Rise of A Dark King

by Naga's Shadow

Attacked by his enemies, framed by the ministry,and betrayed by his friends Harry Potter is cast into the darkness. Only to be saved by the most unlikey person.

7. Belly of the Bird

A/N Actually I was surprised less people said anything about the vampires. Just trust me when I say that they are not a convenient plot excuse to grant Harry even more powers. Unfortunately though this is the last of the chapters that I've already started on. I don't type very fast so you can expect these wonderful weekly updates to drop off. I haven't abandoned it. The story will simply take longer that's all. Now, on with the show. A/N

Chapter 6

The Belly of the Bird

The pub had the same eighteenth century atmosphere as the Leaky Cauldron. The primary difference was the state of repair. Where as the Leaky Cauldron looked like it was a deliberate throw back, the Dancing Dragon truly looked like it had been built over a hundred years ago and had been held together with spit and repairing charms. The air was smoky and acidic to his nostrils, this was really the first time he noticed that he could indeed smell better. Harry ordered a firewhisky from the bar and took a seat across from a man wearing a dark cloak. Hopefully the information he'd brought earlier was good.

"What do ya want?" Harry placed a pair of Galleons on the table but didn't take his hand off.

"I was told you're the guy to go to about work." Harry spoke with what would sound like an eastern European accent. The cloaked man regarded him for a moment before placing both his hands on the table where Harry could see them; his wand was still in his hand though.

"Perhaps, who told you?" Harry raised his hand off the coins and took a swig from his mug. By the time he out the mug down the money had vanished.

"McCullough said you knew who to talk to. I hope you aren't too expensive. I just moved and don't have that much extra."

"Not to much no. What can you do?"

"Anything that needs doing. But I'm more looking for a quick galleon, than a steady job." Harry placed another Galleon on the table and it too went the way of the others, straight into the man's pockets. Said man studied him for a little more before nodding.

"Tony at the Dead Man's Keg has been recruiting for a job of some sort. Guy named Fletcher is generally at Quality Cauldrons, he pays for all sorts of things. And…" He tapped his chin for a moment. Raincem, yeah that's his name. He's looking for wands, though you don't find him. Just ask around and he'll find you."

"Hmm. Mentioned that Dimitri is looking for any sort of job, risks make it all the better."

Harry placed five more galleons on the table and left, the man pocketed the money and watched Harry walk back to the bar. For the rest of the morning Harry repeated the procedure with about seven other information brokers. Some of them insisted on being completely cloak and dagger in their operation, like any aurors were watching. Others yours simply waved the galleons around and you got what you wanted. By about three o' clock he was certain that he'd managed to pick up a death eater tail and still hadn't run across Mundungass. He'd made a quiet inquiry around the cauldron dealer that Fletcher visited, as in quiet enough that only Fletcher would be aware that someone was looking for him. By around five the man he'd identified as the death eater tail, thank you watch, had joined in the game of poker he was losing small at while asking about work.

"You know, for someone so interested in a job you certainly attract a lot of attention, almost like a bad plant." The game quieted as the players listened for Harry's response to the man he was sure was a death eater.

"Sorry if I don't have much experience avoiding notice. I was the guy who broke your legs if you were late with a payment at my last job. Not exactly the quietest of jobs, if you know what I mean." The death eater nodded.

"To true. So you don't mind whose legs gets broke."

"As long as they aren't mine." This prompted a laugh from the table and they went back to the game. The death eater didn't laugh, the man had decent occulmancy barriers but after a few drinks Harry was certain the man believed him to be an undercover agent or an easy mark with plenty of cash and planed to remove him as soon as he left. When Harry lost next he threw down his cards, declared he was out and walked off to the bathrooms. The death eater rose but didn't follow him into the loo, just position himself where he could see.

When Harry entered he looked around to see if anyone else was in and when the door opened to admit another man Harry activated the notice-me-not function of the watch and left while the door was still open. The interesting thing about the watch was that while you could cast the same charm on yourself people who were looking for you could see through the charm. With the watch casting it was more like a ward, which would require a counter charm to see through. Sure enough the death eater paid him little attention and didn't follow when he left the bar.

The sun was already setting over the narrow bits of sky that snuck through the darkened corners of Knockturn alley. Harry turned off the charm and made another circuit of the bars, this time watching rather than making himself noticed. When he left around two in the morning he was certain that his name would had been spread around for people who would want to look into his story. Harry apparated to the slums of west London before muddling his signature and returning home.

Once there he took a shower and laid down on his bead, the addition of vampire blood hadn't required him to sleep more, if anything allowed him to go longer without sleep and work off blood instead. But he wasn't planning on sleeping, closing his eyes Harry transformed and entered the collective.

"How have you been?" Harry asked Neri after greeting her, he hadn't seen her in two days after all.

"How have I been?" Neri asked incuriously. She placed her hands on her hips. "Yesterday I find a new soul that none of my dementors kissed. Want to explain that one?"

"Well I was hoping to ask you how you had been first…"

"Out with it." So Harry relayed the story of his trip to Prague, minus the part he couldn't remember. Neri stopped and questioned him about his fight and Cassandra particularly.

"You do make the most interesting friends don't you."

"Also I don't do anything by half."

"True, when you feel the need to mess with something its got to be not at all or so royally they have to rename it."

"Hey. That's not fair. How was I supposed to know he was a heir, or prince, or… whatever he was." She smiled and wrapped her arms around him.

"True. So what's this about this vampyr with purple hair? Hm."

"I didn't do anything. I swear, I think. I was out for a few hours and someone changed my bloody clothing." This time she did laugh.

"Relax. I won't bite your head off or anything. Though I wonder…"

"Wonder what?"

"I wonder how much she likes group play." Harry's eyes widened when he finally understood the implications of what Neri was saying.

"Naughty girl."

"I won't tell if you won't." This time Harry laughed.

"Like any guy would ever tell."

"True." She kissed him before backing away. "I'm certain we can make time for fun latter on. Since you managed to drain the soul of someone I think its time for me to start teaching you the basics of soul magic."

