Chapter 22
That summer Harry bought the five houses, and the nine of them made such repairs as they needed, and moved in. They made attempts at careers in the wizarding world over the next few years, but everyone seemed afraid of them, particularly of Harry.
The Ministry of Magic sealed their fate one afternoon sending Aurors to 'look after them' as they were 'too valuable to be unguarded'. Harry and Ginny had railed against the Minister of Magic for hours until finally, beaten they left.
That night, we were visited by someone none of us expected. My brothers Fred and George arrived as the nine of us gathered to drink some, dance some and eat a lot. We noticed that as time passed our time together was more precious than the piles of gold in our bank vaults in Gringotts. We didn't need to work, see. The Ministry had given us some very nice settlements, but there's only so much you can do before you are driven mad with idleness.
We traveled quite a bit those first years, any whim and we were taking muggle transport places to see. I never knew such excitement, and joy being at Harry's side traveling as we felt like, returning home when we wanted to. But, back to the story because that's why I am writing, and you are reading.
It was now ten years past the defeat of Riddle, and Harry and I were settling down more and more. Ron and Hermione had moved to India for a few years, and were back for one of their infrequent visits. Susan had eventually gotten over Lisa, and had made several attempts at finding a new lover, she was eventually successful with a lovely young lady a few years ago, but they had drifted apart after Celeste had seen the extent of Susan's raw power. Cho and Justin married just after the war was over, and now had four lovely children (two boys two girls) who scampered and played in our little courtyard, coming and going mixing with Dean and Hanna's three boys. Harry and I had discussed children and had planned on one or two. I was pregnant with our first (it was going to be a boy). Everyone was home, and we were enjoying chatting and drinking when Fred and George came over.
"Well, if it isn't the World's Most Dangerous." Fred smirked.
"Damnit Fred, that's not funny." Harry glowered at my brother.
"No Harry, it's not. For all you nine…" George started.
Susan spoke then "Ten. There are ten of us."
George cleared his throat. "Ah, yes. For all you ten have done for our world, you are finding yourselves ostracized by the very people you gave so much to protect. So, I have come to discuss something with you."
"George. For ten years you have been trying to make us Unspeakables. The answer was no ten years ago, and it remains no. If that's what you are here for, then kindly get the bloody hell out of here." Ron stood facing his brothers.
"Now Ron, don't get your knickers in a twist. Sit down and listen for a minute."
Harry raised his hand to pacify Ron for a minute. "Wait Ron, let's let them talk. Then we'll kick them out." He eyed Fred and George warily. "Make it good" and he sat back down and took a sip of his wine.
Fred sat opposite Harry, and George took up packing behind his brother. "Harry," George began, "there's been some trouble at the Ministry."
Fred and George were recruited into the Auror program in their last year of school, and moved from there rapidly into the Ministry of Mysteries. Since, the twins had been trying to recruit Harry and the rest of the Companions into becoming Unspeakables themselves. They had refused at every turn, and had made it painfully clear that they would continue to say no.
"Well, you know we transported the amber encased death eaters and You-Know-Who from the battlefield to protective storage. They have been checked on once a month since they arrived.
"Last night was the time for the check." his eyes showed he was dead tired.
"Voldemort is gone." Fred said finally. "He's just gone."
"Someone took it perhaps?" Ginny ventured.
"No, we had more wards on that room than the rest of the damn Ministry has." George answered. "Not a single one of them was touched."
Harry sat there with his chin in his hands. "So, what do you want us to do?"
"We want you to track down the body, and return it to us Harry." Fred answered.
Ron spoke up "It's not our problem. Harry killed him for you all last time, do it yourself. Did you know we can't buy food anywhere but at muggle shops now?"
George nodded sadly. "We know. You can't get jobs either. If you go into a pub the place goes quiet, and everyone stares. The only place you aren't feared is at the Burrow and a few select other houses. Even mum and dad are feeling the effects of their sons and daughter part of the infamous Companions."
"There is no need to rehash all this." Ginny physically blocked Harry from the twins "Harry and the rest of us did what we had to do. No more, no less. For gods' sake, one of us was killed, and what did we get? A kangaroo-court trial and a 'don't let the door hit your arse on the way out' handshake from that idiot Bagman?"
"You were all found innocent…" Fred said "besides no one who cares believes that you used Dark Magic. There just is no spell like that amber block thing. Hell Harry can't even do it anymore."
"That's not the god-damned point. We were arrested and hauled in like common criminals. Even if we did use Dark Magic, and we didn't, we spared the agony of living in fear the rest of our lives! How can that even be questioned?"
