Greetings all, No, the great and wonderful J K Rowling owns this, the Author is just playing with her creations- Satyr-oh.
thanks Satyr-oh for the introduction,
This is just over 14,500 words. So, enjoy...
Turnaround is just... Covering All the Angles.
Hogwart's castle's citizens once again woke to "that feeling" for a third day in a row. Except for a very few, everyone seemed to be having their best days in months and months. There were those that knew what the cause was, and for the most part, they really did not mind deep down. Professor Dumbledore perhaps had not felt this good in... perhaps a century? Pansy Parkinson herself had a wonderful dream, wet as girls have, and had Madame Pomphrey been in bed herself, she'd have felt a tingle too, but she was just outside Pansy's room and offered her some clothes her dorm mates brought down for her to change into after she had a bath.
Sometime in the night, the potions Poppy gave her seemed to work. In reality, Little White Dove ended her spell and let the shrew of a witch off the hook. Little White Dove might have to pass her and she didn't want to ruin the air any longer for the others, and maybe the witch might learn some manners. Dovey did not much care for delinquents that had the power to do as they pleased, literally. The muggle youths on her reservation were pains in the butt but too lazy to cause much trouble. She hardly mingled with them at home.
Millicent Bullstrode was at the infirmary door early after she had delivered Pansy's clothes for her and was told to return in an hour. She was a wee bit early and did not want to anger the witch in charge so she waited. One hour to the tic, she opened the door to the infirmary and went inside seeking Pansy out. She sent along Pansy's favorite perfume just in case she really needed it and sought out her scent. Pansy was still in her room in the rear of the infirmary having just finished tying her robe on and clasping her robe closed. Her wand was, fortunately for her, able to do grooming charms. Unless Pansy used a glamour charm on her face every day of her life, sleeping and awake, she would still be butt ugly but did her best. Ugly and having a reputation for being an evil bitch that happened to be a witch didn't bode well for her to ever catch a mate. Millie knocked on the open door announcing herself.
"Pansy, are you ready to go to breakfast?" Millicent asked her friend.
"As ready as I'll ever be. Who ever did this to me is going to..." Pansy started, Millie interrupted, "Get away with it. Leave it be Pansy. This is kid stuff. You are more grown and mature than to be acting the way you have been. You're not Draco, so quit trying to be." the witch finished. She waited for Pansy to reply.
"I suppose you're right. If this is an example of what magic the light is capable of doing, unless someone is being tortured or killed, it is almost as bad. I might have to do something about this. My father is going to be furious about this. I can't tell him what happened to me." Pansy said.
"If there's a way to tell him, someone's going to do it," Millie said. She knew the score but as a Slytherin, other than being the other butt ugly girl in her year in Slytherin, she was quite benign.
"I know, I have to do something. Well let's go get breakfast, Potions with the Gryffindorks first thing," Pansy said.
The two witches chatted quietly as they walked..."Pansy, you might want to just try even in private to practice having some manners. We go to the same school; we are supposed to believe in the same things. Where we live should not be an issue and you know it. The war could get us all killed and I would rather go down with a fight. When the time comes, I'd rather take my chances than possibly do something stupid," Millie said cautiously.
"You're right Millie. I should try. It has got me covered in dragon shit, detention for who knows how long, my wand confiscated and I have to use this one charmed only for school things. I have really messed up big time. I can get myself out. Thanks for the pointer. Don't go going Gryffindor on me or I won't use a wand, I'll kick your behind myself."
"That's the Pansy I know. Let's just go on into the Great Hall like nothing what so ever has happened. If, and I mean if, you meet up with those third years, you might actually mean what you say when you apologize again.It is a start and it won't kill you. You are still Slytherin and that still means something." Millie said.
"It does, doesn't it?" Pansy replied.
The doors to the Great Hall were already opened and propped that way when the two witches walked in. No one seemed to either care, or they just did not notice but Pansy and Millicent made their way to their places at Slytherins table and waited for their breakfasts. Millie's breakfast was in front of her as soon as she asked for it and Pansy's was not. Professor Snape had almost already made his way to where Pansy was waiting for her order to pop up from the kitchens.
"Miss Parkinson, a word. Privately, please follow me." Professor Snape said and turned his robes billowing towards the Great Hall doors. Pansy rose and followed the Professor out the door and down the hall. Severus cast a silencing bubble over them to keep out prying ears.
"Miss Parkinson, it has been determined that as your punishment, you shall not eat with your housemates in the Great Hall for the rest of the term. You shall eat in your dorm room, alone, and before you speak, this is the very lightest punishment you will receive ever again. Further outbursts of physical and magical violence will result in your placement in a magical youth detention center in the Magical Sioux Nation. Your parents are fugitives Miss Parkinson. If you survive this war, on the right side, you will own outright every Parkinson asset there is. Your upkeep, tuition, and accommodation for the summer holiday between this year and your last here at Hogwarts would put you in an extremely fortunate position. Extremely fortunate that is if you keep yourself out of trouble. Your allegiance must be declared very soon and I mean very soon or you're going to end up either dead or in Azkaban or... worse" Severus finished his quiet lecture.
"Sir, I guess I've been rather stupid. I had not known about all of this, ever. My father always promised me that I would be in heaven serving the dark lord. That it was wonderful."
"I'm sure that is what you were promised, but I assure you, the Parkinson's are now knutless. You are the youngest non criminal heir to a vast fortune. I suggest you think about protecting it and perhaps, doing some good with it. Word of caution Miss Parkinson, It takesquite a bit less effort to be... polite to everyone than it is to be constantly enraged. Prince Draco is an excellent example. His father's influence was cut off when he went to Azkaban and he has turned into such a wonderful person. He does have his moments however but, he now gives what he gets and often it is tenfold. I'd rather be on his good side, because his alternate side is quite unthinkable." Severus almost said unspeakable and he shook his head briefly.
Pansy was still looking away when he made the mistake of almost showing emotion to a student.
"I'll go to my dorm and eat. I'll see you in class sir." Pansy said turning to walk alone back to the dungeons.
At least it was close to the classroom. She stopped when Severus parted with, "I'm not teaching today's sixth year double potions class. Prince Draco and King Harry will be taking over. Mr. Longbottom will be assisting them. Do behave." Severus said to Pansy and billowed away.
Pansy walked alone to her dorm thinking about what she had just been told. She hadn't ever been told that she would be the heir to the entire Parkinson estate if she kept herself out of trouble and maybe, just maybe, she could use her talents and not get in trouble for doing it if she were on the light side. She read between the lines when she listened to Professor Snape and she was seriously considering it. She reached her common room and said the password, 'King Fu que', the door opened and she stepped through and right into Theodore Nott. She fell down and Theo just stood looking at her.
"You going to confess or are you going to keep getting me into trouble?" Theodore said to Pansy who lifted her hand for help up. None came.
Rising, Pansy said, "I'll confess. Come back inside, I want to talk to you about something that I just heard about me."
"What about you? Pansy if you're talking about things that concern you then it must be earth shattering, I'm so 'a twitter' thinking about it." Nott sneered.
"I'm going to be serious. I said I would confess. Now will you follow me before the others come back?" Pansy pleaded.
"Alright. You have less than five minutes. I want breakfast." Theodore said walking to a couch to sit down to listen to Pansy.
Pansy laid out everything that Snape said to her almost word for word. Theodore sat there thinking about everything she had said. He had already been in trouble for an unforgivable and he had detention for the rest of his life so what did it matter to think it over. He was much in the same boat that Pansy was. His family had a modest fortune and they lived quite well. It really was not something he had thought about, he knew that his family's fortune had been frozen and he would have different holiday accommodations as well. He was not aware of the Sioux Nation thing and it moderately worried him a bit but it was a way off. He still had to thank his lucky stars he was not hexed into a blob by Adam. Pansy had sat there looking at Theodore while he mulled over the fate he held in his own hands.
