Chapter Eleven – Livin' On the Edge
It was Saturday night finally and the plan to attack Malfoy Manor was put into action. At that moment Harry and his friends were standing just outside the wards of Malfoy Manor. They were all dressed in robes similar to what Harry used when he was the bodyguard for Sirius. Their hoods were up and their faces were obscured. Harry was working on taking down the wards while his friends waited.
Ginny had returned already. After they arrived, she had changed into Harpo and flew all over the grounds and over the house looking for any Death Eaters outside the manor standing guard. None were out. Harry had been at it for around thirty minutes and his friends were wondering if he was going to be able to do it. Just when Ron was about to say something about it, Harry spoke up.
"It's done and I think I figured out how to do this quicker next time, assuming the warding is done similarly. It will take them a couple minutes to realize their ward is down so let's get moving. Remember, no mistakes and stay alert at all times."
The six of them apparated to within a few feet of the front door. Harry blasted the door off its hinges and led them all through and into the manor with their wands at the ready. They were met by three Death Eaters coming at them and throwing curses. Only one cast a Killing Curse. The other two cast a Cutting Curse and a Stunner respectively. Neville blocked the Cutting Curse and Luna blocked the Stunner. Harry blocked the Killing Curse by summoning a metal vase stand from a spot near the door. The expensive looking vase sitting on it fell off and shattered when it hit the floor. The stand was warped a bit by the curse but still held.
Ron who was not in the line of fire hit the Death Eater who threw the Cutting Curse with a Stunner, tied her up, and summoned her wand. Hermione who was next to Ron stunned the other Death Eater who cast the Stunner, tied him up, and summoned his wand. Harry used a Cutting Curse at about half power decapitating the Death Eater that cast the Killing Curse. He summoned the Death Eater's wand immediately afterwards. He had told Kingsley in the Ministry after fighting the Death Eaters in the Department of Mysteries that he would no longer hold back but give to them what they dish out. He was being true to his word.
Narcissa came around the corner with her wand raised but Ginny who was off to the side took her down with a Stunner before she got very far. She followed up with an Incarcerous and summoned her wand. Harry went over to Narcissa and put her to sleep so only he could wake her. This was a precaution in case she called an elf to help her. As long as no one killed him tonight, he thought, she would be just fine.
"Harry, you killed that man," Hermione gasped.
"Yes, I did. Did you not see him cast the Killing Curse at us?"
"I did but knew you would handle it while I took out one of the other Death Eaters."
"That is how I handle a Death Eater trying to kill me or one of my friends. I respond with deadly force."
"Okay, Harry. I don't like it but I understand."
"Good. Now Hermione I want you to find out how many are here. I have to start putting up new wards so no one else shows up unannounced."
Hermione immediately cast Homenum Revelio to get a count of how many people were in the manor while Harry started casting wards to prevent anyone from leaving or arriving. He would likely lock it down more after they cleaned out the remaining Death Eaters and spoke to Kingsley.
"There are only ten left in the manor," announced Hermione.
Just then, another Death Eater came running in from the second floor and stopped at the top of the stairs but he was hit with three Stunners before he knew what was happening. He promptly tumbled down the stairs but appeared to be alright when he reached the bottom. He was summarily tied up and his wand taken like the others. Luna moved him over with the others out of the way.
"Make that nine left," added Hermione.
"Right. Let's split up in pairs and search the whole place," Harry responded. "We need to get this done quickly."
"I'll go with Ron," said Hermione.
"And I'll go with Neville," said Luna.
"Then you're with me Ginny. You guys take the upper floors. Check every room. We'll take this floor and the lower level. If you run into any elves try not to hurt them but stun them if necessary. Explain that we are clearing out the Death Eaters if they will listen then ask them to stay hidden and out of the way. Now go and be careful."
Harry and Ginny watched as their friends headed up the stairs before going through every room on the first floor. They came across a couple of elves in the kitchen but they agreed to stay hidden once Harry explained what they were doing. The elves were not happy with all the Death Eaters in the house or the Dark Lord for that matter. The Death Eaters were very abusive so the elves were happy someone was getting rid of them.
The first floor didn't contain any more Death Eaters but Harry did find something interesting in the study. There was a very fancy looking desk in the room with many bookshelves loaded with books. Behind the desk was a large leather desk chair that when Harry sat in it and rolled back a bit to check the drawers he felt an unevenness with the floor.
Thinking why would someone like Lucius put up with an uneven floor, Harry decided to investigate. He moved the chair out of the way and then moved the mat that was underneath the chair. When he removed the mat he discovered a large hidden trap door with stairs leading down.
Harry lifted the door up out of the way and entered the stairwell with Ginny close behind him. When they arrived at the bottom they were shocked to find rows of prison cells. They could hear some noises down the way a bit. They slowly headed that direction checking each cell as they went.
