Sunrise Over Britain
Chapter 24 - Dangerous Dagger Dilemma
By Bobmin
Standard Disclaimer:
Alyx walked over to Bob's desk and peered over his shoulder.
"Uhuh, I thought so. You're running out of people torment in the disclaimers aren't you. You're sitting at a blank screen!"
"Be quiet woman, I'm letting my creative juices bubble," Bob replied
"Sounds kinky," Alyx murmured, then she blushed and frowned realizing that Bob was using this conversation as part of the disclaimer.
"You know you love it," he chortled. "It's the hidden exhibitionist in you."
"In your dreams," she muttered darkly and started to walk off the stage muttering vile threats under her breath.
A blond woman pushed by Alyx. Alyx stopped and did a double take. "It can't be," she muttered.
The blond walked up to the podium set center stage and tapped on the microphone. "Is this thing live?"
Feedback screeched loudly and echoed in the theater.
"I want everyone here to understand that I own Harry Potter," said J.K. Rowling. "Bob and Alyx are only playing around in the world I created, even if I lost my writing abilities at the end of book five and book six comes across like a piece of poorly written fan fiction, it's still all mine. Mine mine mine mine!"
From off stage Harry Potter walked over to a spot not far from J.K. Rowling and he lifted up his wand.
BANG!
The knight bus appeared, crushing Rowling to bits.
"Welcome to the Knight Bus, emergency transportation for the stranded wizard or witch. 'ello 'arry!" said Stan Shunpike.
"Hiya Stan, thanks for dropping by but I changed my mind," Harry replied.
BANG!
The bus vanished again, leaving a red smear on the stage.
"You can't do that! You killed JR!" screamed Alyx.
"Too late, I just did it," replied Bob smugly.
Chapter 24
Padfoot Manor, Late Evening (Jan 24th)...
Harry sighed and shook his head. Had he known what kind of new paperwork he would be dealing with he would have just killed Amhar. He was certain there was only one form needed to fill out for killing an annoying little man. Handling the formation of a new regiment of the British Army meant forms, in triplicate!
He stood and stretched, then walked over to the window. It was raining, again. The winter weather in Ireland made it difficult for him to keep up his early morning runs, or even his evening walks with Hermione. He leaned his forehead against the cold glass and wished for spring to hurry up.
"Something wrong, Harry?" Remus asked from the open door.
Harry turned and grinned sheepishly. "Not really. I'm just wool gathering and wishing for spring. I think once this war is over, I'm packing up the wife and going somewhere warm for a couple months."
Remus moved into the room and took a seat in front of Harry's desk. "You know, your father said something similar. I remember when your parents took a week off to go to Anafi," he said, then he laughed to himself. "Not long after their return they told us you were on the way."
Harry smiled and returned to his desk.
Remus cocked an eyebrow, spotting the huge pile of paperwork on the desk, all of it muggle forms.
"You have to fill all this stuff out?" he asked incredulously.
Harry looked at the pile mournfully. "Yeah, it's a sodding mess, too. His Majesty wants to turn our Brotherhood Brigade into the 24th Regiment of the SAS. It sounds good on paper, but logistically, it's a nightmare. I asked Amelia to find me help, but I think she's still annoyed at me for springing a surprise royal visit on her."
"What kind of help are you looking for?"
"Ideally, a wizard or witch who's served in the muggle military, but I'll take a squib at this point. So far, we've come up emptied handed. Amelia said she's going to search through the lists of people rescued in our raid," he replied. "The real problem is that, while most of the Brotherhood Brigade is willing to fight in this war, will the current members be willing to stay in the Brigade following the war? I don't know. I'm not sure I want to, but I promised His Majesty that I would serve for four years."
"Why isn't Amelia's people handling most of this work, Harry? You shouldn't be burdened with doing all of this yourself, especially since the Crown has commanded the Ministry to do this."
He smiled evilly at Remus. "Well, that's another reason why Amelia isn't too happy with me. You see, Hermione pointed out to Amelia that the order to revise the charter specifically included an anti-discrimination clause for blood, color, race or religion. That wouldn't be bad, except that race includes non-human species."
Remus choked and started to laugh. "Amelia must be having kittens!"
"Oh, she's not as upset as she appears to be. To be honest, I think she's really quite pleased with the King's visit. He spent a quiet evening with us, mostly asking questions about our way of life and comparing it with the muggle way. I think he'd really like to see our world made public, but he understands why we can't allow that," Harry told him.
"I can understand his ideas. The muggles have things we don't have. It wasn't until Hermione started showing me that I came to understand," Remus replied, then he shook his head in wonder. "Did you know the muggles have sent men to the moon? And they have an understanding of medicine that is far beyond anything we have."
Harry nodded. He leaned forward, resting his elbows on his desk. He was about to tell Remus about a muggle book he had read that had given him the idea for the portals, when a scream pierced the manor.
Harry jumped to his feet a second before Remus.
"Another attack?" Remus asked quietly.
"No, I don't think so," Harry said. He pulled the Brotherhood medallion out from under his shirt and opened his senses to the bond they all shared.
"It's Ginny," he said tensely. He grabbed Remus by the arm and apparated them directly to Neville and Ginny's room.
Neville whirled, pulling his wand, then relaxed spotting Harry. "Dammit, Harry, don't do that! One of these days I'm going to hit you with something."
Ginny clung to Neville, her eyes darted frantically around the room. She was nearly hyperventilating in panic.
"Remus, go see O'Dalley at Constable headquarters. I think she's reacting to that damned dagger again," Harry said quietly.
The door banged opened and the rest of the Brotherhood rushed in. Luna and Hermione went to straight to Ginny to help calm her.
Dan, Emma and Tonks approached Harry, while Remus hurried to the apparation point.
"What's happening?" asked Emma worriedly.
"She's reacting to that knife again, I think," Harry said, while watching the girls trying to comfort Ginny.
Terry and Susan stood off to one side, also watching. Susan had reached the end of her second trimester and was now very noticeably pregnant. When Terry conjured a chair for her, she smiled gratefully at him.
Harry paced the room while others tried to calm the red head. He glanced at the door and wondered where Narcissa was. It was unlike her to be absent.
As if Harry had spoke his thoughts aloud, Draco walked over to him and said, "Mum's at the hospital tonight. They were holding a late lecture on a new procedure she needed to learn. Should I call her? Or perhaps another healer?"
Harry frowned. "I'm not sure. She's upset, but I don't know if she needs a healer."
Eocho drifted in through a wall and floated over to Harry and Draco. "Her gift is troublesome, but tonight she will learn the full aspect of it, and perhaps take comfort from that fact."
Harry eyed his mentor speculatively. Can she affect the dagger? Is she strong enough?
Haven School of Witchcraft and Wizardry...
"What the hell?" the girl muttered as she backed away and slapped her hands over her ears to block out the shrieking. It wasn't coming from her victim, but from the walls of the school!
In a panic, she took a step towards the writhing woman, only to stop when she saw two figures race around the corner at the end of the hall. As they pounded towards her victim, she growled. The woman was hers!
Others were coming. Should could hear them calling out to each other, hear their feet slapping against the stone floor as they ran.
Whimpering, the girl took several steps back slipping into the shadows, her eyes locked on the dagger. She had to get it back! Her thigh burned and the voice in her head buzzed angrily. She told herself that she hadn't failed. She could still kill the woman. All she had to do was step forward and pull the dagger out!
But it was too late. The two figures had reached her prey and more were approaching. She had to leave, to get away. They'd search, now. They'd check every bed to find out who was missing.
Stuffing a fist into her mouth to stifle the whimpers she couldn't stop, she raced down the hall, the burning pain in her leg from the dagger's kiss a reminder of her failure.
Haven Infirmary...
Tripuri Patil jerked at the sudden shrieking sound bouncing off the walls of her office in the infirmary. She'd been briefed on the new warding and understood instantly what it meant. Someone in the school had been critically injured and was in need of immediate medical care.
Leaping to her feet, she reached under her desk for her emergency kit and bolted out the door. Racing from the infirmary, she stopped long enough to mutter a quick locater spell, then sprinted in the direction it pointed her.
Several minutes later, she skidded around a corner and nearly plowed into a group of students and staff. "Move!" she shouted as she pushed through them. "Everyone move away!"
As they made a hole, she rushed to the side of the woman writhing on the floor and gasped when she saw who it was. "Minerva? Oh, Merlin!"
"You must help her!" Flitwick squeaked. He held Minerva's hand as tears ran down his cheeks.
After a quick visual examination, Tripuri's eyes widened. Drawing her wand, she placed it against Minerva's temple and murmured softly. The woman's screaming stopped instantly and her body went limp.
"What did you do?" Flitwick asked worriedly.
Scowling, Tripuri shook her head. "We don't have time for that now, Filius. Cancel the ward! I can't hear myself think over that racket!"
Leaning back, she muttered another spell and the wall sconces flared brightly. "Chloe?" she called as Flitwick drew his wand.
The small popping sound of a house elf appearing was loud in the sudden silence of the hall and many people jumped nervously.
"Miss need Chloe?" the small creature asked.
"Yes. Go to Mr. O'Dalley and tell him that his dagger has been found and that we need medical help. Use those exact words, Chloe, they're very important. Do you understand?"
Nodding, the elf vanished.
"O'Dalley?" Flitwick asked. "Shouldn't you have sent for healers?"
"I did, Filius. O'Dalley has a protocol in place for this. As soon as Chloe gives him the message, he'll get everyone moving."
"I don't understand," the diminutive man said, scowling at her.
"Look at the dagger, Filius," she hissed quietly. "You know what it is! With my message, O'Dalley will realize what's happened and get the help we need. Or would you rather I just blurt everything out in front of the students?" she asked and flicked her hands towards the gathered students and staff.
Releasing Minerva's hand, he stood. "Prefects, get everyone back to bed, now! Teachers, escort them to the dormitories." When no one moved, he cast a quick sonorus spell. "You have one minute. If there's anyone left in this hall after that point, you will be scrubbing the floors of the school with your toothbrush. And that includes teachers!" His voice bounced off the walls and made several people slap their hands over their ears.
While many were shocked by the normally jovial Professor's anger, no one wanted to test it. The hall cleared quickly, leaving only Tripuri, Flitwick, Millicent Bulstrode and Deneb Thorntree.
