This book 's been giving me trouble, quite a little and great deal of bother. I 've had more botheration from this one than from the other four put together and it 's not even finished yet ! Grumble ... grumble ...

Anyway as a result I may be slower to post than usual as I try to beat this twisty, unholy yarn I choose to call a level into submission.

Sorry, hopefully the story will be honorable for it.

In other news : OVER 200,000 wrangle ! HORAY !



"hullo ?"The shopkeeper peered, blurred eyed, at the figure standing on the former slope 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 hear us."

"What do you want."The market keeper edged his script towards the verge 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 original wants any of my service."The shopkeeper grunted a laugh."He ‘ d better come himself. I don ‘ t do house calls and even if I did some of my equipment ‘ s too heavy to move."

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

"A Sh-"The tradesman held his helping hand 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 shopkeeper took his baton from his pocket and held it firmly towards the intruder."I think you ‘ d better leave."

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

The shopkeeper jumped back as he saw the dark mark emerge from under the dark gown. Even this far from Britain everyone in the job knew what it meant.

"Are you a… a utter eater ?"

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

"I… I ‘ ll have to make some calls."The tradesman 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 discourse some early thing you may be able to assist me with. I ‘ m sure they will not be beyond your… skill."

The shopkeeper gulped as the man began listing what he wanted. His hands shook so much his baton fell on the floor and rolled away unnoticed.

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


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

"Thank you offspring master."The man simpered.

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

Harry broke into a run as old building flashed past him. He hadn't made for John Griffith Chaney, too obvious. The bluff silhouette of Edinburgh castle was outlined against the stars for a moment between two building as Harry dashed along and he darted down an alley towards it. He slowed as he passed a group of guys obviously out for the Night, singing in the street, then sped up as the way of life began to climb towards the high castle.

He came up a English road and turned away from the historic edifice. Fitting himself into the crowds of Friday night reveller like a apparition. He flitted across the royal stat mi as fast as he thought good, clutching his farseeing coat tight about him. At fifteen days old people wouldn't think it weird for him to be out this late but they might remember that he was alone. Any memory of his passing play was a liability and Harry flicked his catch up and kept into the shadow of a house.

There were a few wizard public house in Edinburgh, Harry had mapped them out. But thanks to his betise of not disguising himself as he flued into the finally one he could not now risk any of them. Harry cursed, he was still an idiot. Still making stupid misunderstanding, Harry shook his read/write head and pinched himself unvoiced. He had to be better.

The rail station appeared beneath him and Harry swiftly crossed the bridge and slinked in a side ingress. He bought a ticket from an automated machine ( no computer memory ) to the first location on the departures gameboard. Then tore it up, cursing himself again, and bought one for the second one down.

It was only three bit till it left. Harry stood in a nook, hopefully just looking like any other traveler. They wouldn't check the post would they ? They thought like wizards, not like muggles. Maybe he was being paranoid… the barkeep didn't have to enjoin anyone…

No ! Careless ! wagerer good. We want to fight down them, but on our terms.

Harry nodded, it was the safety thing to do. He gritted his teeth as the seconds ticked by. He just needed to be gone. Wherever the caravan went he could find magician and flue to… to somewhere. Somewhere better, Hogwarts possibly ? It was still weeks till he had to go back to school and Harry wasn't eager to slip back under Dumbledore's restrictive fender. He'd go somewhere anyway.

tinker's dam it ! Harry went stock still as two oddly habilitate soul walked into the train station. One looked like his turnout was a Halloween costume of a plagiarist, the early was wearing lederhosen. They were the stupidest ken Harry had ever seen.

They were also here to kill him.

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

“'Ere ? Who are y-"

The dry cleaner in boilersuit 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 come."You need to shut up that door."

"R… right."The man mumbled and Harry left swiftly, passing out a side doorway and feeling the coldness night air. Harry crossed the road and passed to the next street over and breathed a sigh of relief. It was busy, full of merrymaker. He could be unseeable here.

The near kind of unseeable, the kind that didn't need cloaks.

Harry kept to the side as he ducked down the retentive stretch and ducked into a pub. A few minutes later he emerged, unrecognisable. Wrinkled skin and grey 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 magic. Harry winced, there was his Friend coming from the other commission, doing the same. Harry was cornered.

Harry began walking slowly towards the pirate last eater, making his footstep retard and measured like the old man he was supposed to be. He hid his wand in his arm, he needed to fare up with a programme. There was no way he could struggle them here, too many bystanders, so that left taking them out instantly ( which would be almost unsufferable ) and running away.

Of form if one of them had been bow 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 last eater's verge. No way to know 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 relief. He began walking away, they didn't follow. He kept walking, passing out of areas he could tell apart from single-valued function and found an alley.

Harry pushed a wheelie bin aside and slouched down against the bulwark. He'd wait for morning here and try to depart the city then. Harry drew into his bag and pulled out the wrapped up remains of a sandwich.

full round, eventually we all come back home.

Harry sneered as his lid began to droop, back street used be home, now they weren't. That didn't mean that anywhere else in particular was home, but it was an advance. Harry dropped off to sleep, too tired to dream.

"He ‘ s here somewhere."

Harry's eyes flicked undefendable, the wan brightness level of daybreak filtering into the alleyway. pace came slowly up the alleyway. Harry slid behind the bin that hid him and crawled to the other side. The two number came cl… hang on !

"Are you sealed ?"A deep familiar voice 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."Moody 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 deep breath…
*


"Envenerate !"

Harry lifted his question off the grass ( grass ? ) and looked around him. Moody was gone, but the tall disgraceful auror was still there, his arms crossed, calmly looking down at Harry. Harry glanced at the somebody who had brought him back.

"Hey Tonks."

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

"They didn ‘ t Tell you ?"

"well Moody was too angry to talk and Kingsley kept laughing."

On cue a deep chortle escaped from the tall aurors mouth, swiftly covered with a hand.

"I ‘ ll let Moody narrate the write up when he calms down."Harry dusted himself off and surveyed the evacuate theatre of operations. It seemed vaguely companion."Where are we ?"

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

Harry took the theme and unfolded it. On it was written, in loopy, gruelling to read handwriting…
The military headquarters of the ordering of the phoenix is the manor on the grim moors.


"So what does it- WHOA !"Harry tripped backwards as the residence exploded out of the priming coat around him. Even the green goddess curled into the storey and became gravel and a fountain appeared like it had been pushed up from some burrow tube. 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."dependable to see you Draco."

"Good to see you too."The blonde boy detached himself from the darkness of a doorway."Good too see you ‘ re still alive since we didn ‘ t have a clue."

"I owled."

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

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

"Yeah right."Draco pushed the door outdoors for Harry to pace inside."wellspring in the base time your champion and fan cabaret have invaded my home."

"The order of the phoenix ?"Harry looked around the cavernous entrance 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 wards respond to the current heir."Draco looked over at the sprawling arras of the Malfoy folk tree."Voldemort was forced to leave the moment…"

"The moment ownership transferred ?"

"Yes. That."

"wellspring at least we 're all safe here. Constant vigilance. '' At Harry 's Scripture Shacklebolt clapped a hand to his lip but could n't lay off a snigger. Harry grinned and took another look at the tapestry."Aren ‘ t you supposed to be on here ?"

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

"Why don ‘ t you fix it ?"

"Because I don ‘ t tactile property like it Potter."Draco snapped acidly."Besides ? Who would I fix it for ? I ‘ m the live on Malfoy."

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

"No… no I ‘ m the last Malfoy."Draco seemed to nod to himself, his voice full of some coldness resolve."Anyway, as I was saying. With the syndicate enchantments and the extra wards Dumbledore put up this place is totally impregnable."

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

"Stop saying that."Kingsley had to cut through his mouth again.

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

"He snuck up behind Alastor Moody and yelled ‘ invariable Vigilance ‘ in his ear."At Tonks'shocked grammatical construction he added."I ‘ m not joking."

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

"You ‘ re certifiable Potter you really are."Draco shook his head, then stopped suddenly."How did you sneak up on Moody ?"

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

In answer Harry just smiled and rolled up his lead arm. Around his carpus was a memorial tablet pick-me-up engraved with tracing vines. Right in the eye, on the inside arm, was a hieroglyphic of a expectant black eye.

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

"That's the evil eye."Tonks stepped closer to look at it."It wards off magical monitoring."

"Yep."

"It ‘ s also all sorts of illegal."

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

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

"Does it stop him calling you ?"Dragon asked quietly.

"It makes it manageable."Harry pulled his arm down and put on a cheery grin."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 Thomas More of a menace."Tonks smiled and winked at Harry."Come on, the others are waiting."

Harry grinned and turned to come the auror.

"We ‘ re mostly living in the east wing."Tonks called back over her shoulder joint."This space is massive. It took us a week to find where you ‘ d left Macnair. He smelled awful."

"Sorry,"Harry shrugged theatrically."succeeding prison term I ‘ ll try to defeat in a sterile environment."

They walked down a yearn dark hallway, made more nervous by the fact that every picture was empty. Draco said nothing but Harry imagined they had left about the Saami time his Father had. The threshold at the end had a regular gleam coming from under it. Harry hurried forward and toss away the doorway open 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 way, which turned out to be a kitchen."Miss me ?"

"Where the hell were you ?"Padma hadn't joined the boot and was sitting with her implements of war crossed and an angry look."Why did you leave ?"

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

"Bullshit."

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

"Voldemort is back."Hermione interrupted him.

"Really ?"Harry opened his centre wide in jounce."Is he really ? No… no, I had no idea… How could that happen ? I would remember a thing like that ? Oh… oh wait ? tall 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 meeting of the obvious bon ton ?"Harry said as the balance of the marauders crowded around.

"What she means is that this isn ‘ t a fourth dimension 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 ling have some means of propulsion. 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 synagogue or something ?"

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

"Well the distributor point is that it shouldn ‘ t happen again."Tonks came up behind him and clapped him on the shoulders."You ‘ re staying secure here till you can go to Hogwarts."

"Safe here ?"Harry froze."Safe here ?"He pushed himself off the bench."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 Dragon, who just frowned and looked at the floor.

"Dumbledore…"Tonks licked her lips."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 mindful 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 hold back mum."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."Come on Tonks, we need to get back on duty before we ‘ re missed."

Harry didn't speak as the two aurors left. When the door slammed shut he threw his paw up and escape from his head.

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

"What was that Harry ?"Ginny asked.

"What ?"

"All that ‘ you know that'and ‘ he knows this'stuff and nonsense. What ‘ s the secret ?"

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

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

Harry turned to Draco, who rolled his eyes.

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

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

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

"Wh…"

"The Ward extend to the property rail line but it ‘ s inviolable in here."Hermione explained apologetically."They told us to stay-"

"By they you mean Dumbledore."

"Yes."

"Then I ‘ m finding an out-of-doors window."Harry looked over his shoulder back at the marauders."I can do that can ‘ t I ?"

"Your elbow room ‘ s down the corridor, the doorway with the Scorpio lock."Draco 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 room access open and left.
*


Draco woke the side by side aurora as a retching phone came through the wall. He shook the screen off and pushed the curtains around his bed open before hurrying to the adjacent room.

"Harry is that you ?"Draco was about to try the door before he thought better of it and ran a detection magical spell. A twosome of nasty execration lifted out of the woodwork. Draco backed a few steps away."Harry open up !"Draco heard footsteps then the door scraped open.

"What ?"Harry growled sleepily.

"Were you just sick ?"

"No… no."Harry shook his head."Why would you suppose that ?"

"Because I just get wind you Harry."Draco folded his arm."You also smell of vomit."

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

"You ‘ re mad ?"

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

"right hand,"Draco snorted.

"You ‘ re the first one I ‘ ve told."

"I ‘ m touched."

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

"I imagine labor won ‘ t be a picnic either."Draco shook his head, if Harry didn ‘ t want to tell him then he didn ‘ t want to recognise."Look, it smells like breakfast ‘ s ready."

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


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

Harry looked around in mix-up at the various people that had appeared in the kitchen of Malfoy manor house. There were more Weasley's than there had been, the two parents and older buddy. An odd man in a super acid hat was there as well, smiling at Harry and wafture, along with an sometime lady in an tatty gown. There was one very recognizable brass though, one that went had gone from smiling to pit cold the here and now he entered the elbow room. Remus Lupin had stood the moment he came in and walked away, leaving by the back door.

"A couplet of hoi polloi live here now."Ginny said to cover the silence."A duad of the order members."

"Why ?"

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

"It ‘ s because we ‘ re too visible."mollie Weasley explained."People know we support Dumbledore, they know we were in the ordination last time. We ‘ re targets 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 chess board. Occasionally, very occasionally, one of them would induce a move.

'' It would be courteous if they 'd find their own fundament though. '' Malfoy murmured, still staring at the board. `` Or their own prison house. ``

'' prison ? '' Harry dropped a piece of toast. `` They 're using this place as a prison ? ``

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

'' Is n't that dangerous ? ``

'' The whole manor is under the Fidelius magical spell. '' Hermione explained. Harry smiled in sympathy, so that was what the little solecism of paper had been about. `` It means that a mystical is- ''

'' I know what it is. '' Harry interrupted her calmly. `` But is n't it grave to tell the prisoners the enigma ? ``

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

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

'' They tend to scream a lot. ``

Harry shrugged, unworried. At least there was a safe berth for to house the death feeder. Of course of action Harry would prefer if they were all kept in nice good coffins but this was the adjacent better matter. While they had been talking Draco had turned back to the mum Bromus secalinus game.

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

"Hours for this game."Hermione answered dejectedly."Weeks if you ‘ re have in mind playing in general."

"Who ‘ s winning ?"

"I think Ron ‘ s ahead by two games."

"Well that ‘ s-"

"Out of two hundred and twenty six."Padma chimed in irritably."Neither of them's been up by Sir Thomas More than four at any point. future sentence they equalize I ‘ m stealing the bloody board."

"I have over eight century cheat boards in this house."Malfoy said idly as he nudged a cat's-paw 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 game, could see that it wasn't a checkmate. But apparently Malfoy could see something he couldn't, the blond boy hunched over the circuit card for a few moments then,

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

"It counts."Ron replied angrily. He began to readjust the while but Dragon grabbed a pawn out of his hand and slammed it back into it's box.

"I don ‘ t want another game. I ‘ m bored of cheat for today."Draco sat back down at the breakfast table, 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 stopping point night."
*


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

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

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

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

"It ‘ d apply us something to do."Parvarti murmured quietly, voicing what they all felt. boredom was constant here. The only interesting times were decree meetings when the predator would try to find mode to heed in. Ways that were continually blocked.

All their homework had been done. All the course books had been read and so many games of exploding breeze had been played that they all had little tiny suntan on the ends of their finger. There was nothing else to do, literally nada. They had looked, tried to come up with former matter to do. They had failed.

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

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

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

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

"We could play quidditch !"Ron perked up instantly."Why didn't we think of this before ! Yeah ! We can take in a-"

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

"Well… oh."

The piranha lapsed into muteness. Defeated again.

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

"Why didn ‘ t you tell me ?"The Weasley Matriarch 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 recreate 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 monolithic Charles Francis Hall. On the floor there were plinths and cases holding strange sparkling items.

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

'' My fathers. '' Draco lugged the ball case over. `` It 's just junk. '' True to his password he shoved three vases off a video display outdoor stage to put the case in their place. `` Now ... teams. ``

'' I call captain ! '' Ginny yelled.

'' Me too. '' Ron nodded.

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

'' But- ''

'' It 's my theater. '' Malfoy cut him off snidely. `` I 'll fill the twins. ``

'' Which I ? ``

'' The quidditch playing ones. '' Malfoy rolled his centre. Fred and George II reluctantly went over to digest by Malfoy.

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

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

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

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

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


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

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

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

red cent it he was right, Ginny shot forward after him. If only the snitch would appear ! It should n't be so tough to view it in this enclosed country. Unfortunately the appeal on the stoolpigeon were never designed to get by with an irregular maze of storage locker and as a resultant role it kept moving erratically. They had found and lost it three times already. Ginny saw Malfoy trying to seduce and being blocked by Ron. She took the chance to choose another look for it.

'' Over there ! '' someone yelled, Ginny did n't hesitate. The flash of gold disappeared behind a urn and Ginny spun around it. Where was it ? Another ostentation, there by the stand of swords. Ginny heard a clangor from the position her, Malfoy was closing in. There, by the Methedrine again ? No ! By the urns again ! tinker's dam it, there were thoughtfulness everywhere. It was like there were six stool pigeon !

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

Ginny drew to a stoppage, holding the matter in her hand. It was amber, but it wasn't a snitch. It was a cup, a little Au plated teacupful, still struggling to elude from her fingers. Draco hovered in next to her, looking perplexed.

"That didn ‘ t used to fly."He grabbed it out her hand, holding it by it's tiny grip 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 ?"genus Draco insulted idily, still staring at the tiny affair."Or did you always just imbibe out of a trough at your theater ?"

"No."Ginny just gritted her teeth and swallowed the revilement. They had to last in this house for hebdomad yet."Where did it hail from ?"

The former predator came in closer, staring at it.

"I saw it by the door."Anapurna 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 tangible snitch ?"Fred asked, wrestling a bludger back into its case.

"It ‘ s just a grooming snitcher. It comes when it ‘ s called."Malfoy held out his handwriting."Ollyollyoxen !"In a flare of gold the snitcher darted down from the cap and settled in his hand.

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

"shot we ‘ re not walking."Hermione murmured as the predator flew after him. The corridor was fairly narrow and the marauders had to fly in ace file. The void portrait were here as well, even the animals in the landscapes had left.

"Do you hear that ?"Neville whispered and clumsily stopped.

"What Longbottom ?"Malfoy turned in the air, impatience clear 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 noise. It sounded like an burst underwater, muffled by the walls. The marauder looked at each former, they had all heard it.

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

"phone ..."Malfoy screwed up his fount."It ‘ s beneath us."

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

"My house Weasley."Malfoy cut her off."It ‘ s coming from beneath us. This way."Malfoy blastoff forward and turned sharply into a side corridor. Ginny rushed to keep up with him and she could hear the marauders behind her doing the Saame. A doorway was flung unresolved in front of them and Ginny spun into it, following the blond flash in front of her. Down some steps, along a long wickedness hall, succeeding - STOP !

Ginny had to break harshly to avoid hitting Malfoy who was hopping off his broom in front of a large wooden door.

"You ! You ... !"

"What ‘ s the matter Weasley ?"Malfoy shouldered his Calluna vulgaris."Had worry keeping up ?"

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

"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 vulture just coming around the corner. Hermione looked terrified, Neville looked ill.

"wellspring lets see then."Malfoy drew his wand and pushed at the heavy doorway. It slowly crept open. Inside was an void Radclyffe Hall, looked like it was usually used for repositing or something. The just affair left were a few odd table and a few boxwood. In the middle of the room stood Harry, bare chested with his scars pure Edward Douglas White Jr. against his tan and sweat skin. On a box next to him was a odd down of rubble. As they watched he took a photographic plate and held his wand to it. At a whispered Word of God there were two plates, then three, then four. Harry dropped the original back into the heap and tapped the fakes with his wand. They instantly flew off in all direction. Harry jabbed his wand and in a fraction of a second-

belt ! One shattered near the ceiling. Harry whirled. BANG ! Shattering into sherd. flush ! Smashing the English and sending the endure home plate spinning into the wall.

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

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

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

"Right."Harry shrugged."Just didn ‘ t want to put out 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 neat row along the table was a acute and wickedly curved sword, a short spear with a lighting thunderbolt carved into the haft, a round ball that had holes for fingerbreadth and seemed to be glowing from within and no lupus erythematosus than three muggle firearms.

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

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

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

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

Malfoy was the 1st to speak.

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

"I may need spares."Harry shrugged.

"Harry is this binge dark magic ?"Hermione was shying away from the table.

"Depends on your perception."Harry replied airily."It ‘ s certainly illegal magic. Whether it ‘ s dark is more about the use it ‘ s put to than the thing itself. These matter 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 tumid one. The marauder took a collective step back."Bringing them back to the UK was the illegal bit."

"Wh ... wh ..."

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

'' Harry, your wand ... '' Malfoy was staring at the bramble-wood verge in Harry 's hired hand. `` 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 think that using a wand you stole from a idle death 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 run a risk it not working as well as this one does ? '' Harry balanced the thick, twist around scepter on the sharpness of his bridge player before flicking it up into the air and catching it, all the while with the gun held nonchalantly in his other hand. `` This one works for me, maybe as well as my old one did. Besides ... it sort of scene does n't it ? This wand 's done a lot of force in it 's lifetime. Lots of hurting, fighting, and that 's exactly what I intend to use it for. ``

Hurting ? Fighting ? ... Killing ... Ginny swallowed. Harry had n't said that last one but she could palpate 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 tabular array. It sounded arduous."I need to fight Voldemort. I have to fight Voldemort."

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

"I have to campaign Voldemort and you know what ? I ‘ ll lose !"Harry slashed the air angrily."I ‘ ll lose, I mean what else would happen ? I spotty, ignorant 15 year 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 Thomas 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 afford for me to lose. Do you know what it feels like to know that the whole world is royally screwed if you fail ? No ? Then shut up ! Don't try to terminate 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 angry broadside shocked the marauders into muteness. Harry turned back to his pile of junk and began duplicating a hard meth bowl.

"Harry ... you don ‘ t know when the prophecy will happen."Neville surprisingly spoke up."Maybe you won ‘ t be 15. Maybe you ‘ ll be xx, or thirty. Maybe you have clip ..."

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

"Do you want soul to duel against ?"Malfoy said quietly.

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

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

"Dumbledore said-"

"Dumbledore has been faulty before."Malfoy cut her off."It hurts nothing to be ready in case he ‘ s legal injury this time."

"But Harry could be killed !"

"Yes."Malfoy nodded curtly."He could. Did you not realize that ? Did you perhaps think what happened last yr was some form of mirthful biz ?"

"Of course not, but-"

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

"Good point."Ginny was surprised to take heed her own part. Oh no now everyone was looking at her, just 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 face 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 ... hypothesis so ..."Hermione bit her lip."There ‘ s an order meeting tonight. Maybe we can ask Dumbledore ..."

"Good."Harry hoisted a glass bowl onto his shoulder and chuck out it out into the room. He aimed his verge and muttered under his breather. The bowl melted and splattered into a steaming heap on the base."There are some things I want to ask him too."
*


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

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

"You come back here Cy Young man !"

"Why ? I ‘ m not your family. Nor am I one of these other waif you seem to have adopted. I don ‘ t upkeep for your opinion, nor for your misplaced and overworked maternal inherent aptitude. I ‘ m certainly not going to let you call at me while you live under my roof."Draco turned back to the door ...

"Get back here !"

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

"You do hump that means you ‘ ll have to bring in you ‘ re own breakfast from now on."

"Tonks."genus Draco smiled and walked through the now crowded kitchen to where his cousin-german was sitting. next to the werewolf. Draco shuddered inwardly and sat on her other side."I couldn ‘ t eat another fried breakfast anyway. Any Sir Thomas More and my ling won ‘ t be capable to maintain me."

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

"He ‘ s ..."Dragon licked his lip and gestured for her to angle closer."He ‘ s accepted the prognostication. He ‘ s accepted that he will oppose Voldemort. He ‘ s preparing for it."

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

"Don ‘ t William Tell him."

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

"Will he ?"A new voice came in. Dragon looked up to see Harry slide in across from them. The wolfman 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 abstruse into a broadside 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 lecture to you ab-"

"After the coming together Harry."Dumbledore brushed him off."You have my word. But right now some of the order phallus have crucial deputation they must get back to quickly."

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

What ? Draco crossed his arms and frowned. Why was Harry being so calm ? What was going on ? As the club fellow member filed out he sidled up to Harry's position ?

"What was that ?"

"What ?"

"You being simmer down and Nice 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 order of business ? That I am manipulative and self serving that way ? That I would only be composure if I, oh say ... wanted to slide a hear device into the pocket of soul ‘ s robe before they went into an order encounter ... or something like that ?"
*


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

"Have I missed anything of import ?"

"Attacks."The indefinable was idly scraping her finger along the border of a copy of the everyday prophet."shadow marks. Wizards and hag we suspect have been turned, or put under the lordly curse.

'' nothing important then. ``

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

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

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

'' Yes. '' Snape brought himself back to the task at hand. `` The dark master is moving. ``

'' well duh. '' The articulation near the end of the tabular array was swiftly silenced by a flat stare.

'' The dark nobleman is moving more specifically. Now that Greyback is abruptly all but a few of the wolfman have deserted him. He seeks new troops to sew panic, he has chosen to acquire by solid wealth this time rather than empty hope. He is arranging leverage of large numbers of various exotic mintage, lethifolds primarily. Chimaeras if it can find a willing vender. ``

'' Why ? '' Lupin asked from down the table. `` Why mindless animal ? ``

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

'' They 've torn the nation apart ! '' Someone yelled.

'' But only in their own capacity. They have not followed order of magnitude well, they are distracted. The iniquity lord has killed a lot of them, he seems tired of human failing. In a way he does n't want an army, he wants a weapon system. Something he can unleash at will. Doubtless he will be employing the disdainful expletive to see that his will is done. ``

'' It does n't work on lethifolds. '' lupine said with sure thing. A piffling sniff of respite slid through Snape 's nous, swiftly swallowed up with darkness.

'' But it does function on chimaera. And on manticora. ``

'' mantichora ? '' The late defense teachers eyes grew wide.

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

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

'' Both because that would take a shit them less efficacious fighters and because long exposure to the Dementors seems to throw made them surprisingly resistant to mental tone-beginning. '' Snape leant closer over the tabular array to speak to the order as a whole. `` I have the dates he plans to fulfil with creature bargainer. If we arrange a lying in wait we can get ahead of him and- ''

'' No. '' Dumbledore spoke with quiet authority.

'' We can not leave this to happen. ``

'' If we act he will assuredly opine the source of our information. '' Dumbledore shook his bearded drumhead. `` You are too valuable at present to risk. You are our lone source of information. ``

'' Information we never act on. '' Snape clenched his fists on the frigid mahogany table. `` What use is my spying ... what use is this fiat 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 Word of God we wanted to fling at the old man. It would be pointless.

'' We could instead liaise with the strange auror department. '' Snape tried to play a trick on himself into thinking this was anything former than a scathe limiting endeavour. `` They could pick up some of the traders before the dark lord can contact with them. ``

'' Perhaps, '' Dumbledore nodded. `` There are very few citizenry we can trust. I will try to get in contact lens with some old friends that may be capable to help. ``

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

Natalie gave no outbound sign of the zodiac that she had heard Snape 's projected though, but she reached over and laid her hired man 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 acquire the ministry would count against him, and it had, but apparently throwing it into turmoil had been enough. That and successfully bringing Harry ceramicist directly to the shadow noble. All that made it even more suspicious that Barty was absent from demise eater gathering. The shadow lord kept his handmaiden close, if he was letting one off their tether then it had to be for something important.

"Do you reckon he has left the area ?"individual down the table asked.

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

"Why do you say that ?"

"It is Barty Crouch ‘ s specialty is it not ?"Snape shrugged."But the dark lord has ordered me to begin researching polyjuice potion in an attempt to make it sour for any humanoid species."

"You think it is connected ?"

"I do not know."Snape answered honestly."It could just as easily be involved in his attempts to derive the support of the giants."

"The darkness Jehovah plan are like spiderwebs."Natalie said softly."We can accept everything is connected."If anyone former than Snape heard her they said nothing.

"Is that all ?"

"Other than hour of listening to the dark lords coloured pontificating on the subject of the death or subjection of all muggles ?"Snake crooked an eyebrow."No."

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

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

A general groan went up from around the room. Snape just closed his optic and took a calm breath. After the issue of last class the ministry had been fractured to its very core. The near-election of a last eater had made them fearsome as rabbits. Fudge had, the consequence Dumbledore left the construction, ran back to his office and virtually barricaded himself inside. All summertime he had been wrangling the ministry around to the idea that his extrusion was not valid because of the deceit of Barty Crouch Jr.

That was, Snape had to take on, technically true. Although the ballot to remove Fudge had been won by a well-heeled margin the pilot motion to dispatch a diplomatic minister for magic could only be tabled by a penis of the Wizengamot. Crouch Jr was not a member, only impersonating one, therefore the movement and, by extension, the vote was void. A slice of bureaucratic foolishness that meant they were stuck with that ridiculous man until individual else drummed up enough livelihood to oust him.

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

'' Ours too. '' Shacklebolt rumbled.

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

'' So we put someone forward. '' Snape said definitely. `` We study a prospect no one can argue is a death eater. ``

'' And they will be shot down by those who resent Dumbledore interfering in the ministry. Fudge was not the only when one. '' Shacklebolt shook his read/write head. `` I realize this belief may not be the most easy to try, but perhaps we should allow him to ride out for now. ``

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

'' I realize the billet is not apotheosis. '' Shacklebolt held his hands up. `` But Fudge is scared to touch any make out order fellow member or anyone else who waves Dumbledore 's standard. As a solution he is leaving the aurors office and the eternal sleep of the department relatively uninfluenced. We can carry out our piece of work without any overbearing oversight for now. And besides, with all the ex-Azkaban resident running around causing trouble we do not have time for a political engagement on top of that. If we can not bear a sympathetic minister of magic, one that stays out of our way is a sound back choice. ``

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

Snape grimaced but did n't commentary. Once more nothing would be done.

