Chapter 24: Justice for All

"No… please. I'm innocent. You don't understand," the 'girl' cried.

Harry was unmoved. "I understand everything I need to. You're a murderer. You helped rape and kill innocent women. And now, you're going to pay."

His victim continued to beg and plead, but Harry didn't pay any more attention. He looped the makeshift rope around 'her' neck and pulled it tight. There was a distant part of his brain that found it amusing as the face in front of him gradually turned colors, first to red, and then to blue. Finally, the struggling stopped, and Harry felt a grim satisfaction at having administered long overdue justice.

A noise behind him drew his attention, and Harry turned to see Mac standing in the doorway, looking horrified. "Harry, what did you do?" the former Auror demanded.

Harry was confused. "I killed him, just like you said."

Mac shook his head. "I haven't brought the guards down yet," the man whispered. "That was one of the girls."

Harry shook his head. "No, he just looks like one of the girls. It's Polyjuice."

"No," Mac said as he opened the door further to reveal two guards unconscious on the floor. "These are the guards. You killed an innocent girl."

"No, that's not… he was… you said…" Harry tried to deny the accusation, but the words just wouldn't come.

"You killed an innocent girl," Mac repeated, drawing his wand up slowly, pointing it at Harry.

"NO! He was a murderer!" the boy insisted, nearly in tears.

"And now you're a murderer, too," the corpse at his feet whispered.

Harry bolted upright with a shout, panting heavily. "Lights on," he said after a moment.

The room came slowly into view as the glow above him gradually brightened, revealing the room in Timeland that Harry normally stayed in. With a sigh, the young teen threw off the covers and exited the comfortable bed, walking slowly out of the room and to the kitchen area.

While his employees had all stayed at the office to finish the various tasks associated with the raid such as interrogating the captive guards and debriefing the rescued women, Harry had immediately returned to Hogwarts and taken advantage of the time compression field to catch up on his sleep. After all, unlike the others, he still needed to go to class in just a few hours, and if he were obviously tired the morning after the attack, it might lead someone like Umbridge to start asking questions for which he didn't have a good answer.

After helping himself to a glass of cold water, he slumped down on one of the chairs, doing his best not to think about the dream. He knew Mac was correct, that it was better to go through this now, rather than risking freezing when he was forced to kill someone in a true life or death situation, but a logical argument like that wasn't much use at warding off the nightmares.

The fact that the guards had been wearing the faces of innocent girls certainly didn't help matters.

Running his fingers through his hair tiredly, Harry glanced over at the clock. Quarter past five. Neville will be getting up soon for our morning exercises. 'Soon' was, of course, a very relative term, given that more than a day would pass in Timeland before his friend would be awake. Still, there was no reason to spend hours in the vault when he could instead just wait for a few minutes in the real world.

Harry was unsurprised to see that news of the attack had not made it into the paper. Doubtless, it would be tomorrow's headline, though. He was relieved when he received a message from Peter saying that Tonks had helped process some of the evidence from the crime scene and had confirmed that the Aurors were completely baffled. They could tell that it had been a deliberate attack, but the investigators knew nothing beyond that. And of course, finding two 'female' corpses chained to the wall in the basement had resulted in the Aurors asking Agamemnon Nott some very pointed questions. It was unlikely that he would be imprisoned for it (given that the guards had 'absconded' and there was no proof he had known how the girls were treated) but having the DMLE watching his every move would undoubtedly make things difficult for the man.

The day passed like any other as Harry trudged from one class to another, then spent a few hours working on homework in the common room, silently dreading the approaching night and the nightmares that would undoubtedly return.

To Harry's shock, the attack on the White Dahlia was not the headline article in the Daily Prophet the next day. Instead, it had been relegated to page four. Harry was unsurprised to see that, while the discovery of the bodies was included, the paper made no mention of the circumstances in which the corpses were found.

In Veritas, however, it was a different story. And since every household in magical Britain was still receiving a free copy (though that would be ending soon), Harry was sure that there would be an uproar.

As he read the article, he wondered if the women they had rescued had decided how they wanted to proceed with their lives. After some discussion, they had finally been given three options: take a memory potion that would erase their memories of the raid and be permitted to return to their families, sign a contract ensuring their silence on the matter and start a new life in a different country, or choose to stay and help.

