Finally, I am back ^^ Also back in my home country now.. Japan was amazing, though the last 2 months have been an emotional rollercoaster, hence the long wait... . I'm very, very sorry. I do hope that the 11000 words make up for it a bit.
Thank you, all of the faithful readers who are still following this story :)

also, for the last part, I tried to base the reaction off of the real person, John major, who was prime minister in Britain in 1995. There are quite a few facts in that scene regarding him and the conservative party of that time.

Enjoy


"There you are," he said, relieved. "I was worried." Harry put down the book he'd been reading, an introduction to Runes, a subject he'd finally gotten time for now Lucius had decided he knew enough etiquette to pass for someone who grew up a pureblood. He pushed the thought that he also had more time because his lessons with Rodolphus had ended due to the man's unfortunate death, deep into his mind.

"You're not the only one," Marvolo replied, wrapping his arms around the other as soon as he reached him. In a natural movement, Harry stood up and pulled Marvolo down into the chair so he could sit on the man's lap, hugging him tightly, glad his lover was back home again. "Thank Merlin that no harm has come to you during the fight. You know that I would have preferred you to stay home…"

"I promised Sirius to be there… It's not my fault that they decided to show up. Well, at least we had anticipated the possibility… Are many hurt?"

"Hardly any, surprisingly. They didn't ambush us as much as they had hoped, and as soon as the dragons came through, they ran like cowards. Still, it's a good thing that you wore the Dwarfen armour. Did you also use the invisibility cloak?"

"Not quite. Please don't kill me over it, but I figured Sirius would need it more," he said.

"You gave the dog a Hallow?" Marvolo protested, his voice a pitch higher than it should be. Harry merely rolled his eyes and sat back to look his love in the eyes, absentmindedly stroking the pale face, his fingertips lingering on the bottom lip… or at least the skin where lips usually were.

"The dog who is currently running the Ministry. He's not exactly incompetent. If he couldn't be trusted with important things you would never have let him run for Minister… And you can deny that all you want, I don't care." He smiled, pressing their lips briefly together. "Thanks for giving him that chance by the way."

"I only let him because I trusted your judgement," Marvolo grumbled, and quickly fisted Harry's hair to pull him in for a much deeper, longer kiss. Harry moaned softly, rubbing himself against the man's chest, excited by the teeth that were nipping at his tongue. When they finally broke it, both were breathless, and Harry muttered something about sexiness killing him as he pressed his face into Marvolo's shoulder.

"Then trust it again?" he finally asked. "Really, he'll bring it back in one piece. Besides, Hallow or not, until we have all three it's just a very useful object… And as we still have no clue where the resurrection stone is… or even what it looks like… Speaking of the cloak though, did you manage to find out how it's been made?"

"In between war and you constantly stealing it back from the research room, I haven't had many opportunities to inspect it. I've found out the base and several enchantments on it and woven into it, but I haven't identified everything. What I've discovered so far is a mixed base of Demiguise hair, fragments of chameleon skin with a Disillusionment charm and light reflecting charms. There seem to also be some unidentifiable hairs in the fabric. There's not much to go on yet, I didn't recognise them by eye, but not by magic either."

"And the Elder wand? Have you figured out the core?"

"Ah, the wand… Actually, I didn't need to figure out the core. There's lore on it… quite a lot. The core is known to be a tail hair of a Thestral, a –and I quote 'Notable wizards and their wands' here- potent yet tricky substance to master that can only be handled by a witch or wizard who is capable of accepting death, since only by such can it be seen. Another reason why it will be a very bad idea for me to start using it."

"No kidding," Harry muttered. "Odd… the wands you possess now are both powerful in their own right, but completely opposite hmm? Yew and phoenix and elder and Thestral… Eternal life and Death. Are you sure about the core though? I mean, it's very old… how did the writer of that book even know it was made of Thestral?"

"Well, it's not the only source on it. I assume that the wand's creator boasted about it. The only way to be completely sure would be to break it open, but as much as I love studying magic, that doesn't mean I'm going to break a centuries old wand in two… Only an absolute moron with no sense of magical and historical value would do a thing so insane… Remind me not to let it near Black." Marvolo replied.

"Do you get off on insulting Sirius or what?" Harry asked, half-laughing and shaking his head.

"He is obnoxious and annoying."

"If you'd get to know him…"

"I don't want to get to know him Harry. He's crossed my path enough times for me to refuse to give him another chance. I'm glad for you that he is on our side now, of course, and he's useful, but I have no desire to intimately get to know him. As far as I know, that feeling is mutual too. And it doesn't only go for him, but all of your friends, with maybe the exception of Miss Lovegood. Did you know that last week, after getting back from Gringotts, where she actually insulted both me and the goblins gravely, Miss Granger tried to casually chat up to me? I'm supposed to be their Lord, their boss, not a…"

"Friend?" Harry quietly asked.

"Exactly. That."

"Why is it such an impossible thing for you?" he replied, looking at Marvolo with sadness. He did his best to keep in his opinion about why Sirius had crossed Marvolo's path so many times before. If he'd have lived in the first war, with all its atrocities and a Dark Lord who was half out of his mind, he also wouldn't have been able to do anything but fight that oppression. "Also, don't you have friends? King Clagh, some high-up vampires… me."

"They're not just friends… they are allies as well, and I can be sure that they won't betray me. And you… you are so much more than a friend to me Harry. And there was hardly any time at all in between being each other's worst enemies, to being lovers. It happened… fast. Sometimes I think even too fast. But it's either everything or nothing for me. I either keep my distance or show the other sides of myself and trust completely. But I can't do that if there is even the slightest chance of them betraying me. And you… you simply can't. Not just because of our relationship, but because I would know instantly. We have a bond, a mind-link we share and even when we weren't lovers, even when we were still enemies I could at least trust you to be honest."

"Still, back then it wasn't as developed as it was now, right?"

"No… but still enough for me to know whether or not you were telling me the truth. For other people, there is of course Legilimency, but it's not such a constant, natural force. The link is always open unless closed on purpose. That is why we can be both friends and lovers. I knew I could trust you." Marvolo finished his explanation.

"And that is why you can't grow closer to others? Because you lack that assurance?"

