hp priorities iv

7/30/2019 HP Priorities IV

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Chapter 50 Grand Re-openings

The defeat of Lord Voldemort and the subsequent search for his followers had occupied theOffice of Aurors for the better part of five years. The capture of the last few Deatheaters signaleda sea change for the Ministry of Magic. For almost twenty years the pursuit of dark wizards wasexclusively tied to finding the Dark Lords minions. The Office of Aurors had grown tounprecedented numbers. Tragically, those numbers had been diminished by the countlessbattles that had been fought to protect wizard society. The Ministry had come to the decision thatthe number of Aurors would not exceed thirty total, unless otherwise needed. John Dawlish wasassigned to head the Office and hed reorganized the office into four working teams, each headedby a seasoned and blooded senior Auror. His four team leaders were Harry, Lachlan, Proudfootand Savage. Each had six colleagues in their team for four groups of seven. With Dawlish, thecurrent manning for the Office of Aurors stood at twenty nine. The graduation of Ron and Sarahmarked the last such event for the foreseeable future, barring death or retirement. There were notrainees in the pipeline.

Harry walked into the open area that held the cubicles for the Aurors. His team was arrayed in aseries of work spaces in line with his own. In addition to Sarah, he had five other Aurors ofdiffering experiences and backgrounds. Ron, with Harrys agreement, had elected to stay withLachlans team, avoiding the awkward chance that hed have to take direction from his close

friend and brother-in-law. Since the end of the Morgana episode, the Office of Aurors hadprimarily been engaged in pursuing minor practitioners of the Dark Arts. The curses that thesepseudo-dark mages were using were small and inconsequential, but still required follow up. Themajority of their tasks ranged from checking on tips about the use of dark magic to the pursuit ofadolescents whod violated the ban on underage magic. Even now, Harrys team were out,checking on a variety of mischief complaints from a muggle school, where several bouts of boilshad broken out for no apparent reason. Harry was checking through several reports that hadcrossed his desk, especially an interesting announcement that Borkin and Burkes establishmentwas re-opening under new management. Just as he was thinking that this was something tokeep an eye on, he heard some muttering from the adjacent row of cubicles. Peering over to thefamiliar sound of his friends voice, Harry spied a red-headed body struggling with tying a tie.

Whats up, Ron? Harry walked over to where his friend was about to rip the tie from around his

neck and made a slight adjustment to the knot, straightening out the problem.

What do you mean? Dont you have to get ready? Ron checked the alignment of his tie in anearby mirror. The S.P.E.W. reception is at seven.

Sorry, old boy. My team is on the clock tonight, so I have to stick close by, looks like youre onyour own. Ron rolled his eyes, picturing a long night ahead. Part of what Hermione had broughtto her job with the House Elf Relations Office was to bring the patrons and members of S.P.E.W.,the Society for the Promotion of Elfish Welfare, together with members of the government in orderto facilitate the systemic liberation of the house-elves. Tonight, one of the largest fundraisers andnetworking events for S.P.E.W. was being held at the home of one of the most influential backersof the organization. Members from the highest levels of government and wealth were comingtogether and Hermione was leading the way. As her husband, Ron was expected to attend and

tonight, hell be going without the support of his best friend. Ron slumped his shoulders andwalked out of the office, as Harry shook his head in mock sympathy.

Ron arrived through the Floo, one of many guests making their way to the large mansion. Thefireplace was in a large ballroom, marked by high ceilings and elegant souvenirs. Several liveriedwizards were carting trays of hors de oeuvres and drink to the attendees. A group of instruments,sans musicians were in the corner of the room playing a minuet. Ron dusted himself off andwandered about the room. He saw Cavendish and Dawlish standing together in a mutedconversation with Kingsley Shacklebolt, the Minister of Magic. Ron nodded to Dawlish andcontinued his search of the crowd. He saw Hermione standing near the center of the room,


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engaged in a conversation with a house-elf standing near Rons brother Percy. Ron straightenedhis tie again and walked over to join his wife.

Hermione saw his approach and raised her hand briefly. Ron! Im glad you could come, Id likeyou to meet someone. Ron glanced at Percy, who had a bemused look on his face. Mrs.Burke? This is my husband, Ronald Weasley.

A diminutive woman had been masked by the crowd from his eyesight. She came forward andoffered her hand to Ron. She was old, very old. The creases and lines of age were well drawninto her face, yet her eyes were a vivid azure, full of life. She stood erect, not worn down bytimes weight. Her hair was jet black, not a hint of white or gray. Her grip was firm, solid and shehad a pleasant smile as she greeted Ron.

Kirklees Burke, Mr. Weasely. May I call you Ron? He nodded. Ive heard so much about you.Its a great pleasure to meet you.

Ron murmured something perfunctory and looked at the woman. She was the oldest scion of apure-blood wizard family possessing enormous wealth. Most of the members of her clan werenot known as being overly sympathetic to non-pureblood causes, yet Kirklees had beenoutspoken in her support for elfs rights as well as a fighter against prejudice based on

background. She was distantly related to the former proprietor of Borgin and Burkes inKnockturn Alley. Even though she was the oldest surviving member of the Burke clan, shedpoured a lot of effort and a lot of money into the cause and had reaped a sterling reputation forher efforts. Hermione was an absolute admirer. Ron smiled at her attention, amazed at hersharp intellect which belied her octogenarian exterior. The evening wasnt as bad as hed thoughtit be.

Evening in Diagon Alley had a different feel than the daytime. For the main concourse, there wasan air of romance and mystery. The shops were gaily decorated in an assortment of lights andgas lamps that lent itself to couples looking to spend a few lost hours together. Like its widelyaccepted sister, Knockturn Alley took a distinctively different feel at night. The lighting was moresparse, casting ominous shadows across the open spaces. Walkers tended to tread rapidly, as ifevery dark place hid danger. Visitors would swear that they could make out eyes watching them

from blackness of the side alleys and buildings. For years, Borgin and Burkes was thecornerstone of Knockturn Alley, its looming faade dominating the vistas in the walkway. Theshop had been closed since the fall of Voldemort, its owners implicated in a number of crimesassociated with the Deatheater wars, including the death of Albus Dumbledore.

Harry walked down the middle of Knockturn Alley, his shoulders erect and his robes flowingaround him. Even though his attire was midnight black, it stood out from the shadows thatdominated the thoroughfare. His viridian eyes absorbed every detail of his surroundings, settlingon the entrance to Borgin and Burkes. The double doors were thrown wide open, a fire pit lit onthe front terrace. The flames were a brilliant red, casting a sinister glow on the building, as if itwere bleeding. Harry chortled to himself and walked directly into the shop. The store wascramped and crowded with display cases and shelves housing any number of dark arts relatedartifacts. Books of dubious origin dotted a number of bookcases along the wall and bones and

bottles littered the displays. A few patrons were scattered about the store, browsing the aisles. Anumber noticed Harrys entrance, and quietly moved away from his proximity. One person,however, did not seem bothered by Harrys presence. He took in Harrys robes and prominentAurors talisman. He smiled in welcome.

He was dressed in black trousers that covered highly polished ankle length shoes. He wore ablousy black long sleeved shirt that buttoned down the front. A blood red ascot covered his neck.His ensemble was completed by a black sports coat, with a three button front, left open. The manwas pale, almost translucent, as if the sunlight had never touched his skin. His hair was alsoblack, straight and fell down beyond his shoulders and was pulled tight into a pony tail. He was


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tall, over six and half feet and his eyes were black, like onyx. The indication of age was the tuftsof white hair that peppered his goatee, near the chin. His appearance matched the nefariousinventory that populated the store. Harry noticed the mans stare and walked up to him.

The man held out a hand, My name is David Farrant, Im the new owner here. How might I helpa representative of the Ministry?

His grip was firm, but cold and clammy, like Harry had reached his hand into the depths of acrypt. Harry looked at Farrant over the top of his glasses. Im Harry Potter. I read somewherethat someone was opening this place up again. I was just coming by to see whats changed.

I am honored to have this grand opening graced by your presence. Its not often that we have alegend cross our threshold. His smile twisted his face into a vile grimace exposing rows of shiny,thin teeth that seemed predatory. As you can see, we carry most of the same items as theprevious owners, with a few additions. These are all for nostalgic or sentimental purposes, ofcourse.

Of course. Harry felt immediately that a game was being played. This place doesnt have agood reputation for straight forward business dealings.

One should not judged by ones past. You were friends with Sirius Black, were you not? I daresay he wasnt to be judged by his family history. His tone was dripping, but Harry could notmake out if it was contempt, sarcasm or humor. Harry chose to ignore the tone altogether, evenat the mention of Sirius.

Quite. Harry looked around, his eyes taking in the tomes on black magic and blood purity.Still, one shouldalso learn from the past and not be doomed to repeat its errors. Dont youagree?

Farrant bowed at the waist. I see your point, Mr. Potter. As you can see, this is just a curiosityshop. Youll find no looming nest of dark conspiracies here. He chuckled, the laugh soundinglike earth thrown on top of a coffin.

Harry looked at David Farrant closely. After a minute or so, Harry smiled its tone was menacing,giving hint to an unspoken warning. Youre right, of course. It would be complete idiocy toexpect evil to pervade an establishment when the eyes of the Office of Aurors are being sowatchful, wouldnt it? The challenge was issued not so subtly.

