Chapter 19

"Thank Merlin you're OK!" Draco exclaimed from his side of the mirror. "All Hell's broken loose over here!"

"What's going on?" Harry asked urgently, cupping the mirror closer to his face and gasped. "Is that blood?!"

"I'm fine, just a graze," Draco said, wiping the blood off his forehead. "I was in a club in Vertical Alley, and the aurors showed up and tried to arrest me for treason, but I was able to escape using my emergency portkey back to Grimmauld. You know how I told you last week how vocal Granger and Weasley were getting, calling for change in the Ministry?" Harry nodded. "I didn't think much of it – but I didn't realize they were using your name, saying you were away gathering more support. But the Ministry knew but must have been biding their time to strike back until they knew where you were."

"Wait – how do they know - ?" Harry started to ask until Draco pulled away and put the Nightly Prophet, the evening edition of the Daily Prophet, up to the mirror.

The headline read: Boy-Who-Lived to be a Superhero? A picture of Harry, his dad, and Bruce entering their building filled the entire page.

"Seems some muggleborn Brit on holiday thought he spotted you so took the picture just in case, and when he returned to Britain and developed it, he saw it was you and sold the story to the Prophet," Draco explained, throwing the paper in disgust. "They have no idea of your relationship, but speculation on why you're with superheroes is running rampant – whether it's because you were recruited to join them or are recruiting them –"

"Oh, fuck," Harry breathed out, catching on.

"Exactly," Draco explained. "So now, the Ministry who have been suspicious based on what Granger and Weasley have been telling supporters of theirs are now facing its worst fear: you are recruiting muggle superheroes to try and overthrow the Ministry of Magic. So, they struck tonight. From what I heard on the wireless, they got Weasley and Granger with a number of their supporters at a meeting, and a Ministry official revealed that they had been waiting to go after them until there was enough evidence of an attempted usurpation – which the Prophet article was to them – and they found evidence from the meeting about their plans for revolution. Now they are extending martial law, rounding up anyone they suspect could be in the revolution."

"Where's Andy and Teddy?" Harry asked quickly, fear for them quickening his heart.

"They're here," Draco assured him. "Andy's trying to get Teddy back to sleep right now – as soon as she felt someone trying to break through her home's wards, she gathered him up and portkeyed here. It wasn't until she heard the wireless that she realized it was the Ministry trying to break in."

"Thank Merlin you thought to renew the Fidelius Charm before I left," Harry said. It was one of the arrangements Draco insisted on, so no one could try to take advantage of Harry's disappearance by barging into Grimmauld since Harry to reinforce the wards, should they attempt to be breached. Harry was the secret keeper and had only revealed the secret to Draco, Andy, and Teddy (though he was too young to understand it).

"Wait – you said that Ron and Hermione had went to Kingsley making accusations against you about my disappearance, and he informed them of the letter I left him about being away," Harry said, trying to understand everything that was happening. "So, he has to know that I'm not out here recruiting for their cause, doesn't he? It doesn't make any sense!"

Draco was quiet for a moment, causing Harry's worry to rise.

"I was going to tell you when we spoke tomorrow: Kingsley was attacked a few days ago while in Diagon Alley," Draco informed him. "They haven't released much information except that an unknown potion was thrown at him and nearly killed him, and that he's in a healer-induced sleep while he heals. I would have told you immediately, but I was waiting for more information and didn't realize anything like this would happen or so quickly. Sybil Marchant is now the acting Minister. Andy said the woman was on the wireless claiming that these 'terrorists' that the Ministry are rounding up were the ones who tried to assassinate Kingsley."

"Wouldn't it be just as likely rogue Death Eaters?" Harry asked.

"That's what I thought, but if there is one thing Lucius," Draco sneered at the name, "taught me, is that the Ministry will take any advantage they can grasp to strike at what threatens them. Who knows who tried it, but this along with the belief you're there recruiting superheroes? I can imagine that those who were hesitant to strike feel more comfortable doing so –"

Suddenly the lights went out, and the only thing illuminating the room was the mirror and the city lights from outside.

Harry sucked in a breath.

"Harry what's going on?" Draco asked.

"I don't know, Draco," Harry said, getting up quickly and going for his trunk. "But I don't believe in coincidences. I'll call you back when I can."

Closing the mirror on Draco's protestations, Harry cast, "Venio,", flicking his wrist. His wand appeared in his hand. "Lumos!"

Now able to see, Harry opened his trunk and pulled out his dragonhide waistcoat and invisibility cloak.

He could feel something was coming, and he'd be damned if his father or Bruce were hurt because of him.

AN: That's it for now! Next chappie is the one we're all waiting for: magic and dancing skills revealed!

Love, Insie