Disclaimer: Harry Potter and the Harry Potter world belong to JK Rowling.
A/N: Thanks for all the reviews on the last chapter. Not as many as I hoped for but the ones that were made were great. A little warning: this chapter has a mildly disturbing scene. Happy 4th of July to all my American readers! Now, on with the story!
Chapter 19
A lone cloaked figure walked confidently down the darkened alleyways of Knockturn Alley. And why shouldn't he walk confidently? He had traversed these alleys at least a hundred times if not more. He was a servant of the dark, a dangerous man who would surely kill you as to look at you.
He was a large man at about 6'5" and a solid 250 pounds. His fifty years of age did not take away from the hardness and lethality that his aura radiated. His only weakness was his boastfulness, but his boasts were never without foundation or proof. He kept trophies from all his victims; he always took the right eye. It was kind of his calling card.
His latest acquisition had been the right eye of Xenophilius Lovegood. Not that the old fool was much of a challenge. Although he never did give up the location of his daughter even considering the level of torture that was inflicted on him.
It had been three days ago that one of these callous boasts was overheard by someone that was looking for someone just… like… him. He had come to this bar in hopes of locating someone who worked for the Dark Lord and thought it would be much more difficult than it turned out to be. With his target decided upon he silently cast a tracking charm on the man's left shoe.
It was a location where most would not think to check themselves for. And since it was not on the person's body they would not feel the spell hit them if they happened to have sensitivity to magic. The man who had cast the spell slowly rose from his table and exited the pub without drawing any attention to himself.
Jugson Hayworth had killed thirty-two men, women and children in the service of the Dark Lord; they were all the same to him, just bags of skin that needed to be put down. The regulars to the alley knew his reputation well and always gave him a wide berth when they saw him coming.
Hayworth loved his job, and considered himself a professional, hearing the screams and the begging for mercy were just… added benefits.
Hayworth continued to his destination, a pub called The Wand and Dagger. This was a favorite haunt for Death Eaters and those looking to sell their unique brand of services. Those who dealt in the more… shadier sides of the wizarding world. From assassinations to blackmail, poisons to banned creatures. You could find any contact you wanted at the Wand and Dagger.
In Hayworth's mind he was at the top of the food chain here in the alley, and therefore kept his eyes forward, shoulders back. To keep looking behind one's self was to show fear and fear was the true killer. Once you showed fear you were seen as weak and anything that was week was vulnerable. And vulnerability got you killed in a place like this.
It was for this reason that Hayworth never saw the confundus charm that struck him in the back. Instead of following his normal path to the Wand and Dagger he turned left into a narrow passage that lead to an old courtyard type opening.
The alley was unnaturally dark with cold mists of fog rolling through the many passages obscuring the denizens who lived in this place. It was unnatural to those who did not frequent the alley but was a part of the everyday for those whose lives were spent in mist and shadow.
Hayworth stood perplexed for a moment wondering why he had come down this particular alleyway. His pondering was cut short though as a cloud of complete blackness seemed to materialize out of nothing obscuring the way he had just come from.
The cloud of darkness moved like a serpent as it began to encircle the killer. What was left of the confundus charm was completely overcome as Hayworth became aware of the situation happening around him. He spun this way and that looking for a way out somewhere to run, but the dark cloud had completely surrounded him.
His wand snapped up to a defensive position in front of him. His eyes darted left then right then left again trying to find something or someone to fire a spell at. All sound seemed to stop and an uneasy silence filled his ears. His heart began to speed up as his fight or flight reflexes came to the fore.
The dark cloud billowed around him slowly circling and closing in closer and closer. He fired a wind charm hoping to dispel the mist but there was no affect what so ever. He began to randomly send curses into the dense darkness.
A deep mirthless chuckle seemed to echo all around him chilling him to the bone. The voice seemed to be everywhere. Hayworth was spinning around wildly, his wand up and at the ready was pointing in random directions occasionally shooting off spell.
"WHO ARE YOU! WHAT DO YOU WANT!" Hayworth screamed into the nothingness.
The same deep mirthless chuckle returned sounding like thunder. "Why, your soul of course!" The otherworldly voice cackled.
A fiery head as large as a dragon's appeared right in front of him. Eyes as red as rubies stared down at the man, as the face chuckled Hayworth saw a mouth filled with large razor like teeth and a throat filled with snapping orange and red flames. The overpowering stench of sulfur assaulted his sense of smell.
