Chapter 37: Truth is a Beautiful and Terrible Thing
**OO**
A/N: Thanks to my wonderful Beta, LtsHrIt4ThBoyz.
Warning for upcoming violence and character death.
**OO**
Friday, November 6
8:00 AM, local time, ICW Meeting, Geneva, Switzerland
The Ministry of Magic Scotland had a new position and a new person filling it: Representative to the ICW and the position was being filled by Minerva McGonagall.
Her first petition was for sanctions against the English Ministry of Magic for their brutality and lack of authority in the trial of Cedrella Black –her bruised face and disheveled appearance; evidence of their savagery towards the pregnant pureblood witch, prior to holding their "dog and pony show" trial. And second, for attempting to remove Algernon Longbottom from a Scottish lock-up.
The lack of help coming from the British Ministry of Magic in regard to Death Eater attacks. The captured Death Eaters were turned over for trial there.
No mention of Dan Granger was made due to the fact that he was a muggle who had killed a wizard.
The ICW decided to hold the trial for Algernon Longbottom and Enid Longbottom right then and there. The Scottish Ministry of Magic had chosen wisely to send this gentleman there to receive a fair trial, and they had all the evidence. The other Death Eaters of the latest attacks would have to wait.
The Scottish aurors knew they had nothing on Enid, but that didn't mean she shouldn't be held and tried as an accessory to murder.
The tribunal held for Algernon's trial was very straightforward.
The ICW looked at the evidence and asked the wizard if he had anything to say in his own defense. A goblin had been killed after all, and the Scottish Director of the DMLE in the course of his duties looking into the goblin's murder.
Representatives from London Gringotts attended, as did Professor McGonagall.
Algernon scoffed at them all. "You people are nothing! The Dark Lord has returned and soon all will bow to him. Goblin and Scottish filth mean nothing! He'll destroy that village before laying siege to the castle. He will one day rule the World!"
Algernon Longbottom's wand showed the killing curse, and the defendant denied nothing in killing Director Clark. As for the goblin murder, the blood evidence and trace was understood by many of the wizards there, but confused others. It however proved without a doubt that again, it was Algernon that had committed that crime as well.
The Scottish Justice Center Clark Forensic Laboratory was well and truly on the map, and poor Professor McGonagall would later be asked questions she couldn't answer. Yet.
The judges conferred, and Algernon Longbottom was sentenced to death. The notice was sent to all representatives.
Enid Longbottom was allowed to say a non-tearful goodbye to her husband. Good riddance to bad rubbish! Her trial was a non-event. She swore on her magic she wanted nothing to do with Death Eaters and was disgusted that he would kill her sister-in-law and their nephew for money.
She actually liked Neville, and thought that his birth meant that she didn't have to have any children. She hadn't wanted to marry Algernon, and certainly wasn't going to be a mother to any child he fathered!
Enid approached the goblins and let them know that they could sell their home and everything in it that she had been given separately from any remuneration penalties. She would withdraw a small amount, but signed everything else over to the Scottish aurors for their health and retirement fund. The amount for the goblin family was calculated based on Algernon's vault at the time; not the total family worth.
The goblins looked at the amount set aside for the murdered goblin's family and made notes. They had a procedure in place to prevent Neville Longbottom's assassins from benefiting from these judgment monies.
"My husband killed their Director without a qualm. He made me act that way in public against them. But the imperius curse is broken now. Let our small amount of gold help them. I'm returning home in shame, but it was not a life I ever asked for to begin with." Enid Longbottom knew that Death Eaters wanted the Longbottom wealth of the mainline to power their efforts. Ha! Her small vault was now under her maiden name, Eleanor Enid Eggebrotten, and they had no way to get that small pittance.
Enid went to the visitor's gallery to watch to see if anyone showed up from the Ministry of Magic. So far, no representative had come. They probably did the maths wrong and would show up at 10:00 rather than 8:00 AM.
As predicted, Alecto Carrow had shown up late for the meeting, so missed seeing Algernon before he was carted off for execution. She was handed the judgment, though. One half of his personal property was seized; of that, half was to go to Director Clark's family, the other half to the murdered goblin's family. A copy of that order was sent to the Scottish Ministry, and to both Hogsmeade and London Gringotts.
