Chapter 17: Collateral Damage
Harry was no stranger to angry glares. Sometimes it seemed that he'd spent half of his time at Hogwarts being hated and shunned by the other students. This time, however, he was cautiously pleased to note that not all the students focusing on him did so with obvious malice. Instead, there were some people who seemed to be looking at him almost… appraisingly. He wasn't quite sure what to make of that.
Of course, there were also people who were openly hostile, which is how Harry found himself trading spells with three older Slytherins. None of them were particularly skilled, and if it had been one on one, Harry was sure that he could have easily defeated any of them. With all three working together, coming at him from two different directions, it was more difficult than he would have liked. He still won, of course, but he was a little singed from the encounter.
When his attackers were finally stunned, Harry quickly gathered their wands.
Looking back, while his actions against Malfoy and the others had been satisfying, they certainly weren't overly wise. Even without Dumbledore's lie about the group name, Harry was undoubtedly one of the top suspects, given that he had been the one to defeat them when they were attacking Hope Callow, not to mention he had recorded their detentions and shown it off to everyone willing to watch. To make matters worse, he hadn't used the forgetfulness potion, so if he were to be interrogated under veritaserum, he would be forced to admit everything. Now, he just had to do whatever it took to avoid such an interrogation.
Most people might think that Harry's goal was to avoid the attention of the Aurors, but that was, in fact, the exact opposite of what he wanted. During his time stuck with the Dursleys before he'd ever even heard of Hogwarts, he had been blamed for a great many things. Some of those things he'd actually done. But he'd long ago realized the secret to getting away without getting caught. Don't act guilty. Act like everything is normal, and even if people have some suspicions, they won't press the issue because they don't want to be wrong. At least, it worked with the Dursleys. Harry was hoping that the same principle would work here.
"Auror… Pickering? Did I remember your name correctly?" he called as he entered the Great Hall.
A middle-aged Auror turned around, looking at the boy in front of him in surprise. "Yes, that's my name. What do you want, Potter?"
"I understand that you are here investigating people attacking students. I came to report just such an occurrence," he replied with a bright smile. "Three individuals attacked me not five minutes ago. I'm afraid that I don't know their names, but I did take their wands, which, according to my information, can be used to see what spells they cast. I'm also willing to present my wand for similar testing to prove my innocence in these matters."
Pickering looked uncomfortably around the Great Hall, painfully aware that all eyes were now on him. "Given that you were unharmed, we have more important things to worry about – people that were actually injured when attacked."
"The fact that I successfully defended myself doesn't change their intent. They were casting spells that would have severely injured, perhaps even killed me. That's a crime, is it not?"
"Unfortunately, at this time, we are investigating a different crime that has been given higher priority," the Auror said tightly, still glancing at the students paying close attention.
"So, you're here to investigate what happened to Malfoy and the others, and you'll completely ignore any other crimes against those of us of… lesser birth," Harry retorted, all semblance of courtesy gone now. "Just like you're ignoring the fact that each of those 'victims' you're trying to get justice for was guilty of doing the exact same thing to other students."
He paused for a moment to study the Auror. "So, I guess the real question is, are you a blood bigot, or are you just too much of a coward to stand up to the ones who are?"
He didn't wait for a reply. His goal here had been accomplished. He'd pointed out the double standard in the Auror response, and (hopefully) convinced people that he was innocent. After all, a guilty person wouldn't so boldly confront the Aurors, now would they? He kept repeating that to himself the whole way back to his dorm, trying to make himself believe it.
While the looks that many of the students at Hogwarts were giving him were unpleasant, the look of disappointment on Peter's face when they met the next day was like a knife in the gut.
"I'm sorry," Harry said before his friend had a chance to utter a word.
"Sorry for what?" Peter asked, his face now an inscrutable mask.
"Sorry for attacking the Slytherins," Harry replied.
Peter sighed. "You weren't necessarily wrong in what you did. What I really have issue with is how you did it."
The confusion Harry was feeling must have been evident on his face, because Peter explained further. "You forget, I went to Hogwarts with a bunch of people who went on to become Death Eaters. I understand the frustration of watching them get away with crimes that should have seen them jailed. But your actions turned them into victims, some people might even say martyrs. And, you've risked us both in order to do so. Did you consider what would happen if they found out that I was working with you?"
Harry shook his head mutely.
"From now on, you need to keep me informed of what you're up to. I don't have a problem with us working a little outside of what the Ministry would accept, within reason, but I need to know what you're doing. Otherwise, you're risking us both, not to mention Heather as well, and, while I want to help you and I agree with what you're trying to do, I'm not willing to put my family at risk. Understood?"