A horrified exclamation from Hermione revealed that she had finally started reading the more truthful report of the attack on the brothel and what investigators had found. Not surprisingly, those students who had already read the article were quick to tell their fellows about it, and before breakfast was over, that seemed to be all anyone was talking about, much to the obvious discomfort of Theo Nott over in Slytherin.

Though he continued reading reports from Peter, it wasn't until the weekend that Harry finally met with his team again. By then, all of the women had decided their future, with most taking the option of starting over in Canada or America, though two had elected to stay and help fight back against the Ministry. While his friends were at Hogsmeade, Harry snuck out of the castle and portkeyed down to the office in the outskirts of London.

"So," Harry began. "We've all had a few days to think about the raid. What are your thoughts? What worked well? What do we need to improve on?"

Michelle spoke first, though not to answer any of Harry's questions. "Before we get too far into that, I just have to ask, are we thinking about attacking Azkaban? Aren't there still seven men being imprisoned unjustly?"

"Only four of them are still alive," Tonks said softly, shaking her head. "But I still don't think that we can pull it off. The brothel was easily accessed and barely defended. Neither of those descriptions fit Azkaban."

"I was discussing things with my wife last night, and Heather pointed out that we already know how to get those people out," Peter stated. "The exact same way Nott got Stevens and Fitzgerald out. Pay the debt, and they have to work for us."

Harry sat upright, startled. He'd been concerned about the idea of attacking the wizarding prison, but also didn't want to leave innocent people to that fate. I can't believe I didn't think of that. It seemed so obvious in hindsight.

Connor frowned. "Won't that raise some questions about why we want to get them out? If it was just to get employees, it would be much cheaper for us to just hire someone."

"Unless we want them for tasks that most people wouldn't agree to voluntarily," Peter countered. "We talked about starting a research and development company to use for creating new products as part of our attempt to 'modernize' the wizarding world. We could imply the company also has a spell division that needs people to test new spells on. That seems like the type of thing the blood bigots would just love. So long as we don't tell the corrupt ministry officials that the only thing the prisoners will really be doing is testing our new tv-capable comm mirrors and other things like that, we should be fine."

"That's… a very good suggestion," Dan commented after a moment. "But won't people be suspicious so soon after the attack on the Dahlia?"

"We could claim that was what gave us the idea," Malcolm suggested. "We heard rumors about how those girls wound up working there and decided to investigate it to see if there was any truth to it."

"And if an Auror like Gibbon investigates to make sure that the prisoners are being treated 'appropriately'?" Connor asked, though he now looked much more optimistic about the idea.

"I'm sure the men would be willing to pretend that they're being tormented and exploited during the inspection," Chad replied, gesturing as though waving the concern aside. "Five minutes of acting on occasion to be free from Azkaban? That's a small price to pay."

"This won't be a long-term thing," Peter added. "Just until we make the move with the Foundation. After that, everyone will know the truth about us, so there won't be any need for such pretense."

Harry had heard enough. "I like it. Make contact with whoever heads the Department of Magical Litigation these days. Just do your best to ensure they don't think it has anything to do with the Foundation so if this does backfire somehow, at least our main operation is still on track."

"Will do," Peter replied with a nod.

"I'm glad that we have a way to get those men out of prison without having to actually attack Azkaban," Harry said, "but, while I hope it is never necessary, I want us to be capable of such an action in the future." He took a deep breath. "However, it's clear that we've got a long way to go before we're at that level. So, let's start with where we are at. What are your thoughts on the raid?"

"I've got a list of tools that would be very helpful for future operations," Mac said, speaking up for the first time that night. "Not sure they're all feasible, but I'd like Chad and Connor to take a look."

"Tools like what?" Michelle asked.

"Better communicators with a built-in silencing system so that we can talk freely without being overheard unless we want. Enchanted glasses or visors, both to protect the eyes, and to see through walls. They could also turn opaque to block those flashbang grenades Chad made, since stun grenades aren't always the best option. Things like that."

"There are spells to let you see through walls?" Connor's voice was filled with awe.

