章 34: Vengeance and Blame
Ron and Hermione sat together in a compartment as the Hogwarts Express sped towards London. They had managed to speak to Harry, and he had told them that he was going to focus on finishing Voldemort off and end the war. Hermione knew this meant that he was not going to return to school for his seventh year. And as much as it pained her, she could understand his logic. As dear as her education was to her, ending this war was far more important. So she had pledged to follow him. Ron wasn't far behind her in declaring his intentions.
They had planned on meeting at the Burrow and setting off after Bill and Fleur's marriage. Hermione thought that she had seen a bitter look on Harry's face, and she suspected that he planned on doing this on his own. Well, she wasn't going to let him. He was stuck with the two of them.
It would be like old times. Just the three of them; off on a grand adventure, risking life and limb and facing great evil in order to save the world.
Harry had wisely decided that it would be far safer if he Apparated directly to his relatives' house. So that left the two of them on their own on the train.
But before they could go off, they had a lot of planning to do. Hermione had already got books to help them on their quests from Dumbledore's library, and she was working on putting an undetectable expansion charm on a bag to help make moving around with their luggage easier.
But she had a far more important task: Something that caused her heartache every time she thought about it.
And that was erasing her parents' memories.
In the current climate, and with her status known to many in the Wizarding World, her parents were at great risk. So it would be better for them if she erased all knowledge of her existence from their minds, and for good measure, relocated them somewhere far, far, away.
Australia sounded like a good option.
Harry was in the lobby of Gringotts, having just finished negotiations with the ancient alchemist.
The time spent with Flamel had been quite informative. He finally came to know why both the Potter and Black families had such large tobacco plantations.
Flamel had made it his life's mission to subjugate Muggles. Over the centuries he had tried many different things, only to face defeat thanks to different circumstances and people whom he had derisively termed "Muggle lovers". His latest setback had happened just after the defeat of Grindlewald, thanks largely to the meddling of one Albus Dumbledore. On the side, he had also thought of different ways in which he could exploit the Muggles. The most popular scheme was the tobacco industry. After all, while he could turn metal into gold, he couldn't do it in too grand a scale without risking the destruction of the stone. So a fast way to make money was more than welcome.
'Both Charles Potter and Orion Black agreed to invest in my little venture,' the alchemist said. 'Of course, Potter thought that it was merely a good investment while Black was more in tune with my real goals even if he did not know my name. Neither Potter nor Black knew of the other's involvement.' He admitted. 'I tend to keep the identities of my collaborators a secret from each other. Neither of them knows that I have dealings with the other. It would be rather … counterproductive if that were to happen.'
Harry had to admit that he did not find the man's ambitions objectionable. His experiences with Muggles hadn't been great either.
However, he had some reservations about fully eradicating them. After all, The Queen was decent. She didn't really have to knight him. Although, at the same time, he was unhappy about the precedent Muggle noblemen got as far as place-names were concerned.
So while he signed the contract (after having it fully ratified and approved of by his barrister) Harry did not do so with full enthusiasm.
At least he would get something out of it. Flamel had built up a private army of sorts. Even though it comprised of battle hardened mercenaries and whatnot, the army wasn't enough to topple the militaristic regime in Magical Ghana (as small as that was). But it was enough to help in the killing of one insane and skilled Dark Lord as well as his followers. Harry would begin training with the men in a few days' time.
Snapping out of his daze, Harry walked out of the bank, thinking about his next meeting he would be having with the goblins. He found out that he had been named in Dumbledore's will. While he wanted nothing from the man, Harry still had one question that he knew that the headmaster's account manager could answer.
Harry reached the bank five minutes early on the appointed day. Sitting across the account manager, a goblin named Nagnok, Harry made his request.
'Sir, is it possible for me to see the headmaster's bank statement?'
The goblin looked at him with his eyebrows raised. 'I am afraid to say that Gringotts cannot grant you your request, Lord Potter. It is a serious breach in trust and privacy for us to do so.'
'Not even if the information could shed light onto something that pertains to me?'
The goblin frowned. 'Are you saying that Albus Dumbledore has used his money against you, Lord Potter?'
'Maybe I am, maybe not,' Harry replied evasively.
'Indeed,' the goblin said with a bored expression. 'Well, regardless of that, I will need to see a warrant from the Auror Office first. To get that, you would need to make a formal complaint and even then, the Aurors would need to show incontrovertible evidence to make such a search necessary. After that, only an Auror can see the records. So I am afraid that you are quite out of luck. Unless the Minister has secretly appointed you an Auror with the privilege to do whatever it is that you want…'
Harry flushed. 'I was just asking,' he said defensively.
The goblin only rolled his eyes. 'Of course,' he continued. 'You could just get permission from the vault's current owner.'
'And who is the current owner?'
At that moment, someone knocked on the door. Turning around as the door opened, Harry saw the barman of the Hogshead Inn enter, the sour expression on his face ever-present.
'Mr Dumbledore,' Nagnok greeted. 'My condolences,'
The man in question just grunted, settling down on a chair gracelessly.
'You're the barman at the Hogs Head!' Harry exclaimed.
'Am I?' the man said sardonically. 'Glad you remembered.'
Looking past the grey stringy hair and beard, Harry could see brilliant blue eyes behind the man's dirty glasses. Eyes that looked a lot like Albus Dumbledore's.
A clearing of a throat brought Harry's attention back to the goblin.
'The current holder of the vault would be Mr Dumbledore here.' Nagnok said casually.
