Harry Potter belongs to J. K. Rowling, I am just playing in her world

Without a Trace

Thorfinn Rowle was getting nervous their goal had been to get in quickly while their ministerial supporters in various offices brought down the floo network and blocked the other exits. Quickly get into the swearing ceremony, held on the wizengmot floor, for Bones. Where she was to be sworn in as the new War Marshal and kill her, the Minister, and the Head of the Department of Mysteries. After that they were to cause panic. Well they had finally got into the ceremony unfortunately not very quickly and created a panic.

It had been after getting into the wizengmot though that the plan truly collapsed. Not one of the three primary targets was present. Should he cancel the attack or push through to the antechamber to see if they were there and at least maximize on the panic? The problem was that a good number of the people in here were on the Dark Lord's side and the longer they stayed the greater chance of friendly fire taking down their own supporters. Realizing it was not worth staying he indicated they should withdraw.

Unfortunately the insane like Bellatrix ignored the call to withdraw. In fact the named witch had just fired off multiple curses at Dowager Longbottom, destroying her shield and bringing her down. It was at this moment of pure confusion as parts of his forces were withdrawing and others were pressing forward and the rest were milling about confused that the battle changed.


"Brillit," Heather called the Hogwarts head house elf. "I need to know if the house elves can help get injured people to St. Mungo's out of an active warzone. I need them if they would do this, to do it without taking any unnecessary risks to themselves. They must first and foremost protect themselves as these death eaters will be firing deadly curses."

"Mistress Black these death eaters are same that destroyed our home and would attack your home?" Brillit inquired.

"They follow the same evil wizard, you-know-who. There might be some that destroyed Hogwarts there and all would if told attack this house so you must be very careful. You-know-who might be there or arrive later too."

"Mistress Black can we use magic against them?"

"Yes any death eater wearing the uniform and mask is no longer a wizard or witch they are the lowest of the low. I want you to do whatever you need to protect yourselves. Your safety is most important. Can the Hogwarts house elves help?"

"They are not wizards and witches." The phrase seemed to be a mantra echoing from the other house elves that had arrived while they were talking and sounded rather spooky. "We will. Should we go now?" Brillit asked.

"First know that you must be careful of the wizards and witches not wearing masks too, as some of them are likely on the same side and might help the death eaters. I need a few to pop us there to cover the rest getting the injured to safety." Heather looked at her two loves and getting confirmation they were coming looked to Professor Moody and Madam Bones. "There are five of us so we need to be able to pop in as a group to cover the rest of you getting the injured out."

"Kreacher will pop Mistress Black. Kreacher agree Death eaters and those that help them are not wizards or witches." Kreacher informed Brillit.

Dobby suddenly popped in "Dobby begs forgiveness of Bestest Mistress Black Marm, you's same as Greatest Harry Potter Sir. Dobby thought you tricked and replaced Greatest Harry Potter Sir. Dobby not see same Greatest Bestest because Dobby not looking. Dobby will protect Bestest Mistress Black Marm's Hermy. Any enemy of Bestest Mistress Black Marm's and friends is not wizard or witch."

The Grangers were not happy but realized there was little they could do to stop them. The elves seemed to have rallied around their daughters as if they were generals. The elves seemed quite taken with not wizard or witch phrase. Their daughters were knowingly jumping straight into a warzone. Brillit would pop Luna, and Tilly and Hindy would be popping Moody and Amelia one to each side of the three girls. In the next moment the two doctors along with three elves were the only ones at Grimmauld Place.


Thorfinn stared incredulously as his attack party was being destroyed by what appeared to be hundreds of house elves. House elves couldn't fire spells at wizards his brain told him. He stood for multiple seconds trying to work out what was going on. It was only the insane witches and wizards that didn't bat an eyelid at the new foe but instead gamely charged forth.

That actually contributed to an even more disorganized retreat. Those that had initiated the retreat were returning to stare at what couldn't happen. They were bumping into the few that had been milling about unsure before that suddenly seeing the true threat wanted to retreat now. The rest of the group that had stood idle remained to do so slack jawed and some even dropping their wand arm. Some were just standing almost as if awaiting their extermination at the hand of house elves that can't do that.

"Its little mudblood one and little copy mudblood two where's baby Potty?" Bellatrix asked of the two Hermione Granger's she was fighting over the fallen dowager Longbottom, prior to said dowager being popped away. The only answer she got was a slew of extremely nasty curse spells that she dodged and shielded against but got hit by one of the spells from one of the accompanying house elves. "Little mudbloods are being naughty learning dark curses now."

