"We can't continue. It's taking too long and people have enough!" exclaimed McGonagall.
"They have enough? They have enough?" replied Harry with equal enthusiasm. It was two weeks later and they had yet another meeting at Hogwarts.
Harry continued, "They've spent a year under Voldemort's rule. They've spent years under the corrupted ministries of Fudge's and Scrimgeour's. And now, after few weeks, they suddenly can't bear their freedom?"
McGonagall sighed and then calmly explained, "Since the battle, some important faculties of our world seized to work. Nobody is minding the Floo network, nobody is fixing magical accidents, nobody is minding magical creatures, nobody is guarding our secrecy and so on. When we won the battle, people expected that everything would turn normal again. But it turned worse. The country is in chaos and the economy suffers. And now the man who was supposed to bring order is dead."
"Thank you professor, I already knew all of this. Of course, you have your own way to put it in words. So, what do you suggest?"
"We need to make peace with what's left of the Ministry and restore fundamental mechanisms of our society."
"They are being controlled by Death Eaters!"
"We shall catch them all and then we shall see to it that everyone who did something illegal during the regime will be punished."
Harry glared at her and then turned to the window. After a while of silence, somebody said, "With all due respect ma'am, making a peace with the Ministry might a bit difficult for us. They are being controlled by Death Eaters and Potter killed their leaders."
"Yes, I know that." replied McGonagall. "But we have to try."
"If I might, I would like to propose an idea." said the same person again.
"Please."
"There is somebody who would be able to do it."
They guy went to the door and opened them. And then entered no one else then Lucius Malfoy.
"Good morning." he said.
McGonagall stared at him coldly and then said, "Mr. Malfoy. What an unexpected pleasure. May I ask why are you here and not in your quarters?"
"I've heard about your diplomatic troubles. And I think I might be able to help you."
"What do you mean?"
"I can lend you my diplomatic skills and deal with the Ministry."
A moment later, Harry burst out laughing. Then he sneered, "Who do you think we are? Idiots? Now get out..."
"I think it's still me who presides this meeting Mr. Potter." interrupted him McGonagall. "And it's me who decides who can be here."
McGonagall then turned to Malfoy and asked. "Why exactly do you think that we should trust you enough to let you handle such a thing?"
"Because of my family." answered Malfoy.
"Explain."
"In return for my services, I want full pardons for my wife and my son. I believe that Mr. Potter told you about some mitigating circumstances concerning them. So it shouldn't be too difficult for you. I do not ask anything for myself."
"Is there something with your ears Malfoy? She did not ask what do you want in return but why should we trust you at all." nipped in Harry.
"Exactly. And my answer answered why am I on your side. You see, my family can't expect any mercy from our former associates since they see us as traitors now. But if you give me what I ask for, you will have my loyalty."
Lucius Malfoy finished and looked at Harry. Right after the battle, he had been in awe as everybody else when he had managed to survive the killing curse. But currently he was getting on his nerves again. He didn't understand why their masters prohibited them to cross Potter's way.
They discussed some details about the deal with the Ministry as well as the deal with Malfoys. Harry was silent for the whole time.
Lucius Malfoy arrived at the Ministry. The guards swarmed on him. He had to surrender his wand but half an hour later, he was talking to the leaders of the Ministry. Malfoy conveyed McGonagall's willingness for truce. The others expressed their willingness for the same thing but they also said that there was one big 'but'. And a few moments later, that 'but' arrived.
Two Death Eaters barged in the room and one of them said, "What is this? Why weren't we told immediately as he arrived?"
And the other said, "Well what have we here? Lucius, Lucius, Lucius. Always trying to worm your way out of anything, aren't you?"
Lucius Malfoy calmly laid his cup on a table and said, "I assure both you and you," (he looked towards both sides as he spoke), "that what I have to propose will be beneficial for all of us."
And then Malfoy proposed a plan in which the Death Eaters would fall back and the Ministry would severe their connections with them, officially. Then the ministry would accept the truce with Hogwarts. They discussed their plans in details and the ministry officials didn't have a slightest idea that they were being played on.
"She is what?" exclaimed the prime minister.
"Yes, it's true." replied Harry. "She's probably taking an example from a certain post-communist country where they promised the communist that they wouldn't be prosecuted for their crimes if they went away peacefully. Well and if she doesn't, than she is making the same mistake as they did."
