The Contract

Chapter 104

The normally calm quiet manor was suddenly completely in chaos the next morning. The House-elves were out in droves, and not all of them worked at this property full time. No, they were from other properties all over the world. Harry realized this after seeing Gaelin and Alok, the house-elves from the Villa in Egypt. The cook and the maintainer of the property. There were dozens of others he hadn't met as well. The curtains, rugs, statues, candlesticks, hung oil lanterns, and tapestries were all gone it made the place look empty and much darker too. It seemed like every single door and window was open letting in fresh air.

"Good morning," Harry greeted everyone, noticing it was pretty much the same in the dining room. "Is every single house-elf you own here today?" he asked in amusement, as he slid into his seat opposite Rabastan.

"Most of them, yes," Corvus replied, lips twitching, "And good morning, I trust you had a good sleep?" they had made sure there were no silencing spells up in Harry's room that night, with his permission. They hadn't heard a peep from him all night. In fact, he had slept in, Sirius and Rodolphus were already eating.

Everyone glanced at Harry wanting to hear the answer as well.

"I did," Harry replied, he felt no guilt for what happened to Dumbledore. He deserved everything that happened.

"He did have a heart attack," Rodolphus said, amused, he had requested to view the memory with Sirius. They had debated on what it was, a stroke or heart attack had both been suggested. He had gotten a laugh out of seeing the Dementors tantrum when Dumbledore died and it was denied it's food. They weren't getting to feed off the inmates as much, which probably made them even more angry.

"It's in the paper already?" Harry asked not really surprised by that. The news will have spread like Fiendfyre once the wizengamot got out the building. That and the journalists will have been waiting for the information to become available. Minister Fudge had spoken on the wireless that afternoon, informing the world of the fate of Albus Dumbledore. "Will he still be put through the veil?"

"He already has," Corvus answered, "Once they got the answers, they sought they did as they intended."

"Saves the public from having to pay for a burial," Rodolphus said with a sneer, he didn't deserve one in all honesty. There was no way Aberforth would, he loathed his brother with a ferociousness that Rodolphus was utterly mesmerised by. Not that he could blame the wizard, he wouldn't have wanted to be related to the old fool.

"If he'd been popular can you imagine how much it would have cost?" Sirius pointed out, waving his fork around. "Millions of Galleons. Millions." He stressed out; he wasn't entirely wrong on that front. It was a terrifying prospect, that everyone would have remained oblivious to what Dumbledore was doing and had done...if not for a strange series of coincidences.

That and the fact Harry had someone in his life whom cared very much, and knew him well enough to become concerned when their scheduled chat did not occur and Harry didn't take his potions. It had sort of caused an avalanche, one that had ultimately ended with Dumbledore being found out for all his wrongdoings, and eventually, given the Dementors Kiss.

"It's a little...unbelievable isn't it?" Harry said quietly, as he plated up the food, he desired this morning. "Everyone thought it wasn't possible." That Dumbledore wouldn't be given the Dementors Kiss, everyone had convinced him that it wasn't going to happen. So much so that he honestly had been surprised when he was informed that it would take place.

"It is unbelievable," Rabastan agreed fully, "I didn't expect that outcome, but getting to see his end was immensely satisfying." He'd watched the life leave Dumbledore's eyes. Watched him realize whom Harry's betrothed family was, realize that he'd lost from the very beginning. That Elmer Eddison had been naught but a red herring to chase, that the healer wouldn't have been able to give it up. Oh, it had been glorious, there would be no greater sight of a slain enemy that had been so blinded by the machinations going on around. "Do you think our betrothal did him in the end?" a wicked smirk on his face.