"Pansy, I'm going to eat. I will see you in class. I will think some more and I will let you know. You know, we would be killed if anyone heard what we were discussing; I don't think my father would care if it were me or not. I'm just not sure. Later." Theodore said and went out of his common room at a quick pace. Ten minutes left and he might have time for toast. Pansy had slightly more time and she went to her room. Her breakfast was porridge and cream with orange juice and toast. She sighed, but was eager to eat so she finished her moderate portion and gathered her books and quills for the morning and went to her double potions class with the Gryffindork...Gryffindors.
Pansy came out of the common room just as Theodore was walking by, on his way to class in a round about way, mostly to see her and escort her to class.
"I'm in and you better do it soon or it's no deal." Theodore said with finality.
"After potions, wait for me outside when I tell Snape." Pansy said quietly.
"You better or, who knows what might happen." Theodore said with that Slytherin tone taught to him by Draco.
"I'm scared either way Teddy." Pansy confessed.
"Me too, lets get inside and just be quiet and don't let them get to you. Snape has been taking points from everyone now. Wish I knew what got into him."
"Teddy, what do you think got into him?"
before breaking out in a laugh Theodore said "Uh, a boyfriend?"
"I wouldn't be surprised at something like that, but I don't quite think he is into male companionship. His hand maybe but more than that." Pansy said and the two of them laughed genuine laughs, albeit at Snape's expense, they needed it.
The Gryffindor and the Slytherin sixth years had seemed to mend some of the fences that the golden trio and the silver trio managed to keep torn to shreds for years. Some of them even sat together without being assigned seats in the classroom. Pansy sat with Millicent and Nott with Seamus Finnegan. Seamus and Theodore did not say a word to each other until they were both surprised along with everyone else when the King, King's consort and Neville Longbottom strode into the room with working robes on ready to begin class.
"There will be no foolish wand waving in this class room. You are going to be learning a combined potions and herbology class today, thus the double class. You will be permitted fifteen minutes in the middle of class for refreshing yourselves and preparing for the second half of class, do I make myself clear? Harry said commandingly.
'Very good your majesty, you almost have the Slytherins attention. Should I give them a go?' Draco thought.
'I'll do it' Neville thought to his friends.
"Accio Wands" Neville shouted and every wand in the room came zooming towards the formerly meek wizard. "Now that we have your attention. You will get your wands back at the end of class. In the mean time, you have before you books that shall stay in place. Read the first five pages of the first chapter and the last three pages of the seventh chapter, Get to it" Neville commanded.
The books on the desks were flying open as fast as the pages could be turned. Neville bound the wands with three conjured rings of steel and held together on the ends with a top and bottom. He took the wands and put them in a cabinet at the end of the classroom and for good measure; he conjured a rattlesnake and put it in the drawer with the wands, insurance, Longbottom style.
'The snake was a nice touch Nev. You want me to speak parseltongue to it?' Harry thought.
'Nah, I already got rid of it. With my memory's reputation, I thought I'd rather not risk forgetting it was there.' Neville thought back.
'Forgetful but wise none the less Neville a Good show. The Slytherins shut it. Amazing' Draco said.
'Thanks Draco, do you want to get the plants?'
'Harry will do it. He is not much good in either subject, I'm afraid' Draco teased. Harry was actually pretty good at both; his patience was the issue.
'Hey, I'm the King around here' Harry suddenly realized he was doing the labor.
'And I'm the King's consort and if you ever want sex again you won't forget it so get the plants love.'
'Yes dear' Harry said and went to get the plants the students would be studying later in the morning.
Most of the students were better than average readers and had finished the assignment a few minutes before they were to take a break. Quiet conversations began about the subject for about thirty seconds and quickly turned to who was going to open the drawer with the snake in it. They were helpless without their wands and their instructors knew it.
"Err, sirs, could we have our wands back?" A brave student asked.
"You don't need your wand to go to the bathroom surely do you?" Draco said looking up from the muggle novel, he was reading.
"I need it to open my trunk." The student, a Slytherin said.
"Just go take a break, relieve yourself, wash your hands and face and be back here in ten minutes. You aren't to go to your dorms during class and this one isn't over with." Neville said from his position in the back of the room near the wands.
"No one asked you..." The Slytherin said before getting a hand put over his mouth by his study partner.
"Ten points to Gryffindor for saving Slytherin house one hundred points. Twenty five points however shall be deducted for your disrespect to an instructor," Harry said after a short chat with Draco mentally.
"You can't do that. You are not even professors. You're students." The Slytherin managed to say after prying the hand silencing him from his mouth.
"And you're out of this class for the rest of the day. Please report to the Great Hall. Pity you won't do as well on your NEWTs now," Draco said.
The three Thunderbirds were allowing the troublemaker dig as big of a hole as he wanted to dig. Their plan for converting the unconvertible students seemed to be working. Do not give them the same quarter as they are used to. Make it difficult for Death Eater children, push them to the limit and score their allegiance when a different means to an end is offered This brain child was Luna's and it seemed to be working. Dumbledore knew for a fact that there were children of Death Eaters in all houses in Hogwart's school, but other than the Slytherins, they were ashamed of their parents and vowed never to practice the same magic and follow the light.
The Slytherin demanded his wand back from Neville and with some quick magic and slight of hand; Neville presented the boy with his wand and snapped it in half for everyone to hear.
"One of my former housemates went all year with a broken wand once. Used to spit up slugs he did." Neville said completely straight face and put the two pieces of conjured wand in the boy's hands.
His reaction was not one he expected. He dropped to his knees and cried. No one would ever think of breaking some ones wand. It took an act of the ministry to destroy a wand and Longbottom did it without blinking.
'You're evil Neville, you know that don't you?' Draco thought.
'Coming from you mate, I will take that as a compliment. His wand is with the rest. He will be all right. I will take him to the Great Hall. You can start without me' Neville finished pulling the sobbing Slytherin from the floor by the arm and dusting him off.
Neville whispered something in the boy's ear and he quit crying. Neville handed the boy a tissue and the two of them were off to the Great Hall for... daytime detention with the Weasley twins.
Neville left the boy in the capable hands of his friends and a few select others that the Thunderbirds were goading into blowing their cools and heading for the Great Hall. It took from nine in the morning until ten thirty for all the children of the Death Eaters that were trouble causers and the ones it seemed that were communicating with the outside. George and Fred wanted them to see small displays of power by doing seemingly innocent tricks, and let little bits of information slip in conversations about what it was like to be Thunderbirds, show them that they could and would make it hard for them if they acted in favor of the dark side. George and Fred were pumping them with loaded information they knew would get to Voldemort via his followers.
They were trying to get Voldemort to act with any means possible, and if angering his followers into possibly pressing the issue with him, then Fred and George were doing their part. Fred was using a Navajo spell on some of the gags that George and he were going to sell once the war was over and it made the effects of the gags fifty times stronger. The spelled gags were very impressive being displayed in the Great Hall to a limited audience. There was a silencing spell keeping the explosions from disturbing everyone else in the castle for good reason. Dumbledore wanted the Great Hall cleaned and ready to receive students for their lunch. It was almost twelve when Fred and George used an awesome display of magic and put the Great Hall right with wandless magic... another slip of information... or was it?
The fifteen students in the Great Hall were left to sit at their tables to wait for their classmates to join them. Neville had given back the wands he collected at the beginning of class and he sent along the one that he allegedly snapped in two whole and workable. The Slytherin that cried in class was so overjoyed he did not care that his housemates were teasing him. Fred and George had rather rubbed off on him but he was still faithful to his father and he had to tell what he had witnessed. The others would do the same.
None of them save for Theodore Nott and Pansy knew the score. The conversation after dinner in the Slytherin dungeon common room would be well attended and deep. If the two of them were firmly on the side of the light, they would probably be ten times more powerful than they will be allowed. If they were to follow Voldemort et al, who if by a fluke he came out on top, they would only succeed as slaves.
