Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or any other characters that are made by JK Rowling; but I own the plot and some new characters and spells.
A/N: Alright; this is the 'moment of truth of truth' as they say; and I know that most of you, if not all, are waiting for this moment; the moment when Hermione knows that Harry is a wizard, and what a hard moment it is. First, I have to thank Dark Wolf of Teros for his review, and I also thank the other readers, especially the devoted ones. I know that I burned your nerve endings with my rather long speech; so, on with the chapter …
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Revelation
For the whole time during her drive to home, Hermione was contemplating on tonight's precious finding; she has never dreamed of putting her hand on such information regarding Harry Potter, yet most of it was still unclear 'Auror?' she thought to herself 'Death Tracker? … What does it mean? I never heard of such occupation, but what I'm sure of is that he is indeed a leader; his gestures coincide with his profile, and he has showed such authority many times before his despicable assassination attempt; it was that time only when I didn't feel his authority; I wonder …' she sighed loudly 'It is really confusing, and that US 1st Battalion matter which I can't seem to fathom; is it part of those so-called death eaters? Or is he working for a foreign government? Or another opposing illegal organization? There is a lot in my 'to do' list tomorrow; Please God; help me in these hardships …'
She reached her hotel block and parked her car in the parking lot; upon reaching her floor she felt that something was not in place 'Must be the dim light; I should inform the maintenance that this matter is not acceptable. Either they do their work properly or I will find another flat for lease' she pulled out her keys out of her pocket and pushed it into the keyhole; oddly enough, the door was already open …
"Hello … Mum, Dad" Hermione called as she cautiously stepped in; she only took few steps forward before hearing the door shut behind her.
"Good evening … Granger" a familiar voice hit her ears, and she turned around only to see Harry Potter looking at her pointing his wand directly. She quickly un-holstered her gun but he flicked his wand and it flew out of her hands into his "Now, now; that was not a wise move. You don't want me to get angry, do you?"
"What do you want, Potter? I told you I will shoot you on sight" Hermione questioned angrily, and he chuckled murkily "I missed you a lot, so I thought about dropping by; and your parents were really hospitable …"
Hermione's heart fell when he mentioned her parents; and she yelled at him "Where are my parents? What have you done to them?"
He smiled evilly as he answered "They are in the living room, and nothing has happened to them … Yet" he then pointed his wand at her and said dryly "Now … Move" They walked into the living room and she saw her parents at the corner with five death eaters pointing their wands at them.
"Hermione" her mother exclaimed in panic; and she was about to stand up and run toward her only daughter, but a death eater stepped forward and pointed his wand at her throat warningly "Don't move, muggle; or else …" the death eater said in a warning tone.
"Millicent, my dear; relax. They are as harmless as flobberworm" Harry said calmly yet in a dark tone; and Hermione looked at him in fury before walked toward her parents. She sighed in relief when she saw them in good shapes.
"Mum, Dad; are you okay?" she asked them in a concerned tone, and her mother hugged her tightly "Hermione, thank God; I thought he was going to kill you when he said he was going to wait for you by the door"
Her father grasped her shoulder "I don't know how the bloody did they come in here; it is as if they appeared out of thin air" he stated irritable, and the statement stirred a dormant thought in her head, but this wasn't the right time or place to discuss theories.
"Oh, such a warm reunion; I cannot hold back my tears anymore" Harry sneered as he wiped off fake tears; and Millicent said in impatient tone "Look; we have to finish the job before HE comes; we have to kill them now"
"Millicent, dear; I told you not to worry; HE does not know that we are here; so it is not harmless to have some fun; everyone put your wands back in your pockets; it is not a good thing to show off in front of our host" Harry said slyly as he eyed the panicked group, and the death eaters obeyed. Dan regained his bravery and stood up in front of him "I demand your leave immediately!"
Harry eyed him coldly "Return to your seat, muggle"; Dan got infuriated "What's with that epithet 'Muggle'?"
"It means commoner; impure; inferior; much like you are. Now, back to your seat or you will be harmed" he pointed his wand at him warningly; but Dan held his ground "Do not come here and threaten me with a piece of wood, son; I've encountered a lot of threats, but this one makes me laugh"
"Oh really! Do not underestimate the potential power f this piece of wood, muggle; and I would like to see how you will laugh after this … Crucio" Dan shrieked in pain and tumbled down as the curse hit him, he screamed loudly and his body convulsed violently "No" both women exclaimed at the same time; and Emma dropped to her knees crying "Please, stop; have you no mercy?"
"Stop it!" Hermione exclaimed in fury as angry tears formed in her eyes; she couldn't stand watching her father being tortured inhumanely "I said stop it!" she rushed forward and courageously grasped Harry's wand arm and pulled it away from her father, and the torture stopped.
"Bitch!" Harry yelled in wrath as he slapped her on the face so hard which caused her lower lip to bleed; he then looked at her in fury, and an idea came to him "If you love your pitiful father that much, then it would be ironic if he was killed by your hands. Manson, why don't we test your Imperious curse?"
He stepped a few meters as the aforementioned death eater stepped forward and plled off his hood revealing a scarred and stuffed face; a sly grin was playing on his lips as he replied "As ye wish … Imperio" Hermione felt as if she was floating on the surface of water and calmness came over her; she heard Manson's voice commanding her "Now, muggle; pick up the gun in fron' o' you an' shot 'yer muggle father wit' it"; she picked up the gun which Harry has thrown it in front of her and pointed it at her father; she tried to pull the trigger, but her mind stopped her 'What are you doing, this is your father you are aiming your gun at; this is not right'
"Why 'ave ye stopped, muggle; kill the ol' bastard" Manson shouted at her maliciously; and she turned toward him slowly "My father is not a bastard …" she said slowly "… And I will not kill him"
The group of death eater looked at her with utter astonishment; and Manson yelled at her "Shoot him"; and the sound of gunfire echoed across the room.
"Damn …" Manson muttered with wide eyes as blood seeped from a hole in the middle of his forehead before falling on the floor, dead. Harry eyed him in disbelief, before shooting an angry gaze at Hermione; whose was gun was releasing the post-firing smoke "You bitch!" he exclaimed in anger "You have signed your death sentence by this careless act; I wish you a painful death … Avada Kedavra"
The sickening green beam shot out of his wand and worked its way to Hermione; but out of a twirl of fire, Fawkes appeared in front of her and swallowed the whole beam before turning ablaze.
"Damn …" Harry muttered "Not that bloody bird again" as he ended his statement, the lights of the whole house began flashing, and the furniture began to rumble. The death eaters pulled out their wands and Millicent cried in panic "What's happening?"
Hermione heard Harry whispering "Potter …" before turning to his aide "Be on your guard; Potter is he-"
"Stupefy!"
