Chapter 26: Battle in the Ministry

The official schedule for the fifth and seventh-year students to take their end-of-the-year exams had ended the previous day, and the students were now relaxing. A handful of them had decided to either go straight to bed after dinner or sleep in, which the professors found amusing. During the middle of breakfast, the professors made a public announcement that they would not do anything to tamper with the results of the exams. Even went so far as to give a magical vow saying that they would not do anything to tamper with any students' O.W.L and N.E.W.T results. That had left the students at a loss for words at how far the professors were willing to go to show they would not do anything underhanded.

In the afternoon, in his office behind his desk, Harry was having a discussion with the Carrow twins, Flora and Hestia. The two had approached him before the end of breakfast with a request to speak with him privately. Unlike their parents, Amycus and Alecto, they were pretty decent and showed no interest in joining Voldemort or the Death Eaters. He had observed them in his classes, finding them hard-working individuals and not buying into that pureblood propaganda garbage. Harry was momentarily surprised when Flora came out with their request.

"Is this what you both want? You want me to write you recommendation letters?"

"Yes, professor," Hestia answered. "After graduation, Flora and I want to work as Curse breakers for the Ministry. We would like to start by doing our internship during the summer when school lets out."

Flora then added. "The Ministry requires a minimum of three recommendation letters and grades no lower than Exceeds Expectations in their required subjects. So far, we already have three letters each and have met their academic requirements. We would like to stand out from the other candidates."

Harry sat back in his chair, glancing at them in approval. "That is rather ambitious of the two of you. To be a Curse breaker takes a lot of hard work and dedication. From what I have seen, you two are capable, and your grades do meet expectations." Thinking for a few minutes, he sucked in a breath. "When do you need them by?"

"June 30th," said Hestia.

"Come by my office the day before school lets out, and I'll have them available."

"Thank you, professor," said a happy Flora. Hesta thanked him as well, and the two left.

Taking a quill, Harry started writing in his log book, making a reminder to write recommendation letters for the Carrow twins. This was not the first time someone had requested a letter of recommendation from him. Fourth-year students and up have been asking him and the other professors for recommendation letters to gain either internships or jobs. According to Professor McGonagall, this was very common as the students would ask their heads of house and others for recommendation letters. His thoughts were then interrupted when someone knocked on the door; expanding his senses to see who it was, he put his quill down.

"Come in, Mr. Creevey." A hesitant Colin opened the door. He seemed pretty nervous about something. "What can I do for you?"

Mustering his Gryffindor courage, the mousy-haired fourth-year walked into the office. "Professor, I have given this a fair amount of thought and would like to ask you for something?" Harry regarded Colin for a minute, then beckoned him to continue. "My goal is to be a reporter/photographer, and I would like to do an internship over the summer. Would it be possible for you to write me a letter of recommendation?"

"Sure, I don't mind." When the boy smiled, he added, "for the past two years, you've done a good job in your studies. Your grades have improved across the board. Do you want to intern at the Daily Prophet or International Press?"

"The Daily Prophet to start off with. I would like to gain some experience interning and working there before making any other decisions," answered Colin.

"Smart thinking. When do you need it by?"

"The deadline to have them submitted is on the 27th of this month."

"You'll have it before them."

"Thank you, sir," Colin got up and left the office.

Making another note to write Colin a recommendation letter, Harry put his book away and leaned back in his chair, stretching his arms and body. "Time for a break," teleporting onto the sofa, he laid his head on the pillow, thinking about what might happen tomorrow evening.

By no means will it be a walk in the park; knowing Voldemort, he will likely send his most lethal soldiers, possibly a small army, to the Ministry. If they fail to retrieve it in time, Voldemort will show up in person. Of that, he had no doubt about it, as he was becoming desperate and obsessed with collecting the prophecy. Moreover, he would not pass up the opportunity to try and kill Harry himself. Then, of course, there was Dumbledore and the remaining members of his ilk. Dumbledore will undoubtedly try to play the hero and come at the last minute to prove that he is superior to Voldemort. Both Dumbledore and Voldemort are going to be in for a real surprise. One that will shake them to their cores.

Harry diverted his attention to near the fireplace when Suzaku flamed into the office with Byakko and Genbu. "You four look like you had fun," Naga unwrapped himself from Dayvee and slithered over to Harry after he commented about their good mood. "Did you enjoy the warm air?"

"You know I did," Naga said with a hint of satisfaction in his voice. "Now that it is officially summer, I get more food. Hunting food in the Forbidden Forest is a lot easier."

Harry scratched underneath his mouth the way he liked it. Dayvee then came over with Takashi, rubbing his head against Harry's leg, and Suzaku flew over to sit on the armrest. "You were thinking about the mission tomorrow, weren't you," Dayvee gave him a knowing look.

Harry sighed. "Nothing gets past you, my friend," Naga wrapped himself around his companion. "I was thinking about what could happen while at the Ministry. While the plan is sound. We don't know how many Death Eaters there will be—or how many absorbed the magics of others. The idea of the Lestrange brothers and Dolohov being there is not lost on my mind, as I am almost positive they will be. But there. . ."

". . .are a few variables you are not sure about," Suzaku finished for him. "What we know is our advantage. What we don't know is our disadvantage. Tomorrow, we must use all manner of caution."

"Minimum casualties, maximum effectiveness," Byakko added.

Another knock on the door was heard. Expanding his senses, Harry told the person to come in. "Hey, Shizuku," he said when the door opened. "Only a few more days until we leave for summer vacation."

"I can hardly wait. Next year, I will start doing my O.W.L.s, so I will be up to my neck in paperwork and studies. Mum and Dad will likely have me studying during the break. Thanks," sitting in a comfortable recliner he conjured for her.

