Chapter 36: Planning the Tricks and Confronting What-Ifs
A/N: Trigger warning for explicit violence and abuse of different kinds. I apologize in advance, but you have been warned, and I really do hate trigger warnings. I recommend you read this in sections because it could be overwhelming. The next few chapters should be read keeping the same warning in mind. Things are getting bloodier and bloodier until the final showdown. -Lux-
Throughout history, many a war has been won against all odds. Some wars have been won by a happy accident or a cosmic coincidence. A few wars have been won by tricks… All sorts of tricks. Trickery wasn't a modern invention either. Brilliant strategists have used all sorts of disguises and subterfuge to reach their goals throughout history, from ancient times when Homer wrote about the Trojan War when a false gift was a deciding factor in winning a ten-year-long conflict. General Xu loved the story. Who wouldn't? It had a bit of everything. Humor, drama, strategy, trickery… It was one of his favorites. The War of Troy began because of a prophecy. Because… of course, it did. Powerful men and women, especially men, were prone to believe prophecies. Many years before the war began, both Poseidon and Zeus fell in 'love' (the General always rolled his eyes at this… manwhores the both of them) with a sea-nymph named Thetis. Both wanted her; however, they backed off after being told of the horrible consequences that awaited them if they took her.
The prophecy said that if the sea-nymph lay with Zeus or his brothers, she would bear a son stronger than his father and possess a weapon much more powerful than the famous trident or the mighty thunderbolt. To prevent this, Zeus made it so that Thetis would have to marry King Peleus. Zeus then held a big feast to celebrate Peleus' and Thetis' marriage, to which all the gods were invited… all but one: Eris, the goddess of strife. General Xu preferred to call her the Queen of Petty. Since he heard the story, he had aspired to be as petty as her, but it was a tough bar to meet.
Annoyed that she was turned away, Eris flung her gift amongst the crowd of guests before she left. This gift was called the Apple of Discord, a golden apple with the words "for the fairest" inscribed. Goddesses Aphrodite, Athena, and Hera began to fight about who should have the apple. Each thought they deserved it, for they were the "fairest." As a wise man once said, "Vanity is the food of fools." For the most part, Zeus was no such a fool, and as all married men, he knew what it would mean to him… and anyone else present if they decided who the fairest goddess was. So, instead, he sent the goddesses to a mortal: Paris, the prince of Troy, so he would decide instead.
Paris was unable to choose, so the goddesses started to bribe him. Hera offered to grant him political power and a throne if he chose her. Athena offered him wisdom and skills in battle. Aphrodite promised Paris the most beautiful woman in the world, Helen of Sparta. General Xu chuckled to himself. Absurd as the choice was, without missing a heartbeat, Paris chose Aphrodite. The issue was that Helen was already married to Menelaus, the king of Sparta. So, under the disguise of a so-called diplomatic mission, Paris went to Sparta to abduct Helen from her home so he could bring her back to Troy with him. The general rolled his eyes. Abduction… the foundation of every healthy relationship. Before Helen could even see Paris, she was shot with an arrow by Eros (Cupid) and fell in love with Paris the moment she saw him. Coerced attraction… the best fertilizer for a toxic relationship… of course. General Xu found a lot of amusement in absurdity.
Melenaus' brother Agamemnon led an expedition to get Helen back home. Agamemnon got other Greek heroes, such as Odysseus, Ajax, Nestor, and Achilles, to join him on this adventure. The war lasted 10 years. It finally ended when the Greeks retreated from camp and left behind a large wooden horse outside the gates of Troy as a gift for Athena to atone for the previous desecration of her temple in Troy and to ensure a safe journey home for the Greek fleet. Inside the mighty walls of Troy, there were many debates on whether they should bring the wooden horse inside, including unheeded warnings, but in the end, the horse was brought inside the city.
The Trojan Horse was a master plan made by Odysseus to finally put an end to the war. The wooden horse was designed to be hollow in the middle so soldiers could hide inside. After the Trojan Horse was left at the gates, many Greeks sailed away from Troy to the island of Tenedos, leaving behind one double agent named Sinon. He told the Trojans that the Horse was built for them to take it into their city and gain Athena's favor. However, once inside, when night fell, the horse opened, and out came Greek soldiers, ready to wreak havoc. From inside the city walls, the Greeks were able to destroy the city of Troy and finally win the war. The walls of Troy had been famous for their size and sturdiness, but they couldn't do anything to ward against imprudent decision-making. General Xu was clear on one thing: it's not just trick gifts that have turned wars around completely.
Some Davids may be fighting Goliaths, and some Goliaths may think they have already won… or that there is no way they will lose. Arrogance is deadly in matters of war. Overestimating yourself and underestimating your enemy has brought scandalous, confusing, and even unbelievable defeats throughout history. In 1560, a David obliterated a Goliath in the Owari Province of Japan. The Oda clan troops were very much outnumbered by Imagawa Yoshimoto and his army. Imagawa was a warlord who controlled several provinces and had an army of twenty-five thousand men. Oda Nobunaga was an opposing warlord who had managed to unite some local provinces. He had only up to 3,000 men to fight Imagawa's men. Their numbers were so bleak that his advisors recommended withdrawing as they didn't believe they could stand the siege of the much larger army. Nobunaga refused to back down and ordered a counterattack. To him, waiting would be suicide. They needed to attack the enemy head-on. He sent them home to rest.
Early morning, he woke and recited a passage from the song Atsumori: "Man has but 50 years, and life is but a dream." He got dressed, ate rice porridge, and left. He had ordered his men to set up many flags and banners around the Zenshō-ji temple to make it look like their army was bigger than it really was. His forces hid in Kamagatani, on the other side of the enemy camp. Oda's forces did a flanking maneuver and attacked from the north. Imagawa was caught by surprise. He and his forces were celebrating their recent victories. In the afternoon heat, they had also chosen to remove their armor. They were sitting ducks.
Oda's army used a thunderstorm to mask their movements, and when they attacked, Imagawa's forces panicked, and many tried to flee. Imagawa wasn't aware of what was transpiring. He heard the noise and went out to tell off his men's drunken racket and return to their posts. When he realized moments later that the samurai before him were not his own, it was too late to organize a defense. Two samurais, Mōri Shinsuke, and Hattori Koheita, attacked the enemy leader. Yoshimoto is said to have fought off one attack by the spear-wielding Shinsuke, cutting through the Oda samurai's spear and into the man's knee. However, he was then tackled by Koheita, who promptly cut off the General's head.
Historically, armies have also failed because their leader does. When they see their leader is dead, incapacitated, or has fled, they follow suit and give up all hope. Hope is a big deal in wars. Morale can be everything. That was why Jing was right to demand that Harry be in Potter Castle after his godfather's screw-up. The soldiers needed their presence in their hour of grief. It had done wonders to inject a sense of purpose back into them as, no matter how great the soldiers were at their jobs, they were still vulnerable and scared of the future like all other humans. General Xu had a long conversation with Jing about the Battle of Lacolle Mills (1814). The British regulars, who were well trained and had good morale, charged against less trained troops and forced them to flee… even though they were outnumbered 12 to 1.
The French Minister for Magic, who had been corresponding with General Xu -while he was fuming due to his injuries on his infirmary bed- and had told him of his concerns that if Harry didn't start making the more brutal calls, delegating, and even making scary choices with high risk and no guarantee of success, they would lose the war. Alain reminded him that when armies started to see divided, uncertain leadership, things could go the way they did in the Bataille d'Azincourt. A smaller army could win a war if it simply had better leadership than the enemy. A poorly managed larger force can be as ineffective as a smaller, less trained army. Soldiers are kings and queens of following orders. However, they need to know who to listen to. When the General heard of Harry's gut-wrenching decision to trust his godfather and friends to rescue the Dursleys and Lady Longbottom and come back alive, he felt proud. The kid, no, the young man, had come a long way. That was the kind of decision that earned respect. A war being what it is, there are always impossible choices. But tough decisions must be made, and this one showed the soldiers that Harry was willing to risk his godfather's, cousin's, and friends' lives as much as the soldiers risked theirs.
