Meanwhile, at the Ministry of Magic...

LILY XXXV

She paced silently in the empty corridor. There was no one to be seen on the level nine of the Ministry of Magic. As a matter of fact, there was nothing of interest to be seen either at this level. Only one single long black corridor, leading to one single black door, and an opening in the wall that gave on stairs leading to the tenth level of the Ministry, the only one that couldn't be accessed through lift. Lily had gone down those stairs two years ago, during Peter Pettigrew's trial. She didn't think the courtrooms below were used ever since. But it wasn't those courtrooms she was watching over and guarding tonight. It was the entrance to the Department of Mysteries, behind the black door she was pacing in front of, the one she walked through with Amelia Bones a year ago to meet one of the most mysterious people Lily ever came across.

The Order had established a schedule so that at least one person would be guarding this entrance at all time. This evening, it was Lily who would guard it. Nymphadora was supposed to take her place around one in the morning. In the meantime, hidden under one of Moody's invisibility cloaks, she paced in front of the simple door. Some people might think it silly that they devoted so much time and attention to guarding a single door, but those people didn't know what was beyond this door and how dangerous this weapon could be in Voldemort's hands. A weapon that might help him to kill Lily's son.

Lily worried day and night about Harry now. She also raged day and night. She had thought that Dumbledore's interventions would convince at least a part of the wizarding community, but it seemed that all it managed to achieve was to make him lose all his positions, including at the Wizengamot and at the International Confederation of Wizards. Instead of listening to Dumbledore, people relied on the declarations of Cornelius Fudge and his associates, supported by the Daily Prophet. Lily didn't understand how a newspaper that was previously so critical of the Ministry and Fudge himself now drank his words and accepted them as they were without questioning. Dumbledore recently said that it was easier to believe a beautiful lie than to accept a hard truth.

Lily was astonished that Dumbledore managed to remain calm despite everything that was going on. It looked as if the entire world refused to even think about the possibility that Voldemort might be back, despite all the signs of the past year pointing to it. People seemed to react the same way than Fudge at Hogwarts weeks ago. Lily now couldn't get through a single day without at least one person apostrophizing her in the Ministry, declaring her a traitor who only wanted to seed chaos, or calling her a horrible mother for letting her son grow to be so vain and selfish. This was the result of Fudge's propaganda in all its glory. Lily suspected some people, especially those talking about treason, weren't entirely sincere and were doing this essentially to obtain Fudge's favor or to show their loyalty out of fear of being kicked out. Perhaps some people were even paid to do this. But other insults and gazes that people threw at her in the corridors and even in the office, sometimes coming from some of her own colleagues, really hurt.

She simply couldn't believe how people were ready to deny the truth for a false sense of safety. Dumbledore and other important people of the wizarding community were warning them about Voldemort's return, and they refused to even listen. For it wasn't only Dumbledore who warned people about Voldemort's return. Bartemius Crouch Senior, following his sacking, went on a media campaign against the Ministry, denouncing its failures to address threats linked to Voldemort. The Daily Prophet discredited him just like it did with Dumbledore, turning him into an angry old man whose glory was long gone, but he made his words heard in other media outlets, less known and less read, but which managed to reach wizards' homes nonetheless. And he wasn't the only one to speak up. The famous magizoologist Newt Scamander, a member of the Weird Sisters and even a few journalists, among many others, publicly supported Dumbledore in his claim that Voldemort was back. There were even members of the Wizengamot who took his defense when he was removed. But those people were a drop of water in the ocean, and their voices were more often than not quelled by the Ministry's propaganda discrediting them, the Daily Prophet's refusal to communicate their opinion, and most people's refusal to even listen to them even if they heard their words. It seemed hopeless.

Lily suffered personally from this climate of denial and persecution. Above the occasional personal attacks she was now subjected to, she was being kept aside from any significant investigation. She was almost confined to desk duty, some would say. Lily knew that it was an order from Fudge, and people looked down on her as if she was a second class employee. That didn't stop Amelia Bones from keeping her on a secret operation to find Bartemius Crouch Junior, and Lily dedicated most of her time to finding him. It was even more important for her since Harry revealed that this man probably had the Marauder's Map. This meant that Voldemort could see everything happening inside the walls of Hogwarts. Finding him was imperative to ensure her son's safety, and she and Miranda worked tirelessly, in secret, to find him.

