Disclaimer: The Harry Potter universe belongs to the proverbial Duchess of Magic, JK Rowling, Scholastic, Bloomsbury, Warner Bros and some other high falutin' companies. No matter how much I whine about not owning anything related to the HP universe, other than a few fanfic plots, I do not profess to own - and would never dream of making any money off - JKR's wonderful world... Damn it!
A/N: Some readers of this and my other stories have asked about the term 'naff'. Believe it or not it is not a word I simply made up to replace a similar four letter word beginning with the letter 'F'. Instead, it's a Polari word that became prominent in the UK after a couple of UK television shows during the late seventies and early eighties started using it. By rights, 'naff' could pretty much be interchangeable with 'spiffy'; however, during the late eighties it morphed into becoming a swear word of its own and was used by the youths of the day as a way to swear without getting into trouble for it. That's why I have Harry, on occasion, use it; its historically accurate.
A/N 2: And, no, I do not apologise for the supposed 'cliffhanger' at the end of the previous chapter. If you folks who complained couldn't wait what was effectively only four days for this chapter, might I suggest a Valium or two.
Chapter Thirteen - A Terrible Accident
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―==(oIo)==―
ˇ
Fifteen seconds later, Harry was led by the elf into the head-of-house study on the other side of the manor. And, after being shown where the ward book was located and then how to change the wards, Harry quickly had it done.
Once he was done he breathed a sigh of relief. At any moment a Death Eater, who wasn't privy to or invited to attend the meeting between he and Riddle, could have suddenly turned up. With the changes he made to the wards, everyone was blocked from getting in via apparation, floo or portkey. Now, no one could leave except via a portkey he'd made... or simply walking out the door, crossing the grounds and walking out the front gate.
'Right,' he thought. 'That's done. Next, the prisoners.'
"Tippy."
"Yes, Master?"
"How do I find the prisoners?"
"Theys be in the secret cells under drawing room floor, Master," the elf replied.
"How do I get down there?"
"There be a secret enty-rance in the drawing room, Master."
"Can I activate the secret entrance so I can get in?"
"Yes, Master."
"Great," he happily returned. "Show me how to activate it so I can go and get them out."
"Yes, Master.". Then it gestured back to the door to the office and said, "This way, Master."
Following the elf he was surprised it led him back to the 'audience' room. Then, once inside, he gestured to a wall sconce and said, "Master must be turnings that to the right side one quarter turn. That will open hidden enty-rance."
"The entrance is in here?" he asked.
Indicating a seven foot tall cabinet that appeared flush with the wall, one that had a big gash across it at hip height from one of Harry's ribbon cutters, the elf said, "The enty-rance be behind that cabby-nets, master."
"That's the only way in or out?" he asked.
"Yes, Master."
Thinking a bit he asked, "These prisoners. Any women or children with them?"
"Yes, Master."
With a sigh, he thought about the problem of bringing children up past the bodies.
"Damn!" he quietly said. That was not something he wanted 'innocents' to see. However the bodies were, until decided otherwise by the DMLE, part of a 'crime scene'.
Then he had it. He'd go muggle for this.
"Tippy, please go and get for me as many bed sheets as there are bodies in here," he ordered. "I intend to cover them with the sheets."
"Yes, Master," replied the elf before it popped away. It was back only moments later with a stack of folded linen.
Harry took the top one and said, "This is what I want you to do for each, alright?" Then he flicked the sheet open and allowed it to billow out over the body closest to him to entirely cover it and the pooling blood and other fluids that came from it. "Got that?"
"Yes, Master," replied the elf before it snapped its fingers and every body, except Riddle's, was covered with a spread out sheet. Riddle's body, together with his throne on which he still 'reposed', had a sheet draped completely over them. He'd ignored the snake; so did Tippy.
Looking around to make sure it was all covered, Harry declared, "Perfect."
Then he turned back to look at the wall sconce and said, "Let's open it up."
Walking to the sconce, he gave it a twist to the right and felt it in his hand as something 'clicked' just before it reached the full quarter turn. Looking to the cabinet, he saw the closest edge had popped away from the wall about an inch.
He then took the step to it, slipped his fingers of his off hand into the crack and pulled it open. It silently came away like a large, heavyweight door; with not even a squeak of hinge.
"Alright, Tippy," he softly said. "Let's go rescue them."
Directly behind the cabinet was a set of stairs that led down half a flight to a small landing. He walked down that and saw the second half of the full flight leading down and back under the drawing room floor on the other half of the landing. He then walked down those.
He was unsurprised to find ever-burn torches, like found at Hogwarts, lit the way.
At the bottom of the stairs and directly under the wall of the drawing room was a heavy metal door. A set of keys were hanging on a hook right next to it.
"Master must takes the keys," said Tippy. "They be for the cells."
Harry pulled the ring of keys off the hook and opened the unlocked door, stepping within.
As soon as he did, he could smell the sickly sweet stench of unwashed bodies mixed with the putrid smell of voided bowels.
Now leading, Tippy took Harry across the small room, past racks of what was probably dark arts artefacts and to another door, opposite the one they came in through. This one was locked.
After trying an Alohomora Unlocking charm, which didn't work, Harry checked out the keys on the ring. There were seven of them; big bulky things.
