Chapter Twelve - The Introduction Of
The chamber was silent for several beats, as all of the occupants froze. Both of the leaders stood still, Albus' wand steady at Harry's throat. The members of the Praesidium knew to wait for their commander's action, rather than attempt anything, though they shifted as the various humans turned their wands upon them. None of the other species present liked being at a disadvantage, especially to wizards and witches, but beyond a few mutters and narrowing of eyes, they held their place.
Even with the Dementors gone, the air contained a bitter chill, an oppressive strength. The Aurors and Order members were quite disconcerted, though most were well versed enough to hide it. As the torches flickered, they glanced nervously at the warriors of the Praesidium, all of whom were scattered around them. Several of the Praesidium had lost their coverings in the fight, and it was obvious what they were, and what they were not. When a low voice broke the quiet, several of the humans flinched.
Harry rolled his shoulders under his cloak. "I'll give a name to you, but it's your choice what you do with it," he responded easily to Dumbledore, his voice deliberately different than the lilting tone he used at Hogwarts.
When Harry fell silent, and didn't seem to be of a mind to continue, Albus prompted him. "Well?"
"I am known as Ateraes," Harry answered, a slight smirk colouring his tone.
"That means many things- dark, poisonous, malicious," stated Albus solemnly. "Does it speak truth?"
"Only to my enemies."
Albus chuckled slightly. "And just who are your enemies?"
"Those who fight me."
The headmaster lightly snorted, his wand in the same place against Harry's neck, where it had not wavered in the slightest. Tiring of the banter, having already dealt with too much from Regulus, Harry scanned what he could of the chamber. As he found Carnifex watching him, Harry sensed shifting behind him, as a few of Albus' people stepped carefully to their leader.
By extending his senses, Harry felt the magical signatures of Ron and McGonagall, then inwardly winced when he also registered Hermione and Snape with them. Of all of the Order or Ministry, Harry knew that the headmaster, the Potions master, and his old friend would have the easiest time determining his identity. As it was, only the fact that he kept a constant covering of his own signature made it so that they didn't know immediately.
Harry needed to get away from Dumbledore's wand, but couldn't do either wandless or wanded magic, as it would defeat all. Realizing that whatever he did had to be fast, and needed to protect his men, Harry locked his shaded green gaze with his Vampyr second, tilting his head the slightest amount to give his command.
So intent was he on this, he found himself lightly startled when Dumbledore spoke.
"Ateraes. Tell your . . . men to drop their weapons and hold their ground. Surrender."
Harry raised an unseen eyebrow. "I'm afraid I can't do that, Headmaster Dumbledore. I pray you forgive me."
"I would rather we not have to do this the hard way, my friend," Albus said amicably, though the threat was clearly heard.
"Any way would only be hard for you and yours, Headmaster."
With a nearly unseen motion, boosted by internal magic and an unspoken spell, Harry pivoted, reached up, and deftly relieved the leader of the Order of his wand. At the same moment, his warriors relied upon their various skills, and without fuss, disarmed all of the humans around them. Considering that most of the Order and Aurors were somewhat unseated emotionally, and weren't expecting a thing, it wasn't very difficult. Smirking, Harry moved back swiftly, his hood still completely obscuring his face, even as he watched Dumbledore for a reaction.
He received one in the completely and utterly shocked expression on the headmaster's face. Harry was hard pressed to keep from laughing, particularly when even the Potions master realized he too had been disarmed. As the astonishment bled out of the others' looks, it was replaced by a range of disbelief, anger, and even slight amusement, at least on the part of Dumbledore. The chamber sounded with outraged cries, but quickly fell silent when the Praesidium focussed on the group of weaponless men and women. Their expressions grew apprehensive, outright fear shining in the younger members' eyes as they realized they were surrounded by an army of creatures, most of which were rather dark.
Carnifex stepped up to Harry, his fanged smile glinting under his hood. "That was impressive. And quite amusing."
Harry laughed, then turned his attention back to Dumbledore and his closest. "Headmaster. Do not fear us. We do not harm those who do not attempt to harm us. The government is idiotic. We are both after the same goal and are on the same side." Harry gestured to the collected group with the headmaster's wand. "Keep your people safe, and leave us be."