Still, it was frustrating for Lily to see the Order limited to a role of surveillance and infiltration. For the Order, just like the Death Eaters, was trying to infiltrate the Ministry as much as possible. However, after over a month of work, things didn't seem to be improving. They watched closely all the known Death Eaters, guarded places that Voldemort could try to access, sent emissaries to the giants, the werewolves and other creatures and groups to prevent them from joining Voldemort, tried to convince as many people as possible of his return, and even raided some of Voldemort's former hideouts, but so far, success was very limited. They were also to ensure Harry's safety, and for that, Lily was thankful that Dumbledore and the others took this very seriously. Despite the magical protection around him supposedly keeping him safe from Voldemort as long as he lived with her, Dumbledore had taken measures to ensure his safety. Several people were looking after him from afar, and at least one person was by his side whenever he wandered outside their home. Despite this, she worried day and night about him. She was afraid every time he left their apartment, and she was also worried about his mental health. She heard him at night when he made nightmares about the events of June 24th. He never talked to her about these, but she heard him when he woke up in the middle of the night, sometimes crying, sometimes even screaming. She never dared to go and console him. She felt a certain barrier had been erected between her and her son, and she feared that she wouldn't be able to help him, or that she may even make things worse. And between her job, her operations for the Order and the secret investigation of Crouch Junior, she had very little time to dedicate to her son. She was almost always exhausted. And when Harry told her about his dreams where he got stuck in front of a black door at the end of a corridor, it didn't make Lily feel any better.

When Harry told her and Dumbledore about the dream he made on Crouch Junior not long before the third task, it worried her a lot. She didn't think that Harry had a gift to see things that happened hundreds of miles away from him. He was no seer. And now with those dreams… When she reported them to Dumbledore, he didn't look surprised, but he seemed disturbed and worried. He confessed to Lily that it might be possible that Voldemort didn't only transfer some of his powers to Harry the night he tried to kill him, but that he might also have created some link between them, which allowed Harry to see events happening around Voldemort, and even to superficially get into his mind. On the other hand, it also confirmed that Voldemort was seeking to enter into the Department of Mysteries, for it was clearly what Harry was seeing in his dreams.

All that made Lily even more determined to guard the door she was standing in front of right now. If Voldemort ever managed to get his hands on the prophecy on the other side of the door, he might use it against her son, and she couldn't allow that. It was her duty to protect her son. She wouldn't let Voldemort approach him again like he did a month ago.

She wondered what her boy was doing right now. She missed spending time with him during summer, but she had to use this time to protect him now. She looked at her watch. They were passed nine o'clock in the evening now. Would Harry still be with Susan at this hour?

These two spent almost all their days together. Lily had to admit that she felt relieved about it. Harry asked her more than once about Ron and Hermione. It was obvious that he missed his two best friends. At least, Susan was there to accompany him. Lily regretted that she didn't get to know the girl better yet. Her time was so precious and full, she couldn't even afford this. At least, their relationship looked more serious than the one Harry had the previous summer. Strangely enough, a part of her seemed to regret this, as if she was partially losing her son by the same occasion. Perhaps it was only because she no longer spent any time at all with him, and she felt her son was again growing up way too quickly. He now had a girlfriend in his life, and they had been together for about eight months now, which seemed like a pretty serious relationship.

Lily shook her head. She had to think about what was best for Harry right now. She had to think about his safety, and she should be relieved if there were people around to support him. She should even feel good about the fact he was growing up and more able than ever to protect himself.

For all her regrets about the fact that Harry was growing up too quickly, Lily was also proud of her son. He managed to survive Voldemort several times now, and the last time he survived him on his own, without help, with all odds against him. He survived through the Triwizard Tournament, despite participating in competitions that were made for people way older than he was. She was impressed by his courage, and also by his will to save other people, sometimes complete strangers. She only wished that he didn't endanger his life so often as a result. She wondered whether James would be as worried as she was or if he would be proud of their son. Maybe both, just like her.

The corridor at the ninth level was empty and silent, as always. Lily had cast a spell muffling the sounds of her steps echoing along the walls. Guarding this door was by far the most boring and tiresome task in the Order right now, as important it was. There was always at least one person guard it, day and night. It was vital to prevent Voldemort and his Allie's from getting inside. Lily had gone once inside this department, and she knew there were mechanisms and spells in place to stop intruders from finding what they wanted, but she also knew these dispositions would not be sufficient alone to stop Voldemort from getting what he wanted. So the Order one additional layer of security. They cast spells to identify each and every person who would enter the Department of Mysteries, making sure they were all Unspeakables. So far, not a single person walked into this place under Lily's guards who were not its employees. Even the Minister didn't seem daring going inside.

