Chapter 16 - Take Me Away
That night, his parents threw another party, his Cranleigh girls and Mr Lupin, Remus, as he insisted Harry call him, were invited making the night more fun for all concerned. Party games, delicious food and best of all the company.
The next morning, he got dressed up in his finest wizard robes as the wizard-raised girls had said it would look better for him to ask for an Oath if he looked the part. Harry understood what they were trying to say. Setting the stage for the encounter was an important part of both combat and politics, and while he disliked the clothes the wizards chose, he was prepared to put up with a lot for the mission.
They had decided against involving the Cranleigh families for this. While they were part of it in a way, they would be more of a distraction than anything else even if it wouldn't bend or break the Statute of Secrecy. Just the robes would attract too much attention, so they had arranged for their guests to Apparate in on Clan property near the Forest, with a covered walkway leading to the main house.
Inside, the Clan were arrayed around the hall their guests had seen at Harry's birthday party the year before. As their guests arrived in small groups, they were directed to take comfortable seats and offered refreshments. The Clan had taken care to create a setting where their guests would relax and be in a receptive state of mind. They had taken their rudeness with the Oaths last time to heart, it was one of their first failures in years, and they were determined to show they had learned from the encounter.
Once they were all gathered together, Harry stepped up to a podium, the Clan behind him mostly intending to show their support to their son though they knew it would have an effect on their audience as well. "Thank you all for coming today. You were invited here with offers of more hidden knowledge, or a new way to stay in contact with your children while they were at Hogwarts, or simply just more reason to drop by for dinners. Whatever the reason that brought you here, thank you. First, I want to assure you that what you were told is correct, this does involve a secure means of passing along messages, one that as far as we know cannot be intercepted or monitored. And we would like to offer this to each of you. For now, while we'd be happy to offer more details, we hope that this is enough information for you to make your own decisions about our request."
He stepped back, Naruto and Hinata moving up to place a hand each on his shoulders, reassuring him. They headed to a curtained off area where they would wait for their guests to come up and exchange oaths, or reject the offer, an offer that would remain open with the same conditions. They were hopeful that no one would change their minds at this late stage, but keeping it voluntary was some of the strongest advice his girls had given him. They were right, too, as in small groups, they all gave their oaths to protect the information, and Harry's secrets, in exchange for Harry and the Clan protecting their own secrets in turn. The lack of a time limit on what secrets of his they would keep was something the Clan was all happy to see. It meant they were now bound to keep anything he shared with them a secret, even Amelia Bones had agreed to that condition without hesitation, surprising all of them.
Another round of refreshments accompanied by thanking each of them for their trust and it was time. Harry returned to the podium, getting their attention, and gave a confident smile belying his nerves. "Now that is out of the way, an explanation and a demonstration is in order. The truth is that I never gave up my time here in Cranleigh, I never needed to choose only Hogwarts or only Cranleigh, for I could attend both."
A slow hand-sign and he produced nine clones with a puff of smoke, playing up the drama of the moment. As the smoke cleared, there was a gasp from the audience. "As you can see, these clones look just like me. They also know everything I do at the moment of their creation and when they are dispelled, like this, their memories are returned to me." The clone at the far end of the line gave an ironic smile before the one next to him gave him a solid punch to the shoulder, making it disappear in another puff of smoke. "There are limits to how many, and how often I can create clones, but as I'm sure you all understand, this is the ability to transmit information securely that we described. While the real me goes to Hogwarts, my clones are able to go to school here, which means there's always one of me around to pass on messages to or from your daughters, faster and safer than any owl who could be observed or tracked, from what I've heard, or even interfered." Miyuki flew in onto a clone's shoulder, cuffing his head with her wing before settling in. "Not that my owl would ever allow herself to be abused like that!" He grinned and the audience laughed.
Elizabeth Granger called out, "I now see also why my daughter doesn't complain about having to share her boyfriend. You do give her all the time she needs, right?"
"Just so, Mrs Granger, it is my privilege and a pleasure to give her all the attention and support she wants. As I do for the other girls. Each of these girls are lovely, special people, and making them happy makes me happy." Harry's smiling face, his sincerity, was both a product of his acting training and a reflection of his inner emotions. His parents had told him that believing what you were saying was the best way to convince your audience, and this he believed with all his heart. Seeing and hearing him worked to help the parents and guardians there that he truly was worthy of their daughters, or at least that he could be.
Amelia Bones had a question, though, that the Clan had expected. "Harry, you've shown an amazing ability here. What magic was used to produce the clones, and is it legal?"
