CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO- I.W.A. Explained, and Peggy's Secret (Ron's point of
view)
"I didn't do anything!" Sirius shrieked as soon as Mr. English spoke up.
"Oh, hello Mr. Black." Mr. English said, now noticing the rest of us in the room. "What is going on?"
"A party I wasn't invited to." Dumbledore said, rubbing his beard. "What's the problem?"
"Come and find out." Mr. English said and Dumbledore followed him through the door. Peggy, Harry, Hermione, Jasmine, Luna, Lupus, Ginny, Sirius, Remus, Trixie, Emerin, Bert, Malfoy, and I all slipped through the door before it disappeared.
Mr. English and Dumbledore were gone. Harry smiled and I knew this played into his plans. He wanted us to explore the I.W.A. I had a feeling we'd get lost in there, but we'd eventually find out way out. "You really don't want to investigate this labyrinth." Sirius said, flopping onto a seat that appeared in the white, and previously empty room.
"How do you know?" Harry asked.
"He works here." I said quietly. All colour drained from Sirius's face.
"What?" He sputtered out.
"You work here, don't you?" I asked, staring at him. He began to go all nervous and twitchy.
"I d-d-d-don't know what you m-mean wha-wha-wha-wha-wha-what are you talking about? I don't know what you're talking about." He stammered.
"Oh say it like that and they'll be sure to believe you." Remus said, rolling his eyes.
"You work here?" Harry asked in amazement.
"No of course not." Sirius said, scowling at me.
"You DO work here, don't you?!" Harry shrieked.
"WELL YOU DON'T HAVE TO BE SO ACCUSING ABOUT IT!" Sirius screamed, leaping to his feet (the seat he had been on melted into the wall).
"You WORK HERE?!" Harry yelled.
"YES I DO!" Sirius screamed, his voice bouncing off the walls.
"You mean you've---all along you---" Jasmine somehow managed.
"But-but-but you're a professor." Hermione said.
"Oh come off it, its just a cover job." Sirius said miserably.
"Cover job?" Harry asked in confusion.
"Yes, I work for the W.P.U. department."
"So what IS all of this I.W.A. junk?" Hermione asked.
Sirius sighed. "Come on." He said so we followed him out into the corridor. "The I.W.A. was founded in BC. It was founded by the twelve most powerful witches and wizards in the world. they decided if they got together, they might be able to help out with all the worlds problems." Sirius said.
"It worked. They became so popular, they needed to take in helpers." Remus said.
"How do you know?" I asked.
"I work here, too. C.R.O.W. department." Remus admitted.
"If we're going to come out in the open with secrets, do I." Bert took his sunglasses off and sighed. "M.W.R."
"You work here? I knew about Moony but not you." Sirius said.
"That's cause I worked in Nevada." Bert said.
"A.M.C.R." Trixie said quickly.
"YOU?!" Sirius demanded.
"I was stationed in Africa." She said.
"If we're all baring our souls, S.A.M.C." Emerin said with a smile.
"Okay so half my friends from school worked here and I never knew." Sirius said, shaking his head.
"The things you discover." Remus said with a smile.
"Okay, so back to explaining about this place." Harry said. Sirius led us into a living room. It was very nice and the furniture so comfortable!
"So anyway, the I.W.A. which stands for International Wizarding Association. They took in helpers from every part of the world. After a while, every single magical person came to them for help. From trivial things like broken wands, to horrible things like loose Manticores." Sirius said as we sat on the couches and chairs.
"They were swamped with things that were so pointless, they hardly had time to get to the more important business." Trixie said.
"So in early AD, they announced the I.W.A. was broken up. No longer existed." Emerin said, filing her nails.
"The T.O.P. which stands for Twelve Of Power, moved headquarters to a secret building. They still worked secretly, of course. Finally the Wizarding world got into such a disarray without anyone taking control, they decided to make the Ministry Of Magic. At first there was just one Ministry for each continent." Remus explained.
"Anyway, at one point the I.W.A. was discovered again and swamped with meaningless things again." Bert said.
"Right. So they moved headquarters to the one place no one would ever expect." Sirius said and waved his arms.
"Where, Hogwarts?" Malfoy asked.
"No, we're not at Hogwarts." Sirius said.
"Where are we?" I asked.
"We're in the center of the Earth."
*** (Harry's point of view)
"The center of the Earth?!" I sputtered out.
Sirius grinned. "Yes."
"But---but the center of the Earth is lava." Hermione said.
"No. That was the tale the I.W.A. told to put them off the scent." Emerin said with a grin.
"So the entire middle of the Earth is---"
"The I.W.A." Trixie finished for Hermione, who looked amazed.
"Wow. Big place."
"Duh, its in charge of everything. There are hundreds and hundreds of departments/branches/divisions and the such." Sirius said.
"Only the best witches and wizards work here." Remus said.
