Disclaimer: See Chapter 1
-oOo-
Chapter 10
25 May 2024
-oOo-
A/N: This chapter earns more of the M rating for violence.
-oOo-
September 6, 1996
Wiltshire, England
Lucius stood at the tall windows of his bedroom. The sashes had been pulled back to let the day light in. In the light of day, things looked even bleaker.
The once immaculate and pride filled gardens and lawns that had been cultivated by generations of his ancestors after being forced to leave France, now lay in ruins. In the last few days, dozens of wizarding tents had been pitched on the lawn. The forces that the Dark Lord had been courting and building over the last year were now being drawn together. The Potter boy's disappearance and his inability to obtain the funds needed had shifted the Dark Lords plans. Though, Lucius thought the force less than half the Dark Lord had talked about.
Not that he had much cause to worry, but the last time he had been in the Ministry before his son had been a complete moron, Lucius wasn't sure if the ministry was as weak as the Dark Lord thought it might be. Scrimgeour had been recruiting hard in the last months while Bones had been quietly enhancing security and had recruited fifty more aurors than she should have had any right to recruit in the last year. How she had done that under Fudge's and his nose before her death was not known, but his last report from the ministry, before his last spy had been found, was that more than three hundred fully trained aurors and hit wizards were on call, and potentially as many more available from elsewhere. He didn't know where they would come from, or how she had managed it, especially since the Wizengamot only funded her for about forty full time Aurors and eight hit wizards.
Looking at the force outside his window, the two sides would be on equal footing. For the last year, his Lord had said more than two thousand wizards would flock to his call. Fewer than four hundred were here. Taking the ministry was going to be costly and potentially fruitless.
As he watched two men duelling and ripping up his lawn, he had to turn away.
A part of him was hoping his master would be defeated and his brand erased from this world.
Having nothing else to do, he was waiting for Narcissa to return. The last few days had not been easy on either of them. His constantly shaking hands was proof of that. The curses his sister-in-law knew to cause pain were very detrimental to one's health, whether they left a mark or not, and so far, only the Dark Lord had taken a piece of him.
His hand wandered to his ear, which was now flat and badly scarred at the top as all he could do was try to heal himself and he was no healer.
Running his hand along that scar, and seeing the scars in his lawn, had his resolve harden. When Narcissa returned, he would do what he could to secure her escape. He would have done it days ago, but their last elf had only been able to find what he needed today. It had taken him looking at his own mortality, the realization that the man he served wasn't a pureblood fighting for their blood rights and the end of his line to realize that his blood didn't mean as much as he was always brought to believe.
It was well past dark when the door to their room opened. Two men marched in like they owned the place. In all essence they did, since the Dark Lord had forced him to turn over control of the wards when he had taken over his house last year. He had forced all his marked to do that with their homes. The Dark Lord would not be denied what was his.
Lucius couldn't keep his soft sob in to see the state his wife was in. They dropped her nude form in the middle of the room, gave him a lurid grin, then walked out, slamming the doors behind them.
He rushed over to her side as fast as he could, which was more of a wobbly gait than a walk. The state she was in left little to the imagination what she had been subjected to three times over the last few days. Only because the Dark Lord wanted her alive was she mostly bruise free.
She started to sob before he could drop to her side.
"Cissa, listen to me," he told her. She curled up into herself, her arms wrapping around her legs and tears freely rolling down her cheeks. She was being used as a centre piece in a revel. He had done this to Muggle, Muggleborn or traitorous women many times, but he never thought he would see a pureblood debased like this.
She didn't reply. He put a small bag into her hand and a small tin can into her other. "This is a portkey. It will take you someplace safe. I don't know where, I just know it will be safe. I have put a few days of clothes in the bag and all the coins I had hidden. You must get away."
She started to cry more. "H… h… he willlll…. Kill me," she got out.
"Not if he can't find you. I, Lucius Malfoy, hereby decree that Narcissa Malfoy nee Black, has broken our bond…" he had to stifle a cry as she screamed in pain. "Has broken our bond by adultery. Per the ancient laws and our contract, I disown her."
Narcissa screamed as the marriage bond was broken. It didn't matter if she hadn't been the one responsible for the indiscretion. The old laws only cared if it happened and if the lord had been debased because of it.
His shaky hands moved to comfort her, but he pulled them back as she started to go through body wracking sobs. Now that she had been disowned, he wasn't supposed to touch her. "Sanctuary," he whispered.
His sobbing wife disappeared. The anti-portkey wards lit up like a yule tree before they spluttered out. The portkey that he had managed to obtain was supposed to break any anti-portkey ward. He knew once the Dark Lord was made away, his life would get infinitely worse, but he couldn't bear to see her used and abused only to torture him.
It was only a few minutes later when the doors were blasted off their hinges. He was still on the floor, his body shaking and tears seeping from his eyes when the Dark Lord stormed into his room. The man didn't even question him before Lucius was yanked up. An invisible force had pulled his body up right and he was lifted a few feet off the ground, his arms out wide and his feet all but glued together.
