Harry Potter and the Occidental Ranger

Chapter Five Malfoy’s Manor


As the odd procession of witches and wizards made their way down to the Great Hall for the evening meal, Professors’ Dumbledore and McGonagall pointed out things of interest to their visitor along the way.

“What a grand ol’ school this is,” Austin said. “I attended British Columbia, but we were all made well aware of Hogwarts.”

“British Columbia?” Hermione asked.

“Yeah, it’s in Canada. It’s only about forty years old.”

“Wow!” Ron exclaimed. “My mom and dad are older than that!”
Professor Dumbledore and McGonagall laughed out, shaking their heads and sharing grins.

“Professor Dumbledore’s brother is the only headmaster the school has ever had, too,” Austin added.

“Your brother?” asked Harry, looking up at Dumbledore. “That’s who this Martin is?”

“Yes, my youngest brother” replied Dumbledore, nodding his head. “He was the smart one in the family, though a bit of a black sheep.”

“Smart one in the family? Man! Imagine that!” Ron exclaimed.

“Where’s your wand, Austin?” Hermione asked, after she moved quickly up alongside the young man.

“Don’t have one.”

“You don’t have a wand?” Harry almost shouted out.

“No, Harry. Never needed one. The wand is a magical device through which you focus your mind’s power, as you well know. It can be said its only purpose is for the focused amplification of the dynamic, magical processes of the mind. I’d imagine you’ve many times accomplished magical feats without a wand in your hand.”

Harry stared down the corridor, giving some thought to that. Scenes of childhood flashed through his mind like an unorganized slide show. “Yeah. That’s one of the reasons my aunt always called me a freak. Back when I was a kid, I often made things happen when I was excited, mad or afraid,” Harry confessed.

“There you have it!” Austin exclaimed, patting Harry about his shoulder.

“You see, Harry,” Professor Dumbledore began, speaking loud enough for all to hear, “the educational model they are using in a number of American schools greatly benefits a number of young, gifted individuals and helps them realize their potential at a very early age. My brother, Martin, begins advanced training at British Columbia when such a child in only three or four years old. These select few, like Austin here, are much more advanced in their abilities at eleven years old, the age at which Hogwarts first begins basic training, than our students are when they graduate at eighteen. It is truly remarkable.”

“You’ve gone to school since you were three years old!” Hermione almost shouted out.

“As a matter of fact, Hermione, that’s the exact age when my magical education began,” Austin replied. “And I must say, not in any way wishing to embarrass you, but it was plainly obvious to me the first time I saw you that you should have also received such training. Your mind is highly structured and organized. I wouldn’t hesitate for a second to say it’s probably like a sponge. Not only do you soak up facts like a sponge soaks up water, but I’d venture to say you also have the rare ability of almost instant recall.”

Hermione smiled largely at those walking around her, proud and unashamed that someone had finally and openly declared what she knew all along.

“Please, Austin! Don’t say anymore! Her heads already ‘bout to explode!” Ron loudly cried out.

“Shut your trap, Ronald Weasley! It’s nice to be finally appreciated!” Hermione exclaimed before giggling in a bashful, playful way.

“Seriously, Hermione. I’d like nothing more than to work with you, to help you realize your full potential,” Austin said, looking down at the blushing girl. “It would be an honor to be your mentor.”

“Really? You really mean it?”

“Yes, I do,” replied Austin.

As they entered the Great Hall, the level of noise promptly fell to zero. Austin followed Professors’ Dumbledore and McGonagall to the head table, where he was seated next to the old headmaster. Professor Snape had a bewildered look on his face, as did the other instructors. All down the long tables students stared at the young wizard in the indigo robe. The whispers became louder and louder until the normal level of racket within the hall was soon again attained.

After a few moments of whispered conversation with Austin, Professor Dumbledore came to his feet and held up his two hands for quiet. All heads turned his way.

“Another school year, gone!” he began. “On behalf of the entire staff, I’m proud to say you’ve all once again brilliantly performed in a most exemplary manner. Much has happened around us, today. Some students, you will soon find, have left us, never again to return.”