Lily cast one more look along the corridor when the lift at the end of it stopped and let someone out. Lily drew her wand under her invisibility cloak and pointed it towards the intruder. She soon saw, however, that the intruder was Nymphadora Tonks, wearing violet hair today. She was supposed to replace Lily around one in the morning. Looking at her watch, Lily saw that she was way in advance. She didn't lower her wand. There was a possibility that someone might take Nymphadora's appearance to trick her. It wouldn't be the first time that Voldemort and his supporters would use this kind of tactics, and her arrival in advance was suspicious. She arrived close to Lily's level and quickly whispered the password.

"Tolkien – Lewis – Sapkowsky."

Lily smiled. No doubt, it was Nymphadora. Early on, members of the Order agreed to choose passwords the Death Eaters would never deem plausible or worthy to look for. Using names of Muggle fantasy authors was one of Dumbledore's ideas to fool them.

"You're ear…" Lily commented under the cloak.

"You've got to go now, Lily. Harry has problems," she hurriedly said.

Lily stopped smiling immediately. "What problems?"

"There's a letter in your office. It's from the Improper Use of Magic Office."

For a moment, Lily said nothing, then she removed the cloak and thrusted it into Nymphadora's hands.

"Guard this door as if your life depended on it."

Lily rushed towards the lift. It was still there after Nymphadora came out of it, so she didn't have to call it back. She pressed on the button leading to her department. The lift made a horrible noise as it climbed. Lily was alone, so it went straight to her destination. She rushed through the door the moment the voice announced her arrival to the Department of Magical Law Enforcement.

As she almost ran through the corridors, the uneasy feeling Lily had the moment Nymphadora spoke kept increasing. The Improper Use of Magic Office was responsible for dealing with all matters of infringement to the International Statute of Wizarding Secrecy. This went from inappropriately dressing in a Muggle area to performing magic in front of Muggles. If Harry was in trouble with this Office, it could only mean one thing.

Lily pushed aside more than one people while heading to her cubicle in the Auror Headquarters. She found the letter in plain sight on her desk and immediately opened it. This was an official letter from the Ministry of Magic, with its official seal and everything, written cleanly and in a professional way, but that didn't make the content of the letter less grave.

Dear Mrs Potter,

We have received intelligence that your son, Harry James Potter, performed the Patronus Charm at thirteen minutes past nine this evening in a Muggle inhabited area.

We have the regret of informing you that this breach of the Decree for the Reasonable Restriction of Underage Sorcery has resulted in your son's expulsion from Hogwarts School for Withcraft and Wizardry. Ministry representatives will be calling at your place of residence shortly to destroy his wand.

As this use of magic is also a violation of Section 13 of the International Confederation of Warlocks' Statute of Secrecy, your son's presence is required at a disciplinary hearing at the Ministry of Magic at 9 a.m. on the twelfth of August.

Hoping you are well,

Yours sincerely,

Mafalda Hopkirk,

Improper Use of Magic Office

Ministry of Magic

Lily remained there, staring at the letter in disbelief. This was… unfair! Ludicrous! They were going to destroy Harry's wand? Like that? They couldn't do that!

Lily was of a mind to head for the Office of Improper Use of Magic and give them a piece of her mind. But she realized immediately it wouldn't be a good idea. They might simply laugh at her. Lily was no longer an employee universally admired in the Ministry. And then, there were the representatives who allegedly were on their way to destroy Harry's wand. She couldn't let them do that. But what could she do? Make Harry disappear? The idea was tempting, but what would she do afterwards? What about his studies at Hogwarts? She couldn't just hide him from the Ministry like that forever.

But there was another option. Seek help. So Lily stood up and rushed to the first person she thought about who could do something about all this. She ignored everything else that wasn't her destination. She didn't even bother to answer the assistant who sat in front of the office and protested when she went to the door. The moment she opened it, the severe eyes of Amelia Bones bore on her.

"Evans, what is it?" she asked.

"Madam Bones, I'm sorry," the assistant was saying. "I tried to tell her to wait, but…"

Lily didn't listen to the assistant, and instead threw the letter on the desk right on front of Amelia Bones. "Can you explain me this?" she asked the Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement with quite a high voice.

The assistant kept telling Lily that she couldn't barge into this office unannounced and without authorization, but Lily didn't care. She stared at Amelia Bones, who stared back at her, probably upset to be talked to on this tone. She nonetheless seized the letter Lily threw on her desk and read it. As she went through it though, her upset expression remained but an increasing frown joined it.