The man looked around the room for a second, its red eyes ablaze with fury. When he was sure that Narcissa was gone, his wand slashed a few times. Lucius screamed in pain as he was now sure his entire ear was gone, a finger fell to the floor and a piercing pain had gone through both ankles. He screamed for a moment before his head drooped. He could see a spike through his ankles. Hot blood was already streaming down his bare feet.
"You anger me, Lucius. You will hang like this until I say otherwise. Wormtail! Heal him up enough so he doesn't die and keep him alive. I will take my pleasure out on him each night. If he dies before I say, you will join him," the Dark Lord said with a loathing Lucius had only heard reserved for Potter before.
He started to cry through the pain. At least he had saved Narcissa. He only wished he knew about Draco.
-oOo-
September 7, 1996
Salvator, Brazil
"I think we need to get out of here as soon as possible," Harry told her.
Daphne was looking through the books and the pamphlets they had found. The more he read, the more he wasn't sure about staying in Brazil. They were a founding member of the Congress of the Americas, which included most of the South American countries. They had thought about applying for asylum, but the Congress had very loose laws on extradition while having extremely strict laws on immigration. They were both nervous that if they showed up in an Auror office unexpectedly that they might be arrested and sent to jail instead of helped.
The fear that they were in the country illegally and the Congress took a dim view on illegal immigrants meant they couldn't go to the ministry to get a portkey or any other commercial site.
They needed to move if they weren't staying here, though.
"How do you want to leave," she asked a little apprehensively.
Harry sighed. "I doubt we could get through a Muggle airport and there aren't any trains."
"I don't want to take a boat again," she told him.
Harry took her hand. "There is a gnomish aerodrome not far to the north of us. I think that is the best. I want to head to the MACUSA."
She nodded. "When do you want to leave?"
Harry looked at the small booklet they had gotten from a local gnomish bank branch in Brazil. Harry had found it interesting that the wizard quarter was the largest he had ever seen. Large enough to support three banks.
The booklet was a timetable for the airships in South America. Running his finger down the column of one of the routes, he stopped at Salvador. "One leaves tomorrow at eight in the morning heading towards Castelobruxo in Columbia, then north towards the MACUSA."
She sidled over on the bed. "There isn't anything that goes further north?" she enquired, opening up a book of maps they had also gotten, neither of them knowing much of the geography or governments in the area.
They flipped through the booklet a few times, looking at the map. After twenty minutes, they had worked out the next airship that would be going more directly to the MACUSA didn't leave until Wednesday.
Leaving tomorrow they would be in Texas about the same time they could be in Florida if they waited. If they decided to get off at any point, another airship would be traveling in the direction they wanted every seven days. Harry wasn't sure they would want to stop anywhere until they made it to the MACUSA.
Daphne seemed to be thinking the same thing. "I think we should leave sooner than later."
He nodded. "The airship doesn't load until the morning," he said.
She leaned her head on his shoulder. "I don't like not knowing if we are still being chased and I want to go to school. We never said we would keep running."
He leaned his head against hers. Neither of them had said it, but even though they wanted away, missing the Hogwarts Express on September first just hadn't felt right. Harry didn't want to keep running either. "Let's get packed. We can have lunch at that little restaurant you like then find a bus or taxi to take us out that way."
Both of them knew they would be sleeping as dogs tonight.
-oOo-
The same day…
Rio De Janeiro, Brazil
Moody's leg made a distinctive clumping sound as he walked through the tiled floors of the colonial Portuguese style building. White plaster walls were the norm, as were tapestries of the wizarding conquest of the New World.
Moody gave a silent snort at the hubris. From what he understood, in this part of the world, wizards had only managed to really conquer the coasts. Most of the inland was still wild magic, tribes, and a few old wizarding empires. It was part of the reason why the Congress of the America's was so stringent in its immigration policies. They didn't want the 'wilder' elements to come into civilized society and risk the Statute of Secrecy.
He was hoping that the way the Congress of the America's viewed outsiders would mean they had found Potter and Greengrass. He only wished it hadn't taken him eight days, with the help of his last protégé, to determine that the areocraft most likely came to Brazil.
Tonks was just behind him, with Hestia on his right as they followed a low level bureaucrat through the Brazilian ministry building. Unlike in Europe, where the ICW was just a general governing body that made sure all its members stayed inside the 'laws', which were more like guidelines, the Congress was the overarching government, where the individual countries were more like sub-governments.
They were led to a small conference room and then offered some seats and refreshments.
His eye had been spinning madly to see the enchantments and wards in the ministry. It was impressive. The wards, both passive and active, were close to the best he had seen by goblins. He also noticed there were far more monitoring and listening wards than he was used to seeing.
Inside the room, he gently shook his head when Hestia looked ready to say something. Tonks didn't get the hint. "I thought we had clearance to enter the country?"
Moody tried to indicate to her again before answering, "We do, lass. We have all the proper forms."
"Then why are we here? I feel like I've gotten caught with my hand in the cookie jar," she whinged.
