I usually like to answer back to a few reviews in this section, but since most of the reviews were the same I won't be answering any individuals.
Nearly everyone mentioned that Mrs. Lovegood was dead, I knew that but I thought Mr. Lovegood had remarried, so I went back to check and it turns out I had misread, he didn't remarry. Sorry about that, but since this is fanfiction I have no intention of going back and changing it, they're not important characters.
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I had an email (sorry I don't remember who sent it, I accidentally deleted it), asking why I don't name my chapters. I've been using numbers but that email made me think so I'm going to try adding an actual name for the chapter.
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Chapter 32 – or – Watch the Ministry Screw Itself.
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A warm summer rain was falling from gray skies and running in ribbons across the big glass windows. Outside the grass and new leaves were bright green and the ground was so spongy from the three days of rain that anyone taking any sort of tactics or battle class had been called out to practice fighting in mud and flashflood conditions. Their class had been a rough wet fight with muggle weapons on the steepest hillside the teachers could find. It had collapsed several times as the students fought back and forth in six teams over a few yards of mud. The eventual massive landslide had put three in the hospital after being crushed under boulders and trees. The healing students had had a long lesson working on them, and plenty of practice in removing mud from a person's lungs. Fortunately none of his friends had been injured too much and Rahkesh's dislocated shoulder had been easy to heal.
Rahkesh picked out a spot on the lowest rib of the skeleton hanging from the wall, and cracked the bone with a flick of his wand, using no incantation. Beside him Silas and Daray were doing a 3D jigsaw puzzle with silent levitation spells, in the air. While casting general spells without an incantation wasn't particularly difficult, exact precision with silent magic could be very difficult and therefore he, Ally, and their three vampire friends had devoted most of the day to practicing it.
"I can't wait for summer break; my family's going to Hawaii for a week." Ally said, "I really need a rest from this." Rahkesh hmmed a response. He was unlikely to get any rest. "Then I volunteered for one of the support groups helping new immigrants get settled."
"Helping them?" Rianae asked.
"There're a lot of people coming to America from Europe, and many of them are not on the best of terms with their former countries. While none of the anti-vampire countries can legally operate inside the States a lot of them have been, trying to track down people from government organizations, and the military, who have defected over the vampire laws."
"Your brother is working with them?" Rahkesh guessed.
"Yeah, I'm going to help him set up wards, extra protection for those people. There was a family from France where both parents had been guards of the French minister and left because they didn't agree with the anti-vampire laws. Their house blew up with them inside it a week ago. The French are denying all involvement. So now there needs to be extra security. I have some of the training and my brother's been working for them for ten years so I trying to talk my way into a temporary job for the summer."
"Our friend the counter-espionage specialist." Daray laughed, "sounds like fun." It did, maybe he'd have to meet Ally's brother. The two siblings got along very well so he couldn't be too bad, probably a lot like Ally, who, while occasionally a bit frightening, was a wonderful friend.
"The vampires have declared war on the anti-vampire countries, do you think that the mortal governments will go to war with each other? If they're willing to break the law to kill those that leave over the anti-vampire laws then they are just about at war aren't they?" Rahkesh asked. He hadn't even thought of that yet.
"I think it will be an informal undeclared war. Vampires, werewolves and other magical creatures are the key here. They have equal freedoms and protection in some countries and are supposed to be killed on sight in others. I think a lot of countries will help them and let them do most of the actual fighting. Once it's over they'll then help rebuild, but it won't be a full war." Rianae said.
"You know this could end with the anti-magical creature countries running out of any mortal human magic users." Daray said. Which had been Rahkesh's original plan. A plan that seemed to be happening much more quickly than he had expected.
"Unlikely, I was talking to my brother this morning and he says there are a lot of very active hate groups that are trying to make werewolves illegal." Ally said, "however there's been a law back home for nearly two hundred years saying that werewolves and vampire and other sentient magical beings have complete equal rights."
"I thought the American minister offered all of the anti-vampire or anti-werewolf activists free flying-carpet tickets to any place in Europe? And those groups are being so harassed that they might just leave." Rianae asked.
"They didn't all leave." Ally said, "my brother's going on a raid of one of their cult houses this weekend."
"Can't wait till the muggles find out about us." Daray said gleefully. All the vampire students at Akren seemed to be looking forward to the chaos.
"You're not just revealing your existence. Once muggles know vampires exist they'll know about magic, and then the existence of all magical beings will come out." Rahkesh complained, the vampires didn't seem to care what the other species thought of their plan.
"Yep." Silas agreed cheerfully.
"There will be a lot of people who want to stop you. Doing that could get rid of any of the goodwill you've gained by being persecuted." Ally pointed out.
"Once we've revealed our existence everyone will be too busy to care. Do you really think the City Masters are going to stop for anything? Namach and my grandmother delayed them from doing so twenty years ago, but even those two agree that the right time will be very soon." Daray pointed out.
"The elves might be upset, but Namach's handling that angle, their existence won't be revealed, too dangerous." Rianae said. "No point in provoking them."
