Harry Potter and the Source Beyond Might and Magic

Chapter Eight

Slow Trip Home

Harry was walking hand in hand with Amanda through Diagon Alley. It hadn't taken him and Amanda long for him to grab some magical people cash from the bank. Harry knew that he could have gotten the goblins to give him money without travelling to any of his vaults, but that wouldn't have been fun, so Amanda was still a little giddy from the cart ride down to Harry's trust vault as it wasn't as far away as any of his other vaults, and Harry hadn't really cared to consolidate his trust into his family vault since he gained control of it the year before. It was a magical end-of-line clause that allowed Harry to take over his full finances at fifteen, so he took advantage.

Amanda held Harry a little tighter than necessary, as she wasn't the biggest fan of rollercoasters, and the carts that led to the vaults underground might as we have been out of a theme park. Harry couldn't help but chuckle a little while she gave him the evil eye, but it was kind of ruined by the tiny quirk of her lips.

However, other than Dumbledore's somewhat annoying interruption that morning, Harry and Amanda were having quite a good time. It actually took quite a while for Dumbledore to discover Harry had left, which was new, as Dumbledore was normally better informed, so maybe he would get with the program of not being a twit anymore – or at least less of a twit; he didn't expect miracles. The old man did have some serious control issues and they wouldn't go away that quickly.

Maybe Dumbledore's control issues came about as a result of so many people willingly doing anything he wanted, just because he defeated some Dark Lord sixty or so years back – never mind it took him so long to get around to doing something. However, now the old man had gotten so used to people asking: 'how high' when he asked them to jump that he had to be in control of everything. Harry just hoped the old man didn't do something foolish, and get somebody hurt or something.

Amanda was very curious about Diagon Alley as they left the bank. She looked everywhere she could, and Harry tried not to tease her as she had only seen the bank so far, and couldn't wait to see more. Harry was curious as he looked to the guards standing either side of the bank doors, standing straight and to attention like they were trying to impress him or something. Harry didn't get it. He was always polite to the goblins and they always seemed less hostile to him, but were the goblins being polite and respectful?

Harry tried not to shudder. If there was something to creep a guy out it would be when people, or in this case, goblins started acting strangely around you for no apparent reason. Did they know he was some kind of reincarnated hero, and that something seriously messed up was starting? Harry wouldn't put it passed the goblins being that far ahead of the game.

Though, when they entered the bank, for that brief pause when the goblin looked up at Harry – well; that was the weirdest thing Harry had ever seen. It happened so fast that if Amanda didn't notice it, Harry would have thought he was imagining things.

'This is weird, right?' Harry thought to the thing, or whatever they were in his head. They may not know what they really were, but they were still useful. It would only be a matter of time until he figured out where The Source came from, as it wasn't an impossibility for them to not know the truth, or for an ancient power to go unnoticed if it didn't want to be.

'Not completely,' Merlin suggested, but sounded like he wasn't in complete agreement with himself. 'Goblins pride themselves on strength of all kinds, not just physical treasures, and your heroics at Hogsmeade could have easily upped your status by them.'

Harry frowned thoughtfully. 'Yeah, I guess that's a point," he agreed doubtfully as he had done other things that never showed him any extra respect, but he shrugged that off and pushed the voices from his thoughts as he figured, enjoying the day with Amanda, and Ginny when they met up would be much better than caring about 'duty', 'heroics', and 'work' right then, and especially not any reincarnated missions.

'She's sexy!' Harry almost frowned as he heard the new voice broadcast to him. 'You sure she's Colin's sister?'

Harry smirked as he and Amanda stepped down the last step back onto the cobbled street, and without letting Amanda's hand go he wrapped his arms around the crimson haired cutie as she slid into Harry's body and kissed his lips, before pulling back with a wicked grin on her pretty lips, as her brown eyes captured Amanda's blue, and she surprised the brown-haired girl as she wrapped her in a hug, and Amanda shyly let Harry go and hugged back; it was surprisingly rather warm and comfortable as their body's meshed and breasts pushed together in their summer dresses and Ginny's was similar in white.

