Categories > Books > Harry Potter > Time to Live
A Good Wizard or a Bad Wizard?
2 reviewsAU Post OotP, No HBP, With Voldemort gone it's time for Harry to Live.
5Insightful
Time to Live 12
By Loralee
Disclaimer: Not mine
A Good Wizard or a Bad Wizard
Harry Potter was angry as he apparated away from the Weasley yard. He was angry at Ginny, and Molly but most of all he was angry with himself. He knew the kind of trash that the newspapers spewed; he should have just laughed it off.
He had appeared in the alley next to his hotel and walked around to the entrance. Once up in his room he couldn't seem to concentrate and so decided to go for a swim in the hotel pool.
It was getting late; someone from security had been through once and asked if he was almost through. Harry assumed they wanted to lock up the area. He was just hoisting himself out of the pool when he heard a huge splash behind him and was almost swamped with water. Once on the edge, Harry turned to look and found three men in long black cloaks floundering in the deep end. Harry rushed to his robe where his wand was concealed.
Noticing the Death Eater masks, Harry first bound and then levitated the drowning men from the pool. Then have assuring himself they weren't dead he tried to think just what he should do.
"Dobby?" whispered Harry.
"Master Harry calls his Dobby, Master Harry has captured evil, bad wizards," said Dobby.
"Uh, yeah, could you go to the Ministry to the DMLE and ask an Auror to come here?"
As Harry grabbed a towel and began to dry off there were a series of pops and four Aurors apparated in. They however missed the pool.
"Wotcher, Harry, what happened here?" asked Tonks, walking over to Harry. The other three began to check out the wet Death Eaters.
"Hey, Tonks, nice to see you. They just showed up. Fell into the pool. I fished them out and sent Dobby to get you."
Seeing the Aurors removing the masks Harry looked to see if he knew any of them. He didn't recognize them.
"Auror Tonks, it looks like a portkey malfunction," said one of the other Aurors.
"Portkey? Let me check you for a tracking charm then." She waved her wand and nodded.
"Well, Mr. Potter can you come down to the Ministry to file a report?" asked Tonks sounding official.
"Sure, Tonks, can I get dressed first?" Harry asked with a touch of sarcasm.
"Sure, I'll leave Smith with you, procedure you know."
Then Tonks and the other two Aurors grabbed hold of the prisoners and a portkey and disappeared.
Harry glanced at Auror Smith, who looked somewhat familiar.
"Come on up to my room, I need to dress. Do I know you?"
Smith grinned, "My brother Zach is in your year, and I'm Zeb."
"Zeb?" asked Harry.
"Yeah, Mum wanted unique names for us since the last name is common. So we got Zacharias and Zebulon." He said with a grimace.
Harry laughed, "I'm sorry."
Auror Smith shrugged, "Could be worse I suppose."
It didn't take long until Harry was dressed and they portkeyed directly to Auror headquarters.
Tonks asked Harry questions for the report while two of the other Aurors watched over her shoulder and took notes. When she was done she sent them over to write their own reports.
"Sorry about that Harry. They are trainees and I'm supposed to make them do it the official way. I normally would have just asked you those questions at the scene but, well, you know. I'll have Auror Smith escort you back to your Hotel. You might want to think about moving. We don't know if this was spur of the moment thing with these guys or not. They do all have the Dark Mark though. What's left of it anyway."
"What do you mean, 'what's left of it'?" asked Harry.
"Oh, it's faded some since you took down You-Know-Who," said Tonks.
"We'll have to have a portkey, Tonks," said Smith.
"I can apparate," said Harry.
Tonks laughed, "Harry you're underage. Don't you know better than to tell a bunch of Aurors that you can apparate illegally?"
Harry opened his wallet and showed her his international apparition license. "I was licensed for unlimited apparition under the International Confederation laws, Tonks."
Tonks just shook her head and made a copy for his file so Harry would not have any problems with other Aurors should someone see him and complain.
"Night Harry," she said and turned back toward her trainees.
"Come on Harry, I'll show you to the apparition point," said Smith.
Smith led him down several halls, to the lift, which they took down several levels.
"Uh, Zeb?"
"I have a surprise for you. We're on the level of the holding cells. I thought you might like to have a chance to chat with one of the special Death Eaters we're holding," said Smith with a smirk.
Harry was a little confused. It was late and had been a long day.
"Hey Jacks, Harry Potter wants to see our favorite prisoner," said Smith with a wink to the young Auror behind a desk.
"Hey, nice to see you, Potter. You have a wand on you?" asked Jacks.
"Yes, I do." Harry started to pull it out but Smith and Jacks both just smirked.
"Better keep it you might want it in there, you understand?" said Smith.