Mindful of their audience, Harry replied, "Madame Bones, while I know this will be hard to believe, there is absolutely no magic involved. The energy used is something entirely different, which my parents call chakra. As you know, they are entirely non-magical people." She nodded, having confirmed that with her Aurors over the summer, and he continued. "What you don't know is that they are the ones who gave me this ability, and a chakra network that can sustain it." Harry didn't need to look as he felt the pulse of the Clan creating a clone each, all that would really fit in the hall as it was arranged.
"And our tests showed that magic and chakra don't mix well. I had to learn to use one or the other but never both at the same time. No magic, Dark or otherwise, was used at all. Indeed, my clones have no magic in them. If you wish, I offer my Oath on my magic that all of what I have told you is true."
Harry was a little surprised that no one took him up on that, his offer was enough for them. Instead, they broke up, taking a Harry into each group, talking things over. Harry smiled at the Bones' and Amelia's clear delight that all of Susan's offers were true including more of their cooking. "If you'd like, I'd be happy to cook when you're over, too. I'm not as good as my parents yet, but I hope you'll enjoy it."
Susan grinned, "Auntie, his cooking is wonderful! I know you'll love it." That was enough for Amelia, she was sold, and the conversation drifted to more of what was happening at the school. She was thankful to Harry for helping to keep an eye on her daughter, saying she was trying to get Aurors into the castle to investigate what was happening but that Dumbledore was blocking her at every approach. Harry was sympathetic, and unsurprised. It wasn't unusual for even competent Headmasters to oppose interference in their schools. Ones with something to hide like Dumbledore would do all they can.
Harry decided that this was as good a chance as any to ask something that was preying on his mind. "Madame Bones, as I said earlier, I am still attending the local school, and I have good friends there. As I'm sure you can understand, I dislike having to hide my magic from them, it feels like I am lying to them, and I don't want to do that. Whom can I tell about it, and when? Surely there must be some time it's allowed since some witches and wizards marry those without magic?"
She nodded seriously. "You're right, Harry, there are exceptions granted, people who know the secret but don't have magic themselves. The Ministry procedure is to apply for a permit, wait for the paperwork, submit it in triplicate, usually get it back to correct errors, re-submit, and so on. I sometimes think they are trying to discourage the applications by burying them in unnecessary red tape. Other times, I'm sure they are."
Harry smiled at the joke, then asked, "So is there a better way to get the permission. I've read horror stories, people having bits of their memories, their minds stolen away, to protect the secret after some sloppy or hateful wizard does something they shouldn't."
"There is a better way, as it happens. It requires a Ministry official of sufficient standing vouching for the Muggle and their ability to maintain the Statute."
"Please, Madame Bones, do tell me you have 'sufficient standing'. You're the Director of the DMLE! Surely that is 'sufficient'." Harry played up the appeal as much as he dared.
"Well, I would have to know the Muggles concerned, that's one reason why this is not the normal method, there aren't that many officials of high enough rank and we do have other things to do than get to know hundreds or thousands of strangers. Just who do you have in mind?" Amelia was curious, her Susan had mentioned something and this was a chance to confirm it.
"Ah," Harry blushed on command, "I was thinking there are six girls and their families who deserve the chance. Five of them approached me just after my birthday, asking if I would be willing to be their boyfriend. They and their families already know about my clones, you see."
"They what?"
"Well, the clones have nothing to do with magic like I said, and we told them over summer, so they've known for ten months now. First, my parents showed their clones, and then I showed mine. They were shocked, of course, but very supportive. They have accepted that it's not evil, and they have kept the secret all this time. I'm pretty sure we didn't break the law as it was written, since we didn't mention magic, Hogwarts or any of that, only Clan matters. They were more interested in the polygamous aspect, anyway, and the clones showed that the Clan had a solution that worked. My girls were already thinking of sharing me by that point, the ability for me to use clones just made it easier for them to accept it." Harry hastened to explain.
"So they've known for almost a year and haven't broken the secret to anyone at all?"
"No, ma'am, not a word. And we've been watching, just in case. Our families have known each other nearly seven years now, and they are good people. I just want to be able to share the truth with them. I don't want to have to wait until we're married like that poor father of one student I know, only finding out then that his new wife had lied to him." Harry was honestly shocked when he found that out.
"Ok, Harry, you've convinced me, you trust them with your secrets. That doesn't mean I can sign off on it, though. I don't know them at all, so I can't honestly sign an exemption for them yet. How about I drop by here whenever I get a chance, you introduce me to them and we get to know each other? It will also give me more of a chance to get to know you, and to have messages to and from Susan."
