Bad Romance

Chapter 12

Chapter 12: The Evil That Won't Die

When the general meeting was over, people broke up into their respective departments to take orders from their heads and continue organizing everything. The Lestranges weren't precisely sure where they belonged until Romeo waved them over.

"Though your duties won't be those of an Auror, unless we are all in direct combat, you will be taking your orders from Gellert, so come along with us to level two for now." They all nodded and followed Romeo Valdez to the Department of Magical Law Enforcement then to Auror Headquarters. Aurors surrounded them, and it was odd not to have to fight the buggers off. In fact, it made Bellatrix's skin itch a little.

"I just wanted to say that this new Ministry is intended to be a better one," Romeo began, dark eyes scanning the little group that surrounded him as they stood in the center of Auror headquarters. "As we're working with people like the Lestranges and Mr. Grindelwald, it should be clear that we won't be aiming to abolish all Dark Arts. I don't expect them to stop using them, and I hope no one else here is stupid enough to either."

There was a bit of polite laughter. "Dark Arts have their place. To put it bluntly, as we have no time for anything else, Dark Arts get shit done," Romeo continued. "What I will not tolerate is Dark Arts being used against the innocent. To hurt or torture the innocent or force them..."

He met the gaze of each Lestrange on that bit. "That goes for all of you... or anyone we apprehend. However, the use of Dark Arts to track criminals and get your job done safely and efficiently is fine. The use of them to defend yourself or others, or even to get information from the enemy, so long as they are not innocent, is acceptable. If you see others using the Dark Arts and they're not harming anyone, the Ministry doesn't care."

"And if we aren't sure," Greg, the Auror who had brought Grindelwald to them last night, asked.

"Then you investigate cautiously," Romeo replied, and Greg nodded. "Now I will brief you on Delphini before giving the floor to Gellert. He is our Head of Defense, and the Minister wants everyone following his instructions with no bullshit or bickering no matter what because whatever he wants will be necessary. I understand that some of you have reservations, but this Delphini...thing, is a danger I still have yet to comprehend."

"Isn't she just a girl," a stocky, dark haired Auror asked dubiously and Romeo chuckled. For his part, Gellert looked grim, standing off to the side of the group, surrounded by his family.

"She looks like a girl, but her power...is something unlike anything I've ever seen," Romeo Valdez said with a slight shudder.

Though Bellatrix did not know the man, she had a feeling that very little made him shudder. Okay, now she was curious.

"Delphini was discovered to be a danger whilst at Hogwarts. She attended posing as a seventh year. That was roughly a year ago. Three students ended up dead. That's when the shit hit the fan and rightfully so. Speaking of that, Kereston has called Albus Dumbledore out of hiding to resume his post as Headmaster and Hogwarts shall reopen in the fall. With Dumbledore back, nothing like this will ever happen again, or so it is strongly believed. I have personally never met the man, but those I trust seem confident," Romeo said.

"Wait, isn't Dumbledore dead," Rabastan asked, and Romeo smirked.

"Not exactly. He just got tired of...a lot of things and at the time, felt it was best that it appear so."

Rabastan shrugged, obviously not truly caring. Bellatrix supposed it was logical though. Old Dumbledore should be harder to kill with all that genius rattling around in his brain.

"The newspapers never mentioned a Delphini in the unexplained deaths at Hogwarts," A female Auror with long brown hair commented, frowning. "They just mentioned an unknown breed of poisonous snake."