With a shrug he tried the first in the sequence and found it was the right one, right away. If it hadn't worked, he'd have tried the last next.
As he opened that door it gave a slight squeak. Immediately and, as if in response, he could hear a couple of gasps and a quiet whimper as if from a small girl.
There were six cells, three each side of a short passageway. At the end of the passageway was a plain wooden cabinet up against the wall and facing Harry. Each cell door was a simple wrought iron cell door set with bolts into the plain undressed stone of the walls.
Harry walked past each of the first four, glancing within each as he went, before he reached the furthest two; the first one on his right he passed was empty. Looking within the first of the last two, he was quick to open it. There was a younger and older witch inside. Both were sitting on a wooden pallet-style bed and appeared a little worse for wear. As soon as they saw him the younger one whimpered a little and was cuddling into the older one.
"Ladies," he quietly said. "I'm here to rescue you."
The older of the two looked back with defiance and said, "And who might you be? You're no auror."
"What?" he asked, pretending to be offended. "Only aurors can effect rescues?"
"Who are you?" she demanded.
"You may call me... Dudley Do-Right of the Canadian Mounties," he replied. "Neither of you might be Nell Fenwick, but I'll rescue you anyway."
While she looked at him with suspicion he asked, "Can both of you walk? Or, do I need to find a healer to come down here, first?"
"We can walk," she grumped.
"Good," he replied, "I have other cells to open." Then he spun around and went to the cell opposite.
Looking in at the man inside he realised it was Florean Fortescue. He was conscious, sitting on the wooden pallet thing and looking back in suspicion.
"Hi!" he said, unlocking the door. "I'll be your friendly neighbourhood rescuer today. Are you able to walk?"
"Yes," said Fortescue, struggling to stand. "I can walk."
"Excellent," smiled Harry, after making sure the man was at least on his feet.
The next cell contained a goblin, of all beings. It was Griphook. He, too, was sitting on the wooden pallet.
"Well met, Cart Goblin Griphook," said Harry. He then goblin-saluted the being.
The goblin just huffed at him and sneered, ignoring the salute. Harry mentally reasoned it meant he'd been taken before Harry was accorded his Warrior's Honour by Ragnok.
By rights, Harry knew he could take offence. He didn't and soon had the door unlocked and open. "On your feet, Grip of the Hook Clan. Time to go."
That had the goblin looking at him with hate, but getting to his feet.
The next and opposite had an auror, in uniform.
"Hi there," said Harry. "You ready to get back to work, Auror?"
The auror, who was not sitting on the pallet, was standing with his back against the opposite wall, had his arms crossed and was frowning at Harry as Harry unlocked the door.
"You're... really here to rescue us?" he warily asked.
"Yup!" Harry returned, pulling the door open. "I am the terror that flaps in the night. I am the hairball that clogs your drains. I am the surprise in your cereal box. I... am Darkwing Duck!"
Harry mentally smirked at the man's expression and thought, 'Who'd have thought surreptitiously watching the cartoons on the telly while Dudley watched them, back before Hogwarts, would come in so handy?'
Moving on to the next one there was, to start with, a woman dressed in what looked like Healer's robes inside. She was with a woman with two young girls. Other than the healer, the other three were dressed muggle. However, their clothing was pretty torn up even worse than it was for the two witches in the first cell he opened at the end. Harry had a pretty fair idea why they were there... and still alive. It did not bear thinking upon.
"Good afternoon," he almost chirpily said. Looking to the older women of the three muggles he asked, "Who knows what evil lurks within the hearts of men?"
She looked puzzled for a moment before her expression cleared a little and she replied, "The Shadow knows."
He grinned, "Good answer."
"Who are you, really?" she asked.
"Does it matter?" he asked right back. "Think of me as Luke Skywalker. I'm here to rescue you."
Looking to the Healer as the woman looked back in shock. He asked, "Before you come out of there, do you have your bag? You know the one I mean."
"Down the end of the hall in the cabinet," the healer immediately replied.
"Ah!" he said. Turning to look back he could see that the four humans and one goblin had all come out of their cells and were quietly following along.
"Excuse me!" he said, "Rescuer, coming through!"
Then walked past the five as he marched back up the short passage to the cabinet.
A quick open of the double wooden doors and he found items on the shelves. No wands, but definitely the Healer's bag. He grabbed the other stuff within, sliding it all into his pockets, before picking up the healer's bag by the handle and turning about again.
The five had not moved, but the healer had just stepped slightly out of the cell to look.
He walked back up, past the five, and handed the healer the bag. Then he reached into his left 'thigh' pocket and pulled out the stack of wands he had there.
Laying them out on his palms as best he could he said, "See which one works for you best."
First, wary it was a trick, she carefully reached out and plucked one up, before looking back at him. Harry hadn't moved, he just stood there with his hands spreading out the wands and just watching.
"Try others, if that one doesn't suit," he urged.
She then quickly went through a half dozen before she picked one up and gave a little gasp. "This one will do."
Closing his hands and sliding the rest into his pocket again, he said, "Right. Anyone that needs healing enough for us to get back up to the entrance hall, I think the lovely healer here can get you at least that far."
