Disclaimer: It is (unfortunately) only the plot that I have cooked up. All the rest ... belongs to JKR of course.

Flashback: Harry gets lodged into a vision from which he finds himself unable to snap out. Finally, Neville on Dumbledore's orders forces some drops of Dreamless Sleep Potion into Harry's mouth who falls into a deep peaceful sleep.

Chapter 11

Later that day Hermione sat in the Common Room, checking her homework ... fifteen mistakes. She threw it into her bag unable to concentrate any further. The first page of the Daily Prophet published three days back, still lingered in her mind. As a matter-of-fact she remembered every word as clear as daylight.

ST MUNGOS ATTACKED AGAIN
YOU-KHOW-WHO CAPTURES AZKABAN

In a bizarre twist to ongoing events, eighty Aurors lodged at St Mungos attacked the hospital. Ministry Aurors happened to reach on time and halt the proceedings but the damage was already done. The brief clash that ensued left sixty civilians and forty Aurors (all previously undergoing treatment at Mungos) dead. The remaining Aurors were brought under control. Though the Ministry has unsurprisingly refused to divulge any information, our sources indicate that the Imperious curse had been used to a great extent on the victims.

Meanwhile, doctors and nurses at Mungos claim that Carren Hayes had issued the Dark Mark. The management of St Mungos has fired Ms. Hayes but the lady tearfully insisted that she never issued the Dark Mark, she didn't even know how to. The staff of St Mungos do not seem to agree. "We do not need such traitors in our noble hospital. We all saw her do it", lashes out Mr. Pye.

Seeing that eighty Aurors had been put under the Imperious, could Ms. Hayes could have been possessed?

Healer Jones whose area of expertise extends over Identifying Poisons and their Antidotes as well as Psychology agrees with us. With the Ministry maintaining tight lips, on whom can we depend on? This incident coupled with the elections coming in three days, could have a serious backlash on Mr. Fudge's position. Added to it the sighting of the Dark Mark in St. Mungos Muggle and a Muggle household not far from the Ministry has raised great alarm among the Muggles and Wizarding community alike, to be precise among the 'muggle witches and wizards'. The authority representing the Muggles has been notified ...

...

... Shortly after this incident You-Know-Who acquired control of Azkaban. This insistent reporter managed to get information from a Ministry official stating that the spy had been planted in Mungos long ago, when? Mr. Fudge remains silent ...

"Has Harry woken up?" she spoke automatically. It had become a sort of routine.

Ron sitting directly opposite to her shook his head glumly. She cast a look around, all the students were extremely worried. Many had not yet obtained replies from their respective homes. Some had gotten replies from their parents which were distressing enough. For every twelve students atleast one person had lost somebody they loved. On the whole the mood was rather stagnant. Nobody was interested in talking. Even the teachers had stopped pressing the students for homework two days back. Snape being an exception had loaded the with three days worth homework and had kept out of sight.

To add to her consternation, she remembered the evening that day which had overseen an extremely bitter encounter with Malfoy. Though she had disregarded his words, Ron and herself made it a point to meet Harry in the evening and afternoon. To her immense fear Harry hadn't even stirred. The whole of the first day had been irksome. Her parents hadn't replied then, Harry was in deep sleep, Ron had told her about the terrible incident which had occurred that night with Harry and she had been very stressed.

She even remembered the photos of the Longbottoms in the Daily Prophet on the second day after Azkaban had been taken. They had been placed under the Imperious too, though blissfully unaware of themselves. She cast a glance at the far end of the room, Ginny and Neville were still talking amongst themselves. Many of the patients had committed suicide in grief, on knowing what they had done. Under the influence of the Imperious, some had killed their own sons or daughters or friends ...

That fateful day onwards, nobody in the school had managed to sleep peacefully. Each of the students were stricken by insecurity, as the Return of the Dark Lord hit them hard.

The people's faith in the Ministry was crushed. What had followed had been phenomenal, Mr. Weasley overthrowing Fudge by a tremendous margin. Serves Percy right, she thought.

