Darkest before Dawn

"We have entered uncharted territory. If it fails, everything will be lost. But if you make it, it will be the first exam in the journey to kill Voldemort." Ginny whispered to Harry. Just two hours ago she bit the scar Voldemort had left on her Harry. A green substance had dropped out of the wound and disappeared in a loud screech. Harry was still unconscious. Even through their Bond Ginny could not feel anything from him. The only ones keeping her company were Erik and Catherine. The professors had returned to their routine to play the loyal order members for Dumbledore. Luckily, it was a quidditch free weekend, otherwise the two would have tipped Dumbledore off. Dobby brought them their meals while they kept an eye on Harry. His body seemed to have accepted his wife's blood without consequences. Injuries from the summer training disappeared. Ginny could have gone meeting her friends, but Erik insisted that she stayed, in case Harry woke up and was fuzzy. Then, on Sunday, Harry James Potter opened his striking green eyes again. He was confused, but as soon as he felt himself in Ginny's embrace, he smiled. "Thank you." he whispered. ~Any time, anywhere, my love.~ As the two entered the next make-out session, the soldiers left the room.

In the next week Erik reviewed all Intel they had on Tom and his terrorist network. Fudge still refused to believe that the dark lord was back and, overall, nobody believed in the possibility of a new threat. Due to their slacking off the Wizengamot had signed a law which would render the minister, and with extent his orders, to be immune to justice. It had only been a small paragraph, hidden among lines concerning punishment for underage wizardry. As such, Umbridge was still free to do as she pleased, but she was quickly losing the backing of the ministry workers, who didn't believe in blood purity or pure blood supremacy. Of course they couldn't go on strike, but work to rule was just as effective in delaying the preposterous laws and decrees, so a counter law could be passed.

But one was never changed: The power of the ministry to name a professor for Hogwarts, should the current headmaster not find someone adequate. As Albus was away to look for horcruxes and plan how to get Harry back under his wings, he signed the retirement request of Professor Burbage, but forgot to look for a replacement teacher. Fudge took the chance and appointed, Dolores Umbridge. Luckily, without the extra powers of an Inquisitor. Percy, thanks to his rather boring position of the head of the Department for Education, managed to get a new rule passed, that ministry appointed teachers had to have their point deductions and detentions reviewed by the head of house of the concerned student, unless the appointed teacher had an actual teaching license and several years of experience. Which Umbridge didn't have. A new worker in his small department of ten people had the idea to get the ICW to send an observer, like they did last year.

The students were sad to see Professor Burbage leave, well not all of them, but those who didn't keep to themselves. A collective groan went through their ranks as it was announced that Umbridge would replace her. To place a woman who hated muggles for a living was a sure way to separate the magical people from their non-magical counterparts. As it was a purely theoretical class, problems should not arise with Umbridge, but the woman picked on every bad thing muggles had done, like the Witch-hunt during the Early Modern Period, from 1480 to 1750.

Catherine watched Erik during the classes they escorted Ginny. She knew that he had a hard time listening to rubbish and not open his mouth. Especially now, when he was not undercover. They listened to another rant about how muggles behaved like animals, when it was surprisingly Hermione who exploded. "Excuse me, professor, but that was about three hundred years ago. Humanity has changed since then."

"Fifty points from Gryffindor for lying, Miss Granger. Muggles are animals. They have no intelligence and cannot develop."

"If you mean wars, you can be right, however these are usually caused by a minority and the majority has to suffer." Harry injected. "Forty points taken for interrupting me, Mr Potter. I am the teacher here, I am always right." From the other side of the room Draco added. "But if muggles are so inferior as you display them, how did one beat Professor Lockhart?"

"Lockhart was a half-blood. His muggleside tainted his magic, therefore he was weak."

Erik shook his head. If there hadn't been children in this room, he would have killed Umbridge then and there. Not a clean kill, but a cruel, slow one. Catherine watched with worry. She knew Erik could be the warm-hearted, laid back friend, but he could also be the cold-blooded killer, whose mission always came first. Now he was more in killer mode. ~Calm down. We will get rid of her.~ She sent. A small shadow caressed his neck and Erik leaned into it. ~Still. This is the worst bullshit I heard from her. By the way, isn't there going to be a raid in the vicinity of her home?~ ~Thinking what I'm thinking?~ ~Maybe we should ask Emerald and Phoenix about their opinion?~

The next Friday Harry received an invitation of Dumbledore to join him. He acknowledged it.

