I certainly have no rights to Harry Potter, but this won't stop me writing this story. However, you probably already know this. As it is my specialty, and as in my other big stories, this shows how things go if something went different right at the beginning. Please note that I'm not a fan of bashing and also don't expect the two main pairings to differ from canon. However, the path to them certainly will be quite different. I also want to try and subvert certain plots and things that became common in the fandom over the years.
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Chapter 76: When the Curtain Falls...
John Major looked down into Downing Street, but his thoughts were somewhere entirely else.
He had tried everything, had moved it to the last possible moment, but in the end it had not helped. The Tories had been fated to lose badly anyway, but if anything, the situation the United Kingdom was in had only made it worse. It in the end had led to the same outcome, that the Tories had lost the general elections catastrophically. The defeat was so complete that it had sent shockwaves through the entire party.
Looking down into Downing Street, he remembered the events of earlier today.
He had stood down there in the morning, before the press in front of No. 10, admitting the crushing defeat and that he very soon would go to the Queen and declare his resignation as well as stepping down as the leader of the Tories. This already was shaping up to be one of the most difficult days in his life, and it was sure to get even difficult while he was waiting in his soon to be former office.
'When the curtain falls, it's time to get off the stage'. Yes, I put it perfectly There is no more space for me on the political stage, Major thought, remembering his words which were sure to be all over the newspapers.
"I know this must be hard, putting that on top of all the troubles already resting on your shoulders."
Turning around, Major looked at his guest. Minister Bones had arrived due to the fact that she had to talk with him about the change in government in such difficult times. That reminded him that he also had discussed the whole issue with the Queen. Now that Minister Bones was being present anyway, he had invited the Labour leader, Tony Blair, for a discussion about the change in power. Blair would have no idea what else that discussion would involve.
"Losing is never easy, Madam Bones. However, the moment for a change in government couldn't have been more untimely," Major told her. "I remember my own introduction to magical matters and there is no way we can afford something like that in these times."
"No, most certainly not." She did remember hearing how Fudge had introduced himself to Mr. Major. "Even if we disregard how condescending Fudge was, we need to ensure a smooth transition with your successor."
-bzzzzzt- That was the intercom. Major answered it "Yes?"
"Sir, Mr. Blair is here, as requested."
"Send him in." Major knew, those explanations would utterly confuse his successor, so in a way he was glad to have Madam Bones being present.
A few moments later the door opened and Tony Blair walked in. The man entering was radiating a kind of youthfulness, despite only being ten years Major's junior. He also was still radiating the triumph of the won general election and turning the Tories into a shadow of their former self.
"Good day, Mr. Blair. You can possibly already imagine part of why I asked for this meeting, don't you?" Major was not in the mood for unneeded pleasantries.
Blair didn't seem to mind. "I can imagine it is connected to the fact that this soon will be my office, am I correct? By the way, I was impressed with your speech. You sure know how to make an exit." He then looked to Bones. "However, I didn't expect someone else to also be present. Please introduce me."
"Gladly. Anthony Charles Lynton Blair, this is Amelia Bones. Amelia Bones, this is Anthony Charles Lynton Blair, my successor in this office," Major introduced them.
"Please, no one uses my full name. I've been going by Tony Blair for most of my life." He nonetheless shook hands with Madam Bones, raising an eyebrow at her monocle. "Pleased to meet you, though I honestly can't place which position you are holding that you are in Downing Street."
"Oh, trust me, Mr. Blair, that is a really interesting story and I'm here so that you are well-informed about certain matters when your term begins. That's why Mr. Major asked for your presence in the first place," Bones told him while all three of them sat down in the seats surrounding a small table.
"Well, a quick question first. Do you believe in magic?" Major asked Blair.
Blair snorted at the question. "No offense, but did the election campaign exhaust you so much that you suddenly started to believe in it? I for my part think that any kind of hocus-pocus is a scam only meant to fleece simple minds."
Hearing Madam Bones sigh, Major looked to her. "It is up to you to make him re-think his position."
She then pulled out her wand, knowing a good demonstration was needed. "Now, watch carefully..."
She spent the next ten minutes shattering Tony Blair's view of the world. Granted, what she was doing was small stuff for a competent witch like her, but to someone who never before had come into contact with magic, it was like Pandora's box was opened. After the demonstration Blair needed just as long to come to terms with it.
"I would have never thought... And you have dealt with that for years?" It seemed that Blair still was struggling a bit with the revelation that magic was real.
"Ever since I took over as Prime Minister." Major made no secret of how difficult that aspect of his job had been over the years. "However, there is more."
"Yes, recently the situation has become highly volatile, and you need to know what is going on," Bones said, before she started to explain, with the soon-to-be Ex-Prime Minister adding to it.
The explanation of the war situation and the backgrounds took almost half an hour and by the end of it Blair looked like he wished he had never aspired to become Prime Minister. Major took some pity on his successor and gave him a glass with Gin, which Blair was seriously needing by that point. He didn't know how much his nerves could take, after all.
"Great God... I'm taking over a country in the middle of going through a massive terrorist campaign," Blair said after drinking half of the glass in one go. "I'm starting to understand why you seemed so tired during the election campaign."
"That was a big contributing factor." Major felt like the stress had really cost him several years. "Perhaps Minister Bones can give you a more detailed briefing later?"
"That would be for the best. Today already did hold too many surprises," Blair admitted, still trying to process all of it.
Madam Bones understood that it was kind of overwhelming. "That is no problem. Just address the portrait when you want to make an appointment."
Blair honestly accepted talking to a painted portrait at face value after what he had already witnessed. He also was not surprised when Bones vanished into green flames in the fireplace. Honestly, after this day not much could surprise him anymore. However, he would very soon learn not to say or even think such things.
"Mr. Blair, perhaps you can accompany me? There are certain important things you need to know before you take office."
Blair actually dreaded by now what Major could show him next.
o
When writing his memoirs years later, Tony Blair would openly admit that this had been the strangest and most exhausting day in his entire political career. He would even sneak in that he had become kind of scared at all the revelations made to him at that day.
Now in the present however, Blair sat in the conference room of the headquarters of MI-X, still digesting the explanations given to him by Major and Mr. Clifton, the head of this agency. While it was a relief to him that the government was not helpless against the enemy, the sheer scale of the apparatus that had been built in secret was intimidating.
"I know this is a lot to take in, but in such critical times we can't allow ourselves to have confusion with our connection to Downing Street," Mr. Clifton told Blair, understanding how the man must be feeling.
"No, you are correct in that I need to know. It actually lessens my troubles somewhat to know that we are not helpless against that threat," Blair admitted. "Though, I honestly need more help. Being thrust into the middle of this chaos I don't have the needed time to understand everything."
Major sighed. "I know. That is why I offer to help you out for the duration of this crisis. My party hopefully never learns that me as a soon-to-be backbencher is helping out a Labour prime minister."
Blair was impressed. Politically, the two of them had been bitter rivals the past few years, so it must have taken Major considerable strength to go that step. He then thought of something. "I forgot to ask, but is Her Majesty also in the know?"
