23; Nightmares and the Dark Recovery
Dora awoke in a bed, with Harry, again. She wondered how this kept happening after almost every successful raid the Marauder Alliance managed, not that any had been unsuccessful.
With a whispered "tempus" glowing numbers appeared above her hand; 3:27.
She decided to get a drink and sleep on the couch. She headed downstairs and was drinking a glass of water when she heard a scream from upstairs.
She went to draw her wand from the holster on her right forearm as she ran, only to find it empty, thankfully she had a wand in her left holster.
She slammed to door to Harry's room open and entered with her wand raised, only to have to block a spell she recognised as a bone-breaker. She went to return fire when she saw where the spell came from.
Harry was sitting in his bed with an arm outstretched hold one of his wands, pointing at her, his arm was shaking violently. She noticed that his eyes were darting around the room frantically and he was hyperventilating.
"D-Dora?" He asked as his breath slowed, now just shaky and deep rather than frantic.
"It's me," she replied, realising that he had just had a nightmare, "I'm here, you're safe. It was just a nightmare."
Harry choked a bitter laugh, "No, a memory. Dobby, the usual."
Dora headed over to the bed, sat beside him and gave him a hug, "What's 'the usual'?" She asked.
Dobby popped in a handed Harry a cup before popping out. "it's a mix of chamomile and peppermint teas, with some calming draught or dreamless sleep added, it helps. I try not to use dreamless sleep, I wouldn't want to get addicted, or worse, have it lose effectiveness for when I need it."
"It smells nice." Dora commented, then awkwardly asked, "How long have you been having trouble sleeping?"
Harry winced, "Third night at the hospital." He answered curtly as he sipped his drink.
"Oh… do you want to talk about it?"
Harry took another sip, "Not particularly," another sip, "maybe once the calming potion takes effect"
The pair sat on the bed together in silence for a few minutes as Harry drank his herbal tea.
"The tea, Umbra singing and potions are the main reason I get any sleep." He said, putting the empty cup on a bedside table, "During the day, I rely on caffeine and wideye so I can stay coherent."
"Harry…" Dora replied, "are you sure you're ready to go back to Hogwarts on Monday?"
"Physically, I'm fine, being a metamorph means we can heal better and faster than normal wizards." Harry said.
As he started to talk, Umbra woke up and started trilling a calming tune from his perch in the corner of the room.
"Mentally… my occlumency can only help so much, every night without wideye, I'm back there with Bellatrix; drowning, being cut open, cruciated…" He shuddered, "Then, sometimes, I hear the Death Eater at Ollivanders' neck snap, Quirrel burn under my finger's, Tom Riddle's diary's final moments, Death Eater's dropping dead after I stopped their heart, Umbridge getting crushed by the exploding wall, the Death Eater a few floors up hitting the ground, other people I killed… then it starts with Voldemort killing mum, Cedric…"
"Harry." Dora interrupted, giving him a hug, "I understand, but tomorrow, you're talking to your parents, and Cedric, with the stone."
Harry nodded, tears in the corners of his eyes as he thought about his nightmares, on the verge of breaking down even with the calming potion and phoenix song, "I'm… I'm going back to sleep now," he muttered into the hug, "G'night"
The pair slept soundly to the sound of phoenix song, holding each other in a comforting embrace.
-çè-
Harry and Dora were eating their breakfast when the Daily Prophet arrived. They immediately noticed that the Lee burglary wasn't on the front page, it was expected, they were a fairly minor family and there had been so many burglaries that it was old news.
Then they realised what the front page was.
Dark Lord Levels Fordwich
Harry quickly skimmed the article and discovered that four hundred muggles were presumed dead.
The pair were horrified, Voldemort had just wiped an entire village off the map.
The only upside was that the Statute of Secrecy hadn't been broken, Obliviators had gotten to the survivors and the amount of the magic used disrupted technology enough for no livestreams, videos, photos, etc. to get out.
