Chapter 3-Threats and Action
"Who?" he demanded, his voice taking on a cold edge and his eyes hardening into two piercing emeralds as he felt power surge through him.
"I'm not sure exactly who he is, all I know is that he calls himself Iniquitous and that he was once a follower of Voldemort, but something happened and he left the Death Eaters before he ever received the mark and no one was able to track him down" he explained heavily
"How do you know this? I am the head of the Defense Department at the Ministry and I haven't even heard anything about this Iniquitous before" said Harry with his brow furrowed in confusion
"That is because he has done nothing to warrant the involvement of the ministry, yet" explained Dumbledore
"But then how do you know that he is after Lily and James? And why do you seem so worried about him?" asked Harry, becoming even more confused by the moment
"Because, I received this just before I came down here today" he answered as he pulled a piece of parchment from his robes "It proves that Iniquitous is more intelligent than even his former master, and that he already has a wide basis of followers" he said as he handed the parchment to Harry who carefully unfolded it and began to read the black writing.
Headmaster,
I know you probably have no idea who I am, but rest assured that within a matter of time, you will fear me, as will the rest of the wizarding world. My name is simply Iniquitous. I was once a follower of Lord Voldemort, but as his ideals weren't the same as mine, I left him in pursuit of my own destiny, a destiny I have now discovered, for I shall be the one to destroy the Gryffindor and Slytherin family lines once and for all, by destroying the children of Harry Potter, thereby destroying him as well. These may seem like idle threats to you as you read this, so let my prove to you just how much Potter has to fear from me. In my travels and studies, I have uncovered many startling facts about the savior of the wizarding world, that he is none other than the grandson of Voldemort himself, that he possessed the soul of his grandfather for over a year, and that he really did die that Christmas day fifteen years ago, despite what the rest of the world seems to believe. I have also discovered that said savior was abused as a child by his muggle relatives, that he attacked his best friend and wife, both while he bore the dark mark on his arm, and lastly, that he, as I have already mentioned, is the heir to both Slytherin and Gryffindor. This is your only warning, headmaster, I have spent the past seventeen years training in dark magic, gathering followers, and researching the best possible way to destroy Potter and his family, and I have discovered it, to destroy the father, one must first destroy the children that he loves so much, though I will not tell you how I will do this just yet, but when the time comes, you will know it, I am sure of it, and by then, I will be unstoppable. Head my warnings, Potter, and enjoy the last bit of time you have with your children for no one can stop me, least of all you.
Iniquitous
When Harry finished reading the letter, he didn't realize that his hands were shaking and that his face had gone white "No" he said quietly as he sent pleading eyes to the man who had always known all of the answers before.
"I'm sorry, Harry, but you have to know, you have to be warned so that you can watch out for them, so that you can warn them" said Dumbledore as he placed a reassuring hand on his shoulder.
"This can't be happening, they can't be in danger" protested Harry weakly
"But they are, and the only thing you can do is tell them the truth so that they will be prepared"
"No, they're not ready for the truth, they're too young" argued Harry "The truth would terrify them" he added quietly
"True, but it is the only way, they have a right to know"
"Damn it! I'm supposed to be the most powerful wizard ever! Why am I letting something as trivial as an empty threat from some wannabe dark lord scare me so much?" he asked suddenly, furious with himself for his momentary loss in composure
"Because, for the first time, it is not you who is in immediate danger, but your children who you love more than life itself" explained Dumbledore with a small smile
Harry sighed heavily as he nodded his head "You're right, as usual" he muttered quietly
"So, what do you plan on doing?" asked Albus after several minutes of silence
"Nothing until after the party is over, then I guess I'll head to the ministry with Ron and Draco and see if we can't track this guy down before he has a chance to act on these threats" he said after a moment of thought as he glared at the letter before him, and after a second, it went up in flames, sufficiently breaking Harry's concentration "Sorry" he muttered sheepishly, once more feeling like he were a student in trouble, but Dumbledore's kind smile helped him to relax.
"No need to apologize, I would prefer you to express your anger in that manner instead of shattering all of the glass in the room" he said with a twinkle in his eye that disappeared almost immediately as he once again became serious.
