oooOOOoooOOOooo Chapter 18
When Madam Bones walked into the room, followed by Sirius in human form with Moody at his back, everyone at the table almost choked on their excellent tea.
"No!" shouted Remus as he jumped out of his seat. "He's innocent! I swear it!"
Moody rolled his eyes. "We know. You lot really think we're incompetent, don't you?"
Dan set his cup down firmly. "We've seen the incompetence of your Ministry. It's no judgment against you but you have to admit we have reason to be wary, don't you?"
"You can all relax," said Madam Bones, raising her hands in the air to show she meant no harm. "We already questioned him and know the truth."
"Then, Sirius will get a trial, finally?" asked Bill.
Madam Bones sighed. "You know I can't make that happen. I'm sure your father's told you how things work in that quagmire."
"He has," confirmed Bill. Fleur grabbed his hand in fear. He squeezed and looked at her, firmly. Bill wouldn't let them take an innocent man in for a certain dementor's kiss. He knew Fleur had an emergency portkey to France. Bill would just need a distraction and he would use it to escape with Sirius. Fleur understood his thoughts. She passed him the portkey, a silver ring with a heart and a small blue topaz.
"We won't be taking him in, boy, so drop the portkey. He's on Hogwarts grounds - sovereign territory, in case you didn't know. The current majority owner has granted him asylum. As long as we don't see him off of school grounds, we'll leave him be," said Moody, glaring at Bill.
"You will?" asked Tonks, surprised. Madam Bones gave her a particularly firm look.
"Auror, we'll be having a good long chat about you keeping such important information from your superiors," said Madam Bones sternly. Tonks gulped. She was in hot water and she knew it. "Did you even question him before you decided to break the law?"
Tonks looked ashamed. "I listened when he explained?" she asked like it was a question. Moody laughed a mirthless laugh.
"Gods, your training isn't nearly over with yet, is it?"
Tonks slumped down in her seat. "Not anymore, I reckon."
"Too right, auror," said a firm Madam Bones. "There was already one death eater caught on these grounds. I expected you to at least perform the proper protocol to make certain he wasn't a danger to these people. There are children in this school that could have been harmed."
"Yes, Captain," said Tonks, looking at her feet.
"Moody, I'm assigning you to stay here, too, until the tournament is over. We'll need trustworthy eyes on the ground," said Madam Bones. Tonks' hair turned a sickly green color and she looked so ashamed, it was pathetic. "Train your protege."
"Will do, Captain," said the auror, eyeing them all.
Madam Bones turned back to everyone else, a serious look on her face. "You're lucky I believe him or I'd be taking you all in for harboring a fugitive. If we're to trust each other, I need you to be completely honest with me from now on. Understood?"
Everyone agreed. They were all sorry and a little defiant. They wouldn't let one of their own be taken in when they didn't deserve it.
"I suggest you ask for the ICW judicial committee to be present at your trial in France, when you have it. If you're declared innocent internationally, no one will be able to touch you without real trouble," advised Madam Bones.
"That won't stop Fudge. Just, be careful," said Moody. He sat down and started eating some of the excellent sandwiches and soup provided by the elves. A nice cuppa and he was content.
They were all pretty quiet while the small group from Harry's study finished their excellent lunches.
When they finished eating, Madam Bones turned to them all and rolled her eyes. "Here I thought you'd all be happy I decided to follow the letter of the law."
"We are," said Harry, quickly.
"We're just sorry we didn't trust you, Madam Bones," said Sirius, sincerely.
She gave him a small smile. "Let's put it behind us. We still have one more task to complete today, don't we?"
"Except you, Black," said Moody.
"But that's my brother!" said Sirius, upset. He wanted to be there if they found Regulus.
"And if you want to make sure you live to see him, you can't get caught by any other aurors," said Madam Bones.
Sirius looked crushed. Hermione took his hand. "We'll tell you everything. Promise."
Sirius tried to smile but couldn't. He was too upset.
Moody rolled his eyes. "Come on. Let's go."
Everyone except for Sirius, the Grangers, and the Potter twins stood to leave. They all promised Sirius they'd tell him everything.
