AN: Happy New Year and Happy Holidays! Here's a bonus post early for everyone to enjoy as a gift for the holiday season. Hope everyone has enjoyed their holidays, and I hope you enjoy this chapter (which is longer than most). As always, thanks for all your support and let me know what you think!
Nightwing2013 - Thanks! Yeah, the Consortium have much better training than everyone in Friends, however I will admit I've also just grown as a writer quite a bit. Someday I really will go back and probably rewrite Friend's Effect on Life. I definitely did go back and edit. Probably missed a few things again, but definitely better than it was.
Mando-Vet - Thanks! I do enjoy writing battle scenes, and I'm glad people generally seem to enjoy how I write combat.
Shadowlord1295 - Thanks! You'll find out this very chapter.
madamos - Thank you! Yes indeed. Voldemort is powerful, but even he can't fight the whole country himself.
mwinter1 - I'm a bit confused with what you said. Are you disappointed that Harry kills or are you glad that I'm not sticking with the whole moral dilemma that many authors use? I definitely will always lean more towards killing for my stories. To me, they are in war. If they could keep the Death Eaters in prison, then taking prisoners makes sense. Otherwise, they're just doing the good old comic book thing of letting villains come back and hurt innocents over and over again.
jeremiahkelly93 - Thank you! I hope you had a very merry Christmas and happy new year as well.
GreengrassRebel - I'll respond to both of your reviews (66 and 67) here. Yeah, a bit debatable on it being a suicide mission or not. Definitely far more costly than many of the Death Eaters believed, since Harry had already been shown to not pull punches. However, I doubt many Death Eaters (or Ministry personnel) would think that Harry could bring fellow students and actually fight fully trained witches and wizards, let alone Death Eaters. They also clearly were underestimating Harry's connection to Hades, which definitely bit them in the ass. Granted, Voldemort wouldn't have cared about the losses if he'd gotten the prophecy, so I'm sure he was expecting losses and only let Bellatrix, Dolohov, and Rookwood go to ensure some of his supporters would get out with what he wanted. Definitely not a great employer.
Haha, sorry it wasn't longer, but you get another long chapter this one. I'm glad you enjoyed the chapter, and hopefully this one meets your expectations. Also, yes, shadow hound travel is not nearly as comedic as thestrals, but ah well, much faster. Also, yes, you got another Daphne shout out, which will continue to happen as she grows more and more important in the story.
Chapter 68
"Here, take one of these rings for you three," Harry said, offering one of the rings that Dumbledore had conjured and enchanted to Dora and Angelina, who was still next to the unconscious Bellatrix.
"Harry, we –" Dora and Angelina both started to protest, but he cut them off.
"You're both hurt, and we need to make sure she is contained," Harry said, glancing at Bellatrix. "I'll find everyone, and send them your way before I join."
Dora sighed, and finally nodded in agreement.
Harry dropped the ring onto Bellatrix, and helped Dora and Angelina down to the ground so they could touch the ring together.
"Madam Pomfrey," Dora said, and the ring glowed blue and they were gone.
He could feel that Astra had made one last jump back to Shadow Hold, where she could recover, and he knew she needed it, and was just thankful she was alive. Sure, if her body had been destroyed, she would have recovered eventually, but he would have had months without his familiar with him, and he would have hated not having her around.
Harry turned and ignored the loud discussions that were still breaking out across the hall, especially as more and more people appeared and needed to be brought up to speed. He made his way back to the lifts, though he was happy to see three other Aurors were joining him. He knew their basic medical abilities would help anyone that needed stabilizing. He wished he could just shadow travel down to the Department of Mysteries, but clearly the Ministry, like Hogwarts, had wards in place to stop apparition or elemental travel outside of the main entry hall.
He mostly ignored the Aurors, one of whom was frowning at him, one looking at him with interest, and one whom was eyeing him with suspicion. He didn't care though. He just needed them to round up the surviving Death Eaters and to help him stabilize any of his friends that might need it before they could be sent to Hogwarts.
He exited the lift before the three Aurors, calling back about the Death Eater at the entrance that was still alive for them to apprehend. He ran through the corridors and finally reached the circular room, which still was marked and mostly open. He immediately went for the room with the Veil and saw the chaos. His friends and family were in various locations around the room, many being tended to by others where they were. Fallen Death Eaters were all around the atrium, and Frank Longbottom, Mad-Eye, Neville, and Susan were standing guard over Augustus Rookwood and two other surviving Death Eaters.
He ignored them for now, and moved to the first group of his friends, which included Gabrielle Truman, who was still twitching from her cruciatus exposure and working to self-bandage her leg, an unconscious Katie, and Alicia who was working on Katie.
"Can Gabrielle be moved?" Harry asked Alicia, getting a grunt of annoyance from Gabrielle. "What about Katie?"
"Gabrielle is fine to be moved. Katie is as stable as I can manage," Alicia said grimly. "She needs more help than I can give her. She's got a lot of internal damage from the blunt force."
"Alright," Harry said, putting the ring on Katie. "Gabby, touch the ring and say the name of the Hogwarts healer."
Gabrielle was soon gone with Katie, and Harry moved with Alicia off to the next group, which was a battered looking Daphne, Tracey, and Astoria, who were standing over an unconscious Luna, and a grimacing, but sitting Ginny, and coughing, and weak looking George.
"How are you three?" Harry asked the standing three girls.
"A little bruised, but we'll be fine," Astoria answered. "I think Luna was just stunned, but we weren't sure. There was just too much going on to notice what took her down."
"She was," Alicia confirmed, and then quickly ennervated her, and Luna blinked, sitting up gingerly. "You three will be okay," Alicia agreed with Astoria's assessment. "A bit bruised and battered and I'd prefer Madam Pomfrey to give you a bill of health, but you should be fine."
"Alright, Ginny, take this ring," Harry said, handing her the ring.
"Well, Harry, this is not how I thought you'd propose," Ginny quipped, with a pained filled grimace, and Harry snorted tiredly.
"It's a portkey back to Hogwarts for you and George," Harry told her, and he explained how to use it. "Daph, Trace, Stori, Luna, can you four help scour the Department for everyone else? Here are a few rings. Send a patronus if you need assistance or more rings. Lee, Haley, and Phoenix are in an atmospheric room, but Haley and Lee seemed fine."
"Freddy's in the brain room with Ron and Hermione," George said. "He seemed fine, last I saw, but Ron and Hermione were both hurt. Ron was hurt pretty badly by Dolohov. He shielded himself from something, but whatever it was affected him through his shield. Dolohov got Hermione too, but I didn't see with what. She was still alive, but . . ." George trailed off, and Harry's worry spiked.
"We're on it, Harry," Tracey said with a nod, and the four girls disappeared, while Harry and Alicia moved over to Sirius's fallen form.
Harry's rising fear melted away when Sirius sat up gingerly under Alice Longbottom's healing touch.
"Sirius, thank the gods," Harry said in relief.
"He'll survive to piss us all off again," Alice said with a tired sigh. "He'll be recovering for a while, and you won't be moving around easily for a bit, but you'll prank again, I'm afraid."
Sirius snorted painfully.
"What happened, kiddo?" Sirius asked weakly. "Did you get Angelina back?"
"We did," Harry said. "She and Dora took a portkey back to Hogwarts for healing, where you'll be going next. I'll explain more later, but Voldemort came out into the open, and Dora and I dueled him, then Dumbledore did. Half the Ministry saw him before he vanished."
"Brilliant," Sirius said with a cough. "Get me back to Pomfrey then. She needs to patch me up because there's a lot to do in the next day or two if we want to capitalize on this."
"Sirius, you're in no –" Alice started to say.
"Oh, I'm plenty healthy enough for revenge," Sirius growled out. "Harry, have Cyrus, Jamie, Theseus and/or Tina, and Augusta Longbottom come see me as soon as possible."
"Alright, Sirius," Harry said with a sigh. "I'll see what I can do . . . also, we got Bellatrix. She's back at Hogwarts."
Sirius's eyes widened and then he smiled wide.
"That's good. That's really good."
"Get some rest," Harry said, and he and Alicia moved off to help search the Ministry for their friends and any Death Eaters that might still be alive and capable of fighting.
