I certainly have no rights to Harry Potter, but this won't stop me writing this story. However, you probably already know this. As it is my specialty, and as in my other big stories, this shows how things go if something went different right at the beginning. Please note that I'm not a fan of bashing and also don't expect the two main pairings to differ from canon. However, the path to them certainly will be quite different. I also want to try and subvert certain plots and things that became common in the fandom over the years.
Now the story will go on hiatus about three months (my estimate) so that I have the time to write ahead far enough in Year 6 before I start posting. If you want to know when it continues, put the story on your alert list.
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Chapter 65: Ministry Under Siege, Part II - Open Hostilities
"Whoever planned the Ministry either was a diabolical genius or utterly dumb to design this like a labyrinth," Ginny cursed while they carefully explored the path ahead, which was made more difficult than anticipated.
"I honestly think it's the former. No amount of incompetence can create something this convoluted," Luna added, having lost track where exactly they were.
Their frustration was well-founded, since the corridors of the Ministry seemed to be built to intentionally frustrate all those who left the main corridor and were not well-versed with the floor plan. It created the question how anyone could work in this place efficiently. For them however it meant great difficulty finding their way out.
"This kind of makes me wish we had apparition lessons earlier than for those who have reached seventeen..." Hermione thought aloud. "But who am I kidding? You can bet the whole Ministry is shielded from apparition - at least that would make sense."
"Honestly, considering the danger we will be in, slavishly following the rules doesn't make much sense..." Harry said, then stopped. "Listen!"
"I've heard something!"
"Search over there!"
Realizing that the Death Eaters had caught up with them, they decided that running away now was the best choice and did exactly that.
Things became quite tense over the next minutes, the Death Eaters giving them little chance to rest and catch their breath. It did appear as if they were everywhere, but that hardly could be true, since neither could Voldemort have that many troops, nor would he commit all of them for one thing. It felt real enough to them however while they were being hunted through the corridors.
"It's like they always know where we are," Ginny cursed, feeling quite a bit scared at the idea.
"Maybe they do. Who knows what kind of spells they do have available?" Hermione thought aloud. "Kind of bizarre that Voldemort is in the Ministry, but the only thing he wants is Harry."
Harry for his part grimaced when hearing that. "I could live without that honor. My whole life would have been better without that monster."
"STOP!"
Some Death Eaters had found them and they knew unlike the first confrontation they this time could not count on surprise, considering the knocked out Death Eaters must have been found. They were under no illusion that the only reason they weren't using area spells was the fact that Voldemort wanted Harry alive to murder him personally. Not exactly reassuring, considering all the other things they could throw at them.
The floor they were on looked very seldom used, less offices and more rooms that looked like storage. Rooms labeled 'Employee Files' or 'Quill Storage' made it clear that even on normal days traffic on this floor was low. That of course also meant it was easy to get lost in this place - another worry after the fact they they had Death Eaters chasing them.
"They are really persistent!" Ron cursed while throwing a stunner into the general direction of the voices while they tried to make a run for it
"I don't know how you are, but if this goes on, I'll run out of breath!" Neville said, already sounding a bit tired from all the running. Not that Hermione or Luna looked much better, all three of them not doing nearly as much physical activity as the Quidditch players.
"They are down there! Don't let them escape!" a female voice hissed behind them.
They were too busy with running to have to luxury to look behind them, but Harry knew that that woman, whoever she was, meant trouble. "Regardless who she is, I don't like that voice."
There then was a junction ahead and they were about to go to the right, when... -woooosh- A wall of flames suddenly separated Harry from the rest of the group. "Harry!" Ginny gasped. However, the bright flames forced them away and the Death Eaters Eaters were gaining ground fast.
Harry knew, if they didn't move, they would be caught for sure. "Go! Don't wait for me!" he called to his friends, before running down the left corridor.
Now I'm on my own. Damn, they must have planned that from the start! Harry cursed silently, hoping he could avoid getting caught, since that would have been a death sentence.
The flames meanwhile died down again and the Death Eaters arrived at the junction. Bellatrix, who was leading the group, gave her orders. "You three, herd that Potter brat to the stairs and then towards the Master! Lose him, and I'll take it out of your hide!"
The three Death Eaters, which included Rodolphus, followed orders and left. "The rest of you is with me. We have a few highly annoying piggies to slaughter. I don't want to leave anything to chance."
"How could we have been this stupid?!" Ginny beat up herself while they were fleeing, horrified that Harry got separated from them.
"As much as we all worry for Harry, we have our own trouble!" Hermione reminded Ginny, then stopped when seeing that the corridor ahead was a dead end, apart from one door which was labeled 'Archive'. Of course it was locked, but Hermione took a chance and used her wand. "Alohomora!" The simple unlocking spell did the trick and the door was open.
The archive was rows upon rows of high shelves filled with thick file binders and cases full of rolled-up scrolls, lamps only giving barely enough light while a musty smell of old parchment and dampness was in the air. However, they honestly didn't care what kind of room this was, just that it hopefully allowed them to shake off their pursuers. Thus they started to run to the other end of the vast room.
"Yooohooo, we know you are here, little piggies! Don't think you can escape us now. There is only one door out of this room - this one," the woman mocked them.
As much as she mocked them however, they quickly realized she had not lied - they were unable to find another exit door. "Not good! Not good!" Hermione said nervously when realizing they had run into a trap.
"Hermione, don't go into a panic now," Ron told her, hoping the girl could pull herself together.
That's easier said than done! the girl thought frantically, feeling the stress getting to her.
"You can't escape us!" the woman sang, sounding very sure of herself. "Gotcha!"
That was the only warning they got that they had to flee, several spells ripping apart binders and scrolls at the place where they had been a moment ago, a rain of parchment scraps going down all over the archive. Now that Harry no longer was with them, they seemed a lot more eager to use lethal force. They could already count themselves lucky the Death Eaters weren't simply setting the whole room on fire to kill them.
"I know one of you is the Longbottom boy. Have your parents never told you we've had a lot of fun together?" the woman mocked Neville specifically.
Neville paled. "Oh no, it's her."
"Bellatrix Lestrange." Luna knew Neville had every reason to be afraid of that woman after what she had done to his parents. All of a sudden their situation looked even worse than it already was. "Don't listen to her."
That however proved to be very difficult when Bellatrix continued with her taunts. "It was all their own fault. They could have just told me what I asked of them, but noooo, they decided to be stubborn. It however gave me great room to use my imagination. They squealed like pigs seconds before the cleaver comes down."
"Neville, no!" Ginny pleaded when seeing how those words got to their friend.
As if she could sense it, Bellatrix decided to add to it. "It was a lot of fun and I would do so again without blinking an eye."
"Monster!" Neville did appear from behind one shelf, but before he could do anything... -zap!- -Bom!- "Ooooof!" With great speed Bellatrix cast a non-verbal spell that slammed Neville against a shelf behind him. He then fell to the floor.
"Don't touch him," Bellatrix told the other Death Eaters coldly, then walked a few steps towards Neville. "You made a serious error, little boy. You decided to follow in the footsteps of your parents. Tsk, tsk, tsk. You should have known better, since you know where that got them. Looks like I have to impart that lesson on you, before I carve you open."
