Peter Pettigrew was in misery. He had not left this cell in nearly two
years! The wards here prevented him from turning into his Animagus
form as well. There was a mad glint in his eye as he laughed,
watching the warden who was approaching him. The man was going
to inspect his cell all alone? Without any backup? The fool! But of
course, he was poor little Wormtail who was not talented in magic. It
was always about James and Sirius ... who remembered poor little
Peter when the Potter and Black heirs were nearby? Those two had
everything ! The money, the brains, magical power, good looks and
dozens of pretty girls running after them, craving their attention …
and what did he have? Nothing!
It didn't take long for him to kill the pitiful wizard in his anger.
Picking up the dead warden's wand, Peter transformed for the first
time in two years now that he was out of his cell. Scurrying about, he
found his robes in the place where he was forced to remove them.
Peter was glad that the secret pouch in the robes was enchanted by
a spell taught to the Death Eaters by the Dark Lord himself. No one
knew about it and it could not be detected by common D.M L.E.
employees. Wearing his old clothes and checking if he had his
master's wand with him, Peter transformed to get closer and quickly
cast the Imperius Curse on two of the high-level wardens. That, in
turn, led to them going into their office to retrieve the ward scheme
for the cell doors.
The mad glint in his eye showed how happy he was at the sight of
the doors of nine other cells opening wide an hour later. Ha! So
much for high-security prisoners! The stupid Ministry relied too much
on Dementors! It was something Dumbledore used to complain
about back then but nobody listened to him. There was also very
limited security provided by the Aurors on weekends because nearly
all the Aurors and wardens let the Dementors do the job, not wanting
to be there more than five days a week; something which went
unnoticed by Head Auror Rufus Scrimgeour until now.
"Hello Wormy," said the babyish voice of Bellatrix as she grinned
widely. "Looks like you've finally done something useful with that
ability of yours. Maybe we can play with the wardens for a while."
"We need to leave, Bella," said Rodolphus Lestrange firmly, taking
her hand in his, giving it a soft squeeze, happy to be reunited again.
"Dolohov, did you get the wands from the vault in the Head Warden's
office?"
Dolohov nodded as he passed their wands back to the rest.
"Let's not waste our chance," snarled Rookwood. "Move!"
"Don't worry about the Dementors," said Bellatrix, with a mad grin
painted on her face. "I have had twelve years to convince them."
"To the Dark Lord!" whispered Rabastan.
Harry's face was devoid of all emotion as he sat in the Great Hall at
Hogwarts. His breakfast was left untouched. Sitting beside him was
Dylan, shaking in fear, face pale, as he read the headlines on the
Magical Daily newspaper.
MASS BREAKOUT FROM AZKABAN!
Ten high-security prisoners escape the former escape-proof fortress!
LESTRANGES AT LARGE AGAIN!
Peter Pettigrew suspected of helping Death Eaters escape using his
rat Animagus – wardens found dead at Azkaban
SENSOR NET AROUND BRITAIN AND IRELAND
STRENGTHENED
International Floo and Portkey travel tightened
"BOY-WHO-LIVED A MAJOR TARGET," SAYS MINISTER FUDGE
Muggle Prime Minister warned about impending attacks on the
Muggle world
"BE VIGILANT," WARNS DIRECTOR AMELIA BLACK, HEAD OF
THE D.M.L.E.
"Aurors deployed all over the country. Please cooperate with them,"
says Head Auror Rufus Scrimgeour
DEMENTORS TO HELP WITH THE SEARCH – TO ALSO BE
STATIONED AT HOGWARTS SCHOOL
"We cannot rely on Dementors; they are as dangerous as the
escaped convicts," says Chief Warlock Albus Dumbledore
"WE HAVE EVERYTHING UNDER CONTROL," says Minister
Fudge.
How far is the truth?