Mac nodded. "They can be blocked, but to do so requires a fairly expensive alchemical potion. Higher end clothes are generally treated with it, and the exterior walls in some buildings, but most people don't bother with interior walls."

"I've been wondering about creating some sort of combat suit for quite a while now," Harry mentioned, adding on to Mac's idea of new tools. "My main thought was to have shields to defend the wearer, but there are plenty of other useful enchantments that could be added as well. For example, if it had an air filter, or a self-contained air supply, we could use aerosolized potions. Delirium Draught, for example, is almost invisible as a gas, allowing us to take out whole rooms full of people without any trouble."

"We could probably spend hours coming up with new ideas," Chad pointed out. "I'll put a box outside my office, and if anybody has ideas, just drop them in and I'll put some time into figuring out which ones might work."

"That's a good idea," Harry agreed. "So, besides fancy toys, what else would be helpful?"

"We need healers of our own," Malcolm added. "Healer Caron was wonderful, but it would be very foolish to rely on her all the time."

Peter frowned in thought. "Michelle, weren't you interested in becoming a healer?" he asked.

The woman nodded. "I was, but that was many years ago, and I stopped trying to study after I was rejected at Saint Mungo's. I wouldn't be any more qualified than anyone else here."

"Sarah Stevens was a trainee healer," Tonks recalled. "She thought that's why the Selwyns targeted her, she beat out Cassianna Selwyn for a spot in the program."

"She's one of the two that decided to join us, right?" Harry asked. When Tonks nodded, he continued, "then talk to her, and if she's interested, we'll arrange for her to get whatever additional instruction she needs. Even if we have to send her out of the country to get it."

"We need a dedicated DragonFire facility," Peter stated. "Working out of this office was fine for a one-time thing, but it would be far more effective if they had their own place."

Harry nodded. "We got approval from the Ministry for a new magical community, but we haven't done anything yet. Let's change that – find a place, and start getting it warded. We don't know all the different buildings we would want, but a training and operations center for DragonFire and a hospital are obvious ones."

Not surprisingly, Connor was the first to speak up about what had originally been his idea. "I've been giving some thought to the wards, and I have some ideas I'm developing right now that would greatly strengthen them, and give us more options for a solid defense. I'll need more time to run the experiments, but if it works like I expect, it'll be a game changer."

Harry nodded. "Okay, we'll hold off on the wards until you're ready, but we should start looking for a place now. Are there any requirements we should be looking for?"

"We need it to be out in the middle of nowhere, don't we?" Dan said. "That kind of limits our options."

"And isn't there something about the closer you are to a leyline, the stronger the wards?" Malcolm added, looking at Connor.

The warding expert nodded. "Traditionally, that is the case, but if my theory pans out, it shouldn't be an issue. Still, even if my theory is incorrect, there isn't enough of a difference for proximity to a leyline to be a major factor in a decision of where we decide to set up shop. You can establish strong wards anywhere in the world. I think that making sure we are appropriately isolated from non-magical society would be the more important issue."

"Agreed," Peter said. "I can start looking into possible locations. Of course, it will depend on how much land we're trying to buy."

Harry groaned. "Yeah, that makes sense. And I have no idea how much we'll need." He rubbed his forehead. "Alright, Connor, Peter and anybody else who's interested, start discussing what we want out of our little community. How much space will we need? What kind of buildings do we want? What defenses do we need? Hammer out a solid plan for this. We'll discuss it the next time I come, hopefully over Easter break."

A general murmur of assent filled the room.

"Okay, I can't stay for too long today, so let's move on. There's a few outstanding items I'd like to address. Where are we on the search for the fourth leader of Equitas? David Miller, was that his name?"

"Möller," Michelle corrected. "And we haven't had any luck. That's a German name. He may have moved out of the country. I can keep looking, but I'm not sure it's worth the time."

"No, that's fine," Harry said with a sigh. "Have there been any developments on the Horcrux hunt?"

Peter shook his head. "Nothing of note. We're making a list of any location that might be significant to Riddle, but that's a bit of a long shot."