Neville's hand tried to find his wand, but it was a few centimeters out of his reach. "Your wand. Surely you want that? So close and yet so far..." Bellatrix mocked Neville, then raised her wand. "Crucio!"
"We have to do something!" The look of horror on Luna's face when hearing Neville's screams of pain underscored the danger. Not to speak that they could feel echoes of his pain, which threatened to throw them off.
"I have an idea! Get ready!" Ron warned the girls. "Repello shelves!" he cast.
-brom brom brom- "What the...?!" one Death Eater gasped when suddenly a loud rumbling sound filled the archive. Then it became clear what was going on. The shelves were toppling like dominoes and while individual documents had little weight the sheer mass of them had an incredible weight. "Aaarrgh!" one Death Eater screamed before he was buried under an avalanche of documents.
"You little..." Bellatrix started to curse, until a spell hit the shelf right next to her, its contents raining down onto her and stunning her for a moment when a binder hit her in the head.
In the middle of this chaos, his friends took hold of Neville, taking care to pick up his wand as well, before hasting to the exit as long as the Death Eaters were being distracted. Behind them more shelves toppled over, crating a huge mess that even with magic would take weeks to clean up. Not that they cared, they only wanted to get away from that as fast as they could.
"Thanks, guys..." Neville said, sounding as weak as he currently felt. Being tortured by that spell always was a horrific experience.
"Thank us later! For now we need to get out of here and find Harry!" Ginny told them while they run through the junction, hoping that they could find Harry.
Hopefully they could find him.
In the archive meanwhile, Bellatrix had dug herself out. "There little brats! I wanted to be nice, but now I'll de-bone them the manual way and they'll beg me for putting them out of their misery!" Bellatrix hissed, foaming with anger.
"Lestrange, new... Eh, what?" A Death Eater arrived just then, but stopped what he was about to say when seeing the utter chaos.
"Don't gawk like a moron! What do you have to say?!" she snarled, not in the mood for more surprises.
The Death Eater gulped hard, knowing of her reputation. "Orders from the Dark Lord! Everyone is to return to the atrium right away. He wants everyone present for the main event."
"I understand..." Bellatrix looked to where her group was trying to dig out those still buried under all the parchment. They had just uncovered a female Death Eater whose ribs had broken and then pierced through her vital organs, causing her to be in the process of dying. "Leave them. It would take us too long to drag them with us.
Following that order, they no longer paid any attention to the dead and still buried while leaving.
o
I have the feeling I'm running into a trap, but it's either that or them catching me. Wonderful alternatives...Harry thought while running up the stairs, voices from below telling him that he was being chased.
After being separated from the others, the Death Eater had not given him any time to think or a plan to give them the slip. He knew they were pushing him into one direction, and he had a good idea what would expect him there, but trying to fight the Death Eaters on his own would have been suicide. It was like a game where all options were bad.
Pausing for a moment, he looked down the stairwell and saw several Death Eaters a few floors further down. I'm no idiot, they are pushing me towards Voldemort and there is little I can do about it.
As afraid as Harry was, he strangely enough was more concerned for his friends. He had felt echoes of Neville's intense pain through their shared bond, and the only reason he wasn't more worried was the fact that he knew for sure that his torment had ended quick enough and that none of them had suffered anything worse. However his imagination dwelling on what had happened was bad enough.
Harry then had arrived at a door labeled 'Atrium' at the end of the stairs. He wondered for a moment if he really should do something that stupid, when the decision was taken out of his hands.
"Don't bother, Harry. I know you are here, so it would be rude of you to let me wait."
Of course Voldemort knew. After all, would have been really dumb of him to not ensure he would know. The door opened up and he was greeted with two wands being pointed at him. The Death Eaters said nothing, but their body language made it clear what they wanted of him. Held at wandpoint, he was being escorted into the atrium.
The atrium was filled with Death Eaters and more were arriving from the other stairs. Those people who were not Death Eaters were hostages; forced to watch what Voldemort would do. It made sense in a sick way that someone as narcissistic as Voldemort would want an audience for the very moment he would murder Harry, even if only for bragging rights.
"Don't dawdle, Harry, my patience is not endless," Voldemort mocked him from the far end, close to where the fountain was located.
Knowing that defiance would be pointless, Harry approached Voldemort. Surprisingly, he was rather calm despite the terror he felt. Perhaps he had numbed expressing what he felt? "This all just for me?" Harry wondered when standing only several meters away from Voldemort, wondering if he was stupidly brave.
"Looks like you have an overinflated opinion of yourself," Voldemort said while sounding like a teacher, missing the irony of the statement considering what he thought of himself. "Of course not, this was meant to expose the weakness of the Ministry, but your presence became a very welcome bonus."
If anything, this made the whole thing only worse. "You didn't really think you can take over the Ministry this way, do you?"
"Of course not; the mere idea would be foolish." Voldemort then gave Harry a predatory look, causing Harry to flinch, which Voldemort noticed. "It was very nice of you, Harry, to present yourself like this. Of course we first had to separate you from your annoying friends or risk a repeat of our last meeting."
That moment a door opened and Bellatrix entered. Voldemort gave her a look of expectation. "Have you taken care of Harry's friends, Bellatrix?"
"I regret to inform you, my Lord, that they escaped us. They caused the shelves in the archive to topple and escaped in the chaos," Bellatrix reported to Voldemort, looking a bit uneasy at how Voldemort could react to these news.
"That is... unfortunate." Voldemort let Bellatrix sweat a bit. "It is of no consequence however, since Harry is right here."
Harry again felt a suicidal bravery. "You can't be that great if a bunch of teenagers can outsmart you," he told Bellatrix right into the face.
Bellatrix looked outraged, but Voldemort stayed calm. "Showing some cheek, Harry? Bella, you may slap him."
-SLAP!- And that was exactly what she did... really hard, causing Harry to fall to the floor and having to hold onto his glasses. The Death Eaters laughed at Harry getting slapped. Voldemort then looked down at Harry. "Obviously you are lacking the proper respect and I'll gladly teach it to you before it is all over. Back onto your feet!"
Harry didn't dare to not do so. Crap, if anything I only made things worse. Can even even stall for long enough?
Voldemort looked to the Death Eaters flanking him. "Have you searched him?"
"Yes, my Lord. His wand is right here," one of them said, presenting Harry's wand.
"Give it back to him. This time he is trapped and all alone. It wouldn't be sporting to not give him at least a little chance," Voldemort mocked Harry, causing other Death Eaters to again laugh at this sick humor.
Harry held his wand in a tight grip, knowing it was perhaps his only, minimal chance, to get out of this alive. "Why make such a big production of this? You could have killed me at any moment and be done with it. What do you want to accomplish with this?"
"Of course you are asking this. After all, you lack the knowledge how to lead a whole movement." Harry felt like getting sick when witnessing Voldemort's smirk. "You have to show people the stark realities of how things really are, and for that certain... demonstrations are needed."
"You mean like in Diagon Alley?" Harry asked, hoping to keep him talking.