KNOW YOUR ENEMY –
Antonin Dolohov – convicted of the brutal murders of Gideon and
Fabian Prewett
Augustus Rookwood – convicted of leaking highly classified Ministry
of Magic information to You-Know-Who
Peter Pettigrew – convicted of the betrayal that led to the murders of
James and Lily Potter and also the illegal incarceration of Sirius
Black and deaths of thirteen Muggles
Maximus Jugson – convicted of the brutal murders of the members
of the Ancient and Noble House of McKinnon
Timothy Travers – convicted of the murder and decapitation of Benjy
Fenwick
Thorfinn Rowle – convicted of the brutal murders of Edger Bones
and other members of the Ancient and Noble House of Bones
Thaddeus Mulcibur – convicted of placing the Imperius Curse on
several employees of the Ministry of Magic
Bellatrix, Rodolphus and Rabastan Lestrange – convicted of the
torture and permanent incapacitation of Frank and Alice Longbottom
People everywhere were shocked to stillness, terrified at what they
were reading. Newspapers were being read and the Magical Daily
News channel on the newly developed E-Mirror was running in all
households as they listened to experts give information on how to
ward and protect your home. The sales of the mirrors increased
drastically as the others fled to the stop. Information such as that
was pure gold.
"That's him?" asked Dylan in a small voice as he looked at the
snarling moving photograph of Rabastan Lestrange.
"Yes," said Harry quietly.
"I can see the resemblance somewhat. Harry, what are we going to
do?"
Harry remained quiet, staring at Dumbledore who was quietly talking
to Severus Snape. "I don't know; I just don't know."
Harry gritted his teeth as he searched for that blasted diadem. He
had been at this for nearly two months now. Because of the
memories he had accessed when he saw the diary and Hufflepuff's
Cup, he was able to know the location of the other Horcruxes.
Ravenclaw's diadem was here somewhere in the Room of
Requirement. The ring was placed in the shack that once belonged
to the Gaunts, but Harry had no idea where the hell that was.
Slytherin's locket was in a cave, the location of which Harry didn't
know. It was turning out to be frustrating because the room here was
so huge that it was difficult to locate the diadem!
Turning into his Animagus form, the golden eagle soared above the
junk, occasionally landing on something so that he could observe. It
had been a week since the Death Eaters had escaped Azkaban and
Harry was on edge. The reason was twofold – one, the Death Eaters
were out there, especially Bellatrix who would love to get her hands
on the Boy-Who-Lived. Two, there were a bloody hundred
Dementors outside Hogwarts castle.
Harry hated the Dementors. The day after they had arrived, when
Harry had gone for his usual morning run, he felt something he had
never felt before. The cold was horrible and the grounds were dark.
He could feel the negative emotions in the air, making him miserable.
Bad memories resurfaced but thanks to his Occlumency, he was
able to shield himself long enough to get back to the castle. He had
since been working out in the Room every morning along with
practising the Patronus Charm after having been explained the
theory by his Aunt Amelia. Merlin knows he didn't want to be
defenceless with those beasts around.
Flying back to the ground, the eagle transformed back into a human
as Harry used the point me spell again. He had done this so many
times that he felt like burning the entire place with Fiendfyre and be
done with it! But he couldn't do that. For one, there were some really
good treasures here that he was quietly shipping off to Potter Castle
using his elves. Really, no one was going to miss it. Another point
me spell showed the bust of an ugly witch with a diadem on it.
Another memory slammed into his mind.
He laughed loudly as he removed the diadem of Rowena Ravenclaw
from under the tree stump in Albania. Stupid Helena; did the ghost
really think he would help her and return it to Hogwarts as a lost
treasure? Never! He was Lord Voldemort. It belonged to him and him
alone. He would turn it into a Horcrux at the first available
opportunity. Then, it would be returned home. He would place the
diadem in the one place he was confident no one other than him
knew about at Hogwarts; right under Dumbledore's crooked nose.
Harry gasped as he came out of the memory. This was the Horcrux.
Levitating it from on top of the bust, he asked the Room to change.
