Harry Potter and the Hall of Justice

Chapter 46 The Master’s Return


The day before the Belgium raid against Fierkin’s evil associates and after his meeting at the Ministry, Gordon Perkins quickly returned to his evil master, Olsto Fierkin. Perkins verified the deceptive and malicious scheme had successfully been put into play. He assured the evil man Dumbledore had naively believed all he was told. “The old headmaster himself will be there, Master. I heard him tell Minister Weasley he would have eighteen wizards with him,” Perkins had related. “But I expect them to bring more.”

After the report was made, Perkins was expelled from the backroom of the little farmhouse where Olsto Fierkin met with his three lieutenants. But like the weasel he had always been, he managed to listen in on the secret meeting. To his horror, he overheard Fierkin order him killed before the raid began the next day. He then heard Maguire beg his master to be the one to slip him the blade.

At first, Perkins thought of returning to the Ministry and pleading his case, lamenting he had been forced to act under extreme duress. He soon realized it was too late for that, much too late. His goose was cooked. Like the rat he was, Gordon Fleming Perkins fled to the backstreets of London, down obscure, filthy back-alleys, as dark as his godforsaken soul. Soon he found refuge in a small one room flat above a notorious pub, where smelly old witches and wizards had met to discuss their malicious endeavors for hundreds of years. After locking himself in the small room, he went nights without sleep, ate almost nothing and began to waste away.

The man shortly became delusional and hallucinated at all hours of the day and night. Paranoia was quickly turning him into a pathetic, jittering wreck. Within a month, he began sensing a presence, which whispered to him lovingly, soothingly. The voice soon became one with his being, a part of every conscious thought.


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


Harry found Professor Dumbledore at his desk, when he returned to Hogwarts late that night. The unexpected visit surprised the old professor and even more so when he noticed Harry’s troubled emotional state.

“You told me to come see you, Professor, if something was wrong. Something is definitely wrong,” Harry began.

Dumbledore opened a drawer to his desk, removed his pipe and tobacco and motioned Harry to follow him to the conference room. Within a minute, they were standing well above Hogwarts at the mouth of a nearly invisible ventilation shaft.

“Tell me what you are sensing, Harry.” The old man inquired, as he moved over to sit atop his favorite boulder.

Harry related the unsettling news concerning the burning and prickling sensation he was now almost constantly feeling from his scar. The old man frowned as he recounted his disturbing visions, which had started interrupting his sleep almost every night. Harry told him he knew it meant but one thing, Voldemort had returned.

The old man shook his head. “I must say I’m not surprised, Harry. It was only a matter of time. The evil man will haunt this world throughout eternity, I’m afraid,” Dumbledore said, preparing his pipe after taking a seat on the large rock slab he frequented. “Please sit. We have much to discuss.”

The two wizards remained quiet for some minutes. The old professor puffed gently on the long stem of his pipe contemplating their dilemma. Before them, all lay in absolute darkness on this moonless night. Starlight illuminated the large lake just enough for one to know it was there. It’s black surface spread before them like the mouth of a bottomless cavern. A gentle breeze lifted the reassuring smell of mother-earth to their noses and caressed their cheeks with its chill.

After some minutes, the old man shifted himself on the slab of rock. “What you are sensing is Voldemort again taking over the mind and body of another being, such as he did with Professor Quirrell. Not nearly enough time has passed for him to have attempted the type of transformation we witnessed in the Carpathian Mountains. But, thankfully, he no longer has someone like Peter Pettigrew to help him along with that complicated process, that we know of.”

Harry saw the truth in that, but it in no way diminished the near panic he felt knowing the evil wizard was attempting to make another appearance.

“We will never be rid of him, will we, Professor?”

The old man took a long draw on his pipe. The bright red embers lit up the deep, worry-filled lines of the old professor’s face. He turned his head to look into the eyes of his protégé. “We must remember the prophecy, Harry. It spoke true. Neither of you can live, as long as the other survives in this world, my young friend. If he is to ever be eradicated from this reality, it must be at your hands - - - your hands alone.”

Harry nodded his head and then focused his eyes back on the dimly lit mountains. He felt the weight of the whole world again on his shoulders. Harry was older now. He had responsibilities, hopes and dreams. There was so much he wanted and needed to do. It made him almost feel frantic. What if he wasn’t able to stop the evil being this time? What if Lord Voldemort was the victor? What would happen to the family and friends he loved? It just seemed too much to contemplate.

The old wizard allowed Harry long moments of uninterrupted thought before he again spoke. He could sense the young man’s troubled mind and his worried emotional state. The signs were all right there, like an open book. The old professor wished, as never before, that he could take this burden off his young friend’s shoulders.

“We must soon make our way to the Chief Justice. It might be possible to locate the evil spirit of the man using the Orb. Of course, that’s likely only if enough of his spiritual essence is present for the instrument to detect. If not, all we’ll be able to do is wait.”

