Chapter 25--Start of the End
The Senior Weasley's weren't sure what exactly was going on as they made their way to their directed positions. They were to guard the main entrance to the vaults with a team of 20 goblins. It was the entrance they and most other wizards were very familiar with, as it led to the carts that took them all down to their vaults.
It didn't escape their attention how quickly and succinctly the situation was directed, and by Harry no less. It struck them as quite peculiar that the goblins placed themselves in a subordinate role to him, and they couldn't fathom why this was. They weren't given much information about that situation nor about what was going on in Gringotts, but didn't feel it was their place to question anything. It hit hard at that point that there was so much that they didn't know.
They couldn't pinpoint where all this started. One minute they're celebrating Christmas and the next they're caught up in a very real battle within Gringotts of all places. The bank was known for its security and to have someone 'slip' in undetected chilled their hearts.
Neither of the Weasley parents were stupid by any means, naïve and gullible most definitely. So many things raced through their heads as if pounding this fact into their minds to make it painfully obvious. Harry's farce of a trial, where they were led to believe in the evil turn Harry had taken. Then the ministry's justification of turning over Harry's trust vault in recompense for killing their son, with the backing of their trusted leader, Albus Dumbledore. How easy it became to use that money over the year Harry was in Azkaban with the constant reinforcement that they were entitled to it. Harry's escape from the prison seemed only more validation of his guilt. It was like a slowly filling damn, piling up the evidence against the poor boy and their increasing animosity towards him. Then the crack formed and like any flaw burst that damn and the reasons for feeling and acting the way they did were eroding at a dangerous rate revealing the truth that lay beneath. They had thought it the end when Harry's innocence was proven, but the erosion continued and now they were looking at things they had never thought possible before.
They knew Harry was bound to face Voldemort in the end, they knew the prophecy, but how did that relate to his interactions with the goblins? Then his advanced grasp of magic from seemingly no-where, Remus and Tonks split with the Order and subsequent support of Harry, their own actions in withdrawing from the Order of the Phoenix, and now Ginny was caught up in it all. Surprisingly, they were quite proud of their daughter's achievements on her NEWTS but didn't really expect anything less. Ron's actions were more than troublesome. They didn't raise their children to act like he was currently. Like everything else that had been uncovered, they were sure there was more than met the eye about Ron's attitude.
Mrs. Weasley's thoughts pondered more on her children's actions, especially now that she had nothing else to do. The dragons running amok scared her more than anything. She had heard so many of Charlie's stories, even though he didn't realize she was listening, that all she really wanted to do was bundle them all up and take them home safely. Sighing she realized she couldn't do that anymore. This slight action caused her husband of many years to look at her, silently questioning if she were okay. Gathering her wits, she nodded sharply. This was almost exactly how she felt during the first war. She had lost her family then and never quite got over it. She swore to herself she wouldn't let that happen again. Last time she had hesitated, she had a chance now to change that in their current situation. No, she couldn't and wouldn't hesitate anymore. She had to trust her grown children unlike she was doing before. Yes, they were grown and more than capable of taking care of themselves. All except perhaps Ron, but it didn't mean she couldn't help in making sure they lived beyond all of this. In that moment she realized that her actions of late were only hindering her children and splitting their family apart. Instead of nurturing their growth, she smothered them to the point of their leaving to get out from under her. She now understood with clarity what the others had been trying to tell her. She was proud of their action to break from the Order, and wondered if that hadn't been the turning point in their way of thinking. No longer was there anywhere to hide or safely remove themselves until the war was over. It would eventually reach out and engulf them wherever they ran to. It would never be over until Voldemort was taken care of. He would continue to fester and spread his vile influence like the weeds of her garden if not cut off.
If she didn't fight for her family than who would? How could she expect others to protect her family and fight against that vile snake and his murderers if she wasn't willing to do it? The prior Ministry had proven they weren't capable or willing to stand against those common criminals, although the current ministry she had to give some credit to for the actions they were taking. Maybe not enough but it was definitely better than before. No matter though, the bottom line was that she saw what was going on for what it really was and could not hide from it anymore. Visibly her stance changed again attracting the attention of her husband. This time she looked straight at him causing him to do a double take at the look of defiant strength gleaming in her eyes.
"Molly?"
"When we're done here Arthur, we're going to have a very long talk about our youngest son." She said with force, daring him to defy or challenge her.
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Bill on the other hand didn't have time for much contemplation as was allotted to his parents. Only 20 minutes had gone by when Bill's team leader was directed to take his team to another part of the catacombs. He was already sweating from the exertion of checking protection ward after protection ward looking for any kind of minute fracture or anomaly that would indicate some kind of tampering. Now they were quickly making their way deeper into the tunnels where the more lucrative vaults were housed. He welcomed the break and the cooler temperatures, but was stunned when they were told to seek out hidden individuals. They weren't to do anything with them, just report their location to the team chief. He couldn't understand how anyone could be hidden from the goblins down here. The map up in the war room had managed to locate the one individual they did know about, how did it not pick up any others? He was also under the impression that without goblin escort, anyone attempting to find their way within the bank would become horribly lost. His minding whirling, certain thoughts started to coalesce. Maybe, the one individual wanted to be found? Did they have some kind of foreknowledge or map of the underground? Maybe they had a cloaking or masking spell that was able to fool the goblins security systems? Was the individual leading the goblins away from the others for some reasons, possibly even into an ambush? It started falling into place; someone was leading an elaborate attack against the bank in order to rob it! No, not to rob it, to take it over! They were slowly but methodically taking out goblins with their own dragons! How though, were they controlling the dragons? When he got the chance he was going to have to ask his dragon lover brother about that.
Before any more thoughts could form, he heard the goblins shouting to one another in gobbledygook. It looked like some sort of disagreement had arisen. He couldn't understand all of it, but from bits and pieces he could understand he compiled enough to make him smirk at their ingenuity. They weren't fighting, but to anyone that didn't understand their language it would look like exactly that. What they were really discussing was the discovery of a pocket of hidden wizards in the alcove up the tunnel from them. They didn't want those wizards to think they had been found. This way, no alarm or signal could be sent to any others hiding in the bank. The ruse would allow the goblins to continue to look without appearing that way, affording them the time needed to bring in reinforcements and locate the other renegades.