"If you're really here to rescue us, then give us a wand each," said the older of the two witches he rescued from the first cell he opened.
"Actually... that's a pretty good idea," he said. He reached back into his pocket and pulled out the wands again. However one of the wands, Riddle's, he first slipped back into his pocket.
"Come on, then," he said. "See if one suits you."
The others, bar Griphook, tentatively came forward and each tried one. Some had to return to others they'd already tried, but they each took one.
Once the last one took one, the young woman from the cell who'd been cuddling into the older one, the auror immediately raised the one he'd just taken and firmly pressed the tip of it under Harry's chin. "Take us out of here."
"Well, rude auror," said Harry. "That's what I'm in the process of doing. Now, how about you help some of the less ambulatory among these folks instead of acting like a right prick."
"Who are you?" he demanded.
"No one of consequence. However, I'm going to be the person who takes that wand back off you, bends you over and shoves it up your arse," said Harry. "If you want out of here, take that wand away. You're likely going to need both arms to carry one of those young ladies in there." And indicated the cell that had the four females in it.
The auror stood there for a moment, clearly frustrated before he cursed a little and lowered the wand.
"Good choice," said Harry, before turning to look back in the cell.
The healer was already casting over the three muggles.
"Healer?" he asked. "Are they ambulatory?"
She was a moment before she replied, "Yes. However, we need to take it slow."
"Slow, it is," declared Harry. "Okay folks, follow me." Looking at the auror he said, "Since you won't need to carry someone after all, how's about you bring up the rear, Auror, to make sure we stay together... Or do I need to ask Mister Fortescue to do that for you?"
The Auror scowled before he said, "I can do it."
"Good man!" he declared before looking back in the cell. "Ready to go, Healer?"
"Yes," she replied, starting to help one of the two girls to their feet while the woman, who was probably their mother, helped the other one up. Both girls immediately latched onto the older woman as if glued to her side.
'She looks the right age to be their mother,' he thought.
As the last cell was empty, Harry hadn't bothered to open it.
With the others all now freed, he opened the door through which he first entered the cell area and said, "Please don't touch anything on the shelves as we walk through. I've no doubt they're all dark artefacts or otherwise incredibly dangerous." Then led the way.
"As Mighty Mouse would say," he said over his shoulder, making sure they had begun to follow. Then, looking back forward, sang, "Heeere... I am... to save the daaaayyy!"
He led them through the room of shelves and to the door opposite, then through that to the stairs leading up. However, he paused on the second step up of the second half flight and turned back.
"Alright, folks. Please listen up," he said.
When he thought he had their attention, he said, "There are a number of bodies on the floor of the room in which this secret door behind me opens onto. I've covered them with white sheets, as I suspected there would be at least one of two young ones with you lot down in the cells.
"I ask you not disturb the sheets covering them as the sight is kinda yucky and we have that expected couple of young ones with us. However, there's plenty of room to walk around them without disturbing them. Everyone got that?"
When he received nods back the auror demanded, "Who are they?"
Harry gave him a look and asked right back, "Do you really want me to answer that in front of the children?"
When the auror looked defiant, Harry said, "How about, once we're through the room and out the doors on the other side, I bring you back and show you?"
"What about the people who kidnapped us?" asked the muggle woman with the two girls.
"Oh... Ummm... You don't need to worry about them anymore, Ma'am," he replied.
"And why is that?" asked the auror a little snarkily.
He thought a bit and hit on an idea. "They all met with a terrible accident."
"Accident?" demanded the Healer.
"Yes, Ma'am," he replied. "They accidentally kidnapped me. It proved quite fatal for them."
That had the wizards and witches all gawking at him in shock. He thought he'd have to remember that excuse. Griphook's expression was inscrutable and the three muggle women weren't surprised.
"Shall we?" he politely asked, gesturing to the stairs again. Then, before anyone could say or ask anything else, he turned about and continued climbing the stairs.
Reaching the back of the cabinet, which he'd left slightly ajar, he said, "Here we go. Please avert your eyes if you believe the sight might make you ill."
As he pushed the door open with his off-hand with his wand in his other, he gave a quick peek in case someone had managed to sneak in. The room was clear, except for the still shrouded bodies and the headless body of Nagini.
"Come along!" he said. "There's a portkey point in the entrance hall. I'll have you all out of here and to safety after we reach that point."
As he led them through the bodies and to the double doors back to the entrance hall, he could see the muggle mother was shielding the eyes of the two teen girls. She had one under each arm around their shoulders with her arms hooked around them to cover their eyes while she was looking about at the fourteen shrouded bodies in shock.
The auror was stood staring at the shrouded form of Riddle and looking at it in shock, himself. "Is that...?"
"Yup," replied Harry. "Come along, Auror. You have work to do before you can gawk like a Cadet."
That snapped the auror out of his shock and hurrying after.
Once out in the entrance hall, Harry hung back and closed the doors.
"Okay," he said. "No more 'yuckies'. Ma'am, you can let the girls see again."
The woman released her hands over the girls' eyes, but they still stayed affixed firmly to her sides under her arms. They kept glancing between him and around the room double-story room.
"Now, before I get you out of here, I need to take the auror and the Healer back into the room..." and gestured to the double doors. "They need to positively identify one of the bodies. No one would believe it, otherwise.
