Harry Potter: Westeros’s Plant Life

Chapter 476 476: 0476 The Questions

One Week After the Battle

The formal Ministry delegation arrived at Hogwarts on a gray Wednesday morning exactly one week after Voldemort's death, their arrival was indicated by the distinctive crack of multiple coordinated Apparitions just beyond the castle's anti-Apparition wards.

Adrian watched from his office window as six robed figures appeared on the grounds and began walking toward the castle with the pace of bureaucrats on official business.

He'd been expecting this visit. The Ministry of Magic could hardly ignore the reported death of the most dangerous dark wizard in a century, especially when that death had occurred under circumstances that were, by all accounts, highly unusual and inadequately documented.

Kingsley Shacklebolt led the delegation, his tall body was easily distinguishable even from Adrian's second-floor vantage point.

Behind him came the unmistakable fat figure of Cornelius Fudge who was still Minister for Magic despite calls for his resignation over his handling of Voldemort's return along with four Aurors whose names Adrian didn't know.

Adrian set down the student essay he'd been grading which was a surprisingly discerning piece from Hannah on the social structures of centaur herds and rose from his desk with something approaching resignation.

He'd prepared for this conversation as thoroughly as he'd prepared for the battle itself, though the weapons here would be words rather than magic, and the battlefield would be Dumbledore's office rather than his plantation's spiritual realm.

Dumbledore's office, when Adrian arrived, already contained the full Ministry delegation plus several additional faces. McGonagall stood near the window with her arms crossed and her expression stern in that particularly Scottish way that showed she was prepared to defend Hogwarts and everyone in it against any unreasonable demands.

Snape lurked in a shadowy corner, ostensibly present as a witness but functionally radiating menace at anyone who might cause problems.

And Dumbledore himself sat behind his desk looking serene and slightly grandfatherly, as if this were a pleasant social visit rather than a formal investigation into circumstances that had the entire wizarding world buzzing with speculation.

"Ah, Adrian," Dumbledore said warmly as Adrian entered. "Thank you for joining us. I believe you know most everyone here?"

"Minister Fudge," Adrian acknowledged with a nod. "Auror Shacklebolt. Gentlemen."

"Professor Westeros," Fudge said, and his tone was like trying to sound authoritative while being deeply uncertain about the situation they were trying to manage. "We're here on official Ministry business regarding the reported death of He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named."

"I assumed as much," Adrian said calmly.

One of the Aurors, a severe-looking woman with short gray hair and a face that looked like she'd seen too many dark things and trusted nothing, pulled out a dictation quill and a roll of parchment.

"This questioning will be recorded for official Ministry records," she said briskly. "All statements made here may be used in subsequent legal proceedings."

"I understand," Adrian said, taking the seat Dumbledore indicated in front of the desk.

Kingsley stepped forward, his deep voice was gentle despite the formal nature of the proceeding. Kingsley had always been one of the more reasonable Aurors, Adrian knew, less prone to jumping to conclusions than many of his colleagues.

"Professor Westeros, can you describe in your own words the circumstances surrounding your confrontation with Dark Lord Voldemort, on the morning of—" he consulted his notes "—the fourth of June?"

Adrian had prepared for this exact question. The truth, but carefully edited.

"I received intelligence that Voldemort was aware of my personal property—a private botanical research facility I maintain outside of Hogwarts grounds," Adrian began, keeping his tone slow and factual. "I believed he intended to attack that location, though I wasn't certain of his specific motivations. I prepared defensive measures and waited."

"Intelligence from what source?" Fudge interrupted.

"A centaur prophecy, verified by my own observations of suspicious activity in the area," Adrian said. This was true, if incomplete. "On the morning in question, Voldemort arrived at my property using a magical mist to create a barrier and launched an unprovoked attack."

"Unprovoked?" The gray-haired Auror raised an eyebrow skeptically. "The Dark Lord simply decided to attack your... botanical facility... for no reason?"

"I didn't say no reason," Adrian corrected politely. "I said the attack was unprovoked in the sense that I took no action to instigate it. As for his motivations, I can only speculate. He seemed interested in magical plants I'd been cultivating. Perhaps he believed they had some strategic value."

This was technically true. The Tree of Wisdom was, from a certain perspective, a magical plant. That it also possessed a soul and was bonded to Adrian's own was information the Ministry didn't need. And other plants in his plantation were also mutated and had very critical uses, just that golden apple was enough for the entire wizarding world to attack his plantation.

"And you defeated him," Fudge said, his voice carrying equal parts hope and skepticism.

"Alone. Without assistance. Defeating the most powerful dark wizard in a century." He paused. "Forgive me, Adrian, but that seems rather... implausible."

"Yet it happened," Adrian said simply.

"How?" The gray-haired Auror leaned forward. "What spell did you use? What technique? The Dark Lord was protected by advanced magic, had years of experience in combat, possessed knowledge of the darkest arts. By all accounts, he should have been unbeatable in single combat."

Adrian met her eyes. "I'm not at liberty to discuss my specific magical methods in detail. Some techniques I've developed are... unique. Revealing them publicly could pose security risks."

"Security risks," Fudge repeated, his tone showed he found this explanation inadequate. "Adrian, the Ministry has a right to understand exactly what happened. This is a matter of utmost importance to magical Britain—to the entire wizarding world. We need answers."

