A/N: I have a feeling this is going to be my longest fic...
Chapter 13 - Fallout - Part III
The interior of the borrowed automobile was bright, in spite of the darkness outside. Harry could tell that it had been magically expanded because there was far more space for them all than there should have been, based on his perception from the exterior. He registered this as he struggled with keeping himself in check. Snape's kindness was getting to him in a way that sometimes Mrs. Weasley's, or Dumbledore's had, and he didn't know what to do with it.
Arthur broke the silence about ten minutes into the twenty minute drive. "The Ministry is very clearly in a state of crisis. I found out that all six of the aurors who were present for yesterday's confrontation have been held in custody all of this time. Kingsley, Mad-Eye, and Tonks were likely in cells beside yours. I've no idea what's come of the arrests they made, or which of the Death Eaters is or is not in custody. The Ministry is working on charges of sedition from Minister Fudge's authority!"
Remus had taken the front passenger seat beside Arthur, but he turned to look back at the others. "I was afraid something like this was underway," he said gravely.
"The Minister behaved quite peculiarly when he informed me of my new assignment yesterday morning," Lucius admitted. "I did indeed get the sense that he'd lost trust in me." He inhaled deeply through his nose, nostrils flaring as he weighed his next revelation, but finally admitted. "Fudge informed me during my brief encounter with him this evening that he had grave reservations about all of us, declaring his awareness of our efforts to run Hogwarts like some sort of rogue military complex. He's relieved me from my post at Hogwarts, and has assigned Pius Thicknesse as the new Liaison."
"Merlin preserve us," Severus said in disgust. He still had an arm around Harry and he was not unaware that the young wizard was listening in shocked silence.
Harry felt very real fear, again, for his safety. WHY, can't today be the 1st of February, so that I could call for Dobby to get me out of here entirely? Yes, the fact that these four adults were openly including him in the conversation was helpful, but Harry still felt exposed to danger from the damned Ministry. And his still being a minor with no power over his own affairs made him an easy target. Fudge holds all of the cards right now.
"We must be very vigilant, gentlemen. We escaped prosecution this evening, but we will likely not avoid it if another opportunity to detain us can be created," Remus warned.
"I quite agree," Arthur chimed in from the front seat. He'd turned onto Grimmauld Place and was slowing down as the parked cars along the curb seemed to rearrange themselves to make room for their car. "In the meantime, it's nearly nine o'clock and a good bet that you are all as hungry as I am. I hadn't yet left my office when the Daily Prophet reported that you'd caused a fuss on the Night Bus. That was over two hours ago. Molly set right to cooking so we can have a good meal here, before you all return to the school. I imagine Albus will arrive soon, along with Minerva, no doubt."
I'm going to attend an Order meeting, Harry realized as they all climbed out of the car to head inside.
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Snape had kept a hand on Harry's neck as they'd crossed the street. He kept Harry back a pace while the others climbed the steps. Harry was distracted by the concerted effort that Malfoy Sr. especially was making to keep things congenial between himself and Mr. Weasley. But the Weasley patriarch clearly was making an effort as well.
"You used all wandless magic earlier," Snape's comment brought him back to the present.
"I didn't want to get in trouble for using my wand," Harry said. He turned his head so that he could see the potion that his professor was holding out for him. "You know, if you ever decided to be a traveling potions salesman, I doubt you'd have trouble making a living."
"Are you suggesting I charge you for all of these doses of remedy that I've presented you lately?" Snape drawled.
"I wouldn't blame you," Harry snarked. "Thank you, sir, again." He gulped the potion as he followed Remus up the stairs, but could tell Snape was hot on his heels.
They entered the old house quietly, only to be summoned by a gesturing Mrs. Weasley to go directly to the kitchen. The five of them sat down for dinner at a table loaded with steaming dishes of roast and vegetables and potatoes, all of which smelled like heaven to Harry's depleted senses. He ate just as heartily as all of the adult wizards. He was seated between Remus and Mr. Weasley, with Snape and Malfoy directly across, and they all focused on loading and emptying their plates, two times each.