"Yes, very much so. As is her closest family, though the dirty laundry of the royal family in recent years made that a bit of a hair-pulling issue." It seemed Mr. Clifton was quite annoyed by that fact. "In fact the old treaties regarding Magical Britain stipulate, that if the treaty is broken, control is returned to the monarch, though the treaty is specifying that it can also mean any government empowered by the monarch. Though, breaking that treaty would open a really nasty can of worms."
Blair now looked concerned. "How nasty are we talking about?"
"If the treaty is declared broken, it would shatter many enchantments bound to the Ministry; and you wouldn't believe how many are tied to it. Should that happen, it very much means the mask is ripped off and things are out in the open," Clifton explained.
Blair now honestly wished this day would have never happened. "I can not even start time imagine the consequences that. How likely is it that that could happen?"
Now Major looked even more concerned. "The possibility has risen significantly. That's actually a regular topic I've had with other European leaders. You would do well to meet with them as soon as possible."
Blair now knew for sure that this was the fastest and worst possible hang-over after a won general election... and he was not even Prime Minister yet.
...the morning of May 6th, Hogwarts...
For once a different topic other than the war was on the top headline of newspapers in Magical Britain - though the war of course still dominated the other headlines on the front page easily. That was little wonder, since the news coming from Norway were nothing less than a massive hit against the status quo.
In fat headlines the newspapers reported on what boiled down to nothing less than the end of Durmstrang as a magical school.
It honestly had only been a matter of time. Stogardson being a weak Deputy, he had run away mere days after their delegation had returned from the Triwizard Tournament, and that had opened the floodgates for numerous factions to battle for control over Durmstrang. Thing was, it was that very struggle that already made it cease being an actual school a mere two months later, since no parent was insane enough to send their children into what essentially was an active war zone.
The Norwegian Ministry was not sad about the struggle, since it diminished Durmstrang as a rogue element and allowed them to finally gain full governmental control over education inside of Norway. Since there were so many who wanted to be 'Caliph instead of the Caliph', the struggle at Durmstrang had lasted almost two years, but now the end finally had come, and there was only one winner.
At the tables, there was lots of discussion over that.
"That is a wonderful case study for unchecked ambition. They continued fighting even though chasing all students away had already robbed Durmstrang of its purpose," Zabini commented, making no secret that he thought of all sides in that struggle as utter fools.
"In that they destroyed the very prize they faught over, or that they continued fighting even after the school essentially became worthless?" Daphne wondered.
"Both. Wonderful example how unchecked ambition can make you really dumb," Zabini commented dryly, feeling this should be a future reminder to all Slytherins that ambition had to be tempered.
Dudley meanwhile looked further down the article in the newspaper. "Well, those that are still alive will now enjoy the justice system. With no Durmstrang there anymore to shield them from the consequences of their actions..."
"Oh yes. They became utter dicks and bitches because they felt safe from any consequences of their actions." Millicent shook her head. "It's a reminder what people do once their actions have no consequences for them."
Over at the Gryffindor table, the discussion was going in a different direction.
"You mean they managed to blow almost a quarter of Durmstrang to pieces with that last clash? Granted, they at that point had mostly reduced it to a wreck with all the conflict, but that's still impressive," Seamus said with a whistle.
"Oh, it gets even better," Harry said, pointing at a different part of the article. "Having a quarter of the school reduced to rubble in one go finally shattered all wards keeping everyone else out. The Norwegian magical law enforcement then marched in, arrested everyone and is now searching through the place for anything that can be salvaged."
"Kind of an embarrassing end for Durmstrang, considering how they prided themselves to be one of the top magical schools in Europe," Dean commented, as he did remember a few snobby students from Durmstrang back in fourth year, who had honestly thought their school was above all others.
Hermione on the other hand frowned a bit while thinking about it. "Certain circles won't like what happened. It'll make them feel that they have to hasten their agenda."
Everyone knew that Hermione meant those who supported the Death Eaters, or were part of them. Durmstrang naturally was a place much to their liking, and seeing it fall, and the authorities arrest everyone involved while picking up the pieces, was bound to be a motivator for them to grab power before anything like that could happen to them.
"Makes sense in a sick way," Parvati said while leaning back. "After all, I've read that what happened in America near the end of the 60s made many of the more fanatical families in this country throw in their lot with Voldemort, fearing something like that could happen to them as well."
"It is interesting to observe, that by allying themselves with him, they in the long run sealed their own doom," Luna observed. "The only thing service to Lord Voldemort has done to them is to grind them down in a war of attrition. Each loss on their side is irreplaceable, though they don't seem to see that fact."
Again, Luna showed insights where others didn't see anything.
That moment, a late post owl arrived, that one looking rather foreign. It dropped a letter close to the Six and then left without even making a single sound. "That was a rather rude owl," Colin commented a bit further down the table.
"It's addressed to Ron," Ginny said, unable to place the handwriting.
"Who could write to me? It's not an owl I recognized." Confused, Ron opened the letter and his eyebrows went up. "It's a letter from Viktor Krum and he's writing to all of us; says that it's addressed to me since he remembers my excellent Quidditch tactics."
"Don't let it go to your head," Ginny teased her brother while he put the letter flat onto the table so that all of them could read it.
...and I do hope this letter finds all six of you in good health, despite events taking place in your country.
You undoubtedly have already heard of the demise of Durmstrang and I can add that I for my part am not sad in the slightest to see it cease to exist. As much as they acted like they were distancing themselves from Grindelwald, them refusing to remove his sign, which he had carved into a wall, spoke a different language.
There is much more I would like to say, but which is difficult to express in a letter. Thankfully, I will be a guest at the wedding of Fleur Delacour and William Weasley. Due to me and Fleur staying in contact even after the tournament, she has invited me as a guest for the wedding. Better know that many former Durmstrang students are very grateful for your role in causing Karkaroff's downfall, which lead to the implosion of Durmstrang...
The letter went on for some more, but that was the meat of it.
"I honestly had no idea that Fleur is still in contact with Krum. Fleur never said a word about that," Ron said, surprised at that revelation.
"Girls like to have their secrets, Ronald," Luna told him. "Though it does make sense that they did feel a companionship due to both of them having gone through the tournament. Perhaps she can also empathize with how his fame has isolated him from others."
"Well, it does make sense, since her Veela powers had isolated her as well for a long time." Harry then gave Luna an interesting look. "You can empathize with that as well?"
"Yes, me being different made most avoid me." Luna knew things had become much better over the years, but the memories would never fade completely, especially with her understanding things that back then hadn't bothered her.
Neville meanwhile thought about Krum. "No wonder he's enjoying the news that Durmstrang is gone. That place had only made him miserable, especially since they had forced him to attend."
"A part of me takes perverse pleasure that someone else also will get these news of Durmstrang being gone. He won't be happy at all hearing that," Harry said cryptically.
