Chapter 3
...There are no secrets that time does not reveal...
~Jean Racine
Two days after Dung's capture
St. Giles Church 1999
Britain
Mundungus 'Dung' Fletcher was roused from unconscious by a vicious slap to the head by an assassin named O'Connor. The same monk that tortured and cut out Davin's tongue. Father Jacobs still didn't know whether O'Connor was sadistic or if he excelled at getting people to spill their guts, literally and figuratively.
Dung slowly opened his eyes fully and took in his surroundings. "What's going on?"
'Definitely a heavy lean on sadistic', Father Jacobs thought when O'Connor plunged metal spikes into Dung's knee caps. O'Connor then knelt in front of Dung and took in every moment of his pain. Relishing in the poor man's screams.
Dung screamed until his voice cracked. His legs unintentionally quivered with the pain. He would have continued hollering obscenities if O'Connor didn't produce sparks in front of his face. He was holding a pair of jumper cables that were attached to a car battery. "Whatta ya want", Dung pleaded, "I haven't done nothing to yer?"
O'Connor smiled, "oh. Sorry, mate", he said in apologetically. He flapped his arms in an 'I don't know' type of gesture and looked at Father Jacobs. "Just a simple case of misunderstanding then, right?" O'Connor laughed slightly.
Dung should his head vigorously,"yes yes!"
His elation was short lived as O'Connor touched the cables to the metal spikes in Dung's knees. Electric current traveled deep into his bones. His muscles spasmed hard and the veins popped out Dung's bald head.
After a count of five, O'Connor removed the clamps. Dung gasped for air, his body instantly feeling as if he had been sprinting. "I think we understand each other now, right?"
Dung remained silent, his concentration entirely on his breathing; for however long that may be.
O'Connor continued without waiting for Dung's response, "You see...We know who you are." O'Connor stood up and started to pace around Dung like a lion. "We also know who you have been associating with...and...I want to know where I can associate with them too?" O'Connor squeaked out the word 'I' as if he was all dressed for a ball without knowing where to go.
"You know who I am referring to, don't you?"
Dung knew all to well who they were talking about, Dumbledore. But he couldn't give them anything, Dumbledore was under the Fidelius Charm. A spell that conceals a location and only the secret keeper of the spell could allow anyone inside. There were ways to get around the spell, but Dumbledore, being the intelligent wizard he is, closed those loopholes (mostly). Dung couldn't even tell this bastard what city Dumbledore was located in. So the question really was... how long would he be able to hold out before he died?
With that in mind, Dung realized the hopelessness of his situation, and he broke down and cried. "I can't", he tried to say. But it only came out as a distressed moan.
O'Connor knelt back in front of Dung, "I understand completely mate. But you see...it still doesn't help you any." He grabbed the electrodes and attached back to the spikes in Dung's knees. He tried to scream but with the amount of pain he couldn't.
Another five count. Detach.
"I know why you can't say anything. The Fidelius Charm is a bitch when you are trying to find someone. Oh yes, we knew he had to be protected by the charm. How else would he evade capture from the Emperor for so long?"
Dung nodded absentmindedly. Sweat poured off his bald head. The pain still evident in his face.
"So what we are going to do...is describe the surroundings where they are hidden. The places they go, where they buy their food, what they are wearing. Every detail you can think of, you will tell me. If they wipe their ass with a special type of toilet paper...well...you damn well better tell me where I can get some!"
While Dung couldn't confess the place or the city, small descriptions would be useful to determine a location. It would still take time, but eventually they would be found. "And...what if...I...don't", Dung wheezed between breaths.
"Then this gentleman will squeeze every ounce of information he can out of you," Father Jacobs said finally announcing himself. "I'll catch up with you later." He looked at O'Connor before exiting the chamber.
When the door closed, O'Connor giggled sadistically. "Now I can get creative. When was the last time you had a make-over?"
Dung didn't know why O'Connor would ask such a question, but he knew enough to be terrified none the less.
O'Connor pulled out a pair of pliers and snipped them a few times. "Let's start with a pedicure!"
********oooo********
Father Jacobs quickly walked away from O'Connor's torture chamber. He didn't want to hear Dung's screams; it gave him a headache. He went to the dorm area to see Harry and Davin. When he walked in, he seen the pair playing darts with Peter and Michael. Usually, the duo didn't have much association with their counterparts, unless they were gambling.
He walked up to them as Harry simultaneously conjured and released a dart that landed in the bull's eye. Michael and Peter both moaned and complained, "what the hell man? You said that just because he can throw knives, doesn't mean he can play darts," Michael said to Peter.
"Well," Peter said thinking of an excuse, "shit! I mean the weight is completely different, so I thought..."
Harry and Davin busted out laughing, well, Harry did. Davin kind of chuckled soundlessly.
Father Jacobs smiled paternally. "Can you hit red with more than one Harry?"
