Part 2 - Rebellion

The Warlocks fleeted out of the Wizengamot in haste. The session had ended barely seconds ago but the shocking news that they had heard and witnessed left a bitter taste in their mouths, and all the notable purebloods of magical Britain wanted to rush to their homes and strengthen their wards.

The statement from the office of the Minister of Magic was simply this: The goblins are rebelling.

Warlock Black hastened his pace on seeing the back of a familiar figure and tried to reach him through the exodus of people. "Frank," he called out. "Chief Warlock."

"Sirius, follow me," said Frank Longbottom. He looked around and his eyes fell on another figure. "Dumbledore!" he yelled. "With me." He looked around. "Greengrass. Weasley. Scrimgeour. Diggory." He led them through the crowd to his private chambers in the Wizengamot.

An Auror stationed outside saluted the Chief Warlock and said, "The Minister and Director Bones are inside."

"Good," Frank said. He opened the door and strode to his seat. It was an impressive office, resonating the impressive collection of wizards and witch. "The situation is dire. Alastor, how did this come to pass? We have enacted so many equitable laws for magical creatures and especially for these damned goblins."

Dumbledore coughed, but Frank ignored him.

"It came out of the blue," Moody said furiously. "There was absolutely no reason for them to do so. We have given them greater rights and freedom than ever in the past. Why, you people even passed a law to remove the no-wands clause just last month."

"That is the core of the problem," Scrimgeour snarled. "The goblins have no honour. They played the old fools in the Wizengamot to give them wands. Now they show their true colours. We need to send our forces and crush them into submission."

Dumbledore coughed again. "I am certain bloodshed can be avoided if we act swiftly. Clearly, they have a grievance against wizard kind. I suggest we send an envoy to -"

Moody interrupted, "We have done that, Dumbledore. Madam Bones sent a senior Ministry official to start negotiations. He was sent back. In half a dozen pieces."

Dumbledore blanched. "Be that as it may, I will never condone open warfare -"

Sirius snapped. "I am sick of your longwinded speeches, Dumbledore. Open your eyes, old man. Open warfare is upon us whether you condone it or not."

"Sirius," Frank warned. "You will maintain proper decorum in my presence. But I agree with you. They have initiated unjustified violence against our Nation. More importantly, this comes in the face of a series of legislative rulings that we have passed in their favour. What do they want from us?"

"With all due respect, Chief Warlock," Dumbledore began. "Once we resort to violence, many innocent lives will be lost. There will be no stopping the bloodshed."

Frank turned to the others in the room, who hadn't voiced their opinion. "I asked you here because of the influence you wield in the Wizengamot. What are you opinions, gentlemen?" He turned to Amelia Bones. "And of course, my lady?"

Amelia Bones started. She shivered. "I saw the remains of Cornelius Fudge that was returned to us by Gringotts, Chief Warlock. The brutality of… the…" She paused. "My response is the same as Warlock Black's." She threw a disgusted glance at Dumbledore.

Frank raised a hand to stop her from continuing in that vein. He turned to Greengrass.

Greengrass considered for a moment. Then he turned sharply to Dumbledore. "May I ask where you have your gold stored, Dumbledore? Is it all in Gringotts?"

"Yes," said Dumbledore. "But I fail to see -"

"So, is it possible that you are being driven by personal and selfish reasons to avoid violence with goblins, to ensure your wealth is not forfeit?" asked Greengrass. Before Dumbledore could respond, he added, "I am glad I opened an account in Black Capital."

Frank held a hand to silence Dumbledore. "Amos? Arthur?"

Amos Diggory looked at Dumbledore for a moment before sighing. "I do not think Dumbledore has selfish reasons at play and I wish I could remain as strong as him, but I am afraid of what the goblins may do to my family. I support Scrimgeour. We need fast decisive action." He avoided looking at Dumbledore's disappointed face.

Arthur Weasley hesitated when the Chief Warlock glanced at him. "My son - Bill - he worked for Gringotts. May I ask him to join us? He might shed better light into the situation than I."

Frank gestured him towards the fireplace. Within minutes, Bill Weasley emerged through the floo and blinked several times in confusion. He then bowed to the Chief Warlock and waited.

"William, we request you to shed some light on the current situation. Your experience with the goblins might give you a greater insight than what we have. Do you know why the goblins have rebelled?" asked Frank curiously. "We have given them so much in these last few years since my election. What went wrong?"

Bill gulped. He remained contemplative for a few moments and said, "That was your first mistake. Goblins are very different from humans. They are greedy, thrive in violence and revel in the weakness of their enemies. That is not to say, they do not have honour. No, there is a strict goblin code of honour, but it is different from ours. Once you gave them a whiff of power, they wanted more. When you gave them access to wands, it transformed into a desire to rule over their traditional enemies. Wizard kind might have been ready for equitable co-existence, but goblin kind was not."

Frank nodded. "That is a good insight and matches with what my expert advisors have told me. What would you do if you were in a position of authority and had to deal with this situation?"

Bill hesitated. He avoided looking at his father. "I - Excuse me, I have heard rumours - nothing concrete, of course, and father has never confirmed anything… What is the Legion?"

Moody replied, "It is a unit of one thousand trained Aurors kept in full-time reserve and training until the Chief Warlock of the Wizengamot deems their presence necessary. The Dragon Legion is the first of its kind. We also have Griffin and Scorpion. The Wizengamot -" he glared at Dumbledore, Amos and Arthur, "halted a decision to enforce the Eagle."

Bill nodded thoughtfully. "In that case, I would send two of them for direct assault on their strongholds and keep one for the defence of high-populated regions." He looked apologetically at his father and Dumbledore. "I would crush them and capture their leaders and force them to sign a new treaty - in blood, mind - similar, if not more strict, to the one of 1693." He paused thoughtfully. "The goblins rebel because they feel wizard kind is weak and will fall to opposition. The only way to prevent future rebellions is to show them there is strength in us still. They honour the strong and spit on the weak, and that includes their enemies."

"Making them agree to discriminative treaties will increase their discontentment -" Dumbledore began.

Sirius interrupted. "As I recall, inequality kept them under control. Giving them equal rights has brought them to war."