This offer had both Harry and Susan smiling. "Thank you, Madame Bones, I'd like that very much. Maybe by summer, you'll have had enough time to evaluate them yourself. Speaking for myself, I very much hope they pass, but I trust you to make a fair judgement."
Over with the Greengrass family, Daphne's parents were grilling her, though Harry at least thought that it was partly in fun. "Yes, Harry told us before. No, Mother, Harry hasn't pushed me at all."
"That's not true, Daphne, I did push you out of the way of that troll."
"Oh, yes, you did, and thank you again, Harry." Her thanks were echoed by her parents, too, Daphne grateful to him for derailing them with a reminder that Harry had already put himself on the line for her.
A quick glance and a nod, and the Greengrasses turned to Harry. "Well, Harry, I must say you're quite a surprising young man." They stopped as Daphne blushed, her own words to the Muggle girls coming to mind, and looked at her.
"Oh, no, Father, nothing like that. I just remembered saying much the same about Harry Potter, that is all it was." Daphne replied hurriedly.
Her parents looked skeptical but chose to deal with it later. "As I was about to say, most surprising. Is there any chance we could use something similar in our business dealings? As I hope Daphne has explained, we have business in a variety of locations, and like in any business the timely delivery of information can be vital. Whether it's a great deal or some problem that has arisen, it can mean a lot of money at stake."
Harry nodded, this was naturally part of his business training earlier by the Clan. He led the pair over to a study where a nearby clone who'd overheard had just set up a number of photos for him to show the Greengrasses.
"I understand, sir. And the answer is that yes it can be used. While it isn't very practical for sending a lot of small messages, it would be well suited to send occasional or emergency messages. However, the Muggles have already solved this problem in a number of ways. The first was the telegraph, we read about it in history class." He pointed at various photos, then moved onto the next set.
"It's been replaced by the telephone, you can talk between locations like on the Floo without getting sore knees or soot on your clothes. There are even mobile telephones you can use outside, though those are rather expensive." He trailed off, seeing the disbelieving looks.
"Er, the short answer is 'Yes, we can help you improve communications' sir."
"But those Muggle things don't work around magic," Mrs Greengrass put in.
"I'm sorry to contradict you, Mrs Greengrass, but they worked just fine when I took one right into Hogwarts to give Daphne her Valentine's Day surprise. We danced along to music for hours until the batteries ran out."
They looked at Daphne smiling broadly at the memory, then at each other.
"And these telephones work over a long distance?"
"You can call someone in Australia from just about anyone's home, if you like, though they do charge extra for long distance. Closer to home is a lot cheaper than that. Just about all businesses use them all the time for calling different branches, or calling customers, suppliers and so on, and they're in just about every home. It's long since reached the point that you can't be part of the modern world without one."
Again, the elder Greengrasses looked at each other. "I think we'll sit down with your parents to talk about this more. There are details that will need to be worked out. Still, you said that the clones can also carry messages securely."
"Yes, sir, they can. I'd be happy to convey messages to and from your daughter any time you wish, though my normal schedule is for the memory transfer to take place each morning before breakfast. For urgent messages, that can be skipped entirely."
"Thank you, Harry, you have been most helpful, even more than we had hoped."
The other families were also keen to have more contact with their daughters, and some wanted to get to know this boy who was obviously devoted to their daughters better before things went too far. Better to forbid her from seeing him, if they decided that, earlier rather than later, after all. Right now, though, they had no intention to try that. Their daughters were happier than ever and it was obvious he cared deeply for them, he'd even put himself on the line to protect their little girls.
The day turned into an impromptu party, something his parents encouraged, and Harry cooked up a feast for them all, followed by some dancing and then seeing off their guests. Amelia Bones arranged to return the following evening for dinner and to meet up with these families she was supposed to vouch for. Harry wasn't sure if he could get them all around, though he was hopeful he could get some of his girls at least. Either way, it didn't matter that much as long as they did meet.
That night at a home near Ottery St Catchpole, a little girl slipped out after dinner, casting a Disillusionment spell on herself before walking to the road and turning on the spot, Disapparating as she headed to Exeter. There, with a lost look in her eyes she cast a glamour to make herself fit in before she hunted for a particular target, heading to the pubs and clubs before a brunette caught her eyes. The woman was in her early 20s and good looking, especially that night when she was dressed up for partying. That's all that mattered, anyway.