Rowle realizing the battle completely lost grabbed hold of the master portkey and activated it forcing all the death eaters to leave the battle. Looking around the Malfoy Ballroom and preparing for the punishment he hoped he would live through he took stock of the returned party. Over a third of the arriving death eaters were corpses and another twenty percent could be joining them shortly.

Amycus was wailing over Alecto's corpse oblivious to his severed right wand arm that would soon see him join her. They hadn't taken out even one of the three primary targets and had sustained a huge number of casualties. Rowle wondered if he should just kill himself now. He was suddenly hit by a crucio spell and his last pain ridden thought was this can't happen the Dark Lord wasn't here yet.


Having seen all the injured including a very badly wounded dowager that they almost felt sorry they had saved, and seeing the press arriving the three girls had their house elves pop them home. Where upon they were pounced on immediately by two worried parents that needed complete assurance that all three were perfectly fine and had no injuries. Being told once was not enough. Their parents needed to make sure they weren't injured but due to adrenaline not aware they were.

"So before the interruptions we were going to look into finding methods to destroy the horcrux. Mum dad and Heather if you could get started on researching into doing that, Luna and I will practice getting the access restriction wards up. Heather we will call you if we need some broken open or to add you to the good ones." Hermione decided, hoping it would distract their parents from this over concern that was making her uncomfortable. "Luna let's start with warding the Black library."


The War Marshal had been sworn in less than thirty minutes ago when the attack on the Ministry had just been cleaned up. It was decided only the three of them namely Minister, War Marshal candidate, and the head of the Department of Mysteries were needed so it wouldn't be subject to attack as the initial pomp of ceremony had just been.

So within less than thirty minutes as holder of the office she was abusing the power of her title to demand a sedated, treated, patient be awoken for questioning as soon as she was stable and aside discomfort would not be threatening on the life of the person of interest in an active case.

"Augusta I am not too upset with you being here and so badly injured. I think you deserve it. You have trapped a twelve year old girl to marry your seventeen year old grandson on her thirteenth birthday. Do you feel good in what you have done?" Amelia loudly exclaimed to her old friend while the healer and nursing staff of St. Mungos was busily checking the dowager over. They were now listening to the latest gossip while working.

"What are you talking about?" Augusta requested ready to tear open, upon her friend, for creating a false spectacle.

"Heather Black is twelve. She will be thirteen on October thirty-first, her birthday. In order to get your grubby hands on the Black lockdown wards you initiated a contract with two gifts that the naive young girl that has lost her innocent father, which we incarcerated without a trial that would have found him not guilty, unknowingly accepted. Yes, she lost her innocent father, Sirius Black, and was unaware that by accepting your gifts she accepted a contract to marry your grandson." Madam Bones had already picked up the gifts and planned to give the gifts to Heather later.

"You bought her a topaz gem stone and her birthday is in October. You have used the minimum ninety days so she has to marry your grandson on her birthday, October thirty-first of this year. On the day when she will become thirteen she will be forced by you, to marry a wizard who loves another witch. A wizard she only met once for a couple of hours. You knew nothing about the twelve year old girl except that she had lockdown wards protecting her. Didn't you think she might have earned those lockdown wards because of people like you attacking her? Heather's innocent father was sent to Azkaban, a good wizard who actually fought you-know-who, put there incorrectly by our magical society.

"A society, I should add, where most have done nothing to fight you-know-who. No, instead of that they cursed the hero's name, and threw him into Azkaban without a trial. By doing this they left poor Heather no father to protect her. We the magical society that attacked Heather through incarcerating her innocent father caused the lockdown wards. That wasn't enough though. No, next greedy witches and wizards plotted to use the poor little twelve year old girl for their own gain."

Augusta couldn't stop the tirade, her righteous anger deflated as she realized what she had done. Knowing it was not enough she tried her only defense. "My grandson, Neville thought she was the same age as Hermione, he told me he thought she was seventeen."

"Your grandson also told you he liked Hannah Abbot. He didn't ask you to make a contract with Heather Black. In fact he has a negotiated contract to marry Hannah Abbot that the Abbot's wanted you to sign. As to thinking her seventeen, he told you he met her for the first time on the Hogwarts express journey home. Heather for security reasons was polyjuiced to look like Hermione. She would look the same age as Hermione. Heather appeared the identical twin to Hermione Granger. Of course he would think she was the same age.