But in the evening, a headmaster waited for his student forever. It was because said student had left the castle. He wandered around until Fawkes appeared with a speaker. Albus was surprised and looked at it. Then he heard voices coming over.

"This is Echo. We are on route to target, ETA two minutes."

"Echo, this is Eagle. Rounds are chambered and we are ready to engage hostiles at the LZ."

"Copy that. Remember, stealth is key. We go in and leave before they now what hit them."

"Echo is jumping. We will maintain Christmas for thirty seconds before we return to base. Rainbow Six will extract you in five mikes, Sidekick 1 over and out."

"Snipers, take out their eyes."

Faint metallic clicks were heard on the speaker. Albus scribbled a note to Kingsley and Moody. The first would need to help him finding out where this device came from while the latter should find and stop this massacre.

"LZ is clear. Echo team is moving in. Eagle, watch the front entrance. Should they bail, mow them down. Go loud if you have to."

"Echo, Phoenix here" a female voice joined. "Emerald and I are in bound. No sign of the target yet."

"Stay low, five airborne targets, confirmed as hostiles."

Suddenly loud spell casting was heard. "Shit, we have been compromised! GO LOUD!" Constant chatter came out of the speaker.

"Target has been neutralized. It was indeed a horcrux. Whoa!"

"Sitrep!" "Emerald took a hit. Hostile down. I'm moving him out. Good luck."

"Team! Regroup and retreat! Objective has been reached. Team, eagle, provide cover fire, disapparate when you are finished."

"Got it, Sir. We'll see you on the other side."

Three minutes later the speaker went silent. By now the most trusted order members were in the headmaster's office and Kingsley had no mean to backtrack the device as it self-destructed by falling to dust. "Wh..What was that?" Minerva managed to stutter out. "That is for us to find out. Of the voices, I have no doubt that it was this Task Force Cobra. It sounded like they sustained heavy losses for the destruction of a horcrux which I might add, was a lost cause. A horcrux can only be destroyed by magical means."

On Saturday morning Harry was still sore. He envied Ginny, who was fresh as ever. "How can you be so happy this early." he complained. He turned her attention away from her blood drink and she kissed him on the lips. "I don't need so much sleep as you do, sleepy head." Harry grumbled something under his breath, but stopped as Ginny slapped the back of his head. "I heard that! Don't worry. I will handle your punishment personally." She said with an evil grin. They stopped laughing at Harry's expense, when the Daily Prophet arrived.

Attack on Pure-Blood Community

Last night an attack on a pure-blood community near Glasgow was attacked. Hints indicate that the attackers were only muggles. Wizards, who had been accused of being Death Eaters, have been found dead on the ground of a manor. It is a reason to be concerned as the dead have indeed been identified as known Death Eaters and people who had claimed to be under the Imperius curse during the last war. Another reason is that highly ranker staff members as the Minister and his undersecretary live in the very same community. However, fought out there caused high collateral damage, as many houses received small damages from a small metal arrow, while another was completely leveled by a large explosion. Still, we at the Prophet wonder who did this. It is clear that they targeted this terrorist cell. They might have done us a great service with removing the threat from out pure-bloods. Ministry Fudge commented: "Even if they did something good, these muggles were obviously informed about the magical population. The Statute of Secrecy has been broken. I assure you that we will find the leak and have the person and his or her group trialled. They will face charges of endangering the magical population and murder. You might now say that Death Eaters deserve such a death, still they could be a coincidental target. Maybe these terrorists will strike again and next time it might hit someone else, not Death Eaters. I'd like you to remember the history we had with the muggles. Ancient and Noble houses like the Dumbledores and the Gaunts have suffered from the muggles, their blood line is nearly extinct. See what happened to the Potters, when James Potter decided to bring muggle blood into his family."

