FicWad

The Golden Swamp certainly lived up to half of its name. This pub was filthy! Hermione understood the need to be discrete but this was ridiculous. The ground was literally mud!
Ron didn't seem to mind the place, in fact he had already walked right up to the bartender. "Excuse me, do you have any Butterbeer?"
The Muggle bartender raised an eyebrow. "What in God's name is Butterbeer?"
"How about Firewiskey?" Ron continued oblivious to Hermione's groan.
The Bartender was completely lost. "Firewiskey? Are you some sort of fruit? Cause if you are, you're looking for the bar across the street."
"Do I look like a fruit? I'm a person not an apple!" Ron shot back angrily.
"Ron will you be quiet." Hermione hissed, embarrassed.
"What about Pumpkin Juice?" Ron asked.
"I got some Pumpkin Juice for you." The Bartender grumbled as he walked away.
"See Hermione, I knew they would have something." Ron said triumphantly.
"Ron, if that man brings you back a drink, it won't be Pumpkin juice." Hermione sighed before pausing. "Ron, Look!"
Unnoticed by the dozen Muggles in the damp bar, was the infrequent flashing of an emerald, green light. It flickered from the unnaturally dark corner of the bar. Ron and Hermione slowly approached the light, and as they stepped into the shadow, came face to face with two faceless beings.
They wore pitch black robes that covered their faces. They floated over the ground like Dementors and spoke in a chilling voice that death himself would fear. "You Came Alone?"
"Yes." Hermione whispered praying that she hadn't made a mistake.
The second voice spoke, and wolves started barking. "Are you sure you weren't followed?"
"As sure as we can be under the circumstances." Hermione replied with more confidence.
The eerie figures stared silently at her. Hermione felt herself compelled to speak, all prior confidence gone. "I was told you...had information on the whereabouts of Harry Potter and...Lu...Luna Lovegood."
"What is the one subject you failed to get an O for during your Owl's?" The first voice asked abruptly, effectively caching Hermione off guard.
"DADA." Hermione answered, confused.
The second voice spoke as Hermione's eyes widened with recognition. "Weasley, what did your Mother call you as she tucked you in at night."
Ron's face turned as red as his hair as Hermione struggled to hold her giggles. The two 'specters' continued their interrogation. "What did your mother call you Ron."
Ron had turned a shade of orange as he muttered. "Ronny Bunny..."
At this Hermione burst out laughing as the specters lowered their hoods, revealing the faces of one Potter and one Lovegood.
"HARRY!" Hermione screamed as she threw herself at Harry, either hugging him or attempting to kill him. "I CAN'T BELIEVE IT'S REALLY YOU! IT'S BEEN SO LONG!"
Luna 's face seemed to be wearing an uncharacteristic smirk as Harry gasped for air. Hermione released Harry before attacking Luna with the same intensity. "LUNA! WHERE HAVE YOU TWO BEEN?"
Luna flailed her arms as she gave a panicky muffle. "I don't like this, please stop crushing me."
"Leave off them Hermione." Ron snorted as he pulled Harry into a less life threatening hug. "Where the bloody hell have you been."
Luna smiled serenely and sung.
"We have been to a world full of wonder
Beyond the stars, the moon the yonder.
Into dreams of love and paradise
Awoken the sight of a divine sunrise"
"What the bloody hell are you on about!" Ron exclaimed.
Luna just smiled sweetly, leaving the four in a somewhat awkward silence. Luna and Harry sat at the hidden table behind them and were joined by the other, less eccentric couple.
"How did you ward the table so well." Hermione muttered as the bartender brought the four Magicals their drinks without being any wiser of the magic around him.
"Mother was quite good with wards." Luna hummed with pride. "She was an unspeakable you know. She had to make sure no one heard the things that she spoke."
Harry took over the conversation. "Look, there isn't much time. I'll explain later where we've been but when we returned it was to the ruins of Gringotts. We were just able to dodge a dozen Aurors trying to stun us. We don't know how long we've been gone or what has happened since."