The surroundings shimmered and a ritual room appeared with a
book on a pedestal. Harry smirked. This was the ritual he and Sirius
had found in the Potter library – an ancient cleansing ritual that got
rid of the taint of dark magic on any device. It would not get rid of the
Horcrux, but it would take care of any lingering dark magic to make
the diadem taint-free.
Harry placed the diadem on the ground. Pointing his wand at the
item, he summoned all the hatred he could muster.
His eyes were an eerie blackish-green as he snarled, " Avada
Kedavra! "
A jet of pale green light impacted the diadem, making it wobble and
scream loudly. After it stopped moving, Harry checked the diadem for
the soul piece using the spell which Sirius had found in the book of
Scorpius Black III. It had been destroyed.
Levitating the diadem to the ritual pentagram, Harry began chanting
the words in ancient Greek as he walked around the diadem. Fifteen
minutes of chanting later, he found the diadem to be red hot. With a
final incantation, he swished his wand, pouring water on it. Slowly
picking up the diadem, he scanned it. From what he could tell, there
were no more additional spells cast aside from what Rowena cast
herself. Swallowing his nervousness, he placed the diadem on his
head and closed his eyes.
One hour later, Harry's lips curved into a smile. "Lady Rowena, you
were a genius," he whispered to himself. The diadem innocently
glinted under the light from the fireplace.
The diadem of Ravenclaw did not bestow the wearer with superior
intelligence. It actually worked on a more fundamental principle in
that it allowed the wearer to remember everything he had in his mind
– an artificial eidetic memory. Harry, being a natural Occlumens
already possessed a perfect recall memory, but he had been unable
to access Voldemort's memories which were in his mind. He had
only gained the passive abilities from those memories, helping him
with his practical application of magic, making it much easier for him
to learn it in the process.
But now, thanks to the diadem, Harry was able to access all of
Voldemort's memories which were in his mind. He would truly learn
from the Dark Lord like a student would from a teacher by viewing
the memories. He would be the Dark Lord's equal, even if would take
some time and a lot of effort.
Most importantly, as he accessed more memories, he would be able
to know the location and defences of the rest of the Horcruxes.
"Mr Lestrange, the Headmaster would like to speak to you," said
Professor McGonagall, giving the boy a rare smile. "Please stay
behind after class."
Oh, Merlin , thought Dylan. He nodded to her but gripped the locket
with the Potter crest that was hanging from around his neck. It was
something which Harry had given him after the mass breakout from
Azkaban; he had seen Daphne wear a similar one too. Harry had
said that if Dylan ever needed him, to grip the locket tightly and call
for him. It was connected to the locket which Harry wore himself.
Once the class was over, Dylan was being escorted to the seventh
floor when Harry came towards them from one of the corridors
leading to the Head's office.
"Ah, Dylan," he nodded. "You're already here. Good, let's go."
"What are you doing here, Mr Potter?" asked Professor McGonagall
in surprise. "Mr Lestrange has a meeting with the Headmaster."
"I know, Professor," said Harry. "That's why I'm here."
"I'm afraid I don't understand," she frowned at him. "What does that
have to do with you?"
"I have this letter here from our guardian, Lord Sirius Black, which
says that Dylan is not to meet the Headmaster unless I'm present at
all times. It's just a precaution."
"Mr Potter," said Professor McGonagall sharply. "I do not like the
implication you have just made."
"It's no secret that Sirius and I don't trust the Headmaster," Harry told
her. He turned to the gargoyle and said, " Acid Pops. "
Professor McGonagall wondered how Harry had known about the
meeting so quickly, not to mention how he knew the password to
Dumbledore's office. Maybe it had something to do with his title as
Lord Gryffindor? She knew for a fact that Dumbledore was not at all
pleased when that information had come to light. She wondered
what other powers Harry had over the castle.
When he heard a knock on the door, Albus Dumbledore smiled as he
called, "Come in."
But this good mood was spoilt when he saw Dylan Lestrange being
escorted by Harry Potter. It was not that Harry wasn't welcome, but
not at this particular meeting. How was he to influence Dylan if Harry
was here as well?