The two went on to discuss the training at Eagle’s Nest. Harry told him of Snape’s frantic training schedule. Professor Dumbledore was not the least bit surprised. Like Harry, the man had experienced firsthand the horror of Voldemort. Added to that was Severus Snape’s impatient, stubborn and unrelenting nature, which made him almost intolerable to be around. The old man nodded his head and smiled. “Yes,” he thought. “Severus was the perfect man for the job.”

“Professor,” Harry began, but hesitated.

“Yes, Harry?”

“I was wondering. Is there anything Austin’s old mentor might be able to tell us about Voldemort? Might he possibly know how we can get rid of him once and for all?”

The old professor jumped with a start. “I wouldn’t know. Perhaps we should ask. Excellent idea, Harry. Let’s make our way to Falcon’s Lair. Maybe we can make it before breakfast,” Dumbledore said, hoping that would be the case.

As they came to their feet, they were able to make out the first, faint glow of the coming day along the distant horizon.


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


Gordon Perkins had not slept or ate anything for several days. He sat hours at a stretch in a chair in his one room flat, then suddenly be on his feet pacing the room. Perkins constantly felt violently ill and a number of times the man had to quickly make his way to his small bathroom to collapse at his toilet. He had vomited so much; he was now having dry heaves. Nothing remained in his dehydrated body to expel.

At his weakest moment, the presence once again came into his being. Stronger now, much more in harmony with his own thoughts, or were they his thoughts. The presence demanded nourishment and strength. He soon began replenishing the fluids his body had lost and ate small bits of bread dipped in soup. He was being compelled to make his physical self stronger.


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


Professor Dumbledore and Harry found Drucila Priest scolding her kitchen staff of house-elves when they appeared at Falcon’s Lair. Besides the security detail, only Priest and her little servants were moving about at that early morning hour.

“Albus! Harry!” the old witch shouted out when they walked into the doorway to the kitchen. “Come over to the table here and enjoy a little of our morning coffee.”

“Up quite early, Drucila?” Dumbledore asked, his old eyebrows peaked, as if it truly surprised him.

“Hell, Albus, you know I hardly ever sleep a wink. If anything, I usually just sit back in my old overstuffed chair up in my room and close my eyes for a bit. I haven’t stretched out on my bed for a week now, maybe two,” she said, cackling in her characteristic high-pitched voice.

“I sympathize fully, old friend. I’m much the same, I am,” the headmaster admitted.

“And you, Harry!” she exclaimed. “You do look troubled, lad!”

Dumbledore turned and looked at his protégé, as he dropped down into a chair at the kitchen table. “I’m afraid Harry has brought us a bit of bad news, Drucila. It seems our old nemesis, Voldemort, is attempting to once again manifest himself amongst the good witches and wizards of our world.”

The frail, old woman instantly straightened herself. Her mouth twisted into a frightful grimace. “Damn! I knew things seemed to be going along just too damn good! Crap!” the old witch exclaimed. “What the hell are we going to do about the asshole this time, Albus? Is there to be no end to the bastard?”

“We’ve no choice but to again seek him out and destroy whatever vessel he is now using to reemerge. We’ve come to have a chat with Austin. Harry has suggested we see what Abraham has to say about the evil man, if anything at all. Is Austin here?”

“Should’ve been down by now. We usually take our coffee together every morning. I’m awfully proud of that boy, Albus. He’s been working damn hard at his studies, always telling me something about our ancient shamans and numinous beings I’d never run across in any of my studies. Some of it’s damn fascinating. I’ve even started doing a little light reading myself,” Priest said, her lips curling up into a big grin.

Harry and Dumbledore looked around when Austin spoke up at the doorway and came to their feet.

“Visitors!” Austin said. “How ya doin’, Harry? Hello, Professor.”

The two men greeted the young wizard and all four sat back down at the kitchen table, after Priest filled mugs with coal-black coffee. Harry was the first to lift a mug to his mouth but jumped when the boiling hot liquid touched his lips.

“Better let that cool down a bit, Harry. It’ll peel the hide right of your tongue,” the old witch said, cackling and laughing again.

As they sat enjoying their coffee, Professor Dumbledore explained their present dilemma to the wizard. Austin agreed Abraham would have knowledge of such evil beings but didn’t know if he would have any suggestion about how to deal with them.

After their coffee, Dumbledore and Harry followed Austin back up to his bedroom. Once the two had seated themselves on the bed, Austin sealed the door and put a strong silencing charm around it, before darkening the room.

“Abraham!” Austin called out into the dark of the room.

Immediately a mist appeared along the wall in front of them. The old mysterious spirit stepped into view, both hands wrapped around a long, wooden staff in front of him, as if he were using the long pole for support. He smiled at the three, nodding his head at Professor Dumbledore and Harry.

“Abraham, you remember Professor Dumbledore and Harry Potter?” Austin asked.

“Yes, good to see you again Professor, Harry,” the old man said in a slow, soft-spoken way, looking at each one in turn.

“Abraham, Harry has been alarmed by what may be the presence of an evil being once again trying to manifest itself into this reality.”

The old numen turned his eyes to Harry. After a few moments focusing on Harry’s eyes he spoke. “Yes. It is so.”

“It is so? You mean the evil man is trying to come back?” Austin asked.

