I do not own Harry Potter. I do however own two rather nice pocket watches. one of em's an antique doncha know?
their is strong language from the outset and seens of extreme violance. Reader discretion is advised.
Chapter 32
There he stood fifty yards ahead."Harry Potter, we meet again." Voldemort smiled.
"What are you doing here, Voldemort?" Harry asked. "Returning to the scene of your crime usually isn't your style." He rested his staff at his side, tightening his grip on the wood, and it began to glow. Harry kept his eyes trains on Voldemort's
"What you see as a crime My followers and I see as a declaration. A declaration that pure blooded wizards will no longer lick the boots of lesser beings."
"Lesser beings?" Harry demanded. "They were human beings. People. And you just slaughtered them."
"No, not human beings, Muggles. Mere mortals. Come now Harry you have to see. Magic is Might and Might makes Right. Last night I merely exercised my rights as a superior being."
"Superior you?" Harry sneerd. "In what world are you superior to any one?"
"My blood is the purest of all." Voldemort declared. "I can trace my family's blood all the way to the greatest of all Hogwarts founders Salazar Slytherin. Only I know of the entrance to the Chamber of Secrets."
"Second floor girls toilettes," Harry told him flippantly as if it was common knowledge. "But do go on."
"I have the staff of Salazar Slytherin!" Voldamort held out his hand and his own staff appeared.
"Whoopty do!" Harry mocked, hoping that he was excluding more confidence that he felt. "I have the Staff of Godric Gryffindor. Apprentice to Merlin himself!"
People had begun to take notice now and a crowd of wizards gathered around.
"Start getting the muggles out of here." Moody whispered to Sirius and Hermione. They nodded their understanding and began to direct the police to evacuate everyone else.
"You know you go on about all of this blood supiriorty bull shit." Harry taunted trying to buy time for people to be evacuated. He knew it was about to come down to a fight, he wanted to try and rile Voldemort up. "But i know your secret TOM."
"You dare?" Voldemort demanded. "You dare call me by that name?"
"I do dare Tom. Thomas Morvollio Riddle." Harry said mockingly. "Have you even told them? Your followers I mean?"
"I have told my brethren what they needed to know."
"Oh Jesus Christ you haven't have you?" Harry laughed. "You spout all of this blood superiority. Pure bloods top of the world, the rest of us serving you, living off your scraps."
"Don't you dare Potter!" Voldamort sputtered with rage.
"All this superiority and you know, you fucking know, that you should be down hear with the rest of us Half-Bloods! Your mother was a pure blood witch, that much is true, but the crazy cow drugged and raped a muggle. She got up the duff with you and ran away from her father less he killed her and you. You're nothing but a liar and a fraud Tom. your blood is just as filthy as mine!"
Quicker than a hiccup Voldemort's staff was in his hands pointing at Harry. The enraged older wizard shot off several silent curses and hexes. Knowing he wouldn't have time to block those spells Harry simply dodged. The impact of the hex's caused the flagstones of the street to explode.
Harry rolled through and with his momentum he brought his own staff to bare.
"Expelliarmus." He cast, but Voldamort merely swatted the spell away with a wave of his own staff. "Stupafy… Bombarda… Petrificus Totalus…" Each spell Voldamort swatted away stepping closer to Harry.
"Is that all you've got?" Voldamort asked with a mocking sneer. "You will have to do better than that." Voldemort once again levelled his staff at Harry "sagitta virga" several arrows fired out of Voldemort's staff.
"Protego" Harry brought a strong shield and deflected the arrows. But now Voldamort pressed his advantage, casting silently so Harry couldn't predict what he would do.
Down to luck more than anything else Voldamort tripped on a piece of debris causing his attention to waine. Harry knew this was his only chance.
"Reducto!" He cast with all his might hoping to destroy the staff of his enemy. Instead Voldamort attempted to deflect the spell, but was only partially successful. Part of the spell caught Voldemort slicing his leg to the bone but some of the spell was sent back to Harry.
Harry was caught completely off guard; he tried to dive out of the way but the spell, which was still very powerful, caught his left wrist severing his hand.