Hestia closed her eyes. "They probably want to know why a hit wizard team has come into their country."
"But we aren't hit wizards? This is an Auror action sanctioned by the Ministry," Tonks said.
Moody wanted to sting her something fierce but kept his wand away. He doubted they would make any friends doing so. "We have all our paperwork," he repeated, giving her a look to shut her gob. She seemed to get it this time and calmed.
"Right, we have all our paperwork," she said, before sitting down. She gave him a curious look and he just took out the paperwork. Hestia did the same and placed it on the table before her. Tonks was a little slower, but finally copied them.
Moody knew he had trained her better than this, but apparently, she had forgotten some of her training. They waited in silence for a short bit before a middle-aged woman of Portuguese descent came into the room. "Good morning," she said in fairly good English. "I am Eloisa Portencia, and I am an inspector with the Magical Law Enforcement Division."
"Morning, lass. What's the hold up?" Moody questioned.
The woman sat across from them and put a folder on the table. "You will excuse me, Retired Master Auror Alastor Moody, but I will be asking the questions."
"Go ahead, inspector," Moody said in a low growl.
"What are you doing in Brazil?"
"I think our paperwork says it rather plainly," he gruffed.
She didn't betray any emotion as she opened the folder. "It says here that you are a team of Hit Wizards under contract to retrieve two runaway children. I find that odd since we have no report of runaway children from the British Ministry or the ICW believed to be in our country."
"It is of a rather sensitive nature," Moody told her.
"I can believe it is if this is about an underaged witch and wizard. Can I ask why the British Envoy didn't inform us or allow our government the opportunity to resolve this first?" she asked.
Moody snorted. He should have known this was going to be a 'pissing on someone else's territory' type of thing. "Listen, lass, the sensitivity of this mission would make it paramount that the missing people be kept rather secret. We have all the proper paperwork. Your government agreed to give us certain information. Once we get the information, we'll be on our way."
The woman made a few notes on a notepad. "I'm afraid not. You see, we have received reports that a man matching your description is wanted in relation to a disturbance in Africa. Another ICW team reported two of their members going rogue a little over a week ago after they were arrested trying to kidnap a boy. Since then, they have given the information to most of the governments they are allied with. Do you know anything about that?"
Moody was internally cursing. "I know nothing about a kidnapping," he said. That Captain Rogers was all sorts of idiotic! It was obvious Potter and Greengrass had fled.
"What about a spell fight about thirty kilometres outside of Accra in Ghana?" she asked.
Moody scratched his chin. Hestia looked just as cool. Tonks looked a little confused. That was probably a good thing. "I don't know anything about a spell fight. Where exactly is Accra?"
"It's where the ICW Hit Wizard team was arrested," she told him, obviously hoping for a reaction from them.
"Nope, doesn't ring a bell," Moody told her.
"I see," she said, taking a few notes, then closing the notebook. Her wand came out and she swished it around the room. He was rather impressed that her spell work masked almost all the wards and charms.
She leaned forward. "This is off the record. In the last two weeks we have had to arrest, imprison or deport fifteen bounty hunters looking for some high profile children in your papers," she told them. Tonks stiffened and Moody really wanted to hex her. She just gave away their mark and he could see it by the way the inspector's eyes quickly moved to Tonks.
"I am about to arrest you and then talk with my superiors to get permission to dose you with veritaserum about what you and Hit Wizard Hestia Jones did in Ghana. Now, tell me why you are in Brazil," she ordered him.
Moody scratched his chin again, shared a quick look with Hestia, then sighed. "Buggering hell. We were trying to keep this silent. We have reason to believe that Harry Potter and Daphne Greengrass have fled to Brazil. We are trying to take them back without spooking them again or getting anyone hurt. It is very important that Potter returns to Britain."
She regarded him for a moment. "Why?"
"Don't rightly know," he said. It was part of the truth. He didn't fully know why Albus wanted the boy but suspected.
"Not good enough. Why?"
"Dumbledore said he has to come back," Tonks said.
Moody's hand twitched towards his wand. It was as though she was trying to sabotage them.
Inspector Portencia turned to Tonks. She regarded Tonks for a moment. "Is this anything to do with Albus Dumbledore's and the ministries claim that Voldemort has returned and that there is a prophecy between Voldemort and Harry Potter?"
Moody wanted to hit his head against the table.
"We were contracted to retrieve the two and bring them back," Hestia said before Tonks could open her mouth.
"Your contract is being denied. Now, I want more answers before I decide if you are spending your nights in a hotel before you go back in the morning or if you are spending the next week or so in a prison cell until we can decide who wants you more," the inspector said.
"The Daily Prophet says it's a prophecy and we spent last year guarding the Hall of Prophesy before the DOM battle," Tonks said.
"TONKS!" he lost his temper this time. He went to pull his wand and the wards instantly reacted. The next time he woke it was inside a small prison cell…
-oOo-
September 8, 1996
Hogwarts, Scotland
Albus sighed as he looked at the missive from Head Montague of the Department of International Cooperation. He had been requested to immediately report to Stockholm for an issue with some individuals that were working under an ICW Hit Wizard license and under a warrant with his signature.
