Disclaimer: Everything belongs to J.K.R!
This story is a collaboration's work between Avoranger and Cal the Wandcrafter!
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All day long, Fudge paced back and forth in his office, his face pale and panicked. He had overheard some very troubling news through one of the listening devices he had secretly installed in various places in the bank, with the help of an insider. Someone was investigating him. He was no stranger to investigations; many had tried before, but he always managed to quash them through his extensive connections and generous bribes. He had covered his tracks meticulously, confident that nothing could be traced back to him.
But this time was different. The investigator at Gringotts had requested a meeting with the bank director, and the director had agreed without hesitation. This was serious, very serious.
He needed to put an end to this immediately or risk the downfall of his career as Minister. He couldn't allow that to happen. He had fought hard for this position, destroying numerous rivals to secure it. He was the Minister, and he intended to stay that way. This investigation had to be stopped at once.
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"Madam Bones!" he barked urgently as he burst into her office in the Auror Department.
Amelia looked up, startled and irritated by the sudden intrusion. She regarded him coolly. "Minister Fudge," she greeted him with measured respect. "What brings you to my office at this hour? I'm off shift in 5 minutes so make this quick."
"Cut the nonsense, Bones! Stop the investigation against me immediately!" he shouted, not caring who might overhear.
Amelia frowned, feigning ignorance. She needed more information before responding. "Could you clarify what you mean, Minister?" she asked calmly.
"Don't play dumb! Lord Greengrass is doing your dirty work! Do you think I don't know he's part of Internal Affairs and following your orders? He went to Gringotts because you told him to, so stop it now or you'll regret it!" he demanded.
Amelia smirked, sensing they were finally onto something significant. Whatever Cyrus had discovered at Gringotts was clearly causing Fudge to panic. She couldn't wait to hear his findings. But how had Fudge found out? "Minister Fudge, I must inform you that an investigation cannot be halted just because you demand it. It will continue until evidence is either secured to bring to trial, or to declare you innocent of all wrongdoing."
"HOW DARE YOU! I'M THE MINISTER!"
"Are you afraid we'll uncover something incriminating? I won't be intimidated by your threats. My duty is to uphold justice, and I won't compromise my integrity for someone drunk on power," she retorted.
Fudge's face twisted in anger. "Did you forget I can fire you at any moment?"
"True, Minister, you can fire me from my role in the DMLE, but I am also the Director of Internal Affairs, and I served at the pleasure of the Wizengamot, and you have no authority over that position. Despite whatever political sway you claim to have, I highly doubt you could influence enough members of our parliament to kick me out of office, especially if it becomes known I am in the middle of investigating you. After all, just imagine what would happen if the ICW learned you pulled such a manoeuvre. Then I would be the least of your worries, No, the investigation will continue, regardless. Internal Affairs is tasked with ensuring everyone, including the Minister, performs their duties properly."
"You'll regret this, Bones!" he snarled before storming out of her office.
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Harry carefully poured the Polyjuice Potion into a vial, ensuring every step of their plan to deal with Umbridge was perfect, including the hair samples. He placed the labelled vials into a box and sighed, sitting on a bench in the Room of Requirement, now transformed into a private lab. Now all they needed was to decide on a solid plan of action. The ongoing OWLs added to his stress, but it was the impending battle at the Ministry that consumed his thoughts. Unlike the previous timeline, he could no longer rely on Voldemort's visions to foresee events, so if he had changed the Dark Lord's plan, he would have no idea. As honest it sounded, his biggest hope at the moment was that Voldemort would try to lure him into a trap.
"Harry, you look pale. Are you okay?" Daphne asked from beside him, her tone filled with concern.
Harry shook his head. "I'm fine. I just keep thinking about what's coming in the next few days."
Daphne knew the significance of the coming days. Since they had been together, she had accompanied Harry to the grave of his godfather many many times.
"We agreed we'd go help the Order as Hans and Gruber, right? So what else is bothering you?"
"There's a lot I can't control, including death. Will not going as 'Harry' change Sirius's fate? If I'm not there, he won't be, right?"
"We've already changed so much, Harry. Be confident! From everything you've told me about Sirius, whether you're there or not, he'll still go to help the Order."
"You really think so?" Harry asked, surprised. "I mean I'd rather him not be there at all."
"Sorry, that's not quite what I was trying to say. What I mean is, maybe this time without you to protect, he'll fight more seriously. Or you could work as backup for him in case something happens. Watching his back."
Harry considered Daphne's words. They made sense, but the uneasy feeling persisted. He shook his head, trying to focus on the upcoming exams.
"Maybe," he said with a shrug. "Let's go back. I'll walk you to your dormitory."
The next few days passed in a blur of OWLs and other tasks, and the worry did not subside in Harry's mind. Before they knew it, the day of the battle at the Ministry arrived. Harry and Daphne had meticulously planned to assist the Order and save Sirius. Would their plan work?