Fred and George were very good at implantation of ideas. They could be as subtle as a bludgers or a faerie wink. The two of them in Birdy's opinion, would be that, they could both be great psychomediwizards should they so be inclined. They were great at healing spells and diagnostic charms and were great help in the infirmary and Poppy Pomphrey told them both so many times.
Ginny was just as natural a healer as she was as a you-know-what, but she was more inclined to become a mediwitch when the war was over. Fred and Georges knowledge of potions was essential to magical candy making, and they managed to make even Skele-gro taste palatable. It was rumored that they wanted someone to test it out on and they needed to break somebody's bones or at least remove them like Lockhart did to Harry. They had several ideas for victims for accidental accidents. Ginny liked the choices but as for really busting someone up just to test a potion was going a bit far. Besides, she hated whining. (a/n-- Could be why Fred and George were always in a good mood... hah! Not likely!)
As per their custom, Thundercloud house assembled in their common room as the Thunderbirds were spread through out the castle teaching and antagonizing and had not arrived first as they usually did. The trouble makers were left to the subtle mind washing the twins subjected them to for the late morning; everyone taught the lessons that the Professors were going to leave to them because they themselves were training in the Room of Requirement for "drills". It was time for lunch and the Thunderbirds were in the common room together just as the clock struck the noon hour. Thirteen gongs. The Thunderbirds turned around and left ahead of Thundercloud house as fast as they had arrived. They really did not mind the exercise.
Draco was consuming magic at a high rate and his recovery from childbirth was complete. That included something called 'the post partum blues' and Harry's time was well spent if it was attending to his husbands every whim. Draco was a Malfoy and he whimmed as fast as anyone on the planet. It completely amused Harry and kept Draco happy at the same time. All was well. Draco also needed extra 'alone' time with King Harry and his Consort duties were carried out. Often and frequently, Draco did not care. Two minutes or two hours. He would like to try for a personal best one time, and make it two days.
Harry was now indeed afraid of something and could not wait to find a boggart. That subject was the mental conversation at the head of Thundercloud house's table. Neville was certain that he could find a boggart but now that he liked Professor Snape, he really did not know what he feared most and said he would pass on meeting it if he could, at all possible costs. Harry thought a demonstration of Patronus charms in the quidditch pitch in the early dark of the evening that day, might be a fun thing to do to take everyone's mind off things for a day. It would be an opportunity to reveal themselves to the students and perhaps sway a few undecided minds.
Dumbledore thought that it was a great idea and he was sure he could persuade his staff to talk it up in class in the afternoon. The Thunderbirds were going to be in pairs, Adam with Draco and Harry. Their classes that afternoon were History of Magic and Transfiguration with seventh years. Harry was persuaded to wear the elven crown for the history lesson, as it was indeed a historical thing that had happened. The wizarding world in Britain, Ireland, most of Europe, most of Africa and Asia and Australia; it was the wizarding world of Merlin and it's now rightfully Harry's to rule as he saw fit.
Strictly speaking, he was very wealthy and could do as he wanted anyway but, he was modest deep down and the wizards and witches of the world could look forward to some changes he knew he could enforce with their cooperation. He would not force anyone to do anything but obey the law as it is written, and change unjust laws he saw fit to bring to their attention. There would no longer be laws against magical sentient beings as long as they were law-obeying citizens; they were free to walk among wizards without prejudice.
History of Magic that afternoon was the first one in seven years the students could remember that every single one of them stayed awake. Harry was telling them just how much freedom they could have obeying laws that were just and he could change unjust ones as they saw fit. King Harry always would have input from the people and seemed wise beyond his few years. Few questions were not worth considering as points of law and were not put off but delayed until Harry could get the information he needed to answer. Points of Law were something that he could speak about and the students got an ear full when it came to laws that condoned hate. Those were the first on his list to change.
"I won't tolerate hate towards wizards that have been bitten by or are werewolves themselves that can change into wizards. Now a new potion will relieve them of their curse, they will always be werewolves but they can keep their human shape and their minds in the presence of the full moon." Harry said not quite revealing the name of the potion outright.
The bell rang for the change of class and the Thunderbirds in all their classrooms waited until they only saw backsides before they snapped to their next class to have a sit before the students arrived. Harry and Adam were discussing quidditch and Draco was adding his two Knuts worth periodically. Draco really did enjoy watching Harry on a broom and watching up close was breath taking. Adam was inclined to agree. He preferred to fly as a magical bird if he had to fly; riding a broom was something he did well from the first time his mama took him for a ride as a toddler.
He was doing stunts at two years old and his mama had to teach him the spell for how not to fall off and one to cushion himself if he did fall. He got those down in a minute. He was smart for a two year old he told his cousin and god brother. The advanced transfiguration students were walking in and were surprised to see the three wizards waiting for them. They were the last to leave the class and they could not have passed them, curious.
Harry greeted the seventh year transfiguration class with a demonstration He asked for an object to be volunteered for the first demonstration. The demonstration was, easy enough to do but teaching it would be up to Adam and Draco. Harry could demonstrate his ass off but he could not teach his particular flair of a wand. His wandless magic was more mental than physical and strong as hell both ways.
Cho Chang was the one to volunteer the object. It was a hair clip. Cho handed the clip to Harry and he told everyone what had been told to him. Make your magic turn what you have into what you need. He turned the hairpin into an ironing board and only the muggle students knew what it was. Harry's puzzled face changed when he made everyone move back and he conjured a pool and transfigured the ironing board into a diving board. Everyone knew what one of those was. Draco and Adam were impressed.
"I didn't think you had that kind of imagination Harry, Very, very well, you shall be rewarded later, after supper," Draco whispered to Harry.
"I remembered the pool in Arizona and how high the cliff was for jumping off of. This isn't exclusively muggle is it?" Harry whispered back. He really did not know.
"No love, they're the same. You did well."
"Harry, either let's go swimming' or give the lady her hair thingy back." Adam said looking at the pool.
"Oh yeah, sorry," Harry said and with a wave of his hand and a snap of his fingers, the hair clip was back in his hand. He handed it back to Cho and got a second round of applause.
It was not everyday there was a diving pool in the middle of the transfiguration classroom. They would be talking about it for days. That was an impressive display of magic and only even few have seen Dumbledore do huge feats with a wave of his hand. The applause was polite even if it was a bit over extended. Harry of course blushed because this was so easy his babies would be able to do it by the time they were five.
The combined seventh year NEWT transfiguration class was each given objects to turn into the things they needed most. It did not matter what it was, but only that it were at least ten times the size it was to begin with. Space was cleared in the center of the room once the pool and diving board were gone and everyone was given a go at transfiguring anything that suited them. Every one of the students got solid results within the first few tries and Draco and Neville were pleased that even Harry could put the training wheels on his lessons. The younger but older looking wizards teaching them intimidated most of the students. Most have known Harry, Draco, and Neville for years and if they did not socialize with them, not much to say on that account. They knew of them.
The Hufflepuffs and Gryffindors were glad that Harry was talking to them rather than at them. He tried to impress on them that it was a finite wand movement, and a very clear desire that would get them what they needed He held their wand arms by the hand holding the wand and he demonstrated the touch so they could actually feel the subtle movements. Whether he would admit it or not, Harry was an incredible teacher. His position in society would prevent him from ever being one unless he wanted to do it for 'something to do'. Being the King of the wizarding world would probably keep him busy enough with seven babies.
Draco and Neville were equally successful in teaching the Ravenclaws and the Slytherins. Being who they were, gave them a proclivity to get the movements down and their magic was beginning to come to its full maturity after that last year at Hogwarts. They would be licensed witches and wizards and they would be among the first to fight hopefully for the light in the war. It looked like an uneven balance in Harry's opinion that whom would fight on what side. He was tempted to do legilimens on all of them when they were least expecting it. He did not want to kill anyone, but, he would and he hoped it was not anyone in the room with him that afternoon that he would face on a battlefield, but he was sure it was not going to happen.
