Only Dumbledore saw that the first defeat of Voldemort was temporary, and that the true battle was yet to come. Seeking any advantage he can find, Dumbledore lobbies the International Confederation of Wizards to create an elite international team of wizards for the purpose of combating dark forces. This is the story of those who worked behind the scenes to give Harry the best chance to succeed.
Chapter 1: Creation
"Please state your name for the record," a looming voice told me. It echoed off the empty space around me giving it much more weight than it actually had. I couldn't see the actual speaker; the lone light in the room seemed to hover over me directly making everything beyond hidden in darkness. No doubt this was intended. From what I could tell I was in a circular room and was facing a council that was seated on benches above me. It was like I was facing an inquisition squad instead of an interview.
"Marc Johnson," I clearly stated. I could hear the scrawl of quills on parchment as they all began taking notes.
"What is your country of origin?" This time it was a different voice asking.
I remembered what Dumbledore had told me about this being a formal proceeding and kept myself from rolling my eyes. "America," I stated again, although there was a very slight hint of annoyance in my voice.
"And you have been residing in Britain since you graduated from Salem Prep, is that correct?"
"Yes," I told them.
"What have you been doing for the past year in Britain?"
This time I couldn't help but roll my eyes, an action that my interviewers clearly saw. I couldn't help myself, these questions were mundane and every person in the room knew the answers to them already. "Helping the English Ministry clean up in the wake of Lord Voldemort," I told them. Despite the fact that I was in Geneva I could hear an audible gasp from almost everyone in the room at the mention of Voldemort's name. "I helped to catch wanted Death Eaters who were on the run, and assisted in the protection of Harry Potter in the immediate weeks after his victory over Voldemort."
"Can you elaborate on your protection detail for the benefit of this council?" I couldn't tell if all eight of my interviews were asking the questions or if it was just two or three specific ones.
"I was dispatched to Number Four to guard against any rouge Death Eaters that would come looking for vengeance. Within the first month of Harry's stay I was able to thwart three separate attacks, capturing two Death Eaters and being forced to kill the third. Once Dumbledore believed that the remaining rogue Death Eaters were either captured or no longer dangerous - that is to say they accepted defeat and integrated back into society – I was asked to accompany him here to interview for this job."
"Was there anything else that you were doing in England after the death of he-who-must-not-be-named?" This voice was off to my left and had a hard undertone to it.
Of course there was, and everyone in the room knew it. I was starting to think that this interview was just a test to see how far my patience could go. "There were three wizards who attempted to claim the title of Dark Lord after Voldemort died. Dumbledore and I believed that the vacant title was just too tempting for some people to not try and take. I made sure none of those wizards was around long enough to gather any followers."
"Tell us about your parents," A new voiced directed. Despite the echo's I could tell it originated from my far right. No doubt this was the real question they wanted to ask.
"I was born in 1962 to an American Auror and an Elf princess. My father was a pure-blood wizard - not that I believe that matters at all - who was part of an international task force sent to Germany in the early 1940's to help combat Grindelwald. Everyone knows that the muggle World War happening at that time was a by-product of Grindelwald's reign. Adolf Hitler was under the imperius curse and acting on Grindelwald's orders."
"Yes we do know that," the voice snapped at me. "I'm more interested in how your parents met and what kind of relationship they had."
I was fully aware that the council knew the answer, but they were leading me along. "This was the first ever war that was fought by both wizards and muggles, although the muggles of course had no idea what was really going on. By controlling Hitler and running Nazi Germany, Grindelwald had even more numbers at his disposal, and was able to systematically begin his final solution of exterminating the weak and unworthy.
"Of course Grindelwald's reign didn't end until Albus Dumbledore stepped in and single-handedly defeated him, but as Dumbledore wasn't taking immediate action, other wizards were sent to try and contain him. My father was one of these people and he, along with representatives from about 15 other countries, fought Grindelwald and his followers in Germany. It was there that my father, while doing recon work in the Black Forrest, met my mother."
"Please hurry this along," One of the members of the council dictated to me. "We have no interest in hearing things that we already know."
