LFAM53

Disclaimer-Don't own HP or SS – just going out for drinks, we'll be back. –Also much of this chapter occurring in the cave is taken from the Half-Blood Prince – thank you JKR!!!

Chapter 53

Albus stood in the cave, eyeing the seemingly solid wall. His little group of wizards, Aurors and house-elves were sitting patiently – or perhaps, impatiently behind him. He chuckled a bit, they were a motley crew, but, he felt he had a group that could face almost anything they found.

Sirius sat with Moody, and Kingsley chatted with Lucius – interested in how the house-elves could be of use in treating and rescuing any injured. James had stayed at the Ministry to question Rita Skeeter – she had been found at her home, but had needed treatment at St. Mungo's before her release to the Ministry today.

Remus had received a frantic message this morning from St Mungo's that had made him pale, and he had left immediately. Albus felt that his group was big enough as it was – this would likely call for finesse – not brawn.

Severus stood just behind Albus, interested in his chants and incantations. Albus slid his hand delicately along the wall, chanting now and then in Latin and Greek, sometimes trying Arabic. He finally stopped, triumphant.

"Here – the entrance is here, but concealed." The others wandered up at Albus' words, to watch. Another incantation and an archway was briefly revealed, then disappeared, again. Albus peered at that area closely, and then huffed in disgust. "Quite crude, but sometimes that is best – others don't expect it." Albus made a small cut on his arm, spattering the blood where the archway had been. It reappeared and stayed this time.

The Aurors applauded and Albus smiled and gave an overdone bow. They marched through, behind Albus. He had insisted that he would recognize Voldemort's magic quicker than they would. However, there was not far to go – they found themselves in an immense cavern that was mostly filled with a vast black lake. There appeared to be an island in the center, with a hazy green glow coming from it. They recognized the place from Kreacher's memories.

Moody and Kingsley glared into the depths, aware of the numerous Inferi hiding there. They all took care to not touch the water. They walked what seemed a fair distance, with Albus muttering revealing chants the whole way, and then Albus brightened. "Here we are!" Albus waved an arm in front of himself as if trying to catch something. He apparently finally gripped something and then incanted a charm while tapping his hand.

Even Lucius and Moody looked impressed when a glowing green chain appeared in his hand. They all helped pull the chain from the water until a small green boat appeared, glowing like the chain did.

"I don't think more than three can get in there, Albus." Moody said in aggravation.

Albus looked thoughtful. "Can you cross the lake?" He asked of the elves.

They went to the edge of the water and peered toward the island. "We can follow master, if we must." One of them said, emphatically.

"Well, you are elected as one of the three, then Lucius. I must go, and Moody is the most experienced of the rest, so he will be third. When we arrive on the island, three of the elves will follow us – including the 'chosen elf'. Those on this side may need to retrieve the boat and rescue us. Or we may need you to cast the fire spell to get us safely back." Albus gave out the orders and the three got into the small boat. They were quite crowded and no one looked happy. Moody eyed the water with trepidation. Becoming the victim of Inferi was high on his list of how not to die.

They reached the island in tight lipped silence, the boat pulling itself through the dark water, with white shapes drifting below it in menacing promise. Once there, Lucius summoned the three elves, and they all stood around a stone basin. The emerald liquid swirled and glowed, hiding the object they needed to retrieve.

Albus calmly conjured a crystal cup. Lucius turned to the elves and one stepped forward.

"Hoaxy, thank you, again for volunteering for this." The small elf nodded at Lucius' words. "I am ordering you most emphatically to not die from this drink, and you are to return to Malfoy Manor – either with the other elves, or on your own." The elf nodded in relief. The order would keep him going, to receive help.

Dumbledore scooped up a cupful and the elf drank, and then drank another, and another. Hoaxy was soon whimpering and pleading with a pale Lucius ordering him repeatedly to drink. The basin was finally emptied and the remaining elves took Hoaxy to one side and tried to treat him with potions. Albus levitated the locket out of the basin and dropped it in a magic-suppressing box that Moody held.

They got back in the boat, knowing the return trip would be harder. One of the elves piped up. "We can follow master back across, once he is there, and calls." Lucius nodded in relief.

The boat started to recross the lake, and the Inferi were soon swirling around the boat, then the abruptly attacked, trying to climb in and groping through the air at them. Albus and Lucius cast the Ignus Muras fire spell again and again while Moody clutched the box tight – the arms seemed to be reaching specifically for him. The ropes of fire cut through some of the bodies, and frightened other Inferi off. Sirius and Severus cast bolts of it down either side of the boat, and Kingsley even cast some under the boat, the fire burning briefly under the water. They finally reached shore and they leaped out, running for the entrance to the cavern. Lucius summoned the elves, who scurried along with them, carrying the moaning Hoaxy.

The wizards reached the archway and Albus reopened it with another cut, and more blood. Once to the crevice in the cliff-side they were able to apparate away.

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Remus arrived to St Mungo's and found a Damon Fletwock's room easily enough - only to find Aurora Sinistra in the hallway with the boy's parents, his mother sobbing in her husbands arms. Aurora looked at him pleadingly.

"Would you speak to him, please? He believes his life has ended. I'm afraid he'll…" Damon's mother interrupted Aurora's speech with louder sobs.