"You have not seen the last of me Potter." Voldamort sneered and disapperated away as Harry lay screaming clutching a bloody stump where his hand used to be.
"Fucking hell!" Sirius swore as he ran to attend to Harry but Hermione was their first. She discarded her robe and wrapped it around the stump and then took Harry's own belt and wrapped it around his arm above the elbow to stem the bleeding.
"This wont hold for long." Hermione warned. "We need a portkey straight to the hospital wing."
Auror Pritchard and LeMarche gathered around.
"Mondu!" LeMarche swore. "That was quite a duel"
"That was no dule." Pritchard disagree "That was a strait up shoot out at the OK Corral."
It was Hermione that saw the movement through the corner of her eye as busy as she was but Pritchard was only half a second behind bringing her gun up as Peter Petarew raised his wand from across the street.
"Expelliarmus." Wormtail cast at Pritchard whose gun flew into the air.
"Avarda Ka…" Wormtail began his gun trained on the American Auror.
Hermione with reactions quickend perhaps by adrenalin or perhaps by desperation caught the foreign firearm. She levelled it at Wormtail and pressed the trigger twice.
BANG!
BANG!
The shots rang out over the streets; the first caught Petergrew in the shoulder and the second right in his chest. His arm went limp and his spell was forgotten as his wand dropped harmlessly from his hand. He screamed once before he died.
Sirius left Harry's side and moved to the body of his former friend. He stared down as the lifeless eyes of his fellow Marauder stared up at him. First in an act of tenderness Sirius knelt beside the body and gently closed the eyes for the final time then as he stood up he spat on Petagrews lifeless face.
"You fucking traiter." He said. Then in a move that surprised even Sirius he grabbed the limp hand of Pettigrews body and dragged it over to everyone else.
"He's coming with us." Sirius declared.
"Where's the fucking port key?" Hermione demanded.
"Right here" Moody said as he placed a Newcastle United shirt over Wormtail's face. "Everybody grab on." he commanded "Portus."
The Minister of Magic and his Senior Undersecretary were seated in a large conference room in the legal department of the Ministry.
"In June of 1215 the Muggles signed the Magna Carta, which more or less defined the role of Parliament and the Monarch in governing the country. Now at that time the magical community was not quite as secretive as it has become in modern times, however it was evident that magicals would not be content to be ruled over by a muggle Prime Minister and likewise the muggles would not allow their whole society to be ruled over by a magical." Albert Disrali, the attorney colonel explained. "As such a separate governmental department was created, much in the same way as the modern government has the Treasury or the Foreign Office. It took a further four centuries before the Ministry of Magic was created and its inaugural Minister of Magic was Ulick Gamp. Gamp was elected first as the Secretary of State for Magic. After the adoption of the International Statute of Secrecy the title was changed to the Minister of Magic.
"In the early days of the Ministry of Magic the Minister was always a member of the Government's Cabinet no matter the political ideology of the Minister himself or the Government of the day. Over the years as the Statute of Secrecy became a way of life for the magical population the Minister of Magic would attend less and less Cabinet meetings eventually only ever meeting with the Prime Minister on ither the election of a new Prime Minister or Minister for Magic. However," Disrali continued. "As the Ministry of Magic remind apart of the British Governmental system the Minister of Magic must still swear allegiance to the Crown. At one point or another dating back to the Norman Conquest there has been a post of the Kings, or I suppose Queens Wizard attached to the Royal Household"
"And who is this Queen's Wizard?" Demanded Umbrige.
"As for that I do not know." Disraeli responded. "It is largely a ceremonial position. As far as I know there has not been a witch or wizard serving the Royal HouseHold in over two hundred years. However the Ministry dose still draw a salary of three hundred gallons per year."
"That is interesting." Fudge mused. "That is the annual salary for the Chief Warlock."
"Bones!" Umbridge declared. "I bet she is the one who was behind your summons to the palace."
"Traitors!" Fudge shouted, slamming his fist down on the table. "I am surrounded by traitors!"