The boys instantly stopped laughing and then looked to the man in question. Harry squared off in front of his target and conjured three darts. He tossed them overhanded at the same time and scored hits with all three.
"Is that all?"
Harry, floored that three bull's eyes were not enough to impress his mentor, conjured three darts in each hand. After a second of concentration, he held his arms out wide before slinging them at the target. Five out of the six were direct hits, the last one was just outside by a small hairline margin.
Harry smiled at his accomplishment. "Not bad", Father Jacobs said before he conjured six darts in each hand. He was about to throw when he suddenly stopped and looked at Harry. "Let's make this interesting. If I get all twelve in the middle, you will tell me why you call a certain bar the Antsy Banshee."
Harry's face instantly turned red, 'how the hell did he know about that'. Harry was about to deny the deal until he thought about the Father trying to fit twelve darts in the little bulls eye area. "I should deny just on the fact that NOBODY should hear that story. But, Deal."
Father Jacobs smiled. He already knew the story, he was at the bar the night it happened. The good Father would think about the look on Harry's face walking out of the bar every time he needed a quick laugh.
He then reached behind his back, put his left leg forward and concentrated on his target. He suddenly exploded at the target and expertly slung the darts underhanded directly into the bull's eye.
"Impossible", Harry started. Then he looked closer at the 'darts'.
"Hey wait a minute, you changed the darts into little spikes."
Father Jacobs laughed, "you never said that I couldn't."
Harry opened his mouth to reply, but the only sound that came out was a grunt. "Damn it", he said under his breath. He was about to argue but thought better of it. So he shut his mouth then smiled, "Nice shot Father"
"Thank you Harry." Father Jacobs smiled, "You two follow me, I have something for you." Harry and Davin obediently followed the Father out the dorm area.
Peter and Michael started to laugh about Harry's predicament until said person stuck his head back in the doorway. "Hey! You assholes still owe me ten galleons, I'll be back to collect," Harry hollered.
********oooo********
Father Jacobs sat Harry and Davin in front of his desk. "This mission is more of an information gathering type. Harry, you started this trail with the Covent Garden assignment and I want you to continue it. I want you to track down Sirius Black and retrieve information concerning Dumbledore's whereabouts."
Harry and Davin nodded their heads in understanding.
"Mr. Black is a Dumbledore supporter but did not go so far as to get implicated with treason. He is currently working as an Auror with the Muggle Magical Task Force in London. He is very skilled in hand to hand and magical combat, so don't underestimate him. With that being said, we need information, so don't kill him. Get anything you can out of him about Dumbledore's location, even if it is only descriptions of the area. Monuments, types of trees, native dialect or accent; stuff of that sort. This will help narrow our search."
"Meanwhile, O'Connor will continue his interrogation of Mr. Fletcher. I need you two to check in every other day for information exchange. As clues come in about a location, I will have you investigate it. I'm going to pull Michael and Peter into the search as soon as Dung starts spitting out clues."
Looking at both of his pupils for understanding, he asked if there were any questions. When he received a negative reply, he sent them both on their way.
What Father Jacobs didn't mention was that Sirius Black was also Harry's godfather. That's why he stressed not killing him. 'It's bad enough that I killed his parents, but to send him to kill his godfather is a little twisted', he thought. 'What would happen if Harry found out? Would he seek vengeance? Most likely.' He had hoped that Harry had changed enough physically that Sirius wouldn't recognize him. He really wanted to send someone else, but Harry had a way of getting things done. The other teams were good, but Harry was definitely the best.
After an hour of meditation, Father Jacobs returned to check on Mundungus. What awaited him rendered him speechless. When he opened the door, he expected to hear screaming and crying. He was met with the moans of a busty woman being played on a television. Dung was now missing the metal spikes AND his pants. A wire ran from between his legs to a crossbow pointed at his shoulder.
Confused, he looked at O'Connor for an explanation.
"What? It's called a Mexican standoff, if it rises", referring to Dung's genitalia," ...this crossbow shoots. I..."
"I don't want to know", Father Jacobs interjected and closed the door.
London
Beginning of Winter 1999
Harry and Davin left the church shortly after they received their assignment. Knowing that Black was with the MMTF, they decided to stake out the entrances to the Department of Magical Affairs. Renamed when Emperor Riddle merged the muggle and magical world, the former Ministry for Magic was still the same entity it once was. The only difference was that it was no longer hidden from the non-magical.
There were even a handful of muggle offices, like the MMTF (Muggle Magical Task Force), that resided within it. Riddle also opened the building to all sentient magical creatures to exercise their voice and freedoms. Even those damn greedy-ass goblins!
Harry and Davin used a combination spells to alter their clothes and appearance each time they entered the Department of Magical Affairs. Sometimes they sported business suits with neatly combed hair and other times in blue jeans and a polo. Hair color, nose size, and accessories like prescription glasses were used at random to continually enter the building without drawing attention to themselves.
