Chapter 110 – The Strength of the Bond
Severus could not react in time to Harry's shouted warning. Harry's pulse of magic marginally deflected the Killing Curse as its green light sped toward him, preventing it from hitting him directly. Instead of being absorbed into his body, it glanced off the medallion that hung around his neck and hit the wall slightly behind Severus, where it caused several marble tiles to explode. Even the glancing hit with the spell, however, caused Severus to crumple immediately to the floor.
Mayhem broke loose in the room at that moment.
The wizard who had cast the Killing Curse was physically propelled by the pulse of magic from Harry high into the air and back with great force against the marble-tiled wall behind him. The sickening sound of his head being crushed as it struck against the marble was lost in the yelling and screaming that now filled the room.
Harry himself looked wild. A muggle might think he had electricity coursing through his body and sparking out his hands, as his hair stood on end a bit more than usual, and small flashes of light seemed to be tracing their way around his body. It was his magic, though. And it was frightening.
Fortunately, in the mayhem, only Albus Dumbledore saw it. Guests and Ministry officials had reacted as soon as they heard Harry yell, most by falling to the floor to protect themselves and their loved ones. Arthur Weasley was trying to shield Molly's body with his own as she tried to get herself down on floor, not so easy with her great pregnant belly. Lucius was similarly trying to shield Narcissa, as she was frantically looking for Draco. Sirius and Remus had both fallen immediately to the floor, neither quite sure what was going on. Several Wizengamot members were trying to crawl on their stomachs to get under the tables, for better protection.
Harry sagged momentarily from the effort of sending out such a massive pulse of magic without his wand, but he propelled himself forward to protect Severus on sheer willpower. Albus was standing near Severus, and kept his eye on Harry as soon as he realized what Harry had done. He saw the magic sparking around Harry, which told him that while the young man was physically staggered, his magic was still wild and potentially dangerous. He knew Harry would never intentionally hurt an innocent person with his magic, but until he got it under control, anyone who touched him was in danger.
Right now, people were cowering, with their heads down, so Harry was able to proceed to his fallen bondmate unimpeded by anyone trying to reach out to him or pull him down to safety. Albus began to speak to Harry as soon as he drew near. He'd seen Harry lose control of his magic before, but not to this extent, and he hoped that he could calm Harry down before anyone other than himself noticed that anything was amiss.
Harry recognized his Headmaster's voice, and registered that he was being spoken to. He had trouble concentrating, but the voice was urgent. Harry noticed the small sparks jumping between his fingers, almost as if he was observing this in someone else – he actually felt numb himself.
"Come over here, Harry, that's it, walk slowly. You're feeling the aftermath of a burst of wandless magic, that's all, that's the weakness in your limbs. You'll be fine, we'll have Madam Pomfrey check you over as soon as we get back to Hogwarts. Calm yourself. Focus. You need to be calm to help Severus. Take a nice, deep breath. There, there now. We'll get through this," the old man coached in his softest, most soothing voice. He knew that he needed to get Harry's attention, to get beneath the uncontrolled wild magic of rage and fury that had momentarily taken control of Harry. Once the boy was focused on him, Albus was certain that his caring nature would come to the fore, and Harry would be back.
Slowly, Albus saw Harry's eyes focus on him, and the wildness in those green eyes give way to a look of horror and distress. The pulsing magic bursts slowed and suddenly stopped. Recognizing that he was taking a risk himself, but also realizing that this needed to be done, Albus reached out his own hand to help Harry the final two or three steps to Severus' side. To his relief, the hand that took his own was cool and safe – no magic burst into Albus as Harry grabbed on to his hand. Albus let out the breath he had not realized he was holding.
Together, the two knelt beside Severus. Albus immediately placed a hand to Severus' neck, checking for a pulse, and he inhaled with relief. "He has a pulse and seems to be breathing. We need to have a qualified mediwizard check him, of course, but he is still alive." Harry had meanwhile bent low over Severus' body and had rested his head on Severus' chest, listening for his heartbeat. Harry could hear the steady beat of Severus' heart, but it was weak. This could not be good, but as long as Severus was still alive, there was hope.
Harry placed his hand, palm down, on Severus' chest just in front of his own face, and allowed his now-steady magic to gently push into Severus. Up until now, Harry had only tried to do this skin-on-skin, so he wasn't sure he'd be able to connect, but he was pleased that his magic went right through Severus' tunic and shirt. He recognized Severus' magical signature instantly, but something was not right about his magic. It seemed very fragmented. That blast must have done something to it. Harry allowed his magic to gently enfold Severus' magic, to protect it and comfort it, as it stirred around. Hopefully, it would eventually calm down and coalesce into a solid block of magic, amplifying that signature that had come to mean so much to Harry.