His friends understood right away that Harry meant Karkaroff. While all of them were disgusted by the man and knew he was now getting what he had long evaded, Harry outright dispised the man. That was little wonder due to Karkaroff's attempts on Harry's life, not to speak of the fact tat he was a Death Eater who was regretting none of his crimes.
"You think they will give him the news?" Ron wondered.
"It's connected to his former occupation, so they most likely will tell him," Hermione said. "Too bad we probably never will learn of his reaction."
While they would never learn of it, later that day in a secret prison somwhere in England, a whole stream of horrible Russian curses came out of the prison cell that had been the home of Igor Karkaroff for almost two years by this point.
Life had not been easy for Karkaroff ever since his arrest. The mark, which was constantly burning on his arm by this point, reminding him that in the outside world nothing but death would wait for him. And while this place most certainly was a place where the Dark Lord never would look for him, it still meant that he would spend the rest of his life in this place.
Getting the news that Durmstrang without him had self-destructed utterly in less than two years finally did it, and he now felt like drowning himself in the toilet, though he knew the guards would never allow him such an easy escape from his punishment.
Now it really sucked to be Igor Karkaroff.
...May 11th, Black mansion in Essex...
Ever since the war had begun in earnest, there was much work for the Order of the Phoenix. That was in no small part due to how dysfunctional the Ministry had already become and was showing no signs of getting any better. They thus had their hands full with not only trying to stop dark plots and apprehend Death Eaters - which actually was a smaller part of their duties - but also very much with helping Magical Britain to get through this storm.
Their ranks had consolidated nicely - which in no small part was due to the political backing from mainly Dumbledore and Sirius as well as the financial support Sirius was giving the Order - which was making their job easier. Many openly admitted that without the Black resources at their disposal, they would've had a much harder time.
Right at this moment, a meeting was being held in the Black mansion in Essex.
"...and then, after carefully putting together the paper trail, we did find out that particular mole in the Ministry. You have all read about his arrest a few days ago," Penelope concluded the report she had given together with Percy.
"I hate people like him especially. That scum acted like he's a big Muggle-supporter, but in reality he had thrown his lot in with Voldemort," Moody spat, still disgusted with that particular case. "Who knows how many like him are in the Ministry?!"
"Cases like this one again prove why both of you being part of the Order is a good thing. The sheer level of detective work you put into searching though all those documents would have been beyond most of us," Frank admitted, knowing he would have never managed to do so.
"Oh, thank you..." Percy was a bit uneasy with such praise, his expression being a sharp contrast to the scars on his face. "Penelope and me, we are not well-suited for field work, thus we have other ways to contribute."
"And contribute, you do. After all, it was you, who took that accounting book apart to discover where those four-thousand Galleons had vanished to, uncovering a Death Eater plot in the process," Alice added, knowing she would never have been able to do so.
Percy and Penelope had officially joined the Order of the Phoenix shortly after Umbridge's exit from Hogwarts. They both had proven themselves with how they had sabotaged Umbridge in Hogwarts in ways that perhaps no one else would have come up with. In a way it was frightening how much a ticked-off administration could hinder someone without breaking any rules.
As both of them openly admitted, while they knew how to defend themselves, they were not well-suited for field work. Instead they were capable of tasks where other members of the Order would have failed utterly - tasks that very much required someone to be a superior bureaucrat. The things they could puzzle together from accounting books or seemingly random memos was nothing short of amazing.
"Yes... But sadly, I don't think it will be enough. Penelope and me, we are trying to get the big picture as well. And from all we have puzzled together that the admission of Minister Bones, that the collapse of the Ministry is inevitable now, sadly has a very factual basis. Even the time frame is a good estimate," Percy then reported.
"Oh, that's great... Confirmation that the worst case is now only a matter of time..." Dedalus Diggle, a man normally known for his jovial personality, groaned. "Black, please tell us that that circle of yours is already preparing for that."
"We are working as hard as we can to prepare for that day, though it can't be much more than a body to ensure that the war effort continues and the most vital tasks are being done. It will only be a temporary thing until whatever comes after the Ministry is set up," Sirius explained.
"Little wonder there," Arthur said, having expected that answer. "There is no way to replace the huge apparatus of the Ministry in a short time. That is simply not possible."
"Makes you realize in how many matters the Ministry has put their fingers into, doesn't it?" Moody remarked, never having been fond of what he saw as overreach.
"At least our preparations are staring to show results. I don't think Minister Bones has enough time to do the same. I think it will be a little shock to her once we reveal to her what me and my allies are doing and how far ahead we are." Sirius then scratched his chin. "I still can't believe that I'm taking the Ministry collapsing so calmly..."
"Maybe it's because we know it's inevitable now?" Penelope suggested. "All of us have not known a Magical Britain without the Ministry. It was just always there and we didn't waste any thought about it. I know I should be scared of the idea of it being gone, but knowing it's inevitable and working so hard to stop the worst chaos..."
"Well said, Miss Clearwater," Dumbledore told her. "There is a good reason why you were one of the best students in your year."
"Sir, please..." She felt a bit flustered at this praise.
Some time later the meeting was over and a smaller circle had gathered.
"Sir, I still feel humbled that you actually include me into these discussions. After all, it's not like I've been a member of the Order for nearly as long as everyone else present," Percy said while taking his seat.
Dumbledore however didn't want to hear any of that. "No, Mr. Weasley, you are exactly where you belong. You have more than proven your worthiness. You already have brought a fresh perspective and your competence is without doubt. That, and you are in the know about the matter at hand, which are not many people."
"Since you are sure, Sir..." Percy knew it was humbling that someone his age was being included in such secret and important discussions. "I dislike keeping secrets from Penelope, but in that case it is better that she doesn't know about MI-X."
"I'm keeping it secret from Minerva as well, thus I know how it feels. However, it is not our secret to reveal," Dumbledore added, understanding how Percy was feeling.
Indeed, everyone in the room knew of the existence of MI-X. Sirius, Arthur, Percy and Frank because they had been there when that agency had introduced itself, and Dumbledore because he was being involved due to his position.
"I feel a bit uncomfortable that we are keeping secrets from them. Granted, they've learned a lot ever since they revealed themselves to us, but the secrets we are still keeping from them..." Frank looked thoughtful about the issue.
"Yes, and they are keeping secrets from us." Sirius looked like he had heard that argument before. "It's a mutual thing, and some plans are not yet to be shared. However... Albus, we really need to tell them what you think Bones is planning, once the Ministry is about to fall. You know the consequences of that particular action and how that would impact much more than just the magical side."
Dumbledore knew that Sirius did have a point about the matter. "I will explain the situation to the new Prime Minister in the near future. Sadly, his inexperience is making communication more difficult than it should be."
"To be honest, I'm a bit afraid. If that really happens, then all of it, all what we know, it would be gone. No more certainties." Percy made no secret of the fact that the whole thing scared him.
"Son, I know how you feel, or perhaps even more so since I have lived in the system much longer. I am also unsettled, but we need to be strong for those who can't be in the troubled times ahead," Arthur told Percy.
It still however left them with the knowledge that things could change radically in the near future.
