Chapter 10

Convincing

Harry felt dizzy, he rubbed his arm; certain he could still feel the needle inside it. He had assumed that a blood test would have been done differently in the wizarding world, but no, apparently the use of a needle into a vein was acceptable in every society.

"How long are we going to be waiting here for?" Ginny said loudly, so that the passing doctors could hear, the receptionist looked up angrily then back down. Ginny bounced one of her legs up and down in an almost nervous twitch and checked her watch.

"Are you going to tell me what is going on?" Harry asked, not meeting her eyes,

"I'll tell you what is going on, we are waiting for results of a DNA test, waiting!" She directed the last word at the receptionist loudly.

"That's not what I meant." Harry said,

"I know what you meant Harry. I've already told you, we are getting the results, then convincing the Minister and then meeting the Aurors, very simple."

"What are you going to tell the Aurors?" Harry was finding it hard to stop the annoyed tone in his voice.

"Anything that will convince them," Ginny said, turning to look at him. Harry sighed impatiently, rubbing his hand over his stump finger; Ginny watched him, frowning in thought she turned and looked away.

After much sighing and impatient mumbling, a woman called Ginny and Harry up to give them the results. But as she went to hand Ginny the forms, her eyes glazed over the name on the test. She looked from Harry to the results and back again, putting two and two together. Ginny finally snatched them off her and scanned them herself; she looked up at Harry and smiled at him for a moment.

"Alright Harry," she said, "let's go."

As Harry walked swiftly through the Ministry of Magic with Ginny he couldn't help but feel a sense of nostalgia. Although most of his memories of the Ministry were frightening or unpleasant experiences, it reminded him of the past, how it used to be… how he wished it was. A few witches and wizards looked Harry up and down as they passed; he pulled his jacket close around him.

"So, what's this new Minister like?" He asked, wanting to make some conversation, Ginny laughed to herself.

"What's she like? Well, nothing like we've had in the past, that's for sure." Ginny nodded at a few individuals as they walked past. "Her name is Jacquelyn Bowler," she muttered, "she's not a witch," Ginny said. Harry raised his eyebrows, "nor a squib."

"What is she then? A muggle?" Ginny thought for a minute,

"She's not a muggle either… it's hard to explain really," she said finally. "Some people call her the 'enlightened one,' or something, but I think that's a little overdramatic. All I know is that she has a hell of a lot of power, beyond anyone in the Ministry."

"Isn't it a bit dangerous to have someone that powerful in charge of everything?"

"Not when they're on our side," she said with a smile. Harry was thoroughly confused and curious about this new Minister. Somehow having someone with power over them all spelt danger for Harry, but if she had ruled over them all for a while now, and still hadn't shown any degree of an evil side he wasn't one to complain.

Suddenly several men were standing in front of them, wands raised, all pointing directly at Harry's chest. Each man wore a dark-blue uniform with a white emblem crested with the letters M.P on their chest. One swished his wand and his legs fell from underneath him, his body was pressed uncomfortably hard to the cold floor.

"You've got to be joking," Ginny stated angrily. "Let him go boys, he's with me."

"You know the rules Ginny," one said with a gruff voice, "what is your purpose to be entering the Ministry?"

"Secret Auror's business," replied Ginny, "He's got a visitors badge, let him through," the man grit his teeth but didn't move. Ginny sighed and put on a fake charming smile, "we're in fact going to see the Minister now if you'd like to escort us?" There was a long moment in which Ginny and the man stared at each other, Harry pinned uncomfortably to the floor. But then the man sighed and flicked his wand – Harry was able to move again, like a boulder had been removed from his back. He stood slowly, keeping an eye on the men.

"We'll let him go through this time… consider it a favour Ginny seeming you freed my innocent cousin from Azkaban last year. But don't try it again, you know the protocol." Ginny smiled and nodded,

"Thankyou." She continued walking; Harry followed her with his hand fastened securely around his sword.

"Who were they?" He said, as soon as they were out of ear-range.

"Ministry Protectors," she stated. "Like guards really, the security around this place has been stepped up several notches since the Ministry regained power. Probably saw that you still had your sword and your wand so they acted on protocol." Harry slowly nodded, and rubbed the back of his neck, which had stiffened and begun throbbing after they knocked him to the ground.

"Pretty painful protocol," he said, Ginny laughed.

Ginny tapped on Minister of Magic's door, before carefully folding back any stray hairs behind her ears.

"Stay out here," she whispered to Harry, "I'll talk to her." Harry wanted to protest but the look in Ginny's eyes stopped him. "If I need you," she said, sensing that a rebuttal was on the tip of his tongue, "I'll call for you… just wait out here okay?" Harry frowned, "please?"

"Alright," he said. Ginny knocked again and the door casually opened, admitting her inside. Harry sighed and leant against the cinderblock wall, he foot tapping impatiently as he waited. The minutes in which Ginny talked to the Minister seemed like hours, the seconds like minutes. Harry also kept getting the feeling that he was being watched by something other than the witches and wizards who passed him with curious expressions. It made the hairs on the back of his neck stand on end, and he kept clutching his sword – prepared for an ambush. Harry still couldn't figure out how the Death Eaters had found him, he hadn't left any trail behind him – he was sure of it. The thought that they were searching for him made him sick to his stomach, he couldn't imagine going back to Vereor nex, to be once again completely under the control of Death Eaters. The door suddenly opened and Ginny swiftly stepped out, her expression neutral.