The girl stalked her prey, waiting until the woman was alone before taking her hand and Apparating them both to the woods near her home. Her target fell to her knees, vomiting urgently, then rolled over onto her back, desperate for air. The girl used that planned moment of vulnerability, pouring the Draught of Living Death down her throat. Using a Vanishing spell to create a hollow then using a levitation spell to move her body into it was the work of a minute. A little more work and the woman was buried alive but in stasis, protected from the elements until she would make herself useful to her betters. The excursion had used too much time, however.
Heading inside, she returned her father's wand where she found it, going to bed and forgetting all about it. The next night, after everyone was asleep, the girl added an extra compartment to her trunk with the Undetectable Extension Charm, fetched in the captive Muggle, and went back to sleep after tidying everything away.
For Harry, things were going well. He'd managed to resume more of his physical training, getting another clone stable, and best of all, introducing his Cranleigh girls and their families to Amelia Bones, who was posing as just a friend of the family who had moved back to Britain after a time overseas. His parents being who they were, masters of subtlety, made sure to help both sides' first impressions of each other, as well as helping Amelia set up tests of their characters, and covering up after they were done.
Harry took his girls to the movies, Sandra often going along to chaperone the group, officially, and just to enjoy a relaxing time unofficially where she didn't have to worry about being responsible for a group of kids. After this long together, they were generally good enough that they each knew the signs before trouble started, and Harry and Ashley between them helped keep it from becoming serious.
He also made more visits to his magical girls when he could, or had them visit with their families in the case of the Greengrass family. Even little Astoria got more time with her friend, just as cute as ever, and Hermione's sister Athena welcomed the news that Harry didn't have to go away. Now, provided she could get her parents to agree, she could see him during the school year.
For Hermione herself, well, she was still trying to work out either how to do it herself, or to get Harry to teach it to her. They'd tried between themselves but without a hint of success, and his family refused to try giving her or any of his magical girls a bloodline before they had a way to make it safe. The process was intrusive enough that they worried there was a real risk of death if they tried it on any witch or wizard. And if his witches couldn't get it, then it would be unfair to give it to his Cranleigh girls. Still, they were putting more priority into understanding the problem, though they lacked any real leads so far.
All too soon, it was time to return to Hogwarts, and they boarded the train as normal, unaware that one trunk carried an unwilling stowaway.
April passed without further incident, which while good in terms of no one else turning up Petrified or dead, also cost Harry a further chance to find the attacker. Harry had taken to wandering the halls himself when he could, even cutting back on sleep to get more time to search. Unfortunately, Hogwarts was as large as ever and with no clue yet as to where to start, he was taking it one area at a time. He was going to leave the inhabited areas like the Great Hall and the Library until last, preferring not to risk being exposed as a Parselmouth given the prejudice other ones like Voldemort had caused, so he was taking the time to set up countermeasures as he explored room by room, corridor by corridor.
He had felt so silly the first half-dozen times he hissed 'Open' to an unremarkable wall, even more silly when it failed to do anything at all, but the feeling faded as he got into the routine. By the next day, he didn't even notice it beyond noting, yes, everything was working right, sound dampening is up around the portraits since they could otherwise report what he was doing, no one else nearby, Parseltongue used as he hissed, walk on to the next area, repeat ad nauseum.
He couldn't spend all his time doing this, of course. Between meals and classes, Quidditch practice and spellwork, he was already busy. The only slack in his schedule was his time with friends, and his sleep. While clones could and did cover the former, Harry couldn't give up the latter entirely, and he didn't want to risk being too run down whenever he did find the entrance. Not with the risk of a Grade XXXXX creature waiting somewhere on the other side.
"Dammit!" He cursed to himself, "That's another corridor clear. In fact, that's all of the places on the Dungeon level. Time to head up a level."
April turned into May, another Quidditch match around the corner on the second Saturday, before anything else happened. Unfortunately, it was another attack, right on the day of the match between Ravenclaw and Gryffindor. Harry had managed to switch with one of his clones again as he and his girls wanted to get in some cuddle time, taking a room to themselves, leaving the real Harry back on the hunt for the Chamber of Secrets.
He had a couple of hidden clones on watch as usual. His warning came when one of them popped, his last memory was of big yellow eyes on a snake as thick as an oak trunk. Harry dropped his sound barriers, hearing "Kill this time! Let me rip! Tear!" as he dashed away. He was unprepared for an encounter, and he needed to change the variables until they were in his favour.
He created two more clones after he got around the corner, leaving one to stand guard while the other dispelled itself to tell the other clones to disperse apart from a bare minimum at home and at Hogwarts, in case he needed to fight after all. A half-minute later, he went around the corner ready to listen for the snake, but it was gone. Creating new clones and ordering them to go hunting at their best speed while hidden, Harry kept his eyes closed, trusting to his single guard and his own senses to guide him as he headed back to his girls, needing to know they were safe. He barely made it ten paces before one of his clones reported seeing a flash of robes disappearing into the wall, and another called to report that the basilisk had made its strike.