"Yes, but before that happens, important events take place and our cooperation with MI-X is very much needed for that," Frank reminded everyone.
"Indeed, as it pertains the events that will happen in Little Whinging at the end of July," Dumbledore added, so that everyone would be on the same page.
"I have to admit, without their help planning the whole thing would have been much more complicated and put everyone into more danger. With their help however, we hopefully can pull it off and not suffer any casualties," Sirius thought aloud, having been closely involved in the matter.
"It will be the first true cooperation between the Order and MI-X, instead of only single people or exchanging information. It will put things to the test," Frank thought aloud.
They then continued to talk about planning for that day.
...May 20th, owlery tower...
"Pig, stop! There will be an accident if you don't slow down!" Ron warned his owl.
Pigwidgeon however was not slowed down in his enthusiasm. He after all didn't see his owner often enough, thus he was greeting Ron with everything he had. Ron's friends had even speculated that the owl secretly was jealous of Crookshanks, since while the cat could stay at Gryffindor tower, the owls had to stay in the owlery. The small owl thus seemed to get all he could out of this visit.
"Ron, you know that shows how much he's attached to you," Harry reminded his friend, being amused at the antics of the small scops owl.
"Yes, but I'm always afraid of an accident, like him hitting an eye," Ron reminded his friend, before finally managing to get Pig to settle down on his hand, the promise of some physical attention pacifying his seemingly boundless energy.
"It's a bit of a wonder that such a small owl can hold so much energy." Harry then noticed Hedwig's body language speaking of defeated embarrassment. "Oh, come on, girl! Don't tell me that you still after all those years..."
Hedwig for her part first gave Harry a flat look, then looked to several other owls who had turned away from Pig's antics, seemingly fed up with that ball of energy. Percy's owl Hermes meanwhile sat on his perch with a body language that spoke of resignation. It dawned on Harry that it wasn't Hedwig not accepting Pigwidgeon, but the other owls being fed up with his antics.
Ron had also noticed while ensuring his owl was keeping still. "So what? If those other owls want to be snobs, let them. Don't let them dictate your choice of friends, Hedwig."
"Oh, hello Harry, Ron." That was Mark, who had walked up the stairs into the owlery. "Ehm, I wanted to send a letter home with Hedwig." Said owl, suddenly jumped off Harry's hand and flew to Mark, offering him her leg. "Woah, she's very eager today to transport mail!"
"I have an idea, why..." Harry was allowing Mark to use Hedwig to send letters home, since Hedwig liked the exercise, complaining with her body language that Harry was not giving her enough work. "Eh, remember she won't be available to you anymore once I've finished school."
"And I told you, I'll buy my own owl then. Before that I honestly have no reason to do so," Mark answered, having finished tying the letter to Hedwig's leg. The owl then didn't waste any time to leave. "That was fast. Where is the fire?"
"Oh, she only needs to get away from things for a while," Ron chuckled. Then, seeing that Pig was pacified for them moment, sat his own owl back onto a perch. "No mail for you today. Sorry." However, it seemed that Pig didn't mind at all.
"I wonder what kind of owl I'll get once it's time for me to buy one?" Mark wondered.
"One that fits to you. Hedwig was a birthday gift and she's loyal and supportive. And don't let Ron fool you. Despite him complaining, he chose Pig specifically because of his seemingly boundless energy," Harry told Mark, ignoring the look Ron gave him.
Some time later, Harry and Ron were walking back to Gryffindor tower.
"I din't want to say anything while Mark was there, but I'm starting to wonder why we're still in school," Harry suddenly said.
"Harry?" Ron wondered what that was about.
Harry saw the confusion on his best mate's face. "Around us, Magical Britain is collapsing, countless people get killed, and we are cooling our arses in school instead of making a difference."
"Harry, I know where you are coming from, but remember that Voldemort..." Ron didn't need to finish that.
Harry held up his hands. "I know, I know! He would love to catch me out there. Still, I feel it's a waste."
Giving his friend a closer look, Ron saw the frustration Harry was no longer hiding. "I'm not that good with emotional stuff, but that has been growing for a while, didn't it?"
"Several weeks by now," Harry admitted. "I was honestly thinking how most of the stuff, I was just reacting to. You know, even stuff like getting into the chamber or protecting Gryffindor tower from Greyback, we were only reacting to. Sitting at school while the world burns around us starts to feel pointless."
Ron honestly had no answer to that.
As soon as they were inside Gryffindor tower they headed to the stairs leading to the dorms, but Hermione stopped them in their tracks. Looking a bit cross with them.
"Oh no, both of you won't go anywhere! Have you forgotten that all of us decided to get the homework out of the way as soon as possible? Both of you conveniently 'forgot', didn't you?" she reminded them, making it clear there would be no backing out of it.
I know that tone. If I disagree, I can forget about sex until the school year is over, and she doesn't care how hard it will be on herself, Ron realized, admitting that Hermione got a really got leverage right there.
Ron thus decided to grovel. "I admit it. I wanted to put it off for a bit longer, despite knowing better. I'll get my stuff right away."
"I hope so." Hermione was amazed how fast that had worked. She then turned to Harry. "Any excuses from you?"
"No, none at all. I'll get to work right away." Harry didn't even bother to attempt any excuse.
"You've gotten much better at being assertive, though I won't ask what exactly you have at hand that motivates my brother so quickly," Ginny commented while Hermione sat down at the table where they were doing their homework.
"And please don't answer that question anyway, since we all have a good idea what it could be and don't want to hear it," Neville added, not wanting to hear anything about Hermione's and Ron's sex life.
Not that I would tell. Talk about the bedroom is taboo, Hermione thought to herself.
Harry and Ron returned moments later, carrying all what they needed for homework.
While sitting down at the table, Ron noticed the rather unimpressed look Crookshanks was giving him. "What? Don't tell me you would act different were you in my position."
The cat seemed to think about it, then make what sounded like a whimper of understanding. "What was that about?" Ginny wondered while watching Crookshanks desperately trying to occupy himself with something as a distraction.
"Let's say he realized Hermione has good leverage against me." No way Ron would tell his sister that Crookshanks had understood the concept of denial of sex.
They quickly settled into a routine, but couldn't help to comment on each others' homework.
"Yeez, Hermione. I still wonder how are you doing it to write neatly while your handwriting is so tiny. Also, I always wondered if you are writing this tiny so that you can squeeze more into the space given for the task?" Ginny wondered while observing Hermione write.
"Oh, she totally does. While Remus managed to stomp out her habit of going way over the set length, she still feels the desire to express the many things that in her mind are connected to the topic," Luna said without looking up from where he was drawing the correct lines to express the relations between several constellations.
"None of the professors ever protested," Hermione defended herself, though she did remember Flitwick telling her with some amusement that it was an innovative way of bending the rules a bit.
"Luna, I thought you don't have History, either?" Ginny wondered when seeing a history book next to Luna's homework.
