Chapter 8
The green carpet was peeling and worn; it was obviously a very used waiting area. Either it had started out the way it was or it had been trodden down to just a thin paste of fiber spread on the ground. The rest of the room matched the sullen green of the carpet, complimenting it nicely with its dark unidentifiable colors. Harry sat in a wooden chair contemplating his environs as if it was an omen for what was to come. Two aurors had taken station on the far wall from him, keeping the one door leading to the room between them.
The Ministry had long become a comfort zone for him. He knew where the secret passageways were, where the popular nooks and corners were to catch a snooze or a quickie, and of course which offices had the best tea and pastries. This dreary waiting room was far from all those familiar places. It was in the Department of Magical Creatures Control and Regulation. Why he had been dropped off there he had no idea.
Still he sat as serenely as he could, having developed that calm that Dumbledore exuded to the world. It was easy really; all he had to do it was fake it and copy Dumbledore. Everyone fell for the act, so did he most times. After a good night’s sleep with a warm body next to him albeit too young in years for him to consider going beyond flirting he felt relaxed and rested. Not like I am at the right age as far as she is concerned anyway, but looking never hurt.
The two Aurors kept looking at him as if he were some strange artifact, lingering too long on the newly acquired scar on his face. Harry caught their eyes one by one in a staring contest. The witch was embarrassed enough to look away. The older wizard seemed to take it as a challenge. His eyes told he had seen and done enough to not care, and he held Harry’s gaze for a painfully long time till his partner whispered to him to stop bullying children.
Harry smiled at the comment and chose to trace the dragon designs on his robes as he thought. Narcissa had been kind enough to bring him clothes in the trunk last night along with food so he didn’t have to feel uncomfortable in his blood stained pajamas. Tonks had wanted to dress him, apparently not realizing that morning wood was something she’d have to reckon with. There had been a moment of awkwardness as she was on her knees in her underwear tying the front of his inner robes.
“Wow, I didn’t know – oh, ah, you can do the rest,” she’d blurted blushing red all the way to her deep cleavage all too exposed in the bra she had changed into. Harry had pretended he had no idea what she was talking about.
Just as he had found something interesting to think about, that is, how far Tonks’ blush went, there was an ominous knock on the single door into the room. The middle aged witch walked smartly to the center of the room throwing open the door and aiming at whoever was knocking.
“What in Merlin’s name?” She gasped.
“Orders, Gladys, a witness. Have to keep it in here.”
“I am not staying with that thing and neither is a child, have you lost your mind?” The Auror, apparently named Gladys, stood square in the door as Harry tried to spy on more than just the conversation.
“You have back up. Come on, be a dear and give us some room, eh?” the wizard’s voice seem to be a little muffled as if he was standing behind someone further back in the hallway and not at the door.
“Don’t patronize me, Schafer. Is it under control?” She motioned for the other wizard to draw his wand and mouthed something to him to which he gave an incredulous look.
Seeing the caution on the two Aurors’ faces Harry too slipped his hand in his pocket to curl it around his wand. A mere second later he knew why Gladys was being bitchy. Cold gripped him like a claw and the already dimmed lights shrunk in upon themselves till they were just tiny pinpricks in a blanket of gloom.
They had brought a Dementor.
Having risen to being the Grand Sorcerer of the magical world Harry truly understood the power of these creatures and why Dumbledore had reviled them as much as he had. Their power was undeniable beside the one magic of the Patronus. No amount of Occlumency or even his terrible magic could really stay the influence of their fiendish strength. They pulled at happiness, at hope as they breathed in and out from their hollow mouths leaving only despair. They had been his enemy since childhood but he had thought as he grew in power he would become immune to them. That he knew was impossible.
Two things stood against them, raw will and the presence of mind to conjure a Patronus. In the moment he could only rely on will and wait for the stupidity of the Ministry to be played out. This wouldn’t happen under Shaklebot, not under me either, imbeciles.
Gladys came to stand right next to him her wand pointed unmistakably at the source of the cold. At the edges of Harry’s hearing his mother’s screams started. The Dementor closed and other screams, desperate appeals, flashes of faces so innocent and so wounded began to color his vision.
“No,” he gasped in a low throaty voice.
“Schafer do you have that thing under control?” The other Auror joined Gladys on Harry’s other side bravely taking off his cloak to cover Harry who had started shivering.
“Standard obedience spellwork, my Auror colleagues. Nothing to worry about.”
Harry could only see the man as a shroud next to the immensely fat Dementor that had just walked in standing to one side of the door breathing in its hideous way.
“Merlin, is that a normal Dementor?” the wizard to Harry’s left asked looking considerably pale. Harry didn’t give much of a damn; he was busy trying to keep the memories and emotions at the very edges of his consciousness.
“He is soul fat. This one sucked most of the souls in the Azkaban massacre. That’s why it’s here, going to try and question him,” Schafer provided as he shut the door behind him.
The room was blanketed in the Dementor’s aura. The two candle stands in the room gave off no more light and even the lumos spells of the Aurors seem to be wavering.
“My psionic tendrils detect delectably joyful memories. Yes, writhing ecstasy! This witch has attempted procreation ceaselessly. It must be because of her overdeveloped mammaries she attracted so many males. Note to self: test sucking her soul right out of her breast meat. So much to eat. Oh! Yum. ” The voice was toneless, flat, and yet the quickened creaky breathing of the creature told Harry it was excited.
“What the bloody Hell?” Harry felt as if he had just broken the surface of water that was drowning him as the Dementor’s attention turned to Gladys. He looked to the witch slumping against the wall, barely vertical, and made note she was fairly top heavy. The Dementor turned its considerable corpulence toward the Auror but stayed where it had been floating.
“Schafer get the guard to stop attacking Gladys!” the male Auror shouted not hiding the edge of hysteria. His eyes had given it away earlier, he had seen too much, which meant his burden when faced with a Dementor was that much greater.
“Yum yum. I could bend and spit roast you all by myself. Such vigorous happy memories! I will feed well, she might even satiate me. If only I could see I would only pick the breasty females, they have the best memories; so much sex. Ah, she does do a lap dance with prodigious abandon,” the Dementor continued in his almost analytical tone interspersed by its heavy cold breathing.
Harry watched, sickened, as the Dementor made an unmistakable thrusting motion.
