Chapter 13 - Death in Diagon
The members of the Wizengamot were starting to think they had heard every type of atrocity possible by now, but still they were able to be sickened by the depths of depravity these supposedly respectable wizards and witches had stooped to. Claiming their master forced them to be inventive with their torture, rape and murder - apparently their Dark Lord was a sick son of a witch who liked to be entertained by witnessing that kind of thing. However that excuse wasn't gaining these Death Eaters any sympathy whatsoever within the chamber.
Just before the death sentence could be handed out to the latest follower of this psychotic lunatic to be found guilty, an auror burst into the chamber.
Immediately recognising the auror, and knowing where he was supposed to be at the moment, Amelia ruthlessly repressed the sinking feeling in her gut as she barked out an order. "Auror Dawlish, Report!"
"Madam Bones, Diagon Alley is under attack from dementors - there seemed to be hundreds of them."
"Did you get Mister Potter's party to safety before leaving?"
"No Ma'am. Potter refused to leave, and kept shouting at us to help defend the people in the Alley. I thought the best way of helping was to get assistance as quickly as possible, Diagon Alley was packed with people and being overrun…"
This news was causing outrage in the chamber and Amelia now made no attempt to curb her own rage, most of which was directed at the auror standing before her. "…and you left them there? You were on protection duty, that means you have to be prepared to stand in front of that person and take a curse meant for them. You abandoned your post, your duty..."
"I thought…"
"You thought it was time to get your own precious arse out of there. Fudge kept you on his detail, despite my opinion on the matter. Well he isn't here to protect you now. Auror Dawlish, you are suspended until an investigation determines your fate. Leaving your mission and your fellow aurors in their time of need has me wanting to vomit at the very sight of you. Albus…"
Dumbledore had already made his mind up on where he needed to be. Calling for Fawkes, he flamed right out of the chamber.
As Amelia raced for the nearest floo, she was screaming for every ministry worker who could cast a patronus to follow her to Diagon Alley. She was pleased to see her aurors were already heading out, obviously the ministry had received calls for help from the commercial heart of wizarding Britain.
She was kicking herself for not replacing John Dawlish from that protection detail. Amelia had thought they would be doing nothing more than keeping the crowd from mobbing Harry's group, Dawlish could handle that. She didn't have confidence in him to guard her or anyone else's back in a sticky situation though, an opinion that his latest actions had just confirmed as being accurate.
Even from her brief contact with Harry, and interrogating Susan for every scrap of information about the lad her niece knew, Amelia was certain Harry Potter would never run away and leave those witches and wizards in Diagon Alley to their dreadful fate. Not when he could cast a patronus, and half the people in the Alley would only be there because they had heard the boy-who-lived was visiting today.
-oOoOo-
Amelia's guesses were spot on. Harry simply couldn't leave all these people to their fate, not when he possessed the means to help. Prongs shooting out of his wand at least shut up that auror who was trying to drag them away to somewhere safe. Prongs was soon joined by Harry the Otter and Snorky, all three pushing the dementor horde back, allowing the people in the Alley precious seconds to reach the relative safety of the buildings. Their three patronuses quickly had company as Remus and the remaining two aurors had their silver animals pitching right into the battle too. Sirius and Xeno hadn't been idle either. They had first bundled Dan and Emma into Quality Quidditch Supplies, Sirius was then busy trying to get everyone off the street and into a shop for cover. Silver patronuses now coming from the other end of the Alley as well gave everyone hope these dementors could be held off until more help arrived - then the impossible happened.
Prongs and Hermione's 'Harry' both hit the same dementor simultaneously, causing an unholy scream to drown out most of the noise in the Alley. When Luna then had Snorky hit the same dementor the stag and otter were already harrying, the soul-sucking fiend simply disintegrated. As particles of deceased dementor began sprinkling down on the Alley like black snow, the world seemed to stop for a few seconds and try to make sense of what had just occurred. The rest of the dementors in the Alley, who had been busily attacking anyone they could grab, suddenly stalled in their actions - this had never happened to them before. A certain three patronuses however had no intention of stopping their attack, they now hunted their targets like a pride of lionesses - using teamwork to bring down their larger prey. In a total reversal of roles, the dark hunters from Azkaban had suddenly become the hunted.
When a second dementor had the misfortune to be destroyed by this trio of silver assassins, the rest of these foul creatures decided that was more than enough for them. They began leaving the Alley as quickly as they could, and moved in the opposite direction to wherever those three silver slaughterers were. Two more of their kind would meet their destruction as the entire horde fled the Alley in terror. Their withdrawal was quickly to became a rout - and a very dark day for the dementors.
Seeing people fighting back, and then recognising it was none other than Harry Potter leading this stand against the darkness, saw pockets of resistance being formed up and down the length of the Alley. With the dementors now in full retreat, some cheering began to be heard - and that was when the Death Eaters' spells started raining down on those same defenders.
Dolores was shitting herself in fear. She was not a warrior who fought in battles, more someone who would blindside their opponent without any risk to herself. Yet here she was, leading a group of five others in this attack. Her new master had claimed this was her chance to prove she deserved the honour of wearing his mark, Dolores acute sense of self preservation meant she wisely didn't argue with that opinion.
She had to admit, their Master's plan had been working brilliantly. The dementors caused mayhem amongst those in the Alley. As the panic generated by these witches and wizards built to a crescendo, they were then tasked with cancelling their disillusionment charms and opening fire - killing as many of these fools as possible.
As the resistance against the dementors rapidly and unexpectedly built, Dolores was left wondering just what to do next. Groups that could fight off dementors wouldn't think twice about firing back at Death Eaters the instant they became visible. Then she spotted who was spearheading the resistance and anger robbed Dolores of any cognitive thought processes whatsoever - other than knowing that little shit Potter simply had to die.
"Pick your targets and fire when I do - Avada K…."
Three stunners hit Dolores in the back while a fourth flashed past her toady form and took down the wannabe Death Eater at her side. The other four members of her squad were certainly criminals, after all they had been serving time in Azkaban. Watching dementors slaughtering witches and children was not something they wanted to be any part of though, hence the stunners aimed at the members of their group who did. Apart from not wanting to be branded by a madman, and face a death sentence if captured by the Ministry, none of them had any wish to return to Azkaban either. So the four got out of Diagon Alley as quickly as they could - leaving a stunned supposed comrade in arms and their squad leader to face their fates.
Emma was also terrified, clinging onto Dan for dear life as they sheltered in the strange shop's open doorway. Hermione was less than ten yards away from them but it might as well have been miles for how helpless both parents felt. Hermione was using magic they couldn't see to battle monsters that were also invisible to her parents - leaving them with no idea how the battle was playing out or how much danger the three teens were actually in.
Harry was just a bit over from Hermione, an auror at each shoulder while Luna was on his other side. Remus was keeping a close watch on her while Sirius was standing guard on all of them after ending up on the other side of the Alley. Xeno drew the double duty of ensuring the Grangers stayed safe while still keeping a close eye on their battling daughter.
Realising that, as muggles, neither Dan nor Emma could see what was happening, Xeno began to describe the battle. "Those three have some of the strongest patronuses I have ever seen. It's such a hard spell to master, I can't cast it. That's why we're allowing them to stand there and fight against the dementors, their spells are literally saving dozens of lives… Merlin - I don't believe it!"
"Xeno - what happened? You're killing us here."
"Sorry Emma, I just witnessed something I didn't think was possible. Those three worked together and just ended one of these monsters - they've just done it again!" Neither Granger might have been able to see what was happening but their crippling sense of dread seemed to be lessening - what had just transpired also left Xeno appearing as excitable as Dobby got over Harry thanking the little guy.
