Disclaimer: Harry Potter is not mine.

Chapter 15: Aftermath

Tonks, Remus, Sirius, Amelia and Aberforth stared dumbly at Albus.

The congregation was situated at the dinner table of Grimmauld and had been sitting there since early morning. Breakfast was long done and lunch was soon to be over too but they had yet to move from their seats since the day began.

Albus scanned the eyes of everyone present and knew their faith in his decisions was terribly shaken.

'And rightly so,' he mentally added. No one said a word since he started his tale, that of Harry's life and the hardships the boy was made to endure. Albus could almost see a dark and menacing cloud hanging about Sirius. The man's anger palpable and they hadn't even gotten to the hard part yet.

"So," he began, his voice hoarse. "You sentenced a child to a place equally as devastating as Azkaban."

"Yes."

"You purposely placed him with people who Lily and James swore up and down the Chunnel should never have guardianship of Harry and sealed their wills to prevent it from being undone."

"I did."

"And," Sirius bit out, his voice lowering "you made him live there for the whole of his childhood. Tell me, warden, why I shouldn't send you to the otherside myself?"

"Sirius!"

"Don't deny you feel the same, Lupin!" he growled while standing. "I want an answer. You've spent all morning retelling the hellish life Harry's lived, the madness that surrounds him now and, AND, a bloody prophecy making him either a dead man or a hero. Why?! To what point and purpose!?"

"Stand down, Sirius, there's a reason. Not necessarily a good one, but a reason nonetheless."

Everyone immediately directed their gazes to the kitchen entrance, seeing Harry standing with a look rivaling Albus'.

"Harry, in no way should you divert their ire. I am to blame for much of your suffering."

"Yes, yes you are," he replied softly. "But like I said, you were caught between two impossible outcomes. I don't like what you did, but I don't blame you either."

Everyone jumped from Sirius slamming his fists on the table, "Out with it then! What the hell happened!?"

Albus sighed, "Would you like to tell them or shall I?"

"Better that I do it, I think," and Harry pulled up a chair and sat down with them.

"I've come to grips with this over the last several weeks since Albus first told me, so my candid manner with this may seem striking but believe me, it was hard won." Harry leaned back and looked to the ceiling for a moment.

"We all know Mum and Dad died that night and we also know that I was spared from the Killing Curse but no one knows why. Another thing we don't know is how Mum and Dad died. Yes, Voldemort killed them but did they prepare for it? Did Mum and Dad have a backup plan with this outcome in mind?"

"Harry, that's…"

"Utterly morbid, I know Remus, but I've been told by many people how brilliant Mum was and how terrifying Dad could be when his family was threatened."

Several nods among the group confirmed his words.

"We also know that until he used my blood, Voldemort couldn't touch me so my parents must have done something to protect me. Albus believed, and it certainly seemed like it, that by the giving of their lives, Mum invoked blood magic to create my protection from Voldemort."

Harry was visibly strained and motioned Albus took over.

"Shortly after Harry came into my care, I quickly noticed the ambient magic around him was very strong. Far stronger than a mere lad his age should be exposed too. Knowing Lily and James as I did, I assumed they had done something, maybe even orchestrated their deaths such that Harry's protection was absolute and believe me, it was absolute from Tom. If he had still possessed a body and attempted to touch young Harry, magically or physically, the end result would have been the same."

"However," continued Harry, "what Mum and Dad couldn't possibly have foreseen was Voldemort's creation and use of Horcruxes."

The stunned silence of his godfather and the looks of confusion from the others told Harry who knew what.

"Bloody hell. He wanted to use your death to make another one, didn't he?" Everyone eyed Sirius in surprise. "We're not called the Blacks for nothing and for those who have no idea, Horcruxes are soul containers made by the darkest of intentions. Effectively, Voldemort is immortal until we destroy them. Is this true, Albus? Is this what you think he was doing?"

