Magic is more than just energy, it is the glue that holds the entire world together
Harry inhaled as much air as he could through his nose as he tugged on the bottomless pit of magic that laid deep inside his naval. Whether or not that was where the magic actually laid or it was simply the place that he pictured it, he could feel the warping sensation in his torso and suddenly he was warmer than he could ever remember being.
The world around him froze in a moment that reminded Harry of the scene from the Hospital Wing
"So what exactly are you?"
"I am something similar to a ghost but also different. I am an avatar of Magic"
"Is that why the world is frozen?"
"Yes, I have important information to tell you"
"Ok, don't wait for an invitation, out with it"
The smaller Harry gave a large evil smile, "You can't win this war"
Harry rolled his eyes, "You're not the first person to tell me that"
"I am the first one to have the knowledge of what is to come. I am here to tell you the truth, listen to my words and accept them or not. You, Harry James Potter, The Champion of Wind, The Boy who Lived, the Child of Prophecy, the Man who Succeeded. You are not enough to win this war because you're very presence here is a mistake. A costly one that will cause things to spiral out of control. Take my warning and return home"
"No, I don't think that I will. I have already given my word that I end this war"
"Then you have done it to yourself" said the smaller Harry with a level of pity in his voice that made Harry tighten up inside, "You have so much heartbreak, sorrow, and defeat ahead, it will break you"
"You again?" questioned Harry to his younger counterpart
"You shouldn't do this" warned the 14 year old Harry, "Tom was a mad man, an abomination against Magic. Listening to him is not something any sane man should do"
"And what makes you think that I'm sane?" asked Harry
14 year old Harry walked through the frozen people and said "Magic always has a manner of knowing"
"Noisy little wanker" commented Harry
14 year old Harry rolled his eyes in pure teenage angst fashion and replied "I am an all knowing sentient being"
"Then you know that I am doing this"
"I know that you should not be doing this"
"You really shouldn't"
"Why not"
"Because it is unnatural"
"I disagree"
"The ministry is something that stands between a world of chaos and the orderly world you live in"
"Then I must bring it all down, to build a better on the ashes of the old one"
"You cannot win this war"
"You've already told me that before"
"Tom is inside your head"
"Leave"
"Please Harry, don't do this"
"Then stop me"
14 year old Harry disappeared and Harry felt pure disappointment radiating in the air, but he ignored it as the world around him resumed. Harry continued to float in place as his magic exploded out from his body, pushing everyone away from his body as he let loose a mighty roar as more magic was pushed from his body than he ever experienced before.
"So if Magic is more than energy, what is it?"
"It is alive to a certain degree, that's why things like intent and will are important. Magic is capable of taking life and creating it. Think about it Harry, how did I get here?"
"I guess Magic, I haven't really thought about it"
"Magic is as much a guide for us as our wands are for it. We take something that is alive, the wood and cores, and mixed them together to channel magic. Accidental magic is your magic protecting you. Magic is as a force of nature, a piece of the world as much as gravity"
Harry could hear Tom's voice whispering in the back of his head and his eyes glowed bright green as he achieved Mage status for the first time. The world was brighter, the coppery taste on his tongue led him to discover the rip of tissue in his mouth. He could feel every witch and wizard in the room, the amount of magical might they held and how weak they all were compared to him.
Harry floated to the middle of the room and he locked his eyes onto Fudge.
Fudge gulped, "Now, young man, I think we should think before we do anything rash"
Harry narrowed his eyes at Fudge as he struggled to contain the massive amount of power that was flowing through him. He could feel it begging him to be unleashed, his emotions felt like they were turned up to 10 thousand and he could taste the nasty bile of throw up join the bloody puddle in his mouth.
A flex of magic and his mouth was cleaned up, the small tear from screaming was healed up and Harry shuttered as he felt an aching feeling wash over him, the magic pushing against the boundaries of his body, begging to be unleashed. This must be why nobody ascended to Mage hood. This feeling wasn't a good one, it was intoxicating and Harry wasn't sure if he can handle it.
"I think we're past that Minister" said Harry, mocking the title that Fudge carried.
Harry spoke as his voice slowly raised "Tom was not that great of a man, but he was abused by muggles and forced to return every year against his wishes. Wishes that you could have granted"
Everybody but Harry in the room suddenly grew very pale.
"I was told that my younger self from this world also wished to not return to his terribly abusive muggle relatives " He said as the mask of calmness on his face slowly disappeared, giving way to insane anger
"Tom was ignored by the Ministry with his cries of being mistreated" said Harry as a pulse of magic caused the ground to crack
He raises his wand and points it Fudge, "You do not respect his wishes, you did not respect my wishes"
Magic pulsed rapidly as Harry arrived at his conclusion "Therefore…" and an exhale later 'I find this government…unfit to rule and must be…"
Harry's eyes lit up with green flames "Eliminated"
"The ministry is something that stands between a world of chaos and the orderly world you live in"
"Then I must bring it all down, to build a better on the ashes of the old one"
This was Harry chance to make a decision and impact the world in a lasting matter other than killing Tom.
But how could he make a lasting impact?
Tom and him had planned a massive overthrowing of the government, banishing the Ministry from existence and allowing him to assume control over Magical Britain.
But that was not what he wanted, Harry had little desire to actually rule over things.
So? What was he supposed to do? What was the decision that he had to make here?
