Sunrise Over Britain :: Chapter 11

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Severus Snape walked out onto the stage and stood regally in front of the audience.

"The authors of this fine tale have invited me to speak about how they do not own anything in this story. The characters are the sole property of JK Rowling and other people, not the authors. The Authors further wish to claim abject poverty, so suing them would be a waste of money. Bob even went as far as to claim they rent their food, but I don't believe that in the least. Although I did have to return the cookie they gave me so maybe he wasn't kidding."

Snape finished speaking and looked expectantly out at the audience in confusion. The longer he waited, the angrier he got. Finally he couldn't take it anymore.

"WHAT? No herd of rampaging hippogriffs? No tying me to a missile? No death and dismemberment? No burning to death? No..." Snape paused for a moment and paled.

"By Grabthar's hammer, by the sons of Warvan, you shall be avenged!" he blurted in surprise.

Snape stopped speaking and looked horrified. "GIRL POWER!" he shouted as his hair braided and his clothing changed into a yellow polka dot dress.

Snape glared and stared at one section of the audience. Then he reached into his robe pulling out a fish. "A Hero is as good as his weapon!" he called stamping his feet. Then he dropped the fish and slapped both hands over his mouth.

In the audience Harry and Hermione smiled at each other. "Wait til the love/lust potion kicks in, should be any minute," murmured Harry.

"A love/lust potion? Oh Harry that is too cruel," admonished Hermione halfheartedly.

"I know, but it's fun," he replied. At that point a twelve foot tall purple Dinosaur burst onto the stage staring at Snape. "I LOVE YOU, YOU'LL LOVE ME..."

Snape screamed in despair as the Dinosaur reached him.

"This is low, even for you," hissed Alyx to Bob.

"Yes Dear, I know. Now would you still like me to spank you tonight?"

"Of course!" Alyx gleefully cackled in reply.

Sunrise over Britain
Chapter 11

Hogwarts Castle (August 2nd)...

Voldemort looked up in surprise to see Lucius Malfoy stride into his audience chamber. Normally he came to Hogwarts every other week. Lucius was early and that meant something interesting was coming.

"Lucius! This is not your normal day to report. What news have you for me?" Voldemort said.

Malfoy stopped roughly five feet from the Dark Lord's chair and bowed so deeply he nearly groveled. "My lord, I wish to report on some information that has come into our hands."

Voldemort leaned forward. "Yes? What is it?"

Lucius looked down at a small book where he kept his notes. "First off, we are now one hundred percent sure that both Antonin and his men have been eliminated. We have heard nothing from them in over a week now. I have contacted one of the syndicates to see if they can find out any information for us."

Voldemort scowled fiercely.

Lucius glanced up from his book and cringed under the baleful gaze of his master. Hurriedly, he continued with his report.

"Also, it seems that Potter wasn't very discriminating when he took the students from the school. We have heard from a couple of students via their relatives in Europe. We are working on establishing a more direct method of contact with them. Interestingly enough, the students report that there appears to be some sort of fight going on between Potter and Dumbledore. The Irish Ministry has proclaimed Dumbledore to be a wanted fugitive."

Lucius paused and waited while the Dark Lord considered that piece of information.

Voldemort leaned back in his chair, pondering. "So... Potter and Dumbledore are at odds. This could work to our advantage."

"It appears so, my lord. There were unconfirmed rumors that the Ministry had been investigating Dumbledore on Potter's behalf. When Richfield took over the Ministry, that bitch, Bones, removed all the confidential files from the Department of Magical Law Enforcement, so we never could confirm the rumor," Lucius told him.

Voldemort nodded. "What else have you for me?"

"It appears that our French friends have spotted two of Potter's inner circle entering France yesterday. I have asked them to track them down and observe what they are doing. I thought about authorizing a hit wizard, but I wanted to get your approval before we try that."

Voldemort reached down and stroked Nagini while he considered that. "What other news have you for me?"

"Nothing more at the moment, my lord. The consolidation in and around the London area is complete and we have total control of that region now. The army has moved into the uncontrolled out lying regions and has begun to pacify them. The army has found it necessary to recruit some of the more violent civilians, but that seems to be working in our favor.

"On the international front, we have managed to expand our network considerably by contacting several Wizarding crime syndicates. Most aren't aligned with our cause, but are amenable to helping us for the right price. A few are hoping that once we can solve the barrier problem, they can ally themselves more fully with you. Our friends in Milan have located another cauldron for your use and I expect it to arrive in a day or two. Our agents in the middle east are keeping those countries on the fence, so the British will find no help from them.

"The British Government in Exile is still trying to bring other muggle governments in on their side, looking for support for a possible invasion. Most of the governments are unwilling to commit to such an endeavor, however. It appears they have misinterpreted all those Dementor attacks as some unknown contagious disease."

Malfoy paused, startled by the high pitched scream that trailed off. Voldemort frowned. "Have you had no luck finding me a Necromancer?" he snarled.

Lucius paled. "No, my lord, We have tried, but none of those we know of are willing to come here. The one we tried to kidnap was too heavily protected by the French Ministry. The art of Necromancy is very rare, my lord, and most Ministry's guard their Necromancers closely, to protect them."

"Damnation!" Voldemort said, pounding a fist on the armrest. "That thrice damned poltergeist has killed nearly twenty men so far, and we now have new ghosts infesting the castle. It disturbs my sleep."

As he spoke, a spectral figure of a Death Eater floated into the room. "TURN BACK FROM THY EVIL WAYS," the ghost cried. Several of the living Death Eaters flinched and Voldemort growled deep in his throat.

"Crucio" he whispered at one Death Eater who was cowering back from the ghost, visibly frightened.

Voldemort lifted the curse after a few minutes, seemingly bored with the whole process, then he turned his attention back to Lucius.

"Lucius, your news pleases me for the most part. It is a pity about Dolohov, but his performance and reliability had become erratic of late. I will send word to our French friends about what to do about Potter's friends. Now, sit. I wish to discuss other matters with you."

A chair appeared and a very startled Lucius Malfoy sat down in his master's presence for the first time since pledging himself to the Dark Lord.

Cairngorn Mountains, Scotland...

Dumbledore's first impression even before he opened his eyes was one of pain, overwhelming pain. He opened his eyes and frowned. Ripples of pain crossed his face and he moaned piteously on the bed, writhing in his agony.

"Master Dumblydore should not try moving," piped a small voice.

"Of all the people I expected to see at this safe house, you are the very last, Albus Dumbledore," said a gruff and familiar voice.

Dumbledore tried to lift his head to look around. Something wasn't quite right with his vision. He turned his head towards the source of the voice.

"Alastor?" he croaked.

The little elf placed a drink to his lips. "Drink, Master Dumblydore, it wills make you feel better and help heal."

Dumbledore drank sparingly. He wasn't sure of his situation, except to say he was in considerable pain.

"Aye, Albus, it's me. And for once I can honestly say I look better than you do. Nippers and I are all you have when it comes to a healer. You've been asleep for weeks now... Why did you do it, Albus? Are you that willing to risk your very soul?"

Dumbledore peered up at his old friend in consternation. "What are you talking about?"

"I heard it on the wireless. The Irish Government has placed a price on your head for an unprovoked attack at Potter's Haven. I know you and Potter don't see eye to eye anymore, but can't you leave the lad alone? He's the one who now leads the fight against Voldemort."

Dumbledore leaned up in his bed. "It should be me," he snarled, then he collapsed back in his bed, panting.

"Well, that isn't going to happen anytime soon, Albus. You've been badly burned, and your eye is injured. It's going to take you a long time before you can get out of bed, let alone lead any fights. I'll let you stay here long enough to heal, then you need to go elsewhere if you're looking to fight. I want no part of your battles with Potter or Voldemort or whomever. I just want to live here quietly, in peace," Moody said sadly. He was depressed that he had to take this hard line with his old friend, but he would not allow himself to be pulled into some sort of vendetta.

Dumbledore looked up at his old friend in shock. The potion was starting to make him drowsy and it took all his strength to nod in agreement. He'd work on changing his mind after he was better.

Moody watched Dumbledore slip off to sleep. "Oh, no you won't, Albus," he murmured softly, then he turned to Nippers and gave the little elf instructions for dinner.

Anafi, Mediterranean Sea...

The sun was well above the horizon when Harry finally woke up. He was naked, as was Hermione who was currently using him as her own personal mattress. He smiled and caressed her cheek tenderly. For a moment he thought she'd ignore him and continue sleeping, but she cracked an eye open, looking at him.

"Good morning, Mrs. Potter," he whispered, then he tightened his grip on her.

She smiled and stretched against him. All thoughts of breakfast and getting up fled his mind. "I like the sound of that," she murmured, then she lightly gripped his stiffening erection. "I like this even better."

Harry chuckled as she blushed from her own boldness, then he kissed the top of her head.

"Sweetie, as much as I'd like to, you sort of drained the well dry last night and I need a little time to recover. Besides, we have a busy day scheduled for today," he said with a grin.

Hermione propped her head up on one hand and continued to lightly stroke him. "Oh? I don't think you're as drained as you claim. But just what do you have planned for today? After all, this is our honeymoon."

Harry shuddered from the sensations she was causing and tried to concentrate on the conversation. "I had Remus make some arrangements for us. Today we meet with a Gregorios Stavros in Athens. He'll be showing us around the Wizarding sections of the city. Remus tells me he's the manager of one of my family's companies here in Greece. I know we have only ten days for our honeymoon, but once Voldemort's gone, we're going to do it right. In the meantime, we'll explore Athens, and Minerva has given me a letter of introduction to get us into the Library at Alexandria, in case you want to go see the restoration."

Hermione quickened her hand for a moment then she crawled up and straddling him. Harry gasped as he slid into her and she smiled down at him. "It's nice having a husband who caters to my desires," she said in a husky voice, slowly riding him. "I'll just have to think of a nice way of thanking him."

Harry growled in the back of his throat and pulled her down to kiss her.

El Magica, not far from St. Thomas...

Draco woke to a wonderful sound. Someone was singing softly, and it sounded perfect to him. A large open window allowed a cool breeze to waft over his naked form. Sitting up, he spotted some clothes laid out for him. Luna was no where to be seen, but unless he was mistaken, she was singing softly to herself in the other room. Dressing quickly, he went to join her on the first floor of the two story cabin.

Luna sat at their dinning table, playing with several flowers. What surprised him the most was that she had apparently decided that clothing was optional for breakfast. She wasn't completely naked, though. She wore a floral print skirt and a crude looking hat made from palm fronds. Around her neck was a necklace of iridescent shells.

She looked up at him and smiled widely. He could feel her no longer masking her emotions and he could feel the bond between them insulating him, protecting him from being overwhelmed.