The front doors crumbled and shards flew everywhere as a huge red stunner came sweeping across the entry pushing everything in its way and causing mayhem on its path, until it hit Harry squarely in the chest; he never had the chance to complete his sentence, let alone erecting the proper shield to block that gigantic stunner. He flew back and groaned hit the wall hard and fell unconscious; and the surrounding death eaters dropped off-balance because of the vacuum cause by the spell. As the dust settled down Hermione glance at the entrance to see who her savior was, and her jaw dropped as she saw him; he was Harry Potter …
"Two Harrys! H-How!" Hermione stuttered; but Harry ignored her stupor as he steppe into the hall pointing his wand at the remaining death eaters dangerously "Yield peacefully, and no harm will be done …" she can feel a surge of power struggling to come out of his body, and when she looked into his eyes, she saw the same commanding looks; yet, they were showing terrible rage.
Millicent let out a scornful laugh as she took the same pose, and the other death eaters followed "Never, Potter; we outnumber you and the place is too small to dodge curses"
"You can't be sure until you try Harry muttered slowly as the tip of his wand glowed. Millicent got angry and shouted at her companion death eaters "Kill him!"; they took the cue and both yelled in confidence "Avada Kedavra!"; Hermione's heart fell when she saw two jets of green light made their way toward Harry, but she was astounded as the two jets bounced of his chest not causing any harm to him.
"You idiots!" Millicent yelled at the death eaters "Have you forgotten that he is immune to the killing curse?"
"I thought you told us that no one can be immune to it?" a death eater exclaimed in annoyance; and the other death eater remarked "And I thought you told us that he is a mudblood and muggle-lover; which means he is inferior to us. He can never be stronger"
"I see that you are a bad tutor, Bulstrode; and they are still untrained at dueling" Harry sneered at them "So, let me help you a bit" as he ended his statement, his aura shot high to the ceiling and everybody gasped in awe, including Hermione who was experiencing the whole matter for the first time in her life.
"An aura! He got an aura, and you didn't tell us" one of the death eaters cried in fear; and another one said angrily "And you told us that he is inferior; how inferior is that?"; Bulstrode didn't mind answering them because she was astounded herself; It was the first time she saw Harry's aura up close, and it is so … intimidating. She made up her mind and shouted at them "Retreat … For now"
The death eaters didn't wait for her order as they were trying to flee the scene; but something kept pulling them down; and Harry smiled slyly at their fleeing attempts "How do you like my trap? First lesson, prepare the dueling grounds before you duel"
"Nonsense" Millicent said as her pig face paled "We didn't feel any ward upon our arrival"
"Because your arrival was the thing that triggered it" Harry retorted with a confident smile "Now for our second lesson. Hermione, if you please, get down so you won't get caught in the middle" Harry addressed Hermione while looking at her; and Millicent eyes gleamed and she exclaimed "Now, my turn … Expelliarmus"
Harry's wand flew out of his grasp, and she yelled in victory as she summoned the wand "I've done it, I disarmed Harry Potter. How do you think of that, boys?" she felt uncomfortable as nobody replied "boys?" she repeated again while turning toward them, and she saw three headless corpses lying in a pool of their blood "What the bloody …" she didn't complete her sentence as she felt a tip of a sword being placed under her chin; she followed the blade with her stare and her eyes fell on Harry who was grasping the sword skillfully and threateningly.
"Lesson number two; if your enemy lost his wand, it does not mean that he is defeated; constant vigilance" he said slowly as his emerald eyes was locked onto hers; and her she quivered with fear "You lied; you said that you placed an anti apparition ward"
He smiled slyly "Who said I apparated, I merely leaped to your side; and that brings up to the third lesson; which is …"
"… To count your enemies before you duel, Potter" he heard his own voice coming from the back; he looked around and saw the imposter standing at the corner of the hall were he has fallen unconscious.
"So, you regained your consciousness, deceiver" Harry said coldly "Yield and no harm will be done to your companion"
"As if I care about her" the imposter spat "And if you know me better, you would know that I prefer to see her in pain than yielding; which reminds me …" he glance at Hermione, who was dumbfounded by the whole ordeal "She hasn't tasted my ultimate torture yet; say goodbye to your muggle bitch, Potter … Crucio"
The dark red sparks shot out of the imposter's wand aiming for the fear-frozen Hermione; Harry, without thinking, jumped between her and the curse taking the full hit.
"No …" Hermione whispered as she saw Harry dropping to the ground with his sword beside him and his body convulsing violently with muffled pain groans coming out of his mouth.
"I did it" the imposter exclaimed in victory as his eyes gleamed in maliciousness "I got Auror Harry Potter under an unforgivable; how does it feel to be the victim, Potter?"
"Stop it!" Hermione exclaimed "Leave Harry alone you-you Imposter"; the imposter looked at her slyly "So, you finally got it; too bad you are muggle. Don't worry, just wait until I finish off Potter and you will join him very soon"
"You … Should not … Underestimate … Me" Harry said slowly and painfully as his aura appeared again shrugging of the dark red sparks of the cruciatus curse; the sudden appearance of the aura pushed both Hermione and the imposter off balance. Harry stood up gritting his teeth in pain as the aura ebbed "I've been tortured by a people worse than you …"
"No body surpasses me in power; not even Flint" the imposter stood up and took few steps back with his wand pointed at Harry.
"Then you need on last lesson … Offendo" Hermione's eyes widened as she recognized the word; she saw Harry pushing his open palm into the imposter's chest and a white beam came out of it sending the imposter flying until he hit the wall. Harry then dropped to his knee in pain, and she paced toward him with quivering heart "Harry, are you alright?"
"Yes" he said almost in a whisper "Thank you for understanding the situation"
"No" she said shaking her head "I thank you for saving my live … Again" then they heard a commotion coming from the end of the room; and saw Millicent trying to flee beyond the ward borders "Harry, she is fleeing"
"No she is not" he summoned his wand and shouted "Carpe retractum" and a red thread appeared out of Harry's wand and swirled itself around millicent's neck; he then pulled her forcibly tossing toward the nearest wall causing her to collide violently and fall unconscious; he then conjured a rope and it magically tied Millicent and the imposter.
Hermione was dumbfounded for the umpteenth time when she saw the techniques Harry showed, one after another; even though in her mind she is still in debate about Harry, but deep in her heart she knew that it was him, the Harry she knew for a month until now.
"Let's check up your parents now" Harry's weakened voice pulled her out of her thoughts, and she saw him walking slowly toward her father "Mr. Granger, can you hear me? … Daniel" he called him but he didn't answer "Must be unconscious" he hovered his wand over the fallen body, and the red sparks appeared.
"What was that?" Hermione questioned; and Harry gave her a significant look "He was hit with the same light I was hit with, right?"
"Yes; he was convulsing madly" as if Dan heard her, he entered another fit, and she looked at him in panic "No! Dad!"
"It is the aftereffect of the curse; hold him tightly" she did as she was told, and she saw Harry pulling a vial with a purple potion out of his coat pocket
"What is that thing?" she asked him in panic as he poured the content of the vial down her father's throat.
