Harry Potter and the Hall of Justice

Chapter 24 The Revealing


Professor Dumbledore was sitting at the conference table when the five young witches and wizards returned from Malfoy’s Manor. Their facial expressions told him much, and the old wizard couldn’t help but let loose a sigh of relief followed by a most satisfied grin. He bid them sit and tell him what had transpired.

Ron and Harry immediately made for their glasses of iced tea before taking their seats. Harry refilled Hermione’s glass with Merlin’s special brew and sat it down on the table before her.

Hermione eloquently related what had taken place. Harry and Ron nodded and smiled at her precise diction. The old wizard soaked up every word, all the while displaying a knowing smile.

When she finally finished, the old headmaster nodded his head. “Yes, as I expected. The three of you have attained a level of ability few have ever accomplished in our magical world. I would not be surprised, in the least, to one day see your names entered into the Rolls of the Order of Merlin. But first, we have far to go. There is much yet to do. We shall soon confront others just as evil as Malfoy and Cetus. There are many thirsting for power, wishing to prove their loyalty to Voldemort, to win his favor. And still others hoping to carve out their own piece of the pie - - - those hungry for power and plunder. Our crusade has only just begun,” the old wizard informed the young group. His face losing the smile, replaced with a stern, humorless look.

Harry, Ron and Hermione solemnly lifted their glasses from the table and tilted them to his, saluting their accomplishments and acknowledging the tasks that lay ahead.

Grace White and Preston Kelly knew they had just witnessed something very special. In just the last hour, both had come to realize Dumbledore’s Athena team members were not just a bunch of young witches and wizards selected because they had attended Hogwarts. There was a lot more going on with them than that. They were both moved and amazed by the camaraderie they had just beheld but even more so by the unspeakable power these three had wielded.

Hermione hugged her two friends goodbye. She turned and thanked Grace and Preston for their help and wished them well. Finally, she embraced her old headmaster. They nodded their heads at each other and grinned, as if unspoken words had passed between them. Hermione then reached out, placed her hand on the portkey for the Hall of Justice and disappeared in a flash.

Professor Dumbledore returned to Falcon’s Lair with the remaining four. They walked directly to a table where Professor Priest, Grime, Sirius and Graciela Calderon were in discussion.

They came to their feet when they saw the old professor approaching the table with the four following closely behind. Professor Priest directed Grace and Preston to a meeting Remus Lupin was having in one of the training rooms for his Coeus team.

Harry and Ron sat down at the table and listened as Professor Dumbledore informed them the awful deed had been done. The two young wizards were then asked to relate what had occurred to the four instructors and supervisors.


* * * * * * * * * * * * * * *


Grace and Preston entered the room Priest had told them to go to. Remus Lupin noted their shaken appearance when they entered. He had been giving new instructions to his team, but seeing the distressed look on their faces gave him pause.

“Are you two alright?” he asked.

“Yes, sir. Fine,” Grace replied, turning to walk down the room to taker her seat.

“All went well?” Remus asked, concerned over their quiet, shaken demeanor.

“It was unbelievable. I never knew - - -,” Preston said, trailing off, shaking his head.

The other members of Coeus shifted in their seats, aware something was not quite right with the two.

“And? What happened?” Remus asked.

“Hermione, the Executive Assistant, doesn’t even need a wand. She blew the Draco guy up without saying a word, her wand in her hand at her side. She was just looking at him when he screamed out the Avada Kadavra incantation at her, and then he just instantly blew up. She scattered bits of his flesh, bones and blood all over the damned place,” Preston Kelly related, his face ashen from the recollection. “It was just like what they said she did to Lucius Malfoy at the Ministry. I’ve never seen anything like it.”

Grace looked back at Lupin before taking her seat. “It was unbelievable. Ron and Harry instantly killed the Crabbe and Goyle guys. After it was over, they turned everything to dust: bones, flesh and blood, all of it. Harry blew out a large window with a flick of his wand and then Ron levitated the dust and blew it through the window. It was so surreal. Unbelievable!” Grace White exclaimed.

The seated Coeus members looked around in amazement. They had never heard of such unbelievable things. How could the girl blow someone up, no less? And without a wand? It wasn’t possible. Is that why they didn’t answer questions about their training? What were they being taught?

“Take your seats, please,” Lupin ordered. “I’m sure you only experienced a small fraction of what they are actually capable of. Now, where were we?”

Lupin’s statement raised eyebrows all around. Clearly, they had been kept in the dark about the Athena members’ abilities. It was unsettling to the whole group.


* * * * * * * * * * * * * * *


Professor Dumbledore watched Ron and Harry closely as they related the events at Malfoy’s Manor. It really wasn’t a surprise to Professor Priest at all. However, Grime and Sirius voiced their amazement at the story.

“Now don’t that beat all,” Grime said. “Just like what happened to the boy’s old man. Looks like you’ve got some competition Drucila.”

“I’m sure the young witch will far exceed my abilities, if she hasn’t already,” Priest said, looking at the large man. “Living within the Hall of Justice will greatly enhance what she’s already capable of. There can be no doubt about that.”

