Reposted on 11/8/05
THE NEW ORDER
By
Padfootjr23
Chapter Seven: World in an Uproar
HARRY POTTER MASSACRES 12 UNSPEAKABLES
Albus Dumbledore read the headline from today's edition of the Daily Prophet with anger and frustration. Already knowing what the article said he read on anyway.
It was reported today by Minister of Magic, Cornelius Fudge that a safe house operated by the Unspeakables employed by the Department of Mysteries was attacked early Saturday afternoon and twelve Unspeakables were brutally murdered.
It was confirmed that while suspected Death Eater, Severus Snape, was being held for questioning their location came under attack by none other than Harry Potter. The sole survivor of the massacre was able to retell the tragic events of the day from his bed in Saint Mungos. According to the unidentified Unspeakable, he went down to the interrogation room to find three of his colleagues brutally murdered and the prisoner missing. Rousing his other comrades, they headed out in pursuit. They were shocked to learn that Harry Potter was involved but also young Auror Nymphadora Tonks and another Hogwarts student by the name of Blaise Zabini.
It was believed that they had the group cornered until Potter himself sent a wave of explosion curses at the Ministry's top law enforcers that cut down the brave men as they tried to seek justice for their fallen friends. After this devastating display the group of obvious Death Eaters vanished with a portkey that took them directly to Hogsmeade as the injured Potter was forced to leave his wand behind. It is quite clear that they planned to seek medical attention at Hogwarts for the injuries they sustained in the fighting and no doubt coming up with some fanciful story of how they received them. But they obviously did not expect any of their victims to survive to tell of what really happened.
According to our sources, Harry Potter has not yet awaken due to his injuries and Severus Snape is being held in a magically induced coma to help the healing process. It was decided by Headmaster Dumbledore and Minister Fudge that all four of the traitors responsible for this tragedy will be held in the Hogwarts infirmary under heavy guard until Potter and Snape awaken and are able to be moved.
Dumbledore threw the paper back down on his desk in a fume as he ignored the rest of the article. 'Just ramblings about giving them the Kiss immediately no doubt.' He thought to himself angrily. Every morning and evening edition had been the same for the last three days. There seemed to be a war between the Daily Prophet and the Quibbler, who while not proclaiming Harry's innocence, was certainly leaning in that direction. The vast majority of the general public appeared to be siding with the Prophet.
After speaking with both Tonks and Blaise he had no doubt that they were speaking the truth but the plain and simple fact that remained was that if the Unspeakables that were holding them were Death Eaters, they were not marked. And there was nothing within the house that suggested any ties to the Dark Lord. In other words, Harry and the others were screwed.
Even though he had been reappointed to his position as Chief Warlock of the Wizengamont he could not change how things were done overnight. A dose of Veritaserum would prove their innocence but unfortunately only the prosecution can recommend its use and that certainly wouldn't be in their best interest since there was always a chance you were wrong no matter how solid your case is.
Even if evidence was found by the Ministry to exonerate them it would never be shown in court and likely be destroyed. The prosecutors employed by the Ministry are bound by magical oath to serve and protect the interest of the Ministry to the best of their ability. Even if they knew the defendant was innocent they would still work tirelessly to get a conviction because they are physically, mentally and magically unable to do anything less. As he wracked his brain for anything that may help, anyway he could discount some of the evidence nothing came to mind. Sitting in silence for several hours he came to the only conclusion available.
"DOBBY" He called out loud. Within seconds the little house elf appeared, bowing so low that the tips of his large ears were almost flat against the ground.
"How may Dobby help Professor Headmaster Dumbledore sir?" Dobby asked in his high squeaky voice.
"Dobby, have you ever heard of a house elf named Twinkle?" The Headmaster asked with a small smile. For the next twenty minutes Dumbledore spoke with Dobby about what he wanted him to do and who to go see. Dobby was only too happy to do as he asked and quickly left to get started. After a few moments to think about the consequences of his plan of action he withdrew several blank sheets of parchment and began writing furiously. By the time he was done he had filled nearly six pages and folded them and stuffed them into an envelope. Opening a drawer in his desk he withdrew two long and slim boxes and promptly shrunk them both to the size of match boxes and added them as well before doing the same with two wands that were sitting on his desk and sealing the envelope. With one last secretive smile to himself he stood and left his office in the direction of the hospital wing.
