Chapter 8

It was nearing midnight and Minister Bagnold sat in her office. She stared morosely into the fire ignoring the fine office around her. The past week had been the worst of her career. The public was outraged that Black had managed to escape. Luckily for her, they were not aware of the destruction of the dementors. Standing, she strode over to the window and stared out. The scene below did nothing to relax her. All that could be seen at this hour were deserted streets and dark shops. Growling in frustration, she stamped back to her desk and yanked open a drawer. Looking around carefully, she pulled a bottle of fire whisky out before closing the drawer. She was just about to take off the cap when a voice spoke.

"You know that is bad for you, right?"

She spun around in her chair and gaped. Standing in front of her was Sirius Black and a small boy with silver hair that had to be Harry Potter. She opened her mouth to call for her aurors, but no words came out.

"Can't have you crying to the aurors can we?" the boy asked, a cold smile twitching his lips. His sea green eyes were like to chips of green stone. "We need to talk to you, minister." The last word was laced with contempt.

Bagnold refused to panic. She would not give these criminals the satisfaction of seeing her squirm. She would deal with them. She imagined the headlines praising her for taking down the infamous Sirius Black. She reached for her wand, but found that her right arm wouldn't obey her.

"Sorry about that," Black said gently, "but we think wands don't help with polite conversation. Tell you what; we'll give you your voice back." He held up one finger and wagged it, as if she were a naughty child. "If you call for the aurors, well, let's just say we'll have to stop you and leave it at that." Just like that, Bagnold found that her voice would work again. She glared at the man in front of her.

"What do you want? I suppose its revenge, is it? You got what you deserved. No amount of torture will change my mind about that."

Sirius smiled indulgently at her. Stepping forward, he patted her on the head as if she were a dog that had done a good trick. "Bravo, I am very impressed. That line was delivered with just the right touch of defiance." He leaned closer, whispering in her ear. "It would be a lot more impressive if your hands weren't shaking."

Bagnold looked down and cursed inwardly when she saw the slight trimmer in her fingers. She looked back up at Black, her eyes flashing. "I suppose you've come to kill me, have you? I guess I shouldn't expect any more from a person who would sell out his best friend. Did you tell Harry that you're the reason he doesn't have a Father?"

The slap snapped her head to the left and caused her to cry out in shock and pain. She looked back at Black, her eyes watering. His indulgent smile had not changed. "I don't like hitting women," he said in a calm reflective tone, "but you aren't a woman. You are just a mouthy old bitch, and when a bitch tries to bite, you have to put them in their place. You have no right to say Harry's name after what you did to him."

"You're a monster," Bagnold whispered, rubbing her cheek. "Is this the kind of example you want to set for Harry here? Do you want to teach him that it's okay to hit women?"

"Harry knows not to hit women?" Sirius explained patiently. He paused, thinking. "You on the other hand, well; you locked him away, didn't you? You see, I'm not here for revenge for what you did to me. I can understand it. You thought I was the secret keeper. I do think I deserved a trial, but that's neither here nor there. No, I'm here to pay you back for what you did to Harry and Lily."

Bagnold blinked at him. Why would he want revenge for Harry and Lily? He killed James. Surely he would want Harry and Lily dead to, wouldn't he? For that matter, why had he not killed them yet? Wait a sec, something was off here. Her eyes widened. She stared at Sirius, horrified. "You knew. You knew what and who Lily is."

Sirius clapped mockingly. "Very good. I knew we'd get there eventually. Yes, I am fully aware that they are elves. I am also aware that you only locked them away for that reason."

"But," Bagnold spluttered. "You know the danger that elves pose. They could cause serious damage to the wizard race."

"Really," Sirius drawled "Damage to the wizard race, and how, exactly, would they do that?"

"We have no idea what elven blood would do when mixed with wizard blood. It could mutate. It could stunt our magic or worse, turn wizards into monsters."

Sirius chuckled. It was hard, cold, and devoid of any humor. "You are a fool," he said the first edge of anger creeping into his tone. "You locked Harry and Lily away on a maybe?"

Bagnold shot to her feet. She was mildly surprised that Sirius did not try to stop her. "We didn't have time to wait and see what would happen. The boy there is proof that elven blood is dominant. How do you know that elves don't breed true? How do you know that Lily didn't just marry James to replenish her race?"

In a flash, her wand was out, and pointed at Sirius. "Come quietly, Black. I don't think you want Harry to get hurt do you?"

