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Words : 1656 Updated : Sep 23rd, 2025

The atmosphere in the corridor shifted as Dumbledore's expression transformed from gentle melancholy to serious. "There's one more matter we must discuss, Professor Westeros," Dumbledore said softly. "I've received intelligence from sources I consider reliable concerning Voldemort's current whereabouts." Upon hearing this, Adrian immediately became alert. Dumbledore's face showed concern as he continued. "Voldemort's main soul has taken refuge in the forests of Albania. The intelligence says he's been there for some time." Adrian's mind raced as this revelation settled into place like the final piece of a complex puzzle. Albania—of course. The location aligned perfectly with his own theories about Voldemort's movements and preferences. That place was also probably special and familiar to Voldemort. "However," Dumbledore continued, his voice growing even more serious, "knowing his location brings us little comfort. The Horcruxes make him essentially invulnerable. As long as the Horcruxes aren't all destroyed, even if he temporarily dies, he will eventually return." Dumbledore shook his head, "What makes this situation even more dire is that the number of Horcruxes he created may far exceed our most pessimistic estimates." "How should we deal with this, Professor Dumbledore?" Adrian asked. Dumbledore's deep gaze looked directly into Adrian's eyes. "I will find a way to locate and destroy the remaining Horcruxes, But Adrian, I need your solemn promise on this matter—if you encounter another of Voldemort's Horcruxes, you must bring it to me immediately to handle, rather than acting on your own like this time." Adrian shrugged—this was a promise he probably couldn't keep. The Horcruxes, and more specifically the soul fragments they contained, held a value that went far beyond their role in Voldemort's immortality for him. "If I encounter them, I'll certainly do that," Adrian replied carefully. "Though I should point out that this time was entirely accidental. I had no idea the diary contained a piece of Voldemort's soul until it was too late to simply hand it over." "I understand that," Dumbledore said, though his expression said he wasn't entirely convinced. "But these objects are extremely dangerous." "Understood," Adrian agreed, giving what he hoped was a reassuring nod. "I'll be more cautious in the future." Dumbledore studied him for a moment, as if trying to read the truth behind Adrian's expression. Then, apparently satisfied—or perhaps simply choosing to accept what he had been told, he nodded once and turned to leave. Adrian was somewhat puzzled. He didn't know why Dumbledore would warn him not to handle Horcruxes on his own. Did Dumbledore know that he would encounter Voldemort's Horcruxes again in the future? However, even if Adrian didn't hand over Horcruxes to Dumbledore in the future, he would treat them with much more caution. This diary incident had already cost him dearly. Indeed, anything related to Voldemort should be treated with utmost caution. Making his way back to his office, Adrian sealed the door behind him with several layers of privacy charms before approaching his desk. From a locked drawer that required both a key and a specific wand movement to open, he took out a notebook that appeared utterly ordinary but hummed with subtle protective enchantments. Opening to a fresh page, Adrian began to write in his precise script: He paused, quill hovering over the parchment as he tried to dredge up more details from the increasingly hazy memories of his previous life. Although he couldn't completely remember many details, he roughly knew the original story's plot. Unfortunately, due to the passage of time, those memories had been sleeping deep in his mind. He could only recall bit by bit, gradually organizing the memories. Recently, his memories had become somewhat clearer. Two of Voldemort's Horcruxes had now been dealt with. the diary and Ravenclaw's diadem. As for the rest—Gaunt's ring seemed to be found by Dumbledore later, Slytherin's locket was apparently with a house-elf named Kreacher, and as for Hufflepuff's cup, he really couldn't remember where it was. And Nagini—during this period, she probably hadn't become a Horcrux yet. Oh, and finally there was Harry Potter, who had been by his side all along. Thinking of this, Adrian sighed. One could only say the task ahead was arduous. Today was the second day of summer holiday. Adrian woke up in the second-floor bedroom of his own shop, he was still not quite used to it. Stretching muscles still stiff from sleep, Adrian made his way to the washbasin and began his morning routine. After dressing in comfortable Muggle clothing, Adrian made his way downstairs to the shop and found that Remus had already arrived early for work. Remus stood behind the main counter. Scattered across the counter were five or six unopened letters. A copy of the Daily Prophet lay open beside them, and its headline was visible even from Adrian's position on the stairs. "Good