They went straight back out to the circular entrance room before using their markings to enter the brain room, where they found Luna, Hermione, Fred, Ron, and Micah, along with two fallen Death Eaters.
"Oh, thank gods," Fred said, seeing them. "Hermione and Ron were hurt really badly. Micah needs to be checked out too."
"I'm fine," Micah protested, though Harry could see him clutching his arm, which had a hasty bandage around to stem the bleeding, and Harry could see the blood already flowing down his arm out of the bandage.
"No, you're not," Alicia said sternly, "but let me look at Ron and Hermione first. Do you know what got them?"
"Not really," Fred said in frustration, running his hands through his hair. "I only heard Hermione go down. She was dueling Dolohov, and then he did something to her after she silenced him. Ron was furious and leapt in. I was dealing with these two, so I couldn't help. Micah tried to help –"
"But was hit with a piercing curse and tossed aside like a piece of trash almost immediately," Micah said angrily. "None of us were a match for Dolohov."
"As a team, we could have gotten him," Fred disagreed vehemently. "Anyway, Micah got thrown and then Dolohov used some sort of purple curse that Ron tried to shield from. He used the advanced shield, but Dolohov's spell hit it and then burst through. I killed these two, but Dolohov got away, and I had to try and help them while George and Angelina moved on looking for you lot." Fred sounded desperate towards the end, and Harry put a comforting hand on his shoulder.
"Well, hopefully the shield weakened the effects," Alicia said, waving her wand, frowning. "They were definitely both hit by the same thing . . . though they have slightly different outcomes. Dolohov was silenced for Hermione's injury? Maybe he tried to use the spell verbally and it was weakened or if he was injured and not properly concentrated perhaps? We need to get them out of here now."
Harry nodded, and dropped the ring onto Ron's chest, and then moved Hermione's hand to touch the ring, and Alicia rebandaged Micah up and he touched the ring too, as did Fred, wanting to check on his siblings, and they sent them off.
Tracey's dog patronus materialized in the room.
"We found Phoenix, Haley, and Lee. Phoenix was sent to Hogwarts with Astoria. Haley and Lee are joining the search."
"That just leaves Marina and and Ava," Harry muttered to himself.
"I last saw Marina in the Hall of Prophecies, dueling Rookwood," Alicia said.
"That's the last place I saw her too," Harry agreed.
"Then let's go," Luna said, and they hurried back to the circular room, where it was easy for them to enter the Time Room, where they found the first of their lost friends.
The room looked like a bomb had gone off in it, and Alicia gasped before she joined Harry in rushing over to where Ava was against the wall, her head leaning forward. Harry groaned, seeing that Ava's arm was lying on the ground next to her. She must have been awake when it happened because she'd applied a tourniquet around her arm to help stem the bleeding.
"Alicia," Harry gasped out, but she was already waving her wand as Harry went to her neck and felt for a pulse.
"She's still alive," Harry said with a sigh of relief.
"Barely," Alicia muttered in worry and she bandaged her arm to her body, and then they quickly activated the portkey, sending her off to Madam Pomfrey. "Hopefully it wasn't dark magic that caused her to lose her arm. If so, Madam Pomfrey can reattach it."
"Hopefully," Harry said hollowly, seeing how many of his friends had been hurt.
They knew what they had signed up for, knew what they were going into, but it didn't make it easier.
Daphne's mongoose patronus appeared before them. "We've found Marina. She's in the Hall of Prophecies . . . please get here fast!"
"Luna, grab Alice!" Harry ordered, and he and Alicia ran off into the very next room, wading through the destruction that had been wrought, and seeing Daphne and Astoria standing back near where Harry's prophecy had been.
They ran over and Harry's eyes widened in shock and horror seeing Marina looked terrible, her skin pale, her veins popping, her eyes wide and staring at them, but she seemed almost frozen and petrified.
"She's still alive, as far as I can tell," Daphne said in horror, "but I have no idea how to help her. Nothing I've tried has worked."
"This is serious dark magic," Harry said, raising his wand and trying to discern anything he could use to fight it.
Curse breaking just wasn't something he knew. He shook his head, and he met her eyes with his own.
"Don't worry, Marina, we'll get you help," Harry said firmly, and he sent off a patronus to the closest person he knew. "Let Tracey, Haley, and Lee know everyone has been found and accounted for and to take portkeys out or head to the Atrium where they can get one from me," Harry said, looking at Daphne, who nodded. "Then get you and Astoria out of here. Alicia, Luna, and I will follow with Marina as soon as we can."
"Understood, Harry," Daphne said with a firm nod.
"Alicia, help me levitate her," Harry said. "We'll keep her stable and head back towards the atrium. Dumbledore will meet us there."
Alicia nodded and the two of them kept her stable and moved carefully back through the wreckage, towards the Time Room as Astoria and Daphne sent off patronuses and then portkeyed away.
As they made it to the Time Room, Luna came running in with Alice and Mad-Eye hobbling along. They took one look at Marina and Alice flinched and Mad-Eye swore.
"The mummification curse," Mad-Eye spat. "Nasty piece of dark magic. How did this happen?"
"She was dueling Rookwood last time I saw her," Harry answered.
"Of course she was dueling that filth," Mad-Eye growled.
"Can you stop this?" Harry nearly pleaded. "You know the most about dark magic here, and other than Dumbledore, I don't know anyone else."
"Aye, I can stop the active effects, but it's beyond my abilities to heal her," Mad-Eye said, his wand out and slowly starting to trace Marina. "
Harry observed as an almost-living parasite seemed to fight Mad-Eye's magic, coating Marina, and Harry, with his sensing skill, could almost witness the curse using Marina's own magic to drain her health.
"Alice, help me cut off its connection to the source," Mad-Eye ordered, and Alice jumped right in.
"Is there any way I can help?" Alicia offered.
"Do you know how to shield her magical core?" Mad-Eye asked tersely, his wand not stopping for an instant.
"Yes," Alicia said, and immediately started waving her wand in a slow, but controlled manner.
"There we go," Mad-Eye growled in triumph as he managed to pull and pull and then he managed to rip the curse right out of Marina.
"She doesn't look much better," Harry observed.
"She isn't," Mad-Eye agreed. "I removed the curse from continuing to kill her. With how long she was affected, she still might die. Get her to Poppy, now."
Harry nodded, put a ring on Marina, and gestured for Luna and Alicia to squeeze in and touch it.
"I'm going to ensure everyone else got out, and I'll head to Hogwarts," Harry said. "Send me a patronus if you see everyone at Hogwarts."
Alicia nodded, and soon they were gone. He turned to Mad-Eye and Alice.
"How many Death Eaters have you recovered?" Harry asked. "There were twenty in total, and only Bellatrix and Dolohov should be missing."
"We've got them all, lad," Mad-Eye confirmed with an approving grin. "Six are still alive and are in custody and we've recovered the bodies of the other twelve. Good work."
"Good work?! Good work?!"
Harry, Alice, and Mad-Eye turned to see one of the Aurors that had come down with Harry.
"This kid led a bunch of teenagers and murdered twelve people! You call that good work!"
"This kid and his team recovered a hostage, captured seven Death Eaters, one of whom is Augustus Rookwood and another was Bellatrix Lestrange, and killed twelve more Death Eaters, including Lucius Malfoy," Mad-Eye said with an evil smile. "Of course I call that good work. I don't know many Aurors that could have accomplished that, especially with no casualties at this time."
"Shut it, Littles," Alice said, with narrowed eyes. "You just came back from Holyhead and saw the carnage. You now know that Harry Potter has been telling the truth the whole fucking time. You should be very careful about what you say to him or about him."
Littles glared at the three of them. "This isn't over," he said, and he stormed away as Alicia's swan patronus appeared.
"Other than Neville's team, all accounted for, Harry. Come join us."
"You can take Neville and Susan back with you," Alice said. "Augusta will return the other three to Hogwarts."
"Sirius wants Madam Longbottom to come to Hogwarts," Harry said. "Some sort of meeting he wants to happen. I suspect he won't be opposed to you, Frank, and any other Order members he can get showing up as well."
"I'll let her know and have her expedite her journey to Hogwarts," Alice said, and she gave him a smile. "Good work, Harry. Really good work."
