Chapter 37 – Aftermath and continuation
Harry blinked and the world came into focus around him, he was in a large soft bed, bringing his hands up he noticed they were clean of blood from holding the victims of the attack, or punching down the attackers.
He was lying on his back wings laying limp, someone had obviously tried to clean them off Harry detected a mild smell of lavender.
…
Harry and Tonks materialised in the same place as Remus and the other had.
Harry promptly passed out sagging onto Tonks who was looking around in wonder as a man moved over to assist her with Harry.
"I assume that you are one of Harry Potter's friends?"
"Yes…how…"
"Aside from the fact you have Harry…or something like Harry on you, your friends are inside…when I offered this place as sanctuary…the scope of it…"
"Worries you?" Tonks offered.
"Intrigues me. Come on let's get him to my wife."
"She's a healer?"
"A Doctor? Yes…"
-/
"So he's just exhausted?" Remus asked leaning on a cane, it appeared that he'd twisted his ankle to a severe point at some point having not noticed until away from the battle.
They were meeting in one of the studies, Draco was still unconscious but sleeping naturally.
"Are we safe here?" David, Hermione's father asked.
"I would believe so." Remus said slowly.
"Still shouldn't we ward the ground against…I have some notes I did while I was at school…I was going to put them around our house…"
"What about our house will we be able to go back?" Sarah asked clutching her husband's hand.
"I was going to ward the ground tonight." Tonks said from next to Remus.
"I don't think we should…put up wards."
"Why?" Hermione and her parents asked.
Peter stayed quiet along with Jane who had delivered the good news about Harry.
"There's no magic here, we don't want as Harry said 'put up flares' to anyone who might be looking."
"When did he say that?"
"Over Christmas Hermione, I'm sure he could explain it all better."
"Are you sure he's alright?" Hermione turned in her seat to Jane.
"From what I could tell…he's simply sleeping it off, although he is so low in his sleep cycle that he could be unconscious, but it seems he is just exhausted."
"How are you doing with this, we…well Harry slammed his way in here…we haven't had a chance to thank you." Remus smiled apologetically at their hosts.
"Harry didn't say much…but from what I could tell and what I saw here today you and he are involved in a war…involving magic." Peter looked around gauging their expressions; they varied from shock to surprise.
"Harry told you?"
"No…but you hear things."
"People talk…" Jane offered.
"I suppose we should fill in the blanks…"
"Professor we can't…" Hermione started.
"How much do you know? David, Sarah?"
"Only what we've read in the Daily Prophet, which has been on and off a propaganda device it seems."
"I didn't know you got the prophet?"
"We wanted to know more about that world darling." Sarah said to her daughter.
"The last time you sent an owl we asked it to send a subscription for the paper. We had some money left over from our book run."
Hermione's eyes looked as though they couldn't get any wider.
"Well I think this is going to be a long night…with an even longer tale." Remus sighed.
"After we've had something to eat, you all look like you've been through a war." Jane said gently.
"We are…that's the problem…" Tonks whispered mainly to herself.
-/
Harry groaned looking around, early morning sunshine was creeping through the windows.
Someone walked in, Harry vaguely recognised her.
"Harry? Can you hear me?"
Harry muttered something but nodded.
"How are you feeling?"
Like I've been run over by a tank…and my wings are dirty…
"Like I've been run over by a hippogriff."
"That's…a what?"
Harry pondered the voice, he'd heard it before, and the fact she didn't know what a hippogriff was.
"I know you…we've met…"
"You're at the McDonald house, I'm Jane, we met briefly…at a function you were drinking…"
Oh that's right.
"Oh I remember…how long…"
"Have you been unconscious?"
"I'm pretty familiar with the feeling." Harry sat up slowly.
"Four days."
"Four…days…right."
"You were exhausted when you and Nymphadora arrived."
"She hates her first name."
"I know…but Tonks sounds like something you would build a ship with."
Harry chuckled and reached down.
"You have a bruised rib…ribs and while I'm not an expert on avians…your wings appear to have taken some damage…" Jane said uneasily.
"Right I think I need to…" Harry looked under the covers he was a little bit naked.
Jane chuckled.
"Your belongings are one the table."
"Thanks…I'm sorry for…"
"Dropping in…Remus explained about the war…for someone so young…even with your…" She eyed his wings. "Abilities, for someone and others like you, like Hermione and Draco…"
"Draco's alright?"
"He suffered from the blood loss, but will make a full recovery with minimal scarring."
"Thank you…now I think I need to…"
"Right through the door."
"Thanks." Harry jumped out of bed before she had even reached the door running for the loo.