"There are a lot of mortal muggles who consider themselves vampires, they even drink blood," Silas said, "won't it be entertaining to stop by some of their parties to say hello?" The three vampires laughed. "Of course once the muggles know our full powers there will be a lot of them wanting to be turned."
"Muggles are so strange. I remember my father used to go to muggle nightclubs when he was younger and pick out a person and explain to them that vampires existed and he was one. A lot of them wanted to be turned, the others asked if he needed a human slave." Daray said, "toying with the muggles will be so much fun." Rahkesh and Ally traded looks and wondered if the vampires remembered that some muggles would go the other extreme and form anti-vampire movements.
The hippocampus communication sheet began to glow. Rahkesh decided that since his friends knew he was working with allies back home he didn't need to be too secretive. He cut his finger on the tiny needle attached to it and let a drop of blood fall onto the center of the sheet. Shacklebolt's face appeared in seconds.
"Afternoon Rahkesh." The auror said, he seemed unusually happy.
"Who died?" Rahkesh replied, Shacklebolt blinked, and then shook his head.
"I hate the days that someone's death, well actually abduction, are cause for joy." He complained. "Special Advisor Madam Umbridge was abducted from her office. The auror supposed to be guarding her has relocated to Spain. The Minster's furious, and everyone's scared. But I haven't noticed a single tear, funny that."
"Daray?" Rahkesh asked. Daray considered, and then replied softly so that Shacklebolt couldn't hear.
"We haven't started yet, Lord Hadrian the master of London, wanted to pick off two or three before setting our family on the rest."
"When do you start?"
"Grandmother said two to three days."
"Shacklebolt the vampires are sending in a special team, they'll hit soon, they've got your name on the do-not-harm list, but I think biting doesn't count as harming with this lot." Rahkesh advised. Daray snickered and nodded, then gave an exaggerated lick to each of his large pearly white fangs; Rahkesh flipped him off and purposefully turned his back on the vampire, trusting his shields to tell him if he attacked.
"I hope Tonks is on that list."
"She is, pass the word on to her. And make some getaway plans."
"I did."
"Alright, anything else new?"
"A possible move to outlaw fae, they seem to be in league with the ferocious human-hating werewolves and vampires." Shacklebolt's voice was dry and angry.
"Aw shit." Ally muttered.
"I'm not going to ask you to try to intervene on that." Rahkesh said quickly when Shacklebolt opened his mouth, "it's a lost cause at this point." He turned to find Rianae.
"The fae?"
"Will probably declare war, after lodging a single formal protest just for the publicity." Rianae replied, and Rahkesh figured she ought to know. Her mother was the vampire ambassador. Not an official ambassador as the humans knew them, but a go between from vampire to fae and sometimes between the magical mortals and the fae.
"You heard that?" He asked Shacklebolt.
"Yes."
"My mother is the ambassador." Rianae supplied. "And Shacklebolt, if that's your real name, the fae WILL inform the elves if they get too angry." Shacklebolt sighed and nodded slowly, Rahkesh had given him a quick rundown on all the magical species likely to be central to this battle.
"I'll talk to you later if I find out anything." Rahkesh said, Shacklebolt agreed and closed off the connection.
"Motherfuckers are determined to screw themselves out of existence with all this anti-magical creature bullshit." Ally opinioned. "They've now got the vampires, werewolves, centaurs, fae, and possibly even elves getting involved. Well damn. Maybe I'll buy land in the UK, after the war there'll be no one left and I could wind up owning the country." Rianae and Rahkesh laughed and Rahkesh started seriously considering doing that, she had a point.
Daray purred happily. "Beating the living shit out of the numbskulls will be fun."
"Let me know when, I'll sell tickets." Rahkesh muttered. There should be another way, his subconcious complained, but for the life oh him he couldn't see it. What they really needed was complete integration of all magical life forms, and that would mean first sifting out mortal magic users who were against that. And how could that be done without war? He'd have to find some time to brainstorm that. It was too late to stop the battles, but maybe once everyone tired of fighting giving them another option would end the war.
XXXX
No city every really sleeps, and when the day workers went to bed other lights went on as those who preferred the late hours woke and came out. Down a filthy back alley was a small parking lot, and in the brick wall of an apparently abandoned building was a pair of massive wooden doors. Black iron curled across the front of the doors, images of demons and blood and skulls and ones.
Inside the usual Friday night party was underway. Muggles with unnaturally pale skin, painted faces and dyed hair were moving about. A massive three foot high glass case filled with painted bones served as a bar. There was a dance floor, colorful lights, and a few tables and couches scattered about.
And moving in and out amongst the muggle crowd was a handful of vampires. Examining tonight's menu, searching for a particularly tasty muggle remembered from other nights or some new flavor.
Not all vampiric establishments were in magical areas, and places like this found a better crowd amongst muggles than wizards. Three stories high in a shabby rundown building, each floor with its own dance floor, music, and different sorts of food and drink. It was very well known in certain circles and could expect upwards of three hundred visitors every Friday evening. It was the Bat's Wing, the seedier of two such places owned by a vampire of a bit less than a thousand years named Taiven Vachinto.
