Chapter 28

"Mr. Potter the death toll hit 250 this morning, what is the auror department doing in response to this heinous attack?"

It had been two days since the attack on the Quidditch World Cup, and the international community, as well as of course the British community were in a frenzy. Before Harry could answer the question another question came in heavy handed, "Reports say that you are responsible for over three dozen of those confirmed kills, but the Minister of Magic took away the aurors right to lethal force. Will the Ministry be leveling charges against you sir?"

Daphne was sitting in the visitor gallery watching the press attempt to crucify Harry in the conference that had been called for by Kingsley. She could tell the last question irritated her boyfriend when his knuckles turned white from his grip on the podium, "It has been long known that any witch or wizard regardless of profession has the right to defend themselves in a life or death situation with any means necessary. My best friend, and partner died in my arms, so any action I took against the threat against us was well beyond justified. As for what my department is doing-"

A wizard in the front stood shouting, "There were no survivors of the ICW task force that was assigned to help us in our moment of need. Why did they turn on us?"

Harry took a deep breath clearly trying to control his frustration, "It is the auror department's belief that Captain Jason Jackson hand selected a group of mercenaries that were looking to target the British people and some of our nations higher profile citizens. We do not believe the agents killed were ICW Aurors and Hitwizards with the exception of Captain Jackson. There is a joint task force being put together to look further into how this happened, but right now we don't have an available answer."

Daphne took a deep breath hoping her boyfriend would not start cursing the media at any moment. It had been a very rough few days for their friend group, and the Minister had not helped by calling this press conference so soon after the attack. There were still so many questions, and not a lot of answers to go around.

Daphne hadn't heard the question, but Harry looked pained, "I have not spoken with the Wizengamot on what is to come, but with the Bones line now officially being gone from the world I am sure a new family will be honored with the selection in the next meeting. Please keep further questions about auror involvement as I do not have any details on what the Wizengamot will decide."

The young healer wanted to scoff that someone had been insensitive enough to pose such a question, but did nothing as she watched her boyfriends patience slowly ebb away when Rita Skeeter stood up and asked, "Director Potter the people of Britain are scared. We have never seen such a devastating attack on our country even during the last Blood War. What is the auror department going to do to keep us safe, when clearly the head of the department is one of the primary targets?"

The room went silent with that question, and Harry blinked hard while staring at the woman for a long moment before speaking, "These men and women that are targeting prominent British Citizens are no less cowardly than the ones my friends and I defeated five years ago. They are still wearing masks. They know the world would not tolerate this sort of open defiance of the status quo, and that is why they hide. That is why they are paying mercenaries to get their hands dirty instead of facing us on honorable terms. I offer the challenge to any out there that wishes to take more British lives to come and face me themselves, but these cowards will not accept. They will operate in the shadows for as long as they can. In the meantime my department will work on illuminating these threats and snuffing them out. If that means throwing them in the deepest darkest security hole in the world then that is what we will do. My department will show strength, and resilience in the face of adversity, and I promise the citizens of Britain that as long as there's breath in my body I will do everything I can to protect our people...No further questions please. Good day everyone."

A flurry of questions flew towards Harry as he motioned for Daphne to join him, and Kingsley took the podium back trying to wrangle the crowd that still apparently wanted to badger the head of Magical Law Enforcement. When Daphne took his arm they strolled out of the media conference area, and into a private room that led to the auror offices.

Harry let out a deep breath as they walked through the lobby, and Daphne rubbed his back gently, "That could've been worse."

"It could've been better too. If they could've just given me a few days to find more answers. It doesn't help that I had half a dozen people turn in their resignations yesterday. Susan was a powerhouse, and they know if it can happen to her then none of them may be safe." Harry explained frustration etched into his voice.

Daphne shook her head, "I can't believe they would just quit. After everything."

"These were the untested. They put on the uniform because we were in a peaceful time. The first sight of that changed, and they jumped ship. I can't say I am really surprised, just disappointed." Harry said with a sigh.

Before Daphne could respond to that Amanda, Harry's assistant, came around the corner, "Boss the new applicants are in the lobby."

Harry's eyebrows rose at this, "New applicants? Shouldn't Proudfoot or Jones be dealing with that?"

Amanda offered her boss a sad smile, "I think you will want to meet these personally sir."

The head of Magical Law Enforcement frowned at his assistant as she walked back towards the lobby, and Harry shook his head, "Come on I will tell them to make an appointment."

Daphne nodded as she was led by the hand to the front of the aurors office, and when they went through the door that would lead to the lobby Harry stopped at the door in confusion. Daphne couldn't yet see what he saw, but when he released her hand and walked slowly forward she heard the question, "What's all this?"

When Daphne stepped into the room Hannah, Cho, Luna, Hermione, Neville, Ron, and Dean Thomas were all congregated around in a semi circle until Harry had walked in. They all turned to him, and Neville was the first to speak, "We heard you had six quit on you this week. We are here to bolster the numbers back up."