"It is a muscle relaxing potion; pretty handy in such situations"
"Like Valium?" she asked
"Same concept; but more effective" as he ended his sentence, Dan's body stopped convulsing proving the truth of his word "He is stable for now; but I need to take him to the hospital anyway"
"You need a doctor yourself, Harry" she said in a concerned voice as she noticed the bruises and wounds all over his face, arms and neck
He retorted dismissively "Don't worry about that now. First, we have to check upon your mother"
"Mum" she remembered that she didn't notice her mother during the whole ordeal; she was lying on the sofa near them. Harry walked to her and checked her vitals before sighing in relief "Just fainted" he flicked his wand muttering "Enervate" and she was awakened.
"Wha-What happened? Dan? Hermione?" she looked a bit disoriented before she noticed Harry beside her
"Get away from me" she yelled in panic and Harry, although he didn't anything, respected her request and walked away from her toward the imposter.
"Mum; it's alright. It was not Harry who attacked us; it was an imposter in disguise; this is the real Harry" Hermione soothed her mother; who was eyeing Harry and the imposter in disbelief "Two Harrys; I must be going mental"
Harry trying to enervate the imposter, but he was knocked out cold that he needed to perform the enervation twice for it work; finally, the imposter awaken and glared at Harry in sheer hate.
"Care to tell me who you are, if you please?" Harry asked casually; and the death eater spat at him "Sweet talk does not suite you, Potter"
"Then a dose of Veritaserum will do the trick" he forced the whole vial down the imposter's throat; who gulped the potion unwillingly. In a matter of seconds, the potion began to take effect.
"Now then" Harry stated "Are you a death eater?"
"Yes" the imposter said with a red face as he tried to fight the effects of the potion.
Harry smiled calmly "Of course, it's a silly question anyway. The most important one is … Who are you?"
The imposter tried to struggle off his ropes before he answered "Wait and see …" then he let a muffled cry as a surge of pain came over his whole body. Hermione, who was observing the interrogation from the beginning, averted her eyes from him in disgust as his skin began to waver violently. Finally, the effects of the polyjuice potion vanished, and the imposer was exposed …
"Theodore Nott …" Harry said coldly "Of course, who else would be sick enough to perform such gruesome deeds"
Nott laughed maliciously as he retorted "You mean exciting deeds; I never had so much fun in my life as I had in this night"
"You think torturing people is fun …" Harry said slowly; and Hermione shivered as the lights began to malfunction again, and the temperature dropped sharply "Then an immediate punishment is in order" he said as he levitated him wandlessly and motionlessly.
"What are you doing?" Nott questioned in panic as he saw the death glare on Harry's face; and he shrieked loudly as Harry pushed him magically toward the ceiling causing him to collide hardly "This is for killing Lydia …" then he descended him speedily and he hit the floor forcibly "And this is for Torturing Pierce and Dan …"; then he sent him flying toward the furthest wall hitting hard again "And this is for trying to kill Hermione …"; and lastly, he brought him back at high speed colliding him at the nearest wall, head first "And this is for having the nerve to impersonate me to cover your cruel deeds"
The merciless death eater fell unconscious due to the consecutive wall bangs; but Harry addressed him nonetheless "You will continue your fun in the afterlife; when we serve you to the veil. But now you are regrettably needed for further interrogation" Harry remarked and summoned a vase from the corner of the room "I'm sorry, Hermione but I need this … Portus" the vase glowed in blue as the spell took effect "See you in the headquarters, Nott" he threw the vase at him and he disappeared in a second.
"Where did he go?" Hermione questioned in amazement as she was pulled out of her shock at what Harry just did.
"I sent him to the holding cells in the headquarters" he replied; then pressed the button of the invisible headphone. And Hermione gasped as the invisibility charm failed, and a green miniature hologram appeared in front of Harry.
"Yes, Sir" the man in the hologram addressed Harry respectably.
"Situation contained at the Grangers'; but they need a place to hide until all is finished. Prepare the guest room for them" Harry said in commanding tone.
"Roger, sir"
"Theodore Nott and Millicent Bulstrode have been caught and three other death eaters has been eliminated"
"Actually they were four" Hermione said cautiously, and Harry looked at her questionably "I killed one when he was trying to manipulate me into killing my own father"
Harry looked at her in amazement as he resumed his command "Make them four eliminated, Dick. Send Phoenix Five in her to collect Bulstrode and the dead body for identification as I already sent Nott to the holding cells in the main headquarters; and do not forget to inform the ministry about the update in the wanted list"
"Roger, Sir"
"Over and out" Harry ended the call then turned toward Hermione "Now, Hermione, you and Mrs. Granger need to be transferred to safety … Fawkes"
Hermione winced as the regal bird appeared from under his ashes and flew to Harry's shoulder "How are you doing? I need you to transfer Hermione and her mother to the headquarters, and then you can repose for a while"
The enormous phoenix sang soundly then flew toward Hermione's shoulder, who startle at the bird's sudden movements "Don't worry" Harry said "You are in good hands; or I should say, talons"
"Wait; what about Dan?" Emma said in apparent panic "He's not dead, is he?"
"Don't worry Mum" Hermione replied He is just hurt; Harry will take him to the hospital"
"She is right, Mrs. Granger; for the time being, I only need you to worry about your own safety. Now, Fawkes … Go"
Fawkes obeyed his master, and in a twirl of fire they all disappeared, leaving Harry, Dan, and the rest alone in the apartment "Sorry Mr. Granger" Harry addressed the unconscious man "We need to wait for the Phoenix Team arrival"
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Hermione felt the room spin as the fire covered her and her mother; then, in a second, everything stopped and they found them selves in another room. It was a dim room with five beds; and she noticed the light coming from under the only door in the room, she opened the door slowly, and her eyes widened at what she saw.
There were no less than twenty people coming from and going into other rooms, and they were all dressed in strange dark uniforms; but she assumed they were military, or at least security force uniforms, judging from the variant insignias on their shoulders. They paid her no attention as they went on with their different businesses.
"Del Costa, Auror Potter ordered Phoenix Five to present at the Grangers' for body collection; the area is surrounded by a strong anti-apparition ward, so you should apparate at point Q6; and he said quickly, he needs to transfer a muggle casualty to St. Mungo's" a woman addressed a strong-muscled man who nodded at her "Alright, I'll call my team"
The walked out of the room; and Hermione stood confusingly by the door 'What the bloody was that, they look and act like an organized agency'
"Hermione; is see that you are fine" a familiar voice startled her; she looked at its direction and saw Ron staring at her, smiling; and he had a bondage surrounding his head.
"Ron! Don't tell me that you too are …"
"Right as always 'mione. I am working with Harry" he interrupted with the same smile, and then he looked inside the room and saw Emma sleeping on one of the beds "I see that your mother is okay, too; but where is your father?"