"I said everyone," Filius growled at the two students.
"I'm sorry, Professor," Millicent said as she watched the corridor, her back to Deneb. "Neither of us is leaving you or Miss Patil alone."
"You're both vulnerable," Deneb agreed as he watched the other end of the hall. "We're staying until help arrives. If that means we'll be scrubbing the halls, so be it."
Haven Constabulary Office...
O'Dalley stood and stretched. It had been another sixteen hour day and he was exhausted. He had spent the day reviewing everything they knew about the murders and still hadn't figured out a new line to investigate. The search for the murderer had gone cold and the only thing he could do was wait for the murderer to make a mistake.
He placed some papers in a briefcase, telling himself he would review them at home, but knowing full well he'd probably eat, then go to bed. Standing, he walked around his desk and started for the door to his office when a popping sound gave him pause.
"Master, I brings words from Madam Patil at the school," squeaked the elf that appeared.
"Yes?"
"Madam Patil says your dagger is found and they need medical help right nows. Professor Kittycat is hurts badly!"
The little elf hopped about looking at O'Dalley hopefully. O'Dalley's brain took a moment to register what he had been told. Then he sprang towards the office door and jerked it open.
"Barney!" he shouted. "Get someone over to the Hospital and alert Healer August that we found that damned dagger. They need healers at the school right now. Then send word to Commander Stanton. Tell him that all of the constables are heading to the school and that we need him to cover the town, at least for a few hours."
Barney looked up from his coffee and donut in surprise. Then he placed both regretfully on his desk and started moving. Several other constables popped away, heading for the school.
O'Dalley returned to his office, he had other calls to make. From the outer office he heard several popping sounds of people arriving. The constables office was normally a laid back place, but not tonight.
A few minutes later, O'Dalley spotted Remus and Commander Stanton standing in his doorway. He waved them in, then went back to his portable floo.
"Yes, that's right. All the help you can send, Mike. I appreciate it," he said, then he closed the connection.
"I don't have much to tell you right now. All I know is that word came from the school. They found the dagger and apparently Headmistress McGonagall is badly injured," he said tensely. "I'll be leaving here for the school in a few minutes. I just want the Irish MLE forensic boys standing by."
Remus paled at the news and swallowed noisily. He had researched the dagger for O'Dalley and Healer August. He knew exactly how dangerous it was. "Is there anything we can do?" he asked.
O'Dalley's shoulders drooped. "Honestly, Remus, I don't know. If Minerva was stabbed with the dagger, she's probably dead. I know Sylvia was looking into ways of neutralizing the damned thing, but she hadn't come up with anything last time I spoke with her."
Remus nodded soberly. "I'll inform Harry," he said, then he apparated away.
O'Dalley looked at Charles Stanton. "Chuck, I know this is a pain, but I have no one else to turn to."
"Mike, go do your job. My boys and I will hold down the fort for you," Stanton said.
O'Dalley nodded gratefully at the American, then he hurried from the room.
Padfoot Manor...
Harry turned to look at Eocho. "What do you mean?" he asked.
"I know little, Maglios, but I can sense the evil as well as my daughter can. And tonight it is not abating, like previously. I think the assassin has been separated from the dagger. The blade calls out for its mate to finish the grisly task, but something has happened to interrupt it."
Harry frowned and tried to wrap his brain around the idea. "Alright, so you're saying that the blade is still in it's victim? I'd hardly call that good news, honored teacher."
"It is not good news for the victim, Maglios. But much will depend on the strength of my smallest daughter tonight," Eocho said.
Harry was about to reply when Remus and Hermione joined him from separate directions. He looked between the two and frowned. "Alright, Hermione. You first."
"She's calmed down, but she says something terrible is happening tonight. Worse than any of the other murders."
Harry nodded and looked at Remus.
"I don't have all of the news, Harry, but O'Dalley says the dagger has been found, and that Minerva has been badly injured. The school is calling for medical aid related to the dagger," he said, not as quietly as he'd intended.
Everyone turned to look at Remus in shock. With the sole exception of Eocho, every person in the room had been a student of Minerva McGonagall. Even the Grangers had studied under her direction.
Harry's expression darkened. "I'm going to the school. Remus, talk to Eocho, he's got something to say about Ginny's talent, but he's playing riddles again," he said, shaking his head.
Remus blinked in surprise and nodded. Harry closed his eyes and reached for Minerva's aura, but couldn't locate it. He grimace and an icy knot of fear formed in his belly. Reaching for Professor Flitwick, he apparated away.
Remus turned to look at Eocho. "Honored Teacher?" he asked, his voice hard.
Haven School of Witchcraft and Wizardry...
Harry appeared in the corridor not far from Flitwick. Nearly a dozen stunners lanced out and splashed harmlessly on the shield he always maintained when he wasn't in the manor and he grimaced. "Hey! Watch it!"
"Lord Potter!" gasped Professor Flitwick.
Harry took in the scene. Minerva lay on the ground, face down, a gilded hilt sticking out of her back. She was silent and unmoving, almost as though she was just sleeping. Around her knelt several healers who were conversing in hushed whispers. Several constables stood nearby, most of them looking sheepish for shooting at Harry when he arrived.
Harry nodded at Millicent and Deneb, then he turned to Flitwick. "Professor, you've known me since I was a snot nosed firstie. I think you can dispense with the formalities and call me Harry. Now, how is she?"
Flitwick grabbed Harry by the hand and walked him a few feet away. His eyes shone with tears. "It's not good, Harry. Madam Patil put Minerva into a coma, a deep one, like they use when healing a patient after surgery. But that's all they can do. No one knows how to remove the dagger without killing her. I think they're seriously considering giving her Mercy. At least that way her soul might be able to move on. If they remove the blade, that won't happen."
"Mercy? You mean they're thinking of killing her?" he asked incredulously.
Flitwick nodded and the tears began to roll down his cheeks.
Harry's anger flared, as did his aura. His body burst into a blaze of light and he walked over to the whispering healers.
"The person that kills her will follow her to the grave," he stated flatly.
The healers looked up, startled, and blanched at seeing the blazing young man before them.
"But, my lord!" protested one healer.
"I mean it," snapped Harry. "Keep her alive!"
Sylvia August joined him and placed an arm around his shoulders. "I'm sorry, Harry. We can keep her like this for a while, but not for long. We simply don't know how to safely remove the dagger without killing her."
"Keep her alive. I think we may be able to help. I'll be back in a little while. In the meantime, move her into one of the classrooms and conjure a bed or something. Just get her off the floor," he ordered, though his tone made it sound more like a plea.
Healer August searched Harry's face for a long moment, then she nodded. "I'm willing to try anything at this point. If we do nothing, she will die. She may die still, but I do not want to give her Mercy unless we have no other alternative."
Harry nodded and apparated away.
"You heard the man. Let's get her into the nearest classroom and make her comfortable," August ordered.
Padfoot Manor...
Harry appeared back in the Longbottom's room to find an intense conversation going on between Hermione, Remus and Eocho. Ginny sat sniffling on the bed with Neville's arms around her.
"But, Honor Teacher, the power flow required to make such a sink would be enormous," protested Hermione.
"It's a lot, Hermione, but it's not beyond our abilities," countered Remus. "Ginny can handle the flow, I'm sure of it."
Remus conjured a parchment and quill, then he scribbled some arithmantic equations on the parchment. "Check me on this, Hermione," he ordered as he shoved the parchment at her a few seconds later.
"Children," Eocho said in a patient voice. "Yes, the power is there. The question is, can my daughter do this? Evil magic is known to effect her in an untoward manner. Will she be able to do this?"
"That's what I want to find out," Harry said coldly, startling everyone. No one had noticed his arrival.
He walked to Ginny and his expression softened considerably. "Ginny," he said softly. "Do you think you can help Minerva?"
Ginny dropped her eyes and shivered violently.
"Harry, don't press her," Neville said in a warning tone.
Harry shot him an angry look. "Neville, we need to know this. Before I arrived and stopped them, the healers at the school were planning on giving Minerva Mercy."
Several others in the room gasped.
Neville shuddered and closed his eyes.
Harry leaned closer. "Ginny?" he pressed.
"I don't know," she said in a whimper.
"Are you willing to try? With all of us helping you? We're not going to let you do this alone."
She nodded and he placed a supportive hand on her shoulder for a moment, then he turned to the others. "If I understand correctly, this is going to take a lot of power. That means all of us, except Susan," he said.
Susan looked up from her chair and glared at him.
"Susan, you are six months pregnant and I'll be the first to admit you are not sick nor an invalid. But we do not know what, if anything, this kind of magic can do to you or your baby. Do you really want to risk exposing yourself to this level of dark magic?"
Susan flushed and looked down, but shook her head. "Alright, Harry. I'll stay here."
"I'm sorry, Susan, but you and the baby are too important to risk. To Terry, and to the rest of us," he added gently.
Terry shot Harry a grateful look.
"I'm returning to the school. I'll meet everyone in the corridor outside Minerva's office," he told them, then he grabbed Remus by the shoulder and apparated them both.
Eocho watched as Hermione and Neville assisted Ginny off the bed.
"The Maglios would not ask you to do this if he didn't think you could, my daughter," Eocho said. "All will be well. Trust in yourself and your brothers and sisters to support you."
Ginny nodded weakly and let Hermione lead her out of the room.
Within moments, Susan and Eocho were alone. She sighed heavily and slowly pushed herself to her feet. Even though the healers were pleased with her progress, she looked closer to eight months pregnant than six.
She placed a hand on the top of her belly and smiled at Eocho.
"Do not fear, child, your decision to remain behind was the correct one. You and your baby cannot be risked so close to such dark magics."
"I know, honored Teacher. I just wish that Siomha wouldn't kick so much," she replied.
Eocho smiled and nodded approvingly. "A good, strong name. Your daughter will be the first of many for the Brotherhood. Siomha will lead the way."
Susan blushed at the unexpected praise. Together they both walked from the room with Eocho detailing what he knew of the roots of the name.
Haven School of Witchcraft and Wizardry...
Harry appeared with Remus a moment later in the same place he had left only a short while ago. He looked around the empty corridor in confusion, then noted an open classroom door nearby. He walked to the door with Remus following him.
Healer August looked up as Harry entered. Her expression was a mix of fear and hope. "My Lord, you're back! Please tell me you have good news?" she asked in a pleading tone.