Frank Longbottom sighed. "Your points are well made. The Legions will be called and -"

"Frank, my boy, do not do this. The light will never -"

"That is enough, Dumbledore!" Frank yelled. Everybody was stunned at the aggression in the mild-mannered man's voice. "That is just enough. We tried for peace and they threw it back at our faces." He paused to control himself. "The Legions will be called. As I recall, they must be sent under the command of a Warlock of the Wizengamot." He looked intently at the gathered group. "Sirius Black, I authorize you to command the Dragon. Rufus Scrimgeour, I authorize you to command the Griffin. Amos Diggory, I authorize you to command the Scorpion. The Dragon and the Griffin will move to strike the goblins and the Scorpion will be held in defence of our territory." He looked at the silent faces and stood up. "If that is all, gentlemen. May the Nation endure the coming days."

--

"Is this the way to greet your sister, Harry Potter?"

Harry Potter raised his head from the book in front of him. He smiled at Nymphadora Tonks. Andromeda had adopted him and Harry had loved Nymphadora as a sister as far as his memory reached. He shut the book after placing a bookmark and rushed to her.

"Nym," he said lovingly, allowing her to pull him to an embrace. He frowned. "Not that I'm not glad to see you, but why are you back here? Shouldn't you be in Hogwarts?"

Nymphadora raised an eyebrow. She turned around and looked at her mother. "He doesn't know what's happening?"

"The rebellion, Harry," Andromeda pointed out. "The reason why we had to move to Grimmauld Place. Hogwarts is closed until the war is over."

Harry frowned. "But why would anyone do that? The goblins are incapable of breaching the wards of Hogwarts. Salazar Slytherin himself placed the runes according to the orientation of the full moon and the pole star in conjunction with -"

"Yes, yes," Nymphadora cut in before her brother could delve into the details of the wards that protected Hogwarts. "The Governors decided students would feel safer if they were with family."

Harry shook his head. "That's just digging your heads in sand." He grinned suddenly, hugging his sister again. "But I'm glad you're hear. I've written many new poems I want to read to you."

Andromeda laughed. "Well, I'll leave you two to it then." Her expression turned a bit less cheerful. "Nymphadora, make sure to greet your Aunt Narcissa and Cousin Draco eventually. They are visiting with the Greengrass family but should be back after dinner." She left stiffly.

Nymphadora looked questioningly at her brother at their mother's strange behaviour.

Harry shrugged. "Aunt Narcissa throws her many social connections in mother's face. I think she is beginning to feel a bit jealous. I don't like it here," he admitted. "It's having an odd effect on mother. The Library is the only redeeming feature."

Nymphadora sat down next to her brother and poked him in the abdomen.

"Hey!" Harry protested, slapping her fingers lightly.

"Wha'cha reading?" she asked.

"A treatise by the Greek philosopher Plato on the Republic," he replied. "In particular, I was reading of Socrates' metaphor of a sculptor making a statue and putting the most beautiful colours to the most beautiful features - say, the eyes - to such an extent that the eye is no longer an eye. He likens the statue to a State and the eye to the government and the guardians of the State."

"And the point?" asked Nymphadora in confusion.

"Every class or group of people, from the lowest worker to the highest law-maker has a fixed role in the State," said Harry. "The guardians of the State must, first, not focus on their own happiness, and second, keep in mind that the happiest State is not made of one uniform class of people. Uniformity leads to destruction of arts and creativity. Fascinating, isn't it?"

Nymphadora yawned. "Of course," she muttered, without meaning it.

Harry opened the book again where he had left it and resumed reading. At some point, Nymphadora poked him again. "Yes?" he asked.

"Tell me about Cousin Draco and Aunt Narcissa," she said. "I have hardly seen them. How are they like to live with?"

Harry's lips pursed. For a moment a dark looked settled on his face but then it lifted. He shrugged. "Draco's loud and noisy. He likes to prank everyone. Sirius is extremely fond of him. He has many friends, notably Cedric Diggory, Anthony Goldstein, Daphne Greengrass and Blaise Zabini."

"Cedric Diggory?" Nymphadora was surprised. "Isn't he a Hufflepuff second year? I can see why Draco might be friends with Cedric. He's loud and very vocal about his beliefs, especially for a Hufflepuff."

"Beliefs," Harry repeated. "Such as what?"

Nymphadora laughed. "The usual… the light will triumph over the dark, the phoenix will defeat the serpent and -"

"Ah," said Harry.

"What?" asked Nymphadora.

"He's a Dumbledorean," Harry replied. "It probably is an influence of his father."

Nymphadora deftly changed topics from politics. "Have you seen Uncle Sirius lately?"

"No," said Harry. "He came late one night. Aunt Narcissa told him not to disturb mother and I. He left a goblin spear for Draco."

Nymphadora raised an eyebrow. "Do I detect a hint of jealousy, brother?"

"No," said Harry plainly. "I am merely concerned. Sirius is like a father to me. I do not want him to treat the goblins lightly." He paused. "I also don't like to see dangerous weapons in the hand of a brash and immature boy."

"You should have told him that then," pointed out Narcissa. "You know he always listens to you."

Harry shook his head. "In other things, yes. But he knows what is best for his family. I think he had another agenda in giving the spear to Draco."

Nymphadora sighed. "You're one strange kid, Harry. But I still love you."

--

Sirius Black waved his hand. He was signalling his lieutenant to take control of the Dragon. He then looked at the soldiers closest to him. "Travers, Jones and Singh. Follow me." He paused. "You too, Weasley." Sirius knew he relied heavily on Bill. He had tested him and found him at a satisfactory level to enlist his aid in the Dragon Legion as an auxiliary support.

"Right," he said. "There's a concealed opening half a mile to the south. An airborne scout discovered it. The fact that the goblins aren't guarding it means -" He paused and looked at Bill. "Weasley, what does it mean?"

"It could mean many things, General," said Bill thoughtfully. "It might be blocked through natural means. It might have strong enchantments sealing it to outsiders. There could be a dragon guarding it. Maybe, they just forgot about it but that's unlikely."

Sirius nodded. "My thoughts precisely. Singh and Weasley, you are good at curses. If it's an enchantment, I expect you to get us through it. If it's a natural blockage, then we blast our way through. Travers and Jones, you've been trained with dragons, am I correct?"

"Yes, sir," the two replied in unison.

"Good," said Sirius. "Stay on your guard. If it's a dragon, don't wait for my signal. Just send as many hits as possible to its eye."

Bill hesitated.

"Speak, man," said Sirius.