The worst bit, the thing they found the most surprising was that it hadn't been a bigger, part-magical village, like Godric's Hollow or Ottery St. Catchpole.
After breakfast Harry and Dora went into the library and retrieved the resurrection stone.
After turning it thrice, a shade of Cedric Diggory appeared.
"Hello Harry, Tonks."
"Cedric." Harry replied.
"Wotcher, Diggory." Dora smirked, "How was Hufflepuff without me?"
"Better. The common room could give us respite from the Weasley twins, without your interference"
"I know you missed me…"
"Fine! We missed you, you could be hilarious at times, especially is someone got you on a broom."
"We don't talk about that." Dora hissed.
"I want to hear this." Harry replied.
Cedric opened his mouth but Dora jutted in, "I was clumsy and may have crashed into the whomping willow…"
Harry laughed as Cedric continued, "And the glasshouses, astronomy tower, headmaster's office, Hagrid's hut, lake, forbidden forest and Ravenclaw tower."
"That last one was on purpose," Dora defended, "I wanted to know if they really had their own library. They don't, I think they may have a secret passage to the library though."
After a moment Harry asked, "Cedric, I need to know, do you blame me for your death?"
"No, not at all, Crouch Jr. made the portkey, Pettigrew cast the curse." Cedric said, "Not your fault."
Harry sighed, "I needed to hear that."
"You're doing the right thing Harry, you're making a difference. It will probably get worse before it gets better, but I know you won't stop at Voldemort, I know you'll make Magical Britain a better place."
"Thanks Cedric."
"Bye Harry, bye Tonks"
Cedric disappeared as Harry turned the stone thrice more and willed his parents to appear.
"Harry, Harry, Harry…" James Potter bemoaned with a grin, "I said I didn't want to see you in person until you had at least given me great-grandkids. Then you went and threw around some fiendfyre."
Harry rolled his eyes at the joking manner, "I figured it was death by Voldemort or by fiendfyre, fiendfyre would take down some Death Eaters with me, Voldemort would turn me into an inferius. Not a hard choice."
"I wish you never had to make those kinds of choices." Lily said, "I think you're too you to be fighting, but so would all mothers."
"Mum thinks the same about me." Dora confessed.
"Age is an issue of mind over matter." Harry said, "I think I'm older mentally than physically."
"If you don't mind, it doesn't matter." James nodded, looking between Dora and Harry, who blushed to the roots of their hair.
"Shut up James" Lily said, "I'd say they get enough of that from Sirius."
"Agreed" Harry nodded quickly.
"Now I don't think we here just to tease you, otherwise Ted would be here. I think we're here to talk about Voldemort and Lestrange's horrible treatment of their guests," Harry flinched, "and Harry's brutal lethality in response." Lily said.
"To put it bluntly," James said, "We approve of the latter and think you should see a mind healer about the former, and to help deal with your guilt over the latter."
"I was going to ask Moody for suggestions on which mind healer I should try to convince you to go to." Dora concurred.
"I-" Harry started to protest, but stopped at the hopeful look Dora gave him, he sighed "am willing to try, but only because you think it will help." He said to Dora, "And if Moody trusts the mind healer."
"Deal" Dora said, "But I should probably leave for work now."
"I'll see you later then." Harry said, Dora smiled, nodded and disapparated.
"Harry," James said, "I think you should give a public speech."
"What!?" Harry and Lily shouted.
"Hear me out!" James pleaded, "People see you as a hero, you could give people hope, show that you aren't afraid and then they'll try to follow your lead. It sounds cynical, but most wizards and witches are like sheep, some of them, like you, Dumbledore, Voldemort, Bones and Moody, are the shepards. Lead the 'sheep' by example, they'll follow it, because you're a role model and a hero to them."
"I suppose…" Harry considered, "I'll talk about it with Dora, Moody, Dumbledore and the Alliance."
"James is right." Lily conceded, "the people need hope in these dark times, many of them are afraid that it will be like last time, but that there won't be a 'miracle baby' to stop him, and this time, he'll take over."