The pride in his voice at the three teens' achievements was dripping off every syllable. "This is amazing, it's something I didn't think was possible. The dementors are starting to leave - our children's patronuses are actually chasing them out the Alley. What we need to guard against now is Death Eaters attacking the defenders." Before Dan or Emma could say anything about that terrifying scenario, Xeno was already prepared with his answer.
"The instant curses start flying, I'm dragging Hermione in here along with you - where she'll be safe. Remus will do the exact same with my Luna, and so will those aurors guarding Harry."
When the curses started coming from the hidden Death Eaters, Xeno was already moving.
Bellatrix had completed her mission, her master's cup was safely tucked in an inside pocket of her robes. She couldn't resist watching the slaughter though - and then things quickly started to go very wrong for her side. She spotted those three powerful patronuses, and also who they belonged to.
Carefully making her way along her side of the Alley, she was hoping to get a shot at Potter. Bellatrix Lestrange would show Umbridge how to kill the boy, and this time he would be staying dead. The spells started to fly before she got into an ideal position, however she did have a clear shot at Potter's mudblood girlfriend. Hearing from her nephew how close these two were, Bella decided to blow her cover to take the shot. Killing his mudblood bint would certainly hurt the brat worse than any cruciatus, and there was no cure for that pain. Her killing curse flew true and the mudblood faced certain death, until someone shot out of a shop doorway and, intentionally or not, intercepted the fatal green beam.
Remus was rushing Luna toward Quality Quidditch Supplies when they both saw the entire scene play out as if in slow motion. They didn't even get time to shout a warning to Hermione before that green curse was heading straight toward her back, only for Xeno to run right into the curse.
Luna's heartbreaking scream of 'Daadddyyy…' alerted Harry something had just gone terribly wrong. He was able to take it all in at a glance as Luna sprang at Xeno's still form now lying on the ground, Hermione appeared unharmed but slumped down to her knees beside both Lovegoods in shock. The maniacal laughter refocused Harry's attention on the murderer.
"Wee baby Potter, another parent dies for you. It's time for you to do the same, Avada Kedavra.
Harry was moving before the curse even left the crazy witch's wand, his own wand was also very busy. As the deadly green curse hissed past his shoulder, a whip of flame shot toward an astonished Bellatrix Lestrange. She too dodged but, since the line of flame was still connected to the phoenix and holly wand, Harry was able to direct his curse exactly where he wanted it to go. The flame whip wrapped around her knees and then continued on growing, the deadly cord of flame coiling and climbing up her body. Bellatrix was screaming in excruciating agony as those super hot flames consumed all of her flesh that came into contact with it. She collapsed onto the ground, even losing fingers in a desperate but ultimately futile attempt at trying to pull the flaming cord off her body.
Her painful screams were so loud they drew the attention of every Death Eater in the Alley, Sirius and both aurors were kept busy deflecting curses away from Harry. Remus was shielding both girls, and then a curse coming in their direction saw Harry's temper explode.
His flame whip released the dying Bellatrix and was soon looking for more victims, especially those who had dared to fire on Hermione and Luna. It snaked off at incredible speed and two Death Eaters who'd been standing next to each other were suddenly a lot closer. That lethal cord of flame pushed the two of them together as it completed its deadly work.
Another more experienced Death Eater had been shielding behind a corner, poking out to fire off a few curses before retreating to the relative safety the stone wall provided. When Harry guided his whip around that corner though, the attacker was dragged screaming into the middle of the Alley. The whip was around the Death Eater's chest and quickly caused critical wounds to the soon to be deceased wizard.
After Harry had taken down Bellatrix Lestrange and then so graphically demonstrated that you couldn't even hide from his deadly attacks, the remaining Death eaters knew it was past time to get the hell out of Diagon Alley - it could only be a moment or two more before the ministry responded to this attack too - so they fled.
There was no cheering this time from any of the defenders, Diagon Alley being blasted, burning in places and littered with bodies was not something to cheer about.
Sirius made his way over and had his arm around his godson's shoulders. Harry was now shaking like a leaf in a storm, whether in realisation that he'd just killed at least four people or for what was now waiting on them when they approached the rest of their group - not even Harry really knew.
Xeno was laying where he fell, a distraught Luna draped over him. An equally upset Hermione was desperately trying to offer Luna any comfort she could. Emma hovered beside both girls, not really sure what to do in this situation. Harry was now down on his knees beside them too and, like Emma, he hadn't a clue what to do either. Earlier it had been so much easier to make decisions.
People needed help, he could provide that help - Harry didn't think a decision needed to be made. Harry also knew he was very protective of this group, especially Hermione and Luna. When they had come under attack, again there was no decision to be made. His rage may have escalated his response but he was always going to respond by going after those who tried to hurt people he cared about.
Now, faced with the reality and consequences of those supposedly easy decisions he had made, Harry was second guessing all of his actions today. Could that auror have been right? Should they have fled the Alley and left everyone to their fate? Those thoughts led to one conclusion that was inescapable, had they done so then Luna's father would still be with them.
Hermione letting out a loud shriek alerted all of them that the situation had just taken a turn for the worse. "Luna, don't leave. Stay with us - come back to us…"
As Hermione moved the unresponsive Luna's head to rest on her lap, her tear stricken face begged Harry to help. "She's gone Harry - just like she did when her mother passed away. You have to go after her, bring Luna back to us…"
Hermione didn't need to say any more, Harry left at once. Only Sirius having his hands supportively on his godson's shoulders allowed him to guide Harry's body gently the rest of the way to the ground. This was the scene Albus Dumbledore flamed into.
The two aurors were starting to panic. They'd protected their subject to the best of their abilities, only for Harry to now collapse. The new Minister of Magic was able to allay their fears.
"Aurors, you have done a fine job today and Mister Potter is currently in no danger." A quick glance around allowed Albus to see the signs of what must have been a brief but titanic battle. As usual, he had a solution to the immediate problem ready. "These two must have fought until exhausted, their grief being the final blow. Can you please get this group off the street and somewhere more secure? They will need some time to recover, sadly time alone can help lessen the tragic loss of a loved one."
"They have booked a private room at the Leaky Cauldron, Minister. If you're sure they're fine, we could take everyone there."
Albus thought that was a splendid idea. They were actually joined by a group from the Leaky Cauldron who had also been fighting back against the attack, Minerva and Hagrid amongst them.
Hearing what was said, Hagrid very gently lifted both Harry and Luna into his arms. He began carefully making his way to the Leaky Cauldron, carrying both teens as easily as if they were babies. A sobbing Hermione walked beside their large friend, wrapped protectively in her mother's arms.
Already knowing Hagrid was a good friend of Harry's, both aurors allowed this, walking in front and with their wands still drawn. They were the first of the group to see the aurors and their boss pouring into the Alley. Like Albus, Amelia was able to take in the aftermath of the battle at a glance. She also recognised Harry and Luna's condition, though needed to talk with her two aurors and discover the reason behind it.
"Bellatrix Lestrange attempted to murder Miss Granger, Mr Lovegood ran right into the killing curse. I don't even know if he saw it, he was just trying to get the girl to safety. Mister Potter then made sure Bellatrix Lestrange wouldn't be harming anyone else. Those three were also the reason the dementors fled, I think they killed four of them. Then Mister Potter used a flame whip charm to end about the same number of Death Eaters..."