"He got hurt" she said in a sad tone "Harry said that he will take him to a hospital"
"If he is with Harry, then he is in good hands" then he looked at her in concern "Your lip I bleeding by the way"
She wiped the blood with her hand "It must be when the imposter sapped me; but you are the one whom I should ask about with that big bondage around your head. What happened?"
"Long story …" Ron said dismissively "But it's not the time for it; come on, everybody is waiting" he ushered her toward a near door which she entered; and she was welcomed by a sight she wouldn't imagine.
There were countless computers arranged along the wall with many monitors showing the police station in different angles; and with the humming of the machines she felt like she was in a computer company.
"Welcome to the intelligence room" Ron said to her; but she didn't hear him as she eyed Pierce talking with another man in uniform.
"Pierce!" she exclaimed; and he beamed as he saw her coming toward him.
"Hey Herms; so they got you here too. I was dead worried about you" he gave her a friendly hug, which she returned gratefully and she questioned "How did you get here? Don't tell me; you were targeted for assassination, too"
"Bullseye, Miss Holmes …" he remarked with his trademark grim "And thanks to Ron and Ginny here; I and my daughter were rescued. It looks like my whole family is now in a life-debt with the Weasleys"
"I hope your insurance can cover that debt, Pierce" Dick remarked jokily; and Hermione noticed him for the first time "I don't think we have ever met"
Dick noticed that he didn't introduced himself "How rude of me; my name Richard Howards; I'm the team's Intel specialist; you can call me Dick"
"By the way, he's our bouncer" Pierce stated with a smile; and Hermione gaped at him "You!"
Dick smiled in guilt "I'm sorry for the trouble I caused to you; I was just following orders and collecting mysterious unsolved cases; but that death eater took advantage of the situation and attacked you"
"Yeah; that Potter needs to be stopped immediately" Pierce commented seriously before smiling "And with the help of Wes boys, I think that this case can be solved easily"
Hermione looked perplexed at Pierce's remark; then she looked at the irritated Ron "You didn't tell him …"
"I was going to tell him; but I was waiting for the right moment to …" Ron said defensively; but Hermione interrupted him "I will tell him"
"Tell me what?" Pierce looked at them in concern; and Hermione placed her hand on his arm "Look, Pierce; you need to know who did save me; he is none other than …" but she didn't complete her sentence as the doors opened, and Harry stepped in.
"I see that we are all here; good" Harry stated calmly; and Pierce got enraged by the sight of the supposed murderer of his wife.
"What is he doing here?" Pierce un-holstered his gun and pointed it at Harry, who stood frozen midway toward them.
Hermione felt her body tensed at that point, and she shouted at her partner "Pierce! Stop it! He is innocent!"
"So was my wife …" Pierce retorted in anger "And now I got the chance to avenge her and you say 'Don't'? He is a murderer, Hermione" Pierce turned his full attention to his female partner, and Harry exploited the chance and summoned the gun from Pierce's hands toward his, disarming the raging detective.
Pierce was dumbfounded at the unusual happening "W-What happened?"
"Now we can talk in civil manner" Harry stated calmly, covering his pain bravely "Anger will not get you anywhere. In fact, it will blind you from the truth even if it was under your nose; like in this moment for instance. I came to tell you that I caught the true murderer of Lydia, please follow me"
The group followed him with Pierce still confused at what happened; and Harry remembered something "Ron, has Ginny returned to you? I told her to return to you after the death eater who was eliminated"
"Yes, Harry; I brought her along with Pierce and Sherry to here. She is sleeping with sherry at the second guest room; so stop worrying, mate" Ron said calmly to his commander and best friend; who sighed in relief "Good; no ropes are loose right now" then when they reached the detention hall, he pushed the door open and glanced at Pierce "After you …"
Pierce eyed him suspiciously before being pushed inside by Hermione, and he found himself in a dim hall with five small rooms at both sides; the rooms were glowing faintly in blue as if a spotlight was aimed directly at them. At the end of the hall, a huge double door can be seen.
"What is this place?" Pierce asked as he was captivated by the neat arrangement of the hall.
"This is the detention hall …" Harry said calmly; then pointed at the holding cells "Here you can find the holding cells where we hold the convicted criminals we catch; in other words, the death eaters"; he walked toward a specific cell "Which bring us back to the main subject. Meet Theodore Nott; your torturer …"
Pierce looked at Nott, who was glaring at them maliciously; then turned back at Harry with an angry look "What the hell are you talking about? This is NOT the one who tortured me and killed Lydia"
"Hmm, Lydia … I wish I didn't kill her so quickly; so I can enjoy seeing her in pain and suffering" Nott remarked murkily; and Pierce's eyes widened as he recognized the tone "You son of a … It IS him; I cannot forget that sick tone, you piece of … LET ME AT HIM!"
Pierce banged the cell door hard as he was trying to open it, but he was pulled back by Ron and Hermione; who were having a hard time retraining him. Harry raised his eye brows as he looked at Nott in amazement "It seems that the Veritaserum is still working though its supposed effective period has ended … Such a good batch"
"It is not the serum, Potter" Nott smiled in malevolence "I am not afraid of speaking my mind; unlike you … Filthy muggle lovers"
Harry looked at him coldly before replying "Then you can spare me the headache and tell me straight; where is Flint's hideout?"
"Good one, Potter" Nott remarked "But not good enough"
Harry looked at him for a minute "Then you will force me to resort to violent measures"
"Let me at him, Potter; I will show him who is the man" Pierce said as he was trying to free himself from the clutches of his partners.
"I will deal with him myself, Pierce; thanks for the offer. And I am afraid that nothing will be left of him for you to deal with after I finish with him" Harry shot a death glare at Nott. He snapped his fingers and a rope appeared out of thin air and wrapped itself around Nott.
"How did you do that?" Pierce said in stunned voice.
"All will be explained in the right time, Pierce; I promise you that. Now, follow me …" Harry said as he pulled Nott out of the cell and pushed him toward the interrogation chamber; as they entered the room; they noticed that it did not contain any furniture save a table and a couple of chairs.
"This is the interrogation chamber; as the name indicates, this is where we interrogate the detained death eaters; which I will do now …" Harry said and magically forced Nott to sit on one of the chairs; and he sat on the other one "Now … Speak, or else"
"In your dreams, Potter" Nott hissed as he tried to struggle out of the ropes; and Harry sighed "It is unfortunate that I cannot administer another dose of Veritaserum because you will be poisoned; but I still have something under my sleeve …" Harry locked his eyes onto Nott's and muttered "Legilimens …"
Hermione looked in confusion at Harry and Nott as the latter began to shake and sweat; she leaned at Ron, who was observing the matter silently, and whispered "What is Harry doing? And why does that wanker shake?"
"Harry is trying to read Nott's mind; and he is shaking because, apparently, Harry is triggering off some 'unpleasant' memories" the he looked at her with a significant look "How do you think he got the hideout information out of that thug?"