"We'll only be a moment, then we can get you all out of here.
"Mister Fortescue and... Ma'am?" he asked of the older witch of the first cell he opened.
"It's Candice Davis," she quietly said. "This is my daughter, Tracy."
"Nice to meet you," said Harry. "You should be aware, though, that after the attack on your home it was reported that you were both alright."
"Polyjuice," scowled Davis. "That explains why we both had hair yanked out moments after we were captured."
"Ah!" he said, turning to the auror. "Got that, Mister Snarky Auror? The two women at Davis manor, if they're still there, are DEs employing Polyjuice potion."
The auror gave a firm nod back.
"Alright," he said. "Mister Fortescue and Madam Davis. Please watch over this wonderful collection of peoples we have here. We won't be but a few moments."
"It will be my honour," said Fortescue, as Davis firmly nodded.
"Thank you, muchly," said Harry.
Harry popped open the door and walked into the room, ushering the Healer and Auror in, and firmly closed the doors.
"Alright," he said turning back to them. "I'm sure you want to know the identity of at least one of the... accident victims... here." Indicating the dais, he said, "He's the one on the throne."
The auror gave a firm nod back and marched across the room to the dais. The healer dogged his heels.
Once there he hesitated, but a moment, before he flicked the sheet off. And both gasped.
Both stood staring for a long moment before the healer stepped forward with her wand... and scanned.
"It's him, alright," she called, finishing her quick scan.
The auror just shook his head before finally flicking the sheet back over the body. He left it roughly the same as it was before he flicked it off.
They were then a moment before they both came back. Both were a little pale.
When they reached him the auror looked at him with a little fear and said, "You... you..."
"Yup," said Harry. "Me... me."
"But... Longbottom..."
"Was never the Chosen One," grinned Harry. "Dumbledore lied. Then again, he tends to do that... a lot."
"But... how?" stuttered the Healer.
"As I said," he replied. "A terrible accident. A terrible... terrible... accident.
"Anyways," he quickly said and before either could press for further information, "Time for you people to join the others and get the hell out of here. Auror, I expect Madam Bones in the contingent of aurors who turn up here. If she is not... you are going to learn how it is I spanked old Snake Face's arse. Got that?"
"Yes, Sir," the auror was quick to respond.
"Now, I've taken control of the wards under Spoils of War to stop any more of these masked morons getting in here while I was busy with you lot," he said. "I'd appreciate if you can impress upon Bones and Hammer to get a bloody wriggle on in getting here. Got that?"
"Yes, Sir," the auror repeated.
Harry gave a nod back and turned to open the door. 'It's amazing how, once he saw Riddle's body, he's now all respectful.'
Once all three were out, he swiftly re-closed the door; before then turning back.
He then walked over to a window and pulled the cord from off its tie point that tied one of the curtains for it back, before then taking the other cord off the other curtain hanging on the other side. Then he walked back over.
Holding his wand, he incantless cast 'Portus!' on one, making sure it had the 'key charm' to the wards. He then bundled that one up and handed it to the auror. "That'll get the aurors able to get back in here with that as a portkey." Then he pulled the slip of parchment out of his pocket and handed it to the auror. "And that's the Secret to the Fidelius Charm that's currently over the property."
The auror accepted both and nodded.
"Again, you will make sure that Madam Bones is included in the group that comes back," he said. "Her, I trust. Connie Hammer, however, treated me quite rudely when we last met. I don't like her and don't trust her."
The auror again nodded and muttered, "Yes, Sir."
Harry then handed the other curtain cord to the auror and asked, "Do you know how to create a portkey?"
"Yes, Sir," he replied. "All aurors do."
"Then hows-about you create a portkey to the DMLE, I'll cast the anti-porkey ward key onto it and you have all these folks taken there, first. From there, they can receive medical aid."
The auror nodded and, using his liberated wand, cast the portkey charm on the second cord. It saved Harry from using his portkey medallion Bones had given him. He then cast the 'key charm' to the anti-portkey ward upon it.
Then the auror flicked the cord out and said, "Alright, folks. Everyone take hold."
The three non-magicals had to be coaxed into doing it, but they did.
"Wait!" said the muggle woman. Looking to Harry she asked, "Who are you? Please."
Harry smiled and calmly replied, "I am known as Lord Hardwin Peverell... at your service. Rescuer of damsels in distress, ice cream makers, snarky aurors and butt-ugly cart goblins."
A moment later and, as Griphook growled back, the auror activated the portkey and they were all gone.
Harry gave a firm nod at the spot and quietly said to himself, "Good. Next..."
He only had to think a moment before he gave a smirk and cast a new spell Remus had taught him only a couple of days earlier.
Raising his wand, he cast, "Mail Prongs!"
His stag Patronus leapt out of his wand and immediately turned about, waiting. Then, as it stood there, he concentrated on his message and drew it from his temple with the tip of his wand; before then flicking it into the head of the stag.
It immediately gave a short bow and shot off out through the closed main doors of the manor.
'Next.' He softly called, "Dobby!"
The little house elf appeared only a few moments later with a slight clap of displaced air.
