Bradley Waterman paced back and forth. "Where was the damn woman?" He thought to himself. He was standing in his house. All his possessions had already been packed and he was ready to go on the run if Plan A didn't work.
He sighed to himself and sat down in his favourite armchair, he flicked his wand at the Wizarding Wireless and waited for some tunes to start blasting out.
"The Wizarding World, is celebrating today as news that Lord Voldemort has this time been killed once and for all by Harry James Potter".
Bradley stood up and walked to the Wireless. A few seconds later it had become a nice but broken addition to his garden. "That blasted woman better come quickly" He thought to himself.
He pounced at the door when he heard someone knocking at it. "Who's there?" Bradley shouted through the door.
"Your friend at the ministry" Was the reply.
"You aren't my friend" He replied as he opened the door.
Bradley looked at the woman standing in his doorway. Back in Hogwarts, someone once asked him what type of girls he liked. Bradley's reply was that he "didn't have a type". He would date anyone who would have him. Literally anyone. Women as a species disliked him on site. This woman was in front of him was special. He wouldn't have liked this women if he was in a badly lit room with earmuffs on. Her big flabby face, bulging eyes and wide slack math made her look like a toad. A Toad with an obsession with wearing pink.
"Sit Down" He commanded beckoning to the sofa in his living room. He didn't say anything when she walked straight past the sofa and sat in his favourite armchair. He just sat on the sofa.
"Now, we have a bit of a problem, don't we" said Dolores Umbridge.
Bradley took a deep breath. "Why do I have to deal with this woman" he thought, "Because she's useful" another side of his brain reasoned.
Bradley smiled. "It depends how you want to see it. With the Dark Lord and most of the Inner Circle Dead, the Death Eaters are finished…. However the ministry is in chaos and the Order of the Phoenix is also severely weakened by the War. A well placed attack now, while the "Good guys" have their guard down and are celebrating could lead to a new Dark Lord's easy ascension to power."
"Do you have an army on standby?" Dolores asked sweetly.
"I have several Death Eaters who survived the battle and are currently on the run but will help me take the ministry if I give the word".
"I should never of come here, good day" Dolores said, as she got up out of his favourite armchair.
Bradley stared at her. Dolores makes it halfway out of the door before she heard "These people will send you to Azkaban if they rebuild the ministry".
"You can't beat them with just what… four Death Eaters". Dolores looked defeated.
"No, but what if Potter was to disappear."
Curiosity more than anything brought her back to the armchair. If she could somehow get revenge on Potter; the boy who made her life as High Inquisitor and Headmistress a Nightmare… well that would be sweet revenge.
"The way I see it is this…. There are a lot of Death Eaters who fled the battle before they could get captured and are now in hiding. If they wanted to they could still take the ministry. But they don't. Why not?"
"Without Voldemort they are nothing, without his powerful magic, these weakling followers don't like their odds " Dolores inputted; waiting for him to get to the point where they discuss her Old Arch Nemesis' demise.
"That's correct… to a point. The Dark Lord crafted this image of himself being impossibly strong. He was a symbol of Strength so people flocked to his side and he became strong."
Umbridge wondered if this guy would like to have a big blackboard and pointy stick. He had that energetic look in his eyes of someone who wanted to tell the world his ideas and who couldn't understand why people were yawning.
"The Dark Lord was a symbol as was the act of destroying that symbol; killing him. That is why when Voldemort died a lot of Death Eaters ran away. Alone a symbol is meaningless but if enough people believing in it, destroying a symbol can change the world."
"Could you please get to your point" Umbridge interrupted.
"Certainly. Harry Potter is a symbol. If we make Harry Potter disappear, this will bring hope to the remaining Death Eater's out there and sensing weakness they will fight back against the Order of the Phoenix."
"You plan on killing Harry Potter…. That is more difficult than it seems" commented Umbridge.
"Indeed, that is why I will not make the mistake that Voldemort made. I won't kill Harry Potter. Did you bring the artifact"
Umbridge pondered this idea. It was completely insane… but… a part of her hoped that it could be a reality.
"It was quite easy, the Department of Mysteries isn't as well defended as it should be" Umbridge said.
Bradley mentally rolled his eyes. He had been to the Department of Mysteries to get that damn prophecy three years ago. He knew how easy it was to get in.
Umbridge pulled a bag from her bra and opened it. Bradley mentally throw up.
"Accio Artifact" The artifact flew out.
Umbridge leaned forward as she passed it over. Bradley had to evert his eyes. Once the Artifact was in his hands though, he studied it though.
"How do you plan on making Harry disappear?" Umbridge questioned. She wondered why she hadn't asked this before. It took her a moment to realize Bradley had disappeared. She rushed out of the door and apparated to a boat heading for America.
"You got the Artifact?" Someone in the shadows asked.
"I do, can you get me into Hogwarts" Bradley replied.
"Easy, the defensive wards still haven't been properly fixed from Voldemort's attack."
Bradley smiled. This was going to be so easy. He held the shadowy figure's hand as they apparated into Hogsmeade. From there it was an easy walk up to the castle for both of them. His friend had to do a bit of wand waving to get them through but things were going smoothly until….
"OY, what you doin' on Hogwarts Grounds" said a hairy, giant of a man.
"Hi Hagrid, Long time no see" Bradley said putting his hand on Hagrid's elbow. He couldn't reach any higher.
"Sorry Hagrid… it's just… we want to see the Boy Who Lived… we want to give him this present as our token of appreciation…. I know we're not suppose to be here but could you turn a blind eye?" Bradley pointed to a red package in his other hand that was wrapped in wrapping paper and it even had a little bow on it.
"I S'pose,... well 'Arry doesn't get much recognition... Ok, but you can't stay for lon'. I'll take you to him."
"That would be a great honour. Say, did you fight in the battle?" Bradley babbled on. Hagrid was loving it.
"I Best go, make sure Harry get's our present Br...ian" The shadowy figure said, giving a nervous look to Hagrid.
"Will do" Bradley replied smoothly. Hagrid was too busy beaming with pride to notice the awkwardness.
"Actually, I have to go too. Would you mind giving this to Potter for us?"
"Don't you want to see his face, when you give it to him?"
"Probably best not" He said as he walked away, leaving Hagrid to think "What a strange pair".
"Hey Harry. You got a present" Neville walked up to Harry and plonked it on the Gryffindor Table right beside him, before sitting down himself. It was a few days after the Battle of Hogwarts and the school was still trying to regain some order. So was Harry come to think of it. He still didn't know what he wanted to do now that the War was over. Hermione had a plan of course. She was going back to Hogwarts to take her 7th year which she missed being on the run. But Harry didn't feel like going back into education just yet. Darn it even Ron had a plan. He was going to help George run the Joke shop now that Fred was… no longer here.
Harry smiled at his friends. He was sitting with his favourite people in the world; Ginny, Ron, Hermione, Luna and Neville.
"Thanks Nev, whose it from" He asked snatching a chicken wing before Ron could take it.
"Hey I was going for that" Ron protested.
"You've already eaten half a chicken, save some for the rest of us!"
"Apparently some well-wishers wanted you to have it" Neville interrupted.
Harry unwrapped it. Inside was a wooden box, the type you might see in a junk shop, covered with strange patterns and runes.
"Why would someone want to give me this?" Harry asked aloud before lifting the lid of the box to see if some unknown value was hidden inside. He took a look. He remembered thinking "It's Empty" before his world went pitch black and he felt like a car was crashing into him, trying to push him through a hole that was about the size of the eye of a needle. He let out a small scream before he passed out completely.