Lord of Shadows Arc, Book One: Prince of Darkness

here it is, chappie 16. Vote in the Poll!!! It\'s at the Yahoo!group--> http://groups.yahoo.com/group/lord_of_shadows

Poll ends next Wednesday, March 9, 2005.

BitchofDarkness--> Thank you! ^_^
Dedmun-->Glad you feel it\'s worth it. . .
Kathy-->Hope you continue to enjoy this.
Pris368-->A lot of people like those excepts. Seems I\'ve created a monster. . .^___^
thrnbrooke-->Um, well, here it is. I tried to hurry. . .
sharon--> thanks for telling me about the error, no one else mentioned it. I\'ve gone and fixed it, so I hope you got it!
MajaLi-->Wow, that\'s a real compliment, a plausible AU. Thank you, the Beta and I are trying really hard for both good writing and good storytelling. I hope you continue to enjoy my story.
izzaboo22neo--> As your request, here\'s more!

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[Author\'s Note: the beta had a few questions on a few words, so the clarify before hand:

triage is--The place/ system where injuries are sorted by degrees of severity. They\'re found in hospital emergency rooms, and when big disasters (like, exploding bombs on trains or plane crashes) happen.

Redacted is-- the legal term for \"Censored/ blacked out/ cut out for legal reasons.\" For instance, if a document itself is declassified, but still contains bits of classified/ privileged info, then the latter is blacked out, and the document is said to have been \"redacted\". In reproduction, these parts are left out, and a little note is left in the space that says \"Redacted\". . .]

Enjoy. . .
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It is always a temptation to a rich and lazy nation
To puff and look important and to say:--
\"Though we know we should defeat you, we have not the time to meet you
We will therefore pay you cash to go away.\"

And that is called paying the Dane-geld;
But we\'ve proved it again and again,
That if once you have paid him the Dane-geld
You never get rid of the Dane.

It is wrong to put temptation in the path of any nation,
For fear they should succumb and go astray;
So when you are requested to pay up or be molested,
You will find it better policy to say:-

\"We never pay any-one Dane-geld,
No matter how trifling the cost;
For the end of that game is oppression and shame,
And the nation that plays it is lost!\"

--Rudyard Kipling, Songs Written for CRL Fletcher\'s \"A History of England\" 1911


Complacency is the death of nations. It is the little cancer inside every silent success.
-General Ronald Weasley, General Chaos

Months passed, and the melting snows surrendered to even larger amounts of violets, tulips, daffodils, and the ever-present rain showers. No more attacks came, and the Ministry soon forgot its worries over the Muggle families, despite the unwelcome news that Peter Pettigrew had escaped. Snape was increasingly irritable during those days, but only a very few people knew that it was due to increasing frustrations in his other work. Indeed, Snape began to suspect that whatever trust he\'d had six months before was rapidly evaporating-- but he also noted, with not a little selfish relief, that everyone except the Malfoys and Lestranges seemed to be suspect. Still, the lack of any usable information left him insecure and thus even more snappish than usual.

The rest of the Coven and Order saw this as simply something to be borne patiently, though some found ways to soften his often raw edges to a more bearable point. Dumbledore took to requesting ever more difficult potions for \"research\", knowing that the Professor found the processes meditative and relaxing, and that he would be so exhausted after each one that he would have no trouble sleeping. Few others, despite the most earnest efforts, had as much success except for, perhaps surprisingly, Remus Lupin.

It was the werewolf who had been going through the Black cellars in Ireland and London, and had discovered quite a lovely cache of fine wines and spirits. It was Remus\' opinion that \"fine refreshments such as these were meant to be imbibed, not simply hidden away for some possible future, quite inhumane British Volstead Act.\"

A few days after that, Remus stopped by Snape\'s quarters with a bottle of brandy, saying he wished to \"sample\" it, but that such an activity was best done with another, and that Kingsley didn\'t drink, McGonagall was \"not good with drink\", Harry was too young, Dumbledore too old, and Moody was too, well, moody.

Snape wasn\'t sure what he thought about being listed at the end of all those names, though he was secretly glad that at least Mundungus Fletcher\'s name hadn\'t been in it, too. But, observing the fine golden shade of the full bottle, he reluctantly let Remus in. Thus began a weekly ritual for the two, and while they never drank enough to get even the slightest bit fuzzyheaded, they both found it an uncommonly relaxing time. At times they would talk, sometimes about their students, sometimes about their worries, more rarely about the past. But other times, they would simply sit in silence, neither needing the other to fill the silence, content to simply sit and read, or stare into the fireplace.

In the meantime, Harry and Draco found their lives full of Quidditch, classes and band rehearsals. Apart from dealing with Snape\'s additional peevishness, they had to wrestle with such mind wearying questions as \"Why did Catherine the Great\'s lover feel a need to always go about in his Animagus form?\", \"If we\'ve imposed a \'British Only\' rule on ourselves in this contest, how do we justify covering U2?\" and, most important to Draco, \"Who would\'ve guessed that the Hufflepuffs would be the ones withholding Slytherin points, and not the Gryffindors?\"

The first question had to be relinquished as one of those great mysteries of history that would never be resolved. The second was solved by asking Seamus, who said, \"Well, as long as you don\'t tell anyone about that silly rule, you can consider a couple exceptions.\" The last question was vexing the Slytherins very greatly, and one day in early May, Draco asked Susan Bones about it.

They\'d met as usual that day in the Room of Requirement, and had just finished up a rather productive rehearsal. Draco was fiddling around on the piano, fading in and out of Gershwin, Chopin, and Bach. Harry sat on the floor behind him, leaning back against a leg of the piano bench, and listened to the conversation between Susan and Lisa.

\"Well, you know,\" Lisa was saying, \"Terry plays the violin, so it\'s only natural he\'d get together with Ernie, Graham, and Lavender. Their quartet sounds quite good, I hear. . .\"

\"And they get along, which is more than Justin and Millicent can say,\" Susan agreed. \"From what I heard, they fight more than they sing. Millicent says it\'s because he\'s \'too involved with the music\', but Justin claims it\'s because she hasn\'t earned a single point back from any house, much less Hufflepuff.\"

Lisa rolled her eyes in amusement as Harry nodded thoughtfully. \"I\'d go with Justin on that one.\"

\"That reminds me. . .\" Draco said, ending his playing with a satisfying cadence, then twisting around. \"Why is it that it\'s the Hufflepuffs who are the holdouts? I know everyone expected it to be the Gryffindors . . .\"

Lisa cleared her throat.

