The gang all left a few hours later after Harry and Ginny had sorted out some things, one was going out into the herd of Griffins to find the senior one and see if Harry could work out what the deal was with them. He learnt to his horror that his family was the descendant of the Griffindors'. Well that just confirmed that theory then really he thought to himself. He was also responsible for never allowing the Griffins to go from a living species to extinct level whilst he was alive. Harry left instructions to the house elves to clean all properties for now and to take their time as there was no real need to keep each property sparkling clean, but a practical clean. In the evening the four friends flamed to the lair to meet the others.
As they were sat down in the Lair deep below Hogwarts Ron was asking, 'So what has that orphanage got to do with Toms overall plan? After all, no one even noticed they were gone.'
'Umm,' said Harry brain whirling, 'Well Tom was brought up at an orphanage, one in London. I am going to go a far as even it was or still is a place of importance for him.'
'You mean he might be planning to put a Horcrux down at his own orphanage?' Hermione asked.
'Well he is either going to put one there if he attacks an orphanage in say Wales. Or he is going to remove one, then well we best have a look at his old home and see what we can see, then place charms up around the place.' Harry said.
Neville interrupted them, 'Ok two things, what are these Horcrux's and when are we going to kill the Giants?' sounding cool.
'well Neville, Albus told me last year this is, that Tom has been splitting his soul and placing some parts of them in vessels. Now these vessels if not destroyed when he is killed gives him a link back into this world. Now we have a suspicion that he has seven since it's a magical number, but we have destroyed two. Another two are himself and the snake that leaves us with three to deal with before we kill them. Now one we know is a locket, but some body named RAB has it. The clue with the orphanages may give us a second one. From there it is purely guess work for now.' Harry sat back after the little presentation.
Ginny suggested, 'why don't we get two more heads thinking about this as well, Zabini and Bones.'
'Ok can you go get them please?' he asked tiredly.
'Sure' she smiled and was gone.
Ginny flamed into the now larger quarters into the mist of calm and tranquillity. She looked around to see people working on the computers, reading books and playing board games. Most of the kids seemed to be around Blaise and another boy whilst they played wizard chess. Susan was at a computer, Ginny interrupted her.
'Oh hi Ginny, hows it going?'
'fine, we were wondering if you and Blaise could come with us for a planning session?' She asked while peering at the screen.
'Yeah, I'll go and grab him.' She left the computer and someone took her place. Ginny looked at the new person and asked. 'excuse me, but how did you get this thing working?'
'ahh that's simple,' the girl said without looking up. 'We applied a faraday cage around the room therefore keeping all interference out, but to really work well we pumped in various frequencies into the cage until the screen came crystal. Simple really.'
'Oh thank you,' said a confused Ginny, for all she knew the girl could have been talking Martian at her.
Blaise and Susan meet with Ginny and they flamed to the main room.
Harry quickly went through the whole introduction to the idea of cheating death and what they think Tom's plans are.
'Can I go back a bit please, you don't know who RAB is?' The negative shackes gave him confidence to spurn on, 'well it's Regulus Black, the mass murderer Sirius Blacks Brother.' Blaise saw the image of Ron getting closer very quickly.
The next thing he knew was his head hurt, it hurt a lot. 'Oww, what did you do that for?'
'Sirius was innocent.' Hermione stated first, she then continued, 'he died protecting us from death eaters while in the department of mysteries. So no one is going to talk badly about Sirius, understand? In future if naming someone, just do.'
Blaise picked himself off the floor, 'Sorry I didn't know, no need to go all muggle on me. Ok so yeah, RAB means Regulus Black. It is said he died after he was found to have betrayed the dark lord.'
'Call him Tom, it's easier, it humanises him. Say it to his face and it pisses him off.' Harry said smiling.
'You're mad, why would you want to piss off a dark lord?' Susan sat there mystified.
'He gets angry, if he is angry he is not thinking straight, that means he will make a mistake.' Luna voiced.
After much discussion and circular thinking they came up with a plan.
Neville outlined it as he saw it. 'Ok so we find Toms old orphanage, we set up charms to let us know when he arrives and at the same time we go through the place ourselves to see what we can find.' He received nods in agreement. 'We also go check out the black house to see if we can find a locket, which you believe we already have, we just didn't know it, is that right Harry?'
'Yeah that's right.' Harry replied.
'Ok, so we deal with those two for now, what about other plans to happen like taking care of the giants and other raids?' Luna spoke.
'I suggest after Alastor leaves here tonight we go and eliminate the giants.' Hermione recommended.
'Tomorrow night we deal with orphanage, then the night after that we deal with Crabbs place of residence.' Ron strategised.
'I suggest we take a few days then to relax. After all Nevilles birthday is then, so Nev and I can go and get our Apparition licences. We want to cause a storm in the wizard council, so would be useful to have some sleep before then.' Harry articulated.
'While your doing that, Luna could be making some more potions, and the rest of us can be extracting information from the death eaters.' Hermione spoke.