The bodiless head circled the man smiling evilly down at the now trembling man. The head seemed to leave a trail of flames as it circled the helpless man.
"P-please…have mercy on me!" The man wailed.
"Mercy!" The voice chuckled again. "Come now human it is beneath you to beg. Begging is a sign of weakness. Did you give mercy to those who begged you for it?" The head sneered.
Hayworth fell to his knees as he felt a growing since of doom. The very air he breathed was getting heavier and pressed upon him as if attempting to suffocate him.
"P-please spare me!" Hayworth groveled.
"Your soul is too wonderfully evil for me to pass up. The blood of all those you have killed have called to me, attesting to your brutality. Your soul will be my finest prize to present to my lord." Echoed the voice, the vibrations seeming to shake the very ground Hayworth knelt upon.
"I-I-I will do anything you ask of me…just spare me." Hayworth rasped as smoke and sulfur swirled in his lungs.
"Hmmm…I suppose a trade could be worked out." The demonic voice echoed.
"Y-y-yes a trade what can I give you in trade for my soul?" The desperate man wheezed out.
"Your soul would be of great worth to me human, however, if you give me the names of all of your brethren, those who serve this pathetic mortal calling himself Voldemort." The voice spat out the name contemptuously.
"Give me all the names and I will consider it a trade." The fiery head offered as it continued to circle the whimpering man.
"Yes…yes." The man screamed. "Th-th-there is Walden MacNair, Rebastian Lestrange…" Hayworth gave up the names of at least fifty Death Eaters all the ones he knew by name.
"Very well mortal, your soul is safe for the moment." The voice snarled.
Hayworth was suddenly lifted into the air, his arms and legs stretch painfully out away from his body. "WAIT!" Hayworth screamed. "You said you would not take my soul!" he cried terror in his voice,
"And I shall not." The head sneered flames shooting out of his mouth. "However I did not promise that I would not kill you." The head laughed maniacally.
A spell hit Hayworth in the back as his clothes disappeared. A voice was heard chanting in an unknown language and then another joined it and then another and finally a fourth voice began to chant.
Hayworth began to feel a tingling in his toes. It felt little more than an itch but soon the itch began to burn like thousands of white hot needles. Hayworth began to yell and then scream.
He forced his head to look down at his feet and let out another guttural scream. The skin looked seared and began to roll up his feet to his ankles exposing raw flesh and exposed nerve endings. The flesh then began to blacken as if being slowly burned by an invisible fire. The flesh then began to slough off falling to the ground below him leaving behind bone and sinew.
The curse worked its way up his legs and then spread to his thighs his waist and manhood and finally up to his navel. The same process had also begun on his fingers, hands, and arms. Mounds of burnt flesh piled just below what remained of Jugson Hayworth.
Hayworth had succumbed to the pain and was now unconscious. The fiery head vanished with a puff of smoke and the Peruvian darkness powder ran its course and dissipated. Four hooded men dressed in blood red cloaks stepped out of the shadows and looked at their handiwork.
"All I have to say big brother is that those Egyptians were some sick puppies when they came up with that curse." One of the cloaked individuals spoke. The older man smiled wickedly but said nothing.
As the four cloaked men began to leave the area one of the men who was shorter than the rest but broad shoulder and solidly built turned toward the floating body and cast a cutting curse at the torso of Hayworth. The other three turned to look at what the fourth had done.
"Should we call you Zorro now Charlie?" One of the other three said causing a few chuckles.
The next morning Jugson Hayworth would be found. The curious onlookers looked at the intact torso and head and then at the skeletal remains of everything below the waist and arms. They were also curious about the large 'W' that had been carved into the torso.
oooOOOooo
"Move Hermione!" Bella yelled at the young witch as a low powered bludgeoning curse came toward her. Hermione dived to the ground as Harry's curse nearly found its mark. Hermione stood dusting herself off. Her face took a frustrated grimace as she cursed herself.
"Stupefy!" Hermione roared as she shot her spell at Harry.
"Protego…incarcerous!" Harry returned as ropes sped toward his best friend.
"Incendio!" The ropes hurling toward Hermione burst into flames and then to ash. "Petrificus totalis!" The spell rushed toward Harry who side stepped and let it fly by him.