My impatience was getting the better of me and I couldn't contain my next remarks. "Since I am unaware of what you do and do not know, I hope you will humor me if some parts of this story seem redundant. I am, of course, trying to answer your question in the most detailed way possible."
There was a silence in the circular auditorium for a few moments as my biting remarks were taken in. Either my interviewers would allow me to continue or they would dismiss me, and I was really beginning to not care. At this point I knew that the position I wanted would be denied to me, most likely due to my being a half-breed.
"Very well," one of the voices sneered at me, "You may continue."
I took a deep breath to calm myself and then launched right back into my story. "Today many people think of elves as the standard house variety: small creatures who are utterly devoted to serving their masters. Obviously you all know that this is not the only race of elves. The aptly named Wood Elves have lived in the Black Forest of Germany since the dawn of time and have interacted with wizards on very few occasions. Comparing a house elf to a wood elf would be like comparing a Yorkshire Terrier to a Saint Bernard. While both practice a different kind of magic from wizards, the wood elves are about the same height as humans and have the same physical features, save for the slightly pointed ears and sharper facial features. Indeed the one person who was allowed access to the wood elf culture portrayed them very accurately in his books: J.R.R. Tolkien."
There was a slight murmuring between the various anonymous interviewers. No doubt everything I had just said was completely unnecessary as they already clearly understood all this, but they had really gotten under my skin so I was determined to drag this interview along as a way to get back.
I continued my response before they could come up with any more snide remarks. "My mother had also been doing recon at the time because Grindelwald had been sending vampires into the Black Forrest in an effort to flush out the elves. Vampires and elves are of course mortal enemies and their own bloody wars are spread throughout history. My mother was the fourth of six siblings born to the high king, Eliassar, and she was his only daughter. My father was able to convince her that cooperation was in their best interests and together they fought Grindelwald.
"Once Dumbledore stepped in and Grindelwald was defeated, my father had asked my mother to come back America with him. After years of fighting side by side they had become extremely close and she agreed without much hesitancy. Against the wishes of her kin and of the king, my mother fled to America where she and my father were married. For almost 15 years they toured the world together. My mother had been banished from the forest because marriage of elves and humans strictly against their laws.
"The leaving of the Black Forrest was forbidden unless permission was given by both the High King and priests. As such my mother had only left the forest on rare occasions when strike teams were sent to Transylvania to wage war on the vampires. Thus the different parts of the world that she was now able to experience amazed her.
"Eventually my parents settled back in The States and I was born soon after. As far as I know, I am the first ever half human half elf. It seems hard to believe that over the course of so many centuries there wasn't another case of a wood elf leaving the Black Forrest and mating with another species, but there were no records of it, at least as far as my mother was aware of."
I took another deep breath as I finished my story. Memories of my parents were now racing through my mind and I had to work hard to keep them out. Their death was still fresh in my mind and I didn't need to be overcome with grief right now.
I was already anticipating the next question and my interviewers didn't disappoint. "What about you? You're qualifications aren't exactly extraordinary. Tell us about yourself and why we should consider you for this job."
"Well I'm six feet, one in tall with short black hair and brown eyes. I weigh in at one hundred and ninety pounds and enjoy long walks on the beach…" My sarcasm was oozing out now and the one person who was on my side in this room stepped in to save me from really pissing off everyone else.
"That is enough Marc," Dumbledore's voice resonated. "I'm sure that everyone here can see you quite clearly and do not require an explanation of your physical features. Please answer the question and we will let you know if there is any more information we would like."
I sighed and continued on. "I am a strange mixture of both my parents. As you can see I didn't inherit the pointed ears that easily define elves, but my facial features are slightly more angular than most humans. Other than that I am built similar to that of any other human. However, I did inherit part of the elven strength. Physically I am much stronger than any other human my size. My muscles are well defined and I have little difficulty keeping them that way. I am also much faster than that of an average human. As I already stated, I also have my fathers brown eyes, but when I do exert a lot of magical energy they turn completely black, the same way an elf's does when they use raw magic.
