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Harry Potter and the Sorcerers Apprehension by lostintransit
Chapter 29 : Death and Destruction While We're Away

Rating: Mature

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"Harry stood alone in the great hall of Hogwarts, before him in the doorway lay the bodies of Albus Dumbledore and Sirius Black. "Who's next Harry?" Voldemort asked walking casually into the room, wand held at the ready "I gave you a choice … I'll offer it one more time. You and your little girlfriend can leave now and I will leave you alone …" Ginny's hand slipped into his "… or you can die."

"Harry let's go, please I can't lose you now." Ginny pleaded with him, tugging on his arm to take him away.

"Listen to her Harry; thiss iss your lassst chance." Voldemort insisted, as Ginny continued to drag on his arm.

"Ginny, what about your family, our friends …" Harry asked.

"Harry they can look after themselves. Why do you always have to put me last? Don't you love me?" Ginny replied with tears in her eyes.

"Of course I love you Ginny, you're my life … but …" Harry started.

"Harry when I took you back, you promised, if I gave you one more chance you'd never make me unhappy again. I need you Harry; will you keep your promise?" Ginny asked tears leaking from the corners of her eyes.

Harry stood staring at the woman he loved the scales of his heart first tipping one way then the other … "Ginny I won't take the easy path, I love you and that's why I have to do this …" he finally said drawing his wand and turning to face his nemesis. Casting spell after spell he began duelling Lord Voldemort …

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Harry you need to find more suitable friends; as a member of the Wizengamot and a Professor of Hogwarts you can't be seen to be socialising with the wrong sort of people." Nehir insisted.

"But Ron and Hermione are my friends." Harry replied.

"Ron is a drunk and since Hermione left him she's gone through men quicker than Ron goes through fire-whiskey. She's a walking dream for the Prophet. They have to be cut loose. You've already lost votes in your bid for election as Minister. At this rate Umbridge will get re-elected." Nehir explained.

"They're going through a rough spot at the moment …" Harry stated half-heartedly.

"They are skeletons in your closet, you can't afford." Nehir replied. "If Umbridge gets in she'll ruin everyone's lives. Remus will be confined or killed and Tonks will be without her husband. Kreacher will be enslaved again. Firenze will be handed over to the centaurs and killed. Me and Deniz will be sent to Azkaban for breaching the Ministry of Magic decree of 1631 and our wands snapped. They made their decisions, why do we have to suffer for them?"

"Nehir, I won't let that happen … but I won't abandon my friends either, I'll find another way." Harry insisted.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Not again!" Harry thought as he tried to lower his arms only to find that they were manacled to the walls of a typically depressing castle dungeon. "What have I done this time to deserve this?" he wondered.

"Ah back with us Mr. Potter?" the oily voice of Severus Snape sounded from somewhere behind Harry.

"I should have known you'd be slithering around a dank and foul place like this. Probably your idea of a perfect home." Harry spat at his old Potions teacher.

"Mr. Potter this is your last chance, tell me where the Headquarters of the Order is." Snape barked slapping Harry in the face as he made his demand.

"Why should I, you murdering scum, you'll kill me either way, why should I tell you anything?" Harry spat back at the man he hated more than any other.

"Because you can die one of two ways, lie to me and I will torture you to death, tell me the truth and I will be merciful and kill you quickly and painlessly with the killing curse." Snape smiled at the thought of torturing Harry to death.

"Swear, make the unbreakable vow. I don't trust you so swear; swear you will do it right away." Harry said panic creeping into his voice.

"Why should I do such a thing?" Snape asked.

"Because if you don't I'll tell you nothing. I'll suffer your cowardly torture and as I slip into madness you'll not understand what I tell you even if it is the truth." Harry spat.