The Minister was already climbing to her feet, having been thrown to the ground by an aide as soon as Harry yelled. She straightened her robes and used her hands to brush back her hair from her face, as she quickly assessed Severus' situation. It didn't look good – he was lying on his back, deathly pale and unmoving. She was relieved at Albus' pronouncement that the man had not died.
She ran over to the wall, and spoke to one of the portraits hanging nearby, now crowded with the images of others whose portraits hung elsewhere in the Ministry with less advantageous views. "We need a mediwizard immediately. Any of you with portraits near our Infirmary, please, summon medical help immediately!" The images in the portrait quickly scattered, as everyone dispersed to get word out that help was needed in the reception room.
That was the scene that the other attendees at the reception saw, when they tentatively began to lift their heads to see what was going on. Harry and Albus were kneeling over the prone body of Harry's bondmate, checking on him and tending to him, clearly both very upset. The Minister was speaking to the portrait, to summon help for Severus. There were no curses filling the air. Perhaps the attack was over. Slowly, people started to lift themselves off the floor.
There were only two members of the Magical Law Enforcement Department actually in attendance at the reception –Darmut as Head of the Department was present as a Ministry official, and Stark as an on-duty Auror. In the immediate aftermath of the attack, their first priority was the security of the room. They had to render the known attacker unable to do further harm, and then assure that any accomplices or additional attackers not yet visible to them were neutralized.
As a consequence of their Auror training and duties, they were the only other two people in the room who never cowered or tried to hide when Harry yelled and the distinctive green light of the Killing Curse appeared. However, their attention was directed away from Harry, Albus and Severus, and at the attacker. Stark was the closest to the attacker, so he moved immediately in that direction, while Darmut did what he could to assess if there were other threats or points from which attacks may still come, turning rapidly, looking for any furtive movements or attempts to get into or out of the reception room.
Stark ran to the attacker where he lay crumpled on the floor beneath a bloody trail down the wall that illustrated just how high up he'd been thrown by Harry's blast of wandless magic. The man looked vaguely familiar, although his features seemed to be undergoing some sort of shift. Possibly a spell to alter his appearance? This wasn't the time to evaluate that. Whoever he was, he wasn't moving, and was staring with unseeing eyes straight ahead. However, Auror training reinforced the fact that there were many ways for witches and wizards to very convincingly fake the appearance of death, so Stark retrieved the attacker's wand as evidence, and quickly cast a spell to bind the man in unbreakable chains. He was fairly sure that the chains weren't necessary, given the blood that was pouring from injuries on the back of the would-be assassin's head, but it never hurt to be sure.
Darmut moved cautiously through the room, checking behind furniture and curtains lest anyone have hid there, but he quickly determined that there appeared to be just the one attacker; the only other people in the room were known to him as ones invited by the Minister, and no one was trying to get in or out of the room who did not belong.
Darmut and Stark quickly commenced efforts to calm the guests and identify potential witnesses who might know anything about the attacker. They helped people stand and brush themselves off, and got them paired up with their friends and family to reassure everyone that they were well. Stark was particularly concerned about Molly Weasley, who seemed wobbly as her husband helped her up. A chair was conjured for her, and she was instructed to wait for a mediwizard or mediwitch to check her over before she tried to stand up again.
It was not more than two minutes after the attack that several mediwizards from the Ministry's own infirmary arrived, and two immediately began to work on Severus. Albus spoke quietly with one of them, sharing what he had observed, pointing out the shattered marble tiles on the wall as part of the discussion of how the spell glanced off of Severus. The one who was kneeling next to Severus was busily waving his wand to conduct scans and gently touching Severus to assess the damage done to him. Harry was willing to raise his head from Severus' chest, but kept a protective hand pressed to his chest, to keep Severus' still chaotic magic safe.
Finally, the one who had been kneeling stood to confer with his colleague who had been speaking to Albus. He tried to help Harry stand with him, but Harry became agitated at the suggestion that he stand. Gently, Albus turned the mediwizards away from Harry. "I will handle this. Harry is focused on Severus. What have you determined?" he asked.
The senior mediwizard looked first at his colleague who had been speaking to Albus, who proceeded to offer his report. "Unconfirmed at this point, but believed to have been the Killing Curse, thrown from about 10 meters. A pulse of magic from Lord Potter disrupted its trajectory, and it glanced off Lord Snape. Might have hit his Order of Merlin, but it did eventually hit the wall behind him – several marble tiles will need to be replaced. Professor Dumbledore reports that Lord Snape collapsed immediately from the glancing hit, and that he determined that his heart and respiration have been steady since seconds after the attack, as soon as he could check on him."