Sharptongue came over to Bill and relayed quietly what they had found. "Harry Potter was right to have us check this area. There are three wizards masking their magic in the next alcove. I have sent a team ahead to check the rest of this area as well as alerting other teams throughout the bank how to spot these hidden scum. So far this is the only spot they have chosen for their contemptible acts. Stormtooth is working to update the map to make sure and give us forewarning of any others. Five of our warriors are to remain here with you. They will act as if they have you under arrest. I do not think these evil men know of you but stay in the shadows just in case. I need you to act accordingly; do not fight until I give the signal. Reinforcements will portkey in to prearranged locations once all the thieves have been found."
Bill didn't bother to question the goblin. He had worked with them long enough to know better. In the current situation, it wouldn't look good either as it might give away the ruse the goblins were trying to pull off. The fact that more attackers remained hidden within the bank, sent chills down his spine. He only hoped his family was safe. When the reinforcements arrived he was sure he would have no time to worry about anything.
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Charlie unlike the rest of his family, found himself in the thick of things immediately after portkeying with his team of goblins. As soon as his feet touched the ground he felt something slam into his back and found himself with a face full of mud and something that smelled coppery. He barely turned his head when he saw a giant razor sharp claw sweep through air where he had been standing a second ago. Once the claw passed, the goblin, Flamespear, rolled off of him and started shouting orders to his team. Dazed, Charlie didn't comprehend the orders. He rolled away from where he landed not wanting to give the attacking dragon an easy target and tried to take in the scene surrounding him. Being around dragons for as long as he had, he thought he had seen just about everything. This however, was one of worst possible scenarios, one that could only be dreamed up in a nightmare.
There were at least five dragons that he could see leaping, flying, swiping with their deadly claws and tails, and breathing fire in one of the largest underground caverns he had ever seen. Goblins were dancing about the very agile dragons trying to avoid their own deaths while attempting to bring them back under control. There were no words to explain what he was seeing. The brief had vastly underestimated these dragons current mentality. It was as if they had been struck with a vicious bloodlust.
Blood, bodies and body parts littered the floor of the cavern making it a precarious task to maintain a foothold, let alone try to fight. The agility of the goblins greatly impressed him, as he tried and failed several times to stand. Not twenty feet in front of him an unlucky goblin slipped on the remains of one of his brothers-in-arms. He never had a chance to regain his feet as massive jaws clamped onto him. Throwing it's head back, the dragon lifted the doomed goblin violently into the air. The lower half of the goblin continued to fly in an arch over the dragons head while it's upper half remained in the dragons' mouth. Charlie watched the legs of the former goblin until they hit the cavern wall and slid sickeningly down it leaving a swath of blood and gore to document its passing.
Behind him he heard another scream and jerked around to see another goblin that had been caught in a similar predicament. The dragon bit down with one tremendous jolt silencing the horrible scream and separating the limbs from the rest of the goblin. One of the arms dropped and hit another goblin who was in the middle of casting a spell. Momentarily stunned, the goblin stepped to a more secure footing, ignored the gore staining him and began casting once again.
Seeing all this Charlie gulped hard and swore to whatever being was watching over them that he would take all life more seriously and finally ask Samantha to marry him if he got out of this alive. He had been stringing her along now for three years while hiding their relationship from his family. He had not been sure if he was ready to settle down. This moment clenched it for him.
Knowing that sitting around wasn't going to help achieve his goals; he quenched down his fear and jumped into the fight using the strongest spells he knew to try to restrain the dragons. He was flinging spells as quickly as he could and keeping a wary eye out around him. Never in his life had he fought so hard or so long. The stronger spells took a lot of energy to cast and he could feel exhaustion setting in. Dodging and trying to stand firm on the slippery ground was also impacting his ability to continue the fight. He could feel his clothes clinging to him from the sweat running off him in droves. Then when he thought he couldn't fight anymore, the dragons calmed. His senses heightened as if waiting for some deception to reveal itself. Never had he heard of dragons backing down from a fight of their own accord. The goblins as well were looking around suspiciously. It seemed they were just as confused as he was.
A great gust of wind buffeted through the cavern, chilling the sweat on his body and cooling him. Although a welcome relief to the intense heat that had consumed them all previously, he was worried as to it's source. The wind continued to pick up and seemed to be coming from one of the larger tunnels leading out from the cave. A few seconds later an enormous male flew through the tunnel and to one of the larger nests situated near the back wall. It was then Charlie realized why the dragons were so incensed. Not only were they protecting the nests, but someone had stolen one of their precious eggs!
Fred and George, relegated to guard duty at the VIP entrance to the vaults, were thoroughly bored. They were greatly offended by this menial task. Their talents could be put to much better use than they were currently engaged in. Minutes seemed to tick buy as their minds invented bigger and better ways in which to trap the scoundrel causing havoc below. The fact that their family members were fighting didn't really dissuade their thinking. They knew everyone would be okay. It was a childish innocence they had never really outgrown, something they felt deep within their souls and nothing to worry about.
The minutes ticked by and soon the twins grew restless of just idly thinking. First Fred then George looked up and with determination started to march forward in lock step deeper into the tunnel. They ignored the shouted commands of the goblin commander to stop. When they came to the juncture of where the tunnel they were guarding branched out into several towards the vaults, the twins stopped and surveyed the area with a critical eye.
Without a word the two set to work with an audience of Goblins staring on in bewilderment. None tried to stop them as they couldn't believe what they were seeing.
Bill couldn't imagine what was taking so long for the re-enforcements to arrive. As every second passed, his anxiety increased. A tap on his shoulder caused him to nearly jump out of his skin. Literally he found he had actually jumped, but only in such a way as to remove himself from the unknown presence which he was now facing. It was Sharptongue of all people!