It would be, were something underhanded were being done. The challenge had been receivedand understood. If there is anything I help you with, please do not hesitate to ask.

Thank you, and welcome to the neighborhood. I hope your enterprise flourishes. Harry bowedat the neck and strode out into the night. Hed have to keep an eye on this place and its curiousnew owner.

The pub was like hundreds of others that dotted the landscape of London. James Robins was no

one. He was a simple man, a plumber who liked to spend his hours after work indulging in a pintor two after a hard day cleaning up the refuse of his fellow men. He stumbled out the door of theestablishment and started walking towards the tube entrance. Passing an alley, he heard ascraping noise, followed by the mewling of a cat. A compassionate man, James Robins madethe decision that would cost him his life. He walked into the alley to find the cat that was indistress. He reached the midpoint of the alley and peered towards a box that seemed to be thesource of the noise. He never saw the shadow rise behind him. He never saw the darkness thatpassed over him. He never had a chance to scream before his life was stolen from him in onefatal, brutal stroke. James Robins disappeared from the face of the earth and no one in hismuggle world had the first inkling as to how or why.


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Chapter 51 Motion

It was well after midnight when he arrived back to his home. Harry took in the familiarsurroundings of his sitting room at Grimmauld Place and tried to be as silent as possible. He tiptoed up the stairs to his room and wordlessly removed his clothing and put on a pair of shorts anda tee shirt. He turned towards the bed, his eyes barely making out the shape on the far side,moving in regular patterns. Harry took off his glasses and laid them on the bedside table. Helifted the bedcovering and slid his body slowly into the bed. Harry lay on his side, facing the bedsother occupant. The form next to him continued its steady, rhythmic movement; Ginny hadapparently not heard his arrival.

Youre late. Her voice was soft but clear, apparently his initial assessment was wrong. Dideverything go all right? She turned to face him.

The dark of the night made it difficult to make out her features clearly, yet her face was bright andclear in his minds eye. He reached over and pushed hair from her face and he could feel hersmile on him. Everythings fine. I had to go meet the newowners of Borgin and Burkes.

He played with her hair, stroking it back for her and caressing her forehead. She purred like acontent kitten. He smiled, an electrical shock shot down his spine every time she did that.

What about you? How did your day go? Is the Chudley win streak for real? The ChudleyCannons had been on a tear of late, pushing through several teams and assuming the lead oftheir sectional.

It looks that way. They meet up with some of the stronger teams in the League next month, sowell get a better idea then. Merlin save us from Ron if they actually win something. Harrychuckled at that and reached a hand to his wifes cheek.

How are you feeling? Harrys hand reached to touch her stomach. She was only a little over amonth into her pregnancy and had not yet begun to show. Nonetheless, a visible change was

beginning to take hold. Her face seemed to glow and her smile was warmer. Her hair seemed amore brilliant shade of red and had a lot more life. Her body seemed more curvaceous, morealluring. In short, he found her more attractive, more beautiful than any other time hed knownher.

Im fine; I really dont feel anything yet. She placed her hand over the top of his. Although,come to think of it, I am feeling a little strange.

His heart checked at his throat. What? What is it? Do you want me to get you to St. Mungos?

No,its not that at all. Ive got this feeling; I dont know. He looked at her, concern emanatingfrom his gaze. She smiled coyly, Youre not sleepy, are you?

Harry discovered another interesting change that came over women during pregnancy.

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When he arrived at the Ministry the next morning, Harry didnt feel as tired as he ought to. Hebumped into Ron in the Floo entry area and the two walked together to the lifts that would bringthem to the Office of Aurors.


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Im telling you, Harry, it really wasnt all that bad. Ron was regaling his friend about theS.P.E.W. reception the previous evening. Mrs. Burke was very interesting. Shes known someof the most famous wizards of recent times. I had a good time, really.

Thats good Ron. Im glad to see that you werent bored. He clapped Ron on the back and thetwo exited the lift. They entered the Office of Aurors and were met by its normal bustle asinterdepartmental memos and owls intertwined with the general conversation and movement intoand out of the room. Harry nodded towards Ron and the two made their way to their collectivedesks. Harry watched Ron greet Lachlan, his own team leader. Harry gave a wave to Lachlanand then went down the row of his own team to determine who had made it in.

Sarah Peebles was at her desk, furiously scribbling away at a parchment, finishing a report onsomething or another. She gave a silent wave to Harry and continued her labors. Next to herwas Williamson, a veteran Auror whose actions during the Thicknesse regime were not quiteaccounted for. He had an affectation for scarlet robes which were remnant from a cross culturalexchange hed participated in decades ago with the Russians. He sported long hair bound in aponytail, but spoke rarely. He did not acknowledge Harrys gaze.

Next to Williamson was Leonora Sigismund. She wore light blue robes adorned with stars andmoons. She had bright platinum hair cut short into a bob. Her eyes were a deep blue while her

lips were lush red. Her skin had an olive tone, belying a Mediterranean background. She wasthin, but athletic and could more than hold her own in a fight. Leonora was usually very pleasantto be around. She had a quick wit and a quicker temper and Harry found himself trying to keepher emotions in check, especially around her more intemperate colleagues.

Speaking of intemperate colleagues, one such specimen filled the desk next to Leonora, SeanManchester. Manchester was short, but solidly built. He had the rough hands of a longshoremanand his head was like a square block resting on top of a cinderblock. His voice was rough likegravel and he lurched rather than walked when he moved. His massive arms hung out to theside and seemingly would drag his hands on the ground were his elbows not bent. His face wasmarked with pits and scars the result of an illness when he was a child. He was generally notwhat Harry would consider a people person and Harry had to watch for Manchester wheneverhe interacted with others, especially Leonora, who Manchester took special pleasure in annoying.

The final two office spots were taken up by Carter Coombs and Monroe Burby. Both men hadbeen in the same year at Hogwarts. Coombs had been a Gryffindor while Burby had been aRavenclaw. Over the years, theyd worked out a relationship that complemented each othersstrengths and weaknesses. Coombs as the smaller of the two, slight of build. He wore his blackhair short in a crew cut. He had a long, narrow nose upon which a thick pair of glasses sat,causing his brown eyes to magnify in the lenses. His robes were almost always in a state ofdisarray and he talked with shy, almost pronounced stutter. One other thing, he was probably themost capable fighter in the Office. His friend, Burby, was Coombs polar opposite. Burby wastall, well over six feet. His skin was dark bespeaking the West African background of his muggleparents. He wore his hair in a crew cut as well. His robes were tidy and he had a massive,brooding way about him that seemed ominous, menacing. He spoke in deep, resonant voice, butby nature was introspective and analytical. He was the details person of the duo and together,

they were the most formidable team in the Office.

All in all, Harry had a functional team, one he was always a little intimidated by due to his ownrelative inexperience in the job. While he realized that he was world renowned for his exploits, hehadnt quite seen how that translated to this colleagues and what their perception of his abilitywas. He decided to plug his way through, much like hed survived through the years, and takethings as they came to him. He sighed a bit and rose by his chair.


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All right, letme have everyones attention. Six pairs of eyes drew towards where he wasstanding. It looks like were caught up on the minor casework. Monroe, where are we on findingArnold Paole?

Monroe spoke up, his rich baritone filling the air, Its odd, Harry. Hes seemed to have justdisappeared. I cant explain it. Burbys brow was gnarled in frustration, the inability to explainthe disappearance of their target not a comfortable position for someone of his intellect. Hesalways been a bit player, small time. Hes thrown covering spells our way that are radicallyadvanced for his ability. I just cant explain where hes got to.

Harry sympathized with his massive subordinate, he nodded his head. Keep me updated on anychanges. Sean, where are we with the Adams search?

The squat Auror let out a porcine snort. Well have him by tomorrow evening. Hes going to visithis girlfriend and a Hit Team will be there waiting for him. He chuckled. James Wray from thehit team is going to take polyjuice to look like the girlfriend. He couldnt hold back his enjoymentof the thought. The rest of the team joined in the humor.

Harry calmed them down after a while. Good, thats good. All right, it seems were caught up.Id like us to keep an eye down Knockturn Alley. I made a visit to Borgin and Burkes and

something doesnt feel right with this new owner. I cant point to anything specific, but Im feelingan itch.

Williamson had seemed completely disinterested in the whole conversation up to this point. Herolled his eyes and whistled. Harry, your itches always seem to lead to trouble. Sean and I willkeep an eye on the place. Williamson gave a glance to Manchester who offered him anoncommittal shrug.

Thanks, I appreciate it. Harry looked over his team. Thats it, check the incoming board andmake sure your paperwork is up to date. A flurry of activity down the way, near Lachlans team,caught his attention. He dismissed his own team and walked over to Lachlans desk, raising aninquisitorial eye.

Lachlan smiled at him. Weve got a strange report of some muggles that have been murdereddown in the West End. They were petrified and killed. The strange thing was that theres no signof an Unforgiveable Curse. Physically, their bodies are dried up, but there are no markswhatsoever. Im taking my team down to take a look. It definitely looks like dark magic.

Harry gave Lachlan a pat on the back wishing him luck, as Lachlans team began to file out.Harry saw Ron and walked over to him. Ron nodded his head to Harry while he collected hissatchel.

