12
Wrath Unleashed
"Oh no," Hermione said as she tossed The Daily Prophet down on the table in front of her.
"Is something the matter with your food, dear?" Mrs. Weasley asked.
"I wish that was all it was," Hermione said pushing the paper to Ron. "I knew Harry would do something stupid. We never should have left him alone."
"You don't really think he would…" Ron began as he skimmed through the article on the front page.
"Do you really think he won't if we don't do something to stop him?" Hermione asked.
"I thought the prophecy was smashed and no one heard what it said," Mrs. Weasley said as she read over Ron's shoulder.
"Dumbledore knew what it said," Ron informed her. "He told Harry right after he got back from the Ministry that night."
"Oh, poor Harry," Mrs. Weasley said as a look of grief came over her face as if one of her own children was in danger. "He should have said something. He shouldn't have to carry that knowledge around by himself."
"Harry only gave The Prophet the barest of details about what it said though," Hermione said.
"Do you mean to say that Harry told you lot about it?" Mrs. Weasley asked.
"Of course he did," Ron said. "He didn't tell us right away though. He waited until last summer to do it."
"I can't believe you would keep something like that from me," Mrs. Weasley said as tears formed in her eyes. "You know how I feel about Harry. If he's in some kind of danger then your father and I should know about it."
"When is Harry not in danger?" Ron asked.
"Don't get cheeky with me Ronald Weasley," Mrs. Weasley said. "You know what I mean. I'm going over to his house to get him. I'll drag him back here by force if I have to."
"I'm going with you," a tear stained Ginny said from the base of the stairs. "I have to know he's all right. I've been up most of the night worried sick about him."
"I think it would be better if you stayed here, Ginny," Mrs. Weasley said knowing the kind of response she would get.
Before Ginny could respond though, there was a knock at the door that startled all of them. Ginny bolted for the door in hopes Harry would be standing on the other side. Mrs. Weasley moved to stop Ginny though to remind her that they would have to identify who it was before they opened the door. Ginny didn't like it, but submitted to her mother's wishes anyway.
"Who is it?" Mrs. Weasley asked as she held tightly to her wand.
"It's Minerva McGonagal, Molly," McGonagal said from the front step.
"What is your favorite candy?" Mrs. Weasley asked.
"I don't have time for something as foolish as candy?" McGonagal answered.
Mrs. Weasley opened the door and lowered her wand as she stepped aside to allow McGonagal to enter and said, "It's good to see you again Minerva."
"Likewise, Molly," McGonagal said as she surveyed those present in the room. "I'm sorry to bother you so early, but I was wondering if Mr. Potter is staying with you. I've just come from his house, and he wasn't there."
"No," Mrs. Weasley said. "He isn't here. We were just about to go to his house to find him."
"Don't waste your time," McGonagal said. "As I said before, he isn't there. I performed a spell to see if he had been there recently, but he apparently didn't spend the night there. I've dispatched the Order to search for him. I was hoping he would have come here."
"I guess you read the article in The Prophet then," Mrs. Weasley said.
"It was a foolish thing for Harry to do," McGonagal said making her disapproval known. "He'll have every death eater in the country looking for him."
"What scares us is that he's likely out there looking for them as well," Hermione said.
"I believe he feels pressures on him that would seem to require just that," McGonagal said. "As unnecessary as it is, he seems to be taking that responsibility on his own shoulders."
"I don't think Harry sees it as unnecessary," Ginny said feeling a need spring up in her to defend Harry no matter what.
McGonagal studied the look in Ginny's eyes momentarily before she said, "Forgive me. Perhaps unnecessary was not the appropriate word to use. I simply meant that no one person can be expected to accomplish such a task single handed."
"He won't have to do it alone if I have anything to say about it," Ginny said as the feeling in her brought the tears back to her eyes.
"I'm sure we will all do our best to lighten that burden on him," McGonagal said sensing that she was about to witness an emotional outburst. "We will just have to find him first."
At the Ministry of Magic, spirits were as high as they had been in some time. Everyone was feeling upbeat as they began their day. In the recent days, their successes fighting the forces of The Dark Lord were encouraging. Of course, they all knew that it was at least partially due to the assistance of The Chosen One. There was a sense of peace that had fallen over the place just from the knowledge that Harry was on the job.
It was midmorning and the fireplaces in the lobby of the Ministry of Magic worked as usual to spew forth newcomers and sweep those departing off to other destinations. Little did anyone suspect that the security set up to check all arrivals through would be woefully inadequate on such a fine day.
