𝑺𝑶𝑳𝑺𝑻𝑰𝑪𝑬 [𝑯𝑨𝑹𝑹𝒀 𝑷𝑶𝑻𝑻𝑬𝑹/𝑻𝑾𝑰𝑳𝑰𝑮𝑯𝑻]

𝐷𝐸𝐴𝑇𝐻 𝐴𝑁𝐷 𝐴𝐿𝐿 𝐻𝐼𝑆 𝐹𝑅𝐼𝐸𝑁𝐷𝑆

Gwen's brain stuttered for a few moments as she took in the words uttered. Her eyes took in more light than she expected, while a part of her numbs in order for her thoughts to catch up. Within seconds, there was a ringing in her ear that caught her off balance, as she reached for the wall near her to steady herself.

She blinked multiple times in order to focus, as her senses were heightened each passing second. She could hear Harry yelling, Alex yelling back...As a ringing in her ear would not stop. This wasn't real...None of this was real...How could it be?

The yelling continued, the anger all around her. As her mind played to catch up, there was a quietness and calmness with the ringing raging in her ears. The moment of quietness, whether it took seconds or hours Gwen did not know, allowed her a moment for her emotions to change gears... For her soul to remember how to mourn when the battle was over.

To prepare her for what was to come.

"Lucious..." Gwen said quietly, her eyes focusing on the paper before her as she tried to make sense of Alex's words. "He threatened in the paper that death would come next--"

"Kreacher's blood was sucked!" Harry snapped, grief covered up as anger exploded throughout him. "Lucious Malfoy didn't do this, it was a Vampire! A Vampire murdered Kreacher!"

"W-we don't know that" Gwen said, her mind spinning as she tried to focus through all of the panic before her.

"We know it wasn't the Denali's" Cho informed them. "It couldn't have been--"

"Where were they?" Harry demanded. "Where were they when this happened?"

"The ones we were able to find" Alex sighed, looking as though he had not slept for days. "They're at our place. And the rest, well, we're still looking for them."

"Take me to Kreacher" Gwen said quietly, as she forced herself to stop imagining what he might look like. "We need to, we need to--"

"Kingsley wanted us to come get you, Harry too" Cho replied, as she held out an old ceramic mug. "A Portkey, so we are not seen leaving."

"Are you hiding this?" Harry demanded, anger growing once more. "It was Kreacher! You can't hide this over your precious legislation. They did it and they need to--"

"It's not just about the legislation...I'm sorry Harry, I am so sorry for Kreacher" Gwen said, finding clarity in Harry's anger as she turned to him, and understood the look on both Cho and Alex's faces. "But this isn't just about Kreacher or even the Vampires, it's about the Republic of Magic."

———— ✦ ⁖ ✺ ⁖✦ ————

The four of them used the Portkey to transport themselves to Kingsley, where to Gwen's great surprise, the location was her very own cottage. And they most certainly were not alone.

They were immediately faced with the grave looks of Kingsley; the leader of the wizards with his supporter, Tiberius McLaggen, Rhea; the leader of the Centaurs, Mormont; leader of the Goblins, Orla; the Seer and leader of the Elves, and Marina; the daughter of the King of the Sea and future leader of the Mermaids. Together, the five made up the Representatives that made the decisions for the Republic of Magic.

They were the leaders. The very core of their new society.

It took Gwen a moment to recognize Tiberius McLaggen as Cormac McLaggen's uncle, knowing full well he had been rising through the ranks to become Kingsley's right hand man.

On Rhea's side, Gaia was present too. Gwen knew Gaia was Rhea's second in command with the Centaurs of the Mountain, being placed in Gwen's Department to get more political experience. Her eyes then wandered to Orla, very small and petite, but Gwen knew she had a fierce tongue that could pierce through anyones soul.