The senior mediwizard absorbed those facts and nodded. "Consistent with the findings of my exam. Some surface burning of the flesh on the chest, possibly where the medal rested, otherwise no injuries, but his magic – well, that's another story. There is something wrong there. We need to get Lord Snape to the Infirmary, and run some more detailed scans to be sure what's happened. We can move him as soon as you wish."
Harry resumed his near-fetal position over Severus, his head again resting gently on Severus chest, eyes closed, as if the heartbeat he was listening for was all that was keeping his own heart beating as well. Albus crouched down to give Harry a reassuring pat on the back, but had to concede – that was really for himself. Harry was unaware of anything at that point except for the beat of Severus' heart.
Standing again and addressing the senior mediwizard, Albus spoke as if he had the weight of the world on his shoulders. "If there will be no harm to Severus, let's delay for a bit, and we have a bit more privacy as we move him." His suggestion was greeted with nods all around, and the senior mediwizard knelt down again next to Severus to continue to monitor his condition. His colleague joined others circulating among the guests to be sure that all were unharmed.
Darmut and Stark had not yet allowed anyone to leave the reception room, as they and other Aurors who ran into the reception room to assist, began to interview all in the room to determine if they had exchanged any conversation with the attacker. Perhaps he had said something to someone that might help them to learn something about him. When Stark mentioned the possibility that the attacker had used a spell to alter his appearance, several Ministry officials volunteered that they thought they had spoken to the new fellow from the Department of International Magical Cooperation, but having met him once or twice before, he seemed really "off" today, not remembering them or when they'd met, or what they'd discussed.
Those who snuck a peek at the assassin reported that they'd seen no one who looked like that circulating during the presentation or reception. Actually, when Stark looked again, he was pretty sure that the face was different from when he'd confiscated the wand and applied the unbreakable chain. He had a bad feeling about this.
Stark finally saw the forensic mediwizard arrive and escorted him to the body. The mediwizard had extensive experience in determining how a witch or wizard died, how magic played a role in any death, and often provided suggestions that had been very helpful to Stark and his team of Aurors in solving cases. He cast his spells, and the last vestiges of the spell that had altered the assassin's appearance fell away. It was no one Stark knew, certainly not anyone who had been circulating during the ceremony.
The mediwizard needed almost no time to confirm death by blunt force trauma to the back of the head, most likely from contact with the marble wall that still bore traces of his blood. There was something else here, though. The mediwizard crouched low over the body, inspecting the face, and finally opening the mouth. A soft "Accio, poison!" was uttered, and to Stark's astonishment, as very small glass vial, still intact, flew out of the dead man's mouth and into the mediwizard's outstretched hand.
"I got a reading for poison in him, but not as the reason for death. It appears that your gate-crasher wasn't going to be taken alive, Stark," he offered has he turned the vial over to the Auror. "My readings would suggest that little vial contains snake venom – maybe Basilisk? One bite to break that vial, and this fellow is dead instantly. He had no intention of being interrogated, that's for sure. I'm surprised the force that propelled him against the wall didn't cause him to bite down on it then, but you got lucky."
As word had got out that there had been an attack on a dignitary at the Minister's reception, panic quickly spread through the Ministry. Rumors sprang up almost instantly that the victim had been Harry Potter, or the Minister of Magic herself, or any number of others, including many not even in the building at the time. Some rumors said the victim had died, others that he or she escaped totally unscathed. The witches and wizards (and assorted Goblins, ghosts, and others) who worked in the building had already begun congregating in small groups in all the corridors and public spaces, looking worried.
The Auror offices were not immune from the panic, and in that panic, some of the basic security measures fell by the wayside. There were always to be three Aurors on guard in the holding cell area, where witches and wizards being held by the Ministry were kept imprisoned while awaiting trials. In the wake of hearing of the attack, all three momentarily joined the fray in the halls; it was not until one of the supervisors noticed that the entire security detail from the holding cells was part of a group trying to clear the halls that they were sent back to their primary duty.
It was too late. At least one of the prisoners, the former Minister of Magic, spotted an opportunity and using his knowledge of Ministry security weaknesses, took advantage of the guards' departure to escape. He recalled from a briefing he'd gotten from Darmut a month or so before he was wrongfully removed from his elected position and arrested that there was a deteriorating ward in this part of the Ministry. He would wager that the usurper of his position had either not gotten that briefing yet, or had not gotten around to addressing a small detail like this. Sure enough, with some persistent experimentation, he found the spot where he could just stroll out of the holding cell. He took one of the Aurors' spare robes from a peg behind the door, and pulling it up close to his face, entered the hall.
In the panic, no one noticed the rather small, stooped man in the nondescript robe who seemed to be part of the excited crowd. He was actually very carefully backing out of the Ministry, working his way away from the chaos and toward the floos in the Ministry entry hall. He had to leave his wand behind – he wasn't sure where it had been placed when he was arrested, but that was the least of it. He'd get another as soon as he was free.