The French Acting Supreme Mugwump looked short compared to his Watusi warrior assistant.
"You can't steal his money like this! You don't know who I am, little man, but I have powerful friends! You don't want to make a mistake like this. People who do wind up dead!"
Miss Carrow was surprised to be banned from attending future ICW meetings, as she was removed from her seat for cause and fined five-hundred galleons! She had almost twice that in her vault, but the Dark Lord would be furious with her for losing it.
She scoffed. Algernon was at Parkinson's home, being attended by healers. And there was no way they were turning over an ally who was going to inherit so much money!
Little did she know that as one Longbottom died, another was being brought back from the horrible half-life that he had been living.
**OO**
Friday, November 6
Nambia Health Center
"…and they all lived happily ever after. The End." Augusta finished.
Augusta had been recruited to read to her son. Her voice being both known and safe to him. Just as Moody, rather Calvin Moody, would be reading to Alice just as soon as he was healed enough.
Gussie just finished reading a child's story to Frank that he had so loved as a boy. She brushed her fingers through his hair. Black hair, long and thick. No grey hair, despite the torture. He was still so young.
"Read it to me again, mum," Frank murmured. "The part about the knights."
"That was always your favorite…" Augusta had been lost in thought. Had he really spoken?
"Do you want me to read to you again?" The mother asked softly.
"Uh-huh. Yes please."
The woman was on her feet, calling for a healer. Frank! Her Frank was coming around!
**OO**
Friday, November 6
7:00 AM, Hogs Head
Aberforth now subscribed to a thousand copies of the Highland Crier, and it still wasn't enough. That only covered the breakfast crowd.
The pub man had to open the second, third, and fourth floors of his pub for the first time ever! He didn't know he had that many levels up there. Of course, he hadn't before Harry's elves started delivering papers and seeing the need. They reported it and Harry directed the changes, but Harry sort of did these things.
Aberforth also hired the scruffiest staff he could find and a few of whom sported a very fine beard. One did not get handsy with his staff if one wanted to keep said hands! Several of Remus' Pack wound up there, with the owner knowing who and what they were and approving of them. They even wore a badge on their aprons that had a wolf head.
And people came to be seen as being brave by being served by a werewolf!
But the crowd this morning was reading in disbelief and horror.
The Daily Prophet's main article was read aloud and ridiculed.
The Ministry of Magic, England, had declared a 'Great Victory' for the wizarding world in the death of the Dark Witch Cedrella Black. Convicted of helping muggles. Barnabas had been arrested for 'sedition' in refusing to print "the truth" and was in custody. An enemy of the state, a muggle, had also been put to death for the killing of an innocent wizard.
Dan Granger wasn't mentioned by name.
"I've played darts with Dan Granger! He fixed up Billy's teeth, and did a great job! He killed a man that was about to kill Neville Longbottom with an Avada Kedavra. Stepped in front of the lad with nought but a muggle weapon! That's bravery! It was luck he won. Instead of a medal for bravery, he gets nought but a pine box. And not even that, really!" He finished sadly.
People were remembering Dan, and by the time they left the pub, even those who'd never met him, would have sworn they had!
Albus wasn't the only one that had picked up some of the Nambian's tricks. Aberforth, though, was using it to spread the truth that there was something rotten in London.
That Fudge was missing hadn't been reported as yet. But Aberforth had received an anonymous note about it.
"How much do you want to bet that Fudge does a runner to avoid retribution?" Aberforth tried to wager.
It was a smart crowd that kept their silver safe in their pockets on that bet.
**OO**
The adverts in the Highland Crier with flats for rent at Hedwig's Keep got attention. Because it was cheaper and safer than many places, people were signing up in droves.
The Ministry might be trying to keep the muggleborn hunting low-key, but there was minor panic going on in the 'lower caste'. And many of the intelligent ones that had somehow managed to get a job in the magical world were now fleeing to Scotland to work. And live.
Not enough yet to cause a panic in Diagon. For them, getting rid of muggleborn or half-blood renters and workers was seen as a blessing.
It would take time to notice the pinch.
