Harry Potter and the Ministry of Magic

by the madcap magician

At the end of his sixth year at Hogwarts, Harry's life is in turmoil, Dumbledore is dead, Voldemort's power is growing, and those with the power to help him cannot be trusted. Dark times lie ahead, but allies can be found in some of the strangest places!

21. 21 Duty, Honour and Sacrifice

"Why is it the more wars we fight, the younger are those who are called upon to do the fighting?"

Unknown politician during the Vietnam war

CHAPTER TWENTY ONE: DUTY, HONOUR AND SACRIFICE

THE BURROW

As the appointed time of the Memorial service grew ever closer, Harry became more and more uncommunicative with those around him, he didn't especially need reminding of the fact that he had led the massed blind charge to Azkaban, the resulting deaths were a direct consequence of his stupidity and rash actions.

He had wondered away from the burrow and the rest of his friends, wanting nothing more than to be alone with his pain and sorrow, he of course hadn't counted on the presence of one very perceptive red head who despite being snapped at, wouldn't leave him alone.

"Damn it Ginny, I'm fine, I just want to spend a little time alone, I don't need you to always be there to hold my hand!"

Harry increased the pace of his stride, hoping the red head would take the hint and leave him alone. Why couldn't she see that his actions had caused her personal injury, as well as the deaths of so many. She shouldn't be anywhere near him, he had been right when he had left them all behind on the express, but he should have done it earlier, and never come back, his presence and only made things so much worse.

With his back to her he missed the hurt look that crossed Ginny's face, and he never saw the look of determination that quickly followed. The petite red head drew her wand, aiming at her boyfriends back.

"Petrificus Totalus!"

Harry found himself in a full body bind, tottering for a moment before gravity won its battle and he crashed face first to the ground. Ginny levitated him over onto his back then stood over him, her hands balled angrily on her hips.

"You think you are the only one suffering? You think you have the sole right to feel hurt and alone? In case you hadn't noticed, the entire Wizarding world is coming unravelled around us, but wait, everybody stop and let Harry have his sulk…Will you just grow up!"

Ginny had started to pace, knowing Harry was a captive audience.

"You blame yourself! Let me tell you something, not one of those that died at Azkaban were forced to go, they all went of their own free will, and because it was the right thing to do. Their sacrifice allowed over three hundred innocent people to escape. They would all be dead now, or at least wishing they were dead after the Death Eaters had finished with them."

Ginny was so busy ranting that she never noticed that Harry had wandlessly countered her body bind wand was laid on his side, his head resting on his hand watching her.

"You think that you are the only one who blames himself for what happened? Marcus blames himself for every one of his Aurors that died, Mad-eye feels responsible for the Order, Bill hasn't stopped beating himself up over Fleur's injuries since he returned. Gutripper…well, actually, now you mention it Gutripper is celebrating the loss of his warriors, but I suppose that's Goblins for you…"

Harry's chuckle stopped Ginny mid rant and she spun around to find her boyfriend knelt up.

"How did…what…when did…How long have you been free?"

"Long enough for me to understand at least some of the lesson that my girlfriend has been trying to teach me. Ginny I'm sorry for what I said, I cannot help feeling the way I do sometimes, whether my feelings are justified or not I should not have taken it out on you, forgive me!"

Harry climbed to his feet and waited for her decision, it wasn't long in coming.

"You are forgiven"

Ginny's voice was muffled because her mouth was pressed against his chest, her arms were wrapped around Harry, just as his were wrapped around her.

"I suppose we should go, we don't want to miss the memorial service."

Harry snorted.

"Don't tempt me. But, you're right, let's go."

Taking Ginny's hand, Harry led the way towards the hospital.

The memorial ceremony was to take place in a specially created clearing in the woods near the hospital building. The memorial itself took the form of a giant piece of polished black obsidian that had been carefully inscribed with the names of all those that had lost their lives at Azkaban.

As he approached the clearing, Harry found his pace slowing until instead of him leading Ginny, their positions were reversed, and she was almost dragging him along. Even though there was a quarter of an hour before the service was due to start, the clearing itself was already packed with people, many more than the three hundred that were currently guests at the burrow. The seating was in two blocks with a central isle running up to the monument itself, but the isle was full of closely packed talking people blocking Harry's continued progress.

Someone at the edge of the press of wizards must have became aware of Harry's presence and nudged his neighbour, and like something he had once read straight out of the bible, the press of wizards parted before them and the chatter of conversation died to a muted buzz.

Walking slowly up the isle between the press of people, Harry was painfully aware that every eye was now on him, and if not for the warmth of Ginny's hand in his and her barely audible words of support he would have turned and run from the mass of staring people.

Here and there scattered in the crowd he spotted his friends and family, he suspected that the scattering wasn't as completely random as it at first appeared, DA and Order members had been placed in the crowd just in case of trouble.

Harry nodded and smiled at Susan and Terry, Draco was at his usual place sandwiched between the Bell sisters, Hermione was sat between her parents and Molly and Arthur Weasley, of the other red heads there was no sign.

Despite the numbers of people, there were some notable absences other then the majority of the Weasley's, Remus was missing, and Harry strongly suspected another name would soon have to be added to the memorial.

There was also no sign of any members of the British Army, the muggles were however well represented by the Prime Minister and several members of his security detail.

The muggle leader was stood at the front in deep conversation with Arthur Weasley, Amos Diggory and a younger brown haired witch that Harry hadn't seen before. Several members of Hogwarts Faculty had also arrived, and at one point professor McGonagall caught his eye and gifted him with a rare smile.

Even the Goblins had attended in small numbers, despite the fact they wanted to carry out their own funeral rituals in private, their own beliefs were that a warrior's death should not be mourned, but celebrated as reaching the pinnacle of martial achievement. For this occasion they had put aside their armour and the majority of their weapons, choosing instead to wear suits not unlike those worn by the tellers at Gringotts, except the tellers didn't normally carry axes or swords.

As Harry approached the monument itself he couldn't help but notice the amount of space that had been left blank, perhaps to be filled in at a later time.

There was a tall figure stood at the monument itself, his back to the crowd, supporting himself by leaning heavily on a cane.

"Dean!"