Harry spent some time in the large shower washing himself and his wings down washing off all the dried blood and other fluids that were present there.
Gentle pulling on shirt and pants he made his way down a long corridor simply trying to find the stairs.
"Obviously this is to deter burglars." Harry muttered to himself turning another corridor, he felt like dancing a jig when he found the stairs.
Harry slowly descended the stairs hunting around for the faint sound of voices.
They were out on the terrace having breakfast, Harry saw Remus and Tonks, Hermione and her parents and Jane and Peter.
"Harry!" People called.
"Jane said you've made a full recovery."
"Something like that, sorry to drop you in it Peter…"
"No problems…as I said I offered you sanctuary knowing perhaps not full well what was happening but it was offered nonetheless."
Harry smiled at Hermione's wide eyed parents as he sat down next to them.
"Hermione you said…"
"It's a little complicated dad…"
"He's got…"
"Wings." Her mother finished.
Harry was devouring all sorts of breakfast related food and pouring himself a cup of coffee.
"Yes the wings…I'm no angel, more closer to a bird. Just not. It's complicated. The wings offer me a sense of balance…sort of like a extra foot…or something, obviously I don't need them, but they are useful."
Harry said explaining to all those around him.
"Harry?"
Harry looked up, Remus was standing by the doorway of the study where Harry was sitting sipping a large brandy.
"Remus…" Harry gestured the seat next to him.
"So Harry…why here?"
"Why here? I don't know, I wanted to bring you somewhere away…from everyone, away from the magic…away…"
"Tonks said…"
"Dumbledore has played his last game…if we were at Grimmauld Dumbledore would have barged in…I have more than one trick up my sleeve, but by the start of next year he won't be in charge…" Harry muttered coldly.
Remus looked at Harry.
"In charge of…"
"Our lives. Snape was a Death Eater, probably guilty of many of the crimes of being a Death Eater spy or not…and yet Dumbledore allowed him to live, he even fought for him to stay an innocent. Sirius was an innocent and yet on circumstantial evidence he was thrown to Azkaban. Remus Dumbledore didn't even fight that decision, he helped it happen." Harry leaned forward staring at Remus.
"My parent's wills, what happened to them? Dumbledore has them or knows where they are and of what they contain, if he's still holding them they must either condemn him or they say something which was totally against everything he's ever done."
Harry stood up downing all the brandy in one go.
"Remus the war has come, it's here."
"I know Harry…I know…I've seen it…I still remember the first war…"
"And…"
"And it will get a lot worse…and last time Dumbledore did much as he has done so far."
"Which is nothing so far." Harry was pacing around.
"Harry what are we going to do?"
"Dumbledore trusted Snape, trusted him enough to put all his faith in Snape, the students of Hogwarts lives rested on Snape and Dumbledore by not doing anything took those lives."
"The Order…"
"Should have a capable leader or leaders…I was thinking Tonks and Moody."
"Tonks! And Moody!?"
"Young and Old, but that can be left up to them, keep Dumbledore around for their meetings…Aside from information gathering they need to do something…"
"Something?"
"I'm going to go back to Hermione's place check it out, and then I have some things to do…"
"You just got out of bed today Harry…"
Remus stopped Harry pacing with his cane.
"I have some theories I need to work out…"
"Theories?"
"For the war. It would be best if we don't keep everyone here for a long time…"
"We're not safe here?"
"We are…but I want to keep it that way." Harry shudder as he pulled his wings within himself and grabbed his jacket.
"Harry wait what if there are…" Harry had already disappeared.
Harry reappeared as a midnight black raven and flew over to a phone line and looked at the Granger's house. It seemed empty looking around with his enhanced night vision thanking the gods for his bird form he could just about make out a rippling of an invisibility cloak by the door.
Harry looked around he couldn't see anyone else in the vicinity.
Harry glided down to a tree on the other side of the road and cocked a pistol and withdrew his wand.
"Stupefy." Harry muttered as he walked up to the cloaked figure.
"Bill Weasley…Ennervate." Harry stood over him smiling and holding the cloak as he regained consciousness.
"Harry!"
"How come you're here Bill?"
"Dumbledore asked me to watch Hermione's place in case…"
"Yes…" Harry muttered "I did think that he might have had an attack of the guilts…"
"Where have you been, do you know where Hermione and…"
"They're safe…how's the order?"
"Everyone's pretty pissed Harry, Dumbledore's in charge…but only because no one's had a better idea, Moody did suggest that he take over, but Dumbledore and his twinkling…"
"Yes…I had thought…I've been unconscious since the fight…how many dead?"