"I've outdone myself with that one and the effect it had was even better than anticipated." Voldemort then gave Harry a predatory look. "Now however to business, Harry. I promised to teach you proper respect before I kill you, and now I will impart that lesson onto you... Imperio!"
Voldemort had cast the spell so fast that Harry had no time to react. "Now, Potter, kneel and kiss my ring in submission, then I'll grant you a quick death."
Harry's eyes were strangely vacant while he indeed went down to his knees, but inside him a battle raged.
"Come on, you know you want it. It will be over really fast." ha seductive voice, his own whispered into his ear, trying to convince him that this was what he really wanted. He had felt this type of invasive bliss before, back then his friends having helped him to push it away. Thankfully, this time he was better prepared for this.
Not only did he know this time what was happening, his Occlumency training as well as training for resisting this highly dangerous curse kicked in and he started to resist, fortifying his mind against the invader. It was a silent battle that raged, and for a few moments the outcome was highly uncertain. Then Harry imagined Ginny and wanting to return to her and this gave him the strength to give the intruding presence a mental uppercut, the shock suddenly freeing him.
Blinking, he realized he was kneeling in front of Voldemort, only moments away from kissing his ring. Looking at the ring on Voldemort's finger. He was strangely mesmerized by it, even though it looked rather large and clumsily made of gold, the stone in the ring being black and engraved with a symbol that consisted of a triangle, a circle inside it and a vertical line going through the middle of both of them. It honestly looked really strange for someone as vain as Voldemort to wear something like this.
Not important right now! Harry reminded himself, then quickly jumped to his feet and made several steps back. "You won't get me that easy!"
"You managed to resist? Even without your meddling friends you are troublesome," Voldemort looked displeased by this turn of events. "So be it. You refused a quick death, so it will be a prolonged one." Voldemort looked to his followers. "None of you dare to interfere unless I say so!"
Harry didn't dare to wait for what would happen next, trying to seek cover. -Blam!- An explosion took out a chunk of the pillar he had just ducked behind, debris flying everywhere. "Shit!" Harry cursed, knowing he was in deep trouble.
"There is no escape, Harry, just death," Voldemort told him coldly, knowing Harry could no get out of this.
"Doesn't mean I can't give it my best!" Harry used the cover to shoot back with all kind of offensive spells he had learned. Voldemort however was too skilled at combat to be bested by someone with so little experience and managed to avoid or deflect Harry's spells.
"Bow to death, Harry. It might even be painless. I wouldn't know, since I never died," Voldemort mocked Harry, before finally blasting the pillar to pieces, forcing Harry to seek cover elsewhere, which turned out to be behind the large statue of the fountain.
"Never!" Fire blasted towards Voldemort, but he managed to protect himself with a shield.
"With your pitiful skill you are no match for me." Voldemort then started to blast the statue apart piece for piece. "You are starting to run out of places to hide behind!"
That however was very true. Harry knew a bit longer and he would be exposed. What to do? What to do? he wondered frantically, knowing that he needed to think of something fast. He then got an idea, regardless how stupid it was. There are still the Death Eaters, and what I plan to do is insane, but considering...
Harry then decided to do it anyway. "Shit, Tommy-boy, now I understand! You are still the same as the Tom Riddle that came from that diary. All these theatrics are just because you never got ever your emo teenage phase you had due to your old man being a Muggle."
There was shocked silence from the Death Eaters. Such a horrific disrespect for their leader was something many of them could not even fathom. Voldemort for his part went red with anger, finally losing his cool at this blatant disrespect thrown into his face. "POTTER!"
Harry knew, this was his chance. Harry had known some of those fact from Sirius, him having told him what was public but buried record. Having pushed Voldemort's berserk button, he took the chance and jumped from his cover. "Expelliarmus!"
At the same time, Voldemort in his anger now just wanted to kill Harry. "Avada Kedavra!"
Both spells collided in the middle... and that was when suddenly strange effects set in. It looked like both spells were swallowing each other and connecting both wands with a thin, golden glowing beam of light. Voldemort for his part honestly had not expected this to happen. "What...?! What is this?!", he hissed trying to overpower whatever effect this was.
Harry felt his wand start to vibrate in his hand, but at the same time he felt incapable of letting go of his wand. He saw that Voldemort was in the same predicament., looking confused at what was going on. Then all of a sudden both of them started to hover up into the air, as if being pulled up by the beam of light.
Voldemort noticed his followers approach them. "Stand back! Don't you dare to do anything unless I command you to!" he shouted, not wanting anyone to interfere.
Countless thinner beams emerged from the man beam, surrounding both of them in a web of light. "I don't know what you are doing, Potter, but don't think it can save you," Voldemort snarled to Harry, still trying to force his otherwise loyal wand to again bend to his will.
"I honestly have no idea what this is!" Harry admitted, feeling quite a bit afraid himself.
Yet, at the same time he, unlike Voldemort, had given up on actually fighting his wand. Instead, he got the feeling that his wand wanted to tell him something and he started to listen. His cooperation with the wand caused many beams to concentrate on the tip on his wand. Harry had no idea what exactly was going on, but he now felt the need to push back against Voldemort. And in his mind he pushed, driven by his need to ensure Voldemort could do him no harm.
"What are you doing?! Stop it!" Voldemort screamed, though Harry also could see some fear. Voldemort feared what he didn't understand and couldn't control. Harry pushed the light towards Voldemort's wand, and when it connected, it felt like Voldemort's wand shrieked.
Then the most weird thing happened. It was like shadows emerged from the tip of Voldemort's wand, forming into people. Most of them Harry didn't recognize, though when seeing Mr. Fortescue, Cedric and especially his parents, he realized that those shadows were representative of people that Voldemort had murdered, regardless in which way. The hostages gasped as well, and as would later emerge they recognized the shade of Barty Crouch Sr. among those summoned.
"Murderer! Murderer! Murderer!" the shades chanted, circling around Voldemort.
Harry on the other hand was approached by three shades; Cedric and his parents. "This can't be real!" Harry gasped, having a feeling that thse were not ghosts, but something else.
"Sorry, sweetie, but sadly we are not the real deal," the shade of Lily Potter apologized.
"But that is not important now," the shade of James Potter told Harry. "You see the door over there? Run to it as soon as you can."
"But... They won't let me pass," Harry reminded them.
"Leave that to us. Get ready and pull up your wand hard," the shade of Cedric said, then they flew towards Voldemort. "NOW!"
Harry did not hesitate and the beam connecting the wands was cut. This had not only the effect of the light cage vanishing but also for the shades to erupt in a shockwave. Harry landed on his feet safely, but Voldemort was thrown across the room, slamming into the other Death Eaters, who in turn were blown off their feet. Also, the heavily damaged statue in the fountain finally toppled, crashing down and shattering into pieces.
Harry for his part didn't hesitate and made a run for it as long as the chaos held. Slamming the door shut behind himself and saw that it had led to something that looked like an information office. Wasting no time, Harry jumped behind the counter for cover, hoping that this would buy him enough time.
