Author's Notes: First of thank you to the Beta's and Idea Bouncers. Biggar Bookworm, Philosophize, Dr. Stranger, Foxy Engineer, Frank D7777, Real Swede, Rothak, Suzululu4moe, Neveralostfan, TideKeeper, desireejones99, Vegasman59, and Kitty279. Second, I'm still having trouble finding that fic I asked about, sigh... Also to the Guests please stop bombarding me with anonymous hate, some of you guys are nice but the loud portion of you are turning me to mush with your flaming. Right, what else...Uh. Cyber Hamster (that's the critter currently powering my heart) needs more fuel, so please keep the encouragement coming. Final note, I know I've mentioned it before but I put up a couple challenges on my profile, take a look, and if you decide to do one please tell me so I can read what you come up with.
Chapter 2: Wanderings
Harry woke up on the couch the next morning, relatively well rested for the first time since his being reborn. He'd spent some of the previous afternoon and evening teaching Kara some basics of magic, mostly swish and flick, type stuff. He ended up spending his hours just before sleep studying up on Occlumency. Kara had passed out from jet lag a couple hours before. He'd used the time to build a "platform" in his mind, he wasn't entirely sure of the significance of that yet.
He had managed to avoid nightmares this time, maybe it was just a matter of how tired you were? Or perhaps of how busy you kept your mind? Or maybe it was just luck, and he was in for another bout of nightmares tonight? Don't over analyze it. He chastised himself. Just be grateful you got some respite.
He got himself up and showered, and did some exercises to help keep the voices at bay. Push ups, and sit ups, followed by a morning run, which had people staring at him like he was a freak of nature. Apparently the wizarding world really wasn't big on callisthenics. He returned to the room a few minutes later after finishing his laps.
Kara was finally up and getting ready for her shower, unfortunately, or perhaps fortunately, depending on how one viewed such things, she was wandering around in her sleep wear, which apparently consisted of her shirt over underwear. He studiously ignored it, despite her very shapely body. One of the few things he could say about living with the Dursleys is that one learned how to be a perfect gentleman fast, and how to ignore just about anything.
"Huh, there you are." She said sounding relieved. "Thought you'd run off on me there for a minute, until I saw your trunk was still here."
He chuckled, and smiled in an approximation of reassurance. "I have no intention of abandoning you Kara, i'm not going anywhere." He promised.
"Thanks, this is just… Hard you know? Being back, having a mission?" She pointed out as she headed to the showers with a bundle of clothing. She came out again only a few minutes later fully dressed and scrubbing idly at her hair. "So what's on plate for today?" She asked, raking her hands through some knots.
Harry considered and pulled out the addresses for the properties Griphook had given him, "I was hoping to check out the address here in London, it was one of the places where my parents lived." He explained.
She nodded looking at it. "Okay, what's the second address then?"
He sighed, "That's Godric's Hollow, where they died." He said simply sticking his hands in his pockets.
She blanched. "Sorry, I didn't…" She started.
He waved it of good natured. "Not, a problem, you didn't know," he reassured her. "It's not like I'd told you before hand…point is, I'd like to check that London Address after lunch." He said plunking on the couch and opening his occlumency text again.
They ended up studying together to one degree or another for the entire morning. Harry taught her how to do a couple basic charms, and gestures to perform with a wand. Kara seemed to respond well to his teaching style. Harry was able to reassure himself that he still know what he was doing in that regard. At least he could still raise Dumbledore's Army as ordered.
They took a break for lunch and that's when their day started to get interesting.
—
Harry was just finishing paying for their lunch at the small restaurant down the block, when he spotted a familiar face in the crowd. The dark skinned Auror was easily recognizable, Kingsley Shackledbolt. One of the best Auror's in the ministry, and a member of the Order of the Phoenix, a good man, but not someone Harry wanted to meet just yet. He needed some more time free of the Order to study and get Kara up to snuff for Hogwarts. Get grabbed Kara and pulled her over into the shadows of one of the side streets. He peered out at Kingsley, the mans back was turned. The man was clearly searching for something, and while it was possible that he was here on Auror business, Harry wasn't prepared to bet on it. It was only a matter of time before they figured out he wasn't at Privet Drive. Kara was looking at him confused. "You see the black wizard with the purple robes, searching the crowd?" He asked.
She peered out and before leaning back into the shadows. "Yeah?"
"That's Kingsley Shacklebolt, one of the members of the Order of Phoenix, an Auror, I'd bet anything that he's here lookin' for me." He murmured, lest his voice carry.
"Ah," She said nodding understanding. "So whats the plan?" She asked.
"Depends, you want to come with me to my parents apartment, it'll allow me lay low while he's searching?" He suggested.
She considered then nodded sharply. "I'm with you, besides I wouldn't mind seeing more of this city besides the Alley," She argued. He smiled thinly in understanding, it sucked being bound any one place too long.
"Then stick with me, don't look back, and walk quickly, but don't run." He instructed, pausing just long enough to look into her eyes to see the understanding, and led her out into the crowd as soon as Kingsley's back was turned. He hurried them towards the Leaky Cauldron, pushing inside a fast as was polite, and leading her through and out onto the street.
