Amelia Bones, Director of the DMLE and Regent of House Bones, sat at her desk and watched the lad who was contracted to sue, a linchpin for the Political System and Economic System of England, and a registered Battle Mage, playing a game of reflexes and speed with an Ogre-Mage as a Wolf, the size of Susan's Pony at home, watched and kept score.
The two Silvers, a Globally Recognised and Respected Law Enforcement Agency, stood to the side, speaking under a Silencing Dome with the Female mage. Ame wanted to call her a Witch… but the girl's tails( yes there were two, she had double checked) coiling and flexing, said that she was no longer just a Witch.
Connie Hammer hummed. "Tell."
"Potter, a Powerful Mage… not Wizard, Mage, is the consort of Sue, and the future of House Bones… if not England." Amelia wished she could pour herself three fingers of Ogden's Reserve… three fingers from the top. "And he sits there playing patty cake with a Brute that can backhand Hagrid and not notice."
"That's not all, is it?"
"No! Both are held by Miss Granger's Will. Both of them are bound to her, like Tully is to me. Then there is Sue's Scroll. She used all of Moody's code words for all is good. She too has a leash on Potter, and while they are planning to begin practicing, they have yet to touch each other, beyond hugging and kissing."
"Is that everything?"
"I am invited to a Parent Teacher night." Bones sighed. "It seems that the Headmistress is a Fan of the House Bones… and our History. Only because it was sudden notice and Fudge used every ounce of pull he had or could barrow to get it rushed."
"And speaking of Walking Hemroids…"
Fudge hit the Director's office like a rutting Dragon. "Amelia. Any word on the Potter thing or Delores?"
Harry Potter smiled as he slowly stood up behind the Minister. "Minister Cornelius, I pack my own, Fudge. I hear you are looking for me."
The stout wizard snapped around, only for Harry to grab his hand in a shake, before pulling him close. "I hear that you are for sale… but that you only play the Fool." The words were only heard by those with enhanced hearing and Fudge. "I know that you are caught up in a three sided war. You are caught between Me, Malfoy and his Master, and the Public Trust. Albus tried to force me to kneel for him. Malfoy is trying to guide you. I don't think that you want me to be the Villain of this Story. I will burn my way through my Enemies on my way out of the Country."
He pulled back with a big smile. "Minister Fudge. So good to see you. So sorry that we are reunited under such Dark circumstances. I heard that your Term is coming to a Close. Do you need anything from me? Photo Opt? Donation to your Campaign?... Donation to your Retirement Account?" Harry laughed at the last line as if it was a joke.
Hermione turned and swatted his head. "Harry. Do I have to tell you not to threaten Governments?"
Harry hung his head as if he was repenting.
Suddenly there was a commotion at the Lifts.
It turned out that Ted Tonks was escorting three Goblins and a Witch to the Director's office.
Fudge looked at the hand gripping his own. "And why are Goblins walking through My… I mean 'The' Ministry?"
"I was Summoned to answer questions about the Death of Albus and anything I might have had to do with it. If one thing that my Muggle Uncle Vernon had to say about this type of thing… Never Answer on the Record without your Lawyer…" Harry smiled as released Fudge's hand as he opened the door. "Tonks, thank you for getting here so quickly. Ashraq, Barchoke, I have need of your advice, And Gripsaq, I fear that I am going to need your help." He shook hands with each male before he looked at the new Witch.
"Lord Potter," Barchoke grinned. "Allow me to introduce you to Gripsaq's associate, Miss Twist."
Harry blinked twice before he turned to Hermione and handed her a slip of stiff paper.
Trogg grunted his confusion.
Without looking away from the new Witch. "His Name is Gripsaq and hers is Twist. Grip. Sack. and Twist"
The Massive Gorilla grunted, crossed his limbs, and shrunk into himself.
Hermione swatted his head again… hard.
"And the safety of everyone in this room hinges on a cat-girl and her control of a child with more power than sense." Everyone turned to look at Sargent Alexander. "What? And that's not an act… and where is the Demon Dog?"
"Padfoot?" Ted asked.
"No… I think Harry called him Toto." The Female Sargent frowned.
Harry, Trogg, and the Wolf perked up, as Hermione facepalmed.
"Oh Shit!" Harry started looking a little panicked around the eyes. "Director. Say a… creature that eats Magic were to find its way into the Ministry and went looking for trouble. What would be the absolute worst place for it to end up?"
The Red robes in the room blinked,
Twice.
"Department of Mysteries." Hammer throwing her hands into the air.
Harry exited the office, clearing the rail and landing on the floor below. "Tonks! Lead Us to the Department of Mysteries!"
Trogg grunted as he followed on all fours. Tish was there as well. Dora Tonks looked at the Director and ran for the lift.
