Chapter 19 - Knights
There was certainly a hint of the frost to come in the dank evening air, a nip that had Tonks glad she'd worn a warm scarf, on what the young witch fervently hoped was a date. Walking down the centre of Hogsmeade with Ian though still felt a bit like work as his eyes were constantly scanning all around them. Deciding to be bold, Tonks took his arm.
"Don't worry, Ian. I know this must seem strange to you but I promise to protect us if anything happens. I was an auror after all, before then joining the Phoenix Force."
Liking this pink haired, fun loving girl, Ian was tempted to jokingly play along. It just wasn't in him however to play down the current very real threat of attack. "Miss Tonks, I really appreciate the offer of protection. I also know you're a member of the Phoenix Force, those robes you normally wear are a bit of a giveaway. Under these loaned robes, I'm wearing my uniform - a uniform that's seen action in different corners of the world. Trust me when I say I'll be standing right beside you if trouble comes anywhere near us."
Putting his right hand on the one of hers that was currently draped on his left arm, Ian's smile very effectively stripped his words of any harshness. "The village of Hogsmeade is currently considered a combat zone, therefore I am armed and ready. I will admit though it's been a few years since I last walked down these streets, and I certainly didn't have a beautiful young lady on my arm then either."
Hearing herself called beautiful after being on the receiving end of that smile did funny things to Tonk's insides. She so wanted to know this man better, and tonight was her opportunity to kickstart that process. "You've seen action? Fought battles?"
"Unfortunately that would be a yes. In your world, the problem seems to be power hungry wizards who are prepared to do absolutely anything to get what they want. You call them Dark Lords. We have more than our fair share of these type of lunatics in our world too. The real problems start when these same lunatics manage to claw their way to the top and end up running countries. We fought a war in the deserts of the Middle East against one such dictator. We won the war but didn't finish the job. We were there, we were more than ready but the politicians stopped us. One day I'm sure we'll have to go back and finish the job, just like you're having to do with Voldemort. Magic just gives wizards different tools to use, only that sets them apart. Some of these power hungry people on our side of the divide are every bit as depraved, vicious and deadly as any of your Dark Lords."
It was a thoughtful Tonks who eventually replied to that. "Magical Britain seems so insular, so wrapped up in its own problems. I"m twenty three, until recently was an auror, yet I've never set foot outside Britain. There's a whole wide world out there that's passing more than just me by."
Having reached the Three Broomsticks, Ian held the door open for Tonks before they headed for an empty booth. They'd placed an order for drinks before a thoughtful Ian replied to her remarks.
"I was on the other side of the planet yet the pull of home was too strong for a younger me to resist. It's almost impossible to explain how a lament played on the pipes, or a Scottish folk song, can put tears in your eyes and make you long for home with a passion that's impossible to deny. Try explaining, when sitting in the glorious Australian sunshine, that your hankering for a dreich misty day on a desolate Scottish moor. You can't explain it but it grips you none the less. Home is home."
Ian's smile then hardened as he focused on his current deployment. "The army has seen me serving in quite a few countries around the globe but I put my name forward for this mission as soon as I figured out what it was. The brass calling it 'Operation Voldemort' meant it didn't take too much figuring. Fighting on foreign soil is one thing but this one's personal. This bastard indiscriminately attacks and kills people on British soil, and has been doing so for decades. His followers attacked my family when I was too young to protect them, things are different now. We can't rely on a baby being orphaned and saving us all again, we need to finish it this time."
Tonks hadn't intended for their conversation to take such a serious note, not on what she hoped would be their first of many dates. She attempted to lighten the mood once more. "That baby is all grown up now, and seems determined to finish the job this time too. Listening to him or Hermione talk, it's hard to think of them still being in their teens. I watched the memory of Harry fighting Voldemort in a graveyard the night the bastard got his body back, scariest and bravest thing I ever saw. I was with them when the Dementors attacked Diagon Alley, those two are really something else."
This had Ian teasing her back. "I also heard that a certain former auror, whose sitting right beside me, faced up to Voldemort too, in a vicious firefight that left seventeen dead."
Trying to deflect the conversation away from one of the worse nights of her life saw Tonks suggestively batting her eyelashes at her date."Why, Ian, have you been checking up on me?"
"Of course I have, you're as interesting as you are beautiful. Not wanting to talk about battles you've been in is also a trait I find attractive. It's far more attractive than someone who continually boasts about it."
Hearing that straight answer to her teasing question had Tonks opening up about that night for the first time. "None of us who were caught in Voldemort's trap are likely to boast about that night, there's nothing to boast about. Every auror on board that boat thought we were going to die, one of us actually did. I was terrified but determined to take as many of the bastards with me as I could. We only survived because people had our back, and reversed the trap."
Taking a sip of her drink gave Tonks the time needed to regain her composure, and move the discussion on to the battle they both knew was coming. "When this goes down, I'll have friends and family on the front line of the fight. We know he'll be targeting Harry but Voldemort is going to have to go through quite a few people to reach him, and I aim to be one of them. That kid has had one hell of a life since the night his parents were murdered, yet you couldn't meet a nicer person. His guardians chucked him out of their car in the middle of London, just drove away and left him - you have no idea the panic that caused. Hermione's parents took him in, only for the Malfoys to turn up and murder her father the second night Harry stayed there. Those two can't seem to catch a break, yet both gave up school to train toward ending this."
Taking a drink of his butterbeer, Ian gave Tonks his opinion of the couple."I have to say both Harry and Hermione have impressed me. More than that though, they impressed the hell out of the Colonel. Saying that's not an easy thing to do would be a gross understatement. What happened to those relatives of Harry's?"
The question puzzled Tonks for a moment, she answered as truthfully as she could. "As far as I know, nothing. Why?"
Ian stiffened at hearing that, almost as if he was ready to spring into action. Tonks then heard him mutter a phrase she thought was latin. 'Nemo Me Impune Lacessit'
"What was that?"
"It's the motto of the Black Watch, No One Provokes Me With Impunity. It's like you said, Tonks, you watch the backs of the people who fight alongside you. I get the impression Harry's been fighting in this war practically since that Halloween night. We need to show him he's not fighting alone. What's the name of these relatives? I'll have a word in a few ears, see what can be done. Harry has friends and admirers this side of the magical divide too you know."
Tonks proceeded to tell Ian what she knew as fact, what she'd picked up from others and a few unsubstantiated rumours that she'd heard. Hearing that a few of his friends had to rip bars off his bedroom window to rescue a twelve year old Harry left an enraged Ian looking longingly at the selection of single malts at the bar. He would just have to content himself with starting the process that should hopefully see these arseholes get what was coming to them.
-oOoOo-
The fifth years were looking longingly at the form held in their defence professor's hand.
"Due to the escalation of this conflict, and the Dementors now not being under Ministerial control, procedures for students visiting Hogsmeade have been changed this year. This is the new permission form and it's in two parts, both of which need to be completed before you will be allowed to leave the castle."
Having their full attention, Severus continued with his lesson. "Your normal defence curriculum has been suspended for the next two weeks as we all work on a specific spell, the Patronus Charm. Since this is the only known defence against Dementors, your ability to cast this charm will determine whether the first part of this form gets completed. Only after you can produce a corporal patrons will I sign the first part of the form. It then needs to be owled to your parents and the final decision will be theirs. If you can't cast the charm though then the only way you can attend Hogsmeade is if your parents turn up here on the day and take you themselves."