If this had to do with Rogers and his team again, he was going to work with the International Law Department to revoke their license and send them back to the MACUSA. He knew they moved to the ICW for a reason. Perhaps their 'legend' of tracking people down wasn't as 'legend' as they made it out to be?
He was about to toss in a pinch of floo powder into his fireplace when the gargoyle announced, "Minerva McGonagall."
He sighed, feeling it was important to deal with the notice quickly, but it was unusual for Minerva to arrive in his office on a Sunday morning like this. He moved to his window to act as though he wasn't about to run off without telling her again when the door opened.
"Good morning, Minerva. What can I do for you today?"
"You ken deal wit this," she said angrily, throwing a letter onto her desk.
He stifled a groan at whatever this new annoyance was. "And what is it I need to deal with?"
"The Longbottoms. Did you know that he and Luna Lovegood are now betrothed?" she asked.
He didn't see where the anger was coming from for this news. "And this has made you upset? I thought you would be pleased? I had the impression you liked both of them, especially with how Neville has come out of his shell the last year."
"I am pleased, but you and your bleeding policy about bullying. The Longbottoms have placed charges against us and Hogwarts about allowing harm to Miss Lovegood and allowing family heirlooms to be stolen. The DMLE has been notified and two Aurors have come into the school to look for three items," she told him angrily.
He closed his eyes and took in a deep breath. MORGANA and MERLIN! He screamed inside his head. Could anything else go wrong this year?
"They are also going to look for evidence of where Potter is," she informed him.
How did everything come back to Potter? He tried his best to stifle his annoyance at the nagging voice in his head which sounded an awful lot like Severus's complaining about Potter.
"Minerva, I am sure you can handle this. I have more pressing matters," he told her. Like finding Potter and dealing with the rumours that Voldemort was gathering his forces.
Her pursed lips radiated her displeasure. "Albus, you must deal with Longbottom and Lovegood before you go, especially if they are proven true? Not to mention the Aurors in the school."
He pinched his nose. "I'm sure that it is nothing that serious. A few detentions should clear this all up. Please send the Aurors to my office and I will talk with them when I get back. I should be an hour at the most."
"For Merlin sake, Albus! Aurors are already in Ravenclaw tower. Or is this like it wasn't that serious to allow Death Eaters into this school?" she pressed angrily.
"They are just children," he snapped back at her. "And who let them into Ravenclaw tower!"
He moved away from the fireplace. He didn't need this distraction right now.
"You know what Severus says you have to do to earn a mark. They are no longer children!" she retorted. "Two more students were removed yesterday. Ten more and our finances will not hold for the year."
He growled. "I will take care of this. Get them out of Ravenclaw tower and have them wait here."
"Once again I'll do your job, Albus. If you excuse me, I have a school to run, and will start doing as I need when you are not here."
"You have my orders, Minerva," he told her testily.
"And I have my mandates that I think I have been neglecting. Either stay and fix this or I will do as I need," she challenged.
His face scrunched. "I have duties with the ICW and the ministry that also need attending."
"Then you are doing too much if you can't investigate these allegations and deal with the Aurors," she shot back.
They stood there, glaring at each other for a long moment. "You have my orders, Minerva. I will be back when I can."
She looked rather defiantly at him, gave him a single nod, then marched out of the office.
He dismissively waved his hand over his shoulder as he threw the green powder into the fireplace. Finding Harry was far more important than a few parents who were scared of some misguided students. Once Harry returned and they confronted Voldemort again, all the students would flock back, and things could go back to normal. Speaking of which, he needed to know when Scrimgeour was releasing the students that had been arrested on the express so they could come back to school.
Only later would he find out dismissing Minerva the way he did would have such far reaching consequences. If he had known her next stop was to write a letter to the Board of Governors, he might have been worried and realized his next step should not have been towards Stockholm but the great hall.
-oOo-
Same day…
Salvador, Brazil
Daphne shook and water sprayed everywhere. Harry growled at her, and he swore her yip was laughter. After a huff, he shook off the rain, which earned a yip of surprise from her. When he morphed back, she glared at him, water dripping out of her hair. "You could be a gentleman, you know."
"You were the cheeky one first," he told her. They were close enough to the aerodrome that he took his wand out and dried off her clothes. He left her hair alone, having learned last year not to do that because it ruined what she did to her hair.
She eyed him before giving him a little huff and a gentle kiss. "You could still be the gentleman," she said softly.
"Next time I will shake off first, then let you shake," he told her.
She glared at him again. "Or you can wait for me to change and cast a shield or water repelling charm."
"Or I could do that, princess" he agreed with her.
They had stopped under an awning in a yard of an empty house. Looking out from under it, he could see the tower of the aerodrome a short distance off. He tapped his wrist. The sun was just coming up and it was about six thirty. "The airship leaves at eight. We should get going."