Many students in the school had been affected too. Susan's Aunt was injured in the skirmish at Mungos and hadn't yet recovered fully. Neville had completely refused to acknowledge anybody for a whole day, even Mr. Lupin was uncharacteristically pale even though the full moon was two weeks away. The so-called congestion in the Floo Network and scarcity of owls had led to inability in communication yesterday. It had lead to a cataclysmic build up of tension in the students who refused to attend class at all.

She buried herself in her morose thoughts. Two students in Hufflepuff had lost both their parents, a Ravenclaw's brother was one of the persons put under the Imperious. Her thoughts switched back to Harry. he didn't even stir. He was still in the same position as before. She had noticed the flicker of worry cross Madam Pomfrey's eyes. That only served to make her and Ron more anxious. All, including the Head Boy, had been too preoccupied with their own well being to bother about Harry.

For that matter all the Weasleys were slightly worried too. Last year's incident had a bit dampened their faith in Harry. She couldn't disagree, Ron and Ginny could have died, herself included. She was stunned to realize that her parents had deliberately replied late to prevent her from undertaking such ventures again.

She sighed with resignation on reflecting whatever had happened after last year. The Weasleys were undoubtedly angry but Mrs. Weasley had taken out all her anger on Ron and Ginny for their stupidity of agreeing to those ridiculous demands made by Harry. Even her own parents had given her a nice tongue lashing ... not that she didn't deserve it. She knew, it was parental love speaking. But didn't she, Ginny and Ron love Harry too?

Harry during his brief stay in Grimmauld had not an inkling of all that had happened. No one reminded him at all. Further at that time, he had been in Mungos. It was the major part of the time in Grimmauld that left her completely depressed. And in school on that fateful night, she had to remind Harry again ... Hermione wrung her hands uncomfortably, hoping Harry would be off for the better.

Another surprise later, she had discovered that Neville had been enquiring about Harry regularly, accompanied twice by Dean and Seamus. Luna however wasn't to be seen for a long time. Hermione couldn't help but hope that she was doing well.

Malfoy's comments hung about her head every second. They only served to blank out all the light from an already dim horizon.

Today was the third day and still no Harry. Her parents were a bit more concerned ... more for her, the Weasley's were doing fine, now that Mr. Weasley was Minister of Magic. Harry had still not woken up. She turned in her chair uneasily. Had Malfoy known all along?

She hadn't noticed Neville and Ginny who had walked upto her. "H-Hermione, did H-Harry get up?" spluttered Neville his eyes very red. Ginny remained silent not knowing what to talk. Ron's stare directed into a non-existent void, didn't even budge.
"No ... Neville".

Neville looked at her for a while then got up for the door. "Where are you going?" Ginny asked the question for Hermione. "To the infirmary. Are you coming?" was the reply. Ginny looked at Hermione and Ron. The four of them made for the infirmary. Harry wasn't there.

"He's not here!" Ron's voice held a mixture of jubilation and apprehension as well. They cast looks around the room desperately, as if expecting Harry to be hidden under some bed or in a cupboard.
"There isn't Madam Pomfrey either", commented Ginny still eyeing the place futilely. They walked out for the Great Hall, in a confused state of mind hoping that Harry was alright.

"Searching for your boyfriend er-friend, Mudblood?". Ron's hands curled into fists. He returned a sharp reply, "Get lost Malfoy".

"With your astonishingly low intelligence Weasel, I doubted you could ever figure it out ... Longbottom must surely know where Potty has gone". Ginny and Hermione whipped out their wands. Neville took four steps forward as Malfoy's lips curled.
Ron covered the distance between him and Malfoy in three casual strides. One bloody punch and the git would be a thing of the past.

Malfoy coolly smirked at the four of them, patted his prefect badge and walked away with his thugs before Ron could begin.

"How did the slimy git become a prefect?" yelled Ron. Ginny simply glared at the receding back of Malfoy. Hermione however remained absently looking at Neville. Exchanging no words at all, they made for DADA classes, Ginny branched out for Arithmancy.

Hermione, Ron and Neville made for class silently, for Malfoy's words dangled dangerously in their thoughts.

* * *

Harry finally succumbed to the mesmerizing calls of sleep late in the night. Even as he dreaded the encompassing relaxation, dreams flooded his thoughts. He recollected the first lesson on handling the wand, with Tonks at Grimmauld Place ... his first encounter with a very shabby Lupin while fighting off a Boggart-Dementor way back in third year ... the talk he had with Sirius and Remus after using Umbridge's fireplace last year ...

