Disclaimer: I own no part of Harry Potter or its associated canon nor, any other already copyrighted material.

(A/N):

Chapter 21

A Singed Silver Nametag

Harry's head jerked to the side as he came around and started to wake up. Yawning loudly he started to squirm a little. Confident his body was ready to go; he slid off the side of the bed and grabbed the glasses he knew were waiting on the table next to him. Squinting against the light from the window he stumbled to the bathroom after grabbing a pair of boxers. Setting them on the counter next to his still unworn glasses he stripped off the shirt and boxers he had slept in and gingerly stepped into the shower. Automatically going through the motions of a shower and shave, he toweled himself dry and slid on the glasses so he could make the same futile effort he engaged in every morning to bring some sort of order to his hair.

Tossing the towel over a rack, he raised the comb to his head with one hand and drew his other across the surface of the mirror to clear away some of the condensation. Whipping his hand to the side to throw off the water, he looked back to the mirror…and froze. He leaned closer, wondering if his eyes were playing tricks on him. It was his face…but not his face. It was…older. The scar was still there, the unruly hair which his hand had automatically started vainly trying to straighten, but there was a maturity that spoke of another ten or fifteen years worth of wear.

He looked around. It was the bathroom attached to his bedroom at Grimmauld only…different. Just slightly. Stepping out he found the same thing. His bedroom….only not. Summoning his wand from the bedside table where he knew it would be, he looked around. Much of it was the same, only there were other things, a nightgown over the foot board and other small changes that spoke of a definite feminine presence. Looking at the desk and bookcases he found odd pictures. The ones he remembered being there were clear as day. There were others though that were blurry and almost ghost like which he was unable to make out.

A dream?

It made the most sense…but… Pulling on what he instinctively knew were the right clothes, he headed for the door and out into his house. The third floor was still quiet, as was the second. He didn't spend much time looking around as a bit of sound drew him lower. Glancing at the living room as he passed through the entry way he was stunned by the rearrangement but more so by the few toys scattered in one corner. He was slowly coming to some sort of acceptance of what he was seeing, but his mind still couldn't fully process it.

Descending the final flight of stairs to the kitchen he walked in slowly, staring at the thin woman with long red hair leaning over a cook pot. She turned as the door closed and Harry's jaw hit the floor. Again it was Ginny, only not Ginny. It looked like Hermione had cast an aged appearance spell on her. She had matured…as much as his reflection had he realized. He was unable to speak as she smiled at him, flicking a loose strand of hair out of her eyes with her wand.

"Morning." He fumbled for a response, his mouth still refusing to move. Before anything could come out he felt two somethings blow by him toward the table. "James, Lily, what did I tell you about running in the kitchen?"

"Sorry mum. Morning dad."

"Sorry. Hey dad." Even more stunned, Harry looked down at the children taking seats at the table. Or rather, what were supposed to have been children. They had the correct form and size, but like the pictures upstairs, they were blurry and insubstantial. It took several moments before he could process what the apparitions had called him and Ginny. A small smile broke out on his face once he did.

"Now hurry up and eat you two. I've still got to get the twins up and ready, we can't miss the Express." While the ghostly children dug into plates their mother had set before them, she approached Harry, concern evident in her face. "Harry? What is it? You okay?" He smiled a little wider as he answered.

"Yeah…yeah I'm just fine." He focused on the children and tried hard to make them resolve into some sort of firm shape, but they stubbornly refused to coalesce.

"Then why do you look so sad?" Before answering he pulled her close and held her firmly to himself, reveling in the feel of her body against his and the smell of her hair as he buried his face in it. He waited as long as he could, knowing that when he spoke, it would end.

"Because this is a dream." He closed his eyes tightly, wishing with every fiber of his being that it was real but knowing it wasn't.

"No…it's a promise." He opened his eyes at her words to find her, the children, the kitchen and the house gone in a wisp of nonexistence. He stood alone in darkness, a single tear rolling down his face at having lost what he had never had. It had all been so perfect for just a moment. He clasped the dream close to his heart, promising himself it would one day be reality.

Leaning back he let his body fall through the inky darkness, his eyes slipping shut. The reprieve of nothing all around him let his mind sit in neutral. Though held close, he now tried to push the dream from his thoughts, afraid he might be consumed by it otherwise. He had no idea how long he fell through the weightless, windless void, but after a while he came to what he somehow knew was a stop.

