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The first week back at Hogwarts was dull, and the second week was starting to look much the same, that was at least until today, where Antares sat at the High Table looking pleased with the great pile of mail he had received. Peri flew down the rows of tables, another letter in her grasp, and perched herself on Antares' chair.
"Now, there's a good girl," Antares said, reaching and taking the letter from his owl. Peri let out an appreciative hoo.
Each envelope, sealed with the decorative wax of pure-blood families, either contained one of two things: praise or outrage. While the first week at Hogwarts was dull, that was only because Antares knew it was the calm before the storm. On the last day of the holiday, Harlan Holmes released the New Year's Edition of The Whispering Willow and placed Antares on the front cover, highlighting his one-on-one interview. He recognized many of the seals, and Antares made sure to catalogue each one as his eyes scanned the contents of their letters with interest.
The Greengrass' letter praised Antares for upholding the values of their esteemed lineage and hailed him as a beacon of esteem. They also extended a personal invitation for him to join them for tea during the upcoming Hogsmeade weekend.
The Avery's, however, were not as cordial. Their letter (written with much superiority) criticized Antares for associating with "undesirable elements" and questioned his lack of blood connection to the Sacred Twenty-Eight. It ended with horribly veiled warnings about the consequences, none of which Antares cared to read.
The Abbott's letter struck him as bold, not because it aimed threats at him or tried to discuss politics, but because it proposed a betrothal between him and Hannah Abbott. Betrothal requests were not uncommon among pure-blood families, so it shouldn't have come as a surprise.
Antares glanced up from the letter and over to the Hufflepuff table, where Hannah sat across from Ernie Macmillan. She seemed wholly unaware of his stare, and Antares was sure she had no idea of her parents attempting to give away her hand in marriage.
He also noticed that the professors at the High Table were discreetly observing him with various levels of curiosity. Professor Snape, who sat next to him, looked at the pile of letters with his perpetual scowl.
"Fan-mail," Antares smirked, flashing the Abbott's letter.
"I can see that," Snape drawled. "Has your half-baked plan caused chaos as you had hoped?"
Antares chuckled. "Oh, absolutely, Severus. I will say, though, I am still waiting for the hate mail that comes attached with curses."
"You have yet to receive a letter from the Rosiers, I take it," Snape remarked.
"No," said Antares, rifling through the envelopes, "wait, here it is. They sent a Howler."
"Do not," Snape said slowly, "open that."
"And risk becoming permanently deaf? I think I'll pass," said Antares.
He was about to gather the letters before following Snape down to the dungeons when Fred and George approached him at the High Table, George holding a copy of the Whispering Willow. Both twins sported matching grins.
"Antares, just the man we're looking for," said Fred.
"We've read your exclusive," George added, winking at Antares. "You're a public hero."
"Or a public enemy," Fred praised, looking genuinely proud. "Quite the stir you've caused."
Antares replied with an amused tone. "I'm glad you enjoyed it."
"Enjoyed it? We've read it ten times now," Fred chuckled, "and we're not the only ones. The whole school is talking about you."
"It's not every day someone sticks it to Umbridge like that," said George.
Antares looked at them quizzically. As far as he knew, The Whispering Willow didn't send their issues to Hogwarts, just the Prophet and, on rare occasions, The Quibbler. Students would've had to smuggle in copies or have it sent to them by someone else. He looked past Fred and George to the rows of students.
Now that he took a good look, his interviews were everywhere. Almost every student had a copy and those that didn't shared with their friends. Harry, Ron and Hermione sat huddled together, no doubt reading like everyone else, and if Antares gazed across the room, he could see Cassius, Higgs and Isolde doing the same. Even Draco seemed intrigued.
It blew up more than he thought.
Antares knew he would start rumours one way or another, but that was only to the general public outside of Hogwarts (hence the letters). He didn't expect to see his face plastered around the school, but if he was being entirely honest, he wasn't complaining.
'Like a peacock, that one,' Cole once said about him.
"I...," Antares trailed, carefully tapping his letters in his grasp against the table to even the pile, "have no idea what you mean. If you'll excuse me, I have a Potions class to aid, and I believe the two of you have Herbology."
He excused himself from the table, basking in the whispers of the students while pretending to ignore them. Antares was halfway down the Great Hall when a flash of newspaper caught his eye. In the hands of Neville Longbottom was the latest news from The Daily Prophet. The headline was alarming.
MASS BREAKOUT FROM AZKABAN MINISTRY FEARS BLACK IS RALLYING POINT FOR OLD DEATH EATERS
Antares approached Neville, his eyes recognizing the horror on the young Gryffindor's face. "Mr. Longbottom," he said carefully, "may I see that?"
