Author's Notes: Alright, slight problem, upon further examination my chapter following this one wasn't holding up to scrutiny. Thank you to my beta's for pointing out my folly. Sadly this means that in all likelihood I'm going to have to hold off the last chapter of this bundle and include it in the next. So barring a small miracle…this chapter right here is it for this month. I know it makes me sad too. That being said. Should a small miracle occur, it will be up in the next day or two at the latest. You never know. I guess you people have come to believe you know the official pairing now, so keeping it secret is hardly worthwhile, but I'll say this while this book, is basically a Harry/Hermione pairing, going forward it is not going to be straightforward. Nothing is in Poor Harry's life right? Why would his love life be? It's not a Harem fic, or a cheating fic, but it's complicated… I'm glad the last chapter came across right, funnily enough I only got one review commenting even briefly on my portrayal of Bellatrix, so I'll ask straight out, what do you guys think of this. Crazy doesn't come from nowhere right?
Warnings: Potentially disturbing content, and heinous flirtation, teenage brain meltdown
Chapter 13: …You're gonna get burned.
The klaxon above Lucius Malfoy's head wailed earsplittingly loud as the small red lamp above the gate lit briefly in the gloom that was prison. The wailing died and the door slid out of the way on greased rails allowing a manacled Lucius to shuffle forward in his new prisoner's garb. The guard took a bite from his ration of chocolate before stepping forward and instructing him to raise his arms and spread his legs. Lucius did so, as much as was possible with chains on his wrists and ankles.
The guard passed his wand, which was emitting a faint glow over Lucius' body searching for contraband or anything that might help him escape. It came up empty and he was allowed to step forward into the prison atrium.
This was it, Azkaban. The prison of wizards. From the outside an enormous stone triangular prism with a shaft cut through its heart to the waves below. Azkaban was technically built on an island he'd heard. But that little spit of rock had long since been subsumed by the structure. Only a tiny portion of it reserved for the burying of prisoners left untouched within the structures north facing third. The Prison was designed so that one had to pass through each level in its entirety before you could descend to the next. This was to slow the occasional escapee on his way to freedom. It was surrounded by some of the most potent wards in existence and was now protected by a bolstered garrison of guard wizards. This was not the prison's primary security measure though.
That distinction belonged to the Dementors. Abominations, nobody was entirely certain where such creatures originated, but they appeared to cloak themselves in lethifold hide shrouds. The monstrous guards fed off of the despair of the inmates soon driving most into insanity within weeks, that is when they weren't literally sucking out the soul of anyone foolish enough to attempt escape. Dark, hovering spectres, without eyes. Only a mouth, gummy toothless maws through which they devoured their victim's souls.
Lucius couldn't help but shiver at the thought of such a fate as he spotted a pair of the creatures floating watchfully by the atriums far doorways. He hoped that he'd fair better than most of those incarcerated here.
He'd never see the sun again if it were up to the Ministry, it was one of the things he was going to miss the most he realized as he observed his dingy surroundings. The other two things were his wife and son. He couldn't help but sigh a little at the thought of his family.
Draco had come to visit him in the ministries holding cells, true enough, but Narcissa had been unwilling to come, too afraid to venture outside the wards now that his aegis no longer protected her. Which was a shame, he had indeed wanted to see her one last time. He'd, quite despite himself, and against his better judgement grown somewhat fond of the woman. He was not of a family which believed in affection between spouses being a critical factor of marriage.
And his son…Draco was, difficult. Perhaps this was partially his own fault, he had no doubt coddled and spoilt the boy endlessly, just as his mother had. The boy lacked any semblance of the ideals he'd intended to instil in him from birth. He was, despite his sorting at Hogwarts, not a Slytherin when it came down to it. He was not cunning, or particularly resourceful. Ambitious yes, but not exceptionally so. No sadly the boy tended towards foolhardy grandstanding and blustering. Tendencies more common to the hated house of Gryffindor in his mind. This latest incident was proof of that, a blood feud of all things! Lucius sighed in resignation when he thought of the boy who he couldn't help but love despite his flaws. The young man had quite thoroughly cooked his own goose with that stunt, and with Lucius in here, their was likely to be no one but himself to get him out of it.
It was somewhat ironic, that of the three Malfoy family members, he was perhaps the safest of the three at this very moment. This was what he thought at least as he watched particularly loud and obnoxious fat man was being restrained by a trio of guardsmen.
—
Voldemort, Dark Lord of Great Britain, hovered, like a half formed phantom on the wind some miles away observing the Prison from a distance. It was an uncommon and difficult talent to become as smoke as he did, just more proof of his prowess and power over magic.
The Prison gleamed dully like a shard of polished obsidian in the distance. The prison which had claimed the freedom, sanity and souls of thousands of wizards. He quite approved. It was only right that an empire have a way of containing and breaking those it did not approve of. He just disagreed with what Ministry disapproved of. Instead of secreting away those who would harm the basis of their empire they used the facility to house those who had been bold enough to speak the truth and bathe in blood for it.
About him, on brooms and below on a small stolen fishing trawl, his followers gathered. He had been careful in his planning and the way was now clear, his small army of loyal brethren and sisters had gathered. They waited, black cloaks rustling in the wind, and silver masks shining in the faint sunlight as they awaited his command. He was the only one of those present capable of becoming amorphous and ghostlike. But soon, if all went according to plan a number of others would be returned to the fold. Only one of their current number was absent, Severus was required to maintain his cover, so he could not attend and participate in what was to come.