'And why would you want to know that, boy?' Aberforth Dumbledore asked suspiciously.
'Well,' Harry said hesitantly. 'I was wondering, that is, I wanted to ask you a question.'
There was a moment's silence.
'Well?' Mr Dumbledore finally said, 'Out with it already, while I'm still alive.'
'Right, I was wondering if I could have a glimpse at your brother's account statement.'
The man looked at him through narrowed eyes. 'And why would that be, Potter?'
'There is something I really need to know,' Harry said in reply. 'Please. At least give me last year's statement.'
Looking at the expression on the teen's face, Aberforth spoke up. 'Very well, however, I want something in return.'
'And what is that?' Harry asked warily.
'All of my brother's possessions that he has set aside in his will. Whatever they are, I want them.'
Harry did not even think. 'Fine,' he shrugged. He didn't want anything of Dumbledore's anyway. He had a sneaking suspicion that there was nothing the headmaster had set aside for him was important, or was Dumbledore's to begin with.
At that moment, a barrister entered the office after knocking.
'Sorry I am late, gentlemen,' he said to the seated occupants. Sitting down, he took out a thin folder that was sealed.
'A minute if you please, Raleigh,' Aberforth said before the barrister could even open the folder. 'The boy and I have come to an agreement. In exchange for having a copy documenting the activity of my brother's account for the past year, Potter has agreed to forfeit all bequests.'
'Actually, I agreed to give you any of your brother's possessions that he had willed to me,' Harry replied.
The barrister shrugged. 'Very well, shall we get on with it then?'
Harry looked at the Nagnok, who took out a ledger and with a snap of his fingers, created a much thinner copy. 'Here you are, my lord.'
Harry took the file and placed it on his lap. 'Thank you.' He then nodded to the solicitor who removed the seal and took out the document.
'Right,' Raleigh said. 'Now, most of the estate, which is the entirety of Albus Dumbledore's private library, his magical instruments, and other personal effects, has been donated to Hogwarts. To you, Aberforth, he has left you his pair of glasses, and the entire monetary contents of his vault. Of course that is whatever is left after the bequests he has made to one Molly, Arthur and Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger have been distributed.'
The lawyer scanned the contents of the will. 'Ah, Harry Potter. Professor Dumbledore has left you the Snitch that you caught on your first match, along with that, is a Pensieve and the sword of Godric Gryffindor, which as I am to understand, is now yours, Aberforth.'
'Actually, no,' Harry drawled. He found that channelling the anger out into aggravating Dumbledore's brother was much easier than holding it in. 'See, the Pensieve has been with the Potter family for decades now. I have documentation to prove that Professor Dumbledore borrowed it from my grandfather. Ergo, that possession was not his to give away. As for the Sword of Gryffindor, that is again an artefact that has stayed in the family for generations. While it was thought to be lost, it never left the family's possession. So the Sword and the Pensieve are mine by right. It's a good thing that I secured these objects beforehand, since otherwise I would have to petition to have them returned to me. And that would have taken an unnecessary amount of time.'
'You stole it you mean?' Aberforth accused. 'From my dead brother, no less.'
'Of course not! Don't be ridiculous.' Harry shot back. 'Those items were mine to begin with. You cannot steal your own belongings!'
Smiling at a fuming Aberforth, Harry continued. 'So, anyway, that arguably leaves the Snitch. I have heard about the flesh memories and stuff, so I could argue that it belongs to me, but since the good professor bought it on Hogwarts' behalf, I will concede that it technically belongs to him and the school. So, Mr Dumbledore, you can have that Snitch.'
Aberforth looked at Harry for a long moment. Finally, he barked out a laugh. 'Not bad,' he said. 'My brother has definitely taught you well.'
Harry's only response was to sneer.
Aberforth smirked, knowing that he had hit a nerve. 'How adorable ... You know, if it wasn't for the fact that I loathe children in general, I would probably pinch your cheeks. You look so cute when you scrunch your face up like that.'
Eyes flashing, Harry sent the old man his best withering look, but Aberforth did not break the stare. He was too used to riling his already accomplished older brother up to be intimidated by some little angst ridden, adolescent, pimply (not that the teen in front of him had any) swot. It was all too easy to dismiss the disturbing glow of power in those luminescent eyes. Albus also had that same glow when younger.
'Actually,' the lawyer's words broke through the tension. 'We haven't been able to find that Snitch yet, anyway. Until then, I am afraid you will have to wait, Mr Dumbledore.'
'Oh, I'm in no hurry,' Aberforth replied lightly, a smug grin on his face. Finally breaking the staring match, and looking at the nervous barrister and the wary goblin he said. 'In fact, Lord Potter here can keep it. Heaven knows how much emotional value such an item contains. It's useless to me, anyway.'
'Thanks a lot,' Harry said dryly.
Diagon Alley was functioning normally (or what could be called normal during these times) when a group of six masked forms wearing black robes with hoods suddenly appeared from the entrance to Knockturn Alley.
Their presence was not noticed till the person leading the group raised his wand and sent an explosive spell into the nearest shop.
The spell tore a large crater into the targeted second-hand robe shop, opening its innards up to the street.
Under his mask, the Rabastan Lestrange smirked. The explosion had the attention of the general populace now. After a moment of dead silence, people started running helter-skelter, trying to escape. The Anti-Apparition wards that had been put up long ago to prevent randomly Apparating people from landing right over a poor innocent soul's head ensured that a quick method of egress was not available. Thus, the crowd stampeded towards either the only Apparition Point or (as a most of them had families) to the only Floo Point like a herd of frightened wildebeest.