"Well, we aren't questioning anything, Dean, I'm just saying that Skeeter has some damn compelling articles questioning if the block of amber spell isn't some kind of suspension, and one day he'll just wake up."
Hermione grimaced at the mention of Rita Skeeter, "I should have crushed her."
"No, Hermione, then it would have been murder," Harry sighed heavily, his memories of the seven months following the defeat echoed back unbidden. Harry stood and motioned them to the door. "I'll brook no more discussion on this topic. If you want to be social, stay please. But if you are only going to talk about us like we did all those horrible things, you can go now."
"Harry, please reconsider…"
"Get out." Ginny started pushing her brothers out of the house.
Despite their best efforts to the contrary they started discussing the missing block. By four am they had decided.
Harry took a pinch of powder from the mantle place. "Fred Weasley".
Fred's head managed to appear. "Harry? Bloody hell mate, what time is it?"
"Four am. Fred, we'll do it. Come by tomorrow morning."
"Well, technically it is tomorrow morning – but I'll see you all at breakfast. Make extra, George and I'll be there in time to eat." He yawned. "But right now, I need sleep." His head disappeared with a pop.
Harry turned to the others. The children were all asleep. "So we are settled then? Susan, Ron, Justin, Dean and myself are going, the rest stay?"
The others nodded their assent. "Ok then, breakfast is at Ron and Hermione's tomorrow."
They murmured their goodbyes and collected their children and headed to their homes.
An hour later Harry and Ginny were talking about the events of the night. "I'm not that far along Harry, I can go along."
"I know love, but we are talking with your brother in two hours. I'd rather you were here to help with the kids, and particularly Hermione this could put her over you know." He chuckled.
"Prat, she's not due for another month." She laid her head on his shoulder. "Be careful Harry."
"Aren't I always?"
"Do you really want an answer?"
"Er, no." he responded flatly.
"Yeah, I didn't think so." Her eyes fluttered shut of their own accord.
Harry followed her in moments into sleep. Dreamless and peaceful.
They awoke at seven am to Ron banging on their door. "Come on get up! Those two prats are in my house eating all the bacon!"
Harry roused himself and dressed simply in sweats, he considered letting Ginny sleep, but figured she'd kill him if he did. "Wake up love; it's time to go to breakfast." He kissed her softly.
Her eyes opened, and she smiled at him.
"Ron says that Fred and George are eating all the bacon."
Her grin turned to a frown, "If they have, I'm hexing them into next week!" She tossed on clothes and they walked to Ron and Hermione's house. Tables were set up in the back yard, and they found everyone else there.
Breakfast was mercifully bereft of 'shop talk' and blessedly full of coffee, after a few cups Harry was able to concentrate. He helped Ron break down the tables and stack the chairs in the corner of his porch. The kids were scampering about in the back yard playing with toys. The adults sat under an apple tree enjoying the warm spring day.
"Ok, you got our attention last night. Now, what do you want from us?" Harry asked pointedly.
"Well, as we said it appears that You-Know-Who…" he was cut off by Ron
"Around here we use his name. You can say Tom or Voldemort. We don't hide behind this silly 'You-Know-Who' nonsense. I find no reason to be afraid of someone encased in a half ton of amber for the last ten years." Ron stated, as if to prove his point, their oldest Melissa came over, she was barely eight at the time. "Honey, who did Uncle Harry, put in a big block of amber?"
"Vol, mmm, Voldemort?" she asked tripping up on the word.
Ron hugged her close. "That's right sweetie. Now you run along and play ok? Daddy and Uncle Fred and George need to talk grown-up stuff." He kissed her forehead and she ran off laughing.
"That's sick Ron," Fred turned to Hermione "I can't believe you let him do that."
Hermione pointedly looked at him. "They have nothing to fear from Tom Riddle or whatever ridiculous name he wants to call himself. He's dead. He's been dead for ten years, and he's going to stay dead." The last words were punctuated with a finger in Fred's chest. "Now you two need to grow up and get away from this fantasy that he's going to wake up and take vengeance on the world."
George opened his briefcase and pulled out a file and dropped it on the ground in front of them. The folder was glaring red and written on it in shimmering gold ink were the words 'Dangerous – Secrets Guarded at Utmost Peril'.
"Read it." He reached down and opened the folder.
Sadness gripped the heart of young Dudley Dursley, returning home from his honeymoon early, as he had lost contact with his parents the day before he was supposed to return home.