Hermione's eye widened as she remembered a similar interrogation "So, he has read the mind of that thug; no wonder he was quivering"
By the time they finished their conversation, Harry was done with mind reading; he pulled out his wand and looked at the observing group "This will be a bit nasty, so I advice you to plug your ears" then he looked back at Nott "This will be painful, so don't deafen my ears … Memoria Extratum"
Hermione and Pierce quickly plugged their ears when a long, sharp scream came out of Nott as his memories were being extracted from him. When the process was finished, he fell back to his chair exhausted, and Harry looked at him coldly "You are now of no use to use; you will be transferred to the ministry official holding cells and will be tried for the series of crimes you have committed. I believe there is a notebookful of your deeds"
He returned him back to his cell, and ushered everybody out to the main hall; he then turned to Ron "Ron; call for the team leaders for an emergency meeting, we have to move fast so Flint wouldn't …"
"No you will not, sir" Sofia came from a nearby room wearing an irritable expression on her face "Your whole body has been bruised and injured, and as the team's medical specialist I insist that you should rest; you have to give your body a chance to recuperate"
"After the meeting, Sofia" Harry said in uneasiness "I really have to attended it"
"Not after I call the minister" Sofia said warningly "I bit he won't be happy that his high commander is neglecting his own health even if it was for the sake of the mission"
Harry frowned at the medic metamorphmagus, but then made up his mind "Ron; you attend the meeting at my place and inform dick to make a copy of the memories in here" he handed him his wand "Order Phoenix Ten, Eleven, and Twelve to place constant surveillance on Muerte's hideout; I want a full report on my desk by tomorrow evening" then he remembered something; and pulled the letter Dick gave him "Send this to Malfoy; it contains detailed information about the exploding curse. Tell him to review it properly and provide me with the proper application method"
"That's enough, sir; Auror Weasley can handle everything from that point forward" Sofia said as she pulled him toward his office; but he went on "And Ron; there is a memory I want Pierce to see; and don't forget to explain everything about our world to them"
"Everything?" Ron asked cautiously, and Harry looked at him significantly "Everything …" and then he walked into the office.
Ron then turned to Pierce and Hermione, who were feeling like they were in another world, and addressed them "I'm sorry but can you go and check on Ginny and Mrs. Granger and all of you gather in one room? I have to follow Harry's orders or he would skin me alive"
Both detectives nodded even though they didn't understand his purpose, and Pierce stated "Hermione can bring her mother; I will look for Ginny and check on Sherry at the same time. But … Ehh … Which way?" Ron smile and pointed at a near room; they split up and everyone went to his business. Hermione reached the room where she and her mother appeared in; she entered the room only to see her mother gazing upon the room in a strange manner.
"Mum" Hermione said cautiously, and Emma looked at her in relief "Hermione, thank God; I thought they separated you from me … I was afraid"
"Don't worry Mum, this is not a prison; I honestly don't know where is here, but I can assume that it is the safest place we ever can be. Now, let's go; everybody is waiting" Hermione replied as she pulled her mother up; they went to the room Ron has pointed for Pierce and walked in. upon their entry, they saw Pierce smiling brightly while speaking with Ginny, who was cuddling the sleeping Sherry motherly.
"Ginny! Thank God you are safe …" Hermione hugged her friend and neighbor "It's a good thing Ron was there"
"Yeah" Pierce retorted "It's a good thing for Sherry that Ginny was there; or else she would be dead" he shivered as an image of his daughter's dead body came to his mind "She would be too dead"
"Thank you for your nice remark, Pierce; but I told you I haven't done anything; if Harry wasn't there, I and Sherry would've been dead; he is the true hero, as always" Ginny replied with a smile, Pierce wasn't impressed with the statement over Harry, though, and he felt a little bit of jealousy overcome him; but before he can say anything, Ron entered.
"I hope you are feeling comfortable in here" Ron said as he felt the tension in the air.
"We are fine, thank you Ron; but can you hurry up and explain what the bloody is happening?" Hermione replied in impatience; Ron seated down; and everybody was sitting in front of him; and Ginny sat beside her brother.
"First, I want to assure you that we are humans; so don't go far with your 'Theories'" he looked at Hermione significantly; then continued "Now, what do you want to know?"
Pierce was the first to speak "We want to know what the hell is going on; what type of weaponry are you guys using; and the important thing, who the hell are you? We want the truth?" he asked his questions plainly; and didn't utter a word for a whole minute, and took his time organizing his thoughts before speaking "Well, I hope you are ready for the truth, because the truth doesn't always bring tranquility. We are humans as I told you; but not entirely normal humans, and we go by the name …"
"Wizards …" Hermione interrupted, and her mother and Pierce looked at her in confusion while Ron was amazed "It was magic all along, wasn't it?"
"How did you know" Ron asked with an amazed smile.
"Since the day we caught Harry and confiscated his 'wand', as you call it, I felt that this piece of wood is not normal; it cannot be a beam weapon; it contains no machinery, and today has proved me right; Latin incantations, waving, and different beams coming out of the wand, but what caused me to reconsider my theory is Harry's sword. Why does a magic user need an ordinary sword?"
"You can say that Harry is a bit different. Well …a lot different to be honest; he has been since the day of his birth he was different; his parents got killed by the most evil wizard of the century. He was sent to his aunt's house where he was abused and neglected; and he never knew about his parents' murder and about his magical heritage until the age of eleven; he also knew that since the day of his birth, he was enlisted into Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry like all the wizards of his age; and it was where we met and became best friends and brothers. The school was directed by headmaster Albus Dumbledore; who was supervised by the education council in the Ministry of Magic. Of course, Dumbledore does not need any king supervision as he was unquestionably the greatest sorcerer in the world, even though Voldemort, who was the murderer of Harry's family, claims to be the one" Ron stopped for a second and glanced at his audience who we looking at him in a mixture of interest and disbelief; then continued "During the school we had our share of adventures, and we have encountered many situations, happy and sad; even at one point Harry discovered that he has a godfather and even met him. Sadly enough, this happy reunion did not last as he lost his godfather while he was defending him; and as if sorrow wasn't enough, he lost the headmaster, the last person he deemed as a father, and Harry was shattered; he felt like he was poison; anyone comes near him gets killed brutally. Since that day, Harry found himself in front of a crossroad; either he distance himself from everybody so no one else would die; or he train himself properly so that he can protect his loved ones" Ron looked at them significantly "Luckily for us, he chose to stay and fight; he immersed himself in aggressive training; and after school, he discovered that he was the wealthiest human in the world, owning limitless assets in many companies in the world; but that didn't change his plan as we both applied for the auror program, which is a combination of both law and military school. All aurors were bound to train hard for a limit; but Harry pushed himself beyond that limit and he was admired by his superiors before his colleagues; because he learned from them, then became one of them, then surpassed them. He was promoted to senior status in a very short time; and during that time Voldemort was at the peak of his power with no one able to stop him; and during that time, Harry's tactical mind has emerged"
He took a minute to regain his composure as he was himself excited by the story "He used his unlimited wealth and Wizard Bank, which is called Gringotts, to track down Voldemort's assets and funding sources and dried most of them; which enraged the dark wizard, but that was not all; Harry predicted every move Voldemort has made because he, alone, has faced him many times more than any other wizard, and miraculously survived each time; but this time Harry was not the clueless schoolwizard, he was a senior auror with unlimited funds and truly exceptional power, and everyone knew that sooner or later, Harry and Voldemort and the prophecy will be fulfilled; and that day has come, or should I say night; Voldemort was enraged beyond reason that a mere boy has escaped him for nearly twenty four years, and he wanted to finish his business with Harry as soon as possible. He and his death eaters appeared near a magical village; and was about to attack the villagers as a warning to us; but he didn't know that Harry was expecting such move and has prepared and ambush for him, and finally they met face-to-face. They dueled like no other wizards have; and the sheer power of the fight left all of us dumbfounded as no one ever knew that Harry has reached Voldemort's level of power; the fight has lasted for ten minutes only, and Harry destroyed his nemesis" Ron hushed up for a minute giving them time to get along with his narration "Harry told me after the fight that he wished that he was the one who's dead; he was feeling empty from the inside because he wanted to share the joy of victory with a close relative; but Voldemort has left him none. Deep down inside him, Harry felt that Voldemort was the one who won"
Ron stopped talking, and Hermione felt that this was not the end "What happened then?"