"What is the purpose?" he asked curiously. "The Legion is doing quite well at the known opening. We'll have access to their tunnels by nightfall."

Sirius nodded. "Yes. The Legion would be tired after a day's hard work, facing against a fresh and well-rested enemy in their own turf. Scrimgeour's men were routed in a similar encounter. We need to press for every advantage."

"So, you want us to open for the Legion from the inside?" asked Bill.

"If we can," said Sirius. "Alternatively, we can lay in waiting until the Legion gets in. Then when they are being attacked by the goblins, we can sneak through and capture their leaders."

"That's a mad plan," said Hestia Jones. She was grinning. "I love it."

Sirius didn't reply. He had picked his group carefully. They had the stomach for danger and the skills to survive. The small group reached the opening and Sirius held his hand up to stop them. "Weasley, what do you think?"

"Definitely an enchantment," Bill replied. He stepped closer. "Singh, join me. The rest of you, keep a distance. This could get messy."

Sirius nodded. "Give us a sign if you're going to make a noise. I'll throw a silencio to keep the goblins from discovering us."

Bill nodded absently. "I haven't seen anything of this kind before."

"Neither have I," said Singh. "This doesn't look like goblin work to me. In fact -" he frowned. He waved his wand over the concealed opening but didn't do any magic.

"You sense it too?" asked Bill excitedly. He mimicked his colleague's actions and whistled.

"What is it?" asked Sirius.

"Life form," said Bill. "Class B life form detected."

"Life forms. There's lots of them down here," Singh added. "Dozens. Maybe more."

Sirius turned to Hestia for clarification.

"Class B is semi-intelligent life form," said she. "Usually used to refer to thestrals, hippogriffs, runespoor and boggarts."

Sirius frowned. "So it's either runespoor or boggart down there," he muttered. "Either way, I doubt there's a connection to goblin territory. We should just return and -" He paused thoughtfully. Suddenly, he grinned. "Singh, Weasley, can you open the entrance?"

Singh hesitated. "I can try," he said. "This looks like some natural defence of a runespoor. There was a similar curse -"

"- protecting the tomb of Tutankhamen. I read about it but I do not know how to break it." Bill said. "You guys should set up your shields. Runespoor can be vicious creatures when roused."

"No, wait." Sirius said urgently. "I don't want them harmed. I need those snakes. Can you obtain them alive and unharmed at no risk to yourselves?"

Bill shrugged. "If Singh can open it, I can handle them with my hands. Hagrid once hatched a runespoor. I was bitten but the venom is weak when they are newly hatched. Was in St. Mungo's for a month but the Healer said I'll have immunity to runespoor venom for life."

Sirius couldn't believe his luck. "Excellent," he said. Turning to Travers, he said, "Return to the main unit. Lupin has an infrared map of the ground. There are small weaknesses in their wards - no more than a few inches in diameter - it was hardly of consequence to us earlier. Get a unit to dig a hole at such weaknesses and get the men to be ready for battle." When Travers left, he turned to the others. "Singh, I only want two to come out at a time. If there are more, put some wards to keep them inside. They'll be useful later. Jones, make sure the snakes don't bite Singh. Weasley, grab the two that come out." He counted till three in his mind. "Now."

He stood back, observing his loyal soldiers work in earnest. In ten minutes, Singh had broken through the enchantment and Bill had two three-headed snakes in his hands. They looked ferocious.

"They spit venom within ten feet," warned Sirius. He was standing further away. "Jones, keep Singh well protected until he's blocked the opening. Good man, Bill, keep their heads away from us."

When it was done, Sirius led Jones and Singh at more than twenty paces in front of Bill. The runespoors kept shooting venom but it never reached them. "I hope they have some left for those damned goblins," said Sirius. "Jones. Before they're let in through the hole, cast an invisibility charm on them. Let's make it harder for the goblins to figure out what's unleashed upon them." He laughed. "We'll fish them out of their holes and take them one by one."

--

"You're returning to Hogwarts?"

Harry didn't raise his head. Draco was the one who had asked the question to Nymphadora. The two had gotten along famously in the past two months that she was at home. Both had similar interests - Quidditch, primarily, and a future career aspiration of joining the Legions and fight for Sirius.

"Yes. Sirius' decisive victory against one of their biggest clans in Britain has improved morale," said Nymphadora.

Draco grinned. "Yeah. He didn't lose a single person and destroyed a thousand goblins."

Harry raised his head. "Killing goblins was not the aim," he said. "Taking Ragnar captive is a bigger blow to them. Only the First Goblin, Ragnok, himself has greater authority in the goblin nation than Ragnar. If Sirius captures two more of their elders, a treaty may be enforced on them binding all their people in Britain." He frowned when he saw nobody was listening to him - Narcissa was haughtily reading a magazine while Andromeda was writing a letter. Draco and Nymphadora were eating their breakfast, oblivious to his explanation. He shrugged and turned his attention back to his book. At some point, he heard his sister's voice again.

"… oh, don't be like that, Drake! I'll see you in a few months when you start Hogwarts as well!"

Harry stood up and walked to the library. When he sat down, he was surprised to find a tear in his eye. "That's odd," he muttered, wiping it. He recited to himself from memory a fragment he had once read, "Poet, examine your crown of thorns; you will find concealed in it a budding wreath of laurel."

He shook himself and plucked a book at random. It was a collection of papers written by prominent wizards and witches. Harry flicked through it. "Dumbledore's A Treatise on the Discriminatory Provisions of the Treaty of 1693. This sounds interesting. It has to be the core of Dumbledorean philosophy."

As he plunged into the report, Harry didn't notice Nymphadora enter the library and gaze at him for several long moments before she turned back sadly and left him alone. He stayed up late and read through several related papers. By the time he was sleepy, Harry realized it was four in the morning. He sighed, debating whether he should stay up to say goodbye to Nymphadora in the morning or just go to sleep and hope someone would wake him up before she left. He turned off the light and left the library.

"You're still awake?"

Harry turned around in disbelief. "Uncle Sirius," he said happily and rushed to the man. Sirius ruffled his hair and Harry frowned, trying to set it back.

"Ha ha," Sirius laughed. "Your father always had the same face when your grandmother did that to him."

Harry listened eagerly. "Are you here for long?" he asked hopefully.

"No," said Sirius regretfully. "I came to retrieve that spear I left with Draco."

