Disclaimer: I own nothing.
Harry was walking through a dark passageway at Hogwarts. He didn't really know what he was doing there, but knew he must have had some purpose. Walking past a classroom, he heard strange noises coming from within. He felt he should check it out, just in case someone needed help.
Opening the door, he knew right away it wasn't someone in trouble, but rather two people loudly having sex. He knew that he shouldn't watch, but couldn't tear his eyes away. In fact, the woman looked familiar...
"Mom?" he asked, almost sounding childlike. The couple paused and Harry took a few steps into the classroom.
"Harry!" she said surprised. It was indeed Lily Potter. Harry got a deep sense of foreboding, something evil was at work here. At that time, the man turned around, and it wasn't James Potter.
"Snape! No!" Harry said, hysterically.
"Son?" Snape asked, sounding concerned.
"No!" Harry said, and turned to the side of the classroom and saw a mirror. A pale face, curtained with greasy long hair stared back at him. It was pale and had a hook nose.
"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!"
Sitting up with a start, and panting wildly, Harry looked around and saw that he had been laying on his couch in his apartment.
Catching his breath, he walked into the bathroom and turned on the shower. Setting it to the coldest setting, still fully clothed, he sat down into the steam of water and brought his knees up to his chest, slowly rocking himself.
"Only a dream, only a dream."
-
Kingsley decided to pay Harry a visit today, just to be friendly and also to see if the taxpayer money was being spent well. Walking into Harry's waiting area, he noticed Harry's secretary wasn't there. The door to Harry's office was cracked open though, so he decided just to go in. Walking in he saw Harry was sitting upright at his desk with a strange look on his face, like he was daydreaming or something.
“Am I interrupting anything Harry?” he asked. To the Minister's surprise, Cindy, Harry's secretary climbed out from under Harry's desk looking slightly disheveled and walked briskly out the door.
“Yes, you were interrupting something Kingsley, but thats okay, have a seat, “ Harry said while zipping his fly, straightening up, and calming himself.
Kingsley was shocked, but sat down anyway.
“What can I do for you then?” Harry asked.
“I was just wanting to see how far you are on the case, I heard you were on a Quidditch team and wanted to make sure you hadn't forgot about your other obligations.” Kingsley said.
“Well, so far I have the names of the men who did it. Nothing else though, don't have them, hell, don't even know their motive yet.”
“Really, so your gonna sit in here getting blowjobs all day, instead of working?” Kingsley asked irritated.
“Nothing I can do really, I have set things in motion to the point where if any of these guys sticks their heads up for a second, I'm gonna have them trapped,” Harry said.
Kingsley looked like he wanted to ask more about that, but Harry cut him off.
“I'm not telling you how, I don't want to give away any trade secrets. I just know who the dangerous one of the group is, I think it would be a waste of time to actively look for him, instead of letting him come to me. He won't know that's what he will be doing, but as soon as he tries to leave the country, he's mine, he's American you see.”
Harry's phone started ringing. “Harry Potter's office, Potter speaking,” he answered.
“Really, that's great, I'll be there in 20 minutes.” He hung up the phone.
“Got him!” Harry said with enthusiasm.
“Really?” Kingsley asked in disbelief. It would be like Harry to fake something like this to make a getaway.
“Yep, tried getting a flight out of Heathrow. Thats where they are holding him. Wanna come?”
Kingsley declined. He really had other things he should to attend to. Plus he hated airports, who doesn't really?
“Okay then.” Harry grabbed his jacket and disapparated.
-
Harry stepped into the interrogation room and shut the door behind him. A bald headed man with a goatee and two hoop earrings was glaring at him, shackled to his chair from the other side of the table.
Harry took a seat and lit a cigarette.
“Why did you attack the Prime Minister?”
Powers eyes widened before saying, “I want a lawyer.”
“Like I give a shit what you want or don't want. You were not arrested. You are captured. By me,” Harry said dangerously.
“Let me ask again, why did you attack the Prime Minister?” Harry asked.
“Fuck you, you stupid Brit.” Powers replied.
“That was the wrong answer.”
Harry reached out and put his cigarette out on the man's bald head.
“Ah, you motherfucker, HELP THIS ASSHOLE IS CRAZY!” he yelled. Like it mattered, Harry had already put silencing charms up while walking in.
“They can't hear you, so, why did you attack the Prime Minister?
“Fuck you.”
“Wrong answer, shitbag.”
This time Harry grabbed one of Powers' hoop earrings and yanked it out of his ear.
“Listen man, they'll cut off my dick if I tell anyone.” Powers replied screaming.
“That can be arranged by me as well, Mr. Clean,” Harry said producing a large knife out of his pocket.
Powers had a feeling Harry wasn't bluffing. “Okay man, I did it to try and find out where the freak's villages are here.”