"Students? At last count 3 thanks to you and the others, parents a few more, you saw Sinistra…"
"Yes…"
"Dumbledore's been at the ministry a lot. From Minerva you said you were going to…"
"Yes, I haven't done it yet…"
"And what's that?" Bill smiled at him.
"Playing my cards tightly to my chest and only revealing that I've got the king captured when I've got him in my sights."
Bill stared at him for a second.
"That's a mixed metaphor."
"And we're in a mixed up problem. Do you think it's safe for the Grangers to return home?"
"Yes…there have been no further attacks…you there were a lot of bodies left over from the fight Harry, Death Eaters and their children and others…"
"Yes…I know…well…tell Dumbledore that the Grangers…I dunno make up something to make sure he doesn't come checking, I have some…extra work to do…" Harry looked at him for a moment. "Bill, Dumbledore's on the way out."
"I know…"
"Good." Harry turned Bill looked away at the door for a moment.
"What about …" His cloak was sitting by his feet Harry had disappeared.
Harry walked slowly into Gringotts and walked up to the counter.
"Yes?"
"I need to see Grasp."
"Why?" Harry looked up after massaging his temples.
"Because I need to talk to him concerning Dumbledore amongst other things." Then the goblin looked up and stared at him.
"Mr Potter."
"Yes."
"Right away through this door."
Harry was lead through the door he'd been shown through on his previous visit.
"Mr Potter."
"Grasp. I need to start full proceedings on Dumbledore immediately."
Grasp smiled.
"I assumed you would be visiting Mr Potter."
"Really?" Harry raised an eyebrow. "Why?"
"Albus Dumbledore has visited this branch and other smaller tertiary establishments attempting to withdraw money and convince our staff of your…impairment…"
Oh really…
"Well…as you can see aside from a few bruised ribs and a few other ailments I am in near perfect…ok that's a lie but I'm alive."
"Indeed Mr Potter."
"So…"
"Proceedings begin at the start of next week."
"Good. Just out of interest how many seats do I hold on the Wizengamont?"
"Seats?"
"Places…that sort of thing."
"You hold as both a Potter and heir to Black much power within the Wizengamont."
"Ah well the ministry is my next port of call. Make sure you pursue the highest sentence, though anywhere that he can be got to by Voldemort should be out."
"Out?"
"I don't want to hand him to Voldemort…I just want him away from everything, I'm sure you're creative Grasp…I need to see to a few other things…Good Evening." Harry took Grasp's hand and then walked over to the door he had disappeared before he'd opened it.
Harry walked through the corridors of the Ministry of Magic looking for the Minister's door, Harry recalled something in the paper about the new Minister Rufus Scrimgeour who had become Minister of Magic after Fudge not having a huge amount of support for Dumbledore.
Harry tapped lightly on the door a gruff voice admitted him.
"Hello Minister."
"Yes…" He looked up. "Mr Potter. How did you…"
Harry shrugged.
"Yes…you were there…"
"I assume you mean the…mistake at the station."
"Mistake? I wouldn't call all this…"
"Neither would I…but I bet that's what Dumbledore would say if he were brought in…" Harry smiled sadly as he helped himself to the Minister's firewhiskey pouring two glasses and seating him opposite the minister.
"He already has explained it."
Harry raised an eyebrow.
"And…" Harry opened his arms gesturing to be enlightened.
The minister shrugged looking back at Harry.
"He would have said…now what would he have said" Harry drummed his fingers on the glass "…he didn't know it was going to happen, he had heard 'whispers' of something but nothing substantial to worry about, he will look into it with his 'contacts'."
The minister chuckled.
"He also mentioned something of your pursuits."
"Good or bad?"
"It's Dumbledore, he made you out to be a hero…that needed to be found."
"Here I am…"
"And the truth?"
"The truth?" Harry asked taking a sip.
"I have known Dumbledore a long time, he doesn't let the whole truth out unless he's going to loose something important. So…"
"You know Snape is/was/is a Death Eater?"
"Is?"
"Let me finish. Dumbledore has been using Snape as a spy…but you know what they say about spies…they are sometimes turn into double agents; don't know which side they want to be on. Snape chose his some time ago."
"Snape was spying for Dumbledore?"
"Yes…well no. Dumbledore thought he was spying for him, but it seems he was spying for Voldemort."
"Why do you think that?"
"When he cast the killing curse at Professor Sinistra at the station I think that was a pretty fair idea."
"Why was she there?"
Harry took a deep breath and explained everything…at the end of it the Minister stared at him.
"So you knew…?"
"No, I suspected. Myself and Dumbledore haven't been getting on, by the time I was sure it was too late, if we stopped the train the people on the station would have been slaughtered."