As they got closer they could distinguish some men laughing and a girl pleading for them to stop. Ginny and Harry looked at each other and then picked up the pace. When they arrived at the cell where the noises were coming from they were shocked to find two women, likely in their early twenties, and three Death Eaters abusing them. One of the women was unconscious or possibly dead but that did not deter the Death Eater from sexually abusing her. The other young woman was the one pleading for her attackers to stop while one Death Eater was holding her down and the other was sexually abusing her.
Harry grabbed the Death Eater abusing the conscious girl and broke his neck with one twist, his foot snapping out hard to catch the other Death Eater right in the chin, which knocked him back into the wall. The back of his head slammed into the concrete with a sickening crack. He died instantly. Harry then bodily picked up the Death Eater whose neck he broke and threw him across the cell where he slammed into the bars. Ginny had grabbed the other Death Eater by the hair of the head and slit his throat with a short blade she carried. She then pushed him off the girl and let him fall to the floor.
Ginny quickly checked the girl and found she was still alive but barely. Both girls were naked and badly bruised all over. Harry's girl was sobbing so he put the girl to sleep and then turned to Ginny with a questioning look.
"Harry, she's still alive but is in really bad shape. Can you help her?"
"Yes, let me help her first. I already put this other one to sleep. She'll be okay for the time being."
Harry went over to the other girl and put his hand on her chest sending diagnostics throughout her entire body. She had some broken ribs with one piercing a lung and very bad bruising all over. She was also a Muggle. Harry sent his healing magic and watched as her body healed completely at his touch. When he was done, except for the dirt and blood on her, she had no other marks on her body and she looked healthy besides missing some meals. Harry put her to sleep as well. Returning to the other girl Harry did the same for her and healed her completely, leaving her asleep for now.
Harry stood back up and conjured two fluffy robes for the girls then floated one girl at a time as Ginny put them in the robes. Harry then conjured a nice soft bed and put the girls in it. He turned to the dead Death Eaters, magically moved them into a different cell out of the way and out of site. He then went back and cleaned up the cell the girls were in so that all the blood and other nastiness was removed. He used an air freshening charm to purify the air.
"Ginny stay here with the girls and protect them while I scout out the rest of this place. I will come back when I verify no one else is down here."
"Alright Harry but please be careful."
"You don't have to worry about me."
Harry left and continued to check the rest of the cells. Thankfully, no other abused people were found down there. When Harry returned to Ginny, he told her that he had found another way out and it would be easier to get the girls out that way so Harry floated one girl while Ginny floated the other following Harry.
There was a door at the end of the cells that opened up to what was the proper basement floor, mostly filled with junk. There were wide stairs that took you up to another door which accessed the cupboard under the stairs on the first floor. However, it was a much larger cupboard than the one Harry had spent so much time in.
They floated the girls into the entry way where Harry conjured another comfortable bed for the girls. Harry and Ginny placed them both on the bed and pulled the covers up over them. Ginny went back to the kitchen and grabbed a couple of towels and cloths that she wet with warm water. When she returned she saw that Ron and Hermione had joined Harry who was explaining about the two young women.
Ginny gave a cloth to Hermione and they both set to cleaning the blood and dirt off the two women's faces. They were in the middle of that when Neville and Luna came back down the stairs. Harry caught them up as well about the young women when they asked then requested a report from them on Death Eater encounters.
Harry had explained about the three Death Eaters he and Ginny took out when they rescued the girls. That left six for Ron, Hermione, Neville, and Luna. As it turned out Ron and Hermione only had to deal with two of the Death Eaters while Luna and Neville dealt with the remaining four. None of them had too much trouble as all the Death Eaters they'd fought tonight were fairly new recruits.
"I want you guys to go back up and bring your Death Eaters to the top of the stairs. I will then help you float them down to the floor. Ginny can go help Luna and Neville with their four. I am going to stay down here and contact Kingsley. Then I'm going to have a conversation with Mrs. Malfoy over there. Please do not use any of our names so she or the aurors can hear. They must not know who we are."
While the other five went upstairs to retrieve all the unconscious Death Eaters, Harry sent his patronus off to Kingsley with the pertinent information he would need. Next, he turned to Mrs. Malfoy who was still stunned and tied up, and a bit disheveled, laying on the floor.
Enervate!
Narcissa woke up wondering what was going on. She looked up at the man whose face was obscured underneath his hood.
"Who are you and why are you here?" she asked.
Harry decided to disguise his voice with an American accent he remembered from his time spent in Texas with Rachel and the Caddo Indians.
"Who I am is no concern of yours. You have not earned the right to know that. However, I can tell you why I am here. You see, my friends and I have just taken down every last Death Eater that was in your home. We have also established wards that prevent any Death Eaters from getting back in. This includes your husband and the half-blood Tom Riddle himself."