'Spread out.'
As his fellow Death Eaters followed his orders, Rabastan strode forward, aiming spells at random shops. Their Lord had specifically told them not to kill any of the innocent bystanders. Not out of mercy, as many would think, but because it was a smart thing to do.
If random people were needlessly murdered (especially if they were children) then the populace would become enraged enough to fight back. They would throw aside their fears and rise up en masse to confront them.
They could not allow that! They were outnumbered as it is.
However, if a surgical strike were to be carried out with causing mayhem and destruction of property as the main goals (with deaths being seen as collateral damage) then it would be a completely different story. The "survivors" would see their continued existence as lucky, and the fear towards the Death Eaters would sufficiently increase.
It did not change the fact that Rabastan considered looting, vandalising and burning buildings boring. He much rather preferred to maim, torture and kill. Not for the first time, he wished that he had a wife as lovely and perfect as Bellatrix Black. His brother was truly blessed. To think that they were enjoying themselves right now.
Speaking of which…
The Death Eater grinned when he saw a few wizards fight the flow of the crowd to confront them. While they were forbidden from targeting and murdering random innocent bystanders, crushing any resistance was definitely allowed. It would show the populace their strength. And with the old man gone and one of their main spies showing his true colours, the pathetic Order was useless.
Neutered…
As his underlings (fresh recruits, the lot of them) turned their attention from pillaging, sacking and all of the other general mundane stuff towards their challengers, Rabastan cocked his head as he regarded one of the wizards that were brave enough to come after him.
He recognised the man as one of those that had fought for Dumbledore. In fact, all the challengers there were Order members. What was more, the man was the biggest Blood Traitor there was. His death would be sweet. And to top it all off, there was no Muggle-loving old man to come to the rescue.
What was even more fun was that the Blood Traitor did not know who he was dealing with. An advantage the cloaks and masks afforded them. Had they seen his face, he knew that he would get the most amount of attention. But with his identity unknown, his opponents would be that much more prone to underestimating him.
Bringing his wand up, Rabastan engaged the ginger Blood Traitor.
Harry had just risen from his seat when alarms went off throughout the building. Immediately, the door to the office closed and sealed itself with a squelching sound, becoming indistinguishable from the wall.
'What is –?'
'The Alley is under attack,' Nagnok replied curtly, looking at a gem set into one of the walls. The wards have been activated to prevent the attackers from storming the bank. Until then, gentlemen, I am afraid that we are essentially stuck here.'
'Can't you let us out?' Harry asked in concern. 'There are people out there who need our help!'
'Unfortunately, Lord Potter, there is nothing I can do,' Nagnok replied. 'The wards are under the control of the security staff here. Only they can lift them. I am but an account manager. I can activate the wards from my desk, but I cannot bring them down.' He paused for a moment. 'I am truly sorry. Trust me when I say that I share your sentiments. A lot of business will be lost today. And the thought of hiding from battle does not sit well with me.'
Harry looked at the spot where the door had been. He wondered if he could use his powers to break through.
'I wouldn't try that if I were you,' Aberforth spoke up lightly from where he was seated. As soon as he realised what was happening, he sat himself down on his chair with a thump. 'Those goblin wards are quite well done, and trying to break through them would bring the attention of the security force on you. I don't think you want to fight through one battle here to get to the one raging outside.'
Harry slowly sat back down. As much as he hated to admit it, Nagnok and Dumbledore were right. He also could recognise a lost cause when he saw one. There was simply no way he would be able to break through a ward when he had little to no training in that.
And he wasn't fool enough to try. His days of rushing into a situation without thinking were over.
However, sitting back down was the hardest thing he had done in his life. Harry hated having to wait. He sorely wished that he was out there, fighting the Death Eaters that were likely terrorising innocent people.
Even now, his blood was roaring, as the whispers came back, demanding that he go outside and lay waste to the attackers.
Unable to sit for much longer, he got up and paced around the room, agitatedly looking at the spot where the door was. He could feel his magic twinging, aching to be let out. The feeling that people were in immediate danger was running strongly through him.
'Hard, isn't it,' Aberforth said softly. He looked at Harry appraisingly. 'I can understand. There was a time when I would have been just like you. Albus has chosen wisely. Your heart definitely is in the right place.'
'Please don't ever mention that man in my presence again,' Harry growled.
Aberforth raised his eyebrows. 'Oh, and what has my dear idiot brother done this time?' He recalled the flash of irritation the boy had shown when he had first mentioned his older brother.
Harry laughed bitterly. 'Oh nothing much, he was just the one mainly responsible for screwing up my childhood. And if that wasn't enough, he also decided that he was Geppetto and I was Pinocchio'
Aberforth looked at him strangely. 'He cursed your nose to grow long every time you lied?'
Harry's eye twitched. 'No,' he said lowly. 'What I meant was that he manipulated me. He played me like a puppet master.'
'Ah,' Aberforth rolled his eyes. 'You could have just said that. Anyway, I'm not surprised. That is very typical of him.' Seeing the look on Harry's face he elaborated, 'You think you've had it bad? I grew up with him … and his mother as well. Let me tell you, he takes after my dear old mother. They were so alike … the difference being that I actually liked my mother more.'
'What did he do?'
Aberforth just snorted. 'Like I'm going to tell you!' he said sardonically. 'This isn't a campfire, Potter! Nor is it share-my-life-with-random-strangers day.'