"Good morning my husband," Luna said with a lilting laugh to her voice.

Draco smiled and tried to tear his eyes away from her breasts, lightly swaying as she breathed. "Good morning, my wife," he mumbled then sat down next to her, staring at the table.

Luna leaned over and kissed him on his cheek, then touched his face. "We're married now, Dray. You're allowed to look at me."

Draco nodded and tried to ignore the flush climbing up his cheeks. "I know, Luna. But seeing you like this... it only makes me want to take you back upstairs to make love to you again."

Luna laughed throatily and hugged him, then offered him a cup of coffee. "Later, my sweet. Right now we need to eat and we need to talk... about what happened last night."

"Last night?" he asked, somewhat confused. This was a new aspect of Luna. Despite her attire, or lack there of, she seemed tightly focused for a change.

"Yes. Last night you stabilized our bond. Now, at least when we're alone, I no longer need to mask my emotions. For the first time in my life I can be myself. You are my anchor and my protector," she said in a gentle tone.

Draco took a sip of his coffee and tried to formulate his thoughts into words without hurting her. "Does this mean you'll be able to be yourself around anyone, or just me?"

Luna reached out and cupped his cheek gently. "My poor Dray. This really has caught you off guard, hasn't it? I can feel you struggling, trying to frame your questions. Don't be afraid of hurting my feelings. I know how strange I appeared to everyone. And I know how much you love me, despite my little quirks. The quirks aren't gone Dray, they are just better... Controlled, perhaps?... Yes, controlled would be the right word."

Draco leaned into her touch, surprised at how much he craved her gentle caress. Luna laughed softly and leaned over to wrap her arms around him. After a few minutes she released him.

"Eat up, Dray. After breakfast we'll take a morning swim. It was going to rain today, but I asked the rain to hold off until the afternoon. After our swim we'll shower together and spend a lazy afternoon making love."

Draco's eyes glazed over with the images she painted in his mind and he nodded, completely skipping over her comment about her postponing the rain until later.

Luna stood and put on a bikini top, then she winked at Draco and walked out.

Draco, his mind still a whirl, grabbed one last bite of his toast, then he followed her out of the cabin and onto the beach. He would have walked into the sea fully clothed if she hadn't reminded him to take off his shirt and shoes.

Paris, France...

Terry leaned out over the balcony and looked at the Eiffel Tower in the distance. He turned at the knock at the door.

"I'll get it," Susan called.

Susan came out of the bedroom wearing a robe. She opened the door and spoke to the person outside the door. Terry could hear her talking in French and he shook his head, marveling that she was so fluent in the language. A minute later a man wheeled a cart into the suite and started to move food from it to the table in one corner of the living room.

"Terry, breakfast!" she called.

He turned and walked back into the living room, heading for the table while she took care of the tip.

"This sure is a nice place Harry arranged for us," he said with a grin. The large windows showed the city spread out before them. The bedroom was lush, bordering on decadent and the bath was positively hedonistic.

Susan smiled at him and poured them both a cup of tea. "From what I understand, the Potter family owned interests in several muggle and Wizarding hotel chains. He and Remus found out where we all wanted to go and then arranged for us to stay."

"I know, Susan, but look at this place! There are three unused bedrooms to this suite. It's the only suite on the whole floor!"

Susan giggled softly. "It's called the Owner's suite, Terry. I'm just happy that Harry did this for us. Did you see that bathroom?"

Terry grinned back at her, and looked at her carefully. She wore the filmy nightgown she had come to bed in under her robe. Her attire was giving him ideas, which caused him to blush to his roots.

She laughed at his coloring. "We can spend the day here if you like. Hermione gave me a list of things to see and do in Paris that we can pick from. But that can wait until tomorrow."

"It figures. Hermione would have an itinerary set up for us. Let me guess, all educational stuff?" he asked with a laugh.

"Let me check," she said, getting up from the table to get the list.

A moment later she walked back into the room holding the parchment. She walked slowly, approaching Terry while she read the list.

"No," she murmured in surprise. "This is the first time I've really looked at it but, shockingly, she lists several night clubs and theaters. She says the Wizarding section of Paris has great shopping. She also recommends a few restaurants and several museums," she told him, looking up with a grin.

Terry smiled and pulled her into his lap ,nuzzling her neck for a moment. "That must be Harry's influence on her. I'm sure she would have listed only libraries and museums if it weren't for him."

Susan sighed and ran her hands through his hair. "I don't know, Terry. She's mellowed a lot since she started seeing Harry. I'll bet she had no educational plans at all for their honeymoon."

"So let's plan on spending a little more time here today, then later we can check out one of those restaurants and maybe a club," he suggested while slipping a hand inside her robe.

She shivered in his lap and tightened her grip on him. "I like that idea."

The town of Haven...

"Over there is our town hall and meeting place. Next to that is the Ministry building, which is where we're heading," said Arthur.

Andromeda and Ted shook their heads in amazement. Neither had expected Haven to be so well built or so organized. They had envisioned something on the same level as a muggle refugee camp. Instead, they found a neatly built town with shops and schools. The town had gotten off to a shaky start but now was a bustling hub of activity.

"And Mr. Potter built all this?" Ted Tonks asked incredulously.

"That's right," Arthur said with a nod. "The town, schools and hospital. He even negotiated with Gringotts for a branch to be opened here. That's it, next to the Ministry building."

Both turned to look at the white marble building that seemed to lean precariously to the left and yet somehow stayed standing.

"Remarkable," murmured Andromeda.

"What's really remarkable isn't the town, it's the people," Arthur offered.

Ted and Andromeda turned to look at him curiously. "What do you mean?" Ted asked.

Arthur paused in the middle of the street and looked at the two of them for a moment. "When Harry first proposed his idea, he meant to try to save some of the Hogwarts students, their families and some friends. From that point, it grew. We now over five thousand people in the town. More than three times the population of Hogsmeade, which was the single largest pure Wizarding community in Britain.

"One third of our population are either muggles or squibs. Harry and his friends have done a lot to promote the idea of muggles and wizards working together and living together. He's even backing a muggle for the office of Mayor. Personally, I think the man will win too. Harry tries to maintain a low profile here in town, but everyone here knows they owe a debt to him."

Andromeda shook her head. "I still don't understand all this. Why is my daughter so involved with Mr. Potter? Why would he care about her?" she asked in confusion.

"Harry knew your daughter first as an Auror and a member of Dumbledore's Order of the Phoenix," Arthur said after a moment. "But more importantly to Harry, he knows her as Remus' girlfriend. Remus is the last living connection he has to his parents and, in a way, Remus is his surrogate father. Harry loves Remus, and loves what your daughter does for him. She's brought joy into Remus' life, and Harry considers her to be like a big sister, or perhaps a young aunt. Because of that, he considers her, and the both of you as her parents, to be part of his extended family. If there is one thing I've learned about Harry Potter, it's that he will do anything for family."

"Yes, I could see that in his eyes yesterday. Just the look he gave Remus and Dora. And his generous offer for us to stay at the manor house," Ted mused.

Arthur nodded in agreement, then looked up at the building they stood in front of. "Ah... here we are. The Ministry building."

"Why are we coming here again, Mr. Weasley?" asked Andromeda.

"You two traveled through some areas that Miles Pickerton wants to talk to you about. We've had some reports about V-V-Voldemort receiving aide from crime syndicates and the like. Miles just wants to ask you a few questions, that's all," Arthur said reassuringly.

Ted and Andromeda shared a look of relief as Arthur ushered the two into the Ministry building. A few moments later he led them into a small office. Behind the desk sat Miles Pickerton, who looked up and smiled a welcome as they entered.

"Thank you for bringing them by, Arthur. Amelia said she received the figures from the Irish you needed. Should I send them up to your office when I'm done?" Miles asked in a gruff tone.

Ted and Andromeda shared worried look and wondered if they were somehow in trouble.

"Just send me a note when you're done here, Miles, and I'll come get them," Arthur said agreeably.

Miles nodded and Arthur walked from the room, closing the door behind him.

"Please, be seated. This won't take long," Miles said with a smile. "I just have a few questions for the two of you."

"Are we in some kind of trouble?" asked Ted. "I know we just showed up without any kind of warning..."

Ted trailed off as Miles' grin grew larger. "No, you're not in any kind of trouble. I wanted to talk to you both because you might have information we could use."

Andromeda perked up at this. "Oh? How so?"

Miles glanced down at a parchment in front of him. "According to my sources, you are a developer of new charms, and your husband is an investigator for the Wizarding part of Lloyds of London. Both careers require substantial observational skills."

"So what is it you need of us, sir?" asked Ted curiously.

"What I'm wondering is, did anything seem out of place or odd during your trip? Especially across France? We've had disturbing reports that several crime syndicates have been helping Voldemort's forces there, including one attempted kidnapping of the official French Necromancer."

Ted Tonks leaned back in his chair and looked at the ceiling for a moment. "No, I don't think I can recall..."

"Wait, darling," said Andromeda. Ted turned to look at her. "Remember those people at the customs check in?" she asked.

Ted's eyes lost their focus as he recalled their entry and exit from France. "Yes... we had traveled up from Spain into Pic d'Estats. The customs clerk was very curious about our travel plans. More than what I'd consider normal for that kind of job."

Andromeda leaned forward in her chair looking intently at Miles. "Teddy received notice to visit a villa in southern Spain that had been damaged by a herd of hippogriffs. Since it had been a while since we had a vacation, I went along with him, figuring we could turn his trip into a working vacation. While we were gone, the government fell and everything fell apart back home. Teddy cast an obscuring charm on us as a precaution. Then we made our way north. Teddy wanted to go to the Paris office of Lloyds to see if we could find out any information about what was going on at home," Andromeda said, then she choked up a bit.

Ted put a comforting hand on his wife's arm. "She's safe and so are we, Andy," he murmured softly.

Miles nodded in agreement. "Yes, you're both safe now. I understand you had a difficult time not knowing what was happening at home, or with your daughter. But that's all behind you now," he said gruffly, though his eyes shone with warm understanding.

Andromeda smiled weakly at her husband and Miles. Then she prompted her husband again.

"Tell him about the exit point, Teddy," she said softly.

Ted glanced at her, then looked back at Miles, his expression growing somewhat embarrassed. "By the time we had reached Calais, I was downright paranoid. All the time we spent in Paris I couldn't shake the feeling that we were being watched. When we learned about Haven, I went and picked up two false passports from my office, showing us as Irish citizens. Sometimes we need to use phony passports in an investigation to help conceal who we are. Anyway, at the Calais checkpoint, the customs officer spent quite a lot of time examining our papers, then tried very hard to convince us to use a government made portkey, despite the fact that we were clearly planning to apparate. To be honest, Mr. Pickerton, the man felt odd to me and I was well glad to be gone from that place."