Jacks unlocked a door. "Just bang on the door when you're finished, uh, nothing too noticeable though," said Jacks with wink.
Harry went through the door to find a figure lying on a cot in drab gray robes. The figure sat up and glared at Harry.
"Potter, I might have known. Are you here to gloat?" Severus Snape said in hoarse voice, "Well, if you're here to torture me Potter, get on with it."
"What are you doing here?" asked Harry.
Snape sneered at him, "Are you that stupid Potter? I've been arrested as a Death Eater. I'm sure you're looking forward to seeing me sent to Azkaban."
"No, I mean, why are you here. Dumbledore said you were a spy, that he trusted you. I can't believe that he left you here."
Snape sighed, "Potter, it's not any of your business. Curse me and get out."
"Bloody hell, Snape, I'm not here to curse you. I am just trying to understand, but of course, if you're happy here, I'll just leave." He turned slightly and raised a hand to bang on the door.
"Potter," Harry turned back to Snape. He noticed that Snape looked awful. Thinner than usual and he had bruises on his face. Snape stared at him for a moment then sighed again.
"Very well, Potter, I might as well make my humiliation complete. The Headmaster wished me to continue teaching you brats. Since the Dark Lord was dead, I wished to stop teaching. I believed that I could make a reasonable living brewing potions for various apothecaries while doing research. I am tired; of spying, of teaching, of Hogwarts, of insufferable Gryffindors and demanding Headmasters. Dumbledore informed me that if I left Hogwarts that he could not protect me. I disregarded that and was arrested just out side of the gates. I believe the Aurors were waiting for me. As I refused to do as the Headmaster ask I believe he has no further use for me. Thus he will not help me."
"If they give you Veritaserum then they will know you were a spy and they'll have to let you go."
"Your idiocy truly knows no bounds Potter. They don't have to ask that. I have no advocate to make certain the proper questions are asked. I escaped punishment the first time. I doubt they'll let me get away a second. I'm fully cognizant that I am not well liked. This is evidence of that. It is amazing how many of my former student have paid me a visit." He sneered again and indicated his bruises, "now if your curiosity has been satisfied, get out."
Harry's eyes narrowed. He banged on the door and was let out with out a word to Snape.
He glowered at Smith and walked away quickly back toward the lift. Harry thought he could find his own way out of the building.
He had a lot to think about. He wanted to not care about Snape. He told himself that the greasy git deserved everything he got. That if Dumbledore didn't speak for him then he didn't really trust Snape. Harry didn't sleep well.
Revised 1/18/07
By Loralee
Disclaimer: Not mine
A Good Wizard or a Bad Wizard
Harry Potter was angry as he apparated away from the Weasley yard. He was angry at Ginny, and Molly but most of all he was angry with himself. He knew the kind of trash that the newspapers spewed; he should have just laughed it off.
He had appeared in the alley next to his hotel and walked around to the entrance. Once up in his room he couldn't seem to concentrate and so decided to go for a swim in the hotel pool.
It was getting late; someone from security had been through once and asked if he was almost through. Harry assumed they wanted to lock up the area. He was just hoisting himself out of the pool when he heard a huge splash behind him and was almost swamped with water. Once on the edge, Harry turned to look and found three men in long black cloaks floundering in the deep end. Harry rushed to his robe where his wand was concealed.
Noticing the Death Eater masks, Harry first bound and then levitated the drowning men from the pool. Then have assuring himself they weren't dead he tried to think just what he should do.
"Dobby?" whispered Harry.
"Master Harry calls his Dobby, Master Harry has captured evil, bad wizards," said Dobby.
"Uh, yeah, could you go to the Ministry to the DMLE and ask an Auror to come here?"
As Harry grabbed a towel and began to dry off there were a series of pops and four Aurors apparated in. They however missed the pool.
"Wotcher, Harry, what happened here?" asked Tonks, walking over to Harry. The other three began to check out the wet Death Eaters.
"Hey, Tonks, nice to see you. They just showed up. Fell into the pool. I fished them out and sent Dobby to get you."
Seeing the Aurors removing the masks Harry looked to see if he knew any of them. He didn't recognize them.
"Auror Tonks, it looks like a portkey malfunction," said one of the other Aurors.
"Portkey? Let me check you for a tracking charm then." She waved her wand and nodded.
"Well, Mr. Potter can you come down to the Ministry to file a report?" asked Tonks sounding official.
"Sure, Tonks, can I get dressed first?" Harry asked with a touch of sarcasm.
"Sure, I'll leave Smith with you, procedure you know."
Then Tonks and the other two Aurors grabbed hold of the prisoners and a portkey and disappeared.
Harry glanced at Auror Smith, who looked somewhat familiar.
"Come on up to my room, I need to dress. Do I know you?"
