I Don't own Harry Potter, I do own an Alaskan Malumute, she is called Athena and she is awsome
Chapter 30
Harry woke with a start in a cold sweat. He rolled over and stumbled out of bed.
"Harry what is it?" Hermione asked, sitting up.
"I need to see Dumbeldore." Harry told her throwing a pair of trousers at her. "Get dressed if you're coming." Hermione pulled on the sweat pants and a t-shirt and followed Harry to the Headmasters office. They arrived quickly but couldn't get past the gargoyle. Apparently Dumbeldore had recently changed his password and hadn't gotten around to telling Harry.
After a few minutes of naming any sweet they could think of both muggle and magical Harry began to loose his temper.
"Fucking move before i turn you to dust!" He snapped. The gargoyle lept aside revealing the spiral staircase. Harry ran up them two at a time Hermione trailing behind them. He knocked on the door to no answer. "Screw this." He muttered gathering his will. "Burst!" the doors blew off their hinges. Harry strode into the room. "PROFESSOR!" He yelled. "DUMBLEDORE!"
A hidden door in a book case opened up behind the Headmaster's desk. Professor Dumbeldore stumbled out in a nightgown and sleep cap on his head.
"Harry? Miss Granger?" Dumbledore whispered. He waved his arm and the candles lit themselves as Dumbeldore saw the damage to his door. "What on earth?"
"There's been an attack." Harry told him.
All annoyance Dumbeldore felt at the damage to the office instantly left as he guided Harry to a chair motioning for Hermione to follow.
"Tell me everything." Dumbeldore said gently.
"I don't know where he is, but their was fire. A city burning. He gathered Muggles in a square. He told them their place was surviving magical people. He put the torture curse on a police woman. He blew up a big statue. Must have been over 100 feet tall. He blew it up with Bombarda. He didn't even use the Maxima."
"100 foot monument?" Dumbeldore repeated. "Where?"
"I dont know.!" Harry insisted. "Then he killed the muggles. All except the police woman. He told her to go and report to the authorities."
"The Authorities? Do you mean the Muggle government?"
"I assume so." Harry told him.
"We must alert the Ministery. This is a serious breach of the Statute of Secrecy."
"Fuck the Statute and Fuck the Ministery hundreds of people have died tonight." Harry snapped. "Voldamort fired the Dark Mark himself."
"You misunderstand Harry." Dumbeldore said soothingly. "I understand the severity of the situation. But this is even more grave. If Voldemort did indeed fire off his own Dark Mark over the wreckage of a city and a pile of Muggle corpses then the Ministry will not be able to cover this up. The International Community will indeed have to take steps. From the ashes of this tradagady the beginnings of our phoenix may yet rise." Dumbeldore stood and moved to the fireplace. "Severus Snape." he called the Floo connected.
"Headmaster." Snape responded immediately. Harry could tell that he had not been to sleep.
"I believe you should step through if you please?"
Within seconds Snape had joined them.
"There has been an attack." Snape stated. It was not a question.
"Yes." Dumbeldore said quietly.
"Then it has truly begun." Snape whispered.
"Why didn't you warn us?" Harry demanded.
"Because I simply did not know."
"Bull! You're in his inner circle. You are supposed to be our bloody spy!" Harry spat.
"The Dark Lord does not always confide his plans to every one. I told you that he had Bellatrix LeStrange planning an attack. I was not involved in those plans. I can only surmise that LeStrange did not want me on her raid and He elected to follow her wishes." Snape said calmly.
"Do you think it is safe for you to go to them?" Dumbeldore asked.
"I have not been summoned. But the Mark is burning." Snape told them. "If he has not summoned me personally by breakfast time I will attempt to seek an audience. But I must act with caution."
"Of course," Dumbeldore nodded. "In the meantime we must alert the rest of the order. Severus, if you would please go to Remus and Manurva, I will contact Alaster myself."
"Very good." Snape said, turning to leave. He stopped and turned back to face Harry. "I want you to know Potter, this brings me no pleasure. I look forward to the day I can break from The Dark Lord and show my true face to the Light."
"I know that Professor." Harry nodded. "I hope we can make that happen for you very soon."
The official residence of the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom was Number 10 Downing Street. However it is not commonly known that the Prime Minister actually resided with his family in a larger apartment above Number 11 Downing street, both houses long since being combined into one house of power.
It was most unusual, indeed against protocol for ither a one of the Prime Ministers aids or a member of the Civil Service to enter the residence without specific permission, let alone enter his bed room in the middle of the night, a junior civil servant knocked gently on the prime ministers door and peeked his head into the room.
"Terribly sorry to disturb you Sir, but there appears to be a situation developing up in Newcastle."
"What?" The Prime Minister asked wiping the sleep from his eyes. "A situation?"
"Yes sir. I think it best if you come downstairs to your office immediately so you can be briefed."