Miles frowned and wrote a small note on a piece of parchment, then he folded it and tossed it into the air. Before the parchment could begin to fall an owl swooped into the room and grabbed it. Miles looked at the two and grinned.

"Inter-office express owls. It's an idea one of the Weasley boys came up with," he said in explanation. A moment later Charlie Weasley walked into the office.

"You wanted to see me Miles?" he asked.

"Yes, Charlie. How are things going with the block wardens?"

"We've got the wardens in place, and tomorrow they'll have the last of the wards set on the town hall so we can use it as a shelter. After that, we'll need to build shelters and I still have to look at what we can do for the school. It's pretty open," Charlie replied. He recognized Ted and Andromeda, but had no idea why he had been summoned to this meeting and thought it best to remain quiet for the moment.

"Charlie, you went through the Calais customs point, didn't you?" asked Miles.

"Yeah," Charlie said in a low growl. "The customs officer nearly got me caught, too."

"Can you describe him?"

Charlie leaned against the wall and thought for a moment. "It's been a while, but let me think. He was of medium height and build and had black hair with a bald patch in the back. I seem to remember that he walked with a slight limp."

"That's him!" exclaimed Ted Tonks.

"You had to deal with him?" Charlie asked.

"Yes, on our way here," Andromeda told him.

Miles looked between the three, then shrugged. "Alright then, I'll send word to the French Ministry. They'll put someone to watch him. My thanks to all three of you."

Miles stood from behind the desk and led them out of the office, thanking them for their help.

Q Branch, Haven Operations Center...

"Oy! Move a little further to the left," Fred shouted at George.

"Are you sure this is a good idea?" asked Helga worriedly. She could see her boyfriend standing down at the far end of the testing area waving at Fred.

Fred looked up from adjusting the homemade rocket and eyed her in confusion. "Why? Don't you trust us?" he asked with a grin.

"Actually, she trusts you," offered Inga. "It's your inventions that she's worried about. And the fact that you're using her boyfriend as a target."

Fred glanced downrange to see George prancing around playfully, then he looked at the five foot long rocket with the erumpent fluid warhead and scratched his head. He stepped back from the large rocket and looked at the two girls. Helga stared back at him, looking very worried, while Inga tried to look encouraging.

Fred sighed. Then he stepped away from rocket and looked downrange at his brother again. "OY! Get up here!" he shouted.

A minute later George came trotting up to the three of them. "What's the problem? Something wrong with the rocket?" he asked in confusion.

Helga placed a hand on his arm. "No, George, but I don't see why you have to be the target for this thing," she said, starting to get angry.

"You know, we could get Amy to do it," George offered.

Fred blinked in surprise. "Is she back yet? I told you that the ejection charm on the broom was too powerful!"

"Oh, yeah, she came back two days ago. Did you know the muggles have put up some sort of box that people are living in that floats over the planet? Amy claims she saw it! Can you imagine anything so crazy?"

Fred and George started laughing at the idea, while the Johansen twins frowned at the two of them. Both girls had tried to explain some of the muggle advances before, without much success.

When Fred finally stopped laughing he looked around the work area. "So where is Amy, anyway?" he asked, unable to see her.

"Oh, she'll be in tomorrow, I think, I gave her the day off to go get her toes reattached," replied George while he buffed one broken fingernail.

Helga and Inga looked at each other in horror.

Fred chuckled appreciatively and clapped his hands. "Right then, we'll postpone the test until tomorrow. Now then, what's next..."

Fred stopped as a wall panel dropped open and an alarm sounded. George dived for a cabinet and started pulling out dragon hide gloves and an apron. Through the open panel an owl flew in and dropped a smoking red letter into Fred's open hands. He blanched and dropped the letter in fear.

"NO!!! It will explode!" yelled George as he made a dive for the letter, catching just in time with one gloved hand.

The two Johansen twins looked at George fearfully. Neither had seen a howler before and from the reaction of Fred and George they knew this was something to be wary of.

The letter suddenly opened itself and levitated a few feet above George's hand.

"FRED AND GEORGE WEASLEY!" shouted a voice that was clearly Ginny's. "IF YOU DON'T SEND ME THE COUNTER TO THIS IMPOTENCY CURSE, I SWEAR I WILL CURSE YOUR DANGLY BITS TO BITE! THE NERVE OF YOU HEXING MY HUSBAND BEFORE WE LEAVE ON OUR HONEYMOON! WAIT UNTIL DAD HEARS ABOUT THIS, WHICH SHOULD BE IN ABOUT FIFTEEN MINUTES. I PROMISE YOU TWO YOU WILL RUE THE DAY YOU CROSSED ME. JUST WAIT UNTIL YOU GET MARRIED! I PROMISE YOU I WILL CURSE YOU WITH A COUNTER TO EVERY CONTRACEPTIVE CHARM IN EXISTENCE! NOW SEND ME THE COUNTER TO THIS CURSE THIS INSTANT OR I WILL APPARATE BACK THERE AND DEAL WITH YOU PERSONALLY!"

The letter then exploded, knocking everyone to the floor. Unfortunately, the explosion also ignited the fuse on the rocket. Fred rolled over to lay atop Inga, protecting her, as George did the same to Helga.

The rocket took off with a whoosh of sparks and a great cloud of smoke, causing everyone to cough.

Fred poked his head up and waved a hand trying to clear the smoke away enough to see. The door to the work area opened and Arthur Weasley stepped into the room, looking angry.

"Look out, Dad!" shouted Fred.

Arthur took one look and dived to the side as the rocket flew out the door. The door slammed shut, but a scream could be heard on the other side. A scream that sounded suspiciously like Amy, who'd obviously just come back from the hospital. Then the wall bulged ominously as the rocket exploded.

Arthur lifted his head and glared at his two sons before standing up. "Fred! George! I want a word with the both of you!"

Fred and George cringed and helped their girlfriends climb to their feet. They walked towards their father, protesting their innocence the whole way, as the Johansen twins eyed the smoking door in horror.

"That poor girl," Inga whispered to her sister.

"I'm sure it was more than her toes, this time," Helga agreed.

The Waldorf Astoria Hotel, New York City (August 3rd)...

Ginny sat at the breakfast table and drummed her fingers impatiently on the surface. She had sent a message to her brothers yesterday and she was still waiting for a reply. She looked fondly at the closed bedroom door where Neville lay, still sleeping. Despite being handicapped by an impotency curse, he had risen to the challenge, pleasuring her so many times on their wedding night and last night, but it wasn't enough! Ginny huffed a few times and mentally put her brothers under a slow testicle crushing hex. How dare they!

Neville was taking it a lot better than she expected. A Weasley would be punching holes in the walls or throwing things. But not Neville. In many ways, he reminded her so much of her father. He was soft spoken, easy going, quick to smile, but a real powerhouse when angered. Neville was their third best dueler in the Brotherhood behind Draco and Harry. She was sure that if Neville really wanted to, he could probably bypass Draco, he was that good.

He was her anchor and she recognized it. He calmed her on days when her abilities disturbed her, he helped her maintain a grip on her temper. Their personalities were so different, yet somehow they fit perfectly together.

She sighed and stared at the bedroom door again, feeling guilty. Since their handfasting, Neville had gone out of his way to give her pleasure, but she had been unable to return the favor, thanks to her prat brothers.

Their first encounter with the curse had been enough to pin the blame firmly where it belonged. She and Neville had arrived in New York City early enough for them to go out to dinner before retiring for the night. She had dressed with care, wanting to knock his socks off. The evening gown she'd chosen had shimmered with its own magic. It had several charms on it that she thought she might have to use, but the dress, coupled with her own, innate sensuality, had made them unnecessary.

Neville had come to bed wearing only a pair of boxers and when she got close enough he merely pulled her into an embrace that he held for a good five minutes before he started kissing her.

It was something that she had realized early on in their relationship. Like Harry, Neville had grown up with a family who didn't show affection well, and he craved it. He craved holding her and her touch and probably would for the rest of his life. He could hold her all day long as far as she cared. She felt safe, content and loved in his arms.

Neville took her to bed and began pleasuring her for what seemed like hours before he finally decided it was time. She eagerly helped him peel out of his boxers and as soon as he did, a cloud of green smoke emitted from his penis and he fell back onto the bed in shock.

The cloud rose above the bed and slowly formed into the words ,"Don't be silly, you can't use this Willy!"

She screamed and poor Neville fainted.

Ginny looked up in surprise when she heard scratching at the window and saw a long distance courier owl with a small package. She opened the window, letting the owl in. It flew to the table and landed and Ginny could have sworn she heard it sigh in relief.

"Let me see what you have," she said kindly, then she removed the small package from it's talons. She poured some water into a dish and put a small plate of sausage in front of it before turning her attention to the package.

Opening the package she smiled seeing the letter from her father.

Ginny love,
I am pleased to tell you that this package contains the counter for that pesky curse. Your brothers are rather contrite and apologetic about it, but I told them it would probably be best that they waited until you got home before they groveled and begged for their lives.

Ginny snorted a laugh.

In truth, they are sorry. The potion to counter the curse was supposed to be packed in your belongings by Helga or Inga. But the other set of twins didn't like what our twins had in mind and figured that getting them in trouble with you would be a perfect prank in itself.

Give Neville his potion, the counter should work immediately, and so should Neville. (Are you blushing now, my daughter? Did you think Fred and George had the monopoly on teasing?) Please be safe. I know you'll be back soon, but I miss you and my new son-in-law.

With love,
Dad

"The window's open, eat and drink your fill, then let yourself out again," she told the owl. Then, opening the small box, she looked at the dark liquid in the crystal vial. With the vial clutched in her hand, she strode into the bedroom.

She smiled when she saw Neville stirring.

"Good morning, Mr. Longbottom," she said, bouncing on the bed next to him.

Neville smiled up at her and reached up to caress her cheek.

"Good morning."

"Open your mouth, my love. The counter potion arrived a little while ago," she said with a impish grin and she held up the vial.

Neville blinked in surprise, then opened his mouth. She poured the potion in and he instinctively swallowed, then grimaced at the taste. She handed him a glass of water, which he gratefully accepted.

"All better now?" she asked.

"I guess so... I hope this isn't another prank," he said in an unsure tone.

Ginny straddled him, her gaze suddenly turning very predatory.

"Ginny?"

She ran her hands over his well muscled chest and closed her eyes.

"For nearly three days now you've left me a gasping heap on this bed using nothing more than your fingers and mouth. Well, now it's my turn for a little old fashioned Weasley revenge..."

Neville paled and swallowed nervously. She looked down at him and licked her lips. She'd been waiting for this moment for so long, she had the urge to rip his boxers off with her teeth.

