Black Dawn – Book 2 (Exodus)
Chapter 1
They arrived at the circle of houses, and noticed there were more Aurors than the usual guard. A quick glanced showed two standing at each doorway, and six bearing down on them. "Hold your hands out!" one of the younger Aurors shouted at them.
With a shrug the trio held their hands out palms facing the advancing Aurors. Harry muttered "I don't like the looks of this, not one single bit."
"Harry Potter, Ronald Weasley, and Justin Finch-Fletchley." The Auror made it a statement, not a question.
"Yes," Harry said to him, "what is going on?"
"We are here to place the Companions under arrest."
They were taken to the back of the houses in the big area where the children played, and the adults spent their time. The divided backyards had been the first to go, Harry had convinced them that combining the backyards would remind them that they were all connected, not divided by petty fences.
The children were gathered with those they had left behind. Seamus was already there, and by the color of his face, had been trying to ascertain the location of the now returned members.
Seamus advanced on them pointing his finger at Harry "You!"
Harry allowed a smirk to settle on his face. "Why, Seamus, I think you are right. It's me."
Seamus sputtered to a halt and glared at Harry.
"It's no wonder they put him in charge of the Aurors Harry, he's so perceptive." Ron nodded to his friend.
"I've half a mind to send you to Azkaban." Seamus growled. "You are not to leave unless the Auror Division knows where you are going, and what you are up to."
Harry raised his hand. Seamus glared at him, the hatred and disgust becoming palpable. "What?"
"My I use the loo? It's been a long day."
Ginny gasped and covered her mouth with both hands in an attempt to keep from laughing. Ron, however fell to the ground holding his sides as he roared in laughter.
Harry turned to move to one of the houses, and three Aurors immediately moved to block his path. "Seamus, tell your cronies to move, before they find out why I'm listed as the most dangerous wizard ever."
The three hesitated a moment, and then gave way, Harry entered his house. He entered the toilet, closed and locked the door, and sat for a bit trying to sort out some thoughts. After a few minutes he rose, and poured water over his head to clear his thinking. It wasn't helping, the power was building, and it wouldn't stop until he released it, and this time, it was going to be big.
He walked out of the house, sweat gathering on his brow, and his hands trembling. "Seamus, I need to go somewhere now. I'd suggest you don't try to follow me." With that he disappeared.
Harry appeared on the seacoast. The ocean waves flitted before his gaze. In the distance, he saw a shack, barely standing on a pile of rock. In an instant he stood before the dilapidated old hut. He faced out and allowed the power to flow outward. Hellfire moved over the ocean's surface, there and gone in an instant. He collapsed on the rocky shore long enough to recover his breath and wearily made his way inside.
Suddenly his mind flashed back twenty two years. It had been his birthday, Dudly was sleeping on the couch, Vernon and Petunia were upstairs in the loft. Dudly's watch had just chirped midnight.
15 Years Before
BOOM. They knocked again. Dudley jerked awake. "Where's the cannon?" he said stupidly.
There was a crash behind them and Uncle Vernon came skidding into the room. He was holding a rifle in his hands -- now they knew what had been in the long, thin package he had brought with them.
"Who's there?" he shouted. "I warn you -- I'm armed!"
There was a pause. Then --
SMASH!
The door was hit with such force that it swung clean off its hinges and with a deafening crash landed flat on the floor.
A giant of a man was standing in the doorway. His face was almost completely hidden by a long, shaggy mane of hair and a wild, tangled beard, but you could make out his eyes, glinting like black beetles under all the hair.
The giant squeezed his way into the hut, stooping so that his head just brushed the ceiling. He bent down, picked up the door, and fitted it easily back into its frame. The noise of the storm outside dropped a little. He turned to look at them all.
"Couldn't make us a cup o' tea, could yeh? It's not been an easy journey..."
He strode over to the sofa where Dudley sat frozen with fear.
"Budge up, yeh great lump," said the stranger.
Dudley squeaked and ran to hide behind his mother, who was crouching, terrified, behind Uncle Vernon.
"An' here's Harry!" said the giant.
Harry looked up into the fierce, wild, shadowy face and saw that the beetle eyes were crinkled in a smile. "Las' time I saw you, you was only a baby," said the giant. "Yeh look a lot like yet dad, but yeh've got yet mom's eyes."
