RWBY: Foresworn

Chapter XI: Dark Days Again

Harry and Neville along with Dumbledore sat in the Headmasters Office. Absolution and the Thunder Hammer sat in the corner of the room; in semi-deactivated states with the silver and white blade laying across the desk.

"This blade? You said you got it from someone, Harry." Dumbledore said, Harry nodded and opened the chilled box of bottled beer before pulling out three bottles and handing one to both Neville and the Headmaster. The Headmaster raised an eyebrow, Harry pulled out a bottle opener that resembled a King Taijitu head and expertly opened the bottles.

"Just because Grimm want to kill and eat us, doesn't mean people make miniature replicas of them. This is based on the King Taijitu that ate me and I wanted to see what was worse, my bite or its…I won."

Dumbledore sighed "I worry about what Remnant has done to you."

"It's made me more of what you were intending Headmaster. Only shaved off the docility and martyrdom. Anyway, this sword it came from Salem."

Neville paled "You met with Salem?"

"More she met me, when I was bleeding out from your head strike."

"And…"

"And…what? Nev?"

"What did she want?"

Harry lifted an eyebrow "A gent doesn't kiss and tell."

"I'll tell Velvet."

Harry paled slightly "Nothing…happened. Words were exchanged, I…ran my mouth. She said I was 'such a charmer' and wanted me to swear allegiance to her…I kindly and politely declined, like a gentleman…"

"…with toothache and several broken bones." Neville commented, getting chuckles from the Headmaster.

"Peanut responses are not needed, Neville. Anyway, I said 'I'm not getting involved in your marital problems. I just want to reduce the Civilian casualties that your marital problems are possibly going to cause'. Although I did ask why she was meeting with me as her supposed ally was summoning her pets."

"And?" Dumbledore was interested.

Harry gritted his teeth, sighed and opened another bottle "She wants to kill me, nothing personal. She wants to kill me and that 'temper tantrum child' is no Dark Lord, furthermore no 'Dark Lord' or 'Master of the Black Arts' would ever deign to sunder one's soul for immortality. On that principle, Salem gave me that sword and the ability to sniff out the phylacteries or horcruxes that Tommy made. The sword helps destroy them, apparently those who made Salem how she is really dislike soul splitting; thus, it does nothing to those who haven't split their soul…perfect for some Halloween tricks. But for those who've split their soul and containers of soul fragments it supposedly acts like a proper sword."

That left Neville and Dumbledore in stone silence.

(DANK)

Isabella was surprised at the cold reception. Everyone jumped as Kobi hit the deep lagoon, she turned to see Kobi heading towards her. She looked up, to see three members of team HAND, Blake Belladonna and Sun Wukong all of them appeared to be laughing at Kobi's inability to dive.

Kobi pulled himself onto the walkway, looking very much like a wet cat. "Hey, Isabella…I'm surprised you thawed out to find me."

Isabella grinned "Just because the majority of Atlas has a stereotype, doesn't mean all of us do…How are you?"

"Well, not blown myself, anything or anyone up accidentally or deliberately. Well, AND found me and adopted me into their team…we're cruising around as Team DANK, we're here because well…circumstances. Now, lemme get another set of drinks or two and you can join us on the rocks."

Five minutes later the assembled trainee Huntspersonel were laying and sitting on the grassy and rocky cliff top. Isabella had quickly pulled off her formal jacket and long-sleeved shirt followed by turning her trousers into shorts. She took the time to look her colleagues over; AND looked thinner and more rugged than last time she'd seen them, Nanuuk now that he'd had a shave was looking better than he had in a long time.

"Gentlemen; what is the plan?"

Adam sighed and took a sip of his drink "Right now, unwind. There's trouble here; so we need to sort that out. White Fang extremists are simmering. Damania?"

Damania looked at the Bull-Faunus "Yeah?"

"The plan? I mean out of both HAND and DANK you're the one who stops to think before breaking a skull."

Damania sighed "I…have some ideas."

(Yang)

Raven Branwen, was intense. Yang could see where she got her intensity from when it came to facing people down "Yang…it is good to see you."

Yang snorted "I have a lot of questions, very short amount patience and would prefer it if we could speak in private."

"You will do no…" Began one of the members of the Branwen tribe.

Yang turned to face them "This is between a mother and her daughter. 'Blood calls to blood', my cousin normally says."

"Hadrian…yes, I…haven't spoken with him but I'm almost certain that we've noticed one another. Yang, I owe you an explanation." With that Raven turned and headed to the central tent.

Yang paused, before following.

(Somewhere undisclosed)

Faunus were dead, Sienna Khan; Leader of the White Fang gurgled and blood fell from her mouth as she died on the throne. Her killer was the gigantic Rhino Faunus who answered to the name Gilgamesh "Spread the word, a human huntsman executed the High Leader of the Faunus."