Their first day consisted of surveying the building, security, and emergency exits. That night, they compiled they findings and committed the pertinent information to memory. On the second day, the plan was for each of them to go into the MMTF department and claim false crimes in order to look around the area without drawing attention.
Davin went first while Harry was sipping a coffee at a nearby cafe's patio table near the Magical Affairs building. Before going out, Harry had shortened his hair, fattened his cheeks slightly, and put on a pair of sunglasses. He also widened his nose slightly and changed his hair color to a light brown.
During slow sips of his coffee, Harry would use legilimency to scan the surface thoughts of the people he seen walking in or out of the Magical Affairs building. All was well and good until he scanned an aristocratic looking ponce with bleached blonde hair. The man stopped dead in his tracks and looked over in Harry's direction before shaking his head and continued to walk down the street past the coffee shop. Harry was on high alert for a few minutes thinking that the man had spotted him. He even had his wand in his hand as the guy walked past the shop. But the ponce didn't seem to give Harry's transgressions a second thought.
Thinking it would be best to change his disguise, Harry paid for his coffee and casually walked down the block. He dipped into an alley and started shredding the spells he used to alter his appearance. He had just finished altering the fashion style of his clothes when a voice behind him halted his movements.
"Who are you", the man demanded.
Harry slowly turned his head, his true appearance shown to the world. His eyes bulged like a deer caught in headlights for a split second. He immediately recognized that the owner of the voice was the blond ponce that walked past him. Harry quickly thought of what to do. He didn't want to kill this man and possibly draw more attention than he already has. The man had to have some skills since he apparently picked up on the legilimency probe; so the fight might attract too much attention as well. And it goes without saying that Harry would not divulge his intentions to this...this...peacock!
'This job is about to get a bit harder', Harry thought.
Knowing that he had walked out of the anti-apparition wards, Harry did the only thing that really came to mind. His green eyes flared mischievously as he smiled and flashed the bleached blonde bastard the middle finger right before he silently apparated away.
Lucius Malfoy was dumbfounded. The whole act left him with a sense of deja vu.
25 years prior
Diagon Alley
Lucius had just had a trying day with the goblin bankers and their damned interest rates. He was still fuming as he walked back to the Leaky Cauldron for a much needed pint. He greeted Tom the Bartender with a grunt and sat down at the bar. By the time, Tom asked for his order, Lucius changed his preferred drink from ale to Fire Whiskey.
For an hour, the blonde nursed several shots of the beverage as well as his growing migraine. It was all made worse when a group of four Hogwarts students entered the bar in a ruckus. The loud obnoxious laughter from the dark curly haired teen grated on Lucius' nerves.
The boys moved over to a table while Lucius tried to ignore them. Malfoy overheard the names of two of the boys. Sirius and James. Apparently, the four of them were returning to Hogwarts the next day to start their final year. The four teens laughed uproariously at some joke and attempted to talk over each other constantly.
Fed up, Lucius turned to the group and shouted "have you ever heard of a silencing charm?"
The group looked at each other for a minute to gauge each others reaction. A second later, a dark haired teen with spectacles rose from his seat with a mischievous smile on his face. He looked right into Lucius' eyes and flicked him the bird. "Not quite seventeen yet", he laughed.
Lucius' face turned an ungodly red hue. 'How dare this boy', he thought.
Two of the teens at least looked shocked that their companion would do something so bold. The third, however...a curly dark haired teen with a bark like laughter set Lucius' blood on fire. The blonde man pulled his wand from it's holster in his cane and was about to cast one of the nastiest curses he's ever learned.
"Expellio Intesti...", Lucius tried to say. But Tom the Bartender, who had been watching the boys, stepped in and grabbed Lucius by his arm.
"It's not worth it Mr. Malfoy", Tom said. He looked to the four hooligans and pointed his finger, "you there! You boys need to leave. NOW!"
Lucius was still seething. He stared at the one that had disrespected him, committing every detail to memory. After the boys left, Tom told him their names and tried to excuse their manners as mild trouble-making. "Don't pay them no mind", Tom said.
However, Lucius never forgot the face of that boy. The surname alone sent his blood pressure sky high! "Potter", he said venomously.
"Potter", Lucius stated out loud coming out of his reverie. "Impossible", he mumbled.
********oooo********
Harry was sitting on the bed in a roach infested hotel room they used as a headquarters. He was waiting for Davin to return so they could make a plan. He was sure that Davin would return shortly, that blonde man might have notified someone to have security increased. Unless, Davin was captured. 'I'll give him ten more minutes, it's almost our scheduled time to meet up anyway', Harry thought. Those ten minutes dragged out to the point where Harry was pacing by the eighth minute. 'What the fuck, Davin.'
Just then, the door opened and said person walked in with a pizza box.
"DO YOU KNOW HOW LONG I'VE BEEN WAITING", Harry hollered. "I was almost caught by some blonde ponce and then I had to sit here wondering if you might have been caught."
