Author's Note: This is a little shorter than the last two chapters. I've been trying to write a full day to each chapter and that's out the door now. This is the eighth rewrite and if it ain't worked yet then it's not going to. Let me know if it's worth continuing or if I'm spinning my wheels. Thanks. 

Chapter Three

The Seven Days War: Day Two

Numerous wizards coming and going through the main doors of St. Mungo's were nothing new in the wizarding hospital, but the newest maladies that they suffered were quite the change from the ordinary. Harry sat in the waiting room close to the information window for any news he could derive from those in the know. He knew from the onset of the first Aurors that came in, almost two hours previous, that they suffered from the same injuries that led him to his own visit.

Most, of the seven Aurors admitted, arrived with various blood-letting wounds. One Auror was unlucky enough to be missing her arm due to a particularly nasty shot to her shoulder from what Harry guessed was a very large caliber weapon. Luckily, as ironic as it may seem to Harry, his partner was quick behind the wounded Auror with her detached arm in hand.

Harry sat leaning to the side, absently staring, much like many of the uninjured Aurors that were filling the waiting room, at the hallway leading to the examination rooms. Any news that would be given from the Healer or their assistants would be coming from there before anywhere else.

Every once in what seemed like a very long while an assistant would come out to inform partners or rapidly arriving family on the condition of their patients. The Auror with the missing arm lucked out. Most of the pieces that were detached were present by the quick thinking of her partner; she'd not lose the use of her arm.

Two Auror's weren’t so lucky. Harry grimaced at the screams of their family.

Three hours later, three of those that were able were discharged. They were grabbed up in the arms of those that loved them. The strain holding in the air since the first of the injured were admitted was tentatively broken.

Harry stood to make his way past the happy families and friends. He looked out the glass doors to the darkness outside. A quick chill crept up his spine from the feeling he had that dark times were once more upon the world and that he was again the focal point.

"Harry!" a familiar voice came from behind him.

He spun around seeing the grateful face of an old friend and one of the newest victims of the darkness.

"Susan," Harry smiled as she rushed up and into his free arm.

The blonde Hufflepuff he'd known back in school had changed since the last time he had seen her. The once long plaited blonde hair was now cut just below her shoulders, and Harry noticed that the clump that had been pulled out by the gunman had been neatly healed and grown back without a trace of what had happened at the flower shop.

After a suitable hug period she pulled back and Harry watched as her eyes pooled.

"Thank you for what you did," she sputtered. "I thought …"

Harry shook his head. "I'm sorry I wasn't there for Hannah."

Susan nodded and then looked down. "I don't think she knew what …," she started. "It happened so fast, and Hannah went for her wand."

He watched as her shoulders started shaking.

"I just stood there – and there was so much blood," she gasped out before throwing herself upon him once more.

Harry reached around and held her close. "It's not your fault, Susan."

It was like she didn't even hear him. "I should have … I should have …"

He leaned down close to her ear. "You did exactly what you should have done, Susan. Hannah wouldn't have wanted you to die too."

She choked another sob out.

"The bastard wanted me. Anyone that got in his way was …"

Her sobbing abruptly stopped. "Expendable?"

Harry sighed. "I was trying to think of a better way of putting it."

Susan pulled away wiping at her tears with the heel of her hands. "I used to go to work sometimes with my aunt Amelia. I'm familiar with the language Auror's use, Harry."

"I'm your friend. I'm not an Auror."

Her puffy red eyes looked at him in confusion. "I thought …" Realization dawned. "The bridge; you've been sacked."   

He nodded in response.  

"And here you are not even an Auror and you're still saving lives," she said with a bit of admiration.

Harry shrugged. "The Aurors would have …"

"HA!" she almost yelled. "I saw the television cameras, Harry. The Auror's would have done nothing." She spun around noticing and seethed for a moment before noting the people that were staring at her then she turned back. "You keep forgetting that I know Auror protocol, Harry. They would have done nothing for fear of exposing our world."

From what he had witnessed today Harry almost agreed with her. "We don’t know that."