This was the part they had been nervous about. They had entered Brazil illegally and now they would have to leave by going through the legal route. Much like it had been in Geneva, or when they had explored Rome, those going to the airships were funnelled into a few lines. The lines ended at a half dozen teller booths. There was only a dozen or so people waiting to get in this early in the morning and only one booth was open. A tired looking witch was behind a cast-iron grill, taking the stamps and passports or other ID offered. At the teller booth, Harry put the ticket booklets and their passports onto the shelf.
She gave them a cursory look before taking their passports. "You are Harry James Potter?"
"Yes," he replied in Portuguese, thanks to the translation medallion.
She did a quick once over, looked at his passport again and then handed his passport back to him. She did the same with Daphne. "Daphne Potter?"
"Yes, ma'am," she replied. The woman eyed them for a moment as though trying to decide if they were married or not. He was starting to think they needed to run when the woman handed Daphne her passport.
"Where are you going?"
"Austin, Texas in the MACUSA," he told her.
She looked over to a chart on her wall, ran a finger down it, then opened the books. Each book had a hundred stamps in it. She did a quick count to see if they were still full. "Do you want one room or two?"
"One room," Harry answered.
"Will you pay for your meals, or do you want them on your ticket?"
"On the ticket."
"Do you want an open ticket if you care to get off and catch a later flight?"
Harry looked to Daphne. She shook her head. It was going to be important to get out of the CoA and into the MACUSA. "We are going straight there."
"Do you have any luggage that will need to be put into the hold?"
"No."
She took one of the books, then seventy stamps out of the second book before pulling out two tickets, tapped them with her wand and gave them the tickets and what was left of the second book. "The Orchard Bloom is leaving at eight from birth three. Enjoy your adventure," she said with a smile.
Daphne stuck close to his side. Two teams of Aurors were at the gates but didn't give them another look once Harry showed they had tickets. Three airships were moored this morning and he looked up, still loving the sight of the huge cigar shaped zeppelins. Lifts were carrying cargo with automatons moving about.
"I would love to drive one of those," he told Daphne, eyeing the automatons.
She shook her head. "Ask them once we get out of here," she told him.
They joined a group going up in the passenger lift. Brightly polished brass grates closed, and they started their way up. Harry's eyes didn't rest, looking for any sign they were being followed. He didn't see anything that jumped out at him. A young couple with a child that was maybe a year old went up the gangway before them. The gnomes at the door welcomed them in. When Harry and Daphne stepped up to the doorman, Harry handed the gnome their tickets.
"You will be room thirty-two. Just down this hall, take the second right and should be the third door down," the gnome said with a smile.
"I thought we were getting one with a window," Daphne said.
"She didn't ask, and I didn't think about it. Next time I'll remember," he told her as they made their way to their room. They did little more than touch their wands to it to activate the lock, look inside to see a bed a little wider than a twin, a bureau and a night stand with a wash basin. It was going to be a little tight, but in just over eight days from now they would be in the MACUSA and asking for asylum.
Wanting to see them leaving, Harry dragged her to the observation windows near the gangway. They watched as the last of the automatons finished their work before some gnomish and wizard workers scurried around. Within twenty minutes, the gangway was being pulled to the platform, the large ramp and doors at the front of the ship closed and the airship gave a jolt as it detached from the mooring hooks on the tower. Daphne stumbled into him. He wrapped his arms around her.
Only after they had cleared the towers and turned towards the north did he start to relax. Technically, once they passed the Aurors they were on gnomish territory, but it still didn't mean he wasn't nervous they might be caught.
Daphne leaned her back into his chest. He felt her melt into him, her own tension lessening. "I want to come back someday to explore," she told him. "Their wands looked very different."
He smiled into her hair. "I think that would be wicked. We'll take a portkey though."
She leaned further against him. "I don't mind airships," she said. "Or if we fly Muggle planes the normal way. I would like to try that sometime."
"We can do that," he said.
She wrapped her arms around the ones he had around her midsection. "Do you think the MACUSA will give us asylum?"
"I think so," he said, not wanting to tell her how nervous he was. From what they found, the MACUSA was rather good for asylum seekers. He just hoped his past didn't count against them. Harry kissed her neck. She scrunched it up.
"Stop," she said half-heartedly.
"But you're so cute when you do that," he told her, trying to kiss her neck again.
She giggled. "Harry James!" she scolded with no heat.
He kept kissing her neck until she let out a soft moan. Her responding whimper when he stopped had him chuckle. He put his chin on her shoulder to watch Salvador disappear into farm country, smaller towns and swathes of jungle. Daphne leaned her head against his shoulder. For a bit they just enjoyed each other's company. "Harry?""
"Hmmm?"
"I don't want to wait to get married," she told him.
"Then we won't," he said.
She worried her lip for a moment. "We'll have to get off in Belem and find a bonder."
Harry was quiet for a few. "Do we need a bonder?"
"I don't know of any other way," she replied.
"Could a ship's captain marry us? In the Muggle world they have that authority," he told her.
She seemed to think for a moment. "I don't know."
"We could ask," Harry pointed out.
She leaned her head over so her cheek was against his. "I think we should. I have a bad feeling if we try to wait."