"Harry, what are you doing here?" asked Dumbledore, looking
confused. "I asked only for young Dylan."
'Ah, using his first name like you do mine so as to induce familiarity,
just as Sirius said you would. We already know of that trick, you old
goat.'
"Oh, I know you only asked for Dylan," said Harry calmly as he
casually put an arm around the younger's boy's shoulders; the height
difference was quite noticeable. "But I have a letter from our
guardian saying that if you want to talk to Dylan, I am to be present
at all times. Nothing against you, Professor, but it's just that I feel
protective of him."
"I see," said Dumbledore as he looked at the sheet of parchment.
The seal of the Head of House Black was present. "Well, in that
case, do sit down."
Harry sat down regally as always and Dylan sat next to him, looking
around curiously. His eyes lit up when he saw the phoenix which
trilled at him happily, something which Dumbledore did not overlook.
"Ah, I see you have noticed my familiar," said Dumbledore smiling
happily. "This is Fawkes. He is a phoenix, Dylan. Fascinating
creatures, phoenixes. They can carry immensely heavy loads, their
tears have healing powers second to none and they are also
amazingly loyal. In fact, young Harry here would not be sitting with
us today if not for Fawkes healing him last term."
"Yes," said Harry, his voice devoid of emotion. "He likes me and I'm
fond of him as well."
Dumbledore chuckled, wondering mentally if it was a good sign. Did
Fawkes really like him? Did that mean there was hope to bring Harry
back to the light? Mentally he was dancing in joy! He hadn't done
that in a while. Those Dementors reminded him of what happened to
his father and how he had died in Azkaban, bringing bad memories
of Ariana and Gellert to the forefront of his mind. He really hated
those creatures and was disgusted that they were stationed so close
to Hogwarts, a school filled with children.
"It's nice to finally meet you, Dylan," Dumbledore smiled warmly.
"How have you been adjusting to Hogwarts over the past two
months? I have heard from all your teachers that you are doing quite
well in your classes."
"It's much better than my earlier life, Professor," said Dylan smiling
brightly, but Dumbledore noticed that the boy would not meet his
eyes.
Dumbledore sighed, shaking his head sadly. "It truly is sad what
happened to you, my dear boy. I'm sure life has not been easy for
you, but as I always say, happiness can be found even in the darkest
of times. You need to look for the light, young Dylan."
Harry mentally snorted as he gave points to Dumbledore. What a
fine way of telling Dylan that the 'light' was good and the 'dark' was
bad, especially given the recent escape of the boy's father and the
rest of the Death Eaters.
"My life was turned around when Harry and Uncle Sirius found me,"
said Dylan, looking at Harry with respect and affection shining in his
eyes. "I found two adults who decided to take me into their family
and a big brother I know I can always count on. When I have them,
what more do I need?"
Dumbledore raised his eyebrows in surprise. "Ah, yes," he said
slowly. "I'm quite curious about how you bonded so quickly. For
someone who met only about four months back, you have already
established that you consider each other siblings. Curious, wouldn't
you say?"
"Oh, I don't know about that, Professor," said Harry, leaning back in
the chair as he crossed his legs, looking very much like a prince of
the realm. "Dylan and I have a lot of things in common and it was
easy for us to bond. Both of us are technically orphans and were
raised in an abusive environment. I spent several days in the
hospital with him when he was there and we just clicked. I,
unfortunately, will never be able to have siblings considering that my
parents are dead, but if I wouldn't trade Dylan for anyone in the
world."
"Hmm," said Dumbledore, stroking his beard. He had
underestimated just how much Harry cared for the boy.
"How are you feeling about the whole incident with Azkaban, Dylan?"
asked Dumbledore gently. "I'm sure it is not easy knowing who your
father is. He was actually a nice boy when he was your age. Sure,
he and his brother had a tendency to practice the Dark Arts, but no
one could have imagined them turning into something like this. They
were enamoured with Lord Voldemort and his ideals and it twisted
them. I know it is not easy being Rabastan's son, knowing that he
has escaped Azkaban and is roaming free."