"I'm not sure about that, but we did what we needed to do," Harry said with a sigh as he sent off several patronuses to the others that Sirius wanted, and then he made his way over to Susan and Neville, had them touch the ring in his hand, said the password, and returned to Hogwarts.
*HP*
Harry, Susan, and Neville appeared in the Hospital wing and saw the pandemonium. Temporary cots had been brought out to fill in as hospital beds for all the injured, and Harry was unsurprised to see Alicia helping Madam Pomfrey as she could. However, he was surprised to see Sarah, Penny, and Chiara both there as well, with Chiara working under Sarah's direction, and Penny continuing to work on the patients that the two Mediwitches had cleared of being in danger of loss of life.
Dora's legs were bandaged up and she was resting in one cot, with Angelina in the cot next to her, a bandage around the top of her head, and she was fast asleep. Harry suspected a dreamless sleep potion had been involved. Bellatrix was in the cot next to Dora, her arms shackled to the cot, and also still unconscious.
Gabrielle lay on the cot on the other side of Bellatrix, her leg bandaged up, asleep, needing the rest after the cruciatus exposure. Katie was next to Angelina, and it was her that Penny was still focusing on, measuring out some potions and spelling them directly into Katie's system. Harry took heart that Sarah and Pomfrey had moved on from her, assuming it meant that she was recovering.
Alicia and Chiara were focused on Ron and Hermione, getting guidance as needed, while the two qualified healers directed their efforts towards Ava and Marina, with Pomfrey focusing on Ava while Sarah focused on Marina.
"If you're not dead or dying, stay out of our way and we'll see when we can," Pomfrey said sharply, and Harry glanced at Neville and Susan who shook their heads and immediately went for the exit, wanting to avoid the harried matron.
"Cowards," Harry whispered after them, and Neville shot him a grin and Susan winked as they dipped out.
Harry moved over to Dora, figuring he could get answers and updates from her.
"How are you doing?" Harry asked.
"I'm fine, Har," Dora said, waving off his concern. "Poppy patched me up in a jiffy and Penny made me drink something vile."
Harry snorted at that, but he nodded, letting it lie for now. "How about everyone else?"
"Well, from what I can understand, it seems everyone should survive," Dora said softly. "Angie should probably see a mind healer, but I suspect she'll be stubborn like you are."
"We'll show her the same love and care you both showed me last summer," Harry remarked easily, and Dora nodded in agreement.
"Her injuries themselves are fairly minor, though she should avoid extraneous activity for a couple days. Gabby is in much the same situation. Katie is . . . worse, but she'll heal. She'll be on a strict potion regiment for a bit, and will be locked down to the hospital wing for a couple weeks, but she'll be right as rain after some recovery and physical therapy."
Harry sighed. "Good. That's really good."
"Ginny just needs a night of rest and to let some skelegrow do its job," Dora continued. "Same with George and Micah. Sirius has similar injuries to Katie, but much milder. He really should be bedridden, but he's already pushed for a cane and enough to be done to help him be mobile enough for the emergency Wizengamot meeting tomorrow."
"Stubborn," Harry said, and Dora nodded in agreement.
"He's not wrong though," Dora said. "There is much to accomplish in the next few days if we want to strike while momentum will be in our favor."
"I guess that's true," Harry conceded.
"Stori, Daph, and Trace are already patched up and went off to let the rest of the Consortium know what occurred, along with the others who weren't hurt. Ron and Hermione are going to be in for a rough recovery, but Sarah and Poppy are confident they'll live."
Harry sighed in relief again.
"Dolohov hit them with a very nasty bone and organ dissolving curse, but it seems it was either botched or underpowered in both cases, so the effects were counterable, and while healing will be slow, they will recover."
"Ava? Marina?" Harry asked.
"Thankfully it seems Ava's arm blew off due to a simple explosion curse," Dora explained. "Nothing dark. It's an arduous process reattaching it and repairing all the damage, and it's keeping Poppy busy. Her bigger issue was the blood loss and internal damage, but once the limb is reattached, she'll have a similar recovery process to Katie."
Dora sighed.
"Marina's touch and go right now," Dora admitted to Harry's horror. "Thankfully, Mad-Eye ended the active effects, and Sarah's doing everything she can, but effectively she's trying to repair damn near everything in Marina. Still, Sarah says she's not letting Marina go anywhere, and you know how stubborn the Spinnets are."
Harry grinned weakly. "Yeah, Marina will be fine. She's tough, and she's not going to let some Death Eaters get the better of her."
"Everyone's going to be okay, and we got Angelina back," Dora said, trying to provide comfort. "Your friends will be out of the fight for a while, but they've done more than enough. With Voldemort out in the open and the prophecy destroyed . . . well, it's time to take the fight to Voldemort, and I suspect in the future they'll be needed, so it's time for them to rest and recover."
Harry nodded in that, looking at all his injured friends and family.
"And then we'll make Voldemort and his Death Eaters pay," Harry agreed softly.
*HP*
"Lord Hades, Lady Athena," Harry said politely, bowing to his patron and matron.
"Your strategy was well thought out and executed," Athena complimented. "No plan survives first contact, and against the odds you faced, you and your Consortium performed admirably."
"Thank you, Lady Athena."
"Tom Riddle will remember this defeat, but it will fill the minds of his Death Eaters even more," Hades said with a pleased smile. "I'm sure you will be pleased to know that judgment has already been passed on the one you defeated . . . and he begged for mercy the whole time."
"Lucius," Harry growled.
"He is learning the folly of his choices on the mortal plane as we speak," Hades said ominously.
"Have I been summoned for something specific?" Harry asked.
"Stay your path," Athena advised. "Stay true to what your godfather and his fellow advisors have thought up. Play your part."
"That won't be hard," Harry admitted, his hands clenching.
"I suspect it won't," Athena said with a curt nod, "however stay true to yourself as well. Be careful not to fall in your anger."
"As always, I will heed your advice, my lady," Harry said, returning the nod.
"Athena wished to offer her advice," Hades said. "I wish to reward my champion for embarrassing his foe and upsetting his plans. What would you ask of your lord?"
Harry's eyes widened slightly. "An open request?"
"Indeed," Hades said. "I'm feeling particularly generous."
"I wish for you to consider patronage for Ginny and Katie," Harry said after a moment.
"Patronage for others?" Hades asked with a raised brow. "Nothing for yourself?"
"Your patronage will help protect them," Harry said. "That is worth quite a lot to me."
"And yet you ask not for your sisters?" Hades asked lightly.
"They have not started shadow magic," Harry replied. "I do not think they could learn everything they need, especially with the war about to escalate, my lord. Katie and Ginny are further along in their studies and helped me with the rituals. I think, if you give them a similar timeline to my own, they would be able to meet it. Angelina also has hopes of patronage to one of the sky deities."
Hades nodded thoughtfully.
"Do you think your family would divert their attention and commit to me, if I offered a reward that only one other family has ever had?"
Harry paused. "Family patronage and favor, my lord?" Harry asked quietly, astounded.
That was a gift that indeed had only been given by Hades once: the Peverells. Harry's tome from Hades had more information on the Deathly Hallows than anywhere else. Harry had done a little research into them, since they were powerfully important relics of Thanatos and Hades, but it hadn't taken him long to find that few truly even knew of them anymore, and even fewer believed. The wand was the only one that many knew of and desired.
He knew that his family was descended from them and that he possessed the Cloak of Invisibility. He knew that Dumbledore currently possessed the Elder Wand, though he was confident that Headmaster did not know that he knew. He also knew that the Headmaster had the Resurrection Stone, though it had been just as much of a surprise to Harry to see it as he was sure it was to the Headmaster. Based on what Mad-Eye had told Harry of when he and Dumbledore went for the ring at the Gaunt Shack, Harry was sure that Dumbledore knew exactly what it was. Whether he had used it, or whether it had been damaged when the horcrux was destroyed, Harry didn't know, nor did he necessarily care. In fact, he suspected his patron would reward him for destroying the ring should it still be functional.
The whole belief in being the 'Master of Death' or being 'invincible' if you possessed all three was a fairy tale. A myth. Nothing more. All three objects were quite powerful, but their power which had started the myth had mostly been curbed when the Peverell family had effectively died out. Even Harry and Voldemort, the last two descendents, would not gain additional power from using the objects. They did not share the name.