Albus steepled his hands and leaned on the table for support, "I do and it gets worse which leads into what heavily weighed on my mind at the time. Even back then, I had a suspicion Tom created at least one of these containers." Several gasps confirmed what he left unsaid, "Yet, I fear there are more. At any rate, I was faced with a decision in which I could not win either way."

Harry sighed, "If Tom set out to use my death as the power to bind another horcrux, there was a chance a piece of his soul could have latched onto the only living thing in close proximity within Godric's Hollow."

"Oh Merlin…"

Harry nodded and then pointed to his scar, "Me."

"What to do then?" said Albus. "Lily and James may have planned for protecting Harry against Tom, but against soul magic? Even that would have been pressing Lily's genius quite far. I could have left it at that and hoped for the best and placed him in the care of those who would certainly do Lily and James proud. But... then I'd be risking Harry's soul should Tom's have latched onto it and eventually tried to destroy it. There was a silver lining though."

"Yes, the other option," said Harry, "was to capitalize on the protections. Dad's entire side of the family was wiped out in the war but Mum's sister, Aunt Petunia, was still alive and the only remaining blood relative. With a little extra warding and by tying Mum and Dad's work into Mum's bloodline, the protection could be extended not only to the Dursleys but to protect me from the outside and those who intended to do harm."

"Wow. Including the possibility of the soul fragment because it would be an outside factor," breathed Remus.

Albus smiled for the first time all morning, "Indeed, it was incredibly clever but the Dursleys were and likely are still some of the worst people imaginable." He paused, "Was it better to deny Harry his childhood and keep him alive or risk his life and give him a loving family? There were no assurances Lily and James' sacrifice would work against soul magic. There was also no indication as to whether Harry was at risk or was even carrying a piece of Tom's soul. Was I chasing ghosts or was there an actual threat?"

Albus leaned back into his chair, "I didn't know but I thought alive was always better, even if it meant you had to live worse than a slave for a decade and some years. I knew in the end, that environment would not be around forever." He paused again, "The risk was terrible, I didn't know what kind of damage they'd do, mentally, physically or even magically. Maybe nothing would happen at all? There was a host of things to worry for but in the end, alive was always better than dead."

Everyone sat quietly for some time. Sirius at one point had gotten up for a glass of firewhiskey but otherwise, they all sat in silence.

"Well," Sirius eventually said, "I guess I know what we're doing now." His look of determination was matched by Albus.

"Quite so, we're going on the offensive. Harry," and Albus looked to him, "I will be taking a small contingent with me to begin hunting those cursed artifacts. You're going to have your hands full so as it is with Hogwarts and I don't want you to worry about them. We, that is the Order, will take care of the rest and whatever else we can."

"When will you leave?"

Sirius downed the rest of his glass, "Soon as possible. We're not wasting any more time."

"Agreed. Remus, Aberforth, will you see to packing some supplies? Tonks, we'll need international portkeys to get us far away from here. I have an idea on where to start looking."

"Can you give me a hand with the portkeys, Amelia?" asked Tonks.

"Sure can."

As the others left to get things ready, Sirius sat in a chair closer to Harry and Albus.

"How are you holding up, pup? You looked terrible walking in."

Harry smiled faintly, "Better but so much is going on, Sirius. I feel like I'm barely keeping up at times."

He patted his godson's shoulder, "Believe me, I understand. Keep your chin up as best you can and keep marching forward. It's the only thing we can do."

"Yeah, I know."

"Is there anything you need from me, Harry? Anything I can help you with before we go?"

"Yes, actually. Do you know what Voldemort was trying to do in Hogsmeade? Based on their movements, the Death Eaters were attempting something at Hogwarts too but I don't know what."

"The same as Hogsmede I would imagine, before I interrupted their rituals. Have you heard what it was Sirius and Remus fought before the town was destroyed?"

"Earth golems according to Kingsley's report. I thought those things were practically instinct?"

Albus frowned, "They are however it seems Voldemort has started to experiment in disciplines not even Gellert ventured. Those were artificial earth golems and I'm certain Voldemort was attempting to create another."

