London
Before the day was done, the ministry released a press release to be published in all the wizarding Daily Newspapers across Wizarding Britain and Europe. The world would know what Wizarding Britain was facing.
The article was written by Percy Weasley and proofed by Frank before it was released to the public. It was brief, precise and to the point. The version which appeared in the evening edition of The Daily Prophet was as follows:
"WIZARDING BRITAIN AT WAR
Last night, an attack on The Ministry for Magic by the self-styled Lord Voldemort and 60 of his followers was thwarted by ministry forces led by the Gead of Aurors Master Auror Alastor Moody. Of the followers known as death eaters, 50 were slain and the remainder are in custody. Voldemort himself was the only one to escape. He is still at large, location unknown. In direct response to the return of this terrorist, new security measures have been put in place and The Minister for Magic, Frank Longbottom, a veteran of the previous war, called an emergency session of the Wizengamot. (For a transcript of this meeting see Page 8)
Minister (now General) Longbottom introduced the motion for invoking emergency war measures. In his impassioned plea, he outlined the ministry's efforts to prepare to meet the threat of the returning terrorist. He pointed out that the threat was real and present and asked the members of the Wizengamot to grant him the powers he needed to act and stop the threat before it could grow any further.
The debate which followed was brief and was concluded quickly. The only member to speak against the motion was Lord Lestrange. His objections were addressed most eloquently by DMLE Head Madame Bones. A motion to invoke the Emergency War measures act passed with 82 in favour, 20 opposed and 38 absent. (More about the absentees on page 4)
By this act, Wizarding Britain has formally declared war on the terrorist Lord Voldemort and his followers known as death eaters. Minister Frank Longbottom is now General Longbottom, in command of forces engaged in this conflict. Unlike the previous conflict with this same dark lord and his forces, ministry Aurors are fully authorized to use deadly force to defeat or capture enemy troops although use of the unforgivable curses will still result in a one-way trip to Azkaban.
It was also revealed during this session that no witch or wizard can be compelled to take the dark mark under the Imperious Curse! As a result of this revelation, amnesty has been revoked for all persons who claimed the Imperious Curse as a defense for being branded with the dark mark and engaging in death eater activities in the previous war. They are being located and will be brought in to stand for trial for their crimes.
In addition to the usual war measures, all enemy forces captured alive will be interrogated under Veritaserum before a war tribunal to determine their guilt or innocence with regard to war crimes, treason and espionage. In a reversal of previous war tribunal policy, these proceedings will be a matter of public record with only details vital to war-time security redacted. (For more details about how the new war tribunal will work, see Page 10)
Finally, the assets of those who are found guilty of war crimes against Wizarding Britain will be seized by the Ministry and used to fund the war effort and pay reparations to victims of acts of terror.
We at the Daily Prophet wish Minister Longbottom and his forces good fortune in this conflict".
There were a few more stories which were equally exciting, if not so long.
"DEATH EATERS FLEE JUSTICE
After the failed attack on the Ministry the night of Yule, many known and suspected death eaters have disappeared. As ministry officials have called at their homes and places of business, many of them are suspected to have fled in an effort to avoid being brought in for questioning or being placed under arrest. Little is known of where they have gone. Friends and family left behind claim to know nothing about where they may have gone or if they are gathering at a central location. The Ministry is investigating.
Officials at Gringotts have refused to comment. From the expressions on their faces, we can speculate that a number of vaults have been emptied recently".
"WAR TRIBUNAL FORMED
The Ministry released a press note last evening whereby it informed the Wizarding World that a three member war tribunal to deal with the threat of Death Eaters has been formed consisting of General Longbottom, Head of DMLE Madam Bones and the Head of Aurors Master Auror Alastor Moody.
The Tribunal will act in place of the Wizengamot in matters of war crimes, espionage and treason. Those brought before the tribunal will be given the opportunity to present their defense, retain counsel as per normal legal proceedings.
In another unprecedented move, the ministry has made it mandatory to interrogate every accused under Veritaserum so that there is no room for error or of justice being denied to someone like it had happened with Sirius Black, Regent of House Rosier.
There is a debate going on about what procedure will be adopted with those who were granted amnesty at the end of the last war. There is speculation that they will be brought in for questioning and heavy penalties will be levied against them for being involved in terrorist activities while those who are found guilty of heinous crimes such as murder will be executed."
There was another article which covered the arrest of the ministry workers and the Lords of the Wizengamot.
"DEATH- EATERS IN THE MIDST OF THE MINISTRY
The ministry released another press note last evening whereby it informed the press that at least 40 employees of the ministry in addition to 20 Lords of the Wizengamot have been arrested for being branded with the dark mark.
These individuals were identified and arrested by measures which were put in place within an hour of the attack on the ministry. Details of these measures are not available as they are considered to be top secret.
The prisoners are being held for questioning. The lead investigator, Gawain Robards, who was appointed the chief investigator for the ministry immediately after the emergency war measures came into effect will make recommendations as to who will stand trial before the war tribunal.
Many more suspected death eaters have failed to come to work. It is suspected that they have all gone into hiding in an effort to avoid facing justice. Aurors are looking for them, questioning family and known associates.
General Longbottom has made it clear that none will be considered guilty by association. However, those who are found to be harboring or hiding death eaters will be charged for obstructing justice.".
Black Townhouse
A meeting of the order was in progress where most of the members were busy reading the paper. After about an hour, Harry turned to Dumbledore, "Professor, what are we going to do now? It looks like General Longbottom has everything covered".
Dumbledore took a deep breath before he started speaking, "The Order of the Phoenix will not be doing anything openly. We will continue to gather intelligence, recruit and train quietly. We will leave the battles and arrests to General Longbottom and the Ministry forces. Should we discover anything important, we will report it. Should we be called upon to fight, we will be ready. Our purpose is not to fight in a war but rather to put an end to Tom Riddle. To that end, we must find the last horcrux. What's more, we must do so quietly. Tom must not realize the true threat to his continued existence until it is too late. The new war tribunal has their work cut out for them. Besides the prisoners we took during their raid on the ministry, there were 60 more identified and arrested the next morning.
