Chapter 13 – Give and take
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I had just 'faded' into my spirit form but was stopped before I could move by, "How's it going Harry? Thanatos asked.
"You are going to handle all the deaths here by yourself?
"Not really Harry, if you haven't notice I have helpers."
Now that I was in spirit form I could see wisps of smoke circling the area.
Since you slipped away from me I have been paying closer attention to my checklist besides I wanted to see if you killed anyone today?"
"Not if I can help it but right now I have to cause that ass some grief."
I 'faded' back to my physical form in front of Voldemort, "Hay Riddle looking for your mother to kill like you did your muggle father and your muggle grandparents?"
"Avada Kedavra" was his answer.
"Oh Tommy its tickles so good, send me another."
That got me a 'Defodio' and a 'Diffindo' followed by a 'Reducto' I just 'faded' behind Riddle before the curses could reach me.
"You know you could really hurt someone with those curses what would your mommy say Tommy boy?"
That got me a dozen curses that I have no idea what they would do. I barely 'fade' away from the curses. Returning to my physical state I yelled, 'Descendo' which I followed immediately by a 'Levicorpus', to my surprise the later hit him. The spell dragged him up by his ankle before Voldemort, cursing like a sailor, port-keyed away. I chuckled as I was thinking of his landing by port-key from that position.
I made a mental note to owl Gringotts and asked if PJ&H had a place in rebuilding or restocking the destroyed stores. I thought that if PJ&H built up enough good will it wouldn't hurt sometime in the future to help carry out something somewhere. It wasn't as if the Ministry couldn't do with a few changes.
/Scene Break/
Breakfast was great in that all my friends were safe and eating a hearty breakfast. The flood of owls arrived with the Dailey Profit and letters from home. I was surprised as the entire newspaper was full of pictures of me! It started with me standing on giant's shoulders in my confrontation with Voldemort and of course absorbing the killing curse.
Tonks, err, Tina came stumbling in and plopped down next to me.
"Tina have you seen the Dailey Profit? They are making me one hell of a hero."
"Don't let it get to your head Harry. The Order meeting last night declared your actions as the new dark lord getting rid of Voldemort as your only competition."
"Oh dear I guess I will have to stop working on the 'Expecto Patronum' charm as it is considered for light wizards only, maybe I should brush up on the 'Morsmordre' to keep in character.
The following morning the Dailey Profit ran articles that I was the new dark Lord trying to take over the wizard world. Seems that Fudge was also in the abuse Harry
Potter club along with Dumbledore.
Since the Great Hall was full I stood and stepped up onto the table and made my announcement. "Send your parents the following. I have had it. I help save people and I am evil. I stop the Dark Lord and I am trying to replace him. News Flash, I quit, you like him you keep him or fight him, I 'm out of here and the fight. My friends know how to contact me and the rest beware, visiting me could be fatal so don't try. I stomped out of the Great hall.
I was not a few feet out the door when a dozen spells were flying at me. Right now I could care less so I 'faded' in front of whoever was there and went to Dun-Potter.
A few hours later Tina 'floed' in to tell me what was going on in the magical community. This just made me fuming mad. It seemed that Fudge had made an arrest warrant for me for being a dark lord who had attacked peaceful citizens.
"Tonks, could you arrange for reporters to be present when I get captured in Diagon Alley?"
"Are you crazy? Getting yourself captured? They are just going to railroad you to Azkaban. This is all assuming that they will give you a trial."
"Relax Tonks I have a plan."
"It's your funeral."
"Set it up for ten in the morning, I will be there for the Aurors to arrest me."
At ten I arrived and even I could spot the reporters with cameras. The Aurors moved in and arrested me but I had a word. "I must say what an incompetent group; you are as incompetent as your pompous leader Fudge. I'm not an evil wizard but I bet Fudge can't keep me in custody. If I can escape how can Fudge hope to deal with Voldemort? That was all I could get in before they hauled me away.
They put me in a warded Ministry cell with magical suppressing handcuffs. Guards were posted outside my cell and in the hall coming to my cell. When I 'faded' to Dun-Potter the magical handcuffs fell to the floor with a clunk, alerting the guards. The evil and dangerous Dark Lord had escaped.
The next morning, at ten, the Dailey Profit got photo's of Evil Harry Potter strolling down the street of Diagon Alley. Those pictures started an uproar, how did he escape? Potter said Fudge could not keep him in custody, how incompetent was Fudge? I heard it was quite busy at the Ministry.
Me, Tina, Luna and Dobby with his wife Ellen, were enjoying a tall drinks with umbrellas by the pool. Voldemort had already hit Diagon alley early that afternoon to add to Fudge's troubles.
The next day Hogsmeade Village was attacked by Voldemort and the people were screaming for something, but no one had told them what they wanted yet.
/Scene Break/
The Dailey Profit told the people what they should do; they had Fudge stating that he would not under any condition allow Harry Potter to roam free in the magical communities.
