Chapter 169

A Time for Change

As Lily appeared in the safe house that they were using as the temporary home for the prisoners, she saw Lana and the others racing around, helping to get people onto beds, and treating the visible wounds. Lily had to move quickly to get out of the way as Nagini sped past her.

"You okay, Lily cub?" Sirius asked, pulling Lily into a hug. Lily nodded.

"Yeah, I'm good. My heart's racing, don't get me wrong, but I'm good," Lily replied, smiling.

"After sending Mouldy Shorts down like that? You should be better than good," Sirius complimented, grinning.

"What happened?" Rufus asked, approaching them.

"Lily used a powerful attack against Mouldy Shorts," Sirius said, grinning proudly like a loon. "She even sent the bastard flying."

"That is damned impressive," Rufus smiled. "Do you think you wounded him badly?"

"Oh, he's definitely wounded badly. Might have even killed him, from what I saw," Sirius said. Lily frowned.

"That's impossible, isn't it?" Lily asked, looking at him.

"Because of the prophecy?" Remus asked. "Actually, you can thank Riddle for that."

"How?" Ginny asked, also frowning.

"Because of Nicollette. He can't die whilst there's still a Horcrux intact, but there are two of him, so his body can die!" Lily exclaimed, realising what Sirius meant, her eyes widening.

"Exactly," Sirius confirmed, as everyone was grinning at that.

"Lily, I'm going to have to create a new award for you, since you've already got the Order of Merlin, First Class," Scrimgeour said, chuckling. His smile faded as he placed a hand on Lily's shoulder. "The last few years have been difficult for all of us," he said. "But you've given hope to everyone. You've done things that no one should ever have asked you to do, and you've saved so many lives. Without you, I don't even want to imagine where we'd be right now. You are the greatest hope that our world has."

"Minister, I…" Lily began, tears welling up at the compliment. "I don't know what to say. I mean, I'm glad I can do something to help. The truth is, I don't want to hurt or fight anyone. I just hate bullies, I always have. It's why I do what I can."

"That's why you're such a good person, Lily. You care so much about everyone, and that's impressive," Scrimgeour said. "It's also inspiring, more than anything."

"I've never understood that, if I'm honest, but I've honestly never understood why people needed an icon," Lily said. "Let's face it, all I want to do is settle down with Ginny, have a family, and be happy. But if I want to do that, I need to deal with Riddle, for good. After that, I never want to fight again if I can avoid it."

"I get that, and I respect that," Scrimgeour said. "You are a good person, Lily, and I am so sorry that we've put our hopes on you. I wish I could just give you the normal life you deserve."

"So do I, but that's never gonna happen," Lily admitted, sadly.

"It will when we're finished in this damned war," Scrimgeour told her. "And hopefully, with Mr. Ollivander here, we might be able to get the answers we need, and one of the other prisoners might be of use."

"Oh?" Ginny asked, frowning.

"One of them is a Goblin called Griphook. He used to work for Gringotts," Scrimgeour told her. Lily grinned at that.

"I know him," Lily said.

"You do?" Remus asked, surprised.

"He was the first Goblin I met. He showed me to my vault at Gringotts," Lily explained. "So, if we can get him to help us, we might be able to find a way into the bank," Lily concluded.

"Okay, now that sounds like a plan," Sirius said. "We'll need to give Jim and others some time to help everyone we saved," he added, as Molly came over.

"We've got everyone in a bed. Ollivander, Luna, and Griphook are in the best condition. The others have multiple wounds, internal and external. Signs of torture, trauma, dehydration, malnutrition. Six of the prisoners were muggles, so we'll wipe their memories once we've treated them, but for now, they've been sedated, so they can rest," Molly explained.

"Bastards. None of them deserved it. Was there anything that could gave given Riddle a reason to kidnap those specific muggles, or was it just some kind of bad luck on the victim's part?" Scrimgeour asked.

"Hard to say. None of them are really speaking coherently right now, so we need to figure out what happened. Once they've rested, you might be able to speak to them," Molly said.