Susan brushed another tear away angrily. "Too many eyes, Harry. Before you got there the Muggles were all over. The camera's too focused. The only time anyone didn't see what happened was when you put that bastard on his ass and blew off his damned face!"

People around them flinched at that revelation and Harry put his arm around Susan. "I think we need to get out of here."

She turned around and glared at the staff and others that were staring. Standing her ground she grabbed his hand and held him still. "This is the hero. Look at him!"

Everyone stopped what they were doing and watched.

"He does what's right! Not like that lot at the Ministry."

Harry pulled her once more. "Come on, Susan."

They turned to the door and Harry came up short, nausea again rose through his throat. He swallowed rather hard and his face settled into a revolted grimace. "Hello Rita."

"Harry," Rita replied. Her eyes sparkled and the smile Harry came to recognize in recent years as indicative of her desire to acquire a sensational story appeared on her face.

He pulled Susan along with him as he led with his good shoulder and pushed past the reporter. "Goodbye Rita."

Susan sneered at her and as they passed she reached out and snatched the green quill that was floating in the air scribbling on its accompanying notepad.  

Cries of protest uttered by the reporter were felled by the outer door closing behind the couple as they exited the hospital. Harry looked left then right as he adjusted the collar of his coat to shield his neck from the near freezing temperature.

"Where are we going?" Susan inquired as she did the same.

Harry looked back at the blonde girl. "You're going home. I need to find out what happened to those Aurors."

Susan's face showed no sign of emotion. "And you are going to protect yourself how?" She pointed to his injured shoulder and arm still in its sling.

He waved it up in the air. "The arm's fine. I'm just supposed to rest it."

"Said the man who had a piece of metal drilled into his shoulder." She saw the argument forming on his lips and cut him off. "Besides, didn't the Auror's, in there, say anything?"

He shook his head. "Need to know, and as of yesterday I don't need to know."

Susan pondered the problem for a few seconds. "Ron's still in the program. Ask him." After a second pause she added. "He is still in the program, isn’t he?"

Harry tilted his neck to the side and closed his eyes. "I kinda burned that bridge yesterday."

Her eyes intensified. "Harry, Ron's your best friend!"

He started walking down the street in a random direction. Susan matched him step for step waiting for an explanation. The sound of his shoes echoed against the walls of the building to their right and Harry eyed a passing car when he answered.

"Ron's been – well, he's been hanging around the other cadets at the academy too much. The things he talks about now …" He stopped and turned to Susan. "You know how Ron is; always wanting to be the center of attention. Even after all the praise he got after we beat Voldemort. It wasn't enough. It was like an addiction for him."

She eyed him once more letting him see the doubt in her face. "I'm sure it wasn't …"

"You weren’t there. Last week he was bragging to anyone that would listen in the locker room that he was buggering Hermione." His face locked in disgust. "And that isn't the half of it."

He turned back to his walk. "It's been a long time coming, Susan. The only thing important to Ron right now is Ron."

She took a long breath and exhaled through her nose in regret. "Fine, who else then?"

He shrugged thoughtfully. "Well Hogsmead was a fiasco with Ginny. She actually had the gall to …"

"Not another Weasley tirade, Harry. I'm talking about people who could help you find out about the Aurors," she admonished him.

"Oh," a smiled sneaked from his lips. He shrugged again. "I guess I could try the Prime Minister. It was Muggle guns that did that to them."

She grinned thoughtfully and shook her head. "And, of course, you are friends with the Muggle higher-ups." She slipped her hand around the crook of his arm. "Only you, Harry Potter, only you."

With a returned smile he set his slung hand over hers. "Hang on tight. I'll have to side-along you."

With the increase in pressure on his arm they Disapparated.

~0~

Upon the arrival on the grounds of the chateau several people were startled, namely the hundred or so soldiers that were quickly bearing large automatic rifles at the two new visitors.

Susan screamed. Harry nearly went for his wand only to figure out in a split second that his wand was up his sleeve which was currently bound by a restricting sling.

"ON YOUR KNEES!" one of the soldiers yelled rather loudly.