"What………?" he started.
"SHHHHHHH!" the goblin hushed while waving others to come forward. "Re-enforcements have arrived and all 20 intruders' locations ferreted out." Sharptongue whispered. "Now we attack! We will crush them between our two forces like a Clopnar crushes the Winkle."
"Huh?" Bill responded.
Sharptongue looked up at Bills confused face. "Like your Lion and Mouse?"
"Oh, got it, right….." Bill let it slide. He would never get used to Goblins analogies.
"We have received word that all the Dragons are contained. How we do not know and it doesn't matter. We will find out later. Our mission is those thieves. We start forward immediately driving them towards our brethren at the rear gates."
Bill wasn't exactly sure where the rear gates were, but he could only hope none of his family was stationed there. From the numbers, there were quite a few dark wizards that would fight tooth and nail. He was anxious to find out about Charlie, but pushed it back. Right now he needed to concentrate on the task ahead as the goblins were already pressing forward to the first alcove and the first known location of said dark wizards.
With a shout the goblins surrounded the alcove and one shouted a counter curse in gobbledygook revealing three surprised wizards. One of whom happened to be Bellatrix LeStrange. It was disturbing to see a look of surprise on her evil face when normally it wore one of snarling rabid rage or mockery.
It didn't take but a couple of seconds for her to react though, and she started shrieking like a banshee trying to warn the others they had been found out. She immediately tore into the goblin ranks with death and torture curses with reckless abandon. The remaining two wizards followed her lead and soon broke away from the goblin detachment and were running straight in the direction of the rear gates where the goblins had intended them to go.
Fred and George had just finished putting the coup-de-grace on their little experiment. They hoped that it would get a chance to shine. Their goblin leader seemed otherwise engaged and they pouted a little at the lack of attention. A moment later, the goblin leader turned to them and spoke in accented English.
"Whatever you two have planned will be proven or have failed in the next 10 minutes. Goblins prepare your selves! We have incoming!"
Fred and George looked at each other with uncontained glee and excitement rubbing their hands together in anticipation. Then without another word, they followed the goblins lead and found a large stalagmite to hide behind that offered a bit of protection.
The wait was agonizingly slow for the two brothers. Just when they thought they couldn't bare it anymore the first of the wizards appeared in the center of the juncture. The wizard stopped to look around but immediately snapped-to and started to spin like a top as he was encased in spider silk. It was readily apparent the wizard was no longer in the battle, but instead of remaining on the ground, the rope like silk snapped taught and jerked the cocoon into the air and out of sight.
More Death Eaters started flooding into the area and chaos sprung to life to the orchestration of the Weasley twin's dastardly twisted minds. Ice hulks formed around several wizards and witches when they tried to kick at scurrying mice running around trying to climb up their robes. More spider silk shot through the crowd picking off more unsuspecting humans. Others were being chased around by what looked like hobgoblins, a smaller nastier cousin of the goblins. Nothing seemed to affect the menacing creatures. Small puffs of white powder occasionally sprung into the air indicating some other nefarious trap was set off. In fact those that had the unfortunate luck to run into the "powder puffs" were soon laying on the ground focused only on itching themselves to death. Those Death Eaters that made it through the traps unharmed were finally stopped short within the infamous transportable swamps. The fight was over before it had really begun and while the twins were rolling on the ground with tears in their eyes from laughing too hard, the goblins could only look on in utter amazement and wonder at what had been accomplished. Soon the only sound that filled the juncture was that of the two red-headed demons who pulled off this magnificent achievement.
Pounding feat echoed louder in tunnel, while the twins carried on. Soon the rear detachment of goblins that was herding the Death Eaters forward came into view. Among their numbers was a larger version of the two red-heads still rolling on the ground oblivious to all around them. Bill took in the site around him and started chuckling. He was well acquainted with the twin's mischievous trinkets. They had purported themselves better than anyone could have ever thought, but upon thinking this, it all somehow fit logically into the scheme of things.
Bill walked over to his younger brothers and literally yanked them up by the collar of their necks shocking them both silent until they caught the gleam in Bills eyes. Bill hugged them both fiercely and then turned to Sharptongue for orders. The goblins seemed too surprised to move until Sharptongue addressed the three Weasley's. "This is your doing?" at there slightly reluctant nods he continued. "We may have business to talk about in the future if you are willing?"
Fred and George looked at Bill whose eyes had bugged out at the implications. Excitement filling them, the twins tried to appear calm but eagerly grabbed Sharptongues hands and shot out in unison, "When do you want to meet?"
Sharptongues grin grew wider as he led the twins off to the side after directing the others with the cleanup.
Meanwhile, while the battle was going strong inside the bank, outside a crowd had started forming. It wasn't every day that Gringotts actually locked itself down, so it didn't go unnoticed by those lingering in Diagon Alley. When protests from people trying to get in to get their money began making their way down the alley, more and more people took notice. It didn't take long for the rumors to start flying far beyond the denizens of the alley. Mad-Eye Moody just happened to be watching Knockturn Alley when word caught his ear of the banks closure. As quickly as he could, he made his way up to the doors of Gringotts to check for himself. With the tick crowd growing by the minute, he was quickly angering many of the people he was not so gently shoving out of his way. His attempts to figure out what was going on failed just like anyone else's. There was no new information to be had and that only intensified his suspicions.
Moody sent off a patronus to Kingsley who was located in the Leaky Cauldron to inform Dumbledore of the situation and get other order members here quickly. He didn't state why he thought more members should be on hand, he thought that would be obvious. Sometimes Moody forgot that to assume things all the time meant that it would make and "ASS out of U and Me". He would regret forgetting that adage.
Back at Gringotts, Stormtooth was shocked when Harry's team arrived so soon. He hadn't thought they would be able to resolve the situation so quickly. Looking them over he realized with dread that their ambassador and friend was being held by the wizard known as Remus. He looked quickly to the women and saw their tear streaked faces and burst into action. After summoning the healers he led Remus to a couch to lay Harry down upon. No sooner had they placed him down than the healers arrived and started directing the others in various tasks while they examined their patient.