Jumping up and down in joy, he cheered, "Master Harry! Master Ha―" before he suddenly stopped and looked around in shock.
"Yup. The so-called Malfoy manor, Dobs," said Harry. "Don't worry about it, though. Bad old masters are dead."
"Truly?" asked the suddenly quite concerned elf.
"Truly," he smiled. "The only one still alive in here, besides myself, is: Madam Malfoy, who is unconscious up in her suites; the house elves Tippy, Slappy and... Hoggy; and me."
Dobby concentrated for a long moment before he said, "There be bad wizards at the gate tryings to get in."
Harry frowned and asked, "I know. The wards alerted me. What are their chances of doing that?"
Dobby grinned back and said, "They not even able to get to main wards yet. They not get in."
Harry chuckled slightly before he said, "Anyways... the reason I called you is so that you can tell Luna, Sirius and the others that I'm safe. You know where we are because you recognise the place. However, it's under a Fidelius so that's why you can't tell them. Alright?"
"Dobby knows," said the elf. "Dobby go tells them now?"
"Yes, please. And tell them I'm waiting for the aurors to turn up here so I can give my statement and leave.
"Oh! And tell Sirius I claimed... this place... as Heir of Black under Prædātum, Spoils of War. The cast was successful, so he's got this place back to being owned by the House of Black."
Dobby nodded and said, "Dobby tells." Then he was gone with a slight pop.
_‗_
―==(oIo)==―
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At the Minister's Office, Bones was in a meeting with her Senior Undersecretary when a massive stag Patronus bounded into the room through a side wall. It hesitated a moment while looking at her before an equally ethereal voice said, "Minister, you might want to hurry your arse down to the DMLE bullpen. Very important and surprising news is in the offering."
Bones blinked once as the stag disappeared before she turned to an equally surprised Undersecretary. "Amos. We'll need to continue this discussion at a later time."
As she then rose, so did Amos Diggory.
"Yes, Minister," he replied.
_‗_
―==(oIo)==―
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Over at the Black Townhouse, Sirius had been pacing back and forth in the floo room while Luna sat on a couch reading a book for what, to him, felt like a great many hours. He was actually surprised it hadn't yet gone dark outside.
"He's still safe?" he demanded, not even looking at her.
"Yes, Sirius," she replied. Her tone, while polite, still reflected how many times she'd already been asked that same question within the past hour or so.
"Sorry," he muttered.
Suddenly Dobby popped in, "Master Paddyfoots, Mistress Loona. Dobby bringses message from Master Harry Sir."
Sirius had already whirled on the elf and demanded, "Where is he? Is he safe? Is he alright?"
"Master Harry Sir be... be...," the elf tried before it had to pause and think. "Master Harry Sir be under Fid-ell-eee-us magic."
"A Fidelius Charm?" asked Sirius. "Of course. I should have realised. What can you tell me?"
"Master Harry Sir did kills the dark one, Master Harry Sir did," replied Dobby, excited. "Master Harry Sir did kills many Deathy Eaterers. Master Harry―"
"Stop!" commanded Sirius. "Master Harry killed He-Who?"
"Yes, Master Paddyfoots, Sir," replied the elf. "Master Harry did kills the dark one and many of his Deathy Eaterers.
"Master Harry cast... cast... Pray-er-dah-tum charmies as Heir Black. Master Harry Sir says place he be now back to ownses by House Black."
"He's at... at... damn!" exclaimed Sirius. "That makes a whole lot of sense! And Prædātum? Daaaamn!"
"Yes, Master Paddyfoots," said Dobby. "That be the place. Master Harry Sir now be waitings for auror-peoples to turns up. He wants to give statement. Then he comes home."
Sirius gave a huge sigh of relief before he finally collapsed into an armchair.
"I told you he was fine," said Luna.
"He killed him," said Sirius.
"Yes; and the entirety of his Inner Circle," said Luna. "Oh, when Narcissa approaches you... hear her out, would you? The lady has been badly mistreated."
"Yeah, I'll hear her out," he growled.
"Sirius," she warned.
He rolled his eyes and grumped, "Fiiiine."
She smirked and said, "You are not Harry. Don't try to copy him."
_‗_
―==(oIo)==―
ˇ
Harry wasn't going anywhere near that upstairs suite where the Malfoy Matriarch, now Dowager Matriarch, was as he did not want to cop the blame for her being hurt. Besides, an elf was looking after her and it would have been reported to him if she was in danger of dying.
Having missed his picnic lunch he was getting a might 'peckish'. Since he had to now wait, he set himself up on the landing at the top of the stairs between the ground and first floors and called Tippy to provide him something to eat. "Thick sandwiches would do," he suggested. "Oh, and something to drink to go along with it."
He'd managed to get about three to five minutes of that into him when the wards alerted him to an incoming portkey.
Quickly abandoning his hasty lunch he moved to the rail overlooking the entry hall and drew his wand.
As the portkey began to arrive, he could see there was a good dozen people crowded around it, holding onto it.
Then, as soon as it stopped he called, "Greetings!"
Though somewhat expecting it, he was still surprised when his call was greeted with curses cast at him.