Without turning to face him, Neville wordlessly handed over the paper. Antares recognized the unkempt and crazed woman in the photo, having seen her on the Black family tapestry.
'Bellatrix Lestrange, convicted of the torture and permanent incapacitation of Frank and Alice Longbottom,' the caption read.
Antares clicked his teeth. He'd have to write to Sirius about this. Folding the paper and tucking it under his arm, he gave Neville one last look. Antares placed a hand on Neville's shoulder. "Should you ever find that you need company, Study Hall is always open," he offered.
Neville gave a short nod.
As Antares exited the Great Hall, he heard the pounding of footsteps follow him. Matching his pace, Cassius, Higgs and Isolde all looked eager for answers.
"You did it," Cassius stated.
"I did," Antares acknowledged, not stopping. "I said I would. Did you know your mother wrote to me? She threatened to skin me alive if I involved you."
Cassius snorted. "Mum's harmless, you know that. She's actually quite proud of you."
Higgs and Isolde exchanged matching worried expressions. Their friends seemed much too relaxed about what they were doing.
"What are you planning to do next?" asked Higgs.
Antares contemplated the question for a moment before responding. "Nothing, we let the court of public opinion take over."
"You can't be serious?" Cassius huffed.
"Deadly," said Antares. "Thousands of people read The Willow, and those thousands of people will draw their own conclusions."
Higgs furrowed his brow. "You're just going to rely on public opinion? What if it backfires?"
"It won't," the elder Slytherin assured. "The people have a right to know that the Ministry has been lying to them, and if one thing is for certain, it's that people don't appreciate being lied to."
"The Ministry will attack you for this, you know?" Isolde raised a fair point. "What if they send Rita Skeeter after you?"
Antares smirked. "Let them. If they do, then it will only prove my point. The more they try to discredit me, the more people will question: why?"
Cassius laughed, clearly enjoying their little plot. "And it's not like it would be surprising; any article of hers would be retaliation. Skeeter's lost the element of surprise."
"Merlin," Isolde rolled her eyes, her characteristic nerve surfacing. "You're really enjoying this, aren't you?"
"Probably more than he should," Higgs answered for him, "which is absurd because he won't be when the Ministry decides to take legal action."
"That would mean they are willing to risk opening a full investigation. I wonder how many secrets they can hide then?" Antares responded, stepping out into the Viaduct Courtyard. The air was brisk, and he could see his breath forming small clouds. Students were hustling about, trying to avoid the cold atmosphere as much as possible. Just as Antares was going to tell his friends to head to their classes, a nasally-sounding shout boomed through the air.
Turning around, Antares saw Umbridge storming towards him, her toad-like face contorted with rage. The cat brooch on her pink cardigan seemed to twitch as if expressing her displeasure. Antares turned to face her, a calm expression masking the utter contempt he felt inside.
"Mr. Kelly!" she barked, her voice lacking the sickly sweet tone that it usually did. In her hands, she clutched his interview, now damaged from the tightness of her grip. "What is the meaning of this interview? I demand an explanation!"
Behind him, the three Slytherins tensed, not expecting the sudden confrontation and hoping that Umbridge didn't hear their conversation. Antares turned his head to them and nodded to the side, signalling them to leave. Higgs and Isolde practically had to drag Cassius, who looked the most reluctant.
Antares stood there indifferently. "What exactly do you need explained?"
"You have made a blatant attack against my authority and position as High Inquisitor!" Umbridge voice shrilled as she waved the article in his face. "Read this passage, Mr. Kelly, and tell everyone the lies you have spread!"
By now, more students began to pour into the courtyard, stopping on their way to class to watch the standoff that was about to take place. Many were whispering to one another, trying to figure out what either of them would do. Behind Umbridge, Antares could see Harry, whose face was slack with anticipation.
Taking the paper, Antares raised an eyebrow, pretending to scan the article for the alleged slander. He didn't need to read it. He remembered what he had said. "I do not recall making any personal attacks towards you, Professor. I was asked to share my perspective on the Ministry's actions, and I have," he mused. "But, if you insist."
Clearing his throat, he read the quoted passage aloud, loud enough for the crowd to hear and, making sure to emphasize the words that seemed to irk her. "As for the actions of the Ministry, I can only say that the students of Hogwarts deserve an education that remains completely unbiased. It is disheartening to witness the manipulation of educational institutions for political gain. It undermines the very principles we should be upholding. These students are the future of our society; the least we can do is provide them with a safe environment to practice magic freely rather than subject them to fear and suppression."
