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A Change of Fate Chapter 5

(Hogwarts)

Dumbledore returned to the school annoyed and frustrated, as his search had not born any leads as to how Xander was connected to the magical world, thus giving him no leverage over him and his wife.


He was surprised to find Severus and Moody awaiting him, as he stepped out of his office. He led them to the great hall where a meal quickly appeared before him. He was hungry and quickly dug in, ignoring the put out looks on the two other men's faces. Once he finished, he took to drinking his goblet of pumpkin juice with a touch of firewhiskey, downing it in one go.


Severus rolled his eyes at the old man's actions, well used to being made to wait thanks to both the man in front of him and of course Voldemort himself loved to make people wait for a long time, before getting to the point. He sighed and not for the first time wished his life could have been vastly different.


Moody shrugged and began to take swigs from his hip flask. He knew Albus would get down to business, when he was damn god ready to do so.


"Now what is so important that you were waiting for me gentlemen?" Dumbledore finally inquired, as he finished his drink and turned to them. "Severus, I thought you were called to see Voldemort," he added.


"I was headmaster," Severus confirmed. "He is planning an attack on Diagon Alley at noon. One of the main targets of the attack is Miss Greengrass, who it seems has decided not to follow the Dark Lord," he informed them with a slight sneer.


"That is surprising Severus, as the Greengrasses had aided the Dark Lord's plans before," Dumbledore leaned back in his chair, wondering what to make of this news.


"Well it seems their daughter is not of like mind headmaster and is trying to find a way out of danger," Severus countered.


Dumbledore considered if this could be used to his advantage, but did not see how, then it occurred to him, he needed to regain some of the lost prestige within the order after the last meeting and if he led the defense of the Alley it would once again make them look up to him.


It would also boost his standing in the public eyes as well. He quickly checked the time and noted they had a half an hour to prepare.


"Alistor, I want you to get the more combat orientated members of the order ready to repel the attack," he ordered. "Make sure Remus, Tonks and Kingsley are included," he added.


He felt keeping a close eye on the three would be a good idea, as he wanted to ensure all three were loyal to him and not Harry. He was certain to a point that they might be loyal, but he needed to be sure. Remus was indebted to him, after all the help he had given him since he was a child. Tonks and Kingsley of course were a part of the generation raised to revere him, but none of this ensured their loyalty right now.


He could not afford for his plans to become known to those who did not follow him completely, like Severus and Diggle. If anyone did learn this, he would have to remove him or her, as they would be a great threat. It would not be the first time he had someone removed by either placing them in danger or arranging an accident for them. In the end, at least in his mind, his plans for the wizarding world were for the best.


"Understood," Moody said, before he stood up and headed out, pleased there would be some fighting to be done. He was committed to ridding the world of Voldemort and his followers permanently this time.


Once Moody had left the room Dumbledore began to think of tightening his grip on the order. He knew some of the members were becoming more focused on Harry than him and that had to be stopped.


Maybe it was time to enact his plan to make the order aware of Harry's connection to the Dark Lord and the damage this may be doing to his mind. It had always been his plan for this to become public knowledge, so people would no longer trust Harry.


They would fear that he would either end up possessed by Voldemort, or that he would willingly join the dark side, having succumbed to the darkness the connection pumped into his mind.


Severus watched the headmaster for a few minutes trying to find out what he was thinking, but could not and so stood up and left the room as well. He knew he would not be used in the coming fight, as that would blow his cover.


+++


(12 Grimmauld Place)


Harry was enjoying his continued talk with Fleur now that they had gotten the troublesome part of the conversation out of the way. They had all enjoyed the meal Tara had made for them and now they were just discussing what they planned to do, once Voldemort was dead and Dumbledore was no longer a problem.