“He has returned to your reality, Harry. He has taken over the body and mind of another, a weak and troubled man. One who deceived. One who has been sought. I sense much hatred, malice, danger,” the old spirit said, looking into Harry’s eyes.

“Is there no way to remove him from this reality forever, Abraham?” Professor Dumbledore spoke up.

The old man shifted his gaze, looking at the old wizard sitting on the bed.

“The evil being is trapped within this reality. His lusting for power, his greed, and his malice has been his undoing. But only Harry has the power to remove the evil spirit from this sphere of existence and shift the evil soul to another better suited to his like.”

The old professor jumped with a start, as he gleaned the unsaid meaning behind the numen’s divination.

“There is another dimension of evil?” Dumbledore exclaimed.

Abraham nodded his head and looked deep into the old headmaster’s eyes. “By the efforts of many such as Harry and Austin, wicked beings are continuously removed from other realities. They are locked away in an existence far removed from our own and away from the paths of other souls.”

Austin’s old spiritual guide and mentor faded back into the mist and disappeared. Professor Dumbledore and Harry sat silent, as Austin removed the silencing charm from the room and unsealed his door. Once the lights came back on in the room, the three men looked at each other.

“What now?” Harry asked, looking first at his old headmaster then up at Austin.

“We find Voldemort,” Dumbledore said, coming to his feet. “We have no choice but to find him as soon as possible, Harry. Hopefully he’s not yet in full control of the one he has entered.”

Within ten minutes, the three wizards topped out on the third-floor landing to the residence at the Hall of Justice. Chief Justice Webster had just started his breakfast.

“Right on time!” he exclaimed when he saw the three walking to him. “Please sit and eat! How about some coffee to get your blood pumping!”

“Yes, thank you, Your Lordship. You have court scheduled today?” Dumbledore asked.

“This afternoon, yes. Harry! You look all tuckered out! Are you feeling well?” Webster asked, appraising the young wizard.

“It’s been a pretty rough month. But, there’s something else you need to know.” Harry then looked at Professor Dumbledore, urging him to inform the Chief Justice of their predicament.

Professor Dumbledore explained everything they knew to the Chief Justice. The man, always a hearty eater, dropped his fork to his plate and pushed it away from him, as soon as he heard Voldemort had returned.

“Damn!” the large man yelled out. “What the hell! Will we never get rid of that damn son-of-a-bitch?”

Austin spoke up and told the Chief Justice of Abraham’s warning and vision.

“What can I do, Albus?” Webster asked.

“I must ask you to use the Orb, Dan. But, as before, the device might not resolve an image of the evil man. Remember, we had to have you find Peter Pettigrew the last time. Voldemort was never seen. His image never came through,” Dumbledore said.

“Let’s get to it then. We shouldn’t wait,” Webster said, quickly coming to his feet.

Within minutes, the men were walking out into the huge library. Webster turned to his right and walked down to the room where he kept the Orb of the Oracle. After entering, the man carefully moved the device over to the desk and took a seat. The Orb shown a bright blue light, as the Chief Justice reached to pull it closer to him.

Raising his two hands to either side of the globe, it expanded and filled with mist. “Find Voldemort,” Webster commanded. The globe quickly expanded again, growing even larger. The mist swirled and a dull ghostly image was seen. The justice concentrated harder but the image would not resolve.

Finally, the man gasped and fell into the back of the chair. Dumbledore shouted out for tea, which quickly appeared on a countertop. The Chief Justice swallowed a large quantity of the liquid before he spoke.

“I tried as hard as I could, Albus. I couldn’t see him clearly but I’m sure it’s him.”

“Yes. Right you are, Dan. For whatever reason, the Orb can’t capture his image. What was it Abraham said, Austin? He had taken over the body of another, a deceptive, weak man? What was that he said?” Dumbledore asked out, looking first to Austin then to Harry.

Austin’s eyes glazed over in thought. “He said he had taken over the body and mind of another, a weak and troubled man. One who deceived. One who has been sought. Who could that be?”

Dumbledore turned and walked to the countertop where he poured another glass of tea for the Chief Justice. He stopped, lowered the glass and stared at the cabinet before him. “One who deceived. One who has been sought,” he whispered. That could mean any number of Death Eaters, their associates or . . .

The old man instantly turned around and looked at Webster. “Gordon Perkins or Cornelius Fudge! It must be one of them!” Dumbledore cried out. “I’m sure of it, Dan. Find Gordon Perkins.”

Webster sat forward in his chair and again raised his two hands. “Find Gordon Perkins,” he said. Again the globe expanded instantly, a mist swirled around inside of it and an image resolved of a weak and sickly Gordon Perkins. He was sitting in a chair within a dark room.

The Chief Justice willed the image to turn around and shift from side to side. Dumbledore, Harry and Austin crowded around behind the large man to scrutinize the misty vision. Nothing was visible to give them any idea where the man might be. Webster then willed the image to pull back. Almost instantly, they were looking out from above the two-story building.

Professor Dumbledore recognized what he saw to be London. He was sure of the area but patiently waited until the Chief Justice was able to look back down to the front of the building. He knew exactly where it was when he saw the old sign above the door. “The Spitting Dragon,” he noticed, whispering the name.

