Disclaimer: See Chapter I, you know the drill

One final note: if anyone reading this is also a fan artist, please feel free to draw any character from this work in any way you feel like going at it. Just make sure you drop a review telling where the image can be viewed.

A/N: Those weren't prophetic dreams Harry was having of Alice, just memories. On a side-note, I'm heavily researching the chapters after next so it will be a while for an update. Also, I will promise that I am going to complete this work before May (1 year to publishing). Finally, before I write a sequel, I am going to write a complementary R/HR work to go with this.

Oh, and to those of you who care to, if you want to try and predict how this work will go, look up the 1960s British Cambridge Spy Ring case. Understand that, and you just may divine what will happen next.

Warning: It gets dark…

Chapter XXX: Malfoy's Victory

"ONCE KNEW A MAN WHO DIED IN THE WAR."

-"ONCE KNEW A MAN WHO DIED IN THE WAR."

"BACK IN NINETEEN FOWTY-FOW."

-"BACK IN NINETEEN FOWTY-FOW."

Harry bellowed out the lines of the cadence, called a jody by Doc who was calling it, with the rest of the company. The company was a rifle company of 110 goblins, marching in formation through one of the wider trails in the Forbidden Forest at night. All of them were weighed down with packs, weapons, and other gear; all were also working up a good sweat as they ran the ten or so kilometers back to Hogwarts. At the front was the Goblin captain and the First Sergeant and Harry ran to the side of the formation, lugging his pack, and his CAR-15 slung across his chest. Doc had joined him from spending Christmas with the Longbottoms (Neville had invited him over) to go with Harry in the winter field exercises Bladvak was holding. He had volunteered, Harry on the other hand…

As soon as the Weasley's had been congratulating him, Alex had grabbed Harry by the collar and took him back to Hogwarts by Floo. There, he had told him, smiling in the aggravating manner of his, that since Harry had so much energy to attack people like Diggory and Percy, then he was going to sweat it out running in the woods, digging latrines, more running, digging defensive positions, and did he mention digging latrines?

Harry had tried to get out of it by saying that he had no kit whatsoever, and Alex had laughed, unloaded a mountain of stuff, and told him to pack. After doing so, he had been handed the assault rifle he practiced with in the Muggle Self-Defense club, and turned over to the tender care of Bladvak. Bladvak had been amused enough that he had turned him over to one of his line companies, and off into the woods they had gone.

To say he hadn't been amused would be an understatement, no, he was downright angry with his uncle. As Doc would readily testify, he hadn't been an easy person to live with from the next ten days after his trial. Harry had been hoping to spend the remainder of the holiday resting, patching things up with Ginny, and maybe stealing a New Years kiss when it rolled around. Instead, he found himself hammering a rifle pit for himself and Doc out of rock hard ground, and celebrating New Years with chicken gumbo and boudan Doc's aunt in Texarkana had sent him. Oh and freezing his ass off in the snow.

Still, thank God for Gore-Tex and poncho liners. Harry thought to himself as he kept up with the best of them, and continued going with Doc's jody. Doc would yell a line; the goblins and Harry would yell it back. The activity made the fatigue and the miles melt away like the snow under their boots. Doc was particularly enthusiastic as his ankle had finally healed and was enjoying himself immensely during the runs.

"'FORE HE DIED HE HAD ONE REQUEST…"

"SEND MY BOY AMONG THE BEST!"

Doc had told him that before he learned he was capable of magic, he had wanted to be a Marine, and he had told Harry of how there were a series of military colleges out there, and he had had his eyes set on one in the south. While the school it had changed a bit in the last few years, the military program there was still one of the best in the US, and he had been shaping his school career around going there. The fact the next-door neighbor when Doc was growing up at Fort Hood, an Army base in Texas, had been an Army Aviator who had gone there helped. Harry couldn't figure out some of the stuff, and thought a good deal of it was odd, but he had to admit this jody was a good one as it got the blood pumping.

The few lights of the school were showing as they reached the last lines of the jody. Doc bellowed the last line, and Harry felt his ears ring slightly as him and the goblins bellowed it back just as loudly. They reached the edge of the trail and ran towards the town, where they were billeted. As they did so, the Goblin first sergeant raised his shotgun into the air over his head and barked, "DRAKEIL!" That was Goblin for Dragon, the nickname of the company.