"Yeah, they probably will," failing to stifle his laughter. "Here's some advice, though: Be prepared to do a fair amount of reading, practicing spells, and revising. You may also want to stock up on sweets to keep you up during class and study sessions."

Emily frowned at him. "You're enjoying this, aren't you?" Through their link, she could tell he was laughing on the inside.

"Yeah, a little," he said. "I do believe in you, though. With your academic prowess, I am positive you'll do fine on your exams next year." Then, with a wave of his hand, a candy dish filled with Mini Chewy SweeTARTS came flying and landed on the coffee table. He offered her some before taking a handful himself.

"These things are easy to get hooked on," Emily put a few in her mouth. Seriously, how can something so small taste so good? Unlike her brother, who preferred the orange and green, she favored the red and purple. She then went on to change the topic of discussion. "When do you plan on leaving your post as a professor?"

"Likely until after I receive my last set of Masteries," shrugging his shoulders. Truthfully, he hadn't thought about it much since his mind was on other things. "I still intend to be an I.C.W agent. That's my primary goal for a career."

"Same with you. . .and your ambition to become a singer," he casually stated. "All the same, it might be nice to have a fallback idea."

Emily smirked. "I'm way ahead of you, big brother." She'd given this a fair amount of thought over the past couple of months. "For a backup plan, I want to be a real estate agent. An international one if I can."

Harry chuckled. "They do make decent money. Even travel to different places, which is a real perk if you're an international real estate agent. If they have an internship, I'd recommend taking it."

". . . After my O.W.L.s." The two siblings smiled at each other.

(0^0)

Outside near the black lake, Lilith, Cedric, and the others were relaxing, enjoying the warm weather. Cedric, Aaron, Astoria, Katie, and Blaise were wearing their flight suits and having a race in the air. Classes were officially over. Thus, the students were allowed time to have fun and relax.

"It feels good out here," Neville sighed, lying on the grass. Luna sat beside him and nodded in agreement.

"Only a few more days, then we can leave," Luna said. She looked up to see their friends coming down after their race.

"These suits may have cost something, but they make flying a lot easier," Aaron grinned in satisfaction after winning their last race. "This was definitely money well spent."

"I'll say," Cedric agreed. He was a little nervous about his meeting with Lord Moon and his parents tomorrow. Lilith gave his hand a comfortable squeeze and a reassuring look. She could tell what he was thinking, wanting to ease his concerns. The seventh-year Hufflepuff leaned down and kissed her on the lips. "Is there anything I should expect tomorrow?"

"My sister-in-law, Bianca, will be there," Lilith began. "Just try to remain calm when you're meeting with them." Out of everyone in her family, she was most concerned with how Ulrich would act tomorrow. He may have spared her boyfriend the big brother talk, but that was only because she and he were taking their respective exams. That did not mean that Cedric had his approval yet. Ulrich still viewed her as a baby sister in some ways, but that has long passed. She's not the same little girl that got attacked four years ago. She was much stronger now, and it was time he understood that.

"You did not see the look in your brother's eye when I first met him in the Ministry's cafeteria. I could tell he wanted to hurt me." Cedric sucked in a breath, mustering his courage. "Your right. I can do this. Tomorrow, I am going to meet with them and show what kind of man I am."

Blaise started to laugh but was cut short when he received a playful smack to the arm. He looked at his side to see that Tracey had fixed him a glare. "Do I have to remind you of how you were when you asked my father if you could date me?"

Blaise lost some color as he remembered how nervous he was when he spoke with Lord and Lady Davis. He would never forget the expression on Lord Davis's face. "I'll behave," he said after finding his voice. In response, Tacey kissed him on the cheek.

Meanwhile, Daphne was lying on her back, looking at the clouds and staring into space while the breeze washed over her face. She was deep in thought over what might happen in the future. Dumbledore and Voldemort would be given what they deserved and no longer able to mess with the lives of others. Her mind then drifted to a future in which she and Harry would be married and have children. That was a topic they'd been tip-toeing around, though never fully discussed. The idea of them having children delighted her, and she could tell that is what he wanted as well. Harry wanted to renew the members of the House of Potter since they were nearly extinct, with only him as the sole survivor.

She wouldn't mind having two or three kids. But the questions were: How many kids did Harry want? They promised that they would make all their important decisions together. And he would never go back on his word once it was given. The next question was: When? These two questions fluttered her mind as she thought about what their children would look like.

Daphne was pulled away from her thoughts when Iroh emerged from his shadow and licked her face. "Hello, Iroh. You've been a good boy to my Mum and Dad?" He barked happily as she sat up to pet him. "Good boy," she pulled two dog biscuits from her watch. The hellhound accepted the treats and licked her face again.

"If everything goes as planned, then this summer should be pleasant," she walked over to the others with a smile. "Ladies," flashing them a knowing smile, "you know what we talked about doing this summer." The boys groaned while the girls smiled and laughed. They had made their plans to have a Girls' Night Out and were going to follow through with it.

Adrian threw an arm around Cedric. "While they're doing that, you are going to be hanging out with us. Believe this when we have fun. We really have fun!"

"I can already taste it right now," Neville grinned. "We have to live while still young."

"I heard that," Blaise wore a big smile. "Exams are done. School is nearly out. And we're going to enjoy ourselves." Tracey smiled at that notion.

"But before that, I say we go to the wreck room. Knowing the Weasley twins, they're probably having a party in there already."

Katie smirked at her. "You just want to play some poker and sucker money out of people. The last time we played, I lost sixty-two galleons. Never again am I playing against a card shark like you."