He found Fleur had a few goals in mind, including opening up her own clothes store where she would try and introduce more up to date clothing styles to their world, if that didn't work she intended to follow her father into politics. At the moment her job at Gringotts was helping her earn some money of her own, as well as get her used to having a job, of course this was where she had met Bill. He still felt the sting of learning the Weasley's were a part of Dumbledore's plans and he was sure she felt a similar pain. Hermione sat off to the side of them, listening to what was being said, as well as adding in her own plans.


Harry had to give Hermione credit she was not allowing the prejudice of the wizarding world to get to her. She wanted a high ranking job in the ministry maybe even the minister's job, if she felt she could achieve it. He did not know how to feel about her goals, as at the moment he felt there was little chance she could even get a job at the ministry.


A knock at the door made them look up as Remus walked in. The spells Tara had put up had been taken down again, as Tara was now washing up the muggle way, Remus looked somewhat tired.


"Harry we just got word from Mad Eye that there will be an attack on the alley at noon and the order is going to stop it," Remus informed them. "Both Tonks and I have been ordered to join in," he added. "We both think Dumbledore wants to keep an eye on us and ensure we still follow him," he stated.


"You'll have to be careful and I suggest you do not look him in the eyes, just in case he tries to get inside your mind," Harry responded, as he believed Remus was right.


Remus nodded before he left the room again, wondering just how far Dumbledore would be willing to take his plans, how much had Sirius found out. He was sure his old friend had more evidence of the old man's schemes hidden somewhere, but the question was where? He took the floo to Hogwarts, with Tonks following close behind.


+++


(Hogwarts)


When they arrived they found Mad Eye already waiting for them, along with Bill, Arthur, Hestia Jones, Emmeline Vance, Kingsley Shacklebolt as well as Flitwick, Mcgonagall and Sturdis Podmore. It was quite a group and filled with most of their combat experienced members they noted, so far there was no sign of Dumbledore, but they were sure he would turn up very soon.


"So do we know how many Death Eaters are gonna hit the alley?" Tonks asked, as Mad Eye moved closer to them.


"Snape didn't say," Moody replied grimly, not exactly trusting the supposed ex Death Eater. "However considering the loss they took at the ministry, most of the inner circle is in Azkaban," he reminded them.


"I'm sure that will not last long," Emmeline responded, as she joined them. "He is sure to break them out again," she added, to which Moody nodded his agreement.

"Is it possible the Dark Lord will be part of the attack?" Remus inquired, uneasy at the idea as none of them but Dumbledore and Harry were capable of going up against him and surviving.


Harry had proven very adapt at fighting the Dark Lord and somehow coming out alive and so he had complete faith that should he do it again he would survive once more, as for Dumbledore well he was a man who could match the Dark Lord on equal terms. Knowing his true motives though, made him wonder if perhaps he too had undergone some rituals to enhance his power and strength.


Dumbledore chose that moment to arrive and to quickly give them the mission briefing and their orders. Remus ensured himself from looking the older man in the eyes and he was relieved to see Tonks doing the same. He checked the time and noted they had ten minutes to go before the attack was scheduled to begin.


+++


(Riddle Manor)


Daphne was slightly nervous as she prepared to head to the alley where her sister was already waiting for her. She dared not to bring her sister here or else the Dark Lord might suspect something. She tried to ignore the suspicious looks Bellatrix and Snape sent her, seeing her potions professor here had not been to surprising, as his feelings on the matter of blood was well known to many.


There was also his unusual hatred for Harry Potter to consider, ever since Harry had come to Hogwarts, the potions master had taken every opportunity to attack him verbally. She was sure had he been able to get away with it he would have attacked the boy physical as well. It did not make sense to her, unless it was out of a desire to make him pay for defeating the Dark Lord during the first war.


"Remember Miss Greengrass, do whatever it takes to get close to Potter and retrieve the information I want," she paused, as she heard Voldemort's voice from behind her, which made her spin around to face him. "Do not look Snape or Dumbledore in the eye at any time and do not let your guard down with the others. It is possible some of the other order members may know Legilimency," he reminded her.