Susan screamed again. She would have run except for the restraining hand had on hers.

"Do as they say, Susan," Harry said as calmly as he could under the circumstances.

They dropped where they were standing and were immediately set upon by a soldier apiece while others trained their large guns on the center of their bodies.

"I'm Harry Potter," he said in between gropes of his searchers. "The Prime Minister knows who I am."

"Call it in," a voice said from behind him.

Their wands were taken and they were kept on their knees until Harry heard one of the soldiers ask, "Who's the other one?"

"Susan Bones. She's my assistant." He waved his slung arm. "I was shot earlier today stopping one of your criminals. Maybe some of you saw it on the news?"

The owner of the voice made himself known as he stepped within their eyesight. "We don't normally sit around watching the telly, Potter."

"Fine, whatever," Harry said to the officer.

The officer was approached by one of his subordinates. "They've got the okay, sir."

"Right then," the officer replied. "Smythe, Harrison, escort these two to the PM."

Even with the permission of the Prime Minister they were held at moderate gunpoint the entire way to through the chateau; the barrels never lowered anymore than the height of  their waistline. The feel of the chateau was definitely more intense than his previous visits. Something had happened and Harry felt the tension in the air like a fog.

After a brief wait outside the doors to the library they were allowed inside. The Prime Minister sat behind his desk as before except this time guards were stationed on either side of the door and the back corners of the library behind the desk area. They were led to the area in front of the desk and their wands were deposited in front of the PM.

"Mr. Potter," the PM said in a rather strained voice.

Harry nodded in greeting. "Sir."

The Prime Minister's eyes drifted to the blonde girl beside Harry.

"This is Susan Bones, my assistant for the evening."

The PM nodded. "I've word that you have been injured in an incident on The Broadway."

Harry shrugged, but Susan wouldn't let him get away with something so modest. "It was my life he saved, Mr. Prime Minister."

The PM's eyes darted back to Susan for a moment and then back to Harry.

"I've also received word through official channels that you bullied your way onto the scene with some cock and bull story about Her Majesty's Secret Service not to mention the dropping of my name."

If Harry's hands were free he would have shoved them in his pockets, instead he just shuffled his feet slightly. "Sorry about that. I had to get to Susan and Hannah."

An amused grin appeared on the PM's face. "Mr. Potter, it might behoove you learn that it's widely known the Her Majesty has no Service, secret or otherwise."

The tips of Harry's ears having already gone red from the report to the Prime Minister, but at the news of the fiction he had played off his face started to feel like it was flaming.

"It was the first thing to come to mind."

The PM relaxed and leaned back slightly in his chair. "Your fame from saving the survivors of the Connex bombing is what got you through the police line. Well that and I'm sure the officer in charge didn't know what to make of your … abilities." He reached into his desk and withdrew a slim leather wallet of sorts leaned forward and set it on the edge of his desk. "This might be of use in the future."

Susan released Harry's arm as he stepped forward and took up the wallet. Unfolding it he found a small badge on one side and a picture identification card on the other. A frown crossed his face at the picture then he relaxed as he recognized his jacket from earlier in the day. He realized his picture could have been taken at any number of cameras in the chateau.

"You are officially a security consultant to the Prime Minister. Unofficially, that identification will get you past most security, police, and military points."

Harry realized the significance of such a gift. "How … I mean why are you trusting me?"

The PM leaned forward and interlaced his fingers. "I'm a very good judge of character, Mr. Potter. I've surround myself with the very best people, and the success of my career is proof of my ability. Not to mention that even before we met you were putting the lives of innocents above the affairs of government and politics."

Susan stepped forward. "Forgive me, Prime Minister, but I'm somewhat familiar with law enforcement. The security background checks involved …"

"I'm quite aware of the requirements of that kind of clearance, Miss Bones," the PM stated. He reached to his side and pulled up a briefcase. Setting it on the desk he opened it and withdrew a very large file folder and let it drop to the side with a resounding thunk.

"Remember when I said I read your jacket, Mr. Potter?"

Harry nodded.