They entered the Great Hall hand in hand and sat at the Hufflepuff table for breakfast, it seems to be the least populated spot in the Great Hall for the time being. To anyone observing, it would seem as if Harry was extremely worried about his exams, from the deep bags under his eyes to the loss of weight and pale complexion, he did not appear to be doing well at all.
"Daphne, will we make it?"
"We've trained hard every night, Harry. Our hard work will pay off tomorrow night," she reassured him, placing eggs and bacon on his plate. "Eat up. You need energy to concentrate, and we have exams and preparations for tomorrow."
Harry eyed his plate reluctantly. "Do I really have to?"
"Eat it, or I'll shove it down your throat. You look like a vampire with the flu," Daphne said with worry.
Harry chuckled. "Alright, love. I get your point."
He took a few bites, listening to Daphne's chatter, when the owls began their morning deliveries, dropping letters and newspapers. Hedwig swooped down and deposited the Daily Prophet on his plate. Startled, Harry wondered why he was receiving the paper, as he hadn't been subscribed to it for months. Hedwig hooted insistently, urging him to read it.
"Hedwig! Where did you find this newspaper?" he said, handing her a few strips of bacon. Hedwig accepted the bacon and hooted as if still forcing Harry to quickly read his newspaper before flying out of the Great Hall again.
Daphne took the newspaper from Harry's plate and started reading. "Tell me if there's anything important," Harry said dismissively as he continued eating.
A few seconds later, he noticed an unusual tension in the Great Hall. Everyone was whispering while reading the Daily Prophet. Before he could ask Daphne what was strange, a voice from the teacher's desk shouted his name, making him turn around reflexively.
"Potter, I know it was you! You're behind the lies in the Daily Prophet!" Umbridge shouted, rage flowing out of her in nearly visible waves as she stormed her way over.
Harry was stunned, he had no idea what she was talking about, but before he could respond, Umbridge lifted her wand, a sickly green light flickering at its tip. Harry dove behind the table, his wand out and ready to defend himself, as Daphne jumped out of the way as well. He looked over to her and the look on his face transformed into one she had not seen in a long time - Harry Potter, war hero and decorated Auror "Daphne! Get the other students out of here now! First and second years are priorities, go!" Despite wanting to argue, she reluctantly nodded, flipping over a second table as she directed a group of Hufflepuffs towards the door.
The other students in the hall gasped and started to back away as the duel between Harry and Umbridge began.
The first curse missed him by inches, shattering a hole in the thick table and sending wood and glass shards flying in all directions. Harry tried to counterattack, but Umbridge was quick, and her next curse sent him flying across the hall with a vicious red seeping through the cloth on his shoulder. He barely had time to react as Professor Umbridge hurled a follow-up curse at him, her wand arcing through the air like a vicious snake. Harry dodged out of the way, scrambling to his feet while his heart was racing in his chest. Fighting against Voldemort was akin to a battle against a chess grandmaster, one who was always thinking seven moves ahead to adjust his finely tuned strategy for utter domination of his opponent. But with Umbridge, there was an insanity the likes of which Harry had never seen, even on the tortured and broken fanatical grin of Bellatrix Lestrange. It was an unorganised frenzy of unpredictable violence - this was a duel unlike any other he had faced before.
He tried to keep his distance from her, but she was relentless, sending spell after spell his way, and Harry knew he couldn't keep this up for long. He needed to find a way to end this duel before it ended him. As they continued to fight, trading spells back and forth, Harry couldn't help but wonder how it had come to this. He had always known that Umbridge was a cruel and manipulative person, but he had never imagined that she would turn on him so viciously, let alone have such a mastery of the dark arts.
As the duel between Harry and Umbridge intensified, their spells flew through the air, slamming against walls and pillars, sending dust and debris raining down on them. It was a brutal, violent fight, and the sound of their curses filled the hall, echoing off the walls like the screams of the damned. Umbridge seemed to relish the violence, her face twisted with rage as she sent curse after curse towards Harry. Panic set in as students were hit by stray curses and fell to the ground, writhing in pain. Silently, Harry took solace in the fact that it was still early enough that the Great Hall was mostly empty when the battle began. 'Damn it, why couldn't there have been at least one teacher present?'
As the duel raged on, students began to get caught in the crossfire. Spells ricocheted off the walls, shattering plates and knocking over tables. One first-year student let out a piercing scream as a curse hit her, sending her flying across the room and into a pile of chairs. Ignoring the screams and bloodshed from the students caught by Umbridge's stray curses, he noted the fact the hall had now emptied apart from a group of third years huddled in a corner near the professor's table. Unfortunately, Professor Umbridge seemed to notice it as well, and sent a blood boiling curse towards the students, who had managed to flip one of the tables for shelter. Seeing the opening, Harry raised his wand and screamed "Diffindo!" Umbridge simply swiped her wand, and redirected the spell, slicing cleanly through the table, eliciting a horrific shriek of pain from a Gryffindor behind it. 'Fuck! I can't let her do that again, if she is able to redirect spells like that!'
