Categories > Books > Harry Potter > Independence Day
Disclaimer: Harry Potter and other canon characters belong to JKR I'm only having some fun
Disclaimer: Harry Potter and other canon characters belong to JKR I'm only having some fun
Chapter 11 The Fightback begins
Mad-Eye Moody
On a bench in the Atrium of the Ministry of Magic, Alastor 'Mad-Eye' Moody sat and pretended to read a newspaper. Hestia Jones had tipped him off that all was not well between Dumbledore and Potter, and he wanted to see for himself.
Moody had known Harry's parents, and had been one of James Potter's instructors. To the Wizarding world Mad-Eye had been a Master Auror and indeed that's what he was, but he had also been an Unspeakable and had recruited and trained James Potter. He also felt that he owed James a life debt, as he had slapped an emergency Portkey on him when he had been knocked unconscious during a training mission that had gone wrong, leaving him in need of emergency Healing.
He had observed what had happened in the Court Room and had taken up his current seat when Tonks had led Harry away to take his Pensieve statement. When the young couple returned he watched Dumbledore approach them and the body language from all three had intrigued him. Dumbledore looked shifty, Potter exuded a confidence he hadn't observed in him the previous summer and the Granger girl, her face displayed calm but her body was tensed up, ready to fight.
As the trio split his Magical eye caught the aura of the two tracking spells as they were cast by Dumbledore. A smile came to his face as they were deflected by the robes that the young couple were wearing, he almost burst out laughing when he saw Potter point to the unsuspecting recipients of the charms and shake his head in resignation.
Mad-Eye had seen enough, it was time to come in from the cold. He walked over to the public fireplace, took his place in line, threw in some Floo powder and said "Tintagel"
Harry and Hermione.
The young couple were not happy, Fudge had played a "Get Out of Jail Free" card on Dumbledore's behalf. There had be some way of neutralising the manipulative old bastard, they couldn't even get him for the tracking charm he'd cast on them, but found it amusing to think that he would at least waste time chasing after the guys from the Security Desk. They made their way back to Gringotts and were led back into the meeting room where the Board of Trustees had met. The only people left in the room were Roger Granger and Remus Lupin.
"How did things go?" asked Lupin.
"Not as well as I hoped they would." replied Harry and the two of them explained the outcome of the day.
"I'm not sure if I want to return to Hogwarts, I don't know if I can hold off that old bastard, concentrate on schoolwork, and on top of everything else, what they will teach me won't help me beat the other old bastard."
Hermione cut in. "I agree, Hogwarts hasn't exactly been safe for the past five years, what's going to be different this year, especially if Dumbledore is still there pulling all the strings."
"Roger" said Harry, "I've got a bad feeling, I don't think your house is safe for us to stay in. Dumbledore knows where it is and as you're on the Floo network the Ministry will know as well. I don't trust their security, we need to move to Potter Manor, preferably today."
"Good thinking, Harry." Said Remus. "I can set up some decoy charms at the Grangers, anyone checking the house will think it's occupied."
Roger Granger listened in amazement as Harry took charge, here was a young man who apart from the scar on his forehead looked like a normal teenager, but alert him to a potential danger and he seemed to solve it effortlessly.
"How do we get to Potter Manor?" asked Roger.
"We'll pick up Mum from her work and go home, then Harry will Portkey us to the Manor. The elves will bring our clothes." Said Hermione
"Okay, guys, unless there is anything else we need let's go." Said Roger and with that they left the room.
Department of Mysteries.
Deep in the Department of Mysteries a fireplace roared to life, the two wizards in the room turned to look as the wards automatically identified the traveller. Moody stepped from the fireplace, wand in hand and scanned the room.
Deputy Commander Forrest, the senior of the two wizards looked at Moody and stuck out his hand, "Welcome home, Alastor, what brings you back to the fold?"
Moody's eye swivelled round the room as he spoke, "Not here, in the briefing room, call in Commander Bond and the Section Chiefs we've got a real problem on our hands."
When the four Section Chiefs and the Commander and Deputy Commander had settled into their seats in the briefing room Moody started. He gave them a brief rundown on what had happened in the Court Room and immediately afterwards, he then summed up the situation and gave his opinion on what they had to do next.
"Dumbledore is out of control, I've been quietly digging into things, I've discovered he's been manipulating Potter since his parents' were killed. He really shouldn't give Hagrid so much information, for a half-giant he is a cheap drunk, and when he's drunk, he talks."
"He's desperately trying to regain his control over Potter. I recommend we approach Potter and recruit him. We owe it to him, after all his father was killed on active service as one of us."