"Harry was granted an exceptional promotion to 'Senior Auror, First Class', which the dream of every auror in the office, and Harry was considered the youngest auror to get such promotion, and he was appointed the Director of Auror Office; but when I saw the look on his face, vacant and restless, I knew that he will make the most stupid move that he'll ever make; and he did it … he resigned from the job"
"What?" Pierce exclaimed in shock "Why would one do such thing?"
"I never knew why back then; but Harry's excuse was that he fulfilled the prophecy, so no one needs him anymore. He left the office and all England, and for a whole year no one has ever seen him; and during that year, Marcus Flint has emerged and assumed the leadership of the Neo-Death Eaters, and tracked down the senior ones so that none of them would dare to challenge him. It was a hard year for the office, and we wished for Harry's return because we were much in need of his tactical mind, and our wish has been granted. He has returned with the most determined look I ever seen him wearing; and he hindered many plans Flint has executed using new techniques and plans, including his most famous one 'Shock and Awe', the last strategy caused Flint to flee to America; and you know the rest"
Ron finished his speech and heard two silent sobs of Emma and Ginny, who couldn't bear hearing the story again. Pierce and Hermione looked at each other before saying in unison "Unbelievable …"
"I know" Ron replied "It is hard to believe at first; but when you think of reasonable; you can accept it"
Pierce thought thoroughly before saying "Wes … Can you explain the auror chain of command, because I didn't quite get it"
Ron rubbed didn't expect this kind of question "Our promotion ladder is quite old; maybe older than that of the muggles; but you can say that there are two separate ladders; the officers and the enlists"
"And you are …" Hermione asked.
"An officer of course" Ron replied "Senior Auror, Fifth Class; which is equal to the muggle rank Colonel"
They were shocked by the statement; then Hermione spoke "If you were a colonel, that makes Harry …"
"A general" Ron interrupted; and Hermione's eyes widened; while Pierce said nothing as his face paled.
"General? But he is too young, isn't he?" Hermione questioned.
"I told you it is an exceptional promotion" Ron answered "I know that muggle military doesn't allow it, but we are not bound to senseless rules. Anyone who deserves a promotion gets it, and who would be more deserving than Harry Potter?"
"Ron" Hermione said a bit annoyed "what's with the 'muggle'? I hated it when that murderer used it; so why are you using it?"
"I'm sorry 'mione" Ron looked at her apologetically "Muggle is the name we use for non-magic folk; but some wizards use it offensively; like Nott, for example" he then tried to revert the conversation by addressing Pierce, who was silent for quite some time "Pierce, why haven't you said a word?"
"I threatened … A general" Pierce said slowly as his face paled even more; and Ron chuckled at him "Don't worry mate; Harry understands your that motive was grief. Who would understand the grief of the others better that him?" then he nodded at them "Now I beg your pardon, I have many matters to attended to; please make yourselves at home" then he walked out of the room.
In the middle of the main hall Ron heard a door opens behind him; he looked back and saw Hermione with an undecided look upon her face "Yes, Hermione?"
She looked at him undecided, before speaking "There was a bird, a red bird; it appeared out of nowhere"
"That was Fawkes; Harry's Phoenix" Ron answered "Harry trusted him with your own protection; but I didn't know that he appeared before you"
"He didn't just appear; he appeared out of flames; and swallowed that death curse you told me about; and not once, but twice"
Ron raised his eyebrow and looked at her in amazement "You know, Fawkes is an intelligent bird; and if he sacrificed himself for you, that means he is thinking highly of you; and he sacrificed himself not once, but twice as you said; it means that you are someone special Hermione"
Hermione looked at Ron confusingly; who continued "Harry also is thinking highly of you; if he isn't, he wouldn't have rushed to your aid"
Last night's events passed before her eyes, and her body shivered when she reached the point where Harry has entered "The power he displayed today; it was … intimidating"
"Harry can go a bit too far sometimes; it happens when someone he cares about is in danger" Ron said calmly; and she looked at him blankly; then she asked him "Ron, can I ask you a favor?"
He looked at her in confusion "If I can do it, then yes"
"If all of this ended, can you tell me more about Harry?"
He looked at her with a sad smile "If all of this ended; I don't think you will need to know anything about him"
She looked at him in confusion, and he excused himself out of this no-end conversation "If you excuse me, Hermione; Harry has entrusted me with some 'assignments' as you heard before; I advise you to lie your head upon a pillow for some time" he walked into a nearby room leaving the confused detective alone. She returned to the guest room and found that her mother wasn't there.
"Where is mum?" she asked Pierce, who was sitting beside Ginny and playing with his now-awake daughter.
"She said that she is a bit overwhelmed with the information; and went back to your guest room for some sleep" Pierce replied "I, too, am overwhelmed"
"You are not the only one" Hermione said, then looked at Ginny "Ginny, why have you all lied to us?"
"We did not lie, Hermione …" Ginny retorted "We are not permitted to expose our world to non-magicals. But the latest events forced us to do so. I have to tell you one thing, though; this is the first time I have ever been to this place; it is strictly an auror headquarter, as Ron have said; and I'm but a humble healer"
"Healer?" Hermione retorted; and Ginny explained "Magical physician; but I think you are mind too burdened to be filled with more information"
"You are right on that" Hermione said with a tired tone "I think the best thing I should get now is to some sleep" she waved them 'goodbye' before going for the other guest room. She found that her mother was already fast asleep; she lied on the other bed in the room, and closed her eyes.