Several muggleborn had disappeared in odd attacks on Tuesday, but the public attacks had stopped as suddenly as they started.
Calliope Clearwater was the only one killed in the Diagon Alley action, but no one knew what exactly had happened to the poor girl.
**OO**
Friday, November 6
9:30 AM, Death Eater Meeting, Nott home
Word was getting out of a new portrait in the Nott home. A portrait that people were trying to make appointments to talk to. But it was exhausting, and sometimes, the Dark Elf just needed to rest. The few in the know of his temporary condition would meet in the comfortable rooms that had been set aside for that purpose in Nott's gorgeous home.
At Edmund's insistence, a copy of the portrait had now been set up in the more luxurious manor home of the Parkinsons. (Ambition, thy name is Parkinson!) But Dobby would only rest behind the fortified wards of Nott Manor.
Crabbe had bragged about his accomplishment of getting the Daily Prophet for the Dark Lord. Barnabus Cuff was no longer a problem. He had been tried and convicted of sedition and sent through the veil already. A nephew was now Editor and under 'their control'.
The next item was getting the potions that the Dark Lord needed to recover his memories and his full strength.
He had no memories of actually creating the locket Horcrux, just preparing to do so. Everything after that was blank. So all the clever stratagems, all the hidden treasures, and several key secrets were lost to the evil group. Forever. And the Dark Lord was feeling weaker by the day. And more house-elfish.
"My lord. I doubt my owl has even got to Hogwarts yet. The students don't go back to school until it reopens. Please. It is not necessary to tire yourself so. Let us find a different way for you to speak to your servants!" Thaddeus said worriedly, while secretly glad that Snape's potions –undetectable in the juices he drank– were weakening the powerful elf. At least tiring him.
Achilles Crabbe had been brought into the fold of people who knew what the dark lord looked like. Temporarily. Until he got his new body. Crabbe enjoyed the scheming. He himself wanted to be involved but had no head for politics. Or desires to serve in that capacity.
Edmund Parkinson, on the other hand, was very happy to be their candidate for Minister of Magic. His first order of business would be to get the fine against the House of Black pushed through. The Dark Lord Voldemort didn't like that Cedrella Black had been killed without consulting him, but wasn't above taking advantage of the circumstances to try to get the Black vaults under his control.
Excellent! Nott thought to himself.
Soon, the Dark Lord would get impatient, and summon Severus there. He was already in the know, devising a difficult potion and tricky ritual. One that needed to be performed on the Winter Solstice for success.
Hopefully, most of their comrades would be safely in custody, or in the case of Parkinson, safely dead by then. Honestly! The English citizens were already starting to notice. Tomorrow might be a new day of propaganda, but too much death had already occurred.
At least the students would be safe.
The Dark Lord wanted to attack Harry's Keep and Hogwarts at the same time. Getting people angry and riled up would be the best way to stop the madness.
Nott relished the article that came out recently. Oh yes, the witches were up in arms over this. Nott was so relieved that the witch was just fine. He personally didn't care about a mere muggle, not that he, himself, wanted to hurt muggles, but the loss of a witch would damage their society. Magical blood was far more important.
One did not kill mothers, or expectant mothers, and not conceive of receiving a wave of condemnation. Fudge would have reaped a whirlwind of consequences. They would have to wait to penalize the Black vaults; the new Minister of Magic could do that. Like Crabbe, Nott had no interest in that position!
Parkinson did. In fact, it was a position he had coveted a long time.
**OO**
Parkinson hadn't wanted to be head of the DMLE at all, but it was the best position to be in for the Dark Lord. Now, with the Minister's seat available, they could put one of their own in as Deputy to the Director. Ready to take over when Edmund became Minister. Scrimgeour would do the job well, and hadn't been even suspected of being a sympathizer before.
And then when Parkinson became Minister, riding on the 'let's take care of pureblood witches' campaign, they could install the Head Auror as new Director of the DMLE.
Hmm. Gruella was just the perfect sort for the Minister's wife, too. She loved planning social events and such. And knew people who knew people. Which is why she wasn't dead yet.
She was granted a stay of execution. For now. But just as soon as he was Minister, she would likely die in something that could be attributed to muggles. Scottish muggles.