Tracey smiled at her. "Hater."

"She's right about you being a card shark," Aaron snidely said. "I lost three Under Armour shirts, Two Nike shirts, and a pair of dragonhide boots."

Adrian laughed. "Come on, crew. Let's head inside," his attention was drawn to the hawk-owl approaching from the distance. The seventh-year Slytherin smiled as it approached him with a package. Flying closer, the bird dropped the package in his hand, along with an envelope.

"Thank you," he said after reading who the envelope was from. "Javier, you treat me right," he put a galleon in the owl's little holder and sent it off. Adrian then tore off the wrapping paper to find a blue velvet necklace box. As soon as he opened it, he smiled.

"Given that smile on your face, it's clear that's Cecelia's birthday present," Neville half-heartedly joked. "Shoot, Javier has the best supply of women's jewelry in all of Britain."

The girls all nodded in agreement. Blaise grunted, "true, yet his items are expensive. That platinum necklace I bought Tracey for her birthday cost over ten thousand galleons." Tracey looked at him with disbelief.

"You paid over ten thousand galleons for this," showing she was wearing the necklace he gave her.

"I had to pre-order and have them put a few enchantments on it," he smiled widely. Tracey threw her arms around his neck and kissed him passionately.

"Not only that, but I'm taking her to dinner for her birthday," Adrian added with a sly grin. "Merlin's Palace."

There was a collection of low whistle's as the group went inside. The guys talked with Blaise taking the lead in giving his fellow Slytherin some advice on what he should do for his girlfriend while they were at the restaurant. Merlin's Palace was a high-class restaurant with amazing dishes, slow romantic music, and a few private rooms. It didn't take long for them to reach their destination; Emily would have entered had she not sensed they were coming from behind. True to what Tracey said, there were already a handful of people in the room, either dancing to the music or playing cards. Katie pulled Aaron to the dance floor. Following behind were Luna, Neville, Hannah, and Susan. The others just went to play some poker and Blackjack.

Three rounds later, Tracey showed she had two tens, much to the irritation of everyone she was playing against. "Come on, Tracey, you know that ain't fair," Lilith groaned.

"For real girl cut us a break," Emily frowned.

"If one cannot afford to pay, then one shouldn't play," she dragged the pile of galleons from the center of the table to her. "Suckers," she laughed.

"Who's up for another round? Or do you lot want to play Casino War or, better yet, Poker," looking at everyone at the table with a smirk.

Daphne was the first to withdraw. "Count me out. I am not playing against you," she got up, leaving her seat open for the unlucky person who might want a shot. Or was foolish enough to play against her best friend.

Cormac McLaggen had taken her seat, wearing a superior look. "You are on Davis. This round is as good as mine," bringing out well over forty galleons. Daphne only shook her head. The sixth-year Gryffindor was making a big mistake. Then again, she doubted he had much common sense, given his reputation around the castle. Saying goodbye to her friends, she teleported away.

(0^0)

In his apartment, Harry was having a conversation with his cousin Dora through the crystals viewing screen. The young metamorph Auror called wanting to confirm a few things about the mission tomorrow and ask for a request. ". . .when the mission is over, can I use your villa for nine days? I could really use a vacation."

He smiled at her hopeful expression. "Go ahead. The house is fully stocked."

"Yes, thank you!" Dora exclaimed. "Italy, here I come." The crystals deactivated, and the screen disappeared.

Harry turned his head to the right when someone teleported into his living room. "Hey, beautiful," Daphne kissed him and sat on the sofa. "I thought you would be in the wreck room with the other students."

"I was, yet I played a few rounds of Blackjack with Tracey, so. . ."

". . . Goes without saying," he finished knowing what she was hinting at and sat beside her. "Who in their right minds would play more than one round of cards with a card shark like Tracey? Everyone knows she has a reputation, and if you're foolish enough to put money in a pile with her at the table, then they'd never see it again. Just foolish." Daphne gave him a mock glare before playfully slapping him across his chest

"That's my best friend you're talking about, mister," she began in a firm tone but quickly changed into one of agreement, "and you are absolutely right. I should have quit after the first round."

Harry chuckled, then kissed the side of her head. "How many times did you lose?"

"Three," she admitted in a barely audible voice.

"Do I dare ask how much money?" Trying to contain his amusement. Judging by her expression, he could guess it was more than three hundred galleons. He then burst out laughing. "You entered a losing battle. Come on, Sapphire, you're smarter than that."

He soon found that was the wrong thing to say as his girlfriend pounced on him and started tickling his sides. In a few minutes, Harry found himself at Daphne's mercy. "Who entered a losing fight now?" laughing as she continued to tickle him mercilessly.

"Okay, okay. You win, babe," conceding the match to her, and she stopped her assault to smile down at him. "That was completely unfair of you to attack me out of the blue." He playfully pouted.

"I'm a Slytherin, remember. We use our cunning and resourcefulness to achieve our goals."

"Like your feminine charm to take down an innocent man," his lips curled into a smile. Daphne only laughed.

"I hope you're not talking about yourself," she leaned down, "because you are anything but innocent. Teasing your beautiful girlfriend like that is a crime."

"My apologies, Auror. Since I am clearly at your mercy, I must abide by your rules. So what is my punishment?"

Daphne tapped her chin, pretending to think, and then her blue eyes shined. "I think a lifetime with me should fit your crime."

"Seems like a fair sentence to me," the two laughed. Harry sat up to bring his lips to hers; Daphne laughed as the two passionately kissed one another. Their lips moved in sync as their tongues did battle. Daphne moaned in his mouth when she felt his hands reach down to cup her arse while her fingers ran through his unruly hair. The two pulled away after a couple minutes to catch their breaths. "You are an amazing woman."