Davin, to his credit, did not change his facial expressions or try to explain. He simply held the pizza box and watched Harry rant.
"What happened? What did you learn? Were you followed or anything?" Harry spit questions at Davin left and right, and still, Davin just stood there, pizza box still in hand.
Harry was about to go into another torrent of questions when he finally noticed the box that Davin was holding.
Harry took a few breaths to calm down, "Is that pepperoni?"
'Nah, pineapple and pickle', Davin said telepathically.
"Lying prick", Harry said, finally relaxing now that his best friend appeared fine. Harry opened the box, intent on helping himself to a slice. Only, Davin wasn't lying. "MUH-THER FUCKER", Harry whispered in disbelief.
********oooo********
After eating, Harry and Davin began to plan their attack on Sirius Black. Harry filled Davin in on his close encounter and asked if anything around the building changed. When Davin said "no", Harry hoped the man didn't report him. If he did, security would have been increased.
Davin 'told' Harry that he had followed Sirius all the way to his office within the MMTF. The crime rate in Great Britain since Riddle took over is at record lows. Because it has been that way for almost three years, law enforcement and security details have become lax. That's how Davin took advantage and knew where Sirius office was located. He didn't even have to file a false crime report to find it!
Sirius, being the lead investigator for the MMTF, had a decent size corner office. With the right type of diversion, someone could slip right in and prepare an ambush. They didn't want to Imperious Sirius in case he fought the curse and gave bad information. Kidnapping would be used as a last resort. Fighting wasn't out of the question but then the whole MMTF would come down upon them.
They ended up deciding on going to the receptionist within Sirius' department, afraid and paranoid, to give information about the murders in the Covent Gardens. They would say they knew Sirius and would only talk to him. When they gained access to the office and had an audience with Sirius, the hammer would drop and Harry would start his own line of questioning. A memory charm to forget the encounter and a bottle of liqueur would help keep the interrogation from arising any suspicions afterwards.
So all in all, Harry would report a crime that he had committed. 'The best lies are based around truth', Harry thought.
With a plan in place, Harry and Davin prepared their disguises. Davin used a glamour charm to conceal his scars and grew his hair out to his shoulders. After he slicked back his hair and put it in a 'manly' ponytail, he altered his cheek bones and nose size. Both of them decided on regular muggle clothes, so he put on a gray hoodie and blue jean pants while Harry sported a simple black jacket and Khakis.
Harry turned his long black locks into a wispy brown comb over. He used a charm to make his cheek bones more prominent and altered his face to appear more square. He put on a pair of prescription glasses and smiled at himself in the mirror. His smile faltered slightly, it felt as if he had seen this face before. Confused, but not enough to put any brain power into the mystery, Harry grabbed Davin and they left for the MMTF office. Unbeknownst to Harry, he strongly resembled his late biological father.
As they entered the building, Harry admired the coal black granite walls that sat on top of polished white tile. Magical paintings and plants adorned the walls in a tasteful fashion. Harry couldn't help but to admire the decor as he continued to follow Davin to the law enforcement offices.
Large black bowls of magical fire on tall pedestals sporadically lined the walls, purely in a historical fashion since the inside was lit up by florescent lights. Charmed airplane memos sailed through the corridors to their intended recipient. Magicals and muggles littered the hallways and the corridors. The hallway remained at a dull roar of conversations about different topics. Harry would only catch snippets here and there, none of it interesting enough.
Davin walked right to the lifts and pushed the button for the third floor. Several individuals got on with them but paid them no mind. As the lift traveled upward, soothing orchestra played in the background. When the elevator reached their floor, they both walked off and instantly dropped into their paranoid persona.
Walking up to the law department, Harry and Davin stayed close and constantly looked around them. When they reached the receptionist, she looked up, "How may I help you?"
"We need to see Investigator Black, please it's urgent", Harry's voice quivered slightly. "We have information on the Covent Gardens murders. But...", Harry stopped to look around, "I think we are being followed. Please, you have to help us!"
"Oh dear, he is in a meeting right now." She looked around as if someone, Black or a perpetrator, might appear around the corner. Uncertain of what else to do, she told them to follow her. "Are you sure you are being followed?"
"The person that did it knows I was there at the Gardens. I think he was trailing us here. He might even be in this building, I don't know. Just please, take us to Mr. Black."
"Ok, ok, keep your voice down, his office is over this way", she replied hurriedly. She guided them down a hallway full of offices. The decor changed to incorporate dark stained wood that traveled the hallway at waist height. The color of the dry wall looked like a watered down yellow color. Harry guessed it was an attempt at color therapy, where the color of the room adjusts the mood of the people. 'It fails miserably', Harry thought. Harry didn't even like the light color carpet in the office.