Windstar sighed. "Now that the Lawyers are here, shall we get started?" He guided Hermione to a Chair.
"Shouldn't you be…" Fudge pointed at where the young Lord ran off to.
"No." Ted spoke. "Judging by the Fear in his Eyes, the Lad is not going to be just walking there and back. And with a Magi-vore? Are you asking for the People in this Department to face something that will not only kill them, but eat their Magic."
Fudge looked at the Lifts again, before he pulled up a Chair, and sat on the side of Hermione furthest from the Door.
Hermione glared at the man. "That's probably the smartest thing you have done since entering this Office." She looked at the Director and Chief. "Now. You said you had questions."
SPRB
The Lift dropped into the darkness, and by Pressing her wand to the Control Box, Dora shifted it to an express lift and doubled the speed.
As the three from Snow Point Academy exited, they seemed to shift into completely different creatures.
:Over here. I can smell him." The wolf trotted into the Dark Hall that led to the 'Front Door' of the DoM.
They came to a door, swinging in the wind that didn't blow.
The two humans and the Grunn followed the Kyree inside.
"Cold." Trogg pointed at the first door in a roulette wheel style room. The next… "Death." A third door. "Sand." And the Fourth of twelve he sneered. "Fear…fresh."
:He is correct. It also happens to be the Door Toto opened.: Tish ducked behind Harry's knee like a Puppy. :And the Fear is afraid.:
Harry drew his Staff from the back pouch, and used it to push into the Room.
The Room was filled with a Bright light, from globes in the top six corners of the room.
Three things were apparent.
Toto had found something Scary to 'Eat'...
An Unspeakable was on the sidelines, gasping for Breath…
And a Lethinfold was trying to climb the Far Wall to Avoid and Escape the Wrysa.
Harry Called on his 'Mage Sight', a trick Kyra had taught Harry and Hermione so they could see where they were walking. Toto was not 'Eat'ing the Lethifold, but rather he was playing 'Gimme', or tug-o-war with the thing.
Harry snorted, as he planted the Staff just inside the room, as he knelt beside the Unspeakable. "Are you going to be Okay?"
"Yeah… cough… the Lethifold broke free. Before I could bring my wand to bare… it was on me…cough, and then it wasn't…cough…but my Magic…"
Harry nodded. "Yeah, that would be Toto. He has an effect around Magic. Drink plenty of fluids, and rest. You should be fine in the morning." He stood before pulling the Unspeakable to their feet. "Now about the Lethifold. What do you want to do with it?"
:Not PACK!: Toto's mind voice Growled with a static pop. :False!,
Harry had turned his Back… But Trogg was watching as the Gray Robe pulled an English dagger… and hit the Far Wall as the Grunn backhanded him.
"Tonks. Arrest him for Gross Stupidity. Alert the Director of the Department and…"
"I am already here." Three people entered behind the Auror. Two were hooded, as a portly wizard with a gray balding head glinted in the light. He flicked his hand at the stunned 'Robe' on the ground, his associates moved to claim the fallen idiot. "What is that and what is It doing to the Lethifold?"
"That's Toto. He is a Black Wrysa. The White Wrysa are smaller, slower, and Venomous. The Blacks are Magic eaters, and right now he is tugging on the Lethifolds Magic… more to hold it at bay." Harry knelt six feet from the Wrysa herded the Lethifold away from humans.
"And if I said that I was keeping him?" The Director crossed his arms.
Trogg grunted his laughter.
"You will wish I just fed you to the Lethifold." Harry never looked away from the 'dog'.
"And if I told you that…" The Director tried again.
"Let me stop you right there." Harry stood up. "I will BURN, not just fight but burn with the equivalent of Fiend-Fyre, my way out of not just this Floor but the Ministry. And I can do so legally." He now turned to look at the Director. "And I would stop only at the DMLE for my Lawyers and Queen. Toto is not my pet, but Pack. To clarify, everyone in this room but you will walk away, while the whole Floor burns. And it will continue to Burn until the Worlds Collide."
The balding man looked over his shoulder at the Department behind him. "That's both longer and shorter than you think or believe." He Looked at the Lad. "And if I wanted one… other than him."
"Only because Albus fucked up so royally with raising me, am I both, in need of his presence and able to feed him and his bottomless hunger." Harry whistled, the Wrysa was instantly at his side, sitting, wagging his whipcord tail.
The Director, known as Croaker, now felt like pulling on his Magic.
"No… Not Pack. Authority." Harry rubbed the creature's head. The Head that was above his waist.
"And out of Curiosity…" The Director looked at the other two behind the Lad.
"My Battle Brother, Trogg. A Grunn of two females. It's an important thing to the Grunn." Harry saw Trogg shift to pose for the Man. "And Tish. A Kyree Archivist. Her Life Mission is to find a Legend of The People and to witness their Life. She has chosen me… and paid the Price. When she joined me, she was shorter than Toto."