Now, with all his studies, the General was ready to walk both his and Potter's soldiers through his 7-fold plan, namely: the decoy seeker, the multiple diversions, the creatures' reparations, the multiple Grangers, the Death Eater multiplication, the muggle show off, and the power he knows not. General Xu smirked. He was pretty proud of himself. He took out his notes and went over them once more. He asked an elf to bring him the box he had received from INTERPOL. It held a set of satellite phones he could use to get the support they needed.
Lord Voldemort was smiling. He looked almost giddy, or as giddy as someone like him could ever get, considering his lack of nose and eyebrows (and the limited facial expressions that entailed) at the chaos and destruction in pictures all over the papers. That will show the little brat. We will see if he wants to be a man and come for his aunt and uncle or to be a hero and help the millions of bloody muggles running amok trying to find an invisible threat. He thought he should keep moving forward with his plans regardless.
"My Lord… Do you want us to proceed with phase 2?" Ella Parkinson asked. She tried not to react at the Bellatrix Lestrange wannabe clone resting her head on the Dark Lord's knee, looking entirely too satisfied with herself -and this position- was her younger sister Pansy. It was quite a feat not to look as shocked as she was to see that Pansy had altered her appearance to look as much as possible as Lestrange. Her once straight bob haircut was grown out now, and she had potioned it to look curly and treated it poorly to make it look crazy. There was a permanent sneer across her face. Her gothic dress was under a steel-boned black corset, and she wore high-heeled black boots. Unlike Bellatrix, Pansy wore a pushup bra that made her cleavage look twice as big as it really was, and she was entirely unfazed by everything happening in the room. Is she high? She doesn't look to be Imperiused.
Voldemort narrowed his snake-like eyes, "Have you found her?"
"Not yet, My Lord… We have our suspicions, though," Ella began but was interrupted.
"As I have told you more than once, suspicions are useless to me, Parkinson! Crucio!"
The soldier fell and seized, grunting in pain. Riddle smirked smugly. It made him feel good to see others in pain. It made him want to spend some quality time with the overly enthusiastic young woman at his feet. He pulled her up and draped her over his lap. Pansy looked like she might faint with joy.
"You have 48 hours, Parkinson. Not one more minute! I assigned you to this because of your peerage links. USE THEM!" Voldemort roared, carelessly cupping his hand between Pansy's legs, which parted immediately while the Dark Lord stared at the seizing Ella. Without reacting to her sister's pain at all, Pansy moaned loudly and ground herself against Voldemort's skeleton-like hand. "Wait for me in the bedroom, Pansy."
"Yes, my Lord. I will wait for you anxiously."
"No touching."
"Yes, sir," Pansy walked out and ignored her shocked father completely. He was gladder than ever to be wearing his mask.
Voldemort levitated Ella out of the room to her pale father's proximity, "Anything to report, Lord Parkinson?"
Lord Parkinson shook his head slowly and choked on everything he wanted to scream at him. When the door closed, he handed her a strong pain-relieving potion. Both knew it wouldn't do much, but it was all they had.
Ella stood on shaky legs and walked with her father, who half held her and half carried her without a word. He flew with her through an alternative route he found that Dementors hated. When they landed in Knockturn Alley -what was left of it, that is- he motioned for her to stop walking and did privacy spells from the Parkinson grimoire. They shared a deep breath and a stare. Both had tears in their eyes. Ella's eyes were bloodshot from the torture curse. They shared a thought. Enough is enough.
"Go home. Get your mother and your brother packed. We are leaving the country the muggle way immediately. Even if I must buy a private plane, we leave within the day."
"R-Really?" Ella took a shaky breath.
"Yes."
"And P-Pansy?"
"You saw her…She," Lord Parkinson looked close to tears. He swallowed hard, "She chose her side."
"Daddy… she's a stupid child. But she's your child."
"She wants to follow in Lestrange's footsteps. It's as if she's been possessed by her spirit. The same obsession… The same madness… The same lack of decorum… The same disrespect. I have a duty to my family and will not sacrifice the rest of you for her. She's an adult who made an adult choice to sully herself, and I will not pay or have the rest of you pay for her stupidity."
She had never even dreamt that her father would leave. "Where are you going?"
"I am tying some loose ends. Go."
Once the Parkinsons were gone and he was alone with one of his most trusted foreign lieutenants, Voldemort turned around, "Karkarov?"
"Yes, My Lord?"
"Have you found me Snape's specific location?"
"We know he is somewhere in the Caribbean. We narrowed it down to one island near Puerto Rico, sir. But it is covered by too many ancient blood protections, and while we have a coven working on it around the clock, they are not making progress fast enough but…" Karkarov trailed off and fidgeted.
"But what?"
"But we do know he was welcomed by Potter because his magical signature vanished from the beginning of the protections to this island… No one else managed to get in. Our hypothesis is that he was brought into the wards willingly."
Voldemort inhaled slowly, "You mean to tell me you have confirmed that both Severus and Nagini are in Potter's slimy, grabby little hands?!"
"We believe so," Karkarov raised a shield as he knew what was coming.
Voldemort's anger exploded the windows and artifacts in the Headmaster's office. For less capable wizards, that would have been impressive. For Voldemort… it was mild at best. He could feel it. His magic capabilities were waning the fewer Horcruxes that were still alive. He would need some silver sustenance soon, "I don't care what you must do or who you must kill; pervert the laws of magic and nature if you must… You will find a way to breach those protections and get inside that island immediately!"
Karkarov blinked repeatedly, "Yes, Sir."
Without Voldemort's knowledge, his attacks on several countries started sowing doubt in his international troops. No Russian, Italian, French, or Spanish follower cared what he destroyed in England, but he had attacked other places closer to home, and now his sympathizers feared he was going after absolute destruction all around the world, or at the very least, Europe. His English soldiers, who had been there since the start, like the Parkinsons, were starting to fear that they wouldn't even survive to see a pureblood-led society, and they had begun to make their escape plans. He would kill them in anger or just because he was bored. Most of them were Slytherins, and while they were cunning, they also believed that self-preservation was a top priority no matter what.
[FLASHBACK TO BEFORE THE ATTACKS IN LONDON]
"Your Majesty, an urgent call for you on the secure line," the butler bowed.
"Thank you. Please bring me a strong black tea with no sugar."
"Yes, ma'am. Immediately," the butler walked away briskly.
"Mummy, what is going on? I demand to be let in on what is happening," Charles stood up and closed his book.
Princess Anne scoffed at her brother's childish and petty demands and changed the nature channel to the news. Nothing relevant yet.
The Queen stared her son down until he flushed and stepped back, "One day, you will learn that a true monarch doesn't demand to be let in on national security matters. A true monarch proves they can be trusted to lead their people and are always included and consulted. If you ever hope to be king, Charles, you need to grow up and act like a man worthy of that title and that confidence," she narrowed her eyes at him in annoyance and walked out of the room so quickly one could have thought she ran. However, the queen would never run. It was undignified.
As soon as the door closed, Anne sniggered, "You know, brother, I think Mama will never die or step down as queen simply because you are first in line."
"Shut up!"
"Now, William… He is promising. He would be a great king. With Mama's brains and Diana's heart-"
"Don't you dare speak of her in my presence!"
"Get over yourself for once. I never liked her much… but she was the people's princess for a reason. Do you really think people will accept your sidepiece as a queen? Love her? Honor her? Treat her with deference? Please. Do be serious. People hate her because she hurt and humiliated Diana as much as she could, and they hate you because you allowed it and even encouraged it. That will never change. People won't forget."
"They will have to accept her eventually. She is divorced. I am single!"
Anne rolled her eyes hard, "You are NOT single, brother. You are a widower. There is a MASSIVE difference, and if you impose Camilla, I bet your reign will be both brief and unsuccessful!"
Before he could reply, Prince Philip burst through the doors, "Buckingham Palace!"
With a lifted brow, Charles turned to his father, "What about it?"
"What happened, Daddy?" Anne rushed to him. He was pale, and his eyes were wide.
"They… They have attacked the palace… There were several explosions…"
"WHAT?!" Charles had to sit down.
Anne gasped, "Who?!"
"Where's mummy?" Charles stood back up, agitated.
"On the phone with Blair. There are many dead and far too many injured that they know of-"
Charles made to go listen in. "Don't! She is not to be interrupted… Go dress for mourning, both of you," their father commanded, but they were frozen. "Roberts," he turned to a footman. "Put the flags at half-mast at once."
