The Leader

Chapter 51

"Is there any news?" Severus asked Harry as emerged from his bedroom and entered the living room, the smell of potion ingredients wafting around him, very telling how Severus had chosen to spend the night. Not just the potions for Draco, or the pendants to help them get away from Britain and avoiding capture, but many of the potions the new prison would need. He had seen a door with 'Healers ward' written across it, and considering Harry's stance on many things he believed Harry was intending on having a good healer at the prison. They certainly would need one, especially right now with so many (try all of them) of the prisoners suffering so many ailments.

"Rick would have alerted me immediately if Rodolphus Lestrange was back, I'm under the belief that the plan has regretfully failed," Harry sighed, annoyed and irritated that it had failed, but he was not one to give in or accept failure. Using the letter opener, he began to open the next letter that required his attention.

"So…the pits?" Severus grimaced, they said there were traps in Gringotts for any would be thieves, that they only checked the pits every decade or so, if anyone did try they wouldn't be found, well, he amended, they'd be found just not alive or recognizable. Then again it may just be a deterrent they liked to inform new customers about in order to prevent any stupidity on any wizard or witches behalf.

"The pits," Harry agreed, "He'll be dead within a fortnight," without a supply of food or water he wouldn't last long at all. All his victims would be quite pleased with the manner of his death. Rolling his eyes, he set the letter aside to reply to it, before opening yet another one. Curiously enough the next one was from Gringotts and it most certainly wasn't time for his statements.

"Are you going to try sending in Rabastian?" Severus queried, his mind pondering on how best to solve this little dilemma.

"No, there's just no point," Harry sighed, the same would just happen, the goblins would be watching what was happening and taking greater care of the old vaults. Which was disheartening but no less surprising, they were quite vicious in their bid to keep their reputation spotless and vaults guarded. Breaking the wax seal on the Gringotts envelope he opened it and read the contents curiously.

"With Bellatrix dead, as well as Rodolphus the vault should go directly to the closest living relative, that would be Narcissa," Severus realised, just barely refraining from slapping his forehead in exasperation. Originally it could have been contested by both sisters, but Andromeda had been disinherited for marrying a Muggle-born.

Harry chuckled deviously, "That won't be required," he said amused, grateful that he wouldn't need to rely on Narcissa Malfoy, he didn't want to deal with her, since he knew what she would require in order to make the trade so to speak.

Severus, who was still standing at the doorway, glanced at Harry more intensely, wondering what had caused his mood to turn so quickly. Not that you would have noticed he was unhappy with the Lestrange incident, no doubt he would have simply brushed it off and thought of another way, he didn't fixate on his mistakes - not the way the Dark Lord did.

"It looks like you and I will be going to an auction, like I promised you," Harry said, green eyes gleaming victoriously.

"Why is that?" Severus queried as he came further into the room, claiming a seat next to Harry's writing desk.

"It seems a 'copy' of Helga Hufflepuffs cup is to be auctioned off tonight," Harry said with a vindictive smirk, "I have an apology here on behalf of the 'King' of the Goblin nation, and this is there way of making it up to me while saving face."

"It could just be a copy," Severus pointed out, "There is nothing there indicating even subtly that it is the genuine thing."

"If it was a copy…it wouldn't say goblin forged," Harry said handing over the invitation to the auction. "It's probably only on my invite, I can feel Writ's magic on it, either way I will know the moment I set eyes on it."

"I know you are an important customer to Gringotts…but why would they go to such lengths to keep you happy? Especially if they risked offending you in the first place?" Severus questioned perplexed, they truly were going out of their way to keep Harry happy.

"Do you know how much I am worth with the combined Potter and Thorn fortunes?" Harry asked, his lips twitching in smug satisfaction as he stared at Severus.

"You speak of them as if they are different Estates," Severus blinked in surprise, was it possible?

"They are, I transferred and 'opened' the first Thorn vault when I was almost thirteen years old, putting two thousand galleons into it, a trifle really, one months interest on the Potter vaults." Harry said dismissively, "You know I bought and sold antiquities, both from people privately selling their collections, Gringotts and the odds and ends stores in both Diagon Alley and Knockturn, not like Borgin, I don't steal from others, at least not to that extent, if they are idiotic enough to be selling items they know nothing about some people admittedly deserve it. All monies went into those accounts along with investments and such, not only did I quadruple my own income I made Gringotts a lot of money too. It was a lucrative business on both ends, no doubt when we left, Writ informed him of just who and what I was. I only wish I had been there to see the look on his face when he realized just how badly he had messed up."