In the atrium meanwhile Voldemort was starting to recover from the unexpected events. "Where is he?!" he barked, looking around to spot his prey. "I have to find..."
Voldemort stopped when a Death Eater ran in, looking alarmed. "My Lord, bad news! Aurors from the outside are about to break through the barrier!"
Voldemort was very angry, but knew that time was up. "Already?! Damn them! Evacuate through the exit route!" he ordered.
-Boooooooomm- That moment two explosions blew the doors to two stairs open, people pouring out. It looked like Minister Bones had rallied enough able people for a counter-strike. Voldemort hissed when seeing that damn Arthur Weasley and especially Sirius Black.
"You..." Bellatrix looked in absolute hatred to Sirius.
Voldemort however held her back. "Now is not the time to settle an old score, Bella," Voldemort told her, before conjuring a wall of magical fire that separated the Death Eaters from everyone else. "Let's go."
"Damn it!" Sirius cursed, helpless to watch the Death Eaters make haste to escape through one exit which then was slammed shut, the fire preventing anyone from following until it was dispelled. "Harry? Where is Harry?"
One of the former hostages pointed to the door. "I saw him run in there."
Sirius wasted no time to yank the door open. "Harry!" Suddenly a stunner barely missed him. "Crap, Harry, it's me!"
"Uncle Sirius?" Emerging from behind the counter, Harry felt relief flooding him, knowing that the presence of his godfather meant that the nightmare was over. Jumping over the counter, Harry felt no shame in hugging the man. All the fear and terror he had pushed aside now were catching up with him.
Sirius saw how badly affected Harry was. ""It's over, Harry. We've won the day... Your friends are safe, Arthur found them several floors below. They'll soon be here."
Harry couldn't help but to sob in relief when hearing that.
o
"Make haste! Waste time and you will get left behind!" Bellatrix called while their troops were escaping through the exit route. They would disapparate as soon as they were outside of the Ministry proper.
"They should hurry more..." Voldemort growled, while being puzzled at what exactly had happened that caused their wands to react like that. He still was a bit shaken by those events, but of course he was also angry at once again being denied Harry's death.
The stream of Death Eaters finally ebbed off, until it was only Voldemort, Bellatrix and Lucius Malfoy.
"My Lord, those still missing are either dead or were unable to escape and are now captured. All of them just low-level grunts," Malfoy reported to his Lord and Master.
Voldemort acknowledged that with a nod. "Too bad for them. However, there is one final thing to be done..."
Voldemort's eyes seemed to gain a red shimmer, and then.. "AAAAAHHHHHRRRGHHH!" Malfoy screamed when it felt like his whole body was on fire. Falling to the floor, he felt a lot like being under the Cruciatus Curse, but the Dark Lord had not even drawn his wand. It felt like his skin was being boiled off until finally it ended, leaving Malfoy a paralyzed mess on the floor, the prior pain causing his muscles to hurt when he tried to move.
Voldemort looked down at him. "Beautiful, isn't it? This is what the new and improved Dark Mark is capable off - I only have to concentrate on the target of my displeasure and distance is no factor. All new recruits and anyone of the old guard that disappointed me do get it. Feel honored, Lucius, since it means I'm having you on a leash the entire time and it only takes some concentration from me to give what you just felt. My own invention."
"W-w-why?" Malfoy stammered, trying to understand.
"You have to ask?" Voldemort gave him a highly disappointed look. "I entrusted my book with you. It was irreplacable and you in your endless stupidity made sure it got destroyed. That is something I can never forgive."
Malfoy's eyes widened when he realized that his grave error of over three years ago was now catching up with him.
"I see you understand, Lucius. You are lacking the required respect for me or my property. You will learn respect, and suffering will be your teacher! Bellatrix made it through 14 years of Azkaban, so let's see how you will do in a cell." That said, Voldemort picked up Malfoy's wand. "You won't need this any longer. It will make a fine trophy however." He then turned and started to walk away, Bellatrix following him.
"N-n-no!" Malfoy gasped, but both of them no longer paid him any attention.
Bellatrix waited until both of them had left through the exit and then apparated to a safe location, before she asked her Master "He does deserve it, my Lord. I assume my sister is now to take over for him?"
"Indeed. He was foolish enough to make himself replaceable while knowing perfectly well that Lord Voldemort never forgives or forgets. His punishment has now begun for real. He prided himself on his wealth and influence. Let's see how he likes it in the gutter as a convicted criminal," Voldemort said coldly.
"You plan on reminding him from time to time that you decide if he lives or dies?" Bellatrix asked, looking very eager to see Malfoy suffer.
"Maybe twice a month to ensure that Lucius has learned proper respect by the time I have taken over and he is freed," Voldemort mused, finding merit in Bellatrix' idea. "But first things first, and that means a visit to your dear sister."
Bellatrix knew, Narcissa wouldn't take these news well, though she of course felt it was a proper punishment for her sister as well for the coddled easy life she had lived up until this point.
...a bit later...
"Good Lord, Sirius!" Diane gasped while holding tight onto her husband. "Please don't tell me this is becoming the norm!"
Sirius understood why his wife was asking this, but he also knew it was something he had no power over. "I wish I could promise to you it isn't, but I would be lying if I do so."
Diane sighed while still not letting go of him. "I feel like the wife of a soldier at war, even though you come home each evening."
The direct aftermath of the Ministry invasion had been chaotic. As much as Sirius had wanted to get the Six out of there right away, proper procedure had to be followed - after all, intentionally stepping on other peoples' feet would not make the situation any easier. Finally however, they had managed to get out of the Ministry and to the office of the Headmaster at Hogwarts - though not without a detour through the hospital wing first, considering what had happened.
Of course their parents had been notified and they had rushed to the school, after the scare with Umbridge wanting to make sure that their children were in good health. The same went for Diane, who by now knew too well what kind of adventure she had entered when marrying Sirius. If not for the serious reason, it even would be funny to see how the adults were fussing over the teenagers.
"Mum, Dad, please. All of us are in good health," Hermione protested weakly when it looked like her parents were inspecting every inch of her.
"Hermione, dear, you won't properly understand how we feel until you are a parent yourself. Your well-being is our highest priority," Jean told her daughter.
"And how can we not worry, considering what happened?" Frank said, giving Neville a concerned look. "Especially in light of what that monster did. That is not 'in good health'."
Neville grimaced when remembering what Bellatrix had done to him. Granted, he had been under that particular curse before, but each time was equally horrible. It was only after that confrontation that he understood all too well why his parents had been refusing to go into any detail about Bellatrix. She was an insane maniac who should be avoided at all cost.
"I now understand why you never talk about what happened..." Neville finally admitted.
Alice sighed, glancing at her cane. "I wish you would never have understood. The price for you understanding was simply was too high."
Molly Weasley looked especially relieved, having first hugged Arthur, before turning her attention to Ron and Ginny. "Do you have any idea how scared I was when three of your arms on the family clock suddenly turned to 'mortal peril'? It happened before, and by now I'm getting terrible flashbacks to the last war."