As he turned the final corner Dumbledore saw a large group of Aurors standing guard outside the hospital wing door. Their numbers seemed to grow each time he came down here. When the Aurors noticed his approach they formed up together to block his entrance.
"I'm sorry sir but Minister Fudge has ordered that no one is to enter this room with the exception of the mediwitch. Including you." The lead Auror announced pompously manner that clearly said that he was anything but sorry but Albus was not impressed.
"Young man, this school is not nor has ever been under the jurisdiction of the Ministry. Minister Fudge overstepped his bounds last year and I can guarantee that it will not happen again. You are not here because Cornelius ordered you here. You are here because I allow it. Now stand aside." He finished coldly as he surveyed the man before him. He clearly thought that doing Fudge's bidding gave him the authority to lord over others but he would be damned if he was going to allow some Ministry sycophant to order him about and disrespect him in HIS school. The other Aurors quickly got out of his way but the leader was more sedate about it, moving slowly just to annoy Dumbledore, which isn't a very wise thing most of the time. When the last of the Aurors were clear of the door, Albus pushed them open and strolled casually inside.
The hospital wing looked petty much exactly the same as it usually did with the exception that it usually did not have Aurors guarding over each individual patient. As each of the four accused lay in bed two Aurors were positioned on either side of them with their wands already in hand just in case. Tonks and Blaise were both awake and though Blaise looked extremely nervous Tonks remained calm and composed. Professor McGonagall was sitting in rather comfortable looking chair in between the beds of her husband and daughter and although they were both being accused of conspiracy and aiding a murderer, in other words Harry Potter, she looked much better than she had the last two weeks. Just knowing her family was alive and safe, for the moment, did her wonders. Despite what the papers said both Snape and Harry had been in and out of consciousness though Snape was able to actually wake up to a certain degree. Harry on the other hand would merely open his good eye and look around as if in a daze before drifting off again.
Severus Snape however was still unconscious due to severe exhaustion and continued exposure to dark magic. Despite his injuries which Madam Pomfrey was able to heal quite easily he was suffering from a magical overload from when Voldemort was battering down his mental defenses and he was unable to find the time needed to recuperate. He should wake up at any time now that he has gotten the care he needed and was able to get some decent rest.
Harry Potter though was different. Though he to had his magical reserves nearly depleted his physical injuries were far worse. The Hogwarts matron was able to close all of his open wounds but the damage had been done. Not counting all of the cuts and bruises, he had suffered through five broken ribs, one of which punctured his right lung, a compound fracture to one of his legs and most severe of the lot was the damage done to his right eye when Lucius Malfoy cracked his eye socket with the snake head of his cane. If he had gotten immediate medical attention they may have been able to repair the damage but as it was he would never again have any use for it. When Tonks and Blaise first told him of Harry's action during their captivity he honestly did not know what to feel more of. Horror at what the young man had to endure or pride that he had shown such strength and compassion towards others, even one of his least favorite people, namely Professor Snape.
Knowing that he didn't have much time, Dumbledore made his way over to the bed Tonks occupied and sat down at the chair beside it. For whatever reason the two Aurors guarding her moved a few paces away to give them some semblance of privacy. The two sat in silence for a few moments before Dumbledore cast a weak wandless privacy charm around them before speaking.
"I must make this quick Nymphadora." He began urgently. "Any moment an old, friend, is going to be popping in to take you and the others to a safe location. When asked do not hesitate just go and take Ms. Zabini with you. She may be reluctant to leave with her mother in the condition she is but you must get out. Do you understand?"
"Yes sir." She nodded sadly. She knew perfectly well that if they were put on trial they had no chance whatsoever of winning. Dumbledore nodded slowly with a smile before standing up. He reached out his hand to her and when she took it she noticed that there was something in his hand. It felt like parchment but she could not see anything. Suddenly she felt like smacking herself in the head. 'Of course I couldn't see it, he charmed it.' He thought to herself stupidly.
"There are notes for each of you in there as well as your wands." He whispered lowly. After smiling in a secretive manner Dumbledore turned and left the hospital wing. Not five minutes later several loud pops were heard all around the infirmary.
Looking up in surprise, Tonks was shocked to see nine very determined looking house elves. All nine elves were wearing cloths instead of the customary pillowcase looking rag that you usually found on their kind. Each wore comfortable and casual looking robes that you would expect to find on a small child. Their outfit consisted of brown trousers, a pure white short sleeved tunic and a tan long sleeved over robe. Each one exuded a confidence you didn't usual find in a house elf even those who work for kind masters.
