AN: I do not own Harry Potter.

Chapter 6: Moves within the Ministry

Sirius stood with Remus as they watched Harry write down the Human Transfiguration Formula on the board for turning a human into a cat. It was the most basic version of Human Transfiguration to perform and a good starting point for learning the complex branch of Transfiguration. His friend said it would look great in Harry's O.W.L. practicals for him to be able to do N.E.W.T. level spells.

It'd been a week and a half since they made it safely to France. They'd already switched houses twice, just to be safe. "Dumbledore still isn't happy with us," Remus sighed. "To top things off, a representative from the International Confederation of Wizards is doing an official inquiry into Dumbledore's tenure as Supreme Mugwump."

Sirius grimaced. "Wasn't there a strong contender from Africa? I seem to remember Amelia saying Fudge was going to write him."

"I'm not sure. I don't follow that type of thing," Remus said as Harry finished the second part of the formula from memory. Sirius couldn't have been prouder. It was only his third time seeing the formula. When given one-on-one instruction, he'd forgotten how voracious his godson was for magical knowledge. "There was another attack yesterday at St. Mungo. It was in the Le Cri de la Gargouille. I can't read French very well, but that Charm from Bill helped with the translation."

"Do they know what happened?"

"Nothing definite, but it ruins our theory that Harry was the sole target."

Sirius grunted. "Dual-purposed attacks," he mused after a minute. "Attacking St. Mungo creates chaos, especially if the ones attacking aren't caught. It erodes Scrimgeour's popularity. I made him a fool when he couldn't catch me… and now, there's a crazed Potioneer who's using people as weapons. That can't look good on Fudge either."

Remus sighed. "I hate politics. Has he asked to practice what he's learned yet?" he asked with a nod toward Harry.

Sirius watched his godson stare at the chalkboard as he opened and closed his right fist. He still had some issues but was progressing with relearning fine motor control. Harry said his brain would tell his arm to do something, and sometimes, it just wouldn't work like he wanted.

"No, he's spent nearly every waking hour learning the stuff you prepared. Mate… at this rate, he'll burn through everything we had prepared in a month… not the three we thought it would take him."

"Not surprising if you think about it. Once you memorize the basics, it becomes easier to continue building on that. After that, it becomes practice, practice, practice until you can perform the magic you want without having to focus on it."

Sirius nodded. "Practical application is going to be tough. I've been thinking about hiring a driver to take us a little ways away to throw off any pursuit. The French Ministry will eventually find this place… or at least one of our places," he muttered.

"We're more likely to get spotted by Muggles than we are anyone from the Community," Remus said softly. "By the way… I'm pretty sure there is a Vampire presence in the city."

"Are you kidding me? Wouldn't they go for somewhere larger?"

"I'd imagine they like this place for the same reasons we did. Big enough to hide in but not so big that we'd stick out… or in their case… a few homeless or unwanteds going missing."

Sirius looked at his friend. "There's something else too, isn't there?" he said quietly. Harry had stopped writing and was staring at the chalkboard. He didn't want to interrupt his thought process by speaking too loudly.

Remus pursed his lips slightly. "I don't know for sure. Remember the house you bought in Germany? Near Sarrburg. Someone was in the house; the wards were gone."

Sirius closed his eyes. That was the first place he and Remus put about that he and Harry were headed. Someone had talked. "The Netherlands?"

"No, when I checked before heading to Britain, it was clear. No sign of entry or tripped wards. It could have been the German Ministry… but they tend to keep to themselves. Someone breached the wards and didn't bother hiding it."

"They'll at least check here. It might be time for Plan B."

"No… I don't think so yet," Remus whispered as Harry wiped away part of his formula and started scratching with the chalk again. "We've still got a little time. Harry's idea to talk to Neville was smart. He gave me a bunch of notes on how he set up his greenhouse that I wouldn't have thought of."

"We won't go that route until we move out of the area. Are the next two places ready?"

"Of course. It took some doing, but it should be good for controlled uses of magic."