It was at half past ten that a figure emerged from the floo network dressed in black robes with a hood pulled up to hide the face that the cheerful attitude changed almost instantly. One of the security men noticed the man and called out to him to stop. When he didn't, four other security men joined the first in drawing their wands. They warned him once again to stop, and he did as requested. They asked him to remove his hood so they could see his face, but instead he turned to face them. When he made no move to remove his hood, they began to ask it again. They never completed their latest request as the man raised his open hand toward them quickly and they were all instantly hit with a force that slammed into their chests. They listened to their own ribs break even before the pain of the crushing blow reached their brains. The four of them dropped instantly gasping for air and writhing in pain as the man turned and continued his walk for the elevator.
The security man behind the desk began to rise as he drew his wand, but a jet of green light hit him in the chest before he could utter a word. Screams rang out from the civilians in the lobby as they caught on to what was happening. It was the mad scramble of the crowd to reach safety that prevented the remaining security men from getting a clear shot at the man. By the time their way was clear, the elevator doors had closed and the elevator was making its way down its shaft.
The elevator had not reached its chosen destination before alarms rang out throughout the Ministry of Magic. The way ahead would get more difficult from then on. Most of the element of surprise the man had counted on in the lobby would be lost on the lower floors. He knew what he faced though, and he was prepared to deal with it.
The elevator clanged to a stop as it hit its destination. Even as it did, he could hear the sound of another elevator descending toward him. It would add another layer to his difficulty soon, but first things first. The elevator doors opened and the hooded man stepped out into the corridor beyond to face seven aurors with their wands pointed at him.
"Stop where you are," Dawlish ordered as the man complied instantly. "Remove your hood and identify yourself."
"If you wish," the man hissed as he raised his hands to his hood and slowly peeled it back.
Even the steel nerved aurors let out an involuntary gasp of shock as their minds rushed to recognize the one man they had wanted to find, and the one man they had feared to find.
"I am Lord Voldemort," Voldemort announced with authority. "Stand aside and allow me to pass and I will spare your lives."
"I…I… can't do that," Dawlish said as he fought to resist the urge to obey that Voldemort was attempting to place in his mind.
"I didn't think so," Voldemort said with a twisted grin as he quickly tossed a vile of potion to the floor in front of the aurors.
The effects were nearly instantaneous as the broken vile emitted a thick cloud of blue smoke that filled the lungs of the aurors and made them slip from consciousness before their bodies ever hit the floor. Voldemort, having taken the antidote prior to his arrival, strolled onwards through the smoke toward his destination.
At the place in the hallway where it junctioned with another, Voldemort shot a flame from his wand that spread around the corner into the other hallway and filled the space from floor to ceiling. The screams of pain were nearly instantaneous as the aurors stationed to be the next line of defense flailed in vain to escape the burning flames that consumed them. Seconds later, the screaming stopped and Voldemort lowered his wand as the flames disappeared. He stepped around the corner to find the charred remains of four aurors lying in the corridor before him as a faint clanging sound reached his ears.
The second elevator had finally reached its destination, and Voldemort knew that aurors would be spilling out of it very soon. In the event that they figured out a way to get past the cloud of poison that still hung in the air there, Voldemort turned and waved his hand, knowing that an invisible barrier had been erected to keep unwanted company out.
As he progressed onwards, Voldemort passed three more junctions and performed the same flame spell as before, but did not encounter any more aurors at those junctions. He had expected to encounter more resistance, but he thought that he must have taken out all of his opposition since none came to challenge him. He rounded one final corner, but did not bother to use the flame spell to clear the passage beyond first. He stopped immediately as he looked to the end of the hallway before him to see one last auror standing in front of the door that was his destination.
"You know you can not stand against me, Nymphadora," Voldemort said as he prepared for the attack he knew would eventually come. "There will be no one to assist you. Their path has been blocked. Join with me now or stand aside to let me pass."
"I will stand against you," Tonks said with determination as she gripped her wand. "I'll stand against you for as long as I have breath in my body."
Voldemort chuckled evilly as he said, "Then you are a fool. I will not kill you. Your aunt has already asked me for that honor. Still, I will not let you stand in my way."
"And I won't let you pass if I can help it," Tonks said praying that she would be able to hit him with a binding spell before he was able to get his wand up.