At that, the level of noise within the hall peaked. Students were looking around, soon noticing Malfoy, Crabbe and Goyle were gone. All had already noted Harry, Hermione and Ron’s disheveled appearance. Added to that, of course, was the presence of the strange visitor, which altogether made for a great deal of excitement.

Dumbledore once again had to raise his hands for quiet. “Before we begin our feast, it is only fitting I give you a bit of news to aid your digestion this evening. First, I would like to introduce Austin Preston,” the old professor turned to his left, sweeping his arm, motioning towards the young wizard. “Austin has been sent to our aid from across the pond. He has been given full authority to destroy the evil menace of Lord Voldemort and his followers, which has for some time had us all in grave peril. The first punitive strikes have already been taken. Some of the evil beings will soon forfeit their very lives. Others, such as Umbridge, Malfoy, Crabbe and Goyle, have been incarcerated in Azkaban awaiting trial for their grievous associations and malicious deeds.”

Again the Great Hall became overwhelmingly loud from shouted remarks and loud, excited conversations. The old wizard allowed it to continue for some time before he again raised his hands for silence.

“Yes, yes!” he shouted out. “I fully agree! It is both tragic and long overdue. Many in this room have lost family members and family friends to the wicked Dark Lords. For some years, the very thought, indeed, the very mention of the evil lord’s name, has instantly produced a feeling of dread and horror amongst the good witches and wizards of our world. In time, this wickedness, this evil, will be utterly destroyed. Austin Preston and Harry Potter are to lead the way. I have the utmost confidence in their abilities and faith they will win out to absolute victory.”

The Great Hall burst into raucous applause. Many who had been seated close to Harry ran over and patted him rigorously about the shoulders, offering their support and blessing. The old headmaster, Hagrid, Professors’ McGonagall, Flitwick, Sprout and others all came to their feet and joined in the applause. After some minutes, everyone began returning to their seats. Professor Dumbledore lifted his hands above his head, clapped them together and a bountiful feast instantly appeared down the long tables.

After the end-of-term feast, the students hurried off to complete their packing for the trip home the next day. Dumbledore asked Harry, Hermione and Ron to remain, along with the complete Hogwarts staff. All were soon seated around the headmaster’s table, as chairs were produced to allow everyone a seat.

“Busy day, Harry?” Hagrid asked, as he sat down next to his longtime friend.

“Very!” Harry said with a big smile.

“I’d noticed that ugly frump of a woman disappeared. Didn’t know what happened. Then I didn’t see you three and began to worry, see,” the big man admitted.

“If it wasn’t for Austin, I’m afraid we’d be all stretched out on a rack down in the dungeon by now,” Harry replied.

“Ya don’t say!” Hagrid exclaimed, his eyes as big as saucers.

Professor Dumbledore raised his cup of pumpkin juice into the air, catching everyone’s attention. “I’d like to toast our guest, wishing him Godspeed and good hunting.”

“Here, here!” came from all around.

“Thank you, Professor,” Austin said. “And if I may, a toast to this grand old school, it’s administrators, teachers and students.”

Another resounding “Here, here” followed.

“Now, if someone would please come clean on what our infamous Weasley twins were up to earlier today?” Dumbledore asked.

Flitwick cleared his throat. “It was a very nasty thing to witness, Professor. I was some distance away, thankfully, when the fizgig exploded, but Umbridge was almost right over it. The next thing I see is her flying around in circles, her bloomers down around her ankles with a pretty heavy load inside them and she was just spraying away. Made one hell of a disgusting mess, too. We had to cordon off the whole area. Most disgusting.”

Everyone was in stitches, after watching the little wizard flailing his arms around and due to him making many hilarious facial expressions during his tale.

“Why was Umbridge moved to Azkaban, Austin?” Hermione asked.

A sudden quiet fell over the table, as this was the first mention of the High Inquisitor actually being in Azkaban.

“She was an underling of Lucius Malfoy. I hate to mention this at this table and in front of mixed company, but it’s better if everyone knows the unbridled truth. Umbridge was supposed to have taken Miss Granger into custody this afternoon, after Minister Fudge reinstated the corporal punishment edicts of 1624.”