"Yes, sir," the scared footman left rapidly.
"What are you waiting for, Charles?! A written invitation?! Move!" Prince Philip snapped, and Charles scurried away. He turned to Anne, "Sweetie, go get Zara and Peter and make them change too. And for God's sake, please make sure the future king makes his boys change as well," he wiped his glasses while she nodded. "I already called Andrew and Sarah. They are on their way from Sunninghill."
"Yes, Daddy," she turned to leave, but the news report appeared on the screen, and the horrible scenes froze them both.
The reporter's voice made them move closer to the telly, "We are live on Parliament Street. Buckingham Palace has been attacked. Several explosions have rocked the city. We cannot get any closer as the authorities have closed the streets to the palace… You can see how much smoke is coming out in the columns behind me. We are still unsure whether the Royal Family was in the residence or if any of them was hurt. The atmosphere is tense and chaotic. It's as if people fear this is not over and-"
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
The camera shook, and the cameraman turned away toward the noise. People started screaming and running anew. The camera was being jostled as the crew ran toward the sounds of the explosions.
"We are running across Westminster Bridge to see if we can determine where the explosions are coming from!" the reporter said in between pants as he ran as fast as he could, avoiding people running away from the noise.
The cameraman's voice said, "What's that?!" he pointed his camera up, and several dark blurs sped past them high above.
"Dear God!" the reported panted as he ran. "We are seeing more smoke coming out of what I believe is… Is that London Bridge?! I am not sure… Maybe Southwark Bridge or the Borough Market?! Oh, God!"
Prince Phillip wrapped his arm around his daughter and squeezed her to his side.
"Oh my God! Daddy!" Anne covered her mouth with her hands. People ran around the camera covered in dust, debris, and, in some cases, blood.
A royal guard and one of the 'secret service' of sorts the queen had told them about were at the door, "Your majesties. We are moving you and your families to the safe quarters. Please come with us. The Queen is already there."
"Lead the way."
[END FLASHBACK]
Harry couldn't help but stare. He had brought the Delacours to Fleur's room. Once Alain, Sophie, and Gabrielle had been brought inside the bedroom, they were immediately all over the mom-to-be. They would exchange hugs and kisses while speaking rapidly in French. Sophie had immediately started to do spells on her daughter's belly to ensure their grandson or granddaughter -Bill and Fleur wanted it to be a surprise- was doing well. Alain peppered his daughter's face with soft kisses. Then, he held Fleur by the jaw and stared at her with so much love and pride in his expression that Harry had to look away. It was like being punched in the gut. He hated himself for his base reaction because he was genuinely happy for them, but he couldn't help it.
He would never get to have that. No matter what happened in this war or in the years to come -if he even made it, that is- he would never know the feeling of a father who was there to support him. He would never know the feeling of a mother tending to his health. He would never know the camaraderie and the experience of growing up with a brother or sister. He had always envied Ron. He truly had everything, even when he didn't want to see or appreciate it. He had brothers and a sister. He had a loving father and a doting mother, but none of that was enough. Harry would gladly trade everything he owned to have his parents back in his life, especially now.
Harry had always made himself ignore two things pointedly. One was his attraction and love for Hermione, and the other one was all the what-ifs he had deep in his soul about his family. What if there was no Voldemort? What if his parents hadn't been killed? What if he grew up with their love and their support? What if he had a brother or a sister? What if he got to be a child instead of a slave? What if he got to have hobbies? What if he got to have childhood friends? What if he grew up with Sirius and Remus being a part of his life? What if he still had Hedwig or Dharma? What if Ronald had been a true friend and didn't betray them? What if so many people hadn't died because of him? His eyes stung.
Harry caressed the face of the watch Mrs. Weasley gave him for his sixteenth birthday and sighed. He did have a different kind of family that he was very grateful for. But he knew having his own parents and siblings wouldn't be the same. He just knew it would be… more.
"Harry, dear?" Mrs. Weasley placed her hand on his shoulder.
"Mrs. Weasley," he hugged her tight and tried hard not to cry… unsuccessfully.
"What's wrong, son?" Molly could feel the pain seeping from her only son without red hair. She was surprised that he initiated a hug and was hugging her like she was a lifeline.
"Nothing. I just… I don't think I ever said… I… I love you so much. I am g-grateful for everything you and your family have done for me. And I am s-so sorry for e-everything I have cost your family."
"Our family, Harry," she corrected him.
He nodded with a watery smile.
"I know it must be really painful to see that," she nodded discretely toward Fleur's family.
"No, I mean… I am so happy for them… I just… Sometimes I wonder…" Harry trailed off.
"Harry, honey, it's okay. I understand. No matter how many people you have in this family you have created here, no one will ever come close to what having your parents here and now would mean to you. But I need you to know you are more loved than you can imagine, sweetheart."
"I love you too, Mrs. Weasley," Harry smiled at her and hastily wiped away his tears.
"You are not alone, Harry. As a matter of fact, the elves want to talk to you," Molly smiled sheepishly.
"Oh? I think the general wanted to see me-"
"I think you should see them first. It's about the bonding you offered. They are calling you to the beach for an assembly. Hermione is already there," Molly nodded at his questioning look. "It will be quick, and having the bonds will strengthen you for the coming days."
Harry nodded, "Thank you," he kissed her forehead and vanished.
"Ruki, what is going on here?" Harry asked.
"Lady Potter offered all elves here a special new bond with a lot of freedom and autonomy."
"We did, yes."
"Elves?" Ruki prompted.
"All elves in Potter Isle have agreed to be bound under those conditions," the elves chanted.
Harry and Hermione shared a look, "Do you want to add or change anything?"
A timid hand was raised, "We d-d-decided we w-w-would like to have a part of Potter Castle's Forest… if we can, sir…"
Harry smiled, feeling a bit lighter at all the pairs of eyes that looked up at him with hope, "Of course, you can. We would love to give it to you."
"And we w-would like to have a clan soon," another older elf added.
"As soon as possible, you have our full support," Harry smiled proudly. The elves had come a long way. "You just have to tell us what you need us to do for it to happen."
"Master, as we have been in talks for a while, mister Lawyer left these deeds ready for you to sign... I took the liberty to help them choose the most comfortable area to live and build a community," Ruki nodded. "I hope you do not mind, Master, Mistress."
"We absolutely do not mind. It's wonderful, Ruki. Did you all agree?" Harry asked.
Hundreds of heads nodded enthusiastically before him.
"Perfect. Did you-?" Harry trailed off as Hermione nodded. She had read it, and it was fine. He took the blood quill and signed, barely wincing. He handed it to Hermione, who followed his lead.
Ruki signed as the most senior elf. "Now, you have to bind them."
"It will be our honor," Hermione smiled.
They did the bonding, and as soon as Harry and Hermione spoke the last elf's name, gold tendrils sprouted from their navels and connected to the elves' cores. Harry felt loved and respected beyond measure. He could feel his core expanding and vibrating with delight. Harry felt a profound need to see them grow, prosper, and strengthen. He wanted to see them create a community and have their own families. He wanted to learn from them and make sure they lacked for nothing. Harry turned to his wife. Hermione's eyes seemed to glow from within, as did his own, not that he could tell. She smiled at him, and he suddenly felt the deep-seated wish to have children with her. Hermione felt a strong surge of motherly love toward all the elves that she couldn't understand. She wanted to protect them. She wanted to see them grow in both their skills and knowledge.
Having Harry look at her like that had her feeling what she had heard other people describe as baby fever. She could hardly wait to have her wedding ceremony and have her first child with Harry. She had never been keen on becoming a young mother, but seeing him see her like that rapidly changed her mind and made her think that having a child wasn't a bad idea. Suddenly, Lord and Lady Potter were bathed in blueish elf sparks, and without the elves moving, they felt their small hands all over their bodies. The hands were pushing magic into their cores and pulling bits and pieces of their knowledge and magic into theirs. Instead of feeling drained as they feared, it felt invigorating, energizing, loving, and encompassing. Once the bonding was complete, the elves before them stood proud, taller, stronger, and much healthier. Their diverse clothing was replaced by a uniform emblazoned with a 'P' on their right sleeve and a 'G' on their left sleeve. Hermione, who fully expected the elves to relate to being Potter alone, had to dab two tears away. Harry smiled at her.
