Chapter 29: They Waited.
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Sirius made sure to tell Tom about the plans and the kids and his group went home. Tom on the other hand, decided to do some politicking here in the Alley. He wanted to make sure that the little guy knew what he stood for. It was time to shake hands and kiss babies. He made sure to make it part of his plans for the coming week. If he was going to be Minister than he needed to be seen.
And that is the way it went for the next four days. Sirius was sure to be seen at the ministry pumping people up to vote for Marvolo Slytherin, and Tom was doing the same in Diagon Alley. Harry was seen with both various times. He stuck mostly to home, but he made an appearance once a day to each place.
Hermione was upset that she had yet to meet this Tom person, and she didn't like that Marvolo man. She questioned the males of the house incessantly, until one day Harry blew up at her.
"Hermione, just drop it," Harry yelled at her, when she asked him for the fifth time that day why he was endorsing Mr. Slytherin. "I have given you my reasons, why are you still nagging me on this? I thought you said it was the potions that were making you so bossy," he snapped, slamming his hand down on the table in front of him.
They had been eating lunch, ham and cheese sandwiches with crisps, and Harry was to go to the Ministry to be seen with Tom and Sirius. It was the day of the raid, and they needed to be seen there. He had not told her that was where he was going, but she guessed because that was where he had been going every day for the last three days.
"I just don't understand why you are standing up for someone that you only met less than a month ago," she said in a meek voice. She was intimidated by his show of anger. He rarely got angry with her. Upset, yes, but never angry. He had grown this summer and he wasn't that scrawny boy that he had been when she met him.
"Because he stands for the things, I would like to see happen in the wizarding world. Things that you would like to see happen too. I don't understand why you don't endorse him," Harry said, his voice firm with a bit of a snap still in it. "You've been going on and on since I met you how we are going to be discovered soon and the things that we need to do to prevent that happening. Now here is someone saying the same thing, and you're letting the headmaster affect your decision," he added, getting up and throwing his napkin on his mostly empty plate.
"It's just…" was all she got out.
"Nope, I'm done talking about this," he said, moving to leave the room. "I have to change. Sirius, I will see you in a few," he told his godfather, who was already dressed for the Wizengamot. Well, he didn't have on the outer robe, but he was smartly dressed in a black suit.
"Alright, Harry," Sirius said, finishing off his meal. "You know, Hermione, you might learn more if you listened to all points of view and not just one side," he said to her, putting his napkin on his plate and getting up to leave. "You're not going to be able to keep your friends if you keep driving them away based on someone else's opinion. You don't know Marvolo. We do. Until you've actually talked to the man, keep your opinion to yourself," he said as he walked by her and out the room.
Remus just shook his head. "We all have something to do today. You are on your own, but for the house elves. The library will be closed, so ask for your books now," he said, taking a bite of his sandwich. He had to wait for Moody to come with the portkey.
"I think I will just go to my room and think," she said, putting her napkin by her plate and leaving to her room. Winky followed behind, unseen. She was worried about her mistress. She could feel the sadness coming from her, but she really didn't understand why the others were mad at her mistress. So, she just followed along to make sure Miss Hermione didn't hurt herself.
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Tom was standing in front of his Death Eaters and about six werewolves. Twenty-five people in all. They were all raring to go. He was more than willing to let them go and get themselves killed. Those that would survive, would probably die by his hand after.
"My Death Eaters, the time is at hand. You will go today to release my followers from Azkaban," he said in an uplifting manner. "You will do this with my blessing, and in hopes that they are sane enough to join us."
"And if they are not?" Greyback asked, tilting his head to the side, like he found something off about the Dark Lord. There had been rumors going about that the man was getting soft.
"Kill them and put them out of their misery," Tom said, with a sad shake of his head, like it was hard to give that order. Not too hard, he was supposed to be stronger than that.
"Where is Snape?" Greyback asked, looking at the Dark Lord. There were also rumors that he had removed the dark mark from the potions master. And that Snape was no longer a Death Eater. Draco had told him, they had had tea together.
"Severus is spying on the headmaster at my bidding," Riddle answered, but he glared at the werewolf. "Why are you questioning me?" he asked, his eyes turning red. His aura was starting to leak out. The weaker Death Eaters were falling to their knees.
"You have been seen in Diagon Alley," the werewolf said, a growl left his lips. He let his aura out as well. The werewolves with him bared their necks and growled with him, causing the Death Eaters around them to tense.
