Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter, nor do I gain any money with this.

Prologue

1 June 1999

Harry sat quietly in his office, eating lunch and thinking about Teddy's developing abilities, how nice it was to have his best friends back in England and that his life was getting in an upward curve. Well, apart from one thing.

Harry snorted, 'more like one person than one thing' and the content feeling he had a minute ago slowly simmered away. Looking around his office, he checked his bookcase with DADA books he found useful, a Charms book his mother had stashed away at Godric's Hollow and made some adjustments in, a Transfiguration book of his father, who hadn't made any adjustments in it except for the occasional 'rubbish, just use …', Quidditch strategies and the latest pickup line he tried on 'The Love of His Life; The Sunshine of his Existence; or sometimes just The Most Wonderous Flower He'd Ever Meet'.

Tearing his eyes away from the bookcase, he checked the papers on his desk. He ignored the inquiries of Gringotts, hoping that Bill would be willing to help him out with those. Several Department Heads had also made some request about his opinion, ranging from issuing new chocolate frog cards to diplomatic relationships with Russia.

Harry rolled his eyes. How the Ministry functioned, or rather didn't function, still astounded him after almost a year on the job. How inept and inefficient some wizards were still amazed him. Recalling Hermione's words from his first year he grinned. She'd been wrong back then. Not only the greatest wizards and witches lacked common sense, more like there were a few exceptions who weren't missing it.

The pictures on his desk made him smile again. The newest additions caught his eye. Teddy in his arms, with Ron and Hermione next to him. At first, Teddy was mimicking Harry, but when he switched from Harry's arms to Hermione, he changed his hair to match Hermione's bushy style, only red. Ron had stuttered and ran for the loo after that and Andromeda had laughed her first hearty laugh since the battle.
After months of deliberating, putting the picture on his desk and putting it away when Ron or any of his friends came in, he finally put the picture up with a Notice-Me-Not Charm on it. It was a picture of him and Ginny back in his sixth year, lounging in the Common Room. He had his arm around her and she was smiling and moving closer and closer to him, until they were almost going to kiss before the picture reset.

The noise outside his office was getting lauder, and he walked to it to close it, before he saw the poster next to his door. It was the Official 'Wanted'-list after the Battle of Hogwarts. Sixteen Death Eaters were at large and plotting something. Harry knew he wanted in on the capture, so instead of closing the door, he slowly opened it.

He could see clearly past the door now, the words Ministry Adviser above his name and title Harry Potter, Master of Death printed on it. The Auror Department seemed to be in full panic mode. People running into the fireplace, shouting a destination in Hogsmeade but instead of disappearing in the green flames they just tumbled out of the fire again. He snorted, they looked a lot like himself exiting the floo.

Spotting a familiar redhead sitting with his head in his hands, Harry stepped outside and went to the desk Ron was sitting. Putting a hand on his shoulder, He asked what was wrong.

The desperate look on his face when he looked up was all Harry needed, but he still listened to Ron recounting the information they had. "A Death Eater imperiused Edgecomb, who blocked the floo access to and from Hogwarts and Hogsmeade. Portkeys to Hogwarts and 50 miles around it won't work so we can't use those either. Other transportation needs authorization from four different Department Heads, which we don't have."

He stopped to breath, muttered "Bloody bureaucrats" so only Harry heard. Then, he went on to tell the news Harry dreaded to hear.

"All the missing Death Eaters are about to enter Hogwarts Ground. I got a Patronus from Hermione ten minutes ago that they'd have fifteen minutes before they would be at the castle. McGonagall want to evacuate, but there are Dementors in Hogsmeade so she's out of options."

Ron's boss, Robarts, shouted for Ron to come over so he rushed off, obviously not thinking rationally Harry thought sardonically. As he stepped back in his office, he opened his drawer to find the ring he was searching for ready. As he put it on, he felt the magic humming around his hand. He'd pulled the cloak from the couch he dumped it on and pulled the hood over his head, activating the magic to conceal himself. Finally, he put his Holly wand in the holster on his arm and hissed softly.

"Appear"

The command was followed with a cabinet appearing out of nowhere in the middle of the room, where Harry had placed the Elder wand every day he knew he wasn't going into the field.

"Open"

The drawer opened and Harry picked up the last Hallow to complete the trio. Power surged through his right hand, arm and finally his whole body as the three items responded to their Masters' need.

Ready for action, Harry changed into his form, grimly thinking that he'd prefer his Animagus debut was a happier occasion. With a howl, he felt his form shimmer and disappear. When his body, still invisible thanks to the cloak, appeared he saw that the fifteen minutes Hermione gave Ron were highly exaggerated.

Jumping into action and transforming back, he put a shield between the fighting groups. As far as he could see nobody died yet, but Hermione was on the ground. She was shallowly breathing and her robes were drenched with blood. Ernie McMillan had his arm bend from the wrong angle, Parvati and Lavender were both holding each other up, Flitwick had blood pouring from his right eye socket while Dean, Luna and Seamus sported injuries as well but had their Patroni out to protect the group from the large Dementors coming from the village. McGonagall stared at the shield, as did the Death Eaters, searching for the source.

Only two Death Eaters were still fighting a student, the others trying to breach his shield. Thinking quickly, Harry stepped between the spellfire and cancelled the spells in midair as Harry pulled off his hood.

The reaction was comically, had the situation not been this dire. Gasps from both camps, some elated shouts of "Harry!" and two curses flew at him. Harry sidestepped them both with ease.

One came from the Death Eater Harry identified as Rodolphus Lestrange.

The other came from the last student fighting, Ginny Weasley.

Smiling, Harry turned to Ginny, who looked horrified. "Hello love, mind bringing them inside while I crash this party?" Harry asked, gesturing to the injured professors and students.

Numb, out of shock that Harry was here or that he was actually smiling at her, she just nodded and went to help the group back inside. Harry extended his shield so Rodolphus couldn't try to curse him again and watched their progress. As they were almost inside, Ginny turned around with an unreadable expression on her face.

"We'll be having a talk after this Potter!" She shouted, before following the rest inside and closing the door behind her.

With a predatory smile, Harry faced his opponents. All missing Death Eaters were here, finally striking after months of planning. Quietly, Harry said to himself, "Looking forward to it Weasley".