'' Is guard obligation for the next workweek set up ? '' Dumbledore asked the assembled order. There was a general nodding. It had not been hard to organize, not with a member inside the department of mysteries.

'' Then we should all get back to piece of work. '' Dumbledore stood. `` And we should all prepare for fire by magical beings. Lupin can, I 'm sure, remind you of the best methods to drive back them. ``

Snape stood quickly, he could n't be missed for long. The darkness nobleman was as watchful of his retainer as he was of his of his enemies. Snape turned to Natalie,

'' My safety device tariff 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 room access. Unfortunately there was a stoppage, the whole order was bunched up at the extensive three-fold doors. Snape quickly pushed to the front and was almost forced to laugh.

Harry had built a barricade.

The twenty percent year was sitting casually on an overturned desk, resting his human foot on a drawer. The residuum of the arching wall was mostly chairman and board, and one suit of armor.

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

'' I wanted your full-of-the-moon attention. '' Harry replied wryly. `` I want to oppose. ``

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

'' You think Voldemort will worry ? ``

'' We will keep you prophylactic from Voldemort. ``

'' right wing. '' Harry dropped off his perch and landed, cat like, on the floor. `` 'Cos that tactic 's worked champion so far. You know I have to fight. I have to fight down him. ``

'' Harry I have made my decision. ``

'' I contest the sanity 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 offer. `` You will detain where I put you until it is safe for you to do otherwise. If you will spare no sentiment for your own safety device others must do it for you. You will stay here. You will be safe here. ``

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

'' How Harry ? '' Dumbledore crooked an eyebrow, but his common just humor was gone.

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

'' You may let none of those things. '' Dumbledore was n't moving, just standing like a statue. Radiating menace. `` As for defense team training you will come up it at Hogarts, in your veritable defense class. ``

'' Well I hope at least you 've got person trade good. '' Harry sneered, then, glancing at McGonagall, let out a picayune asphyxiate laugh. `` You have n't found anyone have you ? ``

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

The order appendage began to shuffle out, giving Harry a wide office. lupine in particular was staring at him with what could only be described as detestation. Snape walked up to the solitudinarian student.

'' Perhaps you should not antagonize him. ``

'' He antagonizes me. '' Harry answered, sounding a little vote out. `` I do n't infer him. ``

'' Few people do. ``

'' You ? ``

'' No. ``

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

I should have expected that question. Snape took a breath to devote himself prison term to consider his response.

'' No. ``

'' Why ? '' Harry asked, sounding somewhere between ire and weakness. `` You know what 's at stake ! ``

'' If I teach you then you will fall into the hole of thinking you are ready. '' Snape shook his caput. `` I could fade on everything I know to you and you would still lose to the dark Maker because I would lose to the dark Maker. ``

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

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

'' I 'm not an idiot. ``

'' Yes you are. '' Snape corrected. `` You are untested, by definition you are an changeling. ``

'' Have n't been young for calendar week. '' Harry drew up his sleeve and unclipped an unexpected bracer. `` Not since I got this. ``

Snape momentarily thought of asking where he had got the malign eye bracer but thought better of it. The response 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 head. `` If you want my advice you will uphold as you have no doubt been doing. gearing, learn everything you can. When the meter comes, I promise I will learn you. ``

'' Fine. '' Harry seemed defeated, upstage. `` Will you at least teach me occlumency ? I ca n't use that to fight. ``

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


'' fine. '' Harry muttered to himself. `` I 'll try Moody. ``
*


The marauders had to hunt Harry again that evening. He had disappeared before dinner and was nowhere to be seen. The border wards had n't been tripped but with Harry that meant next to null. They found him in a obsolete stairway, sitting in the rainbow blur of a stained glassful window. With the idle mottling his skin like some jungle cat the marauders hesitated to approach him.

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

'' Not thirsty. ``

'' What were you doing ? ``

'' Begging. Again. '' Harry let out a rough, gruesome, laugh. `` full rotary. ``

'' What do you have in mind begging ? '' Fred frowned. `` You 've got money do n't you ? ``

'' Not money. '' Harry was still looking up into the twinkle. `` I 've spent the evening begging ordering members, aurors ... everyone really, to teach me to fight back. waste of my sentence ... '' Harry trailed off shaking his head.

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

'' Snape, Moody, 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 have intercourse ... ''

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

'' It 's not the same. I need a teacher. '' Harry shook his point. `` There 's only so very much I can get from record book and ... equal learning. ``

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

'' You do n't get it ! '' Harry covered his face with his hired hand. `` It 's not just chucking around a couple of stunners. None of you have seen a real wizards affaire d'honneur, not right dueling. Not like what Voldermort 's equal to of. Not like what I 'll give to be capable of if I want to stomach a chance 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 moment, 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 animal foot like a jack in a box.

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

'' Yes your misfortunate over-traveled and long-suffering bird has found my owlery. '' Malfoy rolled his middle. `` If you 're going to globetrot you should really severalize your owl to remain home. ``

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


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

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

'' Sure ... sure Harry. '' Hermione was nodding a little carefully, like someone talking to a man with a hand grenade. Which, given Harry 's current track track record, might feature been the shell. `` We 'll do that. ``

'' Should praxis shell too. '' Harry switched the Orange to both hands then quickly back to his right.

'' Great ... good ... wonderful. ``

'' Let 's go then. '' Harry pocketed the fruit and led the put off vulture, and Malfoy, from the room. As Harry pushed the door open he pulled up short. Lupin was frozen in front man of him, his helping hand raised to arrive at for the threshold. His smile had frozen and dropped into the scowl he always wore on seeing Harry.

'' Yes Professor ? '' Harry asked pointedly. `` Something the subject ? ``

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

'' What is his trouble ? '' 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 funny. ``

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


This was n't the in conclusion Harry heard about it though. Lupin lived in the house, they bumped into each early all the clock time. Each clip Harry was met by the same sanies hatred. It was form of disconcerting. Eventually Harry learned Lupin 's routine and managed to mostly remain out of his way. Of course it helped that he spent at least ten minute a day in the empty basement, sometimes with the marauders, sometimes with Dragon, sometimes alone. Each day when Harry finally dropped himself into an icy bath to solace his bruised skeletal system he felt a kind of fiery satisfaction.

He was getting better !

He could beat any of the marauders one on one, even the twins. Draco was better, at the start he had beaten Harry a lot. Well, no ... at the very come out Harry had won. Then Harry had raged at the blond and forced him to really cut promiscuous and use some of the nastier dark magic his father had taught him. With those go in his arsenal Draco had been winning, but Harry was clawing back. He was getting better, there was no denying that. Every pounding bruise, every daybreak waking up aching was a triumph because he was getting better. And that was n't even considering his other toys.

Harry shifted his human foot to pillow on the top of a burnt sienna desk in the house library ( there was some good stuff here, more charm to toy with ) when the door creaked open.

'' hello Tonks. '' Harry said, without looking up.
*


'' Wotcher Harry. '' He was doing that More and more. He was like Dumbledore crossed with Helen Newington Wills crossed with Snape. Tonks winced inwardly, it was n't the kids geological fault. He had been forced to become like this, canny and brutal as a feral fox. `` What'ya recital ? ``

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

'' Oh ... '' There was no genuine response to that. `` Any near ? ``

'' 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 ? edict keeping you busy ? ``

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

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

'' Sorry Harry, response '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 have to teach or blab out or anything just a well-disposed affaire d'honneur ? ``

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

'' Dumbledore does n't have to make out. '' Harry urged weedlingly.

'' Sorry Harry. ``

'' shucks. '' Harry sighed and looked like he was going to say something else but just shook his head. `` Never brain. Was there something you wanted or did you just come to chat ? ``

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

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

'' Remus Lupin. ``

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

'' Do you hump what 's wrong with him ? '' Tonks pulled a stool and sat on the other side of meat of the desk. From this angle Harry resembled a very appraising interviewer. His beaten and frayed steel-capped kick up on one side of the desk and a immense passel of wary books on the former. 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 thing to push aside. '' Harry interrupted her. `` The fact that he 's a werewolf. ``

'' 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 mass inside ! They have souls ! They 're human ! ``

'' I 'm dark Tonks, '' Harry held up his hands. `` I know what you 're trying to say. But I 've only ever met one loup-garou who has n't tried to pop me and even he sometimes acts like he wants to. Pardon me for not having a bully opinion of the species. When I meet a werewolf who does n't act like the monster they are inside maybe I 'll think differently. Until then I think my hatred is absolve. '' Harry part was flinty and sharp, and more than a short scary.

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

'' Occupational hazard. '' Harry smiled sadly, then shook it off and grinned. `` Sorry, we seem to consume gotten sidetracked into a character minute. What was the original head ? ``

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

'' I 've heard. ``

'' He was really risible. ``

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

'' He had lots of these chronicle about what he did when he was young. ``

'' Chase milkmen ? ``

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

'' I was mindful. '' Harry sighed heavily. `` Sorry Tonks, I do n't think I can help you much. He 's always been like this around me. The others tell me he was unlike around me. Ginny 's in a dissimilar class 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 hands. `` Ask him ! ``

'' He ... he wo n't tell me. '' Tonks looked at the floor. When she had asked him he had just turned and left the room in the center of her enquiry. He had n't spoken to her for Day. `` I thought you might know, or at least have a speculation. ``

'' best I can get up with is I remind him too much of what he lost. '' Harry shrugged. Tonks considered this. Harry 's guesswork was probably worth an essay from anyone else, the kid could show masses scarily well. Harry continued, `` I mean I get the belief he did n't verbalise to much of anyone after my parents died. He may pick me come to think of it. You know ... for their deaths. ``

'' That does n't sound like Lupin. ``

'' Not the lupin you know. '' Harry shrugged. `` If nothing else I 'll be gone in another hebdomad. He should be back to normal after that. You should have your big fluffy, odd lupin back. ``

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

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

'' You too Harry. ``
*


The marauders did n't take the train to Hogwarts that twelvemonth. They were flued into Hogsmeade under an order guard. As they walked up the foresighted 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 little smugly.

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

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

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

When they walked in the feast had already started. The marauders were forced to feel a earn section of table with the unit hall murmur and pointing.

'' Is it me or are the tables a bit empty-bellied than usual ? '' George IV said, scanning over the hall.

'' wad of parents decided to retain their kids dwelling this twelvemonth. '' Parvati said sadly. `` Our parents almost did but well ... ''

'' We convinced them Hogwarts was safer than domicile. '' Her sister ended for her.

'' Wonder who the new demurrer instructor is ? '' Ron gestured with a chicken leg at the vacate space on the instructor 's table. Ron looked down the table. `` Oy ! Dean ! Did they declare anything about the new instructor ? ``

'' Nothing ! '' Came the shouted response. The marauders collectively shrugged, except for Harry who just smiled faintly.

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

'' pupil ! '' Dumbledore stood. The hall quieted down. `` I have a few announcements to make. Firstly, as you may have realized, some of your classmates have decided not to bring together us. This is of class 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 moonshine, the dark lord has returned. I wish to pull in both that and this adjacent fact perfectly clear. He can not hurt you here. Behind the wall of Hogwarts you are safe. Thirdly, and most happily, we have a new defense teacher. One that, I am sure you will all relish learning from. So I would invite you to unite me in saying welcome, or more correctly welcome back, to Professor M- ''

'' Yes ! Your prayer have been answered ! '' The Brobdingnagian door to the smashing hall boomed open. `` I am, thanks to massive public demand, rachis ! ``

'' It 's him ! ``

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

'' Yes ! ``

'' Yes ! ``

'' Horray ! ``

'' Yes, yes thank you ! '' The muscled figure lapped up the kudos, grinning from one side of his grimace to the other. He was the same as ever, maybe his fuzz was a picayune shorter, his tan a fiddling deeper, his weapon more scarred, his legs clad in denim instead of leather and his fedora replaced with a fold up handkerchief. But it was him, unmistakable and in the flesh.

'' I 'm back in the country ! Back in activeness ! Back in mark ! The one, the only MARKUS TRIPPLE M Albert Michelson ! '' The blond colossus punched the air and the hall jumped to their understructure in cheerfulness. `` But please ... squall me Maximus. No no waiting ... send for me Professor Maximus. ``
*


Harry dropped out of his windowpane that night after everyone had eventually gone to kip and made his way down to the rooftops. Finding Michelson 's power was easy, the light was still guttering from the sally under the door. Harry knocked calmly, a instant later the door opened.

'' Was wondering if I 'd see you this evening Pipsqueak. ``

'' Well I had to greet the new professor. '' Harry stepped into the position, it was already all set out. It looked almost exactly the Lapp as it had three years ago, with one or two additions. Harry leant to look at a shifting wizardly mental picture. It showed a huge crowd of people, all but one of them looking African, standing in wrangle like a shoal photo. Sticking out like a sore pollex was Markus Michelson in the tierce row, grinning and jerking his ovolo at the thing behind them. Even lying on it 's side it towered over even Markus, spotted and studded with spear and burn scars it looked like a ...

'' You did it ! '' Harry turned grinning to his teacher. `` Nundu William Holman Hunt ! ``

'' hold it down with sole fourscore six people. '' Michelson nodded smugly. `` New macrocosm criminal record. I got the tail. ``

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

'' Nah, '' Markus snorted. `` I was in Norway when your owl reached me. Relatively shut down. ``

'' And you came back. '' Harry grew grievous. `` Thank you. I know I asked a lot. ``

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

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

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

'' No. '' Harry rolled his heart. `` He wants to cut through me up in bubble wrapper. Want 's to keep me safety and out of danger. ``

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

'' My thoughts exactly. ``

'' Well in that gear of mentation. '' Markus drew his long wand. `` When do you want to start ? How 's now ? ``

'' Now ? '' Harry flicked his wand out of his sleeve. `` Now 's well. ``



If you do n't give a critical review YOU WILL DIE ! Really .... you will ... eventually ...


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



"Mr Potter."

"prof Dumbledore."Harry looked up from the breakfast mesa."Hi, how are you ? Would you like a pop tart ?"

"No Mr Potter, I would not."

"Are you sure ? There ‘ s strawberry, chocolate, cherry-"

"Mr Potter where were you last night ?"

"I assume in bed."Harry replied calmly.

"rich person you forgotten Harry ?"Dumbledore's voice was flat and a extend to threatening."I have ways of telling where you are in Hogwarts. You were not in Hogwarts for much of lastly night, you were only in your bed from around one in the morning."

red cent it. Harry tried not to scrape up the pick-me-up on his carpus. He had been so hoping the iniquity eye could protect him from Dumbledore's map.

"Your map must be faulty."Harry grinned.

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

"I didn ‘ t leave."

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

"Getting a little angry Professor ?"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 darkness for years by you. It ‘ s sentence you reaped what you arrogantly and unthinkingly sowed. groom to live in the dark professor. I hope you brought lanterns."With that Harry stood and walked from the manor hall, with every eye following.
*


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

"Hi guys."Harry got to his groundwork and threw a piece of chalk he had been using away."Just getting this blank space cook, we can use it to train after lessons."

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

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

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

"The way of necessity ?"

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

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

"Wh ... why ?"Ron asked.

"Don ‘ t ya see ?"Harry grinned."It ‘ s Dumbledore ‘ s map. It ‘ s 2D you see, birds eye view, he can ‘ t narrate 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 train 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 aspect and followed him.
*


Potions passed uneventfully. Harry split his time between the Scripture on his knees and the caldron in nominal head of him meaning that his potion wasn't even near finished. but at least it didn't explode. spell was side by side and Harry didn't bother paying care there either, though in this lawsuit it was because he already knew how to give objects wings. He could give them roll wings if he wanted, or giant black leathery ones. When the moral was over Harry didn't even incommode to speak, he just gathered his stuff and rushed back to the attic. 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 !"

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

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

"Did I ?"Harry froze.

"fountainhead you ‘ re not using it."

"It ‘ s okay, It ‘ s my bequeath anyway."Harry shrugged and wiggled his fingers as proof.."Must have fallen on it or something."

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

"Ferio ! Stupefy !"Harry shot Malfoy's tour out of the air and threw his own a minute after. The blond boy shielded and Harry was forced to duck under his own stunner."Fulgar Fletch !"Harry flicked his baton and sent a cloud of sparkling leaf blade 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 rachis."Stupefy !"

"Volucers !"Malfoy's verge jabbed into the air and Harry the lulu was absorbed by a fatal cloud. The cloud expanded and rushed towards the scandalize Harry.

"Bloody Hell !"Harry heard Fred vociferation at the Same time as his counterpart yelled,"Hornets !"

"Arg ! Ouch !"Harry felt stings on every patch of open flesh. Burning all across his skin like a chemical flack. Another wizard would have been overpowered by the pain sensation, but Harry had felt far far worse."Take this ! Tempesto !"

Wind sprung from the drained air and rushed over Harry, carrying the Hornets away in a furiously buzzing tornado.

"Eat it Blondie."Harry grinned and flicked his verge towards his opponent. The Slytherin's triumphant grin suddenly turned to fear and pain as the horde engulfed him.

"Fin-ow ! Fi- crashing things ! Finite Crabro !"The hornets disappeared and genus Draco was left dishevel and snarling in the middle of the whirlwind. Harry let it rage for another endorse before canceling it too. The two combatants stared each former down for a few here and now, both pockmarked with sting and sweating.

"Maybe you two should stop."Hermione suggested hesitantly from the by-line."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 stuffy handle on his sceptre. Wait for it ...

"Confringo !"

"Protego !"Harry's cuticle was up in raft of time to block the curse."Ha ! Nice-"Harry's shield shattered and he was lifted off his feet as his chest exploded in pain. He was thrown backwards and rolled across the pitted and scarred level. He jerked before he hit the slanted wall and managed to push himself to his feet. His scepter was gone, rolled across the flooring away from him.

"damn it ! Damn it ! stupid person blinking shield !"

"Are you spite Harry ?"Malfoy called out.

"I ‘ m fine."Harry pushed himself off the flooring."Bloody carapace broke like a pastry casing ! Keeps doing that ..."

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

"I ‘ ve read the theory. I ‘ ve read the master theme. I ‘ ve read the whole book."Harry grabbed his scepter off the floor."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 basic spells."

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

"You ‘ re right."Malfoy said flatly."He ‘ ll be using the killing execration and it won ‘ t thing if you have the best shield in the universe. If you don ‘ t dodge you ‘ re dead."

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

"We can ‘ t."Hermione said automatically.

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

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

"Both of us ?"

"Like, at the same sentence ?"

"Yes."Harry shucked off his sweat soaked t-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 yelp like a puppy."haul your bloody wands."

In the end they were gladiolus for the outdoor background of animal, although they were the only if ones not wearing coats. Harry eased his aching left hand in a slow lap, it was worth it. It would be worth it. Harry listened with half an ear to the lesson, it was about unicorns. The fortune of Voldemort sending an US Army on unicorns was low to laughable so Harry lidded his eyes and dozed.
*


As the lesson ended Anapurna turned towards Harry to wake him and found that soul had beaten her to it. person unexpected.

"Oh no."She whispered under her breath.

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

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

"Have you met Harry ?"

Parvati's heart dropped and they watched mute as the figure tapped Harry on the shoulder.

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

"Yes Harry, it is."Susan finger cymbals 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 want Susan ?"Harry asked flatly.

"You didn ‘ t write. The whole summer ! You didn ‘ t say auf wiedersehen 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 concluding year and just forget to say me ?"

"Susan ..."Harry glanced down, for the first time in the conversation his stony masque slipped a pulsation. 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 give out up."Harry turned and began to walk back up towards the castle.

Susan just stood there, her hands lightly clenching the framework of her gown. Staring into place. As the twins watched she sobbed wetly and drew a hand across her eyes before running off towards the nursery, one arm shielding her facial expression from any passers by.

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

"Cruel. Harsh. 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.

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

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

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


"Is this it now ?"Padma asked her baby as they got fix for bed."competitiveness all day ? Let Harry offend us up, ignore his new attitude and get set up for tomorrow so he can do it all over again ?"

"He ‘ s going through some stuff."Annapurna sighed."He needs our assistant. He needs us."

"He has a funny way of showing it."

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

"He ‘ s wrong !"Parvati insisted emotionally.

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


Snape was awakened in the middle of the Night by glowing silver visible radiation. One of the benefits of being an occlumens was add genial control and Snape was awake in an instant. As his eyes flickered exposed he groaned inwardly, then thought beneficial of it and groaned outwardly.

"What is it you old motley fool ?"Snape said angrily. The phoenix patronus couldn't hear him and wouldn't report back so it was a everlasting quarry to vent at.

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

Snape was already out the door before the silver bird disappeared. He shucked his robe on as he hurried down the corridor. Wait, why was he walking ? Was Harry's safety less of import than not looking stupefied. Snape broke into a run. The speech sound of his flapping feet filled the corridor as he hammered towards the Headmaster's office.

"Slug ice-cream."The gargoyle slid aside and Snape threw himself into the stairwell. The stairs began to rise, painfully slowly. Snape gasped his breathing space back as he silently urged them to go faster. Eventually the Headmaster's threshold came into view and Snape pushed it heart-to-heart quickly and said,"Albus ! I ‘ m here."

"Severus welcome."The schoolmaster was sitting calmly at his desk."Read this if you would."

Snape blinked in confusedness for a moment, then noticed the paper on Dumbledore's desk. He stepped closer and saw that it was an early copy of the Prophet. This was the emergency ? Perhaps he was missing something ?
MURDER AFOOT

Dannion LeSang was found beat in his abode this cockcrow. A window of his penthouse apartment had been shattered, possibly so that the killer could gain entree. Once inside poor Mr LeSang was beaten horribly, with a blunt official document, possibly a tabular array leg. The aurors have cordoned off the sphere and refused to release any detals but this reporter has discovered that his injuries were not what killed him. Oh no he was poisoned ! Poisoned by a toxin that the ministry

HAS NEVER SEEN BEFORE !

Is there a psychotic killer at wanton ? The aurors gave no gossip, perhaps because they as yet, know nothing ! Why anyone would want to kill Mr LeSang is unknown, perhaps an old rival from his long and distinguished quidditch career ...


Snape dropped the paper in disgust.

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

"Dannion LeSang was a known death eater."

"I am aware 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 program that the daring, smiling, star chaser for the Wigtown spider loved to torment muggles ? Do you ?"

"It was you."

"It was me."

"You do not think his death is crucial ?"

"I do not suppose his death involved Harry."

"No order member was involved."

"Albus there are people former than the edict who despise demise 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 again.

"Why did you be intimate the watchword you arrogant little 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 floor. He was fully clothed, at two o clock in the forenoon."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 screw of this ?"

Harry reached out slowly and took the report, his centre scanning from one incline to the early. After a mo he looked up.

"I know nil about this."Harry held out the paper."May I go now ?"

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

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

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

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

"I did not cerebrate you had the skills to brew it Harry. But I know you have the resources to buy it."

"Well I didn ‘ t."Harry threw the paper on the story. `` Can I go ? ``

Dumbledore leant back, meeting Harry 's center with his own flinty stare. For a hanker mo the old wizard and the young stared each other down across the silent office. Snape could almost feel the sparking thaumaturgy as the master tried to force Harry 's nous receptive. After a moment Harry snorted and said,

'' Whatever. '' Harry turned and pushed the door open. `` awake me if you have any former unsolved slaying you want to pin on a scapegoat. ``

The two teachers stood without speaking as they heard Harry 's stride echoing away from the stairwell. Even after they had faded to zero it was a long time before either of them spoke.

'' Do you believe him Severus ? ``

'' Yes. ``

'' Why pray tell ? ``

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


'' Mr Potter. ``

Hmmm ...

'' Harry Potter ! ``

Hmmm ... sleepy.

'' Harry ceramicist why is it always my course of instruction you choose to sleep in ? ``

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

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

Harry was buffeted by sound and slowly, blearily, rubbed his eyes. In front of him was a break in glassy stump. Harry reached forward and picked it up.

'' You broke my looking glass. '' Harry reached up to his face to make sure his own glasses were n't broken then drew his verge and repaired the Champaign ice. He did n't even know what he was supposed to be turning it into, possibly some sort of squid.

Why a calamary ?

We were dreaming about a squid.

That makes no sense.

Shut up.

I ca n't exclude up I 'm section of your brain.

I 'll lobotomize you.

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

She is looking kind of angry.

'' I can turn it into a calamari. I swear, just scout. '' Harry held the meth 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 house of cards out of a fleshy protrusion. Harry smiled,

'' See ! I did Ok. ''

'' Harry ... '' McGonagall was staring at the ice 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 lie with. ``

'' Would you hazard a guess ? ``

'' Well ... '' Harry tried to gum together an explanation from his trembling cognition of Greek. `` Well Kalamaraki means squid ... and I think Krasi is some sort of veggie ... ''

'' Harry ... ''

'' Yes ? ``

'' Go back to catch some Z's. ``

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


Harry slipped into bed that night confident in the knowledge that he had got at least two hour sleep over the track of the day. He dozed with an consternation clock under pillow until it sounded and prompted him to shuck his blankets off and be given out of the windowpane. He looked over towards the master 's pillar, the luminosity was still on. Harry flicked a pair of binoculars out of his bag and focused in on the faraway window. Dumbledore was staring into a broody, the silver light playing on his lined aspect. He looked old-hat, very tired.

But at least he was n't looking at the map.

Harry slid out onto the wall and confidently let himself fall. The wind whistled thrillingly in his ears as the tile rose up to contact him. A here and now before he hit Harry felt a pugnacious tugging around his chest of drawers and his terminal bead slowed to a crawl. His feet touched ground and he flitted off across the tiles. Harry reached the windowpane that was his finish and flicked it open with his wand. He dropped through again, trusting his bought illusion, and landed lightly in front 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.

'' hoot ! Silencio. '' Harry caught it before it made too a good deal disturbance and watched as the entry to the chamber of enigma was slowly revealed. Harry lowered himself into the tube and said, `` Cissycis. '' This time he got it first sentence and the entrance began closing up as Harry slid off down the chute.

Harry landed metrical foot first, expecting to hit marshy water system, and instead felt dry rock. This plaza had been cleaned up a bit since final stage clip he was here. Harry continued through the cave, passing the jumbo snake-door. The chamber was dark, maybe Markus was n't here yet ... Damn it !

Harry plunge to the position as the stunner flashed through the air. He threw a bludgeoning hex towards where it had come from but heard nix. A moment later Michelson appeared, totally unruffled, out of the shadows.

'' Nicely done Pipsqueak. '' The professor clapped his vast hands. `` But you should have aimed Thomas More, that hex did n't have a probability of hitting me. ``

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

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

'' There was n't a lot time. ``

'' brand time by moving faster. '' Michelson drew his wand and squared up in the midriff of the way. `` Come on lad, time to duel. ``

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

'' wellspring who would ? '' Michelson laughed, then grew grievous again. `` You know enough turn to get started, we 'll fill up in the space on the way. Anyhow I 've seen that you know enchantment. I want to see whether you know how to use them. ``

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

'' Yes, win. ``

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

'' Not for me. Ewwyiky ! ``

Harry had no idea what the inferno that was so plunge for cover, rolling and coming up with his wand trained on his teacher. Somewhere behind Harry there was a loud squelching auditory sensation but Harry was already fighting back.

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

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

"Incendio ! Reducto !"Harry aimed the low gear at Markus and the second at the ceiling far above him."Stupefy !"Harry blasted the enchantment into Makrus'boldness and didn't hold to see if it hit. Instead he aimed at a chunk of falling ceiling."Confringo !"And flung himself away as it detonated like a bombshell. He rolled on the floor and came to his substructure in time to fling the first three spells he could think off at the chassis in the centerfield of the expanding cloud of dust and fire.

The only if warning Harry got was a flash of red before the enchantment flashed from the cloud and hit him in the tum, throwing him to the floor.

"wagerer even than that."Albert Abraham Michelson stepped out of the junk, not a hair out of place."That was serious though, imaginative. ripe trick with the rock 'n' roll, might make caught a lesser wizard. Again."

Harry forced himself to his foot and raised his wand. This time he lasted just a few seconds before a stunner blasted through his hastily raised shield and knocked his illumination out. Familiar unconscious mind total darkness held him in it's comforting embracement for a few moments before Markus brought him back.

"That was not as good."

"I know, I know."Harry shook his head."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 stuff hit me ?"

"Look kid, you first learnt this spell three class ago."Markus explained."You ‘ ve had to use it lots of times since then. You ‘ ve practiced. You ‘ ve practiced a lot and it hasn ‘ t got any better. It ‘ s carnival to arrogate you and the screen charm just don ‘ t go well together. It happens."

"To you ?"

"No. But to other people."

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

"Yes. Use early things."Markus turned and walked back to his starting mark."You know plenty of early fashion to stymy tour. Play to your lastingness and use your prodigious imagination."

"Use your imagination."Harry rolled his center and wearily stood."aright ... Incendio !"

Harry lasted almost a minute of enraged dodging and franticly blowing spells out of the air before he was disarmed and slapped himself heavily. He had to be better.

"Again."

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

"Again."

... Mown down by a bar of smoothing iron that came from nowhere ...

"Again."

... Floored with a poke ...

"Again !"

... paralysed ...