The receptionist stopped next to a dark colored wooden door, "go to the end of the hallway and wait for me, I'll get the Investigator." Harry and Davin swiftly walked to where she pointed but constantly peered down the open hallway. They watched as she knocked on a conference door lightly and entered.
After a moment, the lady came out and walked around the corner, "The Investigator told me to take you to his office, he will be with you shortly." She continued to lead them down a hallway that ran adjacent to the one they started in; this one ending with a scenic window. When the reached the end, the receptionist opened a door that had Sirius' name plate on it. She ushered them in and instructed them to have a seat and that Sirius wouldn't be long.
She asked Harry for descriptions of the perpetrator so that she could alert security. He tried to be as vague as possible, "white male with blonde hair wearing a dark robe", he said. Harry explained that he couldn't see anything else. But everywhere they turned, a man with that description would be following them. The receptionist said she would do what she could and walked out the office to find security.
True to her word, Sirius Black arrived two minutes after the receptionist left. Harry sat in the chair across from Sirius' desk while Davin hid at the corner where the office door was hinged. Sirius barged into the office apologizing for the wait without looking behind him. Davin went unnoticed.
While Sirius was walking to his desk, he lazily pointed his wand behind him at the door and then ended the movement with a twirl around the room. "I put soundproofing on this office so nobody will overhear anything", Sirius said as he walked around his desk.
"Judy said you were being followed...,"Sirius started as he sat down and looked at the person in front of him. He took in the features, 'Square jaw, combed over brown hair, high cheek bones', Sirius thought. Noticing the blonde man at the door, and kicking himself for being so lax, Sirius' sixth sense started tingling. The circumstances of the situation, the story he was given, and the posture of the two men in his office threw up some red flags.
"What is your name", he said automatically. The Investigator inside of him took control. Something felt off to him. Sirius centered himself and reached out to detect anything unusual with his magic. When he looked back at the brown haired man sitting at his desk, he looked deep into their eyes. Brilliant green eyes that only one other person he knew of could possess he realized. Lily Potter.
Sirius took in the guy's face once again. 'He somewhat looks like James', he thought. 'But, of course, James is dead and I can sense the subtle charms around their faces.'
"It's Samuel", Harry said, "I want..."
"Why are you lying to me", Sirius demanded. Harry sputtered as Sirius discreetly pointed his wand in Harry's direction.
"Excuse me", Harry said indignantly. "I wanted to..."
"Finite", Sirius whispered. Harry stopped talking as the spells he used melted away. His hair turned raven black and grew to his shoulders. His face filled back out but his eyes never changed. Harry jumped out of his chair and expertly pointed his wand at Sirius. But the Investigator's gaze never left the young man's eyes.
"Well this went tits up", Harry exclaimed.
But Sirius didn't hear him. It's been a long time since the passing of his best friends, but he never forgot them. His eyes bugged out of his head as he took in the new features of this young man. This person before him was a spitting image of his best friend except for, "Lily's eyes", he murmured.
"Say what", Harry said confused. "Listen, we don't need to cause a scene as long as you cooperate."
Still, Sirius wasn't paying attention. At least to Harry's demands. "Remarkable...but, it can't be", he reasoned. He suddenly stood up and went over to Harry. The young assassin was a hair away from blasting the Investigator but the questions he was assaulted with confused him.
"I don't sense any other charms, that's how I knew you had to be lying", Sirius rambled, "and now you look to be about the right age." Suddenly he grabbed Harry by his shoulders, "ARE YOU UNDER POLYJUICE?"
"What the...", Harry started.
"TELL ME NOW DAMN IT!"
"NO", Harry shouted, "you barmy old bastard", he muttered under his breathe.
Sirius let go of Harry's shoulders and turned back to his desk in deep thought. He sat back down at his chair and pulled open the top drawer of his desk. He pulled out a bottle of dark brown liquid and chugged as much as his throat would allow.
Completely thrown off by the turn of events, it took Harry some effort to find his voice, "we are getting ahead of ourselves here. Wasn't gonna use that on you till after the questioning but, what the hell." Harry shook his head and looked at Davin, whom also wore a befuddled expression. "All I need is information. I don't know what the hell is going on here, but we are getting way off topic!"
"Are you listening to me", Harry demanded while Sirius stared off into the unknown. Harry's commanding voice brought the Investigator's eyes shooting up to look into Harry's. Looking closely, Harry could tell that the man was tearing up. He was about to demand a question when Sirius finally spoke, "Harry", he asked.
Davin and Harry were both caught off guard. "No no no, it's Samuel", Harry said.
"No", Sirius corrected him, " it's Harry Potter", Sirius said again.
'How the hell…..', Harry thought. "My name is..."
"I've only seen one other person with eyes like those", Sirius said mostly to himself, drowning out Harry's voice. "Your alive", he whispered.
