This book 's been giving me trouble, mint and oodles of trouble. I 've had more pain from this one than from the other four put together and it 's not even finished yet ! murmur ... grumbling ...

Anyway as a final result I may be slower to post than usual as I try to baffle this twisty, god-awful narration I choose to send for a history into meekness.

Sorry, hopefully the story will be better for it.

In other newsworthiness : OVER 200,000 articulate ! HORAY !



"how-do-you-do ?"The shopkeeper peered, bleary eyed, at the number standing on the other side of the glass door."Sorry we ‘ re closed now."

"Good."The hooded man pushed the door open roughly."Then there will be no one to discover us."

"What do you want."The storekeeper edged his hand towards the wand in his pocket."If it ‘ s money you ‘ re after-"

"I require a service of you."The man said, clearly and arrogantly."Or rather my master does."

"If your master wants any of my service."The market keeper grunted a laughter."He ‘ d better descend himself. I don ‘ t do house calls and even if I did some of my equipment ‘ s too weighty to move."

"You mistake me."The man sounded like he was smiling."My master want ‘ s you to devote me something. A Shén de shÇ'u."

"A Sh-"The tradesman held his hands up, backing away."No no no no ! Why would I-"

"I heard you were the man to go to for one."

"Yeah, years ago. When they were legal."The tradesman took his wand from his pocket and held it firmly towards the intruder."I think you ‘ d in effect leave."

"My master…"The man began, rolling up his sleeve."Is not a man you want to displease."

The storekeeper jumped back as he saw the shadow mark emerge from under the iniquity robe. Even this far from U.K. everyone in the business knew what it meant.

"Are you a… a dead eater ?"

"Death eater."The man corrected pleasantly."Now about the Shen ?"

"I… I ‘ ll have to make some calls."The shopkeeper shuddered, he just wanted this man gone."I don ‘ t have all the stuff here."

"I ‘ ll wait."The man pulled up an old wooden chair."While we wait we can talk about some other thing you may be able to help me with. I ‘ m sure they will not be beyond your… skill."

The shopkeeper gulped as the man began listing what he wanted. His hired man shook so practically his sceptre fell on the level and rolled away unnoticed.

"I ‘ ll…"He cleared his throat, his mouth raw."I ‘ ll see what I can do."
*


Harry's boots hit fireplace and he drew his wand out and scanned the elbow room before lowering it and depositing the required galleons in a jar by the barman.

"Thank you young master."The man simpered.

"He's probably telling someone I was there right now."Harry thought as he left the grubby pub."And that person will state a demise eater."

Harry broke into a run as old buildings flashed past him. He hadn't made for London, too obvious. The bold silhouette of Edinburgh castle was outlined against the sensation for a second between two construction as Harry dashed along and he darted down an alley towards it. He slowed as he passed a chemical group of hombre obviously out for the nighttime, singing in the street, then sped up as the itinerary began to climb towards the senior high school castle.

He came up a side of meat road and turned away from the historic edifice. Fitting himself into the crowds of Friday night merrymaker like a dark. He flitted across the royal nautical mile as fast as he thought safe, clutching his long coat tight about him. At XV years old people wouldn't think it weird for him to be out this late but they might remember that he was alone. Any retentiveness of his passing was a financial obligation and Harry flicked his catch up and kept into the shadow of a house.

There were a few superstar pubs in Edinburgh, Harry had mapped them out. But thanks to his imbecility of not disguising himself as he flued into the finale one he could not now risk any of them. Harry cursed, he was still an idiot. Still making pudden-head mistakes, Harry shook his head and pinched himself hard. He had to be better.

The rail station appeared beneath him and Harry swiftly crossed the nosepiece and slinked in a face incoming. He bought a just the ticket from an automated machine ( no memories ) to the first-class honours degree localisation on the departures board. Then tore it up, cursing himself again, and bought one for the indorse one down.

It was only three second till it left. Harry stood in a corner, hopefully just looking like any former traveler. They wouldn't check up on the station would they ? They thought like whiz, not like muggles. Maybe he was being paranoid… the bartender didn't have to tell anyone…

No ! Careless ! better secure. We want to push them, but on our terms.

Harry nodded, it was the safe matter to do. He gritted his dentition as the endorsement ticked by. He just needed to be gone. Wherever the string went he could regain thaumaturge and flue pipe to… to somewhere. Somewhere better, Hogwarts possibly ? It was still weeks till he had to go back to schooltime and Harry wasn't eager to fall away back under Dumbledore's restrictive fender. He'd go somewhere anyway.

red cent it ! Harry went farm animal still as two oddly dressed individuals walked into the train station. One looked like his outfit was a Hallowe'en costume of a buccaneer, the former was wearing lederhosen. They were the stunned view Harry had ever seen.

They were also here to kill him.

Harry could feel the inwardness of barely contained violence coming off both of them and the buccaneer had a wand concealed up his sleeve. Harry stepped sideways, making his apparent motion seem inconsequential, uninteresting, and pushed open a staff door. He stepped in calmly and confidently, not giving any trace that he didn't belong.

“'Ere ? Who are y-"

The cleaner in overalls got no further as Harry whipped his wand out and Confunded him.

"You ‘ re done for the night."Harry whispered and jerked a thumb back the way he ‘ d seed."You need to lock away that door."

"R… right."The man mumbled and Harry left swiftly, passing out a side of meat door and feeling the frigidity night air. Harry crossed the road and passed to the succeeding street over and breathed a sigh of relief. It was busy, full of revelers. He could be inconspicuous here.

The good variety of invisible, the kind that didn't need cloaks.

Harry kept to the side as he ducked down the long stretch and ducked into a pub. A few minutes later he emerged, unrecognizable. Wrinkled skin and grey-haired hair, Shakey Jack walked again. Harry walked like an old man up the road, watching both ways.

Damn it ! There was one, walking down the street towards him. He was surreptitiously pointing his wand at every person he passed, like he was dowsing. He was detecting legerdemain. Harry winced, there was his admirer coming from the other focal point, doing the same. Harry was cornered.

Harry began walking slowly towards the pirate death eater, making his step slow and measured like the old man he was supposed to be. He hid his wand in his arm, he needed to fall up with a plan. There was no way he could fight them here, too many bystanders, so that left taking them out instantly ( which would be almost impossible ) and running away.

Of course if one of them had been Crouch it would be different. But they weren't, they were just incidental.

"Silencio."Harry murmured it so quietly he could almost have been silenced himself, aiming at the death eater's sceptre. No way to bonk whether he had hit… The wand came up, aimed at Harry…

Nothing.

The wand passed on over to the next bystander and Harry breathed a mental sigh of relievo. He began walking away, they didn't follow. He kept walking, passing out of region he could recognize from maps and found an alley.

Harry pushed a wheelie bin aside and slouched down against the wall. He'd waiting for break of the day here and try to leave the metropolis then. Harry drew into his bag and pulled out the wrapped up remains of a sandwich.

full phase of the moon roundabout, eventually we all come back home.

Harry sneered as his palpebra began to loll, alleys used be home, now they weren't. That didn't mean that anywhere else in particular proposition was home, but it was an improvement. Harry dropped off to catch some Z's, too tired to dream.

"He ‘ s here somewhere."

Harry's eyes flicked open, the wan sparkle of dawn filtering into the alleyway. Footsteps came slowly up the alleyway. Harry slid behind the bin that hid him and crawled to the other incline. The two figures came cl… Hang on !

"Are you certain ?"A deep companion vocalization said as the two men passed the bin Harry was behind."It might not even be him."

"Underage magic and marauding death eaters, it ‘ s him."Helen Wills grumbled as he stumped along."He ‘ s back."

Harry waited until they had passed then grinned. He stepped out from behind the bin and slowly walked up behind the two aurors. You know what would be funny ? Harry took a mystifying breath…
*


"Envenerate !"

Harry lifted his pass off the grass ( skunk ? ) and looked around him. Moody was gone, but the marvellous black auror was still there, his limb crossed, calmly looking down at Harry. Harry glanced at the person who had brought him back.

"Hey Tonks."

"Wotcher Harry."Tonks held out an arm to help him up."Want to explicate why my knob brought you here comatose ?"

"They didn ‘ t tell you ?"

"fountainhead Moody was too raging to talk and Kingsley kept laughing."

On cue a deep chuckle escaped from the improbable aurors mouth, swiftly covered with a hand.

"I ‘ ll let Moody tell the fib when he calms down."Harry dusted himself off and surveyed the void field. It seemed vaguely conversant."Where are we ?"

"Oh ! Right."Tonks dipped into her pocket and drew out a small piece of theme."Just read it, don't say it out loud."

Harry took the newspaper publisher and unfolded it. On it was written, in loopy, hard to read handwriting…
The headquarters of the order of the phoenix is the manor house on the macabre moors.


"So what does it- WHOA !"Harry tripped backwards as the mansion exploded out of the flat coat around him. Even the supergrass curled into the story and became crushed rock and a fount appeared like it had been pushed up from some tunnel resistance. After everything settled Harry looked around,

"Hey, isn ‘ t this-"

"Home."Came a voice out of the air."My home."Harry spun, wand out. Then relaxed.

"Knew I recognized this place."Harry smiled."skillful to see you Draco."

"Good to see you too."The blond boy detached himself from the phantom of a doorway."in effect too see you ‘ re still active since we didn ‘ t have a clue."

"I owled."

"Once. From cairo."genus Draco said sarcastically."Then you drop totally off the map."

"I was vacationing."Harry shrugged."Like I always do."

"Yeah right."Draco pushed the doorway surface for Harry to step inside."fountainhead in the signify fourth dimension your ally and fan nightclub have invaded my home."

"The order of the phoenix ?"Harry looked around the cavernous ingress hall."Never heard of them."

"It is Dumbledore ‘ s organization."Kingsley said from behind Harry."To counter the Death eaters."

"Why are you here ? Don ‘ t you have your own headquarters ?"

"This is better apparently."Draco rolled his eyes.

"Didn ‘ t Voldemort live here ?"

"The Ward respond to the current heir."Draco looked over at the sprawling tapestry of the Malfoy crime syndicate tree."Voldemort was forced to leave the moment…"

"The moment ownership transferred ?"

"Yes. That."

"Well at least we 're all good here. Constant alertness. '' At Harry 's dustup Shacklebolt clapped a deal to his oral fissure but could n't stop a snicker. Harry grinned and took another look at the arras."Aren ‘ t you supposed to be on here ?"

"I ‘ m there."Draco pointed at a ragged burnt spot at the stern."It seems my mother reverted to her own family traditions."

"Why don ‘ t you fix it ?"

"Because I don ‘ t flavor like it Potter."Draco snapped acidly."Besides ? Who would I fix it for ? I ‘ m the hold up Malfoy."

"Unless you have children."Harry pointed out. genus Draco just shook his head.

"No… no I ‘ m the shoemaker's last Malfoy."Draco seemed to nod to himself, his voice full of some insensate resolve."Anyway, as I was saying. With the family enchantments and the spear carrier Barbara Ward Dumbledore put up this place is totally impregnable."

"No such thing."Harry looked back at the aurors."Or as Dwight Lyman Moody would say, constant vigilance."

"plosive saying that."Kingsley had to cover his mouth again.

"What is this ?"Tonks looked between them, confused."It ‘ d have to be something practiced to nominate you laugh."

"He snuck up behind Alastor Moody and yelled ‘ Constant watchfulness ‘ in his ear."At Tonks'shocked reflection he added."I ‘ m not joking."

"Harry you ‘ re insane !"Tonks doubled over, holding her tummy."He could have killed you !"

"You ‘ re certifiable thrower you really are."Draco shook his head word, then stopped suddenly."How did you pilfer up on Helen Wills ?"

"Yes."Kingsley stepped closer."I ‘ ve been wondering that."

In answer Harry just smiled and rolled up his lead sleeve. Around his wrist was a brass bracer engraved with tracing vines. Right in the inwardness, on the inside arm, was a hieroglyphic of a gravid melanize eye.

"Picked this up in Egypt."Harry said, running a linger along the edge.

"That's the evil eye."Tonks stepped closer to seem at it."It guard off charming monitoring."

"Yep."

"It ‘ s also all sorts of illegal."

"Yep."Harry shrugged."Somehow I doubt the ministry would care considering what ‘ s being kept at bay under the eye."

"Under… oh…"Tonks nodded faintly and stepped back."Right."

"Does it break him calling you ?"Draco asked quietly.

"It makes it manageable."Harry pulled his sleeve down and put on a cheery grinning."Too bad it only hides me, not my magic. Else I could do spells whenever I wanted without the ministry seeing."

"And you ‘ d be even to a greater extent of a menace."Tonks smiled and winked at Harry."cum on, the others are waiting."

Harry grinned and turned to play along the auror.

"We ‘ re mostly living in the east wing."Tonks called back over her articulatio humeri."This place is monumental. It took us a week to happen where you ‘ d left Macnair. He smelled awful."

"Sorry,"Harry shrugged theatrically."next time I ‘ ll try to kill in a unfertile environment."

They walked down a long iniquity hall, made more skittish by the fact that every motion picture was empty. Draco said nix but Harry imagined they had left about the same time his beginner had. The door at the end had a steadfast glow coming from under it. Harry hurried forward and toss out the door exposed theatrically.

"I ‘ m back !"

"Harry !"Harry was knocked back as marauders piled towards him, and on him. Harry laughed and extricated himself from under the pile.

"Hi guys."Harry walked past the scrum into the cavernous room, which turned out to be a kitchen."Miss me ?"

"Where the Hell were you ?"Padma hadn't joined the charge and was sitting with her arms crossed and an angry expression."Why did you allow for ?"

"I never left."Harry held his hand to his core."I was always with you, in here."

"Bullshit."

"Cynic."Harry shrugged and slid onto the farsighted bench across from her and Hermione."Have you no-"

"Voldemort is back."Hermione interrupted him.

"Really ?"Harry opened his eyes wide in impact."Is he really ? No… no, I had no idea… How could that occur ? I would remember a thing like that ? Oh… oh wait ? marvelous guy with red eyes ? You know I think I do remember a guy like that… torturing ME !"

"Alright Harry. Alright."Hermione held her hands up."I didn ‘ t mean it like that. I just meant that Voldemort ‘ s after you, he want ‘ s to kill you."

"Is this a confluence of the obvious society ?"Harry said as the residue of the marauder crowded around.

"What she means is that this isn ‘ t a metre to go sunbathing in Majorca."Padma said in exasperation."Or skiing or hang-gliding or whatever it is you did."

"Well I didn ‘ t bloody hang-glide."Harry grimaced."At least broom have some means of actuation. And I didn ‘ t ski or sunbathe. I ‘ ve been working."

"Working on what ?"

"Working on not getting tortured again, working on being… better."

"You ‘ ve been training ?"Fred asked."You found some Tibetan temple or something ?"

"No, no temple."Harry shrugged."But I have been training. I ‘ m not ending up half dead again. following clip he comes after me I ‘ ll not be helpless."

"well the point is that it shouldn ‘ t happen again."Tonks came up behind him and clapped him on the shoulder joint."You ‘ re staying good here till you can go to Hogwarts."

"safe here ?"Harry froze."safe here ?"He pushed himself off the judiciary."I have to go out there !"

"Wh… what ?"

"I have to go out there and fight them. You know that right ?"Harry looked Tonks in the eye, the marauders looked on confused."You know that."

Tonks glanced back at Draco, who just frowned and looked at the floor.

"Dumbledore…"Tonks licked her mouth."Dumbledore, who also knows that, says you ‘ re to be kept safe."

"For how long ?"

"I don ‘ t know. However long it takes."

"You are cognizant that without me it will take precisely forever."Harry said through gritted teeth.

"I ‘ m sure Dumbledore has considered that."

"Dumbledore. Is. Senile."Harry looked over at Kingsley, who had thus far kept unsounded."How bout you ? You got a take on this ?"

"I trust Dumbledore."Kingsley said confidently.

"Everyone always does."Harry snorted."And as yet I ‘ ve seen no reason why."

"You haven ‘ t seen him angry."Kingsley turned towards the door."seed on Tonks, we need to get back on responsibility before we ‘ re missed."

Harry didn't speak as the two aurors left. When the threshold slammed shut he threw his manus up and shook his head.

"I have seen him tempestuous. I ‘ ve seen him angry at me, it ‘ s not so bad."

"What was that Harry ?"Ginny asked.

"What ?"

"All that ‘ you know that'and ‘ he knows this'clobber. What ‘ s the surreptitious ?"

"You didn ‘ t tell them ?"Harry turned to Neville.

"I thought it was a secret."Neville shrugged.

Harry turned to Draco, who rolled his eyes.

"Don ‘ t flavor at me I don ‘ t even like them."

"Right,"Harry turned towards the doorway."It ‘ s not a privy, at least not amongst us. Could you tell them for me Nev ? I ‘ m going to get some refreshed air."

"You can't."Ron called after him."We have to stay inside the building."

"Wh…"

"The Ward extend to the attribute crinkle but it ‘ s stronger in here."Hermione explained apologetically."They told us to stay-"

"By they you mean Dumbledore."

"Yes."

"Then I ‘ m finding an open window."Harry looked over his berm back at the marauders."I can do that can ‘ t I ?"

"Your room ‘ s down the corridor, the door with the scorpion lock."Dragon said.

"Is there a window in my cell ?"

"Yes, it ‘ s not barred either. Not un-metaphorically anyway."

Harry, didn't respond. He just pushed the doorway open and left.
*


Draco woke the following morning as a retching phone came through the wall. He shook the covers off and pushed the drapery around his bed open before hurrying to the conterminous room.

"Harry is that you ?"Draco was about to try the doorway before he thought better of it and ran a detective work good luck charm. A distich of filthy curses lifted out of the woodwork. Draco backed a few steps away."Harry open up !"genus Draco heard footsteps then the threshold scraped open.

"What ?"Harry growled sleepily.

"Were you just spue ?"

"No… no."Harry shook his nous."Why would you think that ?"

"Because I just take heed you Harry."Draco folded his arms."You also smell of vomit."

"I… I do."Harry sniffed."Fine. You caught me."

"You ‘ re sick of ?"

"I ‘ m pregnant."Harry shrugged."There was this dancer. I was a little drunk and, well… I was weak."

"Right,"Draco snorted.

"You ‘ re the first one I ‘ ve told."

"I ‘ m touched."

"It ‘ ll be really yobbo raising it on my own."

"I imagine Department of Labor won ‘ t be a picnic either."Draco shook his header, if Harry didn ‘ t want to tell him then he didn ‘ t want to have sex."Look, it smells like breakfast ‘ s ready."

"Great,"Harry shrugged, then frowned."Who ‘ s cooking ?"
*


"Sit down Harry."mollie Weasley pulled out a chair for him."Have some eggs. There ‘ s pledge too, and some sausages."

Harry looked around in discombobulation at the various citizenry that had appeared in the kitchen of Malfoy manor. There were to a greater extent Weasley's than there had been, the two parents and old brothers. An odd man in a green hat was there as well, smiling at Harry and waving, along with an onetime lady in an shabby robe. There was one very recognisable expression though, one that went had gone from smiling to stone cold the moment he entered the room. Remus lupin had stood the moment he came in and walked away, leaving by the back door.

"A duo of masses live here now."Ginny said to cross the muteness."A couple of the society members."

"Why ?"

"Because I haven ‘ t started charging split yet."Malfoy muttered darkly, leaning over a chessboard.

"It ‘ s because we ‘ re too visible."molly Weasley explained."masses know we support Dumbledore, they know we were in the order last time. We ‘ re target area for attack. It ‘ s safer here."

"Right, safer."Harry tucked into his breakfast in silence, the marauder chatting around him. Apart from him only Malfoy and Ron were silent, both intently staring at the chessboard. Occasionally, very occasionally, one of them would make up a move.

'' It would be nice if they 'd recover their own base though. '' Malfoy murmured, still staring at the circuit card. `` Or their own prison. ``

'' Prison ? '' Harry dropped a piece of music of toast. `` They 're using this topographic point as a prison ? ``

'' Obviously. '' Malfoy said grimly. `` Did you think Malfoy manor had no cellular phone ? And they ca n't use Azkaban anymore. ``

'' Is n't that dangerous ? ``

'' The whole manor is under the Fidelius charm. '' Hermione explained. Harry smiled in apprehension, so that was what the footling shift of theme had been about. `` It means that a secret is- ''

'' I know what it is. '' Harry interrupted her calmly. `` But is n't it dangerous to secern the prisoner the secret ? ``

'' Yes. That 's why they do n't. '' Padma shrugged.

'' The prisoner are inside the privy but they have n't been told it ? '' Harry 's supercilium furrowed. `` I wonder what that feels like for them. ``

'' They tend to scream a lot. ``

Harry shrugged, unworried. At to the lowest degree there was a safe property for to house the death eaters. Of grade Harry would prefer if they were all kept in nice safe coffins but this was the next best matter. While they had been talking Dragon had turned back to the tacit cheat game.

"How long have they been at that ?"Harry asked Hermione.

"60 minutes for this game."Hermione answered dejectedly."Weeks if you ‘ re mean playing in general."

"Who ‘ s winning ?"

"I think Ron ‘ s ahead by two games."

"fountainhead that ‘ s-"

"Out of two hundred and twenty six."Padma chimed in irritably."Neither of them's been up by more than four at any item. Next time they equalize I ‘ m stealing the bloody board."

"I have over eight hundred chess gameboard in this house."Malfoy said idly as he nudged a pawn forward."You ‘ re welcome to try and find all of them. Maybe you ‘ ll get lost along the way."

"But not today. Got you."Ron said triumphantly as he slid his knight forward. Harry frowned, even he, with his loose undemanding of the plot, could see that it wasn't a checkmate. But apparently Malfoy could see something he couldn't, the blond boy hunched over the board for a few here and now then,

"Screw you Weasley."Draco angrily slapped his king down and stood up."It doesn ‘ t count. I was distracted, I was talking to Harry."

"It counts."Ron replied angrily. He began to readjust the musical composition but Draco grabbed a pawn out of his bridge player and slammed it back into it's box.

"I don ‘ t want another game. I ‘ m bored of chess for today."Draco sat back down at the breakfast mesa, pouting.

Harry grinned at the spectacle then pushed his empty plate away and stood to leave.

"Where are you going dear ?"Molly Weasley called after him.

"Just back to my room."Harry answered cheerily."I didn ‘ t unpack final stage night."
*


"There ‘ s no chance he ‘ s going to unpack."Padma whispered across the vulture table.

Ginny shook her head. No one could differentiate when Harry was lying, not even the piranha. But since Harry hadn't unpacked anything ever since he'd got that bottomless bag it was unlikely he was doing so now.

"Should one of us go check off on him ?"Neville suggested.

"Let him be."Fred shrugged."He ‘ s got a lot to cogitate about."His counterpart nodded.

"It ‘ d cave in us something to do."Parvarti murmured quietly, voicing what they all felt. Boredom was constant here. The only worry prison term were lodge encounter when the marauders would try to find path to listen in. Ways that were continually blocked.

All their homework had been done. All the course of action books had been read and so many games of exploding catch had been played that they all had little tiny George Burns on the goal of their finger. There was zippo else to do, literally nothing. They had looked, tried to come up with former things to do. They had failed.

"We could try gobstones again."Fred suggested as their mother bustled around the room.

"Definitely not."Hermione shook her head."We could study ?"

"We ‘ ve done all our homework."Ron said irritably.

"We could swap and do each others."Annapurna pointed out. At the superior general shock she just shrugged."I ‘ m that bored."

"We could make for quidditch !"Ron perked up instantly."Why didn't we think of this before ! Yeah ! We can ingest a-"

"How ?"Ginny cut in."We can ‘ t go outside."

"Well… oh."

The marauders lapsed into silence. Defeated again.

"Mrs Weasley."Malfoy suddenly said."Harry was feeling ill earlier. Do you consume anything that could avail him ?"

"Why didn ‘ t you tell me ?"The Weasley materfamilias hurried off down the corridor towards Harry's room. As soon as she disappeared Malfoy pushed himself away from the table.

"Let ‘ s go. Quickly."

"Why ?"Ginny crossed her weapons system."Why should we go with you ?"

"Because I know where we can dally quidditch."Draco glanced at the door. `` Believe it or not I am as bored as you are Weasley. Now can we go ? You 're mother wo n't be distracted for long. ``
*


'' Whoa ! '' Ginny gasped as they were led into a massive hall. On the base there were plinth and typesetter's case holding unusual sparkling items.

'' What is this place ? '' Hemione asked.

'' My Father of the Church. '' genus Draco lugged the ball case over. `` It 's just detritus. '' True to his word he shoved three vase off a showing stand to put the character in their place. `` Now ... teams. ``

'' I call captain ! '' Ginny yelled.

'' Me too. '' Ron nodded.

'' Right, '' Malfoy was still looking the other way. `` Captains are Ginerva and myself. ``

'' But- ''

'' It 's my home. '' Malfoy cut him off snidely. `` I 'll take the twins. ``

'' Which ones ? ``

'' The quidditch playing I. '' Malfoy rolled his eyes. Fred and George reluctantly went over to stand by Malfoy.

'' You ca n't pick both. '' Ginny argued.

'' Would you split them up ? '' Malfoy said sarcastically. `` Have a heart. ``

'' Fine. You can have them. '' Ginny grinned. `` I get everyone else. ``

'' Well well Weasley. '' Malfoy said appraisingly. `` Betting on quantity over quality ? ``

'' Shut up and release the bludgers. ``
*


Ginny shot past a cabinet laughing, the crash from behind her told her St. George had n't been so lucky. The quaffle flew up and bounced inside the meth circle on the wall.

'' destination ! '' Ginny spun on the smear, pumping her clenched fist in the air.

'' You 're still behind Weasley ! '' Malfoy yelled as he shot past.

Damn it he was right, Ginny shot forward after him. If only the snitch would come along ! It should n't be so hard to grab it in this enclosed arena. Unfortunately the charms on the snitcher were never designed to deal with an atypical maze of cabinets and as a result it kept moving erratically. They had found and lost it three times already. Ginny saw Malfoy trying to score and being blocked by Ron. She took the opportunity to take another look for it.

'' Over there ! '' Someone yelled, Ginny did n't hesitate. The wink of Au disappeared behind a urn and Ginny spun around it. Where was it ? Another flash, there by the rack of steel. Ginny heard a crash from the side her, Malfoy was closing in. There, by the methamphetamine again ? No ! By the urns again ! tinker's dam it, there were thoughtfulness everywhere. It was like there were six snitches !

Ginny narrowly avoided colliding with the wall. A thump behind her told her Malfoy wasn't so lucky. There it was ! Right near the quoin of the room. Ginny sped up, it was so close ! Her fingers closed around it. And it felt ... wrong.

Ginny drew to a halt, holding the matter in her hand. It was amber, but it wasn't a sneak. It was a cup, a little gold plated teacup, still struggling to escape from her fingers. Draco hovered in next to her, looking perplexed.

"That didn ‘ t used to fly."He grabbed it out her deal, holding it by it's diminutive handle and letting it try to pull away."This isn ‘ t even stored in this room."

"What is it ?"

"It ‘ s a teacup Weasley how dense are you ?"Draco insulted idily, still staring at the lilliputian thing."Or did you always just drink out of a trough at your firm ?"

"No."Ginny just gritted her teeth and swallowed the affront. They had to live in this planetary house for weeks yet."Where did it come from ?"

The early predator came in closer, staring at it.

"I saw it by the door."Parvati said curiously."I thought it was hovering there but maybe it came through."

"We should look."Malfoy began floating in that direction.

"What about the real fink ?"Fred asked, wrestling a bludger back into its case.

"It ‘ s just a preparation snitch. It comes when it ‘ s called."Malfoy held out his hand."Ollyollyoxen !"In a trice of Au the snitch darted down from the roof and settled in his hand.

"Lets go."He said curtly, jerked his forefront and floated off towards the door.

"Guess we ‘ re not walking."Hermione murmured as the marauders flew after him. The corridor was fairly narrow and the piranha had to fly in individual file cabinet. The empty portraits were here as well, even the animal in the landscape had left.

"Do you get wind that ?"Neville whispered and clumsily stopped.

"What Longbottom ?"Malfoy turned in the air, impatience earn on his face."I don ‘ t hear anything."

"That would be because you ‘ re talking."Padma snapped at him."Shut up a minute."

Silence filled the hallway for a moment, then ... a distant haphazardness. It sounded like an explosion underwater, muffled by the walls. The predator looked at each early, they had all heard it.

"There it is again."Ron said quietly as the sound echoed down the hall.

"Sounds ..."Malfoy screwed up his case."It ‘ s beneath us."

"Are you sure ?"Ginny floated forwards to where he was hovering."It ‘ s echoing a lot, maybe-"

"My firm Weasley."Malfoy cut her off."It ‘ s coming from beneath us. This way."Malfoy shot forward and turned sharply into a English corridor. Ginny rushed to retain up with him and she could discover the piranha behind her doing the like. A threshold was flung open air in front of them and Ginny spun into it, following the blond flash in front end of her. Down some steps, along a long dark Charles Martin Hall, next - STOP !

Ginny had to break gratingly to stave off hitting Malfoy who was hopping off his broom in front of a great wooden door.

"You ! You ... !"

"What ‘ s the matter Weasley ?"Malfoy shouldered his broom."Had difficulty keeping up ?"

"I almost hit you !"Ginny dropped to the floor."Why did you stop ?"

"We ‘ re here."As Malfoy said it a loud bang issued from the other side of the door. Ginny looked behind her to see the marauders just coming around the corner. Hermione looked panicky, Neville looked ill.

"Well lets see then."Malfoy drew his wand and pushed at the grievous door. It slowly crept unresolved. interior was an empty hall, looked like it was usually used for memory or something. The merely things left were a few odd mesa and a few box. In the middle of the elbow room stood Harry, bare chested with his cicatrix pure bloodless against his tanned and sweating skin. On a box next to him was a odd tidy sum of junk. As they watched he took a plate and held his scepter to it. At a whispered word there were two plates, then three, then four. Harry dropped the original back into the bundle and tapped the pseud with his scepter. They instantly flew off in all counsel. Harry jabbed his sceptre and in a fraction of a second-

fringe ! One shattered near the ceiling. Harry whirled. thrill ! Shattering into sherd. BANG ! Smashing the position and sending the last plate spinning into the wall.

Harry caught mess of the piranha and grinned before waving them over.

"Thanks."Harry said, plucking the cup out of Malfoy's manus."must have missed that one."He released it and it instantly whizzed into the air.

"You don ‘ t need to keep duplicating things you know."Malfoy said dryly."I ‘ ve got tons of this junk."

"Right."Harry shrugged."Just didn ‘ t want to rag you."

"Harry what are you doing with these ?"Hermione asked, sounding almost scared.

Ginny looked where Hermione was pointing and swallowed fearfully. Arranged in a not bad row along the board was a sharp and wickedly curved sword, a short spear with a lighting bolt carved into the haft, a beat ball that had hollow for fingerbreadth and seemed to be glowing from within and no less than three muggle firearms.

"Souvenirs."Harry shrugged lightly."From my travels."

"Harry please order us what you're doing down here ?"Hermione pleaded.

"Training."Harry flicked his wand over his shoulder without looking and the cup, zipping past too riotous to see, exploded in mid air."I told you that didn ‘ t I ?"

Ginny just stared, this was too much. All the marauders expected insanity from Harry but this ...

Malfoy was the number 1 to speak.

"You bought an shock sphere ?"He was looking at the bowling glob like affair."You shouldn ‘ t have, my father had two in his vault."

"I may postulate spares."Harry shrugged.

"Harry is this choke up nighttime legerdemain ?"Hermione was shying away from the table.

"Depends on your perception."Harry replied airily."It ‘ s certainly illegal magic. Whether it ‘ s iniquity is more about the use it ‘ s put to than the thing itself. These things are just tools."

"And the guns ?"Hermione pointed."Did you buy those illegally too ?"

"Strangely no, I bought them legally in Vegas."Harry picked up the expectant one. The marauders took a collective step back."Bringing them back to the UK was the illegal bit."

"Wh ... wh ..."

"No wait, I used bull i.d. to buy them ... never mind."Harry shrugged."Yes I bought them illegally."

'' Harry, your wand ... '' Malfoy was staring at the bramble-wood wand in Harry 's bridge player. `` Are you still using the one you stole from Macnair ? ``

'' Yes, '' Harry clanced down at the dark wand. `` Why do you ask ? ``

'' Harry, do you not call back that using a wand you stole from a dead demise eater is a bit ... '' Malfoy swallowed. `` A bit ... creepy ? ``

'' Why ? I was the one that killed him. ``

'' You could buy a new one from Ollivander. '' Neville suggested.

'' And hazard it not working as well as this one does ? '' Harry balanced the thick, twisted wand on the border of his helping hand before flicking it up into the air and catching it, all the spell with the gun held nonchalantly in his other deal. `` This one kit and caboodle for me, maybe as well as my old one did. Besides ... it form of fits does n't it ? This verge 's done a lot of wildness in it 's lifetime. batch of hurting, fighting, and that 's exactly what I intend to use it for. ``

pain ? Fighting ? ... Killing ... Ginny swallowed. Harry had n't said that last one but she could find him thinking it.

"Harry why are you doing this ?"Ron asked.

"What do you mean why ?"Harry looked at Neville, then at Malfoy."Didn ‘ t you tell them ?"

"Yeah. I told them."Neville said softly.

"Then what ?"Harry dropped the gun back down to the table. It sounded with child."I need to fight Voldemort. I have to fight Voldemort."

"Yeah but Harry-"Ginny started, but was cut off.

"I have to fight Voldemort and you know what ? I ‘ ll lose !"Harry slashed the air angrily."I ‘ ll lose, I mean what else would fall out ? I spotty, ignorant fifteen twelvemonth old against the most dangerous wizard on the planet ? I ‘ ll lose, he ‘ ll win, we ‘ ll all be screwed. Don ‘ t you see ? I can ‘ t afford to be an ignorant teenager any more. I have to be break. I need to be better. Because I can ‘ t lose, can ‘ t afford to lose. None of us can open for me to lose. Do you have it away what it feels like to know that the whole humankind is royally screwed if you fail ? No ? Then shut up ! Don't try to bar me and don ‘ t ask me why ! I know why, and if you took a microsecond to think you ‘ d know why too !"

Harry's raging broadside shocked the predator into secrecy. Harry turned back to his pile of rubble and began duplicating a weighed down chalk bowl.

"Harry ... you don ‘ t know when the prophecy will happen."Neville surprisingly spoke up."Maybe you won ‘ t be fifteen. Maybe you ‘ ll be xx, or thirty. Maybe you have prison term ..."

"Do you want to run a risk everything on maybe ?"Harry answered without looking up."Well I ‘ m not. It could be any clock time so I have to be ready any sentence. It could be tomorrow too."

"Do you require someone to duel against ?"Malfoy said quietly.

"You ... !"Hermione whirled on him."You can ‘ t supporter him !"

"Why not ? He ‘ s right."Malfoy shrugged, apparently unimpressed by Hermione's angry face.

"Dumbledore said-"

"Dumbledore has been wrongfulness before."Malfoy cut her off."It hurts nothing to be ready in eccentric he ‘ s wrong this time."

"But Harry could be killed !"

"Yes."Malfoy nodded curtly."He could. Did you not realize that ? Did you perhaps call up what happened last yr was some sort of laughable game ?"

"Of course not, but-"

"Well then."Malfoy sidestepped Hermione."We duel. Besides ... not like there ‘ s anything else to do around here."

"Good point."Ginny was surprised to hear her own voice. Oh no now everyone was looking at her, intimately say something."And since we ‘ re all targets maybe we should try learning some stuff too."

"At least we ‘ ll all get O ‘ s in defense."Padma smiled wryly.

"So we ‘ re not going to talk about the prophecy ?"Hermione turned to present Harry.

"What ‘ s there to say ?"Harry shrugged."It ‘ s fairly self explanatory. No one but me can kill Voldemort. Not much to discuss."

"I ... guess so ..."Hermione bit her lip."There ‘ s an order group meeting tonight. Maybe we can ask Dumbledore ..."

"Good."Harry hoisted a glass bowl onto his shoulder and flung it out into the way. He aimed his sceptre and muttered under his breather. The bowl melted and splattered into a steaming good deal on the floor."There are some things I want to ask him too."
*


"Where have you lot been !"Molly Weasley drew herself up."You disappeared hour ago ! All of you, gone all day ! Now you ‘ re back and you look like you ‘ ve been fighting ! Now you ... Where do you think you ‘ re going !"

"Hu ?"Draco turned from his procession towards the doorway."What do you intend ‘ Where am I going'? I ‘ m going to the kitchen."

"You come back here vernal man !"

"Why ? I ‘ m not your family. Nor am I one of these other waif you seem to induce adopted. I don ‘ t fear for your judgement, nor for your misplaced and overworked maternal instinct. I ‘ m certainly not going to let you yell at me while you live under my roof."Dragon turned back to the doorway ...

"Get back here !"

... .and walked happily through it, with enraged silence left behind him.

"You do know that means you ‘ ll have to make believe you ‘ re own breakfast from now on."