"Do you plan on telling James and Lily?" he asked hesitantly
"As soon as I get back from the ministry, I'll let them enjoy a few more days of their childhood before it disappears" he said with a shake of his head "So much for letting my children grow up worry free, huh?" he asked bitterly
"I'm afraid that nothing to do with you will ever be worry free, Harry" he answered with a grim chuckle as they both stood and walked over to the party where the twins were just finishing opening their gifts without a care in the world.
As soon as the party concluded, Harry motioned for Ron and Draco to wait for him as he went to say goodbye to his family "James, Lily, how did you like the party?" he asked in fake cheerfulness as he put an arm around Ginny's waist.
"It was great, dad! Thanks for the broom!" exclaimed Lily as she threw herself on her father, who returned the hug as he used his free hand to lovingly stroke her dark hair.
"You're welcome, sweetie" he said
"Yeah, thanks dad" said James with a wide smile as he fingered his own brand new broom
"You're welcome James, you two both deserved it, but I'm afraid I have to head to the ministry for a few days" he said as he watched their faces fall from excitement to confusion and Ginny frowned in worry.
"What for? I thought you didn't have to go back until next week" she said quietly
"Something's come up, Dumbledore just told me and I need to take care of it, but I shouldn't be too long" he assured her as he squeezed her hand gently
"Can't Uncle Ron and Draco take care of it? At least for the night? I thought we were going to have dinner together tonight" asked Lily sadly as she turned her bright green eyes on her father who sighed heavily before speaking
"I'm afraid this can't wait, I really am sorry, but I promise we'll have the family party as soon as I get back to the castle" he said with a forced smile, and Ginny, sensing the importance of what he was going to do cut in before James and Lily could protest further
"Come on, let's get back to the castle so you two can try those brooms out with your friends" she said as she waved her wand and their other gifts shrunk and the twins began to gather them up and put them into their pockets as she turned to Harry "What's really going on?" she demanded quietly to prevent being overheard by their children
"I'm really not sure yet, but Albus received a letter this morning from someone who is threatening to hurt James and Lily and I want to figure out who it is before anything happens" he said, deciding to leave out the more frightening aspects of the letter such as the things the writer had found out about and the support he apparently already had.
Upon hearing his words, Ginny gasped in alarm and clamped a hand over her mouth in horror "Who is it?" she demanded
"Someone who calls himself Iniquitous" he said cryptically
"But who is he?" she asked again
"A man who will be gracing the halls of Azkaban as soon as I find him for daring to threaten my family" said Harry and with his words, Ginny felt something she hadn't felt in many years, the magic around him seemed to crackle with a life all its own and his eyes became as sharp as emerald glass and she knew that he would keep his word, no matter what happened, but as suddenly as it came, the magic softened and he spoke in a normal voice once again "Keep an eye on them, Gin, and watch your back, I'll be back as soon as I can" he said as he pulled her into a tight hug, and by the time they broke apart, Lily and James had returned. "By guys, be careful and I'll see you in a few days, happy birthday again" he said as he hugged them both in turn before walking them to the door where he watched them walk back through the village toward the castle. As they disappeared out of sight, he felt the presences of others directly behind him and he turned to see Ron, Draco, Sirius, Remus, and Snape all looking to him expectantly.
"Albus told us about the letter, Harry, what do you want us to do?" asked Sirius after several minutes of tense silence.
"I want the three of you to go back to the castle and keep an eye on my family. Lily and James have no idea about anything that the rest of the world doesn't know, and I want it kept that way until I get back, then I'll tell them everything" he said as he rubbed the bridge of his nose to ward off the impending headache before he lifted his gaze to look at Ron and Draco "I want you two to come with me to the ministry, all of you, keep your heads up and if you hear anything about this Iniquitous, let me know immediately. In the meantime, we're going to try to find out what his real name is and where he is" he finished and the other five men all nodded their heads before the three professors set off through the dark toward the castle and the three aurors apparated to headquarters of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement and Defense at the Ministry of Magic.