Petunia and Vernon Dursley were found expired in their home on Number 4, Privet Drive. The cause of death has yet to be determined by the coroner. The police don't suspect foul play, however a strange bit of art was found in their home that Dudley identified as 'something freakish like his cousin Harry Potter might do.' The authorities are still attempting to contact Mr. Potter.
Harry looked at the photo and recognized it immediately. "Someone did a REAL bad job with the dark mark then?"
"Harry, the muggle police are looking for you. They think you killed Vernon and Petunia. Though to be blunt my boy, I'd not wager too many were upset with his passing." Fred looked at them. "I assume you all will collaborate that Harry was with you then?"
They nodded in unison.
"Well then, no doubt you will all be accessories to the murders." George dropped an envelope on the ground. "The documents in there are perfectly legal. You nine are all to remain here unless given other instructions."
Harry bolted to his feet "You miserable son of a bitch. I can't believe you'd go this far. We said we'd track down Voldemort for you, what more do you bloody want from us?"
Fred looked at them. "Sign up, and we'll make sure this disappears."
"How many of us need to sign and for how long?" Harry's voice was bitter and resentful.
"All of you and only until Tom is relocated and returned to his cozy little gem display."
The twins got up to leave. Harry pulled his wand and stunned them both. "No one and I mean NO ONE tries that pitiful trick on me twice." He cast another spell and ropes bound the two.
Ron looked at Harry with one eyebrow raised. "Let's assume for a second that that is not my two obscenely pratty brothers, whom I highly doubt by the way, who do you wager it is?"
"One of them is no doubt Seamus." Harry nudged the closer of the two. "Wakey wakey."
While they waited for the two to regain consciousness and their normal forms, Ginny and Harry went over the plans for the next few weeks. New wards would need to be placed, and Harry had a few plans for the Aurors who were placed to make sure they were kept safe.
Once they had agreed on the plans, Harry bound the two still unconscious people with magical rope and woke them. The two were shocked at first, and then relaxed.
"I know my family and friends better than that you morons." Harry said simply, his wand casually pointed at them. "Now start talking before I decide to feed you to some trolls I know."
Shortly Harry watched as the two transformed into two young men he didn't know. "Now, explain why you were pretending to be Fred and George Weasley."
The young Aurors started talking, telling Harry that they were told to take the Polyjuice potion and to emulate the twins.
Harry laughed at this. "You didn't do a very good job you know. Several important things were missing, but that's in the past. Now, where are Fred and George Weasley?"
"We don't know. They were supposed to meet us this morning, but they never arrived."
Ginny's hand fell on the man's face leaving a large red imprint. "So you callous bastards chose to impersonate my brothers, poorly I might add."
The one who had been struck nodded his answer.
Harry looked at his wrist a second and removed his watch. He placed it on the ground in between them, Ron smirked at this. "Engorgio" the watch expanded so that all could see the time. "I'll give you 15 minutes. Then I'm going to practice some spells that I haven't done in ten years" he let the threat remain unsaid, the icy coldness in his voice and the no nonsense look in his eyes lent weight to his title as the 'World's Most Dangerous Wizard'
They started talking then, everything they knew. Ron looked to Harry and the look spoke volumes. They knew nothing of importance. "Alright you two" Harry flicked his wand and the ropes binding them vanished "let's go take a look at the place where you are keeping our old friends."
He removed the enchantment on his watch and placed it back on his wrist. Harry looked at the two Aurors. "Susan, Ron, Justin, Dean and I are going with you. The rest are staying to watch over the children.
"Oh, and a word to the wise," he leaned towards them to emphasize his point "Hermione and Ginny are pregnant and prone to violent outbursts if their every whim isn't satisfied. Am I making myself clear?"
Ron coughed a couple times, Harry was sure it was to hide a laugh. "Yes Mr. Potter, we understand." Harry noticed Ginny's hand print was fading, but still very visible on his face.
"Well then, I assume you have a portkey so you could take us conscious or otherwise?"
The one Ginny hadn't slap nodded sheepishly, and blushed in embarrassment. "Yes Mr. Potter" he withdrew a small box from his inner pocket and produced a pin for each of them. Harry noted that there were only nine pins.
"What, exactly were you going to do with our children?" A fire burned in is eyes then, and the man withdrew another box filled with muggle suckers.
Ron laughed this time. "You honestly thought our children would take sweets from Fred and George? You are daft."