He led her to the nearest tube station and down, only pausing to buy tickets and to push through the barrier. They jumped the first train headed in the right direction.
—
Tonks, was halfway across London when the Lynx patronus streaked up to her. She stood up from where she'd been trying to get a reading. "Yes?" She said the spectral animal.
"Tonks, I got a read on Potter with the trackers, but I lost him again in Diagon, boys smart, he must have suspected I was searching for him or something? He's rabbited, I'll try and get a fix on him again, but at least we know he's in London now, keep your eyes open and adjust your search pattern towards the old London." He instructed, and the Lynx faded out.
She relayed the message deploying her jack rabbit patronus to Moody who was further out. "Madeye? Tonks 'ere, Harry's in London, but Kingsley lost 'is fix on 'im. I'm movin' closer in, yew might wan' ter do da same," She noted tiredly, and sent the critter running.
She apparated to a rooftop she could see in the distance, and started trying to get another reading from the tracker Dumbledore had provided. A device keyed to Harry's blood, unfortunately it wasn't much better than a general sort of compass pointed "sorta" towards Harry. She fiddled with it, and got it scanning, it took close to a solid minute before she got a negative. She growled in frustration. Moving further into the city, it was going to be more difficult to remain unseen. She cast a disillusionment charm, it would at least keep her largely unseen whenever she apparated. She could see the river Thames to the north of her, she'd jump to one of the buildings there and work her way along seaward from there. She disapparated.
—
According to the records the Goblins had provided him with, this building, a contemporary apartment complex, was the location where his parents had lived prior to going into hiding. He and Kara sat in a park across from it looking it over speculatively. "I don't know, I think it looks nice," Kara decided. "Nice big windows, nice siding and the lawn even looks like it's been kept up."
"I'm not some much worried about how the place looks, right now. I'm more nervous about seeing what my parents home was like. I also don't know what kind of security they put on the place." He pointed out chuckling.
"Good Point…" Kara conceded.
"But you're also not wrong that one way or another I should take a closer look. Let's see if we can get in without setting off a thousand alarms. Thank goodness for the key." He said. It had been a while since he was unable to use his wand whenever he wanted. He and Kara walked across the street, and up the steps onto the entrance balcony. He pulled the key and placed it in the lock but paused to look carefully for any glow from a spell, or something more mundane. Eventually he took the chance and turned the key and pushed the door open. He glanced about for any sign of an electronic security system. Nothing, and walked into the shadowy apartment, surprisingly there was only a thin coat of dust on things. He could see bits of remaining furniture covering is sheets. It was pretty clear the majority of the houses belongings had been stripped by his parents when they'd left into hiding. There were however a number of pictures, mostly photographs of one sort or another hanging on the wall. Some of just the two of them, but a handful of images including Sirius, Lupin, and a couple with a young pink haired girl. None of Pettigrew he noted gratefully.
He paced slowly around the apartment, kicking up very small motes of dust in his wake. He was about to pass out of the living room and through a door to one side when he heard a telltale crack and whirled his wand already drawn and rising. He saw Kara diving for cover behind a couch, she clearly hadn't honed the same instincts as him, but then why would she have? A small figure in a ragged but carefully cleaned dress stood a top the dinning room table, an elf with swirling vortices of power pooling around its hands. A determined expression on its face.
But it paused as it's eyes fixed on his face, and the fire sputtered for a couple moments. Eye's widening with shock. "Master Harry?" it, she, he realized, asked in a warbling voice.
Harry eyed it and noticed a small crest with the Potter emblem embroidered on the dress and lowered his wand a touch. "Yeah, that's me I think, does that make you one of the family elves then?" He asked cautiously.
She beamed at him, and the fire around her hands extinguished entirely. "It is you Master Harry!" She said happily, and nodded causing her ears to flap. "I am called Tinker, I was your mother's personal assistant near the end." She said, smiling broadly. "It is good to see you again!" She noted jumping off the table and trotting up to him. She stared up at him. "Ha! You've sure grown, but that's no surprise, you were just a baby when I last saw you." She said giving a satisfied smile.
Kara picked herself off dusting at her pants and shirt grumbling. The elf turned and nodded apologetically, before doing a double take while turning back to Harry. The elf was tugging urgently on his pant leg and goggling at her. "Master Harry, why is there an Angel of Death here?" Tinker asked urgently. He peered at the elf shocked.
"You can tell she was a Grim Reaper once?" He asked urgently dropping to a knee in front of the little elf.
She gave him a funny look. "Was, you mean she isn't one now?" She looked more closely at Kara who was looking thunderstruck. Then started hopping and pointing excitedly, "She's mortal, buts how does she haves wingses if she's mortal," Her surprisingly immaculate english suffering a little in her excitement.
"You can see wings on her Tinker?" Harry asked intrigued.
She nodded again. "Yes angels wings only show when they want them to, I can see the skull mask and the black fire but they're fainter right now." She elaborated. "Elves see things differently than humans Harry" She pointed out.
