Shadows of France and Family Chaos
Wanda switched places with Selene; the latter had to accept the decision with visible sadness, although she understood it was the right thing to do. It was far better to have Wanda on watch in case any of the vermin that had attacked the castle remained after the information-gathering operation they had carried out hours earlier.
Apparently, Professor Dominic had hired low-life vagrants in the surrounding areas, offering them ridiculously large sums of money to attack the school. Many accepted out of pure greed; others, more twisted, agreed simply for the thrill of causing harm.
The werewolves, who strangely seemed to follow Dominic's orders since their days in France, also participated. Most were captured… or better said, the ones who survived Edward's attack. Some managed to escape; although "escaped" was not exactly the right word, because their bodies vanished as if they had been ripped out of the world itself.
A more thorough investigation into Dominic revealed something far worse. That Defense Against the Dark Arts professor had never been the real one. And no, it was not a case of Polyjuice Potion or anything remotely conventional; it was something much more macabre. In the home of the real Dominic, in France, the French Aurors found a body whose skin had been completely torn off. Analyses confirmed it was the real professor, dead for more than two years. He had been preserved with maintenance spells to keep him fresh, bleeding, and recognizable for the moment he would eventually be found… as if the mastermind behind all of this had predicted the discovery down to the exact day.
And not only that. The case quickly connected to a series of strange deaths that had occurred in recent years around the world; skinless corpses that, according to many witnesses, had been seen walking through towns just days before being found dead.
A name began to echo with force, especially in France.
Armand Dorian Duvalier.
That name belonged to a truly dangerous dark wizard; someone who operated under the alias Grey. The crimes attributed to him were almost as atrocious as those of Voldemort himself. His specialty: human experimentation. And not just any kind; the most macabre and forbidden, the kind that even other dark wizards refused to touch out of fear or disgust.
Hidden under the façade of a kind father with a perfect family, he managed to stay off the radar of the authorities for years. Until, in a fit of rage, he murdered his own wife; that was the first mistake that exposed the true nature of the monster. Since then, his name had been hunted furiously by one of the most influential families in France.
Or perhaps… that had always been his plan.
The day he was finally cornered in his laboratory, more than fifty Aurors died before even seeing him; all victims of traps designed with a cruelty that seemed almost inhuman. Duvalier was not only a genius; he was also a brilliant strategist. When the Aurors entered the laboratory, they found only his corpse in the center of a perverse ritual circle. A ritual associated with devouring souls.
The fall of France's dark wizard marked the end of a nightmare… but also the beginning of rumors that began rushing through the streets once again.
Skinless corpses.
People seen "alive" days before being found dead.
Rituals similar to Duvalier's appearing anew.
Edward was reading the documents on his desk; extensive reports detailing everything that had happened and pointing toward the possible mastermind behind the attack on Hogwarts. The information about Duvalier had arrived that same day from informants in France. Edward, his face always cold, set the documents aside with a truly serious expression. He ran a hand through his dark hair, pushing it back as he processed every detail with calculated calm.
Beside him, Sil, the most reliable man under his command, stood with military patience, waiting for instructions.
"Do you have information about what is happening with the French minister?" Edward asked in a controlled voice; it was that calm before the storm that only he could generate.
After all, it was already well known who had caused the chaos that sent the minister's daughter straight to the hospital, along with other politicians allied with him in France. All the result of a vengeful attack planned by Harry and his friends. And yes; far too well planned for mere students.
If the minister had wanted to attack Harry politically at the school level, Harry had returned the blow with a political attack at a global level, capable of ruining a decades-long career.
"They left some traces, but with the help of the Black family we managed to clean anything that pointed toward the kids," Sil said with a proud smile; after all, he had watched them grow up from childhood while protecting the Greengrass sisters from the shadows. "Even so, it seems the minister's daughter knows who the culprits were, though without evidence she won't be able to convince her father's allies. However, I believe he might try something desperate. He's losing everything too quickly. If you corner a rat, it might attack," he added seriously.
"Even so, for now he's quite busy trying to save his own skin. With all the information and evidence, at minimum he'll lose his job. Though I'm sure he has ways to avoid prison," Sil added.
Edward nodded slowly.
"It was also a good move for us," Edward said. "The French families had formed a very strong commercial alliance; almost eighty percent of the economic power was under their control. If they managed to enter the English market, where families are completely divided even among their own factions, it would have cost us far too much money. I'm certain many would have fallen into bankruptcy immediately."
"Eighty percent? I thought all the high-power families were part of the alliance," Sil asked, confused.
After all, all magical companies in France were essentially the backbone of the country's economy. An alliance between them, not counting Gringotts, moved absurd amounts of capital every day. And they were already planning global expansion. They were, in effect, on the verge of triggering an economic war.
