A/N: Half this chapter was written a year ago. The rest this evening. Trying to get back into it. And with it we have a change in format. Actions and whatnot will be third person. We still get Harry's thoughts, which now will be in italics (or explained in the authors notes.) No beta, so pardon the mistakes.

Betrayed, Used and Royally Pissed
Chapter 5
By LeTimbo

From Last Time...

Clang The sound of the evening bowl of water. They give us water twice a day and bread only in the morning. Yelling at Ron made my throat pretty dry, so I grabbed the bowl, which immediately warmed to my touch…That normally doesn't happen…and what's that feeling? It feels familiar…wait…what the…

That familiar feeling turned out to be an all too familiar feeling – the same feeling that one of the special Watches had when the new portkey destination had been programmed.

Uhh...hunh? Did I imagine that? Is my water bowl now a portkey? What? How? More importantly, who? Did Ron do this? Is this a big elaborate plan to have me try and escape only to be portkeyed into a room of Aurors and be arrested for trying to escape? Wait, why would they do that...I'm sure I'm locked up in here forever, why add more years to the sentence...and would Ron even be capable of making up a plan like that? Hardly. Should I assume it's the same activation as my Watch? One way to find out...

"Padfoot," Harry barely whispered, but it was enough for the bowl of water. The next few moments seemed to slow down and take an eternity for Harry. The portkey began to warm up again and started to flash dimly, as if it were desperately trying to not call attention to itself. He slowly began to feel a tug on his stomach, which progressed as the portkey got warmer. Finally, Harry felt his entire body being pulled with the portkey, and his surroundings were moving from cold and damp to warm and blindingly light?

"What the hell? Where the hell? I can't see a bloody thing. Am I really out of Azkaban or is this an elaborate hoax or a hallucination…"

"Harry…"

I know that voice. That's Cho Chang. She used to work in our Research Division, which explains the portkey that resembled one of the Watches...she was probably one of the ones who helped develop them. Too bad I can't see a damn thing. Hearing her voice confirms that this isn't a hallucination. But what is happening?

"Did you drink any of the water?"

"Uh, no? Why ask me such a blod…"

"Hold on. Aqua Sperao Infinitum Portus Tous Multiplicitious." At the last word of the long spell Cho uttered, she grabbed onto the same bowl as Harry, who was clutching onto the bowl as if it were the only thing he recognized. Cho threw an invisibility cloak over Harry and muttered "Totalous Activate." Harry noticed the water slowly disappearing, followed by the familiar tug on his navel. Harry tried to speak, but found himself in the middle of being portkeyed once again, and he long since learned to keep ones mouth closed while in magical transportation.

Harry and Cho arrived in what Harry guessed to be a London Tube station, which certainly helped Harry's eyes. Harry immediately saw Theodore Nott walking forcibly calmly towards Cho, and Harry knew for certain that he was free.

Very few people ever knew of the role Theodore Nott played in the final war against Voldemort, and only Harry and Neville really knew the magnitude to which Nott helped. Nott didn't trust Dumbledore and certainly didn't trust the ministry, but he knew that the side that his own father fought on was doomed, and that Harry would triumph over Voldemort. He agreed with Voldemort's supposed goals, pulling back the muggleborn influence on the wizarding world, but refused to kill anyone to enact the goals, and saw all murder as generally…distasteful.

Cho nodded slightly at Theodore, and two subways pulled up at the same time, one on each of the tracks going opposite directions. Cho walked calmly to the northbound train while Theodore poked Harry and whispered, "follow me Harry" while pretending to tie his shoe. Theodore walked to the southbound train, and Harry had no choice but to follow. Theodore almost imperceptibly guided Harry to a seat, with Theodore sitting on the aisle.

Ok, I realize we have to keep it under wraps that I got out of Azkaban, but I need some answers damn it! I'm bloody confused and would really appreciate being in the loop right about now! And it's a bloody good thing that the train is fairly empty, because I would love to see the reaction if someone sat down on me under an invisibility cloak. And why is Teddy lifting up the edge of my cloak? Does he want me to take it off? These people just put it on! Wait, what was that? Did he leave something on my leg?

Harry looked down at his leg, still underneath the invisibility cloak, and saw a small piece of parchment.

Harry –

Whatever you do, don't leave this behind! Slip it back to me after you're done reading. I'm sure you have millions of questions, which we will try to answer. We're going to my pub, Potent Potables, located on Knockturn Alley. We're going through a back entrance that I installed months ago in one of the Tube stations, but kept it and the room we're going to under the Fidelus Charm. Memorize the following statement:

"Shelter can be found in Potent Potables by going through the West End Door and climbing two flights of stairs to the back entrance to Potters Post-breakout Palace."

-Theodore

Harry did as the parchment instructed, and slid the piece back to Theodore, who took the parchment gently and sliding it back into his coat pocket. Before Harry realized it, they had arrived at West End station. Harry stood up and continued to follow Theodore, who walked underneath the stairs that led out of the station. Theodore turned and nodded to Harry, then promptly disappeared. Harry knew it was time to concentrate on what he had read.

Shelter can be found in Potent Potables by going through the West End Door and climbing two flights of stairs to the back entrance to Potters Post-breakout Palace. So Teddy has his own pub and inn now. I assume he has rooms for rent too. At least he seems to have done well for himself after the war. Climb two flights of stairs, and, surprise, once again a dead end. Concentrate Harry. Shelter can be found in Potent Potables by going through the West End Door and climbing two flights of stairs to the back entrance to Potters Post-breakout Palace. Ah ha, the door finally appeared. They'd, whoever they are, better start answering some questions!