"Merlin. They meant to take all of Hogsmeade and turn it into one?"

"Several I think and it doesn't stop there. Tom was not present in the village before or during the event. Which means he found a way to mechanize the creation process so others could do it for him while not coming to harm. That, or he intended to sacrifice his followers to begin with. Either way, those constructs were not first attempts. He's been doing this for a while now."

"Remus and I got lucky, Harry. If Voldemort sends those creatures to attack Hogwarts and I'm nearly certain he will, watch yourself. Lock the castle down tight if you can and call for us. We'll come help you as fast as we possibly can."

"Thanks, Sirius. I'll definitely keep that in mind. What's the Ministry's reaction to all this?

Albus snorted, "Minimal at best. They're glassing over the event as an experiment gone wrong thanks to a Muggle artifact. Citizens are being encouraged to largely ignore the event and continue on as if nothing really happened."

Harry's jaw dropped, "You're not kidding, are you? Albus I was there. Not a thing left and the effects the spent magic had on the environment were unbelievable. Weather can be influenced by magic? I hadn't even thought of the concept till then."

"We know, Harry," said Sirius. "Few of such things have been recorded in history and the only one to come close deals with the muggle city of Atlantis. It's been said something similar happened in terms of the weather and before the city disappeared. Personally, they sound too similar to be just a coincidence."

"Why aren't we taught this stuff? All I've ever learned from Binns and his history lessons deal with the Goblin Wars."

Albus frowned, "Really? I know Cuthbert has been around for quite some time, he taught me afterall, but he was an exceptional professor and covered a broad range of topics. Are you saying his curriculum has narrowed?"

"Drastically," added Sirius. "I know what Harry's talking about and all he lectured about was the Goblins.

"Hmm. Might I suggest Headmaster, you investigate this matter as soon as possible? I don't know why Cuthbert would abandon prior topics of importance and it bothers me to learn he has."

Harry nodded, "I will. If the Ministry is really putting such a damper on Hogsmede, I'm going to start looking into what would happen if Hogwarts had to sustain itself without outside influence."

Albus agreed, "A wise course of action. What else do you plan to do?"

"Get better," he firmly replied. "I fully intend to explore my link with the castle and see what can be gained from it. With Hermione's help and us practicing Coetus, I'm hoping it will help both of us in the long run as well."

Harry pinked at the raised eyebrows and Sirius' growing smirk.

"Not bad, pup. How'd you ensnare her?"

Harry gave him a look, "I didn't. If anything, she ensnared me."

Both wizards chuckled, "Just like James. Had a thing for smart ones, he did."

Albus just shook his head, "Fawkes will always be ready to relay messages between us. Don't hesitate to contact me if you feel I may offer some assistance to your troubles."

"Thank you, Albus."

"Brother? Tonks and Amelia are ready for the coordinates."

Albus stood, "I wish you the best Harry and trust your instincts. I'll be in contact."

"Good luck to you as well, Albus" and they shook hands.

As the wizard retreated from them, Sirius smiled to his godson, "I'm proud of you Harry. You've turned a right shitty mess into a work of art. Your parents would be proud."

"Thanks Sirius. Watch yourself out there, won't you?" The two of them stood and embraced before Sirius held him back at arm's length. "Same question as Albus: is there anything at all I can do before we get going?"

Harry thought for a moment, "Well. I could use a quick lesson in apparation. Hermione swears it won't take much to learn and it would make getting around easier."

The dog scratched his chin, "You know that's against the law, Harry. Several laws in fact and with an Auror present, not to mention the former head of the DMLE, that could get me into a lot of trouble."

Harry rolled his eyes, "You're an escaped convict remember? Actually, you nearly all are and its just a matter of time before Aberforth, Remus and Tonks get the label too."

Sirius laughed, "Point taken. Come on then pup, I'll teach ya in a giff. Your girl's right, easiest thing in the world. Hell, if Tonks can manage it with her balance, you certainly can."