Ginny cried out and ran forward to embrace her ex-boyfriend, Harry found his face breaking into a genuine smile, the first for much of the day. He hadn't seen his dorm mate since he and Draco had come across his shattered body alongside that of Lavender Brown's at Azkaban.

Dean Thomas slowly turned, his stance unsteady and hugged Ginny with his free arm, he smiled, but Harry saw that the smile never quite made it as far as Dean's eyes. To Harry it was like looking in the mirror, Dean's eyes carried an age and sadness in them that hadn't been there before Azkaban.

"Ginny, Harry, how is love's young dream?"

Dean's voice was level, and maybe Harry was imagining things but he could have sworn he detected a hint of bitterness in the teenagers tone.

"All the better for seeing you, how are you, I mean how are you really?"

Ginny was smiling up at the dark skinned youth. A flicker of anger crossed Dean's features, it was so fast Harry wasn't sure what to make of it, from her bright smile Ginny hadn't picked up on the instant of hostility.

"You don't know? Well I suppose you did have your own medical problems to occupy your attention. It's my leg…"

Dean tapped his left leg with the cane, it made a hollow knocking sound that was distinctly not made by anything flesh and blood.

"…they couldn't save it, something to do with complications caused by severe artery damage."

Dean's voice had gotten quieter as he spoke, his head dropped until his chin was on his chest. It was only when Dean's shoulders began shuddering that Harry realised he was silently crying. Harry placed his hand on Dean's arm and squeezed, trying in some small way to show his support.

"They took my damn leg Harry!"

The anger Harry had seen earlier had finally blazed its way to the surface, and Dean's eyes were filled with fury that seemed to burn away his tears. Harry grabbed hold of his friend and pulled him into his arms, for an instant Dean fought, but it didn't last long.

Ginny wrapped her arms around the both of them, her tears joining Dean's.

"Promise me something Harry."

Dean whispered from Harry's shoulder.

"Anything"

Harry whispered back.

"Kill them for me, kill them all."

Harry paused for a moment, shocked at the viciousness in Dean's voice. He couldn't promise every Death Eater would die, some would be apprehended, some might even escape for a short time. Even if it was what Dean wanted to hear, he would not lie to his friend.

"They will all get the justice coming to them, but that's the best I can do Dean, if we start killing them out of hand we become as bad as them."

Dean nodded his understanding and straightened up, he then wiped his eyes dry and gave them both a grin, which while only a shadow of its former self, was a step in the right direction.

"I want you to know that I'm…we're here for you Dean, whatever and whenever you need us."

Ginny smiled and nodded in agreement at Harry's change of direction, it was taking its time, and she freely admitted Harry James Potter was a work in progress, but he was coming around to the idea that he wasn't alone, that people, and especially her would always be at his side.

"Thanks guys, your support means a lot. My parents are here, they don't really understand why all this is happening, and they just seem to cry a lot. I guess you will need a new chaser come the start of term, I'm bugger all use to anyone now."

Harry noticed the bitterness has made a fresh appearance, not that he could blame his friend at all, he couldn't imagine having such a disability forced upon him, although he probably didn't want to know the number of times he had nearly been in Dean's position.

"At the moment Dean, Quidditch is the last thing on our minds…well, except for my darling brother Ron that is, he never stops thinking about Quidditch, or food."

Dean grinned at Ginny's comment and awkwardly turned and began to slowly and painfully make his way back to his seat, Harry watched him until he was seated next to the couple that had to be Dean's parents.

Harry looked around for two spare seats, and to his embarrassment found the Arthur Weasley was beckoning him over to two free seats on the front row, only a few seats down from the muggle Prime Minister. He looked over at Ginny, who was eying the seats with a good deal of trepidation as well.

"Oh well Gryffindors forward!"

He muttered loud enough for Ginny to hear, she snorted with amusement as they made their way to the empty seats.

"Harry, Ginny, I want to introduce you to Bronwyn Edmunds, she is, or was, the head of the Health and Education department, she and Amos are the only Department heads to reach us so far."

Arthur moved aside and the brown haired witch stepped forward, Harry was surprised to discover how young she was, she appeared to be about the same age as Tonks. He was in fact taller than the petite witch, but there was a strength and intelligence behind her eyes that reminded him of Hermione.

"I'm pleased to meet you both, I just wish it was under better circumstances. I'm very impressed by the facilities that have been constructed here so quickly, I have already spoken at length to the Goblins with an eye to improving St Mungos when this current crisis is over. We shouldn't be held back just because the idea didn't come from the mind of a wizard."

Harry grinned and shook the young woman's hand.

"I think you and I are going to get along famously."

As he sat, Harry found himself in eye to eye contact with the Prime Minister, the man regarded him without any noticeable warmth, like a predator assessing its prey, it was a distinctly uneasy feeling, being on the receiving end of such an examination. Then the muggle smiled slightly and nodded slightly as if making up his mind on some matter and he turned away.

"Ladies and Gentlemen, if you would please take your seats, the service will start shortly."

Amos Diggory's amplified voice silenced the mass of wizards and witches, and everyone started to take their seats, it was organised chaos, but eventually everyone had found a seat, or conjured a new one.

"We are gathered here today to pay tribute to and remember those that gave their lives…"

Harry found himself tuning out the man and those that followed him, as he half listened to those giving the readings Harry was forced to wonder how many of those sat there around him at the ceremony would end up as just names on the memorial.

It was only when Kingsley Shacklebolt moved away from his wife and the girl that must have been his daughter, and stepped up to the podium, that Harry refocused his attention on what was being said.

"…Our friends didn't give their lives at Azkaban in vain, they believed in something that seems more attainable now than at any time in recent memory, they believed that their efforts could build a better world, a world without fear and persecution just because of who your parents are, a world without Voldemort!"

Harry was surprised to notice that very few in the crowd gasped at the mention of Voldemort's name, perhaps finally he had started to break that little Taboo.

"Duty and Sacrifice are just words bandied about by politicians, they do not do justice to what our friends lived and ultimately died for, deeds are what are remembered, passed down from generation to generation. The deeds of those whose names appear behind me give us all hope for a brighter tomorrow."

Shacklebolt paused for a moment, his gaze fell upon Harry and he smiled sadly.

"They shall not grow old, as we that are left grow old;

Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn.