Four people clothed in white robes sleeping in front of him. Harry cast a look around.

The room that he was in contained seven beds, the type of which one would see in a hospital. Three windows replete with white curtains gave him exquisite views of the houses and streets outside. His eyes meticulously taking in the surroundings came to rest on the bottles of Potion placed on a small table in the centre of the room. He was once again in Mungos.

He sensed himself adjusting his clothes. The door locked itself with one wave of his wand. Another wave and a Silencing Charm descended around the room.

He took a seat by the solitary table in the small room and tapped his wand on it. All the time Harry had an odd but familiar sensation of his skin being too soft and smooth this time again. However, he noticed that the four Aurors were no longer asleep but standing in all alertness. Surprisingly, they bowed respectfully.

A feeling of intense hatred and grim satisfaction not at all his own, rose within him at the sight of Frank Longbottom. A high cold voice ordered him to talk to Longbottom. Harry sensed another person not himself again, give in to the demand.

It was possibly due to the two visions that he had witnessed already that Harry realized he was again eavesdropping on a conversation between two people. The issuer of the Imperious and its victim. He assumed he was presently seeing through the victim's eyes. HOW was the question.

Affirming his assumption, a spiteful feminine voice originated from his mouth, "Longbottom, I expect you and your wife to be swift ... as before". Harry's face contorted into a sneer. The person addressed showed some signs of relenting but the Auror standing just beside Longbottom cast an Imperious that cleared all his doubts. Something about the Auror who had just placed Longbottom under the Imperious seemed familiar to him.

Harry walked out of the room after an instantaneous ticklish sensation spread over his body. He fixed his stare on a doctor approaching from the other side. He could sense a faint feeling of recognition that told him Kingsley was enshrouded behind the doctor's garb.

Seeing Harry, Kingsley took a place adjacent to him looking utterly serious.

The same feminine voice issuing from somewhere near Harry's mouth said in all seriousness, "Lockhart's overly keen on giving me his autographs-' Harry removed a pack of photos signed in curly writing from his pocket '-This is the thirtieth one today, I bet there is something definitely wrong there". Kingsley blanched for a while. A smirk gradually plastered itself across his lips. He mouthed w-r-o-n-g, pointed to his head and walked away, wearing a small smile.

Harry turned away impassively and found himself looking into a parchment held in his hand and ticked off SPECIAL WARD for WITCHES, fourth floor. Minutes later found himself walking into the SPECIAL WARD FOR WITCHES on the fourth floor. Alice Longbottom would lead the female assault. Entering the feminine ward, his eyes fell on three ladies chatting gibberish with each other, patients that they were. His focus shifted to the third person. Another spark of emotion within him said that she was an 'exception'.

The lady got up, introduced herself as Mary (she didn't give her last name) and asked, "So miss what would your name be?"

An order issued in his mind, authority lacing each syllable. To his surprise he discovered a number of thoughts flooding his head, accompanied by a strong feeling of rebelliousness. The order was issued with a more forceful intensity to it for a second time. All the thoughts and the feeling that had spread through him vanished.

A feminine voice emanated from his mouth, "Alice introduce me to your friend". Hearing it, a faint sense of familiarity hit Harry but he couldn't put his finger on exactly whose it could be.

Coming forward, Alice Longbottom nodded to her other companion and one Imperious later, Mary bowed to him.

Harry's line of sight shifted towards the only Longbottom in the room. "Your husband was most eager to lead, I would expect the same from you. I will call soon ... very soon", uttered the same cold feminine voice. After the ticklish feeling a second time, he walked out pulling over new robes over him conjured out of thin air and set out to find other rooms where more Aurors would serve his purpose.

Ten minutes later Harry found himself strolling along the corridors and the staircase leading to the ground floor. Another fifteen people had been put under the Imperious.

Harry never realized that he was losing himself in the vision, which Hermione had so ardently advised him against.

He continued further into one of the staff rooms. Some of the nurses seemed to recognize his appearance. One of the younger witches called out jokingly, "Hey Carren come and write yourself off before the Death Eaters pay a visit again".