"Very well. Allow me a moment to dress."
"Of course Sir."
"And perhaps a cup of coffee?"
"I already took the liberty, a pot of coffee will be waiting on your desk."
The Prime Minister quickly dressed. A pair of sweatpants and a gray hooded sweatshirt would have to do. There was an emergency suit in his office if it came to it.
It only took 10 minutes for him to dress and make his way through these deserted corridors of power and arrive in his rather plush office. A television hidden in a cupboard on the wall already tuned in to the BBC News as he took his seat.
"This is Johnathan Elba reporting live from Newcastle Upon Tyne where the Tyne and Wear fire service has declared a State of Emergency after a series of suspected terror attacks have taken place across the city. First of all about an hour ago the high level bridge collapsed causing a goods train to fall into the river Tyne, followed several minutes later by the Tyne Bridge catching fire and also collapsing causing several vehicles to fall into the river below. The fire has spread across the quay side and up into the centre of the city."
As the reporter is speaking the viewer is treated to live camera shots of both destroyed bridges and the fire still raging the city.
"As if this devistatin is not enough Grays Monument which stood in the centre of the city, a popular meeting point for shoppers and residents of the city alike has collapsed leaving several people dead."
The pictures show a white tent around where the monument once stood.
"Firefighters are having a hard time tackling the blaze and have requested the help of the army and their green goddesses. however the Chief Fire Officer Sir Albert Moleskin stated that those orders must first come from the Home Secretary in White Hall."
Finally the pictures of the Dark Mark are shown shining in the sky.
"Most curious of all is this strange fire work that has appeared in the sky above where the Grays Monument once stood. Police suspect a terrorist organisation but so far no one has claimed responsibility for this attack. The Tyne and Wear Metro will not operate today, local bus services have been diverted from the city centre and Newcastle Central Station will be closed and so will the East Coast Mainline until further notice. Police officials are adiviseing no one travel into the city unless absolutely necessary. For further updates please tune into your local BBC Radio Statoin and BBC News will have more on this developing story as it develops. This is Johnathan Elba for BBC News."
"Good god!" The Prime Minister swore. He turned to the civil service. "Get everybody in right now."
"Yes sir."
"Reach out to the Home Secretary, tell him to issue orders that the army assist the fire service in any way they can. After that, get on everyone in the cabinet, we will be meeting in two hours. There will be no excuses accepted for non attendance. Send my Parliamentary Private secretary in here as soon as she arrives and, oh christ!, some one had better brief Buckingham Palace."
"Very good sir."
"And I want updates and a full briefing before the Cabinet meeting."
"Of course sir." The civil servant fled before more orders were issued. The Prime Minister stood and moved to an ugly and forgotten portrait in the corner of the room that no one ever seemed to notice.
"You there!" he demanded of the sleeping figure. "Tell your Minister that I demand an audience."
The figure in the portrait opened one eye.
" One does not simply demand an audience with the Minister of Magic."
"See hear that Dark whatsit is flying above Newcastle. People are dead. I demand to know what he is doing about it."
" Your request has been noted Prime Minister. I am sure someone will get back to you in a day or so."
"A day or so?" the Prime Minister spat. "Some one had better come hear with answers quicker than that or else I will have a press conference on the steps of Number 10 in time for evening news laying the blame off all of this squarely at his feet."
" That would be unwise."
"So would ignoring my summons." The Prime Minister stated. "Tell them I have read the Magicarter, I know he isn't allowed to ignore me. If he doesn't respond to me today, tomorrow I will bloody well make sure he will be speaking with Her Majesty."
The Portrait woke up properly at the mention of the Magicarter. This was not how the Muggles were supposed to act.
" I will pass your, ahem, demands on Prime Minister." the figure sneered and left the frame.
Madam Bones arrived at her office just in time to hear the Dark Mark detection warning sound over speakers. She sprinted from her office into the bullpen area that housed all the on duty Aurors, the bull pen was mostly empty, the only people there was a cleaner and the desk sergeant.
"What the bloody hell is going on Sargent?" Bones demanded.
"The situation has escalated Ma'am." The Sargent reported. "First of all a Reducto was reported on a Muggle railway bridge, then fiendfyre was cast at the Tyne Bridge. Half of Newcastle is burning as we speak."
"Who have we got there?"
"Who can I send?" The Sergeant spat. "No offence Ma'am but the new night shift protocols are a pile of shite. I have 15 Aurors on duty tonight and they are all in Manchester for the quidditch party."
"And you havent diverted any one?" Bones demanded.
"New standing orders Ma'am. The only person who can redeploy assets already in the field is the Director."
"What nonsense is that?"
"The memmo came into effect this morning ma'am." The Sergeant explained. "As best I can tell it came in whilst you were in the Wizengamot chamber."