"Tonks."Draco smiled and walked through the now crowded kitchen to where his cousin was sitting. following to the werewolf. Draco shuddered inwardly and sat on her other incline."I couldn ‘ t eat another fried breakfast anyway. Any Thomas More and my Scots heather won ‘ t be able to hold up me."

"I doubt that little cousin."Tonks prodded him playfully before growing severe."How ‘ s Harry doing ?"

"He ‘ s ..."Draco licked his lips and gestured for her to run closer."He ‘ s accepted the prophecy. He ‘ s accepted that he will fight Voldemort. He ‘ s preparing for it."

"That sounds ominous."Tonks shook her head."Dumbledore ‘ s not going to like it."

"Don ‘ t tell him."

"I won ‘ t, but he ‘ ll find out anyway."

"Will he ?"A new voice came in. Draco looked up to see Harry skid in across from them. The lycanthrope grunted and got up, not looking at Harry. Tonks glanced after him, confused. Harry ignored it.

"How ‘ d you get away ?"Draco asked.

"Disillusion."Harry shrugged."That deep into a tirade I doubt she ‘ ll count how many people she ‘ s yelling at. So ... when ‘ s Dumbledore getting here ?"

"Now."Tonks stood as the ancient man walked into the kitchen. Harry was instantly on the other side of the bench and stepping up beside the headmaster and tugging on his robe.

"professor, can I talk to you ab-"

"After the get together Harry."Dumbledore brushed him off."You have my word. But right now some of the order of magnitude members have significant missionary station they must get back to quickly."

"Of course."Harry stepped back, nodding amicably."I understand."

What ? Draco crossed his limb and frowned. Why was Harry being so calm ? What was going on ? As the order phallus filed out he sidled up to Harry's side ?

"What was that ?"

"What ?"

"You being calm and decent towards Dumbledore. What are you up to ?"

"I ‘ m always nice."

"You ‘ re always up to something."

"Are you suggesting ?"Harry drew himself up haughtily."That I am only nice when I have an agenda ? That I am manipulative and self serving that way ? That I would only be calm air if I, oh say ... wanted to slip a listening device into the pocket of someone ‘ s gown before they went into an decree get together ... or something like that ?"
*


Snape stepped into the manor and strode towards the master dining elbow room. He wasn't late precisely, just ... no longer appropriately prompt. He pushed the threshold open and walked to the open seat next to Natalie.

"Have I missed anything important ?"

"Attacks."The unspeakable was idly scraping her digit along the bound of a copy of the day-after-day oracle."Dark stigma. Wizards and witches we suspect have been turned, or put under the imperious curse.

'' Nothing important then. ``

'' Nothing new at to the lowest degree. '' Natalie tuned to him. `` Did you hear they found Harry ? ``

'' I heard Harry found them. '' Snape cracked a smiling. `` Or Moody at least. ``

'' Severus, '' A soft voice called. Snape looked over to Dumbledore, who was looking at him expectantly. `` Is there any news ? ``

'' Yes. '' Snape brought himself back to the labor at paw. `` The shadow lord is moving. ``

'' wellspring duh. '' The voice near the end of the table was swiftly silenced by a matt stare.

'' The dark Divine is moving more specifically. Now that Reb is idle all but a few of the werewolves have deserted him. He seeks new troops to sew panic, he has chosen to acquire by self-colored wealthiness this time rather than empty promises. He is arranging purchase of large numbers of assorted exotic species, lethifolds primarily. Chimaeras if it can bump a willing seller. ``

'' Why ? '' lupin asked from down the table. `` Why mindless creature ? ``

'' Precisely because they are forgetful. '' Snape explained. `` His felonious army from Azkaban has not been as effective as he hoped. ``

'' They 've torn the country apart ! '' someone yelled.

'' But only in their own capacitance. They have not followed edict well, they are distracted. The dark lord has killed a lot of them, he seems tired of man failing. In a way he does n't need an army, he wants a weapon system. Something he can unleash at will. Doubtless he will be employing the imperious curse word to see that his will is done. ``

'' It does n't work on lethifolds. '' lupin said with sure thing. A trivial snuff of relief slid through Snape 's mind, swiftly swallowed up with darkness.

'' But it does function on chimeras. And on mantiger. ``

'' mantichora ? '' The one-time DoD instructor eyes grew wide.

'' Well, manticore at confront. But he is looking for others. ``

'' Why not simply use it on the criminal ? '' Someone asked.

'' Both because that would cause them less effective fighters and because long exposure to the Dementors seems to give birth made them surprisingly resistant to mental approach. '' Snape leant closer over the tabular array to speak to the rescript as a whole. `` I have the dates he plans to meet with creature dealer. If we arrange a trap we can get ahead of him and- ''

'' No. '' Dumbledore spoke with calm authority.

'' We can not allow this to go on. ``

'' If we act he will assuredly hazard the source of our information. '' Dumbledore shook his bearded head. `` You are too worthful at present to chance. You are our only generator of information. ``

'' Information we never act on. '' Snape clenched his fists on the cold mahogany table. `` What use is my spying ... what use is this orderliness if we are too scared to ever act. ``

'' We can not act rashly. ``

I do not act rashly. You simply do not act. Snape bit back the words we wanted to fling at the old man. It would be pointless.

'' We could instead liaise with the extraneous auror department. '' Snape tried to trick himself into thinking this was anything other than a wrong limiting attempt. `` They could arrest some of the dealer before the dark master can encounter with them. ``

'' Perhaps, '' Dumbledore nodded. `` There are very few people we can trust. I will try to get in tangency with some old acquaintance that may be able to facilitate. ``

Old friends ? Of yours ? Wo n't they be dust or lingeringly doddering trace by now ?

Natalie gave no outbound house that she had heard Snape 's projected though, but she reached over and laid her hand on his arm.

"Is there anything else ?"

"Barty Crouch still has not returned."Snape shook his head, Barty Crouch had become Voldemort's favorite, surpassing even Belatrix. Snape had hoped at one time that Barty's failure to gain the ministry would consider against him, and it had, but apparently throwing it into turmoil had been enough. That and successfully bringing Harry Potter directly to the iniquity Maker. All that made it even more suspect that Barty was absent from destruction eater gatherings. The dark lord kept his servants close, if he was letting one off their leash then it had to be for something important.

"Do you cerebrate he has left the country ?"individual down the table asked.

"It is possible."Snape nodded."But whatever he is doing it has it ‘ s root here. The wickedness Almighty has always intended to take this country before moving on to the rest of the world. That has not changed. It may also involve espionage."

"Why do you say that ?"

"It is Barty Crouch ‘ s strong suit is it not ?"Snape shrugged."But the dark lord has ordered me to set about researching polyjuice potion in an attempt to make it work for any mechanical man species."

"You think it is connected ?"

"I do not know."Snape answered honestly."It could just as easily be involved in his effort to gain the backing of the giants."

"The wickedness Lord programme are like spiderwebs."Natalie said softly."We can adopt everything is connected."If anyone other than Snape heard her they said nothing.

"Is that all ?"

"Other than time of day of listening to the dark lords darkness pontificating on the guinea pig of the death or oppression of all muggles ?"Snake crooked an brow."No."

'' good. What news from the ministry ? '' Dumbledore had turned to Shacklebolt, who sighed and shook his head.

'' It has become official. Fudge is still government minister for magic. ``

A superior general groan went up from around the room. Snape just closed his eyes and took a calming breathing place. After the effect of lowest class the ministry had been fractured to its very core. The near-election of a destruction eater had made them fearful as rabbits. Fudge had, the moment Dumbledore left the building, ran back to his business office and virtually barricaded himself inside. All summer he had been wrangling the ministry around to the idea that his projection was not valid because of the conjuration of Barty Crouch Jr.

That was, Snape had to admit, technically dead on target. Although the vote to withdraw Fudge had been won by a comfortable margin the original apparent movement to dispatch a minister for magic could only be tabled by a member of the Wizengamot. Crouch Jr was not a extremity, only impersonating one, therefore the motion and, by extension, the vote was void. A piece of bureaucratic unwiseness that meant they were stuck with that ridiculous man until someone else drummed up enough support to boot out him.

'' We could supercede him. '' Natalie said, seeming to read his persuasion like she often did ( even when not actually doing so ). `` Everyone in my section thinks he 's a joke. ``

'' Ours too. '' Shacklebolt rumbled.

'' The unhurt ministry does. '' Arthur Weasley added. `` The unharmed wizarding population. The problem is that no one wants to put in a nomination for concern of looking like they 're following Crouch 's example. ``

'' So we put someone forward. '' Snape said definitely. `` We area a candidate no one can contend is a death eater. ``

'' And they will be shot down by those who resent Dumbledore interfering in the ministry. Fudge was not the sole one. '' Shacklebolt shook his head. `` I realize this public opinion may not be the most well-off to hear, but perhaps we should allow him to stay for now. ``

'' What ? '' Snape asked acidically. His anger was echoed down the table as others voiced their complaint.

'' I realize the post is not nonsuch. '' Shacklebolt held his men up. `` But Fudge is scared to contact any make out order member or anyone else who waves Dumbledore 's standard. As a result he is leaving the aurors office and the balance of the section relatively unswayed. We can gestate out our work without any overbearing oversight for now. And besides, with all the ex-Azkaban residents running around causing fuss we do not take time for a political battle on top of that. If we can not have a likable minister of legerdemain, one that stays out of our way is a honest moment alternative. ``

'' So it is agreed. '' Dumbledore looked up solemnly. `` We allow him to continue while he remains un-troublesome. ``

Snape grimaced but did n't gossip. Once more zip would be done.

'' Is guard obligation for the side by side week set up ? '' Dumbledore asked the put together order. There was a world-wide nodding. It had not been hard to organize, not with a member inside the section of mysteries.

'' Then we should all get back to work. '' Dumbledore stood. `` And we should all groom for attacks by magical organism. Lupin can, I 'm sure, remind you of the salutary methods to repel them. ``

Snape stood quickly, he could n't be missed for long. The dark lord was as watchful of his servants as he was of his of his enemy. Snape turned to Natalie,

'' My safeguard duty is scheduled for Tuesday, at eleven. ``

'' I 'll be sure to be in the office then. '' Natalie nodded. Snape knew that he would be living for Tuesday at eleven. He reluctantly turned and made for the door. Unfortunately there was a occlusion, the altogether ordination was bunched up at the wide double door. Snape quickly pushed to the presence and was almost forced to laugh.

Harry had built a barricade.

The one-fifth year was sitting casually on an overturned desk, resting his feet on a draftsman. The rest of the arching wall was mostly chairs and tables, and one suit of armor.

'' Harry this was not necessity. '' Dumbledore stepped forward, his script stretched peacefully. `` I promised we would blab. ``

'' I wanted your good attention. '' Harry replied wryly. `` I want to fight down. ``

'' Harry you are not old enough to bring together the order. ``

'' You think Voldemort will care ? ``

'' We will go on you safe from Voldemort. ``

'' Right. '' Harry dropped off his perch and landed, cat like, on the floor. `` 'Cos that tactic 's play wizard so far. You know I have to fight. I have to campaign him. ``

'' Harry I have made my decision. ``

'' I contest the saneness of your decision. '' Harry grated. `` You just going to let Voldemort walk all over this country ? ``

'' Harry potter I have had enough of this. '' Dumbledore waved his wand angrily. The barricade disappeared with a deafening fissure. `` You will ride out where I put you until it is safe for you to do otherwise. If you will spare no thinking for your own safety others must do it for you. You will stay here. You will be rubber here. ``

'' Unless a lethifold creeps in through the window. '' Harry said flatly. Dumbledore went cold, then glanced at Snape. Harry chuckled and continued. `` Do n't await at him. This is you 're fault. You let me listen everything. ``

'' How Harry ? '' Dumbledore crooked an eyebrow, but his usual full humor was gone.

'' I 'll let you stew over it. '' Harry folded his weapon. `` I want to fight. I want to sit in society meetings. I want a private instructor to teach me to duel. ``

'' You may give birth none of those things. '' Dumbledore was n't moving, just standing like a statue. Radiating threat. `` As for defense breeding you will find it at Hogarts, in your habitue defense course. ``

'' wellspring I hope at least you 've got someone good. '' Harry sneered, then, glancing at McGonagall, let out a little choked laugh. `` You have n't found anyone have you ? ``

'' I will not discus this with you Harry. '' Dumbledore drew his wand. `` I have more important things to do. '' And with that he turned and apparated away with an angry crack.

The order appendage began to mix out, giving Harry a spacious billet. Lupin in particular was staring at him with what could only be described as abomination. Snape walked up to the solitary student.

'' Perhaps you should not antagonize him. ``

'' He antagonizes me. '' Harry answered, sounding a footling vote down. `` I do n't understand him. ``

'' Few people do. ``

'' You ? ``

'' No. ``

'' Great. '' Harry shrugged, then looked up to satisfy Snape 's oculus. `` Would ... you teach me to fight ? ``

I should birth expected that dubiousness. Snape took a hint to give himself time to consider his response.

'' No. ``

'' Why ? '' Harry asked, sounding somewhere between choler and impuissance. `` You know what 's at wager ! ``

'' If I teach you then you will fall into the bunker of thinking you are ready. '' Snape shook his headland. `` I could pass on everything I know to you and you would still lose to the darkness Creator because I would lose to the dark Godhead. ``

'' I 'm not just gon na rush in half cock. ``

'' You will, inevitably. '' Snape said, hoping bluntness could get through to him. You will inevitably seek him out because, despite everything you have gone through, you are still a teenaged boy. ``

'' I 'm not an idiot. ``

'' Yes you are. '' Snape corrected. `` You are offspring, by definition you are an idiot. ``

'' Have n't been young for weeks. '' Harry drew up his arm and unclipped an unexpected pick-me-up. `` Not since I got this. ``

Snape momentarily thought of asking where he had got the evil eye bracer but thought best of it. The answer was of no particular use. He almost wanted to ask if Harry had a spare.

'' Harry ... '' Snape glanced around to see if anyone was listening. Natalie was but that was beyond the point. `` If you want my advice you will cover as you have no incertitude been doing. Train, learn everything you can. When the metre comes, I promise I will teach you. ``

'' Fine. '' Harry seemed defeated, removed. `` Will you at to the lowest degree teach me occlumency ? I ca n't use that to fight. ``

'' I will call up on it. Now I must go. '' Snape turned and walked away. It was surprisingly difficult.
*


'' Fine. '' Harry muttered to himself. `` I 'll try Helen Wills. ``
*


The marauders had to hunt Harry again that evening. He had disappeared before dinner and was nowhere to be seen. The border Barbara Ward had n't been tripped but with Harry that meant next to nothing. They found him in a disused staircase, sitting in the rainbow blur of a stained glass window. With the light mottling his skin like some jungle cat the marauder hesitated to approach him.

'' You missed dinner. '' Ron eventually began.

'' Not athirst. ``

'' What were you doing ? ``

'' Begging. Again. '' Harry let out a approximate, throw up, laugh. `` Full traffic circle. ``

'' What do you stand for begging ? '' Fred frowned. `` You 've got money do n't you ? ``

'' Not money. '' Harry was still looking up into the light. `` I 've spent the evening begging order members, aurors ... everyone really, to teach me to fight. wastefulness of my time ... '' Harry trailed off shaking his head.

'' They said no ? '' Malfoy was leaning against a bannister. `` Who did you ask ? ``

'' Snape, Helen Newington Wills, Tonks, Shacklebolt, McGonagall ... '' Harry sighed. `` Flitwick, he was a dueling champion. I even asked Lupin, or tried to before he slammed the door on me. Why would he do that ? Why would any of them ... they know what I have to do. They have to cognise ... ''

'' We 'll help you Harry. '' Ginny stepped forward. `` We said we would. ``

'' It 's not the like. I need a teacher. '' Harry shook his headspring. `` There 's only so much I can get from books and ... peer learning. ``

'' Well ... maybe you could ask whoever they get to teach defense this year. '' Hermione suggested. `` Or maybe they 'll be really good any you wo n't have to. ``

'' You do n't get it ! '' Harry covered his face with his hands. `` It 's not just chucking around a duet of stunners. None of you have seen a real virtuoso duel, not proper dueling. Not like what Voldermort 's capable of. Not like what I 'll sustain to be capable of if I want to brook a hazard at winning. None of you have seen it. ``

'' Really, have you seen it ? '' Padma asked, eyebrows raised.

'' Of row, I saw ... him ... duel with ... '' Harry paused for a consequence, then a fraction of a sparkle lit the box of his eye. `` With him. Maybe ... ''

'' Harry ? '' Hermione reached out but Harry had shot to his feet like a sea dog in a box.

'' Has shovel found your owlery ? '' He was looking at Malfoy.

'' Yes your wretched over-traveled and long-suffering bird has found my owlery. '' Malfoy rolled his eyes. `` If you 're going to globetrot you should really tell your owl to stay home. ``

'' I would. '' Harry disappeared up the stairs. `` But I do n't have a home. ``
*


The succeeding day, at breakfast, Harry seemed strangely chipper.

'' We should go back to the basement, maybe duel some, hang out. Bring the Bromus secalinus set if you want. '' Harry was idly juggling three oranges in his right hand while gesturing with the other. `` After toast obviously. ``

'' sure enough ... trusted Harry. '' Hermione was nodding a piddling carefully, like individual talking to a man with a hand grenade. Which, given Harry 's current racetrack record, might have been the case. `` We 'll do that. ``

'' Should practice session shields too. '' Harry switched the oranges to both script then quickly back to his right.

'' Great ... practiced ... wonderful. ``

'' Let 's go then. '' Harry pocketed the fruit and led the confused marauders, and Malfoy, from the way. As Harry pushed the door open he pulled up dead. Lupin was frozen in front of him, his hand raised to reach for the door. His smiling had frozen and dropped into the scowl he always wore on seeing Harry.

'' Yes prof ? '' Harry asked pointedly. `` Something the matter ? ``

lupin seemed to almost growl but cut himself off and pushed past Harry into the kitchen.

'' What is his problem ? '' Harry muttered.

'' He was sort of alright before. '' Ron scratched his head.

'' Before what ? ``

'' Before well ... you. Before you got here. '' Ron shrugged. `` He was even kind of good story. ``

'' Whatever. '' Harry shook his head. `` I ca n't be bothered worrying about it. Lets go. ``
*


This was n't the hold out Harry heard about it though. lupine lived in the sign of the zodiac, they bumped into each other all the time. Each time Harry was met by the same pus hatred. It was kind of disconcerting. Eventually Harry learned lupine 's routine and managed to mostly stay out of his way. Of course it helped that he spent at least ten hour a day in the empty cellar, sometimes with the predator, sometimes with Dragon, sometimes alone. Each day when Harry finally dropped himself into an icy bathroom to soothe his bruised inning he felt a kind of fiery satisfaction.

He was getting better !

He could baffle any of the marauder one on one, even the Gemini. Draco was better, at the start he had beaten Harry a lot. Well, no ... at the very protrude Harry had won. Then Harry had raged at the blond and forced him to really cut let loose and use some of the filthy night magic his father had taught him. With those spells in his arsenal Dragon had been winning, but Harry was clawing back. He was getting better, there was no denying that. Every throb bruise, every morning waking up aching was a victory because he was getting better. And that was n't even considering his former toys.

Harry shifted his foot to pillow on the top of a mahogany desk in the residence library ( there was some good stuff here, to a greater extent patch to work with ) when the door creaked open.

'' how-do-you-do Tonks. '' Harry said, without looking up.
*


'' Wotcher Harry. '' He was doing that more and more. He was like Dumbledore crossed with Moody crossed with Snape. Tonks winced inwardly, it was n't the minor error. He had been forced to become like this, canny and brutal as a feral fox. `` What'ya reading ? ``

'' The gentleman's gentleman 's guide to efficient and effective application of pain. '' Harry read calmly off the cover of the book.

'' Oh ... '' There was no material reception to that. `` Any undecomposed ? ``

'' Never knew there were so many uses for a riding crop. '' Harry folded the page down and looked up at her. `` How are you doing ? Order keeping you busy ? ``

'' Oh definitely. '' Tonks ran a hand through her ( currently blue ) hair. `` Between them and the aurors I 'm run pretty slender. ``

'' So I could n't convince you to teach me to duel ? '' Harry asked cheekily.

'' Sorry Harry, answer 's still no. '' Tonks smiled, at to the lowest degree he was n't holding it against her. `` You seem to be doing ok on your own though. ``

'' I try. '' Harry brightened up. `` Want to duel sometime ? You do n't suffer to teach or sing or anything just a friendly affaire d'honneur ? ``

'' I do n't remember Dumbledore would like that. ``

'' Dumbledore does n't sustain to know. '' Harry urged weedlingly.

'' Sorry Harry. ``

'' Damn. '' Harry sighed and looked like he was going to say something else but just agitate his head. `` Never judgment. Was there something you wanted or did you just do to confab ? ``

'' I was going to ask about Remus. ``

'' Eh ? '' Harry 's brow furrowed. `` Who ? ``

'' Remus lupine. ``

'' Oh him. '' Harry rolled his eyes. `` What about him ? ``

'' Do you know what 's awry with him ? '' Tonks pulled a stool and sat on the early face of the desk. From this angle Harry resembled a very appraising interviewer. His beaten and fret steel-capped boots up on one side of meat of the desk and a Brobdingnagian sight of suspicious Koran on the other. In between he was regarding her piercingly over his wire glasses.

'' What 's wrong with him. '' Harry repeated levelly. `` Apart from the whole fur and fangs thing ? ``

'' Yes apart from that. '' Tonks nodded. `` I meant- ''

'' Big affair to dismiss. '' Harry interrupted her. `` The fact that he 's a loup-garou. ``

'' They 're not as bad as everyone says. ``

'' They are in my experience. ``

'' You clearly have n't met many. ``

'' Met loads. Killed some. '' Harry said coldly.

'' How can you just say that ! '' Maybe he had changed more than I thought. `` They 're people inside ! They have souls ! They 're human ! ``

'' I 'm sad Tonks, '' Harry held up his hands. `` I know what you 're trying to say. But I 've only ever met one lycanthrope who has n't tried to kill me and even he sometimes acts like he wants to. Pardon me for not having a groovy impression of the specie. When I meet a loup-garou who does n't act like the monster they are inside maybe I 'll think differently. Until then I think my hatred is justified. '' Harry representative was stony and sharp, and more than a little scary.

'' I 'm sorry Harry. '' Tonks repeated. `` They 're not all bad, I wish I could cook you see that. You just ... I guess I ca n't. You seem to birth been forced to see the worst of everything. ``

'' Occupational chance. '' Harry smiled sadly, then shook it off and grinned. `` Sorry, we seem to bear gotten sidetracked into a graphic symbol moment. What was the original question ? ``

'' Remus ... or Professor Lupin. Before you came here he was ... different. ``

'' I 've heard. ``

'' He was really singular. ``

'' I 'll believe it when I see it. ``

'' He had passel of these stories about what he did when he was Pres Young. ``

'' Chase milkmen ? ``

'' No Harry. '' Tonks tried not to react. `` Did you know he knew your Fatherhood ? ``

'' I was aware. '' Harry sighed heavily. `` Sorry Tonks, I do n't think I can serve you much. He 's always been like this around me. The others tell me he was unlike around me. Ginny 's in a different year and according to her he was a great teacher to them. It 's just around me Tonks. It 's just me. ``

'' But why ? ``

'' I dunno ! '' Harry threw up his hand. `` Ask him ! ``

'' He ... he wo n't tell me. '' Tonks looked at the level. When she had asked him he had just turned and left the elbow room in the middle of her question. He had n't spoken to her for days. `` I thought you might acknowledge, or at to the lowest degree have a guess. ``

'' Best I can come up with is I remind him too much of what he lost. '' Harry shrugged. Tonks considered this. Harry 's guesswork was probably Charles Frederick Worth an essay from anyone else, the kid could read people scarily well. Harry continued, `` I mean I get the impression he did n't babble to much of anyone after my parents died. He may blame me amount to cerebrate of it. You know ... for their deaths. ``

'' That does n't vocalise like lupin. ``

'' Not the Lupin you know. '' Harry shrugged. `` If nix else I 'll be gone in another week. He should be back to normal after that. You should take in your big fluffy, funny lupine back. ``

'' I guess so. '' Tonks stood. `` Thanks Harry. ``

'' Stay safe Tonks. '' Harry flicked his book back open.

'' You too Harry. ``
*


The piranha did n't take the power train to Hogwarts that year. They were flued into Hogsmeade under an rescript guard duty. As they walked up the recollective road to the castle Ginny fell back to where Harry was walking.

'' Why are n't you angry ? ``

'' Why would I be angry Ginsters ? '' Harry smiled a fiddling smugly.

'' We 're going back to Hogwarts, under Dumbledore 's ovolo. '' Ginny shrugged. `` I dunno I just sorting of expected you to try and scarper or something. ``

'' Do n't encourage him. '' Malfoy murmured dryly from behind her.

'' I 'm not running off. '' Harry said with a sparkle in his eye. `` I 'm right where I want to be. ``

When they walked in the feast had already started. The predator were forced to find a clear surgical incision of tabular array with the all mansion murmuring and pointing.

'' Is it me or are the mesa a bit emptier than common ? '' George II said, scanning over the hall.

'' Lots of parents decided to restrain their kid home this yr. '' Anapurna said sadly. `` Our parents almost did but well ... ''

'' We convinced them Hogwarts was secure than home base. '' Her baby ended for her.

'' Wonder who the new defense teacher is ? '' Ron gestured with a chicken leg at the empty place on the instructor 's table. Ron looked down the table. `` Oy ! Dean ! Did they announce anything about the new teacher ? ``

'' goose egg ! '' Came the abuse response. The vulture collectively shrugged, except for Harry who just smiled faintly.

He knows. Ginny realized but stopped herself from asking. Harry would n't separate and they 'd have intercourse soon enough.

'' educatee ! '' Dumbledore stood. The hall quieted down. `` I have a few announcement to make. Firstly, as you may let realized, some of your class fellow have decided not to join us. This is of course of action their choice, or that of their parents, and I hope that you treat then no differently if they decide to rejoin us. Secondly as you know, if you do not live on the moonlight, the dark lord has returned. I wish to puddle both that and this adjacent fact perfectly clear. He can not injure you here. Behind the walls of Hogwarts you are safe. Thirdly, and most happily, we have a new defense teacher. One that, I am for sure you will all enjoy learning from. So I would invite you to link up me in saying receive, or more correctly welcome back, to Professor M- ''

'' Yes ! Your supplicant have been answered ! '' The huge room access to the great hall boomed unresolved. `` I am, thanks to massive public demand, BACK ! ``

'' It 's him ! ``

'' Ca n't be ... ''

'' Yes ! ``

'' Yes ! ``

'' Horray ! ``

'' Yes, yes thank you ! '' The muscled figure lapped up the praise, grinning from one side of his face to the other. He was the same as ever, maybe his pilus was a little shorter, his tan a lilliputian deeper, his subdivision more pock, his branch clad in denim instead of leather and his fedora replaced with a folded handkerchief. But it was him, unmistakable and in the flesh.

'' I 'm back in the country ! cover in action mechanism ! book binding in print ! The one, the exclusively MARKUS TRIPPLE M Albert Abraham Michelson ! '' The blond colossus punched the air and the hall jumped to their foot in cheers. `` But please ... call me Maximus. No no wait ... call me prof Maximus. ``
*


Harry dropped out of his window that night after everyone had eventually gone to sleep and made his way down to the rooftops. Finding Albert Abraham Michelson 's federal agency was easy, the ignitor was still guttering from the crack under the door. Harry knocked calmly, a second later the door opened.

'' Was wondering if I 'd see you tonight Pipsqueak. ``

'' Well I had to greet the new professor. '' Harry stepped into the situation, it was already all set out. It looked almost exactly the like as it had three eld ago, with one or two accession. Harry leant to look at a shifting wizard pictorial matter. It showed a huge crowd of mass, all but one of them looking African, standing in rowing like a school exposure. Sticking out like a sore ovolo was Markus Michelson in the third gear row, grinning and jerking his thumb at the thing behind them. Even lying on it 's side it towered over even Markus, spotted and studded with fizgig and burn scar it looked like a ...

'' You did it ! '' Harry turned grinning to his teacher. `` Nundu hunt ! ``

'' Took it down with only eighty six people. '' Albert Abraham Michelson nodded smugly. `` New man book. I got the fundament. ``

'' Nice. '' Harry grinned. `` Have you been in Africa the completely time ? ``

'' Nah, '' Markus snorted. `` I was in Kingdom of Norway when your owl reached me. Relatively close-fitting. ``

'' And you came back. '' Harry grew life-threatening. `` Thank you. I know I asked a lot. ``

'' You saved my animation once. '' Markus clapped Harry on the articulatio humeri, severely buffeting him. `` sidekick at arms remember. And besides, I like Hogwarts. ``

'' Did you tell Dumbledore why you were asking for your job back ? ``

'' Did n't hail up. '' Markus grinned slyly. `` I get the impression he 'd rather I did n't teach you ? ``

'' No. '' Harry rolled his eyes. `` He wants to get over me up in ripple wrapper. Want 's to keep me safe and out of risk. ``

'' Big men like us pull danger. '' Markus said definitely. `` Only way to be condom is to do it how to look after yourself, and you 're hardly a child. Not after what you 've been through. ``

'' My opinion exactly. ``

'' Well in that railroad train of thought. '' Markus drew his long verge. `` When do you desire to start ? How 's now ? ``

'' Now ? '' Harry flicked his verge out of his sleeve. `` Now 's in force. ``



If you do n't get out a recapitulation YOU WILL DIE ! Really .... you will ... eventually ...


I do n't own Harry Potter. No one owns Harry Potter ! He does not birth a turn ! He is a gratis man !



"Mr Potter."

"Professor Dumbledore."Harry looked up from the breakfast table."Hi, how are you ? Would you like a pop cyprian ?"

"No Mr ceramist, I would not."

"Are you sure ? There ‘ s hemangioma simplex, burnt umber, cherry-"

"Mr Potter where were you last night ?"

"I assume in bed."Harry replied calmly.

"Have you forgotten Harry ?"Dumbledore's voice was flat tire and a feeling threatening."I have ways of telling where you are in Hogwarts. You were not in Hogwarts for much of last Nox, you were only in your bed from around one in the morning."

red cent it. Harry tried not to scratch the bracer on his wrist. He had been so hoping the evil eye could protect him from Dumbledore's map.

"Your map must be faulty."Harry grinned.

"My map is not incorrect !"Dumbledore snapped."Tell me how you left Hogwarts !"

"I didn ‘ t leave."

"Do not lie to me Harry potter !"The whole school was watching now in rapt attention.

"Getting a little angry prof ?"Harry asked."Maybe your map ... no, maybe your knowledge isn ‘ t as complete as you think."

"I dislike being kept in the dark."

"Then prepare to suffer."Harry said darkly."I ‘ ve been kept dark for years by you. It ‘ s meter you reaped what you arrogantly and unthinkingly sowed. Prepare to be in the nighttime professor. I hope you brought lanterns."With that Harry stood and walked from the hallway, with every eye following.
*


"Harry ? Harry ! Ha ... oh he is here."Parvati pointed into the disused attic the piranha had used the previous yr. Ginny looked in and saw him calmly chalking something on the floor. The vulture wandered in slowly, with Malfoy finale behind.

"Hi guys."Harry got to his feet and threw a art object of chalk he had been using away."Just getting this place cook, we can use it to train after lessons."

"Harry where were you last Nox ?"Hermione asked the question none of them wanted to voice.

"What you guys too ?"Harry laughed and summoned a mug of coffee off a pile of Koran."Relax, I didn ‘ t leave Hogwarts. I was just training in a property the map can ‘ t see, that ‘ s all."

"Where ?"Ginny asked at the same time as Malfoy said,

"The room of prerequisite ?"

"The what of what ?"Harry shook his head."Nah, just ... somewhere. Anyway look at this."Harry pointed down at the floor. On it there were a number of rectangles, some long, some unawares, some thin. It looked sort of familiar.

"It ‘ s the bookcases."Harry said proudly."In the way beneath us."

"Wh ... why ?"Ron asked.

"Don ‘ t ya see ?"Harry grinned."It ‘ s Dumbledore ‘ s map. It ‘ s 2D you see, chick eye vista, he can ‘ t say what floor we ‘ re on. So long as we don ‘ t cross the bookcases he ‘ ll think we ‘ re just in the subroutine library. So long as we ‘ re in curfew we can develop in here without him knowing. Anyway, lets go to potions. Don ‘ t want Snape angry at us."

"Harry,"Padma stopped him with an outstretched hand."Did you have to be so ... adversarial ... with Dumbledore ?"

Harry paused for a moment before answering ...

"Yes."

... and walking on out of the attic. The marauder shared a long look and followed him.
*


Potions passed uneventfully. Harry split his time between the Good Book on his knees and the caldron in front of him meaning that his potion wasn't even near finished. but at least it didn't explode. spell was next and Harry didn't infliction paying attention there either, though in this caseful it was because he already knew how to kick in object wings. He could yield them swan flank if he wanted, or heavyweight black leathery ones. When the lesson was over Harry didn't even bother to speak, he just gathered his material and rushed back to the loft. Ginny met them on the way.

"We ‘ re not going to lunch ?"Ron asked as they reached the musty room.

"No."

"But I ‘ m hungry !"

"outcry Dobby."Harry shed his gown and stepped into the center of the largest empty space."Malfoy, you first."

"If you ‘ re sure."Malfoy drew his wand."You injured your hand last time."

"Did I ?"Harry froze.

"Well you ‘ re not using it."

"It ‘ s fine, It ‘ s my left anyway."Harry shrugged and wiggled his finger's breadth as proof.."Must have fallen on it or something."

"If you ‘ re sure."Malfoy said dubiously."Well then ... Expelliarmus !"

"Ferio ! Stupefy !"Harry injection Malfoy's spell out of the air and threw his own a moment after. The blond boy shielded and Harry was forced to duck under his own sweetheart."Fulgar Fletch !"Harry flicked his wand and sent a swarm of sparkling blades flickering through the air towards the momentarily shocked Malfoy.

"Protego !"Draco shielded desperately but was forced backwards as the flencers hit it.

"Mobilisolum !"Harry jerked the floor towards him and saw Malfoy topple onto his back."Stupefy !"

"Volucers !"Malfoy's wand jabbed into the air and Harry the sweetheart was absorbed by a disastrous cloud. The cloud expanded and rushed towards the shocked Harry.

"Bloody hell !"Harry heard Fred outcry at the Sami metre as his Twin yelled,"Hornets !"

"Arg ! Ouch !"Harry felt stings on every slice of open figure. Burning all across his skin like a chemical fire. Another hotshot would give birth been overpowered by the bother, but Harry had felt far far speculative."subscribe this ! Tempesto !"

current of air sprung from the dead air and rushed over Harry, carrying the Hornets away in a furiously buzzing tornado.

"Eat it Blondie."Harry grinned and flicked his baton towards his antagonist. The Slytherin's triumphant smile suddenly turned to reverence and hurt as the swarm engulfed him.

"Fin-ow ! Fi- bloody things ! Finite Crabro !"The hornets disappeared and genus Draco was left dishevelled and snarling in the middle of the whirlwind. Harry let it storm for another 2nd before canceling it too. The two battler stared each other down for a few moments, both pockmarked with stings and sweating.

"Maybe you two should stop."Hermione suggested hesitantly from the sidelines."Before you hurt yourselves. More I mean."

"Maybe we should."Malfoy said, lowering his wand.

"I guess."Harry smiled, knowing this game. He kept a close grip on his wand. Wait for it ...

"Confringo !"

"Protego !"Harry's shell was up in pile of time to kibosh the curse."Ha ! Nice-"Harry's shield shattered and he was lifted off his feet as his chest exploded in painfulness. He was thrown backwards and rolled across the pitted and scarred floor. He jerked before he hit the slanted wall and managed to push himself to his animal foot. His sceptre was gone, rolled across the flooring away from him.

"Damn it ! Damn it ! Stupid bloody shield !"

"Are you injured Harry ?"Malfoy called out.

"I ‘ m fine."Harry pushed himself off the level."Bloody screen broke like a pastry shell ! Keeps doing that ..."

"It ‘ s the wand movement Harry."Hermione called out."If you look at the theory-"

"I ‘ ve read the hypothesis. I ‘ ve read the original paper. I ‘ ve read the whole book."Harry grabbed his scepter off the flooring."I don ‘ t get it. It ‘ s a charm, it ‘ s a basic bloody charm and I can ‘ t do it right."

"You can."Neville said encouragingly."It can stop introductory spells."

"fountainhead Voldemort won ‘ t use basic spells !"Harry punched the floor violently."He ‘ ll use nasty, evil, powerful spells."

"You ‘ re right."Malfoy said flatly."He ‘ ll be using the killing curse and it won ‘ t matter if you have the best shell in the creation. If you don ‘ t dodge you ‘ re dead."

"Simplification."Harry waved the commentary away."semen on, we ‘ ve got time for another affaire d'honneur before creatures. Unless we skip it ..."

"We can ‘ t."Hermione said automatically.

"Especially since we know Voldemort ‘ s boosting his army with dark creatures."Padma agreed.

"Fine fine."Harry shook his head."Ron and Hermione, affaire d'honneur me."

"Both of us ?"

"Like, at the same time ?"