"Well done for standing by him. Are you fit to continue your duties or do you need to be relieved?"
Both aurors stood a little straighter after hearing that. though neither wanted to be relieved. "Boss, nothing will harm him while we draw breath."
"I know that, and want you to stay with him until personally relieved of that duty by me. I will send someone to get your detail back up to full strength when we have a better idea of the damage here..."
This was met with two synchronised growls of answers. "Not Dawlish!"
Hearing Dawlish was suspended received a couple of nods before they quickly caught up with Hagrid again. Dan, Remus and Sirius were following on behind.
Albus was disillusioning Xeno's body, knowing it had to be left there until the D.M.L.E. could investigate exactly what happened. A white line appeared around the body, with the victim's name printed next to it. This let the investigating team know where the body was, whose body it was, didn't disturb any evidence yet stopped gawkers and offered the deceased some dignity.
"Are Mister Potter and Miss Lovegood really alright?"
"They are physically unharmed, Minerva. I doubt though if that could be classed as 'alright'. Miss Lovegood has lost her father while Mister Potter was forced to take lives - and probably blames himself for Xeno's death too."
Looking around the Alley, Albus came to a conclusion that he shared with Minirva and the newly arrived Amelia. "This is a massive blow for Voldemort. He took a very large gamble and lost, heavily. His dementors were chased from his chosen battlefield and some of his best people lie dead or injured on the cobblestones. While we too will certainly have suffered losses, I can't help feeling that this body here will deliver our biggest loss of all. Keeping the boy-who-lived in Britain was always going to be a difficult task, I fear that task just became impossible..."
Though neither voiced an opinion on the matter, privately both Minerva and Amelia thought so too.
-oOoOo-
After the number of times they had roved together, and how many hours they had spent sharing minds, Harry found it relatively easy to trace Luna. He always seemed to have some sense of where the girls were, and he used that sense to lead him to Luna. This was made easier by the fact she hadn't roamed far.
Harry spotted her, curled into a ball against a wall. That this wall belonged to the north tower of Tower Bridge and that the floor beneath her was the bridge's upper level walkway was neither here nor there. Luna was hurting so Harry settled down beside her, not even the traffic noise from below was able to drown out her sobs. She knew he was there so Harry just sat beside Luna, trying to work out what he was going to say to the hurting girl - he needed to get this right.
Eventually, Luna verbally acknowledged his presence. "I'm not going back, Harry. I can't go back. I've nothing left to go back to..." Instead of the expected argument, Luna was astonished at what Harry said next.
"I know, and I'm coming with you."
Luna just looked at him, waiting on Harry to say more. He didn't disappoint.
"I don't know how things like this work, Luna. You've seen my memories of the people who raised me, when the Dursleys attended church it was more to be seen by the right type of people. That means I certainly wouldn't have been welcome in their company at church. You think that going on will see you join your mum and dad, that's something I've wanted my whole life. If it doesn't work out like that, you could end up alone - I can't, I won't, ever let that happen to you. No matter what is decided here today, you have my promise - my oath - that you will never be alone again."
Luna was still crying but her attention never wavered from Harry. "What about Hermione?"
It took him a few minutes to answer, shedding a few tears of his own now. "I know she'll be heartbroken if we...leave." Harry had nearly said die, but stopped himself at the last second. Both he and Luna though knew that's exactly what they were talking about here. "She would be just as heartbroken if either of us left so me returning without you isn't going to avoid that pain. She would also chew my head off for returning without you. Remember, you have spent way more time snuggling with Hermione than I have."
"That's because you were sharing with one of us, the other just thought they were snuggling into you."
"There's going to be some serious disappointment then, because there is no way snuggling into me will ever feel as good as holding you or Hermione."
Now that she had started talking, Luna approached the big problem. "I'm an orphan now, what would happen to me if I went back?"
The answer from Harry was immediate, and comforting. "You're part of my family, Luna, and Hermione certainly considers you part of her family too. One day, that family might even grow."
"I remember how painful it was when my mum died, Harry, I don't think I could go through that pain again..."
"I swear you won't face it alone, Hermione and I will be beside you every step of the way - and be with you for as long as you need us."
"I might need you both for a very long time..."
"Since I began sharing minds with you and Hermione, it has been the happiest time of my life. Why wouldn't I want as much of that as I could get? We were three lonely people who found something together that's special - magical even. We had planned to face our futures together, that's still an option I would love to see happen, but I will understand if you can't face that future now."
They sat not speaking for a while, Harry waiting on Luna reaching her decision. Eventually she spoke her thoughts out loud. "Me leaving would break Hermione's heart, both of us going on though would destroy her. I don't think I could do that, I like her far too much. Hermione has been wonderful to me since that morning we met and we've gotten really close. I also tried to think of what my mum and dad would want me to do, all I could come up with was they would want me to be happy. Since meeting you and Hermione, I have been happier than at any other time I can remember."
Talking out loud seemed to solidify her decision. "I think we should go home now, Hermione will be worrying herself sick over both of us."
As they flew off the bridge and began heading in the direction of their waiting bodies, Luna had one more thing to say. "Harry, thank you for coming after me."
"I was always coming after you, and Hermione ordered me to bring you back to us. You know I hate to disappoint any of you."
"I think we need to get you in the middle, to test your theory that you're not as huggable as us."
"That sounds wonderful, but I think we need Hermione in the middle first. She's not likely to let either of us go anywhere again for days."
-oOoOo-
Hermione was already holding both of them. They were in one of Tom's bedrooms, Hermione was on the bed with Harry and Luna lying either side of her. The four adults were scattered around the room, with Harry's two auror guards outside the bedroom door. When Hermione felt arms tightening around her, those tears from earlier returned with a vengeance.
"I thought I had lost both of you. Luna, I'm so sorry. I never even saw that Death Eater..."
"My dad never saw her either, Hermione. He was just coming to get you and walked right into the curse. Remus and I saw the whole thing, it happened so fast we couldn't even get time to shout a warning."
Needy hugs and kisses passed between the trio as the teens began to grieve for the fallen father. All three privately thought they played a part in what happened to Xeno today, though each were also totally convinced the other two were innocent. In the end they would settle on the correct path, only Voldemort and his Death Eaters were to blame. However, reaching that path would take time.
After ensuring all three teens actually were physically fine, Emma shooed the three hovering men out the room. She understood some of the trauma these three had in front of them, there was never a good time to lose a parent but for both to be gone while a person was still in their early teens was a particularly harsh set of circumstances to deal with.
Knowing that Harry and Hermione were the best company for Luna at the moment, Emma was trying to give the trio that time they needed to begin the process of sorting this out. Hermione had told them Luna only discovered she could rove after her mother died - when she left her body and wanted to go with her mum. Xeno had certainly saved her life that day, just as Luna had then done the same with Harry inside Hogwarts.
The four adults coming down the stairs into the pub saw Hagrid and Minerva approach the group at once, Albus and Amelia too breaking off their discussions to discover if there was any news.
Sirius didn't keep them waiting. "The three of them are upstairs trying to put themselves back together. Today was pretty horrific all round, and those three were right in the middle of it. They were always going to struggle with their emotions after the battle, Xeno's murder just made the aftermath a hundred times worse."
Knowing the damage that had been done today to this group's relationship with magical Britain, Albus began the repair work. The seven were soon sitting in a booth, Hagrid's large shape occupying the end of the table and discouraging anyone approaching them. Tom did appear with a tray of drinks, his genuine enquiry after the teens health was met with a weak smile from Emma.
"I think they will be fine, Tom, it'll take time though."