"Fuckers!" Bones muttered. "Right, get everyone from Manchester to Newcastle immediately. Once you have done that, call in every one. Day shift, night shift, on leave, every one. Also we will need to alert the rest of the department, get the Obliviators out their. Fuck it!" she decided. "I want every able bodied wizard in the damn building out there. If they can cast fire suppression charm, get them out."
"Yes Ma'am." The sargent saluted
"I am going to brief the Minister and then I will be attending the scene." Bones said.
"Begging your pardon Ma'am. I would suggest you put some clothes on."
Bones swore again under her breath and retreated to her office to change into her spare set of robes before heading to the top floor.
It didn't take long for Remus, Magonigal and Moody to arrive in Dumbledore's office and they where quickly brought up to speed.
"I think we need to know exactly what has happened." Mcgonagall declared. "At the moment all we really know is that a city has been attacked, probably with Fiendfyre, and there is quite the muggle body count."
"Well an attack of this magnitude the Ministry must know what is going on." Remus added. "Albus, might we be able to access a ministerial source?"
"Excellent idea Remus." Dumbeldore nodded. "I will reach out immediately to my, i think the young people might call, 'inside man'."
"That's all well and good," Harry said. "But I want a team ready, as soon as we have a location we need boots on the ground."
"To what end, Lad?" Moody Asked. "The Ministry wont like us sniffing around."
"I dont give a fuck."Harry snapped. "Get a team ready. Professor Dumbeldore, will our guests know what happened?"
"I doubt that very much." Dumbeldore replied. "I will inform Monsieur LeMarche when we are finished here."
"And I would think they would want to investigate the site themselves." Harry continued. "And if they are there the Ministry will definitely be wanting to keep a close eye on them."
"Very well Mister Potter." Dumbeldore shrugged, admitting defeat. "It will be as you command it. Now as it is now very nearly 4 o'clock in the morning I think you and Miss Granger should be excused from your lessons tomorrow, or I suppose more accurately, today."
"I appreciate that Headmaster. We will be in the Head suite whilst we wait for whatever information to come in." Harry said. "And Moody, when you assemble your team make sure me and Hermione are in it." Harry and Hermione left.
Dumbeldore took a mobile phone from his pocket and called Percey.
"Ah Mister Weasley, I trust you are not too busy. I would like a full report on the death eater attack tonight as soon as possible if you please?"
"Professor Dumbeldore?" Percey responded groggily. "What attack? What time is it?"
"It is so late as to be early Mister Weasley." Dumbldore told him. "Do you mean to say that you have not been informed about an attack tonight?"
"No Sir." Percey confirmed. "I will go into the office and see what is going on. It is possible that the night staff have not told me and just gone straight to the Minister."
"Very Good Mister Weasley." Dumbeldore said. "I await your report on this matter with bated breath."
Madam Bones reached the top floor and was surprised to find Tabbatha sat behind her desk quietly ignoring the general muster klaxon booming through the speakers mounted on the ceiling. Besides from Tabbatha there was no one else here, all the lanterns were dark and the offices looked empty.
"Young lady, where is everyone?" Bones asked.
"Won't be in for hours." Tabbatha said.
"Don't you hear the muster?"
"Oh, is that what that is?"
"Yes."
"I don't like mustard."
Bones eyes went so wide her monocle fell from her eye.
"No dear. Muster not Mustard. That noise is telling every witch and wizard on duty to report to the lobby for deployment into the field.
"Right." Tabbatha nodded. That did sound familiar. "But I can't leave. I have to stay at this desk until Mr Weatherby comes in."
"Who is Mr Weatherby?" Bones asked. She didn't know anyone on this floor by that name.
"You know." Tabbatha explained, "Tall bloke, fairly handsome in a geeky kind of way. Ginger hair?"
"Ginger hair?" Bones mused. "Do you mean Weasley?"
"Possibly." Tabbatha shrugged. Bones began to notice the glazed expression in her eyes.
"Tabbatha, have you spoken to anyone tonight?"
"No ma'am."
Bones began to raise her wand to begin casting detection charms when Percey arrived in the office.
"Director Bones, what is going on?" he asked, beginning to go through memmos on his desk. "Shitting hell!" he swore as he began to read of the night's events.
"Exactly." Bones agreed.
"Why Didn't you call me in?" Percey demanded of Tabatha. Bones shook her head to Percey who backed away.
Director Bones cast a silent detection charm on Tabatha.
"Memory charms." Bones muttered. "A lot of them as well. Poor girl. Stupify." She stunned the young personal assistant. "Weasly, she needs to go to St Mungos. I know your passing information along to Dumbeldore."
"Director…" Percy began to object.
"Don't you dare try and deny it Weasley. It's the only remotely likeable thing about you." Bones snapped. "Make sure this girl gets the help she Dumbledore I will be in Newcastle. Try not to let Fudge fuck this up too much."