"Who is Tom Riddle?"
"Are all you Death Eaters that stupid?"
"I'm not stupid and I'm not a Death Eater!" she exclaimed.
"I know you're not a Death Eater but you're in a house full of them and Tom Riddle, Voldemort's real name by the way, who is also your Dark Lord has been living here. What's your excuse?"
"I had no say in the matter and I'm actually quite pleased that you have rid my home of the Dark Lord and his Death Eaters. Are you sure you can keep them out?"
"Positive and glad I could help. Now where might your husband be? Where might dear old Lucius be at this time of the night?"
"I have no idea."
"Really?"
"Yes, really. He comes and goes as he pleases. He's likely doing something for the Dark Lord. He doesn't tell me and I don't ask."
"Mrs. Malfoy, things are about to get very difficult for you. You can either cooperate and salvage some of the life you are accustomed to or you can be stupid like your Death Eater friends and treated exactly how they will be treated. It's all up to you."
With that, Harry left her where she was and went to help his friends levitate the Death Eaters down to the first floor. They were working on the last two when Kingsley arrived with some aurors. Harry quickly stunned Narcissa with a wave of his hand so she would not hear anything she did not need to hear. He then finished lowering the last Death Eater from upstairs down to the floor before turning to Kingsley.
"Kingsley, do not say my name."
"Okay."
"We need to talk privately," Harry told him then promptly put up a privacy bubble around them.
"I'm listening."
"Kingsley, when we arrived there were around a dozen Death Eaters here along with Mrs. Malfoy. We also found two young women being sexually assaulted. The Death Eaters who we caught in the act abusing them were killed during the fight. We had one other death because the Death Eater cast a Killing Curse. I responded in kind by removing his head with a Cutting Curse. Other than those four deaths, everyone else was stunned, tied up, and disarmed. We had no injuries on our side."
"I spoke to Mrs. Malfoy, she was pleased that I got rid of the Death Eaters and put up wards to prevent any from returning, including Voldemort. She has no idea where Lucius is at the moment but he will be in for a bit of a shock when he discovers he cannot return to his own home."
"The two young women were in pretty bad shape. One was almost dead. I healed both and clothed them then put them to sleep in a nice comfortable bed." Harry indicated the two women behind Kingsley. "Ginny and Hermione did their best to wipe their faces clean. They're both Muggles. I'll leave the rest of their care and return to their families up to you."
"Kingsley, since I'm talking to you in this disguise then I'm sure Amelia or someone will ask about me if you report this. No one else has heard this persona speak before. You of course know who I really am. If she asks then tell her my face was still obscured, which is the truth, but I have an American accent." Harry switched to that accent quickly. "I just used it when I spoke to Mrs. Malfoy as well. That should throw people off the scent of Harry Potter. And, of course, no one knows my name yet."
"Very well done, Harry. I'm impressed."
"Thank you and lastly, I need you and your aurors to take credit for this."
"Why?"
"No one can know it was us. We have to remain anonymous to be more effective. If you are not willing and someone needs more of an explanation then tell them that the bodyguard that worked for Sirius has formed his own team and gone out on his own."
Kingsley nodded showing he understood.
"Speaking of Sirius, Kingsley, you should get him involved with this. The Ministry needs to seal the Malfoy's vault since they are known to be involved with Voldemort. He was living here and the manor was his base of operations. That should be plenty to give the Ministry the right to do this. We have to cut off Voldemort's money supply if we ever hope to take him down for good. And if I'm right, I believe Mrs. Malfoy will help. That should come in handy with the goblins."
"That's an excellent idea, Harry. I will get Sirius to help with that."
"Kingsley, the wards I put up will not allow Voldemort or anyone with the Dark Mark on this property. These wards should remain in place if you plan on redoing any of them."
"Wait a second one of my aurors was fine earlier but suddenly he wasn't after we came to the wards. He quickly stepped away and doubled over in pain. He claimed to just be sick so I sent him home."
"You best check his arm the next time you see him. The wards will make it too painful for anyone with the Dark Mark. It's the same type of ward I put up at the Granger's home and place of business."
Harry went on to show Kingsley where all the Death Eaters and bodies were located. He also showed him the two entrances to get to the basement and the cells. After checking the wards again and adding a few minor additions to guarantee great pain and suffering if a Death Eater or Tom tried to enter, Harry left the rest to Kingsley. He gathered up his team and they returned to Hogwarts after he repaired the vase, its stand, and the front door.
Kingsley had his aurors gather up all the Death Eaters and Mrs. Malfoy to take them to the Ministry and put them in the holding cells there. The dead Death Eaters were taken as well and placed in a room where they would be dealt with later by aurors looking for any type of evidence they might have on them. Their bodies were petrified to prevent decay.