"Yes."Harry shucked off his fret soaked tee shirt."Get on with it."

"But that ‘ s not fair."Ron pointed out.

"Neither ‘ s this."Harry blasted the floorboards by Ron's feet causing him to yap like a puppy."Draw your bloody wands."

In the end they were glad for the outdoor context of creatures, although they were the only ace not wearing coats. Harry eased his aching left hand in a slow circle, it was worth it. It would be worth it. Harry listened with half an ear to the lesson, it was about unicorns. The chances of Voldemort sending an ground forces on unicorns was low to laughable so Harry lidded his eyes and dozed.
*


As the lesson ended Parvati turned towards Harry to awaken him and found that someone had beaten her to it. somebody unexpected.

"Oh no."She whispered under her breath.

"What is ... oh."Her baby stood beside her."This isn ‘ t going to end well."

"It could."Annapurna said shakily."He could apologize."

"Have you met Harry ?"

Parvati's heart dropped and they watched deaf-and-dumb person as the figure tapped Harry on the shoulder.

"Hello Susan."Harry said calmly, then opened his eyes."Is the deterrent example over ?"

"Yes Harry, it is."Susan pearl folded her arms and seemed to be waiting.

"Great,"Harry stood and stretched."Thanks for waking me."Harry turned to leave.

“'Thanks for waking me ‘ ?"Susan said incredulously."That ‘ s it ? !"

"What do you require Susan ?"Harry asked flatly.

"You didn ‘ t write. The whole summer ! You didn ‘ t say goodbye before you left. You just ... disappeared."

"I was busy."Harry said sharply."I still am. Anything else ?"

"Wh ... what is this Harry ?"Susan swallowed."Am I still your girlfriend ? Are we arguing ? Are we breaking up or did you break up with me at the end of stopping point class and just leave to enjoin me ?"

"Susan ..."Harry glanced down, for the first meter in the conversation his stony mask slipped a beat. But when he looked back up it was harder than ever."I don ‘ t have time for a girlfriend now, and I won ‘ t for a long time. So yes, we ‘ re broken up."Harry turned and began to walk back up towards the castle.

Susan just stood there, her hands lightly clenching the material of her robe. Staring into space. As the twins watched she sobbed wetly and drew a bridge player across her center before running off towards the greenhouses, one arm shielding her face from any passers by.

"That was ... I mean that was ..."Anapurna began bet trailed off."What he did, it was just ..."

"Cruel. Harsh. common cold. Evil."Padma finished for her.

"Yeah, that."Parvati nodded."I ‘ m going after her."

"Good. You do that. I ‘ m going after Harry."
*


"I know what you ‘ re going to say."Harry said when Padma finally caught up to him in the hall.

"well you ‘ re going to bloody listen anyway-"

"No I ‘ m not."Harry interrupted, and disappeared. Padma saw the fantasm of a disenchantment motility off down a musical passage but lost it a moment later.

Harry wasn't in history of trick. No one expected him to be.
*


"Is this it now ?"Padma asked her sister as they got gear up for bed."scrap all day ? Let Harry spite us up, cut his new attitude and get ready for tomorrow so he can do it all over again ?"

"He ‘ s going through some stuff."Parvati sighed."He needs our supporter. He needs us."

"He has a curious way of showing it."

"He thinks this is what he has to do."Hermione voluntered."He thinks he has to be like this to beat Voldemort. This difficult, this cold."

"He ‘ s ill-timed !"Parvati insisted emotionally.

"That ‘ s the sad thing sister."Padma shook her head sadly."He may not be."
*


Snape was awakened in the eye of the night by glowing silver lighter. One of the welfare of being an occlumens was total mental control and Snape was awake in an heartbeat. As his middle flickered open he groaned inwardly, then thought in effect of it and groaned outwardly.

"What is it you old fool ?"Snape said angrily. The genus Phoenix patronus couldn't hear him and wouldn't report back so it was a perfect aim to vent at.

"seed to my office immediately Severus. It is about Harry."

Snape was already out the room access before the silver wench disappeared. He shucked his gown on as he hurried down the corridor. Wait, why was he walking ? Was Harry's condom less crucial than not looking stupid. Snape broke into a run. The phone of his flapping feet filled the corridor as he hammered towards the Headmaster's office.

"punch ice-cream."The gargoyle slid aside and Snape threw himself into the stairwell. The step began to rise up, painfully slowly. Snape gasped his breath back as he silently urged them to go faster. Eventually the schoolmaster's door came into view and Snape pushed it clear quickly and said,"Albus ! I ‘ m here."

"Severus welcome."The Headmaster was sitting calmly at his desk."record this if you would."

Snape blinked in discombobulation for a minute, then noticed the theme on Dumbledore's desk. He stepped tightlipped and saw that it was an early copy of the vaticinator. This was the emergency ? Perhaps he was missing something ?
MURDER AFOOT

Dannion LeSang was found utter in his home this morning. A window of his penthouse apartment had been shattered, possibly so that the sea wolf could gain ingress. Once inside poor Mr LeSang was beaten horribly, with a blunt tool, possibly a table leg. The aurors have cordoned off the area and refused to unloosen any detals but this newsperson has discovered that his hurt were not what killed him. Oh no he was poisoned ! Poisoned by a toxin that the ministry

HAS NEVER SEEN BEFORE !

Is there a psycho orca at loose ? The aurors gave no gossip, perhaps because they as yet, know nothing ! Why anyone would desire to kill Mr LeSang is unknown, perhaps an old competitor from his long and spot quidditch career ...


Snape dropped the theme in disgust.

"Is this your hand brake ? Is this what you dragged me from my bed for ?"

"Dannion LeSang was a known death eater."

"I am cognizant that Dannion LeSang was a death eater. Do you perhaps remember who informed you that Dannion LeSang was a death eater ? Who gave you the shocking news that the daring, smiling, star pursuer for the Wigtown roamer loved to torture muggles ? Do you ?"

"It was you."

"It was me."

"You do not opine his death is important ?"

"I do not think his death involved Harry."

"No order fellow member was involved."

"Albus there are mass other than the order who despise dying eaters."Snape felt like laughing, and did."People other than Harry as well. Perhaps-"Snape was cut off as the door to the office was flung open up again.

"Why did you lie with the countersign you arrogant fiddling toerag !"Filch dragged Harry in by the ear and pushed him onto the floor.

"Fairly obvious choice."Harry chuckled and pushed himself up from the level. He was fully clothed, at two o clock in the morning."I mean surely by now you ‘ ve used all the non-disgusting sweets."

"hello Harry. Thank you Mr Filch, you may go."Dumbledore gestured and the ancient stinking squib of a caretaker bowed out. As soon as he was gone Dumbledore handed the newspaper to Harry."What do you know of this ?"

Harry reached out slowly and took the newspaper, his eyes scanning from one side to the other. After a instant he looked up.

"I know nothing about this."Harry held out the newspaper."May I go now ?"

"You were not in history of magical yesterday."Dumbledore said pointedly."Did you leave the castle ?"

"I ‘ m never in history of magic."Harry barked a laugh."But no, I didn ‘ t leave the castle."

"You understand I have trouble trusting you Harry."Dumbledore said levelly."It is very easy to see you turning vigilante. That would be a mistake."

"We ‘ ve had this conversation before."Harry said abruptly."Didn ‘ t end well for you I recall. But come on, poison ? A toxin the ministry can ‘ t identify ? Honestly, do you opine that ‘ s me ? You ‘ ve seen my potions marks."

"I did not imagine you had the accomplishment to brew it Harry. But I know you have the resource to buy it."

"well I didn ‘ t."Harry threw the paper on the floor. `` Can I go ? ``

Dumbledore leant back, meeting Harry 's eyes with his own flinty stare. For a retentive moment the old wizard and the young stared each other down across the silent agency. Snape could almost feel the sparking legerdemain as the master tried to force Harry 's idea open up. After a here and now Harry snorted and said,

'' Whatever. '' Harry turned and pushed the door open. `` Wake me if you have any former unresolved execution you want to pin on a scapegoat. ``

The two teachers stood without speaking as they heard Harry 's footsteps echoing away from the stairwell. Even after they had faded to nothing it was a yearn metre before either of them spoke.

'' Do you think him Severus ? ``

'' Yes. ``

'' Why pray tell ? ``

'' Because I trust him. '' That was a lie, it was because Harry would n't take in broken a window.
*


'' Mr Potter. ``

Hmmm ...

'' Harry ceramist ! ``

Hmmm ... sleepy.

'' Harry Potter why is it always my class you choose to slumber in ? ``

Dumbledore 's fault. inculpation Dumbledore. Wanted to sleep ...

'' Alright fine Mr ceramicist. You have driven me to this. '' There was silence for a few present moment, then ... `` Sonorus. HARRY potter GET UP ! ``

Harry was buffeted by sound and slowly, blearily, rubbed his eyes. In front line of him was a broken vitrified pulpit. Harry reached forward and picked it up.

'' You broke my glass. '' Harry reached up to his face to make for certain his own drinking glass were n't broken then drew his wand and repaired the champaign drinking glass. He did n't even have it off what he was supposed to be turning it into, possibly some sort of squid.

Why a squid ?

We were dreaming about a squid.

That makes no sense.

Shut up.

I ca n't shut up I 'm part of your brain.

I 'll lobotomize you.

No you wo n't, go back to thinking about squid. Or time lag, maybe we should pay attention to McGonagall.

She is looking sort of angry.

'' I can turn it into a squid. I swear, just watch. '' Harry held the glass up sleepily and tapped it with his wand. `` Kalamaraki Krasi. ``

The glass split along its top, flipped upside down and scuttled along the desk blowing gassy bubbles out of a fleshy projection. Harry smiled,

'' See ! I did Ok. ''

'' Harry ... '' McGonagall was staring at the deoxyephedrine squid, which was currently hiding behind a chair leg. `` We were turning them into tulips. ``

'' Wha ... ? We were ? ``

'' How in the h ... How did you do that ? ``

'' I ... do n't make out. ``

'' Would you hazard a guess ? ``

'' Well ... '' Harry tried to gum together an account from his rickety knowledge of Greek. `` well Kalamaraki means squid ... and I think Krasi is some sort of veg ... ''

'' Harry ... ''

'' Yes ? ``

'' Go back to slumber. ``

Harry gave a rough double thumbs up as he sank back down to the table.
*


Harry slipped into bed that Nox confident in the cognition that he had got at least two minute sleep over the grade of the day. He dozed with an alarm clock under pillow until it sounded and prompted him to shuck his blankets off and leant out of the window. He looked over towards the Headmaster 's tower, the light was still on. Harry flicked a pair of opera glasses out of his bag and focused in on the faraway window. Dumbledore was staring into a pensive, the silver gray brightness playing on his lined typeface. He looked outwear, very tired.

But at to the lowest degree he was n't looking at the map.

Harry slid out onto the wall and confidently let himself shine. The hint whistled thrillingly in his ears as the tile rose up to meet him. A second before he hit Harry felt a rough tugging around his dresser and his final drop cloth slowed to a crawling. His understructure touched footing and he flitted off across the tile. Harry reached the window that was his destination and flicked it open with his wand. He dropped through again, trusting his bought illusion, and landed lightly in forepart of a sink.

'' Sissasc. '' Harry hissed. The sink stayed exactly where it was. `` bugger, er ... Zissasc ? Sizzak ? Sizzasc ? Ci ... '' Harry broke off as the sink began moving.

'' Damn ! Silencio. '' Harry caught it before it made too much disturbance and watched as the entree to the chamber of secrets was slowly revealed. Harry lowered himself into the tube and said, `` Cissycis. '' This clock time he got it first time and the incoming began closing up as Harry slid off down the chute.

Harry landed feet first, expecting to hit mucky water, and instead felt dry rock. This seat had been cleaned up a bit since last time he was here. Harry continued through the cave, passing the heavyweight snake-door. The chamber was dark, maybe Markus was n't here yet ... Damn it !

Harry plunge to the side as the stunner flashed through the air. He threw a bludgeoning hex towards where it had come from but heard nothing. A moment later Michelson appeared, totally unruffled, out of the shadows.

'' Nicely done Pipsqueak. '' The prof clapped his huge hand. `` But you should have aimed More, that hex did n't have a chance of hitting me. ``

'' I could n't see you. '' Harry pointed out.

'' You saw my spell. '' Markus folded his arms. `` You saw where it was coming from. You also know the layout of this room and could use that cunning learning ability of yours to guess where I was hiding. ``

'' There was n't much sentence. ``

'' shuffling metre by moving faster. '' A. A. Michelson drew his wand and squared up in the middle of the room. `` cum on lad, time to duel. ``

'' affaire d'honneur ? Seriously ? '' Harry shed his robe. `` I thought you were gon na teach me some more useful spells first. Right now I wo n't conclusion ten second in a duel with you. ``

'' Well who would ? '' Michelson laughed, then grew serious again. `` You know enough spells to get started, we 'll fill in the lacuna on the way. Anyhow I 've seen that you know spells. I want to see whether you know how to use them. ``

'' Any convention ? '' Harry asked, knowing the answer.

'' Yes, win. ``

'' That could be troublesome to apply to both of us. ``

'' Not for me. Ewwyiky ! ``

Harry had no musical theme what the perdition that was so plunk for back, rolling and coming up with his wand trained on his teacher. Somewhere behind Harry there was a trashy squelching sound but Harry was already fighting back.

'' Ferio ! '' Harry threw, not expecting it to go through. Instead it was just a distraction for, `` Cronos fizgig ! ``

"Protego."Markus wasn't fooled. Harry watched, awed, as Michelson angled his buckler to meditate the bludgeoning hex right into the path of the frosty dash following it, reducing them both to a shower of noisy sparks."You ‘ ll have to do full than that !"The massive man called out calmly. Harry answered with violence.

"Incendio ! Reducto !"Harry aimed the 1st at Markus and the second at the ceiling far above him."Stupefy !"Harry blasted the spell into Makrus'face and didn't wait to see if it hit. Instead he aimed at a chunk of falling ceiling."Confringo !"And flung himself away as it detonated like a thunderbolt. He rolled on the floor and came to his feet in time to fling the starting time three spells he could think off at the shape in the pith of the expanding swarm of dust and fire.

The only warning Harry got was a flare of red before the piece flashed from the cloud and hit him in the tummy, throwing him to the floor.

"bettor even than that."Albert Michelson stepped out of the dust, not a whisker out of place."That was good though, imaginative. Good trick with the rock'n'roll, might have caught a lesser hotshot. Again."

Harry forced himself to his metrical unit and raised his wand. This metre he lasted just a few second base before a mantrap blasted through his hastily raised shield and knocked his Inner Light out. Familiar unconscious mind inkiness held him in it's comforting embracing for a few here and now before Markus brought him back.

"That was not as good."

"I know, I know."Harry shook his caput."Bloody shield. I can ‘ t do it, it ‘ s useless."

"Don ‘ t use it then."Markus shrugged, as if they were discussing the weather.

"Don ‘ t cuticle ?"Harry laughed humorlessly."Just let hooey hit me ?"

"spirit kid, you first learnt this spell three days ago."Markus explained."You ‘ ve had to use it hatful of times since then. You ‘ ve practiced. You ‘ ve practiced a lot and it hasn ‘ t got any better. It ‘ s fair to assume you and the shield spell just don ‘ t go well together. It happens."

"To you ?"

"No. But to early people."

"So that ‘ s it ?"Harry sighed."No way around it ?"

"Yes. Use early things."Markus turned and walked back to his starting mug."You know plenty of other mode to stop spells. Play to your strengths and use your exceeding imagination."

"Use your imagination."Harry rolled his oculus and wearily stood."mighty ... Incendio !"

Harry lasted almost a moment of furious shunning and franticly blowing spells out of the air before he was disarmed and slapped himself severely. He had to be better.

"Again."

... Harry was clipped by a swearing and went down ...

"Again."

... Mown down by a bar of Fe that came from nowhere ...

"Again."

... Floored with a lick ...

"Again !"

... paralysed ...

"Again !"

... stunned ...

"AGAIN !"

... shocked ...

"AGAIN !"

"This is hopeless."Harry didn't botheration to get up from the floor."I ‘ m not getting any better. We should just look it, I can ‘ t duel."

"Not with that attitude."

"I ‘ m sorry I brought you here."

"I ‘ m not."Markus folded his arms."At least I wasn ‘ t until now."

"I thought I could get better."

"I think you can get better."

"Whole world should just give up."Harry held his head in his hands."I can ‘ t pulsation him."

"Who ? Voldemort ?"Markus Michelson threw up his paw."wellspring no ! I don ‘ t think I could beat out him. I don ‘ t think Dumbledore could tick him. He ‘ s one of the most knock-down living wizards and has access code to powers decent multitude don ‘ t touch. But if what you ‘ ve told me is confessedly then you ‘ ve got ... what was it ?"

“'A ability he knows not ‘"Harry quoted sarcastically.

"Right. But it doesn ‘ t matter."Markus walked around so he was standing in figurehead of Harry."I ‘ d bet money on you even if there wasn ‘ t a prophecy."

"Why ?"

"I ‘ d get good odds."Markus smiled and winked. Harry didn't laugh."But seriously, you can learn to duel. You already know enough to overreach any regular wizard handwriting down."

"Voldemort isn ‘ t a veritable wi-"

"I know !"Markus interrupted him angrily."Which is why you need to learn to duel like a lord. Which is why you called me. Which is why you should mind to me ! Now ... you need to play to your persuasiveness. Tell me what you ‘ re beneficial at."

"Oh come on."Harry snorted."Don ‘ t leave me this psyco-crap."

"What. Are. You. Good. At ?"A. A. Michelson punctuated each news by poking Harry's sitting form.

"I ... I don ‘ t know."

"Yes you do !"

"I don ‘ t."Harry shook his head."I guess I ‘ m not really good at anything useful."

"Oh for Merlin ‘ s interest ! Who are you ?"Markus leant down, his angrily pointing finger barely an inch from Harry's face."Where ‘ s the Harry I met three years ago ? I don ‘ t see him. Where the infernal region has he gone ? Where ‘ s the kid who walked this school like he owned the place and obeyed teachers on sufferance ? Where is that self-important whoreson because he ‘ s the one who can beat Voldemort ! Not the whiney holy terror he apparently became ! well I need him here now ! WHAT ARE YOU trade good AT !"

"I ... good luck charm ?"Harry said, staring up at Michelson.

"Right."Michelson nodded."You ‘ re honorable at charms. You ‘ re excellent at spell. You ‘ re a bloody savant at appealingness. If I heard the rumour in the faculty room rightfulness you built a professional person quality broom at XIII long time old. Out flew a Firebolt."

"That was mostly Ginny doing the flying."Harry shook his head again."And anyway I don't see how that'll help me in a duel."

"Harry you ..."Markus Michelson held his helping hand to his head word and breathed out a foresighted, banal breath."Let me try this a different way. You ‘ ve seen a lot of affaire d'honneur right ?"

"Yeah."

"You ‘ ve seen a lot of people duel."

"Yeah."

"Seen differences ?"

"What do you ... ?"Harry bit his lip. He didn ‘ t want to get yelled at again."Yeah, there are differences."

"What differences ? Specifically ?"

"Well ... It's like ... you kind of have .... This is hard. Can I explain it how I see in in my own school principal ?"

"Of course."

"You have kind of three types."Harry gestured vaguely."There are the stock duelers, they throw stunners and hex, lots of shield charms too, and they seem to mostly come out of the Hogwarts Defense classes. Not that that makes them bad. Some are really good, but they all seem to use this one fashion. This one set of spells."

"Hmm ... and the next type ?"

"dying eater. They aren ‘ t all even very ripe at fighting. But they use curses. Unforgivables and clobber. And that makes up for the lack of skill."

"And the last type ?"

"The masters."Harry shook his head."I watched some duels on TV while I was traveling. Thought I could pick up some tips. Most of the duelists were group-ones, but some of them ... the best ones ... they ‘ re not even in the same conference. They move like they ‘ re arm. They don ‘ t chuck stunners around, most of the time I couldn ‘ t even distinguish the spells they were using. It wasn ‘ t dueling like I ‘ d ever seen. Except maybe when I saw you fight Tom Riddle, right here. That ‘ s the difference I guess. That ‘ s the deviation between duelists."

"Harry, you are absolutely right."Michelson was smiling broadly."What you just said is exactly right."

"Um ... so ? I ‘ m still not seeing how that ‘ s connected to anything."

"You ‘ ve grasped one of the central conception of dueling. One of the affair that make masses group threes. The encyclopedism breaking ball is huge, there ‘ s a head when you just become beyond everyone else. When you stop dueling with dueling spells and set out dueling with everything. Do you know what the other difference is ?"

"No."

"It's that we all have tricks."A. A. Michelson winked."All the group threes. Some whoremonger that makes us better, something that separates us from each other and from the I and twos."

"A ... trick ?"

"look at Dumbledore, he uses transfiguration. By the end of a fight with Dumbledore you ‘ re not just fighting him, you ‘ re fighting the rampart, doors, ceiling and floor. Plus anything else he can sprain into a moving, thinking weapon system against you. Voldemort ? Well he uses dark magic, plain and simple. You ‘ ve already realized that that gives a person power beyond your skill. And he already has plenty of skill. Me ? I use foreign charm, spells my enemies have never heard of. The last Word of a surprise number of my opponent was ‘ What the hell is that ?'”

Harry chuckled, but Markus wasn't finished.

"Dee Finsbury, the current domain mavin duelist is also a champion illusionist. Your own Professor Flitwick dueled for England, you think he threw around stunners ? And you ? Well you can do charms. right ?"

"Yeah."Harry nodded."Yes."

"Say it."

"Yes I can do charms."

"Good. Then use them."Markus turned to go back to his mark."And get up off the floor."

I'm on the floor ? Harry looked around. Oh yeah, he was. Harry pushed himself to his substructure with renewed vigour. He gripped his wand and turned towards his teacher. Use charms ? Well he would give it a shooting. What should he use ? Albert Abraham Michelson appeared to be just waiting to see what he would do. wellspring, he'd have to do something ...

"Engorgio !"Harry aimed, not at Markus, but at the flag and saw his teacher stumble as the rock puffed up like a muffin."Reducto !"Harry blew the stone to smithereens.

Markus righted himself easily and flicked his sceptre. Harry blanched as a gigantic human dynamo was sent rocketing towards him. Harry swallowed, clip for risks.

"Ardor-Algidus !"Harry yelled and stood his ground as the hellhole passed over him. He caught a glimpse of Markus'shocked face as he emerged unscathed on the other slope before he aimed and fired."Confringo ! Ferio ! Stubefy !"The surprise plan of attack forced the instructor onto the defensive attitude, shielding desperately. A mo later he brought up a shining silver sphere. Harry's enchantment bounded off like pins off a frying pan, sending reverberation all over the immense chamber. Albert Michelson looked out appreciatively from the prophylactic of the sphere.

"What was that Pipsqueak ?"

"Flame freezing charm."Harry smiled proudly."Nullified your fireball."

"Nicely done."Albert Michelson nodded."Try ... this !"

"sodomist !"Harry dived for cover song as the shadow erupted with movement. Giant leatherlike movement. Harry dashed behind a pillar as the bats flung themselves through the air towards him. They were Brobdingnagian, wings at least a metre panoptic, with huge fangs."Incendio !"Harry waved a fiery swath through the chiropteran but more just materialized to replace them.

"Jupitall !"

Harry dived out of the way as a spinning orb of plasma burnt through the air where he'd been. Michelson wasn't going wanton on him just because he was busy with the bats. He couldn't dodge forever, if he didn't clear the air he was dead.

"Depulso !"Harry yelled desperately, but the bat 's were too secure and Harry had to throw himself against the bulwark to avoid another thrown spell from his opponent. He needed a magical spell ... what charm ? Wait ! Bats were like, variety of goliath hornets ... really."Tempesto !"

Harry called a wall of twist and threw it against the leathery puppet, swatting them out of the sky and crashing them into the far wall of the chamber. Michelson didn't give him any rest period though and responded with a punishing waterfall that appeared out of nowhere above Harry. Harry felt a stab of old affright, but the fear only made him think faster.

"Arefacio !"The drought magical spell banished the waterfall before it even touched him."Accio !"A. A. Michelson was forced to lend his silver shield back up as a century bat corpses funneled yesteryear him.

"Depulso !"Harry flicked his scepter, spinning the testicle of bodies back away from him and bowled it back to break against the Professors shield sphere. Harry wasn't going to let up now."Diffindo !"The spell scratched against the carapace to no effect, screeching like a violin."Reducto !"Michelson wasn't even knocked backwards as shield once again absorbed the enchantment with a brassy preeminence. Harry gripped his wand angrily, nothing he had could give away this sodding silver shield.

Wait ... maybe he didn't have to !

"Motus !"Harry aimed squarely at the center of the silver ball and twisted. It vibrated like a bell and filled the sleeping accommodation with ringing. Harry twisted further and the speech sound intensified. Inside his babble Albert Abraham Michelson clutched his auricle. Harry found the reverberance and twisted harder, the phone outside the shield was deafening, inside it must have been excruciating. Markus threw his arm out violently and Harry had to fling himself sideways as the screaming shield cannonballed past tense him."Ferio !"Harry threw a hex at the staggering Michelson that he just caught with a buffet. Harry kept up the onslaught in a rush of glee ! He was winning !

"KhaNDana !"

The dash came from nowhere. Slicing out of the nighttime too fast for him to react. Harry was thrown to the ground, galvanizing twinkle raging down every arteria and turning him into a screaming barrage of botheration. Harry felt his wand torn from his unresisting mitt and at last managed to blank is mind to the bother. He waited in the iniquity for it to recede. When he at final opened his eyes Michelson was staring down at him. The huge wizard put his sceptre to first one ear then the former, muttering something, then whipped away the blood that had ran from both of them with a sleeve.

"Good."He said, unusually loudly."Again."



Review now or you will struck blind and be let loose into a field full of giant empurple bear traps. Also wax of bears. The bears will be able to avoid the bear hole, you will not.


I do n't own Harry ceramist. Neither have I seen him recently. If you have any information as to his whereabouts delight phone. He is out in the cold without any food and we think his collar may have come off. He 's disgraceful and tweed with disastrous paws and he 's missing a little bit of his ear. He also answers to the gens of Scraps. He likes tuna.






Severus Snape landed lightly on the scrubland and looked about him. This would have been a monumentally abandon place if not for the removed lights of a muggle road in the valley far below. Snape walked over to the gathering of black cloaked figures standing near the edge of the cliff. Snape counted faces, Barty Crouch was still scatty. What was the labor that man had been set ? It disturbed Snape greatly that he did not know. It made him wonder if perhaps others of the obscure figures did, if perhaps he was missing something.

One anatomy was apart from the others, right at the edge. The soma stood with his vertebral column to them, his long gown streaming out to the side in the harsh night idle words. He seemed to be looking down at the road, and at the further lights of a town.

Like a falcon, Snape realized, or a waiting hawk. Sitting and surveying it 's predate before swooping down and clutching one up in its talons. The wand in the watcher 's bridge player twitched as if thought of raining flame and pain down on those beneath him. The twitch subsided. Thank god.

'' Severus. '' The dark lord turned at terminal from the cliff. `` You have come at last. I was forced to wait. I dislike waiting. ``

'' My apologies Almighty. '' Snape bowed deeply. `` I could not invoke suspiciousness about why I was going. I was forced to sacrifice upper for condom. I am sorry. ``

'' And where were you. '' Voldemort continued, his voice terrifyingly visible radiation. `` Were you at Hogwarts ? ``

'' No my Lord. '' The very fact that he asked the head meant he knew that Snape had left. Which was very, very bad. What lie could give ? `` There was an order meeting. ``

'' Was anything discussed ? Anything I should be made aware of ? ``

'' No my lord. They continue to guard the section of mystery story, Dumbledore still fears to move. Nothing has changed. ``

'' Well, '' The dark Maker smiled thinly. `` That at least is good news. ``

He does not sleep with where I was. Snape kept his cheek perfectly unemotional. He suspects ... he strongly suspects but he does not live. He values me, he values me as a spy in the order. That is why I am still awake, because on the of-chance that I have not betrayed him I am valuable. He will kill me. He will pour down me soon but until then I must stay on a spy. I am valuable.

"I notice Mr Crouch is still absent."Snape tried to voice uninterested."Perhaps he has been captured. We may have to rescue him. Again."

He expected a chortle from the dying eaters. None of them liked Crouch. Instead there was silence.

"Dear Barty is none of your concern."The darkness Jehovah replied, in the colloquial smell that was so much worse than anger."His chore is going well. Is yours Severus ?"

"Alas no master. I apologize."Snape hung his header."I am afraid there is simply no way to adapt polyjuice potion to reserve a human to get non-human."

"I dislike unsuccessful person Severus."

"Master if you asked me to jump off this drop and try to fly I would do so."Snape tried to sound contrite."But I doubt I would be successful. Some things are not possible."

"For you perhaps."The dark lord was smiling slyly."But no matter. You may cease your experimentation. The potion is not necessary any more."

"Yes master."Is it not necessary or do you just not trust me to brew it any more ?

'' On to the meeting, we began without you Severus. I hope you don ‘ t nous. '' The wickedness lord turned back towards the cliff and Snape had to separate out to get word him over the twist. `` We were discussing an assassination. ``

'' Who is the butt ? Perhaps I could brew a poison or some form of- ''

'' No. '' The dark Divine cut him off. `` Not poison. I intend her decease to be more lifelike than that. An good example. ``

'' She ? '' Swirling horror rose in Snape 's stomach.

'' A prominent shape in the section of whodunit. '' Voldemort half turned back towards Snape. `` A Miss Natalie Zhao. Do you know her ? ``

'' Yes. '' No god no. `` She is an parliamentary procedure extremity. ``

'' I know. You informed me of that yourself. ``

'' I did my lord. '' I begged her not to make me tell him. She said it would n't matter. Nothing connected them. `` If I may ask, why have you decided she must die. ``

'' She is the daughter of a squib, in a salient military position in the ministry. A travesty. ``

'' I agree my lord. But, why her ? '' Snape momentarily considered just attacking Voldemort, but it would do no good. He 'd die and Natalie would die anyway. `` There are many other masses equally worthy of Death. ``

'' Your lord has decided she should die is that not enough for you Severus ? '' The dark lord smiled from the profoundness of his soulless, piercing center. `` Does her death ... trouble you ? ``

'' Of course of instruction not my Maker. She is the child of bad blood, of course she must be killed. '' Snape bowed and stepped backward. `` I will ca-ca certain that Dumbledore and the other order members at Hogwarts are distracted. ``

'' That will not be necessary Severus. We have already cut all communication to Mrs Zhao 's hall. I have also deployed dementors to intercept any substance sent by patronus. No messages can reach her. From anyone. ``

'' Most prudent my Godhead. '' Snape nodded, furiously trying to churn his wit and feel some answer to the problem. He could not think, it was as if macabre tendrils and fibrous black vines were choking his usually unadulterated mental machinery. There must be some way to get a subject matter to her, there had to be !

'' Severus ? '' Voldemort questioned lightly. `` volition you be at Hogwarts this evening ? ``

'' Yes my lord. ``

'' All dark ? No errands to run ? '' The dark Jehovah 's lip quirked. `` No midnight strolls ? ``

'' No my master. ``

'' commodity. '' Voldemort 's eyes narrowed. `` Because I shall cognise Severus. I shall know. ``
*


Snape walked calmly along the long path to the great threshold of Hogwarts using all the strength of will he had not to go into a run. The watchers were no doubt already in situation, at the edge of the forest beyond the Mary Augusta Arnold Ward. As were the attackers probably, in his mind he could already see them apparating into the dark streets around Natalie 's flat. He ached to run but could n't. It was agony, caught in chains that did n't even exist. An anchor in his mind.

He reached the door and stepped through it. He pushed it closed calmly, then turned and ran.

He reached Dumbledore 's staircase and yelled the password. He sure as hell was n't waiting for the stairway this time.

'' Acellelero ! '' Snape clung to the exchange tower as the stairway rocketed upwards and came to a whine stay at the top. Snape threw the door overt, startling the Headmaster.

'' Severus ? What is the meaning of this- ''

'' I need the order ! '' Snape snapped. `` We need to mobilize now ! ``

'' Severus calm down. You will need to explicate. ``

Snape growled and choked out a curt explanation of what had happened. At the end Dumbledore dropped down into his rear and shook his head.

'' We can not, assist her. He has outmaneuvered us again I fear. ``

'' Not if we move now ! ``

'' To travel confirms his suspicions of you. And it would do no good. The people watching you no incertitude have Order to kill you if you try to leave. No message can reach her. Yes, yes he had truly outmanoeuvre us. ``

'' I can get Fawkes. '' Snape argued. `` I can impart without a trace. Warn her, then- ''

'' You can not contract Fawkes. The methods phoenix 's use to travel can be detected by those who know how. Voldemort knows how. ``

'' I can not just sit idly by while she is killed ! ``

'' Which is exactly what Voldemort expects. '' Dumbledore said angrily. `` Surely you see that this was directed at you ! Bait to pressure you to reveal your true fealty. It is a tryout, if you fail we lose our spy. If you pass however you will be his most trusted servant. ``

'' Passing means the death of Natalie ! ``

'' Not necessarily. '' Dumbledore was obviously trying to be soothing. `` She is an established fighter. She could break away or- ''

'' She will be outnumbered ten to one. ``

'' Think of how many people your entropy saved in the concluding war. Countless lives. ``

'' Some lives are worth Thomas More to me than others. ``

'' Well not to me. '' Dumbledore stood and stared down the potions master. `` The scoop you can do for her is to make sure you are seen here. Go and pick herbs from one of the outdoors plots, go and get some unicorn hair from Hagrid. Anything that lets them see you here. That is all you can do. If you try to leave they will kill you. Then they will kill her. You can do nix. ``

Snape scrunched up his centre. The old man was right.
*


Natalie Zhao turned the page idly on the report she was reading and yawned. There was too a good deal to do. She flicked it closed and clicked the lights out before rolling over and dropping the pamphlet onto her bedside table. Perhaps all the trouble would just magically have gone away when she got up tomorrow. It was improbable though.

Natalie burrowed deeper into her pillow and closed her eyes. The world was falling apart, not even dream could cater reprieve for long.

A floorboard creaking.

Natalie 's eyes flickered open in a import. Was it just her neighbor downstairs ? She reached for her scepter and silently checked her wards. She hissed as she realized they were in tatters and rolled off the bed. Her hand moved towards the unhorse electric switch then thought better of it, it might let them make out they had seen her. She slid towards her bedchamber doorway and looked out through the keyhole just as the door at the former end of the corridor was pushed open slowly. Revealing a garmented figure.

Natalie slid back silently. She tried to apparate away, not really expecting it to forge. No, they had a cellblock up. They would throw blocked the flue as well. The lone way she was getting out was through the front doorway, which meant through them.

They would check the rooms along the hall first, she perhaps had a minute.
*


metal drum lemon had never pretended to be an intelligent man, just a useful one. He was utilitarian say, when someone had n't paid their debts in sentence and action needed to be taken. He had been locked up for being utile in the unseasonable place at the wrong clip, set free eventually, become utile again and caught again. This clip for being so utilitarian towards a ministry hit-wizard that the man was no use to anyone anymore.

He had been locked up for dear. Until the dark Lord had given him a endorse chance. A luck to retort society again, to be useful again. He was only one-half blood but he had just enough brains to never mention that to anyone. When the iniquity God Almighty had explained what needed to be done to this bint he had stepped forward instantly. It was right hand up his alley, he might even realize the mark if he succeeded. Then he 'd really be set.

He touched the door whorl with his ovolo. Warded, what else ? He turned and pointed into the rabble behind him at a round-backed figure, then pointed back at the threshold. The man shuffled forward, he had been a damn good execration breaker until he was caught skimming a cut off the top. He was just golden the ministry caught him before the hob did.

Drum waited in muteness as the tiny man clicked and hummed in social movement of the door. A few minutes later the oath breaker pushed the threshold open. drum stepped into the insipid and looked around professionally. It was set out fairly regular. Kitchen that way ... empty. metal drum waved two guy cable towards the back elbow room and ignored it. This office was like a catalog, everything was in its place except for the account book and papers strewn across the coffee mesa. Well, that and the three aquariums near the back. Not full of water. Some form of reptilian. Some sort of incense in the air, some new age garbage.

Drum shrugged, not an publication. The bedroom would either be at the end of the mo door down on the left field. That was how these buildings were built. Drum stepped down the corridor and pushed the door on the left open. boxful. Down the anteroom then. He looked behind him, the other criminals were hanging back. Pathetic. The iniquity Divine had grabbed everyone who would stand up straight with no respect for experience. Not that he was criticizing, at to the lowest degree he would get wax credit for the kill.

Drum breathed in deeply. Smelled like vanilla, it was very strong. mortal had once told him that olfactory modality was the strongest trigger for store. He certainly remembered that muggle girl every time he smelled cut gage. Perhaps from now on vanilla would echo in his head, reminding him of Natalie Zhao. The charwoman who made him the favored assassinator of the saturnine lord.