"I hear you've been looking after my man," Ginny said while pulling back, but still grinning, "so, hopefully, next time you can look after us both, huh?" she suggested with a teasing wink that caused Amanda's cheeks to darken.

"Ginevra Weasley! What have I told you about going off alone?!" The three of them turned as a plump woman huffed a little as she rushed to catch up, and she was followed by a skinny red-haired boy and a pale skinned girl with bushy brown hair, and two twin red haired young men, and an older red-haired man.

Ginny hid the eye-roll. "Seriously mum, this again… are you as worried about the Death Eaters as Dumbledore or something?"

"Well; they are stupid," Molly Weasley muttered before turning a smile to Harry. "Harry dear," she said stealing a hug before pulling back and looking around to make sure there were no Death Eaters. "And you must be, Amanda, dear, its nice to meet you, but-."

"Molly!" Arthur Weasley interrupted. "We know that You-Know-Who has ordered his minions to leave off for a while. We should all be fine relaxing a little. We should be more cautious of the ministers' little piggies than them."

"Little piggies?" Harry asked, and he wasn't the only one laughing.

"Yeah," he agreed with a sheepish grin. "It's what those of us in the Law Enforcement Department have been calling the idiots who are… I think a muggle-born colleague of mind called it sinking for the minister?"

"I think you mean, simping?" Amanda butted in embarrassingly.

Arthur looked at her in surprise. "Yes; that's it. That makes more sense."

"Don't mind Dad," Ginny said with a shake of her head, as she linked her arm with Amanda's and offered and amused grin. "He always forgets all the latest slang and everything, and takes a few hundred corrections before he gets it right," she said, which caused her father to blush a little as it was true and most of his kids teased him over it.

"Anyway," Harry said with a shrug as he skipped over to the lanky ginger boy and bushy haired girl while grinning. "Hey there Hermione," he said, grabbing her hand and pulling her in for a tight hugging.

Hermione smiled as she quickly hugged her friend back. "I hope you've been behaving yourself, Harry?!" she asked as he pulled back from her and laughed.

"I hope you've been behaving yourself, Ronald?!" Harry said as he turned to the lanky boy with a fist bump.

"Probably not," Ron replied while smirking. "But you want the troublemakers, look to the twins. They're already bunking off from work."

"Prerogative of being the bosses," Fred Weasley interrupted. "Anyway, its slow in the mornings, and since we skipped out on our last year and everything and opened our shop, we haven't had much time for ourselves, and with mum, glaring at us about dropping out of school because of that Umbridge woman…?"

"What can ya do but take a morning off occasionally," George Weasley finished.

"Take the afternoon off too?" Fred suggested while they laughed and fist bumped Harry while he shook his head at their antics.

"Well, I'll have to check this shop out later if we have the time," Harry said. "Though, I'm surprised Miss. Hermione here didn't tell Dumbledore that I had ditched the Dursley's."

"Well, perhaps I'm not a grass," Hermione said impishly.

"She didn't know until about half an hour ago," Ginny interrupted as she happily pulled Amanda along with her while they seemed to be getting along great.

"Hermione, cheeky," Harry said slyly as he slipped his arm over her shoulders and pulled her closer while she blushed and many people were laughing. "Well, anyway, I need to grab some new robes, so how about Hermione, Ron, Amanda, and Ginny join me, and let's see, I don't need anything else, other than books, so we can meet at the bookstore. That way, Mrs. Weasley, you can grab what you need and we'll get things done much quicker, and then how about lunch, on me after, and if we have time, we can visit the joke shop?"

"You don't have to buy, lunch dear," Molly said in embarrassment.