"Alright. We've got everything sorted here, and we're fully secure, so we'll get them treated here and then move them to the next safehouse," Scrimgeour said. "In the meantime, we should get to the debriefing."

"Good idea," Lily said, leading the way from the chaos of the medical area.

"When I saw Uncle Sirius, I knew he'd need a distraction, so I just did what I thought needed to be done, and I actually managed to hit Riddle with the Sectumsempra spell," Lily explained. There was a loud round of applause from everyone in the room, grinning.

"Way to go Lily, that's brilliant," Ron said. "I mean, sure, if anyone's gonna do anything against him, it'd be you."

"Zat is true, and hopefully, it will make him think twice about starting more trouble," Fleur said.

"If he is out of the picture, that leaves one of them instead of two, which makes things a little easier, especially if his forces will question Lady Riddle," Remus said, scratching his chin thoughtfully.

"We could try and get people to spread some rumours, find ways to cause more problems? Maybe even find out if Riddle is gone, and then use that against him?" Hermione suggested.

"It's possible," Scrimgeour agreed, looking around the table. "For now, we need to plan for the attack on Gringotts, but we'll need to play this one perfectly."

"Bill, you know about Goblin's better than the rest of us; what's the chances of Griphook helping us?" Molly asked. Bill looked troubled for a moment.

"It's hard to say. Certainly, Goblin's have no love for the current regime, especially given how Riddle is towards non wizarding kind," Bill said, scratching his chin thoughtfully. "The trouble is, the Ministry before wasn't exactly on the best of terms with the Goblins. There are those who do oppose Riddle openly, but they're rare. Still, having saved Griphook might win you a few points."

"Can you be there when we talk to him, please?" Lily asked. "I'll speak to him; I've met him before, when I first went to Gringotts. He showed me to my vault."

"Play on that; show that you remember him. That might help as well, as it'll show that you do care and don't just see every goblin as being the same," Bill said, looking at her.

"Wait, do some people really not see the difference between different Goblins?" Lily asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Sadly, yes," Scrimgeour answered before Bill could. "I've tried to treat them fairly, but I know that plenty of people don't really care to know the difference."

"No wonder they're not really on one side or another," Hermione commented.

"Still, we need to get Griphook on side," Crouch said. "He's the best chance that we have to get into the vaults."

"Okay, so we talk to him, and we find a way in. Where do we look?" Lavender asked.

"I don't think Riddle would have a vault, and it'd be something he put there ages ago," Crouch said. Lily nodded.

"I'm think Bellatrix Lestrange. Back then, she was his most trusted Death Eater, right?" Lily asked. "That's what Draco said a while ago, and it makes perfect sense to me."

"Yeah, that makes sense," Crouch agreed. "She'd do whatever he asked, so if he asked her to put something in her vault, she wouldn't even ask questions."

"Okay, this is starting to sound more like a plan than a hope," Scrimgeour said. "How are we going to get there?"

"Lily's cloak can help. We could also use Polyjuice potion," Hermione suggested.

"I'll go with my cloak, and if he agrees to help, Griphook can come with me as well," Lily said.

"It's unlikely that any other cloak will work in Gringotts," Remus said. "They have a lot of security there."

"Okay, so once we get there, we have someone make like they want to go to a vault, then…" Hermione's voice trailed off.

"Then we might have to Imperius whoever it is that takes us to the vault," Scrimgeour finished. "I know that's not something you want to, but we don't have any choice."

"I just… does the ends justify the means?" Lily asked. Scrimgeour shook his head.

"No, not even a little," Scrimgeour replied. "I don't like it Lily, I really don't. Personally, I wish that the unforgivable curses were never created. The mindset that bad behaviour is okay as long as it produces justice is a cancer, and one that has been accepted for far too long."

"With all due respect, how can you say that and at the same time, allow use of the Imperius curse?" Hermione asked.