Harry paused for a moment to let the words sink in and then he continued, "Sir, this might get us to the point zero. Everything will be as it was before - corrupted government, purebloods at the top of our society and half-bloods, muggleborns and magical creatures in repression. No crimes will be punished. Those who suffered from the regime will demand satisfaction and the new regime will just try to silence them. Sir, in such a case, everything will be ready for a new dark lord. One of the Death Eaters for example."
The prime minister stared at a wall. Then Harry proposed, "Sir, you are a politician. Maybe if you talked to professor McGonagall..." Harry's voice trailed off. He knew that a single conversation between the prime minister and McGonagall could cast a shadow of suspicion on him. Unless he wangled it right.
"Is it possible to arrange such a thing?" asked the minister.
"Well, that's the problem. I can't go to her and tell her: 'The prime minister wants to talk to you professor.' That would uncover me."
"Hm... we shall think of something. I can't use that painting in my office since it leads to the Ministry of Magic, right?"
"Yes sir."
Then they stood up and on minister's prompt went to a different part of the base they were in. And there they were - the first antiwizard special forces in the history of modern militarism. They were being prepared for a possibility of war. Harry himself couldn't devote much time to them. However, he managed to recruit two muggleborns who spent the war in Azkaban (without revealing his identity to them of course). He couldn't mark those two wizards as talented but it was the best he had.
"Professor, you might want to see this." said Harry when he entered the headmaster's office. He threw a muggle newspaper on her desk. Professor McGonagall took it and looked at the page on which Harry opened it for her. There was an article about 'Minerva McGonagall - an elderly woman who went missing'.
McGonagall laid the paper back on her desk and asked, "What does it mean? How did you come across this?"
"Unlike others, I keep an eye on muggle world. This article is in several other papers. I think it's a message."
"That they want to talk with me?"
"Well, it's logical. Nobody told the prime minister what's happening since the last time we saw him."
Professor McGonagall gave the newspaper back to Harry and said, "I shall apprise the minister of what he needs to know in due time."
"Professor, I think you should see him now and tell him everything."
"That's all Mr. Potter."
"Professor..."
"Our law requires us to contact the muggle prime minister only in certain circumstances. None of these circumstances are actual at this time. And now, you may go."
Later that day, Harry took one of his elite undead Death Eaters (Undeath Eaters?) and togather they went to the Privet Drive. Harry had something specific to do there. He had not done it yet for the same reason why Voldemort never returned to his orphanage to take revenge - because it would be childish and unworthy of a dark lord. However, Harry then gained real reasons why to do this.
They barged in. All three Dursleys were at home at the time. Harry's and his companion's work was quick and thorough. Before they apparated away, the Undeath Eater conjured a death mark above the house.
"I really don't need you to be sorry." said Harry to McGonagall and the others. "After I've lost so many people I cared about, the death of the people who treated me like a shit won't budge me."
The others just flinched at his indifference and Harry continued, "I think it's their response to our treaty with the Ministry."
"I agree." agreed McGonagall. "It probably means that the Ministry really cut of their ties with them. And that's why I think we should go through with the truce."
Harry said nothing and just silently nodded.
"My friends!" addressed Harry his audience. There were his eleven elite Undeath Eaters, lesser units, the undead veela-beast and a few of the living Death Eaters. Voldemort himself was aside, standing on a step-ladder and working on a huge tanks of bubbling liquid. Harry continued his speech, "Tonight, you will march out of shadows for the first time. Tonight, your lord Voldemort shall appear and everybody will tremble before him! Tonight, we shall punish the Ministry and the Order for their unwillingness to fight."
Harry paused for a moment and then continued, "Unfortunately, I can't reveal myself yet. But I assure that it won't be long before you find out who I really am and before I step out of shadows as well."
The undead units just darkly humed, the living Death Eaters just sheepishly looked around themselves. Harry approached them and told them, "You have your orders. Convey them to your friends outside. And don't screw them up!"
When the living Death Eaters left, Harry went to Voldemort and the huge tanks.
"Ingenious." he said.
"Actually it was a little project I gave to Snape a long time ago. I knew it would come handy one day." replied Voldemort.
The liquid in the tanks was basically a nitroglycerin but it was greatly modified. Snape's additions to the formula made the liquid slightly red and it increased it's strength.
At the same time, Arthur Weasley talked to his sons. He was telling them, "I need to be there. However I need all of you to remain here and guard this school with the others. We don't expect anything to happen and we need many people at the meeting but we can't leave the school undefended. Keep your sister and mother safe."