Sirius raised an eyebrow. "You do know that I could've stopped you from drawing your wand at any time, don't you?"

Bagnold glared. "Then why didn't you?"

"Because I wanted you to see how insignificant I find you." He gestured to Harry. "As a matter of fact, I am going to let the boy take you down. Do keep in mind that he is only five, and his only knowledge of magic has come from what his Mother has been able to teach him."

Bagnold stared at Sirius, aghast. "You can't be serious. He is a child." To her surprise, Harry spoke for the first time.

"I never had a childhood. You saw to that when you locked me in that hell hole." His voice was soft and toneless. He walked towards her. When he was only about a foot away, he stopped and bowed. "Come now minister, don't you want to end the elven threat for good?" His lips twisted in a sneer. "That was your plan if you found us, wasn't it? Well, here I am, so come and get me; destroy the elven taint if you can."

Bagnold stared at the child in front of her. Her wand arm shook. It was true that she'd thought of how the boy needed to die, but she never thought she'd be the one to end his life. How could she look at herself in the mirror knowing that she murdered a child? 'He's not human,' she reminded herself. 'It'd be no different than putting down a rabid dog. You just have to remember that. The boy isn't human. That makes all the difference.'

It didn't though and that was the problem. She could tell herself that the child was little more than an animal, but when he stood in front of her, he looked human. He sounded human. True, he didn't talk like one, but what could she expect when he'd been raised in Azkaban. No, she had to be strong. She had to protect the magical community. She looked deep into those green eyes. "I'm so sorry, Harry," she whispered. "I am so sorry for what has to be done, but you are a danger. It's not your fault, but nevertheless, you must pay for your Mothers sin."

Harry nodded, and she saw a tear run down his face. "So am I," he whispered. "I wish it didn't have to come to this, but you would never let us live in peace, would you?"

Bagnold shook her head. "I am sorry. You have to die."

"Because I'm an elf," he spat.

"Yes."

Harry's eyes hardened. "You wizards never admit when you are wrong, do you? It never crossed your mind that my Mother did nothing wrong, did it? No, you just want to kill me because I may be a danger. Funny, isn't that what the muggles did to you a few centuries ago? Fine, if that's the way it has to be, then so be it."

Bagnold pointed her wand at Harry's chest. "I will end this quickly. Avada Kedavra," green light filled the room. When it cleared, Bagnold gaped. "Impossible," she whispered.

Shimmering bands of arcane energy circled Harry, crackling and glowing with power. The green light of the killing curse was trapped in these bands, like a fly in a spider's web. She watched, fascinated, as the bands of light constricted, and the killing curse winked out. Harry smiled at her.

"Surprised? Mum was able to teach me some magic. Minister, I offer you one more chance. Let us go. Admit that you were wrong. Why not try to be different than every other politician in the world. Be honest, admit that you were wrong. Allow us to live our lives in peace."

In answer, a rope of flame flew from Bagnold's wand, arcing towards Harry's face. Harry calmly raised one index finger. A thin gossamer thread of blue flame extended from the tip, neatly severing the fire rope. The rope of flame fell out of the air and Harry caught it in his bare hand. Staring at the minister, he rolled the fire back and forth. Raising the fire to his mouth, he inhaled deeply.

Bagnold stumbled backward as the fire went into the boy's mouth. She watched as the flames flickered, before like the killing curse before them, they to winked out as if they'd never been. Harry looked up at her, still smiling.

"I believe that I have played defense long enough, don't you?" He flicked his fingers, as if flicking water off the tips. A wedge of fire flew from the tips and smashed into Bagnold's stomach.

Bagnold screamed as the fire neatly cut her in half, cauterizing the wound, so that she wouldn't bleed out. She collapsed onto her back, staring at her lower half lying a few feet away. With morbid fascination, she watched the legs twitch slightly before going still. A shadow leaned over her. She looked to see Harry smiling coldly down at her.

"My Father wanted me to kill you, but unfortunately for you, I am more like my Mother."

Bagnold choked, spitting out a mouthful of blood. "What do you mean?"

Harry continued speaking as if he hadn't heard her. "Dumbledore might be a hypocritical old bastard, but he is right about one thing." His voice dropped into a low threatening growl. "There are worse things than death."

Bagnold's screams of agony filled the office. Had Sirius not raised a silencing charm, the few ministry workers still in the building would surely have come running. As it was, no one came to save Bagnold from her fate.