"Where are you going with this, Professor?" asked Dylan slowly. "If
you're worried that I would seek out my father then you are worried
about nothing. I know that he will kill me the second he realises who
I am. He may be my father, but Harry, Uncle Sirius, Aunt Amelia and
little Rigel are my family now."
Dylan felt his hand being squeezed comfortingly and he let out a
shaky breath. He had not felt very certain about that last part,
wondering if they truly thought of him as part of the family but this
was certainly a confirmation. His chest tightened as he felt a warm
emotion in his heart.
"I'm happy for you, my boy," said Dumbledore, eyes twinkling. "It is
for that reason I must insist that you stay at Hogwarts over the winter
holidays. It is not safe to leave the confines of the school and the
wards would more than compensate for any lack of protection which
would be provided to you. You need to be safe."
"Excuse me?" said Harry haughtily. "Déjà vu, Headmaster. I seem to
remember something similar about me staying at Privet Drive for my
own protection. Lack of protection? Do you think we would abandon
him somewhere during the holidays? Absolutely not! Dylan is not
staying here alone. I repeat, the war wards I can raise around Potter
Castle are more than sufficient to keep us safe. Black Manor too is
quite safe and I don't think Bellatrix would be stupid enough to attack
us there. Hogwarts is actually the last place we should be. I don't
deny the wards around the castle are excellent, but they are severely
compromised due to the thousands of students who have been here.
Secrets can be learnt; they don't stay secret for long."
"I am only looking out for him, Harry," said Dumbledore, shaking his
head. "Just like how I was looking out for you when I said that you
should have returned to Petunia. But you never listened and now
that her family has moved away, there is no point in talking about it."
Harry's eyes grew colder. "Is that all, Headmaster?"
Dumbledore sighed as he dismissed them. Well, he did learn some
valuable information, but he had never expected for a moment for
the insistence of staying at Hogwarts would work. He needed people
to check the wards around Potter Castle, just in case.
"Severus, can you come up to my office, please?"
" Expecto Patronum ," chanted Harry. A bright silver mist formed
from the tip of his wand, but it didn't take a corporeal form.
"Why wouldn't it work?" said Harry, his eye twitching in annoyance.
"You're trying too hard," said Daphne, pushing him back on a soft
armchair. "You need a distraction."
"And what would that be?" he asked, smiling slightly. Daphne
smirked as she sat down next to him and cupped his face, nuzzling
his face against hers.
"Do you want me to tell you or show you?" she whispered lightly as
she kissed his cheek.
Wrapping one arm around her waist and another stroking her soft,
wavy dark blonde hair, Harry leaned forward and captured her lips
with his. They moved in sync as they both smiled into the kiss.
"Maybe I should use this for a happy memory," said Harry, smiling at
her. He looked into her deep blue eyes as his smile slowly faded.
"Daphne, what is love?" he asked curiously.
"What?" asked Daphne, blinking owlishly at his sudden question.
"Love," said Harry slowly. "When someone says that they love you,
what does that mean ?"
Daphne's heart melted at the innocent question posed to her by her
fiancé. Her eyes filled with furious tears when she realised that Harry
had never grown up feeling such emotion. Thanks to his less than
happy childhood and his natural Occlumency barriers, he tended to
suppress his emotions nearly all the time. He was emotionally
stunted, so naturally, unused to emotion, so he didn't know what love
meant, having never experienced the warmth of a mother's hug. Had
Harry been raised by his parents or Sirius, they would have identified
the problem and sought out Mind Healers at an early age, but
without help, he was feeling overwhelmed and confused. No one had
explained it to him for him to understand.
"Love is an emotion when –" she began but didn't know what to say.