"Obviously", Harry said instinctively. All thoughts of his 'play acting' went out the window as Sirius walked from around the desk. Harry was on guard with his wand still pointed at Sirius expecting an attack; nobody got this close unless they wanted to grapple. Sirius, still in a stupor, lunged at Harry and did something the assassin did not expect. He hugged him.
Davin was coiled ready to pounce on his friend's attacker until Harry waved him off.
Sirius came out of the bear hug but kept his hands on Harry's shoulders, afraid he might vanish. "Where have you been Harry? I thought you were dead?"
Harry quickly thought of what he should do. The coincidence of his appearance being clost to somebody the Investigator thought was dead was astronomical. 'This could work out in my favor though' ,Harry thought.
Deciding to play the 'part' of Harry Potter, the assassin lowered his wand. "I'm alive and well thank you", Harry asked. "For the moment at least...".
"Right, you need protection", Sirius stated. But he stopped listening to a word Harry was saying, he debated with himself on what to do. Sirius thought of taking him back to his place but decided against it. His house was a dump with no real protective wards. Then he thought about protective custody before he scratched that idea. Suddenly bringing a boy, long thought dead, into the MMTF's radar didn't seem like a good idea. Sirius was running out of options.
Seeing the vacant look in Sirius' eyes, Harry waved his wand in front of the man's face and produced red sparks to get the man's attention. Just before Sirius was going to voice his displeasure, his office door opened up.
********oooo********
Two hours prior...
Within an hour of finding out the dark haired man's identity, Lucius had summoned Narcissa and Bellatrix. They were all currently standing before Emperor Riddle.
"How can you be so sure that it is him", Riddle asked.
"For me, it was unmistakable. The insult I received by James Potter is something I will not likely forget. How is this possible Emperor? I thought the son of James and Lily died with them?"
"I wonder...", Tom said. He recalled his last meeting with the assassin monks. The letter they had him owl to Joseph Evans and the small tidbit about pictures taken of the boy after the murders. The assassin monk also told him not to tell anyone of Harry's survival. 'So, why would he show himself now? And why was his doing legilimency on MMTF employees' , Riddle thought. 'He was undoubtedly trained by the assassin monks if he could perform legilimency at his age.'
"No, he survived", Riddle confirmed for them."He was taken and trained by the group of assassins I requested to deal with the Potters."
Questions flew through Riddle's mind a mile a minute. 'Is he coming for me? What's the motive?' Based on the information he has, he couldn't plan a course of action. Should he use caution and add more security, or should he strike and eliminate the threat?
"Has he attacked anyone else? Have you heard from any of the others", Riddle asked the group.
"McNair and Peter are in America and can't be reached, they are still...", Bella started. Riddle finished the end of the sentence nodding his head "infiltrating the C.I.A."
"Igor called in from Russia two days ago and the Lestrange brothers checked in last week from Brazil."
Paranoia was getting the best of the Emperor, 'We have come too far to lose everything now', he thought. ' I hate loose ends', he thought. But at the same time, he didn't want to jump to conclusions.
"We need more information", Riddle declared, "bring him to me. Lucius get a Spec Ops team together and have them recon Saint Giles church near Bowes castle. Narcissa, I want you to get in touch with the others and make sure they are still operational. Bella, you said that your cousin was Harry's godfather, correct?"
"Yes", she replied questioningly.
"Bring him here. I'll tell him we've come across rumors of the boy's survival. If we can get Sirius on board, we might have an easier time since the man won't stop until his godson is found. Due to where the boy was raised, consider him extremely dangerous. If he appears to be anything but cordial, you have my permission to execute. Understand?"
"Yes", they replied. Every one of them wondered how dangerous a missing teenager could be? Even with training in shadow arts.
********oooo********
Seconds before opening the door...
Sirius Black's Office
Bella walked down the mundane hallway of the law enforcement department. She was so intent on getting to her cousin that she didn't notice the Aurors straighten up and look busy. Bellatrix Lestrange was their 'big boss' who enjoyed the company and the confidence of the Emperor. If she had supersonic hearing, Bella would laugh at the sound of all the anus' that puckered up at her arrival.
'Why is she here? What does she want? Is this an inspection? Don't have naughty thoughts about your boss...don't have naughty thoughts about your boss!'
Not only was Bella high up in the chain of command, but she was just as deadly as she was beautiful. Auror Winston remembered how she put him on his ass during a hand to hand training seminar he attended. Almost half of the current law enforcement division had been beat up by her.
Her determined walk and facial features meant something was about to happen.
Bella walked right up to Sirius' door and slung it open without knocking. It came as a complete surprise that the missing Potter boy was in her cousin's office...with a wand pointed at his head...AND SHOOTING RED SPARKS AT HIM!"
"Bella", Sirius squeaked.
Bella's mindset was so intent on capturing Harry that, acting on impulse, she whipped out her wand and shot a powerful stunner at the pair in front of her. Her actions were so quick, that the two experienced fighters barely got a shield charm up in time. The power of the spell still sent them both flying into Sirius' filing cabinets.
