Disclaimer: I do not own the following story in any way.


Chapter Two

"Sin is behovely, but all shall be well an all shall be well and all manner of things shall be well"

- Julian of Norwich


The foyer of the main RWC building was always crowded. There were always people there, talking, walking and often times trying to get into the building illegally. The crowd was filled with millions of mechanical devices that would automate and send minute waves at a high and precise frequency the moment any threat of terrorism was detected. That was why every now and again, roughly every four hours, the building would be cleared and any bodies would be taken away.

That was the foyer.

The first to seventy sixth floors all contained offices that catered to the needs of lower executives given the important yet mundane jobs of keeping the world in order. They had spacey offices with beautiful views over the rest of the city and unlimited resources at their finger tips.

The seventy sixth floor to the one-hundred and forty-fourth contained desks for army generals and other significant armed forces personnel, meeting rooms where they often met to discuss the patting down of rebels, and congratulate each other on the last and previous patting down of said rebels.

However, the one-hundred and forty-four floors that went up from there were unknown.

To most people.

The next two hundred and ninety-eight floors of the building were donated solely to the solving of mysteries.

If there was one thing that hadn't changed in seven-hundred years it was the fact that Wizards and muggles alike, both had the urge, the need to solve the problems of the universe, even when the problems didn't need solving.

Each floor was donated to a mystery, and each mystery had only thirty people working on it, a drop in numbers of almost four hundred and fifty people per floor. Had people known what existed above the Militaries luxury launges, they might have found it extravagant for a floor that could have easily fit 1000 (small, to be sure, but still possible) offices, but they did not know it was there, and no complaints were issued.

The people who worked on the Mystery floors were normal people who had just landed a not so normal job. They were all highly intelligent and, as a rule, strictly only had information about their own floor and therefore mystery.

When a mystery was solved, the floor that had solved it would simply disappear, the workers being shifted to another floor, with all memory of the solved one being erased from their minds. The only way they knew how many floors they had worked on was by reading their security card and looking at the number of 'jobs' completed successfully and the floor names of said jobs, no matter about that, they were hardly amateurs.

Most of the floors had been created in the last five hundred years, but a few were still lasting from the first fifty years of the organisations existence.

There were sixteen altogether. Seven of which were donated solely to Harry Potter.

The departments were organised like the rest of the RWC; the most important at the top, gradually getting less important as they reached lower divisions.

The sections that were donated to Harry Potter were the only real exception to all the rules the Department of Mysteries had. Every decree that had ever been written down had been broken by someone who operated on the top seven floors, which became known as the Angel Quarter.

One of the reasons for this was that the top seven floors didn't have one thousand people like they could. They didn't have the five-hundred that the military and ministry workers had to put up with. They didn't even have the normal thirty allocated to the DoM floors.

The only had four people each.

The top seven levels were all entwined another thing that made them different from the other two-hundred and ninety-one floors. If they solved a mystery (Which they hadn't, not since way back in 2470 when an American witch by the name of Cleo Farny had discovered information concerning Harry Potters wand. She had not revealed any information on where, but using a complex spell the Superiors had been able to discern that the information supplied was correct) then they were moved to another department in the Angel Quarter, not thrown down into any random floor unless you made an unforgivable mistake.

The Anger Quarter was very different to its fellows and they performed a much wider variety of things than was usually used to find things out. For instance, the Farny Floor had created a spell team that traced magic back until the middle ages. They had created a actual spell (something nearly unheard of) and had been able to trace recurring magical patterns to Harry Potter's wand. It had all been very complicated and hard to understand, but in the end they had managed to work it out and, had the quartet decided that it's AQ (Angel Quarter) days were over, would have had enough money for several of their descendants to retire at age seven.

No rules applied in the AQ apart from one, as well as the obvious silence pact.

You never, ever touched, spoked to, contacted or communicated with any of the Ancient families, which included the Potters, Malfoy's, Blacks (A/N: Yes their line survives, you will learn more about this cose its actually pretty important) and Weasley's. Ever. Because the first mystery that the AQ had solved, had been one that clearly stated the exact opposite that each of the four families stood for:

Why did he hate muggles so much?

The department had originally thought they were onto something with a seer in Egypt, back in the year 2217, claiming that Potter had lived at an orphanage and had been treated badly, so turning against the muggles to fight for what was right, realising that in his hatred for them he had seen the light, when the seer had come to realise just what she was seeing.

It had not been the above.

But it had been one of the most important and amazing discoveries for seven hundred years, still un-beaten in the year 2718.

She had discovered that she was seeing Harry Potter's memories of Voldemort's childhood, memories that had obviously been usurped by Harry from said darklord, a feat that had never since been compared.

And they had discovered everything about the question their department was ruled by. But nothing more. Not a word to help any of the other ten departments, just to fulfil their question.

I was unknown to most people that the head of the Seer Floor (aptly named after the answer had been recorded) had been the father of a very sick child in need of care he could not afford.