They are also looking for alternatives for Azkaban to start shifting as many of those as they can because there are many prisoners who were sent there for petty offenses. It would be a shame if Tom rescued them to make them do his bidding. It is almost a certain thing that the Dementors will defect to his side once he shows up there so we need to have alternate facility to hold the prisoners".
Harry asked him earnestly, "What are the orders for me then? I attract far too much attention to do any espionage for the Order. Neither do I hold a place in the ministry to be eligible to sit on the tribunal".
Sirius spoke up, "As far as anyone can tell, you will do what a boy of your age is supposed to do. You may be a war mage but you are also still a 15 year old who goes to school. You will go on the holiday that you were planning after the New Year ball and have fun. I have made all the arrangements. The only thing for you to do is to decide who, of your friends, will accompany you".
Harry eagerly asked him, "When are we going? Will you and Emmeline be coming along? Who else is coming?"
Sirius shook his head, "I presented an application for leave to my boss, Alastor Moody. He flatly refused it saying that the trainee Aurors need me more than I need a vacation, especially when things seem to be heating up at the moment. As it is, Moony and Nymphadora will be your chaperones for this trip since there are no other elders who can be spared at the moment. I will try to find a couple more chaperones for you though, if I can".
Harry deflated a little but Sirius cheered him up, "Don't worry, Harry. When we are finally free of Tom, we will go for a world tour. Right now, dealing with Tom and his band of fools is important".
The meeting was dismissed a little later because most of them had work to do. Dumbledore announced that there would be no more regular meetings. Members would receive weekly updates about what the ministry was doing. Emergency meetings would take place only if something of bigger magnitude was happening.
Susan came at about 11:00 and he immediately hugged her, taking in her fragrance and kissed her tenderly. After having expressed his joy, he took one of her hands and guided her to the meeting room.
After Kreacher had served them with enough refreshments for an army, Harry turned to her, "Sue, let's plan our holiday".
She was excited, "Really? What do we need to plan? Where are we going?"
"Padfoot told me this morning that he cannot come with us because Moody is not ready to grant him leave but Moony and Nymphadora will be escorting us and be our chaperones. We are to decide the guest list though".
She nodded, "Let's do that then. You start with people you want with us on this trip".
"The first ones on this list are of course Ron and Hermione with Neville and Hannah. I would also like to call Ernie but I do not know if I am ready to bring Lilith Moon along. I would definitely call Terry and Mandy though and may be, if she would consent then Luna Lovegood".
Susan beamed at him, "My list is much the same as yours. But I must admit that I had not thought about Terry and Mandy. They should be there, having been associates in pranks with us. I thought you would have called the twins though".
Harry shook his head, "Sorry, no. Those two would not give me a moment's peace if they came. I want to spend a week in peace with my friends. I do not know when will be the next time that we will have such peace again".
She nodded, "So when are we leaving?"
"The morning after the new year ball that will be 1st January. I suppose Sirius has arranged portkeys for us to go. Now we only need to inform our friends about this. We are not going to floo there because we are keeping the location a secret in case we need to use it to hide".
She readily agreed, "We will call our friends on the floo later today, then. For the moment, what do we have on the agenda?"
Harry smirked, "Today, we are going to tell the world about the story of an obscure half-blood known as Tom Marvolo Riddle. I sent letters to Luna and Professor Hughes. They will help me to write his story and spread it to the world. In fact, I asked our friends to be here because you all deserve to know about it".
She nodded, "Harry, I understand why you are doing this. Will you also talk about that night in the graveyard?"
He nodded grimly, "Since he has been forced into the open, I believe that now is the time to do so. I am not ashamed of it. If it will help people despise him more and abandon his cause then all the better".
She caught him in her embrace tenderly, whispering words in his ear, "I know it is the hardest thing that you can do. I have seen the pain you are in when you mention Cedric and how he died because he was in the wrong place at the wrong time. I promise you that I will be here with you the entire time helping you anyway I can".
Unknown Castle
Severus was annoyed. Since the Wizengamot session the previous day, there were many more death eaters who had taken up residence in the castle. He had wanted some solitude to find a way to slip a potion to the dark lord and may be finish him in his sleep but there were some complications with that line of thought. Firstly, there were healers around the dark lord at all times. Secondly most of them were excellent potioneers. They would have known if he tampered with the potions. Thirdly, if he killed the Dark Lord now, there was no way to ensure that he would not obtain a body again. If that happened, they would not know of his return. Fourthly, once he was branded with the Dark Mark trying to betray the Dark Lord could be fatal. The Dark Mark was a way to ensure that his faithful never wavered in their faith towards him.
He wanted to make these new residents leave the castle but one look at today's newspaper and he understood why they all were suddenly eager to stay near their lord. The ministry was hunting for them. This was the only place where they could be safe because the secret of the location was safe with the Dark Lord.
He was unconscious in the Master Bedroom being tended to by the healers and they had made very little improvement so far. They had only been able to treat the burn injuries that he had received. They were planning to treat his bones next. This was a delicate task because he had so many of them broken. These were not mystics or the healers at St. Mongo's so they did not have the skill to mend fractures to the spine, skull and femurs without causing further damage to the delicate nerves and blood vessels running through them. They decided to use a muggle technique called traction, vanish the bones one at a time and re-grow them using Skele-grow potion. The process was going to take days rather than hours. It would have been immensely painful if the dark lord was awake. After about five days of re-growing bones, then and only then would they try the necromantic potions to try and bring him out of his coma. The good news was that with their dark lord unconscious, at least he wouldn't try to kill them while they were working on him.