Harry pondered this revelation. It'd mean he'd have to be careful around elves especially Kreacher. He knelt beside Tinker who smiled at the courtesy. "Tinker, me and Kara are on a mission together, I made a pact to get her made mortal again. But it'd be better if it weren't known by folks that she was…different than what she appears to be," He explained.
Tinker nodded in awed understanding. "You must be a very powerful wizard to be making bargains with God's servants. And to be assigned to a mission in ones company…" she was smiling admiringly at him. "I will tell any elves I meet to keep her nature from other humans, it is after all a divine mission, it's better not to get in the way of such things."
Harry was impressed, this elf appeared completely lucid and entirely coherent unlike a number of other elves he'd met over the years. "Thank you Tinker, that will be a big help. Can you tell me something, are there many elves in my families service, I only got the will yesterday which is how I found out about this place." He explained.
"You only just found out about us?" She said surprised, then shook her head sadly. "Not many now, without the hope that you would return many succumbed to the madness, others passed of old age. Only Tinker, Tot and Tiger are left. Be glad you got me, Tiger tends to fireball first and ask questions later. I've had to clean up more ash piles…" She grumbled fondly. Then perked up. "Does Master Harry have new orders for us?" She asked eagerly.
Harry considered that. "Tinker, when you say some succumbed to the madness, what does that mean?" He asked, perhaps insanity was a common ailment among elves?
She looked sad. "House Elves have been servants of humans for a very long time Master Harry. It is now such, that elves without orders or a clear set of directives start to go mad after a time. We can no longer survive without masters, not long term. I'm the youngest in your families service, and I barely remember having orders, but I'm already starting to feel a little silly sometimes when I first get up in the mornings." She confided. Ah crap. I think Hermione needs to hear this when I see her next. S.P.E.W needs some reconsidering. She continued oblivious to her thoughts. "Tot gets headaches, and Tiger is sane except when he has to go on security detail like i'm on today. He paints himself green and brown, and carries a knife when he's of patrol." She admitted. That sounded less promising.
"You don't need to call me Master, please call me Harry." He requested gently and she beamed at him. He took that as a good sign. "Tinker, i'm here looking to find out more about my parents. I imagine they took most of what they considered important to Godric's Hollow, but I was wondering if there was anything that they would have wanted me to find or protect here?" He requested.
She nodded thoughtfully. "Yes M— Harry, just a couple things really, follow me." She said and trotted through the doorway beside him. He followed her down a hall and into a bedroom. She ran across the floor and hopped up on one of the dressers. She sat on the edge and patted her feet against the top drawer before standing up again. "A photograph which was important to Lily, and a number of valuable trinkets." She reported.
Harry pulled open the drawer curious. The trinkets and baubles were everywhere, mostly pendants, charms, beads and necklaces, but on a pillow separate and above it all was a small framed picture. A pair of teenagers sat on the grass beside a pond. The first was a red haired girl, remarkably similar to Ginny. And next to her was a thin, young, but very recognizable Severus Snape. The teens were laughing together about something. He turned over the picture and a found a small card secured into the back of the frame. "Lily Potter and Severus the bravest man she ever knew." It said in a beautiful cursive. He flipped it over to continue staring at it. But was interrupted by a flash, and he turned around quickly.
Kara was standing behind him, and had thrown her arms up in triumph. A pair of gorgeous white wings had sprouted from her back. She was doing a little victory dance. "It's not as easy as it would have been but they didn't take my wings. I can still fly!" She said bouncing happily.
Harry and Tinker exchanged an amused look. "I'm happy, but just remember not to whip them out unless you don't mind giving old timers a heart attack." He said teasing her dryly.
"Well duh, but I could have managed that just by flashing one of the older suckers before." She snickered. "Still it's nice to know I have them if I need them." She said smiling. She noticed the photograph in his hands and peered closer at it "resheathing" her wings. Then tapped it with her finger. "Oh yeah, he had a thing for your mom if I remember right, it kinda explains some of the drama between him and your father huh" She said nodding sagely.
Harry nodded a little thrown by the revelation, and turned to Tinker. "Tinker could you please have this wrapped for me?" He requested. The little elf nodded, and apparated out with a small thunderclap. Harry spent the time waiting for her to return idly picking through the baubles. He found a simple silver one which he offered to Kara. "It's not doing anybody any good here. And I thought you might like a little jewelry for yourself. It's pretty simple but I think it'll look nice on you," He offered when she protested. She took the jewelry reluctantly and gave him a hug.
"Thanks Harry, nobody's given me jewelry before." She said smiling into his eyes.
A couple minutes later Tinker showed up with the wrapped nicely picture. "Anything else I can do for you Harry?" She asked cheerfully bouncing a little on her feet. Happy to have work again.
Harry considered. "I don't live anywhere in particular right now Tinker, but I do attend Hogwarts. It's the closest thing to a home of my own, that I have right now. Would you and the others be willing to work there and help keep it for me?" He asked.
She smiled broadly. "Gladly Harry," She agreed.
