Quoth the Raven
Disclaimer: See Chapter 1. Reviews are welcomed, flames aren't. If you don't recognize any characters, then they are an OC to help move the plot along.
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CHAPTER 40: The Only Word There Spoken
Silence fell over the village of Hogsmeade. Where once screams and blasts of spell-fire had held sway, now the silence of shock and death ruled.
Albus Dumbledore looked around in despair as camouflaged figures stepped onto the corpse-littered street. Their weapons were held at the ready as they stepped forth, watching their downed opponents for any signs of life.
"What... what have you done?" Albus shouted, rage making his blue eyes icy. "What have you DONE?!"
One of the camouflaged figures stepped up to the headmaster, pulling his mottled face mask off to reveal Sergeant-Major Wolfram, rifle cradled in his arms. "We did what you obviously couldn't. Lord Potter's safe, as are most of your students, and the terrorists have been neutralized." Wolf then turned from the livid old man to address his troops.
"Count 'em up and gather whatever evidence you can; just be sure to watch for Port-keys! Move the living to one side and post a guard. No-one's to approach them without authorisation."
"Yes, Sergeant-Major!" muffled voices chorused back as they set to work. Several of them pulled wands and set about sorting bodies.
"If any are alive, they must be cared for!" Albus demanded. "You have no authority here! You and your men will face Azkaban for this massacre!"
Wolf turned to the ranting wizard, barely controlled fury bright in his eyes. "You were warned, old man. Her Majesty told you that if you were unable to keep her ward safe, she would. Now go back to your school and bury your head up your arse, like you usually do." With those parting words, Wolf turned to check on his men.
"Now, see here...! " Albus demanded as he pulled his wand.
Wolf didn't hesitate as the hair on the back of his neck stood up. He whipped around and rammed the butt of his rifle into the old wizard's solar plexus, jack-knifing him abruptly. Albus Dumbledore dropped like a stone, gasping for breath. His wand went flying only to be snatched up in mid-air by a diving raven. It flew away with its trophy, cawing in triumph.
Before anyone could think to raise their wands to protect their 'Leader of the Light,' the audible 'click' of safeties being released on every weapon present was heard.
"Stand down!" a monocle-wearing woman demanded, indicating the Muggle soldiers. Amelia Bones, head of the DMLE, strode angrily into the confrontation. Behind her were several of her more senior Aurors, each with their wands out and battle gear on.
Albus Dumbledore was too breathless to say anything. He heaved and gasped and heaved some more. The blow was almost too much for his aged body to handle.
"Arrest these people!" came an indignant voice from the crowd.
"I wouldn't if I were you!" Harry Potter marched up to Madam Bones. Despite his dirty and blood-stained clothing, he was every inch a regal Lord. "Just who do you think dealt with these terrorists you call Death Eaters? Every soldier here is a Muggle-born wizard in Her Majesty's service. For various reasons, they left the wizarding world in disgust. However, they returned when the call to duty was given by the Crown."
"That's as may be, Lord Potter..." Bones began.
"No, Madam!" he interrupted her. "This elite squad was hand-picked to do a job. A job that, because of politics at its dirtiest, others were unwilling, or unable, to take on."
Harry stood proud and strong as he turned to face the wheezing headmaster. His eyes scanned the gathered crowd.
"Tell me, if you can, what is worse-going to Hell or going to war?" He paused to let his words sink in. "The answer? War. Why is that, you may ask? Because only those that deserve it go to Hell. In war, every one suffers, especially the innocents. Bloody hell, any soldier will tell you that the worst casualties of war are the innocents! What the Muggles term, 'collateral damage'. War is ugly, and very unforgiving. And if anyone tells you differently, they are liars and fools!"
He glared at the headmaster before continuing, "You can't fight a war the way you run your school. You can't just stun terrorists and put them in 'detention' with a revolving door, hoping they will see the 'light' and change their ways. You have to take them down permanently and move on, or run the risk of facing them again and again! The fact that you're all too willing to sacrifice innocent lives to give the ones that initiate death and destruction a second chance makes you worse than those who came here today with murder as their goal. They came with only one purpose - to terrorise and kill, and instead found their own deaths. They were given no quarter because they offered none."