They are proud of their Mistress, as they very well should be,Harry winked at her.
I am immensely proud of them as well. I just wasn't expecting it, Hermione smiled.
House of Potter-Granger will be the official name of our house. You have your own family name to be proud of, love, and you should keep it, Harry smiled and kissed her softly.
The room went entirely silent. Molly didn't know whether to laugh or scream at this part of the 'Trick' plan. Yes, Harry was an excellent seeker. This was a known fact. Hogwarts was only accessible via air now, but what had General Xu been smoking in that pipe? The worst part was that Harry saw this madness as a reasonable idea.
"Let's put aside the fact that brooms are VERY flammable and that Riddle loves Fyendfire," Hermione began. "This plan would mean Harry would be the easiest target ever on that broom, with little control or ability to defend himself. Make it make sense, general!" Hermione threw her hands up.
The General took a deep breath and closed his eyes to will patience into his body. What was the point of hiring a strategist if you wouldn't accept his strategies?
"Love-"
"No, listen to me, Harry James. There are dozens of dementors… Giants… Enemy Werewolves and Merlin knows what else is in the castle and the forest by now!"
Molly cleared her throat, "Harry, dear, even if by some miracle you managed to land unscathed… how on earth are you going to get to him without raising the alarm?"
Hermione nodded her agreement and added, "We haven't even heard anything from Sirius' team!"
"Then, what am I supposed to do?! Sirius may need backup any time now! They need Riddle distracted!"
"Harry, pardon me, but it doesn't have to be you," Daniel blinked repeatedly, trying to understand why the obvious was evading everyone, even his daughter.
"Finally!" General Xu threw his arms up in joy. "Thank you, Mr. Granger!"
"Captain Granger, General Xu," Daniel smiled and puffed his chest. Emma tried not to roll her eyes at her husband.
"Ah! Wonderful!" the General smiled wide and clapped his back, "You are most welcome, Captain!"
"General! Wait a damn minute… If it's not me, who the hell do you think will do this? This flight plan… It's things I usually do -granted because I have never had much of a self-preservation instinct- and while I know I am no professional Quidditch player, recreational flyers can't do half this stuff!"
"While all that is true, Lord Potter, I have found us a worthy decoy!" the General wiggled his eyebrows.
Harry's eyes widened, "What?! Who?!"
"Lord Potter, the prisoner is demanding to talk to you right away, given recent events. For my sanity and yours, please hear him out now," Lady Greengrass tapped his shoulder.
"Go see to that, son. I have seven different plans to go over with everyone else. We will revisit the decoy idea when you are back," the General waved him off.
Lady Greengrass was at her wit's ends. She was sure the floor was worn out by her constant pacing. She couldn't stand to have Severus Snape under her care anymore. The stupid suitcase that no one could touch was making her too anxious. It had the worst energy. She wished she hadn't asked what was living inside it at all.
[FLASHBACK]
"HIS pet snake?!"
Severus nodded once.
"And all these days, you have not fed it?!"
"She had just eaten when I took her. In her snake form, she doesn't need to eat so often… The suitcase is charmed to prevent her from transforming back."
"Her snake form… Hold on… Nagini is an animagus?! You expect Harry Saint Potter to murder a woman-turned-snake in cold blood… Have you met the boy?" her tone was caustic.
"He knows it's the only way. Once Nagini is dead, the Dark Lord is mortal... Then anyone can kill him. Plus, he doesn't have to be the one to kill her."
[END FLASHBACK]
Now, she was waiting for Harry and Hermione, who were finally going to have a sit down with Snape. They walked in holding hands. Mr. and Mrs. Granger were behind them, as were Professor McGonagall and Molly Weasley.
"I see you have not come alone," Severus sneered.
Harry scoffed, "Why the bloody hell would I? Aren't I an incompetent, arrogant, foolish child, as you so love to call me?"
Snape stared but didn't react. He didn't even blink.
"It follows logic, then, that someone as stupid as me needs significant council for the simplest decisions. If I am as irrational and dumb as you have always thought, this is the bare minimum. Isn't it?"
Snape blinked. "Whatever our past, Mr. Potter-"
"That is Lord Potter to you," Harry snapped. "And don't you 'whatever our past me,' easy for you to say when you weren't the one at the mercy of a bitter, resentful man with a hatchet that he never managed to bury just because I look like my father!"
Severus took a deep, slow breath, "Lord Potter, what I must tell you is for your ears -and I supposed your bonded mate's ears- only. Beyond what I know of the Dark Lord, his health, and his plans, I need to disclose deeply personal confidential information that I will not give anyone but the two of you."
Snape was shocked to see Harry and Hermione share an eye roll and looked bored. Mr. Granger looked ready to dig his fingers into the amputated arm's sutures and rip them apart. Mrs. Granger and Mrs. Weasley looked furious.
Professor McGonagall narrowed her eyes, and her thin lips were so pursed they were barely visible, "Severus… Whyever would you think that, after everything you did, you are in any position to make demands?"
"You need the information I have," he replied in a haughty whisper.
"We have Veritaserum," McGonagall countered with a severe scowl.
"Commercial?" Snape asked hopefully.
"No, homemade," Hermione smirked.
"By whom?!" he asked.
"Your godson," Minerva replied.
Snape frowned, "Those ingredients… I… If brewed incorrectly, I could die."
Mr. Granger scoffed, "You will die anyway."
"Daddy, behave," Hermione warned.
Mr. Granger squinted at the man but pulled out a notepad and a mechanical pen.
"It's not like it would be a terrible loss," Mrs. Weasley whispered.
Harry groaned, "Look, Snape. We are in the middle of a war, and I don't have time to waste arguing with you… Please, someone let me know when he grows a pair and faces things head-on for once," he stood to leave with Hermione.
"Harry, wait," Professor McGonagall placed her hand on his shoulder, and he sat back down immediately. "I see one way to expedite this. Severus, being the consummate Slytherin you are, you fear being poisoned because it's what you would do if roles were reversed. I will do the Gryffindor move and have a drop of Veritaserum. Unlike you, I trust Mr. Malfoy's potion-making skills. That way, you can rest assured that you will not die, as that seems to be all you care about. You get to ask me a question that only you and I would know whether the answer is true. You do not deserve this courtesy, but I want this conversation to end swiftly. Harry has much more urgent things to do than deal with the likes of you. Lady Greengrass, the dropper, please."
Lady Greengrass applied one drop on McGonagall's tongue. "Only one question, Snape."
Severus looked deep in thought for a while, and just when Harry was about to walk away, he asked, "Where did you find me on Halloween 1981 after the attack on Godric's Hollow?"
This froze everyone in place. Especially Harry. McGonagall's eyes widened a bit, but she answered in the usual monotone of someone dosed with the truth serum, "I found you in the Astronomy tower, in a fetal position, bawling, holding a bat plushie that you had bought… to give Harry for his one-year birthday."
Harry stared at Professor McGonagall, then Snape, and back at her in disbelief. His jaw was slacked. He looked at the healer to double-check that he could still ask something. She nodded, so he cleared his throat and said, "What?! No… I… Why would he get me something for my b-birthday? He hates both my parents and my guts."
McGonagall frowned slightly but replied in the same tone, "He never hated your parents. He was viciously jealous of James. Severus was Lily's best friend growing up... Over the years, he fell in love with Lily. She didn't reciprocate… Eventually, she fell in love with James. During the war, when Lily figured out that Severus was a double agent and that she was the reason why Severus was risking his life, she forgave him… And, after a conversation I wasn't privy to, James also forgave him."
Harry couldn't do more than stare at the Professor while tears fell down his cheeks. He shook his head slowly.
The glassy look vanished from Minerva's eyes, "Harry, that was unnecessary. I would have told you that without Veritaserum."
"I know. I just… I am sorry, Professor…"
McGonagall nodded and caressed Harry's cheek, wiping his tears away. He leaned into her hand and kissed the back of it.
Lady Greengrass dosed Snape, who sighed and said, "Losing your mother destroyed my life. All I have done, whether you find it justified or not, I did it for Lily."
Harry turned to him violently, and Hermione held him tightly so he wouldn't pounce on the man, "If you cared for my mother so much, why the fuck did you treat me, her only son, like shit all these years then?!"
