2,823A massive Thank You to all of my brilliant supporters, with a shout-out to Amethyst Dragonfly, Gini Eatan, TypistTyphon, WriterEltzu, Tasty Muffin, Silver1119, Joel miller, sam, Jimmy Adams, Jo Daviz, LegendaryWasabi, and Optimum Prime. I would really struggle to keep this up without the support you guys give me. I really don't say it enough you guys are amazing.
Chapter 66
Harry was riding high until New Year's after giving Krum a new hand. Harry had no idea that Krum had planned this but before he left the country he had sat down with a reporter from Quidditch weekly and given an interview telling them all about his new hand, where he got it, and vowing to use it to take Bulgaria to the next Quidditch World Cup.
The after-effect of that had been first the British papers and wireless singing his praises, followed closely by the international press. Because of all the attention, Harry had already received multiple requests for his help in giving people new limbs. So much so that Sirius had taken out an ad in the Prophet telling everyone that Harry was working on getting approval to offer the service through St Mungos and to direct any queries there.
Harry had pretty much moved back into the Grangers after helping Krum and now he was in the kitchen helping Emma make a lot of buffet food. It was New Year's Eve and the Grangers were having a number of their friends and colleagues over to celebrate. While Harry was buttering the fourth loaf of bread for making finger sandwiches Hermione was using the fact that Sirius was in the house to freeze a lot of water into ice so that the alcohol and soft drinks that her father and Sirius had just brought in from the car could be chilled and ready for everyone to arrive.
"You think we have enough to drink?" Dan asked his wife when he was finished stacking the multiple cases of beer and cider next to the half dozen bottles of spirits.
"If it's not enough I'm sure it will be fine, remember the last time we did this? The next day we had more alcohol than we started with." Emma said, sounding amused.
The two adults chuckled at the memory and Harry eyed Hermione wondering if it had been a bout of accidental magic. Seeing where Harry was looking Emma worked out what Harry was thinking. "It wasn't magic, most people bring some alcohol to a party like this. And as most people don't drink an entire bottle or crate themselves there tends to be plenty left by the time everyone goes home." She explained as she pulled a tray of chicken drumsticks out of the oven.
At that point Hermione walked in. "Ice is ready. That smells good, mom."
"Help yourself to a drumstick and then you can help Harry by assembling the sandwiches." Emma told Hermione.
They worked together like that until Harry and Hermione were sent upstairs to change. The two teens took probably three times as long to get changed as they needed and by the time they got back downstairs the first of the guests had arrived. Her name was Abigail and she was the Doctors Granger's dental nurse.
Over the next hour more and more guests came until the Grangers had a house full of people listening to music, eating and getting progressively more drunk. That included Harry, Hermione and a few other older teenagers who had been dragged along by their parents. Dan, who was running the bar,
hadn't let them get enough to get really drunk but they were more than a little tipsy.
Harry and Hermione were having a good time until there was a burst of flame in the middle of the room and everyone there saw Fawkes the very magical phoenix flame in, drop a scroll at Harry's feet then flame out. There was a split second while everyone registered what they just seen and then people started trying to leave. The Statute of Secrecy was broken.
"Shit! Hermione lock the back door quickly." With that said Harry rushed to the front door and started transfiguring the door so that it was one solid piece and would be impossible to open without magic.
Naturally, people seeing a magical fire bird followed by two teens locking them in had a few of them panicking and demanding answers. When Harry came back into the front room one of the guests was fumbling with the catch on the front window obviously intending to open it and escape. A flick of Sirius's wand had the man falling unconscious.
That was enough to panic everyone and suddenly the happy party was a mob scared for their lives. Harry, Hermione and Sirius had to start firing stunning spells as fast as they could manage, dropping guest after guest. It was difficult, the three of them were not only contending with being outnumbered eight to one but they also had to focus through the effects of the alcohol they had drank. Still it didn't take long until the house was full of unconscious guests.
"So what do we do now?" Emma asked more than a little frustrated at the situation. "What do we do with over twenty unconscious people on New Year's Eve?"
Hermione shook herself to try and clear her head a little. "One of us needs to floo the Ministry and call an obliviation squad. Luckily everything is contained and maintaining the secrecy of magic should be easy."
"What about underage magic?" Asked Dan. "That was an issue over the summer."
"Not a problem. Maintaining the Statute of Secrecy is one of those exceptions to underage magic. The Ministry wouldn't dare mess with that one. That isn't just British law, it's international. Trying to press charges from that could see the Ministry in a lot of trouble with the international confederation of Wizards. Not something they invite lightly." Sirius explained.
"I will go make the call." Said Harry and he walked up stairs to the floo fire in the spare bedroom that was currently locked but Harry knew where the key was to open it.
Inside he grabbed a pinch of powder from a nearby pack and tossed it in the fire calling "Ministry of Magic emergency oblivion." As green flames flashed in the grate then he stuck his head in.
