TattooHollis Presents:
Diaspora
It's been five years since the end of the War with Voldemort. Harry and Ginny have gotten married and Harry is up for promotion as the Head of the Auror office. When an old evil is reawakened however, Harry must seek out the one person who just might be able to help save the wizarding world this time. HP/DM
I own NOTHING. With the exemption of some original characters and the plot. Major Characters curtesy of J.K. Rowling. No Sue! No Sue!
Chapter One
The Muggle on King's Cross
"Mr. Potter? You're wanted in the Minister's office."
Harry Potter looked up from the paperwork he was currently drudging through, his appearance almost exactly as it had been the day he left Hogwarts; untidy black hair, vibrant green eyes hiding behind his slightly lopsided glasses. The only thing to differentiate this older counterpart from his seventeen year old self were the robes of deep black and green, standard uniform for all Aurors.
A young woman stood at the front of his desk, a new recruit who looked more than slightly nervous at adressing the wizarding world's savior.
"Did he say why?" Harry asked.
The girl shook her head quickly.
"No... He said it was important though and that he needed you there," she said.
Harry sighed, and looked down at the mountain of paperwork he still had to file- there were reports on betwitched poisonous items that had found their way into muggle shops; a case on that mysterious swarm of Dementors that had terrorized a village earlier in the week; several car explosions that had occured in Surrey- there was just too much to get through.
"Alright, I'll send word that I'm coming up..." Harry said throwing down his quill.
The girl left and Harry pulled out a memo pad, scribbled a short reply to the minister and then bewitched it to resemble a paper airplane and sent it on its way.
Stopping only to grab a cup of tea from the cafe area on his way up to the Minister's office, Harry arrived arrived within ten minutes of receiving the Minister's summouns.
"Ah, Harry, thank you for coming," the Minister said, beaming as Harry walked straight into his office, not bothering to knock. "Good to see you."
"Likewise Percy," Harry said, taking a seat across from his best friend's older brother, whose smug smirk was permanately stamped onto his face these days, having been the youngest Minister ever elected into office.
"How's everyone at home?" Harry asked.
"Oh, good. Mother and father have been planning this trip to Australia for ages, they're finally going in a week, it's all she can talk about. Charlie's come home for a while to look after the house while they're gone as well, so it's quite well. How's my sister?"
"Buried in work, like me, but she's good."
"Well, mother's been bugging me to invite you and Ginny over for their goodbye dinner before they set off on Thursday. So please make sure you're there," Percy said, still beaming.
"We'll try."
"Good, well on to business," Percy said, his smile faltering. "There was a nasty incident in Surrey last week-"
"Yeah, I was sent to cover it. Wasn't it just a case of underage magic gone wrong?" Harry asked.
Percy sighed. "Well, that's the story we sent out... However, under further investigation...it seems that there were traces of Dark Magic that were not spotted beforehand-"
"But I checked that scene!" Harry snapped, a bit annoyed. "There weren't any traces of Dark Magic when I was there-"
"I'm not blaming you- the fact is, something was detected and we need someone to investigate further," Percy said. "As one of our Head Aurors, I think you are quite up to the job."
Harry sighed. "Perce, I'm flattered, but I have so much to do- there are two more assignments I have to get through tomorrow- I can't fit in this extra one."
Percy laughed, which scared Harry, since he had rarely ever heard Percy laugh. It sounded a bit frightening...
"Harry, Harry... This is an order, not something up for debate. You start tomorrow. I've already cleared your schedule and assigned a new leader to your old team."
Percy was staring at Harry as though waiting for an objection. Harry could find a million reasons as to why he didn't want to take on a new assignment, but as Percy said, he didn't have any other cases to be worried about, and so he stayed silent.
Percy smiled again.
"Delightful," he said, "You can start tomorrow. This is the case file-" he handed Harry a beige Manila folder- "glad to have you on board."
"Thanks... I guess."
Harry got up to leave, and shook Percy's hand.
"Oh, and Harry?"
Harry turned to face Percy, his hand on the doorknob of the office.
"That promotion you've been vying for?" Percy said. "Let's see if we can't do something about that... provided this assignment goes well."
--taTtoOhollIS
"So you're up for a promotion?" Ginny said, smiling. "Oh, Harry that's great!"
"Yeah, well, it depends on this assignment," Harry said, sounding dejected.
"Well, even if it turns up nothing... Just do your best. You've been top in the Auror department for a while, you'll get it regardless."
Ginny kissed him on the forehead and walked into the bathroom.
"I'm going to take a shower, alright? Ew, I feel disgusting- two of the dogs at the office threw up on me today and we had to put one to sleep it was horrid-" Ginny said, all very quickly. "Then those damn doxies got out of their cage and it was two hours before I could round them all up..."