Greyback had returned from the continent this morning and his return had stemmed the flow of werewolves abandoning the Dark lord. Right now, they were planning some payback for the ministry for taking out 60 of their numbers. Severus was encouraging them to do it. He was planning to send a patronus to Dumbledore with the information. In a single sweep, another chunk of the Dark Lord's forces will be off the streets.
When they held their council in the dinner hall of the said unknown castle, Irwin Yaxley, one time candidate for Minister of Magic was saying, "I say we annihilate Diagon Alley. That will send a message to the ministry that we are not going to sit and watch".
Walden Macnair, the erstwhile executioner for the Ministry said, "Don't forget that at this moment we are no match for the Aurors who are given free rein to deal with us. They can use lethal force without thinking twice. They are better trained and disciplined than we are. The Dark Lord was going to train his troops starting next month but the Ministry forced our hand before that".
Snape said in his deliberate low tone, "Do you expect us to sit here while they keep calling the Dark Lord by his name and mock us? The ministry is deliberately egging us on to see if we will avenge our Lord".
Selwyn said, "No. They will pay for it. I agree that we need to strike back at the ministry. Until we can improve our capabilities, some targets are out for obvious reasons. Hogsmeade is out because it is too close to Hogwarts where Dumbledore can face us alone and win. Then there is the Order which has always stood in between us and Wizarding Britain, even at the cost of the lives of its members. The Ministry is out because of the wards which we cannot even begin to analyze unless we are going to risk being stunned and caught. I for one do not fancy being tortured by Alastor Moody. The last time I heard, he is using Dark Arts liberally on many of the Dark Lord's followers. We cannot attack Harold Peverell or the Minister's Manor or Bones Manor because they have protections around them that rival Hogwarts. Without the Dark Lord to lead us, we will be like lost sheep ready to be slaughtered. The only option is Diagon Alley because the general Wizarding Populace is still not ready to face and stand against us".
Severus replied, "It is settled then. We will raid Diagon alley but we will have no more than 20 death eaters involved. This will be a lightning raid. We will apparate in, cause as much havoc as we can and disapparate out before the Ministry can respond. Shock and surprise will be our main weapons. A small contingent will be sufficient for the best effect".
Greyback growled, "I don't care how many you send but I want to be part of the group".
Severus shook his head, "You are not going. You are the one who can keep the rest of his followers in line. Force them to stay if you have to. If by any chance we lost you, the Dark Lord will be furious and we will lose a major chunk of our forces".
Others nodded in assent and it was agreed that after two days, 20 death eaters would raid Diagon Alley. That evening Severus sent a patronus to Dumbledore telling him about the plan. Dumbledore relayed the information to Moody who selected twenty Aurors for this mission. The plan was relatively simple. 4 groups of Aurors with 5 Aurors in each will be hiding in selected shops in the Alley waiting for the raid. When the death eaters arrived, anti-apparition and anti-portkey wards would go up instantly while a team of 10 Aurors would evacuate people through the floo network. The Aurors would be using lethal force and they would duel to kill rather than take prisoners. The ministry holding cells could not take more than those who were already in there. Moody wanted to lead this mission personally, but Frank had to remind him that he was part of the war tribunal and as such, they could not spare him. Alice was put in charge of the mission. Proudfoot and Kingsley would be her sub-commanders with groups of ten Aurors each.
You want a story?
Harry, Susan, Hermione, Ron and Neville were sitting in a little flat in the suburbs of London waiting for their guests. The apartment that they were in was not theirs. He had rented it through the goblins. The Black Townhouse was under a Fidelius Charm and spreading the secret too much could compromise their safety so they had made this arrangement. A group of 5 hired hit-wizards were stationed nearby to deal with any threat which may manifest itself. The hit-wizards were hired for the security of the greenhouses. Remus had freed up a few of them to act directly under Harry's orders.
Harry had floo-called his friends asking them to join him this afternoon. The apartment was within walking distance from 12, Grimmauld Place so it was easy for them to walk there without getting worried about their safety. In addition to the hit-wizards, the room was laced with all sorts of protective charms and enchantments.
A knock on the door attracted their attention. Harry looked at the foe glass on his table. The images in it were distant and blurred which meant whoever was on the other side of the door was not an enemy. He walked up to the door and asked loudly, "Introduce yourself".
A melodious sing-song voice answered, "It is I, Luna Lovegood with Professor Martha Hughes at the door, asking for an entrance. I had met you first time on the train at the start of this academic year and you found it funny that Sirius Black is actually Stubby Broadman, as was reported in an article published in the Quibbler".
Harry cautiously opened the door. He was relieved to see Luna and Hughes on the other side of the door, "Welcome Professor and Luna. I am sorry for the inconvenience but I had to check you are who you claim to be".
They entered behind him. As they sat, refreshment arrived on the table by itself. When they had made idle chatter for a few minutes, Professor Hughes turned to him, "I must say that I was curious and excited at the same time when I got your letter. Voldemort's past has been a murky subject. There is no information available about his life prior to what is generally known. I would bet that only a handful of people know his origin".
Harry nodded, "I can understand your curiosity. I could not think of anyone better than you two to tell this story. I called you here because I want to tell where he came from and what his history is. This way, the morons who follow him would know who they are following in their pursuit of idiocy. I also think that the world should know what happened on that night when he returned. After I am done with my narration, there will be no doubt left that he does not follow any ideals other than his own relentless pursuit of power".
Martha Hughes nodded, "Do go on, Mr. Peverell. We can do it this way. First you can tell your side of the story. Then I will ask any follow up questions to cover topics which might have been left out or to get clarity for some of the topics which need attention".