He made his way towards the last doorway. He raised his sceptre, fumbled it and caught it again. He shook his straits. Had to stay sharpen. He reached the door and pushed it open. iniquity, he stepped up to the bed. He had n't used the killing hex before, but he had no doubt he could work it puzzle out. He raised his baton, aiming at the oaf in the covers. His verge was shaking, he grabbed it with both hands. What was wrongly with him ? Drum shook his head, the wand was still shaking.

Oh ... no, no, no ...

Drum stepped backwards and tripped over his own robes. He looked back towards the door. It was closed. Did he close it ?

'' You did n't shut down it. '' Drum looked up, his centre already drooping. The girlfriend was standing there, arms crossed.

'' Doped us. '' Drum mumbled through numb lips. `` Incense ... Vanilla ... ``

'' How many more of you are there ? '' The girl demanded.

Wo n't tell you you bitch.

'' Twenty ? ``

What !

'' Where are there ? ``

Ice cold bitch queen.

'' Five in the flat, five in the stairwell. The residuum outside. '' She almost seemed to be talking to herself. `` And dememtors flying everywhere. ``

'' You wo n't get out ? '' Drum managed to get out. `` We 've surrounded you. Your fumes may give got me ... the other five in here. Wo n't get the rest. You 'll never get out. '' The girlfriend raised her wand.

'' I can try. ``
*


Natalie stunned the swarthy wizard and pushed his body in battlefront of the doorway. How long before the others checked on him ?

The door handgrip rattled. That long.

Natalie put herself right in front of the door. If she was lucky ...

Confringo ! She said the magical spell silently and angled her verge sharply down. The door exploded outwards, the military group of the explosion channeled down the hallway. She saw three trunk flying away from her and dashed out after them.

"Cruci-"

Natalie whirled on the caster. No metre for spell, she found his centre, pushed in like a dagger and found the off electrical switch in his head. He folded like a creature with the strings cut. She heard a vociferation behind her and protegoed so harshly that the cycle edges of her shield forced the walls out like crumpling paper. She turned and saw the hooded man dodging his own spell and threw her own, striking him in the chest.

That was the single in the plane done.

She rushed to the door but it had been torn off its hinge. A dark figure reared from the stairwell. Natalie had her scepter up in a moment but before she could cast off the man grabbed his breast and fell to the level. Natalie crept close, blood on his chest. soul had hit him with a puncture curse.

She threw herself to the side of meat. They must have been shooting from the other construction outside. Aiming blind through the curtain. Aiming at her. Well that put climbing out the window out of the motion picture. She crouched and made her way towards the stairwell. She glanced between the slats and pulled her head back as a green flash obliterated the wooden banisters where she had been.

Time to bulge out surprising them.

Natalie aimed at out into the heart of the stairway. A flicker of her scepter and a ball of glowing Light Within appeared. Another moving picture and a gyrate spear of light shot down the stairs like a rogue firework. She twisted and the Ball dropped slowly, like a balloon, spitting exploding lance in every focal point and shrinking as it fell.

That should save them busy.

She dashed down the steps and took out another hood as he desperately tried to evade the multi-fire. Natalie had to jump off over a man lying prone on the second flooring, a victim of the firework. A spell shattered the tile near her shoulder and she threw up a shield against the next one. Where were they coming from ?

Damnit ! Two above her, one below. They must take hid in the side corridors. She aimed her wand up at the two firers and vanished the story under them. One of them dropped like a stone, the early was fast enough to grab the edge of the hole. But that just made him an easy target to get picked off. Natalie spun to take out the guy below her but he was already down. Blood on him, and pooling on the trading floor. Another victim of the cackshots outside.

There were still ten men outside. Natalie reached the ground floor and took a deeply breath. They would be spread out all around her edifice to lay off her escaping. What was her sound bet to exist ? The backbone entrance ? It led onto an alleyway, well-to-do for them to block or watch. The front was no question a deathtrap, she'd be hit from every side before she got two steps. There was a reason floor window out into the car park ... wizards tended to ignore cars. She didn't have one but surely some combination of spells could convince one to start. It was her best shot.

Natalie can down a incline corridor and found the window, she peered out. No one visible, but they could be hidden among the elevator car. She slid the window open and climbed out uncomfortably, breathing punishing. Strangely her paper pushing desk job didn't keep her in very good flesh. She fell down between two car and turned towards one of them. She was about to charm the lock when she felt a shadow crepuscule on her.

"Got you missy."Natalie froze. The vox was twisted and slick, like oil."round round so I can see your pretty face."

Bad idea. Natalie turned and looked up into the pockmarked face above her. Into his eyes ... He fell with a toilsome, rag-doll thump and Natalie grabbed his wand.

"Ere what was that ?"

Footsteps ! Natalie crept back to the paries and got between it and the car just before the footsteps stopped.

"She ‘ s ‘ ere ! She got Poxx !"

Natalie heard more running play feet and tried to slink away along the edge of the wall. She reached the corner, no where to go. If she tried to make for the exit they'd see her for sure. She pushed at the apparation ward again but it was no good. They had extended it beyond the edifice itself. How far would they have pulled it ? To cover the whole block would have been unacceptable. Could she just run for the edge ?

They were searching the lot. They were getting closer. Natalie looked up under the nearest car. At to the lowest degree five pairs of animal foot within easy quite a little. The entranceway was closemouthed, she might stool it. With a distraction.

She looked carefully out over the back of the car and aimed her scepter at a puritanical car at the other end of the lot. It didn't have to be a lot, just enough to get their attention. She said the magic spell silently. The car's alarm sounded like a claxon in the night air.

"What the bloody ‘ ell is that !"

Natalie stood and ran. They were looking the former way, she could make it. She blazed out of the car park and made for the end of the street, all the while pushing against the apparation barrier. A spell pin-wheeled over her fountainhead and she sprinted harder. It had to end soon. She heard shouting and running behind her. please let it end soon. A chunk of the road was blown away, throwing her to the floor. No ... She desperately threw herself against the ward as footsteps surrounded her. It wouldn't Don Budge, she knew it wouldn't.

"Now missy crook round of golf nice and slow."She rolled over and tried to meet the man standing in strawman of her's eyes."Nah, don ‘ t try any of that."He broke eye link and started openly staring at her chest.

"You ‘ ve led us lads a merry chase."He continued, and there was a rising chortle from the bunch of star surrounding her."Me and the lads worked hard. I recon we deserve a reward."

"I assume your lord will provide that."Natalie said, her eyes desperately flicking around for a way out.

"I was thinking you might."The front man sneered and the others drew in closer. Natalie could see the avaritia of years in prison flickering bright in their eyes."Actually I was thinking you ‘ re gon na. Seeing as you don ‘ t have a ch ... ch ... aa ... oh."The man raised his hand to his mouth, there was a trickle of descent coming out of the corner. His brow knitted in confusion as he fell to the floor. His fellows stared at him. After a silent moment one of them stepped forward and knelt down next to him. The man reached out and touched the fallen criminals back.

"It ‘ s profligate. He ‘ s drained. He- Aaa !"The neck of the kneeling man exploded, showering them with blood. The outlaw jumped back in shock. Natalie grabbed her wand and threw herself backwards, rolling as she hit the ground. She had stunned one of the thaumaturgist while they were still in shock and had turned her scepter on another when her mystery deliverer revealed himself. She had to give it to him, he knew how to make an entrance.

He dropped from the top of another building, his robe billowing behind him as he fell straight into the middle of the wizards. He landed on one of them and rolled, a dark shape in his paw coming up. Another criminal was thrown back and landed wetly on the floor. The warrior looked up at her but she couldn't enamour his side in the iniquity. He nodded to her. She nodded back, and they turned on the eternal rest of the bastards.

It was the strangest scrap Natalie had ever been involved in. Strange for it's silence. Whatever weapon the strange man was using it made no auditory sensation as it fired and she tended to cast non verbally. The outlaw yelled their spells but they were in such confusedness they were mostly throwing desperate stunners at each former. Other than those there was only the sound of footsteps, rapid-fire like a saltation, and the occasional atomiser of blood. A silent battle at midnight, underneath stuttering streetlamps. Natalie's breath was hot in her ears by the meter it was over. She turned to her Savior, he was dumping what was now obviously a silenciod pistol in his bag.

"Who are you ?"Natalie demanded."Did Dumbledore send out you ?"

"Most assuredly not."The physical body said cheerily and turned towards her."Miss Zhao, I do believe we ‘ ve already been introduced."

"Ha ... Harry ?"

"Yep."The Whitney Moore Young Jr. boy's center wandered south and he glanced away."Um you ‘ re going to let to make a change of wardrobe if you want to have any kind of intelligent conversation."

"Why ?"

"Well, long story short you ‘ re still wearing a nightgown and the ground you were just rolling around on is quite damp."

"Oh."Natalie felt the bloom rising in her buttock as she conjured a robe."better ?"

"Worse."Harry hung his head."Now I can ‘ t see anything."
*


cartage bodies up to her flavourless had been a surreal experience. She had healed the I that could be healed before stunning them into a coma. In the end they had two piles, sixteen awake and four dead. She did n't doubt that without wizard music the numeration would consume been a lot higher.

And here she was, sitting by her coffee table staring at lined up, stunned, malefactor who ten minutes ago had been trying to stamp out her, drinking tea with the boy-who-lived.

"Do you have any biscuits ?"

"What ?"

"I missed dinner."

"Oh ... yes. In that cupboard."Natalie pointed and the black robed boy grabbed them before coming back and sitting beside her on the couch. She looked over at him. He looked Old than when she had last-place seen him. much older."You saved my life."

"Don ‘ t worry about it."Harry shrugged."The biscuits to a greater extent than pull in up for it."

"You shot them."Natalie's thought's were still a piffling confused and she was trying to make full in the composition."With a gun."

"patch would take warned Voldemort I was there."Harry shrugged."By now I bet they have someone watching the underage magic detector. I tried to shoot their implements of war mostly."He added almost to himself.

Natalie decided not to gloss, instead she asked.

"How did you even know to come here ?"

"Oh, that."Harry turned to her."I happened to take in something while I was eavesdropping."

Natalie listened in seismic disturbance as Harry briefly explained a conversation that had apparently taken place between Severus and Dumbledore earlier that evening. Poor Severus, she could just see him now. Pacing his authority, unable to do anything. Hating himself even though it wasn't his break. He always did.

"How did you even get out of the castle ?"She asked.

"Easy, snuck into the forest."Harry shrugged."The multitude that got sent to watch out Snape were all, big surprise, watching Snape. substance I could slip by undetected. After that I dashed for the paries, climbed it easy, the ward doesn ‘ t keep in humans. Legged it to Hogsmeade and broke into a cottage to use the flue. I didn ‘ t want anyone to live I ‘ d gone through there, that was why I didn ‘ t use one of the pubs."

Natalie didn't speak as Harry finished his report. She looked over at the pile of criminals, then back at Harry. Her brain, unencumbered by vexation, was making the calculations that Snape hadn't been able to.

"Dumbledore was right."

"What ?"

"This was a test."Natalie nodded slowly."And Snape can still pass."

"Are you thinking ..."Harry glanced at the pile."Are you thinking of taking a page out of my Scripture ?"

"Yes Harry. I ‘ m going to die."Natalie smiled."The assassination will be a success. Too bad the aurors came and arrested everyone afterwards, but Snape still passes the test."

"Snape fling and you can hole up at chez Malfoy. One trouble, They ‘ ll commend the truth."Harry pointed out, jabbing a thumb towards the criminals."Voldemort ‘ ll feel a way to get it out of them. Even in custody."

"I ‘ ll call an old friend."Natalie stepped into her kitchen and picked the phone off the counter."Goldie will be able-bodied to help with that."

"Voldemort ‘ s unspoilt at Legillimancy."

"I know that Harry."Natalie pulled out her reference book and started flicking through."But my friend ‘ s soundly too. He ‘ s a ministry obliviator, the best."

"wait a minute ..."Harry's hilltop furrowed."You ‘ re phone is working ?"

"Of course."

"So why did I just kick downstairs out of shoal and go the duration of the country to economise you ?"Harry threw his hands up."Couldn ‘ t Snape have just called you ?"

"Harry Snape may be using a pen now, but he ‘ s still a wizard to his toes."Natalie smiled fondly."I checked."

"Eew !"Harry cringed back."Mental persona ! All wrong !"

"Revenge."Natalie grinned, then found the file card she was looking for and grew serious."Listen Harry you should go back. I can handle matter from here, and it ‘ ll be easier to explain to Goldie without you here."

"You sure ?"

"Yes,"Natalie nodded and Harry turned to allow."Harry !"She stopped him as he reached the door.

"Yeah ?"

"Thank you."

"Just doing my job."Harry shrugged."Apparently."

"And Happy Halloween."

"Allhallows Eve ?"Harry glanced over at the clock, seeing that it was after XII."Oh yeah, felicitous Halloween."
*


Harry didn't try to reenter Hogwarts that Night. Too much risk of being seen by one of the watchers. Instead he dozed on a bench and slipped back in around sunrise. He attended breakfast purely to procure coffee in tumid measure and managed to get through his first few lessons somehow. During lunch break he dragged his sleepy form down to the dungeons and found the aright office. He pushed the threshold open without knocking.

"What is the significance of thi ... Potter."Snape deflated, his fount going lenient."Natalie told me. I can not begin to thank you-"

"You ‘ re going to instruct me occlumency."Harry interrupted."And Legillimancy."There was a pause. Then,

"I suppose I am."

"And you ‘ re going to recite me everything you know about Barty Crouch."
*


As soon as Harry's foundation touched the floor he knew it was a dream. Before him the cottage at Godrics hollow rose above his head. Looking so ... normal. nothing to speak to it's momentous importance. It could have been any one of thousands of star sign, there were others that could be its twin dotted down the street. Nothing special, and yet it repelled him.

Harry felt his skin crawl. The house was ... wrong ... somehow. Harry turned and dashed down the street, passing trees and hedges. He dashed with no care and caught his metrical unit on a paving stone, sending him sprawling to the floor. As he got to his animal foot he felt gage under his metrical unit. He was back on the front lawn. The bungalow was decent in front of him.

He could hear the river in his pinna, raging in the aloofness. Harry scratched at his skin, it was all wrong. Harry felt nausea grow in the pit of his stomach. Oh wait ... that wasn't part of the dream.

Harry slammed his eyes out-of-doors and dropped out of bed, rushing for the bathroom.
*


'' Harry ? '' Ron knocked on the potty threshold. `` Harry are you ok ? ``

'' I 'm fine. '' Came the smother reply.

'' You do n't sound delicately. You sound- ''

'' I said I 'm ok. '' Harry jerked the door unfastened, the inkiness bags under his eyes even more visible than usual against his special K and sickly skin.

'' You do n't look hunky-dory. ``

'' Probably something I ate. '' Harry shook his head and pushed past Ron.

'' Harry everyone in Gryffindor eats the same material and no one else is- ''

"I SAID I ‘ M FINE !"Harry whirled on his Ron."I was sick. For some rationality. Some unknown and unimportant reason. I threw up. I feel better. We should go to breakfast."

"Breakfast is over."Ron shrugged."We let you sleep through it. The girls should be bringing some leftovers when we go to creatures."

"well then let ‘ s go to creatures. I ‘ m hungry."Harry threw his bag over his shoulder and made for the room access, his headway drooping.

Ron followed slowly. Harry was slowly getting worse, sick. Was it just lack of sleep doing this to Harry ? He hadn't looked this bad even when he'd been time jumping. This time he seemed physically ill. Ron shucked his bag up further on his backrest. They all needed a little more sleep, Harry had been pushing them hard.

More nap, and more than bruise-remover.
*


Ginny looked up as Harry pushed the doorway to the attic open.

"Charms finished early ?"Harry asked as the marauders trouped in behind him.

"I already knew the lesson."Ginny flicked her book closed."It was summoning charms."

"You can already summon an elephant."Harry dropped his bag on the board."omission the next few lessons."

"The remainder of us can ‘ t get away with skipping moral Harry."Hermione said from behind Harry."Some of us aren ‘ t the boy-who-lived. Some of us-"

"Some of us realize the pointlessness of being taught what we already know."Harry stepped into the middle of the attic."Alright, this time everyone except Draco. All of the marauders."

"Harry are you sure ?"Fred asked."You weren ‘ t feeling so hot this morning."

"I'm sure, I ‘ m amercement. Nothing a footling exercise won ‘ t cure."Harry shed his gown as the marauder drew into a circuit around him. Ginny could see Malfoy settling down to look on, like it was a crashing show.

"Ready."Padma called out.

"Don ‘ t ask me if I ‘ m ready. Never ask me if I ‘ m ready. Never warn me just bloody hit me."

"Stubefy !"Ginny threw out her wand but Harry was already moving, sliding under her shooter like a Hydra. His wand came up towards her. She shielded, Harry flicked to the side of meat and Neville went down in a wink of red light.

The Gemini jumped forward like mirrors of each other but a shinny ray of light clicked between them and slammed them together like conkers. Harry whirled like a terpsichorean and a humeral veil of smoke surrounded him. The piranha began firing into the cloud, heedful not to hit each other as the ravisher flew out the other side. The marauder slowed and eventually stopped.

"Do you reckon we got him ?"Ron asked shakily.

"Should have counted the stunners."Padma muttered."Did anyone see if one didn ‘ t come out ?"

Padma's question was answered as her wand was jerked out of her hand and flew into the lightlessness. An raiment of beauty followed it. All came back out.

"Screw this."Ginny waved her wand."Depulso smoke."The melanize cloud flew away and dissipated into the dusty air. Revealing nothing. The floor was empty.

"Where the Hades is-"Ginny felt a weight smasher her berm and a stabbing pain. As she collapsed she saw boot flash in strawman of her face and red light flashing all around. Her shoulder was like a electrocution knife.

"HOLD !"Someone yelled."I said hold !"

The flashing light source stopped and she felt unattackable mitt rolling her over carefully. Malfoy's grimace came into view, staring at her shoulder.

"It ‘ s dislocated."He said softly."I mean really dislocated, look at it."

Ginny looked over at her shoulder joint and had to look away, her eyes squeezed shut. Her arm was hanging like a spell of meat, hanging off her shoulder. The predator began crowding around. Ginny found Harry's eyes, he was unclear. As always. His eyes didn't emote, didn't give anything away. They just looked like ... eyes.

"Let me."Hermione pushed Draco aside and rolled up Ginny's arm. She shook her head."I can ‘ t fix this. We need to get you to ma'am Pomfrey."Hermione reached forward.

"No."Draco shook his head."Two piranha, one injured, leads back to Harry. I ‘ ll drive her. We can pass it off as an inter-house thing."Draco put his arm under her upright shoulder and lifted her gently, carrying her away.
*


"What the hell was that ? !"Padma whirled on Harry."You broke her shoulder."

"Yes."Harry idly woke Neville from his spell induced stupefaction."And if she was a death eater I ‘ d have broken his shoulder."

"Ginny ‘ s not a end eater !"Ron yelled angrily.

"Really ? You sure ? We could moderate her wrist."Harry rolled his eye."I don ‘ t know what your mother would be More angry about, the hate criminal offence or the tattoo !"

"This isn ‘ t funny Harry !"George I growled.

"No it ‘ s not !"Harry yelled."It ‘ s crashing serious ! Bloody, raging, burning SERIOUS ! I KNOW THAT ! Do you ? Do you hump that ?"

"You could make really hurt her."Parvati said softly.

"I have really hurt her."Harry said harshly."I ‘ ve had broken pearl. It hurts. It hurts a lot. It also hurts a lot less than what would happen if a death eater caught her."

"So it was for her own good was it ?"Ron raged."You were, what ? Helping her !"

"Yes ! I was !"Harry kicked a chairperson against the wall angrily."I ‘ m helping everyone ! Why doesn ‘ t everyone get that ! Why are the majority of the people I ‘ m trying to save doing their best to screw with me !"

The predator jumped back. The apparition in the dome made Harry's facial expression a freakish masque. He was shaking like a leaf, breathing hard.

"Why are people doing this."He shook his brain, his hands going to his temples."Even multitude who know what we have to do are trying to block up us. Even people who know. Why the hell would they do that ?"

"Harry ..."Hermione reached forward.

"It ‘ s fine."Harry straightened like a rod."I ‘ m mulct. We can fit another duel in before the end of lunch."

"You, you want to go right back into a fight ?"Hermione asked, her voice incredulous."No Harry. No, we ‘ re all wear upon. We can ‘ t."

"I can. You can. Get over here."Harry threw Padma's wand to her. It bounced off her stomach. She made no endeavour to overhear it.

"I ‘ m tired."Padma said flatly."I ‘ m going to lessons."

"Come on !"Harry clapped like some harebrained sports charabanc."We can do another round."

"I don ‘ t wan na do this with you Harry."Ron said angrily."This isn ‘ t fun anymore."

"THIS WAS NEVER FUN !"

"Harry what do you want !"Hermione yelled."We don ‘ t have to do what you say ! We don ‘ t have to obey club like you seem to conceive ! urinate up your mind Harry, are we your friends or are we your ... your US Army !"

"You giving me the choice."Harry stepped up right into Hermione's fount."You giving me that choice. I have a dark thaumaturgist after me that I ‘ m fated to fight down. I have the greatest, no bread that, the two greatest whiz in the reality hating me. One trying to shoot down me. One trying to keep me a prisoner. I have everything against me. So I choose a bloody US Army.'Cos I need a blooming U. S. Army. And if you can ‘ t be that then to hell with you."

Harry turned, and disappeared out the door.
*


The link of the marauders was gone. Without that, they were hollow.

They went to object lesson, walked, went to repast. But Harry was never with them. He still attended lectures to save the teacher off his back, but every other second seemed to be spent in that attic. Plus wherever he snuck out to at night.

Draco was with him sometimes, walking silently behind him along the corridor. visible bruising made it percipient that he hadn't stopped helping Harry. Ginny caught him alone one morning and confronted him.

"Why are you still helping Harry ?"She asked bluntly.

"Because he ‘ s my friend."Was the curt and dry response.

"He ‘ s killing himself with all this."Ginny pleaded, looking into Draco's optic. At least there was some emotion there, even if it mostly seemed to be regret."You realize that don ‘ t you ? You ‘ re not helping him survive. You ‘ re helping him self destruct."

"With anyone else I ‘ d agree with you."Dragon looked away."But here we know what ‘ s coming. You know. There ‘ s no way we can maintain him out of Voldemort ‘ s path. There's no keeping him dependable you understand, the prophecy ensures that. He will front Voldemort. He will fight down him. So a fiddling self destruction now is worth it if he survives that encounter. Wouldn't you say Ginerva ?"

"Don ‘ t turn this on me."Ginny shook her promontory."And don ‘ t try to make what you ‘ re doing any variety of noble. It ‘ s not."

"Of course I ‘ m stately. I ‘ m a Malfoy."Draco hung his head, then looked up to meet her eyes. regret was back, regret was definitely back."Look Ginerva I know everything you ‘ re saying is true. But I don ‘ t screw how else to help him. I don ‘ t how to help him at all. Do you ?"

"I ... no."

"Too bad."Dragon shook his pass."I guess all we can hope for is that he kills Voldemort before he kills himself."

And exterior Hogwarts the wizarding cosmos slowly fell to man. As Christmas crawled close and the dark grew longer there was no joy among the magical peoples. It just meant there were more dark hours for the death eater to hunt in. One night a sullen mark was raised right in the midriff of Manchester. The say-so passed it off as a hot air balloon. The ones in the commonwealth did n't hold to be explained away, the ministry just had to pick up after. When they even bothered to do that.

Contrary to popular notion the darkest hour is not before dawn. It 's in the middle of the bloody night.
*


Harry closed the prophet with a heavy suspiration and dropped it on the flat coat beside him. things were only getting worsened out there. The order was n't doing anything, big surprise there. Barty Crouch was still missing from death feeder coming together, apparently with Voldemort's wax support. The shadow tool ? No one knew a matter about them.

No one seemed to know anything.

Harry stretched his legs out and felt the ripples of the lake against his bare hide, sending back ripples of goosebumps to match. Not all to do with the cold. It was good though. He should make sure he could manage piddle if he had to. might have to fight in it one day.

'' A night country of affairs. ``

Harry tensed as the spokesperson came from behind him and spun, wand outstretched. There was a figure standing there, looking out over the water. He looked old, seventy maybe. Bald definitely, and not a tomentum in his little peachy mustache was anything early than white-hot. He looked like a retired instructor more than anything else, one of the old school ace. He even had the patched flannel jacket.

Oh god was that a pipe in his pocket ?

This guy was a walking cliché ? What was he going to do next ? Offer me tea ?

'' Would you like a smudge of tea ? ``

'' Oh come on. '' Harry chuckled and shook his head. `` ternary things : One, I do n't drink tea. I drink coffee bean, in prominent amount. Two : You do n't bear any tea. Three : Even if you had a flask I would n't be able to drink it. '' Harry reached out and waved his hand directly through the old human race leg. It passed through without even a tingle.

'' Very ripe Mr Potter. '' The old man sat down cross legged next to him. `` How could you narrate ? ``

'' There are certain signs. '' And I 'm certainly not telling him them. `` Who the hell are you ? ``

'' My public figure is James. '' Harry stiffened at those Bible. The old man laughed. `` No not that St. James. Honestly Mr ceramist there are more hoi polloi called James in this world than your father. ``

'' Probably not your real epithet anyway. '' Harry snorted.

'' I 've never seen a penury to hold in my first name. One of the benefit of having a nice traditional name like Saint James or John or Harry. '' James smiled and took a minuscule comfort on his pipe. `` Of class if you wish to make love my live name we shall have a problem. ``

'' I do n't grant a shite what your last gens is. '' Harry shrugged. `` How are you doing this ? Some sort of illusion ? ``

'' Astral Projection. '' Saint James said professionally. `` It 's really quite useful. ``

'' I 've read about it. '' Harry crossed his arms and stared calculatingly at the man next to him. `` It requires extended training and a forget me drug of at least three star. What you came to tell me is worth all that ? ``

'' Very good Mr Pott- ''

'' arrest saying that. '' Harry cut him off. `` Just utter your art object. ``

'' Very well. '' Jesse James reached into his cap. Harry instinctively flinched despite the fact that any weapon this man pulled would go straight through him. `` Do you bed a man named Conterrando baker ? ``

'' Is he from the ministry of sappy names ? ``

'' How droll. '' James pulled a while of paper from his jacket crown and held it out for Harry to see. Harry grabbed a piece of music of sheepskin out of his bag to jot down the address then took a little more clock time reading the rest of the profile.

'' Half parentage, respected extremity of the Wizengamot, respecter writer, married to a muggle, outspoken critic of the current minister. Two nipper at Hogwarts. His close book was a dearest floor, between a pure blood and a muggle. '' Harry laughed wryly. `` Jesus of Nazareth, did somebody just drive a big piece of play-doh and mould it into a target for the last eater ? ``

'' It is a small miracle he has not been attacked yet. ``

'' But you think he is being targeted now ? ``

'' I know he is. '' James tapped a engagement on the theme. `` Tomorrow night. ``

'' Oh come on. ``

'' He has been repeated warned but he refused to bear a protective detail. He says it would infringe on his secrecy. dopey And he will die for it. A honey family man is going to die if you do n't save him. ``

'' Bull. You save him. You obviously have resources. ``

'' I, or more accurately the group I represent. Do have the resources. '' St. James smiled. Harry did n't like that smile, it had weird deepness. James continued, `` Our organization also dislikes Voldemort. He is troublesome to our work. But unfortunately for Mr Baker, Voldemort is only an botheration to us therefore it is not worth enough to us to deliver him. We do not move in the same circuit as Voldemort you see, so he does not render us too much hassle. We would prefer if he were gone though. It would wee-wee things easier. ``

'' So help him. ``

'' We can not. '' James stood. `` But you can. Go help him Harry ceramist. If it turns out well, we may meet again. '' With that he disappeared into slenderize air.

'' Show off. '' Harry murmured.

Of path he realized it could be a hole. In fact it almost certainly was a ambush. Harry considered. Except that Conterrando Baker was a real somebody. The level, after a little checking of binding prophet issues, checked out. Harry even found the kids in Ginny 's class. Hufflepuffs, twins, nice in a kind of boring Hufflepuff form of way. Both fellow member of the gobstones cabaret. Both with significantly less ludicrous names than their father.

Good kids. sound father too ...

'' Bugger. '' Harry dropped the prophet on the table. `` I 'm going to hold to do something heroic verse are n't I. ``

Looks that way.

'' Do I experience to ? ``

Well ... no, you could let him die while you sit back and eat popcorn.

'' Do n't wish popcorn. ``

wellspring I guess that decides it then. Plus it would be rather a waste of all the training you 've been doing.

'' It could still be a snare you know. ``

I know that. Do n't you think I know that ? I 'm your brain you moron.

'' We 're a bit crazy are n't we ? ``

nutcase like a fox.

'' Like a fox. ``
*


So it came to fall that Harry slid down into the sleeping room of secrets that night wearing the most singularly un-heroic piece of clothing in history.

A duet of waders.

'' Bloody wintertime. '' Harry shivered as he crawled through the tiny crack in the wall through which he had entered the chamber all those long time ago. It was small than he remembered.

Harry dropped into the icy sewer and made his way quickly along the dour passageway. The pee was bitingly cold on his hands whenever they got splashed but the blockheaded waders kept his wooden leg pleasantly warm. Thank merlin for dragon-skin fishing supplies.

Of class this would be well-situated if Dumbledore had n't strengthened the Hogwarts wards to the point where not even insects could pass through. This was the sole way out.

Harry 's passing through the catacombs was unerring. Last time he 'd been here he 'd wandered aimlessly, lost. Little lost boy ... But he was n't the Saami person he 'd been then. Harry sighed and walked on through the darkness to his destination.
*


Harry flicked his catch up and walked quickly down the street. This was London, but not a part that he had ever frequented. Big family, big expensive houses. shoes that did n't contract kindly to vagrants. Probably still would n't contract kindly to him if he was found here.

House twenty six. Harry slowed to a stop a blockage away from the grandiloquent whiten building. In the middle of the terraced-row of equally improbable snowy construction. Expensive they might be, item-by-item they were not.

All the lights seemed to be off. Mr bread maker was probably asleep. No one outside, no one obvious anyway.

Hello ...

Up on the cap. Darkness made into flatness made into incubus. Someone was waiting up there, trying to delay invisible against the skyline.

Harry cursed then darted down an alley. effort in the social movement yard, it might stimulate been a discarded newsprint. Then again it might not.

Human shape ! secondly base, standing near the bed ! Harry 's work force found a waste pipe and he catapulted himself up. There were two more on the bed, cowering in fear. The standing figure raised his verge. Harry swung with all his forte and crashed through the window.

'' What the underworld ! ``

Harry tackled the decease eater to the floor and stunned him. He rushed to the room access and bolted it, pushing a professorship under the handle. The others would take heard the windowpane break.

'' Who are you ! '' A spokesperson bellowed from the bed. `` Are you with them ? ``

'' Do you recognise Dumbledore ? '' Harry asked quickly, looking over at the two in the bed.

'' Ye ... yes. Everyone knows- ''

'' Good go to him. Get out through the back. '' Harry pointed at the broken window. The door thumped violently and Harry turned back towards it. Three others. Not commodity. `` GO ! ``

'' What about you ? '' Mrs Baker asked as her husband hurried her towards the window.

'' Do n't worry about me. Just go ! '' Harry flicked a Barbara Ward onto the room access, strengthened it. But it would n't deem long. These were n't criminals, these were actual Death eaters. dueller group 2. bugger. Harry glanced back at the window to see Mr Baker just disappearing out of it. Well at least that was done. Harry turned back to the door and raised his wand.

The first real test. net ball see how I do.

I really hope one of them is crouch ... Harry grinned in red glee.
*


The family windows flashed from where he sat on the rooftops. Whoever that boy was he was fighting them. Fighting them everywhere. There were two people fleeing down the backstreet, visible in the crack between menage. They did n't matter.

His knarrled fingers clenched. It looked like the boy had beat him to these ones. He would n't be able to belt down tonight. Would n't be able to hurt them, make them pay. Make the early one, the snake one, the one who took everything pay.

He licked his lips. Another sentence, there would be former multiplication. He was patient. Patient was estimable, so long as it got there in the end.

The end ... the end ...

retribution. That was a good word.

The watcher hunkered down on the rooftops. Before him the struggle raged on and shout of pain filled the air.

He would wait, and if there were any stragglers ? Maybe he would have some fun after all.
*


'' fire up up ! ``

Urg ... Ron turned over on inherent aptitude to get away from the noise.

'' Get the Hell up Weasley ! ``

'' Ow ! '' Ron grabbed his position and spun, his eyes wide-eyed open up. `` Malfoy what the- ''

'' Have you seen Harry ? '' The Slytherin demanded.

'' What ? Of course not. He 's your honest friend now. '' Ron replied sneering.

'' He did n't turn up for dueling this morning. '' Malfoy sounded like he was actually worried. The snake in the grass was obviously acting. `` I thought maybe he would be here. ``

'' Well he 's not. '' Ron gestured around. `` Look the bed 's not even slumber in. And how 'd you get the password anyway ? ``

'' Something 's damage. ``

'' Get lost Malfoy. '' Ron looked over at the clock. `` It 's six o clock in the aurora ! ``

'' Right. Two hours past when Harry said he 'd meet me. '' Malfoy was gritting his dentition, breathing through them clenched.

'' He 's probably in the attic. ``

'' That was where I was waiting you idiot ! ``

'' Then he 's eating breakfast ! ``

'' Checked there. ``

'' Library. ``

'' Checked. ``

'' Down by the lake ? ``

'' Checked. ``

'' The afforest ? Around the edge- ''

'' Checked. ``

'' Oh. '' Ron bit his lip. `` He 's probably, I do n't do it. Probably training tardily and just passed out tired. Even you had to acknowledge he was tired. ``

'' Surprised you did. '' Malfoy turned for the door. `` Get your friends and help look. ``

'' We 're not your frie- ''

'' But you were Harry's ! '' Malfoy turned angrily. `` And he could be in hassle, or pain, or dying, right now ! I know you do n't like him any more but unless you hate him enough to bid him drained get the hell up and help me expect ! ``
*


Ron woke the marauder. The marauders roused the student. Vinca minor called the ghosts. Hermione ran to McGonagall. McGonagall went to Dumbledore.

The stallion palace like an anthill kicked into tumult by the leaving of the boy-who-lived.

It was Dumbledore who confirmed, by 'his own methods', that Harry was not in the palace. The capital G. Stanley Hall was filled with tangible stress as breakfast appeared as if it was any other day. Everyone was whispering.

Why pain in the neck, thought Ginny. It 's not like you 're trying to obscure what you 're talking about. But she found that when she talked it also came out as whispers. It was the tense atmosphere, it leeched sound out of you. Or maybe it was because saying it right out would make it real.

The marauders mostly picked at their solid food. No one felt like eating. Not even Ron. Suddenly the door burst open.

'' It 's him ! '' Hagrid boomed over the barking of his dog. `` He 's out there ! ``

The anteroom emptied like a fire had started. Every scholar of every house piled through the goliath double door. Jostling and pushing against each other, and against instructor, to get through. They spilled out onto the forepart lawn like a wave, breaking and separating. Everyone was running for the main gate. Ginny saw Hagrid, out in front, yell something and the gate creaked open. Everyone pushed through, trying to get a glimpse of the recluse figure trudging up the course towards them.

The front Caranx crysos stopped and were almost bowled over as the hoi polloi behind them ran into their book binding. The road down from the gates was slanted, so everyone could see. See the figure that was definitely Harry.

His robes hung off one shoulder, the ease torn and trailing behind him. The solid left side of his face was covered in blood, down onto his shoulder too, caked on and streaked. One of his boots was gone, Merlin only knew where. His left arm had an ugly suntan over the human elbow, red and raw and black in the middle.

The integral of Hogwarts stared at him. Harry raised his head painfully.

'' fountainhead ... would ... '' Harry swallowed and licked his sassing. `` Would you believe I fell down some stairs ? ``
*


'' Mr potter where were you ? ``

You know where.

'' William Tell me ! ``

He knows where. Of course he does. dullard Dumbledore.

'' Were you at the Baker mansion Harry ? ``

There we are.

'' How did you entrust schoolhouse grounds ? ``

You do n't take to know that.

'' Harry answer me ! ``

'' What do you want from me Dumbledore ? '' Harry pushed a blood-entangled dreadlock of hair out of his face. `` What do you want me to say ? ``

'' I want the the true ! '' Dumbledore was yelling, every portrait on the paries of his office watched in quiet. Apart from them the elbow room was empty. `` I want you to say me where you went ! Where you go every night ! I want answers ! ``

'' I do n't give a damn what you want. ``

Rather incongruent seeing as we just asked him.

'' Harry if there is a breach in the Mary Augusta Arnold Ward of Hogwarts I need to make out about it. ``

Damn. He might actually be right. Voldemort sure enough as inferno knew about the chamber.

'' Chamber of arcanum. '' Harry met the Headmasters gaze but gave nothing away. His occlumency was getting better too. `` Remember ? There 's a passage that lets out on the side of the lake. ``

'' The ... a passage. '' Dumbledore nodded faintly. `` Yes ... yes I knew about it. ``

'' But it slipped your head when you were shoring up the wards. ``

'' I ... no- ''

'' You 're not a god Dumbledore. '' Harry broke in. `` You ca n't do everything. You are incapable. You make mistakes. It does n't have to be this way between us, admit you made a error with esteem to me. I can serve you fight. help oneself the order. ``

'' You are not of age. ``

'' Screw that ! '' Harry yelled wildly. `` There 's two masses living tonight because of me ! Two kids who are not orphaned because of me ! ``

'' There are also five short death feeder. ``

What ... the ... hell ...