At the going down of the sun and in the morning

We shall remember them,"

There was a moment of silence, followed by many in the crowd repeating the last line quietly to themselves.

"Detail! Detail, by the front, quick march!"

A line of camouflaged men marched down between the two seating areas, arms swinging in unison, rifles held tight on the left shoulder, each footfall in perfect step. Upon reaching the memorial stone the line of soldiers moved around it to the left, passing in front of Harry and the other gathered dignitaries, finally stopping some meters to the side of the memorial.

While they moved a soul felt tune echoed across the silent crowd, played on a horn or a bugle, it sounded mournful and sad, finally fading away into a disturbing silence.

BANG.

Unnoticed by the crowd, the eight men soldiers had taken position and pointed their weapons at an angle into the sky, they had all fired at once, making the entire crowd jump. This was repeated four more times, with utmost precision, as each of the soldiers moved as one.

"Detail! Shoulder arms, right turn, quick march!"

The Soldiers replaced their rifles onto their shoulders, turned smartly to their right and retraced their steps down the isle. Many of those in the audience wore thoughtful expressions, as they pondered what the muggle involvement meant for the future. Harry on the other hand was just staring at his feet, wishing the whole thing was over.

"And now in typical Weasley fashion, a tribute to those friends who cannot be here with us today, they are all sorely missed."

Harry glanced up to where Shacklebolt was pointing, in the sky high above the clearing, five relatively slow moving specks could be seen approaching on brooms. As they got closer each of the specks could be seen to possess flaming red hair.

They were flying in a tight arrowhead formation, and knowing how good each of the Weasley siblings were when mounted on a broomstick Harry was interested to see what intricate piece of flying was going to be performed.

As they neared the edge of the clearing, one of the broom riders, Harry had a sneaking feeling it was Charlie, pulled sharply up and out of the formation and disappeared from sight, climbing vertically into the late afternoon sun. The four remaining riders continued on in a straight line, leaving the gap of the missing rider open. Harry remembered Thomas talking about 'the missing man formation' and he now understood the significance, for every loss they suffered, the remainder had to press on, or all the sacrifice and the loss would have been for nothing. For all its understated simplicity, it hit home hard, and as the broom riders disappeared overhead Harry was far from the only one to have tears streaming down his cheeks.

"And now Luna Lovegood will sing Amazing Grace"

Today was full of surprises. Harry had never heard Luna sing, and he smiled encouragement to her as she left Neville's side and moved to stand in front of the memorial, she looked completely unfazed by all the attention that now focused upon her. But to those who knew her well she was extremely nervous, her pale skin was flushed and she was taking long deep breaths.

And then she opened her mouth and the first pure notes came out.

Harry nearly fell off his chair when she started singing, Luna had the voice of an angel, the fact she had kept it hidden for so long was a tragedy. There was utter silence from those listening n the crowd, as no one could believe this young woman who so often seemed to have very little grip on reality could produce sounds so pure and beautiful. The entire audience was utterly captivated.

From somewhere behind the crowd a solitary bagpipe added its mournful voice to melody, seeming to complement Luna rather than detract from her voice. She didn't bat an eyelid so she had obviously expected the instrument to join her.

There was a flash of light above the memorial, and Fawkes gently landed on the top of the black obsidian and cocked his head to listen, Harry thought he heard a gasp come from somewhere over by where Hermione was sat.

Fawkes returned his attention to Luna, and then he leaned back and opened his mouth and began to sing as well. Luna smiled widely in surprise as the Phoenix melody mixed effortlessly with her own and that of the bagpipes, and the song lifted towards the heavens. It was the first time that Harry had heard Fawkes singing a recognisable melody, and just as when he trilled his own tune everybody in the audience felt immediately lighter and happier.

For many years afterwards no one would forget the song that seemed to resonate through the souls of those gathered there, it was beautiful, filled with sorrow and yet somehow uplifting at the same time.

OoOoO

SOMEWHERE OFF THE SOUTHERN COAST OF ENGLAND

Riding calmly at anchor on the tidal swell, the Russian cargo vessel SS Vasily Gryaznov, registered in Murmansk, was the very image of efficient normality. There was no outward sign on the neat, well maintained upper decks of the threat the ship represented to the people of Britain, or danger that the ship carried in her cargo holds.

The ship had not drawn any attention to himself, meekly awaiting his turn to be called forward to pass through the small Royal Navy blockade to reach Southampton. But this was no ordinary cargo vessel, in fact he wasn't even supposed to be crewed by civilians, the vessel had only one purpose when he was constructed, and that purpose was to deliver and support covert troops in the opening rounds of a shooting war.

Other than the numerous exercises down the years, the ship had never been used as he was originally intended, mainly because the shooting war that he was supposed to support had never materialised. But now for the first time he (Russian naval vessels were always he) was doing the job that he had been built to do, just not for the people he was supposed to be doing it for.

In a cost cutting measure the Russian navy had sold off the Vasily Gryaznov several years ago, but the company that had bought the vessel was not quite the civilian shipping concern it had pretended to be.

So now here he was, at anchor off the southern coast of England, looking for all the world as nothing more than an innocent cargo vessel, while below decks sixty eight men formerly belonging to the KGB trained sabotage regiment codenamed 'VYMPEL' began preparations to go ashore and wreak havoc.

OoOoO

OTTERY ST CATCHPOLE

It was a very mixed and disparate group of people that made its way slowly along the track that led away from the Weasley property.

In the centre was the group that surrounded the Prime Minister. Arthur Weasley was escorting the muggle from his land, answering many questions the leader had as they walked, these ranged from how day to day chores were handled in a Wizarding home, to the inner workings of the Ministry of Magic.

Also in the centre, only a few feet away from the muggle, was Kingsley Shacklebolt. He had whispered to Harry that no one had officially relieved him from his protection duties, so he felt obliged to see the muggle safely into the arms of the British Army.

Circling around the three men were the dozen policemen of the Prime Ministers muggle protection detail. These men exuded a serious air, and Harry knew they had learned much from the last day. Wizards were a known threat now, indeed the Auror team of Shacklebolt, Proudfoot and Dawlish had shown the muggles all the various methods of Wizarding transport, and the advantages and disadvantages associated with each method in the hope they were better prepared for any future attack.

Beyond the protective detail were the older members of the DA, Harry wasn't sure what was going to happen in the future, but he was sure that having the Prime Minister die while under Wizard protection and on wizard property was a sure way to kill any fledgling alliance before it started.

Occasionally he looked over and found the eyes of the Prime Minister studying him, and Harry still didn't know what this promised for the future.

The rumours within the DA ranged from the entire British Army placing itself under Harry's personal command, which was pretty ridiculous, to the muggles deciding to leave the Wizarding world to battle it out amongst themselves. Harry hoped the truth lay somewhere in the middle, perhaps the help of some rather special individuals, some of whom he had already met…

As if to provide counter point to his thoughts, a dark shape appeared momentarily between the trees that ran alongside the mile long track that led down towards the village of Ottery St Catchpole. The man paused for a second, scanning the way ahead, once satisfied he disappeared back inside the tree line. The muggle soldiers were the outer most screen of security, and a nasty surprise to anyone trying to impede the muggle leader.

Finally the group reached the end of the long track, at the junction the track met with the B3174, the main road into the village, the wards protecting the Weasley property were several hundred metres behind them. To the left was a large, flat field that had been chosen for the meeting site, because of its size and for the fact it was well outside the wards and muggle technology would function normally that far away from the magical wards.

"So I guess this is it, at least for now."

Harry spun around, Thomas Bell had appeared at his side, it was if he had suddenly sprouted from the ground at Harry's feet.

"I wish you would stop doing that, I'm too young to have grey hair"

Harry groused good naturedly, he reached out and offered his hand to the soldier, Thomas took it and the two shook.

"I wish you could stay, I have gotten used to having you around. Even if I don't always agree with your idea of fun, the burrow will be a much quieter place without you."

Bell grinned, and gripped Harry's shoulder.

"You never know, I may be back before you even realise I'm gone, keep your head down and stay out of trouble Harry."

Thomas looked at him for a moment then shook his head.

"Who am I kidding? Stay out of trouble, you, Ha! Let me give you a word of advice young man, if you have to fight, never fight fair, always cheat, cheat big!"

Thomas laughed as he walked away from Harry, he crossed to the centre of the field and threw a familiar looking cylinder. Instead of the explosion Harry had been expecting, a column of orange smoke rose from the canister, swirling in the light wind.

"What's he doing?"

Arthur Weasley asked, Harry just shrugged in puzzlement, he had no idea what was going to happen.

"The smoke is used to indicate wind speed and direction, the pilot needs that information to land, I've done this a few times now."

The Prime Minister smiled slightly as he glanced sideways at Harry. There was a sound in the air, growing steadily louder, it was unlike any sound Harry had heard before, a low rhythmic thumping sound that he could almost feel as well as hear.

Turning, Harry was just in time to see a large flying machine rise over the crest of Stoatshead hill, seeming to clear the hill's wooded brow by scant feet, and move directly over the village at the height of several hundred feet.

The machine was long and wide, with a large three bladed propeller at the front and the rear, the blades were so long that they over lapped, and Harry could only wonder at the mechanical precision required to ensure they didn't strike each other.

Beside him, Arthur Weasley stood in open mouthed shock at the appearance of the muggle flying machine, if he had been in wonder at the idea of aeroplanes, this must have blown his mind.

The flying machine immediately picked out the orange smoke against the green background and made a slight course correction towards the centre of the field. Then with a grace and elegance that belied its large size, the machine approached the field and began to circle, keeping its nose pointed at the centre of the field. Then with a final adjustment the machine began to descend.

Even for those stood at the edge of the field, the down force created by those huge spinning blades was immense, dust and debris were picked up and flung away from the machine, and Harry had to raise a hand over his face to stop his eyes from running from the windblast.

The machine spun until its rear was pointing at Harry, the inside of the machine was hollow and a ramp at the rear was already in the lowered position. As soon as the machine touched down the eight soldiers were moving, escorting the muggle leader and his protective detail up the ramp and into the machine.

Thomas Bell was the last one up the ramp, he turned as the machine began to lift off the ground and waved once before the machine rose vertically into the air, dipped its nose towards the far horizon, and accelerated back the way it had come.

OoOoO

GRINGOTTS HIGH SECURITY CELLS

Ragnok sat on the low stone bench, his back pressed against the stone wall of the cell. He had been roughly handled on his way to the cells, and had been beaten twice since his arrival, but despite his magical skills the wounds inflicted still bled freely. The high security cells had been especially designed to hold priority magical prisoners, and had certain measures built into the structures to contain them, one of those measures was an anti-magic dampening effect that absorbed magical energy even as someone tried to use it.

All a prisoner could do was sit alone in the darkness and conserve what little magical power they had, and hope that whoever was holding them remembered to feed them.

Ragnok knew there was little chance of starving to death, such an end would not provide Rocksplitter with the example he required to ensure a solid grasp on the Goblin leadership. Goblins did not as a rule believe in martyrs to a cause, there was little profit in it, all Rocksplitter had to do was kill him in front of those that still supported him to ensure their loyalty.

Ragnok also knew that few of those that supported him would be inclined to intervene on his behalf, it was hard for a Goblin to build up a successful portfolio of stocks and shares if the Goblin in question was missing his head. Leadership contests tended to be very quick and bloody events, not the long drawn out affairs of other races.

There was a sound from outside the cell, a scuff of material against stone, followed by the metal of a blade being drawn. Ragnok eyed the door with a resigned acceptance, this was in fact quicker than he had been expecting, but his death had been assured from the moment that Rocksplitter had seized power, in some respects it was a welcome release.

The door creaked open and Ragnok raised a clawed hand to block the light from several torches held aloft, after hours of darkness his eyes took several moments to adjust, another sign of age.

"Director."

Ragnok smiled as he recognised the first figure that entered his cell.

"Rotgut, it is indeed good to see you unharmed."

The night security custodian of Gringotts looked a little out of place in the armour and weapons of a Goblin soldier, but not nearly as out of place as the Goblin that stood behind him. If Griphook was forced to ever use the battleaxe slung over his shoulder, that was nearly as tall as he was, then it would probably be as wise for his allies to avoid him as his enemies. The bank teller was nearly white with fear, but his lip still curled upwards with determination.

"You need to come with us Director. We have secured the route between here and the Floo terminal, once clear of the bank you will be able to muster sup….."

Rotgut trailed off as he noticed that Ragnok was calmly shaking his head.

"No Rotgut, my running now would only postpone the inevitable, and reveal those of my supporters still remaining loyal to me, if I thus denied Rocksplitter his moment of triumph he would then seek to revenge himself upon those closest to me, and his wrath would be terrible. You know of whom I speak."

The night custodian bowed his head for a moment before looking Ragnok squarely in the eye.

"Those of us that truly believe, that a better world that gave us parity with the humans is possible, we will stand with you no matter what, to the very end. What do you wish of us?"

Ragnok rose and placed his hand on Rotgut's shoulder, his eyes filling with moisture, however his voice remained strong.

"Oh my most loyal follower, I wouldn't burden you with everything I wish for, but know this, you loyalty has gladdened the heart of this tired old Goblin. Go from this place, resume your duties, weather the coming storm, and place yourselves above suspicion. When the time is right, my heir will raise my banner again, heed his summons, for he will need all of your support."

Ragnok turned and retook his place on the stone bench. Resigning himself to the course set out before him.

"I ask one more boon of you, my most trusted companion. I need you to carry a message to Gutripper, his company is now the only one deployed, and on his young shoulders now rides the fate of us all. Tell him he must do now as he thinks best, and that his…father loves him dearly."

Rotgut nodded and thumped his left breast with his right fist in a traditional salute, Griphook closely followed suit, both Goblins held the salute for far longer than protocol demanded. Then without a further word the two left the cell and relocked it behind them, once more leaving Ragnok alone in the dark.

OoOoO

THE COTTAGE, BURROW GROUNDS

Harry hated being blindfolded, he had never been comfortable with having to surrender that much control to another, too many things had happened in his life for such a loss of control to be either particularly easy or desired.

The one exception to this rule of course was if that blindfold was placed upon his head by Ginny Weasley, he trusted her absolutely, and her hand placed lightly on his elbow to guide him was enough to give him Goosebumps and at the same time make his heart race.

"Its alright we're here, you can take it off now."

Her voice was soft by his side, somehow serious and yet playful at the same time, she had taken hold of his hand and was gently squeezing it, trying to tell him something without actually saying anything. Harry reached up with his free hand and pulled the material from his eyes.

He found himself stood in front of a small single storey building in a wooded clearing. He smiled as he recognised where he was, it was clearing where he had first shown Ginny his new talent, the clearing where the blue wild flowers grew.

The building had been tastefully designed, and was set back in the trees in such a way that it seemed to blend into its surroundings, almost as if a powerful disillusionment charm had been cast upon it.

Outside, to one side of the door stood a covered rack for broomsticks that had been enchanted with weather repelling charms, to keep the elements at bay. Harry smiled at this attention to detail, but this was nothing to what he would find inside.

It had been carefully set out and designed for two, the small kitchen, the dining area with its small table, the lounge with the single over large armchair and large fireplace. Everything about it was designed just for the two of them, it was intimate, cosy, and Harry loved it.

"I don't know what to say."

And he really meant it, everywhere he looked he could see Ginny's hand in the design, and he knew that he could be truly happy in such an environment, he already felt completely at ease and relaxed inside.

"Wait until you see the bedroom."

Harry grinned and indicated she should lead the way, and he took a last look around before he followed her, shaking his head and smiling.

"Wow!"

The bedroom was large, nearly the size of the rest of the cottage combined, it had en-suite facilities, more comfortable chairs and an antique wooden study desk and leather chair under several empty shelves. But it was the bed that took his breath away.

It was a monster, built in the same style as the dormitory beds he was so familiar with at Hogwarts, constructed out of dark wood, with enchanted curtains that could be pulled closed to seal off the entire bed. Harry smiled when he realised the bed also included a warming charm that could be turned on and off, which would help with any injured muscles.

"So what do you think?"

Ginny asked in an unusually timid voice, Harry realised she was genuinely worried what his reaction would be, he tried to keep his face straight, to keep her guessing for a little while longer, but it was a hopeless cause, he was grinning so widely it actually hurt the corners of his mouth.

With a whoop of joy Harry collected Ginny under his arm and threw himself onto the bed. Rolling so he was on his back, he sighed in pleasure at just how comfortable the bed was, It also served to remind him just how exhausted his body still was, and how much work he still had to do to recover from his injuries.

"It sure beats hospital…"

Harry yawned massively.

"…beds, sorry. I didn't realise how tired I still am."

Ginny laid on her front, propping herself up on her arms and regarded him with big brown eyes, she was smiling at him in a fashion as if she knew something he didn't.

"Everyone knows where you are if they need you Harry, just lay back and get some rest, Merlin knows you deserve it."

Another massive yawn stopped his immediate answer, but he rolled slightly until her face was in range of his and he lent closer and gently kissed her on the lips, it was the gentlest of touches, but it stirred something inside them that there had been no time for in recent days, and within seconds Ginny was pressed against him, their limbs intertwined, their tongues searching, probing with a kind of primeval urgency.

"Sleep, who needs it."

Harry commented some time later, immediately refuting his own claim by yawning so widely he imagined he could have swallowed crookshanks whole.

"You do idiot, now lay back and close your eyes, if you are really good I will give you a back rub."

Harry playfully batted at her nose with a handful of her own fiery locks, he had missed the opportunity to just spend time alone with Ginny, and he never felt as relaxed as he did just being near her.

"Promises, promises."

Harry took a handful of her hair from each side of her head and attempted to tie the hair into a knot in front of her face. Ginny swatted his hands aside and laughed at his playful antics, it was a sweet sound he had not heard often enough lately.

Laying back onto the bed, Harry pulled Ginny tightly to him, wrapping his arms protectively around her slender frame, revelling in the feeling of having her warm body next to his, oh he had so missed this companionship.

"I love you Ginny."

"I love you too, you big lug"

Harry grinned happily and closed his eyes, not even attempting to delay the onrushing sleep, here he was safe in the arms of the girl he loved, and life didn't get any better than that.

OoOoO

THE BURROW HOSPITAL

With the sudden and rapid departure of almost every able bodied ex-Auror in a desperate effort to rescue as many of their former colleagues as possible, and the Goblin company still at slightly under half strength from injuries sustained at Azkaban, things had changed significantly at the burrow.

Where before security patrols had been conducted by fully qualified and experienced Aurors and battle hardened Goblins, now with the constraints on available manpower it now fell to the teenagers of the D.A. to patrol the halls and corridors of the newly built complex.

Wherever possible one of the younger students was teamed with one of the older, founding members of the D.A. but it wasn't always possible given the large area that had to be patrolled, besides the threat level was considered low, the likelihood of anyone penetrating the Goblin wards undetected was small, the patrols were just really a formality given recent events.

This was how Laura Madley from Hufflepuff found herself to be patrolling the hospital corridors with Jimmy Peakes of Gryffindor. They would both be starting their fourth years at Hogwarts after the summer break, assuming the school remained open at that point, and neither had been among the founding members of the D.A.

Laura Madley was a tall, gangly and painfully shy girl with long black hair that often hid a face that had just started to hint at the beauty she would become. Jimmy Peakes was a short, broad chested youth, with straw coloured hair, an avid Quidditch player, who very rarely stopped talking long enough to pay attention to what was happening around him.

Hence it was not at all surprising that it was Laura and not Jimmy that noticed the slightly open door to one of the potion store cupboards, a door that should most certainly have been shut and locked. Laura halted, frowning mightily at the door, as if her frown would instantly produce answers, she had long ago learned to tune out Jimmy's incessant babble.

Without taking her eyes, narrowed with suspicion, from the barely open door in front of her, Laura pointed her wand at the still completely oblivious Jimmy and fired off a silent mild stinging hex. Through experience, she had found it was the fastest way of getting the talkative youth's attention, the yelp of pain the youth emitted was somehow almost soothing to her.

Having finally gained his attention, Laura indicated the open door ahead of her, pointed to herself and motioned tip toeing up to it. Jimmy nodded his understanding and moved to the other side of the corridor to cover her with his wand as she approached the door, to Laura it sounded as if her heart was pounding loud enough to be heard clear all the way to Diagon alley.

Halting at the open door, Laura very carefully eased her head around the frame to listen at the door, ready to snatch it back in an instant. Two voices carried out of the storeroom, one was an adult female, a high pitched fluttery voice, the other an adult male voice, high and cold sounding, a voice that instantly filled the student with fear.

"You have done well to remain undetected thus far, why have you taken this action now, with its high risk of exposure? What could be that important?"

This was the male voice, even though the tone was even there was something menacing and decidedly dangerous about the voice.

"My lord, I had to inform you of the fact that the burrow presently stands open for attack, the renegade Aurors have departed, trying to save as many of their former fellows as they can. The Goblins have many injured from the battle of Azkaban, leaving only the Hogwarts students to protect the area."

Laura was sure that there was something familiar about this female voice, something at the back of her mind was telling her she should know who it belonged to.

"And what of dear Harry?"

"Back on his feet my lord, although still suffering heavily from his injuries."

"Excellent work, however you should be aware that you have a little eavesdropper."

There was nothing at all wrong with Laura Madley's reaction speed as she yanked her head savagely back from the doorframe, an instant before a curse exploded the frame apart where her head had been.

Startled at the sudden assault, she back-pedalled so fast that she managed to trip over her own feet and landed heavily on her rump on the floor. Her wand tip however never wavered from pointing at the door, if she had learnt nothing else from her time with the D.A. it was to never, ever relax your guard.

The door was flung violently open and Laura gasped with astonishment at the familiar figure who stepped out of the storeroom, it was someone that she knew definitely did not go with the voice she had heard moments before, someone who was holding a wand on her in a way that suggested she was about to use it.

Laura was shocked and horrified to discover that her wand had automatically dropped at the appearance of a familiar figure, she tried to recover, to reverse the direction her arm was moving in order to bring her wand back into play.

But her hand had barely moved to bring her own wand up to defend herself when something struck her sharply in the chest, flinging her bodily across the corridor. She smacked hard into the far wall with a cracking sound that brought red hot pain knifing down her back. Then she slid down the wall until she came to rest up in a bloody heap on the floor leaning sideways up against the wall.

Laura had never felt pain like it in her entire life, her eyes filled with tears as she tried to get up, to roll over, to do something, but she found she was unable to move or speak. Above her, a shadow was moving, Jimmy Peakes had moved until he was stood over her body, his wand held at the ready, bravely defending her.

She wanted to tell him to run, to get help, to save himself, but there was nothing she could do, as much as she tried to speak no sound came out. Laura started to panic, wondering if this was what people who were dying experienced.

"Reducto!"

The high pitched female voice screamed.

"Protego!"

Jimmy calmly replied in an unexpectedly unflappable voice, Laura was impressed, she hadn't realised the boy had that sort of coolness in him. She immediately felt badly that she had so terribly misjudged him. The shielding charm had been one that all those in the D.A. had learnt courtesy of Harry Potter, the blasting spell deflected off the powerful charm with the sound of a bell being struck and up into the ceiling.

"Stupefy!"

Jimmy fired back, Laura could not turn her head to see the result of his attack, but from the frown on his face it had not succeeded.

"Stupefy!"

He fired again, this time he smiled slightly, but the smile quickly became another frown. Another blasting spell deflected off the teenagers shield charm, into the wall this time and then a third, each of the spells having utterly no effect on the shield charm, and then the boy smiled with sudden overconfidence.

"Avada Kedavra!"

No! Not that! Laura wanted to scream, but nothing came out. There was a flash of blinding green light and a rushing sound, as if some vast force was moving through the air. The last thing that Laura Madley felt before the blackness reached out for her, was the weight of Jimmy Peakes' body coming to rest on top of her.

Kingsley Shacklebolt stopped and knelt for a moment just short of where the corridor intersected with another, he was certain he had found the area from where the sound of recent spell fire had emanated. The smell of ozone and the small wisps of smoke coming from the corridor on the left were all the clues he needed.

Behind him, in a covering formation, Dawlish and Proudfoot, the only other Aurors left at the burrow, watched over the small rag-tag team of students he had drawn together to investigate the disturbance, he nodded his approval at the spacing's they had adopted on both sides of the corridor, to keep them as safe as possible from incoming spell fire. An Auror team could not have done it any better.

Since he had first heard the distinctive sound of spell fire coming from inside the hospital he and the other Aurors had managed to gather three pairs of patrolling teenagers that had been racing towards the sound. As the only able bodied Aurors still present at the burrow the students had quickly followed their orders.

The three older teenagers, Hannah Abbot, Seamus Finnegan and Ernie Macmillian, founding members of the D.A. all, had orders to back him up, their patrol partners, the younger teens in the group, Richard Coote, Kevin Bundy and Natalie McDonald had been tasked with protecting Amanda Coombs, Shacklebolt had dragged the healer from the ward he had been leaving when the incident occurred.

The sound of rapid footsteps to his front from the corridor directly opposite his own snapped his attention back to the intersection, he lowered his wand and breathed a profound sigh of relief when he saw the red hair and stocky frames of the Weasley twins come running around the far corner.

The two men were accompanied by Angelina Johnston and Alicia Spinnet, all four had their wands out and on seeing Shacklebolt and his team at the junction they slowed their pace and quickly took up matching positions across the intersection from him.

Fred, or was it George? Motioned for Shacklebolt to take a look around the corner while he covered the man, the Auror nodded and held up three fingers and began to count down. Once all his fingers had dropped the two men rose and stepped as one into the corridor from opposite directions, wands out in front of them.

The far end of the corridor was a mess, there were spell craters in the ceiling and walls, and debris was spread in a wide area all over the floor. And then Shacklebolt saw the two prone figures lying still against the wall, he couldn't recognise them from here, but it seemed as if one was laying atop the other, covering the body almost protectively.

"Right, I want you three to secure this intersection and guard the healer, whatever happens and whatever you see, I want you to wait here until I or one of the other Aurors call for you, do you understand?"

Shacklebolt studied the three youngest teenagers carefully, they appeared frightened but also seemed very determined, while he didn't want to have to rely on them in any sort of fight, he knew having any kind of backup was better than having none at all.

Three nods with varying degrees of confidence answered him and he smiled reassuringly at them.

"Ok, the rest of us split into two teams, I'll take the twins and miss Spinnet. Andy you're with me, Proudfoot watch the others. As hard as it will be we have to ignore the casualties until we have secured the corridor, if we rushed down there we could possibly be leaving an enemy to our rear, then we all become casualties."

Shacklebolt knew that all they wanted to do was rush down the corridor and deal with their injured friends, only his years of experience stopped him acting on the same feelings.

"The teams will take a side of the corridor each, search each room and clear it in turn, go steady and be careful, don't get ahead of the team on the opposite side to you, we may need to support each other. Everybody clear what we are doing?"

Seven teenagers and two Aurors nodded grimly at him, each one fingering their wands. Shacklebolt nodded in return then indicated they should adopt their positions.

The two teams moved down the corridor steadily, when they came to a doorway the team would 'stack up' or line up along the wall, the first person would throw open the door and move inside with the rest of the team following. Each room was searched and declared clear in turn, until Shackle bolt found himself stood over the bodies.

"Secure the intersection."

The twins ran to the far junction and took up positions facing outwards, sparing the briefest of looks at the two figures lying untouched on the floor.

Only once Shacklebolt was satisfied that both ends of the corridor were held securely did he drop to one knee by the two bodies.

The first one was male, although still only a child, and from his open staring eyes it was plain to see that he was dead, there was no obvious physical injury, putting Shacklebolt in mind of the killing curse, but ever the professional, Shacklebolt felt for a pulse anyway even if it was to no avail.

Gently, he rolled the dead boy carefully off the second body underneath, it was a female of around the same tender age as the dead boy, she was laid spread eagled on her back, her head canted over at an impossible angle, her long black hair covering her face. There was a deep spell injury to her chest and Shacklebolt could see the ivory of bone in the wound, possibly caused by a Reducto or a similar curse at point blank range.

Whichever way you looked at it the girl was dead as well, sighing sadly Shacklebolt gently used the tips of his finger tips to brush the long black hair back off the girls face. She was not even a decade older than his own daughter and the hair colour was almost the same, it was not an image he was at all comfortable with.

When the supposed 'dead' girl moaned softly Shacklebolt nearly fell over backwards in surprise, he had had been so sure she was dead that he hadn't bothered to check her pulse, he had overlooked the basics of battlefield casualty assessment, no one was dead until a medic told you they were.

"Doc, I got a live one here!"

In the heat of the moment the normally unflappable Auror had forgotten he didn't have an Auror field medic, always referred to as 'doc', but an actual fully qualified healer. Amanda gave no sign that she had heard the slip as she came running up the corridor, her satchel of supplies bouncing on her hip.

She threw herself down beside Shacklebolt and drew her wand.

"Don't waste too much time on the boy doc, he's gone."

Shacklebolt slowly stood up, the only sign that he had been affected at all by the death of a child and the mortal wounding of another was the tightening of his lips into a thin straight line, and a certain set of his shoulders. For those that knew him well enough to recognise the signs, they would know that to whoever had committed these terrible crimes, Kingsley Shacklebolt had just become the most dangerous man on the planet.

OoOoO

THE BURROW

Ask any member of Slytherin house when you would attack an opponent and you would get exactly the same answer. When you have the advantage and not your opponent, whether that advantage is gained by numerical superiority, because your opponent is distracted, or because he is not expecting it, that's when you attack.

Only Gryffindor's, with their stupid ideas on courage would attack a prepared enemy who knew you were coming and who outnumbered you.

The attack was coming, Draco could feel it deep in his soul. He didn't know what form the attack would take, and he didn't know where the attack was coming from, but it was coming, and soon.

The burrow was as undefended as it had been at any time since the start of this unfolding drama, what with the Aurors away, and half the Goblins still injured, only the D.A. were providing security for the burrow. This was the time he would attack if he was a Death Eater.

He hadn't shared his concerns yet with the others, he had needed some time alone to think, to try and use some of his Slytherin cunning to try and spot potential weaknesses. What would he do if he was tasked to strike at the burrow?

Intelligence would be vital, Voldemort would need an agent at the burrow, someone to report back when the compound was at its weakest, perhaps even stage a distraction or two to keep the defenders busy looking the other way, at least that was what he would do.

If he had been a Death Eater, something that had not that long ago seemed inescapable, and he was tasked to attack the burrow, Draco knew deep down that the moment of the attack would be now.