"I do require a wand to do spellwork except when boosting my physical attributes. Elves don't use wands at all; rather they focus their magical energy through their body. If I jump off a high cliff or building I am able to simply focus my magical energy through my body and land safely on the ground. I also use this ability to boost my speed if I were in an all out sprint."
Now I was coming to the more complex part about me. Actually I had a feeling that my interviews might even be learning something knew in the next few minutes. "The most important aspect about me is my age. I aged normally until I hit eighteen a about a year ago, then the elf blood started to kick in and I am aging much slower now. The reason I know this is because I awoke one morning to feel as if my body were on fire. Every single scar or blemish I had ever received was gone and my mother knew what was happening to me right away.
"Elves are not immortal, but their extremely long lifespan has lead some ignorant humans to believe they are. Elves usually live to their mid eight hundreds. Seeing as I am a half-breed and have aged normally for first part of my life, neither of my parents knew what to expect. My solution is just to live my life and see what will happen. Both Dumbledore and I have speculated on this topic though, and we have a theory that my lifespan will be around three hundred years; give or take a few decades."
I paused as I heard the scratching of quills on paper. Obviously my age was something new to them and everyone quickly made note of it for future reference. Unfortunately I didn't believe a revelation like this would be enough to land me the job, but I did enjoy dropping a load of new info for them to pore over after this interview was concluded.
"Would you like me to continue?" I inquired. My irritation was gone for the moment and I was more than happy to wait while everyone collected their thoughts before continuing.
"Yes please," the voice on my far left prompted. "We'd like to hear about you life at school."
"Of course," I obliged. "Like all magical children I enrolled in school at age eleven. In America there are three schools of magic: one on the west coast, one in the Midwest, and one on the east coast. I was enrolled in the one on the east coast, Salem Prep, the first magical academy established in North America. My mother made my wand instead of buying one from a wandmaker. She spent hours magically manipulating the wood into the shape of a wand. When she was done I had one of the most unique wands ever. It is made of weeping willow, thirteen and a half inches long, and incredibly hard. Some wands are described as springy or bendable, mine is not. At its core is the dust of a slain vampire, a virtually unheard of substance used in wands. My mother, before she was banished, had slain one of the most hated and feared vampires in existence. His name was Sephiroth. She collected the ashes of his burned carcass and kept them as a trophy."
Again the scratching of quills echoed throughout the room. I had figured that everyone knew about my unique wand, but apparently I had taken them off guard again. Maybe if I surprised them enough I might actually increase my chances for the position. I was starting to allow myself to hope.
"I wis I could say that I excelled at Salem," I continued. "That I had top marks in everything, and was the most popular boy in school. That was not the case. I was severely inept at transfiguration and charms - I usually ended up with barely passing marks because I tried so hard and just couldn't do it, I really should have failed. My Herbology and Potions scores were passable; I received low above average scores in both. I did excel in Defense Against the Dark Arts and Dueling. Dueling is a subject that was taught just in America, and why that is I can't say.
"As you can imagine both DADA and Dueling went hand in had most of the time. I also received high marks in Care of Magical Creatures because, well, I am half magical creature. Although my elven features made me rather attractive, I was very shy and reserved and didn't have many friends at Salem. I never felt lonely by any means, I was quite happy to be by myself. I opened up much more after I left Salem, as if I was just waiting to come out of my shell later on in life."
I took a deep breath as I readied for the next part. We had almost worked our way up to present day and I wasn't looking forward to talking about what was coming next. The memories were still fresh in my mind.
"In my final year at Salem my parents once again where called upon for help. They had befriended Dumbledore while in Germany and he had asked them to go to England and help combat Voldemort. I spent the majority of my seventh year writing to them and hearing about how the war was going. From the tone of their letters I found out that Voldemort was much more powerful than Grindelwald ever was and his methods even more deadly. I was fully prepared to leave immediately after graduation and help my parents in England.
