Edited by the mighty pazed!

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Chapter 24

The smell of coffee drifted into the room, causing Tony to take a deep breath as he sat up on the edge of the bed. "Oh god, tell me you brought me a cup of that heavenly brew."

Natasha nodded, handing him the large porcelain cup. "Cream, no sugar."

Tony took a sip, and sighed. "Perfect."

"What time did you get to sleep Tony?" she asked.

"Ummm… about seven I think, the sun had been up a while," he replied, taking another sip. "I needed to check my suit's systems after that blowout, and have JARVIS start fabrication of the new replacement modules back at the tower… what time is it anyway?"

"It's almost one now, we were holding off on lunch till you were up. Fury wants to talk to all of us," she said, heading for the door. "I'll tell them you'll be down after you're dressed."

"Right," he said as the door slid shut. "JARVIS?"

"Sir?" the AI responded.

"Status?" he said, slipping into his slacks and sliding into his silk shirt.

"Power levels holding at seventy three percent, but the readings from the reactor are ciritical, I can not recommend the usage until such time as the new modules are installed," JARVIS said flatly. "Fabrication of a new Arc Reactor is almost complete, along with replacement parts for the Mark VIII amour. I took the liberty of arranging them to be loaded on the first transport available after completion. They should arrive by no later than four am tomorrow local time."

"Thank you JARVIS," he said, finishing up and running a brush through his hair. "That's perfect, have it sent to the lab when it gets here."

"As you wish, sir," the disembodied voice intoned.

Tony chuckled as he entered the conference room. "Good morning!" he said, sliding into the seat furthest away from Nick. "Did I miss anything important?"

"Stark!" Fury growled. "Some of us have places to be! So be quiet and listen up!" said the dark skinned man.

"First off," he said, gesturing towards the two new faces at the table. "I'd like to thank Mr. Whitman and Ms. Davis, for their help last night.

The pair nodded slightly, Dane smiling widely as he spoke. "It was an honor sir!"

Fury continued. "Last night was a heavy blow to Riddle's forces," he said, turning towards the large screen behind him and standing. "We suspect that we encountered the majority of his first strike and assault forces at Hogwarts, all of which were destroyed, as were the traps he had laid out on the grounds, involving the forest creatures and the zombies in the lake. Excellent job people."

"As for where we are at the moment," he said, clicking to the next image. "Banner just contacted me; Hermione had to break off contact with him during the mission due to the zombie squid…" He shook his head in disbelief that he had even said such a statement. "Barton, you go pick him up when we are finished here, he's in a village in the Alps. I've sent the coordinates to your communicator."

The spy nodded. "Stark? Our new friend could use some help," he said, gesturing to the young woman with mostly white hair. "Evidently her abilities come from some form of imbedded technology. Look it over," the man said. "She said some of it, the part that she could use to return to her home, seems to be non-operational."

Tony's eyes widened. "Really?" he asked, surprised. "How did you get something like that?"

"Ummm… I kind of found it, originally… It was in a pair of these really fucking cool gold trainers! Found them in an alley back home… put them on and… BANG! I'm in a new world! You would not fucking believe that place! The world was one huge mall!"

The rest of the room was silent as she continued her story. "So I did what anybody that had had my life would do, I went shopping. Bought this hella cool radio, can search any station, and play it directly into my head… Then I ran into some guys that wanted the shoes back and I ended up running from those asshats 'cause they seemed intent on killing me to get them.

"That's when they sent Killpower, his real name is Julius Mullarkey, he was a genetically engineered soldier… grown in a vat of this orange shit," she said, looking sadly at them. "H- he was only three when I met him… And had killed over sixty people on their orders. He didn't understand killing for fun was wrong… They royally screwed him up… It was all just a game to him… His bosses had sent him after me to get the shoes, something they called MOPED/ Mind Operated PErsonal Dematerialization. He was the one that actually taught me how the damn things worked, showing me how they would allow us to jump through time and dimensions to escape the owners of Mys-Tech, the people who created them."

"I was shot, in the throat, just as we jumped about a year ago… And Jules used the tech in my shoes and parts from a sonic blaster to fix my voice box," she said rubbing at her throat unconsciously. "The sonic scream seems to be working but the dimension distortion… It doesn't."

