The Gulag

Chapter 6 The Gulag

The Daily Prophet


Today, Minister of Magic Albus Dumbledore responded to the Manifesto of the self-styled New Dark Lord, Harry Potter.

“We are saddened that someone who had spent his life fighting against a Dark Lord has decided to become one himself,” Dumbledore stated. “We wish no harm to Mr. Potter, but this administration cannot stand by and watch all that we have accomplished in the last few years be destroyed by an uninformed, delusional young man. I love Harry as if he were my own and if he changes his mind and forgets this childishness, all will be forgiven. I personally promise that there will be no changes brought up against him. Harry, I await you with open arms.”

There are rumors that there is an underground army quickly forming. Many members of the defunct Order of the Phoenix are being brought into the Auror offices for questioning. The head of the Auror division, Kingsley Shacklebolt, a former Order member, is leading the investigation. When asked how it felt about questioning his former-comrades-in-arms, Shacklebolt had no comment.

When we asked the Minister of Magic why he would let an ex-member of the Order of the Phoenix lead the investigations, Albus Dumbledore gave the same reply as did Mr. Shacklebolt, ‘no comment’.

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Dolores Umbridge angrily growled when she finished reading the news article. The Minister of Magic sat passively eating his morning breakfast as he tried to read his own newspaper.

“Dolores, do remember that I am an adult and am quite capable of reading the paper myself,” he said between mouthfuls.

“You’re an aggravating old fool. How can you sit there and do nothing when our world is falling apart? And why would you have Shacklebolt lead the investigation? He would be the first one I would suspect as a traitor,” she said as she forcefully stabbed her egg.

“I believe in the adage of keeping ones enemies close. I have no doubt that you are correct about Kingsley and I will use him as I have so many others. I will be supplying him with fallacious information that he will no doubt be passing on to the new Dark Lord,” Albus laughed at the idiotic notion of Harry Potter, the Chosen one, becoming the next Dark Lord.

Albus took another bite of his breakfast before he continued, “And just because I’m not hysterical,” he looked accusingly over the rim of his glasses at Dolores, “doesn’t mean I’m not doing anything. My personal body guards, the Elite, have gone to round up a dozen Slytherins from the Gulag. I will give Harry a day to surrender or one by one the Slytherins will be executed in the streets of Diagon Alley—Severus being the first.”

“And if that doesn’t work?” Dolores questioned.

Albus shrugged, “I will continue executing the Slytherins until they are all gone. This administration will save a fortune by not having to feed and guard the prisoners.”

Umbridge raised her glass of orange juice in salute, “Tell me, how did you, spend so many years getting away with being the benevolent Headmaster of Hogwarts when you truly are immoral?”

“The secret is in the eyes,” he answered.

She waited for him to continue.

“You must keep the twinkle in the eyes,” his arthritic finger tapped his temple twice.

“People can’t get pass the twinkle to see the malevolence behind them,” Dolores cringed when Albus grinned evilly.

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Harry was annoyed. No, he was more than annoyed—he was pissed. He was angry at Severus for rejecting the love that the two could have shared, pissed that his ex-Professor was still treating him as a child, and disgusted at the Wizarding World for letting themselves get into such a condition.

After treating a few of the children, he left the Gulag and flooed back to Ron and Hermione’s home. Unable to calm down, he decided to walk off his anger and think about everything that happened. The sun was setting before Harry decided that he had calmed enough to be decent company. As he approached his friends’ cottage, he saw Ron nervously pacing back and forth on his front porch. Once Ron saw Harry walking up the path to his home, he took the steps two at a time and sprinted to meet him.

“They’ve got Severus!” he blurted out.

“What? Who has Severus?” Harry felt his knees weaken.

“Around five today Albus’s Elite force took Severus and eleven more. They plan on killing one at a time until you give yourself up, Severus being the first to die,” Ron explained.

“Albus? His Elite force?” Harry felt his world swirling out of control.

“Harry you did know that Albus is the Minister of Magic and the Elite force are his personal body guards?” Ron asked, dismayed that Harry hadn’t known.

The Chosen One melted to the ground, placing his head between his knees. His world had faded to black and unconsciousness was about to take over. Hermione, who came running from the house, placed a paper bag over his nose and mouth.

“Come on Harry, take slow, deep breaths,” she instructed.

Harry’s mind whirled. Dumbledore, the Minister of Magic. His mentor and grandfather figure was the cause of all the hardship that the Wizarding World was suffering. How could he ever trust his instincts again if he no longer could trust Dumbledore?

“When did the Headmaster take over?” Harry cleared his throat before he spoke.

“Right after you left,” Ron helped Harry up from the ground and gave him some support as they walked back to the cottage.

Harry started to laugh hysterically. Tears flowed from his eyes as he tried to catch his breath. Hermione and Ron gave each other looks both thinking that Harry had lost his mind.

“Are you alright Harry?” Hermione asked as she patted him gently on the back.