Since no fifteen-sixteen year old would want to spend a Hogsmeade day walking around the village with their parents, Severus knew they would be trying their best to pull this off. It was time to offer them even more incentive.
"I would like to ask my classroom assistants to step forward and show you just what is possible, with a lot of hard work."
Since returning to Hogwarts, Ron had gotten used to helping in this class. He was also certain that Hogsmeade on a Hogwarts weekend would be a prime target for an attack. Knowing Harry and Hermione would be there, Ron was determined to be beside them if there was any fighting to be done. Just thinking of walking around Hogsmeade with Susan on his arm was enough of a good thought to power the charm for the lanky Gryffindor.
After casting the spell, a spectral Jack Russell Terrier harried around the classroom, looking for enemies. Not finding any it faded into the silence its appearance had provoked.
Susan didn't need to be asked, just a nod from their professor was enough for the quintessential Hufflepuff to prove that to be true by producing her badger patronus.
After it too faded out of existence, Severus made a great show of signing two forms and handing them to both students before turning his attention back to the class.
"You all heard the incantation, Expecto Patronus. If you were paying attention, you would also have noticed the wand movement required is very simple too. What makes this charm incredibly difficult to cast is that it's an emotions based spell. Before casting, you have to summon the feelings generated by your happiest memory and then push those feelings into your spell. Since this memory will be unique to you, that's something you're going to have to figure out for yourself. While I would never ask anyone what those memories were, I wonder if Mr Weasley or Miss Bones could supply a few pointers?"
A nudge from his girlfriend saw Ron going first. "As the professor says, that memory will be personal to you but it also has to be something almost life-changingly important to you. Thinking about a new pair of shoes, or treacle tart for dinner, might be nice but it won't get the job done. Even thinking about the Cannons winning the league didn't do it for me, probably because so few of us can ever see that happening. You have to let your feelings out and think what makes you really happy. It's then down to trying different memories and thoughts to see which one will give you the best results."
Susan was in full agreement with her boyfriend. "As Professor Snape said, this is the part that makes this spell so hard to successfully cast. Until you get it right, it's also very draining - both magically and emotionally. Once you get it though it's a great feeling knowing you have a defence against those monsters."
Severus then moved the class to form three lines, one each for him and his two assistants. "We will allow two attempts at the spell before you return to the end of the line for a rest. As Miss Bones rightly said, this spell is very draining. I would expect you all to be enthusiastically delving in to lunch after you leave here."
No one made any jokes about Ron doing that anyway, everyone wanted to be able to cast this. "Now, there are four levels of response when casting this charm. The first is nothing happens, you will then need to totally rethink the memory you used. The second level is mist leaving your wand, indicating you're on the right track. The third is that mist forming a shield. That not only shows you're close to a corporal patrons but being able to cast a strong shield is the very minimum requirement for my signature on your form. The fourth is obviously a corporal patrons, the form that animal takes will also come from inside you."
With that they were off and casting. Neville being the first student to even produce mist just refocused all their efforts, and saw the boy in question square his shoulders and put everything he had into his next effort after once more reaching the front of the queue. A shield formed for a few seconds before a panting Neville sank to his knees. Ron helped him to a seat as Severus made his way over with some chocolate.
"Well done, Longbottom. Eat this and you'll feel better. No more casting for the rest of the period though, we'll pick this back up next time you're in class. I'm sure you'll get it then."
Neville perfectly understood the 'no more casting' rule, he currently didn't have another spell in him. The praise and chocolate from a professor he used to hate was a lot harder to swallow than the wonderful confectionary. Perhaps they should have given Snape the defence job years ago. He was certainly a better teacher of defence than he ever was at potions.
-oOoOo-
Harry was left having to walk a fine line, since he had lots of experience in seeing both sides of this argument. The reason for his caution was easily explained, the last thing he wanted to do was add to a distraught Hermione's tears. She'd raced out of Grimmauld into the back garden, and Harry finally caught up with his betrothed at her Father's grave.
She knew Harry was there without even turning around, asking the questions that were responsible for all the tears.
"How can mum do this to us? Don't we have enough to worry about without mum putting herself in danger too?"
Sitting beside his betrothed, Harry soon had his arm comfortingly around her. This would be hard to say, even harder for Hermione to hear, but he pushed ahead anyway. "Hermione, why will you be in Hogsmeade?"
Immediately catching on where Harry was attempting to go with this, Hermione tried to get her point across first. "That's not the same, Harry, and you know it. I've trained hard to earn the right to be there. Mum will be defenceless…"
"Hermione, we both know you'll be there because of me. Otherwise you would be back at Hogwarts and staying safely in the castle."
Hermione tried to refute that but Harry knew her too well. The same also applied for her though so Harry felt a tad safer making his next point. "I know you're more than capable of looking after yourself. You also know me well enough to understand I would prefer you to be safe in that castle - and nowhere near any fighting. I get that you need to be there, I really do. We're partners in our relationship, equals in everything, and that's the way both of us want it. I can look at this from your point of view and see your need to be at my side. That experience allows me to do the same thing for Emma."
Turning Hermione around until she was facing him, Harry held both her hands in his as he tried to explain his thoughts. "You're all she has left in the world, Hermione, of course she wants to be there. She'll be in the command post, the safest part of the entire operation. Your mum has obviously put a lot of thought into this, we really need to do the same. She's no longer Emma Granger, Dentist. Your mum works for the Prime Minister, the Ministry of Magic and the Phoenix Force. We have to respect not only her positions, we have to respect her decisions too."
After thinking about what he'd said for a moment or two, Hermione leaned forward and gently kissed him. "I don't know if sitting here influenced your argument or not but that was eerily like having a talk with my dad. He was always good at getting you to look at things from different perspectives. Trying to get me to see that my view - while not necessarily wrong - was not the only one that counted. I know that you don't want me or mum anywhere near this, just as I can see you accepting our right to make that decision for ourselves. I need to go and apologies to mum. Come with me?"
This time Harry leaned over and kissed his betrothed. "You don't need to ask, I'll always be with you."
On Harry's arm, Hermione reentered the house at a good bit slower speed than she'd left it. She was also a great deal calmer. When Harry used logic on her, Hermione was soon able to see he was right. It still didn't mean she was happy with her mum being in the danger zone, Hermione however had to accept her mum's right to make that decision for herself. That just gave Hermione another reason to fight harder in any battle at Hogsmeade. Anything wanting to get near her mum was going to have to go through her first.
-oOoOo-
Vernon was amazed their chairman, old man Cartwright, knew who he was. That the old man was actually coming to Vernon's office totally blew his mind. On discovering the reason behind the visit, Vernon was almost catatonic with shock.
"Well, Vernon, I have to say this reflects well on the company too. Sir Charles Burlington is a member of my club. I don't know him personally but I do know what he does. He's a senior civil servant who works directly for the Prime Minister, and is heavily involved in the offering of awards process. For him to be coming here to see you in person… Well, let's just say I'm expecting good news. Keep up the good work, Dursley, and I'll see you again when Sir Charles visits our company tomorrow."
Vernon's line manager also offered his congratulations, and the reason for the Chairman's visit would soon be all over the factory. His secretary brought him a cup of tea but her visit generated no further gossip. Vernon just nodded his thanks and sat there, quietly sipping the brew.
It was lunchtime before his brain once more kicked into gear. That may have been prompted by his stomach though, demanding sustenance. Eating his lunch, he dared to let his mind wander onto what had been discussed this morning. Tomorrow he would discover if he would have letters after his name. It wasn't a difficult step from there to imagining his new business cards. Vernon Dursley MBE (Member of the Order of the British Empire) had such a nice ring to it. Now his imagination had been allowed out to play, it began to run riot.