"Exactly. With non-humans it is a bit different, for many are bound to loyalty laws, or it is simply not in their nature to betray an ally. The Vampires, for example, adopted me as family when I stayed with them for a few years when I was younger. A Vampire doesn't betray family, it's just not… done. Even the family members you dislike and who dislike you will forever remain loyal and be there when you need them most."

"You never told me much about them."

"And I won't now. It's a long tale, and we don't have time… There are still quite a few places I need to be today. They fled today, but it does show that they have readied their armies, and as I assume that they'll want to prevent us from gathering all our allies in time, they will strike again as soon as they can."

"When do you predict that to be?"

"Tomorrow," Marvolo answered darkly. "Tomorrow morning if we are really unlucky. I'm currently spreading my troops over London, and have sent word to various allies but I don't know if they can make it in time. The Giants seem to have been a wasted effort. I can maximally get one or two here using apparition… but that will drain some of my best men. Quite a hard decision so suddenly. I'm not sure yet if that is worth it. The dragons are still a great support, but they are no trump card anymore. I hope that the enemy will dare to enter Diagon… then at least the Goblins will fight too. Hmm… Tabby!"

Marvolo's favourite house-elf appeared and disappeared again after getting instructed to call Ron down, who came through the doors a few minutes later, out of breath. "My Lord?"

"Ronald… sit."

"Yes, My Lord," the teen muttered, and sat down on one of the couches, looking far more comfortable than Harry would ever have been able to guess in the presence of Marvolo. The boy who had seen Thanos transform into Lord Voldemort before his eyes and been scared out of his wits was gone… instead, Ron met the man's eyes calmly, waiting to hear what was needed of him.

"War shall break out tomorrow in London… What resources and strategies do you propose?"

Harry's friend furrowed his brow and gazed pensively at the wall, his fingers drawing some patterns in the air, as if drawing out a map. "I assume you want the Muggles to be as unaware as possible?"

"If it can be avoided for them to see us, then yes. It depends on our enemies' moves… I doubt they'll want to be seen but… these attacks, last attack, was too reckless. I think they just want to do as much damage to us as they can instead of stop us… So not all their effort is wasted. They are getting desperate."

"Do we have any idea about the awareness of Muggles about anything going on at all? Did the enemy contact them?"

"As far as I know, no."

"I propose we get as much free field to fight on openly… have parts of the city evacuated. Contact the Muggle Aurors and tell them of possible attacks... how do they call those attacks with explosive things again Harry?"

"Bombs? Like in terrorist attacks?"

"Yeah, exactly, terrorists. And to make sure it's taken serious… blow up some important buildings.. the Muggle Aurors should clear out the area, ensure no civilians are there at the time… And I do suppose we can handle some of their guards. That way, we have more space to fight freely without Muggles seeing. Of course, it's no guarantee but it's something… other than that, it's quite obviously where the fight will start… the Ministry. It's the only place they can directly apparate their large army in."

"Your plans of evacuation are good, but there is no time for it on a scale as you described. We will have to do with a few buildings and streets, if even that. Muggles cannot act as fast as you are used to. And about the place… that isn't certain… The fight will start there I think, yes, but they might apparate into the sewers."

"What, the French, apparating into the English sewers?" Ron laughed. "And moreover, they have Veela with them. No, I think we can be quite certain of a dramatic entrance. Although saying that, we must think of the possibility that they separate their armies by country, all of them going somewhere else. In either case, I would not face them head-on but try to close them in. We know at least a few placed they will surely apparate in… We can confuse them by not being there, but hiding around them and getting them from all sides, also effectively cutting them off from reaching other groups."

"And the creatures?"

"There's no use in hiding them anymore and surprise the enemy with them, but we can use their unique abilities… get the dragons in the narrowest tunnels. They won't like it, but they can flood them with fire when the enemy is in them, leaving them with nowhere to escape to. Which other allies can be reached in time?"

"I count on one or two giants, the vampires, two werewolf packs, the two Dwarven clans… The centaurs won't reach us in time and in such narrow spaces I'd rather not have Dementors. That will not only bring the enemies' morale down but also affect our own armies in a negative way."

"Keep the giants on stand-by just in case the fight does continue above ground... they're not much use anywhere else. Vampires are perfect for hunting down those trying to escape, and we of course need to separate them from the wolves… Though there's no full moon anywhere near, right?"

"No, but most can half-transform… it's better than nothing. At least they're not tired out from the previous full moon, as that was a while ago. I am thinking of placing them in the Ministry itself, in the heart of the battle, where they'll have enough room. I do think most of the fighting will be decided there in the end."

"That leaves the Dwarves…"

"They're very proud," Harry suddenly spoke up. "And will definitely want to fight where the most enemies are. They also dislike dragons so the tunnels are out… I would place them in Gringotts if they didn't dislike Goblins as well… Are there actually any creatures Dwarfs like besides Dwarfs of their own clan?"

"Probably not."

"Then I suppose we have to hold them back until we can determine where the most enemies actually are and send them there en masse, while keeping their clans separated, since they don't even like each other."

"There's one spot we haven't considered yet," Ron suddenly spoke. "Maybe the enemies won't go as low as to attack it, but we need to at least consider the possibility of them breaking into St Mungo's. it's not far from the Ministry, and is the perfect place, strategically seen, to take control of. If we can't reach our medical supplies…"

"But St Mungo's is hidden…"

"I'm quite sure they too have spies and ways to get into there if they really want to."

"Very true.

"I shall keep a part of my army on guard near St Mungo's. Perhaps I can send one of the Dwarf clans there as well. They may not like it but it is a very important building and I do not want to leave it in the hands of magicians only. It may not be enough. We can't know what they have planned, so we must be prepared for a full-fledged attack everywhere." Marvolo spoke. "Thank you for your insight, Ronald. Necessary adaptations are to be executed immediately. We have no time to waste. I shall call my inner circle and make sure they all know what is about to happen, before we gather armies and set course for London."

"Yes, My Lord. And I?"

"Go to your brothers. They may have need for you. You may choose whether to fight or not. If you do so, however, go to St Mungo's as well. It is a very central place in Wizarding London. From there, you can reach anywhere very quickly, and from every point I can reach you if necessary to discuss a change in plans."