Neville smiled weakly at her and ran one hand up her flank, causing her to shudder. She bent down and gently nipped at one of his nipples, causing him to suck his breath in. Neville pulled her closer and all thoughts of revenge on her brothers fled.

The Montmartre, Paris, (August 4th)...

It was war, plain and simple. Terry stepped from the building with Susan hanging on his arm. Both were blushing furiously. A casual passer-by might even think they were competing for the biggest blush. They had just finished their evening with a trip to the Moulin Rouge, a cabaret recommended by Hermione, and had been shocked to discover that the show was blatant in its sensuality and sexuality.

This was the culmination of their day. One which, despite having been recommended by Hermione, had turned out very successfully.

Terry tried to signal a cab, but he and Susan were laughing so hard it was difficult. Somehow during the show their newlywed status had been discovered and several show girls had come down before the show to teach Susan how to dance for her husband.

At first, Terry had thought the idea funny, but when Susan actually started to grind in his lap, he turned a wonderful shade of red. Privately, he had the courage to admit he rather liked what she was doing, but he would have preferred it to be in a less public place.

A cab finally pulled over in front of Terry and Susan and they piled into the backseat. Susan sprawled on the seat and laughed. She was more than a little tipsy.

"Hotel du Louvre," Terry said, trying not to laugh at Susan and help her sit up.

The cabbie grinned in his rear view mirror and nodded.

Behind them, as the cab pulled away from the curb, a man stepped out of the shadows and watched with a feral grin.

"Hotel du Louvre," he whispered. "Now we have them."

Haven School (August 6th)...

Millicent Bulstrode looked up from her breakfast when she heard the soft sound of wings and watched two owls fly into the dinning hall. Her eyes narrowed when they flew to Jack Palmer and Mindy Joyner and delivered letters. This was the third morning delivery the two had received, and Millicent had been waiting for it.

As had become their habit, Palmer and Joyner stood up and left the hall quickly, letters clenched tightly in their hands. Once they'd left the hall, Millicent followed them, though her pace was slower. She knew their routine and knew where they were headed.

Once outside, Millicent turned away from the path to the owlery building and quickened her pace. The path she took would take her to a small grove of trees where she could conceal herself, but still see the owlery. Once there, she squatted down, pushed the anticipation she was feeling aside, and waited.

She didn't have to wait long. Two owls took wing from the owlery building. It was time to act.

Concentrating carefully, she formed a picture in her mind and focused her power inward. In just a matter of seconds, a sleek, fierce Gyrfalcon replaced the large, rather ugly looking young woman. With three hopping steps, she was airborne and winging her way towards the two owls. She remained behind the other birds, waiting for her moment. Once they'd passed over the school and out of sight of anyone watching from the windows, she acted.

With a quick burst of speed, she caught up with her pray. The owls, finally realizing they were being hunted, split up, and the falcon chose her target. Following closely, she increased her altitude slightly and, with a savage cry, reached out with her talons and sunk them deeply into the wing muscles of the owl.

With an screech of agony, the owl tried to turn and face his attacker. The falcon, realizing they were losing lift, clamped her talons tighter and beat her wings furiously. The owl struggled and, with a ripping sound, the falcon's talons were torn from his flesh. He tried to pump his wings to regain altitude, but found it useless. The letter clamped in his own talons fell from his grip as he plummeted towards the ground.

Swooping down, the falcon caught the letter and spiraled in a lazy circle for a moment, watching as the owl hit the ground and bounced. With a triumphant scream, the falcon dove towards the ground, landing lightly next to the motionless owl.

Releasing the letter, the falcon hopped onto the owl and tore into his feathers, stripping them off to reach the meat below.

Cairo, Egypt (August 6th)...

Harry approached Hermione and tried to wrap the long scarf around her head.

"What are you doing?" asked Hermione in confusion.

"Shhh... I'm getting you presentable," he murmured, as he tied the large scarf over her head, covering her hair entirely. Then he transfigured her shorts and tank top into a full length heavy robe.

"But I don't understand," she said, protesting the hot scarf and robes.

"We're going to see the library, but the culture is unlike any you're used to. Minerva and Filius both briefed me on this," he replied, then he wrapped both arms around her, pulling her close to him. She felt a momentary sense of dislocation and knew he was apparating both of them someplace.

The dizziness quickly passed and she blinked in the blistering sunlight. Off in the distance she could make out the great pyramids of Giza. Nearby was a collection of tents, clustered around a small oasis. She could hear bells from a herd of goats and could see several small children tending the herd atop a nearby rise.

Harry grabbed her hand and led her forward, weaving his way in among the tents as if he was looking for something in particular. Finally, he stopped outside a tent and examined the markings along one side of the entrance.

"Say nothing unless someone speaks to you," he whispered. Hermione bristled behind the hot scarf and robes she wore.

Still holding her hand, he walked forward, pulled aside the flap and entered the tent, pulling her in after him. Inside were several men, seated in a circle on plush cushions. In the center of the circle was a bowl filled with a pungent smelling sauce.

"Marharba," Harry said, carefully pronouncing the unfamiliar word.

The oldest of the men looked up at Harry and smiled, showing many gold capped teeth.

"Ahlan wa sahlan," he replied, before switching to English. "Please be seated. My house is your house during your stay."

Harry led Hermione over to an open spot and he sat on the cushion. Hermione moved to sit next to him and he subtly shook his head at her. Her eyes flared behind her scarf and he winced internally. He was in so much trouble!

"You were expecting us?" Harry asked in surprise.

The old man laughed. "Yes. My good friend Filius owled us that you might be visiting. Please, Mrs. Potter, be seated. We appreciate your trying to accommodate our customs, but we are more cosmopolitan than our muggle counterparts. I am Sheik Alim Hosary, head of our Department of Magical Antiquities."

Hermione sat next to Harry and shot him an angry glare before turning her attention back to their host and smiling gratefully. Harry had the grace to look apologetically at her.

"Your English is quite good, your Excellency," she murmured.

Hosary smiled at her comment, then he turned and clapped his hands. A flap opened in the back of the tent and several young women entered, carrying bread and fruits. An older woman stood by the entrance and watched the girls carefully. Harry got the impression that the older woman was the one in charge of the girls.

"I graduated from Hogwarts in 1901, Mrs. Potter," he said with a grin, "After that, I attended Cambridge. Come, let us eat and talk of business."

Harry eyed the many women who were setting up the food. He had expected a Wizarding home, even if it was a tent, to be staffed with elves, not humans.

"I see you're noticing my wives, Mr. Potter. They are a great comfort to me in my old age," Hosary said merrily. "When you have six wives, you will know what I mean."

Harry blinked and a quick vision flashed before his eyes of multiple wives dressed in filmy scarves, then changed into a vision of Hermione dressed the same way. He shook his head trying to clear his thoughts.

"Do not get any ideas," Hermione said in a quiet voice, though not quietly enough judging by Hosary's laughter.

"I wasn't... Well, not seriously," Harry protested weakly.

"Good, because I don't share," she replied primly.

Hosary eyed the two for a moment, his eyes danced with mirth over their comments. "Filius said you would be interested in visiting the library, yes?"

Harry nodded. "Yes, that is our desire. My wife is something of a scholar and since we were in the area we hoped we might be able to arrange a visit."

Hosary raised his eyebrows at Harry's 'in the area' comment. The Egyptian Ministry was well aware they had come from Anafi. Then he nodded and gestured to one of the girls who came forward and offered him a tray from which he selected a small stone.

"The library is one of our greatest national treasures. We were fortunate that there were several powerful wizards on duty in the library the day Emperor Theodosius the First ordered all pagan temples, including the Library, destroyed. In desperation the head librarian, Achmed Assim, an arch mage, caused the library to sink into the harbor. His efforts not only put the library out of reach of the muggle defilers, but he protected the library by enveloping it in a protective bubble. He died saving his library, using the last of his magic to move thousands of scrolls from the muggle area of the library to the Wizarding one.

"Even though the library is submerged, powerful magics protected it. Unfortunately, those wizards who helped Assim save it also lost their lives in the effort. Consequently, the library was only rediscovered thirty years ago."

"Excuse me, Excellency, but if the library is submerged..." Hermione began.

"How can anyone get to it?" he asked and she nodded in reply.

"Via a special portkey, like the one in my hand," he replied with a gentle smile. "We have only a few rules for the library. You may not remove any scroll or book from the library. If you want to remove something, one of the librarians will make a copy of the book or scroll for a minimal fee. The Ministry of Magic has declared the library to be sanctuary. Within the library there can be no fighting. To do so will result in death. Even the casting of magic is generally frowned upon without permission from a librarian," Hosary said solemnly.

Harry and Hermione nodded their understanding.

"Excellent! Let us finish our meal, then you can depart to the library. A librarian will provide you with the necessary translation charms when you arrive."

Over the meal, Harry and Hermione found Hosary to be a well educated man who was very interested in what they had accomplished in Haven. Harry spoke of that, while Hermione quizzed their host on the local history. She learned that the great pyramid of Giza, with its single, unused burial chamber had, in fact, another chamber. The real burial chamber was protected by an ancient version of the Fidelius charm, explaining why the muggles never found it.

As the meal was cleared away, Hosary sipped coffee and contemplated his guests for a long moment. Hermione, in particular, found his scrutiny somewhat disconcerting and she was glad that Harry was there.

"We here in the middle east have watched your growing problem for a quite a while now, Mr. Potter. There is considerable debate over it in our Wizengamot, as well as our brother Arab Ministries."

"I do not mean to offend Excellency, but may I ask what the debate is about?" Harry asked cautiously.

Sipping his coffee he eyed them for another minute before replying. "Some factions within our governments wanted to side with Voldemort, others wanted to side with you. Still others wanted neutrality. Some in our government see you as a threat to our way of life. Tell me, what course do you think we should take?"

Harry leaned back on the cushion, glad of Hermione's comforting presence next to him. "It would be presumptuous of me to suggest a course of action for your government, Excellency. Both Voldemort and I represent change, that much is true," Harry said softly, then he looked upwards at the tent ceiling. "I have seen the change that Voldemort represents first hand. Under his rule, he will crush everyone he considers different. He will force his ideas and his values on those who will accept them, and kill those that will not.

"I know some of what the press has said about me, but all I truly want is to live my life freely, to have a family and see them grow up in peace and harmony. People look to me to set an example and I find that difficult. This is not something I asked for," Harry replied.

"And yet here you are, married to a muggle born," offered Hosary, then he shrugged apologetically at Hermione.

