set during the end of HP & OotP.
JKRowling owns all recognizable people, places & spells of the Harry Potter books. Unspeakable Daisy is... my twist on someone else who sadly isn't mine.
...
Unspeakable Daisy waited, hidden in a corner of a room near the middle of the first level of the Department of Mysteries. This was one of only two areas that the general public was ever permitted to access, and even then, the so-called Execution Chamber hadn't served its official purpose for almost a century. Some of the Unspeakables were pleased that the Veil in the public room hadn't been used, not that it was the directly fatal trip that most believed. Instead of somewhere like the land of the dead, an active volcano, or whatever distant and mysterious place people thought it went, the Veil in the public Execution Chamber took someone directly to the deepest Unspeakable laboratories. A deal with the Wizengamot some eight hundred years ago was to thank for that one, stating that those condemned might be 'made to serve the cause of knowledge by being of use to the Researchers and Druids of the Most Hidden Circle', which in modern times were often simply called Unspeakables. The only other portion of the Department that the rest of the magical world was permitted to access was the Hall of Prophecies, and then they normally had a guide. Public access, while permitted, was only under certain, controlled circumstances.
Nothing like that was happening tonight.
One of the Department's Seers had identified tonight as a critical moment in the near future, pivotal in the start of the Second Rise of Voldemort. Most of the Department had been quite dismayed - while there had been rumors and warped comments about something happening back in June, that Harry Potter may or may not have been involved with, the first Rise had been dreadful enough. The Seers had identified several separate components of what should be happening tonight, and most had exhausted themselves looking ahead to see what could be avoided entirely and what could be changed.
The last two months had kept their Potions' Brewers very busy. Some seers needed delicate potions to help focus their Sight, and others experienced something close to trauma and shock if they pushed too hard for their Visions. There were even a pair of Seers that manifested fainter copies of injuries that they Saw in their visions, who were most displeased with the flavors and sensations of a slew of healing potions for damages to bones and organs, as well as treatments for malnutrition and torture curses. Most of the Seers were now on medical rest, ordered by the Department's Healers, and the others had gifts that were either minimal in strength or of limited control and direction.
Harry Potter would be lured to the Hall of Prophecies tonight, and attacked by the minions of Voldemort. Their efforts had concluded that avoiding this, which would be difficult but possible, would prove disastrous for Magical Britain. Instead, the best route would be to ensure that Harry Potter did not come alone. Fortunately, her partner's niece was at Hogwarts, and was passably close to the Potter boy, close enough to follow him when the attempted trap was sprung.
The fight that would result would be unavoidably horrendous. Not only would the time and expense of repairing everything that would be damaged be appalling, research would be set back months, perhaps even years in some cases! There was also the possibility that some of those who accompanied the Potter boy might be maimed or killed, with higher odds being placed on the Longbottom boy for his clumsiness, the muggle-born girl for her probable lack of familiarity with the more unusual lethal spells, or the Weasley girl who seemed to want to prove herself brave enough to date Potter. Most importantly for the Department, the fight would be interrupted by aurors arriving at the fight, and the Death Eaters would be seen. There was even a forty percent chance that Voldemort would be seen at the Ministry tonight as well. Unspeakable Daisy rather hoped that she wouldn't see Voldemort if he did show up.
They were not yet aware of just why the sixty-three percent likely death of Sirius Black would be a devastatingly traumatic blow to Harry Potter, though they had sorted out that after the death of Black, Dumbledore would be revealing very necessary information to the Potter boy.
Debate over which bit of information was ongoing. Some favored the idea that Dumbledore would reveal the Prophecy, in an attempt to bind Harry to its service - without all parties, or at least most of them, acting to complete it, many a prophecy had been robbed of strength. Others speculated about some aspect of the Potter heritage and family connections. Considering the way Dumbledore had stalked and caged the boy, a few had suggested that Dumbledore might have sexual inclinations towards the boy, with a less disturbing theory that he was grooming the boy to become the mate or toy of someone of his own choosing, and perhaps intended to spring that on the boy, perhaps draped in some babble about soul-mates, magical complements, or nonsense about old betrothals and contracts.