Tony nodded slowly, still not sure if he believed the girl but he would make that decision after he had taken a look at her throat. "I'll take a look as soon as we're done here… Dr. Fleming probably needs to look at her as well… and I'll want some equipment from my lab at Stark Tower."

Nick nodded. "Make the arrangements, and contact Fleming."

Nick turned to Dane Whitman. "You said that your family is pledged to protect Great Britain?"

"Yes, sir," said the man resting his arm on top of his dark helmet. "My family was charged by King Arthur to protect the realm, from all manner of threats… unfortunately my family lost Avalon's favor due to the actions of my great grandfather and his brother. During which time my great uncle used the Mantle, after my grandfather's death, along with the cursed Ebony Blade to his own ends.

"This ended when my father returned from the United States in 2010… In the end my father was killed and my great uncle was defeated and saw how t he had injured our family. He then took me in and trained me, as he had been, to be a knight, while I attended Uni."

"Appeased, Avalon accepted the return of our family into its good graces and bestowed on me the Mantle of the Black Knight, as well as 'the Sword of Light and the Shield of Night' and bid me to return honor to my family name by once again protecting the realm."

"And this led to you arriving at Hogwarts how?"

"My grandfather," Dane said in a quiet tone. "He's a ghost now. He blames himself for what happened between my great uncle and himself. He helped him train me, and has promised to help guide me as much as he is able. He can commune with Avalon."

Hermione gasped. "You know where Avalon is?

He chuckled. "No, our family just has a connection to it, mine is still growing and someday I too will be guided as my grandfather is."

"And what was this Ebony Blade?" asked Fury.

The man sighed. "My great uncle fell prey to it when my grandfather was chosen to be the Black Knight rather than him… It is a magical blade forged from a metal that fell from the sky centuries ago, and is an ebony color just as the name implies. It has the ability to cut through any known substance, and deflect any attack."

Hawkeye whistled. "Sounds impressive."

"It is, and beautiful as well… But the blade is cursed. If the owner ever uses it to draw blood he is slowly driven insane with blood lust… My father gave his life to finally free my great uncle from its curse."

Fury looked concerned. "And where is this blade now."

"Safe," Dane said with a small smile. "It has been taken to Avalon."

Fury grunted, but accepted the answer. "Harry how long do you think it will take for Voldemort to get another body?"

Harry shrugged. "Last time it was fourteen years… This time?" He sat forward, elbows on the table. "Who knows? Especially with that many of his inner circle dead… He won't want to appear weak so it will limit his options of who he could approach."

"Alright," Fury said, standing. "Then we move on the Ministry building as soon as possible. I want you all rested and ready. Barton, you're with me."

"Romanov, I want you working with Potter and Granger to go through our guests. Those that are trustworthy move to the general population area; any others, leave them under lock and key." he said as he walked towards the door.

Minerva McGonagall looked up from her book when two of her favorite students entered the conference room along with a red headed woman that looked remarkably like one of her past students, a student who just happened to be the mother of one of those students.

"Mr. Potter, Ms. Granger, Ms. Romanov," she said, acknowledging them.

"Sorry to keep you waiting Professor," Hermione said, sitting across from her. "We had an eventful night and had some things to discuss this morning about what happened."

The elder lady nodded. "That is quite understandable," she replied. "I always come prepared," she said, patting the book on the table. "Albus was often running late, so I carry something to read to every meeting. I trust it went well?"

Harry chuckled. "Sounds like someone else I know."

Hermione glared at him as Harry continued to answer, "Well Old Moldy is in search of a body again."

Minerva's eyes went wide. "You faced him and won?"

"Faced him, yes," Harry replied. "But I wasn't the one that beat him this time. This time it was a new friend, Harley… She's a muggle."

Minerva's eyes went wide. "A muggle! How…"

Hermione smirked. "Let's just say she… lives up to her nickname…"

Natasha changed the subject at that point. "We are speaking to you first…" She began pushing several stacks of photos across the table to her... "for your opinions on the people we have here at the moment."

Minerva looked at the stacks of photos; the first was one of muggleborns. Her face turned sad. "Muggleborns… first generation witches and wizards… Some of these people I haven't seen in a number of years, but I know them. Why?"

"We need to know if any of them may have skills that would be useful in an interim government, accounting, healing, law, or law enforcement, even secretarial."