Uncle Vernon made a funny rasping noise.
I demand that you leave at once, sit!" he said. "You are breaking and entering!"
Present Day
Hagrid had come to rescue him from the Dursley's. He knelt on the floor, and faintly could make out the slightly cleaner marks of the cake he had traced in the dirt on the floor. Odd that it was still visible.
"Harry?" He knew the voice behind him. He'd know it anywhere. It was his wife Ginny; her voice had become richer, fuller over the years. He turned to her, the tears streaming down his face. "What are you doing in this place?" Her eyes darted to the floor where he'd been looking, and she gasped. "What?"
He took her hand in his, and led her to the couch, and sat her down. "It was here I learned about being a Wizard. Hagrid had…" and he launched into the story of his Ginny was spellbound by the tale.
When he had finished, she was holding him against her shoulder. How in the hell could he feel like the Dursley's deaths were his fault, after all they did to him. Her heart broke again for the boy he had been.
"Harry love, let's go home." She stood, and pulled him towards the door. "Are you going to be ok, or should I make a portkey?"
Harry looked unsure, and picked up a stone. "I'll make one." When he was finished, he held it, and pressed the small stone in between their hands. "Five minutes." She looked at him curiously, but shrugged off the odd feeling.
The portkey took affect, and Ginny found herself standing on Privet Drive. "Harry, what are we doing here?"
"I need to see Dudley. You can wait here if you'd like." Harry walked purposefully to Number 4, Ginny hesitated a second, and then caught him up. Harry smiled at her as he raised his hand to knock.
The door opened and Harry stood facing Dudley. "What do you want?" The suspicion and malice dripping from his voice.
"I came by Dudley, because I had heard about your parents, and I…"
"You wanted to gloat then? You freak! Mum was right you are an unnatural bastard!" The door slammed shut. "Don't you ever come back Potter!" was the last thing Harry ever heard from his cousin.
"I came by to offer my condolences." Harry said softly to the door. The anger was gone, drained on the ocean a few hours ago; all that was left was pity, and a bottomless well of sadness. Ginny pulled him to her, and concentrated hard on home, they vanished reappearing in Hogsmeade.
"Come on Harry. Let's get you to bed." Ginny lead him upstairs and laid him down, still in his robes. He was asleep before his head fell to the pillow.
Ginny caressed his brow, and kissed him lightly. She shut the door softly behind her, and made her way to the kitchen to make some sandwiches for herself and Harry when he woke.
It was just an hour before sunset, and Ginny went out back to talk to Hermione and Ron who were playing with the children.
"How bad was it?" Hermione asked.
"Bad. Far worse than last time. Oh Hermione! I'm afraid one of these days he's going to do that and there'll be nothing left of him." She relayed the story of how she found him, the shack, and repeated Harry's story to Hermione. She then told of their experience on Privet Drive.
"We need to get out of here. To escape this bloody damn prison, and Harry has to go with us." Ron said pointedly looking at Ginny. "He has to give this bloody dream of his up, and get free of this place."
The three began plotting their escape. Ron conjured a globe, and allowed it to spin slowly in front of them.
"There!" Ginny was pointing to the globe. "That's the spot, right there!"
Ron looked, and expanded the area near his sister's finger. "Darwin's Bay?"
"Yes Ron, that's just the place. Darwin's Bay."
"We don't know anything about Australia, or this Darwin's Bay." Hermione admonished.
"Precisely!" Ginny practically shouted. "By definition, what's the likelihood they know us? We would be little more than tourists at first, with luck we could be 'established' fairly quickly." She jabbed her finger at the map again. "Once we blend in with the native population, we can disappear into the background."
Hermione tapped her finger to her lips. "It would need to be soon. I would need a medi-witch soon." She glanced at Ginny, "you are my dearest friend and there is no one I'd rather heal me in the field Ginny, but I'd rather we had a fully trained medi-witch and a hospital."
Ginny laughed, "Its ok Hermione. I'd rather not see that side of you." She smiled at her friend broadly.