Nodding at that, Tom had more to say. "I was upstairs preparing a room when the attack happened - it was horrible to watch. Then I saw Harry in the middle of the Alley, those two gutsy witches standing right at his side. It was the bravest and most beautiful sight I have ever seen. They used love to send those foul monsters packing - probably saving hundreds of witches and wizards in the process. Please offer Miss Lovegood all our condolences. The bravery she displayed today didn't deserve to be rewarded like that. I will say this however, Harry taking down that bitch Lestrange saw many a glass raised to him in here today. I don't think I'm alone in saying I feared her almost as much as her master, a right nasty piece of work who met a fitting end."
As Tom left, this was Albus' opening. "Mister and Mrs Granger, it simply can't be overstated how important the actions of those three were today. Voldemort sent a missive to the Daily Prophet, in it he promised to kill at least ten innocents for every Death Eater we executed. Today's attack was intended to see over a hundred innocent lives taken, those three were mainly responsible for that intention being thwarted."
Seeing Amelia and Minerva nodding their agreement with his assessment saw Albus push on. "I know saving all those innocent lives has to be balanced against your group losing Xeno, I doubt if any of those three still upstairs will think they got the best of the exchange. Ask yourselves this though, would any of you even hesitate to throw yourselves in front of Hermione, Harry or Luna to protect them. Knowing Xeno, he certainly wouldn't have."
Recalling those final moments, Emma related what had happened. "Xeno was almost bursting with pride at what those three were doing, he was trying to explain what was happening since neither Dan nor I could see a thing. He didn't think the dementors would be there by themselves and was ready to grab Hermione as soon as the Death Eaters appeared."
She may have tears running down her cheeks but there was no doubt of the commitment in her words as Emma continued her story. "Xeno died saving our daughter's life, I promise here and now we will do our very best to look after Luna for him. She had already forged a warm place in our hearts, Luna will have a permanent place in any home we have. That girl will never want for a loving family, not while Dan and I still live." Her husband's arm that was supportively around her shoulder squeezed a little tighter at that, showing Emma his approval.
This was something Sirius also approved of, he just laid it out differently. With the Minister of Magic and Director of the D.M.L.E. present, he took this opportunity to tell them what was going to happen here - before they got any ideas of their own. That brave young witch upstairs was going to have a hard enough time dealing with this, there was no way she was going to become a pawn to be used in the ministry's game of keeping Harry in Britain.
"Luna has plenty of options available to her. She can become a Granger, a Black - Harry would take her into the Potter family in an instant. She may even choose to remain a Lovegood and just live with us. The four of us sitting here, and my godson upstairs, will all ensure this will be Luna's choice - and she will get whatever she wants. Please excuse my brashness on this matter but the people on the other side of this table don't exactly have a good record of placing orphans in loving homes."
Seeing Albus, Minerva and Hagrid all embarrassed into silence by Sirius' dig at their placement of his godson, and any slight gains Dumbledore had just made completely swept away, Amelia took over.
"At this stage of the investigation, it would appear your group being in Diagon Alley had nothing to do with Voldemort's attack. Their objective was to murder so many innocent people we would be forced to postpone the executions planned for midnight tonight - they will be going ahead as scheduled. It would also seem Bellatrix was supposed to use the attack as cover to get a certain item out of her Gringotts vault. That item is now in our possession and will be dealt with shortly."
This raised a few grins from those in the know, Minerva and Hagrid not having a clue what was being talked about here. "As well as being the last item needing dealt with, we also have a little more good news. Dolores Umbridge was captured in today's attack and will be placed on trial shortly. She is currently telling us everything she knows about Voldemort, while claiming she was forced into taking the dark mark. She might actually be telling the truth about that, but I'm sure she will be guilty of enough to keep her off the streets."
Sirius then returned the favour with some good news for Amelia. "With Lucius Malfoy dead, I discovered in Gringotts today that I am in charge of the Malfoy family affairs until Draco comes of age. The first thing I'm doing is giving the ministry permission to access Malfoy Manor. Search the building from top to bottom, you can pull it down for all I care."
Amelia's wide smile soon turned into a frown as Albus just didn't know when to keep his mouth shut. "And what of young Draco?"
"What about him?"
"You're in charge of his family, surely you intend to make some sort of provisions for him?"
"Don't go there, Dumbledore, I might start looking closely at the provisions made for my godson. It's only Harry wanting to look forward, and not back, that's stopping me. Draco's education will be paid for, and he will receive a monthly allowance. Those arrangements were put in place while I was in Gringotts today - that will be the extent of my involvement."
Albus was clearly going to say more but Sirius again cut him off. "I wouldn't touch the Malfoy money, it's certain to be dirty. I will say this however, if Voldemort is still around when Draco comes of age - there won't be a knut in those vaults for him to inherit. I'll give the entire fortune away to some charity, rather than see Voldemort get his hands on it."
Amelia was about to agree with that, denying Dumbledore the opportunity to put his foot in it again. Before either of them could say anything, the group were interrupted by an auror.
"Excuse me, but the Prophet just rushed out a special edition. I thought you would like to see it at once."
A few copies were left on the table, the banner headline proclaiming the newspaper's victorious message.
Defiant Defenders Defeat Dementors
While neither Emma nor Dan could see dementors or patronuses, they could look at both in the moving photograph - though that wasn't necessarily a good thing. Looking at that picture was even more shocking to them than it appeared to be for those who weren't in the Alley earlier today.
The teenage trio, both aurors and Remus were spread across the Alley, using what seemed like ghostly animals to hold back a tidal wave of death. Place a scythe in a dementor's hands and you would have an instantly recognisable image of death incarnate - except there seemed to be a multitude of them.
Amelia was looking from this iconic picture to Remus, and then back again to the newspaper. Eventually she got her mouth to work well enough to say what she wanted. "You stood up to THAT?"
Remus had lived it and still was shocked at the picture, so could perfectly understand Amelia's question. "I think it would be fair to say Harry stood up to that, and we all stood with him. One of the things I'm proudest of is teaching Harry how to cast a patronus, he of course then taught both the girls. When in a battle, you're too busy concentrating on staying alive to stand back and see the full picture. That picture there really is something..."
As understatements go, Remus' was a cracker. The entire pub had fallen silent, people just staring at the picture on the front page.
Shaking his head, Dan was left to sum up the Grangers' opinion - Emma having temporarily lost her power of speech. "I'm actually glad we're not magical. I just couldn't have watched the 'live' version of that. I feel physically sick just looking at the photograph."
He didn't expect an answer to that, and Dan never got one.
-oOoOo-
Luna asked a question that she really needed answered. "What will happen to my dad? There will need to be arrangements made..."
The three were still holding on to each other as Hermione asked a question of her own. "What arrangements were made for your mum?"
"Oh, she was laid to rest on a plot at our house. I like to visit her, and take some of her favourite flowers... I think Daddy would like to be beside her."
Harry gently kissed Luna, before answering her original question. "Sirius will see to all the arrangements, he'll make sure whatever you want happens."
After such an emotionally, and magically draining day, it was perhaps unsurprising that the three began to doze. That was how Emma found them when she popped back up to check how they were coping, asleep in each others arms.
Chapter 14 - Conclusions
A startled Draco and Severus were suddenly confronted by at least a dozen wands. They took no comfort from the fact that the people holding those wands were all wearing auror robes, this mob had just invaded Malfoy Manor with motives that were as yet unknown.
"I demand to know what's the meaning of this intrusion?"
Amelia Bones made her way to the front of her aurors to confront this challenger. "And I would like to know what you are doing here, Professor Snape?"
