I do not own Harry Potter, the Wizarding World, or any canon characters.
Harry and the Stone's Heart
Chapter 11 – Bits and Pieces
"Luna?" Natalie asked, flicking the safety of the rifle on and swinging it so the barrel was aimed down.
"Our friend, loves magical creatures," Ron explained. "She won't be that mad, she loves you more than the creatures. Hermione is going to be right pissed at you though. And Charlie."
Harry groaned. "You're not going to tell Charlie, are you?"
"He's going to know, he's in the bloody department," Ron snorted.
"Hermione's another friend of ours that doesn't love creatures like Luna but gets really mad when we do something…unsafe," Harry said to a lost Natalie.
"When you do something unsafe you mean, and drag me into it," Ron muttered.
"And Charlie is Ron's older brother and he's a dragon handler and-hey wait!" He glared at Natalie. "I thought I told you to get out of here!"
"You don't order me around, Captain!" Natalie said, glaring back. "Did you really think I'd let you do my job and let you go off by yourself?!"
"I'm right here!" Ron complained.
"Not saying I didn't appreciate the backup," Harry retorted, "but you were way out of your depth here."
"You know magic, I know how to handle a situation. And a gun," Natalie said, her arm resting on the rifle with a meaningful expression. "London is my city, and protecting it is my duty."
Harry sighed and covered his eyes with a hand before nodding. "Right. Well, thank you, I appreciate it."
"You're welcome," Natalie sniffed. "Thanks for helping us. I'm still pissed about the splinting thing though."
"You didn't even get splinched!"
"You took her side-along?" Ron asked, staring at Harry.
"We were on the other side of the city and had to get here fast," Harry sighed.
"I bet you vomited," Ron said, looking at Natalie.
"You lose that bet then," Natalie said smugly.
"She really didn't," Harry confirmed.
Ron whistled. "You're tough."
"Don't forget it," Natalie said.
What followed was a storm of activity. Dragon handlers arrived and after a moment of true regret at seeing the dragon lying dead, they got to work transporting it for processing. The perimeter team stayed out on the streets and reinforced with other specialists, ensuring that no one was coming near the warehouse that was not supposed to. Other Aurors and forensic members came to help document the scene and collect evidence while a medical team came to work on Tull and the criminals. Surprisingly, the man that had been bit and kicked had survived and was sedated via charm and potion while the medi-magicals did their work.
Harry looked up when Ron walked over to him. He had been close by when Susan started questioning Ducks, actually Duckworthy, and Delaney about what they saw when they first got to the warehouse and the altercation started. "You look like you have a lot to report."
"Because I do," Ron said. "So besides more potions, with some really dangerous ones mixed in as we saw and nearly felt, well that poor guy felt one," Ron said sympathetically, nodding at Tull, "lots of other potions that we consider normal stuff. More than the first time we found them. We also found more Slow-Go, diluted for Muggle use."
"That's the connection," Harry said grimly.
"And a lot more gold and even more goblin silver and steel," Ron continued. "Which you knew about since you came at the dragon with a sword. I was wondering where you got that. Do you normally carry around a sword?"
"No, but I'm tempted to now," Harry said with some amusement. "No, the dragon bowled me into some crates and I found the sword in one and decided to bring it with me. Obviously. More unmarked and rare family marked things?"
"Actually, get this," Ron said, looking equally amused and slightly confused, "a lot of the things were marked by a specific family. The Yaxleys."
"Really?"
Ron nodded. "Like a good portion. And since we found it here and not part of the seized items from the confiscations from years back-"
"They must have been hidden and recently sold or given to these Mugglers," Harry said, blinking. "I don't think Yaxley would be terribly happy about that."
Ron nodded again. "He would rather sell them to other Pureblooded Wizards like a proper Pureblooded bigot instead of letting Muggles have them."
"Interesting," Harry said softly. "So the Mugglers not only got more potions and the drug potion, they got gold, precious forged items, and got their hands on a dragon of all things." He nodded to another pile of things the Aurors had set aside. "And those are all guns and things that are very illegal for Muggle civilians. Natalie confirmed that."
"I really want to know how they got a dragon and what they were going to do with it," Ron said. "Oh, might as well add that really nice car I unfortunately had to use for an unintended purpose."
"Yeah, but you did it to save my arse so I'm fine with it," Harry said.
