Disclaimer: singAll the people, so many people, that don't own harry potter, harry pot-tttter. and I'm one of them./singing
Authors note: Sorry about it being nearly a week overdue. Thanks again to Hogwarts Girl for another review, Enjoy the new chapter. Its a recap of the story so far, with so attempt at humour. It turned out quite diffirent from expected. I'll hopefully have Chapter 4: Ministry Mayhem Again and Chapter 5 up over the weekend
Chapter 3 – The three steps to success
The ministry of magic is a sprawling underground complex beneath London, with over 7 floors containing various departments to deal with everyday issues of magic throughout the country. It was a fantastic place to visit, to see all the various department which ranged from the Department of International Magical Co-operation to the Department of Mysteries, to the Department of Misuse of Muggle artifacts. Then there were dungeons courtrooms on the lower levels and the brilliant foyer area at the entrance which contained the statue of magical co-existence or rather it had.
Two years ago however, The statue had been to put it lightly obliterated, A terrible battle had raged throughout the foyer area between perhaps, the two greatest wizards of the last hundred years. On one side stood a resurrected dark lord known to the entire world as you-know-who but, to those with the courage (or foolishness) to speak it, Lord Voldemort. On the other side stood as if out for a pleasant midnight stroll and had just bumped into someone who wanted to kill him, was the Headmaster of Hogwarts 'Albus Dumbledore'.
Also present in this furious exchange between teacher and pupil had been a witch known as 'Bellatrix Lestrange', a Death-Eater, a follower of Lord Voldemort who had spent 13 years in Azkaban, the wizard prison which until 6 months preceding this great duel in this magnificent foyer had been run by the 'Dementors'.
Dementors are creatures of Fear itself, a creature that feeds off the happiness of muggles and wizards alike. These foul creatures do posses some idea of the word 'love'. Sure, their version of love is giving you little kiss that sucks your soul out whether you want it to or not. It may seem a bit strange to the more accepted meaning of the word but, the world after all a very twisted place.
Another person who has attracted the love of more than one of these creatures of evil themselves and managed to escape it, is by chance also present in this hall to witness this furious battle, is called Harry Potter.
On the night of this explosive fight, Harry had been lured to the Ministry of Magic by lord Voldemort to steal a prophecy; This particular prophecy that connected the Dark Lord and Harry Potter. It told of the coming of the chosen that would hopefully destroy the Dark Lord for good.
Ironically, It had also been the Dark Lord's undoing. After only hearing half of the prophecy, he reacted quicker than he really should have to a prophecy about his destruction and despite his vast knowledge of the tremendous and unstoppable dark arts, it never occurred to him to do any research on spells that could repel the darkest spells known to him. This coupled with his maniac joy of killing people and dreams of immortality almost destroyed him. One of his greatest Dark spells, the infamous 'Advarda Kedrava' or the killing curse which until that moment no-one had ever survived rebounded off young Harry Potter and sent him crashing down to the very edge of existence. All he left Harry Potter with was a Lightning Shaped scar on his forehead.
For the next 13 years, Harry survived the tyrannical rule of the Dursely who believed it was in his best interest to mistreat, abuse and keep him downtrodden as possible to stamp the magic out of him.
This proved unsuccessful to Harry's shock and delight. He spent the next 6 years of his life at Hogwarts school of witchcraft and wizardry, learning the lifestyle and the arts of his mother and father and the wizarding world. For the first time, he had true friends in the form of 'Ron Weasley' and 'Hermione Granger'. For the first time in Harry's miserable life he was happy.
Harry's return to the wizarding world caused the expected stir and everyone from passers-by in the streets to Lord Voldemort himself seemed to want to welcome him back. Lord's Voldemort idea of welcoming Harry back however, was to immediately to try to kill him. He failed again, unable to touch harry because of the protection his mother had given him, the same one that saved him from the killing curse. It was also the downfall of Voldemorts first attempt at trying to regain power by gaining the philosopher stone.
So Voldemort returned to his spiritual life of possessing snakes and spending every moment clinging to existence which he had being living for the last 13 years. It was his darkest hour and when all hope appeared lost to him, a servant returned to him. A fat, clumsy and useless one but a servant none the less. His name was 'Peter Pettigrew', who had returned to Lord Voldemort purely out of desperation than anything else.
Pettigrew also informed Voldemort of the last two years in Hogwarts, the fateful meeting with Sirius Black and the year before, the opening of the chamber of secrets and the destruction of the diary at the hand of Harry Potter.