The three examined the floating map for a moment more. "It's settled then; tomorrow we'll begin the plans, and inform the others." Ron turned to Ginny. "Time is of the essence, as is secrecy. The children must know nothing."
The three agreed, and made plans for the next day. Ginny walked back inside the house, and looked at the plate of uneaten sandwiches she had left out for Harry. She grabbed them and went upstairs.
He was still asleep when she got there, she undressed and slid into bed, her lips claimed his, and he awoke to her need for him.
Later, they talked. Ginny detailed the plan to leave England in secrecy. Harry considered this briefly, but then agreed. He however had a few plans to unfold before that time.
Harry lay awake after Ginny had dozed off. There were many things to do, and she had left him little time to complete these chores. He carefully slid out of bed and threw on sweats and trainers. He was outside and selected his first destination quickly on the watch they had used ten years ago.
The Burrow hadn't changed in twenty years. He doubted it ever would, the charm and wonder he had felt the first time he had seen the place suddenly shot through him unbidden.
14 Years Before
"Touchdown!" said Fred as, with a slight bump, they hit the ground. They had landed next to a tumbledown garage in a small yard, and Harry looked out for the first time at Ron's house.
It looked as though it had once been a large stone pigpen, but extra rooms had been added here and there until it was several stories high and so crooked it looked as though it were held up by magic (which, Harry reminded himself, it probably was). Four or five chimneys were perched on top of the red roof. A lopsided sign stuck in the ground near the entrance read, The Burrow. Around the front door lay a jumble of rubber boots and a very rusty cauldron. Several fat brown chickens were pecking their way around the yard.
"It's not much," said Ron.
"It's wonderful," said Harry happily, thinking of Privet Drive.
Present Day
Harry pushed open the door, and walked into the living room, Molly and Arthur were drinking tea and discussing things.
"Harry dear!" Molly stood and walked to Harry hugging him tightly, something Harry knew he'd never get his fill of. Arthur and Molly had indeed become the parents he had never had.
"Mum, dad – we need to talk about something, but I'm not sure how to go about this." He ran his fingers through his hair nervously.
"My boy, you know you can confide anything in us." Arthur said setting his tea down. "Have a seat, and some biscuits, we'll work it out." His smile set Harry at ease.
Molly returned with another cup, and poured Harry some tea. They awaited Harry's next words.
"We have to leave England." 'There that wasn't SO bad.' Harry thought. "Seamus is trying to work a case against us, this time he's right, and if we don't leave, and soon, we'll be sent to Azkaban."
Molly gasped. "What case Harry?"
"We destroyed a muggle cloning facility in Scotland today, and were placed under arrest. Seamus won't have enough evidence for a few days, but he will figure it out."
"Clones?" Arthur asked. Harry sighed and explained the cloning process.
"So what I'm doing is locating those that I'd like to come with me. We could be out of here and safely ensconced in a new life, erm elsewhere." He hated hedging Arthur and Molly, but on the off-chance they didn't go, they could never know.
Arthur seemed to ponder this a bit. "They arrested all of the Companions?"
Harry nodded. "But they sent amateurs to set up the anti-Disapparation wards. They were easy to open and shut without disturbing them. I think Seamus is trying to give us a chance at leaving."
"We'll give you our answer tomorrow." Molly said finally.
"Harry stood, shook Arthur's hand and hugged Molly again. "I'll see you both soon."
Harry left for his next stop. By the time he had made all of his stops, it was 6 am, and he was preparing to head home. As he began to clear his mind, he heard a sob from an open window nearby.
Harry's first instinct was to leave, the wizardling world had done all but kick them out, but then he heard the sob a second time. Harry sighed, and lowered his wand. 'Absolutely not one single shred of good is going to come from this.' He mused to himself darkly, 'probably why I'm going to find out what the problem is.' He sighed audibly, and walked towards the window the sounds had emanated from.
He steeled himself as he glanced at the contents of the room. Stuffed animals, and children's furniture was in the room, drawings on the wall indicated to his well-versed eye that of a child of perhaps twelve. 'Must be in her second year.'
On the bed he could make out the soft brown halo of hair. Something was nagging him about the child, something not quite right. She sobbed again, this time he hear a moan, and words. "NO! Don't touch me there!" She gasped for air and sat bolt upright. Harry just had time to duck below the windowsill, and slink off into the night.