Harry stopped and stared into Sirius' eyes. "I'll make sure he's safe, Sirius. I promise."
Sirius stared into Harry's eyes and nodded. "I know you will pup. Please, just … find him."
"I will. One way or another, I will," swore Harry.
Everyone turned to the floo and went through to the DMLE.
They arrived at a hubbub of activity. Auror Shacklebolt hurried to meet them when he saw them come through the floo. He raised his eyebrow in question.
Madam Bones nodded. "Two more taken care of," she said. Shacklebolt smiled.
"A good day's work already," he said.
"Too right. Let's go take care of some more," said Moody, gruffly.
"Everyone ready?" asked Madam Bones.
Harry and his group stood off to the side while the aurors organized. They didn't know the exact location of the cave the inferi were housed within. They'd be taking a portkey to Highbridge and searching the seaside until they found it. The aurors were all dressed in mundane special forces uniforms, ready to head out.
"We've alerted the muggles that we're doing a training exercise today. It took a couple of confundus charms and a call to the prime minister's office but we have authorization," reported Shacklebolt.
"Very well. Let's move out," said Madam Bones.
In just a few minutes, Harry, Remus, Bill, Fleur, Hermione, and Gabrielle were joined by about 20 aurors, all in military uniforms. They grabbed a particularly long piece of rope and portkeyed to Highbridge by the sea.
They arrived on a clifftop, overlooking the sea in a remote area. The aurors immediately formed ranks and waited for instructions.
"In teams of four, search for any caves that look like an evil mouth. Don't enter the caves. Just stand outside and look for any wards or signs of magic. Call for me when you find it. Go," Madam Bones instructed.
The aurors moved out quickly under Moody and Shacklebolt's leadership. The two men disillusioned themselves and took to the skies, flying over the seaside, calling for squad leaders to come check out anything they found.
It took almost three hours before they found it.
"Captain," said a small voice from the pin on Madam Bones' lapel. "We found something. Four klicks north of command, right on the surf."
"Roger. Call everyone to come to you. We'll be there," answered Madam Bones.
"Finally!" said Harry. He hated standing around doing nothing. As much as he hated being thrown into crazy situations, waiting around while other people took control of crazy situations was worse.
"Let's go," called Madam Bones. They grouped up and apparated 4 kilometers down the coast to the north. They saw the contingent of aurors and hurried over. They were all standing in front of a cave that had an almost round gaping opening. You could see stalactites and stalagmites reaching towards one another like jagged teeth. Two smaller openings above caught the light and looked like glowing eyes. It was a terrifying sight.
"This is it, Captain," said Moody. He was standing at the gaping opening, peering inside.
They walked over and looked in. It was deep and dark. The only thing you could really see were two beams of light illuminating a small island in the middle of a still lake that looked like black glass.
"What's our best approach?" asked Madam Bones.
"We can either draw them out or drain the lake and uncover whatever's down there," said Moody. He spat on the ground at the feeling of evil permeating the place.
"I suggest we drain the lake. There might be at least one living person down there, correct?" asked Shacklebolt.
Madam Bones nodded. "We have information to suggest such. I concur. Let's prepare and do this right. Someone conjure a very long hose."
Martinson stepped forward and started conjuring. She was a whiz at the art.
"Everyone, attention. We believe this cave is filled with inferi. Fire, beheading, or blowing them to absolute bits is the only way to destroy them. I want my best fire casters up front. We might have a living person somewhere in this mess, so only aim at what's coming towards you. You six, step forward. You'll be summoning them towards us. The rest of you, get ready to behead and blow up anything that sails through the air. I'm going to try to summon our living victim first. Let's move!" shouted Madam Bones.
People started scurrying to get into position.
"What do you want us to do?" asked Harry, eagerly.
"Stand behind those boulders and be prepared to protect yourselves or escape if we start to be overwhelmed," said Madam Bones. Harry protested.
Madam Bones turned to him. "Listen, Harry. This is our job and we're damn good at it. Let us do our work. If I'm able to summon Regulus out of there, then you might need to take off for Saint Mungo's. If they swarm when we start draining the lake, you lot might be the only thing that stops them from spilling out into the streets of Highbridge. Just, please. Do what I ask?"