"So why they hired the lot of us, I'll never know." Emerin snickered.
"So what were those things you said you worked for?" I asked.
"W.P.U. Wizarding Protection Unit. My assignment is to protect, er, you." Sirius admitted to me.
"Wait a minute, I'm an assignment?" I asked.
"Supposed to be, yes."
I angrily stood up. "And here I was thinking you actually cared!"
"Harry! I DO care about you!"
"Why?! I'm just an 'assignment'!" I stormed to the door to open the it, but Sirius stopped me.
"Harry, you may be an assignment but more importantly you are my godson. If you were just an assignment to me and nothing more, Ron wouldn't even be alive."
"What?" I asked, looking into his face.
"WHAT!?" Ron yelled.
"Sir wanted to destroy the Stone while Ron's life force was in there. I prevented him from doing it, because I care about you, Harry." Sirius said so sincerely I knew he was being honest.
"I'm sorry I got mad, it just... . you know."
"Yeah. Your parents used to work here."
"They did?" Jasmine asked.
"Yeah. James and I worked for the R.D.M.E. Research for Developing Magical Education." Sirius explained. "though why did that I have no idea."
"Lily worked for P.C.E. and I worked for the A.M.C.R. Then again, I still work for that." Trixie said, tossing her hair back. "Advanced Magical Creatures Research."
"S.A.M.C.- Study of Ancient Magical Culture." Emerin said with a smile.
"Mine is the Curse/Countercurse Research from Official Wizards." Remus said, rolling his eyes. "Initials, though, spell out-"
"Crow." Trixie giggled.
"And mine is M.W.R. Muggle Weaponry Research." Bert said, pulling his cap on tighter.
"So basically the whole world is under the eyes of the I.W.A." Hermione said.
"Correct. If we didn't work so hard, the world would be much worse. In fact it was because your mum worked her that she saved you." Sirius informed me.
"How so?" I asked.
"P.C.E.- Potent Countercurses Exploration." Sirius explained as we sat back down. "She was working on this one countercurse. No one knows what, she worked in secret. But it had something to do with what Voldemort did to you, and so she did the spell that saved you."
I frowned slightly. So the only reason Voldemort didn't kill me was because my mother did a powerful spell. Sirius must of been reading my mind because he spoke up again. "Though it worked better then it should of. The curse Voldemort sent you should of left you more then a scar. It should of left you weak, so it wasn't just because of the spell Lily did."
"Oh, its not I was upset in fact I was kind of hoping it wasn't me that was the reason I lived." I said with a sigh.
"BLACK!" We jumped as the door burst open and Sir came in. His steely eyes glared at us teenagers as we huddled behind the adults.
"Cor, he's frightening." Jasmine whispered.
"What do you want, Sir, besides becoming a T.O.P." Sirius said, growling in a most doglike fashion.
"Black I have put up with your antics for long enough. Give me the Stone, and the boy." Sir growled, glaring at me.
"Leave the kid alone, Sir." Sirius said, hands clenched tightly.
"Where's the Stone?"
"Forget the bloody Stone!"
"BLACK!"
"I am TIRED of you! You are the worst 'good' wizard in the history of the Wizarding world. Well, tied with Crouch."
Sir flicked his wand and Sirius was thrown against the wall. "LEAVE MY GODFATHER ALONE!" I screamed, launching myself at Sir. I felt a heavy blow against my chest and crumbled to the ground, breathing hard.
"Leave him alone!" Jasmine and Luna both tried attacking Sir but ended up on the floor, groaning in pain.
"If this is a good wizard, I'd hate to see a bad one." I moaned, getting up and glaring at Sir.
"You've already seen one." Sir hissed.
"Leave.. . Harry... alone!" Sirius said.
"You are in no position to be ordering me, Black." Sir shouted, wand pointed at him.
"No, he isn't. But I am."
I stared in shock and amazement as Peggy stepped forward.
***
"Peggy?!" Ron shrieked.
Peggy tossed back her hair and aimed her wand at Sir. "I suggest you put down that bit of wood, or else."
"You." Sir growled.
"I SAID put it down or are you deaf?"
Sir let his wand drop to the ground to the amazement of everybody in the room. "You are going to get it, Alexia. "
"Oh I think you're the one who's going to get it!" Peggy... Alexia... whoever she was said.
"I'm not the one who got knocked up by a regu." Sir said, glaring at Ron.
"No but you ARE the one threatening perfectly good I.W.A. wizards as well as Harry Potter, and also being violent to get his own selfish way."
"Peg what is going on?" Ron asked, eyes wide.
"Oh, she never told you?" Sir asked with a smirk.
"Told me what, Peg?" Ron asked, narrowing his eyes.
"I'll tell you in a minute. Right now we get to Number Two."
"NO!" Sir screamed in fear.
Peggy/Alexia smiled. "Oh yes."