Harry nodded. "One of our own, Ginny Longbottom, is a nullifier. She is particularly sensitive to Dark Magics. And while she is very powerful in her own right, my people will back her up with a power sharing ritual. Remus will explain the details, while I prepare a section of the room for the ritual."
Sylvia nodded, then turned to look intently at Remus, who stared at Harry's retreating back for a moment, before turning back to Healer August.
Harry looked at the room. In one corner, Minerva lay on a small cot. His staff flared and the room expanded enormously. He then banished all the desks to the far corner, away from the still woman. Dobby appeared next to him a moment later, summoned by Harry's silent call.
"Dobby, bring me the blue notebook from my study, then alert the elves that we need to set up for a ritual. We'll need the supplies. We're rushed, Dobby, so hurry."
The elf nodded and vanished.
Using his staff, Harry quietly began an incantation to lay down the power circles. His staff flared as the central circle started to appear in bright gold on the floor. The room hummed and crackled with the power being expended. He never noticed when everyone in the room stopped to stare at him.
This needs to be a different setup than we used last April, he thought to himself. Make a larger center circle for myself, Ginny and the cot with Minerva on it. And nine outer circles for the brotherhood members, instead of eleven.
"Can we help?" asked Hermione.
Harry looked up in surprise. He hadn't noticed them arriving. "Yes, actually. Dobby will be here in a moment with my notes on the power sharing ritual. I'll deal with the inner circle where Ginny, Minerva and myself will be. Can you use the notes to make sure the elves are inscribing the proper runes for the outer circles?"
Hermione nodded. "I'll also tell Healer August that we'll need more beds in here. Once the ritual is done, we're all likely to be exhausted."
Harry watched as Ginny, pale and trembling, stared at Minerva. Neville was holding her tightly, trying to comfort her.
"Do that, love. I better have a word with Ginny," Harry replied absently.
He moved quickly to the Longbottoms. "Ginny?" he said softly.
She turned haunted eyes to him. "I don't know if I can do this, Harry. It's aware of me. It knows I'm here and it's preparing to fight."
Harry shook his head. "In your first year at Hogwarts, you fought Voldemort. It took him months before you finally succumbed to him. You're stronger than you think. I'll be in the circle with you and our family will be joining us. We'll all help you."
Ginny nodded, but he could see she still had doubts.
"Do you know what you must do?" he asked.
"Yes," she said, then closed her eyes. "It's so evil, Harry. You can't feel it, but I can hear it snarling at me. It's a vile, hate filled thing. It lives to kill as painfully as possible, feeding off the terror of its victims."
He nodded, then reached out to touch her aura, calming her and strengthening her. Her eyes flew open and she gasped. "You'll be fine. We'll be with you when the time comes," he said reassuringly.
He smiled at her, then turned around to watch Dobby and nearly a dozen other elves as they entered the runes into the circles under Hermione's watchful eye. She stood holding his notes, examining the circles and comparing it to what he had in his book.
Harry moved to the center of the empty inner circle. It was much larger than the one they'd used back in April. He glanced once again at the healers, then went to work, inscribing the center circle with the pentagram and the runes.
He looked up when Hermione interrupted him.
"How are you coming?" she asked.
"I'm almost done here. Another five minutes should do it. How about yourself?"
"All of the outer circles are complete. But just to be safe, I have Remus double checking them. This isn't the same setup we used back when we shared power to make the ward around Britain," she noted.
Harry shook his head. "No, it can't be. We don't have everyone and we'll have more people at the center. I was thinking of just Ginny, Minerva and myself, but it might not be a bad idea to include Healer August."
Hermione looked across the room at Healer August, who paced nervously, shooting anxious looks at Harry, and she smiled. "I think you might be right. Including her would at least help ease her concerns."
"Alright, why don't you go talk with her, while I finish up here. Oh, and it might be to everyone's advantage if we all had a dose of Pepper Up before we start."
"Good idea. I'll get some from the healers," Hermione replied before she turned away.
Harry nodded to himself and went back to inscribing the necessary runes in the circle. Normally the largest rune would represent the person receiving the power, but he also had to include runes to protect Minerva. With so many in the circle, there would be a little bleed over, but nothing too unmanageable.
Nearly ten minutes later he looked up to see the Brotherhood clustered in one corner of the room. Each held a small vial in their hands. Healer August stood nervously next to Remus.
He walked over to them. "Is everyone aware of what they are doing tonight?".
Several shook their heads and Harry looked reproachfully at Remus.
"Hey, I haven't had a chance to explain this to everyone yet," the older man protested as he moved to the front of the group and turned to face them.
"Alright, everyone. Listen up," he said, gaining their attention. "We're going to use a facet of Ginny's talent. She's a nullifier, meaning she has the ability to temporarily drain an enchanted object of its energy. That's why she can sense enchanted objects, in particular dark magic objects. Our thought is that if she can drain the dagger of its energy, we'll be able to remove it without harming Minerva. Once it's removed, Harry will destroy it in much the same way he destroyed the assassin's bear.
"Healer August will remove the knife, but only after Ginny says it's safe. In the meantime, she'll monitor Minerva," Remus continued, then he turned and addressed August directly. "Sylvia, inside the circle you will experience both a slight power drain as well as a boost. The power sharing ritual will channel most of the power from all of us into Ginny. But some of that will bleed over into you. It may be disorienting, so be careful."
The old healer nodded and swallowed nervously.
Harry took one final look around, then he noticed someone. "Draco," he called. "Millicent and Deneb are standing out in the hall. Thank them for staying around. They refused to leave earlier. Also, ask them to return to the dorms and gather all of the students where they can watch them. We don't know who used the dagger, but it could have been a student. Together, at least, they can protect themselves."
With a nod, Draco walked from the room.
Haven School Common Room...
Millicent paced the large common room, ignoring the students who stood in small groups, discussing the fate of the Headmistress. She felt responsible for what happened and was furious with herself for not catching the person she'd overheard in the library.
"Millicent," Deneb called.
When she turned to face him, he murmured something to the group of students gathered around him, then made his way to her side. "The prefects have checked the common room. No one's missing," he told her quietly.
She scowled, looked around the room and said nothing.
"It must have been a member of staff," he said.
"No, not necessarily. It could have been a student who was smart enough to blend in with this lot when they came rushing down to see what happened." She shook her head in disgust. "Well, they'll find out who it is one way or another, even if they have to use Veritaserum on us all."
"They can't," Deneb protested. "If people found out that Veritaserum was used on underage children, they'll go nuts. It could bring down the Ministry!"
"If they don't catch who did this, the school will close. Remember, this school is Irish, Deneb, not British. If the Irish Ministry green lights the use of Veritaserum, Minister Bones can do nothing about it. Oh, she could register a complaint, but this is Irish soil, and for all her power, she leads a government in exile."
"Brogan Mallory is no fool," Deneb told her as he watched his fellow students mill about. "If he orders the use of Veritaserum here, he'll torpedo his own career. Politicians may be blood sucking, morally corrupt maggots, but most are not stupid enough to throw themselves to the wolves."
"Really?" Millicent asked, scathingly. "Then explain Cornelius Fudge to me."
"I said most are not stupid enough. He was one of the exceptions."
A fifth year prefect approached them, looking worried.
"What is it, Jeremy?" Deneb asked.
"We may have a problem. A fourth year girl seems to have injured herself somehow," the sandy haired young man told them quietly. "Madam Patil is with the Headmistress, so I don't know who we should call to come look at her."
"Come on, then. Let's go have a look," Millicent said.
As Jeremy lead them to the couch where the injured girl sat, the crowd around her melted away. The blond fourth year looked up as they stopped in front of her and her eyes widened. She rubbed her right thigh and grimaced.
"What do you want?" the girl snapped.
"To find out what's wrong with you," Millicent told her bluntly. "How did you hurt your leg?"
The girl only shrugged and looked away.
Millicent rolled her eyes. "Does that mean you don't know, or that you're not going to answer?"
"I don't have to tell you anything," the girl muttered.
"Now, you listen to me you little," Millicent began, only to be interrupted when Deneb stepped in front of her and smiled.
"Maybe you should let me handle this," he said quietly. When Millicent nodded, he turned to the girl and crouched down in front of her.
"Hello. Orla, isn't it? You used to be in Ravenclaw at Hogwarts, didn't you?" Deneb asked.
"Yes," the girl said, turning her head to look at him.
"I remember you," he told her. "You used to whistle whenever someone was sorted into Ravenclaw."
Orla Quirke smiled. "I did, yes."
"My name's Deneb."
"I know who you are," she told him, still rubbing her thigh. "You used to be a Hufflepuff."
"That's right. Orla, what happened to you leg?"
"Nothing. It just aches a little." She looked down at her hand and seemed surprised to find it rubbing her leg. Lacing her hands together, she looked at him again and tried to smile.
"It's obviously bothering you. I'd like to help you, if you'll let me," he said gently. The others in the room seemed to fade away as he focused on the girl in front of him.
She blinked bright blue eyes at him. "You would? You'll help me?"
"Yes, if you'll let me."
"Then you'll get it back for me?" she asked. "I didn't mean to leave it behind. It was an accident."
"Was it?"
"Yes. The pain will go away once I have it back. But I'm not allowed to leave the common room and there are too many here who would see if I tried to sneak out."
"Well, then, if you'll tell me what you left behind and where it is, I'll be happy to go and get it for you," he told her cheerfully.
"I left it in the witch. I didn't mean to, but I didn't have enough time to get it back before everyone came."
Deneb frowned, puzzled. "The witch? Who, Orla?"
She scowled and the whites of her eyes began to darken. "Don't be dense. You were there, you saw."
"I was there? When?"
"Tonight!" she growled. "You were there, protecting." She laughed suddenly, sending a shiver down his spine. Her eyes, now completely black, bore into his. "The hag thinks she can keep it, but it's mine!"
Deneb's eyes widened and went blank. "Of course it is," he told her. "I won't let her keep it from you."
Millicent drew her wand slowly and quietly told Jeremy to move the other students away.
Orla stood and began to yank her hair. "She may have escaped me this time, but I will have her. She's mine, too. It promised me that. All the blood I could have, whenever I want it. You'll drown it it," she snarled, looking down at Deneb. "All of you!"
