The Lord Of Stone Tower
A/N; If you read my other story (and I hope you do) then you will know all this already and can skip it really. Sorry for the really long wait guys. Please forgive me for this small sin. But story writing whilst really great isn't the top item in my priorities list and it sort of fell out of my mind for a while but I am back now and should be updating more recently. Feel free to email me if you want to talk or for gentle encouragement to continue writing if you wish to use words not looked upon in a nice way on fan
Chapter five; Building and Rebuilding
Hogwarts; Headmasters Office
Albus Dumbledore stood at his window watching the amazing sight as it passed by below him. After the part destruction of Hogwarts three years ago a force of twenty men had volunteered from a building company in Hogsmeade to aid in the repairs. Albus had hoped to get funds from the Ministry to help in the rebuilding as the school didn't have the funds left to fund the rebuilding but the Minister had refused to help.
The work was slow going. To maintain the wards the original rocks had to be used wherever possible. No wizard in the present had the knowledge needed to rebuild the wards to any extent and so over the last three years only twenty percent of the damage had been repaired. But the sight below him warmed his heart immensely. Harry had decided to help. Hogwarts was rebuilding herself, growing steadily stronger as every new stone, pebble or carving was replaced. The wards once again becoming seamless as they had not been since they were originally cast by the founders. Over time Hogwarts had fallen to decay and erosion but now she was being rebuilt, every scrap of stone was sliding back into place. Even the marble floor of the entrance hall was shining as new even without the polish.
Even with this new relief Albus couldn't help but feel glum as he watched the approaching men from the village across the lake. Five men, four obviously Unspeakables and the last was obviously Minister Fudge. He knew what this was about and knew what the outcome would be.
He almost laughed as the figures came through the front gates and saw for the first time the North Tower being rebuilt at such a pace that was bordering on scary. Stone flew together to form sections of walls and then with loud crashes rejoined to the ever enlarging tower from the base to the Battlements.
Ten minutes later Albus was sited behind his desk and waiting patiently for the knock on the door. He had written a letter the day before after Harry's appearance at the meeting to Minerva to ask her to take over the school after he was removed.
The knock came two minutes later and he called at them to enter. Two Unspeakables were the only people to enter and they spent not less than two minutes sweeping the room with spells to discover any traps for their minister.
After they were done they called to the three outside who entered, the minister rather pompously.
"I hope that you are not about to accuse me of attempting assassination, Minister by this show of going into my privacy." Spoke Albus before the Minister could start.
"I will remind you that I am the minister, Dumbledore!"
"Then I will respectfully remind you that this is my castle and by the laws of the founders you are to address me as Headmaster or Professor, and I will also point out that two of the spells cast just now are banned from use without a signed warrant by the Wizangamont." He replied with a smirk, "However I will look over that so that these men are not punished for it," he added reassuring the two Unspeakables who had tensed at the realisation.
The Minister look considerably ruffled but he quickly remembered why he was there. "Stop wasting my valuable time, Headmaster." He stressed the last word with slight sarcasm. "You are to be arrested for the aiding of Harry Potter!"
"And how do you come to that conclusion?"
"From his show yesterday it has become obvious that he has been well trained and you are the only one that could have trained him to that extent. You are to be locked up for life in Azkaban for this treason. Unfortunately as a 'former' member of the Wizangamont you can not be executed."
"That is absurd Minister and everyone knows it. But very well, I will go with you quietly. The school will be well looked after by Minerva McGonagle." Albus relented.
"Ah, she will not be Headmistress after you, Dumbledore, the Ministry Of Magic is seizing Hogwarts and it removing all the current Professors to be replaced by competent, loyal members selected by myself and other members of the Ministry."
"You would still do that after the trouble over Deloris Umbridge last year?"
"As far as I am concerned she was a complete success in her work last year, but we do not have time for this. Captain? Get on with it!" He spoke to one of the Unspeakables.
Albus went quietly and the six started their walk out of Hogwarts to the train waiting for them at Hogsmeade train station. The Professors of Hogwarts would receive letters the next day informing them of the loss of their jobs and the Newspapers would soon after that inform the whole of the Wizarding World of what had happened and what would happen next.
Harry on the other hand had spied in on the whole conversation from the security of the stone walls. Grateful that the spell hadn't been able to sense his presence. He would act, but would have to be careful as to not incriminate Albus and turn the whole of the World against him. If Harry saved Albus it would seem that Albus was indeed in league with Harry Potter.