Snape thought about it. His master wanted this information now, to crush the Order after killing Potter. The last of the resistance gone Snape would be lauded above all others. "Very well Potter …" clasping Harry's right hand Snape made the vow "I swear I will immediately torture you to death with the Cruciatus Curse if you lie to me and immediately kill you with the Killing Curse if you tell me the truth." Tapping their conjoined hands he sealed the vow "Now Potter tell me …

"You will immediately torture me to death with the Cruciatus Curse." Harry said and watched as his enemy keeled over dead unable to complete the vow he'd just made.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Harry blinked; the blue fire of the stones was running over his hand, like water. He looked down at his other hand "Ginny, are you alright." He asked opening the fingers of his giant hand

"I'm fine Harry. Are you going to touch the stones?" Ginny asked from her recumbent position in Harry's palm.

"I did Gin, I … I think I was … I don't know what it was but it seemed to want to know me … or question me … it's all slipping away like a bad dream." Harry replied shaking his head in annoyance. "I think you will have to touch the stones … before we can go."

"Can you bring me up to them?" Ginny asked a tremor of fear in her voice, but her face set resolute. Harry raised her up towards the stones and Ginny reached out her hand and touched them. With a sigh she dropped her hand and looking at Harry and said "Snape … I couldn't …" tears causing her eyes to shine brightly as the memories faded.

Harry put her down on the ground and took two large steps away before releasing his animagus form. Running back to Ginny he enfolded her in his arms and held her tight. "I'm sorry Gin; I said I'd never make you cry again … I keep breaking that promise." He said.

"No you don't Harry, it's the darkness, the hatred and the evil of people like Voldemort and Snape that make me cry. They threaten me with losing you." Ginny replied, her head resting on Harry chest.

A creaking noise stopped any further conversation and caused Harry and Ginny to look up in alarm. The stones were moving; seeming to swim through the air in a fluid motion the stones rearranged themselves to form three sides of a hexagon, the missing three sides being filled in by the lines of power that the stones seemed to drag with them as they moved. Floating gently to the ground the space between them became reflective and the image of the founders could be seen looking out at them.

"Harry Potter, you have been tested and found to be courageous, loyal, astute and selfless, do you consent to take your place as one of the Elder?" Rowena Ravenclaw asked Harry.

"I do." Harry replied firmly.

"Ginny Weasley, you have been tested and found to be courageous, loyal, caring and above all else the reason for Harry Potter's existence, do you consent to take your place as one of the Elder?" Helga Hufflepuff asked Ginny.

"I do." Ginny said taking Harry's hand. The thoughts that she and Harry were saying 'I do' made her smile and Harry too seemed to like it as he smiled back and squeezed her hand.

"Will you both enter the Trinity Preserve? Will you take on the mantle of the first of the new Elder Dragons?" Godric Gryffindor asked.

"What must we do sir?" Harry asked.

"You Harry, will live our lives and so become the vessel of our combined knowledge. But know that this comes at a price. The vows we've taken you will take. The wrongs we have done you will have done. The remorse, pain and horror we have experienced you will experience. Some candidates who have accepted such before have gone mad from grief or horror, been incapacitated by love or hate, even become suicidal due to conflicting vows, but those who can successfully subsume the combined knowledge of three Elder Dragons have led the Elder Dragons. The last to succeed was Ollipeist your paternal Great Grandmother.

Ginny threw her arms around Harry and held him tight "I'm scared for you Harry." She said knowing that he wouldn't back down from this potentially deadly gift.

"You Ginny will be afforded the Elder Dragon lore including the Forbidden. Our knowledge will be denied you, for your protection and ours.

"If you are still willing to take your place as one of the Elder, Harry, join us now." Rowena Ravenclaw said holding out her hand to Harry.

"And you Ginny are you still willing to take your place as one of the Elder." Helga Hufflepuff asked holding out her hand to Ginny.

With a last shared look of trepidation Harry and Ginny, hand in hand, reached for the proffered hands of the founders and entered the Trinity Preserve.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

29/10/97

The Department of Magical Transportation Floo Network Regulation Panel office was quiet as usual on a Tuesday late shift. It was nearing nine o'clock as Regulator Flintwell filed away the last two applications he had left from today and prepared to lock up and head home to a well earned glass of mead and a nice dinner with his better half.