The Ministry was undoubtedly corrupt and unfit to be left without a massive overhaul or someone new in charge.
But government was meant to be not only the most wise, but they are also virtuous and selfless. To combat corruption,
Could he afford to show any type of mercy towards the guilty in a moment like this? When had the world ever shown him any mercy?
The mass of flames exploded away from Harry as his magic was unleashed in a wave that pushed back the flames away from his body. And the entire island of the UK shook as a tsunami of magic exploded from Harry's body.
"Η πιο μαύρη φλόγα, καταστροφέας όλων, εξαπολύω τη δύναμη του ήλιου (The blackest of flames, destroyer of all, I unleash the power of the sun)" called out a familiar voice.
Harry saw flames that were so black, they sucked the light out of the surrounding area, slam into the barrier. The barrier was holding up to the force of the black flames until, the fire on the inside of the barrier slammed into the same place as the black flames had on the outside. The barrier flickered, and Harry leapt through the slightly faded ward line.
"SIrius, what are you doing here?" asked Harry as he struggled to regain his breathe, as the intense heat had made it much harder to breath.
"Harry, I felt you from the other side of the country. Besides, I was at Hogwarts watching the tournament, and when that French witch that you like came back alone, I assumed the worst. Besides, did you really think that I would just allow for you to be killed off? Don't you remember what I told you at the end of your third year, you're as good as my own son. I would die before I let anything happen to you"
"How did you find me?" wheezed Harry
"You're part of my family, the Ancient and Noble House of Black. Since, I have no children and you are my god-child, that makes you my only Heir. When in a moment of great need or a dangerous situation, our family magic will alert the head of house, which is me, as to where you are. There are certain restrictions, but fortunately, we didn't run in to any of them."
Oh right, all the fucking time apparently.
Harry lowered his wand much to the displeasure of the magic racing through his body
Attack them, strike them down
Harry pushed down the screams and demands of the magic, his grip on the Elder Wand tightening as he wrestled control of his mind back from the wild magic influencing him.
Dropping to the ground, Harry shook his head at the fearful masses.
"Minister, tell me how I can trust you. What are you going to do to be better from here on out?" asked Harry
"Um ... I?" stammered Fudge
"I believe it is time to embrace a more community based approach" interjected Dumbledore.
Everyone in the room turned to look at the old leader of the Light who made his way down towards Harry without fear.
"For far too long, the Wizarding World of our great nation has been divided over superficial things. Things like being a pureblood or a muggle born are meaningless, what is important is that Magic is Magic" continued Albus
"I have never wanted to step on anyone's toes, but the Ministry and the Minister are clearly not up to the task of uniting the people under the right banner, Magical people not under the Minister" finished Albus.
Fudge growled "I knew that you wanted to steal the position from me"
Harry rolled his eyes, "I will abolish the position if you don't shut the fuck up"\
Fudge shrunk and Dumbledore looked around "My trust in the process and system for how to get the right results. I have failed to step in when the world desperately needed me. But if I had been allowed to help Tom back when he needed help, there never would have been a Lord Voldemort, there would be no death eaters. The world would have one of the best and brightest wizards to ever walk the planet still among us, working on something to benefit the world"
Amelia Bones "We must put it to a vote, but I have no doubt that we will be outing Minster Fudge and appointing Dumbledore to office today. We need someone with the power to back up this new order that we are going establishing"
Harry let out a sigh of relief as he allowed the power of his mage form disperse from his body and he dropped to the ground.
The next morning, Harry came downstairs with Hedwig perched on his shoulder, and Sirius got the feeling that Harry was being held captive by his own owl. They were getting set to leave when a package was dropped in the living room by an owl that literally flew into the room, dropped the package, and flew back out of the house.
"What is that?" asked Harry as Sirius scanned the package before deciding to open it.
"These are our wands. There is also a note."
I see no reason for an on the run criminal and a boy who faked his death to enter my shop again, here is your wands. The longer of the two is for Lord Black, it is 13 1/8 inches long, sturdy but springy, made of Ashwood and has the core of another Proud and Strong Unicorn. Do not break it again Lord Black.
For the boy who was live but died but is still alive, his wand is a bit more complex. His blood wouldn't take to just one type of wood or core, no it bound itself to two types of wood and two different cores. His wand is 10 ¼ inches long, inflexible but surprisingly supple, the woods are rosewood and yew, with a duel core of a strong Phoenix tail wrapped in a single strand of donated Veela hair.
I wish you both the best, but never visit me again.
-The Boris Swarve
Out of the package, Sirius pulled out two wands, the first was an ashy shade of grey and was longer than the other wand. Sirius grasped that wand in his right and pointed it at the couch, which rose with the slightest pulse of his magic. Turning his attention to the other shorter of the two wands, Sirius looked at the twisted wand made of spiraling stripes of deep reddish and a brownish tan wood.
The wand felt cold in his hand, as if the wand wasn't happy that he was using it. But he didn't pay any mind to that, crafted wands were usually an exact match to their owners, opposed to wands made in before and matched to person.
Handing the mixed wood wand to Harry, Sirius felt a pulse of magic fill the room and Harry smiled.
"So, what is our plan Harry?"
"Right now, we're going hunting"
Fleur laid on the couch, Harry's head resting in her lap as she mindlessly ran her right hand through his hair.