The six who made up the Leadership of the Unspeakables gathered close together and discussed what they had heard. Moody knew that his report wouldn't be the only one that they would have received. The Unspeakables worked on a cell system with a maximum of ten people per cell, he knew that he could at any time of the day be standing next to a fellow Unspeakable and if he or she wasn't from his cell he wouldn't know. Only the Commander and his Deputy knew how many cells operated within their Department.
Commander Bond spoke. "Okay, Moody, contact Potter and arrange a meeting with him as soon as possible. We want him and Granger trained before the next school year starts, after they graduate Hogwarts, well, we'll see."
Granger and Granger Orthodontists.
Roger Granger pulled up outside the clinic where he and his wife had first been employed and then taken over as owners, they had built a their practice and had a good reputation locally. At one time they had hoped that Hermione would follow in their footsteps, but had grown to realise that she would follow a career in the Wizarding World instead.
Harry and Hermione waited in the car while he went to collect Jill. Before leaving they told their Junior Partner and other staff that a family emergency meant that they had to leave and that they could be gone for anything up to a year. They phoned their usual Temp. Agency and organised locum cover for the next twelve months.
Dumbledore's Office Hogwarts.
Dumbledore sat in his armchair and took a lemon drop out of the bag in his pocket and put it in his mouth. The ones in the bowl on his desk were laced with a calming draught and a mild dose of Veritaserum. Not enough for the consumer to notice but enough to make them part with information without realising what they were doing.
He looked at his tracking instruments and was fairly happy. The instruments showed that his targets were still at the Ministry of Magic. He set the instrument to alert him if the targets should move and started making plans to get Potter back under his control.
Thirty minutes later he was alerted as his tracker indicated Harry and Hermione were on the move.
He studied the indicator which operated in a similar way to the Weasley family clock as it showed 'Floo Network' and then showed 'Leaky Cauldron'. Albus made his way to the Diagon Alley Hostelry hoping to catch Harry as he made his way out into Muggle London. He was disappointed as the shrunken dial moved to read 'The Hogs Head Tavern.'
'Good' /He thought, 'Aberforth will help me, none of the patrons will look twice if we stun someone and carry them out. They'll just think it's a couple of drunks.'/
Dumbledore Apparated to the cellar of the Hogs Head, he made his way up the stone steps and got a direction reading on the tracking signal. Casting a disillusionment spell on himself he opened the door and selected his target. Two silent stunners later he emerged into the bar and approached the two unconscious forms. Placing a hand on each one he Apparated to the room he kept reserved on the second floor of the tavern. Only after he arrived did he look at who he had brought with him. His anguished yell echoed through the tavern and was heard three streets away. He couldn't believe it, the day shift Security Guards from the Ministry of Magic. Potter had outsmarted him again, this boy was really starting to piss him off.
At the Grangers.
Roger parked his car in the garage attached to the house. The four made their way through the adjoining door and into the house. They had explained what had happened to Jill on the drive over to the house, Harry made the wedding bands that Roger and Jill wore into Portkeys to Potter Manor, and after explaining the way they operated the four of them went to Potter Manor.
Gringotts.
Griphook was sitting in his office when an owl flew in. It was carrying a letter for Harry Potter. He untied the letter and sent the owl on it's way, he scanned the letter for anything harmful but found it to be clear. He pushed a button on his desk and a goblin entered a few minutes later carrying a Gringotts' owl he attached the letter to the owl and sent it to Potter Manor.
Potter Manor.
When everyone arrived at Potter Manor, Harry sent Dobby and Winky to the Granger's house to collect Roger and Jill's clothes and at her insistence, all the books from Hermione's room. Harry asked Ceri to organise a meal for the four of them and was told it would be ready in 45 minutes. The time was used to give the senior Grangers a quick tour of the house. They quite deliberately chose a room at the opposite side of the house from the Master suite which Hermione had informed them she would be sharing with Harry.
After they had finished eating, Roger and Jill were offered a brandy by Ceri. Roger declared it to be the best he had ever tasted, he looked for the bottle and was disappointed to find it had been poured from a decanter, he wanted to find out the vintage so he could buy some for himself.
A strange owl flew in and perched beside Harry, as was his habit, fed it an Owl Treat as he removed the letter. He knew the owl was from Gringotts for two reasons, the first was that only Gringotts Owls could get past the wards, and the second was the small crest the owl wore round it's neck. He didn't recognise the handwriting on the envelope but knew that it would be safe as one of the services he was paying Gringotts for was them to screen his mail for harmful charms and hexes.
He opened the letter and scanned it and then handed it to Hermione to read, asking her to pass it to her parents when she was finished with it.
Dear Lord Potter,
I am writing to you as the representative of a group that wishes to help you in your fight against Tom Riddle and his followers. Our group is not aligned with Dumbledore's Militia or the Ministry of Magic although we have been in the past.