"My mother was against me going but I had made it clear that I was not going to stand aside while people were suffering. That plus the fact that I had dueled with my fathers Auror co-workers over summer break and defeated every one of them, including my father, and had established myself as an extremely good offensive wizard meant that I would not be left behind.
"Of course all those plans changed on my graduation day. That is when I received notice through the American ministry, who had been contacted by the British ministry, that my parents had been killed earlier in the day. The shock of the news tore through me. I had always seen my parents as unbeatable. When they fought together they were so in sync with each other that they were a devastating combination."
"You're parents went down fighting," one of the voices that was directly in front of me said. I was surprised to detect a hint of sympathy. "From the reports that we reviewed they killed five Death Eaters and incapacitated just as many before falling themselves. It should be some measure of comfort to know that they died while putting up such a strong fight."
I nodded my head. "It is, but it doesn't make up for the fact that they are gone.
"So you headed to England after you graduated?" One of the voices asked me in an effort to keep my story moving.
"Correct. After staying in America a week after my graduation for their funerals I traveled to England and met with Dumbledore. He was very morose about my parent's death. Apparently he had grown very close to them during their service in England and their deaths hit him very hard. He even went as far as to say he felt responsible because he was the one who originally asked them to come. I told him that it was by no means his fault. They thought very highly of Dumbledore and were only too happy when he called upon them.
"He was hesitant to allow me to lend my services because I was both young and the last surviving member of my fathers family line, but after seeing my abilities first hand he conceded that I would be of much help to the Order. Before I could even unpack my things and settle in Harry Potter defeated Voldemort. While everyone rejoiced upon hearing the news, Dumbledore was the only one to see the immediate threat."
"Yes we've heard this before," the voice to my left interrupted. I was really beginning to hate whoever that was. Many of the snide remarks were coming from him. "Dumbledore believes that he-who-must-not-be-named isn't dead yet and we should all be on our guard to prevent his return."
"That is his belief," I responded, "but that wasn't the immediate threat I was referring to. As we discussed earlier I was dispatched to Number Four to guard against any rouge Death Eaters that would come looking for vengeance. Once Dumbledore believed that the remaining rogue Death Eaters were either captured or no longer dangerous he had several meetings with myself and other powerful, influential wizards who all believed that Voldemort was not truly defeated.
"Despite what you may want to think, there is overwhelming evidence that Voldemort is not truly dead. Therefore in these meeting we discussed the various measures that would be taken to protect Harry Potter from the wizarding world for the time being. Dumbledore was able to lay upon Number 4 a series of complex spells, enchantments, and wards that would protect Harry from Voldemort himself and any remaining dark wizards who were out to claim the now vacated title of Dark Lord."
I paused for a moment to collect the rest of my thoughts. I had to be especially careful with what I said next so that what Dumbledore and I were planning would make sense. Finally I started again.
"I was just becoming acclimated to life in England when Dumbledore brought me here to Geneva to meet with you all, the International Confederation of Wizards. Because Dumbledore is a respected member we are here to push for his most important idea to be approved."
One of the voices seated slightly to the right of me spoke up for the first time. "An international team dedicated to the combat of dark wizards across the globe. It is something that has never been conceived before."
"There were signs," I told them. "Signs that signaled the rise of both Grindelwald and Voldemort. These went unnoticed because they spanned across multiple nations. If there were a team that was designated to investigate these crimes across national borders and connect the dots then perhaps the power that was attained by both could have been prevented. Aurors concentrate on the goings on in their own country. There must be someone who is responsible for what goes on in the world."
"Dumbledore has already made his proposal to this committee," the snotty voice on my left said. "By all means it looks to have passed. Right now we are more concerned with who should lead this little team."
"Well," I said, "It was my understanding that's why I'm here answering you questions. Dumbledore has already recommended me for the position."
"There are many things to consider," Snotty voice sneered at me. "But I believe we have concluded our business here and this interview is now over. You are dismissed Mr. Johnson, we will convene in private and discuss the matter."
"Thank you for your time," I told the group of anonymous ICW council members. There was a slight hint of sarcasm in my voice but I don't think anyone except maybe Dumbledore picked up on it. I walked out into the anteroom and sat down on a very uncomfortable chair while I waited for their decision.