They pinned on the pins inside their cloaks, and the Aurors showed them how to activate the portkeys. Harry instinctively grabbed the rest of the portkeys and handed them to those remaining behind and handed Ginny the suckers. "Just in case love." Ginny nodded and hugged him.
Harry called the children in and the adults explained that they were going to be gone a few days, but that they would all be back soon. Amidst some tears and fierce hugs, the seven wizards vanished.
They arrived in the apparition point of the Ministry of Magic, and the Aurors instantly regained control of the group. "Come with us then, we'll take you to Seamus…"
"You'll take us to the vault, we'll see Seamus later." Ron cut them off. "Every bloody minute you waste gives whoever took Voldemort that much more time to hide."
The Aurors shrugged and lead the five Companions into the vaults. It took a good fifteen minutes to reach the vault where the twelve death eaters still stood immobile, and unchanged in the last ten years.
"Funny," Harry said his hand on the nearest block of amber, "we traded immortality for a world of peace, and yet they get to remain ageless."
"Yeah, perhaps Harry" Dean said coming up beside him "but they are dead, and I have a lovely wife and children who aren't afraid of seeing the latest list of names of people who have died. Don't pity them."
Harry tried to forget that these humans were encased in the blocks of amber he had placed them in ten years ago. Ron, Justin and Susan were looking at a patch of floor. "Who comes in here?" Ron asked.
"Uh, no one. Why?"
"Someone was in here and no doubt used a portkey to get Voldemort out." Ron was pointing to a set of tracks leading from the door in the light layer of dust on the ground.
Susan was examining the footprints carefully. "They were walking mainly on the balls of their feet, to avoid making noise."
Justin was examining the edges of the spot the amber block had been in "They moved the block a bit, using magic. No doubt a Wingardium Leviosa there's no marks to indicate the stone was forcibly moved." He stared at the marks on the floor, and stood then in the spot where the block had been and turned to where the block would have been facing.
He pulled out his wand and laid it on his outstretched palm. "Show me" he muttered, and the wand rotated to point behind him. His eyebrow raised and he turned around. "Apparently, Tom was taken that way." The wand quivered ever so slightly but remained fixed. "Er, Harry…"
Harry walked over to Justin. "What is it mate?"
Justin nodded in the direction of the tip of the wand. "You know what's in that direction?"
Harry shook his head. "No Justin and I don't have time for games."
"Hogwarts, Hogsmeade, Harry, this is pointing to HOME."
Harry gathered all his energy into a single thought 'HOME' and disappeared. The Aurors that came with them watched as the impossible happened. Harry Potter had Disapparated through their wards.
What followed in the chambers was utter chaos. Fourteen Aurors appeared shortly running and out of breath. Seamus Finnegan was with them "What in the bloody hell is going on down here?" his face was almost purple. Ron noted the last ten years had not been kind to Seamus.
"Harry had to pop home; I do hope you don't mind." He desperately hoped he sounded casual enough to hide the awe he had Harry had simply torn the wards over the Ministry by sheer willpower, no one, not even Dumbledore himself could have done that.
Seamus glared at Ron. "How?"
Ron shrugged unknowingly "How does he do any of this?" his hand gestured at the remaining amber blocks.
"We'll be months, if not years repairing the damage he just created." Finnegan replied sounding highly annoyed, but Ron saw the look of fear cross his face.
Yes, Harry certainly is the World's Most Dangerous Wizard. Ron thought Now we just need to keep him from doing this again.
Harry appeared in the center of the circle of houses, his legs felt weak, but he forced himself to remain standing. He could hear children squealing and laughing behind Ron and Hermione's house, and he rushed in that direction. He found the children and remaining adults there having tea.
"Harry?" Ginny rushed over to him "are you ok?"
"I think I did a bad thing…" Harry mumbled and passed out.
Ginny roused Harry a moment later using a favorite technique. "You know," Harry said between heaves "One day you are going to find out that's poisonous."
Ginny cuffed him on the shoulder "You are the one Disapparating in the middle of the morning looking like you just broke all the wards around Hogwarts, now what did you mean by you doing a bad thing?"
"Well, you are close to the wards thing, but it wasn't Hogwarts…" his voice trailed off as they heard more people Apparating into the cull 'de sac.
"Harry my lad that was a hell of a feat." Ron was positively shaking with laughter. "I swear Seamus is going to have a coronary, and has demanded that you come back and fix the wards."
"Like hell I will." Harry shot back, "it's his fault if the wards around the Ministry are so weak. He should have a team maintaining them."
