This chapter has sex references.
Money ? What money ?
As the days went by the newspapers continuously reported muggleborn parents withdrawing their children from Hogwarts. Lara wasn't surprised, the magical world had never been completely kind to the children from the mundane world, they'd relied on Hogwarts to protect them. Those pictures and those journals completely shattered the myth Hogwarts was safe. Was it any wonder the parents were withdrawing their kids ? Lara wouldn't be completely surprised if the kids told their parents what the school was really like. Lara had told Amelia to show the ignorant masses of Britain just how harmful their decisions had been.
For the past 7 centuries, magical kind was stagnating, the bloodlines were producing more squibs, pureblood families were dying out. Instead of actually taking in muggle borns into the families, they instead married their own cousins.
Was it any wonder why magical kind was dying out ?
Magical kind, particularly the communities in Europe with the exceptions of Italy, Spain, Portugal and France, were dying out.
Magical Britain was stagnant, the number of purebloods sent to magical schools had gone down considerably over the last 200 years whilst the number of children from non magical backgrounds was shooting up and up. The reasons for this was because of the simple fact that purebloods were either a, marrying their closest cousins, or b, simply making purebloods marry purebloods only, which was a limited choice. There were very few purebloods left.
Amelia had worked hard to ensure that this information was sent directly to the news publishers, along with the threat that if they didn't then they would be banned in the magical world. Besides, with Lara Potter's word backing the news, publications had no choice. Lara hadn't particularly wanted to use her name to do this, but when she worked out the rationale behind it she accepted. Nothing made her happier than bringing out into the light the dirty laundry the magical people ignored.
The information and it's implications were terrifying, and what was worse Voldemort, who showed a façade of wanting purebloods to rise up again, was making the situation worse.
The last two dark lords, which included the present one, had wiped out a small but growing number of pureblood casualties. During Lord Voldemort's first reign of terror quite a few families had been wiped out in numbers that represented genocide, the fact their murderers were pureblooded witches and wizards was also pointed out.
Amelia made sure this information was printed with other hints, the more people Voldemort killed the greater his so called goals would never reach fruition. The number of squibs being born was growing and growing everyday of the week to families that had been magical for centuries. Amelia had no hesitation in pointing out that it was the families' own fault for the mess in the first place.
Dumbledore's own contribution had just made the unstable situation worse - by raping muggleborn children and Amelia revealing it, he'd just driven out the only way for the magical world to survive. The news of this put many purebloods off their meals for weeks.
The idea of non pure magical blood being their saviour made many of the extremists ill. Lara, of course, didn't care. She just wanted them to wake up and see the real world, not the black and white world they saw things. Maybe if they did, magical kind could leave the gutter and enter the modern world.
When it was revealed Dumbledore was a hidden pureblood supremacist the outcry was loud enough to stun the afterlife, Dumbledore had long been a champion of muggleborns, to find he wasn't stunned the light to the core.
Lady Saint read the Prophet, her meetings with Amelia, the only trusted contact she had, made her cringe with disgust at the sudden realisation the magical world now had about the collective harm they'd been doing to the muggleborns. Lara had met the American wizards, compared them and their way of thinking to the way the British wizards thought.
The fact Americans had made a new life on the other side of the world, coupled with the fact the first settlers had very few purebloods in their original number, had meant that the need for muggle blood was too great for the pathetic prejudices in Europe.
It was the same worldwide, Lara had met Australians, Italians, New Zealanders, Japanese, Chinese….the list went on and on.
Lara shared those meetings with Amelia and her parents, Amelia had been disappointed that the British lack of thinking ahead could mean their end. But Lara pointed out that it wasn't the end of the world.
The muggle world had dozens of children being born everyday, the number of those children being born with magic was seriously high. All Amelia needed to do was ensure their safety and ensure that people like the death eaters, Voldemort and Dumbledore didn't exist to ensure the magical world's extinction.
" Even if magical Britain dies out, it's not the end of the world. There are still dozens of countries out there, all with their own way of doing things. If I were you Amelia, I'd ask them for help with this issue. Never mind the backlash, would you want to be remembered as the Minister responsible for destroying the British wizarding world ?" Lara had stated at one of their many meetings.
Lady Saint was seated at one of the many tables in Potter manor, a laptop in her lap as she went over the information. A small smile curved her face.
Hermione dropped into a seat near her, " Whatcha doing ?"
Since the revelations in the prophet, Hermione had changed a lot of her outlook on life. It wasn't everyday that you learnt that you'd been summoned to your headmaster's office and then deaged and then raped. Hermione hadn't been happy to learn that what had happened to her would be printed all over a newspaper and in quite a few editions, but that ebbed when she heard that the news had meant Dumbledore had been ousted from headmaster and all his titles and awards had been stripped away from him.
Lara turned to look at Hermione, they'd become sort of friends, not as close as some might think, but it was there.
" Checking a bank."
Hermione frowned as she looked at the screen, " An American bank ?"