"Consider it a last ditch effort, though if you can speak to the person showing you to whatever vault, then go for it. But we do what we need to do on this time. Once this war is done, then I'm going to have new spells found to apprehend and question people," Scrimgeour replied.

"Do you think they'll be willing to help?" Lily asked.

"I don't know. Griphook might be of more help there, but we'll need to speak to him," Scrimgeour said. "Fred, George, how goes the planning to sneak in?"

"We've got a few ways in," Fred said.

"When we first took over the shop, we wanted to have some escape hatches. If we can get near to Diagon Alley, we can make our way in through a house owned by a made up muggle," George added.

"Honestly, the way you two talk in sync is either impressive or weird, I'm not sure which yet," Alicia joked. "I mean, I went to school with you for years, and I still don't get it."

Fred and George laughed as they looked at each other, then at Alicia.

"It's a twin thing," they said at the same time. Lily chuckled, rolling her eyes. Her smile then faded when she saw someone enter the room, whispering to Scrimgeour.

"Everything okay?" Lily asked. Scrimgeour nodded.

"Pettigrew's secured, and ready to be questioned," Scrimgeour said. Sirius's eyes narrowed.

"Excuse me?" Sirius demanded. "The rat bastard is here?"

"In our custody, yes," Scrimgeour replied.

"No one said we were taking prisoners. He's mine," Sirius said. Lily, sitting next to Sirius, placed a hand on his.

"No," Lily said. "I know you're gonna be angry at me, but I took him prisoner and made sure he was brought back."

"He was able to warn us about an alarm on the entrance to the basement," Ron added. "I'm not advocating for him, just saying that he was useful."

"Great, now we can discard him," Sirius replied.

"After what he's done, he doesn't deserve to live," Remus added bitterly.

"I get that. I know what he did, and that he's the reason my parents are dead, and why you, Uncle Remus, spent so long in Azkaban. But we have to prove that we're better than Riddle, better than all of them. Justice needs to be served. He'll never be free again, but we can question him, then keep him locked up," Lily said. "He might even be able to tell us how to break apart the two Riddle's, if they're both still alive."

"Lily, I've followed you all the way, but this… you can't ever forgive that bastard for what he did," Sirius said, meeting her gaze.

"Oh, I'm never going to forgive him. There is never going to be forgiveness for what he's done, and he knows it. But he's questioning Riddle and everything, and you missed Lavender really tearing into him," Lily said.

"I'll share the memories later if you like," Lavender replied calmly. "I just… got so angry."

"I don't blame you," Remus said. "Lily, are you hoping to redeem him? I know you redeemed Barty, Draco, and Pansy, maybe others, but there has to be a limit."

"Yes, there does. I don't know if he can be redeemed, but if he wants to help, then maybe there's something he can tell us," Lily said.

"Lily's right," Bill spoke up. "I saw the haunted look in his face, and he was torn. I can't guarantee that he'll be trustworthy, or that he really wants to try and make amends, but as Lily said, we have to prove that we're better than Riddle and his people. We don't kill our enemies if we can avoid it."

"If we kill him for what he did, if we let ourselves succumb to revenge, then what kind of world are we fighting for? We might as well give up and just surrender to Riddle, and follow his rules," Lily said firmly. Sirius looked at her, and sighed, before looking down for a moment.

"Lily, damn it, I know you're right… but I've got a great deal of anger welling up inside just thinking of the bastard," Sirius said. "Remus spent years in prison, and he and I lost our closest friends."

"I know, Uncle Sirius, but I know you're better than he is. You're better than all of them," Lily said. "I believe in you, and I know you're better than this. You can't let your anger defeat you."

"When did you get so damned wise?" Sirius asked. Lily chuckled softly.

"Well, I've been feeling stronger since we destroyed the Horcrux parts in me, Ginny, and Nagini," Lily said. "And honestly, I want to win, but I won't use just any weapon or tactic to beat him. We're not Death Eaters, and we're not the bad guys."

"She's right," Scrimgeour said. "We'll keep Pettigrew restrained, and once we've questioned him, we'll keep him in prison. Once we've defeated Riddle, then we'll retake Azkaban, and send him there. Justice will be served."