It took no more than fifteen minutes for Cornelius Fudge to make his way to an open floo. With a whoosh of green fire, he was gone. It was another fifteen minutes before anyone noticed that he'd escaped.
In the reception room, Molly was already feeling better by the time a mediwitch came over to scan her, and she agreed that Molly was doing just fine. Still very concerned, Arthur tried to persuade Molly to remain seated.
"Now, Molly, dearest, that was a nasty scare, and a fast trip down to the floor. Give it a minute to be sure that you and the little one are fine before you try to get up," he cajoled.
"Arthur, please, I've been pregnant six times before this; I know what's right and what isn't. I'm fine. Harry looks a mess over there, and I think he needs some comfort. I am going over there. Yes, he has Albus, and Sirius and Remus with him but that's not the same."
Arthur had to concede that when Molly's motherly feelings were activated, there really was no stopping her. He finally helped her stand and waddle over to where Harry was still kneeling on the floor over Severus, under the watchful eye of Albus, Remus and a mediwizard. She transfigured a small stool for herself next to Severus and opposite Harry and Sirius, and Arthur help her get seated. From her perch, she could stroke Harry's hair and keep an eye on both Harry and Severus. Harry seemed comforted by her touch.
Sirius and Remus had initially assisted Darmut and Stark in securing the room, once they heard Albus say that Severus was alive. Remus spoke to Darmut as he joined him in checking the room, and offered to transform into Moony if he thought his senses or strength as a werewolf might be useful.
"Thank you, Mr. Lupin, a most generous offer. But I think we can secure this room without it. I fear that if someone sees a werewolf, we'll have other problems and more panic, any possibly even spells directed toward you."
When the room was deemed secure, Sirius and Remus went immediately to Harry's side. Albus patted them each on the arm in thanks. Sirius knelt down next to Harry right away, and put a reassuring arm around his shoulders, while Remus remained standing, and bent his head down to quietly ask Albus "How bad does it look, Professor? Is he going to be alright?"
Albus looked old and tired as he answered. "Which one are you speaking of, Remus? Severus' magic is fractured and scattered. Harry completely lost control there for a minute. He's calmed down now, but . . . " Albus dropped it at that, as he did not want to share any information about Harry where others might overhear. He did not want Harry to be feared, as was possible if others had seen how his magic raged uncontrolled. Remus understood what had been left unsaid, and he, too, now looked worried.
Across the reception room, Lucius and Draco had been tending to a very shaken-up Narcissa. A mediwizard had given her a quick scan, and moved right along, pronouncing her panicked but unharmed. Lucius summoned his personal house elf, and asked that a snifter of his finest brandy be brought to Narcissa.
"A sip or two of brandy should bring the color back to your face, my dear," he soothed, as Draco held his mother's hand and patted it absently.
Draco had never seen this sort of mayhem up close like this indoors, and he realized that he did not enjoy it at all. Curses were fine in open spaces, he supposed, but the power of a Killing Curse in such a confined space was frightening. He felt the power surge through the room, hot and raw. Even a spell being directed at another seemed to spill its negative energy on all in the room. He really wanted to leave, the sooner the better. It was hard to tell who was more relieved when the house elf appeared to offer Narcissa her brandy – the now less pale mother or her nervous son.
Order was largely restored in the Ministry building within a half hour of the attack. Assurances that neither the Minister nor Harry Potter were harmed in any way in the attack were broadcast throughout the building, which immediately reduced the level of agitation. Gradually, the Department Heads who had been at the reception reappeared in their Departments, and they assured all that this appeared to be an isolated assassination attempt on one of the attendees (they had been given strict orders not to provide the name of the attendee), and an unsuccessful one at that. Work was back underway within an hour.
Except, of course, in the holding cell area of the Aurors' offices. When the three Aurors assigned to guard that area returned to their posts, three of the ten occupied holding cells were now empty. After observing Fudge probing the wards and finding a weak spot, two others attempted the same and had success. It took the Aurors several more very frantic minutes after their return to verify exactly who was no longer in the cells, and by the time the Minister was informed and the building put into lock-down, all three had succeeded in reaching the floos.
Darmut and Stark were immediately drawn into the drama of the escaped prisoners, and for a moment the possible identify of the assassin was put on hold. First, they had the unenviable task of reporting the escape to Minister Bones. Their only hope of not being summarily dismissed from their jobs was the fact that she herself had been an Auror years ago, and might not have the same militaristic view of the organization as many did who had never served. Aurors always had a certain level of discretion in the way they handled matters, making it harsher for their superiors to be accountable for junior Aurors' bad calls. Fudge never cared; he always wanted scapegoats when something went wrong, and several senior Department officials in this and other Departments lost long-held positions when an underling did something wrong. The two hoped for the best, given the current Minister's background. Abandoning their posts guarding some prisoners in supposedly well-warded holding cells when a potentially devastating threat lurked in the corridors might not even mean the end of the three guards' careers, if Minister Bones recalled her own days as a dark-wizard catcher.