Kingsley spoke to the elves to let them know that he would be back in the morning with more aurors. He suggested they return to their duties and clean up the manor of any messes left from the fights. He also informed them that if Mrs. Malfoy's story checks out and she chooses to help then she might be allowed to come back home.
In the morning Kingsley returned with Amelia Bones and a slew of aurors. Kingsley showed Amelia everything he knew about the attack and where things took place, the cells, and the abused young women. The aurors went through the manor like a fine toothed comb. Looking for anything and everything.
Kingsley put up a privacy bubble around himself and Amelia.
"When we arrived last night we were met by the man who served as the bodyguard for Sirius. He had a team with him of five other witches and wizards, all dressed in the same type robes with their faces obscured. They were the ones who took down the Death Eaters here and put up wards so Voldemort and his Death Eaters can't get back in."
"Really? What else?"
"He explained everything to me," continued Kingsley, "what they did and how they found the young women and helped them. Then he asked that the aurors take the credit."
"Why?" asked Amelia.
"He said they needed to remain unknown to be more effective. He said if I couldn't do that then say that he had formed a team on his own and they were taking on the Death Eaters. Oh yeah, it was his suggestion as well to shut down the Malfoy finances. He said we will never stop Voldemort if we don't take away his financial backing."
"Interesting. He is very smart."
"What do you want me to do?" asked Kingsley.
"First, tell me you got a good look at his face?" she said anxiously.
"No madam. His face was obscured the whole time along with his team."
"He spoke to you though. What did he sound like?"
"He definitely had an American accent."
"American? Really?"
"Yes, madam.
Amelia thought for a second.
"Let's give him what he wants, Kingsley. It should buy him some time. If someone figures out it's not us then we can give them his secondary story. I doubt anyone has forgotten what he did at the Ministry protecting Sirius. He left a lasting impression."
"Yes, boss. He also suggested we get Sirius involved to help with the Malfoy finances."
"I agree with him. Do that."
"I will setup a meeting with Sirius. Perhaps as Lord Black he can talk to Mrs. Malfoy for us to see if she will help us?"
"Do whatever needs to be done. I just had another idea, Kingsley. If you run into this American again then see if he would be interested in wearing auror robes for his activities. Might help to keep his secret longer. Tell him I would be happy to supply them."
"Understood. I will let him know if we cross paths again. Actually, I bet Sirius knows how to get in touch with him. I'll ask him."
oOo
Harry was waking from a good night's sleep. He could not remember the last time he slept that well. He thought back over last night's activities as he got up and went to the loo. He continued to ponder over all that they did while he brushed his teeth and got dressed for his morning workout. He wondered if he'd slept so well due to accomplishing what they did or was it just the action involved in the mission that had him feeling better and more relaxed.
He had spent so long training and preparing he was wondering if actually using the skills in a tense situation like that was just more satisfying. He didn't like killing anyone but had no doubts they were all justified. He then remembered he needed to check with Ginny to make sure she was alright after killing that one Death Eater.
They all arrived on the grounds to start their run with Kevin joining them now. He was working on getting up to their level by running as far as he could with them before taking a breather walking and then joining them running again on the last part.
Harry looked around at everyone.
"Where's Ginny?" he asked.
"She said she wasn't feeling well and to go on without her," replied Hermione.
"I had better go talk to her. You guys go ahead and I'll deal with Ginny."
"Do you need me to talk to her?" asked Hermione.
"No, this is something she needs to hear from me. If I'm right about what's bothering her then I'll fill you guys in later as it will be something you need to hear as well. Get a good workout and I'll catch up with you guys later." Harry turned and went back up to the castle, heading toward the Gryffindor common room. The rest of the group just looked at each other and shrugged their shoulders before beginning their morning run.
When Harry arrived he realized that he would not be able to get up the girls stairs due to the enchantment and no other girls were in the common room who could fetch her. It was too early on a Sunday morning for anyone else to be up.
Not to be deterred Harry took off his shoes and socks then silenced his clothes. Next, he turned himself invisible. Using his air elemental and carrying his shoes, he flew over the stairs to the landing in front of the fifth year girl's dorm, hoping it was not enchanted as well. He landed in front of their door. He started to knock then thought better of it, not wanting to wake the other girls. Hoping they were all covered properly in their beds, Harry opened the door a crack and peeked in.
No one appeared to be up so he stuck his head in to look around better. All he could hear were sounds of sleeping girls. Harry entered the room carefully and closed the door behind him. He had only taken a couple steps when he noticed one girl didn't have her drapes closed and was also not covered very well either, showing her knickers. It wasn't Ginny so Harry diverted his eyes and looked for Ginny's bed.
Her drapes were completely closed so Harry opened them slightly and peeked in. He could see on her face tracks from tears running down. Luckily she had dosed back off so Harry slipped in, put his shoes and socks on the floor, then removed his invisibility spell. He wasn't sure what to do next so stood there for a bit trying to figure it out.