***
A few minutes later they were in the hallway filled with eleven silver doors and one gold door. Peggy/Alexia led them to the silver door nearest the gold door and went in. "Where's Number Two?" She asked the secretary.
"He said he'll be back---"
"Now, I'm back now." They turned and saw a smiling Dumbledore come in.
"You work for the I.W.A. too?" Harry asked, feeling the day could not get any weirder.
"He more then works for it, he's Number Two." Peggy/Alexia said.
"The second most powerful being on---er, in and on Earth is you?" Sirius asked.
"Yeah, me.
"Then how come you're a headmaster?!" Hermione shrieked.
"Because that is part of my job." Dumbledore said and looked at Sir. "Well now. This is going to be fun."
"You can't do anything to me! You are not Number One!" Sir screamed angrily.
"No, I'm not. But Number One is too busy for the likes of YOU." Dumbledore sneered. "You and I are going to have a little chat..."
***
The group of teenagers were in a nice room, with breakfast (it was morning in England). Draco, Luna, Lupus, and Ginny had been pretty much silent. Harry, Jasmine, and Hermione decided to be quiet during the breakfast (for now).
Ron, however, had a different idea.
"Peggy, I think its time you told me the truth." He said.
Peggy picked at her breakfast, and looked up. "You're right. It is. Dunno if I could hold it in much longer. Well here it comes: I work here."
"You do?" Harry asked.
Peggy nodded. "I do. I was born here. My parents were pretty powerful in the W.P.U. section. My mother was head of the entire thing, actually. I was raised here, pretty much."
"You must be powerful then." Hermione said.
"I am. I could easily pass the N.E.W.Ts if they were given to me now."
"All those bad grades were a cover?" Harry asked.
"They were." Peggy said, glancing at Ron who was staring at her. "Then one day, my mom discovered where Voldemort was hiding out, and went to attack him. She nearly won, but Voldemort killed her. That happened before my second birthday, of course. So I never really got to know her. But my dad says I'm so much like her."
"Why did Sir call you Alexia?" Jasmine asked.
"That is my name here. A lot of the witches and wizards who work here have two names or three. The ones with two have the name they are known as here in the I.W.A., and the ones they are known as when they go to the surface. Only a few wizards and witches have one name. Dumbledore is one of them and I am suspecting Sirius is another."
"So you have two names?" Hermione asked.
"No. I have three. The name given to me at birth, my name here, and my surface name. The reason we have at least two different names is so if there's a leak here in the I.W.A., you know, a bad egg, then they can't pass out our real names." Peggy explained.
"Well, what are your names?" Harry asked.
"My name here is Alexia Webs, named after my mother Alexandria Webs and-"
"Wait, you have a brother." Harry said suddenly, remembering the cave..
"I do." Peggy admitted. "A twin."
"Twin? You're a twin?" Jasmine asked.
"Yes. His name here is Alexander. He was my best friend. I told you about him, Hermione. He's the one I was so close to." Peggy said with a sigh. "Our surface names are Peggy and Paul Morlins."
"Peggy isn't your real name then?" Ron asked in surprise.
"I don't really have a real name. I mean, I never use my birth name."
"Which is?"
"Erm," Peggy turned slightly red. "Hold on, I can't remember too well. V. V something. VvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvOH! Oh yeah, Vanessa ---oh shoot, what was my last name? Bah humbug, I forget."
"You forget your own last name?"
"Its been so long since I used it. I think my brother's name is Vern. Or maybe Vernon. I can't remember clearly."
"So why were you at Hogwarts?"
"Because the school I had been going to closed down. You knew that." Peggy/Alexia/Vanessa said.
"But---what were you doing at that school in the first place?"
"On assignment."
"Assignment?"
"Yes." Peggy (let's just call her that still) said.
"What assignment?' Harry asked.
"A Death Eater. A lot of teenage Death Eaters are Death Eaters because their parents are, but this one had no Death Eaters in her entire family."
"AMY!" Harry shouted.
Peggy nodded. "Yes."
"You mean all along you knew she was---was-"
"A Death Eater, yes." Peggy said with a sigh.
"How come you didn't arrest her when you first met her?" Harry demanded.
"I had no proof. First off, she didn't have the tattoo on her arm. Voldemort sent her on a special mission."
"Me?"
"Yes, you. Eagles shut down because all these accidents happened. Well, they weren't really accidents. Amy did them, so the school would shut down and she had a perfectly reasonable explanation for going to Hogwarts instead of just transferring there out of no where."
"So, all this time you've lied to us."
"I'm afraid so, yes."
"How come you stayed at Hogwarts after Amy was killed?"
"To keep an eye on Harry, among things."
There was silence for quite a few minutes. Then Ron spoke up. "Is all this what you meant when you said you weren't worth it?"