Remus explained to Stormtooth as best he could about the situation while at the same time completing the tasks assigned by the healers. He was also trying to keep a watchful eye on Harry, Ginny and Tonks as they hadn't the time to talk about what happened and didn't know how they were affected. Ginny didn't look too good and was barely able to finish her tasks. She wanted to sit by Harry's side not realizing how that would interfere with the healers work. The healers were patient though and kept gently pulling her away to complete other tasks. They were menial, but it took her mind off of Harry for a short while each time.
Tonks on the other hand remained stoic even though a tear would occasionally slip down her face. Knowing Tonks, it would be later that she would collapse with the weight of emotion she was holding back now.
Harry on the other hand was still out and that worried him more than he could say. He couldn't tell exactly what the goblin healers were doing, goblin magic was still incomprehensible to him, but it didn't look like they were getting anywhere.
After only 20 minutes the healers stopped their work, which angered the others. Before any of them could protest, what looked like the head healer held up her hands to still their comments and spoke. "Our goblin magic is not effective. He needs the aid of your wizard healers. St. Mungo's is where he must go. His breathing is stable, but his wound is a most curious one. There is magic there that, I am reluctant to admit, is beyond our understanding. It may be something that is peculiar to your kind, or maybe not. We have not had many chances to work on humans before. There is nothing more we can do for him here." With that said, she started packing up her things and the other goblins followed suit.
Ginny, now quite coherent immediately spoke up with distress evident in her voice. "Please, you must do something. We can't take him to St. Mungo's. It's too risky. If anyone finds out…he's not ready for that yet. We're not ready for that yet."
Tonks wrapped the younger woman in an embrace trying to comfort her while speaking softly into her ear. "Ginny, you heard the healer. We must take him to St. Mungo's. We'll all be there with him to protect him. It's the only chance we have right now. You know in your heart it's the right thing to do."
"Tonks is right Ginny. I think between the three of us we can fend off anyone trying to get at Harry. We just took down a dragon for Merlin's sake." Remus said jokingly, trying to lighten the mood. It was a dire situation and he was as worried as the others but they really had no choice at this juncture and someone needed to make sure they remained level headed. They could not serve Harry's needs if they broke down now. He only hoped that harry would find the help he needed at the wizard hospital. Gathering Harry into his arms once again, he reached out to grab the portkey Stormtooth provided. Once Ginny and Tonks were touching it, he said the password and they were gone.
Stormtooth watched them leave, then immediately contacted Rack'N'stack to inform him of the situation. The goblin leader was not happy when he heard the news about Harry. The wound he received from the dragon was most puzzling and worrisome at the same time. He would bet all his gold that something very peculiar was about to happen to their ambassador. For better or worse he couldn't say but hoped it would be in their favor. He ordered Stormtooth to finish the clean-up at the bank and then send a dozen of their best goblin warriors to St. Mungos to guard their ambassador. He was sure somehow that the news of Harry's appearance at St. Mungo's would not go unnoticed.
Remus and the other's arrived at St Mungo's without fanfare. It didn't seem to faze any of the staff that another badly injured wizard just happened to appear needing help. Looking around the waiting room, there were many that were in various stages of need. The fact that they were all wearing their battle robes and had obviously been in a fierce fight; was the only thing that set them apart from the rest.
An orderly approached Tonks and started asking questions to ascertain the care needed for the intended patient. Tonks faltered for a moment when asked the name of the patient. Looking to Remus for guidance, he stepped in for her and provided the required information while still holding the unconscious subject.
"His name is James Roper." He supplied simply.
The orderly didn't seem phased by the name, to the relief of the four, and ordered a stretcher for Mr. Roper's immediate admittance to the emergency ward. So far everything seemed to be running smoothly and it didn't look like they would encounter any more problems.
Remus placed Harry on the stretcher and then followed the entourage of healers up to the emergency ward. With a few wisely placed spells, the three had no problem remaining in the ward with Harry while they tried to work on him.
Unbeknownst to any of them, one of the orderlies had recognized the name of the Goblin Ambassador. Conveniently he just happened to be going on his lunch break and slipped out unnoticed. Once outside he sent off a patronus to the one person he knew would appreciate the information he had to share.
Back in Diagon Alley, Mad-eye Moody was surprised to receive a Patronus message from one of his former students. The man had been working at St. Mungo's for quite some time now and periodically kept him informed on suspicious events at the wizard hospital. The information he had provided had never added up to much in the past, but he was now glad that he had continued to groom that relationship.
As quick as he could hobble, Moody made his way back through the thick crowd to the Leaky Cauldron angering more people as he shoved his way through. Using the fireplace he floo-called Albus and then stepped into the fire calling out St. Mungo's.
He had barely arrived when Dumbledore and more order members started showing up. Without any announcement, Dumbledore sent a spell at the desk orderly who appeared dazed and confused upon being hit. His actions weren't questioned by any of his conspirators. The patients in the waiting area were too timid to stand up to the Greatest Wizard of the age and so remained quiet pretending they didn't notice a thing.
Dumbledore searched the orderly's mind for the information needed and when he found it, set off without a word, fully expecting his entourage to follow.
Meanwhile in the emergency ward, the healers were becoming frantic trying to work on Mr. Roper. Nothing they had tried had been successful in removing the wizards' robes so they could attend to his wounds. If they were going to save him, those robes had to come off. At his wits end, the head healer turned to Remus.
"Sir, It is imperative we remove his robes! If there is some way you know of to remove them, I implore you to do so now!"
Remus looked over at Harry then back to the healer, his anxiety becoming evident on his face. "I…I don't know how, maybe…"
"I know" Ginny whispered.
"What was that?" Remus asked turning to her in surprise. He wasn't sure he had heard her correctly.
"I know how to remove his robes, but I will require an unbreakable vow from everyone that you will not reveal what you see once the robes are removed."
