Harry Potter and the Hall of Justice

Chapter 26 The Welsh Coven

Over four hundred miles south of Hogwarts, Alis Crhystone went busily about preparing for her Nos Calan Gaeaf gala. Her coven of thirteen witches was very clannish and secretive but, twice each year, opened their doors to a number of their evil brethren. The witches’ parents, from a very early age, had instilled the practice of the dark arts in them. Some of those same parents were still bound in an evil alliance with one another and worshipped Lord Voldemort as the only true deity.

Crhystone had been most excited as of late. Lucius Malfoy, before he’d gone and gotten himself blown up, had enlightened a number of Voldemort’s inner circle about what was being planned. It was long past time for their coming-out party, an all-out war to take over the Ministry of Magic and the Hall of Justice. In time, the whole world would be under the Dark Lord’s control. As Malfoy had claimed, it was the master’s destiny to become the Supreme Lord. All heartily agreed.

Now, as reports came in that more and more of Voldemort’s inner circle was missing, they reasoned that it could mean only one thing. The master had called his most worthy advisors to his side. He would soon return. The bloodletting would begin. Alis knew she would then be picked for a very influential position of power once the war was over. None doubted the fact that it would be a quick, bloody contest. No one could successfully challenge the Master.

Alis Crhystone’s parents had been evil incarnate. They had practiced bestiality, incest, sodomy and pedophilia with religious fervor. Alis, from a very early age, accepted the perversions as normal practices for wizards and witches. Even as a young girl, she had taken part in many of their adventures.

Some years had passed since the death of her parents. The thought of how they had suffered in the end was one of her most pleasant memories. The poison she had used was of her own design, a most deadly tonic. Their screams of pain still echoed in her dreams and fantasies. She had decided a poison should always be crafted with two things in mind: first, it must be deadly and second, it should not work too fast. The victim’s suffering must be savored and enjoyed.

Within her parent’s inner circle, the girls of each family were home schooled by select witches and wizards and had little or no other social contact. On her thirteenth birthday, her mother pledged her to the Crau Coch yn Sabath Du (Red Blood and Black Sabbath) coven. Thus began her own daily practice of the dark arts in earnest. She endeavored to be the best at everything her evil mind pursued. Her skills and perversions made her legendary before she was twenty years old. Now, at thirty-five, the coven had become her fiefdom. No witch dared challenge her absolute authority. None dared cross her.

“Buddug! Come here this minute!” Alis Crhystone screamed, her face red from anger.

“Yes, Mistress?” Buddug asked, after running into the room from the kitchen.

“Didn’t I tell you to give Caradog his bath this morning! How dare you ignore my command? You dishonor me, and I’ll not have it!” she yelled at the young girl, grasping a handful of her dark hair and shaking her head wildly about. The young girl cried out in pain.

“I’m sorry! Please forgive me!” the young girl cried out.

“Why did you disobey me?” Alis shrieked, pulling the girl’s head to within inches of hers, the woman’s eyes tearing in rage.

The girl convulsed from fear. “I’ve been in the kitchen, Mistress, polishing the silver, as you’d instructed,” Buddug cried out, more from fear of what punishment might be inflicted upon her then from the pain of having her hair nearly pulled out by their roots.

“You’ll finish the silver tonight, after all your chores are completed. Now, take Caradog to his bath. I’ll not have him in my bed smelling like he does,” the witch ordered. Before she stomped off in a fury, Alis slapped the girl hard above her ear.

The crying, young apprentice witch reached down to the huge, black Great Dane’s collar and led him through the kitchen to a large tub used for washing her mistresses animals. The girl felt fortunate she had not been beaten. On the other hand, she knew her mistress would not want her bruised badly with guests arriving the next day. The mistress would want her fresh and clean, as she would most likely be required to furnish some of the entertainment. In that case, she thought, for her own benefit, she had better give Caradog a good washing.

Standing outside the large kitchen window were two young wizards carefully scrutinizing all they heard and saw. Invisible to the naked eye, dressed in special garments of their order, Oliver Wood and Lee Jordan had been moving around the old estate for several hours.

Although it had taken them two days of searching, they were certain they had finally located what they sought. Within minutes after the two wizards had first approached the house, they noticed a pentagram and other symbols of the occult on the front door and at other locations around the house.

At the rear of the huge old shack, a door had been left open to air out a vast basement understructure. Oliver and Lee made their way quietly down rock steps to investigate. The first things they noticed were massive beams supporting the house above and casting eerie shadows across the floor. All along the walls of the room, Wood and Jordan made out numerous symbols of the occult and others specific to covens.

“It looks to be larger than the building on the Cetus Estate,” Wood whispered out.

“Yeah. It’s pretty damn big, but these beams get in the way,” Jordan replied quietly, looking around and fixing the location of the tables and other peculiarities of the room.

Oliver went about studying and counting the supporting beams. He knew he’d need their exact locations to accurately draw a map of the cavernous basement. Once satisfied, he turned to Lee. “Let’s go take another look around outside. I wouldn’t want to be caught down here if some of those dogs are brought to the house from the kennel,” Wood said, anxious to not have their backs up against the wall.