"Oh no, I was reading that before I started on my homework purely out of personal interest. It's a history book about Grindelwald's War," Luna explained, showing the book in question. "It is a very fascinating read. I became interested in his life after what we learned from the Headmaster."
They all knew that Luna was talking about the fact that a young Albus Dumbledore had actually become friends with Grindelwald and how it ended in the tragic incident that cost Ariana Dumbledore her life. They had of course know of his role in Grindelwald's defeat, but learning that both men had known each other earlier in life had been surprising.
"Out of curiosity, what is that thing?" Harry asked, pointing at a picture in the open book. It was a triangle with a circle inside it and a line going from the top of the triangle to the bottom, perfectly bisecting the circle. Harry had a feeling he had already seen it and tried to remember.
"You must have heard of it already. That is Grindelwald's sign. Remember how Krum talked about it in his letter," Luna reminded them.
They did remember, since Krum had been quite passionate about it. "You mean the one Grindelwald carved into a wall in Durmstrang? This is the first time I actually see it."
"Many magical nations in continental Europe have banned the sign outright, seeing it as hate speech. Interesting how it mirrors laws against the swastika, the sign of his non-magical ally." Luna then looked a bit sad. "It is a shame that Grindelwald misused such an old symbol and ruined it for everyone else in the process."
"What was it supposed to symbolize before he got hold of it?" Neville couldn't help but to wonder, since he himself had never seen that symbol before.
"It is a stylized representation of the three Deathly Hallows." Luna then got blank looks. "I expected that from Hermione and Harry, but the three of you have truly not heard of the Tale of the Three Brothers?"
"Uh, now I start to vaguely remember. It was a children's tale Mum told me, but I mostly have forgotten it by now," Ron admitted. Neville pretty much said the same thing and Ginny admitted she had forgotten entirely.
Luna actually looked a bit disappointed, before she explained. "It basically is a tale how three brothers made a deal with Death, and each of them got a very powerful item out of it - the Deathly Hallows. However, two of the brothers quickly regretted their greedy choice of item, which led them to an early end, and only the third was clever enough and lived well into old age."
"Nice story with a good moral, but I sincerely doubt the three brothers, if they really existed, met Death himself. I think the story was made up since few could imagine such crafty and talented wizards," Hermione said.
"Oh, the three brothers did exist. Daddy did intense research in the story and he was able to trace back the family lines. While it may be true that the story was mostly made up, the Hallows are very real, since at least one of them could be traced through the centuries." Luna then stopped when seeing how quiet Harry was. "Harry, is something wrong?"
"I saw that symbol before. It's on the stone in ring that Marvolo Gaunt used to wear... the one Voldemort tried to force me to kiss..." Harry finally said, now remembering.
The others had only seen the design for a short moment, so they could be excused for not remembering. They all shuddered when also remembering that Voldemort had turned that ring into a Horcrux.
Hermione then remembered something. "Now I remember... Marvolo was boasting that his line comes from the Slytherins and Peverells. Luna, what family were the brothers from?"
"They were the Peverell brothers." Luna looked equally excited and disturbed. "The three items were the Elder Wand, a wand of unsurpassed power, the Resurrection Stone, a stone that can conjure the dead, and an invisibility cloak that never fades. Two of the brothers never got to actually enjoy their gifts. The wand invited the envy of those who wanted it, and the current owner regularly took a nasty end, as the first brother did. The stone also drove the second brother to suicide, since it could only conjure the spirits of the dead temporarily instead of actually resurrecting them."
"Listening to that, the last brother really made a good choice..." Ron then scratched his head. "Eh, how long does an invisibility cloak last?"
"This summer I heard my Gran complain that hers had faded. From what she said, none lasts longer than twenty years. Why are you asking, Ron?" Neville told his friend.
Ron looked back to Harry. "Harry, didn't you say your cloak is a family heirloom? Why hasn't it faded?"
Harry's went went comically large when Ron asked that simple question. "Guys... I think we need some help with that. I'm starting to get uncomfortable..."
o
"You did do the correct thing coming to me after your discoveries," Dumbledore said after having listened to all of their explanations. "What you have found is indeed very sensitive information. I admit that as a young man, I myself had tried to locate the Deathly Hallows."
"Was it the lure to become the fabled 'Master of Death'?" Luna asked bluntly.
"After severe loss, one is desperate, but once that faded, a certain fascination remained," Dumbledore admitted. He then looked at Harry's invisibility cloak lying on the desk. "Your conclusion about the cloak is the same I made years ago after borrowing it from Harry's father. The origins of the Potters are rooted in the Peverell brother who got the cloak, while the origins of the Gaunts are from the brother who got the Resurrection Stone. The brother with the wand was killed before he could ever have a family."
"Wow, so that means at least part of the story was indeed true..." Neville then got a funny look. "Sir, but you don't really think they met Death...?"
"No, that most certainly is embellishment to make the accomplishments of those three look even more outstanding," Dumbledore admitted. "The Hallows are very powerful artifacts, thus after your concern about the ring, I sadly have to confirm your fear that it indeed the Resurrection Stone which is set in the ring. I can only speculate that the Gaunts never knew what it was, and thus never used it. Tom therefore has no idea, either."
"That's kind of a relief. Him knowing how to conjure the spirits of the dead is a scary idea," Harry admitted. "I'm also relieved that the cloak actually is harmless in its nature, so there is no temptation there for me."
"What about the wand? From what little Luna told us, that one was very much contested." Hermione now was curious about the whole matter.
"Indeed, the lure of a wand that is fabled to be unbeatable drove many to dark and bloody deeds, and no doubt Tom would love to get his hands on it. Its previous owner was no one less than Grindelwald, who had claimed the wand years earlier. As for the current owner..." Dumbledore pulled out his own wand. "When I defeated Grindelwald in our final duel, I became the new holder of it and vowed to never tell anyone in order to quell temptation."
"Kind of surreal that two of the three Hallows are now in the same room," Neville admitted, looking with some awe at the wand. "Eh, so what do we do now with that information?"
"Thankfully, apart from not fading, Harry's cloak has no further powers different from a normal invisibility cloak, so there is no danger there. I implore you to stay silent about the Elder Wand, since many would desire it, and Tom is a the top of that list," Dumbledore warned them.
They all nodded, and Harry then asked "Sir, even if he learns about it, is the Resurrection Stone even of any use to him?"
"Since the dead are beyond his wrath, and thus he can never force information out of them, it would have little pratical use to him, especially since he holds no emotional connection to anyone. However, as long as he has it, it is bound to the Horcrux that is the ring," Dumbledore explained carefully.
"The stone is not part of the Horcrux?" Hermione wondered about that.
Dumbledore seemed to enjoy such good questions. "As much as he would deny it, strongly magical items can't be made into Horcruxes. The locket, the diadem and the cup, despite their great value, were relatively ordinary items with only limited enchantments, that he has enspelled. The diary was just a diary. Tom probably didn't even notice in his arrogance that when he made the Horcrux, that the ring part is the Horcrux, and not the stone."
Now knowing all these things, it suddenly felt even more urgent to get that damn ring away from Voldemort.