Opening his eyes he found himself looking at a beat up red telephone booth missing several panes of glass sitting against a shabby wall coated with graffiti. It looked somehow familiar but Harry couldn't immediately identify it. His eyes involuntarily swept across the empty alley as he took several firm steps toward the booth and he thought there was something or someone standing just off to the side. He tried to look back but found he had no control. He tried to lift his hand only to find it also ignoring his commands. Looking closer he realized there were no perfectly crafted miniature panes of glass between his eyes and the perfectly clear surroundings. It also seemed as if his eyes were set the barest part of an inch back from their normal position.

The body he was little more than a passenger in stepped into the booth and closed the door. He got his first clear look at very pale hands with unnaturally long fingers as they lifted the receiver and dialed. Six…four…two…two…four. Harry realized with a start that those numbers could be used to spell 'magic'. As the woman's voice sounded throughout the box, he finally knew exactly where he was.

"Welcome to the Ministry of Magic. Please state your name and business." Harry could feel his mouth move at the firm and almost hissed response.

"Lord Voldemort. I've come to turn myself in."

"Thank you, visitor. Please keep your badge pinned to you robes and visible at all times. Your wand must be submitted for examination upon entering." Harry could hear the clink as the badge dropped into the chute. Voldemort took it and made a careful study of attaching it to his robes in a highly visible place. Harry got a quick glimpse of the front and could clearly read the engraving. Lord Voldemort, Surrender.

Harry tried to pull himself from the vision as the floor of the booth began to descend. He tried to shout and force himself awake, anything that might get Dean or Neville's attention so they would wake him up. It seemed a futile battle though as the street disappeared above him. Better able to sense time on this "visit" Harry knew it was only a minute of darkness and grinding later when a crack of light appeared at the box's bottom. A moment later the few remaining panes refracted the light for a heartbeat before the door sprang open and he took a couple steps forward.

Much of it was the same from the dark wood panels to the peacock blue ceiling to the lines of fireplaces on either side which stood waiting, though far fewer witches and wizards were arriving or queuing on this mid Monday morning. Harry could see the gilded lie of a fountain had been rebuilt exactly as before and felt himself sneering at the figures. The room itself seemed hardly changed from when he had first seen in two years ago. Though it had failed at catching dark wizards, apparently the Ministry had plenty of time to keep up appearances. A low anger rose in him at that thought but he quickly pressed it down. If he couldn't escape then the least he could do was pay attention.

Some things had changed. No more were groups of people moving slowly around the hall and waiting peaceably to leave. There was urgency amongst all of them to get to wherever they were going as fast as possible, barely even looking up to say hello. Of these hurried people, the most noticeable were the half-dozen Aurors that slid to a halt directly in front of him, wands drawn, forming a half circle between him and the rest of the hall. People seemed to realize this was not the place to be and quickly evacuated. One of the Aurors, a middle aged witch and apparently the leader, stepped forward.

"FREEZE!" The half hissed reply was cool and calm, completely at odds with the panicked look on the Aurors' faces and the few glances back, apparently awaiting reinforcements.

"Of course. Didn't you see my nametag? I've come to turn myself over to the Ministry and face its justice." He spread his hands and bowed a little.

"I SAID FREEZE!!" Instead of replying to her he instead looked at each of the others in turn.

"It's so interesting to see your eyes. So full of hate. So full of fear. You want to kill me, don't you? If not for the glory, then for revenge or simply to be rid of me." The witch seemed to think he was trying something clever and shouted again.

"SHUT UP!" He continued to disregard her as he spoke in the same cool tone.

"Ah…but you can't, can you? The Ministry may have authorized you to kill…but only in self defense. And as you can see, I am unarmed. Go ahead, claim your glory. Kill me. What are they going to do?" He took half a step forward to which they responded by taking a full step back. "Send you to Azkaban? You'd be a hero. It wouldn't be allowed. Come on…kill me." His eyes flickered over their shoulders and Harry's heart froze as he saw a dozen black cloaked men and women with skull masks emerge from the fireplaces to the left, wands raised.