"I am visiting my godson. I wasn't aware ministerial permission was now required for that activity." Severus actually began to relax as Dumbledore made his presence known.
"Ah, Severus. Can you tell us if there is anyone else in the manor, apart from yourself and young Draco here."
"Not to our knowledge, Minister. That was why Draco contacted me, his mother has gone missing too. We were just discussing whether he should come and live with me before being so rudely interrupted."
Having his godfather stand up for him brought some of Draco's bravado back. "I noticed you didn't answer my godfather's question, Madam Bones. Just what is the ministry doing, rushing uninvited into my home?"
Acknowledging that was a legitimate question from the young wizard, Amelia answered it. "Your mother and father were both suspected of being Death Eaters, we're here to arrest your mother and search the manor. Lord Black gave his permission for us to enter, I assume you know he is in charge of all House Malfoy affairs now."
Draco had no answer for that, but Severus was trying to get a message across. "Minister, there's a room in the house that appears to have been used for a dark ritual. It is also where we suspect Mrs Malfoy disappeared from. I would suggest limiting the access to that room until it can be properly investigated."
This immediately had Dumbledore worried. "Amelia, Severus will lead me to this room. Please join us when you have your search teams dispersed."
As the pair made their way up the wide staircase, Albus was able to have a private word with Severus. "Voldemort sent his forces to Diagon Alley today - did you know anything about this?"
"No. After giving me the task of discovering how Potter survived the dementor's kiss, The Dark Lord dismissed me from the meeting. I can only assume it was a massacre…"
"Luckily, Harry and his party were in the Alley at the time. They were able to drive off the dementors."
This had Severus' eyebrows heading for his hairline. "How many dementors did the Dark Lord send?"
"By the accounts we've heard, and the pictures we've seen - all of them."
Severus clearly didn't believe that but Albus continued to shock his spy. "Harry, Miss Granger and Miss Lovegood actually managed to destroy four of the creatures, the dementors fled Diagon Alley in fear. When the Death Eaters then attacked, Harry himself ended Bellatrix and Rabastan Lestrange's days as Death Eaters, along with a couple of new recruits from Azkaban. Bellatrix murdered Xeno Lovegood by accident, she was attempting to kill Miss Granger. Harry's wrath was mighty, he took all of those Death Eaters down with a flame whip curse."
Knowing that was some serious magic, and those were two of the most dangerous Death Eaters, Severus couldn't quite mask the surprise in his voice as he asked Albus another question. "Who was stupid enough to teach the boy that curse? Wait - it had to be Black."
The old wizard couldn't resist a small smirk as he gave the last answer Severus was expecting. "I was there when Amelia Bones taught him that curse, none of us envisaged it being used to such a gruesome and deadly effect as it was today."
Just entering the room was enough for Albus to detect the taint of the darkest of magical residue, studying the floor for a few minutes was all it took to confirm his worst fears. "Voldemort must be slipping to leave this evidence behind, or was in a great hurry to get out of here."
"He knew Black now controlled the wards, and arranged to meet Narcissa that evening to discuss the situation. It doesn't look as if there was much of a discussion."
"If I'm right, and I'm sure I am, Voldemort murdered Narcissa to power the darkest of rituals. I wonder what he did with the body?"
"With Nagini here, that wouldn't be a problem. That was supposed to be Diggory's fate in the graveyard, before Potter stole his body away…"
A female cough had both wizards turning, turning to find Amelia and Draco standing in the doorway. "I didn't know where this room was, Draco kindly agreed to show me…"
She never got to say any more as Draco confirmed he'd heard what had just been said, he exploded with righteous anger. "That sick bastard murdered my mother and then fed her to his snake - in our own home?"
"We don't know that for certain…" Severus was taken back at the ferocity of his godson's reply.
"You may not know for certain but you both think that's what happened. My father and mother are now dead because of him - yet you stand there and support the Dark Lord."
Knowing his answer would be crucial, Severus told his godson the truth. "Years ago, the Dark Lord threatened and then killed someone who was very important to me. I've worked against him ever since, doing my best to bring an end to the monster's life. You will now be spending the summer with me because, if that fact got out I would soon be dead too. I will need to teach you how to hide your thoughts - while also keeping you out of the Dark Lord's company."
"What about my aunt, won't she claim me?"
Knowing the information would be all over Britain very shortly, Amelia broke the news to the young wizard. "There was a Death Eater attack on Diagon Alley today, and Bellatrix Lestrange died in the attack." Seeing the expression of relief Draco wore at that news, Amelia decided he could stand some more.
"It was Harry Potter who took her down. She had tried to murder Miss Granger, instead killing Mr Lovegood. We also spoke to Lord Black regarding your situation, though at the time we had no knowledge your mother was missing as well. Your tuition to Hogwarts is paid and there will be an allowance for you too. He wants nothing to do with the Malfoy fortune - his only stipulation being that Voldemort doesn't get his hands on it. To that end, he's threatened to give every knut to charity if Voldemort was still alive when you reached your maturity. Given the current circumstances, I dare say some other agreement could be reached."
This was better news than Draco could have hoped for. "That bastard Voldemort won't get near the Malfoy gold, and that's one I owe Potter. I would have slept on the cobbles of Knockturn Alley before I would have stayed with that crazy bitch, I would have been safer in Knockturn too."
Albus was pleased that at least some good had come from this, as it would appear young Draco was no longer on the path to the dark side. Albus also needed to destroy the evidence Voldemort had left behind. "Amelia, it seems he's made another - using Draco's mother's murder to power the creation. I'm going to destroy all the evidence though, we daren't risk even part of the method needed to do this vile thing falling into anyone else's hands. I will make this a Ministerial Decree if you insist?"
"The last thing we need is more wizards attempting this disgusting ritual. I entirely agree - obliterate it."
Draco really didn't want to stay in the house where his mother met such a gruesome end, and that house was also currently being torn apart by the ministry. He left with his godfather, this beginning what for the now orphaned Draco was basically a new life.
-oOoOo-
The special edition of the Prophet was affecting lives the length and breadth of magical Britain - and not just because of its iconic front page picture.
In Longbottom Manor, Augusta had Neville standing beside her. Both held a glass of whisky in their hand - though Neville's measure of the amber liquid was considerably smaller than his grandmother's.
"Your friend Harry did a great service to the Longbottoms today, Neville. Two of the people who harmed our family met grizzly ends under his wand - while another was kissed by a dementor at the end of that tournament. That only leaves one more, and Rodolphus Lestrange lost his wife and brother today. I hope he suffers for a while before meeting his end, like our family has already suffered at his hands. I propose a toast - Harry Potter, friend of our family."
If Harry could face up to those horrible dementor creatures, and then fight Death Eaters, Neville reckoned he should at least be able to drink down this fiery liquid without coughing his lungs out. He couldn't see how his grandmother could possibly like this stuff - he thought it was disgusting and would be sticking to pumpkin juice for the foreseeable future.
-oOoOo-
Ginny Weasley couldn't take her eyes of the picture, or rather the central figure in the picture. This Harry was way better than any children's book, a real life hero who had already been awarded the Order of Merlin, First Class, before his latest adventure and daring deeds.
Here was the proof she was right, and all her family were in the wrong. Quite frankly, Ginny compared every boy she knew to Harry - and they all came up way short. Harry Potter was simply the best, and simply the one for her - Ginny Weasley would accept no substitute.
She was conveniently ignoring the two girls in the picture, that was until Ron leaned in and whispered to her.