"Nonsense!" he replied with a smug grin. "You guys are always treating me…" he said, leaning over. "Just remember your vanilla cream cake slices are the greatest," he said to a round of laughter as he grabbed Ron and tugged him and Hermione after him with Ginny and Amanda bringing up the rear.

"No, Harry, I don't like clothes shopping!" Ron complained while he looked back as his mother and father headed off with the twins to get whatever they needed, and Harry looked like he knew exactly what he was doing.

Ron took a seat in the shop while looking sad as Ginny, Hermione, and Amanda were helping Harry pick out some clothes, even pulling his shirt off in the store to try something on. Ron groaned as he wondered how Harry managed to find that much time as he seemed to work out that much that Harry was ripped and then some. Shrugging internally, Ron turned away, and ignored them. He supposed Harry needed every advantage he could get with his hero-hobby.

Though, it was kind of annoying waiting around for them, as even Hermione liked fussing over clothes.

"You are so lucky, Ginny!" Amanda said before blushing as Ginny leaned over to whisper something in her ear and giggled all while Harry was in the changing room.

"Really?" Amanda asked while biting her lower lip with a shy smirk.

Ron grimaced as he was sure they were scheming when he realised, it wasn't his problem, but Harry's. That's what Harry gets for making new friends, especially with girls, scheming.

Fortunately, Harry seemed to have Ron's back and didn't spend too long getting some new robes, and they ventured off to the bookstore. Harry pulled back with Ron and looked the boy over, curious.

"Something wrong?" Harry asked, startling him.

Ron looked at Harry and frowned. "Nah, not really, just have a lot on my mind, I guess, and don't be funny," Ron said glaring as Harry opened his mouth but closed it. "I know you may not notice, but I do think about things, and all of that."

"Need some help with anything?" Harry asked in concern.

Ron shook his head. "Nah… I'm just… maybe later, lets just get this shopping dealt with. I'm hungry, and since your buying, I was thinking a medium rare steak with some chips, mushrooms, and onions," he laughed smugly.

Harry rolled his eyes. "Go wild Ron," he replied while Ron headed off as his mum called him to help carry the books, she had to get him and Ginny for the new term, and Harry quickly found Ginny and Amanda browsing the packed book shop and looking over some weirdly titled magic tomes.

"The silly book of charms?" Harry read over their shoulders as Ginny held the book looking as bewildered as Harry felt reading that title.

"I think it's just some weird charms," Ginny said as she flicked through the pages. "Looking at all the books here, maybe it's a practical joke section. I wish they would label the shelves by genre like they do at muggle bookshops," she finished as she placed the book back on the shelf as she and Amanda turned to smile at Harry. "They have fiction books all over the place, like they just found a spare shelf and didn't care what they're putting it next too; its bloody silly."

"You can't expect too much now, can you, Gin?" Harry suggested. "Were you looking for something specific?" he asked as he took the girls hands and tugged them through the crowd.

Ginny shrugged. "Nah," said mumbled. "Just schoolbooks really. I prefer muggle fiction over magical world, as muggles have actual imaginations. Its like 'oh, we actually have magic, so let's not try' when it comes to our fiction authors."

"Have you tried Sci-Fi?" Amanda suggested. "I kind of like things with aliens and space battles."

"Yeah, I've read a few," Ginny agreed. "I have to read somewhat easier books like that or I find them tricky since I haven't grown up with things like that."

Harry smiled as Amanda went off, talking about a few of her favourites to try, but soon enough, Harry, Ginny, and Amanda were browsing through some more shelves of misplaced books when Harry sensed him, but couldn't see him, and looked to Ginny as she startled too.

'Fudge!' Ginny's voice was clear in Harry's head.

'He's technically on bail,' Harry replied while they looked over a few books together, and though Amanda was fascinated, both Harry and Ginny were talking mind-to-mind. 'Technically still the Minister of Magic too.'

'Do you think he's here because of you?' she asked in concern.

'Possibly,' Harry agreed while frowning, 'but we have to deal with these twats first.'