Harry's eyes hardened and the tent shook slightly as the wind kicked up outside. "I did not marry Hermione to set any sort of example, unless marriage for love can be called such. I married a woman whom I loved more than life itself. Her skills and knowledge surpasses that of most pure bloods. Lineage is important when determining inheritances and royalties, but it is what we do with our power that defines us, not our blood. Take Voldemort, for example. He slaughters muggles and half bloods when he himself is a half blood. That makes no sense to me, except to prove the man has lost all sanity along with his humanity. As to my choice of mate, she is the one I want to spend my life with. I chose her not because of her blood, but for her spirit and courage, her sense of self and because she loves me as much as I love her,"

As Harry spoke, the tent rattled and his eyes glowed eerily. Hermione reached up and touched his shoulder and he glanced at her. Looking into her eyes and understanding her thoughts, he closed his own and drew a deep breath, calming himself. She was right. Anger here would solve nothing.

Several of the other men who had been observing Harry had backed away nervously.

Hosary smiled at Harry when the younger man opened his eyes again. "Not all change is something to embrace, but I can sense the good in you, Mr. Potter. Few men among our culture would speak so openly of their feelings for their mates. I am pleased to hear you do so and I am pleased we had time for this conversation. But now, it is time for you to visit the library."

Harry nodded as Hermione accepted the small stone from their host. With a nod of thanks to Hosary, Harry reached over and touched the stone and moment later they were gone.

Haven School of Witchcraft and Wizardry (August 6th)...

When the knock came, Minerva nearly growled in aggravation. The students were able to enjoy their summer break, but the Headmistress quickly found that she had more work than ever. Schedules had to be made for the next year, the proper forms filed with the Ministry, lists of food, potions and other supplies had to be created. The work seemed endless, and interruptions didn't help.

"Come!" she barked out and her eyes narrowed when she saw the woman who entered. "Good afternoon, Miss Bulstrode."

"Headmistress," Millicent said with a nod. Closing the door behind her, she drew her wand, then raised an eyebrow in question.

Nodding her permission, Minerva sat back and watched the young witch ward the door against entry and eavesdropping.

Slipping her wand back in her pocket, Millicent turned and walked to the chair in front of the McGonagall's desk.

With a wave, Minerva motioned her to sit, then she leaned forward. "What can I do for you today, Miss Bulstrode?"

"I have some information, Professor. Usually I would give it to Draco, but he's gone at the moment and I don't think it can wait. I thought I should bring it to you." She reached into the pocket of her robe, pulled out a wrinkled and battered letter and placed it on Minerva's desk. "I'm sure you'll find this interesting."

Picking up the letter, Minerva noted the bloodstains, but held her questions for the moment. Reading the recipients name, she scowled and quickly opened it.

Dear Mum and Dad,
I told you, no one knows what Jack and I are doing. These people are easily fooled by a few pretty words of remorse and are too trusting for their own good. But that's to our benefit, so I certainly won't complain. As you always say, Dad, give me a stupid enemy every time!

Yes, the odd creatures that appeared during the Dementor attack are still around. We have one here on the school grounds but I haven't been able to get close enough to it to examine it. When I try, it moves away rather quickly. I don't want to draw attention to myself by chasing it down, so I can't tell you any more about them than I already have.

Now, for my news. Potter and his friends seem to have left Haven. I don't know where they've gone, but they all left the same day. You should tell Mr. Malfoy that if he still wants to get his hands on Draco, now is the time. I haven't seen Narcissa, but I'm sure she'd come running if Draco was in danger.

I'm also hearing rumors that have filtered up from town that Dumbledore was here in Haven and that he and Potter fought. I'm not sure what happened, except that Dumbledore fled and Potter was injured, although his injuries don't seem to have been that serious.

Any news on when Jack and I can get out of this place? We hate it here, surrounded by muggle-lovers and blood traitors!

That's it for now. I want to get this out before breakfast is over and people start wandering the grounds.
Love,
Mindy

When McGonagall raised her eyes, Millicent smiled nastily. "It's always nice to know what others think of one, isn't it?" she asked the Headmistress.

"Hmm, yes. But it works to our advantage. I'm surprised that Miss Joyner sent this in the clear."

"She didn't. It took a bit of work, but I was able to remove the encryption charm on it."

"Nice work, Miss Bulstrode. However, I do have a few questions," Minerva said, her eyes sharpening.

"Ma'am?"

"How did there come to be bloodstains on the letter? I certainly hope, as a former Slytherin, you didn't do anything obvious, like bashing Miss Joyner over the head."

Millicent looked offended. "Of course not! The blood is from the owl sent to deliver the letter. He didn't want to give it to me. We fought, he lost."

"So succinct," McGonagall murmured. Then, sitting forward, she pinned the younger witch to her chair with just a look. "You'll have to help me, Miss Bulstrode. I was under the impression that, once airborne and on a delivery, owls stop for no one."

When Millicent remained silent, Minerva pressed on.

"Hagrid tells me that he's been finding a lot of dead birds and rodents on school grounds lately. I had my suspicions, you understand, but I wasn't sure who might be the cause. With this," the Headmistress said, holding up the letter, "I think I've found the answer. Tell me, Miss Bulstrode, when did you become an animagus?"

Millicent sighed and slipped down a bit in her chair. "My cousin taught me the summer after fifth year," she said quietly. "I only managed to get everything put together correctly just before we evacuated Hogwarts."

"And your form?"

"A falcon."

Minerva's eyes narrowed. "What kind of falcon?" she asked intently.

"A Gyrfalcon."

When the Headmistress growled and stood up suddenly, Millicent flinched back.

"You!" Minerva sputtered.

"What?" Millicent exclaimed as she stood up and put the chair between herself and the older witch. "What did I do?"

"You were the one dive bombing me two days ago out near the greenhouses!"

"Dive bombing you? I would never, Headmistress, I swear it. I was out near the greenhouses two days ago in my falcon form, but I was only playing with a cat...OH!" Millicent's eyes widened and she took a quick step back. "Oh, Professor, I'm so sorry. I didn't realize..." She trailed off and swallowed nervously.

"From this moment on, Miss Bulstrode," Minerva said through clenched teeth, "you will limit your hunting to wild animals and kindly leave the domesticated species alone!"

"Yes...yes ma'am. I promise." Millicent said fervently, twisting her robes in her hands and trying to figure out a way of fixing such a blunder.

"Oh, sit down, girl!" Minerva told her as she fell back into her own chair with little grace. Watching her student sit, she shook her head."Remind me to inform the house elves to feed you more. You've obviously been sampling the local wildlife too much. Now, we have work to do and we've wasted enough time today as it is."

Padfoot Manor (August 6th)...

"Remus? what are you doing back so early?" asked Narcissa.

Remus spotted Narcissa and Amelia having tea in the sitting room and he entered the room with a smile.

"Tonks wanted to spend a little time with her parents. We promised each other that we'll go on a real honeymoon when we have the chance," he replied.

Narcissa waved him to a seat and poured him a cup of tea, which he accepted gratefully.

"You wouldn't believe just how difficult it is to get a decent cup of tea in Rome," he said with a smile. "It's almost as bad as what the Yanks drink."

Amelia chuckled and nodded wisely. "I will admit privately that it is hard to find decent tea on the continent."

"At least you didn't have to put up with the French and their version of tea," Narcissa offered. "I've tasted stronger water than what they offer."

Remus nodded. "I just hope Susan and Terry can put up with it for a few more days."

Amelia leaned forward in her chair and her expression paled. "They went to France?" she gasped.

"Yes," Remus replied. "I set up the honeymoons for all our couples. Harry and Hermione are in Anafi, off the coast of Greece, staying at the Potter vacation home. Susan and Terry are in Paris, staying at a hotel that Harry's family owns a controlling interest in. Draco and Luna are doing something similar, but in the Carribean and Neville and Ginny went to New York. I know everyone was upset about keeping the destinations secret, but Miles insisted we do it that way for security."

Amelia's hands started to tremble and she had trouble putting her tea down without spilling it. Remus and Narcissa looked on with alarm.

"Amelia? What is wrong?" asked Narcissa.

"France," she whispered. "The French customs service has been compromised."

Remus bolted to his feet. "I'll go talk to Miles right away. If necessary, I'll contact Susan and Terry and we'll bring them home. But let's see if we can put a few Aurors out to watch over them first so they can enjoy their honeymoon in peace."

Amelia nodded weakly and Remus walked quickly from the room.

The Sunken Library at Alexandria...

They arrived in a open air courtyard surrounded on all four sides by marble columned buildings. The light had a flickering, shimmering quality about it and Harry looked up, then blinked in surprise.

Above them he could clearly see the most massive shield he had ever come across in his life. It shimmered and wavered, causing the sunlight to do the same. Above the shield was water, about thirty feet of it, and he shuddered involuntarily.

Hermione gasped when she followed Harry's gaze upwards. This was magic the likes of which she had only read about.

Harry was distracted by the approach of two men who stopped a few feet away from them. Both appeared to be wearing uniforms, one more ornate than the other. The more ornate dressed man bowed his head slightly and spoke.

"Welcome, gentle visitors. I am Malik, head librarian and chief of the restoration. Sheik Alim Hosary alerted me to your visit," he said.

Harry and Hermione smiled. Hosary had been true to his word and made good on his promise to make their trip as easy as possible.

"Thank you for your welcome, Malik. I know we'll find our visit an enjoyable one," Harry replied.

"The Sheik tells me your wife is a scholar. I have assigned one of my assistants to aid her. Is there any particular subject she wants to examine?" asked Malik.

"Yes," said Hermione. "I know most of the library consists of middle eastern lore, but I am interested in seeing what, if any, material you might have from the pre-Christian Britons, especially Celtic or Druidic lore."

Malik smiled broadly. "I think you will be surprised to find what materials have been collected over the years, Mrs. Potter. My aid will show you the relevant sections and help you in your search."

Harry turned to look at Hermione. "Do you have enough money on you? Anything you want to copy will cost something." he asked with a smile.

Hermione patted a purse tied to her belt. "I should be fine. If I need more I'll come find you."

When Harry shook his head and grinned, she turned away and followed Malik's assistant to one of the buildings. Harry turned back to the smiling Librarian.

"And what of you, Mr. Potter?"

"It pains me to admit this, but my wife is a far better scholar than I am. I admit I find the shield interesting and I am interested in the restoration effort. Is it true the library was only rediscovered thirty years ago?"

Malik nodded and his eyes lit up with interest. "Yes, the library was hidden to protect it. Thirty years ago we found it as the charm hiding the library finally wore off."

"Really? It wasn't a Fidelius charm then?"

"No. Unfortunately the spell used has been lost to the ages, but it successfully hid the library since the third century when the pagan temples and libraries were ordered destroyed. Now days, we use obscuring charms and anti-muggle repellers to keep away unwanted guests," replied Malik proudly as he led Harry through one building into another atrium.

Harry nodded and looked at the shield overhead once more.

"Would you like to see more of the grounds, Mr. Potter? I would be pleased to show you around," offered Malik.