"Almost not worth it," Ron sighed. "It was such a pretty car."
"We're going to have to wait and see what…" Harry looked off to the side and stopped talking.
Ron followed his line of sight. "When did she get here?" he asked, seeing Saltina kneeling over an unconscious smuggler and her eyes glowing slightly as she looked down at him. She was dressed in field clothes much like the Aurors and still had the wristband in prominence.
"No idea," Harry said. "Bit unorthodox to do that in the field but I'm not complaining right now." He nodded professionally as Saltina rose and looked about and after seeing him, came over. "Croatia."
"Captain," she replied, saluting sharply. She smiled at Ron. "Lieutenant," she said, her address not nearly as sharp.
"Senior Unspeakable," Ron said with some amusement. "See anything good?"
"Oh yes. It is quite interesting to see things outside of an enclosed environment," she said almost gleefully. She faced Harry and her eyes no longer glowed. "Captain, I'm pleased to inform you that I have a visual memory of the man in question."
Harry felt his pulse quicken and he and Ron leaned in. "Really?"
Saltina nodded. "That man," she pointed at the man she had knelt over and Harry recognized him as the one that released the dragon, "seems to be the one in charge of this Muggler ring. I did a brief incursion and saw him meeting with someone who was giving him samples of the drug potion and other potions." She hesitated. "And something else. Something we need to go to his office to get."
"That sounds serious," Harry said, noticing her change in demeanor.
She had no signs of amusement or jocularity. "Quite," she said.
"Let's go then." Harry began to walk to the back of the warehouse with Saltina and Ron before a commotion drew his attention.
"Hey! Stop that! Captain! Captain Potter!" Susan yelled.
Harry turned and walked to her. She was standing in between Natalie, Ducks, and Delaney who were suddenly faced by a few wizards wearing black robes. "What's going on?" Harry asked, standing beside Susan, facing the newcomers.
"Just doing our job, Captain," one said officiously. "We have to obliviate the Muggles. Please step aside."
"Do what now?" Delaney asked, looking suspicious.
"They are part of an active investigation," Harry said, crossing his arms and glaring at the other man. "Not only that, they aided us in fighting the threat. There's no cause to obliviate them now, if at all. In fact, Chief Inspector Steele is a protected individual as a liaison between our departments."
"There is a degree of knowledge allowed and this has exceeded even her status," the head obliviator said.
"That's up to debate and will be done so in a formal inquiry at the Ministry," Harry said, giving the other man a stern look.
"What are they talking about?" Ducks asked, looking unnerved.
"They want to wipe your memories, standard operating procedure for this sort of thing," Ron said slowly.
"What? I'm not letting anyone near my memories," Natalie said angrily.
"You don't have a choice," another of the black robed wizards said.
"She doesn't have to have a choice in this instance," Harry said loudly. "They are under my protection and are working with the Auror Corps. That affords certain protections, end of discussion."
"Begging your pardon," the head oblivator said, sounding like he was not begging for anything, "but that is not up to you, Captain of the Auror Corps. As a Head Obliviator of the Department of Secrecy, it is up to me. We have their report, you have your memories of the questioning, that is all that is needed."
"Keep your hands off," Natalie said softly as Ducks and Delaney's hands drifted to their sidearms. "Wait."
"Not until it is deemed exclusively necessary by the Head of your Department, the Head of my Department, and the Minister," Harry said coldly. "I have the right to demand that. Until then, they are not to be touched." Harry turned and began to walk away.
The head obliviator hissed angrily. "It is quite ironic that you are defending obvious threats to the Statute where you only mere moments ago were fighting to protect it! They're only Muggles, after all." He turned and looked at his fellow team and at the other watching Ministry employees and Magicals. "Still, I suppose I will let you think you are above the law, Captain."
Harry stopped and his head tilted to the right. The air pulsed around them and it felt charged and heavy. Everyone, including Natalie and the two officers of the Metro Police, felt the change and more than a few took an involuntary step back.
Ron snorted and gave the head obliviator a pitying look. "You fucked up," he chuckled grimly.
The head obliviator turned and physically flinched as Harry glared at him. His eyes burned and he walked back, his body all of a sudden looking like he was physically restraining himself. The obliviator fought the urge to flee and he shrunk when Harry looked down at him.