"Yes Lord Voldemort," she said with a small bow, wanting nothing more than to leave, but she knew she could not go anywhere until he gave his permission.


"Do not fail me Miss Greengrass," he warned her with a deadly earnest tone, as his eyes almost turned into slits, making her shiver as she sensed the outright threat in them. "If you do, then you and your whole family will pay the price and now go," he ordered.

She quickly turned and left the room as fast as she could. She had warned her parents that they could be in trouble, but they had refused to heed her warning and believed that they could avoid the Dark Lord's anger with some kind of bribe.


She quickly went through the floo and hoped she could locate her sister quickly and that the plan would go smoothly without too much trouble, as for what she would do, once they were inside the order well she was still thinking on that.


+++


(12 Grimmauld Place)


Xander was still thinking over what Tara had said about bringing in some help for them. At the moment he was still having trouble of thinking of anyone they could ask. Jenny was currently taking a bath and so he was left alone with his thoughts. A lot had happened and he was still trying to get a handle on the fact he was a wizard. He wondered if Willow had found anything in his background that may explain how that had come about. He would have to get in contact with her soon.


He stood up and had to quickly lean against the wall, as he felt a little dizzy. Finally it subsided and he went back to thinking of who they could get to aid them.


Jenny finally came back out of the bathroom, wrapped in a towel and she flashed him a small smile as she went to her closet, for a few minutes he watched her semi naked form before an idea formed in the back of his head. It was risky as the person he was thinking of, was not exactly on their side. Hell she was just recovering from what seemed to be a nervous breakdown after the hell she had been through, since becoming a slayer.


Still she would be useful, especially in training Harry and his friends how to defend themselves without their wands. Something he was certain would give them an edge, which the Death Eaters would not expect, should they be captured. He walked over to Jenny and grabbed her from behind, stopping her search for some new clothes and told her his idea and then he waited, as he watched her think it over.


"You really want to try and get Faith to help us?" she finally asked. She turned in his arms and locked eyes with him.


"I know it's not exactly a great idea, but our options are kinda lacking right now," he replied, understanding her doubt. "She can train them to defend themselves without wands and she would be a good bodyguard for Harry and whilst her mental state is questionable right now, according to Angel, she is back on the right path," he explained. "If you have a better idea go ahead, I'm open to suggestions," he told her.


Jenny really did not have any better ideas, as there group was not exactly big to begin with, plus keeping the Hellmouth shut was their primary goal and Angel's crew was busy dealing with things in LA, so their options were truly limited. She sighed, as she thought of the trouble that could come from bringing the unstable dark slayer into this. Could they truly trust her, as Angel suggested they could?


She might agree to help Xander as he had forged a bond with her, as one of the only Scoobies who tried to help her both times she had been loose in Sunnydale. Whilst she was dismissive of this debt in public, she was sure on the inside Faith was actually pleased someone stood up for her. In the end it came down to the fact that she was one of the only people they knew who could help them right now. She nodded her reluctant agreement to the idea, still very unsure it would play out as Xander hoped it would.


She leaned up and kissed Xander, wanting to forget the danger that lay all around them for a while. Xander of course eagerly responded to her action and kissed her back as his hands dropped from her shoulders to her lower back and pulled her closer. He slowly worked her towel loose, feeling her smile against him and she gave him a heated stare, as he finally untied the knot and watched as he towel dropped to the floor with a slight splat.


She gave him a teasing spin, as she backed away and he slowly advanced on her with darkening eyes. Sadly for both of them the door suddenly opened and Tara stepped inside. Jenny quickly shot forward and grabbed the towel to cover herself, whilst Tara spun around while heavily blushing at seeing her friend naked. Xander groaned and rubbed his face in frustration and a little embarrassment. At least he thought it had not been Harry or one of the other teenagers and especially not one of the adults, as he would seriously get pissed if they had seen his wife naked. Tara was someone he trusted, as well as liked.


"I'm sorry," Tara stammered unable to believe what she had just walked in on and yet a small part of her at least enjoyed the brief look she had of Jenny being naked.