Snape blushed and looked down, "I had to look the part, Lord Potter. Don't think for a second that all the sons and daughters of Death Eaters who were your classmates wouldn't have told on me to their parents in a heartbeat."
"That is your reasoning? That you feared what eleven-year-olds would tattletale to their parents? That is your excuse for being an abysmal professor, for blatant favoritism, and for acting like a petulant, hateful, immature child?!" Hermione rebuked. Her eyes were glowing with anger.
"My reasons may not be enough for you, but you didn't have to see what I did. It hurt too much. Having to see her eyes in your face… Knowing it was all my fault she wasn't here… for wavering, for not c-coming to Dumbledore with my suspicions earlier, for not insisting Lily and James move here instead of staying so close to danger… Lord Po-Harry, I have a lot of regrets in my life, and I am sorry for many of the things I did. I know it doesn't fix the past. I wasn't expecting it to. I know it doesn't help, but if it makes you feel the smallest bit better, I have been tortured, cut, burnt, raped in both mind and body, beaten, and humiliated in ways you couldn't even imagine, and I wouldn't have wanted you to ever experience such-"
"SHUT UP!" Harry yelled. He ripped off his t-shirt and turned his back to the man. While many of his scars had lessened with the bond and the healing spells and salves of two talented healers. "This is the person you think can't imagine what you've been through?!"
Snape grimaced and looked away. He couldn't stand to see her eyes judging him again. Tears fell down his pale cheeks, one after another. He sunk into his pillow. He looked older and frailer than ever. Not even when his arm was recently amputated did he look like this. "You have been through too much… Lily would skin me alive if she knew I allowed this. If I… If I c-could take your pain and consume it so you don't have to feel it, I w-would."
Harry frowned severely and shook his head to clear it. He could fight an angry Snape, even a despondent, sarcastic Snape, but this? This was twisting his mind. He was under truth serum. He couldn't lie. Snape's responses were scrambling his memories, and he now doubted all his interactions with the man, "No… No… You… You bullied me and Neville for years!"
"I… I am sorry. I disliked Longbottom intensely because… the Dark Lord could have chosen him… and if he had… Lily would still be alive."
Hermione felt her husband's pain, grief, and confusion as her own, "If she had indeed survived, she would still be Lady Potter! Wouldn't she?" she growled.
Snape nodded slowly, "Yes, I know that... and that would have been fine." He blinked, and his eyes lost all glazed appearance. "Lily asked me to- No. Nevermind…" And he started trying to get off the bed.
"What were you going to say?! TELL ME!" Harry jumped to push him to lie back down while Mr. Granger forced the struggling man's jaw to open. "The serum!"
Severus' reaction was so visceral that Harry let go, but her father didn't, "No! Please! Mr. Granger, let me go! This will hurt him too much! Please, don't make me do this to him! Please!" Snape begged and closed his mouth again, sucking his lips between his teeth. No one had ever seen so much emotion in him that wasn't anger or disdain.
Hermione felt the dread in Harry's stomach like a block of lead in her own. For Snape to beg, it had to be really bad. She needed to help her husband through this. Lady Greengrass had made an oath to do no harm. She couldn't force him without a DMLE order or a Wizengamot order. Hermione didn't have such compulsions, and she never liked the man much for all the pain he put both Harry and Neville through, no matter his reasons.
"Give me that," Hermione took the dropper and placed another dose on the man's tongue after helping her father force Snape's lip open again. He looked at her with a clear beg to stop, but she knew they needed the whole truth.
Snape resigned himself and took a deep breath to try and avoid bursting into tears immediately. He knew trying to fight the serum was pointless. Harry moved away, as did Mr. Granger. Severus' stony façade crumbled further, and an expression of agony scrunched his face. He sighed, "I… I wouldn't… I wouldn't have wanted to be the one who told you this."
"Why the hell not?!" Harry bellowed.
"Some truths, Lord Potter, are too painful… as such, they are often better left unsaid…" Severus trailed off.
"I would rather live with a painful truth than a comfortable lie... My entire life, I was lied to. I was lied to about my parents' lives and deaths. I was lied to about being a wizard. I was lied to about my destiny. I was lied to about the war, Riddle, the Horcruxes, everything! I want the truth no matter how painful!"
"I am… so sorry that I… That I will be the one to hurt you the worst you have ever been hurt," Snape's eyes swam with unshed tears.
"What were you going to say before the serum stopped working?" Hermione asked.
Snape looked into Harry's eyes, "Your mother Lily… She… She was p-pregnant when she died."
Harry gasped and felt ready to fall to the ground. His shock was such that he didn't even notice both Hermione's and Emma's arms wrapped around his waist to provide much-needed support. McGonagall had to sit down from shock, and frozen Molly held her tightly. Both were ghostly pale. Mr. Granger kept his hand on the back of Harry's neck supportively.
"NO! No! No, no, no, no, no… That… That c-can't be t-true…" Harry struggled to breathe and began shaking with full-body sobs. "Y-You just w-want to h-hurt me! Yes! T-That's it! You w-want me h-hopeless! You want me b-b-broken! You want m-me r-reckless! You-! You-! You h-hate me! That's w-why-! You-!" he stared into Snape's eyes, looking for deception. In them, he found a sadness and regret that looked deeper than the bottom of the ocean. The truth sunk in.
"Give me that!" Severus took the dropper from Lady Greengrass, who had taken it back from Hermione, and placed three additional drops on his tongue. His eyes glazed further. "Minerva, please!" he begged. She would know the questions to ask.
"H-How did you know this? No one knew this."
"It… It wasn't known. I only knew because L-Lily asked me to be the g-godfather of the baby s-she was expecting. I… I had hoped… That the o-opportunity to be a part of your brother's or sister's life would be my chance to re-redeem myself, Lord Potter… but it d-didn't happen."
Harry tried to breathe slowly to calm down, but it wasn't helping. He felt a murderous rage, and his muscles were all contracted as he tried to reign in the angry magic that was about to start rolling off him in waves, "H-Had they picked any n-names yet?"
"They… They were thinking Iris for a girl to c-continue the Evans' tradition of naming g-girls after flowers… and Andrew James for a boy to respect the Potter's tradition of keeping the father's name as a middle name while h-honoring Lily's father Andrew as well."
Harry covered his face with his hands. Until today, he didn't even know his maternal grandfather's name. "Do… Do you… Do you k-know if it was a boy or a girl?" Harry asked, not even bothering to dab his tears.
Severus sighed, "No, Lord Potter. The spell to find out works at twenty weeks."
Harry's eyes widened. He was going to be sick. Oh, God. His control of his magic was slipping.
"How far along was she?" Hermione voiced Harry's silent question with a pained scowl. He wanted to know, even though that would hurt him further.
"She…" Snape grimaced in pain, "She was f-fifteen weeks along," he replied.
"That's… That's-" Harry collapsed against Hermione.
"That's almost 4 months, love."
The screams and howls of grief that followed would have made the coldest person cry. The island shook with Harry's fury. Three separate main walls cracked from top to bottom. The up-to-the-moment calm waves got violent as harsh winds hit the ocean. The sky darkened. Clouds gathered, and lightning and heavy rain began to fall. At his first screams, everyone ran for cover. They felt the earthquake and ran outside only to see chunks of beach collapse into the ocean. The pool cracked, and water spilled out.
Palm trees were hit by lightning and straight out broke from the wind. Inside the Infirmary, everyone was thrown to a lying down position. Everyone except Hermione, who was holding on to her husband with all her limbs. She was pushing calming magic toward him, but it was not enough. She pushed harder and summoned some elves who weren't busy protecting everyone on the island. She didn't even have to say a word. The elves started to chant and placed their hands on her. This boost made the earth stop shaking, but his magic still rolled angrily.
Outside, the skies parted with a burst of golden light. A young phoenix flew toward the Infirmary, singing her best song. She landed on the bed and peered at Harry, chirping for him to open his tightly shut lids. He looked up and gasped, pulling the bird into his arms and cuddling her. "D-Dharma! You c-came b-back to me!"
The wind calmed as the bird nodded and burrowed into his arms. She began to sing again, and slowly but surely, the lightning stopped, and all that remained was the rain.
"I am so glad you are back, Dharma!" Hermione caressed the bird's head as she tried not to cry.