You want me to let Hermione know youll be running late? Harry looked over at the time, duskwas rapidly approaching.

Ron shook his head, No, shes working late. Her and Mrs. Burke are meeting with some House-

Elves from the West Country to see how they were enjoying their freedom. Hermione had beeninstrumental in approaching families around Ottery St. Catchpole and Godric s Hollow tocollectively emancipate their House-Elves. The success had been extraordinary and now shewas looking to build on that success.

Fine then, keep your eyes open, Ron. This sounds big. Harry shook Rons hand and watchedas he and Lachlans team made their way out the door.

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The crimson robes shone in the darkness as the man knelt in before the figure wearing them. Hishunts were now being investigated, which had been the plan all along. He basked in the rawenergy of the evil in front of him. All his years, hed worried about pure blood versus mudbloodand hed wasted his time. Real power came from magic, dark magic that was used to its fullestpotential. There were too many examples of the power of magic having no correlation to bloodlines. The man was excited that his master recognized this as well. They were focused onpower, and they would soon get it.

You have done well. The voice was low, barely a whisper. He coveted the slight praise,treasuring its infrequency, adoring its presence. You know what to do next.

All is prepared. The Office of Aurors are acting exactly as you predicted. We will soon be in aposition to undermine and dictate their every move. He bowed low, enjoying the buildinglaughter emanating from his patron. All was moving precisely according to plan.

Chapter 52 Illusions

The rundown warehouse was made of century old brick, its front long deteriorated by time andneglect. Its windows were dark, marked with broken panes along its length. Lachlans team

disapparated in a spear formation, arriving in the center of the open space. Dust flew in the airand a musty smell, like an old basement permeated the area. Lachlan took in the warehouse, hiseyes adjusting to the darkness of the shadows. The room was old, worn with signs of periodicsquatters around highlighted by the remains of fires and refuse scattered about. Lachlans eyeswere drawn to the incongruous sight of a man in a three piece gray suit who affected a relaxedposture near one of the walls. The man had the appearance of a dandy, making a consciouseffort to avoid touching any of the surfaces in the room. He held a monogrammed handkerchiefto his nose and mouth as if the smell of the buildings decay were a deadly contagion. Lachlanled his team towards the man.

My name is Hennessy. The Prime Minister asked that you be brought into this because of theunique nature of the crime. He pointedly avoided Lachlans extended hand. Our ownconstabulary is quite upset at being excluded from this investigation. Quite frankly, I dont see the

need to involve you people in this. He emphasized you people with a special contempt and hisnose was slightly raised to mark his attitude.

Lachlan snorted. Well try to remain out of your way. He extended his arm to his team, fanningthem out. However, if there is dark magic at play, you will be thankful for our intervention, Isuspect.

Hennessy made no acknowledgement of Lachlans statement. Youll find the victims in thebasement. I trust you wont linger here long. We can not afford an incident.

I understand, well be gone before you know it. Lachlans words fell on deaf ears. Hennessyhad already turned and left without another word. Lachlan shook his head and pointed his teamtowards a nearby flight of stairs. They proceeded down the darkening stairs, the only sound the

creak of the ancient timbers as their weight bore down. Ron was in the lead, his wand held high,a luminescent blue light highlighting the space. They descended to an open room. Long planksof wood dotted the ceiling. At the end of the room, there appeared to be five slabs of meathanging from the rafters. As the group approached, the figures clarified into resolution. Ronmade out the hanging figures to be the bodies of four men and a woman. They were bound andthe ropes hung from hooks suspended from the ceiling.

Lachlan made his way forward noticing that the bodies were hanging upside down, feet raisedtowards the room, heads barely suspended above the floor. Their skin was gray, ashen andshriveled, revealing the contours of their skeletal structure. Their eyes were a solid black, as if


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their blood had filled the eyeballs, like a glass full of wine. Lachlan bent down and inspected theface of the nearest body. It was of a man, a working man by the looks of him, a plumber orelectrician. His face was contorted in pain, rigor mortis freezing his last gasp of horror forposterity. His body looked empty, as if the total internal volume had been emptied, yet no visiblesigns of injury could be found. There were no marks and no cuts. Lachlan stroked his chin inthought.

Its like their life forces have been drained from them. Rons declaration mirrored Lachlansthoughts. Lachlan looked on the floor directly below the bodies. There was no blood, no detritus.Lachlan motioned for Cavendish and Ron to approach and indicated for the rest of the team tospread out and conduct a thorough search of the surroundings. Ron and Cavendish moved up tothe dead, unconsciously recoiling from the horror of the scene.

It looks like theyve been exsanguinated, yet I cant find any s ign of blood or puncture marks.This is odd. Lachlan searched the surrounding area. Finally straightening his back, he reachedinto his bag and pulled out an old-fashioned kodachrome camera. He extended the accordionlens and handed the camera to Cavendish. Take a few pictures. This camera has beencharmed to create full three dimensional images. Make sure you get the bindings.

Ron walked up to Lachlan, as Cavendish began to snap pictures of the hapless victims. So, is

this dark magic?

Lachlan started up from his musings, I wasnt sure for a moment, but look at the bindings.Theyre remnants from an Incarcerous Charm. I dont know what killed these people, but awizard definitely bound them. Whatever happened to them, there was magic involved and wedbetter find out whos behind it.

***

Williamson and Manchester worked their way down Knockturn Alley. Their dress was disheveled,almost like vagrants. They blended with the normal traffic that surrounded the alley. Coming to ashrunken heads shop directly across from Borgin and Burkes, they proceeded to secure seatingin a run down caf directly across from the shop. They ordered tankards of ale and kept a

constant watch on the front door of Borgin and Burkes.

The sun fell and the traffic dropped at their target. Williamson saw a flash of movement near theside of the building which drew his eye. He focused on the movement and caught sight of aperson who should not be there. He nudged Manchester, pointing down the alley. Manchesterdid a double take and looked back into the open doorway at Burkes. David Farrant was stillfirmly ensconced behind his display case, but the figure in the alley was still, frozen. Manchesterlooked at Williamson who nodded in agreement. Paying their tab, the pair rose and movedtowards the alley. They kept their movements subtle, relying on their training in Stealth andTracking to obscure their intent from the casual observer. They slid into the alley, each walkingdown a side, approaching the familiar figure at the end of the alley. Williamson peered atManchester, who shrugged his head.

Maam, are you alright? The figure didnt speak, but had a lost look on her face. Why dontyou let us get you out of here, Im sure your family would be worried about you.

The woman spoke, her voice familiar to the pair, Oh no, Im perfectly fine and soon, so shall youboth. She smiled and raised her hand, her wand displayed, Petrificus Totalus! The spellreached from her wand and engulfed Williamson with its glare freezing him.

Manchester drew his wand, still shocked from who was attacking him. As he raised his arm, hewas hit from behind by another paralyzing spell. As he fell, his eyes caught a glimpse of hisattacker. A pair of dark eyes stared back at him, an evil smile on the face.


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Do not worry. Soon, everything will be perfect. The man strode to his partner, who looked up athim with a blank face. Youd better be moving along, my dear, before you are missed. Shenodded and walked out of the alley, her curls trailing smartly behind her.

The man turned towards the paralyzed Aurors, his face sneering. You will thank me for this.This time his smile was pure evil. Williamson tried to scream and realized his efforts werefruitless.

***

Burby and Coombs appeared suddenly at the hearth of a non-descript pub in Plymouth. It wasnear midnight and the Aurors found the place half filled patrons nursing their drinks. The twoglanced at the bored bartender and walked out into the street. It was drizzly, overcast, the threatof a heavy storm lingering over the harbor. Their pace was brisk but unhurried, Coombs eyessearching like a falcon on the hunt. When they reached Pier Thirty, they found a quay with awarehouse sitting right atop the water, tall derricks reaching up into the night, their topsdisappearing into the clouds.

Are you sure this is the right place? Coombs kept his scan going, his free hand on his wand,

ready to strike at a moments notice.

Burby was lost in thought, his partners voice bringing him out of his reverie. What? Yes, this isthe place. Pier Thirty, Plymouth. Arnold Paole was seen out here. This is where he is holingup.

Coombs snorted. They reached end of the pier, where they found a decrepit Liberty ship mooredalongside the pilings. The paint had long since faded, rust the dominant color. There was adecaying gangway leading to the pier, but no sign of life about the decks or within. The twoAurors drew up to the bridge and walked up onto the quarterdeck. There was no sound, only thewind filing through the holes in the hull and superstructure. Coombs looked up to the bridge andcaught sight of a flicker of light. He pointed to the light and led Burby up the external ladder to thebridge. Rounding the corner, they found themselves staring at the back of a man.

The man turned around. He was bald, almost fifty years old. He smiled revealing brown teethand gaps where several were missing. He began to cackle and raised his hands in mocksurrender.

Arnold Paole. You are under arrest for practicing dark magic on muggles and wizards. Coombshad his wand up pointed at Paole. He was unprepared for the stun charm that hit his partner fullin the back. Whirling around, Coombs took the brunt of another stunning spell in his chest. Heflew back onto an old binnacle which housed a broken compass rose. He fell to the floor, hiseyes darkening. As he lost consciousness, he saw a flurry of long black hair and the glare ofamber eyes, his attacker very familiar to him.