"Yes, I would like that Malik," Harry said softly, looking around. Something was bothering him, but he couldn't put his finger on it. "Tell me, Malik, how often are the wards and that shield checked?"

Malik stopped and looked at Harry warily. "The wards and shields are checked daily, Mr. Potter. Why?"

"I'm not sure. It's just a feeling I have that something isn't right. I know we're not supposed to perform magic here without permission. May I perform a passive look?" Harry asked worriedly. The feeling of impending doom had increased with their arrival in the atrium.

Malik nodded worriedly and he fingered a dagger at his belt.

Harry extended his senses and looked overhead at the shield. Looking at the aura of the shield he could see a wash of black sweep over it every few seconds. Looking around, he could see the library complex surrounding the atrium on three sides, the forth side opened to the sea.

With a scowl, Harry began walking to the source of the wash of black flooding the shield several times a minute.

"Malik, do you see that outcropping of rock?" he asked, pointing beyond the shield towards a pile of rocks on the sea floor.

He turned to look at Malik when the man didn't respond, and was surprised to see nearly a dozen librarians and others standing in the atrium, their wands drawn and pointed at him. "Malik?"

"Sorry, Mr. Potter, but we cannot allow what you have learned to be spread around," Malik said in an acidic tone.

Harry blinked in surprise, then he started to scowl. "I am trying to help you, but if you don't want my help, fine. I'll gather my wife and we'll leave immediately. This place isn't safe and I do not intend to let her stay here any longer than necessary now that I know that," Harry replied. Then he looked at the other librarians holding wands on him.

"Put them down and get out of my way, or use them," he growled at the men surrounding him as his magic flared within him, causing his eyes to glow eerily.

"HOLD!" thundered a voice. Harry whipped his head up to see Hosary and over a dozen Aurors approaching. Behind them were four more Aurors protecting Hermione, and Malik's assistant, who was now in chains.

Malik paled and snapped out a command.

Several of Malik's men fired off curses, catching Harry and the Aurors by surprise. A bone crushing hex hit Harry's arm and he gasped in pain, then his anger, and his magic flared.

A shield snapped into place and he gestured with his other hand. Three of Malik's men fell to the floor, gasping for air as Harry banished every bone and piece of cartilage in their bodies. Without immediate help, they would suffocate.

Harry shielded Hermione and the Aurors protecting her, then he turned his attention to the fire fight going on between Malik and the Sheik's men. He was forced to dodge several killing curses while he moved closer. He had an idea he had been itching to try for a while. Rolling to one side, his vision danced with spots when he rolled on his injured arm. The arm started to bleed from several places as pieces of bone pierced his skin.

Harry raised his good arm and his aura flared brightly. There was a flash of red light like a flash bulb going off and the atrium fell silent. His wide area stun field had stunned Malik and all of his men, and at least six Aurors.

Harry pushed himself painfully to his feet and looked around carefully. He could see the Sheik and his men advancing carefully, disarming Malik's men. Most of the Aurors watched Harry warily.

"Harry!" Hermione yelled and rushed past the Aurors to his side. "You idiot! What were you trying to do? You know there's no fighting in the library," she fumed at him.

He swayed slightly and looked at her for a moment in disbelief. No fighting in the library? Honestly, it wasn't his fault! Then understanding twisted its way through the pain and he almost smiled. Hermione always babbled when she was worried.

While Hermione berated him, Sheik Hosary had come up beside her.

"I think, Mrs. Potter, we can make an exception in this case," Hosary said softly. "Mr. Potter cast no spells until Malik and his men attacked. Besides, most of his actions were clearly defensive."

As the Sheik spoke, Harry broke out into a cold sweat and his skin paled. The Sheik's eyes widened when he spotted the blood dripping from his arm. He turned and snapped out a few orders in Arabic. Hermione stepped back and looked at him with concern, then she conjured a chair for him to sit on.

He dropped into the chair heavily. His vision kept graying out on him and there was a buzzing sound in his ears.

Those Aurors still conscious were busy binding and moving Malik's men away from the area. Harry looked up when he caught a bit of the conversation between Hermione and the Sheik.

"I'm sorry, Excellency, but even if I did know the spell he used, I doubt I could counter it. He is so much stronger than I am and many of the spells he's been creating of late are beyond my ability to perform," Hermione said, sounding apologetic.

"Wide field stunner," Harry murmured groggily.

"Can you revive my men, Mr. Potter?" asked the Sheik.

Harry nodded and waved a hand. Around them the stunned Aurors started to move. A healer pushed his way forward and cut the sleeve from Harry's shirt, then started to work on his arm.

"The shield... under attack..." Harry moaned and both Hermione and Hosary looked at Harry in consternation. "The shield... weakening... outcropping..." When the healer started to bind up his arm, Harry groaned and passed out.

Hosary looked over to the shield and pulled out his wand. He cast several charms, his expression growing grimmer with each spell. Finally, he turned back to Harry and Hermione. "Mrs. Potter, I must ask that you and your husband to leave the library immediately. My personal healer will take you and your husband to a place of safety."

Confused by the turn of events, Hermione could only nod as the healer pressed a rope portkey into her hands. Her last view of the library was that of the Sheik snapping out orders and dozens of other wizards apparating in.

Haven Operations Center...

Miles frowned at the man before him. His idea was coming back to bite him and now he had to do something about it, and do it fast.

Remus paced in front of Miles' desk, his expression clearly worried. The two were waiting for both Amelia and Caleb to arrive. The door opened a few minutes later to admit the worried Minister, followed a short time later by the Auror.

"Caleb, we may have a problem and I need to know if we can pull any of the Aurors we have training for the protective service detail and put them in the field right away," Miles said grimly.

Caleb scowled and sat in one of the empty chairs. "The PSD is brand new, Miles. We have several men who are experienced, but we're using them as instructors. All the trainees are fully qualified Aurors, but have no PSD experience. Why don't you tell me what's going on and I'll see if I have anyone who fits your needs?"

Amelia sat hunched in another chair, clearly frightened. Susan was her last living relative and she loved the girl like a daughter.

Miles wiped his face with one hand and nodded to Caleb. "As per usual security, we kept the honeymoon destinations of Harry Potter and his Brotherhood secret. I'll stand by that decision, mostly, but it turns out it was a mistake. The Minister's niece and her husband passed through the Calais customs checkpoint six days ago, Caleb. We now have confirmation from two different sources that the checkpoint is dirty."

Amelia knuckles turned white on the arms of chair she was gripping.

Caleb nodded for a second. "Are you looking for an extraction? Or for someone to protect and cover them? They're due back when? The tenth?"

"The eleventh, actually, but as to the mission," Miles hesitated and looked over at Amelia. "It's really your call, Minister. If we perform an extraction like we've been doing in Britain, it will be on foreign soil and could be considered an act of war. However, a discrete protective detail may not be capable of fending off an all out assault on them. I think it might be necessary to break a few laws by giving your niece and her husband portkeys which bypass the customs points as an emergency measure."

Amelia frowned. "I hadn't considered the possible consequences. If we were to put a protective detail on them and then also give them an emergency portkey?" she asked looking around.

"A portkey won't be necessary," Remus said. "They already have them."

Miles raised an eyebrow and looked at Remus curiously. "Since when?"

"Their Brotherhood medallions are set to be portkeys. Susan and Terry can activate them. They will also activate automatically if the wearer suffers any major physiological change."

Amelia sagged in her chair, the relief evident in her posture.

"Look, this should be straight forward. We have three instructors training a total of fifteen students. I'll inform the instructors that tonight they will be beginning a live field exercise with their students. They can pick up their charges and follow them discretely from there," Caleb offered.

Miles looked up from his desk and glanced over to Amelia. "That works for me," he offered.

Amelia nodded in agreement and allowing Caleb to leave to set up the details.

"Should we send someone after the others?" asked Amelia worriedly.

"I don't think it will be necessary, Amelia. They all know about their emergency portkeys and I think they're all capable of taking care of themselves," offered Remus in a confident tone.

Cairo, Egypt (August 7th)...

The first thing Harry felt was a bone tearing pain shooting up and down his arm. He moaned and tried to roll but someone prevented him from moving. A cool cloth was placed on his forehead.

"Hermione?" he asked in a pained whisper.

"Right here, Harry. Try not to move. You've been dosed with Skele-grow. That's why your arm hurts so much," she replied.

Harry opened his eyes and blinked them clear. Hermione sat next to him and she was dressed oddly. The pants she wore were tight at the waist and ankle, but billowy everywhere else. Her shirt was loose fitting and short, just covering her breasts, which swayed with each movement she made, but exposing her stomach to the navel. Both shirt and pants were blue in color and the material was very sheer, nearly transparent.

Pulling his gaze away from such an enticing sight, he looked around and noted that they were in a walled off section of a tent and his bed had rolled up mosquito netting. "Where are we Hermione?" he asked in a worried tone. He couldn't help but notice the bags under her eyes from lack of sleep.

"His excellency set us up in a tent near his own so his healer would be able to visit you several times during the night. He says the Skele-grow should wear off soon and you'll be as good as new then..."

Hermione paused and then angrily dashed tears away from her eyes. "Damn you, Harry Potter!" she said, then punched him in his good arm. "Am I going to spend the rest of my life watching you get injured?"

Harry winced slightly at her punch and pulled her down to him with his good arm. She nestled into his shoulder and wept softly. He held her with his free arm and kissed the top of her head. "I'm alright Hermione. It's just a minor wound. You said it yourself, I'll be as good as new in a few hours, right?"

Unable to speak, Hermione nodded against his shoulder instead. His hand was stroking her hair, relaxing her. He was alive. He would heal. They were safe.

Within a few minutes she was asleep in his arm. Harry smiled and looked up at the tent roof, thinking about the night before. He didn't get far in his thoughts when he joined his wife in sleep.

Several hours later Harry awoke feeling someone prodding his arm.

"Ah, you're awake, Mr. Potter," said the stranger with a comforting smile.

"Er..."

"I am Sheik Hosary's personal healer, and I have just finished checking over your arm. I'm pleased to say you're fully healed, although one wonders if sleeping with your wife might have sped the healing process," the healer said with a grin.

Harry blushed, It didn't help that Hermione was still asleep on his shoulder and that one of her hands was under his shirt.

"His Excellency asks that you join him as soon as you're able. Your wife was up most of the evening helping you, so I'd let her sleep a little while longer. There is a fresh change of clothing for you here," the healer said, pointing to a pile of clothes.

"Please tell his Excellency that I'll be there shortly," Harry said, then he began the painstakingly slow effort of squirming out from under his wife without waking her.

The healer smiled knowingly and left the tent.