The room lapsed into silence. To distract himself, Harry sat down and went through the files. There he saw all the transactions Albus Dumbledore had made for the financial year of two thousand and three. His blood boiled at the sight of the hard evidence. Ron and Hermione both had sizeable amounts placed in their accounts. He knew it was theirs as he had plucked the vault numbers from Dumbledore's mind. What was most distressing was the entry he had seen made one day before he was supposed to have arrived at the Burrow. It was a transfer of a hundred thousand Galleons to the Weasleys' vault.
Rodolphus Lestrange and his wife (who still considered herself a Black and a Lestrange and no one was going to change that, thank you very much) looked at the property in front of them with open distaste.
Located in the outskirts of Chichester, the house was a modest two storey building with a respectable garden complete with a duck pond.
To Bellatrix and Rodolphus, both of whom had grown up (and were living in) far more affluent environments, the house was considered mediocre, if not an outright hovel.
'Pathetic wards,' one of the three Death Eaters accompanying them said with a sneer on his face. 'Then again, one cannot expect much from a filthy Mudblood.'
'Can you get them down or not?' Bellatrix replied impatiently.
'Of course I can, woman! What do you take me for?'
'Well, then do it while we are still young.' She said through gritted teeth. 'And watch that mouth, boy, or you'll find out the true meaning of pain.'
The Death Eater did not reply. With his wand pointed towards the house, he had a look of intense concentration as he worked on breaking down the wards.
'Done,' he said five minutes later. 'And,' he added smugly, 'They don't even know that!'
Bellatrix sniffed. 'She really has let herself go hasn't she? One would think that with an Auror for a daughter, she would have better protections.'
'Well, she did marry a Mudblood,' Rodolphus said idly as he watched the three Death Eaters casting another bunch of wards designed to block off escape by the normal routes of egress. Knowing that the Ministry had gone back to one of its old tactics of monitoring their instruments for any unusual curses in large Muggle areas for clues about their raids, they also put up a dark ward designed to prevent magical energy from escaping. That would make sure that the detectors do not pick up anything short of a major ritual. Also any charms or spells designed to alert people outside the ward line would not work.
'Done,' the same Death Eater who had disabled the wards said tiredly. The removal and setting up of wards was a draining task.
'Very well,' Bellatrix said curtly. 'Leave us. We shall deal with them.'
Bowing, the three Death Eaters activated their Portkeys and disappeared, leaving the couple alone.
'Well, it's time for a little reunion,' Bellatrix said as she approached the house.
The married couple were only a few scant feet from the front door when it flew open to reveal a large bellied man with blond hair standing there with his wand out.
'You are not welcome here,' Even though his voice trembled, the man's hand was steady.
'Oh my,' Bellatrix said putting up a hand to her heart. She looked at her husband 'Did you hear that?' she said in a mocking voice. 'We are not welcome here!' She cackled loudly. 'Is that any way to greet your sister-in-law? What have your parents taught you?'
Ted Tonks opened his mouth in response to the taunting. That was as far as he got.
The Muggleborn wizard clumsily dove out of the way from the curse Rodolphus had thrown at him unexpectedly at the very last moment. Landing hard on his side, he pointed his wand at the laughing Death Eater and fired off his own retaliatory spell as he scrambled to his feet.
Not expecting any resistance, Rodolphus hastily put up a shield that managed to block the incoming spell. 'Not bad, for a Mudblood.' he mocked.
Bellatrix watched as the two men squared off and then start ferociously duelling. The Mudblood was showing an uncommon skill at defending himself. She had the sneaking suspicion that his daughter had been teaching him some spells.
Ignoring the two, she strolled up the house and entered it.
Twirling her wand, she looked for her sister, absently sneering at the quaint and very Muggle like decorations and furniture.
Suddenly, she spun around, the spell aimed at her back splashing harmlessly against her shield.
'Hello, sis,' Bellatrix said manically. 'Long time no see! In case you didn't notice, our husbands are outside getting better acquainted.'
Andromeda looked exactly like Bellatrix as she sneered at the intruder. Only much better looking as she had not been sent to Azkaban for over a decade. This fact did not escape the narcissistic Death Eater and only served to make her angrier.
'Bellatrix,' Andromeda smirked. 'Or should I say "Blood Traitor"? It isn't funny when the shoe's in the other foot, now is it?'
The smirk soon slipped off Andromeda's face when she realised that she probably should not have said that to Bellatrix Lestrange. Being obsessed with blood purity and the aristocracy of the Black family, calling the insane witch a Blood Traitor was the worst insult. And Bellatrix had quite a temper. And that, consequently, made her a very dangerous fighter.
Andromeda was yanked off her thoughts when an enraged Bellatrix launched her attack with a snarl.
Suddenly, the wards fell and the doorway reappeared.
Dumbledore minor stood up. 'Well, if you don't mind, I have a bar to manage and charms to practise. Good day.' Not waiting for any answer, he strode out of the room.
Not that Harry was bothered. He was hot on the old man's heels, eager to get outside. He half dreaded the damage that he was going to witness.
As he passed through the silver doors of Gringotts with the other patrons who were locked inside, a scene of utter devastation lay before his eyes. A fair number of shops were damaged or destroyed, the carnage radiated out from the entrance of Knockturn Alley with the shops at the far end (near the Leaky Cauldron) having escaped damage.
Walking through the destroyed sections, Harry went through the wreckages, hoping to be of some help.
It was then that the twinging in his magic increased suddenly, causing him to throw out a hand against a wall to prevent himself from falling.