It had been concluded that there was a ninety percent chance that an operative placed in this room tonight could meddle in a way that would benefit the future - increase the magical population, smooth over some of the political snags and chaos, lessen the impact of Dark Lords and their minions. The Unspeakable code-named Daisy normally would not have been chosen for such a delicate placement. However, all the Seers with the ability to focus their Sight when, where and on whom they chose were still recovering from the last few months of planning. The top three infiltration experts were all on detached assignments in places too sensitive and important to meddle. One of their most skilled generalists had run afoul of a particularly nasty set of magical traps and enchanted items near a muggle village named for a hanging man, and had both injured and exhausted himself destroying a dark Soul-Anchor, though the Healers were fairly certain that he'd regain the use of his hand in a few months. Their second best generalist was due to deliver her child, which she swore would be a son, any day now.
She was not the most skilled spellcaster among the Unspeakables. While she did have a bit of the Sight, it was not under focused control, and she could rarely direct it to focus on what she wanted. It gave her just enough advantage in a fight that she was seldom taken by surprise, and rarely injured. She had a gift for personal concealments, though her passions were Runes and Potions research. Her own family, though considered Dark, Unstable, and highly eccentric, had given her an excellent grounding in poisons, curses, creatures and traps, and she could easily and safely consume poisons that would lay others in the Department in a Healer's bed for a week, if they were lucky. The cyanide gave her tea a pleasant flavour, though she had learned early on not to share unless she was with her family or trying to kill someone. She'd dispatched several unwelcome suitors in that manner...
She didn't need the sounds of spellfire and screaming to know that they were approaching. She wasn't certain who 'they' were, or just what they were doing, but they were getting closer. They would be in the room within five minutes...
Frantic footsteps and gasped breathing as well as shrieked spells and the sizzle of magic through the air punctuated the arrival of tonight's players. Students in Hogwarts robes, faces pale with fear and wands clenched in their hands dodged spells fired from black-robed Death Eaters. The students were clearly fighting to not be killed, but oddly enough, the Death Eaters seemed to be focusing on trying to wound the students. They also seemed to be focusing on two students with short dark hair – the Potter and Longbottom boys. They didn't want to kill those two, they wanted to capture them.
"Capture could be worse than death," Unspeakable Daisy whispered to herself. "That mustn't happen."
Also running in the mess were two adult men, both rather worn and bedraggled looking and clearly not Death Eaters. Those two seemed to be trying to fight the Death Eaters and defend the students. Daisy matched the one with the longer, darker hair to the images of Sirius Black, though it seemed that his two years out of Azkaban had been good for his health, if not his wardrobe. The other… the other was a werewolf, she could feel the wolf in his magic. There was also a woman, dressed for a concert, with short hair in turquoise and pink spikes, casting vicious, barely legal spells at the Death Eaters.
Sirius Black was fighting against the Death Eaters.
That didn't fit the rumors and allegations about him at all. He wasn't clad in the black robes and skull-mask of a Death Eater – masks which Daisy had been a little disappointed to learn were made of magic-shaped porcelain or metal, rather than actual bone. The more that she'd looked into the research on the Death Eaters, the more they sounded like a pretentious boys' club rather than the pack of the most vile and evil wizards that the general public considered them to be. No study of exotic and ancient curses, no word or cleanup of ritual sacrifices under the New Moon, and a rather uncreative approach to torturing their enemies. She'd been hoping for something more interesting from Black, considering the reputation of his family and the general fear and loathing the average wizard held for the man. He wasn't trying to kill the Potter or Longbottom boys. In fact, most of the students seemed to consider his presence quite the relief.
"Clearly, we don't have a few important facts…" she murmured to herself.
Unspeakable Daisy didn't let her confusion prevent her from casting subtle spells against the Death Eaters. Spells to slow them, to blur their vision, to make the floor slippery beneath their feet. She also cast spells to subtly deflect the attacks against the students, to help speed the replenishment of blood, to help knit together broken bones. Nothing that would betray her location.