'' Stunned. '' Harry corrected hopefully. `` Stunned demise feeder. ``

'' Dead. '' Dumbledore 's face grew stony. `` Killed with an mystic toxin. Seen only once before. ``

No ... no no no no.

'' Dumbledore- ''

'' stop ! '' The master cut him off. `` You have already demonstrated a bloodlust that disturbs pattern, properly wizards. ``

'' When I need to ! '' Harry was breathing hard. `` When my friend lives are at stake ! ``

'' You are out of ascendance Harry. ``

'' I did n't pour down them. '' Harry held up his script. `` I did n't, I swear. I stunned them, then left, then called the aurors to pick them up. ``

'' I can not believe that Harry, I can not. Not with all I know. ``

'' Legilimence me. '' Harry released his defenses. `` You 'll see. You 'll make love. ``

'' I will not bang. I will not know because I can not be trusted that you have not reached a level of proficiency at occlumency where you could shew me whatever fabricated memory you wish to. ``

'' THEN WHAT DO YOU WANT ! ``

'' Anger Harry ? You have a lot of ira do n't you. ``

Yes. Harry hung his drumhead tiredly. There is no answer to your enquiry. Nothing that will gratify you.

'' You will stick confined to the rook. '' Dumbledore ordered. `` You will give ear all lessons. A guardian appointed by me will walk you to and from each deterrent example. You will do these things or I will hand you to the aurors. ``

'' I did n't do it. '' Harry whispered, more to himself than anything else.

'' I can not train that risk. ``

Wait ! The divination !

'' The prophecy. '' Harry blurted. `` What are we going to- ''

'' plosive speech sound thinking about such things. '' Dumbledore cut him off. `` They are no longer your concern. ``

'' But I have to stop Voldemort. I 'm the only one who can. ``

'' This discussion is over Harry. leave of absence. ``

Harry stood. There was no degree drawing it out. He walked towards the doorway, but did n't go through it. He felt drained, completely. But some residual fountainhead of mulishness would n't let him leave alone without one finale word.

'' You 're making a mistake. '' Harry said over his berm. `` You do take a shit them think of. ``

'' I do. But I correct them. '' Dumbledore said sharply, but sadly. `` I am correcting one right now. ``

Damn. He still got the last word.

Harry turned and passed out of the office staff. There were important decisions to be made.
*


'' Deja vu. '' A representative said over Ron 's shoulder.

'' Malfoy ! '' Ron spun on his Bench. `` Do you just sneak around everywhere ? ``

'' Hard to nobble in the center of lunch. '' Malfoy seemed agitated. `` Harry 's gone again. ``

'' Like this morning ? '' Hermione asked.

'' He said he was going to go to log Z's, but his bag 's gone. '' As Malfoy spoke they heard a stochasticity from the senior high school table.

Dumbledore had just shoved his chair back roughly and strode quickly from the hall.

'' He knows about- '' Ron began but stopped as a feathered phantasma dropped onto the table.

shovel cocked his pass and hopped about a picayune nervously. He kept looking at first one fount then another as if he did n't know who to deliver his substance too.

Ginny reached forward and took it off her. She spread it out on the tabular array. It was dead, but it had a lot of subtext. It simply said.

Take aid of him






revue, or I will use my gravemetric inversion ray to smash up the moonshine down onto the Earth's surface of the earth ! Destroying it utterly ! You have just one hour ! Mru Ha Ha Ha Ha ! Ha. Ha.


Arg ! The website goes down ! craziness everywhere ! things fall apart, the centers can not support ! My review article ! ! ! My cute reviews ! ! !

Ah well ... such is life.



'' Is there no news ? ``

'' No Albus, there is not. '' Minerva shook her head. `` He appears to induce vanished. ``

'' Has a watch been set on the borders ? All ways that he could go away the res publica ? ``

'' Yes Albus. '' As if that had ever stopped Harry. `` But do you really think he will try to leave ? Everything we 've seen suggests he will stick around and fight. ``

'' I do not make out Minerva. '' Albus shook his promontory. `` I am not for sure of anything anymore. ``

'' Stay impregnable Albus. The monastic order needs you. ``

'' Yes ... yes we must go on. ``
*


The vulture, bundled up against the insensate, sat quietly before a huge bay window in Malfoy manor house. They had gone there straight from Hogwarts, with a guard the entire way. They were in the nonage for leaving, a lot of students had elected to stay at Hogwarts for Noel. It was safer. They were not the just ones there though, Dame Alice Ellen Terry and Anne Baker ( none of the vulture had really known them ) had been dragged along looking confused.

That was until they reached the firm and had a tearful reunion with their parents. Apparently someone had saved them from the dying eaters. Emphasis on someone.

The manor house was filling up, freight of multitude. Refugees almost, multitude that had been targeted or were in danger of being. It was scary, seeing the fear in their middle, the feeling of being hunted. The marauders were the same, ineffective to leave, scanning the papers for any hint of Harry. They found nothing but they kept looking. guilt feelings was a muscular thing.

So now they were stuck in the residence, ineffectual to leave its bulwark as snow blanketed everything outside. Even if they could give gone outside would they have had the affection to dally ? Maybe, maybe not. So they sat in front of the huge opened windowpane and watched it fall.

The adults had tried to pretend it cheery, there was even a tree. It had n't worked though.

'' We should go have lunch. '' Someone murmured. No one moved. Eventually mortal else echoed the sentiment and they began to get up, slowly, silently. They had just about reached the kitchen when Tonks burst in.

'' Have you heard the news program ? '' She blurted.

'' We read the prophet- '' Hermione began before Tonks interrupted her.

'' No, no. This just happened. '' She shook her head. `` Two death feeder just got dropped into the ministry foyer. Flued in. They were stunned and tied up with palm. They 're processing them now. Where 's everyone else ? ``

'' nigh of the grownup eat in the Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree room. '' Ginny pointed and Tonks hurried out.

'' Do you think it was Harry ? '' Neville asked quietly.

'' Of track it was Harry. '' Malfoy said flatly.

'' It could have been soul else, someone else trying to stop them. ``

'' Someone who tied them up like presents and dumped them Noel eve ? It 's Harry. '' Padma grimaced. `` He 's out there fighting. ``

'' On his own. '' Her sister echoed.

They sat in silence for a while. The only audio was Ron rhythmically munching on bread.

'' Do you retrieve it was us ? '' Ginny found herself whispering. `` Do you think we drove him out ? ``

'' You certainly did n't serve. '' Draco sneered.

'' Shut up Malfoy ! You were the one helping him ! '' Ron reached over and tried to thump the Slytherin. `` If you had n't he would n't have thought he could fight them ! ``

'' He was getting help from other places than me. Someone else I 'm sure, he was getting better too degraded. '' Malfoy shook his headland. `` No, I withdraw what I said before. You did n't push him towards this. This was inevitable. ``

But we abandoned him. Ginny thought darkly. Maybe if he would have got stayed tenacious if he thought he had something to stay for. Or at the very to the lowest degree he 'd know he was n't alone. merlin, how had things gone so wrong ?

'' It 's my break. '' Hermione murmured suddenly. `` I said that ... stupid matter about choosing between- ''

'' It was n't you. '' Ron broke in. `` You heard Malfoy, it was inevitable. ``

'' We need to do something. '' Parvati said. `` Bring him back. Tell him it 's ok. ''

'' How ? '' Draco shook his head. `` take up out a personal ad in the Prophet ? ``

'' Well why not ? ``

'' Because it 's ridiculous. And because all it would do is placate your guilt. It would n't help him. ``

'' Well what would help oneself him ! '' Fred asked angrily.

'' I do n't know ! '' genus Draco shot to his feet. `` Why are you asking me anyway ? I do n't even like you. '' He turned and stalked out of the room. Ginny watched him go. She 'd never thought about it before but Harry leaving had probably hit him pretty hard too. He did n't really have any former friends. Maybe that had been why he helped Harry for so long.

'' We need to do something. '' Parvati repeated again.

'' What sister ? What ? '' Padma frowned at her sister darkly. `` Do n't just keep saying 'do something'and look everyone else to amount up with something. ``

'' I do n't hear you coming up with anything ! ``

'' There 's nothing we can do ! ``

They lapsed into an angry silence again. There was too much stress, too little kip. They were all at the end of their tethers. Just like Harry had been. Ginny shook her head, they should have gone easier on him. A little selfish part of her felt glad that she had not been component of that first argument with him. Another part blamed her for starting it. If she had just dodged he would n't take hurt her berm and then they would n't have ...

It was pointless to think about it. The line of reasoning had happened, but a picayune part of her still irked. They should n't take blown up on him, so what if he said he chose an army ... delay ... Was it potential ? Was she really thinking about this ?

'' I can think of something we can do. '' She said, her voice catching in the middle. It had n't done that in years.

'' What Gin ? '' Fred asked without looking at her.

No one was looking at her. No one was paying aid. vulture rules ...

'' HEY ! '' The table jumped as Ginny slammed down on it hard. The marauders started like cony. Oh dandy, now everyone was looking at her. She stood, keeping her hands straight to the board. `` I know what we can do. ``

'' Wh ... what ? '' Hermione asked hesitantly.

'' Exactly what he asked. '' Ginny said confidently. `` He wanted an U. S. Army. He needs an army. He 's fighting out there on his own so he deserves an army ! We can be it. We can facilitate him ! ``

For a few here and now there was silence, then ...

'' But ... but we 're just Thomas Kyd. '' Neville was biting his lip.

'' We 're as old as Harry. '' Ginny stated defiantly, glossing over the fact that she wasn't.

'' We do n't bang how to fight like him. '' Ron was staring at her wildly.

'' Harry learnt, so we can. '' Ginny folded her arms. `` Harry was n't even that beneficial at demurrer and look how far he 's come. We can do it. ``

'' We could ... '' Fred murmured, and is mate began nodding thoughtfully.

'' There are only eight of us. '' Hermione pointed out.

'' I think other people in the schooltime would be prepared to facilitate Harry if we told them. The old chosen ... others too. '' Ginny tried to look confident. `` And besides, Harry 's just one individual ! ``

'' But Harry 's Harry ! '' Hermione shook her head. `` He could get away with that sorting of matter ! He has some ... ability ... some reason he survived. A power ! That 's it ! Like the prophecy said .'A power the shadow Lord knows not'we- ''

'' The only baron Harry ever displayed was stubbornness. '' Padma interrupted her. `` self-will and courage. ``

'' And the fact that he never gave up. '' Her sis added.

'' And we should n't either. '' Padma nodded.

'' So you ... '' Ginny turned to them grinning.

'' We 're in. '' Padma said, her center backbreaking and set. Her baby nodded her support.

'' Us too. '' George folded his arms just as his sidekick said,

'' We ca n't leave up on Harry. ``

'' And you three ? '' Ginny turned to the lowest three undetermined marauders. Neville shifted nervously,

'' I ... It could receive been me. '' He was looking down at the table. `` It could stimulate been me. I would n't consume survived this long. No ... but I ca n't just brush off it. The fact that it could have been me I mean. I ... I feel like I have to avail if I can. ``

'' You 're in ? ``

'' I do n't know how a good deal help I 'll be. ``

'' You saved me. '' Ginny smiled desperately. All the marauders had to join, it was like fate. For some reason she felt like that. If they all did n't connect it just would n't form. `` And Harry would have wanted it. ``

'' He understood you. '' Padma chimed in, smiling. `` More than the rest of us I think. ``

'' I 'll help, if I can. '' Neville said, in a little vocalisation. Ginny breathed out in backup man, one down two to go ...

'' And you two ? ``

Hermione and Ron shared a look. Ginny knew she could tease her brother into it, Ron was a sponge for match atmospheric pressure, but she would n't. Not a choice like this.

'' We 'll cause to miss some lessons. '' Ron said suddenly and Hermione put a hand over her sassing, chuckling. `` Think you can handle that Hermione ? ``

'' I guess so. '' Hermione turned back to Ginny. `` For Harry. ``

'' You 're in ? '' Yes, yes, yes ! `` Both of you ? ``

'' We 're in. ``

'' Us too. '' A voice came out of nowhere. Ginny spun and fixed on the large image doors. Standing in the opened fissure were two brown haired minor. Terry and Anne Baker. They had been listening in, eavesdropping. And they had managed to do it undetected. Wow, Ginny thought. They 've already got what it takes to be a marauder.

'' What ? '' Ron stood, clearly ineffective to see them properly from where he was. `` You two ? ``

'' We heard what you were saying. '' Anne said, obviously trying to sound older. Ginny wondered if she had looked like that a few moments ago. `` We want to help too. ``

'' Harry saved our parents. '' Terry added in. `` The ministry did n't even get laid they were a target area. We want to serve. ``

'' You realize what this means do n't you ? '' Ginny said clearly. `` We 're talking about fighting. Fighting death feeder. Maybe dying, almost certainly getting hurt. This is n't going to be fun. ``

'' We know that. '' terry nodded. `` You think we do n't know ? We saw Harry when he came back that morning just like the rest of you. That 's the variety of hooey you 're talking about right field ? Well that night he was out saving our parents. Saving them was what hurt him so bad, so its ... like I do n't know. Only fair, I guess, that we should do that for him. ``

'' You could die. '' Padma said flatly.

'' If Voldemort wins we die anyway. '' Anne matched her lustrelessness. `` With parents like ours we 'll be on the top of his list. ``

'' We know what were getting ourselves into. '' Terry said defiantly. `` We want to fall in Harry 's ground forces. ``

'' Harry 's army ? '' George snorted. `` Is that what we 're calling ourselves ? ``

'' I do n't like it. '' His twin agreed.

'' It does sounds like something from world-war-two. '' Hermione agreed.

'' How about the chosen ? We 've been that before. '' Ron suggested.

'' We 're the marauders. '' Ginny overrode him. `` We 've always been the marauders we always will be. It 's what Harry would let wanted. ``

A murmur of agreement went up from around the table and Ginny felt a surge of pride. She beckoned the Baker twins over. As she did she suddenly realized something, she had made everybody look at her and they were still looking. Her pal had happily accepted her lead, they all had. And now she was about to consecrate two new piranha, a privilege only previously granted by Harry.

What can of worms had she opened today ?

'' But wait. '' Padma said suddenly. `` How are we going to train properly ? Harry had a instructor, he had to. Where are we going to get one ? ``

'' I can think of somebody. ``
*


'' Draco ! ``

Dragon turned in shock to await at the crew in the depository library doorway.

'' Yes ? '' He looked across them. `` Can I help you ? ``

'' We 've decided what we 're going to do. '' Ginerva said from the front man. `` We 're forming an army. We 're going to fight down for Harry. We want your avail. ``

The depository library was understood for a moment. Draco met the eyes of each of the marauders, were they really good ? Legillimancy gave him the answer.

'' Well would you look at that. '' Draco murmured, then smiled. `` Lets get to it. ``
*


'' You realize this means the piranha now have fellow member in every Hogwarts house. '' George commented as they walked down to Harry 's old training cellar.

'' We do n't have any Ravenclaws. '' Ron said. Hermione shook her read/write head irritably.

'' You would think you 'd remember Ron, after all the times she 's saved our cutis. ``

'' Who ? ``

'' Moaning Myrtle. ``

'' She does n't count. '' Ron said with federal agency before being clipped around the ear by Ginny.

"ticker your mouth. Harry wouldn't sales booth for that sorting of talk."

"Besides, you ‘ re all improper anyway."genus Draco said dryly from the movement."Harry made myself and Tonks piranha at the end of last class. You ‘ ve been cross-house for month now."

"Why didn ‘ t you tell us ?"Ron asked him.

"Would it have made a difference ?"

"wellspring ... maybe."Ron shrugged."marauder have different ruler than ordinary bicycle people."

"Yeah, that part I got."Malfoy reached the door to the root cellar and threw it open. It was exactly how they had left it. Huge piles of impoverished article of furniture and suntan crisscross on the walls."Right, well we don ‘ t have impact spheres or a siswai ‘ aman or muggle gonnes-"

"Guns."Hermione corrected.

"Them either."Draco stepped into the nerve centre of the way."Actually I do have some impact firmament but that ‘ s not the breaker point. We don ‘ t have sentence to go to four continents and blame up the best arms like Harry did, so I ‘ m going to rivet on this ..."Malfoy drew his wand and held it out in front of him.

"Terry, Anne."Ginny turned to the two New fellow member."How are you at defense mechanism form ?"

"We ‘ re both getting Es."Anne said quickly.

"Marauders should know how to lie better than that."

"Alright As."

"Sami as Harry last year."Ginny told them encouragingly."Hermione ? Can you bring them up to speed real quick ?"

"I ... I guess so."

"Good."Ginny turned back to Draco and nodded. He smiled at her as he directed the others into dueling lines. Her stomach did a little floaty lurch.

Just stress. She told herself. Just stress because we're joining a war. cancel to be nervous, especially since they seem to feature elected me leader. I'm not aflutter for any other reason. No grounds at all.
*


Neville collapsed into a chair in his room. He ached everywhere. Malfoy had pushed them all day, fighting. They had only quit for the night when the baker kids couldn't stand up any more. Neville hadn't been far behind them.

This must sustain been what it was like for Harry.

Neville shook his head, originally Padma had told him Harry understood him. Neville didn't know whether that was honest. He certainly didn't understand Harry. But maybe he watched him more than the others, keeping unruffled on the sideline maybe he saw more. Saw more about masses ... about Harry.

Maybe there was one early matter they could do for Harry.

He had thought of it before but hadn't mentioned it. No intellect to tell ` the great unwashed, especially if he was wrong. It'd just make him calculate stupid. It probably wouldn't help anyway. But it was Worth a shot.

Neville drew a objet d'art of theme towards him and grabbed a quill. He chewed on the end nervously, how did you start a substance like this ?

honey ... No, to familiar. Neville shook his head, it didn't subject what lyric he used. He should just get the affair written. He cracked his tired knuckle joint and started again.

To The Pythea

My name is Neville Longbottom and I'm a friend of Harry's. I don't know if he told you about me.

Neville winced, this was difficult than he thought.

Harry's in trouble, or he might be. He's left Hogwarts to struggle. We're worried about him. We're worried he might die. I don't know if you know about the Pr ...

Neville stopped writing and thought for a moment. The letter might get intercepted by someone.

If the phrase ‘ as the seventh month dies'means anything to you then you know why he's doing this. I don't know if you can help oneself him but if you can then please do, and tell us what we can do to help. We're already doing everything we can but it may not be enough.

Neville read the letter over nervously. He was writing to ask the supporter of one of the most mighty cleaning woman in the world. He signed it, his hand shaking enough to throw the theme song illegible, then squeaked his chair back and made for the owlery.

Digger was awake and waiting, like he knew. The owl didn't even vex to front at the speech, it just glanced at the epithet and took off. Neville watched it go, hoping ...
*


He got no reply over Dec 25. The marauders opened presents with aching finger cymbals while their parents watched before begging out and going back down to the cellar. Neville was surprised that the Baker small fry didn't complain about being worked on Yule day. Perhaps they really did understand what they were in for.

Snow kept falling intermittently, not enough to cover the ground again. It just ended up slush. Neville wondered if Harry was outside, dusty, right now, then felt stupid. If Harry could get weird night weaponry out of the blue then he could keep warm in winter.

'' Neville ! '' He heard Fred yell at him. `` I thought we were dueling not staring out the window. ``

'' I 'm coming. '' Neville turned and raised his sceptre. `` Just a second. ``

We 're doing what we can Harry, just you wait.
*


Harry crouched on the cap of a firm, careful not to mistake on the wet tile. The house across the way was owned by a salient member of a arrant blood family. Not his principal house obviously, pokey trivial seat like this, but one of his properties.

A property with a large cellar. A dimension that had been taking in vauntingly supply of meat, bad heart too. Off cuts, the kind you would feed animals.

It was a lead. Harry smiled grimly, he was on to them. He could wait here all night ...
*


"Severus the small fry at headquarters keep disappearing during the day. Do you cognise where they're going ?

"I do not Albus."Technically true though any sensitive person could guess.

"Do you think they might be planning to stick to Harry ?"

"It is possible."I hope they are.

"This troubles be Severus, they should be kept safe."

"They are children."Technically true though not actually revealing his opinion.

"You will differentiate me if you hear anything I should know."

"Of course."Anything I think you should know.

"Now, '' Dumbledore looked around the hall, meeting the eyes of the four Holy Order extremity. Snape, McGonagall, Tonks and Dwight Lyman Moody. They had all been asked here. None of them knew why. `` I believe I have found Harry. ``

'' Are you sure ? '' Minerva rose to her feet, jar evident on her look. `` How ? ``

'' Harry has been too trusting of Gringots. '' Dumbledore drew a thin folder of lambskin towards him. `` He forgets that they have human being employees as well as goblin ones. I have managed to obtain record book of Harry 's minutes. I believe I have pinpointed his location. ``

'' So why have n't you brought the poor boy back ? ``

'' Because Harry will have an passing strategy. '' Dumbledore shook his header. `` If he sees me he will run, and I can not guarantee I will be able to grab him. You are the order appendage I believe he will trust. You must draw close him. You must contribute him back. ``

And what if I do n't bid him back. Snape was careful to shield his thought utterly. What if I merely wish to induce sure he 's safe.

'' This is the position. '' Dumbledore floated a sheet of parchment to each of them. `` We will go. Now. ``
*


Snape looked up at the flickering bulb above him and scornfully flicked it off before lighting his wand.

'' The top floor ? '' The auror Tonks was looking at the map drawn by Dumbledore. `` Why would he be on the top floor ? It 's a perfectly end. No way out. ``

'' The boy 's sassy than that. '' Alastor agreed as the four of them reached the stairwell of the muggle building. It was not vacant, indeed Snape could learn muffled vocalisation and clicking from adjacent rooms, but the top floor was closed for renovation.

'' Perhaps Dumbledore was wrong then. '' Was that a speck of hope in the voice of the young auror ?

'' More in all probability Harry has a broomstick up there. '' Minerva snapped.

Harry would not have a broomstick. Snape shook his head but said aught out loud. He is more probably to suffer a pet dragon up there than a broomstick.

'' Quiet. '' Helen Wills Moody was up ahead, his wizardly eye scanning above them. The old auror cursed. `` damn iniquity eye ! There 's bags up there, and report. But I ca n't say if there 's a soul. ``

'' Let me see. '' Minerva slinked into her cat form and carefully padded up the whole step. Then came back down, her eyes twinkling. She transformed back and said, `` Harry has been here. His smell is everywhere. ``

'' Do you roll in the hay if he is there now ? '' Snape asked.

'' He is there. The scent is too recent for him not to be. ``

'' Then we go in. '' Moody stalked forward. `` No scepter visible, do n't spook him. ``

They walked up the barren concrete steps. The room access was closed and covered by a charge card sheet. Snape was reaching out to cut it aside when they all heard,

'' Do n't bother, I 've cut a puss in the one round the side of meat. '' The four rules of order members stopped dead. The voice continued. `` And if you want a more striking statement, you are Helen Wills Moody, Snape, McGonagall and Tonks. ``

'' Harry ? '' Tonks asked loudly. `` Is that you ? ``

'' Did I not nominate that clear ? '' The interpreter said cheerily. `` Come in if you want. With your hired man up if you please, we do n't want any surprises."

"You don ‘ t reliance us ?"Tonks asked.

"Constant vigilance."Harry replied.

Snape chuckled as he dropped his verge in his pocket and walked around the corner. There indeed was a break in the plastic drape, it was waving in the coldness wind. Snape stepped up to the gap and pushed it aside. Harry was standing in the undecided bay window, leaning easily against the edge.

He looked ... tired. Beyond tired, his center were sunken and his skin picket. Did he look worse than when he left Hogwarts ? Yes. He most certainly did, there was no denying. It could not just be tiredness, it could not. He seemed happy though, his eyes sparkling mischievously.

"Harry."Snape greeted him as the other order members filed in behind him."It is right to see you. You are looking well."

"No I ‘ m not."Harry was watching them all closely."But I ‘ m surviving. How did you find me ?"

"I ‘ m afraid we can ‘ t-"

"Gringots led us here."Snape interrupted McGonagall, who glared at him."Dumbledore found you here with their data. He sent us here to contribute you back."

"And are you going to ?"

"We just want to talk to you Harry."McGonagall stepped forward, her hands spread peacefully."It is not safe for you out here."

"It ‘ s not safe anywhere."Harry shrugged."And I ‘ m helping out here. I ‘ m fighting the destruction feeder. What are you doing ? Looking for a lost minor ? Let me ask you, which of us is doing the more useful task ?"

"ceramicist don ‘ t be an idiot."Helen Wills growled."You may have caught a few death eaters but it ‘ s only a matter of fourth dimension before you ‘ re caught and you better pray it ‘ s by Dumbledore and not the dark lord. If you die we all lose."

"If I fail we all lose."Harry shifted closer to the window.

"Harry, we ‘ re just trying to help oneself you."Tonks stepped forward."We all know what ‘ s at stake here."

"This vista is recap."Harry scoffed."I ‘ m leaving."He turned to the window and dropped.

"No !"McGonagall yelled, snatching for her wand but Helen Newington Wills was faster. The old auror summoned Harry roughly, drawing him across the flooring and disarmed him with a picture of the wrist.

"Son of a bitch."Harry tried to stand but Moody jabbed his scepter and Harry was pushed back to the ground."Trusted you ..."

"Sorry Potter."Helen Newington Wills growled."Trusted you too. You pissed on that when you killed five men didn ‘ t need to be killed."

"That's not true."

"The share about killing them or the part about not needing to ?"

"To be honest, both."Harry made a lunge for the threshold but McGonagall stepped in front of him. Harry cringed, then tried to stand."This is unpointed. If you bring me back to Hogwarts Dumbledore ‘ ll keep me prisoner, we all lose."

"I trust Dumbledore more than I trust you rightfield now."Dwight Lyman Moody raised his scepter."You disappointed me. Now Stup-"

"Stop !"Snape struck sideways, sending Helen Newington Wills's sceptre sideways. As the auror 's eye jerked open in cushion Snape stunned him and whirled, holding his wand on McGonagall."Don ‘ t move Minerva. In fact back away."

"Severus what is this ?"Her center were wide-eyed in disbelief.

"Please don ‘ t talk."Snape glanced at Tonks standing twitchily in the corner, her hand hovering over her baton."And you ? Do I need to sandbag you too ?"

"I ... no."The Loretta Young auror's eyes flickered down to Harry."return care of yourself Harry. Please. Please do."

"I ‘ ll try."Harry nodded, walking over and grabbing his wand."And I won ‘ t use Gringots any more."The boy started for the window.

"Harry !"Snape called out."Helen Newington Wills caught you. You let your guard down. You have to be skilful than that."

"I know. I screwed up. Constant Vigilance."Harry nodded towards Moody."You should separate him that too when he wakes up."

"He will probably belt down me first."Snape shrugged.

"Not likely."Harry stepped up the edge."He ‘ ll probably corporate trust you now."

Harry grinned and dropped off the edge.

Snape waited a long moment, long enough for Harry to reach the dry land, then lowered his scepter. McGonagall just looked at him. No educatee with late preparation had endured so withering a stare.

"well Severus, now that you have betrayed the order, what do you stand for to do now ?"

"I will go back to Dumbledore."Snape stepped over to wake up Dwight Lyman Moody."And I will try to explain."

The auror blinked to life and grabbed his baton. He levered himself to his feet and looked Snape up and down with his piercing galvanic low-spirited eye.

"fountainhead well, your true colors at last."Moody spat.

"Trelawney once told me my coloring was pale fuchsia."Snape commented as he made for the door."If I ‘ m viewing that colour you may desire to get your eye checked."

"My eye ‘ s fine."

"commodity, then I ‘ ll meet you at Headquarters."Snape apparated away, the cold press abysm of empty giving him a present moment of pacification before he dropped to his feet in battlefront of the room access. Three popping behind him told him the other rescript members had followed.

"Don ‘ t do that again you slime."Helen Newington Wills growled, wand out."If you try to apparate again I ‘ ll assume you ‘ re trying to escape."

Snape took three footfall, into the rattling hall.

"There."Snape raised his hands."Now I can ‘ t escape."

"I don ‘ t combine you."Helen Wills shook his head."render me your wand."

"No."Snape turned towards the main hall and walked calmly. Surprisingly he felt calm, he was well-situated. He was gruesome of being Dumbledore's lapdog, and now he had finally acted on it.

He pushed the twofold door spread out and found something he didn't expect. The unscathed order was there, lining the walls. Dumbledore had called a meeting, to talk over Harry being back. Snape stopped, his arms crossed and the three following him walk past into the elbow room. Tonks was still smooth, fading into the crowd, her fuzz unconsciously turning silent Brown University. Dwight Lyman Moody and Minerva walked straight up to the head of the table.

"You failed to catch Harry ?"Dumbledore clearly suspected something. He was using the stare that used to thrust Snape to the soul, now it just made his eyes itch."What went wrong Severus ?"

"I decided that greater good could be served by letting him free."Severus stood equanimity against the raging muttering that rose at that. He found Natalie's eyes in the crowd,

Why ?

I am tired of leashes.

You aren't finished are you. It wasn't a question.

I am not. I mean Dumbledore to hump I am no yearner ... tame.

Well this should be fun.

Snape couldn't help but smile.

"You think this is funny Severus !"Dumbledore had stood, his eyes flinty and hard.

"Yes."

"How dare you !"

How dare I ? Snape snorted, this was the way things should be. He felt more comfortable with everything against him.

"Snape this clip you have gone too far."

Oh expert, if you're going to be this predictable this will go far easier. Snape just smiled.

"Do you have nothing to say !"

"No. I have nothing to say."Snape kept his voice irritatingly nerveless"The alone explanation I have you will not take. And I can not formulate one you will because you I do not be intimate what you want."

"I want somebody I can bank !"

"No you do not. You trust no one. You never have. Not with any confidential worth knowing. You are a closed system, no one is told anything."Snape glanced around the office at the former order penis, practically everyone was there. Everyone there to see his humiliation, that was what Dumbledore wanted anyway. If Snape had his way it wasn't going to pass off like that."None of these people know anything do they."

"I am speak-"

"You ‘ d think that would bother them."Snape continued."You ‘ d think one of them would worry about you."

"Be mum !"

"Each of them thought another had your ear. Minerva thought lupin, lupin thought Moody perhaps. I don ‘ t know who Moody thought. But none of them did, none of them know."

"secretiveness !"

"No man is an island."Snape smiled, after all these eld he knew how to get to the old man."No man is an island unless he makes himself so."

"Severus I will not listen to-"

"You will hear. You can ‘ t not."Snape shook his head."Something has frozen you. That is what you do isn ‘ t it ? You shrink, like a polo-neck. rachis into your shell."

"And what is my shell ?"Dumbledore growled with uncontained furore and frustration.

"Your past. Your reputation."Snape sniffed."The last war, your glory days. Ha ha ... you have retreated into repetition and now ? Now you are paralyzed by it. We are not fighting this war, we are reliving it."

"You have made it clear what you think about-"

"Shut up."Dead silence. Snape folded his limb, grinning faintly. Behaving like Harry was fun."I am talking now and you will listen. You are paralyzed by something. Guilt I would guess. I don ‘ t know of line, no one knows, but I would ... well ... safely assume that it is guilt. Everyone is motivated by something, we each have something that makes us ... tick. You have guilt, dandy swirling pools of it. In every stoma of you, in every facet of your creative thinker. It ‘ s been there since the first metre I ever saw you, I didn ‘ t tell apart it then of trend, but it was there. By the time I came to solve for you I was old enough to recognize it. Something in your yesteryear, in your confront too, fills you with a ichor remorse. And it just gets worse and worse, makes you doubt yourself, makes you think you are never desirable. Makes you turn down the position of pastor for magic trick. Over and over again. I know what made you like this, you think I would work for you and not investigate your past. You know I am more careful than that. You must accept known that I knew. You must have known that I had found out about Kendra."

Dumbledore froze, every tendon tensed. Snape breathed a sigh of relief in his judgement. He had not known for sure, not until that consequence. He still didn't know really, not what had happened in that room. That secret would probably be taken to the graves of the men concerned. No subject, Snape could annotate over the details.

"It was there in the low war."Snape continued, his harsh vocalisation the only strait in the packed hall."Back then it was ... helpful. It made you careful. It made you imperfect but ... it made you deliberate. I do not understand what has happened since then, perhaps it is as Harry says and you are simply doddery, but it is worse now Previously guilt made you careful, sensible. Now it makes you useless. Useless and broken. You are no longer the renowned Albus Dumbledore, you are a fractured translation of him."

"No."

"Something destroyed you."

"Stop."

"I don ‘ t know what it was."

"Please."

"It must have been something terrible."Snape smiled slyly, letting his discussion sink in. Weakening."Whatever could it take in been ? You don ‘ t have another Sister ..."

"SILENC-"

"Legilimens !"
*


iniquity falling, falling everywhere. My fault, always my flaw. I shouldn't have put him there, no rightfulness I had no right. I condemned him, his dying. My one charge. Failure. No. Must be done. Hope. Death. Failure. Truth shrouded so deeply. So cryptic it hurts. The truth would violate us all. But even without we are doomed.

It is all a lie and we are all doomed.

Everything you know I told you.

Everything you know is lies.
*


Snape tore his idea away, shaking. He fell to his knees on the floor, the repulsion, the confusion, filling him. Dumbledore had fallen too, back into his hot seat. The old military man face twisted in pure torture. To keep back a accuracy locked inside for nine years only to cause it roughly ripped from you ? It must have felt like his heart had been torn out. Snape shook his capitulum, it could not be dependable, it couldn't be. But behind the sullen muttering of Dumbledore's thinker, behind the aching remorse the real storage hid. He had pushed them deep, as if trying to bury them but they were there. They were impossible to forget. Snape knew he never would. The magnitude of what the old man had done hit him and he doubled over, vomiting onto the frigidity Harlan Stone floor.

He felt hands on his shoulders. Natalie. He reached up for one and grasped it, holding on to something real number as parts of his universe fell apart. He tried to stand and feel he needed Natalie's help to rise to his feet. His branch felt like water, his feet like led. He tried to make his oral cavity oeuvre, things needed to be said. Something needed to be said.

"How dare you ?"Predictable, but Snape could think of nothing better."How could you do that ? To a minor !"

"It ... was necessary."Dumbledore's vox was barely a murmuring, a faint voicelessness in the air."It had to be done. It had to be done. It had to be done."Dumbledore mumbled that phrase over and over like a prayer.

"necessary ?"Snape found his tongue and used it to rumble."No. No it was not. Not even you believe that."

"We needed-"

"BE SILENT !"Snape snapped, the headmaster cringed back as if struck."I am leaving Dumbledore. I am going to help Harry. To witness him and serve him, and you will let me. You have no rightfulness to bear anything to do with that boy. You have no right."Snape turned towards the threshold, but stopped as his eye fell on Lupin.

"And you."Snape sneered."You ... for going along with him. For keeping it a secret. For treating Harry the way you do because of something that was none of his doing. Something that was done to him. You ... you are a goliath. One that has nothing to do with the moon."Snape turned away and hobbled from the room, leaning heavily on the small-scale woman beside him.

"Severus !"Dumbledore called after him, suddenly sounding scared."You will tell no one ! Surely even you can see that this must stay a hugger-mugger !"

Snape kept walking, not trusting himself to verbalise. They reached the door and he stiffened, his heart felt like it had a thousand midget maulers in it, each one attached to a weight.

"Severus ?"Natalie murmured beside him."You need to go habitation, I ‘ ll take you-"

"No. Not domicile. Hogwarts."Snape shook his head."Hogwarts first."

"Alright."She didn't argue, she knew when his brain was made up. There was a short, sharp bell and the woman he was leaning on had blond hair and pale Stanford White skin. Of course of study, she was supposed to be dead. Trust her to remember details even at a time like this. They stepped outside the boundary of the Barbara Ward and apparated, the cold and pressing void once more enclosing him.

He stepped out himself onto the grass before the gate and allowed himself to be led up the long path to the castle. Corridors passed and Snape realized he was being led to his quarters. Good. The paries are warded so no one will pick up. As they reached the doorway Snape pushed it out-of-doors and went directly to the John Barleycorn locker. He poured himself a whisky and imbibe it down, wincing at the burn in his throat.

"ghost Vinca minor Henderson."Snape called out softly. spook could always hear their names. A few moments later the faint shape of Moaning Myrtle sunk out of the ceiling.

"Why did you bid me ?"She asked impudently."I don ‘ t answer to you."

"I called you because the house elves report to Dumbledore as do the former wraith. I need these words to be private."Snape snapped quickly."I need you to bring professor Michelson down here and I need you to tell no one."

"You can't order me ar-"

"It is about Harry."

"Oh. Oh ..."myrtle nodded fervently and shot back up through the gemstone. Snape turned to Natalie, now back to looking like her old self, waiting patiently.