"Yes, I plan on taking the ministry," Tom said, more of his aura left. It was filling the room in an impressive manner. His aura was much stronger than Greyback's.
"Why are you doing it in such a manner?" the alpha wanted to know. He would not follow someone who was soft.
"Because I feel like it," Tom said, letting loose the Cruciatus Curse. He knew he had to show that he would be willing to inflict pain to get this man to follow him this one last time. If all went according to plan, then he'd be dead before night fell.
Greyback fell to the floor and howled in pain. He had thought the man had gone soft. He was wrong. Still, there was something off about the Dark Lord. He'd check on it after the raid.
Tom held the curse for the count of twenty, more because the wolf could handle it and as a powerplay. He released the curse and waited until the man stopped yelling. "Any more questions?" he asked the room at large. There was a lot of noes and shaking of heads. "Good, go and do my bidding." He waved them away, making them yell for joy and move out.
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Amelia Bones was with a contingent of Aurors that were thirty strong. Moody had just shown up with Lupin and they were in the back. The ferry was enlarged and was taking them across the North Sea to the dismal prison. They would be hiding in Azkaban itself just inside the doors. They would have cover there. The Death Eaters would not. It was a major part of their plan.
"It's not going to be easy," Moody said as he pushed his way to her side. He looked out over the freezing sea that was doing its best to wash them overboard. Magic was keeping it from doing so.
"It never is," she agreed. Most battles were won by sheer will and luck. Skill had some part in it, ones like this one, would be done by those other factors. They just hadn't had time to boost their skills.
"This lot used to be good, but they were laid off for a long time," he said, looking over the out of shape group of men and women. They had tried to train them up, but time was not on their side. With the funds that Tom and Sirius had got for them, they had the equipment, but that didn't really make up for time.
"That's why we are going for the element of surprise," she said, brushing her hair out of her face. The wind of the sea was making it escape from her tight bun. She would have to spell it back when they hit land. The last thing she needed was to be hit because her hair got in the way.
"I'll do my best to help, but I am just a crippled old man," he said, with a self-deprecating smile. He certainly wasn't at his peak condition.
"The day you aren't a help, will be the day I join you in a rocking chair," she said, patting his arm. "Do you think Lupin will get his job done?" she asked, looking at the greenest man on the boat. He had rarely seen any action.
"I've been training him up all week, but he is green. Albus didn't help with his no kill policy," Moody said, looking at the werewolf. "He's got the lust for it, though," he added, seeing the man's eyes go amber. "He really wants to see Greyback dead," he finished, looking away and to the north. "There's the prison," he said, pointing to the land coming up.
"Get ready, men!" Bones yelled to be heard over the wind.
"And women!" someone yelled back.
"Whatever," she said, since she was a woman herself and took no offence. "Just get your butts in gear," she said, taking up her equipment and shouldering her bag. There wasn't much in it. Just some things that might come in handy, like a med-kit, a spare wand, and some potions.
All of them were wearing dragonhide vest, and some form of armor on their arms and legs. It would stop most midline spells, but not deadly ones. For that they would need to shield with their wands, or transfiguration. Amelia just hoped they were prepared for what was to come.
They stepped off the boat and onto the island and shivered from the biting wind. They made their way to the building and stepped through the doors. They all set up just within the portal, spreading out along the wall. There were no cells on the bottom floor, it was one big room, so they had windows to use to cast out of.
Remus, Moody, Bones, and three of the Aurors immediately cast their Patronus. Those six mystical beings pranced around the room, keeping the dementors at bay. The rest of the Aurors set up for the ambush.
Now they waited.
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Harry, Sirius, and Tom were at the ministry going over what they were going to be doing that day. The Wizengamot was going to be meeting in a few minutes and Sirius and Tom were going to be claiming their seats.
Harry's family didn't have a seat, so he was going to sit in the public seating. He was going to publicly endorse Tom's bid for Minister, if needed. The word that the Boy-Who-Lived was backing Marvolo Slytherin was already making the rounds. This would just tip the scales in their favor, they hoped.
"So, when new business is called, we will introduce ourselves as new lords," Sirius said, looking to Tom.
"Yes, Black," Tom said a bit impatiently. They had been over it a few times already.