There, on the floor, was a First Year in Gryffindor robes, Harry's very own stalker-in-training, Colin Creevey holding a mirror in his hand, Petrified like the rest. Behind him was a strange little creature with large, bat like ears and bulging green eyes the size of tennis balls. Idly, Harry wondered how good its vision was as he examined it visually. He racked his brains, trying to remember why it was familiar before he recalled the picture in one of the extra books he'd purchased, it was called a house elf, though why one was following Colin, or him, he had no idea.
"Bloody Boy-Who-Lived!" It was a curse he'd wanted to say so often over the last two years, whenever his fame had created some stupid situation or another. It seemed particularly appropriate now that it had nearly killed a student and a house elf.
Harry aborted his examination, people were coming. By the sounds of them, one tall adult, one shorter and wheezing, McGonagall and Filch. Harry headed off, he felt no need to get caught and casting illusions on them was wasteful. He had left a clone, of course, to listen, but he didn't expect to get much from that.
He'd just reached his girls, about the time they were all having to leave anyway to head down to the match. As they left, he switched back, taking his place with his girls, clones dropping into the shadows to guard them once again.
'I've thought it before, I'll think it again, but I love Shadow Clones!' Right now, it wasn't the way they sped up learning that he loved the most, but the way they could help protect those who were close to him. They had arrived at the Quidditch stands, taking their seats when an urgent Professor McGonagall came half marching, half running across the pitch, her wand swishing towards her own throat as she cast a spell.
"This match has been canceled!" Professor McGonagall called, her voice magically enhanced, addressing the packed stadium. There were boos and shouts. Oliver Wood, looking devastated, landed and ran toward Professor McGonagall without getting off his broomstick.
"But, Professor!" he shouted. "We've got to play — the Cup — Gryffindor —"
Professor McGonagall ignored him and continued to shout, heard by all due to her applied Sonorus Charm: "All students are to make their way back to the House common rooms, where their Heads of Houses will give them further infor mation. As quickly as you can, please!"
Hannah complained, "But we just got here, couldn't she have waited five minutes, or done it five minutes sooner, saved us the trip?"
Harry shook his head, but Hermione answered before he could. "No, Hannah, you saw she was hurrying as it was. Whatever this is, it's obviously important."
"Yes, we all know she loves her Quidditch, so to make her rush to cancel a match?" Parvati added, shaking her head.
"Well, we heard the lady, let's get going." They were off, making space for themselves in the stream of students heading back inside, the girls demanding hugs before they split off, his Hufflegirls getting their share, too.
Inside their common room, they waited until Professor Sprout arrived and called for quiet. She held up a roll of parchment, reading out the new restrictions.
"It is my sad duty to report that another student has become the latest victim to the petrifactions that have befallen a number of others. In light of the latest attack, the following new rules will apply:
"All students will return to their House common rooms by six o'clock in the evening. No student is to leave the dormitories after that time. You will be escorted to each lesson by a teacher. No stu dent is to use the bathroom unaccompanied by a teacher. All fur ther Quidditch training and matches are to be postponed. There will be no more evening activities."
Rolling it up, she added, "I must say, anyone who knows who the culprit is should come forward. I can hardly think any of you would be behind it, but we need all the information we can get right now, or the school is likely to be closed. Without finding out who did it, or knowing that the danger is passed, Hogwarts may never reopen. The school has been my home for so long, too." She took a deep breath, trying to get herself under control. "Please, if anyone has anything to say, now is the time."
Harry felt himself being pushed forward by his Hufflegirls. Professor Sprout noticed this, and called him over, casting a couple of spells to create a bubble of privacy. "What is it, Harry?"
"Professor Sprout, my friends and I have been doing some research, and it was a lot harder than I thought to find any information on the last time the Chamber was opened. Back then, many students were injured and one killed. That means whatever is doing this is able to kill, since it already did so once, and can Petrify as well. My friends and I have all been trying to work out what it was, and since Slytherin himself was called Serpent Tongue, it makes sense that his monster is a snake of some kind. Well, that and they're the only types of magical creature that could kill in this way. The most likely, unfortunately, is also the worst. The Basilisk, King of Serpents, has a death gaze, and I believe that's what has been unleashed on the school this year."
"But why were the others only Petrified instead of killed?" Sprout hated saying it that way. She was trying every trick she knew but the Mandrakes still weren't ready.