In the meantime, Voldemort with his units left the chamber and Harry returned to the school to meet McGonagall. Only the veela-beast, one elite Undeath Eater and two ghouls remained to guard (and set off) the bomb.
Harry joined McGonagall and the others. With a few portkeys, they transported to the place where the meeting was taking place. It was in a middle of woods. Representatives of both sides were already there. They had prepared a simple podium on which the treaty was supposed to be closed. They had also erected double security wards (each side once). There were also several house elves.
People started to arrive. Harry, McGonagall and the others from Hogwarts and the surviving member of Umbridge's group and other ministry workers for the remnants of the ministry. As they were arriving, a large squad of soldiers stalked through the woods. There was a government representative and his assistant. And there was also one of the two muggleborns recruited by Harry.
"I don't see anything." said the squad leader who was looking through his NV binoculars.
"Give it here." said the wizard and looked by himself.
"There, I see it." he said after a moment. "Don't worry, you'll see it too when we get in the radius."
"It's time." said the Undeath Eater in the Chamber of Secrets. The undead veela-beast nodded and set off. The Undeath Eater pured a vial of blue liquid in each of the tanks. The veela got in the castle and started to seek it's prey.
The Weasley brothers were on one of the courtyards in Hogwarts. They were sitting on the stone benches, staring at stars and chatting. Bill told them about his concerns about Fleur. She had not yet returned and that made him worried even when she had answered every letter he had written to her. Ron then wanted to tell them about his recent big argue with Hermione but suddenly a voice called them, "Hey boys!"
It was Ginny. She came to talk to them. She didn't want to confront them about Harry yet. Her plan was only to prepare a field for it.
Ginny approached them and the boys greeted her. They started to talk but suddenly they heard something. It was like a swish of wings. They were silent for a while and then they decided that they only imagined it. Then they heard a buildup of fire and a moment after that two fireballs were fired on them.
"Cover!" shouted Bill and everybody hit the ground. The fireballs impacted and fire spilled around.
Percy crouched behind a bench with his wand prepared. There was a swish and his chest was impaled by a large beak. Percy was lifted from the ground. Ginny started to yell for help and her brothers lit up their wands. Bill saw the beast, it was clamped on a roof. It dropped Percy and then it looked directly in Bill's eyes.
"Fleur?" whispered horrified Bill. The beast let out a screech.
In the meantime the Undeath Eater in the chamber set off the detonating mechanisms on the tanks. He left the two ghouls on guard and then he started to run away as fast as his rotten legs allowed.
At the same time as this all was happening, the meeting in the woods was progressing. The closing of the treaty was getting near when the alarm wards went of. The guards immediately rushed to the place and everybody draw their wands. What the guards found most surprising was that they were muggles.
The guards aimed their wands at them and one of them shouted, "Don't move!"
The government representative looked at at the shouter and harshly responded, "Put your wand down and step aside wizard, we represent the government."
The guards were about to stun and obliviate them when Harry arrived on the scene and bellowed, "Put your wands down you fools! Do you want to start a conflict?"
The squad continued to trot to the podium for the whole time. Harry was holding of the guards and prevented them from opening fire. And so the squad managed to get to the clearing where the podium was.
"What is this supposed to mean?" asked McGonagall.
The government representative stepped forward and said, "That's what we should ask you, 'professor'. I'm sure that you received prime minister's message to contact him. And yet, you did not. And now, you are closing this suspicious treaty without us!"
The ministry officials stood up but McGonagall was quicker. She knew that the other side might consider it as a sign of weakness so she replied, "How dare you? You minister has no right to demand any explanations from us. Your invasion of this space is outrageous! How you were even able to get here?"
At that point, the muggleborn who was with the squad stepped forward. He wasn't supposed to talk but yet he did. He said, "Do you remember me McGonagall? Do you remember me from your classes? I doubt that. Back there, you were always so stern and so demanding on our performance. All of us respected, feared and admired you. And now you stand here, signing this cowardly treaty! Ten months ago, I was dragged from my home. My muggle family was cursed and obliviated. Then I had to withstand that mockery of a trial and was sent to Azkaban. And for eight months I was laying there in my cell and dementors fed on my mind! Now the war is over and yet, I wasn't summoned to a trial to testify against those who wronged me. And nobody was arrested, nobody was prosecuted and nobody is in jail!"