Harry sighed, they had a point, "One more thing you should know, the fiendfyre destroyed the Horcrux in my scar, there's still traces of the magic, there might be a slight empathy link, but the soul fragment is gone."
"Oh…" Lily said, "Good, we couldn't think of anything better than hitting you with the killing curse and hoping it killed the horcrux but not you."
"I have either the worst kind of good luck, or the best kind of bad luck." Harry stated.
"Or both," James suggested, "simultaneously."
Harry raised an eyebrow, "Yeah, seems likely."
-çè-
Voldemort stood watching Bellatrix and Harry's duel in a pensive, he was begrudgingly impressed. Potter had somehow healed himself enough to fight and had gotten Bellatrix to fight in a physical duel, likely because his magical reserves were low from healing himself.
The Protego Diabolica had been unexpected, but, using it to attack Bellatrix from all sides and to combat the fiendfyre was quite effective. He was clearly magically and physically exhausted at the end of the duel, but had managed to drive Bellatrix off.
Potter was impressive, very skilled with combat magic and definitely a warrior. However, as much as he was curious as to how powerful the boy could become, he was an enemy who needed to die.
Now, however, he had to punish Bella for her failure. She should have easily beaten the boy in his weakened state.
-çè-
"Avada Kedavra." Voldemort said lazily as he ended the last of the group of muggle teens who were exploring Riddle Manor.
The house was large and would make a satisfactory base once he had it repaired and warded.
"Bellatrix, have your elves clean and repair this place," He ordered.
"Yes, my lord" she replied and called her elves.
Voldemort apparated to the roof of the house, raised his wand and started muttering, "Repello Muggletum, Repello Imincum, Repello Magus, Protego Maxima, Protego Totalum, Protego Horribilis, Salvio Hexia, Cave Imincum, Fianto Duri…" The protective enchantments would only last a week or so, but it would be long enough to get some ward stones and erect proper wards, especially those to stop magical creatures from bringing people in.
He then ordered one of Bellatrix's elves to bring the muggle teens' corpses to the family graveyard, where he apparated directly to. He cast a spell to raise every corpse intact enough to use and started creating inferi, they made excellent guards for intimidation, slowing the intruders and they never needed to sleep or eat or drink.
He would have to keep an eye on the local muggle newspapers, he wondered how they would explain 'zombie' attacks and people losing their souls.
Once he had the wards constructed, he could bring the dementors here from the caves he currently kept them in, he fed them a muggle a day and occasionally a wizard or witch, soulless husks were also as useful as inferi, they were even easier to control too, until they starved to death, anyway, he could turn their starved bodies into inferi.
Now Riddle Manor needed a new name, well he had a week to come up with one and redecorate, perhaps Bella would have some suggestions.
-çè-
Harry ran his hand across the books on the bookshelf, scanning the titles as he did so.
He needed to be faster and stronger, Voldemort had done many rituals to that effect. Oh, sure, metamorphing could achieve those effects, but he needed more.
He needed to look into every avenue, perhaps the cost of the rituals would be too high, perhaps he would rely on the temporary effects of enhancement potions, perhaps he would find something else entirely.
He grabbed a book on enhancement rituals, another on potions and then another book that caught his eye, a book on the animagus transformation. Sirius had some improved senses from his form, perhaps it might help.
Within a few hours, he assembled a list of enhancement potions he felt would be helpful in a duel
-çè-
Augustus Rookwood appeared at the gates to Morsmordre Manor, formerly Riddle Manor. He was followed by five imperiused mudbloods who were carrying large wardstones.
He pressed his wand into his Dark Mark and requested entry, a moment later he felt a pulse of magic and the gates opened, leaving a gap in the temporary defensive enchantments on the area.
He and his Lord planned to block all magical travel except by those who were keyed into the wards. There would be no gaps, phoenixes, elves and all other creatures, magical or otherwise would be warded against. Transfiguration would be warded against. Everything.