The air was thick with the unmistakable stench of death that was natural to dark magic, a putrid miasma that permeated every corner of the room. The screams of the injured echoed through the halls, a chorus of agony that would haunt the surviving students for years to come. Umbridge cackled with glee, her face twisted into a mask of sadistic pleasure as she sent more curses flying at the remaining students who scrambled to avoid them.
With all of his speed he could muster, he leapt forth, kicking off of a nearby table to gain momentum as he headed to intercept the spells barreling towards the younger students. He rolled forward as he hit the floor, his wand raised high summoning forth all of his energy into a single Protego Maxima. "Get behind me!" Harry yelled, shielding himself with a barrage of protective spells as he duelled Umbridge, a powerful transparent blue dome surrounding them.
"You can't stop me, Potter! I know all about the soldiers you have been training! You and Dumbledore! You are trying to overthrow the Ministry! Every student in Hogwarts has committed treason, and must be punished! You are a liar, and I will have order!" Umbridge spat, unleashing a barrage of dark curses at Harry once again.
As he tried to defend against the slaughter of curses cracks began to form in his shield as sweat ran down his face and into his eyes. Out of the corner of his vision, he noticed two older students, a Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw students from Hermione's DA group that Harry vaguely remembered were a pair of cousins named Jacob and Emily, run through the entryway exchanging a determined look and joined the fray, sending spells of their own at Umbridge. "We'll help you, Harry!" Jacob shouted. "Get the students out of here, we'll hold her back!" Harry nodded at the two, keeping himself between the third years and the mad witch as he ducked between cover, struggling to keep his shield active around them as they made for the safety behind the giant oak doors of the Great Hall.
Jacob lunged forward, his wand raised high, ready to strike. But Umbridge was too quick for him. She sidestepped his attack and countered with a curse of her own.
The curse hit Jacob with a sickening thud, sending him flying across the room. He crashed into a fireplace, bending his spine in an unnatural and grotesque way. He struggled to get back up, his body racked with pain. Emily tried to jump in, but was met with a paralysis curse directly to the face, causing the girl to drop like a dead weight.
Umbridge stalked towards him, her wand at the ready. "You should have known better than to challenge me. I am the right hand of the Minister of Magic!" she sneered viciously bearing her teeth at the boy. "Now you will pay the price."
Jacob gritted his teeth, summoning all his strength for one final attack. He launched himself at Umbridge, his wand blazing with deadly energy. But it was no use. She deflected Jacob's curse with ease and countered with another of her own. This time the curse struck him in the chest, sending him reeling backwards. He stumbled and fell, his body writhing in agony.
Umbridge loomed over him, a cruel smile on her face. "You are nothing but a worm," she spat. "And now you will die like one."
With a flick of her wand, she cast a disembowelling curse, tearing Jacob's body apart with razor-sharp slices as his stomach burst open in a fountain of blood spraying across Umbridge's pink cardigan. His screams echoed through the chamber, a haunting testament to the horrors of the dark magic that consumed them.
Umbridge watched with cold satisfaction as Jacob's lifeless body lay in a twisted heap on the ground, his organs spilling out of what was once his turned to face Emily, a gleam of malice in her eye. "You're next," she hissed, her wand at the ready.
She approached, a cruel smile on her face. "You thought you could stand up to me?" she sneered. "You're just like the rest of them, weak and powerless. Every student in this castle is an enemy of the Ministry! And we just can't have that, now can we?"
Emily's mind raced with fear and desperation, but her body remained frozen. She could only watch in horror as Umbridge lifted her wand and pointed it directly at her.
The Bombarda struck her like a bolt of lightning, slamming into her chest with bone-shattering force. Emily could feel her heart pounding in her chest, but she was unable to scream or cry out in pain.
As she lay there, helpless and paralyzed, Umbridge continued to cast spell after spell, each Bombarda more deadly than the last. Emily could only watch in terror as her life slowly slipped away, her mangled body wracked with pain.
Umbridge's laughter echoed through the empty hall as she left, leaving the Hufflepuff alone and broken on the ground. Emily knew she was going to die, but she could do nothing to stop it.
Harry ran down the empty hallways of Hogwarts, his wand tight in his hand. His heart pounded in his chest, the blood coursing through his veins like a raging river. He had done what he could for the group of students he had managed to save, locking them safely in a classroom, but now he had to confront the horror that awaited him in the Great Hall.