Harry turned and made a gesture to his left. They couldn't help but notice two overly pompous and smug faced blondes, and even Amanda looked concerned as they were accosted in the middle of the store with no escape. The boy was of Harry's age with his hair short and slicked back with enough products to supply a whole town for a week. The other was a man in his forties with his hair long and flowing down to his shoulders. They both had angled faces, slim-skinny bodies and cold grey eyes with sneers on their lips. Their clothes reeked of wealth, and the man was carrying a black cane with silver tip and silver skull top in his hands, probably concealing his wand for quick drew.

Even without sensing the intent or familiar magic, Harry and Ginny would notice them, as the pair were striding purposefully in their direction with looks of distaste on their features, and people quickly scurrying out of their way. It was like the blondes thought they owned the universe. Harry discreetly removed his wand from where it had been hidden in his belt on his back, by his shirt, and kept it behind him out of sight, even though he didn't need it an amusing idea surfaced, and it was worth a try. Harry barely took notice of Ginny retrieving her wand from a pocket and moving it out of sight, as Harry moved a little further in front of Amanda to hopefully keep her safe and out of the line of fire, as Ginny could take care of herself.

"Amy!" Harry hissed quickly as he briefly looked back and to his right at her. "Just stay there, these little bitches are trouble!" he quickly told her as he saw her full attention on him. She gave a quick frightened and confused nod as Harry turned back to their uninvited 'guests' of their personal space.

The man and his son finally stopped before them with smug, superior, hateful, and cold sneers offered for all three of them. They had very short-lived memory's it would seem, even the general, but then, Lucius Malfoy, the older of the two wasn't a pathetic mage like most Death Eaters. Harry curiously wondered how one sneer could ever hold such disdain and loathing as to convey so much at once.

Did they practice or something? Maybe it's a bloodline ability like parseltongue?

'I wouldn't be surprised,' Morgana answered while sounding amused.

"Potter!" the elder blonde spat out as if Harry's very name was the foulest of all cuss words humankind had ever created. Harry was flattered as he just let a small dark smirk line his lips.

This would be fun. Time to start the battle.

'Wipe the floor with this idiot!' Loki cheered out and Harry was pretty sure the real deal would likely share that sentiment, but the one in his head was too 'good' compared to what he heard the real deal was like, but on a plus side Harry was getting pretty good at keeping thoughts like that from them while keeping the connection open.

"Why if it isn't a couple of Voldemort's bitches, oh, sorry…" Harry began with a grin aimed at Draco, the younger of the two. "You haven't reached bitch status yet, have you?" he asked and his smirking grin was firmly in place and a calm aura surrounding Harry likely making the pair glare harder. "Maybe, Draco, you're probably reaching a stage where Voldemort might consider you his play thing?" he suggested with a chuckle, and the older had to slap his son in the chest with his cane to stop him attacking as he drew his wand, his gaze drifting back away from the 'boy' to the 'man' almost lazily.

Ginny and Amanda watched in astonishment as Harry engaged in his battle. They had gained a small gathering of interested mages, or more like nosy magicians before either side had spoken, and the small and growing crowd could scarcely believe that such a young man would dare speak to the two blondes in the manner he had, especially with his lazy mannerism, as none of them had seen Harry fight first-hand before, so they didn't get it.

The two Malfoy's were seething in rage. Though the elder was fairing a bit better at the moment in not showing it in his outward expression, but for those eyes. Draco was red cheeked with his anger and embarrassment as quite a few people had sniggered. He looked almost ready to charge, fists swinging. It amused Harry that these so-called great 'wizards' would want to resort to a fist fight the moment you hurt their pride.

'Its always the way,' Merlin agreed.