The old headmaster nodded his head in agreement, proudly thinking about the young witch. What a powerhouse she had become. So much like his own mother, she was. “I must agree,” said Dumbledore. “Hermione will, no doubt, become even stronger in time. However, I need to stress this to you all, the power she exhibited today is within each of you. Coupled with your amulets, your ability to repel an attack is much the same as hers. Her living within the Hall of Justice these last weeks, though, has greatly enhanced her ability to focus on and use the amulet, as Drucila has just pointed out. Her power will continue to increase, without any doubt. However, I believe, if and when she begins to bear children, the power will check itself. And she will pass on to her children some of that power, as my own mother passed some of hers to me.”

“What?” Harry asked. “Your mother lived in the Hall of Justice, Professor?

“Yes, Harry,” the old wizard began. “My mother was the Executive Assistant to Lord Chief Justice Vernon Merrell, my father. I was raised within the Hall of Justice until I began my schooling at Hogwarts. My mother saw to my earliest education herself. She and Hermione could be twins - - - not in the physical sense, of course. She was just as strong-willed and intelligent. A wonderful woman she was.”

“I never knew that, Albus. I heard you were raised in the Hall of Justice, but I never knew your mother was an Executive Assistant,” said Drucila Priest.

“That explains a great deal, Albus,” Grime said. “It’s no wonder you became such a powerful wizard.”

“And an old one, too, I must add,” Dumbledore said with a smile.

“If your father was a Chief Justice, Professor,” Ron asked, “then you are only of part wizard blood yourself? I mean, since your father wasn’t a wizard.”

The old headmaster looked somewhat grieved to hear someone within their group say such a thing. “Ron, we must not accept the prejudices of narrow-minded bigots as fact. That’s an attitude we must all work hard to correct, after we eliminate the very evil who has spread such lies for so many years. There are those, such as Voldemort and Malfoy, who have long attempted to legitimize that falsehood by disseminating their own hate and lies to others. As we read and understand the lessons of history, we find such has often happened in the past. It most often has resulted in much pain and suffering of innocent people before being put right,” the old wizard said.

“But your father? As a Chief Justice, he wouldn’t have been a wizard. How did you become so powerful?” Ron again asked.

“I admit being born into a family of wizards and witches greatly enhances the chance the offspring will be born with the same capabilities. But it’s actually the characteristics of each individual child born, from a magical or non-magical family, Ron. Take Hermione, for example. Her parents are not magical folk. If you recall, Draco Malfoy constantly referred to her as a mudblood, a very offensive and derogatory term. However, did the fact Hermione Granger was born to non-magical parents affect the abilities you witnessed today? I believe she’s a splendid example to use against the lies the dark lords constantly propagate,” Dumbledore explained, pausing to look at those seated around the table. Each had listened intently to what the old wizard had said. Several nodded their heads in agreement.

The old wizard looked back at Ron Weasley and continued. “Now, about my father! He was indeed a non-magical person, as is required of the holder of that position. Whether or not Edward D’Mar, who himself created the powerful charm and the ring to protect the Hall of Justice and the position of Chief Justice, meant it to happen or not, the fact is, every child born from the union of the Chief Justice and one of his assistants is born with magical abilities. There was not one single child ever born to such a union, that I know of, where that was not true. Why it is so, I can’t really say. Nevertheless, I believe it has to do with the powerful charm. But yes, I was born from the union of a witch and a non-wizard father,” the old wizard said, smiling at Ron.

Athena members began drifting over to the table. Before long, all had been told what had taken place at Malfoy’s Manor. Fred and George, of course, soon were mimicking the Draco and Hermione standoff. Even Professor Dumbledore couldn’t help but laugh out loudly at their antics.


* * * * * * * * * * * * * * *


Dumbledore returned to Hogwarts and had a meeting with McGonagall, Flitwick, Hooch and Hagrid. He caught them up on the happenings of the day.

Hagrid smiled out and shook his head, grinning largely through his dark, bushy beard, when the old professor related the Malfoy incident to them.

It was Hagrid who was most anxious to relate some pressing news to the old wizard. “Professor, some of the Ministry chaps caught an old witch sneakin’ around this af’ernoon. They’s expected she was up to no good. Two of ‘em hauled her off to the Ministry. Said som’pin about Bones was gonna wanta talk to her, ya see,” Hagrid related.

“Did you hear a name?” he asked.

“No, sir. They wern’t no name given. She was pretty testy, she was. Fightin’ and a scratchin’ at ‘em like a mad cat, there just wern’t no time,” Hagrid said.

“It’ll be interesting to see what comes of that,” Dumbledore said.

“Professor, is the Athena team still making some headway?” McGonagall asked.

The old headmaster turned his head back to his deputy. “Yes, indeed. They’re busily going about their work every day. Much is being done. Of course, we’ve a long way to go,” Dumbledore admitted.

After a little more discussion about school affairs, the meeting was adjourned. Each of the professors hurried off to their classes.

In the afternoon, Minister Bones appeared at Dumbledore’s desk, having used the portkey from the Ministry of Magic.