"Again !"

... stunned ...

"AGAIN !"

... shocked ...

"AGAIN !"

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

"Not with that attitude."

"I ‘ m sorry I brought you here."

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

"I thought I could get better."

"I think you can get better."

"unit world should just give up."Harry held his head in his work force."I can ‘ t round him."

"Who ? Voldemort ?"Markus A. A. Michelson threw up his manpower."Well no ! I don ‘ t think I could beat him. I don ‘ t think Dumbledore could beat him. He ‘ s one of the most powerful life wizards and has access to exponent decent the great unwashed don ‘ t touch modality. But if what you ‘ ve told me is dependable then you ‘ ve got ... what was it ?"

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

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

"Why ?"

"I ‘ d get skillful odds."Markus smiled and winked. Harry didn't laugh."But seriously, you can acquire to duel. You already know enough to crush any regular wizard hands down."

"Voldemort isn ‘ t a regular wi-"

"I know !"Markus interrupted him angrily."Which is why you need to learn to duel like a master. Which is why you called me. Which is why you should heed to me ! Now ... you need to playact to your strengths. separate me what you ‘ re honorable at."

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

"What. Are. You. effective. At ?"Michelson punctuated each word 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 estimable at anything useful."

"Oh for merlin ‘ s rice beer ! Who are you ?"Markus leant down, his angrily pointing finger barely an inch from Harry's face."Where ‘ s the Harry I met three year ago ? I don ‘ t see him. Where the snake pit has he gone ? Where ‘ s the kid who walked this schooling like he owned the topographic point and obeyed instructor on sufferance ? Where is that self-important bastard because he ‘ s the one who can beat Voldemort ! Not the whiney brat he apparently became ! Well I need him here now ! WHAT ARE YOU commodity AT !"

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

"Right."A. A. Michelson nodded."You ‘ re good at charms. You ‘ re excellent at charms. You ‘ re a crashing savant at charms. If I heard the rumour in the staff way right hand you built a professional character broom at thirteen years old. Out flew a Firebolt."

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

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

"Yeah."

"You ‘ ve seen a lot of the great unwashed duel."

"Yeah."

"Seen dispute ?"

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

"What differences ? Specifically ?"

"wellspring ... It's like ... you kind of wealthy person .... This is severely. Can I excuse it how I see in in my own head ?"

"Of course."

"You have sort of three types."Harry gestured vaguely."There are the received duelers, they throw smasher and curse, lots of shield charms too, and they seem to mostly issue forth out of the Hogwarts defensive measure classes. Not that that makes them bad. Some are really good, but they all seem to use this one style. This one set of spells."

"Hmm ... and the succeeding character ?"

"Death feeder. They aren ‘ t all even very skilful at fighting. But they use curses. Unforgivables and stuff. And that makes up for the deficiency of skill."

"And the live on case ?"

"The masters."Harry shook his head."I watched some affaire d'honneur on TV while I was traveling. Thought I could pick up some baksheesh. Most of the duelists were group-ones, but some of them ... the best ones ... they ‘ re not even in the Saame league. They move like they ‘ re weapons. They don ‘ t grub looker around, most of the clock time I couldn ‘ t even recognize 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 difference between duelists."

"Harry, you are absolutely right."Albert Abraham 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 concept of dueling. One of the affair that make people grouping threes. The learnedness curved shape is immense, there ‘ s a full point when you just become beyond everyone else. When you stop dueling with dueling spells and get dueling with everything. Do you get laid what the other difference of opinion is ?"

"No."

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

"A ... trick ?"

"feeling at Dumbledore, he uses transfiguration. By the end of a fight with Dumbledore you ‘ re not just fighting him, you ‘ re fighting the walls, doors, roof and floor. Plus anything else he can twist into a moving, thinking weapon against you. Voldemort ? Well he uses sullen thaumaturgy, plain and simple. You ‘ ve already realized that that gives a person king beyond your acquirement. And he already has plenty of skill. Me ? I use foreign spells, spells my enemies have never heard of. The last actor's line of a surprising number of my resister was ‘ What the hell is that ?'”

Harry chuckled, but Markus wasn't finished.

"Dee Finsbury, the current world champion dueler is also a adept conjuror. Your own prof Flitwick dueled for England, you think he threw around stunners ? And you ? Well you can do magical spell. Right ?"

"Yeah."Harry nodded."Yes."

"Say it."

"Yes I can do charms."

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

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

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

Markus righted himself easily and flicked his wand. Harry blanched as a gigantic fireball was sent rocketing towards him. Harry swallowed, time for risks.

"Ardor-Algidus !"Harry yelled and stood his ground as the hell on earth 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 surprisal onset forced the teacher onto the defensive, shielding desperately. A bit later he brought up a shining atomic number 47 sphere. Harry's spell bounded off like pins off a sauteing pan, sending reverberation all over the vast chamber. Michelson looked out appreciatively from the safety of the sphere.

"What was that Pipsqueak ?"

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

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

"Bugger !"Harry dived for screen as the fantasm erupted with apparent movement. Giant leathery apparent movement. Harry dashed behind a pillar as the bats flung themselves through the air towards him. They were immense, flank at to the lowest degree a metre wide, with Brobdingnagian fangs."Incendio !"Harry waved a fiery swath through the bats 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. Albert Michelson wasn't going easy 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 inviolable and Harry had to throw himself against the wall to avoid another thrown charm from his adversary. He needed a charm ... what magic spell ? Wait ! Bats were like, sort of giant hornets ... really."Tempesto !"

Harry called a rampart of wind and threw it against the leathery beast, swatting them out of the sky and crashing them into the far wall of the chamber. Michelson didn't give him any respite though and responded with a punishing waterfall that appeared out of nowhere above Harry. Harry felt a shot of old terror, but the fear only made him recollect faster.

"Arefacio !"The drouth charm banished the waterfall before it even touched him."Accio !"Michelson was forced to play his silver shield back up as a one C bat corpses funneled past him.

"Depulso !"Harry flicked his verge, spinning the lump of eubstance back away from him and bowled it back to break against the professor shield sphere. Harry wasn't going to let up now."Diffindo !"The spell scratched against the carapace to no effect, screeching like a fiddle."Reducto !"Michelson wasn't even knocked backwards as carapace once again absorbed the spell with a barefaced note. Harry gripped his wand angrily, cypher he had could bust this sodding silver gray shield.

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

"Motus !"Harry aimed squarely at the inwardness of the Ag ball and twisted. It vibrated like a Alexander Melville Bell and filled the sleeping accommodation with ringing. Harry twisted further and the speech sound intensified. Inside his bubble Michelson clutched his auricle. Harry found the resonance and twisted harder, the sound outside the shield was deafening, inside it must let been excruciating. Markus threw his arm out violently and Harry had to fling himself sideways as the screaming carapace cannonballed past him."Ferio !"Harry threw a hex at the staggering A. A. Michelson that he just caught with a counterpunch. Harry kept up the barrage in a bang of glee ! He was winning !

"KhaNDana !"

The deadbolt came from nowhere. Slicing out of the dark too fast for him to react. Harry was thrown to the ground, electric sparks raging down every artery and turning him into a screaming battery of bother. Harry felt his wand torn from his supine hand and at go managed to blank is mind to the annoyance. He waited in the dark for it to lose. When he at last opened his eyes Albert Michelson was staring down at him. The huge wizard put his baton to first one ear then the other, 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 mint screen and be let loose into a field full of titan purple bear bunker. Also full of bears. The bears will be able to stave off the bear ambush, you will not.


I do n't own Harry thrower. Neither have I seen him recently. If you have any data as to his whereabouts please telephone. He is out in the common cold without any food and we think his collar may have come off. He 's fatal and Patrick Victor Martindale White with fatal hand and he 's missing a slight bit of his ear. He also answers to the name of Scraps. He likes tuna.






Severus Snape landed lightly on the scrubland and looked about him. This would get been a monumentally desolate place if not for the aloof lights of a muggle road in the valley far below. Snape walked over to the gathering of dim clothed figures standing near the edge of the cliff. Snape counted faces, Barty Crouch was still lacking. What was the task that man had been set ? It disturbed Snape greatly that he did not know. It made him enquire if perhaps others of the dark frame did, if perhaps he was missing something.

One trope was apart from the others, right at the edge. The figure stood with his back to them, his retentive robes streaming out to the incline in the harsh Night wind. He seemed to be looking down at the route, and at the advance lights of a town.

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

'' Severus. '' The shadow lord turned at survive from the cliff. `` You have come at close. I was forced to wait. I dislike waiting. ``

'' My apologies God Almighty. '' Snape bowed deeply. `` I could not arouse suspicion about why I was going. I was forced to sacrifice speed for base hit. I am sorry. ``

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

'' No my Lord. '' The very fact that he asked the question meant he knew that Snape had left. Which was very, very bad. What lie could pass ? `` There was an society get together. ``

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

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

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

He does not eff where I was. Snape kept his expression perfectly unemotional. He suspects ... he strongly suspects but he does not know. He values me, he values me as a spy in the order. That is why I am still alive, 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 sound uninterested."Perhaps he has been captured. We may have to rescue him. Again."

He expected a chuckle from the death eater. None of them liked Crouch. Instead there was silence.

"Dear Barty is none of your concern."The dark lord replied, in the conversational tone that was so much worse than anger."His labor is going well. Is yours Severus ?"

"Alas no captain. I apologize."Snape hung his mind."I am afraid there is simply no way to adapt polyjuice potion to allow a homo to become non-human."

"I dislike failure Severus."

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

"For you perhaps."The night Jehovah was smiling slyly."But no matter. You may discontinue your experimentation. The potion is not necessary any more."

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

'' On to the meeting, we began without you Severus. I hope you don ‘ t idea. '' The dark lord turned back towards the cliff and Snape had to strain to pick up him over the wind. `` We were discussing an character assassination. ``

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

'' No. '' The dark Almighty cut him off. `` Not poison. I intend her dying to be more graphic than that. An illustration. ``

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

'' A salient figure in the department of mysteries. '' Voldemort half turned back towards Snape. `` A Miss Natalie Zhao. Do you get laid her ? ``

'' Yes. '' No god no. `` She is an guild member. ``

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

'' I did my lord. '' I begged her not to make up me tell him. She said it would n't matter. cypher connected them. `` If I may ask, why have you decided she must die. ``

'' She is the daughter of a squib, in a spectacular stead in the ministry. A takeoff. ``

'' I agree my Divine. 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 suitable of destruction. ``

'' Your overlord has decided she should die is that not enough for you Severus ? '' The dark lord smiled from the depths of his soulless, piercing eyes. `` Does her Death ... difficulty you ? ``

'' Of line not my Creator. She is the child of bad line, of course she must be killed. '' Snape bowed and stepped backward. `` I will make believe sealed that Dumbledore and the other edict members at Hogwarts are distracted. ``

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

'' nearly prudent my lord. '' Snape nodded, furiously trying to moil his wit and determine some solution to the problem. He could not mean, it was as if gruesome tendrils and fibrous black vines were choking his usually perfect mental machinery. There must be some way to get a message to her, there had to be !

'' Severus ? '' Voldemort questioned lightly. `` Will you be at Hogwarts this eve ? ``

'' Yes my Lord. ``

'' All nighttime ? No errands to run ? '' The night Jehovah 's back talk quirked. `` No midnight strolls ? ``

'' No my lord. ``

'' Good. '' Voldemort 's optic narrowed. `` Because I shall know Severus. I shall know. ``
*


Snape walked calmly along the farseeing itinerary to the bang-up doors of Hogwarts using all the strength of will he had not to break into a run. The viewer were no doubt already in place, at the boundary of the afforest beyond the wards. As were the assaulter probably, in his thinker he could already see them apparating into the glowering streets around Natalie 's flat. He ached to run but could n't. It was agony, caught in strand that did n't even exist. An anchor in his mind.

He reached the doorway 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 staircase this time.

'' Acellelero ! '' Snape clung to the central column as the staircase rocketed upwards and came to a screech halt at the top. Snape threw the door outdoors, 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 necessitate to excuse. ``

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

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

'' Not if we move now ! ``

'' To move confirms his suspicions of you. And it would do no good. The people watching you no question have fiat to toss off you if you try to impart. No message can reach out her. Yes, yes he had truly outsmart us. ``

'' I can occupy Fawkes. '' Snape argued. `` I can leave behind without a trace. Warn her, then- ''

'' You can not take Fawkes. The method phoenix 's use to jaunt 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 allegiance. It is a tryout, if you fail we lose our spy. If you pass however you will be his most believe servant. ``

'' Passing means the dying of Natalie ! ``

'' Not necessarily. '' Dumbledore was obviously trying to be soothing. `` She is an accomplished fighter. She could head for the hills or- ''

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

'' Think of how many citizenry your information saved in the last war. Countless lives. ``

'' Some lives are worth more to me than others. ``

'' Well not to me. '' Dumbledore stood and stared down the potions master. `` The best you can do for her is to give indisputable you are seen here. Go and pick herb from one of the remote game, 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 toss off her. You can do nada. ``

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


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

Natalie burrowed deeper into her pillow and closed her center. The world was falling apart, not even pipe dream could bring home the bacon respite for long.

A floorboard creaking.

Natalie 's oculus flickered open in a mo. Was it just her neighbor downstairs ? She reached for her wand and silently checked her Aaron Montgomery Ward. She hissed as she realized they were in tatters and rolled off the bed. Her hand moved towards the wakeful switch then thought intimately of it, it might let them cognize they had seen her. She slid towards her bedchamber threshold and looked out through the keyhole just as the room access at the early end of the corridor was pushed open slowly. Revealing a habilimented figure.

Natalie slid back silently. She tried to apparate away, not really expecting it to work. No, they had a hospital ward up. They would have blocked the fluke as well. The only way she was getting out was through the front door, which meant through them.

They would check the rooms along the Charles Martin Hall first, she perhaps had a minute.
*


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

He had been locked up for good. Until the dark lord had given him a irregular prospect. A chance to come back bon ton again, to be utilitarian again. He was only half blood but he had just enough brain to never mention that to anyone. When the dark Jehovah had explained what needed to be done to this bint he had stepped forward instantly. It was right up his alleyway, he might even earn the mark if he succeeded. Then he 'd really be set.

He touched the door lock with his thumb. Warded, what else ? He turned and pointed into the rabble behind him at a hunched figure, then pointed back at the door. The man shuffled forward, he had been a damn thoroughly curse breaker until he was caught skimming a cut off the top. He was just lucky the ministry caught him before the goblin did.

membranophone waited in silence as the midget man clicked and hummed in front of the doorway. A few transactions later the whammy breaker pushed the door undetermined. brake drum stepped into the flat and looked around professionally. It was set out fairly regular. Kitchen that way ... empty. tympan waved two guy towards the book binding room and ignored it. This place was like a catalogue, everything was in its place except for the script and papers strewn across the java table. Well, that and the three fish tank near the back. Not entire of water. Some sort of reptile. Some sort of incense in the air, some new age garbage.

drum shrugged, not an yield. The bedroom would either be at the end of the minute door down on the left. That was how these construction were built. membranophone stepped down the corridor and pushed the door on the left wing unfastened. Boxes. Down the hall then. He looked behind him, the former criminals were hanging back. Pathetic. The night lord had grabbed everyone who would stand up straight with no attentiveness for experience. Not that he was criticizing, at least he would get broad cite for the kill.

Drum breathed in deeply. Smelled like vanilla, it was very strong. mortal had once told him that smell was the strongest gun trigger for retentiveness. He certainly remembered that muggle young woman every metre he smelled cut pasture. Perhaps from now on vanilla extract would echo in his head, reminding him of Natalie Zhao. The fair sex who made him the pet assassin of the gloomy lord.

He made his way towards the last doorway. He raised his scepter, fumbled it and caught it again. He shook his head. Had to stay focused. He reached the door and pushed it assailable. duskiness, he stepped up to the bed. He had n't used the killing nemesis before, but he had no dubiousness he could make it make. He raised his verge, aiming at the hunk in the covers. His wand was shaking, he grabbed it with both hands. What was faulty with him ? Drum shook his principal, the wand was still shaking.

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

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

'' You did n't come together it. '' Drum looked up, his eyes already drooping. The girl was standing there, arms crossed.

'' Doped us. '' Drum mumbled through benumbed mouth. `` Incense ... vanilla extract ... ``

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

Wo n't tell you you bitch.

'' Twenty ? ``

What !

'' Where are there ? ``

Ice cold bitch queen.

'' Five in the unconditional, five in the stairwell. The sleep exterior. '' She almost seemed to be talking to herself. `` And dememtors flying everywhere. ``

'' You wo n't get out ? '' metal drum managed to get out. `` We 've surrounded you. Your fumes may have got me ... the early five in here. Wo n't get the ease. You 'll never get out. '' The female child raised her wand.

'' I can try. ``
*


Natalie stunned the swart wizard and pushed his body in front of the door. How long before the others checked on him ?

The door grip rattled. That long.

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

Confringo ! She said the spell silently and angled her wand sharply down. The threshold exploded outwards, the force of the burst channeled down the hall. She saw three body flying away from her and dashed out after them.

"Cruci-"

Natalie whirled on the caster. No time for while, she found his oculus, pushed in like a dagger and found the off switch in his brainpower. He folded like a puppet with the cosmic string cut. She heard a call behind her and protegoed so harshly that the unit of ammunition edges of her buckler forced the paries out like crumpling paper. She turned and saw the hooded man dodging his own patch and threw her own, striking him in the chest.

That was the ones in the flat done.

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

She threw herself to the side. They must have been shooting from the early edifice outside. Aiming blind through the curtains. Aiming at her. Well that put climbing out the window out of the picture. She crouched and made her way towards the stairwell. She glanced between the spline and pulled her promontory back as a unripened flash obliterated the wooden handrail where she had been.

Time to get down surprising them.

Natalie aimed at out into the middle of the stairway. A glint of her scepter and a ball of glowing brightness appeared. Another flick and a spiraling spear of sparks shot down the step like a rogue firework. She twisted and the ball dropped slowly, like a balloon, spitting exploding lance in every steering and shrinking as it fell.

That should keep them busy.

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

Damnit ! Two above her, one below. They must have hid in the face corridors. She aimed her wand up at the two firers and vanished the floor under them. One of them dropped like a Harlan Stone, the other was fast enough to snap up the edge of the fix. But that just made him an well-fixed prey to get picked off. Natalie spun to train out the guy below her but he was already down. bloodline on him, and pooling on the floor. Another victim of the cackshots outside.

There were still ten men outside. Natalie reached the ground trading floor and took a abstruse breather. They would be spread out all around her building to stop her escaping. What was her estimable bet to pull round ? The spine entrance ? It led onto an back street, well-to-do for them to parry or watch. The front was no dubiousness a deathtrap, she'd be hit from every incline before she got two measure. There was a ground floor window out into the car park ... wiz tended to ignore cars. She didn't have one but surely some combination of spells could convince one to set out. It was her best shot.

Natalie can down a side corridor and found the windowpane, she peered out. No one visible, but they could be hidden among the cars. She slid the windowpane open and climbed out uncomfortably, breathing severe. Strangely her newspaper pushing desk job didn't keep her in very good chassis. She fell down between two cars and turned towards one of them. She was about to trance the ignition lock when she felt a tail fall on her.

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

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

"Ere what was that ?"

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

"She ‘ s ‘ ere ! She got Poxx !"

Natalie heard more running metrical unit and tried to slink away along the edge of the wall. She reached the recess, no where to go. If she tried to gain for the exit they'd see her for sure. She pushed at the apparation Mrs. Humphrey Ward again but it was no good. They had extended it beyond the building itself. How far would they have pulled it ? To compensate the whole pulley-block would have been unimaginable. Could she just run for the border ?

They were searching the lot. They were getting closer. Natalie looked up under the closest car. At least five duad of feet within easygoing sight. The entrance was close, she might spend a penny it. With a distraction.

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

"What the flaming ‘ ell is that !"

Natalie stood and ran. They were looking the former way, she could form 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 magical spell pin-wheeled over her fountainhead and she sprinted harder. It had to end soon. She heard shouting and running behind her. delight let it end soon. A chunk of the road was blown away, throwing her to the floor. No ... She desperately threw herself against the Mrs. Humphrey Ward as footsteps surrounded her. It wouldn't John Donald Budge, she knew it wouldn't.

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

"You ‘ ve led us lads a merry chase."He continued, and there was a rising chuckle from the cluster of wizards surrounding her."Me and the lads worked knockout. I recon we deserve a reward."

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

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

"It ‘ s blood. He ‘ s deadened. He- Aaa !"The neck of the kneeling man exploded, showering them with blood. The malefactor jumped back in stupor. Natalie grabbed her wand and threw herself backwards, rolling as she hit the terra firma. She had stunned one of the mavin while they were still in shock and had turned her wand on another when her mystery savior revealed himself. She had to give it to him, he knew how to relieve oneself an entrance.

He dropped from the top of another building, his robe billowing behind him as he fell straight into the heart of the wizards. He landed on one of them and rolled, a blue figure in his helping hand coming up. Another criminal was thrown back and landed wetly on the storey. The warrior looked up at her but she couldn't enamor his facial expression in the wickedness. He nodded to her. She nodded back, and they turned on the residuum of the bastards.

It was the strange competitiveness Natalie had ever been involved in. Strange for it's silence. Whatever weapon the foreign man was using it made no sound as it fired and she tended to sick non verbally. The criminals yelled their spells but they were in such disarray they were mostly throwing desperate stunners at each former. former than those there was only the sound of footstep, rapid-fire like a dancing, and the periodic nebulizer of parentage. A dumb engagement at midnight, underneath stuttering streetlamps. Natalie's breath was hot in her ears by the time it was over. She turned to her Redeemer, he was dumping what was now obviously a silenciod handgun in his bag.

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

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

"Ha ... Harry ?"

"Yep."The Danton True Young boy's oculus wandered south and he glanced away."Um you ‘ re going to give to have a change of wardrobe if you want to feature any kind of intelligent conversation."

"Why ?"

"fountainhead, long history unforesightful you ‘ re still wearing a nightgown and the priming coat you were just rolling around on is quite damp."

"Oh."Natalie felt the blush rising in her impertinence as she conjured a robe."punter ?"

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


cartage bodies up to her flat had been a surreal experience. She had healed the ones that could be healed before stunning them into a comatoseness. In the end they had two loads, sixteen alive and four dead. She did n't doubt that without wizard medicine the enumeration would have been a lot higher.

And here she was, sitting by her java board staring at lined up, stunned, criminal who ten minutes ago had been trying to vote down 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 lightlessness robed boy grabbed them before coming back and sitting beside her on the couch. She looked over at him. He looked older than when she had conclusion seen him. Much sr.."You saved my life."

"Don ‘ t concern about it."Harry shrugged."The biscuits more than fix up for it."

"You shot them."Natalie's thought's were still a little disjointed and she was trying to satisfy in the man."With a gun."

"Spells would consume warned Voldemort I was there."Harry shrugged."By now I bet they have somebody watching the underage legerdemain detector. I tried to dissipate their arms mostly."He added almost to himself.

Natalie decided not to notice, instead she asked.

"How did you even know to come up here ?"

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

Natalie listened in shock absorber as Harry briefly explained a conversation that had apparently taken place between Severus and Dumbledore before that evening. poor people Severus, she could just see him now. Pacing his office, unable to do anything. Hating himself even though it wasn't his fault. He always did.

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

"Easy, snuck into the forest."Harry shrugged."The people that got sent to find out Snape were all, big surprise, watching Snape. Meaning I could slip by undetected. After that I dashed for the rampart, climbed it easy, the ward doesn ‘ t keep in mankind. Legged it to Hogsmeade and broke into a cottage to use the labial pipe. I didn ‘ t want anyone to know I ‘ d gone through there, that was why I didn ‘ t use one of the pubs."

Natalie didn't speak as Harry finished his story. She looked over at the wad of outlaw, then back at Harry. Her brain, unencumbered by worry, was making the computation that Snape hadn't been capable 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 book ?"

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

"Snape bye and you can hole up at chez Malfoy. One trouble, They ‘ ll think of the truth."Harry pointed out, jabbing a quarter round towards the criminal."Voldemort ‘ ll detect 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 tabulator."Goldie will be able to help with that."

"Voldemort ‘ s just at Legillimancy."

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

"Wait a minute ..."Harry's brow furrowed."You ‘ re phone is working ?"

"Of course."

"So why did I just disclose out of school and travel the distance 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 sorcerer to his toes."Natalie smiled fondly."I checked."

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

"Revenge."Natalie grinned, then found the file cabinet card she was looking for and grew good."Listen Harry you should go back. I can palm things from here, and it ‘ ll be easier to excuse to Goldie without you here."

"You sure ?"

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

"Yeah ?"

"Thank you."

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

"And Happy Halloween."

"Hallowe'en ?"Harry glanced over at the clock, seeing that it was after XII."Oh yeah, happy Halloween."
*


Harry didn't try to reenter Hogwarts that night. Too much danger of being seen by one of the watchers. Instead he dozed on a bench and slipped back in around dawning. He attended breakfast purely to procure coffee in magnanimous amount and managed to get through his 1st few lessons somehow. During lunch suspension he dragged his sleepy spring down to the keep and found the rightfulness place. He pushed the door spread without knocking.

"What is the import of thi ... Potter."Snape deflated, his face going mild."Natalie told me. I can not lead off to thank you-"

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

"I suppose I am."

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


As soon as Harry's feet touched the trading floor he knew it was a dream. Before him the cottage at Godrics Hollow rose above his mind. Looking so ... normal. zippo to speak to it's momentous importance. It could take been any one of K of houses, there were others that could be its Twin Falls dotted down the street. null special, and yet it repelled him.

Harry felt his peel front crawl. The house was ... untimely ... somehow. Harry turned and dashed down the street, passing Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree and hedges. He dashed with no care and caught his substructure on a paving Oliver Stone, sending him sprawling to the storey. As he got to his infantry he felt sens under his feet. He was back on the front lawn. The cottage was right hand in front of him.

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

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


'' Harry ? '' Ron knocked on the toilet room access. `` Harry are you ok ? ``

'' I 'm fine. '' Came the muffle reply.

'' You do n't sound hunky-dory. You sound- ''

'' I said I 'm exquisitely. '' Harry jerked the door receptive, the black traveling bag under his eyes even more seeable than usual against his gullible and sickly skin.

'' You do n't wait fine. ``

'' Probably something I ate. '' Harry shook his head and pushed past Ron.

'' Harry everyone in Gryffindor eats the Saami stuff and nonsense and no one else is- ''

"I SAID I ‘ M fine !"Harry whirled on his Ron."I was macabre. 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 leftover 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 threshold, his pass drooping.

Ron followed slowly. Harry was slowly getting worse, be sick. Was it just lack of sleep doing this to Harry ? He hadn't looked this bad even when he'd been sentence jumping. This clip he seemed physically ill. Ron shucked his bag up further on his rear. They all needed a little more sleep, Harry had been pushing them hard.

Sir Thomas More sleep, and Thomas More bruise-remover.
*


Ginny looked up as Harry pushed the door to the garret open.

"Charms finished early ?"Harry asked as the marauder trouped in behind him.

"I already knew the lesson."Ginny flicked her book closed."It was summoning charms."

"You can already cite an elephant."Harry dropped his bag on the table."Skip the side by side few lessons."

"The remainder of us can ‘ t get away with skipping lessons Harry."Hermione said from behind Harry."Some of us aren ‘ t the boy-who-lived. Some of us-"

"Some of us realize the vacuity 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 enough, I ‘ m fine. Nothing a slight exercise won ‘ t cure."Harry shed his gown as the marauders drew into a lot around him. Ginny could see Malfoy settling down to watch, like it was a bloody 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 verge but Harry was already moving, sliding under her shot like a Snake. His wand came up towards her. She shielded, Harry flicked to the slope and Neville went down in a heartbeat of red light.

The twins jumped forward like mirrors of each other but a shining beam clicked between them and slammed them together like conkers. Harry whirled like a dancer and a humeral veil of smoke surrounded him. The marauders began firing into the cloud, careful not to hit each former as the stunners flew out the former side. The marauder slowed and eventually stopped.

"Do you think 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 sceptre was jerked out of her handwriting and flew into the blackness. An regalia of knockout followed it. All came back out.

"Screw this."Ginny waved her wand."Depulso smoke."The black swarm flew away and dissipated into the dusty air. Revealing zero. The base was empty.

"Where the hell on earth is-"Ginny felt a free weight smash her shoulder joint and a stabbing bother. As she collapsed she saw thrill flash in social movement of her face and red light flashing all around. Her shoulder was like a burning knife.

"handle !"Someone yelled."I said detainment !"

The flashing lights stopped and she felt impregnable hands rolling her over carefully. Malfoy's nerve came into prospect, staring at her shoulder.

"It ‘ s dislocated."He said softly."I mean really dislocated, look at it."

Ginny looked over at her shoulder and had to look away, her center squeezed shut. Her arm was hanging like a piece of meat, hanging off her articulatio humeri. The marauder began crowding around. Ginny found Harry's oculus, he was unreadable. As always. His eyes didn't emote, didn't give anything away. They just looked like ... eyes.

"Let me."Hermione pushed genus Draco aside and rolled up Ginny's sleeve. She shook her brain."I can ‘ t fix this. We need to get you to ma'am Pomfrey."Hermione reached forward.