Magicked up, he ducked the three fired close or at him and began casting back. 'Stun! Break! Stun! Stun! Pud-Trip! Stun!' Aurors scattered and tried to find places to hide. Those who dared turn their backs to him were some of the first to go down. 'Stun! Stun! Pud-Trip! Stun! Stun! Break! Stun! Break! Pud-Trip! Stun! Stun! Break! Pud-Trip! Stun! Break! Break! Pud-Trip! Break! Stun!―'
"Cease fire!" barked Bones, after she'd managed to dive through the open door opposite the doors to the drawing room.
That had a couple of idiot aurors immediately drop their shields and begin to stand up.
'Stun! Stun! Break! Stun! Break! Pud-Trip! Stun! Stun! Break! Stun! Break! Stun! Pud-Trip! Stun! Stun! Stun! Break! Stun! Break! Stun!'... "Fuck it!"
"I said, 'Cease fire!', damn it!" called Bones.
"Bit lay-aate," snarked Harry right back from the top of the stairs. He was already summoning wands off the floor to his hand.
Bones stuck her head out the door as Harry began to walk down the steps, still summoning wands.
"What the Hell?!" she barked at him.
"Indeed," he snarked back. "I invited you here. I call 'Greetings!'. And three of your aurors immediately opened up on me. Care to explain that?"
"As far as we know we were going into a hostile situation," she snapped.
"And yet you didn't come in prepared?" he asked. "Why didn't you conjure metal shields you could strap to your off-hand forearms and don them before you portkeyed in? You know such shields will even block the killing curse, right?
"At the minimum, a Finite would have to hit it, dispelling it, before a follow-up curse could hit you.
"That would have given you at least a precious few seconds to set up to properly defend yourselves."
She looked back in shock. However, she still didn't come out from behind the door. At least she was smart enough to do that.
Harry had already summoned up all the wands before he reached the first stunned auror. And cast a Detect Polyjuice Potion charm on the person. The Davis ladies showed him it was a good idea. It glowed green, showing they didn't have Polyjuice in their system. Then he vanished the sleeve off their robe to see if he could spot the Dark Mark - no mark. He left them and moved on to the next.
"What are you doing?" she demanded.
"Checking for Polyjuice and the Dark Mark. I'm not checking for glamours as I know that monocle of yours can detect them," he replied before checking the next. "How about you stay right where you are while I complete my... investigation."
No Polyjuice, no Dark Mark.
'All good,' he thought.
No Polyjuice, no Dark Mark.
No Polyjuice... Dark Mark.
"Oh, we have a winner!" called Harry. "One Dark Marked Auror."
"Wwwhat?!" exclaimed Bones.
"An Auror with the Dark Mark," he replied, conjuring a hard-backed wooden chair with armrests. "I would have thought regular, but unscheduled, checking of your aurors, let alone the rest of the Ministry personnel, for the Dark Mark would have been de rigueur."
He levitated the auror up and into the chair, before using an overpowered Incarcerous charm to tie them in place. He also made sure the man's Marked forearm was bare and clearly displaying the Mark.
'Next,' he thought.
No Polyjuice, no Dark Mark.
No Polyjuice, no Dark Mark.
"Polyjuice!" he called, when the auror glowed red.
Another chair, another vanished sleeve, another levitation and another over-powered Incarcerous later and the second auror was now sitting tied up in a chair next to the first. That one had no Dark Mark, but he thought that could be due to the Polyjuice.
No Polyjuice, no Dark Mark.
No Polyjuice, no Dark Mark.
No Polyjuice, no Dark Mark.
No Polyjuice, Dark Mark!
"Another Dark Mark," he called.
Another chair, another vanished sleeve, another levitation and another over-powered Incarcerous later and the third auror was now sitting tied up in a chair next to the first two.
As he worked through them, he carefully watched Bones to make sure she didn't try to stun him. She didn't. She just watched in, at first, horrified shock; before the shock morphed into anger.
"Polyjuice!" he called, when the auror on the floor before him glowed red. It was Connie Hammer.
"Morgana's saggy tits!" Bones exclaimed. "HER?!"
"Yup," said Harry, still busy.
'Faux-Hammer' joined the other three. She was also the last.
Standing after he finished the last of them, leaving them all unconscious, he turned to Bones and said, "Alright, Minister. Your turn. How's about you come out of there and let me check you over. Once I've done you, if it makes you happy, you can do me."
Bones gave a frustrated grimace and seemed to think about it.
Harry just smirked and said, "You're here, under a Fidelius, I have control of the wards, I could even call for a house elf to stun your arse from behind if I wanted to. I've done none of that, have I?"
With a slight sigh of defeat, Bones came out from behind the door with her wand pointed down and away. She looked resigned to her fate.
Harry cast the Polyjuice Detection charm on her... which showed she wasn't someone under Polyjuice. "Sleeve up, please," he said.
Instead of sliding just one sleeve up, she slid both up. Both arms were bare.
He lowered the wand and gave her a nod. "As far as I can tell... all clear."
"As far as you can tell?" she grumpily asked, sliding her sleeves back down.
"As far as I can tell," he firmly replied. "For all I know Riddle, or one of his masked minions, might have been able to design a new form of glamour or masking potion no one's seen before."
"In that case, can we wake the rest of my people back up now?" she asked.