"Dumbledore is leaving today" stated Fleur
"That's good, the school year is over" replied Harry, "I'm just happy that I didn't have to do much after threatening to destroy it all"
"I am very happy as well" admitted Fleur
The two of them had enjoyed the several months that had remained the school year, just being a young horny couple.
Harry was not asked to attend classes all that much, nobody cared when he had done it again, defeating the dark lord and achieving Mage status. Harry took his OWLs and his NEWTS with the 5th and 7th years in the late spring.
"What do you want to do this summer?" asked Harry
"Return to France, I guess"
"I've never been to France, will you show me around?"
"You want to come with me?"
"Yes, what else would I do other than follow my beautiful girlfriend wherever she goes"
Fleur grabbed Harry's face and pulled him into a heated kiss.
The Ministry of Magic: July 1st
Harry and Fleur sat in the front row of the massive gathering of the people who were all there for a singular reason, the official appointment of Albus Dumbledore as the Minister of Magic.
The ceremony was not something that interested Harry all that much, he watched Fudge give some BS speech about how he wanted nothing but the best for this country and how happy he was to hand it to over to new leadership.
Several of the Hogwarts Professors gave glowing loving speeches about how amazing Dumbledore was and how the country was in great hands but Harry was unable to feel what they felt as while he loved Dumbledore, it was not this Dumbledore. Maybe he would over time as Dumbledore had told him that for the first couple of years, he would need Harry's looming presence to make sure thing went the way that they both wanted things to go.
Neither of them wanted another Tom Riddle Jr situation. Nor did either of them had any interest in dealing with anyone like him again. Not if they could help it.
Harry felt Fleur's hand tighten around his and he focused back in as Dumbledore took the podium. The usually flashy robs were gone and replaced by fancy navy blue robes that had the symbol of the Ministry on the left chest, right above the heart. The pointy hat was crisp and perfectly fitting the former Headmaster's head.
He smiled and the cheers that erupted throughout the room were nearly deafening to Harry, but another squeeze of his hand by Fleur helped him power through the moment. He was not fond of loud noises, he preferred the peace and quiet life now.
"Thank you for that much appreciated welcoming, it was heart warming" started Dumbledore, "I would also like to thank, former Minister Fudge for passing the torch to me as they say. My colleagues having such nice things to say about me is also nice to hear, especially since I am no longer their boss and they don't have to lie anymore"
He paused as laughter filled the room, a soft smile on his face.
"This position is something that I have avoided for decades" admitted Dumbledore, "Mostly because I never thought that I could do better than the person who was in office. I am only human, I have made so many mistakes as a person that I never felt confident that I could lead the entire country in the right direction. But then again, who could?
The lone time that I thought about taking this position when it was offered to me was way back in 1965, when I heard the first rumbling of my dearly departed student Tom Riddle was performing some rather unkindly actions to keep it children friendly. It had been 20 years since he had graduated school and he had been a rather brilliant student with a troubled home life.
So, to hear that he was founding his own political party, The Death Eaters who were a faction based on blood purity and magical rights, was not what I wanted to hear of my former student. And I thought of the times when he was younger, the 13 year old boy who would beg me not to send him back to the muggle orphanage where he was being raised. He would tell the staff at the time that they didn't feed him enough, that they would use a belt on the children there, that people stole his stuff, that he was not welcomed or loved there.
Every piece of me wanted to wrap my arms around the young man, tell him that everything was going to be okay and that he didn't have to go back. But there was no legal precedent for his situation and the staff was told that there was nothing that we could do for him. The International Statute of Secrecy was a law in the wizarding world that said that we could not allow muggles to know about our world. We didn't have the ability to create documents that could fool muggles back in the 1930's and 40's.
And thus, we failed him. He was never given the chance to grow up in a world where he would be respected and loved, where he would see the opportunity to grow into someone and something more. So, how can we stop this from ever happening again? That is a question that has been on my mind for roughly 40 years now.
Young Magical children should never be forced to live in a world where they are hated, live in a world where they are isolated. They should never live in a world where they have to hide who they are and what they are.
Tom was a flawed young man, but his final wishes are the kind that nobody could ignore. Which is why I have taken his request into account and followed through on it, even if it is in my own manner.
With my official taking of office, my first act as Minister is to create the Tom Riddle Jr's House for Misplaced Children. It will be a safe haven for all muggle born and half blood orphans that wish to remain in the wizarding world."
Harry was the first to stand and clap, Dumbledore had done right by him and Tom, even if it was too late for either of them to be saved.
Chapter 23
The soft layer of snow that was falling really lent itself to the time of year that it was and where he was, currently about to visit an old friend. He had nearly arrived there, over looking the place. It had not changed in all the years that he had visited.
Nurmengard was a stone fortress at the edge of a mountain. It had a tower with a cone-shaped top, possibly being a watch-tower. There was a building connected to the tower, that was slim with windows. Nurmengard also had a courtyard, which was gated. Whenever there was an outsider, one or more of Grindelwald's acolytes would interrogate them, at wand point. On either side of the courtyard were prisons with black-colored bars, very probably enchanted by Grindelwald to hold less powerful enemies, while the other ones were held captive further inside, in the castle's interior. On tops of these prisons were houses. On the mountainside, at the back of Nurmengard Castle, were a series of steps that led to a hill, where Credence Barebone would wait for his phoenix to arrive. Now the only people in the once beautiful castle was prisoners, the only people who left were guards and Albus himself.