Ron and Ginny did feel really bad, since they saw how stressed their mother looked. However, there also was little they could do about it, since they hardly could tell Voldemort that his insane war was stressing out their mother too much. The idea alone was absolutely ridiculous.
"You are taking that rather calmly, Harry," Thomas observed while Veronica was fussing over him.
"That's just the calming draught speaking; inside I'm a wreck like all of us. All six of us had to drink it, otherwise we wouldn't be able to function right now." Considering the emotions still shown, that meant something. "It's even a bit scary how calm I am about what happened."
"Regardless how magical, taking mood-altering medication is no permanent solution," Veronica sighed, knowing Harry would be way more emotional once the potion wears off.
The parents fussed a bit more before Dumbledore asked for everyone's attention.
"I think I can speak for all of us when I say that this day has been a fiasco," Dumbledore said.
"Understatement of the year. It's not only the children having been in danger and that psychopath again trying to murder Harry. The whole Ministry has been shown to everyone as weak." Sirius looked concerned over this development.
"Sadly, yes. I think that had been Tom's original intent, until the chance to go after Harry suddenly fell into his lap, resulting in today's events," Dumbledore said with a sigh, looking quite tired. "As unpleasant as it is to hear, but the only reason the public has not turned away from the Ministry is, that Voldemort would be the horrific alternative. Only few want to live under him."
"So what we have feared is starting to happen. The Ministry is falling apart..." Arthur honestly was scared what that could mean for the future.
"It most certainly does not help that Lucius Malfoy was caught red-handed and now is a prisoner. He had been very close to Cornelius and influenced many of his decisions. Those news will shake trust in the Ministry even more, people are going wonder if it had been a puppet of the Death Eaters for a longer time," Dumbledore told them.
That was the bizarre effect. While Malfoy getting arrested was a good thing, it again would put a spotlight on how corrupt the Ministry was and create the question of how many of its policies actually were designed by Death Eaters in secret. That mistrust was another blow to the Ministry and considering the way the man had been found, it was very likely a cold calculation on Voldemort's part when abandoning him.
"Ehm, Sir...?" Harry asked Dumbledore. "There is something that confuses me."
"Ahh, you mean what happened when your spells clashed? Yes, I know of that even though I have not witnessed it myself," Dumbledore told Harry.
Harry should have guessed that the man knew of it already. "Sir, what was that? After all, I doubt that clashing spells can summon the souls of the dead."
"You are correct, Harry. What happened was something I long theorized about but of course never wanted to put to the test." Dumbledore looked to Fawkes, who seemed to listen to everything with great interest. "Phoenixes are mysterious creatures. Fawkes here has been my companion for close to 70 years. Phoenixes are also creatures of balance, so I was intrigued when shortly after I befriended him, he on his own donated two feathers to Mr. Ollivander, the wandmaker."
"Wait a minute..." Harry looked at his wand. "My wand has a phoenix feather in its core. Is that...?"
"Indeed, the second feather went to the wand you are using. As you could perhaps already guess, Lord Voldemort's wand holds the first feather in its core," Dumbledore explained.
"You mean Fawkes had foreseen this?" Luna wondered, her fascination for Divination shining through.
"Who knows? Fact is that since both your wands are brothers, the effects are unpredictable, as seen when you revealed the images of several of his murder victims. Now however, that a direct clash between those two wands has happened, they have recognized each other, the mechanics will refuse both wands to clash in duel again," Dumbledore explained.
"So that will happen again if we face each other?" Harry wondered.
"Sadly, Tom is no fool. He will soon enough deduce the reason for what happened and then try to avert this by using a different wand when confronting you again," Dumbledore said with a sigh.
Sirius frowned when hearing that. "So Harry can not expect that to save him a second time."
"Mate, looks like you can never catch a break," Ron told Harry, giving him honest sympathy. "Though, considering how pissed he must be at us as well, I shouldn't talk."
"So, what does that mean for them?" Jean asked, looking scared for Hermione's safety.
"Yes, it's not like there is any real chance of the war ending quickly," Diane added, then looked to her husband. "Sirius, I don't like the look in your eyes."
Sirius knew his wife knew him too well. "It means we have to prepare them now more than ever. The best protection for them is to help them being able to protect themselves."
"It's more than that..." Dumbledore looked to a glass cabinet, where the Sword of Gryffindor was being displayed at a place of honor. "Sirius knows I've been gathering certain... sensitive information. Information that I will impart on Harry and his friends once the new school year has started."
"Is that information really that important?" Arthur asked, having a feeling it was very important.
"It is, because in their hands that information will be incredibly powerful," Dumbledore said, sounding very sure of it.
o
"M-my Lord? Bella? What happened?" Narcissa asked. After all, getting a surprise visit by the Dark Lord and her sister in her manor was something she had not expected at all.
Draco, who had been in a conversation with her, froze at the sudden appearance. That was the first time he was personally meeting either of them - all previous interactions having been done by his parents -and it had happened so sudden that he had no idea how to react. Voldemort and Bellatrix were both intimidating, and he was hard-pressed to decide which one of them was more so.
"Show more respect to the Dark Lord, Cissy!" Bellatrix reminded her sister harshly.
Voldemort on the other hand seemed to stay calm. "Peace, Bella. They will already be unsettled enough by the news."
"News? My Lord, I..." Narcissa all of a sudden had a bad feeling, especially since Lucius still wasn't back from whatever it was.
"Today we struck at the heart of the Ministry. They obviously haven't released the news yet. Lucius got caught by the Ministry. His loss will be felt," Voldemort told her, feeling no need to tell her the truth, which would make Lucius' torment only all the sweeter.
"Father... is a prisoner?" Draco stammered, trying to process this utterly foreign concept. To him his father had always looked utterly untouchable by others.
"That he is, little nephew," Bellatrix told Draco, making little secret she thought of him as a spoiled weakling. "Let's see how he likes it, even if there are no dementors to constantly test him."
"Enough, Bella," Voldemort told her calmly, then turned his attention back to Narcissa. "His loss is... regrettable. It means all of the resources of House Malfoy are now yours to use."
"I will not disappoint you, my Lord," Narcissa said quickly, though it was obvious she was struggling hard with the news of her husband's arrest.
"Good." That said, Voldemort left and Bellatrix followed him.
"My Lord, why not tell my sister the truth?" Bellatrix wondered when they appeared back at the Riddle House.
"As unsubtle as always, Bella," Voldemort said, knowing that Bellatrix was more of a blunt instrument. Blunt, but still highly effective. "It is playing with the facts and deciding what is truth and what not, which determines a great leader. But now leave. I need some tme to think."
Bellatrix did as told and Voldemort retreated to his quarters, where Nagini was already waiting for him. "Well, how did the great attack go?" Nagini asked.
"While the belief in the strength of the Ministry got shattered, Potter escaped again with his life. I had him at my mercy, and his friends separated from him, but then something else went wrong!" Voldemort ranted, feeling no need to keep up a front.
Nagini watched him carefully. "What went wrong?"
"If I knew! Our wands connected in a strange way and somehow conjured the pictures of many of those that I got rid of. I'm at a loss how that could have happened!" Voldemort ranted, hating that there was something he didn't know.