He'd started out as one of Lord Hadrian's mortal slaves, back in a time and place when slave owning was much more normal. The vampire had turned him when he was thirty and when Hadrian had started gaining power over the centuries and moving from place to place as he did so Taiven had followed. Finally settling as the Master of London Hadrian had stayed put ever since and Taiven, never one to leave his master's side, hadn't left. His other place was much more upscale with a much wealthier clientele, and was a well disguised building that no one ever looked twice at, which was good because what went on there wasn't exactly proper. Again with three different floors the Raven's Loft had gambling, drinking, drugs, and continuous wild sex parties. That the participants never wanted to be made public. Apart from a good portion of London's social and financial elite it also got visitors from all over the world. And therefore, brought in not only a good deal of money, but also a lot of interesting muggle's with different tasting blood from around the world to feed on.
While the Raven's Loft was occasionally a hunting ground for some vampires, most of the locals preferred the Bat's Wing. Less classy, darker, and fangs were not out of place. Of course, only vampires whose presence was recognized and permitted by the City Master were allowed in, which caused a good deal of friction with the illegals. But the magical vampires who worked for him were a good deal older and much more powerful than the young, muggle vampires that infested the country and after Taiven had ruthlessly executed a dozen and sent a score more on to Lord Hadrian, to be punished for their illegal existence, he hadn't had any trouble.
The new anti-vampire laws were so far only being enforced in magical communities, which was probably one of the Ministry of Magics worst moves. It gave most of the vampires, who lived and worked amongst muggles, time to plan and prepare. Most vampires had voluntarily left the wizards scene, there's wasn't much to do there anyway, and they had gathered all of their vast resource and turned them towards preparing for the fight over the vampiric presence in non-magical areas.
The two vampires working on the roof finally returned to the third story of the building, bags of tools on their shoulders. Taiven's office had very thick walls, so that they couldn't hear the music from just beyond. The two vampires settled down into soft chairs and waited while others finished the last of the enchantments. Soon the team of ten vampires entered the office.
"Finished. Have we found someone to test it yet?" Nurama asked. The tall South African vampire removed the glamour she always wore, revealing a set of claws marks running all the way across her face and neck from left to right and disappearing under her sweater. A gift from a lion back when she had still been mortal. The pink and white scars stood out against her dark skin, and were far too memorable to allow many to see. She had been working for Taiven as head of security at both of his properties for two hundred years, and had been responsible for the horrific killings that had finally chased away the illegal muggle vampires.
"No, but I expect we can count of the aurors to show up fairly soon. I might even invite them, the wait is boring me." Taiven replied, scratching the Hell Hound lying at his feet behind the ears. They had just finished the installation of twenty lasers on the outside of the building and surrounding area. There were wards around the Bat's Wing, so that every mortal magic user that entered the area was "tagged" with a bit of magic, that didn't leave until they were out of range. Because the wards were in the ground and not the air they were unlikely to be sensed by the frighteningly oblivious Ministry. The lasers would catch the magical signal and when activated would only fire at those with tags.
"As soon as the wards tell us they're coming we can send the Hounds down to their cages." Nurama said, reaching down to pet another of the ten massive canines. Dark red and black in color with a layer of metallic looking thick guard hairs that stiffened and sharpened and widened into armor when threatened. The two alpha beasts, a male and female, had been a gift from Lord Hadrain fifty years previous, the others were their offspring. Their massive claws were more cat-like than canine and there skin and armor could get hot enough to melt iron. Their bite was stronger than a hyenas and their saliva was a deadly acidic poison. Standing four feet high and six feet long hey were fearsome predators, and were very difficult to fight, having magics of their own.
There were ten invisible doors in the walls of the Bat's Wing, each with a large cage behind it; the Hell Hounds could be unleashed to guard the building at any moment. They carried illusions, worked in bloodmagic, so that to a muggle they looked like a cross between a Great Dane and a Doberman.
"I have completed the obliviation wards." Said another vampire, appearing in the room from thin air, by use of thread magic. A short slim creature originally born in the Aleutians he was a thread magic specialist who had been tying wards into the whole block to obliviate muggles should they see anything. He was one of the best warders alive and the wards he had built would remove only memories of magic and magical creatures. Leaving a memory of a fight between rival gangs that had interrupted a night of partying. It usually cost an arm and a leg to get him, his skills were in high demand, but he owed Taiven a favor, the older vampire having saved his life some centuries back.
XXXX
Ministry building were supposedly secure. Supposedly. And security is always a relative term. There were two werewolves hidden in the hall where the meeting of the Ministry's top officials and all the members of the Wizengamot were meeting.
We need to respond quickly and with all our power." The Minister of Magic said. "We can't let them think we're weak now." Everyone nodded in agreement. The vampires had to be shown that abducting a Ministry employee had extreme consequences.
"We've been merciful with them, they ought to be grateful, now they go and abduct Umbridge." Percy Weasely said, "we should attack a soon as possible."