"There were puddles of water near two of the attacks, and for the third, well, I'd say McLaggen saw the basilisk through the ghost, weakening the effect. I can't test the theory, not in any safe way, but maybe someone else can. If the student who was attacked was Petrified, and had a mirror, then that should confirm it. We've all been carrying mirrors around just in case for months, in case we couldn't get away, you see."
Harry didn't want the Professor to think he'd actually been trying to hunt the monster, especially not since that was exactly what he'd done. She'd say it was dangerous, which it was, or insane, or foolish, for any student to go hunting an XXXXX creature, and she'd be right normally. Harry couldn't assure her of his safety without breaking a lot of promises to his parents about keeping their secrets, and even then it probably wouldn't work. Hell, it shouldn't work. A responsible adult wouldn't send any child into harm's way, or allow them to go. Only Harry's facility with their ninja techniques stopped the Clan from storming the castle and removing him by force if necessary. They knew Harry was as safe as they could make him.
Professor Sprout considered his words, mulling them over. "Is there anything else, Harry? Anything else you can tell me?"
"Sorry, Professor, that's all I have." Harry replied.
She gave him her best motherly smile, "That's all right, Harry, you've given me a lot already." That evening, she passed on what she had heard to the other Heads of House and to Albus, who was impressed by the boy's investigation but played down his teachers' concerns, saying only that it will all work out for the best and he had everything under control. The teachers were unhappy with this, but stuck not having any plans of their own that would keep the school open and safe.
The next few weeks were tense, and Harry regretted his failure every day that passed. While he'd seen the basilisk and lived to tell the tale, an impressive feat since its stare was lethal, he hadn't managed to track it back to the Chamber. He had tried to trace the scent, but the overlay from hundreds of students, their pets and so on made it impossible for him to find, the trail stopped cold right where his clone had spotted disappearing robes.
The only improvement was when Amelia Bones turned up at dinner that first night at the head of a score of Aurors, directing them to take up positions.
Dumbledore stood up, "Madame Bones, to what do we owe the pleasure of your visit, and in such company, too?"
"Headmaster Dumbledore, there have been multiple attacks on students at this school. My presence was demanded by your failure to protect your students." Amelia was firmly in charge, and intended to make sure the old man knew it. "My Aurors will be available to escort students to and from classes. A team from the Department of Mysteries will be here tomorrow morning to conduct their search."
Dumbledore shook his head, "Madame Bones, Hogwarts is independent of the Ministry."
"But not independent of the students' families." Her counter was swift and sure.
"Let's adjourn to my office where we may discuss this matter." Dumbledore suggested in a tone just short of an order. He knew if he truly pushed her, the woman could make his life truly difficult and he'd prefer not to make another enemy.
Directing her people to keep doing as ordered, she followed the Headmaster to his office. Taking his seat behind his enormous desk, dominating the room, the man intended likewise to dominate this meeting. "Tea, Madame Bones?"
"No, thank you, Headmaster. Now, shall we discuss where best my Aurors will oversee the safety of the students?"
"Oh, isn't that obvious, Madame Bones? They aren't needed at all, you see."
"And how did the preeminent wizard of our times come to such a conclusion?" Madame Bones was intrigued, despite herself, wondering just how he had made that decision.
"All my staff are professionals, Madame Bones, and it is already their job to look after them, so obviously nothing more is needed." Dumbledore was using his best 'trust me' routine combined with the authority of his office in an attempt to weaken her resolve.
"Obviously more is needed, since several students have been attacked, starting with the Weasley twins. Even if the family has lost much of its prominence, they are still a well-known pureblood family on the Light side, which means many eyes have been looking this way since November. All the victims are people that the Dark hate, which means increased tension across the country. Are you so blind that you don't even see the danger?"
"Of course, I am not blind, it is merely that sufficient action has already been taken to assure their safety. They will be escorted by trained professionals wherever they go, and I am sure that the culprit or culprits will turn themselves in soon."
"Not good enough. You haven't even asked the Slytherin students about this, despite the obvious connection. Many of their parents even fought for You-Know-Who in the last war and I know they still hate the Muggle-borns. That Malfoy scion even uses their hateful epithet right here in the school, and you do nothing. No, this time, you will see reason. This is your only option short of having the school closed tonight, and I am one of the few left willing to fight for you to keep it open. These are my terms."
"Be reasonable, Amelia."
"I am being reasonable! By Merlin, have you forgotten that you have my niece here in these walls trapped with whatever is doing this? I have every reason to want to take her out of here tonight, and twenty Aurors who would help me. It's only my concern for what this would do to our society should Hogwarts close down that is stopping me."