I would like to meet with you at a place and time convenient to you, to discuss your plans for defeating Riddle and to offer you the assistance of our group.
Yours sincerely
Alastor 'Mad-Eye' Moody
Master Auror Rtd.
The discussion that followed was slightly heated. Roger and Jill were suspicious of the offer and wanted Harry to decline it, Harry and Hermione were also suspicious as they knew Moody was involved with the Order of the Phoenix, but wanted to know what he was offering. They decided that they would take Moony with them and that they would hold the meeting at the Three Broomsticks in Hogsmeade, they assured the older Grangers that they would Portkey out at the slightest hint of trouble.
They composed their reply and also wrote to Moony explaining the situation and asking him to accompany them.
Moody's House.
The next morning Moody was greeted by an owl delivering a letter, he opened it and read.
Dear Auror Moody,
I will be pleased to meet with you and discuss the proposition from your group. Please be at the Three Broomsticks in Hogsmeade at eleven a.m. today.
I will be accompanied by Remus Lupin and Hermione Granger, at the first sign of anyone else but you, we will leave and you and your group will be added to my 'shit list.'
Yours sincerely
Harry Potter
Hogsmeade.
Remus Lupin had stationed himself across the street from the Three Broomsticks at ten a.m. he had no real fears of being recognised as he was under Harry's Invisibility Cloak and a Disillusionment / /Charm. At ten forty-five a.m. a young couple stopped beside him having what appeared to be a frank discussion. After getting the all clear they made their way into the tavern and after ordering some Butterbeer sat at a corner table with a clear view of the entrance.
Ten minutes later Moody entered the tavern and took a quick look round the room, his good eye finally settling on the young couple. Before he realised what was happening he felt the tip of a wand jabbing his lower back, his Magical eye spun and he recognised Remus Lupin and noticed him giving the slightest of nods toward Potter.
The two men ordered drinks from the bar and were told that Harry had prepaid for them. They joined him at the table and after exchanging pleasantries got down to business.
Moody started. "Lord Potter, Miss Granger, before I discuss anything with you, how much do you know about what Harry's father was doing before Riddle killed him?"
Harry replied. "In a letter I found recently he said he was an Auror and a member of an underground group, from a picture I was shown last summer, I know that group was the Order of the Phoenix."
"That's partially correct." replied Moody "He was also an Unspeakable in the Department of Mysteries. Now before I go any further I have to give you a quick history of the Department of Mysteries."
"The Department of Mysteries stands outside the main Ministry of Magic and is divided into two main sections, Research and Operations. Research is the part that everyone knows about, that's where artefacts from the past are investigated and where spell and potion development takes place."
"Operations is the part that is secret, the operatives are split into cells and work undercover throughout the Wizarding and Muggle Worlds, protecting both worlds from each other. James joined the Order of the Phoenix under orders from the Unspeakables to spy on Dumbledore, Frank Longbottom was his partner. Dumbledore offered them membership after they broke up a Death Eater raid on Gringotts."
"Now to the reason I am here, I was the person who recruited James Potter to the Unspeakables, I was his instructor in the Aurors and saw the potential he had. I see that same potential in both of you. We want to recruit both of you and train you. When the new school year starts we want you to go back to Hogwarts and work for us. We know Dumbledore is up to something we just don't know what. Our current operative is limited in what he can do but he will be your liaison with us if you accept."
"How long do we have before we have to give you an answer?" asked Harry.
"For us to have time to train you, two days, but the sooner the better."
"Why should we join?" inquired Hermione.
"Well, I know you don't need the money, which is 500 Galleons a month during training, rising to 750 Galleons a month during your twelve months probation and 1,000 Galleons a month as a basic grade Unspeakable. If you join us we can teach you how to block out Dumbledore's Legilimency attacks, wandless magic, Animagus transformations (if you have the gift). We will also teach you to Master Auror level magic on all your school subjects, but to keep your cover you will need to be able to convince the Hogwarts staff that you are only working at sixth year levels this year and at N.E.W.T. level next year."
"Voldemort operates at Master Auror level, but because he uses so-called 'Dark Spells' he has an advantage."
"What do you mean by so-called 'Dark Spells'?" Harry interrupted Moody's speech.
"No spell is dark, only the intention of the caster, 'Imperio' was developed to help retrain the muscles and nerves of spell damaged limbs. 'Crucio' was originally a resuscitation spell used to shock the heart back into it's normal rhythm, much the same way as a defibrillator is used by Muggles. 'Avada Kedavra' was developed for use in abattoirs as a painless way of killing animals for food. The spells are still used for what they were developed to do, they are only Unforgivable when used to cause harm. A levitation spell used for causing harm or death is every bit as dark as an Unforgivable. Of course the Ministry doesn't tell the Wizard in the street these facts."