"What do you think you are doing here?" One of the Aurors yelled at the elves. Each elf turned towards the man slowly as if annoyed before one of them answered.
"We are here to retrieve our Master!" The little elf stated in a clear voice as she gestured towards the bed occupied by Harry Potter. "Dumbledore Headmaster, great wizard that he is, can no longer be trusted with our Lord's safety." A little surprised by her bluntness the Aurors hesitated for a moment before drawing their wands.
"Your MASTER," One of the Aurors spat. "Is going no where. He will be put on trial and then given the Dementor's Kiss for murder. So you and your little friends can just crawl back into whatever hole you came out of." This was obviously the wrong thing to say. All nine house elves raised their arms as one and in a quick sudden motion pushed them sharply forward. Each Auror, though trying their hardest to resist, were thrown back against the back wall where they were unable to move.
"Master Harry Potter's friends are welcome to join him as well." The 'head elf' said looking between Tonks and Blaise. Tonks was quick to shake off her shock and bounded out of her bed and quickly made her way over to Blaise.
"Come on Blaise, we have to go." She whispered urgently to the young Slytherin. But she shook her head stubbornly.
"No, I'm not leaving my mother like this." She declared in a low voice so the Aurors could not hear her.
"No Blaise, you must go. If you remain, you will be found guilty. If you go we will have more time to find the evidence we need." McGonagall spoke up for the first time as she gripped her daughter's hand. "Go, please. I don't know what I would do if something happened to you. This way I will know you are safe at least." She finished with tears in her eyes. Blaise nodded slowly before standing up and moving closer to the house elves.
The elves began whispering furiously to each other and soon half of them disappeared while one went to levitate Snape's unconscious body over to them as two others prepared Harry for the quick trip. Almost as quick as they had disappeared the other house elves returned with everyone's belongings trailing behind them.
"Are you ready to go?" Tonks and Blaise merely nodded and they were suddenly whisked away to some unknown destination.
XXX
Shortly after the incident in the hospital wing Professor Dumbledore was sitting alone in his office when a sharp loud knock echoed through the room.
"Come in." He called out knowing perfectly well who it was. The door was flung open and his suspicions were confirmed when a very pissed off Cornelius Fudge stormed into the room with Percy Weasley hot on his heals.
"I demand to know what happened here. I was assured that there was no possible way for them to escape." He yelled with spit dripping from his mouth.
"If you remember correctly, it was your Aurors that made that claim, I gave no such guarantees." Dumbledore replied calmly.
"They say that house elves are the ones that perpetrated this escape, everyone of the house elves here at Hogwarts will be taken in for questioning and they don't…" Fudge was prevented from going any further when Dumbledore cut him off with anger in his voice.
"You will do no such thing. The elves in this school are duty bound to Hogwarts, not the Ministry. If you lay your hands on one of them I will have you bounced from office immediately. And with your many blunders over the last few years it would take me little effort." He nearly shouted in a cold voice. As the waves of power rippled through the room both Fudge and Percy went pale and they had no doubt that he would make good on his threat. Swallowing deeply, Fudge composed himself and continued in a more civilized manner.
"Then what would you suggest?"
"Unfortunately if the Aurors heard correctly then we will not be able to find them until they come out of hiding themselves." He answered in a weary voice while on the inside he was laughing.
"And why is that?" Percy asked pompously. 'Hasn't changed a bit.' The headmaster thought to himself with sadness.
"Because apparently the house elves claimed that Harry was their master. If this is indeed true then they have surely taken the four of them to the home of James and Lily Potter."
"But that manor was destroyed." Fudge exclaimed as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.
"No, the ancestral home of the Potter's was indeed destroyed but James and Lily did not live there. They thought it was too large for their needs. Their actual home they had built to suit their needs better. But when they discovered that Voldemort was after them they decided that Potter Manor was not the best choice for defensive purposes so I placed it under the Fedelius charm to protect it until they could move back in." He explained.
"Well, what are you waiting for? We should check it out."
"We can't, as I said, it's under the Fedelius charm."
"But you just said you were the secret keeper." Percy said in confusion.
"No I didn't. I said I cast the spell."
"Well then who is the secret keeper?" Fudge nearly screamed in frustration.