The large residence was a three-story structure, counting the basement. It was many years old and was quite frightful to look at from any distance, as it was weathered down to bare wood in many places and in a bad state of disrepair.

Some distance behind the house the witch had a large kennel, which appeared to have some dozen huge dogs of various breeds. Attached to it was an open barn with a couple of donkeys and ponies. The two wizards thought it odd that a foul-tempered witch would keep such animals around. She didn’t appear to have a bit of kindness or decency in her, from what they had just witnessed.

They again mounted their invisible brooms and decided to split up. Oliver said he would look in the windows on the first floor. He asked Lee to see what could be made out through the second floor windows.

Wood slowly glided back down to the kitchen window and noticed no one was visible. He next moved around the house and found only a small number of windows had been raised in the cool, late October air. The sixth window he came to had been left open, and the witch he had seen minutes before in the kitchen was seated in a living area, taking tea with three others.

“Catrin,” she said, “I expect you will be bringing your son and daughter tomorrow night?”

“If you wish, Alis! Certainly!” one of the witches spoke out.

“That boy of yours is growing up nicely. Has he received instructions?” Alis asked, with a devilish grin.

“Yes, of course. His sister and I keep him quite busy,” the witch replied. All around the witches cackled and screamed out in lascivious laughter.

“I was thinking about having your daughter provide a little entertainment tomorrow night,” Alis said, almost as if issuing an order.

“Entertainment?” Catrin asked, almost too afraid to imagine what the evil witch was thinking.

“Of course! It’s always such a treat to have our young witches provide their elders with a little amusement, from time to time. Nothing too formal,” Alis retorted, smirking and winking at the two other witches.

“Yes, Catrin,” another spoke out. “Surely she would be honored to perform for us. It would be so stimulating, don’t you agree?” Again, the three other witches screamed out shrilly.

“What would you have her do?” Catrin asked out nervously.

“She wouldn’t have to do very much, Catrin. She has met Caradog before?” Alis asked, grinning largely at the woman.

“Caradog? You mean that big dog of yours? What are you saying, Alis?” the woman shouted out almost hysterically.

“Catrin! Catrin! Calm yourself!” Alis blurted out, laughing again with the other three. “I think you know what I mean!”

“I don’t think - - -,” the witch began but suddenly withdrew her reply, knowing there could be no argument with Alis Crhystone one could ever hope to win. She lowered her eyes, horrified at what the evil witch had implied.

“It’s settled then!” Alis shrieked out, giggling at the woman’s reaction. “Bring the little bitch to me early tomorrow, Catrin. I will so much look forward to giving her instructions. She’ll put on quite a show for us, I’m sure.”

An older witch spoke up, “What time should we be here, Alis?”

“Just before dark, as always. Our Nos Calan Gaeaf celebration has always been my favorite of the two we have each year. Of course, most still wish to refer to it as Samhain. ‘The celebration is always to begin the evening of the 31st of October’, my mother always said. ‘Nothing must interrupt it until the sun rises the next morning’.”

“And can we expect a full house again?” another of the witches asked.

“Yes. We’ll also have a number from France and Belgium again who wouldn’t miss if for anything. They’ve already confirmed their reservations. It should be grand, at least sixty, I should think. Malfoy, of course, got his stupid ass murdered by that fucking Albus Dumbledore and Granger bitch. It’s a shame, too. We could always count on him to bring some fresh young muggles along for a little fun,” Alis replied, shaking her head sadly.

“And what of Cetus? We haven’t heard anything out of the man. He’s never missed one of our celebrations,” the same witch asked.

“Cetus has been called to Voldemort’s side, along with his underlings. He’ll be asked to take Malfoy’s place,” Alis Crhystone said smugly, reiterating the rumor they had all heard but making it sound as if Voldemort himself had personally notified her of the decision.

“Our Master’s to return soon?” a witch asked.

“Yes, so I’ve been instructed. I’m so hoping he will make our little party,” she said, in a sanctimonious way.

“Lord Voldemort! Here! Tomorrow night!” Catrin shouted out ecstatically.

“Yes, of course! He’s rather busy right now, though. I wouldn’t want to put him out, if he’s too busy. Certainly not!” Alis exclaimed haughtily.

“I must be off!” said Catrin.

“So soon?” asked Alis, smiling at the change in the woman’s demeanor.

“Yes, I’ve much to do, Alis. And, of course, my daughter will be pleased to entertain our guests. Whatever you wish!” she said excitedly.

“That’s my girl!” Alis replied, greatly satisfied not to have to put the woman in her place.

Oliver Wood now had the information they had come for. He found Lee Jordan waiting for him behind the kennel, as they had earlier agreed.

“I’ve seen and heard enough,” Oliver said. “It’s on for tomorrow night. Let’s find a better location for the portkey and make our way back to Falcon’s Lair.”


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

Harry and Ron were finally able to get away from the crowd at Falcon’s Lair. They’d had little time to talk these past weeks, as much was always happening around them. Even after training, the daily grind had them both too tired to do much besides sleep and eat. However, Ron had other things occupying his time as of late.

