After calming Augusta down, Alex excused himself, g he was exhausted, areated to his room. Ohere, he pulled out a piece of part and began drafting invitations for the ba.

  His first thoughts went to his cssmates, professors, and Hagrid. After some deliberation, he even added So the list, despite his reservations. Then came his friends outside of school—the Weasleys, Cedric, the Lovegoods, and Tom were all included. The list wasn’t very long; Alex realized he didn’t have that many close friends in the wizarding world.

  Once he finished writing, he po send the invitations and await their responses before rep the guest list to the Ministry of Magic. Moody had already warned him that the ba was more about political maneuvering than genuine reition, but Alex didn’t mind pying along.

  Finally doh the day’s tasks, Alex colpsed onto his bed, falling into a deep sleep almost instantly. He hadn’t had a proper rest in what felt like forever.

  Meanwhile, the wizarding world buzzed with the news of Alex’s incredible feat. The capture of five Death Eaters, including promi figures like Yaxley, spread like wildfire, turning the young Slytherin into a household name ht. At Hogwarts, Snape burst into Dumbledore’s office, his usual stoic demeanor repced with urgency. “Did you hear about this? Five Death Eaters captured—by Alex Wilson, of all people. Is this real?”

  Dumbledore, seated calmly at his desk with a cup of tea in hand, nodded. “Indeed. I’ve just sent a letter to Millit. It’s excellent news.”

  Snape, however, wasn’t vinced. “Excellent? Don’t you find it suspicious? Yaxley, one of the most elusive Death Eaters, just happeo cross paths with Alex, and he mao subdue them all without a scratch? It doesn’t add up.”

  “I’ve read the Ministry’s report,” Dumbledore replied, his tone measured. “The timeline, motives, and battle details are all thhly doted. It seems quite straightforward.”

  “‘Seems’ is the key word here.” Snape leaned forward, his voice tinged with skepticism. “You don’t find it strange how perfectly everything aligns? I’ve been trag Yaxley for weeks, and just when I was about to act, Alex swoops in and captures him?”

  Dumbledore raised an eyebrow, a hint of amusement in his eyes. “Why so agitated, Severus? Would you prefer I front Alex and accuse him of orchestrating some eborate scheme?”

  “I’m saying we should be cautious,” Snape said, clearly exasperated. “You’ve always been worried about him straying down the wrong path, and now you’re brushing off something this signifit?”

  Dumbledore set down his tea and regarded Sh a thoughtful expression. “Yes, Alex has immeential. His strength, intellect, and maturity are far beyond his peers, and I’ve often wondered if that bination might lead him to dangerous extremes. But this i reassures me.”

  “How?” Snape demanded.

  “Because Alex has demonstrated remarkable restraint and crity of purpose,” Dumbledore expined. “He didn’t kill anyone, which shows he uands limits. His targets were Death Eaters, proving his sense of justice is intact. Even if he uses clever tactics, his as reflect a firm stance against the Dark Arts.” Dumbledore paused, then added, “And his retionships—with friends both inside and outside schoenuine. He’s not ag against his nature. As long as his vis remain aligned with what’s right, I have no reason to doubt him.”

  Snape scowled but said nothing, taking the report from Dumbledore’s desk. As he skimmed through it, his eyes narrowed. “So, Minister Bagnold is using this to solidify his position against the pure-blood families.”

  Dumbledore smiled knowingly. “Politics, Severus. But for now, let’s focus on the fact that Alex’s as have brought hope to many. He’s a hero, and that’s something we all be proud of—especially your Slytherin house.”

  Stered under his breath, leaving the office with the report in hand. Dumbledore leaned ba his chair, gazing out the window. “The future is always uain, but I trust Alex will tio surprise us—hopefully in the best of ways.”

  After a day's rest, Alex finally felt refreshed and ready for the step. Following a quick breakfast with Augusta at the Longbottom residence, he borrowed their firepd used Floo Powder to travel to the Leaky Cauldron. It was time to take over the property at Diagon Alley.

  The three-story building at 277 Diagon Alley, which Alex had retly acquired from Torquil, stood quietly oreet. Despite being located on the southern side of Diagon Alley, where foot traffic was lighter than the bustling northern end, there was still a steady stream of pedestrians passing by. This time, Alex could walk fidently through the front door, no longer needing to sneak in like before.

  As he stepped inside, he took a fresh look at the interior. The mairan the first floor was a single door with a sturdy metal frame. Gss panels adorhe upper part of the door and the rge windows oher side, though they were all covered with thick curtains that gave the entire floor a dim and gloomy atmosphere.

  With a flick of his wand, Alex drew back the curtains, letting sunlight stream in and illumihe space. Dust motes danced in the air as he surveyed the first floor. Clearly, the house had been designed for ercial use. He decided to preserve that aspect but made a mental o repce every door lo the building.

  The first floor was e, open spaearly 30 meters wide and over 6 meters deep—providing a generous 200 square meters of room. It felt more than spacious enough, even if he used half the area for a shop.

  The walls and floors were made of smooth, uniform stone bricks that exteo the upper levels. Shelves lihe walls, empty and coated in yers of dust. A firepce was built into the middle of the far wall, perfectly aligned with firepces on the basement, sed, and third floors. The air carried a faint musty smell, as if the pce had been unused for years. "Looks like the Death Eaters just treated this pce as a pass-through to the entrance," Alex muttered as he examihe surroundings. "But at least it’s dry, so it’s easier to up."

  Deg to start with the first floor, Alex summoned his magic. A whirlwind swirled around him, gathering up all the dust from the shelves and floor and hurling it out the windows. He followed this with a Scify charm, scrubbing every surface before using a drying spell to finish the job. Finally, he opehe windows to let fresh air in.