...May 31st, Room of Requirement...
Even after Umbridge's regime at Hogwarts had imploded, the Defenders of Hogwarts continued to meet in order sharpen their skills in Defense and compete against each other. They didn't meet as often as during Umbridge's time at Hogwarts, but the ongoing war had convinced them that every bit of skill in Defense was worth a fortune. On the plus side, those meetings no longer had to be secret, meaning it was much less of a hassle to organize things.
Also, as much as Harry at first had tried to deny being a leader and played up the contributions of his friends, he pretty much was the one that was leading the lessons due to his innate grasp of the subject. By this point he had accepted it due to seeing how his example had motivated the others to give their very best.
Today they were refreshing their lessons on the Patronus.
"Wow, it's kind of amazing to see how you managed to teach to students a spell that many adults struggle with. I mean, all of us learned how to use it," Ginny remarked to Harry while watching the spectacle.
"Makes you wonder that those other instructors did wrong that they didn't teach the spell properly. Maybe they saw it as a purely academic thing instead of connecting to your positive self?" Harry wondered, while also watching.
The whole training hall inside the Room of Requirement was being illuminated by the silvery light of dozens of Patronus. All those silvery glowing protectors were represented by a highly diverse range of animals which represented the protector of the caster, expressing the inner nature. Of course, no one could top Luna's Patronus, which was an imaginary animal. The Crumple-Horned Snorkack made Luna incredibly proud whenever she summoned it.
"Ohhh, this all looks like an especially beautiful dance," Luna said, looking with stars in her eyes at the display.
"She is not wrong about that. It does look like something you normally would see in the cinema," Hermione added, also feeling the display was breathtaking. "It's sad that we are training our ability to summon them due to what's going on in the outside world."
"Those damn monsters..." Harry grumbled.
He of course meant the dementors, who were enjoying their new freedom, spreading death and terror. The Six had been told how MI-X as well as the Order were hunting dementors, but those monsters had started breeding as well and it felt like the past sins of Magical Britain could now create a long-lasting disaster. Should the number of dementors go out of control, it would be like fighting an exponential growth of those monsters.
Finally, the spectral defenders started to disappear. Everyone looked pleased with their ability to summon a Patronus without trouble.
"That was good! Should those monsters appear, we are ready," Harry announced to everyone. "Let's have a short break before we continue."
The break was used to mingle and hold conversations.
"No, Mum isn't happy at all that she has to leave again, but she accepts that it's for her own safety," Dudley explained, still remembering his mother's reaction. "I'm still relieved that Millie's parents offered to give her a place to stay until this all is finally over."
"They see how happy you are making me and know your mother means a lot to you. They feel it's the least they can do," Millicent told her boyfriend. She wouldn't add how she dreaded their mothers talking, as that was bound to become embarrassing.
"By the way, is the date still the same?" Dudley wondered in Harry's direction.
Harry, who had listened, did answer. "As far as I know, yes. Hard to imagine that in just two months... poof. It makes it feel even more real than it already is. Of course I don't know any details, as that would defeat the purpose."
They were keeping it intentionally vague, since they were talking about the day everyone had to leave Little Whinging since the protection Harry was granting was going to end. Harry knew there already were plans for that, but for security reasons he didn't know any of the details. He however trusted everyone involved to be doing their best.
"I honestly hope nothing unexpected happens then. Mum doesn't need that kind of excitement in her life," Dudley though aloud. "At least she won't be alone, especially until I have to go back to school."
"Are you then staying with her?" Harry wondered.
"Ehm..." Dudley hesitated.
"It's more like he's staying with me," Millicent clarified. She then looked to her boyfriend. "Oh, come on! It's not like we'll be doing anything naughty in the house. Not with our parents being so close by:"
Dudley gave his girlfriend a mortified look. "Millie, please not in front of Harry!"
Too much information... Harry honestly didn't want to know anything about their sex lives.
At the same time, a different conversation was taking place.
"No, my Ma really said that," Seamus said, having expected not to be believed at first.
His audience were Dean, Parvati and Ron, and they all whistled, knowing what it meant when Seamus' mother said something like that, considering her job and views. "She honestly said that it feels like things are going towards the end? The Ministry must be really messed up for her to say so," Dean then finally said.
"That's putting it mildly. I know she's a great supporter of the Ministry, but recent months really ate away her belief in it. She even started to believe that perhaps it's better for Ireland to go its own way," Seamus confirmed.
"All right, that IS serious." While Parvati didn't involve herself much with reading about politics, she did know that the Ministry was not exactly loved in Ireland, being seen as a relic of a time when England had ruled over all of the island. No one there would shed a tear should the Ministry lose its grip on Ireland.
Ron didn't know any of that, always tuning out Seamus when it came to Ireland, but he knew about the Ministry. "Dad also told me things in the Ministry are really feeling like the end is approaching, and that it's very different from last time."
"But... what will happen then once the time has come?" Parvati asked, looking unsettled by the mere idea.
The boys said nothing, knowing that should that happen, nothing would be the same again.
Another group meanwhile held a conversation that was a bit distressing.
"You mean your parents are toying with pulling you out of school?" Kellah asked Lavender while both girls waited for the break to be over.
"I know... it hit me on the wrong foot as well when I got the letter yesterday. I fear one more thing and they will lose their nerve and actually try to have me home-schooled... Well, as much as that works in such times," Lavender admitted, looking unsettled by the idea.
Kellah sighed. "You wouldn't be the first one, either. I've heard other students talk about their parents making it clear, that if there is one more incident at Hogwarts, they would pull them out. Gives me a really bad feeling and shows how bad things have already gotten."
While many felt Lavender a rather superficial girl, she did have her moments of insight. "I never thought when starting Hogwarts that it would come to all of this."
Thankfully, before the conversation could get awkward, the signal came that now there little spell competition would start.
...centaur camp, evening of June 1st...
The night was clear and the sky over Hogwarts dominated by the stars, while the thin, waning crescent of the Moon was battling for attention. However, the Six had little mind for the sight, since they were being escorted to the centaur camp by Hagrid. It had come a bit as a surprise when being told that Celestra needed to talk with them, creating the question what was so urgent that it couldn't wait until tomorrow.
"And no idea what this could be about?" Ginny asked Hagrid while they walked over the grass.
"No. Even Celestra, who is much more open, is still a centaur with the tics that come with that. She said she'll explain it all once you are present." If anything, Hagrid looked just as confused as them, and that meant something, considering how he had dealings with centaurs.
"Must be a bit exhausting at times if you have lots of dealings with centaurs," Neville remarked, wondering if centaurs have a habit of being vague at times.
"It used to be much worse." Hagrid did remember interactions with centaurs in past decades. "I've dealt with them over the decades and they used to be much more vague and unwilling to explain. Things have changed quite a lot over the past fifty years, so it's a generational thing. It's another reason why things broke down."
"Dealing with them in the past must have felt like wanting to rip your hair out in sheer annoyance," Ron speculated.