“What the devil is it heaving about? Its saying something, translate!” The Auror on Harry’s left pointed his wand at the hooded Schafer.
“I have no idea. It’s not the standard responses.”
“What’s wrong with you?” Harry asked feeling the usual affects of the dark creature lessened, only realizing after he has spoken that it came out in the creaky breathy way the fiends’ talked.
“She has sizzling memories that move the souls in my belly. So many happy memories to eat. Do you know when she bends over she looks just like a heifer with her udders swollen with milk? Greetings wizard, I am Todd.”
“Don’t…mimic… it…will…attack.” Gladys clasped Harry’s wrist in a painful grip. He noticed the wizard named Schafer frantically trying to command the fat Dementor who was floating in a lumbering way toward him. The weakened Auror to his left tried valiantly to conjure a patronus but it sputtered like a bulb and his wand tip was snuffed out by the creature’s aura.
Fat Todd sat next to Harry on one of the uncomfortable chairs. “This one doesn’t have many happy memories. He’s almost dry. But the witch coupled with many men and witches. She has so many delicious memories. If I could only see I would suck only women with massive udders. It is my experience they are the happiest, they mesmerize so many mates. I can suck on her for days. If I could show you the way her hips roll.”
“That’s it Fat Todd, I’ve heard enough. Let her go, suck on Schafer.” Harry tried to pry Gladys off his wrist trying not to think of her ‘udders.’“I have been with this pruned automaton for two hours there is nothing in there worth taking. He works for wizard powers and that is all. Not a single memory of a witch pleasuring him anywhere. But the woman is divine. She has a memory, wizard, of two other women with her. She calls it a ‘titty sixty-nine,’ have you heard of it before? It makes her very happy, such flavorful victuals for my feeding. Tell me where I can find more practitioners of this sixty-nine udder ritual?” it asked lasciviously nudging Harry in a buddy way.
“You’re a perverted freak. Is that all you do, look at people’s memories of having sex?”
“It seems to make your kind happy and I have gained an appreciation for it after sucking your souls and stealing your happiness for two centuries. I cannot relate why plunging a fleshy dagger into another flesh wound is pleasurable but I feel the ecstasy and it is an incredible rush. You were a disappointment; that pink haired witch with beautiful untouched skin, sweating, and attacking you in a mating ritual-”
“She was tickle wrestling me it wasn’t a mating a ritual!”
“I have been devouring souls for two hundred years, I know rituals, wizard, what you and the lovely legged creature were doing would have left you effusing your essences while intertwined in each other’s-”
“Not one more word, Fat Todd, I swear I’ll do you an injury.”
“You injure me with your lack of commitment to the male imperative. She was on her knees in front of you, her neckline gorgeously smooth and demanding for the joining rituals and you stood there. You make terrible food, wizard, I am disappointed. The only thing I ask is that you pin her to the floor like many of your forefathers have done in their time and sow the seed creating memories of such joy, happiness, and pleasure that I can suck from your souls.”“Is he saying something? How did you get it to stop attacking me?” Gladys interrupted their conversation just as Harry was giving the fat Dementor an appalled look.
“I got him to talk about your sexual exploits. Sometime you had a triple sixty-nine.” Harry absently brushed her off still reeling from getting a telling to from a Dementor about his sexual life.
“Oh Gladys of hefty udders you give me a smorgasbord of delightful memories. Ask her if she has a sister, I must suck her too.” The Dementor elbowed Harry in a nudge again.
“Fat Todd, you disturb me only in the way hairless cats do.” Harry flattened himself in the far corner of the chair trying to get away from the fiend.
Just then there was a commotion in the darkness, the sound of the door being slammed open and loud incantations announced a falcon and an emu patronus streaming into the room.
He drummed his fingers on the armrest and then realized it was too relaxed a gesture. He changed his posture enough to look like a frightened but curious child; something that might be expected of him. Everyone was either glowering at someone else in the room or carefully avoiding eye contact. Except Fat Todd who was complaining about the over exposure to the avatar of positive emotions that a Patronus was. Harry drew another interesting insight from the obese and perverted Dementor’s bellyaching: the Patronus was evidently a disgustingly intolerable sugar high for the fiends, being that they were the consumers of happy emotions.
So all this time I have been giving Dementor’s indigestion with my Patronus. Gee, Dad would love that. Bringing his mind back to his current situation Harry noted that the Ministry officials bristling, not only because of their prodigious whiskers and beards, were about to lend word to their so far silent ire at the near disaster in the waiting room.
The room, a vast hall resembling something of a court room with its magical beast sized witness stands, was filled with the two Aurors who had accompanied him, the hooded Dementor-wrangler Schafer, a contingent of Aurors who had rushed to save them from Fat Todd, the cause of the disruption Fat Todd himself, and a bench full of Ministry brass. It was the bench jockeys who were glaring at the Aurors and Schafer.
“You misunderstood your orders, Schafer. Your irresponsibility could have landed you on charges of murder of a magical phenomenon by negligence as detailed in Article 32, sub-article 4Q, 2/7 addendum!” One of the three identical whiskery and bearded wizards broke the tense silence.
“That’s a real law?” Harry spoke out of place not knowing if being classified as a magical phenomenon was in his favor or not.
“Quiet, child. Schafer you will have a disciplinary meeting with us after this interview. Try to control the Dementor till then, and will you make it shut up!” The second triplet struck the table with the flat of his wand.
It seemed to Harry the hairy triplets only spoke if they were going to shout or not at all. Although, he did agree with the man. Fat Todd was getting over his sugar high and beginning to list the extracurricular activities of the gentlemen at the bench which Harry did not want to know of. It would be best for all of them if he kept his silence. Schafer used some of the command spells that Harry himself had used a few weeks before to quiet the obese dark creature. Idly Harry wondered how he was able to communicate with Fat Todd but dismissed it as some left over magic from when he had broken into Azkaban and been exposed too long to the creatures.
“Let’s get down to business,” a new voice entered and Harry turned in his seat to see Pym the unassuming wizard from the night before and a tottering warlock enter. Pym had a pensieve under his arm and carried it with none the care a priceless magical artifact should be treated.
Harry resisted betraying his suspicion at the sight of Pym and the Pensieve, holding the curious child face. The triplets greeted the two newcomers with grunts of acknowledgment.