"Who?" he demanded, his voice taking on a cold edge and his eyes hardening into two piercing emeralds as he felt power surge through him.
"I'm not sure exactly who he is, all I know is that he calls himself Iniquitous and that he was once a follower of Voldemort, but something happened and he left the Death Eaters before he ever received the mark and no one was able to track him down" he explained heavily
"How do you know this? I am the head of the Defense Department at the Ministry and I haven't even heard anything about this Iniquitous before" said Harry with his brow furrowed in confusion
"That is because he has done nothing to warrant the involvement of the ministry, yet" explained Dumbledore
"But then how do you know that he is after Lily and James? And why do you seem so worried about him?" asked Harry, becoming even more confused by the moment
"Because, I received this just before I came down here today" he answered as he pulled a piece of parchment from his robes "It proves that Iniquitous is more intelligent than even his former master, and that he already has a wide basis of followers" he said as he handed the parchment to Harry who carefully unfolded it and began to read the black writing.
Headmaster,
I know you probably have no idea who I am, but rest assured that within a matter of time, you will fear me, as will the rest of the wizarding world. My name is simply Iniquitous. I was once a follower of Lord Voldemort, but as his ideals weren't the same as mine, I left him in pursuit of my own destiny, a destiny I have now discovered, for I shall be the one to destroy the Gryffindor and Slytherin family lines once and for all, by destroying the children of Harry Potter, thereby destroying him as well. These may seem like idle threats to you as you read this, so let my prove to you just how much Potter has to fear from me. In my travels and studies, I have uncovered many startling facts about the savior of the wizarding world, that he is none other than the grandson of Voldemort himself, that he possessed the soul of his grandfather for over a year, and that he really did die that Christmas day fifteen years ago, despite what the rest of the world seems to believe. I have also discovered that said savior was abused as a child by his muggle relatives, that he attacked his best friend and wife, both while he bore the dark mark on his arm, and lastly, that he, as I have already mentioned, is the heir to both Slytherin and Gryffindor. This is your only warning, headmaster, I have spent the past seventeen years training in dark magic, gathering followers, and researching the best possible way to destroy Potter and his family, and I have discovered it, to destroy the father, one must first destroy the children that he loves so much, though I will not tell you how I will do this just yet, but when the time comes, you will know it, I am sure of it, and by then, I will be unstoppable. Head my warnings, Potter, and enjoy the last bit of time you have with your children for no one can stop me, least of all you.
Iniquitous
When Harry finished reading the letter, he didn't realize that his hands were shaking and that his face had gone white "No" he said quietly as he sent pleading eyes to the man who had always known all of the answers before.
"I'm sorry, Harry, but you have to know, you have to be warned so that you can watch out for them, so that you can warn them" said Dumbledore as he placed a reassuring hand on his shoulder.
"This can't be happening, they can't be in danger" protested Harry weakly
"But they are, and the only thing you can do is tell them the truth so that they will be prepared"
"No, they're not ready for the truth, they're too young" argued Harry "The truth would terrify them" he added quietly
"True, but it is the only way, they have a right to know"
"Damn it! I'm supposed to be the most powerful wizard ever! Why am I letting something as trivial as an empty threat from some wannabe dark lord scare me so much?" he asked suddenly, furious with himself for his momentary loss in composure
"Because, for the first time, it is not you who is in immediate danger, but your children who you love more than life itself" explained Dumbledore with a small smile
Harry sighed heavily as he nodded his head "You're right, as usual" he muttered quietly
"So, what do you plan on doing?" asked Albus after several minutes of silence
"Nothing until after the party is over, then I guess I'll head to the ministry with Ron and Draco and see if we can't track this guy down before he has a chance to act on these threats" he said after a moment of thought as he glared at the letter before him, and after a second, it went up in flames, sufficiently breaking Harry's concentration "Sorry" he muttered sheepishly, once more feeling like he were a student in trouble, but Dumbledore's kind smile helped him to relax.
"No need to apologize, I would prefer you to express your anger in that manner instead of shattering all of the glass in the room" he said with a twinkle in his eye that disappeared almost immediately as he once again became serious.