The next moment he was looking up at an annoyed-looking young security type who had probably by virtue of being the newest employee had drawn the short straw to work new Year Eve. "First tell me if your situation is contained then explain the situation." She ordered Harry.
"Yes, we have twenty plus muggles unconscious and contained. They all saw a phoenix flame in and out leaving a letter for me while I was attending a New years celebration. I and the other magicals present sealed the building and stupefied all bar two of the muggles present who due to being parents of a muggleborn are permitted to know about magic." Harry explained as succinctly as he could.
"Very well it sounds like one obliviator will be enough Mr Potter. Please stand by." She sent a memo flying off and a few moments later a witch who looked all business came striding into the room and had Harry pull her through the floo.
What followed was surprisingly efficient. The first thing the obliviator did was establish what exactly had happened. She was actually relieved it was a simple mind wipe job. All she had to do was remove the memories from when the phoenix had shown up until they fell unconscious. A little bit of magical confusion added after that and people would attribute the missing time to the alcohol. Despite everything that had happened, not even forty minutes after the bloody phoenix had shown up the party was back in full swing with three quarters of an hour to go until midnight.
Harry, Hermione and Sirius however were not enjoying the party. The three of them were locked away in the spare bedroom with the obliviator filling out a report.
"So you had no idea anyone was going to send you a letter let alone that one was going to be sent in such a flashy way?" The obliviator asked.
"Of course not." Said Harry. "How much of the mail that you get arrives when you schedule it. Plus I prefer not to correspond with the person who sent that message at all."
"So you know who sent the letter?" She asked.
"Well I recognise the phoenix and only one person I know has one and he is known to use it to send letters on occasion. Albus Dumbledore."
"Bloody great. A breach of the Statute of Secrecy and the bloody Supreme Mugwump of the International Confederation of Wizards is behind it. Now what magic and why did you cast after the phoenix showed up?"
The three of them recounted everything they had done and when they opened the scroll it was indeed signed by Dumbledore. The obliviator made a note of that before handing the scroll back to Harry.
The obliviator agreed that while there were possibly some better options available to them they had contained the incident without causing excessive damage to property or person so she was happy that their magic use was appropriate and legal. She left them each a report to fill and send into the Ministry out before she disappeared into the floo.
"So, the important question. What did Dumbledore write to you about?" Asked Hermione.
A part of Harry wanted to say who cares and tear the scroll to pieces but with everything that was happening with Voldemort there was a significant possibility that it was something important. So Harry unrolled the scroll that had already been checked for Magic and read.
Harry
I know I am probably the last person you want to hear from especially tonight, but given that the new year is the perfect opportunity for new beginnings it seemed like a suitably dramatic gesture.
There is information I have that is relevant to your hunt for certain objects of which I will not speak about in a letter that could be read by others. Your current plan, while having a decent chance at success, has a significant danger tied to it that I believe has slipped your notice. I implore you to contact me as soon as possible so that we can arrange a time for us to collaborate on moving forward. I think you will find it to be mutually beneficial.
Sincerely,
Albus Dumbledore.
"That self absorbed son of a bitch." Harry exclaimed, passing the scroll to Sirius. "If he thinks he can trick me into dancing to his tune that easily I fear his brain has already rotted from old age and too many lemon drops."
Sirius quickly read through the short letter and frowned. "The bigger issue is does Dumbledore actually know what we are doing or is it a ruse to get Harry to let his guard down. And worse if he does know something. How did he find out?"
"That's true. Doesn't everything to do with the Horcruxes happen at some place that you've hidden from everyone?" Hermione asked and Sirius nodded. "If Dumbledore has found a way to spy on it then doesn't that mean the entire security is compromised?"
There was a moment of anxious silence before Harry said. "No, I don't think so. I think the location is secure. However, we haven't been as careful as we should be elsewhere. For example Hermione, you and I have talked about everything while in the castle. It would be far easier for Dumbledore to have spied on us rather than the location."
"Don't beat yourselves up, Charlus and I haven't been as careful as we should have been with Dumbledore back in the castle either. We have been relying on the privacy charms built into the professors' offices to prevent students from cheating but Dumbledore has had decades at the castle to work out ways around those." Sirius admitted.
"Not that it matters much right now." Hermione added. "Dumbledore is going to have to answer to the Wizengamot over breaking the Statute of Secrecy. He won't have any time to butt into our business for a while." Hermione pointed out. "Plus it's getting close to midnight so we should probably go back downstairs and rejoin everyone." And she started to lightly pull on Harry's arm.
Harry knowing exactly why Hermione wanted to return to the party Harry turned to Sirius and said. "Hermione is right. And there is nothing we can do right now. We can all talk when we get back to school with Grandfather." And with that he let Hermione pull him to his feet and lead him back downstairs.