Hogsmeade Station
Harry stood at the end of the Platform with a simple black cloak covering his Battle robes. He watched as the Aurors waited for the return of the Minister and the Unspeakables, Harry was glad there wasn't more than four Unspeakables for him to fight. He would take out the ten Aurors here before the six arrived. He still didn't know how he would overcome the problem of incriminating Albus. He figured that the man would realise the predicament and maybe come up with something.
The Aurors generally ignored him as he stood with other Wizards eagerly awaiting the outcome of the commotion as they were sure commotion would happen. Or at least a bit of gossip discovered before the rest of Britain.
Harry decided to move, he figured that with ten minutes to spare he might as well have some fun but first he needed to scatter the innocents so that they weren't hurt. The best way was always the least subtle way he thought. He leaned over the shoulder of the short man in front of him so that his mouth sat near to his ear.
"Harry Potter is standing right behind you, maybe you should run?" he whispered so only the man heard him.
The man looked over his right shoulder and came face to face with the man that everyone had started to fear. He gaped for a second and as the man in front of him began to smirk he shifted awkwardly.
Harry nearly sighed, this man was to scared to even move. Motivation was needed. It was a shame he would have to prove to this man at least that he was indeed evil.
The man watched as flames leapt up in Potter's eyes. Red eyes that seemed to pierce his mind.
The man started screaming and running. Others looked in the direction of the cloaked figure with glowing red eyes under the hood. Harry lowered his hood to show his face.
Panic was always bliss Harry thought. He felt sorry for the innocent people that he was terrifying so badly, but it was to ensure their safety. As he thought they scattered surprisingly fast. The platform was clear just in time for the first curse from the Aurors.
Harry unfortunately recognised the three Aurors standing at the back. Tonks, Kingsley and Moody. He would deal with them when he reached them. He had to deal with the first seven first. He decided to have some fun, he had eight minutes left. He struck his hand out onto the platform building wall and instantly three arms of brick flew out to the right of the Aurors and grasped onto the necks of the first three Aurors and pulled them into the wall.
Four to deal with. Three curses were fired at him. The Glacio and Stupefy were easily dealt with, Harry allowed them to hit him but they did nothing. Harry's inner magic built up by the Dark Elves protected him from these curses if cast by weaker Wizards. The third curse was more dangerous. The third Auror had gone straight for a decimation curse aimed straight at his chest. Normally only used on non living objects it was a harsh curse when it hit a human.
Harry used his Power to build a thin wall of concrete from the platform floor and his was shattered by the curse but the curse had done its job and dissipated. Now with only seven minutes left Harry decided to step up the attack. He noticed where the Auror was standing and flung out his mind to the train. One of the carriage doors flew open and smacked the man in the forehead, knocking him out for at least a few hours. The train was the Hogwarts Express so under his control.
He had planned to fight the other three fairly too but he didn't want them to witness his fight with the three Aurors that he knew and they were too close now to ignore. He tightened the brick hands around their throats and the started to gasp for air as they were suffocated. Tonks and Kingsley both stopped as they saw the distraction, but Moody didn't waste time, he engaged Harry by throwing a leg-locker charm which Harry sidestepped. Tonks and Kingsley had moved to try to free their comrades from suffocation.
Harry knew that if he toyed with Moody he was risking a fall so he decided to use more power to ensure his fall. Dark Magic learnt from the Elves. Moody paused in his throwing of curses as his opponent's eyes flash black. Agony shot up his legs and arms and he fell to his knees, he wand skittering across the floor towards Tonks, who turned to see Moody on his knees. She was astonished by how quickly the nineteen year old had so easily beaten the best Auror there was, even post retirement.
She saw that Moody was still aware of everything but the pain he obviously was in was too much to be able to fight off so she reached down and picked up his wand. The second that she took her eyes off of Harry was enough.
When she looked up he was gone. She looked at Moody who's eyes were fixed over her shoulder. She spun round both wands at the ready. She was one of the only Wizards able to cast with two wands in both hands and it was an advantage she wanted to use in this fight. She rounded straight into Harry as he stood half a foot from her. He stood about half a foot taller than her and she was quite tall herself. In her shock at seeing him so close she paused and again her delay was enough. In a second she lost both wands to him as he made one sweep of his left hand. Then before she could react she found herself spun round by his right hand and a knife was pressed to her throat. He stood behind her and she was now facing both Moody and Kingsley. The latter was still attempting to release his comrades and the fight between Harry and Tonks had been soundless.
Harry snorted as he watched the mans attempts to free them, but Harry also noticed that his arms had successfully knocked out the men. He waved his hand in front of him and Tonks and the arms shrank back into the wall. The three unconscious Aurors were dropped into heaps on the floor. Harry only had three minutes left.