"If I knew of another bookshop near here," Harry continued lazily gesturing around the store with his free left hand. "Then I wouldn't have to purchase my schoolbooks here, and I wouldn't bother with this store. It's a shame the management here like so many other places sees fit to serve murderers and terrorists such as yourself, and doesn't think labelling shelves is something they should need to do, with genre-d bookshelves… in fact, that last bit pisses me off the most, over these non-persons. It makes it difficult to find what you need," he spoke calmly and with a bored expression, except for the small smirk now on his lips.

The Malfoy's just ground their teeth harder the more Harry spoke as if talking about something as mundane as labelling shelves.

"But then I almost forgot," Harry continued with a mock thoughtful look. "Gold really can by you anything. Well, it can buy you, Get out of Jail free cards. Shame neither of you thought about getting a refund on those personalities because they're defective!"

Most of the spectators gasped with plenty of bit lips and snickering, and Lucius's hand twitched for the silver skull of his cane, and offering more proof it contained his wand to those who didn't know, but Harry had seen it drawn before when Lucius Malfoy went to hex him for freeing the Malfoy's House-elf, Dobby, but the elf had defended Harry then, Harry wouldn't need him this time.

The rest of the Weasley's and Hermione had moved into the crowd and were watching with their mouths hanging open while Ginny was struggling not to laugh, but she held Amanda's hand behind Harry's back and let her boyfriend have his fun as she knew he was up to something but wouldn't tell her what, which was kind of annoying, but she would find out as soon as one of the Malfoy's lost their cool.

"Really, now Potter. You should watch your mouth!" replied the elder Malfoy in a deadly hiss laden with warning, which made a few people flinch. "You really shouldn't be speaking such things without proof. You could get yourself into more trouble than you could handle, and Minister Fudge hasn't been convicted yet."

"Yet, Lucius. Yet…" Harry chuckled trailing off for a moment as he watched the angry blondes. "I have no fear of Fudge. I have no fear of your master. If your master falls to me…" A grin split his face as some in the crowd gasped and the Malfoy's glared icy daggers. "Just like your fellow mask wearing pee-wee-pricks often do, as of late, especially, if you hadn't noticed… so… what do you think, you could you possibly do to me?

"Now if you would be so kind as to remove your selves from our presence… your filthy stench is polluting our air."

Ginny and Amanda moved back as they felt the force pushing them while the Malfoy's fumed in anger and hate, and unsure of what had just accrued, as they have never been belittled like that in private, let alone in front of a crowd, and then just like that they were dismissed, and it was a new concept for them. Their minds were taking a little extra time to realise that it had all actually happened to them; this filthy half-blood spoke to them like they were nothing.

"Oh yes," said Harry suddenly with an amused smile. The Malfoy's started at the sudden noise braking through the quiet and turned to meet Potter's mocking stare with death beams from their eyes that just bounced off the amused Gryffindor. "Do tell your beloved owner that if I catch any more of his small dicked property bothering me or the muggles again. I might find that hunting becomes my new hobby."

Harry could barely believe his plan was working so well. Lucius stepped forward his wand swiping out of his cane. His eyes alight with a blizzard of frost, which seeped anger and hate blindly. Harry had wanted this reaction from the start, and with a little charm here and there, it made it easy. Lucius was a veteran mage, and he was falling for Harry's game so effortlessly.

Harry stepped forward another step as Lucius blindly raised his wand.

"No dad!" Draco suddenly screamed out as he looked at the smirk on Harry's lips and may have realised what his dad didn't. "That's what he wants!" he pleaded with his father but it was too late.

Lucius Malfoy was blinded by rage.

"Crucio!" Lucius roared in his fury as he flung the spell blindly towards Harry from the tip of his wand.

The crowd gasped in unison as time appeared to slow down as they watched the orangey-brown spell pelt full-force towards their saviour, Harry Potter, The Boy-Who-Lived.

However, Harry Potter looked unconcerned as he swiped his wand out and up, and then in a cross, drawing a crocked four almost as tall as him, and at arms width with deep purple black light as Harry seemed to grin wider than ever, as his wand ended up pointing down towards his left hip, and then, the torture curse hit the purple light.