No need to worry, Carter. All will be revealed soon enough. The shock of knowing whod

ambushed him followed him into his slumber.

***

Ron walked into his home, the old pendulum clock reading a little after ten in the evening. Theapartment was dark, save for a small light near the high backed chairs near the window. As hiseyes adjusted to the darkness, he noticed that his wife, Hermione, was seated in one of thechairs.


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I didnt see you there. Ron smiled, grateful for her presence. What are you doing sitting herein the dark?

She seemed lost in thought, staring out the large wall of glass that faced out into the city. After amoment, she seemed to snap to reality and noticed him standing there, as if s he hadnt seen himcome in.

Oh, hi Ron, how was your day? He looked at her, puzzled by her reaction. For as long as hecould remember, her brain worked on a razors edge, quick and sharp. Today, she seemedpreoccupied.

Interesting. We had an interesting situation develop. He was about to delve into the mysterysurrounding the dead muggles, but she seemed to lose her focus again, retreating into the depthsof her mind. Hermione? Hermione! She returned her focus back to him. Is something wrong?

She shook her head, more it seemed, to clear out the cobwebs, than to say no. Its nothing. Ijust had a bad day; we couldnt get any movement on some of the more wealthy families andhouse-elf emancipation. Were at a standstill.

Ron was slightly perplexed. She looked at him as if she had more to say, as if something more

was troubling her. He turned to hang his robes on a coat stand. When he turned around, shehad moved directly behind him. He started, not expecting her to be so close to him, and nothaving heard her approach. He was delighted and his love for her radiated from his being. Hereached a hand to hers, and she jumped a bit as if hit by a jolt of electricity. She turned her eyesdown.

What is it? Whats bothering you? He searched her eyes, the conversation from New Yearsechoing in his brain. I told you that Im ready to have children, is that the problem?

She returned his glance, a small smile on her lips. No, really, Im just so very tired.

Weve both been working so hard. Weve barely seen each other over the past couple ofweeks. Ron was trying to be empathetic. He tried to communicate how much he loved her. Her

mind, her energy, her passion all seemed at low ebb. Hed never seen her like this. Thepressure of the weight of the world seemed to hang over her.

She gave him a half smile, thankful for his effort. Youre right. Wearily, she turned and movedtowards the bedroom. I think Im going to turn in. Without even a look back, she walked into thebedroom and closed the door behind her. Ron stood, speechless, replaying the evening in hismind.

***

The next morning, Ron caught up with Harry in the corridor leading to the Office. Ron seemedfrayed and worried and Harry stopped.

Ron, you look a sight. Is something the matter? Ron took a couple glances up and down thehall and lowered his voice.

I dont know, Harry. Hermione doesnt seem herself. She seems distant. Ron related lastevenings conversation and the commitment that theyd made to each other during the party atHogwarts.

I wouldnt read too much into it, Ron. Shes been at the House-Elf Relations office for almostfour years and has done more in that job than anyone else, ever. Harry placed a reassuringhand on his friends shoulder. The wear and tear of that effort has to get to you. Maybe shes


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just hit a wall. All you can really do is be there for her. Ron gave a sheepish grin, Harrysthoughts echoing his own.

I know, but I hate feeling this helpless. I wish there was something I could do for her.

Harry chuckled. I know what you mean, but Hermione isnt some fragile damsel in distress. In alot of ways, shes stronger than the both of us combined. Give her some time, shell pull around.

Ron was grateful for his friends advice. The two continued their walk into the Office. Harry gaveRon a wave and walked over to where his teams cubicles were positioned. He threw hishaversack down on his desk and pulled a parchment from his inbox.

All right, everyone, updates?

Williamson looked at Manchester than spoke in an even, monotone voice. Nothing to reportfrom Burgin and Burkes. Everything was quiet last night.

Harry nodded and turned towards Burby and Coombs. Word has it that you guys had a line onPaole last night, anything?

Burbys low baritone echoed, We thought we had a lead, but we missed him.

Harry grunted and looked down at his sheet. Right, Ill go and update Dawlish. Harry turnedand walked towards the other side of the room.

He did not see the hard glances exchanged by Williamson, Manchester, Burby and Coombs.After a moment, the four turned away from each other and looked towards their desks. Theirshared moment lost in the morning buzz of the Office.

Chapter 53The Ministers Acting Funny!

Dawlish and Lachlan waited in the front office outside the massive oak door that housed the innersanctum of the Minister of Magic. At length, the door opened and Percy Weasley came out, hisarms full of scrolls and books, a harried look on his face. He smiled at the two familiar faces.

Hes ready to see you. Im sorry I took so long, affairs of state seem to be unending. The twolaughed and walked in the door. Kingsley Shacklebolt was seated behind a large wood desk thatseemed to be carved out the stump of a gnarled tree. He was writing furiously and seemedengrossed in the task. The two friends moved to the front of the desk, not saying a word. Thesilence in the room was awkward; the only sound really was the scratch of quill on paper. After along few moments, Dawlish cleared his throat.

Ahem, Minister?

Shacklebolt looked up, as if noticing their presence for the first time. His visage was empty,preoccupied.

Ah, gentlemen. Please, sit. He indicated the chairs in front of the desk. They shared a curiousglance. Sorry, the Wizengamot is considering a motion to emancipate all house-elves. Ive justbegun to review the legislation. What do you have for me?

Dawlish looked at Lachlan, prodding him to start. Well, Minister. It seems we have a bit of aDark Arts mystery on our hands. The ramifications could be huge, considering the loss of lifeamong muggles. Lachlan related his findings from the warehouse. At times, Kingsley looked a


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little dazed and uninterested. When the senior Auror had finished presenting his facts, Kingsleytook them in with a more serious gaze.

Thats all you have? Kingsley locked eyes with Lachlan causing the Auror to fidget a bit. Itseems to me that the evidence of any magical involvement is shaky, to say the least. Wouldntyou think this is something for the muggle authorities? I would believe that the involvement of ourAurors would lend our community to greater exposure.

Lachlan was stunned. Granted, he was working on a lot of conjecture, but he knew the signs ofmagic when he saw them. Shacklebolt had been one of the finest Aurors in his day, why couldnthe make the connection?

Dawlish leaned forward in his chair. Minister, I agree with Lachlans findings. There are distinctindications of magical involvement. The nature of the crimes is very troubling. We should delvedeeper into this.

Shacklebolt peered at both men, his brow furrowed. I disagree, however, Im not one to interferewith an ongoing investigation, especially when an Auror is chasing a hunch. However, I thinkyoull find less nefarious reasoning behind these killings. Were not even sure that they weremurders. I expect your investigation to conclude as expeditiously as possible and then for this

matter to turned over to the muggle authorities. Is that clear? His gaze would brook noargument. That is all, gentlemen.

Their summary dismissal left them stunned. Rising, Dawlish tugged at Lachlans sleeve, leadinghim out of the office. They bumped into Percy on their way out.

All done? Percys demeanor was pleasant.

Percy, is the Minister all right? Dawlish looked back into the open office, catching sight of theMinister back to scratching away at his parchment.

Of course he is, why? Percy was genuinely perplexed.

Lachlans temper was rising to the surface. The Ministers acting funny. Percy stepped backfrom the tirade and Dawlish laid a hand on his friends shoulder.

Hes just been very busy. Were coming to a head with the house-elf business. Itll be thecrowning achievement of his administration and a lot of names will be made. Hermione will be invery high standing, I should think. Percy was proud of his sister-in-law, especially consideringthat the Weasley name was attached to the legislation.

That must be it, good luck with that Percy. Dawlish pulled Lachlan away and headed for theelevator bank.

***

Ginny walked up to the door in the non-descript apartment house. The door was labeledNumber 7 and was adorned with a brass knocker that was engraved with the Weasley name.Tapping the knocker, she waited a few minutes. When no one answered, she turned the knoband found the door unlocked.

Hermione? Ginny was greeted by silence. The blinds on the main windows were drawn castingdark shadows throughout the main room. Ginny looked around and saw the bedroom door ajar.Slowly, she moved toward the door and touched it open wider. A large, four-poster bed stood inthe middle of the room. The bed covers were tangled and matted. Ginny noticed a bundled nestof brown hair nestled on a pillow and the form of her friend lying atop the covers.


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Hermione! Ginny raised her voice and shook the sleeping form on the bed. Slowly, Hermioneraised her head.

Ginny? What are you doing here? What time is it? Hermione looked at a nearby alarm clockand saw that it was around ten AM.

Its morning. What are doing still in bed? Ginny moved and drew open the drapes covering thewindows allowing the sun to firmly penetrate the room. Hermione recoiled a bit, wiping the sleepfrom her eyes.

I took the day off. Ive been on the go for so long; I hadnt had a decent nights sleep. Issomething wrong? Hermione bolted upright. Didsomething happen to Ron?

No, Rons fine. Ive come to check on you. Ginny found herself tidying up some clothing thathad fallen to the floor. Rons been worried sick. He thinks that youre mad at him or some suchthing.

Thats rubbish! Ive just been busy. Were going to free the house-elves. All of them. Ive beenworking days on end, thats all. Hermione rose from her bed, pointing Ginny towards the living

room. Ginny walked into the living room and hesitated for a moment, feeling as if her friendseyes were boring into the back of Ginnys skull. When Ginny turned, however, Hermione was notimmediately behind her, but had moved to put on a bathrobe hanging from the door.