Webster lost the image again. The large man was totally spent and Dumbledore knew it. Again, he poured more of Merlin’s Special Brew for the man.

“You know the place?” Harry asked, looking into the face of his old headmaster.

“Yes, Harry. I was there long years ago. It’s in a seedy part of old London seldom frequented by any good folk. We can find it readily enough and should do so before Perkins has a chance to leave.”

“But how can you be sure it is Voldemort?” Harry asked.

Austin reached out and placed a hand on Harry’s arm. “I sense it, Harry, something very malicious and vile. More than I’ve ever felt before,” he said. “Perkins has, willingly or otherwise, allowed the evil essence to take control of his being.”

Professor Dumbledore nodded his head. “Yes, I too sensed it. It’s much easier for us to recognize the difference in the man, Harry. We met with him on two occasions at the Ministry. Yes, Voldemort now has absolute dominion over the man.

“How are you to do it, Albus?” Webster asked, shifting in his chair. The man’s face was still displaying strain from his efforts with the Orb.

“We’ve no choice but to kill the wicked man. If we capture him alive, he would simply leave Perkins and find another host,” the old wizard said, unconsciously stroking his beard.

“Harry!” Dumbledore exclaimed. “Quickly, Harry, go find Hermione. She must go with us. Take her directly to Falcon’s Lair and dress yourselves for combat. I will meet you there. And Austin - - - stay with the Chief Justice. If Perkins should leave before we get there, we need to have an idea where he went. I’ll send back two of the Athena members familiar with London to act as runners. Find Deborah Stran, too. Have her here with you. She can fetch more from Falcon’s Lair, if we should need them.”


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

Harry quickly made his way to the third-floor residence. Austin, too, realized that would be the first place to seek out Stran.

“Harry!” Hermione shouted out when he ran into the bedroom. “What’s wrong?”

“Professor Dumbledore needs us now! Come on! I’ll explain on the way!” Harry exclaimed.

Deborah Stran walked out of the nursery just as Austin ran into the bedroom. He motioned her to follow him. Stran didn’t know what was up, but Harry’s emotional state had frightened her and hustled her into action.

Within minutes, Harry and Hermione appeared within the library at Falcon’s Lair. As they outfitted themselves for the trip in their invisibility garments, Harry quickly told her what was happening. Hermione’s hands and legs began shaking from the large quantity of adrenaline her body was producing.

Professor Dumbledore appeared and immediately went to find Drucila Priest. He told her what was needed and what they were going to attempt. He insisted Grime, Sirius, Remus and Ron be found and readied for immediate action. Dumbledore then went about outfitting himself with his invisibility garments. In less than a minute, the three located their custom made Nimbus broomsticks and rushed to the portkey in the library at Falcon’s Lair.

From there, the old wizard took them back to the Hall of Justice, where they immediately linked to the anteroom at the Ministry, after putting on their gloves and hoods. Fortunately, no one was within the anteroom when they appeared in a flash of emerald green light. And as the three were invisible, the flash would have given anyone loitering about quite a shock. Stealthily they passed through doorways, walked down corridors within the Ministry and soon were outside in the cool London air.

“Harry,” the old headmaster began, as they mounted the brooms covered with invisibility cloth, “you must be the one to strike out at Voldemort’s spiritual essence when we destroy Perkins. You remember from your first year, as it left Professor Quirrel’s body?”

“Yes, Professor. How can I ever forget.”

“When that happens, you must have your wand out, Harry. Merlin’s Black Ledger held the answer the whole time. I know that now,” the old headmaster said.

“Merlin’s Black Ledger?” Harry said in wonder.

“Yes, my young friend. Reducto Spiritari. If you remember, I told you it was much like the patronus? Merlin described its use in West Saxon, an old tongue of our ancestors. I often wondered about the translation I made of it, as he had used a word meaning ‘spirit’ or ‘soul’ repeatedly in the text. Until now, I had thought the word meant the total being. I was wrong, Harry. It is the very key to ridding ourselves of the evil bastard.”

“Reducto Spiritari?” Harry repeated.

“Exactly, Harry,” the old wizard replied. “You must focus your mind as you do when producing that splendid patronus.”

The old headmaster turned his head toward Hermione who had come up close to listen to their conversation. “You can see me alright, Hermione?” he asked.

“Yes, Professor. Never better,” Hermione replied, which did not surprise Dumbledore in the least. Long ago, as soon as Harry admitted to having the ability to see through the invisibility cloth, he realized Hermione would have the same capability.

“Very well. We must be off,” the old wizard said, pushing from the ground and making for the direction of the Spitting Dragon.

Within the hour, the three located the establishment. As they lowered themselves to within a few feet of the old building, each smelled decay swirling up on air currents from around the entity. The alleyway was strewn with garbage; rats and roaches went busily about their business in the shadows of the building, oblivious to the invisible intruders.

Although it was still mid-morning, few in this part of London were up and about. Many who lived here avoided the daylight, as if it were a deadly poison.

