Disclaimer: Based on the Harry Potter novels by J.K Rowling. Harry Potter, Hogwarts, and related material belongs to J.K Rowling.

Thank you Matt Davenport for assisting with the writing of this story!

Prologue

Edward Lupin scrunched up his nose. As he stepped out onto the streets of Stockholm his forty two year old body morphed into the lean and hungry form of Vincent Andersson, the Scandinavian Minister for Magic. His distinctive fiery orange hair turned yellow-blonde, his face even paler than usual - if such a thing were possible. His eyes shifted from walnut brown to an icy blue, which matched his expertly tailored navy-blue suit. His wand was concealed in the suit jacket. The concealment was hardly needed just yet - Sweden was one of the few destinations where a wizard on the street could feel safe from muggle attacks.

Still, best I follow the rules, he thought to himself. He was an Auror - a dark wizard hunter. It was only natural that Edward, or Teddy, as his friends called him, become an Auror for the British Ministry of Magic. Both of his parents were in The Order of the Phoenix. His father was the late Remus Lupin, a brave werewolf who fought for freedom in the Battle of Hogwarts. His mother was Nymphadora Tonks, making him a metamorphmagus - Edward could change his appearance at will, which was a handy disguise. His godfather was none other than the famous Harry Potter, who trained him in combat. Edward had been eyeing this position ever since his fifth year at Hogwarts school of witchcraft and wizardry, and now he had it. He was Head Auror at the Ministry, and was investigating one of the most powerful, mysterious political figures in the world.

"Excuse me," he asked a sophisticated-looking woman nearby. "Could you direct me to Odin Park?"

"But of course," she replied in a heavy Swedish accent. She gave him directions, and he thanked her in his best imitation. She seemed slightly puzzled at the change in his voice, so he quickly trotted across the street and out of sight.

"I must practice," he whispered to himself as he strolled. Each step was taken with make-believe relaxation, so as to prevent any suspicion.

Edward reached a beautiful park in minutes. He was not, despite its appeal, there for a picnic.

"Obtain the letters and escape, Ted. Just obtain the letters and escape," the Minister had told him. He scanned the area, and, spotting the real Vincent Andersson, hid behind a tree. Andersson stood before the new statue of the Norse god Odin, and with him were three solid guards. Edward withdrew his wand and pointed it at an old oak tree on the other side of the green statue. There was a noisy crack as the tree became animated. Its branches twisted and swung like a kraken's tentacles, pounding at neighboring bush. Twigs flew off like shrapnel. As the four men turned to the tree in fright, Edward made his move.

"Obscuro!" he shouted, magically blindfolding them. "Dormi," he whispered, putting the real Vincent to sleep. He threw the sleeping man into a stream flowing through the park, and morphed a fake cut across his own torso as he dived into the grass. As he concealed his wand once more, he cried out, hoping to fool the men. The three guards tore off their blindfolds, and carried Edward to safety through a secret portal in the statue, thinking he was the Minister.

Once inside, Edward demanded that he be taken to his office and left in peace.

"Forgive me minister, but you are injured, and your voice sounds awfully strange," Andersson's personal medical wizard said. Hesitantly, he allowed the man to heal his fake wound. Another heavily built man approached Edward, followed by a woman in silky green robes.

"Good morning, Mr. Andersson," the man greeted. Edward nodded back, which provoked a look of offence on the man's face. The two people led Edward through the many long, brightly lit halls of the ministry, to Vincent's personal office. It was far below the surface of Stockholm. In what seemed like hours, he arrived at his destination. The entrance to the office was a thick, silver door, embellished with a spiral of metal snakes. Edward nervously reached for the sparkling knob and twisted.

"Sir, why are you using the..." began one of his escorts, spotting the unusual behaviour. This door was only opened magically.

"I, er, I'm feeling a little fatigued," Edward said. He instantly regretted it, realising he had forgotten his disguise accent.

"Imposter," She accused, glaring at him menacingly. She withdrew her black wand, and pressed it into his chest. Edward presented his own wand swiftly.

"Silencio! Petrificus totalus," Edward quickly responded, silencing and paralysing the woman. As he turned to his other escort, he received a strong punch to the face, sending him sprawling across the shiny hall. Edward retrieved his wand from the ground beside him, which narrowly escaped rolling into a furnace in the wall. He clumsily rolled onto his feet, dizzy, and found the blurry figure who was attacking him. "Glacius tria," he mumbled through his fat lips, spitting blood onto the white marble floor. A bright blue light emanated from the tip of his wand, and his enemy was frozen in ice. Edward gained back his vision, and cast a concealment charm around the two people. He breached the door with his wand, and entered.

The room was unpleasant to the eye. White walls, barely visible, were decorated from the floor upwards with newspaper clippings about muggle attacks on wizards over the past two years. Several half-empty cups of coffee were scattered around a white tabletop in the center. Edward shivered in the cold room. The silence made him uneasy. He glanced over the room for a moment, unable to find what he needed, as there were so many papers. "Accio letters!"

Black drawers slid open, and stacks of paper fell to the floor. Edward heard approaching footsteps at the last minute.

"Avada kedavra!" Shouted at least two men. He stole a handful of envelopes and a small scroll from the pile, and ducked as streaks of green light flew low over his head.

"Stupefy!" he cried back, sending red light across the room. There was a sound of shattering glass.

"Rictusempra!"

"Protego!"

"Crucio!" cried an attacker, missing Edward with a torture curse by inches.

"Expelliarmus!" Edward shouted, disarming the attacker. Edward caught his wand and snapped it in two beneath his foot. Another man entered the room.

"Stupefy!"

"Bombarda!" Edward responded, sending an explosive force from his wand. The sound was deafening. White light blinded Edward as all of them were thrown into the walls. Edward felt a piece of splintered wood pierce his right knee as he hit the floor with a thud. "Shit!" he cried, barely able to hear himself over the ringing in his ears. He removed the wood and plunged it into the leg of the man next to him, before retrieving his wand from beside him. "Flipendo!" he cast at the man who had then appeared in the doorway, knocking him backwards onto his head. Edward stepped over the unconscious figure and morphed himself to look like the man he had stabbed. He charged through the cloud of shrapnel and paper, towards the blazing furnace outside the room. Seizing some floo powder from beside it, he jumped into the green flames, and vanished with the letters.