Walking over to the map board he tapped with his wand on the last address of the day, Leicester, the map zoomed in, Tur Langton, zoomed in again and there was Buckley Lane just off Main Street … tapping on Zoibble Cottage brought up a plan of the house and quick flick of his wand on the correct fireplace, set the connection off the main Market Harborough Exchange. The connection letter would be spinning its way to Madame Binglasker tomorrow on her new floo connection. Spelling the map board with the appropriate spells Flintwell stuck his wand and hand into a hole set into its frame. A safety measure installed after the first wizarding wars, the 'key hole' as it was affectionately known amongst the Regulators, checked not only the wand and its registration but also the hand that held it, making sure that it was the same hand as had registered with a particular wand last time and that the hand was warm enough to be alive.

The map board zoomed out to show Britain and Ireland in their entirety and a rather harsh sounding voice, like a seductive ogre said "Goodnight Regulator Flintwell."

"Goodnight Gladys." Replied Flintwell; for some reason that voice just reminded him of a Gladys. Throwing on his jacket, he put his wand into his inside pocket and walking over to his desk he reached out to grab the handle of his brief case, just as a sword like a samurai katana whipped out from beneath an invisibility cloak and removed his arm at the elbow. The howls of agony that reverberated around the Floo Network Regulation Panel office were never heard as the silencing charms did their job and they were cut off quickly in a flare of green light.

Taking the wand from ex-regulator Flintwell's inside pocket his assailant stuck it to the palm of the severed arm and ran to the map board. Sticking the wand and arm into the hole on the frame, the board came to life "Hello Regulator Flintwell" it said. The arm and wand removed, the cloaked figure activated the board with the correct spells, learned by careful observation throughout the day. Quickly two fireplaces were added to the floo network and the rapidly cooling arm was once again inserted into the map frame. The map seemed to take the longest time to verify the identity of Regulator Flintwell but eventually it said "Goodnight Regulator Flintwell" and Lucius Malfoy breathed a sigh of relief. A tedious day well spent; tonight chaos would reign. Stepping over the dead body of ex-regulator Flintwell he carefully drew his invisibility cloak about him and left the Ministry with far greater ease than others were able to. Minister Fudge's friendship, cultivated to garner such perks, still proved useful.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The fireplace in the Minister for Magic's study flared green as Death Eater after Death Eater spun out of the hearth and spread out quietly about the room. A loud bang came from the front of the building as the small muggle bomb that had been switched for the door mat, blew the front door to pieces. The sound of feet running to the fragmented front door was like music to Snape's ears as he opened the study's double doors and killed his first Auror of the night. The Death Eaters spread throughout the building quickly, engaging the remaining Aurors and killing the staff as Snape marched to the Ministers bedroom. Blowing the door from its hinges he stood to one side as a spell flew through the space he had just occupied. Looking around he spotted Wormtail, lurking as ever on the fringes.

"Wormtail, come here." Snape commanded.

"Yes Severus what do you want?" Wormtail asked his voice shaking with nervousness and subservience.

"What I want is a diversion. Transform into your true self and go in there and create a distraction." Snape insisted and watched as Scabbers streaked in the door his tiny silver paw making a scratching noise on the floorboards.

The noise of falling masonry soon followed from the room and Snape spun through the door taking cover behind a wardrobe. Casting the strongest shield he could, Snape risked a look around the room. Wormtail lay cringing beside the bed; the Minister was a battered and broken heap on the other side of the bed.

"What did you do Wormtail?" Snape snapped.

"He … I thought he seen me transform. I … I tried to distract him by firing 'Bombardia Maxima' at the wall, but he got in the way." Wormtail stammered.