Busy plotting death and mayhem, the man returned home to solicit his wife from her drunken, moody grieving into planning on winning an election that hadn't been announced yet.
**OO**
Friday, November 6
Morning, Potter Castle, Hogsmeade
Sirius was very upset. He had just got Cedrella back, and now she was sent back to the island. Sure, he would be able to use the vanishing cabinets to visit several times a day, but this was crazy!
Harry had just got done playing his harp for the children again, this time with the girls. Sirius should get a guitar as plucking strings was good therapy, and so Harry was being encouraged to play.
It was really Sirius who needed calming, not Harry.
Harry told him that they had a plan, and were going to end this by Yule. The couple had no reason to be apart. That Padfoot should go to the island as well.
"You can visit me every day! We can have dinner together! You can come over and teach me about communication mirrors!" Harry reassured.
"No! You need me! I can feel it!" Sirius countered.
"Yeah, I really do," Harry admitted softly. "But so does your wife."
"She's still asleep there. I can stay here another six hours. She's sleeping a lot right now. I can come over during naps."
"Yeah! That's great! I had this idea for a communication device. Instead of a telephone. You know what that is, right? Well, I must have received a thousand chess sets for my birthday and Christmas and such. I shrunk a bunch and put them in a trunk. How many can the shop sell at a time? What if we could tie these in and make them like a hologram? You walk around and talk in real life, and your little chess piece is walking and talking on your friend's desk?"
"I don't know what a 'hollygram' is, but I think I have the gist. Wow, Harry. Transfiguration, Charms, and Enchanting. That's advanced theory."
Harry blushed. "I really like magic, and now that it's okay to learn, I'm really trying, Padfoot. Using the same idea as your mirrors, I know how to connect two pieces to each other. So, each chess set allows you to connect to sixteen people. That isn't the same as a telephone, but for the people you talk to all the time, it should help."
"That's good. Don't share this idea yet. Let me talk to the goblins. I want to make sure that you are credited as the creator. Someone else stole your father's mirror set. Peter lost one, and then someone stole James' matching one. Likely Peter himself now that I think about it. It was mostly Prongs' idea. Okay, I helped. A little! But Lucius Malfoy got an enchanter to make a bunch. They were worth a huge amount of money. I think it hurt us more to think that Voldy's forces had extra gold for our efforts than the theft of the idea."
Harry nodded. "Well, here's a pair that are from the same maker. I thought we'd start with these."
Harry gave Padfoot the specially prepared box.
It was pink with unicorns. And had rainbows.
"I was given this trunk that had these great stickers. You don't want me to waste things now. Right?"
Padfoot howled with laughter. They made their way down to the food court to meet the rest of the family.
Harry decided to just rent the side dining room out permanently. He liked the variety of food available from the food court. All the vendors were willing to keep a monthly account for him when he ran out of meal vouchers. Which with what was going on was unlikely to happen.
Call it win/win.
Harry was carrying his morning scurlie to the table when a red-eyed Neville showed up alone and went and got toast.
And sat far from Harry.
When Harry tried to ask what was wrong, Harry got a mouthful of fist.
**OO**
Unlike Ron, Neville seemed to know that one unexpected hit was all you got for free with Harry.
"How could you! She acted as your regent! You treated her like family! Called her ally and friend! How could you sit back and do nothing while she was attacked!"
Padfoot placed himself between the boys. Let Neville hit him if he needed. "Neville, I swear to you that we don't know what you are talking about. The last couple of days have been insane. You know that Harry honors you. Are you talking about your grandmother?"
"She's dead! Killed by Death Eaters that got onto the property!"
Harry wasn't exactly under oath. Why wasn't Neville notified of this? Sure, she had been sent away. But they didn't tell him she was alive? Oh, maybe they were worried word would get out.
"Are you suggesting that Harry hired people to kill his regent?" Sirius asked in that upper-crust tone that Malfoy used… Used to use. The one that said, 'you are a smelly idiot who is clearly mentally challenged.'
"Then why didn't you send your Rescue Squad to her?" Neville demanded.
"I'm not in charge of that, but I can ask the team. Neville. Someone was using a time turner to plan multiple attacks. It confused Luna and Sabrina. And you know how talented they are! If the squad went after magic happened…" Sirius suggested.
