AN: Well, this chapter wasn't finished quite as soon as I'd hoped, but here it is finally! I will finish this fic, I promise, I am not abandoning this story. As always, thank you so, so much to everyone who's stuck with me! Sparkly rainbow hugs to everyone who followed/favorited, and special thanks to everyone who left a review: LightofEvolution, Keke Koorime, Themrs0830, Arendora, Ravsi, colao, Lydia-Rashel, Black Banshee, kayomay, lakelady8425, Hermione Lyra Malfoy-Riddle, I was BOTWP, angelrose85, and guest!
Hope you all enjoy!
Changing Scenery
Chapter 23: Betrayal
"Kingsley, I need a favor." Harry stood in front the Minister's desk, hands clasped behind his back and shoulders straight. He ignored the fact that his boots were still muddy from the forest and probably leaving stains on the carpet.
Kingsley leaned back in his chair. "What kind of favor?"
"I need you to issue an order for the Department of Ministries to turn over files for one of their Unspeakables."
One of his eyebrows went up. "That's a big favor."
"I know."
Kinglsey nodded and then was silent for a moment. "Very well. But this isn't a favor I give lightly."
"I understand."
"Good." He pulled out a fresh sheet of parchment with the seal of the Minister at the top, the ink glimmering in opalescent colors. He quickly wrote out the order, signing it with the same opalescent ink.
Kingsley waited a moment for it to dry before handing it over. Harry read it over quickly and then nodded.
"Thank you, Minister."
Harry returned to the DMLE to give the order to Robards, and then settled in to work, searching for any clue that could lead them to Draco.
When he glanced up again, he realized it was entirely dark and that most of the day Aurors had long since gone home. Harry himself hadn't gotten more than a couple of hours of sleep since Draco had been kidnapped nearly two days ago. His eyes felt gritty and he knew he needed a shower but he couldn't justify going home, not when Draco was out there, back in the hands of a madman. It was late, so late it was probably going on early, and his was one of the few lights left on in the office except for the Aurors working the night shift, their soft voices rippling through the stillness of the air.
"Potter."
Harry looked up to see Robards standing beside his desk. He stood up quickly.
"Sir."
"Go home."
"Sir?"
Robards rubbed a hand over his face. "I am not a mother, Potter, and you are not a child. Go home, take a shower. Sleep. You know the rules, and you know the dangers of working too much."
Harry frowned. "But sir, the longer we wait the higher the chance that Dunham's trail will go cold. We only have two days until the ritual-"
"I am aware, Auror Potter. And several of the Aurors who are scheduled to be here right now are working on the leads we have. You're only going to strain yourself."
"I really think- "
"I don't give a rat's arse, Potter. Go home. That's an order. I swear, between you and Granger I'm going to have an aneurysm someday. If I see you before seven tomorrow morning I will send you home. Understand?"
Harry's frown deepened at the mention of Hermione. "Understood, sir." He bent down to collect some of the files but Robard slapped a hand down on his papers.
"No work. You are going home to rest, not work more. Now get out."
Harry resisted the urge to scowl at his commanding officer. "Yes, sir."
He gathered up his cloak and wand, nodded at Robards, and then left the office. He took the Floo to his flat and then collapsed on his bed, passing out in minutes from sheer exhaustion.
Harry started awake the next morning when his wand alarm went off at half seven. He jolted up in bed, feeling only slightly less tired than he had when he'd gone to sleep. Looking down, he realized that he hadn't actually undressed at all except for his shoes before falling into bed. He flicked his wand to make the alarm stop and then stumbled out of bed into the bathroom. He came out feeling a bit more awake and quite a bit cleaner, his hair messy as ever but no longer oily.
When he arrived at the DMLE a little after eight, the department was busy. Three new reports were on his desk, all of them about Draco's case. He read through them quickly, pausing on the last one. Hastily, he searched through the files on his desk until he came up with the notes from his trip to the clearing. After double-checking it against the new report, he hurried to Robards' office clutching the parchments. He knocked hard on the door.
"Enter."
Harry nearly tumbled into the office. Robards looked up from a stack of reports, eyebrows drawn down in a familiar expression of stress.
"Report, Potter."
"I think I've got their location."
Robards eyes sharpened. "Where?"