"I don't think I am above the law," Harry hissed, his voice filling the warehouse. "I know I am not. I know what I am doing is well within the constraints of the law. Because I uphold it, enforce it! Because I have spent years protecting others with it! But since you are so concerned with the law, allow me to share a particular one with you."
He pointed with his finger and the obliviator shrank away from it as if it was a wand. "I invoke the Law of Brotherhood. When Muggles fight side by side with Magicals, then it can be left open to debate whether or not to include them as a part of the Privacy of Magic. The final decision will be up to both Muggle and the Magical they fought alongside with. This law predates the formal Statute of Secrecy so that is above the scope of your duties, Head Obliviator."
Harry pointed at the other obliviators who also shrank away from his gesture and expression and attention. "And if anyone wants to come after me about using the word Brotherhood for them as some dumbass loophole around the law saying two of them are women I swear I will insert a book about semantics and nuance directly into your skull through any hole that I can shove it through."
He pointed at Natalie, Ducks, Delaney, and Tull and looked around at the other Magicals. "These four are under my personal protection and if anyone goes anywhere near them with a spell or potion or any intent that is not to heal, I swear on my name and my abilities that I will ruin you in literally every way I can think of. I will not let people that fought with us and for us to be treated with any disrespect of any sort. Do I make myself extremely clear?"
"Yes Sir!" every Auror and Ministry employee shouted with the obliviators following after hurriedly and sheepishly.
Harry turned to the Metropolitan Police team. "I swear that I will do my best to prevent it from happening to you and if I fail, then I'll be the one to do it to you and I will be as respectful and careful as I can."
"I trust you," Natalie said with Ducks and Delaney nodding. Looking coolly around, however, she very obviously slipped off the cover on the holster for her pistol.
Harry nodded and stomped off, followed closely by Ron and Saltina, the latter having watched the entire confrontation with very wide and interested eyes. "I am so terribly glad I decided to hang around you," she said genially, a very pleased smile on her lips. She blinked at the blank looks Ron and Harry gave her. "It's so very interesting outside the Department of Mysteries, far more than I thought possible."
"Happy to oblige," Harry said dryly with Ron snorting. The trio walked towards the back and found an office with a locked door. Harry resisted the urge to kick it open, waiting for Ron to unlock it with a spell. They entered the office and looked around at all the file cabinets and things ringing the room. There were other objects left about, looking oddly opulent in the small warehouse office. "What are we looking for?"
"This." Saltina opened a drawer in the desk and pulled out a heavy case. She opened it and set it on the desk for them to see.
"Those are wands," Ron said dumbly, looking at the three wands sitting on a cushion within the case. "They were smuggling wands?! No wonder that bloke looked like he knew what we had and what they could do!"
"Fuck," Harry said softly. He reached out and gently picked one up. He ran his fingers over it gently, frowning slightly. "It feels…off. Not like picking up someone else's wand either."
Saltina took it from him and murmured, her eyes glowing once more. "You're correct," she said after a moment. "The core is either missing or injured. It feels depleted in a way. There's enough magic in this to cast very basic spells, but it would probably be difficult to do that." She flicked the wand and a very small light appeared at the tip.
"Muggles can't use wands, right? I mean, Squibs have trouble using wands and they are more magical than Muggles," Ron asked.
"Correct. Those without any magical ability cannot use a wand for any kind of magic," Saltina confirmed.
"Thank goodness for that," Ron said.
"Which anyone dealing with wands would know, and recognize if they weren't exactly in working condition," Harry said. "So this person was dealing them non-working wands. Just magical enough to pass inspection for those that don't know better."
"Glad he's not as mad as a bastard as we thought. Because proper wands can cause accidents when not being transported properly, which might happen even in Muggle hands," Ron said. "Giving them that would be an explosion just waiting to happen. But still, this is bad. Just as bad as them having potions and the other things, if not worse."
"We're dealing with someone who really doesn't care," Harry said. "Or worse, wants to break the Statute."
The trio looked at each other soberly.
"I will do more dives into each of the criminals," Saltina said. "Compile as much evidence as I can find. But first I will return to the Department. We have something that can create a fairly decent artistic rendering of a memory. I will make one of the Magical in question and bring it to you directly."
