The Count of Azkaban
Chapter 16
It had been a nice and happy time for many people in the Castle of Azkaban. With stories exchanged as well as affection, things had sobered down some. Very discretely, blade and Nkola had withdrawn from the group of friends. Further, Blaise and grace were also feeling uncomfortable sitting between the three friends. There was so much history between them that they could feel that they were the outsiders in the group. They were undecided at what to do. The indecision was clearly reflecting in their faces. Being the legilimens that he was, Harry was aware of the gist of their discomfiture.
Harry had lost himself in the last few hours. Rather, he found the part of him that he had long thought lost; the boy in him that had hardly ever lived the life of a child. His safe haven. Away from all the worries of the world. Yet strangely, he felt that this meeting was culminating into a major turn in his life in this realm. All his previous plans may have to be changed. He had decided and done everything as if he would be alone. Blaise had never mattered to the crux of his plans. Yet, Hermione and Ginny were obviously going to play a very big part.
He looked up as he felt the silence and the gazes of every single one of them. He looked up and saw that each one of them felt the same.
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In power-plays of politics, there are always people who aspire to be higher, and are in the least bit worried about the corpses that pile up to get them to that height. Lord Voldemort was one and there were several people in the tyranny of the king who aspired to take place of both Draco Malfoy as well as Lucius Malfoy. The king himself had become aware so.
But the way to do it was what was giving him trouble. Although he had been a slytherin, he was more or less a very direct person. In the old days, he would have simply killed them after frying their brains. But now, he was in a very tentative position. His upcoming election had been creating enough distraction for him. But he could not let this pass anyway. It might end up that the very base of his power may weaken beyond salvation. He was happy in one way for all this. As he stood up and conjured a mirror, he liked what he saw. He was slowly becoming into the fierce dark lord that he had once been. The potions had been working overtime during the last few hours. His only apprehension was that he still was only able to reach a very small part of his power.
But he had decided one thing. He wanted to meet this count. He had a feeling that this would be important. For he could see the parallels between both of them. He was the political king and he was the financial king. But the lifestyles they led were very different. He was always worried but the count seemed relatively carefree. After all, to just get away from the center of your powerbase, for so long did require certain control in your staff.
He wanted to know more about this.
So he had just dispatched a letter inviting the count for dinner today night, discretely. And now, he walked towards the personal conference hall where his political advisors and lobbyists had been waiting for him.
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The silent was pregnant. The thoughts being borne were numerous. The silent kept deepening until it was Grace who broke it.
"Somebody say something." It was said in an almost exasperated childlike manner. The tension was released as a small smile escaped everybody's lips.
"You are right", started Harry. He knew the importance of this took a deep breath and said "All of us getting together here seem to be work of something more than just a coincidence. It would seem that all the key players of this resistance against the king have come together. Look at Hermione. She used an ancient archway, thought to be nothing more than a fable to find me. More than that, she seems to be a part of some group or has relations with a group which is working either actively or passively against Voldemort. Ginny here, is in the middle of the most political family of the United Kingdom where as Blaise has active involvement with the resistance cells in the Europe. And I, well I am the Harry-bloody-potter who has just come back from death. I think we all have been keeping our true motives from each other and the uncomfortable silence that had just passed over us was the result of the things we are not telling each other, or we cannot tell each other."
Harry stopped a bit and looked around. All four heads were hanging a bit. Each bowed head signified the truth of his words. He felt in his bones that the time had come where each of them had to come clean or else, well he really did not wish to think of that.
"Harr!" all four of them said almost together and said almost half way. They looked at each other and to no ones surprise; it was Hermione who started again.
"I know Harry. It has been my life's mission to find you as soon as I could confirm that you were actually alive. Before that, I had to find out whether you were dead or not. Frankly, I never felt for a day that you had died. There was this odd feeling in me that kept on telling me that you were alive. Then I met with some underground people due to my unique position. It is true that I have hidden many things from you but it's primarily because they are not my secrets to tell. However, I do feel that the information I have is pertinent somehow to all of us. Yet there is one thing that you missed out on telling it all of us. What are you planning to do? We know that you are here to do something. Somehow, revenge doesn't add up. On the contrary, your incarceration was probably the greatest gift riddle has ever given you. You found your family. The balance is already back. So what are you doing here? Somehow, revenge doesn't seem to be the right answer."
Harry was amazed at how quickly and concisely Hermione had cut down to the chase. He was all too much aware of all this. But then, it seemed that every one of them were in the same boat. He looked around and every one of them was having similar thoughts. There was only one thing to do now.
"I guess there is only one thing to do. We are guardians of other people's secrets. Hence we must keep the trust. However, I must ask you to make a decision. Either you can come clear with each other about your position in the war and come to me with a proposal where the information may be shared and used. I can only tell you this. I am here to set things right. To the extant that they are put right is in your hands."