Harry nodded. "I understand. I was just… I was just so angry. They attacked those kids, and some of the other students were treating them like heroes because of it."
Peter's expression softened. "Like I said, I understand how you feel. But we need to be smart about this. For now, let's start with damage control. Obviously, they don't have any solid proof, or they would have already arrested you. Is there anything that might lead back to you?"
"I did my best to cover my tracks. Used different Polyjuice with each one of the Slytherins, acted differently as well, planted some fake information about the attackers… things like that. There should be enough fake leads that even if there was something that might suggest it was me, it would be tough for them to find the real clue mixed in with all the fakes."
"And this name… I assume that Dumbledore just made that up?" Peter pressed.
"Yes. I'm not stupid enough to use my initials for a name for my top-secret vigilante group," Harry said, rolling his eyes at the stupidity of anyone who actually believed that. Unfortunately, that seemed to include a decent chunk of the Hogwarts student body.
"Do you think he actually knows it was you, or does he just suspect?" Peter asked seriously. "Or is he just blaming you because he can?" he added as an afterthought.
"I don't know. I think, at best, he just suspects. If he does have some way of knowing everything about what is going on in Hogwarts, then we have a bigger problem than we thought, because that would mean that he deliberately allowed all those other students to get attacked."
"That's a good point," Peter replied softly. He thought for a moment. "As long as people think that really is the group's name, it's going to cast suspicion on you. We'll need to change that. Maybe set off a howler during one of the meals as a sort of…" Peter trailed off, trying to find the right word. "Manifesto, I suppose, including the group's real name." He paused briefly, looking thoughtful. "Or maybe not. If people think that is the name, you would be able to testify under truth serum that you are not a member of the 'Hands of Justice and Power'. That might be enough of an advantage to offset a little bit of suspicion from the more gullible part of the population."
It was good that their discussion took place in Timeland, for it went on for several hours. It was time well spent, however, and Harry came away feeling much more confident than he had been just a short time ago.
Unfortunately, Harry's good mood didn't last for long. The first indication that something bad was going to happen was in the Daily Prophet, with the headline proclaiming that Amelia Bones had been fired, and that the Minister's Office would be taking control of the DMLE until a suitable replacement could be found. The article included a quote from Cornelius Fudge, pledging that those guilty for the "heinous attacks at Hogwarts" would be found and punished.
Not surprisingly, this unsettling bit of news was followed by something even worse, when several unpleasant-looking individuals in Auror robes entered the Great Hall, followed closely by a short, squat woman with an uncomfortably wide mouth. Harry studied the toad-faced woman closely as she walked toward the professors at the front of the hall.
"Good morning, Madam Umbridge," Dumbledore said, standing politely as she drew near.
"Dumbledore," the woman replied, her voice sounding sickeningly satisfied. "You received the message from the Minister, I assume?"
It could have been Harry's imagination, but he thought he saw a flicker of irritation pass across the headmaster's face. If Dumbledore was feeling any such emotion, there was no trace of it in his voice as he responded. "Yes, I did. Though I still maintain the position I expressed during our meeting. I believe that the Ministry is making a mistake."
"That is not for you to concern yourself with. We will be taking the criminals into custody immediately." She turned and nodded to the Aurors, who had apparently already been given their assignments.
Harry stared in confusion as six students were grabbed roughly and all but dragged out of the room, many of them screaming protests that they had done nothing wrong. A quick glance showed that the other students were just as shocked as he was. Well, most of the other students.
Harry's eyes narrowed as he stared at the Slytherin table, where Malfoy and a few of his cronies were smirking.
It didn't take long for the Hogwarts rumor mill to put the facts together. This meant that, to Harry's great surprise, his best source for information turned out to be Lavender Brown. Exactly how accurate that information was, he couldn't say. But it was a valuable insight into the current mind and mood of the Hogwarts students in general.
"Not a chance," Lavender said bluntly when asked if the students were actually guilty.
Not surprisingly, Percy Weasley was quick to jump to the Ministry's defense. "I'm sure that the Minister for Magic has proof of their guilt. Proof that he doesn't need to share with a bunch of little schoolchildren," he replied officiously, as though he himself was not one of said schoolchildren.
Lavender, of course, was not about to back down. "Courtney Shepherds? No way. A few weeks ago, she was making out with Bryson Meadows, and he tried to get handsy with her. She freaked out. Screamed loud enough that the prefects caught them. You're telling me someone like that was willing to torture people for hours? Not likely."
Percy looked like he was about to say something, but he didn't have a chance before the girl continued. "And Jack Fuller? He was in Care of Magical Creatures earlier this year and his friend got bit by a niffler, hard enough that he was bleeding. Fuller doesn't do well with blood. He passed out. There's no way some one like that would be able to torture people," Lavender concluded with complete confidence.