Hermione's eyes widened while Ron spoke in a dramatic whisper. "It's been twenty five years! The world is run by Moon men!"
"Shut up Ron." Hermione tried to say sternly, though the smile on her face hurt her attempt. "It's been around two months. It's midway through January, the 15th I believe."
Harry sighed and handed Luna's three sickles. "Right on the dot, I swore it has been at least a year. How did things go to Hades so fast." Luna looked into the nothing as she uttered.
"The world can change in the blink of an eye, the question is not how, or when, but why."
"OK enough...poems." Ron complained.
Hermione looked around the bar to make sure they had not been followed before speaking. "It started with Flitwick's funeral. It was written in the Goblin Treaty clause twenty four, that in the event that a great Goblin was killed, then all Goblin run enterprises would be closed the day of the funeral. That includes Gringotts. If the Goblin was considered a true Goblin then the closing of Goblin businesses would last seven days."
Harry let out a whistle. "Didn't think the Goblin's had it in them."
"More in them than the Ministry it seems." Hermione continued. "You see, True Goblins don't die often, due to the fact that there are so few of them. However when they do the Wizards..."
"Bitch and Moan." Ron scoffed.
"Thank you Ron." Hermione scolded. "Yes, complain, but the Ministry puts up with the Goblin's because, that is what you do in diplomacy. However they weren't so lenient this time, care to guess why."
Luna's unfocused gaze fell across the muddy pub as she answered. "The Ministry didn't consider Filius Flitwick to be a True Goblin."
Hermione scowled. "Bingo! In fact, that was just what she told them."
"She?" Harry asked leaning across the table.
"Jane Grimhilde, she stood before the Wizengamot and gave a very...interesting speech. I was there, in disguise of course. I switched places with a reporter who was staying at the Hogshead. That pub seems to have an unending supply of reporters to stun and impersonate. So I saw it, how she wrapped the old pure blood supremacist bastards under her thumb." Hermione hissed, her anger pouring through her eyes.
"The Wizengamot called for an emergency meeting following the disgrace of Kingsley. It didn't help his case that his office had been largely emptied, and his undersecretary had been found dead. The first action they enacted was the stripping of all titles and positions Kingsley possessed, and the order for his arrest. Then they discussed the call for a temporary Minister."
"Enter Jane Grimhilde. She strutted down to the center of the circular room as if she owned it. She had bright red hair and the bluest eyes. Her skin was pale and her nose was long and crooked. Her teeth would be the envy of any dentist, trust me I know. Then she spoke in a melodic sweet voice."
"I am not here to talk about Kingsley or nominate anyone for Minister. I would instead like to tell you a little tale about my day. You see after this meeting was announced and we were ordered to do our civic duty, I decided to check my accounts and make sure all was in order. So I went to Gringotts and the funniest thing happened. A House Elf, yes a House Elf, told me that Gringotts and all other Goblin run enterprises were closed for the next seven days. Now what really gets me is the reason for this, the death of a true Goblin, Filius Flitwick."
Jane's laugh echoed the silent room. No one else was laughing though. In a sense, neither was Jane. "Now pardon me for the vulgarity but I was under the impression that Mr. Flitwick was a Halfbreed. The Goblin's have no right to close their businesses that we as honorable and gracious Wizards allow them to have. I don't want to impose or make a scene but I for one am sick of the Ministry of Magic allowing these creatures to spit on our compassion. They have no gratitude, they have no morality. Why are we signing agreements and doing business with animals."
"I would like a leader who will stand up to the Goblins who hold our precious gold as hostage. I would like a leader who will take back our forests that the Centaurs have taken from us. Someone who will take back our water from the Merpeople. Protect our sons from the clutches of Veela and our daughters from the evils of the Incubus. I want our land back from the Giants that endanger the statutes of secrecy every day. I want a Minister will not bend over backwards for the Muggles, who we have allowed to rule the earth! I know one thing for sure, I would stand up for Wizards if I was Minister. I apologize for using up your time."