He nodded, "Alright then. Let's do this. Let's start with his real name and his blood status. His real name is Tom Marvolo Riddle. He is a half-blood. His father was a muggle named Tom Riddle. His mother was a squib, Merope Gaunt of the infamous house of Gaunt. We believe that she was a squib because there is no record that she ever attended a magical school. His father was the son of landlords in the pleasant village of Little Hangleton. The Gaunts had family gold ages ago. They only married among their family to preserve their blood purity or so they say. Insanity is a trait which ran in their family. The Gaunt family gold was long gone, squandered generations ago. Merope lived in a squalid shack with her father Marvelo and her brother, Morffin just outside of Little Hangleton. They treated her worse than a slave, constantly baiting her because she could not use magic. She had taken a shine to Tom Riddle, a handsome muggle who was the son of the Riddle family which owned most of the land in Little Hangleton.
"When Marvolo and his insane son, Morffin were arrested and convicted on charges of muggle baiting and assaulting a Ministry official that left Merope alone in the shack. She seized the opportunity to make a bid for freedom. Without her father and brother bullying her, she successfully brewed a love potion and bewitched the handsome son of the landlords. They eloped.
"About a year later, Tom Riddle showed up in Little Hangleton saying that Merope had bewitched him. Merope was left alone in London and she lost her will to live. Sometime in December that year, her son was born in an orphanage and she only lived long enough to name her son Tom after her husband and Marvolo after her father".
"Abandoned by his father before he was born, bereft of his mother just after his birth, he was raised in the orphanage. Even before he had a wand or any formal training, he was able to do enough magic to terrorize his fellow residents there. He stayed there until he received his letter from Hogwarts".
"He attended the school from 1938 to 1945 where he was sorted into Slytherin. At the beginning of his fifth year, he was appointed as one of the prefects and that was the year when the Chamber of Secrets was opened and Myrtle Warren died when she was in the wrong place at the wrong time from the basilisk glare when the chamber was opened. He was given an award for special services to the school, supposedly for helping to identify the student who opened the chamber. Only Professor Dumbledore suspected that Tom had opened the chamber himself and had framed an innocent boy. He left the Chamber of Secrets sealed. Opening it again while he was still at school could have drawn attention to him".
"In his seventh year, he went on to become the Head Boy. His school friends later went on to become the first death eaters. His teachers generally agreed that he was very bright, quite talented and could do most anything he wanted to after graduation. Some even speculated that he could become Minister for Magic if he wished to. After graduating from Hogwarts, he worked for a few years with Borgins and Burke. A few years down the line he quit that job to travel abroad. That was the last anyone heard of Tom Marvolo Riddle".
"Very few facts are known about the years that he travelled. A few things which have come to light are that he went to practitioners of necromancy and other dark arts to study under them extensively. When he re-emerged years later, calling himself Lord Voldemort, his appearance and personality were so changed that nobody connected him with his former identity. He also went about and actively eliminated anyone who knew him before his transformation. The few exceptions were those who were too powerful or too well protected for him to destroy outright".
"He was vanquished, ending the first war by some ancient forgotten magic. He did not die outright because he had some fail safe to ensure that he would not die so easily".
"He spent years as a wraith barely alive, recovering from the injuries he sustained when he was vanquished the first time. It took him a long time to recover enough to be able to try for a comeback."
"The last few years, he tried various means to return to a body but until last June, they all failed. Finally last year, he wove an intricate plan to return to a body and kill me in front of his followers. He planted an escaped death eater at the school. He managed to enchant the Goblet of Fire in making it think that I was the only entrant from a fourth school so that I would have to compete in the Triwizard Tournament. I don't know the details about how it works, just that I was compelled to participate even though I was underage and did not enter, nor did I wish to participate".
"My first thought was that someone had entered me into the tournament so that I could be killed. It wasn't a bad guess, but it was only half of the plan. I came close enough to being killed at least three times during the tasks. In the end, Cedric and I took the cup at the centre of the maze together. It was a portkey and it was supposed to take us to the judge's stand outside the maze. Instead, it took us to the graveyard in Little Hangleton where Peter Pettigrew and Tom Riddle were waiting for us.
"By the time we realized who was coming toward us, my head felt like it was splitting open and I could barely stand. On Riddle's orders, Pettigrew killed Cedric because he was in the wrong place at the wrong time. He dragged me to the tombstone of Tom Riddle Senior and tied me there securely. After that he performed a necromantic ritual which somehow transformed Voldemort from a baby-sized, nearly helpless reptilian thing to the man he had been before he was vanquished".
"After his resurrection, he summoned his death eaters. With his followers as witnesses, he spent quite a lot of time explaining how Pettigrew had found him, returned him to a rudimentary body and helped him execute his plan to regain his proper body. He even explained why nobody's blood but mine would do as the final of three key ingredients for his resurrection spell. He tortured me with the Cruciatus curse while I was bound, wandless and helpless".
"He ordered Pettigrew to untie me and return my wand. His plan was to toy with me, then kill me in front of his followers. First, he used the Cruciatus Curse. Then he used the Imperious Curse to force me to beg for mercy. That was when the first thing that he did not expect happened. I resisted then entirely threw off the effects.
"Next, he tried the Cruciatus Curse again. That was when the second thing he had not planned happened. I dodged the curse and used a grave-stone for cover. I came out from behind the gravestone and tried to disarm him, but he was too fast. His killing curse met my disarming spell in mid-air".
"I can't explain what happened next. Somehow, the shades of Voldemort's most recent murder victims appeared, one at a time. They told me that the Triwizard cup would take me back to Hogwarts. Cedric's shade requested that I bring his body back with me. They kept Voldemort busy and distracted while I made my escape. In the darkness and confusion, I bowled over Pettigrew and brought him back with me".
The interview which followed the narration went for two hours. Then Professor Hughes left telling him that it would take a little editing before the work would be sent to him for final approval before it was sent to other publications. Luna was ready to publish everything in verbatim in the Quibbler. Harry was satisfied either way. He supposed that the story was so long that the Daily Prophet would have to publish a special edition altogether. The Quibbler was a magazine and could publish it in its entirety. Luna even told him that she would ask her father to publish the story in this edition and not keep it for long. He should expect a copy of it in the morning of New Year's Day which was sooner than Professor Hughes would be able to vet and send it to the Daily Prophet. She would need to meet Professor Dumbledore to recheck a few facts and gather credible evidence. In return for the favour, she was getting to put her name on the story as the one who interviewed him along with Luna Lovegood.