"What happens if we refuse your offer?"
"With your permission we will cast a memory charm and you will forget the information you have been given. We need to do this to maintain the security of our Department."
"Meet us here at the same time tomorrow and we'll give you our decision."
"Okay."
Moody left the tavern with a good feeling about the meeting, he had been asked the right questions and sensed that the honesty of his replies had been appreciated. He watched the tavern door to see where the trio would go when they left. Thirty minutes later he re-entered and was pleasantly surprised when they were nowhere to be seen.
Potter Manor.
The trio had used Portkeys to travel from the tavern, leaving from the toilets where no one could observe them. After a quick lunch in the dining room at Potter Manor, Harry, Hermione and Remus spent the afternoon discussing Moody's offer. Moony was the most suspicious of the three and played Devil's Advocate throughout the discussion. In the end they saw it as a way to continue their schooling and still train to defeat Voldemort and Dumbledore. At one point in the discussion Harry used the name Dumblemort.
After dinner, Harry and Hermione explained to her parents that they had been offered a chance to train to defeat Voldemort and that the next day they were going to look further into it. They showed the Grangers how to use the portal to St. Kitts, Roger and Jill decided that they would spend a few hours every day basking on the beach.
The Three Broomsticks.
The next day Harry and Hermione woke early, sometime during the night Hermione's head had come to rest on Harry's chest and Harry's hands had found their way round her waist.
"Morning love," they said almost simultaneously. And greeted each other with a kiss.
That kiss, of course, led to a deeper kiss which led to some groping and eventually love making. As they lay there looking into each others eyes Harry asked a question that had been nagging at him since the night they had first made love.
"Hermione, em, well, em, have you been taking precautions?"
"Precautions? What do mean, Harry?" teased Hermione, she had been wondering when Harry would get round to asking.
"Precautions, you know to stop you from getting pre, having a ba, you know contraception."
"Oh, don't you want me to have your baby?" she asked giving her voice a disappointed tone.
"Well, yes, but no, but, I do, but don't you think we should wait until we've left school and are married?"
"Of course I do, I'm just teasing, I'm on a new potion I got from the Apothecary, one dose lasts three months, we're safe until we decide otherwise, whenever we decide we'll start trying for a family."
"Good, I didn't want Dumbledore to have something to threaten us with, you know he'll try and split us up."
"Don't worry we'll find a way round his plans. Now we need to shower and get ready to meet Moody."
Department of Mysteries.
After meeting with Moody they were quickly transported by Floo to the Department of Mysteries where they were met by Deputy Commander Forrest. He interviewed them and gave them the option to bail out on several occasions.
After the interview they were given a medical examination, they were both found to be in good health, the Healer was surprised to find that Harry had perfect vision as he had been wearing his glasses right up to the eye test.
"I should have known, your father pulled the same stunt. I take it that the lenses are charmed?"
"Yes, everyone knows I wear glasses, so I keep wearing them, I hope it will keep them off guard. See it as a weakness to exploit and when they try, surprise time."
"Fantastic, we'll get the techies to give them a once over and see if they can improve them. Everything we can use as an advantage we do, did you know Moody can cast spells through his peg-leg? Don't tell him I told you, just wait till he tries it during duelling training."
After the medicals they were taken to a room which was signposted "Potential Test Lab." Facing them were a group of wizards and witches one of whom asked them to sit.
"Okay" he started. "In here you will be given a series of tests, each test will determine where your magical strengths and weaknesses lie, this will allow us to either train you in that area to bring you up to strength, or if you show no talent in it to work on something else."
After the tests were complete they were given the results.
Hermione had high potential in Potions, Charms, Transfiguration, Herbology and Defence, she had medium potential in Aggression. This meant that although she could go on the offensive she was reluctant to do so. She had low potential in Divination and hadn't an Animagus form.
The only thing she found disappointing was the lack of an Animagus form. She still felt that Divination was woolly as the interpretations were always affected by the biases of the interpreter.
Harry had high potential in Charms, Transfiguration, Herbology, Defence and much to his surprise Potions. He also showed a high level of Aggression and an Animagus form, although he didn't quite see how being able to transform into a Flobberworm would be of any use. So no Animagus training. Like Hermione he had low potential in Divination.
By the time all the testing had finished it was late afternoon, after being keyed to the Wards they were given the password to the Floo. They were told that if anyone not keyed to the Wards tried to follow them they would actually end up at Tintagel castle with the urge to spend the day sightseeing.
The were told to report for training the next morning at seven a.m. so they left for Potter Manor. They spent a few hours at St. Kitts relaxing in the sun, they knew that time for relaxation would be precious to them.