"Not surprisingly we have a new Minister, guess what her name is." Hermione uttered sarcastically. "That...woman didn't waste time igniting the public into an uproar. The morning after, it was all over The Prophet. 'Goblin's shut down Gringotts for a non Goblin'. Then it was 'Goblins shut down Gringotts for a Halfbreed'. Then it was 'Goblin's hold Wizard's gold hostage over death of traitorous Halfbreed that helped start Hogwarts massacre'."
"A group of Wizards tried to break their way into Gringotts, you can guess how that ended. Those who survived lost their wand arm. If it wasn't for the tense situation between the Ministry and the Goblins they would have lost their heads. Ragnok met with Minister Grimhilde and they both decided to bury the hatchet. Gringotts opened three days early on the condition that for those three days, they would be allowed to charge Wizards an extra ten galleons to enter the bank."
Luna looked off into the pub. "Then why is Gringotts nothing but rubble now."
Ron whispered hoarsely. "This is where it gets interesting. On the seventh day of Goblin fasting, something big flew right into Gringotts and the explosion killed twenty Wizards and at least two hundred Goblins."
"What?" Harry asked incredulously. "You mean like the Missile that supposedly hit the Astronomy tower."
"No, all of Diagon Alley saw it. It was well...Hermione said it looked like..."
"A Missile, I saw the memories from some of our people. It looked an awful lot like a Muggle Missile." Hermione whispered nervously.
Luna kept looking across the bar as her face scrunched up. "Gringotts has the same anti-Muggle wards as Hogwarts...and Diagon Alley for that matter. How are these objects getting through? Besides we were at the Astronomy tower and there was no missile."
"We don't know, but I will say this, the coincidence is unnerving." Hermione said morbidly. "Many Goblins were able to flee just before the missile hit. Some say Ragnok survived, others say he died. With the Goblins you really never can tell. One thing is for certain though, the Goblin's are..."
"Pissed!" Ron pitched in earning another scowl from Hermione. Ron just smiled smugly causing Harry to hit him on the back of the head. "What was that for?"
Harry shrugged and gestured for Hermione to continue, who obliged. "The Minister blamed the attack on another Muggle Missile. Only this time she took it a step further. She accused the now former Minister Kingsley of covering up the fact that the Muggles have discovered us and has declared war. Muggles seem to be quite unaware of this. It's what the Ministry's good at, they keep us all in the dark. You don't know the truth anymore and what they tell you could be lies or the truth. Plus we don't know what they aren't telling us."
"They have continued Kingsley's campaign to protect Muggleborns from Muggles. It started innocently enough but they started to paint them in an ugly light. Focusing on cases of magic discrimination, even if it's as simple as a Muggle freaking out when their infant starts flying around the room. They...well...They..."
Ron came in. "They have been talking about you Harry, and your childhood, in graphic detail..."
Harry closed his eyes as he took harsh, deep breaths. It took everything in him to keep control of his boiling emotions. Luna took his hand and squeezed it. "What they did was wrong, but it shows that you are strong."
Harry squeezed back "Thanks Luna."
"She did it again!" Ron mumbled.
"I don't understand." Luna asked looking at Ron before looking back out across the pub. "My rhymes are not planned."
"This is bigger than you Harry. The Minister and the Totalitar have sparked more hatred towards Muggles than Voldemort ever could. They've enacted laws, separating all Muggleborns from Muggles. They are separating children from their parents and destroying perfectly happy marriages. The Muggle's involved simply disappear."
"Sorry, Totalitar? Harry asked.
"They are the guardians of order, they keep everyone in line," Hermione whispered darkly. "With the chaos surrounding the auror department. Grimhilde established these Totalitar that seemed to come from nowhere. They are our biggest threat. They keep the order in the Magical world. They are like spies, if you say the wrong thing they will find out. They have advanced magic like I've never seen before. They are supposed to protect us, but Muggles, Squibs and Muggleborns have been disappearing and everyone knows where they disappear too, but no one dares speak of it."