Everyone in the Infirmary began to sit up. They looked shocked but relieved.
"That's how much power he has?" Mrs. Granger whispered into her husband's ear.
"Apparently," Mr. Granger replied with wide eyes, looking at the damaged walls and windows.
"Is that… Is that a phoenix?" Severus asked.
"Yes. She c-chose me."
"I did," the Phoenix nodded.
"Lady Potter, please take them," Snape motioned to his tears.
Hermione let go of Harry to summon memory vials and gathered Snape's tears. "What is this for?"
"I have no illusions that I will survive past this war. I want you to have all my memories of your mother. I know it's not much, but she would have wanted you to see her become the incredible woman she became. This will give you a broader perspective."
Harry looked at the man with a still heartbroken expression, but he nodded, wiping his tears, "T-Thank you."
Severus nodded. "It is the least I can do… Lord Potter, I have a lot of information to relay."
"We will be taking notes," Mrs. Granger nodded at her daughter and son-in-law.
"Thank you," Harry said over his shoulder. "Tell us everything you know about Riddle's plans, finances, numbers, schedules, and health… If he briefly considered something, we need to know."
War is a strategy and numbers game. Many think it's ideology. Ideas with no strategy are paranoia. Ideas with no numbers are abstracts that can't be enforced. In his time on bedrest, General Xu had significant time to spare, but all he did was draft battle plans. Now that the elves were done doing the main fixes to the library after Lord Potter's outburst, they could keep their discussions going. He had just laid his plans bare to Lord Potter's people. He stared at the shocked soldiers, witches, wizards, and elves around him with a self-satisfied smirk.
This was how they would win the war. Trickery was a particular art in warfare, and he was a Trickster extraordinaire. Real warriors couldn't rely on good luck. They were nerds. They studied maps, history, politics, infantry, weaponry, the economy, the weather, etc. Everything was good input to determine how best to attack the enemy. General Xu had it in good authority that Riddle knew he was closer to death than ever. Losing his right and left hand had to have dealt a massive blow. Now they had his pet and information on where they were keeping their money and supplies. A large cauldron of Polyjuice had been strengthened and then distributed into small canteens that were passed around. Elves had been sneaking around for days gathering the necessary hair.
"This is all insane," Harry whispered. At the General's angry stare, he added, "Sir."
"I assure you these are all real battle tactics that have been used successfully before," General Xu frowned. He had told everyone not to mention the outburst when McGonagall hurriedly told him what happened.
"We believe you… But I still think that this whole Wronski thing is pretty much impossible to pull in these circumstances, not to mention deadly," Hermione said with her hands resting on her hips.
Harry pulled his hair back, "For someone to do this… They'd die… At least it is very likely, and who will be suicidal enough to do this?"
Several hands around the room went up.
Harry paled and was shocked, "You are all joking, right?"
Nobody lowered their hands until the General nodded, "While, as your General, I appreciate your willingness to serve. Like I said before, we already have our Seeker decoy."
"You really mean to tell me that you explained this madness to some unnamed ally, and they decided to wear the biggest bull's eye ever and risk their life for me?"
"First, don't sound so surprised. What you are doing here is being talked about all over the world. A. This resistance is legendary. B. Not to disappoint you, Potter, but this Seeker is not exactly doing this for you. He's here for General Granger."
Harry paled, as did Hermione. Both felt alarms go off in their bond. The alarms were different in nature, but still.
"For me?" Hermione stammered.
"What do you mean?" Harry frowned.
"Or rather, who do you mean?" Mr. Granger crossed his arms in front of his chest. Mrs. Granger pulled him next to her before he lost the plot.
"Mrs. Xu, please bring him in," the General nodded at the door far behind them.
Inside walked the General's wife guiding a tall, buff-looking man with a dark hood covering his face. "General Granger," General Xu walked toward the unknown man. Slowly, he pulled off the hood to reveal his face. "This is the decoy Seeker. I believe you've met before."
Hermione gasped in complete disbelief, "Viktor?!"
Viktor Krum smiled at Hermione as if Christmas came early. He smiled and nodded at Harry.
Hermione looked at Harry, who was still trying to pick his jaw back up but nodded. She ran to Viktor and hugged him fiercely, "Oh my God! I am so glad you are alive! How is your family? How did you get here? Are you alright?"
Viktor grimaced a bit from bruised ribs but held the young woman back just as fiercely, "Too many questions, little one," he smiled as he put her down, kissing the top of her head.
"I'm sorry. Oh, I am just so happy you are here and safe!" Hermione wiped her tears hastily.
Harry walked toward them and hugged Viktor a lot less fiercely. "How are you? How are you here? Why are you willing to do this?"
"Well, I was told we are to trick Riddle. Yes?"
Harry nodded.
Viktor gave him a lopsided smile, and in his now slightly less harsh accent, he asked, "Who else do you think can trick Riddle into thinking it's you who is flying like the youngest seeker in a century and a bat out of hell straight into Hogwarts and bypassing dementors and all his other minions?"
Hermione blinked, as did Harry, "You can't be serious," they said in unison.
"But I am. Neville sent me all his memories from Quidditch matches and the Triwizard. So did Professor McGonagall. The twins sent me memories from your practices," Viktor smiled. He looked at Harry, "I have studied your flying style and techniques. Bravo, by the way. And not to -what's the expression?- not to tut my own horn, but… no one can pretend to be you on a broom better than me. I guarantee that."
Harry stared at Viktor, shocked. He turned to Professor McGonagall to confirm. She nodded with a smile.
"I can vouch for that too," someone agreed from the door.
Harry's eyes widened, and he turned at a breakneck speed. "OLIVER!" he ran to his former Quidditch Captain and hugged him hard.
"O Captain! My Captain!" Angelina ran and crushed him too.
"I brought in reinforcements," Oliver said through Angelina's braids while he messed with Harry's hair as he used to do after matches.
Professor McGonagall stood with eyes full of tears. Former students of up to five generations were walking into the foyer of Potter Castle. Many of them were Gryffindors, but there were students from all houses. Former teammates, acquaintances, friends, and classmates. They were all greeting each other warmly.
"Welcome, all of you. I am so happy to see you and so proud of you," Minerva stood, and Oliver rushed to squeeze her and twirl her around.
"Mr. Wood! Enough!"
He laughed and put her down, kissing her cheek. "We have all taken the oath. We are here to help the P.A."
"Fuck... I don't even know what to say," Harry's eyes had unshed tears.
"Give us marching orders, and we'll get cracking," a man in his late twenties said, from his posture, if he wasn't an Auror, he served at the very least in the military at some point.
"Come with me and tell me what you are good at so we can assign you tasks," General Xu motioned for them to follow him to the table.
Harry grabbed Krum and Hermione and pulled them to the side.
"You will do this for Hermione?"
"Of course," Viktor nodded with a smile.
Harry fidgeted, "Um… you do know that… um-"
"That you are bonded?"
The couple nodded, blushing.
"Oh! OH! You think I want her in return or something?" Viktor looked amused at this.
Harry and Hermione blushed, "No, no, we just want to understand… This stunt is too high risk. We would never ask you to-"
"Забрави за това [Forget about it]. I know about your bond. I am very happy for both of you. I always thought you belonged together… Hermione is a dear friend to me. I admire her and respect her greatly. I have no ideas or illusions of anything more than a friendship with her and hopefully you, Harry. I do want to fuck over Riddle… I…" he stopped and took a deep breath. "His forces, led by fucking Igor Karkaroff, of all people, murdered my father because he refused to join them and give them access to our fortune..."
"Motherfuckers!" Harry snapped.
"Merlin! We are so sorry!" Hermione exclaimed and squeezed him again.
"Is there anything we can do for you or your family?" Harry asked.
Viktor lowered Hermione gently, "You have done enough. Hermione, if it hadn't been for your letters warning me about how things were progressing on your side, they would have killed my mother, my siblings, and me as well... There is something you can do, Harry. Let me impersonate you. I will buy you time. I will do what you need to do but can't. You have more important things to take care of…"
"You could die," Harry whispered.
"Maybe… But I could also go down as the best Seeker in history. Picture the headlines: Krum outflies Riddle," Viktor winked. "I trust that if I do die, you will make sure that in the news coverage, no one says I was Hermione's side piece or something," he chuckled.