He smirked and made a motion in the air. The same familiar feminine voice issuing from his mouth whispered, "MORSMORDRE".

A tiny wisp of smoke channeled out of his wand morphed into a large dark serpent tongued colossal skull. As he waved his wand upwards, the brownish green Dark Mark now growing in size rose into the air, as all the doctors and nurses in the room around him froze in their activities, their eyes latched onto it. Harry felt a feeling of deep satisfaction wash over him as an invisible blanket of horror and fear descended on the people in his vicinity. He sensed his face contort into an inherently evil smirk even as the staff members weakly dropped to the floor still gazing at the Dark Mark in shock. He turned around for the door.

Another thought passed his head, much more persuasive and authoritative. "Excellent, Bellatrix awaits you in 'The Backyard'". Harry hesitated but then somebody else's thoughts (which he recognised as those of the person possessed) masked out his own. "Yes master", came the reply from his own mouth.

Footsteps sounded behind the door to the staff room. Kingsley and Moody appeared in front of him wands right in front, their faces bearing identical looks of fear and immense disbelief.

The same feminine voice coming from his mouth hissed, "The Dark Lord shall bless you soon".

As if on cue, loud screams rent the air and Harry heard an explosion. Tiny fragments of wood entered the staff room through the door. Running outside, Kingsley and Moody discovered Frank Longbottom emerging from one of the wards, the door to which had been smashed into pieces. To add to their growing dilemma forty patients (all of them Aurors) followed Longbottom. Before Moody could react, seven more doors were blown open and many ladies hurtles out following Alice Longbottom. Someone shrieked, "Enemies of the Dark Lord beware".

Kingsley and Moody looked at each other, horrified looks plastered to their faces, muttered "Tonks!!" and disapparated instantly even as Harry saw the patients (under the Imperious) unleash a plethora of lethal spells and curses. Next Harry found himself in a totally secluded place whose environment seemed to hold nothing but darkness. Another spark of recognition in his head told him this place was 'The Backyard'.

Azkaban could be infiltrated into from this place situated on a higher elevation. He felt a detached feeling of unfathomable happiness wash over him. All his faithful Death Eaters would now be free and the whole world would bow to him ... in time. As this thought entered his mind, Harry felt a pang of anger in addition to his own hatred. The person under Voldemort's Imperious was clearly fighting it.

Walking into a clearing, he saw Lord Voldemort in the eye, flanked by his Death Eaters looking directly at him. An intense burning sensation spread through himself. The Dark Lord waved his wand and a flurry of shapes resulted.

Harry twirled his wand, now seeing from the eyes of the Dark Lord. He cast a uncaring but calculative look at Tonks who had been under his possession for a long time. She still in a daze, held her head between her palms trying to regain her focus. After taking in the situation she was in, she whipped out her wand, a mixture of hatred and anger reflected in her dark twinkling eyes . Harry simply motioned to one of the Death Eaters with his wand hand. The Death Eater hesitated for an instant but obliged. One Imperious later, Nymphadora Tonks bowed obediently.

His view moved slowly and gradually came to rest on Azkaban. A loud cruel laugh emanating from his mouth resounded eerily in the distance. He felt satisfied with the outcome of his plans.
"While Dumbledore and the chumps at the Ministry would rummage in Mungos, Azkaban would be mine", this solitary thought floated though his mind.

As testament to that statement, Harry saw a medium sized convoy of Aurors leave for Mungos in the distance. His face contorted into a malicious smile. A hundred Death Eaters following forty five Giants, all led by Lucius Malfoy gatecrashed the wizard prison, as Harry lifted his hand.

The operation was errorless and swift ... as in the old days. Harry smiled as all his faithful followers ... Avery ... Goyle ... Dolohov ... Mulciber ... Jugson ... immense joy creasing their faces knelt and kissed the helm of his robes. The defeated Aurors were handed over to the Dementors and for once Harry wished that they would be left alone. He sensed cold fury permeating all over him and he stopped in his tracks. All motion ceased at once. Only silence prevailed in the dark quarters of Azkaban.