"Well that's it."

Harry's eyes widened.

The PM set his briefcase to the floor and centered the file in front of him as he opened the first few pages.

"I'm sure I'm not releasing anything beyond comprehension when I say that we've followed your life very closely since your Lord Voldemort was dispatched in the early eighties." He paged though a few more sheets. "Nothing too intrusive, I'm sure. I mean we didn't interfere in your personal life, and the information we've received is from reliable sources vetted very thoroughly."

Susan and Harry stood there listening intently. Harry worried exactly what was in the file.

"Here we go," said the PM looking like he found what he was looking for. "Age One: defeated Lord Voldemort. Circumstances unknown. Age Eleven: prevented the aforementioned Lord Voldemort, spirit form, from accessing mystical stone capable of granting eternal life. Age Twelve: Killed mystical fifty-foot snake armed only with a sword."

Susan turned her head and looked at the uncomfortable feeling his face was betraying. "What snake?"

Harry swallowed. "Basilisk, Chamber of Secrets, second year."

"A Basilisk!" she said unbelieving. "Are you insane?"

Harry took a seat and rubbed his hands over his face. "Voldemort had Ginny down in the Chamber. I couldn't let her die. I was the only one …"

"What's a Basilisk?" the PM asked with extreme curiosity.

Susan whipped around. "It's a great bloody snake that can kill you with just a look not to mention the fangs, the poison, the speed. It's not just long. These things can ...," she looked around at the size of the library. "Oh, I'd say this room would be big enough for a nice bedroom for the thing."

"Hmm," commented the PM. "Anyway, Age Fourteen: fought battle against aforementioned Lord Voldemort, newly embodied, and fifteen of his cult."

Susan sat down with that one.

"After being tortured and fighting said battle he returned with one civilian." The PM looked up. "Not in the habit of leaving men behind."

Harry held back a comment about Fleur not being anywhere in the realm of being considered men-like.

Without further comment the PM continued. "Age Fifteen: Led attack on Ministry of Magic again battled aforementioned Lord Voldemort and twelve members of his cult."

Susan lifted her hand and covered her mouth to keep from saying anything else. She could see the look on Harry's face and conflicted was something that might best describe his demeanor.

"Seventeen: Infiltrated and led battle at Hogwarts School defeating the whole of aforementioned Lord Voldemort's Cult and killing Voldemort."

The PM let that sit for a moment. "Since then you've been attending the Auror Academy." He leaned back in his chair. "Sounds like someone that could be relied upon to do the right thing."

Harry finally looked back up. His gaze stayed on the PM for a few seconds and drifted to the contemplative face of Susan. The silence stood only for as long as the sound of chair leather stretching broke the lack of conversation.

"What happened this afternoon?" Harry asked.

The PM thumbed the side of his lips and then laced his fingers together in his lap. "We've had the visitor's entrance of the Ministry of Magic under surveillance since the Connex bombing. The team's cover was broken and they were confronted by two Obliviators."

Harry slowly blinked as his imagination ran wild.

"We had them in custody and in route to holding when the escort was ambushed by several Magicals." The somber face of the PM held for a moment. "There were losses on both sides. We retained the prisoner for prosecution."

"There were two losses on the Wizard's side," Harry stated matter-of-factly.

The PM right eye twitched slightly. "My sources at the scene assured me that several Magicals received critical and fatal wounds."

Harry nodded. "And I watched as all the rest of them came into the hospital and walked out three hours later all nice and healed."

"How?" the PM asked in astonishment.

"Magic," replied Susan. "Harry?"

The PM watched as Harry disentangled himself from his sling. "I was shot in the shoulder today." He slid out of his jacket and handed it to Susan and then unbuttoned his shirt, sliding it over the previously injured shoulder. What he revealed was moderately tan skin with a patch of fresh pink skin roughly in the shape one would expect a bullet wound would be.

"By tomorrow you won't even see a scar," he ended as he slid his shirt back and redid the buttons. "One of the Auror's that was shot lost her arm, but it was reattached. She'll probably be out for the week, but she'll be back, good as new, soon after."

