Chapter 5: Aftermath

Barty Crouch Sr. was finishing his paperwork for the day. As Head of DMLE, his work was up to his neck with the current war against you-know-who and his death eaters scum. He missed Halloween dinner today. This is the third dinner he missed past week. At least now he has won the Wizengamot votes for the approval of using lethal force against death eaters. Hopefully with death eaters put down for good, his paperwork will reduce by the new year. There was a knock on his office door, and his head auror Rufus Scrimgeour leaned in and said, "We have received multiple floo calls about an attack on Potter's cottage at Godric's Hollow. Apparently you-know-who himself is leading the attack." Crouch stood up so fast his chair toppled back. "Call every available auror now. Call back even the ones on leave. I want everyone apparating into Godric's hollow in 2 mins. Pull a medic team too. We don't know how many injuries we'll find". Thankfully they didn't need an obliviator squad, Godric's Hollow largely being magical settlement with few of their non-magical relatives. Everyone there knew about magic.

Scrimgeour nodded and pulled his head back. He could be heard issuing orders to everyone on the floor. Barty prepared himself by donning his auror combat robes. He felt tonight could be the night that will confirm his spot as next Minister. With Minister Bagnold set to retire by new year, he could use some positive publicity to support his cause. He strode out of his office to see all his auror force ready and are holding a long rope portkey. He grabbed one end and asked, "everyone ready?" Seeing the nods all around, he tapped his wand to activate it.

Healer Williams was having a relatively slow evening. The day being Halloween, the only cases they had so far were children attempting to perform magic and failing spectacularly. With the rise of You-Know-Who and his Death eaters in the recent years, usually there will be at least one death eater victim brought into emergency room. He was greatful for a slow evening but the night is still young. As if fates were tempted after hearing the healer's thoughts, the floo suddenly flared green and he could see auror Amelia Bones' head. With increasing number of death eater attacks, it was hard to get a slow evening.

"How can I help, Amelia?" He asked with a resigned sigh.

"We need emergency medical team assembled immediately. Apparently there is an attack by Voldemort himself on Godric's Hollow. Aurors are getting dispatched as we speak, we'll meet you onsite at town square." Amelia conveyed the message and the fire turned back to its original color.

Healer Williams strode out of his office began pulling his team together. They have drilled the emergency scenario many times and the team assembled in 90 seconds. When everyone had gathered he picked up a long walking stick and tapped it with his wand muttering portus. After making sure everyone is touching at least some part of the stick, he again tapped it with his wand to activate it.

The entire auror force and emergency healer team arrived at the Godric's Hollow town square. Crouch senior immediately sent two teams to prevent other people from swarming the scene by creating magical barriers and to get statements from the mass. He sent one team to secure Potter residence and the body near by. He turned his attention towards the statue in the square and felt his jaw drop. He had anticipated many scenarios before coming to Godric's Hollow, Potter's slaughtered in their house, Potter's escaping the attack with some injuries or casualties, or even landing in a live battle with Potter's and their friends fighting the Death eaters and their leader for their lives. But never did he expect to seethe Dark Lord himself defeated and skewered like meat in a butcher's shop. He felt elation to finally see evil defeated. Without the leader, he can slowly but surely capture the death eaters at large. He turned his head and scanned for the Potter heads. He found them on one corner of the square huddled together. Apart from Peter Pettigrew, none of the Potter friends or family seemed to be injured. Crouch saw the healer team arrive by a portkey and move immediately to the family. He knew the reporters will arrive soon and organised the remainig aurors in a perimeter. He decided to get the story from the primary source and started walking towards the Potters.

As soon as the healer team landed, Williams saw the Potter house decimated to the ground and saw a body lying near the gate. So he sent one person to check that out. Healer Williams turned to look at the surroundings, he felt his heart stop whence saw the body of dark Lord hanging impaled on the statue's sword. He searched around and found the Potter family in a huddle. He sent two healers to check for any other injured people while he made his way to the Potters.

He saw had already performed basic first aid and healed most of the smaller cuts. The worst injury was the the cut on Potter baby's face which was still bleeding.

"Hi. I'm Head healer Williams. Do you mind if I take a look at the injury? I see first aid has been administered to small wounds and healed. Hope this is the only major injury" Williams asked the Potter contingency.

"Hello . I've healed almost all of the injury, but Harry was hit with some kind of dark cutting curse, so I've left it for you guys to take a look at." Lily provided.

"Let's see... hmmm..." Williams waved his wand over Harry's cut. "It's a dark curse alright. But I've never encountered this curse before. Must be a personal creation. First let's give him a small dose of blood replenisher. Did anyone hear the incantation of the curse?" He enquired.

"It was a sectumsempra. A personal creation and a favorite of Severus Snape." James provided.

"Hmmm... I'm treating it as best as I could. It is a dark curse so it's going to scar." Williams said while applying a salve over the injury.

"James, how did you know it was created by Severus?" Lily asked curious.

"Remember during our sixth year, couple of months before we got together I got admitted to hospital wing and have a nasty scar on my chest? What truly happened was the marauders got into altercation with wanna be death eaters and Severus used that curse on moony in the back when he was occupied with Barty Jr. I intercepted the curse but since it was a completely new curse it went through my block and cut me across my torso. Dumbledore interfered at that point and prevented further escalation. It looks like Snivellus taught his master his favorite curse" James spoke with venom in his voice.

"I thought that scar was from one of your nightly escapedes. How come you didn't tell me? even till now... I thought we didn't have any secrets?" Lily asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Its nothing like that, I honestly forgot about it till now. Remember it was the year I really grew up. I didn't want to sound like I was whinging to you about Snape. Your friendship had already suffered at that point and I didn't want to be seen as an opportunist." James explained.