That is where the myth had come from though. The Peverells had wielded great power with all three objects because all three objects yielded great power to the family . . . the family favored by the Underworld to an incredible degree. All three boosted the power of the witch or wizard using them, while also granting whatever incredible powers that the item possessed.
The ring truly did allow the wielder to speak to the dead, dead who could and would be forced to reveal their secrets. The Peverells had stolen other family magics by doing this, had used magic forgotten or mostly unknown, and had discovered their foes' plans by capturing enemies, killing them, and then interrogating their souls for information.
The cloak protected its user from all manner of spells. You could be physically hit of course, but if the enemy could not detect you, for the true owner could not be detected with any manner of revealing or tracking spells, then you were damn near untouchable, especially if using spells that could not be seen. It was this that made Harry suspect that he and Tom Riddle could not use the true potential of the hallows . . . Dumbledore could reveal Harry under the cloak. Perhaps if all three were gathered . . . maybe, but that was just a theory.
The wand was the tamest of them in comparison, and yet the one everyone thought was the greatest. It was more powerful than any wand, sure, but its true power was that in combat it would help boost the physical attributes of its user, and it would increase the power of the spells used to match the opponent, allowing someone of lesser strength to match whoever they faced in sheer power. To lose with the wand, you truly had to battle someone more skilled or tricky than you . . . or you had to die by trickery as so many of the wand's previous owners had. However, for truly gifted witches or wizards, and truly powerful ones, the wand made very little difference in the grand scheme of things. It aided Dumbledore now as his strength waned due to age, and it would help someone younger to hopefully grow into the strength the wand would make others believe they had.
What made this sort of family patronage incredibly valuable was that it would come with gifts, like the Deathly Hallows, for the current members of his family, and all of their gifts, their weapons, everything that Lord Hades gave them would be passed down through the family until the last Potter died, in which case the power of most of the objects would fade, just as the Hallows had.
Normally, when Harry passed away, all of his weapons, his shadow clothes, everything he had forged or been given would fade with him. With this form of favor, his family, his descendants would always have magical objects to help give them boosts in power should they need it. His children, Dora's children, Angelina's children, should any of them have children, would all have natural affinities to Hades's element and his creatures. Harry being descended from the Peverells could very well have been why he had been at all successful in learning shadow as a first year. Even if the Potter name died out, the weapons would exist for his descendants. It would only be when his, Angelina's, or Dora's last descendants died out that the objects would disappear. Voldemort and Harry were the only reasons that the Hallows still existed, though now Angelina and Dora also were effectively helping to keep them around.
With this favor, his own abilities with Hades's element would once again be boosted to heights he couldn't even imagine. Angelina and Dora would have few problems picking up the element, he was sure, especially with whatever gift Hades offered, along with likely their own rings. He was a bit unsure how it would work for Katie and Ginny, however. Sure, he was confident that he loved both girls, and they were all young, but he was also confident that he could spend the rest of his life with them both. That being said, he wasn't sure either of them were quite ready to commit to marriage, nor was he for that matter.
"Your offer is extremely generous, my lord," Harry said softly. "I'd have to speak with them first, to see, though I suspect they too will be honored by your offer and choose to accept. I also wish to know how this would affect Ginny and Katie."
"I will offer your acolytes and lovers normal patronage, which will be separate from the arrangement with your family. I will set an arrangement with them, much like I did for you," Hades said. "Of course, should you marry them, their gifts will rise to match their station in the family. Your family's arrangement would be different, as would yours now change. By accepting my offer, your House would fall under my domain, ensuring that I always am placed in a greater position over other major deities without any debate. I will demand that your sisters, should they accept, and all future family members, by marriage or birth, will commit to obtaining magehood in my domain. However, you may also accept patronage and magehood from whomever you choose and whomever offers afterwards, for my domain will always come first, lest you choose disownment and death. I would no longer restrict you to minor patronage. I will demand that your family will ensure that Great Britain is a place of strength for my domain, that you will be my servants, my vassals, and my voice in the mortal realm."
Harry was surprised by that. That truly would top the scales in many ways.
"As always, you are very generous, my lord," Harry said gratefully.
Angelina could still pursue patronage and possible magehood under Zeus or Aeoleus if she chose. She would just have to become a Shadow Mage before she could be a Sky Mage. The patronage wouldn't even affect her really. She would gain Hades's protection, but could still pursue her other desires. A very generous offer indeed.
"You continue to impress me, Harry Potter," Hades said. "Continue to serve, and I will continue to reward."
*HP*
"I would like to see my husband!" Narcissa Malfoy demanded coldly. "I know you are holding him."
"Ma'am, we are not holding him," the frightened intern replied nervously. "I checked our records, and your husband was not booked."
"He did not come home last night!" Narcissa said. "Like the last war, my husband must have been targeted again! He has to be here."
"He's not," a voice brokered the interaction.
Narcissa turned and scowled at Sirius.
"Lord Black," Narcissa remarked cooly. "You seem rather weak at the moment.
Sirius glanced at the cane that he was leaning on heavily, and shook his head, his frown growing.
"Lady Malfoy," Sirius returned. "Come with me."
"I think not," she responded shortly.
"It wasn't a request," Sirius returned with a growl. "Trust me, you'll want to come. Make this harder on me and I make this harder on you and your son, and I'm already not in a charitable mood."
Narcissa's eyes widened at the direct threat before they narrowed. "How dare you threaten my son! When Lucius hears –"
Sirius laughed coldly, cutting her off, and Narcissa blanched again, not used to this side of Sirius, and it made her nervous. He was acting more like a Black of old than he usually did. He hobbled off and she followed him, and she felt her nerves rise as she realized they were heading for the morgue. She suspected what was coming . . . she feared it . . .
Sirius opened the door and gestured for her to enter first, and she did primly, hiding her fear, but she froze in horror, seeing her husband on the first table, his body blackened with a jagged wound through his chest.
"You're cruel, doing this," Narcissa said, turning and glaring at Sirius.
"Do you want to know how it happened?" Sirius asked softly, glaring at her. "I was there. Do you know what your husband did? What your son did?"
"Of course I want to know what happened, and no, I of course do not know. Whatever it is must have been forced upon them however. Draco is just a boy after all," Narcissa said smoothly, but inside her fear spiked, for she knew exactly what her foolish husband had wrapped their son into. She had pleaded for him to not do so, but Lucius would not . . . could not go against the Dark Lord.
Sirius laughed coldly again, and Narcissa's nerves rose further, and it was taking everything to keep her cool composure, to not let out her fear and give everything away.
"Well, you're full of shite, just like you've always been, Cissy," Sirius said with a scowl. "Let's give the rundown, shall we? Your dear son, Draco, and several of his friends broke the Hogwarts Sanctuary. One of them used the Imperius Curse on Ginny Weasley and Katie Bell, my godson's girlfriends, and used them to help them ambush my godson. Then, when he, his sisters, and his friends fought back, your son used a captured diricawl with some sort of device on it to try and kidnap Harry, and instead got Angelina."
"Sounds like he said, she said," Narcissa said quickly.
"Oh no, you see Angelina survived, there were plenty of witnesses, and one of Draco's little gang has turned on him," Sirius said, glaring, "but we'll get to that in a minute. You see, Angelina appeared at the Ministry, where your husband tortured her for the trouble I've caused him. He used the cruciatus curse three times, and aided some of his other filthy Death Eater mates in feeling her up, taunting her, and promising to rape and murder her."
Sirius's tone was cold, his eyes promised retribution, and Narcissa started to feel more scared of him than she had of anyone, save the Dark Lord.
"Then a massive battle took place after Harry and a bunch of his friends and family came to rescue her, and Harry killed Lucius himself."
Narcissa felt her shock rise. Potter had killed Lucius? All the insults, complaints, the mocking rants about how useless and weak Potter was, and he had been the one to kill Lucius.
"Oh, Lucius lost fair and square too," Sirius said, seeing her shock and almost reading her thoughts. "Harry had him on the ropes and then he put an elemental lightning spear straight through him and fried him from the inside out."
Narcissa whimpered, unable to stop it. She'd never loved Lucius, but she had been fond of him. She had enjoyed her life being married to him, the wealth, the power, the prestige. She had enjoyed the privilege that came from being among those that supported the Dark Lord, even if she didn't think it had been a safe gamble at the time. Now she knew it had been a terrible gamble, and she worried that she would lose the only thing she did love because of it: her son.