In response, she eagerly returned her lips to his, which he reciprocated with renewed vigor. Their lips met again and again, with tongues meeting in a sensual dance while their hands roamed each other's bodies. Both were utterly breathless yet found themselves wanting more. Eventually, however, they had to pull apart something neither wanted to do. A small smile soon crossed Daphne's face as an idea soon formed in her mind.

"Would you like to play some Poker?" She explained further when his eyes widened a little in confusion, "instead of betting money, we bet each other's clothes. Say if I win a round, you have to take off one of the clothes you are wearing. If you win a round, I take something off. Or are you scared?" She suggested with a sultry smile.

"Show me what you got," returning the smile. "I know I'll be getting a show today."

"No, me," reaching into her bag, she pulled out a deck of cards, placed them on the table, and waved a hand over them. Each got two cards. "So who goes first?"

"The lady has the first move."

"How gentlemanly of you," seeing a smile tugging at his lips. "Hit me," the top card from the deck flew to her.

"Hit me," a card flew into Harry's hand.

The game went back and forth until Daphne revealed she had four kings while he only had three jacks. "That's round one," she looked smug. Harry removed his robe.

A new game started with Harry losing his shirt after she beat his two pair with a straight. In the third round, he won; similar to him, she removed her school robes. This went on for a little over an hour. So far, she was beating him as he was only in his boxers while she still had her pants and sports bra on. "You're not winning this time," Harry showed he had a straight flush to her full house. Clicking her tongue, she removed her jeans and exposed a matching pair of grey underwear.

"Final round. You better be ready to lose," Daphne and he put their cards back in the deck so it could shuffle the cards.

"Bring it," he grinned. Though much to his dismay, he lost when she revealed she had a pair of threes while he had a pair of twos. "Damn."

"I win," she cheered.

A light smirk crossed his lips. He leaned in to press their lips together. It was slow, sensual, yet passionate, which she met. She wrapped a hand around his neck while he wrapped one around her waist, and the other slid up to her breast. He pulled his hand away when he was about to remove her bra when something fell out. "What the? "You cheated!" Three more cards fell. She didn't even try to look ashamed. "I feel violated," playfully covering himself.

"All's fair in love and war, Harry," leaning in with a sultry smile. He smiled back.

"Then come on," Daphne giggled, and the two started snogging each other.

(0^0)

Prepare yourselves a battle will be in this section. The real fun is about to begin.

The day was finally here. Harry, Miwa, and Sirius met with the others to go over their plan for the evening. Today was a big day. One which would determine the future of things to come. His dad told him that Voldemort and his Death Eaters would strike tonight to retrieve the prophecy, with the members of his original inner circle leading over a hundred dark wizards and witches. Severus cautioned them to be careful as the members of his inner circle had their powers increased. Kreacher reported that the Order was also gearing up and suspected that Dumbledore would arrive just as the battle near the end. The same with Voldemort if things did not go as planned. This, unfortunately, was not the only thing that was made a concern.

Daphne, Blaise, Tracey, Adrian, Neville, and Lilith refused to be left behind. No matter what Harry said, they refused to be left behind. Eventually, he grudgingly and reluctantly agreed, but on the condition that they'd wear the black combat uniforms and gauntlets to deflect the cruciatus and killing curses. When Aaron, Susan, and the rest voiced their desire to join, he firmly denied them, telling them to watch over the others. It was clear that Emily did not like this but agreed, nonetheless. Together, they spent a couple of hours reviewing strategies, practicing different dueling techniques, and ensuring they had everything needed for the night at the I.C.W's training room.

At around eight at night, they took in a sharp breath before apparating to the entrance of the Ministry. They were then asked for their names and the purpose of their visit. After giving their names and a reason for why they were present. . .they were each given a badge and proceeded to the elevator through the atrium. Harry gave a Sirius look and gently squeezed his hand to soothe his anxiety. Sirius had been quiet since before they entered the Ministry. He could tell what his godfather was thinking as his concern revolved around his two kids, Brian and Regulus, whom he left with Ted and Andromeda.

The level of the DoM was as cold as ever, yet the group proceeded to the door at the end of the corridor. Before pressing the correct runes for the Hall of Prophecy, Harry had everyone save for Sirius, Daphne, Miwa, and Blaise cast the disillusionment spell on themselves. Tapping the correct runes, Sirius slowly opened the door, revealing a dark room with towering shelves housing hundreds of prophecies. They glimmered dully in the light issuing from more candle brackets set at intervals along the shelves. Like those in the circular room behind them, their flames burned blue. The room was colder than when Harry, Miwa, or Daphne were here.

Harry expanded his senses and used his elemental sight to see if anyone else was in the room with them, only to frown. "There are seventeen Death Eaters in here. . .each under a disillusionment charm. Keep the door open and see if there are any other enchantments on it besides the ones Director Croaker put up.

Daphne took out her wand and cast the diagnosis spell on the door and area around them to see what other spells had been recently added. "An alert and detection spells were recently applied to the area. . .it didn't come from Director Croaker or Ulrich. The wards will alert whoever the caster is that others are here. They're not normal wards, and if we try to dismantle even one, then it will renew. Whoever did this obviously knew what they were doing," grudgingly appreciating the design of the ward scheme.

"Rookwood," Miwa muttered in disapproval. A highly skilled warder and curse breaker who specialized in creating and breaking wards and a member of Voldemort's inner circle. She recognized his magic signature from when they had him in captivity. However, there were three others she didn't recognize. "He had help. I do not know by who, but I can tell they obviously came from Germany."