morning, Adrian," Hearing footsteps, Remus looked up and smiled wearily. "I hope you slept well." "Well enough," Adrian replied, making his way to the counter and taking note of the signs of distress. "You seem to have had quite a busy morning already." Adrian's eyes swept across the letters, taking in the unfamiliar names on the return addresses all apparently directed to Remus. This was quite unusual; in all the time Lupin had worked at the shop, the letters he had been receiving were rarely more than a letter or two per month. "Having some difficulties?" Adrian asked with concern, reaching for the copy of the Daily Prophet. Remus folded the letter he had been reading and slipped it into his jacket pocket. Remus folded the letter in his hand and put it in his pocket, forcing a smile. "Nothing serious, just... some letters from old friends." Adrian glanced again at the letters on the table. "Oh, seems you have quite a few friends." Remus smiled awkwardly. Adrian didn't ask further questions. He waved his wand to prepare an automatically brewed cup of coffee for himself and sat down to read the newspaper. What Adrian found in the Daily Prophet's headlines made everything suddenly clear. "MINISTRY DRAFTS ANTI-WEREWOLF LEGISLATION," the bold text stated, followed by a subtitle that: "Undersecretary Umbridge Proposes Complete Employment Ban for Lycanthropes." The article, written in the Prophet's typically sensationalized style, detailed proposed legislation that would make it illegal for werewolves to hold any form of employment within the Magical Britain. The bill, drafted by Umbridge, was being presented as a "public safety measure" designed to "protect law-abiding wizarding families from the inherent dangers posed by those afflicted with lycanthropy." The article concluded with a brief statement from "concerned werewolf community leaders" expressing their "strong objections" to the proposed legislation, though Adrian suspected their actual words had been far more violent than the sanitized quote said. Setting down the newspaper, Adrian muttered under his breath, "How interesting... Umbridge certainly doesn't waste time making enemies." He looked toward Remus, who was standing nervously nearby, watching him with a complex expression. It was no wonder Remus was so nervous. Adrian's practical mind immediately began calculating the implications. If the legislation passed which seemed unlikely, given the potential for violent backlash from desperate werewolves, it would create a precedent for further discriminatory laws. Even if it failed, the very fact that it had been proposed would worsen the already difficult situation faced by Britain's lycanthropic population. But this didn't matter much to Adrian, since he only had one werewolf employee—Remus—so it wouldn't affect him. Therefore, Adrian scanned a few other sections of the Daily Prophet and set it aside. "I have some news, Remus," Adrian said suddenly, setting aside the newspaper and focusing his attention on him. Remus had been somewhat relieved, but hearing Adrian call his name, his heart rose to his throat again. "What... what is it?" Remus asked trying to appear calm. "I've hired a new employee," Adrian took a light sip of coffee. "It's a..." "What?!" Remus's eyes widened slightly, his face instantly turning pale, and he said somewhat incredulously. "Am I being fired?" Seeing his reaction, Adrian was momentarily stunned. Then Adrian couldn't help but laugh. "Relax, Remus. I didn't mean that. You know I don't discriminate against werewolves—otherwise I wouldn't have let you work here for so long." Remus immediately felt relieved. However, he quickly realized something and looked at Adrian with shock. "Wait, you've known I'm a werewolf all along?" Adrian raised an eyebrow, surprised by the question. "I thought it was fairly obvious," He said with a casual shrug. "Taking exactly one day off every month, always on the same lunar schedule. Returning to work completely exhausted, often with unexplained injuries. Looking like you haven't slept for days after each absence." He spread his hands in a gesture of obvious logic. "I may be many things, Remus, but I'm not blind and certainly not an idiot." Remus's expression gradually shifted from shock to bitterness. He smiled remorsefully and shook his head. "This is also why I was so destitute before. Werewolves are like this—we have great difficulty finding decent work. Most employers won't even consider us, and those who do usually change their minds the moment they learn the truth." He gestured helplessly at the pile of letters on the counter. "These are from werewolf friends of mine. They've all lost their jobs since Umbridge's bill was announced. Some of them were dismissed immediately, others were given 'convenient' excuses, but the result is the same. They're all unemployed now, and with this legislation pending, they're unlikely to find work anywhere else. It's such a pity—they're all really good people." ________________ You can read more chapters on: /IamLuis

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