"Harry," Hermione asked softly, "how did you break the wards in the Ministry?"
Justin laughed. "Harry Disapparated from the secure vaults to here, shattering every ward and anti-Disapparation blocker they had. Harry had no more than vanished when half the building was physically locked up."
"It's not funny Justin." Cho glared at her husband.
"Oh, but my dear it is you should see that twit Finnegan, if anyone ever looked like he was going to explode, it was him." Justin at this point was holding his sides as if to keep from bursting from the laughter.
"Potter!" Roared the unmistakable voice of Seamus Finnegan "what in the nine hells have you done to my Ministry?" He charged around the corner of the house stalking like a stuck pig.
"Why Seamus," Ginny said then "would you like a cup of tea?"
Harry watched the conflict in Seamus's face as he calmed down. "No thank you Mrs. Potter."
He turned to Harry finger already outstretched. "Why Seamus, it's me, Ginny. We were in the same house, stop being so formal." She laid her hand on Seamus's wrist in a comforting manner, and steered him to a seat. Sitting him down and forcing tea and biscuits on him.
"Now whatever Harry has done, I am sure he'll put right. Won't you Harry?" her tone brooked no leeway.
"Yes, I will." Harry looked downcast.
"Now, Seamus why don't you go back to your busy day, and let us discuss a few things?" she smiled at him charmingly.
For a moment Seamus blushed and then in a sudden twist said simply. "Yes, yes I must be going, much to do…" and he rushed around the corner and they all heard the pop of him Disapparating.
Ron stifled a giggle "They could send you to Azkaban for that Ginny."
"Oh shut it Ron, it was the only way to get him out of here." The soft golden aura was even now fading from her.
Harry looked up, and Ginny saw the tears in his eyes from him suppressing laughter. "Oh, I should have gotten a picture of that. It's priceless."
Ginny went over and hugged Harry tight, and whispered in his ear. "If you ever make me do that again, I swear I am going to hex you into next week." This time Harry's face became deadly sober.
"I don't even know how I did it. We were in the basement vaults and Justin had just located the direction that the block had been portkeyed, and it lead to here. All I could think was to get home, and I panicked."
Ron whistled "I'll say mate. But my lovely sister has it right, we have to go back and fix what's left of the Ministry wards. They are damned incompetent if someone can shatter them by Disapparating through."
Harry shook his head. "No, believe me Ron, they were very good. It took every ounce of my willpower to get through them to here."
"Look Harry; Justin, Dean and myself can go set up the wards, you rest for a bit, and join us when you can." Ron said and the three young men strode off.
Ginny lead Harry inside their house, and laid him on the couch. "A quick kip Harry, and then it's off to fix the ministry." She kissed him on the cheek. "We'll be just outside."
Harry drifted off to a deep, dreamless sleep.
The Ministry of Magic – Ten Years Prior
The nine Companions were sitting in a cell designed to keep dangerous criminals under guard until they could be shipped off to Azkaban.
The Aurors stood guard over them day and night, not allowing them any privacy or leniency. They tried to rest, tomorrow their trial started. When the couples split into pairs and murmured softly to one another, Susan joined Harry and Ginny, 'She seemed agitated even more than the rest of them' Harry had thought, 'Like she's holding back.'
They had discussed simply breaking out, but the fight had taken so much out of them, they doubted they could overtake a pack of pre-schoolers let alone the twelve fully trained Aurors.
Ludo Bagman had somehow managed to gain the popular count and replaced Fudge as the Minister of Magic, and his first act as Minister was to order the arrest of 'Harry Potter and his gang' as he had put it.
Harry was convinced then, as now that Bagman had something personal against him, something about losing a lot of money wagering on him in the Tri-Wizard Tournament the year before. Harry didn't care, he had a future ahead of him and it didn't include Voldemort.
The courtroom was filled to overflowing. People were pushing trying to get into the spectator's area, and the Aurors were having a time of trying to control them, finally deciding to exercise the better part of valor, retreated to keep people out of the court area itself.
The court quieted as the judge ascended bench, and the bailiff called the proceedings to order. "This court is assembled to determine the guilt or innocence of Harry James Potter, and the wizards and witches who knowingly and willfully followed him, also known as 'The Companions'." He paused before going on, "the charges include: willful destruction of Hogwarts property, defacing public property, allowing muggles to witness acts of outright magic, willful use of Dark Magic, and treason."
He sat the scroll down. "And anything else we might dig up in the proceedings." This last was said while he glared at Harry. "How plead you?"