“Professor! I’m glad you’re here,” Bones said, as he turned around to see Dumbledore seated at his desk.

“Jeremiah, how are you? I was told your men caught an intruder?” Dumbledore asked.

“May I sit, Professor?” he asked, and the old wizard pointed him to a chair. “Yes sir, it appears she’s an old witch that had worked for Drago Cetus. The only name we got out of her was Hannah. She is lecherous and full of piss and vinegar for such an old hag. A nasty old woman, she is.”

“And what was she doing sneaking around the school?”

“She was after Malfoy’s portkey, Professor. She said you stole it. My investigators found out she’d also been snooping around Hogsmeade asking about finding a way into the school for some days. Minister Weasley wanted me to ask you about that portkey,” Bones related.

“It’s been destroyed, Jeremiah. It was a small wooden box. I felt it best to replace the link with two of my own. Once that was done, it was destroyed,” he said.

“You mean you know where Voldemort is?” Bones asked.

“No, we do not. Not yet, anyway. But we’re trying our best to locate him. The portkey Malfoy had setup terminated in a very remote location, far from any habitable dwelling. We’ve some of our intelligence gathering members trying to develop leads as we speak. With any luck, we will soon find him,” Dumbledore informed him.

“That’s excellent news, Professor. I’ll go back and tell Arthur what you’ve just said.”

The old wizard raised a hand to halt him. “Before you go, Jeremiah, there happens to be something else he must be made aware of,” Dumbledore said. He told Bones of what had just transpired at Malfoy’s Manor.

The minister was flabbergasted. “They’d threatened to torture and kill Hermione and Ginny?” Bones asked, astonished at the story.

Dumbledore nodded his head. “Yes. As you can see, we had little choice but to nip it in the bud, so to speak. Best to deal with it immediately rather than wait for it to get out of hand,” Dumbledore said. “Our Lord Chief Justice saw the great danger for what it was and signed an official decree for their immediate termination. Neither of us was very happy about have to do it. There just wasn’t any other way to handle it.”

The minister, who had moved to the very edge of his seat, sat looking down at his hands laying across his knees. “Yes, of course. Arthur must be told immediately. That was very serious. He’ll be greatly relieved,” the minister said.

Bones then left immediately for the Ministry of Magic. Professor Dumbledore paced his office; the Orb of the Oracle was still preying upon his mind. He had to make a decision soon.


* * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Later in the evening, Professor Dumbledore returned to Falcon’s Lair and had a meeting with Priest, Grime, Calderon, Sirius and Remus.

“What files have we yet to deal with, Graciela?” the old wizard asked.

“There are more than sixty, Professor. That will exhaust the intelligence out of the Cetus cabinet. But a number of the files will have to be doled out again. The individuals were not found the first time they were assigned,” she told him.

“It could have been some of them were killed in the Cetus Raid, Albus,” Grime interjected.

“That might very well be the case. How many of the original Death Eaters within Great Britain are left?” he asked.

“Three have not been accounted for. It could be they’ve gone into hiding,” Graciela replied. “But we might still find a number of their henchmen.”

“And Lucius Malfoy’s ledger? Were there any more meetings in the near future we should attend?” Professor Dumbledore asked, looking at Drucila Priest.

“Malfoy noted one scheduled for early next week in the Cambrian Mountains in Wales. It isn’t far from the small town of Newtown. We can’t be sure, of course, whether or not it will be held. The remaining Death Eaters must be getting nervous over the missing associates,” Priest said, smiling at the pleasing thought her statement brought to her mind.

“Let’s continue with the ‘seek and destroy’ missions then, as you call them. The more of them we can eliminate now, the better. Voldemort will need them to support him, if he’s to be a threat,” Dumbledore told the group.

“Why haven’t we heard anything out of him, Albus?” Priest asked.

The old headmaster paused in thought. “We will in time, Drucila. You can be sure of that. I believe he’s trying to return to a physical form not dependent upon the body of another. There are ways he can do that. It takes considerable time, though. That is the reason, I believe, we haven’t heard anything out of him yet. Also, in support of that theory, when I found out that only Malfoy was allowed to know his whereabouts, it explained a great deal. You see, during the transformation he’s very vulnerable. I assume he has Peter Pettigrew with him to help him along. But he wouldn’t want any but the most trusted to have access to him. Hence, only Malfoy, his second, was allowed to see him,” the old wizard reasoned.

“What do you mean by vulnerable, Professor,” Sirius asked.

“It would be possible to utterly destroy him. His spiritual self would be bonded with a living organism through which he would begin a metamorphosis. If allowed to complete, he would be in a physical form of his own. He could resemble a human being but would likely retain some of the characteristics of the creature from which he began the process. If we can get to him before that process ends, we should be able to completely destroy the evil man, once and for all,” Dumbledore explained to the man.

“That sounds pretty damn gruesome to me, Albus. But, if that’s the case, why aren’t we putting more effort into finding him,” Grime asked.

