Chapter 53
The was an undeniable sense of anticipation in the air throughout the city, and as Harry waited for word from Evans, it only seemed to grow with each passing moment.
The assassination attempt on Espinosa had been made known to the public, but the status of his condition remained a mystery.
Harry did not know Cassiopeia well, but she'd never given the impression of doing anything by a half-measure, so it was likely that Espinosa would be dead soon enough, which meant they truly needed to act quickly before the task ahead of them became more difficult.
"What did you discover?" Harry asked quietly as Evans returned, gently nudging him from beneath his own cloak.
"She's being held in the lower levels of the Ministry," he explained, hi breathing laboured.
"As expected," Harry murmured. "Are you alright?"
"I'm pushing the boundaries of the vow," the other Harry answered. "I'm not sure how much help I can be."
Harry nodded his understanding.
"Well, if you focus on getting Cassiopeia out, I will do the rest," he assured the man.
"Sounds like a plan," Evans replied. "How do you want to approach this?"
"I say we get in and out as fast as we can. If I'm right in thinking that Espinosa will soon be dead, we can't afford to linger, and the more likely he is to die, the more desperate they will become to see if there's anything that can be done to save him."
The other Harry hummed unhappily.
"Bloody hell," he cursed. "What do we call this one, operation out of the frying pan and into the fire?"
Harry snorted amusedly.
"It does have a certain ring to it," he mused aloud. "Come on, I don't plan on dying here."
"Spain isn't so bad," the other Harry pointed out.
"It's not, but I have too much to do before that day comes. Besides, Amelia would only dig me up just to kill me again."
He could feel the other Harry grimace beneath his cloak.
"Yeah, let's not die today," he agreed. "Come on, time to tempt fate again, I suppose."
(Break)
She watched as her tormentor paced back and forth in front of her, pleased that she was continuing to frustrate him. Despite his best efforts, Cassiopeia refused to speak, and knowing that if he went too far in causing her harm, she wouldn't be able to tell him what he wanted to hear, he'd been reticent to do so.
"What do you want?" he snapped irritably. "What is it going to take for you to tell me how to reverse what you did?"
Cassiopeia laughed.
"There is nothing I want from you," she answered. "Espinosa is going to die. You should just accept it and move on."
The man growled before kicking one of the other chairs across the room before drawing his wand.
He pressed the tip of it painfully into Cassiopeia's neck before unleashing a roar of anger.
"I would love to slit your throat!"
"Then just get it over with," Cassiopeia sighed. "This is really getting quite boring."
"Maybe I will," the man muttered. "If the Minister dies, I can do with you whatever I wish."
Cassiopeia hummed.
"I look forward to it," she goaded.
He stuck her across the face with an open hand and raised it to strike her again, only to pause as the floor began to tremble.
Only a few seconds later, a screeching alarm began to blare, and the man looked around worriedly.
"I did tell you I wasn't alone," Cassiopeia cackled amusedly. "I expect I'll hear you screaming in the coming moments."
The man laughed.
"If anyone has been foolish enough to come to your aide, it won't be my screams you are hearing. Every Auror in the country will be here in a matter of seconds."
"Then every Auror in the country will be dead soon enough."
The man's expression shifted to one of concern, and he left the room in a hurry, slamming the door behind him.
Cassiopeia released a staggered breath as she leaned forward in her chair.
She was too old to be treated in such a way, and it had taken its toll on her.
In truth, she didn't know what had caused the alarm.
She didn't expect anyone to be coming for her but given the activity she could hear coming from above, she felt a little hope that they indeed had.
(Break)
Navigating his way through the spellfire without falling victim to an errant curse was no easy feat, and with the laughter of Jameson ringing in his ears as the man fought off those within the Spanish Ministry of Magic, Harry realised just how ridiculous what they were attempting was.
The other Harry, he realised, was much like he'd been when he was younger: reckless to a degree, brilliant, and exceedingly creative when it came to his spell work.
Conjuring dozens of snakes to harass the workers was quite the stroke of genius, but blowing up almost half of the atrium…
Harry shook his head, choosing to focus on his own task rather than the mindset of his companion, who was having too much fun for his liking.
Still, he couldn't deny that he was quite enjoying the experience himself.
When they'd broken into Gringotts, he'd not been able to enjoy it as much, but now, it was something akin to what his life had been like when he'd become a Hit-Wizard so many years ago.
"Department of Magical Law Enforcement," he murmured, stepping aside as a lone, large man barrelled from the corridor in a bid to make it to the atrium.