“What!” was shouted around the table, coming from the professors who’d heard this bit of information for the first time.

“Please, take your seats,” Dumbledore said in a calming way. “Fudge indeed was just about to reinstate the edicts when Austin came to our aid. He didn’t get around to it.”

“Yes, he soon became a bit sidetracked,” Austin added. “Anyway, Tom Riddle isn’t interested in Miss Granger but Lucius Malfoy is. Sorry for you to find out like this, Hermione, but he’d just refurbished his torture rack, hoping to have you stretched and quartered by this time. Something about you being a mudblood and a thorn in his son’s side.”

Hermione was livid. So much so, in fact, her eyes were tearing in anger. Harry and Ron both put their arms around the young witch and shook her in an attempt to bring her out of her inner rage.

“Why doesn’t that surprise me,” Hermione flatly voiced in a sarcastic way.

“What a bastard!” Ron exclaimed.

“You’ll soon be dealing with him, Austin?” Harry asked with tears in his own eyes.

“Yes, of course,” he said. “I’ll be looking in on him this very evening, in fact. With any luck, I’ll also meet some of his friends.”

“Let me go with you!” Hermione said. “Please, Austin.”

“If you’d like, Hermione. But only if Professor Dumbledore doesn’t mind,” he added, looking at the old headmaster.

Professor Dumbledore smiled with a very devious expression of his own. “At any other time, Hermione, I would absolutely forbid it. But this may well be the last time you ever have a chance to see the evil man alive. I can think of nothing better than for you to be standing over him in absolute triumph, as he takes his final breath.”

Hermione nodded her head in thanks and smiled grandly. Oddly, Severus Snape smiled or sneered along with her. Austin noticed this at once. He was aware of the man’s checkered past, as he had listened in on enough conversations, mostly those of Dumbledore and McGonagall, to be made fully aware of it. However malicious the man looked, the young ranger knew he was no longer in Tom Riddle’s camp. Nor were any others now seated at the headmaster’s table.

Austin came to his feet, prompting others to begin rising. “No, please, remain where you are. I must leave for a short time. I’ll soon return.”

Dumbledore nodded his head and the young man disappeared in a blinding flash of blue-white light. Professors jumped in their seats all around the table.

“Relax!” the old wizard exclaimed. “The spells, charms and hexes in and around Hogwarts have no affect on Austin.” The old wizard, assisted by Harry, Hermione, Ron and Professor McGonagall, then went on to tell everyone seated at the large table what had transpired and what they knew of the young ranger. Several admitted of having heard tales of rangers but never knew of them being anything more than just that, a tale. Dumbledore told them everything he knew, most of what he knew coming from his younger brother Martin.

As Dumbledore was wrapping us his own tale, a large barn owl came flying down the length of the Great Hall, landing as light as a sparrow on the table before the old wizard. The headmaster reached down to remove the parchment tied to the owl’s leg while he kept on with his informative speech. After pulling the parchment away, he lifted a large slice of hp top to the bird’s heavy beak, thanked it for its service and tapped him gently on the wing, at which point the owl took to wing as effortlessly as it had landed.

“We left the Ministry in total shock,” Dumbledore finally said. “They are even now calling for a vote of confidence on whether or not Cornelius Fudge should be allowed to remain in place or be canned.” The old wizard unrolled the parchment as he was talking. “Well, well,” he declared, reading silently to himself for a few seconds. “It appears Fudge is to be sent packing, after all. The vote was unanimous. A call has gone out for an election, scheduled for Tuesday next. The Wizengamot has selected Minister Bones to be the interim Minister of Magic. Fine choice.”

“We should celebrate!” McGonagall uncharacteristically shouted out. All around her, everyone broke out in large smiles, after shouting their approval.

After about an hour of conversation, about Austin Preston, Rangers, the Ministry of Magic, the Dark Lords and such, Severus Snape pointedly asked Dumbledore a question which brought silence to the Great Hall, once again.