Though she did use a combination of disillusionment and a directed summoning charm to send one of the Death Eaters through the Veil to the deepest Research Rooms. She knew that he would barely have time to land before being stunned, searched, stripped, and taken to a room to be questioned. Thoroughly. About everything – what he'd done for Voldemort, what other crimes he may have committed, his banking records, voting history, his vices and who he had blackmail to use against. If he'd been one of those who'd bribed their way out of a trial years ago, they'd discover just what he'd done, when, what had happened to the bodies, and he'd be appropriately dealt with. If he'd escaped from Azkaban with Voldemort's help, then he'd soon be wishing for the familiar presence of Dementors. Some of the Unspeakable Researchers had nasty theories and habits.
Between the students, the werewolf, Black and the witch with the spiky hair, five of the Death Eaters were in variations of fallen. Most were down from something nastier than a simple, easily reversed Stunner. She had managed to send three more Death Eaters slid through the Veil before a combination of a misjudged leap and a stunner sent Sirius Black through the tattered curtain and stone arch.
Potter's reaction was unexpected and impressive. The air crackled with raw magic, and he screamed out a single word – "Sirius!"
The werewolf was struggling to hold Potter back from leaping after Black. Even with the advantage of strength that all werewolf had, it looked as if the Potter boy might break free and follow. Until the Death Eater that had cast the stunner let out a thin giggle, "I killed Sirius Bla-ack. I killed him."
Giggles alternated with "I killed Sirius Bla-ack" as the Death Eater that could only be Bellatrix LeStrange, formerly Black, ran from the room.
Harry Potter chased after Bellatrix, his expression full of pain and anger.
Bellatrix was every bit as insane as the reports from Azkaban claimed. She wondered what was going through the woman's mind in accompaniment of her presumption that she'd killed her cousin, the unclaimed Head of the Family. Was she sad, angry, pleased? Was she in shock, or denial? Planning a family coup?
Harry Potter looked as if he might be joining the ranks of the insane. The Unspeakable's Sight and instincts insisted that she should follow Harry Potter – what would happen around him would be far more interesting and important than the remaining fight in the Execution Chamber. Pivotal, even.
Letting her instincts guide her, the Unspeakable found herself in the Atrium. Mad giggles warned of the approach of Bellatrix, and the sizzle of spellfire made it clear that Potter was close behind. A spell charged with rage obliterated one of the Floo Fireplaces, sending ashes and rubble all over the floor. Bellatrix slid through the rubble, much of it no bigger than gravel, with a startled squawk, most likely scraping her elbows.
"Does little Potter miss his godfather?" Bellatrix was looking at the boy, her mask having fallen aside. "Bet you want to make me hurt for it."
The single word that Harry Potter hissed was almost but not quite Parseltongue, "Crucio."
"Aaaah!" Bellatrix gasped in shock more than pain. "That's not the right way! You have to mean it. I killed Sirius, and you can't mean it!"
Other fireplaces flared green, and several aurors stepped into the Atrium. They immediately had to dodge spells fired from Bellatrix. Several began firing back, and a few even sent spells towards Harry Potter. Frowning, Unspeakable Daisy tried to remember their faces, to match suspicions of allegiance or sympathy to Voldemort, to Death Eater relatives. Across the Atrium, more fireplaces spat out people. She recognized several of the janitorial staff, and two of the emergency repair wizards. And former Chief Warlock and Headmaster Albus Dumbledore.
At the same time, someone apparated into the Atrium, landing near the gaudy, inaccurate statue in the fountain. Someone who felt strikingly inhuman and reeked of power and dark magic. Someone clad in wispy dark robes that reminded her of a Dementor. The majority of Wizarding Britain would never accept someone like that… Someone that could only be the Dark wizard who called himself Lord Voldemort, that most of the wizarding country called He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named or simply You-Know-Who.
He reminded her of some of her family, and some of her sister's in-laws, now that she considered him.