Harry checked the clock. It was eight thirty and Ginny had just gotten home. The Vet office she owned closed at six. His bit his tongue. She had used this excuse before. He wondered if she remembered that just two weeks ago another pair of Doxies had escaped their cage, or that a week ago another dog had thrown up on her.
He felt queasy; the same feeling he got a year ago when he had walked in on Ginny and the lab technitian at her job, halfway between his couch and his bed, both their shirts discarded, her skirt ridden up, the technitians hands slipped in between her thighs.
"I'm going out," Harry said, getting up from the couch, trying to not think those thoughts.
"Where?" Ginny called from the bathroom over the noise of the shower.
"Out!" Harry yelled back, and grabbed his jacket from beside the door.
Harry walked out of his and Ginny's brownstone apartment in downtown London. The sun had set, though a few dregs of sunlight still hung on the horizon. He headed down the street into the muggle part of London, ducking into the first dimly lit pub he came across. There only seemed to be a few people in there, two old ladies, and a man sleeping in a corner booth. The T.V. was set to a soccer game.
The barman watched him approach the bar.
"Double-shot of whiskey," Harry said.
The drink was slammed in front of him a minute later, in a dusty tumbler. Harry didn't care. He finished the drink in two gulps and asked for another one. He didn't want to think about the doubts that raged in his head. If Ginny said she never would cheat on him again, then he should trust her. He was in love with her, he should trust her.
Four shots and a couple of beers later, Harry decided to go home and crawl into bed. He stood up and immediately stumbled, crashing into a couple of chairs.
"Sorry- sorry-" he mumbled to the barman who had glared in his direction. He walked hapharzardly out of the pub, and into the night.
Harry had no idea what time it was, and didn't want to check. He let his feet lead him, and it was a while before he realized that he was walking further and further away from home. He didn't care. He just wanted to continue walking.
Harry walked in circles, he walked down alleyways, he walked down busy streets; muggle or wizard, he didn't think to wonder if any one recognized him; if he was being followed. But there was someone following him.
A man he had never seen before, average in almost every way- average face, average body, pudgy but not fat, with skin colored hair- was steadily keeping pace with Harry. He had followed him since the block after the bar, and now he watched him as he stumbled into King's Cross, still bustling at this time of night. The man eyed Harry as he walked over to platforms 8 and 9, staring at something in the middle that seemed to be invisible to everyone else.
The man sided up to Harry, and grabbed his arm.
"Harry Potter," the man whispered into his ear. "I will not hurt you."
Harry had jerked his arm away before, but the man was strong; Harry found that the other's grip was like iron.
"You have to listen to me," the man snapped in hushed tones. "There are no accidents. The things that are happening and will start to happen- there will be no mistake- there will be danger. You have to prevent it- if not prevent it, stop it, Harry Potter."
"Who are you?" Harry whispered.
"Someone who found out the truth," the man said. "I need to go, there is no time- you have to leave- NOW! Walk away from me and disapparate, magic yourself away."
And with that, the stranger was gone, leaving Harry alone, staring at the signs between platforms 8 and 9. Harry looked around quickly, but whatever he had seen of the man, palid face, eyes and hair, was gone. He scanned the crowd drunkedly, eyes slipping over face over unknown face- until- NO!
Harry felt the air had been sucked out of the world- his mind reeled- his heart pounded- this couldn't be- this couldn't be- THIS COULD NOT BE HAPPENING-
His scar burned with an intensity that he hadn't felt in five years-
Death Eaters- two of them, coming straight at him in the middle of King's Cross, their hoods covering their faces, their hands reaching into their pockets-
Harry ran- he was scared- what was going on? Voldemort was dead- Voldemort was dead-
Two red bursts of light illuminated the air- passing right through the air where there had just been a black haired young man, who seemed to twist into the air around him and disappear.
--TATTOOhollis
The night hung thickly around Stuttgard, the moon barely penetrating the thick fog that encompassed the German city.
Inside a small one room apartment in the city's grotto, a blond haired young man tossed and turned on a mattress. He was sweating despite the chill in the air- and when he awoke it was with a start, and suddenly.
Taking deep breaths to calm himself, the young man reached onto the floor and picked up a pack of cigarettes. He lit one and went over to the window.
He shook his head as though trying to clear it, his thoughts upon the horrible nightmare he was just having- but couldn't remember.
It was slipping away like water through his fingertips- he remembered his father, his mother... he could remember the agonized voices of all those he had hurt, whom he had watched been hurt, whom he had tortured... his fingers found their way subcousciously to his left forearm, to the Dark Mark... the Dark Mark which had all but disappeared after Voldemort's death... and now...
Draco Malfoy was too afraid to look down. He already knew what he would see- the Dark Mark had been growing darker for some time- and tonight- it seared into his skin.
So. Just the beginning! Reviews are appreciated very much!