Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter. I do own my plot, and my characters.
Chapter 12 –– My Country, My People
Almost a weak had past since the last order meeting. No one, not even McGongall had seen the headmaster since then. He remained shut in his office, planning, and only emerged when he had to check on this or that. He was working feverishly, but on what, no one knew. They would be told in time, they assumed. And so, they went about their daily lives, and waited for their phoenix pendants to grow hot.
It so happened, that on that day, the daily lives of several order members brought them to Diagon alley. Ronald Weasley and Hermione Granger sat outside Florean's ice cream parlor. They had not been sitting there long, only half an hour or so, but the two had quickly grown impatient.
"Ron," Hermione said, "When did Fred and George say that they would meet us for lunch?"
"12:00 'Mione."
She glanced down at the watch on her wrist. 11:50.
"That's what I thought… Then why were we here so early!"
"You're the one that made us leave!" Ron shouted in return.
Several pairs of eyes turned to look at the shouting pair from the crowded street before shaking their heads and moving on.
Suddenly, the street was overwhelmed with several loud pops. The pops then turned to screams.
"Ron, what is it, can you see?" She asked in a quick whisper.
Ron stood up on top of his seat to see over the crowd of screaming people, now running in every direction, trying to stuff themselves into an empty space in a building or behind a cart.
"Merlin, 'Mione, it's the death eaters!"
"What! Where?"
"All up and down the alley! At least 20 of them."
"Ron, get down!"
"No, 'Mione, we got to help them."
Out of no where, a voice began to speak as though through a megaphone, amplified over the entire alley.
"Attention citizens. Do not panic. The Department of Safety and Freedom Enforcement is here. All C.C.A.R.E members please protect those around you."
Ron looked down at her from the chair.
"'Mione, get up here! You got to see this."
She quickly scrambled up on top of the chair and watched as the battled unfolded further down the alley. The shadows appeared silently, one second they were not there, the next they were. The death eaters were taken by complete surprise, and were completely outnumbered.
"Oh my god…" Hermione whispered.
She was looking at Harry Potter for the first time since the school year had ended. He was surrounded by his own black clad soldiers, flinging spells left and right from his wand. It looked to Hermione as though he was conducting a symphony of screams; every twist of his wand was met with a shout of a falling death eater. His followers did the same.
"Retreat!" Hermione could hear the fear in Bellatrix's voice as she yelled.
She was one of the only ones that escaped. Within minutes, nineteen of the twenty three death eaters that had come to the alley lay bound on its cobblestones.
She heard Harry's voice ring out over the alley a second time.
"Attention citizens. The incident has been contained. If you would all come back out and join us for a demonstration."
Hermione saw him flick his wand, and a large platform appeared. She saw him lean over and whisper something to the black clad figure next to him, before the shadows began to drag the death eaters, many of them softly moaning, up onto the platform. They arranged them in a line across the stage, each death eater on their knees, and each shadow standing behind one.
"Oh no…" Hermione whispered to Ron. "Ron… you don't think…"
Any continuation that she would have said was stopped as Harry climbed onto the platform and began to speak to the crowd that was forming around it.
"Citizens," Harry began. "You saw with your own eyes what these people did," he said motioning to the death eaters behind him, "And you know in your hearts what they wanted to do. Tell me, my people, are they guilty of treason?"
The alley erupted in a roar of screams as the people shouted "guilty!"
"Then you know as well as I," Harry continued, his voice growing louder, "That there is only one punishment suitable for crimes of this nature! My people, what shall be done?"
Once more the crowd erupted in shouts, each person demanding their death.
"Very well. Then I, Harry James Potter Black, Head of the Department of Safety and Freedom Enforcement, do hereby sentence the death eaters kneeling here to death."
The crowd met his words with cheers of approval. Some even shot sparks out of their wands and filled the air with fireworks.
Harry slowly raised his hand into the air before dropping it to his side. A series of blasts emanated from the platform; each of the nineteen death eaters lay sprawled out on the wood, their heads surrounded by blood.
The crowd cheered even louder.
Harry stood turned to face them once more, his hands crossed behind his back, his robe – bottom blowing in the breeze.