The Hogwarts hospital wing was filled with people. Dumbeldore towering above everyone else. Madame Pomfrey was working on Harry, first trying to stem the blood flow from the stump.
"Miss Granger probably saved his life." Pomfrey declared.
"Can you save the hand?" Hermione asked.
"Save the hand?" Pomfery asked. "What nonsense is this?"
"The Muggles could potentially reattach the limb." Hermione explained.
"Well unfortunately I don't have that capability." Pomfery snapped. "I can only do the best I can do within the limits of magic."
"Miss Granger meant to disrespect I am sure." Dumbeldore said. "Perhaps someone could enlighten me as to what happened this afternoon?"
"Potter made that Dark Mark disappear." Moody reported. "Ministry wizards had been trying all day. They were actually about to ask you for help Albus. But Potter went in there and raised that staff of his and said something in Latin and the bloody thing evaperated."
"That is good news. What spell did Mister Potter use?"
"I don't think it was a spell at all." Moody explained. "He just said something and the bloody thing was gone. Then Voldamort appeared and Potter fought him." Moody went on to describe the duel between Harry and Voldemort. "And I have to be honest with you, if Voldemort didn't have that bloody branch of his Potters, Reducto would have damn near sliced him in half. As it happened Voldamort managed to repel the spell back to Potter, but he was severely injured. His leg was cut to the bone and he was bleeding heavily. Unfortunately for Potter the spell came back at him with such force and speed he could neither block or dodge it completely. If Miss Granger hadn't been there then Potter would have bled out on the street."
"Indeed?" Dumbeldore responded. "Perhaps you can tell me how we have come to be in possession of the body of Peter Petagrew?" He motend to the body laying on a nearby bed, the football shirt still covering his face. The white stripes stained red with blood still dribbling out of the bullet wound.
"Well whilst where were tending to Potter that damn rat snuck up on us." Moody explain. "Agent Pritchard brought her weapon to bare but the fucker got the drop on us and dissarmed her."
"And as luck would have it Miss Granger caught my weapon and fired off two shots before the perp managed to finish his spell." Pritchard replied. She then turned her attention to Hermione who was still holding her weapon. "Miss Granger?" she said softly. "Thank you for what you did out there. You saved my life."
"He's dead isn't he?" Hermione asked, waving the gun towards the body's tears streaming down her face.
"Yes he is." Pritchard confirmed.
"I killed him?"
"Yes, you did." Pritcherd said softly.
"I'm a murderer?"
"No." Pritchard told her gently, lightly grasping Hermione's shoulder looking into her eyes. "You are not a murderer. That man, Petagrew was it? Was going to kill me, and then he would have probably tried to kill you or Potter. What you did Miss Granger, Hermione, was save all of our lives. You're a regular hero." Pritchard continued to talk in calm quiet tones as she moved her hands slowly down Hermione's arm until she got to the gun. "But we are safe now. You saved us all and now we're all safe. It's time to put the gun down Hermione." Pritchard slightly pulled the weapon from Hermione's hand and engaged the safety catch before haulstering it. Professor Magonigal stepped in and embraced Hermione. She pulled her away to another bed where she could not see Pitagrews body.
"I see. You have indeed had an eventful afternoon. Poppy once you have finished with Young Lord Potter i believe a calming draught and dreamless sleep potion may be in order for Miss Granger."
"Of course Headmaster." Pomfery nodded as she bandaged up Harry's stump. "I have done the best I can for now. I have him sedated. Tomorrow we will have to see what he can do about a hand." Pomfery moved over towards Hermione and handed her a glass of potion. "Down the hatch Granger." She said with the gruff and chipper voice of authority, "take this one and then we will get you into bed. A bite to eat and a dreamless sleep potion for you my girl."
The Headmaster turned to the body of Peter Petagrew. Drawing his wand he conjured a sheet that he draped across the body.
"Mr Petagrew has no family that I am aware of." Dumbeldore told them. "We must see to a funeral."
"The prick doesn't deserve a funeral." Sirius spat. "Throw the fucker in the lake and have done with it."
"Come now." Dumbeldore said, shaking his head. "No matter what Pettigrew may have done in life he deserves a dignified burial."