Susan handed his jacket back and he slid it on with only a slight wince when he pulled his right arm back. Stepping forward he retrieved his wand and handed Susan hers.

"I'm asking you, Mister Prime Minister. Pull all of your men back and let the Wizarding world alone." Shoving his hands in his jacket pockets he let the weariness of his day show. "I've seen it before: an incident here, a skirmish there, before you know it, people you don't know are dying, and then its people you know."

The PM stood and bristled. "We didn't start this, Mr. Potter."

Harry nodded. "I know. But be the bigger man, Mister Prime Minister, end it." He held out his hand to Susan and she slipped her own around his forearm. Grasping tightly they Disapparated away.

~0~

They appeared at an indeterminate hillside in the middle of nowhere. Harry inhaled a lungful of fresh air and released with it along with some of the tension he was feeling.

"Are you alright to see yourself home?" he asked Susan.

She caught herself in mid nod. "Where are you going?"

"Home," he answered. "To bed … well maybe a nice long soak and then bed."

She turned her head slightly looking over the countryside. "Got an extra room?"

At his inquiring look she continued. "Hannah and I shared a flat. I really don't want to go back there just yet."

Without even thinking he nodded. "Grab on."

~0~

The next morning he walked into the kitchen finding Susan looking at the coffee maker with frustration.

"Morning," Harry grumbled. "Problems?"

"I've taken Muggle Studies," she almost growled. "I know this machine is supposed to make coffee, but the only thing it does when I push this button is get hot."

An amused grin rose on Harry's face. "It's a process," he explained as he neared.  "First you take this paper thing here. It's called a filter; it strains out the grounds. You pop it in here and put three scoops of grounds in it."

She took the proffered can and scooped out the coffee into the filter. Harry grabbed the carafe and leaned over the sink. "Next, you fill up the pot with water, and pour it in the top." He pointed at the lid which she opened and allowed Harry to do his business.

"Now press the button."

After Susan followed the directions she smiled brightly and waited for a few seconds. "Where's the coffee?"

Harry turned around and strode to the refrigerator. "Takes about ten minutes. In the mean time we make breakfast." He looked inside and turned his head back. "Eggs and toast okay?"

At her nod he pulled out a few eggs and set them by the stove. "It's about all I'm good at. I can make bacon too but I'm out."

She caught sight of the interior of the nearly bare refrigerator. "Eat out a lot?"

 He smiled slightly showing just a hint of teeth. "I've been busy lately."

Susan backed against the counter and pushed herself atop to watch Harry crack the eggs and put several pieces of bread in the toaster.

"Is there a reason you don't use magic here?"

Harry looked over his shoulder as he was stirring the eggs with a spatula. "I do use magic. I just don't overdo it." Turning back he continued. "I like electricity, and most of the stuff I do the Muggle way will only save a few seconds or at the most a minute or two if I do it with magic." He shrugged. "Then there's the not really being any good with the household magic stuff."

Susan giggled. "So give you a Death Eater to blast and you're Merlin's long lost son, but folding shirts is a challenge?"

"Something like that," he replied.

Looking around the kitchen she spotted a small television in the corner. "Do you mind if I …"

He looked to where she was pointing and gave a grimace in return. "I'll warn you ahead of time. Every time I turn it on something happens and I have to leave."

Susan crooked an eyebrow at him and said teasingly, "Well maybe the curse will be broken if I turn it on."

Harry shrugged in response. The smell of scrambling eggs filled the room as he kept an ear out for the voice of the newscaster being cut off as Susan scanned through the channels. Harry continued with the eggs and waited until they solidified enough to form something eatable. He turned off the stove at the same time the toast popped up and coincidently Susan found a suitable channel.

Setting the table with various amenities Harry dropped off the toast and eggs, and then poured the juice.

Their meal went fairly uneventful with both of them watching the vaguely interesting cooking show that Susan had thought would be innocent enough. All hope for a peaceful day was set to the wayside as the cursed cooking show was interrupted by a special report.