Albus always did enjoy the cold, which made this trip to Nurmengard Castle all the more special, as it was peak Yule season. Christmas was tomorrow, It would be nice to see his old friend.
He popped up to the long hallway, the wards letting him through with ease, that led to the cell that was inhabited by Gellert Grindelwald since 1945 had been a dark and ominous room in the highest tower, with a hard bed and a ragged, thin blanket.
Albus entered the cell and looked at his former love, long gone was the Grindelwald that had golden-blond hair that framed his carefree and handsome face. He didn't even look like the Grindelwald that he had fought all those years ago, the man whose hair was light blond, and he had blue eyes. He also had a thin white moustache, but he was nevertheless still handsome. No. at this advanced age, his hair was grey, he no longer had a moustache, and his skin became somewhat wrinkled.
"I don't want to do this Gellert" a much younger Albus said as he stood across from his once upon a time partner
"I believe that is my line" retorted Gellert, his golden hair swaying as Albus sighed and unleashed a burst of magic, causing a breeze to fill the area.
Gellert raised the elder wand in his right hand, his eyes trained on the form of Albus
"I gave you a chance out, remember that old friend" tsk'd Albus
"Hello Gellert, I see that you have been problematic once again" greet Albus
"Don't believe them, they're framing me" insisted Gellert with a sly smile
"What could they have possibly framed you for?" asked Albus, his eyes filled with amusement
"I dunno" admitted Gellert
"Then perhaps you can tell me what you did" mused Dumbledore
"What makes you think that I did anything?" asked Gallery
"Why else would they have undone the transfigurations that I performed for your room?" questioned Albus
"I may or may not have spit at a guard for dropping the treacle tart" confessed Gellert
Albus let out a sigh of disappointment, "Gellert, could you not have simply asked for another piece of desert?"
Gellert frowned, "I hadn't thought of that"
Albus let out a chuckle, "You know, I know another powerful man, possibly the most powerful man in the world, who would also lose their temper over treacle tart"
Gellert raised an eyebrow, "I always thought that you were more of a pudding guy, Albus"
Albus snorted, "No, not me, you are too kind Gellert"
Albus waved his wand and the room morphed from a plain prison cell into a small studio apartment, the hard small bed turning into a soft queen size mattress, the blanket turning into a fine silk, the room expanded and the built in toilet turned into full private bathroom.
"You spoil me with kindness" commented Gellert
"An old man can try" replied Albus
"So, if not you, then who?" questioned Gellert as he laid down on the magically soft and comfortable bed
"Harry Potter" answered Albus
"Ah yes, the one that defies death, the mage" noted Gellert, "I imagine he is the most magically powerful person in the world"
"You would imagine correctly" said Dumbledore as he sat down on the edge of the bed
"Does he remind you a little bit of that one boy from when the war first started, what was his name? The little lonely Slytherin boy?" asked Gellert
"Tom" answered Albus, his eyes growing a little mistier than he would have liked
"Ah yes, he was mentioned a couple times in our last year of letters, but by 1943 or was it 1944 that we had stopped talking? I remember the duel in 1945" wondered Gellert aloud
"He was a brilliant young man, he was bullied harshly and when I left to fight you, I did not return in time to save him from growing colder and more closed off" answered Albus
"I'm sorry" muttered Gellert
"No need to apologize, it is the past"
"Did he turn out alright?"
Albus struggled to think of a way to answer that question, "In his final moments of life, he willing gave himself up for the betterment of the entire wizarding world"
Gellert let a proud smile grace his face and Albus felt like they were 18 years old again, "You always had a way of bringing out the best in all of us, Albus"
"Thank you"
"No, thank you Minister"
"Oh Merlin, you heard about that?"
"Not every day that your former flame becomes Minister of Magic" retorted Gellert
"Harry Potter forced me to do so" admitted Albus
"Harry Potter sounds like a hell of a guy"
Albus nodded before he pulled a small bottle of Elven wine from his robes and handed it to Gellert, a second identical bottle finding its way into his hands a moment later.
"Cheers to a blessed Yule season?" asked Gellert
"It is nearly midnight; we could cheer to Christmas?" suggested Albus
"3 cheers then" confirmed Gellert
"Why 3 cheers?" asked Albus
"One for Yule, one for Christmas, one for Harry Potter for finally getting you to take the job you should have had back in 1945" said Gellert
Albus rolled his eyes before clinking bottles with Gellert and they both said "To Harry Potter" as it became December 25th.
"Do you have to leave right now?" asked Gellert as he fittled with the bottle in his hands.
"No, I guess I don't have to leave right this instant" replied Albus as he remained seated on the edge of the bed, "Is there something that you want to talk to me about?"
"Other than to apologize for the thousandth time?" questioned Gellert, "No, I just want the company of the one person I still have love for in this world"
"You still feeling anything positive for me after all these years in this prison is amazing in itself" commented Albus
"Yeah well, I gave up being angry with you in 1968 or was it 1967?" mused Gellert
"I had given you a warning not to fight me that day" said Albus
"Yeah but for Merlin's sake, you were never that much of a Bolondozo in any of our practice duels before then" pouted Gellert
"Did you just call me a wanker for wiping the floor with you almost 50 years ago?" asked Albus
"Yes" said Gellert with a smile
They both laughed
With Harry:
Harry sat in a bubble of pleasant 70-degree air, Fleur leaning into his side as he took in the beauty of Christmas at Hogwarts. This was his last Christmas at school and he knew it. He was biologically turning 17 soon and with the threat of Voldemort over, he had to start finding the next part of his life.