No one had spoken yet, except for when Malfoy Sr. complimented Mrs. Weasley's cooking, and she was clearly unfooted by such an unexpected gesture. Her smile was more of a grimace, but an olive branch had officially been extended, as far as Harry could tell. When he was starting to feel less inclined to gnaw his own arm off from hunger, he cast a glance around and found Mrs. Weasley watching him with loving concern. He gave her a small smile. "Dinner was really good, Mrs. Weasley."
"Thank you, Harry dear," she said. But she had questions for him, of course. "Where are your glasses, Harry?"
"I lost them on the Night Bus," Harry said. "But I can see alright at the moment, if I face you, and catch you in the tunnel vision I've managed to give myself." Mrs. Weasley needed far more explanation, of course. He went ahead and recapped his experience of what had occurred, but stopped when he got to the point where the tall auror had shown up on the Night Bus. "That's the point where I knew the whole thing had to be a set up." He looked around at his three companions from the event. "Didn't it?"
"Absolutely," Lucius said. "Going right back to the timing of the summons, and the lack of information given, to the fact that we were taken away without explanation from law enforcement. Ministry Law Enforcement left the press to take statements from those who remained on the scene." The last comment was expressed with his classic Malfoy sneer.
"It was that group of people we had to climb over, wasn't it?" Harry asked the others. "They were completely suspicious!"
"I had similar thoughts as things fell into chaos," Severus agreed. "Madam LeStrange had been in that group under a glamour."
"Well, she sure gets around, doesn't she?" Molly said with genuine scorn.
Severus inclined his head to acknowledge Molly's comment. "But I recognized no one else, at any other time tonight, other than Pius and Fudge," he continued. "The entire event was staged, but there was an unsettling number of participants."
"They charged me with using underage magic, but I hadn't used my wand! And the only person I assaulted was Belatrix LeStrange, who's supposed to be in Azkaban! It was self defense!"… and my scar hurt. Harry simply could not keep track of everything. "And, then once my solicitor showed up, it was all over so quickly." He turned his head to look at Remus. "Did he represent you too?"
"No, Harry," Remus said. "He did, however, notify my solicitor to come to my aid." A smile tugged at the corner of his mouth. "I do believe you've got yourself one hell of a representative in Roarshirack."
"I'll say," Harry agreed. "You should have seen how he leveled the room when he showed up. Fudge huffed and fussed a bit, but he gave up quickly. That whole thing was completely illegal! We can all file formal complaints, according to Roarshirack. I told him to go ahead on my behalf. And I told him to go after the Daily Prophet to tell them to mind what they say about me." He flashed a look at Malfoy as old anger surged.
Lucius nodded grimly at Harry. "You've done quite well, Harry. That is exactly how to play this game. Reclaim your power."
"It's strange to hear that from you, sir," Harry commented with an edge. "A lot of what I want to hold them accountable about is from what they published after talking to you."
"I am well aware, Harry," Lucius said solemnly. "I'll take any licks that come my way as a consequence. I owe you that much, and more."
Harry quirked an eyebrow at him but made no further comment. Malfoy had been staring very intensely at Harry all this time, and it was unnerving him.
"How are you fairing without your glasses, Harry?" Remus wanted to know.
Oh, Harry finally got it. He'd turned his head to look at Remus, but had to turn back to look at Malfoy, and now Malfoy was smiling at him. "It's like looking through a pair of muggle binoculars, but without the magnified view."
"I'd very much like to have a few minutes to assess your vision Harry," Malfoy told him. "The sooner, the better."
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In the meantime, McGonagall and Dumbledore had shown up and filed down to the far end of the table to have a seat, and pour a cup of tea from the service Molly had set out.