Harry stared at the group for a long moment before shaking his head, "No, no, this isn't going to happen. You all have other responsibilities to attend too. You need to be out there doing what you all want to do."

Ron shrugged at his words, "Yeah we tried all that, and it's great, but we hate to leave a job unfinished."

Daphne was moved by their words on Harry's behalf. It quickly became apparent that she was only one however, because her boyfriend did not look amused in the slightest. "Guys I really appreciate what you are trying to do, but it's not happening. My department is going to handle this."

Dean gave the man a slight grin, "Well we all quit our jobs earlier, so it would be a real bummer to be turned down at this point. I can assure you we are all qualified. We had a great teacher."

Harry shook his head, "You guys didn't really quit all your jobs did you?"

Cho was the one that responded to that, "Oh we definitely did. Was quite a shock to my boss, but I told them I hoped to return one day."

Luna however shrugged with a smile towards her friend, "I am my own boss, so it is kind of hard to quit myself."

"This is crazy. I thought we had all agreed you lot needed to move on with your life." Harry said clearly, getting angry.

.

Hannah stepped forward and got in his face matching his angry tone, "Yeah we tried that Harry, and now Susan is dead."

Whatever anger Harry had Hannah's words took the wind right out of it as he just stared at her. Hannah balled a fist in her hand saying, "None of us should've walked away. We all should've enlisted for a few more years to make sure the transition to peace would be uninterrupted. We have a lifetime to pursue our dreams, but they aren't worth aspiring to if everyone in this room is not there to see them come true."

Tears were in the girl's eyes at this point, and Harry immediately brought the girl into a hug as the dam broke, "We should've been there. All of us. We should've been there for her."

Tears pricked at all the eyes in the room, and Neville came and put a hand on Harry's shoulder while his fiance still sobbed into his best mate's shoulder, "She's right. So let's make a deal Harry. We quit when you quit."

Harry looked shocked at the man while Hermione offered him a sad teary smile, "We are with you Harry, and we always have been. We know this isn't the life you wanted though."

Ron in agreement said, "Let's finish this once and for all. Then train the next batch of recruits before letting Savage or Proudfoot have the job. You have earned your retirement from fighting Dark Wizards."

Dean spoke next, "I'm doing this for Seamus too mate. You guys always knew the threat wasn't completely over. He talked about it from time to time. Always knew there had to be some monster lingering in the closet. Let's bring it out, and live our lives the way they would've wanted us too."

"No more deputy badges. Let's make it the real deal. Let's hunt down the bastards who paid those mercenaries. There has to be a money trail somewhere we can find. Trace this back to the cause, and root it out by the stems." Neville said fiercely.

"I've already been making a suspect list." Hermione offered helpfully, "There aren't many families that could've afforded this sort of operation."

Hannah turned to Daphne at this point, "Susan really loved you like a sister. She trusted you, and I believe the rest of us can too."

Daphne swallowed hard knowing there was going to be a continuity to that statement but managed to get out, "She was turning into a sister for me too, but why-"

"Because you could help us narrow down this suspect list." Hermione answered back.

Harry looked at his friends with interest, "You think Malfoy was involved in this somehow?"

Hermione bit her lip before shaking her head, "Honestly not really, but his family is among the few that could've had the contacts or the resources to put something like this together. A lot of Malfoy family heirlooms hit the market about a month ago before all this kick started. It's possible he was compounding resources, but it would be nice to scratch that name off our list."

Without hesitation Daphne accepted, "Whoever did this to Susan needs to pay. I will make discrete inquiries. There is also something you should all know. Whoever is behind all this I think Gretchen Bullstrode might be involved somehow."

The group looked at her in confusion, while Ron asked, "Your supervisor at the hospital? What makes you think that? She has treated some of us before you know. Never seemed to be much of a supremacist."

"Her family was, and I think...I think Susan killed Millicent." Daphne said, looking to Hannah for confirmation.

The look on her face said it all though, and Daphne sighed, "I was always afraid to ask. I never really wanted to know if it was true or not. I suspected from little hints both of them had dropped, but-"

"Healer Bulstrode definitely never operated on Susan either." Harry said with a tone she didn't recognize.

Neville then asked, "What's your suspicion of her anyways? Aren't your family's long-time allies? She trained you to be a healer right?"

"We are, and until we all became friends I think she saw me as another daughter. A few nights before the Cup though she warned me not to go. She said she was trying to just discourage the company I keep, but now I think it was something more. She came to me in the middle of the night in her Wizengamot robes. It was the first time I have ever addressed her as Lady Bulstrode, and she addressed me as Lady Greengrass. I thought she was just displeased with my house flipping to the Potter Alliance, but by the time we were done talking she seemed to genuinely not want me to be there."

Harry and the others frowned at this, and Hannah said, "That can't be nothing."

"What do we know about the Bulstrode family since the end of the war?" Ron asked inquisitively.