"What do you want?" Narcissa asked.
"Oh, it's pretty simple," Sirius said. "We're taking everything. Lucius bribed his way out before, but clearly he won't be doing it this time."
"Must you be so crude and cold?" Narcissa demanded with a glare. "He was a bastard, but he was my husband. It matters little. Draco is just a boy, and with the right legal representation, he'll be free and we'll stay out of the war. We'll leave. You won't have to worry about us. Is that what you want?"
"Oh, Draco won't have any legal representation," Sirius said. "You won't be able to afford it, I'm afraid. Not unless I help you out, which I won't."
"You don't control the Malfoy coffers," Narcissa replied coldly.
"I don't need to," Sirius retorted with a smirk. "You see, your son broke the Hogwarts Sanctuary, as I said, and kidnapped Angelina Potter, who is, legally, my goddaughter. House Potter already fell under House Black, but this attack was even worse as it led to the torture and attempted murder of both of my godchildren, and resulted in injury to me and Nymphadora. You remember where you came from, don't you, Narcissa?"
Narcissa's eyes widened in shock.
"You wouldn't . . ."
"I would," Sirius replied darkly. "It's in the contract that your dear old dad and mine wrote up and signed, along with Lucius and his father. An attack on House Black is grounds to break your marriage contract. Breaking it comes with a high price. Add the restitution that will be paid out to those hurt by Draco and Lucius's actions, and I'm afraid the Malfoy coffers will be quite empty. It won't help that you will not be able to access them, and unless I give you any funds, you will have nothing."
"Sirius, we're family," Narcissa pleaded. "He's just a boy."
"DON'T YOU DARE USE FAMILY AGAINST ME, CISSY!" Sirius roared back, and she flinched, stepping back terrified. "Where was family when I was cast out? Where was family when Andi was? You didn't even go to Andi's funeral, didn't check in on her teenage daughter who was all alone, trying to handle everything. She was just a girl, but you certainly didn't help her with funeral costs, check in to make sure she was alright, make sure she was surviving. You wouldn't have helped her if she came to you begging for aid, and we both know it. You left me to rot in Azkaban, and I'm sure you knew I was innocent, didn't you?"
Narcissa wanted to say she didn't, but while she'd hated it, she had let it lie, as she always did. Lucius would never have helped Sirius, and she'd seen no benefit in doing so, only the risk of doing it.
Sirius's look grew even darker.
"And I know about Bella," he said dangerously, and Narcissa froze in horror. "You were the one that allowed it to happen, weren't you?" Sirius whispered dangerously. "You set her up to get trapped and then turned into what she became."
"I d-didn't know what they would ch-change her into," Narcissa sobbed out. "I just wanted my sister. I didn't w-want to be a-alone!"
"THEN YOU SHOULD HAVE COME WITH US!" Sirius roared and she flinched again, backing up further. "The entire younger generation of Black could have left. I loved you just as much as Bella, Andi, and Reg. YOU WERE MY SISTER! All of us could have forced our parents' hands. Nobody could stand against us all. NOBODY! They would have been as hateful as they always were, but they would have relented. All they cared about was the family surviving and staying strong! You just wanted the life of privilege, and didn't care about anyone else. Well, we respected your right to stay, and you fucked the rest of us for our choices!" Sirius snarled.
"Where are the rest of us, eh Cissy? Reg stayed . . . and died trying to kill Voldemort by himself." Narcissa looked shocked at that. "Maybe if you'd been willing to leave, he would have too. Then he would have had support and maybe he'd still be alive. I wouldn't have gone to Azkaban without a trial. You didn't want to be alone? Well, you guaranteed Andromeda was! You ensured that your big sister had nobody to help her, with a muggleborn husband, and her being disowned and disgraced. You helped ensure she'd always have to struggle for what was hers, and then you took the rest of her family from her, and Ted didn't have much either. Andi very well might have gotten sick still, but maybe she could have beaten it! She and Ted were alone. They did what they could with their meager resources and it wasn't enough. Their daughter had to sell their home soon after their passing because she couldn't afford to keep it. You certainly didn't step up to help her then, nor when she admirably stepped up to help an abused boy. No, your BASTARD of a husband attempted to take even more from her, when they were barely getting by. Bella wouldn't have been turned into a caricature of the powerful, affectionate, and bright girl she was! She certainly wouldn't have spent 13 years in Azkaban because of YOUR ACTIONS! You didn't want to be alone, and in the end, you weren't," Sirius said darkly. "You had a family. The rest of us lost everything and you directly or indirectly did that to us."
Narcissa wept, falling to her knees.
"As for him being just a boy? He knew what he was doing. He is a monster, one that many beyond just Harry and his closest friends can tell you about. You are a failure because you let him become a mini Lucius. You let your son become what he is. You did that with your inaction, your selfishness."
"Like you didn't make mistakes at your age?" Narcissa retorted weakly, but she winced at his accusations, knowing they held the truth.
Draco idolized Lucius and Narcissa had seen no issues with Draco being like his father, who was successful and prideful. She had discounted the bad that Lucius also imparted. It had not mattered to her. Did she truly believe in muggleborns being lesser? Not really. Did she believe power and wealth mattered and that most muggleborns didn't have it? Yes. Did it matter that people like her husband helped create the system which helped ensure they never would? No. It didn't affect her. That is what she'd always told herself. It wasn't her problem. Now it was coming back to bite her.
"I made many mistakes at his age," Sirius agreed. "If it was just me, you might have a shot at understanding, and some mercy, but I'm not the one you have to convince to spare him. You have to convince my godson and goddaughter to not press for death or at least life in prison."
"He can't be tried as an adult," Narcissa protested desperately.
"Oh, he can and will be," Sirius assured her to her horror. "Albus has no choice but to expel them without Angelina and Harry showing mercy. He and his accomplices used the Imperius Curse to force other underage students to ambush their own friends and loved ones, and plotted and successfully kidnapped a student from Hogwarts. Even Albus cannot overlook that, despite all his faults and desires for second chances. He has too much to make up with Harry to let this be shrugged off. He owes too much. They are currently still being held at Hogwarts. Once they are expelled, they will be punished severely. Even during the last war, and every previous one, no one had ever dared attack Hogwarts. No one had ever directly targeted children at Hogwarts, until now. Oh no, the Wizengamot will not go easy on your son, who has a bad reputation among everyone of non-pure blood at Hogwarts. Even many of the purebloods have nothing good to say about him. There are a fair sized number of Slytherins who will happily give their opinion of what he is like. Lucius's own actions last night will ensure that nobody has any sympathy or love for House Malfoy."
Narcissa slumped forward, knowing there was nothing she could do without Sirius.
"Please, what can I do?" she pleaded.
"I'll tell you exactly what you will do . . ."
*HP*
Many stared or gaped at Harry as he entered the Wizengamot chambers with a limping Dora, Jamie, and Sirius leaning heavily on a cane. He ignored the stares, but did glance about the chamber, never having been there before.
He followed Dora and Sirius over to where the Black and Potter box was. House 'seats' were effectively small boxes with a podium and a chair for the main representative and a few other seats behind for guests as needed. The boxes could magically be enlarged or shrunk as needed if Houses or alliances formed and shared boxes, as was not uncommon. Currently Sirius and Dora shared a box, with two representative chairs, though he knew that for some meetings when either Dora or Sirius couldn't attend, the box shrunk with only one seat, but still with both House Crests on the box to show the votes available by that box.
Harry noted the five empty boxes, knowing exactly which boxes they were. Sirius already planned to do something about them today, and Harry and Sirius intended to try and do something about a few more as well, so he put them out of his mind for the moment, instead focusing now on the others entering or already seated in the room. Some, like Rick or Kingsley, shot him friendly and welcoming smiles. Others, those he knew backed Voldemort, hateful glances. Some, likely former Fudge supporters and the man himself, looked fearfully at him, and many of the rest sent him either concerned or curious looks.
"Let us begin this emergency session of the Wizengamot," Tiberius Ogden announced. "There is much to discuss, but first I believe we should let Lord Black and Lady Potter address the reason for their guest."