Harry just hoped that the Ministry and Wizengamot would agree with the girl.
Several days passed without any real news. According to the latest gossip, the students were being held at the Ministry until their trial. Unfortunately, nobody seemed to know when that trial would be.
For Harry, this just made things worse, as the feelings of guilt grew every day. Still, regular doses of calming draughts made it easy to act like nothing was wrong.
That week's meeting with Peter had an unexpected, but not unfamiliar, face in attendance.
"Chad figured out it was you. I figured it would be easier to stay on the same page if he came to the meetings from now on."
"Apparently, I wasn't as careful as I thought if so many people have already realized I was behind it," Harry said, a little miffed.
"Well, it wasn't like I had real evidence. Just a bit of Occam's Razor. The simplest explanation is usually the best. The ones that attacked those students were a secretive group that wants to see justice done. I already knew you had group like that. There was no reason to imagine that there might be another. All the rest is just smoke and mirrors," the American explained with a smile.
"Do you have any problem with it?" Harry asked, somewhat guardedly.
"Not at all," Chad replied quickly. "As far as I'm concerned, they got what was coming to them. The issue now, I think, is how to ensure that you don't get caught."
"That doesn't seem to be a problem as long as Fudge and Umbridge are running the show," Peter interjected.
"Yeah, instead a bunch of innocent kids are locked up waiting for a trial that could be months or years away," Harry countered heavily.
"Not to be overly cynical, or to make light of their current situation, but it could be worse. At least they're being held at your ministry, and not in that prison with the soul-sucking, happiness-eating monsters," Chad pointed out.
"And, as soon as the trial does come around, they'll be able to prove their innocence easily. They can choose to be questioned under veritaserum. It's quite rare, as I understand it, but nobody can protest it, and the Wizengamot wouldn't be able to ignore their testimony, since it's not like any of them have the occlumency training that would allow them to lie under veritaserum," Peter said calmly. "I think the best thing we can do is to keep that awareness in the public mind. Harry, you continue to bring it up in school, make sure that the other students are asking their families about any developments. We want anyone with a connection to the ministry to be asking questions. Make sure that they can't slip this under the rug."
"There are other options," Chad countered. "If there were more attacks, the students that are being held by the Aurors certainly couldn't be guilty," he suggested
"It wouldn't prove that the students they had in custody were innocent of the original attacks, though. They could just decide that the new attacks were the result of copycats, or done by friends to prove their innocence," Harry argued, not wanting to admit that he had already thought of that idea. Thought about it, and rejected it. Far too many ways for it to go wrong. Something I need to do a lot better at paying attention to, he thought bitterly.
A few more ideas were discussed, but in the end, they just kept coming back around to Peter's original idea. Ensure that people were aware of what had happened and the ministry's response, and let the truth come out in the trial. Harry wasn't entirely satisfied with it, but it would do for now.
He didn't see the looks that Peter and Chad exchanged every so often when he got especially morose at the thought of the students who were being blamed for his actions.
"You seem a little depressed about what's happening," Chad began after the meeting.
"About how other students are suffering because of me? Yeah. It's not something I like to think about," Harry replied tersely.
"You know I've traveled around a lot," Chad said, looking a little uncomfortable.
"Yeah, you mentioned that," Harry responded, a little confused.
"Yeah, I was in Ireland when I met Peter. I was doing a little research on the Hill of Tara, and the Tomb of Eochaid. Old magical places like that. And a few of the caves there have some fascinating legends. That's actually what I was researching when I met Peter in Bandon. Killavullen and Cloyne Caves are near there, and there's some old myths associated with both of those places. There's actually lots of legends about old caves like that. Stories that go back hundreds, even thousands of years about caves being secret passages to the lands of the Aes Sidhe. I didn't find any real evidence, but there were some interesting things that I found…"
"Chad, not to be rude, but are you going somewhere with this?" Harry asked wearily. "I assume that you are making some sort of comparison that will convince me to stop feeling so guilty, but I have no idea what that point is."
"What? No! I mean, that would be kind of weird, right? I mean, we're not girls, being all… emotional… and stuff," Chad said awkwardly.
Harry just looked at him blankly.
"If I were trying to make some sort of point so that you would stop feeling so guilty," the American began hesitantly, not quite making eye contact with the dark haired boy, "it would be that I've traveled all over the world, and seen lots of places. Some good, some really not good. And what I found is that in places where life is good and people are happy, it's because somewhere in the past, their ancestors fought and died to build that sort of society. It's never easy, but it's worth it, especially for future generations. What's happening to those kids sucks, but it's better than just ignoring the crime and corruption. There's always going to be some innocent people who suffer when you take a stand. You just do the best you can to minimize it," he finished.