Neville shook his head, "Lady Bulstrode has been in the chair since the end of the war. Lord Bulstrode and all the heirs were killed at some point in the final days of the war. To my knowledge their accounts weren't levied by Gringotts though so any outstanding fortune they may have had was likely still in contact."

"You guys don't really think she is behind all of this do you?" Daphne asked with worry etched into her voice.

"All of it, no, not even in the prime of the Bulstrode house would they have had the financial backing to assemble the type of allies Susan and I fought at the world cup, but that doesn't mean she doesn't have a hand in it. She lost more than most in the last war to my friends in particular." Harry said with a morose voice.

Hermione sighed, "Well at least we have a few starting points. Daphne see what you can find out about where Draco's new found money has been going, and we will begin digging back into the Bulstrode family, and who she may have been meeting with over the past few months."

"Susan would've been really happy to see everyone working together like this. Looks like the gang's back together." Harry said with a sad smile on his face, "Someone please let Amanda know that I will need all of your applications on my desk tomorrow morning. I will get them approved immediately. Hannah, Cho, Dean, you three never went through the academy, so I am going to have to give you a crash course. We will start that tomorrow."

A series of hugs followed Harry's words, and when it was over Daphne and Harry were departing in the Ministry elevator. When it was just the two of them he took a deep breath before saying, "I don't deserve them. I never did, but I am grateful. I didn't know how I was going to do it without her, and now...it all seems possible."

Daphne didn't say anything to his words as they exited the building and apparated back to his flat. Daphne had spent the past few days here since they had lost Susan. She partially wanted to just keep an eye on Harry, and another part of her could only see her friend's lifeless body every time she closed her eyes. It was like reliving the Post Traumatic Stress from the battle of Hogwarts all over again, and she feared solitude because of that.

Harry and Daphne had spoken extensively on the three legendary items he had acquired during his time of the war. It had taken many hours of conversation for her to truly understand the history, the meaning, and of course the responsibility his title came with. It admittedly didn't take as much convincing as perhaps it should have. After all his cloak alone was a magical marvel. Not a single ruin other than a strange mark that Harry explained was the sign of the Deathly Hallows. His relation to the three brothers from the fairy tale she had grown up on was fascinating, and she understood his reluctance to wield such a power publicly. Knowing the size of the coming threat they faced though she understood why he reached for them now in what could be a desperate hour of needed strength.

Harry offered her a slight squeeze of the hand as he separated from her, breaking the train of thought that she had been on. She watched the young man walk quietly around the apartment when she swallowed a lump that appeared in her throat as she stepped towards him in the kitchen, "Harry...do you think I should join the aurors?"

He looked up sharply from that, "What?"

"All our friends are joining the aurors right now to help out with this coming conflict. You once told me that if I ever wanted a change of careers to become a battle auror medic to look no further than your own department. Tracey is going to be a trainee healer in just a matter of weeks, and with her several others will join the department. If there was ever a time to exit, and help it's now." Daphne said finding confidence as she spoke.

"I admire your willingness to help Daph really, but you love your job at Saint Mungos. Do you really want to give that up?" Harry asked carefully.

"My friends are all putting their lives on hold. I don't think I can quite look myself in the mirror until I make the type of sacrifice the rest of you are. I have my whole life to become the greatest healer to ever live. Plus this will give me sometime to research more of my family's bloodcurse. Something our very generous friends said they would let me look through their libraries for. I can't very well date you, be an overworked healer, and research the cure for a blood curse, and be effective in all three. Something has to give." Daphne said with a knowing grin as his eyes widened.

"Well I assure you the pay of an auror is better than just decent. You could join up with the other three. You've got the power to make it for sure." Harry said, giving her a smile, "If you're sure."

"I think I will disappoint a few people, but Hannah is right. Dreams are only worth achieving if everyone in the dream is there to see it come to fruition...I don't want to lose you and have one of the others deliver the news to me. We all fight together, and win together." Daphne said coming nose to nose with the man.

His eyes were pulsing green as she stared into them, and an emotion she had never seen was written on his face. When he grabbed her around the waist and pushed his lips to her she immediately knew what it was too.

(A/N) Alright guys, that was three chapters in 3 weeks. Let's get back to our normally scheduled programming before I catch up with myself, and you all get stuck waiting on a chapter for months! Next update is going to be due on January 12th, but not to worry you are all going to get at least one more update from me on my other works before the year is over. If you don't read my other stuff then I hope you all had a Merry Christmas and have a prosperous New Year.

Now in other news! I have picked up a new beta for this story. I apologize for the late accreditation because BobKey12 has been helping me the last three chapters, and I think he is doing a great job, so a huge thanks to him!

Also I am planning to release some early content in the New Year, so if you want to gain early access to chapters please join me over their on discord. The link will be below, and all you will have to do is delete the spaces because Fanfiction breaks all url links! That is all I have for this week, and I can't wait to bring you all so much more content in the New Years. Cheers my friends, and until next time!

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