Everyone put their weapons to a position called High Port, the position the Goblin had it, and yelled back, "COMPANY!" They stepped up the pace, and all but sprinted the last few hundred meters back to their barracks. Once there, Harry and Doc broke off of the formation, and headed up to the castle. Billy Fish was on hand to greet them as he led them to the Arms Room, which was a small stone building near Hagrid's hut that Alex used to keep all the firearms they used in the Self-Defense Class. Fish took their weapons after they had ensured the chambers were clear, unloaded, and on safe. He also took their rucksacks and ammunition before telling them that the Sahib (Alex) wanted them to go, clean up, and relax, as the next day was a school day.

Harry and Doc nodded and took off for the dorm, but somehow Harry didn't want to go back quite yet. He stopped them near the portrait of the Fat Lady, and said to Doc, " I've got a few more things to run through with the Goblins, go on ahead, Doc." Doc nodded, and pointed with his olive drab Marine Corps cover (cap) at Harry's belt kit. "You want me to take it up with me, so I can clean yours with mine? Don't think you need your web gear for that shit."

Harry shook his head, as Doc had said earlier he felt a cold coming on and had told him before they moved out of their bivouac that afternoon of the long soak he was going to take when he got back. "You said you're getting sick. Go wash, and sleep it off. Don't even bother cleaning your kit, okay?"

Doc nodded, and wished him a good night as he gave the password to the Fat Lady and entered the tower. Harry turned and looked around, and ran a hand through his hair. The hair was oily, and he could feel the grime on him from having spent the last ten days washing out of a goddamn canteen cup, which meant the most he had kept clean was wash his face, clean his teeth, and shave. He looked down at his hands, and saw the grit and grime on them, not to mention the fact he knew his face had grit, grime, and dried cammy cream (various shades of green, brown, black camouflage paint). All and all he could do with a shower, yet the residual…adrenaline he supposed from nearly losing everything in court was still with him, and he felt restless. Something a mere shower and rest couldn't dissolve.

Harry decided to go up to the Astronomy Tower, as in addition to the rather pleasant memories he had of the place, it would give him time to think things over as he still wasn't sure how the hell he was going to proceed with Ginny. Then there was the fact he had a good idea Mister and Mrs. Weasley by now had to know of his extracurricular activities over the summer.

Yeah, thanks a lot Minister fucking Fudge. Harry thought to himself as he walked through the deserted hallways. It was half past eleven, and everybody, Filch too it seemed, was asleep. Harry was grateful as he went up the stairs and reached the top of the Astronomy Tower. Opening the door, he found it not as dark as he thought it would be. The roof was largely open, and there had been enough of a moon to have plenty of light to see with. Harry walked over to the edge of one of the walls, and looked to the mountains. They were…cold, but there is something about them, he thought to himself.

Harry rotated his head, and stuffed the knit cap comforter he had been wearing into the inside of his Gore-Tex SAS smock. Alex had outfitted him well with cammy shirt, OD sweater or jumper, smock, and Gore-Tex outer trousers over the issue trousers. Which was why even at the top of the rather drafty tower he was warm as an oven-fresh roll.

Doubtless cost him a bundle though, Harry thought. He was starting to feel the belt kit, with its canteens, pouches, butt pack with its luxuries he had packed, and the Kevlar helmet he had hanging off of it. Not to mention the shoulder holster he wore over the lot.

Maybe I should have given it over to Doc, and then gone to bed…

"A sickle for your thoughts, Harry."

Harry froze, and turned around slowly. Sure enough, only her head visible with the Invisibility Cloak he had loaned her was the grinning face of Ginny. Harry saw that her hair was brushed back, and looked so radiant in the night. Before he knew what was happening, her face was inches away from his own, and Harry could smell the scent of her soap and shampoo. Which reminded him…

"I wouldn't touch me if I were you, Gin. I haven't touched a bar of soap since…" Anything else he could say was silenced as Ginny slung an arm over his neck and brought his lips to hers. Harry wrapped his arms around her, and enjoyed the softness of her lips for a few minutes.

After a while, they broke off, and Ginny looked at him and said. "I don't care. I've missed you, Harry." She placed a hand on his cheek and ran a finger down the side of it gently. Harry looked into her eyes, and had to get something out off of his chest now that he had something close to privacy.

"Ginny, I'm sorry for what I…"

"Shh…" She put a finger on one of his lips, and told him, "Its all right." Harry looked down into her eyes, as she rested against his chest. He tried to speak, to beg for forgiveness, but she spoke before he could say anything. "As I told you before, who else do you think would have an inkling of what has happened to you?" She kissed him gently on the lips, and looked up at him. "You made a mistake, that's all. We can work things out, and remember this, Harry: I love you, and nothing you do can change that, as you're the best man I know. A bit thick perhaps," she laughed at this, "but the best so…" Nothing more was said as Harry laughed softly and brought her lips to him again.