Seventh years in general were almost grown and pretty much looked like the way they would for the rest of their lives until they began to age gracefully like witches and wizards do. Adam Thundercloud entered the classroom while the transfiguration practice was going on. Harry, Draco and Neville saw him enter and greeted him mentally.
'Brother Mine. What do you think of the students? 'Harry thought.
'Not bad, not very imaginative but not bad' Adam thought back.
'They're average in my opinion' Draco thought
'Oh a few in each house will do well no matter what I think. I agree with Adam though, not much imagination,' Neville piped up. 'I think out of the lot of the seventh years maybe thirty would be good enough to enter Thundercloud house next year. After that, they could go to any wizard university and do very well even if it is a war college.'
'Hopefully the need for a war college won't be necessary in the future Neville, but as a secondary university prep, it would be impressive on any resume' Draco said.
Adam and Harry agreed with the spot on assessment. They had roughly thirty-six, thirty-eight hours before the next mail exchange and they were anxious to see how Fred and George did that morning implanting the idea that freedom and prosperity was much better than being a slave and using their own resources to pay the one they follow not to kill them. He and Draco left Neville and Adam to explain and demonstrate the next classes assignments for another ten minutes. They followed the King and Consort up to Thundercloud house and a sit down for a while before the house went to dinner in the Great Hall.
The Thunderbirds discussed how they broke the troublemakers with little or no trouble. Pansy and Theodore were in all their classes and knew what was going on. They had tried to make it obvious to the Thunderbirds who it was that had been passing information via mail illegally. Most of them did not realize the severity of the crime but Dumbledore saw something that most did not and wanted to try to get them to make the right decisions themselves. Almost all of them had an imperious curse on them that was durable and very hard to detect. They were relieved of their burdens in the Great Hall with Fred and George who were repeatedly praised on their techniques.
"We thought of" "it as pulling the" "wool over their eyes" "without fibbing" "much." Fred and George said to the group. Fred had his head on George's shoulder sitting behind him it was pretty comfortable and quite normal for the two of them.
"You two have to have some pretty good imaginations to plan and build your jokes. Bloody hell, I'm your brother and I have never seen the two of you show a lick of sense until just this summer. What did you show those blokes this morning?" Ron asked the twins.
"What it was like," "to be free wizards," "And we let out" "the story "
"Well, we've got Parkinson and Nott between a rock and hard place and they squealed when they found out they'd be the legal heads of their families and would control their fortunes. If they weren't such slime balls to begin with, I might feel sorry for them," Ron said.
"Parkinson and Nott are capitalist in everything they do. Unfortunately for them, I am not there to carry most of the mental load completing their plans "or them. Sorry mates, but that's how things were done the last few years" Draco said from Harry's lap.
"Well, if they were to fight for the light, and I mean fight, then they should get what's rightfully theirs. Otherwise, I wouldn't feel bad if the lot of them were extinguished lock stock and barrel." Ginny said.
"Uh, I agree with what Ginny said. If half their effort for doing bad things were to be doing good things, life would be better." Neville said from under Ginny's soft bottom. He was happy Ginny was not horny and showing it just before supper.
"I hate to bring this up, but, a couple of us are going to have to follow the cat to the exchange and then follow the wizard that picks up the mail to carry it to beyond the dark mark detectors. If he apparates, we go with him. Invisibly, we can just grab his robes and go with him, he will never know and we will find out who is getting the mail. We follow that bloke the same way to where he is going and we come back here. If it is what we think it is, more than three of us are going to have to know where it is if we are going to apparate there to conduct... exercises. You remember what the muggle Japanese Navy did in Pearl Harbor to the Americans, we do that and get our asses out of there. That has to piss Voldemort off to no end. We can't be harmed if we're together so we all got to go" Blaise said. He was a smart fellow when he had to be. Good he was a Thunderbird.
"We can just do a tag along. If it is a portkey, we can make one that will follow the first one. We know where we are now and we will know where we have been. This is a small island. Almost as big as the MNN so we can get around in a hurry and we can do it quietly," Adam said.
"And invisibly," Harry said.
"And invisibly mate, that really is a cool spell Adam, thanks for teaching it to us," Neville said, readjusting Ginny's weight on his lap.
Ginny stood up from Neville's lap, walked to where Adam was sitting, and gave him a hug and a kiss on the cheek. "Don't you ever change Adam, I'm glad I'm going to get to watch when you kill that mother fucker with Harry."
The Thunderbirds were shocked that Ginny would use such language but they were going to beginning to get used to it, like it or not. None of them scolded her for her use of the euphemism for Voldemort. They did not know which was worse to hear.
Thundercloud house had finally completely assembled and were out the door half in front of the Thunderbirds and half behind. Harry and Draco walked in the middle of their group arm in arm talking about their babies mentally. They did not mind if the others listened.
"It will be Yule very shortly Harry. I want to see my children. Please? Maybe the twelve of us could take portkeys and see Narcy, Lily, Birdy, Molly, Jimmy R, Harry D, and little Siri. DON'T YOU?" Draco said making his eyes glow red.
"Of course love. Don't do that thing with your eyes; it reminds me of when snake face gets angry," Harry said.
"Love of my heart, I am angry. Try to think of it as a physical exclamation point from an extremely powerful andpissed off wizard," Draco said.
"But love, you know that you're a loaded gun. You need to be careful with it. If you thought someone dead, they would be dead and we are in the hallway with people in front of us so save that for Voldemort."
"Alright love, you're right. You have to admit though. I was scary wasn't I?" Draco asked looking up to his escort as they approached the Great Hall.
"Truly and Completely, Knickers Crapping Scary," Harry said.
"It seems so much more intense since the babies were born. I feel like I still have their magic in me."
"Me too, Good feeling isn't it Draco?" Harry asked as they passed through the doors to the Great Hall walking to their places.
It seemed that almost all the seats in the Great Hall were full that evening. Seemed it got out that the house elves were making American Southern Fried Chicken and it was one of their favorites. Adam liked fried chicken but he preferred his flame grilled with barbeque sauce, he was not complaining though. The mash and gravy was superb, no lumps, acorn squash baked with butter and brown sugar, and pumpkin juice. Several types of breads, salads and other vegetables were more than was usually the fare for every day supper and most thought it odd. Draco did not mind, he had tortillas to wrap around the lot and he was happier than he could be at that moment. Just moments before he had the look that kills.
Poppy explained that it was called pa-maternal magic and Draco given miracle birth to seven thus the increased power due to the need to protect. Harry was happy that Draco was happy. All was well in his little world right then. The conversations around them were trying to be overheard as best as could be done. It seemed that the whispers were that the Thunderbirds were capable of incredible magic and it was rumored that they were secretly aurors and if they only knew, they really would crap their knickers.
Harry and Draco were the first to rise to leave the Great Hall and go on up their suite of rooms everyone followed. Charley was late to supper and Adam waited for him to eat while the others left. There were only a few people left in the Great Hall and Adam silenced their conversation so it would not echo throughout the whole room. He had not really noticed that the Great Hall could magically size itself and it seemed smaller somehow when he looked up again, from where he sat with Charley.
"What the hell just happened? Did this room just shrink?" Adam asked looking around. Everything was the same, just, smaller.
"It's enchanted Adam, relax a bit mate. Here have a biscuit. Oatmeal and raisin, dipped in milk is pretty good. Our mum used to give us all a half a dozen and we would have a race to see who would eat theirs first. The winner usually nicked a few from the losers." Charley remembered when Ron and Ginny were the smallest and usually only had to eat two each that was until Ron learned that he could use his fork to stop someone from getting to his biscuits.