"No grave stone." Sirius said. "Filth like him doesn't deserve a memorial."
"Now that I agree." Dumbeldore nodded.
They both turned to watch the sleeping and now one handed Harry.
Voldemort returnd to his layer where he was tended on by the Death Eaters.
"Summon Severus!" Voldamort commanded. As his leg finally gave out on him. He slumped into a chair, the blood gushing down his leg. He pulled up his robe to find a gash on his thigh just above the knee going all the way down to the bone. The wound was so wide Voldemort's fist fit in it.
It didn't take long for Snape to arrive. As soon as he saw the gaping wound on Voldemort's leg he sank to his knees and began to cast diagnostic spells. He neither acknowledged Voldamort or anyone else around for a full five minutes while collecting his findings.
"You!" Snape snapped at a nearby low ranking Death Eater. "I need water in a silver bowl and a clean cloth."
The Death Eater bowed and quickly fled.
"Potter?" Snape asked.
"Indeed." Voldemort answered. "The boy is indeed powerful."
"I have tried to warn you Master. Potter is a wild card. His power is indeed great, but he is undisciplined."
"It was my desire to use that lack of discipline against the boy." Voldemort sighed. "I Confess Severus I underestimate him. The boy is no longer a child. He may lack experience, but i do not think we can call him undisciplined any longer."
The Death Eater returnd with the water and cloth. Snape took the water and motiend for him to be left alone with his Master. He began by first cleaning the blood from the wound. Next he examined the ripped cartilage and muscle. The cut was clean but the flesh was already beginning to discolour and smell slightly.
Snape pulled a pain killing potion and handed it to Voldamort.
"The damage is extensive my lord. This potion will dull the pain. I will attempt to close the wounds by magic, but I fear that it will be very painful despite the potion."
"Continue." Voldemort orderd.
"Very well." Snape said. "signantes vulnus" he cast. Normally this spell would cause the wound to knit together. The spell had no effect. He took a deep breath and tried again with all of his might. "SIGNANTES VULNUS!"
"What is wrong Severus?" Voldamort demanded.
"The spell has not worked My Lord." Snape admitted. "I can offer no explanation, I have performed this spell countless times over the years on myself and others and it has never failed me."
"How well do you know about muggle medical practices?" Voldamort asked.
"Unfortunately my knowledge of muggle medicine is severely limited and only really pertains to their pharmaceuticals."
"I suspected as such. I believe I need a doctor who can stitch the wound back together." Voldemort told him.
"Stitch the wound?" Snape asked. "That sounds utterly barbaric."
"Doesn't it." Voldamort nodded. "Nevertheless you will find me a Doctor and bring them to me."
"I will send someone immediately."
"NO!" Voldamort yelled. "You will go alone and you will bring this doctor directly to me hear, and you will tell no one."
"It will be as you command My Lord." Snape bowed. "But first I must wrap the wound. I fear infection sets in."
"Then be quick about it!" Voldamort snapped.
Snape quickly bandaged the wound and watched in horror as the bleeding began again saturateing the fresh bandages.
"I will return with a muggle as quickly as I can."
"Do that." Voldamort told him as Snape turned to leave. "And Severus?"
Snape turnd back to face Voldemort.
"Crucio!" Voldamort cast the pain curse on Snape. The potions master collapsed on the floor writing in pain. After only a few seconds Voldemort lifted the spell. "Never forget the price of failure." He said as Snape pulled himself to his feet and left Voldemort alone.
LeMache gathered the ICW delegation around the conference table in their facility on the Hogwarts grounds.
"My friends, I know you are all busy following your individual lines of enquiry." The Frenchman began, "However I think it is plain to see that things in this country are far worse than we had ever imagined. I believe we have enough to return to the ICW counsel and make a recommendation."
"I agree." Pritchard nodded. "The British Ministry of Magic has gone to hell in a handbasket and it is all the fault of the executive offices."
"Bon." LeMarch acknowledged. "Very well, I will inform Dumbeldore that we will be leaving and returning to France. Once we have left Britain you are all free to return to your home agencies. On behalf of the International Confederation of Wizards I thank you for your service."