"Still think you can take Hermione? Luna stood on his other side too. I know Harry, and the one thing he really values is loyalty. Those two witches stood beside Harry when he needed them most, he would now go toe to toe with Voldemort himself to protect them."
Rather than getting angry, it was a tearful Ginny who turned to face her brother. "Why are you deliberately trying to upset me?"
"I'm not, I'm trying to save you getting hurt. The only way to get close to Harry is through those girls, and they won't stand back to allow whoever likes to try to get off with him. Harry himself won't stand for anything like that either - knowing it would hurt those girls."
"But Luna's just started hanging around with them…"
"They're both very close to Luna, and she's just lost her father. Since Harry is already considered an adult, I think she'll be Luna Potter before long."
While Ron was meaning Harry would take Luna into his family, the name Luna Potter had entirely different connotations for Ginny. Having her surname become Potter was something little Miss Weasley had dreamed about for many years - and now it seemed her childhood friend, Luna, was going to beat her to the grand prize. The newspaper was forgotten as Ginny rushed from the common room, heading toward what was during the summer holidays her now private Gryffindor dorm.
She was fighting back the tears, though these were tears of frustration and anger - why couldn't things just go the way she wanted them to. This was not the time to lose it however, little Ginny Weasley would need a cool head to plan the next move in her scheme to make Harry hers. Ginny Potter sounded so much better than Luna Potter, she wasn't even going to think about the possibility of Hermione some day having that coveted last name.
-oOoOo-
Somewhat ironically, Voldemort was in a similar position to the little witch his diary horcrux once possessed. He too was desperately trying not to let his frustration and anger take control, the Dark Lord also needed to plan what his next move should be. He was also desperate to get his hands on Harry Potter, though certainly not for the same reasons as Ginny wanted to.
His plans to conquer were now laying in tatters, and once more it was Harry Potter who had thwarted him. After having years with nothing to do but plot a successful strategy for taking his rightful place as the ruler of the country, and he would so enjoy lording it over everyone, his meticulous plans to do so were proceeding along at a steady pace. Yes, Potter escaping the graveyard was a blow but not a serious one. He had planned to lay low, building up his forces until reaching a position where no one could stop him taking over the country. Having the ministry publicly brand Potter a liar kept those plans well on track.
Potter's accurate account of his rebirth appearing in that newspaper was another blow, but again not a fatal one. After hearing of Potter's demise however, he really had to act on the situation that piece of good fortune presented. Overpowering Azkaban was the right thing to do in those circumstances, and the highlight of his return. Then things had started to go wrong.
On discovering Potter had survived, Voldemort had not one shred of doubt Dumbledore would then do anything to retain control of his golden boy. That would seem to explain the old wizard now becoming Minister of Magic - a post he'd previously refused on numerous occasions. With the two hawks that were Bones and Longbottom standing at each of his shoulders, the former dove, Dumbledore, had been forced to take severe and decisive action. Once those Death Eaters that Wormtail had fingered were questioned using truth serum, the death penalty really was the only punishment the Wizengamot could apply.
This had proved to be a triple blow to his ambitions. Not only did this eventually remove the majority of his most experienced followers, it also cost him the wealth they brought to his cause. On top of that, pictures of those captured and tried death Eaters awaiting execution blew apart any possibility of a recruitment drive to his cause.
The Dark Lord understood today's attack had been rushed at every stage, from planning to execution. Again though, circumstances outwith his control had forced the timetable and his actions. Although anticipating a few casualties amongst the trainees, he had still expected the mission to be an overwhelming success. What he hadn't expected was Potter to be in that Alley, nor could anyone have predicted what effect the boy being there would have on the attack.
Chasing off those dementors was a feat probably only Dumbledore could match. That as many of his Death Eaters were killed or captured as there were victims of the attack was another massive blow to his cause. The real damage though was Bella, or rather what Bella was carrying.
With hindsight, it was probably too much to expect Bella not to take part in a battle - he'd just never expected the battle to turn against his Death Eaters. Now Bella had presented the ministry with one of his most prized possessions, this after that arse Malfoy allowed the one he was supposed to be guarding to be destroyed. There was no way Dumbledore wouldn't realise what that cup was, not after being presented with the destroyed diary by Potter - and hearing the story that went along with it.
While the ministry were executing their latest batch of convicted Death Eaters at midnight tonight, he would make his way down to the Gaunt shack and reclaim the treasure he concealed there decades ago. After definitely losing one, and it was looking more and more like another could be destroyed too, he might actually be forced to remove the one from the inferi cave for safety.
When it came to power, wealth or anything else individuals found desirable - nothing was more important to Lord Voldemort than his soul anchors.
He did manage to control his temper to a degree, Rodolphus was only held under the cruciatus for a minute or so. The fact the Dark Lord was still building up his power from the horcrux ritual played a far bigger part in that relatively lax punishment than any concern for the fact the person screaming had just lost his wife and brother. If Lord Voldemort had more numerous and competent followers, the Lestange line would have ended under his wand today.
Rodolphus would have died slowly and screaming in pain for his wife's failure today, if the last Lestrange wasn't now the most senior and capable Death Eater Lord Voldemort had left alive.
-oOoOo-
Luna found herself cocooned as the group made their way through and then out of the Leaky Cauldron. Harry and Hermione were the first layer, one at either side of her. Dan was just in front, with Emma behind. The outer layer was composed of Sirius, Remus and their auror protection detail. With Hagrid on point to clear their way through the crowd, they made it out of the pub without Luna being bothered by anyone.
Dumbledore and Madam Bones were there too as the seven piled into Dan's Range Rover. It was with a sense of deep regret Albus uttered the words he never thought he would say. "I fear that this is the last we will see of that group, and our country will be the poorer because of that."
While not disagreeing, Amelia answered the Minister of Magic the only way she could. "All we can do is continue on the path we've set before us. If we can make our country a safer and better place for everyone to live in, then we will have done our best. Whether that leads to Mister Potter staying or returning is immaterial - we have to govern for everyone."
"I know, Amelia, but you can't refute those same 'everyone' would be far happier knowing Harry Potter was with us for each step of that journey."
The Minister was right, she couldn't refute that.
-oOoOo-
"Eh, Dan, you're going the wrong way?"
The driver acknowledged Sirius was correct, before contradicting his assumption. "I know exactly where I'm going." Driving into the same small and once more deserted car park they'd used after picking the girls up from King's Cross, Dan then motioned for Harry to call their little friend.
Dobby soon confirmed none of them, nor the Range Rover, were being tracked in any way. "The house is ready for everyone and Winky has dinner waiting on her family. Dobby and Winky is most sorry, Miss Luna. We's really liked your father."
This drew the beginnings of a smile from the blonde girl. "Thank you, Dobby. Daddy really liked you both too. He was very happy with me finding such good friends - such good family..."
The little elf bowed to the hurting girl. "Dobby and Winky be honoured to call Miss Luna family."
With that, the little guy popped off and Dan headed the car in the direction of Grimmauld Place. Sitting behind her dad, Hermione reached out and placed her hand on his cheek as they got closer to Sirius' house. This was purely a precautionary measure since Sirius had told all of them the address, Hermione was ensuring that the muggle repelling wards didn't have her father swerving at the last minute.
What was once a coach house had now been converted into a garage, with the elves already having the doors open so Dan could drive straight in. A spiral staircase then led the group up into the house proper. The old house was now spotless and the cream coloured walls that greeted them at every turn accounted for the new paint scent that seemed to permeate the building.