------------------------------------------
A death eater stormed Flint's office, and "Master, Nott has been …"
"Captured, I know …" Flint interrupted him calmly; and the death eater looked at his master in confusion "Master, How …"
"I know, because the second phase of EMPA is complete" he interrupted him again with a smile "The ultimate power is near; do not worry yourselves with the captured ones and proceed with the final phase of EMPA. Just be on your guard, Potter's forces will attack very soon"
"Aye, my lord" the death eater bowed to him before walking out of the room. Muerte, who witnessed the whole conversation, looked at Flint in confusion "What was that all about, Holmes?"
"Our plans are about to be complete; and we will gain power beyond imagination" Flint replied, and Muerte retorted sarcastically "You couldn't beat that Potter, and you talk about power?"
Flint didn't get angry at the druglord's remark and replied coolly "You will see, my Latin friend, you will see …"
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For a whole hour she tried to sleep, but every time she close her eyes last night's events come to her mind; she saw faux Harry when he tortured her father, and when he tried to kill her; she felt the power of Harry's stunner when he blasted his through the flat; she saw his intensive aura that frightened her yet protected her at the same time; she saw … No … She could not see him when he moved in extraordinary speed and cleaved off the heads of three death eaters; yet she witnessed his skill in the sword by the way he held it; she remembered when he jumped in front of her taking the full blow of that sickening curse; she saw him shrugging of the pain and delivering a stunning blow to his doppelganger.
'He came, he saw, and he conquered' she thought to herself; then sighed grievously and muttered "You are so brave, Harry Potter; yet so confusing"
"You are awake" Hermione jumped at the sudden statement; and looked at the source of the sound only to see her mother, who has just awaken and looked at her with sleepy eyes.
"I was not asleep at the first place; I was thinking about last night's ordeal …"
"And Harry Potter" Emma interrupted slyly; and a blush crept to Hermione's cheeks, and she replied defensively "I should be; he was the one who saved us all"
"And that what makes it romantic" Emma retorted "Prince charming one his white horse comes and save his beloved princess"
"MUM! Stop teasing me" Hermione's face was beet red "Life is more complicated than a fairytale; and if you haven't been listening he is a wizard"
"And what if?" Emma said in a scolding tone "He is human, isn't he? He is young, brave; and by God he is a general. I bet many girls are drooling over him; and his … Magic? Think of at as a unique power"
"I know mum …" Hermione replied irritably "But what I think this is not the right time or place to discuss this matter"
Emma rolled her eyes "Whatever, you are just as stubborn as your father" then she remembered "Speaking of your father, when can we see him?"
"I don't know, but I'm going to ask Harry about it personally … Among other things" by the end of her statement she stood up, and walked out of the room. She looked left and right trying to guess where Harry's office is; but failed miserably. She haphazardly chose a door; but it led her to the intelligence room where she saw Dick and Sofia chatting.
"Yes, detective" Sofia questioned with a tone that sounded familiar to Hermione.
"I'm looking for Harry's room; I have some questions for him"
"He is resting right now; and I forbid you from disturbing him" Sofia said in defiance; and Hermione looked at her in fury.
"I want just to ask him about my father; not to wrestle him" Hermione snapped at the young auror.
"Whoa girls; no need for a catfight here" dick tried to calm them down; but all what he gained was a yell from both of them.
"Shut up" both women yelled at him at the same time; them Hermione looked at the female auror in confusion "You sound familiar to me; have we met before?"
"Of course … Detective Granger" Sofia retorted as she began to shape shift; and Hermione gasped as a familiar face appeared in front of her "Laura!"
"Yes, I'm Laura, the crime scene investigator you don't like" her face returned to its original features as she spoke "But in reality, I am Sofia Blanc; French member in the international auror team, and the medic and the espionage specialist of the team; I can shape shift my appearance which gives me unlimited choices of characters I can utilize in my missions"
"Great, is there another faux police officer I haven't met yet?" Hermione remarked
"Not that I know of from our team; but I bet there is at least one from the death eaters; and he is the one responsible form McLaden's wife murder" then she looked at her sternly "But this is no our concern right now; what purpose do you have for meeting our injured commander"
"I told you; it's about my father. He got injured and tortured last night, and Harry said that he will send him to the hospital. I just want to know when I can visit him … Please" Hermione pleaded, and the young auror looked at her stubbornly, before her face soften.
"Third room from the left" Sofia said with a smile "Just don't storm the room"
"Thank you; I am so grateful" Hermione said happily before storming out of the room; she counted three room on her left and entered the third on quietly, and she found herself inside an office.
It was a simple yet elegant office; with a paper-covered office, an overstuffed file cabinet, and an incomplete bookshelf. Fawkes was sleeping on a nearby bird stand; and sunlight can be seen coming in shyly through the blinds. She stepped in cautiously and looked around until she found Harry, who was sleeping peacefully on a nearby sofa; she walked toward him slowly until she stood nearly beside him, he was sleeping shirtless and was hugging his sheathed sword with dear life; and she can see that his lean but muscular body was covered with many minor to moderate bruises; and she assumed that it was from the torture he got; to her surprise, the bruises were dissolving one after another. She looked upon his face and she saw that it bears the most angelic expressions she ever saw
'How can a person bearing such handsome face be able kill anyone?' she thought to herself, then she blushed at her own thoughts. She leaned forward and was about to wake him up, but a birdsong made her flinch; she turned at the source and sighed with relief as it was none other than Fawkes. She turned her eyes back at Harry, and they fell upon a pair of dangerous green eyes, and she felt cold steel under her chin.
'Now, he can kill' she thought to herself as she swallowed hard; then spoke with a hoarse voice "Harry, it's me … Hermione"
Harry looked at her for a second before withdrawing his sword and apologizing calmly "Hermione, I'm so sorry. You shouldn't have sneaked up on me, it is dangerous"
"Yes, I can clearly see it" she said with a sigh of relief "You are so fast, I didn't hear or see you move"
"Courtesy of sensei. Please, sit down" Harry replied with a smile, and ushered her to sit on a nearby sofa, and she did as told "Now, is there something you want to speak with me about"
"Yes" Hermione said in concern "My father …"
"He is alright" Harry interrupted her calmly "I have transferred him to a magical hospital, and placed four aurors for his protection; I also insisted that a healer consultant is assigned to tend to him. Rest assured Hermione, he is in good hands; you look after yourself. Speaking of injuries …" he looked at her in concern "what is this reddening on your face?"
"What reddening?" she asked puzzled; and he held her chin "This reddening …" he touched her cheek softly, and she felt her whole body froze "Who did this to you?"
She hardly regained her composure and spoke in a shake voice "The … The imposter slapped across the face"
"That low wanker …" Harry muttered angrily and his fist clenched, then his attention back at Hermione "Don't worry about him Hermione; he will get what he deserves"
"And what is it?" she asked cautiously.
"Death" Harry answered coldly; and Hermione felt her spine tense.