“We will do just that, Bartholomew, once we knock his base out from under him here in Great Britain. That’s the reason I’m so anxious to eliminate as many of his supporters as we possibly can before taking our crusade into unfamiliar territory. Then, if something dire should happen to us in the Carpathian Mountains, we would, at least, give the good witches and wizards here a better chance. Without his supporters, he would find it very hard to take over the Ministry or the Hall of Justice,” Dumbledore told them.

“I see the truth in that,” Priest said, nodding her head.

“But we’ve been there, Professor. There are thousands of square miles and many secluded retreats in and around the Carpathian Mountains. How can we ever hope to find him in time?” Sirius asked.

“There might be a way. I cannot say at present, but it might be possible to more quickly locate his whereabouts,” Dumbledore admitted.

The old wizard soon returned to his rocking chair at Hogwarts. He had hoped he hadn’t needlessly wasted valuable time by hesitating to have the Chief Justice use the orb.

“It must be done,” he said quietly to himself. “Whatever the risk, it must be taken.”


* * * * * * * * * * * * * * *


Chief Justice Webster ran to Hermione and took her into his arms when she entered the third-floor residence at the Hall of Justice. He kissed the girl passionately and held her tightly to him.

“Are you okay?” he excitedly asked. “You aren’t hurt? How do you feel?”

“Never better,” she replied, smiling up at the love of her life. She tiptoed and kissed him again on his lips.

The large man once again wrapped his arms about her and squeezed, holding her many long seconds against his breast. He then led her over to the large table in the living area and had her tell him all that had happened.

“I can’t believe it, Hermione. How did that happen?” he asked, after she finished relating what happened seconds after Draco Malfoy screamed out his killing incantation.

Raising her right hand to her chest, her fingers lightly pressing against hard stone and metal, she explained. “My amulet’s now much like your ring, Daniel. I’ve somehow become extraordinarily attuned to its great powers ever since our encounter with Lucius Malfoy at the Ministry. I absolutely trusted it to protect me, and it did so,” she admitted.

Webster shook his head and lowered his eyes to stare unfocused at the table before him. “I still find it impossible to fathom the world you’ve lived in all these years, Hermione. It’s beyond me to understand how all this magic stuff works. I just can’t work it out in my head. Nevertheless, if you trust it, I will trust it,” he said, looking back up at the beautiful young witch. She walked around and sat in his lap, wrapping her arms around the big young man and squeezing him tightly to her.


* * * * * * * * * * * * * * *


Professor Dumbledore timed his trip the next morning to again take his breakfast at the Hall of Justice. He had sensed, for some time, the close interaction between Hermione and Webster. But it was obvious to anyone with a good pair of eyes; the two were falling deeply and madly in love with one another. If the old wizard’s plans had been known to anyone other than himself, it could be said the interaction between Hermione and the Chief Justice was going to surely muck things up. But the old professor knew better. Some things were known only to himself. He couldn’t help but let loose a little grin over that devious little thought and the consequences.

“You two look very rested,” Dumbledore said, smiling at the Chief Justice and his Executive Assistant.

“I had a great night, Albus. An outstanding night,” Webster said, grinning like a possum eating green persimmons. Hermione smiled, nodding her head and suppressing a laugh.

“I’m delighted to hear that,” Dumbledore said, returning the knowing grin.

The old wizard’s countenance became most serious. “Dan, I’ve given considerable thought to that orb. If you’re willing, I’d like us to conduct an experiment. I believe I know now what it’s for, and I don’t believe it will be a threat to you, if it’s handled properly,” Dumbledore said.

“It’s important, Albus?” Webster asked in a very anxious way. The man was still obviously apprehensive over the fact the object had almost killed him.

The old wizard couldn’t help but note the man’s anxiety. “Yes, indeed. I believe it will be very important to our crusade. It might even bring it to a quick end or, at least, shorten it considerably,” the old wizard explained.

Webster paused, thinking about what the old headmaster had just related. He also realized the man must have spent many hours deliberating over what had to be done. He nodded his head. “If you think it wise, yes, I’ll do whatever you ask. What do you propose?”

“It’s obvious only you and you alone can make use of it,” Dumbledore began. “From my translations, it appears you might be able to use it to locate Voldemort or anyone else you seek. If that is so, it would be of extreme value.”

The old wizard went on to explain why it was necessary to locate the evil lord as soon as possible. He told him, in layman’s terms, how Voldemort might be attempting to transform himself. Webster listened intently to his explanation, but it all seemed like some work of science fiction to him.

After their breakfast, Hermione and Professor Dumbledore went back down into the library to the shelf where the Orb of the Oracle sat. The old professor carefully lifted it off of the shelf by its base and moved it to Hermione’s office. Shortly, the Chief Justice entered the room and closed the door behind him. As he approached the desk where it sat, the orb began pulsing a bluish light of increasing intensity the closer he got to it.

Professor Dumbledore was as anxious about the pulsating light as Webster. The old wizard knew in this heart he was right about the translations he had made of the text describing the power of the orb, but he couldn’t help but worry the device might have been, at one time or another, tampered with by some unknown evil being.