How do you explain love? "It is a strong feeling of affection you feel
for someone you care about. There are different forms of love. There
is romantic love between two romantic partners. Then there is
parental love which one feels for their mother and father or the love a
parent feels for their child. There is the sibling love which one feels
for their brother or sister. It comes in various forms and intensity and
it can be a wonderful thing."
"Really?" asked Harry, looking thoughtful. He sounded like an
inquisitive four-year-old child. Sadly, when it came to understanding
emotions, Daphne's assessment wasn't far from the truth.
"Do people who love someone care deeply for the other?"
"That's how it is supposed to work, yes," said Daphne slowly. "In its
truest form, when one person loves another, be in any form of
relationship, you tend to think of them and their happiness before
yourself. Your parents stood in front of Voldemort and fought him till
their dying breath to protect you. That shows how much they loved
you."
Harry swallowed. He had never thought about love like that before.
"Is that the parental love you were talking about?" he asked. "Then
what about what I feel for Sirius and Aunt Amelia?"
"That is also another form of parental love," explained Daphne
patiently. "They are the closest thing you have to parents and they
treat you like their own son. They obviously love you and I'm sure
you care deeply about them too."
"What about Dylan and Astoria?"
Daphne smiled slightly. "I know that both of them care deeply about
you. Dylan's adoration for you is clear as day for anyone to see it. He
idolises you and I can't tell you how much it meant to him when you
called him your brother in front of everyone in the Great Hall. Astoria
might be sarcastic towards you and may tease you constantly, but
that's her way of showing that she cares. Love can be expressed in
all kinds of ways."
Harry's eyes moistened despite himself. "What about you? Do you
love me?"
Daphne wrapped her arms around his neck and nuzzled her face
against his. "I do love you, Harry," she said softly. "I love you very
much."
"I – I think I love you too," whispered Harry as they cuddled on the
armchair in front of the roaring fireplace, lost in their own world.
The Quidditch season had finally started at Hogwarts. Roger Davies
was now made the Ravenclaw Quidditch Captain and he was
explaining the strategy for today's game. The weather was horrible
and people could barely see what was going on. Heavy rain was
pelting against the ground and Harry wondered, not for the first time,
why they were playing in such conditions. International Quidditch
matches were all weather controlled and had covered stadiums.
"Look, I know the conditions aren't ideal," said Roger. "But we won
the Quidditch Cup last year and we have to win this year too! We
have the best team in the school, so let's show them what we eagles
can do."
Casting charms on themselves to repel rain so as to see better, they
kicked off from the ground. Because of the weather, Harry did not
bother playing an interfering seeker but instead kept looking for the
snitch. The Hufflepuff team captain and seeker Cedric Diggory was
somewhere nearby as well.
When the score was 80-60, Harry suddenly spotted a glint of gold in
the air. Apparently, Cedric had spotted it too because he went after it.
Higher and higher they went and the rain pelted against their faces,
lightning flashing. Harry zoomed ahead of Cedric, his natural
instincts as an eagle guiding him and he smirked in triumph as his
left fist closed around the snitch.
Precisely at that moment, the temperature dropped drastically. The
Nimbus Thousand and One which he was riding was rapidly being
covered in ice. The already dark stadium was plunged into darkness
and Harry realised what was happening when bad memories
assaulted him. He was in complete shock at what he was seeing.
Fudge had lied.
There were not a hundred dementors placed at Hogwarts. There
were about three hundred of those foul demons circling the
Quidditch pitch. Knowing that he was only seconds away from being
kissed, Harry flicked his wand to his hand, remembered his
conversation with Daphne when they confessed their love to each
other and shouted –
" EXPECTO PATRONUM !"
An enormous creature burst from the tip of Harry's wand. If he had to
guess, Harry would have thought the creature was probably sixteen
feet in height. It was a Thunderbird.
Below, in the stands, people began panicking as the Dementors
descended towards them. Daphne had also practised the Patronus
Charm, but she had never succeeded in conjuring a corporeal
patronus before. But she knew the theory, so she tried it again.