Ron nodded and quickly left the room, leaving Harry to stare at Marvolo's slightly worried, pale features. Parchment appeared in his hands and the man started to study or read whatever was on them, while the teen tried to see if he could do the same through his lover's eyes.

"That's a bit distracting Harry." The man replied absently. "You picking my brain."

"I'm just trying to see if I can do it without going into a trance. It would be useful. I tried to do it before but haven't succeeded yet. Not intently, that is. I wished I could master it for during battles but…"

"I know… well, I have not that many objections anymore against you fighting now you have near impenetrable, magical armour. It does give me a feeling of safety to know that a stray spell won't kill you."

"It still would not stop a Killing curse though…"

"Are you trying to get me to tie you up and leave you home?"

"Not during a battle. Other than that... I'm not sure I would mind chains very much," Harry cheekily replied, red eyes suddenly focused on him completely.

"We can test that when we get back then," came a slow reply which sent warmth flooding to his groin. "For now though, hold your thoughts and tongue, dear. I can't have it interfering when I try to concentrate on warfare."

"As if I ever do," he innocently answered. Harry wondered if it would be going too far to approach Marvolo now, discard the heavy robes he was wearing and sprawl naked across that lap.

"Even the thought is going too far right now," Marvolo warned him, making Harry sigh heavily.

"Pity. Well then, I will go make my own preparations until the meeting. I'll see you then dear." And with that, he too hurried out of the room, making a mental check-list of everything he needed.


"It appears I was correct in my assumption," Marvolo said, looking up as the whole building trembled. The force was so heavy that Harry expected cracks to appear in the cream-coloured ceiling of the Minister's office, but nothing of the sort happened. It must have protection on the walls to avoid erosion.

It was a pity that he did not have time to explore every corner of the office, of which every piece was just as obscure now as the next. He assumed that, with Fudge here, it must have been quite dull, but only the colour reminded him of dullness now. In the few hours Sirius had taken place here, the man had already crammed it full of strange artefacts, weird pictures and signs and all things magical and bizarre, together with an extensive collection of Quidditch posters. He had never known Sirius to be a fan of the Holyhead Harpies. Then again, it might be just the women he liked… or he could be a closet feminist?

"I had expected nothing less… Everything is ready," Harry replied, diverting his thoughts from Sirius the feminist. "This will be a battle to remember…"

"Absolutely. You have your armour…?"

"Impenetrable Dwarven armour, check, heavy protection spells you cast on me to the point where I can hardly move, check…"

"Your safety is no laughing matter. War isn't. Don't let your guard down just because we won before… every battle is just as dangerous as the previous one," Marvolo bit, and Harry gave him a guilty look.

"I know, I'm sorry… I always seem to disregard my safety somehow. I do wish you had any if the protection you forced on me though."

"I'm protected enough Harry…"

"You have to go now, right?"

"In a moment…"Marvolo muttered, enveloping the teen and pressing their lips together in a deep kiss. "If anything happens to me, you know how to resurrect me."

"You keep saying that, but since Dumbledore is gone there is no-one out there who is any match for you… even when half the Order attacked you at once you only had a few wounds." Marvolo gave a smirk at that.

"Yes, they're quite weak aren't they?"

"For you yes… I will keep the link open at least slightly so I can call out for help if needed, okay?"

"I love you." It was stated softly, but the moment was so unexpected that it threw Harry off for a second. "Don't die."

Wordlessly, he nodded. "I won't," he promised. "No more risky moves like last time… I know that otherwise you'll probably chain me to the bed during every battle to come."

"Still focused on the chains? Marvolo smirked. Still, both of them knew that no risky moves didn't automatically mean he wouldn't be hurt, so his smile died quickly.

"After this war, I'm going to look into more ways to gain immortality."

"Good idea… and you're quite correct with the chaining you to the bed. Another plus of that is that I'd have a sight to look forward to upon coming home."

Harry rolled his eyes at Marvolo's grin. "You…" he muttered, and walked to the door. "I'll go now. Good luck."

"Same to you."

Both shared a last look as they walked out of the door together, which Harry closed behind him, and went separate ways. Marvolo was instantly shouting instructions to his followers, while Harry went the other way, trying to decide where he could be most useful. It didn't take long for him to find a spot, if only because he ran across a group of magicians wearing rather easy to spot, bright canary yellow robes. They reminded Harry of the Hufflepuff Quidditch robes, but without seeing any advantage to wearing them to a battlefield. He wasn't sure where they were from, but he sure as hell would have noticed if they had been among their allies, so he launched his deadliest spells at them and engaged in battle.

His head cleared as he fell into routine. After all the training he'd received and the few battles and raids he'd been in this was what he had become good at: close combat with short-timed, single target spells in a limited fighting area. Moreover, he had the advantage of knowing the building, and patiently manoeuvered his enemies so that he had the elevator behind him.

In a blink of an eye, he threw some of the Peruvian Instant Darkness Powder the Twins had given him into the area, which turned black. He stepped back and pressed the fifth floor button, holding on tightly and smirked when he saw some of his opponents trying to grab through the darkness and then tumbled down the vertical elevator shaft while he himself zoomed away horizontally. Maybe he should use that trick more often… but from third to fifth and sixth to nine were the only ones where Harry was sure of the elevator going horizontal first before going vertical.

When arriving at the destined floor, he realised just how much of the fighting was going on here. He was actually quite surprised by how many enemies were in the actual Ministry. Perhaps the enemy had realised that putting so many forces in the most obvious place was the stupidest plan to do… which meant that it was what Marvolo would have been prepared for the least because he liked to think his enemies had better plans than that. So naturally, it was the one they went for in the end.

Quite smart… if it hadn't been for the fact that they had a lot of non-human allies at their side that didn't mix well, so several floors of the Ministry were reserved for them. While it was true that most Death Eaters had spread out to other places, the werewolves did happen to be here, and now got more than they could have ever wished for. Teeth snapped close near to him and he decided this wasn't the best place for him to be right now, with the minds of their allies wilder due to the half-transformation.

Escaping upstairs again, he tried to think of what the best spot would be… perhaps he should join the security troops guarding St Mungo's… or go to Diagon. The Ministry was chaos at the moment and he did not want to be in the tunnels with the dragons and vampires. He ran through corridors and doors, following the sounds of fighting and his fleeing enemies. Even though their numbers were greater, they still had the disadvantage of being in enemy territory.