Harry closed his eyes for a moment, trying to decipher what was going on.
His eyes flew open as he realised the problem.
It was the bond!
Thanks to the wards set up by the Death Eaters, the familial bond between Harry and Andromeda had been dampened to such a point that the head of House Black (who was also still unfamiliar with the bond) had not been able to discern that a family member was in danger. Now, however, judging by the way it was screaming at him, Harry was certain that she was in a lot of trouble.
What was worse was that a very pregnant Nymphadora was staying with her mother. That put her and her baby in danger as well.
Frantically, Harry looked around. The anti-Apparition wards meant that he would have to run towards the Leaky Cauldron to Apparate out.
Unless…
Looking up, he bent his knees and, just as he had done all those days ago the night Dumbledore had met his end, he took off, flying upwards on his own and without any magical vehicle, much to the astonishment of the people in the alley. While most of the spells found in Salazar Slytherin's journals and the journals the Founder had pilfered from Ravenclaw were outdated, there were a few very useful gems scattered around. Like this ability which would have been one of the many ways magical people used to get around before Apparition and Portkeys had Salazar not taken the book away. The speed wasn't anywhere close to a Firebolt, but it was still exhilarating.
Once he had reached a suitable altitude, Harry spun in mid-air and Disapparated.
Reappearing a few inches over the ground outside the house, Harry landed with a crouch. Not wasting any time, he sprinted off towards the house.
As he neared, he heard screaming from the backyard. Flashes of spell-fire coming from the windows in the house indicated that there was a battle going on inside as well.
Making a quick decision, Harry headed off towards the backyard towards the screams. Rounding a corner, he saw a Death Eater standing over Ted Tonks, who was writhing in pain, undoubtedly under the Cruciatus Curse.
Harry's spell was about a hairsbreadth away when the Death Eater took the moment to lean forward, no doubt wanting to taunt his victim further.
Feeling the spell that whizzed by, the dark wizard turned around to face Harry, revealing himself to be Rodolphus Lestrange.
'Well, well, if it isn't Harry Potter,' the Death Eater said with a malicious grin on his face his wand still trained on a panting and gasping Ted Tonks. 'You're here early, so I can only guess that one of our wards has fallen. A pity … I was so looking forward to spending more time with the Mudblood here.'
Still looking at Harry, he casually said, 'Avada Kedavra.'
A jet of green light exploded out of the Death Eater's extended wand and hit Ted Tonks in the chest.
Harry was too far away to intervene and could only watch as the man was casually struck down in front of his eyes.
Laughing, Rodolphus said jeeringly. 'Don't worry, his wife, daughter and unborn grandson will soon join him…'
As if to punctuate his words, a scream rang out from within the house.
Growling, Harry fired off a myriad of spells at the sadistically grinning Death Eater.
The smile slipped from Rodolphus' face when he did not see any visible jets of light that typically mark the coming of a spell. The only indication that a spell had left Potter's wand was the slight rippling of air and the way that the hairs on the back of his neck were standing up.
But Rodolphus wasn't feared by the general wizarding populace for nothing. Diving forward, he dodged the first two spells, springing up with a conjured shield on his offhand ready to meet the third spell.
He grunted as the powerful spell impacted against his round metallic shield with a jarring gong.
'Looks like the old man has taught you a few tricks, boy,' he said as he sidestepped a curse and flung an Avada Kedavra at his opponent.
Jerking away from the killing curse, Harry retaliated with a dark cutting curse he had learnt from his second-hand Potions textbook, grazing Rodolphus' cheek.
Rodolphus snarled, his hand coming up to the affected area. 'So you like to play with the dark arts, eh? Well, I'm glad to oblige.'
With that, he snapped off a wide variety of dark curses at an impressive rate.
However none of his curses even came close to touching Potter as with a sweep of his wand, the boy managed to raise a wall of earth, turning it into stone instantaneously. The barrier was definitely thick as it managed to withstand the barrage of spells that impacted.
Not to be outdone, the Death Eater sent off a blasting curse at the makeshift fortification. It tore through the battered transfigured stone like it was wet paper, blowing the wall up in a spectacular explosion of dust.
The Death Eater sent another blasting curse at the same area as the first, causing another explosion that threw out a large amount of dirt into the air. Waving his wand, he cleared the dust.
Aside from a lot of debris, there was no sign of Potter. Whirling around, he spotted Potter sprinting off towards the house.
'Now, now, we can't have that,' Rodolphus said with a curse aimed at Potter's back.
With a gesture of his left hand, Harry levitated the body of Ted Tonks to intercept the curse. Bringing up his right hand, he banished the corpse towards the Death Eater who was not expecting such a tactic.
Just then, sounds of multiple people Apparating in rang out.
Hearing that, Rodolphus decided on a tactical retreat. Sending a last curse at Potter, he Apparated away. If Bellatrix had any sense, she would have Apparated out after she heard the sounds of battle and approaching reinforcements.
Whirling around, Harry sprinted towards the house.
The drawing room was a mess. Bits of wood and glass were scattered everywhere. The sofa was ripped and upended while scorch marks decorated the walls.
All of this faded into nothingness, however, at the sight of Andromeda Tonks lying near an armchair that was miraculously untouched. The glaze in her wide open eyes, the horrified expression on her mutilated face and the stillness of her body all pointed out that she had passed away. The charred remains of her wand, clenched in her burnt right hand, a testament to the kind of fight that she put up.