The old professor whispered out for them to follow him, as he made his way slowly around the top floor of the building, peering into the structure through panes of glass that never had a cloth put to them from the very day they were installed. Most of the windows were covered with dark, heavy curtains. Behind one of them, the old wizard knew, would be what they had come here to find and destroy.

Dumbledore stopped and hovered at a window that was at the end of the hallway on the second-floor. He removed his wand and whispered an incantation. The lock on the window quietly slid back, at which point his next incantation fully raised it within its sash.

After the three eased through the window, they silently crept down the hallway. The old wizard moved with confidence. Harry and Hermione realized he knew exactly where Perkins was within the structure. As they neared a door at the end of the hallway, a sudden noise of an explosion and crashing came from behind it. Dumbledore flicked his wand and the door was blown from its hinges. As the three rushed into the room, there before them was a large hole blown in the floor. The old wizard rushed forward and jumped through it, followed quickly by Harry and Hermione.

A number of inebriated and frightened wizards and witches had been knocked to the floor or were seen cowering under tables. The door of the Spitting Dragon slammed shut behind a fleeing patron. Dumbledore was certain it was Voldemort.

The three sprinted to the door and ran out into the filthy street. But the man they pursued was nowhere to be seen. They had lost him.

Dumbledore swung a leg over his broom and quickly took to the air. Harry and Hermione followed suit, each peeling off in a different direction. All too soon, they realized the man was gone, vanishing into thin air.

“Did he Disapparate, Professor?” Hermione yelled out.

“Not in his present condition! It wouldn’t be possible! He couldn’t have gone far!” Dumbledore shouted out to Harry and Hermione

“There,” he pointed, “that building there. It’s an old warehouse. We’ll begin there. It’s the closest structure he could have entered.”

Dumbledore landed on a long loading ramp at the rear of the building. The first thing he noticed was the door’s lock had been blasted away. The three very quietly but quickly entered the warehouse, which had a large number of pallets and boxes scattered haphazardly about on the concrete floor. Sunlight coming through the tall windows cast long shadows across the floor.

The old wizard moved quietly but with purpose across the concrete floor. Harry and Hermione followed close behind. Their eyes were in constant motion. Their hands lifted in front of them, moving their wands at every slightest sound.

Above them appeared to be a second floor of suspended offices, which ran almost one-half the length of the building. The old professor cautiously made his way over to the stairway and noticed cobwebs had been broken, which once had crossed the steps at a number of places. The old wizard pointed a long finger up the stairway. Harry and Hermione nodded their heads.

“Turn and leave, old man! And take your little whelps with you!” came a voice from above. “I’ll spare their lives, for now!”

“You greatly underestimate them, Voldemort!” Dumbledore shouted back. “There again, your grandiose egotism has always been your undoing.” The old wizard began walking up the stairway without hesitation.

Harry waved his hand and caught Hermione’s attention. He motioned her to raise herself on her broom and take the distant corner of the second floor structure. Then, after pointing to himself, he pointed a finger to the other corner and took to the air on his broomstick.

The top half of the second-floor was all behind glass. Harry eased himself along, peering as far back into the office as the faint light would allow.

Professor Dumbledore was just about to boldly step onto the top landing of the long staircase when Harry saw a shadowy movement inside. He quickly raised his wand and screamed out one of Merlin’s most overwhelming incantations, which let loose an enormous amount of devastating energy at the moving target. The glass and inner walls near the top center of the building exploded, leveling several of the inner rooms.

Far forward, Hermione’s wand released another huge blast just as Dumbledore rushed inside the wide entrance. Harry and Hermione flew right through the now empty window casings to cover the old wizard’s flanks. Just as they entered the structure, Dumbledore cut loose with a crackling and popping jolt of energy, which sounded like an exploding electrical transformer, which discharged a blinding yellowish-orange light. More walls exploded with a resounding crash.

Hermione and Harry both maneuvered themselves forward, keeping up with the old headmaster’s pace, walking straightaway toward the back wall of the long building. The three explosions had leveled most of the interior walls. Dust swirled through the air, creating a fog that obscured their vision.

To Harry’s far left, another explosion soon followed. The old headmaster screamed out for Hermione. There came no answer.

“I warned you old man!” Voldemort screamed out. “I’ll kill you next!”

Harry then saw Professor Dumbledore rush into the swirling dust. He knew he was moving toward where Hermione had been at the time of the explosion and not toward Voldemort’s voice, which was ahead of him and to the right.

“The little bitch is dead, old man!” the evil being shouted once again.

In the distance, Harry heard what sounded like a large chain sliding over a metal edge followed by a loud clang. He rushed forward to find a suspended stairway that had been dropped from the ceiling. Above, a door caught in the breeze was slamming into its doorjamb.

Harry screamed out to Professor Dumbledore, “Quickly, back the way we came! He’s on the roof! He mustn’t get away!”

As Harry began negotiating the stairway, he heard what sounded like muggle shotguns firing away up on the roof. He frantically climbed the steps of the stairway as quickly as his legs would allow.