"Can you explain why the Ministry has decided to destroy my son's wand on the pretext that he used magic while not being at Hogwarts?" Lily seethed.

Amelia Bones, though, raised a finger, a gesture indicating she was not to be disturbed, as she kept staring at the letter with a frown even more pronounced than before. She finally looked up at Lily, her eyebrows raised very high.

"When did you receive this letter?" she asked.

"I just found it on my desk. So, may I know what is going on?"

"Well…" Amelia Bones stood up. She seemed quite troubled. "I never gave any authorization for that. So this letter is strange, since to destroy a wand, we need a decision from a disciplinary hearing, with the approval of the director of the Improper Use of Magic Office, the approval of the Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement, and the approval of the Minister himself."

"I don't care what authorizations are required to destroy wands. This letter states that Ministry's representatives are on their way to destroy it."

"I know, I read it," Amelia declared, still calm, which Lily didn't understand. Harry was about to have his wand destroyed, and this woman remained calm, as if everything was normal. "Follow me."

"Where are we going?" Lily asked as she followed the woman out of her office, leaving the dumbfounded assistant behind.

"To the Improper Use of Magic Office. This letter is pretty disturbing, and I want to know what is going on."

This Office of the Ministry was not far away. It was on the same level than the Auror Headquarters, being a division of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement. That was why Lily went to see Amelia first. The Office was under her authority, so she had to know what was going on. But it seemed that she wasn't. They arrived at their destination very shortly.

Pushing a large door, the two women entered the Improper Use of Magic Office. It was a large place full of desks, with usually dozens of people working there, busy scrutinizing the actions of wizards all across the country, especially in Muggle areas, ensuring the respect of the International Statute of Wizarding Secrecy and related laws. Lily had come here a few times. The Aurors sometimes asked information from the Office to advance their investigations. But right now, it was late at night, so there were only a few people. One of them was a small witch with grey hair who Lily recognized as Mafalda Hopkirk. Her name was written in front of her desk. Amelia went straight to her and Lily followed. Mafalda, seeing them approaching, seemed to become even smaller.

"Mafalda," Amelia Bones said, stopping in front of her. The woman stood up, which didn't seem to add much to her height.

"Madam Bones. Is there something I can do for you?"

"Yes." Amelia looked shortly at Lily, who was staring at Mafalda Hopkirk. It was this woman who decided to destroy her son's wand. Amelia then handed the letter to Mafalda. "Did you write this letter?"

Hopkirk took it and took a quick glance at it. "Yes, I did. I also sent it."

"Mafalda, you've been working here for a very long time. So I'm surprised that you wrote this, because you must know that the Ministry of Magic cannot confiscate nor destroy a wand without a proper trial and proper authorizations. This includes mine, and I never gave such an authorization, not to mention that no hearing has been conducted yet to confirm the allegations in this letter."

"Yes, I'm aware, Madam Bones."

"Then why did you write this letter?"

Mafalda seemed to cower even further. "I wanted to warn Mr Potter and his family about what was going to happen."

Amelia frowned further, and Lily did as well.

"Explain yourself," Amelia Bones asked the employee.

"Harry Potter's Trace detected a Patronus Charm at thirteen minutes past nine this evening, and it wasn't at his home. So I informed my supervisor about this, to decide what to do next. And then the director, Mr Atwater, came to see me and told me he would handle this. He instructed me to prepare a letter for Harry Potter explaining to him what was going to happen, and… I sent it."

"Why did you write this letter if you knew that what it said was illegal?" Amelia Bones asked coldly.

"I tried to tell Mr Atwater that we couldn't, but… He told me to let him handle things on his own. I only sent the letter so that Mrs Evans and her son would be informed of what would happen."

For some time, Amelia Bones stared at Mafalda Hopkirk, as if trying to decide whether she was telling the truth or not.

"Evans," Amelia said in the end, "stay here with Mafalda. I need a little discussion with director Atwater."

On that, Amelia Bones headed towards the only closed office of the place and walked into it after its occupant allowed her in. Lily remained behind with Mafalda. The employee was way smaller than Lily, and she avoided her gaze at all costs. But Lily had no pity for this woman right now.

"So, you can tell me what this is about?" Lily harshly asked the other woman. "The Ministry is now violating his own laws to harm my son?"

"I never wanted any of this to happen, Mrs Evans. I swear," Hopkirk said with a very small voice. "It wasn't my decision."

"But you sent that letter nonetheless," Lily accused her.

"I thought it would be better if you were warned than if the representatives showed up at your home unannounced."