Soon it was Vernon Dursley OBE (Officer of the Order of the British Empire). On the drive home, his imagination was promising him he would be at least a CBE (Commander of the Order of the British Empire)
Dinner that night in number four Privet Drive was an exhilarating experience. By the time he got around to telling his wife and son the fantastic news, Vernon had moved those letters to the front of his name. After all, didn't Sir Vernon Dursley sound wonderful.
The only note of caution came from his son. A summer of excess saw Dudley hitting the 'morbidly obese' bracket, and his boarding school using health grounds as an excuse for refusing to let the bully return. The family were currently searching for another school that would take Dudley, and a knighthood in that same family would open doors and opportunities that were currently denied them. An unhappy Dudley was meanwhile being forced to attend the local comprehensive school, and compensating for the indignity of that by eating even more.
"Dad, why are you getting an award?"
The mere thought of being Lady Petunia had the lad's mother springing to her husband's defence. "Your father is a fine, upstanding gentleman. He's worked hard for everything we've got and deserves a bit of recognition. These awards were set up so normal, ordinary people could be rewarded by a grateful country. They're not just given to rich and famous people."
Dudley simply shrugged his shoulders and returned to eating. "I wasn't saying dad didn't deserve it, just wondering if there was a specific reason behind it. I think he should have gotten an award for throwing the freak out - best day ever."
Their wasn't much sleeping done in the Dursley's bedroom that night, though purely down to the excitement of what tomorrow would bring. Over the years they'd been married, Vernon had made it plain he would chose a pie over Petunia every time. Petunia's thoughts too were far more focused on her chances of becoming a Lady, not on being laid by her massively overweight husband.
-oOoOo-
Thoughts on a decision he had to make soon were also keeping Albus awake. Everyone knew a major battle was imminent, few believed it would be easy. Albus currently held the Elder Wand, an unbeatable wand that no longer recognised him as its master. Who that new master was though was the reason for Albus' uneasy dilemma.
He considered both Harry and Hermione far too young to wield the Elder Wand. Having used the wand for almost half a century, Albus was well aware of the massive potential for the wand to corrupt its master. He totally believed the old saying that power corrupts, having seen it happen too often in his lifetime.
There was also an outside chance the wand might choose Bill as its new master. Having been a victim of the Weasley temper Bill possessed, Albus didn't think that redhead was fit to wield the wand's power either. Since he was no longer able to command the wand though, was it worth taking the chance of not passing such a powerful weapon on - and their side suffering losses because of Albus' inactions.
That was the crux of the dilemma he faced, and Albus still wasn't sure what to do. One thing he was certain of though, time for him to make that decision was fast running out.
-oOoOo-
It might have been Shakespeare who coined the phrase 'Clothes maketh the Man' but Vernon had never seen anyone exemplify that same phrase better than Sir Charles Burlington. His pin stripe suite looked to be one of the best Savile Row had to offer, and it fitted the man like a glove. Meticulous would be the word Vernon would use to describe Sir Charles to Petunia later. That moustache of his must have needed a micrometer to get it so exact, leaving Vernon's looking like an overused toilet brush by comparison.
It was the casual way Sir Charles called old man Cartwright 'Gerald', asking him to stay for the meeting, that really impressed Vernon however. This was the social power being a holder of a knighthood gave, and Vernon couldn't wait to join that very exclusive club.
Sir Charles got straight down to business. "I'm going to assume Gerald here has told you what I do for the PM?" A nod saw the man open his briefcase and take a sheaf of official looking documents out.
"This one is coming straight from the PM himself, but I have to say it's thoroughly deserved."
Instead of setting off alarm bells, having never met the PM, hearing that had a delusional Vernon thinking all his dreams were about to come true. He was about to discover this was no dream, rather a nightmare.
"Now, when organising these awards, we tend to think in terms of the person's family - and how to involve them. Can you tell me about your nephew?"
That was like a kick to the solar plexus for Vernon. He then began to panic, visions of what Vernon thought was his well-earned award disappearing because of his association with the freak suddenly tormenting him. Vernon simply blurted out the first thing that came into his head. "He's actually Petunia's late sister's boy. Nothing but trouble too, which was why we had to end our association with him. We didn't want his bad behaviour affecting our own son, Dudley."
"Oh dear, that is rather unfortunate. Can you tell me when your family's association with the lad ended, and if this was a decision the entire family agreed with?"
Trying to disassociate himself as much as possible from the freak, Vernon attempted to present the events in a way that showed himself in the best light. "In the last year, we've met with the boy only once. It was for under an hour to finalise the details of the split, and was a decision all of my family one hundred percent agreed with."
Checking through his notes, Sir Charles then dropped the bombshell. "Ah yes, here it is. Would that be when you threw your fourteen year old nephew out of your car, before driving off and abandoning him in the middle of London?"
Vernon didn't notice his chairman suddenly sitting up a good bit straighter, or the look of disgust on his face. Like a rabbit being hypnotised by a snake, Vernon couldn't look away from the slate grey eyes of Sir Charles. Those eyes were currently boring into him as effectively as any drills he'd ever sold.
"It is also my understanding that you have had no contact with the lad since? Do you know where he is, if he found shelter? Have you even reported him missing?"
Vernon didn't answer, his lips may have been moving but he had nothing to say. His shocked silence lasted right up until Sir Charles completed his next sentence.
"It's actually Harry who's up for an award. We're investigating his family…"
At that, a suddenly purple Vernon exploded into action. "You're one of them, you're a freak! Well take your freakish ways right out of my office because I'm on to you. Did you go to that freak school too?"
The big man was now on his feet, his hands were already balled into fists but currently still resting on his desk. Shuffling his papers before returning them to his briefcase, Sir Charles finally turned his attention onto the enraged Vernon.
"Sit down you buffoon, then I will explain the facts of life to you. I went to Eton, then on to Cambridge. If you consider that 'freak schooling' then that's your problem. Trust me, you have more than enough trouble coming your way without creating any more."
"What has that little shit been saying? It's all lies, he's a perpetual liar."
"So you didn't throw him out your car in the middle of London?"
Vernon tried to bluster but he really had no answer to that accusation, since it was true. Sir Charles was relentless as he then proceeded to destroy the large man who'd just sank back into his reinforced chair.
"At the very least you will be charged with Child Abandonment. Child abandonment occurs when a parent, guardian, or person in charge of a child either deserts a child without any regard for the child's physical health, safety or welfare and with the intention of wholly abandoning the child. Do you think there's any way you and your wife won't be found guilty of that charge?"
At this, a livid Chairman had his say too. "Any criminal record is a case for automatic dismissal from the company."
"Oh believe me, Gerald, Vernon here will soon have a criminal record. This case will involve the police, social services and even the dreaded inland revenue are getting in on the fun. This man here fitted bars to his twelve year old nephew's bedroom, and passed the boy rationed food through a flap he'd personally cut into the bedroom door. He's a real nasty piece of work."
An angry Vernon still thought this was a situation he could shout his way out of. "You don't know the freak. You have no idea the trouble he's capable of causing. I still think he did something to you…"
That idea was quickly closed down. "Mr Dursley, as part of the PM's team, I've met and been briefed by your nephew. I consider Harry, and his girlfriend, Hermione, to be two of the nicest and most honourable young adults it has been my pleasure to know. His girlfriend's mother is now a vital part of the PM's team, having formally been a successful and popular dentist. All three will be receiving awards for services rendered to their country, services that are well above and beyond what one would expect from ordinary citizens."