"You wake 'em," he said. "One at a time and make sure they don't try to immediately attack me. They can have their wands back once you've woken them all. I'm going to be back up on that landing."
"Wise," she muttered, raising her wand and casting the Enervate Charm on the one nearest her as Harry jogged back up the stairs to 'his' landing.
Once she had the remaining nine aurors all awake and it was explained what was going on, Harry came back down, handed Bones their wands and said, "So long as they know not to attack me again, you can give them their wands back, now."
"They won't!" she firmly said, glaring at the aurors first.
_‗_
―==(oIo)==―
ˇ
First things first - because 'faux-Hammer' proved to not be Hammer - as minister, Bones reappointed herself as Director of the DMLE pro tem. It would be fixed... later.
Harry then told her about the folks trying to find some way in through the main gates since he took control of the wards. "I'd say they, whoever they are, are Death Eaters; as no one else would have cause to, let alone know the secret of, this place.
"How about you send a few of your aurors out there via a portkey... with large metal shields strapped to their off-hand forearms... to go and arrest them?"
She gave a nod and said, "I'll do that once I know this place is secure."
"Well then," he said. "How about you and me go into the drawing room, Riddle's supposed audience chamber, so you can see for yourself that certain individuals are dead?"
She gave a nod and Harry walked to the double doors of the drawing room. "Oh, and your aurors are free to search the rest of this place. I believe Madam Malfoy is upstairs in her suites. One of the Malfoy house elves told me that's where she was. She is also, according to one of the elves, unconscious. She reached that state, I believe, by being beaten by her oh-so-loving hubby."
Bones immediately spun and gestured to two of her female aurors. "You two, go check it out. Treat her as hostile until you know otherwise. All but you four, go search the rest of the property for more hostiles."
The two females gave a nod with muttered, 'Yes, Ma'ams' and took off up the stairs. The other aurors began to disperse.
Harry then turned back to the doors and opened them with a flourish.
Stepping out of the way, he said, "One scene of a terrible, terrible accident. I hope you'll forgive me if I covered the bodies. I had to bring a couple of young female children through here to get them out."
Having already seen the prisoners after they arrived at the Ministry - all bar Griphook were already sent to St Mungo's under female auror guard - Bones only gave a nod and walked forward. She had four aurors follow her in.
Others were about to follow, but Harry glared at them and said, "I thought you were given orders to go and search the rest of this manor?"
That had the last few scowl, but leave in pairs to do that.
Bones had looked about and headed directly to the dais, side-stepping Nagini on the way, before not even pausing and yanking the sheet off Riddle's body.
She paused only a moment before running a quick scan over him before lowering her wand. "Well, he's dead."
"Yup," said Harry. "A piercing curse to the forehead will tend to render someone that."
Turning to Harry she asked, "You killed him?"
"Yup." he replied.
"How?" she demanded.
"A piercing curse to forehead ring any bells?" he snarked.
A little frustrated, she asked, "No... I mean... how were you able to accomplish that?"
He smirked and, putting actions to words, "I raised my wand like this... then I cast the piercing curse... it hit him in―"
"Alright," she cut him off. "I get it. You killed him with a piercing curse to the forehead. What I want to know is... how were you able to do that when he is... was... so bloody fast!"
"Simple," he replied. "I'm faster."
She just gave a huff of annoyance and shook her head.
"Riddle's fatal misconception," explained Harry, "Is that he believed he was both the most powerful and the fastest with a wand. As such, he did not conceive of the possibility there was someone out there who was faster than himself. There is... me."
She finally seemed to accept that before she gestured to the other shrouded bodies. "And them?"
"His entire Inner Circle, I'm led to believe."
"And how did they die?"
"First mistake, by making the fatal decision of kidnapping me and bringing me here. Second mistake, they then all stood in one big circle around me. Third mistake, they assumed they were safe because Big Bad Tommy Boy was here to protect them and they greatly outnumbered me." He smirked.
She looked around and said, "The dark lord and all thirteen Inner Circle members. And you defeated them all without a mark on you."
"Yup," he cheekily grinned. "I really am... that fast. Didn't I just show you an example of that, out in the entrance hall?"
_‗_
―==(oIo)==―
ˇ
The two female aurors came down and alerted Bones that they needed to get a Healer for Narcissa Malfoy. And Harry suggested they simply levitate her downstairs and portkey her to Saint Mungo's from the entrance hall. Bones went with that. Now that the aurors were here, Harry even removed the need for the key to the outgoing anti-portkey ward.
After identifying the rest of the bodies, Harry then showed her the hidden area below the floor and suggested she come back at another time to properly scour the place from top to bottom. Again, she went with that.
When they were ready to leave with their four prisoner aurors, Harry stopped them.
"First, you should send a team and take down the rest of your aurors to check them for Polyjuice, glamours and the Dark Mark. You don't want word to get out, just yet, that Riddle and his Inner Circle are dead," he explained. "You have a perfect opportunity here, Minister Bones. You have a day or two, at most, to 'clean house' before the story that Riddle and his main masked minions are dead before people start screaming 'I was Imperiused'. I suggest you make use of it."
She looked at him in surprise and said, "What an excellent idea!"