The healer blinked considering her unusual request. The other healers hearing her stopped as well and looked to their boss for guidance. Determining that the vow wasn't asking any more than their Hippocratic Oaths already given, he acquiesced to the request. "Very well, lets get this done quickly."
So without any fanfare they took the requested oath.
Ginny leaned over Harry and whispered the password she had been entrusted with and warned only to use in dire circumstances. Her heart battled with her mind over whether or not this qualified. It was done now though and she couldn't take it back.
Soft clicks resounded like explosions in the dead silence of the room as the battle robes magic unleashed its bindings from its master. The hood and robes seemed to liquefy and then peal away revealing the man and armor underneath. Then the armor released and swiftly detached itself appearing on a chair next to Harry.
Halfway through this process though, Ginny's worst nightmare came to pass as the double doors leading into the ward banged open and Dumbledore and his lackeys stormed in with wands drawn. In an instant Remus, Tonks and Ginny were surrounding Harry, ready to protect him no matter the cost.
Dumbledore ignored the three cloaked figures, instead concentrating on his nemesis lying on the emergency table. What he saw there completely flabbergasted him.
"Harry!?" Dumbledore exclaimed, attracting everyone's attention to where he was focused. Dumbledore couldn't imagine the circumstances that had caused Harry to turn up in the hospital, but he thought he could use this in an attempt to solidify his argument that Harry was safer at Hogwarts. If this was truly Harry, then that also meant that one of the cloaked figures was Remus and would also serve to bolster the fact that the man couldn't protect young Harry. What he couldn't figure out is why the young orderly thought this was James Roper. He was sure he read her memories correctly and was in the right room. Even the wound inflicted on Harry matched the orderly's memories. His eyes scanned the boy intensely then grew wide as he spotted the pendant that lay around the boys' neck. It couldn't be! There must be some other explanation. He moved forward intent on inspecting the pendant closer.
"Don't move Dumbledore," a female voice spoke harshly.
Dumbledore looked up to see three wands pointed at him. He looked behind him and saw his five Order members in a likewise stance, wands pointed at the three wizards.
Taking a chance to confirm his suspicions, Dumbledore addressed the three as yet unknowns. "Remus, I don't know what's going on here, but lets get Harry back to Hogwarts where he will be safe."
Gasps at his comment echoed through the room.
"That won't be happening Dumbledore. As you can see he is in need of medical attention. He won't be going anywhere until that has happened." Ginny firmly stated giving up any pretense of denying Harry's presence or confirming any suspicions the headmaster might have.
"He's right Albus. Let's use the time we have to find James Roper. We can come back for the boy later. By the looks of things he won't be going anywhere anytime soon." Moody stated not able to detect the individuals behind the cloaks.
Dumbledore chuckled mirthlessly. "Don't you see my friends? They are one and the same. That pendant is the symbol of the goblin nation. The symbol was bestowed upon their ambassador to ensure he wasn't mistaken as someone else. It is the same pendant worn around the ambassador James Roper's neck each time he has appeared before the Wizengamot. None can remove it except the leader of the goblin nation."
More gasp sounded at this revelation and all eyes sought out the pendant.
"But Albus, how can this be possible?" Minerva questioned. "It doesn't fit. Harry was at school each and every time James Roper met with the Wizengamot." She was astonished at the accusation and didn't know what to believe anymore.
"I believe we can resolve this once we get Harry back to Hogwarts. Remus, you and your friends will be joining us to shed some light on all of this." Dumbledore stated broking no argument.
"Either you are deaf or not listening Albus Dumbledore. He will not be leaving with anyone until he is healed."
"My dear Miss Weasley, he will receive the finest care at Hogwarts. Now if…"
"Enough!" Shouted Remus; shocking everyone present with the strength of command in his voice. "You may think you can order everyone around without question Albus but you are wrong. You have no idea what is going on here and I'm not about to let you waltz in here to kidnap this man just as you please. He has committed no crime and if I recall correctly you have no jurisdiction anywhere but at Hogwarts. These healers are the best there are and no amount of sweet-talking is going to convince me that Hogwarts can provide better treatment than here. What is the real reason behind moving him Albus?"
"As I have stated all along, I only have the best interest at heart for young Harry. I…"
"That's a load of dragon dung and you know it! It might work on the rest of these foolhardy minions of yours, but it won't work with us. Why don't you tell them what you plan to do with Harry once he's back at Hogwarts."
"I have no idea what you are talking about Miss Weasley. I only fear that Mr. Potter may have fallen in with the wrong crowd and is being influenced negatively by this. I wish only to remedy the situation and bring him back to the light."
"I grow weary of your inane babbling Dumbledore. That's not quite the truth now is it. Maybe you don't even know what the truth is anymore? With all the lies you've weaved over the years do you even know what is real anymore? If you won't or can't state the truth then maybe it is up to us to reveal it?"
"I don't know who you are miss, but I assure you I am quite capable of knowing the reality of a situation. Who are you to question me anyway? What relations do you have with Harry?"
"That my doddering old buffoon is none of your business. All you need know is I'm a protector of Harry and will do all in my power to keep him out of your grasp. Tell them of your nefarious scheme to bind Harry to you."
"What's the girl babbling about Albus?" Moody demanded, bewildered at this conversation.
"I have no idea my old friend." Dumbledore answered once again. The twinkle in his eyes seemed to grow more intense. Moody and the others staring directly at their mentor and leader seemed to back down upon seeing them and accept his word without further inquest. Turning to the three once again, he didn't get the same reaction.
"That will no longer work on us Albus, so don't waste your efforts." Remus spoke confidently puzzling the Order members as to his meaning. "You no longer have any influence over us. Harry will not be leaving! Why don't you tell them about the potion you have ready to administer to Harry upon his arrival at Hogwarts? A potion that would bind him to you; a potion that would prevent him from ever acting against your will; a potion so heinous it was outlawed long ago by the Ministry as it removed all free will of the recipient."
Once again gasps filled the room at this accusation and all turned to the Headmaster waiting for his response. "Your insinuation deeply aggrieves me. What have I done to so repulse you that you would contrive such falsitudes?"