"Really. Can we finish by morning?"

"No chance. To learn this type of magic you'll need quite a few live samples. I'm just going to start with theory. You won't be able to practice here."

"Alright. Shall we find a place to sit?" Harry gestured around, they were currently floating above the ecliptic of the galaxy like representation of the collective.

"Sure." Neri closed her eyes briefly and when she opened them they were in a small classroom. The holder of the memory was making out in the corner with her boyfriend. Harry stared only for a second before a snap of Nere's fingers brought him back to the front of the room, where Neri was perched on the teacher's desk.

"You have to teach me how to do that."

"Maybe one day. Ok soul magic. Magic dealing with the soul is quite a complex feat. At first I'll just show you the basics. Which would include removal and storage of souls, combination and splitting of multiple souls as well as re-integration of souls with living matter…" After about an hour of lecture Harry decided that soul magic was perhaps the most complicated form of magic in existence. The number of things you had to worry about while simple removing a soul was staggering. Well if you wanted to be able to return that soul to its body at some point that is. He could see why this type of magic had fallen out of favor; the potential for abuse was great. But at the same time the uses existed.

Healers had removed the souls of patients near death and held them while they repaired the body. Without worry about the soul leaving the dieing body you could heal wounds that were completely fatal. Minor necromancy afterwards could reanimate the body and then the soul could be restored with little problem. Necromancers had used soul magic to bind their souls to physical objects outside their bodies so that they could go through the various rituals that allowed them to commune with the dead. These rituals would have killed anyone else but with their souls acting like a puppet master from outside they became very tough to kill. Harry wondered if Voldemort had used something like that to prevent his own death. Neri also went into depth on how you could split and combine souls to produce pseudo-souls like the dementors were made from. By combining different souls you created a blank soul that you could essentially program, or by combining souls in a specific way you created the same channels with in that soul so any soul with the same channels would likely think the same. This type of programming could be done to an individual soul but it was much harder to do and impossible to reverse. Souls could also be bound to physical items; these ensouled items had their own set of attributes. Unlike the horocruxes that necromancers used these things could have a tangible impact on things around them. Rather than a vessel that was to be protected ensouled things could be used like any cursed or possessed item. Ensouling a weapon with its owner's soul, or a piece of it at least. Could allow it to think for itself. Depending on the extent of the charms and enchantments on the item and whether or not the soul had been forced onto the item, it could be a powerful benevolent and useful item or a spiteful cursed item. Of course if you used a programmed pseudo-soul the ensouled item could do whatever you wanted it to do.

When Harry said goodbye to Neri and left the collective it was seven in the morning. While Harry felt refreshed he didn't need to leave for what he planed today for a while so it was a good time to read, as well as test out the time device. After five minutes of skipping through the book Harry took out the eight crystals and placed them at the floor of the bed and at the ceiling directly over them. Sticking charms on the backs kept them in place. Once they were lined up he pressed the activator button on the watch. A message asking him if he was sure showed up on the face, touching yes he activated the device. The only obvious thing was the shimmer of a shield activating. But that was all that was supposed to happen, Harry took out the book on all the watches features and started to read. After half an hour Harry finished the book, it was mildly interesting and worth knowing. The temporal distortion charm could have nasty effects should anything pass trough it so the shield charm kept everything out. A separate charm kept the air inside from turning stale. If you touched the shield with anything the field would drop as a precaution. With the portkey hub Harry set the first portkey to this place with the activator word 'abode.'

As he hadn't brought any other books with him he dropped the time field and climbed out of bed to dress for the day. Harry still only had a few robes but that was ok. Today was another muggle day, at least for most of it. He would have to be extra careful as he was returning to the scene of the crime so to speak. When he found what he needed to clear himself he was planning on requesting a new trial. That way he could prove his innocence in the court of public opinion as well.

Harry dressed in a starched shirt and slacks. Once again feeding Artimis, he needed to find something for to eat besides mice they were like snacks to her, he apparated to Surrey.

Stopping a local cop to ask where their offices were he stunned the man and copied his identification. When the cop awoke he obliviated the man and sent him along his way. The surrey main police station had the feel of an office building. Harry walked right in and showed the guard his copied ID while casting a subtle confudus charm to make the guard believe he was from a higher division. Doing the same to several more people along the way Harry found himself in the case files department.

"Hi. I'm Detective Darracun from the Little Whining offices, you don't mind showing me the files for a multiple homicide last year." He told the man on duty.

"Sure, what's the case number?"

"That's just it my sarge didn't give me the case number, just the date and the place. June 22nd 1996 and number four Privet drive." Harry was using his legitimacy skills to ease any doubts the man had about him.

"Hold on." The guard turned to his console and started a search. "Here we go. Case 45-98-03, Vernon Duresley et al. Hold on while I go get it." The guard returned several minutes latter with a bulky case folder.

That's odd I didn't expect that much.

"I was under the impression that we didn't even have a suspect, if its already been solved I'm gona be real pissed about wasting a day going to get this."

"Well your in luck, strangest case really." He flipped through the files. "It's still unsolved but a few months ago another detective ran every un-followed lead into the ground and found with the new DNA testing procedures found a suspect that was involved in about five unsolved murders in the seventies. Sad thing is that we know who did it; we just don't know who that person is or where he lives. Its like he doesn't exist." Harry thanked the man and opened the folder, he didn't have clearance to remove the files but he was still going to make a copy and leave with that.

The man had been right they were thorough, they speculated that the murderer had set up the bodies and removed a forth victim. They had no idea that the ministry had fouled up their crime scene before they ever got there. DNA taken from Tonks had placed their ghost at the scene of the crime as well as someone who was most likely related to the ghost, Harry knew exactly who they meant. Then they had case file from unsolved murders all over England, everything from the Prewit brothers to various muggles that had been killed over the years. They had picked up Lucius' blood from the scene of battles and semen from the other raids. They had evidence that he had involved in the murders of at least fifty people.

I wonder if he would have walked if the wizards had all of this evidence.

Knowing Fudge probably.