There was a silence before Luna broke the silence. "It's her isn't it?"
When the others remained silent she continued. "It's the earth mother, the one from the prophecy."
Hermione nodded. "That's our theory, but we have yet to find any proof. "
"Why do I get the feeling that by we, you aren't speaking of you and Ron." Harry pondered as the pub owner refilled his drink.
Ron smiled. "The LLR, that is the name of the group that opposes the Ministry and their Totalitar. I'm in the group and Hermione is too. Hogwarts is still open but... people like Hermione aren't comfortable there."
"No Muggleborn is," Hermione whispered emotionally. "Everything is falling back to the way thing were, and we let it happen. We let that b...Witch do this! They're hunting you down...both of you. They're hunting all the LLR but they really want you Luna, and it's been made clear that they want you alive. "
"Only they stopped calling you by name." Ron growled. "They know your name holds power so they stripped it from you. They just call you Squib. They want you too Harry, they're making it out like they want to rescue you from the Squib that has bewitched you with her unnatural magic."
"How rude." Luna hummed. "Are you sure you two weren't followed?"
Hermione exchanged a glance with Ron as they both looked around the pub. "We're pretty sure..."
"Oh...OK." Luna smiled as she took a drink of Harry's beer immediately regretting it as she found the taste to be most foul.
"Um... did you think we were followed?" Ron asked as it seemed Luna had drifted off into her own world again.
"I'm not sure but I believe that interesting person over there, has been watching us since you both sat down." Luna whispered looking off in the same direction she had been all night.
Harry was the first to follow her gaze. The individual in question sat in the shadows under a dark cloak. The figure's face was hidden under a hood but it was clearly facing towards them. What's more, they could see a wand in its holster.
"Shit." Ron muttered as he saw the cloaked being.
Harry spoke loudly, "I think I shall use the rest room. Luna would you be a dear, get us some more drinks."
Luna nodded as Harry mouthed to Ron and Hermione. "Stay put."
Harry and Luna rose from their seats and went their separate ways. Harry quickly disappearing into the washroom while Luna wandered over to the bar.
She heard it first...the sound of footsteps. It was hard to hear over the noises of the pub but she heard them. She knew the figure was standing right behind her so she spoke. "Would you like me to buy you a drink. I warn you they taste most awful."
"True but you don't drink these drinks for the taste." A man's voice answered, sounding like gravel and too close for comfort. "I know who you are little bird."
"I know who I am too." Luna responded. "The only thing I don't know is who you are."
She heard him chuckle before he responded, sounding even closer. "Get me some whiskey, and you will have the knowledge you just asked for."
Luna noticed he had a deep Irish accent that seemed to tug at her memory. "What if I wish to know why you are here and what you want with me?"
"Then I will tell you this as well, though I must warn you, you might not like the answer." He whispered in her ear.
"Who's side are you on?" Luna asked trying to get an answer she could work with.
"The only side that matters, my side." The stranger grinned, Luna wasn't sure how she could tell but she was certain he was grinning
Luna made to face him but felt two callused hands grab her by the shoulders, holding her in place. "That will be enough of that little girl. Now about that drink..."
The man was silenced as he felt a wand press into his neck, and heard a voice whisper in his ear. "Don't move!"
The stranger raised his hands in surrender as he spoke. "Come now, you don't want to cause a scene in this pub any more than I do."
"You harm her, touch her, or even breath on her again, I will do a lot more than cause a scene!" The voice threatened.
"I'm sure you will." The man said as he quickly reached down and grabbed an invisibility cloak, leaving it were it was as he whispered. "Amazing, smoother than velvet. This must be the cloak of Death. So you must be the famous Harry Potter. I've heard so much about you, of course who hasn't. It truly is an honour to meet you at last. Now you must excuse me young man, I was in the middle of speaking to your...thing."
Harry jabbed his wand so hard into the man's neck that it shed blood. "One more word..."