"Twinkle, the Potter's head house elf. So you can see the chances of finding it are slim too none. She will not betray her master even if you could catch her outside of the house. And I stress, IF you could catch her. Twinkle is a very powerful elf as are those that serve under her. And unlike most house elves she, as those who encountered her in the hospital wing could tell you, has no problem using their magic against wizards if she believe it is in her master's best interest."
XXX
"Hello again Harry." He heard as he once again was in the same pitch black void as before. Whirling around Harry came face to face with Godric Gryffindor yet again.
"Err… Hello." He replied stupidly causing Gryffindor to chuckle. After all what do you say to a legendary wizard that you are seeing in your dreams?
"Now that we have a little bit of time and there is less urgency I wanted to congratulate you." The Hogwarts founder said with a smile, confusing Harry. What had he done to deserve a congratulations from someone such as Gryffindor?
"For what sir?" He asked.
"You may look like your father but when it comes to personality you certainly take more after your mother." He said with a deep booming laugh.
"You know my parents?" Harry asked with shocked wide eyes.
"Not personally, no. I have not yet been able to find them in the realm of the dead, it is after all a very big place. I am naturally a curious person, though there are some that would call me nosy, so I will occasionally look into the minds of those still in the living world. Besides, I like to get to know my descendants as much as I can. Although I must say some of them can be very irritating. But I have gotten off track. Yes I wanted to congratulate you on your show of bravery and selflessness while you and your friends were captured. There are very few people in this world that would go so far to help another."
"Well like I told Snape, I'm not going to let another suffer because of me." Harry snorted. "I didn't do what I did out of bravery, I did it because it was my fault they were there and they didn't deserve to suffer that way."
"Yes you certainly got a healthy dose of Almathea's genes as well." Godric muttered to himself.
"Who?"
"Almathea. She was my wife. Like you, she blamed herself for every bad thing that seemed too happened to us and to those around us. You see, the first conflict between me and Salazar came because he thought he should have her. Because of this she believed that all of his atrocities were somehow her fault. What you need to do is look at your situation from another angle." He suggested.
"And what angle would that be?" Harry asked with sarcasm that Godric seemed to brush off.
"Ok, let's say that Voldemort hadn't attacked your family that Halloween night."
"I can live with that."
"Can you really? If he had not then he would never have attacked you and the killing curse would never have rebounded."
"But that didn't kill him. It just took his body." Harry argued as he waved his arms around frantically.
"No it didn't but he was still stopped. No one, not even your headmaster could stand against his power. Everyday more and more people were dying and more and more were joining him. It was only a matter of time before he achieved his goal. However you changed that. Now, for over fourteen years Voldemort was left powerless and there were no Death Eater attacks or mysterious disappearances to speak of. Because of what happened it is true that Voldemort would be after you and others may get in the way but you have to understand that most of these people probably wouldn't have survived much longer if you hadn't been attacked. Voldemort WOULD have reached his goal.
You spend a lot of time blaming yourself for things you have no control over. Since entering the magical world all you have wanted was to be normal. Unfortunately for many of my descendants that was never fully possible. But if you ever want to have any semblance of a normal life you need to drop that baggage you're carrying and place the blame where it belongs, on Voldemort's shoulders not yours. You may be the one that has to finish the Slytherin line forever but that does not mean that the weight of the world is yours alone to bear. There are many others that have their parts to play in this conflict as well and if they were to all think as you do then nothing would get done. And we both know what that would lead to. What you must do is take charge of your life and do what you think needs to be done. You can not simply take a back seat in this conflict and hope it resolves itself. The only thing that will help you to move on with your life is to take action now so that you can live the rest of your life in peace. Wow, look at the time." He suddenly exclaimed as he looked at his non existing watch. "Sorry Harry but I really must dash." He said with no further explanation as he quickly vanished.
As Harry sat and thought about what his ancestor had been talking about a loud crash reached his ears. "DAMN IT TONKS." When he shot up to see where the sound had come from he was surprised to find himself laying in a large comfortable four poster bed that he was pretty sure was not in his room at Hogwarts. Looking around the room he grew even more confused to see that this was clearly the master bedroom for some obviously expensive house. Slowly sitting up he winced in pain slightly as his muscles cried out in protest of the movement but he was not going to be deterred. Checking to make sure he was wearing cloths he was relieved to find a t-shirt and pair of shorts covering his body. He would hate to go digging around in some unknown house looking for cloths.