“Freaks?” Harry asked.
“You know, magic doing freaks.”
Harry's blood drained from his face. He had enough with this guy, using Legilimency, he raped the guys mind.
He found out that Powers worked for an organization of Muggles that hunted Wizards. They were based out the the United States in the Midwest, and were looking for new areas to exterminate the Wizards.
Powers fell back in his chair and looked up at Harry with even wider eyes.
“You're one of the freaks,” he said.
Harry just looked down at him, holding his wand loosely at his side.
“Unfortunately for you, I am freakiest of the freaks and this is my freakshow, motherfucker. Crucio,” he said.
Powers screams were deafening. Harry let loose of the spell after about 30 seconds. He seriously considered killing the man. This interrogation was off the books and nobody knew this guy was even in the country but him. He even had a plan to dispose of the body, but decided to take the easy way and stunned him. He then walked outside the room, memory charming all of the men that had apprehended Powers. He went back to the interrogation room and picked up the ashtray. “Portus.” With that he grabbed Powers and Portkeyed them both straight to the Ministry of Magic.
Harry and Powers re-appeared in the atrium, and Harry used his wand to levitate Powers in the chair he was still bound to. He began walking to the lifts and did not stop for security, but merely said, "Prisoner. Taking him to the Aurors."
If they were satisfied with that, Harry didn't stay to find out. Continuing on, he took Powers and himself up to Level 2, the Department of Magical Law Enforcement. As they were the only ones on the lift, he quickly modified Powers memory, so that he didn't remember Harry torturing him with an unforgivable. He set the chair down when he reached the Auror's section of the floor. A couple of them were looking at him funny.
"Prisoner is a Muggle, apprehended for intent to cause crimes against Wizards," Harry said with an official sounding voice.
"Apprehended, huh? With your super citizen power?" one of the wise-assed Aurors said. They apparently still harbored hard feelings about Harry's resignation.
"You will find that I have the Ministers full cooperation and assistance with this investigation. Mostly, because he deemed you were all too incompetent to handle it," Harry said hotly.
Harry stuck his arms out and leaned on the back of the chair and tilted his head to one side. "Look, just take him, and interrogate him on his purpose for being in the country, that's all you need to know. I already have all the information I need out of him, but I figured you guys might want something to do."
He turned away from them, not looking for a response and headed back to the lifts. Time to pay Hermione a visit. Level 4 was the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures. His first thought upon entering this section of the Ministry was to compare it to the zoo he visited with the Dursleys when he was 10 years old.
'Good Lord,' he thought. There were all sorts of different Creatures on this floor. Some were beasts and shackled to the wall, some were Hags, Vampires and other beings of the like, and they were simply sitting in chairs in what appeared to be a waiting area. Harry caught the attention of a couple of Ministry workers near him.
"Where can I find Hermione Granger?"
One of the witches pointed at the first office on the left in the 'Being' Division.
"She's busy at the moment though..." She said trailing off as Harry walked away.
Bursting into the office which said, 'Elf Liaison' on the door, he saw Hermione sitting at a desk across from from an extremely jumpy looking House Elf. Hermione looked up at him questioningly.
"Emergency," he said to her. Looking down at the Elf, he said to it, "Wait outside, please."
Dismissed, the Elf quickly left the office, darting around Harry. Harry closed the door behind it.
"What's going on Harry," Hermione asked, annoyed because he could have dismissed the Elf a little more politely.
"Relax, I was more rude to the Aurors a minute ago. I need your help, What do you know about the Wizarding World in America? Do they have an ambassador here? Do we have one there?" He asked in a way not unlike what Hermione herself would do.
"Only a little, they have a government much like we do. It's more labeled as a secret Department of the Muggle's government, though, then it actually being a separate Ministry like ours. And, magical governments don't usually have ambassadors, Harry. They're pretty independent of other countries governments, plus the ease of magical transport makes them pretty obsolete. Why?"
Harry processed that and answered, "I need to go over there and investigate something pretty damn important. Something I may need a little diplomacy for."
"Why don't you talk to the Minister, then, he may want to go over there with you," she said.
"No, no. He probably doesn't have the time, and if someone has to go with me, I would rather it be you. If anything, just so I can bounce some ideas off you."
"Well okay, but you should still talk to Kingsley, at least so I can get some time off here," Hermione said.
"Right, on the way out I will. Pack your bags, we're going the Muggle way," he said.
"But, why?"
"I don't want to draw any unwanted attention going by Portkey."
-
Five hours later, Harry and Hermione had first-class tickets on a transatlantic flight to Washington D.C. Harry had cast a muffling charm on their seats so they could talk about what was going on. Harry had told her of what he knew so far from the investigation. After that they went over the plan once they got there.