His arms tightened around her. "I'm not letting you get away."
She grabbed his arms tightly with her hands. "I'm not going anywhere without you."
They fell back into an easy silence as they watched the world pass below them. If the ship made the schedule, their next stop would be tomorrow morning in Tocantins, Brazil. It would take more than three days before they left Brazil. The airship turned and started to head west to go over the heart of the Amazon, then stop at Castelobruxo before turning north. As long as everything went well, they should be in Texas around midday eight days from now.
-oOo-
September 10, 1996
Ottery Saint Catchpole, England
The green flames of the floo were becoming all too familiar lately. Ever since the Board of Governors had forced him to clamp down on the wards after Ronald Weasley had caused the current debacle that was ravaging Hogwarts, he had not been able to apparate or use a portkey directly from Hogwarts. He had been allowed to keep the floo connections between the Headmaster's and the Deputy Headmaster's offices open with protections.
Of course, those protections had become worse after the debacle with Longbottom and Lovegood this week. He really hadn't thought it as bad as it was, except that it led to six of the top Ravenclaws on probation for 'misplacing' family heirlooms and assaulting the betrothed of a major heir of the Wizengamot and society.
It all added to the major headache he had had for weeks now, all made worse by Potter. If he could just get the boy back, then everything else could be sorted.
When the grate of the Burrow came up, he unwrapped his arms, took a step and was spat out into the already crowded kitchen of the homey and ragtag house. Today was a full order meeting that left only standing room and the house so full of noise that his headache pounded in his eyes.
Not in the mood to waste any time, he let off a small firecracker of sound and the crowd turned to him. The room quieted and the people before him parted to allow him to move to the table. He stifled his frown to see that the head of the table was not made available. Arthur was sitting in the seat reserved for the leader of the Order of the Phoenix.
Instead, a chair to the left of the man was open.
In the last few weeks, Arthur had started to be a little more assertive while Molly a little less reverent to him. It was a trend he was noticing in many others that was starting to annoy him. Of course, the defence of his son was something else that annoyed Albus.
Looking around the room, he saw Bill, Fred, George and Charlie. Percival was still not committing to the group. Bill was still looking rather dower and had become rather unreliable since Delacour had rejected his proposal and the offer to be a full member of the Order. The twins were grinning at the chaos that was surrounding him. The large dragon handler, who had also refused to be involved until now, had his burly arms crossed and not looking impressed.
As being the first all Order meeting in almost two months, Severus was sitting at the table with Minerva next to him. Severus was his usual emotionless self while Minerva gave him the defiant look she had adopted in the last few weeks. He would have to deal with her soon, especially now that she was dealing with the governors and the education department directly with how much he had needed to be out of Hogwarts. He couldn't allow her to change anything else.
Alastor and Hestia were giving Nymphadora dark looks as she leaned against the wall and touched shoulders with Remus. She had a similarly amused look as the twins, while Remus looked rather pensive. His anger at the young Auror for getting the group that went to Brazil kicked out was about as great as his anger with Minerva.
Shacklebolt sat at the table next to Arthur. He was taking well to his new duties as Head Auror. He was one of the few that still supported Albus without question. He was looking at Mundungus Fletcher a little oddly though. Albus was hoping it wasn't because he had had to use his influence to get the sneakthief out of the holding cells this morning. Much like how he had for Alastor and Hestia when he had been called to the ICW two days ago.
Other members that he usually kept hidden, like Rebecca Brown in the Underage Magical Use Office, William Orville, an Obliviator, and Gregory Timmons in the Department of Records, were also here.
He sat, trying not to be petty he avoided casting a disappointed glance to Arthur. Instead, he showed his in-control and calm persona. "Thank you all for coming tonight. We have some significant news and business to attend too. First, Severus, you have news of Voldemort?"
Half the room cringed or flinched at the name.
The man's serious expression didn't bode well. He had hoped to get a report before now but Severus hadn't been able to leave his other master for days now. "The ministry will soon be under attack. The Dark Lord has accelerated his plans far quicker than we guessed he would be able too. I was called to a meeting at Malfoy Manor. He has a force of several hundred wizards from around the continent and Africa that will be ready to mobilize within the next few weeks."
This caused a general buzz around the room. Albus held up his hands to quiet everyone. This news was disturbing.
"I do not have long to stay here. He is calling in all his faithful. I will be required to take an extended leave of absence to brew. When I leave here tonight, Albus, I don't know when I will be available again," Severus told him. He heard the finality in the man's words.
"But why? I thought You-Know-Who wanted to wait until he could gather all his forces and bring more around to his side?" the middle-aged brunette, Rebecca Brown said, sounding scared.
"Many reasons. With Potter run off, Bones dead, rumours that Bones and Scrimgeour may have a larger force than expected and a few prominent families like the Greengrasses and Macmillan's having fled before he could bring them into his fold, I get the sense he isn't sure his finances will last more than a year. Then add in the rumours of his origins and his anti-pure blood actions are spooking him and many that would have followed him. If he can't secure the ministry in the next few months, then his cause may be a loss in Britain. I am not sure he would not try to destroy everything if he can't win," Severus told them.