The next day only the Quibbler showed pictures of Harry Potter roaming free in Diagon Alley.
Fudge again was on WWN stating that the Quibbler was full of fabrications and all was well and no one needed to worry everything was safe and secure.
Voldemort destroyed a few buildings in Hogsmeade the next day which sent me to Gringott to insure PJ&H got involved.
Fudge was again on WWN but this time not in person. Fudge was the topic since he got assassinated in the Ministry by Voldemort the previous evening. The new Minister had cleared Harry Potter of all charges and requested the "chosen one" contact Minister Scrimgeour.
/Scene Break/
The meeting with the Minister was to tell me everything was forgiven and could I be his poster boy. All I had to do was show up once in a while when he made a speech. He of course didn't come out as say this but he want me to look supportive and keep my mouth shut. Since I was back in the most favored category I milked it for all it was worth. I was back at Hogwarts; I had my Dark Lord private room, and got a pass on underage use of magic when out of school which also included a pass out of Hogwarts every weekend. I even got a learners permit for 'apperating' and got rid of a pink Toad at Hogwarts. I didn't need most of these perks but if used properly it would upset a few people. I'm sure Umbridge would be one of the first.
After being gone for about a week from Hogwarts I showed up for breakfast, I anticipated, "Mr. Potter see me after breakfast." I was not mistaken. I almost didn't get to eat as everyone wanted to know why I was back and what was going on. If looks could kill Draco and Ron were overjoyed at my returning to Hogwarts. Snape did look a little put out, so that was making my morning. That's when I noticed what my short absence had caused. My party girls had all moved on to new boyfriends in the short time I was gone.. Tina and Luna joined me and were now sitting on either side of me while I was deep in thought.
That's when things got a little weird Fawkes flamed in and onto my breakfast plate which still contained my breakfast. Fawkes starts with the look me in the eye as he did in the Headmasters office. Fawkes lets loose a pleasant warble and does an about-face and starts plundering the closest fruit bowl.
Dumbledore stands from his chair and yells, "Fawkes behave yourself!"
Fawkes pulled his head from the fruit bowl with a banana still in his mouth; he turned to look at the Headmaster and emitted a, "Squawk", thus dropping the banana on Neville's plate with a plop and sending egg yolks on Neville's robes. The Headmaster apparently didn't like the 'squawk' and sat back down. Fawkes reached out with his claw and snagged the banana, turned towards me and started stripping down the banana when another flash appeared in front of me. A small maybe a baby silver phoenix is standing there looking me in the eyes. After about a minute it nodded and hopped onto my shoulder and laid its head on mine issuing a melodic sound which translated to me as saying "Mine".
This of course did not go unobserved by the majority of people in the Great Hall. I am proud of all my reading but Phoenix literature was not part of what I had delved into. Would I be attacked by the sharp claws or beak or did it just turn into flames thus making me into a ball of fire. Fawkes liked fruit so I summoned a bowl from down the table insuring that it was not the one Fawkes had staked his claims to. The silver phoenix warbled something that sounded like 'Groovy' hopped down and dove into the fruit. Since this end of the table was trashed and reserved for the Phoenix's breakfast we moved down the table after many 'Scourgify' charms.
"Harry it looks like you have a new friend" The new DADA professor Remus Lupin chuckled, the same Lupin that I haven't seen since I was a baby. I wonder which of Dumbledore's plans he fits into? If it wasn't for the books from the Potter vaults I would not know who he was nor recognize him on the street. After eating I walked by the head table and smiled and waved at Dumbledore and headed out to sit by the lake. I had the next hour free and I had just seen the Headmaster as I had walked by the head table so that would have to satisfy him for a while.
/Scene Break/
Not long after I sat by the lake the silver phoenix joined me and was hopping around in what appeared to be excitement.
"So what is your name little one?" I inquired not expecting an answer.
The bird warbled and I got the impression of a name, 'Amethiste'.
"I'm Harry. Doesn't Amethiste stand for precious purple jewel?"
The bird nodded.
"Would it be alright if I called you Amy for short?"
The bird nodded.
I figured that gaining any great amount of information would take a century at this rate. I had Charms class in a few minutes that I had to go to, so I got up. Amy appeared in front of me waving her tail at me. That much I understood from dealing with Fawkes so I touched her feathers and I was standing in front of the Charms classroom in a flash of phoenix fire. While I was getting my brain to figure out that I had never said where I was going and that Amy had, what, read my mind? Amy meanwhile was warbling as she flew around and landed on my shoulder. I just automatically reached up and gave her a petting where I knew she would like a petting.
I was now so far in thought that I wasn't paying attention to Professor Flitwick but I didn't miss Snape storming into the classroom.
"Potter! You were told to see the Headmaster after breakfast. You will come with me so I can enjoy your arrogant ass being expelled from Hogwarts."