Hermione slept most of the day away in a quiet corner of the hospital wing when she awoke she moved straight to Harry's bed side.
"Has there been any change?" she asked the mediwitch.
"No." Pomfery said gently. "I don't expect him to wake up until tomorrow morning at the earliest when we can properly assess the damage to his arm and decide what we can do next."
"What can be done?" Hermione asked.
"First we will have to assess the level of feeling in the remaining tissue of his arm." Pomfery explained. "Once we establish that we can decide what kind of prosthetic hand will work best for him. With any luck at all he will be able to control an animated magical hand, but that is not guaranteed. I am afraid it will likely be several weeks before we can give Mr Potter a hand."
Hermione sat holding Harry's remaining hand staring at the bed where Petagrews body had been laid earlier.
"What happened to…" Hermione motions to the bed.
"Peter Petagrew is gone." Pomfery told Hermione. "The Headmaster has arranged for the body to be be-magnified and then buried in the castle's cemetery. There will be no service or grave marker."
"That's good. Everyone should have a decent burial."
"Personally i think they should have just tossed him in the lake like Professor Black suggested." Pomfery shrugged. "Come on now Miss Granger lets get you back into bed. You need your rest pettle."
The Right Honorable Cornilius Fudge stepped out of a fireplace in an out of the way office in the Commonwealth Office. Fudge was dressed in the State Robes of the Secretary of State for Magic. Black robes with a silver trim adorned with swirling stars. Waiting for his arrival was a police officer in full dress uniform.
"Good Morning Minister." The Policeman said. "If you will follow me I will escort you to your car."
"Thank you officer." Fudge said.
"Begging your pardon sir, you may want to pop that over coat on. Your dress is a bit eye-catching."
"My good man, these are the State Robes of the Minister of Magic." Fudge said, drawing himself up to his full height. "And they are only worn when the Minister attends the Sovereign. You are honoured above all muggles."
"Be that as it may sir." The officer replied. "But I am a Squib and your robes, as splendid as they are, do attract attention," he said, holding out a plain brown trench coat. Fudge pulled the coat on and followed the Officer out to the car.
Fudge was shown to a black Jaguar waiting in the courtyard. A chauffeur opened the door and he took his seat for the short drive to Buckingham Palace.
The minister stairs silently out of the window watching people walking up The Mall. he was surprised by the amount of people milling around outside the palace gates hoping to catch a glimpse of someone important or famous.
The car pulled up to a door under a veranda where three footmen and Her Majesty's Private Secretary. The first footman opened the car door for Fudge who stood out the car. The second footman helped Fudge remove the coat before the Private secretary stepped forward.
"Ah, Secretary of State!" The middle aged man boomed shaking Fudge's hand. "Now one or two minor points of protocol that you and your predecessors usually forget. In a moment will escort you to Her Majesty's presence. When we get there I shall introduce you and you bow from the waist then step forward. Her Majesty will hold out her hand. Shake it, don't kiss it. Her Majesty will invite you to sit. She may or may not engage you in small talk. Now, this is important. When The Queen first addresses you, you will reply with 'Your Majesty.' and thereafter you may refer to her as Ma'am. Thats Ma'am as in ham and not marm as in farm. When your audience is concluded Her Majesty will ring the bell and I will come and collect you. You must remember Secretary of State when you leave you must NEVER turn your back on Her Majesty."
"Right, if you say so." Fudge said. Normally the Minister of Magic would appreate to the designated point. Greet the Monarch, exchange pleasantries and dissaperate away.
"Right then let's go. Up the stairs and to the left."
The Private Secretary led Fudge to the audience chamber at a brisk pace. The third footman walking ahead of them and opened the door. The Secretary stepped forward.
"Your Majesty." He began bowing, "May I present The Secretary of State to the Ministry of Magic Cornelius Fudge."
Fudge entered the room and awkwardly bowed. "Good morning Your Majesty." He said, stepping forward to shake the Queen's outstretched hand.
"Good Morning Secretary of State." The Queen said stiffly.