Tea? Hermione walked towards the kitchen while cinching up her robe.

No thank you. I read somewhere that I have to watch what I drink. Im eating and drinking fortwo, you know. Ginny patted her stomach, which had still barely begun to show signs of herpregnancy.

Hermione beamed, her smile was warm and genuine. Ron and I have decided to give it a go. Iguess thats why hes so up in arms. Ive been kind of drifting lately. Weve had no time forShe paused, blushing.

Ginny laughed, relieved that nothing was really the matter, except that her friend was stilladjusting to married life to an Auror. Ginny could attest that routine things, like family and lovecould be seriously hampered when one is an Auror.

Do me a favor? Hermione looked up from her ministrations at the stove. Can you please putRon at ease? Hes been impossible lately. Ive got to freshen up.

Hermione pointed to a door near her bedroom. Believe me; Ill make this up to him. Everythingwill be perfect! Ginny laughed and moved towards the bathroom. Hermione watched her frienddisappear behind the door.

***

Harry, would you join me and Lachlan in the conference room? Dawlish called to Harry from adoor leading off of the main floor of the Office. He handed a parchment to Williamson and movedoff towards Dawlish, not noticing the stare the Auror gave his back.

A voice rang from the cubicle near him, Manchester, whats biting you? Its been a whole weeksince you made fun of my knobby knees! Leonora Sigismund was teasing Sean Manchester.

He smiled weakly, Youve gotten boring to make fun of, Leonora. Maybe its the long robes youwear to hide your scrawny legs?


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She laughed, I was beginning to worry about you. He shrugged his shoulders and glanced atWilliamson, whose eyes were still locked on the closed conference room door.

What gives, John? Harry walked to the large round table that took up the bulk of the conferenceroom. Dawlish shut the door and invited Harry to take a seat.

Lachlan and I have been puzzling over the muggle murders hes investigating. Weve just comefrom the Minister and the meeting was less than satisfying. Dawlish related their encounter withShacklebolt.

You think hes been imperioused? Harry was doubtful, but always gave the benefit of the doubtto his two friends.

I dont know. Lachlan rose, pacing as the thought. Hes not acting in a stupor or as if hesunder someones control. In all things, hes been quite normal.

Except this. Harry turned to Dawlish, who nodded.

I want to try this. Lachlan pulled out a pair of ordinary spectacles, which looked very much like

the glasses that Harry was wearing. Theyre Extrico Imperium lenses. The wearer sees a redaura around anyone who is not in full control of their faculties.

We want to be unobtrusive about this, Harry. Dawlish was working his hands through his hair.

You want me to go see Kingsley with these on. Harry made a statement, not a question.Lachlan nodded and handed the glasses to Harry. He took them and replaced his own glasseswith them.

Ill be right back. As Harry walked out of the conference room, he made his way to his desk.Williamson looked up, and rose.

Harry looked at Williamson and paused for a moment. Fixing a steady gaze on the Auror, Harry

adjusted the glasses and smiled.

Ive got to run up the Ministers office, can it wait? Williamson nodded and Harry left the room.

About a half hour later, Harry returned to the conference room and handed the glasses back toLachlan. Nothing. There was no redaura, nothing. Lachlan seemed disappointed.

Still, that doesnt hide the fact that something is not right. The three dropped into chairs aroundthe table.

Lets take a step back. Why dont we go over what we have, from the beginning? Harrymotioned for Lachlan to step through his evidence.

Lachlan reviewed the findings, stepping through every element of the crime scene. He pulled thephotos of the bodies and their bindings to illustrate why he was troubled. Harry mused over thepictures.

After a few minutes, a thought came to him. What if we assume that your theory about a wizardbeing involved is correct? It seems to me that we have to get to the root of how these peoplewere killed. Forget their kidnapping orincarcerations, whats your instinct tell you about theircondition?


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Lachlan was silent. He reviewed the withered state of the victims and the condition of theirbodies. The ashen pallor cast by their lack of blood or organs resonated with him. If I had toguess, without really looking for injury, I would say that they were killed by vampires.

Come on, Lachlan! Vampires? Thats absurd. Dawlish was noncommittal in his retort; hisresponse was knee jerk and not wholehearted.

Harry gave Lachlans theory some thought. An inkling of an idea was rattling around in the backof his head. Why, Lachlan? As you said, there were no indications of physical injury. Fromwhat we know about vampires, their bite is pretty distinctive.

True, but we really dont know a whole lot about them, do we? Lachlan began to run down hismental catalog on vampires. We know theyre dark creatures. We know that they preferdarkness, although we really havent confirmed whether sunlight is deadly. Garlic and mirrorscan repel them and the only way to truly kill them is to drive a stake, preferably made of aspen,wild hawthorn or whitethorn in their hearts. They procreate through some sort of blood exchangeand the only way to free their slaves is to kill the primary, the initiator of the family chain.

Can you imagine if we went to the Minister with this story? Dawlishs palms were sweating; thenotion that vampires were loose in London was disconcerting, to say the least. If you thought he

was skeptical before, just wait until he hears this one. Besides, we still havent accounted for themagical elements of the crime.

Lachlan was stumped. His theorys major flaw was the magic employed on the victims and thenoticeable lack of tell tale bites. He clamped his mouth tight, unable to respond. He looked atHarry, who was staring at the photos on the table. What?

Its nothing, really. Harrys mind was churning at an unbelievable pace. The nagging thoughtrevealing itself to the front of his brain and exiting out of his mouth. I was just thinking. Forcenturies weve considered vampires to be dark beasts, creatures of the night. His thoughtsdrifted to his godson, Teddy and Teddys father, Remus. But Remus Lupin was bitten by awerewolf and retained his wizard powers while still being a werewolf. What would happen if avampire happened to be a wizard, or vice versa? What if a wizard happened to be a vampire?

Lachlan stared at Harry for a moment, mouth agape. Ive never heard of such a thing, itsunprecedented!

As youve said before, Lachlan, unprecedented is a term that I am intimately familiar with. So,back to the original question, what kind of power would a wizard vampire have? What would bethe consequences?

Lachlan stood mute. Dawlish let his head droop and raised a hand to his eyes. Theconsequences would be deadly. As one, their eyes dropped back to the haunting images on thetable.

Chapter 54 Uncertainty and Betrayal

The man knelt before his benefactor, drinking in the anticipation of the moment. Everything wasgoing as planned. Hed served others in pursuit of higher goals, but never for something soimportant, never for something so meaningful. He could feel the power coursing through hisveins; hed never felt this alive. He thought to himself, what good was power without being ableto wield it for a good cause? He had a cause. He had several causes, all higher than he, allworthy of his attention and all, now, within his grasp.


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His patron stood before him and smiled. He could sense his disciples nervous energy. Rise,rise. We are beyond this, stand up.

The man rose, pulling the hood from his head. The fiery red head of Percy Weasley revealeditself in the light permeating the room. We are nearing our destination. The others are moving togain our final recruits.

Good. His patron walked forward, pulling his own hood away from his head. You have donewell. Soon we will be in a position to unify our brethren. Think of it, no pure-bloods, nomudbloods, no muggles. All united in purpose and in magic by one blood. There will be no moreslavery and no more elitism, only one goal, to live in harmony. Percy smiled, lost in the moment.In one fell swoop, he would be an instrument in the introduction of a new utopia for wizard kind.He looked up at his sponsor, and saw his own smile reflected in the twisted sneer of DavidFarrant.

Finish the mission. Percy bowed and walked out the door.

***

Sarah and Leonora walked down the main street in Hogsmeade, their strides purposeful,

confident.

Thanks for coming with me. Sarah was scanning the storefront windows, searching their waresintently. Lees birthday is coming up, and I have no idea what to get a man who makes gag giftsfor a living.

Leonora laughed, I dont know what help Id be, but I had to get out of the Office. Our partnershave been boring lately. Sarah let out a giggle. Shed not been with the team long, but hadnoticed that the men in her team had been very focused of late. She had no idea whether thiswas normal, but apparently to Leonora, it was out of character.

Leonora was enjoying the walk, the brisk February air filling her lungs. As they passed the alleyleading to the HogsHead, she thought she saw Williamsons familiar black mane flash into the

pub.

Wait a second. I think that was Williamson.

Where? Sarah tried to follow where Leonoras gaze led. I didnt see him.

Over there, heading into the Hogs Head. I thought he was watching Burgin and Burkes. Shewas curious, now. Lets go check it out, besides, Aberforth is kind of a jokester, maybe he hasan idea of what to get your man.

Sarah blushed a little, and agreed. They turned down the alley and walked down to the entranceto the Hogs Head. Pulling the door open, they walked into the establishment. The room wasdark and their eyes took a few seconds to adjust. The room was mostly empty, no sign of

Aberforth Dumbledores presence. In the corner, a group of people, garbed in black and crimsonrobes were gathered around a table. The noise of their entrance caused the group to turntowards the pair.

Sean? Leonora recognized her dwarfish colleague. Whats going on here? What are all ofyou doing here?

Leonora, um, you shouldnt have come. Manchester walked away from the table, joined by thegroup. Sarah glanced at the group, unease building in her as she recognized the faces.