"Tardus Redeundo!" roared the Boy-Who-Lived; his eyes alight with strength, and he swiped his wand forward with the purple light glowing brighter. No longer was Harry's gaze looking lazy and bored, but now powerful and strong, awing the crowd as they watched in amazement as the orange-brown light seemed to slow to a crawl before it hit a flash of golden light that looked similar to a normal reflection shield, and just like that they watched as the spell bouncing back, its speed returning, full-force.

Lucius' eyes had gone wide with terror as he witnessed the shield reflecting his unstoppable curse. Lucius tried and he swiped his wand, stumbling back as memories of the very few times his master had used the torture curse on him came to him.

"Barrio!" Lucius cried out just in time as he gave his wand a flick. However, to his horror his shield, the most powerful he knew, just crumpled under its force like tissue paper. The next thing Lucius knew was pain coursing through every nerve in his body as he flew back and crashed into a bookshelf, and crashing to the floor unconscious with books pouring onto him.

Draco was in near hysterics as he looked at his father. He held his wand looking at Harry and back to his father several times, uncertain of what he should do. He took a sudden step towards Harry suddenly with his wand almost up. However, he paused as he saw Harry's icy glare and looked back towards his father. He now knew what to do. The thing his father would do. The Slytherin thing to do. He bolted through the crowd and out of the store faster than he ever thought possible, leaving his father behind. His dad would understand. He hoped.

Harry finally let out a breath he hadn't realised he had been holding. "Hmm… I like that shield," he muttered to himself with a nervous chuckle. "I am so glad it worked. The torture curse does not feel nice."

"You mean you've never tested it before?" Ginny hissed suddenly stalking over to him with a cool glare. "Y-you could have been hurt," she added in a soft whisper as she looked at him in worry, but she knew he knew what he was doing and could take the torture curse without too much worry, especially considering it wouldn't have lasted long.

"My bad," Harry replied sheepishly as he pulled Ginny into his arms where she cuddled with a cute pout. "But it isn't like I could ask people to go around throwing unforgivables at me – I suppose I could have tried it out with some normal spells though."

"Y-you are okay though, aren't you Harry?" Amanda asked worriedly as she fussed over him with Ginny.

"Yes, I'm fine, don't worry," Harry answered with a sheepish smile and gave them each a quick kiss on the cheek and a cheeky wink as Ginny pulled back and giving him a half-hearted glare, and Amanda was smiling as she held Ginny's arm to keep her new friend at bey.

"H-how did y-you," someone interrupted their moment and they looked to see Arthur Weasley standing nearby, his eyes travelling from Harry and back to Lucius' unconscious form before continuing for a moment in stunned disbelief. "I-it's not possible," he said after his few moments. "It's s-supposed to be unstoppable..."

Harry rolled his eyes and chuckled quietly with a shake of his head. "Don't be ridiculous," he replied making everyone jump at his babying tone. "Any spell can be blocked if you use something solid enough as a shield."

"T-that isn't what he meant, Harry," interrupted Hermione from where she stood near Arthur. She was chewing on her lower lip as she continued. Her eyes both nervous and interested. "H-he meant that the Cruciatus can't be stopped by magical shields, yet yours reflected Malfoy's Unforgivable Curse. What exactly does that shield do Harry?" she had to ask, as she was desperate to know.

Harry shrugged carelessly as everyone was listening intently. "It slows the spell and then reflects it."

"How…?" Hermione asked while glare pouting.

Harry sighed and rolled his eyes. "The first part of the spell uses a field of gravity. It won't bother a person or anything solid, but it will slow the force of magic," he said while people were listening intently. "You see, a curse cutting through a shield isn't necessarily about the power of the spell, but the force of the spell. So, you cut down the force and with a reflection shield in a combined spell, it could even send back the killing curse."