"Oh," he said. "And, once you've cleaned house in the Auror department, can you then send a team of combat aurors to the front gate here to round up the Death Eaters trying to get in? Plus, wait for any more to turn up and bag them too?"
"I can do that," she said.
"And, if Dumbledore shows up, bag him too, would you? You know damned well the man is going to want to come in here and see for himself. You can tell him, from me, he can go fuck himself.
"I have cast Prædātum on this manor. It now, effectively, belongs to me. And Dumbledore is not welcome... no matter what he tries to say or claim."
Surprised, she said, "You've claimed this property under the auspices of Spoils of War?"
"Yup."
"There are going to be many who won't like to learn that," she warned.
"I just killed their dark lord for them," he returned. "I should care... why?"
She gave a snort of amusement and quietly said, "Point taken."
After making her another portkey, this time a permanent one, that would allow her people to get back in through the wards and handing it to her, he said, "Well, I need to go. I have people worried about me and need to go let them yell at me for a while."
"Before you do..." she said. "How will I contact you? I've tried, in the past..."
"Contact Miss Luna Lovegood," he returned. "She can contact me quite quickly. She's one smart witch, that girl."
She gave a nod and said, "If I can cast it before the story breaks, I want to talk to you again. You realise you've just earned an Order of Merlin, First Class, don't you?"
"Meh!" he shrugged. "If it makes you happy I accept one, I may do so. I just trust you to make sure no one tries to shove my arse in Azkaban for killing so many... fine and upstanding citizens, if you get my drift."
"They wouldn't bloody dare!" she scowled.
"Wanna bet?" he grinned back. "Dumbledore will be leading the charge. You'll see."
She just shook her head and seemed to come up with an idea. "Those cells, downstairs..."
Harry grinned and fished the key ring out of his pocket before handing it to her. "Seems like poetic justice to store your prisoners in them while you clean house."
She smirked back and said, "My thoughts, exactly."
"You're welcome to them," he said. "Anywho! I really need to shoot through. You have the run of the place, with my blessings."
Without waiting for her to respond, he suddenly apparated away.
_‗_
―==(oIo)==―
ˇ
Appearing in the apparation point in Diagon Alley, Harry was quickly through the arch and into the Leaky. Then went directly to the floo and flooed to Grimmauld.
Stepping out, he sang, "Honey! I'm ho-ome!"
Already in the room Sirius spun and barked, "Where, the bloody hell, have you been?"
Luna was already off the couch and hurried over to him to wrap him in a tight hug. She'd not said a word.
"Killing dark lords and answering questions of Minister Bones and the aurors," he replied, hugging Luna.
"It's true?" asked a shocked Sirius. "He's dead?"
"Yup," replied Harry. "So's Lucy Malfoy, 'Ferret' Draco, 'Snivelly' Snape and others I didn't recognise. However―"
"Wait!" exclaimed Sirius. "Snivellus is dead?"
"Yup!" he replied. "He was, apparently, still one of Riddle's latest Inner Circle."
Sirius nodded and began to relax a little. "Remus is going to be very pleased to hear that. That he's dead, I mean."
"I understood what you meant," he replied. "However, I've convinced Madam Bones to keep the fact that Riddle and his so-called Inner Circle is dead under wraps until she can clean up. So... there's no going out and about and letting people know, alright?"
"Didn't plan to!" said Sirius.
"Neither did I," said Luna. "Then again, people tend not to believe me, anyway."
Harry sadly nodded back. He well remembered people rarely, if ever, accepted that what Luna told them was the truth.
"Oh!" he said, suddenly remembering. "I claimed the so-called Malfoy Manor, as Heir Black, under the auspices of Spoils of War for the House of Black. It's now yours."
"Yes, Dobby― Wait. How were you able to tell― You knew the Secret, right?" said Sirius.
"Yes. I was shown a slip of parchment with the Secret written on it before Malfoy took me there," he replied. "Why?"
"If the Secret Keeper was He-Who or one of his Inner Circle... and you've killed them all... that means you're now a Secret Keeper to the Fidelius," explained Sirius. "That's why you could mention Malfoy Manor."
Surprised, Harry said, "I didn't know that. Hunh!"
"Oh, yes!" he said. "As far as anyone is to know, I did not go there willingly. I was kidnapped and taken there against my will."
Sirius frowned and quietly asked, "Oh?"
"Well, I just killed over a dozen 'fine and upstanding citizens', didn't I?" he asked. "If it was discovered I was willingly taken there... then someone is going to come up with the bright idea I murdered all those people.
"By being kidnapped and taken there―"
"Then you were just exercising your legal right of trying to escape from a deadly situation; therefore, it's self defence," nodded Sirius. "Clever."
"And no one, but us three, knows any different," said Luna. "Except for the house elves; and no one asks them, anyway."
"That's because a house elf can be ordered by their Master or Mistress to lie," Sirius explained.
"Next point," said Harry. "Madam Bones has again confirmed for me she's tried to contact me in the past and hasn't been able to. I've just told her she can contact me via Luna."
"Was that wise?" asked Sirius.
"She needed some way to do so and I'm not yet prepared to let anyone, but us three and Remus and Tonks, know I'm Harry Potter."
_‗_
―==(oIo)==―
ˇ