"Report!" Bones demanded once they'd sealed the scene from outside access and cleared it of any civilians.
"Not receiving any communications from Tonks in over an hour I signaled for word to be sent to you for orders," Shacklebolt reported.
"I got overeager and jump the gun," Rufus interrupted. "Shack gave the go sign to keep things from going to hell after my screwup."
Rufus was known to be bucking for Amelia's job, so hearing him take responsibility for screwing up was more than a little surprising.
"And then?"
"Some of the slaves are nonhuman children, several of which are potentially dangerous," Rufus said. "I saw a spider kin dragging off a young boy and stunned her. I thought she might be taking advantage of the confusion for a snack. Apparently I was mistaken and he was her brother, because the boy attacked me like an enraged troll and sent me through the plate glass window with a single punch. It took stunners from both me and Logan to take it down. The rest of the operation ran like clockwork under Shacklebolt's command."
"Glad to hear it," Amelia said. "Shacklebolt, good job. Rufus you're with me, everyone else dismissed!"
Rufus waited for the dressing down he'd rightfully earned, but instead Amelia gave him an approving nod. "To be a proper leader you have to be willing to take responsibility for not only the flawless operations, but for the clusterfucks as well."
"Yes ma'am," he agreed.
"You'll be pulling double shifts for a week," she said, "unofficial punishment, which will keep the troops happy and not leave a black mark on your record."
"Yes, ma'am," Rufus said relieved.
"Officially you'll be auditing the night watch with an eye towards joining it."
Rufus winced. While no one could be forced to join the night watch she could make his life hell until he joined them willingly to get out from under her thumb.
Amelia smirked. "Jacobs is thinking of retiring."
Rufus perked up, not having heard that the head of the night watch was on his way out before.
"Everyone who's sat in my chair has spent at least a year in his position. I myself did five years, though I believe the average's four. Something to think about."
"Yes ma'am," he replied.
"Why didn't you signal us?" Shacklebolt asked Tonks as he discovered her working with Madame Pomfrey, checking the children for injuries before sending them on.
"Because I didn't find anything illegal," Tonks growled her hair turning red in irritation. "The changes were probably made just before we got there, but all of the children were free of control spells and their cells could only be locked from the inside."
"You've got to be kidding me," he begged.
"Betty is already attacking the paperwork and she said it looks like the place just changed hands and the new owner was making everything legit."
"How were they going to make slavery legal?" Shacklebolt demanded.
"By changing it to indentured service contracts to pay for training," Tonks replied. "Madame Pomfrey even got some of the children talking and they said everyone who wanted to go home was sent home, the only children still here were those that wanted to stay."
"Wanted to stay?" he asked in shock. "What in the hell could make them want to stay here?"
"This place is better than their homes in some cases, like the mixed breeds and some of the muggleborn. Others either have no home or feared death should they return, mostly squibs."
Shacklebolt winced.
"Yeah," Tonks agreed.
"Shit!" Shacklebolt cursed. "I've got to report this to Bones."
Harry woke up slowly finding himself being held by Seline who was humming a song he didn't recognize as they relaxed in a hammock. "What'd I miss?" he asked.
"The aurors took everyone away," Seline said. "Since we are dangerous we got put in jail."
"This is more comfortable than my bed at home," Harry said. "If this is their idea of prison chain me to the wall."
"It's not that fun," a voice said and Harry opened his eyes and looked around. He and Seline were in a silk hammock in a prison cell that would have been out of place in the Middle Ages and the half-giant boy, Billy was chained to the wall. A quick examination showed that Seline had managed to break her chains so she was just wearing rune engraved manacles on her wrists and Harry's chains had been ripped from the wall and were covered in spider silk for some reason.
"I couldn't break your chains," Seline admitted, "they're much tougher than mine, so I wrapped them in silk so that wouldn't rattle."
"And they put the strongest chains on Billy," Harry said.
"He's got the weakest," she corrected him.
"Then why is he still chained up?"
"I didn't want our Bones used to make bread," she said firmly.
"I keep telling her Jack and the beanstalk isn't real, but she won't believe me," Billy replied. "I haven't broken my chains because people always get upset when I break things," he admitted.
"Well if you don't break them, I will," Harry said. "Because I don't feel like staying in a cell, though I am going to take this hammock because it's really comfortable."
"I made it," Seline said proudly.
"Okay, then I'm taking Seline because she makes really great hammocks and Billy, as long as he promises not to do any baking," Harry teased.
Billy placed his right hand over his heart, snapping the chain on his right arm. "I promise – whoops!"
Bones rubbed her temples. "Are you telling me that we raided a place that wasn't doing anything illegal?"
"Yes boss," Shacklebolt said with a wince.
"Rufus pay close attention to what I do now," Bones said. "There are ways to cover your ass that don't require sacrificing loyal aurors."