"Sounds like a wand problem," Nagini speculated.
"Yes, a wand problem..." Voldemort scratched his chin. "I know... Ollivander should have the answer. I need his resources anyway."
"And what about the Potter brat?" Nagini asked.
"Dear Harry got some more time to live. I won't try again until I'm sure that my wand won't act up again," Voldemort decided, not wanting to risk a duel until he could be sure his spell would blow out Harry's life.
...Hogwarts, June 23rd...
The atmosphere at end-of-year feast was not as bad as at the previous one, though it was very hard to top the complete devastation after Cedric's brutal murder. However, it still was subdued enough; the country now finding itself in the middle of a war was bound to do that to the mood of the students - especially after the fiasco in the Ministry. The Ministry looking like weak fools was the last thing anyone needed in this war.
The Headmaster had first given out the individual merits as well as rewarding a few group efforts, before he decided to speak to the students.
"Another year has gone by. It was without doubt perhaps the most difficult year in a long time. The very heart of Hogwarts had been attacked by those who were supposed to be in service to the people of Magical Britain and these halls, which are supposed to be a safe refuge from the woes of the world for the students, were tarnished by acts we even one year prior would have seen as impossible."
The students realized that Dumbledore was not censoring himself. The injustice done to his students must have hit him hard.
"Those acts can never be undone and as sad as it is, they have permanently altered your opinion on authorities to a more mistrustful one. From here we can only move forward, but never forget. As you know, those that have done those acts are no longer present in our middle. Dolores Umbridge, on top of her permanent injuries, has been sentenced to lifelong imprisonment, while the students that participated in her regime have decided to leave Hogwarts."
Dumbledore stopped when hearing things like 'good riddance' and 'they got away too lightly' from the students.
"However, as much as the events at Hogwarts had hit all of us personally, the bigger issue is he outbreak of war in Magical Britain." Dumbledore's words caused everyone to fall silent. "None of you are old enough to have witnessed the horrors of the previous war, thus you might have thought that what happened since Lord Voldemort has revealed himself is as bad as it could get. The attack on the Ministry should have disillusioned you from that idea."
"I know it will be scary for the younger of you, but I can not censor the difficult times we have found ourselves in. Hard times are ahead of us and the only promise I can give you is, that it will cost us blood, tears and sweat. I have little doubt the older of you are determined to rise at the call and defend all of us against those who want to impose their rule over us."
The way Dumbledore looked at those who he knew were most likely to take up arms spoke of a great respect for their conviction to fight for their freedom.
"It is sad that the troubles of the outside world have penetrated your refuge, and it is the job of us as your teachers to keep you safe from those who seek to harm you. Let us enjoy what we have at this moment and celebrate our camaraderie in these difficult times."
Dumbledore was done and the feast itself then began.
"Well, he's not beating around the bush, that's for sure," Blaise Zabini said, looking impressed with the Headmaster. "No one should be fooled by how he normally acts. He would not hesitate to make a stand for those he wants to protect."
"Considering all of this, any news from your mother?" Nott asked him, feeling they could talk about it since the usual suspects no longer were attending the school.
Zabini grimaced. "My mother's first love are always money and influence, and I do not come after that in second place. Recently... she's been showing sympathy for Voldemort's cause, his stated goal of magical supremacism resonating with her."
"Better watch out over the summer, or she could try to rope you into it. I know my old man will try again," Nott cautioned Zabini, seeing the danger.
"Oh crap, please tell me you can evande that," Zabini told Nott.
"It will be difficult, but I have a plan to evade him over the summer. Once I'm back in school, I'll stay here until I turn 17, then legally leave him and not look back," Nott said, being dead-serious about it.
Having listened to the conversation, Dudley grimaced before turning to the girls. "It honestly feels like things are falling apart left and right."
"It sure does. Nothing against our friends, but I feel kind of guilty that I'm relieved I was not in the Ministry when that happened," Millicent admitted, leaning a bit closer to her boyfriend. "It gives me the feeling that sooner or later our luck will run out."
"Our luck?" Daphne snorted. "In case you forgot, Millie, you were possessed by one of Voldemort's artifacts and almost died from it, Dudley was almost murdered by a basilisk, we had werewolves invade our dorms and became victims of a smear campaign. Face it, Millie, our luck ran out long ago and we just got a break the past two years."
"Don't forget how you got nailed with a curse really badly this year," Dudley added.
"Please don't remind me..." That was one more reason for Daphne to dislike that bitch Parkinson. Daphne then saw a Hufflepuff first-year approach their table and then her. "Uh, can I help you?"
"I was told to give you this, Miss Greengrass." The girl then gave Daphne a piece of paper before leaving.
Dudley and Millicent watched in interest how Daphne's eyes widened a bit when reading the note and then the girl blushed a little, actually looking flustered. "Good news, Daphne?" Millicent asked.
Daphne made no attempt to lessen her blush. "Justin says his parents want to meet with mine when the train arrives at King's Cross. I was mentioned so often in his letters home that they want to meet me and my parents properly."
They knew that something was going on between Daphne and Justin Finch-Fletchley, but out of respect for their friend they had never asked for any details. What they knew was, that after Umbridge's exit from Hogwarts Daphne and Justin had started to spend more time together - something that had started during the DoH lessons. That Justin's parents felt the need for such an arrangement hinted that perhaps there was more going on than Daphne wanted to admit.
"Speaking of parents... Mine are a bit nervous about me spending time with you due to both of us essentially not being protected during that time," Millicent told Dudley.
"Have they forgotten that Mr. Black is our neighbor?" Dudley wondered, again showing relief that in a strange way his mother had regained usage of the house, something he honestly had no idea how to thank the Blacks for.
Millicent knew that, but she also understood where her parents came from. "Maybe he himself needs to tell them. I don't however think we'll be able to move around without adult supervision."
"Oh great, a minder..." Dudley was not enthusiastic about that prospect. "It's like we'll have a better chance at having some private time while being at school."
Millicent knew Dudley was lamenting that events were effectively sabotaging them from doing the normal things boyfriends did with their girlfriends. Her mind for a moment moved to something else they had not yet done and tried hard not to blush. Her imagination of her whisking Dudley into some hidden spot in the castle and what the two of them then would do had quickly drifted into X-rated territory.
Oh dear, if this goes on, it's me who can no longer control herself. So much for the conventional wisdom it's the boys who are most eager for it, Millicent thought, flustered at how much her body was betraying her.
o
"I still can't believe that father got caught," Draco said while waiting outside with Pansy.
"You shouldn't worry. Once the Dark Lord has taken over, he'll be freed. Remember that the Ministry was forced to close Azkaban," Pansy reminded her boyfriend, worrying a bit how much those news had disturbed Draco.
That didn't seem to reassure Draco. "I know, but I can't help it."
His father had been there his entire life and always gave him his support - Draco conveniently forgot the times when Lucius was not giving him any support due to being disappointed. And now Lucius was a prisoner of the Ministry, disgraced as a proven Death Eater. However, if anything that had only steeled his resolve to follow the cause, now that he no longer was held down by the shackles of Hogwarts.