\"Not everyone, so much as most people.\" She calmly noted how Draco now fully faced them, how Harry had naturally leaned his head against his husband\'s knee, and how Draco\'s hand just happened to fall to idly caress Harry\'s hair. Noted, but wisely kept to herself.

\"Don\'t tell me the Ravenclaws had suspected,\" Draco\'s tone of disbelief brought her back from her observations. She sighed.

\"It was an even split. . . half bet on the Gryffs, the others on the \'Puffs. . . I made enough to buy new shoes and sweets. . .\" Draco gaped at the open admission to betting on his beloved house\'s fortunes, as Susan and Harry giggled.

\"But, but, how did you figure?\"

Lisa looked thoughtful. \"On the one hand, there was the longstanding rivalry between your two Houses, or rather, the longstanding antagonism between Slytherin and everyone else.\" Draco sighed at her bluntness. \"So, considering that, one might well assume the Gryffs would be the last holdouts. But, one must take all factors into account, and in this case, there were three more things, first, the \'nature\' of the Gryffs-- that whole \'noble and just\' business. While they might hold out at first, eventually they would realise that a greater revenge could be had by acting like adults, knowing that it would gall the Slyths not to have anything to complain about.

\"The second thing was that strange shift in Gryffindor-Slytherin relations about a month before your attack. It seemed to us that Gryffindor was no longer antagonistic to all of Slytherin-- rather, it seemed as though only a part of Slytherin was still being antagonised, while another part was openly supported. There have even been rumours that it was formalised, but no one I know of has seen anything to support that.

\"Finally, there was the fact that the ever-underestimated Hufflepuffs had been given quite a bit of power, over the people who\'d underestimated and ridiculed them the most. As rare an event as it is, I don\'t imagine they\'d part with it easily. This would be a chance for people to notice them . . . and so, they are the last holdouts. They have no need to keep up a pretence of Gryffindorish \'nobility\', or Ravenclaw \'aloofness and logic\'. This was the perfect time to remind them of that old proverb about House revenge.\"

Harry snorted.

\"Ah yes. . . \'A Gryffindor will duel, a Ravenclaw will satirise, a Slytherin will poison, but a Hufflepuff will leave you alone.\' I had always thought that meant they wouldn\'t bother with revenge, but yes, I suppose leaving you without a friend in the world certainly is another meaning. . .\"

At that moment a mechanical voice came from Lisa\'s bag.

\"Rehearsal time is over. You have ten minutes before your study meeting with Seamus and Dean in the library.\"

\"Ooh, I\'ve got to be going!\" she exclaimed leaping up off the floor.

Draco sighed. That reminds me, love, Uncle Sev\'rus wanted to meet with us right about now.

Harry groaned.


* * * * * * * *

It wasn\'t the Dark Lord or any of his servants who was currently troubling Severus Snape. No, it was something much more fearful and terrifying, something he had no clue as how to handle.

It was a mild-mannered were-wolf.

And the worst part was that the wolf wasn\'t even around, except in Severus\' thoughts, which was annoyingly pleasant as it was, but then the dreams . . .

His growl of frustration was pre-empted by a knock on his office door.

\"Come!\" he barked, and the door opened to admit his expected company.

\"You wanted to see us, sir?\" As usual, Potter was unfailingly polite while his arrogant prat of a husband took a seat without permission and sprawled all over it as though he owned it.

Snape scowled. \"Yes, Potter, sit down. And Draco, sit up straight before you rumple your clothes.\"

Harry barely restrained a snicker and Draco pulled himself up with a \"Yes, Uncle Sev\'rus. . .\"

\"Now, I\'ll try to keep this short, since I know the two of you probably have other plans for the rest of the afternoon,\" he sneered. \"A few days ago I was at Nott\'s annual May Day Celebration, and your father, Draco, asked something peculiar of me.\"

Both boys sat forward, avid interest on their faces.

\"He asked me to keep you away from the next Hogsmeade weekend,\" the Professor said. \"Of course, he wouldn\'t tell me why, he just seemed concerned that you wouldn\'t go. I mentioned that if you stayed away, Potter here would likely stay behind to \'keep you company.\' He seemed rather unconcerned about that. . .but neither would he tell me anything more. I discussed this with both the Headmaster and Professor McGonagall this morning, and we came up with an idea of how to keep you here without arousing any suspicion.\"

The two boys glanced at each other then turned their attention back to him. Taking this as a cue to continue, he did so.

\"Next week, don\'t turn in your Transfiguration homework that will be due on Friday. This will give Professor McGonagall an excuse to give you detention, and keep you from going on Saturday.\"

Again the two boys glanced at each other and Snape just knew they were talking to each other.

\"Sounds good,\" Draco finally agreed. \"Anything else we should know?\"

The Professor frowned. \"No protests about the safety of the other students?\"

Again those irritating looks, though this time it was Potter who answered.

\"If the weekend was cancelled all of a sudden, even an idiot would be able to figure out there was a leak. Voldemort already suspects there\'s a spy among you, cancelling everything now would make you very conspicuous. And, that you haven\'t been told about it suggests that whatever they\'re doing isn\'t that important to them, since you may end up \'interfering in their plans.\' Have any in your House suddenly decided not to go? That might be an indication of . . . something serious, if they did. . .\"

Severus nodded.

\"Many of them can\'t go to Hogsmeade anyway, because of Draco\'s year-long punishment. But there are a few who are still allowed to go, but none of them have done anything unusual lately, and as far as I know, they still plan to go.\"

\"But even so,\" Potter continued, \"we can\'t just go changing such noticeable plans with information we\'re not supposed to have. Do you think, though, it might be safe to at least warn other members of the Order and the Coven that there\'s something afoot, even if we don\'t know what?\"

Severus looked at Potter appraisingly. Gone were the days when the boy would make decisions all on his own, without asking for input from anyone else. Gone too, it seemed, were the days when Potter would ignore whatever Severus said and strive to do the exact opposite.

\"I think it may be advisable, but we ought to make sure that they understand how very little that is actually known, and that we shouldn\'t change any plans lest we give something away. But they should know to be extra wary.\"

\"Good, then we\'ll go find everybody and fill them in,\" Draco said, rising. \"Unless there was anything else?\"

Severus shook his head. \"No, that was all. I will let you know if I learn anything more.\"

\"Thank you, sir,\" Potter said as they walked to the door, and then they were gone, and Severus was left wondering what he could have possibly missed.