"That's a good point," Harry replied, nodding his head, slowly. "I mean, if you were making a point, which I know you weren't. But if you were making a point, it would have been a good one."
"Good," Chad said, and walked away looking relieved that that particular conversation was over.
Harry watched him go with a small smile. Truth was, Chad's argument was nothing he hadn't already told himself multiple times. But the fact that somebody else was willing to voice the same thoughts, and (despite the obvious discomfort he felt) express them in order to support Harry, helped a lot.
"Hey Harry!"
Harry turned to see who had called him. To his surprise, it was a Hufflepuff, maybe one of the Chasers on their Quidditch team, he thought, though he wasn't sure.
"Yeah, what is it?" he asked, not wanting to be rude, but also not wanting to be late to Transfiguration.
"We've never met, but I'm Cedric Diggory," the boy said. "I want to talk to you about proving that those students they arrested are actually innocent."
"How would we do that? And why come to me?" Harry asked, concerned that another person was now convinced he was the one responsible.
"Well, you were the one that got those omniocular recordings," Cedric said. "I figured that you would probably know who reacted the most to them."
"Just because someone disagreed with how those Slytherins were punished doesn't necessarily mean that they decided to administer their own form of justice," Harry pointed out. "And even if I did have some ideas who was behind it, I don't like the idea of just turning other people over to the Ministry's non-existent mercy."
"No, I'm not saying you should," Cedric replied quickly. "I'm just saying, you probably know as well as anybody that they're actually innocent. I mean, I don't know all of them, but I do know Jack, and I know he's not the type to do something like that. And that's what I want to prove."
Harry shot one last glance down the hallway. "I like it, but I need to get to class before McGonagall has me in detention. Can we talk after dinner?"
Cedric nodded, and Harry hurried down the hall.
Cedric's idea turned out to be quite simple.
"The Prophet reported that the 'victims' were tortured for approximately twelve hours," the older boy said a few hours later. "Now, they used that to demonstrate how monstrous the attackers were. But what nobody is looking at is that means that the attackers had to be absent from class for most of the day. The Slytherins were released around 11 PM at the latest, which means that the attacks were happening during the school day. If we can find people who can confirm that they saw the ones the ministry arrested in classes that day, that proves that they're innocent," he emphasized. "I mean, unless they somehow got a Time-Turner in order to be in two places at once," he added.
Making a mental note to find out what a 'Time-Turner' was, Harry asked the obvious question. "And could that have had a Time-Turner?"
Cedric scoffed. "Everyone that was arrested was muggleborn. And there's no way the Department of Mysteries would let a muggleborn have such a priceless and powerful item." He blanched as he realized how what he said could be interpreted. "Not that I'm saying there's anything wrong with muggleborn having something like that, I'm just saying…"
"The ministry is full of blood bigots," Harry finished.
"Right," Cedric said. "So, what do you think?"
Harry smiled. "I think it's worth a try."
When he got back to his dorm, Harry noticed that Peter had sent a message with the old communication notebooks, requesting a meeting as soon as possible. Harry responded quickly, and they were meeting in Timeland less than an hour later.
"What's up?" Harry asked.
"I wanted you to know, I got word from one of my contacts in the Ministry about your godfather," Peter began.
"Finally!" Harry exclaimed. "Have they set a date for a trial, or a re-trial, or whatever yet?"
"That's just it," the older man said. "He was tried just a few weeks ago. And he was found innocent, but now he's being held in Azkaban pending further investigation."
"What does that mean?" Harry asked, confused and concerned.
"I have absolutely no idea."
A/N – I want to make one thing very clear right now. Harry and his team are trying to eliminate corruption in the government, and fix many flaws in their society. This will necessitate a number of discussions regarding political topics. I am not actually promoting or endorsing any particular political or philosophical views here (outside of the basic idea that corruption is bad and the law should apply equally to everyone – I doubt anyone is going to argue with me on this). These characters will be expressing their opinions on the specific situation in magical Britain. This is not intended to be a metaphor for any other country's political situations.
Similarly, when I do bring up real-world situations, remember that these are imperfect characters using incomplete knowledge as a reference to their own situation. Chad's little speech, for example, was not intended to imply that countries that are struggling have nobody to blame but themselves and their ancestors, who obviously weren't willing to pay the price for a good society.
It hasn't been a problem yet, but I would like to avoid having the comments filled up with politically charged arguments. Thoughtful discussion, sure, but let's keep it civil, please.