"He shouldn't be here," a snide voice said disparagingly. "He's a student, he's a murderer, and he isn't old enough to be here."
"Watch your words, Lord Nott," Sirius growled out. "He has every right to be here for he has several declarations and demands to make. He is also not a murderer, and you would be wise to watch the accusations."
"Demands?" Fudge asked, eyes widening in shock.
"You should have kept your mouth shut," Harry said, speaking for the first time, standing up and glaring at Fudge with malevolence, and the man shrunk back into his seat. "It wouldn't have spared you, but it would have bought you some time."
"Lord Potter, you will refrain from threatening in this hall," Ogden cautioned.
"I have every right to say what I want to that man," Harry responded evenly, staring respectfully, but firmly at Ogden. "My first declaration applies to him. For over a year now, he has disparaged me, lied about me, done his best to trample on my name and my reputation. Done his best to sabotage my future and destroy my life. He is the reason that Voldemort (many in the room flinched or hissed, but Harry ignored them) had a whole year to plan yesterday's attacks, and his actions have deliberately harmed my family. I have proof that he paid the Daily Prophet to further attack me and he used his position to try and destroy me. Due to his interference in the investigation about Voldemort's return, I did not have the arsenal to refute him. Due to my age and station, I didn't have the tools needed to fight him, but those days are over." He glanced at a profusely sweating Cornelius Fudge. "For the harm he has done to my House and House Black, I demand a duel," Harry stated firmly. "No mercy will be given, and the duel will be to the death."
Cries echoed about the room. Fudge turned pale and leaned back in his seat, staring at Harry with undisguised fear.
"Silence!" Ogden roared. "Lord Potter. An honor duel has not been done in nearly a century. You are not of age as well."
"I thought purebloods loved ancient traditions and laws?" Harry queried coldly. "That is what many of the heirs and family members of people in this very room extol at Hogwarts, while looking down on those they deem lesser."
Winces echoed about the room, and many started to shudder at the cool look in his eyes.
"The law is still in place for me to demand this," Harry said. "As for my age . . . well, I didn't see anyone here stopping me from being forced to compete in the Triwizard for the same reason. If I was not only allowed, but forced to compete there, you have no right to stop me now. There is no age requirement on the law either. However, if you insist, I can formally have House Potter declare war on House Fudge and be done with this."
Ogden, among others, either gasped or stared at him in shock.
"This body did not stop that man from publicly persecuting me," Harry said, pointing at Fudge. "I will have my recompense."
"You killed Lord Malfoy last night!" someone accused, "and now you come here to kill Lord Fudge! He is not a duelist and cannot hope to match you in a duel."
Harry looked at the man in question, who flinched.
"Then he should have been more careful with his actions. He of course can refuse the duel, fully admit to his wrongdoings and pay my price in exchange for his life. I merely wish him to know that should he accept the duel, only one of us will leave that dueling ring alive."
"W-what is your price?" Fudge stammered.
"You will pay 5,000 galleons to every person hurt in last night's battles, both at Holyhead and the Ministry or to the families of those who lost their lives," Harry said, and Fudge paled, knowing just how many people had been hurt or killed. "That includes muggles. You will cede your Wizengamot seat to me."
Fudge nearly fainted as many in the room shouted their outrage.
"Lord Potter, you cannot have two seats," Ogden said, staring at Harry, realizing perhaps for the first time the damage that Harry was capable of leveling on the Ministry and many others for their actions over the past year.
"I'm afraid he can, by a very old law," Cyrus Greengrass spoke up easily. "He must give the seat to another family by the next meeting, but he can take it for this day. He also has full control over who he will give the seat to, regardless of this body's opinion."
Nervous whispers and urgent conversations broke out as Harry turned back to Fudge, who was looking at Harry, a broken man.
"You will never work for this Ministry again," Harry said, "and you will never bother my family again. You will make a magical vow to uphold this price."
"Th-that will drain not only my personal vault, but my family vault as well," Fudge protested. "You will hurt my family!"
"Welcome to the world I've been forced to live in for nearly the past two years," Harry responded coldly. "You seek mercy when you showed me nothing but cruelty. I have none to give to you. You can duel me, and I will take your life, but after that, I will declare war on House Fudge and get that seat and the restitution that is due for everyone hurt yesterday, even if I have to wipe your family out."
Fudge stared at him in horror, an expression that was copied around the room.
"P-please, Harry," Fudge whimpered.
"Oh, it's Harry now, is it?" Harry queried mockingly. "Not 'boy' or 'Potter' or 'raving lunatic?' You now want me to show you mercy after you have done your best to destroy me? You attempted to kick me out of school, and we now know that it was your Undersecretary who sent the Dementors after me. You ask for my forgiveness?" Harry held up his hand where the words 'I must not tell lies' were still carved. "I'm afraid, your Undersecretary made damn sure I cannot tell you what you want to hear."
"I – I cede," Fudge said miserably. "I will make the vow."
"Step to the center of the chamber," Dora said firmly, as she and Harry moved to meet him, and took the vow from him.
"Now leave, and I hope to never see you again," Harry said, after it was done, and shaking and broken, Cornelius Fudge left the room.
Harry and Dora returned to their box, getting wary looks from around the room.
"My final declaration is against this body and the Ministry as a whole," Harry stated confidently, having rehearsed this extensively with Cyrus, Sirius, and Augusta. "Your actions and inactions have directly contributed to the state we find ourselves in. You have failed, and I hold this body accountable for that failure."
"You accuse us of –" Nicholas Frobisher tried to say, before he was cut off.
"Of course I do," Harry said. "You failed to stamp out the Death Eater threat fourteen years ago. Not only did you fail to defeat it, you let it thrive. Two members of this body died in the battle at the Ministry last night . . . two formerly accused Death Eaters who were let off because of their purity of blood, and the money they had. Two more were captured at Holyhead . . . two that were also previously accused and got off due to gold and their family names. You have allowed bigotry to run rampant in this country, and not only allow it, but exacerbate it. You have helped to create the atmosphere that we have today, where after less than a year, Voldemort was able to mount a large-scale attack on two fronts, including in the Ministry itself. You allowed the Minister to hush investigations, allowed him to use Ministry power to persecute me, my family, and Professor Dumbledore, and did nothing until it affected your reputations."
"So, what, this is an 'I-told-you-so', is it?" one man asked with a disappointed frown.
"If you are childish enough to see it as that, then be my guest," Harry retorted. "This is me using your failures to help ensure this doesn't happen again. I demand restitution, but I don't care for money. I demand change. The Minster had too much power. The Undersecretary seat of the Wizengamot will be removed and ceded to me, since she attempted to murder me while on assignment by this body, and her vote helped grant the Minister too much power. House Goyle's, House Flint's, and House Crabbe's seats will be removed immediately, and will be offered up to deserving muggleborn or halfblood families. Being a Death Eater will be made a crime, and 50,000 galleon fines will be levied on all families of all known Death Eaters unless they cast out and disown those members."
Shouts of outrage rang out, but Harry wasn't done.
"All members of this body found to be Death Eaters will immediately forfeit their House seats in addition to the fine, and an automatic life-in-prison or death sentence will be applied to the traitors, pending their trial. It is time to show the Death Eaters there is a price to joining Voldemort."
There were several murmurs of agreement to that.
"All anti-werewolf laws will be repealed. The funds seized from Death Eaters and their supporters will fund a new department dedicated to helping reacclimate werewolves into our world, ensuring they will not have any cause to join someone like Voldemort or Greyback. This department will also provide wolfsbane to all werewolves that request it and will take over the werewolf capture unit, which will only target werewolves like Greyback, who try to spread their illness. Another separate department will be made which is dedicated to ensuring favoritism and nepotism in the Ministry are stamped out to ensure the Ministry can never again promote those who were simply born with the right name. Lastly, this body will appeal to the ICW for aid against Voldemort, admitting our weakness and need for assistance to stamp out our Death Eater infestation."
"And if we don't submit to your demands?" Clarence Clearwater demanded.
