Chapter Eleven

"Harry?" Remus was confused. He had spent years trying to find his lost pack member. And now that he had finally found Harry, something seemed quite off-balance.

"I shall explain in The Shelter." Harry said these words for the natives to hear. The Shelter was a carefully constructed tree house to grant absolute privacy. The natives had made sure that it was not only private but very comfortable.

Just a mile outside the villagewas a gnarly, old tree. Mama Rhea said that thetree had been there for centuries, whispering its song to those who could hear it. Everyone respected it and they honoured the tree by using it as a place of comfort.

Nature had made natural ladders in the aged tree, made of strong vines and jutting, spiraling limbs. She had granted her creation the utmost shielding of thick branches and flourishing, large leaves. It was only natural they had decided to place an isolated home amidstits embrace.

Harry led his two companions to The Shelter, showing them where to step and grab, gracefully pulling himself to the top with years of practice. He waited patiently, holding back the tanned hide and bark-entwined door, "Enter."

He motioned to two magically created armchairs. "Sit. I shall explain- unless you would like a drink from the other room?"

Both Professors stared in awe, though one kept his curiosity carefully concealed. Eyes peered about the large, almost bare room. Three doors, each different than the last, were evenly spaced around it. And when they meant different, each door possessed a creative design. Unlike the first doorway that held entwined bark and hide, a second was creatively draped vines, a third of magical pouring rain, and the fourth entwined glittering, polished rocks, gems, and painted bone.

"What is all this?"

Harry smiled at the curiosity pouring from his old Defense Professor. "This is The Shelter. A place of isolation, of comfort, of privacy. It is here we talk. It is here we come to find peace. Every native has given a piece of their creativity into crafting such a haven. One room leads to aceremonial chamber of rest, of sleep, of bonding. The second is a room of life, death, and passage."

"But you just offered us a drink from one of those rooms?" Remus frowned in absolute confusion. A ceremonial chamber and a death room?

Airy laughter spilt from a tanned throat, "Ah, Remus. The second room is a way of the natives. Drinks, food, clothing, and much more can be found there. It is where they prepare items for the dead, the bonded, the young, and the old. It is where they hold their faith in the world around them. It has many uses. We shall use it as a room of passage, of reunion."

"Enough chatter, Potter. I did not come here to listen to nonsense."

Harry solemnly shook his head at the glowering Potions Master, his voice low and eerilycalm, "No, I suppose not. You came for answers. You came for help. You came because Albus needed my help in protecting the world. You came simply because you were given no choice." Seeing the shocked looks, "I know of the events around me. I know Voldemort grows bolder. I know the Ministry has lost hope. And I know the world around them has turned their backs. And I know that angers all of Britainas well as Voldemort, for neither has support to win the war."

"How...How did you know?" Remus stuttered once he regained his voice.

Glazed emerald peered beyond the fidgeting werewolf. "I am not without my allies. I am not without my familiar, Hedwig. Nor do I refuseto listen to the pitiful cries of the Dead and Living. The wind, the land, the rain, even the creatures around us carry such cries. I have kept contact with those willing toplace their lives in Death's hands to fight back."

"Potter." Severus growled lowly, tired of the nonsense being spouted. Albus made just as much sense as Potter did. And he felt both men were losing what sanity they had, one with age and the other with knowledge of his abandonment.

"Did you not ask where I was? Did you not search for the one who sent me here? Did you not find Malfoy?"

Stunned at the question, Remus could only gape as a sneering Severus snarled, "And what would Lucius know of your whereabouts without including the Dark Lord?"

"More than you seemed to know, Professor. Lucius Malfoy and his son were the ones who sent me here. Draco and I have been in contact with each other since Sirius fell. He cornered me and taunted me. I fought back. We only managed a draw. We are the opposites to the other's strength, the other's weakness. I am not impressed by his name. He is not impressed by mine."

"I-I don't understand, Harry. Why are the Malfoys helping you? Both have tried to see you dead, expelled!" Remus was close to shouting. Moony wanted nothing more than to berate his cub, wanting to prove that some were out to harm Harry without a care to his well-being.