"Let this be a message," he declared, "That as long as the Department of Safety and Freedom Enforcement stands, the citizens of wizarding England will be safe and free!"
The crowd continued to cheer. Then, suddenly, a voice called out from somewhere in the crowd.
"Long live Lord Potter!"
"Long live Lord Potter!" the crowd echoed, and echoed, and echoed.
Hermione turned to look at Ron, her face as pale as his, and her mouth hanging open in shock. She barely noticed, as the platform was filled with a blue light, and the bodies disappeared.
"Bloody hell," she heard Ron finally say.
For once she did not correct him. She merely nodded her head slowly, speechless.
~/\\/~
Minister Fudge sat fuming at his desk. How dare he. That boy!
When the Minister for Magic had come to the Ministry that day, he had hoped to have a pleasant one. And indeed, until twelve o'clock, it had seemed as though his wish would be granted. But then Percy had come in with the news.
At first, he had not believed him. The thought that Potter had ordered an impromptu public execution was… barbaric. He had let the first one slide. After all, even Potter appeared to look at it unfavorably. Or, at least so it seemed. But for the people to listen to him like that… and for him to call them his people. No, that could not stand.
Fudge tapped his fingers on his desk impatiently. Where is he, he thought. He had asked Percy (for by now he had learned his name) to call Potter to his office over an hour ago!
Suddenly, he heard a knock at the door.
"Yes," Fudge said.
The door cracked slightly.
"Minister," Percy said, "Lord Potter Black is here to see you."
"Send him in," the minister growled.
Harry pushed Percy aside as he strolled into the office, closely followed by his normal entourage who quickly took their normal positions.
"Thank you, Percy" Harry said as though it were his office, "You may go."
Rayne shut the door firmly behind him as he left.
Harry flicked his wand and a chair appeared. He sat in it lazily as though he were preparing to read a book.
"Well, Minister?" Harry asked in a lazy tone.
"Well!" Fudge shouted indignantly. "You had no right to do that! He is my assistant and I will tell him when to leave!"
"Alright, Minister," Harry replied. "Was there something else, or is that all?"
"You're damn right there's something else!" Fudge shouted. "What is this barbarousness. Public executions! Angry mobs!"
"Minister," Harry said, "Firstly, they weren't executed. It was just an illusion. I had them brought afterwards to holding cells to await interrogation. And secondly, I was only following the protocol set down by S.A.F.E Order number one––"
"And that! You did not consult me at all when you did that. There will be no more orders passed without my approval. Do you understand that!"
"Certainly. Certainly minister. It was only for time's sake––"
"I don't care what reason you had for doing it. It - stops - now!"
Harry began to examine his nails.
"Yes. Fine, Minister, fine," he replied in a calm tone.
Fudge looked outraged by Harry's treatment of him. He could not believe that someone would dare treat him like that; and, if the redness of his face was any marker, he was very, very, upset.
"Look, boy," he began in a low cold tone, "Let me make something very clear to you." His shoved his finger towards Harry. "I am the Minister. This is my country and my people. And from now on, we are doing this my way."
"Whatever you want Minis––"
"SO," Fudge cut him off loudly, "This is what is going to happen. When I come to the Ministry tomorrow morning, this is what I want to see. Firstly," Fudge said holding up one finger, "You will have your men leave Azkaban and all its prisoners. It will be run by my aurors!"
Harry's eyes did not move from his fingertips.
"Secondly," now two fingers, "You will repeal both of your orders immediately, and you will not pass any more without consulting me."
"Mhm" Harry said.
"And lastly," Fudge shouted with three fingers, "There will be nothing more done without my direct approval!"
Harry flipped his hands over and began to examine his cuticles.
"Boy!" Fudge screamed, "Are you listening to me!"
Thorne's hand was halfway to his wand before he felt his master touch his arm to still him.
Harry sat up in his chair and fixed his eyes upon the Minister's.
"Minister," Harry said calmly, "I promise that when you return to the Ministry, everything you said will be done."
~/\\/~
"Crucio."
Bellatrix screamed as her master's curse connected with her. She collapsed, writhing before his crude throne.
"Would you care to repeat that, Bellatrix?"
"Nineteen Death Eaters captured in the raid and executed in the alle––"
"Crucio!"