Disclaimer: Harry Potter and other canon characters belong to JKR I'm only having some fun
Chapter 11 The Fightback begins
Mad-Eye Moody
On a bench in the Atrium of the Ministry of Magic, Alastor 'Mad-Eye' Moody sat and pretended to read a newspaper. Hestia Jones had tipped him off that all was not well between Dumbledore and Potter, and he wanted to see for himself.
Moody had known Harry's parents, and had been one of James Potter's instructors. To the Wizarding world Mad-Eye had been a Master Auror and indeed that's what he was, but he had also been an Unspeakable and had recruited and trained James Potter. He also felt that he owed James a life debt, as he had slapped an emergency Portkey on him when he had been knocked unconscious during a training mission that had gone wrong, leaving him in need of emergency Healing.
He had observed what had happened in the Court Room and had taken up his current seat when Tonks had led Harry away to take his Pensieve statement. When the young couple returned he watched Dumbledore approach them and the body language from all three had intrigued him. Dumbledore looked shifty, Potter exuded a confidence he hadn't observed in him the previous summer and the Granger girl, her face displayed calm but her body was tensed up, ready to fight.
As the trio split his Magical eye caught the aura of the two tracking spells as they were cast by Dumbledore. A smile came to his face as they were deflected by the robes that the young couple were wearing, he almost burst out laughing when he saw Potter point to the unsuspecting recipients of the charms and shake his head in resignation.
Mad-Eye had seen enough, it was time to come in from the cold. He walked over to the public fireplace, took his place in line, threw in some Floo powder and said "Tintagel"
Harry and Hermione.
The young couple were not happy, Fudge had played a "Get Out of Jail Free" card on Dumbledore's behalf. There had be some way of neutralising the manipulative old bastard, they couldn't even get him for the tracking charm he'd cast on them, but found it amusing to think that he would at least waste time chasing after the guys from the Security Desk. They made their way back to Gringotts and were led back into the meeting room where the Board of Trustees had met. The only people left in the room were Roger Granger and Remus Lupin.
"How did things go?" asked Lupin.
"Not as well as I hoped they would." replied Harry and the two of them explained the outcome of the day.
"I'm not sure if I want to return to Hogwarts, I don't know if I can hold off that old bastard, concentrate on schoolwork, and on top of everything else, what they will teach me won't help me beat the other old bastard."
Hermione cut in. "I agree, Hogwarts hasn't exactly been safe for the past five years, what's going to be different this year, especially if Dumbledore is still there pulling all the strings."
"Roger" said Harry, "I've got a bad feeling, I don't think your house is safe for us to stay in. Dumbledore knows where it is and as you're on the Floo network the Ministry will know as well. I don't trust their security, we need to move to Potter Manor, preferably today."
"Good thinking, Harry." Said Remus. "I can set up some decoy charms at the Grangers, anyone checking the house will think it's occupied."
Roger Granger listened in amazement as Harry took charge, here was a young man who apart from the scar on his forehead looked like a normal teenager, but alert him to a potential danger and he seemed to solve it effortlessly.
"How do we get to Potter Manor?" asked Roger.
"We'll pick up Mum from her work and go home, then Harry will Portkey us to the Manor. The elves will bring our clothes." Said Hermione
"Okay, guys, unless there is anything else we need let's go." Said Roger and with that they left the room.
Department of Mysteries.
Deep in the Department of Mysteries a fireplace roared to life, the two wizards in the room turned to look as the wards automatically identified the traveller. Moody stepped from the fireplace, wand in hand and scanned the room.
Deputy Commander Forrest, the senior of the two wizards looked at Moody and stuck out his hand, "Welcome home, Alastor, what brings you back to the fold?"
Moody's eye swivelled round the room as he spoke, "Not here, in the briefing room, call in Commander Bond and the Section Chiefs we've got a real problem on our hands."
When the four Section Chiefs and the Commander and Deputy Commander had settled into their seats in the briefing room Moody started. He gave them a brief rundown on what had happened in the Court Room and immediately afterwards, he then summed up the situation and gave his opinion on what they had to do next.
"Dumbledore is out of control, I've been quietly digging into things, I've discovered he's been manipulating Potter since his parents' were killed. He really shouldn't give Hagrid so much information, for a half-giant he is a cheap drunk, and when he's drunk, he talks."
"He's desperately trying to regain his control over Potter. I recommend we approach Potter and recruit him. We owe it to him, after all his father was killed on active service as one of us."
