Chapter 7: One Ministry Meltdown

Harry stomped his way back into the old Potter Cottage. He sat down on the rotting stairs. He looked beside him at the outline across the stairs. It looked like chalk, but it was probably something else wizard made for the outline to last this long. Or there was some kind of charm or rune placed on the house to preserve it. That outline showed where James Potter, his father, had died. Died protecting his family from some lunatic that wanted them dead.

Harry paused at that thought, "Why does Voldemort want to kill me so badly? Why did he want to kill me and parents years ago? What could he gain from our deaths?"

He opened the flap of the envelope and pulled out a parchment letter. He snorted. His dad probably didn't realize that parchment in the muggle world cost more. He had actually resold plain wizard parchment into the muggle world for extra cash. Although he didn't do it often.

He opened the letter and began reading.

To Harry

If you are reading this. Then I'm most likely dead but I want you to know how much I care for them. I left this note with the Jake Berringer for a simple reason. He's a good man who doesn't have magic and for that alone he is the perfect person to leave this note. Why? Because most death Eaters would despise a muggle and wouldn't leave anything of value on them.

But Harry, Your Mother and I have left letters for each of you in the basement of our cottage in Godric's Hollow. Concealed in the Northwestern Corner. It is three feet south along the wall from that corner by four feet up from the ground is a brick which has a blood ward. The cache can be opened by the blood of a Potter. But the blood must be given freely and willingly, otherwise the ward will not open the cache.

Harry, I love you so much, but I can't put more upon this note. I have a second letter to be sent to you from Gringotts on your sixteenth birthday to point you toward the Berringers.

This cache is so important for your survival, if Voldemort is still alive. If necessary, find it.

I have to go. I can hear you racing that toy broom Padfoot bought you. I wish I could have taught you how to fly myself. But I love you, Son. Nothing will change that.

Your Father

James Potter

Harry took the potion knife he had taken to carrying on his belt. It was ridiculous how useful the blade was. He pricked all of the fingers on his left hand and then clenched his fingers. He could feel the droplets of blood pool in his palm as he walked to the place James Potter had pointed out. He brushed the dust of the brick before finding plaster. He broke the plaster, off revealing a star shaped pentagram with a circle transcribed with strange symbols etched around the circle.

Harry grimaced as he took his hand and place it on the carved stone. He could feel some kind of magic pushing on his blood and on his magic in the blood. It was odd. The magic was recognizable. It had to be-

Harry's hand shook as he thought, "This is Dad's magic."

He stood back as he heard a click. Immediately a thin line of wall next to the Runic circle turned to dust as puffs of dirt showed the plaster exploding off the wall.

Harry walked up to the crack. He felt inside of it trying to find this catch that James Potter had left him. "There it is." Harry grinned as his arm found a large void. He could feel leather and clothe. He grabbed onto the item and pulled it through the thin crack.

"It's a backpack." Harry thought, "A wizards pack."

Harry pulled it open to reveal a two hide bound journals. The brown journal was soft to the touched but partially opened as if something held up the outer cover from shutting. He pulled out the book opening to find three more envelopes holding the cover up.

Harry began reading the titles off the envelopes, "To my beautiful Lily, To my son, Harry, To my daughter-"

Harry grabbed the last envelope and read the contents in a rush.

His parents were pregnant with a daughter. Harry snarled. "My sister! Her name was Patricia and I never got to meet her. If I get my hands on Voldemort, he will Pay!"

The phone on the wall rang as the man in the chair looked up from his book. He sighed marking his spot while walking over to the phone and picking it up.

"Hello?"

"Hello? Is anyone there? I'm trying to get in contact with Hermione Granger."

"Yes, This Hermione's home. Who is this?" Asked Mr. Granger as he heard a door slam shut and a thud from where Hermione dropped her book on the floor.

"My name is Ron, I'm a friend of Hermione's from school." Explained Ron.

"Is everything okay, son? You sound a little worried." Questioned Mr. Granger as Hermione skidded to a stop in the room waving her arms to keep her balance.

"Dad, who's it from? What's going on? Can I have the phone?" Begged Hermione as her father shook his head as she began jabbering off more questions.