He turned and looked to those gathered and smiled coldly. "It is time my brethren, my sisters. Time to return out family to its former glory. Tonight we will strike a blow against the Ministry and swell our ranks. But this is just the beginning, soon more will follow and we will glut ourselves on the blood of the unworthy." he boasted, as a dark shape drifted closer over the wave tops. "With these faithful returned to our number we shall be able to begin our work properly, and undue the injustices foisted upon us by those bumbling fools in the Ministry. But first one further matter stands to be dealt with," he turned to the Dementor which had abandoned it's post on the perimeter of the prisons wards. "Tell me, will we alone be those who benefit from the coming struggle? Or will the Dementors be joining us? You have laboured long under the Ministries yoke have you not? Forced to feed on scraps and what detritus those fools saw fit to throw your way…" he began but halted.
The creature had raised a bony grey hand, in an almost impatient gesture, it seemed to be saying it had no time or patience for speeches. Then as the Death Eater's and their master looked on it nodded once.
The gathered force watched as it turned its head back to the prison and before throwing it back and unleashing a cry unlike anything any of them had heard before. It was a long ululating howl, which screeched on their nerves and sent shivers through their bones. It took a moment before the howl was returned from afar and the Dementors on the perimeter began to swarm, like a cloud of gore crows above the prison.
Voldemort nodded his thanks at the creature before gesturing sharply, it was time. His forces advanced, leaping onto brooms or easing their mounts forward, flanking their dark master. A pair of dark forms lingering behind the rest for a moment, before dropping off the back of the boat, and into the waves with a hiss.
—
The fat man had been a muggle it seemed. This had become obvious when he was forced by the guards down the stairwell into the shaft to the basement. The place the few lowly nonmagical detainees were kept. He couldn't help but smirk as the man protested loudly all the way out of the room. Filthy cretin.
Lucius gave a jerk as the klaxons around the room began to blare all at once, causing guards and prisoners alike to stare at them in shock. This feeling of shock and unease intensified when the two Dementors in the room threw back their heads and howled, as shriek which sank dread into their bones before drifting into the central shaft cut into the prismatic like prison and rising rapidly out of sight ignoring the calls and orders of the staff present.
The building shook and a dull roar echoed through the building. The Guards stood still for a moment, staring in disbelief before they started moving. Their cries and bellows filling the air, but not before Lucius heard it. A sound he'd honestly hoped never to hear again. The sound of his sister in law laughing her head off. Bellatrix knew her master had come for her. Nobody noticed the pair of figures hauling themselves up the side of the building and into the smouldering breech.
—
The battle for Azkaban, that is what it would be called in the history books when they eventually got around to writing about it. One of the worst defeats the Ministry had ever suffered, at least up to that point. It began in the Prison's upper reaches where a hole had been blasted through the prison's spell hardened walls. The guards, hopelessly outnumbered fought a running battle against the horde of Death Eaters and freed prisoners who gleefully joined them. It should have only taken the Ministry minutes to respond, but the Warden's office on the uppermost floor was overwhelmed immediately. It was not merely guardsmen who died in the onslaught, prisoners who for various reasons were considered unworthy were slain in their cells.
The Guards rallied and lead several counter charges, each time being ruthlessly beaten back by their attackers. They fell back, only grudgingly giving ground, a surprisingly stiff resistance being given by the undertrained and undermanned defenders. But in the end the outcome was never in doubt. They were driven back into the heart of the facility into the High Security Vault.
Under normal circumstances the vault hangs suspended about midway up the Prisons central shaft, a hardened bunker with massive Goblin made doors and the heaviest wards in the building. Should those kept within the vault overwhelm their guards and attempt to escape, the clamps holding it in place can be released causing the structure to drop several hundred feet into the water below and off a marine cliff face, where it will promptly sink to the bottom drowning and crushing those inside. That's what would have and should have happened had it not been for the controls for such a safety measure being kept in the Wardens offices.
The prison was burning now. The Dementors had abandoned it, and her stalwart defenders were now besieged within it's deepest reaches. The mad cackling of the prisoners as they were released from their cells, was echoing down the stair wells to the facilities basement, to the guards trying to raise an organized defence of the Maximum security chamber.
Desperate guards dashed back and forth casting spells and inscribing protective runes on the doors into the chamber, attempting to reinforce the defences. But their efforts were unravelling almost before their eyes. Runes burned out, shields fell, and enchantments broke. Until finally the exhausted guards were unable to keep the doors from crumpling.
They cowered as the Dark figures stepped over the shattered doors. The snake like visage of the madman who they knew to be the Dark Lord of Great Britain. His insane smile as he entered the room striking fear into their hearts as their hastily cast spells were deflected with ease. And the horror as they saw his fearsome servants stepping into place beside them. At one time they had perhaps been people, but now the two creatures flanking him were smouldering husks lit by an inner fire, a macabre grin permanently etched on their faces and belching fire. They could not know it but these were minor servants of the Dark Lords Master. Infernals, minor demonic spirits. Not true fallen Angels but the twisted essence of mundane creatures and wild spirits.
The Dark Lord spoke in his high cold voice. "I have come for those who were most loyal to me. I have come for my Death Eaters, do not ask for mercy as I will give you none!"
—
It was close to fifteen minutes into the siege before the first alarms started sounding in the ministry and by extension Grimmauld Place. The Aurors flocked to Headquarters only to receive frantically dispatched commands for all response teams to immediately apparate to Azkaban which was calling for aid.
Auror strike teams and hit wizard assault squads blinked out of the heart of wizarding Britain to reappear a couple minutes later in a war zone. the top of the prison had been basically shattered in the assault, and the enemy was everywhere, Kingsley and Hestia led strike teams aided by a certain retired Auror with a peg leg and a magical eye. They arrived as the enemy was congregating for extraction on the roof of the building. Moody caught movement out of the corner of his eye as the first true Death Eaters began to form a perimeter around the roof top exit. The Dark Lord himself leading them. He caught the barest glimpse of a pair of glowing forms dropping over the side of the building before he was forced to turn his attention back to the fight at hand. The monster himself was cutting a swath through the reinforcements as the swarms of prisoners disapparated in clusters behind him. Kingsley noted with dread a certain woman gleefully casting killing curses from Voldemort's shoulder screaming invectives and making insulting gestures in their direction.