Signalling his warriors to step back towards the wall, Harry looked down at the ice that had remained when the Dark Lord had left. Focussing his magic toward the area near the middle platform, he quickly set it to melting. With a muttered word, he ordered his men to toss the Order's and Aurors' weapons into the fast appearing water, angering the owners of the weapons.
Smirking, he looked back at Dumbledore, who was watching with an almost entertained gaze, and Harry bowed his cloaked head slightly. The headmaster returned the gesture, though McGonagall, Hermione, Ron, and Snape stared with incredible anger toward the Praesidium.
Closing his eyes, Harry reached to the wards of the gaol, feeling them out as the melting ice advanced toward where he and his men stood. Moments before it destroyed the very area they were standing on, Harry smoothly shifted the wards and nodded to his warriors. Beside him, Carnifex mentally told their above guards at the trapdoor to leave when able.
With a final glance to those on the dais, the Praesidium disappeared from their spots as easily as they had arrived on the windy beach surrounding the fortress.
The air flickered as the Praesidium reappeared in the large chamber of their headquarters. With a pop, Harry arrived last, as most of the others' methods of travel were quite a bit better than his human Apparation. Breathing slightly heavily, he scanned the group, cataloguing their loses, which were few, much to his satisfaction. His warriors quickly went to the task of dealing with the corpses they had brought back, and taking care of their injuries.
Carnifex turned a concerned gaze on his friend and leader, letting his Vampyric features recede. "Ateraes, are you well?"
"Tired," Harry replied, removing his cloak and laying it on a table. "I'll be fine."
Shaking his head, Carnifex placed a pale hand on the other's shoulder. "You have the greatest luck of any mortal I have ever met."
"Yeah, lucky me," said Harry, sighing. Shrugging the Vampyr's hand off, he turned to him. "I must be returning to Hogwarts. I trust you have this in hand."
"As always, Imperator," Carnifex stated, levelling one last look on his human companion, before turning to assist the others.
Harry sighed again, and somewhat stiffly walked from the hall, turning down a corridor. The torches lining the wall lit as he approached and died out behind him as he passed. As he reached the end of the passageway, he halted near a dark wood door, placing his hand on the latch and pushing it open. Candles within the room flared to life when he stepped in, closed the door, and leaned back against it.
Fairly unseeing green eyes swept over the dim room. A bed was tucked into the far wall, set into the grey stone, and diagonal from that was a fireplace also embedded in the rock. Before it sat an overstuffed armchair, as comfortable as the ones in the headmaster's office, but made of a solid charcoal coloured fabric. Making his way over to the chair, Harry didn't bother focussing on the familiar sights, as he knew them well, being that he had been the one to design the room when the Praesidium had established this base.
Sitting down, Harry decided to relax for a moment before making his way back to the school. He gazed toward the empty hearth, flashes of the entire day replaying in his mind's eye. Most of them centred around the distant memories Regulus had brought back, try as he might to dispel them. Shaking his head, Harry ran his fingers over his face, frowning when he realized his hand was trembling.
Leaning back in his seat, he reached out across the arm of the chair and wandlessly called a vial from a drawer in his desk. He winced when the drawer slammed shut a little more forcefully than he had meant, the sound echoing in the mostly bare quarters. The bottle hit his palm, and with a flick of its cork, Harry brought the Restorative Potion to his lips and drank the vile mixture, closing his eyes until he felt it do its job.
Just as he regained his equilibrium, a gentle knock sounded at the door. Waving his hand at the door, Harry opened it without bothering to raise. His visitor strode in, letting the door shut firmly behind him, and made his way over to Harry.
"One would think you didn't want company," the older male commented as he stopped before him, gesturing to the vacant area next to Harry's chair with his wand. Drawing a chair, he placed it in the spot and sat down gracefully. "How went your rescue of the Order?"
"Hello to you, as well, Bruti," replied Harry with a smile.
His companion smirked, but nodded congenially. "Good day, Ateraes. And, so?"
Harry shook his head. "Well enough. Our loses were few, and it was definitely good that the force was made of non-humans."
"Yes." Bruti brushed the sleeve of his dark blue robe smooth with a long-fingered hand. "And how did you fair in the company of so many Dementors?" The name was spoken with a sneer.
"I would have done better without the Dark Lord being one," Harry responded.