Voldemort grinned again as Tonks suddenly raised her wand and quickly cast her binding spell. She wasn't fast enough though as Voldemort brought his own wand up and conjured a pillow in mid air that received the binding spell and dropped harmlessly to the floor. Tonks was setting up for a powerful cutting spell when her wand was suddenly ripped from her grasp and clattered to the floor in front of her. She bent over to pick it up and took a powerful blow under her chin that bent her head back dangerously as her entire body was thrown back against the door only to slam into it hard before sinking to the floor.
Voldemort walked forward halving the distance between them as Tonks attempted to shake off her pain and recover. Before she could though, a power wrapped around her and pulled her quickly along the floor until she stopped at Voldemort's feet. The force lifted her up to a semi-kneeling position as Voldemort bent down to look her in the eye.
"Are you sure you wouldn't like to surrender?" Voldemort asked. "I enjoy this sort of thing you know. I really don't have time to play with you much longer."
Tonks summoned every bit of strength she had remaining as she swung her hand up and attempted to shove the fingers right into Voldemort's eyes. He saw it coming though and moved back out of the way so that her effort missed its intended mark.
"A bad choice," Voldemort said as he raised his wand and sent Tonks flying backwards into the door.
Tonks knew immediately that bones had broken as her body impacted the door hard enough to overcome the magical protection holding it shut and tear it from its hinges to fly into the room. Tonks vision was blurred as she opened one eye and watched as Voldemort walked into the cell room. Try as she might, Tonks couldn't make her body respond to any calls for movement. If she could have seen the unnatural way her body was twisted as it lay broken and bleeding on the floor, she never would have attempted to move.
"My Lord," Moreland said as he fought against his chains to kneel as Voldemort entered the room. "I told them nothing. I knew that you would come for me."
"Did you?" Voldemort asked smoothly.
"I didn't know that you would come personally," Moreland said. "I thought you would send the death eaters for me. I am honored to be in your presence."
"This is something I would never allow my death eaters to do for me," Voldemort said. "I hand down all punishments to my death eaters."
"Punishment?" Moreland asked confused.
"You will stand as an example to the other young death eaters who seem to doubt my power and resolve," Voldemort said. "When I give an order it is to be taken seriously. To prove that, I have personally battled my way through the pitiful Ministry defenses to reach you. Your punishment will make sure that no other death eater ever fails me again."
"But, Master…" Moreland began.
Even in her clouded immobile state, Tonks understood what was happening as Voldemort performed a spell that literally blasted Moreland apart as blood and bone exploded against the wall behind him. If Tonks had enough consciousness left, she would have been sick, but she just stared numbly as Voldemort walked over to her.
Voldemort bent down close to Tonks' bloodied face and hissed in a whisper as he said, "Let that be a lesson to all of those who defy Lord Voldemort. No one will escape my wrath if they do not follow me. If you do survive your injuries long enough, be sure to repeat what you have seen and heard to "The Chosen One". No man, woman, or Potter will ever be able to overcome the power of Lord Voldemort."
It was at that moment that Tonks' consciousness finally gave way and everything went black, with her last thought of 'We'll see about that' etched firmly into what was left of her mind.
Voldemort walked quickly back to the place where he had erected the magical barrier to keep unwanted intruders out. He had erected it in such a way that made it possible for him to walk around the corner to look for opposition without being in danger of one of their spells breaching his defensive shield. He had nothing to fear though as he soon discovered the hallway beyond the barrier to be clear.
The cloud of poison was still hanging in the air and obscuring the elevators from view. Voldemort walked closer to the cloud wondering if the aurors had been foolish enough to attempt to walk through it. It didn't take long before he could hear the mutterings on the other side of the cloud to tell him that some of them had wisely chosen to stay clear. Had they only known that he was standing not twenty feet from them, they would have been able to make an attempt at stopping him. As it was though, they never had a chance.
Voldemort raised his hands together out in front of himself as he concentrated on the area beyond the cloud. When he spread his hands quickly out to either side there were several loud crashes and groans as the aurors were thrown against the walls and pinned there. Voldemort strolled forward into the cloud and emerged on the other side to find the aurors struggling in vain against he spell that held them against the walls and unable to raise their wands to utter a spell.
"You may all consider yourselves lucky," Voldemort said as he walked to the elevator. "You easily could have suffered a similar fate to your other auror friends who stood against me. I am leaving you alive so you can tell your precious Minister of Magic to stand aside and name me as Minister of Magic or I will continue to rein destruction down on those who stand against me. Today was just a small sample of the pain I will cause to achieve my goals. I will expect to see the abdication in the Prophet within the week."