"These are good. My mom makes them like this too. I wonder if she got the recipe from your mom," Adam said dipping a cookie in milk.
"I bet she did. I remember when we were little; we went to America to see your mum. You were just a baby then. She might have taught her then." Charley speculated for Adam.
"Did you ever get up to the pool up above the house?" Adam asked.
"That bloody huge thing you call only a house? Oi, Adam that is almost too much. Bill and I flew George and Fred around on training brooms. We saw a huge pool and a waterfall. We didn't fly too high with the twins or mum would have killed us. We did not go down to it and the twins threw a fit. They knew a few spells when they were small. Seemed like the two of them didn't even have to talk to each other and they did the squirmy little prat thing while we were flying. Little buggers managed to get their butt's off the brooms but Bill and I held on to their collars until we landed. Tried to pull us back up there they did, but mum called us and that was that about the pool. Looked about a mile or so almost straight up and loaded with snakes and other critters I recon." Charley reminisced while Adam finished his cookies and milk.
"That's a great story Charley. Let's get upstairs.We have a pow wow to attend," Adam said rising.
"Aren't you going to let me have my biscuits?" Charley protested.
"Take 'em with you and quit belly aching' I want to know what's going on." Adam said and he lifted his silencing charm on his way down the aisle. Charley grabbed a good handful of biscuits and ran after his boyfriend.
Charley and Adam were entering an ongoing conversation amongst the Thunderbirds. None of them seemed to be leading the meeting or it would have been apparent. They were very polite towards each other and it was not necessary. Luna had not said much at all except in her two double divination classes that day. She had Hermione to help her fine tune her 'mind's eye' and the two of them were going over the things that the students 'discovered' that afternoon and morning.
The students were using gazing orbs and between Hermione and Luna, they both got an eyeful. There were not any particular standouts in divination except Lavender Brown and Susan Bones both sixth years and except for Luna and Ginny all had been classmates with them. Seers were perhaps the most valuable assets in the magical world and Luna's extraordinary talent was demonstrated to a small degree. Professor Trelawney didn't quite know what to do with herself during the classes but was very useful showing gazing technique. She saw squat, Hermione, and Luna knew it and the topic of their tirade was the out dated professor. The fellows theorized that Luna was such a superbly advanced seer; they held others to too high a standard.
Charley was enjoying a handful of biscuits listening to the Thunderbirds blow off steam talking about their day. Charley was not into much of their conversation until Ron asked him about the advanced Care of Magical Creatures H1 course was going. That was not a bad question to ask, the dragons were being exposed to large numbers of witches and wizards, which did good to socialize them to the dangers of all things dragon.
The first lesson learned was, if the dragon does not like you, get the bloody hell away from it. Charley and the dragon wranglers were mostly teasing the Thundercloud students and the seventh years that were invited to attend classes. The second lesson was that when a dragon decided to take a dump, it did not care who was around when it did. Most unfortunate for the twenty students in the paddock's barn when a dragon crapped through the forged link fence separating them from the students. They were crying like babies when the dragon was through crapping on them.
Several of the crapped on Thunderclouds heard the laughter and saw Charley talking to the Thunderbirds. They figured they were talking about them and walked up to listen. Princes Ralph and Running Bear were good enough sports to take the ribbing and all the shit jokes the Thunderbirds could think of. When they were through, the two Princes were telling jokes of their own and that kept the Thunderbirds occupied for the better part of an hour. Professor Dumbledore sent a house elf to fetch the Thunderbirds to his office. They snapped out of their common room and into the headmaster's office. George and Fred made a Charley sandwich and brought him along too, eyes bugged out at his first experience of traveling like an elf but grinning like a fool.
"I'll ask you about that later. I seem to keep forgetting to ask you how you get around under the wards like that. I have important news. The wizarding government of Malta has asked sent an emergency call to Minister Malfoy the second their dark mark detectors began going off all around their secret capitol city. They are quite small in numbers but they are very strong magically. They cannot protect everyone in their city. There are a large number of children not old enough to go to their wizarding schools and they need escorted to a safe place by people that can guarantee their safe arrival in that place. That is you. You need to go right away. I have portkeys that do not need to go through the international port in London. These will take you straight to Malta Palazzo and the Royal chambers.
Harry as King, you will of course lead the delegation. When it comes time to transport the children, it will be directly to the Keyport in London. There are volunteers that will be taking many of them to the larger estates. Narcissa is opening the whole of Malfoy Manor. Molly Weasley will take the children there. Bill and Arthur Weasley will be transporting them in groups of one hundred. We can expectup to one thousand children. Draco can attest to the size of the mansion itself in that regard. Here are the port keys.
The children will travel through the elven realm to London, which is why Harry you were elected to run this mission. Do any of you have questions you need answered before you leave? The Maltese will be giving you instructions when you get there. No? All right, the port keys will activate in five minutes. As fast as you get around that's probably four and a half you won't need to get your things ready." Dumbledore said seriously not stopping one time it seemed even to breathe.
The Thunderbirds transfigured their clothes into their sky blue war uniforms with waves of their hands. They all carried their wands and the Cherokee Tomahawks if they needed them at all. They were going to get a full-scale work out with the European Death Eaters that they were sure to encounter. The thirteen of them were very impressive together looking like they did. Harry's elven made battle crown fit nicely under his Adirondack battle helmet. Dumbledore was not correct when he thought that four and a half minutes would be too much. It was four and three quarters too long.
They stood in two groups holding the portkeys ready for anything. No one spoke. Harry and Draco held hands and looked at each other. Their eyes were the only thing they could truly see without obstruction and they were absorbed with each other when Hermione uttered "Portus" and activated the portkey to Malta. Blaise and Luna's group was next to go, "Portus" Luna uttered and Dumbledore's office was vacant in two blinks of an eye.
Harry, Draco, Adam, Ron, Hermione, Ginny and Neville materialized under a shield charm Ginny threw around them when the portkey set them in the throne room of the Maltese palace. The palace was under fire from the same magical canons that were used on Malfoy Manor earlier in the summer. How Ginny knew to protect the seven of them was never questioned but she was ready for the next group that was inbound within seconds. Draco saw them first and put a protego shield over them as soon as their glimmer was noticed. Hex firing was coming through the many broken stained glass windows and hitting fresco paintings on the far walls. Hermione shielded the walls to protect the paintings. She would later receive a medal from His Majesty's government for the quick thinking in saving the priceless artifacts.
Ginny and Luna cast shield charms over the broken windows on either side of the Maltese Throne room and the building stopped it's shaking once the cannon shots were deflected and reversed. The King of the Magical Maltese came from his chambers to greet King Harry, his Consort Prince Draco, Prince Adam Thundercloud and the rest of the Thunderbirds. Harry and Draco removed their helmets and their crowns sat just above their pointed ears. His Majesty noticed the elven ears right away and was partially relieved to know the children would be traveling through the elven realm. King Harry could open a portal and the children could pass in safety.
The Palazzo de Malta was really an entire country in one huge building and there were over a thousand children under eleven still in the palace and needed to be moved enmasse. Since they did not know where they were going, Harry and the others followed the King and his guards to where the children were waiting to be sent to safety. Their parents were saying their good byes when the doors to the underground "panic room" opened and the four royals walked in with robes billowing. The Maltese King used a sonorous charm to announce the time had come for the children to escape with escort. There were only a hundred or so warriors for the ten thousand that lived there and knowing their children would be safe. Their concentration could be on mounting an offence.
The Palazzo de Malta had never been breeched, and was completely avoided during the muggle world wars. Their magic was strong but their methods old which was why they sent six of their own to learn modern methods and add to the ranks that were able to defend their home and way of life. It was currently sporting burned places on the fine marble exteriors but Ginny and Luna's repello charms were solid and keeping the cannons from reaching their target. It was not Harry's place to ask, but he had to know...