As he burst back into the room, his eyes widened in horror at the scene before him. Two bodies lay motionless on the ground, their eyes staring sightlessly up at the ceiling. Harry felt a cold fury grip him as he realised that these barely recognizable forms were Jacob and Emily. The empty Great Hall was silent, save for the occasional drip of blood from the two bodies lying motionless on the stone floor. Harry stood there for a moment, his mind racing as he tried to make sense of what had happened. He knew that he had to find Umbridge, but he also knew that she could be anywhere.
Taking a deep breath, Harry began to move, his footsteps barely making a sound on the cold stone floor. He moved with the stealth of a hunter, his wand at the ready, his eyes scanning every shadow for any sign of movement as he made his way down the nearby corridors, relying on the slimy feel of dark magic leaving an obvious trail to follow.
As he crept down the darkened hallway, Harry heard a faint whisper of movement up ahead. He froze, his heart pounding in his chest, and he listened carefully. There it was again, the sound of footsteps, moving closer.
Harry slipped into the shadows, hiding himself from view, and waited. The footsteps grew closer and closer, and he tightened his grip on his wand, focusing his breathing to study his heartbeat as he left forward, rolling around the corner into a low stance, ready to strike.
As he rounded the corner, he nearly collided with Daphne, who was also armed and on the hunt. They exchanged a quick nod of recognition before pressing on together, their wands at the ready.
The sound of a curse being cast echoed through the halls, and they knew they were getting closer. They slowed their pace and crept forward cautiously, listening for any movement.
Suddenly, they heard footsteps coming from around the corner. Daphne motioned for Harry to hide behind a suit of armour, and he quickly complied. Peering around the corner, Daphne spotted Umbridge moving briskly down the hall.
"Let's take her down," Daphne whispered, and Harry nodded in agreement.
They emerged from their hiding spot and sent a flurry of curses flying towards Umbridge. Without a word, Harry raised his wand and cast a powerful brain liquefier curse at Umbridge. She managed to deflect it, but just barely, and she spun around to face him, her eyes blazing with hatred.
"You!" she hissed. "You filthy half blood! You are a traitor to your government, and deserve to die like your filthy mudblood mother!"
Harry said nothing, focusing on the anger and hatred he had for the witch. He raised his wand again and began to cast spell after spell at Umbridge, his attacks relentless and precise. But she was relentless. She howled and cackled like a banshee, her hair dishevelled and her robes tattered. Her curses were more powerful now, as if they seemed to be fueled by some dark force.
Harry cast a spell of his own, sending a bolt of bright red magic hurtling towards Umbridge. She deflected it with ease, but it was enough to give Daphne an opening. She took aim and sent a powerful curse flying towards Umbridge, catching her off guard and sending her reeling.
Umbridge recovered quickly, though, and Harry and Daphne found themselves engaged in a fierce duel with the madwoman. Spells flew back and forth, each more powerful than the last, as they fought for their lives.
Daphne was a fierce fighter, and Harry felt a sense of pride as he watched her unleash spell after spell upon Umbridge. But it was clear that they were outmatched. She seemed to have an endless supply of dark magic at her disposal.
Spells and curses flew in every direction, causing debris to rain down on them from above. Daphne landed another particularly nasty curse on Umbridge, causing her to stumble back and hit her head on a nearby suit of armour. But instead of slowing her down, it seemed to only enrage her more.
"Harry, we aren't going to win this trapped in a corridor! We need cover!" Daphne yelled, adrenaline pounding in her ears. "Get to the east courtyard!"
He nodded resolutely, whipping his wand around to summon a dark cloud of smoke as they ran down the hall, ducking as bone breakers and blood boilers whizzed overhead. They could hear Umbridge's cackling laughter echoing through the halls, and it sent shivers down their spines.
As they ran, Harry and Daphne heard a loud explosion coming from behind them. They turned to see that a section of the castle had been blown apart by one of Umbridge's curses, a section of the wall now missing.
"We have to hurry," Daphne said, her voice tense with fear.
Finally, they burst out into the east courtyard, which was eerily silent. Harry's eyes scanned the area, searching for any sign of Umbridge.
Suddenly, a bolt of green light flew past them, narrowly missing Harry's head. They spun around to see Umbridge standing at the other end of the courtyard, her wand raised, and already primed with a deep purple hex ready to fire.
Suddenly, they heard a familiar voice call out, "Potter, get down!" They fell to the ground hard, the purple spell passed right where his head was milliseconds before, following it with his eyes to see Professor Snape, bat the spell away with his wand in a fluid and graceful movement.
Before Harry could react, Snape had unleashed a powerful spell that sent Umbridge flying backwards, crashing into the stone wall of the courtyard.
As Harry and Daphne approached Snape, the hairs on the back of Harry's neck stood up. He could feel a sense of dread emanating from the greasy-haired professor. But there was no time to dwell on it as McGonagall and Flitwick appeared beside them, their wands at the ready, their faces set in determination.
