After ensuring that the Witch-king of Angmar
had left the Ministry of Magic and retreated to a hidden cave in the mountains outside London, Artel put away the Isil Hedron.
"The appearance of the Ringwraiths should cause an uproar in the magical world. Along with the strong orc tribe and the White Council stele, Gandalf and Sauron's world acceptance should be no problem now," Artel mused. "I can summon them with peace of mind and wait for the unlocking of the One Ring..."
Artel leaned against the headboard, feeling a wave of relief wash over him. After more than half a year of hard work, he had finally solved the problem of integrating the three main characters into this world.
The remaining members of the Fellowship of the Ring, the Elf King, and others could wait. Though their help would be crucial in the final battle against Sauron, that day was still years away.
At noon, Artel made his way to the Great Hall. Hermione had spent the morning at the Shelby Society's Learning Mutual Aid Society, studying with fellow wizards of her grade, and she now looked a bit overwhelmed.
"Artel!" Hermione called out, running to his side and sitting down. She asked for a glass of juice, took a sip, and then spoke. "This afternoon is the semi-final of our two House Quidditch teams. Would you like to see it?"
The time was nearing April, and the annual Quidditch Cup was approaching its end. Since Harry Potter hadn't joined the Gryffindor team this year, Gryffindor's chances of winning the championship seemed slim.
The semi-final between Slytherin and Gryffindor was scheduled for the afternoon, the last Quidditch match of March. The winner would qualify for the Academy Cup final in April. Despite Gryffindor's apparent disadvantage against the stronger Slytherin team, the students were eagerly anticipating the match. The longstanding rivalry between the two houses had intensified recently, especially after a scuffle in the Great Hall caused by tensions over Artel.
"Sure, I have nothing else planned for this afternoon," Artel replied, smiling. "It'll be fun to watch the final."
"Hee~" Hermione beamed, excited to have Artel join her for the game.
Seeing that Artel agreed, Hermione laughed happily, shaking her head with an air of pride as she spoke to him.
"Our club now has thirty-two members, including all four houses, and the oldest is a third-year. And guess what? I'm the president!"
Hermione blinked, clearly expecting some praise from Artel.
Artel smirked, finding Hermione's enthusiasm charming. She looked like a little girl showing off her favorite doll.
"By the way, Cho Chang from Ravenclaw also joined. She really admires you!" Hermione added, watching Artel's reaction closely. When his expression remained unchanged, she felt a surge of satisfaction.
Just then, Harry and Ron walked in and took seats opposite Artel and Hermione.
"Good noon, Artel!" they greeted in unison. Both seemed to be in high spirits as they ordered plates of chicken thighs and began eating with relish.
Ever since Harry had come to terms with certain things, he had stopped obsessing over saving the world. He now spent his days playing with Ron and Neville, attending classes, eating, and watching Quidditch, all of which made him feel much more relaxed. Without his constant brooding, he found that he didn't pay as much attention to Snape anymore, and surprisingly, Snape seemed to leave him alone during Potions class.
In short, under Artel's intentional or unintentional influence, Harry seemed to be developing in a more typical teenage direction. Meanwhile, Dumbledore was so preoccupied with the chaos Artel had caused that he hadn't kept track of Harry's progress for a while.
In the afternoon, Artel and Hermione went to watch a Quidditch match. Slytherin's team was notably skilled, especially when it came to skirting the edges of the rules without getting penalized.
As usual, there was tension between Slytherin and Gryffindor, making the game exceptionally intense. The Slytherin players seemed more focused on injuring their opponents than winning, much to the frustration of the commentator, Lee Jordan, who nearly lost his voice trying to call out their fouls.
Amidst the boos and cheers from the crowd, the game finally came to a dramatic end.
Gryffindor's only remaining player stood alone on the field. The rest had been taken to the hospital with serious injuries. Slytherin, though also battered with three players down, was in a better position.
"Protest! We're going to protest! They fouled!" Gryffindor supporters shouted hoarsely from the stands.
The professors wore grim expressions, but with no rule violations from Slytherin, Professor McGonagall had no choice but to announce Slytherin's victory in the semifinal.
---
At dinner, a flock of owls delivered letters to the Great Hall. The arrival of the evening edition of the Daily Prophet signaled that something significant had occurred.
"Wouldn't it be funny if they caught Saruman?" Ron joked as he grabbed a copy of the Daily Prophet and glanced at the front page.
"WHAT?!" Ron exclaimed, spitting out his food in shock. "The Ministry of Magic has been breached! So many Aurors are dead!"
The other students quickly grabbed their own copies of the newspaper. The previously quiet hall erupted in chaos as the news spread. Some students cried when they saw familiar names and photos on the front page, knowing their loved ones were among the casualties.
"How could this happen?" Harry whispered, staring blankly at the newspaper. "No wonder I didn't see Headmaster Dumbledore during the game... He was at the Ministry of Magic..."
Artel put down his utensils, listening to the murmurs of the Gryffindor students around him.
"Sauron's servant... The head of the Nine Ringwraiths, the Witch King of Angmar... Sauron is real? I thought he was just a legend."
"He's stronger than Saruman. Even Headmaster Dumbledore couldn't defeat him. He killed twenty-four Aurors despite their efforts."
"He also killed more than a dozen Muggles... And when he attacked the Ministry of Magic, tens of thousands of Muggles witnessed it..."
Hermione, visibly shaken, looked at Artel with fear in her eyes. "Artel..."
"Are you scared?" Artel gently squeezed her nose. Hermione nodded, whispering, "If Headmaster Dumbledore can't stop him... If Sauron is truly resurrected, what will we do?"
"Don't be afraid," Artel whispered in her ear. "If Sauron is resurrected... we'll just have to deal with it together."
Hermione turned to look at him, feeling somewhat reassured. She gave him a cautious glance and said, "Don't talk nonsense... If Sauron and the Witch King hear you, it will be over for us."
Artel smirked on hearing this.