All right, let's go," Harry had his wand out with the tip lit with the lighting charm, the same with everyone else. "As much as I'd like to avoid a fight in here. . .looks like we won't have much of a choice. Blaise, Sirius, you guys come with me to get the prophecy. The rest of you stay here and guard the door; remember, the door rotates between halls. And above all, be careful. Watch each other's backs."

"Got it." Miwa, Daphne, and their disillusioned friends watched as the three walked through the several rows of dimly lit shelves. Daphne twitched her left eye, telling Miwa and the others to be ready. Miwa brushed a finger against her eyebrows, telling one of their friends to close the door. The minute it closed completely, the temperature dropped, as did the light from the tip of their wands.

Approaching row 97, Harry silently told Blaise and Sirius that the Death Eaters were closing in. The raven-haired boy reached up and pulled the dusty orb from its resting place. "Seems unnecessary to waste so much effort to get something so small," pretending to not know the item's significance.

"I wonder why Dumbledore's Order has been guarding or why Voldemort wants it so badly," walking to the center of the room with the others. "What is so important about this thing? Do you perhaps know. . .Lestrange?"

They did a 180 when someone laughed and another clapped. "So glad you could come today, Potter," Harry trained his wand on the approaching figures of Rabastan and Gibbons. Both were wearing Death Eater robes, with the former wearing a sadistic smile. "I have to admit. . .I'm excited that you came tonight. You even brought your precious godfather and friend, Zabini."

Sirius and Blaise had their wands trained as dark figures started approaching them. The remaining fifteen Death Eaters all came out with their wands aimed directly at their opponents. Sirius glared intently at the older Lestrange brother; both individuals looked seconds away, attacking each other. Beside Rudolphus was Antonin Dolohov. Given the amount of magic flowing off of them, it was clear that they received a boost in magical power.

"Hello, Black. I hear that you and that filthy cunt Bones have spawned a couple of brats. I will relish the idea of killing her along with you sons," Rudolphus' sadistic taunt was met with a more dangerous glare.

"Nice to see you to Lestrange. Tell me, were you and my psychotic bitch of a cousin able to conceive a child? Wait, no, you weren't. My godson's girlfriend managed to kill her, thus saving me the trouble and sparing the world from whatever wretched offspring you might have had." Sirius returned, angering the man as the tip of his wand began to heat up.

"She will pay for killing my wife and depriving the Most Ancient and Noble House of Lestrange of an heir," Rudolphus growled. Rabastan gave his brother a disapproving look.

"Keep it together, Rudolphus. Remember why we are here," Rabastan scolded his brother, then looked at Potter. "Now, Potter, if you would be so kind as to roll that item in your hands over. . .me, and the others will leave in peace."

Harry scoffed. "Like I'm supposed to believe that. The minute I hand this over," raising the prophecy up. "Your Death Eater buddies will attack us. How dumb do you think I am?"

"Potter, you are far from stupid; that much is clear. You should be honored that the Dark Lord himself has complimented your intelligence," said Dolohov. Harry resisted the urge to roll his eyes as if being praised by Voldemort was something grand. "In another life, you and I could have done some real damage."

"Yes, I imagine we could have," agreeing with the man, who laughed. "Without a doubt, you are an extremely powerful duelist. I have heard tales of your skills in martial magic and can see why the I.C.W would have trouble with you. Alastor Moody himself praised you for your skills." Harry remained calm.

"You should know that you have a big target on your arse. The Kawadas are pissed at you. Here's a friendly tip: You never want to anger the people of that House. Particularly Miwa," shuddering a bit. Dolohov let out a cold, sadistic laugh along with several others.

"The warning is appreciated. However, I am not scared of a mere teenager or what family she comes from." He heard how dangerous the Kawadas were, and rumor had it that they were searching for him.

"You do you. You made your bed, you sleep in it," shrugging his shoulders. Quickly whirling around, he removed the masks of the Death Eaters, causing them to groan and fall to the floor. "That's better. We all know what each other looks like," chuckling as the Death Eaters got back to their feet and raised their wands at him.

"No, no, no people. Let's not do anything we will regret," he taunted while raising the prophecy in the air before holding it close to his chest. "Your master wants this prophecy, and I imagine he will be most displeased if either of you destroyed it."

"Enough of this!" A female Death Eater was quickly losing her patience. "Hand over the prophecy, or we will kill the two people who came with you."

"Would it kill you to say please bitch?" Grinning at the familiar woman. He had to be blind to not know who she was. "Lady Goyle," giving her a mock bow, "I see you're about as fat and disgusting as your deadbeat son and dead husband."

Blaise raised an eyebrow at the person standing next to her. "If we're having an ugly contest, the trophy should go to the heifer next to you. What do you think, Harry? Who is more uglier and unattractive, Lady Crabbe or Lady Goyle?" The two stared daggers at a laughing Blaise. A few of the Death Eaters chuckled.

"I say the meatball cum dumpster, Crabbe," he recoiled a bit. "Just looking at her face makes me want to claw my eyes out. Sirius, what do you think?" Looking at his godfather from the corner of his left eye.

"This is growing tedious," Rudolphus cut in before Sirius could respond. "Give us the prophecy or say goodbye to your companions."

In a fraction of a second, Harry whirled around, twisting his wand around his head when Sirius elbowed him and gave a knowing look, saying, " It's the time. The Death Eaters were caught off guard when a fire tornado surrounded Potter and the others, and some of the prophecies were shattered, darkening the room even further. Blaise reacted quickly, firing an explosion curse at five unsuspecting Death Eaters in one aisle. Three of them managed to shield themselves while two were flown back from the explosion, landing on the floor dead. Sirius followed up with the blasting curse amplified by maxima taking out the remaining three. They then sprinted down the aisle as fast as they could, though not before Harry threw some smoke bombs blanketing the area.

