FicWad

There Is Only Power
By Loralee

Chapter 8
Diagon Alley

Harry and his friends went to Diagon Alley for their school shopping. People stared at Harry but he just ignored them. He needed new robes both school and dress, shoes and cloaks. They spent time in Flourish and Blotts picking books, much to Ron's disgust. Harry didn't know if he'd ever be able to play quidditch again but wanted to buy a new broom, he didn't want to take a chance on something happening to the firebolt that Sirius had bought for him. He picked up his potion ingredients almost looking forward to potions class without Snape.

Harry had hinted to Dumbledore that he might not return to Hogwarts but he had no intention not to. If his position became untenable he could leave. Snape had offered to tutor Harry for his NEWTs in that case.

Harry had provided funds for Snape to begin making potions to market, including the Wolfsbane. He was to invite Remus back to the house after the shopping trip. They thought that Remus could front the potions sales for now. They were also going to try to provide wolfsbane to werewolves through Remus at no cost to sway them from Voldemort's side. The twins were purchasing the ingredients for Snape at present.

The six of them were sitting in Florean Fortescues' ice cream parlor, waving to other shopping students and trying to ignore the three Auror guards and Remus Lupin hovering about when they heard the first screams.

Harry stood and drew his wand, as did the others, he shook his head at Auror Blackthorne when he tried to get them to portkey out.

Harry led the way out of the shop in to the chaos on the street. People were fleeing from a dozen forms in black cloaks and masks that were shooting curses into the crowd. Harry shook his head, if enough people fought back at the same time they could take them out before they caused much trouble but the average witch and wizard ran instead.

By the time the ministry six had gotten close enough to let off a barrage of spells they'd been joined by another half dozen students of the DA. The ministry six fired off reducto's, the Aurors and other students stupefy and incarcerous. With in minutes the twelve death eaters were down, and bound. Two of the students Susan Bones and Hannah Abbott started treatment for some of the injured. They had taken the death eaters by surprise and had taken no injuries to their side. By the time the order and the responding Aurors got there it had been over for ten minutes.

Responding Aurors were taking statements from the students and other witness', this time Harry was paying attention to the Death Eaters when they were unmasked. Nearly all of them were young. This had to have been a training mission or an act of desperation.

Harry began to wonder if they could pinpoint Voldemort's location maybe they could take the fight to him. He couldn't have that many more Death Eaters could he? Harry resolved to speak to Snape tonight. His speculations were interrupted by the appearance of Dumbledore who was berating Auror Blackthorne for allowing students to become involved with this fight.

"You know Headmaster that's a awful bad habit you have of showing up to a fight late and trying to act like you know more about what happened than the people involved. That and acting like you're in charge. Auror Blackthorne was acting as security for myself and my friends he was not however my babysitter or someone who could dictate my actions."

"So you decided to involve your friends in this and almost get them killed yourself Harry?" Asked Dumbledore.

"No I made a choice to fight evil Dumbledore and my friends and fellow students made their own choices to help. After all aren't you the one who told me 'It's our choices that show what we truly are. And the difference between making the right choice or the easy choice.' If enough of us stand up and say 'no more' then we will win against the evil that is Voldemort. You have twelve students here Dumbledore and three Aurors and one former professor and together we took down twelve Death Eaters with out loss of life on our side. Sixteen people were hurt and three killed before we stepped in, they were already throwing AK's into the crowd. But guess what professor these students are not the only ones who took part in today's fight. Seven of the Death Eaters were also current students of yours Dumbledore. Marked Death Eaters who, if they had gotten away, would have been at Hogwarts in a week. How many more should we expect and what do you intend to do about it?"

Dumbledore expression sank and he began to look very old.

"Current students Harry? From Slytherin I suppose."

Harry grimaced, "That right there is part of the problem Dumbledore why do you automatically assume that it's the Slytherin students who are Death Eaters? Yes there are three Slytherins, and two Ravenclaws and two who would have been seventh year Gryffindors. You make the division between the houses worse every year with your favoritism. Can't you see that we are people not pieces on a freaking chessboard? You're so caught up in try to control me and mould me into some kind of weapon against Voldemort that you ignore the other important things. You stretch yourself to thin, Wizengamot, order, school, sticking your nose in where it doesn't belong."

"Harry I've only tried to do what's best," Began Dumbledore but Harry cut him off, they'd drawn a crowd and Harry could see Rita Skeeter just over Dumbledore left shoulder looking gleeful.

"Dumbledore you keep saying that but I don't believe you. What was best for me is not the same as what is best for the Wizarding world. I promise you that I will personally destroy Voldemort but you have to back off and let me do my job. You have to let me learn the things I need to know to do the job. You keep telling me that you wanted me to enjoy my childhood without the pressure of the fame that follows me. Well you failed at that a long time ago. I was raised by abusive muggles who hated magic and who hated being saddled with a child not their own, you ignored my parents wishes as to my placement, you had the authority to demand a trial for Sirius but you took the easy way out and did nothing. You can't have ever checked up on me or you would have seen I was treated like an unloved house elf. You need to make a decision, right or easy Dumbledore, if you want to run a school then do so fairly for all students, if you want to make laws and run the Wizengamot then leave the school for someone else to run, if you want to run the ministry then run for minister. Just leave the war to those who want to fight not sit on their asses waiting for a boy to save them."

Harry then moved away from the broken looking Dumbledore toward Rita Skeeter.

"Rita a word?"


Severus Snape was unhappy but unsurprised to find that more of his Slytherin had turned to Voldemort. He was also troubled that Harry had faced off with Dumbledore in public. He had accepted packages that afternoon and had regretted not being able to go to Diagon Alley with the teens. Not that he wanted to protect them he told himself oh no it was that, he just wanted to be out doing things, yes that was it.