When he swung his legs over the side of the bed he was a little shocked to see a long thin scar running down the length of his right thigh. Thinking hard he tried to remember what the hell could have happened to give him that scar. He remembered his time with the Death Eaters well enough but he could not remembering them doing anything to his legs. Then it hit. The bludgeoning curse that hit him hard in the back of his leg. The force must have pushed the bone through the skin. 'Funny, I don't remember it hurting THAT bad. After all I could still walk, err, limp anyway.' He thought to himself as he tried to stand up. As he pulled himself to his feet all his blood seemed to rush to his head and he suddenly became dizzy and felt as though he were about to vomit. Luckily the feeling passed quickly enough but his body was still protesting any form of movement.
'Why the hell can't I see right?' As he looked around on the bedside table for his glasses he caught a brief glimpse of his reflection in the long mirror that sat atop the massive dresser on the opposite wall. Feeling as though something were wrong, he slowly made his way over to have a quick look what he found shocked him beyond belief.
"I LOOK LIKE MOODY!" He shouted out loud. He was exaggerating quite a bit though there were plenty of similarities. Just on the outside of his right eye he now had a starburst like scar that moved out toward his temple by an inch and a half while one strand moved down over his cheekbone and down to his jaw. However the other side was worse. He gasped as he removed the strand of black satin material that was tied back around his head and covered his left eye. All around the eye were little scars that crisscrossed each other in a spider web like pattern as the eye itself sat in its socket lifelessly. While it had not lost its emerald green color it certainly was much more dull then his right. Hearing a door slam open behind him, Harry spun around on his heal and reached for his wand before he realized it was not there. However he deemed that having his wand at that particular moment was not necessary.
"Are you alright?" Tonks asked as she and Blaise walked into the room.
"Yeah. Just a little surprised that I could pass for Moody's son now." Harry replied with a short chuckle that surprised both women.
"You're not upset or anything?" Tonks asked uncertainly, thinking that maybe everything that had happened had gone to Harry's head and he was ready to snap.
"I've never been very narcissistic so the scars don't bother me all that much but the loss of my eye could cause serious problems in the future." Harry said after thinking it over for a few moments. If he was going to face Voldemort then his impaired vision was most definitely cause for concern. Any handicap he had would certainly be exploited. "In fact the only thing I really liked about myself was my eyes and I still have one of them so why cry about it. After all, I did bring it on myself." He added after thinking of kicking Draco in the jaw which brought the retaliatory strike from Lucius that shattered his eye socket.
"Ok, if you're sure you're alright."
"Yes I'm sure. Oh before you go," He said as he turn back to the two women who were quietly leaving the room. "First, where are my glasses and also, where the hell are we?" He asked as they turned back towards him.
"Oh, sorry," Tonks began as she moved over towards the bed. "I thought it would be best if they were put in the night table." She explained as she pulled them out of the drawer.
"Now why the hell didn't I think of that?" Harry muttered to himself as he accepted his glasses and put them on.
"As to where we are," Blaise started with a wide grin. "We're at your house." Harry could only blink stupidly at this statement. He couldn't decide what he was most shocked about, Blaise's belief that this was his house or the fact that she was grinning like an idiot.
"Excuse me?"
"You heard her. Apparently your parents had this house built just after you were born. Now, there are cloths in the closet so get dressed, lunch should be ready soon." Tonks said before she stated moving towards the door and tripped over the edge of the rug and stumbled out the door as she tried to regain her balance. Blaise followed after her and Harry was once again left alone to think over everything that had happened. He stood in shock for several minutes before the fact that both girls were gone registered in his head. When he shook his head clear he looked around the room for the first time now that he had glasses.
It was a very nice room in a homey sort of way. It was roughly half again the size of his dorm room back at Hogwarts. The walls were painted with a nice royal blue that matched well with the slate tile floor. The massive four poster bed looked to be made out of mahogany and was crafted with elaborate designs carved into the head and foot boards and was pushed against the wall only about three feet from the door with a night stand taking up the extra space. On the wall facing the beds footboard was the long wooden dresser that Harry had used to look at his 'souvenirs' he had received courtesy of the Death Eaters.
