It was getting close to Halloween and Harry was getting anxious. Troll, basilisk, attack on Gryffindor, goblet of fire, and last year he was unconscious after being stabbed by a cursed blade while Voldemort used a hoard of inferi to break all of the worst criminals Britain had out of a maximum security prison. To say Harry had cause for concern was an understatement.
If Harry had been an atheist at some point the fact that the pattern of him always having to deal with something on Halloween would be enough to prove to him that there was something up there. And whatever it was that something liked to mess with him. Harry was actually more of an Agnostic theist. He had no idea what God or gods existed, just a belief that they were real.
Harry knew that his grandfather was worried about something to do with Halloween as well, but he refused to talk about it. Harry had his suspicions. Actually Hermione was the one who had suspicions and when she explained her reasoning Harry couldn't help but agree. The Ministry and the goblins were going to attack Voldemort and the old ministry on Halloween.
Harry supposed it made sense in a way. Halloween was even more cursed for Voldemort than it was Harry. Harry hadn't ever died on Halloween, he saved that trick for midsummer.
Harry confided all his fears to Hermione and she listened. She had no real solutions to offer, but the listening helped a little. A part of Harry thought he should just take a magical tent and move into the chamber of secrets for a few days. The only reason he didn't actually try was because he was convinced that if he did, then somehow the chamber of secrets would spontaneously spawn a new basilisk or something.
What really had Harry on edge though was that two days before Halloween his grandfather came to the Gryffindor common room and then up to the dorm.
Harry and Hermione were there genuinely working on some homework. The library was too full that evening and the Gryffindor common room was, as usual for the time of year that wasn't right before exams, too loud. Harry and Hermione were on opposite sides of the bed with books spread out between them. The only physical intimacy between them was that they had casually woven their feet together.
Hermione was just explaining how Gorpalox's first law applied to the question on the duration of Transfigurations when the door opened and both teens were surprised to see grandfather/uncle Charlus standing in the doorway.
"We ain't doing nothing." Harry quickly said, embarrassed by why he assumed his grandfather was there, and quickly untangled his feet from Hermione's and pulled them away.
"Harry, that has got to be the worst grammar I have ever heard you use. But he is right uncle Charlus, nothing improper is happening here and nothing against school rules." Hermione said as she glanced down where their feet had been entwined, her legs feeling a little chilled now.
"What?" Asked Charlus, confused. It took him a second to realise why the teens thought he was here and when he realised he waved them off. "The two of you are responsible enough I'm not worried." He thought it was strange that the teens would immediately jump to that conclusion with him walking in when they were trusted a lot more outside of the school but maybe it had something to do with the fact that he was a professor here and wasn't at home. Or it could just be that they are teenagers.
"Harry, I have a favour to ask of you." Charlus said carefully. Harry didn't say anything, he just waited to hear what the favour was before he agreed to anything. "Look I can read patterns as well as any wizard and Halloween seems to be as cursed for you as the defence against the Dark Arts position was. I want you to take precautions."
"What do you want me to do? Go hide in the chamber of secrets for three days? I already ruled it out as a bad idea. If I try to hide from whatever will happen it will be how I end up walking right into the middle of everything."
"While a bit depressing, that is how some theories of prophecy and time work so I can't fault you for it. But I have a different idea. Your basilisk hide dueling robes, I want you to wear them under your school robes, and I want you to keep this on you at all times as well." And at that he pulled something from his pocket and handed it to Harry.
Harry looked over what he had been given. It was a strong leather belt that had a leather pouch on the side. Harry opened it and looked inside. There were potion bottles all labeled. Harry checked the labels and they were all first aid potions. All except one one was a tiny bottle of shimmering gold that Harry recognised immediately. "That's Felix Felicis, Luck potion. Isn't the recipe ridiculously complex?"
"Yes it is. Which is why you won't be drinking it unless it's an emergency. Hopefully the war will be over soon and you can keep it for your wedding day or something. But with what's happening on Halloween I want you to have it in case something happens. That's not to say because you have the potion you can go charging after anything that happens. If something does happen and you have the opportunity you come get me. I don't care if it's the middle of classes, the middle of the night or anything else if there is any possible way you come get me okay?" Charlus sounded more serious than Harry had ever heard him. Considering that Charlus was a pretty serious person to begin with, that was saying a lot.