"Oh, I think you know what will happen," Harry said, giving a glance back at Jamie, which they all understood. "However, if you don't submit, I will formally take my case to the ICW, who we all know is aware of all of this and is simply waiting for the formal request either from us or from another country. I have it on good authority that France and Spain will also make formal complaints against this administration in the ICW if I ask. They are wary of our war spilling onto their soil. Simply put, the ICW will then offer no aid whatsoever and freeze all travel in and out of this country until my demands are met. You know that is true. I suspect the populace will tear you all to the ground fairly quickly at that point, and then my demands will be met by your successors."
The dark faction all were exchanging terrified glances. With so many of their members dead or captured and Fudge's group effectively gone, they didn't have the power to fight something like this like they would have in the past. Indeed, joining the Death Eaters was now going to be quite costly to a great many people. This was going to become a cause that would be do or die. They'd have to win and change Britain because there would be no second chance like there had been after the last war.
Harry smiled. "I'm sure my guardians will tell me your decision. As pointed out, I'm a student, and I need to return to Hogwarts. I will take no compromises to my demands. Good day."
Astra appeared in the chamber next to him, touched his side, and then they were gone.
*HP*
Sirius didn't even bother hiding the feral grin as Harry disappeared and angry shouts and discussions broke out across the Wizengamot. Harry had played his part perfectly, taking what they'd all coached him to say. Sure, some of the requests had been his idea or the ideas of some of his other friends, but Sirius had to give credit to Augusta, Cyrus, and Theseus for their efforts in finding all the ancient laws and loopholes that would allow this.
"Let's get this over with," Sirius said. "You know you must yield to our demands. You have no choice. This body will reap what it has sown. Remus Lupin is taking Fudge's seat. Chiara Lobosco will take Umbridge's."
"Both are werewolves! We can't have those monsters here!" Cecil Lee exclaimed angrily.
"I'm afraid you have no say in it and there is no law currently in place to stop it," Sirius retorted coldly. "I'd get used to it, Lord Lee. You can cry all you want, but you can't stop the appointment for either. Now, let's get to the point. I have other business to attend to."
"Harry's demands are not undue," Dora said. "Too many Death Eaters escaped punishment because they were from Ancient or Noble houses. Too many of them not only escaped punishment but, as Harry said, have thrived since, many working for the Ministry."
"Yesterday, during the battle at Holyhead, another Auror betrayed us, joining the Death Eaters. I killed him myself," Sirius added coldly, thinking of Cassius Ross who had been picking off lone Aurors.
Sirius had seen him kill Mordecai Berrycloth before Sirius destroyed him.
"Four members of the Wizengamot were involved in the fighting, and if we believe Harry's story, now, which you have to, then we know an Avery and a Nott were present at Voldemort's resurrection, as well as Walden McNair." Sirius smiled feral at Felix Avery and Thaddeus Nott who glared at him. "It's time that the Death Eaters learn the cost of being terrorists. Take their family seats, and make them pay to repair the damage they have done."
"I agree," Theseus said, his voice mild, but his eyes glinting angrily. "This is the third war I have seen in my lifetime . . . all started by the same type of witch and wizard. It is time for it to end. These families cannot continue to hold power in our government. They cannot continue to help their own achieve power in the government."
"Many of us have suffered," Augusta said. "Many of us have lost people, and fourteen years ago, many of us went unfulfilled in our hope for revenge, and now we are about to pay the price for not getting what was due then. I'm with House Potter on this."
"Let's have a vote on each demand and the subcomponents as needed," Tiberius Ogden said solemnly.
"Actually, I believe the first act should be to swear in Madam Longbottom as Minister," Cyrus interjected. "She and Lord Malfoy were heading the polls, and with Lord Malfoy's allegiance revealed and his subsequent demise, she is the clear choice, and we need a Minister in this time of conflict."
"Is this really the time?" Elijah Yaxley attempted to stall, knowing that would be another vote against the dark faction.
"Yes, it is," Ogden agreed. "Lord Greengrass is correct. First, we will do this right. All in favor for Lady Longbottom?"
Sirius hid his smile, but the dark faction, especially without Fudge, could not stop anything anymore. With Fudge's seat going to Harry, at least for the day, and the Minister seat unable to vote along with Umbridge's past seat, and the four missing Death Eaters, they now matched the strength of the Order members in the Wizengamot. When you factored in Cyrus Greengrass and his supporters, Augusta's opposition couldn't be more than thirty percent, with the abstains. Many of Fudge's supporters would back her just to try and curry favor.
A short vote and Augusta Longbottom was being sworn in as the Minister of Magic. Tiberius Ogden then surprised them all and offered to cede Chief Warlock to her, but she refused.
"No, I believe that position shall go back to Albus Dumbledore," Augusta responded evenly. "It was taken from him because of his stance on Voldemort. We now know it was true and we'll need his strength. He did help drive off that monster last night, after all."
"Very well," Ogden said, bowing his head. "Now onto Lord Potter's demands."
The dark faction exchanged panicked looks, and Sirius reveled in it. He couldn't destroy them here and now, but one day they would slip up, and they'd suffer for it. The last war had been in Voldemort's favor. This one would be different. They wouldn't be able to hide in the dark anymore.
"First, the Undersecretary seat to be given to House Potter, who will then give it to Chiara Lobosco."
Sirius smiled as the dark did their best, and several of Fudge's previous supporters all rallied against Harry's demands, but it wasn't enough, and soon he had another vote to cast against the enemy.
"Next, the removal of House Goyle's seat," Ogden continued gravely.
That too passed, with only thirty five percent trying to counter it.
"I recommend Bardon Davis to take the seat," Dora offered up, and Sirius smiled, knowing the appointment was surprising to many.
"He's not pureblood," Thaddeus Nott protested.
"The grounds of my godson's demands was that all three houses would go to halfbloods or muggleborns," Sirius said with a satisfied grin. "Besides, House Davis is Noble and of good standing. What grounds, other than blood purity, do you have?"
"House Davis falls under House Greengrass!" Avery exclaimed after a moment, clearly seizing some small detail. "This gives more power to House Greengrass"
"And yet it was not House Greengrass that offered it up, nor have they ever done so," Sirius said. "Bardon Davis is a good man, something we need in these trying times."
"I second the motion," Amelia Bones said.
A short vote later, and the Davis family had earned their seat. An easy concession that Cyrus had asked for in exchange for all his help.
"Next, House Flint's seat."
It too was taken away, and someone offered up Dirk Cresswell for the seat, which Sirius was more than happy to back. House Crabbe soon followed, and Cyrus won another one of his concessions with the Quentin family taking the last seat . . . minus the Malfoy seat which Sirius would deal with one way or another by the end of the day.
The provision about laying fines on the families of known Death Eaters was a long debate, but eventually it too was passed, with the dark faction steadily growing more and more defeated as the neutrals took the only path they truly saw available. The rest of Harry's demands too were passed, some with fierce debates, and others rather easily, with the only two that would require further meetings being the two new departments. Of course, details, funding, logistics, and all manner of other things would have to be planned, so Sirius expected no less.
Still, Voldemort had just taken a major loss this day, and he was going to find support harder to come by with the risks so much greater than before.
*HP*
Draco Malfoy was getting angry at still being detained. Potter had been more powerful and deranged than he'd thought, and the bastard had told the staff about them before he left, but surely when Potter didn't return, he should have been released. There was no proof that Draco or his friends had done anything without Angelina Potter.
This had gone on long enough. It had been almost an entire day. Where was his father? His mother? Surely they had been told of his being detained, of his alleged actions?
Even if Potter had managed to weasel his way out, it still would change very little. At worst he was expelled, and then he could learn from the Dark Lord himself! He could learn from his father and the others favored by the Dark Lord! That would be of far greater value than his paltry education at this sad institution. Even if he was sent off to Durmstrang, things would be better than being here.
Draco shivered, despite his internal blustering. He remembered seeing Potter's look after he had killed Graham. Thankfully, the Dark Lord would take care of Potter, or father would. He was sure Johnson was already dead. That was a pity. She was at least pureblood and beautiful. Could have been a worthy mistress to someone.
He heard the door locks start to turn and he stood up, prepared to act the part of a young heir and demand to know why he was being treated so poorly when the door opened and his mother stepped in, holding a stack of parchment, nodding demurely to Professor Flitwick, who immediately closed the door again.
Draco gaped for a moment, wondering why he was still being detained with his mother here.
"Mother, what took you so long?" Draco demanded. "Where's father? We must do something about this. They are treating me like a criminal all on Potter's claims, and we can use this against them in court."