Harry dressed slowly. His arm was stiff and some of the clothing was unfamiliar to him. He had just finished dressing when Hermione woke up.

"I like the look of that," she murmured, admiring him in his outfit.

Harry blinked. The loose pants and knee length shirt made him think, in his mind, that he was wearing over-sized pajamas. Hermione stretched and rolled to a sitting position.

"Why are you dressed liked that?"

"The healer came by and said my arm was fine and told me the Sheik wanted to see me. While he didn't say it was urgent, from his tone it sounded like it might be important."

"Are there clothes there for me as well?"

"What's wrong with what you're wearing?" Harry asked with a twinkle in his eye.

Hermione glared at him for a moment before breaking out in laughter. "These are pajamas, Harry. It's alright for my husband to see me dressed this way, and someone like the healer, but I can't go out in public like this. I'd set East-West relations back a thousand years if I did," she joked.

Harry picked up the extra clothes and tossed them to her. "Remind me to get you some pajamas like that," he said in a soft tone.

Hermione looked up from picking through the clothes and blushed at him while she changed. Once she was dressed they left the tent and quickly located the Sheik's tent in the encampment.

Harry held the flap and let Hermione enter the tent, then he followed her in. It took a moment for their eyes to adjust to the darkened interior. The central chamber of the tent was unchanged with pillows and platters of food scattered around in the middle. There was one incongruous change.

Sitting next to Sheik Hosary was a man dressed in a perfectly pressed three piece suit. The conversation came to a halt when people noticed Harry and Hermione standing, unsure, in the entrance. Then the man in the three piece suit stood and strode forward purposefully.

"My word, Lord and Lady Potter. I am so pleased see you up and about, my Lord. I was just discussing bringing our embassy doctor here to check you over and maybe relocate you to more comfortable quarters," said the man while pumping Harry's hand furiously.

Harry and Hermione exchanged a glance, then he turned back to the man. "Ummm... I'm fine, really. And you are?"

"Oh, introductions! Of course, how rude of me. Rupert Cinan, Deputy Assistant Charge d'Affairs, British Embassy. We received notice from your Department M that you might be visiting and were asked to offer any assistance. When we learned that you had been injured, the Ambassador thought it best to send me out insure everything was alright," said Cinan, puffing up.

Harry smiled slightly at the man. "Please tell the Ambassador that we're fine. It was a minor accident and his Excellency here has been a most gracious host, seeing to our needs in every way. We intend to conclude our business here with his Excellency and then return to our vacation home in Anafi for a few more days before moving on."

As Harry spoke, Cinan pulled out a small notebook and scribbled his message furiously. He looked relieved to see both of them in good shape, then he bowed to the Sheik before leaving the tent.

Harry and Hermione looked at each other for a moment before they both started to laugh. Harry couldn't help but compare Cinan to Percy Weasley, as they both seemed to be cut from the same cloth. He shot the Sheik an apologetic look.

Hosary shook his head and waved them towards the pillows. "Please, sit."

Once his guest were comfortable, Hosary looked at them curiously. "I thought I knew all the departments within the British Ministry, but Department M?"

Hermione shrugged in confusion and looked to Harry.

"That must be what the muggles call our Ministry or maybe it was Remus Lupin," Harry commented, then he looked at Hermione and explained. "He did say he would take care of all the details for each of us."

"Ah, of course. Your chief of staff," Hosary said sagely.

Harry blinked in surprise, then he smiled. He never really thought about him in that manner, but it really did fit what Remus did for him.

"Excellency, can you tell us what happened after we left the Library last night?" Hermione asked.

Hosary smiled broadly at the two of them. He waited while one of his wives served them chilled fruit juice and candied figs, then he began to explain.

"We, that is, my Government and I, owe you a powerful debt, Mr. Potter. As you had surmised, the shield was under attack and was weakening. It took several hours of interrogation, but I believe we have managed to piece together what was happening."

Harry and Hermione both leaned forward in interest.

"Our Library, like so many other libraries of magical texts, has one section open to the public, and another, closely guarded section, which contains powerful and dangerous magics. This section is restricted to only a few researchers and Government employees.

"Malik, as it turns out, was a member of the Blood Jihad, a group not unlike your own Death Eaters. They have goals similar to Voldemort's, although we do not believe they are currently allied or even working together. The Blood Jihad was planning on stealing as many texts from our restricted section as possible, and they planned on hiding the theft by flooding the library. Up until your arrival, no one was suspicious of what Malik was doing. He was a trusted Librarian and Restorer. Then you arrived."

The Sheik paused and looked at Harry curiously, causing the younger man to flush under such scrutiny.

"I was curious, Excellency. The idea of the library being underwater intrigued me and so did the shields and wards. When I want to, I can see the aura of magic, so I looked at the shield, examining its aura and I noticed a wash of blackness that came a few times a minute. It didn't seem to be part of the shield, which led me to that rock outcropping and... Well, you know what happened from there," Harry said softly, looking at his feet. Hermione reached out and gripped his hand in her own, showing her support.

"How did you happen to know there was a problem in the Library, Excellency?" asked Hermione.

"Our culture is not without bad elements, Mrs. Potter. One of the custodial employees is actually an employee of our Department of Magical Law Enforcement. He noted the problem with Mr. Potter and sounded an alarm, which alerted me and a phalanx of Aurors we keep on standby," he replied, then he turned back to Harry.

"However it happened, Mr. Potter, we are forever in your debt. You helped save the lives of our Aurors and saved one of our national treasures. Many in our Government have taken note of your actions and have changed their minds concerning our position. As of this morning, our Ministry has contacted your Ministry and offered its support in the struggle against Voldemort. Word of the change of our position and the reason behind it is spreading throughout the Middle East. A number of countries look to Egypt to lead the way and are following suit," Hosary said seriously.

Harry looked shocked. It amazed him how such an innocent trip could result in major changes.

"We are busy trying to rebuild a staff of Librarians and people to complete the restoration. But I'm afraid, for the foreseeable future, the library will remain closed. I have contacted several trusted, retired librarians and they have agreed to find the materials Mrs. Potter was so eager to find and send copies to you. Is that acceptable?"

"Oh, yes, your Excellency! That's much more than I expected," Hermione said with a catch in her voice. "I was afraid we'd be banned at the least for using magic and fighting in the Sanctuary."

"Not at all, Mrs. Potter. I realize that, to an outsider, our laws appear harsh, but they are not without exceptions. Your husband fought to defend himself and others. In doing so, did us a great service. It would be uncivilized of us to punish either of you for that," replied the Sheik with a grin.

Harry smiled at Hermione's reaction. She was practically bouncing on her cushion.

"With that cleared up, I think it is now time for us to part ways, my friends. You have a honeymoon still, and I have to help get the message out that my Government will aid your cause," Hosary said as he stood up and bowed slightly.

Harry stood and helped Hermione to her feet, then he looked at his host. "I hope, Excellency, that someday you will do us the honor of providing you with hospitality when you visit Britain."

The Sheik looked pleased and he raised a hand. "That is in the hands of the almighty, Mr. Potter. But I think that someday it will come to pass."

Harry nodded and pulled Hermione into a tight embrace. She smiled up at him and they vanished from the tent.

Hotel du Louvre, Paris (August 8th)...

Terry lounged on the day bed in their suite and watched Susan. She wore an outfit she had purchased for what she called their 'private time'. Right now she was busy trying to remember the moves some of the show girls had shown her several nights earlier. She was not pleased with her efforts, and oblivious to the fact that Terry was practically drooling as he watched her move.

They had a muggle radio on, playing a loud dance melody which Susan was dancing to. She was playing with Terry, getting close enough for him to try to remove her clothing and then dancing away.

She danced closer to Terry and he lifted up a glass of wine for her to drink with one hand while his free hand caressed her bum. She laughed and danced out of his reach.

In a suite below, four men prepared to apparate. The fifth man of their team was several floors below, planning to light a fire to cause panic in the hotel. The sixth and final team member was on the roof of an adjoining building, waiting for the team to arrive with their targets. He had their portkey, which would take them directly to Britain.

A well executed assault can be accomplished in seconds if everything goes exactly to plan.

Unfortunately, this one didn't go to plan.

Susan danced close enough for Terry to get a good grip on her. She tried wriggling from his grasp, but since the music had stopped playing on the radio she figured she was ready for a new game. The popping of four apparations into the suite was like a gunshot in the silence provided by the radio. Terry heard the noise and his training under Harry and Eocho took over. He pulled Susan tightly to him and rolled off the day bed, casting a stunning spell aimed at nothing as he went. The idea was to make the attackers react by ducking his spell. When they hit the floor, he cast a shield. Susan rolled out his arms and looked around frantically for a moment. Her wand was by the bar, across the room.

Terry kicked over the day bed to give them some cover. He could feel the hotel shake from an explosion many floors below him. Somewhere, a fire alarm started to scream. Terry popped up and fired a blasting hex in the general direction of the attackers. The attackers finally realized that it wasn't going to be an easy job and had taken cover, from which they returned fire.

One man set the day bed on fire, while two others kept a steady stream of curses flying, pinning Terry and Susan next to the burning bed. Terry glanced at Susan for a moment and his expression hardened. Susan was frantic because she was unarmed, and close to panic. Shouts came from the door and Terry spun to cast a sealing spell on the door. The last thing they needed was more attackers at this point.

"Reducto!" Terry shouted, popping from behind the burning bed. There came a scream from the other side of the room. Terry staggered under the impact of a bludgeoning hex, but he managed to quickly get behind the cover of the burning bed.

"Filiolus pango frendo," shouted one of the attackers. Susan and Terry were both thrown heavily back as the day bed exploded in a powerful blast that tore a hole in the floor and ceiling. Terry rolled with the blast coming to a stop atop an unconscious Susan. Struggling to stay conscious, he grabbed her Brotherhood medallion and they both vanished.

There was a moment of shocked silence, then the door to the suite burst inward and the Haven security team entered, firing hexes. Within minutes all four attackers had been subdued and restrained. The lead officer of the protective detail looked around in panic. Except for blood stains, there was no sign of his charges.

Anafi, Mediterranean Sea...

Harry leaned across the table and placed the strawberry in Hermione's mouth. Both laughed silently, feeling silly for doing something so clichÃ©. Hermione reached out and selected a strawberry, then she looked at Harry and licked her lips. He started to smile at her, then froze for a moment before frowning. Hermione froze a moment later, then shivered.

Harry reached for his medallion, which trembled and burned against his chest. He abruptly stood. "Sippi!" he called.

The ancient elf appeared with a pop and Harry turned to address him.

"Sippi, pack our belongings into the trunk. Hermione and I must leave immediately. I'll send an elf named Dobby to pick up the trunk," he said.

Sippi's eyes grew enormous. "Master won't forgets we here?"