"Oh, yes, this is a very noble feeling," Lily retorted in a very sarcastic tone. "I suppose that if it had been any other child who used magic, you would simply have sent a warning. But since this is my son, since this is Harry Potter, you jumped on the opportunity to cause him problems."

"I swear that it was never my intention, Mrs Evans. I was just trying to help…"

"Help? Help how?"

Mafalda Hopkirk opened her mouth, but before she could utter a single word, two other people walked into the Office. Two people who Lily would have never have thought to see walking side by side again. Albus Dumbledore and Cornelius Fudge. Both looked furious. Dumbledore's expression, however, changed entirely the moment he saw her, and he smiled.

"Lily. I see you're already here," he said.

"What are you doing here?" Fudge asked between his teeth, clearly unhappy to see her, unlike Dumbledore was.

"I'm looking for answers as to why I received a letter announcing that my son was expelled from Hogwarts, that his wand was going to be destroyed, and that he would be subjected to a trial when he did nothing," she declared, barely controlling her rage.

"Nothing? Nothing?!" Fudge burst. "Your son used magic illegally. In an area inhabited by Muggles! This is a crime!"

"A crime?" Lily scoffed. "Even if he did it, it is far from being a crime."

"We clearly have a different view over what a crime is, Cornelius," Dumbledore said kindly.

"Harry Potter used magic illegally!" the Minister roared. "You may give him a special treatment because he is famous, but he won't get any from my Ministry. He's going to pay for what he did."

"Assuming he did it," Dumbledore countered. "For now, you haven't been able to prove it was Harry who did it, Cornelius, and until you do, there is nothing you can do against one of my students."

Fudge was about to reply when Amelia reappeared from the office of the director of Improper Use of Magic. She looked at the small group of people who gathered.

"Minister. Dumbledore. I see you are here," she stated as a matter of fact.

"Indeed, I am," the headmaster replied. "When the Ministry decides to expel one of my students, which is out of its sphere of competence…"

Fudge was about to open his mouth, but Amelia beat him to it. "We apologize, Dumbledore. I've been talking to some of my employees, and they have proved to be overzealous in their application of the law. The Ministry indeed does not decide whether or not someone can attend Hogwarts. This kind of decision only regards its headmaster and its Board of Governors." She then turned to Lily. "As for the matter of your son's wand, Evans, the representatives who were to confiscate it have been recalled. The Ministry does not confiscate wands without giving the chance to its owner to defend his case."

Lily was relieved. Fudge, on the other side, was fuming.

"However," Amelia resumed, "I'm afraid that your son is indeed in trouble. His Trace registered a Patronus Charm while he was in an area inhabited by Muggles. As a consequence, he will face a disciplinary hearing."

Lily stared at the woman who was her superior in the Ministry. "You want to put my son on trial?"

"This is not a trial. This is a disciplinary hearing. It is not rare for the Ministry to do so, even with adult wizards. It will take place on August 12, as indicated in the letter you received. In the meantime, you could consider your son to be… suspended, for lack of a better term."

"This may be your view of the situation," Dumbledore said, "but Harry is one of my students, and as long as I will be headmaster of Hogwarts, he will remain one of my students as long as I see fit. It is not to the Ministry to decide this."

"And how will you justify keeping him when he is declared guilty?" Fudge asked, a smile on his lips.

"For now, Harry Potter is not guilty," Amelia Bones declared. "He is suspected of using magic illegally, and his hearing will determine the appropriate course of action to take. In the meantime…" She looked straight to Mafalda. "We should inform Mr Potter that his wand is not to be destroyed. I will not tolerate for my department to give the impression it is violating the laws it must enforce."

Mafalda Hopkirk nodded and ran away to another desk, writing feverishly.

"Now, Evans," Amelia turned to her, "when was the last time you took time off?"

If Lily expected a question, it was certainly not this one. "Pardon me?"

"Since you completed your training, you haven't taken a single day off. I believe you should take some, to spend time with your son."

"I think it is a very good idea," Dumbledore agreed, almost to Lily's surprise, placing a hand on her shoulder. "Right now, Harry needs you, Lily." He then added in a whisper only she could hear. "He's in trouble if he had to use the Patronus Charm."

Lily frowned for a moment, then it dawned on her. She had been so upset about the Ministry's decision to confiscate her son's wand that she didn't take time to think why Harry would cast a Patronus Charm outside Hogwarts.

"Please excuse me, but I have to go," she said.