Harry skidded to halt when he saw a very familiar floor, and when the people he'd been chasing ran over it, they could run no further. A version of the portable swamp, a carriable carpet of quicksand blocked most of the way, and while the stuck magicians were panicking, Harry calmly walked up to them and cut all of their throats before shuffling along the wall to avoid stepping on the traitorous floor. He'd need to remind them of telling him where they placed traps before they did. As effective as it was against enemies, not all of their allies were familiar with the vast number of new inventions, a number that grew rapidly every day.

He lightly touched the see-through band over his mask that allowed him to see 360 degrees vision, still one of their most popular items, one of which the supply was never enough to meet the demands as the ingredients they needed for the potion it was enchanted with were rare and expensive.

A roar sounded that made the walls tremble and for a moment, Harry was confused. It sounded like a dragon, but he was on one of the highest ministry floors now. They should be deeper, much, much deeper underground. He cursed as a group of wizards appeared from around the corner, and quickly realised he was outmatched. He sprinted away, thankful for the mask, because all of them would be so much more persistent in chasing Harry Potter than some nameless lone Death Eater. Concerned about the continuous dragon sounds following them, he kept running, sending a warning signal to Marvolo, who also seemed displeased by it. It looked like the dragons felt compelled to chase their enemy, who was pushed to the surface, which then resulted in the dragons being drawn further and further up.

Because of the short talk, he had missed a turn however, and now stood in a short corridor with a single, bright-red door at the end, signaling an emergency exit. He cursed his own stupidity. He should have just gone a few yards back to the carriable carpet and lured them into that instead of going into another corridor. Behind him he could already see the shadows on the wall of the group that had chased him, though it seemed like they hadn't spotted him yet. With nowhere else to go and no intention to fight six wizards with loads more experience than him, he took the only option he had and dived though the door, stumbling onto, unfortunately, an outside street.

It was early in the morning still, and there were not that many people about, but there were still enough Muggles around to give trouble if he were to use magic in front of them. His heart sank as behind him, the ones he'd thought he'd shaken off landed on the cobblestones as well, blinking against the light. Harry recovered quickly and tried to disappear behind the people, which wasn't easy as it wasn't exactly a crowd, and most Muggles shied away from him hastily. Realising why, he took off the mask –rather a chance of them recognising him now than being pushing into their hands by Muggles-, and somehow managed to get away before the others had spotted him.

A minute later, when he was already a fair distance away, he inwardly groaned when loud crashes and screams were head, and giant flames set the sky ablaze. So far for staying hidden.

It's getting out of hand. Dragons are circling the London skies.

It can't be helped then, I'll have to halt my own fight. Harry, call your bodyguard and try to find the mutt. We have no choice now but to pay the Muggle government a visit.

Midfight? Harry replied, disbelieving.

If you'd rather have our enemy reaches them first and persuades them to join their cause and work against us… I had hoped to delay talking to the Muggles until after we were certain of our own side but the government will at least notice something, and if we aren't the first to inform them that will be held against us later.

Got it. Shay is easy, she has a portkey directly to me and I can call her with the feather.

I'll lift the Portkey restrictions for a moment, but I can't give you more than a few seconds.

Should be enough. Sirius will be harder, especially now he has the cloak…

I'll find him then. Meet me at the fireplaces of the Ministry of Magic in… hmm, fifteen minutes. I need some time to find your dog.

I have no clue where I am now or where the entrance is. I just got out on the street through an emergency exit, of which the door disappeared, I think.

It's on the same street as all government buildings, including the Palace of Westminster. The visitor's entrance is in a phone box…"

I know what the entrance looks like... but not where I am currently.

It's under Whitehall. Try asking for that. You can't be too far away, the entire structure is built under that street. Ask and you'll find it. Do you want me to take the field down now?

Give me a few seconds. Harry said, rolling up his sleeve while making sure no-one saw him before he pressed his wand to the small, black feather tattoo that was revealed. Marvolo had been outraged by it, but it was Harry's only secure way of contacting her. It heated up under the touch of the wand as he poured his magic into it.

It had actually been Ron, astonishingly enough, who had helped him with the enchantments. Apparently Hermione and he had worked on something like this at the very start of the school year , after Umbridge's first, horrible lesson. Harry recalled Hermione trying to persuade him to form a study group and teach them instead. While that had been unnecessary after her quick demise, she did finish the enchantments that would call each of them, based off of the Dark Marks, and Ron had watched the process and been forced to research as well.

Based on that, and with the help of several of Marvolo's old books and some letters to Hermione, they'd been able to figure it out, until a fully functioning mark adorned Harry's wrist. Of course, he could have asked Marvolo about it, but he would most probably instantly have refused to have someone else's mark on his lover.

He was a bit apprehensive about using it though. While it did what it was intended to do, something had gone wrong after all, and it sometimes had strange side effects. The first time he'd called her, both Harry and Shay had walked around with green hair for days until Marvolo was merciful enough to turn it back, and last time she'd arrived all nauseous while not remembering what she'd done the past day. Neither did Harry know what she'd been doing that day, so it could also be that something strange had been going on before he called her, but still.

Now, he told Marvolo after four seconds, knowing it would take her a few at least to react at all. Something in the air shimmered, though barely noticeable, as one of the many shield over London fell away, temporarily stopped. It still astonished him every time again when Marvolo displayed his power. Halting a shield encasing the capital, even for a few seconds, was beyond anything Harry would ever be capable of doing, and the rest of the Wizarding population with him. Marvolo's only real match had died on the grassy hills of France, blown up by, ironically, Harry. If he hadn't been sure of today's outcome yet, he was now. No side that had Marvolo could ever lose. People had had to have been very desperate last war to believe that one young boy would be able to defeat the Dark Lord. Laughable. Even in bed he didn't have the upper hand.

For a few moments, nothing else happened but the burning mark, but then he felt a tug, right after seeing Shay appear, and when he looked up, disorientated, he saw that while she had arrived, they were suddenly not in the same street anymore, though judging from the scenery, it was still London.

"Harry."

"Shay," he smiled.

"Why did you call me? You know it's not my job to participate in fights."