In the minds of most who listened, Lord Harry Potter looked and sounded every inch the hero they had imagined he would be. Someone started clapping, then another, and soon most of those who had lived through the attack responded and the sound of their applause filled the village street.
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Rita Skeeter had been in Hogsmeade to do a freelance piece on Lord Potter when it became apparent he would be visiting the village that day. She thought the powers that be might have prevented the young, newly-found lord from being so brash. But there he was! Strolling down the main street of Hogsmeade with a Muggle-born witch on his arm! Just as her sources had promised.
When the Death Eaters attacked, she did what any sleazy reporter would do - she hid. Her Animagus form served her well. The photographer with her wasn't so lucky; he had to duck into a store. However, like Rita, he was good at his job, taking pictures through the store-front window as he lay low until the all-clear.
As the soldiers began to pile the dead Death Eaters in the street, Rita became aware that the tide had turned and a new leader was emerging; one who met attempted slaughter with his own form of death and destruction.
Her poison pen really didn't need any embellishment as the leader of the soldiers dealt physically with Albus Dumbledore. Nor did it need any elaboration when Lord Potter spoke. She looked over at her photographer who, in turn, gave a nod. Yes, he was getting all of this on film.
She had been trying for some time now to get the handsome young lord alone for an interview; maybe this was her chance?
"Lord Potter..." She started forward, only to feel the cold metal tip of something pressed against the back of her neck.
"I wouldn't move, if I were you," came a strong, male voice close to her ear. "Lord Potter will speak to the members of the press later this afternoon. He has no time right now to deal with you."
She slowly turned to see one of the 'Muggle' soldiers pointing his weapon at her. She wanted to huff and demand he put that away, but something in his eyes told her that would not be a good idea. Well, just wait. She'd get her story.
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Hermione pushed through the crowd as Harry began speaking. She wanted to rush over to him, touch him, assure herself that he was unharmed... Pushing forward, she started to call his name. "JOH-!" A hand grabbed her.
Wolf pulled her to him. "Listen!" She stopped struggling as she recognised her instructor's voice. She turned to catch the last of Harry's message. "He has to make a stand today or they'll never treat him with respect," Wolf whispered.
She watched as Albus Dumbldedore staggered to his feet, looking for his wand. He straightened his shoulders as Harry turned to face him. She noted the look of pure contempt in her friend's face and the look of incredulity on the old wizard's. It was as if the old headmaster refused to believe that someone had dared lay a hand on him and couldn't understand why that person wasn't being ripped apart for doing so. He pulled out his back-up wand as he stood.
Harry raised an eyebrow and, with a flick of his wrist, his wand came out. The crowd gasped as the wand began to grow until it became a staff.
"Well, Headmaster? Do you really want to take me on?"
Albus straightened, looking into the determined face of Lord Harry Potter. Hermione held her breath as the pair faced off. The crowd, too, was still as they watched.
Wolf tightened his grasp on Hermione's arm, keeping her from interfering. He knew that one word, one sound could set off events that no-one really wanted to see happen.
Taking a deep, painful breath, Albus shook his head. "No, my boy. I think not."
"I'm not 'your boy', old man. I never was."
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The late-afternoon sun cast long shadows on the narrow streets of Hogsmeade. A crowd of reporters and by-standers were waiting somewhat impatiently for something to happen.
A press conference had been promised. Aurors and Her Majesty's soldiers stood around the perimeter of the gathering. The mood was sombre.
Amelia Bones got off the Floo at the Three Broomsticks. Cornelius Fudge had not been receiving calls. He was, in her opinion, hiding. He had refused to even consider that there was a problem and was, even now, denying any knowledge of the attack.