“Plus, she’s a real beauty,” Harry said, after Ron finished running through a list of Grace White’s exceptional attributes and talents.

“Yeah,” Ron said with a big grin. “I think she’s the most beautiful girl I’ve ever seen.”

“So?” Harry began his cross-examination, very anxious to see where the match was heading. “You two’re getting serious, huh?

Ron grinned even larger. “Yeah, I hope so. I never thought I’d find anyone like her. Hell, I’d never even imagined somebody like her.”

“Then let’s hope we don’t go and get ourselves killed,” Harry said, returning his grin.

Ron’s face became serious. “Don’t even say shit like that. I’ve been worried some nasty bastards might sneak up on us one of these days and we’ll never know what hit us.”

“If we stick to the plan, I think Professor Dumbledore will make sure that doesn’t happen. Some of the things I’ve overheard him saying makes me believe he’s not going to let us take many chances. I think that’s the very heart of his plan, the surprise attack stuff, I mean.”

Ron remained silent for some time, thinking about what his old friend had just said. “Yeah,” he almost whispered out. “I hope so.”


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


Within the hour, Wood and Jordan excitedly seated themselves at a table with Professor Dumbledore, Priest and Minister Grime.

“What have you found, Oliver?” Professor Dumbledore asked, noting the two young wizards eager states.

“Tomorrow night, Professor! They’ll start about dark. The meeting’s actually one of two celebrations the witch holds every year. This one’s to celebrate the observance of the eve of the winter’s calendar along with their Halloween ritual. Nevertheless, I did overhear them say some sixty are planned to attend, and a number will be coming from France and Belgium,” Oliver enthusiastically informed the man.

“And what was said of Voldemort?” the old professor asked.

“I overheard the witch, Alis Crhystone, tell three other witches that she understood Cetus had been called to Voldemort’s side. They believe his return is eminent. Nothing was said about disappearances other than that,” he stated.

Dumbledore looked at Priest and Grime and gave them a smile. “We should be thankful for that. They should be less likely to expect us. And the portkey, Oliver? How far away is it?”

“Lee and I moved it to a very suitable location, Professor. It isn’t as close as we had at the Cetus Estate, but it’s well hidden,” Oliver responded. He then pulled a parchment out of his robe on which he had drawn a map. He next went on to describe the property and, with Jordan’s help, showed them how the basement was laid out. They admitted not knowing if any guards would be posted or how many entrances the basement had.

Dumbledore had Professor Priest assemble the Athena team. After all were seated at the tables, the professor had Oliver and Lee draw the layout on the easel for everyone to see. A number of questions were asked about the size of the residence and distances involved, and the two young wizards did a very good job fixing it all in the minds of the team members.

“Thank you, Oliver and Lee!” Professor Dumbledore exclaimed when they finished.

The old wizard came to his feet and stood at the head of the table. “This most likely will be the last opportunity we will have to intrude so unexpectedly on the festivities of our adversaries. From what Oliver and Lee related to me earlier, it’s evident Voldemort’s underlings are expecting him to soon reappear and lay waste to all we hold so dear.”

Professor Dumbledore paused in thought before continuing. “Most of you remember our prior discussions concerning my single greatest fear. And that was one single great battle between the forces of evil and the good wizards and witches of our magical world. Due solely to your hard labor and to your faithful and loyal commitment to our cause, we will simply be able to put that fear behind us and soon. It is my most fervent hope the operation in Wales will put that fear to rest. Although there still remains a number of Death Eaters at large, if our Welsh mission is a success, we will completely undermine any imminent regrouping of the evil bastards within our homeland.”

Heads nodded and a murmur arose around the tables displaying their full agreement.

“You noticed, of course, I said within our homeland,” the old wizard paused again. His enthusiastic team became suddenly quiet. “Yes, indeed. Much danger lays waiting outside our borders. Many there will be eager to fill Voldemort’s shoes. And believe me, those we must still seek out and destroy will be the most dangerous. They will have nothing to lose, as they know our campaign means their death.”

The old headmaster stood silent, as he scanned the faces around the tables. “Now, on to our next mission. We must again time our entry when as many as possible are seated at the tables within the basement. Hopefully, we’ll do so at a time that has the highest level of noise to cover our movements. One problem I see is that we do not know how many exits there are from the basement into the house. Another? Will guards be posted?”

“How many do you suggest we post outside, Professor?” Sirius asked.

The old wizard looked not at Sirius to answer the question but to the two pranksters on his team. “Fred and George Weasley! I expect you both to take on that responsibility again, as you performed admirably at the Cetus Estate,” he said with a grin.

Fred and George smirked and raised their eyebrows in a condescending manner to all around the table. This caused a few laughs and giggles at their reaction to the old professor’s praise.

“And, Drucila? Will you be able to attend?” he asked.

“I wouldn’t miss it for the world, Albus. You know that,” she said, winking at the old man.