"No."Draco shook his oral sex."Two marauders, one injured, leads back to Harry. I ‘ ll take her. We can pass it off as an inter-house thing."Draco put his arm under her expert 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 while induced stupor."And if she was a Death eater I ‘ d have broken his shoulder."

"Ginny ‘ s not a death eater !"Ron yelled angrily.

"Really ? You sure ? We could check her wrist."Harry rolled his eyes."I don ‘ t know what your mother would be more angry about, the hate offence or the tattoo !"

"This isn ‘ t comical Harry !"George growled.

"No it ‘ s not !"Harry yelled."It ‘ s blooming dangerous ! Bloody, raging, burning SERIOUS ! I KNOW THAT ! Do you ? Do you get laid that ?"

"You could cause really hurt her."Annapurna said softly.

"I have really hurt her."Harry said harshly."I ‘ ve had broken bones. It hurts. It hurts a lot. It also hurts a lot LE than what would happen if a death eater caught her."

"So it was for her own trade good was it ?"Ron raged."You were, what ? Helping her !"

"Yes ! I was !"Harry kicked a chair against the rampart angrily."I ‘ m helping everyone ! Why doesn ‘ t everyone get that ! Why are the bulk of the the great unwashed I ‘ m trying to save doing their right to make out with me !"

The marauders jumped back. The phantom in the attic made Harry's aspect a freakish mask. He was shaking like a foliage, breathing hard.

"Why are people doing this."He shook his promontory, his hands going to his synagogue."Even citizenry who know what we have to do are trying to stop us. Even the great unwashed who know. Why the underworld would they do that ?"

"Harry ..."Hermione reached forward.

"It ‘ s fine."Harry straightened like a rod."I ‘ m amercement. We can fit another affaire d'honneur in before the end of lunch."

"You, you want to go right hand back into a battle ?"Hermione asked, her voice incredulous."No Harry. No, we ‘ re all fatigue. 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 effort to charm it.

"I ‘ m tired."Padma said flatly."I ‘ m going to lessons."

"semen on !"Harry clapped like some insane fun coach."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 orders like you seem to think ! Make up your mind Harry, are we your friends or are we your ... your army !"

"You giving me the choice."Harry stepped up right into Hermione's face."You giving me that choice. I have a dark wizard after me that I ‘ m fated to press. I have the greatest, no prick that, the two greatest wizards in the man hating me. One trying to stamp out me. One trying to keep me a prisoner. I have everything against me. So I choose a bally Army.'Cos I need a bloody army. And if you can ‘ t be that then to hell with you."

Harry turned, and disappeared out the door.
*


The nexus of the marauders was gone. Without that, they were hollow.

They went to example, walked, went to meals. But Harry was never with them. He still attended lectures to keep the teachers off his back, but every other moment 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 gain that he hadn't stopped helping Harry. Ginny caught him alone one sunup 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 genus Draco's center. 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."Draco looked away."But here we know what ‘ s coming. You know. There ‘ s no way we can keep him out of Voldemort ‘ s path. There's no keeping him condom you understand, the prophecy ensures that. He will face Voldemort. He will fight him. So a little self destruction now is worth it if he survives that brush. Wouldn't you say Ginerva ?"

"Don ‘ t turn this on me."Ginny shook her drumhead."And don ‘ t try to progress to what you ‘ re doing any sort of noble. It ‘ s not."

"Of course I ‘ m noble. I ‘ m a Malfoy."genus Draco hung his head, then looked up to meet her eyes. Regret was back, rue was definitely back."Look Ginerva I know everything you ‘ re saying is confessedly. But I don ‘ t cognize how else to serve him. I don ‘ t how to help him at all. Do you ?"

"I ... no."

"Too bad."Draco shook his head."I guess all we can hope for is that he kills Voldemort before he kills himself."

And remote Hogwarts the wizarding existence slowly fell to man. As Christmas crawled closer and the nights grew longer there was no joy among the magical peoples. It just entail there were to a greater extent morose hours for the death feeder to hunt in. One night a dark mark was raised right in the middle of Manchester. The government passed it off as a hot air balloon. The ones in the country did n't get to be explained away, the ministry just had to clean up after. When they even bothered to do that.

contrary to popular feeling the saturnine hour is not before daybreak. It 's in the heart of the blooming night.
*


Harry closed the prophet with a heavy sigh and dropped it on the ground beside him. Things were only getting spoilt out there. The order was n't doing anything, big surprise there. Barty Crouch was still missing from death eater meetings, apparently with Voldemort's wide-cut support. The darkness creatures ? No one knew a matter about them.

No one seemed to roll in the hay anything.

Harry stretched his peg out and felt the ripples of the lake against his bare skin, sending back ripple of horripilation to twin. Not all to do with the cold. It was expert though. He should make believe sure he could manage water if he had to. mightiness have to fight in it one day.

'' A dark nation of affairs. ``

Harry tensed as the vocalization came from behind him and spun, baton outstretched. There was a fig standing there, looking out over the water. He looked old, seventy maybe. Bald definitely, and not a hair in his little neat mustache was anything other than white. He looked like a retired teacher more than anything else, one of the old schooltime ones. He even had the patched tweed jacket.

Oh god was that a pipe in his scoop ?

This guy was a walking cliché ? What was he going to do next ? Offer me tea ?

'' Would you like a stain of tea ? ``

'' Oh come on. '' Harry chuckled and shook his oral sex. `` Three things : One, I do n't drink tea. I drink coffee, in heavy measure. Two : You do n't have 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 Man leg. It passed through without even a tingle.

'' Very good Mr Potter. '' The old man sat down cross legged side by side to him. `` How could you tell ? ``

'' There are certain sign of the zodiac. '' And I 'm certainly not telling him them. `` Who the hell are you ? ``

'' My name is James. '' Harry stiffened at those news. The old man laughed. `` No not that Jesse James. Honestly Mr Potter there are more people called James in this human race than your founding father. ``

'' Probably not your substantial name anyway. '' Harry snorted.

'' I 've never seen a motive to conceal my first name. One of the benefit of having a nice traditional name like James or bathroom or Harry. '' Saint James the Apostle smiled and took a short blow on his pipe. `` Of trend if you wish to cognize my last public figure we shall have a problem. ``

'' I do n't make a crap what your last name is. '' Harry shrugged. `` How are you doing this ? Some sort of fancy ? ``

'' Astral Projection. '' St. 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 extensive planning and a circle of at least three mavin. What you came to narrate me is worth all that ? ``

'' Very skillful Mr Pott- ''

'' Stop saying that. '' Harry cut him off. `` Just speak your piece. ``

'' Very well. '' James reached into his jacket. Harry instinctively flinched despite the fact that any weapon this man pulled would go straight through him. `` Do you know a man named Conterrando bread maker ? ``

'' Is he from the ministry of punch-drunk name calling ? ``

'' How droll. '' James IV pulled a piece of paper from his crown and held it out for Harry to see. Harry grabbed a piece of sheepskin out of his bag to jot down the address then took a minuscule more time reading the rest of the profile.

'' half blood, respected extremity of the Wizengamot, respecter writer, married to a muggle, candid critic of the current minister. Two kidskin at Hogwarts. His last leger was a love tarradiddle, between a pure pedigree and a muggle. '' Harry laughed wryly. `` Jesus, did someone just take a big piece of play-doh and mould it into a target for the death eaters ? ``

'' It is a humble miracle he has not been attacked yet. ``

'' But you think he is being targeted now ? ``

'' I know he is. '' James tapped a day of the month on the paper. `` Tomorrow night. ``

'' Oh come on. ``

'' He has been repeated warned but he refused to go for a protective detail. He says it would impinge on his privacy. goosey And he will die for it. A beloved family man is going to die if you do n't save him. ``

'' strapper. You save him. You obviously have imagination. ``

'' I, or more accurately the group I represent. Do have the resourcefulness. '' James smiled. Harry did n't wish that smile, it had weird depths. King James continued, `` Our organization also dislikes Voldemort. He is troublesome to our employment. But unfortunately for Mr Baker, Voldemort is only an vexation to us therefore it is not Charles Frederick Worth enough to us to save him. We do not move in the same round as Voldemort you see, so he does not give us too often fuss. We would opt if he were gone though. It would make matter easy. ``

'' So help him. ``

'' We can not. '' James II stood. `` But you can. Go service him Harry potter. If it turns out well, we may meet again. '' With that he disappeared into thin air.

'' display off. '' Harry murmured.

Of course he realized it could be a trap. In fact it almost certainly was a lying in wait. Harry considered. Except that Conterrando Baker was a tangible person. The story, after a slight checking of binding prophet issues, checked out. Harry even found the tiddler in Ginny 's year. Hufflepuffs, twins, nice in a kind of boring Hufflepuff kind of way. Both members of the gobstones club. Both with significantly less ridiculous names than their father.

commodity Kid. Good father too ...

'' sod. '' Harry dropped the vaticinator on the table. `` I 'm going to have to do something heroic meter are n't I. ``

Looks that way.

'' Do I have to ? ``

Well ... no, you could let him die while you sit back and eat popcorn.

'' Do n't like popcorn. ``

Well I guess that decides it then. Plus it would be rather a wasteland 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 psyche you moron.

'' We 're a bit nutcase are n't we ? ``

Crazy like a fox.

'' Like a fox. ``
*


So it came to pass that Harry slid down into the chamber of secrets that night wearing the most singularly un-heroic small-arm of vesture in history.

A pair of waders.

'' Bloody winter. '' Harry shivered as he crawled through the tiny crack in the wall through which he had entered the chamber all those years ago. It was smaller than he remembered.

Harry dropped into the icy sewer and made his way quickly along the dark passageway. The urine was bitingly cold on his hands whenever they got splashed but the dense wader kept his legs pleasantly warm. Thank Falco columbarius for dragon-skin fishing supplies.

Of course of action this would be easier if Dumbledore had n't strengthened the Hogwarts wards to the power point where not even louse could fall out through. This was the only way out.

Harry 's passage through the catacombs was unerring. Last clock time he 'd been here he 'd wandered aimlessly, lost. slight lost boy ... But he was n't the same individual he 'd been then. Harry sighed and walked on through the darkness to his destination.
*


Harry flicked his collar up and walked quickly down the street. This was Greater London, but not a persona that he had ever frequented. Big sign, big expensive houses. Places that did n't train kindly to vagrants. Probably still would n't read kindly to him if he was found here.

House twenty six. Harry slowed to a stop a auction block away from the magniloquent whiten edifice. In the center of the terraced-row of equally grandiloquent blanched buildings. Expensive they might be, individual they were not.

All the lights seemed to be off. Mr Baker was probably benumbed. No one outside, no one obvious anyway.

Hello ...

Up on the roof. Darkness made into lusterlessness made into nightmare. someone was waiting up there, trying to stay put invisible against the skyline.

Harry cursed then darted down an alley. Movement in the front line yard, it might have been a discarded newspaper. Then again it might not.

human Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe ! Second level, standing near the bed ! Harry 's hands found a waste pipe and he catapulted himself up. There were two more on the bed, cowering in fear. The standing design raised his scepter. Harry swung with all his metier and crashed through the window.

'' What the hell ! ``

Harry tackled the death eater to the floor and stunned him. He rushed to the door and bolted it, pushing a professorship under the hold. The others would have heard the windowpane break.

'' Who are you ! '' A voice bellowed from the bed. `` Are you with them ? ``

'' Do you do it 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 good. `` GO ! ``

'' What about you ? '' Mrs bread maker asked as her husband hurried her towards the window.

'' Do n't care about me. Just go ! '' Harry flicked a Montgomery Ward onto the door, strengthened it. But it would n't hold long. These were n't criminals, these were actual expiry eaters. Duelist group twos. bugger. Harry glanced back at the windowpane to see Mr Baker just disappearing out of it. Well at least that was done. Harry turned back to the room access and raised his wand.

The offset real test. Lets see how I do.

I really hope one of them is Crouch ... Harry grinned in violent glee.
*


The houses windows flashed from where he sat on the rooftops. Whoever that boy was he was fighting them. Fighting them everywhere. There were two citizenry fleeing down the backstreet, visible in the spread between houses. They did n't matter.

His knarrled fingers clenched. It looked like the boy had beat him to these single. He would n't be able to kill tonight. Would n't be capable to hurt them, make them pay. stimulate the other one, the snake one, the one who took everything pay.

He licked his lips. Another time, there would be early times. He was patient. patient role was respectable, so long as it got there in the end.

The end ... the end ...

Vengeance. That was a unspoilt word.

The security guard hunkered down on the rooftops. Before him the battle raged on and cries of botheration filled the air.

He would waitress, and if there were any stragglers ? Maybe he would have some fun after all.
*


'' wake up up ! ``

Urg ... Ron turned over on instinct to get away from the noise.

'' Get the Hell up Weasley ! ``

'' Ow ! '' Ron grabbed his incline and spun, his middle wide open. `` Malfoy what the- ''

'' Have you seen Harry ? '' The Slytherin demanded.

'' What ? Of course not. He 's your outdo friend now. '' Ron replied sneering.

'' He did n't plow up for dueling this morning. '' Malfoy sounded like he was actually worried. The snake was obviously acting. `` I thought maybe he would be here. ``

'' Well he 's not. '' Ron gestured around. `` Look the bed 's not even kip in. And how 'd you get the password anyway ? ``

'' Something 's wrong. ``

'' Get lost Malfoy. '' Ron looked over at the clock. `` It 's six o clock in the morning time ! ``

'' Right. Two hours past when Harry said he 'd meet me. '' Malfoy was gritting his teeth, 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 wood ? Around the edge- ''

'' Checked. ``

'' Oh. '' Ron bit his lip. `` He 's probably, I do n't know. Probably training late and just passed out tired. Even you had to mark he was tired. ``

'' Surprised you did. '' Malfoy turned for the threshold. `` Get your booster and help oneself depend. ``

'' We 're not your frie- ''

'' But you were Harry's ! '' Malfoy turned angrily. `` And he could be in trouble, or pain, or dying, right now ! I know you do n't care him any more but unless you hate him enough to wish well him dead get the Scheol up and help me wait ! ``
*


Ron woke the vulture. The piranha roused the educatee. Vinca minor called the ghosts. Hermione ran to McGonagall. McGonagall went to Dumbledore.

The integral rook like an formicary kicked into turmoil by the deviation of the boy-who-lived.

It was Dumbledore who confirmed, by 'his own method', that Harry was not in the castle. The great manse was filled with palpable latent hostility as breakfast appeared as if it was any other day. Everyone was whispering.

Why bother, thought Ginny. It 's not like you 're trying to enshroud 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 vulture mostly picked at their intellectual nourishment. 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 hall emptied like a flack had started. Every student of every house piled through the giant star threefold doorway. Jostling and pushing against each other, and against teachers, to get through. They spilled out onto the front line lawn like a undulation, 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 glance of the solitary figure trudging up the route towards them.

The front moon curser stopped and were almost bowled over as the people behind them ran into their rear. The route down from the Bill Gates was slanted, so everyone could see. See the trope that was definitely Harry.

His robes hung off one articulatio humeri, the eternal rest torn and trailing behind him. The whole leave behind side of his grimace was covered in blood, down onto his shoulders too, caked on and streaked. One of his charge was gone, pigeon hawk only knew where. His allow for arm had an ugly burn over the elbow, red and raw and black in the middle.

The entire of Hogwarts stared at him. Harry raised his head painfully.

'' fountainhead ... would ... '' Harry swallowed and licked his lips. `` Would you believe I fell down some stairs ? ``
*


'' Mr Potter where were you ? ``

You know where.

'' Tell me ! ``

He knows where. Of course he does. Stupid Dumbledore.

'' Were you at the baker residence Harry ? ``

There we are.

'' How did you leave school ground ? ``

You do n't need to know that.

'' Harry answer me ! ``

'' What do you want from me Dumbledore ? '' Harry pushed a blood-entangled dreadlock of hair's-breadth out of his look. `` What do you want me to say ? ``

'' I want the trueness ! '' Dumbledore was yelling, every portrayal on the bulwark of his spot watched in silence. Apart from them the way was abandon. `` I want you to tell me where you went ! Where you go every night ! I want answers ! ``

'' I do n't give a hoot what you want. ``

Rather incongruent seeing as we just asked him.

'' Harry if there is a breach in the wards of Hogwarts I need to eff about it. ``

darn. He might actually be right. Voldemort sure as hell on earth knew about the chamber.

'' bedroom of secrets. '' Harry met the headmaster gaze but gave nada away. His occlumency was getting better too. `` Remember ? There 's a handing over that lets out on the position of the lake. ``

'' The ... a handing over. '' Dumbledore nodded faintly. `` Yes ... yes I knew about it. ``

'' But it slipped your intellect when you were shoring up the Mrs. Humphrey Ward. ``

'' I ... no- ''

'' You 're not a god Dumbledore. '' Harry broke in. `` You ca n't do everything. You are incompetent. You make mistakes. It does n't have to be this way between us, admit you made a misunderstanding with esteem to me. I can help you press. Help the society. ``

'' You are not of age. ``

'' Screw that ! '' Harry yelled wildly. `` There 's two people living tonight because of me ! Two minor who are not orphaned because of me ! ``

'' There are also five numb decease eater. ``

What ... the ... hell on earth ...

'' Stunned. '' Harry corrected hopefully. `` Stunned decease eater. ``

'' Dead. '' Dumbledore 's case grew stony. `` Killed with an orphic toxin. Seen only once before. ``

No ... no no no no.

'' Dumbledore- ''

'' arrest ! '' The headmaster cut him off. `` You have already demonstrated a bloodlust that disturbs formula, decent whizz. ``

'' When I need to ! '' Harry was breathing hard. `` When my friends lives are at stakes ! ``

'' You are out of control Harry. ``

'' I did n't kill them. '' Harry held up his hands. `` 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 eff. ``

'' I will not roll in the hay. I will not know because I can not be certainly that you have not reached a spirit level of proficiency at occlumency where you could show me whatever fabricated memory you wish to. ``

'' THEN WHAT DO YOU need ! ``

'' choler Harry ? You have a lot of wrath do n't you. ``

Yes. Harry hung his top dog tiredly. There is no answer to your dubiousness. Nothing that will satisfy you.

'' You will stay confined to the castle. '' Dumbledore ordered. `` You will attend all lessons. A guardian appointed by me will take the air you to and from each lesson. You will do these thing 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 take that risk. ``

Wait ! The prognostication !

'' The prophecy. '' Harry blurted. `` What are we going to- ''

'' block thinking about such matter. '' Dumbledore cut him off. `` They are no longer your concern. ``

'' But I have to stop Voldemort. I 'm the lonesome one who can. ``

'' This discussion is over Harry. parting. ``

Harry stood. There was no level drawing it out. He walked towards the doorway, but did n't go through it. He felt drained, completely. But some residual fountainhead of self-will would n't let him allow without one finish word.

'' You 're making a mistake. '' Harry said over his shoulder. `` You do make them remember. ``

'' 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 voice said over Ron 's shoulder.

'' Malfoy ! '' Ron spun on his bench. `` Do you just hook around everywhere ? ``

'' Hard to sneak in the middle of tiffin. '' Malfoy seemed agitated. `` Harry 's gone again. ``

'' Like this first light ? '' Hermione asked.

'' He said he was going to go to sleep, but his bag 's gone. '' As Malfoy spoke they heard a noise from the senior high table.

Dumbledore had just shoved his chair back roughly and strode quickly from the hall.

'' He knows about- '' Ron began but stopped as a feather trace dropped onto the table.

excavator cocked his read/write head and hopped about a little nervously. He kept looking at first one facial expression then another as if he did n't know who to redeem his message too.

Ginny reached forward and took it off her. She spread it out on the board. It was short, but it had a lot of subtext. It simply said.

Take care of him






reappraisal, or I will use my gravemetric inversion ray to nail the moonshine down onto the surface of the land ! Destroying it utterly ! You have just one hour ! Mru Ha Ha Ha Ha ! Ha. Ha.


Arg ! The web site goes down ! Madness everywhere ! things downslope apart, the essence can not hold ! My reviews ! ! ! My cherished reassessment ! ! !

Ah well ... such is life.



'' Is there no news ? ``

'' No Albus, there is not. '' Minerva shook her header. `` He appears to have vanished. ``

'' Has a ticker been set on the edge ? All agency that he could leave the commonwealth ? ``

'' Yes Albus. '' As if that had ever stopped Harry. `` But do you really think he will try to leave behind ? Everything we 've seen suggests he will stick around and fight back. ``

'' I do not eff Minerva. '' Albus shook his oral sex. `` I am not sure of anything anymore. ``

'' arrest strong Albus. The order needs you. ``

'' Yes ... yes we must go on. ``
*


The predator, bundled up against the cold, sat quietly before a huge bay window in Malfoy manor. They had gone there straight from Hogwarts, with a safety device the entire way. They were in the minority for leaving, a lot of bookman had elected to stay at Hogwarts for Christmas Day. It was safer. They were not the only ace there though, Terry and Anne Baker ( none of the marauder had really known them ) had been dragged along looking confused.

That was until they reached the house and had a tearful reunion with their parents. Apparently someone had saved them from the death eaters. accent on someone.

The manor house was filling up, loads of multitude. Refugees almost, people that had been targeted or were in danger of being. It was scary, seeing the fear in their eyes, the feeling of being hunted. The marauder were the Sami, ineffectual to leave, scanning the papers for any mite of Harry. They found nothing but they kept looking. Guilt was a right thing.

So now they were stuck in the mansion, unable to leave its walls as coke blanketed everything outside. Even if they could have gone outside would they feature had the core to fiddle ? Maybe, maybe not. So they sat in straw man of the Brobdingnagian open windowpane and watched it fall.

The grownup had tried to make it cheery, there was even a tree. It had n't worked though.

'' We should go sustain tiffin. '' soul murmured. No one moved. Eventually someone 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 ? '' She blurted.

'' We read the prophet- '' Hermione began before Tonks interrupted her.

'' No, no. This just happened. '' She shook her head. `` Two Death eaters 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 ? ``

'' Most of the adults eat in the tree room. '' Ginny pointed and Tonks hurried out.

'' Do you cogitate it was Harry ? '' Neville asked quietly.

'' Of course it was Harry. '' Malfoy said flatly.

'' It could have been somebody else, someone else trying to stop them. ``

'' Someone who tied them up like nowadays and dumped them Noel eve ? It 's Harry. '' Padma grimaced. `` He 's out there fighting. ``

'' On his own. '' Her sister echoed.

They sat in muteness for a while. The sole sound was Ron rhythmically munching on bread.

'' Do you think it was us ? '' Ginny found herself whispering. `` Do you think we drove him out ? ``

'' You certainly did n't help. '' 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 contend them ! ``

'' He was getting help from other places than me. person else I 'm sure, he was getting better too profligate. '' Malfoy shook his head. `` No, I withdraw what I said before. You did n't agitate him towards this. This was inevitable. ``

But we abandoned him. Ginny thought darkly. Maybe if he would take in stayed farseeing if he thought he had something to rest for. Or at the very least he 'd bang he was n't alone. pigeon hawk, how had things gone so wrong ?

'' It 's my fault. '' Hermione murmured suddenly. `` I said that ... stupid affair 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 psyche. `` take away out a personal ad in the prophet ? ``

'' fountainhead why not ? ``

'' Because it 's silly. And because all it would do is palliate your guilt. It would n't help him. ``

'' well what would help him ! '' Fred asked angrily.

'' I do n't lie with ! '' genus Draco shot to his foot. `` Why are you asking me anyway ? I do n't even like you. '' He turned and stalked out of the elbow 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 take in any other 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 anticipate everyone else to descend up with something. ``

'' I do n't hear you coming up with anything ! ``

'' There 's nix we can do ! ``

They lapsed into an furious silence again. There was too much focus, too minuscule sleep. They were all at the end of their tethers. Just like Harry had been. Ginny shook her oral sex, they should accept gone easier on him. A little selfish part of her felt glad that she had not been part 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 shoulder and then they would n't have ...

It was superfluous to think about it. The argument had happened, but a picayune part of her still irked. They should n't have blown up on him, so what if he said he chose an ground forces ... time lag ... Was it potential ? Was she really thinking about this ?

'' I can think of something we can do. '' She said, her phonation spying in the midsection. 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 attention. Marauder rules ...

'' HEY ! '' The mesa jumped as Ginny slammed down on it hard. The piranha started like rabbit. Oh swell, now everyone was looking at her. She stood, keeping her hands flat to the tabular array. `` I know what we can do. ``

'' Wh ... what ? '' Hermione asked hesitantly.

'' Exactly what he asked. '' Ginny said confidently. `` He wanted an USA. He needs an army. He 's fighting out there on his own so he deserves an ground forces ! We can be it. We can assist him ! ``

For a few bit there was muteness, then ...

'' But ... but we 're just kids. '' 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 know 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 good at defense and look how far he 's get. We can do it. ``

'' We could ... '' Fred murmured, and is Twin began nodding thoughtfully.

'' There are only eight of us. '' Hermione pointed out.

'' I think other people in the schooling would be prepared to facilitate Harry if we told them. The old elect ... others too. '' Ginny tried to front confident. `` And besides, Harry 's just one mortal ! ``

'' But Harry 's Harry ! '' Hermione shook her head. `` He could get away with that variety of thing ! He has some ... ability ... some cause he survived. A power ! That 's it ! Like the prophecy said .'A great power the nighttime God Almighty knows not'we- ''

'' The only king Harry ever displayed was stubbornness. '' Padma interrupted her. `` obstinance and bravery. ``

'' And the fact that he never gave up. '' Her sister added.

'' And we should n't either. '' Padma nodded.

'' So you ... '' Ginny turned to them grinning.

'' We 're in. '' Padma said, her eyes severely and determined. Her babe nodded her support.

'' Us too. '' George folded his subdivision just as his buddy said,

'' We ca n't give up on Harry. ``

'' And you three ? '' Ginny turned to the last three undecided marauders. Neville shifted nervously,

'' I ... It could have been me. '' He was looking down at the mesa. `` It could let been me. I would n't take survived this farsighted. No ... but I ca n't just ignore it. The fact that it could experience been me I mean. I ... I feel like I have to assist if I can. ``

'' You 're in ? ``

'' I do n't roll in the hay how much help I 'll be. ``

'' You saved me. '' Ginny smiled desperately. All the piranha had to join, it was like fortune. For some reason she felt like that. If they all did n't join it just would n't work. `` And Harry would have wanted it. ``

'' He understood you. '' Padma chimed in, smiling. `` Thomas More than the rest of us I think. ``

'' I 'll assist, if I can. '' Neville said, in a pocket-size voice. Ginny breathed out in easing, 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 peer imperativeness, but she would n't. Not a alternative like this.

'' We 'll have got to miss some object lesson. '' Ron said suddenly and Hermione put a hired hand over her backtalk, chuckling. `` Think you can treat 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 orotund dual doors. Standing in the open chap were two brown haired tiddler. 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 vocalise old. Ginny wondered if she had looked like that a few moments ago. `` We want to help too. ``

'' Harry saved our parents. '' Dame Alice Ellen Terry added in. `` The ministry did n't even know they were a target. We want to help. ``

'' You realize what this means do n't you ? '' Ginny said clearly. `` We 're talking about fighting. Fighting death eaters. 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 daybreak just like the rest of you. That 's the kind of stuff you 're talking about rightfulness ? Well that night he was out saving our parents. Saving them was what hurt him so bad, so its ... like I do n't make love. 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 flatness. `` 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 link up Harry 's USA. ``

'' Harry 's ground forces ? '' George snorted. `` Is that what we 're calling ourselves ? ``

'' I do n't like it. '' His similitude agreed.

'' It does phone like something from world-war-two. '' Hermione agreed.

'' How about the chosen ? We 've been that before. '' Ron suggested.

'' We 're the predator. '' Ginny overrode him. `` We 've always been the marauders we always will be. It 's what Harry would have wanted. ``

A murmuration of agreement went up from around the table and Ginny felt a surge of pride. She beckoned the bread maker twins over. As she did she suddenly realized something, she had made everybody feel at her and they were still looking. Her brothers had happily accepted her lead, they all had. And now she was about to ordinate two new marauders, 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 someone. ``
*


'' genus Draco ! ``

Draco turned in jar to look at the crowd in the 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. `` We 're forming an army. We 're going to oppose for Harry. We want your assistance. ``

The library was understood for a present moment. Dragon met the middle of each of the piranha, were they really serious ? Legillimancy gave him the answer.

'' Well would you reckon at that. '' Draco murmured, then smiled. `` Lets get to it. ``
*


'' You realize this means the predator now have members in every Hogwarts mansion. '' George V commented as they walked down to Harry 's old training cellar.

'' We do n't have any Ravenclaws. '' Ron said. Hermione shook her head irritably.

'' You would think you 'd remember Ron, after all the times she 's salvage our skins. ``

'' Who ? ``

'' Moaning Myrtle. ``

'' She does n't count. '' Ron said with authority before being clipped around the ear by Ginny.

"Watch your mouthpiece. Harry wouldn't stand for that sort of talk."

"Besides, you ‘ re all wrong anyway."Draco said dryly from the front."Harry made myself and Tonks marauder at the end of lowest year. You ‘ ve been cross-house for months now."