"Exactly how much did you make the goblins?" Severus asked his mouth slightly open as he gazed at Harry stunned by what he was hearing. He had known Harry was treated quite respectfully by the Goblins, but to this extent that they would apologise and make sure he got what he wanted while maintaining their pride?

"Two million in the past two years," Harry said with savage pride, having to actually calculate the amount. "Give or take a few galleons, that isn't including the fee they get each month from the vaults on both accounts."

If Severus had been human he would have surely choked on his own spit, thankfully for his own pride he was only looking mildly stunned, but asking for a vampire to display more emotions meant they had to actually be very, very emotional. Clearing his throat, "I see," he managed, his mind whirling, it was little wonder he was afforded so much respect.

"Hence the moniker 'Goblin friend' if anyone else asked even with the money, they would not have brought the Goblin king to them," Harry added offhandedly.

Severus closed his eyes; he truly needed to stop being surprised by the extent of Harry's influence. He had never heard of any human being a friend to the goblin race, he truly must have their respect in ways he couldn't fathom. "Yet they remain neutral?"

"Of course they do, they know how quickly the tide can turn, tying yourself to one side is to doom the entire race, they would never risk it," Harry said, snorting at the prospect. "They remain out of the war, all wizarding wars anyway, even at the cost of a few of their lives." they would ever only risk it to fight the wizards for the betterment of their race.

"Touché," Severus murmured, nodding firmly in agreement, he could understand their motivation, the last war…it had seemed all too inevitable that the dark would win, that the magical world would be plunged into eternal darkness, then one moment, one single moment, the shadows retreated and the light emerged victorious. Not that life had been any better under the lights rules, so much magic was being discarded, banned, and made illegal. The dark would have at least allowed all magical participation, whereas the light forbade nearly all but 'light' magic.

"There is only one thing that would motivate a goblin to change sides, but again, they'd only do it if they could guarantee a preferable outcome…" Harry said, "Wands, they want wands," personally he thought they were daft for wanting to channel their magic through a wand instead of using their own innate magic.

"Do they require any sort of dress code for these auctions?" Severus questioned. Glancing down at the ticket, seven o'clock at night, it gave him three hours to meet with Tonks and Shacklebolt.

"None just wear whatever you like, but a lot of their clientele are extremely rich," Harry told Severus, letting him make of it what he will, as he went back to his mail.

"I am meeting with the Aurors after their shift ends in the Leaky Cauldron," Severus informed Harry, "At four o'clock if you wish to hear what they have to say."

"I doubt they'll be saying much I'd be interested in," Harry said wryly, "They will however ask many questions."

Severus' lip curled at the prospect, but the thought of causing the Order to completely break apart was enticing to say the least. Especially considering he hated the lot of them, and they believed they were doing 'the right thing' he wanted them to see what they were truly doing. He was however, willing to indulge the Auror's since they had not just believed Dumbledore's word - they were actively seeking the truth. A tiny part of Severus was actually curious; he wanted to know what they'd ask.

-0

"Good evening, Tom, I reserved the conference room earlier, have my guests arrived?" Severus questioned, as he slid the galleons over, the conference room was purchased by the hour, if anyone wished it; it was what he had paid for. By earlier he meant twenty minutes ago, he wasn't stupid enough to risk anyone knowing for hours in advance where he was going to be.

"Nobody has asked, Severus," Tom said, handing over the key, with a welcoming smile on his face, which was slightly tense, but given the times they were living in nobody could blame the inn/bar keeper. "I'll send them up when they arrive."

"My thanks," Severus replied, accepting the key before giving Tom a nod and making his way up the stairs, Harry silently following him, he seemed content to let him handle this and remain in the shadows.

"They're here," Harry commented idly as he stepped into the darkest corner the room had to offer. His statement was unneeded, since Severus could hear just as well as Harry now and knew Tonks and Shacklebolt's voices; he hadn't needed to wait until they asked about the conference room. He wasn't surprised by their prompt appearances, as Auror's they were very punctual. They had to be, especially if they wanted to keep their jobs.