Harry didn't read further and Ginny was so angry that she burned the paper to a pile of ash. Hermione looked up from her copy with a questioning look. "Maybe you should talk to Dumbledore." she said, only for Harry and Ginny to scowl at the idea. "Not with that man. He controlled enough of my life." Harry said as he left with Ginny and the Ranger command squad in tow.

Dumbledore looked after the couple. He had hoped that the return of Umbridge would cause Harry to run to him, begging for help, but it didn't happen. After yesterday, he suspected that the Rangers could have something to do with the speaker incident, but they were always around Harry and the wards would have prevented him to pass the border of the grounds and leave the castle. The place community attacked was indeed a location where he had suspected a horcrux. It was the snake. Keep your friends close but your enemies closer. It would be like Voldemort to hide directly under the minister's nose. Heck, He could probably hide in Fudge's basement and the man would not be any wiser. Albus looked onto the list he had. The diary was gone, so was probably the ring. He suspected that the muggles were on a horcrux hunt, as the signs he found at the shack was over all the other possible locations he had gone to. The horcrux in Harry couldn't be removed unless he died. Which had to be done by Tom. He himself couldn't do it. The shitstorm he would face was to great. The people needed him, even if they did not know or admit it. He regretted to have to have sent young Harry to his death, but this was the only chance. With his nearly not existent training, he would have been captured and brought to Tom to be killed. Then Dumbledore, master of magic could beat Tom. All for the greater good. The magical world was at stake here. He could not change it because of a few selfish wishes for love and romance.

Albus reviewed the latest things he had on Voldemort. A cave, where he went with his orphanage. Two muggle boys had returned, completely insane. Another significant event. This one he would investigate with Harry. He decided that, with the lacking trust, a direct approach would be good.

Harry,

I have found a horcrux location. I would like you to come along to watch the line of work you will do in the future. Meet me this evening after dinner.

Albus Dumbledore

Harry saw the piece of parchment. ~Should I go?~ ~It is a chance to get a horcrux.~ Ginny replied. ~Don't forget, where ever you will be, I will be able to get there. I can take Erik and Catherine with me. She can then get more reinforcements.~ Harry kissed her again. ~Did I tell you that I love you for your ideas?~ ~You love me for much more, but I will never get tired to hear it again.~ She snickered.

The evening after a defty meal he walked up to the gargoyle. The guardian let him pass and he entered the room. "Professor?"

Erik geared up. Of all locations, the cave was not on their list. He had listened to the Potters' idea and had agreed with them. Now he made sure his gear was functional. Catherine, Morgan, Kelly and McCord checked their CQC equipment. Morgan had swapped his M240 with an AA-12 shotgun while David opted for his reliable MP5. Kelly had simply exchanged the ACOG for a red dot and the M203 launcher for an underbarrel mounted M-26 MASS. With the laser modification it sprayed weaker beams, but plenty of them to compensate.

They holstered their weapons and regrouped with Ginny. She absorbed Harry's armor. Another fire washed over her and she was in full gear herself. The orange tinted visor snapped down on her node and the HuD activated.

Harry entered the cave. In the middle of it was a lone island with a large drinking trough. They took the boat to it. He wondered why there was a boat at all and sent it to Ginny. In the through was a locket. It looked familiar. ~Haven't we seen this one when your mum tried to purge Sirius' home?~

~Yeah. The Cobras took the garbage though. I'll ask Erik to send someone to find it.~

Harry didn't do anything to stop Dumbledore from drinking the stuff. He had learned not to drink anything he didn't know, but if Albus wanted to do this in his greatness, he won't stop him. This man had caused nearly all of his pain. Voldemort has killed his parents, yes, but his remaining life had been irreversibly destroyed by this one. Then he heard Ginny shout: ~Hogwarts is under attack! We are fighting now. I hope you can get out of there.~

Harry looked panicked as the inferi appeared. Albus conjured a fire ring, but he could only hold them back for so long. "Sir, can you apparate us out?" When Albus did so, Harry latched onto the magic, picturing Ginny in his head and hoped that it would work. He took one last look out of the cave. "Why is it darkest before dawn?" he whispered as he felt himself being twisted around.