"Majesty, is it your treasure, your throne or your magic that they are after? You're neutral and have been for three hundred years or so Ralphie said."
"Who is Ralphie? Raphaelo, my son? He is the one that has the most to lose should we lose the palace. It is impregnable without our permission to enter but you notice it is not immune to being touched by magic such as those cannons are doing. Personally, my treasure is my son, but one of the things that I possess is what they want most. It is Merlin's Pendant. I believe that I shall give it to you since it is his throne you sit on," The King announced.
"That would be very good of you your majesty; by the way, we call Raphaelo, Ralphie, or Ralph. Now let's go and get the children assembled. We're going to take them to Malfoy Manor, unplottable location, Wiltshire and then we're coming back. We are going to cause some damage. You know we will try to repair or replace what ever is lost and we do not have much time. We have an important mission tomorrow morning as well. Somehow, Harry knew the elven chant to open the huge portal that the children were going to be ushered through to safety in Britain.
Adam, Blaise and Ginny warded the palace against the magical cannons and or flying objects for the two minutes they would be gone getting that many children transported. As if it were a test of their magic, the Thunderbirds delivered the children dirctly to Malfoy Manor through the portal the elven king made available skipping the ministry's keyport. Harry and the others were welcome to takethe quicker route back to Malta through the elven realm and they took them up on the offer.
King Constantine was directing the magical defense of his palace when the Thunderbirds stepped through the shimmering portal once again opened by Harry and the Thunderbirds once the children were taken to safety. Harry had with him Excalibur and his royal scepter when he stepped through this time andhe was ready to do battle. The children's cries were almost too much for him to bear and he was going to do some damage. King Constantine had sent someone to retrieve the missing piece of jewelry worn by Merlin himself and presented it to Harry almost as he stepped through the portal. The magical objects did the light thing again and Harry's eyes glowed as green as lit emeralds. Excalibur, the scepter and the pendant completed a magical triad of power, the royal line of Merlin was sealed forever now within Harry.
The Thunderbirds let the shields drop that had been protecting the Maltese royal home and appeared in windows at the top of the palace. The Thunderbirds jumped from the windows and milliseconds later, they were airborne and heading for the sky. The continental European D.E.'s had not seen or heard of the Thunderbirds before and since under the cover of night they made their transformations unwitnessed. They did however let their thundering signature be known. As per their previous outings, the Thunderbirds went invisible, flew high to assess their situation, and were ready to make the D.E.'s go away within seconds. The wizards loading the magical cannons were the first targets.
Ginny Weasley was keen on getting to work. Seemed she enjoyed this as much as the practice of healing. Once the plan had been set, the Thunderbirds swooped out of the sky in two pairs of two following each other. This way they would take out the cannons and the wizards arming them in one sortie each. Ginny's target was dead before he could draw another breath. She swooped down and used her technique of relieving her victims of their heads and she flew off with the headless body.
Ginny dropped the body on a group of Death Eaters huddled closely for the signal to attack the palace. It never came. The wards protecting the palace from apparition had not fallen yet and it was useless for them to try to get inside because the two hundred pounds of dead Death Eater came crashing down on them all. Ginny landed and transformed into her human self. Neville landed next to her after disposing of the body he flew away with. He transformed and the two joined hands and marched on the unnerved group of witches and wizards. The body had crushed to death, three Death Eaters and their leader was shouting orders in an east European language they did not recognize. Ginny and Neville uttered luminous spells to illuminate the entire area they were about to clear. They spotted the others doing the same thing in the distance and could already see the sparks flying in the distance, literally.
The Death Eaters had their wands out and were firing unforgivables at Ginny and Neville carried pouches full of stones they wore, absorbed the magic cast at them and it scared the Death Eaters into using the AK while waiting to attack the palace. Ginny and Neville looked at each other and shrugged their shoulders. It was pointless to make the Death Eaters surrender so the two of them drew their wands and separated heads from shoulders as quick as they could.
The Death Eaters tried to apparate away but were held in place by the Thunderbird shield around them and stood no chance of survival. Ginny and Neville walked among the dead searching for bodies with heads still on them. Finding none, the two of them headed for the closest sparkling wand light. Ginny uttered a Navajo word and above the area that she and Neville cleared out, a glowing feather Their new "calling card" to rival the Dark Mark remained over the scene. "Fred, George behind you, one of them is trying to get away." Ginny shouted to her brothers just as they were finishing their work.
As one, the twins turned and the running Death Eater's body took three steps in front of the head that used to be on its shoulders. The last thing the Death Eater saw was himself trying to escape without his head.
"Thanks for that Gin." "Your feather is lovely," "would you like to leave" "one here and we'll" "join the others" "over there."
"Enough, twin speak, alright?" Ginny asked and she cast another shimmering feather over the scene she was in with her brothers.
There were five feathers glowing around the Palazzo de Malta when finally, a sixth was cast over the largest group of dead Death Eaters. Harry and Draco sought out and found the leader of the group, who by the way had the most witches and wizards surrounding him. He was subdued with a simple charm on a bush he was standing to close to when it engulfed him in vines as he watched in horror when Harry and Draco wandlessly removed heads from everyone that crossed their path. What they did was quite unspeakable but very, very effective.
'Oi, Harry mate, You've got yourself a live one 'ere' Ron said mentally, approaching the portly Death Eater who was ensnared by the wild rose bush.
'Yeah, we wanted a witness' Harry said back to his best mate.
'A witness? We've never left one before.' Hermione questioned.
'Yeah, we'll leave the Maltese folks to sort out these lot but we want this to get back to Voldemort. This was not even a fraction the number we will be facing when he steps up to do battle,' Harry thought to Hermione and everyone else.
'You're the King mate, we'll do what you want' Ron thought to Harry.
The bodies lay next to the heads that they once belonged to, surrounded the palace. The attack was over and the attackers were no longer alive save one. His identity was about to be revealed. With a flick of his finger, Draco unmasked the Death Eater and his eyes opened as wide as saucers. It was someone that he knew, It was Crabbe's father.
'Vince, come here and say hello to your father.' Draco thought to a stunned looking Vincent who was stepping up quickly.
The portly wizard was struggling in his sharp thorned bonds when Draco unmasked him. His ability to speak was the first thing to go when he was subdued and his wand was removed with an Accio charm and broken on the spot. The stones in the pouches of both Harry and Draco because of their proximity absorbed the magic in it. The two of them felt nothing as the stones continued their work and protected them from variant magic. Vincent stood behind his father opening and closing his hands, trying to think of what to say when he stepped in front of him for the first time in over a year. He took a deep breath and stepped up to look in his father's eyes. He saw fear, loathing, and hate coming from the eyes that brought him into the world. This person ceased to be his father a long time ago.
"Father, you're going to come with us to London. I am sure that you can find the accommodations adequate. You might even be... set free, like your friends there. I do not know. I am so disappointed in you Father. I accept the status of the head of the Crabbe family; you are relieved of that honor. Father you're under arrest," Vincent said.
Draco was interested in what the elder Crabbe had to say and he removed the spell keeping him from talking.
"Vincent you fool. The dark lord will win this war and take from your precious ponce of a leader there, his sword, pendant, and scepter making him the King of the wizards. Don't you see, it's no longer just Hogwarts that is going to fall, it's the world and you can do nothing to stop him You're not my son if you follow the likes of him and Dumbledore." The elder Crabbe said to his son once he could talk. "Get me out of these vines!"
"All in good time, Be quiet." Draco said and shut him up again with a wave of his hand.
"You alright mate?" Draco asked Vincent.
"Yeah, I've already mourned for him and I have Greg if I need a shoulder. Let's get back into the palace to report and portkey back home. I'm starving." Vincent said. The lot of them laughed a much-needed laugh and they made their way into the Maltese palace and King Constantine's throne room. It was a shambles but the fresco paintings were still safe under wards that Hermione cast. The Thunderbirds did their best repair spells and set most of the room back to order in two shakes. The Maltese King was impressed that they were true to their word and set things straight when things were over. Except for the one damaged fresco that magic could not repair, the throne room was perfect once again.