In his mind, he couldn't help but remember what old Dick Longbottom had told him, there was no greater feeling then returning back to base, and there was your wife or girlfriend waiting for you, and nothing felt greater.

Once again, the stories the old soldiers told had been right.

*          *          *

The darkness was starting to break as he slowly came awake. Harry rolled over in his bed and threw his feet to the ground. Despite not going to bed the previous night until one in the morning (after that last kiss, Ginny had laughingly said that he did indeed smelled like a barnyard animal, and needed a bath. Without a second to lose, she had packed him off to wash, get some sleep, and let his imagination run with him with the warning that he was going to need his strength soon), he felt great, and was looking forward to the classes that day. As part of the usual procedure, when he came back from a weekend or more in the woods with the goblins, he was exempt from going to he morning briefings.

It had been for that reason that now, at seven in the morning he could arise, wash, and head down to breakfast with renewed vigor. Going over to the Gryffindor table, he saw the usual: Ron with Hermione, Doc chatting with Ginny, and Neville with Katrina. An ironic applause arose from Doc and the twins when they saw him. Harry felt himself turn red as he sat down and answered a few of the questions given to him by Hermione. She was glad that Harry had gotten off, but had been surprised when she found out exactly how he had won his case.

"You mean to tell me some tart from Soho testified for you?"

Harry nodded, "Basically. Something wrong with being a friend with such a person?"

Hermione shook here head, "No, but didn't it bother you about her line of work?"

"No, should it have?"

'Well, I mean…What do you think people would say if they found out?"

"Simple, I was, am, young, and stupid and virile. 'Sides it wasn't as though I was in a relationship at the time."

Hermione looked as though she was going to ask him some more questions, but time forced her to stop. It was fortuitous for Harry as he fully realized he had almost given the game up.

Morning classes weren't very interesting as none of the teachers, even Snape, wanted to kick off the new-year with an ungodly tempo so things were spent in review. Harry found himself completely the work almost before Hermione, and wound up reading a few pages of a book his uncle had bought him for Christmas (The King's Rifle: A biography of Colonel Richard Sharpe by his son General Arthur Camoynes, VC, 1884) before lunch. Which was when his otherwise tranquil day started to go to hell.

Harry had told Ron and Hermione to run ahead as Harry wanted to look something up real fast in the library. The two of them had been surprised, but Harry had smiled at them and told them he didn't want to intrude on them making up for lost time. Despite their protests to the contrary, Harry had waved them away, and went on a long walk around the school. This he had liked as the day was cold, but clear and the snow packed enough he could hear it crunch beneath his shoes.  Harry gave an enthusiastic wave to Hagrid as he made his way to the Great Hall. At the door, he paused to take off his scarf and cloak went in.

Soup day, Harry thought as he smelt the odor of chicken and tomato soups, cheese melts, and other pleasant odors. Looking around, he saw his friends sitting at the table, though it looked like Ron and Hermione were having a bit of a tiff, with Ron waving about a knit yellow hat. Harry smiled when he saw that as he had run into Dobby before the break started, and Dobby had told him that Hermione had been making clothes to free the House Elves. Due to that, the house elves had all but stopped cleaning the place. Dobby was the only one who did so now, but years of working in similar situations with the Malfoys ensured he could such an enormous amount of work without undo trouble. Still, Harry could see Ron was irritated with Hermione. Ginny was reading one of her texts, while Doc was looking through a letter from home. Neville and Katrina were laughing at the antics of Ron and Hermione. Harry smiled as he sat on the side opposite of Ginny next to Neville, and laughed with the rest as Ron finally threw his head up in disgust and gave up arguing with Hermione. Indeed, he was saying the same line over and over again: "Yes, Hermione. Yes, the house elves are slaves and we should free them."

Doc showed him a cassette player one of his friends had sent him from New Orleans that had been charmed to play various tunes. Harry discovered Doc was something of a Johnny Cash fan, for he was playing Folsom Prison Blues. Hermione was interested, and wondering if that broke any rules in regards to magic. Doc and Harry exchanged a glance and grinned: pure Hermione.