"Oh I can't believe this! Get over it old man, don't act so distressed. If you say you have a grip on reality, than you know exactly what we're talking about. Stop lying to the people whom have placed their trust, their LIVES, in your hands." Ginny nearly screamed beyond frustrated with the ongoing machinations.
It seemed that the gasping was becoming a regular event at each new revelation that was exposed.
"My friends, there is obviously some great misunderstanding here. If we go back to Hogwarts, I'm sure we can work it all out. I have no intention what-so-ever of performing the deeds Remus has spoken of."
"You may not Albus Dumbledore, but that doesn't prevent you from having some other unsuspecting party administer the potion to Harry with the same results." Ginny sneered.
Before Dumbledore could answer, a team of twelve goblin warriors entered the ward encircling Harry and his friends, further crowding the small ward.
"What is the meaning of this?" Minerva exclaimed.
"We are here to protect the Ambassador. Remove yourselves immediately." The lead warrior stated.
"This is insane!" the normally stoic Transfiguration professor uncharacteristically screeched throwing her hands up into the air.
"Leave or we will consider this a breach of the treaty most recently enacted!"
"I am afraid you are mistaken my dear goblin as to the current situation." Dumbledore tried to manipulate, taking a chance that the goblins were not aware of James Ropers' true identity. "We only wish to return a student to Hogwarts where he belongs."
"Do not play us for fool's wizard! We know you are aware of this man's status as our ambassador. You also know he is protected by law from your meddling as we have confirmed that you received notification of his withdrawal from your school. You have no right to be here, so remove yourselves!"
"What is he talking about? When did Harry remove himself from Hogwarts? I thought he considered it the closest thing to home?" Minerva probed sounding like a broken record for the many times she had asked similar questions receiving no answers. She was beyond frustrated with this whole mess. Somewhere in the middle of this predicament lay the truth but it seemed they were unsuccessful in ferreting it out.
Dumbledore couldn't believe what was going on. They had no right to treat him this way. First they banned him from Gringotts and stole from him now they were demanding his removal from a place he had every right to be. It seemed there was no end to the lengths to which these goblins would go to overstep their bounds. Everything that had transpired as of late welled up within him and without thinking he shot a spell towards Harry that would draw the boy to him. No one saw that coming and didn't have time to react. The spell hit its target, but nothing happened.
Nothing happened that is until the scales on Harry's arms came alive once again. To the astonishment of those who had not been privy to this before, the golden dragon appeared again.
"Albus Dumbledore, you have proven your unworthiness for the cause you claim to fight for. You're craven attack against one unable to defend himself has shown your fraudulent claim for his best interests. Your fate will be decided in kind. All who side with you will likewise be judged when it is time. For now you have condemned the wizarding world. The one you seek to control will no longer be within your grasp."
With that said, a bright light engulfed the ward blinding the inhabitants. When it cleared and spots no longer stung their eyes, Harry along with his three friends were gone. Not a scrap of anything belonging to them remained. There was no trace of whatever magic was used. It was as if they had never been there.
The goblins were nonplussed by the disappearance and with a quick look around, they left without a word.
Dumbledore on the other hand was about to pop a vein in his forehead. "FIND THEM!" he bellowed.
"But Albus, they are gone and there is no trace to begin from. Be reasonable." Minerva tried to explain. Reaching out to calm him, she pulled away as if scalded when he turned abruptly to her. The rage she saw in his eyes scared her to her core. Never had she seen anything remotely like it on her friends face.
"Minerva's right Albus. They ain't here. There's nobody hiding and if that dragon figure is correct, I don't think we'll be finding any of them any time soon."
"Alastor, it's imperative we find them now."
"Headmaster, why is it so important? We've spent the summer looking for them and the last month and a half to no avail."
"I agree with Damon. We've wasted to many resources up 'til now looking for the boy. Nothings changed. We don't have anything more to go on."
"Oh but we do my friend. When the Wizengamot learns of the true identity of James Roper they'll force Gringotts to relinquish their ambassadors' appointment."
"You're talking outright war with the goblins Albus! We can't deal with them and Voldemort at the same time. We'd be signing our own death warrants."
"You don't understand!" Dumbledore grated between his teeth. He was furious to learn that Harry was James Roper and the implications were just now hitting home. How dare that little upstart do this to him.
"Then please explain Albus, we're waiting." Minerva sighed heavily. She just wanted to go home and soak in a nice hot bath and obliviate her memories of this day.
Albus took a moment to calm himself and like an electric switch, his demeanor changed back to the grandfatherly figure they knew and were most comfortable with.
"Don't you see my friends, if Harry is James Roper than that can only mean they are in league with this Mysterious wizard. That is who has been training Harry and has beguiled the boy into enacting his own abhorrent plans. These are not the actions of Harry Potter. Now, Remus and Miss Weasley have been corrupted as well. We need to bring them all back to the light."
"Albus, I think you may need to check in here and get yourself examined. Nothing you're saying makes any sense. Before you stated, claiming irrevocable proof, that James Roper and the mysterious wizard were one in the same. Now your saying Harry and James Roper are the same wizard. What's next? Are you going to claim Harry's the Mysterious wizard and that all three are the same man?" Alastor spoke gruffly, half joking and half serious.
"I was mistaken, please forgive me, but I know now the truth of the matter. Somehow this mysterious wizard broke Harry out of Azkaban and has been training him ever since. There is no other explanation for Harry's acceleration of learning. If we don't discover what he is planning all may be lost."
"All this doom and gloom you all keep spouting is making me rethink my involvement in this Order."
"Shut it, Macon." Alastor chastised.
The Order members didn't really hear Macon's comment as they were staring at their leader in disbelief. Once they saw those twinkling eyes again though, all thought of asking anymore questions or rebuking his arguments flew from their thoughts.
When the Headmaster and the others returned to Hogwarts they found the news had already been leaked. The students as well as the professors were all discussing the events causing a loud hum to persist throughout the Great Hall.
