The two began a theatrical exge, their exaggerated tones adding to the spectacle. Watg them, Arthur’s face flushed red with anger.

  Meanwhile, reporters who had already ehe venue perked up at the otion. Sensing a scoop, they flocked over, their cameras clig away and ented quills scribbling furiously, unwilling to miss this prime piece of drama. “Alex is a hero officially reized by the Ministry of Magid his deeds were personally aowledged by Minister Bagnold. What’s the problem? Are you questioning the Ministry’s judgment? Or the Minister’s credibility?” Arthur stepped forward, his voice firm as he tried to deflect the accusations.

  “Oh, I wouldn’t dare question the Ministry or the Minister,” Avery replied, feigning a look of innoce. “But facts are facts. It’s just sad to see the Ministry and Minister Bagnold being duped by a little wizard. Imagihe Minister being so easily misled by a few pretty words!” Avery sighed dramatically, as though deeply pained.

  His stateme a ripple of gasps through the crowd. The reporters exged gheir curiosity piqued. Could there really be a hidden truth behind the attack a week ago?

  Lucius, standing beside Avery, seized the moment. “So, you’re suggesting Alex tricked the Ministry and the Minister?” he asked with an arched brow, his tone dripping with dession.

  “Do we eveo ask?” Avery shot back. “A third-year studeing five fully growh Eaters? It’s ughable. Only someone as kied as Minister Bagnold would believe suonsense.”

  “But the fact remains—five Death Eaters were captured,” Lucius pressed, his tone mogly curious. “How do you expin that?”

  “Who knows?” Avery shrugged theatrically. “Maybe someone else took them down, and this little wizard simply stumbled upon the se. Or maybe they were drugged, rendered unscious, and vely dumped there. For all we know, those wizards might not even be real Death Eaters. Memory modification spells exist, don’t they?”

  As Avery spoke, murmurs swept through the crowd of onlookers. Wizards aers alike began whispering amongst themselves, their doubts growing. Alex was, after all, just a young wizard. How could he possibly defeat five adult wizards? And what role did Minister Bagnold py in all this? Could the Ministry have tampered with the facts?

  The secrecy surrounding the i only fueled their suspis. The Auror and had kept the details of the attack tightly under s, leaving plenty of room for specution.

  Seeing the seeds of doubt sprouting in the audience, Avery and Lucius exged satisfied smiles. They khey couldn’t stop Minister Bagnold from awarding Alex the honor, but tarnishing Alex’s reputation—and by extension, the Minister’s—was just as good.

  Alex, oher hand, found their performahhly eaining. He stood there with his arms crossed, a faint grin pying on his lips.’If these two formed a edy duo, they’d make a killing,’ he thought. Their expressions, gestures, and to was all spot on.

  His gaze shifted to Lucius, and he raised an eyebrow. ‘Isn’t this fool Yulia’s brother? Didn’t she warn him not to mess with me? Even if she didn’t, surely he noticed that no one from the Travers family dared to show their faces today.’

  Amusement danced in Alex’s eyes as he chuckled softly. This whole situation was turning out to be more iing than he’d expected.

  Arthur, however, was far less amused. His frustration mounted as the duo’s verbal barrage left him uo get a word in edgewise. He ched his fists, determio defend Alex. “You…” Arthur began, but Alex gently tugged on his shoulder, stopping him.

  “Arthur, they’re targeting me, not you. They’ve e prepared, so talking won’t do much good,” Alex said with a calm smile.

  “But—” Arthur started to protest, only for Alex to shake his head.

  “Trust me.” With that, Alex stepped forward, his eyes log onto Avery and Lucius. The crowd hushed as they sensed a frontation brewing.

  “So, let me get this straight,” Alex began, his voice carrying an edge of amusement. “You’re questioning my strength? Fine. Why don’t I show you?”

  “Oh?” Avery’s lips curled into a mog smile. “Are you challengio a duel?”

  Alex didn’t bother to answer with words. Instead, he shook his head, the fai smirk on his lips. “What’s this? Bag down already?” Avery sneered. “Typical. You don’t have the ce to face me, do you? Isn’t this proof enough that you’re a fraud? Ladies alemen, take a good look! The so-called hero who defeated five Death Eaters is nothing but a liar.”

  The murmurs in the crowd grew louder. Camera fshes lit up the se as reporters jotted down notes. A headline practically wrote itself: “Ministry’s Hero Exposed as a Fraud.”

  Meanwhile, Arthur, Vivian, and the others stood nearby, restless and anxious. They wao interve could only watch helplessly uhe eyes of the gathered crowd. It was theurned his head with a smirk and spoke again. “Torquil is a piece of garbage.”

  “What did you just say?” Avery narrowed his eyes, his fusion mingling with indignation. “How does this have anything to do with Torquil?”

  “I said,” Alex repeated, enunciating each word deliberately, “Torquil is trash. And you? You’re not even as good as trash. Why should I prove my strength by accepting a challenge from someone who doesn’t even measure up te? I’ve already taken down five Death Eaters. If we assume they were all judged by Torquil’s standard, then what does that make you?” He paused for effect before delivering the final blow. “Even warbage.”

  The crowd stirred as Alex tinued, his voice sharp and cutting. “You’re pathetid I’m afraid…” He let his words hang in the air before smirking. “I’d have to fight ten of you to even break a sweat.”

  The entire hall erupted in chaos. Reporters, who had been silently until now, surged into a, their whispers morphing into a cacophony of excitement, disbelief, and specution. The se became as noisy as a marketpce. Avery’s face darkened with fury. “Are you serious?” he growled, his voice shaking with rage. “How dare you insult me like this!”

  “If you’re scared, I’ll give you a way out,” Alex taunted, his mog grin widening. “Kneel doologize, and maybe I’ll let it slide. But if you’re feeling brave, bring it o yourself and Lucius, then fi more like you. I don’t have all day.”

  Avery and Lucius exploded with a Alex’s words. “Fine!” Avery snarled. “You want this? You’ve got it. But don’t cry when you’re begging for mercy ter!”

  The two stormed off, determio gather their reinforts. However, recruiting proved more difficult than expected. Many of the pure-blood families, though present in solidarity with the Death Eaters, balked at the idea of participating. They saw no honor in ganging up on a single young wizard, especially with so many wito them, joining this fight would be degrading.

  After much effort, Avery and Lucius finally vinced eight others—mostly those who had served the Dark Lord or shared their vea—to joihe motley crew assembled, f a circle around Alex.