"Tonight." The Minister decided. Everyone nodded and agreed loudly. "We must strike at the vampires and all their allies in the world of the dark beings. The werewolves, the fae, the centaurs and the others. The half-breeds that work against us must understand that we are not going to roll over and allow them to rule the world. We are their superiors and they must remember this."
Across the room Amelia Bones, newly removed from her position, sat with a handful of others who had the day before attempted a movement to remove the anti-vampire laws. Now under auror guard, and about to be sent to Azkaban without trial – since after all they had apparently committed treason by trying to repeal a law – and since when was that treason? The Minister had a sort of absolute power that had gone much further than Madam Bones and her coworkers had thought, their arrest wouldn't make the paper for three weeks. By then confessions could be tortured out of them.
But she had something they didn't know about. On the gold bracelet she wore was one link unlike the others, this was a one time one way signal. And now she bit a fingernail until it bled and pressed the blood to the enchanted link. A magical signal flew from the room, and a tiny crystal among a row of tiny crystals on Alastor Moody's desk began to glow.
The signal was only meant to be sent when the Ministry became too corrupted to turn, when they started breaking their own laws. Amelia pressed the link again and the crystal began to flash. Moody sighed wearily, their last power in the Ministry had been arrested. He would have to arrange to discover where she was being held and break her out soon.
"Rufus would raise all sorts of hell if he could see this." Moody muttered, pity that one hadn't lasted. Alive but comatose and supposedly mindless. Rahkesh wouldn't like this news, they had both had a little hope of changing things. Now there was nothing left but to fight it out.
The vote was taken, and as usual there were only two or three nays, and their names were being illegally recorded by monitoring devices, they would find themselves removed to cells in Azkaban, for no stated reason, later. Eventually to be accused of any crime that could be fabricated, and given maximum punishments.
Once all the mortal humans had left the werewolves slipped out through the wards, unnoticed. They may have been the best spies the pack alphas could send, but even they had their limits. Elara and Sabien Ateres were masters at getting into places they should be at. Now they had sighted their target and the two vampires left the room, using illusions to make it seem as though the door never opened, and spells to stop the air from moving as they passed. They tracked their prey down the hallway undetected, and then dodged ahead to arrange the abduction.
However even the famed Ateres assassins weren't the best at this game of hide and seek. Werewolves, vampires, and the humans had all failed to note the three elves that now traded and looks, and decided they had the information they needed. The three elves vanished in absolute silence, not even disturbing the dust on the floor as they slipped out of existence.
Percy Weasely hurried back to his office, bustling through the busy Ministry hallways, his robes and authoritative walk guaranteed that people moved out of his way to let him pass. With Umbridge gone he'd been promoted and with it came a pay raise and new respect from everyone. It was very nice to finally have he respect he deserved, he'd worked hard for this.
A guard standing between two elevators nodded once to Percy as he stepped onto the elevator, Percy didn't nod back, he was the guard's superior and didn't need to take any notice of those performing less important tasks. He was only a guard, not an auror, and therefore Percy had no need to act friendly.
At the top the elevator opened, but no one got out. After a moment the guard on the second floor looked inside, only to find the elevator empty. He wondered briefly if the guard below, a cousin, was playing games with him, sending up an empty elevator. Then he shrugged it off and nodded politely to two witches who got on and started down.
Percy Weasely's absence wasn't noted until the following day. The uproar when it was finally figured out that he'd vanished inside the Ministry hallways undetected by the monitoring devices, guards, or other employees, was considerable.
The Minister added a new piece to the anti-magical creature slaws. And his personal aurors began working to draw up a plan to seek out the fae residences, and serve them warnings that their kind was no longer welcome in the UK.
In the Weasely household Mrs. Weasely wept, Percy had not been close to the family at all the past few years, but he was her son. Ronald Weasely raged about how he'd become the best vampire slayer in the world and show them all who was best and what happened to those who didn't respect magic folk. Ginny Weasely shrugged it off without much worry or pity, and continued writing her letter to Luna planning their trip to Salem Academy. Mr. Weasely went about his usual business, a little grim, but unsurprised. He also sent a letter to one Mad Eye Moody, requesting what was known about his son's whereabouts, his health, and what would happen to him. He knew better than to ask when Percy would be returned.
XXXX
The head auror cast a minor obliviation spell on the muggle that had seen them apparate in, thirty people appearing from empty air. His team spread out and moved down the block, checking the air for wards and keeping an eye out for wandering muggles.
From behind a set of plain, completely ordinary blinds one of the vampire sentries caught site of them, and pulled out a muggle cell phone. The magic users never thought to monitor radios and phones, never imagining that the vampires had completely circumvented the magical security by turning to muggle technology. The mortals were so oblivious. And the vampires had the magical codes to hack into the magic of the aurors communicators, thanks to an inside source. He didn't know who that source was, but Kylara, Lord Hadrian's premiere spy, had brought them in. That source happened to be one Nymphadora Tonks, having finally decided to act against the Ministry. Being a metamorphmagus had a lot of uses; colorful hair was the least of it. And so she was better set to give information than Shacklebolt, or any of the other aurors, many of whom were already being spied upon by the Minister's personal guards, who acted like his own little army.