* ** * ** * **

The next Saturday dawned cool, but heavy with the promise of heat later in the day. Harry and Draco woke to sunlight streaming through their charmed ceiling, the liquid golden light illuminating a symphony of soft sighs, moans and whimpers.

Then there was silence, until the two rose once more to bathe before breakfast and detention.

Breakfast went as normal, though to those who paid close attention, there was a definite undercurrent of tension in the air. But then the older students were lining up to leave, the third-years still terribly excited about going to Hogsmeade, and Harry and Draco were making their way to the Transfigurations classroom.

The \"detention\" served up for Draco was to help with a first-year tutoring session. Harry took one look at the hyperactive students and developed a sudden need to chase a Snitch.

You\'re abandoning me? Draco was less than thrilled at Harry\'s sudden decision. Where\'s your Gryffindor courage?

It\'s not courage I\'m lacking, it\'s energy. I\'m worn out after last evening, last night, and this morning and I don\'t think I\'m up for a room full of loud first years. Besides, this is technically your detention. I think it might come across as a little strange if I joined in.

Draco pouted. You could be my supportive boyfriend, standing by my side through all troubles. . . He didn\'t want to admit that Harry had a point.

Harry smiled, seeing through his antics. I\'m going to chase the Snitch for a while. Then I\'ll probably take a nap. You\'re welcome to join me at either whenever you finish up here.

Draco ended up having more fun with the first-years than he would ever admit. Tired of the regular note-taking and quizzing, Draco invented a game that used their notes, and then divided the students into several teams. A good time was had by all, and Draco left the room two hours later, laughing with a giggling Todd by his side.

Harry\'s Firebolt was lying on top of their bed when Draco returned to their room. He contemplated joining Harry in the shower, but he wanted to get a bit of flying in that day as well, and three showers in one day was a bit much, even for a Malfoy. Idly, he picked up the broom, inspecting with approval its fine condition and well-polished handle.

\"Would you like to try it out?\" Harry entered the room, a towel slung around his waist.

Draco was stunned by both the offer and the view in front of him.

\"Really? You\'d let me try . . . Right!\" He jumped up to race out of the room, but was stopped by Harry\'s hand on his shoulder, and the suddenly grim face he wore.

\"On the condition that no one sees you,\" Harry said. Draco nodded, and walked back into the room, to where his own Nimbus 2001 leaned against the wall. Carefully, he unclipped the Invisibility Device he\'d made the previous summer, and attached it to the Firebolt.

He then looked at the wall for a moment, before smacking his forehead with his palm. \"Oh, I forgot!\" he exclaimed. \"I sold the Invisibility Suit to the twins!\"

Harry, now in boxers, rolled his eyes and reached under his pillow, pulling out a bundle of shimmering silver.

\"I hope they paid you well,\" he said, grinning. \"If you\'re careful, this should work well. It was my father\'s though, so take care of it.\"

Draco nodded and gave Harry a swift kiss in thanks. \"Have fun,\" Harry said, crawling into bed for his nap.

\"Oh, I will!\" Draco replied as he sped out the door.


The Firebolt was simply amazing. Draco laughed aloud at the broom\'s responsiveness and speed as he raced around the pitch. Changing direction, he pulled up and climbed higher and higher into the bright spring air. Reaching the lowest bank of clouds, he came to a stop, and marvelled at the view. He could see the lake, the castle, the path to Hogsmeade, the train station, even--

He blinked, and looked back at the village. Something wasn\'t right. . . looking closer, he tried to figure out what was rubbing him the wrong way. The buildings were all intact, the ant-like people seemed to be moving about their ordinary business, the pigeons were nesting peacefully in the shadows of the houses. . . shadows which weren\'t the right size for the houses. At least, not for where the sun was. . .

Draco frowned. He wanted a closer look, but he wasn\'t supposed to go off the grounds that day. Reaching out, he found Harry peacefully asleep. Reluctant to wake his sleeping lover, Draco thought. He was invisible, so if he just got a bit closer for a quick look, then he\'d come right back to the castle and crawl in bed with Harry.

Draco dove, swerving around the Shrieking Shack and slowing down in the outskirts of the village. Closer inspection of the shadows yielded nothing spectacular, so he manoeuvred into an alley and leaned the broom against a wall, memorizing its location. Silently, he made his way to the street, and looked both ways. He quickly spotted Ron and Hermione, both keeping a close eye on everything while appearing to be absorbed in each other. Gently, he reached through the coven-bond to touch their minds.

Draco! You shouldn\'t be here! As expected, Hermione was quick with the chiding, while Ron simply waited for Draco to explain himself.

Did you notice that the shadows are wrong? Draco watched as their eyes tracked to the sides while they continued walking toward him.

No, we hadn\'t. Ron replied. But I see it now. What\'s the significance, aside from something weird on a day we expect trouble?

Draco frowned, peering into the other alleyways as Hermione and Ron idly paused outside his alley. There\'s a version of the Disillusionment Charm that makes someone invisible, but they still cast a shadow. Another charm changes the shape of your shadow, to make it part of maybe another shadow. But that\'s considered a \"Dark\" charm, so its use today. . .

Draco\'s voice faded as he saw another, familiar face. Only, this person wasn\'t supposed to be there. And this person was aiming their wand at Hermione and Ron.

Shit! Reaching out, he pulled Hermione into the alley and under the cloak. At that moment, a curse hit Ron, knocking him out cold upon the ground.

Simultaneously, shouts rang out across the village, and people were running everywhere. From their hiding place, Draco and Hermione watched as scores of figures, some masked, some not, poured out of the shadows, attacking everything in sight. Rooted to the spot, they watched in horror as the Three Broomsticks exploded, a ball of oily black smoke soaring into the sky.

Draco pondered how to get Ron under the cloak as well, but before he could move, other hands had reached out and picked him up. He quickly covered Hermione\'s mouth before she could scream, as empty pits where eyes should have been looked their way.

\"No, Gordon,\" said one of the creatures. \"We have what we came for. Leave those two.\"

Draco gulped back his fear. The creatures looked human, save for the shadows where their eyes should have been, the way stray curses and hexes seemed to bounce of their skin, and the feelings of absolute despair they inspired.

And then the two creatures disappeared, taking Ron with them. Hermione bucked against his hand, but he silenced her with a thought. Do you know what those things were?

N-no. . .she answered, trying desperately to collect her wits.

Neither do I. Come on. . .