Dumbledore of the many titles leapt into action, casting an impressive assortment of spells against Voldemort. Not that Voldemort stood there passively – no, the Dark wizard was casting an assortment of spells of his own, some directed against the Potter boy and others against Dumbledore.
She had to admit that it was an impressive display of magic.
Not even Ostrich Fudge could deny that Voldemort was here, was real. Spells blasted fireplaces. The individual figures of the grossly inaccurate and poorly named Statue of Magical Brethren first became animated for combat and were then blasted into metallic scrap, some of which melted. Water was sprayed across the floor, frozen, steamed, animated and scattered again. While the Potter boy was making a very impressive showing for a boy his age, he was quite obviously not yet in the same league as Dumbledore or Voldemort in control and spell variety.
Daisy felt her breath catch as Voldemort attempted a physical possession of the Potter boy, wisping into a shadowy mass and enveloping the boy. She regretted not being close enough to hear what Voldemort said to Dumbledore, if he was taunting, threatening… But the Potter boy threw off the possession, collapsing to the floor gasping for breath and twitching like a landed fish. Reforming into the no-longer human wizard, Voldemort called Bellatrix LeStrange to his side with a gesture and the pair disappeared.
"That was really… he's really back…"
Fudge's pathetic whining drowned out what Dumbledore said to Harry Potter. However, when he handed Harry Potter a scrap of metal and the boy vanished – Dumbledore's plan was clear. Portkey the student out of the Ministry.
Soon, Potter would be hearing whatever critical information Dumbledore would finally be revealing. She wondered if the man would also see to the swift removal of the other students or if they'd be left to fend for themselves in tonight's chaos.
"Black's questioning should prove quite interesting. He may be more useful in ways other than a test subject," she mused to herself, slipping out of the Atrium.
A quick gesture flipped the Unspeakable hood down from her robes, de-activating the woven in charms that disguised her appearance and voice. She was now revealed to be a young looking woman with dark eyes and long blonde hair, several pale daisies growing among the locks, most of them like a daisy crown on her head. In only a few hours, the Ministry would be open for business – she had no doubts about that. And Ophelia Frump, secretary for the Chairman of the Department of Magical Flora, would be well placed to hear all the rumors and official explanations.
Hubert, one of the Ministry's ghosts signaled to her, signing that the children had left, with only minor injuries. Ophelia nodded, thinking once again that she was very glad that she hadn't signed a blank hundred year contract like Hubert Humdinger. Perhaps the man wouldn't have minded remaining on as a ghost in the Department of Mysteries, but that contract hadn't given him a choice – he'd agreed to a hundred years, and a hundred years he would serve. He still had another twenty-some to go, if she had her facts correct.
Settling into the chair behind her desk, Ophelia started a kettle to brew up some tea. This blend didn't have the cyanide, but there were a few things that she found rather stimulating… Best to have this pot all drank before any of her co-workers arrived. It might not be quite good for their delicate systems. She sent a few coded messages to the lower labs, and cast a few privacy charms before scrying to look around the Department for the damages.
As big a mess as predicted.
"I just hope that we've made enough changes, bent enough that we can make things better. Not have the same losses, smooth away some of the bumps," Ophelia sighed, waiting for her water to heat for tea. She wondered if the Department as a whole would take a more active role this time around or if the Ministry would try to hamper them with a blind, stubborn refusal to use lethal force against the rabid maniacs willing to cripple and kill. Though if the Ministry officially refused permission, she could think of several ways to make a difference that they would never be able to prove…
Unspeakable Daisy jotted down a quick note that her observations of Sirius Black suggested that he was not currently aligned with the Death Eaters and that clearly, some of the rumors were either incorrect or lacking crucial information. She suggested a thorough questioning about the deaths of James and Lily Potter, and that they remember to take the chance to finally figure out how he managed to escape from Azkaban. While she didn't mind the place so much, travel to and from the island was supposed to be strictly regulated.
Sending the memo to the deeper labs, she sighed. "I really want to read that transcript when it's finished."
End Unspeakable Daisy fragment.