"So their offices are actually within the Muggle's capitol building?" Harry asked.
"Yes, its underneath it, they really don't need as much space as ours does, there's a lot less structure, and a lot less people to govern," she said.
'Only a little she says, yeah right, she knows only a little less than the Americans themselves,' he thought.
"Okay, so we can find their offices right?" he asked.
"Yes, but what exactly are we going to be doing there?"
"We need to find out what this group has been up to, and inform the government I will be investigating the Wizard Hunters as well," he said.
-
Muggle security was tight at the U.S. Capitol Building, but they both got access to it by posing as tourists (which was pretty easy because of their accents) and taking a tour. Hermione seemed thrilled about learning how the American's government worked, while Harry was predictably bored.
Harry was glad when they reached the entrance to the Wizarding section of the building and practically had to pull Hermione away from the rest of the group to slip off. The area was under Muggle repelling charms, so the tour group continued on, not noticing the archway hiding the passageway they slipped had through. It led to a large staircase which led them underground.
When they reached the bottom, Harry figured their had to be a mistake. This couldn't be the Wizard's Department of Magic. The place was in a terrible state of disrepair. Tables and desks were upturned and papers were strung everywhere. Paintings were either on the floor or their frames were crooked on the walls. An American flag lay on the ground, with the pole holding it, tipped over. The place did not look unlike Britain's Ministry of Magic after the last war.
Harry looked at Hermione, who looked more shocked than him.
"So I take it there aren't anymore charms hiding this place then?" He asked, thinking of Hogwarts and what it was supposed to look like to Muggles.
"No, something terrible must have happened here," she said.
"Your sure that this is-"
"Yes. Yes, this is where the Department of Magic has been located for the last 200 years, Harry. Even if they relocated, they wouldn't leave this behind looking like this," she said looking down at the flag on the floor.
"Let's take a look around then, we need to-" Harry was cut off by a loud crash in one of the back offices. Harry and Hermione looked at each other and by silent agreement, they took their wands out and began to cautiously make their way towards the noise.
A voice from behind them cut through the silence, "It sure is a wreck-" was all the farther it got before Harry effectively stunned the man who had sneaked up behind them.
"Sure is," Harry said, answering the unconscious man.
"Harry!" Hermione said, almost sounding outraged.
The man looked to be pretty damn old, maybe in his 70s. He was wearing a shabby looking cloak, and obviously a wizard, so Harry found his wand and took it.
"What? He could be a threat, look at this place," Harry said, unapologetic. He bound the man with ropes and Hermione cast ennervate to wake him.
"Whasit?" the dazed man asked from the floor. Harry had nailed him pretty good with that stunner.
"Who are you?" Harry asked firmly, keeping his wand trained on him.
"The janitor, who the hell are you?" the man said, getting his bearings back.
Harry looked up, annoyed. "Right, and this place is looking tip-top, by the way. Try again," he said.
"No one's ever said that I am a good one," the man explained.
Harry wasn't really in the mood for games, but recognized this man was probably an ally. He lit a cigarette and took a few drags.
The man coughed, and Hermione chastised him, "You really shouldn't smoke, Harry."
Harry just leveled her a look that told her to shut up. Looking back at the man he raised his voice a little and firmly said, "No one has ever said you were a good janitor because you're not a janitor. What are you doing here?"
The man sighed, he looked around defeated and said, "Okay. I'm not a janitor. I used to be the Secretary of Magic, I'm William Larson."
Hermione gasped and Harry looked at her. She looked down at Larson in recognition. "But you look so old now."
"I am old, Miss?"
"Granger, Hermione Granger," she said calmly.
"Miss Granger, pleasure to meet you, uh could you untie me?" Larson asked.
"Yes, well, we could. We really don't have to, though," Harry answered. Hermione was already vanishing the ropes, though. Harry just crossed his arms.
Larson brushed himself off and looked at Harry. "And my wand?"
"Nope, we need some answers first," Harry said.
"Okay, I assume your Harry Potter then?" he asked. Harry merely grunted in affirmative. "What do you want to know?"
"What don't we want to know? What in the hell happened here? Why is this place in ruins?" Harry asked, putting his cigarette out on the marble floor.
Larson sighed and sat down on a desk that was still upright. "You might want to sit down."
"That's okay, I'll stand. Give me some answers," Harry said. This man was getting on his nerves, politician or ex-politician, they all tend to have that effect on him.
"We had a war. We lost. I am not Secretary of Magic anymore, because that position doesn't exist anymore. Neither does the Department of Magic. There can't be a secretary without a department."
Hermione put her hand over her mouth. Harry just stared at Larson. "Yeah, we kind of gathered that last part. A war, huh? A war with who? The Muggles?" Harry asked.