The opposite side of the bed from the door was obviously used for relaxation and had a couch and a couple of armchairs that were positioned around a fair sized fireplace. However Harry didn't notice this. His eye was transfixed on one thing in particular. On the mantelpiece above the fireplace was a row of pictures that he had never seen before. As he stepped closer many of the images were burned into his memory forever. One of his parents laughing and holding each other and another of his father and Sirius, even one with all of the Marauders though it appeared that someone burned the image of Peter out of it. But one picture stood out above all the rest.
In the center of all the others was a picture that was obviously taken in a hospital. James Potter holding his wife tightly as they both smiled down at the small bundle with a mop of unruly black hair that Lily held in her arms. Both looked extremely happy and their eyes shined with pride at the son they had brought into the world. Carved into the bottom of the frame were the words 'Harry James Potter, July 31 1981, 6:52 AM. As he stood there and stared at the picture Harry could not help the tears that began to form in his eyes as he thought of how things could have been if it hadn't have been for Voldemort. With a shaky hand he reached up and took the picture down from its resting place and sat down heavily into one of the nearby chairs and just stared at it as unchecked tears ran down his cheek.
How long he sat there with that picture he could never tell you but he could tell you that he would have sat there for much longer had it not been for the hand that found itself resting on his shoulder. Jerking his head up to look over his shoulder Harry was surprised to see the downcast and understanding face of Nymphadora Tonks. He quickly wiped the tears off of his cheek before standing up and putting the picture back on the mantle.
"Sorry, I didn't mean to lose track of time. So what are we having for lunch?" Harry asked quickly trying to change the subject to anything other than his own personal problems. This made Tonks grin a little despite the awkwardness of the situation.
"Actually its dinner time." She informed him. "But if you're not feeling up to it I'll have a little something sent up for you."
"No that's alright. I want to get up and move around." He responded quickly as he stood up. It was only then that he noticed he was still in nothing more than a pair of boxers and a t-shirt.
"I'll meet you downstairs." Tonks said as his cheeks turned a little pink in embarrassment. Nodding his thanks Harry walked slowly over to the closet to see about something to wear. Finding a pair of blue jeans and a nice black button down shirt Harry got dressed and made his way out of the room. As he moved through the house he didn't pay attention at all to any of his surroundings. His mind was still focused on the picture he had found of the day he was born.
"Merlin's beard Potter!" A cool voice exclaimed, pulling Harry out of his thoughts. Looking up he saw he was standing in the doorway leading into the small kitchen dinning room. Sitting at the table in front of him were Tonks, Blaise and Professor Snape who was looking at him in shock. "You look like shit." He continued as he surveyed his least favorite student.
"You don't exactly look like a basket of roses yourself." Harry snapped back as sat down and looked at the cuts and bruises that were faded but still visible on the man's face and neck. "So, how long have we been here and why aren't we at Hogwarts?" He asked Tonks after several minutes of silence. He was a little surprised, not to mention worried when Snape seemed to swell with anger and Blaise's usually calm exterior faded away to be replaced with unmatched fury. "Something I said?"
"Harry, as it turns out, the place we were being held was an Unspeakable safe house. All of those men that were killed when we escaped were unmarked Death Eaters and Unspeakables." Over the next fifteen minutes Tonks and Blaise filled Harry in on everything that had happened since they escaped. "We just got here two days ago. Snape woke up last night but we were expecting you to stay out for a few more days at least." Harry sat with a dumbfounded look on his face for some time. Normally Snape would have told him to snap out of it but he didn't have much room to talk, he had responded the exact same way.
"So, we are all wanted for murder now?"
"No, me and Blaise are wanted for conspiracy, assault on Ministry personnel and kidnapping a ministry detainee. Snape is wanted for conspiracy, assault, and resisting arrest. And you scored the most points. They've got you for conspiracy, assault, kidnapping a ministry detainee, destruction of Ministry property, resisting arrest and twelve counts of murder of Ministry personnel. Now as you can see the deck is certainly stacked against us and with the way the legal system is arranged we are as good as 'kissed' if the Ministry catches us." After thinking everything over Harry could not help the small smile that was tugging at the corner of his lips which left the others confused.
"May I ask what you find so amusing about this situation?" Snape asked angrily.
"Hold on, I'll explain in a minute. I think we can use this situation to our advantage. Tonks, where is this Twinkle you told me about?" No sooner had the words left his mouth then a quiet pop was heard and a house elf appeared at Harry's side.
"Master Harry Potter called Twinkle?" She asked as she bowed deeply.
"Wow, you heard me?" Harry asked with dumbfounded expression on his face.