Lord Potter and his body guard stepped out of the Three Broomsticks. They were joined by two more guards and a Muggle-born witch. They had taken the time to get cleaned up. Amelia watched as both men mounted the steps to the podium. It was too bad that this young lord seemed to have eyes only for the Muggle-born Ravenclaw that stood beside him. She thought he could have done better with her Susan.
A calm hush fell over the crowd as Lord Potter held up his wand and cast a Sonorus on himself. The charm took hold as he began to speak:
"People of Hogsmeade, students and staff of Hogwarts. Today, a terrible event turned a normally happy occasion into a deadly one. It should never have happened. Where, I ask, were the Aurors? Where were the citizens who stood by, or hid, when events began to unfold? Why was it left to a small squadron of Her Majesty's men to step in and protect your children - only to face derisory comments and threats of arrest after they had done so?
"Understand, I am not here to lay blame on anyone but the madman responsible, the one who calls himself the Dark Lord Voldemort. He had no reason to attack Hogsmeade today. However, he did, and we now have dead students, villagers and Death Eaters.
"Because of current laws and public opinion, many Muggle-born and Half-bloods find their lives within the wizarding world untenable. They love magic and all it affords them; however, they cannot find their place in a society that denigrates them because of 'tainted blood '. So they have no choice but to leave and find their way in the Muggle world, as have all these fine men here.
"Many Muggle-borns have answered the call to service of Queen and Country in Her Majesty's armed forces. These men here before you are an elite squad, embracing both worlds by balancing their knowledge of the wizarding world and their willingness to serve their Queen and Country.
"Each and everyone here who came through this day unscathed owes them a life debt; for the lives you still can claim were saved today by these honourable men who, for your well-being, were forced to take lives. Quietus."
With that, he turned and left. Many of the reporters called out questions that were ignored. A few of the villagers cheered at the stand that Lord Potter took. It had been their lives that these men had saved.
Suddenly, a man in Muggle uniform called out, and the soldiers that had been guarding the podium straightened. The crowd fell silent again as the man barked another order. The soldiers turned, formed up ranks and marched off. Another command and the soldiers popped out of sight as they Apparated away.
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Lucius Malfoy was a man on a mission. Since the Hogsmeade raid two days before, he was torn. He firmly believed in the Dark Lord's original goals but, for Malfoys, family always came first.
That his son and heir, Draco, was in the village the day of the raid, and had barely missed being killed by a Killing Curse, set the blond aristocrat's blood boiling.
A young third-year Slytherin hadn't been so fortunate. Those who had gone on the raid were lucky that they had been killed by whatever means that day. If he, Lucius Malfoy, had got his wand on whoever had fired that curse, Death Eater or not, they would've found out why it was not wise to so endanger his son and heir.
The blond aristocrat strolled purposely, causing Ministry personnel to hurriedly get out of his path. Few dared to acknowledge the angry wizard as he made his way to the Minister's office.
Both Severus and he had barely made it out of the Dark Lord's manor alive when none of those that went on the raid had returned. Those few supporters that were in the village that day reported how fast the raid was thwarted. The Dark Lord was not pleased that his orders had failed to be carried out; stopped by Muggle soldiers and their pitiful weapons, no less!
Once it became known that all of the soldiers were Muggle-borns and Half-bloods who had left the wizarding world, it sent a shiver down Lucius' spine. That they had so successfully embraced both muggle and wizarding ways spoke doom in his mind.
Then there was the fact that Severus informed him that the Lady was walking abroad, and that she had called in the Lord of the Wood to help return balance to the Forbidden Forest. This troubled him.
"Ahh, Lucius, my friend... A sad business, this," Cornelius Fudge said as he ushered Lucius into his office. The Minister's desk was strewn with newspapers. "What can we do? If Her Majesty the Muggle Queen, is involved, we are doomed- doomed, I say!"
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Now that NaNoWrMo is over, you should be seeing a few more chapters soon. The next chapter was almost impossible to write, but we made it.
Also, GF managed to write a long one-shot about Garion/Harry and a Stargate cross we hope will be up and running sometime next year. There is also a Bewitched cross in the works.
Until next time. – GF and The Frau