The elevator began its climb back toward the lobby level, and Voldemort had to smile to himself. He took pleasure in knowing that even Rufus Scrimgeour would harbor a thought deep within his mind of stepping aside. He knew that it would be buried deep though. Voldemort had resigned himself long ago to the knowledge that he would only rise to power through conquest.
The second the elevator doors opened, a variety of spells designed to subdue flashed out to impact only on the back wall of the elevator. Six security men and three aurors stared astonished as they hesitated to take a breath. They thought for sure that the elevator would contain the man who had broken into the lower levels. It was several seconds later before any of them could lower their wands and walk forward to investigate.
It was during those precious seconds that Voldemort slipped out of the elevator unseen by any of his would be attackers. He waited until he had gotten behind all of them and they were all close enough to the elevator entrance before he raised his wand and performed a spell that picked all of them up and tossed them into the elevator on top of one another. Another wave of Voldemort's wand closed the doors as he pulled off the invisibility cloak with his other hand. Knowing that it wouldn't take the men in the elevator long to recover, Voldemort whipped his wand forward and set loose a powerful cutting spell that sliced cleanly through the metal cage that surrounded the top of the elevator. The spell cut through the protective cage and made its way on to the cables suspending the elevator at its current floor.
Seconds later the elevator began to plummet downwards in free fall. Voldemort smiled once again as he heard the distant sound of metal twisting and churning from the impact far down the elevator shaft. Voldemort smiled as he turned and began making his way back toward the floo system to make his visit complete. He was confident that no one would dare oppose him after he had personally carried out the most devastating attack ever to take place in the Ministry.
Voldemort reached the fireplaces and prepared to step into one when he heard a sound behind him and turned to make sure more aurors weren't trying to stop him. What he saw both surprised him and made rage flare within him. Fifty meters away from him, four of his death eaters lay unconscious on the floor where they had not been moments before. It was the fifth member of the party that interested him the most though.
Harry apparated with his nights quarry into the lobby of the Ministry as he had previously. It only took a split second for Harry to realize that something was seriously wrong. The Ministry, normally bustling with activity at that time of day, was deserted as if it was after hours. A look off to his right told him why.
"Voldemort," Harry said feeling his anger of the previous day return as he stood to face Voldemort, who had begun to step in Harry's direction.
"Harry Potter," Voldemort said in a hiss. "We meet again."
"I've been waiting," Harry said seriously as he prepared to reach for his wand at any moment.
"Have you?" Voldemort asked. "You won't have Dumbledore here to defend you this time, Harry."
"I won't need him to," Harry said watching Voldemort closely.
"Ah, yes," Voldemort grinned. "The Chosen One has some new found confidence. I should have known you'd gone mad when I read that you had actually started to believe what they write about you in The Prophet."
"Or perhaps I just know what that prophecy you tried to steal said," Harry pointed out knowing it would get Voldemort's attention.
"You lie," Voldemort said.
"I guess you would know all about that," Harry began, "since you haven't told the truth in years. Are you still trying to convince yourself that you aren't a half-blood."
"Watch what you say, Harry" Voldemort hissed warningly.
"Or what?" Harry asked. "Are you going to kill me? Haven't you tried to do that enough yet? Obsessions like that aren't healthy you know."
"Your luck has finally run out today, Harry," Voldemort said well aware of the distance his hand would have to travel to reach his wand. "I will kill you once and for all. Then I'll take my death eaters back with me."
"If you want them," Harry said getting ready, "then come and get them."
An instant later, Voldemort's wand was in his hand and at the ready as he said, "Avada Kedavra."
"Sectumsempre," Harry said as he brought his own wand up in a blur of movement.
As had happened before, a thin golden thread connected the tips of both of their wands. Both of them stared intently into the eyes of the other determined not to be the one to give in.
"I see your reflexes have improved," Voldemort said as he strained with is vibrating wand.
"Have they?" Harry asked. "Maybe you're just getting slower."
"I thought this might happen if we dueled again," Voldemort said.
"So did I," Harry said trying to keep the grin off of his face.