The Thunderbirds cleaned the outside of the palace from the cannon burns and set wards to keep them safe in the future. Ron and his brothers upgraded the dark mark detectors before the group and one prisoner retrieved their portkeys and was readying to leave Malta. It was already early morning and they still had much to do in Britain in the morning. The trap needed to be sprung and the Daily Prophet needed to print the story quickly to let the wizarding world what happened this night in Malta.
King Constantine and his wife Queen Elizabeth expressed their thanks and shook the hands of the ones that saved their children so a battle could be fought and won without harm to the little ones. The Elven king had opened a portal in Malfoy Manor himself and Harry opened one in Malta. The evacuated children passed through the golden fields of the elven realm quickly getting home to their parents waiting arms. The King, Queen made an allegiance on the spot with the Kingdom of Camelot and Merlin's throne.
The two royals reiterated their thanks and gave the pendant that was the centerpiece of their huge collection of magical artifacts with gratitude for what they are doing and for saving a small wizarding kingdom. The Maltese Royal couple pledged to donate five hundred million galleons to the rebuilding cause once the war was over. Prince Raphaelo indeed had parents with true hearts and strong faith that their homeland would not be attacked again with such terrifying force.
Hermione and Luna were ready to activate the portkeys, seven passengers each this go round. They would not give Crabbe Sr. the satisfaction of a look at the beauty of the unspoiled world of the elves. Harry Draco and the Thunderbirds were welcome any time they chose as they were now also of the elven world and privy to its earth magic.
Crabbe Sr. was released from his thorny binding and was bound head to toe in glowing rings meant to negate his magic if he could at all do wandless magic. That was unlikely because it took a very, very powerful wizard to do it. Vince's mother was a powerful witch and probably would be very happy that her husband was finally in custody and she could get back to the matter of running a household that was not under the scrutiny of the Ministry's aurors.
"King Constantine, it was our pleasure to assist you in your time of need. Your son will do well. His classmates learn from him as he does from them. When he returns he will be able to instruct those that will train your army," Harry said shaking the other King's hand while talking to him.
Draco was doing much the same with Queen Elizabeth when the four of them parted and stepped up to the portkeys waiting for them. Ginny and Hermione uttered 'Portus' at the same time and the thirteen Thunderbirds and one disappeared. A standby group of aurors that were expecting them greeted their arrival in the almost empty international Keyport. Crabbe Sr. looked over his shoulder at his 'former son' and gave him a last menacing look when the aurors rushed him through the door.
Draco lifted his voice charm and Crabbe Sr. could be heard shouting obscenities at everyone he saw. Kingsley Shacklebolt was at the duty desk when Crabbe Sr. was brought before him and seated in a restraint chair. He did not care for Crabbe's mouth so he silenced him while the aurors gave the brief report they had just heard from the Thunderbirds downstairs. The Thunderbirds were out to find the Ministry's cafeteria and lay waste to it. Food first, they could be at Hogwarts in a nanosecond from where they were so there was no rush to finish eating.
Narcissa Black Malfoy entered the cafeteria searching them out to see to their conditions. She could see the lot of them in the back room eating sedately with light conversation when she stepped up to greet them. The fellow's rose to their feet when she approached and she sat them down with a look of relief. She had just come from the Manor where the Maltese children had been resting and waiting until it was safe to get home to their parents.
She told them the story of what went on the few hours that they were so far away from home... "Many of the children could speak English and it was amusing to hear their questions as innocents. Molly Weasley was totally in her element entertaining the lot of them telling stories. She had charmed herself to speak Maltese even though she was reading from an English language storybook. The children were amused and were given biscuits and hot chocolate to help them remain calm while they were there. When the portal into the Elven Realm opened and Harry stepped out to retrieve the children, as many as there were they were as orderly a group of kids their ages that many of us had seen in a long while.
They marched anxiously to their homes so far away, but only a short walk magically. When you returned here after bringing back your prisoner, I along with Albus and Birdy was notified and here I am. Vincent, I am so sorry for you. Your father was the one that was captured I am told. He will be in Azkaban by morning's first light. Your mother and I were friends and I think she will come out of hiding when the Prophet hits the street in the morning," Narcissa finished.
"Thank you Mrs. Malfoy. He deserves to be there. The thing that he wanted is now around Harry's neck. It's the third piece of Merlin's power or so the Maltese King said" Vincent said.
Narcissa was shocked; the four pieces of Merlin's kingdom were in the possession of a sixteen year old. Powerful he was, but this was blockbuster news. Harry could quite possibly be the most powerful wizard that ever existed. She was glad that Draco would be beneficial in helping him to wield it wisely. Her mind raced as to what to do next while she looked at the innocent, honest face of her son-in-law and Her King who wasn't raised a royal and it was time for her to help him along in that respect. Now was not the time to broach the subject and she settled to drink a cup of tea while the Thunderbirds stuffed themselves.
She talked to talk to Birdy on her satellite telephone and let her know what had gone on and Adam was quite safe. The Thunderbirds would be inside the walls of Hogwarts castle shortly and they could give a first hand report to Dumbledore before they sprung the trap for the Death Eater responsible for the illegal mail. Narcissa had with her papers that would give control of the family estates to the children of the Death Eaters that were still fighting against the light to perhaps sway them to the light instead of following the lunatic known as Voldemort and she gave them to Hermione to transport.
The huge meal that the kitchen wizards had to make for the thirteen terribly hungry Thunderbirds were happy that their task of preparing that much food was over for a while. Even with a rushing breakfast crowd in the morning, they did not work that hard. The Thunderbirds walked out of the ministry cafeteria and headed for the apparation zone in the foyer of the building with Narcissa talking to Draco and Harry. She passed along information that made her two boys very happy. Birdy was very happy to have her grand god babies safe with her and her aunties and that made Draco and Harry happy as well. The two of them made it to the apparition spot and gave Narcissa a kiss on her cheeks at the same time. They all apparated to Hogwart's gates and snapped the rest of the way into the headmaster's office. Fawkes was the only being in the room when they arrived, but not for long.
Severus and Albus entered the office the usual way, through a door and were surprised to see the Thunderbirds standing before them in a charmed locked office. Severus raised his eyebrows at the headmaster because it was his problem.
"All went well in Malta I presume?" Dumbledore said as a greeting.
"Yes sir it did. There were the same magical cannons that were used against Malfoy Manor earlier this year. I do not think they are made here in Britain. The wizards using them were much more efficient. Over two hundred or so dead, one prisoner we brought back for interrogation." Harry said.
"Ah yes, Mr. Crabbe Sr. He was given veritaserum and by now, he is being readied for transport to Azkaban. I am quite sorry for you Mr. Crabbe. Your family's reputation will need someone as strong as you to restore what used to be a very proud and powerful family."
"I'm up to the task sir; I took over the head of family from him when we snapped his wand."
"You feel no remorse at this turn of events Vincent?"
"Yes and no sir. I am glad that my father will live, and remain safe in Azkaban. At least now mother can come out of hiding."
"That's a healthy attitude Mr. Crabbe. Your father once had that same attitude but alas, Lucius was always able to get him to do his bidding. Quite lost I'd imagine for him not to be directed as discretely as he was."
"He was sent to get that pendant that Harry's wearing now. King Constantine gave it to him said it belonged to Merlin and completed some magical connection. I really wasn't following along when he gave it to Harry," Vince said articulately.
"Merlin, Harry, it seems that you have all the pieces you'll need to rule the wizarding world. You are unstoppable now and Voldemort knows that only one of you may live. I suspect when he finds Mr. Crabbe Sr.'s face in the Prophet in the morning along with the report on the attack in Malta this might get him to withdraw from attacking the smaller wizarding Kingdoms and try for a bigger target with everything he's got at his disposal," Dumbledore said to a very open eared Harry and Draco.