"An old Death Eater manor was purchased three months ago forty-three miles from the clearing. The buyer's name was kept private on the sale, but with the order from Kingsley, the DoM turned over their files on the Unspeakable guarding Dunham, and he made a withdrawal of the same amount as the sale from Gringotts the day before the sale went through." Harry handed over the papers with the information.
Robards flipped through them. "Is there any confirmation on the location?"
"Peters went to investigate the house and there were lights on and signs of habitation on the ground floor. There's no floor plan, but it's likely that the manor has a basement where the actual ritual is to be conducted. Peters couldn't get closer than fifty feet to the house due to a defensive spell that circled the entire manor."
"Good work, Potter." Robards stood up and strode around his desk. Harry stepped aside to let him through.
"Attention!"
All activity in the room stopped.
"We have a suspected location on the missing accused, Alfred Dunham. We are launching a recovery team now to apprehend him. The suspect could be armed and dangerous, and he is likely to be in the company of an Unspeakable who could also be armed and dangerous. Alpha, Beta, and Delta teams, assemble in ten minutes."
Harry rushed back to his desk and began getting ready. He pulled on the long black Auror coat that was spelled to protect against offensive spells, fire, and water, and then filled the interior pockets with extra charms and a few knives. While wands were useful, Harry had grown up as a muggle, and he knew the value of having an extra trick up your sleeve, especially when going up against someone as unpredictable as Dunham.
Buttoning up his coat, he went to meet with the rest of Alpha team in the large entrance hall of the department. By the time Robards appeared, everyone had assembled, divided into three groups. Each team was made up of ten Aurors, each selected to carefully complement the abilities of the other Aurors in the group. Each group was designed to be self-sufficient when acting as a unit.
Robards took a position facing the three groups, wearing a nearly identical black coat, though his had the three maroon stripes on the sleeves that marked him as Head Auror. After briefing them on the situation, Robards gave out assignments.
"Right. Alpha team, you're on entry. Your main goal is to find Dunham, Malfoy, and the Unspeakable. Dunham and the Unspeakable are both to be taken into captivity. Lethal force is not authorized. Malfoy is to be retrieved, but he may not be in a position to be moved. A message has been dispatched to St Mungo's for a medic to be on standby once the site is secure. Beta team, you're on defense. Watch the perimeter, make sure there aren't any surprises waiting for us. Delta, you're on escape watch. Everyone clear?"
A chorus of "Yes, sir" resounded through the room.
"Good. We'll be Apparating from the Atrium. Peters, coordinates."
Peters, who'd done the reconnaissance on the mansion and was also head of Beta team, stepped forward and gave out the coordinates for the Apparition location and a rough description – a field far enough from the house to avoid detection.
"The jump is about one hundred miles," Peters said. "And be careful on the landing, because it's likely to be damp." Information given, he stepped back to join his group.
"Thank you." Robards looked around at all of them. "Good luck."
With that, he led the way up to the Atrium, taking the stairs rather than waiting for the notoriously slow lifts that would never have been able to fit all thirty of them anyway.
The Atrium was busy, but people moved out of their way quickly once they saw the Auror robes. Several attendants stepped forward and moved people to the side to clear a space for their group to Apparate. Beta team Apparated first to make sure the perimeter was secure. The crack of ten people Disapparating at once was deafening, echoing off the marble walls.
After five minutes, Harry and the rest of Alpha team Disapparated, following the traces of the previous group.
They landed in a field surrounded by low hills, the sky an unfriendly gray. The roof of the mansion was just visible over the rise of one of the hills. A cold breeze whipped through the air, biting into Harry's face and hands. He stuck his left hand into his pocket, keeping his wand out and ready in his right. Beta team was already gone, off checking the perimeter. Only two Aurors, Binker and Sage, had remained behind to guard the Apparition point. Harry and the rest of Alpha team moved out of the way, leaving room for Delta to Apparate in behind them.
They waited in silence until Delta team Apparated in, their appearance nearly soundless except for the outrushing of air. Robards, who'd Apparated with them, immediately went over to Binker and Sage. He talked with them quietly for a moment before nodding and climbing up the hill that closest to the mansion, flattening himself down to look.