Peggy set her fork down and sighed. "Ron." She looked up into his eyes. "I love you. I love you so much. But my position here at the I.W.A. is extremely tight. Witches and wizards like me are not permitted to fall in love with regular wizards or witches like you. That's what Sir called you, regu. That's what we, er, call you guys. Anyway, there are three things that could happen if we fall in love with a regu."
"What are those three things?" Ron asked, moving closer to Peggy.
"One, I lose my position here at I.W.A., come up to the surface permanently. But the I.W.A. needs me to much to allow that to happen."
"Okay so the others?"
"Two, we break up, I'm never permitted near you again. I'll spend five years without being allowed to even go back to the surface."
Ron gulped. "And three?"
"Three isn't important, luv." Peggy said, holding his hand.
"What is it? Peg, tell me." Ron begged, staring into her eyes with his own.
"Ron, three is very bad."
"Why? What do you have to do? Be killed?"
"No, its what you would have to do." Peggy said very quietly.
"What would I have to do?"
"Ron, forget about it. I refuse to allow you to make a decision like this."
"Well since the first is out of the question that means we will be separated!" Ron said. Peggy clenched her teeth.
"I know but---"
"What is the third? Tell me." Ron begged.
"Ron, the third would be up to you to decide yes or no. Yes means you will be with me---"
"Yes, then."
"Ron please let me finish." Peggy said, sniffling. "Yes means you'll be with me---here. You'd go through training to become an I.W.A. wizard. But it also means you have to stay here, literally, with me. You would not be allowed up to the surface for at the least ten years. You would have to leave your friends, family, everything."
Ron was silent, his face stony.
"I didn't want you to make the decision." Peggy whispered, clutching Ron's hands.
"I see." Ron muttered.
"But.. Wait, Sirius-and everyone.." Harry said slowly.
Peggy turned to him. "They were asked. If you're not asked then.. well, what I said Ron would have to do."
The teens looked up as the doors opened and the adults came in, grinning. "What happened?" Harry asked.
"Sir's been kicked past the curb and straight to Azkaban." Sirius said with a nasty grin.
"Are you serious?" Harry asked.
"Are you inquiring if I am who I am, or if I am telling the truth?"
"Truth."
"Yes!"
"Turns out Sir has been using quite a lot of illegal ways to get to where he is. He bribes, lies, cheats, threatens, and even stole." Remus said.
"He's being replaced by a much better person. Someone who works for the I.W.A."
"One of you?" Harry asked.
"Er, no." Sirius admitted.
"Professor Conway."
"The Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher?" Jasmine asked.
"Yeah. Turns out she was sent to Hogwarts to help keep an eye on Harry. Sir beat her to the job he had, and now Conway's got it." Emerin said.
"We were all surprised but are all very glad." Trixie said.
"It's someone nice, thank goodness." Bert said. "She is going to take it as soon as your school year is over."
"So it looks like the position for DADA teacher is once again empty?" Harry asked.
"Yep. And Dumbledore is sending the Stone to Number One to have it destroyed." Remus said.
"All's well that ends well." Sirius said.
"It hasn't ended, Voldemort is attacking London this Saturday." Harry reminded his godfather.
"Dash it all you're right. And here I was thinking this was the ending of the adventure. Oh well."
"Guys!" Dumbledore came in, eyes wide.
"What?' They all asked.
"Number One wants to see you."
"NUMBER ONE?!" All the workers of I.W.A. screamed.
"But Number One never sees anyone not even Number One's own secretary!" Sirius said.
"He wants to see the lot of you." Dumbledore said, shaking. They went out to in front of the golden doors.
"This is amazing, meeting the most powerful guy in the world." Remus said.
"What makes you think its going to be a guy?" Trixie snapped.
"Shh, the doors are opening." The doors opened and revealed a long hallway. They felt a lot like Dorothy, Scarecrow, Tinman and Lion as they headed down to the magnificent doors at the end of the hallway. The secretary look amazed that Number One wanted to see someone.
Slowly the doors opened and they were all blinded by the light. "Blimey." Emerin mumbled.
The light faded and they all stared, ready to be amazed.
No one was there.
"Where is Number One?" Sirius asked.
"Down here." Said a voice.
Not even years of preparation could prepare them for what they saw. They looked down and screamed as they saw who it was.
"Hello all you happy people."
***
"A DOG?!" Everyone screamed.
Droopy walked forward. "Surprising, isn't it?"
"Wait a minute, a carTOON dog?!" Hermione demanded.
"Nice cover, isn't it?" Droopy asked. Everyone was too shocked to move. "I wanted you to witness the destroying of the Stone." He said and set the Stone down. Out from behind his back he pulled out a hammer bigger then he was. Without moving any part of his body except his arm, the hammer (which was magicked) smashed the Stone into billions of pieces. "Keep up the good work and don't tell anyone about me." Droopy turned and walked through the doors. They slammed behind him, leaving the others still completely shocked.