Umbridge rose to her feet with the grace of a snake, her wand still clutched tightly in her pudgy hand. Harry couldn't help but notice the sickening crunch of bones as she straightened up. It was like the sound of breaking twigs underfoot, and it sent shivers down his spine. Her toad-like eyes narrowed as she regarded the group before her. "You fools think you can stop me?" she hissed, a twisted smirk playing at the corners of her mouth. "I am the Senior Undersecretary to the Minister of Magic. You are nothing but a bunch of delusional traitors!"
Without warning, Harry unleashed a powerful spell, sending a bolt of red light hurtling towards Umbridge. She dodged it with ease, her movements quick and fluid. In response, she flicked her wand, sending a spray of green sparks towards the group.
Daphne was quick to react, deflecting the sparks with a flick of her wrist. But McGonagall wasn't so lucky. One of the sparks grazed her cheek, leaving a deep, bloody gash.
In a rage, McGonagall launched a spell of her own, causing a hail of icicles to rain down on Umbridge. But the witch was too quick, sidestepping the attack with ease. In retaliation, she sent a wave of fire hurtling towards the group.
Flitwick was ready for this, conjuring a shield of water to extinguish the flames. But in doing so, he left himself open, and Umbridge took advantage of the opportunity, sending a bolt of lightning straight towards him.
The spell hit Flitwick square in the chest, sending him flying backwards, his body slamming into the wall with a sickening thud. Blood oozed from his mouth as he struggled to breathe.
Suddenly, Umbridge lunged forward, her wand aimed straight at Harry's chest. Harry dodged to the side, narrowly avoiding the spell that would have surely killed him. He could feel the rush of air as it passed by him, the heat of the magic making his skin prickle.
With a flick of his wrist, Harry sent a blast of energy hurtling towards Umbridge. It hit her squarely in the chest, and Harry couldn't help but feel a sick sense of satisfaction as she fell backwards, her body slamming into the hard stone floor with a sickening thud.
McGonagall followed with a fierce blasting spell that hit Umbridge square in the chest. The woman flew back several feet across the floor, crashing into a pillar that shattered on impact.
With a shrill cackle, she raised her wand high, and a swarm of dark, writhing tendrils burst from the tip. The tendrils lashed out at the group, snaking around their limbs and dragging them to the ground. Capitalising on the distraction, she slowly made her way to her feet, breathing heavily as she did so
Harry felt a searing pain in his arm as one of the tendrils pierced his skin. Blood dripped from Harry's wound, spattering onto the cold stone floor, and as he looked over he could see McGonagall had also been caught by the spell.
Daphne however, had managed to evade the trap, and summoned a swarm of bats, bearing razor sharp fangs as they descended down onto the headmistress, slicing the skin on her arm. Umbridge stumbled backwards, her eyes wild with fear. She raised her wand once more, but her movements were slow and laboured. The dark tendrils that had once been so deadly now sputtered weakly, unable to muster the strength to strike again.
Flitwick darted forward, dodging a spell that would have turned him into a newt. He jabbed his wand at Umbridge, and a shower of sparks erupted, blinding her momentarily, and finally breaking the effect of the tendrils giving Snape and opening as he conjured a whip of flames that caught the toad like woman's stumpy leg as she let out a howl of pain as her flesh sizzled. Forcing through the pain she whipped her wand around and shot a steel spike towards Snape, causing him to roll out of the way and drop his own spell.
As the battle raged on, Professor Umbridge's face contorted with rage and frustration. She knew she was outnumbered and outmatched, and her desperation was beginning to show
Suddenly, she raised her wand and began to chant an incantation. The air around her crackled with dark energy, and flames began to erupt from her wand. Harry's heart sank as he recognized the deadly spell. Fiendfyre. He had seen it destroy everything in its path, leaving nothing but ash and ruin in its wake. "Everyone, get back!" he shouted, his voice barely audible above the roar of the flames.
The group quickly retreated, taking cover behind crumbling statues and charred pillars. The heat was intense, and Harry could feel the sweat trickling down his face as he struggled to think of a way to stop the inferno. It was a risk, but the only thing he could think of would be to overpower the magical focus point of the fire, in an attempt to cause a singularity that would suck the magic out of the flames. It had never been tried before, and Harry only knew of the theory from a sleepless night where he had spent hours in the Black library trying to take his mind off the Bombing Case by delving into different tomes of theoretical magics. Taking a deep breath, he stepped forward, his wand at the ready. With a flick of his wrist, he summoned a shield of water that doused the flames for a moment. He then raised his wand to the sky, his body tense with the raw power of the elements. The air around him crackled with static energy as he focused his mind on the task at hand. Thunder begin to rumble overhead as the air pressure shifted, and rain began to drizzle in, sizzling off of the fiendfyre nearby.
With a fierce determination, he began to channel his magic, drawing upon the very essence of the storm itself. The clouds above churned and roiled, black and foreboding as Harry's magic reached its peak.