"And it still isn't. Apparently we're going to talk to the Muggle government and Marvolo wants me to have my body-guard there for some reason. However, I need to be at the Ministry of Magic in.. 10 minutes, and it looks like the mark did something weird again because I was on walking distance. Right now, I have absolutely no clue where I am."

"Thankfully for you, I have. However, we're way too far away, we'll never make that by foot. Bus… maybe."

"Bus?" Harry stared at her. "In the middle of a minefield you want to take the bus?" the notion seemed so absurd to him, and Shay's appearance, from the weapon handles visible at her belt to the ninja-like clothing she wore –she was obviously called in the middle of training- wasn't exactly fit for the public transport system of London. "You have money then?" Harry asked at long last, when seeking for other options and finding none. Marvolo may be able to fly without any help, and Sirius was faster than any human could ever be in his dog form, but Shay was a Muggle, and Harry had no current means of magical transportation. Even if there had been no anti- Portkey and apparition wards, he wasn't experienced in either. As he didn't want to bother Marvolo again, who had to have better things to do than zap Harry around everywhere, he saw no other option.

"I have enough for two tickets, lunch and then some. Let's go." Dully, Harry pocketed his wand and they ran to the nearest bus station.

"You've been here before then?" he asked as she navigated easily through the streets.

"Several times, several missions. You wouldn't believe how handy public transport is when disappearing from a crime scene. Nothing to trace, anonymous masses in which no-one ever remembers another's face… trains especially, but the bus will have to do. There's one leaving to Victoria station in three minutes from here, and then it takes about ten more minutes with another one… thankfully only a very short wait. I apologise for not making it in ten but that sadly exceeds Muggle capabilities.

"It's fine," Harry said, and pushed the words '25 minutes minimum' through the link, getting confusion and slight annoyance back, with a 'hurry.' He supposed it couldn't be helped and, out of breath, reached the bus stop they needed, just in time to pay the driver, who had kindly waited for them to catch up.

With a sigh, Harry sat down, glad he could rest his legs for a bit, and stared out of the window. It was odd to see how Muggles weren't even panicking, considering all the explosions and strange things going on. Most ducked their heads and hurried along, as if making themselves invisible would stop everything. It reminded him so much of the Dursleys that it was scary. Were magicians truly also mentally superior? He had never believed that before, but he started to wonder now he saw this… But then he glanced at Shay and knew it wasn't true. It was merely a mentality most had grown up with. A mentality that even some magicians shared.

"I really wonder what will come of all this," she spoke, and Harry nodded slowly.

"Hopefully good things. It will also depend on the people." Before he could say more, the doors opened and a group of old women came in, one of whom threw them a filthy look and muttered something about no respect. Harry understood that she had expected him to stand up for her, which puzzled him, as there were plenty of empty seats in the bus.

"Ludicrous," one said, perhaps in continuation of a prior conversation. "I tell you, this is all a ruse."

"Terrorists I tell you! They're everywhere! And the government sits on their lazy arses while the people are in danger!"

"I still think it's a ruse or stunt of sorts. Someone reported seeing a dragon."

"Hallucinating gas," a third threw in. It's commonly known as a terrorist weapon. Haven't you heard? They are doing something… Some parts of the city were closed down this morning in reaction to a warning and people have been evacuated. Or well, several buildings. They can hardly empty the centre of London in a morning."

Harry rolled his eyes at Shay, who bore a grim smile, when he heard all the theories. "Do you belong to the 1% of intelligent Muggles or…"

"It would seem so. Even if they see dragons it's still terrorists." They drove past a group of running, cloaked people and it worried Harry to see how far the fighting above ground had spread. There was no hope for keeping it all a secret, unless all Muggles were like the women here on the bus. He was glad that he was not dressed like that. He had never understood why people insisted on fighting in cloaks. They were a major hindrance and in bad weather conditions could weigh you down or even wrap themselves around the legs if the wind was unfavourable.

He did tightly grip the mask that now lay on his lap however. He had not wanted to scare the bus driver to death with it. She had already thrown Shay a suspicious look as they entered. Harry ducked away as some of the group looked in the direction of the bus, but it appeared they did not spot him, and continued on their way, pushing people aside. It was strange, he mused, to drive through a hidden battlefield, the bus acting like a moving glass cage in which he was absolutely safe. No wizard would think of their enemies taking Muggle means of transportation. In his head, Harry quickly drew a rough map of London and the trap areas. If they kept going that way, they would arrive in an evacuated area and quickly fall prey to the awaiting Death eaters. That was not his business however. He and Shay had arrived at Victoria station, and had to run for another bus, Harry trying to keep up with her pace.

It wasn't hard to find the Ministry when they got out. Harry instantly spotted the alley with the telephone box he need. –he could also have used the worker's entrance, but he preferred to not have the experience of being flushed down, and it wasn't as if he was doing anything secretive.-

"What took you?" Marvolo asked when they arrived, still slightly out of breath. "I caught some flashes but I was busy…"

"The mark needs some serious work. Apparition incident. Needed to take a bus to here."

"Where's your wand?" Harry fished it from the back of his trousers, shrugging at the disapproving look. "You desperately need a wand holster."

"I don't think they're very necessary," Harry shrugged. "Still have both buttocks, don't I?"

"I would hope so, or your one would get very sore during spanking." The man said with a straight face as if that had not just been said in front of Sirius, who choked and gagged at the words. "Now, I think we can go?"


The prime minister of England rubbed his eyes, which hurt from staring at the screen of the computer. He'd preferred his work when he hadn't needed to deal with all this technology… Something moved in the corner of his eye, and he warily looked at the muddy brown canvas, an old man painted in the middle of it. Not again, not now, he prayed silently, and groaned when the figure moved, standing up.

"Ahum. I hereby announce that the Minister of Magic will be arriving shortly, accompanied by a plus three." The portrait announced, and while usually that statement would have made him sigh in despair, he merely frowned now. Plus three? All other times Fudge had come alone. Who exactly were those… plus three? And what was so special now that he had to deal with four wizards in his office?

"Protesting won't do me any good will it?" he asked, rubbing his eyes and shutting down his computer. He vaguely remembered something about Fudge telling him that electronics and magic clashed like lightning on water. The painting ignored him and a moment later the fireplace flared and he saw green through his eyelids. Four people appeared, one of whom stumbled, and would have fallen if the tallest of them wouldn't have caught him. To his surprise though, none of them was Fudge.

