"Pfft!"
Mundungus Fletcher spat out a mouthful of wine, the crimson liquid trickling down his collar. He stared at the doorway in shock and utter disbelief.
Who?
Ethan Vincent???
Tap, tap.
From the darkness of the doorway, a tall figure stepped forward slowly, as if walking right out of a picture frame. His clothes were neat and tasteful, and a perfectly measured, faint smile played across his handsome face.
He looked like a character meticulously crafted by an artist's brush, yet within that refinement lay an unsettling sense of dissonance.
"Good evening, everyone."
Ethan gave an elegant bow. When he looked up, the curve of his lips widened. "I'm truly flattered to receive such a warm welcome."
In front of him, several wands were pointed directly at his heart!
The moment Ethan's figure was reflected in their eyes, they had instinctively prepared for battle. Every hair on their bodies stood on end!
Cold sweat rolled down the forehead of the dark-skinned Auror, Kingsley Shacklebolt.
The most wanted criminal, the one they could never catch... had just "delivered himself" to their doorstep. Was this a surprise? Was it an accident?
Bang!
With a loud crack, Mundungus Apparated and fled the scene instantly.
Even with several wands trained on him, Ethan remained unruffled, maintaining that mysterious, inscrutable smile. It was as if he were saying: Everyone present is a joke.
In the midst of the tense standoff and dead silence, Ethan's clear, soothing voice slowly rang out:
"Good evening, gentlemen. Before we begin, I would like to correct a fallacy in Mr. Dumbledore's phrasing..."
Ethan glanced at Dumbledore, his cane tapping lightly against the floor. "Rather than saying I'm 'joining' the Order of the Phoenix... it would be more accurate to say that I hope my Enlightenment Society can form a partnership with the Order."
Hearing this, Dumbledore blinked and thought with a twinkle in his eye: Oh dear, my little scheme has been seen through.
"A partnership?"
Kingsley's eyebrows knitted together tightly, as if he had just heard something as absurd as "1+1=3."
"How could we possibly... possibly cooperate with a dangerous element like you! Don't think you can deceive us!"
"Even if Mr. Dumbledore says it, it's impossible—mph!"
His words suddenly cut off.
The candles flickered, and the curtains billowed without a breeze. Like talons crawling out from the gates of hell, a thick, visceral darkness spread out from Ethan. It crept across the floor, up the walls, and over the ceiling until it loomed over their heads.
"Don't worry... I will give you a condition you cannot refuse."
Ethan's cobalt blue eyes appeared brightly within the shadows. He exuded a terrifyingly formidable aura that seized their bodies like a giant hand, leaving them unable to speak or move.
Kingsley's body began to tremble involuntarily. His eyes widened as he finally understood: facing this "Demon Lord" whose level far surpassed their own, they had no right to bargain!
Ethan continued, "During our cooperation, I and the Enlightenment Society will maintain order in the British wizarding world, fulfilling the duties you find difficult to achieve. Meanwhile, the Order of the Phoenix will assist the Enlightenment Society's suppression activities. Simultaneously, you will head to various countries to find a key element for victory—"
"The Remnants of the Reaper."
As those words fell, the members of the Order looked at each other in confusion. They had heard that Ethan had forcibly intruded into the wizarding world under the guise of "fighting a God"... but was he still maintaining that "persona" even now?
The Remnants of the Reaper? What on earth was that?
"If you find that difficult to understand... then think of it as searching for a certain powerful individual's—[Horcrux]."
When that word was uttered, not only the members of the Order, but even Dumbledore himself was visibly shaken!
"Horcruxes?" Mad-Eye Moody propped himself up, his voice raspy. "Kid, how do you know that word? It seems anyone can just waltz into the Forbidden Section of Hogwarts these days."
Ethan merely smiled without answering.
Dumbledore, however, looked as if a blocked meridian had suddenly been cleared. A look of realization dawned on him, and the eyes behind his half-moon spectacles flashed with brilliance.
Ethan bowed slightly. "I appreciate your recognition. How I know is irrelevant. What matters is that I need you to search for these items on a large scale. They could be hidden anywhere, so it will be time-consuming and labor-intensive. However, when they appear, they will surely be accompanied by some unique and outstanding anomaly. You can start with rumors and legends."
If the Enlightenment Society was a large-scale organization with a wide reach, then the Order of the Phoenix was better suited for small, elite, independent operations.
A lack of numbers was exactly why, in the original timeline, the Order had struggled to contend with the Ministry or maintain stability throughout Britain.
What a pity. Why hadn't Headmaster Dumbledore ever built his own large-scale organization? The Ministry didn't allow it? Just topple them—it's that simple.
Ethan, the Number One Most Wanted and current greatest enemy of the wizarding world, thought about this casually.
Now, the heavy responsibility of maintaining order and suppressing evil would be contracted out to the Enlightenment Society. The Order of the Phoenix, with "nothing better to do," could be sent abroad to find the Remnants of the Reaper. He hadn't said they were only in Britain; the Reaper could have died anywhere.
"If you disagree and insist on making an enemy of the Enlightenment Society..."
Ethan tilted his head, wearing an expression of regret. "Then tomorrow's front page of the Daily Prophet will carry news of several people going missing."