With a fierce determination, he redirected the lightning towards Umbridge, his aim true as the bolt of energy slammed into her wand with a deafening crack, causing it to explode in a shower of sparks. For a moment, everyone held their breath as they watched the flames slow to a halt but then, with a sickening lurch, the Fiendfyre surged back towards Umbridge. She screamed as the flames engulfed her body, the smell of burning flesh and hair filling the air. Harry watched in horror as she writhed and twisted, consumed by the inferno. She thrashed and writhed as the fire consumed her, her piercing shrieks echoing through the courtyard. They could feel the heat of the flames on their skin, but they were frozen in place, unable to look away from the horrific sight before them.
Finally, the flames died down, leaving only a charred and blackened patch of ground where Umbridge had stood. The group stood in silence, still in shock at what they had witnessed.
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Harry sat slumped on the rocky ground, far from where the fiendfyre had devoured Umbridge. His body trembled uncontrollably, the shock of it all overwhelming him. He had never imagined Umbridge could wield such power. The deaths of Jacob and Emily, students from Hermione's study group, weighed heavily on him. What would he say to Hermione? Especially now, after she'd been expelled from Hogwarts. This was all his fault.
The tragedy that had occurred less than half an hour ago made him painfully aware of his mistakes. He had been too confident, believing that he and Daphne could handle everything on their own because they came from the future. How wrong he had been. If only he could turn back time. He would go straight to Dumbledore, insist on telling Amelia, and ask McGonagall for help. Together, they might have immediately rid Umbridge from the castle, stood a chance against Voldemort and stopped the bombings that had begun to unfold.
What would he say to Cyrus when he realized Harry had failed to protect those around him? Would he still trust Harry with Daphne? The fear of losing her was unbearable. But if she stayed with him, would she be safer? It might be better if she wasn't with him. But the thought of letting her go was too painful.
His breathing became shallow, as if the air was being sucked from his lungs as he began to hyperventilate. He hated time travel, but now he longed for it more than ever.
Harry was leaning into a tree with a death grip preventing him from falling over at the edge of the Forbidden Forest when Daphne found him, his face streaked with tears.
"Harry... are you alright?" Daphne asked, gently touching his shoulder.
"Daphne?" He sat up reflexively, hastily wiping his tears away.
"Yes, it's me, Harry," Daphne replied, her voice full of concern.
"What are you doing here? Have you seen Madam Pomfrey for your wounds? Are you okay?" he asked, his worry for her evident.
"I should be the one asking you that. You look awful. Are you okay? I'm fine, Harry. It's just a scratch, it won't leave a scar," she reassured him. "You disappeared after the fight. Everyone was worried. Let's go see Madam Pomfrey." Harry stopped her by grabbing her hand. Daphne frowned in confusion.
"Harry?"
"I think we shouldn't be together anymore, Daphne. I only end up hurting you like this," he said, avoiding her gaze, though he still held her hand.
"What are you saying?"
"I say—,"
"I heard what you said, Harry Potter. What do you mean by that? Listen to me, Harry Potter. I'm staying by your side. We promised to face this together because we only have each other! Have you forgotten?" she said firmly.
Harry's heart sank, guilt crashing over him as he saw Daphne's tears. "I just don't want you to get hurt, Daphne. If—"
"HARRY POTTER! Stop right there!" Daphne shouted, grabbing his face with both hands, forcing him to look into her eyes.
"Harry Potter, you are stuck with me forever! You won't get rid of me so easily! I know you feel guilty about what happened an hour ago because I feel the same way! Even though we managed to stop Umbridge, I still feel useless because I didn't save those who died. But we still have survivors, Harry. Please think about them too."
Harry stared blankly at Daphne, doubt clouding his mind. Was what she said true? "Did I do enough, Daphne?" he asked in a hushed tone.
"You did your best, Harry. Everything you did was right. Don't let their sacrifices be in vain just because you want to save everyone. You can't save them all. But you are not alone. Let us help too," she said, hugging him tightly and crying on his shoulder.
"I'm sorry, Daphne. I was so stupid to try to let go of the best woman I ever had," he whispered, hugging her back.
"You idiot, you can't get rid of me that easily," she said with a small smile.
"Do I look pathetic?"
Daphne shook her head. "No."
They stayed like that for a few minutes, wrapped in each other's arms, until Daphne gently pulled away. "Let's go back. Everyone wants to see you."
Harry wiped her tears with his hand. "Everyone? What do you mean by everyone? The professors?" he asked, confused.
"They're fine, Harry. It's not the professors who want to meet you. My father came with Amelia and… Fudge. They came after hearing about what happened at Hogwarts from Jo. Apparently, Father ordered Jo to inform him if anything dangerous happened at Hogwarts."
Harry nodded slowly. "So, they came. But why do they want to meet me?"
"I forgot you haven't read the Daily Prophet yet," Daphne said.