A thought popped into his head. Where it had come from precisely he couldn't honestly say, "Uh, Tinker, I know I can't give you clothes because that'd be firing you. But would you and the other elves plan out a set of new uniforms, pick something that'll working for doing your jobs in but make sure it's something you guys like. I'll provide materials for them if you require its just I only ever see elves in old dresses and pillowcases and stuff you guys deserve nice stuff too." He explained.
She smiled slyly. "You're smarter than most Wizards Harry, most never figure out how to get us dressed without firing us. Not that i've heard anyway. Something tells me working for you will be interesting." She said knowingly.
"Excellent. Now is there anything I can do for you guys today?" He asked relieved that had worked out.
She seemed surprised by the offer. "No Harry, having new work will do wonders for us. Remember to just holler if you need one of us, we'll hear you if you intend to call one of us." She reminded him.
"You got it, now, i'm gonna take a last look around and then leave, you can stay if you want or whatever." He said unsure. He didn't like the idea of dismissing the helpful little elf.
She smiled. She seemed to do that a lot around him. "I think i'll head out then. See you soon Harry." She said and blinked out.
"They're lots of fun aren't they?" Kara noted chuckling.
"Yeah they can be, Dobby is loads better since he got hired by Hogwarts, Kreacher, well Kreacher is probably still his crotchety old self at this point." He said pacing through the rest of the apartment. He nodded in satisfaction as he finished searching the guest bedroom. "I think that i'm good now, lets get out of here." He said tucking the wrapped photograph into his pack and re-zipping it.
—
Tonks apparated onto the top of a tiered white building on the edge of the Thames a few miles away from the Tower of London, and pulled out the tracker again and started fiddling with it. She paused when one of the roofs security cameras swivelled a bit whirring noisily.
It kept turning and she was confident the disillusionment charm was still working. She returned to what she was doing. A minute later the tracer lit up, faint green this time with a spindle pointing away along the Thames. She blinked surprise seeing the green and fumbled with her wand, dropping the tracker. She lit off a patronus "Hey Moods, caught a trace, i'm a few miles west ov da Taaahr, got a weak trace pointin' roughly in its direcshun. I'm movin' ter in'ercept, might wanna join me. Nuff said, yeah?" She finished, and sent it on its way. She paused when she looked up, quite without her noticing, every camera on the roof had turned to look at her. "Lawd above! Tha's not good." She yelped and picked up the tracer before she blinked out of existence.
—
They had barely stepped out on the pavement of the side walk when Harry's instincts started prickling and he stopped in his tracks. "Kara you feel that?" He asked, looking about, his eyes scanning the world around them.
She halted and tilted her head while she checked. Before nodding hesitantly "Yeah, something's off, what is it?" She asked perplexed.
It took a while before he was able to pin down what exactly it was that was wrong but when he felt a cold prickle down his back he knew. "Damn, they sent a second wave," He murmured and turned to Kara. "Dementors, we need to get out of sight of the general public…" He pointed to an alley about a hundred meters away. "There, come on." He said and started a jog towards it.
"Yeah, because going down the alleyway where no one can hear you scream when the monsters come for you is a great idea." She said sarcastically, a bit of her accent coming out as she got nervous, but followed anyway.
They made it into a position where they could watch all three entrances to the narrow passage, Harry began casting notice me not spells and muggle repulsers, it was to late to be caring about the underage magic restrictions. The spells would only keep muggles away in all likelihood, Dementors were a different matter all together. How many will they send this time? At least I have back up. Which reminds me…
"Kara the spell for repelling Dementors? You point with your wand, draw a circle with the tip and shout Expecto Patronum while thinking of the happiest thing you can think of, you understand, think of your time on the swing with…Dad, and maybe how you felt when you found out you got to come here. I'd be surprised if those wouldn't be enough to fuel the spell." He instructed, he repeated it once he finished just to make sure she understood as the temperature in the alley seemed to plummet and the sky seemed to darken.
Harry dropped to his knee and started sifting for happy thoughts, he thought of times when he was flying, times when he and his friends were together…Honestly he was pretty short on happy right now.
And then he saw them coasting around the corner at the far end of the alley, three of them. "Kara any on your end?" He asked.
She answered a little unsteadily. "Six, three at each entrance," She reported.
"All right switch places, remember what I told you, happy thoughts." He said as he spun and took her position as she turned and took his.
The monstrous guards of Azkaban drifted closer. "Let them within a hundred feet then get casting." He ordered. He waited until they were in range for him then started counting. "Three," He aimed and started ordering his thoughts. "Two" He brought up the images he wanted and let them fill him. Battling against those their presence brought to the fore. "One" He finished and bellowed the incantation, and heard Kara do the same. "Expecto Patronum!" as always the silver stag rocketed out of the end of his wand, and bore down on the Dementors scattering them like leaves before the wind. He waited a moment while they retreated and turned. And was happy to find Kara had successfully cast as well. The Patronus was different from any other he'd seen, a silvery figure with six wings and a sword stood between Kara and the beasts which were rapidly fleeing. She turned smiling, her eyes widened and then she shrieked a warning. Harry had time to whirl but was bourn to the ground by a Dementor which had snuck over top of the building, the things hideous head now inches from his own. Harry's mind was a wash of bad memories and he lashed out without thinking. He grabbed the things clammy grey "face" his hand over the pitted hole which served as it'd mouth. "Expecto Patronum" He hissed as the thing "bit" his palm.