Remus nodded and entered the room. Damon was a fairly tall, dark hair lad. Already seventeen, and a brilliant student, according to Aurora's letter. A prefect for Slytherin and one of the four picked to be Dumbledore's assistants this year. Remus' heart sank; unless rules changed he would not complete his last year at Hogwarts – making it almost impossible to sit his NEWTS. There were always some home-schooled who took the tests, but it was very difficult.

"Hello, Damon, I'm…"

"I know who you are." Damon interrupted with a snapping tone and a rather good glare. "I suppose you're here to tell me 'it will all be okay' & 'we have the Wolfsbane potion, now, so you can get a crap job if you're really lucky.' He sneered angrily. "Too bad my girlfriends parents will make her kick me to the curb the moment they hear about...this. And my friends…" He choked off, face flushing as he fought back tears. He would not cry in front of this man.

Remus considered the boy, well – nearly a man, now – and having to face problems many adults found nearly impossible. He knew that more than one wizard or witch that had been bitten had simply ended their lives. "I won't tell you that your future hasn't changed. You'll likely find out in the near future who your true friends are. I can't tell you if your sweetheart will stick by you. I can tell you can work around your wolf. Being a werewolf doesn't have to be the end of everything."

"I was going to be brilliant in transfiguration and get my mastery. I already had my animagus form – a rottweiler. I was going to get a job in the Ministry overseeing Animagi, and tutor people in how to achieve their forms. I had it all planned out…" Damon's voice dropped to a whisper.

"I know that the Headmaster will still wish to help you." Damon looked at him in faint hope. "Let me speak to him, we will still get you your NEWTS. He'll find you someone for you to apprentice to, and as one of the Minister of Magic's assistants I can tell you that the Ministry will hire werewolves if they are good at their jobs." Remus did his best to sound encouraging, but he knew the young werewolf would have an uphill battle. "I will be seeing you at your home, Damon, give me a few days – and stay in touch with Aurora. She still considers herself your head of house."

Damon nodded, looking heartened at his words. Remus went back out to the hallway. Damon's parents looked at him hopefully.

"Can you really help him?" Damon's father asked.

"I won't pretend it won't take a lot of work and determination, but Damon can still do the things he planned. I can't promise about the girl or his friends, of course." Remus said.

They nodded and Remus left with Aurora. "I'm going to speak with the Headmaster, it's time another werewolf joined the Hogwarts alumni."

Sinistra lifted an elegant eyebrow. This should be interesting.

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James stood behind Rufus Scrimgeour, glaring at the cowering Rita Skeeter and imagining numerous nasty deaths for her. Her lawyer, who had responded to her summons reluctantly, sat at her side.

The newspapers – even some in Europe, had written lengthy diatribes, condemning her and Umbridge's fouling up the Ministry's carefully concocted trap. It was conceded that the Aurors hadn't expected to catch all the rogues, but if the trap hadn't been given away they could have surprised them more effectively and perhaps Frank would have had a better chance at survival.

When Rita had opened the door to the Aurors she had been expecting a thorough dressing down by the ministry and to be fired from her job. The news that the raid had been totally fouled up and that Frank Longbottom was dead had hit her hard. She had been immediately grateful that she had enough injuries to require Healer attention and a two day course of treatment for the nerve damage from the cruciatus. She grimaced - the Healers had been sure to mention several times that the potion for it had been from Severus and Lily Snape's research.

Her lawyer had dragged in, looking reluctant, and had handed her a stack of newspapers. The Daily Prophet had, of course, completely condemned her, and her being fired was on the front page of that day's paper. She had leafed through them, not enjoying seeing herself vilified in several languages.

"I don't know what charges they'll bring, I don't think they can make many of them stick. You'll likely do some time." The lawyer had said to her. Her head was still spinning from that when the Aurors had taken her away the next day.

Now she was sitting across from Rufus, with another Auror behind him looking at her hatefully.

They had gone over everything that had happened from the time she and Delores had been grabbed until she had escaped several times. They had winced a bit over the fact that Umbridge had been bitten, but did not seem all that sympathetic.

"Are you intending to charge my client with anything?" The lawyer sounded resigned rather than hopeful.

"Interfering in official Auror business for one." Rufus looked at her with controlled anger. "And reckless endangerment for another."

"But the Aurors there knew they were in a dangerous situation…" The lawyer started.

"But Andrew Essex, the young man who bravely tried to help us was not an Auror, and Ms. Skeeter knew she was fouling something up when she went there. Andrew came close to being killed because he was given away by Rita." Rufus answered. "We'll let the Wizengamot decide things. She should be glad we can't think of a way to establish aiding and abetting the Werewolf rogues, or manslaughter." The lawyer nodded and murmured an agreement.

Rita was hauled back to a familiar cell by James, to her horror Bellatrix LeStrange was still in the next cell. Bellatrix greeted her with glee.

"I hear you got Frank Longbottom killed, Rita, my sweet." She purred. "Good for you! I killed his wife you know & I was working on the kid when I was rudely interrupted."

James eyed Rita's horrified face. "Maybe we'll finally ship Bella to Azkaban – just so she can keep you company." Rita closed her eyes in dread, recalling that Frank was a good friend of James Potter – he could likely do exactly what he said.

"Aww, doesn't Jamsie like Bella anymore?" She cackled at his retreating back. She turned back to her favorite roomie, Rita, to reminisce. Rita shook her head, it would be a very long incarceration indeed if they really put Bellatrix next to her.

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A/N – Once again most of the cave scene is from the Half-Blood Prince – just different characters present.