XXX

She awoke slowly. The room she was in was dim, but she could see figures moving around her. She moved her fingers. There was a stone floor beneath her. What had happened? Where was she? Slowly, it all came back to her. Harry and Black had come into her office, and they… She sat bolt upright, her hands flying to her legs. She sighed in relief. They were still there. She frowned. Something was wrong. Her body felt different.

She let her hands wonder over her body. No, what had happened to her? Her fingers were longer than they should be. She felt her face. What had happened to her ears? They were long and flapping, like a dogs ears, and her nose. She swallowed the scream that rose in her throat. Her nose was the exact size and shape of an apple slice. A soft voice interrupted her train of thought. "Miss, are yous alright?" She spun around, her eyes nearly popping out of her head.

There before her stood the biggest house elf she'd ever seen. He had to be nearly six feet tall, with broad shoulders, two tennis ball shaped blue eyes, and a squashed nose. He stared at her, curiously. "Where am I?" she asked quietly.

The house elf blinked at her. "At the market place of course."

Bagnold stared at him blankly. "Market place?"

The elf nodded, looking at her as if she were a little slow. "Yes, the market place for house elves."

"House elves?" Bagnold shrieked, "But I'm not a house elf."

The house elf in front of her took a step back, raising one hand in a calming gesture. "Begging your pardon miss, but yous is a house elf."

Bagnold felt her knees buckle. "No," she whispered. "I'm a witch. Do you hear me? I. am. A. witch."

The house elf patted her shoulder comfortingly. "Oh, we all wishes we was wizards, but that don't make it so. We's house elves. It be best that you accept that before the buyers come or no one will want you."

"Buyers? What do you mean buyers?"

"Why the people's that buys us of course. Didn't you hear me when I said this was a market place?"

Bagnold stamped her foot. "Dammit, listen to me. I AM NOT A FUCKING HOUSE ELF."

The house elf in front of her rolled his eyes. With a snap of his fingers, a small mirror appeared in front of her. "There," he said sharply, as if talking to a particularly vexing child. "Look in that mirror and stop being so difficult."

Bagnold slowly looked at her reflection. Her hands flew up to stifle her scream. The creature in front of her was right. She stared at her new body, horrified.

She was totally bald now. The only hair she had was great tufts that grew out of her long flapping ears. Her eyes were two large tennis ball shaped brown orbs. She stared at her slender elf body. Two pert breasts the size of plums poked at the shabby pillowcase she wore.

"It can't be," she whispered. For the first time, she noticed her voice. It was a high pitched squeak as if a mouse had learned to talk. She collapsed to her knees, tears rolling down her cheeks. There was no use in denying it. No one would believe her. For better or worse, she was a house elf now. Harry's final words rang in her mind.

"There are worse things than death."

A small bitter smile twisted her thin lips. "Well played Harry, well played."

XXX

Dumbledore paced his office. The smell of old lemon drops was sour in his nose. He stared around at all the small instruments cluttering the tables. "All useless," he raged. Something had gone terribly wrong. Bagnold was gone. Her office said she left a message that she was retiring and to choose a new successor, but that wasn't like her. She would've never just walked away from her duties. What had happened to her? Forcing himself to calm down, he sat down in his chair and began to think over all possibilities.

The first possibility was that Bagnold had been murdered. Had the murderer then disposed of her body? That didn't add up. He'd spoken to Bagnold the previous night and she seemed fine. She was tired, but after the previous week who could blame her. He paused. Could Sirius Black have murdered her, but that was impossible. The entire country was on the lookout for any sign of him. He could not have just walked into the ministry for any reason.

Was it possible she'd been poisoned? No, that didn't fit either. Why hide the body? He rubbed one hand down his face. What was he going to do now?

Whether she'd been murdered or not was inconsequential. She was gone; that was the main thing. This put him in a very delicate position. He was the only one left who knew that Lily had been locked in Azkaban. How should he proceed? Should he try and warn the public about her? Of course, then he would have to explain where Harry had been. The public would not be happy that a child had been locked in Azkaban. there might be a better way. Now that she was free it would be nearly impossible to get her locked up again, but there were ways to keep an eye on her. Smiling, he drew a piece of parchment towards him. Dipping a quill in his ink pot, he began to right.

XXX

The room was not opulent. It was a sterile stone box with one window, a bed on one side, and a comfortable armchair near the fire. An old man sat near the fire smoking a pipe. His long silver hair and beard were matted with dirt and his blue eyes were as sharp and cold as the blade of a knife. At the moment, those eyes were focused unblinkingly on the ghost floating before him. "You are sure? There is no mistake?"