More Aurors and Hitwizards arrived but it was too late, the prisoners were almost all gone now, and with the anti-apparition wards shattered there was nothing to stop them, Voldemort was laughing now as his followers began to follow suit finally leaving himself in a column of smoke and a flash of light.
—-
Harry and Hermione were sitting at the island in the kitchen again when a grey and agitated Tonks hurried into the room and dropped a copy of the daily prophet in front of them. Harry was quicker and managed to snag the paper before Hermione, who's hands were busy with a coffee mug. His eyes flicked rapidly over the front page before he growled and slapped down the paper on the countertop. "I'll be back in a minute," He promised as he hurried from the room. Hermione and Tonks were left to examine the paper in his wake, discussing it in low voices. Harry had to check a couple rooms before he found her. "Kara we need to talk," he opened as she gave a start at his sudden arrival. She set down the clothing she'd been folding and putting in the drawer Hermione had provided for her. She nodded and told him to go ahead, but he paused long enough to cast a lock, silencio and muffliato on the door and wall. He started pacing in agitation. "Nearly a hundred people are dead," He said shortly. "And they didn't have to die, they didn't last time, at least not all of them…" he babbled in a low voice. "Just how much blame for that rests on my shoulders?" He asked.
Kara was looking startled. "Who—where?" She asked.
"Azkaban. Voldemort raided it yesterday evening. He didn't just spring his followers this time either. He took everybody who'd join him," He explained rubbing at the back of his head. "Killed everyone else,"
Kara sighed and shook her head. "Harry, we knew things were going to change when we started this, it is bad that this happened but…No matter what we do there was always going to be a loss of life." She said trying to console him. "I know you and I are doing our damnedest to limit the casualties, but…we can't account for everything" She said suddenly tired.
"So we should just ignore it?" He said sarcastically. "Right them off as collateral damage? People sacrificed in the name of the greater good?" He spat.
Kara shook her head and continued patiently ignoring his outburst out of hand. "No, never. But there is something to consider Harry that I think you've forgotten since this has started." She said sternly. He looked to her expectantly. "We manipulated things in our favour when we came back, did you really think the other side wouldn't move to counter us?" She asked.
Harry considered that, "You're saying this might not so much be a consequence of what I'm doing and more of a reaction to us going all in?" He asked rubbing at his jaw, thinking carefully despite his agitation.
She nodded. "We've expended our resources to get us here, but the enemy has resources too, and being in the field like we are we don't know what those resources are exactly. Voldemort is acting differently from how he did last time correct? This was aggressive even for him. We should be wondering just why that might be." She said bending to finish packing away her clothes.
Harry nodded and apologized, "Sorry, It was just a hell of a shock to see that headline." He explained.
She nodded and smiled thinly, "Buck up Harry, as terrible as this is think of it like this, whatever we're doing has the enemy scrambling to adapt, this isn't good, but it's a sign that something we are doing is having an effect they don't like." She said putting a hand on his shoulder and squeezing. "Now let's go see how the others are handling this."
They made it into the kitchen as Tonks dropped a cup and cursed. "Dammit! Sorry Hermione, Repairo!" She snapped pulling her wand and stabbing it at the shards which promptly flew back together and reconnected. "I'm just—I get clumsier when I'm like this," She said shaking her head. "I can't believe it, I mean I can it's just…A close shave I guess, you know what I mean?" Hermione was shaking her head. Tonks tried to explain. "If I weren't here, I would have been there you know? Hestia, Kingsley and Moody were, that's were I got this paper from, they were at headquarters briefing Dumbledore. We lost a over a dozen Aurors, and it likely would have been more except they were nearly finished when we arrived," She explained.
Hermione nodded understanding, "It's always an odd feeling when you realize just how close a call you've had, I felt similar after they cured the petrification in second year, if I hadn't used that mirror I would have died. I imagine you are wondering what would have happened to you had you been there?" She asked, nodding jerkily at Harry and Kara as they sat down next to her.
"Yeah, exactly." Tonks agreed, then gave a start "Bloody hell! I should check in with Bones, usually I wouldn't leave more than I have to but I think this counts as extenuating circumstances." She said pushing to her feet and hurrying from the room.
Harry watched her go and shook his head. "I'm betting Bones'll want to put off the meeting tomorrow, not that I would blame her." He noted dryly. "I can't help but wonder how this'll affect things on her end."
Hermione shook her head. "It will be bad I'm sure, nothing like this has ever happened before, there will be a panic. And after losing so many Aurors, who knows what will happen…"
—
Amelia Bones was hurriedly sorting through a stack of reports when she heard yet another knock at her door. She'd had more than her usual share of visitors this morning. She reached for her wand just in case. She was being more than a little cautious today, which was why Susan was in the waiting room outside keeping the secretary company. She couldn't in good conscience guarantee her safety at the house so soon after such a massive defeat. The initial figure was two hundred and thirteen prisoners set loose.
She called the door for them to enter, and a nervous looking woman with mousy hair wandered in. It took a moment for her to recognize the woman as Auror Tonks. "Ma'am, have you got a minute?" The younger woman asked tentatively.
"Auror Tonks, nice to see you, what can I help you with?" She asked lowering her wand to her side, and returning her eyes to the reports on her desk but not entirely relaxing, after all that could be just about anyone operating under polyjuice."
"Sorry to bother you ma'am, I just figured I should check and see if you need me on deck with the others. I would have stuck with Harry, but all things considered…after last night?" Tonks explained fidgeting. Amelia was fairly certain this was Tonks but she'd only relax once she'd gone.