"Two weeks… that's probably all the time we'll have," Sirius sighed. "Let's make the most of it."

"Agreed."

Sirius stepped over to Harry and watched him correct two errors. He wanted to point out the other mistake, but he refrained. Harry would need to learn what to look for. It took another twenty minutes before his godson was ready. "Alright, walk me through the process."

-X-X-X-X-

"So, the ground helps diffuse magical use? Or rather, traces of magic?" Harry questioned as he pushed the rest of his breakfast around on his plate. They'd moved houses again.

"Earth is a natural element. Established cave systems are the best hiding places if you know what to look for. Not only does it have ambient magic from air and water, but also dark. Not the dark you'd see in the Dark Arts, but dark as a natural element in magic. Many confuse the two. All the elements together help diffuse any magic a wizard could produce. That is, except for fire. If you know what to look for, fire is a beacon within a cave's ambient magic. A skilled tracker will know in minutes if a fire was made with magic recently. It sticks out like a sore thumb."

"That's why you said camping in the open air is bad," Harry said, his eyes focused on the table. "There is nothing to hide ambient magic. What about forests? Wouldn't they provide some cover?"

Remus smiled. "Yes, but what protection would you find?"

Harry bit his lip as he clenched and unclenched his right fist. "I suppose that would depend on where you used magic. If it were in a clearing, then the same problems would occur. Not only could you be seen from someone on a broom, but it'd be similar to being in an open field. I suppose… the trees would provide some ambient earth… and water protection, especially if you camped near a river or stream. In that case, the best place to be is near a large, old tree with a wide cover," he said slowly as he looked up.

"Excellent," Sirius nodded. "No matter what, you'll leave traces, but you can mitigate what traces you leave behind. What about protective spells and charms? What would you be able to use?"

Remus and Sirius tried to impart every bit of their knowledge to Harry. Over the years, Remus had moved from country to country to find work and shelter. As a werewolf, he had to be very careful about what jobs he took and where he could be to safely be away from humans and Hunters. In some countries, hunting Vampires, Werewolves, and other dangerous magical beasts was a profession supported by the government. Turkey's Ministry of Magic had an open bounty on Vampires and Werewolves that could be brought in without question about where they came from.

Sirius didn't have the same experience as Remus did when it came to living in the wilderness, but what he did have was his knowledge and experience in hunting and running from Death Eaters with James in more urban settings. He'd had to relearn some of what he was teaching to Harry after his escape from Azkaban.

"A general Repelling Charm… although… it would need to be delicately done. Too much might attract the wrong attention, while too little wouldn't do anything at all."

"Control… yes, I believe that's still something we need to work on," Remus smiled. "As you come of age, it'll become easier to understand how to weave your magic instead of flinging it or simply trying to force it to work. What else?"

"An Alarm Spell of some kind. In concentric rings. Actually… maybe setting the alarm spells slightly off of where I'm camping. Throw someone off if they could narrow down where I was."

Sirius shook his head. "No, a ward that size would stand out like a beacon. There are more mundane ways to provide a warning that will leave almost no trace."

"Alright," Harry muttered, his eyebrows knitted together. "How about an Atmospheric Charm to create a fog, depending upon where you are?"

Remus looked to Sirius. "That isn't bad. It's hard to tell if some fogs are spelled or natural." He turned to Harry, "however, you'd need to know the area. Well… maybe you wouldn't. If a pursuer doesn't know the area, you might get away with it. Also… a thick fog would be visible from the air."

"So, only a light fog near lakes or something similar. If I set up camp in a natural recess in the ground, had a lake near me, and had plenty of tree cover, then using a mist or fog would be okay. Nice, I can almost picture it," he grinned. "Also, what about a Protection Charm of one kind or another? Maybe something like Protego Totalum? I think I read about it in one of those books you gave me," he frowned. "Incantation to block or repel intruders and spells."

Sirius nodded and looked at his friend. "There are dangers involved in using that spell and others like it. To properly protect yourself, you'd need a strong bit of power to not only cast the spell… incantation, in this case, but also it would be a signal to anyone who knew what to look for. Also, you'd leave a pretty strong trace of your magic. Incantations are like a wizard's promise on the world. You're saying that my magic protects the land from all danger."