Once the answer was delivered, he didn't need to worry about money ever again.

And it was in the year 2718 that the seven top departments stood, waiting.


Dep. 5: Where did his power come from?

Dep. 4: How did he survive the killing curse?

Dep. 6: What was the extent of his powers?

Dep. 7: Who were his best and real friends? (This department had been fed lies since the very beginning and were having a hard time without the new idea from dep. 5 that he had not had any friends and had stolen their power from them therefore turning them into his slaves while becoming invincible)

Dep. 3: Who were his ancestors? (There was argument over whether this was more important than the knowledge of how he had survived the killing curse, but the Superiors had simply delivered mail to all levels of the AQ and told them it was final)

Dep. 2: How did he defeat Voldemort?

But the most important department, which was positioned at the very top of the RWC headquarters, the oldest and most significant department was:

Dep. 1: Where did he go once he disappeared from the history books?

No body knew.

But the department were getting very, very close.

Even though they didn't know it yet, they were.

And to think, it had only taken them seven hundred years.


Cassandra Relli was not Cassie's real name. Her real name had been Kimberly Deriar, but as soon as she had joined the AQ of DoM she had changed her name to Cassandra in an attempt to distance herself from the name of one of the Adopted, or un-adopted as the case had, in fact, been.

As she appeared at the entering point of the building, pushing her way through the foyer in an attempt to make it to the lifts, something very odd started to happen.

Time slowed as she accidentally tripped over one of the bodies lying on the floor and started to fall towards the ground, and quite suddenly, as her face connected solidly to the concrete floor, she had a very, very smart idea. And a very sore nose. But that could come later. She picked herself up off the floor and rushed over to the lifts, barely able to wait for them to reach her office, which was located, on the 442nd floor.

As soon as she arrived she flew out of the small metal box and virtually ran to her desk, before starting up her computer and immediately being immersed in her work.

Tawny Deen, who was another worker in Cassie's department had seen her hurried entrance, and walked slowly over, eventually reaching Cassie's shoulder and watching the screen she was working at. What she saw both amused and astounded her.

Cassandra Relli was in a virtual reality game that little kids played on the net.

But that wasn't all.

Cassie was looking at a part of the game not many people got up to, and by the time they did they mostly thought they were too old to play it any more. But seeing as how both Cassie and Tawny had been the top in their classes through ages 3 to 20, they both knew the level quite well.

Tawny was not stupid.

If Tawny had been stupid she would not be working in Dep. 1.

But she was working in Dep. 1. And she was watching her fellow colleague play a game and all the while look like she was solving the question she had been assigned to for the past four years of her life.

"Cassie where did this come from?" the blond tore her eyes off the game, pausing it so nothing else could happen before turning to answer the brunette's question.

"Did you ever wonder where the game was set? I mean, think about it! Look at the history of it!" seemingly too exited to even draw together a proper sentence, she turned back to the computer game, manipulating her character so that it began moving down endless corridors and through huge halls.

Tawny moved to her own work space and sat down at her computer, watching the screen and trying to understand what Cassie had meant. She started typing slowly and in earnest before slowly building up speed as an idea struck her.

When she found in the information she was looking for she sat back in amazement.

The game Cassie had been playing was a game that had been created the year before Harry Potter left. A game that had somehow survived over seven hundred years of play and was still one of the most popular in the world, while by rights it should be outdated, outrated and then simply: out. But that was not all, it meant that Harry Potter had known about the existence of the game, and that lead to a few ideas she would rather not currently think about.

She pulled up the game on her screen and her favourite character, a brunette, like herself, with bushy hair and brown chocolate eyes, quite unlike herself, and started to play.

It was a complicated level and it took years to actually be able to reach it, and by the time years were over, you were over the game. It was ingenious, she thought, if it was actually true.

The level started in a building with lots of people crowding around, quite similar to the foyer, she thought distractedly, quickly manoeuvring 'Hermione' (her characters name) around a fountain that had golden statues in it of odd creatures, all looking towards the central figure of a witch and wizard.

And then something struck her.

Although the game was a virtual reality one, this was just a tad too real.

She quickly considered where she had not been on this level, and remembered. Down the bottom, through one particular door, that was always locked.

She made her way down.

And paused the game because suddenly she knew how to get through that door.

"Cassie! Come over here!" there was a scuttle and the brown eyed girl wandered over, looking extremely pissed off.

"I can't get in there! I just can't figure out how to!" she sighed and sat down turning to the Tawny's screen "You neither huh? Maybe I'm wrong. Oh, I feel so stupid! I was so sure..." she trailed off at the grin on her work mates face.

"I know how to get in" ignoring the look of amazement of Cassie's face she threw the girl a pair of glasses (A/N: Those ones that you wear in virtual reality games and stuff that make you think you're in it) and grabbed a pair for herself.