Amelia looked up and nodded thoughtfully. It was true that she needed all the officers she could get right about now. She'd lost several officers last night, and Aurors were irreplaceable right now. The Hit Wizards had taken some losses too. To worsen matters, others were in Saint Mungo's and yet more were out notifying next of kin for the fallen.
She wished she could in good conscience recall Tonks and put her to work but she was no fool. She knew just how big a target that house and the people in it had painted on them now. She ended up shaking her head. "No Miss Tonks, I need you back with Lord Potter, keep him safe. But grab some equipment from the quartermaster. Holsters, backup wands, and emergency port keys and a burst flare or two." She directed. A burst flare being a device which when activated by cracking it in half sent an emergency S.O.S via magical flare that would penetrate any wards erected. Just a signal, but it'd at least let them know if they were hurting.
Tonks looked uncertain but nodded agreement. "Yes Ma'am, I'll hit them up right away, thanks for your time." She said before bowing back out of the room. Tonks hurried first for the squad room, likely hoping to dig up some talk about what happened last night.
She was immediately replaced in the door by the worried silhouette of Susan. She look uncertainly at her Aunt. "Aunt Amy?" She asked. "Is there anything I can do to help?"
Amelia smiled a touch sadly at her ward. "No hon, not right now. I just want you sticking close by for a while. I've paid the goblins to look at our wards." She assured the nervous girl.
In all honesty she had considered, trying to have the girl sent into hiding, but for the life of her she couldn't think of somewhere safe enough to send her. they had no relatives except each other anymore. Besides all it would take is one bent employee in the wrong place and her ward's safety would be compromised. No here at her side was the best place to be right now, at least here she could be actively protected.
"Are we ready for them?" Susan asked after a couple moments. There was no doubt who "They" were.
Amelia shook her head. "No, but if I have anything to say about it we will be." She said to her niece trying to reassure her.
There was a murmur and Susan backed up looking over her shoulder and smiling wanly. Amelia's secretary stepped into the gap. "I'm sorry Director but we have an urgent message for you, the Wizengamot is convening an emergency session. They request your presence."
—
A dark room, in some ways in an entirely different world, a single table with a lone figure beneath a single overhead light. On the table's surface were a scattered but meticulously detailed assortment of reports and maps. Director hill picked up a report folder and thumbed through the pages until he found what he wanted, then set it back down and pushed it across the table towards the opposite edge. "Hello shadow, I've read your last report. Do you have anything to tell us about this breakout?" He asked grimly as a hand snaked out of the deep shade cast by the lone spotlight and snagged the offered page.
"No, at least not much sir. Our sources are still working on digging up more. I was able to finagle a couple details out of one of our contacts in the Aurors though." Shadow apologized.
Hill nodded leaning over a picture of the gaping hole in the side of the prison. "Oh?"
"Yes Director, the source confirmed that the Dark Lord was there in person, and that it appears he's found himself a new weapon, something they haven't seen before." Hill indicated Shadow should continue. "The site shows signs something other than wizards was killing people in there, odd scorch marks, and signs of physical violence having been used to pry off doors and kill some of the guards."
Hill nodded. "Make sure the details get down to Analytics. Is the source reliable?"
Shadow nodded. "Yes sir, Dawlish may be a political lackey twit, but he's at least a diligent investigator, one of the better ones in the corps."
"Fine, see if you can't dig up some more details on that would you? Now is there anything else you need to report, only I have several other branches that need briefing on our friends little problem." He said that last part a bit derisively.
"Yes sir, just one thing, I was able to confirm my in at the school, I was unsure how that lead would workout considering this latest development. I ran into the old codger himself outside the chambers before he could enter. He's agreed to my placement."
"Were you noticed?" Hill asked curious.
Shadow shrugged. "No more than ever, I obviously don't belong anywhere near that room so I got a few looks for it, I don't dress like a wizard so I got some frowns there, but nothing worthy of note."
Hill sighed. "Are we certain this is the best move right now shadow? We have several other avenues that need pursuing in the wake of the breakout…"
"Sir the boy is proving to be more political and magically powerful than anticipated, we need to keep an eye on someone like him. It's in the last report? He can fight a trained Auror on even footing and the rumours are already flying about him because of it."
Hill sighed. "Rumours, well those both help and hurt us don't they?…regardless, you have control of your operations for the time being, oh and I recommend you check the package, the watchers are proving unreliable. If we lose it…" Hill didn't need to elaborate.
"Yes sir," Shadow murmured fading back into its namesake. "I'll make sure it's secure."
—
The Prime Minister of the United Kingdom of Great Britain, and Northern Ireland, sat contemplating the portrait on the wall above the ornate marble fireplace. He did, on the whole, loath that painting. It was not so much that the painting itself was offensive aesthetically, as what it represented to him. Also the bloody thing shouldn't move, it was most disconcerting when it did so. As it had done so not fifteen minutes previously, unfortunately it never stopped there, the thing then had to talk too, which was just downright unnatural. It had started with that annoying little cough. "Ahem, to the Prime Minister of Muggles, I request to meet with you in fifteen minutes time, and will be bringing another representative with me, sincerely signed Cornelius Fudge." The Portrait intoned in a stuffy voice. The Prime Minister had sworn bitterly at the news that he'd be getting visits from those he though of simply as "them". Of course if the past had taught him anything, it was that no matter what he did, they came anyway regardless, so there was no point in arguing.
So fifteen minutes later, as the Prime Minister was glaring at the portrait who's occupant was starting to get worried at the intensity of the man's gaze, that the fire in the grate finally turned green and smoothly deposited a pair of visitors on to the rug. The first was the usually affable if condescending Cornelius Fudge, the "Other Minister," and the second was a woman he'd never met before. A middle aged woman with a hard cast and slightly squared haw, with greying red hair. She wore a set of plain suit pants with a white dress shirt and a black trench coat over top, a badge pinned to the chest. She had a stern atmosphere about her, a monocle on a chain was secured to one lapel of her coat.