Albus closed his eyes for a moment as the room exploded in noise. He let it go for a few as he collected his thoughts. It quieted when he tapped his wand on the table. "Kingsley, do you know anything about these forces that the ministry has?"
The man looked at him with a straight face. "I can neither deny or affirm that there are other forces that the ministry has amassed. I can also neither deny or affirm that authorization has been given for lethal force to be use against anyone trying to subvert the state," the man said in a rather monotone voice.
Albus blinked. Since he had been ousted from Head Warlock last year, he had been blind to many things in the ministry. This was a surprising revelation that he had thought only rumour.
"Are you saying the Wizengamot has approved this?" Minerva asked, surprised herself.
Kingsley looked at her, his mouth shut.
Albus looked to Arthur. He had the same expression as Kingsley. His other ministry workers all were tight lipped as well. He came to the sudden realization that they had all been oath sworn, an oath that superseded the oath they had taken to him, and he couldn't fathom that, as no new oath should be able to overcome an earlier oath without being released.
"I see," he said knowingly. "I would like more detail on this. Arthur?"
"I cannot confirm or deny anything, Albus," the man said with an even face.
Fred and George started to snicker, obviously coming to the same conclusion. Albus didn't like it because of the potential for loss of magical life.
"What can you report on?" Albus gave an open-ended question, trying to keep his irritation down.
"Draco Malfoy will be the first of the underage Death Eaters to go on trial next week. Due to his veritaserum questioning, he will be recommended for a dementors kiss," Kingsley told him.
Albus eyes widened.
"But he isn't even seventeen, is he?" Mundungus asked with pursed lips.
Severus got up, looking a little pale. "I must go. I'm being summoned."
"Report as soon as you can," Albus ordered. He needed more details on what was happening. Severus nodded and then moved towards the door and a long walk to the edge of the wards.
"You must not let him be kissed. He is still young," Albus ordered Kingsley.
"Albus, he confessed to killing three Muggles and one Muggleborn witch after participating in a revel. He knows what he did and by the way he talked about it, he enjoyed it," Kingsley replied.
Albus paled. "Who?"
"He was at the Perks massacre in August," Kingsley told him.
The anger and murmuring in the room had him realize there was little sympathy.
"You must stop this. He can be rehabilitated," Albus insisted.
"Albus, he killed four people with the killing curse. That is a minimum lifetime in Azkaban for each offence. He and the others are not going to be let off. Anyone captured with the Dark Mark is now going to be questioned under Veritaserum and prosecuted," Kingsley replied in an even tone.
MERLIN'S BALLS! Everything was falling apart.
"Albus, I think the best thing for us to do is to be prepared for when the attack happens. We can provide support, but I think we should stay out of the main fray," Alastor said. "Are you going to talk about Potter and all the kerfuffle about Tom Riddle?"
Some frustration passed over his face. "I don't want this to become a blood war," Albus told him.
"It is too late for that. Bones and Fudge are dead. We have already lost Diggle and Black. None of the ones you have approached for recruitment in the last few months have accepted. Your Golden Boy has run, and I frankly think he may have the right idea if we are only going to fire stunners when the Death Eaters are trying to kill us," Alastor stated. "It is a blood war. Now, is it true about Riddle?"
Kingsley added, "I can verify that five of your missing students are dead, Albus, as are their families. We caught a spy trying to get Muggleborn addresses last month. I know you and the minister are obsessed with getting Potter back, but there are other more important things right now. Might I recommend that given the current state of affairs, it would be prudent for the Order to focus on support and protecting sites like Saint Mungo's?"
Albus didn't like being told what to do. Before he could go on with his agenda, Hestia said, "I also think we should address the traitors in our midst."
This brought the room to a dead silence.
He looked at the clearly upset woman. "Traitors?"
"All those that helped Potter," she stated. "If they can go against your orders now, what would happen if we get into a real fight?"
"We are not traitors," George stated.
"Co-conspirators," Fred said.
"Oh, I like that." George agreed.
"Conspirators of what?" Albus angrily demanded, his magic getting away from him and expanding in the room. Most backed away from him, but a few drew their wands and looked challengingly at him.
"Oh, did we say conspirators?" George asked.
"I believe we did," Fred answered.
"You aren't the only ones," Remus added.
"I rather feel like I did something good," Nymphadora said.
"You were brilliant," Fred replied.
"Absolutely stupendous. Though, our Marauder mentor is our true genius," George said.
Remus had a smug look on his face.
Albus stood, his wand coming out. It pointed at one of the blasted twins. Wands all over the room followed. The Weasleys pointed theirs at him, while most the rest looked confused at what was going on. Albus caught a slight movement out the corner of his eyes. Remus and Nymphadora were pointing their wands towards him too. Alastor had his wand out, but it was pointing down, as was Kingsley's, the rest were pointing or moving between those pointing wands at Albus.
"What did you do?" Albus asked in a deathly calm voice.