"Yes ma'am," Rufus said.
"First we minimize the damage; Tonks grab the aurors on site and tell them to repair and put to rights everything, returning the house elves to the shop should help with that."
"Yes ma'am," Tonks said before racing off.
"Shacklebolt, there were no major injuries or deaths, correct?"
"No ma'am, just a few broken Bones and most of those were among the aurors."
"Normally I'd rather hear the opposite, but in this case it works in our favor," Bones said. "Find out where the person in charge of the emporium is and let me know."
"Yes ma'am," Shacklebolt said before heading out.
"Delegating not only speeds up the job it helps train your aurors," Bones said. "One of the biggest mistakes you can make is trying to do everything yourself because that leads to burnout and nobody else knowing how to do their jobs."
"Yes ma'am," Rufus said giving in to the urge to start taking notes.
"Tonks is a trainee so most of the tasks I assign her will be just above gopher level so she can observe every facet of the job and familiarize herself with procedures and her fellow aurors. Shacklebolt is almost ready for your rank only requiring some seasoning and experience. Only a handful of aurors will ever reach that level. That's why I put him in charge of this operation and will be using him as my go-to guy for the next six months so he'll be a solid second-in-command."
"Yes ma'am," Rufus said taking notes.
"Normally Jacobs would fill my spot when, I retire but he's been making sounds of retirement to spend time with his grandchildren, and I can understand that. My niece Susan is entering Hogwarts, I plan on being retired before she graduates or at the very least in a almost retired position as a reserve auror or something similar."
"Yes ma'am," Rufus agreed.
"Pay careful attention to how I handle the man whose business we just raided and be sure not to show surprise, I'll be questioning you on what you've learned afterwards."
"Yes ma'am," Rufus said.
Stanley leaned back in his chair and put his feet up. The cell he was given was actually better furnished than his house, it certainly had a superior wet bar, which had done a lot the calm his nerves. He blew a puff of smoke at the ceiling and relaxed. Apparently someone had mistaken him for whoever was in charge and had put him in the rich pureblood cell. Well he might as well enjoy it until they straighten things out and released him. He was pretty sure he was just caught in this sweep.
*Knock knock*
"Come in," he called out reflexively realizing he'd dozed off.
Madame Bones entered along with one of her assistance. "Good evening Mr. Price, I trust you've been treated well."
"Very much so," he agreed. "And please, call me Stanley."
"Then I must insist you call me Amelia," she replied.
"If you're sure it's not disrespecting your station," he agreed politely.
"It's fine," she assured him. "Everything's been repaired and the children are being looked over at Saint Mungos. I'm rather pleased with how this training raid turned out and you'll be happy to know the Emporium got a clean bill of health. I have to say we really admire how you've turned it around into a legitimate enterprise. If you ever need to schedule another raid on your store for any reason let us know."
"Why thank you," Stanley replied cheerfully, "but really it's Harry's property and his idea, so all the credit should go to him."
"Harry?" Amelia asked.
"Harry Potter," Stanley replied. "He took one look at the Emporium and decided to make it a place that the residents would love rather than hate."
"Wouldn't Harry Potter be a bit young to do all that?" Amelia asked doubtfully.
"I thought that too," Stanley agreed, "until I saw him in action. He turned the place upside down with just a few words, even had a little spider kin girl eating out of the palm of his hand."
"What does he look like?" Rufus asked cautiously.
"He looks a bit younger than he is," Stanley said, "messy black hair, green eyes, very friendly kid, not stuck up like you'd expect, but very certain about his place in the world."
"Let's go collect him," Amelia said leading Stanley out of his cell.
*Wham*
Billy rubbed his fist. "That is a really strong door."
"As strong as my chains?" Harry asked, getting an idea.
"Probably," Billy agreed as Harry's chains had proven impervious to anything the three could do.
Harry wrapped his chains around his fists and punched the door as hard as he could; the silk Seline had coated the chains with cushioning his knuckles.
*Boom*
The door wasn't scratched, but the wall around it had developed a few cracks.
"That was loud," Seline said. "Do it again!" she cheered.
Harry grinned and Billy stepped up beside him so they can hit it at the same time.
*Ba-Boom!*
The door remained completely intact, thanks to the exemplary and extensive enchantments used on it, as it flew across the hall and slammed into the opposite wall.
*Whoop whoop!*
An alarm sounded loudly.
"Where'd they put everyone else?" Harry asked, wishing he had his wand with him.
"We'll have to find them!" Seline exclaimed.
Billy picked up the door. "This is a really solid door."
Several aurors appeared and cast stunners.
Selena shrieked and dodged, some of them ricocheting off her manacles. Seeing that she began to grin.
Billy used the doors a shield and found it blocked the spells easily.