Harry frowned. "Then what else could I do?"

"Sound," Sirius said softly. "Sound carries a long way in quiet places. The first Charm you should cast is something to block sound within the area. Then your other enchantments."

"While it will leave traces of magic, any sound you make setting up or during your stay will carry to pursuers and animals in the area."

Harry took notes and asked questions while seven cauldrons simmered away along the back wall. Technically, it was dangerous to do even Potionmaking, but Remus was reasonably sure the French Ministry knew someone was in the area. It would just be a matter of time before someone came knocking. Even as careful as they were, the Trace acted in strange ways.

The next day, Sirius led the conversation on escaping pursuit in an urban area. "Of course, Appariation is best, but you won't have that luxury. Also, a skilled witch or wizard can track where you've gone within a certain time frame. Your Invisibility Cloak will be your greatest asset if it comes to it. Where would the best place to hide be?"

Harry sat back and closed his eyes. "Somewhere with a lot of Muggles. The Statute of Secrecy is paramount. That means what they can do is very limited. Also, most witches and wizards stand out in a crowd of Muggles," he said with certainty.

"Good; however, the people we're dealing with will probably still use magic without caring, but where we are, that's a good thing. Bringing the French Ministry down on them will be a boon for you. The worst that can happen is that you get taken in and returned to Britain, where Dumbledore can collect you."

Harry's face darkened. "Why are you talking like you or Lupin won't be there with me?" he asked slowly.

Sirius looked at his godson and said, "because if all of what we're talking about happens, then, in all likelihood, both of us are dead. I want you to be confident to do what is necessary and get away."

"How about let's talk about ways all three of us can escape," Harry grumbled.

"It's going to take a lot to kill either me or Remus," he smiled. "However, I also want you to be ready if somehow our preparations are discovered or broken through. We will hold them off while you get away. There's a contact we're going to be working with that might come through with an Illegal Portkey."

Harry looked between them. He seemed to be warring with himself about something. "Do we need to leave? Just go back to Britain? I'm learning more than I could hope for, but… not at the risk of what you're talking about."

Sirius found himself smiling. Things hadn't gotten that bad, and the Death Eaters wouldn't be bold enough to attack them openly in a foreign country. "No, we're simply preparing for the worst. It's better to be prepared and understand why the steps taken are necessary. I'll tell you if I think things are too dangerous for us," he promised.

Remus looked between them and nodded slowly. "I agree. Things aren't so dire as Sirius is making it seem."

Harry looked between them, his green eyes focused on each of their faces. Eventually, he nodded and sat forward. "Then using areas where there are numerous Muggles is a strategy. What about where you can sleep or rest safely?" he asked.

-X-X-X-X-

Sirius led Harry down into the bunker-like home Remus had made in the forest southeast of their current house. It was a reasonably comprehensive complex with a reinforced roof to ensure Harry didn't accidentally bring a mound of dirt down on their head. His godson looked around with a huge smile.

"I love it," he breathed. "You even got one of those wood-fired stoves. Man, it took us forever to figure out how it worked."

Sirius laughed. They'd had a lot of burnt or nearly undercooked food the first few weeks of using non-magic to cook. Harry was, oddly, more adept at cooking than he or Remus were. "I'm excited to see how well you do with using magic, too," he smiled.

Harry nodded and whipped out his wand with his right hand. He frowned and seemed to consider his hand. "The techniques Madam Pomfrey sent are working... sorta. I'm surprised Hedwig found us," he said with a frown.

"Yes… that was memorable," Sirius grinned. Harry's owl had not been amused at being left at Hogwarts for so long without her owner coming to collect her.

"Does that mean someone could write us a letter and find where we are?" Harry asked slowly.

"No, Remus and I took care of that ages ago. All our letters are being sent to a few different locations around Europe," he said, carefully keeping his voice neutral. He didn't want to alarm Harry. Every house they'd prepared had people watching the place, or the enchantments around the home were destroyed. In one case, the house itself was leveled.