Well, whatever would be left of it when he arrived.
Harry wouldn't put it past Jameson to bring the entire building down on their heads if necessary.
Once more, he cleared his mind of such thoughts.
Cassiopeia Black was nearby after all, and he could feel her presence growing stronger the further he delved into the depths of the Ministry.
Although it took a few wrong turns in the labyrinth of corridors and entering a utility cupboard to find her, he eventually found a door guarded by two men.
Just the very notion of attacking the two guards made his chest constrict painfully, but if they were to attack him first…
Shaking his head, he released a deep breath before removing the cloak.
"Hello," he greeted them with a smile.
For the briefest of moments, the two men stared at him with their mouths agape before eventually sending a pair of stunning spells towards him.
Harry deftly swept them aside and shook his head.
"You really shouldn't have done that," he chided as he whipped his wand upwards.
The floor between them was torn upwards, and though the two men attempted to prevent what was happening, their efforts proved to be in vain.
They were buried under the rubble, and for good measure, Harry cast a powerful shield above where they lay to prevent them from escaping.
With the area now clear, he set about the task of unlocking the door the duo had been guarding, and as he entered, it was to the sorry sight of a pale and beaten Cassiopeia Black, who merely glared at him irritably.
"You know, I didn't ask for your help," she huffed as Harry undid the bindings holding her to the chair.
"True, but you didn't say you don't want it," he pointed out. "Come on, old girl, I think you're a complete nutter, but I won't have your death on my conscience, especially if it isn't me that gets to put you in the ground."
"In your dreams, Evans," Cassiopeia snorted.
"Ah, so you are a seer," Harry mocked. "I can tell you that I've dreamed about it more than once, but if you really want to, we can kill each other later. For now, I want to get home. My wife brought some of my favourite ice cream this morning, and I have no intention of dying before I get my fair share."
Cassiopeia rolled her eyes at him as he helped her from the chair.
"Do you always crack jokes?"
"Have you always been a humourless old cow?"
"I have."
"Why doesn't that surprise me," Harry huffed, steadying the woman as she stumbled. "Can you walk?"
"Yes!"
"Can you walk quickly?"
Cassiopeia glared at him, and Harry cursed under his breath as he hoisted her into his arms.
"Put me down, Evans!" She protested.
"Oh, shut up," Harry grumbled as he carried her from the room and down the corridor.
She continued to complain, but Harry ignored her as he tried to find his way back towards the atrium, where the sound of distant explosions and fighting continued to emit.
"Jameson?" Cassiopeia asked.
"Who else?" Harry snorted amusedly.
"You know, the two of you are quite insane."
"You should be grateful for that," Harry quipped. "If we weren't, you'd still be chained up."
"True," the woman conceded irritably.
"Good grief," Harry scoffed as they reached the atrium.
What had been a room of splendour and opulence when they'd arrived appeared as though it had been hit with a bomb.
The marble floors and walls had been torn asunder, and not a single pane of glass from the offices above remained intact.
Amongst the chaos and destruction was Harry Jameson, his wand a blur as he fended off those who had come to intercept them. Already, there were several he'd rendered unconscious, but it was not a fight he could continue in perpetuity, and Cassiopeia was certainly in no fit state to assist him.
All of her weight was on Harry, and she was bereft of a wand.
"I think it's time for us to get out of here," Harry decided, grimacing as what appeared to be a clerk was sent skidding through the shards of marble.
"How do you plan on getting us out of here?" Cassiopeia asked.
Harry felt a grin tugging at the corner of his lips.
"Oh, you're going to love this," he replied. "Just watch."
The woman said nothing as Harry continued to all but carry her around the edge of the atrium, and he was grateful that they made it close to the exit before a troubling disturbance could be felt from beneath them.
"What is that?" Cassiopeia demanded to know.
"Our way out."
"What did you do?"
Harry grinned as the trembling continued to grow.
"I might have had a hand in it. Best hold on tight, this could get unsettling."
Before Cassiopeia could protest, the other Harry was sprinting towards them as he continued to fend off the Spaniards attempting to apprehend or kill him.
"We need to get far enough away to portkey," he called over the din.
"Leave it to me."
Aiming his own wand towards the ceiling, Harry fired a blasting curse, punching a hole in which they could escape.
As the dust finally began to settle, the second part of his plan came into effect, and the floor erupted in a geyser of water, spewing through the hole he'd created.
"Evans, don't you think about it!" Cassiopeia warned as he began sprinting towards it. "EVANS!"