"We are always listening for our master? So what may I do for you master?" She asked proudly.
"Ok, well first can you call me Harry instead of master?" He asked in an almost pleading voice. Twinkle looked almost horrified at the very thought of addressing her master in such an informal fashion but the seeing the look on Harry's face told her that he was uncomfortable with such titles.
"Alright mast…Harry."
"Thank you." Harry said with a sigh of relief. He had fully expected her to refuse. "Now, I was wondering if you could see about bring Professor Dumbledore here for a little chat?"
"Of course Harry." She said happily before vanishing with a pop.
"I didn't mean she had to go right this minute." He said as he looked at all of the confused faces staring at him.
XXX
Albus Dumbledore sat behind his desk with both an amused and annoyed look on his face. This look was hard for anyone to pull off but this was Dumbledore we're talking about here. He sat listening to Amelia Bones, head of Magical law Enforcement, rattle on about how Fudge was an idiot and how Harry Potter and Nymphadora Tonks could never commit such acts of violence. Since she didn't know the other two that well she could not speak for them but with Harry and Tonks she was certain. Because of all the chaos the situation had caused at the Ministry she had been unable to get to Hogwarts to see Dumbledore sooner but now that she had she was going to tell him exactly what was on her mind. Unfortunately for Dumbledore he had been unable to calm her enough to explain the situation fully so he had no choice but to wait it out.
"Now that jackass has all of my Aurors hunting for Potter when they should be out hunting for Death Eaters. We are going to have every young Auror out there trying to make a name for himself by taking on The-Boy-Who-Lived. Every resource the Ministry has is being put into this manhunt and it is absolutely ridiculous." Coming up with a solution, Albus was quick to cut her off before she started up again.
"Harry did kill those Unspeakables Amelia." He said loudly. That one statement had its desired effects as Madam Bones choked on her own words as they were leaving her throat. She stared at Dumbledore with wide eyes for a moment before she found her voice again.
"What?" She nearly screamed. She was a woman that did not like to be contradicted and if Albus thought that Potter was capable of such evil then he was no smarter than Fudge.
"You heard me. Just under three weeks ago Harry, Ms. Zabini and Ms. Tonks were captured by Death Eaters while they were shopping in Diagon Alley." Madam Bones listened in shocked silence as Dumbledore retold the events as told to him by both Blaise and Tonks. Hearing what Harry had done to protect the two women left her admiring him even more but this still did not explain the charges against them.
"As it turns out they were being held in the basement of an Unspeakable safe house and the Death Eaters holding them were unmarked and working within the ranks of the Unspeakables. During their escape Harry did indeed kill twelve of them. As I understand it he actually killed one other not long after they were first taken. But it is unknown if he was an Unspeakable as well or if he was just some other Death Eater like the Malfoys."
"Twelve Unspeakables were Death Eaters?" She gasped in shock.
"Actually it would be at least thirteen. You are forgetting the one that survived and told his tall tale to the Ministry to begin with. So far I have been unable to speak to the man. It seems that Cornelius wants to keep me away from him. But as you know, I have my own ways of learning if someone is lying to me or not and I could detect nothing but honesty from Misses Zabini and Tonks." Madam Bones appeared to be about to ask another question but was cut off when a small house elf entered with a pop. She merely looked around at her surrounding before walking up to Professor Dumbledore.
"My master would like to speak with you sir."
"I will speak with you again later Amelia." And with another pop they were both gone leaving a very confused Madam Bones behind.
XXX
"Are you going to tell us what the hell is going on or not?" Snape shouted after Twinkle vanished.
"Its simple really. What is the Death Eaters most powerful weapon?" Harry asked as he stood up to walk around the room.
"Fear."
"Exactly Blaise. People are afraid of them. Now, we have that going for use as well. Only now both sides will fear us." He explained with a grin.
"Ok and what does that have to do with anything?" Tonks asked as she and Blaise seemed confused but Snape looked as though comprehension had dawned.
"Although those men were Death Eaters, they were still fully trained Unspeakables. And Potter here killed them pretty easily. Though the Death Eaters and the Ministry think it started differently depending on who's story you believe it still ended the same way. With twelve dead Unspeakables. The Death Eaters will think twice before going against Potter in the future and that same fear will be useful against our enemies in the Ministry." Snape explained.