"I'll speak to him," Lily said, standing up. "It should be me. I was the one who decided to spare him, so he'll speak to me."

"Alright, go. Find out what you can, then let us know. In the meantime, we'll keep planning to get into Gringotts," Scrimgeour said. Lily nodded, standing up and leaving the room, with Ginny walking with her.

"I hope you're comfortable here," Lily said, as she and Ginny stepped into the room that Pettigrew was being kept in.

"It's… it's a nice… a nice room," Pettigrew stammered. "More… more than I deserve."

"I don't want to hear any of the self-pity," Ginny replied, glaring at him. "We've got questions, and unless you want Sirius and Remus to be let loose in here, you'll tell us the truth."

"Don't… don't worry, I… I won't lie, or… or keep anything from you," Pettigrew replied. "I know you… well, I know you don't believe me or have any reason to."

"No, we don't," Ginny agreed. "And yes, I'm the bad cop, Lily's the good cop. Given you're the reason she grew up without getting the chance to know her parents, you owe her so much."

"Uncle Sirius taught me that when you see something wrong with the world, you either do something or nothing, and if you do nothing, then you're as much to blame as those who are doing wrong," Lily said, as she took a chair from next to the table in the room and sat down. "Why did you help us?"

"For… for a while, I've been… wondering, a lot, about the two of them, Lord and Lady, and I… well, they put on a united front, but both are ready… ready to kill the other," Pettigrew replied.

"That doesn't surprise me. He's a bastard, and she shouldn't exist," Ginny said. "Why weren't you killed?"

"Lord… Riddle… he felt that he owed me… some form of protection, because… I brought him back. As much as he… has been angry with me, he knows… he'd never have come back… without me. But I also knew… that he wouldn't keep me alive any longer. I fought for him, but… I've never been good at fighting. I'm a coward," Pettigrew confessed.

"No arguments here. You always hid behind whoever you thought was stronger. At Hogwarts, it was Sirius, Remus, and my dad. After, it was Riddle," Lily said.

"And now it's Lily. You can see how strong she is, and how powerful she is. She knows about the Horcruxes, she knows how to destroy him, and she might have killed one of the two tonight, before we all left," Ginny said. Pettigrew's eyes widened at that.

"But… how? I thought… he couldn't be killed…" Pettigrew said.

"Oh, he can, and Lily's the one to kill her. But at the same time, because he created a duplicate, by stealing Nicolette's body, that made sure he could be killed whilst there's still a Horcrux around," Ginny said. "And right now, you're wondering why I'm telling you this."

"Before you answer, we know that it's the truth. So, I've got a question. Did either Riddle ever talk of Horcruxes?" Lily asked. Pettigrew shook his head.

"I… I know of them, but not much," Pettigrew replied. "I only know… what I overheard… Bellatrix speaking of them."

"So, she does know of them. I suppose some of the Death Eaters would have to know so they knew how there were two of them," Lily scoffed bitterly.

"But not… not everyone… is happy," Pettigrew said. "They are… afraid of both… but they don't know… who to follow."

"We need to know where they're hiding, and what their plans are," Lily said. Pettigrew nodded, walking over to his bedside cabinet, and picking up a notepad.

"I… I've been writing… down what I could," Pettigrew said, handing it to Lily, showing a list of locations, and who was there."

"Thank you," Lily said. "This will help. Where were the two Riddles?"

"They have been… trying to find… a way to create a duplicate of… of the Wand of Power," Pettigrew said.

"Of course they'd call it that," Ginny rolled her eyes. "They see it as a source of power and want it. But why do they want to duplicate it?"

"I… I don't know. They… they say they… both want a wand… to share the power… but I don't know… if that's true," Pettigrew replied.

"It's not.," Lily said. "They want to find a way to make something powerful so they can prove they are the strongest, and so they can make themselves stronger. It won't be long before the two of them fight one another, and when that happens, one will die, and the other will rule. The question is, who'll be the victor?"