Regardless of the outcome I was almost positive that I would have a position on the team. My offensive combat magic was just to good to be ignored and I was the first to volunteer. I really had Dumbledore to thank for everything. He had stepped in as a surrogate father these past few months and I couldn't help but refer to him as 'dad' every once in a while. It was him who had originally vouched for me to the ICW. I just feared that I would be discriminated against because of my mixed race.
The deliberations took surprisingly long and I wasn't called back in for almost two hours. I half expected the room to be fully lit when I walked back in, but it was just as I had left it, dark. Try as I might I still couldn't make out the faces or anyone seated above me.
"Marc," Dumbledore spoke up. "It is the opinion of this council that you are to fresh out of school to command what we hope will be an elite team of witches and wizards. Your skills are unparalleled and it is our hope that one day you will eventually achieve the position, but it is too soon right now. You will be second in command, and in charge of recruiting all future members."
I nodded my head. I was positive that Dumbledore had spoken adamantly on my behalf, and that him telling me I didn't receive the position was a low blow made by the other council members. Perhaps I didn't receive the position because everyone knew that Dumbledore was lobbying for this so that he could have Voldemort pursued to Albania, where he was last known to be hiding. Maybe the council didn't want someone so close to Dumbledore to be in command just yet. Dumbledore's claims that Voldemort was not gone for good had largely fallen on deaf ears and because of this he feared that the wizarding community would soon become complacent. I have a huge amount of respect for Dumbledore but even I found his theories about Voldemort not truly being dead hard to swallow. There was no magic that I knew of that could extend life and although my magical ability is pretty much restricted to offensive spells, I do consider myself knowledgeable on many subjects.
Yet I knew that it is always wise to never whimsically dismiss anything that Dumbledore says. The ICW passed Dumbledore's proposal, although just barely. Many countries would be unwilling to commit their best to the international ranks. We were named Omega Team. The name held no significance except that it was I who proposed it and I always felt that Omega was a strong word. Unfortunately the original team was fairly weak, owning mostly to the fact that a great many countries pledged their members who were not their best or brightest. In the immediate years after Omega Team's creation there was no guarantee that we would continue.
To solve this problem it was determined that the team would be granted conscription rights for future team members. As part of this deal, we would not draft anyone over the age of 25, so that the wizened elders could remain in their countries service.
Almost immediately we were dispatched to Albania to look for Voldemort. We were unable to find anything concrete, but the months I spent there convinced me that Voldemort was definitely still alive. Every once in a while it would seem as if we were being watched or followed, only to turn around and find nothing.
Time passed and we were unable to find any solid evidence of Voldemort. Eventually we were pulled from our Albanian assignment as the ICW became tired of humoring Dumbledore by investigating his theories. We started being dispatched all throughout the world and soon our original mission was put on the backburner. The head of Omega Team, a wizard called Cross, was unwilling to concede Voldemort's lingering existence and therefore only assigned one or two members to further investigate his whereabouts every two or three years as an effort to appease Dumbledore, who was constantly harassing the ICW to continue the search.
I like to refer to the original team as the prototype. Our physical powers were not as strong as they were intended to be, owning mostly to the fact that we weren't made up of the best from each country. Teamwork was extremely hard and we failed in some of our early missions due to lack of communication during battles.
As second in command in charge of recruiting I new that the future of Omega Team would depend greatly on whether or not I could get the right people recruited right out of school. Unsurprisingly many of the original team members were killed in combat rather quickly. My role of recruiter was tested early. I proved to be very gifted in identifying the talent that was needed and was able to get it. For the most part I recruited offensive combat oriented wizards, yet I made sure to vary the type.
For example, I specialize in curses and hexes. My spellwork is fairly straightforward and I just rely on my sheer magical power to out-duel opponents. I made sure than some of the new recruits specialized in offensive transfiguration, defensive charms, and obviously a talented healer to act as medic. The recruits weren't necessarily the top of their class, but they all possessed skills that complemented the whole of Omega Team. I had succeeded in my job, Omega Team was becoming powerful and much more of a legitimate force able to combat dark wizards.