Harry closed his eyes in sorrow. He had not known the older woman but had found himself liking her, despite her rather disturbing resemblance to Bellatrix Lestrange. He was looking forward to getting to know her more over the summer holidays … now … the opportunity was lost to him forever.
The worst was the mutilation. Harry could not bear looking at the marred features. Long slashes dominated most of the face. What little skin that was spared was distorted, which was no doubt work of acid. Harry fervently hoped that she had died before this had happened to her.
Suddenly, he remembered Nymphadora Tonks. Cursing himself for his forgetfulness, he rushed upstairs, taking the steps two at a time, constantly scanning his surroundings.
Just as he reached the landing, he heard the front door bang open and voices filter through.
Not heeding those, Harry swiftly made his way down the corridor. Nymphadora's location was made obvious by the door hanging on one of its hinges.
Rushing through, he saw yet another gruesome sight.
The pregnant Auror had put up a fight. However, while she was good, she was hampered by the baby she was carrying, allowing Bellatrix the advantage.
At the same time, all was not lost. Coming closer, Harry could see that she was still breathing. Moaning, the Metamorphmagus shifted her head till her eyes came to rest on Harry.
'H – Harry?' she slurred, raising a bloody hand.
'Don't move, Nymphadora,' Harry said frantically. He was worried (and rightly so) about the dagger that was protruding from the young Auror's belly.
He got a weak smile in return. 'Don't … call me …'
'Nymphadora? Tonks!' Harry shook the unconscious woman. 'Dammit!' Feeling her neck, he could detect a faint pulse. Just then, he heard footsteps approaching his location. Raising his voice, he called out. 'I'm in here! Nymphadora is seriously hurt, come quick!'
Moments later, Bill Weasley burst into the room followed by Fleur and Remus Lupin.
Harry quickly stepped aside as Fleur rushed forward. 'She's still alive,' he said hurriedly to the French witch.
'Oui,' Fleur said in confirmation. 'She needs 'elp, and fast.'
Bill took out his wand and sent off a Patronus. 'Robinson will have some experience,' he explained.
'Who is Robinson?' Harry asked.
'New Order member,' Bill replied. 'He is a Healer.'
Seeing Fleur's hand move towards the dagger, he stopped her. 'Hang on, we don't know if that is cursed or not. Removing it could cause more harm.'
By then a plump brown haired man entered the house. Taking Fleur's place without ceremony, he brought up his wand, scanning the knife with it.
'She needs to be moved to St Mungo's immediately.' He said grimly. 'Along with the stabbing, she has been exposed to some very dangerous curses.' Taking out an object, he tapped it with his wand and clutching the wounded woman's hand, he disappeared.
'Who was behind this attack?' Bill asked in the silence that permeated.
'It was Bellatrix,' Harry spat out. 'Her husband was the one behind Ted Tonks' murder. I came just in time to see Rodolphus kill him. I was too busy fighting him to come to her rescue.' He looked at the spot where Tonks had disappeared sorrowfully. There was a lot of blood everywhere.
'Hey you did the best you could.' Bill said comfortingly. 'Isn't that right, Remus?'
The werewolf was silent for the longest time possible before he said to Harry in a low voice. 'This is your fault.'
Harry's eyes snapped to the werewolf in shock. 'What?'
'This is your fault!' Remus' voice became louder, his grief clouding his judgement. Giving Harry one anger filled glare, he spat. 'Bellatrix wouldn't have attacked them if you hadn't gone and disinherited her!'
'What are you talking about, Remus!' Bill said aghast. 'You can't blame –'
'Oh is that so,' Harry interrupted Bill, his voice dangerously silky as he looked at Remus steadily, his backlit green eyes showing eerily. 'So if I hadn't disinherited her, Bellatrix would not have gone after her sister huh? Tell you what; let's assume that she went after Tonks because of me chucking her out of the family. Where do you think she would have heard that, huh? After all, when I did the disinheriting, there wasn't anybody there but my two account managers. And they all but refused to notify her citing some asinine technical reasons. So that just makes three people in the know.
'Oh wait!' Harry said suddenly an expression of mock epiphany on his face. 'I did tell someone! And that was you! Now I know I haven't said anything to Bellatrix, Merlin knows, I'd rather Avada Kedavra her than tell her anything. So that leaves you … and your wife … and in-laws. Considering that I know that Nymphadora, Andromeda and Ted aren't stupid, I guess that only leaves you.'
'I only told Dumbledore.' Remus growled.
'Oh Dumbledore?' Harry said mockingly. 'You told Dumbledore? Wait isn't he the guy who died recently? Yeah, he was ... he was murdered of all things. And that too by this other person whom he trusted ... What was his name?' he scratched his head. 'Oh yeah,' he snapped his fingers, 'Severus Snape. The guy who was actually working for Voldemort but had everyone, including Dumbledore, fooled that he was a good guy. Dumbledore used to tell Snape a lot of things.' Harry watched as Remus' face went white at the implications.
'Dumbledore definitely would have told Snape.' The werewolf said with growing horror.
'You really love telling Dumbledore a lot of things, don't you, Lupin?' Harry sneered. 'You didn't really have any problems sharing intimate details pertaining to me with the old man. Oh don't give me that look; you know what I am talking about. It isn't as if anybody likes having private things, such as what they hear when near a dementor, being aired to people without their consent! And now, despite me telling you not to tell anyone else, you still went and blabbed! Your tattling has bitten you right in the arse! Oh karma is such a bitch!