Harry recovered faster than Sirius, he jumped into a rolled behind the desk right after he impacted. Bellatrix didn't hesitate, she cast another spell at Harry that narrowly missed his head. The sound of the metal cabinet drawer denting, finally prompted Sirius to react. "BELLA STOP!" Sirius screamed his command as he raised his wand to cast another shield charm.
Davin, still unnoticed by Bella at the door, reacted to the attack. He lunged at Bella's extended wand arm and grabbed her right wrist. Davin must not have been thinking either, he had to reach across Bella's body to grab her, which left him open to physical attacks from Bella's left arm.
She capitalized on his mistake, but not in the way Davin thought. As beautiful and feminine as Bella was, she executed the most unladylike strike possible, a head butt. As Davin's nose crunched under her forehead, he couldn't help but to think about why this pretty woman would want to use her beautiful face as a blunt object. But then the pain and the involuntary tearing of the eyes came, and he didn't give a shit about her appearance anymore; at least for the moment.
Davin staggered back holding his nose, blood leaked down his chin and stained the ugly carpeting. The charms concealing his face faded due to the fierce impact and converted him into his true form. His hair shortened and lost it's luster while his scars returned with a vengeance. Almost as if they were angered by being hidden.
Harry popped his head over Sirius' desk when he heard the crunch. Seeing his friend moving back, Harry leapt onto the desk and jumped at Bella. He rolled his body horizontally in an impressive parkour stunt and kicked downward onto Bella's raising wand hand. The spell that she was aiming at Davin tore a gash in the carpet right in front of his friend's toes.
Her wand 'clattered' when it hit the floor, but instead of reaching for it, Bella discarded it for the moment. She blocked the quick back fist from Harry and sent a kick of her own with her rear left leg. Her foot connected with the inside of Harry's front left knee. Without stopping, Bella whipped her right leg at Harry's head with a quick front kick.
Harry moved his head slightly to avoid the blow. Before her right leg fully retracted, Bella jumped forward slightly with her left leg and used it stomp kick at her opponent's chest. Harry flew back and slammed into the filing cabinet, for a second time, and landed on top of Sirius. Dazed from hitting his head, Harry didn't notice Sirius drag him back behind his desk.
Bella reached down to pick up her wand. As she went for it, Davin tackled her to the ground. In a fit of primal rage, he started tearing at Bella's blouse. She was smacked and scratched repeatedly enough that she couldn't mount a decent defense to stop most of the blows. Pieces of ripped clothing rained down around the pair until Bella kneed Davin in his testicles. His rage returned to instant pain as he buckled and rolled off Bella.
Behind the desk, Sirius looked at Harry. He didn't know why Bella was attacking them, and she didn't give any explanation before she barged into his office 'guns blazing'. It didn't take Sirius long to figure out what to do, so he grabbed his godson by the arm, "I don't know what's going on, but I have to get you out of here before I can help you. The whole department is going to come down on you, break the window in the hallway, and jump! It's the only way out. Go to the cemetery at Godric's Hollow and find your mother's grave. Pick up one of the blue flowers and say "solace". It's a portkey, it will take you to an old friend of mine."
"Who", Harry asked.
"Dumbledore", Sirius whispered, "he will help you".
'Ok', Harry thought, 'so not only did the operation go south, but the fucker jumped clean off the compass, and now it's back on track again! What luck!'
Harry nodded at Sirius, he wasn't sure if this was real or not. Harry has never been so lucky in all his life. The only way Sirius could make a portkey through a Fidelius Charm is if he was the secret keeper. Which begged the question of why the hell would a high ranking investigator be hiding a known terrorist and traitor to Britain.
"I'll expect you there", Harry whispered. Without wasting anymore time, Harry jumped from behind Sirius' desk and almost laughed at what he seen. Bella was dazed and nearly topless while Davin was in tears grabbing his 'junk'.
"Will you quit fucking around," Harry said to Davin, "we gotta go."
Davin rose up onto his wobbly knees as Bella, still on her back, reached for her wand. Harry seen her move towards it and cast an Incarcerous spell at her wrist. As soon as it latched onto her wrist, he pulled her hand away from her wand and jerked her into a sitting position. Before she could pull back, Harry looped the other end (still attached to his wand) around the back of Bella's neck and yanked her to him.
She was launched forward and face planted at Harry's feet. Harry reached down and secured Bella's hands behind her back and hogtied her feet. He conjured more rope and attached it to the knot securing Bella's extremities. After casting a sticking charm on the other end of the rope and levitating Bella, Harry stuck her to the ceiling like a chandelier.
When Harry was done, Bella was swinging from the ceiling. Her breasts were visible from beneath the remains of her tattered silk blouse. Harry would have outright killed her, but he didn't know how Sirius would react. Even though Harry got what he wanted (Dumbledore's location), he was still intrigued by Sirius' knowledge of him.
