Epeolatry - ✔️

Twenty-Three

"Truth never damages a cause that is just."
- Mahatma Gandhi

The Wizarding World had been thrown into chaos. No one knew what was true and what was a lie. The day following the attack, rumors circulated through Epeolatry with each patron that came in. With each new bit of information, Athene was having trouble telling fact from fiction.

"I heard that Mad-Eye Moody was the one behind it," one of her patrons had spoken in hushed tones with Athene while they purchased a few self-defense books, "but I also heard that Mad-Eye had been captured by Death Eaters and one of them impersonated the old Auror."

"There's no proof that He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named is back," another had informed the entire bookshop, "They never found the Death Eater."

"They say that Harry Potter and Headmaster Dumbledore are crazy," a young girl who was still in Hogwarts had spoken when she overheard the conversation, "but Dumbledore and Harry are both honest people. I don't think Dumbledore has ever been wrong about anything."

Athene was eager to close her doors that evening. Her Defense Against the Dark Arts section had been completely cleaned out, and she had at least twenty orders in for more. The young bookstore owner was tired of the questions, untruths, and rumors, but she didn't foresee the Ministry clearing anything up. There had been nothing in the Daily Prophet about the Ministry's response, and they had no real facts about what had happened. This madness would drive even the sanest person crazy.

After her last customer had ordered their share of Defense Against the Dark Arts books, Athene closed and locked her door with a sigh of relief. The empty store came somewhat like a blessing. All she wanted to do was take a long bath with a nice cup of tea and a good book and then fall into her bed. Her bathtub was practically calling her name, and her feet had a mind of their own. She mindlessly climbed the stairs up to her apartment and numbly turned on a light.

"Athene." The girl screamed bloody murder at the sound of someone other than herself in her home. She reached for her wand, and she pointed it at the stranger shrouded in shadows. The intruder wore a long cloak that hid their identity reasonably well, but it wasn't hard to guess who had come to visit.

"Professor Dumbledore," Athene clutched at her chest, "What are you doing here?"

The older man removed the hood of his cloak and smiled at her. Dumbledore was a man of mystery and a man who loved his dramatics. There was always something unknown about the man. There were still secrets that none of his students would ever know. "You were at the third task, yes?"

Athene nodded her head but didn't verbally answer. Her hands toyed with her wand as she lit the candles in her apartment. The shadows were replaced with light, and Dumbledore lost his shadowy cover.

"Then you know what will be coming." The smile on Dumbledore's face disappeared. "Voldemort has returned, Athene, and I need your help."

"What could you possibly need me for, Professor?" Athene sighed and rubbed her temple, "I hardly ever leave the shop as it is."

"Tell me, Athene," Dumbledore ran a knobby hand through his beard, "Do you value the truth?"

"Of course, Professor."

"In the coming years, the truth is going to be imperative to our operation, and we are going to need someone to get the word out."

"We?" Athene prodded the man.

"The Order of the Phoenix," Dumbledore offered her a sympathetic smile, "it was the organization that your parents belonged to before their deaths." The Order of the Phoenix. The words repeated over and over in her mind and all she could think about was her sudden desire to be apart of it. "We are going to need someone like you in our ranks."

Athene stared at Dumbledore for several moments, contemplating what he was telling her. She knew that there was going to be a war. It was inevitable. With the return of He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named, there was destined to be war. Her parents had believed in peace. They had fought for peace. They had died for peace.

"What do you want me to do?"

Author's Note:
Welp, there's book one to the Epeolatry series. Please let me know what you thought!

Question of the Chapter
Are you excited for book two?