He wanted to scream, to warn them, but somehow he knew it was already too late. Voldemort continued, his voice finally showing heat as he held their attention. "Kill me. Come on…kill me." Harry could see the battle between orders and the goading going on in the eyes of each Auror that stood before him. "Kill me! Kill me you damned traitors! KILL ME YOU FILTHY MUDBLOODS! KILL ME!" Finally Harry saw the change in each of them and as one they raised their wands and spoke.

"Avada-"

"Avada Kedavra!" All six dropped dead at his feet from spells that hit them in the back, at least two each. Voldemort looked past them to the dozen Death Eaters standing beyond their crumpled corpses. Harry knew he still had not drawn his wand.

"Excellent work. Now, you know your assignments. Summon the others. Destroy it all. Leave none alive." A pair of half cocked and badly aimed spells blew over their heads. Two of the Death Eaters turned and executed the receptionist and the security guard with hardly a thought. As they did so, more Death Eaters poured from the fireplaces and headed for the elevator lobby, the sounds of battle already emanating from that room. No…not battle. A massacre. He strode forward and grabbed one of the cloaked figures by the arm. "Goyle. Are the students contained?" Harry realized it was the elder Goyle from his voice.

"Yes my Lord. Severus is waiting with them now. He awaits only your order should it become necessary."

"Good. Now go. You have your assignment."

"Yes my lord." The man hurried away toward the lobby. Harry tried desperately to count the numbers as black cloaked witches and wizards streamed by and came up with a number somewhere between eighty and one hundred. It chilled his heart again to think so many had fallen either willingly or to the powers of the Imperius. For a wonder, Voldemort did not join any of those Death Eaters jumping in the elevators and spreading throughout the building or taking the stairs. He walked slowly toward the security desk and looked over it to see the crumpled figure of the guard. Noticing the scale, he finally drew his wand and set it on the platform.

It hummed for a moment and a strip of paper printed from the bottom. Putting his wand away he grabbed the paper and looked at it. Yew, phoenix feather core, 36 years. Apparently being half dead counted for the machine. A half sneered laugh and he tapped the paper, setting it ablaze. Tossing the burning cinder away he continued on down the hall. Striding past the four black robed guards standing at the entrance to the elevator bay, he entered and simply waited.

After several minutes of nothing but the distant sounds of battle, one of the elevator doors slid open and a haggard Death Eater with slightly singed robes approached him. Falling to his knee, he reported.

"My Lord, the Aurors have been subdued. Fighting continues but we have them out manned and out fought. It's only a matter of time. We are going floor by floor now. The Minister's office is cut off and we believe there will be no more than two guards."

Voldemort's hand shot out and he grabbed the Death Eater by the neck, forcefully raising him from the floor. "He hasn't been captured yet? What are you doing?! HE COULD ESCAPE!" The man responded through strained breath.

"My…my Lord…Anti…Anti apparition…barrier. He…can't run. Thought…you'd like…to take him…yourself." After figuring out what he was saying, Voldemort dropped him to the ground a moment before he aspirated. The Eater fell flat against the floor, desperately trying to draw breath.

"Hmm… Perhaps you aren't as useless as you seem. Let this be a lesson on the dangers of acting on your own. This time you live." Voldemort strode past the man still desperately fighting for air and entered the elevator he had left. Clanging the grill shut he stood in silence as the lift rose, this time not stopping until it reached the first floor. The same woman's voice spoke as it came to a clanging halt.

"First Floor. Minister of Magic's offices." The golden grill slid aside and the dark wizard stepped out. A heartbeat later a pair of well aimed spells burst forth from the far end of the room and were easily blocked by a shield he raised. From his right a door opened and Harry was shocked to see Dolores Umbridge step forth, staring oddly at him.

"Who are you and what are you doing here?" Harry was only slightly less shocked than Voldemort at this response. Nevertheless he recovered quickly and gave a sweep bow, easily blocking more spells from what appeared to be a pair of Aurors behind the large desks that flanked the door to the Minister's office.

"Lord Voldemort, at your service." Umbridge seemed to think he was lying for a moment before stark fear rose in her eyes. After hesitating for a rather long moment she fumbled for her wand and drew to aim at him. Voldemort waited for several moments as she simply held the wand, not casting any spells. Apparently a completely theoretical approach to Defense hadn't served her very well. Voldemort spoke in a bemused tone. "I believe the words you are looking for are 'Avada Kedavra'." He waited a moment as she jerked from her stance with realization and focused her wand.