"Thank you," Harry said gratefully. "This will be our first best chance at finding this guy and it looks like he's responsible at least for dealing magical items with Muggles, and he might be related to the origins of the Slow-Go."
"And is related to Yaxley or others who are selling stolen goods," Ron added.
"Then I will go there now," Saltina said. "Lieutenant," she said to Ron. "Captain," she added, saluting Harry before leaving the office.
"Ron, take these back to the Auror offices," Harry said, sealing the case and giving it to Ron. "Go to the records department and see if we can trace any of these wands, see if they had any owners on file."
"Right, I'll do that now," Ron said, taking the case from Harry.
"I'll try to keep things moving along here and then take Natalie and her team to the Auror offices, mine specifically. Save for Tull. I'll have a healer come from St Mungo's and see what he needs," Harry said, mentally checking off what needed doing.
"Calling her Natalie now?" Ron asked mildly before blanching at Harry's look. "Just making an observation," he said before quickly stepping out of the office, smirking slightly at Harry's unmuted groan.
-0-
"Am I getting old, or did things ever go to shit like this when I was an Auror?" Kingsley sighed.
"They did," Gawain said sourly, "same when I was in the ranks. It just was less…potentially cataclysmic. At least when it wasn't wartime."
"Here's the final tally of retrieved goods," Harry said, handing copies of lists to the people in the Minister's office. "Another two crates full of potions with at least ten vials being the really dangerous ones. One larger crate full of diluted Slow-Go. Another two large cases of goblin silver and steel with 75% of which being marked as a Yaxley family item. About 2000 Galleons and about the same in Sickles. Another box of magical ingredients and plants. Several boxes of magical art. The three wands. And the Shimmerscale. On the Muggle side, if you're interested, are a lot of guns and ammunition that are all illegal for civilian ownership, different amounts of gold brick and currency, some art, and a destroyed luxury vehicle.
"There's also no question that the two Muggle groups weren't related. The same kind of potions ingredients were included, like the sopophorous beans, and powdered lilies, and other things that we found in similar quantities as the last raid we did."
"How did they get the dragon?" Kingsley asked, shaking his head.
"Shimmerscales are known for being able to change their size and shape," Percy said. "Charlie said that it is actually a problem where Shimmerscales can pass for similar looking large lizard species in SouthEast Asia. He also recalled that there was a study being done in France working with tropic dragons in northern climates and is reaching out to the French reserves and sanctuaries."
"This guy has a big net and deep pockets," Gawain said grimly. "What did Lieutenant Weasley discover about the wands?"
"They were in fact slightly broken, as in the cores had been removed or damaged and the damage to the wand itself repaired," Harry said. "So even the most experienced of Magicals would have had a lot of trouble casting magic with them."
"Thank Merlin," Gawain sighed.
Harry hummed softly. "They did come up in records being registered to three individuals. Luckily, or unluckily, the individuals are dead. They were also on record as having been employed by the False Regime as Snatchers."
"How did their wands get out? Aren't wands of convicted criminals snapped?" Rita asked.
"Usually, which means this could go even deeper. But things were a mess for everything right after so they could have slipped through some cracks," Gawain said uncomfortably.
"Good job, by the way, if I haven't said it out loud," Kingsley said, looking at Harry. "To you and the Corps."
"Thank you," Harry nodded.
"How do we respond?" Gawain asked.
"First, I want to ask for protections for Chief Inspector Steele and Officers Delaney, Duckworthy, and Tull," Harry said. "The Chief Inspector is already on the protected list because of her liaison status but I don't want her memories to be obliviated regarding this incident. She and the others went into a dangerous situation and stayed to help when they didn't have to. One of them was injured badly too."
"How is the officer?" Percy asked.
"Healing, thankfully," Harry said. "Healers were able to repair the damage from the scouring fire potion and he should be fine. Might not remember it due to the trauma, which is a good thing probably."
"That's a lot of people added to the authorized list," Gawain said. "That haven't been vetted properly."
"I won't let them be punished for doing the right thing," Harry said, standing resolute.
"Make sure they know that if they step out of line, we won't hold the obliviators back," Kingsley said. "They'll have to agree to the usual rules."
"Yes Sir, and I am sure Chief Inspector Steele will keep her team in check," Harry said, relaxing slightly.