"Because Draco would not bow to someone like Voldemort and Lucius wanted out. Both knew Snape had left his Master's circle, turning on the one who controlled him, turning to spying. But with the Malfoy name and money Lucius couldn't just turn away. Not when he was sodeeply entrenched into the Dark Lord's power trip. But Lucius knew that if he could cause the downfall of Voldemort than there was a chance he could finally be free, if not thenat least his only son could be free of the taint a mad man insisted upon."

Harry continue without waiting for their response, "Lucius slipped Draco a few illegal books, banned by the Ministry. In time I received those books. I learned what every pureblood knows. Every country has a Ministry of Magic. You can't believe there is only one Ministry. It's not possible with the size of the world's population. I also learned that each Ministry allows its wards to mingle with a few selected Ministries."

"Meaning?" Remus never thought as a Professor he could be taught something new. It was exhilarating to learn.

"Meaning that if I decided to flee from Britain to another country within Europe and perform magic I could still be found. All of Europe with the exception of the Middle East are connected through their Ministries. Fudge could simply watch the wards from each Ministry to find me. Every witch and wizard's magical signature is added to the Ministry wards of every country they are connected to, and usually at birth for the purebloods. Muggle-born and Half-bloods' signatures are added once they enter school and perform their first bit of magic. But even with those signatures one cannot be accused of Dark or Light magic, meaning a Death Eater could possibly murder someone with Dark magic and get away with it. Their signature would simply show that they are performing magic somewhere within Europe or their residing country."

Severus stared at the boy before him. James Potter had never spoken with such knowledge orexperience. "How can you know this?"

"A previous Minister had written the books for his successors when the Ministries of Magic were first created. Cornelius Fudge had banned the books, locking them deep within the bowels of the Ministry. It seemed he did not like the rules created at the beginning, ones that could never be broken orchanged."

"And what rules were they?" Severus' curiosity had been piqued. But thankfully Remus was the one to voice such a daring question. A Slytherin never questioned to quench their curiosity, for a Slytherin knew someone else would pose their curiosity in blatant display.

"I left Europe entirely because of these rules. European Ministries are connected. Just as the American Ministries are connected, just as the Russian Ministry is connected to the Middle East Ministries. But each Ministry cannot be breached by someone outside their connection without express permission and proof. I escaped the Aurors and fled. I am a convicted criminal on the run, despite not having hada trial. Fudge may have searched the world for me but he cannot capture me should I be found. The Amazon Ministry is part of the Latin America Ministry connection. Fudge must go through them with absolute proof in order to incarcerate me."

Tawny eyes widened, "He can't. He only has what the Daily Prophet said. No one has absolute proof of what you did or did not do. There weren't witnesses to say you were performing Dark spells to become the next Dark Lord or siding with him." Remus knew that the Britian Ministy might not like him teaching students but they did slightly respect the Order of the Phoenix, knowing its members were teaching each other various defense techniques to protect themselves. And that would have looked bad on Fudge's part if he tried to use the two men against him, although one being a werewolf while the other was a Death Eater spy could have also won Fudge's case.

"Exactly. Therefore, I am a free man in the eyes of the law, Ministry laws. And should I return to Europe I cannot be touched because I have been a resident of the Amazon for over a decade. Not only that, I havealready turned myself into the Ministry with my side of the story and beenpronounced innocent. I can't be touched without Fudge's absoluteproof nor can I be forcibly taken away without my Ministry knowing. Otherwise dear ole Fudge is out on the streets without a career as Minister and the Amazon Ministry can demand a new Minister since he broke the ancient laws."

"Very impressive, Mr. Potter. If only you used this side of your brain during class you might not have had to fail."

Remus frowned at his companion before posing another question, "Even if Fudge couldn't find you, what about the Dark Lord? He could slip around Ministry laws."

Harry laughed freely. "That was good because he can't. If you noticed, Remus, Voldemort has only terrorizedBritain. He cannot terrorizethe world without the world finding out. You see, every Ministry has a set of protection wards around their country. Should Voldemort decide to enter and freely murder Muggles, the Ministry would be after him. And should he get away and try coming after me, he would be hard pressed. The Amazon rainforesthave never been fully explored by Muggles nor Magical Folks. I was extremely impressed I was able to find myself in such a jungle as well as surprised that human life could even survive here."

Silence filled the room as given information was slowly absorbed and processed. Harry hated to break such quiet peace but he desired to know, "What more do you want?"

"Come back with us. We want you to return, Harry."