"Mr. Malfoy, I've been informed that you have been relieved of your post in favor of one Pius Thicknesse," the Headmistress declared after she'd perfected her tea and taken a satisfying sip. "I told the Minister that I was not in favor of Thicknesse having lodging on the school grounds and that he should be assigned school classtime hours only, but for the moment, I was overruled."
Harry turned his narrowed view of his surroundings from McGonagall back to Malfoy, so it was while he was assessing the pompous blond wizard's reaction, and wondering how often Malfoy would be able to help out with any new trouble at the school, that he was gifted with the full view of Malfoy's reception of the next bit.
"I informed the Minister that I was quite relieved that you'd now be free to be directly employed by me," McGonagall continued. "I desperately need an Inspector of Hogwarts Portraits."
That last bit was followed by dead silence. Harry watched Malfoy struggle with himself as he raised a hand to use his thumb and middle finger to massage his closed eyes. Oh, this is priceless. "Headmistress," Harry said in his best impersonation of Lucius Malfoy, "I beg your pardon, but I believe you meant Inspector General of Hogwarts Portraits." Malfoy dropped his hand and gave Harry a withering look as the rest of the group snickered, snorted, and outright laughed. Harry grinned.
Malfoy kept his eyes on Harry as he gritted out with his trademark sneer, "I'm most grateful for the honor you've bestowed upon me, Minerva." And when Harry began to laugh hard, the blond ponce finally allowed a tiny, albeit mirthless smile.
"Very well, Lucius," McGonagall said in her dismissive way that Harry now knew was also how she enjoyed torturing people with big egos. "Mr. Potter, you are excused from classes for the remainder of the week. I expect you to rest, and eat properly, in between any magical practice in which you engage," she paused as she pointed at Remus, Snape and Malfoy, "with that lot," as if she found them all exasperating.
"Yes, ma'am," Harry agreed. The idea of getting private instruction pleased him, but in the meantime he was really feeling heavy and exhausted from the day's trials. He thought of how worked up Hermione and Ron probably were at his absence. He was not looking forward to weeding his way through his Common Room again on his way up to his bed.
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Mr. and Mrs. Weasley were ready to take their leave before the rest of them. Molly had summoned Harry over to the far end of the kitchen to once again ask him if he might want to come to stay at the Burrow, even for a day. "You could sleep in Ron's bed and have a nice lie in."
"No, thanks," Harry told her, rushing to add, "I'll sleep well at school, and honestly, I really need to be where I can practice my magic." He'd mentally recoiled at the offer of Ron's bed, realizing he was so bloody sick of having to borrow things that he should have for himself. "But, I do need some help, if you have time for it?"
"Or course, Harry," Mrs. Weasley said, as if she was insulted that he'd asked.
"I need new clothes. Everything. I never got to shop last summer, and my uniforms and robes are in bad shape. And all of the clothes I have for weekends, too."
Molly had a mortified look on her face, as if she'd been caught at neglecting this child she loved like he was her own. She'd reached out to touch the collar of his white school shirt and found it to be fraying. "Yes, you certainly do." She cast a quick spell that gave her his sizes. "Shoes too, hmm?"
"Yeah," Harry said in relief. "My solicitor is going to set up accounts in all of the shops in Diagon Alley and Hogsmeade for me, first thing tomorrow. I told him to put you on them too, so that you could get my things without hassle." He could see she was made uncomfortable by that, so he didn't ask her to let him pay for the food she'd just fed them all tonight. But Harry had long worried about how often she'd spent hard earned Weasley household money on Harry and his needs.
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After a tight hug for Harry, and well-wishes for the night, the Weasleys headed upstairs to floo home. As soon as they were gone, and while Malfoy had taken Harry's shoulders and guided him back to be seated with his back to the long table, apparently so that he could finally assess Harry's vision, Harry blurted out, "I need to tell you all that when we were on the Night Bus, my scar hurt! Bellatrix had something on her, I'd guess. After she was gone-"
"After you'd wandlessly blasted her out a window," Remus corrected with an impressed smile.