"Well yes, in the end we had one with the Muggles. Before that though, we had a Civil Wizarding war amongst ourselves, not unlike the one you had across the pond. I don't know if I would consider the one with the Muggles a war. Is it really a war when you don't fight back and they slaughter you?"
Harry took a moment to collect his thoughts and asked, "Why didn't you contact us? We could have helped."
Larson gave a rueful laugh. "How could you have helped? Our civil war was going on at the same time as yours, Britain's hands were tied. It was for different reasons, of course. Something as trivial as Blood Purity? Please. We couldn't even decide which side was which over there."
"It ended 2 years ago. When did the Muggles find out about you?" Harry asked.
"About a year and a half ago. I suppose some of them always knew about us, really. Then the war got out of hand, exposed ourselves one times to many, I guess. The general public and mainstream media never noticed it, of course. It was the Muggle's supermarket tabloids, believe it or not. A group of Muggles got together, decided it would be a good idea to find our villages and burn them all to the ground," Larson said quietly.
"Yeah, I know how that goes, I've exposed myself more than one time, as well," Harry said.
The joke flew right over Larson's head though, and he just looked at Harry. "So, the war's been over in Britain now for a while. You couldn't ask us for help? Or someone else? Or even contact us to warn us this group was looking to move on? Why do you think we are here now?" Harry said looking slightly pissed.
Larson paled, he hadn't thought of them moving on outside the United States. "Oh god. Have they moved on?"
"No, well, I don't know, they have sent at least one scout to Britain to assess our situation. Who knows about anywhere else."
"Huh. Well, the reason we didn't ask anyone for help is because we had no idea of the gravity of the situation, ourselves. We were too arrogant to see that the Muggles could catch us off guard and collapse us. It happened so fast, we couldn't ask for help. To be honest we really didn't want to seem weak to any other country, either. A mistake, I know. I wish we had it to do over again."
"Well, I want to know more about this murdering group of Muggles. And why in the hell were you guys having a civil war, if it wasn't about blood purity?"
Larson looked at Harry like he was stupid, and said, "the slavery of House Elves."
Harry turned towards Hermione, wide eyed. "Don't you say a fucking word, Hermione."
--
Harry caught a flight to St. Louis, Missouri from Washington. He had instructed Hermione to go back to London and update Kingsley on what they had found. She had wanted to go with him to track down these bastards, but Harry refused to take her with him.
Larson wasn't much help when the topic of where the Wizard Hunters were located now.
"I'm not real sure, Iowa, I think? No, that's not right, Illinois, well maybe Indiana, I really don't know Harry, It's one of those 'I' states, though," he had told Harry. Powers fucked up memories were actually more helpful in this case, and he knew that the Wizard Hunters held meetings in a city in Illinois. Harry would have to drive up there from St. Louis.
Harry's thoughts were interrupted by the flight attendant asking him if he wanted something to drink. She wasn't bad looking, he thought. Normally he would have been dying to renew his membership in the mile high club, but he had other things to worry about at the moment.
"Rum and Coke, please," he said, handing her an American bill. "If you have it, anyway."
She set him up with his drink and continued on. Harry had lost his train of thought, though.
-
Harry landed at Lambert International, and grabbed a map of Illinois on his way out through the airport. He figured the quickest way to get where he was going was to drive. Problem was, he didn't have a car here. He figured he was a wizard though, and could easily steal one if he wanted to.
Walking out to the parking garage there, he looked around at all the possibilities. One car in particular caught his eye and he grinned.
It was what most people would call a piece of shit, a 1970's era black Pontiac Trans-Am. The paint was faded and it had rust spots all over, but Harry didn't care. He saw a potentially easy car to steal, and he liked the fact that it had the outline of a gold phoenix on the front.
"Yeah."
He unlocked it with his wand and got in. He looked down to see that the keys were left in the ignition.
"Hell yeah."
He started the car up and the radio began blaring some old 80's classic butt rock. Smiling, he turned the radio up and put the car in gear. He burned the tires while pulling out of the parking spot. He drove around the garage for awhile before he found the exit.
"Pass?" asked a fat lady at the booth.
"Confundo," Harry said.
"Have a nice day," she said, opening the gate.
Harry pulled off singing along with the song, "Don't need nothing but a good time, how can I resist?"
-
It took Harry about an hour and a half to reach the city he was looking for, Decatur. He drove at top speed down the freeway the whole time. He had to use the Confoundus Charm on a some unsuspecting policemen a few times, though.
He really didn't have many leads at this point, so he decided to get a hotel room in Decatur and call it a night. He found a decent looking motel that offered cable television and a pool with a hot tub and stopped there.
Stepping out of the car, he sniffed the air a few times.
"This place smells like shit."
--