"I'll do my best." Percey nodded. "But I can't promise anything. Please keep me in the loop,"
"So you can keep Dumbeldore in the loop?"
"It is the same loop Director." Percey said as Bones left. He quickly ducked out to the owlery and called Dumbeldore. Once his report was made he created a Portkey to send Tabby to Hogwarts. Once that was done he called the Minister at his home fire to update him on goings on.
The Prime Minister was having a very bad morning and it wasn't even breakfast time yet. He briefed the Cabinet on the goings on in Newcastle. The press lobby was already circling and to make matters worse the leader of the opposition had also been on the telephone demanding that he appear in the House of Commons to update Parlament. Not that he minded this. It would be the right thing to do, but there was nothing he could tell them. What could he possibly say?
"Mister Speaker, it falls to me to update the house on the disgusting goings on in Newcastle last night. It was wizards that did it."
Of course wouldn't just be out of office, he would be committed. His children, a laughing stock. First he needed a cover story but more than that he needed to know what actually happened. Who perpetrated such a monstrous crime?
" Prime Minister of the Muggles." that ugly portrait announced. " Please stand by for Minister Fudge of the Ministery of Magic. We will arrange matters so you are not disturbed."
"Oh good of him to bother." The Prime Minister muttered under his breath.
The fire roared to life and in a flash of green light Minister Fudge appeared in the Prime Minister's office.
"Ah Prime Minister, frightfully good of you to see me on short notice." Fudge said shaking the Prime Minister's hand
"Short notice?" The Prime Minister muttered in disbelief. "I summoned you, Minister Fudge. You see, I am the Prime Minister. Prime as in first. I have been waiting here for hours waiting for you to come to tell me what the hell happened and what you are doing about it?"
"Dreadfully sorry." Fudge said raising his hands in defeat. "I've spent the better part of the morning in Newcastle helping to put out the fires. We have seriously dropped the quaffle on this one. It's going to be very difficult for us to keep in under wraps. I'm told it's all over your tillys?"
"That's Telly, and yes. The BBC have a studio in Newcastle so they had a camera crew and reporter on scene within minutes. Then Sky picked it up. I think it may already be on the news wire in the States." The Prime Minister told him. "And an attack of this size, with this many dead there will be simply no way you can cover it up with your usual nonsense of a gas leak."
"No, I can see that." Fudge admitted. "But you can't tell them the truth ither."
"No. I know that. But their has to be a middle ground, tell me what happened?"
Fudge explained about the Death Eaters and their cause for supremacy over the muggles.
"So they are xenaphobic?" The Prime Minister asked. "I can work with that. White supremacy and all that. But why Newcastle?"
"From what we have been able to gather is that it was completely random. They had to strike somewhere and Newcastle was it. Now if there is nothing else Prime Minister…" Fudge stood to leave.
"Actually Minister Fudge. I have had a rather long discussion with Her Majesty the Queen this morning, and it seems like this is not the first time these Death Eaters have cast their shadow over our shores. Furthermore she told me something very interesting. The Ministry of Magic is no different than the Ministry of Defence or the Foreign Office or even the Treasury, in fact you draw from the National Coffers and you yourself receive a Ministerial Salary, because you are in actual fact a Secretary of State. A member of the Cabinet, beholden to the Crown and Her Majesty's Government like the rest of us."
"Come now Prime Minister, you cant expect the magical community to come into line with you muggles?"
"Why not? Your British citizens, except you don't seen to exist any ware. When this crisis has past we are going to be studdingthe Magicarter with the support of the Crown. In the meantime you will report to me every day. We can work out scheduling later on. But if people are dying Minister Fudge and if you don't get a handle on it, and quickly I will do everything in my power to see you replaced. Good Day Cornelius."
AUTHERS NOTES
Thanks to every one who has liked and faverited this story or me so far. Its good to know my rambelings are being enjoyed by people. This chapter kind of got away from me. I wasnt intending their to be quite so much back and forth conversatoions, but no matter...
for the sake of clarification The Magna Carter was signd and sealed by King John in 1215 which basicaly, with out going into too much detail establishes our rights as citezens of the UK as well as establisesh that the government is not above the law. the Magicarter is a document signd between King John and the magical community the contents of which i will make up and establish in comeing chaptars.
Branmacmorn: Thank you for your review, I am glad you are enjoying the story and thank you for pointing out that little typo. I would like to say i will definitly go back and fix it, but im not going to make a promis that i wont nessaseralyl keep, that not withstanding you do win 10 points to your house and my gratatude.
Guest 1: If your offer for help is sinsear drop me a line.
Guest 2: I dont currently have a proof reader for this peice. but thanks for asking.
Until next time, I hope you enjoy the chapter and I will try and update soon, and on a personal note its my birthday this week. so Happy birthday to me!
Stay safe and stay not ass holes
CJ