"Er, yeah." Harry said. "Well, the pain stopped instantly once she was gone." He'd been looking over his shoulder, struggling to focus on each of them, but the damned tunnel vision made that nearly impossible.
"As soon as I've been granted an audience with the Wizengamot, Harry, and all of you," Albus said, "we will need to convene to begin our quest to determine where the rest of Lord Voldemort's soul resides."
Harry had gulped after that. He was starting to feel strange. Too much to keep sorted, he thought again. I forgot to not say anything in front of McGonagall, but I guess she knows about the horcruxes.
Dumbledore and McGonagall had moved closer, and were watching with deep interest while Malfoy cast a spell in front of Harry's eyes, and then studied an odd, geometrical holographic display that it created. Harry, meanwhile, had had a sudden surge of ironic sadness and conflict, because he was sitting in Sirius' kitchen, interacting with two of the people Sirius truly hated, and one of them was about to play with his eyes! Never mind that they'd experienced a slew of life-altering experiences together in such a short time. Harry imagined Sirius suddenly showing up, right now, and thinking he had to rush to Harry's defense. He'd have already punched Lucius Malfoy in the nose, on principle, current standing with the Order be damned.
"What are you imagining, young man?" Malfoy asked him quietly, but sounded as if he had an idea. He conjured a stool and sat directly in front of Harry, looking at him squarely. "This is one of many efforts I wish to make on your behalf." He paused to make sure Harry was really hearing what he was promising, continuing when he was satisfied that he had Harry's attention, "I'm quite confident I can repair the tunnel vision issue you've developed." His mouth quirked slightly and his voice deepened as he praised, "You did some impressive healing of your vision on your own, Harry. Did you cast a spell on yourself? I'm at a loss to understand how you could possibly have learned such sophisticated magic."
"I-" Harry couldn't seem to find the words. "I didn't cast anything. I just put magic on my eyes and thought about good vision." Harry didn't understand the reaction that explanation induced in Malfoy Sr., and was too distracted by the thoughts the arrogant blond wizard's comments had set off in his mind. How can it only be the fifth day since Malfoy followed me here? Since I had a dislocated shoulder and concussion from Uncle Vernon? And not even two days since I killed an evil wizard? And it's like it's no big deal? He'd experienced more in the last five days than most people ever experience in their lives. He came back to the present when Malfoy patted his knee.
"Ready, Harry?" he asked carefully. "This won't hurt. You need only hold your eyes focused on a fixed point for about thirty seconds, alright?"
Harry nodded, but he was starting to breath more rapidly, and felt himself panicking but didn't really understand why. Now Malfoy's hand was lightly touching Harry's chin.
"Let's wait a moment, until you're more steady, shall we?"
Harry nodded again, but the panic kept rising. He jumped to his feet but there were too many people crowded into the small space for him to have a clear path of exit.
"Harry, I'll remind you of my stature as Inspector General of Hogwarts' Portraits," Lucius' attempt at levity fell flat, and he quickly registered that Harry was at a point of no return with his agitated state, so he stood also and stepped backward to give Harry space.
"I don't want to be here," Harry rasped. He was afraid he was going to start bawling, and couldn't bear to do so in front of an audience.
There was a brief moment of pause among the adults, as each of them weighed the best course of action to offer Harry.
"Come," Severus said first. "I'll floo you back."
Harry nodded desperately and followed Snape back up the stairs and into the fireplace without a word.
"Wait, Harry," Severus said once they'd stepped through into the Headmistress' office. The Boy Who Lived was falling apart in real time and Severus knew he had to contain this, simply because there was nowhere to go with all that was overwhelming him. The teen attempted to pull away from the now customary one-armed embrace but Severus pulled him against his chest and wrapped his other arm around him. "I've got you," he said as he set his chin on Harry's head. "All you need do in this moment is breathe."