'And additionally, you do know that you are talking about Bellatrix Lestrange, don't you? You're telling me that she wouldn't have gone after the sister who turned her back on "tradition"? The same woman who is an embarrassment to her? Oh I know,' he continued mockingly. 'She certainly would not have gone after the woman who married, and had a baby with a werewolf.' He said sneeringly. Fleur gasped at that while Remus rocked back as if struck
'So don't go pointing fingers at me you flea-bitten twat! It's your fault that this has happened, not mine!' Harry was breathing hard at this point.
'OK, everybody just calm down,' Bill interceded. 'It has been a trying day for all of us. Remus, I am sure that Harry did not mean what he said and Harry, I am sure that Remus was –'
Had Harry been in a better mood, he would have let it go, however, with the recent revelations, he wasn't in the best of moods. 'Oh I am just getting started,' he snarled. 'Where the hell were you, eh? Why weren't you at home protecting your pregnant wife and unborn son? After all, my dad was there for me and my mum. And you have the gall to go pointing fingers at other people. At least I got here first! Your own son … I guess I should not be surprised that you didn't bother with me for fourteen years despite me being your best friend's son.'
With a bellow, Remus whipped out his wand sending off a jet of light.
Not bothering with a wand, Harry just slapped the spell away with an open palm. With a gesture of his other hand, he sent the werewolf flying.
'Pathetic,' Harry sneered. 'Some defence teacher you turned out to be.'
Seeming to come to his senses, Harry addressed the room, carefully not meeting anybody's eye. 'Now if you don't mind, I have a hospital I need to visit.' With that, he turned on his heel and disappeared.
Appearing at the reception area at St. Mungo's, Harry marched up to the receptionist. Being directed to the fourth floor, he fairly stomped up the stairs. Sending a Patronus message to his friends informing them about the situation, he collapsed on a seat outside the ward where Healers were working on Tonks.
An interminable time later, he was joined by Bill and Fleur.
'What you said to Remus was very harsh,' Bill said lowly.
'Well, he deserved it,' Harry replied hotly, his anger coming back to him. The gall of the werewolf to go around pointing fingers at Harry when it was his tattling that got them in trouble in the first place.
Bill sighed. 'Well, if you want to know, Remus kind of took off after you left. I don't really know where he is. He hasn't replied to the Patronus message I've sent him.'
Harry only grunted in reply.
'Mate, what's got into you?' Bill finally asked. 'You generally aren't this … mean.'
For a very long moment, Harry did not reply. 'You have no idea,' he finally whispered.
'Try me,' Bill said.
Harry laughed humourlessly. 'You wouldn't believe me. But fine.' He inhaled deeply. 'Remember the night that Dumbledore died? Well, that was the night that I found out that he had been paying Ron and Hermione to be my friends.
Bill was shocked. 'No! That cannot be possible!'
'You think so?' Harry said in a dead voice. 'Well, I happen to have concrete proof.' Whipping out the parchment showing Dumbledore's account statements he showed Bill the appropriate lines. 'Believe me now?'
'How could he do this?' Bill breathed.
'I don't know, and I don't want to know,' Bill could hear the suppressed emotion in Harry's voice. 'I don't want anything to do with them anymore.'
'Dad is going to flip out,' Bill replied. Harry privately doubted it, seeing as Dumbledore was also paying Mr and Mrs Weasley. He debated showing Bill that bit of information as well, but decided against it. He did not want to get in the way of Bill and his parents. Forcing the man to choose between his parents and him was not something Harry was willing to do.
At that moment, more bad news came in the form of a lynx Patronus.
'Arthur Weasley is dead,' the deep voice of Kingsley Shacklebolt emanated from the ethereal animal. 'He was killed by the Death Eaters in Diagon Alley; we suspect that Rabastan Lestrange did it. I am sorry, Bill.'
If he was undecided then, Harry's mind was definitely made up now. It only took one look at the devastation on Bill's newly scarred face to know that there was no way that he was going to mention his parents' indiscretions.
'Go,' he said simply. 'I'll handle things here … go.'
'Thanks,' Bill said as he got up and slowly made his way out.
Harry sat in utter boredom for the next five minutes. He was joined by Daphne and her father after ten.
Eventually, a Healer came out. 'This is not good,' were his opening words. 'We have managed to stabilize her, but with her pregnancy ... She is fading. The spells she was exposed to, especially in her condition … and if you factor in the stabbing … well, I'm afraid that there isn't much time left for her.'
'But … but there must be something you can do for her,' Harry finally said after a long moment of silence.
The Healer sighed tiredly. 'I am afraid not,' he finally said. 'All we can do is make the last few moments of her life comfortable.'
'What about the baby?' Daphne finally asked.
'Unfortunately, the foetus is too premature to survive outside the womb. Had it been a month, or even a week later, something could be done.' The Healer put a comforting hand on Harry's shoulder. 'I am truly sorry.'
The Healer turned around. Halfway through, he stopped.
'What is it?' Cyrus Greengrass asked.
Scratching the sparse hair on his chin, the Healer hesitantly replied. 'There is something that can be done. But it's a risky business.'
'What is it?' Harry asked.
'Well, we can take the baby out and possibly have it grow the rest of the way in vitro. But that procedure is very experimental. See the thing is to take out the womb, the entire womb from the mother out and with a few adjustments and tweaking, help the foetus grow outside the mother. We have no idea what this will do to the baby. After all, human trials haven't started yet. And I really shouldn't be telling you about this –'
'Okay,'
The Healer stuttered to a halt. 'Pardon?' he asked Harry.
'Fine,' Harry repeated. 'At this point there isn't much to lose.'