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Williamson, Burby and Coombs joined Manchester standing in front of the table. Sarahs instinctswere blaring. She did not know whether finding this group at a pub in mid day was a normaloccurrence, but their body language was distinctly suspicious. Unnoticed, Sarah allowed herwand to drop from the sheath in her sleeve into her hand. She held her hand behind her leg.

It isnt what you think, Leonora. Williamson stepped forward hands out. Were working for thefuture, for all of us.

What do you mean? Leonora was definitely puzzled by the development. Her own instinctswere numb. These were men shed fought and bled with. Theyd earned the benefit of the doubt.Her thoughts were processing the scene when the stun charm hit her in the chest. UsingWilliamson to shield his movements, Manchester was able to get a spell off against theunsuspecting Leonora.

Sarah moved quickly, her own shield charm arcing out and knocking the four closely standingfigures to the floor. She dove to her left, dodging a return bolt that Coombs had fired while hewas being knocked back.

Reducto! Sarahs curse destroyed the ceiling beam near her antagonists. Wood and plasterpoured down on them, and obscured her, for the moment from their sight. She spied the door,

still wide open and close by. She saw Leonoras prone form covered in dust, not moving. Duringher training, shed been tested where shed been tested in simulated situations where she had tomake quick decisions. In all of the tests, there were no right answers and no wrong answers, justdecisions and consequences. Flee or fight? It was a primal question. In the second that it tookto decide, the answer was abundantly clear. She would get her partner out of there. In the end,neither choice would have mattered. As she ran towards Leonora, a pair of figures appeared inthe door.

Stupefy! The stun charm hit her square in the back. Sarah was propelled into the wall, herhead slamming onto the surface. She fell down near Leonoras unconscious form. The hazebegan to overcome her as she fell into darkness. She desperately had to see her attackers. Shehad to know who had beaten her. Standing in the door, Elizabeth Cavendishs amber eyes werefixed on the person holding the extended wand. The shock of the figure that stunned her

completed her journey into slumber. She mustered one final effort, giving voice to her shock anddisappointment.

Hermione!?!

***

The suns last vestiges were disappearing in the western sky. Harry tugged on the collar of hisovercoat as he made his way to the warehouse where the victims were found. He glancedaround quickly, ensuring his solitude. Reaching into his bag, he withdrew his Cloak of Invisibilityand donned it quickly. Assured of his concealment, he ducked into the warehouse through abroken slat in the door. He made his way down to the basement, wanting to get a view of thearea for himself. As he made his way down the stairs, the sound of voices drifted across the

room to his ears. He drew his wand and crept to the wall, easing his way to the figures at the endof the room.

Youve done well. Our numbers are now sufficient to complete our task. Harrys eyes widenedas he recognized David Farrants face as the new owner of Burgin and Burkes was addressing agroup of robed figures, whose backs were to Harry.

The first step will be the House-Elf Emancipation Act. We will be taking our first move to unifyingthe magical world. Harry choked back a shout. Percy Weasleys voice echoed in his brain. Theevenings surprises were just starting.


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The elimination of slavery in our society is a great thing. Kingsley? Kingsley Shacklebolt wasinvolved in this? What was going on here?

Williamsons voice carried to Harry, another hammer blow to his psyche. We have all theAurors, save four. For some reason all attempts at enlightening Ron Weasley, John Dawlish andLachlan McCrory have failed. Weve been unable to get close to Potter. He has thwarted everyattempt.

Farrant stood for a moment. What about his wife, your sister? His gaze was fixed on Percy.

Percy smiled balefully, Forsome reason, our enlightenment charm has had no effect on her,much like with Ron. I was hoping you could help us understand.

It is of no matter. We have the numbers we need, and when they see the good we are doing,they will come to the light of their own accord. Farrant was troubled by their inability to turn thethree most powerful obstacles in their path, Dawlish, Lachlan and Potter. Their magic,apparently, was not infallible.

Anyway, we have to finish why we are here. Farrant turned and led the group to the figures of

four bound humans. All were unconscious, their clothes ragged and torn.

There is no other way? Harrys stomach turned. Sarah was among them. Must we do this toaccomplish our task?

Farrant smiled patiently, like a father guiding a learning child. These are criminals. They arethieves and rapists. They prey on their own kind. Their blood will be for the greater good andthey will stop causing suffering and they w ill stop their own suffering. Im sorry, child, but this isnecessary.

Its all right, Sarah. We have all done this. It really is for the greater good. Think of all thosesouls we will free. Harry stopped breathing, altogether. Hermione! Tears began to stream downhis face. He crumpled into a ball along the wall, his legs no longer able to support his weight.

The betrayal was complete. He looked over and saw his friend, his best friends wife, the onlysister hed ever had. Hermione stood erect, her long brown hair cascading down her shoulders.Her face was pale and she had a serene smile on her face. The smile was a contorted version ofher normal, pleasant grin. The long, dagger-like teeth changing her face into something feral. Allof them had the daggers. All of them were vampires.

Sarah nodded and pointed her wand to the four figures on the floor. Levicorpus! As one, thefour bodies levitated by their ankles. Sarah cast a glance towards Farrant, who prodded her tocontinue.

Vacuus Sanguinious Corpus!

The bodies began to shrivel and shrink, as if the skin were being pulled taut against their

skeletons. A bright ball of light began to form in the middle of the group. It began to expand andturn red, as if the blood from the bodies were filling the luminescent vessel, which is what exactlywas happening.

Soon, the light stopped growing. Farrant stepped towards the ball and waved his wand,muttering in ancient tongue. The orb burst in a blast of light and sound, tendrils touching each ofthe assembled vampires, causing each to feel a nourishing energy build in their bodies. Farrantturned to a smiling Sarah and placed a hand on her shoulder.


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Well done.She blushed at the praise. We must go now. The time has come to make ourmove. Tomorrow night, we will announce our presence to the world. We have the event to do soand we have the numbers to make a difference. Now, return to your homes. Remember, keepsilent!

What about Harry and Ron? I still dont understand why we havent been able to help them seetruth. Hermione sounded distinctly like her old Hogwarts self, questioning the norm. This act ofnormalcy was the cruelest hit of all.

Leave them alone. We dont want to hurt them; we only want them to see the light. TheEmancipation Announcement will give us that opportunity. Somewhat mollified, Hermione joinedthe rest in a circle. As one, but to separate destinations, they apparated from the room.

Harry sat alone in the dark, his Cloak of Invisibility unable to mask the pain and hurt that he wassuffering from. He had no idea where to start. He had no place to go. The tears streamed fromhis face. He had no idea if he had the strength or the will to stop them. How could he fight hisfriends? How could he help them return to their true selves? How could he heal their pain?

How in the world, would he be able to tell Ron?

The only answer available was the silence of the dead in the room.

Chapter 55 Denial and Resolve

He had no idea of the passage of time. When he finally rose from his spot on the floor, he feltdrained, all of his energy sapped by the depth of the loss he felt. Harry went out into the street.Removing his Cloak and stowing it in his bag, he wandered a bit, no clear direction and no realsense of what to do. His thoughts drifted to Hermione and the pain that Ron would go throughwhen he learned the truth. Who to trust? The entire Ministry was compromised and it seemedeverything hinged on the House-Elf Emancipation signing ceremony, which was scheduled for thefollowing evening. He walked a few blocks, the full moon offering a lighted path down thedeserted street. His head was down, the shock was wearing off and his mind was exploring a

myriad of paths to follow. He stopped, his heart interjecting itself into his thinking. Ginny. Thebaby. His first job was to get them to safety. He couldnt fight with them in danger. He pulledhimself up and checked for any passers by. In a flash, he apparated home.

Ginny! He arrived home, the evening having settled into night. He ran up the stairs and intotheir bedroom. Ginny! His heart was racing, where was she? His eyes grew accustomed tothe dark and focused on the bed.

Wha-what? Harry? What is it, whats wrong? She stirred from the bed, sleep still offeringconfusion to her expression. His pulse slackened as he finally exhaled. She saw his face, itstear-streaked lines marking its features. His eyes were panicked and darting, as if he wereworried, afraid and hurt at the same time. Shed never seen him in this state. She snapped toawareness.

Harry? Whats happened? Whats wrong? She rose and pulled him to her. He let himself go ina flurry of sobs, unable to talk. She held him. She was frightened, she couldnt fathom whatwould put him in this state, but she knew he needed to release the fear, so she just held him.

After a moment, he settled and stood up straight. He guided her to the bed. Sit down, I need totell you something. Its something horrible. He told her everything. He related his experience inthe warehouse and the events leading up to them. She took it quite well, for the most part. Hereyes began to water and she felt her own energy draining from her. Her brother and her bestfriend were part of a terrible conspiracy involving the darkest evil. Harry had left out a lot of the


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details, but what he told her shook her being to the core. As ever, though, her own inner strengthovercame her fear.

So, what are we going to do? Her eyes blazed, she was determined. Who can we trust?

Ive been thinking about that. You seem to be immune to their influence, but we have to protectthe baby. The first thing we have to do is get you somewhere safe. Harry had moved to herdresser and was packing some things in a duffel bag.

Where? The Burrow? She hated the fact that he was right. It wasnt just about them, anymore.They had to think about the life theyd created and the consequences of her safety.