Grey smoke was seen rising into the area above the female reporter's left shoulder. "The military has cordoned off a kilometer of the area surrounding the west end of the Strand south of Covent Garden for what reason we, as of yet, do not know. Any people still in the containment area have been ordered to stay in their homes and keep their doors and windows closed."

Susan looked to her left where Harry was seated and saw him in mid bite. His mouth was slack and the last of his eggs fell off the fork. His eyes found hers.

"The Ministry," he concluded.

He dropped his fork and dashed to his room where he grabbed his jacket and swung it out as he slid his arms inside. He found his boots, jammed his feet inside, and slapped the claps closed. When he looked up Susan was there with a determined look in her eye.

"I'm going too."

Harry looked around his room and found his wand on the nightstand. "I don't have time for this, Susan. Anything could have happened."

"Exactly. That's why you need someone to watch your back," she said resolutely.

Harry gave it a second's thought. "Fine, stay behind me at all times and keep your shield up until we're sure it's safe."

She nodded as she watched Harry turn around. "Grab on."

Susan, with her wand in her right hand, grasped his shoulders tightly.

~0~

Harry concentrated on the Fountain of Magical Brethren and the wall that was closest to it putting him in the middle of the Atrium of the Ministry of Magic. What he found when he Apparated into the smoke filled area wasn't exactly what he expected.

Gunfire deafened him. The smoke burned his eyes. His lungs tightened and it felt like he was going to lose his breakfast. Without a second thought he used a Bubblehead Charm. A quick glance over his shoulder and he saw Susan had thought along the same lines. Her eyes were red and he saw mucus running down her face much like his own.

An explosion sounded, and what felt like the entirety of the Ministry shook.    

"Merlin, what the hell are they doing?" he said to himself.

He held his wand in the air and ran it in wide circles. "Air Clearing Charm!"

Susan nodded and acted in tandem. An ever increasing arc around them began clearing until soldiers wearing gas masks and baring large caliber automatic rifles started to appear. Three of them turned on Harry and Susan.

"Crap," Harry. He brought his wand across the front of his body and dropped a Shield Charm in place. A second later armor-piercing slugs came to a halt and dropped in place a foot from their intended target.

"Stay behind me and summon their masks," he called out to Susan.

"Accio!"

The closest soldier tripped and fell forward led by a strong pull on his gas mask.

"Okay -- that didn't work," spit Harry as he was becoming increasingly frustrated.

More small arms fire was directed in their direction as the air around them was becoming diffuse with more of the noxious gas.

"Screw this," yelled Harry above the gunfire. "Shield us, Susan."

At the sound of his partner's voice Harry thrust his wand forward shooting a Concussion  Hex knocking five of the soldiers off their feet. A slash to his right and a Banishment Charm tossed a single soldier into the line of fire of two of his own men resulting in the riddling of the soldier's body with their spent ammunition.

An explosion down by the elevators shook the atrium. Glass rained from above.

"I can't hold it, Harry!" Susan's called out.

He reached back and grabbed her arm, Disapparating before her shield failed. They reappeared in the middle of Auror headquarters amid chaos. Everyone who was anyone seemed to have the same idea as Harry: get where the strongest fighters are. Except in this instance all the strongest fighters seem to be somewhere else, probably the atrium.

Harry pushed his way through the screaming and yelling of various Ministry employees toward the elevators where two Aurors stood guard. Luckily, Harry knew one of them.

"Mires, where's all the rest of the Aurors?"

The stout Auror grimaced. "Atrium."

A strong tremor shook the building and the sound of another explosion sounded from the elevator shaft.

Harry's eyes widened at the thought of what just happened. "I don't think they're there anymore."

Two cracks of apparition sounded and four men dressed in Auror's robes dropped to the floor blackened from battle. The elevator guards rushed forward.

"Kelley, what happened," Mires asked in almost a panic.

Kelley shrugged out of his smoking robes. "They're dead." He gasped. "The Muggles used some kind of blasting charm. There was fire everywhere. If anyone from the team made it then they Apparated somewhere else." He seemed to pause for dramatic effect. "Nothing could have survived that."