Harry motioned all the Death Eaters with a wave of his hand, to take their place. All of them obliged fearfully. A soul-scorching yell in the background interrupted the silence again following which Harry noted a Dementor perform its kiss on a captive Auror, in the darkened depths of Azkaban.

A voice full of suppressed happiness, issued from somewhere near Harry's mouth. "Harry Potter is here". Some of the hooded figures exchanged glances. "Master?" asked a lady.

"Yes Bella, he sees through my eyes. I can feel it". Harry sensed a sick feeling of satisfaction overcome him and the same voice replied softly, "All due to my faithful Death Eaters, the boy escaped from my hands for two times consecutively". Many of the Death Eaters shifted uncomfortably.

"They have learned their lesson but have you Harry?"
Harry's dormant anger now revitalized with the comment, automatically pulsed through his veins, forcing his hatred for Voldemort to the surface.

The same voice devoid of any warmth whispered in mock concern, "You must learn soon ... You will". It turned serious again, "For five consecutive years, your luck saved you from death. I see you still do not fear Lord Voldemort, Harry. This year shall see otherwise. By its end, you will want to kill me by your hands. Why, with that very predictable passion of being a hero that you possess in abundance, I say you would walk to me, hoping to kill me with your bare hands. I promise".

He chuckled and the voice grew dangerously soft, "As for tonight, you have been listening continuously for the past half hour to proceedings that never concerned you. But for you my plans could have been in danger of failure. Lord Voldemort has no place for failure. Considering your seemingly inexorable habit of 'poking your nose in the most unlikeliest of places' as Severus puts it, I have just the right antidote".

The vision grew crystal clear as a feeling of forced relaxation passed through him.

"Macnair ask that Dementor to come here".

Harry pictured his mother dying, even as he noted a Dementor coming nearer out of the corner of his eyes. The same voice ordered the Dementor to see into his eyes and suck in all memories that it could get. He fought to block the thoughts out of his mind but then the Dementor lowered its hood and his eyes took in what could be called the face of the Dementor. A great rush of cold air burst forth his mind purging out every good thought and Hundreds of memories burst forth, each more worse than the other.

His father fighting a losing battle with Voldemort courageously ... his mother pleading with Voldemort not to kill Harry before being killed herself ... A motionless Cedric lying spread eagled on the ground ... a stunned Sirius falling through the veil taking with him Harry's love... the infant struggling between life and death at Bracknell ... the recent attack of Mungos headed by Longbottom ... Mrs. Black screaming at him all insults that she could muster ...a motherly voice discussing him with some disapproval, back in Grimmauld ...Tonks put under the Imperious ...

Everything followed in a rush and Harry screamed in agony as each thought, some of which he had never seen before, consuming him burned him inside out. Neither was the Patronus charm proving helpful ...

To add to his infliction, a seemingly omnipresent cold, cruel laugh replete of uncensored vile happiness resounded viciously throughout his head, enjoying every moment of his torment.

He opened his eyes and shot up to a sitting posture unsteadily, taking deep irregular breaths. The first thing he registered was the darkness and the sinister echoes of his own labored breathing. Looking around he found bottles containing Potion, bowls, spoons and a wand on a tiny table just beside his bed. He closed his eyes and opened them slowly. As the dim outlines of beds, the sleeping pictures on the walls came into focus, he realized that he was in the Hogwarts infirmary, alone. With some difficulty he managed to note the faint outline of the window that showcased the dark grounds. The sun had not yet risen.

Sounds of footsteps resounded in the hallway and he could barely make out two people conversing in low voices. He regulated his breathing and focused onto the dimly lit entrance. Minutes later Madam Pomfrey stepped in, a bottle in hand. On seeing him sitting in the bed she exclaimed hoarsely, "Thank Merlin, you - you should relax now, this Pot-".

"Voldemort (she winced and shuddered horribly. The bottle slipped from her hands and splintered itself on the hard stone floor) has attacked Azkaban", still shaky he stubbornly made to get out of the bed.

She reflexively countered his attempt and muttered, "It is too late in the night, you ought to sleep now". He jumped out of her way and steadied himself. His heart was beating a trifle quickly but he didn't care.

"I need to tell Dumbledore, this is urgent". At that moment, McGonagall entered the room expectantly and Harry saw her tense features relax considerably.
"Potter, you are supposed to be resting", she was concerned, the tone of her voice said so.