"Why didn ‘ t you tell us ?"Ron asked him.

"Would it possess made a difference ?"

"fountainhead ... maybe."Ron shrugged."Marauders have different rules than ordinary people."

"Yeah, that character I got."Malfoy reached the door to the wine cellar and threw it open. It was exactly how they had left it. Huge great deal of bust furniture and tan marker on the walls."right wing, well we don ‘ t have encroachment field or a siswai ‘ aman or muggle gonnes-"

"Guns."Hermione corrected.

"Them either."Draco stepped into the nub of the elbow room."Actually I do consume some impact firmament but that ‘ s not the point. We don ‘ t have time to go to four continents and piece up the scoop weaponry like Harry did, so I ‘ m going to focus on this ..."Malfoy drew his wand and held it out in front of him.

"Terry, Anne."Ginny turned to the two young members."How are you at defense family ?"

"We ‘ re both getting Es."Anne said quickly.

"Marauders should bonk how to lie better than that."

"Alright As."

"Sami as Harry conclusion year."Ginny told them encouragingly."Hermione ? Can you add them up to speed really quick ?"

"I ... I guess so."

"Good."Ginny turned back to genus Draco and nodded. He smiled at her as he directed the others into dueling line of business. Her belly did a short floaty lurch.

Just stress. She told herself. Just emphasis because we're joining a war. cancel to be aflutter, especially since they seem to have elected me leader. I'm not flighty for any other reason. No ground at all.
*


Neville collapsed into a death chair in his elbow room. He ached everywhere. Malfoy had pushed them all day, fighting. They had only quit for the dark when the baker kids couldn't stand up any more. Neville hadn't been far behind them.

This must have been what it was like for Harry.

Neville shook his fountainhead, earlier Padma had told him Harry understood him. Neville didn't know whether that was rightful. He certainly didn't understand Harry. But maybe he watched him more than the others, keeping quiet on the sidelines maybe he saw more. Saw more about mass ... about Harry.

Maybe there was one other matter they could do for Harry.

He had thought of it before but hadn't mentioned it. No reason to secernate ` people, especially if he was wrong. It'd just make him look stupid. It probably wouldn't avail anyway. But it was worth a shot.

Neville drew a piece of paper towards him and grabbed a quill. He chewed on the end nervously, how did you start a message like this ?

lamb ... No, to intimate. Neville shook his school principal, it didn't affair what words he used. He should just get the affair written. He cracked his tired knuckle and started again.

To The Pythea

My gens 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 harder than he thought.

Harry's in fuss, or he might be. He's left Hogwarts to oppose. 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 second. The varsity 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 him but if you can then please do, and severalise us what we can do to serve. 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 assist of one of the most powerful charwoman in the earthly concern. He signed it, his hand shaking decent to make the signature illegible, then squeaked his chair back and made for the owlery.

excavator was come alive and waiting, like he knew. The owl didn't even nark to take care at the address, it just glanced at the figure and took off. Neville watched it go, hoping ...
*


He got no reply over Christmas. The predator opened present tense with aching bone while their parents watched before begging out and going back down to the root cellar. Neville was surprised that the Baker tiddler 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 primer again. It just ended up slush. Neville wondered if Harry was outside, cold, right now, then felt stupid. If Harry could get weird dark 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 windowpane. ``

'' I 'm coming. '' Neville turned and raised his wand. `` Just a second. ``

We 're doing what we can Harry, just you wait.
*


Harry crouched on the roof of a house, careful not to fall away on the wet tile. The theater across the way was owned by a prominent phallus of a pure blood family. Not his chief sign of the zodiac obviously, jerkwater footling situation like this, but one of his properties.

A property with a bombastic basement. A belongings that had been taking in large supplies of gist, bad kernel too. Off cuts, the kind you would give animals.

It was a steer. Harry smiled grimly, he was on to them. He could wait here all night ...
*


"Severus the fry at HQ keep disappearing during the day. Do you roll in the hay where they're going ?

"I do not Albus."Technically true though any sensitive individual could guess.

"Do you recollect they might be planning to come after Harry ?"

"It is possible."I hope they are.

"This troubles be Severus, they should be kept safe."

"They are children."Technically unfeigned though not actually revealing his opinion.

"You will tell me if you hear anything I should know."

"Of course."Anything I think you should know.

"Now, '' Dumbledore looked around the hall, meeting the heart of the four parliamentary procedure fellow member. 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 infantry, shock evident on her cheek. `` How ? ``

'' Harry has been too trusting of Gringots. '' Dumbledore drew a dilute folder of parchments towards him. `` He forgets that they have human employees as well as goblin single. I have managed to obtain records of Harry 's transactions. I believe I have pinpointed his location. ``

'' So why have n't you brought the poor people boy back ? ``

'' Because Harry will have an issue strategy. '' Dumbledore shook his head. `` If he sees me he will run, and I can not guarantee I will be able to grab him. You are the order members I believe he will entrust. You must approach him. You must bring 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 make for sure he 's safe.

'' This is the location. '' Dumbledore floated a canvass of sheepskin 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 storey ? It 's a dead end. No way out. ``

'' The boy 's smarter than that. '' Alastor agreed as the four of them reached the stairwell of the muggle construction. It was not vacant, indeed Snape could take heed smother voices and clicking from adjacent rooms, but the top floor was closed for renovation.

'' Perhaps Dumbledore was wrong then. '' Was that a hint of Hope in the vox of the young auror ?

'' More likely Harry has a broomstick up there. '' Minerva snapped.

Harry would not feature a broom handle. Snape shook his head but said nothing out loud. He is more likely to sustain a pet dragon up there than a broomstick.

'' Quiet. '' Moody was up ahead, his magic eye scanning above them. The old auror cursed. `` tinker's dam iniquity eye ! There 's dish up there, and paper. But I ca n't tell if there 's a someone. ``

'' Let me see. '' Minerva slinked into her cat variety and carefully padded up the stair. Then came back down, her middle twinkling. She transformed back and said, `` Harry has been here. His smell is everywhere. ``

'' Do you make love 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 wands visible, do n't spook him. ``

They walked up the bleak concrete stair. The room access was closed and covered by a plastic tack. Snape was reaching out to cut it aside when they all heard,

'' Do n't bother, I 've cut a slit in the one round the side. '' The four Order members stopped bushed. The interpreter continued. `` And if you want a more spectacular argument, you are Moody, Snape, McGonagall and Tonks. ``

'' Harry ? '' Tonks asked loudly. `` Is that you ? ``

'' Did I not make that make ? '' The voice said cheerily. `` Come in if you want. With your hands up if you please, we do n't need any surprises."

"You don ‘ t trust us ?"Tonks asked.

"Constant vigilance."Harry replied.

Snape chuckled as he dropped his wand in his air pocket and walked around the corner. There indeed was a break in the charge plate curtain, it was waving in the dusty wind. Snape stepped up to the gap and pushed it aside. Harry was standing in the clear bay window, leaning easily against the edge.

He looked ... tired. Beyond tired, his eyes were sunken and his skin picket. Did he look sorry 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 happier though, his center sparkling mischievously.

"Harry."Snape greeted him as the early rescript members filed in behind him."It is good 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 information. He sent us here to fetch you back."

"And are you going to ?"

"We just want to speak to you Harry."McGonagall stepped forward, her hands bedspread 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 death eaters. What are you doing ? Looking for a lost child ? Let me ask you, which of us is doing the more useful task ?"

"ceramist don ‘ t be an idiot."Moody growled."You may have caught a few demise feeder but it ‘ s only a subject of prison term before you ‘ re caught and you better beg it ‘ s by Dumbledore and not the dark nobleman. If you die we all lose."

"If I fail we all lose."Harry shifted closer to the window.

"Harry, we ‘ re just trying to assist you."Tonks stepped forward."We all know what ‘ s at stake here."

"This scene is recap."Harry scoffed."I ‘ m leaving."He turned to the window and dropped.

"No !"McGonagall yelled, snatching for her scepter but Moody was faster. The old auror summoned Harry roughly, drawing him across the floor and disarmed him with a moving-picture show of the wrist.

"Son of a bitch."Harry tried to place upright but Helen Wills jabbed his baton and Harry was pushed back to the ground."Trusted you ..."

"Sorry Potter."Moody growled."Trusted you too. You pissed on that when you killed five men didn ‘ t need to be killed."

"That's not true."

"The voice about killing them or the part about not needing to ?"

"To be true, both."Harry made a lurch for the room access but McGonagall stepped in front of him. Harry cringed, then tried to stand."This is pointless. If you bring me back to Hogwarts Dumbledore ‘ ll hold open me prisoner, we all lose."

"I trust Dumbledore more than I trust you powerful now."Moody raised his wand."You disappointed me. Now Stup-"

"Stop !"Snape struck sideways, sending Moody's wand sideways. As the auror 's eyes jerked open in shock Snape stunned him and whirled, holding his sceptre on McGonagall."Don ‘ t movement Minerva. In fact back away."

"Severus what is this ?"Her eyes were extensive in disbelief.

"Please don ‘ t talk."Snape glanced at Tonks standing twitchily in the corner, her mitt hovering over her verge."And you ? Do I need to stun you too ?"

"I ... no."The Loretta Young auror's center flickered down to Harry."Take 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."Dwight Lyman Moody caught you. You let your guard down. You have to be better than that."

"I know. I screwed up. Constant Vigilance."Harry nodded towards Moody."You should recount him that too when he wakes up."

"He will probably kill me first."Snape shrugged.

"Not likely."Harry stepped up the boundary."He ‘ ll probably cartel you now."

Harry grinned and dropped off the edge.

Snape waited a long moment, long enough for Harry to reach the earth, then lowered his baton. McGonagall just looked at him. No scholar with latterly homework had endured so withering a stare.

"wellspring Severus, now that you have betrayed the parliamentary law, what do you intend to do now ?"

"I will go back to Dumbledore."Snape stepped over to wake up Moody."And I will try to explain."

The auror blinked to life and grabbed his wand. He levered himself to his feet and looked Snape up and down with his piercing electric blue eye.

"Well well, your true colors at last."Moody spat.

"Trelawney once told me my color was pale fuchsia."Snape commented as he made for the door."If I ‘ m screening that coloring you may want to get your eye checked."

"My eye ‘ s fine."

"good, then I ‘ ll meet you at Headquarters."Snape apparated away, the stale pressing abyss of void giving him a instant of peacefulness before he dropped to his infantry in front of the threshold. Three pappa behind him told him the other order members had followed.

"Don ‘ t do that again you slime."Moody growled, wand out."If you try to apparate again I ‘ ll assume you ‘ re trying to escape."

Snape took three steps, into the deluxe hall.

"There."Snape raised his hands."Now I can ‘ t escape."

"I don ‘ t trust you."Moody shook his fountainhead."Give me your wand."

"No."Snape turned towards the main hall and walked calmly. Surprisingly he felt calm, he was well-to-do. He was nauseated of being Dumbledore's lapdog, and now he had finally acted on it.

He pushed the double doors clear and found something he didn't expect. The whole ordering was there, lining the walls. Dumbledore had called a meeting, to talk about Harry being back. Snape stopped, his arms crossed and the three following him take the air past into the room. Tonks was still muted, fading into the crew, her hair unconsciously turning damp browned. 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 pierce Snape to the someone, now it just made his eyes itching."What went wrong Severus ?"

"I decided that greater good could be served by letting him free."Severus stood calm against the raging murmuring that rose at that. He found Natalie's center in the crew,

Why ?

I am tired of leashes.

You aren't finished are you. It wasn't a question.

I am not. I mean Dumbledore to recognize I am no thirster ... tame.

wellspring 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 metre you have gone too far."

Oh unspoiled, 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 goose egg to say."Snape kept his vocalization irritatingly cool"The exclusively account I have you will not accept. And I can not develop one you will because you I do not know what you want."

"I want someone I can hope !"

"No you do not. You trust no one. You never have. Not with any secret worth knowing. You are a closed system of rules, no one is told anything."Snape glanced around the office at the other order members, practically everyone was there. Everyone there to witness his humiliation, that was what Dumbledore wanted anyway. If Snape had his way it wasn't going to hap like that."None of these people know anything do they."

"I am speak-"

"You ‘ d think that would annoy them."Snape continued."You ‘ d think one of them would vex about you."

"Be understood !"

"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."

"Silence !"

"No man is an island."Snape smiled, after all these years 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 mind. You can ‘ t not."Snape shook his head."Something has frozen you. That is what you do isn ‘ t it ? You shrink, like a turtle. backrest into your shell."

"And what is my plate ?"Dumbledore growled with uncontained rage and frustration.

"Your yesteryear. Your reputation."Snape sniffed."The last war, your resplendence 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 muteness. Snape folded his arms, grinning faintly. Behaving like Harry was fun."I am talking now and you will listen. You are paralyzed by something. guilty conscience I would imagine. I don ‘ t know of course, 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 ... ticking. You have guilt, great swirling consortium of it. In every stoma of you, in every aspect of your mind. It ‘ s been there since the first prison term I ever saw you, I didn ‘ t recognize it then of course of instruction, but it was there. By the time I came to work for you I was old enough to acknowledge it. Something in your past, in your present too, fill you with a pus compunction. And it just gets worse and worse, makes you doubt yourself, makes you cogitate you are never suitable. Makes you turn down the billet of pastor for magic. Over and over again. I know what made you like this, you think I would make for you and not investigate your past. You know I am more heedful than that. You must consume known that I knew. You must get known that I had found out about Kendra."

Dumbledore froze, every tendon tensed. Snape breathed a suspiration of relief in his mind. He had not known for sure as shooting, not until that present moment. He still didn't know really, not what had happened in that room. That mystery would probably be taken to the graves of the men concerned. No matter, Snape could gloss over the details.

"It was there in the first war."Snape continued, his harsh part the lone strait in the packed hall."Back then it was ... helpful. It made you careful. It made you weak but ... it made you heedful. I do not understand what has happened since then, perhaps it is as Harry says and you are simply senile, but it is worse now Previously guilt made you careful, sensible. Now it makes you useless. Useless and broken. You are no longer the famed 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 actor's line sink in. Weakening."Whatever could it sustain been ? You don ‘ t have another sister ..."

"SILENC-"

"Legilimens !"
*


wickedness falling, falling everywhere. My fault, always my error. I shouldn't have put him there, no right I had no right. I condemned him, his death. My one direction. Failure. No. Must be done. Hope. Death. unsuccessful person. Truth shrouded so deeply. So thick it hurts. The truth would break 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 mind away, shaking. He fell to his knees on the level, the revulsion, the confusion, filling him. Dumbledore had fallen too, back into his chairperson. The old homo face twisted in pure agony. To sustain a truth locked inside for nine years only to have it roughly ripped from you ? It must sustain felt like his ticker had been torn out. Snape shook his head, it could not be admittedly, it couldn't be. But behind the sinister muttering of Dumbledore's mind, behind the aching remorse the real number storage hid. He had pushed them deep, as if trying to forget them but they were there. They were unacceptable 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 cold Harlan Fisk Stone floor.

He felt helping hand on his shoulder. Natalie. He reached up for one and grasped it, holding on to something real as theatrical role of his universe fell apart. He tried to digest and bump he needed Natalie's help to move up to his feet. His stage felt like water, his invertebrate foot like led. He tried to make his mouth body of work, things needed to be said. Something needed to be said.

"How dare you ?"Predictable, but Snape could retrieve of nothing better."How could you do that ? To a child !"

"It ... was necessary."Dumbledore's voice was barely a muttering, a faint whisper 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.

"requisite ?"Snape found his natural language and used it to growl."No. No it was not. Not even you believe that."

"We needed-"

"BE SILENT !"Snape snapped, the master cringed back as if struck."I am leaving Dumbledore. I am going to help Harry. To recover him and assist him, and you will let me. You have no right to have anything to do with that boy. You have no right."Snape turned towards the door, 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 freak. One that has nothing to do with the moon."Snape turned away and hobbled from the room, leaning heavily on the small cleaning woman beside him.

"Severus !"Dumbledore called after him, suddenly sounding scared."You will tell no one ! Surely even you can see that this must rest a secret !"

Snape kept walking, not trusting himself to speak. They reached the door and he stiffened, his heart felt like it had a thou tiny hooks in it, each one attached to a weight.

"Severus ?"Natalie murmured beside him."You need to go place, I ‘ ll take you-"

"No. Not abode. Hogwarts."Snape shook his forefront."Hogwarts first."

"Alright."She didn't argue, she knew when his mind was made up. There was a unforesightful, sharp bell and the woman he was leaning on had blond hairsbreadth and blanch white pelt. Of course, she was supposed to be dead. corporate trust her to remember details even at a clock time like this. They stepped outside the limit of the hospital ward and apparated, the cold and pressing nihility once more close in him.

He stepped out himself onto the weed before the gate and allowed himself to be led up the longsighted course to the castle. Corridors passed and Snape realized he was being led to his fourth part. goodness. The paries are warded so no one will listen. As they reached the doorway Snape pushed it unresolved and went directly to the liquor cabinet. He poured himself a whiskey and drunk it down, wincing at the sunburn in his throat.

"Ghost myrtle Henderson."Snape called out softly. Ghosts could always take heed their public figure. A few bit later the faint anatomy of Moaning Myrtle sunk out of the ceiling.

"Why did you shout me ?"She asked impudently."I don ‘ t answer to you."

"I called you because the house elves study to Dumbledore as do the former ghosts. I need these quarrel 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 Harlan Fiske Stone. Snape turned to Natalie, now back to looking like her old self, waiting patiently.

"You don ‘ t have to enjoin me."She said understandingly."I understand if it ‘ s something you want to keep to yourself. After all Dumbledore-"

"Was wrong."Snape cut her off."And I will tell you. If zilch else I need your help to make sensory faculty of it."Snape took a deep breath and began explaining. He could have just given her the memories but he didn't want her to get the shock he had. It didn't actually take that long to excuse, in the end it was so elementary. When he was finished she just sat there, staring at him. As if willing him to spring 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 Harry."

"You ‘ re right, we still do. But it changes everything else Severus. Everything else. You can not traverse that it does."

"No. No I can not."

They fell into muteness as the door was pushed undefended. Markus Michelson strode in, looking around the small room quickly.

"The ghost said this was about Harry."He said, still glancing around as if Harry would spring from a sideboard."Do you know where he is ?"

"No, but I have ... I have left the order to search for him. To help him with what he is trying to do. If I can."Snape fixed the early man in the eye."I know you ‘ ve been teaching him. I would appreciate your help."

"Well finally !"Michelson threw up his arms."I was beginning to think I was the only one in this place with my head on straight."

"You are not far wrong."Snape shrugged.

"So what does this wee-wee us ?"Natalie smiled."The 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 inspection seem to possess disappeared ... very sad ... : (

You all have to look back twice now to constitute up for it. If you do result a review then a fairy will chatter you while you sleep and sprinkle queer dust on you. The pansy dust won't do magic or let you fly or anything but it'll be very pretty.


Harry thrower and the moron Child : Chapter 5 : The darkness market

Harry travels to see information.




This reporter has some shocking intelligence. News that will strike you, upright lecturer, to your very core. Harry Potter has been declared a dangerous vigilante by the ministry. Yes, Harry potter the-boy-who-lived, is a liquidator. According to ministry functionary Harry has been responsible for for at to the lowest degree six deaths and possibly more !

Minister Fudge was quoted as saying ‘ Yes, well this is shocking but not entirely unexpected. Just facial expression at his military action during the Triwizard Tournament, the boy stole a ship for Merlin's saki. He's always been a loose cannon that boy has.'

This announcement came at the like time as his functionary expulsion from Hogwarts school of witchcraft and wizardry.
*


The marauders looked at each other along the long table in the great hall. None of them said 'Is this a joke ?'or 'No way'or anything naively childish like that. They were preceding that. They had all known, on some level, that this was possible. Maybe even inevitable.

'' alteration nothing. '' Fred was the first to speak. `` It 's all bollocs so it changes nothing. ``

'' This is half-baked ! Do they think we 're stupid ? '' Ron was almost spluttering in anger. `` No one 's gon na believe any of this ! ``

'' I almost wish multitude did. '' Hermione was shaking her promontory as she peered down at the social movement page article.

'' What ! You want people to believe Harry 's a- '' Ron rounded on her, about to let slack, but Ginny held up a handwriting to bring him up short. He was still fuming though and said, more reasonably. `` Maybe you should explain that comment. ``

'' Because no one will believe it Ronald. '' Hermione bit her lip worriedly. `` Or at least many people wo n't. And the great unwashed will blame the ministry. citizenry will hate the ministry for attacking their Cuban sandwich. ``

'' Remember the riots endure year ? '' Padma said darkly. `` Imagine that. Except much worse. ``

'' Oh ... '' Ron 's fount fell. `` I guess that is bad. ``

'' It changes zip. '' Malfoy said sharply. `` Not really. We all knew this was a possibility. ``

'' Right, '' Ginny nodded, putting on her leader aspect. `` He 's right. All this does is make what we 're doing even more pressing. ``

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 thaumaturgist. His placement on the ministry 's wanted list is only a few places short of the known demise eaters !

According to the ministry Harry 's M.O. is to use toxicant to do his dirty work. A poison there is no have it away antidote to.

Harry 's verbal description is known to every wizard and witch alive but you should be cognisant that he may be in disguise.
*


'' This is Dumbledore 's doing. '' Natalie shook her school principal as she slid the theme over to Snape. Michelson had already flicked his written matter closed and was staring at it angrily, as if blaming the composition itself. Snape sighed, he had already read the offending article.

'' Dumbledore undoubtedly had a deal in it. '' Snape tried to stop his ire rising to the Earth's surface. stay fresh it under wraps, save it for when it was needed. `` Perhaps he thinks he can scare off Harry back to him. ``

'' Then he does n't know Harry. '' A. A. Michelson stood and began pacing angrily, obviously he felt no motivation to stay fresh his ire under wrapping. `` This 'll just piss Harry even more for sure that everyone 's against him ! ``

'' Undoubtedly. '' Snape flicked through the residue of the newspaper. `` At least there is some skilful intelligence ... ''
*


Harry may be alive in Leeds. Yesterday the ministry was handed an anonymous tip that led them to a menage there that had been converted to house shadow creatures. No decease eaters were caught ( perhaps the organic structure are hidden elsewhere ! ) but the basement was a draw close of lethifolds, swarming in the wickedness in numbers never before seen on Brits soil. I do not need to tell you, honorable reviewer, that if they had been unleashed they would have caused untold devastation. The lethifolds have been disposed of by the ministry.

There is no proof that Harry was there but a impinging in the aurors office said that they were investigating the possibility.

Harry is to be considered as dangerous as any death feeder. Perhaps more so.
*


Harry dumped the newspaper publisher in a chicken feed can. It did n't matter anymore. He coughed roughly, clutching at his stomach. 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 meant he had to be more careful.

Harry shoved off the wall and flicked his hood up before walking off down he alleyway. There was still body of work to do.
*


'' Is it true ? ``

Ginny turned at the sound, the furious and forceful sound. The piranha spun with her, almost in synchronizing. Cho Chang stepped back fearfully. In her defense reaction the marauders now keep down eleven, filling the hall with uniform anger. They had also all drawn their wands at the Saame fourth dimension as she spoke, in response to the possible threat.

They must give birth truly looked like an army.

Cho had frozen in topographic point, anger turned to stunned muteness. Ginny stepped forward.

'' Of course it 's not true. '' 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 know. ``

'' Where is he ? ``

'' We do n't know. ``

'' Does he need aid ? ``

'' We do n't make love. We 're trying to aid him. '' Ginny said curtly. She was beginning to get tired of Cho 's dazed questions. Ginny turned to leave when Cho broke in,

'' well I want to facilitate too ! '' Ginny felt a little mental groan. That was just what she needed, a complaining pretty-girl in the social status. A constant irritation at best, a financial obligation at rack up. Cho went on, `` I 'm older than you, and I 'm a Ravenclaw. I must know oodles of spell you do n't know yet ! You should let me join. ``

'' No you do n't you self-important snot-nosed ... '' Ginny clamped her mouth shut and took a deep appeasement breath. `` This is n't the blooming gobstones club. You ca n't just join on a whim. We 're training to fight, really fight. Fight end eaters. ``

'' I know that. '' Cho looked down her nose arrogantly. `` If you can do it then I can too. ``

'' You do n't translate ! 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 clear. After some embarrass make Draco stepped forward, eyeing Cho up and down silently. Ginny felt another spurt of gall upgrade in her gut.

'' You accept the fact that you could die ? '' genus Draco asked flatly. Cho nodded, her eyes across-the-board. Draco looked into her eyes for a here and now, 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 get hold of orders from Ginny ? ``

YES ! claim that you bitch ! Ginny was shocked at the horizontal surface of glee her subconscious mind threw up at that doubt. If her subconscious was well-chosen with the query, her full nous grinned when Cho grimaced and nodded.

'' mulct. '' Draco shrugged. `` We need More people. I vote yes. If she does n't solve out we can always construct her leave-taking. ``

'' We vote yes. '' Fred said, shrugging. His Gemini added, `` Sorry Ginny. ``

'' I ... yes. '' Parvati nodded, a little hesitantly.

'' No. '' Padma shook her heading, earning her a scandalize glance from her baby. `` We do n't require her. No rationality to take on another undertaking when we do n't need her. ``

'' face just put your hands up. '' Ginny said tiredly. `` hired man for no ? ``

III custody rose, herself, Padma and Hermione. Ginny 's abdomen dropped, this did n't look good.

'' For yes ? ``

fin hands were raised. Ron had followed his older pal. Ginny turned to silent three remainders.

'' Neville, Anna, Terry ? '' Neville shifted uncomfortably and the bread maker twins looked at the 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 resolve. ``

'' You see ! '' Cho said triumphantly. `` I 'm in ! ``

Ginny turned slowly, it was done. sentence to make the best of it.

'' Fine. meet us here after lessons today. ``

'' Today ? But I 've got quidditch praxis. ``

I know. Ginny did n't say it, but she so wanted to. `` This is more crucial 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 make her day.

Ginny survived herbology with a volume of swearing propped up against a flora pot. She did the same in defence force, prof Albert Abraham Michelson was being oddly blind to the evildoing of the vulture. After the lessons were done she slammed her books away and dashed for the door. She ran for the meeting place but slowed down before she got there. She would n't add up all covered in sweat and breathing hard. She would n't give Cho the satisfa ...

Cho was n't alone.

Ginny stopped with the piranha a few tempo away from the starter. Lucy Kingston stood by her Ravenclaw ally with her boyfriend, Book of Joshua Split, standing on her other side. The two ex-Slytherin Gryffindors, genus Vanessa and Elizabeth I stood in front of him, eyeing Malfoy warily. It irked Ginny that all of them were here. It irked her more that they were probably the masses she would have chosen to allow to the marauders herself. Stupid Cho.

'' You told them. '' She tried to make her vox come out icily tempestuous, hoping it did n't just sound peevish. `` You told all of them. What the hell do you think- ''

'' I do n't differentiate them ! '' Cho interrupted her. `` Everyone in the school is talking about the news program about Harry, and everybody knows you lot are doing something hush-hush. They just ... ''

'' We eavesdropped. '' tear 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. '' Split went on. `` And we understand the risks. Lets face it, if you trust him, '' stock split jerked his Kuki-Chin towards Malfoy. `` You have to trust us. ``

'' I do n't induce to trust any of you. '' upright, that sounded like Harry. `` Listen I do n't care what you say. We 're going to take aim now. If you can hold on up you can stay, we do n't feature time to slow down for you. ``

'' Fine with us ... madam sergeant-at-law. '' Split added sarcastically.

'' Idiots. '' Ginny muttered as she led the amassed hordes off down the corridor.
*


'' Listen. ``

Malfoy stopped and turned towards tear. The previous boy had halted them just outside the entrance to the marauder attic, everyone else was already inside.

'' Yes ? '' Malfoy said evenly. `` Can I facilitate you ? ``

'' I just want you to know we 're here for Harry. '' Split said challengingly. `` We do n't trust you. We do n't forgive you. ``

'' You 're here for the same reason I am then. ``

'' Whatever. '' rip shook his nous. `` God knows why she trusts you. Let alone ... well you know. ``

'' I know what ? '' Malfoy looked around in confusion. `` She who ? ``

'' You do n't live ? '' 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 store he had flued into and a blast of oestrus hit his face. He dragged a large-minded brimmed hat out of his bag and pulled it low over his center. Ah, that was better. His coating and it 's various enthrallment would stimulate kept his consistency assuredness but it would have looked incredibly conspicuous here. He winced in the harsh luminance and shucked his bag up on his shoulders before setting off along the dark tarmac street.

Muggles walked past him without a endorse thought, jabbering to each former in Daniel Chester French. The accent was very different from what he was used to but that was only to be expected. Harry had learnt French people in Suisse and only spoken it to the student of Beauxbatons. Harry idly wondered if his French had a Swiss accent or an English one.

No matter, he was in Marrakech, thousands of miles from Jacques Anatole Francois Thibault or England. He would stand out as a foreigner whatever he did. No spot trying to blend in with the local, much better to just search like another stupid holidaymaker. There were one or two others around. Harry picked up his tread as he crossed the street and into the souk.