"You have that serious thinking look on your face" teased Fleur
"I am thinking" replied Harry
"Shall I alert the local papers?" joked Fleur
"Maybe, I was thinking of staying with you, but I heard in Teen Witch Weekly that I could have a 35 women harem" countered Harry, lauhging as Fleur smacked him upside the head.
"What are you actually thinking about?" asked Fleur
"I have my NEWTS in 3 weeks" started Harry, "Then I am free to do whatever I want, go wherever I want"
"I do not see a problem" said Fleur
"Neither do I" admitted Harry, "I have not known a world where I was not needed to save the day"
"Do not worry Harry, I will teach you how to relax" whispered Fleur as she leaned forward and kissed him
Three weeks came and went, Harry took his NEWTS and was happy with 6 of them in Transfiguration, Charms, DADA, Potions, Runes, and an honorary one in Divination for completing the prophecy regarding Tom and Himself. Harry accepted it because a win is a win is a win.
Harry remembered going to bed and then he was falling through his bed. There was a blast of pitch black smoke, harry was laying in a room he was sadly familiar with His messy raven locks, the faded signature lightning bolt like scar on the forehead, the wiry thin body were entirely on display as he still completely naked. Harry sat up rubbing his head that had bounced off the table, his green eyes glowing with power and anger like they usually did.
"Oooow, my fucking head man" groaned Harry, "Where am I?"
"You are in the Order of the Phoenix headquarters, Harry my boy" said Dumbledore.
Harry glanced around and noted that this scene was almost exactly like the one that had greeted him when he came to this world, the Order of the Phoenix surrounding him.
"No" cried Harry, "No, no, no, no"
"Is something wrong Harry?" asked Tonks
"Did something happen to you Harry?" asked Dumbledore, his eyes twinkling knowingly
Harry bit his lip, "I already did this before"
"Did what Harry?" asked Mrs. Weasley
"Oh Merlin, not you" muttered Harry before he snapped his fingers and his body was covered in the standard Hogwarts robes, "Listen, I don't give a shit about who died, who needs to be killed, who needs avenging. Send me back before I start smearing bodies and souls against the walls"
"You know soul magic?" asked Remus
"I am planning on ripping your soul from your body and your question isn't 'why?' but 'you can do that?'" scoffed Harry, "Fuck it, you first"
"Harry. wait" shouted Fleur as she came out with her wand, cancelling the illusion spell around them, revealing that they were in the Gryffindor common room and that it was a surprise party for him finishing his NEWTS.
"Got you guys" replied Harry with a big bright smile, as if he hadn't planned on sending Remus' skull one way and his body the other, "I don't know soul magic"
The elder wand zipped from his room and he caught it in hand before pocketing it, walking over and giving Remus a hug.
"I could never kill my dad's best friend in this world or any other, you're like my uncle" said Harry to Remus before they broke the hug and Harry walked over to Fleur.
"Who was that again?" asked Harry
"Remus Lupin" she whispered
"Important?"
"Vaguely"
"I will have a card and 5 galleons sent to him then" replied Harry
"So do you like the party?" asked Fleur
"Yes, I was very surprised" admitted Harry
"You threatened to murder people" noted Fleur
"I always do that when I'm surprised" countered Harry
"I guess that's true" said Fleur, the doubt obvious in her tone
"People are usually trying to murder me when they surprise me" admitted Harry, "Remember our first date"
"we killed the death eaters" whispered Fleur in horror, "why did we do that?"
"I would never kill a death eater" scoffed Harry
"Harry, you waited for the press to get there before killing the Malfoy guy" hissed Fleur
"That was in this world?" asked Harry, "I shouldn't have taken that sleeping potion before bed"
"Harry, you've killed like every death eater that was alive in this world" commented Fleur as she remained by Harry's side
"Then why is Snape still alive?" asked Harry
"Because I choose to help you over the Dark Lord Potter" drawled Snape from behind them
"I was like 80-20 with you sir" admitted Harry, his tone polite and his mind seemingly focused
"More faith than most" admitted Snape
"Does it feel weird knowing that your task is over sir?" asked Harry
"A little, I took many risks along the way in hopes that i would one day be able to merely assist in avenging your mother" confirmed Snape, "But you will find you look forward to some peace and quiet when you finish"
Harry nodded
"I agree with the thought of piece and quiet being nice, but I honestly like the action" admitted Harry, "Just not on the Voldemort level"
"I highly doubt that there is anyone like the dark lord left walking the planet that isn't Dumbledore or yourself" mused Snape
"Maybe, but people have having new kids every day. The next dark lord can be already born" countered Harry
"Ah yes, the mighty Harry Potter striking down three year olds to prevent dark lords, most impressive" drawled Snape
Harry rolled his eyes and said "Fuck out my face Snape"
Snape left with a "gladly"
"I don't like that guy" said Fleur
"Nobody does and the people who do are absolutely delusional, don't count" replied Harry
"Then why is he still alive, he was a former death eater and you've threatened to kill for less" questioned Fleur
Harry shook his head "He played a valuable role in this world, it would be wrong to kill him just because I can. If that was the case, I would be alone on this world by myself if that's all it took"
"I am glad to hear you say that" said Dumbledore from in front of them, before he asked Fleur, "Do you mind if I steal him for a moment?"