Harry oblivated the man who watching him and made a copy of the folders while he was stunned. Hiding his copied folders away he returned the originals to the man and left. After the arours and the Order had mucked up the scene he was surprised that they still had been able to put together any case at all.

Harry ate lunch at a local fast food restaurant; sometimes there was something nostalgic about fish and chips you know. Afterwards he returned home only to change into his green robe and then it was back to Diagon alley. This time his target was the local library, he could have probably bought the books he wanted in Flourish and Bolts but that was unlikely, at least the caliber of books he needed. Harry spent the afternoon in the library researching all laws and precedents in as many legal proceedings as he could. He couldn't trust a solicitor so he needed to represent himself. That being said he wasn't going to trust the wizinmagot to play fair. After all that had gotten him where he was now. Amazingly the formal laws and procedures were quite lax and seemed to be based on English common law, from the eighteenth century. They had advanced so much since then but had not overhauled their laws. Most updates appeared to be in the form of rulings, by heads of the wizanmagot and by the appointed magistrates. Since then they had passed all these new laws but still expected their old and completely outdated legal system to keep up with the. Harry noted several cases of laws with completely conflicting purposes.

It was like the ministry hadn't been created to uphold society and instead had been built to stifle change. Most bureaucracy slowed change as a rule but the ministry of magic… well he knew he'd need at least another full week to read and absorb everything he would need for the trial. When Harry left the library five hours latter he stopped in Flourish and Bolts to see what they had on law, enough he guessed. He didn't really need the legal system for beginners but it would have to do. Harry brought the books and then headed into Knockturn. He hopped that he would be able to find Fletcher tonight, Voldemort would move soon he guessed and he wanted Fletcher in his confidence before then.

Harry was certain luck was on his side when one of the people he'd made inquires with pointed out Fletcher sitting in the back of the Dancing Dragon. As the man didn't come around often Harry was certain that he was here to speak to or at least observe Harry. Harry brought a round of drinks and joined a game of cards using the drinks as his admission price. He laughed at their crude jokes and obligingly lost on the large pots, all the while paying attention to the shrouded man in the corner who was watching him. After a few hours he managed to beat one of them in a fairly large hand and the others called it a night. Harry ended up alone at the table shuffling a stack of playing cards.

"You still up for a game?" The cloaked man that Harry was certain was Mungdumas sat down across from him.

"Sure." Harry called for drinks for both of them and shuffled the deck. As they played and as Harry lost, he was sure Dung was cheating, they talked about things that had been happening. After several drinks, and when Harry was certain that the thief's mental defenses were as weak as they were going to get, Harry struck. Maybe that's not the best description, as that sounds like Harry attacked him, which he didn't. What Harry did was finally bring up the reason he'd been looking for Fletcher while bringing his legilimecy powers to bear. Harry wasn't attempting to read the man's mind, as it was warded like a fort, but he was subtly influencing what he would be able to remember.

"Well you see." Harry began. "I'm rather new here and I need a place to pursue what I'm best at, or anything else that I can do that pays the rent."

"Well I may have a position for you. But that depends on what exactly you can do and who exactly you are."

"I was hoping you were the kind of employer who didn't ask questions, but then I've heard good things about you. All right. My full name is Dimitri Darracun. I'm 26 originally from Prague. I graduated from Dumstrang and got a job with the Baracnicka's. Everything was good for a while until a deal went bad, somebody died and we all got caught. I ratted out my boss for a lighter sentence, spent two years in prison and was just released. I thought that I wouldn't be welcomed in Prague anymore so I moved." All the while Harry was influencing Dung to believe that he was telling the truth and at the same time muddling the man's memories of tonight. To any other legilimecer it should just look like he was drunk. Which he was but not as drunk as his memory would be. They talked for several more hours while Harry convinced him that he was more or less reliable and useful, the fact that he kept losing was certainly helping. After Dung gave him a way to contact him Harry excused himself and left. With that part out of the way all he had to do know was wait until he had something useful to input. In the mean time he would concentrate on learning what he needed to know about law and get the evidence that Fudge had.

Harry spent part of the night with Neri, she had learned nothing, and the rest of the night under the time slowing field. He had moved the device to his desk and spent the night reading all the law books he had brought, as well as the various books that he'd picked up in the vaults that he hadn't already read.

Dimitri Darracun stepped out of the phone box lift at the entrance of the Ministry of Magic. His shoulder length blond hair brushed his forest green robe as he walked. Several determined strides carried him past the fountain of magical brethren, that had been repaired since the last timed he had seen it. He walked up to the security desk and after waiting in line for a minute handed his wand, the weak dragon heartstring one, he hadn't brought his good one today, to the guard. The guard glanced up at the man's badge; it gave him low level access said he was here to register with the magical wards and permits department. Once Dimitri stepped through the entry portal that scanned for weapons and extra wands his wand was returned to him and he was directed to the second floor down. Dimitri wondered why they just didn't say basement; this was an inverted building after all. There was nothing above ground. Dimitri boarded the crowded lift saying good morning to a few of the younger, and better-looking, ministry workers.

When he got off on the next floor it was easy to find the office he wanted, the place was more or less empty after all the ministry had just opened and people only needed permits for warding when they were building in muggle populated areas, something wizards tried to avoid doing if possible. Dimitri spoke to the attendant and received several forms and information packets, he then retreated to the couch in the lobby area to fill them out.

At least that's what the attendant saw. As soon as Dimitri sat down an invisible Harry Potter rose, turned to make sure his illusionary self was working and then teleported out of the door. The illusion was rather complex and would continue to read, if he was asked a question it would allow Harry to take mental control so he could shoo away the questioner. The illusion was foolproof as long as no one needed to touch him. Which was the reason he chose an office in a department that might be lucky to get a visitor a day. Invisible Harry re-boarded the lifts, using slight twitches of his aura to prevent people from wanting to stand in the corner. He exited on the fifth floor down, administration. He waited at the checkpoint for about twenty minutes watching how the people who were cleared for access got in. After he was certain of their actions he followed an intern in and danced around the guards as they scanned the intern for any hazardous substances and confiscated his wand. Harry had left his wand with the illusion so as to not set off any alarms, after all visitors were tracked in the ministry by their wands. Why else would they let you have them back after reaching security?