"Bombarda!" The spell hit the ground in front of Hermione causing the ground to shoot toward her obscuring her view. Reflexively she covered her face to protect it from the debris.
"Expelliarmus…accio Hermione's wand." The first spell ripped Hermione's wand out of her hand as the second one found her wand flying toward Harry's outstretched hand.
Hermione was furious at losing her wand, and in a very un-Hermione like fashion she charged Harry and launched herself at Harry's middle taking the boy-who-lived by surprise and tackling him to the ground.
Harry yelled out in pain as Hermione's knee inadvertently made contact with his groin. Hermione quickly rolled off of Harry with both wands now in her hand smirking. She looked down at Harry who had rolled in to a ball rocking back and forth his hands cupping his bludgeoned nether regions.
Hermione's head looked up as she heard an approaching Bella who was clapping. "Nicely done Hermione, you overcame your moment of disadvantage and capitalized on your opponent's unwise moment of relaxing too soon."
Hermione beamed at the praise from her new mentor who was now kneeling by her husband. Bella's wand came out and was pointing directly at Harry's injured bits and muttered a healing spell. Harry visibly relaxed as the pain subsided.
"However, I'm quite fond of Harry's wonderful assets so let's try not to target that area too often." Bella smiled as she gently caressed Harry which brought a rather impressive blush to Hermione's face.
"Right. Let's analyze how each of you did and see where you did well and where you need to improve." Bella stated as she helped her husband to his feet.
Harry and Susan had joined with Hermione for her daily dueling lesson from Bella. Although Harry had the knowledge from his shared bond with Bella, he did not have the skill yet to put it to good use.
It was agreed to by everyone that they needed to be better prepared for the war that was going on around them. It was either luck or twists of fate that Hermione and Luna had lived through the attacks on their families. The two teens were determined to be prepared should they be placed in another situation where the outcome would come down to skill and not luck.
Harry knew the incantations' and wand movements as though he had been born to it, this being a result of his link with his wife. Where he needed work was in his casting speed, accuracy and finesse. Bella would comment that one could know every spell known to witch or wizard and would still lose if you couldn't hit your target.
Bella had turned the garden behind the house into a boot camp of sorts with dueling pits, stationary and moving targets, and various terrain obstacles, earth works and battlements. A five mile confidence course that weaved through the forest that surrounded the house began and ended each day for the teens and the hours in-between were filled with dueling practice.
Hermione surprised both Bella and Harry with her fierce determination in learning everything she could about dueling. She would stay up all night to the early hours of the morning studying dueling techniques, spells and curses.
This worried the husband and wife as they saw that Hermione was borderline obsessive about learning offensive spells and curses. Harry saw the drastic change in personality in his best friend from the passive individual who fought for house elf rights to a hit-witch in training. He and Bella had discussed the possibility that Hermione was more affected by the murder of her parents than they originally thought and that her motivation may be due to a need for revenge.
They would monitor Hermione closely and try and be available to her whenever she finally decided to open up to them. Another curious aspect of the couple's relationship to Hermione was that Bella was now able to sense Hermione's emotions and thoughts when she focused on the young witch. The connection was not as strong as her connection to Harry but it seemed to be growing stronger.
Harry also found his connection to Hermione growing at a rapid pace. He could sense her presence anywhere in the house. He could almost feel her emotions as strong as if they were his own. He could feel her inner turmoil over something specific but what it was he could not say.
Whatever it was it was buried deep within her and Harry would not pry into her private thoughts and emotions. As it was, he only felt her surface thoughts and emotions he would not intentionally try and enter her mind. He respected her privacy.
Bella and Harry did wonder if the connection worked both ways. But they had not discussed or approached Hermione to find out if she felt the connection. Bella had her suspicions as to what Hermione had buried so deeply within her and hoped that she was right. But she would keep this to herself, confidant that eventually it would be revealed and hoped that Hermione and Harry would accept the possibility.
Luna did not participate in the intense training with the others but found a mentor in Narcissa. Cissy was pleased that Luna had taken an interest in the healing arts as well as the lost art of rituals and blood magic.
Luna and Cissy would spend a lot of time in the ritual house. Narcissa eagerly took the young blonde as her apprentice and began to teach her the arcane arts. Narcissa had always wanted a daughter and now saw the opportunity to create a motherly relationship with the young witch.