Harry whimpered in pain. Blood was seeping down his chin.
"Oh. Killing curse. Right." Neville stared at his uneaten toast rather than Harry's mouth.
Harry wiggled his front teeth. They were loose. He needed Dan. Wait. Dan was on the island, with a certain dignified lady chaperone! Keeping Cedrella company. Harry required someone in charge. Wasn't Neville supposed to know that his gran was alright and on Sirius' Island?
Harry's mouth was still bleeding. It was getting worse, not better. Sirius had placed Harry behind him to protect him and hadn't noticed the injury yet.
"Pa'foo?"
Sirius had made a handful of sets of mirrors. He could call several parents, including Hermione's. He saw Harry, and panicked, scrambling for the right one.
"Granger Dental Clinic," Answered the "grieving" widow.
"I need my godson looked at, please. He might need a dentes confortans potion."
"What did Harry do now?" Hermione demanded from somewhere behind the dentist.
Emma rolled her eyes, "Bring him in, Sirius. I've got a couple of those potions in stasis. Hermione! That is not the way we…"
The call was cut off.
"Harry, I'm sorry." Neville started.
"Look, you thought he ignored your grandmother when he was trying to rescue others. I get it. I do." Sirius stated for Harry.
"Yeah." Neville huffed.
Padfoot dragged Harry away.
"It'll work out. He apologized. He lost his godfather and Grandmother in one day. That's not easy. Not that it was right to blame you."
Emma greeted them. She was dressed in dark clothing and wearing a mourning band, as befit her status as a 'grieving' widow, as was Hermione for her father. They were both wearing make-up to make their eyes appear as though they'd been crying, Harry noted with approval.
The surprisingly muggle chair was more comfortable than a real dentist's chair. Padfoot was right, so after a quick exam, Harry was given the potion, which tasted nice. Minty.
Blanche would have hated it.
"He's going to forgive you for not saving her." Padfoot opined.
"Yeah. He's going to be really mad when he finds out…"
Harry closed his mouth. What was it about potions that had him spilling his guts like that?
"It's alright Harry. You probably had a Yule gift planned to improve the wards at Cherry Hill. If that's what would help you feel better, then do it. I know you have the money. And Neville is a Black by blood."
Harry nodded. "I will talk to the goblins about better wards for Cherry Hill. I bet this has something to do with Algernon's trial. It was supposed to start tomorrow. Now he was found guilty by the ICW."
"The Death Eaters did capture the dummy in the cell. I thought Cedrella was safe there!" Sirius was still angry about his wife being in danger like that. A bailiff was killed, and she could have been just as well!
"So did I, Padfoot. If I had known she was in the Wizengamot, I would have stormed in there."
"Me with you. Just the two of us."
They looked at each other.
"We'd have been killed. There were too many of them."
"And Dan, well Ian, didn't know about that, and Cedrella were all fine. They could have been killed if we interfered. That's why Luna didn't tell us."
Padfoot and Harry shared a side hug from the chair.
Emma came back and checked Harry's teeth. "Very good, Mr Potter. All better. Now, please refrain from hitting people's knuckles with your mouth. That is an expensive potion!"
"I know it is. Please." Harry put his ring on the bill and added twenty galleons. She wasn't charging enough to stay in business.
"But Harry! You grew the plants!"
"The plants from the greenhouse. The people working there get a portion of the profits. How can there be profits to share if you don't bill enough? This is honorable work!"
Emma laughed. He sounded like Hermione's goblin account manager. Hermione came out carrying a matching mourning band for Harry and took his temperature by feeling his head.
"Aren't you a little young to be playing nurse and doctor?" Emma asked.
"MUM!" "EMMA!" Harry and Hermione blushed in unison, too, while Hermione affixed the band around Harry's arm.
Padfoot howled in laughter.
"Come on! Let's go get your breakfast in you. It's not enough to buy it. You have to eat it! Coming Mrs and Miss Granger?"
Handing another mourning band to Sirius, Emma affirmed, "Sure. Let me make a note."
Hermione shyly took Harry's hand.