The elder educator looked through the pages of the first stack again. "Marina Louis always had a good head for numbers, though her name says it's Michelson," she said, putting a picture to the side. "And David Breaks wanted to become an Auror," she said, placing his to the side. She sighed over the others. "I can say if I recognize several faces, but the names are different, and I do not know what they went on to do after Hogwarts."

She picked up the next stack. "My current students?" she asked.

Natasha nodded. "Other than the Slytherins, they are still under the effects of the potions at the moment. We need to know if any of them could be dangerous."

Minerva shook her head. "They're just children, sur-"

Harry cut her off. "And what am I?" he asked, his voice full of anger. "Or Hermione? I know for a fact the Ferret has taken the dark mark, as have some of his pals! Their age doesn't matter! Only the danger they could cause!"

She sighed again and began separating a few photos. "I've suspected these students of reporting to the Carrows… but without their wands or access to potion materials I do not think they pose a threat to your friends."

Harry nodded and took them from her hand. "How about to the other students? Are they a danger to them?" he asked, but didn't wait for an answer. "We'll separate these from the groups now." He stood and motioned to Hermione.

When the door shut Minerva hung her head. "They certainly have changed over the last year."

"More than just their appearance," Natasha agreed. "Even in the short amount of time I have known them they have grown."

Minerva shook her head sadly. "I have been thinking about what Mr. Potter said in the Headmaster's office…" she said softly, "and discussed a few hard truths with Filius, Pomona and the other professors…" She paused, taking a breath. "While I still believe he was a great man… Albus made many mistakes…"

Natasha watched the woman across from her, studying her carefully.

"I want to believe that he was trying to do the right thing," she said, "but the more I have discussed the things that have happened since Harry came…" She paused again and shook her head slowly. "No, it began long before that… before when Harry started Hogwarts… before he was left with the Dursley's… possibly even before his parents began their education at Hogwarts… He was doing things that had dire consequences… especially if any of that woman, Skeeter's, book can be believed."

Minerva McGonagall removed her glasses and rubbed her tear filled eyes. "And we were no better, we all saw things that gave us pause, but he was Albus Dumbledore… Surely he knew best… He was the greatest wizard since Merlin… We… We let this happen… and now our world… our children are paying a heavy price."

Natasha stood, her chair rasping harshly on the tile floor. She paused just before opening the door. "We all have done things we regret, things that we judge ourselves more harshly for than anyone else could, that is just a fact. Albus made mistakes, large ones; he was willing to sacrifice the innocent and the just, for the chance to redeem the fallen."

She turned to look at the woman still sitting at the table. "He was more interested in souls of his enemies than in the lives of his people. If he felt that was his calling, he could have been a priest, or a philosopher. He had numerous chances to change things for the better, and he held numerous positions of power within your government…"

She took a deep breath, "A great man once said, 'all it takes for evil to flourish is for good men to do nothing', and that is exactly what your 'good' man did, nothing."

"He didn't use his position in your legislature and court system to see that the laws were adhered to and corruption pursued." She ticked off a finger.

"He didn't use his position within the international community to secure help when Riddle had been exposed after his return." She ticked off again.

"He let eleven years roll by at the status quo with people who should have been arrested and placed in prison getting away with bribes and corruption under his very nose!" She ticked off another finger.

"We won't even go into the things he did to Harry!" she said angrily.

"But worst of all," she said, regaining control. "He allowed the same behavior within the walls of your Hogwarts… he may have even encouraged it!"

Minerva's eyes went wide and she began to protest. "Think about it before you speak! What would it have been like to take classes with Severus Snape? Harry told us and Hermione confirmed it. Points off for breathing too loudly, derogatory names for a student, attacking the memory of that same student's father, blatant favoritism to his own house… the list goes on."

"Or the pink wearing woman," she continued. "I saw Harry's hand… heard the story of how that woman tortured a fifteen year old student with a quill that wrote in his own blood even as it carved 'I will not tell lies' into his hand! And I do not believe he was the only one she did it to, as I have seen at least three others!"

"He let these things happen in a school," she said. "Done by people that are supposed to be there to educate, and if necessary protect the students. We may never know why he did these things, not entirely, though we do have a few educated guesses; and perhaps we will learn something more when his portrait awakens at Hogwarts, but have no illusion, Albus Dumbledore allowed a illness to continue to grow and fester because of his actions. He may have been a good man, but in the end he did nothing. Are you going to let the same be said of you when you are gone?"

She then walked out of the door, closing it with a soft 'click'.