As Lord Voldemort managed to force himself up, he let out a growl of anger. He saw the Death Eaters around him, moving towards him slowly. "WHERE ARE THEY?" he cried out, ignoring the pain from his chest.

"They escaped," Lady Voldemort replied, looking at the Death Eaters, and at Bellatrix, who was coming from the house.

"My… my Lord… my Lady, they… they weren't alone," Bellatrix said.

"They had several groups, my Lord and Lady," Rudolphus added. "Some went to the attic and destroyed the orb. Potter and his ilk were in the house; they took Pettigrew, and others went to the basement. They took all our prisoners," he explained. Lord Voldemort let out another growl of anger.

"How did that filth know where we were or who was here?" Lady Voldemort demanded.

"We're looking into that now, my Lady," Rudolphus answered. "But they've destroyed the floor in the kitchen that was under Pettigrew's room," he added, as several others came out of the house, walking over to them.

"I think Draco Malfoy helped them. There are traces of magic from his bedroom," one of the Death Eaters, Curtis Jackson, stated. He had been a muggle but was now working with both Voldemort's.

"If anyone would know how to get through the house without our knowing, it would be him," Rudolphus said.

"Why would they want to attack now?" Lady Voldemort asked, seeing that Lord Voldemort was forcing himself to stay standing. She frowned, before looking around. "Do any of you know? Or even have an idea?"

"I think they were after the prisoners. One of them was Potter's friend, one just a Goblin, no value there, and Ollivander… maybe they wanted to stop us from having his wands?" Rudolphus asked. Lady Voldemort looked at her counterpart.

"No, that isn't it," Lady Voldemort said. "They know."

"Yes, they do," Lord Voldemort hissed, the pain clear as he was waving his wand to heal his wounds, though he was clearly struggling.

"My Lord… can I help?" Bellatrix asked.

"I need no help from no one!" Lord Voldemort cried angrily. "I am the greatest wizard who ever lived!"

"I… I'm sorry…" Bellatrix simpered. Lady Voldemort looked at her counterpart again and smiled.

"They know we have the Wand," Lady Voldemort said. "Which means they know how futile it is to attack us head on. They left when we arrived, which means they are afraid of us."

"As they should be," Lord Voldemort agreed. Lady Voldemort looked at the Death Eaters.

"We have let Potter continue this damned war for too long. It's time we change that and show all of them why we are the ones in charge," Lady Voldemort said. "Weakness cannot be tolerated, and we will win through our superior strength."

"Well said," Lord Voldemort agreed. Lady Voldemort smiled at him, before waving her wand. Before anyone could react, a green light shot out and struck Lord Voldemort, sending him to the ground, the light immediately leaving his red eyes. Lady Voldemort looked around, seeing the shock in the faces of everyone.

"He was a weak fool! He was so focused on Potter that he made mistake after mistake, and he let his fear control him," she said, picking up the Elder Wand from Lord Voldemort's hand. She sheathed her own wand, and took gripped the Elder Wand, smiling darkly as she twirled it in her hands. It felt powerful, and different, but… she felt a little disappointed that she didn't feel a great deal more powerful than she already felt.

"My Lady, I pledge to serve you, now and always," Curtis said, kneeling in front of her.

"Good. I am tired of following that fool when all he cared about was defeating a child. Because of that child, we have lost prisoners, and we have been made to look like fools, all because he was obsessed like a teenage girl. That wasn't power, it was just pathetic. Do any of you dare to challenge me?" Lady Voldemort demanded. Everyone looked at her, before kneeling, with Bellatrix kneeling first, though she did keep looking at Lord Voldemort's body.

Lady Voldemort laughed as she cast her first spell with the Elder Wand, destroying the body of Lord Voldemort, and removing herself of the burden that had been the foolish idiot. Now, with him gone, she was the only ruler, the Dark Queen who would control the world, and everyone would bow to her, and love her, and worship her. No one would stand in her way.

Not even Potter.