As he approached the doorway, Gordon Perkins was blown back through the open door. Large, ghastly wounds had mutilated his torso. He was dead before the grotesquely torn body slammed into the landing.

Harry grabbed at the railing, steadying himself and extending his right hand, keeping the end of his wand pointed at the mutilated body. Voldemort’s spiritual essence separated itself from the corpse, which Harry saw as a near invisible vapor.

Just as Harry was ready to scream out the incantation, the evil essence whirled around. What appeared as a dusty brown cloud instantly took on the semblance of a face, a face with an evil, malicious and satisfied smile.

“Reducto Spiritari!” Harry shouted out.

From the end of his wand, a funnel-shaped beam of bright, white energy exploded. The great power of the beam held. Harry’s arm began to violently shake; his fingers began tingling and going numb. He squinted his eyes against the blinding brightness of the light.

The evil essence let out a piercingly loud scream. From within the powerful beam, thousands of small, shining stars began forming and exploding. In seconds, Harry’s hand could no longer hold the wand and it dropped to the stairway. All was suddenly deathly quiet.

Just then, Sirius and Ron rushed into the doorway. Sirius instinctively reached out a toe to shake the man, making sure he was actually dead. Ron knew it wasn’t necessary. No one could have survived such an assault.

“Stand easy!” Harry shouted out, walking up the few remaining steps.

“Harry!” Sirius called out. Behind him, Grime and Remus squeezed in a head to look down toward where the voice had come from.

Harry then reached up and pulled off his invisible hood. He heard a noise behind him on the stairway and quickly turned around. Professor Dumbledore was holding onto Hermione, who looked dazed and covered with so much dust he didn’t recognize her.

“Hermione!” Harry screamed, quickly moving back down the stairway.

“She looks worse than she is, Harry,” the old professor said.

Harry moved quickly to her side. The others were heard rushing down the stairway behind him. He lifted his right hand and moved a heavy, matt of filthy hair out of her face. Blood was running from her nose and corner of her mouth in small rivulets, atop a mixture of congealed blood and dirt below.

“Can you hear me, Hermione?” Harry screamed out.

Hermione grunted and nodded her head. What sounded like ‘I’ll be fine’ came out of her mouth slowly, sounding like she was inebriated.

“Take her, Harry!” Dumbledore exclaimed.

Harry reached under her arm and pulled her into him. A large cloud of dust rose from her, as he grasped her tightly.

Professor Dumbledore reached into his robe and pulled out a large silver ring, much like what Harry had used as a portkey to return Austin to the British Columbian School of Magic. He wrapped his arms around the two and whispered ‘Falcon’s Lair’.

In an instance, Harry felt them being tugged away with a great force. Just as fast, he looked around to find themselves within the library at Falcon’s Lair.

Drucila Priest gasped out when she saw Hermione, along with a number of Athena and Coeus members who had been awaiting orders within the library.

Harry and Professor Dumbledore carried the young witch over to the conference table and sat her down in a chair. The old professor backed up and removed his wand.

“Scourgify!” he whispered, moving his wand with a quick snap of the wrist.

The dust, filth and clotted blood caked on the girl was instantly gone. Blood continued flowing in small rivulets out of her nose.

Professor Priest rushed forward and placed the tip of her wand inches from Hermione’s face. She whispered an incantation of her own and the blood flow stopped.

“Tea!” Professor Dumbledore shouted out. A large tea service with glasses of ice appeared on the table. The old professor poured a glass and held it to Hermione’s lips. “Drink!”

Hermione sipped at the caramel-colored liquid but inhaled a quantity into her windpipe. She coughed and spewed the tea into the air. The old professor brought the glass to her lips again, lifting it and pouring as much as he could into her mouth. Soon Hermione was swallowing as quickly as it entered.

In a flash of emerald green light, Grime, Sirius, Ron and Remus appeared within the library.

“How is she?” Ron frantically asked, moving to her side and lifting a hand to her shoulder.

“The evil bastard exploded a wall right into her. She took the blast head-on,” Dumbledore explained.

The old headmaster stood up straight, as Harry brought another glass of tea to her. Dumbledore then backed away.

“Excellent timing!” the old wizard exclaimed. “How did you find us so quickly?”

“Grime knew exactly where the place was, Professor. He brought us straight through the portkey at the Ministry to get us there promptly. As we were closing in on the Spitting Dragon, we heard the explosions coming from inside the warehouse. Just as we topped out above the roof, Perkins, or should I say Voldemort, came busting through the door. Ron and I already had our shotguns out. And from the looks of him, we didn’t miss a single time,” Sirius replied.

“Yeah,” Ron added. “It looked like we each hit him with our slugs first. We had double-aught buckshot in our magazines behind the slugs. It’s amazing he was still in one piece.”

“Grisly sight,” Grime said.

“Why didn’t he attempt to Disapparate, Professor?” asked Harry. “He could have gotten away cleanly.”

“He wasn’t yet able to, Harry. But I don’t believe he wanted to get away. He meant to kill us. Voldemort led us to the warehouse with that very intent. He didn’t expect, nor did I, that others of our Order would so timely appear.”

The old professor then turned to Minister Grime. “Bartholomew, did you get away before the authorities came along?”