As it was dinner, everyone was thought present until Ronald Weasley came sauntering into the hall. It seemed as though he hadn't heard the news. Dumbledore watched from his seat at the head table trying to block out the obnoxious stories warped from the little information there was to go on. He was also trying to figure out where his potions master was. Severus had stated through private missive he would be back this evening. Maybe he would be later than originally expected, but it was just as troubling. He didn't need anything else going wrong at this point.
Ron, upon entering the Great Hall didn't even notice the rumors going around. His stomach was in control at the moment as he sought out his regular seat by Hermione. He didn't even notice how disturbed his girlfriend looked as he shoveled food onto his plate and began the grotesque ritual he called eating.
Halfway through his dinner the sounds around him began to sink into the fog engrossing his mind. Upon hearing his ex-friend Harry's name for the fifth time, his anger started growing. Finally, he had enough hearing about poor Harry Potter and stormed out of the hall without a word to anyone. So incensed, he didn't see Luna until he ran right into her.
Luna recovered quickly and looked up to see the red-faced, red-head. "Why Ronald, you should really mind those Toma Toe Flies infesting your head."
Taken aback by her outlandish comment, he didn't know how to respond. Then heard Harry's name again. "Shut it Looney!" he sneered.
Luna continued impervious to his crassness. "I've heard they are really nasty, especially to tomatoes. My Father tried to grow them but the infestation ruined them. Although it could be just the fact that tomatoes are known for bursting when they get to full of themselves."
"What's that suppose to mean?"
"Oh nothing. Just watch them so your head doesn't explode."
Scoffing at Luna's strange story, Ron continued out of the hall and didn't think twice about it.
Somewhere off the coast of Britain, the three plus Harry arrived in a dark cavern or hall of some sort. Their wands drawn, they tried to ascertain where they were. After a few minutes, the golden dragon appeared before them.
"Not to worry friends of Harry. You are in a safe place, one that has not been blessed with the presence of wizard kind for thousands of years. It has remained hidden until one worthy of its secrets proves himself. I am the keeper of this place and have protected it since the passing of the wizard you call Merlin. Young Harry has unknowingly but successfully fulfilled the tasks laid out for him to inherit Merlin's legacy. When he battled the dragon out of self defense and its blood mixed with his, I awoke. The scales he had bonded to himself were what remained of my mortal self and had been passed down through Merlin's heirs seeking the destined one."
"How can Harry take Merlin's place if he doesn't live to see tomorrow?!" Ginny bemoaned, not caring about the phenomenal proclamation that Harry would replace Merlin.
"As I have said, this place holds many secrets. Although I am only a shadow of what I once was, I can direct you in what must be done to completely heal young Harry. The life magic held within your tears Ginevra has already begun to heal him for there is no greater power than love. Once he awakens, this place will be his and any he deems worthy to share it with him."
"What does it mean exactly that Harry will take Merlin's place?" Tonks asked excited at the prospect of what this might mean.
"Nym, we can discuss that later. Let's get to work on Harry." Remus redirected.
"Very well, first I need to transfer the knowledge of this place to all of you. This will make our task easier."
Voldemort was not happy. He knew that the attack on Gringotts had somehow failed. None of his Death Eaters, including Snape, had returned. Whether it was by design or his attack had been thwarted by the goblins he didn't know. All he had to ruminate on were the rumors that were going around about Harry Potter being James Roper. The bearers of this news had been severely cursed in an attempt to relieve his deluge of rage. If Malfoy Sr. was still alive, he would have made the bungling idiot pay even more dearly.
The one piece of good fortune that presented itself was that now James Roper…or Harry Potter was out of the picture. For how long he didn't know, but he would not squander the opportunity that presented itself. The world would regret ever opposing him. Without their savior, the wizarding world would tremble before his might on bended knee. He would take over and then deal with those insurrectionary goblins.
The next day in the Great Hall of Hogwarts, Ron was once again trying unsuccessfully to eat his breakfast when through the double doors walked his entire family, minus his sister. They didn't stop to talk to him, but continued to walk up to the head table. He thought maybe they had come to their senses and were going to rejoin the Order.
Hermione remained quiet by his side perplexed. She watched intently trying to hear what was going on over the commotion the new arrivals caused. The Headmaster remained seated watching and waiting for what was to come.
"Headmaster Dumbledore, I apologize for this interruption, but we are here to remove our son."
Ron upon hearing this jumped to his feet. "You can't do that, I'm of age!" he screamed as he stormed up to them.
"I agree with young Mr. Weasley, Arthur. He is of age and therefore may decide for himself whether he is to stay or not." Albus spoke deceivingly calmly.
"As head of the House Weasley, I have every right to determine where and with whom my family are to be educated. Funds for his tuition to Hogwarts have been cancelled and Ronald will be returning home with us this day."
"I am afraid that is not possible. New legislation passed this year prevents students from withdrawing from Hogwarts before their NEWTs are completed."
"That's not quite the truth Albus Dumbledore, as you are well aware of that law. If I'm not mistaken, you wrote it and sponsored it through the Wizengamot." Stated the voice of Amelia Bones as she entered the Hall.
"I was not aware that I would be entertaining a visit from you Minister."
"That would be because I didn't send any notification, what with the state of affairs lately. It was really too risky to send notice ahead that could be intercepted."
Dumbledore had no response and so simply remained quiet.
"The law the Headmaster is referring to does not restrict individuals from leaving Hogwarts, it only provides that young wizards and witches complete their NEWTS before being considered an adult and entering into a profession. This is in an attempt to keep them from performing magic that may be dangerous to themselves and others. If they do not pass their NEWTs they will remain in school until they are ready to try again. Both Mr. and Mrs. Weasley have outlined a plan for young Ronald's education in order to complete his NEWTs on time with the rest of his class. You'll find that the Board has already agreed after hearing the reasoning behind Mr. Weasley's request. The Ministry of Education has also agreed and has scheduled his exams accordingly."
"Thank you for the explanation Minister but I…."