Meanwhile, Delta walked over to join Alpha. Beaumont, the lead Auror of Delta, came over to stand by Harry since he was in charge of Alpha. Harry nodded at him and then they both took up ready stances.
Robards came down from the hill after watching for a few minutes, and then pulled out a small glass globe from an inner pocket of his robe, the silver mist inside swirling. He tapped it with his wand and then held it up to his ear to listen. After a moment he put the globe away, the mists now still, and then strode over to Harry and Beaumont.
"Peters reports that there are quite a few protections scattered around the perimeter and on the house itself. Beta has disabled all but the ones attached specifically to the house. We don't want to alert Dunham that we're here until the last moment."
Harry nodded.
"Any way of telling if both Dunham and the Unspeakable are armed?" Beaumont asked.
Robards shook his head. "No. But assume they are." Robards turned to face the rest of the Aurors who all immediately snapped to attention with only a rustle of fabric. He pitched his voice low, just loud enough for everyone to hear without the sound carrying beyond the low hills ringing them.
"Beta reports that there are at least two people inside, probably Dunham, Malfoy, and the Unspeakable. The magical defenses have been disabled but be on your guard. Dunham's almost certainly started on his ritual and I don't need to remind any of you of the dangers of disturbing a magical work in progress. Aside from that we're going in blind, so have your shields ready. As soon as Peters gives the word that Beta is in position we'll be going in. Any questions?"
Harry's heart lurched when Robards said Malfoy's name, but he ruthlessly pushed back any thoughts or emotions that could impair his focus. He couldn't afford to be distracted, not with Malfoy's life on the line.
No one asked any questions, and so they stood in silence, Robards holding his glass sphere. The silver mists were still for long moments as Harry stood, listening to the wind and wondering if the whistling of the breeze was masking the sound of Malfoy's screams.
Finally, the mists inside the sphere started swirling and Robards held it up to his ear. He nodded sharply and then tucked it away again inside his robes.
"We're ready. Alpha, on my mark, you're on breach. Delta, Anti-Apparition wards. Right." Robards paused, waiting. "Now."
Harry and the rest of Alpha moved quickly over the hill, wands up. The mansion immediately loomed large, towering over the surrounding countryside, bleak and decrepit. He felt the rush as the Anti-Apparition wards went up and he knew that the wizards inside the house would have felt it as well. He started running, the rest of Alpha following his lead.
The front door was only a hundred yards from the hill but the run there felt like some of the longest seconds of his life.
When they reached the door, Harry took up position in front of it, Aurors flanking him on each side. He nodded at them and then cast Alohomora, surprised when the door swung open. Immediately the wizard at his right cast Protego, covering the three of them as they went through the door, the rest of Alpha following. Harry didn't have to look to know that the last three would be watching their backs.
The door opened into an empty foyer, the floor tiled in cracked marble. Shadowed columns rose toward the ceiling in two rows to either side, hallways leading off to the right and left with a staircase sweeping upstairs straight ahead. Harry cast Homenum revelio, moving his wand in a wide arc. Two signatures flickered faintly to the right. Harry pointed silently and then led the way down the right-hand hallway.
They moved quickly, steps soft. Harry strained his ears, trying to hear anything, any indication of what they were walking into, but the house was eerily silent. Halfway down the hall they reached a door where the human signatures flickered more strongly. Light spilled from the gap beneath the door. No noise came out, but it was entirely possible there was a muffling spell in place.
Harry looked back at the other Aurors, their faces all set in identical lines of focus. He used hand signals to indicate the plan, then stepped back, allowing the two Aurors who'd been flanking him to take his place. As one, they burst through the doors while the two Aurors behind them stepped through in their wake, casting Stunning spells simultaneously.
Harry came through afterward with two more Aurors, the final three remaining in the hall to stand guard. Vinkelhorn, one of the Aurors who'd gone through first, was on the ground, his leg bleeding heavily. Dunham had been caught by one of the Stunners and was frozen awkwardly on the ground, face pressed against the threadbare carpet.
The Unspeakable had managed to deflect the first round of Stunners and was pressed against the far wall, wand out in front of him. His face was twisted up into something between hatred and fear. Harry frowned. Even though it was possible he was under the Imperius curse, he seemed very aware of himself.