After temporarily stopping the Chief Justice from coming any closer, he dropped his outstretched arm and motioned the large man slowly forward. “Dan, if you would sit in the chair at the desk,” Dumbledore instructed him. The orb was directly in front of him, sitting near the back edge of the desk, as he lowered himself into the chair. “Now, first, I want you to carefully grasp the base and pull it closer to you.”

Webster slowly reached forward and put his hands on either side of the wooden cradle. He then steadily pulled it closer to him. The blue light stopped pulsating and the orb expanded slowly until it was at least four times larger than its original size. The Chief Justice looked terrified.

The old professor patted the large man about his shoulder, calming him, letting him know he was not alone. “Now Dan, raise your hands out on either side of it. Put your elbows on the desk if it’s more comfortable for you,” Dumbledore instructed.

Webster did as he suggested. As his hands were raised, the orb again grew in size. The steady bluish glow subsided and was replaced by a light fog, which seemed to move lazily about inside the globe.

“Tell it what you seek, Dan. Tell it you wish to find Harry Potter.”

“Find Harry Potter,” the man whispered out. The mist whirled rapidly about inside the orb and then slowly cleared. Dumbledore and Hermione walked behind the justice and saw Harry and Ron appear out of the mist. They were sitting at a table in Falcon’s Lair eating breakfast. In a muted way, they could actually hear what was being said.

“This is amazing, Albus!” Webster exclaimed, but as he spoke, the image instantly disappeared and globe fogged up. “What happened? It’s gone?”

“Yes, I saw. When you spoke, Dan, your mind shifted off of your focus on Harry. The image was therefore lost. Focus on the image, don’t let your mind wander and don’t speak out.”

“How do I get it back?”

“Repeat what you just asked it to do,” Dumbledore stated the obvious.

“Find Harry Potter,” he commanded again. The image immediately returned. “Remarkable!” The image was again lost.

Hermione was the first to speak, totally amazed at what they had just witnessed. “How can this be, Professor? Why hadn’t we known of this before? Why was something this powerful sitting on a shelf way back in the library, as good as lost?” Hermione asked.

The old wizard shook his head. “I asked myself the same questions, Hermione. I reason the early justices did not understand the orb or they greatly feared its power. Whatever the reason, once it was put amongst the thousands of other artifacts, it was soon forgotten,” the old wizard explained.

“What are we to do with it, Professor?” Webster asked.

“Ask it to find Voldemort,” the old wizard said.

Webster complied but an image, greatly distorted by fog, appeared which none could clearly make out.

“Something must be wrong,” Webster said, breathing deeply. He didn’t know what was happening, but he oddly felt the device was taking a lot of energy from him. He felt tired and drained.

“No, I believe we are seeing what you requested, but for some reason the image cannot manifest itself due to his current physical state. It may be that Voldemort’s not a discernible entity, yet,” the old wizard reasoned. “Ask it to find Peter Pettigrew.”

“Find Peter Pettigrew!” Webster exclaimed.

An image quickly appeared of an ugly wizard struggling to shackle a young girl’s legs in a dimly lit room. The girl was screaming out, kicking at the wizard. He finally accomplished the deed and began cranking at winches to raise the girl off of the floor.

“What the hell is he doing?” Webster shouted and the image was again lost.

The old wizard squinted his eyes, as if angered. “He’s up to some terrible, evil deed, no doubt. Please, if you can recapture the image. We need to see what he’s doing. He will lead us to Voldemort, of that I am sure,” the old wizard said. “Keep your focus as long as you can, Dan.”

Gasping for air and sweating profusely, once again Webster lifted his elbows to the desk and asked the orb to again find Pettigrew.

When the image cleared, Pettigrew was obviously raping the girl and groping her roughly, sadistically. Hermione turned away from the image and the screams. After a few minutes, they saw the ugly little wizard turn to grab a bucket of water, return to the girl and scrub her down. He then shaved her body, removing all of her hair. Pettigrew did the job roughly and quickly, causing even much greater pain to the screaming girl.

After a while, he lowered her and removed the shackles. He then dragged her nearly unconscious body into another room. Pettigrew exited the room and hurriedly walked to another door, which he entered. Shortly, their eyes saw a grossly malformed beast wallowing about on the floor near a fireplace. It had stubby little arms attached to a large, dark body, which appeared to be a snake of enormous girth. The head was snakelike, dark green in color, its long red, forked tongue flashing out constantly sampling the air.

“Your meal is ready, Master!” they heard Pettigrew exclaim.

The large snake-like beast raised its head above the floor and squirmed quickly but awkwardly toward the door. When Pettigrew opened the last door, the creature quickly entered and made for the terrified young girl. It grabbed one of her legs, above the ankle, and began flailing the girl against the floor and walls of the room. She screamed in agony and from hysterical fear. Finally, the girl, bloody from the inhuman battering, was dropped to the floor. It then moved around, clamped its jaws between the girl’s legs, and began chewing savagely at her crotch. Again lifting her with its powerful upper body, it repeatedly slammed her to the floor. The beast next repositioned itself at the head and swallowed her down to her waist, gripping the swallowed girl tightly until she was plainly suffocated. The beast regurgitated the dead girl after several minutes, flicking its tongue at the bloody tissue on her head.