Thinking of Sirius brought Harry's attention back to the man behind the desk. Thinking quickly to throw suspicion off of Sirius, Harry shouted "How many times do I have to kick your ass?" Sirius' face turned to confusion before Harry shot a stunner that hit him in the face.
Harry ran to the doorway as Davin walked up to the swinging Bella. He took a quick peek and admired Bella's visible assets. He moved to her heart shaped face and stared at her pouty lips and bright brown eyes. Even though Bella was yelling every obscenity at him, Davin couldn't help but to feel the butterflies in his stomach. It was crazy because just a moment ago he was ready to kill her. But she proved that she could match him blow for blow.
But the instant he had his revelation of love, he immediately knew that it would never work. Davin, taking advantage of the moment, quickly engaged Bella in the sweetest kiss of Davin's life. He couldn't tell if she reciprocated the kiss or not; at this point he really didn't care. It lasted only a moment, but it lifted a light in Davin's heart to the point of giddiness.
"Are you fucking serious right now! The entire damn Department is coming down on us...and...YOU decide to get FRISKY?" Harry was baffled, he never expected this event during the operation either, 'shit keeps getting weirder and weirder', Harry thought.
Davin smirked at Harry, then turned back to Bella. Davin didn't care if she was more than twenty years his senior, she excited him. She was his cougar! And with that thought in mind, Davin formed claws with his hands and snapped his teeth at Bella in a "very" sensual manner that ended in a purr.
Harry looked back down the hallway, he seen several Aurors staging around the corner. "They're down the hall. I'm gonna blow the window and you jump out behind me."
Davin replied with a nod, he got his head back in the game and looked down the hallway for himself. Before he could get a good look, a stunning spell was shot at them. It hit the wall in front of the doorway, cracking the drywall. More spells followed, decimating the mundane décor of the office area.
Sirius' office door smacked Harry on the head when a vicious looking purple spell obliterated the top hinge. Fortunately, it gave him an idea. He pointed his wand at the bottom hinge, "Reducto".
Harry grabbed the loose door and leaned it against the wall. "Diffindo", he said swiping his arm horizontally across the middle. When Harry turned to give Davin a make-shift shield, he was handed a rope.
Looking at his friend, he telepathically received, "What? I don't feel like falling three stories to the sidewalk and try to run right afterwards." Harry followed the rope's path and seen that it was wrapped around Sirius' desk.
"Good call", Harry said tying the rope around his waist, "Smoke the hallway up while I fire back, then we'll leave."
Davin nodded and cautiously stuck the tip of his wand out of the doorway while Harry leaned out slightly and fired several curses down range. The Aurors ducked into the other office doors to avoid getting hit. Some were not so lucky, they dropped to the floor unconscious from Harry's "stunner barrage".
Harry tapped Davin on the shoulder, "ON THREE", he shouted over the noise. Again, Davin nodded his head. He grabbed his shield and waited for Harry's count.
"ONE...Stupefy, stupefy".
"TWO..." Instead of more stunning spells, Harry pointed his wand towards the Aurors and tried to intensify Davin's smokescreen. It appeared as if several vacuum cleaners were sucking the smoke away before it could really mask their escape. They could only achieve a thin mist at best. 'We have to get the hell out of here', Harry thought.
"THREE!" Harry tapped Davin's shoulder and stepped into the exposed hallway with his shield raised. Davin rushed to the window and blew it out with a Reducto spell. Harry summoned as much power as he could and pointed his wand down the hall. "LUMOS MAXIMA", he hollered. A beam of pure white light shot halfway down the hallway and exploded into mini sun. The light was so bright and sudden that all of the Aurors had to cover their eyes or become instantly blinded.
Pedestrians on the street witnessed the entire third floor light up for an instant. It was followed by two males that jumped from one of the windows. They would have become pancakes if it wasn't for the rope that was attached to them suddenly jerk back to slow their decent.
After nearly breaking their backs from the jump, Harry and Davin did a quick assessment of injuries. After the all clear, they ran down the sidewalk and ducked into a nearby alley and apparated the their "roach motel" headquarters.
********oooo********
After healing their wounds, Harry told Davin about the going to Godric's Hollow. They also talked about the strange way Sirius was acting; as if he knew Harry personally. Sirius was apparently going to meet them wherever this portkey was going to take them. Hopefully without violence if Sirius understood the reason why Harry attacked him with a stunning spell.
Thinking that it would be at least a few hours before Sirius would be interviewed or give reports to his supervisors, they decided to take a small nap to recuperate. They would take the portkey to whatever destination after the sun went down. In case it was a trap, Harry wanted to use the cover of darkness to his advantage.
Harry laid on the tiny little bed looking up at the ceiling. He was deep in thought about the conversation with Sirius. 'He said I looked like my mother', he thought. It wasn't just what Sirius had said, but the sincerity that caught Harry off guard. 'Could it be?'