The Director nodded. "Okay… everyone out. We are going to let the Lethifold rest and…" he stepped to the side, as Trogg knuckled up and blew in his face, before he exited into the hallway.
Harry followed, the Battle Staff jumping to his hand as he passed, swinging it around and dropping it into the pouch on his back, Toto trotting like a well trained Krupp at his hip.
Tish walked at Tonks's side. They waited for the Director to lead them back to the Lift. Tonks, Trogg and Tish took the first Lift up, as the Director, Harry and Toto took the next.
They entered the Bullpen, as The Director pulled his hood up… and his face disappeared.
They were intercepted by the Black man.
"Shacklebolt." The Director's voice was distorted by the concealing effects of the Hood. Only a badge on his breast identified him as the Director.
"Croaker." The man nodded his greetings. "It seems that Hammer was correct. The Questioning has been moved to the briefing room." He turned and led the way away from the Bullpen.
SPRB
Hermione glared at the man. "That's probably the smartest thing you have done since entering this Office." She looked at the Director and Chief. "Now. You said you had questions."
Hammer smirked. "Now… is there any reason for Lord Potter to be at Hogwarts the night Dumbledore died?"
"On his own, no. He was convalescing in a Cliffside City Hospital." Hermione smiled softly at the Chief. "He was ground zero for the magical explosion in South America."
Everyone blinked. Gripsaq passed two knuts to each of the other two Goblins. Ashraq sneered at the coin in his palm. "Bloody Miser."
Twist dug out a galleon and passed it to the gray silk suited Goblin.
Barchoke roared laughing. "He loses the Bet, and still makes a profit. Only the boy can lose his way into better profits."
"Don't remind me. It's been two months, and the Director is still at the Quarry." Ashraq sneered.
"So … he hasn't gotten the Skull yet?" Hermione asked.
"It has been delivered and mounted around the Director's Chair in the Boardroom. They had to redesign the whole room, and replace the worn out table and chairs. The Craftsman took the opportunity to also rebuild the Director's Chair to reflect the gift. The guilds are now competing with each other to who can top the young Lord's gifts as well." Barchoke flashed a wide grin. "I have been contacted by three different Craftmasters this week alone for Bone."
"And Five memo'd me yesterday for Hide." Ashraq smirked. "The offered bribes were obscene."
Hermione nodded, before she turned back to the DMLE Personal. "You were saying?"
"Then why did we get a tip from persons saying that they had proof that they saw Potter in Hogwarts?" Hammer smiled.
"Because he was there." Hermione's Ears were glued to her skull. "He was leading a Rescue Mission, before he was forced to raze England into ash."
"Rescue Mission?" Amelia leaned forward.
Hermione pulled a scroll from her pouch, and tossed it onto the Desk. "At the time of the Explosion, he was a registered Battle Mage, of High Master class. Albus is just an Adept, and mostly it is because he knows what he is doing and how to do it with the least amount of Power. Potter is now twice that strong…and only half the Control. If he came looking to fight or kill Dumbledore, half the Castle would be smashed just by his back wash."
"Why would he be leading a Rescue Mission?" Hammer asked.
"Albus had grabbed me, and drug me to Hogwarts. I was able to yell that Albus was grabbing me before his stunning hex dropped me." Hermione snarled as her tails snapped back and forth. "I woke up demanding that I was Loyal to Albus and in love with Ronald Weasley and I was to be returned. Commander Windstar wrestled me down and cuffed me while Sargent Alexander watched the whole thing, recording the scans of my blood and mind. I was showing signs of being portioned. When Harry woke up, we headed to the nearest city, and I spent the second worst night of my life, purging the Loyalty and Amortentia potions from my body."
"And why would Albus be grabbing you?" Fudge asked.
"I am Leverage over Harry Potter-Black. Harry will obey almost any order I give, and do anything to get me back. Even burn down the Ministry." Hermione Growled.
Amelia Bones sighed. "Fudge, please escort the Witch and her … group to the briefing room. Hammer, collect the Files and meet us there. I will go ask McGonagall to Join us."
As Fudge scuttled out of the office, looking about for the Monster that was prowling the Ministry, Hermione and the Silvers whispered, as the Goblins had pulled out a ledger and were arguing with one another in the Goblins birth tongue.
Ted Tonks turned to the Law-witch. "So… Miss Twist. What is it like working for the Goblins?" He held the Door for the younger witch. "I have been trying to get my Daughter to follow in my footsteps. Do you have any advice?"
"Private Investigations." The Witch led the way out. "The pay is better than what she is earning here, but she loses the Protection of the Badge."
"Remind me to sweeten Tonks's perks." Amelia muttered to Connie as she grabbed her robes, and ducked into her private Floo.
TBC