The six who made up the Leadership of the Unspeakables gathered close together and discussed what they had heard. Moody knew that his report wouldn't be the only one that they would have received. The Unspeakables worked on a cell system with a maximum of ten people per cell, he knew that he could at any time of the day be standing next to a fellow Unspeakable and if he or she wasn't from his cell he wouldn't know. Only the Commander and his Deputy knew how many cells operated within their Department.
Commander Bond spoke. "Okay, Moody, contact Potter and arrange a meeting with him as soon as possible. We want him and Granger trained before the next school year starts, after they graduate Hogwarts, well, we'll see."
Granger and Granger Orthodontists.
Roger Granger pulled up outside the clinic where he and his wife had first been employed and then taken over as owners, they had built a their practice and had a good reputation locally. At one time they had hoped that Hermione would follow in their footsteps, but had grown to realise that she would follow a career in the Wizarding World instead.
Harry and Hermione waited in the car while he went to collect Jill. Before leaving they told their Junior Partner and other staff that a family emergency meant that they had to leave and that they could be gone for anything up to a year. They phoned their usual Temp. Agency and organised locum cover for the next twelve months.
Dumbledore's Office Hogwarts.
Dumbledore sat in his armchair and took a lemon drop out of the bag in his pocket and put it in his mouth. The ones in the bowl on his desk were laced with a calming draught and a mild dose of Veritaserum. Not enough for the consumer to notice but enough to make them part with information without realising what they were doing.
He looked at his tracking instruments and was fairly happy. The instruments showed that his targets were still at the Ministry of Magic. He set the instrument to alert him if the targets should move and started making plans to get Potter back under his control.
Thirty minutes later he was alerted as his tracker indicated Harry and Hermione were on the move.
He studied the indicator which operated in a similar way to the Weasley family clock as it showed 'Floo Network' and then showed 'Leaky Cauldron'. Albus made his way to the Diagon Alley Hostelry hoping to catch Harry as he made his way out into Muggle London. He was disappointed as the shrunken dial moved to read 'The Hogs Head Tavern.'
'Good' /He thought, 'Aberforth will help me, none of the patrons will look twice if we stun someone and carry them out. They'll just think it's a couple of drunks.'/
Dumbledore Apparated to the cellar of the Hogs Head, he made his way up the stone steps and got a direction reading on the tracking signal. Casting a disillusionment spell on himself he opened the door and selected his target. Two silent stunners later he emerged into the bar and approached the two unconscious forms. Placing a hand on each one he Apparated to the room he kept reserved on the second floor of the tavern. Only after he arrived did he look at who he had brought with him. His anguished yell echoed through the tavern and was heard three streets away. He couldn't believe it, the day shift Security Guards from the Ministry of Magic. Potter had outsmarted him again, this boy was really starting to piss him off.
At the Grangers.
Roger parked his car in the garage attached to the house. The four made their way through the adjoining door and into the house. They had explained what had happened to Jill on the drive over to the house, Harry made the wedding bands that Roger and Jill wore into Portkeys to Potter Manor, and after explaining the way they operated the four of them went to Potter Manor.
Gringotts.
Griphook was sitting in his office when an owl flew in. It was carrying a letter for Harry Potter. He untied the letter and sent the owl on it's way, he scanned the letter for anything harmful but found it to be clear. He pushed a button on his desk and a goblin entered a few minutes later carrying a Gringotts' owl he attached the letter to the owl and sent it to Potter Manor.
Potter Manor.
When everyone arrived at Potter Manor, Harry sent Dobby and Winky to the Granger's house to collect Roger and Jill's clothes and at her insistence, all the books from Hermione's room. Harry asked Ceri to organise a meal for the four of them and was told it would be ready in 45 minutes. The time was used to give the senior Grangers a quick tour of the house. They quite deliberately chose a room at the opposite side of the house from the Master suite which Hermione had informed them she would be sharing with Harry.
After they had finished eating, Roger and Jill were offered a brandy by Ceri. Roger declared it to be the best he had ever tasted, he looked for the bottle and was disappointed to find it had been poured from a decanter, he wanted to find out the vintage so he could buy some for himself.
A strange owl flew in and perched beside Harry, as was his habit, fed it an Owl Treat as he removed the letter. He knew the owl was from Gringotts for two reasons, the first was that only Gringotts Owls could get past the wards, and the second was the small crest the owl wore round it's neck. He didn't recognise the handwriting on the envelope but knew that it would be safe as one of the services he was paying Gringotts for was them to screen his mail for harmful charms and hexes.
He opened the letter and scanned it and then handed it to Hermione to read, asking her to pass it to her parents when she was finished with it.
Dear Lord Potter,
I am writing to you as the representative of a group that wishes to help you in your fight against Tom Riddle and his followers. Our group is not aligned with Dumbledore's Militia or the Ministry of Magic although we have been in the past.