“Very well, then. I will ask Hermione to assist and have Captain Stran bring several of her officers, too. Once our actions begin within the basement, if you could all rush up to assist Fred and George with the outside security that would be grand, Drucila,” he said.

“We will be there in a flash,” replied the old witch.

“Sixty? Is that what you said, Oliver?” Dumbledore asked.

“Yes sir, I overheard Alis Crhystone say sixty would attend. But, Professor, something else! She made mention that Malfoy could always be counted on to bring along some muggles for their amusement in the past. Although she didn’t mention someone else would be doing so this time, I wouldn’t doubt we might have some innocents within the house or basement when we begin. It’s something to keep in mind,” Oliver said.

“Yes! That does complicate the equation,” the old wizard said in agreement. “On the other hand, it should be clear, by the way the innocents are dressed, who they are. We’ll need to be more careful, therefore. I’ll give everyone more time to position themselves before we start our action this time. In that way, each of you can decide on your line of fire and locate, if possible, any non-magic folk that may be present,” he ordered.

Again, Sirius spoke out, “This seems to call for more shotguns, too.”

Dumbledore nodded his head. “Yes. I agree. We should have four or more within the basement. I will let you and Minister Grime decide on that, Sirius,” he replied. “Listen up! You are excused for now. Early in the morning, we’ll begin planning our final strategy and assignments.”

A number of the young witches and wizards left the table, but Harry, Ron and Oliver remained. Initially, Priest and Dumbledore decided to send Oliver and Jordan back early again to gather intelligence, as they had done before. But this time, it was decided Harry and Ron would join them. Using the portkey, they would send a messenger back continually until it was time for the rest of the team to go through.

“Albus, when will you decide to let the information out about Voldemort?” Grime asked.

“I’ve been thinking about that very thing, Bartholomew. This is the last large meeting Malfoy had noted in his ledger through the end of the year. Perhaps, if all goes well tomorrow night, we should let it be known that not only Voldemort has been killed but provide the Daily Prophet with a list of those who have been removed along with him,” Dumbledore said.

“Is that wise, Albus? To furnish a list of all those we’ve killed?” Priest asked.

“Yes, I believe it is. The good people of our world have been living in fear for so long, it may well be time they had some good news for a change. Also, our young witches and wizards need a break. They’ve been going constantly, seven days a week, for some good long while now. It’s time for them to stand-down. Time to take a break. Don’t you agree?” the old wizard said.

“Damn glad to hear you say that, Albus!” Grime said. “I haven’t seen my family more than a few hours in six weeks. I realize that’s selfish of me to say, but I can’t help it. It’s the truth.”

“Then I agree, also. If you decide to release that information, then yes, it would be a fine time to give everyone a much deserved break,” Priest said, nodding her head.

“Of course, I must inform our Lord Chief Justice, first. I must say, he seems to have an unusually fine grasp of things; the way people think and such. If he agrees, then we can ask Graciela to prepare a complete list of those evil lords and associates who we can confirm having been killed. But, more importantly, once wizards and witches worldwide see that things are finely being done to end their evil reins, I believe we’ll have many come forward with information to lead us to those in hiding. That may well be the best reason to go public with our activities,” Dumbledore said.

“That make sense,” Grime replied. “Yes, I see that. By showing how much we have actually accomplished, few will fear coming forward, and they might very well lead us right to the ones we’re still seeking.”

The old witch’s eyes lit up and she grinned largely. “That’s a fine strategy. It’s hilarious to think of the remaining Death Eaters scurrying around for holes to crawl into,” she said, cackling out shrilly.

Professor Dumbledore soon left for the Hall of Justice. He realized he must bring Webster and Hermione up to speed on what had been decided.


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


The old headmaster entered the third-floor residence and found Webster and Hermione talking at the main table.

“Professor! Hermione and I were just talking about your next action. We’re both anxious about it. Hermione just said something, too, which I agree with: maybe it’s time we change our tactics. It wouldn’t do at all to have the evil bastards setting up an ambush for you,” Webster said, while standing and shaking the old wizards hand.

Professor Dumbledore smiled warmly at his protégée. “Hello, Hermione. Thank you for your concern. And yes, you’re very right. We were just discussing largely the same thing down in Falcon’s Lair just minutes ago. If you would excuse me for a second and let me pour a glass of iced tea, I would like to sit with you awhile and bring you up to date,” the old wizard said.

Professor Dumbledore sat down at the table and laid out the plan they had for the operation in Wales. He explained what Oliver Wood and Lee Jordan had found, about the portkey, the layout of the residence and what Oliver had overheard. He also told them they had decided to stand-down after the operation, with the Chief Justice’s permission, of course.

“Certainly, Albus. You all need a break. I agree, one hundred percent. I also concur it’ll be very hard to keep a lid on our operations as time passes. And I know that all too well from personal experience. It won’t be long before some busybody someplace gets an earful of something they shouldn’t, and then you’ll have a hell of a time explaining things to everyone’s satisfaction,” Webster said.