Bellatrix began to scream again. She lay panting on the floor when it was lifted.
"And why didn't you tell me this sooner, bellatrix. It's almost evening!"
"I'm sorry, My Lord, but it took us time to ascertain what happened. I wanted to make a proper report and ––"
"CRUCIO!"
He removed the curse after a minute had passed.
"Bellatrix, the only reason I'm not executing you is due to your prior service."
"Yes, thank you My Lord."
"Potter is stronger than I had thought, Bellatrix…"
Voldemort took out his wand and soon a large wooden table occupied the center of the room.
"Give me your arm, Bellatrix."
She extended her arm towards him. He pressed one of his long, white fingers onto her mark.
Hardly a minute had gone by before the room was filled with popping sounds. Each death eater took his prescribed place around the table as he arrived, Voldemort sitting at the head.
"Ah, Severus, you're here," Voldemort said to him as he arrived, gesturing towards the empty seat to his right.
As Snape sat down he looked at the others around the table. The entire inner circle had been called, though for what, he was not sure.
"Now that Severus is here, we can begin."
Voldemort looked up and down the table before he began.
"As you all know, Bellatrix led a mission today to Diagon Alley. What few of you know, is that the mission was defeated."
Confused expressions filled the faces of most sitting at the table, though none wanted to interrupt their lord.
"Somehow, Potter was ready. Of the twenty three that were sent, nineteen were captured and executed on the spot."
Confusion turned to shock.
"Potter is stronger than I had thought. We can no longer carry on as we have been doing."
"But My Lord," said Yaxley, "He's only sixteen. Surely he's not that powerfu––"
"Crucio!"
Yaxley fell out of his chair as he screamed. Slowly, he lifted himself back up into it.
"You dare disagree with you Lord, Yaxley?" Voldemort asked.
"No, My Lord, I'm sorry My Lord."
Voldemort gave him a cold look before continuing.
"We can no longer continue performing raids as we have been doing. Nor can we continue to infiltrate the Ministry. It has been two weeks, and the boy has already uncovered more than ten of our agents in the Ministry. We need a new tactic…"
Voldemort looked lost in thought for a moment before he continued.
"You will all go now. We will meet again tomorrow night, and I expect you to all have ideas by then. Go. Go!"
As death eaters left as quickly as they came, the room once more filled with pops.
"Potter," Voldemort said to himself quietly. "Potter."
~/\\/~
At the same time, Ron, Ginny, their parents, and Hermione all sat around the dining room table in The Burrow eating dinner. Fred and George rarely returned home for dinner now that they had the flat, and Percy had not been back since the falling out with his father.
"It was crazy, Mum. I still can't believe it."
"It was absolutely barbaric. Brutal, that's what it was," Hermione corrected.
"Tell me again, dears, what happened exactly."
"Mum," Ginny whined, "We already heard it twice!"
"Albus called a meeting for tomorrow morning, Ginny. We can not afford to leave anything out. This is important. Now go on, dears."
"Well," Ron started, "We were waiting for Fred and George and Florean's when all of a sudden the death eaters appeared. Now we just heard screams, so I hopped up on the chair––"
"I told him to get up on the chair––"
"So I could see what was happening. Well the death eaters did as normal, and started flinging spells all about, firing at everything they saw, when almost instantly Potter and his people appeared."
"They were terrifying," Hermione said. "We could see Harry's face clearly. But the others… the shadows… they wore these masks, but not like the death eaters. They were faces, but not faces…"
"Anyway, it only took a few minutes and the death eaters were either gone or lying on the ground. Well, suddenly this large platform appears and the shadows dragged the death eaters up onto it. Before we knew it there was a crowd around it demanding their deaths."
"And?" Molly asked.
"And the brute had them killed."
"I still can't believe that it's Harry who is doing it. I mean, I see everyday what's happening in the Ministry. People being dragged out of their offices, people marching down to their offices for questioning, but still… You know I saw him today."
"Harry? You saw Harry?" Molly asked.
"Yeah. I didn't talk to him or anything. Wasn't really close, really. Just saw him marching across the atrium. Had a nasty look on his face. I feel sorry for whoever caused that."