“Thank you, I am sure we all appreciate your department hosting this, uh, conversation.” The doddering man behind Pym nodded to everyone in the room and smiled. Harry recognized the wizard as the unofficial head of Obliviators from his time in the Ministry.
The Obliviator was a minor legend in the Ministry for his skill with the charm. Many avoided his company because the old warlock relieved boredom at times by erasing just a harmless thing here and there to land his victims in embarrassing situations. Harry had many times shared in the merriment in someone else’s misfortune at the Obliviator’s hands. As a man he was decent enough, even if his practical jokes were rather invasive he still reversed the charm after he’d had his laugh, but that didn’t mean that he was not dangerous. His presence there did not make Harry happy and he became even warier than when he had spotted Pym. Old Weatherhead was not anyone’s fool.
“You must be Mr. Potter, our newest little puzzle. Pleasure to meet you.” Weatherhead smiled kindly and took Harry’s hand in a shake not trying to hide the tremor running through his liver spotted hands.
Harry tried not to grimace at the sensation of loose skin trembling in his hand and tried to see the trap if there was one in Weatherhead’s introduction. Just to be safe he kept his eyes just a little off-center from the veteran Obliviator’s.
“So Mr. Potter what can you tell me about your dreams of a black tower,” Weatherhead announced as he took a proffered chair from a young Auror.
“I don’t have any.” Harry felt the hunt had begun and wondered if he was up to fooling Weatherhead’s wits.
“Have you ever gotten into a fight?” Pym looked at Harry with a gentle expression.
“Sure, everyone does.” Harry shrugged trying to figure out their strategy.
“What did the Dementor tell you about Auror Gladys’…private life?” One of the whiskered triplets who had started out calmly ended in an exclamation evidently unable to help the predilection for shouting he shared with his identical siblings.
“I protest! The boy was joking. You can’t ask questions like that.” Auror Gladys stomped up from where she had been weakly standing against the wall, pale from her encounter with Fat Todd and very busty as usual.
“He can talk to the Dementor, can’t you?” Gladys’ partner shot her and Harry a look.
“That’s just stupid!” Gladys seemed to be sweating.
“I was copying it. Trying to make noises like it. Everyone was so afraid I thought I’d crack a joke. I mean how would I know anything about the lady?” Harry decided to answer the question finding an easy way to get out of the Ministry’s scrutiny of the matter.
“That was very irresponsible.” The third triplet frowned making his moustache brush out like a porcupine.
“I’m sorry.” Harry ducked his head.
There was movement around him and he felt someone kneel by him. He looked to find it was Pym pulling something from his pocket. Harry tensed as he saw a prophecy ball in the wizard’s hands. Pym was keeping it close and at an angle so that only Harry and he could see what he was holding.
“When did you see something like it before, Mr. Potter?” His manner was as unassuming and kind as always. Pym’s eyes gave away nothing but Harry knew there was a shrewd mind behind them.
“I’ve never seen anything like this, sir.” Harry too could play that game but his mind was churning as he made quick connections.
“Have you woken up ever and not known where you were? Been wearing clothes you didn’t know you had put on? Found things in your room not belonging to you? Feeling dizzy or sleepy even after a good night’s sleep?” Weatherhead questioned as Pym returned to his seat.Ah! They’re checking to see if I have been possessed. They think I could have been used to steal the prophecy. “No, sir.”
Pym and Weatherhead exchanged a look then went back to studying Harry.
“In the fights you’ve had recently, did someone scratch you with nails? Enough to draw blood,” Pym asked.
Harry felt the word ‘no’ die on his tongue as his stomach fell. Bellatrix! He cursed. His hand twitched to rub the back of his neck where she had clawed him in Azkaban. He’d taken too long to answer. “I can’t remember, maybe.” He shrugged trying not to reveal his thoughts.
That’s where Dumbledore found my blood, that’s why he sent Narcissa to spy on me. After last night the Ministry must have been able to trace my blood too which they didn’t have before. Damn it all to Hell!Pym and Weatherhead frowned and the former nodded to the Obliviator.
“Now don’t worry young man and just relax. I am going to check to see if any bad things have stayed on you from yesterday. It won’t even tickle.” Weatherhead smiled and pulled out his wand.
Harry tensed but knew he couldn’t react for fear of giving away everything. Weatherhead cast silently and Harry recognized the wand movements of the spell he used for an enchantment that revealed any Obliviation charms that had been used. If necessary the same spell could be used to break a charm.
It was tempting to employ any number of the intuitive and unnamed mind magic that he knew to resist or attack the old warlock but he didn’t. He knew full well that it would be more incriminating if he performed magic than letting Weatherhead find that he had never been obliviated. Unless I was obliviated at sometime. It was a sobering thought and he became anxious to know what Weatherhead found.
“Good news, young man, you are tip top.” Weatherhead smiled again and Harry began to get tired of its artificial quality. Pym betrayed his unhappiness at Weatherhead’s finding by just the barest of frowns.
“Harry, if you could, I want you to think of what happened at your home last night. Now I know it is difficult, and I am sorry. But we need to know to catch the evil wizard who attacked you. Can you do that?”
Harry nodded affecting a fearful face and demeanor.
“Good. I want you to think of last night then put this wand to your head and just imagine pushing your memories to the wand and pull it away. Alright?” Pym offered Harry a wand from the inside of his robe.
“What will it do?” Harry tried to buy time. I can’t let them see me doing magic.
“Well when you put it in this bowl we’ll all see what happened.”
“No, I can’t. It’s…they’re dead. I can’t!” Harry shouted making his lip tremble and hoping he looked panicked and distraught enough. From the corner of his eye he saw Fat Todd and an idea struck him. Painful as it was he brought memories of his honeymoon to the forefront of his mind and felt his face flush. Fat Todd moved as if he had been electrocuted off the wall making a bee line for Harry.
A chill gripped him flowing under his skin and Harry’s memories flashed to ones of loss and tragedy. He didn’t resist the influence wanting Fat Todd to get close to him to disrupt the interrogation. He fell to his knees hearing a commotion. Fat Toddy’s chubby and rotting finger curled around his shoulder sending needle sharp point of ice through him which he knew weren’t real.