Anything else she may have said was lost as the trio were swept into the current, and Harry used his wand to manipulate the flow of water so that it would carry them through the streets of Madrid and away from the Ministry of Magic.
He'd never done anything like this on such a grand scale, but he cheered jubilantly from within the bubble he'd conjured around his head.
Cassiopeia glared at him from her own, and Jameson continued to scan for any threat, though Harry suspected that they were in the clear.
It wasn't as though any Auror handbook provided instructions on how to halt such a powerful flow of water.
Especially one with three powerful wizards within.
Still, despite quite enjoying himself, it was not time to dawdle, and when Harry was confident they had gotten far enough away from the centre of the Spanish capital, he took hold of Cassiopeia and activated the portkey Jameson had given him.
Much to his relief, their departure was not hindered by any magical protections, and only a moment later, he found himself in the basement of his counterpart, breathing heavily from the exertion.
"You stupid swine!" Cassiopeia gasped. "You could have damned well drowned us!"
Harry laughed, as did Jameson who stood, sopping wet, but highly amused.
"That's got to be the most fun I've had in while," he declared gleefully. "Can we do it again?"
"The pair of you need your heads looking at," Cassiopeia huffed.
"We got you out of there, didn't we?"
The woman conceded the point with a nod, though she remained rather unhappy with them both.
"Come on," Jameson urged, helping her to her feet. "We will get you patched up and I will take you wherever you want to go. Are you fine to inform those who need to be?"
Harry nodded reluctantly, and Jameson clapped him on the shoulder.
"We make quite the team."
"We do," Harry agreed. "Just imagine what we could do if we decided to not to help damsels in distress."
"Damsel in distress?" Cassiopeia growled. "I'll give you…"
Whatever she said next, Harry didn't hear.
He took the opportunity to leave Jameson's home, eager to be done with what he'd been asked to do so that he could return home to his wife.
And the ice cream that waited for him.
He hadn't forgotten about that.
(Break)
The Dark Lord tapped his finger on top of the desk he was sitting behind, pondering the most recent outing of his forces in Scunthorpe. Only six Aurors had been killed and he'd lost almost two dozen giants, and more followers than he cared to count, including Evan Rosier.
Although their efforts had been largely successful, what followed was rather troubling.
Bagnold.
The newly minted Minister was pulling no punches.
Where leach had been reluctant to take any decisive action against the Dark Lord, Bagnold evidently was not, and as Lord Voldemort read through the list of the measures the woman had put in place, he could only nod his begrudging respect.
Still, he would not be deterred from continuing on the path he was treading.
Of course, he would need to be cautious, implement his own measures to ensure his continued success, but he could not deny that such a response was quite troubling.
Nott had already voiced his concerns, as had several others.
Assuaging them had not been easy, but their plans would proceed without delay, even if there were more opposition to overcome than he'd initially thought.
"Who were the men in the grey robes?" Avery asked.
"I do not know," the Dark Lord answered.
"It was them who killed the majority of the giants, and they tore through our men with ease. They're good, my lord. Better than most on our side."
"They will be dealt with, Avery," Voldemort assured the man.
He was at a loss as to who these men could be.
The Dark Lord had viewed several memories of what had transpired from some of his followers, but he was no closer to identifying them. The robes they wore concealed their faces, but it quickly became evident they were trained and familiar with one another.
It was another obstacle the Dark Lord could do without, and having faced off with the Serpent, the last thing he needed was more difficult opposition.
It was a frustrating development and one he would need to be prepared for the next time his followers ventured out.
Until then, Voldemort knew he needed to use whatever advantages he could seize, and fortunately for him, the memories he'd viewed had provided him with ample information on those who opposed him.
The robed men had been clever in concealing their identities, but Dumbledore's group had done no such thing, and it would prove to be to their detriment.
"Nott, a word."
The man entered the room only a moment later and offered him a bow.
"What can I do for you, my lord?"
The Dark Lord leaned back in his chair.
"I need information," he said thoughtfully. "There is a man I wish for you to locate."
(Break)
He'd not been able to rest nor distract his mind.
Gellert had spent the past hours pacing back and forth in his cell, wondering if Evans and Jameson had been successful in their efforts.
Cassiopeia had been the one constant in his life over the past decades, and he had come to care for the woman dearly.
In truth, Gellert would be rather distraught if she were to come to any harm, especially because helping him was the reason she'd been captured.
It was a sense of trepidation that filled him as a single set of footsteps began echoing off the walls, and he swallowed deeply at the lone figure of Harry Evans as he approached the cell.