"Has your date come up yet, Dad?" Ginny asked.
"I'm scheduled for next week."
"Merlin, Arthur, I'm worried about you," Molly said. "What if Potter finds you. I mean, he knows that you're in the order. I doubt he thinks that you've quit."
"I don't know, Molly."
"What happens in those interviews anyway?" Hermione asked.
"I don't know much about that either. I think it depends on the person."
"What do you mean?"
"Well, for example there's this one bloke I know, was in and out in five minutes. He says the interrogator barely looked up from the paper. Different chap said that he was in there for three hours the other day and he had veritaserum fed to him. And those are the ones that come back. Apparently if they find you suspicious they arrest you right there and take you away."
"God. It's scary. Harry has made the country absolutely brutal and it's only been two weeks," Hermione said.
"It's alright, Hermione," Molly replied. "We're talking to Albus in the morning. I'm sure it will look better in the morning.
~/\\/~
"Well Percy, I'm off. It's been a long day."
Percy looked up from his desk where he sat sorting through papers.
"Yes, Minister. Quite long. Well, goodnight, Minister."
Indeed, it had been a long day for the Minister. He had not had any other meetings that day, not since Harry left, but it alone was enough to shake him up. He could not tell what he was up to. It was too easy to talk to him, he thought. He had not expected Harry to agree so easily. But, then again, what else was Harry supposed to do.
Fudge walked back into his office after waving goodnight to Percy and reached for the jar of green powder on the fireplace mantle. He threw some onto the flames, stepped in, and clearly intoned "Fudge Manor."
He stepped out of his sitting room fireplace seconds later. He looked around the room with shock.
The room was empty, bare of all paintings, decorations, furniture, except for one chair; one chair that was being occupied by the last person he wanted to see –– Harry Potter.
"Potter! What are you doing here?" Fudge yelled. "And where are my things."
Harry looked up at the Minister.
"Why, Minister, I've taken the liberty of having your things moved to storage. After all, the house will be empty and all that, and I didn't want anything getting ruined…"
"Empty? What do you mean empty?" Fudge's voice suddenly began to carry a more frantic note.
"Why, Minister!" Harry said with a mocking laugh, "You were attacked tonight, in your home! Now, the Department suspects the Order of the Phoenix, but then, you never know. But anyway, you've been moved to a secret location to recuperate."
"What the devil are you talking about, boy!"
Harry just laughed in response.
Fudge suddenly became very scared. He tried to move his hand into his pocket discreetly to grasp his wand, but found that he could not move his arms no matter how hard he tried.
"Tut tut, Minister. Where is the trust? Then again, you were right to go for your wand."
Harry snapped his fingers, and twenty or so shadows filled the roomed, some lining the walls, some guarding the door, and some on either side of Harry.
Suddenly, a red light blazed forward from where Harry sat and caught the minister in the chest, sending him flying into the wall.
He fell hard on the floor. Moaning, he found that he could move again, and rolled onto his back. A shallow gash ran diagonally across his chest, tearing both his clothes and his skin. He pressed his hand to it. His palm was wet with blood.
"Crucio."
He barely registered hearing the curse before it hit him. It lasted for what seemed like forever. His throat was raw from screams when it was finally lifted.
He rolled over onto his stomach, panting hard, before he felt to sets of hands grab his arms and pull him to his knees. Two of the shadows dragged him forward and forced him to kneel in front of Harry. One grabbed the back of his head and forced him to look up.
Harry sat forward in his chair and met the Minister's forced gaze.
"Now, let me make something very clear to you, Minister," Harry said. "You are only Minister because I allow you to be such. The people trust me, not you. Your rating has gone up because of me, not you. And we're going to listen to me, not you."
Fudge looked at him wide-eyed. He tried to stand up, but one of the shadows kicked him in the head, knocking him against the floor. He lay there for several seconds, sprawled out in a heap, before he was dragged back in front of Harry.
"This is my country now, Minister," Harry said. And these are my people."
Fudge felt another kick, this time to the ribs, which knocked him onto his back.
"Now, where were we?" Harry asked with a fake questioning air. "Oh. Right."
He leveled his wand and pointed it at the Minister's prone form.
"Crucio."
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