"Avada-"

"Avada Crucio Kedavra!" In the time it had taken her to collect herself, he had drawn his wand and cast. Harry wasn't sure how, but he seemed to have combined two of the Unforgivables into an even worse variation. He could see the light in her eyes going out that told him she was dying, but he could also hear the screams of pure torture as she fell to the ground, seizing this way and that. Then he could only hear her desperate screams as Voldemort turned back to the long hall and the desks concealing his attackers.

A second later they exploded leaving the four Aurors there to dive for cover. "Well…this should be fun." The battle, though protracted, was obviously one sided from the beginning. Voldemort never dodged a spell he could block and even when he did it was only the smallest possible amount. Harry became immediately aware Tom had never had the kind of dueling training he had been receiving over the last few months, but he also didn't need it, relying instead on his prodigious powers to block and counterattack. None of the Aurors was left free long enough to cast the Killing Curse or anything else that might get through the shield.

One by one they were cut down by Tom's incredible power, until only one remained. Out of frustration more than anything, the last dropped his wand and physically rushed toward the Dark Wizard. Voldemort caught him by the throat mid punch and lifted the suddenly strangling man off the ground. He watched the light fade from his eyes. "So brave…so futile. Die now." The poor man aspirated in Voldemort's grip and crumpled to the ground, dead. "A pity you mortals die so easily or I might feel a sense of satisfaction by now." With his obstructions gone he strode slowly toward the ornate doors to the Minister's office.

"Harry…" Someone was calling him…from a distance. Had they finally tried to wake him? The doors flung open and he blocked the blast that came from within, countering with his own.

"Expelleramius!" The minister was thrown back from his desk and slammed into the wall. "Really Rufus. I expected more from the ex-Head of the Aurors." Scrimgeour's wand fell lightly into his hand. Without a thought he pointed his own wand at it and shattered the magical tool.

"Harry…!" That voice…who… Harry felt himself starting to withdraw, to wake.

"Freeze! You're under arrest!" Voldemort felt truly surprised as a rather young wizard, red haired and bespectacled, slid to a stop between him and the Minister's desk, wand raised. No! Harry felt himself falling away from the vision.

"Stand aside boy. You're not the one I'm here for. Drop your wand and I might let you live."

"Never." Percy stood even straighter, no hint of fear in his eyes as he held his wand firmly.

"Harry!" The voice was right next to him as he started awake.

"Percy! No!"

"Harry! Harry, what's wrong!?" He turned to find Ginny at his side holding his glasses in one hand and his shoulder in the other. Slipping them on he found Dean, Neville and even Seamus standing around the bed, light streaming in through the window confirming the mid-morning from his vision. Before answering he threw off the covers and jumped the end of the bed out of her grasp, leaping between a very confused Neville and Dean. "Neville said you were shouting in your sleep and they couldn't wake you. That's when they got me." Not caring who was watching he tore off his shirt and quickly pulled on the clothes from yesterday morning, still sitting near the hamper. "Harry! What's going on?" He could barely bring himself to look her in the eye.

"The Ministry's under attack. At least a hundred Death Eaters. Percy is facing Voldemort right now. Get the DA together! And get dressed! Now!" Dressed, he turned and dashed for the door summoning his wand as he ran out. She was hard on his heels as the boys started to rapidly dress.

"I'll get them together. Where should we meet?"

"McGonagall's office." She nodded in affirmation and headed up the other stairs to get dressed. Harry noticed for the first time she was wearing only a robe over her nightgown but had to stamp the thought out as he headed for the common room. Several students gave him an odd look as he ran past but he ignored them all.

Tearing through the halls drew the attention of the Aurors in record time. One flipped out a hand to stop him. "Where you goin' in such a hurry?"

"The ministry's under attack by Death Eaters! Get your forces together and get moving!" The man looked first skeptical of what he said and then at taking orders from a seventeen year old. "Bloody Hell, DO IT!" Breaking free he continued his dash down the hall and slid around a corner only to nearly run over Sarah, apparently out for a walk.

"Whoa, whoa. Where's the fire?"