"So, you just combined two spells?" Hermione muttered thoughtfully. "Both of them are charms, so they should work fairly well wrapped within each other. That's pretty clever, Harry. You use what would otherwise be a fairly useless charm to bring the momentum of the spell to a crawl, and then it hits the shield. I've never heard of that shield before though."

"Oh, really?" he asked in surprise and pretty much everyone looked to agree. "Well, it called Return Trip – a bit on the nose; that one, but I didn't name it," Harry said with a shrug. "It's a high-grade shield charm. It's a bit on the trickier side to get right, but its up there as shield charms go."

"Did you…" Hermione paused and eyed Harry suspiciously. "Let me guess, you named the spell, Slow Return Trip?"

Harry laughed sheepishly. "Slow Trip Home," he corrected sheepishly while she rolled her eyes. "Well, I thought it held a little poetic irony, as when it hits the shield it returns the spell at full-force and speed."

"Well," Hermione said thoughtfully. "I suppose it is kind of ironic, but couldn't you have used a shield that didn't return the spell?"

"I thought about that," he replied while shrugging. "There was this other shield called Draw Wall I considered. Its really hard to use as you drawn in the energy shot at you, and much too complicated for your average person to learn, and was probably the only one strong enough to potentially work with high grade spells. Anyway, if you're firing off some nasty magic, don't cry when it flies back at you."

"That's all I needed to hear, Potter!"

'I almost forgot about him turning up,' Harry thought to Ginny while she offered him a nod.

'A kick to the balls will shut him up,' Loki suggested while snickering childishly.

'I still can't believe that spell actually worked,' Merlin interrupted. 'I wish I thought of that. It's so simple. A charm you wouldn't think twice about, able to stop the torture curse. Amazing.'

The portly man had yelled out in such triumph, like anything could get him free from his hearing. Harry groaned in annoyance as he had read some of the libel and defamation this prick had told the Daily Prophet newspaper to write about him. Harry had considered suing the Daily Prophet, but he really didn't have the time to waste on them, and they were going bust anyway. There weren't that many mages in the UK that thought the Prophet was anything but trash anymore because of the bullshite they printed about Harry, especially since they took Fudge's side, and everyone seemed to know about the truth.

He came smugly out of the crowd: Cornelius Fudge: Minister for Magic: for now, hopefully. He was followed by two huge men who must have been Aurors, and by the looks on their face's must not like their assignment as they kept shooting Fudge annoyed glances. Harry realised after a moment that he recognised the large black guy as one of Dumbledore's buddies: Kingsley Shacklebolt. He always seemed like an 'alright' sort of fella.

"You're under arrest" the Minister declared in such glee that Harry wondered whether the portly man was auditioning for the lead minion in a pantomime.

Harry let out a short chuckle that showed he was not at all amused with the short, plump man with bad fashion sense, even for a wizard.

"Yeah, even if I committed a crime to be arrested for…?" Harry said with raised eyebrow and looked around in mockery. "… I don't see your army anywhere… did you leave it outside?"

The Minister ground his teeth as his cheeks burnt with embarrassment as he heard some open sniggering. Harry held his wand lazily in his fingers to his side, but his tensing muscles told of a warning to the Aurors. They like most, did not want to become test subjects for any other spells Harry might have in his head waiting to get out and see the world, or more accurately them.

"You are under-arrest for the use of a shield for which you re-fired the torture curse," the Minister spat out with pride, but Harry just rolled his eyes. "And for using said unforgivable on a respectable member of the community."

"Respectable?" Harry asked in amusement. "Don't talk shit. You mean for firing it on one of your purses," he replied with a dark chuckle. "And I honestly have no desire to be forgiven by Lucius Malfoy for anything I do to him. Also, as you may or may not know; probably the latter, the law in the Magical World gives me a right to defend myself with as much, or more force as I see fit. Therefore, I shall suggest you get your filthy fat arse out of here before someone adds this bullshit to the list of your crimes."