Lara's smirk didn't waver, " It's not my account."
" WHAT ?"
Hermione's scream brought the Potters and her parents into the room, the Potters had their wands drawn but they put them back into their robes when they saw it was just Lara and Hermione.
" No need to shout Hermione," Lara chided the other witch as if their parents weren't there.
" But you're hacked into another persons bank account !"
By now both Potters and Grangers had found out the problem but Lara paid them no attention whatsoever.
Lara's smirk became larger until it dominated her face, " Didn't it occur to you to ask whose account it is ?"
James interrupted before they heard Hermione go on about injustice, sometimes her desire for fairness and justice for all could be incredibly taxing.
" Whose account is it then ?"
" Voldemorts. Did you really think that when he made plans to conquer the world that Voldemort wouldn't need cash ? No, in order to wage war you need," Lara held up her fingers and counted off, " Propaganda, to inspire and to shake the foundations of the opponent," another finger, " resources, in this case, potion ingredients, books, materials and fabrics for the robes of the death eaters, " one more finger, " Money."
Lara held out the laptop, " Voldemort's money comes from the muggle world, from drug trafficking to be exact."
" Drug trafficking ? You mean a dark lord that hates normal people would do something like that ?" Emma asked, finding it hard to believe that someone as bigoted and evil as Voldemort would be so hypocritical.
Lara nodded, " Yes, I found out about the labs a few years back when I was in the states. Some of the people in the organisation had long term compulsion charms on them. After checking the soul piece America removed from me it wasn't hard to determine who'd done it."
James was confused, " Why would he do it ?"
" Money, drug dealing is big business. Voldemort cast spells on everyone in the drug organisation, meaning he gets a good majority of the proceeds."
Hermione wanted to know more, " How did you find out about it ?"
Lara leant back and started to speak, " The soul piece, it allowed me to enter Voldemort's mind without him knowing it. I found out everything, every contact, every little crime the snivelling little shit's committed. Plus, the bank details. When I found those out, it didn't take much ingenuity for me to fake details and arrange for online banking. That way I can see how much profit he's made each year. Its quite high."
Lily whispered, " What're you going to do ?"
" I'm going to close the account, transfer it to my own and siphon it too charities. Voldemort will get the letter stating it's been closed, and I'll enjoy every minute of it."
New York.
It was weird, really, seeing this part of the city. Hermione had, of course, been to New York before she'd discovered she was a witch, but she'd seen a different side of the city. The good, kind side, the side where crime didn't exist.
But not here.
Hermione had, of course, seen movies where cities were where predators roamed the streets, as a result she had a very real fear that she could be dragged to an alleyway, and raped.
She had no idea why Lara had dragged her here, she could easily have done this on her own.
The warehouse Lara told her where Voldemort had set up part of his drug trafficking empire was non descript, it was shabby, but Hermione knew better than to underestimate someone like Voldemort. He'd designed this empire to avoid attention, and it had worked.
But that was until he met Lady Saint.
Hermione looked at Lara, she was dressed in a black hoodie, black trousers and trainers, a satchel slung over her shoulder. Hermione herself was dressed in similar clothes, but she wasn't as confident as Lara. Ever since she'd discovered she'd been raped multiple times by a man she'd trusted, Hermione had been training herself to fight back. Anger now coursed through her at the thought of the old pervert, but she didn't know what use she'd be here.
Lara's whisper broke in on her thoughts, " Right, I'm going up to those goons. Stay here. Cover me. If they grab me, curse them. But please," she pleaded, " Kill them, don't stun them."
Hermione swung round to see Lara, she'd changed her outfit. She was dressed like a slut, hair done up into a high chav ponytail, face caked in makeup, blouse at least a couple of sizes too small, high heeled boots, extra short skirt. Hermione's eyes widened as she realised what was happening.
" You are kidding. You didn't say you'd be doing this."
Lara grinned, " I've got to catch them off guard, besides if my parents had heard what I'd had in mind they wouldn't have allowed us to come here."
" But Lara -"
" No, I'm doing this. Besides, I've learnt from the best. I was friends with a prostitute once. Lovely woman, pity she died."
" Died ? Died of what ?" Hermione jumped at the word.
Lara shrugged, " Someone snapped her neck when she um bit his neck. Stupid fool."
Before Hermione could say another word, Lady Saint had gone, flouncing off towards the men guarding the warehouse.
Lady Saint, or in this disguise, Laura, flounced towards the goons outside the warehouse. Before she stepped into the light, she brought out a massive bottle of whiskey. She poured some on herself, the more these guys thought of her as some cheap whore, the better.
Lara checked her daggers and her other weapons. This was a dangerous case, and she wasn't going to risk herself for anything unless she had no other option.
As soon as the goons saw her, they stopped chatting to themselves, Lara felt disgust their lusty looks. One of them wolf whistled her.
" Hey baby," one of them said, walking over to her and hugging her. Lara played along, she purred as the guy fondled her breasts.