Harry was the first to break the stalemate.
"Stupefy!"
"Stupefy!"
"Impedimenta!"
"Protego!"
"Locomotor mortis!"
"Crucio!"
"Expulso!"
"Stupefy!"
Though clearly a skilled duelist, the Unspeakable was no match for six fully trained Aurors. The final Stunner caught him as he tried to dodge the Expulso curse, sending him crashing to the ground. One of the Aurors stepped up to bind him, conjuring ropes and sending them winding around his hands and ankles tighter than was strictly regulation, but Harry wasn't about to call him out. Another bound Dunham, who was still Stunned but starting to fidget, and a third went over to Vinkelhorn to help staunch the blood and heal him enough so that he wouldn't bleed out before they could get him to a proper Healer.
Harry took all this in as he scanned the room, wand still out and ready. He examined the room, noting the many books and papers scattered around, along with quite a few phials and bottles filled with nasty-looking things. But there was no sign of Draco.
He pulled out a small glass globe filled with silver mist from his pocket, identical to the one Robards carried. After tapping it with his wand and murmuring Robards name, he started speaking into it, the mists spinning faster with each word.
"Dunham and the Unspeakable both in custody. One Auror down, Healer required. No sign of Malfoy, search in progress."
He tapped his wand against the globe again to send the message.
Message sent, Harry cleared his throat, catching the attention of the other Aurors in the room. "Secure the room and the prisoners. Get the Healer from St. Mungo's here and make sure there's nothing nasty waiting for him outside. Eliander, Rasten, with me."
A chorus of nods and sirs met his orders. Eliander and Rasten paused in their work of examining the room to join him by the door.
"We're going to search for Malfoy. Stay alert, there might be traps," Harry told them.
He exited the room with Eliander and Rasten following. He nodded at the three Aurors guarding the door, knowing they'd heard his orders. They nodded back respectfully and then returned to their watch.
He knew a simple Homenum revelio wouldn't show them Malfoy's location. Hermione had told him once that that spell didn't work on anything with non-wizard blood. Well, she'd started by ranting about how the Ministry was a bunch of old-fashioned, racist speciesists who had no understanding of genetics, but what he'd remembered was that something like a troll or a giant or a Veela wouldn't show up if that spell was cast.
Thoughts of Hermione very nearly jarred him out of his focus. He'd managed to avoid thinking about her for nearly a day, too concerned with finding Malfoy before Dunham did something horrible to him. But of course she's probably concerned too. Probably worried out of her mind, because she's his mate too.
Harry gripped his wand tighter and ignored the sick feeling in his stomach at the thought of Hermione sitting in her flat, worried and alone. He couldn't think about that. He shook his head and pushed forward.
They continued down the hall, but the amount of dust they stirred up from the carpet practically ensured that Draco wasn't being kept in one of the rooms they passed, though they checked every one. When they reached the end of the hallway they turned around.
"Right, let's check the other hall," Harry said.
When they crossed from the foyer into the left-hand hallway, he could feel the difference immediately. Something shimmered in the air and Harry froze, casting a detection spell. It revealed a web of spells and traps filling the corridor – if he'd taken another step forward he would have been caught in a particularly nasty jinx. Behind him, Eliander cursed.
"Bugger me."
Harry agreed. It would take days, maybe even weeks, to dismantle that many curses and jinxes, especially without knowing how they were layered or what to expect if they accidentally triggered one. They'd need to get an experience cursebreaker, possibly more than one. Theoretically there would be a way to dissipate them all at once, but that way was usually known only to the wizard who set the spells and there was no way to know whether that was Dunham or the Unspeakable. And in the meantime, Draco could be suffering horribly somewhere in there.
"This could be a distraction," Harry said, though he sounded unconvinced even to his own ears. "Let's check the rest of the house."
It didn't take long to check the rest of the manor and confirm what Harry already knew. The two upper floors were almost entirely undisturbed and the way some of the floorboards creaked beneath them as they checked all the rooms made it clear why they hadn't been used. Back on the ground floor, the kitchen was empty though there were signs of use, and the basement proved to be empty as well except for a few rats that scurried away at the sound of their footsteps.