"You'll protect me from Neville, right? He's afraid of you!" Harry asked.
"That's because he's a clever boy. Of course, Harry. Now, what happened?"
Harry kept his mouth firmly shut and didn't open it except to put warm oats, ham, and bits of onion in it.
The goblins made a delicious scurlie. They had adopted it as a breakfast food for themselves.
The Black Watch Commander showed up to talk to Sirius.
"We can use every able-bodied wizard on the force.
Sirius looked at his godson. "On that day, I will fight, and I can train with the militia to be prepared. But right now, that young man needs me here. You heard what happened to Cedrella."
"Aye. And she was with child. An evil act that magic herself will avenge. You are not that broken up yet. Shock. Or it was a contract, and ye didn't have time to bond yet. Pity."
Padfoot waved Harry over.
"Meeting now, Prongslet. You can't do a Moody and keep everything hidden."
"You're right." Harry nodded. Padfoot made the arrangements for right then.
Harry kissed Hermione, who was helping in her mother's office, and promised to meet her later for lunch.
**OO**
The men walked to the commander's office near the Minister's.
"Sir! We have vital information. Can you please get Minister Stewart, Director Stewart, Madam Bones, Ian MacMurray, and your second sir? I'm ashamed I don't know your name or his." Sirius asked.
"Charles Montgomery." The commander introduced himself.
"Sirius Black. This is my godson."
"Aye, the whole town knows the lad." Montgomery said, good-naturedly.
"Pleased to know you, sir. Please call me Harry."
The wizards sat around the enlargeable conference table. Harry was glad this man had survived his experience at Hogwarts and his close encounter with its gate.
"Give Commander Montgomery a draft for 200,000 galleons. Please." Sirius requested.
Harry was glad he was sitting down, as Sirius explained. "You are going to need cannons. Modern ones? I don't know. But antiques might be too fatigued. Something for giants, inferi, and vampires. Tar and fire on cannonballs? Lots of ammunition, lots of armaments. Weapons. Something with silver, as the dark one used werewolves before. Armor. A fight is coming, sir. Yule. And we might be besieged before then."
"Why would Vampires attack? The Queen helped Neville and kissed us both. Called it protection." Harry demanded.
"Did she? If she stays in power, you'd be right. But if the vampires are promised a magical feast? She might be forced to step down." The commander opined. "Those seers! That's why the food, poultry, and land animals are being brought inside! Oh, you best not allow yer cows on the golf course. Unless you want Judge McGinty against ye."
"No, only the deer. Well, and Luna's unicorns she brought in. They are the natural trimmers. And the scat can be aged with elven spells to become fertilizer." Harry explained.
The Minister and the others showed up. Along with a spare. Commander Montgomery's second was a Scottish wizard named Malcolm Urquhart; he did not come alone.
"No Way!" Harry stood, still under the influence of the dental potion. "This man is a bully! He hates me, and Neville, and would gladly sell us out to Tommy Boy. If Draco were still alive, Snape here would be promoting him to be Prefect and Head Boy!"
Sirius also stood. Ever the aristocrat, the man walked and talked like one when in public. His table manners were beyond reproach. Sirius moved to be in front of Harry.
"How in the world did you get inside this building?" Sirius demanded in a low tone. A tone that would have had minions like Crabbe and Goyle on their knees begging for forgiveness.
"Oh good." Snape also had perfected the upper-class sneer. "Here I was worried I would just have to put up with Potter. No, I get his dogfather too. Clever of you to have your witch register you while you were imprisoned. Shame about her."
Harry's magic swirled. He had made a few bracelets that allowed turncoat death eaters into Hedwig's Keep and had given them to the Director and Black Watch commanders to use at their discretion. There was no way he could be forced into giving said bracelet, now on Snape's wrist, to him.
Harry had gone silent, pulled on the cloak, and snuck up on the Potions Master. With a dagger poking in his kidneys. Using the ventriloquist spell, a loud voice boomed. "Swear an oath that ye haven't come to harm anyone here, or I drive this through."
The man closed his eyes in defeat. Sirius had his wand pulled as well.
"Pax! I swear that I have no interest in killing Harry Potter or any of the other residents or visitors of this place. I have vital information to share to help defeat the Dark Lord for good."