Cross was killed a year before Harry started his first year at Hogwarts and I was appointed his successor. By the time I assumed command, Omega Team was at its strongest, which was good because the task ahead of us would be monumental. I divided the fourteen-man team into three squads in order to make it easier to function. By dividing everyone into three squads I was able to have Omega Team in three different places. Cross did much the same thing but he never kept the same people together for more than one mission, which made working together difficult at best. By keeping the same core group of people together I was able to cement a strong bond between squad members. The following people are the 14 members of Omega Team at the time of Harry's arrival at Hogwarts, their nationalities, and their blood status.
Green Team
1. Joanna Bellezzia, Italy, half-blood (team leader)
2. Jacques Ponson, France, half-blood
3. Osi Umaya, South Africa, muggleborn
4. Carmen Mecedes, Spain, pureblood
5. Zadaar Zadim, Turkey, pureblood (healer)
Red Team
1. Jack Barney, Austrailia, half-blood (team leader)
2. Irina Zachovsky, Russia, pureblood
3. Archer Cohen, Israel, half-blood
4. Jose Haciendo, Mexico, muggleborn
5. Tsi Lin Fu, Korea, pureblood (healer)
Blue Team
1. Myself (team leader and overall leader)
2. Matt Brown, USA (my replacement representative), pureblood
3. Kim Ryan, Ireland, muggleborn
4. Aya, Japan, muggleborn (healer)
Blue Team, my team, was the strongest by far and thus got the shorthand when it came to members. Of the other two teams, Red was probably slightly better than Green, but I tried to divide them up as evenly as I could. Many of us were unique witches and wizards. Our fighting styles were incredibly different from the 'school taught' version, which suited us well.
For example, Korea's Tsi Lin Fu had a wand that was five feet long and she used as a bo staff. Actually her weapon were two wands at either end, almost like Darth Maul's double bladed light saber. She combined her martial arts training with her dueling and was a force on the battlefield, firing off spells from either end of her long wand as she twirled it through the air.
Aya's wand was just the opposite. Hers wasn't more than five inches long and she held it backhanded, so the tip ran parallel with her arm. Aya was muggleborn and therefore was taught the ways of the ninja in her childhood before she was whisked away to magic school. As a result she held her wand the way she was taught to hold a kirsk (ninja dagger). This stance was very helpful for shooting out defensive spells, counter jinxes, and counter curses, which was her specialty. Aya carried her wand in a sheath on her left arm, ready to be drawn by her right arm.
My replacement, Matt, wielded two wands. Like a typical American cowboy his philosophy was to fill the air with as many spells as possible and hope one found its mark. Ironically his wands were about seven inches long and curved downward so that they looked like two 18th century dueling pistols. Matt wielded them as such, and carried them in hip holsters. An American cowboy wizard, that's what he was.
Matt was by far the most charismatic member of the team. You couldn't help but like him. He was always smiling and joking, showing off his goofy lopsided grin. His orange hair and pasty white skin somehow just made him stand out even more. As a half-elf, my skin is very pale and seems to shine a bit in the moonlight, but Matt's pastiness tends to stand out even more.
Aya couldn't be more different. Her, Joanna, Jack, and myself were the only remaining members of the original Omega Team. Aya is your stereotypical Asian: short, slim, and quiet. Her black hair is about shoulder blade length when it's not tied up behind her head, which it often is, and her bronze skin lets her blend in very well with a crowd. Aya is someone who's trust and respect you have to earn, and it isn't easy. Through countless bloody missions I've endeared myself toward her and she would follow me into hell and back now.
Kim is Irish, yet she doesn't look it at all. At average height her hazel eyes and brown hair do little to give away her national origin. Matt looks more Irish than Kim. The fact that she doesn't drink doesn't eat potatoes, and sports a healthy looking tan year-round makes her seem even less Irish. In a group of international wizards, where national stereotypes are played up as a way of distinguishing oneself from the others, Kim Ryan is an anomaly. She was, however, very attractive, a trait that Matt noticed right away.