The aurors quickly identified their target building by its extra-shabby exterior. They couldn't know that it was in fact in perfect condition. Those layers of decaying wood, rusty nails, scorch marks, trash, and chipped paint had been added on to the outside to make it appear decrepit. In fact it was one of the best structure in the city, being earthquake proof and being capable of being completely sealed off from the outside, airtight, to protect against any attempts to poison anyone inside. It was also built of ironwood and steel, a tough combination.
Inside the Bat's Wing vampires looked up from pursuing their chosen prey for the night, feeling a telepathic ripple. Aurors were coming. Slowly vampires drifted towards the outside of the crowd, coordinating with tiny telepathic touches and wrapping their magics around the room, ready for the attack.
"Did you send out an invitation?" Nurama asked.
"I let the location slip yesterday." Taiven admitted. He gave an evil grin to his team of guards, "I thought it might be time to show them exactly why all mortal attempts to exterminate us haven't worked." His toothy grin was matched by the rest of the room as his vampires rose and left.
The aurors swarmed up to the massive doors. The head auror waited until his team reported that they were in position around the building, waiting for anyone to try to escape.
"Squad six in position" came a whisper from his bracelet.
"It's always polite to knock." The leader said, the five in front of the door raised their wands and fired blasting curses. Five bolts of red light sped towards the black iron and wood doors, and harmlessly shimmered out of existence when they hit. Leaving the aurors staring, dumbstruck, they had been practicing for a week to maximize the impact of those spells.
Then the lasers were activated. Quick precise beams shot out, each aimed for the center of its target. The leader of the auror attack force was the first to fall. Screaming as the laser slid through his back and into his spine.
Inside silencing spells caught all noise from outside and removed it. The muggles partied on, unaware.
Ripping curses and massive fireballs flew at the shabby wooden building, only to be absorbed. Lasers locked onto their tagged targets and fired. Of the six squads three were annihilated in seconds, their spines severed.
Nurama picked out the aurors at the door, and turned those lasers off. Her team needed a little fun after all. But it would be a one sided battle.
Light flared as the five aurors in front tried to aparrate, and found wards springing into existence, they were trapped.
"Incedio, incarcerous!" One of the aurors spotted the attacking shadows and fought back. He was silenced immediately by a knife that seemed to suddenly grow out of his throat. His comrades stared in shock as the big blade hurled with vampiric strength went all the way through his neck and blood poured down his front. He crumpled to the ground.
Now the vampires were closer, lashing out telepathically. The aurors were an experienced team and their shock vanished fast, mental walls shot up to repel the vampires. But the vampires had two master Legilimens and these withdrew from the fight to concentrate on the mind of the mortals, causing severe headaches and disorientation.
Blood burning curses flew from twenty wands as the vampires attacked. They were followed up by sprays of acid. The four remaining aurors rallied and did an impressive job of managing the curses, but they hadn't anticipated potions being added to the fight, it was a mix witches and wizards never thought of. And their agonized screams as their flesh melted alerted the remaining aurors around the building to the fall of their lead squadron.
At the back door squad two watched one of their comrades die with a laser to her guts. The head of the squadron heard the screams from out front go silent, and saw the smoking remains of squad three. "Surrender!" he yelled to his remaining aurors, throwing his wand and knife down. The other two stared then had the sense to drop their weapons and drop to the ground. Having incapacitated the ones at the front vampires swarmed around the building, and the three who had surrendered were spotted at once and lasers turned off before they could kill them. The injured one, a hole burned into her and through to her spine, was beyond any help, and one of the vampires swooped down to kill her, swiftly drinking away her blood and her life. The other three had a moment to gape in horror before fangs found their throats. Once they succumbed to the vampiric telepathic powers while feeding they were carried off to a holding cell in the basement.
"Commander? Report! What's happening?" Nurama smiled and bent to retrieve the dropped communicator.
"Who is this?" She asked her best delicate-female voice.
"What? Who is this! Who are you?"
"My name will have no importance to you. I hope you weren't too attached to your minions, you won't be seeing them again." Nurama snapped the delicate device in her hand, crushing it. Magic flared, and then died as she wrapped her magic around it and blew away the spells on it.
"Spread out, find the rest and bring them in, turn off the lasers." Nurama snapped out. The lasers ceased seconds later and her vampires ran past into the shadows.
Two aurors tried to run for it into the muggle city. Vampire leaped after them, creating shields and allowing the spells fired back at them to slide off the shields and fade away, rather than allowing them o fully impact the shields. The aurors fell with vampires tackling them from behind, wands snapped and the aurors went limp as the vampires fed.
It took all of ten minutes to complete. For the vampires it was a victory, and a disappointment, they had hoped for a better fight. But the aurors had divided into too small groups, and with the lasers removing so many instantly there weren't enough left to rally and put up a fight. Of the thirty aurors sent to attack the Bat's Wing twenty-one died, eighteen of them from the lasers. The others were disarmed, searched, chained, and dumped into the holding cell. Tiaven sent out a signal to Andrew Farov. Farov had been waiting, pacing his office while Taiven's vampires fought – Taiven wanted to do this himself, and he sent back a message immediately that he would drop by to pick up the captives. Then he contacted Lord Hadrian.