Shouts, noise, loud incantations, a burst of light, then another; and suddenly he was being picked up bodily. He looked blearily to find Fat Toddy once again pinned to a corner of the room. Gladys pushed a piece of chocolate in his mouth and he realized it was the top heavy Auror who was carrying him.
“Ask it if Harry Potter was the one at Azkaban, ask it.” Pym pointed his finger at Fat Todd speaking to Schafer calmly. Pym was disheveled, his hair and robes in disarray, much like everyone who was close to Harry.
Harry heard Schaefer ask Fat Todd if it recognized Harry from the massacre. The others in the room besides Weatherhead were staring at Pym in bewilderment. Fat Todd turned its hooded head to Harry, staring blindly for a drawn out moment and answered in the negative in the command words the wizards used to speak to Dementors.
“You fed me souls, young wizard, I will not betray you. I much appreciate the snack you just gave me, I was starving. I regret these insensitive troglodytes interfered. I apologize.” Fat Todd gave a human shrug and floated to his corner.
Harry dared not answer or show any expression.
“How did his blood end up in Azkaban? How did someone steal the prophecy without triggering the curses? If it wasn’t him or his sister, it must be the Dark Lord.” Pym wiped his face. “Obliviate them.”
Anyone with wits left after the sudden Dementor attack drew their wands but they were not nearly quick enough for Weatherhead. The warlock made such fast and precise wand motions that he had the entirety of the room charmed to forget Pym’s sudden outburst in mere seconds. All except Harry who was prepared for something like that; he had employed those spells that he knew to guard the mind and was saved.
In another flurry of movements where the bearded triplets berated Schafer for letting the Dementor out of control again Harry was taken out of the room and escorted away.
The Aurors brought him back to their resting area in their department and Harry found Narcissa waiting for him on the bed he had slept with Tonks in. The Aurors were bustling about excitedly, making Harry shoot Narcissa an enquiring look.
“It seems, Mr. Potter, that the Minister has invited your sister to be trained by the very capable Auror department. She is in their training area now. Would you like to change and meet her? I brought something for breakfast too.”
“Should you be here, Mrs. Malfoy?” one Auror escorting Harry frowned at the blond witch even as she was laying out a cloth and putting food on it.
“It’s been cleared with the Minister. Let’s go see the girl-who-lived. I’m sure Mrs. Malfoy will bring him down when he is ready.” Auror Gladys answered tiredly before Narcissa could say anything. The dark witch simply inclined her head in a stately manner and by the way she held herself made it clear she was waiting for them to go.
The Aurors took their leave joining in the excitement of their colleagues all seeming to go one way. Harry fell on a bed breathing deeply. The morning had been very tense and he was worried to know they had found evidence of his presence at Azkaban. Time was running out.
“Achelous, are you well?” Narcissa came around the bed.
“Yes.”
“You don’t look it.”
“Why are you here, Narcissa?”
“To obliviate you,” she said evenly.
Harry arched a brow and gave her a wry smile. “Not you too.”
She smoothed her pale rose robes as she sat on the edge of the bed, her curled nearly white blond hair streamed over her shoulder as she turned to look at him. The expression in her gray eyes was very serious.
“Dumbledore wants me to erase memories of your meeting with Jamie Potter. I think he expects you will be meeting the real her soon and doesn’t want any confusion.” Then she tapped his nose and said, “Obliviate, there you don’t remember anything do you?”
Harry smiled. “You’re playful today even if you don’t look it.”
“It amuses me more when people don’t know if I am joking or not. So please when you see your perfect aunt act surprised, Dumbledore will be watching. Although it might be sometime before that happens. It seems she was attacked by heliopaths.”
“What?” Harry got up from the bed smelling the heavenly scent coming from breakfast his thrall had brought.
“Severus was apoplectic and it pronounced his typical acerbic nature. I wonder sometimes how he hasn’t died of ulcers. I couldn’t get much out of him other than that.” She had a faint smile on her face as she drug out another outfit for Harry, seeing how the one had been wearing had become a little ruffled in the morning’s activities.
“Having a good day?” Harry asked wondering about the woman’s mood.
“Yes, I have always wanted to move to the house in,” she caught herself, “move to our retreat. It’s a beautiful place. Besides seeing Severus burned and sputtering in persecuted madness is delightful.” She vanished the plates of breakfast Harry had already finished.
“You’re wicked.” Harry approved.
“He’s vile and takes uncommon pleasure in giving me my marching orders from Dumbledore.”
“People have wanted him dead for less. I understand, and I think I enjoy seeing you happy. It brings out a pleasant vindictiveness in you.” Harry gave her a light smile which she returned with a sultry one of her own.
“Take off your outer robes. I think you should be dressed to make an impression. Don’t you think it will be heart wrenchingly adorable if the brother and sister were reunited in front of the international magical press? It might make it difficult for certain parties from keeping you separated.”
A pleased grin came over Harry and he looked to Narcissa in admiration. “Conniving witch; taking advantage of such a sweet moment.”
Narcissa feigned a curtsey and draped the robe she had picked for him over his shoulders expertly tying it off. Thinking if it all went well he would be going home with his sister Harry decided to give Narcissa instructions for her husband. After all he did not know how easily he would be able to get around once under the watchful eyes of Dumbledore’s group. As she walked him to the Auror training room he detailed what he wanted done.
A roar of applause hit him as he turned the corner to the corridor leading to the dueling platform. Despite himself he felt a little excited at seeing how Bianca was doing. If the crowd’s noise was anything to go by she was giving a show. He had been truly concerned for her besides. All I can do here is take care of her, only family I can hope to do right by.
Narcissa took her leave at the doors and Harry entered the gallery level of the training area. A great square wooden platform was raised half a foot in the air measuring forty yards in either direction. The wood was polished to a shine. The hall was adorned in tapestries showing great battles and old magical war weapons were displayed here and there tastefully. A veritable mob of witches and wizards surrounded the platform and ringed the gallery giving a bird’s eye view of the action going on.
For a moment Harry was taken aback by the sheer size and sense of militancy of the place but soon his eyes were drawn to little girl spinning to avoid a curse in the middle of the platform and letting off two curving hexes of her own to punish the auror she was up against. Another roar of cheers and jeers went up as the Auror was struck down by the second hex. Cameras flashed sending smoke up in the air as two Aurors joined Bianca on stage. One went to his sister and seemed to be teaching her a spell or a tactic as the other Auror readied himself.