"Get out of here." Snape fumed at Wormtail, they would get no useful information from the Minister now. Pointing his wand at the squashed form he cast "Avada Kedavra" and taking a note from his inside pocket he stuck it to the Ministers forehead.

Summoning his troops he watched them cavort like imbeciles smashing and destroying just because they could. As the last one left the Minister of Magic's home Snape pointed his wand at the sky "Morsmorde" he intoned before apparating away.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

On the other side of London, Bellatrix Lestrange and Antonin Dolohov stepped out of the fireplace of the Deputy Minister for Magic's spare bedroom and made their way to the door leading to the dining room. The noise of a dinner party could be heard, the clinking of cutlery and the murmur of conversation. Peeking through the gap in the door confirmed at least a dozen guests.

"Well done Snivilus … walk in, he'll be alone." Bellatrix whispered angrily.

"Well what the hell do we do now?" Dolohov asked.

"Let me think … let me think …" she shrieked in a whisper, biting her nail as she paced back and forth in annoyance. "I'm going back to the storeroom of that 23rd Army Squadron place and get more of that exploding stuff B3 or C4 or something. Cast the strongest anti-apparation ward you can and then go back upstairs and wait for me."

Minutes later Bellatrix fell out of the floo connection in the spare bedroom her arms laden with various packets and containers. Sticking them all together she inserted the timer into the C4 as the explosive expert had shown them.

"What are those?" Dolohov asked pointing at the metal and plastic containers magically stuck to the C4.

"I don't know, gas of some kind, but they'll more than likely go boom!" Bellatrix cackled, sticking the last smoke bomb to the tear gas and pepper spray canisters already attached to the C4. "Now here's what we'll do. I've set this for two minutes, we'll go outside and shield the building and wait for the boom, then it's back home for tea. Come on."

Casting a silencing charm, they walked slowly down to the dining room door locking them with a strong locking charm and sticking the improvised bomb to them. Flooing to the nearest safe fireplace, they apparated back to where they could see the Deputy Ministers well appointed house and cast their shields over the house, just in time to see the two Aurors on duty look about them in a moments confusion. "Shoulda brought some popcorn." Dolohov laughed.

The explosion seconds later shattered the windows on the ground floor. The domed shield filled with dust and smoke making it look like the world's biggest snow globe. After a minute or two of no resistance Bellatrix released her shield, "Come on then, let's go make sure he's dead." She said coming out into plain view.

Walking across the road she started into the smoke filled ruins, stopping and running out as quickly as she could, she couldn't breathe; her skin felt like it was on fire and her eyes burned so badly she could hardly see where she was going. Dolohov supported her as they staggered back across the street. Casting the Dark Mark above the house Dolohov side-along apparated them to HQ and the healer.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Back in the rubble of the Deputy Minister for Magic's back hallway, Percy Weasley tried to move the debris that held his legs trapped in a vice like grip. Sprawled on the floor in what used to be a very stylish lavatory, he was thankful that he'd at least managed to get most of him under a shield before the roof came down. Lost for any course of action he sat dazed as the fires spread around him. Casting a Flame Freezing Charm he thought to himself "If I don't get my legs free I'm in for a long wait. The air in here is getting a little thin too … I could be in real trouble, here."

At last driven to the point of desperation, he managed to get over his pride and admitted to himself that he needed help. The problem was he had never mastered the Patronus Charm, nor had he ever been part of Dumbledore's Army so a Protean Charmed Galleon he didn't have. Starting to shiver he knew he was losing blood, and fast. His pride well and truly swallowed, he knew he had only one choice; taking a piece of paper from his inside pocket, he used his wand to write a short note and banished it to the Burrow. Asking for help from the family he had wrongly disowned was harder than lying here and letting the flames take him after he'd passed out. Steeling his Gryffindor courage he let his tears fall unabashed … regret and shame threatened to overwhelm him … "Not til I make amends … not til then." He said out loud as he left his fate in his family's hands.