Why is it that I always find myself in tangle ? Harry thought to himself chuckling as he skirted around a carrell of veg and slid through the crowd of shoppers. The muggle souk was bad enough, a gigantic warren of streets and alleyways full of shop and grocery store sales booth selling everything from spices to electronics. Harry kept on an unerring line through it, it was n't his destination.

Hopefully he knew where his address was, his information was sketchy at best.

Harry came to the stall he wanted, a blue hole in the wall selling decrepit and moth eaten clothing. He took a black t-shirt with a principal on it off the wrack and glanced at the aging market keeper. There was a barely perceptible nod. Harry stepped behind a projection screen, a scratchy changing room, and pulled the drapery shut. He held the shirt up and tapped the sensation twice. With a crisp groaning the storey began to grind slowly downwards.

Harry tried not to reach the side of meat of the pit passageway as the chess opening at the top got further and further away. Ten m ... twenty dollar bill .... thirty .... forty- clunk. Harry snapped to care as the floor stopped descending. The gemstone in battlefront of him split apart slowly, light spilled in, and air. The olfactory perception ... every fragrance imaginable, burning, animals, food of every kind, incense made of spun lightning, every fragrance a whiz with no regard for the laws of chemistry could create hung in the air as Harry stepped out of the sinister entrance into the under-souk, the nighttime market.

Knockturn alley had nothing on this place.

Harry looked up at the cap a far above, mosaics kaleidoscoped over the rounded surface, changing every present moment. There were no paries for as far as Harry could see, just pillars dotted around. In no approach pattern Harry could see. Every one as wide as an oak, twisted and gouged and splaying up into that rattling ceiling. Disappearing into it. And down at ground level ? It was untellable. Every kind of shop, every kind of stall. Some Peter Sellers just sitting of a mat, array of bottleful out in nominal head of them. Others had display that looked like insane and un-feasible pop up books, everything spilling out of everything else. The noise was deafening, speculative than up above because the interference of sparking spells and fuming potions was added to the universal stochasticity of hoi polloi, and there was the occasional screech as another shopper was brought down by one of the entrances.

There was no finding your way in this berth. Not unless you grew up down here. Harry scanned the area while walking calmly forwards. Many kiosk had marvellous ranging pole to name 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 black robe out of his bag and threw it over his shoulders. Like this he looked like about thirty, maybe more, with long grim pilus and a deep scrape on his cheek. Threatening, but not obvious.

Harry smelt his destination before he got there. The scent of animals and animal dung beating out the former odors more and more the closer he got. He came to an spread out piazza in the grocery store, a place where the sales booth had been pushed aside to make way for rank upon social status of cages. Harry recognized some of the brute in them, others were a mystery, all he gave a wide nascence. The cage seemed almost stupidly sturdy, surely they used unbreakable charms. Surely they did ...

Harry felt himself edging away and forced himself to lull down. He looked into one of the cages, a monstrosity made of whole I-beams, and saw the eye of a Dragon staring back at him. Somehow they must own stopped it flaming, they must have. Harry stepped calmly up the fierce desk at the end of the cages. It was surrounded by bags of what looked like some sort of feed. An ordinary chick cage sat on the corner 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 sluttish English. `` Are you look for something ? ``

'' My name is old salt caiman. I have come for you to tell me the progress of an lodge. '' Harry pulled back his sleeve, revealing the dark mark. The shopkeeper recoiled, glancing about fearfully.

'' Put that away ! '' He gestured wildly. Harry calmly rolled his sleeve back down.

'' You have nada to fear. '' Harry said airily. `` Not while you do the dark overlord 's work. ``

'' Why you come here ? '' The man 's eyes were still shifting nervously. `` All on schedule. ``

'' There have been some problems at the former end. ``

'' Not my demerit. '' The vender shook his headland. `` Got them safe to you. You lose them after it not my fault. ``

'' Of grade not. '' Harry smiled in an uncomforting way. `` You mistake me. I merely meant that we have reasonableness to need to take in sure this saving goes smoothly. There can be no mistakes. You understand. ``

'' Of course, of course. '' The man nodded rapidly. `` Do not occupy. You can tell your master not to occupy. 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 Clarence Shepard Day Jr. ago. ``

Damnit, Harry cursed inwardly. It would have been so much easier if they were still on dry land.

'' Tell me their course of study. '' Harry leant down threateningly. `` My master is thinking of sending some people to secure there are no ... mistakes. ``

'' No mistake. '' The man nodded again, dragging a map out of a drawer in his desk. `` No error. ``

Harry smiled, mass were so stupid when they thought you were going to kill them.
*


Harry dropped back onto British land and immediately flued again to stave in off any pursuit. He walked the finish long walk to the abandoned house he was staying in and pushed the door open. It was dark inside, the windowpane covered by anti-vandal shell put up by the law. It was empty, not even a death chair when he had first arrived. But it was uninfected and the water was still running. Harry slouched down against the paries and collapsed. Long day. He reached over and picked up a nursing bottle of pep up potion. He uncorked it and let some slush into his mouth. This was his minute dose today. It was growing harder to keep going ... the sickness ...

Harry shook his head, no use dwelling on it. Back to work. He spread the maps out in front of him on the floor and roughly arranged them out into a rough mates to the coast of Africa and Europe. The single-valued function were seriously old, like everything else wizards had, and some of the countries had the legal injury names. One of them had a big 'here be dragons'warning written in the middle of the Atlantic. Knowing that it was a thaumaturge map it might well be true.

Harry sighed as he looked at the prison term that were written on different checkpoints on the map. The ship was old too, or looked it. The man had sketched a jolting drawing of it. It resembled nothing more than than a gargantuan wooden brick with small sails that surely could never motivate it too fast. Of course of instruction it would be propelled by conjuring trick, if not it would just be stupid, but it would still select almost a calendar month to get up from Africa. Could be take it in the middle of the ocean ? Harry shuddered at the mentation. Besides the coursing fear at the very imagine it was impractical to boot. How would he even get on board the ship ? How would he even find it on the white featureless sea ?

Harry trawled over the function again, was there any place where it came close to land ? Was there any ... ambush full stop ?

Oh of course of instruction ! There 's this big tree in the middle of the ocean that you can hide behind. Sharks use it all the time to catch seals.

Harry sat back tiredly, this was going to be harder than he thought. His palpebra felt so profound ... eternal sleep ...

Harry glanced around, he was in a house. A fire crackled warmly on the hearth, throwing deliquium tincture on the houseclean blue walls. The pictures on the bulwark, a redheaded woman, a man with a familiar facial expression. Harry shook his head, it was a aspiration. He had had it before. He walked towards the doorway and pushed it open hurrying out of the house and into the bully garden. He glanced back, the cottage was as it always was. The cottage at Godrics Hollow. Harry shuddered, every time his aspiration put him in this plaza he had an undeniable urge to leave. It was like putting your hand in a bucket of wriggling worms, a crawling sensation over his integral pelt. And yet his dreams brought his backbone here again and again and again.

Harry hugged his subdivision to his chest of drawers. Maybe this would be one of the good Night, the nights when he managed to escape. There was a forest out there somewhere, a forest of apple Tree, their flush filling the air. When he could get that in his aspiration he slept well, he slept comfortably. But for every one of those there would be one of the bad ones, when the business firm kept drawing him back. He didn't even want to suppose about what had happened once, when the river had come for him.

Harry pulled himself together with a effect of will. Those apple Tree weren't going to find themselves. He was about to set off when a fluttering sound reached his ear. Harry spent a second wondering if it was some new unpleasantness the dreaming was throwing at him before he realized it was coming from outside.

Harry woke with a start and was on his feet in a here and now, sceptre in hand. He relaxed when he saw that the sound was coming from a small flannel hoot trying to crush in through the buttocks of the window. The bird twittered then flickered back outside. It took Harry a moment to realize it had left something behind, a small folded musical composition of paper.

Interesting. Especially considering no one should be able to contact me here.

Harry stood and hesitantly poked the report with his scepter. It did nothing. He prodded it again. Still nil. He flicked it on the floor and folded it open with the end of a branching. He bent down and read it without touching it.

Harry

I once told you to follow your own course if you thought it was right. You seem to birth taken that advice to centre. I can not and will not say that your option is incorrect, it may be, it may not be, I do not know. But you can not destroy yourself for the sake of this battle. Do not. Your supporter 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 topic how much you fight to make it so. There are mass that will suffer if you die, even if you take Voldemort with you.

I can not extend you any info about Voldemort 's architectural plan or whereabouts. I am constrained by the rule of my Holy Order. I would damp them for you but it would do no good. I would be found out yearn before I could divine anything for you.

The only help I can give you I have already given. I wish I could do more Harry, you must trust that.

Remember to endure the pendent.

DO NOT DIE.

Pythea.

Harry picked the small piece of parchment up carefully and slipped it into his breast pocket. His hand stayed there a mo longer, pressing it into his chest of drawers, before he took a deep breathing place and let it out.

Do not die.

He did not intend to, but it had always been a theory. And no matter how lots the great unwashed would suffer if he died they would suffer Sir Thomas More if Voldemort was left alert. Harry had a strong urge to take the letter back out and study it once again, or maybe twice or three clip. But no, he had work to do. Wait ... something in the letter tugged at his nous. Maybe there was a way.
*


Malfoy snorted as Cho was sent flying across the elbow room. The new recruit were trying to keep on up, they were just failing. He turned away, they were useless, just a waste of time for the repose of them. The marauders themselves ? Draco managed a small smile for that, they were progressing nicely. They could fight. They could defend as a team. They could fight on their own. They could contend like kneazles in a sack if they needed to. And they would call for to.

He moved over to a pile of faded boxes and ran his fingers over a long, lean, grey cloak inside. The Weasley twins claimed they could turn over them into irregular invisibility cloaks with some more practice. Draco did n't doubt it. The appealingness would n't lastly for more than than a day or two but that was all they needed. They could just respell them afterwards. Shield appealingness graced the dark greyness jackets in the future box, enough to dissuade minor hex. In the first it had just been a way to carry the charms, the Lapplander as an amulet or a ring. Rings of invisibility were plebeian enough even though they were hideously punishing to make and protective amulet were ten a penny. But the clothes were well-fixed for the Weasleys to forge, and the wickedness grey made them inconspicuous at nighttime. That had been the start, but now it almost seemed more ... Like they were becoming an US Army in verity, they had uniforms. Anapurna had wanted to run up little Ms onto the clothing as a symbolisation of the predator but Ginny had n't let her. Waste of time, too conspicuous too. Draco smiled again, it did n't matter if the clothes were apparent grey or pink with minuscule snitches. Either way by the end they would possess an group of invisible, shielded, deadly fighters.

Invincible cutthroat shit. vulture to the nucleus. Harry would have been proud. At to the lowest degree, Draco hoped he would be.

'' genus Draco ! '' Ron yelled. `` geological fault time 's up get back here. ``

'' I 'm coming Weasley full point yelling. '' Dragon gritted his tooth, all of his muscular tissue hurt. Never idea. `` spine to work. ``

'' Stop. I need to spill the beans to you. ``

The voice came out of nowhere. The marauders twisted towards it, wands out. The duels ceased, every eye widened in shock.

'' I heard somebody was raising an regular army. '' Harry quirked an eyebrow. `` I find myself in need of an Army. Is this one for hire ? ``

'' Hire ? '' George let out a joke. `` Harry this is your regular army. ``

'' Good, I should get a discount. ``

The predator broke and all began talking at once, it was a happy tempest of sound with Harry laughing in the inwardness. Draco stayed silent, he glanced over at Ginny, also staying back. She nodded to him, her mouth a grueling line. She had realized too. Harry had n't come back for a felicitous reunification. He would n't have. He had come because he needed them. This would be the first job of the army.

'' Harry ... '' Draco cleared his throat. The commons eyes of the boy who lived fell on him. `` What is it you want the army for ? ``

'' Oh ... that. '' Harry reached into his bag. `` Do you have a table ? ``

Draco pointed the way and Harry pulled a huge sheet of sheepskin out of his bag. Harry laid them down on the rough surface of the in conclusion surviving tabular array in the attic. It looked like a giant written matter of a map.

'' There 's a ship. '' Harry traced it 's itinerary along a farsighted blood on the map. `` It 's stuffed to the lamella with dark wight. Direct to the dark Godhead. Hundreds, including a lot that we really do n't want him getting his hands on. It 's not going to draw porthole before Britain, it 's going to be far out to sea. No portkeys, no flues, only way there is to fly. ``

'' That 's why you need us. '' Padma said thoughtfully.

'' Yeah, kind of. '' Harry hung his headway. `` I can just about manage to fly in a unbent origin. Slowly. But out over water ? With the wind and maybe violent storm and ... and over water. And when I might get to pull in a quick exit ? No. I need getaway device driver. ``

'' I thought you wanted us to fight. '' Ron said, disappointedly. Harry 's eyes narrowed, he opened his sassing but Ginny cut in.

'' We 're here for whatever Harry needs us for Ron. '' She snapped. `` You should know that. ``

'' I ... right. ``

'' Right. '' Ginny nodded sharply. genus Draco half expected Ron to salute. Ginny turned back to Harry. `` What kind of darkness animal are we talking about ? ``

'' respective kinds of tight. '' Harry was looking between Ginny and Ron curiously. `` scads of animate being. ``

'' Manticores ? '' Hermione added.

'' Yes ... '' Harry looked at a list jotted at the merchantman of the map. `` Six of them. ``

Draco glanced at the list and let out a startled curse. They could not let this ship reach Din Land. Even if they had to lose half the army to do it. The hellhounds had to be juveniles at to the lowest degree, no one could gormandise six full phase of the moon grown ones into a ship. Unless it had been magically expanded. Which it almost certainly had. They could not let that ship range land.

'' We need to get on that ship. '' He heard himself saying, his vocalisation a little breathless. `` We could fly on, or ... or ... ''

'' Go onto it ? '' Harry let out a harsh gag. `` That would be pretty dangerous. ``

'' Because of the beast ? ``

'' Because I 'm going to sink it. ``



This is the last chapter of setup, I promise. From now to the end of the book is staring adrenalin-fueled plot.


I do n't own Harry Potter. I do however own some cheese. Which is just as good.



'' settle it ? '' Hermione 's voice was a shrill, disbelieving whine.

Ginny felt like slamming her hand up to her frontal bone. Of course Harry would want to sink the ship, it was the wide-eyed, easiest, solution if you did n't like about the consequences.

'' But ... but ... `` Terry baker raised his hired man slowly as if he were in class.

'' Yes unexpected-addition-1. '' Harry nodded pleasantly.

'' Are n't there multitude 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 head. `` Wo n't they just swim to set ashore ? ``

'' Damnit ! '' Harry clicked his fingers. `` Foiled again ! If only someone had stuffed them in big alloy Cage for transport. Then they 'd slide down straight to the ass. ``

'' How are you planning to sink it anyway ? '' Fred asked, eagerness clearly visible in his eyes.

'' Well, I plan to squander a big mess in it underneath the body of water line. Then I 'm going to put another big hole in it underneath the water line. And if that does n't shape I 'm going to put a third- ''

'' This is a magic gravy holder I assume Harry. '' Draco interrupted. `` Putting a yap in it may not be as slowly as you think. It 'll give all kind of charms and protection. ``

'' I can bypass them. ``

'' Without the hoi polloi on the ship realizing ? ``

'' Yes. ``

'' Really ? ``

'' Yes. '' Harry folded his blazonry. `` I have thought about this Draco. I have planned this. ``

The attic became unsounded again. Ginny could feel the cog moving in people 's heads. They were all thinking how far they were willing to go. The piranha ... well they were probably in. The others ? They had signed up to fight last eaters not intrust acts of terrorism. How did she abide on this ? On equalizer ... with Harry. Those animal could not be allowed to attain shore.

'' We ca n't do this. '' Padma was shaking her brain. `` We ca n't go down it. ``

'' You running away ? '' Harry was looking at her in horror. `` You want to just let them release that kind 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 privateness. '' Padma looked down at the map, perhaps just to avoid encounter people 's eyes. `` If we do this they 'll be this giant crash with triple headed skeletons and they could blow to the open or get into the gulf flow or divers could rule them. Not to mention that someone 's going to notice a monster exploding ship off the sea-coast. Even if we tell the ministry afterwards they ca n't manage this form of cleansing, not on this scale. No one can. It 'll be unsound than Roswell. Keeping illusion secret from muggles, the statute of privacy, is the one thing both sides of this war check on. If we break it then they 're going to pop out breaking it and then we 're going to be really screwed. ``

Harry leant back, rocking back on the balls of his feet. He bit his lip. thought process. The marauder held their breath.

'' Ok. '' Harry spun the map to fount Padma. `` Give me another option. ``

'' We add-in the ship. disenable the gang. obliterate the animal. '' Padma said definitively. `` If I 'm reading this right the ship only a XII people on it. No dying eaters. Most of them are just there to prevent the animals in hinderance. Should n't be too laborious to sandbag them. ``

'' And the animal ? '' Harry asked quizzically. `` Some of them are n't well-off to kill. ``

'' The killing cuss. '' gasp rose from the army. `` It 'll belt down everything on this list. ``

'' Is n't it an wink biography sentence ? '' Cho choked out.

'' Only when used against human race. '' Padma replied calmly at the same time as Harry said,

'' Only if someone finds out. But would n't any minor deception be detected."

"Not in outside waters."

'' And the ship ? '' Harry asked. `` If we just leave it drifting wo n't that be against the legislative act of secrecy ? ``

'' We leave the crew on it. They can get it so a safety necromancer harbor. ``

'' Hmm ... '' Harry folded his implements of war and looked at Padma appraisingly. `` That ... could ... workplace. It would be more hard, more risky ... more fun ... but it could work. ``

Ginny felt a grinning. This was the almost like the old Harry back again. trusted they were planning an act of massive piracy rather than a prank but it was Harry back again.

'' We can split up. '' Harry continued. `` station a couple of mass down to the piddle to wait. The rest of us go in. If we can ask the bunch out and kill the animals we do. If not ? We default back to my programme and the masses in the urine blow it to smithereens. We worry about the radioactive dust later. ``

Ginny took a mystifying breath and halfway through realized that near of the marauders were looking at her. Her pharynx closed up and she almost coughed up her lungs. They were still looking to her, even though Harry was back. Harry was the cosmopolitan they all knew that, but maybe ... maybe she was the sergeant-at-law or something.

'' Who can swim ? '' It was literally the first affair that popped into her head. `` Who can swim really well ? ``

Parvati 's hand shot up instantly smiling, the two baker youngster volunteered slower maybe still a lilliputian hesitant, finally Split shrugged and lacklusterly raised his arm.

'' Four citizenry. '' Ginny looked down at the map, at the lilliputian sketch of the ship. `` We can put ... two each in the urine near the front and back. ``

'' Prow and Stern. '' Draco murmured. She glared at him.

'' Near the front and back. '' Ginny continued. `` Everybody else estate 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 go on the ship on course. You can do that ? You know the properly figure for the steery wheel and the clitoris and stuff. Yes. Good. You stay there, the rest of us go down to the cabins and stun everybody, kill the animals. Leave. We keep the brooms handy so that if something goes ill-timed we miko the swimmers and fly out of there. ``

'' Sounds like a plan. '' Ginny nodded.

'' right. '' Harry reached over and drew a big cross on the map over a beacon, 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 cling around here the whole meter. 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. condition up, be ready, 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 threshold. He disillusioned himself with a motion picture of the wrist joint, and a present 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 articulatio genus up to his chest. He and Hermione were in the subroutine library, the actual library, not the attic. They were on research obligation and had about eight billion Christian Bible out in movement of them on every kind of witching brute, trawling through them for the utile ones. There weren't many. The Hogwarts library for some reason didn't have books on how to massacre cage animals. Ron thought it was useless, they had already decided to use the kill curse, but apparently Harry wanted to be prepared so ...

"Hmm ?"Hermione hadn't looked up from the huge book in presence of her.

"Can you believe he came back ?"Ron repeated."Harry."

"Shush !"Hermione put a digit to her mouth."We ‘ re not supposed to verbalize about him where people could hear !"

"No one ‘ s listening."Ron rolled his center."We're sitting on the floor in the restricted section of the depository library, at midnight, under a temporary invisibility cloak."

"It ‘ s not an inaudibility cloak."Hermione hissed.

"Hermione no one is here."

"Just hold back reading."Hermione looked back down at her book."I ‘ m not doing all this myself."

"I'd have thought you ‘ d saltation at the chance."Ron smirked."With all the training it must be ages since you studied anything."

"Yes ..."Hermione bit her lip."And the owls are later this class ..."

"What we ‘ re doing now is more important."

"Yes. Yes I know."Hermione shrugged noncommittally."It ‘ s just ... well there ‘ s the rest of our life-time to guess 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 interrogatory Authority too."

"That doesn ‘ t help."Hermione stared at him angrily. Ron felt his hackles rising, another fight brewing. But they couldn't fight, not here.

"You ‘ re here because if you weren ‘ t here you ‘ d tactile property guilty 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 to concentrate because you ‘ d be thinking about here and him and Voldemort will kill everyone. Even forged you ‘ d get bad grades because you ‘ d be feeling guilty."Ron ran out of breath.

Hermione's mouth hung open, mid cry. She opened and shut it a few times before coming out with,

"Shush. People will hear you."

I won. Ron smiled as he flicked a random account book open.
*


"I am perturb Severus."

Snape stayed silent. He could not think of a safe response.

"I should be winning this war."

Still no secure response.

"And yet matter are not progressing as well as they should be."The wickedness lord was staring out into the swarthiness through a faded window. They were in another nondescript and abandoned building. Snape felt his pelt crawl, he had been summoned alone. That was worrying.

"The ministry grows weak every day."Snape volunteered.

"It grows more fearful each day."Voldemort tapped his fingerbreadth on the glass."Fear can be my artillery, but it can also work out against me. They retreat, they place more precaution, they make it more hard for me to reach what I seek. Do the guild still keep a guard on the department of mysteries Severus ?"

"Yes my lord."For all I know they could cause stopped, not in all likelihood though.

"At this detail the well-fixed way to advance access to it may simply be to crush the ministry entirely."He was still staring out the window. If Snape didn't know better he would think the dark lord was worried.

"If you wish to jam the ministry perhaps we could use the imperious curse-"

"No !"The dark lord snapped."No Severus, no more sly maneuvering in the iniquity. No Thomas More subversion. I tire of it. I tire of it ‘ s inadequacy. I should not suffer to run from the fantasm. Do you not reckon so ?"

"I always work in the shadows Lord."

"Yes ... yes you do."The dark lord narrowed his eyes."The Potter boy is a problem."

Snape gritted his teeth. He had to conceive fast to hold up with these lightning fast change of pace.

"The ceramist boy has always been a problem."Snape said diffidently."But he is just one person."

"He has caused me a great spate of hassle for one person. I would once again orderliness his decease but ... I fear it would do no good."

"He wants to defeat you."Snape said, letting his mouthpiece move as his mind worked."We could set some kind of trap."

"With your Creator as come-on ?"The dark lord's voice was not angry, he knew that that was not what Snape meant. This was actually what passed for banter.

"Of course not my Lord. I apologize."That had been what the nighttime Creator expected to hear.

"Is there any advance with the toxin Severus ? The one that has been killing so many of our acquaintance ?"

"Not a great deal my lord."Severus bowed his forefront. He had no bother feigning pity at not being able to discover the mystery of the mysterious toxin."It is very strange. I can not separate a undivided ingredient 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 out of the question. No live puppet carried a toxin like this."All I can think of is that perhaps mortal has been breaking the decree against observational breeding."

"You do not conceive it was ceramicist ?"

"It may have been."punter to keep the dark lord guessing."If he did not then we have two vigilantes against us."

"Against us ..."The shadow Jehovah seemed to roll the Word of God on his mouth."Against us ... people who are against me die. I have let this continue for too long. We have been forced back too a lot. It will terminate now. I have decided. We will crush the ministry. We will obliterate them utterly. No corruption, no trace, I will kill them."

"Yes my lord."Snape tried to sour out how many death eater were left. Surprisingly few. Harry had seriously cut into their numbers. Did they even have sufficiency people for an assault on the ministry ? Probably ... they probably had enough. If the Order helped though ... if Dumbledore helped ...

"We will wait for the load to arrive."The dark lord said, almost to himself."Then we will have the effect necessary."

The shipment. The phantom load. None of the death eater knew when it would be arriving. It was apparently too important.

"Yes my lord."Snape bowed deeply."We will need everyone for this to succeed. If I might ask where Barty Crouch is perhaps-"

"No !"The dark lord looked at Snape over his berm. The icy stare could sustain nailed oxen to the wall."Crouch is doing what he has been told to. He will deliver the goods, in time. He is one of the few I can desire. 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 broomstick angled down. She was following the Scots heather ahead of her but the lighthouse was already visible far below, sending out it ‘ s pulsing beacon across the night-time sea. The current of air was hideously insensate on her fount and the glum slews of rain kept spraying in through her hood. There couldn't have been a speculative day to infest a ship full of monsters.

The priming coat came up and she managed to land without falling. All around her she heard the rest of the army touch down. Well ... most of the ease of the army ... Of the new recruit only Split was there, lounging over his broomstick in his common Department of State of balmy ennui. The others had been left behind, Ginny had decided they weren't ready, weren ‘ t trained yet. Not that schism was properly ready 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."net ball get on with this."Harry kept glancing at the crashing waves nervously. He drew a gravid bottle out of his coat and took a deep gulp from it before shoving it back. `` Pep up potion, did n't kip well utmost night. '' Harry explained. Hermione tried to ignore the twin facts, one : that the bottle had been almost empty and two : that as Harry shoved it back in his pocket there had been the unmistakable chink of foster bottles.

"take these."George broke the secretiveness and stepped forward with a piddling M shaped pin and a little pair of amobarbital sodium tinted glasses.

"What the hell are these ?"Harry squinted through the genus Lens."Everything looks weird."

"The flag are tags."George II explained."The glasses can see the tags even under invisibility cloaks. This way we can hold on track of each other."

"Ah ... nice."Harry pinned the tag on his dark coat and dropped the methamphetamine in a sac."I ‘ ll put them on when we get there."

"They ‘ re your prescription."

"I know."Harry nodded."Thanks. Who ‘ s Scots heather 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 marauders."Army of the Righteous get this done before we get too wet."

genus Draco's Calluna vulgaris shot into the air and Hermione reluctantly followed. Out over the body of water the wind was even worse if that was possible, she kept being buffeted one way then the other. The sea underneath a groaning grey shroud, a dull reflection of the sky. They were getting further and further from country. The occasional twinkle of the pharos got more and more swoon. She couldn't see the flyers around her ! She panicked for a moment until she realized how pudding head she was being and slipped her juicy lenses over her eyes. The small beam electric discharge of the tags sprung into view, each one illuminating a little glowing blue ghost of a person. Like an schema in the iniquity. Flying close, she was near the front. How did Harry expect to find the ship in this ?

"ANGLE leftfield !"Was that Harry ? The glowing shadows of Harry and Malfoy started to release left. She turned to match them. What was he following ? hunch ? Magic ? Something he hadn't told them about.

"I DON ‘ T SEE ANYTHING !"She heard Draco's voice on the wind.

"IT ‘ S THERE."Harry was hunched over on the Calluna vulgaris, peering out over Draco's shoulder."WE'RE close ! cliff down !"

Hermione descended with the rest of them and shrieked with care as the spray from the sea hit her leg. Surely they didn't need to be this low ? Suddenly, as if they had crossed an unseeable line, the ship blinked into existence. A low slung goliath, waves making it roll and pitching sickeningly. It looked ancient, all the wood was Joseph Black with age and conditions. A huge rectangular block, slowly crawling across the water.

She felt someone toss her and saw figure flying off towards the prow and stern, keeping finish to the water system. Even with the lights on the ship they were still only glowing outlines. The cloaks ! She pulled hers around herself and flicked the cowling up over her face. She should receive done that earlier. The rest of them followed until they were decently up against the side of the hull. Harry leant off his broom to lean against the pitching wood. Removing the protective charms, Hermione forced herself to calm down as they hovered there just above the dark urine. Suddenly there was a little pop and a small creaking ... the wards were down. Hermione picked out the raised backrest surgical incision, the ‘ steery bit ’. Where the respite of them were going. The brooms slowed to a Australian crawl as they raised up the slope. Absolute secrecy as they floated up onto the deck on the put forward end segment. No one was on deck, there weren't even any lights.

Harry raised his arm and pointed to a modest hatch. He moved over to it, whispered a silencing magic spell, then pulled it receptive and climbed inside. Draco went next, moving just as silently. They had worked this out too, The Weasley twins would go last to find out their outlet. Hermione realized it was her twist snuck over to the hatching as quietly as she could. The stair flattened out to a curt hallway with the door to the bridge circuit, then kept going down into the eubstance of the ship.

The vulture were clustered around the doorway. Harry was crouched down looking at the lock, a expression of assiduousness on his grimace. Hermione looked past him, down into the huge hold of the ship. nigh of it was shrouded in iniquity but she could just see the quarrel upon rows of Cage down the side of the ship. The taproom were rusted and ancient, reinforced with legerdemain. But they looked like they were original to the ship ... like they were built in. Which was ridiculous of course, unless ...

Unless this used to be a striver 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 shoal long enough. There was no point telling them, no cause to wee this any creepyer than it already was.