Harry frowned. "Something happened in the Daily Prophet that triggered Umbridge? We also need to prepare for tonight. Are you ready for another fight?" he asked, a dry laugh escaping him.
"We don't need to go to the Ministry, Harry," Daphne said seriously.
"What do you mean? We should aid the Order and help Sirius!"
Daphne squeezed his hand. "The battle was last night, Harry. Voldemort is back and everyone knows it."
Harry froze, stunned into absolute silence as if he had been hit with a full body bind. "What do you mean by 'the battle was last night'? You must be kidding."
"Do I look like someone who would joke at a time like this? Somehow something must have changed Voldemort's plans. Maybe his original plan hinged on you being worn down by exhaustion because of OWLs? And this time he hasn't been able to send you visions so he decided on something else? Maybe he just decided to move his schedule up a day. Hell, maybe he figured out that Madame Bones and my father were still in the Ministry late last night and decided it would be a good time to try to take them out as well. Honestly your guess is as good as mine."
"But there's no way! How's everyone? How's Sirius?" Harry was ready to run toward Amelia to demand answers, but Daphne stopped him.
"They're fine, Harry! Sirius is alive."
"How do you know?" he shouted, then immediately looked regretful. But Daphne didn't seem offended and calmly answered.
"Kreacher told me before I ran after you. I had Winky pass on a message that I wanted to talk to him, trying to figure out more information about the upcoming battle."
"Are you sure he's telling the truth?" Harry asked, still doubtful. Kreacher had lied to him in the previous timeline, after all. "I know we have won favour with him, but he's still crazy."
"I'm sure of it. I asked Winky to check on Sirius as well, just in case. Kreacher is practically your elf now, Harry. He won't betray you like last time." After Harry calmed down a bit, she added, "You could mirror-call him later too."
"I left my mirror in my bag. I'll call him later. Thank you, Daphne. I'm sorry I snapped at you," he said, kissing her hand.
"I'm not offended. I understand. So, let's go," she said with a wide smile, grabbing his hand and walking hand in hand toward Amelia and the others.
"So, that's why Umbridge attacked me? Because Voldemort revealed himself in the Ministry and Umbridge didn't want to believe it?"
Daphne nodded. "Umbridge didn't believe what she read in the Daily Prophet about the battle and attacked you without thinking twice. In her mind, all her failures were your fault. According to my father, there were no casualties among the Order or the Aurors, just injuries. They even managed to capture several important fugitives like Rabastan Lestrange, Avery, and others. Father says that they're on their way here right now."
Harry nodded slowly, processing the information. "Oh. Why do they want to see me?"
"Because, Harry... they showed up at Hogwarts when you were trying to stop Umbridge's fiendfyre with your spell that killed her. Fudge is calling for your arrest, and Madame Bones punched him in the face for it."
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Last night's battle had been nothing short of harrowing. Even though several hours had passed, Amelia Bones still felt chills when she remembered how she had fought the Death Eaters and fended off Voldemort several times. This had been her first direct encounter with the dark wizard who had terrorised the wizarding world for the past two decades, and she had to admit that Voldemort was an opponent on an entirely different level than anything she had ever seen. It had been the most intense fight of her career as an Auror.
She had thought Harry Potter's letter, describing Voldemort's return, was just the imaginings of a troubled teenager, yet, even so, she had believed it enough to want to see for herself. And see she had.
If she hadn't been working late, sifting through the folder Cyrus had obtained detailing Fudge's misappropriation and embezzlement of funds, she might never have known about the fierce battle between Voldemort and the Order of the Phoenix. Luckily, Cyrus had been with her in the office, going through the files together, preparing to take the case before the Wizengamot in the morning.
The commotion in the atrium was impossible to conceal. The Department of Magical Law Enforcement had its own devices in every corner of the Ministry that alerted them to life-threatening situations like the one last night. Unfortunately, despite their authority to ensure the safety of wizards across Britain, the DMLE had not been informed of this critical situation, which led her to suspect potential sabotage.
'Thank God for Albus Dumbledore,' she thought to herself, shaking her head in perverse amusement.
It had been satisfying to see Albus's reaction when she arrived at the Ministry with Cyrus, followed by a squad of her top trusted Aurors. His usually composed face showed a flicker of annoyance—a slight furrow in his brow that disappeared as soon as it appeared. Amelia had ordered everyone to fight, surprising the Order's members with her presence. The Ministry was her fortress, after all. Did they really think she wouldn't be there at such a critical time?
The only silver lining she could see was that the Hall of prophecies where the majority of the battle took place had been destroyed months earlier, so it would appear that whatever the Death Eaters were looking for, they did not get their hands on it.
