"Shut up!" Alex snapped, glaring coldly at Yulia. He’d had enough of her. From the moment he entered the library, she'd been sulking and throwing sarcastic comments his way. And now she had the audacity to point fingers? Who did she think she was? A high-and-mighty noblewoman?
"We agreed—all the knowledge in your family, anything I find useful, belongs to me. You have no right to object. Your Travers family means nothing to me, not even the worth of a cockroach under my boot. You should pray—pray that I’m in a good enough mood not to squash you."
Yulia froze, stunned by his threatening tone. Exhaustion and weeks of mental strain caught up with her. She collapsed onto the floor, her legs giving out beneath her, and burst into tears. The sound of her sobs filled the room, but Alex didn’t flinch. He felt no pity for her—not even a shred. Instead, her crying grated on his nerves.
"Annoying," Alex muttered. With a flick of his wand, he cast a sonic expulsion spell to block out the noise. The room fell blissfully silent, and he returned to his task, copying spells from the Travers family’s magic books into his metal spellbook.
Spells of all kinds—curses, poisons, enchantments—were easily transferred, one by one, to the enchanted book using his duplication spell. The only challenge was the ancient lightning rune. Unlike regular spells, the rune held immense raw energy, making it impossible to replicate with magic alone. Without thorough analysis, it was unique and irreplaceable.
Lucius Malfoy had likely instructed Yulia to keep it preserved in the original book for this reason. But Alex wasn’t interested in wasting time. Instead of copying it, he decided to transfer the entire rune. His metal spellbook, crafted with rare materials, was more than capable of containing such power. After a bit of careful maneuvering, the lightning rune vanished from the original book and settled into his spellbook seamlessly.
With that done, Alex moved on to copying the other valuable texts he’d selected. One particularly rare tome, Endless Darkness, contained its own magical energy. Normal parchment wouldn’t have been able to hold its complex runes, so Alex copied it directly into his metal spellbook. Two hours later, his work was complete. Among the treasures he had secured were Slytherin’s manuscripts and nearly 300 rare books and documents, all carefully curated by Alex himself. Many of these were so rare that the outside world likely had no idea they even existed.
Satisfied but exhausted after nearly long hour of intense work, Alex stretched his arms and let out a relieved sigh. Without sparing a second glance at the defeated Yulia, he walked out of Travers Manor.
Back at the Longbottom house, Alex allowed himself two full days of rest. He spent time playing with Augusta and little Neville, both to relax and to sort through his newly acquired knowledge. Carefully, he organized the materials into neat categories and stored them securely.
Finally, the day of the Ministry of Magic’s celebration banquet arrived. Alex dressed in a sharp dark suit and descended into the living room, where Augusta was already waiting, impeccably dressed. She smiled at him warmly. "Aren’t you leaving Neville with Algie today?" Alex asked, raising an eyebrow.
"No, I think it’ll be good for him to get out for a bit. Besides," Augusta added, gesturing behind her, "I’ve even dressed him up for the occasion."
Alex glanced down to see Neville, who looked adorably dapper in a miniature suit. His hair had been meticulously combed, likely under Augusta’s strict supervision. Alex chuckled and picked Neville up in his arms. "How are we getting there?" Alex asked as an afterthought. "Neville’s too young for Apparition, and I don’t think the Floo Network works well for carrying others."
"We’re taking Muggle transportation," Augusta replied, smiling. "That’s why I had you get ready early."
By noon, the three of them arrived at the Ministry of Magic. The main hall was packed with people, the air buzzing with excitement. Reporters crowded near the entrance, cameras at the ready.
The moment Alex and Augusta stepped inside, someone shouted, "Look, it’s him! That’s the young wizard—the hero, Alex!" All eyes turned toward them. In a flash, cameras started clicking, and reporters surged forward. The sudden commotion startled Neville, who was still in Alex’s arms. The little boy burst into tears, wailing loudly amidst the chaos.
"Merlin’s beard!" Augusta exclaimed, shielding her eyes from the camera flashes. "What is going on?"
Before they could react further, a familiar figure pushed through the crowd—it was Vanessa. Grabbing Alex and Augusta, she quickly pulled them into the nearest elevator. "Why are there so many people here today?" Augusta asked, still flustered.
Vanessa rolled her eyes. "Thanks to Alex, of course."
"Me?" Alex asked, confused.
“That’s right. You probably don’t realize just how big a stir you’ve caused,” Vanessa began, her tone carrying a mix of amusement and exasperation. “This is the first time since the fall of You-Know-Who that five Death Eaters have been arrested at once—and the kicker? It was done by an underage wizard. The Daily Prophet and Wizarding Radio have been having a field day with the headlines.”
She gave a dramatic sigh before continuing, “And Minister Bagnold? He’s milking it for all it’s worth. The public information department’s been pushing the story hard, like they want to crown you a national treasure or something. The award ceremony was announced ages ago, and he even invited a flock of reporters to attend the banquet. They’ve been camped out by the entrance all morning, waiting for a glimpse of you. Meanwhile, we’ve been stuck outside, trying not to die of boredom.”
Alex finally pieced it together. No wonder Minister Bagnold had mentioned that the Ministry hadn’t had any “good news” in ages. It was clear the British wizarding world wasn’t exactly overflowing with excitement if something like this could cause such a commotion.
“So, the captain had us on door duty,” Vanessa went on, brushing a strand of hair out of her face. “As soon as you showed up, we were to get you inside quickly before the reporters mobbed you.”
“Thanks for handling that,” Alex said, giving her an appreciative nod. “By the way, what about the friends I invited? Are they going to have to deal with all that too?”
Vanessa waved his concern away. “Don’t worry, we’ve got other colleagues keeping the crowd in check. Your friends will be fine.” Then, with a thoughtful pause, she added, “Oh, right, I haven’t told you the schedule yet. After the award banquet, there’s going to be a trial for those Death Eaters. You’re required to attend since you’re directly involved. Not sure why the Minister decided to hold the trial right after the celebration—it’s like she’s trying to squeeze it all into one day.”
Alex frowned slightly, pondering the timing. It sounded like Bagnold wanted to strike while the iron was hot, pressuring the accused families to shift their stances under public scrutiny. The efficiency matched his impression of the Minister.