Under Pettigrew's poor care, Voldemort recovered a tiny bit of strength and with the help of Pettigrew and another helpful servant believed dead by all, Voldemort formed a plan that restored his body. The plan at least succeeded, Voldemort's body and power was restored. Still not all had gone to plan, Harry Potter escaped Voldemort again and who immediately did the one thing that Voldemort didn't want on his rebirthday night. To inform Albus Dumbledore that he was back, which on returning to Hogwarts was the first thing Harry did.
At first it appeared that few believed the mad insane potter boy, to Voldemort's advantage. He attempted to steal a prophecy from the department of mysteries and despite months of set-backs at his incompetent Death-Eaters, eventually all the facts were known to Voldemort and hatched a plan to use harry to steal it for him. Sending his death-eaters to not risk exposing himself, he found himself thwarted once again by Harry Potter and his group of friends.
This brings us back to that fabulous foyer area in the Ministry of Magic where the terrible duel between Dumbledore and Voldemort was raging. It appeared that Voldemort was losing and in desperation possessed Harry through the link between them that had formed on that fateful night all those years ago.
Voldemort however, learnt to his anguish that possessing someone who truly cares for people and especially cared for one who died that night, the wronged, Sirius Black who had been killed by a Bellatrix, his cousin. To Voldemort's horror he had never felt love before and it caused him mortal pain beyond anything that night, even losing the prophecy.
Voldemort took flight. There had been another small victory that night. He had exposed himself. He had been seen by everyone from the minister of magic himself (who the very day before, had been denying the existence of Voldemort) to the entire Auror Department.
So Voldemort was exposed, the minister of magic was forcefully resigned and was replaced by a far more able wizard of taking on Voldemort. Still, Voldemort began the second war and induced terrors on the country that had not been seen for years. Attacks across the country were carried out.
His rage however, was still not spent. Not only was the thought of the prophecy on his mind but, the knowledge of the destruction of one of his Horcrux, one part of his soul. His rage barely contained at being unable to punish Malofy for his injustice he hatched a plan for Malofy's son as punishment. To destroy him. Albus Dumbledore.
Unbeknown to Voldemort, Dumbledore and Harry Potter had learnt of the Horcrux and already one had been destroyed by Harry, another by Dumbledore and as Voldemort by Dumbledore's calculations had failed in making his desired seventh piece. This left 4 pieces and Voldemort himself.
Later Dumbledore discovered a location of another horcrux, Harry and Dumbledore visited the site and attained it. On returning to Hogwarts they found the dark mark, Voldemort's sign, at the top of the highest tower.
Harry and Dumbledore flew to the tower to investigate only to be ambushed by Death Eaters and at their head, Draco Malofy. Albus Dumbledore was weakened by his trip to the horcrux, was in not form to fight back, it seemed that Malofy had no wish what-so-ever to kill Dumbledore. As Dumbledore spoke words of kindness and help to Malofy, Snape arrived. Ignoring Dumbledore's feeble pleas, Snape to Harry's horror killed Dumbledore.
Distraught, Harry raced after them taking several Death Eaters out on his way before meeting Snape in the grounds. Harry tried to fight Snape but failed. Snape blocked all of Harry's curses and escaped.
Several days later, Dumbledore's funeral took place and so now that the necessary history has been dealt with we begin the summer holiday with Voldemort suffering overwhelming happiness. All those that really stood between his dream as overlord was the Order of the Phoenix and the Ministry itself.
Despite that, Voldemort was only recently adjusting to his body, even 2 years after his tainted rebirthday party, Voldemort wasn't fully prepared to take ministry Aurors or order members quite yet. His duel with Dumbledore had been a great one and both had been weakened, If Dumbledore had been prepared for such a duel.
Even now, from his stolen house near London, the owners dead, aside from a young girl who had remained alive purely by Greybacks request. He had asked for a small reward, he was given it. Full Moon was approaching and voldemort smiled with cruel malice at Greyback's plan. His pack was hungry and nothing would stop them feeding now.
'Everything' thought a beaming happy voldemort, looking at his pale unearthly self in the mirror was 'falling slowly into place'. With Dumbledore dead, it would only be a matter of time with Snape's help the Order would hopefully be destroyed. Voldemort decided that Snape will only now be addressed as the 'Half-blood Prince' a title he had worn in Hogwarts.
'Hogwarts' as his ever wondering mind ran an inhuman long finger down his face. Hogwarts was the last step, once all others had been defeated the final stand would be there. First the pestilent Order, which members would be dealt with in coming weeks, then the ministry and then finally Hogwarts.
Another target connected to all three and someone Voldemort was driven to kill. Harry Potter. He was alive, but tonight if all went to plan, then Harry Potter would be in Voldemort's grasp….