"Close enough." Hagrid honestly didn't want to admit how especially in the early days he'd at times felt like giving up entirely on trying to make sense of the centaurs.
"If I remember correctly, you once in my youngling days cursed to yourself that the elders are a 'bunch of useless fatalists, who refuse to stop talking in riddles'."
"Ah!" Hergrid only now noticed the centaur who had joined them. "Firenze! I still wonder how you manage to be so silent despite you walking on hooves."
"Years of practice," Firenze told him, looking a bit amused. "Celestra is already waiting. Follow me."
They did not enter the camp itself, but instead were walking around its edge. In the camp itself there was lots of activity. In the light of several fires they could see centaurs making their evening preparations. The camp by this point was losing its character as a temporary measure, with more permanent arrangements appearing. It seemed that its inhabitants were starting to accept that there would be no return to the previous status quo.
"Looks like you are starting to adapt everything to your needs," Harry observed, taking in the scenes of life going on.
"It was not easy for many, but acceptance of the facts is growing and they are starting to make the best of it." Firenze then looked a bit disheartened. "We are also hearing whispers from the forest. The war drums are loud and the attack on the children of Aragog is soon to begin."
"It still pains you that it will end in mutual destruction," Luna said, not holding back.
"It is inevitable by this point and I am prepared to grieve for what will be lost."Firenze was obviously trying to hide how much the whole thing was disturbing him. "There we are."
Indeed, they had reached the other side of the camp and they saw Celestra using a telescope to make some observations of the stars better than with the naked eye. They could not hear what she was saying under her breath, but from the tone of it, she was rather concerned about something. The way her tail was moving also spoke of her being anything but calm.
She then looked up when hearing them approach. "All six of you are here. Good, this is very important."
"Uhm, if that is very important, wouldn't it have been better to ask for the Headmaster as well?" Neville wondered.
"I felt no time should be wasted, and you are bound to tell him everything anyway," Celestra waved off that concern. "I called for you, since the stars have shifted over the past days - their message has changed."
"Ah, and since you look so concerned, what the stars now are saying is bad, right?" Harry guessed, having puzzled together enough hints to make an educated guess.
"Yes, it is concerning. It is not entirely clear, but the stars say that danger is looming," Celestra started to explain.
The Six looked at each other, before Ron dared to put what they were all thinking into words. "Well, we are in the middle of a war and danger is looming everywhere. Maybe the stars could be a bit more specific?"
"They are the same as our younglings with their smart comments..." Celestra said under her breath. She then said louder "Perhaps I have not expressed it properly. I asked for you because the six of you appear to be at the center of the danger in question."
Hearing it spelled out like that made them give her their full attention. "All right, we are listening closely. What exactly is that about?" Harry told Celestra, to show she now had their full attention.
"As always, the stars are vague, but with years of experience I concluded that danger is looming over the six of you, and Harry Potter especially, in the near future. It has become clearer that our help is needed when that danger manifests itself."
"Yes, you said that it was the stars telling that the centaurs would be needed what finally caused you to become refugees," Luna said, remembering the original reason for the centaurs to be here. "However, the near future is a rather vast definition."
"Sadly, the stars are seldom clear on matters. To my experience, it most certainly is no more than several weeks at the longest." She then scratched her chin, looking thoughtful. "Such a rapid shift is disturbing. It speaks of events that once set in motion can not be stopped."
"Oh, wonderful... We already have so much on our plates, and now fate decides to promise us some kind of nasty surprise..." Harry was not amused at all with those news.
"I'm sorry to be the bringer of bad news, but in my experience it is better to reveal bad news and be prepared than putting putting your head into the sand," Celestra offered.
A few minutes later they had walked back to the castle gate and Hagrid quickly led them in.
"I have to report that to Dumbledore, you know. He takes your security very seriously, after all," Hagrid then told the Six as soon as the gate had closed shut behind them.
"No, we understand that you are doing your duty and it is for our best," Hermione assured Hagrid, understanding perfectly fine why that would mean increased security. Watching Hagrid then leave, she added "See it from their perspective."
"Oh, we do. What Celestra told us must be causing him no small amount of stress," Neville said. "Is it concerning that I'm not surprised we'll be in the middle of some kind of trouble? I fear I'm starting to get used to us being in constant danger."
"Which is very unfortunate, but also a testament to what human beings can adapt to." No one was fooled by Luna's dry comment. They knew her well enough to see that behind it Luna was unsettled by the news. "Only a matter of weeks, with us in the middle of it and the centaurs having to play an important role."
They looked at each other, then Ginny spoke for all of them. "It's so vague, we have no chance to even guess what it could be. I only know that security will be tense from now on."
"You know... all that talk from the adults that the Hogwarts years are the best sounds kind of hollow considering all the crap we already went through while being at school," Ron remarked while they made their way back to Gryffindor tower.
"And what a selection it is. Voldemort at the back of a teacher's head, Memory-Voldemort terrorizing the school with a basilisk, the constant threat of Greyback for a year, Karkaroff trying to murder me, Voldemort coming back to life, that bitch Umbridge and her little dictatorship, the whole thing at the Ministry, a war going on and now this." Harry then sighed. "Let's face it, while there is good stuff, our school years are overshadowed by too much shit."
That was a depressing fact which none of them could deny. They knew that their school years were not even remotely what normally was supposed to happen.
"A lot of the stuff didn't only happen to us, either. Everyone in the school had their school years soured by those experiences. I honestly worry about the long-term consequences of it," Hermione thought aloud, knowing that all those experiences would have a lasting impact.
"You mean... what this all leaves in everyone's heads once all is said and done?" Ron asked his girlfriend.
"Yes, I fear the damage done in there will be bad. I can already see it with not only us, but also many others in the school. It's neither normal nor a good thing that we have become so cynical and have come to take in all the horrible things without the reaction you would normally expect. I was scared when I realized how much I'm now just accepting all the horror with a shrug," Hermione looked a bit disturbed by the fact.
"That is the disadvantage of what human beings can adapt to," Luna said, looking a bit unsettled when realizing how much she had come to do so. "In order to protect ourselves, we also can learn to accept horror. "
They fell silent and didn't say more on their way back to the dorms. After all, what they just had discussed made them realize how messed up them and everyone else in the school had become. They knew all the things that had changed in them wouldn't just disappear once the war was over, especially since this had happened in their formative years.
It made them wonder if this was how soldiers felt who were coming home after a long war, only to realize how much the war had changed them.
Again we have to wait for disaster coming to us, Harry thought, feeling quite bitter about it. Again, us staying in school is starting to feel stupid with everything going on.
Things have to change. I really don't want to continue to be fate's punch ball, Harry thought, feeling actually determined that after years ofdisaster coming to him, it was about time to finally strike out on his own.
He would never leave out his friends however, and knew he would try his hardest to convince them. Though he knew it would be a battle.
...June 7th...
"...thus things are going excellent. Our moles in the Ministry are being busy with undermining its foundations. It will only be a matter of time now before it is weak enough it can be picked like a ripe fruit," the report was concluded.