"Prime Minister! Fancy meeting you! Sir… John Major, right? I saw some of your speeches on the telly!" a cheery, black-haired man said. The Minister tried to peer under the hooded face of the other, tall man, but for some reason, even at this angle, which should have made at least half of the face clearly visible, he saw nothing but a shadow that obscured the man's features. Judging by the long skeletal finger though, he wasn't missing an opportunity to meet Miss Universe.

He took in the other two people, a young man and woman, though something about their eyes made them both seem cold and much older than they should be. "I'm sorry but… I was expecting Fudge," he said, confused. "I was under the impression that he would visit me. The portrait announced the Minister for Magic? Not that I'm very saddened about his absence. He always has a tendency to drop a bomb on me and leave without further explanation… No offense on my side. He is simply difficult to interact with."

"None taken. Personally, I am also not very fond of Fudge. However, the reason he merely informed you of events and left was not because of his character, but because he merely saw it as an unnecessary protocol."

"Unnecessary? "Major exclaimed. "Doesn't the Ministry of magic fall under my government?"

"Under your laws, technically yes." The tall, hooded figure spoke, his voice sounding as if it could freeze summer itself. Major tensed, swallowing hard as chills spread over his body at the menacing voice. "However, under our laws we are a completely separate world. Informing you of important happenings and decisions only happened to uphold a treaty that was forged between the leaders of our worlds, a long, long time ago. Until now, that is…"

"Wait, what is all going on? Who are you? Where is Fudge?"

"All in good time Minister," the black-haired man said. "You'd better take a seat again." With a doubtful look at all four of them, he sat down in his chair, worrying about what they could possibly have to say.

"First of all..." he said, hesitating slightly. "Would you care to introduce yourselves? I didn't… quite catch your names?"

"Oh! Oh, of course, how rude of us! My name is Black. Sirius Black. I am actually the new Minister for Magic… as of yesterday. Fudge died months ago."

"Dead?" he asked, shocked. "What do you mean, dead? Last time he was here he seemed very healthy, if a little bit stressed… What happened?"

"Dangerous job," Mr Black shrugged. "He was assassinated. And in the past... what is it now, twelve hours? I've had several attempts on my life already as well."

"Politics seems to always be a dangerous job…" he commented, remembering the mortar attack on his own life during the Gulf war.

"We didn't exactly only come here though to announce my entering the position… Let me introduce you. This is Lord Voldemort, an… ally, I suppose?"

"Your superior, Black, don't get all high and mighty. We are nowhere on equal level." The other instantly hissed.

"Real charmer, as you can see. And this! This is my godson, one Harry James Potter," he said, hauling the boy away from Lord Vollemumble, his voice filled with pride. "Stubborn, magnet to danger, very good Quidditch player and bad taste in men."

"Black,"

"I'm just trying to lighten up the atmosphere!"

Just when Major thought that the atmosphere couldn't get possibly any worse, a bone-white stick suddenly appeared in front of Black's face. "Don't think you're not indispensab-"

"Marvolo." The boy said in a suddenly very dangerous tone, green eyes flashing in a way that shouldn't be human. –or maybe really wasn't human, one couldn't know with wizard- "Sirius is anything but dispensable."

"Then keep him on a leash at least. Chewing a nice bone," the other muttered, and Major was pretty sure that he had just missed some necessary inside information to understand what they were talking about. Not that he was making much sense of anything. He recalled the name Voldemutter something from somewhere, but he couldn't quite remember from where anymore, just like the word Kwidditsh.

"And your name?" he said hopefully, turning to the woman, who hadn't spoken yet, hoping that there would at least be one non-insane, non-dangerous person here, but that faded when he saw she was picking her nails with a knife. Before she could answer though, Lord Voldiething gave a short, disbelieving laugh.

"Don't pay attention to her. She's merely a hired guard. And not of our kind anyways."

"But then she is of mine," he responded, quicker and more forceful than he'd expected of himself. "And I happen to believe rudeness is a bad quality. So please… your name?"

"Shay," she answered, giving him a calculating look. "And sadly he's right. I'm not really anyone here."

"That's not true," the boy, Potter, spoke. –at least finally a normal name there. Oddly enough also one he remembered somewhere in the back of his head. Harry Potter… No… he really had had too many things on his mind.- "You're my friend and currently my protector. I'd say that counts as something." He was surprised by the boy's voice. It sounded far more mature than any teen he'd ever heard speaking. But maybe this wasn't a child at all? He was a wizard after all. Maybe they aged differently…

"Since when are you friends?" Lord V hissed. –he'd decided that V would do as long as he just spoke the word in his mind.-

"Since months. A few days after you hired her. And don't give me that… if our worlds will merge, then this should be a normal occurrence."

"What do you mean, merging? Can someone please tell me without interruption or hostility towards each other what is going on? Brief synopsis of the situation, perhaps?"

"Of course…" Black spoke, and Major was very glad that it was him who had responded. "Basically, we want openness of magic. We don't want to have to hide anymore, and personally I think that people such as yourself will also benefit from it immensely. Incurable diseases are child's play for Mediwitches and wizards. You technology poses a problem to magic but we're working on that… And the main people on that job are geniuses so I'm not exactly worried. However, other countries think that we should stick to ourselves. The main problem is that if we do go out in the open, that will immediately reveal our kind to Muggles all over the world, not just Britain. And as we are some of the only ones who do want that, they are doing everything to stop us."

"I do understand why they're trying to lynch you…"

"Yeah… especially because the next candidate in line has ideas quite opposite of mine. Currently though, he has to do as I say."

"And if he rebels?"

Black grimaced in a way that he probably shouldn't have asked that question. "He's head of our police department. Let's pray that he doesn't, also because most in there used to be in the rebellion last time. And those still hold grudges and thoughts of revenge against Lord Voldemort." He wanted to ask why, but as he preferred to hear as little of the creepy man as he could, he didn't dare. "Well, at least I had the support of most of the public, and actually also of the Wizengamot if they hadn't been commanded to vote on a third party to keep up the pretense of some scheme."