"Ah," said Harry.

"What?" Sirius asked cautiously. "You didn't see through me, did you?"

"You gave it to Draco as a gift because that was the best way to make him lose interest in it," said Harry. "You wanted to keep it at home but were afraid that Draco might discover it and do something stupid. So, you gave it to him as a gift."

Sirius chuckled. "This will be our little secret, ne?"

"Of course," said Harry. He hesitated. "Is Dumbledore still blocking the Eagle?"

"Yes," said Sirius. "Now that I am leading the Dragon, I have to account myself to the Wizengamot every month. Dumbledore allowed Scrimgeour to get new soldiers only if the Griffin shifted to civilian protection roles like the Scorpion."

"So the Dragon is the only Legion actively trying to capture the goblin leaders?" Harry said curiously. Sirius nodded. "The next time Dumbledore speaks against the Eagle, can you say something to him?" Sirius looked at him curiously. "Just tell him to consider Durin's Second Point."

"Huh?" asked Sirius.

"I could explain it to you in detail," said Harry. "It will take a couple of hours and I was going to stay up to see Nym off anyway…"

"On second thought," said Sirius hastily. "I'll take your word for it and do as you say." He paused. "Moody's starting a defense camp program for young people in the summer. I'm sure Draco will want to join it."

"Thanks," said Harry. "But I'd rather not. You know I'm not planning to become an Auror or a soldier in the future."

"Of course," said Sirius, trying to hold back a hint of disappointment from his voice. "Of course," he repeated. "That would be a waste of those brains you've inherited from your mother."

--

Sirius Black walked to the front of the Wizengamot. He was late in arriving and the session had already started. He saw Amos Diggory and Rufus Scrimgeour in the front. Scrimgeour was giving his latest report. Sirius joined the two and nodded at Frank.

"… the new trainees have fared well against a goblin raid on the city of Bath," said Scrimgeour. "We repelled the invasion with a casualty of twelve of ours to forty of theirs. A cohort of my men protected and dispersed rioters outside Gringotts in Diagon Alley. I need no new replacements but would urge the Wizengamot to keep training at maximum capacity."

"Thank you, General Scrimgeour," said Frank. "General Black, please give your report. General Diggory gave his earlier. Should you wish, you may ask the clerk for a transcript of his report."

Sirius nodded. "We have discovered a new entrance to their territory," he began. "It is a cave in a mountain in Wales. I will take two cohorts of my men to investigate the possibility of opening a new front of attack. Let me remind the Wizengamot that we have two of their leaders in custody. One more - just one more - and we can enforce a binding treaty on them. We are close, Warlocks, we are very close to the end."

There was general applause following his statement.

Frank leaned forward. "This new front that you mentioned," he pointed out. "I take it you would want the Griffin to join you?"

Sirius hesitated. He needed more men, true, but he didn't want to rely on Scrimgeour. The man was a bit too impetuous and had a bad record already. He looked at the faces in the Wizengamot, cursing himself for not making sure more of those in his pay were present. He turned back to Frank. "It would be better if the Wizengamot sanctions the formation of a new Legion and puts it under my command. Scrimgeour's doing a marvellous job protecting innocent lives. I wouldn't want that to be compromised." He chanced a glance at Scrimgeour and knew that he had made an enemy for life. The vindictive Scrimgeour wouldn't take the insult lightly.

Frank hesitated. He had a tired expression on his face. "We've done this thrice already, General. Do you have anything to add to your previous request?"

"I do," said Sirius. He enlarged the spear he had brought back from Grimmauld Place. He passed it to the clerk, who carefully handed it to the Chief Warlock.

"This is a spear of goblin make," said Frank. "What of it?"

"One of my men - Bill Weasley - used to work for Gringotts as a curse breaker," Sirius began. "The runes on this spear are not used by British goblins."

There was a confused silence. Slowly, comprehension dawned on the crowd. The Chief Warlock was the first to express his outrage. "What?" he demanded, looking at the spear again. He turned to Sirius. "Where did you find this, General?"

"This particular spear was retrieved after one of the first skirmishes," said Sirius. "My man found it unusual. At first, we dismissed it as a singularity. But the latest skirmishes have shown a larger number of foreign spears. It is my belief that goblins are somehow being spirited from Europe to join the cause of their British cousins." He paused. "I need a new Legion."

Dumbledore stood up. Sirius and Scrimgeour groaned audibly. He looked at the Chief Warlock and said, "The spear is not conclusive evidence of anything. There might merely be a provision of weapons exchange. Or perhaps British goblins might have changed their defence tactics. After all, we have undergone vast changes in our own defence provisions. The fact of the matter is more wizards are being killed by joining the Legions than by avoiding the battle altogether. I understand peace can only occur now with the surrender of our erstwhile bankers, and we must press on with the resources we currently possess. But I will not sanction more children of this Nation to throw their lives away in a battle that should never have happened."

Sirius saw a large number of men nod their heads. He felt anger at the old wizard. He shouldn't be speaking of lives being thrown away, not when Sirius had lost friends and soldiers he knew personally. But if there was one thing he had learnt the hard way, it was that emotion had no play in politics.

"Are we willing to risk the safety of our Nation on that hope?" asked Sirius. "On a hope that perhaps the goblins do not mean us much harm…" His voice was laced with sarcasm and Sirius could see himself distancing more and more people with his disrespect towards Dumbledore. He sighed. He had nothing else to throw at him other than his godson's suggestion. "Albus Dumbledore, I ask you to consider Durin's Second Point before you make a final vote."

Sirius observed Dumbledore's reaction and decided he had to buy something special for his godson. Even if the vote didn't go his way and Dumbledore still remained adamant, just the expression on his face was worth it. Pressing his advantage, Sirius turned to Frank and nodded.

"We will take a vote now," said Frank. "Those for the sanction of the Eagle Legion?"

Sirius rose his hand. Beside him Scrimgeour also rose his hand. A handful of people rose their hands. A few others wavered, uncertain either way. Some of them also raised their hands. Sirius sighed. It wasn't enough.

Frank looked at Sirius regretfully and said, "Those against the sanction of the Eagle Legion?" He waited. He waited for a few more seconds. Then, he gasped.

Sirius knew exactly why the Chief Warlock was surprised. Albus Dumbledore hadn't raised his hand. Over a hundred hands had raised - a clear majority in the small gathering - but Albus Dumbledore's had remained down. As people realized it, the number of raised hands started diminishing.