"I can't say that he doesn't deserve it" Hermione said slowly "But enough about him; I want to know who you really, Harry"
"Didn't Ron speak to you?" he asked wondering, and she shook her head "he did, but I want to know you better"
"As you wish" Harry said casually "But first let me accommodate you because this is the first time you've ever been to my office" he ended his statement with a hand wave, and two cups flew from the corner table toward him; he garbed them easily and conjured a butterbeer jug and pour her some, then offered the cup to her "Have some butterbeer"
"A what?" she asked as he picked up the cup.
"Butterbeer; it is similar to root beer, but more tasty and nutritious" he replied as he drank from his cup. She cautiously took a sip from hers, and she tasted something she never tasted before.
"It is really tasty" she said, and he smiled at her; then he spoke up "You said you wanted to know me better"
"Yes" she said eagerly.
"I am Harry Potter; Senior Auror, first Class, and high commander of US first battalion. I am on a mission to track down the death eaters and thwart any plans they have; this mission is considered international, and that's why you see my teams are consisted of multinational forces. Our plan was to help you in catching Muerte, and do it as discrete as possible; but it seems that an insider foiled our plans and casualties occurred"
"Enough about your mission, Harry; I know it already. I want to know YOU" Hermione insisted, and he looked at her irritably "My life is not your typical fairytale, Hermione. I lost my parents before I even know them; I lived in abuse and neglect; I nearly lost everyone I cared for; but in the end, I destroyed my tormentor. I am trying to live peacefully, but it seems that war machines don't have the luxury of resting"
Hermione didn't like that depict, but didn't argue; he then resumed the mission planning "We are now surveying Muerte's hideout; I hope that in the morning we will study the surveillance profile and plan our attack" I hate to be rude; but I would like to write my incidence report now or the minister will eat me alive" he said as he smiled at her "Then we will go and see your father …"
-------------------------------------------
Harry, Hermione, and Emma passed the gates of St. Mungo's by 10:00 AM; and the women were astounded by the organization and modernity of the place; every person was dressed either in pink or light blue clothes with matching robes.
"Welcome to St. Mungo's Hospital" Harry said casually, and he smiled as he saw the amazed expressions of his companions "This way" he guided them through the ramified corridors of the hospital, until they reached a tranquil corridor; and they stopped in front a well-guarded ward.
"The Granger family members are here to visit their householder" Harry addressed a stern-faced auror, who saluted his superior firmly before replying "I'm sorry, sir; but I have to check your badge first"
"Alright …" Harry pulled out his golden auror badge; and Hermione to a glance of it for the first time; it was an oval badge with elegant carving, but what was important is the five golden stars that glittered in the middle. The auror pulled out his wand and tapped the badge which glowed in blue before returning to normal. The auror holstered his wand back and opened the way "You can enter now, sir"
"I will not enter myself; they will enter and check upon him themselves" then he leaned at the auror and said "I hope that healer consultant has come"
"He said he is on the way" the auror answered firmly.
"Damn it" Harry muttered in anger "No worries, I will look for him myself. Just tell the aurors inside to give them some privacy"
"Will do, sir" the auror saluted firmly as he ushered the women to follow him "This way"
They entered the room; and found that it was rather large. They saw the bed in center and looked at the person who was sleeping in it … It was Daniel Granger.
"Dan"
"Dad"
Both women exclaimed, and Dan opened his eyes to see the source of commotion; then he smiled when he saw his family "Hi there; hank God you are alive"
"How are you feeling" Emma asked as she gave him a kiss and sat beside him.
"A bit sore; but better that before; yesterday I felt like I was pricked with a thousand needles; it was terrible"
"Don't worry dad; it will be over soon …" Hermione was about to tell him about Harry; but a grumpy looking healer burst into the room muttering angrily.
"First, that annoying hex maker; then I have to tend to a muggle. Who the hell brought him here in the first place?"
"I did" Harry said as he stepped into the ward; and Dan paled at his sight; the healer turned around and continue on babbling.
"Well, you know the policy … Bless my soul, it's Harry Potter; Mark Harman, chief consultant"
"Pleased to meet you" Harry said halfheartedly "Now that we made our acquaintance; I would like to know your excuse for not tending to this patient personally as I requested"
The healer stammered as he looked for an excuse "Well, I was dealing with that hex maker who has hexed himself accidentally and-"
"Hexes are to minor compared with this case" Harry said firmly "This patient has been hit with the cruciatus curse by a well-trained death eater and you neglected him?"
"I'm sorry; I will tend to him right away" the healer's face reddened as he went through the check-ups; he then mumbled something before walking out of the room.
"Well, I hope I haven't interrupted something" Harry said joyfully; and finally Dan spoke "What the bloody are you doing here?"
"Dan" Emma scolded.
"Dad, Harry was the one who saved us; the person who attacked s was an imposter" Hermione explained everything except about Harry being a wizard, and Dan's expressions softened.
"I think I owe you an apology, Harry; although that imposter's mask was too real"
Harry and Hermione looked at each other; before Hermione spoke calmly to her father "Dad, that was not a mask; that imposter used magic"
"Used what?" Dan questioned in confusion.
"Magic … He was a wizard; much like Harry"
Silence fell in the room as Dan stirred the new told information aggressively into his mind before smiling "I knew that you've something special within you; but magic … Wow, that is something beyond imagination"
Hermione replied excitedly "He is not just a wizard, dad; he is a general in the magic force that is called Auror Force"
"A general" Dan looked at him in amazement "You must've done quite outstanding deeds, young lad"
"Just a few things here and there" Harry said humbly; then he straightened up as he received a call. He pushed the 'Receive' button, and spoke firmly "Talk"
"They brought the surveillance reports back, sir" Dick spoke in excitement.
"Good; order a battle pensive and let them empty the scenes within it; then order them to continue on surveying" Harry commanded
"Roger, sir" Dick's hologram disappeared; and he looked back at the Grangers "I'm sorry, I would like to sit and chat, but there is a mission at hand"
"Don't worry about us, son; just do your thing and get rid of those bloody wankers" Dan replied in approval; and Hermione stood up "I am coming"
"Hermione, it will be a fierce fight, you might get hurt" Harry said in concern; and she shook her head "I don't care; I want to see Muerte's fall myself"
Dan chuckled weakly and spoke up "Don't try to argue with her, Harry; she has my stubbornness which you can't break up"
"I think you are right, sir" Harry said in defeat, then looked at her "Come along then"
"Right on, Harry" she said in excitement and walked beside him
"And Harry" Dan called him, and he turned around "Look after my daughter for me"
Harry smiled "This does not need to be requested, sir" then he walked out of the ward along with his friend detective.
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A/N: How did you find this chapter? Intriguing, isn't it? The end of this part is tiptoeing nearer; just make sure you review the story, and I will be as happy as a fried egg … Wait, this is not the right expression; I think it is … Ahh, forget it …
Read & Review Pleeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeease