Chapter Twenty-One: Aftermath

Finnegan waited only long enough to make sure that most of the building that Cresswell was in had been swept through. With a hand signal to Dennis, he took his two teams into the main camp of Redcar. One force held the line on the green and the other freed the prisoners from the barracks. Their job was to draw out as many of the guards as possible so that Dennis' crew could search for Harry and Ron without worry of being spotted. It wouldn't take much to incapacitate them, sure, but the guards had two-way radios that were instant communicators. Seamus knew that they couldn't afford anyone to be evacuated and sent to a different place. Everyone was held at this camp. There were no other camps but that could change at any time.

They sent the freed prisoners to Hermione and most didn't even flinch at the destination. It was a new psyche that the wizarding world shared. Wizards against Muggles. Together, they would stand united for the first time in recent memory. The Pureblooded stood with Muggleborns to hold the lines against the fearful muggles. Fear could make people do unspeakable things and they couldn't afford any mistakes.

Finnegan watched the lines like a hawk. He was only waiting for the all clear, the indicator that there was no longer one drop of magical blood still living in the camp. Dennis sent golden sparks in the air as they pulled Harry and Ron from the building. It didn't take them long. They must have been just put in a magical retardant cell without their wands. It could have been so much worse.

He allowed the guards swift deaths as the remaining prisoners tore down the fences that surrounded the camp. It was their visible stand for freedom. They told the world that they could no longer keep them. They tore down the fence without magic, without tools. Hands were scraped and bloody by the end. It was the dawn of a new era for the wizarding world.

Every single person knew there wouldn't be trials. The magical world couldn't afford the notoriety. That didn't mean they let off the offenders. No. They just made sure that everyone who took part in the torture that went on in the camp was paid back in kind. No one was left alive.

Those that had wands offered to apparate those that didn't to the Manor and there were very few that didn't take up the offer of food, safety, and showers.

When Finnegan walked through the gates of Malfoy Manor, he visibly relaxed. His hand rubbed his face as he found the small group of people who surrounded the prisoners that needed the most urgent medical care.

"Everybody move back!" Hermione yelled. Finnegan watched with raised brows as Dolohov stood between Hermione and the crowd of people, giving her a decent sized bubble to work in. Even now, knowing that he was protecting Hermione, he was still a scary bastard. She moved from Theo and Lucius to Molly and Ginevra who were both severely malnourished but otherwise fine. They kept telling Hermione to concentrate on the people who actually needed it and vowed that they would be right as rain with some food. Hermione had the House-elves tend to the Weasleys and refocused on Theo's leg.

Harry and Ron walked up to him and clapped him on the back.

"Well done, mate," Harry said solemnly. His face was bruised and he was favoriting his right leg but otherwise seemed to be unharmed. Ron looked slightly worse, his face had been cut open with some kind of ring, dried blood flaked off of his neck.

Seamus couldn't voice his agreement, he could only nod as he saw the state of the two most abused wizards, Lucius and Theo. He turned slightly green as he realized what the wounds that Hermione was healing meant.

Cresswell came up behind them and pulled them into an empty room not far from where Hermione was diligently working on Theo and Lucius.

"There were three children that we sent directly to St. Mungos. I don't think there is anything that can be done to save them. They were completely broken by the time we got to them."

"What happened to them?" Harry whispered.

"You do not want to know. I will never get rid of the nightmare that scene will forever create." Cresswell shuddered and held his stomach, his eyes losing focus for a minute as he was dragged back into that room, his eyes staring into the dead madness that lurked just under the surface of the children's gazes. He could feel the vomit in his mouth.

"How are we going to protect all of the Muggleborn children from this happening ever again?" Cresswell asked.

The door opened smoothly and the group watched as Draco Malfoy walked in somberly. He nodded silently at Harry and Ron before turning to Cresswell.

"Snape has been taking the children five and under and keeping them at the castle. He has a whole slew of people babysitting them. Never thought I would see the day that tiny tots were mad for Snape. He seems to be good with them too. I have an idea on how we should proceed but I don't think it should come from me. I don't think a lot of people are going to like it."

"What is it?" Harry asked. There was just something about the horrors of this war that tore down the petty walls of their schoolyard rivalry.

"I think the Muggleborns should be placed with magical families from birth. If they are on the magical registry, they should be re-homed."

"What about the families like Hermione's. They loved her!"

"Then what do you propose?" Draco argued.

The silence in the room was deafening.

"What if we approached them at the birth of their child. Anyone who seems like a danger gets an obliviate and we home the child. Those that aren't a danger could have access to resources for help and include them in our world from then on. It would be better for the children to grow up in this world, it's their birthright. They will join it one day anyway." Ron said, surprising the men in the room.

"That's not a bad idea. The muggles have something called social services. They take children out of unsafe and negligent homes. It wouldn't hurt to screen these people. We could have them move into towns of just these muggle families with magical children. They would have understanding and support from the get-go." Harry said. Seamus was nodding in agreement.

"We have to acknowledge the danger to the children by their own families. After all, it was the muggle families of the Muggleborns who started this."

"Is no one going to point out the fact that Snape has been kidnaping children?" Ron said.

"What should he have done? Let them be sent off to Redcar? Fuck that!" Draco said passionately.

Hermione walked into the room, a tired grimace on her face.

"What's going on in here?" Hermione asked.

"Since the muggles now know Hermione as the Minister of Magic, I vote to keep her in the position. She went to the Muggle Prime Minister yesterday and they worked out a deal." Draco told them.

"I second Hermione for Minister." Harry said. "what was the deal?"

"Mass obliviate with a good cover story," Hermione interjected.

"And they just agreed to that?"

"No. I also threatened them."

"I could see how that could change their mind," Ron said nodding his head knowingly.

"How are Malfoy and Nott?" Ron inquired, changing the subject.

"They will both be fine in a few days. I did all I can for them and I have quite a few people from the trains that are healers. They are much more skilled than I am and are currently seeing to everyone else. It's a good thing the Manor is so large and that the House-elves are so amazing. They had everyone a room assignment, a meal, and the promise of a shower in minutes. I was very impressed."

"When can we expect this mass obliviate to take place?" Harry asked.

"Newt Scamander arrives in the morning," Hermione answered.