'Wait, you were serious when you said you had Bella and others?' Blaise spoke with awe and fear.
'Yeah, you want to see them?' Neville asked with an evil grin.
'No, no it's fine.' Blaise stuttered out.
An hour later the kids just talking and enjoying some 'refreshment's' heard Hedwig enter the lair, so the six stood and walked to her location to find a disbelieving Alastor.
'Where the hell are we? None of the location spells can find you, nor any owls. I knew you went to Godrics Hollow, then you just vanished.' Alastor introduced himself.
The kids smiled and Harry waved his arm around the room. 'Welcome to the Chamber of Secrets. We have updated and improved upon its original design but we are essentially below Hogwarts. Would you like to see Blaise and Susan?' Harry offered.
'Oh yeah.' Harry led Alastor back to the sofa's to see two healthy kids in front of him. 'Just to let you know, your relatives are worried about you. How are you coping with this whole captivity thing?' He asked of Susan.
'oh its alright, its gotten better since Blaise realised the muggles aren't stupid.' She responded.
'Muggles?' Alastor asked confused.
Neville replied, 'I assume you were in that group of Aurors last night when coming across Malfoy's decadent Manor? Well lets just say we cleaned the place first and we didn't just find items of worth or death eaters, we found muggle children. Some of the girls had been raped, so we have left Blaise and Susan in charge of them as they are too young for a memory modification. Keeping them together helps wounds heal and introducing these two into the equation shows we aren't all monsters that soon as look at you, kill you.'
'Muggle children? Rape? Those bastards!' Alastor spat out disgusted.
'Don't worry Alastor, they paid for their crimes with their blood.' Luna muttered, the others all nodded.
'Can I see the prisoners and the children please?' Alastor asked.
'Sure,' Ginny spoke. 'Susan lets take Alastor to see the kids.'
Susan, Ginny and Alastor all went to see the kids, when he came back Alastor was in a state of shock.
'All those kids? Do you know how many girls were abused?'
'Five' Susan answered since she was dealing with them trying to get them over the emotional trauma.
'Ok lets see the scum this time.' Alastor requested.
Hermione stood up along with Ron, they both grabbed hold of Alastor as they flamed away. When the flames died down around the three, Alastor saw the bars that held the death eaters in. The cell was damp, had rock formations above and below, and it stank of putrid water.
'As you can see if they die here, well who cares.' Hermione introduced Alastor to the cells. 'Currently there are five prisoners alive. The rest are just dead death eaters. We stock pile to let them know they are loosing and loosing badly at that.'
Alastors couldn't believe these kids, the way they were treating the prisoners, it wasn't human. He could understand their position, fighting a war as kids, nothing easy. Why should you be nice to those who would kill you or torture you or even worse yet rape you.
'Hermione, have you ever been tortured?' he asked attentively.
'yes' she dead panned. 'every time they throw a spell at me, every time they attack a friend or family member they torture me with worry and pain. So I give it back to them and let their oh so pure families get the same feeling.' Ron placed a comforting hand on the nap of her back.
He asked of Alastor, 'Is there anything you wish to ask them?'
'No.' He replied. The three flamed out of the room into the main room.
'Well?' Blaise asked, 'is it true do they have Bella down there?'
'Yes and a lot more. I feel sick again.' Moody replied getting a hanky and holding it over his mouth. 'Now would you like to tell me what to expect soon?' Alastor asked.
'I think not this time.' Neville answered. If you aren't shocked people might begin to wonder.
'smart thinking lad, ok I'll go with that. Now how do I get out of here?' Alastor asked.
Hedwig flew to his shoulder and as soon as they touched a flame erupted before them all and vanished.
Many miles away in a well lit room sat in a comfy chair sat a snaked face man, reading a muggle book, he was perusing the pages waiting for his guest to arrive. The door opened softly and a lone figure entered and knelt before the seated man.
'Now now Severus, there is no need for that. Especially after all you have done for the cause. Please sit with me for awhile.' Severus caught by this new mood stood before his master and sat in a lower chair.
'What is your wish my lord?' Snape asked.
'Have you been hearing reports of death eater attacks across the country?'
'Yes my lord, though it is a confusing stratagem for one I don't fully appreciate the subtitles to it.' Snape answered.
'That is because it is not my design. Have you also heard of what happened at the Weasley wedding?'
'Yes master, a tragic loss to a devious and evil mind.' Snape grovelled.
'I have a mission for you, I wish for you to find out the identities of these people who are interfering with my plans. If you find them and know of their leaning, if they seem amicable then offer something sweet. Anything, I don't care!' Tom built himself into a frenzy. 'They are doing more damage to me than any other group or even all the groups put together! I have lost over forty death eaters, all marked and some showing true promise, I also hear that we have lost Draco. So this is your incentive to find them and either proposition them or more favourable, kill them.' The dark lord spat out.
Snape heard the last, it shook his little reality, 'Draco's dead? It will be done my lord, I shall wreak revenge upon our enemies.'