"Done," Kingsley nodded. "As far as our official response, I don't think we should let it be common knowledge how close it got with Muggles getting away with magical items, especially wands, and how close it came to breaking the Statute."
"It's tricky," Rita said when everyone looked at her. "Be completely open and you'll have the hardliners that hate Muggles and barely tolerate Muggleborns saying how justified they are. Hide more in the guise of 'for their own good' shows how we don't want to be fully transparent."
"I like to say that the current social climate is more accepting of Muggleborns and the like, but not to say, completely accepting," Percy said slowly.
Harry clenched his right fist, not looking at it or the scars that were still legible on the back of it. "Let's say we caught another smuggling attempt, and highlight how the different branches came together to stop the threat. Including how Muggles played a role."
"Solidarity," Kingsley mused. "A combined effort to maintain our safety and secrecy."
"As good as an angle as any," Rita said. She smiled at Harry. "Especially if I play on the dragonslayer angle. The brave and bold Captain of the Auror Corps fighting a dragon like a knight. Complete with a sword! Incredible stuff. The public will lap it up and won't even worry about the stuff about the Muggles." She smiled cheekily at Harry's flat look of exasperation.
"You've no one to blame but yourself," Kingsley said, smiling at Harry. "You did make yourself into a symbol after all."
"I remember," Harry said sourly. He sighed and resumed a professional demeanor at Gawain's gesture. "Moving forward, Senior Unspeakable Croatia is continuing to do her Legilimency work with the Muggle smugglers and when they've recovered enough for traditional questioning, we will be doing that before passing them to the Muggle authorities for their jurisdiction and eventual judgement. I recommend we send the currency back to Gringotts for inspection and processing, along with the unmarked goblin goods. The forensics department and the Department of Mysteries are continuing to work on the potions and other magical ingredients. We should also hold onto the Yaxley items for now until he's taken care of."
"Agreed," Gawain said. "Like the Minister said, good work to you and the Corps. I'm proud of you all and you're doing good work. Go get some rest after you finish the initial processing."
"We'll work on the official statement here," Kingsley said, looking at Percy and Rita.
"And I'll work on the story of Sir Harry and the Dragon in London," Rita said brightly.
"I guess the good thing about your writing is that people are used to you embellishing," Harry said with a sharp smile.
"Rude and hurtful!" Rita gasped.
-0-
"Well?" Ron asked as Harry walked into his office. Ron was leaning against the wall beside the door while Natalie, Ducks, and Delaney were sitting around his desk, looking slightly out of place and a little nervous.
"You three are protected," Harry said, smiling at their obvious relief. "But you will have to do regular checks like all liaisons and if you step out of line, we can't hold back the obliviators. You're also responsible for them," he added to Natalie.
"Already am," she snorted. "Don't worry, I'll keep them in check." She looked at the other two with a plain nonverbal 'or else'. She turned back to Harry. "How's Tull?"
"Healing well," Harry said and they looked cheered by that. "He won't have any lasting problems but he won't remember it. Don't tell him what happened either, save that he got hit during the action and suffered some short-term memory loss."
"For the best," Natalie sighed. "What about the smugglers?"
"The surviving ones will heal fine," Harry said. "Even the leader, surprisingly. As soon as we finish our questioning, we'll pass them to you for your processing and judgement."
"Good, going to nail him for the illegal weapons, drugs, and other stolen valuables," Natalie said grimly.
"Might even be able to nail him with working with a foreign power," Ducks said. "I mean, I know we're all British here but still."
"No, there's precedent for that," Harry said. "I looked it up recently. Wizarding Britain is technically a foreign government entity."
"He's going down hard," Delaney said with a grim smile.
"Everyone involved in today's fight is going home early," Harry said to a delighted Ron. "Simon is taking over processing and early investigation work."
"Don't have to tell me twice," Ron grinned.
"Going on another date?" Harry asked with an equal grin.
"If I can finagle it," Ron laughed. He looked at the Metro Police officers. "Want some help taking them home?"
"If you can take us back to HQ, that'd be great," Delaney said. "Ducks and I are neighbors and we carpool together. Don't want to leave my car there."
"I'll do it," Harry said. "I'll take them and the Chief Inspector home and head home myself."
"Is there another way besides the splinching?" Natalie asked, making a face.
"The what?" Ducks and Delaney asked together.
"It involves walking into a lit fireplace," Harry smiled.