"I didn't do anything!" Sirius shrieked as soon as Mr. English spoke up.
"Oh, hello Mr. Black." Mr. English said, now noticing the rest of us in the room. "What is going on?"
"A party I wasn't invited to." Dumbledore said, rubbing his beard. "What's the problem?"
"Come and find out." Mr. English said and Dumbledore followed him through the door. Peggy, Harry, Hermione, Jasmine, Luna, Lupus, Ginny, Sirius, Remus, Trixie, Emerin, Bert, Malfoy, and I all slipped through the door before it disappeared.
Mr. English and Dumbledore were gone. Harry smiled and I knew this played into his plans. He wanted us to explore the I.W.A. I had a feeling we'd get lost in there, but we'd eventually find out way out. "You really don't want to investigate this labyrinth." Sirius said, flopping onto a seat that appeared in the white, and previously empty room.
"How do you know?" Harry asked.
"He works here." I said quietly. All colour drained from Sirius's face.
"What?" He sputtered out.
"You work here, don't you?" I asked, staring at him. He began to go all nervous and twitchy.
"I d-d-d-don't know what you m-mean wha-wha-wha-wha-wha-what are you talking about? I don't know what you're talking about." He stammered.
"Oh say it like that and they'll be sure to believe you." Remus said, rolling his eyes.
"You work here?" Harry asked in amazement.
"No of course not." Sirius said, scowling at me.
"You DO work here, don't you?!" Harry shrieked.
"WELL YOU DON'T HAVE TO BE SO ACCUSING ABOUT IT!" Sirius screamed, leaping to his feet (the seat he had been on melted into the wall).
"You WORK HERE?!" Harry yelled.
"YES I DO!" Sirius screamed, his voice bouncing off the walls.
"You mean you've---all along you---" Jasmine somehow managed.
"But-but-but you're a professor." Hermione said.
"Oh come off it, its just a cover job." Sirius said miserably.
"Cover job?" Harry asked in confusion.
"Yes, I work for the W.P.U. department."
"So what IS all of this I.W.A. junk?" Hermione asked.
Sirius sighed. "Come on." He said so we followed him out into the corridor. "The I.W.A. was founded in BC. It was founded by the twelve most powerful witches and wizards in the world. they decided if they got together, they might be able to help out with all the worlds problems." Sirius said.
"It worked. They became so popular, they needed to take in helpers." Remus said.
"How do you know?" I asked.
"I work here, too. C.R.O.W. department." Remus admitted.
"If we're going to come out in the open with secrets, do I." Bert took his sunglasses off and sighed. "M.W.R."
"You work here? I knew about Moony but not you." Sirius said.
"That's cause I worked in Nevada." Bert said.
"A.M.C.R." Trixie said quickly.
"YOU?!" Sirius demanded.
"I was stationed in Africa." She said.
"If we're all baring our souls, S.A.M.C." Emerin said with a smile.
"Okay so half my friends from school worked here and I never knew." Sirius said, shaking his head.
"The things you discover." Remus said with a smile.
"Okay, so back to explaining about this place." Harry said. Sirius led us into a living room. It was very nice and the furniture so comfortable!
"So anyway, the I.W.A. which stands for International Wizarding Association. They took in helpers from every part of the world. After a while, every single magical person came to them for help. From trivial things like broken wands, to horrible things like loose Manticores." Sirius said as we sat on the couches and chairs.
"They were swamped with things that were so pointless, they hardly had time to get to the more important business." Trixie said.
"So in early AD, they announced the I.W.A. was broken up. No longer existed." Emerin said, filing her nails.
"The T.O.P. which stands for Twelve Of Power, moved headquarters to a secret building. They still worked secretly, of course. Finally the Wizarding world got into such a disarray without anyone taking control, they decided to make the Ministry Of Magic. At first there was just one Ministry for each continent." Remus explained.
"Anyway, at one point the I.W.A. was discovered again and swamped with meaningless things again." Bert said.
"Right. So they moved headquarters to the one place no one would ever expect." Sirius said and waved his arms.
"Where, Hogwarts?" Malfoy asked.
"No, we're not at Hogwarts." Sirius said.
"Where are we?" I asked.
"We're in the center of the Earth."
*** (Harry's point of view)
"The center of the Earth?!" I sputtered out.
Sirius grinned. "Yes."
"But---but the center of the Earth is lava." Hermione said.
"No. That was the tale the I.W.A. told to put them off the scent." Emerin said with a grin.
"So the entire middle of the Earth is---"
"The I.W.A." Trixie finished for Hermione, who looked amazed.
"Wow. Big place."
"Duh, its in charge of everything. There are hundreds and hundreds of departments/branches/divisions and the such." Sirius said.
"Only the best witches and wizards work here." Remus said.
"So why they hired the lot of us, I'll never know." Emerin snickered.
