Chapter 52

Anne’s parchment burned with a soft pop in midair, and a small, fiery red phoenix circled the Great Hall once before vanishing.

“Don’t think too much about me, and don’t bother trying to find where I’ve gone, you won’t. Meeting Dumbledore was unexpected, and now, I want to enjoy my own life,” the message read.

“In short, life is long, and the future is uncertain.”

By late night, the heavy rain gradually eased. The next morning, the winter sun rose over Hogwarts. Ron and Harry hadn’t attended the evening celebrations either; along with Aaron, Bill, and Kingsley, they went to the Ministry of Magic.

Skoll’s second parchment to Aaron detailed the legal procedures for freezing the illicit treasures in Gringotts. Harry and Ron, carrying the Gryffindor sword, destroyed the last Horcrux in the Lestrange vault, the Hufflepuff cup.

Skoll’s third parchment was addressed to the interim Minister of Magic, Diana Roland. It contained an agreement: how the Roland family could secretly collaborate with the Order of the Phoenix to save Muggle-born wizards, fleeing wizards, and others in danger.

Upon reading the parchment, Diana realized that Anne had given her immense political capital. With the war won and the Order of the Phoenix’s reputation elevated, Diana could now wield complete authority over the British magical world as Minister of Magic with little effort.

Anne remained unconscious for five days. On the second day, she even developed a mild fever, causing anxiety for those aware of her condition. Diana and Aaron put aside their duties, while Hermione stayed steady, ensuring Anne ate and slept on time, and even comforting Diana and Aaron.

Anne awoke one afternoon. Her vision gradually cleared. Although blurred, she recognized the familiar figure sitting by her bed, it was Hermione, flipping through a cookbook.

Three days later, at Roland Manor, in Anne’s room at Roland Manor, she leaned against her bedhead. Hermione fed her a spoonful of vegetable-and-lean-meat porridge.

“So… the Resurrection Stone was really in the Golden Snitch? Harry… it was useless? Why?” Anne asked as she swallowed.

“He didn’t need it. Voldemort’s killing curse only destroyed the fragment of soul inside him. It didn’t kill Harry,” Hermione explained. “And the Resurrection Stone can’t truly bring people back, it only… lets you see them. They aren’t truly alive, nor are they ghosts. Harry saw Dumbledore through the stone, and they spoke for a while.”

“What did Harry do with the Resurrection Stone?”

“He threw it into the lake in front of the castle.”

“Oh, and the Elder Wand?” Anne asked.

“The Elder Wand wasn’t Voldemort’s. It only obeys the wizard who defeated its previous master. Voldemort died unaware. Harry returned the wand to where it belonged.”

“And who is the wand’s rightful master?” Anne tilted her head, then named someone.

“Draco Malfoy?”

Hermione nodded, feeding Anne another spoonful of porridge.

“Ah? Really him? Huh… lucky guy,” Anne said, finishing the spoonful. Then, curiosity brightened her expression. “Hermione, if I used a Disarming Charm on Malfoy, would that make me the Elder Wand’s master?”

Hermione, feeding her another spoonful, answered seriously, “Yes.”

Anne blinked and swallowed. “Normally, as a Gryffindor, you’d stop me from doing something like that, right?”

“Once school starts, I’ll be a Gryffindor again. For now, I’m your girlfriend. You do as you like. Just don’t ask me to fetch the wand from a grave,” Hermione said calmly, still feeding her.

Anne chuckled twice, then continued, “Where does Harry live now? Is it the hut?”

“Yes. Fred and George reopened their shop, renting a long-term apartment above the Leaky Cauldron. Oh, and Harry is back with Ginny.”

“Expected,” Anne said, smiling. “Have you contacted your parents yet?”

Hermione laughed, continuing to feed her. “I called them two days ago, telling them they could come back. They sounded disappointed, so they went on a trip to Hangzhou with friends.”

“Hehe, that’s good. Let them have fun. They probably didn’t expect the war to end so fast.”

Hermione nodded. “I told them the same. They decided to return before Christmas break.” She looked at Anne, her eyes reflective. “Not even the whole magical world expected the war to end this quickly.”

“Neither did I. It was just the situation forcing it,” Anne said.

Only one spoonful of porridge remained. Hermione fed it to her, then put the bowl aside and adopted a serious expression. Anne swallowed, eyes on Hermione.

“I have a question, Anne. You can’t hide this from me.”

“Okay… ask.”

“When Skoll spoke in the Hogwarts Great Hall, he said the secret weapon had a huge effect on your body.”

“I only said that to get out safely. The secret weapon won’t harm me. Hermione, really. Grandfather Orlens checked my body; he didn’t mention anything unusual, right?”

“But he said some effects couldn’t even be detected,” Hermione said. “Many magical items or curses can only be understood by the person affected. Especially something as powerful as this weapon, Anne, don’t hide it. I’ve never heard of any magical item so powerful it could kill Voldemort with him unable to resist. No one in the wizarding world has.”

“And,” Hermione added, biting her lip, “you said Dumbledore gave you this weapon. If he had it, why didn’t he use it himself to kill Voldemort? A wizard that powerful, and he still perished in the fight.”

Hermione looked at Anne. “Anne, it’s not just me, your aunt and uncle are concerned too. Don’t keep this from us, okay?”

Anne was silent. After a moment, she smiled at the worried Hermione. “My girlfriend is always so smart.”

“You’re still planning to hide it?”

Sitting up slightly, Anne shook her head. “No, I’ll tell you. But the fewer people know, the better. Give me a week, okay? I’ll explain everything to you, Aaron, and Diana. Also… Dumbledore didn’t actually die fighting Voldemort, Hermione.”

Hermione looked confused.

“If he’d just destroyed the ring with the Gryffindor sword, he’d be fine. But… Hermione, he put on the ring. He recognized the Resurrection Stone the moment he saw it. The immense magical backlash from the ring permanently damaged his arm, and he only had one year left to live.”

Hermione gasped, covering her mouth. Then she frowned. “Who did Dumbledore want to resurrect?”

“His sister… Ariana Dumbledore.”

Hermione froze for a moment, then exhaled deeply. “I never expected,