"Hey! I heard that!"

X

Shortly after he bid the Order farewell and good hunting, Harry apparated to Diagon Alley.

He was surprised and disappointed to see the usually busy place so empty; only a handful of magicals were out today. Not wanting to risk drawing any attention to himself, he hurried into Gringotts and greeted the first available teller.

"Hello, I'm Harry Potter and Director Ragnok has been expecting me. Is he available?"

The goblin nodded, "This way if you please, Headmaster."

Harry was led into a small elevator, the very same one in which he would have used if he were going down to the vault carts. Only this time it started to ascend. It wasn't a long wait before a chime sounded and they came to a smooth halt. As the door opened, Harry was unable to hide his shock at the vastly different second floor of Gringotts Bank.

They stepped out into a well hewn cave, perfect geometric designs etched into the walls and ceiling. Whole room motifs depicted what looked like struggles of the Goblin nation and despite Binns' Goblin based teachings, Harry didn't recognize much of anything.

"Begging your pardon sir, but are we still in Diagon?"

The goblin smiled a toothy grin, "We passed through a series of wards, much like the entrance that conceals the Alley. This is part of a network of tunnels connecting to our main branch. My apologies Headmaster, but you are not cleared for more information."

The hallway opened up into a grand showroom, black granite lining the walls, ceiling and floor. The hall was massive, stretching for what looked like miles with repeating stone pillars, all the exact same shape with identical carvings in them. Harry could see hundreds of goblins moving about and in fact, it was the first time he'd seen so many of the creatures in one place.

"This is incredible."

Before the goblin could say anything, another quickly approached. "Thank you, Headmaster Potter. You should know you're one of two wizards in the last 100 years that have set foot inside these halls. To see and hear similar reactions from both gives hope to Wizarding kind yet."

This goblin wore clothes Harry had never seen before and he could pick out the same geometric designs in it as the stonework.

"Director Ragnok?"

The goblin bowed, "Indeed Headmaster. My apologies for not greeting you myself; we needed to ascertain your position within the school. Our people have rich history with Hogwarts and we always mourn a break from that tradition."

Harry bowed as well, "You honor me, Director. May I assume Albus Dumbledore is the other wizard of whom you speak?"

Ragnok motioned him to follow, "Correct. Professor Dumbledore's predecessor did not have the best interests of Hogwarts in mind nor did the Headmaster before. We were overjoyed at seeing Dumbledore wish for only the best and that joy continues at finding you desire the same."

Ragnok led them to his office and once inside they sat down and got right to business.

"Apologies if I am late, Director."

"Not at all, Headmaster. With what has been going on, I'm surprised you made it so quickly and certainly find no fault. I wish however, I can say the same for Gringotts."

Harry leaned back in his chair, "What did you find, Director?"

"Roughly a week ago, we experienced a break in of one of the high security vaults under the Hogwarts banner. The timing matches similar assaults on the Ministry and St. Mungo's, according to our informants and liaisons with the Ministry. We are conducting investigations to better understand this unfortunate position Gringotts has found itself in."

Harry frowned, "That's upsetting to hear, Director. Can you tell me what was taken?"

The goblin shifted in his chair, "There are three vaults pertaining to Hogwarts, Headmaster. Vault #4953, historically used for scholarships and other academic purposes, was robbed 130,000 galleons."

"What was the total before the robbery?"

Ragnok's lips drew into a thin line, "Exactly 145,892 galleons, Headmaster."

'Ouch...' "Well that is unfortunate. What of the other vaults?"

"#6129 and #10287 were immediately locked down and suffered no losses. Collective holdings between the two total 200,000 galleons, minus artifacts stored within."

Harry contemplated in silence, 'Okay, so weekly operating costs range in the two to five thousand galleon range. Assuming worst case of seven thousand and operating round the clock for the entire school year… That's 43 weeks and a total of… over 300,000. Shite. A little over, okay, but a lot? Ehhh.'