"I understand. Would you like me to call your parents?" Asked Mr. Granger as he got the immediate reply on two fronts that the Weasleys didn't have a working telephone.

"We'll be over in a little while." Said Mr. Granger.

"So, what was Ron wanting? Is he okay?" Asked Hermione with a concerned look.

"Ronald is fine. Although first we need to pick up a friend of his at the Museum before picking him up. Do you know a Neville Longbottom?" Asked Mr. Granger

"Neville is Ron and Harry's roommate at Hogwarts." Answered Hermione as she plunged on and asked, "What's going on?"

"It seems that Ron had to abandon a meeting with Neville earlier today and asked us to pick him up." Explained Mr. Granger as he walked toward his desk to get car keys while Hermione followed behind him still asking questions.

"Ron ditched someone again!" Thundered Hermione as she followed her dad while grabbing a spare copy of History of Magic from behind the couch.

"Not on purpose. He's helping get someone to the Hospital and will need a ride later." Explained Mr. Granger as he shook his head. His daughter could get impatient like him at times.

"Who's in the hospital?" Asked Hermione.

"One of the Grand Masters of his chess club. Ron called me from the Museum asking us to pick up Neville. he said that he sent his owl to his father to pick them later. Since he was told to go to the hospital with the EMTS." Said Mr. Granger. As He left a note on the table for his wife.

"What's wrong with the Chess Master?" Asked Hermione as they walked through the front door.

"She's in labor."

"WHAT!"

"Get back here, Vermin!"

Harry dodged a stunning curse as he elbowed his way through the running crowd. It seemed like that one-legged auror wanted to catch him. "Really wants catch me." Harry thought as he jumped toward a crack shouldering the pink haired Auror off her feet as she finished apparating.

The way ahead was two tight to dodge spellfire, and he couldn't apparate yet. So Harry pivoted around throwing up a shield spell as Moody's Orange colored curse impacted with his green shield pushing him back from the impact.

"Calvorio!"

"Protego!"

The power Moody put into the relatively minor Hex fractured Harry's shield as he began running again. The two aurors chased the criminal as he ran up the alleyway dodging and exchanging spell fire. With Apparition attacks only leading to the aurors getting knocked off their feet by the masked figure who always seemed to know where they would land but couldn't stand up to them in a flat-out duel.

"If he would stop and duel, we would have had him already." Thought Tonks with a huff. The criminal hadn't technically made any lethal attacks on them. Aside from trip wires, thrown mandrake pots, or leading them into other criminals who cursed first and questioned later.

"Halt!"

The figure skidded to a fall as he ducked a stunning spell from Amelia Bones. He launched a spell at her and the group of people behind her. As the auror at the rear of the group began hurling spells at him as well.

The Head of DMLE blocked the spell with a wide shield spell protecting the people behind her as she spat back a curse in reply.

"Damn Fudge and his politics walking into the middle of a fire fight." Thought the head auror as the surprisingly skilled fugitive blocked her spell while getting a knee under him.

Harry jumped up as he began shielding from two directions at once. Cornered by three aurors he was in trouble unless he did something unexpected.

"There. That auror will work. Wonder why four people need two aurors for protection" Thought Harry as he focused and fired the modified spell. Not at Moody or Tonks. Not the Auror in front of him as the spell impacted on the window across the street before bouncing off the at sharp angle.

Tonks watched as the spell bounced off another window into the auror facing the rear. The auror disappeared as the criminal appeared in his place. She fired a spell as she saw the auror occupy the space where the figure had previously stood. The auror was knocked out immediately by two spells from Moody and Madam Bones. Both aimed at the place where the criminal once stood.

Harry lunged forward shoving one man into the auror maintain the shield while kicking the man wearing the bowler hat in the same direction as well.

Madam Bones sidestepped Minister Van Djik as Cornelius Fudge was booted into her pathway. She pushed the spluttering idiot out of her way as the criminal grabbed Umbridge's wand and pointed it at the back of her head.

"Stay BACK! I'll Curse her if I have to!" Gargled the figure trying to disguise his voice.