"Find Potter and the others! They must not be allowed to escape with the prophecy, or the Dark Lord will have all our heads," Rudolphus yelled after vanishing the smoke. "Remember, the Dark Lord wants both the prophecy and Potter. Go!"

Breaking off into groups, they split up to find Potter, Black, and Zabini, while six went to go guard the door in case they tried to escape. Two of them used their communicators to summon reinforcements. Near the door, there were pops signaling that Death Eaters had apparated into the room. Still, before they could join the search, spells were fired courtesy of the disillusioned Daphne, Miwa, Tracey, Adrian, Neville, and Lilith. The second they attacked, their disillusionment spells wore off, revealing their presence.

"What, don't look so shocked! Isn't this how you cowards operate?" Tracey shielded against a nasty cutting curse before retaliating with a piercing and blood-boiling spells that took out her opponent.

". . .an ambush!" One of the Death Eaters yelled. Given his strong accent, the group figured he was German.

Miwa finished the German off with an organ liquifying curse. "Where is Dolohov!" She coldly demanded from the others. Dodging what appeared to be a brain-exploding spell, she retaliated and launched a barrage of deadly spells of her own. "If this is how you pricks want to play. . .then so be it!"

"Incoming on our six!" Adrian sent a barrage of fire missiles, blasting curses, bone-exploding spells, etc. When more Death Eaters showed up behind them. Working together with Lilith and Neville to keep the assailants away from the door.

The Death Eaters near the door found themselves losing ground as the teenagers were proving to be a challenge. Rowle was about to use the cruciatus curse when, suddenly, a powerful banishing charm knocked him and his remaining allies a good distance across the room. Tracey looked ahead to see that Blaise was the one who launched the spell. "Thanks, babe!"

The dark-skinned boy gave her a quick wink while he ran toward them with Harry and Sirius right on his tail. "We need more room. It's too cramped in here," behind him were the Death Eaters, led by Antonin Dolohov.

"They're over here! Potter is, and the others are near the door!" Dolohov yelled. "Do not let them escape!" All manner of spells were being sent as their prey made to exit the door. They were being repelled by Miwa and Harry, who defended their friends so they could escape.

"Miwa, you next!"

"What I'm not. . ."

"No time to argue! Go!" Harry ordered, sending a powerful shockwave and some conjured arrows at Dolohov and Co. The distraction was enough for them to get out of the room. Yet the Death Eaters were far from done as they chased after them.

(0^0)

In the Ministry's atrium, a bigger battle was taking place as I.C.W agents and Ministry Aurors were facing hundreds of Death Eaters. Unfortunately, they were not alone as Acromantulas and Trolls swarmed the area, wreaking havoc. Many of the Aurors were grateful there were no Dementors present. . .having been sent back to their own dimension helped things. A handful of them took out their palladium boxes, throwing them at the magical creatures to take them out of the equation. However, this was easier said than done because they had to both throw the boxes and dodge the incoming spells.

Up in the front were Kingsley and Mad-Eye, who led against the assault, working in tandem with one another. Beside them were Amelia, Nymphadora, and Rufus. Mad-Eye voiced his opinion of Kingsley being a part of the operation, but the Interim Minister had overruled him. Kingsley did not want to be left out of the action and vowed to fight till the end with his comrades. The two had spent hours training and sparring together and could cover each other's weaknesses. As a result, their skills have become more refined, and they could tell what each other was thinking.

"How you holding up, Kingsley?" Alastor sent powerful hexes and curses at the masked Dark wizards and witched while his friend defended them.

"Good here," slashing his wand along a horizontal line, creating a wide-cutting curse slicing through a line of Death Eaters. "So far, everything is working as planned. The Death Eaters arrived just as we expected. Now let's take 'em down." He saw Nymphadora take out six of them with a fiery purple energy orb. "Nice shot, Tonks!"

"Thanks, Kings," Dora cringed when a cutting curse connected to her left side. In response, she conjured a couple of daggers that pierced her opponent's body, killing him. "I hope the others are all right." Swallowing her concern to focus on the battle ahead.

Rufus found himself up to his neck in dodging and deflecting spells. The last three spells aimed at him were two Avada Kedavra's and one Crucio. Thankfully, they were deflected away from him, thanks to his gauntlets. "Merlin, I love these things. Remind me to send a gift to Potter and Kawada when this mess is over," he said to Amelia. She grinned at him while dodging a cutting curse that almost took her head off.

Slowly, they started gaining the upper hand as the battle proceeded. Between all the shouting's and spells flying in different directions, things had become chaotic. Only one word could describe the situation within the Ministry: War. This was by far no mere duel in which fancy spells would be used—no, this was a battle of survival.

Deep in the bowels of the Ministry, the battle previously in the Hall of Prophecy had transferred to the Death Chamber. Where there was more room. Harry and Sirius found themselves squared off against Rudolphus and Rowle. Miwa against the man who killed her uncle. Neville, Daphne, Tracey, Adrian, Lilith, and Blaise against the others. Daphne and Tracey subdued Lady Crabbe and Lady Goyle by binding them in chains and destroying their wands.

"You have no idea how much I am going to enjoy this," Rudolphus's voice dripped with sadism.

"Bring it Lestrange!" Sirius and Rudolphus started trading spells at a furious pace while Harry battled Rowle. If there was one Death Eater he hated more than his deceased cousin and Dolohov, it was the older Lestrange brother. Rudolphus was a cruel, sadistic, and a lethal fighter who slaughtered several innocents and killed a handful of the members of the Order of Phoenix during the first war.