"Ah, there you are," Said the Fudge rather absently, as though he'd expected the Prime Minister of an entire bloody country to be anywhere else. He was, the Prime Minister reflected, looking rather care worn. Slouching shoulders, and tired bags under his eyes.
"Good Evening," The Prime Minister greeted soberly getting to his feet, and shaking their hands. "How may I help you today?" He asked a touch stiffly. These visits never proved to be welcome affairs.
Fudge had removed his bowler hat, and was twiddling it nervously. "Ah yes, I uh…I'm here to Introduce you to Amelia Bones…" He offered, uncertainly indicating the woman next to him.
"And just who is she?" The PM asked carefully when the man did not continue.
"Er, right, quite…She is in fact the, until it is arranged to be otherwise, the current head of the DMLE, which is to say the Department of Magical Law Enforcement. However more to the point she is my replacement." Cornelius admitted grudgingly.
The PM nodded thoughtfully, noting the man's uncertain attitude and his stuttering when regarding the woman. "Oh? I was not aware you were having elections." He ventured, wondering what was going on.
"That's because we haven't had any, not in the way you mean." The woman said speaking up for the first time. "Fudge, you may leave now. Keep in mind what I said about running?" She asked her voice going chilly.
The man stopped twiddling his hat, and sagged even further, slouching back to the grate he pulled out some of that powder and threw it in before disappearing. The PM considered her carefully. She apparently had more clout and more steel in her spine than Fudge had, he should be cautious. "Uh…trouble on the home front?" He asked delicately.
She barked a short laugh, offering him a genuine smile. "You could say that. He's been sacked, and is now being taken into custody on charges of corruption, and criminal negligence," She said with obvious satisfaction.
He gave a start. "Oh? What did he do?" He asked curious.
"Hard to know where to start, honestly, he's mishandled justice horrendously several times over the years. For example Sirius Black, that mass murderer I believe we warned you about, is in fact innocent, but he never even got a trial thanks to Fudge, who was only an undersecretary at the time. More recently? I seem to recall receiving a paper the other day that reported a loud cacophonous racket that nobody could place near the Tower of London the other day?" She asked, looking to him.
"I remember it." He agreed nodding, surprised she knew it was in their papers, Fudge couldn't have cared less about Muggle news.
"That was a battle caused by Fudge, and his personal attack dog, setting off duty prison guards on a teenage boy and the girl with him." She said tiredly.
"Really, good god, whatever for?" He asked aghast.
"The boy held the opinion that a Dark Lord was not as dead as we had hoped, and he was willing to continue championing that opinion to anyone who would listen." She explained. "Fudge saw it as spreading unnecessary panic." She said sarcastically.
"And how are the teenagers? Are they alive?" he asked, apparently the racket caused by the battle had been excessive. And if what she said was true and trained ministry officials were the ones being sent after the boy…
"Almost entirely unharmed, the boy is proving to be something of a prodigy in terms of personal combat, though that is a longer story." She noted.
"Well that's something at least, no, we can't have that, government officials being sic'ed on a teenager like that." The PM agreed readily, then pondered as she nodded agreement. "Fudge has never, that I recall mentioned the DMLE before, am I to assume your former position was analogous to our minister of justice?" He asked.
She nodded. "Not dissimilar, I would say it was more like being the director of MI:5 or another paramilitary branch, as well as your minister of defence." She said thinking about it.
"That is quite a lot of responsibility," The PM responded sympathetically.
She agreed. "It is, but it helps that the nation I protect houses only a few hundred thousand as opposed to millions, as yours does." She noted.
"God, there's that many of you? How do you all stay hidden?" He asked.
She smiled crookedly, "Trying to figure it out so your surveillance boys can track us better? Those CCTV cameras are making my job significantly harder." She noted. He looked surprised. "Come now, you think we do not know you are attempting to keep tabs on us? We certainly have had to change protocols in our departments charged with keeping secrecy." She said smiling.
"Well can you blame us?" he asked. "A whole population of extremely powerful and incredibly dangerous individuals living among you completely unnoticed?"
"Not at all, and we would do the same in your position, we are aware at least some of our muggle born citizens and their families report to you, I do not know the extent of the leakage…" she admitted, then sighed. "As interesting to discuss as this is, I need to talk to you about a couple things. We are going to be positioning a small number of Aurors within your personal guard and that of the Queen, this is not a threat against your person or her's, it is for your own protection, we would however like to request a small boon in return." She asked.
"And what is the purpose of all this?" He asked. "What "boon" could we possibly provide?" He continued.
"Ah yes I suppose I should have led with that shouldn't I?" She noted. "The afore mentioned Dark Lord the boy was speaking about, has in fact returned, and has recently saw to the bolstering of his forces. He has declared war on Wizarding Britain, starting with a raid against our top security prison, but ultimately they've declared war on you as well. We are ramping up our defences and request access to your own intelligence on our kind, and access to your CCTV network to help us track him and his followers. I'm afraid it's rather urgent, he just broke out a large contingent of his followers from that prison." She requested.
"I shall have to think on that." He said slowly, "Am I really being given a choice?"
"Of course, I will not force you, that would be wrong in all kinds of ways. I must however warn you, you will in all likelihood begin seeing catastrophes and disasters rise as he begins to step up attacks on us. We will attempt to keep it contained, but ultimately…" She allowed him to fill in the rest.
"There is only so much you can do." He nodded understanding.
"Indeed, I shall have the details sent out to your law enforcement agencies, you'll want to keep your eyes out for these people either way I imagine. Now then, I really must head out soon, but aside from keeping this all contained as best we can, do you have any requests to make of us?" She asked kindly.