There was a flash of silver from his hand and the creature reared back as the glow went down it's throat. If it was possible for a Dementor to stagger, this one did it. It flailed madly about the alley, and actually crashed into a dumpster denting it, as the glow seemed to burn it from the inside out. It threw back it's head, and a barrage of little golden starlike lights burst forth like water from a broken dam and shot into the sky. Holes ate at the things ragged form, and it slowly disintegrated into silvery flecks of ash and little gobbets of slop. Holy crap. I think I just killed a Dementor… He thought as he tried to catch his breath.
Harry groaned, but heard a murmured warning from Kara, and he looked up. He swore and dove for his wand as cloaked figures entered the alley way from the entrances. These were not Dementors, at first Harry thought they were Death Eaters, but then he noticed the lack of silver masks and the ragtag nature of there robed. "Kara remember what you know about Protego? I'd recommend using that. And to use a stunner, jab your wand and say stupefy." He instructed. She was already nodding as he got to his feet.
The figures were drawing closer, and wands were being drawn. He was reluctant to open up on people without knowing exactly who they were but he saw no choice. "Now Kara" He ordered and sent a concussive hex in the mass of wizards coming from his end. They scattered but one of the slower ones caught it in the shoulder and flipped through the air with a thunder clap. He dove out of the way of a volley and cast a shield. The shield rippled and flashed as hexes and curses impacted on it. He heard Kara belting out stunners, and carefully backed up until he was back to back with her. "Impedimenta…Defindo!" He barked and managed to catch one of the "thugs" as he was now thinking of them, in the shin, and he went down with a shriek.
"Stupefy!" he shouted and another flopped on his face, he had to recast his enduring projection shield, and drew the second wand from the small of his back. "Protego" He snapped followed by a Bludgeoning curse from the second wand. He watched a thug writhe under the blows, and dodged a suspicious green curse that was fired in answer. "Kara, seek cover, they might be tossing killing curses." He ordered, and heard her skitter to the side of the alley. He fired at a Thug who turned to aim at her, and caught the guy in the head knocking him down hard. "Impedimenta!"
But another had seen what the other had and flicked a red bolt across the alley, which caught Kara in the spine and she wen't down screaming and writhing, before curling into a ball. That was it, it was too much for Harry and something in him snapped. He had images of being too late to save her and he just lost it. He was already half swimming in bad memories thanks to getting jumped by the Dementor and now he was practically reliving one.
Tonks heard the racket from a couple blocks out and started running instead of apparating so she didn't risk overshooting the source during a jump. This was just what the old man had been afraid of, Harry getting jumped while out in the open unprotected. She dashed along side street after side street counter to the muggles who were fleeing the noise, knowing on some instinctive level that it was something bad.
She rocketed around the corner and had just enough time to dive to the side and avoid losing her head. A curse blazed through the space it had occupied moments before. The rumble of spell fire continued for a minute drawing away somewhat before stopping. She twirled around the corner sketching a shield cast with her wand, and just about tripped when she got her first look at the battlefield.
There were easily ten cloaked figures lying about this end of the alley, some of them where just knocked out or injured, struggling feebly. Others couldn't get much deader unless they'd been AK'd. The ones that were still kicking she set about stunning, if they weren't the bad guys she would eat her wand. If they by some freak chance weren't in fact the bad guys, at least they wouldn't be dead. She made her way deeper into the alley, stepping over a guy who'd been killed by having a large trench dug into his chest by a cutting curse.
She kept advancing her wand raised cautiously, the had to reach the end of the trail of bodies and wounded before she spotted him, and had to once again dodge to avoid a serious curse coming in at head level. "Whoa, there! Friendly comin' in!" She shouted from the thin cover provided by a dumpster. She peered out carefully at the Boy-Who-Lived, who was cradling a wounded teenager girl in his arms and she had to reflect he looked more like the Boy-Who-Was-Barely-Alive, he was pale, and one arm was positively drenched in blood. He had a couple singe marks elsewhere too. He looked like hell on earth and that was putting it mildly, he had a wild eyed look Tonks had seen in some of her most dangerous assignments. The boy wasn't all their right now. "I don't have friends, you've killed them all haven't you?" He shouted and sent a curse which gouged a divot in the side of the dumpster.
Tonks took a quick glance to check on the girl in his arms, and she was struggling slightly to uncurl and was resting a hand on his chest weakly, trying to grab his attention. He gave a start at her contact and his eyes flicked to the girl. "She doesn't look dead ta' me!" She shouted. "Maybe you've got mawer friends than yew fink?" She suggested. She heard running feet and saw Moody and Kingsley hurrying into the alley, they caught sight of her and she waved to them telling them to slow down, she didn't want to spook Harry right now.