I would like to meet with you at a place and time convenient to you, to discuss your plans for defeating Riddle and to offer you the assistance of our group.
Yours sincerely
Alastor 'Mad-Eye' Moody
Master Auror Rtd.
The discussion that followed was slightly heated. Roger and Jill were suspicious of the offer and wanted Harry to decline it, Harry and Hermione were also suspicious as they knew Moody was involved with the Order of the Phoenix, but wanted to know what he was offering. They decided that they would take Moony with them and that they would hold the meeting at the Three Broomsticks in Hogsmeade, they assured the older Grangers that they would Portkey out at the slightest hint of trouble.
They composed their reply and also wrote to Moony explaining the situation and asking him to accompany them.
Moody's House.
The next morning Moody was greeted by an owl delivering a letter, he opened it and read.
Dear Auror Moody,
I will be pleased to meet with you and discuss the proposition from your group. Please be at the Three Broomsticks in Hogsmeade at eleven a.m. today.
I will be accompanied by Remus Lupin and Hermione Granger, at the first sign of anyone else but you, we will leave and you and your group will be added to my 'shit list.'
Yours sincerely
Harry Potter
Hogsmeade.
Remus Lupin had stationed himself across the street from the Three Broomsticks at ten a.m. he had no real fears of being recognised as he was under Harry's Invisibility Cloak and a Disillusionment / /Charm. At ten forty-five a.m. a young couple stopped beside him having what appeared to be a frank discussion. After getting the all clear they made their way into the tavern and after ordering some Butterbeer sat at a corner table with a clear view of the entrance.
Ten minutes later Moody entered the tavern and took a quick look round the room, his good eye finally settling on the young couple. Before he realised what was happening he felt the tip of a wand jabbing his lower back, his Magical eye spun and he recognised Remus Lupin and noticed him giving the slightest of nods toward Potter.
The two men ordered drinks from the bar and were told that Harry had prepaid for them. They joined him at the table and after exchanging pleasantries got down to business.
Moody started. "Lord Potter, Miss Granger, before I discuss anything with you, how much do you know about what Harry's father was doing before Riddle killed him?"
Harry replied. "In a letter I found recently he said he was an Auror and a member of an underground group, from a picture I was shown last summer, I know that group was the Order of the Phoenix."
"That's partially correct." replied Moody "He was also an Unspeakable in the Department of Mysteries. Now before I go any further I have to give you a quick history of the Department of Mysteries."
"The Department of Mysteries stands outside the main Ministry of Magic and is divided into two main sections, Research and Operations. Research is the part that everyone knows about, that's where artefacts from the past are investigated and where spell and potion development takes place."
"Operations is the part that is secret, the operatives are split into cells and work undercover throughout the Wizarding and Muggle Worlds, protecting both worlds from each other. James joined the Order of the Phoenix under orders from the Unspeakables to spy on Dumbledore, Frank Longbottom was his partner. Dumbledore offered them membership after they broke up a Death Eater raid on Gringotts."
"Now to the reason I am here, I was the person who recruited James Potter to the Unspeakables, I was his instructor in the Aurors and saw the potential he had. I see that same potential in both of you. We want to recruit both of you and train you. When the new school year starts we want you to go back to Hogwarts and work for us. We know Dumbledore is up to something we just don't know what. Our current operative is limited in what he can do but he will be your liaison with us if you accept."
"How long do we have before we have to give you an answer?" asked Harry.
"For us to have time to train you, two days, but the sooner the better."
"Why should we join?" inquired Hermione.
"Well, I know you don't need the money, which is 500 Galleons a month during training, rising to 750 Galleons a month during your twelve months probation and 1,000 Galleons a month as a basic grade Unspeakable. If you join us we can teach you how to block out Dumbledore's Legilimency attacks, wandless magic, Animagus transformations (if you have the gift). We will also teach you to Master Auror level magic on all your school subjects, but to keep your cover you will need to be able to convince the Hogwarts staff that you are only working at sixth year levels this year and at N.E.W.T. level next year."
"Voldemort operates at Master Auror level, but because he uses so-called 'Dark Spells' he has an advantage."
"What do you mean by so-called 'Dark Spells'?" Harry interrupted Moody's speech.
"No spell is dark, only the intention of the caster, 'Imperio' was developed to help retrain the muscles and nerves of spell damaged limbs. 'Crucio' was originally a resuscitation spell used to shock the heart back into it's normal rhythm, much the same way as a defibrillator is used by Muggles. 'Avada Kedavra' was developed for use in abattoirs as a painless way of killing animals for food. The spells are still used for what they were developed to do, they are only Unforgivable when used to cause harm. A levitation spell used for causing harm or death is every bit as dark as an Unforgivable. Of course the Ministry doesn't tell the Wizard in the street these facts."