"Sorry the rules say only when Professor McGonagall and an Auror are present will I see the Headmaster alone."
"Shut your stupid mouth and follow me as they are already awaiting you and your punishment."
I wish I could have seen Snape's face, of course mine probably had a surprised look, as Amy flamed me to Dumbledore's office. She let loose a warble and joined Fawkes on his perch.
"Ah, Harry, please have a seat, lemon drop?" I shook my head and remained silent.
"I believe I asked you to see me after breakfast, why did not do as I asked?"
"I believe I saw you as I left the Great Hall, besides it's not my job to insure that Professor McGonagall and an Auror are present as you have been ordered. I don't see…"
"Shut your disrespectful mouth you gormless brat." Snape yelled as he stormed into the office.
"Severus that is no way to talk to a student no less my god-child." Minerva hissed.
"Now I don't believe that we came here to argue professors. Harry you have been reckless in your behavior and wandering in these time is extremely perilous. I must insist that you remain within the confines of Hogwarts."
"Is that all you have to request from me?"
"Harry I'm afraid that wasn't a request but an order, you may not leave Hogwarts grounds."
I looked to Minerva who just added, "It's for your own protection Harry."
I started laughing and got up. "Minerva I might recommend you have yourself checked at St. Mungo and as for you two I will just say 'dog's bollocks."
"That will be detention tonight in the potion lab."
"Oh Belt up Snivelus your sneering is just polluting the air."
"Well let's see if you like detention for the rest of the year." Snape looked like he could kill about now.
Amy was there in an instant and we were gone from the room in a flash of Phoenix fire.
/Scene Break/
Minister Rufus Scrimgeour was putting his last touches to his latest speech for the Ministry Atrium. He had invited all of the papers to attend and with Harry Potter standing next to him he was sure of passage of his bills. Even if just one of the bills passed he would make a tidy sum of Galleons for his private vault. A flash startled the Minister as a silver phoenix appeared, dropped a letter and flashed away. The Minister opened the letter.
To the Honorable Rufus Scrimgeour
It is my sad duty to tell you that I will not be able to attend anymore of your press briefings. I was informed moments ago that I have been restricted to Hogwarts grounds. Upon objecting to this restriction I have received nightly detentions for the rest of the year. I hope you can forgive my inability to fulfill my part of our agreements. Should further clarifications be necessary, please direct your owl to Florean Fortescue's Ice Cream Parlor. I shall be attempting to enjoy my last few minutes before I am dragged back to Hogwarts for my confinement.
Your Servant
Harry James Potter
Heir apparent House Potter
/Scene Break/
Fifteen minutes later the Minister and a squad of Aurors joined me for an ice cream before we 'floed' to the Ministry and then to Hogwarts and the Headmasters office.
"Dumbledore what is the meaning of this stupidity? Wasn't my pass for Lord Potter enough indication that the Ministry wished him to be free to leave Hogwarts as he pleased?"
"Rufus you must understand that Harry's safety is our ultimate goal. With Voldemort on the loose Harry is not safe outside of Hogwarts."
"Albus are you saying that the Ministry is not protecting its people? Further why is Lord Potter less safe on our Auror patrolled streets?"
"Rufus the Dark Lord has his minions everywhere and he has a special interest for some reason in Mr. Potter. Should Mr. Potter fall into his hands it would be catastrophic."
"Are you saying that Lord Potter is hanging out in Borgin & Burkes with the Deatheaters? Dumbledore Lord Potter is going to Hogsmeade on the weekends not strolling down Knockturn Alley or are you telling me that all the students are receiving this same treatment?"
"If I must I will have all of the minors, under my control, here in Hogwarts restricted to the grounds. I will not have the Ministry interfering with my control of these matters and this school."
"The Ministry thought you would take that attitude Dumbledore so Lord Potter is now considered a seventeen year old adult. The Ministry has afforded him special exemptions, he is now authorized to leave Hogwarts permanently if he so wishes. As far as his detentions, I would suggest that they be canceled or I will bring this to the attention of the Board of Governors. Good day Headmaster."
/Scene Break/
Meanwhile at Grimmauld place one Mundungus Fletcher was doing his five-finger discount on whatever could bring him a knut in Knockturn Alley. Being the low life that he was he even checked Kretcher's room under the boiler and found a golden locket with the letter S inscribed. Unfortunately his sales of stolen goods, a week later in Knockturn Alley, was interrupted by Undersecretary Umbridge who demanded the locket or Fletcher would go to jail.
Umbridge put the locket on as, in her mind, it looked good with her pink accessories. That turned out to be a very bad mistake. Her next meeting with the Dark Lord had a terminating effect on her person as Voldemort realized his Horcruxes was no longer safe and needed to be collected. Finding that a number of them were destroyed he flew into a rage but not before putting the rest under a protection that no one would ever find. He would get to the Tiara at Hogwarts with his followers children but for now no one would get his now ultra protected Horcruxes.