When Deneb reached out to her, she kicked him in the chest and sent him flying backwards. Grabbing her head, she screamed once, then launched herself at him again, only to slam into something solid.
Falling to her knees, Orla shook her head groggily and looked up into the blazing eyes of Millicent Bulstrode.
"You'll not touch him again," she told the girl.
Orla's lips pulled back in a snarl and she sprang to her feet.
"I don't think so," Millicent said, her wand pointed at the blond. "Stupefy!"
When the girl fell to the floor, unconscious, Millicent searched her pockets and took her wand. "Incarcerous," she murmured and watched as the young witch was bound.
She turned around to face those in the room and found Deneb on his feet, rubbing his chest. "Are you alright?"
"Fine, though I think I'm in for a spectacular bruise. She may be small, but she has one hell of a kick," he said, shaking his head.
She nodded, then scanned the room quickly. "I think we've had enough fun for one night," she said loudly. "Prefects, get everyone into their dorm rooms."
"You heard the Head Girl," Jeremy yelled over the groaning and complaining. "Come on, everyone off to bed!"
The other prefects began to move students along and the common room was cleared of students in short order.
"Now what?" Jeremy asked as the last student left the room.
"Find O'Dalley or his assistant," Deneb said. "Both should be in the school. Tell them what's happened and bring them here. If you can't find either of them, grab the first teacher you see."
"I'll hurry," Jeremy told them.
Once he was gone, Deneb turned to Millicent. "Keep her unconscious, Millie. There's something strange about her eyes. It was almost as if I'd fallen into them and the frightening part was that I didn't want to leave." He shuddered.
"You were agreeing to help her get the dagger back," she told him quietly.
"I would have, too. I would have done whatever she asked of me."
Millicent sighed heavily, then began to unbutton his robe.
He raised an eyebrow. "I'm glad to know you want to see me naked, Millie, but do you really think this is the time?" he teased.
"I want to see if there's any damage to your chest, you prat," she grumbled as she pushed his robe aside and lifted his shirt.
"You sure know how to bring a guy down."
"I'm sure you're ego will survive," she said, laughingly. "You're right. You're going to have a lovely bruise, but I'm sure Madam Patil can take care of it when she has the chance." She looked up into his dancing eyes and smiled.
Taking her hand, he pulled her towards the couch where Orla had been and they both sat down. Deneb fixed his robe and wrapped an arm around Millicent's shoulders. Both watched the blond carefully for any signs of wakefulness.
Several minutes passed in silence, then Orla jerked violently and screamed as though her soul had been ripped from her body.
"Stupefy!" Millicent and Deneb both shouted and the girl went limp once more.
Minerva and the Healers (A few minutes earlier)...
"Alright then. Everyone take your potion and let's get into position," Harry said grimly. In truth, he wasn't sure this was going to work, but they owed it to Minerva to try.
Ginny turned and looked at Neville with huge, haunted eyes.
He swept her into his arms and kissed her soundly. Then he released her. "You can do this, Gin," he said. He believed in her. He knew exactly how strong a woman she was.
She nodded and her expression grew determined. She looked up at Harry when he approached her.
"You ready?" he asked.
She took a deep breath. "Yes, let's do this."
Harry wrapped an arm around her shoulders and led her into the center circle, where he signaled for Sylvia to join them. A pair of healers levitated the cot with Minerva into the center a moment later.
Sylvia and Harry each donned a pair of dragonhide gloves, since they would be touching the dagger. It was necessary to physically touch the blade, since Ginny's talent would nullify any spell cast to move it.
Harry looked around and received signals of readiness from each Brotherhood member. He looked at Minerva once more, then straightened his shoulders and raised his staff with both hands.
He turned to face one point of the pentagram and waited for everyone to turn in the same direction he faced. His magic flared and the crystal on his staff shone brilliantly. With a sharp crack, he brought the end of the staff down in contact with the point of the pentagram.
"In diligo quod fides nos partis vox pro verum quod justicia," the group intoned together. Then they turned and faced the next point of the star.
Sylvia looked up from checking Minerva. The circles on the floor began to pulsate and the air hummed and throbbed with power. She swayed and gripped the edge of Minerva's cot. It was unlike anything she'd ever experienced. She could literally feel the power flowing through her. It felt as though a million ants were crawling over her skin.
Harry's aura exploded in bright light, then reached out and engulfed Ginny.
Ginny gasped as warm air brushed against her, moving her hair away from her pale face. Gathering her courage, she moved closer to Minerva, who lay with the blade still protruding from her back. She held out both hands and they flared with a strange blueish flame. The blade seemed to vibrate and snarl as she approached.
"Gnash ytarig bolla fee," snarled a voice that clearly wasn't human.
Ginny's aura dimmed and she staggered back from Minerva.
The tendril that extended from Harry to Ginny widened.
Luna broke the circle, stepping from her spot to the center circle. She clasped Harry's hand and he looked at her for a moment, then nodded. The tendril widened again, then thickened once more, becoming a ribbon of visible power.
Sylvia knelt on the other side of the cot, watching the three in the inner circle with awe. When the room began to shake, she shrank back from the power being displayed.
Ginny's expression hardened and she stepped up to Minerva. A flash of pure black energy came from the dagger, but she batted it aside, almost casually.
It wouldn't be until the next morning that someone discovered the large hole in the ceiling she had made.
She knelt next to the cot, cupping her hands around the hilt, but not touching it.
"Kali fee!" something screamed, and a wave of darkness exploded from the dagger. Ginny's hands contained the wave of blackness, soaking it up.
"Cohibeo quod Adficio is Malum Res!" Ginny shouted. The flames around her hands surged to the dagger, surrounding it and she moaned painfully. The dagger seemed to struggle with her as the blue fire around her hands fought for dominance with a cold blackness from the knife.
The two struggled and Ginny screamed, a second later another voice added it's own scream to hers. The dagger flared again and Ginny leaned forward.
"NO! I fought Riddle and you're nothing!" she screamed at the blade. The building groaned and rocked from the energies being expended. The windows in the classroom shattered outwards. The force of her outburst nearly drove Harry and everyone to their knees.
The inhuman voice whimpered aloud and the knife suddenly glowed blue like her hands.
Ginny nodded painfully to Sylvia, who did a quick check of Minerva's vital signs before she removed the dagger carefully.
Harry stepped forward, taking the dagger from Sylvia and moving it to a metal bowl. He nodded to Ginny, who looked at him gratefully before slumping sideways against the cot. Her aura collapsed and she closed her eyes, unconscious.
Harry stared at the dagger for a moment. Without Ginny's influence, the blade's energy surged back into it and it pulsed malevolently at him. Holding one hand over the metal bowl, he clenched his teeth. "Incendio," he growled.
Both the bowl and the blade caught fire. Harry increased the power until the dagger was burning white hot. Slowly, the blade burned away, hissing and snarling in a language no one present understood.
When the blade was finally gone, he turned back to look at the Brotherhood and Sylvia. Everyone had collapsed to the floor and several healers bustled about, administering potions and getting people onto cots.
Healer August knelt with several other healers, working feverishly on Minerva. With the dagger removed, she was just a stabbing victim now. It was a dangerous condition to be sure, but one they were trained to handle.
Sylvia looked up at him, a grateful smile on her face. It had taken bit of doing, but Minerva was one patient she wouldn't have to administer Mercy to.
Haven School Common Room...
When the door to the common room finally opened, Deneb and Millicent stood up. Jeremy entered with O'Dalley and Professor Flitwick behind him.
"I'm sorry we took so long," Flitwick told them as he rushed forward. "Oh, no. Orla Quirke? But she's such a bright child!"
"The Headmistress?" Millicent asked.
"She's alive and the dagger has been removed."
"But how..."
"Later, child. We'll discuss it later," Flitwick told her.
O'Dalley looked down at the student tied up on the floor, then turned to Deneb and Millicent. "What happened?"
Deneb shook his head. "Millicent should probably explain. I was... not myself for a few moments."
O'Dalley scowled, but remained silent as Millicent told him what happened.
She was clear and concise as she explained the events of the night, only becoming hesitant at the end. "Sir, I know you'll have to wake her up to interview her, but I'd suggest having several people in the room when you do, ready to knock her out again."
"I know you think she may have had some sort of control over Mr. Thorntree..." O'Dalley began.
"She did," Deneb replied quietly. "Believe me, Inspector, you need to protect yourself and your people from her. Whatever has control of her also has the ability to reach others through her."
Though skeptical, O'Dalley nodded. "I'll make sure no one is alone with her, then. I may have further questions for you both once we've spoken to her." When they both nodded in understanding, he pulled out a portable floo and called his assistant, Barney, and told him to come to the common room and to bring the representative from the Irish Ministry, if he had arrived.
When the three students turned to Professor Flitwick, the diminutive Professor sighed tiredly. "The Headmistress should recover fully. Ginny Weasley was able to remove the dagger and Harry destroyed it."
Deneb's eyes widened as the pieces fell together. "That's why she screamed," he blurted.
"What's this?" O'Dalley asked.
"She was unconscious, then jerked and screamed horribly. We stunned her again, of course. But if she's as connected to the dagger as I think, she would have felt it's destruction, even though she was unconscious."
"Then maybe she's free of its influence," Flitwick suggested.
"Perhaps, but I won't be risking it," O'Dalley stated. "She'll not be alone with any of my people until we're sure of it."
The door to the common room was pushed open and Barney entered, a tall man following him. "Inspector, this is Mr. Nick Fergus, the Irish Ministry representative."
"It's good to see you again, Nick," O'Dalley said, shaking the man's hand. "I'll fill you in on the details as soon as we move the girl." He nodded to the blond on the floor.
"She's the murderer?" Fergus asked, astonished. "But she's so young!"
"Yes, but there are other forces at work in this case. Let's get her to a holding cell first, then I'll explain what's happened. Barney, the girl's name is Orla Quirke. Find her parents and bring them to the office."
"Yes, sir." Barney spun around and walked quickly from the room.
"Mobilicorpus," O'Dalley muttered, his wand pointed at the bound girl.
Fergus cast a blurring charm on her features. "No sense parading her around, Michael."
"Aye, true enough." He looked at the others in the room. "I know it's been a rough night for all, but try to rest. We'll contact you if we have any further questions."