The phantasm that was Harry stood suddenly and put his hired man on the threshold handle. What was he doing ? This wasn ‘ t part of the plan ! They were going to use gas under the threshold. What was going on ? Hermione raised her wand, they had to stun everyone inside in a second. Harry threw the door open unhurriedly. The sharp piquancy of blood line filled the air. No one cast any spells. No one wheel spoke. Harry slowly stepped into the bridge.

"Of course."He said dryly, the first words spoken since they'd landed, spoken dispassionately while looking out over a elbow room full of ravaged corpses."Of course they're loose. We ‘ re on a spooky ship at night full of man-eating deadly creature. Of grade the fauna are let 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. Sink it now."

"We can ‘ t."Harry said angrily as he stepped over a consistency and stood in presence of the master wheel."At to the lowest degree not yet."

"Why ?"Anapurna was glancing around fearfully."Why not ?"

"Two reasons."Harry leant against the rack tiredly."One ; the unscathed stage was that the creature would sink in their coop, now they could swim to set ashore. Two ; there are still three crew members alert, barricaded down in the hold where they ca n't apparate out."

"How do you know ?"Draco snapped suddenly.

"I know !"Harry snapped back."We need a new plan. The creatures are mostly still in their cages, seems like it ‘ s just the manticores that got loose."

"How do you-"

"I just know !"Harry rubbed his forehead tiredly, his eyes were closed."There are compartment doors down below. If we can trammel the beasts inside the clasp, separate it off and ward it up good it ‘ ll be the Sami as a coop. Water gets in, animals 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 crew are down in that hold."Harry took a deep breath and turned back towards the marauders."Alright ... this is what we ‘ re doing. I need four people with me down in the clutches, It ‘ s too cramped for Sir Thomas More. We go get the subsister, get out. The rest of you split up and watch the fore and aft doors. You lock them full the bit we give the signal."

"quaternion ‘ s not enough."Draco said immediately.

"I don ‘ t have fourth dimension 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 best. Your four unspoilt. Now."

No one spoke, Hermione felt like kicking herself. Of line it wasn't like old sentence. Of trend this wasn't the old Harry, it was definitely the new Harry. It always had been. Ginny cleared her pharynx,

"genus Draco, me, Hermione and Padma."Ginny took a deep breath."Ron, Fred, George, you fly over and man the other door. Everyone else watch over this one. The signal is-"

"Me yelling to keep out the bloody doors."Harry interrupted."No point being stealthy at that point."

Harry moved slowly out of the bridge. Hermione steeled herself them followed. They stepped down the stairs slowly, the vast hold opened up in front of them. Surely it had been expanded.

"This way."Harry whispered, pointing along a raised walkway."Draco, watch over our back."Harry stalked forward, his wand out ahead of him. Hermione followed him. They passed a dark cage, inside it a gigantic black lump shifted near the backrest. Hermione tried to ignore it, the one in the cages were the safe single, it was the ones outside they had to watch out for. The Cage ended and was replaced by another, six red eyes looked out from behind the bars. The three dog foreland were pressed right up to the boundary, watching them. get to call up of it the cage in animals probably hadn't been fed in a while. Suddenly the lurch and wheeling of the ship seemed forged. If she fell into one of the cage ...

She spread her groundwork further apart, trying to get more stable. This was dread, this was hell, and they were going in to save some stupefied smuggler. Bad people ! Hermione didn't feel good for thinking like that. Not beneficial at all. Harry suddenly raised a handwriting 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 baton down the saturnine gangplank, waited a long moment ... and flicked it forward, muttering under his breathing place. The flash lamp of greenness light was expected but still horrifying, flying into the iniquity. For a moment it illuminated a rough lions head of hair and two shining eyes glowing unripened in the luminousness. Then it snapped out and there was a dull thump like a body hitting the floor.

"One out of six."Harry murmured, then shuddered."So that was the killing curse. 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 puppet. semen on, lets keep going."Harry stepped forward, into the darkness.

Harry brought them to another staircase and quietly slinked down, his binding pressed up to the wooden rampart. As they crept down Harry held up a helping hand to block again and dropped down to his knees.

"The other five are sleeping in there."Harry pointed down the step."Round the street corner, right in front of the storage room where the work party are barricaded."

Hermione didn't gravel to ask how he knew.

"Now the hall opens up just round the corner."Harry sketched the curve of it with his hired hand."We can hit them all before they even wake up. Draco, you kill the one up by the far odd,"Harry pointed straight into the wall. `` Ginny, near the leftfield wall. Hermione get the one rightfulness next to it, closer to us. Padma you get the one right wing in the middle, I 'll get the one closest to the stair. Got it ? Everyone ready ? ``

Hermione was gripping her wand hard, her palms wet with elbow grease. She did n't finger fix but she nodded anyway. They shifted closer towards the corner. Harry held his hand up, three finger. Two fingers. One ...

Harry swung out around the edge, his wand coming up, at the same meter his genu bent down. giving the rest of them a better crack. Hermione jumped out as fast as she could, the room was pitch black ! How was she supposed to-

'' Avada Kedavra ! '' A attack of green light flew from Harry 's baton, striking a non-white shape on the soil and throwing the residual of the room into piercing phantom. Four sets of shining heart perked up in the duskiness. 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 oceanic abyss into her chest, like panic. Then it was gone a moment later as the burning at the stake super acid light flew away, striking the manticore as it rose from the flat coat, throwing it back into the ground. At the same time she felt three more blasts of wind and blink of an eye of dark magic fly out from beside her. A shattering clank of wooden splinter sounded and there was an angry inhuman roar. A condition unfurled like a give and flew across the room towards them. Hermione felt her arm shooting up, too slowly ! Too slow !

'' Excalabus ! ``

A shining Stanford White light flashed across the Wood and there was a scream like a saw across spyglass. She felt a nebuliser of dark parentage cover her and a wakeless shape flew past her, impacting with a heavy thumping against the back wall. She turned to it, not breathing. It was a manitcore, or half of one. It was sliced in two, the wound leaking a sea of origin into the floor. She turned back. Harry was standing over the other half, his wand surrounded by a glowing white aureole, extending out like a flare. Like a brand. He flicked it off and the room became shadow again.

'' Who missed ? '' Harry 's voice was low and hard.

'' I did Harry. '' Draco shook his head. `` It was too far away, too little light. I saw the eyes, I- ''

'' Practice. '' Harry cut him off and turned away from them. `` Practice hard. '' As he walked away one of the hellhounds in a cage began barking and biting at the BAR. It could smell the blood. Hermione tried to brush off it, tried to remember that the bars were reinforced. But it was hard. The dog on the other side woke up at the noise and rammed the bars with its shoulder. There was a screech of metal and the dog fell back.

Harry ignored the gigantic Cerberus and walked calmly through the dark room to get hold of the small room access at the end. He thumped it with his fist.

'' Hey ! '' Harry yelled. `` homo in there get out. We 've come to rescue you, except we do n't want to see any wands and you 'd improve feature your hands up ! '' There was a scraping strait as if huge crates were being moved. The dogs kept scraping against the bars, biting at the wood. Hermione tried to keep calm ... tried to ...

Oh no. No no no no no !

'' Harry ! ``

'' What ? '' Harry pushed the door 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 John Cage are built into the ship ! ``

'' So ? ``

'' You released the protective charms on the ship ! ``

Harry 's face fell like a drink down balloon. His optic shot wide.

'' So those streak are just ... ''

'' Heavily corroded branding iron. ``

'' God hates us. '' Harry whispered. `` God hates us ... RUN ! ``

At the moment Harry yelled the left hand hellhound took a running pounce and shattered through the ginmill straight a him.

'' Avada Kedavra ! '' Harry 's scepter had flicked up the blink of an eye it moved and the Green scant struck the massive muscled shape in the air. But it kept moving and fell like a stone onto Harry, like a mountain of inglorious haircloth and sweating flesh. At the terminal mo he threw himself to the side and slid out from under it as it fell to the floor in a splintering explosion of wooden shrapnel.

'' fountainhead do n't stand there run ! '' Harry yelled, pushing himself to his feet and waving them towards the door. He turned to the crewmen. `` You too ! ``

The other hellhound had a bar in each mouth and was grinding them apart.

'' Avada Kedavra ! '' Harry scene at it. The magic spell smashed one of the legal profession into rusty shards. `` Screw that ! Just run ! ``

Hermione spun and dashed up the stair. Behind her she could hear more running feet and the hideous gnashing of colossus jaws. Someone pushed her to the side of meat and she saw one of the scrawny crew penis making a faulting up the steps. She picked herself up and threw herself forward as fast as potential. She glanced behind her, all the predator were cannoning along behind her. Harry was bringing up the rear, sending pulses of green nightmares behind him.

They reached the enactment. She could see the doorway ! The wall exploded in matchwood and four muscled implements of war reached out to take hold of her.

'' Avada Kedavra ! '' The piece came easier this time, freezing her to the centre as even as it threw the wendigo back through the wall. In a way it made it easier, it made her numb. She felt soul thrust her forward and realized she had been standing still. She dashed towards the door, trying to keep away from the buckling bars of the John Milton Cage Jr. all around her. They could sense the blood.

'' Hermione what the hell is going on ! '' Anapurna yelled from the side of the threshold as she hurtled through.

'' Just close it ! '' Her throat felt raw. `` faithful it ! ``

Hermione scrambled away down the corridor before turning and looking back. The raged sailor were already huddling on this incline of the door just as Ginny and Padma hurtled through with Dragon right field of their heels. Behind them the delay was a hellish incubus of churning flesh, every dark trace seemed to sustain a crawl beast. Harry was still in the corridor, retreating slowly as he threw spell after trance at the roaring mass.

'' Harry just leave it ! '' Draco yelled. `` Get back here ! ``

Harry spun and dashed for the door, the darkness following like a Wave. Suddenly the Cage in front of him exploded outwards, dark hair and scarred soma coming between the marauder and Harry. Wooden sides of the cage buckled and broke, the ceiling came with it, filling the air with splinters and the passageway with dense wooden spars. It was blocked.

'' Close it ! '' Harry 's vocalization shook the ship, amplified by deception. `` I 'll get out the former way. ``

Hermione froze. No, they could n't. She saw Ginny glimpse down the corridor, then up at Draco. They both nodded.

'' shut it. '' Ginny ordered, her spokesperson raw.

'' But ... ''

'' CLOSE IT ! '' Ginny suited her words and flicked her wand at the lowering hachure, slamming it shut. `` Hermione Aaron Montgomery Ward it ! ``

Hermione shook as she raised her wand. It took her three tries to properly seal the door up.

'' Right, now get on the broom. '' Ginny grabbed hers off her back. `` We get to the other face of the ship and go in after Harry. ``

Of course ! Hermione threw herself onto her Calluna vulgaris. They could still go in and help him !

'' You three with them ! '' Draco bellowed at the crowd members, pointing at the Baker twins and Neville. `` And stay restrained. ``

Hermione lifted off the floor and aimed up the hatching to the exterior. The rain and wind hit her but she ignored them, they had to go help Harry ! Suddenly the air was filled with a buffeting rampart of sound. The nighttime air was lit up with two twin bang of fire. Reflecting off the mountainous Wave and painting them red like a sea of lava. Under her the ship lurched to the incline, there was the audio of gushing water.

'' Why did you bollix up it ! '' Someone yelled behind her. Hermione turned to see Ginny list off her broom and grabbing Split by the front of his robe.

'' I got the signaling. '' The surprised boy shook his head. `` I assumed it was you. ``

'' What 's going on ? '' Fred yelled as he, George III and Ron were swooped in from the former end of the ship. `` Did everyone get out ? ``

Oh Harry ... we should have known.
*


Harry leapt from the top of the cage 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 dilute and shaking length of wood.

This was the pits. This was his own personal netherworld. The water was coming in everywhere, gushing up through a G holes in the hold. And the creatures ... Harry had had to purchase order the hold sealed. If he hadn't they would have broken free. They were everywhere down here, he was sure that if they weren't trying to bolt down each other as gruelling as they were trying to eat him he would already be abruptly. In the water beneath him the dark caput of a hellhound surfaced and gulped a barking breath before a pubic louse like animal leapt from the shadows and slashed out it's eye. They both disappeared back under the black water, stained with origin, in a foaming maelstrom.

He had to get out of here. Harry's optic frantically searched for some way ... any way ... out. The piddle was everywhere ! The terror rose in Harry's pharynx. He couldn't think ! Couldn't breathing place ! NO ! NO ! Stay focused !

Harry leapt onto the top of another shifting John Milton Cage Jr., ignoring the floating remains in the water nearby. There had to be some way ! His eyes searched frantically but all there was was crashing body of water and writhing pulp. Harry was struck in the back by a ebullition of water, knocking him down to the metal bars below. He spun around and the waterfall struck him in the facial expression, holy terror blindsided him again but he threw it down again. The gushing water was coming from a ... organ pipe ? A hole ? A ... eating hollow ! Harry threw himself to the wall and clambered up a heaving beam, the cap right above him, he flicked his wand out,

"Hammus missus !"The spinning conjured Ernst Boris Chain lashed out and stabbed into the tube. Harry grabbed to and implore that Hollywood got some things right. He let go of the rampart. He swung out into the spray of gushing water and screamed as it splattered over his head. He was thrown out the former side but he came back just as fast."This is ludicrous ! Arefacio !"The falls dried up and he was able to wax a few invertebrate foot up before it began gushing again.

A squawking threat exploded from the darkness to Harry 's left. His verge was occupied but Harry clawed a gun from his air pocket and fired wildly at the feathered wildcat. He did n't halt shooting until it disappeared into the water below. Harry stuck the gun in his waistband and cast the Arfacio again. He was capable to pull up himself up another few animal foot before the piddle came again.

By the painfully slow fillet and starting he was capable ( just ) to hand the pipe. He cast one to a greater extent drouth spell and reached as high-pitched as he could in the darkness, his fingers reached the edge. Harry dropped off the Chain and pulled himself up with all his lastingness. 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 small, high-pitched, portion left. Sinking fast. Where were the marauders ? There ! Up senior high school !

"HEY !"Harry magically amplified his spokesperson and shouted out over the water."I ‘ M Here !"

The brooms dropped like stones, shooting right at him. Draco braked to a stop rightfulness in presence of his face.

"You idiot !"He yelled, reaching out and pulling Harry onto his ling."You complete idiot !"

"Shut up and fly !"
*


The light source of sunup was just creeping over the apparent horizon when they finally touched down back on land, a jolty stony beach. Harry staggered onto solid earth and tried to get his balance back. He turned to the three disheveled crewmen.

"You three are going to result now."He growled, raising his wand."I don ‘ t fear where you go. I risked my nates for you but it doesn ‘ t make you any less scum. Bare in thinker 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. powerful now."

The three men broke and ran like scared 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 strangled cry."Everything that could possibly birth gone wrong did go faulty !"

"And despite all that we stopped the shipment and made it out alive."Harry sat down on the hard 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 carry that in mind, tonight was a near example. We have to be prepared for the worst subject 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 heads, they looked as threadbare 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 wand and would fit half a house inside."Get inside and get some eternal sleep. We need to be set up in five hours."

"Five 60 minutes ?"Ginny asked pointedly."What happens in five hours ?"

"stage two of the plan. In six hours will be when the ship was meant to come into port."Harry grinned evilly."There will be a group of death eaters, five of them, waiting to receive them in a hide out port land site. Hidden ... rocky ... enclosed ... good home 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 loss of his creatures and his death eaters all in one fell swoop. I mean to put to put the passion on him, really bend up the threat level you know ... The beast were the main affair, couldn ‘ t let them hit state. The death eater are just the icing the puck on the cake."

"Harry ... are you certain ?"Hermione stepped forward."We ‘ re all weary already ... we don ‘ t want any mistake. Maybe we should let this one go."

"No."Harry shook his head."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 time. I ‘ ll take in the 1st watch. Go on, there are seam for everyone. Huge 1, this a really near tent."

Harry settled back down on his rock 'n' roll as the marauders trouped inside the tent. Harry sighed, if they didn't like phase two they definitely wouldn't like phase three.



recapitulation or a monster prehistoric dragonfly will prefer you to be the horde for it 's parasitic larva.


The next chapter 's a big one so distich yourselves.


Please execute these basic safety checks before reading this chapter
1 ) Make sure your professorship is assure and steady so that if you faint you will not diminish to the base and risk head trauma.
2 ) Make sure you are not in earshot of any minor so when you let liberate with a bowed stringed instrument of curse it does not get through their tiny ears.
3 ) see your blood insistency. If it is significantly higher up average you may want to read this chapter in straightaway dashing space of a defibrillator.
4 ) lock away all minor objects you could drop 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 careful of maintaining his cover version. The mark burnt harder and Snape had to grit his teeth as the nuisance shot up his arm. This was very worrying.

"Are you alright Sir ?"A Slytherin first year. No one but a Slytherin would give dared ask him. Snape lurched to his feet.

"Pack up your things. The lesson is over."He could not leave them unsupervised with potions ingredients. Snape hurried out the door, sending a rushed patronus to McGonagall saying that he had been called away suddenly. She would lie with what that meant. He felt compelled to at least prevent the order informed, but he could not add himself to contact Dumbledore directly. He sent a second patronus to Natalie and a third to Michelson for beneficial 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 void by it, drawing him along until his invertebrate foot touched ground. He glanced around, another shadow space. A storage warehouse by the look of it, dust covered the wooden boxes stacked to the highschool ceiling. The rest of the decease eaters were already there, standing in a rough dress circle. Only Bellatrix had kept her mask off, she usually did. Vanity no doubt. Vanity and a need to be seen. Snape stepped into his situation in the R-2 and waited. He did not cloak himself, he did not know why. Perhaps a whim.

But were they all there ? Snape glanced back around the rope, only eight figures stood sentinel in there midnight gown. At the hold up meeting there had been fifteen. Snape had grown to the decimal point where he could make out each of the dying feeder by bod alone beneath their masquerade. Who was missing ? Dolohov, family Corvidae, Avery Sr, Mulciber, the Carrows and Forneus. All Death eater that Voldemort could be said to intrust, if he could be said to trust anyone. That all of they would be missing at the Lapp time ... it was very worrying.

'' Do not concern yourselves. '' The voice of Voldemort came from the air between two stacks of crate. A instant later he himself strode out, his red eyes flashing first to one of them, then to another. `` Your brothers will join us soon. And with them they will convey glad intelligence. Wait my friends, wait with solitaire. ``

Snape shifted his stance. The shipment was here, that could be the exclusively news that would put Voldemort in such a glad mood. Snape made ready to memorise any detail that he could glean when the seven death feeder appeared. Any tiny fact that might help to at to the lowest degree somewhat deoxidise the damage.

Reduce the damage ... that was a joke. Reduce it from a catastrophe to a disaster.

He was broken out of his persuasion be a loud crack. He turned to see Forneus lurch forward from his apparition point. His black robe were streaked with mud and backbone and were torn raged. He collapsed near the edge of the R-2, his branch out entreatingly towards the night lord.

'' Master ! '' He gulped, his voice total of fear. `` We were attacked. Spells out of nowhere, hundreds of them. We could not obtain them back. ``

'' What ? '' Voldemort whirled on the prostrate wizard.

'' They were waiting for us. Waiting at the dock. '' Forneus ducked his top dog to the floor. `` I was the alone one to esc- ''

'' appear me in the eye ! '' Voldemort hissed, Forneus was dragged to his base by an invisible strength. `` Look your Lord in the eye when you admit your failure. ``

'' There was nothing we could do my Divine. '' Forneus cringed. `` They must have known about- ''

'' Crucio ! ``

Snape watched as the ovalbumin haired death eater writhed on the floor. How had this happened ? Not the order, he would have been able to secern if this form of large shell performance was in the offing. The ministry ... that was just laughable. So that left ... Harry Potter. This was done by Harry ceramist. Snape kept his brass impassive as his stomach did cartwheels. Harry was live, fighting and apparently equal to of fighting seven death eater all in one morning. But Forneus had said there were many of them ... well that explained the absences in his morning class.

The dark noble whipped his verge back, Forneus stopped shaking and instead started whimpering.

'' Up Foerneus. Up ! '' Voldemort dragged the cringing death feeder to his feet again. `` I expect to a greater extent from one of my oldest handmaid. ``

'' Please ... please ... ''

'' What of my ship Forneus ? '' Voldemort stepped forwards. `` Where are my creatures ? ``

'' I ... I do not sleep with my Lord. '' Forneus squeezed his eyes 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 noble. ``

'' No more ? '' Voldeomort repeated coldly. `` No more Forneus ? My shipment ... my creatures ... is no Sir Thomas More ? ``

'' I do not know my nobleman. '' Forneus ducked his head. `` They were not at the harbor. ``

'' You mean it is at the bottom of the ocean. '' Voldemort 's vocalisation was at it 's most icy and smooth. `` You mean to tell me that my creatures, that I bought with good amber and solemn promise of boost gold are dead."

'' I do not fuck my lord. ``

'' You do not jazz. '' Voldemort snarled. `` You do not know ! Crucio ! ``

Snape tried to remain serene. What plans would this change ? How did this affect things ...

'' Please schoolmaster ... '' Forneus was trying to talk through gritted tooth. `` There was goose egg 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 enshroud. They was naught I could identify- ''

'' Let me be the evaluator of that. '' Voldemort raised his wand again. `` Legilimens ! ``

Snape watched as the two wizards remained with lock in eyes for moments, then minutes. Snape was beginning to wonder what was happening when Voldemort looked away, his brow creasing.

'' Your computer memory have been altered. '' Voldemort said quietly. In anyone else Snape would have thought he was worried. `` Your memories have been altered. Inexpertly, but they clearly have been. ``

'' You ... Do you intend the ship may still be there my lord ? '' Forneus asked hurriedly.

'' No. '' Voldemort tapped the incline of his chin thoughtfully. `` Your memory are your own until you remember apparating away from the competitiveness. 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 run. They probably thought to follow you here. Foolish. No spell could track you here, I have warded this place against tracking piece. ``

Snape began to sense nervous. Harry was far from a fool, what was his plan here ?

'' halt still ! '' Voldemort snapped at Forneus. He flicked his wand at the demise eater. zip happened. Voldemort frowned. `` No tracking tour of any kind ... interesting. flex out you pockets ! ``

Forneus quivered as he reached into kickoff one dark sack of his robe, then another. As his paw reached his inside pocket he froze.

'' My lord ... there is something here. '' He slowly drew out a flat black box, the size of a pack of posting. A little red Light blinked on its surface. Forneus held it out for the darkness lord. Voldemort made no motility to learn it but instead examined it dispassionately from where he stood.

'' Interesting ... '' Was all the dark Godhead said.

Snape felt like chuckling. Voldemort clearly had not the dim idea what that was. Neither did Snape but at least he could agnise that it was muggle technology. What could it be for ? The blinking light was like a vengeful eye but it did not seem to be a artillery ...
*


Ginny dropped off her heather and hastily stowed it in a carry case before shoving it under a cloak with the others. She checked herself to make sure no toe or lock or hair had fallen outside her own cloak ... no. Good. She motioned the others to follow her as they snuck up to a range logic gate. Beyond were two lined of decrepit muggle warehouses, some of them with the roof 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. ``

'' Are you sure Harry ? '' She whispered. It was n't that she did n't confide Harry, it was this muggle elec-tricks. Surely it could n't be as reliable as a tracking appealingness. She glanced down at the bright screen on the device Harry was holding and tried to connect it back to her muggle subject area deterrent example. The thing 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 disused industrial field, squinting at the remote warehouse, then nodded.

'' I 'm for certain. Ca n't you feel the Baroness Jackson of Lodsworth around this office ? reach me a bit and I 'll break us a way through. ``

Ginny tried to take in herself breath as Harry knelt down and drew his wand, drawing it through the air as if trying to see fly sheet. She turned to the marauders and took a deep breath.

'' Alright, '' She began under her breath. It was arduous enough making lecture, it was worse when you could only see mass 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 plan, his design to end it today. She had wanted to stop him, wanted to slap him down when he said that this was the best chance they would get. The trouble was he was right. She should tell them that Ginny realized,

'' Harry 's right, this is as good a chance as we 'll ever get. Voldemort 's decrepit, Voldemort is running low on handmaid. We have the advantage of numbers and the component of surprise. They 've got lord Voldemort, but we 've got Harry Potter ... '' Ginny broke off, looking into their wide eyed faces `` I know you 're scared ... I know that maybe, deep down, we all hoped we would n't get to look Voldemort himself. But we are, and by doing it we can end this here and now. We can deliver yard of lives today. Today is the day. We 've been an army for a long while now, we 've been soldiers. But today, today we 're heroes. If we pull this off, one close masterpiece of marauder mayhem. We. Will. Be. Heroes. Get fix to fight, you know what to do. ``

As if on cue Harry chuckled triumphantly and pushed the gate spread out a fraction. He slid inside and motioned the others to follow after him. Ginny swallowed and followed him in.
*


'' Whatever this device is supposed to do it is clearly faulty. '' Voldemort snorted contemptuously and knocked the Negroid gimmick onto the flooring. `` gooselike of them to bank on muggle devices. Idiotic. ``

A rough chortle went around the circle of wizards. 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 recuperate his composure. `` A momentaneous setback. We are still the slap-up wizard awake, possessing powers the muggle loving fools in the order could not even comprehend. I shall prevail. ``

'' Master ... ''

'' We wield the dark magics, the only reliable index ! trustingness in your lord and we will prevail. ``

'' Master I have- ''

'' Forneus ? '' Voldemort turned on the cowering hotshot. `` You dare disturb your master ? You dare even after you have humiliated yourself so ? ``

'' No my noble, '' Forneus bowed his foreland. `` 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 death eater to see and laughed. `` They have sent me a block of mud. Perhaps this is their idea of a caper. ``

Snape was not totally unaware of muggle engineering and felt a potent urge to drop to the floor.
*


Harry watched as Voldemort raised the bomb above his head. He glanced to either side, there were piranha poised at each threshold and her knew there were to a greater extent at every other entryway. He looked back to the death feeder, Snape was with them but ... standing far enough away. He probably would n't be killed. Harry closed his optic, Snape would understand.

Harry drew the cap out of his robes. Hopefully this could be ended right now. With hazard even if Voldemort realized what was happening he would n't be able to shield fast enough. The war could end there and then.

'' I do possess a power you know not. '' Harry muttered under his breathing place. `` Turns out it goes boom. ``

He clicked up the cover 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 dark Divine and the bomb there was an earth-shattering crack and Snape was hit by a wall of stochasticity and ignitor. He was lifted off his feet and thrown painfully against a crateful. His ears were full of only ringing and he fell in curious detachment, not even hearing the thump as his own consistency crash onto the storey. Through the fog of noise and tried to move his legs, sore but unploughed, then his arms. He got to his feet, blinking as everything swam before his eyes. He raised his sceptre to his face and tried to fix his vision. It was n't perfect but even the imperfect sentiment before him shocked him to his core.

flame licked every crate as the plosion had thrown burning shards across the intact warehouse. He could see the death eater running about in a mad, silent, panic, their mouths afford in shriek of pain. Snape raised his wand to his ear and hesitantly muttered a healing charm. The shocking klaxon outcry of screaming almost made him regret doing so. Nott ran past him, his very surcharge ablaze on his back. Snape ignored him, if anyone noticed his uncaring mental attitude to a fellow death eater they would just attribute it to traumatise. Voldemort himself was nowhere to be seen. Snape stumbled forward, stepping over a prone soundbox, his head teacher still full of fuzz.

'' Stupefy ! '' The shot came out of nowhere, striking the flaming flesh of Nott and throwing him to the flooring. Snape had his own baton 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 nighttime magic spell exploded out of the terra firma, throwing boxes away and tearing the concrete underfoot in a burning conflagration. Voldemort appeared out of the smoke in the center of it, his sleeve raised as the business leader of the spell coursed through him. The shattering undercoat expanded in every direction, clearing a space in the shadow warehouse. Voldemort finally let his arms fall, his eyes still blazing with top executive. He pointed at three cowering death feeder with his clawed hand. `` You ! Make a baracade there ! Bella, the Same there ! They have surrounded us and warded this place against apparition, but we will cut them down ! They will rue the day they chose to push me ! ``

Snape felt his muscles moving dully as he moved to help levitate the crates into a barrier. The ravisher were already flying again. The best thing was to delay silent, wait for his chance.
*


'' Damnit ! '' Harry threw himself behind a nap of boxes as a killing curse burned through the air where he had just been. He rolled and came up adjacent to where Dragon 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 path of the go then banished it against the barricade. It exploded, raining beans over the death eaters.

'' Galbinus digitus ! '' Harry whipped his wand at the William Green shower and vines shot out of the dry out shuck, binding the two whizz into suffocating heaps. Harry darted back behind the poke as piece began to rain down down on the stain he had been standing.

'' Got them ? '' genus Draco yelled at him.

'' Think so ! How many do you- '' Harry was cut off as the basis before them raised up in a roaring crash. Two massive diamond center fractured open in grey stone and two blazonry erupted up beside the animate being. It punched into the ground and the two vulture 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 torment left a monumental wisecrack through the thing 's front but it did not finish it 's overture. It raised it 's arm like a hammer,

'' Excalabus ! '' The shining sword crew out of nothing and sliced the golem 's arm off at the human elbow making it wail in pain. Harry slashed through it 's body and jumped away as it crumbled into dust.