Ariana rolled her eyes. "Honestly Abe, how could I be mistaken about this? I've seen the letter."

"Damn," Aberforth Dumbledore growled. "Do you think she will fall for it?"

Ariana snorted. "She's not stupid. She'll know it's a trap once she reads the letter."

"Nevertheless, I think you should go and warn them. It would be good if they knew that not all Dumbledores were arses."

"They won't trust me, you know?"

"Not at first, but this is one of those times that being a ghost could come in handy." His expression softened slightly. "Besides, they may know of a way to bring you back."

Ariana floated closer. She reached out to touch her brother's shoulder. "Abe," she said gently. "I am dead."

"But not departed," Aberforth said briskly. "There is still hope."

Ariana said nothing. She turned away and stared around the room. The walls were covered in accumulated grime, the floor was hidden beneath centuries of dirt, and she was pretty sure she could hear rats scurrying around in the corners. She hated to see her brother living in such squalor, but he seemed resigned if not content. She had to do something to help him, but in order to do that, she needed a body. "I'll go if that's what you want."

Aberforth's shoulders relaxed. "Thank you."

Ariana nodded and smiled at him. "I'll be back as soon as I can." Without another word, she floated through the wall.

Aberforth stared after her. They had to know of a way to restore his sister. She deserved the life that was taken from her. "I will see her alive again," Aberforth whispered, "Even if it means sacrificing my own life."

Twill not come to that, my child," a soft voice said from beside him.

Aberforth turned to see a tall woman with long red hair standing near the fire. She smiled at him, her chocolate brown eyes sparkling. "It's been a long time, Aberforth."

Aberforth swallowed. "I thought you left?"

"No, most of the Fae are gone, but I stayed; as did a few others with halfblooded children."

"Do you have any suggestions?"

The woman gestured, and a simple wooden stool appeared. She sat down and crossed her legs. "Albus has fallen far from what he once was. I have stripped him of his longevity. I feared what he would do with such a gift. Luckily for everyone, he never knew what I am. His hatred for everything Fae leads me to believe that he would not take the news that he has elven blood well."

Aberforth nodded. "I believe you are right. So, what does that leave?"

"You must ally yourself with Morgaine. She knows the necessary ritual to restore Ariana. It will take time to get the necessary materials. If she wishes, Ariana may attend Hogwarts, but she will attend under the last name Hunter."

Aberforth looked down at the floor. "How long will it take to restore her?"

"Gathering all the materials will take the longest. I'd say five years. Bright side, Harry will have a friend to attend Hogwarts with."

Aberforth scowled. "You sound pleased."

"Of course," there was a knowing gleam in her eyes.

"Do you know something I don't know?"

"Lots, but nothing you need concern yourself with." Before Aberforth could respond, she was gone, taking her stool with her.

Aberforth scowled at the empty air. "I hate it when she does that."

XXX

The small cottage sat near a large lake deep in the forest. This section of forest wasn't on any map magical or muggle. The cottage was comprised of large logs. A polished oak door was at either end of the cottage. The sun shone through small windows lighting up the main room.

Inside the cottage, Puck, Harry, and Lily slept deeply.

Lily rolled over in the bed, feeling the warm body lying next to her. Opening her eyes, she saw a curtain of silver hair and smiled. It amazed her every day she woke up here. They had escaped. They were free. Gently, she stroked the hair in front of her.

Harry rolled over and smiled at his Mother. "Hi Mum?"

Lily smiled back. "Hi yourself. How did your meeting with the Minister go last night?"

Harry's eyes widened. "You know about that?"

"Uh Huh, now tell me how it went."

Harry shrugged. "She's living as a house elf now." He saw no need to tell his Mother that he'd had a duel the minister before turning her into a house elf. She'd probably kill his Dad if she found out about that.

Lily arched an eyebrow. "Fitting," she kissed his forehead. Lily rolled out of bed and smiled as her toes sank into the thick carpet. "Are you hungry?"

Harry followed, wincing as he stepped into the kitchen. Why was hard wood so freaking cold in the morning? At least it wasn't stone. "Yeah, I could eat."

"Eggs and Bacon?" Lily asked.

Harry nodded and watched his Mother begin to prepare the meal. He still hadn't gotten tired of regular food even after a week of stuffing his face with all the food his Mother could think of.

Once the bacon was frying, Lily looked over her shoulder at Harry.

"When were you going to tell me you dueled Bagnold?" she asked casually.