Holding Hermione close under the cloak, Draco edged their way back to the entrance of the alley. In a corner of his mind, he could hear Harry\'s worry, but shut him out so he could concentrate. Chaos reigned, bodies lay strewn across the streets, some struggling to move, some not. Carefully, Draco raised his wand and uttered a curse, hitting a Death Eater squarely in the back--and away from the out-numbered Lupin. Taking the cue from Draco, Hermione also began firing hexes and charms. Both were pleased to see quite a few of the students fighting back alongside their teachers.

Neither Draco nor Hermione knew how much time passed, firing hex after curse after hex from their hiding place, sniping off one Death Eater at a time. Harry\'s anxiety was a constant hum in the back of their minds, but both ignored it until later. But then, after what seemed like forever, or maybe only a few minutes, the attackers not already taken out disappeared, and silenced washed over the village, only to be replaced by the sound of faint groans and crackling fire.

Both Hermione and Draco were panting for breath, alert for any trick. The sound of hooves invaded the relative silence as Professor Firenze galloped into the ruins, followed by a score of Aurors, including Kingsley Shacklebolt, Tonks, and Mad-Eye Moody. As the Aurors spread out, Draco and Hermione slowly moved back to where Draco had left the broom. No sooner had his hand touched the Firebolt, than Moody\'s voice echoed into the alley.

\"That you, Malfoy?\"

Which, naturally, brought a whole score of other Aurors over, all with their wands drawn.

Draco sighed in annoyance, and removed the hood from his and Hermione\'s heads.

\"In the future, Professor, I will ask you to use my given name. Before any of your hex-happy comrades do me or my companion in . . .\" He then reached down, and clicked off the Invisibility Device on the broom.

\"Why do you have an Invisibility Cloak with you? And why is your broom equipped with an Invisibility Device as well?\" a sharp faced Auror asked, eyes narrow with suspicion. \"You knew this was going to happen, didn\'t you?\"

Tonks was quick to intervene. \"You don\'t have to answer that, Draco. Why don\'t you and Hermione head back to the castle, and the rest of us will help everyone here?\"

Hermione and Draco both looked to Moody, who slowly nodded. \"Tonks, you\'ll escort them, make sure nothing happens. Be vigilant! And the rest of you!\" He turned to the other Aurors standing about. \"There are lives still to be saved and evidence to collect! Why are you standing around doing nothing?!\"

While Tonks went in search of a broom for herself, Draco finally let Hermione go, and turned her to face him.

\"You all right?\" he asked, concerned.

Hermione sniffed, folding her trembling hands.

\"My boyfriend was cursed and carried away to who knows where by who knows what, a battle breaks out, buildings explode around us, I hex I don\'t know how many people, and the person who used to insult me at every turn now asks if I\'m all right.\" She sighed. \"No, I\'m not all right. I\'m pretty damn upset and I might be slipping into a mild case of shock.

\"But, I will be all right. Eventually.\" She sniffed again. \"Thanks for asking.\"

Draco nodded with a wry grin. \"Perfectly normal response, I\'d say. Not that I have much experience with situations like this. But the sooner we get back to the school, the better.\"

Tonks came back at that moment with a Nimbus 2000 that had survived the attack relatively unscathed, and a few moments later, they were racing above the rooftops, and then out over the moor. Hermione held tightly to Draco as he sped toward the school, keeping her eyes open for the slightest hint of more trouble.

It was the school itself that caught her attention, though.

Draco, the shadows of the castle . . .

I know, he replied. Harry\'s really upset.

Harry\'s making them. . . writhe like that?

There was careful consideration in Draco\'s next thoughts. You know how everything gets cold when he\'s been getting irritable lately? I think this is a more advanced stage of the same thing. And until we\'ve landed within the wards, I\'m blocking him so I don\'t get distracted. I know that\'s got to be bothering him as well. . .

He still doesn\'t have complete control of his magic? Hermione frowned. She knew Harry was more skilled than that. She could feel Draco\'s wry grin in her mind when he replied.

The greater the power, the longer it takes to control it. His power\'s been growing, so every time he gets upset, he starts to lose control at the edges.

Both sighed in relief as they felt themselves finally pass through the wards around the school. They landed in front of the doors, Tonks coming in to land beside them. Up close, they could see that Harry, his face contorted in an odd mix of rage and worry, was being held back by both Professor McGonagall and the Headmaster.

As soon as they touched ground, both Professors let Harry go, and turned to speak to Tonks, while Harry pelted for Hermione and Draco as the latter braced himself.

\"Hermione! Draco! Are you all right?!\" He ran headlong into Draco with an \"Oomph!\", then backed up and started looking them over for injuries, all the while letting his mouth express his concern and annoyance. After several tries to catch his attention, Draco finally reached around the bemused Hermione and sealed Harry\'s mouth with a kiss.

\"The two of us are fine, Potter,\" he said firmly when he released him. \"And I\'m sorry I left when I wasn\'t supposed to, but I wanted to see something closer.\"

Harry sighed into Draco\'s neck, hiding his frown and reminding himself he could scream at Draco later, when they had more time. \"Where\'s Ron?\" he asked.

Draco shook his head. \"We don\'t know. Once we go inside and everything has calmed down a bit, we might be able to use the bond to track him. But it\'ll only work if he\'s someplace where one of us has been before. We\'ll certainly try, though. I can\'t let Weasley die a heroic death, after all. . . \"

Together, the three made their way back into the school, where Professor McGonagall quickly escorted them up to the Infirmary, while Tonks finished briefing Professor Snape and the Headmaster. Several minutes later, Firenze galloped up the stairs, gently cradling Lupin to his chest, Professor Snape following anxiously--though he would have been hard-pressed to admit it-- behind.

The centaur wasted no time in explaining as he set the Professor down on a bed.

\"The Aurors have set up a triage, and are treating many of the wounded there, but Professor Lupin\'s wounds were so severe they could only place some temporary charms so he would make it here.\"

Madam Pomfrey clucked as she began running scans. Firenze scowled as he continued.

\"We think he was protecting some third year Ravenclaws when he was attacked by several Death Eaters at once. Most of the survivors aren\'t nearly as bad off, and I know he wasn\'t a wizard to trifle with.\"

Harry and the others pulled chairs over to a wall where they wouldn\'t be in the way, and sat down wearily. \"Tell me everything you can, Professor,\" Dumbledore prompted, looking at Firenze.