Severus threw Harry a curious yet amused look as he took a seat, waiting impatiently for the two Aurors to climb the stairs. He tensed when he heard the distinctive sound of wands being drawn from their holsters, eyes narrowing in contemplation; did they honestly think they could get the better of a vampire? Didn't they realize he could hear them coming? It was a disadvantage to the extreme. He fingered his own wand as the door opened, relaxing marginally when he noticed that they weren't pointed at anything, they must just be ensuring their own safety.

"Severus?" Tonks said, staring at the vampire, eyes wide, she'd been told he looked young and a vampire, but she hadn't been prepared for how he actually looked. He was so different from what she remembered and bloody hell, he looked amused, and certainly more relaxed than she'd ever seen him at Order meetings.

"Tonks," Severus said curtly, rather enjoying her agog look, "Shacklebolt," he nodded to the other Auror, who was admittedly much more composed than Tonks was.

"Merlin's beard," she whispered with an indrawn breath.

"You said in your letter you had some questions?" Severus asked, gesturing for them to sit down.

"Yes," Shacklebolt's drawl was smooth and accented as usual, he claimed the seat staring directly at Severus, not at all intimidated by his…new appearance. "Have you heard the news about the new prison?"

"The Death Eaters from Azkaban aren't out on the street are they?" Tonk's blurted out impatiently, not able to wait on Severus replying to Shacklebolt's question. Her eyes filled with apprehension and fear, the thought of those Death Eaters out there attacking innocent people horrified her.

"I voted for the new prison, so yes, I had heard the news about it," Severus stated seriously, "And no, the Death Eaters haven't been broken out, where on earth did you get that idea?"

Tonks almost whimpered in relief, her eyes closing as her body slumped in gratitude, overwhelmingly happy that she could put her mind at ease. Only then did she realize she had taken Severus' word for it, interestingly enough…when she didn't just take Dumbledore's word for what it was.

"They were taken out of Azkaban to a prison nobody knows anything about…on the word of a stranger, this Thorn character…what else were we meant to think?" Shacklebolt answered straightforwardly.

"Ah, but did you think it or was it planted into your mind by someone you trust?" Severus sneered derisively.

Shacklebolt and Tonks shared a look, now more sure than ever that something had happened between Dumbledore and Severus.

"What happened?" Tonks asked she was willing to listen to his side of the story even if so she could understand.

"The prison?" Severus questioned, already suspecting what she meant, but he never answered a question unless he had a full understanding on what they were asking.

Shacklebolt shook his head, "No, between you and Dumbledore." he wanted to know as well. Dumbledore had always been the first person to defend Severus, to say he was loyal to their cause when anyone doubted him for a moment. To change his tune so suddenly…especially after his role as a spy had been found out and Severus had been tortured before managing to make it back.

"I outlived my usefulness," Severus said bluntly, causing both Auror's to flinch, he sounded so cold and the sentence was so callous. "Dumbledore had come across a coven of vampires while looking for Harry, stupidly removing the wards around the old hideout when he had no idea what he was getting himself into with only one person at his side. He was threatened, told if he or anyone in his organization stepped foot in there that they would be killed. I am unsure of what he suspected, perhaps that they knew Harry or where he was…"

"Yes, he spoke about them, he was curious, he asked Dung about it," Tonks nodded, remembering that day.

"I was unaware of the threat the vampires issued, and so when I woke up and reported my last spying detail to Dumbledore, he told me he had a new job for me, he wanted me to spy on the coven, I knew right there and then he didn't expect me to come out alive, but the torture I had suffered along with being thrown to the wolves…I wasn't quite in my right mind." Severus continued in, being honest with the pair. Letting them know without saying anything he had been prepared to die.

Shacklebolt shook his head in dismay at what he was hearing, he wished he could accuse Severus of lying, but he knew when he was lied to - he was an Auror. Plus Dumbledore hadn't even tried to launch a rescue mission, hadn't been the slightest bit interesting in aiding Severus. "You didn't consent to the change?" he asked, concerned.