"Exactly. Despite popular opinion, the situation with the Death Eaters is easy when compared to the trouble in the Ministry. Fudge will certainly use this situation to divert attention from his failing administration. He has taken so many heavy blows over the last few years that even the most thick headed wizard has to have noticed."
/POP/
Looking up Harry saw the relieved look Dumbledore was sending him before he look the other three over.
"So Harry, I understand you wanted to see me about something!" He stated kindly as he took a seat.
"Yes sir I did. Before anything else is said though I want to make it clear that if you had us sent here because you thought it was a good place to tuck us away until everything is resolved it is not going to work. I will not trade in one prison for another, no matter how warm and inviting it may be. So instead I have a proposal for you." He started in a firm voice. By the look on Dumbledore's face it was clear that he had hoped Harry would cooperate and stay out of site but he now knew that that would never happen.
"And what does this proposal entail?"
"From what Blaise told me while we were reading through Slytherin's journals, when I first went to check out the Chamber of Secrets the night your brother brought me to Hogwarts you explained some of the things the Order would now be doing. You explained that some 'questionable', hence illegal, tactics would be used to gather information and cut off the Death Eaters chain of command."
"Yes Harry but what does that have to do with the situation at hand?" Dumbledore asked in confusion. It was also clear from their faces that the others did not know where Harry was going with this line of conversation.
"What I am proposing is simple. Everyone of these 'questionable' tactics will not be done by the Order, but by us." Harry said indicating the other three as well. "Before now the Order has primarily sought out information about upcoming Death Eater attacks and tried to prevent them or if need be, assist the Aurors in fighting them off. This is all well and good, but if you start going further Fudge will have no problem having you charged for vigilantism. But, truthfully, what can he do to us if he catches us. Have the Dementor kiss us twice. You pick the targets and we will get what you need. So, we will take care of all of the Order's 'dirty business while you use the information we have collected to go do your daily good deed." Dumbledore sat shock still for several moments with his eyes wide in disbelief, a look that was mirrored by the other three in the room. Finally after regaining his composure he was about to try to shot the idea down when he looked into Harry's eye. In the deep green that was hardened by pain was a strong determination that was so like his mother's. Taking a deep breath he sighed, knowing that he would not be able to talk him out of it.
"And if I say no?" Albus asked quietly.
"Then I will do it anyway and you will feel bad for me going against your wishes." Harry said so simply and with a straight face that Dumbledore could not help but chuckle a little.
"Is there anyone from the Order, aside from the four of you, that you would like to have within your team?" He asked finally.
"Only two. Mundungus Fletcher and Bill Weasley."
"Why those two?" Tonks asked in confusion a Harry's choices.
"If I am going to face Voldemort again I'm going to need all the help with my dueling that I can get, especially with this bum eye. Bill is an accomplished curse breaker so he knows his stuff. And if he agrees to come Albus have Mundungus gather together all of the street thugs and lowlifes he can and have them questioned extensively under Veritaserum. If we are going to be breaking into someone's house to dig through their belongings or, um, 'detain' them, I want to do it with people that have a bit of experience in that field." Harry explained thoughtfully.
"What of Remus or even the Weasley twins?"
"No, unfortunately with me 'on the run', the Ministry will be keeping a close eye on Remus and the Weasleys. But since Bill's work is primarily outside of the country it shouldn't be a problem."
"I will get on that right away. Any funds you may need you will be able to easily withdraw from your family account at Gringotts. The ministry can, and already has, confiscated your personal vault that had your trust fund. But according to goblin law they are forbidden to touch a family vault." Dumbledore explained.
"I have a family vault?"
"Yes you do. I did not tell you about it sooner because as a minor you are unable to take full possession of it until you are seventeen so you are unable to even enter it. But since your personal vault is now in Ministry hands you are able to have limited access to it. When you get the time write a letter to the manager of Gringotts, his name is Bullgluk. He will be able to arrange a way for you to access your funds."
For the next hour and a half the four sat around the table and talked of everything imaginable. From Voldemort and his Death Eaters to the Chudley Cannons chances at winning the Quiditch cup that year. Harry was greatly surprised to see Snape get involved in a normal conversation like a regular human being. After most topics were exhausted Dumbledore headed back to Hogwarts and Harry, who began to grow weary again, went back up to his room to get some sleep. He spent nearly two more hours just staring at the picture of him and his parents on the day he was born for another two hours before finally drifting of to sleep.
TBC