“Yeah, but barely. We could do nothing about the damage but we cleaned up the mess Sirius and Ron made. Perkins is now just so much dust the rats will be playing in these next few years.”

Hermione moaned and opened her eyes. “What happened?”

Harry laughed out in relief and was joined by all the others standing about the room. Even as totally out of it as she was, an expression came to her face that both Harry and Ron had seen many times before. They stopped laughing instantly.

“It’s okay, Hermione!” Harry shouted out. “You’re gonna be okay! Voldemort blew a wall in on top of you!”

“Did you get him?” she asked, peering drunkenly into Harry’s eyes.

“Yeah, we did. He’s gone,” Harry said. All around the room there came a communal exhale of relief.

The old headmaster motioned Harry to take a seat. The Athena and Coeus team members crowded around the large conference table and listened intently as Dumbledore and Harry explained what had happened. Wisely, though, Harry made no mention of the incantation he’d used to finish the evil man.

Ron made as if to speak out, as he had seen the beam through the doorway that Harry had used to make the spirit of Voldemort disappear, but Professor Dumbledore clamped down on his wrist. When Ron looked into his face, he noticed the old man slightly shaking his head. The old headmaster then looked up into the face of Sirius and noticed his awareness of what had just transpired.

“Drucila, if you will, please watch over Hermione and see her safely back to the Hall of Justice when her strength returns. We must inform the Ministry and the Hall of Justice of all that has just taken place.”

The old man then came to his feet. “Minister Grime, if you, Sirius, Remus, Harry and Ron will please come with me. We have rounds to make.”

Dumbledore was honor bound to first inform Chief Justice Webster. However, he correctly figured the man had seen what had happened. Regardless, he took the group straightaway to the Hall of Justice where the Chief Justice met them in the large anteroom. The man was waiting in front of the large, white arch of the Ministry of Magic.

“You saw?” asked Professor Dumbledore.

“And heard, Albus,” the man replied.

“Very well then, should we make our way on to the Ministry?”

“By all means,” Webster said, nodding his head and following the men to the large, white arch of the Ministry of Magic.

The group joined hands and in a flash, they were in Minister Weasley’s anteroom at the Ministry of Magic.

Dumbledore and Grime opened the door for the group and walked into Arthur Weasley’s office. Weasley was inside, alone at his desk. The minister looked up, jumped to his feet and quickly made his way around his desk.

“Professor! Lord Chief Justice!” he exclaimed and waved his hand, motioning the group inside the office. “And to what do I owe this great honor?”

“We just had a confrontation with Voldemort, Arthur,” Dumbledore replied.

“My word!” Weasley gasped out. “What on earth?” He quickly moved to open another door leading out of his office. It opened into a large conference room.

The large group of wizards walked into the conference room with him. Professor Dumbledore waited at the door and sealed it after Minister Grime entered. He then backed away and whispered a silencing charm about the room.

“We’ve much to tell, Arthur - - - much which must remain forever within our group here, you see,” the old headmaster explained.

“Yes, certainly, Professor,” the minister said. “What the hell has happened?”

Dumbledore pointed to the chairs at the table and waited until everyone was seated before recounting the story. He then urged Harry to tell everything, leaving nothing out.

The wizards gasped when Harry told them of using one of Merlin’s old incantations to put an end to the man.

“Sirius and I saw it happen,” Ron said, looking at his father. “We had just blown Perkins back through the doorway with the muggle shotguns. Voldemort rose out of the torn body like a brown cloud of dust. It had a face and was looking right down at Harry. We saw it all, I tell ya.”

Sirius then picked up the tale. “All of the sudden there was a blinding, white light that struck the man’s spirit. He screamed out loudly, sounding like he was in great pain, and then there were thousands of little stars of light that flashed like bulbs. Then, it was all over - - - just that quick.”

“What is this, Harry? What did you do?” Arthur Weasley asked.

“It was much like the Patronus Charm,” he replied. “I’d never done it before, but Professor Dumbledore had explained it to me.

Arthur Weasley turned his eyes to the old headmaster. “Professor? Isn’t this unusual?”

“Not at all, Arthur. There are many such charms that have been lost to time itself. We have no idea where Merlin came by such an unusual incantation, but I suspect it goes back to the days of King Alfred and Edward D’Mar himself. I doubt we will ever know. Suffice it to say, however, and owing to much of what Austin’s old numen told us earlier today, it is now safe to say Voldemort has been locked away in another dimension of time and space - - - and hopefully to never, ever haunt us again.”

Weasley let out a loud roar of air. “Amazing! Simply amazing!”

“We must keep what Harry has told us strictly to ourselves,” the old wizard again warned. “Does everyone understand? In time, we will teach the charm to others of our Order who possess the ability to use it. There will be more such evil beings we must dispatch with it I should think.”

Around the table, everyone nodded their heads, but there was a look of incredulous disbelief about the faces.


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

As soon as the meeting was over, Harry rushed back to the Hall of Justice and found Hermione lying on the bed in their bedroom. Deborah Stran was sitting at her side.