Harry's first year was very uneventful. While Green and Red teams were abroad combating the forces of evil I kept Blue team in England at the request of Dumbledore. He was a little nervous about Harry finally parting from the Dursley's and asked that we be on hand should something happen.
Dumbledore confided a lot in me and because of this I knew that there was a prophecy regarding Harry and Voldemort. I didn't know the exact details but I did know that one was supposed to defeat the other. I felt that the prophecy had been fulfilled eleven years ago at Godric's Hollow, but Dumbledore wasn't so sure.
Our first order of business was to retrieve the Sorcerers Stone from Flammel and bring it safely to Gringotts for storage. This task went of without a hitch. Days later Dumbledore became very concerned that someone had broke into Gringotts to steal the stone hours after Harry and Hagrid had retrieved it. I admit that I was wary as well. Blue team could accomplish the same task, but we would end up having to blast our way out and survival of everyone wouldn't be guaranteed.
For the remainder of Harry's first year we were stationed in London and Hogsmeade doing missions for the ICW, gathering all possible intel on Voldemort's possible whereabouts, and following up on all possible leads of the attempted theft of the Sorcerers stone. Although this task became quite tedious everyone on Omega Team trusted Dumbledore and therefore we continued to keep a lookout.
Unfortunately we never received word of Harry's exploits in the catacombs of Hogwarts when he was attempting to thwart Voldemort and protect the Sorcerers Stone. We could have been on hand quickly to assist, but by the time Dumbledore sent us a patronus Harry was already in the hospital wing and Voldemort long gone. In the hours that Harry laid unconscious in the hospital wing, countless owls and patronus' were sent out and the whole of Omega Team was recalled to Hogwarts to meet with Dumbledore.
It was too soon to start a nation wide panic by announcing what had happened, but Dumbledore was wise enough to see that Voldemort's attempt at the Sorcerers Stone was the beginning of his attempt to rise again. Apparently he had grown tired of waiting for Death Eaters that would never come to aid him.
I dispatched Red Team to Albania with the sole purpose of finding and destroying Voldemort. Green Team was sent first to Azkaban to ensure all of the Death Eaters there were secure and unaware of their master's recent bid for power. Then they would go to Europe and attempt to track the few Death Eaters who had slipped out of the country after Voldemort's fall. They had avoided capture for a long time, but an attempt had to be made to locate them now, less they stumble upon their master and help him rise again.
Blue Team would remain in England. Dumbledore had realized that no small spell could be keeping Voldemort tied to life. My immediate conclusion was that at some point he had made a Horcrux and Dumbledore agreed with me, but he seemed to think there was more to the story. I wasn't sure what he meant by that but this was one of the few times he kept his thoughts to himself, which bothered me. I'm the kind of person who realizes that knowledge is power and I don't like to be out of the loop on anything. Dumbledore knew this so for him to keep something from me meant that he either wasn't sure himself what was going on or his speculations were too outrageous to share without confirmation.
"The problem," Dumbledore said in his office the day after the students had left for summer break, "is that we just don't know enough about Voldemort. If we are right Marc, and he has created a Horcrux, then we must know everything we can about him in order to track it down. Where has he been? Where has he come from? If he were to make a Horcrux, what would it be and where would he think to hide it? How exactly did he find out about such dark magic? There are too many questions and we know nothing about him."
"We know he came from an orphanage and that for seven years of his life he attended school here." I countered. "So that's where we start. Who were his friends and his enemies? What did he do in his spare time? What did his professors think of him? What did he do at the orphanage? How did he come to be at the orphanage? This is where we start, and we follow every lead we get. If we end up talking to friends of friends of acquaintances of people who knew of people who went to school with someone who came from the orphanage, then that's what we do."
Matt looked up at me with a rare thoughtful face. "Omega Team isn't a detective agency. We've never attempted to get this kind of information about someone. Not to mention there are very few people that are actually going to want to share what experiences they have had with him."