The room was nothing out of the ordinary for a normal inn, only exception being the presence of several books, maps, and an escaped prisoner from a wizarding prison. The room had muted greens and blacks, complemented by silver all, throughout the room, fitting for a Slytherin owner. There were no portraits in the room, but the walls were intricately painted with a mountain landscape. What delighted Harry, besides the table of food he spotted, was the presence of three people he never thought he would see again.

"Neville! Susan! Theodore! What did you get yourselves into?"

"Harry!" Neville leaped up from his chair and tackled Harry to the ground, much to the amazement of Harry and to the amusement of Susan and Theodore. "Partner, I'm sorry I couldn't keep you out of there…and that we couldn't have gotten you out sooner."

"How did you get me out anyways? What year is it, and what are you all doing here, and where is here anyways? I'm just so…disoriented. I'm not sure this isn't even a dream or something."

At this, Neville slapped Harry upside the head. "Nope, not a dream. You woulda waken up after that." Harry mock glared at Neville, who cracked a grin, before his face turned serious again. "We've got a lot to go over Harry, but unfortunately I can't be here right now. As soon as word gets out that you've escaped, I'll be the first person they'd suspect. I have to get back to Beauxbatons and be seen immediately."

"I understand partner."

"When the immediate fury has died down some, and before you head out, I'll see you again."

Neville apparated while Harry was in the middle of asking, "Wait, what do you mean before I head out?" Theodore and Susan glanced at each other, silently urging the other to start the explanations. Susan apparently was the one out maneuvered, and began to speak.

"Harry...at the same time a lot has happened since you went to Azkaban, and yet it seems almost everything's the same. Diggory is still Minister, but he's obsessed with catching everybody and everything dark..."

Theodore snorted. "Yah mate, they threw me in Azkaban for a good six months after they had thrown you in there. They executed my dad for being a Death Eater, and then arrested me after the will was executed for having dark artifacts in my possession. Like I had anytime to get rid of them after Dad left them to me. Ruddy obvious they had my name down and were waiting for the opportunity."

Harry had a look of confusion on his face. "I don't recall ever seeing you in there."

Susan spoke up at this. "You wouldn't have. You were in a specially warded confinement area apart from the less dangerous criminals."

Harry raised his eyebrows. "And how do you know that?"

"I'm an auror Harry. More on that later. Anywho, picking up where I was interrupted," Susan shot a grin at Theodore, "Minister Diggory was throwing all sorts of people in jail, egged on by Ron Weasly. They invoked and still do invoke your name for the purposes of national unity. They seem top have convinced themselves that they have convinced everyone that you are a common enemy. Granted, most of Britain seems to think that, but not very many outside of Britain do. The Ministry withdrew from the International Confederation of Wizards, and a couple of places even severed diplomatic ties with our ministry. Of course, none of this ever made the papers, but that didn't stop the word from spreading. It was mostly smaller countries that severed ties. The most notable was the Tibetan Ministry of Magic."

Susan paused to drink some water. Well, Harry assumed it was water. It might have been a clear beverage of a different sort. Theodore picked up the debriefing.

"They called the Minister out on the, what did they call it…'frightening fall into fascism.'"

"Harry, no one's free anymore. Weasley's turned the once-famed Order into his private secret police. Magical creatures have few rights if any - and new laws are passed by Diggory every day limiting more freedoms. All in the name of fighting any remnants of the Dark Times."

"They seem to be starting a whole new era of darkness."

"Which is why we banded together to break you out of Azkaban."

Harry started to get angry. "Did you break me out just to have me lead another war?"

Susan paled. "Nononono Harry. That's not what I intended, and none of us certainly expect it after the way you've been treated. Some day this corrupt ministry will be overthrown, but you certainly don't have to be the one to do it. We wanted to right a wrong and strike a blow against the ministry."

"Don't you think that the Minister will simply use my escape as a further reason to take away freedom?"

Susan paled again. This time Theodore joined her. "Ok. So maybe we hadn't hit that point in our planning."

Harry grinned. It was time to let her off the hook. "I'm not angry Susan. Thanks for getting me out of there. What matters most to me is that people still care. Why are people staying around and putting up with this?"

"Most of the magical creatures have left Britain already. Some new school in Transylvania opened up just to train part humanoids."

"Part Humanoids?

"You know…vampires, werewolves, veela, and others that have close to human or above human intelligence who find themselves magical. That's going to be one stop on your journey."

"Wait…Transylvania's real?"

Nott snorted. "They broke away from Romania a couple years back. There's a lot more you need to be aware of about the Muggle world since you went into Azkaban."

A lot of stuff has changed in a few years. Geesh. Teddy wasn't kidding. I feel funny that they've got stops planned out for me on whatever journey they are sending me on. Now sure, I admit I need to get out of here, not just for my safety and other's safety, but for my sanity. It's been so long since I've used magic, and even though my exercises have kept me in shape it hasn't kept my mind in shape. But the thought that my life is being planned out for me I find distressing.

At least there's no set time frame for each spot. But I need to get moving - they likely won't discover I'm gone for a couple of days - probably until Weasley's next visit. I need to get supplies, money, and head down to the continent.

A/n Part Two: So. Was it worth it, or should I just give up?