With the interview done, they returned to the Black Manor where the elves had cooked enough food for an army and everything was devoured to the last morsel. Thereafter Harry asked his friends if they were in the mood to go out and everyone was. This time for a change, they tried Muggle London instead of Diagon Alley. Neville floo called Hannah telling her to take the Knight Bus to Grimmauld Place in London since she did not know the location of the Townhouse and they could not give the secret to her because none of them were the secret keeper. Hermione took the lead this time suggesting that they take one of those double-decker buses which they could use for a tour around London. It was barely 2 in the afternoon, so they had a lot of time on their hands.
Harry himself had never seen Muggle London properly since the Dursleys never took him along unless there was no other way. He had not learned his way around London while he was with them. He felt that the tour would do him some good too. They passed two hours taking in all the sights that London had to offer.
During the entire tour, Susan sat with him and held his hand. At times, she whispered words in his ear giving him goose-bumps or stole a kiss when she knew their friends were not watching. Yes indeed, things were going perfectly with Susan and life was good for the moment.
Will you play the match-maker?
Sirius met them at the gate to the Townhouse. He gave the secret to Hannah, inviting her also. Once they were inside, Sirius turned to Harry, "I had hoped you would be more careful, Pup".
Harry raised an eyebrow, "What is the matter?"
Sirius took a deep breath, trying to control his anger, "You know how dangerous it is at the moment. You were in Muggle London without any security. The six of you are important to our side and yet you threw caution to the wind! It is thanks to Auror Gray who was following you that we knew where you were. General Longbottom has told me to tell you in no uncertain terms that your security is not to be taken lightly. You will not go anywhere without informing Alastor Moody who is in-charge of your security when you are not in the school".
Harry clapped him on the shoulder and looked him directly in the eye. "You seem to forget that I duelled with and beat Tom just a couple of days ago. I know that he will recover, but not today. Even with the best healers, he will be licking his wounds for at least a week. What's more, I never go anywhere without security but they are much more subtle than the Aurors". Then he looked around the entry hall at his friends, "With Tom out of commission and his followers in disarray, I thought this would be our only chance to be kids for some time".
Sirius said to him soothingly, "Pup, after the beating you gave him, I am sure that he will not take you so lightly again. Besides as Dumbledore said, he is unconscious at the moment, so his followers may attack you in a group and I can bet that you cannot fend off 10 at once unless you were willing to expose our hidden world by performing some ancient magics in the middle of Muggle London. Also, I do not think that your friends can fight as well as you can. You are putting them at risk by going out without informing us about it. I am not going to try to stop you from doing anything but please keep it in mind that even you have some limitations".
Harry thought about it for a moment. Yes, he was confident that he could take on ten death eaters at once. Yes, it would create a lot of work for the Obliviators if he was forced to do so in the middle of muggle London. Although he was reasonably sure that the mystics kept a watch on him at all times, it was hard to spot them. Maybe they weren't as omnipresent as they would like Harry to believe. And it was true that Harry had his limitations still. He was a war mage but he was nowhere near the level he wanted to be. He was still learning things from the memories that the mystics had supplied to him. Every time he watched one of those memories, there was something new he learned.
He knew that he was already good enough to beat Tom in a straight duel. But the old snake was a coward, a liar and quite crafty. He had been in the business of terrorizing people for more than 50 years. He would throw away his followers like so many bits of chaff in the wind to get at Harry. Harry on the other hand, valued his friends. He would lay down his own life to protect them. Tom knew that. All he had to do was have one of his minions grab one of Harry's friends and he would have a distinct advantage.
Harry shook his head, as much to stop the musings as to deny what Sirius had said. "I am not the one that needs all the protection. If they make a grab at me, all they will get is a fight they can't handle". He gestured to his friends who had been listening the whole time, "The real danger is that he might get smart and try to grab one or more of my friends. If he had a hostage, that would be some real leverage. We need to protect them". Then he nodded to Sirius, "So, any time that any of us travel outside of Hogwarts or Hogsmead again, we will certainly let Master Auror Moody know".
Sirius smiled, "That is like a good boy, son. Now have you decided upon the list of people you want to invite?"
Susan answered for him, "We are yet to decide upon the list, Sirius. May be tomorrow morning, we will have an answer for you".
Sirius nodded, "Just to tell you, if there are more than 3 boys and 3 girls, I may need to find some new chaperones so please give me sufficient warning".
Susan nodded. Sirius said under his breath, "Not even married yet and already taking his correspondence" which got the rest of the friends laughing. It was a known fact that the lady of the House was supposed to look after the societal obligations of the family. That duty would fall to Susan after they were married.
Sirius then turned to all of them, "Now I wish to ask a favor of you all, if you are willing".
Harry nodded, "You do not need to ask, Padfoot".
Sirius started speaking seriously, "Harry, as you well know, Remus does not connect with people easily due to his furry little problem. Even when we were at Hogwarts, he spurned the advances of many beautiful witches who wanted to be with him. He believed that they would scorn him if they came to know about it. Even Lily and James tried many times to convince him that he should not think too much about his problem but he has been adamant. Recently, Nymphadora started having feelings towards him but he has been avoiding her, not willing to enter into a relationship with her. I asked him about it and he feels the same towards her but he is being a prat and does not want to take the next step. He is fearful that his condition may be transmitted so he does not want to encourage Nymphadora and her advances. I want you all to try and do something about it. He has had his share of sorrows and I wish for him to have happiness now. If anyone in the world deserves a small bit of happiness, it is him".
They all nodded. However Neville asked what had been on their minds, "How will we do it?"