"You don ‘ t have to tell me."She said understandingly."I understand if it ‘ s something you want to celebrate to yourself. After all Dumbledore-"

"Was wrong."Snape cut her off."And I will recite you. If nothing else I need your assistant to bring in sentience of it."Snape took a oceanic abyss breath and began explaining. He could receive just given her the memories but he didn't want her to get the daze he had. It didn't actually study that long to explain, in the end it was so mere. When he was finished she just sat there, staring at him. As if bequeath him to jump up and yell ‘ fooled you ! ’, but knowing he would not.

"This ... this changes everything."She said breathlessly.

"It changes nothing."Snape gritted his teeth."We still need to help oneself Harry."

"You ‘ re right, we still do. But it changes everything else Severus. Everything else. You can not refuse that it does."

"No. No I can not."

They fell into silence as the door was pushed open. Markus Albert Michelson strode in, looking around the small room quickly.

"The ghostwriter said this was about Harry."He said, still glancing around as if Harry would form from a sideboard."Do you have intercourse where he is ?"

"No, but I have ... I have left the purchase order to explore for him. To help him with what he is trying to do. If I can."Snape fixed the other man in the eye."I know you ‘ ve been teaching him. I would appreciate your help."

"well finally !"Michelson threw up his branch."I was beginning to think I was the only one in this home with my head on straight."

"You are not far wrong."Snape shrugged.

"So what does this make us ?"Natalie smiled."The purchase order of the Kneasle ?"

"The order of the Nundu more like."Michelson cracked his knuckles.

"You know, I think it makes us marauders."Snape smiled faintly."Henry James ceramicist must be spinning in his grave."



Half of my reexamination seem to hold disappeared ... very sad ... : (

You all have to review twice now to make up for it. If you do leave a review then a fairy will confab you while you sleep and sprinkle fairy dust on you. The faery dust won't do magic or let you fly or anything but it'll be very pretty.


Harry Potter and the changeling child : Chapter 5 : The dark market

Harry travels to detect information.




This reporter has some shocking news. News that will strike you, in effect reader, to your very core. Harry Potter has been declared a life-threatening vigilante by the ministry. Yes, Harry ceramicist the-boy-who-lived, is a murderer. According to ministry official Harry has been responsible for at least six death and possibly more !

Minister Fudge was quoted as saying ‘ Yes, well this is shocking but not entirely unexpected. but look at his natural process during the Triwizard Tournament, the boy stole a ship for pigeon hawk's saki. He's always been a free cannon that boy has.'

This proclamation came at the like time as his official expulsion from Hogwarts school of witchcraft and wizardry.
*


The marauders looked at each former along the retentive tabular array in the cracking hall. None of them said 'Is this a caper ?'or 'No way'or anything naively childish like that. They were past that. They had all known, on some degree, that this was possible. Maybe even inevitable.

'' alteration aught. '' Fred was the first to verbalize. `` It 's all bollocs so it changes nothing. ``

'' This is looney ! Do they think we 're unintelligent ? '' Ron was almost spluttering in wrath. `` No one 's gon na trust any of this ! ``

'' I almost care the great unwashed did. '' Hermione was shaking her head as she peered down at the front page article.

'' What ! You want people to believe Harry 's a- '' Ron rounded on her, about to let unleash, but Ginny held up a hand to bring him up short. He was still fuming though and said, Thomas More reasonably. `` Maybe you should explain that gossip. ``

'' Because no one will believe it Ronald. '' Hermione bit her lip worriedly. `` Or at least many the great unwashed wo n't. And hoi polloi will blame the ministry. People will detest the ministry for attacking their hero. ``

'' Remember the riots last year ? '' Padma said darkly. `` Imagine that. Except very much worsened. ``

'' Oh ... '' Ron 's face fell. `` I guess that is bad. ``

'' It changes nothing. '' Malfoy said sharply. `` Not really. We all knew this was a possibility. ``

'' Right, '' Ginny nodded, putting on her loss leader face. `` He 's right. All this does is make what we 're doing even more urgent. ``

They all nodded, they had been training ever since they had got back to hogwarts a calendar month ago.
*


His description has been given to every ministry law enforcement official and hit whizz. His position on the ministry 's desire inclination is only a few places short of the known death eaters !

According to the ministry Harry 's M.O. is to use poison to do his dirty work. A poisonous substance there is no known antidote to.

Harry 's description is known to every wizard and beldam alive but you should be aware that he may be in disguise.
*


'' This is Dumbledore 's doing. '' Natalie shook her head as she slid the newspaper publisher over to Snape. Michelson had already flicked his transcript closed and was staring at it angrily, as if blaming the paper itself. Snape sighed, he had already read the offending article.

'' Dumbledore undoubtedly had a hand in it. '' Snape tried to end his ire rising to the surface. prevent it under wraps, save it for when it was needed. `` Perhaps he thinks he can scare Harry back to him. ``

'' Then he does n't have it off Harry. '' Michelson stood and began pacing angrily, obviously he felt no motive to celebrate his ire under wrapper. `` This 'll just make Harry even more sure that everyone 's against him ! ``

'' Undoubtedly. '' Snape flicked through the rest of the newsprint. `` At to the lowest degree there is some just news show ... ''
*


Harry may be active in Leeds. Yesterday the ministry was handed an anon. tip that led them to a menage there that had been converted to house nighttime creatures. No death eaters were caught ( perhaps the trunk are hidden elsewhere ! ) but the basement was a nest of lethifolds, swarming in the darkness in numbers never before seen on British people land. I do not need to separate you, honorable reader, that if they had been unleashed they would have caused untold death. The lethifolds have been disposed of by the ministry.

There is no proof that Harry was there but a physical contact in the aurors berth said that they were investigating the possibility.

Harry is to be considered as dangerous as any decease eater. Perhaps more so.
*


Harry dumped the newspaper in a applesauce can. It did n't matter anymore. He coughed roughly, clutching at his tum. It did n't matter if the ministry caught him so long as he did what he had to do first. What the hell did he worry what everybody else thought ? It just stand for he had to be more than careful.

Harry shoved off the bulwark and flicked his cowl up before walking off down he alleyway. There was still work to do.
*


'' Is it true ? ``

Ginny turned at the sound, the angry and emphatic speech sound. The marauders spun with her, almost in synchronicity. Cho Yangtze River stepped back fearfully. In her defense reaction the piranha now numbered eleven, filling the hallway with uniform choler. They had also all drawn their wands at the same time as she spoke, in reception to the possible threat.

They must have truly looked like an army.

Cho had frozen in position, wrath turned to astonied silence. Ginny stepped forward.

'' Of class it 's not unfeigned. '' She said simply. `` How can you even ask that ? ``

'' I just ... '' Cho swallowed, fear still flickering across her face. `` Is Harry Ok ? ``

'' We do n't experience. ``

'' Where is he ? ``

'' We do n't lie with. ``

'' Does he involve help ? ``

'' We do n't have a go at it. We 're trying to help him. '' Ginny said curtly. She was beginning to get tired of Cho 's pudden-head questions. Ginny turned to leave when Cho broke in,

'' well I want to help too ! '' Ginny felt a petty mental moan. That was just what she needed, a complaining pretty-girl in the ranks. A constant annoyance at best, a liability at worst. Cho went on, `` I 'm one-time than you, and I 'm a Ravenclaw. I must know lots of spells you do n't screw yet ! You should let me conjoin. ``

'' No you do n't you arrogant stuck-up ... '' Ginny clamped her mouth shut and took a abstruse appeasement breath. `` This is n't the bloody gobstones society. You ca n't just join on a whim. We 're training to struggle, really oppose. Fight death feeder. ``

'' I know that. '' Cho looked down her intrude arrogantly. `` If you can do it then I can too. ``

'' You do n't sympathise ! You ... '' Ginny gritted her teeth tight together again before turning to the marauders. `` Vote. All of us. I vote no. ``

The piranha glanced about between them. Some of them had obviously been thinking of voting yes before she made her feelings so abundantly shed light on. After some embarrassed shuffling Draco stepped forward, eyeing Cho up and down silently. Ginny felt another spurt of gall cost increase in her gut.

'' You accept the fact that you could die ? '' Draco asked flatly. Cho nodded, her eyes blanket. Draco looked into her eyes for a moment, Ginny thought she heard him mutter something under his breath. Draco cocked his psyche to the English and asked another interrogative. `` Do you accept the fact that you have to require orderliness from Ginny ? ``

YES ! conduct that you bitch ! Ginny was shocked at the level of glee her subconscious mind threw up at that interrogative. If her subconscious mind was happy with the doubtfulness, her entire brain grinned when Cho grimaced and nodded.

'' Fine. '' genus Draco shrugged. `` We need Sir Thomas More hoi polloi. I vote yes. If she does n't work out we can always make her leave. ``

'' We vote yes. '' Fred said, shrugging. His twin added, `` Sorry Ginny. ``

'' I ... yes. '' Parvati nodded, a little hesitantly.

'' No. '' Padma shook her head, earning her a shocked glance from her sis. `` We do n't need her. No intellect to take on another project when we do n't need her. ``

'' look just put your manus up. '' Ginny said tiredly. `` men for no ? ``

Three hands rose, herself, Padma and Hermione. Ginny 's stomach dropped, this did n't bet good.

'' For yes ? ``

Five hands were raised. Ron had followed his older brothers. Ginny turned to silent three remainders.

'' Neville, Anna, Terry ? '' Neville shifted uncomfortably and the Baker twins looked at the trading floor. `` You need to vote. ``

'' I do n't need to vote. '' Neville said quietly.

'' And we 're new. '' Anna shrugged. `` We 'll let you settle. ``

'' You see ! '' Cho said triumphantly. `` I 'm in ! ``

Ginny turned slowly, it was done. Time to draw the best of it.

'' amercement. Meet us here after lesson today. ``

'' Today ? But I 've got quidditch practice. ``

I know. Ginny did n't say it, but she so wanted to. `` This is more important than quidditch. We all understand that. You need to. ``

With that she turned and strode away. She hoped Cho would n't turn up tonight. That would really prepare her day.

Ginny survived herbology with a book of swearing propped up against a flora pot. She did the Same in defensive measure, professor Michelson was being oddly blind to the evildoing of the marauders. After the lessons were done she slammed her books away and dashed for the threshold. She ran for the meeting stead but slowed down before she got there. She would n't fall all covered in sweat and breathing hard. She would n't give Cho the satisfa ...

Cho was n't alone.

Ginny stopped with the predator a few tread away from the newcomers. Lucy Kingston stood by her Ravenclaw friend with her boyfriend, Joshua Split, standing on her other side. The two ex-Slytherin Gryffindors, genus Vanessa and Elizabeth I stood in presence of him, eyeing Malfoy warily. It irked Ginny that all of them were here. It irked her more that they were probably the people she would have chosen to admit to the marauders herself. pudden-head Cho.

'' You told them. '' She tried to make her representative come out icily angry, hoping it did n't just go peevish. `` You told all of them. What the hell do you think- ''

'' I do n't tell them ! '' Cho interrupted her. `` Everyone in the schoolhouse is talking about the news program about Harry, and everybody knows you lot are doing something hidden. They just ... ''

'' We eavesdropped. '' split interrupted. `` We want to help Harry too. ``

'' This is getting ridiculous. '' Padma muttered from the depths of the marauders.

'' We heard what you asked Cho. '' rip went on. `` And we understand the risk. Army of the Pure face it, if you trust him, '' Split jerked his chin towards Malfoy. `` You have to swear us. ``

'' I do n't sustain to intrust any of you. '' Good, that sounded like Harry. `` Listen I do n't deal what you say. We 're going to take now. If you can maintain up you can stick around, we do n't have time to slow down for you. ``

'' Fine with us ... madam sergeant. '' tear added sarcastically.

'' Idiots. '' Ginny muttered as she led the amassed horde off down the corridor.
*


'' Listen. ``

Malfoy stopped and turned towards Split. The older boy had halted them just outside the entryway to the marauders attic, everyone else was already inside.

'' Yes ? '' Malfoy said evenly. `` Can I help you ? ``

'' I just want you to get it on we 're here for Harry. '' snag said challengingly. `` We do n't trust you. We do n't forgive you. ``

'' You 're here for the same reasonableness I am then. ``

'' Whatever. '' schism shook his foreland. `` God knows why she trusts you. Let alone ... well you know. ``

'' I know what ? '' Malfoy looked around in mental confusion. `` She who ? ``

'' You do n't know ? '' Split almost seemed to smile. `` Idiot. ``

'' She who ? ``

'' I expect she 'll let you know in her own time. ``

'' She who ? ``
*


Harry pushed his way out of the old shop he had flued into and a blast of heat hit his face. He dragged a large-minded brimmed hat out of his bag and pulled it low over his eyes. Ah, that was better. His coat and it 's various trance would have kept his body cool but it would have looked incredibly conspicuous here. He winced in the harsh Light and shucked his bag up on his shoulder joint before setting off along the dark tarmac street.

Muggles walked past him without a second thought, jabbering to each former in French people. The accent was very different from what he was used to but that was only to be expected. Harry had learnt French in Switzerland and only spoken it to the students of Beauxbatons. Harry idly wondered if his French had a Swiss accent mark or an English language one.

No matter, he was in Marrakesh, thousand of Swedish mile from France or England. He would remain firm out as a foreigner whatever he did. No power point trying to commingle in with the locals, much better to just wait like another dazed tourist. There were one or two others around. Harry picked up his pace as he crossed the street and into the souk.

Why is it that I always find myself in mazes ? Harry thought to himself chuckling as he skirted around a stand of vegetables and slid through the crowd of shoppers. The muggle souk was bad enough, a gigantic warren of streets and alleyways good of shops and market place kiosk selling everything from spices to electronics. Harry kept on an unerring trend through it, it was n't his destination.

Hopefully he knew where his name and address was, his information was sketchy at best.

Harry came to the cubicle he wanted, a dark hollow in the wall selling decrepit and moth eaten habiliment. He took a black t-shirt with a ace on it off the rack and glanced at the aging shopkeeper. There was a barely perceptible nod. Harry stepped behind a screen, a fierce changing room, and pulled the drapery shut. He held the shirt up and tapped the headliner twice. With a sharp groaning the floor began to grind slowly downwards.

Harry tried not to touch the sides of the stone passageway as the opening at the top got further and further away. Ten meters ... twenty .... thirty .... forty- thumping. Harry snapped to attention as the base stopped descending. The stone in figurehead of him split apart slowly, light spilled in, and air. The smells ... every aroma imaginable, burning, animals, food of every kind, incense made of spun lightning, every scent a ace with no wish for the jurisprudence of chemical science could create hung in the air as Harry stepped out of the dark entry into the under-souk, the dark market.

Knockturn alley had nothing on this place.

Harry looked up at the roof a far above, mosaics kaleidoscoped over the rounded surface, changing every moment. There were no walls for as far as Harry could see, just pillars dotted around. In no pattern Harry could see. Every one as wide as an oak, twisted and gouged and splaying up into that fantastic ceiling. Disappearing into it. And down at ground level ? It was unutterable. Every variety of shop, every variety of stall. Some vendor just sitting of a mat, arrays of nursing bottle out in front of them. Others had display that looked like insane and un-feasible pop up Word, everything spilling out of everything else. The noise was deafening, regretful than up above because the noise of sparking spells and fuming potions was added to the general randomness of people, and there was the periodic screech as another shopper was brought down by one of the entrances.

There was no finding your way in this place. Not unless you grew up down here. Harry scanned the area while walking calmly forwards. Many sales booth had improbable flagpoles to identify them from far away, he was looking for ... ah. Harry spotted the flag he was looking for and headed for it, surreptitiously checking his disguise as he did so. Harry flicked a dark robe out of his bag and threw it over his shoulder. Like this he looked like about 30, maybe more, with hanker Black person hair and a deeply scar on his cheek. Threatening, but not obvious.

Harry smelt his address before he got there. The spirit of animals and fauna dung beating out the other odors more and more the closer he got. He came to an open place in the market, a place where the carrell had been pushed aside to clear room for social status upon rank of cage. Harry recognized some of the creature in them, others were a mystery, all he gave a wide nativity. The cage seemed almost stupidly hardy, surely they used unbreakable charms. Surely they did ...

Harry felt himself edging away and forced himself to settle down down. He looked into one of the cage, a monstrosity made of whole I-beams, and saw the eye of a flying dragon staring back at him. Somehow they must have stopped it flaming, they must have. Harry stepped calmly up the rough desk at the end of the batting cage. It was surrounded by bags of what looked like some sort of feed. An ordinary bird cage sat on the turning point with a small golden bird fluffing its feathers. The heavily bearded and mustachioed man sat behind it looked up as he approached.

'' Yes ? '' He asked in comfortable English language. `` Are you look for something ? ``

'' My epithet is diddlysquat cayman. I have come for you to recount me the forward motion of an edict. '' Harry pulled back his sleeve, revealing the grim mark. The shopkeeper recoiled, glancing about fearfully.

'' Put that away ! '' He gestured wildly. Harry calmly rolled his arm back down.

'' You have nix to fear. '' Harry said airily. `` Not while you do the dark master 's oeuvre. ``

'' Why you come here ? '' The man 's eyes were still shifting nervously. `` All on agenda. ``

'' There have been some problems at the other end. ``

'' Not my fault. '' The seller shook his capitulum. `` Got them safe to you. You lose them after it not my demerit. ``

'' Of form not. '' Harry smiled in an uncomforting way. `` You mistake me. I merely meant that we have ground to need to make sure this delivery goes smoothly. There can be no mistakes. You understand. ``

'' Of line, of course of study. '' The man nodded rapidly. `` Do not worry. You can tell apart your master not to worry. Everything is fine. ``

'' Where are the creatures now ? ``

'' They are on ship. '' The man shuffled back to his desk and sat down. `` Loaded on two days ago. ``

Damnit, Harry cursed inwardly. It would have been so much well-situated if they were still on dry land.

'' secernate me their course of action. '' Harry leant down threateningly. `` My superior is thinking of sending some people to assure there are no ... mistake. ``

'' No misapprehension. '' The man nodded again, dragging a map out of a draftsman in his desk. `` No error. ``

Harry smiled, people were so dullard when they thought you were going to kill them.
*


Harry dropped back onto British soil and immediately flued again to stave in off any following. He walked the lastly long walk to the abandoned house he was staying in and pushed the door open. It was iniquity inside, the windows covered by anti-vandal photographic plate put up by the police. It was discharge, not even a chair when he had first arrived. But it was clean and the body of water was still running. Harry slouched down against the bulwark and collapsed. Long day. He reached over and picked up a bottle of pep up potion. He uncorked it and let some slosh into his mouthpiece. This was his indorse dose today. It was growing harder to keep going ... the sickness ...

Harry shook his head, no use dwelling on it. cover to work. He spread the function out in front of him on the story and roughly arranged them out into a uncut friction match to the coast of Africa and EU. The maps were seriously old, like everything else wizards had, and some of the countries had the wrong name. One of them had a big 'here be Draco'warning written in the centre of the Atlantic. Knowing that it was a wizard map it might well be true.

Harry sighed as he looked at the times that were written on dissimilar checkpoints on the map. The ship was old too, or looked it. The man had sketched a approximate drawing of it. It resembled nada More than a titan wooden brick with lowly sails that surely could never motivate it too fast. Of class it would be propelled by magic, if not it would just be stupid, but it would still aim almost a month to arrive up from Africa. Could be take it in the middle of the ocean ? Harry shuddered at the thought. Besides the coursing awe at the very reckon it was Laputan to bring up. How would he even get on display panel the ship ? How would he even find it on the white featureless sea ?

Harry trawled over the mathematical function again, was there any place where it came close to farming ? Was there any ... ambush full point ?

Oh of course ! There 's this big tree in the midsection of the sea that you can hide behind. Sharks use it all the prison term to catch seals.

Harry sat back tiredly, this was going to be harder than he thought. His palpebra felt so overweight ... sleep ...

Harry glanced around, he was in a house. A fire crackled warmly on the fireplace, throwing faint shadows on the clean blue walls. The pictures on the paries, a redheaded woman, a man with a companion face. Harry shook his head, it was a dream. He had had it before. He walked towards the doorway and pushed it open hurrying out of the planetary house and into the peachy garden. He glanced back, the bungalow was as it always was. The bungalow at Godrics Hollow. Harry shuddered, every meter his ambition put him in this place he had an undeniable urge to impart. It was like putting your hired man in a bucket of wriggling dirt ball, a crawling sensation over his entire cutis. And yet his aspiration brought his back here again and again and again.

Harry hugged his weaponry to his bureau. Maybe this would be one of the goodness dark, the nights when he managed to get out. There was a forest out there somewhere, a forest of apple trees, their blossoms filling the air. When he could find that in his dreams he slept well, he slept comfortably. But for every one of those there would be one of the bad unity, when the theater kept drawing him back. He didn't even want to think about what had happened once, when the river had come for him.

Harry pulled himself together with a power of will. Those orchard apple tree Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree weren't going to find themselves. He was about to set off when a fluttering sound reached his ear. Harry spent a moment wondering if it was some new unpleasantness the ambition was throwing at him before he realized it was coming from outside.

Harry woke with a start and was on his feet in a moment, wand in deal. He relaxed when he saw that the audio was coming from a small white razzing trying to press in through the rear of the window. The razz twittered then flickered back outside. It took Harry a import to recognise it had left something behind, a small folded piece of paper.

Interesting. Especially considering no one should be able to adjoin me here.

Harry stood and hesitantly poked the composition with his wand. It did nothing. He prodded it again. Still nothing. He flicked it on the story and folded it undetermined with the end of a ramification. He bent down and read it without touching it.

Harry

I once told you to follow your own way of life if you thought it was right. You seem to have taken that advice to heart. I can not and will not say that your pick is wrong, it may be, it may not be, I do not know. But you can not destroy yourself for the sake of this fight. Do not. Your protagonist worry about you. They are as I write this working to help you. Training as hard as you ever did. You are not alone no matter how much you fight to defecate it so. There are people that will suffer if you die, even if you take Voldemort with you.

I can not put up you any information about Voldemort 's program or whereabouts. I am constrained by the rules of my order. I would weaken them for you but it would do no right. I would be found out recollective before I could divine anything for you.

The lone assist I can give you I have already given. I wish I could do Thomas More Harry, you must believe that.

Remember to wear off the pendent.

DO NOT DIE.

Pythea.

Harry picked the small musical composition of parchment up carefully and slipped it into his breast pouch. His handwriting stayed there a moment longer, pressing it into his chest, before he took a rich breath and let it out.

Do not die.

He did not intend to, but it had always been a possibility. And no matter how a lot hoi polloi would suffer if he died they would brook more if Voldemort was left alive. Harry had a strong urge to take the letter back out and understand it once again, or maybe twice or three fourth dimension. But no, he had work to do. Wait ... something in the letter tugged at his mind. Maybe there was a way.
*


Malfoy snorted as Cho was sent flying across the way. The new military recruit were trying to keep up, they were just failing. He turned away, they were useless, just a waste product of fourth dimension for the rest of them. The marauder themselves ? Dragon managed a small smile for that, they were progressing nicely. They could agitate. They could push as a team. They could push on their own. They could campaign like kneazles in a sacking if they needed to. And they would need to.

He moved over to a pile of attenuated corner and ran his fingers over a long, slenderize, grey cloak inside. The Weasley twins claimed they could release them into impermanent invisibility cloaks with some Thomas More practice. Draco did n't doubt it. The charms would n't last for More than a day or two but that was all they needed. They could just respell them afterwards. Shield charms graced the dark grey jacket in the next box, enough to deter small curse. In the beginning it had just been a way to extend the charms, the same as an amulet or a tintinnabulation. Rings of invisibility were common enough even though they were hideously firmly to take a leak and protective talisman were ten a penny. But the clothes were prosperous for the Weasleys to bring, and the shadow grey made them inconspicuous at Nox. That had been the get-go, but now it almost seemed more ... Like they were becoming an army in truth, they had uniforms. Parvati had wanted to run up little Ms onto the clothing as a symbolisation of the piranha but Ginny had n't let her. Waste of meter, too blatant too. Draco smiled again, it did n't matter if the clothes were manifest grayness or pink with small snitches. Either way by the end they would consume an group of invisible, shielded, deadly fighters.

Invincible cutthroat mongrel. marauder to the core. Harry would stimulate been gallant. At least, Draco hoped he would be.

'' Draco ! '' Ron yelled. `` Break time 's up get back here. ``

'' I 'm coming Weasley stop shouting. '' Dragon gritted his teeth, all of his muscle hurt. Never thinker. `` Back to work. ``

'' Stop. I need to lecture to you. ``

The voice came out of nowhere. The vulture twisted towards it, wands out. The duels ceased, every eye widened in shock.

'' I heard person was raising an army. '' Harry quirked an eyebrow. `` I find myself in need of an army. Is this one for hire ? ``

'' Hire ? '' George IV let out a joke. `` Harry this is your army. ``

'' trade good, I should get a price reduction. ``

The piranha broke and all began talking at once, it was a happy storm of sound with Harry laughing in the center. Draco stayed silent, he glanced over at Ginny, also staying back. She nodded to him, her mouth a hard melody. She had realized too. Harry had n't come back for a happy reunion. He would n't suffer. He had come because he needed them. This would be the maiden job of the army.

'' Harry ... '' Dragon cleared his throat. The green middle of the boy who lived fell on him. `` What is it you want the regular army for ? ``

'' Oh ... that. '' Harry reached into his bag. `` Do you make a board ? ``

Dragon pointed the way and Harry pulled a huge flat solid of lambskin out of his bag. Harry laid them down on the rough surface of the last surviving board in the Ionic. It looked like a whale copy of a map.

'' There 's a ship. '' Harry traced it 's path along a long line on the map. `` It 's stuffed to the gills with sullen fauna. Direct to the dark Maker. Hundreds, including a lot that we really do n't need him getting his script on. It 's not going to make port before Britain, it 's going to be far out to sea. No portkeys, no fluke, only way there is to fly. ``

'' That 's why you need us. '' Padma said thoughtfully.

'' Yeah, kind of. '' Harry hung his head. `` I can just about manage to fly in a straight dividing line. Slowly. But out over piddle ? With the wind and maybe storms and ... and over water. And when I might have to make a quick exit ? No. I need getaway drivers. ``

'' I thought you wanted us to fight. '' Ron said, disappointedly. Harry 's oculus narrowed, he opened his oral fissure but Ginny cut in.

'' We 're here for whatever Harry needs us for Ron. '' She snapped. `` You should know that. ``

'' I ... right. ``

'' right field. '' Ginny nodded sharply. Draco half expected Ron to salute. Ginny turned back to Harry. `` What variety of dark creatures are we talking about ? ``

'' assorted kind of nasty. '' Harry was looking between Ginny and Ron curiously. `` flock of creature. ``

'' mantichora ? '' Hermione added.

'' Yes ... '' Harry looked at a listing jotted at the bottom of the map. `` Six of them. ``

genus Draco glanced at the list and let out a startled swearing. They could not let this ship range land. Even if they had to turn a loss half the army to do it. The hellhound had to be juvenile at least, no one could stuff six wide grown ones into a ship. Unless it had been magically expanded. Which it almost certainly had. They could not let that ship reach land.

'' We need to get on that ship. '' He heard himself saying, his voice a little breathless. `` We could fly on, or ... or ... ''

'' Go onto it ? '' Harry let out a rough laugh. `` That would be pretty dangerous. ``

'' Because of the creatures ? ``

'' Because I 'm going to slump it. ``



This is the finis chapter of frame-up, I promise. From now to the end of the book is pure adrenalin-fueled plot.


I do n't own Harry Potter. I do however own some tall mallow. Which is just as good.



'' sink it ? '' Hermione 's voice was a shrill, disbelieving whine.

Ginny felt like slamming her hand up to her forehead. Of course Harry would need to settle the ship, it was the unsubdivided, easiest, resolution if you did n't care about the consequences.

'' But ... but ... `` Terry Baker raised his hired hand slowly as if he were in class.

'' Yes unexpected-addition-1. '' Harry nodded pleasantly.

'' Are n't there citizenry on the ship ? ``

'' Yes, but they 'll be wizards, they can just apparate to shore. They wo n't be killed. ``

'' How about the creatures ? '' Ron asked, scratching his drumhead. `` Wo n't they just swim to prop up ? ``

'' Damnit ! '' Harry clicked his finger's breadth. `` Foiled again ! If only somebody had stuffed them in big metal John Cage for shipping. Then they 'd subside straight to the bottom. ``

'' How are you planning to sink it anyway ? '' Fred asked, eagerness clearly seeable in his eyes.

'' well, I plan to blow a big hollow in it underneath the water descent. Then I 'm going to put another big gob in it underneath the water line. And if that does n't work I 'm going to put a third- ''

'' This is a wizard boat I assume Harry. '' Dragon interrupted. `` Putting a hole in it may not be as well-fixed as you think. It 'll have all sorts of appealingness and protections. ``

'' I can bypass them. ``

'' Without the people on the ship realizing ? ``

'' Yes. ``

'' Really ? ``

'' Yes. '' Harry folded his arms. `` I have thought about this Draco. I have planned this. ``

The Classical Greek became silent again. Ginny could sense the cogs moving in people 's capitulum. They were all thinking how far they were willing to go. The marauders ... well they were probably in. The others ? They had signed up to fight expiry eater not entrust acts of terrorist act. How did she stand on this ? On balance ... with Harry. Those creatures could not be allowed to get to shore.

'' We ca n't do this. '' Padma was shaking her head. `` We ca n't slump it. ``

'' You running away ? '' Harry was looking at her in repulsion. `` You want to just let them release that variety of- ''

'' No of course of action not ! '' Padma interrupted him. `` But you have n't thought of everything. ``

'' Oh yeah ? Well what have I missed ? ``

'' The statute of secrecy. '' Padma looked down at the map, perhaps just to avoid group meeting people 's centre. `` If we do this they 'll be this giant crash with three-base hit headed skeletons and they could float to the surface or get into the gulf stream or divers could retrieve them. Not to mention that soul 's going to notice a giant exploding ship off the coast. Even if we tell the ministry afterwards they ca n't make do this kind of cleanup, not on this exfoliation. No one can. It 'll be worse than Roswell. Keeping wizardly secret from muggles, the statute of secrecy, is the one affair both face of this war agree on. If we break it then they 're going to start breaking it and then we 're going to be really screwed. ``

Harry leant back, rocking back on the balls of his animal foot. He bit his lip. thought. The marauders held their breath.

'' Ok. '' Harry spun the map to face Padma. `` Give me another choice. ``

'' We dining table the ship. invalid the crew. down the wight. '' Padma said definitively. `` If I 'm reading this right the ship only a dozen the great unwashed on it. No Death eaters. Most of them are just there to keep back the animals in stop. Should n't be too hard to stun them. ``

'' And the animals ? '' Harry asked quizzically. `` Some of them are n't comfortable to kill. ``

'' The killing condemnation. '' Gasps rose from the United States Army. `` It 'll kill everything on this list. ``

'' Is n't it an instant life sentence ? '' Cho choked out.

'' Only when used against humans. '' Padma replied calmly at the Lapplander clip as Harry said,

'' Only if person finds out. But would n't any nonaged magic be detected."

"Not in international waters."

'' And the ship ? '' Harry asked. `` If we just leave it drifting wo n't that be against the statute of secrecy ? ``

'' We leave the gang on it. They can get it so a safe whiz harbor. ``

'' Hmm ... '' Harry folded his arms and looked at Padma appraisingly. `` That ... could ... work. It would be more hard, more risky ... more fun ... but it could work. ``

Ginny felt a grin. This was the almost like the old Harry back again. certainly they were planning an act of monolithic piracy rather than a prank but it was Harry back again.

'' We can split up. '' Harry continued. `` send off a couple of the great unwashed down to the H2O to wait. The rest of us go in. If we can take the crew out and kill the creature we do. If not ? We default back to my plan and the mass in the water botch up it to smithereens. We worry about the fallout later. ``

Ginny took a trench breath and halfway through realized that almost of the marauders were looking at her. Her throat closed up and she almost coughed up her lungs. They were still looking to her, even though Harry was back. Harry was the universal they all knew that, but maybe ... maybe she was the serjeant-at-law or something.

'' Who can swim ? '' It was literally the first thing that popped into her head. `` Who can drown really well ? ``

Parvati 's deal shot up instantly smiling, the two bread maker tyke volunteered slower maybe still a piddling hesitant, finally split shrugged and lacklusterly raised his arm.

'' Four citizenry. '' Ginny looked down at the map, at the fiddling sketch of the ship. `` We can put ... two each in the water near the battlefront and back. ``

'' prow and hind end. '' Draco murmured. She glared at him.

'' Near the front and back. '' Ginny continued. `` Everybody else body politic on the front. ``

'' On the back. '' Harry disagreed. `` Here, in the steering bit with the wheel. ``

'' Bridge. ``

'' Shut up. We land on the steery bit and take everybody out quickly. '' Harry pointed at Draco. `` You stay there and keep the ship on grade. You can do that ? You know the right name for the steery steering wheel and the buttons and stuff and nonsense. Yes. Good. You stay there, the remainder of us go down to the cabins and stun everybody, defeat the animals. leave. We keep the ling handy so that if something goes wrong we miko the swimmers and fly out of there. ``

'' Sounds like a design. '' Ginny nodded.

'' right hand. '' Harry reached over and drew a big crossbreed on the map over a beacon light, right down on the South coast of Cornwall."I will meet you here."

"Meet us ?"Ron scratched his head.

"The ship ‘ s not reaching us for another month."Harry shrugged."You don ‘ t expect me to pay heed around here the whole time. Dumbledore ‘ s out for the day but I think he ‘ ll notice if I start appearing on his little map."

"I thought-"

"You thought I was back."Harry finished for him."well I ‘ m not. There ‘ s still death eater ‘ s out there. Still work to be done. Train up, be quick, and I ‘ ll meet you there. Keep the map, I ‘ ve got transcript. But don ‘ t let anyone see it. Goes without saying. And reckon up how to fight all these things."Harry turned towards the door. He disillusioned himself with a flick of the wrist, and a moment later he was gone.

"fountainhead,"Malfoy said dryly."I guess we have work to do."
*


"Can you believe he came back ?"Ron drew his knees up to his chest. He and Hermione were in the library, the factual depository library, not the garret. They were on research tariff and had about eight billion books out in figurehead of them on every sort of magical fauna, trawling through them for the utilitarian ace. There weren't many. The Hogwarts depository library for some reason didn't have volume on how to slaughter caged animals. Ron thought it was useless, they had already decided to use the killing hex, but apparently Harry wanted to be prepared so ...

"Hmm ?"Hermione hadn't looked up from the huge volume in front of her.

"Can you believe he came back ?"Ron repeated."Harry."

"Shush !"Hermione put a finger to her backtalk."We ‘ re not supposed to talk about him where people could learn !"

"No one ‘ s listening."Ron rolled his center."We're sitting on the base in the curb plane section of the library, at midnight, under a temporary invisibility cloak."

"It ‘ s not an inaudibleness cloak."Hermione hissed.

"Hermione no one is here."

"Just keep reading."Hermione looked back down at her book."I ‘ m not doing all this myself."

"I'd have thought you ‘ d parachuting at the chance."Ron smirked."With all the training it must be age since you studied anything."

"Yes ..."Hermione bit her lip."And the owls are later this yr ..."

"What we ‘ re doing now is more important."

"Yes. Yes I know."Hermione shrugged noncommittally."It ‘ s just ... well there ‘ s the residuum of our aliveness to think about. What about after the war ends ? What then ?"

"Look at it this way. If Voldemort destroys the ministry he'll probably destroy the Wizarding Examination Authority too."

"That doesn ‘ t help."Hermione stared at him angrily. Ron felt his hackles rising, another combat brewing. But they couldn't conflict, not here.

"You ‘ re here because if you weren ‘ t here you ‘ d tactile property hangdog for not being here."Ron blurted."And you could be somewhere else but you ‘ d be thinking about being here so it wouldn ‘ t even matter that you were there because you wouldn ‘ t be able-bodied to centre because you ‘ d be thinking about here and him and Voldemort will drink down everyone. Even worse you ‘ d get bad grades because you ‘ d be feeling guilty."Ron ran out of breath.

Hermione's mouth hung outdoors, mid shout. She opened and shut it a few metre before coming out with,

"Shush. multitude will hear you."

I won. Ron smiled as he flicked a random Quran open.
*


"I am disquieted Severus."

Snape stayed silent. He could not think of a safe response.

"I should be winning this war."

Still no prophylactic response.

"And yet things are not progressing as well as they should be."The dark Creator was staring out into the darkness through a faded windowpane. They were in another nondescript and abandoned building. Snape felt his skin crawl, he had been summoned alone. That was worrying.

"The ministry grows fallible every day."Snape volunteered.

"It grows more horrendous each day."Voldemort tapped his finger's breadth on the field glass."Fear can be my artillery, but it can also work against me. They retreat, they place more safety, they make it more difficult for me to progress to what I seek. Do the Order still keep a guard on the department of mystery story Severus ?"

"Yes my lord."For all I know they could have stopped, not likely though.

"At this point the easy way to advance memory access to it may simply be to squash the ministry entirely."He was still staring out the window. If Snape didn't know considerably he would think the dark Creator was worried.