Pansy then looked to the door. "I wonder what's taking so long with those two dumbasses? The Dark Lord clearly can only employ them as dumb muscle, since they are not useful as anything else."
Today the Dark Lord was in the Malfoy home, screening those that wanted to join his cause before the initiation ceremony in a few days. They both wondered why he was doing so, since basically all former members of the Inquisitorial Squad from Slytherin had already proven where they were standing. Joining the Death Eaters should only be a formality now.
Granted, there also were those former Squad members from the other Houses who had been pulled into all of this after the collapse of Umbridge's system, but their conviction was suspicious to Draco. Like for example that tosser McLaggen, who had left just a few minutes ago. Everyone knew he was only doing this for a power trip, but it seemed the Dark Lord would accept him as well.
Finally the door opened and Crabbe and Goyle were being led out. "What took you two that long?" Draco asked them.
"Uhhh, the Dark Lord asked us a lot of questions. But he seems to like us," Goyle told Draco.
"Sure..." Draco tried not to roll his eyes, since he knew it meant Voldemort now knew for sure those two were only good as simple grunts.
There was little time to waste with them however, since Narcissa walked out of the door behind them. "Good, the Dark Lord now wants to see both of you. He insisted on seeing both of you last."
"Can I ask, why?" Pansy wondered while they got up.
"The Dark Lord's reasons are not for us to question, though he did mention that he wanted to keep the best for last," Narcissa said, trying not to show how after the news of her husband's arrest, there was something else that now would cause her to worry.
They did enter and saw Voldemort sit at the head of the long table. Even though they would never openly admit it, the sight of his huge pet snake was making them nervous. The rumor was, that Voldemort was feeding Muggle children to that snake, and regardless how racist they were, the thought still was disturbing for them. Though of course they tried to ignore those thoughts.
"Ah, come closer. I've been waiting for you," Voldemort called, actually sounding eager to take a closer look at them.
They did come closer and again had to silence the voice at the back of the heads that told them they were in danger. This was the first time they saw the Dark Lord up close, and as much as they were in awe, deep inside part of them felt it alarming how grotesque he looked. Suppressing such traitorous thoughts, they steeled their resolve.
Voldemort meanwhile gave them a close look. "Ah, Draco and Pansy. Your parents have conveyed to me how eager both of you are to join the ranks of my Death Eaters. Though, it's a shame what happened with your father, Draco."
Draco felt a pain deep inside at the mention of his father. "My Lord, it only strengthen my resolve... That way I can avenge him."
"Yes, my Lord, and I will help him with that, regardless what happens," Pansy added, trying to show a brave face.
Your bravado is only on the outside... Voldemort thought.
He of course was not fooled and had seen that those two teenagers were not yet usable for field work. He didn't doubt their resolve, but they were not yet hardened. However, that could change with the right mission. Granted, what he was about to do was also pretty sadistic, but after all everyone needed a hobby. It also would be great for humbling the Malfoys and Parkinsons.
Voldemort then looked pleased. "Good. Good... I can see your disgust with the current state of Magical Britain. In a few days you will be initiated and then you will start your training for your mission."
Draco then again saw his mother looking concerned. "My Lord, is the question allowed what mission that is?"
"A good question. I can not give you the details yet, but I can already tell where it will take place." Voldemort then gave them an intense look. "Both of you will return to Hogwarts as students for it."
In mere seconds Draco and Pansy realized the implications of returning to a place where everyone hated them - it felt like a kick into the gut. Voldemort on the other hand enjoyed seeing them realize what that would entail.
...King's Cross station, the next day...
"Xeno, please stop pacing. You are making all of us nervous," Pandora told her husband while checking on little Selene, who despite all the noise was managing to sleep peacefully in the harness that held her to her mother's front.
"I can't help it. After what happened last year and then just recently in the Ministry..." It was something else to see Xenophilius Lovegood being so worried, since the man normally was not fazed by much.
"Unlike last time there now always is security on the train. Thank God we are rid of that idiot Fudge. Minister Bones has her priorities straight," Diane reminded him, feeling a bit better knowing it was not only the teachers protecting the students. "Remember, Remus is on the train as well, as is Dora."
"Though, you are hardly alone with your worry," Ian Granger said, looking at the sheer number of parents looking nervous while waiting for the train to arrive. "Although, the company is now much more pleasant than in previous years."
They all knew what Ian was playing at. With the children who had been part of the Inquisition being withdrawn from Hogwarts, their even more bigoted and fanatical parents no longer had any reason to be on the platform. Their absence was a relief for many others, who honestly did not have the energy to deal with them as well, not to speak of the constant suspicion that many of those parents could be Death Eaters after the capture of Lucius Malfoy.
Thomas looked to where Petunia was waiting. "It's still weird to see her being here. She had refused to enter the first three years, but now she acts like she wants to make up for lost time. It's a dramatic change from how she used to be."
Veronica knew what her husband meant. "I remember how obnoxious she used to be. I for my part am still careful, but she finally seems to have her priorities straight. Though that of course doesn't bring back all those years she has wasted, and she knows it."
The Evans and Black families were still observing if Petunia's change of heart was of a permanent nature, but it looked like it, which proved that it was possible to overcome decades of resentment if you did some self-reflection.
"I think as long as she behaves herself we should not bother her." Sirius had witnessed the worst of Petunia's behavior but felt that since she was trying to improve her behavior, they should not bother her.
"Sirius Black, whose heart is not as black as his name might suggest," Diane commented, knowing that her husband had a side to him that was quite forgiving.
"Diane Black, who managed to get quite some white into the House of Black," Sirius told his wife.
"Yuck..." Mark said, trying to ignore the flirty banter between the adult Blacks.
"Son, you might find that icky right now, but wait until you start to notice girls," Veronica told her son, being amused by his reaction.
"I would say fat chance, if not seeing how embarrassing Harry and Ginny had become when they are together." Mark remembered that change in his older brother all too well. "At least Dad and you and more mindful where you do that."
Veronica couldn't help but to find some humor in Mark being embarrassed at witnessing his parents showing affection to each other.
-tuuuuut- That was the train arriving, causing the atmosphere on the platform to lighten instantly.
It very quickly became very chaotic - much more so than usual due to parents really wanting to make sure their children were all right. It was no wonder due to what had happened at Hogwarts, Voldemort's return and then the attack on the Ministry. People had every right to be nervous in this situation.
"Mum, over here!" That were Fred and George, waving while departing the train.
Molly beamed when seeing those two sons of hers, since they both had managed to get their NEWTs in all of their remaining subjects. It was impressive what they were able to accomplish with the right 'motivation'. Sirius had done the right thing. While she had been especially skeptical of their plan for a joke shop due to them honestly being over their head, her fears had been put to rest with Sirius not only making things smoother for them but also making sure they would finish Hogwarts with good marks.
"Ah, there are my newest children who have gotten their NEWTs!" Molly said with pride, her anger over Fred and George only getting few OWLs - and thus fewer opportunities to get NEWTs - long forgotten.
"Mum, please not in front of the others!" Fred protested, since after all both of them were adults.