'Great! Fucking wonderful! Just what I need right now! More guilt.' He turned his back on the home of Meranda Veriau. 'That woman is carrying more suppressed guilt than all of the Companions combined.'
He walked for quite a ways before he realized he had found himself outside the face of the monument. Harry sat there until the sun rose, watching the light play over the names he had carved a decade before.
"I figured I'd find you here Mr. Potter." His wife's hands slid around his neck from behind. Harry's eyes lit on the names that hurt the worst to see. Albus Dumbledore, Sirius Black, Remus Lupin, Lisa Turpin. He had buried all of them.
"Lover, it's time to go. Ron's worried sick about you, thinking you are blowing up the ocean again."
Harry laughed. "No just thinking." His eyes flitted over the stone face. Lisa Turpin. 'Lisa, how can I ask her to take your place? On the other hand, how can we leave her here? No one understands hell I barely do.'
"Gin, we need to talk to Susan."
Ginny looked at him oddly. "Oh, no she hasn't gone about asking me for your time again."
He smirked at her, and was rewarded with a swat on the arm. "I think that I can help her, and in turn she can heal someone who desperately needs healing."
They walked hand in hand back home, Harry outlining his plan to Ginny. Much to his delight, she seemed to agree.
That day was spent in council, the adults kept topics light and airy until the children were off to school. Harry received several notes via owls that day, all totaled with the children there would be just under one hundred people leaving to join the Companions in their self-imposed exile.
Harry turned to Susan. "I have a special task for you."
Susan looked at him; he could see the depth of her pain. "What can I help with Harry?"
"Susan, do you remember Meranda Veriau?" He watched her eyes to see if there were any recognition, he was surprised to see not only recognition, but something else. 'Well, this may work out better than I had hoped for.'
"Yes Harry, I do. What do you want to know about her?"
"Nothing." Harry stood and motioned for her and Ginny to follow him outside. They walked the perimeter of the land they owned. "Susan, to be blunt with you, Meranda needs a friend right now, and I can't be that friend."
"What makes you think she'd trust me?"
Ginny placed her hand on Susan's arm. "We want you to remove the Obliviate that Harry performed on them."
"Both of them." Harry was looking at the ground.
Ginny's eyebrows shot up. "Both of them?"
"Well, she had everything figured out, again. I had to do something." Looking at his face they knew the wiping of her memories had been eating him up. "She deserves far better than she's getting right now."
"So I'm supposed to go say 'Hi! I'm a Companion, and I'd like to give you back the most horrific memories of your life!'?"
Harry grinned at Susan. "Well I'm glad you are taking it so well."
"Potter, the only thing saving you from getting the ass whipping of your life is the fact that my friend and your wife is here." Her eyes narrowed to slits as she stared at Harry maliciously.
"Oh, don't go all soft on my account." Ginny laughed out.
"Alright Harry, I'll go see her tonight."
Harry cleared his throat.
"Ok, I'll go this afternoon."
He faked a cough.
"What, you want me to go now?"
Harry smiled and nodded happily.
"You could have just said so. Prat." Susan stalked to her house.
A few hours later, Harry watched Susan head out from her house towards Hogsmeade. A smile flitted over his face, as he took in her outfit, 'Oh yes, Susan did like the idea after all.'
A hand on his shoulder and the presence of his wife beside him. "So who is your meddling intending to heal here, you, Susan or Meranda?"
"Why restrict us to just one healing? Speaking of which I need to talk to Dean." Harry placed his cup down and kissed Ginny. "I'll be back in a bit, unless you wanted to come along?"
"Oh, I have a few minor things to do here, like pack." She glared at him over the last word.
Harry smiled his lopsided grin at her. "Well then, I'll be off."
Ginny sighed and got to work on arranging items into the trunks, taking care to shrink each item and pack it. Several hours later, she noticed Harry had not returned. She brushed off her jeans and headed for Dean and Hanna's house.
Harry and Dean were discussing Quiddich teams as Ginny approached them; her first impression of Dean was that someone had lifted the weight of the world from his shoulders.