Harry's face set and he turned to Susan. "Evacuate the building. I don't care what it takes."

"Everyone's already gone," Mires said. "This is it." He waved his hand back at the twenty some odd people. "Unlicensed for Apparition, Squibs, and whatever. It's SOP in case the Ministry comes under attack."

"You got about ten minutes to get them out of here before it might not be safe," Harry said with conviction.

Mires grabbed him by the shoulder. "What are you going to do?"

Harry smiled slightly. "I'm gonna keep our visitors busy."

~0~

As the two Auror's and Susan side-along Apparated the rest of the people to safety Harry worked on the Elevator door. After trying the call button with no results he blasted the doors apart and peered down the shaft to the darkness below. The Auror squad being on the third floor and the Atrium on the eighth posed a small problem with logistics in terms of an offensive attack.

Another small rumble of an explosive being detonated sent a low echo up the shaft.

"What are they doing down there?" Harry said to himself.

He looked back at the remaining people waiting for their exodus from Muggle attack and then once more into the shaft. This time he saw light from below. A low popping sound followed by a metal thunk replayed itself several times as Harry's nerves were getting the better of him. Then he noticed several shadows moving.

"Crap."

He turned and looked around the room. Several cubicles took up most of the space and large wooden desks were inside each cubicle. A grim smile took to his face.

"Hey!" he yelled down the shaft.

From what he could perceive all movement stopped.

"I wouldn't be in this lift shaft if I were …"

He didn't even get a chance to finish his warning before gunfire riddled the area inside.

"Fine," he spat as he raised his wand in the direction of the cubicles. "They want to play it that way?"  

A liberal use of summoning and banishing charms later and Harry dropped half of the office atop the heads of the soldiers that were making their way up the shaft.

Taking advantage of the only turn in his favor, Harry reapplied the Bubblehead Charm and Apparated to the far end of the Atrium well away from the cluster of lifts. A second's worth of reconnoiter found the area still filled with noxious gas. He took aim at where he remembered the lift and let loose a blasting hex then Disapparated.

Reappearing where he originally came in he released another Blasting Hex. Disapparating again he jumped to the opposite side and mirrored his previous two actions.

With any luck, he thought.

He threw up a Shield Charm and cringed at the loud report of the automatic weapons sweeping the area.  He Disapparated once more and reappeared at Auror Headquarters.

Mires and Susan were the only ones left and they both seem to be waiting for him.

"Everyone out?" Harry said in an echoed voice through the fishbowl like charm still hovering around his head.

They both nodded and Mires stepped forward. "We can't leave the Ministry for them. The statutes …"

Harry ended the Bubblehead Charm and nodded in agreement. "Suggestions?"

Mires turned around and looked at what remained of the office and then back to Harry. "Burn it."

Harry's eyes darted to Susan and saw hers widen. He turned and stepped quickly to the lift shaft. He still heard a smattering of gunfire from below. He glanced upward and took into account the departments on each floor knowing that the quickest way to destroy the whole thing was also the most dangerous.

He looked back. "Meet me across the street on the roof of the building."

Susan nodded and Disapparated.

"Can you handle this?"

Harry shrugged his shoulders. "I've always been good at destroying things."

A grim look fell over Mires face. "See you there."

When Mires was gone Harry turned back to the lift shaft and pointed his wand downward. "FIENDFYRE!"

A jet of preternaturally animated fire spiraled down the shaft. Panicked yells from below sounded. Harry hoped that the remaining soldiers left in the Atrium would make it out before the ninth level of the Ministry of Magic was destroyed.

~0~

There was a cold breeze rushing by atop the Fennings building across the street from the Ministry of Magic. The London sky was overcast, which didn't bode well for the afternoon weather. However this was the least of the observations of Harry Potter as he appeared on the roof to witness the fall of the Ministry building.

In what was Harry thought was starting to become a trend he stared down the barrels of several automatic weapons.

Susan was on her knees only scant feet away with her hands on her head with her fingers interlaced.

"Crap."