The woman who had given the report looked unassuming, even downright forgettable and her position in the Ministry seemed nothing to write home about. However, nothing could be further from the truth, since she was in a position from where she could pull many strings in the shadows without anyone noticing - below notice. The only reason she was not proudly wearing a full Dark Mark was due to the need for secrecy.
"Good, not that it is heavy lifting, considering the damage already done before we put our attention to it. I have to grant Cornelius Fudge an Order of Merlin once my rule is established," Voldemort said with amusement.
Also, perhaps it's a more suitable punishment to leave Lucius destitute and being forced to eat from the trash, he added silently.
The irony was, that he basically had requisitioned one of the houses belonging to the Malfoys for this kind of meetings - since he after all didn't want to use the Riddle House for such, considering that he wanted it to stay a secret. Narcissa herself was sitting at the table quietly, perhaps not wanting to be as visible as her husband had been.
"Yaxley, what about our efforts of getting rid of our current Minister to make room for someone... more fitting?" Voldemort then asked said Yaxley.
"I regret to inform you, my Lord, that Minister Bones has become quite paranoid when it comes to her security after the failed assassination attempt. Which is a shame, since I have already picked out a fitting puppet with Pius Thicknesse, a weak-willed man high enough in the Ministry," Yaxley reported.
Voldemort looked displeased for a moment. "A pity... But it was only a plan. Very well, then Lord Voldemort himself has to openly take control of the Ministry after disposing of the current Minister."
Yaxley nodded. "One swift strike at a day of your choice, my Lord, to conquer the Ministry for real. I understand."
"Excellent. And remember, no open activity until I have settled my business." Voldemort then saw everyone agree quickly. "Then this concludes our business for today." Voldemort then turned to Narcissa. "Well, Narcissa, Lord Voldemort thanks you again that you contributed this house to the cause."
If Narcissa was uncomfortable with the sudden attention, she didn't show it. "I'm trying to contribute as much as I can, my Lord."
Voldemort saw right through her. She was distracted by the possible fate of her son, just like Parkison further down the table was distracted with the possible fate of his daughter. Their little brats had despite all the training Bellatrix had given them proven to be rather ineffective. However, he would have a big surprise for all of them at the end of the school year, that was for sure.
"Good, since anything else would be disappointing." Those were simple words, but Narcissa perfectly understood the meaning behind them.
Everyone left shortly after, while Voldemort stayed in his seat.
As soon as everyone was gone, someone else entered. "Ah yes, Severus. You did as I told you and waited until we are done. You follow every of my orders without question; a very interesting character trait."
Snape knew Voldemort didn't trust anyone fully, thus he was not surprised he'd been told to wait until the meeting was over. "Master, me being called means a service is needed. How can I serve you?"
"Right to the point. Good." Voldemort pulled a sealed envelope out of his robes. "Give this to your two charges at Hogwarts. My words are for their eyes only."
Snape knew that the seal on the letter was enchanted in a way that if anyone but those two would try to read whatever was inside, there would be terrible consequences and Voldemort would know. There was no way he or someone else could find out what this was about, unless Draco or Pansy would tell. Which was something highly unlikely considering how much those two were mental wrecks by now.
"I shall make sure it reaches them," Snape said while taking the letter and putting it away.
"I expect nothing less. Now, before you go..." Voldemort waited a few seconds for the effect. "I never asked you up until this point. Is little Harry a diligent student in your classes?"
Snape felt that the question had come out of nowhere, but as always with Voldemort, there had to be some kind of plan behind it. "As much as I hate to admit it... He is a good student."
"So, nothing like James Potter?" Voldemort asked, clearly fishing for something.
"I don't exactly enjoy teaching him, if that is what you ask about, Master, but apart from some displays of arrogance, he is behaving himself and gives me the respect a teacher deserves. That makes it bearable for me," Snape then admitted.
"Is that so? Very well, you may leave, Severus," Voldemort waved him off.
Snape honestly wondered what that now was about. Why was Voldemort suddenly interested in how he interacted with Potter in their roles as student and teacher? That honestly was highly confusing and made him feel uneasy.
o
The past weeks had not been kind to Draco and Pansy.
Their constant fear of what would happen to them come the end of the school year had resulted in two very different effects. On one hand, it had brought them even closer together, since the fear was less pronounced that way. On the other hand, they both by now were still mental wrecks, unable to find much sleep, with part of them wishing it was finally over.
Not even once had they wondered why the Dark Lord had not tortured them with their marks if he was so disappointed with them, as they knew that was entirely possible for him to do. In their current state of mind they were unable to ask themselves that question. They were just going through the motions now.
Thus they flinched when Snape entered the room.
"I won't even bother to ask why you always seem to share the same room when I come here," Snape remarked, before pulling out the letter. "This is from the Dark Lord and for your eyes only."
Seeing Snape turn, Draco looked surprised. "You won't ask us what is in that letter?"
"The Dark Lord's orders are law. Also, he has enchanted this letter that he will know if you tell me." Snape then left, though he would have really liked to know what Voldemort was telling them. He better tell Dumbledore of that unusual order.
It was Pansy who reached for the letter, breaking the seal. She was expecting further bad news, but reading it, she calmed down. "Draco... Please tell me I'm reading this correctly."
Realizing that it couldn't be what they had been fearing, Draco took the offered letter. Reading it, his eyebrows rose. "I... I thought the Dark Lord would tell us about our punishment, but this..."
"You think we have a chance if we do this?" Pansy asked, feeling hopeful for the first time in weeks.
Draco again looked at the letter, which already was starting to disintegrate to keep its secrets. "We don't have to do much, just be at the right place at that exact date, do as instructed. I think we can do this."
They both hoped that they wouldn't mess up this as well.
to be continued...
Next Episode:
"The Burning, Part I - World in Flames"
Notes:
Here the notes.
Some have correctly guessed that the title of the chapter plays upon Major's famous speech after his electoral defeat. We do see here the consequences of this political shift in the story, and that Tony Blair honestly is not to be envied, considering what he now has to deal with. We also hear more about a certain treaty.
You thought I had forgotten Durmstrang? We now see the end result of the whole thing and for a school who had lorded others around arrogantly, it's a quite embarrassing end. We also hear of Krum and of the upcoming wedding. Also, sucks to be Karkaroff.
Also, I took the time to show what Percy and Penelope actually do for the Order of the Phoenix. They are not front-line fighters, but have other strengths. We also see some more of what the Order is actually doing.
I thought the scene in the owlery would be nice, to give both owls a bit more screentime. Harry is starting to wonder why they are still in school while everything around them is falling apart. I planned that from the start but got a bit more explicit after complaints that the Six aren't doing much. That will change in the final year. It will come up again soon.
Yeah, I managed to explain the Deathly Hallows storyline quick and painlessly. I always felt that the Hallows were distracting from the more important parts of the story. They won't be that important here, but they will play their small role.
And while we see the DoH training, we also learn something nasty is coming up. And lo and behold, Voldemort says so as well...