The mortals had attacked, unprovoked, first. Now the vampires were fully justified in retaliating. The mortals had no proof vampires had taken Umbridge, and therefore no legal grounds, by their own laws, to attack. In his office Lord Hadrian, his captain of the guard, and his first spy Kylara – younger half-sister to Cyala Ateres, all grinned as the communication mirror went blank. Kylara called out to her sister telepathically, and Ambrosius went to alert their warriors. They'd take the auror training quarters the next day. Along with all of the trainees. A little education into vampiric reality would be just the thing.
"Tell Cyala I want the Unspeakables, all of them, by next Saturday." Hadrian said, "we'll take the Wizengamot later, let them make more mistakes first." Kylara grinned and sent out the message to Cyala Ateres.
XXXX
"Rahkesh? Wake up!" Someone was shaking his shoulder. Rahkesh rolled upright, froze, then slowly put the knife and taser he had grabbed back under his pillow, it was only Daray, appearing out of nowhere.
"It's four a.m."
"Get up, come on, we've got a problem." The vampire said, ignoring him and walking out the door. Rahkesh frowned, wondering what on earth was going on, and summoned his clothes.
Rahkesh followed Daray down to the lounge on their floor; the room was filled with students. What had happened? Everyone was awake and looking just as confused as he was.
There were no fae present. Rahkesh realized suddenly. Not one. Caroline finally arrived with a few last vampires, the two alpha werewolves, her pet veela, and the two mortals who were the top of the human students. She closed the door behind her, and then waved for everyone to be silent.
"Alright, we'll make this quick. A two a.m. all of the fae students left Akren. The students standing guard (the older students took turns) followed them out of the valley, where they teleported back to their respective homelands." Murmurs sprung up around the room. Caroline waved a hand for silence.
"Now we don't know all the details but Justin told me, before he left, that they had been called home for a vote. They fae are considering war with the human magic users."
Everyone started talking at once, Rahkesh rubbed his hands over his eyes, okay, he was awake now.
Everyone was talking loudly, but there didn't seem to be any new information coming in, just speculation. Akren had a lively rumor mill, but most students didn't take it seriously. They knew that one needed facts not random thought, and some were already leaving. If anything else came in everyone would end up hearing about it, because this affected all of them and for something like this even the vampires and werewolves, normally hostile, would pass on information. Rahkesh realized he needed to contact Moody and Shacklebolt, so he slipped out of the room silently and returned to his own. Shacklebolt was keeping an extra communications sheet at his house, and he could contact Moody.
"The fae are seriously considering war with humans. Voldemort killed a bunch of them attempting to create a new type of inferi. There's a possibility he was also behind a kidnapping attempt some of his vampires made. That was a little after midwinter. I understand the vampires involved have been executed but it was a horrid mess for a while and the fae are still really angry." Rahkesh continued.
"What are we going to do about that?' Moody asked curiously. Rahkesh shrugged. He didn't know, but there had to be something they could do.
The problem, Rahkesh realized, was partly communication. If they could get the fae, vampires, werewolves, and others talking those species would likely form an alliance against Voldemort and whatever allies he had. The vampires wouldn't announce their existence to the muggles for several years yet, so they didn't need to worry about that.
The problem with getting them to communicate was that they didn't live in the same places, and they each thought that they were better than everyone else. Simple equality and mixing of the species would create a force capable of combating Voldemort, and winning.
"Get them talking, make sure everyone knows that the issue is bigger than their species. The vampires already don't want Voldemort, only the youngest, who are due to be killed off anyway. The fae should be mad at Voldemort, not all mortals, they need to know that. And the distinctions between anti-magical creature countries and those that don't care what your species is."
"Kill Voldemort, force those who despise all magical beings to back down. Voldemort first?" Moody suggested.
"He's pushing this anti-magical being movement along, it causes chaos that he can benefit from. If everyone hates vampire they might side with him against a common enemy, and vampires do have very different norms than mortal magic users on things like murder. Without Voldemort the problem is much simpler and less complex." Shacklebolt said.
"Start by proposing an alliance between vampires, fae, and werewolves, plus the countries that recognize that all magical being shave a right to exist." Rahkesh said.
"How would we contact the fae?" Shacklebolt asked. Rahkesh looked to Moody.
"I'll get in touch with the local alumni", he agreed.
"And I'll start here through my friends and the current students. Though no one knows when the fae will be back." Rahkesh said. "Maybe getting word in now will give them a third voting option between war, no war, and a selective war."
XXXX
"If they fae all exist in separate clans then how do they get a central vote?" Rahkesh asked.
"Each clan votes then send their vote to the fae elders, who are currently at the meeting house, which is the only central governmental building the fae have. They count the votes from the clans." Daray said. "Rianae said her mother sent out those messages you gave her, her mother thinks it's a good idea."
"I just hope the fae are listening, they might be to busy to care about a message and not even read it."