"Flamel," Edward answered simply.
Sil's eyes widened in understanding.
Nicolas Flamel—him alone—held twenty percent of the entire economy in his hands. A single family controlled such a ridiculously large portion that it bordered on the absurd. And the worst part: no one could force him into bankruptcy. No one would dare.
If Flamel started creating gold without restraint, he could destroy the world's economy in a week. That was why no one touched anything bearing the Flamel name. Additionally, many continued throwing money at the alchemist just to obtain a drop of the Elixir of Life. Flamel only put some up for sale when he had excess, causing genuine economic wars among those trying to acquire it.
"All right. For now, just watch anyone the French minister sends. He surely won't stay silent. He's the type of man capable of uniting so many powerful families," Edward said finally.
"Of course," Sil replied calmly, as if he had been prepared for that outcome long before Edward spoke.
…
Meanwhile, in the castle of Hogwarts, the days following the attack began to feel a bit calmer, since the end of the school year was only a week away. The Aurors sent by the Ministry continued patrolling the corridors, more to soothe the worried parents than out of any real necessity; after all, the mere presence of Wanda walking through the halls from time to time was enough to make every student feel safe.
Rumors spread throughout the castle; many claimed that this woman was even more powerful than Dumbledore. And that she was Harry Potter's mother. With that alone, most of them felt protected. One more week of classes was tolerable… and then they would escape home.
Although at that moment Wanda was quite busy.
Wanda was sitting with a constant smile on her face; a smile that, ever since she had arrived at the castle, had never disappeared. That made Harry happy; seeing his mother calm and joyful was something any child would appreciate.
What did not make him quite as happy was something else. Well… two things, to be exact.
First, he was still grounded for a long time for having tried to attack Snape in a moment of emotional loss of control. He deserved it, of course; but he was sure Wanda had taken the opportunity to turn him into a baby simply because, honestly, she enjoyed doing it. Although right now he had a "pause" in the punishment and had returned to normal.
The second thing was… more complicated.
His brothers.
Or rather, his new brothers.
Billy and Tommy. Both had recovered their memories, their names, and everything they once were; but what did not make Harry very happy (and he swore he wasn't jealous… although he definitely was) was that those two children were clinging to his mother like ticks. And the worst part: they enjoyed every second of it.
"Look, Mom. I'm getting my speed back little by little," Tommy announced before dashing around so quickly that he looked like a silver flash crossing the room. The effort, however, left him gasping, exhausted, as if his power now relied on the magic in his body and that magic was consumed rapidly every time he tried to move at ultra speed. "Uf… did you see that?" he said while breathing heavily.
"That's amazing, sweetheart," Wanda said with a radiant, genuinely happy smile.
Harry looked at Tommy for a moment, then shifted his gaze toward Billy, who seemed much calmer. He was sitting very close to Wanda, practically glued to her, reading a magic book as if it were the most natural thing in the world.
Harry stared at him for a few seconds, long enough to catch Billy's attention. Billy lifted his gaze and met Harry's eyes.
"What?" Billy asked, confused.
"You… then the reason I've been feeling this strange thing for months… it's because of your power, right?" Harry finally said. It was something that had bothered him since the beginning of the year, but he hadn't had the mental space to think about it. He was far too busy… apparently fighting puberty.
Billy looked at him for a moment and raised a hand. A soft blue aura appeared around his palm. It was a different color, yes, but Harry could feel it: it was the same energy he had inside himself. Only younger, softer, less… explosive.
"It seems so. But it's also different," Billy said, not entirely knowing how to explain it.
Both turned toward their mother, waiting for a clearer answer.
Wanda had a warm smile as she watched them. Then she nodded calmly.
"It's because Harry receives his magic from me, directly. While Billy, even from the day he was born, obtained his power from the same source as I did."
As she said it, for a single second, her eyes showed concern.
The same source.
The energy of Chaos.
Wanda hoped it wasn't exactly the same connection she possessed, but rather just a link to the primordial energy that existed beyond this universe. That would be much better.
"Basically… he inherited a high receptivity to that magic. And I have the power directly transferred from you," Harry said, nodding as if he had just solved a puzzle. Then he smiled proudly at his two new brothers, as if he had won something… or as if his connection to his mother were greater than theirs.
Wanda simply gave him an amused look at that very typical expression of his, shaking her head gently. Her only wish was for the three of them to get along. They were family. And they always would be.
For that reason, she implemented "brother bonding days."
What none of the three knew was that this decision would soon cause more problems than they could imagine.
Fun problems, of course.
But problems nonetheless.