Fortunately, Minister Bones did remember what it was like to be an Auror, and Darmut did not even have to remind her that he'd briefed her in her first week on the job about some weak wards in that part of the building. She had made the decision that the wards were not a priority at this time, and was feeling a certain culpability herself. If the wards had all been repaired, the fact that the three Aurors left their posts to provide security in the corridors would not have been a problem. Those wards should have kept everyone in the cells, guards or no. Darmut and Stark were breathing much easier when they left her office – they hadn't been dismissed. Yes, they still had to deal with escaped prisoners, but not with the summary dismissal of three Aurors as well.
About an hour after the attack, the Ministry building was finally calm enough that the mediwizard who had taken responsibility for Severus' care suggested that it was time now to get him to the Ministry Infirmary. The Weasleys had finally departed, so Molly could return to Hogwarts for some rest.
"Is there anything I can do for you, Albus, when I get to Hogwarts?" Molly had inquired as her husband help her stand.
He was initially going to decline her offer but thought better of that at the last second. "Actually, Molly, it might be a good idea to ask Madam Pomfrey to step through. She's the one most familiar with the medical histories of both Severus and Harry, so I think she could be of great help to us. If you don't mind."
Glad to have some way to contribute, Molly patted Harry's head one final time and left with her husband, leaving Albus, Sirius and Remus to watch over Harry and Severus. Harry stirred when Albus squeezed his arm. "Harry, we'd like to move Severus now to the Infirmary for a closer look at him, and his magic."
"Thank you, sir. I think he's doing much better, anyway. His magic has been collecting itself over the last half-hour, at least. It almost feels just like it always does. I've been keeping it held together while it gathers the split apart bits and brings them all together."
Albus' jaw dropped in amazement at that statement, as did Remus'. Sirius did a double-take, his features revealing a battle between a feeling of relief and an intense desire to direct an Avada Kedavra at Severus himself.
The ability to touch each other's magic was one of the more classic signs of a matured bond.
While each desperately wanted to ask the question, no one had quite the nerve to ask such a personal question so bluntly and in such a public setting. Naturally, Albus recovered his speech faster, and gently directed a first question to Harry.
"You can touchl Severus' magic, Harry?" he asked first, rubbing his long beard with his hands in nervousness.
Harry suddenly remembered a conversation he'd had a while ago with Hermione: he should not have admitted to being able to touch another's magic. He wasn't entirely sure why, but the Headmaster's reaction suggested that once again, Hermione knew just what she was talking about. However, at this moment, it might matter to Severus' care or recovery, so he wasn't going to be shy.
"I suspect that I can touch pretty much anybody's magic, sir. I noticed this some time ago. I mentioned it once to Hermione, and she looked about as horrified as you all do now, and suggested this was not something I should go around sharing. But it might help Severus' treatment for you" as he gestured to the mediwizard watching this conversation with great interest, "to know what's been going on with his magic, so I want to tell you. Sorry if I shouldn't mention it. It felt like his magic was blown apart, with bits floating free. I've gathered some together, and gradually, the bits started forming back into his magic like it was before. I think they are becoming a solid block of magic; I haven't released it since I got to him, just in case."
Albus looked at the mediwizard and with a nod and a wave of his hand, gestured for the young man to conduct a scan to verify this recovery and address Harry's fear that Severus' magic would fly apart if he released his hold. The mediwizard took his wand from the sleeve of his tunic and cast several diagnostic spells over Severus. He looked up with a bit of surprise clear on his features; whatever the result, it likely was not what he'd been expecting.
"Yes, indeed, sirs. Lord Snape's magic is definitely more cohesive than it was 30 minutes ago when we did the last scan. It appears normal, or at least within the range of normal. I never scanned his magic before, so I don't have a baseline for him. This is a totally appropriate reading for many wizards, as it is right now. As I understand he's a particularly powerful wizard, I imagine that there might be a bit more magic that needs to get assembled back, but I see no cause for concern that Lord Potter would do him any harm by releasing his magic. If you'd like, sir, why don't you release it as I'm scanning? If I see anything that should cause concern, you can quickly take hold again."
Harry watched anxiously as the mediwizard recast his spell and he waited for a curt nod directed his way. He slowly began to withdraw his magic from Severus', gingerly backing away from the beloved signature, hoping against hope that his retreat did not set back the great recovery that had been going on. He held his breath as he watched the face of the mediwizard to get the earliest possible indication that he needed to get back into Severus and take hold of his magic again.