"So what were those things you said you worked for?" I asked.
"W.P.U. Wizarding Protection Unit. My assignment is to protect, er, you." Sirius admitted to me.
"Wait a minute, I'm an assignment?" I asked.
"Supposed to be, yes."
I angrily stood up. "And here I was thinking you actually cared!"
"Harry! I DO care about you!"
"Why?! I'm just an 'assignment'!" I stormed to the door to open the it, but Sirius stopped me.
"Harry, you may be an assignment but more importantly you are my godson. If you were just an assignment to me and nothing more, Ron wouldn't even be alive."
"What?" I asked, looking into his face.
"WHAT!?" Ron yelled.
"Sir wanted to destroy the Stone while Ron's life force was in there. I prevented him from doing it, because I care about you, Harry." Sirius said so sincerely I knew he was being honest.
"I'm sorry I got mad, it just... . you know."
"Yeah. Your parents used to work here."
"They did?" Jasmine asked.
"Yeah. James and I worked for the R.D.M.E. Research for Developing Magical Education." Sirius explained. "though why did that I have no idea."
"Lily worked for P.C.E. and I worked for the A.M.C.R. Then again, I still work for that." Trixie said, tossing her hair back. "Advanced Magical Creatures Research."
"S.A.M.C.- Study of Ancient Magical Culture." Emerin said with a smile.
"Mine is the Curse/Countercurse Research from Official Wizards." Remus said, rolling his eyes. "Initials, though, spell out-"
"Crow." Trixie giggled.
"And mine is M.W.R. Muggle Weaponry Research." Bert said, pulling his cap on tighter.
"So basically the whole world is under the eyes of the I.W.A." Hermione said.
"Correct. If we didn't work so hard, the world would be much worse. In fact it was because your mum worked her that she saved you." Sirius informed me.
"How so?" I asked.
"P.C.E.- Potent Countercurses Exploration." Sirius explained as we sat back down. "She was working on this one countercurse. No one knows what, she worked in secret. But it had something to do with what Voldemort did to you, and so she did the spell that saved you."
I frowned slightly. So the only reason Voldemort didn't kill me was because my mother did a powerful spell. Sirius must of been reading my mind because he spoke up again. "Though it worked better then it should of. The curse Voldemort sent you should of left you more then a scar. It should of left you weak, so it wasn't just because of the spell Lily did."
"Oh, its not I was upset in fact I was kind of hoping it wasn't me that was the reason I lived." I said with a sigh.
"BLACK!" We jumped as the door burst open and Sir came in. His steely eyes glared at us teenagers as we huddled behind the adults.
"Cor, he's frightening." Jasmine whispered.
"What do you want, Sir, besides becoming a T.O.P." Sirius said, growling in a most doglike fashion.
"Black I have put up with your antics for long enough. Give me the Stone, and the boy." Sir growled, glaring at me.
"Leave the kid alone, Sir." Sirius said, hands clenched tightly.
"Where's the Stone?"
"Forget the bloody Stone!"
"BLACK!"
"I am TIRED of you! You are the worst 'good' wizard in the history of the Wizarding world. Well, tied with Crouch."
Sir flicked his wand and Sirius was thrown against the wall. "LEAVE MY GODFATHER ALONE!" I screamed, launching myself at Sir. I felt a heavy blow against my chest and crumbled to the ground, breathing hard.
"Leave him alone!" Jasmine and Luna both tried attacking Sir but ended up on the floor, groaning in pain.
"If this is a good wizard, I'd hate to see a bad one." I moaned, getting up and glaring at Sir.
"You've already seen one." Sir hissed.
"Leave.. . Harry... alone!" Sirius said.
"You are in no position to be ordering me, Black." Sir shouted, wand pointed at him.
"No, he isn't. But I am."
I stared in shock and amazement as Peggy stepped forward.
***
"Peggy?!" Ron shrieked.
Peggy tossed back her hair and aimed her wand at Sir. "I suggest you put down that bit of wood, or else."
"You." Sir growled.
"I SAID put it down or are you deaf?"
Sir let his wand drop to the ground to the amazement of everybody in the room. "You are going to get it, Alexia. "
"Oh I think you're the one who's going to get it!" Peggy... Alexia... whoever she was said.
"I'm not the one who got knocked up by a regu." Sir said, glaring at Ron.
"No but you ARE the one threatening perfectly good I.W.A. wizards as well as Harry Potter, and also being violent to get his own selfish way."
"Peg what is going on?" Ron asked, eyes wide.
"Oh, she never told you?" Sir asked with a smirk.
"Told me what, Peg?" Ron asked, narrowing his eyes.
"I'll tell you in a minute. Right now we get to Number Two."
"NO!" Sir screamed in fear.
Peggy/Alexia smiled. "Oh yes."