When the door closed behind them, Flitwick looked at the three students. "I don't know how we'll ever thank you," he told them quietly. "You've made us all very proud."
"What will happen to her?" Millicent asked, her eyes still on the door.
"I don't know," the professor told her quietly.
Haven School of Witchcraft and Wizardry...
Minerva McGonagall opened her eyes and looked around in confusion. The last thing she remembered was a soul tearing pain centered in her back. Now she lay on what was clearly a bed in the infirmary. Around her were other forms, some snoring gently.
She looked towards the window and wondered what she was seeing. She couldn't see out of them properly, but it looked like there was a fire of some sort outside. The ceiling of the infirmary was lit up with it. She started to push the covers aside when a voice stopped her.
"Lay back and relax, Minerva. You've had a bad shock and need time to recover."
"Miles?" she whispered.
Miles Pickerton moved into her field of view. "Aye, it's me. Now rest. I'll go get Healer August."
"Miles, what in the name of Merlin is going on?" she demanded loudly.
"Shhh... You'll wake the others," he replied, then he sighed and sat in a chair next to her bed. "Oh, very well. You're a stubborn woman, Minerva McGonagall. I'll tell you enough to keep you in that bed, then I have to get the healer. I promised I'd get her if you woke up. We weren't sure you would," he said softly.
Minerva looked shocked. "What happened, Miles?"
"You were stabbed with that damn Dementor blade. They were going to administer Mercy to you when Harry Potter showed up and told them not to. You owe your life to him and his Brotherhood, Minerva. That little red headed girl somehow drained the dagger long enough to remove it without killing you. It took all of them to do it, and they've exhausted themselves in the process. That's who you hear sleeping around you."
"And the glow from outside?" she asked.
Miles smiled at her and conjured a mirror, which he stuck to the wall, allowing her to see the inner courtyard of the school. It was filled with hundreds, maybe thousands of people. The witches and wizards stood silently, the tips of their wands glowering brightly. The muggles stood arm in arm with their magical counterparts, only they held lit candles.
"They're here for you, Minerva, standing vigil," Miles said gently. "You once told me in jest how Harry said people consider you part of their family. He wasn't kidding and those people aren't kidding either. They started gathering hours ago in the cold and have been here since. We've sent elves out with hot drinks and we've taken some of the parents with little children inside out of the cold. But they're here for you because they love you and want to hear news of you.
"We're not even sure how they found out. After they removed the dagger, they moved you and the Brotherhood to the infirmary. That's when we noticed them. The crowd has been growing ever since." Seeing her expression, he smiled.
Minerva's eyes glistened with tears. Over the years, she'd had a few special students, but she considered them all hers, in a way. And they apparently considered her theirs, as well. She broke down, crying silently.
Miles knew she was a strong woman. She had endured much in her life and didn't take to overt signs of affection. He handed her a handkerchief and placed a supporting hand on her shoulder.
She looked up at him affectionately for a moment, then her expression hardened into its usual, stern lines. "Well? Are you going to get Healer August or not? I need to know when I'll be let out of the infirmary. I have a school to run."
Miles chuckled and stood. "I'll be back with Sylvia," he replied, shaking his head with repressed mirth.
Minerva watched him go. "Fool of a man," she muttered with just a hint of a smile.
Ministry of Magic, Constable Headquarters (Jan 25th)...
The door to his office opened and Amelia poked her head in. "Michael? Are you busy?"
O'Dalley looked up and smiled. He had been smiling a lot in the last few hours. He knew they had gotten lucky, but he'd take luck if it meant no more killings.
"Come in Minister," he said with a wave of his hand.
Amelia stepped into the office and noted the bloodshot eyes and exhausted demeanor of her chief Inspector.
"Long night," she commented.
"Aye," O'Dalley's replied softly. "It started out on a hell of a note, but ended well, I think."
The door to the office opened again and Barney entered, carrying a tray of coffee and pastries. O'Dalley stood and offered Amelia a cup of coffee before helping himself to one.
"What's the latest word?" asked Amelia. She had wisely resisted the impulse to hover around people doing their jobs.
"Minerva is resting comfortably, according to Healer August. Once the dagger was removed, they were able to repair the damage and stabilize her rather quickly. Sylvia thinks she'll be up and about in a day or two. As to Harry and his people, most are exhausted, nothing that a good sleep won't fix. Harry slept for a few hours, then he got up and has been keeping an eye on Minerva and his people. Healer August tried to make him take a potion and go back to sleep, but he told her that he'd rather stay awake.
"The Irish have been trying to determine what to do with Miss Quirke. She's a minor, which complicates matters tremendously. As near as we've been able to figure, we think the dagger came to her by way of an uncle, who never made it out of Britain. I haven't met with her parents yet. I'm not looking forward to that.
"Orla presents us with an unusual dilemma, Minister. She's insane, totally and completely. And that leads us to several questions. Did she willingly accept the dagger? Was she insane to start with? Did she have Death Eater leanings?" O'Dalley's shrugged. "Ultimately I don't think we'll ever know the answers to those questions. The Irish want to see if one of their Empaths might be able to help her. Frankly, I think they're wasting their time. In the meantime, I still need to speak with her parents and explain the situation to them."
Amelia frowned. She understood that O'Dalley had to deal with Orla's parents. It was one of the more unpleasant facts of life as a policeman, muggle or magical. "So the Irish are handling this, then?"
O'Dalley nodded. "We really don't have any legal rights to interfere, Minister. Our job is to protect the people of Haven, but it's the job of the Irish to administer justice," he reminded her.
"Good enough, Michael," she said, then she stood. "Let me know if there is anything the Ministry can do to help."
O'Dalley hesitated for a moment, then he nodded. "There is, Minister. The school is going to need some Empaths and I'll need your permission authorize some overtime. I know it's late, but for the sake of the children, we're going to need to post some extra constables at the school for a week or two."
Amelia looked thoughtful and she adjusted her monocle. "Approved. Get it set up right away," she replied before leaving his office.
I like working for someone who isn't afraid to make a decision, O'Dalley thought to himself. That's something the Minister and Lord Potter have in common.
His door opened again and Barney ushered in Orla's parents. He frowned and rose to greet them. Catching the murderer also meant devastating a family and being the deliverer of such news was never easy.
Hogwarts Castle...
Voldemort sat on his throne, his mood thoughtful. Things had been going very well for a while now. He held full control of the island of Britain. And now, thanks to Brother Chung of the Iron Wand Tong, they might have an idea on finding a way to drop the ward around the island.
He glanced down at his scepter and smiled thinly. Severus has been exceedingly cooperative, he thought. This scepter is better than I ever imagined. I never would have thought of using one.
He stood and walked over to a work table, where he examined a list of the books he and Brother Chung wanted to examine. Perhaps, he mused, perhaps I should ask Severus to assist with this project. I could offer him his freedom in exchange for his help. I don't have to tell him I mean freedom from life, do I?
A Death Eater stood nearby, ready to leap to his master's command. Fortunately for him, the mask hid his wince at the sound of the Dark Lord's chuckling.
"Send for Mulciber," Voldemort snapped. "We have plans to make!"
The Death Eater bowed once and darted from the room as fast as his feet would take him. He vowed to himself that tonight he was going to get seriously drunk.
The Infirmary, Haven School of Witchcraft and Wizardry...
"Well?" asked Minerva, somewhat waspishly.
Sylvia August looked down at her patient. "Don't you get uppity with me, Minnie. I know all your secrets, including the crush you had on your fifth year defense professor."
Minerva paled and glared up at her. "You promised you'd never speak of that again. Merlin, what was I doing, telling you about that?"
Sylvia chuckled. "You were telling your dorm mate and best friend what a hunk you thought Professor Larson was. Besides, you promised never to mention it. I never made any such promise."
Minerva glared at her and Sylvia laughed. "Oh, very well. You are recovering very nicely. Once we got the blade out, healing you became a simple matter."
Healer August's eyes teared up and she turned away from the bed for a moment. "Damn you. Do you know what I nearly had to do? I nearly had to kill my best friend to save her soul. Don't you dare put me through that again!"
Minerva blinked back tears of her own and bit back a protest. It wasn't as though she'd done it on purpose.
Sylvia straightened and she looked at her patient once more. "You're healing well. Follow my instructions and I'll let you out of here the day after tomorrow. Refuse to listen to me and I'll keep you in here for two weeks."
Minerva swallowed nervously. She never questioned her friends abilities as a healer.
August looked at her for a moment, then she nodded to herself. "Good, now I have some visitors who would like to say hello before they leave the school."
Sylvia adjusted the blankets around Minerva, who glared at her, trying to tell her with a look that she wasn't an invalid. Unfortunately, her glares didn't work on the senior healer.
"You may come in now," called Sylvia.
Harry Potter stepped into the curtained off area, leading Ginny Longbottom.
McGonagall was surprised to see the dark circles under the girl's eyes.
"How are you feeling Professor?" she asked.
"I'm getting better, thanks to you and Mr. Potter," Minerva said softly. "Please sit, Mrs. Longbottom."
Harry shot her a grateful look and he nudged Ginny over to a chair.
"The others will be by to see you later in the week, Professor. Healer August didn't want too many visitors tiring you out, but she felt it was important that Ginny and I see you," Harry said.
"Well, this is a switch for us, Harry," Minerva said with a hint of a chuckle. "Normally you're the one in the hospital bed."
Harry grinned at her.
"How are you feeling, Ginevra?" asked McGonagall pointedly.
Ginny winced, hearing her given name. "I'm alright, I think. I think I'm still a little shocked by what happened. Tom is evil, but this was evil of a different sort..." She trailed off.
"I don't think any of us will understand exactly what Mrs. Longbottom went through, Minerva." Sylvia said softly. "I was present and it shocked me to the core. It was obviously very painful for her. I'm releasing her into her husband's care today. All of the Brotherhood members have returned to the manor, except for these two, who insisted on seeing you."
Minerva looked up at Harry and Ginny in curiosity.
"We wanted to make sure you're all right, Professor," Ginny whispered. She tried to blink away the tears that threatened to fall.
Touched, Minerva reached out and took Ginny's hand. "Thanks to you, I am, my dear. I owe you and your friends my life."
Ginny broke down and Minerva sat up painfully and reached out to hug the young woman.
She looked at Harry and he mouthed a "thank you" at her. Healer August nodded approvingly.