Luna, who had lost her mother when she was nine, also saw a wonderful opportunity to be close to another mother figure. Surprisingly Luna showed an aptitude for both the healing arts and ritual magic. Luna engulfed the older blonde in a bone crushing hug when Cissy gave Luna her own first rune etching kit when she first began to study the arts. Over the years it would become one of Luna's favorite and most prized possessions.
Luna's natural ability to sense magic allowed her to understand the mechanics behind magical and blood rituals. She could see how a person's magic, blood or a person's life force, and magically infused runes connected to each other to create powerful spells, wards, curses and a number of other dark and light magics.
Narcissa could tell that Luna would be a quick study and would someday surpass her in ability. Cissy was positive that Luna would one day be a powerful enchantress who could weave magic with an ease only seen once before in the likes of Morgana herself.
oooOOOooo
It was two days before the private will reading of Sirius Black, and three days before the public reading. Bella felt that they all needed new robes and cloaks that befitted the family members of the Ancient and Most Noble House of Potter.
Narcissa had solicited the services of Madam Malkin who was placed under magical oath not to reveal who she was making robes for. Bella and Harry had matching cloaks of a dark forest green made from the finest accromantula silk with the Potter family crest over the left breast.
Hermione and Luna also were measured for cloaks of accromantula silk with a shade of green just a bit lighter than Harry and Bella's. Both also had the Potter family crest upon the left breast. Complete new wardrobes were also ordered for all the Potters.
That evening another counsel of the family was called to discuss the upcoming will readings and to discuss the actions the family would take against Dumbledore. Those in attendance included all the Potters, Narcissa, Susan and Amelia Bones, Andromeda and for the first time Nymphadora Tonks.
Andi had asked Harry if she could bring her daughter into the secret. Harry had agreed after Andi had told him of Nymphadora's disillusionment of Dumbledore and her feeling that he was not leading the order in the right direction to defeat Voldemort.
Tonks as she demanded that everyone call her, was stunned at the revelation that Harry was actually still alive and married to Bellatrix of all people. It took the young metamorph about an hour and two shots of fire whiskey before she was able to accept everything she had been told.
The betrayal of Hermione and Luna by the headmaster had thrown her for a loop as Hermione shared with her the conversation she had with Snape after he killed her father. Tonks' hair had turned to an angry red as she let loose a barrage of profanities all aimed at the bearded old goat.
As it so happened Tonks was able to provide a wealth of information about the current membership of the Order of the Phoenix and the various operations that the headmaster had going and a few future plans as well. Amelia was angered when she learned of a few of the spies Dumbledore had within the Ministry. She would deal with these people soon enough she thought to herself.
Harry and Hermione were surprised to hear of the split within the Weasley family. Apparently Bill Weasley had a falling out with his mother about Dumbledore and that had created a fissure between the two. Ron, Ginny, and Percy had sided with their mother, while Charlie and the twins had sided with Bill.
Tonks informed them that there was a rumor that Bill was planning on waging his own war against Voldemort. Bill had tried to convince his mother that Dumbledore's methods of wait and see were getting people killed and that they needed to bring the fight to the Dark Lord.
Molly's unwillingness to even doubt the headmaster is what eventually caused the split between the redheaded family. It was discussed within the family to reach out to Bill and possibly form an alliance with the eldest Weasley male. Harry had always liked the twins who like Hermione had never once turned their backs on Harry. Tonks was given the mission to reach out to Bill and feel him out for a possible alliance.
Harry understood the importance of having allies and people you trust around you. He was keenly aware that sooner or later the war would pull them all back into the fray and the more support you had the better your chances were to survive.
Now that Tonks was a part of the 'Family', Susan asked about possibly approaching the Longbottoms about a similar alliance. Susan had been dating Neville since last term but had not revealed the knowledge of Harry to him.
"I think they would be powerful allies Harry, especially within the Wizengamot. Lady Longbottom is a political powerhouse and has no love for the blood supremacists. And as an added benefit, she has no love for the headmaster either, and could be key to any legal proceedings we bring against him." Amelia offered.
"The only thing I worry about is Neville's reaction to Bella. He's grown up believing that she was responsible for the torture of his parents." Harry stated looking at his wife and squeezing her hand gently.