The man's expression gave nothing away, but he looked to be rather tired.
"Is she…?"
Evans offered him a reassuring nod.
"We got her," he confirmed, and Gellert breathed a deep sigh of relief. "She is mostly unharmed. Jameson is seeing to her now, and he will take her somewhere safe."
Gellert nodded his understanding and took a seat on the edge of his bed to simply revel in the news that Cassiopeia had been retrieved, by one of his most notorious foes, at least.
"Was it difficult to get her?"
Evans snorted amusedly.
"It certainly wasn't easy," he sighed. "She was being held in the Spanish Ministry, but we managed it. I expect our escapade will make for some interesting news stories."
"It wasn't a quiet affair then?"
Evans shook his head.
"No, we felt it best to get her out as quickly as possible. We made quite a mess."
Gellert chuckled, not having expected anything less of the two men.
He was grateful for what they'd done, and even more so that he'd not found himself facing both during the years he'd been making waves on the continent.
Gellert had accumulated an enviable roster of foes throughout his rise, but none more formidable than the man standing before him.
Had he not managed to halt the Serpent's efforts against him, the war could well have ended rather differently for him.
"Thank you, Evans," Gellert offered sincerely. "For getting her. We may never have seen eye-to-eye when things were different, but I am grateful for you and Jameson. I don't expect us to just let bygones be bygones, but I appreciate what you've done."
Evans nodded.
"We're very different people and believe in different things, but right now, we are fighting for the same end. That's good enough for me."
With that, he turned to leave, though he paused as he reached the end of the corridor.
"Maybe I'll bring you a few articles on what we did," he said amusedly. "I'm sure you'll get a kick out of it."
"I'm sure I will," Gellert replied. "I'm sure I will."
(Break)
She looked towards the clock as she entered the office.
Harry had not returned before she left for work, and Amelia was worried.
It wasn't that it was unlike him to leave suddenly, but the announcement on the radio had prompted him, which meant he was likely doing something reckless involving the Spanish government.
Amelia could only shake her head.
"Morning Bones," Alastor greeted her gruffly, his smile twisting his newest scar into something most would consider to be a rather sinister expression.
"Moody," she replied tiredly. "You're already back?"
"Aye, I've spent long enough sitting on my arse since I lost my leg."
"And most of your nose."
Alastor snorted amusedly, and he stilled, his eyes widening as he pointed at Amelia's finger.
"Are you…?"
Amelia nodded, unable to prevent herself from smiling.
"He asked you to marry him?"
"No, he just put the ring on whilst I was sleeping and claimed me as spoils of a conquest."
Moody snorted amusedly.
"Aye, the two of you are perfect for one another," he sighed. "He's rubbed off on you."
"He has," Amelia agreed. "I'm not sure whether that is a bad thing."
"Could be," Alastor chuckled. "He does tend to get himself into trouble, but then again, so do you."
"Not intentionally," Amelia pointed out. "Harry seems to enjoy being in trouble."
"Aye, he does his best work when he is."
Amelia nodded, her gaze drifting towards the clock once more.
It was a little before midnight that Harry had left, and it was nearing 9 am now.
"Merlin, it's not just our country going to pot," Kingsley sighed as he joined them. "Spain isn't doing so well."
"Aye, seems like the Minister might croak."
"You haven't heard the latest?" Kingsley asked. "It's all over the radio."
Amelia immediately tapped the wireless on her desk with her wand.
She often listened to it if she was working late and wanted some background noise when she was completing paperwork.
'We ask that any witnesses come forward…'
'That was the voice of internal affairs at the Ministry of Magic in Spain. Minister Espinosa remains in critical condition, and two men are wanted in connection to an incident at the Ministry which saw widespread destruction of the building and the escape of a prisoner. We will have more after this beautiful ballad from Stubby Boardman…'
Amelia could only stare at the wireless as the soulful tune began to play.
It didn't take much time for her to deduce that Harry, and likely the other Harry, were responsible for what had happened.
She knew that the Spanish Minister was involved with the other countries who had been associated with Grindelwald, but why would Harry take such a risk to free a prisoner unless Eleanor had been captured, though Amelia had her doubts.
The woman would not be so foolish to put herself in such a reckless position after what happened in Paris.
So, who had they broken free?
Amelia didn't know, but she took comfort in the knowledge that Harry had escaped from whatever he'd gotten himself caught up in this time.
"Something you want to tell us, Bones?" Alastor asked with a smirk.
Amelia shook her head.
"I wouldn't even know where to begin," she murmured.