OoOoO

THE BURROW HOSPITAL

"Right, this is what I want to see happen, and I want it to happen quickly. I want the whole D.A. accounted for and mobilised, I want to begin a search of the burrow buildings, starting with the hospital. Work in fours, no more patrolling in pairs, use whatever force you deem appropriate to the situation, and for Merlin's sake be careful."

With nods of understanding Hannah and Seamus dashed off in the wake of Dawlish and Proudfoot in order to organise a search. The three younger teens were still discharging their duty, despite the near proximity of the bodies of two of their friends, and were guarding the healer, Amanda Coombs as she struggled to stabilise her patient.

"Fred, George, I need you to find Harry and Draco and have them find me here. The last time I saw Harry he was just about dead on his feet, so he's probably asleep somewhere in the arms of your sister, there is a killer on the loose and we need to take precautions, and you two, be careful."

The two red heads nodded once and sprinted away to carry out their instructions.

"Alicia, Angelina, I want you two to go to the burrow, find Charlie and Percy Weasley. Search the house from top to bottom and then hold it secure, nobody in, nobody out, we are going to need somewhere safe to use as a headquarters."

The two females nodded their understanding of the task given to them and turned away. That left him left alone with Ernie Macmillan, the three younger teens and Amanda Coombs.

"Well doc, how are we looking?"

Amanda didn't look up at him when she answered him, concentrating on trying to heal her severely injured patient.

"Severe spell damage to the chest, and a spine fractured in two different places, one of them just below the skull, internal damage caused from blunt force trauma and bone fragments. In short, she's a mess, why she's still alive now I don't know, she's one hell of a fighter."

Amanda sounded less than hopeful of the girl's prospects, but if the child had managed to hold on this long, then perhaps she could produce a further miracle, and hold on a while longer.

Shacklebolt moved away from the healer and the little group around her and turned to study what was now a crime scene as dispassionately as he could manage. He was of course a fully qualified investigator and he needed to get it clear in his own head what had happened.

Noting the position of the bodies when he had first found them, opposite the door to the potions storeroom, which had been wide open when they had arrived, and the female child's abandoned wand near the door, he began to piece the events together, talking out loud as was his custom at such times.

"They patrolled down the corridor, the girl was in the lead and was hit first…"

"Her name is Laura"

Shacklebolt started in shock, he hadn't even noticed that Ernie Macmillan had followed him and the fact the lad had corrected him had surprised him, the boy had always seemed slightly overwhelmed by him when they had met in the past.

The Auror regarded the teenager thoughtfully and then just nodded to say he understood, it was the right thing to do, to give the victims their names, it showed respect for fallen warriors.

"Laura was hit first, but she was not taken by surprise, she was fully facing her attacker when she was hit, you can see that from the position of the wound to her chest. The spell hit her and she dropped her wand, the spell, a Reducto curse or something similar I think, threw her across the corridor to where she is now, the boy…"

Shacklebolt turned and raised his eyebrow questioningly at Ernie and the teenager smiled sadly.

"Jimmy"

"…and Jimmy moved to stand over her, protecting her. Jimmy and the attacker exchanged spell fire, he deflected at least three curses, probably also Reducto curses, that struck the walls and ceiling around him, his shield charm was very strong."

Shacklebolt turned and closely examined the walls either side of the door, there were slight scorch marks around the frame and on the walls.

"Judging by the scorch marks he also managed to get a couple of his own off in reply which were also blocked, but by the lack of visible damage I'm guessing he was only using stunners. I'm guessing that the attacker panicked, knowing the sound of spell fire would bring others running, the attacker had to end it quickly to escape and resorted to the killing curse."

"Why leave Laura alive then? Surely it would have taken little extra time to kill her as well?"

Shacklebolt regarded Ernie for a moment, he was starting to like the way this teenagers mind worked, a potential Auror in the making possibly, and after what Scrimgeour had done to the Auror force that day they would need as many new Aurors cadets as they could get their hands on.

"It's my guess that the attacker made the same mistake I did, and wrote Laura off due to the extent and appearance of her injuries, thinking she was already dead."

Shacklebolt was fairly sure he had the sequence of events right now, but something was still bothering him, why had Laura been facing her attacker without defending herself, and why had the attacker been in the potion store in the first place. The vials were important, but hardly essential, and there had been no obvious damage to any of the potions inside.

Shacklebolt moved inside and turned in a slow circle, studying every detail of the store, there was a strange smell in the room, but it was a potions store after all, that was to be expected.

On one wall there was a strange red circle that could have been drawn in blood, but he had no idea why anyone would want to do that. If he had something to compare it to he could do a DNA comparison, but as it was at the moment it didn't help him identify the killer.

Then he saw it. On the inside of the doorframe, a large chunk of wood had been blown off and lay on the ground, he moved to the doorframe and touched it. It was just below the level of his shoulder, which would have put it at about the right height for the head of a young teenage girl.

"The curse that hit Laura wasn't the first thrown, the first curse thrown was this one, from inside the room. The attacker was in here doing something unknown, Laura heard something and caught the attacker in the act. She placed her head just there to listen to what was going on inside."

Shacklebolt pointed to the door frame, Ernie was impressed at the man's eye for detail, because to him it just looked like a lot of random spell damage.

"The attacker was taken by surprise and fired off a quick curse that struck the frame, missing its target. So the attacker entered the corridor to finish the job, but that does not explain why Laura and Jimmy didn't immediately return fire, they had more enough warning, what would make them hold their fire?"

"Maybe because they both froze?"

Ernie added helpfully.

"It's possible I suppose, but from what I have heard about the Azkaban raid not one of the D.A. froze in combat, so I have to assume that didn't happen here either. What else would make them hold their fire?"

Ernie was silent for a moment frowning mightily, the frown was still on his face when he answered.

"Because they thought their attacker was a friend?"

"Because they thought their attacker was a friend! Mr Macmillan you are a certifiable genius, well done. Please spread the word, don't trust anyone, even other members of the D.A. as soon as possible we will start checking people's wands, and let's find this bastard before they can strike again."

AN/ Bit of a short one this time out, just over my self imposed minimum for a chapter. But don't fret, the next chapter will be coming along shortly.