As the Wizengamot descended into pure chaos and mayhem, Antonio and Voldemort continued to stand there, staring at each other. After their initial encounter of a single spell, it was as if a lull had settled between the two. A standoff.
But they and everyone else knew that it was the extreme calm before a storm would erupt between them. A storm which would engulf everyone in its wake. It would be like the eruption of a massive volcano.
As the staring contest continued, Antonio spotted a movement from the corner of his eye. Two Death Eaters approaching Edmund Bones. As he saw this, a slight trace of panic and anxiety flashed on his face. Edmund Bones was in danger.
Antonio was almost sure that he could take on Voldemort. He was not sure of Voldemort's exact strength, but he was confident in his own. He was certain that, no matter what, he would be able to hold his own against the Dark Lord if not put him on the backfoot. He was confident that even if he could not kill Voldemort, the Dark Lord too would not be able to kill him.
But would he be able to protect or even pay attention to Edmund Bones in such a scenario? No. Absolutely not.
Once his duel with Voldemort began, he knew he would not be able to afford even the slightest distraction towards anything else. He would have to keep his full focus on Voldemort. One moment of carelessness, and Voldemort would slit his throat.
Edmund Bones was no doubt a good wizard, a powerful one, but against the combined might of several wizards? He would surely not be able to hold out against them. He was sure shot to be killed and it was obvious that apart from him Edmund Bones was the marked target of this attack.
Considering all the scenarios, Antonio's eyes roamed all around the Wizengamot as he tried to look for someone who could come to his aid. He was not very confident about finding someone, until his eyes landed on one person. That person, unlike the others, was also not running. Instead, she was standing there with a face full of uncertainty and confusion. She was standing in some great dilemma, and he had the solution to his problem.
"Professor McGonagall!" Antonio's voice cut across the chaotic wizarding hall. For a moment, the entire hall came to a halt as Antonio's voice echoed. "Time for me to repay one of my favors! Protect Lord Edmund Bones!"
It took Minerva a moment to realize what was being asked of her, and all the uncertainty vanished from her face as she almost floated and landed just beside Edmund Bones.
(Minerva POV)
I was attending yet another Wizengamot session, the third since the hearing of Lord Antonio after he had killed two Death Eaters.
The last time I had attended three meetings in such a short interval was a very long time ago. Or probably never in my whole life.
I have hardly ever had any interest in politics or the plots that came with it, but the events of recent times have pulled me into them. Not that I was opposed to it. A lot of realization had come to me in the last few days. I had understood the flaws in my ways, and I was on the path of changing myself and overcoming them.
And today was another such event. Rodolphus Lestrange, who had been a student at Hogwarts not long ago, was being inducted as Lord Lestrange. While this in itself was not necessarily remarkable or strange, the events that had preceded and caused this incident were truly remarkable.
This should have been a normal event, or at least, that was what I had expected. But how could anything happen normally? I should have known. Nothing happens normally these days. Everything has a twist and an element of surprise to it.
It began when the Minister of Magic and the other officials of the Ministry lost control of the ministry wards, and panic spread through the Wizengamot. A feeling of dread kicked in, and everyone could only guess what was happening. And then, it unfolded.
Death Eaters appeared directly, apparating inside the council hall. How they had actually managed to take control of the Ministry wards was still a mystery. It would be solved only after everything got over.
But that was not all of it. The Dark Lord, Voldemort himself, made his entry. It was not something I had been expecting.
It did not take long for his target to be revealed. Lord Antonio Olario. Considering how Lord Olario had provoked the Dark Lord in the previous session, this did not really come as a shock. But then again, if a few words were enough to rile up the Dark Lord, it showed just how 'calm-headed' and 'patient' a man he truly was. Finally, there was something I knew about this highly secretive and mysterious man.
And what a day had he selected? A day when Albus Dumbledore was not present in the council hall. Probably, the Dark Lord really was afraid of Albus.
Words were exchanged between Lord Olario and the Dark Lord and, true to his character, Antonio Olario did not back down. He continued to provoke the Dark Lord in front of his face, and a confrontation between the two seemed imminent.
It was at that moment that Lord Olario let loose his magical prowess. The magical wave that erupted from his body slammed against me like a powerful tidal wave and though it did not affect me physically, I spotted a couple of Lords who literally stumbled back one or two steps because of the sheer force of his power.
At that time, all the assumptions I had held for Lord Olario crumbled like a building made of sand. I had known him to be strong, but I had never imagined it to be to this extent. He was comparable to Albus Dumbledore and definitely stronger than me. If there was one thing that could hold him back, it was his lack of experience and limited range of his spells.
A moment later, a single spell was exchanged between the two, and mayhem ensued. Everyone was fleeing, and that moment put me in a dilemma. I was not sure if I should leave like everyone else or if I should intervene against the Dark Lord. It was a difficult choice and a monumental decision for me.
But I did not have to worry for long, as Lord Olario's voice cut through the hall. He used one of the three favors I had granted him, asking me to protect Lord Edmund Bones.
That was all it took. I steeled my expression and landed next to Edmund Bones, my wand ready in my hand.
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