Whilst she felt disgust for what this lowlife piece of shit was doing, she knew she had no choice.
" How much ya got ?" she asked, putting on an airhead voice that sounded drunk.
" Thirty bucks."
" Oh," she pretended to pout, then she brightened, " Tell ya what, call your friend over, and I'll do you both for twenty each."
The crook pressed his growing erection against Lara's thigh, and it took all of her self control not to punch him for touching her there.
When the crook called his mate over and told her what she wanted, he agreed. Nighttimes were lonely, especially when you had to guard a drug lab in the middle of the Manhattan docks. Whenever a slut came over, they usually took advantage and fucked her till she died of exhaustion.
Lara led them away from the warehouse, into a quiet corner. She'd chosen this place because whilst anyone in the doorway of the warehouse wouldn't be able to see anything in this place, she could see easily whenever someone came out to check on the sentries.
Lara dropped to her knees, pretending to look subservient and meek, both men took out their penises and rubbed them hard. Giving a sultry, slutty and bimboish smile, she grabbed them both and gently rubbed them with her fingers. Both men were now groaning with lust, and one of them grabbed her head and pushed it towards his phallus. Before the tip even touched her lips, she reacted and grabbed one of her daggers.
Before the sex starved sentry could do anything, he found himself with his penis sliced off, and the whore with a dagger in her hand. He was in absolute agony, but he couldn't move as he was in shock over the attack. Lady Saint shot him with a smile, and then plunged her blade into his chest.
The whole murder took at least 20 seconds. The other thug, stunned by the assault on his partner, tried to grab his gun. But his mind was so fogged with arousal that Lara sliced his throat open with a quick flick of her wrist. The thug fell to the same blood soaked ground as his colleague.
Lady Saint stood in the faded light between the crates. She remembered the last time she'd attacked and killed someone like this, how she'd sliced off their bits and then killed them before they could scream.
Emotionlessly, and without a shred of remorse, she clicked her fingers and her whore disguise vanished, returning her outfit to what it had been before.
Hermione had been on tenterhooks since Lara had left her, so when she came back without a mark on her Hermione was thrilled.
" What happened to them ?" she asked.
Lara's reply was as enigmatic and short, as usual, but this time Hermione had the general gist of what had happened.
" They died of sex."
Both girls entered the warehouse without any problems, there wasn't anyone here. That fitted the information Lara had gathered on this lab, the people that did work here stayed until 11.00 at night. The sentries on duty were there to protect it and keep the lab as secret as possible.
Lara had found out that Lord Voldemort had wanted this laboratory as secret as possible, the only way he could do that was to ensure the use of spells.
" Did you feel that tingling when we passed through the doorway ?" she asked Hermione.
" Yes, what was it ?"
Lara held her gun in one hand, and the other held onto one of her daggers, she kept her eyes and ears peeled as she explained, " Voldemort knew that drugs were becoming an increasing concern to the law. When ever the gang are lead here they pass through the doorway. The doorway has been imbued with a number of charms and incantations. The compulsion charm goes….protect this place, do not speak of this place with anyone. Kill anyone who asks you questions, and leave no evidence leading back here. That sort of thing."
Hermione understood, " So Lord Voldemort doesn't want this place to be raided by the police."
" Yes, the last place anyone would expect Voldemort to build a financial fortune in the Muggle world, the place he's trying to destroy. No wizard would ever conceive of such a plan. He knew that, so he made plans."
The two girls entered the labs, the gardens that grew the drug plants. Hermione gasped at the size of the place, then she saw the scientific lab that held the equipment that refined the plants and sorted out the various powders.
Hermione saw the massive boxes of plastic sachets, some of them were filled with white powders with them labelled with the names - Heroin, Cocaine etc.
Lara held out the satchel and took out a can of petrol. She opened it and threw it around. Lara looked at Hermione,
" Help me, there's another can."
Hermione took the can and chucked it around the labs, splashing it all over the lab, the plants, she had no qualms about doing this. She'd read about the effects of drug abuse, that anyone would use them to make a fortune to wage war was enough to make her ill.
When they'd finished, Lara lit a match. She stared at Hermione, " The final battle is near. This," she held up the match, " is just the greeting's card."
She threw the match on the petrol. With a whoosh, the petrol was set alight.
Lord Voldemort was reading a muggle newspaper that he got from New York. Since most of his drug trafficking operations took place in New York, Voldemort liked to kept aware of what happened in the city. Something, no matter how small could affect his operations.
When he saw the picture of the warehouse being set alight, the headline read, " Lady Saint destroys drug lab !", when he read that he went mad with rage and fear.
She knew everything about him ! How ? Who'd betrayed him and why ?
Another thing that pissed him off was the letter from his drug bank. They wrote that they were sorry that he'd closed his longterm account.
Lord Voldemort couldn't believe it.
On his newspaper, the sign of Lady Saint chilled his blood.