Thinking quickly he put up a silencing charm around her bed in case she woke up and saw him standing over her. He was thinking he should wake her up now when her eyes opened and looked straight at Harry. She jumped back a little in bed at the sudden sight.
"Harry, what are you doing here? How did you get up the stairs?"
Harry just smiled at her.
"Never mind, you're Harry Potter and that would be too simple for you. What are you doing here, Harry?"
"I need to talk to you."
"What about?"
"About why you didn't join us for our workout."
"Didn't Hermione tell you?"
"She said you told her you were not feeling well."
"There you go. Question answered."
"I don't think so Ginny but if you really are sick then tell me what's wrong and I'll heal you right up."
Ginny looked at Harry for a second then lowered her head staring down at her covers. Harry sat down on the bed next to her.
"Ginny, I saw you kill that Death Eater last night. Could that possibly be what is bothering you?"
Ginny raised her head back up to look at Harry. She had more tears in her eyes.
"I've never killed anyone before Harry. I can't get over what I did. It hurts," she said bursting into more tears.
Harry pulled her into a hug and held her close for a few seconds before he spoke.
"Ginny, I killed three Death Eaters last night," he said into her hair. "While technically I did kill Professor Quirrell in my first year it doesn't feel like it was my fault since all I did was touch his face. However, last night I deliberately killed those three Death Eaters. There is no way I can run from that but I know without a doubt that every one of those kills were justified."
"The first one cast a Killing Curse at us. If someone is willing to try and kill me or my friends then they deserve the same fate they wished on us. You have to put them down like a rabid dog or they will just do it again if given the chance. There is no redemption for people like that. If you give them a second chance then they might be successful on their next attempt at your life."
"The three Death Eaters we killed to save those two young women were far worse than the one I killed in the entry. At least with the Killing Curse you feel nothing. It's a painless way to go. Those guys in the cell with those two defenseless ladies were animals who had beaten them severely and raped them just for their sadistic pleasure. Both of the girls would have eventually been killed by them and they would have gone out and found replacements, starting the vicious cycle all over again. The one you saved was practically dead already. They broke her ribs and she was hit or kicked so hard that one of the ribs punctured a lung. We did the world a favor by ridding it of that scum."
Ginny had stopped crying but still had the sniffles.
"I want you to remember this Ginny. Your kill was justified and so were mine. If you don't think yours was justified then you don't think mine were. That paints us as murderers. We may be killers but we are not murderers. We are the killers who did the right thing and took down the murderers and rapists."
Harry pulled back away from Ginny but held her shoulders with his hands. He looked at her face now and saw a little hope creeping back into her eyes.
"Thank you Harry. I needed that and you're right. We're not murderers; we're the ones who took them down."
"That's my girl. Are you feeling better?"
"I am but I'm not quite there yet. Would you mind holding me again? That helped a lot."
"Sure, Gin. Give me a second to get comfortable and I'll hold you as long as you need me too."
Harry climbed under the covers with her. He was in training shorts and a tank top so it wasn't that uncomfortable. Ginny rolled over with her back to Harry while he put one arm under her neck and the other he placed over her abdomen and used it to pull her closer to him as he spooned her. He wrapped his arms around her and held her close. Ginny smiled at the comfort Harry provided and gently dosed off.
oOo
A couple of hours later…
"Well, well, well, what have we here?"
"This looks very interesting."
Harry and Ginny both stirred from their sleep and blinked their eyes. They looked up to find Hermione and Luna staring down at them with smiles on their faces. Behind Hermione and Luna were Ginny's dorm mates looking on with interest.
"Hello Hermione, Luna, ladies," Harry nodded at the girls. He and Ginny sat up in the bed and leaned back against the pillows.
"Harry, what are you doing in Ginny's bed?" asked Hermione smiling.
"Yes, you two looked mighty comfortable," added Luna with a smirk.
Harry slipped out from under the covers being careful not to expose Ginny too much as he did so. He reached down and started putting on his socks and shoes. He started to explain as he did this.
"I was worried about Ginny and knew she was likely deeply troubled about a private matter I was aware of. I managed to make it up here to her bed where I comforted her and then we talked about it. She wanted me to hold her some more so I obliged and held her while she slept. I knew she didn't get much sleep last night. I didn't plan on falling asleep but I was comfortable and dosed off as well. I trust you are feeling better Ginny?" Harry asked turning back to her.
"I am. Thank you Harry. You're the best friend ever."
"It was my pleasure. I will always be here to help you or give you a shoulder to cry on whenever you need it."
"Awe," said a couple of Ginny's dorm mates chiming together.
Ginny leaned over and hugged Harry who hugged her back. Before they separated Ginny kissed him gently on the cheek.