He began, "Professor McGonagall, I need to talk to Dumbledore right now". A short silence occurred.

"I must say, you have quite a bit to catch up with. The headmaster has left for other important work. Since it is too early in the morning, you will rest here. If Madam Pomfrey permits, you may meet your friends later in the afternoon".

"I am doing great, I can go now". Harry cast a pleading look at the matron. Madam Pomfrey simply shrugged, she seemed to have lost her ability to talk.

Professor McGonagall looked at him for a while, "In that case, Potter first we go to my office". She increased her pace. He silently followed suit.

* * *

Harry walked down the corridors from McGonagall's office to his DADA class, unaware of the constant mutterings of the portraits. Unlike Ron and Hermione, he didn't yet know about how the Weasleys and Grangers had reacted. He was still pondering over his nightmare and all that McGonagall had told him (he wondered whether Dumbledore had asked her to tell him).

It had been a great shock to learn of all the things that had happened!
Still in a half-daze he continued to the DADA class. A powerful surge of anger rose in him as he saw Tonks holding her head in a daze, in his mind's eyes. Voldemort had used her to kill innocent people.

Feeling a sudden unbidden upsurge of affection, he childishly hoped she would somehow escape safely and cursed himself for not realizing it before. "Dumbledore would surely get her out", he reassured himself uselessly. He would know how she felt. After all, he himself was responsible for his own godfather's death and could have been for some of his own friends too. The deep well of grief churned within him, making him feel only more miserable.

Somewhere deeper within, Harry felt more uneasy thinking of Dumbledore. The headmaster was too busy with Ministerial matters, even to attend Hogwarts.
In addition to the school, Dumbledore was handling the Ministry, the Order and Voldemort. Overlooking all that Dumbledore had done for Harry and other people, Harry had made a complete mess of the headmaster's office last year. He had, going one step further even yelled his heart out.

A feeling of shame coursed its way through him. Harry decided to apologize as soon as he could. Another pang of longing hit him as he realized that he may not get to see his aunt again (though he didn't mind not seeing his uncle anyway). Though, he couldn't still help but wonder why his Aunt had an abrupt change of heart.

Harry thought of the meeting with his Aunt at Mungos, then at Privet Drive. Though she had been less cold, she had nevertheless been an improvement. For the first time he unconsciously found himself desperate and truly wishing to be back at Privet Drive.

Harry made his way into DADA class struggling with the variety of emotions running though him, vying with each other to gently prise him apart. Taking his usual place in the corner row, he had barely rested his head on the table when-

"H-Harry. HARRY! ITS -RON! HE'S HERE".

He looked up and barely caught a glimpse of his two best friends. Hermione was beside him the next instant and he had his arms pinned to his side as her arms enveloped him in a massive hug.

"Harry", she repeated softly before hugging him again. He wondered whether he had just seen tears begin to form in her deep brown eyes.

"Mate ... mate", was all Ron could muster. Nobody spoke for a while. Harry saw a very bedraggled looking Neville enter the room. On meeting his eyes, the change in Neville's demeanor was quite drastic.

"H-Harry, are you fine?" Neville choked out, relief evident in his voice but for the fact that it was almost inaudible.
"I suppose so".

They sat and discussed about school and what had happened that night. Harry carefully avoided their eyes while maintaining a conversation. To his relief, they didn't notice it at all.

Some of Ron's lost enthusiasm seemed to have made a dramatic comeback, "Mate, that night was refreshing in one way at least. Boy, you should have seen the portraits. I gather The Fat Lady lost most of her weight that night. As for Sir Cadogen, he jumped a foot sitting on his horse and fell off right into the mud. To add to his ... honour, his frightened steed unburdened herself right on him. Harry, I think we don't ever have to worry about him ... for ever". Ron grinned. "As for me I managed a smoke of a Patronus, more of a surprise anyway. As for Davies ... his lower jaw was almost touching the ground".

"Davies?"
"Yeah, Roger Davies-' Harry faintly recollected his date (rather fiasco) with Cho at Madam Puddifoot's '- He heard your yell during his patrol" -Neville shuddered quietly- "He's Head Boy now".