The man chuckled darkly. "Ta..Ta..Ta, I would be very careful boy. One wrong move and these Muggles will be in for a fright." As he said this he slowly started to pull on Harry's cloak. "I mean it would truly be the story of the year, if you appeared out of thin air, in the middle of a room full of Muggles."
"Who the bloody hell are you?" Harry growled.
"I already asked him, he wasn't very helpful." Luna responded.
"If you get me that drink, I will gladly tell you." The hooded man complained.
"This guy is worse than Seamus." Harry muttered under his before saying "Fine! Luna get him his damn drink, but you sir are coming with us."
"Yes chosen one, slayer of giant snakes, Dark Lords and manors." The man uttered reverently to Harry. "However it is in your best interest to know that if I move from this spot...your friends die."
Harry felt his blood run cold. "How many..."
The man chuckled. "How many friends will die or how many Totalitar are in this pub as we speak? I'll answer both, two and none. I don't work for the Totalitar as I was fired before I could get a promotion. I was given a different job, one I am more than happy to accomplish. You and your freak here are coming with me to the Ministry, and you are going to come quietly."
"Over my dead body." Harry hissed as he moved his hand out from under the cloak and signaled Ron and Hermione, who were still in their seats acting like nothing was wrong. "I told you what I would do with you if you touched her."
The man sighed. "Fine, we shall do it your way."
The Muggles gasped as Harry appeared our of thin air. Those gasps turned to screams as the curses started flying. Eight hooded figures attacked Hermione and Ron who overturned their table and started firing their own curses from behind it.
The hooded stranger tried to throw the invisibility cloak over Luna, but she anticipated his attack and cried "Accio cloak."
The hooded man let the cloak fly out of his hand as he focused on Harry. The two quickly began firing curses at close range. The spells they deflected scattered throughout the pub, starting fires and blowing holes into various objects. By now Luna had managed to stun most of the Muggles while under Harry's cloak, though a couple of them managed to flee the pub.
Harry finally hit the hooded man with a powerful Disarming spell, sending his foe flying across the room. With the stranger taken out of the fight, Harry joined Luna, Ron and Hermione in disposing with the rest of the attackers.
The stranger rose onto shaky legs, to the sight of three wands aimed at his heart and neck. One of those wands belonged to Harry, who snarled. "Lower your hood."
The figure looked between Ron and Hermione who also had their wands aimed at him. He noticed Luna was just standing their smiling, a surprisingly kind smile despite the circumstances. He couldn't help but chuckle. "I just realized something, I'm in serious shit."
Harry jabbed his wand into the man's neck who yelled. "OK, OK, just stop...poking me with that."
The man lowered his hood revealing a face that had certainly seen better days. Yet aside from the massive amount of scars that covered his pale face, the man was very handsome looking. His hair was long and lush, but was clearly turning gray. He was grinning with a devil may care attitude, revealing his three missing teeth. Yet the grin did not reach his dull and lifeless eyes, haunting in a way that only comes from having one's heart ripped out.
"Who are you." Luna whispered. "You look familiar."
"We've never met, but I understand why you would think otherwise." The man answered without answering. "I don't care what you do to me. There is only one thing you can do that hasn't already been done to me, and that would be a blessing. So go ahead and kill me. The only thing that will hurt me in death is that I failed him."
"Failed who?" Luna asked looking curious.
The man was about to reply, then stopped and grinned. Hermione's eyes widened as she heard the sound of cracking and popping from outside the pub.
"They're here," Hermione whispered, her face was pale.
The stranger reached into his pocket and before Harry could curse him, the scarred man vanished. Ron cursed. "He must have had a portkey."
"Who cares about him!" Hermione yelled. "We've got to apparate out of here before..."
Unfortunately, before had already arrived, as the door was smashed down. The four magicals dropped to their knees and crawled behind an overturned table, as curses started flying into the pub.
Harry groaned as he joined the other three in firing curses at the Totalitar, keeping them at bay. "Dammit, what do we do now?"