"And I'm providing them," Adrian said, his voice remaining calm despite the rising tension in the room.

"I fought Voldemort in self-defense on my own property. I used defensive magic and tactics I'd prepared specifically for that confrontation. He died as a result of the magical battle. His body and what remained of his soul were completely destroyed. There are no means left to resurrect him, again, He's gone permanently."

"How can you be so certain?" Kingsley asked, his tone was more curious.

"Because I destroyed his means of revival myself over the past several years and months," Adrian said.

This revelation caused a stir in the room, Professor McGonagall's eyes went wide, Snape shifted in his shadowy corner, and the Ministry delegation exchanged looks.

This admission was planned. It showed Adrian as someone who had been actively working against Voldemort for a long time. It made the eventual victory seem less like impossible luck and more like the culmination of careful planning.

"You destroyed his means of revival," Fudge said slowly, processing this information. "You mean multiple dark objects of immense power. And you... what, simply didn't inform the Ministry you were doing this?"

"Would the Ministry have approved or assisted?" Adrian asked coolly. "Or would there have been committees formed, debates about procedure, concerns about political implications? Voldemort needed to be stopped. I had the capability to contribute to that goal. I acted."

McGonagall made a small sound that might have been suppressed approval.

"The Ministry would like to verify your account," the gray-haired Auror said, pulling out a small crystal vial containing a shimmering silver liquid. "Veritaserum. Standard procedure for testimony of this magnitude."

Adrian had expected this as well. "I'm going to respectfully decline," he said.

The room went very quiet.

"You're refusing Veritaserum," Fudge said, his face was reddening. "You're refusing to prove the truth of your claims under oath?"

"I'm declining to have my thoughts and memories forcibly extracted by a potion that removes all control over what information I reveal," Adrian corrected.

"There are things in my mind from magical techniques, personal information, to details about other people's secrets including Dumbledore's that I'm not willing to expose simply to satisfy bureaucratic procedure."

He paused. "I've given you an honest account of what happened. If the Ministry chooses not to believe me, that's your privilege. But I won't compromise my privacy or the security of my methods just to make your investigation easier."

"This is highly irregular," one of the unnamed Aurors muttered feeling uneasy after hearing about Dumbledore's secrets.

"So is defeating Voldemort single-handedly," Snape said from his corner, speaking for the first time. "Perhaps we should be grateful for irregularity when it produces positive results."

Fudge looked like he wanted to argue further, but Dumbledore chose that moment to interject with perfect timing.

"Perhaps," He said thoughtfully, "We might consider the evidence available to us. Voldemort has not been seen or detected anywhere in the wizarding world since the morning in question. His Death Eaters report that their Dark Marks have faded, though not disappeared completely, but significantly is diminished, which is consistent with the death of the wizard who created them.

Multiple witnesses can attest to Professor Westeros's injuries and exhaustion immediately following the confrontation. And most significantly, Harry Potter who had a unique connection to Voldemort through the scar on his forehead reports that said connection has been completely severed."

He steepled his fingers, looking at Fudge over his half-moon spectacles.

"The evidence, circumstantial though some of it may be, all points toward the same conclusion: Voldemort is dead, and Professor Westeros was instrumental in making that happen. Should we not perhaps be grateful for this outcome rather than interrogating our hero with excessive suspicion?"

The word "hero" made Adrian want to wince, but he kept his expression neutral.

Fudge looked torn between suspicion and the political reality that Dumbledore had just voiced. If Voldemort was truly gone, the wizard responsible for that outcome would be celebrated throughout magical Britain. Alienating that wizard through overly aggressive questioning would be politically unwise.

"We'll need to investigate the battle site," Fudge said finally, grasping for some way to assert Ministry authority. "Your property, Professor Westeros. We'll need access for forensic analysis."

Adrian had anticipated this as well.

"I'm afraid that won't be possible. The magical energies released during the battle were... substantial. The property sustained significant damage and remains magically unstable. It's currently unsafe for anyone to enter, including myself. It will be months before the ambient magic settles enough for safe access."

This was mostly true. The plantation had been damaged during the battle, though not as severely as Adrian was implying. But he had absolutely no intention of allowing Ministry investigators anywhere near the Tree of Wisdom.

"How convenient," the gray-haired Auror said dryly.

"Inconvenient, actually," Adrian countered. "That facility represented years of botanical research and considerable personal investment. Its loss is significant."

The interrogation continued for another hour with more questions about timing, about witnesses, about the specific magical signature of the confrontation, about whether Adrian had received assistance from any illegal sources or dark creatures.

Adrian answered everything with the same careful honesty, revealing what was safe to reveal and deflecting what wasn't.

Finally, clearly frustrated but lacking any legal grounds to detain or further question someone who had, by all available evidence, performed an enormous service to wizarding Britain, Fudge rose from his seat.

"This matter is not closed," He said, trying to sound authoritative. "The Ministry will be conducting ongoing investigations. We expect your full cooperation, Professor Westeros."

"Of course," Adrian said politely. "Within the boundaries of what I can safely reveal."

After the delegation left with Kingsley giving Adrian a small, approving nod that the Minister didn't see, the office fell into relieved silence.

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