The party was back in full swing when they got downstairs. Thanks to magic none of the guests were any the wiser over what they had seen and any discrepancies in people's memories would quickly be written off as the effects of alcohol.
By now both Harry and Hermione, who hadn't drunk that much to begin with, were mostly sober again but decided that they would pass on the alcohol. What they didn't pass on was the food. They had both done a lot of magic and had been rather on edge and both of those things burned calories so the two teens raided the buffet. The pickings were rather slim at this point as it was getting late and people generally didn't like to drink on an empty stomach. Still, there was enough for the teens to grab themselves another plate each.
After getting food the two teens found a corner to themselves. As much as Hermione had wanted to rejoin the festivities, especially the countdown to midnight, the truth was that joining a group you had just basically attacked and stolen the memories of was awkward. It only made it worse that it was none of their faults. These people had done nothing wrong, they hadn't attacked anyone or stolen anything. They had just seen something done by a senile old fool. Because of that they had run afoul of a law they had no way to avoid or even know existed. So Harry and Hermione were left feeling awkward trying to be part of a group that by every reasonable definition they had just assaulted.
"Wanna duck out and join me at my place after midnight?" Harry asked.
"God yes." Hermione exclaimed. "It feels so awkward being here right now. Everyone is being so friendly but I know it's only because they don't remember what we just did to them."
"We didn't exactly have much of a choice." Harry tried to defend their actions but the words sounded Hollow even to him.
"Doesn't change anything though does it? I still remember them looking terrified as everyone was falling unconscious around them. We knew they would be fine but they certainly didn't. They were terrified of us." Hermione said as she leaned into Harry for comfort.
"I know. But if we hadn't, well you know what happened in history. The witch burnings. While I doubt they would use fire any more, there are enough people, people like my aunt and uncle, who would target us." Harry tried to make them both feel better.
Hermione though still sounded bitter. "Yeah, how could anyone see two teenagers and an adult knocking over twenty people unconscious and then calling for someone to mess with their heads as monsters."
Harry knew she wasn't calling him or herself a monster, not really. She was upset and needed to vent. Harry just listened, offering what support he could. But in the end the truth was they couldn't have done anything different. The Ministry would have found out either way and tracked down all the guests. They would have needed more memories taken and altered as would anyone they told and Harry, Hermione and Sirius, mostly Sirius as the only of age wizard present, would have gotten into a lot of trouble. This was the best possible outcome after Fawkes had flamed in like that.
Hermione's dad came over to see if they were alright. "How are you two holding up? That didn't look fun." His understatement caused both teens to snort a laugh. Something the man considered a win.
"It certainly wasn't fun. I hated having to stun everyone like that." Hermione said.
"I can understand that. Are you going to be okay? Do you need anything?"
"I could use a hug." Hermione ducked out from under Harry's arm and let her dad wrap her up in a hug. "After midnight Harry and I are going to duck out and go to his place. Get away from everything." Hermione told her father as they were still wrapped up in their hug.
Dan let out a long suffering sigh but couldn't deny that his daughter was growing up and he had to let her make certain choices for herself. And it wasn't like he couldn't understand wanting to get away after what happened. He, like all good fathers, just wished he had another decade or two with the little girl who thought he was the most amazing man in the world.
At about five minutes to midnight someone turned on the TV and tuned it to the BBC who were broadcasting a live feed of Big Ben. The Grangers may live in London but they were far too far away from the famous clock tower and its bell to hear it when it struck midnight.
When there was only a minute left to go most people walked out into the street where they were joined by people from multiple houses and they counted down the last ten seconds together
"Ten."
"Nine."
"Eight."
"Seven."
"Six."
"Five."
"Four."
"three!"
"Two!"
"One!"
Then, multiple people started to shout "Happy New Year!" over the sound of Big Ben filtering out of a number of open windows from the TVs. There were multitudes of explosions from fireworks being set off from people's gardens. Harry pulled a smiling Hermione to him and the two lost themselves in the traditional midnight kiss. For one extra long moment everything was perfect. There was no Ministry and their annoying laws, there was no Voldemort and his broken soul or even Dumbledore and his broken mind. There was just the two of them, a young couple in love with their whole lives ahead of them.
-ϟϟϟ-
Harry and Hermione were woken up the next day by a loud knocking on his bedroom door. "What is it!" Harry called out, still half asleep.
"Harry, it's me." The voice of Grandfather Charlus called through the door. "Care to explain why I got a notification from the underage magic office clearing you and Hermione of the magic you did last night?"
"Fuuuck." Harry whined out. He knew exactly what his grandfather was worried about. The main reason there was an exception to underage magic was self-defence. Put that together with Voldemort being active and you had the all too reasonable conclusion for Grandfather to jump to that they had been attacked last night and nobody had told him. "Nobody was attacked last night and there were no injuries. Is that enough for you to wait until Hermione and I are dressed, preferably with a cup of coffee each before you demand more answers?" Harry asked.