Minister Stewart put on her mantle of office and glared at the men involved in the drama. She took her place at the head of the table. "Sit Down!"
She sat, and in a milder tone asked everyone there, including the now visible Harry, a question.
"I swear that I am here to help protect the people of this country, protect the children in imminent danger, and I swear to do all I can to help defeat any dark lord who attacks us. Will you all swear the same?"
And they did.
"Then, let us sit. We will meet for only twenty minutes. Quickly. Who wants to go first?"
Harry and Snape eyed each other, but the potion was urging Harry to blab. "Dan and Cedrella are fine. They're in Alaska. Safe. I sent them there. I won't say how. And they'll stay out of sight to protect others. The dark lord made Horcruxes. One was in my head. The ritual. We hoped it would kill them all, but one escaped. I'm so sorry! I caused all this."
Shushes were said all around the table, but Harry was speaking as he saw it.
"Yes. I know what the last Horcrux is and where it is. It's contained now, but it must be destroyed! I will destroy it!" Harry promised.
Ayes were heard all around the table.
Snape swallowed. "The dark lord has sent me a letter. He wants me to kill Harry Potter with a killing curse so that he can possess the body. Harry Potter must not return to Hogwarts."
"Gees, you sound like Dobby!" Harry jeered.
A dark pall fell on the room.
"Don't say that name!" Snape hissed.
"Sorry."
"No muggleborn will be safe at Hogwarts! I will be expected to follow the program! Nott is in charge of killing muggleborn and their families! He's already sent dozens to their doom!" Snape was rather in a lather after being threatened.
Harry tried not to smirk. One should not attend surprise tactical meetings while drugged with a version of truth serum. The more powerful the Mage, the more powerful the effects. Oh, Harry's teeth would be strong and bright for decades. That worked fine.
He just wanted to sing out everything he knew!
"Calvin Moody is moving here soon. Be a good soldier for you, commander."
"Moody sired a son?!"
"Sixtyish. Ugly bugger. Alastor fell in love with a South African princess. She wouldn't move to Scotland, he couldn't stay."
Harry giggled. "Two legs. Two eyes."
"Did Potter get into Aberforth's Atholl Brose? He's drunk!" Snape scoffed.
Harry giggled again and fell asleep.
"Harry had a potion to fix an injury. I didn't realize he was allergic." Sirius apologized.
"Not allergic. Powerful. As Mr Potter is, it acts as a form of Veritaserum. For what it's worth, I am glad that your wife is fine. I'm glad she's safe. I hope she'll be warm enough." The new Headmaster stated without rancor.
"Thank you. I'm sure Molly will be knitting little things soon." Sirius nodded.
Snape took a double-take.
"Should we move the Weasleys here?" Commander Montgomery asked.
The new Headmaster paused. Fred, George, and Ronald Weasley? Snape would gladly pay to get rid of those three!
"Perhaps until this is over. The populace has had ten years of peace. They will not put up with this slaughter for long." Minister Stewart opined. "The Weasleys are known allies if not family to Harry. Yes, they should move. I'm sorry for the loss to Hogwarts."
That Snape contained his glee to a small smile and nod was a tribute to his mind magics.
Sirius took out pairs of mirrors. He had six sets left.
He gave one to Snape and slid the other half over to Harry. Sirius shook him awake gently. "Give this to Emma to monitor."
"Why a muggle?" Severus demanded.
"Emma is a beautiful woman with a small amount of magical power. Enough to brew. Meet your new apprentice. We color her hair, lengthen it. Have her go by her maiden name. Harry?"
"Puckle. Emma Puckle."
"Puckle? That's a wizarding name, alright." Snape agreed.
Harry handed over a draft. "Apprentice fees sir. And you don't have to be in smelling range. You can teach her over the mirror when you are teaching your other apprentices."
Harry meant that Emma didn't have to be in range of HIS breath, but managed not to say so aloud.
Snape expelled his own breath. "Thank you."
Severus sat up straighter and put forth his request, "Now, that that's settled, I'm hoping that I might contract some help from Gringotts for some Ward Smiths to, covertly mind you, bring their expertise towards regaining access to the Hogwarts War Wards. I'm not sure what Dumbledore or perhaps a previous headmaster has done, but the wards are a contorted mess."