"What happens if we refuse your offer?"
"With your permission we will cast a memory charm and you will forget the information you have been given. We need to do this to maintain the security of our Department."
"Meet us here at the same time tomorrow and we'll give you our decision."
"Okay."
Moody left the tavern with a good feeling about the meeting, he had been asked the right questions and sensed that the honesty of his replies had been appreciated. He watched the tavern door to see where the trio would go when they left. Thirty minutes later he re-entered and was pleasantly surprised when they were nowhere to be seen.
Potter Manor.
The trio had used Portkeys to travel from the tavern, leaving from the toilets where no one could observe them. After a quick lunch in the dining room at Potter Manor, Harry, Hermione and Remus spent the afternoon discussing Moody's offer. Moony was the most suspicious of the three and played Devil's Advocate throughout the discussion. In the end they saw it as a way to continue their schooling and still train to defeat Voldemort and Dumbledore. At one point in the discussion Harry used the name Dumblemort.
After dinner, Harry and Hermione explained to her parents that they had been offered a chance to train to defeat Voldemort and that the next day they were going to look further into it. They showed the Grangers how to use the portal to St. Kitts, Roger and Jill decided that they would spend a few hours every day basking on the beach.
The Three Broomsticks.
The next day Harry and Hermione woke early, sometime during the night Hermione's head had come to rest on Harry's chest and Harry's hands had found their way round her waist.
"Morning love," they said almost simultaneously. And greeted each other with a kiss.
That kiss, of course, led to a deeper kiss which led to some groping and eventually love making. As they lay there looking into each others eyes Harry asked a question that had been nagging at him since the night they had first made love.
"Hermione, em, well, em, have you been taking precautions?"
"Precautions? What do mean, Harry?" teased Hermione, she had been wondering when Harry would get round to asking.
"Precautions, you know to stop you from getting pre, having a ba, you know contraception."
"Oh, don't you want me to have your baby?" she asked giving her voice a disappointed tone.
"Well, yes, but no, but, I do, but don't you think we should wait until we've left school and are married?"
"Of course I do, I'm just teasing, I'm on a new potion I got from the Apothecary, one dose lasts three months, we're safe until we decide otherwise, whenever we decide we'll start trying for a family."
"Good, I didn't want Dumbledore to have something to threaten us with, you know he'll try and split us up."
"Don't worry we'll find a way round his plans. Now we need to shower and get ready to meet Moody."
Department of Mysteries.
After meeting with Moody they were quickly transported by Floo to the Department of Mysteries where they were met by Deputy Commander Forrest. He interviewed them and gave them the option to bail out on several occasions.
After the interview they were given a medical examination, they were both found to be in good health, the Healer was surprised to find that Harry had perfect vision as he had been wearing his glasses right up to the eye test.
"I should have known, your father pulled the same stunt. I take it that the lenses are charmed?"
"Yes, everyone knows I wear glasses, so I keep wearing them, I hope it will keep them off guard. See it as a weakness to exploit and when they try, surprise time."
"Fantastic, we'll get the techies to give them a once over and see if they can improve them. Everything we can use as an advantage we do, did you know Moody can cast spells through his peg-leg? Don't tell him I told you, just wait till he tries it during duelling training."
After the medicals they were taken to a room which was signposted "Potential Test Lab." Facing them were a group of wizards and witches one of whom asked them to sit.
"Okay" he started. "In here you will be given a series of tests, each test will determine where your magical strengths and weaknesses lie, this will allow us to either train you in that area to bring you up to strength, or if you show no talent in it to work on something else."
After the tests were complete they were given the results.
Hermione had high potential in Potions, Charms, Transfiguration, Herbology and Defence, she had medium potential in Aggression. This meant that although she could go on the offensive she was reluctant to do so. She had low potential in Divination and hadn't an Animagus form.
The only thing she found disappointing was the lack of an Animagus form. She still felt that Divination was woolly as the interpretations were always affected by the biases of the interpreter.
Harry had high potential in Charms, Transfiguration, Herbology, Defence and much to his surprise Potions. He also showed a high level of Aggression and an Animagus form, although he didn't quite see how being able to transform into a Flobberworm would be of any use. So no Animagus training. Like Hermione he had low potential in Divination.
By the time all the testing had finished it was late afternoon, after being keyed to the Wards they were given the password to the Floo. They were told that if anyone not keyed to the Wards tried to follow them they would actually end up at Tintagel castle with the urge to spend the day sightseeing.
The were told to report for training the next morning at seven a.m. so they left for Potter Manor. They spent a few hours at St. Kitts relaxing in the sun, they knew that time for relaxation would be precious to them.
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