"They have wands."
"Not all, and how many of them that do would know anything useful?"
"Fine…but…"
"I sent word to Minerva McGonagall who asked Dumbledore to bring the rest of the Order…you know about…?"
"Dumbledore's little club? Yes…some of the information from what I've heard has been useful."
"Well she tried but couldn't so brought the other members of the staff."
"Well with your help and those of your fellow students you saved more lives than any other situation…Dumbledore needs to be punished, for at least Snape…and then there are the other transgressions…"
"Other…?"
"I received a note from Gringotts, you're suing him?"
"That was quick."
"He has been present here, it seems he is worried about his position at Hogwarts, he has been attempting to force a bill proposing…the gist is that he wants to gain more power in the Wizengamont and at Howgarts."
"I see…"
"Yes…why are you so important Harry Potter?"
Harry stared at the minister.
"He seems pretty adamant that you should be located and held…"
"Really…how do I know you're not a Death Eater." Harry said fingering the gun in his pocket.
The minister chuckled and pulled up both his sleeves his arms were blank.
"Doesn't prove anything…"
"You're paranoid…I like that. Just the right amount could make you a good auror…or politician." Harry chuckled.
"People have been saying I'm like Moody lately."
"He's a good…albeit it paranoid man."
"Yes…suffice it to say that in this war there are going to be people who fight the Death Eaters and Voldemort." Harry looked at the minister and then sat the glass down and patted through his pockets and set down a crystal on the table and continued to go his pockets cursing and then pulling out a test tube, pulling the stopper off it he sniffed it, it was a ground herb.
Harry smashed it on the table while muttering in a dead language.
"Enclose…" Harry finished and a blue light pulsed in waves from the powder.
"However while anyone can kill, can battle Voldemort's followers, it seems due to a prophecy made by a questionable seer… that only one person can kill him." The ground dust exploded into a little bit of smoke, Harry jumped the minister's desk and hand a gun pressed to his skull, slicing a knife down the Minister's robes.
"Sorry about this…" Harry muttered checking the length of his back. A quick repairo and it seemed nothing had happened Harry returned to his chair holding the gun on the minister.
"What is that…is that a…muggle…"
"Gun."
"We found…" he looked at a piece of parchment. "Bullets lodged inside some of the Death Eaters. I assume that was you?"
"It was."
"And you still have it trained on me?"
"I'm waiting for you to disappear or start to laugh madly…or something."
The minister chuckled.
"You are as paranoid as Moody."
"Not quite…but I'm getting there."
"Are you satisfied I'm not a Death Eater Mr Potter?"
"Relatively." The minister seemed unfazed by Harry's actions, slightly amused in fact.
"Good…now Dumbledore…he seemed to think someone was going to remove him from Hogwarts…and the Wizengamont."
"Really….perhaps I shouldn't have said something to that affect…eh it's in the past now."
"Really?"
"Yes…so how about it, Put Minerva McGonagall as headmistress, I'm sure that would satisfy a lot of people she is considerably younger than Dumbledore."
"And not stuck with the stigmata of being labeled mad…"
"Yes…I hold some weight…I think with the Wizengamont and the board of Governors…I think." Harry passed two pieces of Ministry of Magic parchment to the Minister.
"How did you…"
"Wasn't quite sure where your office was, I ducked into an office and wrote a letter out endorsing Dumbledore's removal…"
"Good…this will help…I can't guarantee anything but…"
"Good."
"What of the Order of the Phoenix, Dumbledore is their leader is he not?"
"He is…I think there'll be a coup of sorts…but a group outside of the ministry is still useful, any information can be…passed on…I'm sure you understand…all your eggs and what not." Harry stood downing his glass.
"Yes…I think I do Mr Potter…and thank you."
Harry paused by the door.
"If I could ask one more thing Minister."
"Yes?"
"Two portkeys, a friend of mine and their parents…just in case."
"I was just signing off on emergency portkeys for all parents of muggle born children plus the lifting of a ban on underage magic. There is also some legislation and instructions being drawn up for the learning of apparation and gaining of license for ages 15 and over…in times of war…"
"Yes…"
"I will accompany you to Magical Transportation and we'll grab the portkeys for…"
"Hermione Granger's parents."
"Ah yes…Ms Granger…and a license for yourself, although considering your arrival…"
"I could have walked in…" Harry said jokingly.
Harry returned to the Laird's house holding two plastic cards which said PORTKEY on them in large friendly letters.
Harry stared at them. "At least they're idiot proof and easy to carry…"
Harry made it up to his room and set the port keys down before falling onto the bed asleep.