"Yeah, like who? Kara's alive, but God only knows how long that'll last being around me," He snapped. "But what others? They've all died or abandoned me." He said, clearly confused and distressed, shaking his head muzzily. Tonks heard the girl murmuring but couldn't make out the words.
"You've got friends Harry, I'm a friend, Dumbledore sen' me!" She tried, and she didn't like the sound of the sarcastic laugh that came back, Okay, better distance my self from the old man right now. She thought as Moody hurried up beside her. "I'm yaahr friend, awer I'd like ter be! OK?" She offered. "What about Ron an' Hermione? The Twins? Ginny!" She suggested listing off his accomplices at Headquarters.
He laughed a little hysterically and Moody shook his head worriedly at her as Kingsley made it into a doorway across from them. "Ron? You must be joking, don't even get me started on that bastard…" That gave Tonks a start, when had that happened? When had he and Ron been less than best friends? "But…Hermione?" He continued a little closer to normally and Tonks smiled at the change in his tone. It sounded a little more sure, and a little less confused.
"Yeah Hermione, me an' 'er are ge'in' along great!" She responded in a friendly happy voice and she heard him bark a tired laugh, which never-the-less sounded sincere. There was a long pause, and the murmuring continued. This time his was included, he was talking to the girl.
"So? Why don't yew tell me what 'appened ter your friend Kara there... What'd she get 'it by? Do we need ter get 'er ter Sain' Mungo's?" She asked, laying on the Cockney in her accent a little heavily to make her a little more approachable. She heard him laugh, though it sounded strained.
"Cruciatus I think, couldn't tell at first." He admitted and she winced, one of these buggers, assuming he wasn't dead, was going to Azkaban. Using an unforgivable on a pair of teenagers? "And no, not to Saint Mungo's, this'd be all over the prophet an hour after we got there." He growled irritably.
She saw him lay the panting girl against a crate and murmur something to her, she nodded and waved him off tiredly. But he still had his wand out and looked a little wild about the eyes. "Oh? Why not?" She asked to keep him talking, Moody was eying the bodies around them warily.
She heard the dark laughter again. She noticed him murmuring to a wounded man on the ground, who was missing a leg. He looked at the wound dispassionately then directed a cauterizer at the wound, she just about choked when the stench reached her. He murmured to the man for another minute without answering her before hitting him with a stunner. "Because, if that happens all this mess will be in the papers," He hit two more with stunners, sound much calmer. "If that happens," He said pocketing something after looking at it intently for a few moments. "These bastards know we're on to them proper and go underground and their bosses cover for them back at the Ministry," He explained blandly.
"The Minis'ry? Yew fink we did dis?" She asked skeptical.
He laughed. "You? No, if you really work for Dumbledore, this wasn't you. He hasn't the stomach for killing, but that doesn't preclude Umbridge, and Fudge," He argued. He looked up, and shook his injured arm irritably. "Oh, come out then, I'm not going to curse you, I'm back for now." He said darkly. The little qualifier he put on that statement was worrying.
Tonks and Moody shared a dubious look, but carefully came out from behind cover. True to his word, he didn't try and curse them, he was reholstering not one wand but two. Must have picked up a backup in Diagon, when he was there. Her brain hypothesized. "Harry?" She asked as she got closer. "Harry? I'm Tonks, I'm an Auror, what evidence do yew 'ave against Umbridge?" She asked trying for friendly again.
He gave her a tired look, and staggered a little and frowned. "Umbridge and Fudge, if I'm right, but I won't give it to you." He said shaking his head. "First of all, all the evidence is here in my head," He said smiling grimly and tapping his temple. "Second, even if I could hand it over I wouldn't, Dumbledore would just try and run the show himself and fuck it up, like he does everything else." He growled.
Tonks blinked surprise, at the vehemence in the boys word against Dumbledore There it is again, what the hell went on between the two of them? She wondered. She noticed him sway startlingly. She shared a worried look with the other two. "Harry, yer wounded, yew need 'elp, why don't we get yew aaaht ov 'ere? OK?" She asked.
He snorted. "First of all? Wind back the Cockney, I know you've got to be putting that on." He said sitting beside Kara and panting. "Second I'm not going anywhere unless she's coming with me, any of you have a problem with that?" He growled glowering at the surly looking Moody, and the expressionless Kingsley.
Tonks looked to the others trying to convey with her eyes that she thought they needed to go along with it, unless they wanted to fight him for it. They appeared to understand and agree, albeit unhappily on Moody's part. She turned back to him, "Alright, Harry, we can do that, do you wanna get 'er up an' we'll get the two of yew out of 'ere?" She suggested lightening up on the accent.
He chuckled and turned to the girl. "How you feelin' Kara? You think you can walk?" He asked worriedly. She shrugged, then shook her head grimacing.
"No Harry, my back hurts to much right now," She admitted in an American accent, which had Tonks blinking.
He nodded then turned back to Tonks, "First, you got a spell for healing cuts?" He asked indicating his bloody arm.