'Well, we still need permission from a close relation.' The Healer responded.
'Like a husband or next of kin?' Seeing the Healer nod, Harry continued. 'Good, then that would be me. I have been nominated as the baby's godfather, and additionally, Andromeda, Nymphadora's mother is … was my father's cousin, and I am also the head of the Black family which was the family Andromeda was born into. Remus Lupin, the baby's father and the woman's husband is … unavailable at the moment, so that leaves me.'
Seeing the Healer cock a sceptical eyebrow, Harry made an impatient noise and flashed his ring. 'Now if you don't mind.'
The Healer seemed to regain his wits at the sight of the ring. 'Of – of course, my lord ... However, I will warn you that this is a very risky procedure and the chances of survival are very slim.' Seeing Harry nod, he continued. 'Very well then, I shall go and alert the staff. We do not have much time.' With that, he hurried away.
Amelia Bones waited just inside the threshold of the doorway. Giving a quick curtsey after she was announced (even though it was to the other occupant's back) she entered the opulent room. Stopping just short of the sofa placed in the centre, she did not sit, as the other occupant of the room, a woman far more important than her, was also standing.
'Your Majesty.'
The Queen spent a long moment gazing out into the gardens surrounding Buckingham palace in silence before turning around.
As the monarch approached her, Amelia couldn't help but reflect that the woman was being her normal aloof self. She had been quite surprised at the relative warmth with which The Queen had greeted and spoken to the boy.
Taking the offered hand and dropping into a small curtsey again, Amelia took her place at the sofa opposite The Queen after the sovereign sat down. Idly, she reflected that it perhaps was the Christmas season that had put the royal in such a jovial mood.
They spent a few long minutes discussing the state of Magical Britain and Voldemort's activities before The Queen touched on a rather prickly subject. Picking up a folder that was innocuously lying on the table and opening it, the monarch looked at her. 'Recently, we have come across some information regarding one Petunia and Vernon Dursley.'
Amelia nodded, grimacing internally. A representative of a private investigation team hired by Gringotts had recently contacted her old department regarding these Muggles. Among accusations of embezzlement and misappropriation of funds were the more serious allegations of mistreatment and abuse of a child, namely one Harry Potter. All of these were backed up by very solid evidence.
'Good,' The Queen paused for a long moment, perusing the contents of the file. 'I understand that our Magical realm does not have any legislation against child abuse. I never thought to ask before, but why is that?'
The Minister of Magic exhaled. 'In our society, children are not mistreated or abused. This is a combination of our history and heritage, due to which children are considered to be precious, and magic. When a child is born, magic tends to build a sort of empathic bond between the magical parents and their child. Because of these two factors, while a parent can and may be strict or harsh when disciplining their magical child, they will not, cannot, abuse said child. Especially to this level,' she indicated the file with disgust. Having her own copy of the same file, Amelia knew about its contents. 'So, there aren't any instances of child abuse seen in the Wizarding World. And therefore, there really hasn't been any cause for legislation.'
Silence fell over the room as Amelia waited for the monarch to reply. 'A handy thing, magic,' The Queen finally said.
'As I am sure you know, Minister, Lord Potter isn't the first Magical child living in the non-magical realm to be abused by his guardians. Have you made the arrest already?'
'A team is moving in as we speak, ma'am.'
Seeing raised eyebrows, Amelia inhaled deeply, and continued in a grave tone. 'Your Majesty, trust me when I say that this is the best that I could do. Keeping a lid on this hard enough as it is. You know how popular and famous the boy is. Most of the British magical population holds the boy in high regard because of what he caused all those years ago. And a good majority of those happen to be in the Auror office. Keeping this under wraps is an exercise in futility. It will only be a matter of time before the whole country hears about this. What is worse is that the other side can and will use this to their advantage.'
The Queen replied after a long moment of silence. 'This is a prickly situation indeed. Normally I would have been quite displeased with the way your people have handled this situation, as such incidences are taken care of by the non-magical courts as they are non-magical citizens.' She paused for another moment, seemingly gathering her thoughts. 'Very well, then. This is what is going to happen. You shall hand over the woman and the son. The woman shall be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law, and the boy's future shall be investigated and appropriately decided. You may do whatever it is you wish to do with the man. Is that agreeable to you?'
Amelia nodded. 'This will not go down well with most of the population. However, I do understand that this is being done to keep the peace between the magical and Muggle population. I will try and contain the situation. I fear, however, that Mr Dursley is going to end up with the short end of the stick in the bargain.'
'It cannot be helped,' The Queen said standing. 'It has to be done, and one cannot really sympathise with him.'
A brown haired young man waited just inside the Muggle entrance to the Leaky Cauldron.
He stiffened when a blond haired figure brushed past him. Warily looking at the back of the blond, he started following the man, careful not to lose him in the Muggle crowd, and trying not to show his discomfort at the unfamiliarity of it all.
They both entered a café.
As soon as the two of them were sitting in a booth at the back of the establishment, the blond man flicked his wand, erecting privacy wards.
'Nice disguise, Draco,' the man said as he tucked his wand back inside. 'I never expected you to go Muggle so well. If it wasn't for the signal, I would not have recognised you.'
Draco scowled. 'Thanks,' he said grudgingly. 'You aren't too bad yourself, Harry. Now that we have the pleasantries out of the way, how about we get down to what it is that you called me here for?' he looked at his surroundings with disgust.
Harry reached into an inner pocket and extracted a bundle. 'If you say so.'
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