Clatter, clatter—
The wind rattled the windows. In the darkness, it felt as though countless eyes were surging. The members of the Order froze. They glanced sideways at the smiling Dumbledore, screaming in their hearts: Mr. Dumbledore, are you just going to watch this happen?!
Ultimately, the Order of the Phoenix expressed that they "had no objections."
"Wonderful!"
Ethan clapped his hands, breaking into a sunny, radiant smile. "Leave Britain to the Enlightenment Society. You can go out and explore with peace of mind!"
The crowd: Giving you Britain is like handing it over to hell, isn't it?
"...I have only one question."
Kingsley Shacklebolt spoke hoarsely. "You keep talking about 'maintaining order' and a 'better future.' But if that's the case, why did you become the public enemy of the wizarding world? Couldn't you have maintained the image of a bright Savior like Harry? That way, no one would have to live in fear!"
Hearing this, Ethan glanced at him. Looking at the righteous and "naive" face of the dark-skinned Auror, his lips curled.
In his mind, he recalled how the "righteous Savior" Harry was misunderstood time and again in the original story. Stories about Voldemort's return being a lie, being persecuted by the Ministry's power struggles, the influence of pure-blood families, and social skepticism...
Harry did his absolute best, yet what was the reward?
"...I have always believed that if someone questions how many bowls of noodles I've eaten, I should just rip out their meddling tongue and shove it in a steamer," Ethan said slowly.
Facing the stunned gazes of the wizards, he raised his arm and slowly clenched his fist.
"Instead of having to prove over and over again that I am a righteous Savior, it is better to become a complete villain and let the whole world become united in their hatred...
"The only thing those divided people will be able to do is unite to take down me—the enemy of the world!"
What power? What disagreements? In the face of annihilation, all of those were trivial matters!
Ethan threw his arms wide, and an alien light erupted in his eyes!
"I will bear the weight! I will take the burden! Only by walking alone in the darkness can one reach the most intense light! Ah! May light fill the world... May light fill the world!!"
A scorching golden light burst from Ethan's body. Like a burning torch, it reflected brilliantly in everyone's eyes.
...If Ethan was a madman, he was a purer madman than even Grindelwald or Voldemort. A "madman" willing to use himself to set the world on fire.
This thought flashed through Kingsley's mind.
A moment later, the golden light faded.
In the hall, everyone sat on the sofas with their heads bowed like quails, quiet as mice. Ethan crossed his legs and looked around like the master of the house.
He raised a hand in invitation. "Alright, you can start sharing your intelligence now."
You're being awfully "polite," aren't you?
Kingsley's brow twitched, his thoughts racing. Demanding intelligence right away—did he think they were stupid? Who would share precious information with a madman of unknown origin!
Thinking this, Kingsley inadvertently looked up and happened to meet Ethan's gaze. When he saw those alien cobalt blue eyes, his vision suddenly blurred.
In an instant, it felt as if his consciousness had been snatched away, his thoughts churned by an invisible giant hand.
"Hmm..." Ethan's voice sounded ethereal, as if coming from a great distance. "The Ministry has strengthened the guard on the Veil... as I expected."
The next second, Kingsley snapped back to his senses!
His whole body jolted as he stared at Ethan in shock! Cold sweat broke out across his back.
—Legilimency!!
Kingsley turned his head and saw that his colleagues all wore looks of horror. Indeed, as members of the Order, who among them wasn't a master of Occlumency? Not to mention himself, a "mole" working within the Ministry.
Yet, this long-tempered Occlumency had been easily breached by this boy! There was no resistance; it was as if he were entering an uninhabited land, flipping through their memories at will!
"...Merlin, is he really an underage wizard? Just what kind of formidable power is this!" Miss Jones said tremulously. That cold, resolute face showed a look of bewildered helplessness for the first time.
"This kid is really interesting!" Tonks stared at Ethan with great excitement. Her eye color shifted repeatedly, eventually settling on a cobalt blue similar to Ethan's.
"...Ahem."
Kingsley cleared his throat stiffly. Looking at Ethan, who had an "oh well" expression, he couldn't help but grit his teeth. This kid is such a show-off!
"You're right. If your goal is the Veil, it's a pity. The Ministry has not only been working overtime to set up Apparition-prevention enchantments, but they've also partnered with Gringotts to add Thief's Downfall detectors at every entrance. Beyond that, there are even more protections. It's a dragnet; it's absolutely impossible for you to break in without triggering the alarms."
Ethan shrugged, unconcerned. "Then trigger the alarms. It won't be the first time."
While it would be a bit of a hassle, it was impossible for him not to go.
Just then, Dumbledore, who had been silent, suddenly spoke up.
"Regarding that point, I have an idea, Ethan."
Ethan turned to look and saw a sly smile on the old Headmaster's face. "I know an excellent Potions Master—not Professor Snape. Recently, it seems he has been concocting some marvelous potions, and he has quite a few connections in the Ministry. Perhaps he can be of some help to you."
"Oh?" Ethan raised an eyebrow. A name surfaced in his mind.
Sure enough, Dumbledore said: "The man who once taught Lord Voldemort—Mr. Horace Slughorn."
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