"Warlock Dumbledore," Frank called him. "Are you abstaining?"

Dumbledore raised his head. There appeared to be a great weight on his mind. Slowly, he nodded. "I am not certain if my dislike of certain evils have blinded my eyes to certain necessary evils. Therefore, I must abstain."

With that proclamation, the vote was decided. Nearly every single hand dropped. Frank remained silent for over two minutes to let the final decisions be made. Finally, he said, "Let it be noted that quorum was reached and majority chose to abstain. By a vote of twenty for and seventeen against, the motion is passed."

Sirius couldn't believe his ears. He was getting it. He looked at Frank in disbelief as he finished the session.

"Chambers, Generals," Frank said loudly. He rushed towards the dispersing crowd and gathered a few others.

Inside Frank's office, a larger crowd was gathered. Sirius recognized most of the faces but there was the odd one unfamiliar to him.

"First of all, allow me to introduce Quirinus Quirrel," said Frank. "He brings us distressing news from the forests in Albania. Quirinus was hunting vampires, and instead he encountered the escaped spirit of Lord Voldemort."

There were gasps.

"Quirinus managed to escape the spirit without falling in to temptation," said Frank. "I have seen his memory of the event and perceive the threat to be real." He turned to Scrimgeour and Diggory. "Your Legions will have to keep aware of threats other than just goblins."

"Chief Warlock, if I may?" Dumbledore spoke out. Frank nodded. "Warlock Black's words have revealed to me that I may not be the best person to deal with this problem involving the goblins. Perhaps, I grow too old for politics. I am considering retirement from the Wizengamot. However, I have spent a longer time researching on Voldemort's bid for immortality than anyone else. I believe I have several leads and would like to aid in at least this one threat faced by our Nation."

Frank looked around for any objections. Seeing none, he nodded. "General Diggory, you will assist Dumbledore. But try to keep the involvement of your men primarily towards the goblin problem." With that settled, Frank turned to Moody.

Moody took a deep breath. "I have received disturbing news from the Minister of Magic in France and the Chancellor of Magic in Germany. The goblins appear to be rebelling all over Europe. The funny thing is… these countries are blaming us for the whole mess because we equipped them with wands, and they also commend us for setting up our Legions. Now, they want us to send our Legions to assist them."

"Impossible," said Sirius. "Maybe eventually," he amended. "But currently, we are spread thin in our own land. Even with the Eagle, I will barely have enough soldiers to win back an advantage in numbers."

Moody nodded. "My first thought was to decline them their request. However, your report on foreign goblins banding together is worrisome. Perhaps it is best to reach some sort of agreement with the French and the Germans."

"We need to consider this," said Frank. "Generals, you may continue with your current tasks."

Sirius nodded. He turned to leave when somebody tapped on his shoulder. He turned around and was surprised to see Dumbledore standing next to him.

"Sirius, a word," Dumbledore whispered. He led Sirius outside the office to a relatively quiet corridor.

"Yes?" asked Sirius when they stopped. "And before you ask, I have no idea what Durin's Second Point is. My godson told me to mention that to you."

Dumbledore remained silent. "Your godson?"

"Yes. My godson, Harry Potter," said Sirius coldly. He still hadn't forgotten how Dumbledore had kept Snape from Azkaban.

"Young Harry," Dumbledore continued. "James' boy."

Sirius chuckled at that. "Lily's boy, if you ask me."

Dumbledore nodded slowly. "Very well," he said. "That is all then. Sirius, do you mind if I write young Harry a letter?"

Sirius frowned. He didn't want Dumbledore to impose his quaint beliefs in Harry but then he checked himself. Harry was young but definitely not naïve. He nodded. "You might be the only person able to hold his own in a conversation with that little philosopher. You may even invite him to Hogwarts if you like." He frowned. "However, I do not want Snape to -"

"I will keep that in mind," said Dumbledore. "Thank you. I wish you good luck in your endeavours, General Black."

--

Draco hesitated. He raised his wand and called out to the others, "Stand behind me." He took a step forward. Instantly, the group of young children shuffled to move behind him. "Lumos," Draco said. A light shone out of his wand. He frowned to himself. A portkey had brought them. They were meant to be in the new Ministry training camp. "Stay alert," he said. "This could be a test. It could also be a trap."

"Bravo," someone clapped.

Immediately, the darkness receded and the children found themselves in a simulation pit with a number of Aurors around them. "Bravo," someone else cheered. "Good job, kid. What's your name?"

"Draco Black," Draco called out.

"Just like your cousin then," a man in armour with a dragon's crest on his abdomen stepped forward. "I am Remus Lupin, lieutenant to General Black and in command of the Dragon Legion in his absence. I am here only for a brief talk." He nodded. "You have the makings of a good leader, Draco Black." He looked around. "Stand in attention," he barked. All the children stood up straight. "I want a single file behind Black." He waited. "Names. You, start."

The person standing behind Draco spoke, "Ron Weasley."

Lupin chuckled. "Another Black-Weasley duo in the making, ey? Continue."

"Ginny Weasley." "MacMillan, Ernest." "Susan Bones." "Blaise Zabini." "Parvati Patil." "Michael Corner." "Jacqueline Chan." "Daphne Greengrass."

"Excellent," said Lupin. "You are the third group of ten young people who enlisted for this camp. Most of you will start Hogwarts in six months. The rest, a further year later. The purpose of this camp is to make use of this time to give you basic defence training. This is not a shortcut to becoming an Auror or joining the Legions. In order to join the Legions, you must pass your Defence Against the Dark Arts, Transfiguration and Potions OWLs with at least an A. To become an Auror, you need to obtain an EE in Potions, Charms, Transfiguration and Defence at the NEWT level. Am I clear?"

"Yes." A few of them replied and some nodded.

Lupin roared, "When I ask a question, I expect an answer! AM I CLEAR?"

"YES, SIR!" the children shouted back.

"Good," said Lupin. "The training has three aspects to it - physical conditioning, spell casting, and simulation of real skirmishes." He gestured towards a man. "Auror Dawlish will be in charge of your physical conditioning. He will take you in the morning until lunch. After lunch, Auror Shacklebolt will tutor you in a handful of essential spells you need to know. Dinner and the rest of the night will be time for you to get to know each other. The third aspect of your training will be started after a month or when your tutors feel you are ready. At ease."