"Sorry, I'm a bit nervous. I'm worried about Moony," he said, getting up and pacing. He didn't want to be here. He wanted to be next to Remus fighting the Death Eaters.
"The wolf will be fine," Tom said, looking to Harry, who seemed just as worried as his godfather. "Didn't you two fight in the last war?" he asked, looking back to Black.
"Not really, we mostly just gathered information and talked to the packs," Sirius said with a shrug. "James and Lily did most of the fighting," he added, giving Tom a pointed look. "You should remember that. You attacked them at least three times," he added, reminding them all of the prophecy.
"Ah," was all the Dark Lord could say to that, giving Harry a sheepish look.
Harry shrugged, "It was war," he said, not sure what else to say to that. He loved the thought of his parents, but he never really knew them. And it had been war.
"Anyway, what do you think the Aurors chances are?" Sirius asked, changing the subject. He didn't want to think about Lily and James. If he did, he'd get angry, and they didn't need that right now.
"I think they are good. They have surprise on their side," Tom said, picking at a nonexistent string on his robe. "Amelia Bones is good, and Mad-eye Moody is better." for all the man didn't like him, he would give credit where it was due. Moody was good.
"That's true enough," Sirius agreed with a nod. They were good at what they did.
"I'm still worried about Mr. Lupin," Harry said, not sure if the man could do what he set out to do.
"Don't worry too much about the wolf, Harry. He has a bone to pick with Greyback. That is good motivation," Tom said, going to the teen and putting an arm over his shoulder.
"Harry I have something for you to do," Sirius said, looking at his godson. He had been asked by Bones to give it a try today.
"What's that?" the teen asked, looking happy to do something to get his mind off the raid.
"Can you call Fawkes?" his godfather asked, wondering if he could.
"I'll try," Harry said, then looked around and called out, "Fawkes."
There was a few minutes were nothing happened, then a ball of fire appeared and Fawkes flamed in.
"Fawkes, I need to ask you something," Sirius said, going up to the bird. "You know that Albus is breaking the law, right?" he asked the bird, who looked at him and shook his head, like he had no knowledge of that. "Well he is," the dogman said, putting on an honest face. "We need you to not flame him away. He needs to pay for his crimes."
Fawkes peered into Sirius' eyes and looked deep into them. He nodded as if he understood and flamed away.
"I hoped that worked," Sirius said, wiping the sweat off his brow.
"I hope so too," Harry said, not sure what just happened, but if it what was needed, he hoped it worked.
Just then there was a knock on one of the doors of the room they were in. "Time, gentlemen," a voice rang out. It was the call to come to the Wizengamot. Sirius and Tom moved over to the side of the room and put on the scarlet robes. They went out the door, after giving Harry a ruffling of his hair.
"Go on, Harry. We'll see you after," Sirius said, pushing him to the back of the room, where another door was.
"Alright," Harry said, going to the other door and making his way to the public entrance. He was going to be sitting with a hat on his head so no one would notice him. He had thought to bring Hermione with him, but she had been such a nag these last few days, that he didn't think she deserved to join him. It was petty, to be sure, but still.
Tom and Sirius made their way to the waiting area, which was a few chairs set off to the side of the Chief Warlock's box. They listened to the Reading of the Minutes and then when the New Business was called, they stepped forward.
"I wished to claim my seat," they both said in unison.
Lord Stimpson, who had taken over for Dumbledore, called out, "Two lords are claiming their seats. Come forward and be known." He didn't know the other man, but he knew Black.
Sirius came forward first. "I am Sirius Orion Black. I claim the Black seat," he said, standing tall as he did.
"Which faction do you claim it for?" Stimpson asked, thinking he would go 'dark'. All Blacks before him had. Though, Sirius had been sorted into Gryffindor, so he might go for 'light'. He was said to be a follower of Dumbledore.
"The Blacks stand for Grey," Sirius said, shocking everyone there.
They all had thoughts like the Chief Warlock. Either 'dark' or 'light'. Well, Sirius was always different. This would be interesting.
"Take your seat among your peers," Stimpson said, banging his gavel.
Sirius turned and moved towards the 'grey' section. He took a seat near Greengrass. At least he remembered the man from school. He was alright, for a Slytherin.
Tom stepped forward. "I am Marvolo Slytherin. I claim the seat for Slytherin," he said, his aura leaking out a bit. His eyes stayed brown though. There were some among the galley that shivered at his aura. No one doubted that he was strong.