Harry frowned as he descended the steps from the gallery to platform-side and saw bandages on Bianca. She had her hair pulled back in a pony tail like before and wearing tight maroon robes that wouldn’t get caught in her feet. What happened to her?
Using his small size to his advantage he weaved his way through the pressing bodies to get next to the platform. Bianca was favoring her right leg and when the sleeves of her robes fell back he saw more bandages. His frown deepened as he saw the Auror exchange about fourth year level hexes and shields with her. She’s already shown a higher level skill, what are they playing at?
“Achelous,” a soft voice spoke next to him. Harry looked to find Lucius standing a little behind and to his left. The wizard kept his eyes on the match and gave no indication he was speaking to Harry. “Seems the Minister moved fast to curry good press after the news of the boy-who-lived made it to all the papers today,” Lucius continued but spoke to a wizard next to him who agreed.
Harry smiled at Lucius’ discrete way of giving him information without seeming to. He kept one ear to his thrall and his eyes on the increasing powered spells being hurled at Bianca’s shield. Even from where he was standing he could see the sweat marring her brow in the camera flashes going off in staccato bursts. He was impressed she could keep her focus with that many lights bursting around her.
“Prophet’s reporters are all over looking for her brother, you know. They’ll find him and this little display will go to second page. Wonder where Ludo is hiding the boy. I hear rumors, Lucius, that the girl-who-lived doesn’t even know of his existence. You wouldn’t happen to know something would you?” The wizard next to Lucius solicited.
“I hear much what you hear. Dumbledore is up to something.” Lucius layered his words with meaning.
The man harrumphed and Harry took his attention from Bianca. “They’re saying the boy is Dumbledore’s ace in the sleeve. I think he’s got one more hero to hoist on us. Convenient, if anything ever happens to her, he’ll have another to take her place.”
“Why? If I didn’t know better I’d say, Greengrass, that you’re suggesting something is going to happen to the girl-who-lived,” Lucius silkily suggested.
“Well you don’t know any better, do you? And for that matter neither do I.”
Lucius simply hummed in answer but Harry could feel his thrall tensing. He didn’t like Greengrass’ words and stepped forward a little more to look at Bianca intently. The simple hex-shield exercise had moved onto a duel. The Auror was holding back and playing the crowd. Bianca had a grimace of suppressed pain on her face as she favored her right leg even more. The Auror, a young and handsome sandy haired wizard bowed to the crowd as he ‘tricked’ Bianca with a feign and passed a stinging hex through her defenses.
Harry could tell that Binaca had allowed herself to be hit on the arm and seethed inside at the Auror for trying to compete with a child. Probably wants to brag that he went up against the girl-who-lived. He saw a look pass through Bianca’s eyes and he knew she had come to a quick decision. She looked to her side to a witch standing across the platform from Harry. As far as she was the page boy blond cut made Harry fairly certain that it was Jamie Potter. The witch nodded and Bianca grinned looking back to the Auror who was standing in an arrogantly open stance.
Bianca raised her wand in the air pointing it to the ceiling and shouted an incantation. Her wand tip exploded in light painting everything an agonizing white. Harry had shut his eyes and turned away recognizing the spell as soon as she worded it. There was a girlish scream the sound of someone falling as he heard Bianca cast jinxes loudly.
A cheer went up as the light faded. The young Auror was lying on the platform naked save a pamper and a bib with an angry red rash covering him. Bianca held his wand and bowed in exaggerated mockery of the way the sandy haired wizard had been. The crowd laughed and cheered. Harry smiled, pleased at how she had humiliated the Auror, but was concerned about her leg and slowed movement. An Auror stepped to the platform holding his hands up to quiet the crowd.
“Ladies and Gentlemen, it seems that young Miss Potter is quite a handful and we have been underestimating her. We should have remembered that she has been under the tutelage of her very skilled aunt. If it is alright with the young lady I would like to test her true limits so we at the Auror College can take her beyond what she knows and make her one of the true great witches of our time.”
Bianca looked like she wanted to refuse but Jamie Potter jumped on stage and gave a very firm nod. The little girl squared her shoulders but looked pale to Harry. Four junior Aurors climbed the platform as it was explained that at every fifteen second mark an Auror would join the duel against Bianca.
“Interesting. I would never have thought you to be so bold, Greengrass. Risky don’t you think?” Lucius spoke up again brushing his cane against Harry’s back.
“The Dark Lord moves, Lucius. He is punishing all who forgot him. This is my declaration of fealty to him. You will let him know, of course.”
Harry felt his heart race at what he heard and slipped his hand over his wand watching the crowd and the gallery for danger.
“And what makes you so certain I will play messenger boy for you?” More than a hint of viciousness entered Lucius’ voice. “You are overreaching and I will watch you burn for your stupidity soon enough. Good bye, Greengrass.” Lucius moved so he could catch Harry’s eyes with a look of warning.
“I won’t forget this, Malfoy. I will crush you when I rise in his circle.” Greengrass shoved Harry aside and grabbed Malfoy’s arm. He was not quick to notice Malfoy’s wand pressed in his gut until the blond wizard pointed it out to him.
“You don’t have enough power for this. I see your sons standing suspiciously close to those young Aurors. Didn’t think I would notice who is controlling their minds, hmm? I will bleed your children in front of you, Greengrass, if you threaten me again, and you know which one of us have never reneged on his word.” Lucius ripped his arm free and disappeared in the crowd leaving a chalk white Greengrass behind.
The crowd cheered and Harry looked around the dark wizard to see the duel had begun. Greengrass became suddenly still next to him, muttering words under his breath and watching the junior Auror exchanging spells with Bianca. There was a marked aggressiveness in the Auror. Harry figured Greengrass had him under the imperius. There were too many people around him to outright take out the man but there were other ways. Not all curses required a wand pointed as long as one had line of sight. Severus Snape and Quirrel had taught him that in his first year.
He stood behind Greengrass’ slightly stooped form bringing his hands together in a clasp that to a muggle might look like he was praying. He whispered the curse of choice under his breath and saw Greengrass waver. He narrowed his eyes and kept repeating the curse. The wizard’s hand went to his throat and began choking. No one noticed as Greengrass crushed his own windpipe; they were too involved in the duel. Harry quickly stepped in the space between people behind him to leave the scene of the crime.