Harry spoke quickly hoping to counter his embarrassment "uh- Ron, who's Head Girl?"
Hermione answered shortly, "Cho".

Harry couldn't speak. He was busy staring at the wall, Roger Davies would surely tell her.
Ron interpreting his thoughts correctly, replied, "No one except Hermione and Ginny know".

Harry looked at Ron, a blank expression on his face. He turned away, embarrassment and anger beginning to seep through him steadily. Dean, Seamus, Neville, Ron, Ginny and Hermione knew about what happened was a bit unsettling. He could almost picture the stupid expression on Davies face. If Cho ever knew about what had happened, added to the stupid comments made last year by the Daily Prophet ...

He sat down silently and opened a book not at all wanting to look at anyone, anymore. A tense silence followed broken only by the resounding footsteps of the steady stream of students entering class.

* * *

"Harry", spoke Hermione tentatively. She placed her book down on the grass.

Neville, Ginny, Harry, Hermione and Ron were relaxing by the pond, basking in the cool shade of the couple of tall trees decorating its fringes. The late evening sun cast its rays that bounced off its surface giving it a silent, peaceful and calming effect that radiated into its surroundings. The grass on the ground seemed to dance with the cool breeze almost enchanted ...

Harry threw a tiny pebble into the pond.

"Wonder who did all the dirty work at Mungos. He ... she whoever ought to be put in Azkaban. Hundreds of people are killed because of that single person".

Harry remained silent. Hermione knew he had listened since the occasional sound of a pebble hitting the water had stopped. However there was something in the silence that unnerved her.

"That person ought to be loved, Hermione", came the answer after a while. Hermione's eyes widened. If she weren't mistaken, Harry sounded slightly philosophical.
Ron's eyes shot open. He asked the obvious question, "Who was it mate?"

"Tonks", Harry's voice faltered and died.

"WHAT?" Ron had shot up into a sitting posture. Hermione stared at Harry in disbelief, hoping fervently that she had misheard him though she hadn't.
"Tonks? But how?" that was all Hermione could manage. Evidently, the relationship she and Ginny had built up over the last year had left quite a deep impression on her.

Harry turned around heavily. "Hermione, Tonks is a Metamorphmagus". Hermione's mind clicked.

He continued solemnly, "Voldemort put her under an Imperious. He used her to control others in Mungos by using the Imperious".
She replied looking puzzled, "But Harry, one person can control no more than another person directly".

Harry turned away unable to speak further, "Exactly, so Voldemort put her under the Imperious, she puts another person under the Imperious that is ... Neville ... your dad". Whatever color remained in Neville's face drained out steadily.

"An Imperious, has the property that the person at the top of the hierarchy can control the entire order but provided everybody in the order is submissive which Voldemort found it exceptionally difficult to control because I entered Tonks' mind last night. However, he had his plans. So, he ordered Tonks to complete a chain of subservient Aurors for a specific total".

As he related the episode omitting the Dementor part in the end, with his heart threatening to go to pieces, Neville, Ron, Ginny and Hermione listened in horrified attention.

"So, that miserable wretch wanted to simply kill every body in Mungos. He used the patients against us knowing that we couldn't attack them. How disgusting!", cried Ginny now overcome with tears. Hermione and Ron were too appalled to even speak.

Harry turned away, feeling the sudden unwelcome stinging of tears in his eyes once again as he gathered what McGonagall had told him in her office.

"Harry?" said Neville his voice almost choked with anger and shock, his own grief multiplied manifold by the episode Harry had recounted.
"Ron, Hermione, Tonks is still under the Imperious cast by a Death Eater".

Neville though unable to comprehend this information stood up shakily and walked away unable to listen any further. Ginny couldn't even manage to stand.

"Mate!" exclaimed Ron in disbelief.
"But what I don't get is how Voldemort could put Tonks under the Imperious? It doesn't fit, Harry" blurted Hermione angry in spite of herself. The sudden revulsion of knowing about Tonks' helpless traitorousness and the affection Hermione had begun to reserve for the Metamorphmagus had begun to clash painfully.