"What?!" the three Muggles cried together.
"Don't worry. There's Ministry cars," Harry said while Ron snickered.
"You know how to drive?" Natalie asked, looking impressed.
"Yeah, Hermione and her parents taught me," Harry said. "Come on, let's go. We can all use the rest."
-0-
Harry checked out one of the cars the Ministry of Magic used and drove back to the Metropolitan Police HQ that Natalie and her team operated out of. He then got a message from Padma that they had taken Tull back to his home and he had recovered but was still sleeping. After dropping Ducks and Delaney off, Harry then drove Natalie to her home since she had not driven herself to work that day.
During the trip, Ducks and Delaney had asked all sorts of questions about magic and Harry had explained as much as he could, enjoying their attitude of wonder about it all. After dropping them off, the drive to Natalie's townhouse was a little quieter, with her looking contemplative and Harry matching her.
She looked at him somberly when he parked in front of her home, a nice little house part of a row in one of the quieter parts of the city. "You know, I used to think magic would make law enforcement a lot easier. Easier to hide things, clean them, track people, from what you told me. Lots of ways to take a combatant down and out. But I guess I never really thought about the other side doing magic too."
Harry nodded. "Yeah, some ways easier and some ways a lot harder."
She continued to look at him. "You really ran right at that dragon without a second thought."
"Well there were some," Harry admitted. "Like 'I can't believe I have to fight a dragon again'." That made them both laugh.
"Again? So you've fought one before?"
"Yeah and it was a lot bigger, a lot scarier, and I was a lot younger and less experienced," Harry said wryly.
"I feel like I want to know more and I also don't," she said frankly.
"The story would probably piss you off with how…not proper things were," Harry said slowly.
"Figures," she snorted. "Thanks, for saving us by the way."
"Of course," Harry said.
"You really meant that, what you said in the warehouse."
He nodded. "I remember people who help me. You and I have always been as honest with each other as we could be, given the professions. I actually like working with you, so yeah, wasn't about to leave you to twist."
She smiled. "Feeling's mutual," she said. She offered her hand and shook Harry's with a strong grip. "You won't regret it, sticking your neck out for us."
"I'm sure I won't," Harry said. "Those two might if they don't follow the rules though," he said with a slightly teasing tone that was still very serious.
"Won't happen," she said confidently. She looked at her home and back at Harry. "I'd offer you to come in but you look more tired than me and I'm exhausted. Which, well, you did fight a dragon."
"You did too," Harry said. "Awesome shots with the rifle by the way."
She beamed at him. "Thanks! I was in SCO19 for a while. Used a lot of those when needed."
"Don't women make like less than three percent of the serving forces in that?" Harry whistled.
"Shows how tough I am and not to fuck with me," she said smugly.
"I knew that," Harry snorted. "Thanks for the offer, but yeah, I'm pretty tired."
She nodded and got out of the car. "Drive safe," she said and waved as she walked into her home. Harry watched the door close before he began driving once more. The trip through London traffic took some time, though less than it would have if he was not driving a Ministry vehicle. As he was driving, he looked at the late afternoon sky and fondly imagined a light blue car flying through the air above him.
-0-
It was nice, however, returning home with people there. When it was just him and Kreacher, it did feel somewhat lonelier, since he was used to having Teddy and Andromeda at Grimmauld too usually. But with them back from their trip, the house felt homier once more and it was nice having the Grangers there too.
Harry had gotten back after dinner. Their usual arrangement was for them to not wait for him given his work. But as he sat at the kitchen table to eat, Teddy joined him for his own after dinner meal and so did Phoebe to nibble on something with him. Harry ate solidly, listening to the younger two talk about their day. Soon the others drifted in to join them, with Andromeda being the last.
Harry sighed at the look she gave him, concerned and thunderous in equal measure. "Hi Aunt Andi," he said weakly.
"Hello Harry," she said, smiling falsely and sweetly. "How was your day?"
"It was fine," Harry said, while Jean and David shared looks and Hermione narrowed her eyes. "Got some work done, made progress on a few cases."
"'Made progress on a few cases'," Andromeda repeated.
"That's what I said," Harry nodded. "Kreacher, a drink please. I'm going to need it."
"Was that before or after you fought A BLOODY DRAGON!" Andromeda yelled. "In the MIDDLE OF LONDON!"