“That’s partly what I fear, too. What would you say to this? After tomorrow nights raid, we make a complete accounting to date of what we’ve accomplished. A comprehensive list of every evil lord and associate we have removed, and further, let it be known incriminating evidence had been obtained which unequivocally documented the evil actions of those removed. Give it absolute justification, you see? Then publish it in the Daily Prophet as a joint release by the Hall of Justice and the Ministry of Magic. I believe, that in so doing, more informants will come forward, after seeing they have less to fear and someone is actually doing something to put an end to the evil bastards,” Dumbledore explained.

Webster nodded his head and grinned. “Absolutely! Even if it drives the remaining shits underground, it’d be worth it. And I bet there’ll be plenty who will come forward with very good information, too. Yeah, I agree completely. Great idea!” Webster exclaimed, looking at Hermione who was also fervently nodding her head in agreement.

The old headmaster looked her in the eyes, knowing what the answer would be to his next question but wanting to again see the fire in her eyes. “Hermione? Do you feel up to helping us out tomorrow night? We’re going to be a little shorthanded due to the layout of the Crhystone residence.”

As expected, Hermione’s eyes did light up. She answered his question no sooner than the last word came out of his mouth. “You can count on me! When should I be there?”

Professor Dumbledore couldn’t help but grin. “Early afternoon would be fine. We’ll have a final meeting by three o’clock. We want to be physically onsite before dark.”

“Will that be okay with you, Your Lordship?” Hermione asked.

“It’s your decision, Hermione. I’ve come to realize you must do whatever it is you have to do. I’ll not try to stop you. I truthfully feel guilty making that scene before you confronted Draco Malfoy,” he replied, trying his best to look somewhat ashamed but neither one at the table bought it.

Hermione leaned over and grabbed his arm. “Thank you,” she said, kissing him on the cheek.

Professor Dumbledore smiled at the display of her affection for the large man. “I shall leave you two alone. I must make a quick visit at the Ministry to inform Arthur. I’m certain he’ll agree with our proposal. But before I leave, Your Lordship, I ask your permission to speak with Captain Stran. We could use her help tomorrow also, along with several of her best officers.”

“Whatever you need,” Webster replied.

After making his way back down to the first floor, Professor Dumbledore found Captain Stran in her office. He explained what he required of her and she agreed to arrive at Falcon’s Lair with Hermione and three of her best officers.

The old wizard then hurried off to the Ministry of Magic and related their immediate and long-term plans to Arthur Weasley. He, too, agreed and felt relieved something would finally be put into print concerning the success of their actions.

“Folks are getting quite worried, Albus. Everyday, we’re getting more and more inquires about Voldemort. There’s a great deal of fear not knowing when and where he’ll return. It will be a great relief when we get the word out,” he admitted.


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


By late evening, the old wizard was back at Hogwarts and attended the evening meal in the Great Hall. Severus Snape had approached the headmaster before the beginning of their meal and made mention of the fact he hadn’t seen him as regularly around the school.

“I’ve had much to do, Severus. Our new Lord Chief Justice and newly appointed Minister of Magic have demanded many hours of my time. I’m hoping that will all be over soon. I do miss being more a part of the day-to-day school activities,” Dumbledore said.

The potions professor observed the headmaster closely during his reply. There was much he wasn’t telling him. “Yes, of course. If you should need any assistance, Professor, do not hesitate to call on me,” Snape said and then quickly turned around, his long black robe catching the air and billowing out around him.

Dumbledore turned to find Professor McGonagall at his side. She gave him a knowing smile and a nod before they seated themselves to begin the evening meal.

Late that night, after holding an informal meeting in his office with Flitwick, McGonagall, Hooch and Hagrid, the old wizard retired to his rocking chair. He had explained he would be absent from the next day’s Halloween celebration at the school and had given them a brief overview as to why.

The nights now, being the end of October, had turned quite brisk. The old wizard’s wand flashed into the logs the house-elves had stacked within the huge fireplace, igniting them into a large blaze. Dumbledore slowly rocked in the old chair; his eyes mesmerized by the fire’s random dance, as he went about carefully planning the sequence of events for the very special Halloween celebration of their own, four hundred miles to the south in Wales. In a couple of hours, as the flames slowly ebbed, the old wizard’s head fell forward. He had fallen into deep slumber.


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


Early the next morning, Professor Dumbledore hurried off to Falcon’s Lair and took his breakfast with both the Athena and Coeus members. He timed the early arrival so as to give Harry, Oliver, Ron and Lee their final instructions, before they left on the advanced scouting mission.

The headmaster sat with them at one of the tables for some time, making sure all would be as he expected it to be. “Just as you did before the Cetus raid, I expect constant reports today of any and all activities around the Crhystone property. Has Minister Grime and Sirius given instructions about your weaponry?” he asked.

“Yes, sir. All four of us will be taking the muggle shotguns with us,” replied Wood.

“Fine. That will be best. Of course, you will go into the basement with us. Oliver and Lee, I want both of you to go as far forward as possible and cover any doors you might find going up into the residence. Be very careful not to stand with your back to the doors, as others might be within the house and run down to open the doors. It would not do to have them see you firing with your backs exposed to them. Do you understand what I’m saying?” Dumbledore asked.