Sirius grinned, "You are all young and clever. You will think of something".
I want your permission
The next day, Bill and Fleur arrived as he had invited them. His usual posse of friends were there and he decided to include them in the meeting. They were going to be there anyhow because they were the members of his Order and he was not one to keep small things secret from them.
After they were greeted properly and the elves had served them with refreshments, Harry turned to Bill, "Bill you were asking for some favour from me the other day. How may I help you?"
Bill nodded, "Yes, I was. You see shortly after the tournament, Fleur who had graduated from Beauxbatons came to Gringotts to work in the bank. We met in the course of work and we eventually started seeing each other. I started courting her and I told the family that I am going to marry her".
Harry nodded, "She certainly is lovely. I am happy for you. So, what do you need from me?"
Bill said to him hesitantly, "you see Harry, the problem is that I have to ask for permission".
Harry raised an eye-brow, "Permission? I am sure Mr. Weasley would be delighted with this union".
Bill said, "Yes, he is delighted, Harry. Father has already agreed to this. But I need your permission. You are the patron of our family in your role of Lord Black so; we need you to bless this union since the House Magic would only agree after you have agreed to it. Being the Lord we have to ask your permission and it will fall upon you to negotiate the conditions of our marriage".
Harry shook his head, "As far as I am concerned, Bill, you have excellent judgement and you may marry whomever you please. You may count on my blessing. Since House Weasley has been restored, your father is the patriarch and Lord of the house. I will ask him to negotiate the prenuptials with Monsieur Delacour. Of course, If Arthur needs me to back him up, I will be happy to step in".
Bill smiled, "Monsieur Delacour is an agreeable enough gentleman. I'm sure that wont' be necessary".
Harry frowned in concentration. Something had been bothering him and it was time he asked about it, "Bill, correct me if I am wrong. It seemed to me, the other day that Mrs. Weasley was a bit cold towards Fleur. May be I imagined it but I am pretty sure, she was less than enthusiastic".
Fleur smiled sadly, "She feels intimidated that I will take her son away. I love Bill but I will not do anything of the sort. I was attracted to Bill because he was not influenced by my charms at all. She feels that he is not making a proper choice of mate by selecting me".
Ronald who had not said a word till then, shrugged, "I can sort of understand what you are getting at". He then turned to Fleur, "I have seen how she and Ginny behave towards you and I tried to make them see reason once or twice but to no avail".
Harry noticed Hermione making a sour face and decided to raise this issue with her later. Right now, he had something to ask of them, "You do not need my permission, Bill but for tradition and good form, I am giving my permission anyway. I will ask Mr. Weasley to enter into negotiations for your marriage on terms amenable to you both. Is it enough? Also can you and Fleur get away from work for a week or two?"
Bill nodded, "Thanks for saying that you would ask father to enter into these negotiations and yes, we can get leave for a week but why?"
Harry grinned, "Actually I am planning a vacation trip and at the moment, I am short of chaperones so I want you both to take the part".
Bill replied, "I will think about it and let you know by tomorrow. Can I ask where we are going and for how long?"
Susan replied, "We are going to Ireland for a week and we will stay at a Manor belonging to House Black. We will leave on the morning of New Year and return on the 8th. So, if you are willing, please come prepared for a week- long vacation".
Since it was time for lunch, Harry asked Dobby to lay the table for them. After a heavy lunch, Harry turned to Fleur, "Fleur, I need some help from your father, Monsieur Delacour.".
She asked him, "What is it?"
Harry replied, "General Longbottom has tried to ask for help from the French Ministry in case things turn for the worse but he did not receive any satisfying answer to his request. We are as of now trying to get into talks with the ICW but the ICW is reluctant to interfere in a mere rebellion so I want to ask you to talk to your father and ask if he would mobilize some support for us if we needed it?"
She took some time to think through things, "He cannot guarantee anything in his capacity as head of DMLE in the French Ministry of Magic. Perhaps he can find support among some of the families. However, I cannot assure you of any help from his side unless I had the chance to talk to him. I can also try to mobilize some support from my friends at Beauxbatons in the meanwhile".
Harry nodded, "That is better than I expected. Please tell Monsieur Delacour that I would enjoy the pleasure of his company here at the New Year Ball and the invitation will reach him in due time. I expect him to be here as a guest of honour for me".
She smiled, "I will let him know to expect an invitation from you".
He spoke to her further, "There is another favor I need to ask of you. Do you by any chance know if Viktor Krum would be interested in visiting Wizarding Britain for a contract with Puddlemere United to play in the Quidditch League?"
Ron spluttered, "Why would we need him here? We have decent players in the league. How is it of any concern to you anyhow?"
Harry chuckled, "I need to have a talk with Viktor, Ron and I want him to stay here at least till the war is over. Professor Dumbledore told me that before all is said and done, we will need more wands on our side. Viktor's family is very prominent in Bulgaria and they can get help to us if needed. On the side, House Potter owns 55% of Puddlemere United so it is in my best interest to get the best seeker in the world to play for my team".
Diagon Alley
Life in the alley seemed to be going on as usual. But, if one looked closely, people were looking about themselves more, talking less and hurrying faster. People were not strolling singly or in twos, looking in all the windows, but rather scurrying in small groups, making their purchases and hurrying off. The news that Voldemort was back and the state of war was making its presence felt among the shop owners and patrons of Wizarding Britain's busiest commercial district.
What was harder to notice were the few wizards scattered here and there, who were sticking to the shadows and not shopping at all. Even less conspicuous were the Aurors hiding in plain sight, mixing in with the shoppers, waiting for the wizards in the shadows to make their move. They had received intelligence that there was going to be a raid today and they were ready for it.
A bang went off suddenly somewhere near the entrance to Knockturn alley. The Aurors tensed but they stayed put. They were under orders from Alice to do nothing until she gave the order. Nothing of the mayhem that a death eater raid would have caused followed. As it turned out, it was just a child playing with a muggle cherry bomb.