It was Harry's turn to try a surprise attack as he raised his empty hand toward Voldemort and performed a wordless and wandless spell with his left hand while maintaining his grip on his wand with his right. It was a spell that Voldemort was not fully prepared to deal with, so he did not get a shield charm up in time to intercept it. The spell hit him in the abdomen and began to bore it's way inside. Voldemort's robes were already straining to absorb the blood before he was able to pass his hand over the wound to stop the spell from digging any further. The damage was done though. Voldemort knew he would have to get back to his potions soon if he hoped to reverse the process.
Voldemort raised his free hand and performed a spell that knocked Harry backwards several meters and caused Harry to break the connection between their wands. Harry hit the ground hard, but forced his body to ignore the pain as he rolled to a crouch as he got ready to defend against another attack. Voldemort was not attacking though as he realized the urgency of his situation, and, somewhat hunched over, he made his way back to the fireplaces.
Harry scrambled to his feet and took aim at Voldemort's back, but had to duck back down to avoid a barrage of killing curses Voldemort was shooting over his shoulder in Harry's direction. It was at that moment that Harry heard the arrival of another elevator. He looked behind him to see Rufus Scrimgeour and Kingsley Shaklebolt exit the elevator with six other aurors. He looked back around just in time to see Voldemort step into one of the fireplaces and disappear.
"Good lord, Harry," Scrimgeour said in surprise as he and the others ran to him. "What are you doing here?"
"I was just making another delivery," Harry said pointing to the four death eaters still lying on the floor nearby. "I got here just before Voldemort was going to floo out of here."
"Did you actually duel with You Know Who, Harry?" Kingsley asked.
"I really wish you would all start calling him by his name," Harry said with a twinge, as he became aware of the broken rib he had suffered in his fall. "He's as mortal as the rest of us. I did duel with him though. I think I got in a good shot on him. He'll have to work pretty quickly to repair his injury or he may be out of action for quite some time."
"He's sure made a mess of things for us here today," Scrimgeour said. "He broke through all of our defenses and went down to the detention level. Did he leave with anyone?"
"No," Harry answered caressing the sore spot in his left side. "I think he was alone. Of course someone may have left just before I got here."
"I suppose he came to break out that death eater you brought in yesterday," Scrimgeour said. "We had better get down to the detention level and see what happened. We haven't had any contact with them since the first elevator full of aurors went down to try to stop him."
"I'd like to come with you," Harry said. "I'd like to see for myself if he managed to break out that death eater."
"Are you sure you're all right, Harry?" Kingsley asked taking notice of Harry favoring his left side. "You look like you haven't slept in days."
"It's nothing that would stop me from going with you," Harry responded.
"You might as well," Scrimgeour said as he looked at the newest prisoners Harry had brought in. "If people are hurt down there it would mean a lot to them to have you there."
"It would mean more to me if they were all able to stay out of harm's way," Harry said as they stepped into the elevator. "The fact that Voldemort made it down there and back leads me to believe otherwise though."
"It may not be a pretty sight, Harry," Kingsley said. "You may know some of the aurors that were down there. Are you sure you're up to it?"
"I think I'll be fine," Harry said wondering if he really was ready for the horrors that may wait below.
No one else said a word as the elevator crept downward to one of the lower levels and came to a stop. The doors opened and the aurors immediately sprang out to attempt to help their colleagues who were still pinned to the wall by a spell. Harry stayed behind in the elevator opening as the spells were broken one at a time to get the aurors down. Harry could see though that there were bodies lying in the corridor under the gas cloud that was suspended in the air above them.
"No, minister," one of the aurors said. "He came out alone. He said to tell you to step aside and name him as the new Minister."
"Not likely," Scrimgeour said as he studied the cloud in font of him. "Maybe the aurors further in were able to repel his attack somehow."
"I would think they would have chased him out to this point if they were still in a condition to do so," Kingsley said. "We aren't going to know that until we get past this cloud though. I don't know if we can afford to wait for it to dissipate on its own. It could last for days."
"We could apparate past it," Harry said as he stepped from the elevator for the first time.
A quiet fell over the aurors as they looked at Harry and Scrimgeour said, "You can't apparate on the detention levels, Harry. Otherwise all of the prisoners would escape."
"Unless of course, Harry wants to tell us how it is that he manages to apparate into the Ministry lobby even though blocks have been put on that as well," Kingsley pointed out.
"I won't put Mr. Potter in that kind of danger even if it were possible," Scrimgeour said.
"It is possible," Harry said looking at the bodies under the cloud once again.
"I can't allow it," Scrimgeour insisted.