Without further explanation, she left for the lifts. Her mind was running wildly. A Patronus could have multiple uses. Many who managed to create one used it as a means of communication. However, although Harry was a very talented student and managed to master this charm at a very young age, she doubted that Remus taught him to use a Patronus this way. He had taught Harry to create a Patronus for one very specific reason, and if Harry truly used this spell tonight…

The lift opened on the atrium. It was empty. Lily barely got out that a note went flying to her. She recognized the paper. It was the same she and Miranda used to communicate about their secret investigation on Crouch Junior. She quickly opened it and read the note.

I will be presiding your son's disciplinary hearing. To maintain my impartiality, we are not to exchange any communication until the hearing. Savage will keep me informed on the progress of your work. Keep searching for him.

Lily recognized the writing of Amelia Bones, and she knew she was talking about the search for Bartemius Crouch Junior. The moment she finished reading it, the letter consumed itself and disappeared, leaving no trace. For now, however, Lily had more urgent matters to attend. As soon as she was close enough to the fireplaces, she Apparated.

She arrived in the entrance hall of the Abandoned Tower, empty as well at this hour, and rushed up the stairs to her apartment.

"Harry!" she shouted as soon she walked through the door of her apartment. "Harry, are you fine?"

No answer. Lily searched the entire apartment, but there was no trace of her son. She began to fear the worst. There were two letters from the Ministry on their table. They were probably the messages about his hearing and his violation of law. But there was no trace of Harry. If he wasn't in their apartment at this hour, where could he be? There might be a person who knew where he was.

A moment later, Lily was knocking on the door of the apartment where the Bones were living. His girlfriend might know where Harry was, considering they recently spent all their days together. To her great surprise and relief, it was Harry who answered at the door.

"Harry! You're fine."

She hugged him tightly. "Yes, I'm fine. We're both fine," he said.

"I came as fast as I could." She looked closely at her son. He looked a little pale. "Dementors?"

He nodded. It was what she feared.

"They didn't hurt you?"

"It's fine. We're both fine," he repeated. "But it was close. Susan… They almost got her."

"What?"

He made her a sign to follow him. Lily walked into the apartment, and she indeed found Susan on a couch, almost cowering into it, her hands crossed. She looked up when Lily walked in, and she stood up.

"Mrs Evans."

Lily noticed immediately how she was shaking. Harry, in comparison, looked fine enough.

"What happened?"

Harry and Susan went on to explain what had happened. They had gone out at the end of the afternoon and only came back late in the evening, as darkness was falling. It was on their way back home that two Dementors ambushed them. One cornered each of them. At this moment of telling the events, Susan got very silent, and it was Harry who told most of the story. He attempted to create a Patronus a few times, before finally succeeding and throwing both Dementors away. They then came back to the Tower and stayed in Susan's family apartment ever since.

"Do you think it was Voldemort? Have the Dementors joined him, like Dumbledore thought?" he asked. Susan remained silent in her corner.

"It's possible. But… No one came to help you?" Lily asked.

This wasn't normal. There was supposed to be at least one member of the Order watching over Harry at all time. Where was he or she now?

"No," Harry answered. "It was the night, and we were in an abandoned alley. There was no one around. Anyway, I don't think anyone could have helped us. Remus told me that the Patronus Charm is not mastered by many wizards."

That was quite true. Lily even knew an Auror or two who couldn't master it. "Harry… you are sure that there was no one around?"

"Yes, I'm sure," he repeated, sounding slightly exasperated.

Lily was confused. And furious. There was supposed to be someone watching over her son. She needed a good word with Dumbledore right now. Her gaze fell upon Susan, who was looking at her shoes.

"Susan, where are your parents?" she asked the girl.

"Er… I think they're still at work," she replied, sounding confused. Lily supposed this was the result of her recent encounter with Dementors. Lily herself was traumatized when she first saw them.

"Okay. Write to them and tell them to come home immediately." She turned to her son. "Harry, you stay here. You don't leave this apartment and you don't open the door to anybody, except Susan's parents."

"Wait, you're leaving?" he asked, incredulous.

"Only for a few hours, maximum. I've got measures to take. I'm afraid we're no longer safe here."

"Do you mean… we must leave?"

"Probably. But I must make arrangements first. You stay here in the meantime. And don't use magic again, unless your life is in danger. We already have enough problems with the Ministry like it is."

"What? Have I been expelled?"

"No." Not yet, at least. "They tried, but Dumbledore and I stopped them. You have a disciplinary hearing on August 12 about that. Everything should go well. It is Susan's aunt who is going to preside your hearing."