"Rianae's mother has been the ambassador for four hundred years, and that's because the fae trust her and like her. They'll listen." Daray assured him. The vampire froze in midstep and Rahkesh nearly crashed into him.
"What?" He asked. The other vampire students had paused as well. They were crossing the main entrance hall, on their way to lunch after finishing bloodmagic class.
"Vampires, several of them. Old ones." Daray said shortly, closing his eyes to search out their presences. His eyes snapped open again and he and every other vampire around moved quickly out of the center of the hallway as the massive doors opened. Rahkesh followed Daray to the side and watched.
He picked out Namach immediately, the ancient was leading a group of four vampires, and Rahkesh recognized Cyala Ateres, but the he didn't know the other two. Definitely very old. He carefully extended his mind a little bit, and immediately picked up from their auras that they were the Master of Moscow and the Master of Cairo.
The four vampires vanished up the stairs towards Namach's rooms, leaving the hall buzzing with talk and telepathic activity.
"Did your grandmother tell you she was coming by?"
"No. I wonder what they're up to." Daray said, Rahkesh waited while Daray reached out mentally to his grandmother, his eyes glazing over as his mind connected to the much more powerful ancient's.
"What are they doing?" Silas asked, coming up beside them.
"Organizing an alumni meeting." Daray said, awakening abruptly and shaking his head ot clear it. "Alumni of all species."
"Has that ever happened?" Rahkesh asked.
"No." Rahkesh turned to see Caroline not far away. "Never." The alpha vampire was studying the retreating forms carefully. And Rahkesh realized that she was contacting them telepathically. "Current students will be invited." Caroline said finally.
"Your grandmother isn't an alumnus." Rahkesh suddenly remembered.
"Neither is the Master of Moscow. This is more than just an alumni gathering." Daray said, scowling, "they're not telling us what it really is."
"Oh joy, more to worry about." Rahkesh muttered, "I'm going to go eat." Namach and Cyala could plan whatever they wanted, he trusted those two. And in order to have non-alumni in the Akren mountains the headmistress would have had to been prewarned so she could approve their presence.
"Be careful." Daray said suddenly, "my grandmother said you attracted a lot of attention with whatever happened during that duel with Voldemort's minions - and the City Masters want to meet you." Rahkesh looked about for a convenient window to jump out of, and then wondered if perhaps this could be useful. "Grandmother also said if you ever want to become a vampire you're welcome to join our family." That made Rahkesh stop and stare. Ancients of Cyala Ateres age never created new vampires. To get an offer like that from one of the most powerful vampires in existence…would be very helpful when turning down similar offers from other vampires. Rahkesh made a mental note to thank Cyala next time he was her. The ancient matriarch and figured out that with Rahkesh's powers become much more open and widely known he'd have a lot of offers from vampires wanting to turn him, and she'd given him a way to decline without insulting anyone.
Late that evening Rahkesh was studying when a bit of vampiric telepathy slipped into his mind. Rahkesh checked his mental wards and then reached out, receiving a summons from Namach. Wondering what the ancient wanted he put aside his transfiguration work and headed for Namach's rooms.
As he stepped out into the Akren entrance hall a thick weight of vampiric magic hit Rahkesh across the neck, freezing him in place. He almost lashed out, before he caught a claming signal from Namach. Curious now Rahkesh waited, moments later the Master of Cairo descended the stairs and headed towards the door. He passed and Rahkesh moved to step forward, only to have Namach's power hold him in place again, immobilizing him. The City Master swept out the front door and they closed with a dull thud behind him. The magics vanished from the air around him and Rahkesh cautiously moved across the hall and up the stairs.
Cyala and Namach were both in his rooms when Rahkesh got there. Papers were strewn across the table in the sitting room and a chalk board had been conjured against one drapery covered wall, the writing in a language Rahkesh did not know.
"Evening Eli." Rahkesh muttered, leaning against the doorframe as the massive frilled lizard blocked his path. "Care to call off the guard dog?" The huge reptile hissed furiously and lashed his tail about, frill expanding.
"Stop that Eli, he's human, he doesn't bite." Namach sighed glaring at the perpetually irritated lizard.
"My animagus might snack on him though." Rahkesh said, leering at Eli. Eli mock charged, stopping only a foot away from Rahkesh, who didn't flinch. They stared at each other, Eli's tongue flickering in and out. "You silly beast." Rahkesh said finally, and stepped boldly past Eli and into the room. Eli hissed, enraged, and leaped onto the couch, Rahkesh changed direction and settled for a chair. "Why am I such a threat?"
"No idea." Namach said, "he only really likes vampires. Everyone else makes him angry."
"A racist lizard." Rahkesh said, Eli hissed and rattled his frill, before calming and tucking it back in. Rahkesh turned to the ancient vampire, "why didn't you want the Master of Cairo to see me?"
"I suppose Daray told you about the Ateres offer to turn you?" Cyala asked.
"Yes. I'm flattered, but I like being human. I have no intention of ever changing species." Rahkesh said, the tow vampires looked at him curiously, then shrugged as if it was just one of those weird and incomprehensible things mortals did. Rahkesh didn't explain further.