(Break)
Sebastien paced back and forth in the meeting room of the French Ministry, unable to believe how such a drastic turn had been allowed to happen in recent months.
Both Broz and Fontaine were dead, the former out of precaution, but not his Belgian counterpart. The man had been murdered in his office in cold blood, and now, Espinosa was on the cusp of his own demise.
"How?" he asked the others who had gathered. "How has this happened?"
"Because someone knew too much and used it against us," Abernathy answered.
The man seemed rather unperturbed by the entire affair, and his demeanour elicited a frown from Sebastien.
"What of Espinosa? Do we even know anything?"
"He was cursed," Abernathy explained. "An assassination attempt was made by someone posing as a local restauranteur. They were apprehended by Espinosa's team…"
"And then damned well broken out by two men. I think we know who they were."
"Jameson and Evans," Abernathy acknowledged. "It was a rather bold move."
"One that should've failed!" Sebastien snapped irritably. "How did they manage it?"
"Because they are both exceedingly gifted and ruthless," Manon interjected.
She'd been rather pensive since she'd learned of the death of her nephew, and Sebastien had no doubt the woman was plotting.
He could only nod his agreement with her observation.
"They have done too much damage," he declared. "It seems as though, somehow, they are coming for each of us. Something must be done."
"And what do you suggest?" Abernathy questioned.
Sebastien shrugged.
"We could use the ICW resources," Berg offered. "We could have the Hit-Wizards hunt them down."
"And risk them being taken in alive and telling what they know?"
"Do they have any proof?"
Sebastien snorted humourlessly.
"My friend, they are stalking us from the shadows. They may have little evidence, but they have enough to risk their lives coming for us. Why?"
He'd been pondering that very notion for weeks now.
Why would Jameson go to such lengths to come for them?
It made little sense when he seemingly had nothing to gain from the venture.
"Then we pool our resources," Abernathy spoke, pulling Sebastien from his thoughts. "We come together to eliminate them once and for all."
Sebastien nodded.
"I believe it is our only option," he murmured, "and from here on out, we must be on our guard. Look around. Our numbers our quickly dwindling. If Espinosa dies…"
"When he dies," Abernathy interjected. "Let us not hold onto any illusion that he will live. I expect his days are numbered to very few."
Sebastien swallowed deeply.
"When Espinosa dies, are power will be lessened. We cannot afford to lose any more of us."
"And we won't," Abernathy assured him. "I have already instructed my very best men to begin the hunt. Both will be dead soon enough."
"What if they fail?"
Abernathy smirked as he shook his head.
"My men do not fail, Laurent. There is not a place that they can hide. My men will get the job done."
"As will mine," Berg declared. "I will have them stateside in only a few hours."
"And mine," Sebastien offered.
Abernathy nodded as he stood.
"All of them," he said, his gaze sweeping across those gathered. "We must all send our men, but we must plan this carefully. There can be no more mistakes."
With that, he left the room, and the others began talking amongst themselves.
Sebastien, although bolstered by the support of his companions, was nervous.
Nothing they had done thus far had been truly successful, and he could not help but think that something would go amiss in the endeavour.
To that end, he began to ponder how he could survive the coming storm.
Despite enjoying the power the group wielded as a collective, he much preferred a scenario that he lived to see his way past what was unfolding around him.
(Break)
The entire building trembled as he cast his first spell, a blasting curse that tore chunks of marble and mortar from the wall, burying a trio of Aurors passing through the atrium.
A mere second of shocked silence followed before the inevitable panic ensued.
Most ran for the exits, but others chose to remain behind and fight.
"SECURE THE PRISONER!" a large man in black robes instructed, rallying those around him into something resembling a fighting force.
The majority were not Aurors and seemed to be comprised mostly of maintenance workers and even some members of the public.
Harry did not wish to harm the innocents, nor anyone not an enemy of his, but he would not hesitate to do what was necessary to ensure he was able to leave the Spanish Ministry with Cassiopeia secured and himself as uninjured as possible.
"Dhali is with her!" one of the Aurors informed the man seemingly taking the lead in defending the Ministry.
"Not for long!" the man growled. "Get down there!"
Two Aurors tried to follow in Evans' footsteps, only to be forced to flee as another spell slammed into the wall next to the door they were sprinting towards.
More marble exploded, sending the men sprawling.
"THERE!"
Harry deftly diverted the spell sent towards him, and he quickly found himself inundated with further attacks.
