Harry and the Magic Factory

A/N: I've been trying to mix up the serious (plot) stuff with the fun, bizarre stuff, like the testing. I personally think all the testing is hilarious, which is why I've spent so much of the last few chapters on it. That's also the reason I've turned Colin into a bit of a perv. But I hope you enjoy the mix of fun and serious. BTW, the duel between Moody and Snape in this chapter tries to mix the two. Let's see if you enjoy it!

Chapter 14

X-c-X-c-X-c-X

Severus Snape really wasn't acting like a good Slytherin. No, not at all, Alastor Moody decided. He hadn't been sneaky at all in his attempted attack on the Potter Emporium. Nor had he looked around to see if anyone had been watching him.

"Amateur," Moody hissed. He was stalking behind this ridiculous Severus Snape in Digaon Alley.

In truth, Alastor knew, all the Oompahs in the store knew what was going on. As soon as Severus dropped a poisoned item, one of the elves came along and used magic to neutralize it. All the Potter Emporiums had sensitive poison detectors. They'd even managed to collect a pure sample of the poison. It looked unlike anything they'd seen before, but most of the individual ingredients were deadly on their own. This was some kind of super poison. It was worthy of study.

All the Potter Emporiums employed magical and muggle means of surveillance. In fact, Severus Snape's face, as a suspected but never proven Death Eater, had been known instantly inside the software.

And, finally, Severus Snape himself – with all his squalling and bitter diatribe – had forewarned the Potter Estate what he was planning to do. The letter he'd picked up had been charmed to do several things. First, it wasn't supposed to leave Serverus' hand until Snape had decided what to do about his son. The thing hadn't left Snape's hand for many hours; he hadn't even noticed brewing deadly poisons with only the use of a single hand.

Second, it transmitted a recording of Snape's words to Healer Wycross. The healer had dealt with a few cases where Pureblood-types had rejected children after magical injuries; becoming a squib was definitely in that category of injuries where a family might reject a child.

So Wycross had listened to everything. And when the words "poison" and "Potter Emporium" and "house elf" came up, the Healer turned everything over to Alastor Moody, the Potter Emporium chief of security.

Now Moody was walking silently behind the rapidly departing Snape. Snape was almost running toward the apparition point where he'd be sure to be free from all the anti-apparition wards thrown up by the stores. Not a subtle movement, Snape! Moody had already tagged Snape with two tracing spells that Moody had developed himself. No one else would recognize them or be able to dispell them, either.

Moody was sure now of his quarry. The question remaining was what to do with him?

He respected the people he worked with to find out exactly what they wanted to do. Working for Potters was nothing like working for the Ministry: Potters were smart, decisive, and made hard, unpopular decisions when necessary. That kid could be positively ruthless at times, but never cruel.

Moody had been an Auror for forty years before he met the spell that lost him his eye. Even though he had his magical eye, and the rest of his body was in good working order, the Ministry had discharged him on 'disability' back in early 1981. Ridiculous, of course.

Damned Ministry had been full of stiffs and suits. Didn't appeal to Moody's style at all. So when he was tossed out, he started up a little collection of his own. He'd take down Death Eaters when he could find them and haul them off to a listen makeshift prison he'd created. Ministry wanted to pardon the bastards. Political idiots.

It was a weird night in early '82 when Moody recognized that two other wizards were actually stalking the same prey he was. And the two wizards struck first, captured Dolohov, and then sealed up and hid the man's estate. Bizarre! So Moody kept an eye on them and other known Death Eaters. The others disappeared slowly, too, as did their estates. On the third 'meeting' Moody made himself known and saw that crazy Sirius Black and Remus Lupin were taking down Death Eaters. Eventually he got the story out of them. After even more soul searching, Moody decided to offer his services. And, after a year of working together, Moody formally joined up with the Potter Estate.

Those men and women knew how to take care of a problem. Moody had initially argued against freeing the captured Death Eaters and performing the vassalage rite on them. But, like the little boy Potter said, it had worked like a charm.

Now Moody was just waiting for a decision on this Snape person. Attempting to kill Oompahs plus his Death Eater background. Moody hopes that Snape attempted to struggle something fierce when his final moments of freedom came. Moody was in a bloody spirit.

X-c-X-c-X-c-X

Harry was seated in a chair in his small living room. His house was quite small for a person with many billions of galleons at his disposal, but Harry really disliked ostentation. A kitchen, two bedrooms, one bathroom, a long hallway lined with bookshelves, and this living/sitting room. There was an almost endless field behind the house where Harry could go flying or play Muggle-style football. All the comforts, that's all he needed. It was his home.