Gilgamesh's companion was of a similar gargantuan height. His name was Hazel Rainart, Hazel eyed his impulsive colleague with something akin to disdain "Nobody needed to die today."

"Forgive me, Rainart, but She needed to die. She would have hindered your boss's objectives by not committing Faunus to attack the Human academies."

Hazel said nothing, he turned and walked out of the room. The alliance had been made; but at what cost. Hazel didn't know, he didn't rightly care.

(Jaune, Ruby and Qrow)

Jaune's eyes widened and Ruby gasped. They weren't sure what they were expecting, but it was definitely not this. The town was dead, it was much like the undercity of the Vale Expansion project.

Then they heard it, the sound of hoofs against the cobbles.

(Dumbledore's Office)

"…With this, Mr. Potter I believe we'll be able to confirm a hunch of mine."

Harry looked at the Headmaster "You believe there is a Horcrux in this school. You thought or think I was/am one. If anything, the Goblin purgatives which feels like your stomach's decided to devour glass powder and sandpaper by the way; me being one is unlikely."

As the trio were finishing their meeting, which had only taken an hour and a half, the fire glowed an emerald green. Weapons were drawn but hastily lowered as Kingsley Shacklebolt all but dived out of the Fireplace, in his burnt arms were unharmed files and documents; all of them unharmed.

Kingsley pitched forwards, "Ministry attacked, Minister and his Colleague were fighting…I think it was Death Eaters."

Harry's eyes hardened "Kingsley, help yourself to the beer. You do have orders right?"

Kingsley looked at Harry, who was now resembling more of a beast of nature "The Minister made me Head of the Auror Office and told me to activate the 'Mordred Initiative'."

"Harry, that essentially means we're off the leash." Neville stated, Harry turned.

"We're…off the leash? We can go about our contract…"

"Yes, Mr. Potter, the Mordred Initiative allows the Aurors and Hit Wizards fights fire with fire."

"You do know that you hire mercenaries to fight with fire, they get paid to make your house and problems burn faster."

Kingsley sighed "I know. The Minister brought the pair of you in to do a job…Are you both going to see it through?"

"A contract is a contract. I won't be able to proceed with my life until Tom Riddle is like Beethoven in his grave decomposing." Kingsley bit back a choking snort at the comment.

"We'll start the training as soon as possible." Neville said, before grabbing Harry and heading towards the Gryffindor Tower.

(Gryffindor Tower)

Everyone waited with bated breath as the door swung open. Harry and Neville entered, the breath and tension was held until the door to the Common Room closed with a snap.

"Everyone's alive, everyone's fine. If you're interested in our Workshop it starts next Weekend."

Seamus and Dean made their way over "What's happened?"

"Ministers Office was attacked, everything's kinda on the downlow." Thankfully, silencing wards were up to prevent any noise. Harry could only hope that Dumbledore was going to announce it.

(Ministry of Magic)

There was no sign of Rufus Scrimgeour or Augustus Proudfoot; but standing there in the middle of the Office with a smirk on his face was Pius Thickness.

He strode to the desk and sat on it. He'd served his master most diligently; now the office was his. The Aurors and the Hit Wizards were under his control, how many would be willing to serve…veritaserum would reveal all.

"Minister, I trust everything is in place?"

"My Lord; the best of sabotages are the ones that are not immediately obvious. The patrols at Hogsmeade are as they have always been, near to non-existent and they're people I can…trust."

Lucius Malfoy smirked "Very good. I trust you'll track down the former Minister. It wouldn't do for the public to know that he's alive."

Thickness nodded.

(Dumbledore's Office)

"That is most distressing, Kingsley, we must consider the Ministry as part of Voldemort's regime. Do what you can to find people willing to fight for our cause, there will be some dark days ahead."

Kingsley sat his hands shaking as he finished three beers "I have a feeling that Mister Potter and Mister Longbottom along with those who take up his training our going to be the best and worst option at bringing the new days."

Dumbledore chuckled sorrowfully "I suppose this is our comeuppance, allowing such rampant corruption in our society. Our children rise up to challenge the status quo, but what will happen when they realise the world of hope and wonder that they'd promised is nought but a lie?"

Kingsley sighed "They'll have to build it and hope they're own children remember our mistakes."

Dumbledore snorted "More likely, they're going to leave us to breed ourselves out of existence and then take over."

Kingsley nodded "Anyway, here…The documents that we were looking over. Rufus thinks he's narrowed down the Horcruxes to fourteen potential objects, he thinks some might overlap with your research."

Kingsley then handed over a note and Dumbledore opened it. "Should the Minister have survived and once we've survived this mess, if the pair of us aren't dead I will gladly obey."