"You can have him and the 35 other witches he has" mocked Fleur as she smiled brightly and walked away
"She seems quite lovely" noted Dumbledore
"Yeah, i guess we both have a thing for blondes" agreed Harry
"You know about that?" asked Dumbledore
"Of course, but it doesn't really impact anything" admitted Harry, "You were a brilliant mentor there and you've been amazing here"
"That means a lot to me" said Dumbledore
"So, why did you come over here?" asked Harry, "I doubt that it was to have this conversation with me"
"Ah yes" exclaimed Dumbledore, "Sorry growing old is both a blessing and a curse"
Harry rolled his eyes
"As the world recovers from Tom, the things that he and his followers did, they have looked to me for help in recovering because I helped our community heal once before" said Dumbledore, "And while I was unsure if I would ask you while you were here at school, you have just taken your NEWTs, which means that you will be leaving soon"
"Yeah I guess it does" said Harry with a soft frown
"Have you given any thought to what you want to do after school?"
Harry's frown deepened at that question, "Not really, it was always about surviving"
Harry bit his lip, "I guess I really have to pick something soon though. Rich and unemployed leads to broke and unemployed quickly"
"The International Conference of Wizards has reached out about you becoming the leader of their international version of Aurors" said Dumbledore, "I know that you're tired of all the fighting, but it is something to consider. Or you can always become my deputy Minister, it would be fun to watch you bully people into agreeing with me"
"Honestly, that job offer doesn't sound that bad" admitted Harry
"Shall I have them reach out to you?" asked Dumbledore, "Or should I start having my staff set up your desk?"
"Have them reach out and if I don't like the offer, I will talk to you about the desk" answered Harry
Dumbledore nodded and walked away
Harry mulled it over in his head, fighting Tom had been exciting, thrilling, dangerous, but it had given him a reason to keep getting out of bed in the morning for years.
The world needed someone to protect them and while he wasn't some noble hero who worked for free, he would be willing to do it for a paycheck/
Chapter 24
July 19, 1997:
Spells flew through the air, beams of red, green, white, and black trading back and forth from both sides. There was 25 people trying to kill the 5 people in royal blue robes, pinning them down as they slowly approached. Yet as the cloaked figured approached, he never looked worried. His wand twired in his hand, the wood heating with delight at the thought of the chaos that it would soon be able to unleash. Taking a deep breath, he could feel the 30 odd people inside of the heavily warded courtyard, there was no way for them to exit the bubble covering the courtyard. Which mean that there was no way for them to escape from him, there was no way for them to escape justice.
The pleasantly warm July air washed over him and he let out a sigh of contentment. This was not the ideal place for him with such a mild summer night weather. But he had been on call and waiting for this moment all day as well. She would not be happy with him, zipping off to work to put himself in danger, but this is what he lived for more than anything else at this point. He was like a shark that smelled blood in the water, he was always on the hunt for someone or something. And he was okay with that, that was his purpose in life at this point, it was why he was put on this world.
As he crossed the threshold of the wards, he flared some magic into his eyes and looked at the massive net like structure of magic that covered the courtyard. The structure alone showed that it prevented both apparition and portkeys, a sound ward from the looks of it. But he also knew that if he wanted to bully his way through the ward, he could easily punch a hole through the ward. But that would alert the 25 people to his presence and would prevent him from having his fun.
He looked towards the 5 people pinned down on the far side of the courtyard, hiding behind pillars and statues. Both of which seemed to have been heavily reenforced against magic long before this battle has started. A twist of his magic inside of his body and he popped over to them, startling them.
"I would say that I'm disappointed, but that would mean that I had standards for any of you wankers" said the figure to the 5 people wearing the same Royal Blue robes as himself.
"General" they all greeted him
"Save it, y'all worthless lot can't do anything without me saving your pathetic arses" dismissed the General
The man started to walk out from behind the cover and one of the 5 people hiding, a female asked "Sir, what are you doing? They have us completely pinned down. We should wait for backup?"
The General glanced back at her, "Mandy, please don't disrespect me or my abilities like that ever again. The only back up that was coming is me"
The General gestured to himself with his thumb, "But don't worry, in about 3 to 7 minutes, they're not going to be of concern"
The General turned back towards the seemingly endless firing of spells, his magic coiling inside of his body, begging him to unleash a massive wave of it. However, the General was not ready to simply smite these people off the face of the world just yet. No, he still needed to extract some kind of information from them about The Black Mask organization.
Walking forward, the General smirked as a bone breaking curse flew right at him, it was about to hit him in the chest, when his magic warped it to the side of his body and the spell wrapped around his body and shot back off at the person who sent it at him. The following scream was all the General needed to know that the spell at hit the sender.
His wand grew extremely hot and it slide down from his forearm into his hand and in the blink of an eye, he unleashed his first spell.
Baubillious
A blast of arcing lighting ripped up the ground and split the courtyard in half, causing the 25 people attacking him and his 5 allies to scatter in panic. They were all cloaked in black robes that had an enchantment that hid their faces.