"Harry, those elves of yours are miracle workers. This house has never looked so good."
As Dobby took their cloaks, and they entered the kitchen, Sirius was again full of praise for the two smallest members of their family. It was of course spotless, though still managed to be warm and welcoming. The aroma of Winky's delicious cooking easily masking any lingering aroma indicating that the room had also so recently been decorated.
Luna sat between Harry and Hermione, doing her best to eat what was put in front of her. Since all three teens had been performing heavy duty magic earlier in the day, their bodies required the fuel to replace what they had burned off maintaining their patronuses against such overwhelming odds.
It wasn't long though before Luna was making her excuses and heading off to bed, Hermione immediately saying she was going too. Emma and the Harry kissed both girls goodnight before Dobby led them off to the room he had prepared for them.
After waiting until the girls were out of earshot, Harry then had a request for his godfather. "Sirius, can you handle any arrangements needed for Xeno's funeral? Luna said her mother is buried on a plot near their house, and she thinks her dad would want to rest beside his wife. I'll find out more when I share with her tonight and let you know anything else in the morning. I'm hoping doing things this way will help shield Luna from most of it. One thing I already know, this will be a quiet funeral - the last thing Luna needs is it becoming some sort of media circus."
Sirius quickly agreed with all of that, seemingly easing Harry's worries. His next sentence though told all four of them Harry was already thinking ahead.
"You know this changes everything, don't you?" Four nods of reply saw Harry rise to head to bed as well. He too received a hug and a kiss on the cheek from Emma before Dobby appeared to show him where he was going.
-oOoOo-
Another young wizard was contemplating his future in entirely new surroundings. Draco was lying in a muggle bedroom that was probably smaller than the room that stored his brooms back at Malfoy Manor, he was determined to embrace this new life though. His godfather's house at Spinner's End may be muggle and tiny, but it had a superbly equipped potions lab built into a magically expanded basement.
He would spend the rest of the summer practicing his potions skills while working on how to occlude his mind. He had asked Madam Bones if she could lock down Malfoy Manor after they were finished searching it, Draco would return to the Malfoys' ancestral home only after his mother's murder had been avenged.
While the special edition of the Prophet had rightly lauded Potter's actions against the Dark Lord, Draco's own steps toward revenge would be much more Slytherin - less brash Gryffindor. While Draco would have to acknowledge he couldn't do what Potter had achieved in Diagon Alley, that didn't mean he was without skills his Gryffindor rival lacked.
Draco Malfoy was a pureblood through and through, the exact type of wizard the Dark Lord supposedly championed. Draco had learned the hard way though that there was only one wizard the Dark Lord championed - himself. He preached preservation of the old ways yet blatantly disregards or shatters them whenever it suited his needs.
One of the oldest magical traditions was that of hospitality - being an invited guest in another pureblood's home invoked a strict code of conduct that stretched back for centuries. Torturing your host in front of other guests was a serious breach of the old ways that should see someone shunned in proper company, murdering your hostess should have the rest of the pureblood community demanding the Dark Lord's head on a pike.
He was Lord Voldemort however, meaning his behaviour wouldn't be questioned. Draco certainly wasn't stupid enough to tackle the Dark Lord head on, he would leave those type of actions to the likes of Dumbledore, Bones and Potter. What he could do though was start eroding the Dark Lord's support amongst his peers at Hogwarts. With all the Death Eaters the Ministry had prosecuted and passed through the veil, there would be a load of angry teens in Slytherin and Ravenclaw houses. His task would be to redirect that anger where it belonged - straight at the Dark Lord. It wasn't the ministry who killed his parents, rather someone they trusted and invited to be a guest in their home.
Draco had learned enough from his father to know that the Dark Lord would now be hurting financially, his new mission would be to turn those who would one day inherit this currently lost wealth away from a cause that could see them murdered in their own homes. It might not be as direct as the methods Potter used to fight the Dark Lord but Draco was under no illusions his new chosen path was any less dangerous than that of the Gryffindor golden boy. He was just going to show everyone why the sorting hat couldn't really have placed him anywhere else but Slytherin.
-oOoOo-
The cold hand of fear had a grip of Lord Voldemort's gonads, and that grip was tightening by the minute. He was in total shock - how was this possible?
After visiting his mother's old shack, he couldn't believe that his ring horcrux was gone. He'd immediately dissapparated to the coast, taking some comfort from the fact it appeared no one had gone through his stone door since he had sealed it. That grain of comfort was now crushed under the weight of the reality currently facing him. Just looking in the basin was enough for Voldemort to determine this necklace was not his horcrux, it also didn't call to him as it should - it was clearly a fake!
The conclusions he was drawing here were leaving him more frightened than at any time since he left that orphanage as an eleven year old wizard - off to start a new life at Hogwarts. If whoever was searching for his horcruxes, realistically it could only be Dumbledore, had found his ring and locket, he would have to assume the diadem hidden inside Hogwarts would have been discovered too.
The seriousness of his mistake in using Nagini to house what would now appear to be his only remaining horcrux was beginning to dawn on Voldemort as well. The option of hiding Nagini away somewhere no one could find her didn't really exist, not without then having to assigning someone to care for his familiar. Since the ministry were now effectively hunting him and his followers, Nagini staying by his side could see her caught up in a battle. Any battle between his forces and Dumbledore's ministry would certainly see the air thick with lethal spells, this could easily see his beloved familiar struck down.
Apart from then rendering him mortal, his last horcrux being destroyed might affect him during the battle - just as he became vulnerable too. His debilitating fear of dying had been controlled and rendered immaterial by the safeguards his horcruxes provided, also helped greatly by the creation of his Lord Voldemort persona. Now this once conquered fear had just returned with a vengeance, and was leaving a scared Tom unable to decide what to do next.
He was no longer Tom though, and Lord Voldemort was still the most powerful wizard in Britain - he still had loyal followers too. What he didn't have was any idea on how to take this fight forward. The attacks on the Bones and Weasley homes had been aided by the fact his contacts inside the ministry were able to deactivate their floos. Since those contacts were no longer in place, attacking someone's home would simply see them use their fireplace to quickly reach safety.
The dementors hadn't returned to be under his command either, the terror at some of their brethren being destroyed saw them scatter to the four winds. He doubted if they would ever obey him again. The Dark Lord could only offer them the promise of souls to feed on - Potter had just demonstrated he held the power to extinguish their very existence. Voldemort actually doubted if the dementors would attack anyone again - now knowing the price they could pay for doing so. If they played it smart, small groups of them could easily sustain themselves by patrolling around some densely populated muggle areas. Providing the dementors weren't killing anyone, the ministry would be likely to ignore them while concentrating their efforts capturing his followers.
Lord Voldemort didn't have the option of doing nothing, nor could he afford to slink away and hide. He had to respond - and be seen to be responding if he was to remain a credible threat in the minds of the wizarding population of Britain. He would attack a muggle city, cause murder, mayhem and destruction, before retreating with his victory and leaving the ministry to try and clean up the mess he'd just made.
That plan was only for the short term though, he needed more information before committing to anything else. There was Potter for a start, no wizard that age should be able to do the things he could. His first thoughts were that the brat's mother had invoked some form of old magic by deliberately sacrificing herself to save her son, now Voldemort wasn't so sure. He had felt the boy's power in the graveyard when their wands locked, then Potter had done the impossible again by surviving a dementor's kiss - before destroying some of the same dark creatures in Diagon Alley.