***
A few minutes later they were in the hallway filled with eleven silver doors and one gold door. Peggy/Alexia led them to the silver door nearest the gold door and went in. "Where's Number Two?" She asked the secretary.
"He said he'll be back---"
"Now, I'm back now." They turned and saw a smiling Dumbledore come in.
"You work for the I.W.A. too?" Harry asked, feeling the day could not get any weirder.
"He more then works for it, he's Number Two." Peggy/Alexia said.
"The second most powerful being on---er, in and on Earth is you?" Sirius asked.
"Yeah, me.
"Then how come you're a headmaster?!" Hermione shrieked.
"Because that is part of my job." Dumbledore said and looked at Sir. "Well now. This is going to be fun."
"You can't do anything to me! You are not Number One!" Sir screamed angrily.
"No, I'm not. But Number One is too busy for the likes of YOU." Dumbledore sneered. "You and I are going to have a little chat..."
***
The group of teenagers were in a nice room, with breakfast (it was morning in England). Draco, Luna, Lupus, and Ginny had been pretty much silent. Harry, Jasmine, and Hermione decided to be quiet during the breakfast (for now).
Ron, however, had a different idea.
"Peggy, I think its time you told me the truth." He said.
Peggy picked at her breakfast, and looked up. "You're right. It is. Dunno if I could hold it in much longer. Well here it comes: I work here."
"You do?" Harry asked.
Peggy nodded. "I do. I was born here. My parents were pretty powerful in the W.P.U. section. My mother was head of the entire thing, actually. I was raised here, pretty much."
"You must be powerful then." Hermione said.
"I am. I could easily pass the N.E.W.Ts if they were given to me now."
"All those bad grades were a cover?" Harry asked.
"They were." Peggy said, glancing at Ron who was staring at her. "Then one day, my mom discovered where Voldemort was hiding out, and went to attack him. She nearly won, but Voldemort killed her. That happened before my second birthday, of course. So I never really got to know her. But my dad says I'm so much like her."
"Why did Sir call you Alexia?" Jasmine asked.
"That is my name here. A lot of the witches and wizards who work here have two names or three. The ones with two have the name they are known as here in the I.W.A., and the ones they are known as when they go to the surface. Only a few wizards and witches have one name. Dumbledore is one of them and I am suspecting Sirius is another."
"So you have two names?" Hermione asked.
"No. I have three. The name given to me at birth, my name here, and my surface name. The reason we have at least two different names is so if there's a leak here in the I.W.A., you know, a bad egg, then they can't pass out our real names." Peggy explained.
"Well, what are your names?" Harry asked.
"My name here is Alexia Webs, named after my mother Alexandria Webs and-"
"Wait, you have a brother." Harry said suddenly, remembering the cave..
"I do." Peggy admitted. "A twin."
"Twin? You're a twin?" Jasmine asked.
"Yes. His name here is Alexander. He was my best friend. I told you about him, Hermione. He's the one I was so close to." Peggy said with a sigh. "Our surface names are Peggy and Paul Morlins."
"Peggy isn't your real name then?" Ron asked in surprise.
"I don't really have a real name. I mean, I never use my birth name."
"Which is?"
"Erm," Peggy turned slightly red. "Hold on, I can't remember too well. V. V something. VvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvOH! Oh yeah, Vanessa ---oh shoot, what was my last name? Bah humbug, I forget."
"You forget your own last name?"
"Its been so long since I used it. I think my brother's name is Vern. Or maybe Vernon. I can't remember clearly."
"So why were you at Hogwarts?"
"Because the school I had been going to closed down. You knew that." Peggy/Alexia/Vanessa said.
"But---what were you doing at that school in the first place?"
"On assignment."
"Assignment?"
"Yes." Peggy (let's just call her that still) said.
"What assignment?' Harry asked.
"A Death Eater. A lot of teenage Death Eaters are Death Eaters because their parents are, but this one had no Death Eaters in her entire family."
"AMY!" Harry shouted.
Peggy nodded. "Yes."
"You mean all along you knew she was---was-"
"A Death Eater, yes." Peggy said with a sigh.
"How come you didn't arrest her when you first met her?" Harry demanded.
"I had no proof. First off, she didn't have the tattoo on her arm. Voldemort sent her on a special mission."
"Me?"
"Yes, you. Eagles shut down because all these accidents happened. Well, they weren't really accidents. Amy did them, so the school would shut down and she had a perfectly reasonable explanation for going to Hogwarts instead of just transferring there out of no where."
"So, all this time you've lied to us."
"I'm afraid so, yes."
"How come you stayed at Hogwarts after Amy was killed?"
"To keep an eye on Harry, among things."
There was silence for quite a few minutes. Then Ron spoke up. "Is all this what you meant when you said you weren't worth it?"