"You're offering to help us?" He asked surprised.
"Indeed I am, I am aware Fudge's administration ran roughshod over you, but I am not Fudge." She noted wryly.
The PM stood there stunned for a few moments, "Um, could I get back to you on that? I should consult with some of my experts." He said carefully.
She smiled, "Of course. Simply ask the portrait to contact me when you wish to meet and I'll be on my way." She agreed.
"Yes, indeed, thank you, it is nice to finally have someone…reasonable to speak with, in regard to your…other Britain" He said trying to find the word for it.
"Likewise, now as much as I wish we could just visit and chat, get to know you better, I must be off, I have to meet with your Queen, a thousand years of tradition to uphold after all, and then I have to chew out a number of under secretaries before meeting with foreign representatives, and then I have to look into ferreting out any traitors in our ranks." She apologized wandering over to the fireplace looking tired at the thought.
"Oh, well good night then," He said surprised to find himself relatively upbeat following a meeting with a minister, despite some dire news. She smiled and tossed some of that dust into the flames and disappeared.
—
Harry was helping clean up from dinner when Dan grabbed his attention and motioned him from the room. Dan, for his part, had noticed the uncharacteristically stoic and somber mood in the house as soon as he returned home from work. In the short time since his return the Auror, a girl to his eyes named Tonks, had checked the wards three times, which was starting to make him nervous.
He led Harry up to his study where he closed the door and gestured for the boy to be seated. "Okay, seriously now, what happened, you lot are like a bloody storm cloud wandering the house tonight." He noted sourly.
Harry nodded in agreement. "Hang on, it's easier to show you," He pulled the door back open and pulled his wand out of his wrist holster, flicking it in the air. A moment later something hummed through the air and into his hand. He returned to the room and closed the door behind him handing off what Dan now recognized as a newspaper to the older man.
Dan dutifully read the headline and frowned, not entirely clear on the meaning. "Azkaban?" He asked looking up.
"Our highest security prison. And it's supposed to be inescapable, like a north atlantic version of Alcatraz swarming with soul sucking abominations for guards." Harry explained caustically.
"Just how bad is all this?" Dan asked, preferring to get the summary from the boy in front of him. It struck him as odd, the way he slipped so easily into his military background when the cacky hit the fan. Suddenly he was like an NCO demanding a report from a subordinate.
Harry, responding to his no nonsense tone, shook his head sharply, "Bad, he's gotten away with a couple hundred inmates, and the majority have likely joined his cause. Prior to this he only had around a dozen at most."
Dan considered that, now understanding the agitated atmosphere in the house, "So what does this mean, for us specifically I mean?" He asked.
Harry shrugged, "It means he's moving now, sooner than we expected, the war will be in full swing soon. Less than a week I'd expect, he'll want to ensure his new followers loyalty first, then he'll start making his plans."
"And how do you and the Ministry intend to deal with this mess?" Dan asked.
Harry sighed. "For the moment, there isn't much we can do, we don't know where he is after all." He explained. "Tonks brought back some emergency port keys from work today, that should help us escape if they decide to attack here. There's a pair waiting for you to take with you to work as well. I should see about contracting some wards for there too if you'll let me," He offered.
Dan considered that, "But we'd be putting our staff and patients in danger even being there wouldn't we?"
Harry shrugged again, "Possibly, there's no indication Voldemort knows where I am yet, but he'll be targeting known friends and allies soon enough.
"So we're in danger here too? Even with those ward things?" was the question that came back at him.
Harry barked a laugh, "I'm not inclined to call any place safe, Hogwarts is possibly the closest thing to it, but thats not saying much. Here? Well so long as we remain relatively secret the priority put on this house will be low, especially with wards like ours in place. Any scout who comes here will realize that this'll be a tough nut to crack and they'll be less eager to just charge in willy nilly."
Dan had spotted a potential weakness in there plans. "What if these Port Key things don't work?" He wondered aloud.
Harry considered how to answer that, "At work, if you end up continuing to go…run, hide and call for help, they've provided magical beacons as well. If we're here. We send for help and hold out as long as possible. A running battle out in the open would be suicidal, they've got more licensed and trained apparition capable wizards than we do. Here at least we have some defences to huddle behind."
Dan nodded understanding, and walked over to his desk pulling a lockbox from the bottom drawer, he unlocked it and pushed it towards Harry, "Would I be smart to start carrying this with me again?" He asked, indicating the matte black utilitarian form of a handgun.
"Is it legal to do that?" Harry asked.
Dan shrugged. "Outside my house or the firing range? Not so much. In here though I'll do what I must."
Harry nodded understanding. "Then I'd say keep it close by," Then he adopted an odd smile, "Actually, that gun might be one of the biggest advantages we could have should they come here." He noted Dan's surprised expression and explained. "A shield spell might block bullets, at least for a time, I don't know. But it would depend on them understanding what it is exactly you're pointing at them."
Dan quirked an eyebrow "It's a gun, it's hard not to recognize" He argued.
"They're Purebloods, and most of them proudly and arrogantly ignorant of the muggle world. Oh they might have an idea what the object called a gun "does" but they wouldn't be likely to recognize one on sight, and would be unprepared." Harry explained.
Dan knew just what an advantage the element of surprise could be. "Well that's something at least,"
"It could be the thing that would tip a battle in our favour," Harry agreed.
Dan contemplated the young man across from him as he relocked the case for the time being. Harry, a slight and mild mannered lad struck him as an honourable and forthright individual. But that wasn't all there was to him. "You would fight if it came down to it wouldn't you? And I'm betting my daughter would too?"
Harry nodded. "All of us would, but yes, especially me"
Dan nodded. "Why especially you?"