"Well…" he started, hesitating as he looked from at all of them, wondering how to formulate this is a non-offensive way. "While I can see the positive points in your plan I must say that I'm also uncomfortable with it. You must realise the sheer size of this! Revealing magic to the public, and as a result of that, over the whole world… Chaos will reign for a long time. Some will form cults to worship you, some won't care and others will make it their life's goal to destroy 'evil,' as that is what magic is mainly associated with. And I'm not even speaking of the people who will try everything they can to get access to magic themselves or force magical people into using it for them."

"We considered all those options," Potter spoke. "Believe me, we did. But it's too late to stop any of it now."

"What do you mean, too late? You haven't even started… have you?"

"No. but ironically… they did. They attacked about an hour ago, but they didn't stick to the bowels of London… it's the main reason we are here to explain things to you now rather than after… We hadn't expected them to… considering they wanted to keep it a secret. Now, it seems more as if they've given up on their own goal and are just trying to take as much of Britain down with them as possible." The teen continued, and walked to the window, gesturing for Major to join him. When he reached it and looked out over the city, his jaw dropped.

"What are that?" he choked.

"Depends… which ones do you mean? That there, stomping over the bridge, is a giant, and what you see there are dragons. They're both on our side though, so don't worry about them. That they are above ground wasn't in our plan though. They followed enemy forces who were trying to escape. It's full-out war now Minister. You'd better ready your own forces and decide on whose side you are."

"Well, there is no stopping it now is there?" he mused. "Dragons roaming London…"

"Oh, you'd be surprised. Muggles usually want to forget about anything abnormal. Call it a stunt for a movie and everyone will have a good laugh about it, bury their doubts and not speak of it anymore, continuing their lives and ignoring smoked buildings, until they can forget anything weird happened in the first place. However, that would be the case if this was a one-time occasion, and we do not plan on stopping. If we manage to defeat them today, they will be back… and even if not and this is the final battle… well, if we win this, we have many, many future plans."

Major was silent for a long time, contemplating his options. If this was true, then the war would only be over with no changes if the opposite side won… And judging by the fact that both trolls and dragons fought alongside them, it seemed the side of the people before him had the upper hand right now. Besides that, they were British. Other countries might forgive the 'Muggles' for joining the magicians of their own country, but if he refused these people, they would definitely not forgive and forget him.

But was this the wisest choice…? This would most definitely worsen the relationships with Britain and the mainland, something he'd tried to avoid throughout his whole career. He was one of the few who wanted to go through with the whole 'single European currency' plan even. His own ideals were those of unity, of making as many close allies as possible… While these men seemed to have the complete opposite in mind for those not in their own country.

On the other hand… if he'd refuse he'd not only have disharmony with other countries, but also have his own divided. "I need some time…" he said. "I can't just make this decision right this moment… Besides, I may be Prime Minister but that doesn't mean I make the laws. I'll have to submit the idea to the rest of the Parliament…"

"There is no time."

"Why didn't you come sooner!" he suddenly burst out, angry.

This time, it was Lord V who stepped forward again. "Because our plan was to at least unite all wizards and witches to stand behind this. The Rebellion died not too long ago, and it was only yesterday that we were able to confirm having the majority of people backing us up. We wish to present ourselves as one species with a common goal. Otherwise, how believable would we be?" Major grumbled, having to admit it sounded reasonable.

Why did all of this have to come now? He was having a hectic time as it was, with the image of the Conservative party going down the drain because of the media revealing scandal after scandal… As if it was the fault of that they were conservative that some members got involved in sex scandals… Not that he should be one to speak but at least he'd kept silent enough about that affair he'd had before being elected, and his wife had never found out. And in between bad press, he also had to try and drag the country to better economic times while having to fight the majority of his own party who wanted to keep Britain to themselves instead of going international with their views. And now this.

"Minister, I have a question…" Potter spoke. "About Muggles disregarding magic in favour of logical explanations. What did you yourself think when magic was first revealed to you?" Major looked down at his hands, reluctant to give his answer. "I… uh… tried to convince myself that it had all been a dream, and gave the evidence, a hamster that used to be a teacup, to my niece. I ignored the moving painting as much as I could because I failed in removing it, and by the time Fudge visited me for a second time, I had almost been able to pass off the whole incident as not having happened. After a few times though, I finally gave up trying to deny what was in front of me. I suppose that after seeing the same impossible thing three, four times, you have to revise your definition of 'impossible. Skepticism can be good but it can only be taken so far."

"Well, I am glad that you think so," Lord V hissed, sounding pleased. "That gives me slightly more hope for the rest of your kind."

"My kind?" he asked. "You're still human aren't you?"

A cold chuckle that made the hairs on his neck rise rose from under the hood. "Barely." The word was half-whispered, half-hissed, and he was again very glad for not being able to see the man's –or thing's- face.

"Right," he replied weakly. "But so… you wish to somehow merge our worlds… provided that you have my cooperation, how will you do that?"

"First of all by… restructuring your government. Oh don't give me that shocked look, it's only logical. I've seen the current image of it. Scandals and corruption everywhere. Do you really think that you are fit to lead?"

"What? Now wait minute, the private lives of those men and women do not influence their work. The government is perfectly fine as it is!"

"It's run by Muggles."

"As it has been for hundreds of years! Not having magic does not equal not having any intelligence or sense of responsibility!" he protested. "We are human!" Did these people really think that they were better in everything because they were born abnormal…?

"Exactly. Human and flawed. Whereas we are super-human, chosen by nature and magic to bear power greater than any of your kind could ever imagine or handle. We were born to rule, to lead."

"Crabbe and Goyle?" Potter, muttered, and he supposed he was missing some inside information yet again because he had no clue what he was trying to say.

"All rules have exceptions," Lord V said, annoyed. "Apparently even magic can make mistakes…"

"Fudge also didn't exactly look 'fit to rule," Major threw in defensively. "You don't really think that everyone here will just let magical people take their place and go home jobless, do you?"

"Let's be very clear," Lord V hissed, a wand suddenly at the Prime Minister's throat. "You can either cooperate or be made to cooperate."

"You can't force me!"

"I'd beg to differ... Imperio!"