He shook his head. No, we cant know whos been affected or how long. Either Percy orHermione may have gotten to your parents.

Where, then?

He didnt speak at first, making sure her belongings were secure. Kreacher!

The stooped house-elf flashed in being outside their door. Yes, Master Harry?

Harry didnt bother to correct him. Kreacher, I need your help. Ginnys in great danger. Canyou do something for me?

Of course, Master Harry, all you need do is ask. Kreacher bowed low, confusion in his eyes.

Please take Ginny to Hogwarts. Take her to Hagrids. The entire Ministry has been overrun byvampires. Trust no one but Hagrid and dont let anyone near them. Will you do that for me? Idont know who else to trust.

Kreacher stood in stunned silence. The magnitude of the honor hed been bestowed was almostmore than he could bear, almost. I will guard Mistress Ginny and the Potter child with my life.His voice was solemn and his bearing was more erect, his duty more than any other hed been

charged with.

I know you will, thank you Kreacher. Harry turned to his wife and kissed her hard, grasping herin his arms. I need you to do this, Ginny. I need to know you and the baby are safe. Hagrid andKreacher will protect you.

I know, Harry. What will you do? She was afraid for him. This wasnt the simple task ofdefeating evil. He had to fight the people closest to him and he had to win. There was simply noother choice.

Im going to kill Farrant, and set them free. No matter what it takes. His voice had an edgeshed recognized. It was his resolve to do his best, even unto death, to do what was right.

She kissed him back, her lips soft, reassuring, not conveying the sense that they were parting forthe last time. He touched her stomach, almost in farewell to his unborn child. He looked atKreacher, who stepped forward. The house-elf gently took hold of Ginnys hand and nodded toHarry. In an instant, they were gone. Within minutes, so was Harry.

***

Harry entered the Office of Aurors more wary than hed ever been. He surveyed the cubicles anddid not see anyone about. He walked further back and spotted a familiar shock of red hair. Ronand Lachlan were seated together, reviewing some paperwork.


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Harry! What are you doing here so late? Ron looked tired, the rigors of being the Auror on callwearing on him a bit, and perhaps the feeling that something was not quite right between him andhis wife also hitting him. Harry felt a pang of guilt. Ron had no idea how wrong things were.

Is Dawlish around? Harry looked towards the Head Aurors desk, it was empty.

No, just me and the kid, here. Ron snorted but noticed immediately, that Harry was not joiningin the mood. Something was very wrong. Lachlan picked up on Harrys mood as well. What isit?

Harry pulled on his Aurors shield and held it in front of his face. Dawlish! He spoke the wordsclearly, directing them at the rotating comets and stars on the silver medallion. He beckoned histwo friends to follow him into the training arena. Wordlessly, he drew them into one of thesimulated buildings and waited. Before long, he heard his name and Dawlish appeared in thedoorway, holding his own Aurors shield. It was shining a brilliant gold with dark blue letteringstating, Harry Potter, Training Arena.

What is it, Harry? Dawlish walked towards them. I was about to head home from Diagon Alleywhen I got your call.

Harry looked at the three Aurors, all that were left of the team that Dawlish had meticulouslyrebuilt. Were in trouble. The understatement of the century was followed by the mostincredible and most horrible story ever told. His friends grew fearful and aghast. For a moment,no one spoke. What could be said? Finally, Ron broke the silence.

Rubbish! Harry youre wrong. You know Hermione. You know she could never do what yousaid she did. Rons eyes blazed at his friend. Harry took a step back as it seemed that Ron waseven ready to draw his wand. Youre making it up! If she was a vampire, why hasnt she turnedme? Are you saying that Im a vampire?

No, Ron. Thats just it, they were complaining that you and John were immune, for somereason. They were just as puzzled as I was. I have no idea why me and Lachlan havent turned.

Harry shrugged his shoulders.

I do, to both counts. They turned to faceLachlan, who had stood. First, Im a descendant ofthe great wizard and vampire hunter, Van Helsing. Our blood lines are immune to vampiretakings. I had no idea that vampires could turn wizards and take blood in the way you describe,but it makes sense in a certain way. But if a vampiring wizard has enhanced magical abilities, itgoes to mean that some of our weaknesses are there as well.

What do you mean? Harry was intrigued.

Come on, Harry, whats the greatest power youve ever encountered. What has kept you alive,even after death? Lachlan wasnt impatient.

Love. Dawlishs voice resonated. Its love. Hermione couldnt turn Ron because her love forhim made him immune. Its the same reason that Elizabeth couldnt turn me.

What about Ginny? Harry was beginning to see the light.

Well, Harry. Shes with child. There is a special kind of love that a mother has for a child. Itsurrounds them both and protects them together. Vampires cant have babies in the way humansdo. The concept of giving birth out of love is alien to them. You of all people should know howpowerful a mothers love for her child is. Now Lachlan was definitely a little frustrated with Harry.


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You all have lost your bleeding minds! This is preposterous! Ron was fuming, the implicationthat his wife was creature of the night was too much for him to process. Love also makes oneblind. I wont hear anymore, Im going home.

Ron stormed for the door. Ron, wait! Harry chased after him. Think about it, man!

Harry caught up with his friend and stopped abruptly. Ron had drawn his wand and placed thepoint on the skin on Harrys neck. Dont try to stop me, Harry. If you hurt her, I will kill you, am Iclear? Harry raised his hands and gave a small nod of his head. Ron turned and left the room.

Weve got to get out of here. Weve got to prepare. Lachlan grabbed Harrys arm. Harrynodded, still watching the door where his friend had disappeared.

Dawlish joined them, Where do we go? Everyone knows our haunts.

I know a place. Feel like a drink? Lachlan smiled and led them out the door.

***

Ron huffed into his apartment. It was dark and he sped around the place looking for his wife. He

searched the bedroom and saw no sight of her. Their house was empty. His heart raced, therewas no way Harry could be right. The turning of the knob at the door announced her arrival.

Oh, hello Ron. Did you just get home? He nodded, unable to speak. Good day at work?

S-sure. How about you? Youre out late. He tried to be nonchalant, normal.

Oh you know, the Emancipation is tomorrow. So many people will be enlightened, Ron. Its soexciting. For the first time in weeks, she was animated and excited. He hadnt seen her thatway about him or them. In fact, everything theyd wanted to do had been cast by the wayside forthis crusade of hers.

Ill be glad when its over, then well have more time together and we can go back to trying to

have a baby. He was hopeful, this was the trial balloon, maybe, after all, it was just the rigors ofwork.

Come on, Ron! This is just the beginning. First its the house-elves, than goblins and maybeeven we can stop all this pure-blood nonsense. Theres so much we have to do. I dont know ifIm ever going to be ready to have a baby. She smiled. Im turning in, you coming?

No, I have to go back to the Office. She smiled and went into their room.

I dont know if Im ever going to be ready to have a baby. His heart broke. That wasntHermione. Theyd discussed this. After three years of marriage and a lifetime of experiences,having a family was all theyd wanted. A person doesnt change like that. He stumbled out thedoor. His shoulders were limp, his head downcast. The truth had hit him like a sledge hammer.

Harry had been right.

***

The only change to the Targe was the man behind the bar. With the death of Angus duringHarrys encounterwith the Furies, the bar had been placed for sale. Lachlan had purchased theplace and hired on a gruff, heavyset old woman named Mary. No one knew her full name, shewas simply Mary. The Targe was no stranger to patrons drinking into the dawn hours and if theowner of the place wanted to sit with his friends, so be it. Lachlan, Harry and Dawlish nursed


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tankards of beer at a table, very near the place where Harry had first met Lachlan. Things weredifferent then.

So, what do we do? Harry looked at his two companions. They were a trio against the worldand the odds were grim. Personally, I think Farrant is the key. We kill him and the rest arereleased.

Lachlan nodded. True, but remember, hes got Merlin knows how many people. It wont beeasy, especially since we wont wantto hurt anyone to get to him.

We have no choice. Theyll only get stronger. Therell be a lot of people there tonight, most ofthem not vampires. I think theyre using this opportunity to get to the most influential people.Dawlish took a long pull at his drink.

Theres one more thing. Even though were immune from this enlightenment, we can still beturned the conventional way, I think. Harry looked at Lachlan. They can bite us, Harry. Theirbite can turn us.

Well then, wed better make sure we get Farrant before that happens. Harry was more afraidthan before.

One other thing. Lachlan leveled his gaze at Dawlish. You cant hesitate. I know we dontwant to hurt them, but these are no longer the people you knew. You have to be ruthless, we canalways heal the physical wounds. There is still something of our friends inside, else Farrantwouldnt have to use this Emancipation pretense to keep them in line, but make no mistake, theywill fight and we will have to fight back. Are you prepared to do that?

Dawlish drew a deep breath. I am.

Lachlan turned to Harry who sighed. I am.

I am, too. They turned to the voice. Ron stood near the fireplace. He had on his black robe,his Auror talisman blazing bright silver. He had his wand in his hand and a bandolier around his

chest with wooden staves inserted in the holders with their edges shaved to a point.

Harry didnt smile. This wasnt a happy time. He nodded to his friend and offered him a seat.Mary brought over another stein of ale and Ron took a deep pull. Now, they were four and thatwould have to be enough.