“A tasty piece of meat. She will serve me well,” the snakelike beast hissed. “Tomorrow you will again bring me two smaller ones. I greatly enjoy playing with them before I satisfy my hunger.”

Webster breathed in sharply and lost the image. He closed his eyes, breathing in heavy gasps. He was totally spent and deeply sickened by what he had just seen. Hermione, who had turned back to the image when she heard the snake speak, was horrified and appalled by what she had just witnessed, too.

“That was the most horrible thing I have ever seen, Professor. What was that thing?” she asked, tears streaming from her eyes.

“That, my dear, was Voldemort in the flesh. His transition is nearing completion, I’m afraid. From what I could see of him, he has apparently incorporated himself into some slug or snakelike creature. I’m sure it was done to quicken his ability to again attain physical form. And yes, it was very disturbing to watch. On the other hand, knowing Voldemort and Pettigrew as I do, their actions do not startle me as much as they do you,” Dumbledore said, patting Hermione gently on the shoulder in a reassuring manner.

Webster shook his head. Sweat ran in torrents out of his hair and along his cheeks. His face was strained. He looked totally wasted by the effort he had made to keep the image as long as possible. “Those two are the most evil beings I’ve ever beheld, Albus. If someone told me such evil existed, I would not have been able to comprehend its scope before this. We must send those two straight to hell. And damn quick!” Webster exclaimed, breathing as if he had just run a marathon. The large man wiped at his eyes and cheeks, clearing tears of rage from them.

Hermione reached for a clean cloth from a credenza at her back and handed it to Webster. She noticed he appeared to be physically sick, as well as emotionally shaken by what they had just seen.

“Yes, Dan. That we will do. I promise you that. We must work hard and quickly to fix their location, if we’re to succeed before Voldemort’s transformation is complete. From the look of those stubby arms, I’d say we don’t have a great deal of time, though,” Dumbledore explained, absentmindedly stroking his long beard. The old wizard, though, was excited to the very marrow of his bones over the possibility of what this meant.

“What do you want me to do, Albus?” Webster asked, turning in his chair to look up into the old wizard’s face.

Dumbledore looked down at the exhausted man, pained about what he must now ask the man to do. The old wizard had already formulated the plan they must execute, and there was little time to waste. “I realize you’re emotionally and physically spent, and I want you to rest until I return. Drink some of Merlin’s iced tea, Dan. It will clear your mind and enhance your endurance. We just heard Voldemort give instructions to Pettigrew to bring two more young girls for his next meal. If Voldemort eats but once a day that means, therefore, within the next twenty-four hours he’ll have to leave their hiding place to go out on a search for them. We will need you to use whatever strength you can muster to help us see where Pettigrew goes. That way we can see his surrounding and might be, if we are fortunate, able to precisely fix their location. Can you do that for us, Dan?” Dumbledore asked, hoping the man had the strength to do it.

“Yes. I’ll do it, Albus. With whatever strength I can muster, I’ll do it, I swear,” he said sternly.

Dumbledore quickly left for Falcon’s Lair and called this instructors and supervisors around him.

“Bartholomew, I want you, Sirius, Remus, Harry and Ron to return to the Hall of Justice with me. Prepare yourselves for an overnight stay. We’ll leave in ten minutes,” he ordered. “You will not need any of your weapons, garments or other offensive items.”

Drucila and Graciela Calderon sat down at the table with the old headmaster.

“What do we know of the Death Eater and meeting place in Wales?” he asked the two.

Graciela spoke up first, “It’s a witch, Professor. Her name is Alis Crhystone. From what information Lucius Malfoy had, we assume she’s in her thirties or possibly a little older. She’s on the same level as Cetus was within Voldemort’s chain of command. We don’t know the precise location of the meeting place, just that it’s somewhere near Newtown. We don’t believe the meeting will be as big unless other associates are asked to attend from Western Europe.”

The old professor nodded his head thankfully at Graciela and turned to the old headmistress. “Drucila, while we’re gone, prepare Oliver Wood and Lee Jordan for a scouting mission to that area. It will be quite a distance, some four hundred miles, I should think. Therefore, if you would, prepare a portkey link for them. They’ll need to travel down into that lower country by broomstick the first trip. Tell them to find a very secluded location for the portkey. I can’t stress how important it will be for them to locate that meeting place. It may well be the last chance we’ll have to get the last of Voldemort’s associates. We must make that meeting,” the old wizard stressed.

Professor Dumbledore didn’t dally around. He quickly stood and moved to the portkey followed by the wizards he had just spoken with. Within a short minute, they had appeared in the large anteroom of the Hall of Justice.

“What’s up, Albus? Are we to be kept in the dark?” Grime asked.

The old headmaster just realized he hadn’t explained the reason for the rush. “Of course not! I’m sorry, Bartholomew. I had so much on my mind. Yes, please, but let’s walk. We’re in a bit of a rush. We have located a very powerful tool within the library amongst the artifacts from the D’Mar era. The old wizard called it the Orb of the Oracle. It’s an amazing device. We’ve just seen Voldemort and Peter Pettigrew with it, not more than an hour ago,” Dumbledore said.