"Harry," Kingsley began, "Tonks was one of the aurors on duty in there. If anything has happened…"
"I'm going in," Harry said immediately as he stepped forward.
"I said, no," Scrimgeour said with as much authority as he could muster.
"With all due respect, Minister," Harry said as he looked at Scrimgeour, "you'll have a hard time stopping me."
"Are you sure, Harry?" Kingsley asked. "What you find might be…"
"I would never forgive myself if I didn't try to help when it was in my power to," Harry said. "I would like you to go with me though."
"Of course," Kingsley said as he stepped to Harry's side.
"I'd like you to come as well, Minister," Harry said.
Scrimgeour studied Harry for a moment before stepping to his other side and saying to the other aurors, "I want half of you to wait here for us to come back. The other half get back upstairs and find someone who might be able to get rid of this cloud and evacuate the dead."
"Just hold tight to my arms," Harry said as Kingsley and Scrimgeour complied.
In an instant the scene before them shifted to an open expanse of hallway. Kingsley and Scrimgeour were momentarily bewildered about what had just happened. They had expected to feel their bodies compress as it did during a side by side apparation. Instead they had felt only the briefest feeling of weightlessness. A look behind them at the cloud confirmed that they had indeed moved further down the corridor.
"Wow, Harry!" Kingsley exclaimed. "That was amazing. You'll have to teach me to do that sometime."
"I can't do that," Harry said. "You would have to arrest yourself."
"What?" Scrimgeour asked wondering what law Harry might have just broken.
"Ask me no questions and I'll tell you no lies, Minister," Harry said seriously. "Shall we move on?"
Kingsley took the lead, but was suddenly thrown back as he ran into Voldemort's barrier. Harry helped him up, and the three of them apparated once again past the barrier. The sight that met their eyes crushed some of their hopes that Voldemort may have been repelled. They walked past the charred bodies in silence until they had reached a junction and turned the corner.
"Harry," Kingsley began, "I think you should stay here."
"Why?" Harry asked.
"Because there is only one auror not accounted for so far," Kingsley said as gently as he could.
"If Tonks is injured you'll need me to get her out of here past the barriers," Harry explained.
"I think he's referring to the state the bodies we just passed were in," Scrimgeour put in. "You may not be ready to be exposed to what he might have done to her."
"I've seen dead people and injured people before, Minister," Harry said trying to shut out the images that tried to pop to the surface in his mind. "I'll be fine."
There was a long silence as the Minister considered Harry's insistence before Kingsley said, "Well we had better keep moving anyway. Time may not be on our side."
The three of them threw caution to the wind and set off at a run through the remaining hallways with Kingsley in the lead. Harry ran right into Kingsley's back as he rounded the last corner. Kingsley had stopped at the sight of what lay before him, and made every attempt to shield Harry from it. He couldn't do so for long though as Harry fought to glance around the big auror.
Harry's eyes went wide with horror at his immediate reaction. His first look squared in on the blood splattered on the back wall of the room. A scream of pain came into Harry's throat, but he was too emotionally stunned to utter a single sound as his mind rushed to make sense of the rest of the scene. The door lay inside the room hanging tenuously from its lower hinge having been smashed in.
It was no more than a few seconds before Harry spotted her, though it seemed an eternity to Harry. Choking down his sorrow that filled him, Harry stepped around Kingsley and ran forward and stepped into the room. It wasn't until he got inside the room that he noticed the slumped body of the death eater he had captured the day before still in his chains, but with a sizable hole in the center of his chest.
Harry tore his eyes away from the death eater to look at Tonks' twisted form lying on the floor ahead of him. Harry couldn't stop the tears as he knelt down at her side. He reached out his hand toward her and brushed a few hairs out of her face. Harry's heart nearly jumped as his hand glided across her temple and felt something he had not expected.
"She's alive!" Harry exclaimed to Kingsley and Scrimgeour as they watched from the doorway.
"What?" Scrimgeour and Kingsley asked in surprise.
"She has a pulse," Harry said not taking his eyes from her as he stroked her cheek. "Come over here. I have to get her to St. Mungo's. Either you go with me or you have to wait for me to come back for you."
Scrimgeour and Kingsley both walked over and took hold of Harry's shoulders as he took hold of Tonks' hand. In a mater of seconds, all was quiet once again on the detention level. Harry was determined not to lose the last decent part of the Black family line. He was determined not to lose a friend. He was more determined than he had ever been not to lose.