"Surprisingly I did," Severus admitted, "The Dark Lord I have recently found out…can influence the Dark Mark, can poison people through it, I suspect it's merely a last resort if they get away and he knows he won't be able to get them back in his clutches."

"Poison?" Shacklebolt sat up straighter staring more intently.

"Indeed, the pain is quite frankly excruciating," Severus sighed, "Harry spent many days trying to figure out a way to remove the mark before I died, but there was only one way, for me to be de-aged and frozen at an age just before I accepted the mark." letting them think whatever they wanted, they would never figure out the truth, not unless the dug extensively into books the Ministry wouldn't approve of.

"How close?" Shacklebolt asked wincing, what a bloody choice to have to make. Die in complete agony or be turned into a vampire and live.

"Too close," Severus stated seriously, far too close, and now his Godson may end up going through the same thing. The Dark Lord didn't take well to anyone being a traitor, and the Malfoy's were traitors to the cause. He couldn't see any way that the Dark Lord would not go ahead and do it; his only hope was the prospect of the Dark Lord refraining due to the fact he wished to keep operating out of Malfoy Manor. He didn't hold out much hope unfortunately.

"When did Harry become a vampire? How long have you known him? How does the coven tie into all this?" Tonks fired off the questions that were burning in her mind.

The questions were beginning to get extremely evasive, they weren't things he could tell them without the spell Harry had on everyone restricting him. "I have only known him a short period of time, the coven doesn't tie into anything, and I'm afraid Harry's tale isn't mine to discuss."

"I…what about Dumbledore? Why doesn't he trust Dumbledore?" Shacklebolt asked, utterly bewildered, until a few days ago he had trusted him implicitly. Now he wasn't so sure, but what reason did Harry for not trusting him? "He knows about the prophecy, about the danger the world is in…yet he has no interest in ending it?"

"What makes you say that?" Severus asked utterly amused, they had no idea Harry himself was standing in the corner listening to every word they spoke. It was ironic that they were beginning to doubt Dumbledore but had yet to truly shake off the fact they were still spouting facts that they had heard from only the wizard himself.

"That he doesn't trust Dumbledore? He doesn't want to be trained, and has no desire to join the Order," Tonks pointed out, "As for the Prophecy…well same above,"

"So if you don't join the Order you're automatically a traitor to the light side?" Severus said sarcastically, "It's not that Harry doesn't want to be trained, he doesn't need to be trained. Believe me, watch the memory, see him in action, if you can honestly tell me he needs training…I will be very surprised indeed,"

Tonks and Shacklebolt glanced at each other again, wondering if anything they knew was the truth. Then again, Bill had said the same thing, that Harry was a good dueller.

"He could take on the Dark Lord and make him flee for Merlin's sake," Severus added exasperated, "He could take me on and win hands down!"

Pinching the bridge of his nose, "I don't know what to think anymore," Shacklebolt sighed, for the first time displaying emotion, he sounded resoundingly lost. He felt a lot more lost than he had before he and Tonks had made the decision to come here. How could Dumbledore have behaved so callously against a wizard who had risked it all to get information for them? Were they all disposable?

"I cannot help you there," Severus said sardonically with a smirk on his face.

"I just don't understand why he would treat you that way," Tonks admitted, on the same wavelength as Shacklebolt.

"If the Dark Lord had been defeated the first time around I heavily suspect that he would not have come to my aid when I was arrested…and left me to rot in Azkaban." Severus confessed his tone grim and tired. "I know it's not something you want to hear, but it's the truth."

"Tell them about Black," Harry murmured under his breath, knowing both the humans wouldn't be able to hear. It would be the final nail in Dumbledore's coffin where his precious Order is concerned. The big reveal though, wouldn't happen, at least not yet. Now that, that would end Dumbledore once and for all. He couldn't wait until the day he had it published. Nobody saw the vindictive gleam in those green eyes.

I'm leaving it here because it's 1am and I want to get something posted AND I'm going to have to re-read the story to make sure I've had the Auror's ask all the questions they possibly could...I have a feeling I've missed a few and I just can't think of what they are :) what would you like to see happen first? Dumbledore imprisoned then VOldemort defeated or the other way around? usually it's Dumbledore that is arrested after so it might be nice to juggle it up a bit :D R&R please