"One way or another they'd be coming here because of me sir, and I don't take kindly to people attacking my friends." Harry explained plainly.
"What kind of chance would you have against them?" Dan asked frankly. He was after all just a lad no matter what he'd been through.
"Alone or with help?" Harry asked rhetorically. "Alone, I'd put up a hell of a fight and take some of them with me. With Tonks, Hermione and Kara with me we'd make them pay dearly. Add you and your gun and I'd give us slightly better than even odds in our favour. at the very least we could hold on until the cavalry arrived" he decided.
It was good that the lad had no Rambo complex. Foolishly believing himself invincible in the face of overwhelming odds. "So you have no illusions about winning such a fight by yourself?" He asked to be certain.
"I'm not invincible, I know that, I'm no match for Voldemort in a straight up fight," Harry admitted.
Dan felt like he had to make a small disclosure to the lad. "Harry I admit you're not what I was expecting." He admitted. "From Hermione's letter, you're one of those shy thoughtful types. From the stories I've heard since we got back from the hospital you're a borderline adrenaline junky, charging into some of the things you do. From what I've seen though, both and neither of those impressions are entirely true." He said consternation furrowing his brow. "You're thoughtful, and shy just like my daughter suggested most of the time yes, but you're not strategically overconfident, you know your limits clearly. Brave but not foolhardy, not anymore at least from what I can tell. You've obviously got scars of more than one sort, and are different for having got them. I've not seen the type before…" He admitted.
Harry looked embarrassed and shrugged looking down, "I'm just Harry sir,"
Dan nodded, the boy obviously believed that, whether or not it was in actuality true. But he had a question which had been bothering him for some time, today's event merely exacerbated it. "And just how would you do to keep my daughter relatively safe in all this? We've already established that keeping her out of the fight isn't going to be an option if she has a say in the matter."
Harry's answer was prompt, "I would die for her sir?"
"Ah," Dan said, internally he couldn't help but be a little dubious about such an answer, it sounded like typical teenage male chest thumping.
Harry could tell that answer wasn't precisely sufficient considering Dan's concerns. "Sir…I'll be frank with you as you've always treated me fairly. There is a prophecy which discusses the roll I'm to play in the coming conflict, it features the rather grim prediction that either I have to die or he does. What's more it suggests that I may need to die for him to die. As you can imagine, skeptical as I am of prophecy in general, I've come to take a somewhat different view on the concept of my mortality. But I want you to understand something." Harry explained soberly. "I would consider my life as an acceptable price to pay to ensure your daughter's safety. What's more I would kill to ensure it as well."
Dan nodded, that was a more satisfactory answer in his books. "I admit this whole series of events has raised a lot of questions kid, I've overheard a number of things that have me both curious and worried." he waited for Harry to indicate interest. "It seems you were in court recently?"
Harry chuckled. "Pardon the pun sir, but it was a Witch Hunt. It seems people don't like it when they think a Dark Lord is dead and you say he's not." he grew more serious. "They disliked me arguing the point enough that they set a group of prison guards and dementors on me."
Dan understood, at least in general terms. "And yet you're still among the living and the free." he noted. "I assume that wasn't the intent?
"No sir, and sadly the same can't be said for many of them." Harry admitted tiredly.
Dan wondered at that for a moment before it clicked in his brain. "You had to kill some of them didn't you?" He asked sympathetically, Dan himself had been spared an extended stay in the middle east but he'd fired his rifle in service of his country while over there, and at the end of the fight he was standing and the other side wasn't. He had no true proof that his bullets were the ones that killed any of those people, but he had accepted that they, in all likelihood, may have.
Harry nodded blinking a little more rapidly despite himself. "Yes, I did, Kara was injured in the fight and I thought they had killed her." He said by way of explanation.
"So you struck out at them?" Dan asked confirming his guess when harry nodded. Dan examined the boy across from him. Clearly Harry was regretful of the loss of human life but not so much so he wouldn't do what he had to if in that situation again. "and you'd fight that hard for my daughter too?"
Harry nodded immediately, "Absolutely sir, Hermione is my dearest friend. You'd better believe it when I say I'd do my damnedest to protect her, and do anything to avenge her." He said chuckling darkly.
Dan nodded sharply and leaned back in his chair. "Good then we understand each other," He said intently, but he was clearly still thinking hard. "If I recall right it's been implied my little girl's been in some of these scrapes you've found yourself in…You clearly know how to fight, but does she? Is she any good at it if she does?" He asked worried.
Harry hesitated while he considered. He decided blunt honesty was the best way to go with Dan. "Hermione is consistently top of the class because of her rock solid understanding of theory Dan, but having seen her in action a couple times, I admit I think she overthinks things a bit when the time comes. I'm far more instinctive than she is, and it's stood me in good stead I think. I'm better at the practical application side of things in Defence."
Dan could understand that, he'd seen those types during his time in the army. "You're saying she's good at the book learning and written portion of the work, while you're better at the real world application stuff?" He asked to be certain.
Harry nodded agreement. "That's the long and short of it yes,"
"Could you teach her you think? At least so she can fight on your level if she needs to?" Dan asked thoughtfully.
Harry who had always intended this to be done anyways nodded agreement, "Perhaps sir, I can only teach so much though, instinct is something you have or you don't but I can teach her tactics and spells no problem."
Dan was more certain now, "Good, then that's what I want you to do. I want her practicing how to fight even if it comes at the detriment of her other grades. I'd rather have her alive and B roll then dead as an honour student." Dan said firmly.
Harry chuckled. "If she agrees to let me teach her, then you've got it. Though knowing Hermione she'll manage both either way,"
Dan smiled thinly, "I have no idea how she manages it, I was never that good a student, too busy chasing girls and getting in scraps."