After mere seconds, but a time that felt like an eternity to Harry, the mediwizard smiled and nodded at Harry. "He's doing just fine, Lord Potter. No change at all in Lord Snape's magic there. Still quite powerful, but that will help his own magic to repair itself, almost like gravity, pulling any stray parts back to the large body of magic. I'd still like to get him to the Infirmary, if you don't mind, for a more thorough check, just to be sure?"
Madam Pomfrey had just stepped through the floo in the Ministry Infirmary as Severus was levitated in by the mediwizard, followed closely by Harry, the Headmaster, and then Sirius and Remus. She was too choked up at the sight to say anything. She just reached out and squeezed Harry's shoulder slightly, earning a small smile.
Once again, Albus found his voice first. "Thank you, Poppy, for stepping in as quickly as you did. We all appreciate it. The immediate priority is Severus, of course, but Mr. Potter here gave us another most impressive display of wandless magic, and I want you to get him back to Hogwarts as soon as you can, to check him over carefully."
Madam Pomfrey caught the concern in the Headmaster's voice. He seemed every bit as concerned about Harry as he was about Severus, but was clearly not going to say anything in the presence of the Ministry staff. She wasn't entirely sure what was going on, although, really, Harry needed to stop doing wandless magic; at his young age, he was going to do permanent damage to himself if he kept this up! She understood though – the goal was to get Harry back to Hogwarts as quickly as possible. That was probably going to mean that she'd have to persuade the Ministry mediwizards to release Severus into her care.
"Mr. Eccles, isn't it?" she said to the mediwizard attending to Severus. "Come along and let's discuss Professor Snape's condition. I've been providing him with care for many years, and am quite familiar with his medical history. Perhaps we can get him sorted out and awake." Mr. Eccles, aware of the reputation of the Hogwarts medical facility and its no-nonsense resident mediwitch, nodded meekly and escorted her and the man who was now "their" patient into a private room.
In the immediate aftermath of the lock-down, with all the floos sealed, a search of the building was begun. The Ministry did have a protocol for this sort of situation; it was uncommon, but in the wake of a similar escape several decades ago, a spell was developed to facilitate a sweep of the entire building to determine if there were any magical beings who did not belong in the building, or who were present but not where they belonged. Using this spell, a team of twenty members of the Magical Law Enforcement Department could sweep the entire building in an hour. Darmut turned this effort over to Stark, agreeing that it was almost assuredly too late, but once it could be reported that the Ministry was secured, all would feel safer.
The team that Stark organized to conduct the magical sweep confirmed that everyone in the building either worked there or had signed in as a guest that day. The only unfortunate anomaly identified by the scan was the discovery that someone who had reported to work that morning was now dead, apparently by a Killing Curse administered hours ago. The body of the new head of the Department of International Magical Cooperation was found in his office. There was no sign of a struggle, and his assistant confirmed that he'd welcomed a guest, a gentleman she'd not seen before who apparently represented some business interests abroad. The records at the Ministry reception desk did confirm that a Mr. John Smith had arrived to meet with the Department head, but in the mayhem of the afternoon, no one had been checking departures. Mr. Smith's current whereabouts were unknown.
With a sad nod, Stark thought he probably did know where Mr. Smith was, but it was more likely he knew the whereabouts of Mr. Smith's remains.
Harry was persuaded to stay with Albus, Remus and Sirius while Madam Pomfrey and Mr. Eccles did a full work-up on Severus. "Come on, Harry, you'll be in the way as they work, and the sooner they finish, the sooner we can all get you back to Hogwarts, right?" Sirius had cajoled, as he gently ruffled Harry's still-wild hair. "There are some seats over here – we can see right away if anyone comes out for you."
Remus asked Albus "Have you heard anything about who might have done this? I saw the Aurors getting to work in the reception room but haven't heard anything more."
Albus shook his head, his grey hair and long beard swaying softly as he did so. "No, nothing definitive. The assassin had used a spell to change his appearance, so the Aurors will have to determine who he impersonated, and then see if we can find out anything about who he was or what this all meant."
Harry listened with some interest. A thought occurred to him, and he posed a question to the Headmaster. "Sir, remember that intention spell that you cast back when Mrs. Longbottom was running her program, the one that protected people in the castle when we had all the foreign guests arriving? If the assassin was working for someone, is there a chance that the casting of the spell here killed the person who sent him?"
Albus thought on that for a second. "I would be surprised if a spell of that sort lasted this long, but I'll mention it to the Minister. I'd not thought of that before, but it might have some impact here," he agreed.
It was mere moments later that Madam Pomfrey appeared in the doorway and immediately approached them. She looked annoyed and triumphant at the same time; an interesting combination but one she did well.