Smith grinned, "My brother Zach is in your year, and I'm Zeb."
"Zeb?" asked Harry.
"Yeah, Mum wanted unique names for us since the last name is common. So we got Zacharias and Zebulon." He said with a grimace.
Harry laughed, "I'm sorry."
Auror Smith shrugged, "Could be worse I suppose."
It didn't take long until Harry was dressed and they portkeyed directly to Auror headquarters.
Tonks asked Harry questions for the report while two of the other Aurors watched over her shoulder and took notes. When she was done she sent them over to write their own reports.
"Sorry about that Harry. They are trainees and I'm supposed to make them do it the official way. I normally would have just asked you those questions at the scene but, well, you know. I'll have Auror Smith escort you back to your Hotel. You might want to think about moving. We don't know if this was spur of the moment thing with these guys or not. They do all have the Dark Mark though. What's left of it anyway."
"What do you mean, 'what's left of it'?" asked Harry.
"Oh, it's faded some since you took down You-Know-Who," said Tonks.
"We'll have to have a portkey, Tonks," said Smith.
"I can apparate," said Harry.
Tonks laughed, "Harry you're underage. Don't you know better than to tell a bunch of Aurors that you can apparate illegally?"
Harry opened his wallet and showed her his international apparition license. "I was licensed for unlimited apparition under the International Confederation laws, Tonks."
Tonks just shook her head and made a copy for his file so Harry would not have any problems with other Aurors should someone see him and complain.
"Night Harry," she said and turned back toward her trainees.
"Come on Harry, I'll show you to the apparition point," said Smith.
Smith led him down several halls, to the lift, which they took down several levels.
"Uh, Zeb?"
"I have a surprise for you. We're on the level of the holding cells. I thought you might like to have a chance to chat with one of the special Death Eaters we're holding," said Smith with a smirk.
Harry was a little confused. It was late and had been a long day.
"Hey Jacks, Harry Potter wants to see our favorite prisoner," said Smith with a wink to the young Auror behind a desk.
"Hey, nice to see you, Potter. You have a wand on you?" asked Jacks.
"Yes, I do." Harry started to pull it out but Smith and Jacks both just smirked.
"Better keep it you might want it in there, you understand?" said Smith.
Jacks unlocked a door. "Just bang on the door when you're finished, uh, nothing too noticeable though," said Jacks with wink.
Harry went through the door to find a figure lying on a cot in drab gray robes. The figure sat up and glared at Harry.
"Potter, I might have known. Are you here to gloat?" Severus Snape said in hoarse voice, "Well, if you're here to torture me Potter, get on with it."
"What are you doing here?" asked Harry.
Snape sneered at him, "Are you that stupid Potter? I've been arrested as a Death Eater. I'm sure you're looking forward to seeing me sent to Azkaban."
"No, I mean, why are you here. Dumbledore said you were a spy, that he trusted you. I can't believe that he left you here."
Snape sighed, "Potter, it's not any of your business. Curse me and get out."
"Bloody hell, Snape, I'm not here to curse you. I am just trying to understand, but of course, if you're happy here, I'll just leave." He turned slightly and raised a hand to bang on the door.
"Potter," Harry turned back to Snape. He noticed that Snape looked awful. Thinner than usual and he had bruises on his face. Snape stared at him for a moment then sighed again.
"Very well, Potter, I might as well make my humiliation complete. The Headmaster wished me to continue teaching you brats. Since the Dark Lord was dead, I wished to stop teaching. I believed that I could make a reasonable living brewing potions for various apothecaries while doing research. I am tired; of spying, of teaching, of Hogwarts, of insufferable Gryffindors and demanding Headmasters. Dumbledore informed me that if I left Hogwarts that he could not protect me. I disregarded that and was arrested just out side of the gates. I believe the Aurors were waiting for me. As I refused to do as the Headmaster ask I believe he has no further use for me. Thus he will not help me."
"If they give you Veritaserum then they will know you were a spy and they'll have to let you go."
"Your idiocy truly knows no bounds Potter. They don't have to ask that. I have no advocate to make certain the proper questions are asked. I escaped punishment the first time. I doubt they'll let me get away a second. I'm fully cognizant that I am not well liked. This is evidence of that. It is amazing how many of my former student have paid me a visit." He sneered again and indicated his bruises, "now if your curiosity has been satisfied, get out."
Harry's eyes narrowed. He banged on the door and was let out with out a word to Snape.
He glowered at Smith and walked away quickly back toward the lift. Harry thought he could find his own way out of the building.
He had a lot to think about. He wanted to not care about Snape. He told himself that the greasy git deserved everything he got. That if Dumbledore didn't speak for him then he didn't really trust Snape. Harry didn't sleep well.
Revised 1/18/07
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