Dumbledore looked in her eyes, a little passive Legilimency, illegal but unnoticeable, confirmed that there was no way he would win this here, but there would be other battles. Time to soothe her, try to salvage what he could of his authority and of their working relationship.
"Of course, Madame Bones, now about those Aurors and where to station them." His voice was conciliatory as he worked his magic, figuratively speaking.
He would later be dismayed to find that Madame Bones was far from incompetent, and most of his suggestions were shot down. Her Aurors would be placed where she wanted them, nowhere else.
Since that night, the Aurors had been on hand, actually keeping order in the corridors despite various provocations from students on both sides. Questioning the staff had turned up Harry's research, as relayed by Professor Sprout, and a quick discussion with Dumbledore revealed that it was Hagrid who was blamed last time the Chamber was opened.
The following day, Hagrid was escorted to the Ministry for questioning, taken right past the Forbidden Forest on his way out. Harry found out over Sunday lunch and frowned. There was something he'd forgotten, he knew it.
Just as he took his last bite, it came to him, Hagrid and the Forest, or rather some of its denizens of the eight-legged kind. The hungry denizens who had been wanting to pop up to the castle for some student-sized snacks. He lost his appetite in a hurry, but managed to swallow the last of his lunch. As he and his friends walked off for a leisurely time in the Library studying for their finals and finishing up any remaining homework before tomorrow and the end of the weekend, Harry quickly sent out a clone to rendezvous with the one he'd left watching the Forest, telling him what he'd worked out. The clone waiting just rolled his eyes, as unlike the real Harry, he'd already known. The problem was obvious given his location.
The Acromantula colony would have to go.
That evening, he found it was harder than normal to get out to do his job, but still incredibly easy for him. While the Aurors were on the lookout for kids trying to sneak away, ones that went to the bathroom and came back without complaint were not a cause for concern, or not most kids. Harry wasn't like most kids, something he'd gotten used to over the years with the help of his family, and now he used that to his advantage. The Harry that went out to the bathroom was the real one, the one that was escorted back to the Hufflepuff dorm was a clone, while Harry himself waited silent in the shadows for the Auror to leave. He had taken the unusual step of bringing the Map with him, keeping it activated for an extra means of ensuring the coast was clear all the way out of the castle. While the doors were all shut and locked, even all the windows on the first floor, those on the second were left open to aid ventilation as summer approached, and Harry used a convenient one to get up and out, then walk down the castle wall silent as the grave.
He ghosted his way to the edge of the Forest, meeting up with the clone on station, one that would stay there as lookout during the operation. After confirming details about numbers, locations and status, Harry created as many clones as he could for this. He'd rather have more than fourteen available, but the others were all doing critical tasks. Two were at home in Cranleigh, the minimum needed for restoring their numbers in the morning back up to the ten he usually had there. The other six were recovered from guarding his girls and the one watching the Map was staying out here, tonight, where Harry could find out quicker if he was needed. Only leaving four clones to guard his girls, one per House, made Harry nervous about their exposure, but so did the prospect of facing hundreds of XXXXX rated Dangerous Creatures with any fewer than he already had.
He shook himself free of these worrying thoughts, taking time to control his breathing and his body once again, noticing that his clones all had to do the same. They were his clones with his mind, after all. His lips twitched as he started to smile before the urge faded.
With a hand signal, all fifteen Harry's moved out, the clones leading the original as they spread through the forest, taking the time to make a current survey and trusting the one standing guard at the edge to let them know if the spiders made a break for the castle at just the wrong time for him. They were also taking it slow, not wanting to alert the Acromantulas on their home ground, and using all their stealth training to keep from being noticed. Harry feared they would have good night vision but trusted that his clones would be able to warn him in time if they were spotted.
While the spiders were awake, they weren't on any sort of alert. Instead, Harry found them mostly in the centre of their colony as an argument raged. They were arguing about whether or not Hagrid's absence meant their restraint was now over. Harry and the clones stopped outside and listened in, having to translate out the frequent clicking noises as they spoke.
It took longer than usual simply because of how passionate the spiders were, but after around ten minutes, it was certain. They were arguing if they could eat at last, and it looked like the hunger was winning out. Only a minute later, Aragog shouted for attention, saying they could go eat as long as they left him in peace to get some sleep.
That was the signal for Harry to attack, making the first move by throwing a dozen shuriken, burying them in half a dozen of the fifteen-foot adult spiders who had called the loudest for the attack. Thrown at full strength and Wind-enhanced, the weapons sliced right through their heads before lodging in trees behind them. His clones followed suit, leaping in with kunai extended while Harry kept watch.