The children relaxed. But it was shortlived. The moment Lupin left, Dawlish took charge. He was much more stricter than Shacklebolt, and three hours later, the children had all decided they hated him. Kingsley Shacklebolt, on the other hand, was a stark contrast. He showed them three basic spells - to shield, to stun and to disarm.

"You will find that these three spells are all an Auror truly needs," he had said. "Bloodshed is not the best response to anything and should be avoided if possible. However, there are occasions when it cannot be avoided. I will not be teaching you anything more harmful than these. The trick," he pointed out, "is to use these spells in a proper manner. Once all of you are proficient in these, we will simulate actual battle situations with other teams and test your capabilities."

That night, the children sorted themselves into their own groups. Draco and Daphne were already friends, but Ron and Ginny joined them.

"Bill speaks highly of Sirius Black in his letters," said Ginny, smiling at Draco. "General Black often leaves Bill in command of the Legion."

Draco smiled back. "Yes, Sirius has mentioned how reliable your brother is. Say, are you two going to join the Legion after your OWLs?"

Ron nodded. "For the glory of the Nation."

Ginny sighed. "Mum won't let me. She says until I turn seventeen, I will remain in Hogwarts. But when I come of age, I think I'll join the Aurors." She turned to Daphne. "You?"

Daphne shook her head. "This is only for my own self-defence," she explained. "My family is strict about the old ways. Father will arrange a betrothal for me by the time I finish my OWLs. Then I will have to discuss my options with my future husband."

"How dreadful!" Ginny said in dismay. "I'm glad dad doesn't follow the old ways anymore."

Daphne sighed. "I am resigned to it. I will most likely be wed by the time I turn seventeen to a man twice my age. But I suppose the war might be over by then and there's no need to join the Legion."

"Ha!" said Ron. "Dad says the war's going to last much longer than anyone could have predicted. Those blasted goblins had secret portals to move from one country to another. Their leaders are no longer in Britain. I heard talk that the Dragon will move to France within the year." He grinned. "We might still have a lot of fighting ahead."

"Cool," said Draco, standing up with his wand. "I can't wait to get some of those mangy goblins. I'll be joining the Legion, of course. My cousin Nymphadora is trying for the Aurors instead. Uncle Sirius brought me a real goblin spear once. I - I, uh, lost it, so don't remind him about it." He shook himself. "But I'm going to keep the spears of every goblin I kill. The Blacks do not fear anything." He grinned at the adoring looks he was receiving from the others and bowed.

In the background, Remus Lupin, who had been observing them all day, shook his head and walked away.

--

"Thank you for the invitation, Professor Dumbledore."

Harry expressed his gratitude to the Headmaster of Hogwarts. He had emerged from the floo and was sitting in front of Dumbledore's desk. He blinked when a firebird appeared. "Your phoenix, I presume?"

Dumbledore looked at the bird. "Sometimes, I wonder if it is more appropriate to say that I am Fawkes' wizard."

Harry grinned.

"Before anything else, allow me to return something of your father's that was in my possession," said Dumbledore. He stood up and opened a desk. "Pardon me for this delay. Your father loaned it to me for my personal curiosity and requested me to return it to you directly by your twelfth birthday. However, I am quite done with this now." He handed Harry a silvery blue cloak.

Harry accepted the cloak and observed it for several seconds. He pulled it around himself and then took it off. Folding it neatly, he placed it on the desk. "Ah," he said.

Dumbledore raised an eyebrow.

"An indication that legends and fairytales often have some truth behind them," Harry explained. "The Potters are descended from Ignotus Peverell, the youngest of the Three Brothers, to whom Death supposedly gave the means to hide himself from all eyes."

Dumbledore froze in stunned silence. Then, he burst out laughing. "Pardon me, Mr. Potter -"

"It's Harry, please."

"Then, pardon me, Harry," said Dumbledore. "You have an uncanny ability to make others feel extremely inadequate. It took me considerably longer to reach the conclusion that you have just made." He paused. "The Deathly Hallows," Dumbledore muttered to himself. "It was a wondrous quest… almost as glorious as that of the Holy Grail. But while the Holy Grail was supposed to heal life, the Deathly Hallows sought to delay death."

Harry nodded. "A subtle yet significant difference." He looked at the phoenix. "I often wonder about death and the afterlife, and if I will see my birth parents there."

"I do not know," said Dumbledore, trying not to comment on how odd it was for a ten year old to be thinking of such things. "But I have often felt that death is the next great adventure and nobody should fear it."

"Eastern philosophy also asks mankind to stop fearing death. There is no judgment, no punishment, no heaven, no hell," said Harry. "For that which is born, death is certain. For the dead, life returns in the form of reincarnation. They liken death to a human soul shedding its body like we change clothes at night."

"Do you agree?" asked Dumbledore.

"I do not know," said Harry. "It is a sordid thought that our time here is of no consequence, and good or bad, everybody gets a chance to start anew with a fresh slate."

"And why is that wrong?" asked Dumbledore.

Harry frowned. "Imagine a person, who from the age of five till thirty, locks himself in a library with endless books on every subject. This man is undoubtedly a learned man. He then spends the next twenty years in the outside world, making practical use of his knowledge. Such a man, at the age of fifty is wise, experienced and knowledgeable. He has the mind of a philosopher, the honour of a statesman and the wit of experience."

"Go on."

"Such a man is perfect to lead the people and the Nation," said Harry. "For the good of the Nation, this man should be given absolute power. He will be guided by thoughts other than selfish needs. He will have an understanding perfected by knowledge and application together. But -" Harry paused. "He is plagued by old age and dies. Gone is everything - the wisdom, the knowledge, the experience. The soul may not die, but so much else of equal importance is lost to nothingness. The man is born again, and this time he decides to grow vegetables in the country. What a waste."

Dumbledore frowned. He said, "But now consider a man, who from the age of five to thirty was a product of bad decisions. This man is inherently not evil but made bad choices as a youth, as a result of which, he was punished by the courts. He serves his twenty years in prison and returns, willing to make a new start. But nobody is willing to take the risk in hiring him. After all, there is bad history involved. But then he dies and is reborn as your great statesman." Dumbledore paused. "How beautiful is it that after death, none of this history is of any more significance? Is this return of innocence not worth the destruction of knowledge and experience, which can be regained yet again?"