"Now, if you don't mind I would like to meet with the gang in my office this afternoon. I have something I need to discuss with all of you. Hermione, can you let the others know and tell me when everyone can meet?"
"Sure, Harry."
"And that is where I leave you. Sorry for the intrusion ladies. I promise I did not see a thing when I was looking for Ginny. Well… not much anyway" Harry said with a smile. The girl that slept with her drapes open looked a little embarrassed he noticed. He turned back to Ginny. "I will see you a bit later. Take your time. We can have our meeting whenever you are ready."
With that Harry turned and exited their room. When he got to the stairs he slid down and landed on his feet in the common room. Some of the students looked at him wondering how he got up there. He just smiled and ignored them continuing on his way out of the common room and to his office.
After Harry left, the girls immediately demanded to know what was wrong with Ginny but she told them she was not able to talk about it and got up to get ready for the day leaving them wondering what could be wrong.
Missing his workout did not sit well with Harry even though it was for a good cause. He went back into his large space and used his exercise equipment to workout. He decided he would just skip his run altogether and instead work on his karate after he completed his workout then work on his elemental powers.
After he had broken a good sweat, learned a couple of new techniques in Isshinryu Karate, and worked on all four elements for a while, Harry stopped and headed for the shower. He was walking back that way when he spotted Ginny flying around the large space as Harpo. She didn't indicate that she was coming down so Harry continued on to the shower. He figured her flying like that was good for her and enabled her to feel better.
Harry showered in his trunk where he also had plenty of clothes to wear. When done and dressed he went back out to the large space and saw Ginny still flying. He left her alone for now and went into his office to look over the plans for their next mission. Harry had picked up a few portkeys from Death Eaters and he believed they would be helpful in tracking down a few of their hideouts. He also had the info he pulled from Peter's mind about Death Eater locations that he needed to follow up on.
When he stopped and looked at his watch he noticed it was time for lunch. He went to see if Ginny was still out there and he saw her still flying.
"Harpo! Come on down. It's time for lunch. We both missed breakfast so we better not miss lunch."
Harpo came down and landed on the floor in front of Harry. In another second Ginny was standing before him.
"Mind if I grab a shower real quick, Harry?"
"No not at all. Do you want to use my shower or do you need to go back to your dorm for more clothes?"
"Yours if you don't mind, these clothes are clean. I just put them on earlier but I've been flying for a while and I feel I need a shower now."
"Help yourself. Do you want me to wait for you? We can walk down together."
"Thanks Harry. That would be great."
"Just come get me in my office when you're ready. I have some more work still to do."
After Ginny was all cleaned up and ready to go, she collected Harry and they set out for the Great Hall for lunch. They found their friends already there who looked up worriedly when they saw Harry and Ginny enter. The two were laughing at something so that eased their worry a bit. They sat down next to each other joining their friends at the table.
"Ginny, is everything alright?" asked Ron. "I heard you were upset about something."
"I'm fine, Ron. Thanks for asking. I just can't talk about it here."
"We will be discussing that at our meeting this afternoon along with some new plans I've been working on. I trust we have a good time when all of us can meet?" asked Harry.
"Yes, three o'clock is best for us," answered Hermione.
"Three it is then. Let's eat! I'm starved."
"You sounded like Ron just then," said Neville.
"You're right I guess I did, but Ginny and I missed breakfast so we're a bit on the hungry side." Harry started piling food on his plate.
"Too bad you missed the workout this morning Harry. Kevin is really coming along. You would have been proud of him," said Hermione.
"That's good to hear. I'll be sure and pay attention to how he does tomorrow morning. I did manage to get my workout in before lunch though and Harpo flew for a very long time getting lots of exercise as well."
They all looked at Ginny briefly who just smiled at them.
After lunch they went their separate ways with Harry returning to his office to work. In addition to working on plans for Death Eater raids Harry was also working on plans to build more rooms in his large space. The first room he wanted to build was a new large bedroom and large loo for himself that would be close to his office.
The idea was to have enough bedrooms and loos for himself and his friends just in case they ever needed it. He didn't know where all they would need to travel to chase down all of Tom's followers so if they had to stay some place over night they would be ready and prepared with style. The trunk could be easily hidden and with everything built-in they would have all that they needed to live and hide if necessary without giving up any comfort.
Harry had to spend a good bit of time in the Room of Requirement to find the books he needed to teach him how to do all the work himself. He wanted to make sure he learned how to do all of this just in case he was ever away from Hogwarts and needed to build another room. The part he was working on now was the loo. It was not easy figuring out how to build a magical loo. There were so many enchantments for the water alone.
At three o'clock Harry stopped his design work and met with his friends in the living room of his trunk where he offered them afternoon tea and biscuits, supplied by Mattie, before they got started.