The centaur sat carefully on the stone floor, and sighed mightily, his front hooves moving nervously beneath his hands. \"To start with the worst . . . there were four fatalities-- Madam Rosmerta, Professors Vector and Flitwick, and the third year Graham Pritchard.\" All gasped as Firenze continued. \"Vector was lost with Rosmerta when they blew up the Three Broomsticks. Flitwick seems to have been attacked by more than one at once, probably because he was mounting an effective defence. And the initial evidence points to Pritchard having first been immobilized and then killed. We think it was a classmate who immobilized him, but we\'re not sure who did the actual killing.\"

Draco growled. Graham had been an outspoken supporter of his during the beginning of the year, and he was willing to bet it had been that outspoken allegiance that had made him a target. Firenze paused to give him a sympathetic look before continuing.

\"Ronald Weasley, as you probably already know, is missing. Professor Lupin was the only other Professor attacked, although Madam Hooch did sustain minimal injuries from shrapnel. Of the injured students, Blaise Zabini and Pansy Parkinson got it the worst-- Hagrid should be bringing them in shortly. The others injured were Justin Finch-Fletchley, with a crushed trachea, Ernie MacMillan got a knife in a kidney, Hannah Abbot has a broken foot and a black eye, Seamus Finnegan has a concussion and a broken arm, Lisa Turpin has a sprained ankle and some other bumps and bruises, and finally, Neville Longbottom got hit with a sleeper curse, but only after taking out three Death Eaters.\"

This last managed to provoke a proud sniff from McGonagall. \"I knew that boy had some iron in him!\"

\"On the other side,\" Firenze continued, inclining his head. \"Those who fought gave better than they got. Sixteen Death Eaters are now in custody, in varying levels of health. Some who were hit bear traces of some very Dark hexes and jinxes on them, and it\'s believed they all came from the alley where Draco and Hermione were found.\" He looked at Draco. \"I suggest you obtain the services of a wizarding barrister, Draco. I don\'t know much about human law, but I know they\'re the ones to go to.\"

At that moment, Hagrid walked in, towing two hovering stretchers behind, one carrying Pansy, the other Blaise. Everyone moved out of the Madam Pomfrey\'s way as she bustled about, scanning, diagnosing and treating.

Harry turned to Draco. \"We should start looking for Ron. The sooner we have some idea of where he might be, the sooner we can come up with a plan.\"

It was warming, in some way, that there was no question that a plan would be made. Harry and Draco pulled on the bonds, calling everyone not already there to the Infirmary. Madam Pomfrey understood their need to be together, and didn\'t protest when Todd came barrelling in, throwing his arms around Draco. Instead, she gave them a small area near their injured companions, and put curtains up around them so they wouldn\'t be disturbed. Silence descended once everyone had gathered, Harry and Draco sitting on either side of Neville.

Closing their eyes, the three sought out the strand that felt \"Ronnish\" and followed its vibrant crimson strawberry trail, until they came up against something smooth and So
unyielding. They could sense that the strand went beyond the barrier, but they couldn\'t follow it.

What is this? A ward? Harry asked.

Seems like it, Neville replied. Seems like a local ward, so we\'ve definitely found where he is. . .

Good. So, where is this? Harry could sense nothing aside from the smooth, slick wall, his companions, and the connection to Ron.

Malfoy Manor. Draco spoke up. I\'d recognise the equations anywhere.

Equations?

Really, Potter, you should know this. Draco felt Harry\'s glare and sighed. When you set up localised wards you use equations to determine the ward\'s pattern. It\'s very much like a fractal, with one equation governing the entire pattern. This makes every ward unique and easy to maintain, plus very difficult to breach. Unless of course, like me, you have the key.

So, we could get through this? asked Neville.

No. They could feel Draco shaking his head. I could get through this, and I might be able to work it enough to bring Harry through, since we\'re bonded. But I wouldn\'t be able to get you or anyone else through, Neville.

Silently, they returned to themselves, passing the information on to the rest of the coven.

\"So,\" Blaise said, leaning back in his chair. \"Ron\'s at the Malfoy place. What can we figure from that?\"

Snape nodded thoughtfully, glancing at Draco. \"The only reason anyone is ever taken to Malfoy Manor is for interrogation.\"

Grave silence greeted this. Hermione sighed, grateful for Firenze\'s steadying presence by her side. \"Ron has no resistance to any sort of truth serum, or torture, or. . . anything . . .\"

\"Which leads us to two conclusions,\" Pansy scowled. \"First, we must assume that anything Ron knows, Moldy now knows. Second, we need to get him out of there before they decide they\'ve got all they can from him. If they don\'t kill him at that point, there\'s still plenty of other detrimental things they could try. . .\"

Snape grunted.

\"Seems my spying days are over . . . Draco, if Weasley\'s at Malfoy Manor, we can assume that your father is in charge. How much time do you think we have to mount a rescue?\"

Draco\'s face scrunched up as he calculated. \"At least twelve hours, but no more than eighteen-- after that, there\'s no telling what will happen to him. . .\"

\"That long?\" Hermione was surprised.

Draco was grim. \"My father\'s methods are meticulous, time-consuming, and very, very effective. Once we do get him back, he\'s going to have a long, hard time of healing-- on every level.\"

\"So what are we going to do?\" she asked.

\"We\'re going to wait until the twins arrive, so we know the full extent of our resources. Then we\'ll plan.\" Snape growled. \"In the meantime, we need to discuss everything else we know-- for instance, the creatures that took him. Draco, Hermione?\"

Hermione shuddered at the memory. \"I . . . I think they were some sort of human-Dementor hybrid. . .\"

Ooo0ooO

Ron tested the restraints once more, on the off chance they\'d suddenly rusted through. Of course, they hadn\'t, but it wasn\'t as if he had anything better to do, sitting on the immaculately clean floor of the Malfoy dungeons, glancing every now and then at his unrestrained, and apparently blind, cellmate.

Wonder why he\'s in here, Ron mused.

Because they don\'t know I\'m shielding you from his effects . . . a voice replied.

\"What? Who--?\" Michael?

Indeed.

\"Oh. . . I\'d forgotten you were there. . . \"

Hm . . .Something you humans do quite a bit . . .

\"Er. . .sorry? So, what did you mean about. . .?\"

He was once one of the boys who terrorized Harry when he was younger. Now, his DNA has been spliced with a Dementor\'s. . . so he\'s become a hybrid. Immune to all magic, including the Patronus, and feeding of joy and happiness. Right now though, he\'s feeding off me, so he has no effect on you.

\"Oh. . . so that\'s what that bitch was thinking of. . .\"

Yes. Bellatrix is quite inventive . . .but she\'s not who you have to worry about right now . . .you\'ll be facing Lucius soon, and there\'s something I\'d like to discuss with you beforehand.