"Do you plan on telling James and Lily?" he asked hesitantly
"As soon as I get back from the ministry, I'll let them enjoy a few more days of their childhood before it disappears" he said with a shake of his head "So much for letting my children grow up worry free, huh?" he asked bitterly
"I'm afraid that nothing to do with you will ever be worry free, Harry" he answered with a grim chuckle as they both stood and walked over to the party where the twins were just finishing opening their gifts without a care in the world.
As soon as the party concluded, Harry motioned for Ron and Draco to wait for him as he went to say goodbye to his family "James, Lily, how did you like the party?" he asked in fake cheerfulness as he put an arm around Ginny's waist.
"It was great, dad! Thanks for the broom!" exclaimed Lily as she threw herself on her father, who returned the hug as he used his free hand to lovingly stroke her dark hair.
"You're welcome, sweetie" he said
"Yeah, thanks dad" said James with a wide smile as he fingered his own brand new broom
"You're welcome James, you two both deserved it, but I'm afraid I have to head to the ministry for a few days" he said as he watched their faces fall from excitement to confusion and Ginny frowned in worry.
"What for? I thought you didn't have to go back until next week" she said quietly
"Something's come up, Dumbledore just told me and I need to take care of it, but I shouldn't be too long" he assured her as he squeezed her hand gently
"Can't Uncle Ron and Draco take care of it? At least for the night? I thought we were going to have dinner together tonight" asked Lily sadly as she turned her bright green eyes on her father who sighed heavily before speaking
"I'm afraid this can't wait, I really am sorry, but I promise we'll have the family party as soon as I get back to the castle" he said with a forced smile, and Ginny, sensing the importance of what he was going to do cut in before James and Lily could protest further
"Come on, let's get back to the castle so you two can try those brooms out with your friends" she said as she waved her wand and their other gifts shrunk and the twins began to gather them up and put them into their pockets as she turned to Harry "What's really going on?" she demanded quietly to prevent being overheard by their children
"I'm really not sure yet, but Albus received a letter this morning from someone who is threatening to hurt James and Lily and I want to figure out who it is before anything happens" he said, deciding to leave out the more frightening aspects of the letter such as the things the writer had found out about and the support he apparently already had.
Upon hearing his words, Ginny gasped in alarm and clamped a hand over her mouth in horror "Who is it?" she demanded
"Someone who calls himself Iniquitous" he said cryptically
"But who is he?" she asked again
"A man who will be gracing the halls of Azkaban as soon as I find him for daring to threaten my family" said Harry and with his words, Ginny felt something she hadn't felt in many years, the magic around him seemed to crackle with a life all its own and his eyes became as sharp as emerald glass and she knew that he would keep his word, no matter what happened, but as suddenly as it came, the magic softened and he spoke in a normal voice once again "Keep an eye on them, Gin, and watch your back, I'll be back as soon as I can" he said as he pulled her into a tight hug, and by the time they broke apart, Lily and James had returned. "By guys, be careful and I'll see you in a few days, happy birthday again" he said as he hugged them both in turn before walking them to the door where he watched them walk back through the village toward the castle. As they disappeared out of sight, he felt the presences of others directly behind him and he turned to see Ron, Draco, Sirius, Remus, and Snape all looking to him expectantly.
"Albus told us about the letter, Harry, what do you want us to do?" asked Sirius after several minutes of tense silence.
"I want the three of you to go back to the castle and keep an eye on my family. Lily and James have no idea about anything that the rest of the world doesn't know, and I want it kept that way until I get back, then I'll tell them everything" he said as he rubbed the bridge of his nose to ward off the impending headache before he lifted his gaze to look at Ron and Draco "I want you two to come with me to the ministry, all of you, keep your heads up and if you hear anything about this Iniquitous, let me know immediately. In the meantime, we're going to try to find out what his real name is and where he is" he finished and the other five men all nodded their heads before the three professors set off through the dark toward the castle and the three aurors apparated to headquarters of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement and Defense at the Ministry of Magic.