Fred had the gaul to smirk. "Nothing much."
"Except help our hero see his last wishes done," Geroge replied, though there wasn't much mirth in his voice.
"Well, one of our heroes," Fred said.
"Indubitably," George agreed.
"Albus, I would ask you to lower your wand and not point it at any of my children in my own house," Arthur said, his wand tip pressing into Albus' neck.
Molly was being uncharacteristically silent, looking torn at the scene. She was the only one without a wand drawn
Remus spoke up. "Albus, for your information, the will that was read in July wasn't Sirius's real will. He left the one he wanted with me and had a copy with Gringotts. He wanted to see Harry alive. Sirius had Harry emancipated. He knew that Harry was looking to leave, even if he didn't say it to anyone. He also knew that Harry had someone he was protecting, but Harry wouldn't say who."
Albus looked at the man in fury, then the pieces started to fall together. He had pondered for a while how Harry could have hidden this from them. As he looked at the last of the Marauders, he could see the gleam of a prank that had been pulled, as well as the look they all got when protecting one of their own.
"You helped him!" Albus accused.
"A few of us did. I don't know if Harry knew he was being helped, but I made sure that no one noticed the few days he left his relatives," Remus said.
"We helped make sure the Order didn't notice him while he was in Diagon Alley," Fred and George said together.
"I've been generating false reports of where he has been seen and I was not about to let you get him when we went to Brazil. He deserves his own happiness and life," Nymphadora stated.
Albus took in a deep breath. "And the rest of you?"
"They had no idea," Remus told him.
"Then why?" he demanded, trying to understand the betrayal of a family that had been his staunches supporters for years.
"You wanted to expel Ron for doing what was right. You want to endanger our children by keeping Death Eaters in the school. You have gotten Bill fired because he was digging into the Potter and Black accounts at your order, and to have used him and us to steal from Harry," Arthur said.
His eyes opened in surprise. "Fired?"
"Today. I have lost my job, the woman I love, and our family is being barred from doing business with Gringotts again. Headmaster, the only reason I am not going to the mines is because I didn't know how you were using me," Bill stated.
Alastor shook his head and pushed Hestia's wand down before clapping his hands once. The sound had many flinch. "Constant Vigilance! You let yours down, Albus. Did Black really orchestrate this?" he asked to Remus.
"It was his last wish for Harry to be happy. I didn't quite think Harry would run like this, but I will do everything I can to keep him safe," Remus said. "I've let him down too much in the past."
"Here. Here," George said.
Minerva, who had stayed seated, stood up. "Albus, I must agree with Arthur. You endanger too many with your games. If Potter wants to run, I say let him. I must get back to my charges at Hogwarts. If You-Know-Who is gathering his forces, then the students must be protected."
"Minerva, please get Ginny and Ron to pack their belongings. I plan to be by in a little bit to withdraw them," Arthur said. Molly started to cry.
"Arthur, you can't," Albus commanded.
Minerva nodded her head. He watched her go with his eyes until she was out of sight. He didn't want to move his head with Arthur's wand still at his throat. A moment later, the fire flared and she was gone.
"My family will be withdrawing from the Order, effective immediately, since you have no other plan than to save the Death Eaters and capture Harry," Arthur told him. "I would like my family, Remus and Tonks to stay. Everyone that has not been invited to stay, please leave."
Albus glared at the man for a moment. Arthur was usually a very mild-mannered person, but he knew he was very protective of his family. Albus was realizing that he finally pushed them too far and the man was finally acting the head of family. Albus was realizing that he had pushed many too far and in doing so had lost just about everything now.
Albus lowered his wand. "I am rather disappointed in you and your family, Arthur. I had thought you would support us in our fight."
"My support is with my family first, country second," the man replied.
The others started to move towards the fireplace. Alastor put a hand on Arthur's shoulder before leaving. Albus was the last of the Order to still be in the kitchen after a few minutes. The Weasleys, Kingsley, Remus and Nymphadora were the only ones left.
"Molly?" he asked, needing to know.
She looked up to him, tears on her cheeks. "You told me the money came from a fund at the school. You said the extra galleons were to take care of Harry. You never told me that you paid for my children to go to Hogwarts from Harry's accounts, nor that there was an illegal betrothal between my daughter and Harry. I would have loved if Harry had married Ginny, but I would never force them."
He adopted a completely emotionless mask. He had made it out to be a generational contract that would have looked like an old agreement when Harry discovered it after his seventeenth birthday. How had they found out?
Remus growled. "Lily and James would never have agreed to it. They would have refused even the contract that Harry and Daphne entered into. James argued for months with his parents about a contract before our fifth year when they wanted to push him into one."
"Albus, leave," Arthur told him.
"Perhaps that is best until tempers cool," he said.
He left to still see everyone's wands on him.
-oOo-
Next time on Dear Order: A marriage, an epiphany and a coming war…
-oOo-
A/N: I do apologize, but work is very busy. My writing and editing time is limited so it may be a 2 – 3 week update schedule for a bit. I do not know how long this will last.