***

Before the flames could consume his frame and canvas the portrait of Head-master Dippet, spied what looked like Arthur Weasley freezing the flames about him in the lavatory of his Great Grandson house. With a tear in his painted eye he left this frame for the last time and returned to Hogwarts.

"Headmistress … I have an urgent report … my Great Grandson, the Deputy Minister for Magic, his house is on fire and one of Arthur Weasley sons … I think … is trapped in the ruins …"

"Headmaster Dippet has there been an attack?" Professor McGonagall asked urgently.

"I don't know Headmistress. I visit only sporadically … all was aflame … I really don't know any more." Headmaster Dippet replied.

Taking her wand from her pocket, the Headmistress sent her patronus to Arthur Weasley and alerted the Order, just as her Order coin began to heat up in her pocket.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Arthur Weasley stood looking at the eleven dead bodies lined up in the dining room of the Minister of Magic and the note found stuck to the Ministers forehead.. The dark mark had been banished and the confunded explosive expert was once again examining the remains of a device that had destroyed the front of the house.

The cat patronus of Headmistress McGonagall raced to Arthur's side "Arthur, one of your son's is trapped in the Deputy Ministers home. The house is on fire, nothing else is known, use coin." The cat patronus dissolved into nothing as Arthur took in this information. Taking his Order coin from his pocket, he called for Shacklebolt.

"Kingsley, the Deputy Minister's house may also have been attacked. Take charge here, I'll go investigate with Order assistance."

"OK Arthur, be careful, it may be a trap." Kingsley admonished his friend and boss.

Patting Kingsley on the shoulder, Arthur sent the necessary message to the members of the Order and apparated away as soon as he received enough responses.

Appearing near the Deputy Ministers House, Arthur took note of those nearby, Remus, Tonks, Minerva, Fred, and George.

"Tonk's, Remus, please take care of that." Arthur said pointing at the dark mark "Fred, George I need you to put out this fire and get rid of the smoke, carefully there may be survivors."

"Ok Dad." The twins replied combining their wands to cause a swirling vortex of wind and water that doused the flames and blew off the smoke in moments.

Arthur strode forward with the Headmistress by his side; "This way Arthur." she said "The far end of the hallway." There looking pale and lost, sat Arthur's wayward boy.

"Percy, Percy …" Arthur called as he dismissed the weak shield and gently shook his son. He touched his wand to Percy's temple and cast "Enervate" Percy's eyes fluttered open and he stared uncomprehendingly at his Father.

Professor McGonagall began transfiguring the debris covering Percy's legs into water, which flowed away and within minutes his legs were free. "Arthur, it may be best to petrify him before we apparate him to Grimmauld Place, his legs are in poor order and he can't afford to lose any more blood."

"Yes … yes of course Minerva … can you take him, I … I need to begin the investigation here and then there's the press to deal with. Molly will be there she'll help Poppy with … Perhaps you would contact Madame Bones also … as Chief Warlock of the Wizengamot she needs to assign an interim Minister until we can organise this … this chaos. If we've any further word on Ron or Ginny and Harry, I'd appreciate an update …" Arthur said jumping from General to Father and back, again and again.

"Petrificus Totalis" Minerva cast before placing her hand on Arthur's arm, and giving it a little squeeze of understanding and friendship, she couldn't tell him everything would be alright, that would be merely placatory and possibly untrue, instead she said "Arthur, this is now war … your sons and daughter have been trained for this and honed even further by Harry's DA, they are very capable wizards and witches, be strong for them Arthur."

Arthur nodded and his shoulders seemed to straighten a little, "I'll try Minerva … I'd appreciate any assistance you can give with the Order. With two Dark Marks and the Death of the Minister I'll have my hands full with the MLE Division."

"Of course Arthur, I'll have everyone report to myself, Tonks or Remus and we'll keep you or Kingsley informed of any developments. Nodding her goodbye to an unresponsive Arthur she levitate Percy and apparated to Grimmauld Place and sought the assistance of Madame Pomfrey.


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