They would use multiple ward stones, so even if one was destroyed only part of the wards would drop.
Once the wards were complete, they would bring in Dementors, Souless Husks and more Inferi to guard the grounds.
When they were finished, Morsmordre Manor might be suitably renamed Morsmordre Fortress, it would be harder to get into when unwelcome than Hogwarts or Azkaban.
-çè-
Severus Snape appeared at the Gates to Morsmordre. When they opened he stepped through, making sure to stay on the path as he headed toward the Manor.
The sides of the path were shrouded in grey mist, the aura of dementors could be felt as he trekked along the path. In the mist he could see deformed human-like shadows. Whether they were Inferi or soulless, he couldn't tell, and did not want to know.
The mist suddenly thinned and he saw the imposing sight of the refurbished manor. It exuded an aura of Darkness and elegance, danger and beauty.
The Manor itself was mostly different shades of black, from the normal dark black to a black so dark the air around it seemed to have the light sucked from it.
He stepped through the dark green, nearly black, door and into the hall beyond, again it was mostly dark colours, mainly green and black, with ornate silver railings on the stairs and door handles of the same. The carpets were a deep blood red.
He followed the directions he was given to the meeting room, he entered and noticed the long table, headed by a throne-like chair, in comparison the other chairs were fairly simple, though elegant.
Many of the chairs were filled by black robed individuals, including the throne, which was occupied by Voldemort himself.
"Severus, take a seat." The Dark Lord instructed, and with a wave of his hand, a chair roughly halfway down the table was pulled out.
Snape knew what the gesture meant, those who sat close to the Dark Lord were more valued by him.
Being halfway down meant you were still useful, but not overly important, only the best sat near Lord Voldemort.
The ones to sit in the top four seats were the most honoured, those at the other end were at risk of being demoted to grunt work or being killed for incompetence.
The most notable to sit at the top of the table were Evan Rosier and his father, Bellatrix Lestrange, Randolph Lestrange; the father of Rabastan and Rudolphus, Crouch Jr., Thaddeus Nott, Lucius and Abraxus Malfoy, Corban Yaxley, Fenrir Greyback, Antonin Dolohov and, most recently, Augustus Rookwood.
At this meeting, Augustus, Bellatrix, Thaddeus and Fenrir sat beside the Dark Lord.
A few other Death Eaters arrived within the next ten minutes and then the meeting began.
"Thaddeus, have your spy made any progress on discovering where the Ministry's new prison is?"
"No milorld, though he has discovered that it is under fidelius."
Voldemort nodded, "Severus, have you discovered any members of Dumbledore's Order who are in Potter's Alliance?"
"I believe William and Charlie Weasley are members, Cedrella Weasley may also be a member or associated in some other way." Snape said without a shred of hesitation, of course he knew some other members, but he only needed to give some obvious ones away to maintain his cover.
Voldemort gave no indication of surprise, but Bellatrix gave a muttered rant about Blood-traitors "Good. Bellatrix, how are the new recruits coming along?"
"They are learning, even the most incompetent can already cast Avada Kedavra and Imperio."
"Satisfactory. Narcissa, you will find Felix Rosier, he works at a dragon preserve and may be capable of acquiring a Peruvian Vipertooth for us. Remind him that his Father and Grandfather were with us, he could have potential."
"Of course, My Lord." She nodded.
"Bellatrix, Augustus, you will work on creating more Inferi, we have sixty muggles corpses in the dungeon, when you have finished with those, send the recruits on a training mission to gather more."
They nodded and he addressed Greyback.
"Fenrir, you will lead and attack on Godric's Hollow, I want the Potter cottage there destroyed, bring terror and feel free to play with the locals."
Greyback gave a feral grin that unnerved even some of those sitting at the table, "With pleasure."
Voldemort pulled an envelope from a pocket, "Severus, you will give this to young Mr. Malfoy."
He wandlessly levitated the envelope to Snape, who took it with a nod.
"Is there anything else?" Voldemort asked his followers.