"Is there some book that would give Harry an idea of what exactly he has been gifted with? We really don't want any more surprises when it comes to his magic." Draco asked the old wizard.
"I believe that there might be one tome of information. I have it in here somewhere... ah, yes there it is. Accio book," Dumbledore said spying an ancient book on a top shelf in a sealed box.
"Here you go Harry. This book explains the objects that are now in your possession a little better. You know as well as any of us, that you need to practice the magic to wield it well. I think that you will have no trouble reading it Merlin himself wrote it," Dumbledore said handing the fragile book to Harry.
The Thunderbirds crowded around Harry and the old book. The scepter and the pendant were glowing as Harry opened the first page, much like other magical books Harry's handled before this book was no different and the pages flipped themselves open one at a time as fast as they could turn. The glowing in Harry's eyes was not as light as they have seen but they were absorbing the information passing in front of him at a high rate. Harry's eyes stopped glowing and he sat back with a perplexed look on his face. Draco was pressing his cool hands on Harry's very warm cheeks sweeping hair out of his eyes to keep an unobstructed view of his face. At once Harry completely understood what he had to do to rule the world. He knew that Voldemort was trying the same thing now and he knew what to do.
"We have to lure him here when we're at our most vulnerable and that's Yule break. Either I figure he knows that we will be here or at Malfoy Manor and that is when we have to make him make his move. It was all in the book. He wrote it in olde English but it is in my head. We have to surround him, lock him in so to speak. Together we are invincible. Nine of us will surround the attackers and drive them towards each other. The dragons will protect the castle walls from those blasted cannons and Draco, Neville, Adam and I will surround Voldemort himself. I know now what those stones are for now, we have to put them into the shaft of Adam's staff and run him through with it. I saw it all in my head just now. Don't ask me how, I can't tell you." Harry said pacing back and forth explaining what had just been revealed to him.
Luna was getting good at her craft and with the help of the others; she was a seer unparallel by any other. She began to sway back and forth and she closed her eyes. Her head was swaying in directions shaping runes that began to glow over her head. The Thunderbirds had never witnessed this level of divination from Luna. They formed a circle around her touching her from six directions hands held by her friends free hands aloft. They began to draw Thunderbird magic from the ground to increase the power of Luna's magic. Luna stopped her swaying and the runes over their heads glowed one after the other. Dumbledore knew them to be runes he had seen only a few times in his life and they were power runes. Luna stood and opened her eyes. The only thing there was orbs of white light. When she opened her mouth, the same white light shone out of it when she began to speak.
"He shall attack for the prize, the life he can only have if the other dies, he will fall and the dawn of a new era approaches with the next cycle of the moon is at its zenith. It is then that Hogwarts will be attacked. Ten thousand evil warriors will meet their ends along with those that oppose them. The dawn of light without darkness will be upon us. The day of the King will begin our world anew" Luna's eyes returned to their normal blue with gold circles and she sat where she had been only moments before.
She had uttered a prophecy that did not speak in riddles but was quite riddled with facts. Her premonitions had not ever been wrong. The Thunderbirds kept their hands on her until she was ready. She had a vision right after she uttered a prophecy that said their side would win more or less. Adam's staff helped her project the vision she was having so Dumbledore could witness first hand what was going on in Voldemort's lair.
This was Navajo magic Birdy taught to her if they needed information. Everyone was assembled when she got the "feeling," and Harry told Dumbledore that the only way that they could visualize what was going on was to create a magical fire to see detail of what was going on and he further explained that he could talk to Voldemort if he removed the pendant he was never without. Draco was good at keeping the el crucio pain from torturing Harry both physically and mentally. Harry did this because he was not a bit afraid of Voldemort and was not fearful of the pain he used to endure before the secret was divulged to him that summer. Harry lifted the pendant from around his neck, and not only was Luna's projected vision clear as a bell it was now audible.
"I sent you to one of the weakest wizarding kingdoms in Europe and you let Crabbe get himself caught. He will need to be eliminated because he is so weak minded he will crack under veritaserum and let our location be known. Our agent's in the ministry will not let us down. Their families seem to mean something to them. As for you, if you had stayed to fight, you might have caused one or two of them harm. 'Crucio'"Voldemort pointed his wand at the only wizard that got away from the Malta raid.
He must have used a glamour that made his head look like it was off his head and that saved his life... for the time being. Voldemort's crucio was not being let up and the Death Eater was about to have a coronary. Harry cast a magical fire in the center of the room he was spying on and put his head in it.
Voldemort came unglued, stopped his crucio, and fired an Avada Kedavra at the magical face in the fire. It passed through the ghostly head hitting a Death Eater standing too close when he should have been on the floor out of the way of Voldemort's wand. The dead Death Eater was left where he lay and Voldemort began to speak in soft tones at Harry's face in the fire.
"Harry, I'm going to kill you and use your children to make me immortal in a more youthful body. Perhaps I will use yours or your whore's as replacement for the one I inhabit now. Thank you Harry for the gift of life and now, the gift of immortality and absolute power."
"Shut it Tom and you'll stay away from our children. I am going to kill you and soon. Crucio!" Harry's head shouted and a curse came from his end of the fire and hit five D.E.'s.
Harry lifted his curse quickly and began his tirade again.
"Your minions will not stand a chance on the battlefield against us. You yourself could not possibly defeat me without Merlins things,and likely nor I you. When we meet for the last time, I am going to make you suffer with my bare hands and your magic will cease to exist. A new world is here Tom and it's not the one you envisioned. The werewolves and vampires are free now to do as they please in our world as long as it is legal. That is the beauty of being King, you pathetic excuse for a half blood wizard, I can do those things. Your promises to them are worthless now. They are free to choose. If they choose you, pity for them, they can be neutral or fight, it is up to them but be warned Tom, the next time we meet, it will be for the last time. I have the power of Merlin and the faith of our people. "El Crucio" "Harry shouted again only this time hitting Voldemort in the chest with the powerful curse that used to torture him for years.
The water mages once again all cast their spells to make it rain in Voldemort's lair and the magical fire was out in both locations. Luna settled down and ended her exhausting display of not only seeing but projecting as well. Harry's magical display was very impressive just as his tirade directed at Voldemort. If Harry was capable of sending a curse through a magical fire, he was indeed a powerful wizard and should be left to his own designs on how to end the war.
Harry's speech to Voldemort was extemporaneous, he tried to make it sound threatening, and he even used El Crucio twice. His magicseemed to beat a zenith. It seemed Voldemort would indeed be in for the fight for his very existence the next time the two of them met face to face.
"Harry, although I do not condone the use of unforgivable curses in the school, I think that you might just have succeeded in solidifying his resolve," Dumbledore said.
"I was angry sir, but it did seem to get his attention. He does not know how to cast magic through magical fire. Trick Birdy taught me. Wandless and untraceable," Harry said matter of factly.
"Indeed. I believe you have a few hours before you find your other project beginning. I wish you success in your hunt. You have placed undetectable detectors a mile from the known detector limits?" Dumbledore looked at the Weasleys for confirmation.
"Yes sir, first thing yesterday. They'll let us know how many there are as well as track them to where they go from here," Ron said.
"Very well, I'll see you in the morning when the mission is underway. I think I will excuse you from breakfast in the Great Hall in the morning so you can follow out your plan. Ensure you are not seen." Dumbledore cautioned as he rose from his chair indicating that he wanted to retire even if it were for a few hours.
The aurors on campus would not disturb the goings on with the Thunderbirds this time. They snapped to their own rooms and if they did not take the time to undress, it was only because they were bone tired. Every one managed one last undressing spell before heading for undercover of their blankets and quilts and some much needed rest.