The interior of the administration wing was drastically different than the rest of the ministry. Where most of the ministry looked like a modern, if eccentric, office building the administration wing looked more like a palace. A new palace too, this was something that had been built in Fudge's tenure. Harry noticed that not every department head had their office in this wing. The department of magical law enforcement was the second most powerful position in the ministry and Ameila Bones did not have an office here. Harry noted that people who were loyal to Dumbldore like Arthur Weasley and Diggory Senior didn't have offices here even though they were department heads. Bones wasn't loyal to Dumbledore as far as Harry knew but she was an auror first and a politician second. Everyone who had offices here was a politician first and a public servant second, well third most of them were probably purebloods or death eaters second. Most of them probably were either loyal to Fudge or helped pay for his election Harry thought. Harry passed Luscius Mafloy's office and tensed, the title under the door read chief consultant. Harry peered inside the spacious office, it was empty so he kept going. It was worth returning to when he was actually going to steal these files the goblins had told him about. Today was a fact-finding mission. He was actually glad Mafloy Sr. hadn't been in, if he had Harry would have had to blow his mission so he could murder that man in a very public display.

As he got closer to the ministers office he passed Umbridge's office, when he looked in she was still there. Harry smirked but said nothing when he was that she still walked with a cane and started when Harry bumped into a file cabinet. He would have been sorely pissed if she had gotten off scott free for all the things she had done, not that it mattered he was certain that she would fall with Fudge.

At the minister's outer office he had to sneak past a much more detailed security checkpoint. In the end he simply set off the alarm while someone else was passing through and teleported past the checkpoint while they were busy shutting off the alarms. In the confusion no one noticed the magical spikes associated with teleportation. Rather than walk in the door at the end of the outer offices he instead reached out with his senses, his assumptions were correct. The minister's office was warded against anything they could think off, including one of the goblin made sentient wards. If he teleported through the wards it would not only notice him and set off an alarm it would reconfigure itself to block that type of movement. Harry would need to find out how long it would take the security system to respond to unknown factors before he attempted to break in, in the mean time he would do everything possible without setting off the sentient ward.

Following one of the various undersecretaries around he was able to get into a secure meeting room, it was currently empty but from what he had picked up the minister held meetings in here daily.

Harry was lucky after only ten minutes of waiting Fudge, Umbridge and several other Aurors, officials, and secretaries walked in. Harry recognized Percy and took to standing behind the pretentious red head. Once they were all seated around the oval shaped table Fudge called the meting to order and asked for reports. The Auror spoke up first giving an update of the number of currently active aurors, any progress they had made against Voldemort, not that they said his name mind you, and their progress in catching Harry Potter. Harry almost sniggered when the minister ranted about how Potter was trying to ruin him, escaping during an election year and all. Each of the undersecretaries and officials gave their reports, some were department heads while others were representatives of department heads that Fudge didn't trust. As each member spoke Harry preformed a minor scan of their thoughts, few had any substantial defenses but Harry couldn't risk alerting any of them that they were being spied on so he stuck to surface thoughts with all of them.

It was amazing how many different topics cause Fudge to think of a particular file cabinet in his private archives. Harry was certain that he'd find the files he wanted in that archive. When the meeting was over Harry snuck out as quietly as he had entered and made for the archives. Unfortunately for him the archives were directly behind the minister's offices and protected by the same warding system that was on Fudge's office. If Harry entered the range of that ward and he wasn't keyed in he would set off an alarm. If he used any magic the ward would adapt to counter it, most likely in a few seconds. He would have time for one spell maybe, that would have to be him teleporting out. Unless he could fool the system into thinking he was the minister he wasn't getting in. But copying someone else's magical signature was not an ability dementors or wizards possessed. No potion could do that either, even if he polyjuiced into Fudge the ward would pick up the signature of the potion. Something must be able to…

Harry stopped and smiled, yes that might just worked. Still smiling Harry snuck back out, getting out is easier than getting in, and returned to his illusion. Thanking the receptionist he told her that he wouldn't be purchasing a permit at this time and made his way out of the ministry.

Once outside Harry apparated immediately to his next destination, Hogsmead. The sleepy village was unchanged, save for several aurors that asked him for ID. They could find no fault though in his forged ID and his story of just being in the ministry. He was allowed to pass, Harry stopped in Scrivenshifts and brought a full supply of stationary and quills, but the stop at this little store was only a cover what his real purpose, which was quite dangerous. Once again going invisible he crept up to the shrieking shack and checked to see if there were any wards on the building. Finding none he couldn't bypass he entered and dropped into the tunnel leading to Hogwarts. While the wards of the ancient castle weren't by any means state of the art they had something going for them that no ward in the ministry had, power. These wards had been placed by some of the most powerful wizards to ever cross England and they had been maintained by a series of magically powerful headmasters, Dumbledore being just the last in a long line. Over time all the magic gained a sort of self-awareness. Not the kind that the sentient wards had but enough that if Hogwarts thought you meant it or its inhabitants harm you would have trouble. While Harry meant no harm that didn't mean that Dumbledore wouldn't be alerted. He would have to sneak in counting on the fact that Hogwarts couldn't be as secure as the ministry since it allowed so many to cross freely over its borders.

As Harry neared the wards he reached out with his aura, melding with the wards and filtering through. Convincing them that he was no threat, only here to speak to a resident. Harry was not sure if he succeeded but he was certain no alarm had gone off. Well no main alarm, Dumbledore might have a silent alarm, either way he would be quick. Harry disabled the whopping willow then sprinted across the grounds towards the greenhouses. He saw professor sprout in greenhouse three but snuck by, it wouldn't do to be seen. Harry found an empty classroom where he took a risk and stopped attempting to hide his aura from the castle, if Dumbledore was here he would know. He had no time to wait and see if this was the case.