They talked amiably for a while, and then Harry stood, excusing himself. "I'm sorry Dean, but I really need to help Gin with some things around the house. I'm glad I had the chance to tell you this before we began this little exercise." They had agreed not to discuss the plan again until they were past the point of no return.
Just then they heard the last person they wanted to hear. "Going somewhere Potter?" Seamus asked faux politeness oozing from him.
"No Seamus, we are planning a get-together, for all of our friends, the ones who didn't leave us out to dry after Voldemort was defeated, remember?" Harry glared at Seamus daring him to overstep his bounds.
"I have heard that you were considering leaving England Potter, and I just wanted to make sure you understood the charges against you all."
"You know Seamus; I don't plan my life around you, or your kangaroo courts. Please leave." Harry glared at the man before him, so unlike the Seamus Finnegan he shared the room with in Hogwarts. So many things have changed so rapidly.
Seamus dropped an envelope on the table in front of Harry. "You are restricted to Hogsmeade and Diagon Alley. All of you."
Harry reached for the envelope, but was stopped by a voice. 'Don't you dare Harry, if he makes trouble for us, it'll make it that much harder to execute the plan.'
Harry sighed and glanced at Ginny. 'I know. Sorry love, but Seamus has been wearing on me for eight years.'
'And in a few days, you'll never need to deal with him again.'
"All right Dean. You win, we'll be good." Harry sounded resigned. 'You owe me one Mrs. Potter.'
Harry and Ginny made their way back to their house. "Ok Gin, no more wands until we make the portkeys. Not even I can do a portkey wandless."
They worked slowly, the art of shrinking items to pack requires effort and concentration even with a wand, but wandless and unfocused left both of them physically drained several hours later. One last check and the trunks were locked up, levitated and stowed in the basement.
Harry took a pinch of powder and threw it into the fire. "Arthur Weasley."
In minutes his father-in-law's head appeared in the flames. "Dad, I need a small favor, could you and mum pop over tonight for dinner?"
"Certainly Harry, we'd be glad to." Arthur's face was showing the pleasure of being asked by Harry to help. "Seven o'clock then?"
Harry smiled "Yes dad, seven is fine. Our love to mum." With a wave he dispelled the flames.
Ginny snorted from the couch, "And I suppose since you asked, I am responsible for dinner then?"
Harry looked at her; the work had been draining on her. "No love, you just take a kip, I'll be back shortly." He kissed her lightly, and turned to the door. "I'll get Ron, and we'll grab take-away from the Three Broomsticks."
Ginny frowned a bit; it was well known that they were not on the best of terms with the rest of the wizardling world. 'What is he up to?' But Harry wasn't responding to her repeated requests.
Harry reached Ron and Hermione's and after a brief discussion with them, he and Ron set out for the Three Broomsticks. "Harry, I don't know about this. This could go wrong in so many ways, and to be honest, I am not sure I want to deal with Seamus or the Aurors today."
"Ron, my dearest friend, nay, my brother." Harry said laughing and putting an arm companionably around Ron's shoulders, "never fear, for I have a plan."
"Harry, you scare me when you say that you know." He laughed along with his friend, and wondered just how Harry was going to pull this off.
They wandered Hogsmeade for a minute, and just before they reached the Three Broomstick's Harry pulled Ron into an alley. He smiled. "Look Ron, no wand!" and cast a glamour.
Ron looked at Harry, and saw him with sandy-brown hair and grey eyes. The scar still visible had altered to a smooth line. In short, he looked enough different from Harry Potter to be almost anyone. Harry grinned and waved his hand at Ron, and cast the same glamour.
"How long is this good for Harry?"
"About an hour, plenty of time for us to get dinner. Oh you and your lovely wife are coming to dinner tonight with your mum and dad."
Ron sighed, "You could have told me, Hermione is going to have my arse on a stick for this."
"Well, we'll get her something nice then to make up for it." Harry teased Ron.
They walked into the Three Broomsticks and got plenty of food, and a supply of Butterbeer. On the way back to their houses, Ron bought Hermione a bundle of flowers as a peace offering. Laughing they headed back to the circle, the glamour fading well before they reached the tight knit circle of houses.
Hermione was understandably concerned when Ron showed up with flowers, but acquiesced upon Harry's explanation.