"If you wish to squelch the ministry perhaps we could use the imperious curse-"

"No !"The dark lord snapped."No Severus, no more sly maneuvering in the swarthiness. No Thomas More subversion. I tire of it. I tire of it ‘ s inadequacy. I should not take to form from the shadows. Do you not think so ?"

"I always work in the phantasma Lord."

"Yes ... yes you do."The dark Lord narrowed his eyes."The Potter boy is a problem."

Snape gritted his teeth. He had to reckon fast to proceed up with these lightning fast changes of pace.

"The Potter boy has always been a problem."Snape said diffidently."But he is just one person."

"He has caused me a heavy deal of trouble for one soul. I would once again order his death but ... I fear it would do no good."

"He wants to kill you."Snape said, letting his mouthpiece move as his mind worked."We could set some form of trap."

"With your noble as come-on ?"The darkness nobleman's representative was not tempestuous, he knew that that was not what Snape meant. This was actually what passed for banter.

"Of course of study not my Maker. I apologize."That had been what the dark Divine expected to hear.

"Is there any procession with the toxin Severus ? The one that has been killing so many of our friends ?"

"Not a large pile my lord."Severus bowed his head. He had no trouble feigning pity at not being able to discover the secrets of the mysterious toxin."It is very foreign. I can not part a single fixings out. It is almost as if the poison was not brewed at all."

"Explain."

"As if it came directly from a creature."Though that was of course unimaginable. No known beast carried a toxin like this."All I can guess of is that perhaps person has been breaking the decree against experimental breeding."

"You do not call back it was Potter ?"

"It may deliver been."better to keep the shadow noble guess."If he did not then we have two vigilance man against us."

"Against us ..."The nighttime God Almighty seemed to roll the word on his mouth."Against us ... the great unwashed who are against me die. I have let this continue for too long. We have been forced back too often. It will cease now. I have decided. We will crush the ministry. We will veil them utterly. No subversive activity, no apparition, I will pop them."

"Yes my lord."Snape tried to work out how many last feeder were left. Surprisingly few. Harry had seriously cut into their telephone number. Did they even have enough people for an Assault on the ministry ? Probably ... they probably had enough. If the monastic order helped though ... if Dumbledore helped ...

"We will hold back for the shipment to arrive."The dark Divine said, almost to himself."Then we will have the force necessary."

The load. The phantom freight. None of the destruction eaters knew when it would be arriving. It was apparently too important.

"Yes my lord."Snape bowed deeply."We will require everyone for this to succeed. If I might ask where Barty Crouch is perhaps-"

"No !"The nighttime Jehovah looked at Snape over his shoulder joint. The icy stare could accept nailed oxen to the wall."Crouch is doing what he has been told to. He will win, in time. He is one of the few I can trust. Him and you, Severus."

You trust no one. Snape thought as he turned away. Now where have I heard that before ?
*


Hermione held on tighter as the broom handle angled down. She was following the Calluna vulgaris ahead of her but the lighthouse was already visible far below, sending out it ‘ s pulsing pharos across the night-time sea. The fart was hideously inhuman on her look and the dark tons of rain kept spraying in through her hood. There couldn't have been a worse day to obtrude upon a ship fully of monsters.

The background came up and she managed to land without falling. All around her she heard the rest of the army touch down. Well ... well-nigh of the rest of the United States Army ... Of the new recruits only split up was there, lounging over his broomstick in his common state of mild tedium. The others had been left behind, Ginny had decided they weren't ready, weren ‘ t trained yet. Not that rent was properly fix either but he was only going in the water.

Hermione looked around. Harry was nowhere to be seen. Maybe he wasn't here yet.

"You ‘ re late."Harry faded out of nowhere, shocking the marauders."Lets get on with this."Harry kept glancing at the crashing waving nervously. He drew a vauntingly feeding bottle out of his coat and took a deep gulping from it before shoving it back. `` Pep up potion, did n't sleep well finally Nox. '' Harry explained. Hermione tried to push aside the similitude facts, one : that the bottle had been almost empty-bellied and two : that as Harry shoved it back in his pocket there had been the unmistakable chink of further bottles.

"takings these."George broke the quiet and stepped forward with a little M shaped pin and a small pair of blue tinted glasses.

"What the perdition are these ?"Harry squinted through the lenses."Everything looks weird."

"The pins are tags."George VI explained."The methamphetamine hydrochloride can see the tag even under invisibleness cloaks. This way we can keep track of each other."

"Ah ... nice."Harry pinned the tag on his dark coat and dropped the chalk in a pocket."I ‘ ll put them on when we get there."

"They ‘ re your prescription."

"I know."Harry nodded."Thanks. Who ‘ s broom am I sharing ?"

"Over here."Draco waved him over and Harry hesitantly flipped a leg over his broom.

"Well, we all know what we have to do."Harry addressed the marauder."Lets get this done before we get too wet."

Draco's broom crack into the air and Hermione reluctantly followed. Out over the water the wind was even spoiled if that was potential, she kept being buffeted one way then the other. The sea underneath a groaning greyness sail, a dull manifestation of the sky. They were getting further and further from body politic. The casual light of the beacon got more and more faint. She couldn't see the flyers around her ! She panicked for a instant until she realized how pudding head she was being and slipped her dismal lenses over her optic. The little glowing glint of the tags sprung into view, each one illuminating a little glowing blue ghostwriter of a soul. Like an outline in the duskiness. Flying close, she was near the front end. How did Harry expect to find the ship in this ?

"ANGLE left field !"Was that Harry ? The glowing tincture of Harry and Malfoy started to turn left. She turned to twin them. What was he following ? suspicion ? legerdemain ? Something he hadn't told them about.

"I DON ‘ T SEE ANYTHING !"She heard Draco's phonation on the wind.

"IT ‘ S THERE."Harry was hunched over on the broom, peering out over Draco's shoulder."WE'RE CLOSE ! drib DOWN !"

Hermione descended with the rest of them and shrieked with fright as the spray from the sea hit her pegleg. Surely they didn't need to be this low ? Suddenly, as if they had crossed an invisible line, the ship blinked into existence. A low slung behemoth, waves making it roll and auction pitch sickeningly. It looked ancient, all the wood was melanize with age and weather. A huge rectangular city block, slowly crawling across the water.

She felt somebody toss her and saw physical body flying off towards the prow and stern, keeping closing curtain to the body of water. Even with the lighting on the ship they were still only glowing outlines. The cloaks ! She pulled hers around herself and flicked the hood up over her look. She should make done that sooner. The rest period of them followed until they were right up against the incline of the hull. Harry leant off his broom to angle against the pitching Sir Henry Joseph Wood. Removing the protective charms, Hermione forced herself to sedate down as they hovered there just above the dark H2O. Suddenly there was a piddling pop and a small creak ... the Aaron Montgomery Ward were down. Hermione picked out the raised backbone department, the ‘ steery bit ’. Where the rest of them were going. The heather slowed to a crawl as they raised up the English. downright muteness as they floated up onto the deck on the arouse end division. No one was on deck, there weren't even any lights.

Harry raised his arm and pointed to a small hatch. He moved over to it, whispered a silencing charm, then pulled it undetermined and climbed inside. Draco went next, moving just as silently. They had worked this out too, The Weasley twins would go last to watch their issue. Hermione realized it was her spell snuck over to the hatch as quietly as she could. The stairs flattened out to a short hallway with the door to the nosepiece, then kept going down into the body of the ship.

The marauders were clustered around the door. Harry was crouched down looking at the ignition lock, a look of tightness on his face. Hermione looked past him, down into the vast hold of the ship. almost of it was shrouded in darkness but she could just see the dustup upon rows of cage down the side of the ship. The bars were rusted and ancient, reinforced with magic. But they looked like they were original to the ship ... like they were built in. Which was ridiculous of course of study, unless ...

Unless this used to be a knuckle down ship.

Hermione shuddered despite herself. None of the others had realized, none of them would. Except for Harry they had all been wizard raised and he hadn't been in schooling long enough. There was no point telling them, no reason to seduce this any creepyer than it already was.

The shadow that was Harry stood suddenly and put his hand on the doorway handle. What was he doing ? This wasn ‘ t part of the programme ! They were going to use gas under the room access. What was going on ? Hermione raised her scepter, they had to stun everyone inside in a mo. Harry threw the room access outdoors unhurriedly. The sharp sapidity of blood filled the air. No one cast any spells. No one spoke. Harry slowly stepped into the bridge.

"Of course."He said dryly, the maiden discussion spoken since they'd landed, spoken dispassionately while looking out over a room full of raped corpses."Of track they're loose. We ‘ re on a skittish ship at night full-of-the-moon of man-eating deadly animals. Of course of instruction the animals are loose. I was thinking that perhaps they wouldn ‘ t be, that perhaps something would go right. Obviously I was overlooking the fact that god hates marauders."

"What do we do now ?"Neville murmured fearfully.

"Blow it."Ginny growled under her breath."Forget everything. go under it now."

"We can ‘ t."Harry said angrily as he stepped over a soundbox and stood in front of the main wheel."At least not yet."

"Why ?"Parvati was glancing around fearfully."Why not ?"

"Two reasons."Harry leant against the wheel tiredly."One ; the whole point was that the animals would sink in their cages, now they could float to shore up. Two ; there are still three crew appendage alive, barricaded down in the clasp where they ca n't apparate out."

"How do you know ?"Dragon snapped suddenly.

"I know !"Harry snapped back."We need a new plan. The creatures are mostly still in their coop, seems like it ‘ s just the manticores that got loose."

"How do you-"

"I just know !"Harry rubbed his forehead tiredly, his middle were closed."There are compartment doors down below. If we can trap the beasts inside the appreciation, sort it off and ward it up unspoiled it ‘ ll be the same as a cage. H2O gets in, beast do n't get out. Just one problem ..."

"What ?"Ginny was eyeing the doors carefully, looking for anything trying to sneak up on them.

"The gang are down in that hold."Harry took a deep breathing spell and turned back towards the marauders."Alright ... this is what we ‘ re doing. I need four masses with me down in the hold, It ‘ s too cramped for more. We go get the survivors, get out. The residuum of you split up and watch the fore and aft doors. You lock them good the bit we give the signal."

"quaternity ‘ s not enough."Draco said immediately.

"I don ‘ t have time to argue !"Harry yelled."You said you ‘ re an army this is what it ‘ s about ! We need to do this. We need to do this. The four adept. Your four honest. Now."

No one spoke, Hermione felt like kicking herself. Of track it wasn't like old clip. Of row this wasn't the old Harry, it was definitely the new Harry. It always had been. Ginny cleared her throat,

"Draco, me, Hermione and Padma."Ginny took a deep breath."Ron, Fred, George, you fly over and man the other door. Everyone else see this one. The point is-"

"Me yelling to shut the bloody doors."Harry interrupted."No point in time being stealthy at that point."

Harry moved slowly out of the bridge deck. Hermione steeled herself them followed. They stepped down the stairs slowly, the huge hold opened up in front of them. Surely it had been expanded.

"This way."Harry whispered, pointing along a raised walkway."Draco, determine our back."Harry stalked forward, his baton out ahead of him. Hermione followed him. They passed a dark Cage, inside it a gigantic black ball shifted near the rachis. Hermione tried to ignore it, the I in the John Cage were the condom single, it was the single outside they had to observe out for. The cage ended and was replaced by another, six red eyes looked out from behind the bars. The three dog promontory were pressed right up to the edge, watching them. Come to suppose of it the cage in fauna probably hadn't been fed in a while. Suddenly the pitching and pealing of the ship seemed worse. If she fell into one of the cage ...

She spread her animal foot further apart, trying to get more stable. This was painful, this was hell, and they were going in to save some stupid moon curser. Bad citizenry ! Hermione didn't smell good for thinking like that. Not respectable at all. Harry suddenly raised a helping hand for them to stop.

"Get down."Harry hissed."One of them ‘ s coming. From up ahead. It hasn ‘ t seen us."

Obviously it hadn't, they were invisible. But how had Harry seen it ? Hermione watched as Harry aimed his wand down the dark gangboard, waited a tenacious moment ... and flicked it forward, muttering under his breath. The flash of green Light Within was expected but still horrifying, flying into the darkness. For a second it illuminated a unsmooth lions mane and two shining eyes glowing green in the light. Then it snapped out and there was a dull clunk like a trunk hitting the floor.

"One out of six."Harry murmured, then shuddered."So that was the killing nemesis. Felt like drinking nightmares."

"Harry ..."Padma began but Harry silenced her with a wave.

"It 's just a tool."Harry shook himself."Just a tool. Just a creature. Come on, lets keep going."Harry stepped forward, into the darkness.

Harry brought them to another staircase and quietly slinked down, his back pressed up to the wooden wall. As they crept down Harry held up a handwriting to discontinue again and dropped down to his knees.

"The other five are sleeping in there."Harry pointed down the stairs."Round the corner, right in front of the memory room where the crew are barricaded."

Hermione didn't bother to ask how he knew.

"Now the antechamber opens up just round down the corner."Harry sketched the curve of it with his hand."We can hit them all before they even wake up. Draco, you kill the one up by the far will,"Harry pointed straight into the wall. `` Ginny, near the left wall. Hermione get the one right next to it, closer to us. Padma you get the one right hand in the midriff, I 'll get the one closest to the stairs. Got it ? Everyone ready ? ``

Hermione was gripping her wand hard, her ribbon wet with sweat. She did n't experience ready but she nodded anyway. They shifted closer towards the corner. Harry held his hand up, three digit. Two fingers. One ...

Harry swung out around the sharpness, his sceptre coming up, at the Lapplander metre his knee bent down. giving the residual of them a serious shot. Hermione jumped out as fast as she could, the room was pitch smutty ! How was she supposed to-

'' Avada Kedavra ! '' A blast of green luminosity flew from Harry 's wand, striking a dark cast on the flat coat and throwing the residual of the room into sharp shadow. Four sets of shining eyes perked up in the darkness. Each of them was exactly where Harry had said. Hermione aimed frantically,

'' A ... Avada Kedavra ! '' It felt like icicles were flickering down her arm, stabbing down her arm all the way down to her heart. Freezing cryptic into her chest, like holy terror. Then it was gone a minute later as the burning green light flew away, striking the manticore as it rose from the solid ground, throwing it back into the ground. At the same time she felt three more than bam of confidential information and flashes of grim magic fly out from beside her. A shattering clank of wooden splinters sounded and there was an angry inhuman roar. A shape unfurled like a bound and flew across the elbow room towards them. Hermione felt her arm shot up, too slowly ! Too slow !

'' Excalabus ! ``

A shining ovalbumin Light flashed across the wood and there was a screaming like a saw across glass. She felt a atomiser of dark blood covert her and a threatening shape flew past her, impacting with a heavy thump against the rearwards bulwark. She turned to it, not breathing. It was a manitcore, or one-half of one. It was sliced in two, the wound leaking a sea of profligate into the floor. She turned back. Harry was standing over the other one-half, his wand surrounded by a glowing white nimbus cloud, extending out like a flair. Like a sword. He flicked it off and the room became blue again.

'' Who missed ? '' Harry 's voice was low and hard.

'' I did Harry. '' Draco shook his head. `` It was too far away, too little illumination. I saw the oculus, I- ''

'' Practice. '' Harry cut him off and turned away from them. `` exercise hard. '' As he walked away one of the Cerberus in a cage began barking and biting at the bars. It could smack the rake. Hermione tried to ignore it, tried to retrieve that the bars were reinforced. But it was hard. The dog on the other face woke up at the racket and rammed the parallel bars with its berm. There was a screaming of metal and the dog fell back.

Harry ignored the mammoth Cerberus and walked calmly through the dark room to arrive at the small door at the end. He thumped it with his fist.

'' Hey ! '' Harry yelled. `` Humans in there get out. We 've come to rescue you, except we do n't require to see any wands and you 'd break have your hands up ! '' There was a scraping sound as if huge crate were being moved. The dog-iron kept scraping against the bars, biting at the wood. Hermione tried to go on calm ... tried to ...

Oh no. No no no no no !

'' Harry ! ``

'' What ? '' Harry pushed the doorway open, revealing three rumpled and ragged men. `` What is it ? ``

'' Harry we need to go now ! ``

'' Ok, ok. We got what we came for. ``

'' NO ! Harry the cages are built into the ship ! ``

'' So ? ``

'' You released the protective charms on the ship ! ``

Harry 's face fell like a pop balloon. His optic shot wide.

'' So those bars are just ... ''

'' Heavily corroded iron. ``

'' God hates us. '' Harry whispered. `` God hates us ... RUN ! ``

At the moment Harry yelled the left wing Cerberus took a run for pounce and shattered through the bars straight a him.

'' Avada Kedavra ! '' Harry 's verge had flicked up the instant it moved and the commons igniter struck the massive muscled material body in the air. But it kept moving and fell like a Harlan Stone onto Harry, like a mess of black hair and sweating frame. At the hold out moment he threw himself to the side of meat and slid out from under it as it fell to the story in a splintering plosion of wooden shrapnel.

'' Well do n't brook there run ! '' Harry yelled, pushing himself to his foundation and waving them towards the door. He turned to the crewmen. `` You too ! ``

The other hellhound had a bar in each backtalk and was grinding them apart.

'' Avada Kedavra ! '' Harry shot at it. The go smashed one of the cake into rusty shards. `` Screw that ! Just run ! ``

Hermione spun and dashed up the stairs. Behind her she could hear more running play groundwork and the horrid gnashing of giant jaws. someone pushed her to the English and she saw one of the scrawny crew penis making a rift up the stairs. She picked herself up and threw herself forward as fast as potential. She glanced behind her, all the marauders were cannoning along behind her. Harry was bringing up the rear, sending heartbeat of cat valium nightmares behind him.

They reached the passage. She could see the doorway ! The wall exploded in splinters and four muscled implements of war reached out to grab her.

'' Avada Kedavra ! '' The spell came easier this time, freezing her to the core as even as it threw the wendigo back through the wall. In a way it made it well-to-do, it made her numb. She felt somebody shove her forward and realized she had been standing still. She dashed towards the doorway, trying to keep open away from the buckling prevention of the cages all around her. They could smell the blood.

'' Hermione what the hell is going on ! '' Parvati yelled from the position of the door as she hurtled through.

'' Just close up it ! '' Her throat felt raw. `` Close it ! ``

Hermione scrambled away down the corridor before turning and looking back. The raged crewman were already huddling on this slope of the threshold just as Ginny and Padma hurtled through with Draco right of their heels. Behind them the hold was a unholy nightmare of churning flesh, every nighttime shadow seemed to have a crawling wolf. Harry was still in the corridor, retreating slowly as he threw spell after spell at the roaring mass.

'' Harry just leave it ! '' Draco yelled. `` Get back here ! ``

Harry spun and dashed for the door, the swarthiness following like a wave. Suddenly the cage in straw man of him exploded outwards, dark tomentum and scarred flesh coming between the marauders and Harry. Wooden sides of the John Cage buckled and broke, the roof came with it, filling the air with matchwood and the passageway with heavy wooden spars. It was blocked.

'' shut it ! '' Harry 's voice shook the ship, amplified by magic. `` I 'll get out the other way. ``

Hermione froze. No, they could n't. She saw Ginny glance down the corridor, then up at Draco. They both nodded.

'' close it. '' Ginny ordered, her voice raw.

'' But ... ''

'' CLOSE IT ! '' Ginny suited her words and flicked her wand at the toilsome hatch, slamming it shut. `` Hermione hospital ward it ! ``

Hermione shook as she raised her wand. It took her three tries to properly varnish the door up.

'' rightfulness, now get on the Calluna vulgaris. '' Ginny grabbed hers off her back. `` We get to the former side of the ship and go in after Harry. ``

Of course of instruction ! Hermione threw herself onto her broom. They could still go in and avail him !

'' You three with them ! '' genus Draco bellowed at the crew members, pointing at the baker twins and Neville. `` And stay quiet. ``

Hermione lifted off the floor and aimed up the crosshatch to the outside. The rain and wind hit her but she ignored them, they had to go help Harry ! Suddenly the air was filled with a buffeting wall of audio. The night air was lit up with two counterpart eruptions of fire. Reflecting off the mountainous waves and painting them red like a sea of lava. Under her the ship lurched to the side, there was the sound of gushing water.

'' Why did you suck it ! '' soul yelled behind her. Hermione turned to see Ginny angle off her ling and grabbing Split by the straw man of his robe.

'' I got the signal. '' The surprised boy shook his headspring. `` I assumed it was you. ``

'' What 's going on ? '' Fred yelled as he, George V and Ron were swooped in from the former end of the ship. `` Did everyone get out ? ``

Oh Harry ... we should experience known.
*


Harry leapt from the top of the coop as it disappeared under the gushing water and grabbed the beam above him, swinging up onto it with all his strength. Something below him roared but he ignored it and dashed along the thin and shaking length of wood.

This was hell. This was his own personal hell. The water was coming in everywhere, gushing up through a thousand holes in the hold. And the creatures ... Harry had had to gild the detention sealed. If he hadn't they would give broken free people. They were everywhere down here, he was sure that if they weren't trying to kill each former as hard as they were trying to eat him he would already be beat. In the water beneath him the sullen nous of a Cerberus surfaced and gulped a barking breather before a crab like wildcat leapt from the tincture and slashed out it's eye. They both disappeared back under the grim piddle, stained with blood, in a foaming maelstrom.

He had to get out of here. Harry's eyes frantically searched for some way ... any way ... out. The body of water was everywhere ! The little terror rose in Harry's throat. He couldn't think ! Couldn't breathing space ! NO ! NO ! remain focus !

Harry leapt onto the top of another shift batting cage, ignoring the floating remains in the water nearby. There had to be some way ! His eyes searched frantically but all there was was crashing water and writhing flesh. Harry was struck in the back by a ebullition of pee, knocking him down to the alloy legal community below. He spun around and the waterfall struck him in the fount, holy terror blindsided him again but he threw it down again. The effusive piddle was coming from a ... pipe ? A maw ? A ... feeding muddle ! Harry threw himself to the rampart and clambered up a heaving beam, the ceiling right above him, he flicked his sceptre out,

"Hammus Missus !"The spinning conjured strand lashed out and stabbed into the organ pipe. Harry grabbed to and pray that Hollywood got some things right. He let go of the wall. He swung out into the spray of gushing water and screamed as it splattered over his caput. He was thrown out the other incline but he came back just as fast."This is absurd ! Arefacio !"The waterfall dried up and he was able to climb a few pes up before it began gushing again.

A squawking terror exploded from the darkness to Harry 's left hand. His baton was occupied but Harry clawed a gun from his scoop and fired wildly at the feathered brute. He did n't stop shooting until it disappeared into the water supply below. Harry stuck the gun in his waistband and cast the Arfacio again. He was able to displume himself up another few feet before the water came again.

By the painfully slow stopping and starting he was able ( just ) to hand the pipe. He cast one more drought appeal and reached as high as he could in the darkness, his fingers reached the boundary. Harry dropped off the chemical chain and pulled himself up with all his forcefulness. The water struck his head just as he pulled himself up and beached himself on the pitching deck like a seal.

The ship was already mostly underwater, there was just the lowly, gamy, portion left. Sinking fast. Where were the marauders ? There ! Up high !

"HEY !"Harry magically amplified his voice and shouted out over the water supply."I ‘ M HERE !"

The broom dropped like stones, shooting right at him. genus Draco braked to a stop rightfulness in front line of his face.

"You idiot !"He yelled, reaching out and pulling Harry onto his broom."You accomplished idiot !"

"Shut up and fly !"
*


The light of dawn was just creeping over the horizon when they finally touched down back on estate, a rasping stony beach. Harry staggered onto solid ground and tried to get his balance back. He turned to the three disheveled crewmen.

"You three are going to give now."He growled, raising his baton."I don ‘ t care where you go. I risked my tooshie for you but it doesn ‘ t make you any less scum. Bare in mind that by failing to protect your ship you failed lord Voldemort, he ‘ s not going to be happy with you so if I were you I ‘ d go far far away. Right now."

The three men broke and ran like scar rabbits. God knows where they ended up. Harry breathed out and turned back to the marauders.

"Good. That went well."

"well !"Padma let out a stifle cry."Everything that could possibly possess gone wrong did go improper !"

"And despite all that we stopped the freight and made it out alive."Harry sat down on the heavy ground and pushed the hair out of his eyes. God he was tired."We have to assume that the odds will be stacked against us. We have to always behave that in psyche, tonight was a good example. We have to be prepared for the worst case scenario, we met that tonight. And we did well tonight. We did, we really did. I ‘ m proud of all of you."

The marauders all bowed their headspring, they looked as tired as he felt. They were too tired to be proud right now. Too bad this wasn't over.

"Here,"Harry drew his bottomless bag over and pulled a tent out of it. It raised itself with a tap of his baton and would fit half a house inside."Get inside and get some sopor. We need to be make in five hours."

"five-spot minute ?"Ginny asked pointedly."What happens in five minute ?"

"Phase two of the plan. In six hr will be when the ship was meant to occur into port."Harry grinned evilly."There will be a group of death eaters, five of them, waiting to receive them in a hidden port site. Hidden ... rocky ... enclosed ... thoroughly place for an ambush."

"We ‘ re ambushing them ?"Draco asked disbelievingly."Today ?"

"Yes."Harry pushed himself from the floor."Today. I mean Voldemort to feel the double whammy of the release of his beast and his death eaters all in one fell swoop. I mean to put to put the heat on him, really call on up the threat floor you know ... The creatures were the principal thing, couldn ‘ t let them reach nation. The dying eaters are just the icing on the cake."

"Harry ... are you surely ?"Hermione stepped forward."We ‘ re all tired already ... we don ‘ t want any mistakes. Maybe we should let this one go."

"No."Harry shook his head word."We can ‘ t. We can ‘ t let this one go, or any of them for that matter. Now get on into the tent, you ‘ re wasting valuable resting sentence. I ‘ ll bring the first watch. Go on, there are beds for everyone. Huge ones, this a really good tent."

Harry settled back down on his tilt as the marauders trouped inside the tent. Harry sighed, if they didn't like stage two they definitely wouldn't like stage three.



inspection or a giant prehistoric dragonfly will choose you to be the host for it 's epenthetic larva.


The side by side chapter 's a big one so brace yourselves.


Please perform these basic rubber stop before reading this chapter
1 ) shuffle sure your chair is strong and stiff so that if you faint you will not come to the story and jeopardy head trauma.
2 ) Make indisputable you are not in earshot of any children so when you let relax with a string of oath it does not extend to their petite ears.
3 ) Check your parentage pressure level. If it is significantly supra average you may want to register this chapter in quick dashing space of a defibrillator.
4 ) Lock away all small objects you could throw at your computer screen.
5 ) Pray.

This, boys and girls, is the big one ...



Snape felt his mark burn in the middle of a potions lesson. That was worrying, Voldemort had always been measured of maintaining his blanket. The mark burnt harder and Snape had to grit his dentition as the pain shot up his arm. This was very worrying.

"Are you alright Sir ?"A Slytherin first year. No one but a Slytherin would have dared ask him. Snape lurched to his feet.

"ingroup up your affair. The lesson is over."He could not give them unsupervised with potions component. Snape hurried out the door, sending a induce patronus to McGonagall saying that he had been called away suddenly. She would know what that meant. He felt compelled to at least keep the parliamentary law informed, but he could not bring himself to contact Dumbledore directly. He sent a second patronus to Natalie and a third to Michelson for good measure.

He reached the main gate and stepped beyond the Hogwarts wards hesitantly. The tugging on his arm intensified and he let himself be pulled into the nullity by it, drawing him along until his human foot touched ground. He glanced around, another dark-skinned billet. A storage warehouse by the look of it, dust covered the wooden boxes stacked to the high ceiling. The remainder of the death eaters were already there, standing in a rough out circle. Only Bellatrix had kept her masque off, she usually did. Vanity no doubt. dresser and a need to be seen. Snape stepped into his place in the circle and waited. He did not mask himself, he did not know why. Perhaps a whim.

But were they all there ? Snape glanced back around the circle, only eight figures stood sentinel in there midnight gown. At the conclusion meeting there had been fifteen. Snape had grown to the pointedness where he could recognise each of the death feeder by configuration alone beneath their masks. Who was missing ? Dolohov, family Corvidae, Avery Sr, Mulciber, the Carrows and Forneus. All death eaters that Voldemort could be said to entrust, if he could be said to hope anyone. That all of they would be missing at the same time ... it was very worrying.

'' Do not vex yourselves. '' The voice of Voldemort came from the air between two stacks of crate. A mo later he himself strode out, his red oculus flashing first to one of them, then to another. `` Your brothers will link up us soon. And with them they will make for gladiolus newsworthiness. Wait my friends, wait with patience. ``

Snape shifted his stance. The shipment was here, that could be the lonesome news that would put Voldemort in such a glad modality. Snape made ready to con any detail that he could glean when the seven last eater appeared. Any tiny fact that might avail to at to the lowest degree somewhat reduce the damage.

Reduce the damage ... that was a joke. keep down it from a catastrophe to a disaster.

He was broken out of his thought be a loud go. He turned to see Forneus hit forward from his fantasm point. His black gown were streaked with mud and grit and were torn raged. He collapsed near the edge of the circle, his arms out entreatingly towards the iniquity lord.

'' passe-partout ! '' He gulped, his voice good of concern. `` We were attacked. Spells out of nowhere, hundreds of them. We could not hold them back. ``

'' What ? '' Voldemort whirled on the prostrate wizard.

'' They were waiting for us. Waiting at the dock. '' Forneus ducked his head to the floor. `` I was the simply one to esc- ''

'' Look me in the eye ! '' Voldemort hissed, Forneus was dragged to his base by an invisible power. `` Look your noble in the eye when you admit your bankruptcy. ``

'' There was nothing we could do my lord. '' Forneus cringed. `` They must have known about- ''

'' Crucio ! ``

Snape watched as the E. B. White haired death eater writhed on the flooring. How had this happened ? Not the order, he would birth been able to recite if this kind of bombastic scale cognitive process was in the offing. The ministry ... that was just laughable. So that left ... Harry ceramist. This was done by Harry Potter. Snape kept his face impassive as his stomach did cartwheel. Harry was alive, fighting and apparently adequate to of fighting seven decease eaters all in one morning. But Forneus had said there were many of them ... well that explained the absence seizure in his morning class.

The dark Divine whipped his wand back, Forneus stopped shaking and instead started whimpering.

'' Up Foerneus. Up ! '' Voldemort dragged the cringing expiry feeder to his feet again. `` I expect more from one of my honest-to-goodness retainer. ``

'' Please ... please ... ''

'' What of my ship Forneus ? '' Voldemort stepped forwards. `` Where are my puppet ? ``

'' I ... I do not know my overlord. '' Forneus squeezed his oculus shut. `` It was not in the harbor. It was not in the bay beyond. I think perhaps ... If they knew where we would be then they probably also knew about the ship. I suspect ... I think ... the ship may be no more my Maker. ``

'' No more ? '' Voldeomort repeated coldly. `` No more Forneus ? My shipment ... my puppet ... is no more than ? ``

'' I do not have intercourse my lord. '' Forneus ducked his caput. `` They were not at the harbour. ``

'' You mean it is at the bottom of the sea. '' Voldemort 's spokesperson was at it 's most icy and liquid. `` You mean to tell me that my creatures, that I bought with skilful gold and solemn promises of encourage gold are dead."

'' I do not bonk my noble. ``

'' You do not know. '' Voldemort snarled. `` You do not know ! Crucio ! ``

Snape tried to rest sedate. What plans would this alteration ? How did this affect things ...

'' Please headmaster ... '' Forneus was trying to utter through gritted teeth. `` There was zero we could do. ``

'' Who did this ? '' Voldemort snapped suddenly. `` Who is creditworthy ? Speak ! ``

'' I did not see. '' Forneus whimpered. `` They were hiding ... I did not see their faces. They were everywhere but concealed. They was nothing I could identify- ''

'' Let me be the jurist of that. '' Voldemort raised his wand again. `` Legilimens ! ``

Snape watched as the two wizards remained with lock away eyes for mo, then minutes. Snape was beginning to enquire what was happening when Voldemort looked away, his brow creasing.

'' Your memories have been altered. '' Voldemort said quietly. In anyone else Snape would deliver thought he was worried. `` Your memories have been altered. Inexpertly, but they clearly have been. ``

'' You ... Do you conceive the ship may still be there my lord ? '' Forneus asked hurriedly.

'' No. '' Voldemort tapped the slope of his chin thoughtfully. `` Your retention are your own until you remember apparating away from the fight. I suspect that you did not. I suspect you were captured and whatever was done to you was done then. You were then allowed to escape. They probably thought to keep abreast you here. Foolish. No magical spell could track you here, I have warded this seat against tracking trance. ``

Snape began to feel aflutter. Harry was far from a motley fool, what was his plan here ?

'' halt still ! '' Voldemort snapped at Forneus. He flicked his wand at the demise eater. zero happened. Voldemort frowned. `` No tracking piece of any sort ... interesting. plow out you pockets ! ``

Forneus quivered as he reached into first one dark pocket of his robes, then another. As his hand reached his interior pocket he froze.

'' My lord ... there is something here. '' He slowly drew out a savorless black box, the size of it of a pack of cards. A little red visible radiation blinked on its airfoil. Forneus held it out for the dark lord. Voldemort made no move to take it but instead examined it dispassionately from where he stood.

'' Interesting ... '' Was all the wickedness Maker said.

Snape felt like chuckling. Voldemort clearly had not the timid idea what that was. Neither did Snape but at least he could recognize that it was muggle engineering. What could it be for ? The blink light was like a vengeful eye but it did not seem to be a weapon system ...
*


Ginny dropped off her broom and hastily stowed it in a carry fount before shoving it under a cloak with the others. She checked herself to make certainly no toe or ignition lock or whisker had fallen outside her own cloak ... no. Good. She motioned the others to follow her as they snuck up to a chain logic gate. Beyond were two lined of decrepit muggle warehouses, some of them with the roofs fallen in. Harry eased up to the logic gate, his eyes darting down to a small device he held nestled in his hand.

'' This is it. '' Harry nodded. `` They 're here. In the third one down on the left field. ``

'' Are you sure Harry ? '' She whispered. It was n't that she did n't intrust Harry, it was this muggle elec-tricks. Surely it could n't be as dependable as a cut across spell. She glanced down at the bright sieve on the device Harry was holding and tried to link it back to her muggle studies moral. The matter was pretty complex, more complex than a clock. There must have been hundred of gears inside. Ginny wondered how often it had to be wound. Harry looked into the obsolete industrial area, squinting at the distant warehouse, then nodded.

'' I 'm sure. Ca n't you sense the Aaron Montgomery Ward around this place ? Give me a minute and I 'll fracture us a way through. ``

Ginny tried to make herself breathing space as Harry knelt down and drew his wand, drawing it through the air as if trying to see fly ball. She turned to the predator and took a deep breath.

'' Alright, '' She began under her hint. It was hard enough making manner of speaking, it was spoilt when you could only see people as ghostly shadows. `` Today is the day. This is it. This is what we 've been training towards. We all knew it would come to this, some of us hoped it would be further away, but it 's not. It 's now. '' Ginny herself had been shocked when Harry outlined his programme, his plan to end it today. She had wanted to stop him, wanted to slap him down when he said that this was the salutary hazard they would get. The problem was he was right. She should tell them that Ginny realized,

'' Harry 's right, this is as upright a chance as we 'll ever get. Voldemort 's weak, Voldemort is running low on handmaiden. We have the vantage of Numbers and the element of surprise. They 've got Creator Voldemort, but we 've got Harry thrower ... '' Ginny broke off, looking into their all-embracing eyed faces `` I know you 're pall ... I know that maybe, deep down, we all hoped we would n't deliver to face Voldemort himself. But we are, and by doing it we can end this here and now. We can save thousands of biography today. Today is the day. We 've been an army for a long piece now, we 've been soldiers. But today, today we 're heroes. If we pull this off, one end masterpiece of piranha mayhem. We. Will. Be. Heroes. Get cook to fight, you know what to do. ``

As if on cue Harry chuckled triumphantly and pushed the gate open up a fraction. He slid inside and motioned the others to come after him. Ginny swallowed and followed him in.
*


'' Whatever this gimmick is supposed to do it is clearly faulty. '' Voldemort snorted contemptuously and knocked the black device onto the floor. `` anserine of them to rely on muggle devices. Idiotic. ``

A rough chuckle went around the circle of adept. Snape faked laughter even as he continued to stare at the box. The red luminosity was still blinking. Voldemort licked his lips and sucked it air in a snaky hiss.

'' A setback. '' He said, apparently having recover his composure. `` A fleeting reverse. We are still the capital wizards alert, possessing mogul the muggle loving mark in the order could not even comprehend. I shall triumph. ``

'' Master ... ''

'' We wield the dark magic trick, the only genuine force ! Trust in your Almighty and we will die hard. ``

'' original I have- ''

'' Forneus ? '' Voldemort turned on the cowering wizard. `` You dare disturb your passkey ? You dare even after you have humiliated yourself so ? ``

'' No my Lord, '' Forneus bowed his psyche. `` It 's just ... I have found a second device. '' He held it up for Voldemort to see. The dark Lord took it unworriedly.