"Dobby." He hissed, hoping his magical signature was close enough that the elf would sense him. He was certainly within range of house elves odd form of telepathy that allowed them to know when someone wanted something. Then he heard a pop and a crying figure that came up to his waist attached itself to his knees.

"Dobby is so worried when they take Harry Potter away. But now Harry Potter is back and Dobby is happy and…"

"Dobby." The elf looked up, his tennis ball sized green eyes met Harry's.

"Its good to see you too Dobby. But I'm not back, at least not yet."

"The great Harry Potter is not staying?"

"No I came to see you actually." At this the house elf burst into tears.

"Dobby is not worthy of such honor, the great Harry Potter came to see poor Dobby…"

"Dobby." Harry cut the elf off before he could begin to rant again.

"I have a question for you. And a job if you're interested."

"A Job! The great Harry Potter is offering lowly Dobby a job. Dobby is so grateful to the great Harry Potter. Dobby will do whatever the great Harry Potter asks." The elf was bouncing around. Harry knew the longer he stayed the greater his risk of discovery was so he had to make this quick.

"First the question…"

"Yes question. The great Harry Potter will ask Dobby a question and Dobby will answer, but what if Dobby gets its wrong? Then Dobby will iron ears, yes Dobby will do that…"

"Dobby!" Harry cut him off again; this was getting tiring, when did Dobby start talking to himself?

"My question is about what you did back in my second year…"

"Second year, second year. Dobby makes the buldgers hurt you." He shrieked and slammed his head against the floor twice before Harry caught him.

"Not that. When you levitated the pudding and set off the underage magic alarm, I need to know how that worked."

"That was simple. Alarms go off when Harry Potter cast magic so Dobby cast magic and made it look like Harry Potter cast magic. Oh Dobby is so sorry that Dobby got Harry Potter in trouble…" He tried to wrench away from Harry to hurt himself again.

"That's what I wanted to know. You can copy people's magic signatures then?"

"Of course all house elves can. How else would we be able to access the master's vaults to buy things for the masters? Well the goblins could make a special door for Dobby…"

"Dobby." Harry cut him off again as the elf began to answer his own question.

Is it just me or is he less all there than the last time I saw him?

"So if I asked you to, could you fool a ward into thinking that I'm someone else?"

"Yes Harry Potter. But that would be bad and then Dobby would be bad and Dobby does not want to be bad."

"What if doing this helped me prove that I wasn't bad. Then I could come back for real and everyone would know."

"Dobby would help the great Harry Potter because the great Harry Potter is the great Harry Potter Sir." Dobby stopped and looked at him expectantly.

Dobby was defiantly sounding odd. When Dobby started to mutter to himself Harry made the connection, Kretcher.

"Dobby are you still a free elf?"

"Yes. Dobby is still free. Works for Hogwarts but if free, elves shun Dobby because Dobby is free and alone."

"What happened to Winky?" Dobby sniffed at the question.

"Winky didn't like being free, Winkey popped to bottom of lake and didn't come back up." Harry paused stunned; if his guess was correct Kretcher had been insane not because he spent so much time taking orders from Mrs. Black's old portrait but because his master was dead.

"Dobby." The elf was crying now. "What happens when an elf loses its master?"

"Elf goes slowly insane great Harry Potter sir."

"If being without a master is a bad thing why didn't you get a new master?"

"Dobby likes being free great Harry Potter sir. Besides no one would want a bad elf." He started to cry again. This was getting annoying.

"Dobby. What if I offered to be your master? Would you accept?"

"Of course Dobby has waited for four years for you to ask Harry Potter Sir." It was startling how fast he could go from depressed to joyous.

"Would you be my house elf Dobby?" Now the elf jumped up and down and hugged Harry again.

"Of course Dobby would be the great house elf of the great Harry Potter. Can we do boding ritual now…"

"Actually not now, or at least not here. I need to leave before Dumbledore notices me. Can you find me now?"

"Of course, Harry Potter's sound changed some but now that Dobby has seen you again Dobby can hear you from anywhere. All Harry Potter must do is Call and Dobby will be there, and headmaster Dumblydoor, Dobby will make sure he doesn't see you."

"Of course. Thank you Dobby. I'll call for you as soon as I get to my house." Dobby hugged Harry again before disappearing with a pop. Harry illusioned himself again and left, having to hide behind a suit of armor to avoid Fitch and McGrounall, who were patrolling just a little bit to suspiciously to be a coincidence.

Not surprisingly when Harry exited the shrieking shack he saw Remus sniffing around. Not giving the man time to catch his scent he teleported behind Scrivinshifts and calmly walked back to the apparation point. He smiled to the aurors on duty and left, making three hops to make sure he wasn't followed he finished inside his house. Walking out side he cast a few notice-me-not charms and made sure no one was around.

"Dobby." Pop. The elf once again tried to tackle him in a hug, Dobby really needed to stop that.

"The great Harry Potter has summoned Dobby. Dobby did not think the great Harry Potter would summon Dobby but he has. Dobby is so…"

"Dobby."

"Yes."

"Do you see the house right behind me?"

"What house behind the great Harry Potter?"

"The house that Harry Potter lives in is at number 1234, twenty Fifth Street." Behind them the house shimmered into view for Dobby to see.

"Dobby can see now Harry Potter sir."

"Good, well come on in." The eager elf followed him up the stairs and into the house. Once inside Harry sat down on one of the couches and turned to Dobby. He noted that Artimiss had finally moved, about five feet to the window.

"Ok Dobby what do I have to do to bring you into the family?" At this Dobby burst into tears.

"The great Harry Potter is so caring he would invite Dobby into to the family…"

"Dobby!"

"Yes Harry Potter Sir?"

"The bonding ritual." Harry really didn't want to get impatient with the elf but it was hard, his annoyances from before had seemingly magnified tenfold.

"The great Harry Potter must hold out hand and say 'I accept' when Dobby asks."

"Ok. Lets do this then." Harry held out the hand like Dobby instructed, Dobby drew his finger in a circle on the floor and a ring of light sprang up. He said several things in a language that Harry didn't understand, elfish perhaps, and sliced his palm with one of his nails. Reaching out he did the same to Harry's outstretched hand, knowing what was coming Harry didn't pull back. Dobby pressed his still bleeding palm to Harry's.