“Yes, of course,” Wood replied. All four nodded their heads in agreement.

The old man then looked at his other team members. “Harry and Ron. The two of you will also go far forward into the basement with me. Each of you will take opposite corners in the room. Be very careful to scan the basement for any muggles present. As you said yesterday, Oliver, there may well be some brought to the celebration.”

“Yes, sir.”

“And good luck to us all. If something significant happens during the day you feel requires a change in our strategy, please return quickly so we can make the adjustments needed,” the old professor ordered. He waited for them to acknowledge they completely understood, and sent them off.

“Will Hermione and Captain Stran be coming along, Albus?” Professor Priest asked.

“Yes. They should be here by three this afternoon, Drucila, in time for our final meeting,” he informed her.

As the day unfolded, the advance scouting team began reporting the presence of more and more witches and wizards at the Crhystone house. They had also recognized a number meandering around the outside of the house as evil lords whose pictures were in some of the files Graciela Calderon had been working on.

Dumbledore had Calderon bring the files out to the tables and they were opened and laid out for the young wizards to quickly scan each time they returned with updates. Over several hours, more than a dozen of the pictures had been identified.

At three o’clock, Hermione, Captain Stran and three Hall of Justice Security Officers appeared in the dungeon. Harry had just returned with an update, informing them they believed over forty were then present.

Professor Dumbledore called all Athena and Coeus members to the tables. He walked up to the easel holding the black, muggle marking device in his hand.

“Fred and George Weasley! It is not yet known if there’ll be lookouts or guards. Therefore, after we arrive and you are sent to take up your stations, you will do so at opposite ends of the house, here and here, above the roofline. Do not let any escape through the windows of the house,” he looked at the young men and waited for them to give him an indication they understood.

“Drucila, Hermione and Captain Stran, along with the three officers you’ve brought with you! As none of you have invisibility garments, you’ll be tasked with the following: the very second you hear us begin our action, I want you to rush up and form a perimeter around the house. Again, do not let any escape,” he commanded.

The old wizard again moved to the easel and, as he spoke, made marks on the large drawing of the basement where he expected everyone to be stationed at the beginning of the action.

“Minister Grime and Calderon will take up positions at the rear entrance to the basement, right here,” Dumbledore said, making a mark with the black marking device. “Sirius and Remus! You will be back-to-back, here and here, within the basement. Myself, Harry, Ron, Oliver and Lee will be positioned forward, along this wall and covering these corners,” he further instructed.

“And finally! Seamus and Dean, I want you in or near these other corners of the basement. Are we all clear so far?” Dumbledore asked out strongly.

Heads nodded around the room. “Coeus members! We’ll depend on you much as we did after the Cetus raid. Someone will be sent back through the portkey to fetch you. You’ll then transfer items to be seized as we did before. Now, Bartholomew, what did you decide about the weaponry?”

Minister Grime got to his feet before speaking. “Professor, all in the basement, excluding yourself, will have shotguns, along with Graciela and me just outside the main basement door. Above us, Fred and George will also have shotguns. And of course, we’re all carrying our automatic weapons.”

“And your instructions?” he asked the minister.

“There’ll be no reloading of the shotguns. Only the one person who’s to guard the portkey when it’s found will reload. As the shotguns are emptied, they’ll be dropped, and the automatic weapons will be drawn to finish the task,” he said.

“Very well,” replied Dumbledore, nodding his head in agreement. “Drucila and Hermione! As soon as the perimeter is secured, please rush to the front door and quickly clear the first floor of the residence. If a portkey is present, it might be on that level. And, of course, to all of us: We must work very quickly! Strike hard and strike fast! Our biggest advantage will be surprise. We cannot allow even a second for them to Disapparate or use the portkey.”

Oliver Wood was the next to return. Professor Dumbledore had him stand at the easel to give his report.

“More have arrived in the last hour. We can’t tell if they’re Apparating or using a portkey. However, we have noticed none suddenly Appartating outside of the residence itself. If their festivities are to begin at dark, we don’t have long to prepare,” he said.

Professor Dumbledore nodded appreciatively. “Thank you, Oliver. We’ll begin arriving within the hour,” he told the young wizard, who quickly left.

The headmaster then called out for their attention. “Everyone! Let’s get into our garments. You may wait, if you wish, to put your hoods and gloves on until after we arrive. And, of course, everyone will need their brooms,” he ordered.

Within the hour, all were standing in a depression within a large stand of trees where Oliver Wood had placed the portkey. Oliver and Lee had been waiting for them to arrive.

“Professor, they have all entered the basement. There appears to be no guards or lookouts posted,” he advised.

“Very well. Let’s begin. I’m afraid they’ll soon close the basement door with this cooler weather,” Professor Dumbledore said.

Minutes later the old wizard wished everyone Godspeed and pushed from the ground with his team closely following at delayed intervals. He landed quietly at the rear of the house and laid his broom against the foundation wall. Looking behind him, he saw all had landed and were making for the door.