Harry remained silent. He was in deep thought.

Dumbledore stood up. "Come, let me give you a tour of the castle."

Harry hesitated.

"Oh, pardon me," said Dumbledore. "Do tell me if there is something you need to do?"

"Can I meet my sister Nymphadora?" asked Harry in a small voice. "I fell asleep and forgot to say goodbye to her before she left. She's not replying to my owls."

Dumbledore smiled at Harry, who despite his deep knowledge was still a little boy. "The Gryffindors have double potions followed by history. Your sister needs her potions grade to become an Auror," said Dumbledore apologetically. "Also, I am not allowed to take you to the potions class."

Harry nodded. He was aware of the situation.

"I can however leave you in Professor Binns' history classroom with a note excusing Nymphadora from the lesson," said Dumbledore.

Harry nodded. He was pleased with the arrangement. Professor Binns would be a remarkable source of knowledge to him. So, time passed by and Harry was engrossed listening to the old ghost talk about how the previous goblins rebellions were actually ended.

"So, if Queen Mary hadn't given the goblins the right to dig as they please and exploit Britain's hidden goldmines -" Harry began, waiting for the ghost to finish.

"If peace wasn't brokered with the goblins and werewolves in the mid seventeenth century, then Elfric the Eager would have overthrown the crown," finished Binns.

Harry nodded thoughtfully. "That would explain Durin's Third Point."

"Harry?"

Harry turned around and saw his sister looking at him with surprise and delight. Grinning, he ran to her. "Professor Dumbledore excused you from this lesson," he said, throwing his arms around her tightly. "Please forgive me, Nym. I'm miserable."

"Of course, you silly boy," said Nymphadora, taking his hand. "Come, let me give you a tour of the place." She led the boy through a corridor to Gryffindor Tower. "This is the Common Room." It was empty. She sat down on a couch and asked Harry to join him. "Now, tell me what's bothering you? And why have you not been replying to my owls, young man?"

Harry frowned. "I have written to you, several times," he said in confusion. "I thought - I thought you weren't writing to me and - and you were angry with me."

Nymphadora hugged her brother. "That's odd. Somebody's blocking our mail. Who would do that?"

"Aunt Narcissa," Harry deadpanned. "Or at least, she would get Kreacher to do it for her." He saw the curious look on Nymphadora's face and shrugged.

Nymphadora let the accusation pass. She then frowned at Harry. "Now, why would I be angry with you, mister?"

Harry looked at her strangely. "Because I didn't say goodbye to you when you left. I was awful to you and -" his voice turned darker, "and Cousin Draco, when you were home."

Nymphadora remained quiet for a few seconds. "You are so silly," she said finally. She turned his face towards him. "Look at me, Harry. I have taken care of you since you were a little baby. I have fed you and changed your diapers and you have very grossly soiled all over me. You're my baby brother, mister. So stop this jealousy at once."

"I'm not jealous," Harry protested.

"Right," said Nymphadora with a smirk.

"Maybe a little bit," Harry amended. He frowned. "About the missing letters. I think it best if we don't write to each other anymore. Professor Dumbledore said I'm welcome to come to Hogwarts anytime. I'll visit every Saturday to see you."

He spent another hour with his sister and was introduced to some of her friends. After freeing himself from the clutches of older girls - 'How cute!' 'Oh, he's adorable!' - Harry rushed back to the safety of Dumbledore's office and returned home.

Grimmauld Place was empty. Harry quickly grabbed a parchment he had brought from Hogwarts and gave it to the family owl. "Send it to Nym, will you?" He watched the owl fly away and walked to the living room.

"Kreacher," Harry called. "Where is everybody?"

"Halfblood thinks he is master of the house… what would my poor mistress say… I should throttle him, yes, when nobody is looking… I should poison him…"

"You disgust me," Harry muttered, sniffing the air near the elf. His expression darkened. "I asked you a question. Where is everybody?"

"Mistress Narcissa is visiting with worthy friends. Mistress Andromeda is trying to wash the stain away from her blood by mixing with proper people. Old mistress would be pleased to see her niece see the error of her ways. Young master is in Defense Camp, as should the halfblood were he not a coward."

Harry's eyes narrowed. He leapt on the elf and grabbed him by his neck. "Never compare me to Draco, you understand. Never." He squeezed the elf's neck until he started coughing.

"Kreacher understands," the elf croaked, and Harry let go.

"Harry, what are you doing?"

Harry turned around and saw Sirius emerge from the library.

"Why are you throttling the elf? Mind you, I'm not saying it's a bad idea, but… let the elf live, ey?" Sirius looked at Harry intently.

Harry raised his hand and pointed it at the elf accusingly. "This - This thing," he spat out, "has been withholding my mail to Nym and hers to me. I thought Nym was mad at me."

Sirius frowned. "How do you know?"

Harry turned to Sirius. "I was in Hogwarts. I found a dung bomb in the Gryffindor common room and wiped a parchment in it. When I returned, I gave it to Venus and told him to deliver it to Nym." He took a deep breath. "Kreacher smells like dung right now."

Siriur turned to Kreacher angrily. "Is that true?" Kreacher was looking at the ground. "Is that true, Kreacher? Don't make me repeat myself again."

"It is," Kreacher wailed, banging his head against the wall. "Mistress Cissy said the halfblood is a stain to the Black name. Mistress Cissy wants halfblood to feel hated by all. Kreacher obeys instructions. Old mistress will turn in her grave if she finds out a halfblood lives in her old home."

Sirius looked tired. "You will not withhold anyone's mail ever again. Do you hear me? And whatever orders Narcissa gives you concerning Harry or Nymphadora will have to be cleared by Andromeda or myself first. That is an order. Now, get out of my sight." The elf vanished. "I suppose I can't ask you to forget this, can I?"

"Ignore, yes. Forget, no."

Sirius sighed. "Narcissa is a person to be pitied. She thinks too highly of her social connections and other absolutely irrelevant things. She will -"

"Uncle," Harry interrupted. "I get it." He looked at him pointedly. "Why are you here? Weren't you busy with the second front?"

Sirius hesitated. But seeing Harry's curious gaze, he said, "The battle was faster than expected," he said. "I have a suspicion they have moved most of their warriors to France. That's my next stop. I'm taking the Eagle to France within the week."

"Eagle?" asked Harry curiously. "Why not take the Dragon?"