"Ministry's under attack! Tell the professor!" For a wonder she seemed to believe him immediately and took off for Keystone, wherever he might be. Harry marveled that someone who had known him for three days would believe him instantly while an Auror who had know of him for years would question him. Pushing that aside he continued his race with time, yelling the password ahead to the gargoyle which just got out of his way in time.

Busting through the door with no regard for who might be there he found McGonagall sitting behind her desk, looking surprised and annoyed at his sudden intrusion. "Yes Potter?" Harry was surprised he wasn't hunched over wheezing after his run but was able to speak relatively normally.

"The Ministry's under attack! Voldemort and a hundred Death Eaters!" Her eyes grew large and she collapsed back into the chair from her half standing position. He could just make out her half whispered response.

"Oh…no…" After a minute she looked back up at Harry. "You're sure?"

"Yes and we have to go now if we're going to help them. Percy is facing Voldemort as we speak and it's only a matter of time before the Aurors are defeated and they get to Arthur."

"No! I forbid it! You three will get killed trying to fight that many and those two will die anyway!"

"Then it's a good thing they won't be going alone." Harry turned as Professor Keystone and Ginny burst into the room. "We'll go with them."

"No Alex! Even with your friends it's a suicide mission and Miss Weasley is only a sixth year!" Before any of them could object, half a dozen Aurors burst into the room and went immediately to the fireplace. One by one they rapidly disappeared into the flames. Harry made a desperate grab and caught the last one.

"Listen…there's four Death Eaters. They're-" The Auror broke free and dove into the flames. "Damnit! They're walking into a trap!" Keystone turned back to the Headmistress.

"That's a suicide mission. We have to go and we have to go now. They'll probably die but we can take advantage of that."

"NO! I forbid anyone to go! You can't-"

"Minerva." All of them looked surprised at the sudden authority Harry spoke with. McGonagall was even shocked to silence. "Get the Order together here. We're going to need backup. I'm going and so are my friends…all fifty four of them." Behind him, Keystone snapped loudly.

"I friggin' knew it. What are they called?" Ginny glanced at him warily and turned a questioning glance to Harry.

"Dumbledore's Army." Keystone let out a small chuckle at that.

"The student's at Halloween we couldn't figure out. That's what it was. Come on, we can use the fireplace in my office." He turned and sprinted from the room as more Aurors arrived. Harry turned back.

"Call them." Grabbing Ginny's arm he led her back out the door and started back down the stairs. "The Defense classroom, that's where we'll meet."

"Got it!" Harry could see her out of the corner of his eye pulling coin and wand from her pocket and touching one to the other. They went back a moment later and she stayed right next to him. Rounding a corner through the entry way, he could just hear her low question over the beating of his own heart. "Harry…my father…?"

"I'm sorry…I don't know." She nodded in response as they slid through the doors to the Defense classroom. A dozen students were already there as were Sarah and Matt, the latter looking a little groggy. It took only a few more moments for the rest of the DA to arrive, some looking more haggard then others. Without being told they broke up into their teams and awaited orders. Ginny had also joined her squad and they all looked to Harry. At that moment Ron and Hermione finally appeared, Ron looking distraught and Hermione turning to him every few seconds, concerned. He saw the questioning glances from them but a small shake of his head staved them off for the moment. They took places at his side as Keystone appeared from his office and Harry began.

"Okay, the ministry's under attack by Voldemort and quite a few Death Eaters. They won't hold out for long without some help, so we're going in. We'll floo in and take the building back. Priority is getting the wounded out and saving who we can. Use everything you can. There won't be ministry left to care what we've done if we fail. This is what we trained for. Think first, act as a team. Let's do this." Lining up by squad they waited outside the office door. The trio entered first and Keystone pushed the chairs and table aside, setting the pot of floo powder on the short table and removing the lid. He took a pinch as did Matt and Sarah.

"We'll go first. Give us a slow count of thirty, and then follow us in." Harry nodded in confirmation. A moment later the professor dove headfirst into the fire, followed by his friends. For a slow and agonizing thirty seconds Harry waited, clutching powder in one hand and his wand in the other. Finally the time elapsed and he turned to Ginny.

"Thirty seconds." She nodded and he turned to the fire place tossing in the powder. "Ministry of Magic!" The flames enveloped him and he disappeared.

(A/N): If you feel it is warranted feel free to review. I welcome any and all opinions.