But he felt angry, vengeful, and not at all like a good host to the people who were in his home. He had news to share with them and a decision to make.

Harry turned to look at Draco first. After all, they would be discussing the young man's formal godfather.

"Someone launched an attack aimed at the Oompahs in the store on Diagon Alley. We were alerted to it in advance and it failed. But it was the most sophisticated attempt we've ever had. We've tagged the perpetrator…"

"Bring him in," said Cedric Diggory, one of the war orphans in addition to being a close friend of Harry's.

"You're too concerned about condemning the possibly innocent," said Sirius Black. "You know our judicial process is as good as it gets and we never deviate from it. Everyone gets a trial…"

Harry held up his hand. "There are complications here. Let me explain everything before we all leap to conclusions." Harry looked over to where his parents were hovering near the corner of the room. They had just returned from beyond the veil and were glad to be included. It was a tough life as a ghost: every moment in the mortal realm had to be answered with twice as long back behind the veil. So Harry and his family planned well when they could.

"The man who committed the attacks is a suspected, but unproven, Death Eater. We could never confirm he did more than supply potions to the Death Eaters…" Here James and Lily Potter began to frown, as did Alastor Moody. Sirius was holding his anger in check, but Remus looked like he was ready to transform without even the curse of the full moon.

"…but we think he was involved on the attack at the Diggory home after Tom Riddle fell…"

Harry looked to his friend Cedric. The kind, and forgiving, Cedric. The healer apprentice. His friend looked like old mental wounds had just been reopened. He looked like the mercy he had always attempted to live by was beginning to crack.

"…we could never prove it, however. We know that a fifth man was there, but none of my vassals saw who it was or heard a voice. The man never removed his mask and left long before we apprehended the others…"

The members of the Council who were participating did not have such personal ties to Severus Snape, but they recognized the name and the foulness that seemed to linger next to him.

"…he also allowed, or directed, his son to come to us as a Chosen and spy or sabotage us. That's why Bracus is still in hospital now. Snape actually disowned his own son. If we prove Snape to be a Death Eater, and not just a reluctant spy for the Light side, then I will be sure Bracus is taken care of…"

This was by far the most controversial thing Harry had yet said. No one had any love for the whiny, stupid Bracus Snape. But, for some reason, Harry seemed to have some. He'd held the Council off of punishment and was now talking about turning over some of whatever they confiscated from Severus Snape to the undeserving whelp.

Harry let the people in the room vent for a while. They had enough of the facts and suppositions to debate this out. Cedric seemed immobilized; Harry hoped it would be helpful for his friend to hear some of the ludicrous ideas thrown out about Snape. He hoped this wouldn't change his friend Cedric into one of the bloodthirsty lot that currently made up his Council. Harry needed more voices for mercy.

And it took fifteen minutes before Harry saw his friend resume his defense of mercy. Harry could see the battle Cedric had won inside himself. It hadn't been easy, but Cedric pretty much ended the debate by saying, "As one of his likely direct victims, I would like a chance to hear the man defend his own actions. And that can't happen if you lot rip out his tongues or fill his lungs with burning embers. Remember, it's all fun and good to joke about elaborate tortures, but we're set up differently – and apart – to get away from barbarity of this sort."

Few of the people in the room, save Harry's parents and Draco, had ever heard such passion from the last of the Diggorys.

It was sad that, even in this place, people could underestimate each other. Was pride so deadly at all times?

"We will not foul up our new home with these kinds of stupidities," Harry said. "We will not remake ourselves into looking like the rest of the British world or that pitiful Hogwarts… How is it that this Hogwarts place has succeeded so well in transforming schoolyard bullies into certified killers within a few years of graduation? Spite, pettiness, ugliness, hatred, betrayal, jealousy: these are the emotions of children only. My father and his friends taunted this horrible man Snape as a youngster and this man, in turn, betrayed them and caused their deaths. Is this any kind of a society worth keeping around, I wonder? Were any of your surprised that I would want to live apart from that kind of place… If that was all that was possible out of witches and wizards, I wonder if I would show even the slightest shred of mercy. Cedric is correct. We try ourselves, our entire society, with everyone who needs justice. And if we ever do the wrong thing, even a single time, we're just as bad as Hogwarts and that damned Ministry. Do I need to continue?"

The audience inside the room was shocked. Many of them knew that they only unconsciously recognized how powerful Harry was, but none of them ever seemed to remember just how many lifetimes' worth of experience had been crammed into his head. He was, in effect, a very old soul: patient, merciful, but never to be doubted or underestimated.