"So, what are we going to work on first?" Harry asked as he looked around the three-room bunker.

"Dueling."

Harry paused and turned around. Sirius had to stop himself from recoiling at the sheer ferocity in his godson's gaze. "Good. I've been itching to work on it," he said in the coldest tone Sirius had ever heard come from him.

The next three days were… troubling. Sirius took Harry's desire to duel seriously; if he hadn't, he might not have survived the first day. When Harry said that he'd been waiting to work on dueling, he meant it. Sirius watched as his godson's personality seemed to shift from a fun-loving, young wizard who just wanted to learn into something… well, he didn't have the words to describe it. What happened in the graveyard had a greater impact on Harry than he, or Remus, had ever expected.

Harry attacked and defended with a look of cold fury, as if he were facing Voldemort himself again. It was unsettling to duel Harry sometimes. After Harry had gone to bed that night, Remus and Sirius spent the next few hours reinforcing the ceiling more, with pillars and layers upon layers of overlapping protection. They should have also done the walls.

On day two, Harry got creative and turned the earthen wall separating two of the makeshift bedrooms into a golem to attack Remus from a different angle. That was the thing about dueling Harry. He tried to approach his opponent from different angles, whereas most duelists dueled with spells or Charms. He used everything at his disposal, even the plates on the shelf.

By day three, Sirius and Remus had a general idea of how Harry dueled. They worked together to push Harry to mix defense and offense instead of focusing on one or the other.

Another thing they noticed was his frustration with his arms. He'd lost much of his previous fine motor control in his right hand and hadn't practiced much with his left. That frustration came out in the duels when Harry missed spells he thought should have hit.

"Alright, enough until lunch," Remus called as he stepped into the large room they used for dueling, cooking, eating, relaxing, and studying.

"Could I just focus on aiming for a while?" Harry asked, frowning at his wand. He looked a mess, covered in dirt and bruises. He didn't seem to notice two long gashes on his arms.

"No, we'll work on aiming exercises in a bit," Sirius said as he slumped into the chair they'd repaired several times. He nursed a split lip with a rag. Their duel had gotten rough, but it didn't seem to bother Harry at all.

"Fine," Harry sighed and went over to the table. "What are we working on next? Wards?"

"Next week," Remus said as he sat and looked Sirius over. A dark expression flashed across his face as he looked between them. "I'm going to be returning to Britain tomorrow to catch up on the goings on up there. Do you want me to pass anything along to your friends?"

Harry looked sheepish. "What day is it?" he asked.

Sirius blinked and then realized that his godson hadn't looked at the French version of the Daily Prophet at any point during their stay. "It's the twenty-ninth," he answered.

"A month," Harry muttered. "Yeah, I'll work on some letters."

Remus and Sirius watched Harry enter the bedroom they'd set aside for him. "No word from Beauxbatons?" his friend asked.

"No… which isn't good. Harry knows he'll have to return to Hogwarts."

"It really is the best place for him at the moment."

"We know that, but he doesn't see it that way. He ignores any questions relating to Hogwarts. I know some of that has to do with the letter Greengrass left him. That… wasn't well done, especially from a family like Greengrass."

"No kidding," Remus whispered. "Do you want me to pass a letter to someone?"

Sirius considered it. "Yeah, if you don't mind."

It took Remus a week to return and find Harry and Sirius in a newly created home within the forest. He looked troubled when he sat down. "Have trouble finding the place?" Sirius asked as he wiped the sweat off his brow. His godson was getting good, damn good at dueling. The only time he wanted to stop was so they could go over whatever spell or Charm Sirius used in their duels. Sirius was having a hard time keeping pace with Harry.

"Yes and no," Remus frowned as he looked between them. "You two are overdoing it again."

"No way," Harry protested. "We only duel like… four hours a day? Maybe five at max."

Remus closed his eyes and took a deep breath. When he opened them again, he looked at Sirius. "You know it's a bad idea to push both your bodies so much."