There was a moment of silence then Charlus called out. "I'll go make the coffee." Which meant he wasn't going to let them have a lie-in.
"You wanna stay here while I explain?" Harry asked the now awake witch who was cuddled up next to him her hand idly caressing some of the muscles on his bare chest.
"No, I'm up now. May as well get up." And she rolled away from him and out from under the covers looking for the bag she had left there the night before with a change of clothes in it before she ducked away into the bathroom to change.
Ten minutes later two groggy teens were sat at the kitchen table sipping mugs of coffee while they explained Dumbledore's breach of the Statute of Secrecy the night before. "It was a breach of the Statute, not an attack. Hermione, Sirius, and I had to react to prevent about thirty people running off and telling everyone about Dumbledore's phoenix flaming into the middle of a muggle party to deliver me a letter. After we locked the building down, we stunned everyone except Hermione's parents and called the ministry for an obliviation squad. Showed them the letter I got so they knew it wasn't us that screwed up and they cleared us for the magic we used to keep it contained."
Charlus went from agitated to relieved right back to agitated as Harry explained. "I want to see the letter." Charlus demanded and Hermione, who had thought he would want to see it, pulled it out of her pocket and handed it over.
Charlus read the letter and he wasn't happy with what he read. "Looks like the old bastard has been spying on us." Then he suddenly looked like he had an idea. "Leave this to me I think I know how to use this to deal with the old meddler. If I'm right then I will get him out of our hair for good."
"At least there wasn't an attack last night." Harry said just glad that while last night hadn't been fun there wasn't any danger.
"Actually there was." Said Charlus pulling a special edition of the daily prophet from his robe pocket. "They hit Ollivander's last night."
"My god!" Exclaimed Hermione. Her hand going to her mouth in shock "Is Mr Olivander alright?"
"Yes." Charlus nodded. "Apparently he wasn't at the shop, he was at a new years party hosted by a relative. But they cleaned out his shop. All the wands he had made and the supplies to make more."
"That makes sense." Hermione said. "All the Deatheaters they broke out of Azkaban either had their wands snapped or they would be in the Ministry like Draco's because he was still waiting for his trial. They will need a lot of wands if they are going to fight."
"Unfortunately that's the conclusion the Prophet reached as well. They are warning people to be careful because they expect the raids and attacks from the first war will start again at any time now." Charlus told them.
"Is there anything we can do to help?" Hermione asked.
"Yeah you can keep your heads down and stay safe. There is a good chance that Voldemort will be targeting you. If you go gallivanting around they will take the opportunity to try and kill you. I know that's a harsh thing to hear but you both know it's the truth. You saw what happened to that unfortunate old man when you went to Hogsmeade last time. That wasn't your fault, but we don't want a repeat either."
"I was going to talk with you about this when you got back to school but as I'm here now, I will be working with the headmaster and the ministry to secure the castle better. Hopefully we can stop people from being able to break in whenever they like. But to do that Harry I want your map of the castle." Charlus said.
Harry's eyes went wide. "But it's…" then he let out a sigh. He wanted to fight to keep it but he could easily see how it could be used to defend the castle and that was a little more important than the connection to his dad that it represented. "Fine."
"Don't sound so depressed. I am not going to keep it. I need Sirius to make a few copies. Then you can have it back. My plan is to have a team watching a few copies of the map twenty four hours a day then if someone tries to get into the castle it will be seen and reported immediately."
"Reported to who?" Harry asked. "Surely you don't mean Dumbledore in his made up role of high guardian or whatever it was."
"High Protector. And no, I intend to get Dumbledore removed from the castle. As powerful as he is he is to much of a danger himself. However the fact that the Ministry already sent him means they acknowledge that the school is in danger so I intend to work with them to find another solution. Personally I want two dozen Aurors but I doubt the D.M.L.E has that many to spare. Still I'm sure we can come up with something." Charlus said leaving the two teens to wonder what other options there could be for security.
Not long after that Charlus made his way back to Hogwarts with the Marauder's map leaving Harry and Hermione to have breakfast, they were just sitting to eat when a hungover Sirius came stumbling through the floo from the Granger's. He had decided to stick around and with the two of them gone indulge in some heavy drinking. Harry just handed him a cup of sugary tea and a bacon sandwich before the two teens took their breakfast to another room leaving Sirius with the quiet he needed to nurse his hangover.
The last few days of the holiday were actually rather relaxing and it let Harry and Hermione focus on their school work. With their O.W.L exams coming up and Christmas now over, Hermione wanted to go over everything they had learnt since first-year. Hermione wanted to go over everything at least once before Easter, work out what they had down and see what needed extra work. So they started on the easiest subject first, first-year charms.
A/N
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