"Well Hermione's never been boy crazy, and she's not big on fighting, though she has a mean right jab sir." Harry laughed remembering when she clocked Malfoy in third year.
Dan considered that, "Good, never hurts for a girl to know how to hit back…She really isn't getting into trouble with the boys?" A bit of the father stepping into his eyes.
Harry chuckled again, "Sir the only time I've seen her in a remotely non-platonic situation with a guy was during the Yule Ball last year, Hermione's not someone you have to worry about in that regard."
Dan snorted. "I'll always worry, though Hermione's more responsible than most." he sighed, not enjoying this train of thought, "I trust her though, even if she decides she wants to date boys, even if she decides she doesn't want to save herself for marriage, I know she'll go in with her eyes open and that brain of hers ticking. Not that I'm eager for either of those things to happen. If I had my way she'd only be dating in her twenties and wouldn't be touched by a man till her wedding night, which I'd prefer to be in her thirties." He said ruefully knowing that expectation was unrealistic.
"Yeah well I wish you luck with that, she'll find someone she wants and when she does she'll have him in no time. Very driven that girl." Harry noted smiling wryly.
"Heaven help any boy she sets her eyes on, he won't know what he's in for," Dan laughed.
"And if they think they do, I'll help her disabuse him of that notion," Harry noted chuckling.
"That is unless you're the one she sets her sights on," Dan said off handedly, he failed to notice Harry's conflicted expression as he considered the strange notion of Hermione being interested in him. Speaking of being disabused of that notion, Ron and Her long, arduous and potion fuelled courtship had thoroughly torpedoed that ship even before it set sail the last time round. He was prevented from thinking deeply on that topic by Dan's chuckle. "Unless of course it turns out she prefers the gentler sex, her mum almost went that way, luckily for me she changed her mind," Dan noted. Harry blinked at the notion Hermione might prefer women, nothing he'd seen up to this point had suggested it, but he supposed anything was possible without amortentia in your blood. He couldn't help but shudder a little at the thought of being so thoroughly out of the running, even if he'd never thought he'd had a shot to begin with, and possibly a little at trying to dislodge the image of Hermione snogging a witch.
Dan chuckled noticing that last reaction. It quite thoroughly cheered him up to mess with the boy a touch, he knew perfectly well Hermione preferred males, but he still enjoyed needling the boy. Clearly he'd also very nearly melted Harry's brain along the way. "Come on Harry, lets see about finding the others and spreading some cheer, do you know if that Tonks girl is allowed to drink in the evening I think I have a beer somewhere that'll help her unwind."
—
Hermione, blissfully unaware of the tongue in cheek implications that had been so recently cast on her sexuality by her father to her best friend, was reading through her book of runes trying to draw up a lesson plan for Harry when the boy himself rapped a knuckle on the door frame causing her to give a start. She promptly beamed when she saw who it was. "Hey Harry, what can I help you with?" She asked.
Harry coughed a brief laugh. "I had an interesting conversation with your father, actually a couple interesting conversations, but one in particularly I wanted your opinion on." He admitted. Hermione didn't know it but Harry was telling an annoying little voice in the back of his head to shut up, and that Hermione's orientation was not what they were here to ask about, and no he wasn't about to change his mind as people rarely reacted well to someone who should know them well, questioning their sexuality. "He would appreciate it if I tutored you in Defence Against the Dark Arts.
She blinked surprise. Whatever she'd been expecting it hadn't been that. "Oh? Why, what did you tell him? Because I got really good marks on all my exams last year—" She started babbling suddenly worried.
Harry put up his hand to stop her and interrupted before she could get going, "Easy Hermione, he just knows I'm good at the doing side of things and you're better at the theory side." he said soothingly. "He's just worried with everything happening and wants you to know how to protect yourself."
She huffed, in relief more than anything. "Oh, well then, I suppose doing a little practical study wouldn't hurt anything." She said thoughtfully. A voice similar to the one gibbering in Harry's head, was painting pictures of Harry getting in close to move her arms about and…Oh Merlin! Shut up! She chided herself.
Harry sat on the bed beside her and sighed. "Yeah and we'll be doing that don't worry. I was also thinking of expanding the group we'd work with, but that's just a little thing I've been tossing about in my head. There's something else which I think you'll want to learn about, I believe I mentioned in passing I'd learned a way to protect my thoughts from the soul fragment?" He asked. She nodded after a moment to think back. "Well the art is called Occlumency, it's designed to protect you from Legilmency which is basically the ability to read another person's mind. Now, I know a couple people who know legilmency regardless of its illegality, Dumbledore and Snape are two of them but Voldemort is the other." He explained. "Now, legilmency is dangerous to you in a number of ways not the least of which is that it allows the enemy to pluck secrets from your head and know what you're planning in a fight. I've got the book and I want you to read it through, once you're done we'll be on the same page so to speak and can work together on analyzing each others defences without reading all the gory details bouncing around our brains." He explained. Hermione had a brief but nightmarish vision of Harry getting a replay of her occasional fantasies, worse the ones that involved him and shivered. She wasn't sure she wanted to know how he'd react in such a scenario.
She nodded eagerly. "Sure Harry, it sounds fascinating, I can only imagine the potential applications…" She babbled on for some time theorizing about the ways in which such an art might allow you to modify and examine your own thought process. She and Harry stayed up most of the night discussing what he knew of it and going over the first couple chapters of the book. They fell asleep sat up next to each other on the bed.
—
Author's Notes: So what did you think. First of all poor Harry, everyone seems to enjoy messing with his head. I think it's about time he seeks out some advice yeah? But who to ask…. Regardless, tell me what you thought of the whole deal. Rate, Review, Comment, Scathingly question my sexual orientation (please don't, I get enough of that as it is…Seriously don't do it), make predictions, offer opinions, ask questions and generally gad about. Huzzah!