What the Aurors did not know was that the death eaters were looking for the reaction to the bang of the fire cracker. If it had brought Aurors to the scene, they would have postponed or cancelled the raid. As it turned out, the situation was attended to by an old Auror who had been on regular patrol there since the end of the last war. Everybody knew old Jenkins. If you weren't careful, you could forget he was even there.
Knowing that there were no Aurors in the Alley other than the regular patrol, one of the death eaters walked out of Diagon Alley to inform his companions that the time was right for their strike. The major problem with the Aurors was that they did not know who was with death eaters and who was not so they could not take preventive measures.
About 10 minutes after the bang, several things happened at once. Death Eaters appeared in the Alley with a pop. They started creating mayhem by shattering store fronts and setting them on fire. Unknown to them, a number of Aurors put up anti-disapparation wards and anti-portkey wards. The remainder of the Auror force, in pairs, put up shields and protective barriers while their partners got the people off the streets and began evacuating them through designated floos.
The next moment, Alice's voice rang out, "CHARGE!"
The fires all went out as suddenly as they had started. The wands of 20 Aurors who had been trained by Mad-Eye Moody and Sirius Black spoke as one. The bone crushers struck at the hapless death eaters like a hot sword slicing through butter. They were too tightly packed to even try to dodge. Some of them had the presence of mind to shield. The ones who were not behind shields went down like so much wheat before the sickle.
The next moment, the survivors tried their portkeys while the aurors came out to engage them in duels.
Kingsley came running out of Florean's ice-cream parlour followed closely by five Aurors. Hestia Jones burst out of Flourish and Blotts down the Alley followed by the five under her command. Proudfoot followed soon running out of the Wizarding travel Equipment shop. Nymphadora led her contingent of five out of Madam Malkin's. Another team of Aurors led by Gawain Robards was hastily leading the few civilians who had been trapped to the shops where the active evacuation floos were located. While they were being evacuated and sent away the shopkeepers closed down their store fronts so the death eaters would not come inside and harm them or the people who were making their exits.
The Death Eaters were so stunned that they ignored the evacuation efforts. Their plan had been a quick raid, cause some terror and retreat. Now they were besieged by a force of 20 Aurors, some of whom were veterans of the previous war. Their portkeys did not work. They had no doubt that disapparation was just as impossible. The first volley had already decimated them. Now they understood the fate that the raid on the ministry had faced just days earlier. With their shields up, they were ready to give as good an account of themselves as they could.
Kingsley shouted out, "Formation Alpha!" The aurors spread themselves out in a semi-circle around the group of death eaters while a stone wall appeared to seal off their retreat. In the few seconds that it took for the Aurors to dash to their positions, the death eaters tried killing curses, bone exploders and blood boiling curses, but everywhere the curses went, some obstacle appeared to take the curse before it could reach its target.
What happened next was more like a firing squad than a duel. The Aurors did not cast single spells, chipping away at the shields. They cast spell chains of shield breaker, Reducto and bone crusher. The first volley reduced the death eaters by half. The second volley finished them off. From beginning to end, the battle of Diagon Alley had lasted about 15 seconds.
The aurors worked in pairs, one standing guard while their partner sifted through the carnage for survivors. Some of the newer Aurors who were not yet battle hardened had to run off to be sick. The mass of flesh and blood that had been death eaters just a minute ago was too harsh a reality for them.
The shattered remains of two of the death eaters were still alive but they would not be much longer unless they received immediate medical intervention. Alice, who had stood back, ready to defend any Auror who got into trouble during the fight, pressed her badge to summon medics and a clean-up crew.
A minute later, with the wards dispelled, the medics and clean-up crew arrived. The medics attended to the survivors, but their chances were not good. It did not matter, really. If they survived, it would only be to stand trial and be executed anyway. The clean-up crew went about the grim task of identifying the dead and cleaning up the remains. Some of them were so pulverized that identifying them had to depend on what they were carrying. They gathered up all the portkeys they could find on the off chance that they might still work and reveal the location of the enemy base. The wands of the fallen were gathered up in the hopes that they could help identify their owners. Perhaps Ollivanders could tell their identity by inspecting their wands. He remembered every wand he ever sold, after all.
The Aurors had suffered a few injuries, most of them minor. A few of the new Aurors had to be treated for shock. Their casualties had been light. It looked like the new Auror training had paid off.
By the time the clean-up was done, it was nearly impossible to tell that a battle had taken place. Alice and Kingsley stayed until the last window of the last store front was restored to its pre-battle condition.
That evening, the newspaper carried the story about the raid on Diagon Alley.
"MINISTRY QUASHES DEATH EATER RAID
By Grummond Reinholt
Ministry forces overwhelmingly defeated a number of death eaters who attempted to raid Diagon Alley today. We have been asked by the Ministry not to disclose details of the battle here. What we can say is that 18 death eaters were killed outright during the battle. Two more survived and were taken into custody. They were severely injured and are not expected to live.
Shop owners and shoppers alike were impressed by the rapid response of Auror forces dispatched to deal with the situation.
Minister Frank Longbottom was quoted to say, "We will not stand idly by while Voldemort's followers terrorize our people (Continued on page 6)".
The populace of the Wizarding World was satisfied with their leader, General Longbottom who was not in a mood to parley with the scum but annihilate them. They wanted a leader who could make hard choices and he was just the man at the helm of affairs.
Shopping! Who invented the idea?
Susan told Sirius that evening that the group going to Ireland would be 4 boys and 4 girls and Bill and Fleur had agreed to act as their chaperones. Sirius agreed to their proposition. Since they had not had an opportunity to sit and talk since they had come home from Yule celebrations, Ron had decided to stay back. Neville had stayed too because the Green Hues was boring with Alice and Frank at work most hours of the day. Augusta had some other social engagements to keep her busy.