"He told you he didn't know anything about her. That he met her for the first time on the train too. Heather Black was also polyjuiced as Hermione Granger when both of them, Harry Potter and their friend Luna Lovegood saved your life from death eaters in the wizengmot. You can be here injured instead of dead because the girl you attacked with a marriage contract just saved your life with her friends.

"You wanted the lockdown wards and worked out a way to trap a twelve year old girl that you knew nothing about. Using your grandson who already had another witch he loves and wanted to marry. You are going to allow me to write a consort option to your cruel contract so one, your grandson can actually marry the witch he loves and two, Heather can stay a Black in respect of her father the hero, Sirius Black and hopefully can find love when she is old enough to even know what love is. She should keep the name Black as just like her father was a hero she is a heroin."

"I will allow the wedding contract between the Abbots and Neville and change mine to the consort bond option but she will not be with another wizard. I want fidelity to my grandson and a Longbottom son and then Black son from Heather and my grandson." Augusta countered.

"You are forcing the twelve year old girl that saved your life to become a brood mare for your grandson. Heather could have seven daughters or more before having the first son for you. How many births before giving you a second son? No, as she is a little girl the marriage will not be consummated for seven years. That gives her time to finish her schooling and so she won't have medical difficulties that could kill her getting pregnant so young. As Hannah will provide you the Longbottom heir you don't need to require a son from Heather."

"I am not a monster of course she can be an adult so the marriage doesn't have to be consummated for seven years unless they choose to do so earlier. My son chose a weak wife I need the strong Black family added back into the Longbottom family. She is obviously strong as at twelve years old she was fighting death eaters. I demand a Longbottom son from Heather which means I require fidelity from her to my son.

"If I am going to be accused of being greedy for the lockdown wards then I also want the Black family to live which it can only do if she has a son to continue the Black name. Shouldn't she want to honor her hero father by providing him a grandson? I am actually doing this for her, as Neville would be the only wizard that could provide the Black family to continue if I didn't allow the change to a consort option. If I kept it the original marriage contract that Heather accepted."

Amelia angrily retorted. "He is the only wizard because you are forcing fidelity on a witch that is too young to even know love, and where your own grandson loves another witch. Further, Heather did not knowingly accept the contract she was cruelly tricked. It is an extremely cruel thing you do and it is selfish. She could keep the Black family alive through her own choice of wizard when older and able to fall in love. She could keep it alive through a daughter also. It doesn't have to be a son.

"The child you want for Longbottom could also be a daughter. Further, I think Hannah is a thousand times the better witch than you. She will provide a better child than you provided a son because she is not you. Neville is better than you because Alice would never do the evil that you have done. With less of you in Neville, Alice made an upgrade birthing your grandson."

Madam Longbottom ignored the attacks on herself for she knew she was better than Alice and Hannah Abbot. "Fine she will provide fidelity to my grandson until she provides him a Longbottom son or three daughters, and she must have at least a son to carry on the name of Black at some point prior to reaching thirty-five years of age. If she has given birth to at least four daughters then she does not have to have a son. However, at least one of the daughters will have to keep the Black name and have a son to carry on the name of Black to the next generation. Of course she will allow Longbottoms access to live behind the lockdown wards for as many generations as the wards are active."

"If I offer to Heather and those she wants of the people living behind the lockdown wards training, can I and some other team members of mine have periodic access behind the lockdown wards too? Could you pass on my request Bones?" Croaker asked. Finally he had managed to catch up with the New War Marshal that had been sworn in by his boss and the Minister whilst he was racing back to the ministry. She had then popped here just as he was entering at the wizengmot and before he had chance to talk to her.

"I will ask her about your request Croaker. I will tell her about both you and your team members." Indicating she would inform Heather of the Department of Mysteries.

"Augusta I will let you rest and start on getting the legal paperwork put together. You do realize you might owe Heather Black a life debt and not be in the driving seat of making demands on the consort option?" Amelia then left the hospital room with the question hanging. She would mention the other two consort options in private later. Once in a quite corridor with no one looking she asked to be popped to just outside the Abbot's.

She would see the Abbotts, her niece and Neville that were spending time here with Hannah, and get all the paperwork updated. She was wondering how Heather would take having to potentially get pregnant and give birth four times, three of which with Neville. It might just be enough for her to decide to be a wizard once more. Of course public pressure once this is printed in the Daily Prophet might force Augusta to reduce her requirements. Could the dowager now owe a life debt to Heather and provide a means for Heather to overturn requirements within the contract she wondered? Ensuring her work bag had Hannah's trace file she grinned. At this rate if she kept removing files. The trace office might have to shut down.