Dumbledore nodded. "The task is monumental and we don't know how much time we have." A shadow crept across his face and I could see a weariness come upon him. This kind of thing was quickly becoming too much for him, that's why he had us created. "I will begin to question as many Hogwarts staff this summer as I can. Horace Slughorn has been asking me to join him in one of his summer homes for some time now and I believe the time is right for me to take him up on the offer."
Aya silently appeared next to me, she had just a moment ago been standing back in the shadows. She felt her place was to fight and follow orders so she rarely voiced her opinion. I was quite surprised when she decided to do so now. "I volunteer to go to Azkaban and question the incarcerated Death Eaters. Bellatrix Lestrange and Sirius Black were said to be part of his inner circle, perhaps they can shed some light on his actions and whereabouts during the first war. That is, I will do it if I have your leave boss."
I still hated her calling me 'boss' but it was just her way of showing respect to me. I guess it was better than her calling me 'master', which was what she originally did. I gave her a nod to indicate it was a good idea and then turned back to Dumbledore. "I want Matt and Kim to start looking into the Slytherin bloodline. I heard Voldemort was an heir of Salazar and I think tracing the lineage is the best way for us to find his magical ties. We know that the Riddles were the muggle side of his lineage and there is little we can gain from looking into their history."
Dumbledore nodded. "A wise decision, but don't count out the Riddles entirely. When Voldemort was Tom Riddle, Hogwarts student, he was very resentful of his muggle ties. There may be a little we many learn from that bloodline."
"Okay," I agreed. "Then I'm the only one left. First I have to return to Geneva and figure out something to tell the ICW. They aren't going to appreciate all our resources going strictly to the investigation of a supposedly dead dark wizard. You're the team's creator Dumbledore, and we all follow you loyally, but the ICW is technically in charge of us. I'll figure out someway of misleading them so they don't realize what we're doing."
"And what do you plan to do after?" Matt asked. For all the good Omega Team can do, they'd be lost without a leader for too long.
"Don't worry," I grinned. "I won't be gone long. I'll be back in England within a week and I plan on tracking down Hogwarts students who where in the same classes as Voldemort. Many of the Slytherin's ended up becoming Death Eaters but not all, so that's a good starting point. After that I'll work my way through class rosters and follow every lead I can muster."
Everyone stood silent for a moment. The enormity of the task at hand was weighing heavily on our minds. So many people to find, and we had no idea how much time we had. I looked out the window and half expected to see a fully risen Voldemort walking up the castle steps. Of course nothing was there, except Hagrid going about his game keeping duties. I breathed heavily; suddenly it felt as if there was a one hundred pound weight on my shoulders.
"Okay people. Our base of operations will be the flat we own in London. It's heavily warded and is the most central place where we can all check back. I want constant updates as to where you all are and what you've found. Use patronus' for quick messages and our communication relay's for longer ones. Don't trust owls, they can be intercepted. The more poking around we do, the more suspicion we'll raise and before long the ministry is going to start tailing us trying to figure out what we're up to. Don't do anything stupid like engage your tails, just give them the slip. We'll regroup at least once a month; I'll let you all know when. Until then good luck, if you guys need help following up on any lead ask one of us and if we're busy, call Green or Red Team.
"This is it guys, this is Omega's true test. We've fought dark wizards before, but they were all cheap knockoffs compared to what we're up against now. Be on your guard. Although this isn't what we've been trained for, we're the only ones who are in a position to do this. Voldemort is going to return, and none of us has any idea when that could be. Work as if tomorrow is the day he comes back."
Everyone nodded and they all left. I turned to Dumbledore. "Good luck," I said.
"Good luck to us all," he replied.
Never one for normal exits, I turned and took a running start towards his window. I leapt easily out and felt my eyes turn black as I unleashed my raw magic energy. I fell for about four stories and landed easily on my feet, my knees barely having to bend to absorb the shock. As my eyes stayed black as I took off running towards the entrance gates. On thing that wood elves and vampires have in common is that they can run very fast for a long time.