Later, when Harry and Ginny had left, Minerva turned to Sylvia, the question obvious.
"She needed that, Minnie. Don't begrudge her the display of affection. What she did last night was terribly painful. Your hug was just her way of affirming that it was worth it."
McGonagall nodded thoughtfully. The last twenty four hours had been an eye opening experience for her and she had much to think about.
Residence of Amhar Coeur de Lion...
At the knock on his door, Amhar pulled the curtain aside and peeked out the window. Spotting Andrew Korwin, he opened it and the former Councilor slipped inside. Since the dissolution of the Wizengamot, Amhar had grown increasingly worried. The loss of power disconcerted him greatly.
"Have you heard the news?" asked Korwin in a hushed tone.
"News? What news?"
"The word is they caught their murderer. It was a student. At least, that is what they're claiming."
Amhar sat in his favorite chair and motioned for Korwin to sit. "Did they now? Interesting. Potter and his people are performing dark art magic and they're busy locking up school children?"
Korwin nodded unhappily and he looked at his feet for a moment. "They offered me a position in the Ministry records department."
Amhar cocked an eyebrow at the news. "And did you accept it?" he asked with a sneer. From what he had heard, most of the neutral members of the Wizengamot had accepted positions with the Ministry, usually in positions well beneath their former stations.
Korwin looked up at Amhar hopefully. "Do you think I should?"
Amhar stared at the man as though he had three heads and Korwin misread his expression.
"It's not much. But I'm a trained genealogist, so they are willing to pay me a little extra, which I hope I can use to seed my election campaign. I was also hoping that Ms. Murphy might be interested in helping to that effect."
"Election campaign?" Amhar said with a sneer. "Do you really think these sheep are going to vote for either of us? Why should we stoop so low, for the matter. Remember who we are, Andrew."
Korwin clutched nervously at his hat and his Adam's apple bobbed in his throat.
Amhar could see that the man was terrified. He was faced with the prospect of having to earn a living and it terrified him.
Amhar listened half-heartedly to Korwin and realized the man was going to be useless to him.
Hogwarts Castle, Chamber of Secrets...
Harry slid off the box he was sitting on and fell to the floor, sliding for another foot. He winced and was sure he had ripped his pants. He mentally cursed portkey travel and damned the inventor of the method. But he was stuck for now, at least. Hermione would kill him if he ripped another pair of pants.
He climbed to his feet and looked around. The chamber was dark. "Lights," he commanded in parseltongue. The torches along the walls flared to life.
With the chamber now lit, he glanced at the boxes of supplies he had left for Peeves and frowned. He had expected the boxes to be nearly empty.
"Peeves must be taking a vacation," he muttered to himself.
"I wish that were the case, my Lord, but I fear we have lost Peeves," a voice said from behind him. "We expected you to visit earlier. We have much news, little of it good."
Harry whirled and spotted the Bloody Baron floating a few feet away. He bowed to the Baron and conjured a chair, table and some parchment. Sitting at the table, he looked up at the Baron. "Very well, my lord Baron, please share your news with me." He pulled a small quill from his pocket, preparing to write. He wanted to make sure all of the news was recorded properly.
The Baron floated closer. "Red Eyes was having problems with his wand. He was trying to focus too much power through it and came very close to burning it out entirely. He commanded the traitor to craft a replacement for him."
Harry blinked in surprise and started to write as the Baron spoke about Voldemort's scepter.
At one point, Harry looked up in shock. "You mean he used his own blood as one of the core foci? And the phoenix feather from his own wand?" he asked with a smile. If this was true, Voldemort had just made a major mistake.
The Baron nodded somberly. "Aye, and a powerful thing it is. We discovered that he used the scepter to kill Peeves."
Harry dropped the quill and stared at the Baron. "What?" he asked numbly.
The Baron shook his head sadly. "Four centuries and three score years has the castle put up with Peeves. And now, with him gone, this place is less."
Harry hung his head for a moment, then he looked back up at the Baron. "Peeves was a valuable member of your family, Baron. His loss will not be easy to overcome. I and the others share your loss. I am sure when the Headmistress hears the news, she will send word to you."
"I thought only you were capable of coming to this chamber, my Lord?" asked the Baron.
Harry motioned to the boxes he had brought with him. "Among the supplies for Peeves, I brought a portal that will allow any to come to this chamber, as long as they have my approval or approval from the Headmistress."
Harry walked over to a box and opened it. With a wave of his hand, the frame of a portal flew from the box and attached itself to one wall. He reached into the box and lifted the custom control pedestal and placed it next to the portal, while the Baron looked on with interest.
"You are familiar with apparating, my Lord Baron, and you've learned about portkeying, which is something wizards have only done in the past hundred years. This is a portal. It's a way of moving people and material from one point to another, without the violent landings involved in using portkeys."
"Remarkable!" exclaimed the Baron. "Who invented such a thing?"
Harry blushed and scuffed one foot against another. "I'm afraid I did, sir. The portkeys always ended up causing me problems. With portals, I can simply step from one point to the next, like walking through a doorway."
"Can anyone use this Portal, my lord?" asked the Baron.
"No, this is a modified portal. It is currently keyed to only a few locations. My home and the Ministry operation center, to be precise," he replied, then he made a few fine adjustments to the pedestal.
"Before I return home, my lord Baron, I must ask that you command the ghosts to fully explore the castle and be ready to help us construct a map. Specifically, we are interested in man sized paths to and from the chamber to the main part of the castle," Harry said.
"We will be ready when you return, my Lord," replied the Baron.
Harry bowed. "I will return in a couple weeks. At that time I will bring some others to help make the map and I will recharge your stone."
When the Baron nodded, Harry stepped through the portal and disappeared.
The Baron blinked in surprise. It was unlike any form of transportation he had ever seen before. He turned, hearing several popping sounds.
The Baron peered around worriedly. Were it not for the fact that the chamber were protected, he would say wizards were apparating into the chamber!
Slowly a form took shape not far from him.
"Peeves?" he whispered incredulously.
"Your Baroness! Oh, most lugubriousness! Oh, how I have missed thee! Let me count the ways!" Peeves chortled happily.
"One!" shouted a form taking shape next to Peeves. He turned and grinned at the duplicate poltergeist.
"Two!" shouted another Poltergeist on the other side of Peeves.
"Peevesy knows red eyes is bad bad news. So Peevesy calls in help!" Peeves told the Baron.
The Baron blanched and floated backwards a bit as a third voice chimed in. Now that he understood what was happening, he could see several more poltergeists, just waiting their turn to become visible.
Lord Potter is never going to believe this, the Baron thought.
Padfoot Manor...
Hermione looked up and smiled at Harry when he entered the study, then her smile faltered.
"What's wrong?" she asked worriedly.
"Voldemort has solved the problem with his power. Hang on a second, I want Remus to hear this," he replied, then he grabbed his medallion and used it to summon Remus.
He walked over and helped himself to one of the biscuits on her desk.
"Winky brought those for me, you know," she said teasingly.
"I think she'll forgive me. If not, I'll have Dobby make you a new batch," he replied, taking the seat behind his desk. He turned and looked out the window, seemingly lost in thought.
"Harry, you're starting to worry me," Hermione said.
She smiled feeling a silent apology bubbling across their bond.
"What is it?" she sent impatiently.
"To be honest, I'm not sure. Something I remember hearing is nagging at me. I'm not sure if it's good or bad though," he replied.
The door opened and Remus poked his head into the doorway.
"Remus! Thank goodness," Hermione exclaimed. "He's being positively enigmatic and refusing to tell me what the problem is. He wanted to wait until you arrived."
"Honestly, I'm not that bad," Harry protested.
"Yes, you are," they both replied.
Remus chuckled. "Honestly, Harry, you're like your mother in more ways than I thought. Your father couldn't keep a secret for long. But your mother? Merlin, that woman was like the rock of Gibraltar. When she had a secret nothing could pry it out of her."
Hermione nodded and crossed her arms. "That's him to a tee, Remus. I have a mental link to his mind and there are times when I know less about what he's thinking than others do!"
Harry scowled at them both. "If you're finished having a go at me, I'll tell you what is going on."
Hermione turned to Remus and looked at him innocently. "I'm finished, how about you?" she asked.
Harry buried his head in his heads and groaned.
"I don't know. I suppose I'm done, but I could have another try," Remus quipped.
"You two are evil. You know that, don't you? Evil," Harry said, then he turned to Remus. "Behave yourself or I'll trade you in on a puppy."
He turned to Hermione. "And you!"
She arched an eyebrow at him. "Trade him in on a puppy if you like," she replied haughtily, while jerking a thumb at Remus. "But the only thing you'll trade in with me is a bed for a couch," she continued over Remus' protests.
He sank back in his chair. "I give up," he muttered.
Hermione and Remus grinned and she stood from her chair and walked over to him. She pushed his chair back and promptly sat on his lap. When she kissed him, Remus studied the ceiling, noting the excellent paint job.
"Now, tell us," Hermione said after coming up for air.
Harry wrapped his arms around his wife. He leaned against her for a moment. "Voldemort, thanks to Snape, has replaced his wand. Apparently it never occurred to him to make a staff. Instead he opted for a scepter."
"A scepter?" Remus exclaimed in surprise.
Harry nodded. "That's nothing. The scepter seems to be really powerful. According to the Baron, Voldemort killed Peeves."
Hermione sucked in her breath and gripped Harry tighter. Remus bowed his head. He'd always liked the pranking spirit.
"According to the Baron, the scepter has three cores, like my staff. But listen to this, he used his own blood as one of the cores."
Remus walked over to one of the chairs and sat down heavily. "His blood," he repeated.
Harry nodded. "Yes, his blood."
"I don't understand," Hermione said.
"His blood, Hermione. What are the limitations on wand use? Or, more importantly, what would your arithmantic equations say about a power conduit that matches the power source?" Remus asked.
Hermione looked at him, nibbling on her lip while concentrating. Suddenly her eyes flew wide. "OH!"
"It won't mitigate everything, but it's nice to know your enemy can make dumb mistakes," Harry added.
"Don't get overconfident, cub. It's still a powerful weapon," Remus cautioned.
When Harry nodded, Remus stood up. "I think I want to look into this further. I'm going to drop by the library and see if we can locate information confirming this."