“You don’t see the joke?” Harry wiped the tears from his eyes before he continued. “It was Albus that talked me into studying abroad. He even made the arraignments for me to go to Tibet to study.”

“Son-of-a-bitch,” Ron muttered. “He had this all planned.”

“It sure does look like it,” Harry slowly pulled himself together. “Now where are they keeping Severus and the others?” he questioned Ron.


The trio had worked their way into the house and had settled around the dinning room table. Hermione tried to keep track of the conversation but was continually interrupted by her four boys.

“As far as I know they’re holding them in the basement of the Ministry,” Ron answered. “They will be executed in the middle of Diagon Alley as examples of their power and control. You must have hit some nerves for the administration to go to such extremes to try to get to you.”

“Dumbledore is running scared. He knows better than anyone how powerful I truly am. As long as I’m not under his control his regime is in danger,” Harry informed his friends.

“What do you think he would do to you if you surrender…surely not kill you?” Hermione asked as she once again sat at the dining room table.

“No, he wouldn’t dare kill the ‘Chosen One’ but he would make me swear a wizard oath to him. I think I would prefer death.”

“So what’s your plan?” Ron asked between mouthfuls of his dinner.

“It’s time I show how powerful I really am to the Wizarding World, but first I have to be sure that everyone I care for is safely out of the old man’s reach. That includes the two of you and your children. Start packing, you’re going on an extended vacation. Just the necessities anything else you may need I will supply for you at a later date,” Harry ordered.

“Is that really necessary? This is my home and I really don’t want to leave,” Hermione begged.

Harry took her hands into his and reassured her, “I give you my solemn oath that you will once again live here with your family but if I am to defeat Dumbledore I can’t let him use the people I love against me,” Harry explained.

“But I want to be of use to you, not hidden away,” Ron explained.

“Getting you to safety doesn’t mean that I won’t be needing your help. It was the three of us before and will be the three of us again. Now hurry. I’ll be back by midnight to portkey us out of here.”

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True to his word, Harry was back by the time the clock struck midnight. He held in his hand a St. Christopher medallion.

“This,” he explained, “is our portkey. We must hurry for I have an awful lot to do by morning.”

“So you won’t be staying with us?” asked Ron.

“No but you won’t be alone. I hope you will all be pleasantly surprised by who is waiting there for us,” smiled Harry.

With little Harry in Hermione’s arms and the rest of her brood solidly holding onto Ron, they touched the portkey. They felt the familiar tug and disappeared only to reappear in the lushest garden Hermione had ever seen. Brand new toys were dotting the landscape, and even though the older boys were awakened from a sound sleep, they squealed in delight as they managed to break away from their father to go play with their new toys.

“Children!” Hermione screamed.

“Don’t worry. The garden is protected and I have a dozen very protective house elves to keep an eye on them. Come into my abode and let me show you around,” Harry explained as he led them into a building that only could be called a small pagoda. The inside was strictly European with all of its amenities.

“The bedrooms are located on the top three floors. I put all of your rooms together on the second floor. The kitchen is down the hall and to the right,” Harry gestured.

“And there is a werewolf in your living room,” Remus Lupin smiled as he entered from what looked like a library.

“Professor,” Hermione screamed as she ran and threw an arm around him and gave him a warm hug. “It’s so good to see you.”

“We wondered where you went off too,” Ron said as he shook the werewolf’s hand.

“Harry found that the people here were more tolerant of werewolves and thought I would be happier staying with him. I’ve never been happier and don’t think I will ever leave,” Remus explained.

“Neither will I,” Tonks joined the small group and slipped her arm around the lupine’s waist. On her hip was a sandy haired, one year old that had half of his breakfast covering his face.

“I want you all to meet Harry,” Tonks smiled, “our son.”

Hermione snickered, “And this bundle of joy is Harry, Ron and my son.”

“I wonder how many newborns have been named after the ‘Chosen One’?” Tonks snickered.

Harry blushed as he tried to change the subject, “I must be leaving. Remus and Tonks will be helping you get adjusted to your new surroundings. I will be in contact by the end of the day. If you don’t hear from me presume the worse and stay here. It won’t be safe for you or your family to go back.”

“Harry, where is here?” Hermione asked.

“Tibet,” he kissed her on her cheek as he apparated away.

“Did he just apparate to the British Isles?” Before anyone could answer Ron continued, “Just how powerful has he become?”

“From my research he’s the most powerful wizard alive. Personally, I think he’s has surpassed even Merlin himself.”

“No wonder Dumbledore is worried. I would be worried too if the greatest wizard alive took a disliking to me,” Ron said.

“Dumbledore? What does the old Headmaster have to do with anything?” Tonks asked.

“Didn’t Harry tell you?” Ron asked.

“No, all he said was to expect some visitors,” Remus answered.

Hermione sighed, “Let me get the children settled down, and then Ron and I can explain what is happening in the Wizarding World and why Harry Potter has become the new Dark Lord.”

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