"Viktor!" Hermione exclaimed. "I would never allow that!"
He laughed and waved her off, "Especially because..." he blushed, "If I do make it out… I want to marry my girlfriend Elena, and I would love to have you two as witnesses for the wedding..."
Hermione squealed, "Morgana! Congratulations, Viktor!"
Harry replied, "We'd be honored to be a part of your wedding… Is… Is she here?"
"No. Elena's hiding with my family under Fidelius, but I hope to introduce you soon," he smiled.
"In any case, you never have to worry about being a side piece, Mr. Krum… You are a whole meal," Ginny spoke from the doorframe with a flirtatious smile. Hermione blushed and motioned for her to shut up. "What? It's true. He could never be a side anything. Your fiancée is a lucky woman."
Viktor blushed slightly, "Thank you, Ms. Weasley."
"Gin," Harry said in a warning tone. He was shocked she was there.
"I know… I am not going. I am just trying to help ascertain how many more medical kits to put together per Lady Greengrass' instructions," Ginny shrugged.
Harry nodded with relief, thanked her, and she walked away, "If you are doing this, Viktor, we are giving you all the protections we can put together between us, the elves-"
"And us too," Queen Anord limped toward them through the hallway.
"Your Majesty!" Harry bowed, as did Hermione. Everyone else followed their example.
"None of that, Harry, Hermione… You are my allies and friends. I am here to help and to give you this," the queen handed Harry the now squeaky-clean Lady Potter ring. "It has been disinfected and thoroughly cleaned. Once you put it on her, it will resize to her finger. It will give her access to all family properties and vaults. It will make her impervious to many potions and spells. I thought you could use it."
"Are you kidding me?! Of course, we can use this! Thank you so much for bringing it!" Harry placed the ring on Hermione's wedding band finger, kissing the ring and the back of her hand. It flashed bright gold once and resized.
Hermione felt the metaphorical House embracing her. Soon, she felt the knowledge of many generations of Lady Potters intermingle with her own. She felt a bit lightheaded. Understanding of old magics filled corners in the filing cabinet system that was her mind. She felt stronger and wiser, and her desire to help Harry became twofold when she thought it couldn't increase. She glowed from within, and a thick golden streak highlight appeared on her hair, framing her face on both sides. It reflected such true metallic that it seemed like delicate gold threads were coming out of her head.
"Ah! The golden mark of Lady Potter. Not all Lady Potters have had it. Your grandmother Dorea did. Your personality and intellect are extremely well received by the House, Hermione. Congratulations."
"Thank you… I believe Potter House left the grimoire in charge of Lady Potter. I know where it is now."
Sirius had been a very good Auror in the previous war because he was quick on his feet. His canine senses could tell him when someone was coming or warn him of distant sounds and whispers. It also helped that growing up in the environment he did, he could remain calm under pressure and withstand a lot more pain than most people, and his mind magic was strong. His recent fuck up notwithstanding, he had never had a failed mission.
Something else he was good at was making people rally after causes. He sweet-talked the merfolk with Charlie's help and fired them up to return to Hogwarts and fight for their lake. They deserved to live in their home-… in their home waters. They moved to Potter Castle and made a distress call to the British Navy. A submarine ride later, a fully polyjuiced crew of Harry's doubles was pulled to the shore. Their clothes were the same except for different color t-shirts. Their wands were covered with a new creation of Ollivander's and Gregorovitch's combined talents. It was a wooden sleeve covering their wands without altering their effectiveness while making them look like an exact copy of the elder wand.
As soon as they got to the shores of Hogwarts' territory with the help of the merfolk, they quickly went over the plan, and using the Marauder's Map, they saw that Riddle was at the Headmaster's office. He wasn't moving. Two minions were with him. They were also not moving. Sirius tapped the map and whispered, "Padfoot's Trial #3."
Red ink came onto the map and wrote a number next to each person the map was showing inside the building, "The higher the number from 1 to 100, the healthier the person. 'S' means sleeping. 'U' means unconscious. 'I' means Incapacitated. 'D' means dead. The question mark means the map can't determine their condition. That usually applies to muggles, animals, ghosts, and poltergeists."
"That is so cool!" Fred exclaimed.
"It was a prototype that never saw the light of day. Now, listen closely. Augusta is in the Infirmary, barely alive and unconscious. The Dursleys are in the Dungeons, and we don't know in which conditions, but we can assume it's bad..." Sirius knew the best hope for the rescue to be successful was for neither of the boys to see to their family members. "Twins, Dudley, you three go to the Infirmary. Draco, Luna, and Neville with me to the dungeons."
"Sirius-"
"Do as you are told! Dudley, here," Sirius covered him with the Invisibility Cloak.
Dudley shook his head and put the cloak on the girl. "No. I'm wearing dragonhide and armor plates. I'll be fine. Luna," Dudley stared at her meaningfully with Harry's eyes, "Put it on."
Sirius looked between the two, confused.
Luna nodded and covered herself with it, "I will do my best, Dudley… Sirius, you will have to cover my position. I have… things to do. If I don't return, please take care of my daddy. I love you all."
She silencioed her shoes and ran away.
Draco placed his hand on Neville's mouth to prevent him from screaming after her.
"What the fuck is this?" the twins whispered.
Sirius grabbed Dudley, "What did you do?"
"We don't have time. We must go. Now," Draco looked at his watch and pulled Neville behind him before he tried to snatch the map to follow Luna.
"She's not safe alone! Draco! Let go of me!" Neville whisper shouted as he tried to get loose but couldn't.
Draco growled by Neville's ear, "We can't! They will get your grandma, and we must get Dudley's parents. The sooner we rescue them, the sooner we can go after her!"
Sirius whisper shouted. "Twins, Dudley, go! Now!"
They nodded and ran once their shoes were also muted.
"Shh!" Sirius silenced all their shoes and disillusioned them. "Less talking, more running!"
In her 105 years on earth, Augusta Longbottom had been in pain many times. She was a tough woman. But all this time at the mercy of Riddle and his idiotic followers had her feeling twice her age. There wasn't a muscle, bone, or inch of skin that wasn't in constant pain, and she was so bruised that she had forgotten how her skin looked before it was a constellation of purples, greens, and yellows. She had long given up hope that she would leave Hogwarts alive, but she was doing her best so one of those sadomasochists would snap and finally kill her. So far, she had gotten burned. They had broken bones, torn muscles, and tortured with crucios far more times than she could remember. But none of them were gutsy enough to kill her. Ugh. Weaklings. She knew she was on her own. Her grandson would never come to get her out, and she preferred it. Longbottom House couldn't die with her. That was more important than surviving a few more years. She was tired.
Sirius kept watch by the door while Neville and Draco tried to hiss 'Open' the right way.
"Peeves?" Sirius squinted in the dark.
The poltergeist turned and tilted his head at one of the three Harrys. "Padfoot?"
"How do you-?"
"Amortals see through polyjuice… remember?"
"Right. Great. Remember back in seventh year when you said you owed me?"
Peeves rolled his eyes, "Hmm… Yeeeeees. Are we doing something mischievous?" His grin was a fearsome thing to behold.
"The most mischievous you have ever done."
"More than helping get the diadem out?"
"Way more."
"Peeves likes the sound of that," the poltergeist smirked.
"Do you think the ghosts can help us?"
"Help Harry Potter?"
"Yes."
"They are all staying in what was his dorm and avoid Voldypants like the plague, so I think so."
"Perfect. Did you see a girl under a cloak?"
"Yes…"
"Good. We need you to do your best to keep her safe."
"Hmm… How is that mischief?" Peeves frowned.
"Are you refusing to help a marauder?" Sirius looked down at the poltergeist.
"Never. Peeves just wants to know why she matters so much?"
Sirius frowned, "That girl is Harry's sister in all but blood. Harry is the true heir of all the Marauders alive. He is the son of Prongs, Padfoot's godson, and Moony's nephew. If she gets hurt, I promise you he will find a way to make you mortal and destroy you, and then… no more mischief for you. Ever. She's important to Harry and to the resistance's efforts. That's all you need to know."
Peeves pouted, "All you had to say was please and thank you, Padfoot! You always had horrible manners."
"I love you too, Peeves! Do whatever you have to do to help her. Distract, attack, destroy, whatever you need to do. Take these! GO!"