\"You can\'t just. . .get me out of here and then discuss this thing, can you?\"

It is not outside my abilities. . . but I\'m not about to, sorry.

\"Well, WHY THE HELL NOT?\" Ron yelled, furious.

That was part of what I wanted to discuss with you.

\"Oh.\"

Are you going to listen now? Or are you going to act like Raphael and spout off at the mouth?

\"Listen,\" Ron pouted.

Good choice. Ron thought he \'felt\' Michael smile. Now, what\'s going to happen in a little bit is this: they\'re going to come with a stiff dose of Veritaserum, and then they\' ll question you about Harry, Draco, and Severus, and you\'re going to tell them whatever they want.

\"No!\" Ron cried, dismayed. \"I can\'t tell them that stuff!\"

You will. Get over it. It\'s not such a bad thing, actually. Severus has served so well for so long, it\'s about time this part of the job was ended. And, this will catalyse some other things into happening that are essential for the happiness of many others, like dear Remus.

\"So, he\'s going to be all right then?\"

Yes. After the initial life and death struggle. This will delay your rescue, as Harry and Draco will be exhausted after helping him, and they\'re the only people who can get through the wards without disrupting them. Anyway, you\'ll tell them what they ask for, nothing you can do about it, so don\'t feel bad, and then they\'re going to go away for a bit. You follow?

\"Yeah.\"

Lucius will come back, and start demonstrating why he\'s so high in Tom\'s favour. That\'ll suck pretty damn bad, ok? They\'ll have realised that some of your answers were a bit incomplete—this is due to the coven bond, not that they know about it—and this will be how they try to get the rest of the information. Lucius is very good at this sort of thing, and if you want, I can take your place during the worst of it.

Ron swallowed. \"So, after the break, it\'s gonna be. . .\"

Torture. Much of it very painful, some very pleasurable, but all designed to break your will. You and Harry will have the unique bonding experience of comparing horrific nightmares.

\"You\'re a load of inspiration and help, thank you,\" Ron drawled, rolling his eyes. Still, he felt a bit better now.

Consider it a learning experience.

\"I much prefer classrooms and books . . .even Potions.\"

There was the feeling of laughter, and Ron rolled his eyes again. At that moment, the cell door opened, and two figures strode through. The silver hair of the first was recognisable as Lucius Malfoy\'s, and red, snakelike eyes of the second declared their owner to be the Dark Lord himself.

Ron froze. Shhh Michael whispered. Don\'t be afraid. It\'ll be all right, I promise.

Voldemort turned to look at the eyeless creature on the other side.

\"How is our guest?\" His voice rasped against Ron\'s ears like a metal file.

\"He\'s talking to himself, Lord,\" the thing replied. \"He should be ready to go.\"

\"Ah.\" A sigh, and a strange caress. \"Thank you, Piers. You may go now. . .\"

Voldemort now turned his attention to Ron, nodding at Lucius to start his work.

\"Tell me, Weasley, who have you been talking to? I know Piers isn\'t that good at conversation. . .?\" Lucius smirked as he spoke, reaching within his robes for a small, dark blue vial.

Ron pressed his lips together. He\'d have to be dosed before he told them anything.

\"Silent now?\" Lucius pouted. \"Well, not for long. Open up, time for some answers.\"

To their surprise, Ron didn\'t struggle, allowing them to pour the serum down his throat in a matter of seconds.

\"No fight? I must say, I\'m quite surprised at that. . .\"

Ron felt the potion kick in, and promptly answered the question.

\"Waste of energy. You would have got it in me anyway, no use in fighting right now. . .\" Ron scowled. The feeling was very akin to when he\'d had too much Butterbeer. Or that time Fred and George had let him have a couple of hits from that bottle of Firewhiskey they\'d got from Fletcher.

\"Hm.\" Lucius pondered this, searching for additional meaning. \"Well, on to business, we\'ll have our fun later. Let\'s start with . . . Potter. Where is his home?\"

Ron felt oddly sleepy.

\"Hmmm, Hogwarts. . .\"

\"When he\'s not at Hogwarts?\"

\"The Burrow.\"

Lucius rolled his eyes. \"Where does he go over the summer holidays? Where did he grow up?\"

\"Oh, there, that would be Four Privet Drive, Little Whinging, Surrey.\" Ron replied with a smile.

\"Why didn\'t you say that first?\"

\"Cause,\" Ron looked overly patient, \"\'s not his home. He never had a home till he got his letter. . .Although, once the Hollow is rebuilt, that might become his new home. . .\" Ron pondered this, wondering.

Lucius frowned. \"And what of Draco? What do you think of him?\"

Ron snickered. \"He\'s an arrogant prat, full of himself and a real pain in the arse. But, he\'s also real smart . . . he beat me at chess a few times, which not many people can do. And he\'s a great Seeker, though a lot of people don\'t notice that \'cause Harry\'s such a fuckin\' prodigy. And, of course, he makes Harry really happy. He\'s pretty decent, in fact, once you get past his arrogance. For a Slytherin, he\'s got quite a bit of courage. . .\"

\"Well, now we know the potion is working.\" Lucius said dryly. \"Is there someone you are hoping I won\'t ask about?\"

Ron tried to keep his mouth shut, but it didn\'t work. \"Yes.\"

\"Really?\" Lucius and Voldemort eagerly stepped forward. \"And who is the person you don\'t want me to ask about?\"

Ron clenched his teeth, resisting the drug pounding in his veins. Go ahead and tell them. Michael murmured. It\'s okay.

\"You promise?\" Ron asked, puzzling both Lucius and Voldemort.

I swear on my name, it\'ll be all right. Conserve your energy for more useful things, and not for fighting this.

Ron sniffled briefly, before relaxing, letting the potion do its work.

\"Professor Snape,\" he said, sighing in defeat.

Ooo0ooO

\"Quite frankly, they\'re nothing short of an abomination,\" Snape said, frowning at the room.

The Weasley family had arrived at the school a few minutes earlier, and Mr. Weasley was currently outside, trying to convince the ministry officials to wait until Dumbledore was ready before barging in on any meetings.

\"There may be only four of them, but as they\'re immune to magic, you don\'t need that many to begin with. In addition-- \"

Snape suddenly stopped, clutching his head in sudden agony.

\"Ah! Headmaster, he knows!\"

Dumbledore leapt forward with surprising agility as Snape crumbled to the floor, cradling him gently in his arms.