Summoning all her happy memories and emotions and thinking of
the time Harry told her that he loved her, she pointed her wand at the
incoming Dementors and shouted –
" EXPECTO PATRONUM !"
A large tigress burst from the tip of her wand and charged at the
incoming Dementors. Daphne looked stunned for a moment at
seeing the patronus as she saw an enormous silver bird in the sky
as well. Harry must have created a patronus too.
The staff of Hogwarts also realised that unless they helped, the
students would all be kissed. Several of them got up and pointed
their wands in the air and yelled –
" Expecto Patronum! "
Numerous, the Dementors may be, but they were no match against
the combined assault of so many powerful patroni. The massive
Thunderbird patronus stood proud and regal amongst them all,
towering over the rest as it chased away the last of the soul-sucking
demons. Even though the rest of the patroni faded away, the
thunderbird still remained as Harry slowly descended to the ground,
shaking badly. The patronus approached him, bathing him in
warmth. He couldn't help but swell with emotion as he touched it.
"Thank you, my friend," whispered Harry as the enormous
thunderbird patronus disappeared.
Mayhem gripped Hogwarts as several students had fainted due to
the Dementor exposure. Albus Dumbledore looked angrier than
Harry had ever seen him and one look at the Headmaster's face let
him know that the Dementors would be gone from the school the
next day; the aura around the aged Headmaster was something
Harry had never felt before. It was a testament to how furious
Dumbledore truly was.
He was right. After the disastrous incident, Dumbledore had wasted
no time to head to the Ministry to talk to Fudge. The next morning's
newspaper article about the attack of the Dementors on hundreds of
young witches and wizards made Fudge want to weep. He was still
licking his wounds from seeing Albus Dumbledore the previous day.
Nobody had seen the Chief Warlock that angry before and Fudge
understood then and there why the man was considered one of the
most powerful wizards in the world.
The Dementors were ordered back to Azkaban the next day.
Hogwarts and Hogsmeade breathed a sigh of relief, but there was a
war going on in London. Not a physical one, but a political one.
Fudge had essentially committed political suicide. He would not last
even a month in office anymore after the disaster with Azkaban and
the Dementors at Hogwarts. The war was about who the next
Minister of Magic was going to be.
Pandemonium.
That was the best word that could be used to describe the
Wizengamot, the legislative and highest judicial body of Magical
Britain and Ireland. Minister of Magic Cornelius Fudge was shrinking
in his seat as the shouting got louder. It wasn't his fault! He had just
followed the advice of his Senior Undersecretary Dolores Umbridge,
but no one cared about that! No, all of them were talking about him.
"Those bloody soul-sucking leeches should never have been placed
at Hogwarts in the first place!" screeched Lady Acton furiously.
"Now, now, I'm sure Minister Fudge was just doing what he thought
was best to protect our children," said Lord Lucius Malfoy smoothly.
"The decision was taken bearing in mind the danger posed to the
common folk after the mass breakout from Azkaban."
"Dumbledore told him that the Dementors were not trustworthy,"
snapped Samantha Hudson, an elected representative. "They
should be confined at Azkaban where they belong! Our children
could have been kissed! I'm surprised you are so calm about this,
Lucius. Wasn't your own son admitted to the hospital wing after the
attack?"
"While that is true, I see no reason to blame our esteemed Minister
for it," said Lucius. "The breakout was hardly his fault. If the D.M.L.E.
had done their job properly, we wouldn't be in this position."
"Normally I would claim responsibility for any mistakes made on my
part and my department, Lord Malfoy," said Lady Amelia Black, her
voice booming. "But this time, my department cannot be blamed. I
have repeatedly asked for an increase in the money allocated to the
Department of Magical Law Enforcement, but the Budget Committee
keeps diverting money to other departments which don't require
those additional funds. Many people over the centuries have shared
their distrust of Dementors and yet no one listens! If more Aurors and
wardens could be placed at the prison instead of relying on the
Dementors to do all our work, then such a problem could be avoided
in the future. Think about it for a minute. Five wardens were killed
during the escape. There are thousands of Dementors at Azkaban.