Harry lowered his gaze to the pond, a mixture of hatred and sadness coursing through him. "Hermione, this morning I asked Professor McGonagall to provide answers. She didn't relent"- He took a deep breath and went on -"The first two attacks were for infiltrating into Mungos. The second attempt was a diversion to get all Aurors stationed at Mungos. Rookwood was already implanted in the first attack. Before the second attack, Voldemort managed to find out that Tonks was taking turns as my guard".

He touched the water lovingly, a feeling of longing also prevalent in his soft touch. The water simply rippled and settled down.

He went on, his hatred for Voldemort had begun to rear its head steadily, "Bellatrix gave him information that Tonks possessed a unique ability. She could change her appearances at will and was an Auror as an added bonus. So Voldemort ordered the Death Eaters to attack Mungos first. Then Tonks would be compelled to report to duty. Meanwhile, he paid me a futile visit at Privet Drive" Harry smiled a hollow smile which disintegrated into nothingness.

"But the damage had been done. The Death Eaters planned to capture Tonks. However thanks to timely interruption by Kingsley and Mr. Weasley, the attempt was thwarted but she suffered from a fractured rib. However, she was admitted to Mungos under special care. Alongside myself. The ward was broken into by Rookwood and she was placed under the Imperious. Luckily, all of them managed to overlook the fact that I could be lodged at Mungos too". Harry dropped into silence, he could not talk anymore.

All that time he had been seeing from Tonks' eyes no wonder the voice had been so familiar ... only if he had mentioned it to Dumbledore ... Tonks could've been with him, all those people wouldn't have died. His hands curled into tight fists.

Ron's eyes perked up. He muttered, "Tonks had been asking about you quite a number of times, mate. So she was under the Imperious all the time!"

This statement fell on deaf ears as the flow of words from Harry's mouth went on unobstructed, "Further, to his profit he found that Tonks was not involved in the meetings to a large degree. So lesser was the chance of her getting suspected. So he used Leglimency through her to read minds. She read Remus's mind at Grimmauld Place. She asked him again during a broom ride about me. She had been asking about me for some time and everybody thought it was due the loss of ... of ...", Harry found himself unable to speak Sirius' name.

"And since Rookwood could not maintain his identity hidden, he transferred his captive to Voldemort, which was when you got that vision while returning from Hagrid!" exclaimed Hermione, white as chalk. "Thanks to Tonks' unique capability, she remained undetected and that bought him some time". Harry nodded expressionlessly.

"And that is the same reason why Tonks will now be labelled a murderer for no mistake of hers. All thanks to Voldemort, Tonks will now be forced to do all that she doesn't want to, all that she doesn't need to".
Harry had removed out his wand in a flash his gaze still fixed on the calm waters of the pond. All his affection for his lost godfather and his new found affection for Tonks transformed into anger.

To Ginny's surprise, Harry's wand had begun to sparkle and emission of fiery red sparks had begun at its end. She looked at Harry, so did Hermione and Ron.

"Hermione, a few moments earlier that night and Tonks would be with us. Those few moments and nobody would be dead. Those few moments could have helped a lot . He killed my parents, he caused my godfather to be branded a murderer, he killed my godfather, his death eaters severely incapacitated that child whose Muggle parents were tortured to death, he killed those Muggles for fun... but he doesn't take Tonks. No I WONT LET HIM".

Harry was already on his feet. His anger had finally begun to consume him. He made off for the castle for the Room of Requirements, wand in hand not casting another look behind, the calls of his friends going in vain.

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Finally the 11th chapter. So did U get what the plot actually is? Yes? State it in a review and I'll reply with the next chapter.

Thanks to the aggravating bother called college and accompanying studies, assignments, I'll be updating less frequently (So much for the new year resolution, well I forgot the college also resolves to torture students with all such ridiculous stuff. Further I even forgot in my passion of writing HP ficcy that I am a student too).

However, that will CERTAINLY not deflect me from continuing this story. I WILL complete this story of course but though the coll. is a bother, I must make more room for accommodating my studies as they ARE important. Hope this reason quells your justified anger in my delay.

As for this chapter, please do send me reviews telling me about how you liked it? Does Tonks' absurd behaviour justify itself now? Any suggestions, ideas for future chapters? I'd love 2 know. Plz put it all in your valued review, I'll take a peek at it surely, once time permits.