\"Professor Dumbledore, what\'s happening?\" Hermione asked, frightened.

The headmaster looked grave. \"Voldemort is trying to rip his mind.\"

\"Is there anything we can do?\" Professor McGonagall looked like she was about to go looking for a sword.

\"We\'d have to go into his mind,\" replied Dumbledore. \"And if I did so, it would leave the school completely defenceless, something I cannot do.\"

\"Then I\'ll go.\" Draco moved to Snape\'s side. \"Aside from you and Uncle Severus, I\'m the only one with the necessary sort of experience for navigating someone\'s mind. I won\'t get lost.\"

\"That\'s true,\" Dumbledore nodded, thinking.

\"But Draco,\" Harry intervened, worried, \"you\'ve never had to fight Voldemort. What will you do when you get there?\"

There was a pause.

\"Then you\'ll just come with me,\" Draco decided. \"We\'ll go in, and the headmaster can anchor us, along with the rest of the Coven. I\'ll lead the way, and then you\'ll fight with my help, and then we\'ll have saved Uncle Sev\'rus and then we can get back to saving Ron. Sound good?\"

Dumbledore sighed.

\"Much as I regret it, I see no better alternative.\" No one else did either, so Harry joined Draco as they moved the Professor onto a bed, each taking a chair next to him, and a hand, and then giving their other hands to Dumbledore.

\"Ready?\" he asked. Both boys nodded, and suddenly, were someplace else.

Dark storm clouds scudded overhead, winds whipping through the trees that surrounded them, constant thunder roaring and rumbling like a never-ending earthquake. Draco was surprised to see that here, Harry looked slightly taller, with golden antlers sprouting out from just in front of his ears. Reaching up, he was disgruntled to find that his own ears were now much larger, pointed and, he assumed, silver. Like in those damn photos the rat had taken. Annoyed, Draco took Harry\'s hand, then called out.

\"We\'re here to help! We need to get to the City!\"

The wind gusted harder for a second, and then they were joined by two large, black stallions.

\"Will you take us to the city?\" Draco had to shout to be heard over the thunder. The stallions nodded, and Draco reached forward to touch him. Just like the time in Harry\'s mind, he was suddenly mounted, and looked over to see that Harry had followed his lead.

Although they didn\'t seem to move, the landscape around them blurred, and then suddenly stilled again, the horses stopping in front of a large, wrought iron gate. Harry and Draco dismounted, and approached it warily. Seeing no sign of a guardian, Draco placed his hand on the gate, and motioned Harry to do the same. Instantly, the halves sprung apart, letting them enter unchallenged.

Harry\'s eyes widened at the beautiful city before him, and he cried out as distant turrets were torn down by wind and lightening.

\"Where do we go now?\" he asked.

Draco scanned the horizon.

\"There!\" He pointed to a palace on a hill. \"The storm is focused on the Palace of the Intellect; makes sense, I suppose. That\'s where the fight is!\"

Grimly, they raced through the streets, stumbling when earthquakes started to hit, dodging falling bricks and towers, leaping over rents torn in the streets, and climbing up suddenly too steep banks to the palace.

Down a broad marble drive, past pillars of silver, gold, onyx, and amethyst they ran, monstrous hail breaking through the ceilings and crashing through the floor, until at last they reached a central courtyard, and skidded to a halt. There before them was a fountain—its basin made of salt, a cube of sulphur in the centre, gushing forth what appeared to be mercury. On the other side stood a young boy, his back to the fountain, facing a large hole in the air, out of which a large thing of tentacles and shadow was trying to come through. The boy seemed to be holding it back only by force of will, and it was clear he was losing quickly.

Harry leapt forward without hesitation, pulling a sword out of the air and lunged at the creature.

\"Damn, Potter, what are you doing here?\" the boy demanded, indignant.

Harry managed to roll his eyes in exasperation while continuing to fight.

\"Dumbledore wanted to come, but that would leave the school defenceless, so it was up to Draco and me.\"

He fell back as the thing tore the sword out of his hands, then leapt forward again, using only his hands, though this time, Draco and Snape were by his side. Slowly, progress was made, until they\'d beaten the thing back through the hole. Desperately, they tried to seal it, but while Harry and Draco were able to fashion a metallic net across it, that wasn\'t nearly enough, as evidenced by the still raging storm.

\"What is the net made of?\" Snape asked, curious.

Harry smiled as he pushed back another tendril. \"Our respect and affection. He doesn\'t understand Love, Professor, and so he fears it. It\'s the only thing I\'ve found effective against him so far. . .\"

Snape was silent. \"It is humbling, Harry, to realise you have such . . . for me. . .\"

\"Sorry to break the moment,\" Draco panted from Snape\'s other side, \"but it\'s not enough. Together, we\'ve got enough love to drive him back for now, but not enough to heal this breach. We need to get the other members of the Coven to assist.\"

\"I agree,\" Harry nodded.

\"Headmaster, can you hear me?\" Draco called out.

I hear you. The others should be coming through right. . .now.

Red ribbons seemed to sail through the sky, attaching themselves to the net already in place, weaving in and out, tightening its hold, but they couldn\'t completely patch the hole. Still, it was enough to let Harry, Draco, and Snape step back for a few moments at a time, before rushing forward again.

\"This isn\'t working,\" Harry said, inspecting the weave. \"What we need is someone who loves Professor Snape completely, the way I love you, Draco. Someone who can be completely devoted to helping him heal.\"

Snape\'s young face filled with despair. Draco thought for a moment, and then shared a thought with Harry through their bond.

\"You may be right,\" Harry said. \"He isn\'t in the weave yet, probably because of his injuries. It\'s worth a try at least.\"

\"What?\" Snape was confused. Surely, they didn\'t know of anyone who. . .

\"Headmaster!\" Harry called out. \"Can you send Uncle Remus in? We think he\'s the only one who can heal Professor Snape!\"

Is that so? . . . Give us a moment, he\'ll be right there. . .

Harry turned his attention to keeping Voldemort at bay, the storm still tossing and roaring about them. Several minutes passed, before a distant howl, forlorn and melodic, was heard over the wind.

\"Moony?\" Snape asked, astounded.

\"Remus must be too exhausted from his injuries. . .\" Draco mused.

\"So, now I have both a Potter and a wolf loose in my mind?\" Snape didn\'t seem to know if he should be pleased about this or not.

Another howl, this one much closer, and the wind began to calm a bit.

\"Would you rather we let this thing tear your mind apart?\" Harry asked pointedly, trying not to attack the boy next to him.