"If its all the same to you Ma'am We prefer the title of Minister for Magic." Fudge said.
"Very well Minister, please do have a seat." the Queen said motioning to a plain uncomfortable chair. "Now Minister I have asked you to hear from you what has happened in the recent days."
"Well Ma'am it is all very complicated. I wouldn't want to bore you."
"Minister, you will find that I am a very understanding person. I have been on the throne for several decades. As a young woman my Secretaries of State and Prime Ministers would often talk down to me. I did not tolerate this from Edwerd Heath and I will not be accepting it from you."
"I apologise Ma'am. I mean no disrespect." Fudge mumbled. He explained about Voldemort's return and then violent events of the previous few months.
"I see." The Queen said. "And what is your Ministry doing to rectify this situation?"
"The Ministry has been deploying our Aurors as best we can, but unfortunately we do not have the resources to indefinitely field all of our personnel."
"I can understand budgetary concerns, Minister," The Queen sympathised. "However your duty to the public supersedes your budgets. In fact, it has come to my attention that you have been cutting budgets for several departments within the Ministry of Magic, including the Law Enforcement branch."
"THese are efficiency savings." Fudge protested. "You see we no longer receive a portion of funding from your Muggle Government so therefore must raise our own tax revenue. Alas, despite our longevity our population within the UK is still rather small and therefore our ability to raise taxes is also extremely limited."
"I will not interfere in what is an internal matter Minister, however i would like you to know that I am extremely displeased with the Ministry of Magic and after meeting with the Royal WIzard yesterday evening I have decided that I will make a Royal tour of Inspection and will also address the Wizengamot."
"I am sure there is no need for you to trouble yourself Ma'am." Fudge said getting flustered. There had never been a Royal Tour of Inspection of the Ministry.
"As I understand it, Minister Fudge, the death toll in Newcastle has now exceeded three thousand. Not to mention the sinking of the Bonga with the loss of all hands. There is every need. The staff at Clarence House will liaise with the Royal Wizard and a suitable date and time will be selected in the coming weeks. You will receive instructions by the end of the week."
The Queen stood up and pressed a button on a small yet ornate table next to her seat. Within seconds the door was opened by a footman and The Queen extended her hand.
"Thank you for your time Secretary of State, I am sure you must be incredibly busy." The pair shook hands and Fudge backed out of the room. He started to leave the Palace following the route he had taken when he entered but the Private Secretary instead navigated him towards an empty airing cupboard.
"It is my understanding that you have the ability to appear and disappear at will. You may depart from here, but be warned Secretary of State, this will be the last time any one from your Ministry will be allowed to enter Buckingham Palace by magical means."
The secretary shut the door leaving Fudge in the pitch black.
"Bloody hell!" he swore as he apperated away.
Authers Notes:
So hear we are again in the dreaded Authers notes. What a chapter! We have had the first interaction between the Light and Dark, it would seem Fudges Ministry is haning on by a thread, Harrys hurt and why wont Voldamorts leg heal? What happens next? i'm not entierly sure. I have a few diffrent things in mind so im going to roll a D4 and see what we get.
Thank you to every one who has liked/faverited. i get like 3 of those emails a day and it always makes me smile.
Cevandri: Sorry my poor spelling is "killing you." unfortunitly I am Dislexic. I do try and proof read my work, but that is difficult. but asside from my bad spelling i am glad you are enjoying the stroy.
Caza: Thank you. I thaght it was good ;) glad you enjoyed it.
Guest: Another complainer about spelling. IF your going to correct me at least have the decencey to put your name on it rather than being a cowerd and hideing behind anonimaty. Thanks for just, you know stikcing the boot in.
I am genuinly sick to death of people hideing behind guest reviews to tell me how much i suck. you dont like it, i am prepaird to give you a refund for every penny you have spent on this story. please send proof of purchaise to my arse!
I hope you enjoyed this chapter. I dont know when the next one will be up. I find my self very unmotivaed by cowerdly key bored worriors.
If theirs any one reading that would be willing to Beta, please get in touch.
Until next time please stay happy, stay safe and dont be dicks!
CJ