She could at least admire what nature had gifted her friend with for a few seconds, they both knew that she preferred female rather than male partnerships, due to the abuse she had suffered from her family when she was a child. This had caused some problems when it was first learned with Buffy and Willow being very uncertain around her for a time. Jenny had been a little more understanding, but this pushed things a little too far she thought.


"That's okay Tara. We should have locked the door," Jenny smiled, unable to believe she had allowed herself to get carried away, without making sure the door was locked.


"Sorry Tara," Xander said sheepishly. "My fault, is something wrong?" he asked, as Jenny went and grabbed some clothes before going back into the bathroom. "You can turn around now," he added.

Tara slowly turned around, only slowly meeting her friend's eyes. She was reassured, as she did not see any anger on his face. She had truly not meant to walk in on them and she did not want to do anything to cause problems between them and her. She hoped they could put it behind them.


"I just wanted to let you know that the order has left to repel an attack on Diagon Alley. Remus and Tonks have gone as part of the group," Tara informed them. "Harry suspects that Dumbledore might have other motives than just rescuing people," she continued.


"Considering what we know about him, that's possible," Xander sighed, as they got back to business and he had to forget about other things. "Do we know what kind of trouble they are going up against?" he asked.


"They didn't say, but Harry seemed to think it won't be to bad, as Voldemort himself will not be part of the attack and most of the dangerous Death Eaters are in prison right now," she answered.


Jenny came out, dressed in a simple t-shirt and jeans, and maintained a straight face, as she did not want to make this difficult for Tara. She would have a quite word with the other girl later on.


"Then we best go down and see if there is anything we can do," Xander said, as he headed for the door with the others following him.


+++


(Diagon Alley)


Tonks quickly took cover, as the portkey dropped her, Remus and Kingsley behind Olivander's shop. The Death Eater attack had already begun and clearly the idea of splitting up put them at a disadvantage. Dumbledore had decided that groups of three would drop into the alley by portkey at different locations and then attempt to try to drive the Death Eaters together. She had not been very happy with the plan and had voiced her objections, but she had been overruled.


Kingsley led the way into the fight using heavy stunners and a selection of cutters and banishing curses. The fact they were so constrained in what they could cast was really beginning to annoy her. Here they were being attacked with killing and torture curses and all they did was fire stunners back. It was unfair and almost suicidal she fumed. It did not take long for them to hook up with Mad Eye, Podmore and Vance and began to push forward against some resistance, but they were certain the Death Eaters they were fighting were new recruits, as their responses were slow and almost clumsy.


As they neared the center they found their main target to be Daphne Greengrass and her sister, both being tortured by Bellatrix Lestrange, who was surrounded by three other Death Eaters. They quickly launched their attack and caught them off guard and so could force them away from the downed teens.


Bellatrix quickly retaliated and launched a crucio back at them, hitting Vance and sent her to the ground screaming in pain. Tonks quickly attacked her aunt. She was filled with a terrible anger, as this was the woman who had killed Sirius.


Dumbledore and the others soon arrived from the other direction, herding more Death Eaters into the center. Bellatrix seemed to pause as she took in the scene, before she grabbed something on her belt and vanished, clearly using a portkey. The other Death Eaters also began to vanish with a few being stunned, before they could activate their portkeys. Once the fight was over, they quickly took Vance and the Greengrass sisters to Hogwarts to be treated, whilst the remaining order members ensured their prisoners were secured.


+++


(Riddler Manor)


Bellatrix sat in her room. She was annoyed that she had not been allowed to kill anyone during the mission. She had been ordered only to make it look real enough to the order, so that they would believe that Greengrass was against him. She hated missions like that, but she would never disobey her master. He was pleased to hear the order had been so quick to respond and had indeed rescued Greengrass.


Now they just had to wait for the girl to recover and then to complete her mission, one thing she promised herself was that the next time she fought her niece, only one of them would survive.