"…Dobby swears to always keep masters secrets and always do what master says. Does master Harry Potter accept Dobby's service?" Dobby stopped and looked up at Harry.

"Harry Potter accepts Dobby's service." There was a flash that woke the sleeping Artimiss up and threw Harry back slightly. Dobby was standing up taller now, his eyes burning with a fire that Harry hadn't seen in them before.

"Dobby forgot one thing master Harry Potter sir. Is Dobby allowed to keep socks?"

"Yes, you can keep your socks and wear whatever you want. As long as you call me Harry."

"Dobby… I will try Harry." Harry stood and clapped his hands together.

"Good. Right now I only have this residence to take of, I'll leave it in your capable hands. Now then about your ability to copy magical signatures…"

It was late, the ministry of magic was closed. The usually busy atrium was deserted even the guards post was empty. After all this floor was sealed, if anyone wanted to enter at this time of night they had to use one of the smaller night entrances that were for employees only. That made things all the more interesting when two cloaked figures appeared next to the fountain of magical brethren. The first figure seamed to fade in, like mist that had coalesced into a human figure. The second one was much shorter, only coming up to half the height of the taller one. This one had appeared with a quite pop. As their hoods were up any observers wouldn't have been able to know who exactly was here anyway. The two walked to the security station where they stopped, the smaller one raised its hands and waved them around in a particular pattern. When that one nodded both of them stepped through and entered the stairwell, heading down to the administrative level.

Once outside the now sealed administrative level the taller figure motioned to the shorter one before beginning to chant, his voice was low, obviously male. The words would make no sense to anyone watching, as they were spoken in hisses that only snakes could understand. The smaller one again lifted his hands and made several complicated gestures. Then the smaller one took a hold of the taller one and with a pop the two were thorough the barrier. Once inside the outer offices Harry Potter removed his hood, they were in. Dobby removed his hood as well and turned to his new master, silently asking for directions. Harry motioned towards the back, the minister's area, and the two set off careful to avoid any monitoring devices that might be installed.

"Dobby is sorry master. I can fool the wards into letting you in but they will only be fooled for long enough for you to get in, then they will sound the alarm." The diminutive house elf looked up at Harry who had his face screwed up in concentration.

"All right. Well then we'll breach these wards after I've had a chance to loot the auror offices' files. This will have wait for another night. Come on then. Harry grabbed Dobby and teleported them both outside the high security area. The wards in the administrative section would have picked up house elf activity.

The auror offices were still open, even this late at night. Thankfully the minister hadn't deemed them important enough to place the high level wards on them that he had in the administrative sections. Dobby was able to easily mask their magical signatures with someone's who was allowed in. Under cover of invisibly and scent masking illusions the two crept past the various cubicles of the aurors on duty and to the records room. Thankfully that room was empty, a simple push knocked over a water cooler and shifted focus away from the door long enough for it to admit to invisible figures. Riffling through the filing cabinets Harry went straight to the P's.

"Parker, Parkinson, Peterson… Ah Potter." Harry mumbled to himself as he pulled out his rather large folder. The folder was devoted to him, dead family members must be moved elsewhere he mussed. He skipped past the beginning, noting that there was far too much information on his childhood for someone who had never met another wizard for the first ten years of his life.

Harry removed the files involving his arrest, the trial and his interrogation. Those particular files were notably absent. A note said the files had been moved and left no mention of where or who did it. Harry copied all the files and replaced the originals; next he sifted through the Mafloy files, making copies of any evidence linking the senior bastard to any crimes that the muggles had traced him to as ghost. His final step was to check through the records section. While this was much less interesting than the case files Harry had to check. There might be a record of his interrogation somewhere outside of Fudge's office, if it was even there. Harry was halfway through when a tug on his sleeve alerted him that Dobby sensed one of the wizards that they were copying tying get in here. Nodding Harry replaced the files and teleported the two of them out of the building, it wouldn't do for the wards to record two of the same person at the same time and trigger an alarm.

After two sets of apparitions to make sure they weren't followed the odd pair appeared in Harry's living room. Dobby bowed and bade him goodnight, the elf had set up a bed of sorts in the basement. Harry still had some reading to do and went up to his room where he turned on the time slowing field and engrossed himself in the book given to him by the vampire elder. He was having an odd feeling that had been growing in strength all day, it was still just a nagging itch but it was there. Harry assumed that it was linked to his need for blood.

Harry was certain the book was somehow enchanted, as when ever he opened it up it was always on the same page and wouldn't turn until he read and understood what the book wanted him to know. Unremarkably it had opened up to the chapter on partial transformations and what type of powers and hindrances he might have. Harry could expect increases in speed, strength, and senses proportional to the percentage he'd been changed. He could also expect a direct inverse in the amount of sunlight he could stand. None of the vampiric magic's would be available to him until he completed the transformation, which wasn't even in the top hundred on his to do list. Thankfully he would need as little as a pint of blood a week and if he went without blood it wouldn't kill him, just weaken him. When transformed he didn't need to worry about blood at all he figured out. It was even possible that if he feed while he was transformed the extra blood would just be converted directly into magical energy, like it was when a full-blooded vampire gorged themselves.

Closing the book two hours latter Harry shut off the time dilatation field and went into the trancelike state he took on while entering the collective. Neri was floating above the ecliptic of the central most mass of souls. Harry rose up behind her and wrapped his spectral arms around her. Neri smiled and turned around.

"How have you been?"

"Busy."

"Well I have news as well."

"Voldemort?" She sighed.

"Yes. We are to attack the guards in two days. After we see the death eaters landing on the island."

"Can't talk you out of it can I?"

"No. But if the signal was never given it's not my problem." Harry smiled.

Two days. I can get help to stop the death eaters in two days, well I can't but Dimitri can.

"Thanks for the tip." She turned around to face him.

"I hope you don't think that was for free." She said as Harry moved closer and kissed her.