When the three of them made their way back up to the ground floor from the basement they found Robards and the rest of Alpha standing in the foyer. Dunham and the Unspeakable were kneeling, restrained, with three Aurors guarding each of them. The Healer from St. Mungo's had arrived and was standing beside Robards talking quietly.
Harry strode up to Robards, who broke off his conversation with the Healer.
"Report."
"The upper floors and basement are clear. We believe that Malfoy is being held in that hallway, and that is likely where the ritual preparations are." Harry pointed to the left-hand hallway. "A detection spell revealed an extensive set of traps and curses, the number and severity of which make attempting to dismantle the curses immediately unwise." The detection spell had worn off, so the traps no longer glowed, but Harry could still feel a sort of wrongness now that he was attuned to it.
Robards grimaced and then strode over to the hallway, not stepping beyond the foyer. He cast the same spell Harry had and the hallway lit up in shades of silver. Robards stared at the pattern for a long moment.
"We'll have to call in a cursebreaker," he finally said, concurring with Harry's private assessment. "Unless we can get the key out of one of those two," he added softly, his gaze flicking back to Dunham and the Unspeakable for a moment.
Harry couldn't help but think that such a complex series of spells would have been difficult to construct for someone under the Imperius curse, not to mention dangerous, though perhaps he was underestimating their abilities. He looked over at the two prisoners to find the Unspeakable glaring at him. His murderous look was quickly wiped away as though it had never been, but Harry didn't forget it.
Robards left Beta behind to guard the manor while Delta, Alpha, the Healer, and the prisoners returned to the Ministry. Vinkelhorn was taken to St. Mungo's after being patched up by the Healer, who then checked over Dunham and the Unspeakable, but the only thing he could confirm was that both of them were fairly healthy. He couldn't tell them if one of them was under the Imperius curse.
"We still don't have a spell for that, unfortunately," he said regretfully. "And of course there's no counter-spell."
Robards thanked him and then sent him back to St. Mungo's.
Dunham and the Unspeakable were thoroughly searched and then taken down to the holding cells and placed under heavy guard. The search revealed that both Dunham and the Unspeakable had wands. The Unspeakable's was his own, but Dunham's was apparently stolen.
Robards called Harry into his office once the prisoners were under lock and key and both teams had been debriefed.
"Sir," Harry said, entering the office.
"Sit down." Robards gestured at one of the chairs in front of his desk with his wand, simultaneously closing the door. Once Harry was seated, Robards cast a Muffliato.
Harry waited silently for Robards to begin.
"No option is good, you know."
Harry didn't pretend not to know what he was talking about.
"No, sir."
"We can try ordering both of them to release the other from the Imperius curse, but we'd have to give them wands, and even then, unless they meant it, it wouldn't work."
Harry hesitated for a moment before giving voice to the thought that had been niggling inside his head since the fight at the manor. "I don't think the Unspeakable is under the Imperius."
Robards raised an eyebrow. "Explain."
Harry hesitated again. "It's just a feeling, sir. During the fight and then later in the hall, he just seemed to be too…emotional. He wasn't acting like someone who was being told what to do."
"That's difficult to prove," Robards pointed out.
"I know." And he did. People could act absolutely normally while under the Imperius curse, right up until they were ordered to do something, but something about the way the Unspeakable had been acting didn't sit right.
"So you believe Dunham is under the Imperius curse?"
"Maybe. But he could just be mad."
"Perhaps." Robards was silent for a moment before adding, "The Minister has given permission to use Veritaserum."
Harry frowned. "Would that really accomplish anything? Aren't Unspeakables given training to resist Veritaserum?"
"They are. But we can use it on Dunham."
After their talk, Robards had sent Harry home with a warning not to return until the next morning when they would interview Dunham with the Veritaserum.
He didn't sleep more than a couple hours, plagued by nightmares of Draco ensnared in glowing spells that burned his skin as he tried to fight his way free. He arrived at the Ministry at seven o'clock, knowing that Robards would already be there even though it was a Sunday.
When he got to the DMLE, only a couple other Aurors from the day shift had arrived, but the light was on in Robards' office. Stopping only to leave his cloak at his desk, Harry quickly made his way to his office.
"Come in," Robards said when Harry knocked.
Robards looked up from the paperwork he was filling out. He took in Harry's appearance from head to toe. Harry wasn't sure what he saw and his face didn't change.