Susan arrived early in the morning with Hannah in tow. She found Hermione in her room and woke her up with a water jet to her face. Then together the girls went looking for the boys.
The boys had stayed up, talking until late into the night. When they finally went to sleep, they all crashed in the same room. Kreacher had produced two bunk beds for them. Since he was not going on his morning runs there was no reason to wake up early in the morning. Harry with the others was still sleeping when Susan decided to find her boyfriend and make him amenable to her demands.
Susan did not know about the wards which he placed at the door of his room nor did she anticipate that she would walk into one. With the marauder's being wary, Harry had become creative and the ward would become active if someone other than him tried to open the door of his room during the night when the ward was active.
As soon as Susan touched the door, she was petrified with her arms snapping to her body, her body rigid. Hermione trying to unpetrify her touched the door and immediately she was also petrified. Hannah started shouting which brought the boys out of the room, wand in hand and looking concerned.
Before Neville could cross the threshold, Harry caught his arm. With the slightest movement of his wand, the ward was deactivated freeing the girls. Neville ran to Hannah to hug her and patted her back soothingly whispering words of encouragement in her ear while Harry released Susan and Hermione from their petrified state.
Once they were over the shock of being petrified and were sitting for breakfast at the dining table half an hour later, Susan asked him, "What was that all about, Harry?"
Harry replied, 'That Sue was the ward that I put outside my chamber every night because that is the way my mind works these days. I make sure that no one can get the jump on me, something that I learned after a few unforgettable lessons".
Susan asked curiously, "What lessons?"
Harry shook his head, "Sorry, Sue. I can't say. That is all classified information. Whatever gave you the idea to invade my room like that anyway?"
She sighed, "Did you forget that you are supposed to take me shopping?"
He asked confused, "Shopping? For what?"
She swatted him playfully on the head, "Shopping for the ball and the trip. I cannot go to the ball that you are holding tomorrow, and have graciously invited me as your date I might add, without a proper gown to wear".
He asked mock confused, "Invited you as a date? I do not remember that happening. Besides why do I have to go with you to shop for the ball?"
Neville elbowed him, "Mate, stop digging your grave. If your lady says that she wants to go shopping then you have to go shopping".
Hannah cooed, "That's a good boy. Neville dear, how about we leave for Green Hues so you can make yourself presentable for the shopping trip?"
Neville dutifully stood and followed her to the Floo while promising to meet at the Leaky Cauldron in an hour.
Hermione was looking at Ron sceptically. Ronald put up his hands in surrender before she could say anything, "I am coming with you on this shopping trip, Hermione. You do not need to worry about that".
She smiled brightly, "Oh Ronald! You understand me so well".
When Susan glared at him, Harry cringed. After he had made a mistake, Neville and Ron had learned their lessons and appeared to be the good boys. That left Harry looking like the idiot who could not understand how a girl's brain works.
Before they left, Harry checked in with Sirius to let him know that they would be shopping in Diagon Alley. After Dobby served them a sumptuous breakfast and they had their fill, Harry and Susan flooed to the Leaky Cauldron followed by Ron and Hermione. As had become the practice, Harry was under glamour charms with Susan. They took a private parlour in The Leaky Cauldron where they waited for Neville, Hannah, Terry and Mandy.
They spent the rest of the day going through shops, buying stuff that caught their fancy and things they just liked. Most of the time was spent in Madam Malkin's selecting muggle clothing because it was not necessary for them to wear wizard clothes all the time. By the time they were done, Harry was swearing to never ever agree to go shopping with a woman again. It was a task which should have been taught at Adrishpuram because it tested his patience so thoroughly. In addition to working as the porter, he also had to try on a trunk full of clothes. When it came to pay for their purchases, Susan insisted that it was his duty to pay. When he raised an eyebrow, she explained that as her betrothed, it was one of his duties. Also, it was his punishment for being an idiot in the morning.
THE BALL
Finally the day of the ball arrived. Most of the guests had been sent invitations from Sirius which would act as port-keys at the appointed hour. Not just anyone was told the floo address of the manor for security reasons.
The manor was being patrolled by 10 hit-wizards who were excused from the Rosier Plantation for the night in addition to 10 Aurors led by John Dawlish that Moody had sent to provide security at the Black Manor due to a large number of important wizards gathering there. Moody himself was invited and Harry had no doubts that he would enjoy the ball by barking orders to security rather than dance.
The Black Manor was huge. The upper floors had access restricted except to family and a few selected family friends. Unknown to most of the guests, the members of the Orders were also allowed limited access to certain parts of the upper floors.
Unlike Potter Manor, the floo was set in a separate building which was about 200 meters away from the main building. The floo building was also the designated spot for the port-keys which would be coming in. Harry, Sirius, Andromeda and Remus were to receive the guests as they came through. Their names would be checked against the guest list and then they could sign the guest book. After that, they were shown the way to the main building.
A couple of Aurors would be placed in the building where the floo was located. Similar to Hogwarts, apparition was blocked on the manor grounds. Also, similar to the Ministry, anti-dark mark wards had been placed in the floo room. Anti-portkey wards would be put up as soon as the last port-key came in. The plan was that as each party guest wished to leave, they would do so by floo. The muggle born guests, whose homes were not connected to the floo network, presented another problem. They would have to floo to a public floo such as The Leaky Cauldron in London or The Three Broomsticks in Hogsmeade and make their way home from there. There were a limited number of guest rooms on the ground floor of the Manor for those who liked to party to excess and would need some rest before travelling. The party was expected to go until quite late.
As soon as it was morning, Harry and his friends would be leaving by port-key for Ireland. The plan was for the friends to have a week-long get-away before returning to school.
Bill and Fleur had agreed to join them as chaperones since they felt the holiday would give them time to know each other a little better before they were married. Harry was in fact anticipating a couple of marriages would happen before the final battle took place.