of magical society.

"It's not looking good," Lupin sighed. "There's no news about Voldemort's return in the media, and they've imposed strict censorship. Our newspapers have been silenced, just as they did to you. I've been protesting at the Ministry of Magic, but it's as if our appeals have fallen on deaf ears."

"They can't do that. People need to know the truth. Perhaps we should start our own news outlet, independent of the Ministry, to report on Voldemort's return and discreetly communicate with those who need to know," Evan suggested.

"That's a good idea, but if we're discovered or reported, Fudge won't let this opportunity slide," Lupin cautioned. "Dumbledore advised us not to provoke him and avoid a direct conflict with the Ministry. Fudge has been making some irrational decisions lately. I heard he's planning to interfere with Hogwarts' educational activities next semester by sending a senior investigator to assess the school. The candidate for this role is yet to be determined."

Evan couldn't help but think that the senior investigator might be the rather unpleasant woman with the pink toad-like appearance.

Evan initially established the newspaper primarily to cover his expenses for buying magic books and materials. However, he also realized that in this situation, the newspaper could be used to influence public opinion and resist the Ministry of Magic, ensuring their voices were not silenced.

He had to admit that his initial thoughts were too simplistic, and he hadn't anticipated that Fudge and the Ministry of Magic would go to such extremes. Controlling a newspaper and limiting its content, as they were doing, was usually illegal. However, the Minister for Magic did possess this authority under Wizard Confidentiality Law and Wartime Regulations, which was a rare occurrence. It gave the impression of a strong dictatorship, clearly Fudge's way of waging war against Dumbledore.

"It's more troublesome than I thought, Evan. It would help if you read some articles about you in the Daily Prophet during this period," Lupin said. "They portray you as a young wizard conducting dangerous magical research under Dumbledore's protection. They even suggest you study dark magic and question Slytherin students to prove it."

"Well, that's interesting," Evan remarked as he was indeed studying dark magic.

Lupin mentioned a few instances from the newspaper where Evan's research on dark magic was cited. Most of them were foundational research, and Evan didn't need to study them since he already knew the answers from the Tom Riddle diary and dark magic books. The way these confusions were presented in the reports made Evan feel somewhat underestimated.

While the other side might have committed serious wrongs, they portrayed Evan as if he were just a novice in studying dark magic.

Evan considered revealing some of his research findings to the public to set the record straight and show what genuine dark magic research entailed. However, he also knew the importance of facts over empty claims.

"What else did they add?" Evan asked.

"The main focus is on the danger you supposedly represent," Lupin continued. "As a result, your words seem highly unbelievable. Besides you, Harry is also a major subject of their reporting. Unlike you, they've painted Harry as a bit of a laughingstock. They see him as someone deceived into seeking attention by continuously talking about his scar and exaggerating his encounters with the Dark Lord. It's as if they believe he's making up stories."

"That's terrible. Is Rita Skeeter behind this?" Evan asked.

"No, strangely enough, she hasn't published any articles. But others have stepped in and done a thorough job. They might have gotten hold of drafts of your reports through her connections. This is what she intended to write," Lupin explained.

"In any case, nobody in the magical community knows the truth now?" Evan questioned.

"Dumbledore did speak the truth, and that's why we're in this predicament now," Lupin replied. "Although Fudge warned him, Dumbledore announced Voldemort's return in a special session held by the Ministry of Magic and the International Confederation of Wizards. He delivered a speech and mentioned both of you by name, including the words you mentioned. Following that, the newspapers have been filled with your reports, but they're being treated as rumors because of the way he talked about it."

There was a brief silence. The current situation was undeniably dire, and Evan pondered how to prevent the spread of false information.

"They're going all out to tarnish Dumbledore's reputation now," Lupin continued. "He lost his position as Supreme Mugwump of the International Confederation of Wizards last week. They believe he's old and incapable, which isn't true. After Dumbledore's speech, the Ministry of Magic wizards voted him out. He's no longer the Wizengamot Chief Warlock, and they even revoked his Order of Merlin First Class."

"Fudge is being incredibly foolish. Everyone knows he's afraid of Dumbledore and that Dumbledore isn't seeking power," Sirius said. "Fudge is desperately clinging to his authority, and Voldemort and the Death Eaters are exploiting that."

"That's true. Fudge believes Dumbledore is plotting to overthrow him, and he's convinced that Dumbledore has ambitions to become Minister for Magic. He's driven by this irrational idea and made many reckless decisions," Lupin explained.

"But everyone knows Dumbledore doesn't have such intentions," Evan remarked.

"Of course, but Fudge doesn't seem to see it that way," Sirius said. "He's started to enjoy his authority, and his self-confidence has grown. He's infatuated with being Minister for Magic and has convinced himself he's a brilliant and capable leader. Dumbledore's actions have provoked him."

"It's truly foolish. Power has blinded him," Evan sighed. In some sense, Fudge had started out with good intentions, but power had transformed him completely.

Their biggest threat was Voldemort, but their greatest obstacle was Fudge and the Ministry of Magic. It was a cruel irony.

"On the other hand, this is why Dumbledore warned us not to report this matter. Fudge has his eye on us, and while there might not be any dire consequences for Dumbledore right now, our situation is different," Lupin said with a heavy sigh. "If he finds evidence that we've been collaborating with the Ministry of Magic, he could throw us into Azkaban. We need to be careful, especially considering what You-Know-Who desires. We have to handle things with utmost caution."