"Right. Let's go then."
He and Robards took the lift down to the holding cells in silence. When they reached the correct floor, they stepped out into a cold hallway of dark stone. They walked through twisting halls until they reached a dead end practically bustling with people.
Six Aurors in thick robes stood guard over the two cells containing Dunham and the Unspeakable. They were separated by four cells and a silencing spell had been cast over the cells, a fact which became obvious when Harry walked over to Dunham's cell to see him sitting in the corner, muttering to himself, though no sound emerged. The rest of the cells in the hallway were empty.
In addition to the Aurors, a serious young witch and a slightly older but equally serious wizard both in deep purple robes stood off to the side. Harry recognized them as being part of the department that monitored controlled substances, including Veritaserum. The witch was carrying a small case that nearly pulsed with protective spells.
"Birchvale, Fawley," Robards said, nodding at the two of them.
They both nodded back, faces impassive.
Robards turned to Dunham's cell.
Dunham hadn't acknowledged their appearance in any way. It was entirely possible he hadn't noticed. Robards nodded at the three Aurors standing guard. They took up offensive positions in front of the cell, one to each side and one directly in front, wands raised. The two to the sides cast a nonverbal spell simultaneously, unlocking the door.
There was a tense moment where everyone waited to see if Dunham would make a break for it, but he didn't even look up. Robards entered with his wand drawn and Harry followed him, trailed by the purple-robed wizards. Once the four of them were inside, the door to the cell clanged shut.
The noise finally seemed to draw Dunham's attention and he glanced up. He looked surprised to see them all standing there despite the fact that Robards was practically on top of him in the small cell.
Robards quickly restrained Dunham, though he didn't Stun him.
The wizard in purple robes then stepped forward, pointing his wand at Dunham. Whatever he did caused Dunham to begin panting for breath and coughing. The witch darted forward with surprising speed, tipping three drops of Veritaserum onto Dunham's tongue before stepping back. The wizard cast another spell that clamped Dunham's mouth and nose shut. Harry could see that his nostrils were pressed closed.
Dunham made horrid sounds, his eyes rolling wildly, before they all saw his throat convulse, causing the spell to dissipate. He took in great gasps of air once he could breathe freely.
Harry didn't particularly like their method of forcing Dunham to ingest the serum, but it was effective.
Robards immediately began questioning Dunham.
"What is your name?"
Dunham winced for a moment before choking out his reply. "Alfred Dunham."
"What color is your hair?"
"Brown."
"What house were you sorted into at Hogwarts?"
"Ravenclaw."
"When did you first go to Carrow Manor?"
Harry had a brief, horrible vision of the ghosts of the Carrows standing over Draco, watching him suffer and laughing.
"Two days ago."
"Were you accompanied by anyone?"
"Yes."
"Who?"
"A wizard."
"What did he look like?"
"He has black hair and brown eyes. He's tall."
The description described the Unspeakable fairly well.
"What is his name?"
Dunham scowled. "He never told me."
"Why?"
"I don't know."
"What were you doing at Carrow Manor?"
Dunham's eyes lit up. "Seeking the truth. Proving that my theories are correct, showing that wizards can be yet greater, that we are the superior species."
Harry hid a grimace. That was the trouble with Veritaserum. It only made someone answer what they believed to be true.
"Did you have help?"
"The wizard. He told me that I was right, that he believed in me, in my work. He helped me find subjects. He told me they didn't matter, that the truth was all that mattered. The truth is all that matters. He knew. He understood."
"What did he understand?"
"He understood the value of my work! He was certain the ritual could be completed! He knew that it just needed the right subject, the right ingredients."
"Did he tell you to do anything?"
"He told me to continue my work. He told me that I had to keep it secret, that others wouldn't understand. They don't. They don't understand. He told me that if I revealed the secret I had to keep the secret."
With that, he lunged for Robards, but the restraints around his ankles tripped him and he fell, tumbling to the stone floor. Robards took a large step backward, very nearly colliding with Harry, and pulled out his wand. Dunham started wiggling forward, still going for Robards, a blank look on his face.
"Stupefy."
Robards nodded his thanks at Harry.
"Well, that explains a few things."