"Freaks, they're all freaks who use their freaky ways to get what they want."
"Again I must correct you. Your nephew doesn't even know I'm here, he's far too busy training for a very important task. He currently has an association with a very exclusive military group. It was the Colonel of that group who personally approached the PM. Apparently your family's treatment of Harry had somehow leaked to them. The ultimatum presented was that if we didn't take some action, then they would. These are not people you want to mess with. We will get to the bottom of this matter, with any and all appropriate charges being brought against you and your family. Our investigation will determine what those charges will be. Since no formal complaint was made by your nephew, today's meeting was simply to determine if there was an actual case to bring. Even from this short meeting, I can see there most certainly is."
Saying goodbye to Gerald, Sir Charles quietly left. The chairman then turned his attention onto Vernon. "Dursley, go home. I would also advise you to stay there until this matter is sorted. I believe a person is innocent until proven guilty, and that is the only reason I'm not sacking you right now. Any guilty verdict though will immediately see us sever all contact with you. I suggest you think about resigning before that happens."
Vernon found himself being practically escorted off the premises. His drive home was nowhere near as pleasant as yesterday's had been, though his ability to think this couldn't be happening to him soon provided Vernon with an extremely delusional explanation.
The freaks were trying to mess with his head, but he was on to them. They would need to get up early in the morning to get the better of Vernon Dursley. Turning into his street saw the reality of the situation shatter the last remnants of those delusions. With a police car already parked beside their house, along with another two official looking vehicles he didn't recognise, Vernon had to face facts - Sir Charles had followed through with all his threats.
The police and social services were bad enough, but Vernon thought involving the inland revenue was taking things to the extreme. After all, who didn't cheat a little on their taxes? Parking the car, he also recognised this was something else he would be losing. With no job there would of course be no company car.
He walked in his front door, throwing the keys into the dish there for that very purpose, before entering the lounge. Vernon needed to discover just how bad this situation was.
-oOoOo-
The atmosphere at recent Order meetings had bordered on light-heartedness, not tonight though. With the Hogwarts visit to Hogsmeade less than forty eight hours away, tonight's meeting was deadly serious. While Minerva reported that the number of students attending Hogsmeade was down by almost seventy percent, there was a hint of pride shining through that all of those leaving the castle could cast the patronus charm.
Most of the Order had been working on the charm too, and would be leaving Hogwarts alongside the students. Since anyone from the other side keeping a lookout would need to do so from a distance, nothing more than slight glamour charms and hats were thought necessary to disguise the fact they weren't actual students.
Arthur and Shack would have people in every shop, cafe and pub that Hogsmeade possessed, with patrols swapping those hidden guards throughout the day. A pair of aurors leaving a shop would not be the same ones who had entered that establishment mere moments before. With Diagon Alley 'closed for building inspection and repair', all their efforts were focused on the village. The villagers and students also understood that, should the alarm sound, they had to race to the nearest building and take shelter there. They would then be protected by the Phoenix Officers or Aurors already inside.
Emma reported that the military unit were already billeted in the village, and quickly familiarising themselves with the layout. She also announced that these troops were using the same communications equipment that the Phoenix Force had just been supplied with, and trained to use. This was an equipment upgrade that received an enthusiastic endorsement by Shack and Tonks.
She also passed on the news that there would be a command post in the centre of the village, set up in the basement of the post office. This command post would coordinate their efforts to protect the students and the villagers. Hearing that Emma would be based there for the entirety of the students' visit raised more than a few eyebrows, though Hermione reaching out and holding her mum's hand seemed to emphasise the subject of Emma being there wasn't up for discussion or debate.
The meeting ended with the consensus that they had prepared as best they could, with no one coming up with anything they thought had been missed or overlooked.
It was after the meeting, when only the core group remained, that Albus made his move. Deciding not to complicate matters by mentioning the Deathly Hallows, knowing Harry might soon possess two of the three Hallows, he told his tale.
"In the world of Magic, there are many stories that - over many, many years - either become forgotten or pass into legend. One of those legends concerns an unbeatable wand, the Elder Wand. Some of these stories or legends though are based on fact, you have my personal assurance that the story of the Elder Wand is indeed fact."
You could have heard a pin drop as Albus slipped the wand from his sleeve and placed it on the table. "A wand's allegiance has to be won, this wand bonded with me after I defeated Gellert Grindelwald. I lost its allegiance in this very room the night I was disarmed. With what we suspect is coming our way this weekend, the Elder Wand might just give its new owner the edge to see them through this challenge." As Albus was looking at the two teens, everyone got the point the Minister of Magic was making.
Not understanding what was going on here, Emma wanted an explanation before things went any further. "With everyone here looking at that stick like it's bloody Excalibur, I want to know a lot more about this before any of our two get involved. This table isn't round and none of us sitting here are knights, what exactly does someone have to do to win this wand's allegiance?"
Sirius couldn't help it, he actually didn't want to help it. Tonight's meeting had been pretty tense so when Emma provided the excuse to have a good belly laugh, he gladly accepted it - and set a few others off as well. This left a smiling Remus to offer the explanation.
"Since Albus said he isn't the wand's master anymore, that allegiance has already been won. All the new owner has to do is pick the wand up, and have it react with them. They would then have a legendary wand to help them in this battle."
Having no problem with that, Emma nodded her agreement as all eyes now turned to the teens. Harry's quip of 'ladies first' saw Hermione picking up the wand, and sparks immediately pouring out of it. She then attempted to hand it to Harry but he refused.
"The wand reacted to you, it's yours now."
"You may have a stronger reaction, and it's you Voldemort will be coming for. You need this."
Harry again refused to touch the wand. "If Voldemort comes for me, who's going to be standing right by my side? I can't and won't stop you being there. I can and have seen you getting the best training possible, the finest armour gold can buy and now you have the most powerful wand. This is all good in my book."
Seeing Hermione about to object, Harry pushed on. "When I fought Voldemort for the return of my blood, it was you who cast the spell to save me. Even if the ritual battle played out in my head, you were still there protecting me. My wand already has an advantage over his, you with that wand will be our backup. This might just give us the edge we need."
Hermione admitting that the wand felt a lot more powerful than her own settled things for Harry, but not quite for Albus.
"No one outside this room can know that Miss Granger is now master of the Elder Wand. For centuries wizards and witches have sought the unbeatable wand. The secret must remain amongst us here."
Not liking the sound of that, Emma offered a solution. "Couldn't she hand it back to you after this is over?"
"I'm sorry, Emma. It won't recognise me as its master anymore. To win its allegiance, someone would still have to defeat your daughter first."
Harry however thought he had the answer. "It's really quite simple. After this is over, we destroy the wand."
While everyone thought that would certainly solve the problem, Albus almost passed out with the shock. "You would destroy the most powerful wand in the world?"
Hermione had quickly kissed Harry for providing that solution, and had no problem answering Albus. "Absolutely. When Voldemort is gone, Harry and I have the rest of our lives to plan for. I can assure everyone here, nowhere in those plans will we need the most powerful wand in the world."
As Sirius began to tease the couple about just what those plans were, Albus was thinking here was something he'd never even considered.