"Of course not, I'll have to come up with some form of payment." Neri let out a soft moan as Harry's lips brushed her collarbone.

"Yes I suppose you should…"

The next morning Harry awoke rested and satisfied, mentally at least. Today he had to make himself visible in Knockturn. For Dung and by association the Order to believe him he needed to be seen fishing for information. Another foray into the minister's private files was in order as well but that would have to wait until after this weekend. The next few days would make or break his cover. Harry dressed, after putting away the mismatched clothing that Dobby had taken the time to set out for him.

"Dobby."

"Yes master?" Harry thought about telling Dobby not to call him that but decided against it.

"You don't need to set out my clothing for me. Got it?"

"Yes master." Dobby began serving Harry the massive amount of food that he had cooked, Harry shook his head slightly. Dobby cooked like he was at Hogwarts, but Harry didn't need meals of these portions.

Harry spent the day in Knockturn alley, visiting the various bars and questionable shops scattered through the seedy district. While it was far from pleasant, his presence was needed to go with the story he had created. Not to mention finding a Death Eater or two to question would be very helpful.

It took until almost midnight until Harry was certain that he had found a Death Eater, he didn't know the man personally but the Davies spouted off the pureblooded mantra that Death Eaters preached when asked. Harry was currently following Davies to see a friend that could help Dimitri find work that would not only utilize his rather illegal skills but would allow him to "put them to use for the glory of the wizarding world." The alley itself was deserted, this late at night and in this industrial section of Diagon alley no one with any legal business was out and about.

The two stepped into a doorway almost completely hidden by an overhang. In fact until Harry was led inside he hadn't noticed the door at all, the wards must be powerful to affect him. A second man joined Davies and the two lead Harry down a hallway and into a smoke filled room. Harry immediately felt the presence of powerful masking charms. He looked around and could not see anything in the shadows; he could only see one person seated at the only table in the room but was certain that there were other people behind the masking charms. Harry sat down across from the cloaked figure; Davies and the other man took positions standing beside him.

Hmm. Haven't I been in this position before?

"So Dimitri," The man across from him drawled. "Why would a foreigner like yourself wish to serve the Dark Lord?"

"It's not about dark and light. It's about how much money I can make while, what did they say…" Dimitri tapped his chin for a second. "Right, it's about money and satisfying my 'propensity for violence.'" While Davies chuckled the man across from Dimitri did nothing but you could hear the sneer in his reply.

"My master has no need of brutes with no sense of direction. My master wants the best the brightest, the future of the world to join him in his quest. We need soldiers not enforcers."

"If your not hiring then I'll be on my way." Dimitri replied flippantly as he crossed his arms over his chest.

"No. I did not say that. If you were to do something for me, a favor perhaps then I could be assured of your desires."

"Such as." The cloaked man made a motion and part of the dark room lit up to reveal a pair of Death Eaters; their wands focused on a muggle girl no older then eleven. She looked, well damaged was the only word that really described her appearance.

"If you wish to prove your loyalties to our glorious cause then kill the girl."

Harry rose without saying anything and drew his wand in a swift motion. Should he do it? Part of him protested violently, but that part was a quiet voice and he thought it should have been louder. Another part of him, and a louder part of him, didn't care one way or another. He had saved others from lesser problems for no reward to himself. Could he simply kill the girl before him? A loud part of him said yes and that disturbed him far more than the silence of his conscience.

But then what can I do? If I kill the others in here not only will I not necessarily save the girl but I'll blow any chance of Dimitri ever fitting in around here. Not to mention the chance that I could through the entire timetable for Voldemort's next assault.

Life of the one versus the lives of others down the road, what will it be?

"Tötung!" This particular curse could be blocked but the end result was just a deadly as the Avada Kedarva. A black jet of light jumped from his wand and connected with the glassy eyed girl starring blankly at him. As the black cloud the curse caused on impact dissipated her lifeless body fell to the ground. Harry heard the congratulations of the others, like he had passed some important test, internally he felt empty and slightly sick.

I'm changing. Harry Potter could have never have killed anyone in cold blood, not even after Azkaban.

Harry might not be able to but Dimitri does this kind of thing for a living. A sly voice reminded him. Harry shook off his guilt and stored it, he'd worry latter. Now several of the Death Eaters, convinced he was no spy for the ministry or Dumbledore were leading him away and into a lounge where ten or so men were holding an impromptu party. A pair of slightly older girls that looked disturbingly similar to the one he'd just killed were being passed around among the men.

Much latter that night a thoroughly disgusted Harry Potter left the Death Eater safe house, he had gotten what he had wanted but he wondered about the cost. He now had a medallion that would allow them to contact him latter, he'd be able to use this to get to their superiors and hopefully find more information about Voldemort's whereabouts. Unfortunately he truly wondered was the cost of those girl's lives worth the information he might receive.

"You seem upset." Neri stated as she saw Harry appear in the collective latter that night.

"Upset! I just killed an innocent girl and I didn't care! No matter what I say to myself I don't feel remorse. OF COURSE I SEEM UPSET!" Neri drew back started by his outburst.

"I don't see what the problem is, I'm sure her death served a purpose." That was the wrong thing to say as Harry, who had been pacing and ranting to himself, rounded on her.

"You don't see a problem? This is your fault! I was never like this before. What did you do to me?" He shouted.

"What did I do to you! You don't blame the vampires or the betrayals but me!" Harry, now finally coming to his senses tried to apologize but Neri cut him off. "Maybe I did do something. I saved your sorry hide, I gave you the power of a minor demon, of course there would be side effects!"

"Neri. Wait I didn't mean…"

"GET OUT!" With what Harry could describe as a mental shove Harry found himself hurled backwards, when the spinning sensation stopped he found himself back within his own body. He tried to re-enter the collective but found the entrance sealed to him.

"What did I just do?" Harry moaned to himself. Neri's anger had calmed him down and he wondered if she would ever even allow him to apologize. While he was disturbed of what she had admitted he couldn't deny that he had crossed a line and now felt guilty over it. It was worse than guilt, if she never allowed him to renter the collective he could never even say he was sorry and despite what he had just said he really did care for her.