"Maybe I should help him," Hermione said as she watched him leave the room.
Harry pulled her a little closer and nibbled on her neck. "Later," he breathed against her skin and she shivered from the sensation.
She wrapped her arms around him and laid her head against his. "Much later," she agreed.
Haven, The Korwin Cottage, Late Evening (Jan 28th)...
Andrew Korwin sat scribbling at a desk in his small bedroom. He had been keeping an up to date journal of everything that had happened to him since he had been rescued from Azkaban Island. He couldn't help it, it was the historian in him. And while the daily comings and goings of his life might appear to be inconsequential to others, to him it was important.
He closed his book and carefully placed it in his desk. It was charmed so that only he could read it.
He sighed, then stood and stretched. Since Murphy had broken off contact near the beginning of the month, he had waited breathlessly for his controllers to contact him. He had prodded Amhar a few times in the past few weeks, hoping to find something he could give his masters, but he had come up empty handed each time.
He poured himself a stiff drink and took a deep swallow. He decided he'd take the position offered by the Ministry and almost immediately felt better, as though a weight had been lifted from his shoulders. He placed his glass on the table and turned to head into the bathroom when a red flash of light hit him and he slumped to the floor.
Korwin awoke a few minutes later, confused. His arms were bound behind his back and he was silenced. He looked around wildly, his eyes bulging, when he spotted a tall, broad figure standing off to one side of the room.
The man eyed him for a few minutes without speaking, then he reached into his pocket and removed a skinning knife.
"I'm afraid you've lost your usefulness to us and our cause, Mister Korwin. Normally, Ms. Murphy would give you a warning. You know, something simple like broken kneecaps or having your daughter raped, but I'm afraid we have no time for pleasantries. You've become a liability and a risk we can no longer afford."
The man walked closer and Korwin struggled with his bindings. He tried screaming but he couldn't even hear himself. Still bound, he fell from his chair and tried to crawl away from the man.
"I'm sorry for this, Mister Korwin. We had such great hopes for you, too," said the man.
Andrew mewled and looked pleadingly at the man.
Lugo stepped over him, and with a deft movement, sliced Korwin's throat open. He stepped back quickly to avoid the fountaining blood. He had killed many times in his life and knew how to do it quickly, efficiently and with a minimum of mess landing on himself.
Andrew looked up at the man, his mind gibbering in fear. Even as his vision dimmed, he refused to believe this was happening to him.
Lugo walked over to the cabinet and pulled out the bottle of fire whiskey. He took a long pull on the bottle, then placed it back in the cabinet. He glanced at the body on the floor, and satisfied that Korwin was dead, he pulled out his wand and proceeded to use it to conceal all evidence.
It was something he was an expert in. His started by casting a spell that laid thousands of fingerprints all over the room. It was very difficult to remove all traces of being at the scene of a crime, so the next best thing was to hide the evidence by burying it under a mountain of misleading information.
Ministry of Magic, Office of the Minister (Jan 29th)...
"Neville Longbottom is here to see you, Minister."
"Thank you, Rose. Please send him him," Amelia replied, smiling at her secretary.
When Neville entered, she waved him to a chair and waited while an elf served tea, using the time to observe him closely. She hadn't taken the opportunity before and now she needed to quickly form an opinion of the young man.
Amelia could see that in many ways, Neville and Harry were cut from similar cloth. Both were humble men, committed to what they perceived as their mission in life. While Neville wasn't as powerful as Harry, the past year had instilled self confidence, which showed. Neville knew what he was all about.
"You asked to see me, Minister?"
"Yes, I did, Neville. You don't mind me calling you Neville, do you?" she asked.
Neville smiled shyly and shook his head. "No, not at all, Minister."
She nodded and leaned back in her chair. "I'll get straight to the point, Neville. We intend to send a delegation to France in the hopes that we can influence some of their neutrals in the French Ministry. I wanted to send Harry, but that's not possible since the French have issued a warrant for his arrest."
"What?" he exclaimed.
Amelia smiled. "I take it Harry didn't tell anyone then?"
Neville, too shocked to answer, just shook his head.
"Well, we're ignoring the warrant. For that matter, the French Ministry has isolated itself from the Wizarding Community by this action. Not a single nation is willing to honor their warrant."
"Excuse me for asking, Minister, but what is the charge?"
"Harry refused to provide the French with the potion to cure someone passing through the death ward. It is our written policy that the potion will be available to any country, providing they allow us to interrogate the person or persons who are ill. The French refused to allow us to question a group of Germans that arrived illegally. There were eight of them that were too sick to escape from the customs officials. They subsequently died under French care. I'll also note that another twelve did escape back to Germany, where they also died. But in their case, they never sought healer assistance. The Germans have made no move against Harry."
"So the warrant is politically motivated," Neville said.
Amelia nodded. "Yes, we think so. In any event, we had planned to send a delegation to Paris in the hopes of talking to some of the more influential members of their government. The French are supporting Voldemort. Not openly, of course, but their policies are clearly obstructionist in nature."
Neville nodded thoughtfully. "Yes, I can see that. And my role?"
"For the most part you will be the military attaché to the delegation. You will attend all meetings, both formal and informal. The Ministry will be picking up the cost of the trip, so if you want, bring your wife with you. There will be enough after hour parties and the like to keep her busy, as well."
"Who will be heading the delegation?"
"Ambassador Mortimer Howe will be the official leader. He's been briefed by Department M. You and a team of three others will leave here the day after tomorrow for a seven day trip."
Neville nodded and sipped at his tea.
"I want to be perfectly clear about this, Neville. The French are only one small step from being openly hostile to us. Our goal is to prevent them from taking that step. However, it does mean that unless the Ambassador specifically orders you, you are to tell them nothing about our military capabilities or needs.
"The muggle Ministry is concerned that the French might make a move following the war. Britain will be in a much weakened state. Our job is to try to prevent that. Baring that possibility, we hope to sow as much confusion as possible among the French Ministry," Amelia said tensely.
"I didn't realize that things had gotten as bad as all that," he murmured.
"Neither did we until we received notice of their warrant," Amelia said.
"Alright, just one question. Why me? I can understand why you aren't sending Harry, but why me?" he asked.
"Two reasons, Neville," Amelia said with a slight smile. "First and foremost, Harry recommended you. I wanted someone with firsthand knowledge of the fighting, preferably someone from Harry's group. Your Brotherhood has achieved an interesting status among the allied nations and elsewhere. Let's be honest with each other. You are all far too young to be in the roles you currently fill. Harry a brigade commander? He's not even twenty. But the Magical Ministries recognize the imperatives placed upon us by prophecy.
"Because of that imperative, you and your friends have seen more action against Voldemort and his Death Eaters than most of the older men you are commanding. That gives you a degree of credibility, even with the muggles, that you would not have had otherwise."
Neville smiled. He had expected this and it thrilled him to know that Harry thought him capable of doing this.
"And the second reason?" he prompted.
Amelia smiled thinly. "You're not related to the Malfoys," she said succinctly.
Neville chuckled. "Actually, I do believe the families converged three centuries ago, but I don't think that saying Lucius is my sixth cousin, five times removed would help."
Neville and Amelia shared a laugh, but both knew the decision had been made for purely pragmatic reasons. Harry thought he could do it and he was the next logical person for the job. Remus would be rejected due to his former condition and Tonks wouldn't go without him. The Grangers were an unknown. Terry wouldn't want to leave Susan and she had stated on many occasions that she would never return to France after their attack there.
And Draco Malfoy was out of the question, for a variety of reasons, first of which was the danger his father posed to him if he left Haven.
Neville stood, placing his cup on a small table. "Well, I guess I should return to the manor and let Ginny know we'll be taking a trip."
Amelia held out a hand and smiled. "Thank you, Neville. Your government appreciates what you and your friends have done for us."
Neville shook her hand and left the office.
Amelia leaned back and breathed a sigh of relief. One problem down, she thought to herself. Only ten million more to go.
Haven, The Korwin Cottage (Jan 29th)...
"Andrew?" called Amhar from the open door.
He frowned. He had received a note, unsigned, to meet Korwin at his cottage. But when he arrived he found the door ajar.
He looked around nervously for a moment. It was still early morning and not many people were on the street. In fact, Korwin's cottage was fairly isolated, a point which added to Amhar's discomfort.
He pulled his wand and carefully nudged the door open with his foot.
The cottage was laid out exactly like his own. He was in the hallway leading to the kitchen. To the right was the door to the living room. The bedroom and bath were on the left side of the hallway.
"Andrew?" he called louder.
And was met with silence.
"I got your note, Andrew," he said nervously.
He cautiously looked in the living room area. He noted with annoyance that Korwin seemed to have finer furniture than he did.
Moving back into the hallway, he slowly moved towards the bedroom. Again he nudged the door with his foot.
There, on the floor, in a drying pool of blood, lay Andrew Korwin.
"Oh, shit," Amhar whispered. He backed away from the body, making sure he touched nothing.
The closet door opened with a loud creak. He whirled and fired without thinking.
"Reducto!"
The beam arced out from his wand, striking the door and splintering it. What remained fell off the broken hinges with a loud crash. A tall broad shouldered man fell face first from the closet. He had been hiding in there, presumably waiting for Amhar to show up.
Amhar blanched and dropped his wand. "Shit, shit, shit," he muttered, stumbling forward to look at the man. Kneeling by his side, he turned him over and gasped. The man's face was in ruins, thanks to splinters from the door, but even with that handicap, he recognized Lugo, one of Marne Murphy's chief lieutenants.
He turned away and vomited on the floor and his wand. Gaining his feet, he stood shakily, staring down at Lugo. When the man coughed once, it was enough to break Amhar from his morbid examination.
"Oh, fuck!" he muttered. Turning away quickly, he sprinted from the room. He ran from the cottage, tearing down the street without looking where he was going. In his rush, he ran into a young woman, knocking her down. She scowled and started yelling at his retreating back. But he didn't slow or even look back.
The woman, the wife of an American Auror and a former Auror herself, stood and dusted herself off. She looked down the empty street where Amhar had disappeared, then turned and looked at the cottage with the open door he had come from. Her instincts screamed that something was very wrong.