Sirius waved his friend's admonition away. After the initial worry over Harry's mental health, it became fun to duel his godson. They were getting close in skill, and it became a game to see who could knock the other out first. It was like being with James again. "We're being careful," he laughed.

"Right…" Remus sighed. "I have letters for both of you… several, in fact, Harry, here's your pile," he smiled as he waved his wand. About twenty letters appeared on the rough-carved table that Harry had made when he couldn't sleep one night. Remus turned to Sirius and waved his wand again. Twice the number of letters appeared in front of him. They both groaned. "I had to go around collecting them. So, I'm going to lie down for a while. Apparating so much in one day is exhausting. Do you have anything to eat?"

Harry nodded, his eyes fixed on his pile. He waved his wand, and a bar of chocolate appeared on the table in front of Remus. Sirius saw the smirk on his godson's face. Remus laughed. "That'll do for now," he snorted.

Sirius took his letters and sorted through them. In the first stack, there were two from Gringotts, three from his contact at the Daily Prophet, another half-dozen from people he didn't know, and one from Amelia Bones. He separated them out and looked at the second pile. Dumbledore had sent him two letters, and so had Molly Weasley. There was one from Amos Diggory and seven from various people in the Ministry of Magic. He set those aside for last.

It took Harry and Sirius a while to get through all their mail. For Sirius, some of the news was good or had no impact on him, but most of it wasn't good. Fudge sent him two letters, asking for his support if Barty Crouch decided to call for a vote of no confidence in his leadership, each more desperate than the last. Barty Crouch sent him a letter asking for his vote as well. Sirius burned the letter as soon as he read it.

Two worrying bits of news came from the Department of Magical Education and the newly created Department of Magical Standards. The first was that Fudge created a new department that seemed to oversee the Department of Magical Education. Their entire function was to review the learning standards within Hogwarts, which is what the Department of Magical Education did. On paper, they did the same job. The next bit of worrying news was that Pius Thicknesse became the Head of the Department of Magical Standards, with Dolores Umbridge acting as his Undersecretary. Both Thicknesse and Umbridge were instrumental in trying to prove Harry's guilt to get him expelled.

Amelia Bones wrote to him in an official capacity. She simply asked for a donation to help with budget cuts. However, reading between the lines, he understood that she fully expected to be replaced by Fudge or Barty Crouch within the year. Both tried using her as a scapegoat for Scrimgeour's failure to catch the Mad Potioneer. He wanted to be able to help her, but being in another country significantly reduced what he could do.

His contacts within the Daily Prophet didn't have a lot of news. Some wanted his opinion on the current regime, and others asked about the news that Harry Potter might have won the Triwizard Tournament. Sirius frowned when he put down the last letter. He remember the article in the Daily Prophet saying that it was Cedric Diggory who won and Harry had gotten second place. He eyed the letter from Amos Diggory.

Amos worked in the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures, and he was firmly in Fudge's loyalist group. Sirius frowned as he read through the letter.

"Mr. Black,

My son does not lie to me. He says he and Mr. Potter were attacked the night of the third task. I wish to meet with you and Harry to get the full story of what happened that night. I do not appreciate being told to mind my business by certain parties. I also know what I heard in the healer's tent that night. When convenient, please write back with a time and place we could meet, wizard-to-wizard. My family means everything to me.

Amos Diggory

Officer of the Office of Misinformation"

Sirius put down the letter and drummed his fingers on the rough table. He looked across to see Harry frowning at one of his letters. Remus finished eating the chocolate and slumped back in one of the chairs Harry had conjured. "Do you have any other news?" he asked. Harry looked up from his letter.

"The country is a mess," his friend said quietly. "There are rumors that Death Eaters are more active… and Karkarov is dead. The Dark Mark was found over a shack in the northern part of Scotland. I'm not sure why he didn't flee the country."

"Probably thought he could out-think his old comrades," Sirius grumbled. "However… he might not have been able to. If what we know about the Dark Mark on the Death Eater's arms is true… then Voldemort could track or even cause serious harm to the people he's marked."