Sirius had spent hours and hours of training in martial magic, improving his skills and techniques. What surprised a few was that he incorporated spells designed by various members of his family into his dueling style. Before, he never would have done such a thing as he spent most of his life rebelling against the House of Black, though that was largely because of his mother. But Arcturus had talked with him and explained that he was the one who got to decide what kind of man he could be. So now, he was not fighting for the Order or Dumbledore. He was fighting for his family. The only few he had left in the world.

Rowle was becoming desperate as Potter expertly danced around his spells. No matter what he did, he could not penetrate Potter's defenses. Rowle screamed in pain when a piercing curse connected with his left hip, and a cutting curse took off his right hand. Mentally, he thanked himself for being ambidextrous and for Rockwood jumping in so he could catch his breath.

"You are a valuable prize, Potter. The Dark Lord wants you for himself; however, I don't think he'll be too mad if I ruff you up a little," Rockwood said with a sadistic grin, hurling spells at the near sixteen-year-old.

"You shouldn't make threats like that. . .unless you are prepared to die yourself," another voice was heard, and just as Rockwood was about to turn toward the source, a withering and dark cutting curse connected with his body and killed him.

Arcturus Black had arrived and sneered at the dead man. "Go on, boy. Help your friends. The mutt and I can handle these arseholes." Harry nodded, then backflipped away as Arcturus stood next to his grandson and finished Rowle with the same curse Sirius had used against Pettigrew.

"Just you and us, Lestrange," the dark edge in Arcturus's voice only infuriated Rudolphus. At one point, he had been impressed with the younger man in front of him. Yet that was then, and this is now. Now, he was thoroughly disgusted with the man he allowed to marry his granddaughter.

Jumping in to help the others, Neville, Tracey, and Lilith were sporting a couple of injuries courtesy of Rabastan and six others. Had they not received a power boost, then they wouldn't be such a problem. Neville, who had the most injuries, would have been knocked through the veil had Harry not used the seize-and-pull spell to pull him away. What's more, he appeared distracted.

"Neville, get your head in the game," Harry chastised his friend before taking his place beside Lilith and Tracey.

Meanwhile, Miwa dueled Dolohov, and the two appeared to be evenly matched. Both had quite a few injuries but were determined to fight until death. For Miwa, this was personal. "You're pretty good there, Kawada," Dolohov managed to knock her back with a knockback jinx, though she quickly hopped back on her feet. "More resilient than your uncle, that is," taunting her.

Miwa focused her anger into her spellwork. Dolohov's power had indeed received a boost; however, it was nothing she couldn't handle. She returned a nasty purple spell he used before following it up with spells designed by her family and had learned from her time at the Citadel. This seemed to work, as her opponent's magic was starting to drop, and he was becoming confused by her attacks. A succession of dangerous spells had created an opening in his defenses, and just before he could counterattack, she teleported to his side and punched him dead in the face.

The punch was soon followed by a handful of powerful punches and kicks to different areas of his body. Her strikes were enhanced with her magic and lightning; alternating between using magic and muggle-style combat seemed to work in her favor, as Dolohov now had several broken bones. She then sent him back with the spell Harry had created years ago intadole, causing him to hit one of the large rocks hard. Dolohov groaned in pain as he struggled to get to his feet while blood was leaking from his wounds.

"This is for my Uncle Rio!" She coldly replied. Miwa sent an overcharged mage blast that sent flying through the Veil of Death. Antonin Dolohov was now dead.

She fell to a knee, trying to catch her breath. The rituals she performed may have sped up her healing factor and replenished her magic quickly, though that did not alleviate the pain she felt while dueling Dolohov.

Behind her, the injured and weary figures Augustus Rockwood and Rabastan Lestrange crept up from behind with their wands out, preparing to end the girl's life. Just as Rabastan cast some dark spells, Daphne teleported behind Miwa, deflecting the spells away. Miwa quickly whirled around to see that Daphne had saved her from being killed by the two Death Eaters.

"Thanks, Daphne. I owe you one," Miwa stiffly stood up and joined. She could see that Daphne had a few cuts on her body, and her uniform was torn in places. The blond girl who captured her brother's heart had become a true warrior in her eyes.

"Let's not start keeping track of who owes who yet. . ." Daphne grinned. "These scums mean business!" What she said was the absolute truth as the Death Eaters were fighting hard and viciously.

Back with Arcturus and Sirius, they finally managed to take out Rudolphus with a brain-melting spell and a spell that cuts off a person's oxygen.

Seeing they were running out of time, Rabastan ordered the rest of the Death Eaters to fall back. The man had been infuriated when he saw the Blacks kill his brother but knew that things were no longer in their favor. Out of the 32 Death Eaters that fought in the Hall of Prophecy and in the Death Chamber, only he and eight others remained alive, though they were heavily injured.

Things were hell in the atrium. The other Death Eaters were fighting like crazy against the Aurors and I.C.W agents. Several on both sides had fallen. Debris were everywhere as spells were flying in all directions with deadly force. Getting their second wind, they joined in the carnage, throwing dark spells at anyone not on their side, mainly against the members of Dumbledore's Order who showed up some time ago.

After checking to see who was injured, Harry and Arcturus left to confront the remaining Death Eaters in the atrium while Sirius looked after the others. Approaching the two were Frank, Alice, Ulrich, and a handful of Aurors, who inquired where the others were. Harry pointed toward the Death Chamber, and they ran past them. Harry sent Arcturus with them, whilst he joined the fight to help against the Death Eaters. Grudgingly, the man agreed.