Unfortunately, Voldemort fled before they could defeat or seriously injure him. According to Croaker, a majority of the hall had been repaired, with empty orbs placed on the shelf in preparation for new prophecies, which led Amelia to a solid hunch about what he was after. The only other good news was that someone had managed to capture a photo of Voldemort before he escaped, with Fudge, arriving in his sleepwear, looking utterly shocked and disbelieving, which quickly made its way through the press.
After a brief exchange with Dumbledore, where he thanked her for offering her assistance to their efforts, Amelia was taken aback by his presumption. Did he assume her help was because of him? She advised him to better coordinate with authorities in the future, but Dumbledore's grandfatherly smile only irritated her further. Still, she did feel somewhat grateful for their quick reaction. Ordering Aurors to tend to the injured, she retreated to her office and locked herself in to avoid the media so that she could get back to her work, leaving Fudge to manage them. Her head pounded fiercely; she hadn't slept all night and still had important work unfinished, including reviewing the documents Cyrus had brought. Speaking of Cyrus, where was he?
She was just about to doze off in her chair when someone banged loudly on the door.
"Amelia! Let me in!" he demanded. She heard the urgency in his voice. With a wave of her wand, the door opened, and he barged in, his face panicked.
His panic was contagious. "Cyrus! What's wrong? Did Voldemort come back?"
He shook his head frantically. "No, Voldemort isn't back, but we need to go to Hogwarts now!"
"Hogwarts?" she asked, confused, but a creeping sense of dread began to settle in her heart. Susan!
"Do you remember how I get letters from my girls? I gave my elf another order: if something bad happens at Hogwarts, he needs to tell me immediately."
"Get to the point, Cy!" she demanded impatiently.
"Jo tells me Umbridge is killing students!"
Her eyes widened with urgency. "Let's go! Send a patronus to Kingsley and Nymphadora, rendezvous at the entrance of Hogwarts as soon as they get the message. I'll grab the Floo powder. Umbridge likely has the fireplaces locked down, so we'll head to the Hogshead—it's closer to the gate than the Three Broomsticks.
As they hastily prepared to leave, Amelia and Cyrus heard muffled voices from outside her office door, growing louder and more urgent.
"Director Bones! Open this door immediately!" The unmistakable tone of Minister Fudge's voice seeped through the heavy wood, his words tinged with frustration and urgency.
Amelia exchanged a quick glance with Cyrus, their expressions tightening with concern. She could feel the seconds ticking by as they stood frozen in the tense atmosphere of her office. Fudge's voice, usually pompous and self-assured, now carried a note of desperation that made Amelia's resolve to leave even stronger.
"Fudge is coming," she murmured to Cyrus, her voice low but urgent. "shit this is the last thing we need…"
She was abruptly cut off as an angry Fudge burst into her office. "Director Bones! Where do you think you're going? You need to help me handle the media! It's your fault we weren't properly guarded!"
"Minister Fudge," she said as calmly as possible, "I don't have time for that. This is your responsibility as Minister. If you've forgotten, I did my part by joining the fight against Voldemort."
"Don't mention that name!" he said shakily, clearly terrified. "You still have to help me! You haven't answered my question: where are you going? You can't leave until this is sorted! Tell them to stop writing about what happened last night. I'm sure it's all a hoax concocted by Dumbledore and his followers!"
Amelia rolled her eyes, barely able to conceal her contempt. "Are you mad? You just admitted he was back last night, after seeing it with your own eyes, you are completely going back on everything now?" She started to get angry.
"You must be joking! The dead cannot rise again!"
"Can you prove that last night was a hoax? There are other witnesses who can prove it's real, at least two dozen Ministry employees are among them., I'm not the only Auror who fought alongside them. I'll call them to give their statements if you still don't believe me! Compared to you, they're far more credible!" Amelia threw the Floo powder, ready to leave Fudge looking utterly pathetic.
"Stop it! Do not go!"
"I am trying to deal with two crises at once, and the only thing you're worried about is optics! Are you really this pathetic, Minister?" sneered Amelia. She wanted to throw him into the nearest cell, but the evidence they had wasn't ready for public release.
"AMELIA!" he bellowed, his face still red with anger.
"With or without your approval, I am leaving, Minister. Feel free to follow me if you wish, because I'm on my way to arrest your Undersecretary, who is rampaging at Hogwarts and has murdered students."
"Dolores would never—!"
"Believe what you will," she snapped, stepping into the Floo. "But I have a job to do."
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By the way, for whoever wants to read next three chapters, it's already on my Pat-site. Besides that, there's also exclusive oneshots in the same universe as 'The Time Bomb'. Seventh oneshots already released! The newest is 'The Rookies!'!
Besides the next few chapters of 'The Time Bomb' and the Special oneshots, there's also a new WIP: "Twenty One". So far it has four chapters!
Summary: If the contract remains unfulfilled, time will continue to loop endlessly, repeating the same events over and over until the obligation is finally met. Sure is a shame nobody included that in the fine print.
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