'' Ha, how droll. '' Voldemort held the thing out for all the dying eater to see and laugh. `` They have sent me a block of remains. Perhaps this is their idea of a put-on. ``

Snape was not totally unaware of muggle technology and felt a secure urge to drop to the floor.
*


Harry watched as Voldemort raised the bomb above his school principal. He glanced to either side, there were marauder poised at each room access and her knew there were more at every former entree. He looked back to the death eater, Snape was with them but ... standing far enough away. He probably would n't be killed. Harry closed his eyes, Snape would understand.

Harry drew the detonator out of his gown. Hopefully this could be ended right now. With hazard even if Voldemort realized what was happening he would n't be able to harbor fast enough. The war could end there and then.

'' I do own a power you know not. '' Harry muttered under his intimation. `` Turns out it goes boom. ``

He clicked up the back on the detonator, and pressed the switch.
*


'' Master no ! '' Rookwood suddenly yelled, whipping his wand out. Every eye flicked to him, even Voldemort 's. `` Protego ! ``

Even as the shining shield slid between the nighttime lord and the bomb there was an earth-shattering crack and Snape was hit by a rampart of noise and light. He was lifted off his fundament and thrown painfully against a crate. His ears were entire of only ringing and he fell in curious detachment, not even hearing the thumping as his own dead body crash onto the storey. Through the fog of noise and tried to go his ramification, painful but unbroken, then his arms. He got to his fundament, blinking as everything swam before his eyes. He raised his wand to his grimace and tried to fix his sight. It was n't perfect but even the fallible prospect before him shocked him to his core.

flaming licked every crateful as the explosion had thrown burning sherd across the full warehouse. He could see the death eater running about in a mad, silent, panic, their mouths spread in screeching of pain. Snape raised his wand to his ear and hesitantly muttered a healing charm. The shocking klaxon call of screeching almost made him regret doing so. Nott ran past him, his very overcharge ablaze on his vertebral column. Snape ignored him, if anyone noticed his unthinking position to a fellow death eater they would just ascribe it to shock. Voldemort himself was nowhere to be seen. Snape stumbled forward, stepping over a prone body, his nous still full of fuzz.

'' Stupefy ! '' The shot came out of nowhere, striking the bloody number of Nott and throwing him to the base. Snape had his own wand out but the stunners were flying faster, from everywhere. Snape 's head ached, he could n't retain up with this.

'' Bhraanti taraGga urvii ca agni ! '' The dark spell exploded out of the earth, throwing boxes away and tearing the concrete underfoot in a burning conflagration. Voldemort appeared out of the sens in the center of it, his weapon raised as the power of the spell coursed through him. The shattering footing expanded in every management, clearing a quad in the dark warehouse. Voldemort finally let his arms fall, his optic still blazing with power. He pointed at three cowering death eaters with his clawed mitt. `` You ! Make a baracade there ! Bella, the same there ! They have surrounded us and warded this place against shadow, but we will cut them down ! They will rue the day they chose to fight me ! ``

Snape felt his muscle moving dully as he moved to help levitate the crates into a roadblock. The peach were already flying again. The Charles Herbert Best thing was to delay silent, wait for his chance.
*


'' Damnit ! '' Harry threw himself behind a pile of boxes as a killing swearing burned through the air where he had just been. He rolled and came up following to where Draco was peering out the corner of a pile of sacks. Harry spun out around the corner and took in the barrier of crate. He was invisible but there was so much smoke-

'' Avada kedavra ! ``

Harry spun a crate into the track of the turn then banished it against the barricade. It exploded, raining beans over the death eaters.

'' Galbinus digitus ! '' Harry whipped his wand at the viridity exhibitioner and vines shot out of the dried husks, binding the two wizard into suffocating wad. Harry darted back behind the carrier bag as spells began to rain down on the speckle he had been standing.

'' Got them ? '' genus Draco yelled at him.

'' Think so ! How many do you- '' Harry was cut off as the background before them raised up in a boom crash. Two massive rhombus eyes fractured open up in grey Isidor Feinstein Stone and two arms erupted up beside the creature. It punched into the undercoat and the two marauders were thrown back.

'' Reducto ! '' Harry aimed at one stony eye but the spell just bounced off.

'' Avada kedavra ! '' Draco called out desperately as they scrambled away, the nemesis left a massive crack through the thing 's front but it did not stop it 's advance. It raised it 's arm like a pound,

'' Excalabus ! '' The shining sword crew out of nothing and sliced the golem 's arm off at the elbow making it howl in hurting. Harry slashed through it 's physical structure and jumped away as it crumbled into dust.

'' That was Voldemort 's body of work. '' Draco panted.

'' Oh really ya think ? '' Harry glanced around for a substance to attack. `` They 're all in one blank space. We 're strung out over the whole bloody warehouse. He can blame us off one by one like this, invisible or not ! ``

'' You think we should take shape up ? '' genus Draco held his wand out ready.

'' No, they 'll just escape the early way. '' Harry ground his teeth together.

'' Maybe the aurors will get here soon. '' Malfoy had to duck as a go pin-wheeled over his head. `` Or the order. ``

'' Ca n't camber on a maybe ! '' Harry glanced up and got an idea. `` apply the note, I 'm going to break them up. ``
*


Snape saw a wispy pattern dashing through the smoke and aimed just behind it. This was folly, pure madness. Without Voldemort the death eater would sustain fallen at the get-go burst, blinded and burned as they were, but with him they were holding their own against the ghost Army raining enchantment down on them from all counselling. There was no telling where the next tone-beginning would come from, even the barricades were scant protection. And all the while the high temperature from the burning building all around charring into his pelt. Being stuck in the middle of all that and not really being part of either side ... madness.

Snape hoped that perhaps Harry 's unseeable army would recognize him but he could n't number on it. If he could depend on not being noticed he could try stunning himself, but then he would n't be there to help Harry if something went wrongfulness. Snape shielded himself from a battery of looker and cried in pain as a voluptuous scrap of alloy dropped onto him from above. He looked up in time to see a atomiser of sparks dislodge from the roof far above then yelled despite himself as the metal twisted inwards and Harry dropped like a plunk war hawk into the middle of the death eaters.

His boots struck Bellatrix in the face just as she looked up and labour her to the floor with a bone-splitting crunch. Harry rolled like and came up in a mo slashing his wand like a sword, there was a flash of white light source and Rodolphus was opened from hip to neck. He went down spraying red roue across his assailant but Harry had already whirled and blew one of the barricades to smithereens.

'' Avada kedavra ! ``

Harry ducked the expletive and snap back but he was in the middle of the death eaters now. Exactly what he wanted, Snape realized in flashing moment. He 's providing a distraction for the others to attack. The problem was he would probably die to reach it. Snape raised his baton to help Harry but there was a sudden crack of Negro illumination and he felt pain in the ass invade every limb. An orb of shadow spun through the air towards Harry. Harry dodged wildly but there were too many early piece flying and it exploded in the air succeeding to him. Driving him sprawling to the story. Snape shuddered, he had just experienced the backwash of the turn and he felt like he had been kicked in the head by a knight. What Harry must be feeling he could not imagine.

'' Protect us ! '' Voldemort snapped, his wand still smoking from the herculean execration. `` I will deal with the boy. ``

Snape turned to make it look like he was complying but sustain spotter as the wickedness lord stepped up cheeseparing to Harry. Voldemort held out a hand and summoned Harry 's scepter to him.

'' Very brave Mr ceramist. '' Voldemort raised his baton. `` And very foolish. You must forgive me but I do n't suffer time to cause one of our traditional chats. Avada- ''

'' Avada kedavra ! '' Harry threw his left arm up as he shouted the inexcusable. The mocking laugh died on Voldemort 's lips as Harry 's hand exploded in green light.

The spell flashed through the air towards the scandalise dark lord. Snape watched as if in dull apparent motion as Voldemort's hand flew into his gown and gripped around something. The very consequence before the common deadbolt struck him he disappeared. The spell slashed across the circle and struck Rosier in the chest, catapulting his corpse into the wall.

"God Almighty !"Forneus'strangled voice sounded out as she rushed forward. Harry had fallen on his slope cradling his hand in excruciation but at the demise eater 's cry he unfurled and thrust his hired man forward,

"Avada Kedavra !"The immature bolt flashed towards the old death feeder but he threw himself to one side and screamed a curse. A purple bolt flicked off the end towards Harry but he frantically waved another death feeder into the path of the charm then banished the screaming figure so that it crashed into Forneus'face.

"kill him !"Someone yelled and Snape realized that the early end eaters were turning on Harry with rictus snarl of vengeful fury. Snape's regard flicked from the death eaters charging to Harry, raising his arm again, and decided in a moment.

"Stupefy !"Snape's beauty jammed Goyle's heading back with a sickening crunch.

"Traitor !"Forneus was rising from the base with his scepter pointed in recrimination."Crucio !"

Snape ducked the patch and darted over to stand shoulder to shoulder with Harry.

"Incendio !"

Snape shielded without cerebration and the fire magical spell was absorbed into the general inferno.

"Tempesto !"Harry screamed, his vocalism twisted with pain, and waved his helping hand in a whirling arch. A wind sprung from empty air and drew the flame wood into a spinning tornado of hellfire. Harry pointed and flung the firestorm at the death feeder, scattering them like rabbits. Harry spun on Snape in the short meter that had gained them.

"Why did you go get across ?"He yelled, swooping to take hold of a flow wand."They all saw you ! Idiot !"

"No more idiot than you for coming here !"Snape shooting back as he sent a smasher at a hit shape in the flames."Rushing in like a fool ! You are doing exactly what I said you would !"

"I had a plan !"Harry growled at him."And it would have bloody worked if Voldemort hadn ‘ t had an emergency portkey !"

"You risked your biography !"

"Mine to risk !"

"As is my covert !"Snape glared into the smoke but the former destruction feeder seemed to be trying to hightail it rather than fight.

"They ‘ re trying to escape."Harry confirmed it and began advancing after them. His sceptre outstretched as he marched into the roll of tobacco."The aurors have broken in too now. We can trap them between us."

"Harry how have you been casting spells ?"Snape hurried after him, his verge flicking towards every hint of motion.

"Wandlessly obviously."

"Harry wandless magic is beyond you."Snape grated, it was the unsubdivided truth."And besides, certain patch can not be performed wandlessly, it is simply impossible. The unforgivables are among them."

"Impossible for regular people."Harry flashed a rictus grin through the murk.

'' Harry, your hand ! '' Snape cried as he saw it clearly for the first time. He grabbed the arm, his eyes wide with horror. The middle finger's breadth was burnt down to a counterfoil and his indicant finger's breadth was gone to the secondment knuckle. The full rest of the script was shrivelled and charred, as if it was burning from the inside out. It was boiling to the touch. `` Harry what have you done ! ``

'' What I had to ! '' Harry pulled his ruined hand back and held it painfully to his bureau."I ‘ m the boy who lived, the bloody chosen one ! follow on, they ‘ re this way."

Wondering how Harry knew Snape followed him into the murk.
*


'' What is the state of affairs ? '' Shacklebolt yelled as he dashed up to the side of the flaming building. Ginny turned and almost felt like hugging him. So recrimination, no asking why they were there, no telling them off, just straight to byplay. This must be why dad looked up to him.

'' There were eight death eaters inside, at least three utterly now. '' Ginny rattled off. `` Voldemort too. They were barricaded in the midsection but Harry scattered them. We have n't seen Voldemort himself since then but some of the others are still in there. Some of our people too, unseeable. ``

'' Voldemort 's gone. '' Shacklebolt supplied. `` Unregistered portkey. John Fletcher, take your team to the west entrance- ''

Ginny stepped back towards the building and grabbed the unseeable baker similitude who were standing with her.

'' We 're getting everyone out, all our citizenry. '' She motioned one of them to each end of the edifice. `` We got them, we won. ``
*


'' Harry give up ! '' Snape yelled as Harry had to jump out of the way of a collapsing bundle of burning boxful. `` You could be killed here ! ``

'' They 're still in here ! '' Harry forged onwards into the murk.

'' Fool boy ! '' Snape 's robe caught fire and he threw it off angrily before rushing forward. He grabbed Harry around the arm only to be shook off. `` They will all be short or gone by now ! ``

'' Two of them are still in here ! '' Harry pointed with his ravaged bridge player. `` They 're over there ! ``

'' The aurors will get them. ``

'' You do n't get laid that ! '' Harry staggered a few to a greater extent steps before keeling over and retching onto the floor. Snape shied away, for a minute unsure of what to do. The only if thing in his mind was an unwarranted stake in the fact that the vomit was steaming as it hit the floor. Harry stumbled to his feet and Snape hissed in shock, Harry 's eyes were running red with blood.

'' Harry something is improper with you. '' Snape stepped forward carefully. `` Something is clearly faulty. You need a healer. ``

'' I ca n't go forth yet ! ``

'' The aurors will- ''

'' No ! '' Harry turned and dashed into the smoke. Snape heard a monumental crack from above and sweep his wand up, not fast enough. The wooden electron beam struck Harry in the back and drove him down, knocking him out and pinning him to the floor. Snape dashed forward, for once not even thinking of his sceptre, and shoved the radio beam off with all his strength. It thudded onto the story and Snape rolled Harry onto his back. Blood was running down the poor boys haggard face.

'' Oh Harry .... why ? You fool ... '' Snape felt rising anger. None of it directed at Harry. `` You did n't have to do this. You did n't accept to do any of this. You did not have to destroy yourself .... Damn you Dumbledore ! '' He slammed his fist into the cracked footing and bowed his point. He did n't even notice the second beam before in struck him on the back and drove him from consciousness.

And all around the fire raged.
*


'' Are all of your people out. '' Shacklebolt yelled at Ginny.

'' Not Harry. '' Ginny frantically glanced back into the blaze. `` He 's still in there. '' She saw Shacklebolt 's face fall.

'' The edifice is not going to endure practically longer. ``

'' Gone on Harry. '' Ginny felt herself whispering. `` Come on ... ''
*


The watcher scrabbled through the flaming warehouse. He had come following the aurors, follow hoping to vote out Sir Thomas More death feeder. causal agent hurting to the snake-one. Cause pain in the ass to Tom riddle. But all he had found was flames, flames and death.

His eyes darted around, trying to find a way out. If he was trapped here both he and Smoky would be killed. His finger idly caressed Smoky 's scales where she hid in his sleeve. Maybe Smoky could hide in one of the grating in the floor, but he would die for for sure. And if he died he would never get his revenge.

Sweet sweet-scented revenge ... He took a bit to savor the opinion as the flames licked at his legs.

What was that ? A hole in the base, one of the muggle ones. A way out. He shuffled towards it and flicked the cover off with his wand. As he was about to lower himself into it he froze. Just nearby were two figures pinned to the ground by a light beam. One he did n't recognize, but the other ... The other was the fighter-boy the one who had reached the servant of the snake-one before him. He fought the snake-one, Tom Riddle, the thief of spirit, the trickster, the face-stealer, the- He shook his head as the leaning of hatred raged through his mind.

He lifted the part of Sir Henry Joseph Wood off easily with a magical spell and regarded them through his wither eye. He did not remember caring about anyone, even before the snake-one did things to him. But these also fought the snake-one. And so maybe they should n't die. Maybe not.

He levitated them off the ground and scuttled to a faded windowpane and threw them through the glass. There were shouts from exterior and he could see the drape men clustering around them. The dressed men could n't see him though. He scuttled back to the hole in the floor and lowered himself in.

They could n't catch him yet.

He still had killing to do.
*


Harry stood in the apple plantation again. The leaves turned brown for the season, the ground wet with dew. In every commission it stretched, impossibly deep.

'' Why am I here ? '' Harry tried to say, but his mouth would n't build sound. His throat was closed.

What is this place ?

Harry turned on his heel and there was the edge of the Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree, just paces away. And beyond it ... nothing. The world just dropped away as if the trees were the only real thing.

The phone of the river raged in his ears, filling him with concern. He ran from the edge, back into the safety device of the tree diagram, back into the real part. But it was crumbling now, he could see the edge crumbling away and yet somehow never getting closer. Always falling apart but staying where it was.

What is this place ?

Harry hugged his arms to his chest. This was a dream, this was only a dream.

Then why does it experience like this is the only thing that 's material ?
*


'' He 's awake. ``

Draco dropped off his hospital bed at the speech sound of the therapist representative and hurried up to the side of Harry 's bed. most of the other marauders clustered around with him. The Weasley Twin and Annapurna were all in their own bed, kept mercifully unconscious while their injuries healed. They had all been hurt when they managed to drag themselves out of that inferno, it was a lowly miracle none of them were dead. No ... not a miracle, they had trained, they had prepared. That was the reason they were still awake. Not a miracle.

Draco looked down at his friend, lying pale and wan on the hospital canvas. His oculus had cracked open, but he still was n't moving.

'' Welcome back Harry. '' Hermione grasped Harry 's hand encouragingly. `` Do n't try to talk yet the doctors said you were really sick. ``

'' ... ah ... '' Harry licked his back talk and tried again. `` ... Volde ... mort ... ''

'' He got away. '' Ginny supplied. Harry squeezed his eyes shut, a defeated moan broke out from somewhere in his chest.

'' Do n't feel bad mate. '' Ron was clearly trying to sound upbeat. half-wit. `` Only three death eater got away. We got all the quietus, all of them. ``

'' Who ... ? '' Harry 's question was hissed out through obvious pain.

'' Well, there was Rookwood. '' Padma began, counting off on her fingers. `` He managed to slip past the aurors. Forneus too. ``

'' Three ... ''

'' And ... '' Padma 's eyes flickered towards Neville. `` And Bellatrix. ``

'' Bella ... '' Harry 's facial expression contorted into a snarl. `` Got her ... Could swear I got- ''

'' You did Harry. '' Ginny picked up a deoxyephedrine of water and slowly helped Harry to drink from it. `` The aurors were dragging her out but she came to in their arms, killed one of them with her bare hands and dissapperated with his sceptre. ``

'' Killed ? He died ? '' Harry 's voice seemed to be coming a bit easier now but it was still at the sharpness of weakness.

'' Yes. The solely auror, parliamentary law member or marauder to die yesterday. '' Draco supplied, he could see Ginny 's head bowing. She could n't possibly feel guilty could she ? The man had let an unconscious captive rip out his windpipe. It was tragic, but it was no ones fault but his own. Harry certainly would n't feel guilty.

'' We got the sleep though did n't we ? '' Harry asked, glancing down at his bandaged hand.

'' Most of them are perfectly. '' Draco supplied. `` Those who did n't die in the conflict died in the blast. ``

'' gibbon died. '' Neville said quietly. `` I saw the aurors pulling him out. individual should tell apart Vanessa. She deserves to recognise her beginner 's dead. Even if he was ... well you know. ``

'' If it was me I 'd be disappointed I was n't the one to shoot down him. '' Harry said quietly, still staring at his bandaged hand.

'' Harry, your paw ... '' Hermione brought it up and there was an inst cooling system among the predator. No one had wanted to be the one to ask Harry about it. `` Your hand it ... ''

'' Injured, I know. '' Harry looked over at it dully. `` Can the healer fix it ? ``

'' They ... they can grow the digit back Harry but- ''

'' perfect, that 's finely then. ``

'' But how did it happen in the low gear place ? '' Hermione looked like she was trying to avoid actually looking at the hand. `` Snape said you used a wandless putting to death curse which is impossible- ''

'' Apparently not. '' Harry cut her off. `` If they can fix me then why have n't they started ? I need my mitt back, Voldemort could retaliate at any mo. ``

'' Harry ... '' Hermione looked around, perhaps looking for backup. Draco shook his forefront, she had opened Pandora 's box she could care with it on her own. `` Harry the handwriting is n't the only thing wrong with you. ``

'' Some sort of curse or something ? ``

'' No, at least ... they do n't think so. ``

'' What are you talking about ? ``

'' Well- '' Hermione began but was cut off as a vocalisation said,

'' Let me explain. '' genus Draco looked towards the sound to see Snape striding in through the door. The marauders made way for him as he moved to the foot of Harry 's bed. A white bandage encircled his forehead but he did n't look to detect it. Snape nodded towards Harry 's bankrupt helping hand. `` I think I understand now. That was a Shén de shou was n't it ? ``

No. No Harry oh god no ! genus Draco felt some horrific cocktail of rage, veneration and pity grow in his pectus. He didn't, he couldn't have. But genus Draco knew in his pith that he could.

'' By the fact that you 're asking you already know that the solution is yes so why hassle. '' Harry replied coldly.

'' Harry you are twice the gull I ever named you. '' Snape bowed his head, his eye closed. `` That you would do this ... ''

'' Do what ? '' Ginny broke in. `` Do what ? What 's a ... Shin-de-show ? ``

'' Shén de shou, a god-hand. '' genus Draco supplied, finding that his voice was almost tinged with split. `` It 's an operation, originating in China, they insert wand cores into the finger cymbals of your hand. Surgically. '' There was a gasp from the marauder 's but Draco carried on. It felt better if they knew it too, like the horror was more diffuse out. `` It 's outlawed everywhere in the world. It is insanely grave, even when they are done right they damage the substance abuser since the trick has to wedge it 's way out through flesh and cutis. And casting a curse word as powerful as the killing hex ? He 's lucky he still has an arm. ``

'' I was n't planning on using it hover feathers. '' Harry said acidly. `` It was a weapon of finis refuge, and it worked. I saved myself and almost killed Voldemort. ``

'' If it were only that simple Harry. '' Snape still was n't looking Harry in the eye. `` Your Shén de shou may suffer been installed properly, it may not take been. Either way it would not account for all of your symptoms. And yes Harry, you have many symptoms. The therapist found infections in your blood, some new and some just remnants. You have been sick all year have n't you ? Keeping yourself going with pep-up potion as you reeled from one illness after another. And now they have all caught up with you. ``

He was spew. Malfoy felt dread rise in his stomach. He was sick rightfulness at the scratch line of the year and I did nothing ... I could have prevented this.

'' You are hurt more deeply than anyone can tell, and they can barely tell at all because of that ! '' Snape pointed at the bleached and break off pick-me-up around Harry 's arm. `` You have it charmed so that none but you can remove it. Your paranoia is killing you since the evil eye prevents the healer from telling what is actually wrong with you. A fact I think you know, a fact I think you know very well. You do not want anyone to have it off what was going on inside you. You got the Shén de shou Harry Potter, but what else did you get ? You came back after a summertime 's sentence and suddenly you stand toe to toe with death eaters ? people who have spent their living learning the bootleg of arts ? No ... no ... You did not simply train over the summer months. What else festers under your skin ? What else have you done to yourself ! ``

The quiet in the room was solid as granite, and as harsh. Harry licked his lip before answering slowly, measuredly,

'' If I answered you, you would give birth the therapist remove what I had put in. ``

'' Yes. ``

'' Why ? ``

'' To write your living. '' Snape was virtually shaking.

'' My life 's worth nothing if Voldemort 's around. '' Harry shook his oral sex. `` Afterwards. I 'll kill Voldemort then the stuff comes out. Until then I need it. ``

'' Afterwards ? Afterwards ? '' A buck squeezed out of the niche of Snape 's eye, shocking everyone. It might have been a tear of madness, it might not. `` Harry by then it may be too late ! The healers say that you have months, half a year at very easily, if we do not do something. ``

'' And look what I 've done with a year ! '' Harry yelled angrily. `` I 've pushed Voldemort back to the brink ! How many death eater does he experience left ? FOUR ! Down from what ? Twenty ? Thirty ? I knew I would n't have much time. I accepted that my lifespan would be severally cut, but I have taken my lifespan and beaten that snake faced tosser around the mind with it ! He is hanging by a thread thanks to me ! I am the only one who can defeat Voldemort ! The ONLY ONE ! You know that ! The freaking elect one, I had to do this. I had to ! There was NO OTHER WAY ! No way for me to win, not against him. I needed every advantage I could retrieve so, god helper me, I went out and found some vantage. I had to. And if it means I win my big prophesied fighting against the bastard ? Then I made the right birdsong. And if I do n't ? Then it wo n't matter anyway. ``

Harry cut off, his chest rising and falling sharply, showing how much his address had taken out of his hurt systema skeletale. Snape was just standing there, his facial expression an indescribable masque of sorrow. Another tear, and another. professor Snape looked like a man who had had a tongue stuck through him, impaling his heart.

'' Back on the ship. '' Padma 's whispering vocalisation cut through the quiet like a enchantress. `` Back on the ship you knew where the crew were. You knew where the creature were. You even knew where the ship was in the heart of the night on a stormy sea. You knew where we were too. You put the glass in your air pocket, I never saw you put them on. We were invisible, but not to you. Oh god Harry ... tell me you did n't. differentiate me ... '' Padma reached a hand forward, up towards Harry 's font. Harry did n't recoil back even as her prospicient fingernail reached up close and tapped his eye.

The plain chink of drinking glass was like a death toll.

'' Your eye ... '' Hermione breathed, every reverb of her voice begging it not to be true. `` You ... you cut out your eye ? ``

'' No, guy at the workshop did it. '' Harry tried to beat Padma 's deal away but clearly did n't sustain the strength. `` Do n't you all look at me like that. I saw how utilitarian Moody 's was and got one for myself. This one's better though, it can calculate anywhere, out the book binding of my forefront and all but it's charmed to attend like it's pointing the same way as the other one. So no one ever knows. It 's been useful, more than useful. You ca n't tell me it has n't. '' Harry's voice had grown more shrill as he spoke.

'' But ... your eye. '' Hermione shuddered, her hand involuntarily flinched up to her face. `` How could you ? ``

Draco felt bile wage increase like a vent. Just the thinking of tearing out his own eye made him sick. What frozen and horrific will would it choose to willingly select that self-mutilation. For the first clock time that twelvemonth, genus Draco began to fear Harry a little.

'' Do n't look at me like that. '' Harry was shying away from their stares, pushing back into the bed. `` What ... Do n't ! Do n't look at me like you do n't get it on why I did this ! Do n't wait at me like you do n't understand. I had to ! ``

The desperation in his voice. The demand for them to sympathise, to absolve what he had done. Draco shuddered. In Harry 's place would he stimulate done the same ? He honestly could n't suppose. No one could. Draco cleared his throat,

'' Harry, I ca n't imagine why you chose to do this. But you need to let the healer fix you now. ``

'' Draco, I ... you too ? '' Harry seemed very modest in that moment. Very lost.

'' Please let them fix you Harry. '' Draco felt a small hand grasp his and glanced to the side to see Ginny. Offering support. A secure friend. Thank you. `` You might now even need this stuff anymore. Voldemort is unaccented, maybe- ''

"Maybe !"Harry snapped."Maybe, maybe MAYBE ! That ‘ s all I ‘ ve heard all class ! I won ‘ t corporate trust to hope ! It ‘ s too important."

"Harry please ..."Draco's throat felt like it was closing up."Please ... you may not understand just how much damage you ‘ re doing to yourself. Waiting a few weeks even could-"

"defeat Voldemort."Harry said coldly."I ‘ ve made my option. secern the healers to fix my mitt, just the mitt. You don ‘ t think I wish it was unlike ? I do. But some by-blow prophecy had the gall to set my life in motion long before I had any say in it. I have to win. I have to win even if I die because nothing else matter. Turns out this fight was what I was born for and I ‘ ll burn myself from the inside out before I lose to that snake-faced bastard. I have to win. Even if I die."

Draco stepped back from the bed. The frightful foregone conclusion in Harry's vox was shocking. He had accepted his fate down to his bones. He had inebriate it in till it was the very core of his being. Was Harry even in there any more ?

Draco was shocked out of his thoughts by a low speech sound. It took him a moment to recognize it, but when he did it surprised him once more. Snape was gripping the end of the hospital bed so laborious the Sir Henry Joseph Wood was splintering. When Draco looked up at the potions master's face he almost cried out in fear. The most terrible dark craze Draco had ever seen was painted across Snape's face, etched in every demarcation and crease. The dark shadows in his eyes were seething pools of bottle up fury. Suddenly Snape let out an almost inhuman growling and disapperated on the smear, tearing a part of the bed away with him.
*


No thought entered the red fog of Snape's mind as he strode towards the Bill Gates of Hogwarts. His wand whipped out and the vast door were thrown back with a rumbling crash that shook the castling. He could not wish less if the whole building fell down. Minerva hurried towards him,

"Severus what is the meaning of this ?"

"I am going to see the headmaster."Snape didn't slow, forcing Minerva to spring out of his way. He was too angry to care. He saw the gargoyle statue ahead of him and forced the password out through gritted teeth. He rode the steps up listening to his own racing heartbeat in his auricle. The step basis to a check and Snape slammed the room access surface. Dumbledore looked up in shock from the papers in front of him as Snape strode up to him and slammed his fists down of the surface of the desk.

"Harry is in St Mungos."He had no theme how to give voice to the thought inside him, they were too many and too powerful.

"I know that Severus."Dumbledore replied coldly."But you are no longer a fellow member of the decree so-"

"Do you hump why Harry is in St Mungos ?"Snape tried to breath evenly."Because, in an cause to fulfill your precious prophecy, he found some black market build trader that would fit him with a Shén de shou."

"A Sh ..."Dumbledore's eyes widened."My god ... he could get killed himself ..."

"Yes."Snape could fell his fingernails biting into his palms."But not just that, he had his own eye cut out to fit a magical one. Those and who knows what other mutilations are slowly destroying him. He is going to die because of them. Because of the prophecy. Because of you !"

Dumbledore was staring off into the aloofness, he looked like his soul was being torn out. Good.

"The boy destroys himself, tears himself apart. He is make to die, because of the prophecy."Snape drew his face down level with Dumbledore's."I think it ‘ s time he learnt the trueness. Don ‘ t you ?"

"Severus ..."

"You tell him."Snape held a shaking finger up."I will turn over you one opportunity to tell him, to appease some of your guiltiness with honesty. But rest assured, if you do not differentiate him, I will. This lie has poisoned too much already."

"You realize ..."Dumbledore spoke as if from within a fog."That the truth may expose him ?"

"No more than the lie has."

"Perhaps."Dumbledore stood, leaning heavily on his desk. He seemed ... antediluvian. antediluvian and tired."I will tell him now. Which room is he in ?"
*


Harry glanced up as the hospital door was pushed open and Dumbledore stepped in and braced himself for being yelled at. Dumbledore just walked slowly towards Harry's bed, his mitt kept flinching out to the side as if expecting to find a cane there.

"tyke,"Dumbledore addressed the marauder."Would you pull up stakes us ? Please."

"What are you going to do ?"Ginny stepped in movement of the bed protectively.

"Just talk Miss Weasley."Dumbledore's head hung weakly."Only talk."

"It ‘ s alright Ginsters."Harry nodded towards her."It ‘ s alright."

Ginny looked doubtful but waved the vulture to pursue her out. As the room access banged shut Dumbledore walked to the end of the room, glancing at each bed, then flicked the curtains closed with his wand. Another wave of his wand and Harry heard a little muffled sound from the room access. Whatever Dumbledore was about to say he didn't want anyone listening. Finally Dumbledore shuffled over to the bed opposite Harry's and sat carefully. There was a longsighted instant of silence that stretched on and on ...

"Yes ?"Harry asked, oral communication still hurting his throat."You got something to say ?"

"I ... I do not know how to begin."Dumbledore seemed lost, a little deep in thought boy in the woods."I suppose I should start by telling you how ... how incredibly sorry I am. You must believe I never expected that you would do this. But that is no apology, no excuse at all."

"What are you saying ?"

"I ... Let me tell you a story."Dumbledore licked his sass."I am sorry but this is the only way I know to tell you. It begins about fifteen geezerhood ago, I had just born-witness to a prophecy that gave the only Leslie Townes Hope for the pin of the dreary lord."

"I know this story."

"Harry please."Dumbledore raised his hands."This is hard enough ... Please just let me speak."

"Alright."

"I had heard the prognostication, the one you know well. I had determined that it referred to a child all of us in the order knew well. The child of Lilly and James Potter. I knew that the child was our only hope. Even before the vaticination was recorded in the department of mystery I had already placed the Potter family under the strongest protection I could. Unfortunately I failed, I was betrayed."

"Canicula Black."

"Yes. Canicula Black. But his treachery, though it led to the demise of two of the most braw and honest mass I know, also spelled the end of the dark Godhead. Voldemort was destroyed. nearly of the wizarding earthly concern considered him perfectly. The festivity ... they went on for days ... weeks truly. The entire wizarding domain breathed again thanks to the sacrifice of Lilly and James Potter and the survival of their son. The boy-who-lived. The boy who showed that Voldemort was not invincible. He was the symbolic representation of victory, the symbolic representation of Leslie Townes Hope. But I knew the truth, that Voldemort was not truly dead. I knew that the prophecy was not yet fulfilled and that, when the wickedness Creator would finally rise again, the hoi polloi would need the boy-who-lived. So I placed him with his mothers rake, with his aunt. The reasons were complex, the roue link provided him security of a sort but it is unimportant now. I should have known my folly, should have known. It is my fracture in so many shipway. My fault in every way that matters. I should have watched closer ... Because one day, when that boy was six, his aunt had taken both him and his cousin to the shops. Perhaps she was not paying attention or perhaps it was simply an chance event, but the boy ran out into the road. A car struck him, terribly fast. I have watched the memories of the crash through others center ... he flew so far ... doctors worked on him, then I had him moved to St Mungos and the healers worked as hard as the could. But the harm ... the injury to his skull ... his chest ... he passed from this reality. Just six years old. My fracture. All my fault. His blood on my hands ... But I knew it was not over. I knew that Voldemort would still stand up, the wizarding existence would still call for their symbolisation of hope, their boy-who-lived. Their hero. So I found another boy, of the rectify age, in a muggle orphanage. I worked thaumaturgy to switch his appearance, his interpreter, his remembering ... his remembering I destroyed entirely and replaced with pseudo, I even supplemented them with some of my own computer memory of James ceramicist to ca-ca the boy seem like him. Then I placed him back at Privet cause, I changed the memories of the aunt ... the uncle ... the cousin. I sought out everyone who had seen the clank and tore the remembering from their skulls, the doctors, the healers ... I made it so that it never happened. And then a sat back and watched ... I watched my fake grow up. I felt my guilt trip grow. But it was done, and it could not be undone. My enceinte shame ... the lie that makes everything else a lie as well. The the true is that the chosen one has been absolutely for nine years. You are not him."

Dumbledore trailed off, he seemed lowly, even decrepit, as if letting this smashing hidden out of him had drained him of everything. Harry shook his capitulum. No ... No no no ...

"No, you ‘ re lying. You. Are. Lying."

"I so want that I was."

"But I ‘ m the ... I ‘ m Harry potter !"He shook his head."I ‘ m Harry Potter !"

"No. You are not."

"I have the scar !"

"I gave you that scar."Dumbledore had his middle closed. But even so a snag squeezed out from the incline, running down his long nose and dropping to the base."I can remove it right now if you wish it."

"No !"His hands jumped up to his forehead protectively."You ‘ re just ... you ‘ re saying these things ... WHY ARE YOU DOING THIS TO ME ?"

"I am sorry. I am so sorry."Dumbledore bowed his head."I can not say that to you enough. I ... I destroyed you."

"No ! I ... I cut out my eye !"Harry could palpate his lineage pumping in his auricle."I ‘ ve fought ! I ‘ ve fought him all year ! I ‘ m the chosen one !"

"You are not. There is no chosen one."Dumbledore sounded like a man burning his last shred of hope."The prophecy died nine year ago. Voldemort won."

"No. No ..."He was shaking, he couldn't stay."Lies it ‘ s just Lie !"

"It is not."Dumbledore shook his brain."If you want proof just look to your supporter. You named them the marauders. On your very firstly day. How did you know that name ? You know that King James I ceramist named his group of friends the same ?"

"No, he can't have ! It ‘ s a lie !"

"It is not. You knew the name because I put in in your mind. If you doubt me ask anyone who was at school with them."Dumbledore was speaking in utterly flavor now, he had reached the bottom."I have heard you refer to prof Snape as Snivellus and to Remus lupin as Moony. Those were both gens James ceramicist invented. You also knew about prof Snape ‘ s darkness bell ringer. How else would you have it away ?"

"I ... I ..."The boy could sense himself shaking, his mind shaking apart.

"It is true. It is all unfeigned ... I am so deplorable. I am so ... I can not begin to think what this must be doing to you. What this has done to you."

"So ... who am I ?"The boy looked up."What ‘ s my name ?"

"I do not know."

"You found me !"He could hear his sharp vox in his auricle."You dragged me to this life you have to roll in the hay !"

"I do not Harry I ‘ m ..."

"Harry ? Harry ?"The boy threw his chief back and screamed, a screeching clamor of torment."And don ‘ t you dare say you ‘ re sorry ! Don ‘ t you dare !"

"I ... I can not -"

"Get out !"He grabbed his glass of water and threw it with all his posture, teardrop blurring his eye. It shattered against the Headmaster ‘ s shoulder."Get out ! Get out ! GET OUT !"

Dumbledore fled the room, holding his arm. As the old wizard crashed through the room access the boy threw himself back against the wall and howled in painful sensation and confusion, tearing at his hairsbreadth with helping hand like pincer. binge ran freely down his face from the one real eye he had left.

Sobbing and broken he lay there, until darkness closed in.



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