Madam Bones was shocked. Most people wouldn't use a switching spell in a fight. Let alone bounce it off windows without destroying said windows to hit his target. The only person who she had ever seen pull off using a switching spell in a fight was James Potter. But this man pulled it off with a level of hand to eye coordination that only elite quidditch players possessed. While somehow controlling his spell in such a way that he didn't destroy the windows he had utilized.

"Curse me! I'm the Senor Undersectar-"

"Tell someone who cares, Umbridge." Shouted Moody as he fanned out to the right trying to get an angle on the figure while Tonks checked the auror behind her.

Harry stepped into the wall as his he began focusing, he only had a few seconds as he held the woman. He slid his unicorn haired wand down behind the woman as he began backing up. Her captured wand in his right hand menacing the aurors and his captive. He chanced a look behind his back. Thirty more feet.

"Let her go at once!" Yelled Cornelius Fudge as he pointed his wand at the figure hiding behind Delores Umbridge in the shadows. The figure took a couple of steps back ignoring the Minister of Magic.

"Out of the way, Fudge. Let the professionals do their job." Snapped Moody as he pushed the bowler hat wearing man aside as Madam Bones stepped in front of the Minister quickly launching a stunning curse at the figure.

Harry jerked his head out of the way as the spell whipped by his ear as he snapped, "Aqua Eructo."

Moody, Bones, and Tonks responded with a single shield spell from Tonks to cover them, while Moody and Bones began flinging stunning spells down the alley way with a vengeance. Unseen by the aurors water began soaking the cobblestones in the shadows.

Harry raised a shield spell as he turned and ran while Umbridge crumpled to the ground. Unconscious from one of Moody's spells.

"Arresto Momentum!" Spoke Tonks as Umbridge was lowered gently to the ground by the pink haired auror.

Harry lunged past the corner as began placing multiple shield spells in between him and the aurors. Twenty more feet and he was free.

Moody watched as one of his conjured arrows hit the man in the shoulder puncturing it. They almost had him. There was no place to go. The one-eyed auror grinned as he raised his wand and began firing charms that hit everything but the masked figure.

Harry threw up a shield spell as he gained another ten feet. Only to feel another stunning spell whipping by his head as he looked up. Tonks was on the roof of another building lashing out with spell after spell at him.

Harry launched a stunning spell of his own at the roof as he stepped aside from the return volley.

"Stupef-."

The figure crumpled as one of the rocks in the alleyway smashed into his jaw. Harry rolled with the momentum dodging a follow up volley of chairs, benches, and rocks.

"Moody! We need him alive!" Yelled Madam Bones as she yelled at Moody.

"He'll be alive! He'll just be able to talk when I'm through with him. But he'll be alive!" Yelled Moody as he moved his wand in intricate patterns at a run rapidly gaining ground on the figure. While random objects conducted by his wand battered the fugitive.

"Glacius." Whispered the figure.

Tonk's watched as her party in the alleyway toppled to the ground. The Shadow had doused the Road with water and turned pavement into icy surface. She ran to catch up with the Shadow. She apparated in front of the figure as she fired a wordless stunning spell.

The stupefy curse should have hit the shadow. It should have thrown masked figure into the wall leaving him with bruises for weeks. Instead, the figure corkscrewed his body to the side as he dodged the curse while he fired his own spell back to Tonks.

"Impedimenta!"

The spell smashed Tonks back into the wall knocking her down. She got up slowly. The effects of the Impedimenta hex slowing her down. Everything was loud the world seemed to be moving too fast. She heard a crack which gave her a headache.

"Tonks!"

Harry hobbled around the corner as he left the disabled auror on the pavement. If only those stupid aurors would stop chasing him! He pulled a brick out of the wall of one of the buildings in the alley way he was hiding in. He pulled out a short length of pipe as he lit bluebell flames on the edge of the pipe. He tapped the bottom of the pipe with his wand. The pipe expanded before his eyes becoming a circular tunnel as he grabbed a handful of floo powder while wiping the blood out of his mouth.

"Pipe 8!"

The Concealed Floo whisked him away as he heard one last yell.

"Tonks!"