Harry scowled but nodded. He didn't like this plan but no one really cared if he did. He just needed to listen, not to like it.
Madam Bones went back over to her crew while Harry and his group moved out of harm's way.
The aurors started draining the water from the lake into the sea. As soon as the movement of the water being drained started, the dead started to rise.
Madam Bones cast a summoning charm and a single body flew out of the water. It looked like a statute rather than the living body of someone petrified and trapped at the bottom of a hellish lake for almost two decades.
"Harry," she called. "Catch."
Remus and Bill cast cushioning charms on the ground so the stone-like body wouldn't shatter when it struck. Harry cast a Wingardium Leviosa charm and caught the body about three meters from the ground. Harry set the frozen body of an 18 year old Regulus Black down on the ground. He hadn't aged a day.
Hermione and Gabrielle were all over the boy as soon as he was on the ground. There was nothing they could do for him.
Harry's group turned back to the aurors, unwilling to leave until they were sure everyone would be safe. The dead were coming out of the lake. They came slowly at first, just one or two climbing out of the water, moaning and thrashing as they were burned to ash at the entrance of the cave. A flaming, waterlogged body turning to steam and dust at the mouth of a horrific cave. Then, the avalanche began.
The dead started coming out by the dozens. Decrepit human bodies with flesh and limbs falling to the ground started rushing from the cave in droves. The aurors kept up with it for a few minutes but then they started to be overwhelmed. The walking dead started slipping through the cracks.
Bill, Remus, and Fleur rushed forward, casting flaming spells and reducto spells on the shambling dead. The inferi just kept coming. There were at least 100 of them, climbing over the now towering piles of ash.
"Fall back!" called Madam Bones. The aurors moved away from the entrance to the cave. "Moody, Shacklebolt, Tomaki, Perez, Goode, come here. Fiendfyre on three!"
The aurors moved into position and cast the spell. A half dozen fiendish animals made of bright blue and white flame burst forth from their wands. The animals ran rampant over the horde of inferi, rushing at the dead and consuming them with a mere touch.
The inferi made no sounds as they burned. It was eerily silent but bones and sodden flesh fell in heaps all around the entrance to the cave.
Harry wanted to rush forward and help but he couldn't leave the girls behind with the stone-like body of Regulus. Harry had promised Sirius he'd made sure his brother was safe. It frustrated him that he couldn't really help but he knew his duty was to protect his future brides.
After what felt like an eternity but was really only half an hour or so, the inferi finally stopped spilling out of the cave. The aurors let their spells drop. They were panting and shaking from the exertion of keeping up such powerful spells for such a long time. Goode dropped to the ground. Someone rushed forward and activated a portkey and he was gone.
Madam Bones drank what must have been a pepper-up potion, if the steam shooting from her ears was anything to go by. "Alright, you lot. In teams of four, start cleaning up. Keep your wits about you. Banish it all."
The aurors got to work. Madam Bones came over to talk to Harry's group. She had soot and gunk covering her face and stuck in her hair.
She examined Regulus and shook her head. "There's nothing for it. He'll need medical help. Are you ready to take him to Saint Mungo's?"
Harry had been thinking. He didn't think the hospital was the best place for the boy. "I'd prefer to take him to Hogwarts."
"Why?" asked Madam Bones. She didn't intend to be short but she couldn't understand the move and she was very tired.
"Because no one knows he's alive but us and we might want to keep it that way. Voldemort outed him as a traitor. The death eaters are still out there. Also…"
"What?" asked the tired woman.
"Sirius will want to see him and stay by his side as he recovers, if he recovers," said Harry, seriously. Madam Bones sighed but nodded.
"Fine. Do you need a portkey?" asked Madam Bones. She had other things to worry about right now, like the small gathering of muggles on the hillside, staring down at them all in horror.
She called for Shacklebolt to come give them a portkey. "I'll check in later. Safe travels," she said, then she turned back to the clean up.
Harry's group grabbed the rope portkey that was tied around Regulus' arm and were away.