The MI6 compound looked like a war zone.
What had been a fortress of steel and concrete now stood as a hollow skeleton, its guts eaten out by Fiendfyre that had treated reinforced walls like tissue paper.
The ground surrounding it looked like a battlefield—craters and scorched earth where Death Eater spells had struck while Arthur dodged into the Mirror Dimension.
Their curses had found nothing but empty air and unforgiving dirt.
Dead Death Eaters littered the area like discarded masks, their dark robes spread across the ruins.
The Order members and Auror backup stood with wands drawn, uncertain. They'd arrived expecting a battle and found only cleanup duty.
All eyes turned to the ranking official present which was Amelia Bones.
The group of Amelia, Kingsley, Aurora, and Director Morrison had emerged from the building when it became clear Arthur had gained the upper hand. Morrison had been smart—evacuating most of her MI6 personnel during the fighting, keeping only a couple of essential agents. No point risking lives unnecessarily.
Amelia's professional mask slammed into place as she surveyed the carnage. Whatever shock she felt at watching a newly graduated wizard toy with Voldemort's forces, she buried it deep.
"Arrest any wounded Death Eaters still breathing. Collect the bodies for identification and processing." Her voice cut through the smoke. "Move quickly. We don't want Ministry cleanup crews stumbling onto this mess."
As Aurors scattered to follow orders, Aurora approached Arthur, concern evident in her eyes.
"Are you all right, Arthur?"
Arthur brushed imaginary dust from his robes with casual indifference. "Unharmed. Not even a scratch."
Aurora studied his composed expression, shaking her head in amazement. "I thought you were just bragging all those times you said you weren't afraid of anyone. You really do have the strength to back up that arrogance."
"Recent development." Arthur shrugged. "A year back, I wouldn't have been a match for this many Death Eaters."
Curiosity sparked in Aurora's eyes. "What happened this past year?"
Arthur had no intention of revealing anything about Kamar-Taj. Let the sanctuary remain secretive, as it should.
"I trained more?"
The vague response earned him an exasperated look. "Again with the secrets?"
Arthur gave her the expression that said he didn't care. This was who he was. Deal with it.
Aurora's voice dropped, becoming more serious. "I have a question though. You were playing with Voldemort and the Death Eaters, weren't you? You could have kept everyone here if you wanted to, right?"
"Yes."
"Then why didn't you?"
Arthur's answer came smoothly. "Keeping them here would have meant using lethal spells, which would have landed me in trouble."
It wasn't the complete truth. He could have subdued them all without lethal force if he'd truly wanted to. But that had never been his goal.
He wanted the wizarding world to handle its own problems. If not for Aurora being in danger, he wouldn't have come here at all. Even though he respected Amelia Bones, he wouldn't have risked coming here to save her if Aurora hadn't been present. He and Amelia simply weren't that close.
"Why would lethal means have landed you in trouble, Mr. Hayes?"
Director Morrison had finished giving instructions to her remaining agents and joined their conversation. Arthur turned to greet her properly.
"Hello, Director Morrison. It's great to finally meet you." His smile was polite but genuine. "I've heard a lot about you from Aurora."
Morrison's expression remained professional. "Good things only, I hope. Nice to meet you too, Mr. Hayes. It looks like Aurora didn't lie about your genius."
"Now, coming back to my question." Morrison's tone grew more pointed. "I would have really liked you keeping those Dark wizards here to avoid the headaches that will surely come later from their attacks. You could have kept them here, right?"
Arthur gestured toward Amelia, who was approaching their group. "You should ask Director Bones this question. Would I have been safe from a visit to Azkaban if I'd killed a few Death Eaters here?"
Amelia caught the tail end of the conversation as she joined them. "Well, I can't be sure about that. If you'd only captured them, you would have been fine."
Director Morrison's eyebrows rose in disbelief. "But why? These were terrorists. One shouldn't get in trouble for killing terrorists."
"That's how the law works in the wizarding world." Amelia's voice carried resigned frustration. "Terrorist or not, they were purebloods, and purebloods in our world carry some extra protection."
Aurora's worry was evident. "What about those Death Eaters who died while fighting you?"
"I just turned their own spells against them." Arthur's tone remained casual. "The Wizengamot wouldn't be able to hold their deaths against me."
"They'll try," Amelia warned, "but I'll put a stop to that, Mr. Hayes."
Arthur nodded gratefully. "Thank you, Madam Bones. While I'm not afraid, I do like to avoid troublesome situations."
Director Morrison scoffed openly. "This is insane. No wonder your society can't contain these threats."
Arthur laughed, the sound sharp and mocking. "Why the hypocrisy, Director Morrison? Doesn't the mundane world work with similar principles? Don't the rich have special rights? I'm sure wealthy people in this world can get away with doing a lot of things without any consequences."
Morrison's back stiffened. "That's slander, Mr. Hayes. We are a lawful country."
"So a person who has the means and money cannot bribe corrupt police and make evidence disappear?" Arthur's smile turned predatory. "Or even manipulate the judicial system?"
"No." Morrison's voice grew defensive. "Even if that might lead to some delays, in the end they will get their judgment and serve their sentence."
Arthur's entire demeanor shifted, becoming dangerously cold. "Oh! So the perpetrators of the attack on my house and the killers of my parents have been caught?"
"Are they rotting in prison somewhere?"
Morrison hesitated, clearly uncomfortable. "I'm sorry, that was a special case. Your home was attacked by specially trained agents. We had no way of tracing their identity or finding where they came from."
"The MI6 couldn't find them even after so many years?" Arthur's voice dripped with contempt. "I got the answer I wanted from that lame excuse."
Arthur really had gotten his answer. He'd asked the question for a specific reason. Just as he'd posed it, he'd sent a careful legilimency probe into the Director's mind—a surface skim so light that no one would notice, not even Amelia.
And he'd retrieved names.
Three names had surfaced in Morrison's thoughts. People high in the British Parliament. Heads of three families who held seats in the House of Lords.
The investigation into the attack had led to clues that representatives from these three houses had met his father before the attack. They'd asked Arthur's father to handle their secret money, but he had declined their offer.
When MI6 had tried to dig deeper into the connection, they'd received a call from high up the government chain, ordering them to stop the investigation immediately.
Hence, no results until now.
The truth, finally revealed. Arthur's jaw tightened imperceptibly.
He knew where to visit next. Things weren't simple—more people were likely involved. But revenge was long overdue. And now he had the power to take it.
The three people had no idea what was coming for them. But they would learn soon enough.