"The Dragon consists of several former Aurors. The Eagle is new, with not a single person over the age of thirty besides me. Most are in their early twenties," said Sirius.

"You expect a long war in France?" asked Harry curiously.

Sirius turned to Harry sharply. "Time has nothing to do with it. It's about loyalty. I've transferred those most loyal to me from the Dragon to the Eagle. The others are young and I can win them over easily."

Harry frowned but didn't say anything. He nodded.

"How was your meeting with Dumbledore?" asked Sirius.

Harry nodded. "It was pleasant," he replied. "He has invited me again on Saturday."

Sirius frowned. He looked as if he had an objection to the arrangement. But then he started chuckling. "No, it's him I should be worried about. A few more chats with you and I might see Dumbledore enlisting for the Eagles."

"That won't happen," said Harry, stating the obvious.

--

"Stupefy."

Draco parried the curse easily with a well placed shield. Next to him were Michael and Parvati to his left and Blaise and Jacqueline to his right. They were standing shoulder to shoulder and their shields were connected. Behind the five of them were the rest of their team mates - Ron was behind Draco, Ginny and Ernie to his left, and Daphne and Susan to his right.

Draco tried to make sense of their opponents' strategy. Behind him Ron was muttering in vexation.

"They're just charging in blindly," Ron muttered.

Draco waited until the onslaught lessened in intensity. "Fire," he said clearly, and the front five dropped their shields, and simultaneously the five standing behind yelled, "Stupefy," followed in a fraction of a moment by five simultaneous, "Protego." The shields were raised again.

"Three of them are hit," said Draco. "Good work," he praised his team. He waited a few seconds. "Fire." The process repeated and two more of their opponents fell. "Fire." Two more. "Fire." The last three dropped to the ground.

Draco said, "Do not drop the shields. Susan, Jacqueline. Retrieve their wands." When the girls returned with the ten wands, Draco nodded. "At ease." He released his shield and lowered his wand.

The very next moment there was a loud applause from around them.

"Bravo." "Well done." "Black! Black!" "Ha!"

Kingsley Shacklebolt cleared his throat and waited for silence. He was standing with a group of Aurors and Legionnaires. They were all applauding the victory of Draco's team over a rival group. Kingsley and Dawlish walked to the front and awakened the fallen children.

"What we saw implemented to near perfection was a modern form of a traditional battle technique called shield-wall. Both sides had the same numbers and were equipped with the same resources - namely, wands and three spells. However, Draco Black's team stunned and disarmed every person in Cormac McLaggen's team without suffering a single loss. Who can say what went wrong for the losing side? Ah, yes, Weasley."

"They lacked strategy," said Ron. "They came at us with all guns blazing but they didn't have a fixed plan to defeat us. Not like Draco's."

Kingsley turned to Cormac. "Did you have a strategy, McLaggen?"

"We did," said Corman indignantly. "We had all marked an opponent and kept going at them until we got them."

"When you first saw it going wrong," began Kingsley, "when Black brought three of you down, you must have realized things were going badly for you?"

"Yes, sir."

"But nobody took charge," Kingsley pointed out. "A leader's role doesn't stop once the battle begins. In fact, winning strategies are made in the heat of the battle itself when everything goes awry." He turned to Draco. "Black, in the end why did you send Susan and Jacqueline to the enemy lines? Clearly, you had it in your mind that some of them might be feinting, so why risk two good soldiers?"

Draco didn't look at the two girls he had sent and replied honestly, "Susan missed her first target and then her morale was down throughout. She missed every single time. I sent her so she would feel included in the victory. Jacqueline was her shield, so she could go without leaving a hole in our defences."

Kingsley raised his eyebrow. Clearly, he believed Draco might have sent Susan for some other reason. He chuckled. "Excellent. Dismissed. Return to your camps. You will be returning home tomorrow."

Draco relaxed. "That was fun," he said. "I can't wait for Hogwarts to continue with this."

Ginny pouted.

"Oh, I'm sorry, Ginny," Draco said regretfully. "Hey, my cousin Harry has been visiting Hogwarts on Saturdays. I'll see if they'll let you and Jackie join us too."

Ginny grinned happily. "That'll be amazing." She looked at Ron and Draco and made an interesting observation, "So you two going to do Gryffindor against Slytherin?"

Ron grinned like a maniac. "Of course. Us lions will crush you scaly little snakes to dust."

"Oh yeah?" Draco yelled back in good humour. "Don't forget, Weasley, I'm a Black. Winning battles is in my blood." They clasped hands. "But no matter who wins, friends till the end, ey?"

"Friends till the end," Ron echoed solemnly.

Ginny grabbed their hand and giggled. "Come on. Let's return to camp. We still have a few hours before bedtime. Draco promised to dance if Jackie sang us a folk song of her people."

Behind them, Shacklebolt joined Dawlish. They walked to the rest of the observers, most of whom were congratulating the three trainers.

"General Black's cousin was really something," an Auror spoke out.

Shacklebolt nodded. "I have my eyes on him. I rather suspect he won't wait till he is seventeen and join the Legions straight after his OWLs."

"Good thing too," said Dawlish. "By the time he's seventeen, Draco Black will be ready to join his cousin in the front lines. We need good men like him."

One of the Aurors frowned. "Is the war really going to last that long? Shacklebolt, you used to be thick with the lieutenant, ne? What does he say?"

Kingsley sighed. "General Black took Lieutenant Lupin's decision to stay in Britain with the Dragon as a personal affront and hasn't been as forthcoming to him as in the past. Time will heal their rift, I am sure."

"Pity," said the Auror. "Word from the Wizengamot is that Scrimgeour is none too pleased that General Black's in charge of two Legions while he himself has just the Griffin."

"He should be glad he even has that," muttered a Legionnaire darkly. He had the griffin sported across his chest. "The mood amongst the men is none too good. Everybody worth his or her salt is trying to transfer to the Eagle. That's where the glory lies. The Eagle, you must see the standard. What a sight - a golden bird with wings outstretched, staring at the sky. Magnificent!"

"Well, too bad for Scrimgeour, I say," said Dawlish. "As long as Moody's Minister, Longbottom's Chief Warlock and Dumbledore's not making a fuss, nobody will deny General Black anything he asks for."

"Enough with the gossiping, you women," Shacklebolt chuckled.

~ End of Part 2 ~