"Well you have already attracted a lot of attention from some very powerful individuals. Apart from the fae elders most of the City Masters are now aware that there is a very powerful human out there who appeared during a battle between the Ministry and the vampires, and is currently attending Akren. All Akren alumni have access to the school's records and it won't be long before everyone knows how fast you moved up in your bloodmagic classes. Or that you survived an Amadan's curse unharmed. You're going to start getting offers from some very powerful vampires and werewolves who want to turn you." Cyala said.
"I know. I'll explain that I intend to remain mortal as many times as I have to." Rahkesh said.
"You can always use the excuse that if you become a vampire you'll join the Ateres family, which should deter a lot of vampires and werewolves. Why would you choose any of them when you could join the Ateres? But it won't stop all of them." Namach said.
"We still don't know what effect my blood would have on either species. Perhaps next time a classmates attacks me I'll let them get a little of my blood, just to test it out." Rahkesh said, he was fairly sure said individual would be in a world of pain.
"You might want to get a portkey to the valley entrance." Cyala said, "you might just kill them."
"Which could be a very useful ability." Rahkesh mused. The two vampires grinned approvingly. "What's happening in London?"
"I just got a message from my half-sister, she's working with Lord Hadrian. The Ministry just attacked a vampire-owned nightclub, completely without provocation. We're retaliating by taking all of the trainee aurors tomorrow, and the Unspeakables will all be picked up by next Saturday." The ancient matriarch said. "Then we'll just wait and see."
"Fun. You realize the Unspeakables might just put up a fight." Rahkesh warned.
"Oh I hope they do." Cyala said with a ferocious grin.
"I'm concerned about the lengths the anti-magical crature countries may go to to prove themselves right and to win. For them this isn't a war about equality or freedom or any such thing. This is about pride, who's right and who isn't. Who's superior to whom. When they get desperate we could see some real problems, though I can't really think of what, but it worries me." Rahkesh said.
"Andrew Farov said that his contact, Alastor Moody, said something similar." Namach said."He's worried how far they'll go to aovid loosing. They can't imagine defeat or a truce, and they won't be able to handle a loss. He also said they are far to prideful and can't even think of ever being wrong about anything. Their selfrighteousness is one of the reasons for this war, and will be the end of any truce. They seem to have the idea of dark and light, good and evil, so ingrained that not only can they not see shades of grey, but they won't be able to see themselves going against their own ideals either."
"Very true I'm afraid." Rahkesh said sadly.
"Which is why we're waiting to reveal our existence to the muggles for just the right moment." Namach explained. He then turned aside and picked up a large thin rectangular box from beside his chair.
"Mariah sent this. She found it in some dusty archeological archive somewhere. She said it belonged to you." Namach said, handing the box over. Rahkesh blinked in surprise, and opened it, wondering what could possibly have turned up in an old archive that belonged to him.
Rahkesh pulled the old rags off whatever it was, and nearly fainted. It was a painting, of him, Silas, Daray, Xeri, Nic, Sharahak, and Enireth. It had been painted by Xeri's sister Vey, two days before the three had left the Chachapoyaro. Rahkesh, Nic and Sygra were standing in front of Enireth, the dragon's head above them, while Silas sat on one of the dragon's claws. Nuri was lying at Silas feet, eyeing Satan as the bat hung from Daray's wing. Daray and Sharahak were in demon form, Sharahak lying on the ground and Daray settle don Enireth's other set of claws, massive black wings arching behind him. Xeri was sitting beside Sharahak.
"How did she get this?" Rahkesh wondered aloud, turning the painting so the two ancient's could see.
"You left this behind?" Cyala asked.
"Yes." Rahkesh said softly, wondering how the painting had gotten from the city to whatever archive Mariah had found it in.
"Mariah was looking for evidence of that dragon. She was going through an old collection of paintings owned by a dragon enthusiast who passed away a century ago. His home was sealed by curse wards that only recently got removed. His descendents wanted the archive paintings cleaned out." Namach explained.
"Well, here's her proof." Rahkesh said.
"Yes it is. She hasn't released the discovery to anyone else yet. But when she does it will probably spark another search of South America for dragon remains. And a lot of dragon textbooks will have to be rewritten."
"She can say she found a painting, does she actually need to show this?" Rahkesh asked. Suddenly realizing that he was in the painting, and that was more unneeded attention, powerful, bloodmagic adept, and time traveler. Oh he didn't need that!
"The painting is the only proof, she'll need to show it." Namach confirmed. "Perhaps you should keep this and wait."
"For a few years." Rahkesh agreed. "Damn it. Now that I think of it there were four other paintings Vey did."
"Hopefully they're all forgotten somewhere and no one will find them anytime soon." Cyala said.
"Hopefully they're still with whatever remains of the Chachapoyaro, or long gone along with them." Rahkesh said. He had hoped to search out that unusual group of people, to see what had become of them, but he just hadn't found the time. Someday. And if he was lucky this was the only one of those painting that had made it to the outside world.
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