Lily just sadly shook her head in remembering her once friend.

Healer Williams turned to them, "It is taking long to close the wound. We do not know the particular counter charm to heal the cut immediately. From what I'm seeing, at the rate it is healing right now, it will be at least morning before it is healed. One bright side is that the wound is not caused by direct attack rather a glancing one, so it is not deep and not to worry. What I'm more astonished is that the baby Harry is calm as still water. I've seen kids his age bawling their eyes out for a small scratch.

At healer's last comment, Lily, James and Sirius turned to look at Harry who was calm and looking around at the stuff happening around them. His face expression showed the injury was nothig but a minor annoyance.

Albus Dumbledore, Headmaster of Hogwarts, Cheif Warlock of Wizengamot, Supreme Mugwump of International Confederation of Wizards, Leader of Order of Phoenix, looked at the spindly contraption on his book shelf. He had set the device to alert any attack on the Potter Cottage. The device went off 15 mins ago. He smiled with satisfaction that the prophecy is set into motion. He knew Voldemort had plans for immortality, just some suspicions but nothing concrete. If Voldemort won tonight, then he can pursue the Dark Lord and finish him as prophecy would've been completed. If Vodemort was defeated he'll get the weapon needed to defeat him when he returns. He knew the Potters were no match for the Dark Lord. He knew one of the marauders was a spy and the spy will lead the Dark Lord to them. That is the only reason he did not include them in the Order Oath. He needed the war to end soon. His every step is to the betterment of the society and greater good. He looked at Fawkes, his phoenix companion, if Dumbledore ever tries to crosses that thin line between good and evil, Fawkes will make sure he stay on the light side. Lately he had been toeing the line finely and got couple of warnings from Fawkes. He was carefly adjust all his plans accordingly. He was pulled out of his thoughts by the contraption falling silent. The battle at Godric's Hollow was over. He pulled out his wand and send a patronus to Hagrid to meet him at his office.

When Hagrid entered, Dumbledore informed him about the attack on Potter residence and sent him to check for survivors and if baby Harry survived, to bring him to Hogwarts for check up.

When Hagrid arrived at the Godric's Hollow, he was detained at wand point by three aurors. Only when James gave his consent, he was allowed to come near. Hagrid saw the Potters on one corner of the square and a group of aurors levitating the body of what looks like You-know-who himself from the statue.

"'ello, wha' happen'd 'ere? Are ye guys alrigh'?" Hagrid asked.

"Hey Hagrid. As you can see Voldemort attacked. We are fine now. What are you doing here?" James asked him back.

"Prof. Dumbledore, asked me to take a look and bring baby Harry to Hogwarts for a check up." Hagrid informed them.

"Why didn't Albus come himself? I know he has a device to monitor the status of the house." Lily asked with a frown 'Something doesn't add up here. At this time of the day, he would've been in his office and his device would've notified about the attack. Why didn't he come himself? or send Order as backup?' She didn't voice her opinions out loud. She knew James and Sirius saw Dumbledore with rose tinted glasses. She can never sway their opinions but she was always wary of the Headmaster. She knew Dumbledore could be doing so much more to stop the war and prevent losses with all his positions. It has always been a arguing point between them.

"Don't know m'self. I'll tell him you guys are safe and You-know-who was killed. Its a day of celebration." Hagrid replied joyously and turned to leave.

"I think its time for us to leave too. I don't want to stay here out in the open, the death eaters are still around and I know we need to face the reporters, but not yet." Lily said to them.

"Good idea. I'll go see Crouch and give him a copy of my memory. That should be sufficient for now. Also I'll tell him we'll visit Ministry in two days for any questions and if needed a press conference." James nodded and turned his head to search for Crouch and found him walking towards them. "Well this saves me time. Hello Boss." James greeted cheerfully.

"Hi. Terrible business getting attacked, that too on a holiday. But you guys survived and rid the world of a Dark Lord. That's what is important. Obviously we need you to come in and provide a statement. You know the procedure." Crouch informed them nodding to James and looking sceptically at Sirius. "I thought Black was your secret keeper? How did Voldemort find your house?"

"We decided to add another layer of security and changed the secret keeper to Peter Petigrew in secret. But that trick back fired up our ass. I know you have more questions but we feel we need couple of days of rest to get over today's attack, so why don't I provide the memory of the evening and will come in two days later to give an official statement, meet the wizengamot and press then. is that okay?" James asked.

"Yeah. That should be fine. The whole country will be celebrating the Dark Lord's defeat for couple of days. Why don't you come on Wednesday, I hope everything settles down by then." Crouch informed them.

"Sounds great Boss." Sirius joined with a smile.

With that Crouch turned and left to take charge of bringing Voldemort's body to ministry.

"So what shall we do now?" Sirius asked Lily.

"Why don't we slip into muggle world for a couple of days. We'll never get an ounce of privacy in wizarding world especially now." Lily said. "Anyways with both Potter manor and cottage in disarray, we can stay at a muggle hotel."

"We just fought for our lives and won. I want to celebrate that. So what is the best luxurious hotel stay we can buy in London?" James asked Lily.

"How about Hotel Savoy in City of Westminister in Central London? I heard it is the best." Lily supplied.

"Then what are we waiting for?" James jumped up and down like a kid and grabbed Sirius and Lily's hand. Lily apparated them to a nearby alley in Hotel vicinity in London.

Headmaster Dumbledore saw the Potters disappear with a pop when he apparated to the Godric's Hollow town square. He gave a low growl when he realised he had missed them by seconds.