Peeves nodded approvingly at the pouch of mischievous supplies and smirked so evilly that Sirius was glad they were on the same side. Two masked evil minions turned the corner, and Sirius did two exsangues without second thoughts. Then, he rushed to scourgify and disillusion the corpses. He lifted the masks. Macnair had a daughter. Ew. She looked like what she was. The product of extreme inbreeding. He didn't recognize the man with her, but it was probably her husband… and maybe also her cousin with his very similar appearance. He went back into the bathroom when he heard something in the bathroom.
"How am I supposed to know? He hissed a lot of stuff while he was sleeping!" Neville pulled his hair.
"Harry?" a girly voice whispered.
Both Neville and Draco jumped and stood back-to-back, their wands drawn.
"Who's there?" Neville frowned. Myrtle had a high-pitched voice, and this one was deeper and small.
"It's me… M-Myrtle," her head poked from her usual stall.
"Warren?" Neville took two steps toward the voice. "Are you okay?"
Draco turned to the stalls with disbelief. Moaning Myrtle has a last name? Of course, she does, Draco -a voice that sounds a lot like Daphne reprimands him. Warren from the locomotive company Warren? Wow. Trust good old Neville to ask a ghost if she's okay when he's losing his mind about Luna. Merlin, please protect her.
"You shouldn't be here, Harry… It's dangerous…"
"No, it's um… Neville…"
"Oh, you are in disguise… Frankly, I am scared, Nevy… No one comes here to talk to me anymore… Not like you used to. They all throw things and spells at me," Myrtle replied. "And the other kids… they come here to cry and to heal their ghastly wounds… I was ever so glad they got to leave."
"I am so sorry. We are trying to defeat him. But we can't seem to open the Chamber…"
"Oh, I know how. He doesn't care that I am here. I hear him whenever he opens it," Myrtle approached them and hissed. Things started to move, finally.
"Thank you, Myrtle. Harry will appreciate this," Neville smiled slightly.
"Tell him I hope he wins," Myrtle nodded. Neville jumped into the hole.
Draco had a sudden realization. He turned to the ghost, "Do you know Luna Lovegood, Myrtle?"
Myrtle nodded, "Of course. She's my friend. She used to visit me a lot. Is she alright?"
"She… She may not be. Listen, she is in this castle disguised as Harry, trying to help us. We are scared she will get hurt or worse. Please try to protect her. Win her time, cover for her, distract them, and make loud noises… Anything to keep her safe," Draco begged.
Myrtle nodded with determination and left through the nearest wall.
Sirius ran inside, and after a quick update, he took out a Black dagger and did a blood ritual from their Grimoire to keep them hidden and unnoticed. It didn't work for large areas, but it would work for the lavatories and the tunnel. Sirius dragged her bloodied hand down the stone walls of the tunnel. He jumped into the pitch-black hole after Draco, whose air was knocked out after landing on Neville and rubble, so he couldn't warn Sirius not to jump in.
"Oof!"
"What the hell?" Sirius used his reflexes to hold onto the walls and push with his feet and hands to relieve the boys of his weight.
"The t-tunnel is partially c-collapsed. I was trying to make the hole b-bigger when you two landed on me," Neville complained.
"Are you okay?" Sirius asked.
"I will survive. My wrist is probably sprained, though," Neville whispered.
"Draco?"
"I'm f-fine," he grunted.
"We need to give him some room... Draco, climb me like a tree and come sit on my shoulders," Sirius tapped his head.
Draco gasped, "W-What?"
"Oh, for fucks sake, give me your leg, and I'll push you- Ouch! Not that one, the other one... That is NOT my forearm, Draco!"
Draco let go immediately, "Ewwww!"
"Puh-lease! You would only be so lucky!" Sirius grunted as he finally pushed him up.
Draco dry-heaved, "We are cousins! That's gross!"
"Right, how kind of you to say that after you groped me!" Sirius snapped. "Glad to know you are not a homophobic arse, as us being related was your only objection!"
"Shut up, both of you! I need to f-focus. It's too tight in here!"
"That's what she said!" Sirius sniggered.
"UGH! Sirius! Gross!" Draco complained, but Sirius laughed lightly.
"Shh! They'll hear us!"
"No, they won't. I did a Black blood ritual. They can't hear anything in here."
"Okay, then… here goes… Demolire!" Neville pointed his wand.
"NO! Demolire pars, Nevilleeeee!" Sirius yelled, but it was too late.
They were falling in a pile of tangled limbs and a shower of rubble from the demolished tunnel.
"I'm sorry! I forgooooot!" Neville exclaimed as he fell.
Luna was used to being underestimated by those who didn't know her, even by some who did. Under the cloak and borrowing Harry's appearance, she moved silently and undetected through the halls and the staircases. The atmosphere was so dark and eerie. Long gone were the airy, well-lit hallways. The warm light of the lanterns was spelled to have permanent eerie black and blue flames that provided little comfort or warmth. She took a slow, deep breath. It was the same choice of light as Malfoy Manor. She could feel McLaggen's hands gripping her still. No. He is dead. Focus.
She got to the gargoyle and stood to the side of the opening. An argument was occurring inside.
"And if that's true, WHY ISN'T HE HERE?!"
"My Lord… There is something w-wrong with the wards…"
"My wards?!"
"No, sir. Hogwarts'... The lay lines, sir… They are dying. They-"
Magicae Core, Luna thought immediately. I knew it was true. Thank you, Rowena!
"Are you trying to tell me that the core of Hogwarts is actually dying, as in the no-more-protections-no-more-access-to-elemental-magic type of dead? And none of you thought it was important to tell ME?!"
"Sir… We tried… But you crucioed us before we could!"
A slap and a thud echoed inside, and Luna winced a bit.
"That is not an excuse! Is this your idiotic way to tell me you think Potter is here or that he and his army could break in anytime, and I just wouldn't be able to tell?! Because this fucking waste of a school still won't fully embrace me as Headmaster?! Do you realize the seriousness of this?!"
"Yes, sir… We are sorry. Perhaps, if you hadn't done so much dark magic on these grounds, maybe this wouldn't be happening!"
"Gibbons, never presume to tell me off again!"
The sound of gurgling helped Luna imagine what she had already foreseen happening. Gibbons' throat had just been slit. Her window was small, and she would have to make it work. She needed to make Voldemort believe Harry was in different places at once. She needed his people to see her disguised as him. She rushed through secret passages to get to the Astronomy Tower. There were two young Death Eaters there, she poked Harry's head out,
"Expelliarmus!" she said in her best Harry voice, ensuring the wand could also be seen. All her defense training was about to shine, "Stringo duratus! Incarcerous! Silencio!"
The Death Eaters were frozen, tied to each other, and trying to scream, but it was futile. Luna realized she recognized one of them. He had groped Chyou and would have done more if they weren't interrupted. She could see Chyou's horrified face as she struggled to turn away from his disgusting hands. Luna felt anger cool her blood. She placed her wand against Chyou's attacker's neck and turned to the other man. Her eyes burrowed into his. She did a quick "Fraendo arteria!" The rapist's windpipe crushed as if an invisible giant hand had wrapped around it and squeezed with the wrath of a god. So did his arteries. The man's face turned red, then bluish, and his eyes popped as wide as they went. Veins started to burst and fill the whites in his eyes with blood. Luna couldn't feel bad. She felt righteous. She forced herself to imitate Harry's voice and said, "As for you, when you are conscious again, do tell your boss Harry Potter said hi. Stupefy, motherfucker!"
A/N: Thank you for reading! I hope you are safe and healthy wherever you are. How about Harry-Luna's badassery? Things will get worse before they get better. Please don't kill me for splitting it here. If I didn't, it would have been like 16k words, and while some of you say you love long chapters, some really don't. 13k is a happy medium, I think.
As for my whereabouts, first of all, sorry for the wait. I have been suffering from strong dizzy spells. I have contractures from the base of my skull all the way down to my glutes from high stress at work, working overtime, and working on the weekends due to a production peak. There is so much inflammation that not enough oxygen is reaching my brain, and that's why I am getting dizzy. I didn't even know that was a thing, but it is. I have been given a lot of meds, and I already had a session with physical therapy, so #prayformybrainandback. I hope you are all doing much better than I am :) -Lux-