Chapter 709: Unexpected Visitor - Part 1
"...I now pronounce you lifetime partners."
Under the declaration of a short wizard with thick hair, Bill and Fleur embraced tightly, surrounded by a swarm of silver stars that made them even more radiant. Charlie, Ginny, and Gabrielle, standing closest, clapped excitedly, their smiles bright. The joyful sobs of Mrs. Weasley and Madame Delacour echoed from below.
"Ladies and gentlemen! Please stand up!"
The guests rose to their feet. The canvas of the white tent was rolled up, letting the golden sunlight through the orchard, making even the air seem to taste fruity. Under the magic's influence, tables and chairs were moved to the corners, and a pool of molten gold slowly spread under the couple's feet, forming a glittering dance floor. The band played lively music, and waiters with trays full of food rushed in, nimbly weaving through the open space and floating confetti and bells.
Felix plucked a glass of champagne from above and approached a table.
"Mr. Elphias Doge, may I sit here?"
"Felix Harp?" The old man with a Turkish hat lifted his head in surprise, his thin wisps of hair peeking out, "Sit down, child! I've always wanted a chance to talk to you, but last time wasn't right..."
Felix knew he was referring to Dumbledore's funeral, where they had a chance to speak but were then overtaken by the exposure of the wizarding world. Felix had known of him for a long time; Doge was a member of the Order of the Phoenix but had since retired.
He was close to Dumbledore, having befriended him upon both their first years at Hogwarts, a friendship that lasted a century.
"Mr. Doge—"
"Call me Elphias, if you don't mind," Doge said hastily.
Felix paused, "Elphias, I read the obituary you wrote for Dumbledore, it was moving—"
"Yes, I felt it was my duty, having known him the longest."
"—You strongly refuted Grindelwald's claims in the article."
"Exactly!" Doge said immediately, his thin hair fluttering with excitement, "Don't believe him. From the first day I met Dumbledore, he had sympathy for Muggles, his noble character—"
"As far as I know, much of those claims were true," Felix said calmly.
Doge quieted down, his expression pained as if under a curse.
"Ah, I too had doubts, during the least contact in our lives. I was traveling then, and when I returned, he had changed greatly." After a while, Doge spoke in a subdued tone, clearly shaken, undoubtedly once an admirer of Dumbledore's ideals, character, and heroics.
"—Perhaps he did support Grindelwald, but I think it was a momentary lapse. I can assure, as I said in the article, that painful experience led to his true thoughts, a heart of great kindness and compassion."
"You don't need to convince me," Felix said earnestly. "Just as your obituary could only cover so much, so could Grindelwald's. Plus, his actual time with Dumbledore was merely two months, filled with bias and extremism. I suppose you agree his words were misleading, leading some to conclude Dumbledore was fascinated with dark magic—"
"Who?" Doge said, reddening with anger as if insulted.
"That's not important," Felix gently shifted the topic, "What matters is that these signs exist. Dumbledore researched dark magic, despised Muggles, sought fame at any cost, even affecting his family, claiming his mother imprisoned his sister to avoid shame..."
Doge's face turned even redder, furious.
"...Someone must clarify," Felix concluded.
"Exactly, someone must!" Doge repeated loudly, looking eagerly at Felix, "My dear child, with your reputation—"
"I can't," Felix shook his head, not waiting for Doge's disappointment to show, turning his head aside, "There's someone who can, someone who understands Dumbledore better than anyone alive, truly his ideological heir."
Doge followed his gaze through the crowd to a young man with black hair munching on a sandwich.
"You mean...Harry Potter?" The old man muttered, more to himself than to Felix, "It's possible...I read in the paper...the boy could take on a dragon alone...at his age, someone must have taught him."
Felix didn't dispute this. Part of magic comes from the soul, and from this perspective, Dumbledore's support for Harry was unparalleled. Seizing the moment, he said:
"So, it's settled then? The two of you work on a biography of Dumbledore? I know I can't demand this of you, nor am I sure you can spare the time, but through your writing alone, I can feel the sincerity stirring within you, if you're willing—
"
"Of course, I am!" Doge said eagerly, "It would be an honor!" He then became hesitant, "Did you speak to the boy, does he agree?"
"I was about to tell him."
Felix stood up, but Doge stopped him. "Mr. Harp—Felix, may I ask why you're doing this? I know you've been busy influencing the fate of our world, what made you take the time—"
"Dumbledore took great care of me. And objectively, Dumbledore has indeed become a symbol for wizards. He may have erred, but his mistakes shouldn't be depicted as evil. Sure, the impact of rumors hasn't shown yet, entirely possible to delay—I'm doing this for someone else."
"Harry Potter?" Doge guessed, his second mention of the name tonight.
"Exactly," Felix nodded. "He doesn't yet realize the immense wealth he's inherited; I must give him a heads-up. To prevent him from forgetting." He stepped into the dance floor, moving through the joyful crowd.
On the other side, Harry, Ron, Ginny, and Hermione huddled at a table, watching Luna and her father dance gracefully while devouring food. Clearly, they were famished.
"Eat up, we'll dance after!" Ginny said, her intentions clear on her face. She glanced at the noisy crowd, then whispered, "Oh, look—"
Their gazes shifted from the food to Professor Harp approaching. Hermione choked on her champagne, quickly wiped her mouth, and sat up straighter.
"Miss Granger," Felix nodded to her, taking the seat next to her, and explained his proposition to Harry.
"Me, write a biography of Dumbledore?" Harry said blankly, thinking of his unfinished book. The others widened their eyes in surprise.
"You and Elphias Doge, together," Felix nodded towards the opposite direction.
Harry followed the professor's direction to see an old man with a round hat stretching his neck, staring intently this way.
"...You provide the information, what and how much to say, keep it measured. It might take a year or so, possibly missing the first batch of books for exchange—the Ministry believes the selected list should showcase the magic's marvel—but it's meaningful in itself."
"But, professor," Harry thought of something else, "I heard the negotiations aren't going smoothly?"
"Oh, Harry, you need to look beyond the surface," Felix smiled, looking at Hermione. Hermione raised an eyebrow, "Professor, you mean the recent slowdown is just a negotiating tactic? Or stuck on a key issue?"
"Something like that, plus some government officials are under external influence, I'm about to clear that up," Felix said diplomatically, "Let's not discuss such serious topics at a wedding, I think—" He suddenly stopped, quickly stood up, and looked outside.
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