The Dark Lord needed information, on Potter, Dumbledore and especially this thrice dammed prophecy - he really couldn't continue without knowing exactly what he was up against. Severus would be his best bet to get that information. He would give him some time before applying the pressure of a set time scale. One way or another though, the Dark Lord would acquire what he needed - or Severus' brewing days were over. He would shred his mind to discover anything the slippery Slytherin was hiding, leaving Severus with an intelligence that could probably be matched by that of a flobber worm.
Having the outlines of a way forward saw him regaining some of his lost control, the Dark Lord returned to the little boat. He needed to leave the cavern, and the attached cave before being able to apparate back to Riddle Manor. There was work to do.
-oOoOo-
There was absolutely no ambiguity surrounding the death of Xenophilius Lovegood. His murder had been witnessed by two aurors, as had the takedown of the person who murdered him. This allowed Xeno's body to be swiftly released to his family for burial, leading to the group standing in an Ottery St Catchpole that was bathed in summer sunshine. For the task they were here to take part in today, the weather really didn't mirror their mood - which was dull and depressing.
Sirius had made all the arrangements, as per Luna's wishes - passed on through Harry, so the only other people here today were the Lovegoods' closest neighbours, the Weasley family.
The setting was a beautiful little glade, the Lovegood house visible through the trees. No one was looking in that direction though, all eyes were on the coffin that was resting on trellises beside the deep hole in the ground.
If it wasn't for the task they were here to do today, Hermione thought this could be a beautiful spot to have a picnic and spend a quiet afternoon snuggling with Harry and Luna. The fact that she and Harry currently had their arms wrapped around a crying Luna destroyed that pleasant dream of what could have been.
Ron was sitting on Hermione's other side, with her parents, Sirius and Remus in the row of seats behind. The rest of the Weasley family were seated in another couple of rows to the back of those, and it was from here Arthur stepped forward to say a few words.
"It doesn't seem so long ago I stood here and spoke about Mia, while Xeno sat there with his beloved daughter in his arms. I don't have the words to express how sorry I am to be back here again, though I take some comfort from seeing Luna wrapped in the arms of those she loves. I'm told that Xeno spent his last moments proudly watching Luna and her friends save dozens of lives as the dementors attacked Diagon Alley. No one is really sure whether Xeno saw the curse that took him from us but I don't think that matters. Knowing him as I did, Xeno would have made the choice to save a young witch who is regarded as family to all of us here today. That Luna will be cared for while he rests besides the witch who was the love of his life means that Xeno's rest will be a peaceful one."
The three teens were in bits at Arthur's words, Ron's hand resting supportively on Hermione's shoulder. All were surprised when Dan was next to stand beside the coffin to say a few words.
"As a father, there is simply not enough words in any language to express my gratitude to the man who saved my daughter's life. It's as a father though that I make this promise beside the final resting place of Xeno and Mia. Your daughter was rapidly becoming someone we considered as family, an option my family would be more than happy to make official - if that's what Luna wants. Whether or not she choses that option, I promise she will always be welcome in any home the Grangers own. Emma and I will love her like a daughter, regardless of what she choses her last name to be."
At that, Dan was joined by Remus. His wand soon lowering the coffin into the prepared hole. Sirius and Emma helped the four teens forward to pay their last respects, Sirius actually provided single roses for them to throw down onto the coffin. This proved to be Luna's breaking point, resulting in Harry and Ron leading both girls away. They didn't think either Luna or Hermione would want to see Remus and Sirius using their wands to fill the hole with the mound of earth sitting under a disillusionment charm.
Molly hugged all of them, then Fred and George offered their condolences too. Harry thanked Ron for being a great help today before calling Dobby to take the three of them home to Grimmauld Place. Remus and Sirius would be right behind them, bringing Dan and Emma along too. The horrible task the group had been faced with had gone about as well as could be expected, funerals were about enduring the event as best one could.
Ginny had been stuck at her mother's side, and not by her choice. Ginny had been allowed to attend on the condition she went nowhere near Harry today. When it was her father setting those limitations, Ginny had no other option than to accept them. That didn't mean she had to like the situation though, and she didn't. Ginny just didn't know how to change it.
-oOoOo-
The papers were full of Voldemort's attack, both magical and muggle versions. Then again, when you cause tens of millions of pounds worth of damage to one of the biggest gothic cathedrals in Europe, a few obliviates is never going to cover that up. The eighty nine men, woman and children who were murdered when the Dark Lord led his Death Eaters on a rampage in York also meant the story was never going to be contained by the magical community. The story had gone global, with pictures and even some video of these strangely dressed terrorists appearing all over the media. The British Ministry of Magic now had its hands full trying to deal with the situation, meaning their eyes weren't looking elsewhere.
This had helped them with their timetable, the decision already having been made. It was another piece of paper Sirius held in his hand that was causing his emotions to be all over the place though, and leaving him wondering if fate really did like having a laugh at his expense.
On Harry's return visit to the opticians, Sirius thought the optician herself was even more beautiful than he remembered from last week - she also seemed a lot more responsive to his flirting. Now knowing her name was Claire, and she was single, left Sirius taking a gentle ribbing from Remus and Dan while the aforementioned Claire was busy retesting Harry's eyes.
Both returned with smiles on their faces as Claire headed straight for Sirius. "Whatever that accident was, it seems to have affected Harry's vision in a positive manner. His vision isn't quite perfect yet but I think it would be a crime to hide those beautiful green eyes behind glasses. Have him tested again in about six months to see how his vision settles down."
She then passed Harry's prescription over, blushing as she did so. "You can bring him back here to be tested, but you don't have to wait six months if you want to give me a call. I've attached my number to his prescription, my personal number..."
Claire was clearly waiting on a response and Sirius was left not knowing what to say. Eventually he just blurted out the truth, well enough of it anyway.
"We're actually getting on the ferry when we leave here, and don't know when we'll be back in Britain - or if we're coming back."
The disappointment was clear on Claire's face, as well as some anger but all she said was 'oh'. It took Emma stepping in and explaining the situation somewhat before Claire realised she wasn't being brushed off here. She didn't look the type who would regularly hand her phone number out to strangers and Sirius was certainly interested in the beautiful optician. Emma also loved playing matchmaker.
"We really are leaving today on a bit of an adventure but that doesn't mean Sirius can't keep in touch until we get settled somewhere in Europe. If you two hit it off, Sirius can easily pop back to Britain for a day or so..."
Sirius knew what Emma meant by 'pop back' but Claire didn't. "You would travel that distance, just to see me?"
"I would travel as far as I had to..." The words were out before Sirius could even think about what he said. Since Claire was now smiling again, he didn't mind that cheesy line. Promising to get himself a mobile phone and give her the number, Sirius left the opticians with a spring in his step - and trying to ignore the smirks of the three teens.
It was a happy crew who drove onto the ferry in the Range Rover. As the ferry then headed for Dieppe, Harry, Hermione and Luna were standing on the deck, looking back at the country they were leaving. Hermione asked the question they were all wondering about. "Do you think we'll ever come back?"
With Harry standing in the middle, Luna leaned into him and gave her opinion. "Everyone I care about is on this boat. As long as we're together, that's all that matters to me."
Harry gave a more considered answer. "I need to keep those close to me safe, that's just not possible in Britain at the moment. One day I hope we can return, even if only to see our friends."
"I think Sirius will certainly be returning to Newhaven, he was making eyes at your optician..."
Hermione's 'joke' drew more groans than laughter, though all three would be delighted if Sirius found a bit of happiness in his life. He certainly seemed happier that a beautiful woman appeared interested in him, and who knew what the future would hold - for any of them.
End of Part 1