"You what?!" Hermione shrieked.
"Cool!" Teddy shouted.
"Not cool!" Phoebe cried, glaring at Teddy and then Harry.
"Believe it or not, it happened at the same time," Harry said pleasantly, wincing at the looks the others were giving him. "Thank you, Kreacher," he said when Kreacher brought him a goblet of wine and he drank deeply from it. "I can't believe Ron grassed us."
"Molly told me because Charlie told her," Andromeda said, shaking a finger at Harry.
"Oh, I retract my statement then," Harry said mildly.
"Are you okay?!" Hermione asked, looking him up and down.
"I'm fine. Didn't even break anything, just bruised," Harry said, tolerating her patting him down and peering closely at him.
"What happened?" Jean asked, eyes wide.
"I was meeting Natalie, Chief Inspector Steele who's my opposite in the Metro Police, for an info swap and one of her teams was investigating a possible site and it turned out to be active. I went over and it turns out the smugglers were also trying to smuggle out a dragon. Dragon decided to go against the notion of being smuggled and abused violently, which, can't blame it I suppose." He winced as his attempt at levity fell flat.
"Anyways, had to fight it and we unfortunately had to kill it so that a dragon wasn't revealed to all of Britain and the world by rampaging in the middle of London," Harry said. "Thanks, Kreacher," he added when the house elf refilled his goblet.
"Master Harry is powerful wizard," Kreacher said proudly.
"And you're alright Lad?" David asked.
Harry nodded, smiling a little. "I'm fine, really. And most everyone else got through it without any real injury except for a Metro officer that got hit with a scouring fire potion, the ringleader being bitten and kicked by the dragon, and the other smugglers being hit with various charms and two got shot by Natalie with her service pistol. She also used a rifle against the dragon. Knew she's tough."
"Then all's well that ends well," David said, trying to soothe the others. "I imagine most encounters with angry dragons usually don't end nearly as well, without proper trained specialists near anyways."
"I suppose," Andromeda sighed. She glared at Harry then at Teddy whose hair shortened and turned light brown. She looked at him pointedly.
"Fighting a dragon isn't cool," Teddy said loudly and slowly. "Even though it really is," he muttered softly and glared at Phoebe who poked him hard.
"Definitely a 'do as I say and not as I do" moment," Harry said, also looking at Teddy pointedly.
"Yes Captain," Teddy said laconically.
Hermione sighed and then summoned the bottle of wine to her, ignoring Kreacher's scandalized huff at the breach of his propriety. She refilled Harry's goblet. "So, Natalie then?" she asked, giving him another look.
"Don't you start with me either," Harry said, glaring at her while she smiled.
"Just making an observation to reduce the tension," she said airily. She smiled at his snort. "I'm glad you're okay, obviously. Just, you scared the life out of me during the TriWizard when you went against the Horntail."
He patted her hand. "Good thing you weren't there to see me today."
She narrowed her eyes. "What does that mean?"
"Me and my big mouth," Harry sighed and shoved half of a potato into his mouth to try and choke himself so he did not have to reply.
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TheSerpent777 - You'll have to wait and see what the call will entail. Dragonslayer is an impressive title, but he probably doesn't care for it too much.
odonnellzoo99 - That was my goal for this fic too. Let Ron shine and be cool and quippy and feel like he did in canon, only older and more sure of himself. The insane stubborn women line was my favorite in this chapter, followed by the Luna line. I guess not all dragons breathe fire.
AshokaTheGreat - Funny enough, when I started writing, I was not confident in my action at all. This fic was more of an ode to more action and to help me do more of it.
Hands Off MY Wolfie - Right, that makes it more dangerous too in a way. I always thought that there would be more communication between the governments, or should. Thanks for reading.
TheSphynx - He cares a lot about Luna and what she thinks.
ChunkyLover584 - Yup. I try to write different stories with different themes/elements so this one is a bit more action oriented.
alix33 - I agree, Luna cares more about Harry's wellbeing.
DOOOOOOM Lord of Waffles - No, I will not be doing an extended on this story. This will be a self-contained one.
poka - I'm hoping by the end, the threads are woven together mostly and will feel satisfying. Also hope people will reread it and see where the clues were and I hope it all will feel good.
carlos29 - Thank you.