From within the basement, a large amount of laughter and conversations were rising up to greet them through the large doorway. Professor Dumbledore did not hesitate; he quickly began walking down the steps into the basement. As he looked back, he saw Oliver, Lee, Harry and Ron following closely behind him.

Witches and wizards were gathered in a number of large groups, laughing loudly and drinking beverages from long stemmed flutes. Dumbledore noticed a cage in a corner of the basement, which contained four young muggle girls who were all crying hysterically.

The largest group of witches and wizards were screaming in laughter at a naked, young witch in lustful play with a large dog. Around another group, an older witch was doing much the same with a small pony. The old professor shook his head at the immoral display and cursed under his breath. It was obvious to him what evil amusements were planned for the young muggle girls incarcerated in the cage.

Athena had no problem making their way to their stations. There was so much noise and activity around them, it would have been next to impossible for their presence to be sensed. Professor Dumbledore looked up as he neared the end of the large room and saw two doors leading from the basement up into the residence.

Within a minute, Oliver and Lee had stationed themselves beside the doors. Dumbledore looked to his left and right and clearly saw Harry and Ron standing near their corners. Back down the long room, Sirius and Remus stood back-to-back near the middle. From the old wizards location, he could not see the last members, except Minister Grime and Graciela Calderon who had stepped down into the basement at the large opening.

The old headmaster moved back and forth slowly trying to make an estimate of the number of witches and wizards present. He was sure it was well over fifty when he decided it was time to begin.

Quickly the old wizard removed his wand, and the air within the basement exploded from the force of his incantation. A whole group of wizards and witches standing off to his right were thrown into another group. Around the old wizard, shotguns immediately came into view and blazed away with ear pounding explosions.

Wizards and witches ran to escape the onslaught, colliding into one another, falling to the floor where they were quickly dispatched. Shotguns began dropping to the floor, automatic weapons came out and the their popping cracked through the air and out into the late evening sky.

Hermione, Professor Priest and the four security officers quickly rushed to the residence on their brooms. They just witnessed Fred and George dropping two wizards out of the sky who had attempted an escape through second floor windows. As the security guards took up their positions, Drucila and Hermione blew the front door off its hinges and rushed into the first floor of the dwelling.

The two women then split up and quickly moved through the bottom story of the old house. Within minutes, they had found it to be deserted. Hermione next informed the old witch she was going to take a quick look upstairs and ran off to find the stairway.

Down in the basement, Remus was the first to make out the portkey the evil lords had been using. He reloaded his shotgun and took up a position to cover it. All around their feet, witches and wizards lay dead or dying. Some had attempted to withdraw their wands but failed at the task. Athena members quickly went about the gruesome work of firing two rounds into the heads of all on the floor. Constantly, fresh clips of ammunition were being slammed into the guns and the firing continued unabated.

Hermione crashed into a room on the second floor and found a young, naked muggle girl fastened in stocks. Her head and arms were bound in the device just inches off the floor. She was on her knees, her legs spread and ankles tied to large rings affixed to the floor. A large dog dashed nervously around the room, stopping and growling threateningly at Hermione. She raised her wand and dropped the dog where it stood. Rushing to the girl, she went about breaking her bonds and found her to be unconscious.

She lifted her wand again, levitating the girl and moved her to a bed where she covered her naked body before striking out to see if others were on the second floor. Within a few minutes, she was relieved no one else was present.

Professor Dumbledore removed his hood. He was soon satisfied none remained alive on the floor, which ran red with blood and torn human tissue. “Oliver and Lee!” he screamed out. “Run up into the residence and see if Professor Priest and Hermione need assistance.”

Minister Grime walked toward the old professor trying his best to avoid the gore on the floor. “Albus, should we make a quick count?”

“Yes, by all means,” Dumbledore replied.

The minister began walking through the basement counting aloud. Professor Dumbledore motioned Harry, Ron, Seamus and Dean to him.

“Go about searching for anything of interest. Search carefully along the walls, too. There might be hidden doors or drawers,” he commanded the four.

“Sixty-four!” Grime hollered out. “Sixty-four is my count, Albus! And there isn’t anyway we’ll be able to recognize any of them. We’ll just have to depend on our memories to close some of those files.”

Oliver Wood and Lee Jordan found Professor Priest rummaging through the first-floor of the large house. She ordered them both to help her with the search. Soon a number of items, including ledgers, diaries and loose parchments, were found in the library. Priest stepped outside the residence and called for Captain Stran to bring the portkey.

Hermione came rushing back down the stairway at the same time Captain Stran entered from outside carrying the portkey. She quickly told Professor Priest what she had found upstairs and grabbed the portkey. She motioned Captain Stran to follow her back upstairs where Hermione used the device to take the young girl directly back to the conference room at Hogwarts. Professor McGonagall was waiting there with a number of the Coeus members when she appeared, holding the arm of the unconscious girl.

“Professor! She’s been badly hurt and is unconscious. Please get her medical attention,” she anxiously begged.

“Immediately, Hermione!” McGonagall called out, levitating the girl and rushing her off to Madam Pomfrey.