Tonks nodded. "Yeah. You gonna be okay me with me pointin' a wand at you?" She asked cautiously. The boy was clearly dangerous when pressed into a corner.
He smiled ruefully, likely guessing her thoughts. "Yeah, that won't be a problem." He assured her. She gestured tentatively with her wand and sure enough he didn't tense.
She concentrated and gestured. Vulnera Sanentur! She barked and Harry hissed as the wounds on his arms sealed and the skin contracted. Tergeo! And the blood and effluvia of the wounds cleared. He examined his arm as she reholstered her wand and he nodded satisfied and immediately swept Kara into his arms with a grunt. "You sure your up fer that?" Tonks ask uncertainly.
He nodded. "So long as we don't dawdle," He said grimacing.
"One thing before we go, I think," Kingsley interjected in his smoothly accented voice. "What do we do about all of these?" He said gesturing to the fallen.
Harry sighed. "As I said I think it would be best to let them be and handle themselves, it might give us an opening to nail their bosses to the wall." He explained. "Also, we don't know if they have reinforcements coming soon…" He let them fill in the gaps there.
Tonks was the first to shake her head. "Harry, we three are Aurors, we can't just ignore this." She said simply. "It's our duty to uphold justice."
"Says three people who went vigilante just because Dumbledore asked," Harry retorted then sighed at their affronted looks. "Sorry, that wasn't fair. I know you're probably all in this to protect people…Fine" Harry asked tiredly.
The Aurors all let out relieved sighs that Harry was going to cooperate, then looked to each other.
"Who do you think we can trust with this?" Tonks asked worried. They seemed to share some silent communication for a time.
Moody was the one to answer this time. "Bones," He said simply.
Harry gave a start as he realized who he was talking about. Amelia Bones, Susan's Aunt and sometimes care giver. Current head of the DMLE and apparently a hell of a witch. She had a reputation as being fair and just. He bobbed his head cautiously in agreement. "From what I know of her, she'd be acceptable, I'd be willing to cooperate with her."
The others seemed relieved that he was cooperating, not that it was like he had much choice in the end. Ultimately it'd be up to them whether or not to call in the cavalry. He let Kara down onto one of the steps leading into one of the buildings service doors.
"So how are we going to do this?" Harry asked tiredly.
Tonks looked at him seriously. "First of all you're going to hand over any evidence not in your head to me right now," She said seriously. "Don't think I didn't see you slip something into your pocket earlier." Harry chuckled and withdrew a pair of items and handed them over. Tonks just about lost it when she saw what they were. "Well now I know why you're so certain its Fudge and Umbridge," She growled. He'd handed her a Wallet with a man's I.D in it, and a Badge. The badge had "Department of Magical Corrections" stamped on it in big letters, a badge number and rune were inscribed on it as well as a name. One which matched the one on the guys normal I.D card. She handed it off to Moody explaining. "D.M.C guards" she said frowning. Somebody had been using fellow law enforcement officers like hit men, and now some of those officers were dead.
Moody snarled, when he read the I.D and Badge, turning to Kingsley. "Get Amelia herself, and one other if she insists, but no more. She needs to see this." He barked. Kingsley looked at the badge and shook his head sadly before disappearing with a crack.
Moody gestured to Tonks. "Tonks, come help me search the bodies, lets see if we can't turn up something else. Potter? You stay put, don't need you confusing the scene more than you already have."
Amelia Bones arrived close to ten minutes later. Kingsley had apparently run hell for leather to get her here as quickly as possible. She, Kingsley and a man Harry recognized as Rufus Scrimgoeur apparated with a series of dull thumps. Madam Bones, stared around at the aftermath of Harry's battle in shock, even the usually stoic and stone faced Scrimgeour was a little wide eyed. The alley was pock marked with craters and scorching. The ground was littered with fallen combatants and pools of blood. Tonks and moody had been busy securing and stabilizing any still living among the attackers with stun cuffs. Runed handcuffs which would stun a person into unconsciousness if they reached for their magic. They lay basically where they had fallen just bound this time instead of flat unconscious.
"What in the bloody hell happened here?" She demanded hurrying over to Tonks who securing a last man. She noticed Moody stumping around doing similar work. "And what is Alastor doing here?" She said sounding more exasperated then shocked, like she had at first.
Amelia looked over Tonks as the woman came to a semblance of attention. A young, athletic Auror, with a pale heart shaped face and shockingly pink hair, Nymphadora Tonks, was one of the more competent Aurors on the force and was known to be downright dogged when on a case. She was also something of an idealist, something Amelia valued in her forces. One of the few other women on the force too, the fact she'd made it past the screeners was a telling statement of her skill.
"Ma'am I was tasked by…Dumbledore, to watch Harry during my off duty hours. During one of my shifts I noticed he was missing from his place of residence in Little Whinging, Surrey. I returned to Dumbledore and reported his absence at which point I proceeded to use a blood tracker provided by Dumbledore to find Harry." She said. Harry raised a hand here getting the two witches attention.
"I want to know if thats legal by the way, not that I'm not grateful you showed up," He noted dryly.