“Why should you trust this Austin, Headmaster? Can you be so sure he’s not out this very moment making a pact with Voldemort?”

Dumbledore stared at Snape for an uncomfortable amount of time before answering. “I have utmost faith and confidence in the young ranger, Severus. His emotional essence, indeed his very soul, is as open to me as a book. I assure you all, Austin is more compassionate and caring than anyone at this table. At his level of ability, he has nothing to prove, no ax to grind or even the need for subversive, seditious thoughts or actions. As proof, I can only say this, if he wanted to take over the Ministry of Magic or become a despot, in no way would we be able to stop him. Such is his power. Therefors hes he has not taken such actions, I believe him to be as he presents himself, a good, kind and gentle young man. And one deserving of any and all assistance we can give him.”

Heads nodded all around and those seated at the table went on to prognosticate what might take place at the Ministry of Magic over the next few days.

Several minutes later, Austin appeared in a flash of bright, blue light. “Malfoy is presently waiting for a number of guests to arrive. I take it he is quite disturbed about the happenings at the Ministry. He’s also just found out his son is being confined at Azkaban and he is livid. Would any like to join me on my return?”

Harry, Ron, Hermione, Professors McGonagall, Flitwick, Snape and Hagrid all jumped to their feet. Professor Dumbledore smiled largely and laughed until tears came to his eyes. He came to his feet and walked over to the crowd already gathering around the ranger.

“You will be able to converse and see each other normally without being heard or seen. At some point, however, after I sense all the evil man’s guests have arrived, I will withdraw myself from the spell to confront them. You will all remain unseen until it is safe for me to lift the spell,” Austin instructed.

Even as a number of them were nodding their heads in understanding, they were engulfed in a blaze of bluish-white light. In an instant, they all appeared within Malfoy’s large dungeon.

“That bitch is always late!” Lucius Malfoy shouted out.

“Settle down, Lucius. You know her. She’ll want to make her face and do her hair,” a wizard said, reclining back on a bench with his back against a large, heavy table.

“Hell, we should all hope she takes a bath. As far as I know, she hasn’t had one since before our little side trip to Azkaban. She’s getting a bit cheesy,” said another.

Behind the invisible spell, Austin spoke to Dumbledore without turning to face the man. “Do you recognize them, Professor?”

“Yes, that’s Dolohov sitting on the bench. Rockwood and Nott are the two standing next to Malfoy. Crabbe and Goyle are behind Malfoy. Undoubtedly, they are waiting for Bellatrix to arrive.”

“This is wicked,” Ron said.

“Quiet, Ronald!” hissed out McGonagall. “Listen to what they’re saying!”

“What about that asshole with Dumbledore? The one that showed up at the Ministry? They say he killed Mcnair,” Nott asked Malfoy.

“Probably just that fuckin’ Potter,” Crabbe declared.

“No!” Nott shouted. “I heard Potter was there with the Granger girl! It wasn’t him, I tell ya! It’s some other asshole!”

“Settle down!” Malfoy shouted out, moving toward the large table to take a seat. “The only thing that matters now is breaking into Azkaban! That’s where that fuckin’ Dumbledore sent my son! I’ll soon kill that old bastard myself, I will. The Master shouldn’t have let him live this long!”

“What about Dolores?” Goyle asked, as he followed Lucius Malfoy over to the table.

“Who gives a fuck about her! She fucked up! Plain and simple. Otherwise I’d have that mudblood Granger stretched and flogged by now,” Malfoy angrily replied.

Bellatrix Lastrange hurriedly entered the dungeon. Her hair was sticking up at odd angles and looked a complete mess.

“Where the hell have you been?” Malforeamreamed, quickly coming to his feet.

“Been getting a bit of news, Lucius. Sit down. You’ll want to hear this,” she excitedly said. She swiftly moved to the table and breathless sat down. “The Ministry has just passed a vote of no-confidence in Cornelius. He’s out on his ass.”

“Fuck!” Malfoy shouted. “We needed that ignorant son-of-a-bitch where he was until our Master took his place!”