Yes he was very worried that these two could become corrupted by power yet neither appeared tempted in the slightest to grasp what they had just been presented with. Both wanted the other to take the wand, rather than grasping that power for themselves. If Voldemort was defeated and if Miss Granger carried out her intentions to destroy the wand, Albus couldn't help but think he would be handing a much safer country over to the new Minister of Magic at the start of February.
Only time would tell though, and they all knew that a critical time was fast approaching.
Chapter 20 - Wheels in Motion
The night before the long planned visit to Hogsmeade, there was very little sleeping taking place in their York safe house. Harry had hatched a plan earlier that settled some of their nerves. It would probably be more accurate to say that Emma agreeing to this plan was what had that effect on all who lived here. Dobby would accompany Emma on her mission inside the Hogsmeade control centre and, at the first sign of the centre's security being breached, the faithful elf would pop her out of there.
Seeing the comfort this idea offered the people she now considered family, Emma couldn't really refuse what was merely an additional safety measure. There was also the fact that, should their security actually be breached, the former dentist would be nothing more than a dangerous liability in that situation.
The elves had once more read their needs correctly, with three single beds set up in the largest bedroom. When it soon became obvious to the trio that none of them were anywhere near ready to sleep, they lay and chatted into the wee small hours. They talked about anything and everything, with only what would happen after the dawn being recognised as a taboo subject.
Emma had decided she could not return to dentistry, and especially not in their former Crawley practice. Harry and Hermione both supported that decision, and all three talked over a few ideas they had for continuing their lives. As the night drew shorter, all felt better that their hopes and dreams were now known amongst the people needing to be there to make those dreams come true.
It went unsaid that this weekend could go a long way to helping those hopes and dreams become reality. Emma also didn't miss that nowhere in those dreams was attending Hogwarts mentioned by either teen that she now thought of as her children. Dumbledore may have post war plans for these two but Emma would be standing firm to see Hermione and Harry got what they wanted out of life, not what a meddlesome old headmaster thought he or the country needed.
There were tearful goodbyes next morning as Hermione, Harry, Sirius and Remus headed for Hogwarts while Tonks would be escorting Emma to the Hogsmeade Headquarters.
-oOoOo-
While there was an air of trepidation hanging over Hogwarts, there was also excitement sprinkled throughout the castle. This was a Hogsmeade weekend and, after being continually warned about the possible risks, like teenagers the world over the students of Hogwarts thought they were impervious to any kind of harm. Death and destruction happened to other people, not them.
The excitement for the Weasley contingent inside the castle certainly rose when they entered the great hall to see Harry and Hermione sitting at the Gryffindor table. While the male members of that family were trying to play it cool, Ginny was under no such restraint. Being smart enough to already understand the possible dangers her family could face today, there was no chance of her not rushing over and hugging her two best friends. Ginny certainly knew that these two would be at the centre of any danger that chose to show its face in Hogsmeade today.
She was quickly joined by Susan, with Ron pretending to be put out that his girlfriend hugged Harry and Hermione before him. Sitting down to breakfast, the group were soon joined by Neville and Luna - Luna being the youngest student who would be attending Hogwarts today. Hearing that she was a friend of Ginny's was enough for Harry and Hermione to accept the little blonde into their company, and ask both Luna and Neville if they wanted to accompany them into Hogsmeade today. All the students attending the village this weekend had been advised to tour the shops in the largest groups possible so both gladly accepted that offer.
The Minister of Magic walking into the great hall silenced a lot of the breakfast conversation. By the time Dumbledore reached the staff table, all eyes were now fixed on him.
"Good morning, Headmistress. I'm here to accompany your students to Hogsmeade, and have taken all the precautions we could think of to ensure their safety during their visit. I trust they have been well drilled on what to do should the alarms sound in the village today?"
Albus Dumbledore leading her students to the village almost had Minerva smiling, almost. Despite their recent differences, she knew Albus would give his life to protect the students, and those same students were now far safer because of this gesture.
She stood, making sure all in the hall could hear her. A final reminder never hurt anyone, and was exactly what Albus was looking for from Minerva here.
"Yes Minister. While all students attending today can cast a patronus, it has been explained in great detail that charm is only to be used if needed for getting them to safety. We have aurors and members of the Phoenix force in Hogsmeade to take the fight to Voldemort, having them safe frees up those officers to do the job they've trained very hard to do. Can I offer you some breakfast while we wait on the appointed hour?"
Quickly accepting, Albus sat down to his tea exactly the way he liked it - something the elves at the Ministry hadn't quite managed yet. They had twenty minutes before the school gates would open to allow the students access to the village. Today they would all walk down together, a few students travelling in a carriage being undefendable for the entire route.
Like their Headmistress, the students who were allowed to visit the village today were delighted with the company that would be walking beside them. With Harry Potter and Albus Dumbledore here, Voldemort wouldn't dare attack them now.
-oOoOo-
Emma felt as if she'd just walked into the set of a World War Two movie. The centre of the room was taken up by a massive table that held a scale model of the entire village and surrounding countryside. The table was surrounded by at least half a dozen people with headsets on. They were obviously receiving information because they would then use their wands to move markers around the village. Had they been using poles to slide those markers about, the likeness to an old war film would have been uncanny.
Making her way up into the gallery that had been constructed, Emma instantly understood why this system was being used - it worked. She could immediately see where all their troops were, with different coloured markers designating villagers. There were also a third set of markers waiting to be used, which Emma correctly assumed were reserved for the students.
A set of black figures were lined up on a shelf attached to the wall, awaiting use if an attack took place. Emma could see the reasoning behind having separate markers for Dumbledore and Voldemort but she felt sick upon noticing the one designated Harry Potter. Here was undeniable proof her boy was going to be in the middle of whatever happened today.
The military had set a couple of massive display monitors, connected directly to surveillance cameras placed at key points of the village. No one was sure though what effect a load of magic being performed would have on this system so they were there purely as an extra source of information. The new communications system currently being used by the military, ministry and phoenix officers had all been tested and worked in both the Ministry of Magic as well as Hogwarts, so were expected to handle any battle today.
Nodding in greeting to Arthur, Amelia and the Colonel, Emma was then presented with her own headset. The Phoenix Officers and aurors were all used to hearing her voice, since she had been heavily involved in training them to use the equipment - mainly acting as liaison between the army communications specialists and people more used to sticking their head into a fireplace to contact who they needed to.
It was decided early on that there wasn't time to teach magicals what the military would consider proper radio etiquette. Broadcasting Foxtrot, Uniform, Charlie, Kilo to the magicals would soon have those same witches and wizards asking her what the fuck she was talking about.
Emma wasn't sure if the large clock that could be seen from every part of the room was magical or muggle. What she was sure of was the thing seemed to take an age before the minute hand moved. This was going to be a long day.
Word coming through that the Hogwarts students were now being led to the village focused everyone's attention. The markers for the students were joined by those of Albus Dumbledore and Harry Potter, the game was afoot.
-oOoOo-
The figures of Dumbledore and Potter were clearly visible through the omnioculars an invisible Voldemort was using. His original plan was to attack this afternoon, giving everyone time to settle and - more importantly - giving their guard time to drop.
He was now having to weigh up that possible advantage against the one nature was currently providing him. A low lying mist was slowly creeping off the surrounding hills and rolling toward Hogsmeade, meaning his shock troops could practically be on the village before anyone spotted them. This would allow both the dementors and the inferi to attack almost simultaneously, instead of hoping the defenders were too busy dealing with the dementors to notice his deadly follow-on surprise.