At least the Foundation for the Future is going better than this, Harry thought with a mental groan before moving on to the next topic. "We decided to wait on using Veritas to start exposing corruption in the Ministry until we had a good number of stories. With the information I got from Umbridge, I think we're at that point. We can cover the crimes, then do exposés on the Ministry officials involved as well as stories focusing on the victims, etc. There should be plenty of content for us the drag this out for well over a month."

"Yes," Chad said emphatically. "I was actually going to suggest the same thing. The free trial period will be up in two weeks. Unless we want to extend that, which," he added, "I think might not be a bad idea, but if not, we need to start running those articles now before our readership drops."

"Extend the trial," Harry decided. "Money isn't an issue. Make it known that we are doing this as a public service to expose the corruption in the Ministry."

"We should probably wait until the four men in Azkaban are in custody per the work release program," Peter suggested.

Harry groaned. "I didn't even think about that."

"Well, I doubt it will take long," Peter said bracingly. "Chad's people can start work on the articles so we have them ready once the men are free."

"You know, Fudge might push to shut down the paper if we start making direct accusations against one of the top people in his administration," Tonks warned.

"Let him try," Chad scoffed. "There's nothing that ties back to us or to the Foundation, and I've got the printer set up in a large crate with a built-in shrinking charm and a backup printer just in case. If they try to raid the Veritas office in Diagon, we can be out of there in thirty seconds. The only thing that would do is just add more fuel to the fire."

"What about the reporters?" Dan asked.

"They all use pennames, and signed binding secrecy contracts. And I did warn them that we would eventually start attacking the Ministry. I'll remind them to be prepared, but unless the Aurors actually arrest them while they're out interviewing someone, there shouldn't be a problem."

"Still, it would be best to have some advance notice," Harry said thoughtfully. "Tonks, if you would please keep an ear to the ground."

The metamorphmagus nodded, and Harry looked down at his list. "Alright, next item…"

A smile crossed Harry's face as the dark-haired teen snuck back into Hogwarts, undetected as usual. I'm not sure if that means that I'm really sneaky, or if it just means that the security at Hogwarts is abysmal. He had to chuckle at that thought. Probably both.

He greeted his friends cheerfully when they returned from Hogsmeade an hour later, waving aside any questions of how he spent the time by claiming to have been practicing some spells on his own.

At dinner that night, however, he did notice that Umbridge seemed to be glaring at him more than usual, a fact that he found moderately disturbing.

Oh well, let her glare. She'll have plenty to draw her ire soon.

Harry was relieved when it only took a few days to arrange for the four muggleborn being held in Azkaban for unpaid debts to be released into the care of a new company called 'Magical Innovations'. Apparently, Umbridge's replacement at the litigation office had found the idea of using mudbloods as test animals to be incredibly amusing, and had pushed the paperwork through without any objection. The fact that he was paid an additional two hundred galleons certainly didn't hurt, either.

Harry and his team waited for a few more days just to make sure nobody noticed the coincidental timing between the articles and the men being released into their care. Finally, the Monday just before Easter holidays began, Veritas began the attack.

As Harry had hoped, the whole student body was whispering animatedly about the front-page articles at breakfast. Chad and Peter had chosen well, building on the earlier report about the attack on the White Dahlia. They revealed how Nott and Umbridge had used the work release program to force the two women into sexual slavery, though they held back on the details of how they had originally been imprisoned and the other victims of the sordid scheme for later editions.

Still, just the facts that they had included were enough, and Umbridge (who made a show of refusing to read the non-ministry-approved paper) was soon being glared at from every corner of the room, including from the other teachers themselves.

"Why is everyone staring at me?" The toad-like woman demanded when she finally took notice of the hostility being directed at her.

"Perhaps you should read it for yourself," McGonagall said as she threw the paper in the High Inquisitor's direction, clearly struggling to contain the urge to draw her wand and start firing spells.

Umbridge paled as she read, then looked around the room desperately. "Lies," she croaked. "All lies. They… they chose to work there."

"I taught those girls," an enraged Flitwick roared. "I cannot imagine either of those young women choosing such a life."

"Nor can I," Sprout agreed.

Realizing that nobody bought her excuses, Umbridge beat a hasty retreat, all but running for the doors.

And that's just the beginning, the Gryffindor thought with a smirk.