How can ten high-security prisoners leave the island unless they had
help?"
"What are you saying, Lady Black?" asked Mr Doge.
"I'm saying we should look at other options and stop relying on
Dementors because they aren't trustworthy. Start streamlining the
budget for one and give it to important departments. My department
is the one which maintains law and order in the country, for Merlin's
sake! If we don't have funds, who is to take care of the people?"
"Are you saying that your department alone is important?" shouted
the Head of the Department of Magical Transportation, Corban
Yaxley.
"Members of the Wizengamot," said Sirius, standing up. "There are
ten high-security prisoners on the loose; all of them inner circle
Death Eaters. This situation would never have existed if we had
actually taken action twelve years ago. Each one of them has
committed mass murder. Those people should never have been sent
to Azkaban in the first place. They should have been executed!"
"Is that so, Lord Black?" asked Dumbledore sharply. "If that had
been done twelve years ago, then you would not be alive as of this
moment."
"Yes, thank you so much for reminding me of my ten years of illegal
incarceration in that hellhole, Chief Warlock," said Sirius
sarcastically. "If the people responsible for granting me a trial had
done their job, I wouldn't have lost ten years of my life and my
godson wouldn't have had to grow up in an abusive household.
Thank you very much!"
"Execution is not something we consider good for the society," said
Lord Nott. "It is better if they are imprisoned."
"If we can find them," Amelia added bitterly.
"Really?" asked Sirius sarcastically. "You think pushing such people
through the Veil of Death is more inhumane than making them stay
in Azkaban for life? I would love to speak more about this but that's
not the point of this meeting. We're not here to talk about the living
conditions in Azkaban but about the safety of the people of Magical
Britain. All of you please realise that at times like this, we must act! If
we sit here talking about budget cuts and the past, it won't solve
anything."
"We are currently a laughing stock in the international community!
We have to catch the escaped Death Eaters before the Quidditch
World Cup this summer. Millions of Galleons of taxpayers' money
have been invested in it and what now? Can we let it all vanish
because we are not willing to fund the most important department in
the Ministry at a time of need? How do you expect Hogwarts to host
the Triwizard Tournament if the visiting schools don't feel safe?"
"What do you suggest, Lord Black?" asked Dumbledore.
Sirius took a deep breath. "Magical means of transport have been
cut off," he explained. "The sensor net has been strengthened to the
maximum level possible around the borders. If magical means of
escape is not possible, then the only other alternative is leaving the
country through mundane modes of transport that cannot be tracked.
Tell the Muggle Prime Minister to use the army he has at his disposal
and monitor every method one could possibly use to leave Britain.
We can focus our efforts on chasing them inland. If they reach the
continent, they will not be under our control! It is still not too late. We
need to act!"
"You can't be serious!" scoffed Lady Rosier. "You expect those
Muggles to actually find the escaped convicts?"
"Maybe not, but it will give us an edge," snapped Amelia. "Our Aurors
are spread thin as it is and we don't have the personnel to carry out
the large-scale search which Lord Black is suggesting. Time is of the
essence! The quickest available option is for us is to use the superior
numbers of the Muggles. It may not work, but why leave it to
chance? Even if we capture a single Death Eater, it brings us that
much closer to finding the rest!"
Lucius Malfoy pursed his lips in frustration. Sirius and Amelia were
getting more powerful in the political sphere by the day. He had tried
to contact the escaped Death Eaters, but they obviously didn't trust
any of those who had evaded Azkaban. Lucius had no option but to
wait and hope for the best. He didn't know what Bellatrix and the rest
were attempting. The Dark Lord was dead. What could they hope to
achieve?
"I feel that this current administration does not have the capacity to
lead us in these dire times," said Lord Cyrus Greengrass calmly.
Fudge whimpered.
"I suggest that new leadership is needed. I hereby call for a vote of
no confidence in Minister of Magic Cornelius Fudge."
"Seconded," said Sirius.