Harry laughed one last time and was about to get a plate of soup when a black envelope was placed in front of him as a hand grabbed the back of his neck and pushed his face forwards. "Merry Christmas, Potter." It was the drawl of Draco Malfoy. Before Harry could do anything else, Malfoy laughed and leaned in next to his ear. It was so close Harry could feel the man's warm breath. "She was crying for you at the end, Potter. Or was it moaning? Like the whore she was?"  He laughed one more time as he pushed Harry's face forwards. Harry stopped himself from slamming his face into his empty bowl, and turned around to see Malfoy had walked away from him to the Slytherin table, where the occupants were giving him patronizing smiles. Obviously, they highly approved of what happened.

Harry rubbed the back of his neck: Malfoy was stronger then he thought. Ginny was starring daggers at Malfoy; same with Neville and Doc. Doc asked him, "What's that?" He was pointing at the envelope. Harry was interested as well, for it was fairly big, about thirty centimeters on each side. Whatever it was, it was flat. Harry ran a finger along the surface of the envelope. Felt normal, but considering what he had seen over the years come popping out of envelopes he was leery of what could be there. Still…

Harry drew his pistol, and slid it over to Neville. "Cover the envelope." Ron and Hermione slid their wands out, and did likewise. Hermione asked, "Are you sure that this is a good idea, Harry?" Harry drew his Fairbain, and grinned wryly. Ginny and Katrina were looking at him and the envelope, wondering what was going to happen. "Damn it all, in for a penny, in for a pound…Who said that Hermione?"

"Lord Wellington, to Maitland's Division when he fought at Waterloo."

Harry nodded, and used his blade to slit the top of the envelope. Nothing happened. Harry picked up the envelope, and used the tip of the blade to lift the top of the envelope. Still nothing. Taking a peek inside, Harry saw what looked like photographs. Harry had the envelope the wrong side up, for all he could see was white. What the hell… "Looks like photos of some sort." Since nothing bad happened, he set the envelope down and pulled out a stack of what felt like four photographs. Harry flipped them over, and felt his guts turn cold when he saw what was on them.

It showed a brown-haired woman, nude and the photograph had been taken above her for it showed part of a white-haired man with his hands around the neck of the woman. There was no doubt just what the man was doing when Harry took a look at the nether regions of the woman. Harry flipped through the rest of the photographs. All but the last were non-magical, and black and white. All of them showed the woman slowly become strangled, have her throat slit, and the last one, the magical one, and was the worst. The woman was still alive, for Harry saw how her stomach was opened and her mouth was moving the way a fish did when it was out of water.         

The woman was Alice, the friend of his who had saved his ass. It had been little wonder he had had dreams of her, for he read that when a friend was in danger, one usually did so. Judging by the photos, she had paid the price Harry knew she was probably going to pay when she had shown up on the stand.

Harry lowered the photos, and felt them slip out of his hands to litter the table. "Harry, what's wrong?" That was the voice of Hermione. Harry ignored her, as he looked towards the Slytherin table. Malfoy gave him a smirk. Harry wondered…

"Harry, who is she?" Hermione was asking him quietly. Using his peripherals, Harry saw that his friends were looking through the photos. "Harry, did you know this woman?" It was Ginny. "Indeed, she was a friend, one who came and testified on my behalf during my trial."

"Jesus, that's Alice?" Neville sounded shocked. Harry nodded, and then heard a voice that he didn't recognize speak. "Nev, what is the muzzle velocity of a nine millimeter Parabellum round fired from a Browning High Power?"

"350 meters per second."

"As I thought." With that, Harry rose out of his chair and snatched the Browning out Neville's hands, and put the safety on. Keeping his eyes on Malfoy, he removed the magazine, and slid the action back. The round in the chamber popped out and into his hand. Malfoy was still smiling at him. Harry set the pistol, magazine, and round on the table. With a single motion, he drew his dagger from his sleeve and threw it onto the table. It smacked into the oak with a solid thunk and quivered briefly as it stood up. Harry was unarmed, as he had left the .38 and baton back in his trunk upstairs. Well, the wand didn't count, and even that he drew and threw onto the table.