Harry ducked behind Billy, pulling Seline with him. "You won't catch us that way twice!"
Earlier...
Lisa stiffened, eyes wide in shock.
"What's wrong?" Shank-ko asked, looking up from the form she was filling out Gringott's lobby in front of an impatient teller.
"The wards at the Emporium just reported an auror raid," Lisa said quietly so the words wouldn't carry.
"But everything's been changed so it was above board," Shank-ko protested, not caring who heard.
Lisa winced. "They just stunned Harry, several times. I don't suppose we could convince the goblins to help bust him out?"
"Maybe if he was my intended and I was of a star line," Shank-ko said a touch bitterly.
"Star line?" Lisa asked.
"Let's just say Princess and leave it at that," the goblin girl said knowing humans didn't handle matters the same way goblins did.
Rip'snort the accounts manager raised an eyebrow. "Are you saying the aurors have assaulted Harry Potter unlawfully?"
"As far as I know," Shank-ko agreed.
Rip'snort waved over Griphook. "You've dealt with Potter, did he buy any protection?"
"He actually bought maximum vault protection plus," Griphook said his eyes lighting up. "He even checked the box to donate a tenth of a percent of his vault's interest to the crèche upgrade fund.
"He submitted paperwork putting this young goblin in charge of his finances."
"Sounds reckless," Griphook said with a frown.
"She's certified," Rip'snort said.
"She certainly no looker, so she's got to have something going for her," Griphook said, feeling justified once more than Harry knew what he was doing.
"Actually according to human standards of beauty she's in the top ten percent," Lisa said with a growl when it became obvious Shank-ko wasn't going to defend herself.
"So while we wouldn't consider her much, to a human she'd represent a definite improvement to their genetic stock," Rip'snort said thoughtfully.
"The Potter family has been pretty good about keeping their line strong and avoiding the inbreeding a lot of wizards have suffered from," Griphook pointed out.
"He would be considered a star line," Rip'snort agreed. "Experimental of course and he has bought max protection plus."
Griphook begin to grin. "He gave her full vault access, so if of age they'd be considered married by goblin law."
"She's not of a star line to us, but we could just call her a Princess to denote she is of star line for human bloodlines," Rip'snort said with a matching grin.
"What are they talking about?" Lisa asked.
"War with the ministry," Rip'snort answered with a toothy grin. "They've stolen the Princess' intended."
"This day cannot possibly get any worse," Tonks said as the alarm blared and a young spider kin reflected stunners back by bouncing them off the magic proof manacles she was wearing.
Concentrated fire from half a dozen orders finally took out the little redhaired girl as even with four arms she couldn't block six spells at once, but then the boy with the messy black hair darted out from behind the door they were using as a shield and kissed her, waking her up.
"That worked?" she exclaimed.
"True love's kiss," another auror replied.
"What?" Tonks asked in shock.
An older female auror laughed. "The younger you are the better it works. Children love easily, but as we age and get more hardened it becomes harder and harder to make that connection."
"That's why we separate young couples but not older ones?" Tonks asked as the aurors watch the three kids peak at them over the edge of the door they were hiding behind.
"Nah, we assume they'll wake each other up just in case, we separate the younger ones cause we're tired of walking in on couples going at it. Excitement, fear, boredom; they make young adults randy."
"Stunners aren't working and I'm sure as hell not authorized or willing to use anything stronger on children," an auror said. "Anyone have any ideas?"
Tonks shivered. "Why is it so cold in here?"
"Shit!" an auror replied, fear in his expression. "Dementors!"
"Did anyone think to give him some way of handling Hel's handmaidens?" Odin asked.
"I did," Thor said proudly.
"Oh, me," Odin groaned as did quite a few of the watchers.
"This isn't like what you did to Shinji, is it?" Loki asked.
"Not completely..." Thor admitted. "I left off eating bits of your foe to gain their power, since so many people complained about it last time."
"So, just berserk dismemberment?" Loki asked.
"When faced with mental attacks he'll go berserk," Thor agreed.
"All mental attacks?" Odin asked, staring at his son.
Loki sighed. "I can already see where this is going, I'll write up a prophecy."
Trelawney sat up, eyes widened unseeing. "There's a little black spot on the sun today-."
Flitwick hit her with a wandless sleep charm without waking up.
"I delivered a prophecy to the headmaster seer giving him fair warning," Hermes said humming a song that he'd heard on the radio and had been stuck in his head all day.
"Did anyone else 'gift' our young hero?" Odin asked.
"I gave him nimble fingers so he could get in and out of tight spots," Hermes said, being the God of thieves it was a small enough boon that no one could complain.
"Same here," Aphrodite smirked. "And for much the same reasons."
Odin groaned. It was looking to be one of those millennium.
AN: God bless Dragon Naturally Speaking!