Harry stood up and with an impassive face said "Not guilty." He then sat back down. The courtroom buzzed with hushed whispers.
The judge looked at them, and then turned to the prosecutors. "You may begin…"
Hogsmeade – Present Day
Harry woke up to see Caitlyn, Cho and Justin's eldest shaking his arm. "Uncle Harry, you have to come quick, Mum and Auntie Ginny need something."
Harry rolled off the couch and followed Caitlyn out into the back yard of Justin and Cho's house where they kids were playing on the fort that Ron and Harry had helped Justin build the year Caitlyn was born, Justin had been so sure he'd have a boy that they spent all sorts of time building the fort. Harry and Ron still got lots of mileage out of teasing him about it.
Cho and Ginny were standing under the porch looking up, and Harry went over to them. Ginny was holding a jar up to the roof, and had a large greenish bug trapped. Harry grinned wickedly, "Why Mrs. Potter, what have you there?" He reached for the jar, and using some paper managed to bring the jar down with the bug caught, and sealed the jar.
Ginny snickered and Hermione came out with a platter of lemonade and sandwiches for lunch, calling the children to the picnic tables. The adults came along, and were sitting down when Harry handed the jar to Hermione. "Happy birthday Hermione."
Hermione's face grew dark and evil. "Oh, this is precious." She stood and brushed off her hands. "You are never going to write again." She stalked off to the house with the glass jar in hand, and returned wearing her cloak. "Who would like to accompany me to Diagon Alley?"
Harry looked at his watch and kissed Ginny. "I have to go and help re-set the ministry wards, I'll meet you at Flourish and Blots later."
He Disapparated, leaving the rest of the Companions to make their way to Diagon Alley using the portkey they had made. Once in Diagon Alley, they made their way to the Ministry.
The crowd parted for them, though it was one of nervousness rather than admiration and respect. Hermione was looking positively murderous by the time they reached the Ministry offices. They discussed their needs with the Aurors on duty and Ginny saw Harry and the others working on repairing the wards. Already she could tell that the Ministry offices were by far and beyond the rather substantial protection they had had before Harry tore them open, and now they seemed frighteningly formidable.
They passed into the Office of Animagi Control, and waited at the counter for a few minutes until a young witch showed up, "May I help you?"
"We have an unregistered animagi, and wish to prosecute." Hermione said simply.
"Do you know the wear-a-bouts of this animagi?" she asked eyeing the jar clutched in Hermione's hands.
"Oh we certainly do." The young witch seemed to suddenly figure out who they were. "Oh, for heaven's sake, yes we are Companions." Hermione seemed to become flustered. "But really, that has nothing to do with this." She thrust the jar out to the witch.
"The animagi is a bug?"
"Yes, none other than that poisonous bitch Rita Skeeter!" Hermione about shrieked.
The young witch's eyes widened and then narrowed and a smile crept over her face. "That is Rita Skeeter?"
Hermione smile in triumph, "Oh yes, and I want her prosecuted as an unregistered animagi."
The young woman smiled at Hermione, "Oh, I'll make certain of it." She took the jar carefully and muttered a spell, the bug glowed a golden hue, and the young woman smiled with glee. "Oh you have been a naughty bug."
She pulled open a drawer and placed a small clipping about a Hogwarts student who suffered a terrible loss as a child. Hermione skimmed over the article, and realized that the young witch in the article was none other than the woman before her.
Hogwarts: 5 Years After the Fall of You-Know-Who
Young Meranda Veriau came to Hogwarts as was her due, at ten, the young woman's mother and father were killed by the rampages of You-Know-Who, and while she was pretty enough, would find that no one wanted her around.
Her talents certainly didn't match up with her mother or father, both of who were Aurors in the Ministry of Magic. They were part of the forces that were defending Harry Potter and his gang of merry mayhem makers from harm while they prepared for battle with the Dark Lord.
One would think that with parents like hers, her OWLS would be more than the barely-pass kind. But that is what she managed, let's hope for her sake that she will get more NEWTS, as it is this humble reporter's belief that she is not nearly pretty enough to land a husband.
There had been more, Rita had written scathing article after article each one meticulous in that she chose the best way to put the student (and Harry and the Companions) in the worst light possible.
The friends left the office and walked out to watch Harry, Ron, Justin and Dean finish up the job on the wards.
"Now, see if you can manage to keep those wards in place then." Ron said to the Auror nearest him.
The Auror glared darkly at Ron, and then seven friends headed to Flourish and Blotts.