On the platform the first Auror stumbled as he came to himself and Bianca bound him in ropes but paid for it when a hex hit her in the back from the second Auror entering the duel. A slash of pulsing yellow appeared on her as she let out a small grunt. Harry saw the other Aurors and Ministry officials look worried for the first time.
They finally notice. He tried to look for Lucius but was too short to see over the witches and wizards. He hoped his thrall had taken the initiative to take out Greengrass’ sons. Harry searched people around the raised platform for someone who looked like the dark wizard he had just killed but there were just too many.
He rushed to a magical weapon display watching the platform over his shoulder. Bianca fell on the leg she was favoring trying to avoid a cutting hex that followed an elemental curse she had blocked with a shield. On the ground she shielded herself again but there were three junior Aurors going for her and she was hexed twice finding one arm twisted and magically bound to her back while a new wound on her leg bled.
The crowd had gone from elated to afraid. The senior Auror who was acting as the announcer entered the platform to put a stop to it but someone from the audience cursed him and he fell. Others tried to surge forward but weren’t quick enough. It was Bianca herself who sent a bone shattering curse at one Auror’s chest making him crumple to the ground leaving herself open for an attack from the other two.
In the confusion no one paid attention to the side of the platform Harry was on right behind the press cameramen. He jumped on the platform even as he saw others enter the fray. There were screams and a stampede of people trying to get out as others started cursing randomly creating more chaos. Just how many sons did Greengrass have?
Bulbs flashed and smoke went up hiding Harry and the cudgel he was wielding. He swung the long leather strapped handle hitting the imperiod Auror in the spine with the bulbous head of the cudgel. The weapon picked up speed magically and hit with many times the force Harry was capable of. The witch’s back caved in and she went down with a scream.
Bianca was rolling on the ground trying to get away from the last imperiod Auror but the situation had gotten worse as people from the audience started attacking her too. The Aurors didn’t know who was enemy and who was friend. Someone sent up the dark mark and a terrified hush fell in the hall.
“Avada Kedavra!” a voice cried in the dead silence but Harry was there before Bianca met the curse on her frightened face. He jumped on her wrenching her off the floor with all his strength a heart beat before the floor shattered from the killing curse.
Harry came to his feet holding the magical cudgel in a two handed grip over Bianca facing the wizard who had tried to kill her. He didn’t recognize him as any death eater he knew. Before the man could curse again blood spurted in a fountain from his shoulder as his entire arm was ripped away by a curse. He fell screaming horribly and pushing himself on the ground. Blood covered Harry as he saw Jamie Potter standing where the wizard had been her face a picture of fury.
“Bianca!” she shouted in the still quiet hall.
“I’m okay,” she yelled back even though they were separated by ten feet and Harry standing with an oversized weapon.
“NO!” A witch screamed rushing the platform getting hexed and cursed on the way. She brought her wand down in a slashing motion.
“Down!” Harry shouted swinging the cudgel. Jamie Potter ducked as the weapon went flying over her and into the witch behind her. Harry had recognized her as a nameless Death Eater and felt no guilt as the dumpy woman keeled over with her bones crushed no doubt.
Noise picked up as if someone switched it on. Harry stood guard over Bianca as he took in the Aurors and other Ministry officials binding wizards and witches. He noticed Lucius levitating four wizards to the Aurors resembling Greengrass. Ah so that’s why the commotion ended, Lucius came through. But this was too big for just them, there were others in on this.Bianca grabbed his robes and trying to pull herself up. Harry bent and picked her up under her arms so that he was hugging her when she was on her feet. She whimpered as he accidentally brushed against her wounds.
“Sorry. You’re safe now.” He brushed the girl’s hair which had fallen out of the ponytail. “We should get out of here.” He looked to Jamie Potter who was standing next to them, her wand out and eyes roving around for any threat.
“Follow me,” she ordered in a tight voice. Harry felt she was a bit cold; she had hardly looked at him.
“Harry, how did you-?”
“ Shh, later. Let me carry you,” Harry interrupted Bianca before she revealed they knew each other and picked her up ignoring her protest.
Harry pulled up the cudgel with one hand giving it to Bianca to hold pretending he didn’t hear the squelching noise that came from the dying Death Eater’s body as it released the weapon. Jamie Potter kept up a brisk pace and jumped off the platform yelling at people to get out of her way.
What had been a scared mob a moment ago had become curious onlookers at the dead and cursed. Their faces looked ugly to Harry and he wanted nothing but to get away from them. Cameras flashed all around them and inwardly Harry groaned just imagining what the Prophet would be saying the next day. He had killed at least one person in front of everyone; that would make a pretty story. He hoped that he hadn’t maimed the imperiod Auror permanently.
A small hand reached for his face brushing the blood on it from the man Jamie Potter had amputated. Harry looked down to Bianca, struck by how much the lines of her face looked like his daughter Lily Luna. Her hazel eyes were pained.
“I’m sorry. If I didn’t come to see you, you wouldn’t have been attacked. I messed everything up. Are you okay?” she asked pitifully.
Harry couldn’t help but snort in repressed laughter. “Shut up, Bianca. I’m the one carrying your butt, you don’t get to ask if I’m okay.”
“Well are you?”
“Peacy keen. Listen, love, do you really want someone to hear you and figure out you snuck out to see me?” Harry looked pointedly ahead where Jamie Potter was bullying her way through Aurors.
“Darn it,” she cursed softly making Harry smile. He watched as Jamie Potter threatened a couple of senior Aurors to stand out of her way or she was going to slice right through them. Having seen her scythe curse that threat carried a lot of weight.
Soon Harry found it was nearly impossible to leave the Ministry. As nasty as his aunt was being to the officials she wasn’t getting her way. The Aurors and other law keeping departments had closed off floo access and declared that anyone apparating away would automatically be a suspect. It was because of this that Harry was back in the hospital wing of the Auror department waiting with Nymphadora Tonks who was taking her guard duty very seriously.
Bianca was in a bed curtained off for privacy. Jamie Potter was in there with her as she was healed. Once the initial panic had worn off the witch had tried to create as much distance between Harry and Bianca as possible. First she took her sister from him and then told him to ‘sit quietly in the chair,’ as if he were some misbehaving child. It had been hours and she didn’t let him see Bianca.