“You should go to Hogwarts, Hermione,” Harry begged. “You need to let Madam Pomfrey take a look at you.”

She shook her head. “No, I’ll be fine. What happened? I know you didn’t tell me everything.” Hermione stated that like an accusation.

Harry went on to explain everything to her.

“It worked?” she exclaimed. “The incantation actually worked?”

“Yeah,” Harry replied. “Dumbledore thinks we might have to use it again in the future. We’ll see.”

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

Unlike the last encounter with Voldemort, this one was ordered to remain confidential by the Ministry. Even though a number of them had witnessed a life-altering event, that experience was weighted against the frightful knowledge the evil man had actually returned. Arthur Weasley was the one who asked everyone to keep a lid on it. He reasoned it was best to let everyone believe the man was destroyed for good the first time in the Carpathian Mountains.

Dumbledore didn’t like that outcome at all and was even quite angered over it. He thought it would not only be humbling but uplifting to have told the good witches and wizards of their world to know something was actually done to keep Voldemort from returning.

Although the professor had kept many notes over the years in his journals, this very incident made him commit to a complete disclosure to be made after his death. He began writing a detailed report of their actions. He knew, one day, there must be a full accounting made of all they had done and the reasons for their actions.

Athena and Coeus from Falcon’s Lair, along with their counterparts from Eagle’s Nest and the Eastern Front, went on to remove hundreds of other evil beings from Central Europe.

The old ranch in the mountains of west Texas became the base of operations for the Western Hemisphere. In time, over forty young wizards and witches were assigned there. Oliver Wood was placed in charge of the large contingent. He so loved the country, he moved there permanently.

Austin, too, returned to take up residence in the old cabin back in the mountains. After Deborah Stran gave birth to their young son, he asked her to be his wife. It was the happiest day of her life.

Every night, before Austin went to bed, he would return by portkey to Falcon’s Lair to take coffee with Drucila who would be up preparing breakfast. The old witch lived on many more years and enjoyed Austin’s company every morning until the day she passed on into the next adventure.

Albus Dumbledore hadn’t really been surprised when Hermione didn’t conceive Austin’s child. From her reactions, when he later asked her about it, he knew she had taken steps to prevent the pregnancy. He nodded his head and had a big grin over that possibility, when it struck him. It was probably best, he thought. He had gone to far and would one day beg her forgiveness for ever proposing such a ghastly scheme.

Ron Weasley married Grace White and, over the years, had six children. Grace and Ron continue to work for the Department of Special Investigations to this very day. Grace and Graciela Calderon maintain their positions as caretakers over the dungeon and its vast wealth.

Ginny Weasley graduated from Hogwarts and went straightaway to Switzerland. Severus Snape was waiting for her, as he had promised. They now live and love together in a large castle in the Swiss Alps known as Eagle’s Nest.

Sirius and Grace Calderon remain in their union. They had one son and continue to live at Falcon’s Lair. And Remus Lupin continues to be in charge of the Coeus team there.

Fred and George Weasley, after some debate, decided to go back to the “family business”. Their novelty items are peddled far and wide and have made both of them very wealthy men.

Arthur Weasley continued as the Minister of Magic for many years. Late in life, he decided to retire and leave the busy affairs of the Ministry to younger witches and wizards. He and Molly have numerous grandchildren and continue to live at the Burrow.

After many years as Lord Chief Justice, Daniel Webster continues to serve the magical world. As the old wizard once told him, he would age slowly and indeed, he was told the truth.

Webster never was capable of having children of his own. That, of course, never stopped him from trying. His escapades and dalliances at the Hall of Justice are what legends are made of.

Robert Edison Lee, upon his retirement from the CIA, took over the vacant position of his friend, Harold Gleason, at Falcon’s Lair. He continues there to this day. Harold had many joy filled years instructing the young witches and wizards of the magical world he had for so long sought to find. Harold passed on into the next adventure having realized his life’s dream.

Cornelius Fudge was never found. Rumors abound throughout the magical world that tell of the man being found and tortured to death by Death Eaters, as many thought he double-crossed Lucius Malfoy. Few good witches or wizards ever lost much sleep over the man.

And finally, there is the matter of Harry Potter and Hermione Granger. They were married before the Honorable Lord Chief Justice Daniel Webster within the Hall of Justice. They were blessed with three other children. All were born within the Hall of Justice where they continued to live until the last child, at eleven years of age started Hogwarts.

Hermione then resigned from her position of Executive Assistant, and Harry resigned from his position with the Department of Special Investigations. Chief Justice Webster provided them with a very handsome annuity with privileges. As a wedding gift, Webster had built a handsome cottage on land purchased near Hogwarts. He said it was the very least he could do for his two dearest friends.

Hermione and Harry are both called upon, from time to time, to teach at Hogwarts and both serve as administrators over the school. Hermione’s specialty is teaching the History of Magic, of course.

If one should ever find oneself in Hogsmeade and should have an occasion for a little evening walk, you might keep a look out for two old friends and lovers walking slowly, arm in arm, up the lane. If you do, you might wish to pause and consider what debt of gratitude humanity owes them.