Snape didn\'t have a chance to respond, for at that moment, Moony came crashing through the mercury fountain, silver droplets flying everywhere. With a menacing growl, he landed before the hole, snapping at the tendrils trying to break through. He advanced steadily, ears forward and teeth bared, until at last his muzzle touched the network and he calmed.

The wolf sat, head cocked, and studied the weave. He then turned to glance first at Harry, then at Draco, and finally, gave a long, level look to the young Snape. Some silent communication then seemed to take place, because Snape relaxed, saying, \"Go ahead. You have my permission.\"

Moony turned back to the semi-patched hole, and placed a paw in the middle of the weave. Immediately, copper seemed to flow out from where he touched, covering the ribbons and metallic wire, filling in all the little holes, healing the breach at long last. As soon as the copper reached the edges, it was followed by a thick, shining layer of carbon, branching out like a living snowflake again and again, until it too covered the breach. But the wolf still wasn\'t done, for now the dark shimmering branches heated, glowing so hot that Harry and Draco had to back away, shielding their faces. And when the glow died down, the copper was now covered in an intricate network of solid, sparkling diamond. At last, Moony lowered his paw with a satisfied \"Haruph!\" and turned to the young Snape, who sat astounded at the edge of the fountain.


\"You . . . how. . .\" Snape gaped as Moony walked up to him and gently nuzzled his knee, pushing his head beneath the boy\'s hand.

Draco and Harry let out mutual sighs of relief. \"Are you going to be alright, Uncle Sev\'rus?\" Draco asked, pushing his hair out of his face.

Snape actually smiled, but didn\'t look at them.

\"I think so, strangely enough.\" He ruffled Moony\'s fur. \"Father never allowed me a dog. . .\" Moony growled at this and quickly caught Snape\'s hand between his teeth, not holding tightly, but still sending the clear message: I am not a dog. Snape chuckled. \"Alright, I understand that, Wolf.\"

Moony released his hand with a wolfy grin and a pleased yip. Harry turned to Draco. \"I think we should go now,\" he said.

\"I agree,\" Draco replied, and then, between one heartbeat and the next, they were back in the hospital wing, slumped in chairs next to Professor Snape\'s bed, Remus lying next to him, and the two of them freezing and exhausted.

Harry nearly fell out of his seat of fatigue when he returned, Blaise quickly steadying him as Madam Pomfrey gave him and Draco steaming cups of tea, which Harry suspected had been laced with a mild restorative.

\"That went very well,\" Dumbledore said. \"You two need to get some sleep now while Professor Snape and Professor Lupin recover.\"

\"But, Ron--\" Harry protested.

\"No way,\" Hermione replied. \"We know Draco can only get you through the wards, but neither of you are in any shape to be going anywhere, much less into Malfoy Manor. I want Ron back, too, but right now I\'d just be losing you two as well.\"

\"I agree,\" said another voice behind Harry. \"You boys get some sleep, and we\'ll form a plan together. When you wake up, we\'ll be ready to go, and you won\'t be as vulnerable as you are now.\" Harry twisted in his seat to see Molly Weasley, her red, tear-streaked eyes betraying her state.

\"Draco, Harry,\" Dumbledore said, regaining their attention. \"Go get some sleep. I\'ll have Dobby send up some food before you do, though, and then I\'ll send him to wake you when it\'s time. I trust one of the Coven members will be allowed access to the information on Malfoy Manor?\"

\"Uh, yeah,\" Draco replied as he stood somewhat unsteadily. \"Blaise or the twins should be able to get to it. Well, and Neville, of course. . .\"

\"Excellent.\" The headmaster smiled gently. \"You both have done excellent work today. I am quite proud of you. I have no doubt that we will have Mr. Weasley back with us before dawn.\"

\"Really?\" Harry said around a yawn.

\"Really, Harry. Now, off to bed with you two. The better rested you are, the better your chances.\"

Harry nodded and plodded after Draco, too tired to argue the point anymore. He\'d rant and scream at everyone later. When Ron was back, and he had more energy.

Ooo0ooO

TO: Office of the Chief Auror
FROM: Kingsley Shacklebolt, Agent at Large
CC: aurorheads.ministrylists.eng
Re: Hogsmeade and CT Funding

Sir;
As I am sure that Agent Moody\'s report was quite thorough on this incident, I will not attempt to expand on his work. Rather, I wish to ask a question that I know has been \"bugging\" many of us.

This incident was very clearly an attack on a civilian population by an organised para-military group. Simply put, this was a classic, textbook example of a \"terrorist attack.\" Why, then, are the Death Eaters not classified as \"terrorists?\" Why are You-Know-Who, the Lestranges, and other known members prosecuted under common criminal law (kidnapping, rape, murder, Unforgivables, etc. . .) and not as terrorists? To date, we have treated the Death Eaters like a more-dangerous-than-average gang, or a magical mafia. But I think it clear they warrant treatment closer to that of Hamas, Al Qaeda, or the IRA. I know they are considered as such in America, Australia, Canada, Japan, New Zealand, and Spain. Why have we not followed suit, when of all the nations in the world, we are the one most in danger from them?

I am aware that Parliament recently approved increased funding for counter-terrorism measures, and I am also aware that the Prime Minister has offered Minister Fudge a portion of these funds for our own use, and has even offered the assistance of both MI5 and MI6. As far as I know, Minister Fudge has refused all offers.

I do not presume to know the Minister\'s reasons for this refusal. I do know, however, that we live in the twenty-first century, but for some reason, we\'re still functioning in a nineteenth-century mentality. As such, I do not believe we have the resources, or indeed, even a sufficient enough grasp on the situation, to ever deal with this problem effectively. And this concerns me, as I know it concerns my comrades, and as I know it must concern you.

Please, sir, consider changing the official status of the Death Eaters, so we may legally devote the appropriate resources to their pursuit.

Thank you.


TO: Shacklebolt, Kingsley
FROM: OCA
CC: aurorlist
RE: re: Hogsmeade and CT Funding

Agent Shacklebolt;
I appreciate your concerns, and though it may be difficult to believe, I share them. . .[Redacted] . . .Why Minister Fudge has done or not done certain things is not within my ability to say. . . [Redacted] . . . However, our counterparts in the American DHS have noticed our difficulties, and are making more direct contact. This was the idea behind the \"student exchange\" scheduled for next autumn, and also why they have \"invited\" the Cub and his associates to \"visit\" this summer . . .

________________________________________________

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