"This will all be academic in a few days Harry." Narcissa commented. "After the will reading the cat will be out of the bag anyway. Everyone will know that you're still alive and that Bella is Lady Potter. It is better to try and form this alliance while the secret still holds than to try and form it with the media circus that will inevitably happen."
"Narcissa makes a good point love. We should get our base together before we re-announce you to the world and me as your wife. We will need to show strength and solidarity. With the support of the Bones, and Longbottom families behind you, there will be few families who would try and move against you.
Whether you want it or not my love, you will be a political player in the Wizengamot and if things happen the way I believe they will you will be the head of two Ancient and Noble families and have control over nine seats. Five seats that are owned by the Potters and four that belong to the Blacks. When you add the Bones' seats and the Longbottom seats you will have a very powerful voting bloc." Bella finished staring warmly at her husband.
"She's right Harry." Amelia stated. 'It's not enough just to defeat Voldemort or Dumbledore. The real battle will begin within the walls of the Ministry. Changing the status quo will not be easy and will require a lot of political power to change it." Amelia stated.
"You have the ability to do this Harry." Cissy added. "And as long as Lucius is in Azkaban I make the decisions for house Malfoy and my votes are your votes Harry." Cissy stated fondly.
"Okay, okay…you've convinced me." Harry chuckled. "Amelia your close to Lady Longbottom, would you approach her on behalf of House Potter. If she wants to meet with me tomorrow I would be agreeable to a time and place of her choosing". Harry stated getting a nod from Amelia and an excited smile from Susan who hated keeping this secret from her boyfriend.
The meeting continued with Amelia reporting on the list of crimes that she and Andi had come up with. Andi being the lawyer of the family had prepared several legal briefs to submit before the Wizengamot. The plan was to submit the paper work to the court while Albus was at the will reading. It was hoped by doing it this way Albus would not have time to block the filing of the charges with the DMLE.
If all went well a warrant for the arrest of Albus Dumbledore would be issued before the end of the will reading. Ameila would then make sure that aurors were stationed outside of Gringotts to affect the arrest.
Everyone seemed to be cautiously hopeful that everything went their way. However as the saying goes no plan ever survived its first encounter with the enemy. But the politically astute Narcissa had back-up plans should Albus somehow managed to overturn his arrest.
The meeting adjourned and everyone left for their respective homes. Narcissa stayed at the manor as she had been since Harry's rescue. She headed for the kitchen for a cup of tea closely followed by a hungry Luna looking for a quick snack.
Bella had noticed during the meeting all the small glances that Hermione made toward Harry when she thought no-one was watching. The look on Hermione's face was one of confusion and maybe a little bit of sadness. Bella felt it was time to have a little heart to heart with the girl who had been a part of her husband's life for so long.
Bella rose from her seat next to Harry and walked over to Hermione who had been sitting on Harry's other side. She reached out and grabbed Hermione's hand and lifted her from her seat. A confused Hermione looked up at Bella who had a warm and loving look on her face. Without turning her gaze away from Hermione she stated…
"Harry, Hermione and I are going to have a little girl talk for awhile okay." Bella said sweetly.
"Uh…sure I have a letter I need to write anyway." Harry said.
"Wonderful!" Bella said. She then pulled Hermione along with her kissing Harry's cheek as she passed.
"Don't wait up love; we may be chatting for awhile." Bella said winking at the young witch who was more perplexed than before. The two witches then disappeared up the stairs.
Harry sat at the desk and penned a short letter. He had wanted to send this sense Amelia had informed him of the situation.
The sun was barely rising in the Scottish Highlands as Minerva McGonagal poured herself the first cup of coffee of the day. She had barely sat down to enjoy the caffeinated ambrosia when she when her early morning solitude was disturbed by a tapping at her kitchen window. The former deputy headmistress rose from her seat and opened her kitchen window. An owl flew past her and alighted on the small circular kitchen table.
The austere Scott turned around abruptly to chastise the owl for disturbing her so early in the morning. Her eyes then widened as she looked at the majestic Snowy Owl.
"…Hedwig?"
A/N: Okay a bit more action in this chapter, plus at least one more ally and possibly more to come. Did you guess who the four cloaked men were? Kind of obvious I know ; p Things are beginning to move now and will likely speed up. Next chapter is the eagerly anticipated will reading. Hope you enjoyed the chapter. Please Read and Review.