Molly however hugged both of them in one go. "I need this! After what happened, I again need to assure myself all of you are in good health." She then saw her remaining children. "Don't think the three of you are exempt."
Ron and Ginny didn't complain, though Percy did look a bit embarrassed while Penelope gave him a very knowing smile. However, after being released, Percy did whisper into her ear "Remember, she is your future mother-in-law." Penelope blushed a little when realizing what Percy meant.
Thankfully, the other parents were a bit more moderate in their reaction, though they all were visibly relieved that for the next two months they could keep an eye on their children. After the scare in the Ministry, they truly needed that to reassure themselves that their children were in good health. The Six understood why their parents needed that.
"Can I guess that you want to spend some of the summer with Luna?" Alice asked her son, then enjoyed both teenagers blush. "Both of you have come quite far already."
"Oh yes, but we are not ready to be grandparents yet," Pandora added.
"Mother!" Luna gasped, completely losing her cool and looking utterly mortified, especially since her imagination was already showing her what making a baby involved. Neville on the other hand looked like he wished he could vanish into the floor.
"Don't be ashamed. After all, we were once your age as well," Frank reminded them, causing Neville to squeak since he didn't want to imagine his parents doing that.
"Please don't embarrass me..." Hermione pleaded with her parents.
"We won't even think about it," Jean assured her daughter. "However, there is someone else who is eager to greet you."
"Hermy! Hermy!" Hermione then saw her brother Jonathan hug her leg. She bit back a comment that a giant named Grawp was calling her that as well while picking him up so she could greet him properly.
"This is all so emotional..." Harry remarked.
"It's to be expected. It's all our way to reassure ourselves that you are here after what happened a few days ago," Thomas told Harry. "I think that was way too much excitement this year. We got really scared for your well-being."
"It's not like I do that on purpose..." Harry then noticed Mark looking like he wanted to ask him something. "Mark, is something wrong?"
"It's... you know I'm starting Hogwarts next year. Hearing all of what happened, I'm kind of scared to go there," Mark finally admitted.
"Oh, Mark..." Harry understood perfectly well why Mark was afraid. After hearing all the things that did happen at the school during Harry's years there, the shit that Umbridge had done finally must have been too much for him. "This year was horrible, because the Minister was incredibly corrupt and had his head up his arse. He's now gone, as is that horrible toad of his, and the Ministry was forced to face reality."
"I still can't help it. It happened once, so can't it happen again?" Mark asked.
Harry honestly had no answer to that, despite how much he wanted to tell Mark that the danger at Hogwarts was over.
...at the same time, somewhere in Wales...
"Watch out!"
The warning came just in time and the man barely avoided the swipe. God only knew what an injury caused by that thing would have done to him. Nevertheless, the problem was now there and they had to deal with it.
"Where is a flamethrower when you need one?!" he cused, pumping the damn thing full with bullets. It staggered back for a moment, stunned by the force behind the bullets and parts of it being ripped off, but then seemed to ignore the damage and attacked again.
"Incinero!"
-Yoooouucchchhrgh!- The thing howled when flames engulfed it and set it brightly ablaze. -tshak- A second spell cleanly cut it in two, both burning halves collapsing.
They looked at the burning remains, before the first man cursed. "Shit, what kind of sick bastard uses a zombie as a guard?!"
"The worst kind..." the wizard of the group said, looking at the burning remains with disgust.
"And all of that just for some secret greenhouse..." They looked at the greenhouse in question. "What in all names are they growing in there?"
It was four of them, one of them being a wizard. They were on a mission for MI-X, acting on gathered information that there was some kind of Death Eater operation going on here in the middle of nowhere, hidden behind magical defenses which needed to be dismantled first before they could get in. While they had know it had something to do with highly illegal magical plants, they had honesty not expected a big greenhouse - and most certainly not a damn zombie.
"Whatever they are growing in there, it was a pain to find in the first place. The poor saps in the intelligence department needed over a week to puzzle all the clues together to get something substantial. Let's check the inside."
The were careful, checking the door and their surroundings for curses, but it looked like the zombie had been the last line of defense. Inside the greenhouse, countless potted plants were growing in a humid atmosphere. The plants looked disturbing, some even downright threatening. One of them walked a bit too close to a plant and it suddenly tried to bite him!
"Shit, are they growing man-eating plants here?!"
The wizard of the group whistled. "That's only a side-effect. Just on sight I can already tell you those plants are either quite nasty on their own, or can be used for really nasty potions and rituals. This is a small fortune in here and heaven only knows what they are planning with this stuff."
"And we know our orders," the leader of the group reminded them. "Let's get back to the car and grab the canisters. Time to let all of this go up in smoke."
They walked back to their car and took several canisters out of the trunk. They then poured out an unholy mixture of gas and diesel fuel into the greenhouse, also dousing the plants, some of which hissed at being covered with the foreign liquid. Once they were done, they got the empty canisters back into the car in order to not leave behind any hints to who did this, a fuel trail leading almost up to the car.
"Alright, time for the fireworks..." the leader said, took out a matchbox and struck a match before dropping it into the fuel trail.
The fumes from the mixture were set ablaze right away and the flames raced towards the greenhouse, shooting in through the open door and igniting all the vapors. -bwooooom- A massive fireball blew out most of the glass and the shrieks of numerous plants filled the air while the raging flames consumed them mercilessly.
"Job done. Let's leave."
Driving away quickly in order to avoid anyone who could react to this destruction, the MI-X agents left behind a blazing inferno which once had been a Death Eater operation.
to be continued...
End of Book III
Next Episode:
"The Dark Mating"
Notes:
Here the notes.
First, I do repeat that the story now is on hiatus until I have written enough chapters for Year 6 in advance so that I can pubish it without being forced to interrupt the rhythm of publicating every second Saturday.
Now to the chapter itself...
I guess all of you already expected Harry to be separated from the group, but fact simply is that those Death Eaters are more skilled than them.
I admit a part of the inspiration from having that scene in the archive I got from the archive scene in the film Goldeneye. Though of course not the shelves tumbling like dominoes, that was fro mthe canon book. I did showcase how nasty Bellatrix is, but also that despite their experience, these Death Eaters can be outsmarted.
Of course there is the main event.
Unlike in canon book 5, here Voldemort is not supremely angry (until Harry provokes him), but instead wants to gloat and show off he's stronger while becoming overconfident (Tom's old weakness). Harry shows his growth by now being able to resist mind control, but the scene is important for a different reason as well. I mashed together aspects from the confrontations in canon books 4 and 5, taking pains to make sure it would fit.
You didn't honestly think Voldemort would miss the chance to nail Lucius to the cross now, do you? As Dumbledore later says, Voldemort still connected it with the useful since Lucius beign a proven Death Eater reflects horribly on the Ministry. I also couldn't resist Voldemort using Ozai's words.
I felt I needed to take my time to show the aftermath from both sides and how it was rippling through both sides. Things are in motion for everyone involved, even for people that have little screen time (like Nott fearing his father could force him to become a Death Eater).
And finally, I show that MI-X are already working hard, like I show by destroying ressoruces of the dark side.