"Severus is fine. His magic is healing well; he's as strong as most wizards right now, and probably in an hour or two, the rest of his magic will knit itself back together. I sense a slight shift in his magical signature, but Mr. Eccles said that Harry had been holding his magic together?" She looked at Harry with a carefully neutral expression on her face, needing his honest answer with no editing to avoid offending anyone's sensibilities. When he nodded, she continued. "It is possible that Severus' magical signature will be altered a bit from this experience, but it's very minor and as I said, he seems to be going fine."
She straightened up a bit, now looking more annoyed than anything. "The matter of Severus' loss of consciousness was of great concern. An attack powerful enough to blast one's magic apart is of course likely to render them unconscious, but it was greatly troubling that he's remained unconscious for this length of time. It appears that Severus struck his head when he fell, and was rendered unconscious in the fall. His body was directing all its healing energy toward his magic, not to the much less serious head injury, so he remained unconscious. Now that his minor head injury has been detected," and her emphasis on the word 'detected' told everyone that she took great offense that it had not been detected until she presumably just did so, "and repaired, he is awake and doing much better."
Harry's face lit with a most remarkable smile, hearing that Severus was awake. "Thank you, Poppy! Can I see him?" he breathed, now practically bursting with relief.
"Give them a couple of minutes," she suggested, smiling herself in response to the young man's obvious relief and delight. "The mediwizards were still running their standard scans, and he was giving them a very difficult time. Allow him his privacy, and as soon as they are done with him, you can visit. I'll take you back."
Turning more primly to the others, she continued. "I've made arrangements to remove Professor Snape to the Hogwarts Infirmary as soon as a medical-grade portkey can be prepared. I'll go with him via the portkey, but Harry will have to return via floo. Will any of you be returning with us?"
Albus looked at Sirius and Remus. "I think not. I need a few words with Amelia before I return. I won't be long, but don't delay getting Severus and Harry back there, just to wait for me. I assume that you two will stay in London?"
Sirius seemed torn. More than anything, he wanted to be there for his godson, to take care of him, and keep him safe. A squeeze to his forearm by Remus reminded him that this was not about what he wanted. He realized that his godson now had a shockingly strong, possibly intimate, relationship with his bondmate, and he needed to give Harry the room to nurture that relationship, as much as he'd really prefer to go back to Hogwarts with them. Sharing a quick look, Sirius and Remus shook their heads in unison.
Sirius opened his arms to give Harry a big hug, and was thrilled that Harry accepted the gesture so happily and easily. "You take care of yourself, Harry, and take care of Severus, too. We need to stay here to make sure this mess gets sorted out," he said softly as he gave him a final squeeze.
Remus gave Harry a hug as well, as the two finally headed back to their own offices on another level in the building.
Madam Pomfrey nodded at Albus. "Come along, Harry. I'm sure Severus has been exhaustively scanned and prodded and poked, and is quite ready to leave. Perhaps you'll be able to calm him down until the portkey is ready." She led the way for Harry through the double-hung doors.
Albus took a deep breath. He trusted Poppy, and knew that she was as fiercely protective of her students as he was. She'd get Harry to the Infirmary back at Hogwarts and keep him safe with Severus until he could return and brief her more fully on what had occurred with Harry's magic.
For now, he needed a word with the Minister of Magic.
He arrived at his old friend's office and was waved right on through by her assistant. Minister Bones looked up sharply at the intrusion, but smiled when she saw who had arrived.
"Albus – how is Severus? And Harry?" she instantly demanded.
That was what Albus liked about Amelia. She had priorities similar to his own.
"They are both doing fine. Poppy Pomfrey stepped in from Hogwarts, and last I heard, Severus has regained consciousness and his magic is nearly all back together. A most fortunate outcome. A medical portkey is being readied as we speak, and Poppy will transport Severus to the Hogwarts Infirmary to complete his recovery."
"And young Mr. Potter?" the Minister prompted. "That was the second blast of wandless magic from him that I've heard about. It can't be good for the boy."
Albus thought quickly. The Minister was approaching this subject from the safest angle – it was potentially damaging for a wizard to be doing wandless magic until he or she was at least thirty, or even forty, to give their magic and their bodies sufficient time to develop strong pathways. Nothing she said suggested any awareness of what had him so concerned: Harry's lack of control of these extremely powerful bursts of magic, and the wildness his magic now retained for some time after the burst, as Albus had witnessed this afternoon.
He answered mildly, "That was the reason I wanted Poppy to get involved. She is aware of what's gone on before, and has the most extensive records of his magical development. He trusts her explicitly, so if anyone can assess if he's created a problem for himself or is at risk of doing so, it will be her."
That satisfied Amelia.