As outnumbered as he was, he knew that chaos would be his greatest ally, and instead of targeting the men and women attempting to apprehend him, he decided to use the environment to his advantage.
Shielding and dodging spells when needed, Harry began destroying the floor, doors, and windows surrounding him, whipping up the debris in a frenzy of sharp and blunt projectiles to keep his attackers on the defensive.
It was a useful tactic to use when outmanned, and it was something he'd invested much time into perfecting.
Harry watched as Bellatrix set about the task of undoing the curses he had imbued into the block of wood he'd placed before her, fighting the urge to smirk as her nostrils flared in frustration.
Despite everything else happening in his life outside of Hogwarts, he could not be prouder of the young woman.
Her introduction into teaching had been something of a reality check for her, but Bellatrix was truly beginning to thrive in every task she was set.
If only everything else could be so easy.
With how quickly things were moving against the representatives of the ICW, it was difficult to remain focused on the pressing issue that was Tom Riddle.
Although he, by no means, presented the same threat as those on the continent, he remained an irksome obstacle Harry could do without, and one he needed to be more proactive in dealing with.
It simply would not do to leave the man to continue as he was, and he intended to begin the ending of the Dark Lord who'd somehow plagued him for most of his life imminently.
Riddle's power and influence needed to be mitigated, and fortunately for Harry, he knew exactly who he needed to deal with to ensure that happened quickly, and with a little luck, efficiently.
He did not wish to waste any more time when it came to the Dark Lord.
The same, however, could not be said for his enemies on the continent.
Although their numbers had been reduced, the most dangerous of them yet remained, and Harry was not taking the influence and power they wielded for granted. Spain had been both a dangerous and foolish undertaking, but one that had been necessary.
He needed to be more careful and had no intention of finding himself in such a situation again, though he knew it was all but inevitable.
"Is it actually possible to undo this?" Bellatrix snapped, pulling him from his thoughts.
"It is," Harry confirmed with a chuckle, "but I don't expect you'll be ready to do it just yet. There is much more to learn before then."
"So, why did you let me try?"
"Because sometimes it is good to be reminded that despite how brilliant you are, there are things that will always stump you."
"Even you?"
"Even me," Harry answered with a smile. "Now, I have some feedback for you from the assignment you returned last week," he explained, handing the woman a roll of parchment.
She read it carefully and frowned when she was finished.
"Exceeds Expectations?"
Harry nodded.
"You exceeded my expectations," he confirmed. "You work on Flesh-Eating Curses is as good as it gets."
"So, why didn't I get an Outstanding?"
"To get an Outstanding at this level, Bella, you must come up with something new, something innovative on the subject you are studying. Although you argued you observations expertly, you still relied on the work of others. There is nothing wrong with that, but becoming a Master means that you are able to create your own theories, your own spells, and your own defences. I am not chastising you in any way, the work you submitted is brilliant, but I need more from you. Do you understand?"
Bellatrix nodded thoughtfully.
"I think so," she murmured.
Harry offered her a smile.
"I'll tell you what, why don't you give me a subject and I will write an example of what I would like from you? That way, you can see for yourself what I mean."
"That would be really helpful!"
"Then I will do it," Harry declared. "What would you like me to write?"
Bellatrix frowned as she pondered it.
"Could you write an example on concealment charms?"
"I can," Harry confirmed as he looked towards the clock. "I will have it done by the end of the week, and then we can go through it together."
It was getting late, and there were things he needed to begin looking into.
Unfortunately, Voldemort wouldn't simply die. With his enemies on the continent likely licking their wounds and plotting their next move, he had a small window that he intended to use.
"Thank you," Bellatrix offered appreciatively as she gathered her things. "Oh, did you manage to propose to the lovely Miss Bones?"
"I did," Harry confirmed with a smile. "It didn't exactly go as I intended, but she agreed to marry me."
"Poor woman," Bellatrix replied with a grin. "I expect an invite. I think I helped enough to deserve it."
"You did."
"Good," the woman declared as she made her way to the door. "Congratulations, Professor."
She left, and Harry began preparing for his own departure from the castle. Having already gathered the Diadem and Slytherin's locket from the cave, there was only one other he had an inkling about where he could find it.
He remembered the blackened hand of the headmaster after his own venture, but Harry was not foolish enough to put the ring on. He didn't share the same desire for the Hallows that Dumbledore had, after all.
Checking the clock once more, he took his leave of the castle, certain he could retrieve the ring and make it home before Amelia would be finished for the day.
Well, that was if everything went according to plan, which, in his experience, was scarcely the case.
(Break)