The attackers, though outnumbered heavily, again proved the adage that all armies are the same size at night, hitting their targets then fading back into the trees, starting with the most aggressive of the adults, then the rest who had rallied to defend their murderous brothers and sisters.
Once he got down to the young, he stopped the killing, instead taking them and knocking them out, before placing them into expanded, reinforced containers along with some food. With luck, the young ones could be raised not to view humans as food, or at least truly kept separate from any vulnerable people by being kept in pens on the Clan property, raised as any dangerous but valuable animal. Their venom was highly valued in the Wizarding world for use in potions and the silk had potential to be used for clothing unlike regular spider silk since it was available in such large quantities. Harry had not read that the bodies were worth anything though, but he was certainly willing to find out. The eggs he made sure to hide and wrap securely, since those were Class A Non-Tradeable Material and being caught with them in his possession would be a Very Bad Idea.
That job done and all the young safely hidden away, he stopped to look at his watch, barely half an hour had passed, and ten minutes of that was listening to an argument that he had rendered moot. He looked around at the remains of the colony. "Okay, we can't leave it like that, anyone would think a battle was fought here!" He grinned at his clones. "Let's clean up everything, not a trace of battle, not a trace of the spiders if we can help it. Pack up the silk and the bodies, we'll see what we can use or sell later. For the venom, extract all you can and put it in a separate container."
"How are we going to get rid of the evidence then?" One clone asked.
"We've still got Miyuki. She can carry the expanded bags home, and we can Seal the contents for freshness, that ought to be enough," another replied.
"Ok, that's the plan, let's move it so we get send her off tonight before anyone would think to stop her."
"It's a pity we couldn't bring Cesarina, tonight. Our cute pet tiger would have had fun."
Harry camped in one of the unused rooms that night, getting some rest before one of his clones woke him up to tell him he could head back to his dorm and some real sleep. The next morning, Harry wanted to sleep in but couldn't, his early wake-up routine had a firm hold of him and he resorted to a medical technique to extract fatigue poisons. It wasn't as good as a decent night's sleep, but it helped enough until his morning jog and shower woke him up fully.
Harry ate a hearty breakfast that morning, even as he wondered when, or even if, anyone would notice the absence of hundreds of killer spiders from just next door, and what kind of response there would be.
On the one hand, they were fifteen-foot tall spiders, hundreds of them and all less than a mile from where he sat. On the other hand, it was the Forbidden Forest, and he'd noticed the other students could be blind to the strangest things already, like the stupidity the year before with having a corridor right in the school with deadly traps in them, or also last year, the DADA Professor disappearing without comment.
Harry was pleasantly surprised then, that evening, that the change had already been noticed and the news already around the school. The speed of the rumour mill always amazed him. The normality of his classes was reassuring, not something he would have expected to think about on a Monday, but it was the simple truth. Even the Aurors and staff escorting them everywhere helped settle his nerves.
The reaction to the disappearance of the spiders was interesting. That Weasley boy in his year was relieved, so much so in fact that he was trying to find out who did it to praise them. Most students were just shocked that anyone had been able to do it while the Muggleborns were scared that there had been a colony of 'giant bleeding spiders right next door!' There was a rumour that the Boy-Who-Lived did it, of course. This was still Hogwarts, after all, but the idea was generally discounted. Harry didn't look like he'd been in any sort of bloody battle or done some amazing magical feat, therefore he didn't do it. Well, that and he hadn't said he did.
In fact, Harry had laughed at the rumours, something that became easier as they became more outlandish, even as they never approached the unbelievable truth. Since Harry hadn't told them he was involved, his friends didn't believe the rumours, either. He never actually said either way, though. He didn't want to lie to them, but didn't want to tell them before he knew where he stood.
That night, he got the group talking about the Acromantulas, their status, their value and so on, steering the conversation to try to get answers. Both Susan and Daphne, because of their families, had some information. Susan confirmed that trading in the eggs was a criminal offence, but didn't know if possession or raising them was legal, restricted or simply banned. Daphne confirmed that the venom was known to be a potent ingredient, enhancing both poisons and antivenom or curative potions. Both got curious enough to write their families for more information, earning eager smiles from Harry, Hermione and the Ravenclaws of their group.
A quick clone-message home got the Clan up to date with what he'd learned, and they had confirmed receipt of the intriguing cargo, giving Miyuki a lot of attention and best of all, a bonus plate of bacon.
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