"Headmaster, meeting with you today has only been an extended courtesy to inform you of Ronald's removal. You have no say in the matter. He will be accompanying us now or risk expulsion from the Family Weasley." Arthur stated strongly, directing the last part of his statement towards his youngest son.
Ron for once was speechless. He looked pleadingly at his mother for help. He had never seen her look so determined in his life. His brothers wore much the same look and he knew then he didn't have much of a choice. It weighed heavily on him, but he knew he couldn't be banished from his family. Never in all its existence had a Weasley been thrown out. Distanced from the family, like Percy had been acceptable, but not banished. Even though they didn't have much money or anything else for that matter, the Weasley's had always maintained a certain high regard in the wizarding world. Without that, he'd have nothing upon which to build his future. The gold Dumbledore had been paying him wouldn't be enough to overcome the stigma of being cast out of his family. He'd have no name to recommend him when finding a job and would be looked down upon for the rest of his life. Even the great Albus Dumbledore couldn't fix that. Besides, it would only be until June. Then he could take his NEWTs and be free of everyone. Dumbledore would probably take him back under his wing. He had been his staunchest supporter and was committed to helping the Order.
Resigned to his fate for now, he turned looking for Hermione, but she was no where in sight.
Upon hearing the Minster's explanation, Hermione ran to the library hoping to find evidence that backed up the Ministers claim. She headed straight to Madame Pince as she didn't have time to look for herself.
"Madame Pince," she breathed trying to catch her breath. "I need a tome outlining the newest laws passed by the Wizengamot."
"Fifty fourth row, 3rd bookshelf, bottom row." She answered without looking up from her cataloging.
Hermione walked as quickly as she could to where the librarian directed. Scanning the years on the bindings she found the applicable tome and started searching through it. Sure enough, the Minister was correct and Dumbledore had twisted things to suite his personal desires. But why? What did Dumbledore want with Ron?
Ron hung his head in embarrassment as he was escorted out by his family. The Minister and her escort remained behind silently watching. It was as if they were trying to protect them all from something, but from what he couldn't quite fathom.
Once they reached the other side of the gates, his father wordlessly held out a portkey which they all touched. Reluctantly, knowing this was a turning point for him, Ron reached out and touched it as well.
He expected to arrive at the Burrow, but their destination actually took him by surprise. He had no idea why they were at the wizarding hospital, but didn't have time to think about it as his world turned black.
The Weasley's all sighed in relief when Ron succumbed to the stunner from their father. The healer's waiting for their arrival took over and placed the young man on a stretcher and carted him off in the Curse Ward. They didn't know how long it would take, so they settled themselves in to wait.
It took nearly 3 hours before a healer approached them. They were thankful that no one knew what they were doing. They were certain Dumbledore or the other Order Members would try to interfere if they did, but due to the precautions they had taken, their fears were put to rest. At least for now they could concentrate on what the healer had to say.
"Mr. and Mrs. Weasley?"
"Yes that's us."
"Your son in doing fine now. It's a wonder he was able to function normally with all the spells and potions in his system."
"What?!" Mrs. Weasley shrieked causing her family to cringe.
"Madame, I assumed you suspected your son to be under some kind of mellifluous influence. If I had known you thought otherwise…"
"Please Healer Mandan, you are correct, but I was hoping otherwise. Have you been able to reverse the influences?"
"Ah I understand. We have been able to lift most of the spells, and the potions should be cleansed from his body within the week."
"You said most spells, but what exactly does that mean?" Bill spoke up.
"And you are?"
"He is my oldest son and heir to the Weasley line, William Weasley. You may speak freely with any of my family."
"How am I to be certain it wasn't one of them that did this to your other son?"
"How dare you insinuate……"
"Molly, please. He doesn't know everything that's been going on. Sir, you have my oath as the head of Family Weasley that none present here have any ill will towards Ronald."
"Very well. The spells that remain active will need time to overcome. Time and distance from the one casting them. As I'm sure you've noticed, he has some difficulty in controlling his emotions. The spells and potions worked in conjunction to compound these feelings but very gradually over time. Basically whoever did this took the seed and grew it into a tree. That in itself would not be too difficult to overcome, but the loyalty and binding spells make it more difficult. There was also a Green Envy spell that took his original feelings and turned it 10-fold. Do you understand so far?"
"Yes, please continue, is there anything we can do?." Arthur asked with rising anger.
"Well you can definitely press charges against the person who did this. Some of the potions used are border line illegal and restricted. That is if you know who did this. There is also one other thing I need to inform you of. As is customary with these kind of cases…."
"You mean you have these cases regularly?" Charlie guffawed.
"No, they are rare these days, but about 60 years ago during the time of Grindewald, they were quite common and well documented. Anyway, as I was saying, it is part of our procedure to have a mind healer present to monitor the effects the cleansing has on the patient. She found that your son has had his memory modified numerous times which only exacerbates the problem. Trying to remove all these blocks proved too difficult and would have damaged his mind so we stopped. We managed to lift a few, but your son will still have control problems."
"Oh Merlin, my poor baby." Mrs. Weasley cried.
"Madame, rest assured your son will be fine with time. I am only referring to his base feelings. They were there before all this began and he will have to learn to overcome them. Much the same as we all do as we grow and mature."
"Thank you healer Mandan. Is there anything else we should know or do to help him?"
"No, that is all. I would like to pass on a little piece of advice though. Do not coddle him. Treat him as the adult he is but be straight forward in your interactions and explanations. Don't try to hide the situation from him, it will only hinder his development."
"Very well. Can we see him now?"
"Of course. Your son should be waking up shortly and will be ready to leave by this evening."
Snape was growing more worrisome as time seemed to pass, or not. He couldn't tell with the current state of things. All he knew was that the dragon egg was no longer in his grasp. He couldn't see anything beyond the swirling colors in front of his eyes, and he couldn't move to save himself. He didn't even know if he was in Gringotts anymore, but logically speaking, he guessed he probably was. The only indications he had of time was his grumbling stomach and the urge to relieve himself.