“Thing’ve changed, Lucius,” Bellatrix said. “Bones has been put in as the interim Minister.”

“Damn! Another of Dumbledore’s allies. The Master will shit when he hears that,” Nott said.

“Where is he?” Bellatrix asked.

Malfoy shifted himself at table. “We won’t be seeing him. He went into a frenzy when he heard Potter wouldn’t be making his way to the Department of Mysteries. He left about an hour ago. He’ll rethink our plans.”

“What the hell are we to do till then, Lucius?” Dolohov asked.

“Perhaps I can offer a suggestion,” said Austin Preston, as he instantly stood at the head of the table.

Malfoy, Bellatrix, Dolohov and the others all jumped to their feet and made for their wands. Immediately obvious, however, was the fact their wands were not where they were supposed to be. They patted their robes frantically in an effort to locate them.

Bellatrix stepped away and obviously attempted to Disapparate. As much as she concentrated, she could do little more than fade way and quickly reappear. Others began attempting the same.

Malfoy pointed at Austin and looked at Crabbe and Goyle. The two large men rushed Austin but flipped into the air and came painfully down on their backsides. Malfoy then ran toward the door of the dungeon but couldn’t open it. He began pounding into it, trying to break it down.

“Settle down, Malfoy,” Austin calmly said. “Come over and join your nasty little friends at the table. You’ve got guests, after all.”

That very second, Austin lifted the invisibility and muting spell cast over Dumbledore and the others. Upon seeing them, Malfoy again tried to run frantically for the dungeon’s door. Harry, Ron, Hermione and the others couldn’t help but laugh loudly at the man’s frightened behavior. Nott, Crabbe, Goyle and the other Death Eaters all looked to be stuck to the surfaces they were seated on. Carbbe and Goyle, of course, were still sitting on the floor.

At last, Malfoy turned around. His face and eyes were ablaze with anger. “You bastards!”

“Manners, manners, Malfoy,” Dumbledore said. “There are youngsters present.” The old wizard’s eyes twinkled with joy.

“Wait until my Master arrives, you old bastard! He’ll turn you all into a heap of cow shit!” Malfoy angrily shouted.

Austin laughed out at that. “Tom Riddle is no more than a spoiled child, Lucius Malfoy. If anything, I should like to give him a good paddling before Harry punches his ticket for a one-way trip to hell.”

Malfoy looked at the young ranger horrified. For the briefest instant, the thought crossed his mind what the young wizard said was the actual truth. He shook his head, as if wanting to shake the thought from his mind.

“You have no power over the Master!” Malfoy yelled.

“About as much as you have over a bug, Malfoy,” Austin quietly replied. “Tom Riddle has just enough magical ability to get himself into trouble. His evil and childish ambitions have condemned him, along with you.”

“You lie! You and those mudbloods behind you will soon feel his wrath!”

“There were two options, Malfoy, which were contemplated before we decided to take punitive action against you and Riddle’s other associates. The first option was to completely strip away your magical powers, all sll soon be done to your son. However, after considering the pain, suffering and needless death you have all caused, it was decided to reduce you to dust,” Austin walked to the table and removed the wands he’d collected from the Dark Lords out from under his robe. He placed them on the table where they instantly turned red-hot and burst into flames.

“Your lives, fortunes and honor are now forfeit,” Austin calmly said. “Hermione, would you like to say anything to Malfoy before his sentence is carried out?”

Hermione walked forward. “I pity you and your kind,” she said. “The world will be a better place without you in it.” She then turned and walked back to stand next to Ron and Harry.

“You worthless, mudblood bit…,” he began to say, but his body instantly turned into orange flame and just as quickly fell to dust where he sat. Austin then turned to the others. One by one, as the other evil beings looked on in horror, they followed Malfoy into oblivion.

When Austin turned around, he noticed the look of shock on everyone’s face, excluding Professor Dumbledore, Harry, Hermione and McGonagall who had witnessed the same at the Wizengamot.

“We’ve concluded our business here,” Austin said and n inn instant they were all back within the Great Hall at Hogwarts.