A frustrated Harry paced back and forth between number ten and fourteen Grimauld place. He had not managed to speak to Neri at all today, he sincerely hoped that she would calm down enough to listen to his apology. Still her information had said that Voldemort would finally attack Azkaban under the cover of darkness tonight. Not only would stopping this attack be a tactical victory over the Death Eaters it was going to give him the leverage he needed to avoid suspicion and get into the Order of the Phoenix. Well it would if anyone ever looked outside the fidelused house and noticed him pacing.

Five minutes later his salvation arrived, sort of. Severus Snape was in a hurry, he had just been alerted to free up his scedual and start brewing. That was the order he got before a major conflict, hell he hadn't been given that order in sixteen years, but he still remembered the New Years massacre that followed it. He had to get Dumbledore to pull his resources of the Potter brat and put the Order on full alert, something big was going down tonight. So imagine his surprise when he was stopped just before he went into headquarters by a man he had never seen asking if he was part of the Order of the Phoenix. Of course he immediately pulled his wand on the unknown man and demanded to know where he heard that.

"Well Dung told me there was a house or something around here." He waved his arms around for effect.

"Wait you mean Mundugmas?" The man nodded.

"Look just tell Dung that Dimitri is outside and has useful information." Severus looked the stranger over, medium build, bond hair, and a distinctive Slavic accent.

"What is this about?" Sevurus demanded.

"Unless your willing to cough up my finders fee that is between me and Dung." Severus resisted the urge to curse this man and pondered his options. He could just leave him outside and fetch Dung, but that would allow the man to run off and compromise him. He could just oblivate him but then any information he had would be lost. He could also bring him inside and let Dumbledore hash it all out but that would bring a potential threat into headquarters. Deciding he grabbed the man by the arm and pulled him by wand point up the stairs that he couldn't see.

"Hey what the fuck is your…" Dimitri's protests cut off when they stepped over the threshold and the fidelus charm allowed him to see around.

"That was neat. Uh where to now?" Severus jabbed the man in the back with his wand and gestured him to walk forward. As they entered the parlor Dimitri stiffened just perceptibly at the site of Ron Hermione and Ginny.

"Hey Dung said this was supposed to be some sort of secret organization, not a damn baby sitting service." Ron scowled and Hermione opened her mouth to respond but Severus cut them off.

"They are just the brats of some of the members who don't have the financial resources to properly care for them." He said silkily, oh he was starting to like this guy. Hermione could be heard saying something else but the two were past and into the dinning room with its multiple silencing charms before she could get started.

The only people in the kitchen at the moment where Moody and Fletcher. Moody, quite predictably drew his wand at the stranger and Snape. Dimitri ignored both of them and made for Fletcher.

"Dung! Lot of security here don't you think?" Dung for his part looked like he'd just been caught filching the silverware, which at some point in time he probably had.

"Darracun what the bloody hell are you doing here?"

"You said emergency, well what I got for you is certainly an emergency." By this point Moody had realized the man was here about information and had hobbled over to the two.

"You've got something to say. Well out with it then." Moody still hadn't put away his wand.

"Who are you? Wait doesn't matter I don't care. I just want my payment." As Dimitri and Dung haggled over the price of the information and how Dimitri knew where the place was, Moody backed away and Snape took up his customary place on a wall. After several minutes Dung tossed Dimitri a bag of gold, which he quickly pocketed.

"Alright spill what was so important that you had to barge in here to tell me?"

"Yes, I think we would all like to know that as well." Dung and Dimitri spun around, while they had been talking Dumbledore and the rest of the Order's executive council had found their way into the room and were clustering around the table. Dumbledore motioned for him to take a seat at the end of the table. Seeing as how Dumbledore's request wasn't a request but an order Dimitri took a seat and looked at the old man expectantly.

"First off could you please enlighten me as to how you found our residence?"

"Well Dung mentioned something about a place he could always be reached on Girmuald place and I just looked around until, uh… that guy in the back he never mentioned his name. Well he let me in."

"That man is Severus Snape." Dumbledore proceeded to introduce everyone else in the room.

"Alright I guess you want to know my name right?" At the few nodes he continued. "Dimitri Daracun at your service. Anyway, I was talking to this guy earlier today and he mentioned that he was going to participate in a battle that would change the course of this world. So I ask about it and he admits that after tonight the Dark Lord would truly begin his domination of the world." A few people muttered and gasped but the majority were silent. "So I prod a little more and he finally lets spill that there was going to be some sort of raid tonight on a secure installation. He gets all secretive and looks around before whispering Azkaban." Again more mutters and gasps. Didn't matter he knew from the look in their eyes that he had them.

"Do you have any other proof of your accusations?" Dumbledore asked mildly. This time Severus stepped up and answered for him.

"Yes. Earlier today I got the first call to arms order since the December massacre of 1980."

"Then we must prepare to reinforce the prison. Do you know where or when?"

"I only know tonight and that he was part of a team attacking something on the mainland, he said that the Dark Lord's allies on the island were going to deal with the guards." Again more gasps Dumbledore said Dementors. The order members scattered calling in additional forces and preparing for what would be a nasty fight. They seemingly ignored him in the confusion.

"Do you think you could use an extra wand?" Dumbledore turned to him, Moody he noticed had never taken his eye or his wand off of him.

"You would help us?"

"Well I've been looking to hire my services off all week but the Dark Lord is to secretive to hire mercenaries, what about you guys?"

"Would you be willing to help uphold the light?" Dumbledore asked?

"It has nothing to do with light or darkness. I'm good at hurting things and if I can get paid to do that all the better. I'm willing to swear any non-disclosure oaths you want." Dumbledore and Moody shared a glance that to Harry looked like a conversation. Dumbledore then nodded and began to enchant several objects that must be portkeys.

"Stay with me sonny. I don't trust you yet but we'll see." Moody clopped over to him and held out a sock that Dumbledore had passed to him.

"All right people activate on one, two. Three!" Dimitri and the rest of the Order members present vanished into a vortex of swirling light.