"Can't we still apparate." Ron asked.
"You try apparating on your hands and knees, you'll end up leaving behind your head. Not to mention standing up will get us killed even faster." Hermione replied gritting her teeth. "You three hold them off, I've got to make us a portkey."
"We don't have time Hermione." Luna spoke as she grabbed Harry's hand. "It takes at least fifteen minutes to create a portkey and that's just for short distances."
"That's normally true, but not the way I do it ". Hermione replied as she grabbed a broken mug. "Just hold them off for me, I need to focus."
Luna looked at the cloak still in her hand and had an idea that had her questioning her sanity. Maybe she did deserve her loony moniker. Luna quickly threw the cloak over herself and rose to her feet. She quickly ducked three viscous curses and ran across the room before removing her cloak. Then Luna started to yell "Hey! I'm over here you Aquavirius Maggots!"
"LUNA!" Harry tried to stand but was dragged back down by Ron.
As soon as Luna yelled. All the curses aimed at the golden trio were suddenly flying at her. Luna threw the cloak back on as the curses hit the shield she had cast in front of her. The shield didn't hold for long as the spells smashed it to pieces, but it mattered not. Luna had already appeared in a different corner of the room and started shrieking, "You all look like a Gulping Plimpy's snout."
Harry and Ron continued to fire curses at the entrance of the Golden Swamp. Then Harry saw it, "LUNA LOOK OUT!"
Luna ducked just in time as the Totalitar started firing curses from the kitchens. Ron cursed loudly. "There must have been another way in."
"Of course there is..." Hermione began as a reducto smashed into the pub, sending tables and stools flying. One of them cracked Hermione on the head, effectively knocking her out cold.
"HERMIONE!" Ron yelled as he dropped his wand and started checking on Hermione. "She's just been knocked out. Dammit! How are we getting out now. They are going to kill her! They are going to kill us! "
Luna removed the cloak as she crawled beside Harry. "I tried, I tried to do more but..."
"I know!" Harry whispered as he clung to Luna tightly.
"I love you Harry."
"I..."
"BLOODY HELL!" Ron cried with relief.
Harry and Luna looked up as over a dozen Wizards and Witches appeared in the middle of the room and began firing curses at the Totalitar. Ron gave a Whoop! "The Caviar has arrived!"
"It's Cavalry Ron!" Hermione moaned as she slowly regained consciousness. "You weren't supposed to tell anyone one where we were."
"Yes and I told you that was stupid idea. Admit it, I was right and you were wrong." Ron embraced her as he spoke. Hermione just laughed, shaking her bruised head.
"I don't think they can hold off the Totalitar for long." Luna uttered and she wasn't lying. Their rescuers were quickly being forced back by the sheer number of their foe.
"It will do, let's get the hell out of here." Harry shouted has the four magicals linked hands. With a snap Hermione apparated them across the country until they landed in a strange white room that looked like a healer's office.
Luna looked around confused. "Where are we?"
"The location of the LLR." Hermione answered as she collapsed into one of the beds. "I feel like I cracked my skull."
Ron filled them in. "It's not much, just an abandoned Muggle hospital we fixed up a bit. Hermione helped set up some serious wards..."
"That's interesting..." Luna interrupted wearily. "I...Always..."
Luna's eye's closed as she fell into Harry's waiting arms. Harry helped her into one of the Healer beds as Hermione started to panic.
"LUNA!" Hermione screamed. "Don't worry I'll get one of our healer's..."
"Luna's fine Hermione, she's just exhausted." Harry said calmly but the melancholy was radiating off him.
"Then what's wrong?" Hermione asked already knowing the answer.
Harry sighed as he brushed his hand through her blond hair. "Before we left, Luna could have handled those Totalitar single handed. Now she can hardly apparate without becoming magically drained. She wasn't even strong enough to cast those wards back there, she had to show me how."
Harry looked at his two friends and spoke solemnly. "We are running out of time. At the rate it's going, she will lose all her magic before the end of the month."