The whispers in the courtyard were silent now.
Umbridge's face turned a shade of crimson, her impatience evident. "That's not what I'm referring to! Read the part where you slander my character!" She practically snatched the paper from his hands. Flipping through the pages, she found a particular passage and pointed accusingly. "Here! Right here! You called me 'inept' and 'authoritarian'!"
Antares fought to conceal a smirk. "I believe you may have misunderstood, Professor. I was speaking to those who wield authority without transparency or accountability— to those who are a danger to others. If you find that description fitting, then perhaps you agree?"
"Misunderstood?" she hissed. "It seems the only thing I have misunderstood is your loyalty, or have you forgotten?" Umbridge attempted to make eye contact with various students. Then, she spoke, her words louder than before. "You assured me that you understood the importance of discipline and order. You agreed with me when we spoke about the Ministry's measures."
"Did I? I don't recall saying that," Antares challenged. "Perhaps you have once again misunderstood me. I agreed that it was essential that we guide our students with the proper values of tradition. Is magic not the most traditional thing we have?"
Umbridge's expression transformed into a seething glare. "You will regret this, Mr. Kelly. I have the support of the Ministry, and I assure you, they will not tolerate insubordination. You may have this temporary fame, but it will crumble when Cornelius Fudge hears about this. The Ministry will be taking action!"
"I look forward to it. You may tell the Minister not to bother with sending an owl."
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Despite his victory after breakfast, the rest of Antares' day was a nightmare. There wasn't a single student that didn't try to talk to him. Ordinarily, he did well with people, but the constant barrage of questions, praises, and even insults wore on him.
"I heard you're planning to overthrow Umbridge!"
"Is it true you can speak Parseltongue?"
"Are you just doing this for attention?"
That one irked him.
Of course, things only got worse after Potions. There was still Defense Against the Dark Arts to assist after lunch, and Antares was sure the students would try to incite a duel. Not that it worried him– it wouldn't be much of a challenge. Thankfully, Umbridge barred him entry to the classroom and banned him from assisting with all future classes.
With the rest of the day now free for the taking, Antares did the right thing and confined himself to his chambers. The silence was a glorious respite. Placing his letters on the nearby desk, Antares haphazardly shrugged off his winter coat and slung it across the back of the desk chair. One of the sleeves swiped the edge of the pile, sending the topmost envelopes sliding onto the stone floor. Antares bit his lip, withholding a tired sigh. He knelt to gather the scattered letters, his eyes catching a plain white envelope with no wax seal– a Muggle envelope.
Tearing open the top, Antares began to read its contents.
Dear Antares,
First, allow me to express my admiration for your bravery in speaking out against the Ministry's injustices. It takes a certain kind of boldness to challenge the establishment, especially when that establishment is the cornerstone of a society.
As I read your words, I couldn't help but feel a sense of déjà vu. When we first spoke, your determination and fury resonated with me. It was why I felt so compelled to help you, though I must admit, I never expected you would take it and run with it like you did. You are undoubtedly aware of the consequences your actions may bring, so I will spare us both by skipping the lecture.
"The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing."
Ted said this to me when I showed him the interview. He says it is a quote from a Muggle philosopher. The path you've chosen is not an easy one, but it is a noble one. There will be those who will seek to do you harm because of it. No matter what happens, remember to always stay true to your principles.
If you ever find yourself in need of more counsel, my home is open to you.
Sincerely,
Andromeda
P.S. 'Cissa tells me that Lucius found your words entertaining. Is that the company that you want to keep, even if it is a farce?
Andromeda's words were touching, and Antares was grateful for them. She was quite possibly the one person who understood his rampant need for retribution. There were still times when Antares could feel the sting of a black quill on his hand despite not enduring the torture. Of course, his visions were partially to blame. Sometimes, emotions or sensations lingered due to the brain experiencing trouble differentiating between what is and what will be. How long the residuals last is undetermined, but Antares found that they remained as long as he dwelled on them.
'Out of mind, out of sight,' his mother would say playfully.
Letting Andromeda's words sink in, Antares felt the tenseness in his shoulders ease. Kicking off his shoes next to the bed, he decided the best thing to do was to take a much-needed nap before Study Hall.
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Antares VS. Umbridge! It finally happened!!
Is Antares biting off more than he can chew? Maybe. Does he believe he's doing the right thing? Of course. Is it the right thing?
We'll see.
Be sure to VOTE and COMMENT to show your support. FEEDBACK is always appreciated and feel free to ask any questions you may have!
~Hircines