"For which faction do you claim this seat?" was the question, and like Black he thought he knew the answer. With an aura like that there could only be one answer. 'Dark'.
And like Black he surprised everyone by saying, "Grey."
That got everyone talking. Some even yelled at him. He knew that if his followers were here, they would be up in arms, but they were all at Azkaban. They thought that getting killed was more important than being here. Well, they didn't know they were going to die, but that was besides the point.
"You may take a seat among your peers," Stimpson said, banging the gavel again. This time he was staring at the man with narrow eyes. The two lords just upset the balance of the Wizengamot. "Settle down," he called out, setting off a bang from his wand.
The people settled. It took a few minutes, but finally they were all seated and quiet.
"We are here to call for a Vote of No Confidence for Minister Fudge. Fudge, do you have anything to say for yourself?" he asked the whimpering man. He had little sympathy for the man. Not so much that he was taking bribes, but that he was foolish enough to get caught.
Fudge stood. He looked nervously around the room, hoping for someone to stand with him. He found no allies here. "I got some bad advice from Umbridge and Malfoy," he said as he worried his bowler.
"I think putting the blame on dead people is bad form," Sirius said with a sad shake of his head. He made those around him nod their heads in agreement.
"We don't know that Umbridge is dead," Fudge said, like that would help his case. It didn't.
"Have you checked with the goblins?" Tom asked, as if speaking to a simple man.
"Why would I?" Cornelius asked with a confused look.
"Because they would know?" Black snapped at him.
"We have the Aurors for that," Fudge rebutted.
"And have you asked them?" Tom inquired, never raising his voice.
"Well, no," he said, scratching his head. "I was waiting to see if she came back."
"Idiot," Tom said, waving a hand dismissively.
"Let's call for the Vote now," Stimpson said, having heard enough. The vote was cast, and Fudge lost by a landslide. "Now we need to have those who want to be Minister speak up," the Chief Warlock said, banging his gavel and dismissing Fudge as unimportant. He waved for an Auror to come and take the man away. He would be held in a cell until his trial for taking bribes.
As it was, they barely had enough for a quorum. There was mostly the 'grey' faction here. It seemed that a great deal of the 'dark and the 'light' factions had something else to do today.
"I nominate Marvolo Slytherin," Sirius said, standing up immediately. There was some mumbling and talking about this. While Sirius and Tom had been politicking these last few days, he was still a new player. Still, no one else wanted to clean up the mess that Fudge had made of the office.
"I nominate Amos Diggory," Dedalus Diggle said, doing what Albus asked him to do. He was the only one of the Order not at the raid. It was his responsibility to see that Slytherin didn't get voted in as Minister.
"I decline the nomination," Diggory said, standing and looking sad. "I just don't have the heart for it," he said, his heart on his sleeve. Everyone could see he was still grieving for his son.
It tore Harry's heart a bit, and he was glad that Peter was dead. He looked to Tom and was happy to see there was a bit of remorse in the man's face before it was replaced with his normal blank face.
"Any other nominations?" Stimpson asked, looking around to see if there were. He was upset that only a new member was even being suggested. He couldn't nominate anyone, not as Chief Warlock. Almost half their members were either not there, or in cells waiting for their trials.
He had no idea what was going on today, but it stank of a set up. He looked to where Bones would normally sit and wondered where she was. Normally she sat next to the Minister. Something big must be happening to keep her away from this.
"I nominate Albus Dumbledore," Diggle tried, hoping to forestall the inevitable.
"You cannot nominate someone who is not here," Stimpson said, sadly shaking his head. "Besides, Albus is wanted by the Aurors for illegal activities, he is not qualified," he added, shaking his head again.
"I nominate myself," the desperate man tried. He took out a handkerchief and wiped the sweat from his head. He was supposed to make sure this didn't happen. Why wasn't anyone nominating anyone else? Did Slytherin bespell them?
Stimpson just shook his head. "Since no one else wants the job," he said, banging his gavel. "Slytherin, you are now the Minister. Good luck to you," he finished. "You're going to need it," he grumbled under his breath.
Tom got up and went to the Minister's seat and sat down. He was about to get back up and give his thank you speech but, just then the doors burst in and an Auror ran in.
"Azkaban is being raided," the frazzled man yelled.
Chaos ensued.