Albus proceeded with the real reason for his visit. "Young Harry mentioned something to me that you might want to know about." Albus nearly chuckled when he saw how acutely attentive Amelia had become when he mentioned Harry's name. "When we hosted Mrs. Longbottom's program for international invitees, there was some concern about one of the delegates – a wizard from France. Hogwarts has powerful wards and all staff members are extremely vigilant. However, I cast an intention spell as an added protection. If any action was taken against anyone at Hogwarts, the fate intended for them would befall anyone at whose behest that action was taken. I never actually lifted that spell. It's been quite a while now, so I think it rather likely that the spell has dissipated and it might not work at all when an action is taken against a Hogwarts' resident outside of Hogwarts."
Amelia looked at Albus thoughtfully. She knew, of course, of the incident involving Henri Clovis. The Ministry and its Aurors were very involved in the discussions with their French counterparts in determining Mr. Clovis' fate. She also recalled that at about the same time that Mr. Clovis tried to kill the group at Hogwarts, French king Louis XXIII had died. Were the two events connected? It had never even occurred to her to wonder. She thought that the French mediwizards had never been able to determine the cause of their king's death. It had seemed like a poisoning, but no evidence of poison had ever been found. Did Albus cause the French king's death, with that spell?
"I have never heard of an intention spell, Albus. Did you create it?" she asked, as her mind reeled with the implications of what he'd just said.
"No, no, it's an ancient spell, just seldom used. I learned a basic intention spell as a young man. I have worked on some refinements, but it's still not something you use often. I suppose, if the spell is still in place, and if this was an attempted assassination at the behest of a grandee somewhere in the wizarding world, news of his or her passing might reach your ears. It might help unravel some elements of what occurred today."
Before the Minister could react to that, another knock on her door announced the arrival of Auror Stark, to make his report. The Minister signaled that he was to do so with Albus in the room. He launched right into his report.
"Well, ma'am, sir, we know that the assassin entered earlier today as a Mr. John Smith, with an appointment made yesterday evening to speak to Fillmore Uggers, the new head of the Department of International Magical Cooperation. The purpose of the appointment was very vague in the ledger. Uggers' assistant verified that the guest arrived. She did not see him leave, but she did see Uggers hurry off to the ceremony later."
The Minister seemed fine with what he was doing, so he soldiered on. "It is most likely that Smith killed Uggers, probably with a Killing Curse, although the forensic mediwizard is still verifying the cause of death. Smith used a spell to alter his own appearance; most people who saw him at the reception assumed he was Uggers, the new man. The assassin's appearance changed rapidly after he died, presumably as his spell dissipated. He also had a small vial of a poison of some sort in his mouth. He didn't have time to break it when he was thrown against the wall in the reception hall – the mediwizard found it unbroken in his mouth. We have some work still to do to determine Smith's true identity, although we are working under the assumption that he was an agent rather than someone operating for his own advancement. The poison in his mouth – that's almost assuredly something only a hired assassin would use."
Albus was curious about one thing. "How did you come to find Uggers' body? You connected his visitor to the event in the reception room very quickly," he observed.
"We found Uggers' body when we ran the scans for the escaped prisoners, sir. We used that spell – you might have had a hand in developing it, if I recall the story – that enables us to determine if anyone who doesn't work here or is here as an invited guest is in the building?" Albus knew the spell indeed. He didn't develop it, but had installed the ward, similar to the one at Hogwarts, that identified the magical beings in the building. He had suggested to the head of the Magical Law Enforcement Department at the time that he put together a spell to use that ward in the event of a break-in or other event when it was necessary to see who was here who did not belong. The spell presumably linked the ward with the employee and guest registers in some way. But this was not relevant to anything important right now.
"Who escaped?" was the important question. This was the first Albus had heard about any escapes.
A quick look at the Minister confirmed to a relieved Stark that he was not in trouble for mentioning that, although it certainly seemed that she had not yet shared that information with Professor Dumbledore.
"In the aftermath of the attack, it appeared that three prisoners held in the cell block here in the Ministry escaped. Cornelius Fudge, Sean Albemarle, and Horace Mugwhimple. The Aurors momentarily stepped into the hall to quell the panic out there, and they were able to escape."
Albus swore an oath under his breath. He'd heard about a damaged ward months ago, but Fudge wasn't willing to pay to have it fixed. If it was in the cell block area, there were (supposedly) always at least three Aurors present, so what was the problem with a slightly damaged ward?
What else could possibly go wrong?
Another knock sounded on the Minister's door, and her assistant poked her head into the room. "I'm sorry to interrupt, Madam Minister, but I thought you'd want to be alerted right away. We just got word that Rakshasha Bahadur Shah VIII of India and his son have died very suddenly. No causes of death have been determined."
Stark was confused at the reaction of his Ministry's leader to that sad, but political news: She was glaring daggers at her guest, the Headmaster of Hogwarts.