He shut his eyes trying for the umpteenth time to rest. Word had gotten around that the Greengrass family was behind the attack. The fact that there was a Death Eater besides them there and the number of random attacks in the crowd pointed to more people working with them. Apparently there are more Death Eaters here than I know of. Who knew Greengrass of all people was one. In his world Daphne Greengrass was the only Slytherin in the pureblood family that made a habit to marry powerful muggleborn in some attempt to add skills and strength to their bloodline. An ideology that didn’t endear them to Voldemort.
Slowly his mind drifted until he was asleep. He didn’t notice Tonks folding a cloak to make a pillow for him and settle him on the waiting area couch. It wasn’t until much later he awoke to an unpleasant surprise.
“Excuse me, my boy.” A hand shook him. Harry opened his eyes blearily seeing a wizard in resplendent orange robes. He leaned away from the hand and sat up. He rubbed his eyes thinking he was seeing things. But even wide awake the wizard in front of him was a very young looking Albus Dumbledore. Young relative to how he knew him in his world. This Albus Dumbledore still dressed in vibrant colors that he expected of him, had a beard and head of hair the color of deep auburn. Instead of wrinkles around his eyes the skin was smooth and the ever present half moon glasses were absent. It was as if he was looking at Albus Dumbledore over fifty or more years younger than he knew him.
“Hello?” Harry greeted wondering what new spin the alternate world had caught him in. He saw past the man and noticed Bianca’s bed was empty, Jamie Potter was not in sight either. He jumped to his feet looking for them.
“I sent them away, Mr. Potter. Don’t worry they are both well.”
“Why?” Harry asked before he could think. He thought he was going to be going with them. Why had he been left behind?
“Why? Well I am sure it’s obvious to you that the young lady was in danger. I am Albus Dumbledore, Headmaster of the school that you just received an invitation from. I am sorry it reached you in such terrible circumstances.”
“Where is my sister?” Harry was in no mood for the unwrinkled and un-bespectacled version of Albus Dumbledore.
“Ah, so you know of your relation to her. Again I am sorry for the way you must have found out. How did you know?”
“Mr. Pym told me. You didn’t answer my question.”
“I didn’t, did I?” Dumbledore affected his slightly absentminded demeanor which Harry knew to be a façade. “She is safe and protected. I have some questions for you. Can you tell me if you’ve ever noticed that you could do something unexplainable?”
“I want to see my sister. Why didn’t you send me with her?”
The Auburn haired wizard frowned betraying his impatience with Harry’s stubbornness. There was silence in the healing ward and suddenly Harry was very uncomfortable realizing there was no one in the drafty hall.
“I believe, Mr. Potter, that you are being used against your sister. It is for this reason I will keep you two separate. Your maternal aunt, cousin, and uncle are dead because they were in the same place as you. If you care for you sister you will stay away from her. I promise that once you come to Hogwarts you can meet her and be with her as it is a very secure place for all. Till then it is not safe. You don’t want what happened to your other relatives to happen to your sister and paternal aunt do you?”
If Harry had been younger he would have believed the man to be kind and wise. As it was his blood boiled at how the wizard was trying to manipulate him. “I can be safe where you’re keeping her safe too.”
“No, Harry, not if there is something inside you that is attracting all the wrong attention. Trust me, I only mean the best for you.” Dumbledore leaned on his knees in an earnest expression. The relative youth on his face disturbed Harry. He wondered if Dumbledore had been born much later in this world or if he was using some magic to keep himself appearing young.
“Mr. Pym already checked me, there’s nothing inside me. It isn’t my fault they died. Maybe if you kept me safe like my sister it wouldn’t have happened. Why didn’t anyone tell me I had a family other than them?” Harry watched Dumbledore’s face for a betraying expression but the man’s face was cold and distant, his eyes flat.
“I will take you to your sister and aunt if you answer one question to my satisfaction.” Dumbledore ignored Harry’s accusations.
“What?”
“Why was your blood found in the most secure and dangerous prison on Earth?”
Harry’s mouth dried. “I don’t know.”
Dumbledore sighed. “Then I can’t trust you yet, Mr. Potter. Your sister is very important to all of us. You will see her in Hogwarts. Good day.”
Harry thought of any number of things he could say but couldn’t figure on one that wouldn’t convince Dumbledore even more to stand in his way. The sound of the Headmaster’s heeled shoes walking away pounded in his mind spiking his anger. He is not my mentor. This is just a pretender and I will make him rue crossing me.
He sat in the silence of the ward thinking of his next move when a curtain was pulled back startling him with the sounds of rings moving over the bar holding it up. He saw Jamie Potter sitting on a bed. She stared at him for a few uncomfortable seconds then walked to sit next to him.
She looked straight ahead with a frown on her face. When Narcissa impersonated her Harry had thought she looked very young and foolish, but seeing her with the tired and wary eyes he changed his mind. The true Jamie Potter was different than how Narcissa portrayed her.
“I will tell you two things. One, I have been keeping my niece safe for ten years. I am very, very good at making sure she lives and her enemies don’t. I am a terrible witch to go against, so if you are trying to trick us to get to her you won’t be able to. I will find out how you’re possessing my nephew or using him and I will boil the flesh of your bones for harming him. Do you understand?”
“But I-”
She held up a hand to stop Harry, continuing in the same flat voice she had delivered her threat in. “Second, on the chance that you really are Harry, I am sorry.” She bowed her head and for the first time she sounded like a human with emotions. “I am sorry you won’t understand why I am being the way I am, and why I am so cruel. I promise you that I am working just as hard to find out if you’re innocent as I am to find out if you are a puppet for Voldemort. I am hoping you are my nephew, I really am.” She stood abruptly and walked away.
“You don’t like looking at my face, do you?” Harry called after her making her stop.
She didn’t turn around but he could practically feel the tension in her back. “Thank you for saving my life. Stay safe.” She left as if she was fleeing him.
“What a fucked up woman,” Harry muttered in her wake.
It was a week later and Harry was lying on a broom in the sky and hearing the Minister prattle on.
“And then they performed the triple sparrow attack,” Ludo Bagman related excitedly. He sat astride his own broom in the Quidditch pitch, physically fit and dressed in his old team uniform. This was the tenth riding session they had been out on.