A few hours later found the six adults eating a nice meal, and Harry and Ron explaining the necessary steps for the exodus.
"We will need portkeys; there are too many children to try floo." Harry started, "and besides there is a good chance that the floo network will be blocked here if it hasn't already."
Ron unfurled a map of England, and pointed with his fork. "We need about ten good sized portkeys to Dover; from there we'll take the Muggle ferry to France."
Harry nodded. "From there, Fleur Delacour has promised us safe-haven at Beauxbatons, and has arranged a portkey to Egypt."
Ron picked up from there. "Charley has contacts in Egypt that will arrange for us to have safe-haven, and a portkey to India, from there we will meet up with Oshmar Karv. A friend of mine and Hermione's who studies the ancient magicians of Shiva there. He has arranged for a large shipment to Australia, that'd be us and our gear, to Queensbury. From there we'll take muggle transport to Darwin's Bay."
Ginny spoke up then. "Harry and I have arranged housing in Darwin's Bay for one hundred for a month, after which we will leave Darwin's Bay for Telisin Colony."
Harry smiled at her and kissed her cheek. "Telisin Colony?" Arthur opened the map of Australia, and attempted to find the town. "Where in Australia is Telisin Colony?"
Harry reached over with his index finger and pointed to a small bay just west of Darwin's Bay. "It's being built right there."
Arthur's eyebrows rose. "I'm sorry; did you say 'being built'?"
Harry nodded, "Yes dad, we are building something of a city there."
Molly looked at her son-in-law
skeptically. "Something of a city Harry?"
Hermione beamed "With the grandest library one could imagine." Ron sighed and rolled his eyes. Hermione slapped him on the arm and glared at him.
Harry smiled, and waved his hand over the map. It bubbled and reformed into a gleaming white city. "Telisin Colony."
Molly's breath caught, and Harry heard Arthur swear under his breath. "Blood hell." The city below them was roughly half the size of London. "For a hundred people Harry?"
"It's a hundred now. The colony can support a million, charms are making it look as if a movie set is being built on the bay, eventually we'll leak word of a muggle resort, one where only the ultra rich and famous can go, and even then by invitation."
"And when they want to show up?" Arthur still hated muggle baiting.
"We'll put them in a nice place in Darwin's Bay, and modify their memory to remember it as an 'alright' place, but no where they would ever want to go back to." Hermione said smiling. "I'll be perfect."
The center of the city was a rather impressive building. Arthur touched it with his wand, and it grew, until you could see the building clearly. Across the face was etched "Ministry of Magic". Arthur looked at Harry. "There is a Ministry in Queensbury, you know."
"Yes, I know. I fully expect to see a rather large influx of witches and wizards in the first few years. Eventually, we'll be the largest population of magical beings."
Ron pointed to a series of buildings. The map shifted and the buildings came into focus. "Telisin Academy of Magic" was carved into the archway over the main walkway. "The smaller buildings are Pre-School, Primary, and Secondary; the larger of the two remaining is University, and the smallest of the two is a combined library." Hermione looked quite pleased with the school system.
"How many students can the school hold?" Molly asked eyeing the buildings carefully.
"The schools assume that each year will have between fifty and a hundred children." Ginny said looking over the buildings with pride. "We wanted the children to grow up together, they will be sorted as their last task of Pre-School, and from there they will stay in the same house until they leave University."
Arthur looked at other buildings. One rather large, flat complex caught his eye. "What is this?"
"Ah, that would be High Street shops." Arthur looked up to see Justin Leaning against the doorframe. "Muggles have been building these rather ingenious things called 'Shopping Malls' for a while. This would be the same kind of thing. A large enclosed space with shop but without the weather concerns."
"All in all." Harry said, flattening the image of the city with a wave of his hand. "We will be able to be self-contained. Now all we need is people…" He looked at the map a moment longer and rolled it up, shrinking it, and handing the tiny scroll to Ron.
Hermione looked at him. "They will come Harry. Believe me, they will come."
"I sure hope so…" He smiled sadly, and after a moment of reflection, stood up and grabbed a couple of boxes and sat them on the table.
Arthur opened them and looked inside. "Party hats Harry?"