"They're not compatible with the game Nee" Tawny ignored her and shoved her own on.

"In this section, you came break all the rules you want. Do you know why?" Cassie shook her head, and put the glasses on, suddenly in the game.

"I thought it was impossible?!" Tawney grinned at the ignorant statement.

"No rules apply here Cass, Look around you. And guess where we are" Cassie's answer was immediate.

"We are here" they both grinned at the joke.

"Here being the RWC of course, the old building that used to stand here was used for the same purposes, just by a different set of people" Cassie nodded in understanding.

"And?"

"They had the same departments and everything, say, they might have even had the same password" Cassie blinked in sudden understanding.

"You mean..." Tawny nodded and turned to the door.

"Holly Pheonix Feather" and the door opened for the first time in over seven hundred years.


Sara Potter was dancing with Benjamin Weasley, who happened to be two years older than her and looking for a marriage. It was obvious to her that both of their parents thought it would be a wonderful idea for the two to get together and keep up the family names.

Sara did not like that idea.

She did not want to marry Ben.

They were great friends, but she was just as aware as he was that he only saw her as a younger sister, and she only saw him as a big brother.

But they were still dancing and there was no denying that their parents each had ulterior motives; there was more to it than simply wanting their daughter/son to have a nice, enjoyable night, which they were, but that was beyond the point.

And so it was that Sara Potter felt It in the middle of an enjoyable dance with one of her oldest friends.

It being something she did not even know about.

Something by all rights no Potter, apart from Harry Potter, ever should know about.

But she felt the energy backlash from the opening of a sealed chamber that none had entered for a very long time, as did everyone else in the party. But they knew even less than Sara.

And Sara didn't know much.

Soon, that was going to change.

The scream ripped through her without warning, and she was released from Ben's arms immediately, almost falling to the ground in her pain. The people who had been dancing all stepped backwards, and away from her, as her screams slowly wound down to choking, body racking, sobs.

No body came to help her.

Not one single person stepped forward.

Until her sister, who had been sitting quietly at the children's table (ignoring the other children), stood up and marched over, her blind eyes leading her to her sister.

The silence echoed around her footsteps as she stomped through the parting adults to Sara, ignoring everything else that was not the bent over form sobbing quietly.

Fey knew what had happened, and had been expecting it, but it was, nonetheless a shock as she approached her own flesh and blood, to see nothing but pain and hurt.

Tears dripped down her sister's face as the teenager slowly rocked backwards and forwards half words forming in her mouth and then forgotten, sliding away. The power was still in the air, still tangible with the intensity of it, still intoxicating with the need it contained. The need to resurrect the truth.

"Sara, it's ok, it's ok. It'll all be ok" or so Fey Potter hoped.


Notes:

Fey Potter: Is blind but (now) can see, no, she never could see and never will be able to, with normal eyesight at least. Because Fey has a gift. Yes, that's right! The power of sight that all blind people have! (Luckily for me no blind people can take offence to that statement because they can't read this! Mwahaha. If you are blind and you are reading this then I was just kidding and you are not really blind, so do not take offence .

The (new) DoM: Is not exactly (not even almost, really) like the old DoM, for one thing it's based off my own ideas (which means that it's nothing like anything you have ever heard, seen, thought, because you are likely sane and I am not) and for another we know nothing of the previous DoM apart from the fact they keep brains there. More will be revealed in the next chappie and other stuff as well.

The foyer: A random place you never want to visit. It's possibly the worst place on earth. It has things that can kill you like that and other stuff to that is complicated. It's there to weed out prospective terrorists and other stuff like that, and just because it fits.

Cassie and Tawny: Work in the DoM and are working on the 'where did he go after he disappeared from the history books' scene. They are two of a quartet that will be introduced later, probably at the most inconvenient time because this fic needs a bit of humour. Cassie has been working in dep. 1 for four years and is 24 yrs old. Tawny has been working there for three years and is 25. More on them later.

Benjamin Weasley: A nice, convenient filler, but I may build on him if you want.

Harry Potter: Was not evil. I said this place was twisted, and you decided to read the fic, so you'll just have to wait. Tho why I don't know, it seems strikingly obvious what's happened to me.


A/N: Well I have to admit, although these early chapters are a bit slow and boring, I kinda liked this one, last chappie I wasn't too happy about, but this seems to me to be a bit more interesting, specially the info on the dep's, boring maybe, but nonetheless necessary.

I understand that this is an odd fic, believe me I do, but I swear to you that it will get better (a bit more action for one thing!) but we just have to wait a while for... someone to appear. I'm sure you all know who. Well his (clue if you don't already know and are sighing at the fact I think this is suspensful) appearance is pretty soon, probably next chappie, but maybe the next, so then I promise it'll get a bit (a lot) more interesting!

Did you know that not one person has reviewed this fic? I feel sad, usually at least one person tells me it's decent. Please review and I'll update as soon as I can!

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