Peggy set her fork down and sighed. "Ron." She looked up into his eyes. "I love you. I love you so much. But my position here at the I.W.A. is extremely tight. Witches and wizards like me are not permitted to fall in love with regular wizards or witches like you. That's what Sir called you, regu. That's what we, er, call you guys. Anyway, there are three things that could happen if we fall in love with a regu."
"What are those three things?" Ron asked, moving closer to Peggy.
"One, I lose my position here at I.W.A., come up to the surface permanently. But the I.W.A. needs me to much to allow that to happen."
"Okay so the others?"
"Two, we break up, I'm never permitted near you again. I'll spend five years without being allowed to even go back to the surface."
Ron gulped. "And three?"
"Three isn't important, luv." Peggy said, holding his hand.
"What is it? Peg, tell me." Ron begged, staring into her eyes with his own.
"Ron, three is very bad."
"Why? What do you have to do? Be killed?"
"No, its what you would have to do." Peggy said very quietly.
"What would I have to do?"
"Ron, forget about it. I refuse to allow you to make a decision like this."
"Well since the first is out of the question that means we will be separated!" Ron said. Peggy clenched her teeth.
"I know but---"
"What is the third? Tell me." Ron begged.
"Ron, the third would be up to you to decide yes or no. Yes means you will be with me---"
"Yes, then."
"Ron please let me finish." Peggy said, sniffling. "Yes means you'll be with me---here. You'd go through training to become an I.W.A. wizard. But it also means you have to stay here, literally, with me. You would not be allowed up to the surface for at the least ten years. You would have to leave your friends, family, everything."
Ron was silent, his face stony.
"I didn't want you to make the decision." Peggy whispered, clutching Ron's hands.
"I see." Ron muttered.
"But.. Wait, Sirius-and everyone.." Harry said slowly.
Peggy turned to him. "They were asked. If you're not asked then.. well, what I said Ron would have to do."
The teens looked up as the doors opened and the adults came in, grinning. "What happened?" Harry asked.
"Sir's been kicked past the curb and straight to Azkaban." Sirius said with a nasty grin.
"Are you serious?" Harry asked.
"Are you inquiring if I am who I am, or if I am telling the truth?"
"Truth."
"Yes!"
"Turns out Sir has been using quite a lot of illegal ways to get to where he is. He bribes, lies, cheats, threatens, and even stole." Remus said.
"He's being replaced by a much better person. Someone who works for the I.W.A."
"One of you?" Harry asked.
"Er, no." Sirius admitted.
"Professor Conway."
"The Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher?" Jasmine asked.
"Yeah. Turns out she was sent to Hogwarts to help keep an eye on Harry. Sir beat her to the job he had, and now Conway's got it." Emerin said.
"We were all surprised but are all very glad." Trixie said.
"It's someone nice, thank goodness." Bert said. "She is going to take it as soon as your school year is over."
"So it looks like the position for DADA teacher is once again empty?" Harry asked.
"Yep. And Dumbledore is sending the Stone to Number One to have it destroyed." Remus said.
"All's well that ends well." Sirius said.
"It hasn't ended, Voldemort is attacking London this Saturday." Harry reminded his godfather.
"Dash it all you're right. And here I was thinking this was the ending of the adventure. Oh well."
"Guys!" Dumbledore came in, eyes wide.
"What?' They all asked.
"Number One wants to see you."
"NUMBER ONE?!" All the workers of I.W.A. screamed.
"But Number One never sees anyone not even Number One's own secretary!" Sirius said.
"He wants to see the lot of you." Dumbledore said, shaking. They went out to in front of the golden doors.
"This is amazing, meeting the most powerful guy in the world." Remus said.
"What makes you think its going to be a guy?" Trixie snapped.
"Shh, the doors are opening." The doors opened and revealed a long hallway. They felt a lot like Dorothy, Scarecrow, Tinman and Lion as they headed down to the magnificent doors at the end of the hallway. The secretary look amazed that Number One wanted to see someone.
Slowly the doors opened and they were all blinded by the light. "Blimey." Emerin mumbled.
The light faded and they all stared, ready to be amazed.
No one was there.
"Where is Number One?" Sirius asked.
"Down here." Said a voice.
Not even years of preparation could prepare them for what they saw. They looked down and screamed as they saw who it was.
"Hello all you happy people."
***
"A DOG?!" Everyone screamed.
Droopy walked forward. "Surprising, isn't it?"
"Wait a minute, a carTOON dog?!" Hermione demanded.
"Nice cover, isn't it?" Droopy asked. Everyone was too shocked to move. "I wanted you to witness the destroying of the Stone." He said and set the Stone down. Out from behind his back he pulled out a hammer bigger then he was. Without moving any part of his body except his arm, the hammer (which was magicked) smashed the Stone into billions of pieces. "Keep up the good work and don't tell anyone about me." Droopy turned and walked through the doors. They slammed behind him, leaving the others still completely shocked.