Harry froze in the act of spreading jam over a slice of bread. "How did you know about that?"

"Did you really think I wouldn't be watching? Puck took you into a potentially dangerous situation. I needed to make sure you were safe."

Harry lowered his head. "I didn't want to worry you."

"I'm your Mother," Lily said quietly. "It's my job to worry."

Before Harry could respond, there was a burst of flame and a letter appeared on the table.

Lily walked over and looked down at the envelope. Concentrating slightly, she activated her third eye.

The third eye was an ability that all elves possessed. It allowed them to see magic itself and aided them in manipulating mystical energies. However, it also showed the world as it actually was, stripping away all forms of glamour. If they looked at the wrong thing with their sight, it could blast the sanity right out of their heads. Lily's eyes glowed as her sight activated.

"Well," Harry asked. Lily could feel him tense beside her.

"It's clean." She said finally. Slowly, she reached out and picked up the envelope. It was made of a heavy parchment. She recognized the writing as Dumbledore's at once. Carefully, she tore open the envelope and pulled out a single sheet of parchment. Unfolding it, she began to read.

Lily:

No words can express my sorrow for the way I have treated you. I have committed a grievous sin in locking you and your son away in Azkaban. Now, I know what you are thinking. You think that I am trying to trick you, but I assure you my dear, I am not.

When I read of your escape in the paper, I realized what a fool I was. You had done no crime, but in my fear, I treated you no better than Voldemort would have. I locked you in hell on earth, and worse yet, I did the same to your child. Please, I beg you to accept my apology. I wish to meet with you. I give you my word that you will not be harmed either physically or mentally while you are in my presence. I merely wish to assure myself of your wellbeing.

Yours

Albus Dumbledore

Frowning, Lily passed the letter to Harry. He read it quickly before looking up at his Mother. "I don't like it."

"Me neither, it feels like a trap."

"I told Abe you would say that," a voice said from behind them.

Lily and Harry spun around. Behind them floated the ghost of a teenage girl. She smiled at them, her blue eyes twinkling. "Hi," she chirped. "We need to talk."

"Who are you?" Lily asked, her hands beginning to glow.

"I'm Ariana," the girl said. "Ariana Dumbledore."

Lily's eyes narrowed. "Dumbledore's sister?"

"Yes, but don't hold that against me. Albus gives our entire family a bad name."

Lily lowered her hands. "What are you still doing here? You died long ago."

"I had unfinished business. I don't anymore, but," she lifted one shoulder in a shrug. "I can't seem to move on."

Harry stepped forward, staring at the girl. "You're pretty," he blurted, before blushing furiously.

Ariana smiled down at him. "You're not so bad yourself." She turned back to Lily. "I'm here to help. My brother's actions threaten the entire wizarding world. I can be your spy. I can let you know what he's planning."

Lily was frowning. "What's in it for you? Please don't misunderstand; I know what happened to you. I know you were tortured in life, but why would you want to help us?"

Ariana looked away. "Let's just say that I have my reasons for wanting Albus stopped. I will swear to never betray you if that will make you trust me. I just want to help, that's all."

"She's trustworthy," a new voice said.

The occupants of the kitchen turned to see Sirius walking into the kitchen rubbing his eyes.

Lily raised an eyebrow. She didn't bother asking if he'd been listening. Why waste time with stupid questions. "Are you sure?"

"Yes," Sirius said. "She's not lying." He looked over at Ariana. "There is something you want to ask, isn't there?"

Ariana blushed slightly, her skin turning a silvery color. "Well… I…" she stammered.

"Go ahead," Sirius said gently. "It never hurts to ask questions. What is it that you want? You have my word that if we can help you, we will."

Ariana relaxed. "My brother wanted me to ask if you knew of a way to restore me to a body."

Neither Lily nor Sirius looked particularly surprised. Harry stared up at his parents.

"Is that possible?"

Lily nodded thoughtfully. "Yes, but we will need some items." She turned to Ariana. "Here is the deal. You watch Dumbledore for us. Keep us informed of his activities. Do this until we can gather the necessary ingredients. Once we have what we need to restore your body, your spying days will be over. Do you agree?"

Ariana nodded. "Yes, how long will it take to gather the ingredients?"

"If your brother is willing, not long for the first two. The last one," Lily stopped frowning.

"What's the last ingredient?" Harry asked.

"The ingredients for the spell are as follows," Lily said taking on a lecturing tone. We will need; the bones of her original body, the blood of a family member, and the heart of a phoenix."