“But you were ready for it,” Harry supplied having heard the same story every time Ludo had brought him along for his ‘think sessions’ as he called them.
“Course I was. Roberts and I figured out this routine you see, it was a real charm, called it the-uh, the-uh.” Ludo snapped his fingers trying to remember.
Harry opened one eye to look at the man in disbelief. “The triple sparrow rear bludging invasion,” Harry finished the man’s sentence again. “Really Ludo, you’ve told me this story a hundred times. At least keep the maneuvers straight.”
“Right, right, boy. You’re a quick learner. Might even be on the time your first year. With the moves I’ve taught you. You remember the spit swallow technique, yes?” Ludo leaned over his broom eagerly trying to infect the reclining boy with his own enthusiasm.
“For Merlin’s sake, Ludo. Not the spit swallow again. The swallow maneuvers are even more outdated than the sparrow flights. You’re living in a time twenty years ago. Besides only place swallow technique is an issue anymore is in the bedroom, and I don’t let any bitch spit. If you know what I mean.” Harry went into a lazy dive dropping that bit of wisdom on Ludo.
He should’ve known better, a bludger came whistling behind him and he rolled to miss it. “Oi! You’re going to kill me!”
And so it went, Ludo Bagman tried to peg Harry with a bludger and Harry tried his best to escape an ex world class beater. No one really had stepped in as his guardian and he had been left to the mercy of the Auror department by and large. They didn’t mind much as they were conducting investigations closely related to him. Ludo Bagman took an interest and decided to introduce Harry to flying. Since that day Ludo did less work and more Quidditch. Harry was getting tired of the distraction regardless of how much he loved to fly.
Twisting in the air he saw a brown shape streaking for him, much smaller than a bludger. Reflexively he caught the projectile finding it to be a small owl.
“Harry, you have an owl! I’ll break for five!” Ludo Bagman yelled as if he was not a day older than fifteen. Harry waved absently taking the scroll from the bird and the package attached. It was a note from Lucius. He had found Quirrel.
Harry smiled. Finally something to do.
“Ludo, can we go back? I need to go to Diagon Alley.” He flew up to Bagman flying eights.
“Hmm. I’m feeling like a spot of Firewhiskey myself. C’mon I’ll take you. You can do your school shopping. That’s what you want, right?”
“Yes, thank you.” Will be easy enough losing the overgrown child in London.
Despite the Ministry’s and Ludo Bagman’s reputation taking a hit because of recent events the man was not subdued at all. He walked up and down Diagon Alley introducing folks to the boy-who-lived. It wasn’t until Harry had him successfully in the drink with a bunch of old Hogwarts buddies that he got away; only to go upstairs in the Leaky Cauldron.
The raucous laughter and inappropriate jokes quieted as he walked up the narrow and dark stairs. It was as if the gloom simply oppressed all sound. Harry found a corner he was familiar with and drank the polyjuice potion Lucius had acquired for him. Stepping into an unused room he checked his reflection to see a stranger; some random middle aged muggle. A dark cloak and hood covered him. He hid his child sized clothes in a corner. He was ready.
With heavy steps he walked to the room number Lucius had sent him. It was the room Quirrel was renting from Tom the Barkeep. The nervous wizard had a tendency to keep to himself during the day only leaving at night. It suited Harry fine. He knocked on the door, wondering if he really was about to do what he planned. I have to save Bianca and Sirius, this is the only way.He heard several locks opening before the door was a pulled open and Quirrel’s apologetic face showed through. “Yes?”
“I am here to speak to your master.”
“I’m afraid I don’t know what you’re talking about.” Quirrel tried to shut the door. Harry gave it a solid kick, pushing the wizard back and entering. He had to make an impression before Quirrel dropped his act and started flinging magic.
Harry spoke in Parseltongue, “Lord Voldemort, I wish to speak with you.”
Quirrel’s eyes widened under his disheveled turban. Harry took a quick glance around the modest room filled to brim with dark artifact and then focused back on the wizard. Quirrel stood up his demeanor changing as a raspy whisper commanded him to invite Harry in.
Quirrel motioned to a chair which Harry took watching the wizard playing host to the Dark Lord for any sign of treachery. “A Parseltongue?” Quirrel asked sitting with his back to Harry and untying his turban.
Harry wet his lips feeling old and familiar dread of facing Voldemort. Red muddy eyes glared at him from the back of Quirrel’s head, a nub of a nose, and thin lips as if someone had taken a knife to make a mouth.
“Who are you?” Voldemort rasped in parseltongue narrowing his eyes.
“I am someone who seeks your wisdom, Lord Voldemort,” Harry replied in the same tongue.
“What is it you want, seeker of my wisdom?” Even the sibilant words were coated with sarcasm.
“You are the master of soul magic. No one has delved in it deeper than you. I wish to know how to rip out a living or dormant horcrux from a human being without damaging the host.”
In his state Harry couldn’t quite tell if Voldemort was surprised or shocked, the red eyes gave away nothing. There was a long pause before he spoke again. “Why do you want to know?”
“I have a score to settle with Mortfidèle and Sirius Black. It doesn’t satisfy me that to kill the one I will kill both. I want to make them suffer separately. I need Sirius Black alive and healthy so I can take my time exacting revenge on him,” Harry spat bringing up his hate for his enemies to give credence to his acting.
“Mortfidèle is my creature. Why would I help you defeat him?”
“He has turned against you. He calls you weak for falling to a child and has claimed the title of Dark Lord. Already he kills Death Eaters loyal to you and converts others to his side. It is in your interest and mine if he is vanquished.” Harry met the shadow’s eyes waiting for its reaction. No matter how weak Voldemort was in that state he still inspired the ugly terror that he almost wore like his own skin. Harry suppressed the shudders that came just by being near the abomination.
“Granted,” Voldemort finally hissed. “But I can take care of Mortfidèle’s betrayal myself.”
“As a crippled thing less than a spirit, forced to attach yourself like a parasite on other creatures? I don’t think so. Give me your oath to teach me the mysteries of horcrux and soul magic and I will give you your heart’s greatest desire.” Harry let a wicked grin show on his face as he saw Voldemort’s pseudo face twist in fury.
“What? What is it you offer you insolent worm?”
“A healthy body of your own, Lord Voldemort.”
Harry smirked at the black slits dilating in Voldemort’s eyes in greed.
I have him.