Remus Lupin was shocked at Harry's attack on Dumbledore and then shocked again to realize that Snape was not dead. When he found that not only Voldemort but also Dumbledore had controlled Snape, he was not a happy man.

Then Harry sat them down and began to explain the thought he'd had earlier in the day.

"Professor, Remus after the attack today I was wondering how many Death Eaters Voldemort has now. If he's recruiting students then he might not have a whole lot left. So far we've taken out eleven at the ministry, eleven at the house and twelve today. So the question is how many does his have left? If we can find his base how many can he call to help him in an attack?"

"Are you insane Potter? You can't attack the Dark Lord." Snape almost screamed.

"Harry that's suicide!" yelled Remus at the same time.

Harry just grinned at the reactions and said one word. "Why?"

They both just looked at Harry and then at each other.

"Look, I just told an alley full of people that I plan to destroy Voldemort. If you think that won't be in the papers tomorrow then you're crazy. I also said that I need time to get ready. So what will Voldemort do now? Try to kill me, if we can reduce support for him by giving wolfsbane to the werewolves, then why not take the fight to him. Someone has to know where he is."

Harry called in the rest of the household and opened the boxes that had been delivered.

"I have presents for everyone, I want to take the fight to Voldemort and I want you to be protected if you are going to help. I won't ask you to but I wont' try to stop you either."

Harry began pulling goblin made chain mail shirts out of the box. They looked bronze with red detailing and were actually made of a lightweight durable metal that only the goblins make. Helmets were in the same metal with a detachable mirrored wraparound visor. There were cloaks as well in Gryffindor colors crimson with gold lining.

"I will fight with you Potter but I will never wear Gryffindor colors!" sneered Snape in his snottiest tones.

"Of course not professor I wouldn't dream of putting you into colors" laughed Harry pulling a black chain shirt with silver trimmings. Snape's cloak was black as well but lined with Slytherin green.

"Hey Ron open that crate. It should have the things that go under. Self-sizing and color changeable padded shirts, black self-sizing dragon-hide pants and boots. I want you guys to be safe. With this armor you'll be able to concentrate more on offense and less on defense."

"What about me Harry?" Asked Remus sadly, "I'd like to fight with you."

"That third crate should have my armor and several extra sets. The colors can be changed on the armor but only I can do it. I thought you might like black and gold. After all we don't want the Professor to stand out to much." He glanced at the twins who'd just come in. "I thought about setting yours for neon green and pink but I want to be able to look at you with out vomiting."

Everyone laughed.

Remus pulled open the third crate and the first thing out was a gold breastplate inscribed with goblin runes and brilliant lighting bolt.

"Whoa, Harry is this yours?" Asked Remus holding it up. Harry looked and groaned. Everyone stared at the armor.

"Yes Remus, since I'm a ward of Ragnok, Hammertoes insisted that I have formal battle-armor. I have a chain shirt just like those. But that hideous thing goes over the chain for formal occasions. The lighting bolt is my symbol for obvious reasons and the runes are my goblin name. As if I any goblin I meet wouldn't know who I am. The blank space at the left is where a rank emblem would go when I complete my battle training."

Remus had, while Harry was talking, pulled out the chain shirt it was definitely a more golden color than the others bronze colored armor. He glanced at Snape who rolled his eyes and snickered. The cloak under that was a royal purple and the helm had the lighting bolt symbol on the brow just where Harry's scar would be.

"I'm not at all concerned about standing out Potter. I believe it is you who will stand out." Said Snape.

"Harry while I don't recognize the runes there seems like a lot of them to just say Harry Potter." Said Hermione running her fingers over the runes on the breastplate.

Harry looked down blushing and mumbled something. Everyone looked at him and Hermione said, "What was that Harry?"

"I said it's more than just Harry Potter." Said Harry in a louder voice. There was a chuckle from the doorway. Ragnok and Amelia Bones stood there.

"I wished to check on my ward. I hope you do not mind the intrusion Potions Master Snape." Said Ragnok with a small bow towards Snape.

"Not at all Senior Director." Replied Snape with a slight smile.

"I believe that Harry has come to realize that goblin names do not translate well sometimes. There can be a wealth of meaning to names and words. We had one young goblin who found the translation of his name to be distracting and had to choose something different." Ragnok paused for the obligatory question.

"He first called himself Nosepick." The twins laughed.

"But sir what does that have to do with Harry?" Asked Hermione.

"Well there is no word potter in gobbledegook it translates to a word that coming back to English would be dish maker."

You might as well just tell them honored elder." Said Harry through his teeth. Ragnok chuckled.

"It is the duty of an elder to embarrass the young to keep them humble young one. Very well the naming runes identify this breastplate as belonging to Swift Bolt the Hairy Dark Dish Maker, Prophecy's Child, chosen child of Ragnok of clan Gring."

They looked at Ragnok in shock until the twins began to laugh. "Bolt the Hairy!"

Harry just shook his head and ignored his hysterical friends.

"Thank you honored elder for this lesson in humility." Said Harry to Ragnok and then he added something in Gobbledegook.

"Don't let Megwrith hear you talk like that Harry she'll thump you again." Harry nodded back and called Dobby for refreshments.

"You know young one your friends look like a youth cadre after a night carousing in the lower caverns."

Harry looked them over. They were in various stated of dishevelment having been interrupted in the middle of trying on various pieces of armor and accessories. He grinned and then began to explain to Ragnok and Amelia his plans for taking the war to Voldemort as soon as he could be located. Snape drifted over to them and listened for a while finally he asked, "And exactly how will you kill him Potter?"

Harry shrugged, "I still have to figure that out but hopefully I'll know when we find him."