When no one objected, Harry set out the standard plan, but with a few nice touches. "We will apprehend him tonight. I will go along to ensure there is no trouble and also to secure all his lands and assets. Constance," Harry said, addressing one of the Council members, "could you send a letter to the goblins about this? We'll need to secure his assets, his deeds, all that. Standard protocol on questioning. Leave him in a cell, no one speaks to him, feed him too often, three or four sunsets and sunrises per day, screw with his internal clock. Make him think a month's passed before I start." Harry stopped for a second to consider dates and timing. "I'll begin the questioning on New Year's Day. Anyone else who wants may have a turn, Cedric first, of course…"

What followed was a more useful discussion. Now it was people trying to figure out how to inject additional cruelty into the standard protocol. Harry let them plot and scheme for thirty minutes before he kicked everyone out save Moody. They were going in now.

X-c-X-c-X-c-X

"…the dumb bastard is a Death Eater, I'd wager. So stupid he couldn't even vary from the standard set of wards all the Death Eaters used. Didn't keep us out of those other estates, did it?"

Alastor Moody was grouching, but in truth he was back in his favored line of work: Dark Wizard Hunting. And this one was supposedly a very tricky customer. He'd sought refuge from Dumbledore, had insulated himself from the Ministry, and none of his former Death Eater colleagues could point to anything specific the man had ever done.

But, Merlin, the man didn't have a lick of common sense. First, his attack on the Oompahs. Now the security around his home. Ridiculous.

"I would hope," Harry said, "that anyone with a basic proficiency in warding could do a better job." The 'highly secure Death Eater wards' had fallen at a glance from Harry. He hadn't even had to tap deep into his reserves.

Alastor led them inside the small home. His magical eye was surveyed in every direction. Dumb, dumb man. There was nothing inside his house, no trip lines, no monitoring spells.

Harry walked behind Alastor through the entire downstairs. Then he sent his magic upstairs. "He's asleep, Moody. Want me to really put him out? Or do you want to play?"

Moody just smiled.

Harry rolled his eyes in the darkness. "Fine, I'll just put up the one-way ward for you. You can send anything inside, but nothing comes out."

Moody was quite pleased. As yet, Harry was still the only person who could make and hold that ward. With Harry clutching it, the damned thing would never fail. Not until Moody had had his fun.

For the only thing Moody hadn't mentioned to anyone was that Moody had taken down Snape once before. Back in '78. Back before the man had sought out refuge from Dumbledore. For all the Potter checks and balances, Moody knew that Snape had very well been a Death Eater. And Moody wanted a rematch. He wanted it to be fun and drawn out.

Moody hadn't had a good duel – excepting the ones with the Potter kid, where Moody always lost just like everyone else – in a decade.

P>So Moody silently climbed the stairs while Harry went outside to begin casting the secrecy wards around this small home. Only someone with Harry's ridiculous amount of power could cast wards large enough to hide square kilometers of property. There wasn't much of anything the boy couldn't do.

Moody stood on the landing and moved silently toward the room. He could see the ward in place. He could see that the target was still asleep. Moody plucked a book off a shelf and transfigured it into a short, but still human sized, cloaked figure. He'd send this bit of transfiguration into Snape's room to get the fun started.

Moody stopped at where the shielding ward was in place. Then he directed his little cloaked accomplice to open Snape's door and step inside. Before the thing was four steps inside, Snape was up out of his bed and flinging curses.

"Caeco." That landed and 'blinded' the transfigured book.

"Lacero." Snape's cutting hex missed and was absorbed by his bedroom wall.

"Expelliarmus." Snape sent the book flying.

Moody didn't do anything in that moment. He was waiting to get a look at this would-be Oompah killer. When he did step into a beam of moonlight, Moody smirked. The man was a positive troll. Pot-bellied, scarred, and he still stank – even twenty feet away – of some kind of bacchanal he'd staged for himself after his 'successful attack.'

Moody wished he had the younger opponent he'd dueled long ago. Fitter and more challenging.

Snape moved toward his opponent, looking for a wand the entire time. He didn't react much until he kicked off the cloak and saw that the 'being' inside obviously was a construct of some sort.

Then Snape pivoted, nearly naked in the moonlight, wearing only dingy, tattered unders, and started slinging curses.

"Reducto. Lacero. Reducto." He was blowing up his own bedroom. Moody was quite amused for the time being.

Moody pointed his wand and silently said, "Confundo Bardo." When it struck Snape in his chest, the man began stumbling and drooling. The curse had temporarily stripped away any intelligence the man had once possessed.