Hermione looked around at the Coeus members standing large eyed and nervous. “Who’s to go back through?” she asked.

Four Coeus members raised their hands.

“Join hands with me!” Hermione shouted. As the last young witch took her hand, Hermione shouted the required words for the portkey and they were immediately standing within the library at the Crhystone house.

“Good! You’ve brought us some help!” Priest exclaimed. She then pointed to a stack of items sitting on top of a table. “You two! Begin transferring these items to Falcon’s Lair. You, Grace White and Preston Kelley, go below into the basement and begin bringing up any items Professor Dumbledore wants transferred.”

The two Coeus members hurried off to the basement, as their two mates began transferring the items Professor Priest had pointed out. When Grace and Preston walked down into the basement, they almost vomited. The smell of blood and spent gunpowder was overwhelming; the sight of over sixty dead bodies, grotesquely mutilated by the relentless shotgun blasts were beyond any horror either had ever imagined possible.

“Professor?” Grace asked out. “Professor Priest wanted us to begin shuttling things you’ve seized up to the library.”

The old wizard looked around, asking out what had been found.

Harry called out he had found a door, and there were a number of things inside. The old wizard motioned the two Coeus members to follow him, as he made his way to where Harry was.

He had found a small room, which contained a number of cabinets and boxes. They went about looking through them and found a large number of old records and ledgers. The old wizard told Grace and Preston to begin moving the items he pointed out first, while he and Harry went about scrutinizing the rest. None of the artifacts within the room interested Dumbledore. He finally pointed out to Harry what few other items he wanted transferred and left the room.

The old wizard made one slow walk around the perimeter of the room looking for hidden portals but, at length, became satisfied none others existed.

The four young muggle girls locked within the cage had crunched up into a corner, terrified by what they had seen and heard. Professor Dumbledore asked Grace to send Professor Priest down to him, as they made their second trip.

“Albus?” Priest asked, when she stepped down into the basement. “You asked for me?”

“Yes, Drucila. We have four young girls here in a cage. We need to carry them away from the residence and release them near a town. Of course, we need to erase their memories of the events of the day, too,” he said.

“I’ll do that straightaway, Albus. Hermione found an injured girl on the second-floor. She took her off to Hogwarts for medical treatment,” she informed him.

“I’m sorry to hear that. Thankfully, these four don’t look injured. Just a good memory alteration is all they’ll need, I’m sure,” he replied.

“Yes, of course. I’ll go get three of the security officers to help me with the task. When will you want me to start on the cleanup?” she asked.

“I’ll let Harry, Ron, Oliver and Lee take care of it, Drucila.”

“And the repairs, Professor? Can they make the needed repairs?” she asked.

“There’ll be no need to repair anything, Drucila. Once we’ve turned this rabble into dust, I’m going to torch the whole damn thing,” Dumbledore replied, looking around and smiling. “This old wood will burn nicely.”

The old witch and security guards grabbed up the four girls and flew them off to a remote region. Professor Priest quickly altered the girls’ memories. She next put them into a deep sleep, leaving them just miles from the glow of Newtown in the distance.

When Priest returned, she found everyone standing in the library within the residence. George and Fred were the only ones still outside, guarding the dwelling.

“No riches here, Albus!” Grime exclaimed.

“Less to transfer, too,” replied the old headmaster.

“Oliver, would you and Lee go out and release the animals in the kennel and other holding pens, please. When you return, tell George and Fred we’re leaving, too,” Dumbledore instructed.

“Have you seized everything of interest, Albus?” Professor Priest asked.

“There was very little, I’m afraid. But we accomplished exactly what we came here to do. Remus! Destroy the portkey!” he ordered. The old wizard then called out to all awaiting his next instructions. “Everyone else! Begin returning to Falcon’s Lair, after you’ve retrieved your brooms. We’re done here!”

“Are you going to torch it, Albus?” Grime asked.

“With great pleasure. Would you like to give me a hand?” Dumbledore asked the old minister.

“I’d love nothing more,” the large minister said, smiling delightfully at the thought.

Fred and George were the last Athena members to pass through the portal. Professor Dumbledore and Minister Grime walked outside with the portkey. The two men raised their wands and the huge old house burst into flames. They then walked away some distance and watched as it lit up the sky.

“Frightful, it is, to think of the evil, wicked things that have taken place here over the years, old friend,” Grime said, mesmerized by the enormous flames engulfing the structure.

The old headmaster nodded his head and glanced at the minister, who was stood captivated by the scene in front of them. “I wouldn’t care to even ponder how many precious lives have ended tragically here. My one regret is that this wasn’t done many years ago.”

“It’s a good thing we’re doing, Albus. I want you to know I have no regrets. And our young wizards should have no remorse, certainly no pang of conscience over what we’re having to do. We must make sure they always know that.”

The old headmaster nodded his head in agreement. “We should not tarry, Bartholomew. These flames will be seen for a hundred miles.”

Minister Grime reached out and touched the portkey, which Professor Dumbledore held in his hand. He disappeared in a flash of emerald-green light. The old wizard took one more look around before himself disappearing, destroying the portkey behind him.