"My aunt." This seemed to take Susan out of her catatonic state. "She knows what happened?"

"Yes, she does. But for now, we have more important things to take care of. Harry, you wait for me here. I'll be back soon."

Lily turned her heels and left the apartment. She couldn't bring Harry with her. The Fidelius Charm would stop him from getting inside the headquarters of the Order of the Phoenix, and she couldn't leave him out while she tried to get him in from Dumbledore. He was safer in the Tower, as doubtful it might feel now that he was attacked by Dementors.

Two minutes later, after an Apparition and the protection spells of the 12 Grimmauld Place let her in, Lily entered the smelly dark hall of the headquarters. The moment she walked in, people almost jumped on her, first among them being Ron and Hermione.

"Is Harry alright?" Ron asked.

"Is true? Did Dementors attack him?" Hermione further asked.

It seemed the rumours spread quickly. But this time, the rumours were true.

"Lily, how is your son doing?" Arthur asked her.

"He is shaken, but fine," she answered. "I left him home. I couldn't bring him here. But I believe…"

"Dumbledore is on his way. He will be here in a few minutes. Most of the Order has already gathered."

"What are you two doing here?" Molly burst all of a sudden, looking at Ron and Hermione. "I told you to stay in your chambers."

"But Harry…" Ron protested.

"Harry is fine. Let the adults take care of those things. There's nothing you can do right now. Up to your chambers."

Both adolescents protested, wanting to know what would happen to Harry. Lily couldn't blame them. She saw Ron and Hermione a few times since they arrived in Sirius' house, and they always asked her for news about Harry. No wonder they were concerned for him. She was as well. But Molly was right. There was little those children could do right now.

"Come. We all gathered in the kitchen and dining room," Arthur indicated.

Lily went there. Once inside, she was surrounded by many people who bombarded her with questions. Sirius and Remus were the most pressing, for obvious reasons.

"Lily? How is Harry?" Sirius asked before everyone else.

"He's okay. Has Dumbledore arrived?"

"Not yet," Remus answered. "He should be here very…"

The front door of the house opened at this moment, and Albus Dumbledore walked in. He came into the kitchen, but before someone could ask anything, he raised a hand, and everyone shut up. He put a comforting hand on Lily's shoulder, then invited with a gesture everyone to sit down. The dining room was a cramped space, so some of them had to remain standing. Lily looked around and saw that most people of the Order were present. There were some exceptions, such as Nymphadora who was guarding the Department of Mysteries right now, and Severus as well who wasn't there, but most were present. She wondered who among them failed to protect her son tonight.

"First, before everyone asks, I will tell you what we know so far," Dumbledore declared. Everyone listened to him. "A little after nine o'clock tonight, Harry Potter used a Patronus Charm. The Ministry of Magic then tried to confiscate his wand very quickly, but we managed to prevent that from happening. As of now, Harry is to present himself to the Ministry on August 12 for a disciplinary hearing. Amelia Bones is to preside this hearing, so we can expect that Harry might get out of this trouble. However, this is not our main concern right now, but rather the circumstances in which Harry used a Patronus Charm."

Dumbledore turned to Lily, and everyone else followed his gaze.

"Lily, have you spoken to Harry? Is it what we suspect?" he asked.

"It is," she retorted, angry at the somewhat stupid question. "Harry was assaulted by two Dementors tonight."

As the confirmation of the attack sunk in, everyone in the room gasped. Lily, however had nothing to do of their concerns.

"And now, I would like to know how this happened. I thought someone was supposed to watch over my son the whole time in case this would happen. Where was this person tonight?"

She had spoken very loudly, and everyone looked terrified at her. She then looked to Dumbledore, who seemed sorry, but this only made her angrier after him and all the others. They were supposed to protect Harry, and they let Dementors attack him.

"Wasn't it Mundungus Fletcher who was on watch today?" Emmeline Vance asked out of nowhere.

Everyone including Lily looked at her. And Lily couldn't believe what she just heard.

"Mundungus Fletcher. Mundungus Fletcher!" she said in disbelief before turning to Dumbledore. "You left the safety of my son in the hands of a crook and a thief?"

"Where is he?" Sirius asked all of a sudden, looking furious as well.

"Not here," Dumbledore said. "I will need a long word with him." From his gaze, it was obvious that Mundungus Fletcher was not going to have a very good time when he would come face to face with Dumbledore. "For now, however, our priority is Harry's safety. Where is he right now?"

"Still at our home. I couldn't bring him here because…" she began.