“Damn! You saw them?” Grime yelled out. Sirius, Remus, Harry and Ron each vocalized their shock at what the old professor had said, too.

Dumbledore didn’t stop. He moved quickly through the courtroom, as he continued his explanation.

“Yes, Webster, Hermione and I saw the bastards clearly,” he stated. The old professor went on to quickly tell them what they had witnessed. He then explained his purpose for having them at the next viewing. “It’s important for each of you pay very close attention to what the orb shows. We’ll need the images firmly fixed in our minds, if we’re to have any chance of finding the evil bastards before Voldemort’s transformation’s complete.”

When they walked into the Executive Assistant’s Office, Chief Justice Webster was sitting at the desk still drinking ice tea in great quantities. He had pushed the orb back towards the back edge of the desk to give him room. The large man got to his feet when the wizards entered.

“Your Lordship,” Dumbledore began, “I’ve brought our advance team back here with me. These men have all been to the Carpathian Mountains with me within this last week. We’ll be the ones to return to seek out Voldemort, if you’re able to give us clear images of where Pettigrew goes.”

“Yes, I understand, Professor. I’ll do my best,” Webster said.

As the large man seated himself in the chair at Hermione’s desk, Dumbledore turned to explain more about the globe. “Using the orb’s a very physically and emotionally demanding task. It takes the Chief Justice’s total concentration to maintain the image. He can’t have any distractions, is that clear? If you must point out something or if you see a familiar place, whisper out what catches your eye. Are we all on the same roll of parchment?” the old wizard asked. All around heads nodded.

“When do you wish to begin, Albus? How do you want me to do this?” Webster asked.

“First, capture an image for us. If Pettigrew’s in the house, we will only need to see enough of it to familiarize ourselves with its layout. Then you can begin taking breaks of five to ten minutes. At some point, Wormtail will need to leave the residence in search of Voldemort’s next meal. That will be when we’ll need you to put in your maximum effort, Your Lordship. As long as you can possibly hold the image, the greater our chance will be of fixing his location in our mind.”

“I understand. Yes, of course. I’ll do my best,” Webster said, turning around in his chair and carefully reaching across the desk to again bring the Orb of the Oracle close to him.

Dumbledore had the wizards stand up close to the back of the Chief Justice so they all could follow the image.

“Find Peter Pettigrew,” Webster said, his hands held out at either side of the large, expanded globe. The swirling fog within the globe cleared, and Wormtail appeared instantly. He looked to be preparing to leave the house, as he was seen pulling a dark cloak over his shoulder.

Within minutes, Pettigrew walked out into late evening sun. It was early October, the days were still fairly long but the nights in these higher mountainous regions were again turning bitterly cold. “Won’t be long now!” they heard him exclaim. “I’m never coming back to this fucking country.” The man mounted his broom and quickly pushed away from the ground.

The Chief Justice was thinking he wanted to see the dwelling Pettigrew had just left, and the image instantly turned around and showed it clearly. All around the seated justice, the wizards caught their breath at the clarity of the picture. The Chief Justice then willed his mind to look around at the surrounding country. All saw a very uniquely shaped mountain peak. The sun was setting slightly to its right side. He held the image for some long seconds before willing his vision to sweep across the landscape. In the distance, a small town lay before Pettigrew, which he skirted on the left side, heading in a northerly direction, according to the setting of the sun.

The Chief Justice willed the orb to again focus on the town and it came clearly into view. He mentally expressed his desire to see the town closely and the image of the town expanded and drew closer to him. A train depot was seen and a sign. A sign that had the name of the town written on it - - - Rivnya. The justice vocalized the name, and the image was immediately lost.

“Take a break, Your Lordship! You have just shown us much! Drink some of the tea and relax.” Dumbledore said.

“Rivnya? Where the hell is that? I ain’t ever seen anything like this thing!” Grime shouted out.

Hermione quickly ran out into the library, seeking one of the large muggle atlases in the reference section on her right. She hefted a large volume she had used before and quickly returned to her office. She walked directly to a countertop and dropped the book, quickly turning to the index. Harry and Ron walked over to see what she was doing.

She found the page she was after and called Professor Dumbledore over. “Here is the town, Professor,” she said excitedly. “It’s in the Ukraine. The town must be the railhead for that railroad. Look here, it ends right about here.” She pointed a finger to where the map showed the tracks terminating. “The mountains are to the west. He’s traveling north. Therefore, he began his trip in this general area.” Hermione circled her finger over the region. “I bet that secluded cabin’s right up against the mountains here.”

The old professor beamed. “Outstanding, Hermione! Yes, indeed! It must be in that exact vicinity! Very good work, indeed!” the old professor merrily exclaimed, winking at the young witch. His heart filled with pride. “Bartholomew, Sirius, Remus! Come over here! Look what Hermione has found for us!” He then asked Hermione to show them what she had just showed him.

Harry walked back over to the Chief Justice who was sucking down another glass of iced tea. “How’re you feeling, Your Lordship?”