Hermione smiled and knelt down next to the little elf who had told her so many stories about Harry as an infant. "Of course we won't, Sippi. You and Tippi are part of our family just like Dobby, who you'll meet soon. Once we're back in England, in our own home we'd love for you and Tippi to come stay with us."

Sippi looked up at Hermione, the devotion obvious in his eyes and she hugged him. Harry knelt down and hugged him as well, then he pulled Hermione into a tight embrace.

She looked at him in confusion. It was too far to apparate tandem without exhausting him! Harry closed his eyes and held her tightly. A bright aura burst into being around him and it slowly expanded to include Hermione, as well. The light was so bright she buried her face in his chest.

There was a shimmer and a loud humming noise from the two of them and suddenly they were gone from the vacation home. Hermione had the impression of being shot out of a long tunnel at an incredible speed.

Padfoot Manor...

Harry and Hermione arrived to complete and utter chaos. Hermione stared at Harry in consternation. However he had transported them, it hadn't been apparation. It was far too slow for that, and about half the speed of a portkey. Harry's glow slowly faded and he watched for a moment, scowling, at the people running around, shouting to one another.

"SILENCE!" Harry thundered.

Everyone screeched to a halt and stared at him. "Remus, what's happening?" he asked in a soft tone.

"Susan and Terry just arrived by portkey, Harry. They're both injured."

"Where are they now?"

"They arrived at the medallion point, in the basement," came the reply.

"Fine. Remus get some elves to move them into their room. Set them up with twin beds for now. Tonks, you and Narcissa apparate to the hospital. Tell them we have an emergency involving two patients and that we require two healers. If they give you any problems, just grab a healer and apparate. Emma, you and Hermione start up the cauldrons, I'm sure we'll need some potions so it won't hurt to get a potion base simmering."

For a moment there was complete silence as people gawked at him.

"Move, people!" he barked. "Don't just stand around staring at me, for Merlin's sake!"

When people jumped and began scrambling from the room, he shook his head and pinched the bridge of his nose. He hadn't exhausted himself using the travel spell, but it left him with a wicked headache. He went into the sitting room and extinguished the lights, choosing to wait in the dark.

One by one other Brotherhood members arrived and joined him, waiting for news. All had been alerted to the problems by the medallions. The first to arrive were Neville and Ginny, then Draco and Luna.

Luna paused in the doorway for a moment before turning around and disappearing back into the manor. She returned a while later and handed Harry a goblet containing a steaming potion. He looked at it warily while everyone else looked on sympathetically.

"Go in one gulp, Harry. That's what works for me," offered Neville with equal parts sympathy and humor.

Harry tried to glare at him, but thanks to his headache, he failed miserably. Gathering his courage, he tipped the goblet up and downed the potion. He gagged several times, but his headache started to recede almost immediately.

"I told you that spell would give you a headache, Harry," Luna told him smugly.

Harry turned to look at Draco. "Did you have to bring her back with you mate?" he asked plaintively.

"I'm afraid so, Harry. I've sort of grown fond of her," Draco replied with a grin.

"Oh, really?" asked Luna with a mischievous glint in her eye. "I specifically remember you shouting out how much you loved me last night. In fact, you spent nearly an hour moaning about how you loved me and what I was doing."

Draco blushed and buried his head in his hands. He remained that way for a only a moment before Luna walked over and pushed him back in his chair, then sat in his lap.

"Can't win for trying," quipped Neville with a small laugh.

The group sat quietly, talking and waiting for news for nearly an hour. Everyone turned when Hermione finally entered the room. "The healers say it's alright for us to come up now."

Harry was surprised to see Amelia and John and Jenny Boot filing out of one of the other rooms. Apparently they weren't the only group waiting for news. Hermione led them to a second floor bedroom where Terry and Susan had been taken. Inside was Danni McNeil, Harry's personal healer, and an auburn haired woman he didn't recognize.

Eocho floated through a wall to join them and Harry frowned. He looked quickly between the white, translucent figure of his teacher and the auburn haired woman before moving forward, a spell already on his lips to erase her memory. Ginny stopped him.

"Don't, Harry. I vouch for her and I'll speak to her about this. She's a really good friend of my father."

Harry scowled at Ginny, but she simply smiled sweetly in return. Then his eyes widened when he realized how much emphasis she had put on 'really good friend'. Ginny looked at him and nodded.

Amelia and John pushed their way to the front of the group but they stopped when both healers motioned them to be quiet. Jenny, who'd followed her husband through the crowd, reached out and took John's hand.

Danni took one last look at Terry, then turned to the people anxiously waiting for information.

"They're both going to be fine, so everyone can relax," she said with a smile. "Healer McKinney and I have healed what we can and both are now out of danger. Mr. Boot has suffered nerve damage in one of his legs and in an arm and will require many months of healing before he's fully recovered, but he will recover.

"Mrs. Boot had several broken bones, which we've fixed. She'll have a bad scar on her arm, probably because Mr. Boot rolled on top of her, trying to protect her, and inadvertently forced the broken bone through the skin. But that's mostly a cosmetic thing. She also had some concussive damage from a powerful blast which resulted in some internal bleeding, but we've taken care of that as well.

"We don't think her pregnancy has been compromised, but until we're absolutely sure, we're going to confine her to her bed," Danni finished with a smile. All in all, she thought, it was very good news.

Everyone stared at Danni, then at Susan sleeping on the bed.

"Pregnant?" whispered both Amelia and Jenny.

"Oops... looks like someone's been naughty," quipped Draco in a hushed tone. Luna serenely smiled at the news of Susan's pregnancy and elbowed Draco in the ribs.

Danni looked at Amelia sharply. "Yes. About six weeks, I'd say. Didn't you know?"

Amelia and the Boots shook their heads mutely and both healers frowned at them. Melinda McKinney stepped forward.

"Alright, I know this has come as a shock to you and maybe you're angry. But I'll hex you myself if you speak a single harsh word to these two. They've just come through a traumatic experience and the last thing they need is anyone yelling at them. We don't know what state Susan will be in when she wakes, but her frame of mind is important to her health and the health of the baby," Melinda said fiercely.

Ginny stepped forward and placed a hand on Melinda's arm. "I think they get the message," she said softly, grinning at the healer.

Amelia moved over to Susan's bed and sat gently on the edge of the bed. "I didn't know," she whispered. "A baby!"

Harry turned to the others. "I think it's time for us to leave. We found out they'll be alright and that's what matters."

"A baby," murmured Luna dreamily, causing Draco to pale rather dramatically.

"You are so toast," Neville muttered to him.

Harry looked at Ginny, who wasn't filing out of the room with the rest of them and frowned.

Seeing it, she shook her head. "I'll be along after I speak to Melinda," she told him.

He nodded once in understanding before leaving the room. He felt strangely upbeat about the turn of events, even though they'd all had to cut their trips short.

Everyone followed Harry back downstairs to the sitting room. He collapsed into a chair and pulled Hermione down into his lap.

"Oh, this is wonderful," Hermione exclaimed. "I saw a book in the library that was all about pregnancy and magic. It had all sorts of spells to help the mother and baby."

"I'm just glad they'll be alright," said Draco. "You know, with Terry injured and Susan pregnant, they won't be able to do very much."

"They're still part of the Brotherhood and our friends, Draco," Harry said firmly. "We'll just have to see that they're taken care of until they can resume their duties, or pick up with something new."

"And a party," Luna said with a huge smile.

"A party?" Harry asked.

"Of course. Susan's going to have a baby and we have to celebrate that. Babies attract Flying Tangbiters, and everyone knows Tangbiters are good luck," she told him dreamily.

She never noticed the pitying looks Draco received from nearly everyone as she contemplated the idea of a baby.

Parliament Building, London (August 9nd)...

Cyrus Hammersmith smiled at the scene. It had taken longer than they had expected, but the results had been worth it. Dudley had lost most of his weight and converted the rest of his bulk to muscle. He wasn't a tall lad, but he was well built and his gaze was eerily intense, if slightly unfocused.

"Are you sure he's ready?" asked Hammersmith.

"Oh, quite, sir! The lad is as good as he is going to get," replied one of Dudley's trainers.

"Very well. I will inform Lord Malfoy of this news. In the meantime, put him on a training regime to keep him sharp," he replied.

Hammersmith turned and swept from the room. Lord Malfoy would be pleased. And if this plan worked, the Master would be pleased with all of them.

A few hours later a lone owl flew from a window of Parliament building. It circled several times before getting its bearings. Turning, it flew south, its precious message beginning a circuitous route to its final destination.

Authors Notes:

Yes, the Longbottoms and Lockhart were rescued along with the rest of the patients at St. Mungos. We have no plans to bring either of them out soon, but they are safe in Haven.

Bigdrunkguy: You might want to check that rocket fuel you're drinking. If you want to see a story where Harry is killed you'll have to look elsewhere. You won't find that here. Frankly we like stories which have happy endings.

Why doesn't Harry chop off his leg and replace it with a silver one like Wormtail has for a hand? Well here's the poop on the leg chopping. NOT GONNA HAPPEN. How do you even know Harry knows which spell Voldemort used? Next dumb question please.

The barrier. Yes Voldemort has no dark mark, unless its engraved directly onto his soul. So yeah he could cross the barrier, but it would make him very very very sick to do so. Besides, he doesn't know anything about the magic or the spell used to create the barrier. Consequently he's not going to run any risks of crossing the barrier.

How important Luna is to the Brotherhood is only starting to become clear. She's powerful in ways that none suspect. Each of the Brotherhood has something to contribute, but Luna will hold a special role throughout the story.

Yes it was necessary for Dumbles to escape again. Harry and Dumbledore aren't finished yet, but I needed to put him out to pasture while other things happen. Having Dumbles off healing solves that problem nicely.

The treating of religion in fan fiction is largely ignored. We opted to deal with it, but at a subtle level. Hermione grappling with her upbringing in light of what she learns from Eocho is merely one part of that storyline. Harry's experiences with religion are nil. He doesn't know enough to believe or disbelieve. Perhaps Hermione will ultimately sway him to her view point, perhaps they will find some middle ground. In any case religion has impacted the Wizarding world for a long time, and not in a good way. Exploring that aspect in light of a more moderate Christian point of view is interesting.

What the others did for their wreaths is available from Alyx who spent the trouble to write all that up. If you want that information, drop her a note on our yahoo group. The language was Gaelic.

Alastor Moody gets a brief cameo in this chapter. He's alive and in hiding. Do not expect him to play any significant role in the story though.

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Sunrise Over Britain
Chapter 11 - Honeymoon Surprises

By Bobmin

Sunrise Over Britain Chapter 11 - Honeymoon Surprises

By Bobmin

Sunrise Over Britain
Chapter 11 - Honeymoon Surprises