"We know. The Fidelius Charm. Well, this is something that will have to change. Harry is no longer safe where he lives. We must move him here as soon as possible. And…"

Just as Dumbledore was continuing to speak, the door of the house was heard opening. A few moments later, Severus Snape entered the kitchen, the same dark and pale expression on his face as ever.

The atmosphere cooled down at his entrance. Severus was an important member of the Order, especially considering he was one of their very few spies who had direct access to Voldemort, but he was little appreciated. Between his general displeasing behaviour and the foul history with some people gathered here, such as Sirius and Remus, few people liked him. Even Lily, despite the fact she got along better with him since he saved Harry over a year ago, could not tell that she appreciated him. She couldn't forget that it was because of him that James died, and Severus didn't make it easy when it came to forgive him.

"Severus, what news?" Dumbledore asked.

"I went to see the Dark Lord as you ordered, Dumbledore," Severus replied on flat tone as he took place around the table. "He looked intrigued and even surprised when I told him about tonight's attack. I don't think he's the one behind it."

"What do you mean, he's not behind it?" Sirius asked, disbelieved. "You're saying that it's not Voldemort who sent those Dementors after my godson?"

"I'm saying from his reactions that he doesn't seem to have ordered them to do so. But the mind of the Dark Lord is very hard to enter."

"Who else would send Dementors after the young Harry Potter?" Hestia Jones asked.

"A very good question, and one we must find an answer to," Dumbledore declared. "But for the immediate time, we need to ensure Harry's safety. Severus, could you make an impression over whether Voldemort would soon make a move on Harry?"

"Not that I know of. For now, the Dark Lord is still focusing on rebuilding his forces. He doesn't want to bring attention on him, not yet. This is further reason to doubt he ordered the assault. An attack of Dementors is risky in the current context and would bring too much attention on him," Severus explained. "It is possible that one of his servants gave an order without his approval. I wouldn't be surprised if he interrogates many of them in the next hours and days."

"I find it unlikely that a Death Eater could approach the Dementors," Kingsley said. "Ever since Voldemort's return, we have been keeping a close eye on Azkaban, and even the Department of Magical Law Enforcement increased the supervision on the place. People need a special authorization to go to Azkaban, and they can never be alone. It is even forbidden for employees of the Ministry who are not from the Department of Magical Law Enforcement to go there, and all the Death Eaters who work at the Ministry are working in other departments."

"Let's not jump to conclusions, Kingsley," Dumbledore said. "It is still possible that someone got around the surveillance on Azkaban. Lord Voldemort has many means to make people do his will. But for now, let's ensure Harry's safety. Lily, Sirius, Remus, return to the Abandoned Tower and bring Harry here immediately. Alastor, Kingsley, Emmeline, you will follow them in secret. Make yourself invisible and ready to intervene at the first suspicious sign. Use Muggle means of transportation to come here."

"Wouldn't it be better to simply Apparate?" Lily asked. She was glad that they finally decided to bring Harry here, but she feared he would be in danger while moving. "The Death Eaters would have too many opportunities to take action while we use subways or buses."

"I understand, but this is a risk we must take," Dumbledore said. "I doubt Voldemort would risk an attack in a Muggle area. The Ministry of Magic monitor them too closely. Anyway, we cannot make Harry Apparate, given what he is accused of right now. I'm afraid that for now, the Ministry is more dangerous than Voldemort for Harry."

She didn't share this opinion. "Forgive me, but my son was just attacked by Dementors. So I don't believe saying Voldemort is not threat is accurate."

"This is not what I said, Lily. This time, we will take serious precautions. There will not be a single time when Harry is not watched by at least six people. And we will position other people along your route to make sure no surprise is waiting for you."

"Still, it would be safer if we simply used Side-Along Apparition. We would get him straight here this way, without any risk."

"I understand, Lily, but we cannot take the risk that the Ministry accuses Harry of illegal use of Magic again. I don't think Cornelius will hesitate to make further accusations the moment he sees magic performed around Harry. Again, I'm afraid that right now, the Ministry is a greater threat than Voldemort."

"Don't worry, Lily," Remus said. "We will watch over Harry."

Lily hesitated for a moment. "Okay. But you better keep Mundungus Fletcher far from me, for the next time I see him, I kill him," she said.

"I will deal with Mundungus. You have my word, Lily. But now, you must bring Harry here," Dumbledore declared.

At least, they agreed upon this. The priority was to put Harry to safety. This meant bringing him to the 12, Grimmauld Place immediately.

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