"What in Merlins Arse was that?!"

"Minist-"

"Do not Minister Me, Head Auror!" Screamed Cornelius Fudge, "You and your aurors turned Diagon Alley into a private dueling lane! You terrified the populace and got Delores Umbridge put into ST. Mungo. I can only imagine what the Prophet is going to print tomorrow."

"Bullocks."

"Excuse-" Cornelius Fudge had been in DMLE for only a short time in the previous war. Only as a short-term volunteer. Even still he knew better than to get in the way of one of Alistair Moody's Rants.

"Bullocks, Fudge. As long as Lucius Malfoy holds your ear, the Prophet won't print anything. Not that I care about what that fancy toilet paper says." Stated Moody as he closed the office door behind him.

"You dare-"

"You bet I dare, Fudge. I have had enough of your foolishness. Just because a foreign Minister saw how badly we handle things in Magical Britain doesn't mean you should assign all the blame to Madam Bones." Stated Moody as he took a breath and began speaking again.

"You and I are both to blame, Fudge. I could have caught that man weeks ago, but I didn't. I should have ignored your ever-growing list of things that aurors aren't allowed to do. Which could be mesmerized as one thing, Fudge. The aurors are not to arrest those with friends in high places."

"It's Minister to you, Moody!" Warned Fudge who clenched his wand. He was going to have this relic dishonorably retired tomorrow. Odds are the Daily Prophet would probably blame Moody for the whole mess.

"Tell someone who cares, Bootlicker." Stated Moody as the door swung open revealing Delores Umbridge with a giant bandage wrapped around her Toad like face. Apparently, she got out of the hospital quickly enough without permanent damage. As she started shrieking at his previous comment.

"Moody, how dare-"

Madam Bones sat in the corner, rubbing her head as she heard Moody very colorfully tell Umbridge what exactly he thought of her suggestion. This had gone on far enough.

"Moody."

"Madam Bones?" Asked Moody.

"Get to the point. Without insulting anyone, preferably." Ordered Madam Bones as pick up her emergency supply of sherry from her pocket as she took a sip.

"Okay. Fudge you are more corrupted than my empty eye socket. Two weeks ago, you let a convicted proven felon; James Brodie, free from custody. And because of the way you interfere on behalf of Malfoy and his ilk, the only way we can prosecute Brodie is if we catch the Shadow." Stated Moody whose eye spun in circle watching everyone in the room.

"If this was the first time you used a variety the law to protect criminals and prosecute civilians. Maybe I would have thought you made an honest mistake. Except you can't even tell the truth to yourself anymore, Fudge. You have made this 'MISTAKE' twenty times over. Let alone restrict every kind of hex we can use to apprehend criminals to the point we might as well be casting Healing Spells!

Moody took a breath seeming to calm down as he started again, "We don't even know what the man was doing at the brewing lab in the first place. We don't have any criminal charges except for resisting arrest and fleeing the scene. For all we know he was a bystander. At the wrong place and time." Finished Moody.

"I'll have your job for this insult, Moody." Stated Fudge as he picked up a paper and handed it to Umbridge who had a cruel smile on her face as she walked out of the office. "No doubt to do the paperwork for Moody to be sacked." Thought Madam Bones.

"Unfortunately for the amphibian who just left the office. I retired five minutes before I got here, Fudge." Smiled Moody as Fudge spluttered. Amelia Bones smiled. It was easy to tell that Alistair Moody had come from Slytherin. If Fudge came after him, Moody had just gotten enough written evidence by Delorus Umbridge to ensure that Fudge would not see the inside of this office again. And she had witnessed the entire thing.

Moody stretched and walked out the door only for Fudge to stop him with a question.

"How do you know that the Shadows a man, Moody?" Said Fudge as Moody's previous words grabbed his and Madam Bones attention.

"He kicked and shoved yours and Minister Van Djik's Fat arses into our way. Didn't He?"

Amelia Bones took a quick drink of sherry to hide her smile at Fudge's face and Umbridge's gasp from the outer office.

"Lady Bones, may I talk with you outside?" Asked Moody.

"Of course, Alistair."