Amelia knew such devices were in fact illegal for a private citizen to create and use. It would seem she needed to have another talk to Dumbledore about his attitude toward the law again. Tonks continued. "I arrived finding the scene pretty much as is, I had to talk Harry here off a bit of a ledge, before he'd let me help. He provided me with these, which he took off one of the…assailant," Tonks supplied hesitantly. "He believes this indicates the involvement of corrupt government officials." Handing over the badge and I.D.
Amelia was furious when she read the badge and the I.D, she came to the same conclusion as Tonks had and knew now why she was here. She handed the evidence off to Scrimgoeur for him to examine. He paled when he saw what he held.
Amelia turned to Harry and started questioning him. "How did this happen Potter? What's your part in all this?" She asked sternly.
Harry proceeded to explain that he had been examining one of his parents old properties, pointing to the building in question, and upon exiting the structure noticed something felt off. It took some time but he eventually figured out the feeling signalled the approach of Dementors. He had noting his exposure retreated, with his friend, to the alley where they could more easily fight without drawing attention. He then described his battle with the Dementors and then the "thugs" as best he could. Once done he admitted he had questioned one of the wounded offering to heal his wounds as best he could in exchange for answers. "I would have done it either way, but he didn't need to know that," he pointed out. The man's testimony, he said, pointing to said one legged man, was part of what led him to believe Fudge and Umbridge were the culprits.
As he finished his testimony Amelia sighed closing the note book she'd been writing things down in. "This is a mess, you know that?" She said disgusted with the whole situation. "Ministry employees, apparently used as fodder to bring in a minor without proper authority. Now several of those employees are dead at the hands of a minor, who, as far as anyone knows, shouldn't be able to fight that well. How do you get into a situation like this ?" She asked irritably.
"I honestly don't know ma'am," Harry said tiredly. He'd often asked similar questions of himself in the past.
"I know the kind of spells that cause this damage, where in the blazes did you learn them?" She asked next.
"A variety of places, some were texts, some were notes from other students, and some were from imitating things people who were trying to kill me threw at me." He said considering his answer carefully. "Ma'am would you be the one questioning me in the hearing?" He asked as a thought struck him.
She nodded. "Yes I would, Though as I understand it Fudge and Umbridge themselves are making moves to place themselves in judgement against you." She noted sourly. "I can't help but think, that isn't a coincidence.
"Okay, then my only request is that you keep the questions pertinent to the case." He shot a meaningful look towards Tonks and Moody.
Amelia sighed at that, but nodded. "I'm not interested in anything not pertinent to the case, so I'll let you keep your personal business personal, just understand I won't hold back if justice demands I know more." She said stiffly. Harry nodded agreement easily. She eased somewhat. "You realize that no matter what happens there is going to be hell to pay for this right?" She asked sourly.
Harry nodded agreement. "And I'm willing to pay the price by myself if I have to," he assured her. He looked to her to make sure she understood he didn't mean in galleons. She was nodding approval with his answer.
"Then theirs really only one more thing to say for now, be at my office at say…five tomorrow evening, and well go over some things before the hearing." She watched him carefully to make sure he understood, then nodded in satisfaction. "Now then, Auror Tonks?" She said turning to her officer, "Take these two where ever you need to. I've got to talk with Alastor about the meaning of the word retired." She growled and stalked towards the old man.
—
As the others made side along apparitions to Order headquarters with Kinglsey. Tonks made the jump to Diagon. She cracked into existence on the steps of Gringotts, and had flash her badge at the guards whom she'd give a start. Not only because of her sudden appearance, but her blood covered clothing, she'd had to help Moody haul the boy upright so they could apparate him out before she'd been sent here.
She made her way to the inn just across the road from the bank itself and asked if someone matching Harry's description had indeed checked into room four on the second floor. The lady, a particularly nosey clerk, who was convinced the boy must have been up to no good, was more than happy set an Auror on the boys room. Tonks did her best not to roll her eyes when the woman tried to wheedle a reward out of her.
She clomped up to the room a couple minutes later after finally getting clear of the odious woman and used the provided key to gain entry. She noticed the single bed, small pile of girly clothing next to it and wondered the obvious question until she noticed a blanket had been folded up on one end of the couch and a pillow had been placed in the opposite corner. It took a while to find and pack everything but she eventually got it all though she almost missed a book. She bent down to pick it up and read the title. "Mind Magic" and the small captions on the back cover when she flipped it over, her eyebrows climbed. A beginners guide to occlumency. Why in the bloody flippin' hell is Harry Potter choosing to study occlumency? She wondered. She knew why Dumbledore was concerned, the old man had admitted it grudgingly to the fear the boy might be vulnerable to You-Know-Who's Legimency. Running wild wasn't exactly an encouraging development, nor was turning into a master duelist while nobody was watching, nor was picking up some anonymous girl who's accents said she was from America. She couldn't decide what the occlumency meant in conjunction with that discovery. She'd need to tell the old man and get his read on it. But hers was that the boy had figured out something was wrong and taken steps to defend himself…
Regardless she needed to pick up the pace, and get back to Grimmauld and report.
—