"If for some reason families were late on paying their student's tuition, this will put us into a difficult situation come the latter half of the year, Director."

The goblin nodded, "As managers of the Hogwarts accounts, we have come to the same conclusions based on historical expenditures. Factoring in the cost of inflation and market expectations, the outcome doesn't look any better."

Harry grimaced. He knew that was coming, having studied the past operating costs and it was clear as day the school would have to tighten up its belt in the coming months. Interesting, the goblin offered an opening to something he'd been meaning to ask. "Director, can you give me your professional opinion on what will happen to the economy once the devastation of Hogsmeade saturates the market?"

Ragnok held the stoniest look Harry had ever seen on a goblin and remained motionless for several seconds. He then reached into his desk and took out a small stone mallet which he knocked on the desk once. Harry looked over his shoulder as the sound of stone doors shut them in.

"What we are about to discuss Headmaster Potter, must remain in the strictest of confidence. Normally, such questions would be laughed at even with your standing however; given the circumstances…"

"This concern is based on matters of the school only, Director. I am prepared to swear an Oath if you feel such assurances would be needed, providing they don't interfere with my duties."

Ragnok glanced at Harry with a look of new-found respect and after a moment said, "Thank you Headmaster, but I do not believe that will be necessary." The goblin paused before sitting back in his chair. "The destruction of Hogsmeade has not yet fully sunk into the public's consciousness however we're already seeing ripples in the financial world.

Prices on items have climbed daily, particular those from shops located in Hogsmede, have seen higher then usual growth rates. There's an extraordinary demand for Zonko's wares due in part to a large portion of their stock being eradicated. I suspect any other business finding itself in a similar situation is also feeling the strain."

The goblin sighed, "I cannot fully say what this will do to Hogwarts, but I would tread lightly on approving large expenditures. Gringotts will of course honor the contractual agreements for vault #4953 in an effort to recover lost monies but that is as far as I can remark in confidence. The market is unstable right now and believe me when I say, we at Gringotts are keeping a very close eye on its performance."

Harry nodded and stood, offering his hand which Ragnok quickly took. "Thank you for your openness and thoughts, Director. It is very much as I feared and we will keep our own eyes appraised of the situation. Please keep me informed of the investigations regarding the robbery and anything else you may find pertinent."

"Of course, Headmaster."

As Harry followed his escort back to the elevator he couldn't help but frown. 'Light conversation for something so drastic as robbery, an impossibility or so they would say. I wonder how closely tied it is the Ministry and to Hogsmeade?'

XX

Evening of July 4th, 1996

"That's all?"

"That's all," Mai replied, floating around his office with no real pattern or care. "It'll be easier now that you don't have an Oath trying to stop you so it's just a matter of finding a quiet spot and having a little chat."

Harry stretched in his chair, "Well that's a nice change. Here I was thinking it'd be something complicated."

She chuckled, "Oh no, nothing like that at all." Mai became thoughtful, "The only thing I'm not certain about is if the Oath managed to alter the magics in any way. As you found out when fighting Voldemort and the Death Eaters, touching the stones was the simplest way of opening the connection to its fullest. I don't know if this will remain true with the Oath gone or not."

Harry shrugged and stood up, "Something to find out as I go. Thanks, Mai."

She smiled at him, "You're welcome, Harry."

The flames in the fireplace roared green and out stepped, Hermione.

"Ready for dinner? Mum and Dad have everything set."

He came over to her and hugged her tight, gently kissing her forehead in greeting. "You bet. Mind the fort, would you Mai? Try not to let her crumble until I get back."

Mai smirked with an exaggerated bow, "As you command, your greatness. Shall I sound proof your chambers for tonight while I'm at it?"

Hermione pinked while Harry grinned wickedly, "Might not be a bad idea. Should ghost-ward it as well so we don't have any prying eyes."

"Harry!" screeched Hermione and he quickly twirled her around before she could retaliate.