Webster nodded his head and thankfully smiled up at the young wizard for his well-meaning enquiry. “Better, Harry. It’s really hard to hold my concentration for very long. And I’m not familiar with this thing yet. But I think I’m slowly working it out,” he said. “Very good work you guys did at Malfoy’s.”

“Thanks! But I don’t really think Ron and I needed to be there. Hermione could have handled the bunch without a sweat. She has some awesome abilities,” Harry admitted, smiling down the seated man.

“Yeah! Tell me about it!” Webster exclaimed. “You should have been at the Ministry the other day when Malfoy tried to gut me. She made a terrible mess out of the bastard. Damn terrible mess!”

The two laughed at that. Harry felt very comfortable in the large man’s presence. “He’s a regular guy,” he thought. “I can’t believe he’s as old as fifty. He looks like he’s about two years older than me.”

“So? How do you like your job? Are you sorry you took it?” Harry asked, grinning largely.

“At first, Harry, when I saw Professor Dumbledore and the way he was dressed, I thought I’d been kidnapped by a bunch of lunatics who’d just escaped from an asylum somewhere. He was all dressed up in that Halloween costume of his and those female security guards had on those dark blue cloaks, looking like a bunch of vampires. Hell, I didn’t know whether to be mad as hell over them kidnapping me or scared shitless,” Webster said, cracking up into a loud laugh.

Harry joined him. He had never heard Dumbledore and Halloween costume in the same sentence before and, only now, had he ever considered or appreciated the awful state the man must have been in.

“Well, we’re all damn glad you took the job; that’s for sure,” said Harry, smiling and nodding his head.

“Thanks, Harry. I hope I live up to the expectations you folks have in me. We’re damn sure on the same side against this Voldemort idiot,” Webster replied. “I’m going to take another look at Pettigrew.”

Webster turned back around to face the orb and reached out to pull it closer. “Find Peter Pettigrew,” he whispered. Again, he soon had the man’s image. It was now dark; the sun had set. Pettigrew was slowly moving around the outskirts of another small town. The Chief Justice saw children playing, and the wizard had stopped, it appeared, hovering near some large trees and watching the children.

A young girl left her friends and began running down an alleyway. Pettigrew followed her and, when he got close behind her, quickly stunned the girl when she ran into the dark. He snatched her up and rapidly flew her to a remote area just outside the town where he dropped her to the ground. He then tied the girl’s hands and feet and gagged her.

He returned to the previous spot and went back to watching the children at play. Within a short while, he swooped down on another youngster who appeared to be running for home. He took that girl to where he had dropped the first. After securing them both tightly together, he draped their restraints over his broom and quickly lifted them high into the sky, heading back to his master’s remote dwelling.

The Chief Justice again lost the image. He reclined back into the chair, breathing hard and reaching for another glass of tea, which Hermione had already brought to the desk.

“Rest, Your Lordship. That’s enough for now. We know where he’s going,” Dumbledore said.

Grime looked furious. “So this is what Pettigrew’s been doing for Voldemort? He’s been snatching children?” Grime asked out, steaming with anger. “What the hell’s going on, Albus?”

“Voldemort is eating them for his transformation,” the old wizard said.

“What!” the group yelled out in unison. “What the hell are you talking about?

The old headmaster sighed and shook his head. “It’s an old method of transfiguration. Many years ago, the Ministry removed and sealed some of the old parchments, after declaring them to contain immoral and illegal methods. Voldemort, at some point, got his hands on some of the parchments. The method he’s using allows him to incorporate his living spirit within an animal of his choosing. From what we saw earlier, it appears he chose a slug or snakelike creature.”

“Why a slug or a snake, Professor?” Ron asked.

“He must have felt it would allow him to more quickly transform, Ron. I don’t know. One thing is certain, however: once the metamorphosis is complete, he will retain some of the characteristics of the original animal. That is, unless he has advanced the original work. Only time will tell. On the other hand, I hope we won’t ever have to find out. We must find him before his transformation is complete, if we’re to have any hope of destroying the evil man,” Dumbledore said.

“Shouldn’t we start looking for him immediately, Professor?” Sirius asked.

Dumbledore turned slightly to look at Sirius. “Yes, we’ll put out a maximum effort. Though from the image I saw of him earlier today, I would say we have at least two or three more weeks. In that time, we must do two things: find and destroy both Voldemort and Pettigrew and destroy the witches and wizards meeting in Wales early this next week. Even as important as it is to finish Voldemort, we must also still eliminate the rest of his Death Eaters,” he told them.

Minister Grime was fired up. “Right you are, Albus! Right you are! The Death Eaters will still go about their killings and practicing of the dark arts. We must get them all!”

Sirius nodded his head along with the others. “Yes. I see the truth in that,” he said.

The old headmaster went on to share what he’d just decided back at Falcon’s Lair. “Drucila’s going to be sending Oliver and Lee off to do the scouting we need done in Wales. They will locate their meeting hall and setup the portkey. In the meantime, the rest of us will begin using the portkey to the Carpathian Mountains. If Hermione’s right about the location, we’ll find Voldemort and deal with him quickly.”