Suddenly, everything became cloudy and fuzzy. He smiled at nothing when the sudden feeling of peace came over him slowly, descending like a cloak over his mind. There was a voice too, telling him to lie down on the floor. He didn't see why not… it would be nice to finally get some rest. When he was about to do so however, he heard another voice, telling him to pick up the letter opener and plant it in his arm. He frowned, but then another wave of reassurance hit him and it suddenly seemed reasonable enough. He felt himself walking to the desk, felt the cool metal in between his fingers…

Then, it was pulled away by someone, and he panicked. The voice would be mad if he didn't comply! He needed the letter opener, needed it! With a wild cry, he attacked the thief and tried to get it back, when all of a sudden his head cleared and he was left feeling shaken and confused. He looked at the grim face of Black, who was glaring at Lord V and placed the letter opener back on the desk with an audible clanking sound.

"What happened?" he whispered.

"Someone went a tad too far with threats there," Black furiously said, and Major suddenly remembered what he had just been about to do, a chill racing up his spine.

"Resorting to violence and manipulative magic to get me over to your side now?" he breathlessly said, throwing the innocent-looking metal a fearful look. "If you will force my hand and words in the end, why the long explanation beforehand?"

"So you know what we do and why… You are far more useful when willing than as a mindless puppet. To make you realise that even without the violence, we are the best choice you have. So choose Minister, between them and us. We can't afford to wait much longer. The city is burning and we need to return to the battlefield to dim some of the fires. I do hope that my demonstration just now serves as a good example of the outcome if you are not quick enough with your choice." Lord V ended darkly, and Major got the idea that the man was enjoying the threatening immensely.

He heaved a heavy sigh. Of course the outcome was clear… in all choices. Voluntarily or not, he would aid them. But for himself, he didn't want to choose to help them if he didn't see eye to eye with it. At least he would still be clean of mind when being a puppet. However, from everything he had heard before, their side seemed to be what was best for Britain, both magical and Muggle alike, and if he was conscious and able to extort influence, to work together with them and have a say in important decisions… that would give his people the trust he needed.

Major, the one who introduced a new age, the first Prime minister in the age of magic… that title held quite some merits. He'd have never thought that he, leader if the conservative party, would be working towards and looking forward to something so new and risky, but he was. It was an exciting prospect. "What exactly is in it for me though?" he finally dared to ask. All the talk of reorganising the government had made him wary... he wasn't planning on aiding anything that would land himself on the streets.

"As reward you shall keep your position, as one of the only Muggles who will still be high in the government… You shall serve as a bridge between our worlds, and gain enough money, fame and press coverage to keep you happy, I assume. The only ones you shall still have to answer to will be me and whoever I appoint as your magical equivalent."

"Why not take that position yourself?"

"Too much paperwork… too much in the spotlights, far too many laws to uphold, social gatherings, press. I'm going to keep doing what I do now and do best: being a Dark Lord and pulling strings out of sight."

"I can live with that," he answered, maybe a tad too fast. It did not ease him that the new, self-appointed leader of their country had a problem with upholding laws, but he could hardly refuse now. "You swear that Muggles won't become second-ranked citizens?"

"I swear their positions will not lower from their current one…" The wording wasn't lost to him, not the implications, but with the promise of keeping his job, Major was certain of that he'd keep enough influence to make changes where necessary for ensuring the protection of his people.

"Very well then, we have struck ourselves a deal. I shall make sure of that you have backup from the army as fast as humanly possible."

" I suppose your idea of humanly possible differs greatly from mine, but it is acceptable. We shall draw up contracts at a later date… You made the right choice, Minister. We will be in touch." Lord V spoke, satisfaction in his voice. Major just gave a grim smile, hoping that he wasn't throwing the future of the country away by giving power to someone who hid in the shadows.

Black gave a short bow while Potter just nodded curtly and allowed the Dark Lord to put an arm around his waist, a gesture that seemed a tad too intimate to him and rose both question marks and alarm bells in him. From the vague information he could recall now from Fudge, Potter had been an enemy of Lord V before… All three disappeared in a swirling mass, leaving the woman, whose mouth twitched in obvious annoyance.

"Oh yes, why not, leave the Muggle without means of transportation will you." She sourly said. Major hesitated for a moment before pulling a chair back.

"Please sit madam... unless you have immediate business to attend to?"

She gave him a sharp, calculating look but then walked to the chair and sat down. It surprised him how she still looked so dangerous, poised as if she could shoot forward and be on the other side of the room in a second if necessary, all her muscles tense. "I'm not a madam. Call me Shay."

"Shay then… I was wondering what you were doing with them… You… work for Lord… Lord V-thingie? He didn't seem to appreciate you. Why did you take this job?"

"Voldemort. And yes, I do. He's hired me for protection. Thought it would not come across well if he'd be bringing magical bodyguards."

"How did you get in contact with… with magic though? He wants it to be open, but it wasn't before."

"I have a background. I got in contact with it when I was very small. That's more than you need to know. As for your earlier question… I work for the gold, but mainly to improve my reputation. I angered some people I shouldn't and it got so bad that, despite my skills, I hardly got any work. The letter from the Dark Lord was a godsend… even though some people might see it more as devil's work. But it's rare for one like me to be hired by magical people, much less someone with so much influence. I had only one option when asked, really. If I had refused that would have been the permanent end of any chances to get my career back up the rails."

"Someone like you?" Major asked. "What is it that you studied?"

"Forget that. Just say I had a chance and took it, and leave it at that." She answered, and he realised too late that she he had gone too far with questioning her. This was a woman with closely guarded secrets, which he would not be able to discover by just asking.

"I didn't mean to pry," he hastily said, but it was too late. She was already standing.

"Have a good day, prime Minister. Oh, and if you really want to make a difference, look better into the cases of missing children and don't allow for the police to drop a case after a few months. Those children might grow up in places beyond your worst imagination or die after years of being in such situations." With those last words, she was gone, as if vanished into thin air, and Major doubted she was as much of a Muggle as she had said.

Mulling over her words, he sat down before abruptly shaking himself from those thoughts. He had other things to attend to…. Lord V wouldn't be happy if he did not get the promised back-up. Shaking off his thoughts in favour of more important matters, he picked up the phone, having quite a few calls to make.


I hope you all liked the chapter.. next up is the end of the battle ^^

Read and review please. For any suggestions, questions or requests, leave a message ^^
xx