Knowing that the mist could be gone within the hour, Voldemort decided to accept the current advantage, instead of gambling on a perceived one later in the afternoon. The Dark Lord would give Wormtail his signal to attack the moment the last of the students reached the village. Voldemort intended to be close enough to witness the resulting carnage before leaving the country. The Ministry would be so busy dealing with the aftermath of this atrocity, and making sure the blame didn't land on them, he should have no trouble slipping out of Britain.
The knowledge that today's actions, and the name of Lord Voldemort, would be remembered for a millennium had Tom considering this as an acceptable tactical withdrawal from Britain. After today he could leave with his pride intact, anticipating the damage the twin attack would inflict upon his main adversaries - Potter and Dumbledore.
While there was certainly no guarantee that either would perish today, Dumbledore leading the students into Hogsmeade would finish him at the Ministry and Hogwarts - unless he could protect every single one of those same students. It was also clearly noticeable that Potter was walking toward the village amongst a large group of friends. The chances of all of those friends surviving the next hour or so was also very slim, giving Tom the perceived victory his pride still demanded to allow him to leave the country.
With some adults ensuring there were no stragglers amongst the students, they were soon all shepherded within the confines of the village. Voldemort gave the signal before moving into a position where he could enjoy watching this most macabre form of entertainment.
-oOoOo-
From their tower, Amanda couldn't fail to see the students entering the village. The shiver that ran down her spine wasn't purely due to the chill in the dank morning air, Amanda understood this was now as real as it got for a trainee auror. There were currently hundreds of innocent people relying on the recruits to give out a warning, a warning that could save many, many lives. With that thought uppermost in her mind, Amanda was soon scrupulously studying her section before almost jumping off the tower with fright.
The deafeningly piercing alarm positioned right above her head had suddenly blasted out its deadly warning to the entire village. Spinning around, she still wasn't quick enough to have a word with Noah - barely catching sight of him as he dived full speed into the shelter. He must have hit the alarm while already in the process of jumping down the escape hatch.
Before she followed him down to safety, Amanda felt she needed to verify exactly what Noah had seen. One glance through his telescope was enough to confirm there was now a massive swarm of dementors heading directly for Hogsmeade. She was just about to make her own escape when something else caught her eye, movement where there simply shouldn't be any.
Firmly gripping the telescope in a vain attempt to stop her hands shaking, Amanda focused her attention on the mist below the advancing dementors. Finding a slight break in the haze had those shakes returning with a vengeance. She couldn't just dive in the shelter now, not with the knowledge she had.
There weren't enough radios to go around everyone, and their job was to simply push the alarm button, so none had been issued to those in the towers. This was an oversight that left Amanda with only one option, she would have to apparate into the village and give the warning in person.
-oOoOo-
Tonks was still in Headquarters, keeping Emma company while intending to pick the gang up as they passed the Post Office, when the alarm sounded. It was soon confirmed by radio which tower had sounded the alarm, and exactly what direction the dementors were coming from. As their markers were placed on the situation table, Tonks was already heading up the stairs and out the door of the Post Office - only to run smack into an auror recruit.
"What are you doing here? You're not trained for this fight."
Amanda didn't waste any time, nor did she hold back. "Auror, you need to warn everyone. Underneath the dementors, hidden by the mist, there's an army of inferi. From what I saw, there seemed to be at least as many of them as there are dementors. They'll all be on the village in a matter of moments."
Pushing Amanda into the Post Office and yelling at the guards that the recruit needed to be taken to Bones immediately, Tonks was then on her radio.
"Red Alert, Red Alert. As yet unconfirmed report that there are inferi hidden in the mist below the dementors. Say again, inferi as yet unconfirmed."
There was about a ten second pause while that sank in before the radio once more came to life. "Moody here, I can confirm inferi presence. There are at least a couple of hundred of the bastards heading for the village."
Emma's voice was soon issuing information and orders from the command centre to everyone. "The attack point is the Hog's Head. Those inferi need to be cut down before they get into the village. Everyone who can cast a patronus, do so. The dementors need to be held off, allowing the military to use its firepower for mowing those undead down. If we keep the inferi out the village, our plans for disposing of the dementors will still be viable."
Having barely reached the village, all students were ordered inside the Three Broomsticks. Severus and Filius were staying with them to offer protection. Knowing the Hog's Head was only about fifty yards from the Post Office,
Harry's group were soon outstripping Albus and the rest of the Order who had walked down from Hogwarts with them, with only Sirius and Remus able to keep pace with the six who had spent the entire summer training. Tonks was soon spotted up ahead, waving them on.
The advantage of having the military contingent staying inside Hogsmeade was soon paying dividends. After studying maps and the actual terrain, their training was telling them the two most likely attack points were the Hog's Head or Dervish and Banges. Taking a gamble on this, they were able to set up a few extra surprises at each of these sites.
Both Harry and Hermione had communication headsets and their features formed into grins that would have terrified whoever they were directed at. Unlike almost all of the aurors and Phoenix Force, they knew exactly what Emma's latest order meant. 'Release the Kraken' indicated the gloves were well and truly coming off. The British Armed Forces were about to give a practical demonstration of their capabilities to the country's witches and wizards, and their enemies a bloody nose.
-oOoOo-
While Amelia was quickly interrogating Amanda, Arthur was explaining to Emma and the colonel exactly what inferi were. Moody's confirmation of their presence had both Amelia and Arthur forcefully stating that letting the inferi reach the village would be a disaster. These dark creatures would be the ones doing the hunting and killing if they got amongst the lanes and alleys of Hogsmeade.
Between those two and the Colonel, they swiftly came up with the strategy that Emma then passed onto the troops. Witches and wizards would cast patronuses while the troops took on the inferi. Checking his facts with Emma, the Colonel was able to establish they were thinking along the same lines here. An inferius was near enough what they understood from folklore, and of course the movies, to be a zombie to make no difference.
"It always amazes me that these creatures cause so much trouble in the movies. I suppose it's the military in me, and also the directors trying to create a sense of suspense and terror. Otherwise, some of those movies would be incredibly short - by doing exactly what we're going to attempt today. If these things are in the open then we should have no problem turning them into tinned dog food sized chunks. Emma, it's time to bring out the big guns. Give the order, and be sure to pass on the 'zombie' information. I want our troops to know these things are already dead, so they don't show them any misplaced sense of mercy."
As Emma was broadcasting 'Release the Kraken' and the follow-on information on the inferi- zombie links, the Colonel faced an angry witch and wizard.
Naturally, Amelia and Arthur wanted to know exactly what was going on, they soon found out.
"When the Prime Minister issues us a direct order from Her Majesty, you better believe we're going to do our absolute best to carry those orders out. She wants this problem taken care of before any more of her unsuspecting and defenceless subjects are murdered. The Ministry of Magic had many years, and even more chances, to deal with both the Death Eater problem and the dementors - it did neither and innocent British subjects died because of that failure."
While Arthur and Amelia tried to protest that statement, the colonel cut them both of by mentioning a recent example they were all well acquainted with.
"Lucius Malfoy was a Death Eater yet able to buy his way out of a prison sentence and become a personal friend of your last Minister of Magic. I certainly don't have to remind anyone here how that turned out. You will elect a wizard or witch to be your new Minister early in the New Year, today should let whoever that is know we're entering a new era of relations between us. It should also give everyone currently in Hogsmeade just a small example of our capabilities."
The strange roar from outside saw all the magicals in the room look to the monitors, though none were sure quite exactly what they were seeing there.