Brackium Emendo
The figure closest to the General was suddenly unable to run as the bones in his legs disappeared.
Confringo
A simple blast later and the man was nothing more than a boneless puddle, leaving the General to step over his fleshy puddle. It was amusing to the General to watch as some turned and fled yet others turned and were determined to face him in direct combat. Didn't both set of people know that it would on;ly end in their death?
Furnunculus
Furnunculus
Furnunculus
The three closest people yelped as they found their bodies covered in boils and they tried to cast the counter charm on themselves. But it was never going to work, a counter charm would only work if they could match the same amount of magic that he had used to cast the spell. And if they could match his magic, they would actually be a threat.
Defodio
Defodio
Defodio
The three knew no more as they slowly forming gouges punched through their faces, killing them with ease.
A cutting curse glanced off his back and the General turned around, his eyes glowing green as his anger flared up.
"Oh, you've fucking done it now you right cunt" spat the General as he started at his attacker.
He jabbed his wand at the individual, blasting them with a wave of pure magical intent and smirking as they swelled up before popping like a cheap water balloon.
A flick of his wand at his throat and his voice magnified itself "Whoever turns themselves in first, gets to live. The rest of you lot will die in a massive fiery mess that will send you to an even more fiery pit in the deepest parts of hell"
A female came racing out with her hands up, no wand in sight. The General summoned it out of her pocket and gestured for her to stand beside him. As soon as she was beside him, he slashed his wand and his magic flared with excitement as the tip of his wand glowed green.
Viridis Flammae
Dark angry green flames shoot out of the end of his wand and the female beside him screamed in horror as everything touched by the flames melted immediately. It washed over the side of the courtyard that she and her former allies had occupied, filling the air with the smell of burning flesh and the screams of victims.
The building started crumbling and there was a massive cloud of dust as it collapsed which resulted in more screams as the few that had managed to flee from the flames inside of the building were crushed when it collapsed.
The female beside him was shivering in fear when the flames finally died down and the General turned towards her, his green eyes gleaming.
"Now, my name is Harry Potter, leader of the International Conference of Wizards Auror force and you're going to tell me everything that I want to know about the Black Masked" growled Harry, the glow of his eyes highlighting her fear of him.
"You are the worst person alive, murdering them so causally"whispered the female deflector
"You should count yourself lucky that I didn't allow all of you to suffer the same fate, now tell me what I want to know or else you stupid witch" replied Harry in French, surprising the girl.
She nodded and started spilling her guts.
July 21st, 1997
Harry looked at the same female from before inside of her prison cell, she had managed to give them a bunch of information, but it was all useless.
"Mandy, you can stand there or you can open your mouth and give me your daily dose of stupid" said Harry as he used his magic to identify the person who had been standing behind him for several minutes at this point.
Mandy was a slim French girl with soft brown hair, slightly tanned skin, pretty elfish facial features, a toned slender body that came from years of being a tomboy. She was not actually stupid, but was a little simple. She did know not to question how Harry managed to know who was behind him without ever looking. She knew spells that could reveal if someone was behind you, but none that straight up told you who was behind you.
"Sir, we managed to find the Lakehouse that she reported, but it was already abandoned when we arrived, most likely for some timed based on the reports that our analyst managed to gather from the scene" replied Mandy
Harry had expected such results at this point, the girl that he had spared had been a source of nothing but old information. None of the locations that she provided were currently being used. They were abandoned and had shown signs of being used as recently as weeks ago, but never within the last day or so.
"Do you think she's playing with us?" asked Mandy
"I think she knows something more than she is letting on" said Harry, "I didn't come all the way to Belgium because the summers are mild, I came here for answers"
Harry walked out of the observation room and made his way into the holding cell, his eyes trained on the lady, the pale French brunette who sat comfortably and relaxed in the stiff folding chair at the table.
"You know my entire adult life has been on camera. They tried to turn me to an animal, with the way that I do my job. But while people think I'm radical, the media will make you think I'm some handsome pretender. You might think I'm too aggressive seeing what I did to your friends, but I think I'm too passive. It's time for me I pull out my wand and start getting answers" said Harry as he slipped the Elder Wand out of his sleeve and put it on the table.
The pale witch said nothing but Harry could feel the nervous energy filling her and he allowed his magic to slowly wafer out of his body, filling the room with his elemental magic before he quite literally turned up the heat on her, making sure that everything but him rose form the pleasant 25 C to a blistering 36 C.
She started to sweat, and Harry yawned as he took a seat across from her, his eyes glowing as he seemingly peered into her very soul.
"We can this the easy way or the fun way. Now, the fun way, is going to be extremely hard on you" said Harry pointing at her with his hand. The room's temperature dropped to a chilly 3 C and Harry watched as she squirmed in the chair.
"Do you know who I am?" asked Harry as his wand started glowing from its place on the table, a dark bolt of lightning sparking from the tip of it.
"Yes, you are Harry Potter" muttered the pale woman in French
"Yes I am, may I ask your name?" asked Harry
"My name is Claire" replied the woman, Claire, apparently.
"Tell me Claire, do you bring any lube with you" questioned Harry
"Huh?" said Claire, confusion clear on her face
"How about protection? Did you bring any of that?" asked Harry, continuing as if he hadn't heard her confusion
"I know not of what you speak" replied Claire
"Oh come on girl, you don't have to pretend with me" chuckled Harry, "Surely if you were planning to FUCK ME WITH YOUR USELESS INFORMATION, YOU MUST HAVE COME PREPARED!"