But Snape fought it. A minute later he was back to his menacing self.

And Snape knew where the curse had come from. He pivoted toward the opened doorway and began cursing.

"Reducto. Concusso. Demens. Lacero." Ah, interesting, Moody thought. The curses were getting darker, but the man's aim was for shit. Demens was the Insanity Curse, dispellable only by its caster. Nasty piece of spell creation that one.

Moody decided on more amusement for himself. Snape couldn't penetrate or leave the wards Harry had erected. So Moody pointed his wand at three spots inside the wards and said, "Lacerta" three times. Three enormous lizards shimmered into view. One headed straight for the nearly naked Snape's toes and feet. Another began to devour the man's bedstand. And a third began crushing and destroying every stick of furniture in there. By the time Snape managed to fend all three off and vanish them, the entire room was in a shambles. And Snape was working in bare, bleeding feet.

Snape moved closer to the door, trying to school the pain he felt from the splinters and shards he picked up from the floor with every step. "Cicuta." The poisoning curse, lethal within minutes. Snape had definitely begun using the darkest of Dark Curses.

"Exustio," Snape shouted. Inside Out Burning Curse, even more nasty business. It killed everyone it directly contacted, no countercurse. It even sailed through most shields. But Harry's ward contained it.

Moody pointed his wand again and said, "Fecifer." Then Snape screamed. Moody had only ever seen this medicinal charm used once in a formal duel. But the results had been staggering – and revolting – which explained why it had been banned from competition use. It was the Bowel Loosening Charm, beloved of mediwitches and healers; apparently also the bane of former Death Eaters.

Snape, of course, couldn't control his own muscles at this point. He'd dropped his wand. And he was beginning to soil himself. He was wailing in embarrassment and agony. The charm was quite painful even as it was an effective remedy against a number of intestinal disorders.

"Corona Serpentia," Moody said. Suddently Snape's head was crowned in tiny moving snakes. None of them were venomous, but the sight was ridiculous. Perfect for further infuriating and humiliating this evil man.

"Esurio." Snape's wails were even louder now. He was feeling in his mind the far reaching effects of severe hunger. His mind was now telling him he hadn't eaten a thing in weeks. He felt completely weak. In fact, he slumped to the ground immediately, right into his own filth.

Through his pain and anger, Snape found his befouled wand and aimed at the doorway again.

"Creo Dolor. Intereo. Iacio." None of them were Unforgivable. But they were a hair's breadth away. The Dolor Curse was even more painful than the Cruciatus, but it was blockable. Intereo killed, but it too was blockable. It also happens to be faster to say than Avada Kedavra. And Iacio was unblockable and much stronger than Expelliarmus. Many people had died from the wounds inflicted by that curse.

Moody had seen the Iacio coming a mile away and had side stepped it once it breached the ward.

Snape realized he had failed. He threw up a quick Contego and waited for the worst.

Moody had plenty planned. "Eluvio."

A giant crest of water surged through the room, knocking the seated Severus onto his back and roiling him around in his own filth.

"Fodio." This stinging curse caused Snape to bellow in indignation. He felt like one of his arse cheeks was likely to fall off.

"Frigo." This Moody sent toward Snape's wand hand. And it worked. The wand fell and was swept away in the dark revolting flood. Snape's hand was turning blue because of the strength of the Freezing Curse Moody had used.

Moody was down to his last two spells. "Ineptio." It was far stronger than any other Confounding Charm. The Fool-Making Hex was nearly unbeatable…as Snape was now demonstrating. He'd ripped his own souled underwear off and was swinging them over his head.

Finally Moody said the words necessary to end the battle. "Expugno." Thus Snape was bound with Moody's personal binding curse. Only Moody and a few others knew how to remove it. And Merlin save the fool who attempted to use a Finite on it. It'd end up crushing its target just out of spite!

It took Moody nearly as long to banish the mess he'd made as the whole battle had. Dirty, filthy Death Eaters!

Moody levitated the body and moved silently through the hallway. He was outside in a flash, just in time to see Harry return from his work.

"Have a good time," Harry asked, after examining the naked, bruised, stinking, and soaked man levitated behind Moody.

"Time of my life," Moody said.

Harry rolled his eyes again. "The wards here are done. Completely sealed. I'll hop over to his potions research company and seal that off. But you take him back to the cells below Malfoy Manor. Haven't had any guests in quite some time, I think."

Moody nodded and disapparated. Moody was already planning his part of the interrogation. Couldn't ask for a better New Year's present than to interrogate a Death Eater.