"Those are Land Rovers, specially built for our use. What you see on the top is a heavy machine gun, one that will be firing exploding ammunition at a rate of about six hundred rounds a minute."
Taking one of the M50 rounds from his pocket, the colonel gently tossed it to Arthur who was about six feet away. Rather than catching the round, the Head of the D.M.L.E. gave a little squeal and dodged the bullet as if his life depended upon it. The brass round clattered onto the stone floor as the magicals held their collective breath, waiting on something to happen. Shaking his head at the fact Arthur's last job was as the Ministry's expert on non magicals, he offered an explanation.
"Even if that was a live round, nothing would have happened. We had intended to use these on the dementors, but they should also quickly take care of the zombies too. Emma's order would have seen four Apache helicopters, just some of our flying machines that have armaments on them to make that round lying there appear as tame as one of your tickling charms, heading here at speed too. They'll take up position over the Black Lake, with orders to hunt down any dementors that look like escaping. The pilots and gunners are all used to using night vision technology, it was rather easy to switch in infrared too. This ends today."
As if to emphasise that point, an unbelievable amount of noise was now being generated from outside. Amelia understood the powerful message that the muggles were trying to attempt here, she just wasn't sure how they had managed to keep this information from them so asked.
A smiling Colonel gave her the answer. "Those wonderful tents you supplied us with had me asking what else could be done, Harry and Hermione came up with some wonderful ideas. They shrank our equipment down to the size of toys, allowing us to easily place them into the tents. A spell then returned them to full size, though they might have destroyed your tents driving right through the doors. Those two didn't ask for much in return either, only that one of those Land Rovers should take up position outside this building to offer extra protection for Emma…"
That the aurors and Phoenix Officers weren't fully trained in their use of the radio equipment soon stopped all discussions as they were flooded by what seemed like everyone who had a radio demanding to know what was going on. Nodding to Emma, both she and the Colonel switched their radios over to a second prearranged frequency - hopefully to discover the answers to that question from the troops.
-oOoOo-
Albus had hurried along as best he could, pleased to see all the patronuses holding off the dementors for now. He was wondering if it might be more useful for him to try using spells to dispel some of the mist, rather than cast his own patronus, when loud roars alerted him that there were now new players in this fight. It only took a few seconds for everyone to discover whose side of the battle they were on.
The interim Minister had never seen a muggle carriage quite like this, it seemed to need neither road nor tracks as it shot from a previously hidden location near the Three Broomsticks. It then proceeded to spit a fiery death into the mist, burning it away almost as effectively as it slaughtered the inferi that were using it as cover. That there were other similar muggle devices converging on the battle area from all ends of the village was quickly apparent as destruction rained down on the army of inferi from multiple points. None of the witches or wizards watching the annihilation of this veritable army of dark creatures could fail to be impressed. The firepower of these devices would leave anyone facing them with only one option - get as far away as possible as quickly as they could.
Peter was amongst the inferi, with his master's familiar alongside him. There was not one shred of doubt in his mind what orders Nagini had been given by their master, nor that she would carry those orders out. She was there to make sure Peter didn't run, so she would have to be taken care of first. Peter was looking for an opportunity to do that very thing when the world around him started exploding. With bits of inferi flying all around him, it was almost instinctual for the coward to become a rat and hide. Unfortunately, for Peter that is, Nagini's instincts and reactions were better than those of the animagus.
Sinking her fangs into the rat was also the last thing that the animated corpse did, as rounds from the heavy machine guns tore her apart.
The dementors had expected to face these glowing animals today, they also expected those glowing animals to disappear as the Dark One and his forces reached the village - then it would be time to feast. They didn't understand what was happening as those forces appeared to be getting decimated. They would have retreated there and then, except for one thing - the glowing animals disappeared. They could taste the delicious scent of fear radiating from the entire village, there would be no stopping now.
The confusion caused by the inferius being so easily wiped out caused even Moody to lose concentration, and saw his patronus fade. By the time he realised his mistake, the dementors were almost upon them. Cursing his stupidity, that was a rookie mistake he would chew the arse off anyone else for making, he tried to rally those around him to recast their patronuses when the sky was suddenly filled with fire and unearthly screams. The muggles' 'Dragon's Breath' ammunition was ripping into the dementors, clearly causing them great pain. Of the four vehicles that had attacked the inferi, two now turned their attention, and firepower, onto the dementors while the other pair patrolled the defeated inferi looking for any stragglers.
The shooters were in a skirmish line, blocking off the dementors' access to the village. It was almost like a grouse shoot, except they didn't require beaters and this prey was deadly. In a matter of seconds though, history was being rewritten as the hunters had now become the hunted. Dark creatures that were thought to be immortal, or at least indestructible, were in imminent danger of becoming extinct.
As they sustained heavy damage, dementor after dementor began to drop to the ground where troops with oxyacetylene 'wands' were waiting to deliver the killing blow. Very few lifeforms could survive decapitation, and there were plans to incinerate these bodies just in case dementors were one of those species. Even with so little known about them, todays mission wouldn't see that knowledge increase by much. They were to be destroyed, end of story.
Harry and Hermione were the first to use their patronuses to try and prevent any dementors escaping, they were soon joined in this endeavour by their training partners and tutors. Seeing what they were attempting, Albus quickly added his silver phoenix to the battle. Watching as the dementors were now meeting the same fate as the inferius saw a loud cheer go up from the defenders, along with dozens of patronuses being recast. This was no longer a battle, it was now a rout.
-oOoOo-
Back in Headquarters, the Colonel had supplied models of their attack vehicles, marked one to five, while Emma called out what was happening from the military reports she was receiving - allowing the figures still to be moved around the table. Vehicle five had been concealed behind Honeydukes and quickly moved to stand guard in front of the Post Office while the other four emerged from various points around the village to converge on the army of inferius. Emma reporting that the dementors had been engaged by the troops held everyone's attention, her follow-up that the Dragon's Breath ammunition was effective lifted the mood of the entire room.
She barely had time to report that the inferius had been wiped out when the Colonel, who was listening to the same feed, orderer vehicles three and four to engage the dementors - with one and two still keeping an eye on the defeated inferi. Hearing Harry report that their patronuses were corralling the dementors brought a lump to Emma's throat, knowing him issuing such a report meant they were both still safe.
When they received word that the Apache's had arrived, the Colonel ordered vehicles one to four to withdraw, and the helicopters to attack the instant that manoeuvre was complete. He believed the battle today was won but wanted to use the Apaches as a show of strength to all the magicals who would see them in action. His eyes though kept drifting to the tiny model that represented Voldemort, still sitting on the shelf unused. Her Majesty and the Government wanted this murderer dead too but the Colonel was enough of a seasoned campaigner to know you could only fight whoever turned up for the battle. So far this Dark Lord was conspicuous by his absence.
-oOoOo-
Once more the witches and wizards casting patronuses had their concentration well and truly disturbed. Then again, four Apache helicopters streaking across the Black Lake and engaging the remaining dementors was an awesome sight. They didn't just engage the dark creatures, those thirty millimetre exploding rounds screaming out of their mini-guns tore the dementors apart. That the battle was now clearly being won saw those on the ground starting to celebrate.
Voldemort had watched the entire battle unfold with a sense of disbelief. He thought his anger knew no bounds when seeing the Ministry had involved muggles in this fight, only for that anger to grow exponentially after witnessing just how effective those same muggles were in battle. As their flying machines destroyed the last of his dementors, Voldemort's wand was in his hand. He was ready to blast one of those machines from the sky before spotting a much more deserving target to vent his ire on.