Claire flinched at the anger that slipped into Harry's French words so easily, so casually. The Elder Wand flew into Harry's hand and he looked Claire in the eyes.
"This is going to hurt you a lot more than it is going to hurt me" tsk'd Harry as he slipped back into speaking English
Legilimens
Harry ripped through her mental shields with ease, entering her mind with all the ruthlessness of Tom from back in the day. His magic was like a sharp blade, slicing through her memories without mercy. As he searched through her mind, he was barely aware of her screams, her begs for mercy.
Finally, Harry found what he was looking for and when he pulled out of her mind, Claire was even more pale than she had been, her nose leaking blood freely, her eyes filled with panic and fear.
"You have finally been of service" said Harry with an ice cold look in his eyes as he thought about killing her but knew that this girl would be too scared to be in the same country as him ever again, let alone try to attack him.
Harry stood up and left the room, Mandy waiting for him outside the door, a serious look on her face.
"About time you did that," said Mandy
That was part of why Harry liked Mandy and she was on the team, she never once cared about whatever methods used to get results. She was a brute herself magically, just not to the extent that he was.
"We're off to Britain" said Harry
"They were back there?" asked Mandy
"Apparently they were hiding in plain sight" answered Harry
"Do you want to alert the Ministry?" asked Mandy
"Now why would we do that?" asked Harry
"You're about to kick down their doors, maybe you want to be nice and let them know that you're coming" said Mandy
"And allow the roaches to scatter away? I think not" replied Harry, "Round up Jeremy and Sancho and have them meet us there"
"You're going to go home first right?" questioned Mandy
"Why would I do that?"
"Because it's your anniversary, sir" answered Mandy
Harry froze, "Push everything back by two days, I gotta head home immediately"
"There is a card, chocolates, and Yellow Tulips in your office back home, we knew that you would get caught up in the chaos of the hunt and forget" said Mandy as Harry disappeared with a soft crunch.
His apparition was usually much softer in noise, but he was traveling from Belgium all the way back home to London, appearing in the ICW building.
There was exactly what Mandy said there would be, chocolates, a card, and twin yellow tulips in a vase. But Harry was not dumb enough not to check the card to make sure it wasn't filled with something that would get him in trouble. Using magic to erase the message in the card and scribbling something about her being the sun of his world and their love blooming like tulips, Harry popped back over to his house.
"Honey, I'm home" said Harry, announcing his presence, for reasons that would benefit his love.
"About time" she called out and she came out of their room, her round belly exiting the room before the rest of her. Harry sped over to her, his magic holding the gifts floating in the air as he grabbed his pregnant fiancé and helped her waddle over to the couch.
"How are you doing today, Fleur?" he couldn't help but ask
"They are being very active today" said Fleur as she put her hand on her very pregnant belly, rubbing soft circles on it as she felt the baby shift around inside.
Harry leaned down and kissed her ever so gently, careful not to put any pressure on her stomach.
When they broke apart, Harry looked at the round stomach, his hand dropping to rub it as well, "Are you sure we can't know what gender it is?"
"Yes, it needs to be a surprise" whined Fleur
"Ok, but I want a daughter" said Harry
"A beautiful little blonde princess with green eyes" agreed Fleur
"Yeah" said Harry, a smile gracing his face, "I just hope she has better luck than me"
"Don't worry Harry, things will be fine" said Fleur, "besides, your luck brought you here to me"
Harry nodded and smiled, that was 100 percent true. His new job as the General of the ICW Auror force was something that he absolutely loved doing, but these moments at home with Fleur and their unborn baby were all he ever really wanted in life. Being with Fleur made the world seem a little brighter, a little bit better of a place, and much more like home than anywhere else that he had ever been.
"Do you have to go back to work tomorrow?" asked Fleur
Harry shook his head, "No, I told them to push everything back by two days"
Fleur smiled up at him, "Good, I could really use a back rub"
Harry rolled his eyes, before pointing at her stomach "I'm pretty sure that a back rub is how we got to this point"
Fleur pouted "Yes, but what if they get lonely, we need to practice giving them a baby brother or sister"
Harry shook his head in amusement, "I can't tell you no"
Fleur blew him a kiss, her lips popping with the dramatic action, "I know, that is why we work so well together"
Harry raised an eyebrow, "Because I don't tell you know?"
His question got Fleur to nod, "Yes, because you don't like to tell me 'no' and I don't like to get told 'no'. It makes perfect sense Harry, just don't think too hard about it"
The logic made sense to Harry and that was kind of concerning to him, but he let it slide, Fleur was amazing to him and his terribly busy schedule, so he tried to tell her 'no' as little as possible.
"So, that back rub my love?" asked Fleur as she bat her eye lashes at him
Harry nodded and Fleur giggled as she stood up, even pregnant, she was as beautiful as ever and she looked over her shoulder as she entered the bedroom, "Coming Harry?"
She followed that statement up by throwing her shirt at him. Harry was not dumb enough to turn down the invitation and started removing his clothes at once.
"Of course Fleur, I'm just trying to catch up, I seem to be over dressed" joked Harry as he followed his fiancé into the bedroom.