Narcissa Malfoy looked at him sadly and shook her head.
"Everything has changed, Draco. You have no leg to stand on, and we are being held over the proverbial barrel."
"Everything's changed?" Draco repeated in confusion. "What does that mean? Where is father? He can get me out of this if you can't."
"You're father can't help you," Narcissa said, a touch of anger coming into her tone.
"Why not?" Draco demanded. "I'm sure Potter has been taken care of."
"Potter is still alive," Narcissa said firmly. "He rescued his sister, who you successfully removed from this school, and both have given their firm statements, along with several others to the Aurors."
"I'm a student," Draco said with a patronizing smile. "I don't have to worry about the Aurors."
"I'm afraid that you do," Narcissa replied back, sharply, now glaring, something which startled Draco. His mother never glared at him. Never spoke to him with a sharp tone. "Unless the Potters agree to show mercy, Dumbledore will have no choice but to expel you. If he won't, the governors will. He will not lose reputation to try and save you after what you have done. Thanks to the stunt this summer that Fudge pulled to try and expel Potter, trials on underage students also have precedence. However, I have already been told that they intend to push for you to be tried as an adult . . . something that I'm told will be granted."
Draco's eyes widened at that. Expelled and tried as an adult? He shook his head.
"It doesn't matter," Draco said. "Father can get me out of it, I'm sure. Besides, even if I go to Azkaban, the Dementors have joined the Dark Lord. I'll be out in no time at all."
"You're father can't help you," Narcissa bit back.
"Why not?" Draco demanded.
"Because he was killed last night," Narcissa said quietly, her bite fading, and Draco stared at her in shock.
"That can't be," Draco said, shaking his head. "Father is an incredible duelist. You must be mistaken."
"I saw his body," Narcissa said softly. "Harry Potter killed him in combat."
"Potter kil – Potter could never kill Father!" Draco protested angrily. "You are mistaken."
Draco reeled back as Narcissa slapped him.
"Do not presume to tell me what I know or don't know," Narcissa said icily. "Because of you and your stupid father, this family is ruined. Do you know what you have done? Have you any idea what you have brought down on us?"
Draco paused, not really hearing his mother, processing the horror that his father was gone. He felt the grief rise, but he pushed it back down. Now was not the time for it.
"Then you'll have to help defend me," Draco said. "We'll finance the best lawyers. Hell, get Greengrass, if you can. He defended Potter. Using him will help compare us. We can promise gold and favor. We already were planning a betrothal agreement as is. Then we go after the Potters. We can hit back at them. Father was under the Imperius and they killed him. We'll hit them with murder charges and –"
"Silence!" Narcissa ordered, and Draco stared in shock. "You have no idea of what you have done, do you? For all your bluster about pureblood and traditions, you and Lucius both overlook the smallest of things. You overlook ancient traditions and agreements because you think money will solve it. Well, I can't finance you, Draco."
"You'd leave me to rot?" Draco demanded.
"I can't finance you because our family is about to be destitute, and I have no access to the accounts. Not anymore."
"What do you mean?!" Draco demanded.
"You attacked Angelina and Harry Potter," Narcissa said angrily. "They are members of House Black."
"Filthy traitors and House Black belongs to us!" Draco shot back.
"That is what your father loved to claim, but it is not reality!" Narcissa responded. "Sirius Black, for all his faults, is Head of the House. You wanted to claim the House for us, but you attacked members of the House. Did you think that Sirius would not retaliate? Did you not think that Sirius would make us pay, whether either Potter survived or not?"
"What are you going on about?" Draco demanded.
"My marriage contract was broken by Sirius because of your actions," Narcissa said with a sigh. "The restitution demanded by the Blacks for breach of contract and for the attack on their House is enormous. The destruction that occurred at the Ministry during the fight is also being leveled onto our family and the families of the other captured or killed Death Eaters. The fines that were leveled on all convicted Death Eaters during the first war have been put on us, since the public clearly considers your father as someone who bribed himself out of trouble. More fines were just passed on Potter's demands in the Ministry today. Every family of known Death Eaters is now being hit with fines, unless they cast out and disown their family members who joined up, in which case the Death Eater's personnel vault will weather the fee. Since you are now the last Malfoy, and are in this position, you cannot disown your father, and the fine will hit the vault."
Draco stared in horror at her.
"We're — you are broke, Draco," Narcissa said, looking defeated. "I am beholden to whatever Sirius chooses to do with me. I am merely here to try and save you. Everything I can give to Sirius, I have done so to try and save your life, but you must cooperate."
"Cooperate? With the ones who ruined us!" Malfoy exclaimed angrily.
"THEY DIDN'T RUIN US!" Narcissa screamed back. "YOU AND LUCIUS DID!"
Narciss huffed, staring at him in disappointment.
"Sirius was right. I failed to raise you right. You are all Malfoy and no Black. I failed you Draco. I did, and this is the only thing I can do to try and make it right. To try and give you a life."
"What life?" Draco sneered. "Beholden to Potter and his whores? To filthy blood traitors and mudbloods!"
"You'd prefer death?" Narcissa demanded, and Draco froze.
"They won't kill me," he said, not sounding nearly as confident as he would have liked, and he shivered when his mother laughed at him.
"You don't think Harry Potter won't push for you to be punished by his patron?" she asked incredulously. "Right now, what Potter demands, he gets. You have broken the sanctity of Hogwarts and even other purebloods and admirers of the Dark Lord will not protect you. Are you really so foolish as to not even hear the demands before you choose to hope that what would have worked in the past will work now?"
Draco licked his lips, seeing his mother's point.
"What do they want?" Draco asked with a sigh.
"You will cede your House seat to them, and sign over the deeds of all properties to the Blacks, for which they will compensate you fairly to help cover your debts. You will be removed from Hogwarts and the two of us will be sent to the States to sit out the war. You will attend a private school there, and your wand privileges will be restricted, and your actions will also be restricted until you have graduated. You will swear an unbreakable vow to never knowingly directly or indirectly harm House Potter, House Black, or their allies again . . . and you will be required to do volunteer work to further atone for your actions. In return, you will be given a plea deal for everything I've gone over, and your record will be sealed after you come of age, giving you a clean slate."
"As a beggar with no property or worth," Malfoy said with a sneer.
"You will have to rebuild your family name and create your own life, as many do," Narcissa agreed, giving him a severe look. "It is the thing that you have mocked others for your whole life . . . and now it will be your reality. You will have to work to provide for yourself and live an honest life . . . or choose to continue to partake in criminal enterprises and face the consequences for there will be no one to bail you out again. Sirius wants the property because we opened it up to the Dark Lord . . . and they aim to take away everything we have ever gained by following his path . . . and they will in the end, regardless of what we do."
"You think I should take this deal?" Draco finally asked.
"It is the only one you will get," Narcissa said softly. "I love you, Draco, and I want you to live your life. I want you to truly think about this. Your father failed in his task, and his failure has cost the Dark Lord a great deal. He will not come to save you. The Dark Lord does not forget . . . he does not forgive. You will be what he takes out his anger on . . . and that is if you made it to Azkaban for him to retrieve. Death will soon find you if you don't take this deal, and your short 16 years on this planet will be nothing compared to the century of punishment the God of the Underworld would subject you to based on how you have led your life up to this point and who you have angered. Your father . . . your father is already facing his punishment. There is no escape from Death . . . something everyone should have thought about when Harry Potter gained patronage from Hades. Live, my son. Live, love, find a life . . . perhaps someday you'll realize just how much of a gift Sirius is giving you. He truly has no reason to help us, with what our family, Lucius and I specifically, have done to him, and with what you have done to Harry and Angelina Potter. This is a fresh start, a mercy we don't deserve, and a mercy we must take."
Draco clenched his fists, grinding his teeth, trying to stave off the tears that were starting to flow as he felt the utter feeling of defeat and loss seep into him. If he did this . . . he would lose everything he was . . . and if he didn't he would still lose everything he was and everything he would be.
"F-fine," Draco said, in a broken voice. "I'll do it. I'll give them everything they want."
"Thank you, my love," Narcissa said in relief, tears flowing. "Thank you for giving us another chance. Things will be different . . . but we can do this. I know we can."