"Release her, Potter." Kingsley shouted as he turned and took in the scene.
"Captain now isn't it Kingsley?" Harry responded in a voice that shocked the three Aurors that were still watching him.
"Well, yes. Why does that matter?"
"I wish you know harm, this battle isn't over already purely because I still have time before the reason I am hear arrives. I left you three conscious because you are member of the order, and maybe more willing to accept the truth."
"And that would be?" Whispered Moody.
Harry suddenly remember the curse on the man, quickly released him. "Sorry Professor, I forgot that curse was on you."
Kingsley took this opportunity to aim a curse at Harry. The disarming curse flew with accuracy, but Harry was completely distracted by Moody. He left hand raised quickly to intercept the curse and the curse bounced off harmlessly. The Aurors gazed at the black arm.
"What?" Spoke Tonks again.
"Its Granite, it is highly reflective of most Magic's. But enough, I only have three minutes before the others arrive and if they see you three talking to me then it will put you under suspicion."
"What do you have to say then Harry?"
"I'm not Evil. I never was and never will be."
"I saw you at Azkaban Harry, I saw you use all that Dark Magic, and you used one against me." This was of course Moody.
"Two things Professor, one, using Dark Magic does not mean you are evil, and in that Battle at Azkaban if you want to tally up curses, five killing curses and ten cruciatius curses were cast at me, and I never actually used a single dark curse against one of you. The only Dark Magic I used was the Portal and that harmed nobody."
"What about what you did to Virginia Weasley?" Interrupted Tonks indignantly.
"That wasn't Dark, that is Magi Magic. Which proves that really you three should be taking your orders from me and not that prat of a minister."
"Even if you are, your status as a Magi is voided by your crimes." This was Moody who was more in touch with the Magi laws.
"I have done know crimes compared to the ones done by the Ministry against me. But moving on, two, I needed to end our fight just now and that curse was the easiest way of taking out a formidable opponent. I couldn't have spared the concentration to release those men," he gestured at the Aurors previously up on the wall, "if you were still fighting me. Unfortunately, our time to talk is over, Albus and the Minister will be here in ten seconds."
"What do you expect us to do then?" Tonks spoke, Harry released her and with a gently shove she fell forward into Kingsley.
"Simple, play dead." With that his Aura flared and the three sloped to the floor unconscious.
Harry then spun up onto the roof of the carriage to watch and set up his trap. He didn't feel like fighting with Unspeakables when he was so drained. The fights over the last few days and the building of his home and all the Magic of his new wards on his home and the rebuilding of Hogwarts was draining on his Magic."
Two of the Unspeakables walked first followed by the Minister and then Albus flanked by the last two Unspeakables.
The group took five paces onto the Platform when they noticed the bodies of the ten Aurors. The four Unspeakables ran forwards and the Minister and Albus held back by the carriages to await news.
Less than a minute later the Captain straightened to report, he shouted "All ten are unconscious sir but we cant manage to revive any of them!" Just as he finished the four of them suddenly yelped.
Looking down they could see stone creeping up them like a second skin. Within seconds they were encased. With onto holes to see and breath through they were encased in a suit of solid rock. Their wands useless.
"A Trap," The Minister gasped, "This is Potter's work, I knew you were with him!"
"Yes Minister, a trap!" Came Harry's voice as a cloaked figure came tumbling gracefully from the top of the nearest carriage.
"Potter! Your under arrest!" Shouted the Minister.
"Who's going to fight me?" Harry laughed. "It ironic that you make this small mission all the easier for me Minister." Harry had realised perfectly how to still get Albus free and to not incriminate him. Kidnap him. It was really simple actually.
"What do you mean, Potter?" Albus caught on quickly.
Harry turned to the Minister. "I came here for the Headmaster and I will leave with him. He is the only one still around that could fight me still, and you took his wand. How nice of you." Harry smirked and his eyes glowed with fire and his Aura flared. It worked beautifully.
The Minister realised what he thought was his mistake. Thinking that he had arrested the wrong man he flung the Headmaster wand at the man and made to run. An arm of brick flew out of the wall again like before and clung around the mans chest pinning him to the wall to watch.
"You'll pay for that Fudge!" Exclaimed Harry but really the Minister had fallen perfectly into the trick.
Now all that Harry and Albus needed to do, without rehearsal, was to fight.
"Now Mr. Potter, we fight!" Albus wanted to test Harry's new abilities as much as fight him for an act and he knew that Harry would hold back. This would be a real fight as if they truly were enemies.
Thanks for all your reviews, I wont list, but any ideas I always take into account with my planning and I am grateful for them. Till next time, keep reviewing and more importantly reading!