Harry began. "We have two major things to discuss this afternoon and one minor. We need to discuss what happened last night, how that affected Ginny, and how it potentially can affect every one of you. Secondly, I have new plans I'm working on concerning possible future Death Eater raids. I will go over what details I have on that. And, thirdly, I'm going to build more bedrooms and loos in my large space just in case we need them."
"Currently, this place only has two bedrooms and three loos, one with no tub or shower. If all six of us find we need to spend the night at some point while on one of our missions, then it will be much nicer if each one of us has their own bedroom and loo with a shower. I will need your help on decorating your rooms the way you would like them to be."
"Are you kidding?" asked Ron. "We get our own bedroom in this place?"
"No, Ron. I'm not kidding. You will get your own bedroom but remember that discussion is the minor one. We will discuss that later but just so you know I'm going to build my bedroom first and it will have quick access to my office and library. Right now I'm trying to figure out how to do all the enchantments for the loo. It's a very interesting read finding out how the magic works."
"Before that though we need to discuss what happened last night to upset Ginny so much. You are our friends and our teammates. You need to know what happened and be prepared for it because it just might happen to you."
Harry looked at Ginny who was looking down at her hands. The others were looking back and forth from Ginny to Harry.
"I'm sure Ginny is still not ready to discuss it openly but this is something you need to be aware of. We are in a war with Death Eaters who are perfectly willing to kill us if given the chance. Out of the thirteen Death Eaters at Malfoy Manor last night, plus Mrs. Malfoy, four of them were killed. I killed three of those four."
They all turned and looked at Ginny who had a tear running down her face. Suddenly Ron was up and pulled Ginny into a fierce hug.
"Ginny, I'm so sorry you had to do that," he consoled her. "I'm sure he deserved it but I'm sorry it had to be you to have to take him down. You're my sister and I would do anything to protect you from that."
"Thanks, Ron. I was second-guessing myself all last night but after Harry talked to me this morning, I now know that my kill was justified. He may have deserved it but I took his life and it still hurts. Not as much as before but I can still feel it."
"Ginny," offered Hermione with a hug "I know you will never forget what happened but I believe time will lessen the hurt. The further away you get from that incident the easier it will be to put it behind you."
"And that is why you will not be going on our next mission," added Harry.
"What? I can handle another mission," replied Ginny.
"No, you might hesitate with that burden you're currently bearing so it will be safer to bench you until you put a safe margin of time between you and last night. Besides I don't need all of you for this next one so you'll be staying behind to cover our disappearance along with some others. I'll let you guys know when I have it worked out better and exactly how many I'll need to accompany me."
"How are you finding these places to attack, Harry," asked Neville.
"Good question, Neville. I have managed to ascertain a few portkeys from some unfortunate Death Eaters. I'm hoping some of them will lead me to a Death Eater hideout or two. I know of one that already did. That's our next mission."
"Isn't that extremely dangerous Harry?" asked Hermione. "What if the portkey lands you right in the middle of the Death Eaters?"
"I suppose that's possible but highly unlikely. The expected scenario is for the portkey to take you to within the wards of the place but not actually inside the place. No Death Eater would want someone appearing inside the house unexpected whether they knew them or not. Obviously, there are rare exceptions. Either way I would be showing up invisible and real quiet like."
"You take too many risks," said Hermione accusingly.
"That would be true if I were a normal person but I know how to take care of myself and subdue a dozen or more Death Eaters at one time, not to mention I can easily escape a trap better than anyone else I know. Think of it this way. If they ever threw me into Askaban they would not be able to keep me there."
"Harry, that's just plain scary," said Neville who then paused as he thought about it, "but I know it's true."
"Listen everyone," announced Harry, "I want all of you to remember this one thing. You cannot hesitate while we are on a mission. If you hesitate, you die or worse you will get your partner killed. That is why Ginny is benched. We cannot risk her hesitating. What if she has to kill another Death Eater on this next mission before she's over this first one? If she hesitates she could die. If she kills him then she has two kills she is having to deal with at the same time. She needs distance from this first one before facing another. Every single one of you will have to do the same should you ever have to kill someone. You will be benched as well on the next mission if it's too soon like this one is for Ginny."
"What about you Harry? How are you not affected?" asked Ron. "You killed three last night."
"I had my first kill years ago when I was eleven."
"Who?" asked Luna.
"Professor Quirrell. Granted it didn't feel like it was my fault but I was definitely the one who killed him and I had to deal with it."
"I forgot about that," said Ron.
"Trust me, I haven't," replied Harry.
"That's so terrible to have to deal with something like that at the age of eleven, Harry," said Hermione giving him a hug.