The government representative stepped to him and silently told him, "What a hell are you doing? Fall back and shut up! I'll handle this!"
But the muggleborn wasn't going to be silenced and continued, "I demand justice. And one of those culprits is right here!" and he pointed by his wand at one of the present ministry workers.
The marked man immediately yelled, "He is a traitor! He is working for muggles! He's not even hiding it! Seize him!"
The yeller then shot a cutting curse on the muggleborn. However, he was a bad dueller so the muggleborn managed to shield the curse off. The attacker was stunned by Harry in the next moment.
The situation started to be chaotic. The soldiers assumed a defensive formation. Harry was trying to dissolve the situation. One of the ministry officials approached McGonagall from behind and silently told her, "And such people you are protecting."
McGonagall didn't know what to do. Dumbledore or Kingsley would simply bellowed on the crowd and everybody would be silent. But McGonagall simply wasn't made for such situations.
Lucius Malfoy (as a man who brought both sides togather to this meeting) was there that night as well as his family. His wife was quite nervous while Draco was outright scared. But Lucius was calm and he discreetly made his way through the crowd. Then he drew his wand.
The soldiers were standing in a defensive formation. Most of the wizards were aiming their wands at them and they were aiming their rifles at them in return. There was a wizard with red hair who kept telling them that he knew how planes were flying and what were rubber ducks for. Suddenly a green bolt soared through the air and hit one of the soldiers. They immediately recognized it. Their armour was made and charmed to withstand at least two stunners but there was no defence for this. The soldier fell to the ground and one of his comrades did the stupidest thing he could - he aimed his rifle in the direction from which the spell arrived and fired from the grenade launcher attachment. But at that time, Lucius was already aside and preparing to leave with his family.
Both sides opened fire. The people from the Ministry were firing stronger and stronger spells at the soldiers and they were returning the fire. The people who were with the order were mostly standing idle, not sure about what they should do. And McGonagall silently sweared, "Stupid prime minister!"
Voldemort watched the entire scene with his omnioculars. Then he put them away and commanded, "They are fighting each other now. Forward!"
His units started to move. The lesser units in front and he and his elites behind them. The living Death Eaters were to the right from the undead and on his wave they started to advance as well.
They reached the clearing and ghouls charged. Zombies slowly followed them. Voldemort and other spellcasters took cover among trees and started to shoot spells. They controlled only one side of the clearing so anybody was free to escape on the other side.
The clearing was in chaos. Nobody knew what was happening and everybody was shooting spells in all directions. Many people died and some started to retreat. And then Voldemort stepped out and his augmented voice boomed through the clearing, "Behold, I'm back!"
McGonagall tried to cover herself from the spells coming from the forest and she stepped back, with her eyes pointed on Voldemort. She tripped over a body and fell back. Harry was behind her. He caught her but he fell backwards under her weight. And then McGonagall felt a stabbing pain in her back. Harry stabbed her with a dagger. As her life was leaving her, Harry smeared her blood over himself. When she died, he activated a portkey and disappeared.
In the meantime, the battle of Weasley brothers with the veela-beast continued. They were unable to hit the beast while it was grinding them with ease. Then the beast heard shouts of the arriving help and it dived in. As the remaining brothers tried to stay away from it's fireballs and beak, it swooped Ginny in it's talons and then used the velocity of the dive to regain altitude again. As the beast was evading curses, it quickly sped away.
The Weasley brothers ran after it but it was in vain. Ginny was shrieking and the beast did its best to put as much distance between them and the castle. And then the detonators submerged in the tanks in the Chamber of Secrets went off. The rock on which the castle stood rocked and there was a roaring underground. Then a large crack appeared. It ran from the lake to the castle. The water in the lake started to drain away and half of the castle started to graciously drift aside. Walls and towers were crashing and people inside were finding their demises in its ruins.
The prime minister arrived at the base.
"What the hell happened?" he demanded an answer from Harry. Harry was tired, battered and still in bloodied clothes. But he already told the medics that it wasn't his blood.
Harry told him about what happened. He hinted that thanks to the soldiers, it had not turned into a total massacre. But he didn't forget to mention that it could have been better if the people from the Ministry had not turned against the soldiers and if the order cooperated with them.
When Harry told the minister about Voldemort, he stuttered, "Wait a minute. You killed him, didn't you?"
"That's correct. I didn't say he was alive tonight. And nor was most of his units."
Dread filled the eyes of the prime minister.