Chapter 56 Civil War

The main hall of the entry gallery to the Ministry of Magic had been transformed to host the gala.Balloons and streamers festooned the area and a raised dais with a podium had been erectednear the large fountain in the center of the room. The three towering figures of a wizard, goblinand house-elf shadowed the podium offering a frame for the festivities. A large crowd milled in

the open area. They were the best and brightest of wizarding Britains elite. Governmentfunctionaries mingled with industrialists. Rights advocates chatted up intellectuals. An air ofanticipation covered gathering as well over two hundred beings noted a hallmark change in theworld as they knew it.

How little do they really know. David Farrant allowed himself a brief grin. He made small talkwith the other invitees around him, but his eyes scanned the room, making contact with the sixtyor so converts he had intermixed with the crowd. He could not believe the progress hed madeand soon, he would be the de facto ruler of a new, powerful world. His heart, if he had one,would be racing with excitement. He was so close to victory. His eyes stopped on a monument


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in the corner of the room. It was erected to commemorate the victory over Voldemort. Itdisplayed the figure of Harry Potter in casting the spell that rebounded the Dark Lords killingcurse and had brought victory. Harry Potter. He was the main obstacle to his total victory and noone had seen him in over thirty six hours. He knew Potter was plotting something. There was nosign of his wife and the other three seemingly immune Aurors. It was only a matter of time beforethey did something and he had to be ready. He motioned for Williamson to draw near.

Any sign of Potter or the others? Williamson gave a shake of his head. We need to be ready,they may make a move and try to disrupt these proceedings.

Were ready, the bulk of the Enlightened are distributed around the area. Once we have liftedthe veil of ignorance, our numbers will have tripled. Farrant nodded at Williamsons report. Theywere as ready as ever.

A buzz began to make its way through the crowd. Kingsley Shacklebolt, followed closely byPercy Weasley, approached the podium and raised his hands for silence.

Ladies and gentlemen. Thank you for coming here. This is an auspicious occasion, for todaymarks our entry into a new era. No longer will we have the stain of slavery and bigotry to markour passage through time. No longer will one man hold himself above others in some fruitless

search for advantage. When I sign this document, all house-elves in Britain will be free frombondage and equal members of our society.

The crowd burst into thunderous applause. Kingsley removed a quill from his robes and leaneddown to sign an impressive looking parchment. His movement was fluid, graceful and he whirledthrough the signature with little aplomb. When he finished, he handed the quill to a nearbyhouse-elf who affixed his own mark. With a shake of the hands, the bargain was sealed. Theroar of the crowd became deafening. Kingsley basked in their adoration, but after a moment,raised his hands once more.

Many people put in tireless effort to make this day happen. Id like to take time to thank thesepeople. To my right is Gabney, the leader of the House-elf Coalition. He paused as the crowdacknowledged the diminutive figure near Kingsley. Hermione Weasley ran most of the

groundwork. More applause. Kingslee Burke of S.P.E.W. The applause was polite. PercyWeasley. More clapping. Kingsley worked his way down a list of functionaries who had workedon the project. As he drew to the end of his list, he cast his gaze towards Farrant.

There is one man who was the true linchpin of this great achievement. David Farrant, please,come to the podium. Mr. Farrant was the man who helped us see the light and made it possibleto move forward. Through his efforts, we were able to transcend the biases of the past and crafta new order of light. Without him, we would not be here, in a place where blood origins no longermatter. Where, after tonight, we are truly one people. David, a few words, please?

Farrant feigned embarrassment as he approached the podium. So close. He could feel theireyes on him and he reveled in the attention. Soon now. He approached the dais and raised hishands in mock humility. After a moment, he began his speech.

Harry found it difficult to make his way through the crowd towards the speakers platform. Eventhough hidden under his cloak, he was playing a dangerous game of avoiding everyone. He tooka circuitous route, slipping through gaps in the bodies working his way forward. While doing so,he was playing a dangerous game of vampire/no vampire. Who had been turned? He and hiscohorts had deposited their shields behind the bar at the Targe. There would be no tracking themthrough that means. The fear gripped his body as he passed friends and family, all of whom hecould not trust. He finally came to a spot near the fountain, behind the speakers and waited forthe signal.


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Three of the entry floos burst into a cloud of smoke and light marking the arrival of visitors to theMinistry. Eric Munch rose from the security desk and was promptly rewarded with a stun charmto his chest. The noise of the arrival and the sound of the attack drew the attention of the crowd.Standing line abreast, Lachlan, Dawlish and Ron strode into the main hall, wands raised and firein their eyes. They didnt hesitate, but strode confidently towards the gathering.

David Farrant. You are under arrest! Dawlish had no intention ofarresting Farrant, but hisvoice carried and continued the distraction. Two of his Aurors separated from the crowd andsmiled at Dawlish, trying to convince them of their benevolence. Ron struck them both with ashield charm and continued his walk.

Farrant gazed at their entry. Stop them! His minions moved towards the three interlopers,wands drawn, curses flying. Farrant gazed at the stunned onlookers who were unsure of whatwas happening. He raised his own wand, Produxi Immortalis Cruentus! A red light explodedacross the room slamming into the assembled wizards. For a moment, their eyes glazed overthen their front canines began to narrow and lengthen. Almost as one, the crowd turned towardsthe three embattled Aurors and moved to join the fray.

Harry knew that the moment had come. The odds had gotten significantly worse. He had tomake a single desperate strike. He flung off his cloak and leapt into the waters of the fountain.

He drew his wand in one hand and raised the stake in the other over his head. He made aheadlong dash for the back of Farrant, who stood at the podium. Harry moved fast, any hint ofhis approach disguised by the pandemonium around him. He hopped on the platform andbrought the stake down hard towards Farrants back, on his heart side. He nearly pulled it off.The stun charm lifted him bodily off the platform threw him to the side, into the far wall near theelevators. Harry rolled with the blow and jumped to his feet in one movement. His wand cameup and he threw up a shield just as another spell impacted on its surface. Harry saw through thehaze that hed been thwarted by Hermione. She stood, side by side, with Cavendish and Sarah,covering Farrants back. Their faces were feral, their bestial incisors protruding in grins of purehate.

The frontal assault was continuing. Lachlan and Dawlish had been driven to the left while Ronpressed his attack to the right. They relied mostly on their stunning and shield spells, but the

weight of numbers would soon tell the difference. The three moved with amazing speed andgrace, coordinating spells and evasions with practiced ease. Ron fought like a man possessedhis anger and fear propelling the innate skill to a sharp edge. He rolled to avoid a spell cast byCoombs and sent Dean Thomas reeling across the floor. He destroyed a stanchion supporting acolorful banner, which brought the sign down onto a mass approaching at a run. He flung ashield charm at the Patil sisters who had been bearing down on him from the side. He didnt stophis movement and dove headfirst for the floor and slid across the marble floor stopping behind acolumn to collect himself.

Cover me! Lachlan yelled at Dawlish, who nodded, moving into position to assist his friend.The older wizard moved with surprising agility and knocked more of their attackers away. Hepointed his wand towards the towering statues over the fountain. His spell flew and slowly thelarge bronze figures began to move. They swept their massive arms through the crowd, sending

bodies flying and giving the vampires another thing to worry about. Lachlan moved back toDawlishs side and engaged the Aurors pressing on their flank.

Ron had seen Harrys flight across the room. As he peered around the column that was histemporary refuge, he saw his friend on his back, wand out, shield charm flying repelling theassault from the stage. Ron bolted from his cover and darted for the source of the attack.

Stupefy! His spell hit Cavendish in the side and sent her reeling into Sarah. Ron turned hiswand towards the last figure hurling curses at Harry.


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Ron, help me! Harrys voice was insistent as other spells were making their way towards him.Ron stood still, his wand hand wavering, aimed at Hermione, who was continuing her assault onHarrys shield. She turned her face towards her husband, her features had returned to theirclassic beautiful state. Her eyes bore right through Ron, tears streaming down her cheeks. Herface was haunted and stunning. He loved her so. He began to cry, openly. His teeth wereclenched as he fought with himself. Ron straightened his wand and locked in on his wife.

Harry! I cant! Merlin, help me. I cant do it. Ron looked over to Harry and dropped his wandhand. Harry nodded. Ron never saw Percys stun charm him nor did he feel the darkness thatovertook him.

Theyd failed. Harry took out a small capsule and threw it against a wall nearby. A harsh,shrieking sound pierced the room. Dawlish and Lachlan heard the prearranged signal an boltedfor the exit Floos. Within seconds, they were gone. Harry was not so lucky. He was the last ofthe assault force. He was holding his ground, but his will was failing. When Lachlan haddeparted, the animated statues had ceased their movements. Now, Harry had the full attention ofthe crowd. He fought on, flinging his friends to and fro. As the crowd began to close in on him, asudden inky blackness covered the area. Harry felt hands on his shoulders that were pulling intoone of the open elevators on the wall nearby. He couldnt see anything, but he could hear thehowls of frustration and the random casting of spells as his tormenters tried to pierce the shroud

of the thrown Peruvian Blackness Powder. Harry let himself be carried away. He felt an armcover his and then he felt the familiar feeling of apparition take hold. The Battle of the Ministrywas over, and his side had lost.

He appeared in the familiar confines of Weasleys

hp priorities iv

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