"What's done is done," Harry replied. "I have dealt with it already. In my mind, this is war and in war, people die. It's that simple. The trick is making sure you are not the one doing the dying. We are trained and we are deadly but we need to make sure we make no mistakes out there. Death eaters do not give you second chances. They want to torture you and kill you. Make sure you kill them before they kill you. I would rather you deal with having to kill someone than for me to have to deal with losing one of you."
They all just stared at Harry knowing what he was really saying to them. Harry looked away from them as he realized they figured that out. He turned back to them and continued.
"Look, I think I've talked enough and we've covered some unpleasant items. Let's call it for today. I will iron out the wrinkles on my plan for the next mission and then let you guys know who goes with me. In the meantime, get with me at some point with ideas for your bedrooms. Remember two of you could take the bedrooms that are already here and start decorating them as you would like. As soon as I get my bedroom built I will move my things out of the one I'm using along with all the clothes in the closets."
"Anyone up for a broom ride?" asked Ron.
"Count me in," replied Harry.
"I'll go too," said Neville.
"You guys go ahead," said Hermione. "We girls are going to hang out together for a while."
oOo
The next morning at breakfast Harry received an owl from Sirius. Harry fed the owl some of his bacon as he opened the letter.
Harry, I was made aware of some of your activities after speaking to Kingsley. I think we need to meet as soon as possible and don't think you can get out of it!
Kingsley has something to discuss with you as well.
See you soon,
Sirius
"Well, that was short and to the point," said Harry.
"Everything alright there, Harry?" asked Ginny.
"Yes, just a note from Sirius. He wants to talk to me in person so I guess I know where I'll be tonight."
"His owl is still here so does he want an immediate reply?" asked Neville.
"I guess so," said Harry noticing the owl waiting on him. Harry scribbled on the back of the note "See you tonight," and gave it to the owl who immediately left to return to Sirius.
"What do you think he wants to talk to you about?" asked Hermione.
"I'm not sure but knowing Sirius he could either want to chew me out about our activities or he wants to get in on some of the action. I'll know when I get there. He said Kingsley needs to talk to me as well."
oOo
Later that night…
Harry arrived at Grimmauld Place to find both Sirius and Kingsley waiting on him. He met them in the lounge and Dobby appeared with a butter beer for Harry before he could even get seated properly.
"Thank you Dobby."
Dobby bowed to Harry and popped back out.
"I like your elf, Sirius."
"I believe the feeling is mutual, Harry. He seems to talk about you quite a bit. Keeps you up on a pedestal, that one. Always going on about the Great Harry Potter. If you weren't my godson I might be offended but as it is I believe he's spot on."
"No, no, no, Sirius. You are supposed to help me break him of that habit."
Kingsley just sat there enjoying the exchange between the two.
"Now why would I want to do that? I find it quite amusing and he is very efficient. Can you believe he has already fixed up this entire place? He had help but he definitely did most of the work. Best elf I have ever hired. Actually, he's the first elf I've ever hired but he's still the best one so far and Winky is quite the cook. Somehow Kreacher has managed to get along well with both of them."
"Glad to hear it so tell me what am I doing here? Nice to see you again, by the way, Kingsley."
"Good to see you again as well, Harry, especially your face this time. It's much easier to talk to you this way."
"Sirius mentioned that you needed to talk to me about something?"
"Yes, I spoke to Amelia and she's definitely interested in finding out more about your other persona. I explained what you wanted and she agreed offering to provide you with auror uniforms to make the lie more believable. Would you be interested in that?"
"Yes, I would. We will need six uniforms. Let me know when she can have them ready. Actually, just have them brought here and I'll swing by and pick them up from Sirius. This should work great to make them believe it's auror raids."
"Oh, Amelia did ask what you sounded like so I told her you have an American accent like you said. Mrs. Malfoy asked about you as well and also said you had an American accent."
"Good, if that persona is believed to be American then that separates him from me quite nicely. And if people start believing he's working with the auror department then that's even better."
"Kingsley," said Sirius, "I need you to furnish seven uniforms, not six."
"Are we getting down to the reason you needed to talk to me now?" asked Harry.
"That we are, Kiddo. Who said you could go on a Death Eater raid without me?"
"But I gave you a job to do, Sirius. You're supposed to help Kingsley and Amelia take the Malfoy fortune away from Tom, and then continue to help me drain him of all his financial support."
"That? I can do that in my sleep. I'll have Narcissa fully cooperating with Amelia five minutes after I meet with her. We are doing that tomorrow by the way. What I need is action and plenty of it."
"I see." Harry thought about it for a second. "Actually, this could work out marvelously. How about both of you going with me on this next raid? It looks like only five or six Death Eaters at the most. I started to do it alone but my friends like to help so I was going to take a couple with me. If you guys go with me then Kingsley will already be there to call in the aurors to collect the Death Eaters when we have them all stunned and tied up."
"We're listening," said Sirius.
"Here's my plan so far…."