"What else has happened to cause people to panic?" Harry asked softly.

Remus grimaced. "The Mad Potioneer struck in a big way. It's what kept me from leaving. He… they… used some sort of potion in Diagon Alley. The Aurors think it's more than one person now. There were three stores hit with a deadly gas. Somehow, no one was hurt." He paused and looked at Harry. "Ron, Hermione, and Ginny were nearby when it happened."

"What?!"

"Hermione was with Andromeda Tonks and Ron and Ginny were with Mrs. Weasley. They'd gotten together to get robes for the next term and get a jump start on the books they'd need."

Harry took a deep breath. "They're alright?" he asked.

"Scrimgeour questioned all three, but he mainly asked where you and Sirius were. It's gotten out that both of you are out of the country… and it was verified. I'm sorry to say, but there's more news."

Sirius winced. It was a matter of time before nosy people like the Daily Prophet would start looking for them. "Who talked?"

"Dumbledore."

Sirius blinked. "Excuse me?" he asked, wondering if his ears somehow deceived him. The one who said he wanted Harry safe… told people that Harry was out of the country?

"There was an investigation into the St. Mugno attacks. Harry's name came up when some of the healers were questioned. He, and you, Sirius, were supposed to be brought in for routine questioning. When you didn't show, Dumbledore had to explain that you'd both left the country after the kidnapping attempts. Scrimgeour got the ones responsible for the attempt to get Harry. Both members of the Ministry, Imperioused from behind."

"Well… we can certainly expect trouble," Harry grumbled. "What does that mean… for us?" he asked, looking between them.

Sirius didn't have an answer. "You could return," Remus said softly. "Dumbledore has a place set up. Mad-eye also expressed an interest in talking to you."

Harry's eyes went flat. Sirius knew mentioning Moody around Harry never worked out well. He wasn't exactly sure what had happened between the two, but Harry acted as if he hated the wizard and yet respected him greatly. It was weird. "So, we prepare for the worst," Harry said in uncomfortable silence.

"There's another few weeks before the start of term anyway," Remus said with a nod.

"I need to get these books for the term," Harry said as he abruptly stood. "I wonder if Hedwig is back."

Sirius watched his godson leave the underground burrow, his back straight. "Probably shouldn't have mentioned Moody," he said with a raised eyebrow.

"I just don't get it. He obviously respects Mad-eye. Why doesn't he want to work with him? Moody's basically offered to take him as an apprentice. That's Auror training. Something Harry desperately wants and… well, needs."

"No idea, but bringing Moody and Hogwarts up in the same breath… you really don't get Harry, do you?" Sirius sighed. "Well, I'll talk to him in a bit. What else didn't you say?"

Remus looked to the stairs where Harry had disappeared. He pitched his voice low. "Every single place we've set up has been hit. Even the ones out in the woods. The Death Eaters are active in France, Germany, and the Netherlands. I didn't want to say anything, but it's only a matter of time now. The safe house we set up near Lyon is gone… simply gone."

"Someone talked," Sirius growled. They knew Remus had been the one to purchase a the cheap homes.

"Yes. That was one of our best spots. I think they might be watching one or two of the houses here in Le Puy. We're going to have to move very carefully going forward."

"Harry and I planned on moving to the first house tomorrow. We've done all we can in terms of practice for now."

"We need to think about moving north. I don't like stealing, even if many of our magical brethren don't care about Muggles. However, Harry's safety comes first. Take tomorrow and set up some places if you can. We need fall-back points. I don't trust taking Muggle transportation north anymore."

"They wouldn't expect it," he argued.

"The Death Eaters have been searching for you two for over a month without success. I'm sure Voldemort will not forgive them lightly."

"We're going over Concealment Wards, like what they use for St. Mungo and the Platform. I'll head out tonight and try to get ahead of this."

"I'm going to need some sleep. It's been an exhausting day."

Sirius nodded and rose. He vanished the letters on the table until he could look at them again later. There were more pressing issues. "I'll ask Harry to cook something for us tonight."