Jumping into the battle, he fired spell after spell, dodged the incoming spells, and used all of his skills to reach the others. His eyes widened after finishing off a few more Death Eaters to see Nymphadora and Remus sporting some serious injuries and being pushed back. Quickly teleporting in front of them, he conjured a wall made of quartz to provide a temporary shield.

"Come on, Nymphadora," ignoring the glare she gave him for using her first name. "Be mad later," waving his wand over some of her injuries. By the looks of it, she had several deep gashes and a couple of broken bones. Not to mention was exhausted along with Remus.

"Glad to see the two of you are all right. Dora, I owe you a couple more days at my villa," healing some of her injuries and giving her and Remus two vials of strengthening potion.

". . . Eleven days?" She asked with a cheeky smile as he healed the cut on her head.

"I'll do you one better. . . Thirteen!" Before she could respond, the wall was destroyed; Harry immediately sprung into action, firing dangerous spells to defend them. "Regroup with the others," gesturing to Amelia's and Rufus' position with the rest of their forces. Remus helped Dora to the others with aid from Sirius, who teleported out of the Death Chamber to help them.

"Feels like old times, doesn't it, Moony," Sirius quipped.

"You have no idea, Padfoot," Remus conjured a brick wall to give them some cover. "Glad to see your still breathing, you flea-bitten mongrel." Remus hissed in pain when Sirius slapped his injured shoulder.

"Ooh, sorry," seeing how his old friend groaned. Quickly composing himself, he added, "anyway, grandfather, Alice, and a few others managed to get some of the others out of here."

As the battle proceeded, the Death Eaters soon found themselves losing hope as their opponents were pushing them back. Already, their numbers had dwindled to about 54 while their opponents had 61. The battle stopped when someone tore the enchantments surrounding the Ministry of Magic, and a cold shiver ran down everyone's spines. A few of the Aurors and members from the Order of Phoenix apparated away when Voldemort appeared in the center of the atrium. His mere presence made the people want to shit themselves as his magic flowed off in waves. With a jab of his wand, six I.C.W agents fell to the ground dead from a nasty blasting curse.

"When I sent my best Death Eaters along a small army, I expected better results in the hope that they would retrieve an object that could bring valuable information, and yet I receive reports of fighting within the Ministry," Voldemort's high, cold voice echoed throughout the Ministry. "This is most disappointing. Months of preparation, months of effort. . .wasted. What's worse is that magical blood has been wasted. Every drop of magical blood is a terrible waste, so as an act of mercy, I am going to give you all the option: Pledge your loyalty to me, and you will not only live but be rewarded beyond your wildest dreams."

"Amelia, Sirius, get the injured out of here. The real hell is about to begin," Harry mustered his courage and walked forward. As much as Sirius wanted to argue, he knew his godson was serious and that this would be the best option, no matter how much he hated it. Amelia gave the order, telling the Auror Healers to get all who had been injured tonight away.

Harry approached the front as Voldemort continued speaking. "You would treat everyone as if they were slaves! You're no leader, Tom! No destined ruler! You're a power-hungry monster who'd destroy everything in your path!" Voldemort whirled around to see the person he had been expecting to see today.

"Well, well, well. Harry Potter. I have been most eager to see you again," his high-cold voice turned dangerously cold when Harry used his birth name. "I once entertained the idea of having you as an apprentice. You could have had power—anything—beyond your wildest dreams. Yet, you have foiled my plans to gain the prophecy and have irked me once too often. Though I shouldn't complain since I knew you'd be here and have collected the prophecy already."

"Oh, you mean this prophecy," pulling the glass orb from his pocket. Voldemort's eyes narrowed at the orb. "This is what you want, right?

"And how did you know I'd be here, or should I take a guess?" He smirked at Voldemort, whose scarlet eyes narrowed at him. "Did you really believe that I would come here unprepared? I knew you would be relentless when it came to acquiring this prophecy. So, I decided to bring you here with the help of your Death Eaters Rookwood, Gibbons, and Rowle. Did you truly believe they would have gotten away from the Ministry so easily?" Voldemort's anger rose as his magic flared in all directions. Harry raised his free hand, and with a snap of his fingers, screams of agony were heard as Rookwood and Gibbons fell to the floor dead. "The minute things didn't go as planned; you would come here yourself for all to see. How's that for a plan?"

Voldemort's roared in anger as his rage had its limit. Potter had devised a brilliant plan. One that would have greatly impressed Salazar Slytherin himself and left him at a loss for words. He used his desire to obtain the prophecy to bring him out into the open. No one had ever played him like that before. No one!

"I shall relish in the fact of killing you!" Voldemort declared. "Kill them! Kill them all!" He ordered his followers, and just like that, the battle started up again. Both Voldemort and Harry squared off, preparing for what might be a dangerous and destructive duel.

A/N: Sorry this has taken so long. I've been a little occupied as of late. Anyway, here it is. Recommendation and Reference letters are good to have as they go a long way in helping someone get into universities for undergraduate and graduate studies and help get jobs. Sometimes, they're based on quality or quantity, so it can go either way. But having them is better than not having them at all.

The time has come. The Battle within the Ministry has begun. Often or not, the best way to lure out an enemy is by using what they seek against them. It's like hunting: You cast the bait, and when your prey comes out of hiding, you attack. Voldemort was obsessed with obtaining the prophecy and killing Harry, so what better way to bring him out than by having them both in one place at the same time? You have to love playing cat and mouse!

The fun has only just begun, as the real battle has yet to start. This is only part 1 of what is to come.

Next Chapter: The reveal. A long time coming.