All of this took only five seconds, at the end of which Harry picked up the last photo. Hermione looked at him, and asked him worriedly, "What are you doing, Harry?" Harry looked over at her, and heard him laugh, and say, "I'm going to shove this," he lifted the picture, "down Malfoy's throat. How's that sound?" With that Harry leapt up and…

Found him being held back as Neville and Ron were holding on to his arms. Doc had jumped out of his chair on to the table and was pushing Harry back. Ginny, and Hermione were grabbing on, saying something that he didn't quite hear. Katrina was looking shocked, and Luna Lovegood was her usual serene self. Harry could see that Malfoy and his goons were having a hearty laugh. Things turned red, and before he knew he had yanked his arms loosed, and shouldered Doc aside. Harry felt things go real slow, as he jumped from the Gryffindor table to the Hufflepuff table, and then the Ravenclaw table. Vaguely he could hear screaming and yells, the voice of Professor McGonagall, but ahead of him Malfoy's laughing was stopping. Harry leapt from the Ravenclaw table to the Slytherin table; Malfoy was drawing his wand, but it was too late…

Harry slammed his foot forward, and heard the sickening crunch as Malfoy's nose broke, blood gushing. With the way he was running, Malfoy fell backwards out of his chair, his wand flying in the air and Harry moved with the momentum forward. Malfoy was gasping for air as Harry grabbed him by his tie and slammed a fist into his left eye. Out of the corner of his eye, Harry saw Crabbe draw his wand, and so he threw his master to him. Both of them went down in a tangle. Whirling, he saw that Goyle had left his wand out on the table and that he was reaching for it. Without a second glance, Harry picked up a fork and slammed it into Goyle's hand. Goyle screamed, and tried to pull it out, but sank to the ground as Harry kneed him in the balls.

Breathing hard, Harry saw that he still had the rather crumpled photograph of Alice in hand. He saw her take a last breath, and go still; this enraged him more as he grabbed Malfoy by the collar and slammed him against the table. "Here's your goddamn…" Harry stopped as the world went black. 

*          *          *

Harry slowly found himself awakening, his body feeling as though a car had hit him. Blinking his eyes, he saw that he was sitting in a chair in the Headmaster's office, and before him was Dumbledore, the Headmaster, Professor McGonagall, and Alex. None of them looked too happy at the moment. Harry shook his head, and rose to his feet. "Sit down, Harry. " It was the voice of his uncle, and it was his command voice, meaning he wasn't to be questioned.

Harry did so, and winced as McGonagall asked him, "Just what was the meaning of your actions in the Great Hall today?" Harry looked at her, saw that one of the photographs was on the desk and replied, "I take it you have seen the photographs?" McGonagall raised an eyebrow, and asked, "What does that have to do with anything, Mr. Potter?" Harry didn't answer as Dumbledore held up his hand, and Alex turned to McGonagall, and told her. "Alice was a friend of Harry's. She was the one who defended him in court." McGonagall's face changed, softened, her voice seemed strained as she asked, "The same who…" Alex nodded.

Harry didn't care, as he wanted some answers as to why a good friend of his was dead. "I know, and I'm sure all of you what happened to me…"

"Yes, you landed Malfoy with a broken nose, Goyle with a fork in his hand, and Crabbe badly bruised before you were knocked down by five stunners."

"So could someone tell me just why…that happened." He pointed to the photograph. Dumbledore sighed, and held it up. Harry watched as it disintegrated into dust. "I'm sorry, Harry, but were treated with a potion that causes it disintegrate over a period of time. Sadly, that was the last one." Dumbledore looked at Harry thoughtfully, then told him the story: of how Alex had told him, anecdotally, of his confrontation with Malfoy. Dumbledore had read reports of the elder Malfoy's sexual habits, and had asked Alice if she was willing to work for the Order. She had readily accepted. It hadn't been his intention for her to testify, but during a routine debriefing she had found out, and had told him that under no circumstances was Harry going to be convicted. She would testify, regardless of the cost, and had.

"How was she compromised? Rather, what happened after she defended me in court?"

Alex took over, and his words were brief, harsh, and to the point. Based on evidence that had been pieced together when he was away, she had been captured three days after the trial, on New Year's Eve. Malfoy and his associates had interrogated her briefly, and then did what they had done to her. They weren't sure, but it appeared his son Draco, and the younger Crabbe and Goyle had likewise taken part in the 'activities'. Sadly, there wasn't enough evidence to do anything.

"Indeed, Harry, I'm afraid only one person will be punished for the events of today." Dumbledore sounded tired as he said this.

Harry knew what was in store, and looked at the Headmaster straight in the eyes as he asked, "My fate, sir?"

"Suspension from your duties as Head of Hogwarts Security. Lucius Malfoy visited us via Floo to demand punishment. He was mollified when I told him of your punishment. Now, your badge, Harry."

Part of him knew he had been wronged, but another part stoically shrugged it off. All he knew was that the animosity between him and Malfoy only got worse.

Without taking his eyes off of Dumbledore, he removed the gold badge he had worn since school had started, and set it on the desk.