"She wants to see you," Ginny muttered. Harry frowned and followed her through the door and into the office. When he stepped in he realised the room was completely altered from the last time he had been in there – and not just with the interior, the room itself actually appeared twice as large. The office gave off a consistent whirring noise, with the occasional croak of an odd looking frog which sat on the desk its several eyes darting around the room in pleasure. The place was full of tanks containing several different creatures, each more obscure from the last. The one that amazed Harry the most was a bat, who occasionally went as transparent as air.

Harry turned to look at the woman behind the desk. She looked younger than any other Minister Harry had seen, she couldn't have been more than three years his senior. Her eyes were closed, head bowed as if in prayer. Jacquelyn was pale, with hair as dark as Harry's and long skeletal fingers.

"Mr. Potter," she finally said, her voice reeking of authority, she looked him deep in the eye. Harry was not sure whether or not he should look away – her entire eyes were snow white in colouring, with no pupil or iris. He nodded his head in greeting, she smirked,

"I could sense your presence from the moment you entered this building. It's so interesting and lovely to see you alive and well." Harry was not sure what to say, so he said nothing and waited for her to continue. Although Jacquelyn appeared to be completely blind, she stood and walked around the table; her arms crossed in front of her and stared at Harry as if she had eyes just like anyone else.

"Vereor nex," she said, her long fingers reaching towards his face. Harry longed to back away, yet his manners held him stationary – the last thing he wanted to do was to anger her. "Hm, yes," she said nodded, "deep scars all over your body… the scars on your face however, shallow as they may be –change your appearance." She placed her other hand on his face as well, running them over every divot and line that had appeared from torture. Jacquelyn shut her white eyes suddenly, and raised her head to his, her dark lips clasping over Harry's. Harry tried to move away but found himself unable to, his eyes darted to Ginny who was staring at them, with what Harry swore, or perhaps hoped, was a twinge of jealousy. As quickly as she had kissed him, Jacquelyn pulled away and tilted her head slightly,

"That's better," she said, sounding breathless, she returned to her seat. Harry placed his hands to his face, and instead of feeling rough lines and bumps from scars – his face felt completely smooth. Ginny was staring at him, her eyebrows arched in captivated amazement. Harry swallowed, now unable to express his gratitude, but before he could even try the Minister began to talk again.

"Vereor nex," she said again, "two Latin words meaning, 'to respect violent death.' I've heard of this place – however it became myth as time moved on, and you say it is real?"

"Unfortunately," Harry responded.

"So," said the Minister, "Death Eaters captured you, did a stunning display of wizard pyrotechnics and then kept you, Hermione Granger and Ron Weasley away from the world to torture you…" she muttered simply, "did they want you for any real reason?"

"Wanted to know how to bring Voldemort back," Harry replied, "other than that, they were just happy to have the three of us behind bars." Jacquelyn nodded slowly,

"Harry I sense a lot of guilt in you," she said, tilting her head, Harry swallowed, wondering if she was reading his thoughts.

"Yes, I guess there is." Jacquelyn nodded slowly,

"Blood on hands, hands of time, side-kick dispersing at 7-0-9…" she was frowning, as if lost in thought. Harry and Ginny looked at each other for a moment with raised eyebrows before Jacquelyn slowly turned to Ginny.

"Ginny, I give you full permission to go ahead with this mission, try to bring back as many captives as you can alive – however I understand if the odd Death Eater's life must be lost. Nevertheless you must shut this place down for good, beyond any possible repair." Ginny stood straight, and nodded,

"Yes ma'am, thankyou for your support," she replied.

"Harry Potter, you will be the soul navigator – I trust you remember how to get there?"

"Yes," he replied, nodding.

"Very well," she muttered, "I'll be keeping a very close eye on this mission. Do not let me down," she paused for a second to let her words sink in. "That is all," she stated, leaning back in her chair. Ginny left the room first, and as Harry went to follow he heard Jacquelyn say something softly, only to him, her clear white eyes seemed to stare into his core.

"Hansel and Gretel left a trail, but only the wolves followed… get rid of the breadcrumbs Harry," Harry frowned for a moment, trying to decipher the meaning of what she had just said.

"Thankyou for your help," he stated, confused, and shut the door. Ginny was standing on the other side,

"Told you she was hard to explain," she muttered quietly, her eyes stayed on him. "Your face…" she reached out a hand timidly to touch it, Harry grabbed her hand and placed it on his cheek.

"No scars," he whispered as he let go,

"No scars…" she repeated.

Oohh riddles riddles riddles. What do they mean? If you have theories let me know.

I had fun writing the last bits of this chapter. I hope you like it. I'll post the next one up soon :)

Someone asked the reason as to why I write a few chapters beyond what I post - this is because when I suffer writers block, I have a few chapters to fall back on so I can keep posting every week. Like at the moment, I'm still stuck on the twelfth chapter - I just can't get the words right... Mmm.

I also have been asked why everyone has swords.. Well,
1. I love swords, haha, so I had to add them in
2. It's believed to be a more noble death to die from the blade than the Killing Curse - I'll explain that later

Mmhm. I've also applied to a bunch of you privately with some answers to your questions. Hope they made sense! :)

Phoenixxsong