Brushing back a pale strand of hair, Bruti leaned forward. "What was that?"
"The new enemy is a hybrid of man and Dementor." Harry watched the shock play across the other wizard's face. "According to him, he was a pet project of Riddle's."
Bruti masterfully concealed his flinch. "You are kidding?"
"I wish. And get this. I have a bloody connection with this one, too," Harry sneered angrily, then took a deep breath, forcing control. "Do you know how I met Carnifex?"
If Bruti was surprised by the change of subject, he refused to show it. "Other than that the Vampyr in some way saved your life, I do not."
Harry nodded. "Few do. Anyway, it was in Egypt. Before I'd created this force, of course, and about perhaps four years before you joined it. Shortly after the last battle with Tom. I'd gone there to do something I, well, had planned out. I was in the middle of a ritual when I was attacked by Dementors. The magic I was expelling somehow managed to link me to them in a way I only just realized was rather more than I expected."
"What were Dementors doing in Egypt, of all places?" Bruti questioned, knowing instinctually that Harry didn't wish to say more about what he was doing in the desert, and conceding to it.
"They were made there." Quickly Harry explained the process, then went on to describe the Dark Lord and his meetings with the creature.
When he had finished, Bruti sat back with a thoughtful expression. "Vivnecis? Creative, give him that," the older wizard stated sardonically. "Who was he?"
"Regulus Black," replied Harry, looking back toward the fireplace.
"Black?" Bruti followed Harry's gaze to the hearth, then looked back at the younger man. "Regulus Black. I had thought he had been killed. He was only a minor player in Riddle's force."
"Yeah," Harry murmured.
"And brother to your late godfather, as well, was he not?" asked Bruti, watching Harry with a concerned air.
When Harry nodded, but kept his gaze on the fireplace, Bruti remained silent. Harry eventually turned to him, meeting the intense eyes fixed on him. He was comfortable enough with the man to allow him to see behind his warrior's mask.
"Are you all right, Ateraes?" Bruti asked quietly.
Harry smiled wryly. "Between you and Carnifex, I do get tired of that damned question. But, yes, I am fine. Or I will be after I get some sleep and can stop thinking for a while."
"Then go." Bruti smiled gently. "Take care."
"I take care. It's the others attempting to take care of me that make my life so difficult," Harry informed him, standing from his chair and stepping to the fireplace. "Good day, Bruti. I'll give your regards to Suralc."
Bruti nodded as he stood as well. The man made his way from the room, waving an idle farewell, and Harry smiled lightly in his wake. Moving to a table near the bed alcove, Harry retrieved a portkey from a box he kept of various ones, and with a word, was hurtling back to Hogwarts.
Landing squarely in the middle of his bedroom, Harry shook off a slight feeling of vertigo and placed the portkey in the drawer beside the bed, locking it with a quick charm. He then took the Dark Lord's Dementor container out of his pocket, looking it over for a moment, before setting it carefully in a trunk, which he too secured magically. Planning to study the object later, he left it alone for the time being.
Just as he turned away from the trunk, he suddenly realized that he was still in his fighting uniform. Though he much preferred it to the overwhelming robes he usually wore, at the moment even it was in rather bad form, considering everything he had just gone through. Pulling out his wand, he cleaned and repaired it, then transfigured the shirt and trousers back to their original state, curling a lip when they regained their horrid colour.
Just as he went to remove them, with the intent of taking a long shower, the wards alerted him to a visitor. Growling under his breath, Harry swiftly made his way through his chambers to his front door. Replacing his scowl with a brightly inane grin, he threw his hair over his shoulders and opened the door.
When the entrance revealed his callers, though, he found it slightly difficult to remain in character. Forcing his face not to show any shock whatsoever, Harry said amiably, "Albus, Professor Snape, what a pleasure to see you. I trust all is well?"
A/N: Hope everyone is liking it. Tell me what you think, it makes writing so much more interesting, and I know if the story is going in a good direction.
Thank you to all my readers, and a special thanks to my reviewers.
Just a warning, it will be SSHP. I wasn't sure in the beginning whether it would work, but I am now. The entire story is planned out, including the end, and will be seen through.
Bruti - (Latin; pronounced Brew-tae) Another spelling of the common name Brutus. (Take from it what you will.)
Best Regards and Pleasure Reading,
Zenn