With this, he got up and walked into his room. Very suddenly and surely, he had become aware of the differences that had cropped up between everyone of them. The lives they had led and the paths they had taken had made a vast gulf between all of them. At one point of life, everything had been so simple. They had been friends and that was it. Now, they had matured and distanced. He wasn't sure of what he would do. With that he opened the door and changed into the count's attire and shifted to his private library to take care of his daily business. He smiled as he saw the envelope on the top.
He called for blade.
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Back in the den, everything was silent once again. Everybody was looking at each other rather uncomfortably. Suddenly the silence was broken by a small snap. They looked around to see stout standing there. He looked up and said, "The count has asked me to give you these portkeys." He opened up his palm and in it were four boxes very akin to a ring box.
"They are permanent and would bring you back to the den. They are secure and have several safety charms in built. They are your direct way in and out of here. As soon as you enter the castle's area, they also become your portkey out of here. All you've to do is touch the stone and think of where you wish to go."
Everybody nodded as stout gave each of them a box. They opened it and looked at the ring. It was platinum with several runes inscribed on its underside. As soon as they put it on, they felt a pulse of magic go through them and a brief flash. They looked down to the ring and saw that a unique stone had appeared in each of them. A bright sapphire in Hermione's ring; a bright ruby in Ginny's; a pink diamond in Blaise's and a brilliant diamond in grace's ring.
Each of them wondered for a bit, but each was lost in their own thoughts. A few seconds later, after thanking Stout, all of them portkeyed out of the castle.
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As soon as blade answered the summon and entered the library, he saw a shadow of twisted smile on Harry's face. He knew the reason for the smile. He had received the letter himself anyway.
Flashback
Just as all of them were reveling in each other's company, stout had retreated from the group. He felt as if he was intruding on something sacred. Both Nkola and him silently got up and went to their regular duties. One of his duties was to look and check any miscellaneous mail. Normal wizarding world still lived with owl mail, however, all of them had graduated to more techno-magical products.
Just as he entered to study, he saw a regal looking black owl. The scroll he was carrying carried the imperial seal. He was aware of the plan that had been thought up. As a matter of fact, he himself had accumulated the information on the Malfoys. His range of contacts was growing by the hour. He was paying handsomely after all. Some would say almost too much. But then, the money was always relative.
He put the letter on the counts table on top of everything and waited. He knew he would receive it as soon as the count saw the mail.
He was not disappointed.
Flashback ends
"Well what does it say?" he asked.
Harry opened the letter and read it out loud.
"To
The Count of Azkaban
The Isle of Azkaban.
You are cordially invited to dinner in a private session with his majesty, the king of the united wizardry kingdom. The dinner is scheduled for seven in the evening.
For the emperor,
Lord Voldemort,
Secretary K. Trumpet.
PS. The letter will turn into a special portkey at precisely 6:45 PM and will bring you to the private offices of the above signed."
Harry was amazed at the letter and almost laughed at it. This was no proper way to invite somebody to a royal dinner. No RSVP, no protocol. More than that, the language used was utterly immature. 'It must be a truly unique thing" her wondered.
Blade was also laughing at the inadequacies of the letter. Never-the-less, the objective had been achieved.
He nodded and went away.
Harry on the other hand, picked up another dossier after doing some office work and refamiliarised himself with the details. Today was going to be the first step in his plan. He was a bit ambivalent as to what his friends would do, but he could not postpone this. He would not screw up his own plan. Things can be improvised.
With this, he went into deep thought as he looked at the history of many.
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Hermione was amazed at the power of the ring. She had not thought about the shields and ward around her office in the states when she thought about going there. Her mind was too preoccupied with the things she had said, and deciding what she had to do. It was an after thought, when the portkeying had already begun that she remembered the wards. But it was too late. She almost resigned herself to the bounce she would receive from the area.
To her amazement, the portkey slid through the wards and she reappeared in her own study. To her amazement, none of the safety charms were tripped and there was no warning alarm blaring. She shook her head and walked out of her office into the lobby and walked toward Brian's office.
As soon as she opened Brian's office, she was amazed to see nearly all department heads there. More than that, as soon as she opened the door, nearly twenty wands were immediately directed at her and a couple of them let loose a stupefy. She was amazed as all of the spells were absorbed by an invisible shield. All the mouths hung open in amazement, including Hermione's.
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Ginny appeared directly into her room. She quickly looked outside the window and saw Artie doing some rolls on his broom. "Children!" she thought to herself as she looked amazingly at her son. It had been no more than twenty four hours since he had nearly killed himself and yet here he was back up again. She went in to change and freshen up. Half an hour later, she went on the pitch to see Artie and think things through.
She was still deep in thought when Draco appeared in the house. He had been informed of Ginny's return and wanted to see her. Things were getting late as is.
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Both grace and Blaise appeared in a separate part of France. It was the special hideout for any and all people fighting in the global war against the dark lord. They both were in deep thought as well.