"How dare you Potter!" Fudge spat in hatred; his voice going up an octave. "Arrest him!" he added to his Aurors'. They looked at Harry; then at Fudge; then to the defeated Lucius. However, they refused to move. "Arrest him!" Fudge once again demanded in a shrill voice now loaded with desperation as he realised, they were disobeying him.

"No!" the large black Auror said coldly. "We have no legal right to arrest anyone for defending themselves from attack. Even more so when it was by an unforgivable. You barely have any power left because of stupid stunts like this, so shut up."

Fudge shuddered in rage and humiliation as he screeched out his threat. "I order you to arrest him now, or you're fired, Shacklebolt!"

"I'm head of the Aurors' office," Kingsley declared menacingly, "which is why I'm here, to keep my eyes on you! You can't order me around like I'm your personal soldier," he spat his reply at Fudge fiercely, disgust and loathing dripping in pools from his voice. "And you have no authority to fire me. Amelia Bones is my superior, not you. I'll have you up on charges for trying to exceed your authority too, and maybe you'll get some time in Azkaban if you're not already facing that, or have you forgotten about your trial?"

Fudge blundered for words as he looked into the man's dark eyes that held no deceit. He then gulps before taking a deep breath and stormed off through the crowd in a huff like a child, being denied a new toy by his parents, and quickly exiting the shop.

"Sorry about that Idiot, Mr. Potter," said Kingsley a moment later with a smirk as he gave a nod of his head and pointed his wand at Lucius and levitating him. "I'll just take this one into lockdown. I doubt it will stick, but it will make Amelia's day."

Kingsley and his fellow Auror left through the crowd and out of the door, following the minister with the floating unconscious Death Eater tailing behind.

"Well, that was certainly interesting," said Harry with an amused shrug as he placed his wand back in his belt. "Did you get all your books?" Harry asked Hermione and Mrs. Weasley.

"Umm… yeah," Hermione agreed gesturing their bags.

Harry nodded. "Great! Give me a few to grab my books, and then we can grab lunch, I'm starved."

to be continued…

"Wow," Ginny said as she looked around the farm as she travelled with Harry to take Amanda home. "We have some chickens, and veggies, but wow, you actually have cows, and sheep, and… pixies for some reason… do they give you… pixie-dust or… pixy milk?"

"We do not milk the pixies," Amanda said in such a way that Harry couldn't help but laugh. "But seriously," she said while Ginny had the decency to blush and look highly embarrassed. "How much milk do you think you could even get from a pixy?"

Ginny shrugged. "I had never thought about it," she replied sheepishly. "Anyway, where are your parents and your idiot brother?"

"Brothers," Amanda interrupted. "Idiot brothers. I have two of them, and they'll all be out and at my other grandma and grandpas until late. They live fairly far away, but I spent a weekend at the beginning of the summer, as they live near this University I might be going to once I finish school, so the boys get to see grandma and grandpa today… if I'm lucky, mum and dad may forget to bring them home."

"So… nobodies' home?" Ginny asked with a crafty smile.

"Well, no," Amanda agreed.

Ginny grinned as she looked from Amanda to Harry, and took both of their hands and started pulling them towards the cottage.

"Then, we have quite a few hours left," Ginny said smugly and Amanda's eyes widened as she realised what her new friend meant. "We'll be bitched at when we get home, Harry, but, I'm certain we will have no regrets."

"Well, I'm not turning that down," Harry grinned and they swished away in blue light only to reappear in Amanda's bedroom.

Ginny picked up a certain sexy piece of lingerie from where it was left on the bed, and shook her head in disappointment.

"Hand stuff only Harry?" Ginny playfully reprimanded before she wrapped her arms around him and kissed him long, hard and deep before pulling back, turning to Amanda she offered her hand to the blushing girl, and pulled her in, and kissed her before pulling back and giving the older girl what she wanted, and allowed her to kiss Harry's lips as he lowered them both slowly to the large bed.