Within thirty minutes the street would be jammed with Aurors from the Irish Ministry, crime scene investigators and constables controlling the curious onlookers. Inside the cottage they found a body, a badly injured man who was later identified as one of Ireland's leading mobsters and a wand owned by a former member of the British Wizengamot.
Padfoot Manor...
Harry walked into the dining room hoping to find himself some lunch. It had been a hectic morning and the afternoon promised more of the same. After the morning briefing, he and Draco had worked up a training schedule for the brigade. The Americans had assigned the command staffs that they had requested, so they would start meeting soon. There were plans to be made.
"Good afternoon, everyone," Harry called out, then he slid into his favorite seat next to Hermione.
He nodded to the chorus of hellos he received, then he glanced over at Hermione, who was looking entirely too smug.
Picking up the sandwich that appeared on his plate, he bit into and closed his eyes in real pleasure. Dobby always knew what he wanted."So, what are you looking so smug about?" he asked his wife.
"Don't talk with your mouth full," she replied primly.
"Love, in case you haven't noticed, I don't use my mouth to talk to you like this," he replied.
"I don't care. It's the principle of the thing. Besides, it's good manners."
Harry frowned. "Wait a second here. Only you and I can hear this conversation. It's totally private. Are you saying we need to have good manners even when we're alone together?" he asked incredulously.
"Of course."
"Let me see if I understand you. We should behave ourselves, even when we're alone, because it's good manners right?"
Hermione paused. She knew his tone. There was a trap somewhere nearby but she couldn't see it.
"Of course," she replied worriedly. She could feel his wry amusement flooding down the bond.
"So, then it would be bad manners for me to do this?" he asked, then he reached out and touched her aura, triggering several critical nerve clusters.
Hermione's face flushed and she shivered slightly. She turned and glared at him.
"I'm just asking for you to clarify your position, although I have to admit I've never complained about any position you've been in."
She blushed again and stared at Harry. "Oh, alright! I'll concede your point, but you better plan on fixing this now!"
Harry blinked and smiled evilly at her. "Now? Here on the table in front of everyone? Hermione I'm shocked! That wouldn't be proper would it?"
Two can play this game, she thought to herself.
"Well, the table wouldn't be as comfortable as a bed, and we'd have to push stuff onto the floor, but I'm game if you are," she replied.
She chuckled when Harry suddenly blushed. He stared down at his plate.
"Would you settle for after lunch?" he asked.
She nodded eagerly.
"You know," Remus said, "at least when James and Lily flirted, they did it aloud so that others could hear them and know what they were up to. You two sit there looking at each other and blushing. All we can do is sit here thinking that you're sending dirty thoughts to each other."
Hermione looked at him and her eyes twinkled mischievously. "We are sending dirty thoughts to each other, Remus. You don't need to listen to them. I'm sure Tonks would be willing to share her thoughts with you."
Tonks looked up from her plate. "Here? On the table? In front of everyone?"
Remus choked on his drink and started coughing, while Harry and Hermione shared an amused glance.
Ginny looked up from the parchment she had been scribbling on. "This table is too uncomfortable. But there's a coffee table in the upstairs sitting room that's..."
She trailed off and blushed furiously. Neville looked as if he wanted to climb under the table and hide.
"What are you writing, Ginny?" Harry asked, trying to get the conversation out of the realm of too much information.
She glanced down at the parchment. "Oh, this? Hermione told me to make a list of the things I need to bring on our trip to Paris," she said.
Neville looked at his wife fondly. When he had told her the news, she'd been terrified at first. But he reminded her that she'd done wonderfully when they went to New York before Christmas. She was determined to not only be a good wife to Neville, but an asset to his career. And she saw this trip as a major opportunity for her husband to shine without Harry helping him.
Hermione looked at Harry smugly, happy that Ginny liked her idea. Around the table, people started offering suggestions of things for her to pack.
Dobby appeared next to Harry and handed him a note.
He read O'Dalley's message, his anxiety growing with each passing second.
"Can I have everyones attention please?" he asked.
Everyone turned to look at him.
"Sometime between now and midnight last night, Andrew Korwin was murdered. This morning, Amhar Coeur de Lion was seen fleeing Korwin's cottage. His wand was found near Korwin's body, and so was a badly injured man, who they have positively identified as being one of Ireland's most dangerous mobsters.
"Coeur de Lion has left Haven and, presumably, the country, but we have no proof of that yet."
Harry paused and took a sip of his drink. "Neville, they are increasing the size of the security detail on your group. I want you to check with whoever they put in charge of the detail and make sure you're all adequately covered. Coeur de Lion is dangerous and I don't want anyone getting hurt by him."
"I'll get on it after lunch," Neville replied.
Hermione reached over and grabbed Harry's hand. He smiled at her reassuringly, then looked around at the others. "For the next few days, I'm going to increase the warding on the manor. I don't want him slipping into our home unnoticed."
"I'll speak with the elves, Harry. Perhaps they can keep an eye out for him in Haven, as well as the surrounding area," Remus offered.
"Good, do that, please, Remus," Harry said with a sigh. He looked down at his half eaten lunch and his appetite evaporated.
"Eat, Harry. I'll not have you getting sick because you were too worried to eat. Besides, you need your strength for our after lunch dessert," she sent him, her tone half serious and half playful.
He smiled at her once more and picked up his sandwich. Merlin, I do love this girl, he thought.
Author's Notes:
"There were a lot of reviews this last chapter," Alyx said in awe.
"I know," Bob replied smugly. "I made an off hand comment and they crawled out of the woodwork to make themselves heard. I'm so proud of the little buggers."
"You can't call them that, they are our readers," Alyx protested.
Bob buffed his nails on his shirt. "I know, but I used this newer, faster computer to call them that. It went by so fast they never even noticed it.
Alyx stared at Bob incredulously, then she remembered there were other reasons she married him, being a Rocket Scientist wasn't one of them.
"Yes dear," She said, then fell silent hoping she'd be able to get to edit this file one last time before he posted it.
Just for the record, the bit about the pod people was not a dig to get reviews. It was Bob's attempt to explain the cliffy we...er he left you without getting skinned alive. Though we are always happy to hear from readers, and are thankful to those who do review, we certainly don't want you to feel obligated to do so.
To those who've just recently found our story, thanks for joining us!
Yes, Bob's computer problems seem to be solved. Granted, it took a new machine to do it, but he's certainly not complaining!
I want to state that the bloopers we have at the end of each AN is not a jab at anyone. Look, folks, if we wanted to take a poke at someone for missing a typo (and Merlin knows I've done that enough with our own work!), we would have included the author's name and the URL where the story can be found. But we don't, because that would be mean spirited and petty. Bloopers are something every writer has to deal with and if we can't laugh about them, we might as well stop writing, don't you think?
With that said, there won't be any more bloopers, at least not for awhile. When Bob's computer when belly up, it took the blooper file with it.
Kendiara: Charlie was told about his parents divorcing, but little else for a reason. Both of his parents felt that he was safer in Romania. Had they spilled all the dirty little details about the split, Charlie would have rushed back to Britain. Molly and Arthur had enough children in harms way without forcing another into danger. Sure, it wasn't the smartest thing to have done. Charlie came to more grief not knowing the details than he may have if they'd been upfront with him. But no one (well, except Bob and I) knew what was going to happen.
In this series, we've tried to show that not everyone is perfect. Sometimes people are left behind. Sometimes vital pieces of information are left out in the rush to get a job done. Sometimes the choices we make come back to haunt us. In the end, we all do the best we can with the circumstances we find ourselves in.
Master Ktulu: What do you know about Bob's deep longings? Stop looking in our windows, buddy, or I'll talk Bob into more cliffies! ~Snickers~
Did you honestly think we'd kill of Minerva? Come now, you should know us better than that! Oh, wait, maybe that's the problem. Well, in any case, she's alive. For now...
I want to state very clearly that I win many arguments, just not the ones Bob puts down in writing. Ah, the imagination is a wonderful thing, isn't it honey?
Will there be more about Hermione's clashing beliefs with the Brotherhood? Possibly, though probably not a great deal. That aspect of the story could very well take a chapter or two all on its own. I'm sure we'll address it from time to time, but don't look for an in depth expose about Paganism vs. Catholicism.
We're the cruelest, most evil authors you've run across? Thank you, we're so proud! ~Beams brightly~
Kill Peeves? What kind of authors do you take us for? Wait, don't answer that!
The wizarding world in Britain rejecting the Magna Carta was a case of the pure bloods rejecting anything muggle. As the Magna Carta was a muggle document, there was no way they were going to sign it. Being as they placed so much importance on blood, turning their noses up at someone of royal blood would have smacked of hypocrisy, and just might have given the mudbloods the wrong impression. After all, if royal blood was something to sneer at, what importance could having pure blood really be?
Yes. Yes, you're right. Bob is the diabolical one! I'm constantly trying to rein in his bloodthirsty ideas and scale them back to something a little less...well, diabolical. Yep, that's how it works. ~Polishes her halo~
Krystal: We'll see what we can do. We're always looking for willing victims!
MarinePotterfan: I don't think you called off the air strike in time, as Bob's old computer is kaput. He thanks you for that! His new system is a huge improvement.
DrT: It was an obvious idea to us, so we aren't surprised that someone else has thought of it too. It's fun, fresh and opens up whole new subplots that have never (or rarely) been thought of before. For what it's worth, neither Bob nor I think you stole the idea from us.
The authorities never really suspected someone from the school to be the murder. They only saw someone run in the direction of the school once, and there is a lot of ground between Haven and the school. The murder could have gone anywhere, really.
As for the blooper posted in the last chapter, yes, Bob realized there was more than one mistake made in the sentence. However, my husband has a thing for "jugs" if you will, and chose to fixate on that. I'm doing my best to help him with his problem.
Someone wanted to know where we live. After the death threats we've gotten over the cliffy from last chapter, I'm sure you understand why we're reluctant to give out that information. However, I can tell you that we're in Northern Idaho, about 60 miles from the Canadian border. If you're interested, you could probably look at a map and find the city nearest us.
The jewels Emma Granger wore were borrowed. As for the family crest, that will come later.
Leticia: Thank you ever so much for that image of Prince Charles. ~Wanders off, pale, disillusioned and nauseous~
Treck: I am innocent, damnit! It's all Bob's fault!
That's it, folks. For those who celebrate, we hope you all had a great Thanksgiving!
~Alyx and Bob~