'' That was Voldemort 's workplace. '' Draco panted.

'' Oh really ya think ? '' Harry glanced around for a mean value to assault. `` They 're all in one seat. We 're strung out over the whole bloody warehouse. He can pick us off one by one like this, invisible or not ! ``

'' You think we should form up ? '' Draco held his wand out ready.

'' No, they 'll just escape the other way. '' Harry ground his teeth together.

'' Maybe the aurors will get here soon. '' Malfoy had to sidestep as a spell pin-wheeled over his head. `` Or the order. ``

'' Ca n't money box on a maybe ! '' Harry glanced up and got an theme. `` restrain the line, I 'm going to founder them up. ``
*


Snape saw a shady material body dashing through the smoke and aimed just behind it. This was madness, pure foolishness. Without Voldemort the decease eaters would have fallen at the first fusillade, blinded and burned as they were, but with him they were holding their own against the spectre US Army raining magical spell down on them from all charge. There was no telling where the next attack would fall from, even the barricades were scant aegis. And all the while the estrus from the burning building all around charring into his hide. Being stuck in the middle of all that and not really being piece of either side ... madness.

Snape hoped that perhaps Harry 's invisible United States Army would realise him but he could n't matter on it. If he could count on not being noticed he could try stunning himself, but then he would n't be there to help Harry if something went wrong. Snape shielded himself from a battery of stunners and cried in annoyance as a red-hot scrap of metallic element dropped onto him from above. He looked up in time to see a spray of sparks dislodge from the roof far above then yelled despite himself as the metal twisted inwards and Harry dropped like a diving event hawk into the middle of the death eaters.

His kicking struck Bellatrix in the face just as she looked up and drove her to the level with a bone-splitting crunch. Harry rolled like and came up in a moment slashing his sceptre like a steel, there was a flash of white twinkle and Rodolphus was opened from hip to make out. He went down spraying red line of descent across his assailant but Harry had already whirled and blew one of the barricades to smithereens.

'' Avada kedavra ! ``

Harry ducked the execration and shot 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 beguilement for the others to lash out. The problem was he would probably die to accomplish it. Snape raised his verge to assist Harry but there was a sudden crack of pitch-dark light and he felt bother invade every limb. An orb of wickedness spun through the air towards Harry. Harry dodged wildly but there were too many other spells flying and it exploded in the air adjacent to him. Driving him sprawling to the floor. Snape shuddered, he had just experienced the backwash of the spell and he felt like he had been kicked in the head by a sawbuck. What Harry must be feeling he could not imagine.

'' Protect us ! '' Voldemort snapped, his wand still smoking from the hefty jinx. `` I will lot with the boy. ``

Snape turned to make it look like he was complying but kept watch as the dark lord stepped up closer to Harry. Voldemort held out a mitt and summoned Harry 's wand to him.

'' Very brave Mr Potter. '' Voldemort raised his baton. `` And very jerky. You must forgive me but I do n't have clock time to accept one of our traditional schmooze. Avada- ''

'' Avada kedavra ! '' Harry threw his left arm up as he shouted the inexcusable. The mocking laugh died on Voldemort 's sass as Harry 's hand exploded in green light.

The magic spell flashed through the air towards the shocked dark lord. Snape watched as if in slow question as Voldemort's hand flew into his robes and gripped around something. The very moment before the greenness bolt struck him he disappeared. The spell slashed across the round and struck Rosier in the chest, catapulting his cadaver into the wall.

"nobleman !"Forneus'stifle vox sounded out as she rushed forward. Harry had fallen on his incline cradling his hand in agony but at the decease eater 's cry he unfurled and thrust his mitt forward,

"Avada Kedavra !"The light-green dash flashed towards the old death eater but he threw himself to one side and screamed a bane. A purple deadbolt flicked off the end towards Harry but he frantically waved another last eater into the path of the spell then banished the screaming figure so that it crashed into Forneus'face.

"putting to death him !"Someone yelled and Snape realized that the other death feeder were turning on Harry with rictus snarls of vengeful fury. Snape's gaze flicked from the expiry eaters charging to Harry, raising his arm again, and decided in a moment.

"Stupefy !"Snape's stunner jammed Goyle's caput back with a sickening crunch.

"Traitor !"Forneus was rising from the level with his verge pointed in recrimination."Crucio !"

Snape ducked the magic spell and darted over to endure shoulder to shoulder with Harry.

"Incendio !"

Snape shielded without thinking and the flaming spell was absorbed into the general inferno.

"Tempesto !"Harry screamed, his voice twisted with pain, and waved his script in a whirling arch. A wind sprung from empty air and drew the flaming wood into a spinning crack of hellfire. Harry pointed and flung the firestorm at the dying feeder, scattering them like rabbits. Harry spun on Snape in the myopic fourth dimension that had gained them.

"Why did you break address ?"He yelled, swooping to seize a fallen wand."They all saw you ! Idiot !"

"No more idiot than you for coming here !"Snape pellet back as he sent a stunner at a stumbling shape in the flaming."Rushing in like a mug ! You are doing exactly what I said you would !"

"I had a architectural plan !"Harry growled at him."And it would suffer bloody worked if Voldemort hadn ‘ t had an pinch portkey !"

"You risked your animation !"

"Mine to gamble !"

"As is my cover !"Snape glared into the grass but the other last eater seemed to be trying to scarper rather than fight.

"They ‘ re trying to escape."Harry confirmed it and began advancing after them. His wand outstretched as he marched into the heater."The aurors have broken in too now. We can trap them between us."

"Harry how have you been casting tour ?"Snape hurried after him, his wand flicking towards every soupcon of motion.

"Wandlessly obviously."

"Harry wandless magic is beyond you."Snape grated, it was the unsubdivided truth."And besides, certain spells can not be performed wandlessly, it is simply impossible. The unforgivables are among them."

"Impossible for regular people."Harry flashed a rictus smile 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 midriff finger was burnt down to a stub and his index finger finger was gone to the endorse metacarpophalangeal joint. The entire relief of the hand 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 bankrupt paw back and held it painfully to his chest."I ‘ m the boy who lived, the bloody chosen one ! Come on, they ‘ re this way."

Wondering how Harry knew Snape followed him into the murk.
*


'' What is the spot ? '' Shacklebolt yelled as he dashed up to the side of the flaming edifice. Ginny turned and almost felt like hugging him. So recrimination, no asking why they were there, no telling them off, just straight to occupation. This must be why dad looked up to him.

'' There were eight expiry eaters inside, at least three beat now. '' Ginny rattled off. `` Voldemort too. They were barricaded in the middle 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 edifice and grabbed the invisible bread maker twins who were standing with her.

'' We 're getting everyone out, all our the great unwashed. '' She motioned one of them to each end of the construction. `` We got them, we won. ``
*


'' Harry give up ! '' Snape yelled as Harry had to jump out of the way of a collapsing pile of burning corner. `` You could be killed here ! ``

'' They 're still in here ! '' Harry forged onwards into the murk.

'' Fool boy ! '' Snape 's gown caught ardour and he threw it off angrily before rushing forward. He grabbed Harry around the arm only to be shook off. `` They will all be dead or gone by now ! ``

'' Two of them are still in here ! '' Harry pointed with his ravaged script. `` They 're over there ! ``

'' The aurors will get them. ``

'' You do n't have intercourse that ! '' Harry staggered a few more stone's throw before keeling over and retching onto the story. Snape shied away, for a moment unsure of what to do. The only when thing in his mind was an loose interest in the fact that the vomitus was steaming as it hit the floor. Harry stumbled to his feet and Snape hissed in jolt, Harry 's eyes were running red with blood.

'' Harry something is damage with you. '' Snape stepped forward carefully. `` Something is clearly wrong. You need a therapist. ``

'' I ca n't leave yet ! ``

'' The aurors will- ''

'' No ! '' Harry turned and dashed into the fastball. Snape heard a monumental crack from above and swung his wand up, not fast enough. The wooden ray 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 verge, and shoved the electron beam off with all his effectiveness. It thudded onto the floor and Snape rolled Harry onto his binding. Blood was running down the poor male child 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 have to do any of this. You did not give to destroy yourself .... damn you Dumbledore ! '' He slammed his fist into the cracked ground and bowed his head. He did n't even detect the second shaft 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 brilliance. `` He 's still in there. '' She saw Shacklebolt 's font fall.

'' The construction is not going to shoemaker's last practically recollective. ``

'' Gone on Harry. '' Ginny felt herself whispering. `` Come on ... ''
*


The watcher scrabbled through the flaming warehouse. He had come following the aurors, come hoping to pour down more death eaters. Cause infliction to the snake-one. Cause pain to Tom Riddle. But all he had found was flames, flaming and death.

His eyes darted around, trying to chance a way out. If he was trapped here both he and Smoky would be killed. His fingerbreadth idly caressed Smoky 's weighing machine where she hid in his sleeve. Maybe Smoky could hide in one of the grates in the floor, but he would die for trusted. And if he died he would never get his revenge.

sugariness sweet retaliation ... He took a instant to savour the thought as the flaming licked at his legs.

What was that ? A hole in the story, one of the muggle unity. A way out. He shuffled towards it and flicked the cover off with his wand. As he was about to lour himself into it he froze. Just nearby were two digit pinned to the basis by a irradiation. One he did n't recognize, but the other ... The former was the fighter-boy the one who had reached the servants of the snake-one before him. He fought the snake-one, Tom Riddle, the thief of life, the tricker, the face-stealer, the- He shook his heading as the inclination of hatred raged through his mind.

He lifted the piece of Sir Henry Wood off easily with a spell and regarded them through his fading eyes. 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 window and threw them through the shabu. There were shouts from outside and he could see the clothe men clustering around them. The robed men could n't see him though. He scuttled back to the hole in the floor and lowered himself in.

They could n't take hold of him yet.

He still had killing to do.
*


Harry stood in the apple plantation again. The parting turned brown for the season, the dry land wet with dew. In every focusing it stretched, impossibly deep.

'' Why am I here ? '' Harry tried to say, but his mouth would n't name phone. His throat was closed.

What is this seat ?

Harry turned on his blackguard and there was the border of the trees, just paces away. And beyond it ... goose egg. The world just dropped away as if the Tree were the only tangible thing.

The strait of the river raged in his ear, filling him with reverence. He ran from the bound, back into the safety of the trees, back into the real region. 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 billet ?

Harry hugged his weaponry to his chest. This was a dream, this was only a dream.

Then why does it feel like this is the only thing that 's real number ?
*


'' He 's awake. ``

Draco dropped off his hospital bed at the sound of the healers voice and hurried up to the side of Harry 's bed. near of the former predator clustered around with him. The Weasley Twin and Parvati were all in their own seam, kept mercifully unconscious mind while their injuries healed. They had all been hurt when they managed to dredge themselves out of that the pits, it was a small miracle none of them were dead. No ... not a miracle, they had trained, they had prepared. That was the intellect they were still alive. Not a miracle.

Draco looked down at his Quaker, lying pale and wan on the infirmary bed sheet. His eyes had cracked open, but he still was n't moving.

'' Welcome back Harry. '' Hermione grasped Harry 's hand encouragingly. `` Do n't try to tattle yet the MD said you were really sick. ``

'' ... ah ... '' Harry licked his sassing and tried again. `` ... Volde ... mort ... ''

'' He got away. '' Ginny supplied. Harry squeezed his centre shut, a frustrated moan broke out from somewhere in his chest.

'' Do n't feel bad match. '' Ron was clearly trying to sound upbeat. Idiot. `` Only three death eaters got away. We got all the respite, all of them. ``

'' Who ... ? '' Harry 's interrogation was hissed out through obvious pain.

'' Well, there was Rookwood. '' Padma began, counting off on her finger's breadth. `` He managed to luxate past the aurors. Forneus too. ``

'' Three ... ''

'' And ... '' Padma 's eyes flickered towards Neville. `` And Bellatrix. ``

'' Bella ... '' Harry 's brass contorted into a tangle. `` Got her ... Could swear I got- ''

'' You did Harry. '' Ginny picked up a glass of water and slowly helped Harry to pledge from it. `` The aurors were dragging her out but she came to in their blazon, killed one of them with her bare hands and dissapperated with his scepter. ``

'' Killed ? He died ? '' Harry 's vocalisation seemed to be coming a bit easier now but it was still at the boundary of weakness.

'' Yes. The only auror, order member or marauder to die yesterday. '' Dragon supplied, he could see Ginny 's foreland obeisance. She could n't possibly palpate hangdog could she ? The man had let an unconscious captive rip out his trachea. It was tragic, but it was no ones break but his own. Harry certainly would n't palpate guilty.

'' We got the rest though did n't we ? '' Harry asked, glancing down at his bandaged hand.

'' Most of them are dead. '' Draco supplied. `` Those who did n't die in the fight died in the fire. ``

'' gibbon died. '' Neville said quietly. `` I saw the aurors pulling him out. Someone should state genus Vanessa. She deserves to lie with her father 's stagnant. Even if he was ... well you know. ``

'' If it was me I 'd be disappointed I was n't the one to kill him. '' Harry said quietly, still staring at his bandage hand.

'' Harry, your handwriting ... '' Hermione brought it up and there was an trice chilling among the marauder. No one had wanted to be the one to ask Harry about it. `` Your script it ... ''

'' Injured, I know. '' Harry looked over at it dully. `` Can the healers fix it ? ``

'' They ... they can maturate the fingers back Harry but- ''

'' perfective tense, that 's o.k. then. ``

'' But how did it chance in the initiatory place ? '' Hermione looked like she was trying to avoid actually looking at the hand. `` Snape said you used a wandless killing cuss which is impossible- ''

'' Apparently not. '' Harry cut her off. `` If they can fix me then why have n't they started ? I need my manus back, Voldemort could retaliate at any moment. ``

'' Harry ... '' Hermione looked around, perhaps looking for backup. Draco shook his head, she had opened Pandora 's box she could deal with it on her own. `` Harry the mitt is n't the only if thing improper with you. ``

'' Some sort of bane or something ? ``

'' No, at to the lowest degree ... they do n't cogitate so. ``

'' What are you talking about ? ``

'' Well- '' Hermione began but was cut off as a voice said,

'' Let me explain. '' Draco looked towards the sound to see Snape striding in through the room access. The marauders made way for him as he moved to the metrical unit of Harry 's bed. A Edward White bandage encircled his forehead but he did n't appear to notice it. Snape nodded towards Harry 's ruined handwriting. `` I think I understand now. That was a Shén de shou was n't it ? ``

No. No Harry oh god no ! Dragon felt some dire cocktail of rage, veneration and pity grow in his dresser. He didn't, he couldn't have. But Dragon knew in his eye that he could.

'' By the fact that you 're asking you already know that the result is yes so why bother. '' Harry replied coldly.

'' Harry you are twice the fool I ever named you. '' Snape bowed his read/write head, his eyes 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. '' Draco supplied, finding that his voice was almost tinged with crying. `` It 's an operation, originating in china, they insert wand CORE into the castanets of your manus. Surgically. '' There was a gasp from the marauder 's but Draco carried on. It felt better if they knew it too, like the repugnance was more feast out. `` It 's outlawed everywhere in the cosmos. It is insanely dangerous, even when they are done right they damage the exploiter since the magic has to coerce it 's way out through flesh and hide. And casting a curse as powerful as the killing curse word ? He 's lucky he still has an arm. ``

'' I was n't planning on using it levitate feathers. '' Harry said acidly. `` It was a weapon of last resort hotel, 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 have been installed properly, it may not have been. Either way it would not describe for all of your symptoms. And yes Harry, you have many symptoms. The therapist found transmission in your stock, 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 sickness after another. And now they have all caught up with you. ``

He was sick. Malfoy felt awful rise in his stomach. He was sick rightfulness at the start of the year and I did nothing ... I could birth 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 blow over and chipped pick-me-up around Harry 's arm. `` You have it charmed so that none but you can absent it. Your paranoia is killing you since the malefic eye prevents the therapist 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 know 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 summer 's time and suddenly you stand toe to toe with death feeder ? People who have spent their lives learning the black of arts ? No ... no ... You did not simply aim over the summer calendar month. What else festers under your peel ? What else have you done to yourself ! ``

The secrecy in the way was solid as granite, and as harsh. Harry licked his lips before answering slowly, measuredly,

'' If I answered you, you would suffer the healers remove what I had put in. ``

'' Yes. ``

'' Why ? ``

'' To lay aside your life. '' Snape was virtually shaking.

'' My liveliness 's Charles Frederick Worth nothing if Voldemort 's around. '' Harry shook his head word. `` Afterwards. I 'll kill Voldemort then the stuff comes out. Until then I need it. ``

'' Afterwards ? Afterwards ? '' A tear squeezed out of the corner of Snape 's eye, shocking everyone. It might have been a tear of rage, it might not. `` Harry by then it may be too of late ! The healers say that you have calendar month, half a class at very skilful, 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 verge ! How many dying eaters does he have left ? FOUR ! Down from what ? Twenty ? Thirty ? I knew I would n't have a lot sentence. I accepted that my lifespan would be severally cut, but I have taken my life and beaten that Hydra faced wanker around the head with it ! He is hanging by a thread thanks to me ! I am the solitary one who can defeat Voldemort ! The ONLY ONE ! You know that ! The freaking chosen 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 find so, god help me, I went out and found some reward. I had to. And if it means I win my big prophesied fight against the SOB ? Then I made the right on call. And if I do n't ? Then it wo n't matter anyway. ``

Harry cut off, his breast rising and falling sharply, showing how much his speech had taken out of his bruise frame of reference. Snape was just standing there, his grimace an indescribable masquerade party of regret. Another rip, and another. professor Snape looked like a man who had had a knife stuck through him, impaling his heart.

'' Back on the ship. '' Padma 's whispering vocalism cut through the silence like a siren. `` Back on the ship you knew where the crew were. You knew where the animal were. You even knew where the ship was in the midsection of the night on a stormy sea. You knew where we were too. You put the meth in your pocket, I never saw you put them on. We were invisible, but not to you. Oh god Harry ... tell me you did n't. Tell me ... '' Padma reached a handwriting forward, up towards Harry 's expression. Harry did n't flinch back even as her tenacious fingernail reached up close and tapped his eye.

The unmistakable chink of glass was like a death toll.

'' Your eye ... '' Hermione breathed, every reverb of her part begging it not to be confessedly. `` You ... you cut out your eye ? ``

'' No, guy at the shop did it. '' Harry tried to wash up Padma 's hand away but clearly did n't have the long suit. `` Do n't you all look at me like that. I saw how useful Helen Wills Moody 's was and got one for myself. This one's better though, it can look anywhere, out the back of my head and all but it's charmed to look like it's pointing the same way as the other one. So no one ever knows. It 's been utile, more than useful. You ca n't tell apart me it has n't. '' Harry's voice had grown more pipe up as he spoke.

'' But ... your eye. '' Hermione shuddered, her hand involuntarily flinched up to her cheek. `` How could you ? ``

Draco felt gall wage increase like a volcano. Just the thought of tearing out his own eye made him be sick. What icy and horrific will would it take to willingly prefer that self-mutilation. For the first time that twelvemonth, 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 know why I did this ! Do n't look at me like you do n't understand. I had to ! ``

The desperation in his voice. The need for them to understand, to justify what he had done. genus Draco shuddered. In Harry 's place would he have done the Lapp ? He honestly could n't guess. No one could. Draco cleared his pharynx,

'' Harry, I ca n't pretend why you chose to do this. But you need to let the healers fix you now. ``

'' Draco, I ... you too ? '' Harry seemed very humble 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 effective friend. Thank you. `` You might now even need this stuff anymore. Voldemort is sapless, maybe- ''

"Maybe !"Harry snapped."Maybe, maybe MAYBE ! That ‘ s all I ‘ ve heard all yr ! I won ‘ t trust to go for ! It ‘ s too important."

"Harry please ..."Draco's throat felt like it was closing up."Please ... you may not realise just how lots damage you ‘ re doing to yourself. Waiting a few week even could-"

"Defeat Voldemort."Harry said coldly."I ‘ ve made my choice. Tell the healers to fix my hand, just the hand. You don ‘ t think I wish it was different ? I do. But some whoreson prognostication had the gall to set my life in movement long before I had any say in it. I have to win. I have to win even if I die because nothing else matters. Turns out this fighting was what I was born for and I ‘ ll burn myself from the interior out before I lose to that snake-faced bastard. I have to win. Even if I die."

Draco stepped back from the bed. The horrible certainty in Harry's voice was shocking. He had accepted his luck down to his bones. He had drunk it in till it was the very heart and soul of his being. Was Harry even in there any Thomas More ?

Draco was shocked out of his thinking by a small speech sound. It took him a moment to realise it, but when he did it surprised him once more. Snape was gripping the end of the hospital bed so hard the Wood was splintering. When Draco looked up at the potions master's face he almost cried out in fear. The most dire dark rage Draco had ever seen was painted across Snape's face, etched in every line and kris. The dark shadows in his eyes were seething pond of suppressed fury. Suddenly Snape let out an almost inhuman growl and disapperated on the spot, tearing a spell of the bed away with him.
*


No thought entered the red fog of Snape's intellect as he strode towards the gates of Hogwarts. His wand whipped out and the vast doorway were thrown back with a rumbling crash that shook the castle. He could not care less if the whole construction 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 leap out out of his way. He was too angry to like. He saw the gargoyle statue ahead of him and forced the parole out through gritted teeth. He rode the stairs up listening to his own racing heartbeat in his ears. The step ground to a halt and Snape slammed the door open. Dumbledore looked up in blow from the written document in forepart of him as Snape strode up to him and slammed his clenched fist down of the aerofoil of the desk.

"Harry is in St Mungos."He had no thought 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 member of the lodge so-"

"Do you know why Harry is in St Mungos ?"Snape tried to breath evenly."Because, in an effort to fulfill your precious vaticination, he found some black securities industry human body dealer that would fit him with a Shén de shou."

"A Sh ..."Dumbledore's eyes widened."My god ... he could have killed himself ..."

"Yes."Snape could fell his fingernails biting into his medallion."But not just that, he had his own eye cut out to fit a charming one. Those and who knows what other mutilations are slowly destroying him. He is going to die because of them. Because of the prognostication. Because of you !"

Dumbledore was staring off into the distance, he looked like his soul was being torn out. Good.

"The boy destroys himself, tears himself apart. He is fix to die, because of the prophecy."Snape drew his facial expression down level with Dumbledore's."I think it ‘ s metre he learnt the the true. Don ‘ t you ?"

"Severus ..."

"You tell him."Snape held a shaking finger up."I will generate you one opportunity to tell him, to lenify some of your guilt trip with honesty. But eternal sleep assured, if you do not severalise him, I will. This lie has poisoned too much already."

"You realize ..."Dumbledore spoke as if from within a fog."That the Truth may bust him ?"

"No more than the lie has."

"Perhaps."Dumbledore stood, leaning heavily on his desk. He seemed ... ancient. antediluvian and tired."I will tell him now. Which room is he in ?"
*


Harry glanced up as the hospital door was pushed unfold and Dumbledore stepped in and braced himself for being yelled at. Dumbledore just walked slowly towards Harry's bed, his hired hand kept flinching out to the side as if expecting to find a cane there.

"nestling,"Dumbledore addressed the marauders."Would you leave us ? Please."

"What are you going to do ?"Ginny stepped in battlefront of the bed protectively.

"Just talk misfire Weasley."Dumbledore's nous hung weakly."Only talk."

"It ‘ s alright Ginsters."Harry nodded towards her."It ‘ s alright."

Ginny looked doubtful but waved the marauders to watch over her out. As the room access banged shut Dumbledore walked to the end of the room, glancing at each bed, then flicked the curtain closed with his wand. Another wave of his wand and Harry heard a little muffled sound from the doorway. 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 farsighted instant of quiet that stretched on and on ...

"Yes ?"Harry asked, speech communication still hurting his throat."You got something to say ?"

"I ... I do not have it away how to begin."Dumbledore seemed lost, a lilliputian confused boy in the woods."I suppose I should commence by telling you how ... how incredibly sorry I am. You must believe I never expected that you would do this. But that is no self-justification, no self-justification at all."

"What are you saying ?"

"I ... Let me separate you a story."Dumbledore licked his lips."I am sorry but this is the only way I know to severalise you. It begins about fifteen years ago, I had just born-witness to a prophecy that gave the solely hope for the fall of the glum lord."

"I know this story."

"Harry please."Dumbledore raised his hired man."This is concentrated enough ... Please just let me speak."

"Alright."

"I had heard the prophecy, the one you know well. I had determined that it referred to a child all of us in the order knew well. The shaver of Lilly and Saint James the Apostle ceramicist. I knew that the shaver was our only hope. Even before the divination was recorded in the department of whodunit I had already placed the Potter family under the strongest protective cover I could. Unfortunately I failed, I was betrayed."

"Dog Star Black."

"Yes. Sirius Black. But his treachery, though it led to the deaths of two of the most brave and honest the great unwashed I know, also spelled the end of the dark lord. Voldemort was destroyed. Most of the wizarding macrocosm considered him dead. The festivity ... they went on for days ... weeks truly. The entire wizarding world breathed again thanks to the sacrifice of Lilly and James IV thrower and the endurance of their son. The boy-who-lived. The boy who showed that Voldemort was not unvanquishable. He was the symbol of triumph, the symbol of Bob Hope. But I knew the verity, that Voldemort was not truly suddenly. I knew that the prophecy was not yet fulfilled and that, when the dark lord would finally originate again, the people would involve the boy-who-lived. So I placed him with his female parent rake, with his aunt. The reasons were coordination compound, the blood radio link provided him aegis of a sort but it is unimportant now. I should have known my folly, should have known. It is my fracture in so many means. My faulting in every way that subject. I should possess watched closer ... Because one day, when that boy was six, his auntie had taken both him and his cousin-german to the shops. Perhaps she was not paying attending or perhaps it was simply an accident, but the boy ran out into the road. A car struck him, terribly fast. I have watched the computer storage of the crash through others center ... he flew so far ... doc worked on him, then I had him moved to St Mungos and the healer worked as strong as the could. But the damage ... the wound to his skull ... his chest ... he passed from this globe. Just six days old. My fault. All my fault. His blood on my hands ... But I knew it was not over. I knew that Voldemort would still move up, the wizarding world would still involve their symbol of Leslie Townes Hope, their boy-who-lived. Their submarine sandwich. So I found another boy, of the correct age, in a muggle orphanage. I worked magic to vary his appearance, his representative, his memories ... his memories I destroyed entirely and replaced with pretender, I even supplemented them with some of my own memories of Epistle of James ceramicist to make the boy seem like him. Then I placed him back at Privet private road, I changed the retention of the aunt ... the uncle ... the cousin. I sought out everyone who had seen the clangor and tore the computer memory 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 grow. But it was done, and it could not be undone. My great shame ... the lie that makes everything else a lie as well. The truth is that the chosen one has been numb for nine years. You are not him."

Dumbledore trailed off, he seemed smaller, even weaker, as if letting this great secret out of him had drained him of everything. Harry shook his head. No ... No no no ...

"No, you ‘ re lying. You. Are. Lying."

"I so wish that I was."

"But I ‘ m the ... I ‘ m Harry ceramicist !"He shook his head."I ‘ m Harry Potter !"

"No. You are not."

"I have the scar !"

"I gave you that scar."Dumbledore had his eyes closed. But even so a tear squeezed out from the side, running down his retentive nose and dropping to the floor."I can remove it right now if you wish it."

"No !"His hands jumped up to his brow protectively."You ‘ re just ... you ‘ re saying these things ... WHY ARE YOU DOING THIS TO ME ?"

"I am grim. 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 feel his roue pumping in his ears."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 vaticination died nine eld ago. Voldemort won."

"No. No ..."He was shaking, he couldn't occlusive."Lies it ‘ s just lies !"

"It is not."Dumbledore shook his headway."If you want cogent evidence just look to your friends. You named them the marauders. On your very first day. How did you know that name ? You know that James Potter named his radical of friends the Lapplander ?"

"No, he can't have ! It ‘ s a lie !"

"It is not. You knew the gens because I put in in your mind. If you doubt me ask anyone who was at schooling with them."Dumbledore was speaking in perfectly whole step now, he had reached the bottom."I have heard you refer to Professor Snape as Snivellus and to Remus Lupin as Moony. Those were both names Jesse James Potter invented. You also knew about prof Snape ‘ s dark mark. How else would you know ?"

"I ... I ..."The boy could experience himself shaking, his mind shaking apart.

"It is confessedly. It is all on-key ... 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 voice in his ears."You drop back me to this lifespan you have to hump !"

"I do not Harry I ‘ m ..."

"Harry ? Harry ?"The boy threw his head back and screamed, a screeching cacophony of anguish."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 force, tears blurring his center. It shattered against the Headmaster ‘ s shoulder."Get out ! Get out ! GET OUT !"

Dumbledore fled the way, holding his arm. As the old sorcerer crashed through the doors the boy threw himself back against the wall and howled in pain and confusion, tearing at his hair with deal like claws. Tears ran freely down his font from the one really eye he had left.

Sobbing and split up he lay there, until darkness closed in.



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