Severus looked at Harry. "I had to wear a special bracelet in order to have access to this Keep. No offense meant, Mr Potter, but I highly doubt that a second-year student did that on his own."
"None taken, sir. And I can have my assistant put you in touch with the right people." Harry jotted another note for Katrina.
"We've managed to get rid of most if not all of Albus' charms, hexes, and other machinations. While I am a Potions and Defense Master and can construct wards of my own devising, I'm definitely not a Runes Master nor Wards Smith and neither was Dumbledore! Frankly, I'm surprised they're still functioning at all!" Severus finished with disgust.
"I understand that you can't be seen going in and out of Gringotts right now. I can provide a discreet go-between other than your current one with me." The Minister stated. The new Headmaster's shoulders loosened slightly in relief. He gave a cultured nod of acceptance.
Snape noted that she didn't mention Tonks unnecessarily, nor was she there. Good.
No refreshments were served, and it had gone over time, but overall, everyone thought it had been a productive meeting.
Except for Sirius. Not that he wasn't happy about the unintentional misdirection in case someone was captured. But Harry spoke the truth as he saw it.
Padfoot needed to buy a globe. A good one.
One that had both Aruba and Alaska on it.
It was also time to take Neville aside and let him know about Augusta. They were trying to fool enemies, not allies.
**OO**
Friday, November 6
10:15 AM, HRS Veil of Death/Portal landing zone
Barnabus Cuff landed on the floor of the cell, clearly expecting to be dead, and was put into a group for processing. The muggles were sent on to a door labeled 'Alaska' by a wise-cracking Marauder. A quick obliviate, and they would not remember how they were rescued. Just rescued by Scottish aurors.
The wizard had a different path. Barnabus was brought into Xeno's domain.
The Highland Crier's printing press was already making a second run on the morning paper. They had sold out in less than an hour.
"I'm, so terribly sorry for your death. The loss to the community is incalculable. Are you married? Did you have a will or do we need to make one quickly?" Luna asked,
Again, she was dressed in a basic white tunic, as was her father. Xeno, however, had a very large golden triangle bisected by a wand in the middle of his chest.
Barnabus Cuff was handed a calming potion, but it didn't seem to help much.
He looked around, but walked too close to the printing press. The privacy bubble was just that. A bubble. Inside it were the normal sounds he was used to. Calm and soothing to the long-time editor and majority owner of The Daily Prophet.
"They stole my newspaper!" Cuff complained. "Imperiused me to sell my shares for ten galleons. Then they killed me!"
"I know, I know. But it will get better. You have a choice of destinations, or you can stay here, hidden. You could help write articles for the Highland Crier. Or you can go on. It should be safe to come back by Yule. But you must not be seen in the general population. That would destroy everything. And we are trying to defeat the small group of Dark Lords taking over England. Not all of them are marked. Just blood purists. They also want witches taken out of power positions." Luna shared.
"Parkinson is crazier than Dumbledore." Cuff opined.
"Without doubt. But you really shouldn't stay here in Hogsmeade, sir. You are just too well known." Xeno informed gently.
"I'll go to Alaska. I've always wanted to do some traveling. Then, I'll come back when it's safe and write about all of this. It's a good dream." Barnabus decided, still a little unsure if he was alive or not.
After going through the portal to Alaska, and being handed a tropical drink on a nice wide covered veranda overlooking the blue-green sea?
Dead, definitely dead. But Avalon was far nicer than he thought it would be, and the rum punch fruitier than expected. He had no memories of being tossed through the veil. Just a feeling that others had tried to kill him.
The music was definitely different as well. Was that a steel drum?
**OO**
B/N: Story Recommendations: "Burnt" By: lastcrazyhorn, Found on: FFN
A disabled Harry comes to Hogwarts story. Everyone expects him to be like his dad, but how can he be with such a different past? A Slytherin Harry takes on Hogwarts in an unusual way. Rated: Fiction T - English - Horror/Fantasy
A/N: If you have read a story that you would like to recommend, preferably something not already well known and loved, please recommend it.
Thank you for reading.