The mere thought of being able to snatch a victory from the jaws of defeat saw him apparate with nothing but vengeance on his mind.
Harry had hoisted Hermione up in the air, spun his betrothed around a couple of times and was now kissing her for all he was worth. The plan had worked better than anyone could have hoped and everyone was fine at the end of it. That right there was all the reason he needed to celebrate.
Voldemort appeared about forty feet away from the couple, his spell speeding toward Potter's back the instant he was able to cast.
Hermione's arms were wrapped around Harry, with the Elder Wand still in her hand. That hand was moving and casting a spell before Hermione even realised what was happening. A solid slab of marble instantly materialised between them and the deadly green spell shooting at Harry's back. That marble was quickly blasted into shards, shards that slammed into the couple and threw them almost ten feet through the air.
While not pleased his first curse had been stopped, Voldemort knew nothing could stop him now finishing the job he'd began all those years ago. The tip of his wand was glowing green as the dark Lord prepared to put an end to Potter once and for all.
-oOoOo-
After receiving the order to withdraw, Ian's driver had placed them at the side of the Hog's Head Inn. The second member of the three man crew was next to the driver, his light machine gun by necessity pointing forward. Their training meant that Ian's Heavy Machine Gun would then cover their rear, negating the possibility of an attacker sneaking up on them.
Ian watched as Harry and Hermione celebrated, really happy since he thought if any kids deserved a break it was those two. The green spell caught him unawares too, but not for long. The two teens being blasted to the ground actually now opened up a clear field of fire for him, so that's exactly what the highly trained soldier did.
Ian knew this bastard had come back from the dead before and was determined it wouldn't be happening again. The exploding bullets slammed into Voldemort's body and then did what they were designed to do. Ian was sure at least two caught the Dark Lord in the head, before that head wasn't there anymore. He stopped firing when there wasn't anything left of a size worthy of putting another round into and then reported in.
"Bogie number one destroyed. Repeat, bogie number one destroyed. Two down, need medical assistance on road to Hog's Head."
Back in Headquarters the Colonel smiled as the first piece of the message came through. Emma had shouted to the room that Voldemort had been destroyed before picking up the end of the message.
A cold solid weight seemed to settle in her stomach as Emma had a horrible premonition of just who those casualties were. She had of course recognised the voice that had made the report and, radio protocol be dammed, she needed to know.
"Ian, who are the people that need medics?"
While still scanning for any other attacks, Ian answered the clearly worried mother. "It's Hermione and Harry, Emma. They're now surrounded by people so I can't see what's happening anymore. Wait, two healers just apparated in and are running toward them."
The Colonel had arranged the healers before approaching Emma. "You need to stay here, Emma. At least until we know it's safe outside."
Glancing at the locked and guarded door, Emma instantly made her decision. "That's my entire world out there, I'm going. Dobby, take me to Harry and Hermione…"
The Colonel was helpless to interfere as Emma disappeared from right in front of him. Arthur and Amelia had also stopped celebrating, realising all was not well but he had nothing else to tell them at the moment - other than that Harry and Hermione had been injured.
-oOoOo-
Dobby could only drop Emma on the outside of a large group of people who were gathered around the downed teens, her elbows were soon put to good use as the distraught mother barged her way to the front. She could see them both lying on the ground being treated, and there appeared to be blood everywhere. Arms grabbed her and she nearly landed a punch before realising it was Sirius.
"Emma, they're alive. Our wonderful girl managed to erect a barrier to stop Voldemort's killing curse. That barrier was blasted apart and that's what caused the damage you see. Both of them have on their dragon hide though so the blood there is coming from cuts to their head and face, easily healed. Harry has a broken arm from landing awkwardly but that's the extent of their injuries, both will be coming home with us shortly."
Seeing Hermione starting to sit up was the signal for Emma's sobs to begin, Sirius almost joined her. "We never left their side all morning. The battle was won and they were celebrating, well you can guess how they celebrated. Remus and I took a couple of steps away and that's when the bastard appeared. Voldemort was all set to finish them off where they lay, before Remus or I could even get a curse cast, when Tonks' boyfriend tore him to shreds with that gun of his. We owe that young man their lives..."
As Hermione and Harry managed to both sit up, Emma pushed through to kneel beside them. The healers were closing cuts on their faces when she passed on the news that would certainly help with their recovery.
"Voldemort's dead, ripped apart by machine gun fire!"
-oOoOo-
It was late that evening before Albus had some time to gather his thoughts. Standing in the Hall of Prophecies, the black sphere in front of him at least answered the most important question on his list - Voldemort was really gone.
The interim Minister of Magic was silently berating himself for not checking the orb before today, like immediately after Harry completed the ritual inside Gringotts. While the prophecy had clearly been fulfilled, Albus was still struggling to come to terms with the how - or even who.
The young soldier who ended this conflict was at least a wizard, though hadn't used magic for many years. His parents could also lay claim to have defied the Dark Lord three times, their moving home so frequently would certainly put the Death Eaters off their trail. Ian's birthday was even in July, though July the nineteenth was stretching things a bit far as to the month dying.
While all that taken together could be somewhat shoehorned into a shape that met most of the terms of the prophecy, what was indisputable, apart from Ian ending Voldemort, was that he certainly had a power the Dark Lord knew not.
After spending many years trying to ensure young Harry would meet the terms of this prophecy, Albus was left with only one conclusion - prophecy was nothing more than a load of mumbo-jumbo. On returning to Hogwarts he would ensure it wouldn't be offered as an O.W.L. or N.E.W.T. option anymore. The students currently sitting the course would be the last at Hogwarts.
Today's events were bound to see changes rippling through Magical Britain. Preventing that from happening would be impossible, stopping those ripples becoming waves that swept all before them would be hard enough. Thankfully that would be someone else's job come January.
While the country was currently celebrating the tremendous news, the Ministry of Magic was hardly displayed in a favourable light. Yes plaudits were being claimed for them instigating a closer working relationship with the muggles but Albus knew that very little of the credit was due them for that.
Emma Granger had played them all for fools. Albus couldn't fault the mother though, Emma did so purely to give Harry and Hermione the best chance of surviving the conflict. Albus was actually at the meeting with their Prime Minister when Emma told them all that was her sole reason for being involved in this - and the results she achieved were nothing short of spectacular.
Even the young man who fought so courageously in today's battle, before finally ending Voldemort, wanted nothing to do with the Ministry. The official press release might say Ian McLean, as a serving soldier, couldn't accept an award from the Ministry of Magic but Albus knew different. Ian had pointblank refused to have anything to do with 'their' Ministry of Magic, claiming the bigotry against muggle-borns, muggles and squibs not only still existed but was as rife as it had ever been.
Since leaving Hogwarts all those years ago Ian had built a good life for himself, one that magic played no part in. Ian also rather forcefully declared he had no intention of becoming some Ministry poster boy and supporting a system built on bigotry.
Today, after the battle, Albus had been kept away from Harry and Hermione while the healers did their work. They had no sooner finished though than those two elves had the young couple and Emma whisked away. The only concession he could wring from Sirius and Remus was a promise that they would keep in touch. It was already crystal clear their family didn't want Albus Dumbledore trying to influence his two former students.
His world was altering rapidly and Albus would seem to have very little influence on what those changes would be, where they would take place or even when they would be happening. Was it any wonder he didn't feel like celebrating?