Harry was touched. Not only was an adult not dismissing his concerns, Harry hadn't even had to speak to his grandfather and he just knew. And instead of giving Harry useless platitudes to keep his head down his grandfather had made sure to give Harry every advantage he could.
His grandfather didn't want him involved, that was clear. However he seemed to understand that something, maybe fate, would intervene and nobody would be given a choice. So he put a thumb on the scales in Harry's favour.
"I don't know the full details but the Aurors and goblins plan to assault the old ministry on Halloween. Someone somewhere decided that Voldemort facing an army of people out to kill him on the anniversary of the night he lost everything might unnerve him enough to make a mistake. I tried to get Amelia to change it but she refused. Technically she is making the right call even if it only gets her a 1% better chance at ending Voldemort then the life of a single civilian doesn't matter, even more when you are supposed to be safe here in Hogwarts and there is only a hunch that something could happen. I think she is making the wrong call but it's hers to make and there is nothing I can do about it." And he looked like it hurt to admit that.
"For years now I have suspected that in the end, it will come down to a fight between Voldemort and me. Because neither of us have ever been able to let it go. First year I went after him when I knew he was going for the stone, second year he gave up cleansing the school to focus on me. Fourth year he came after me, fifth year he came for my blood again. He targets Hermione because she is important to me. I bet the Weasleys' home was on their hit list because the family is important to me. So in the end, because he can't accept that he lost to a baby."
"I don't want to do this. I don't want to fight dark lords and bigots. I want to play Quidditch, help people who need new arms and legs, and I want to get married someday, have a family. I want the fighting and dying to be over." Harry wanted to say more but he couldn't get the words out. And was suddenly sandwiched in a hug between Hermione and Charlus.
-ϟϟϟ-
The next day Harry did exactly as his grandfather asked. He got a few weird looks from his classmates because having his dueling robes on under his school robes while not visible did make his school robes bulk out a bit and hang oddly. But nobody said anything, maybe they thought he was just cold, they were quickly approaching November in Scotland after all nobody was going to find that odd. Or maybe they did find it odd but we're just so used to Harry doing strange things, especially around Halloween that nobody thought it was worth commenting on.
Nothing happened that day and the next day, the day before Halloween, seemed to be going much the same. Bulky clothes and new belt didn't mean Harry didn't eat breakfast in the great Hall, or make his way to classes, tackle his homework during his free periods, that he didn't eat his lunch with his friends while complaining about how professor Babbling thought the best Halloween treat was double the regular amount of homework. Though in Professor Babbling's case there was a good chance she was giving Harry an excuse to sit in the library focusing on his work and not getting into trouble.
However before dinner when Harry popped into the toilets to answer the call of nature Hermione waited outside. And after about two minutes there was the sound of a rush of air, a bright orange flash and when Hermione rushed in to see what happened all she found was an empty boys toilet and a faint smell of smoke. She knew what it meant and what she had to do now.
Hermione ran from the toilet and down the stairs. She almost tripped twice but caught herself and didn't let it slow her down. She was only slightly out of breath as she burst into the great hall looking for Charlus.
A student running into the great hall wasn't something that would be missed by the professors. The fact that the student was Hermione Granger and she was agitated wasn't missed either but Charlus was already getting to his feet when Hermione spotted him and shouted. "Dumbledore has just kidnapped Harry."
The words caused immediate reactions from everyone. The students immediately latched on to the latest bit of gossip and started talking animatedly among themselves and almost every professor felt a shiver go down their spine. The only ones who didn't were Professors Potter and Lupin, both of whom felt like their insides were replaced by emptiness.
Charlus ran around the table and up to Hermione. "Tell me what you know."
She did, recounting her experience outside the toilets and Harry disappearing. "There is only one thing that could make a person disappear in a flash of orange light, with a rush of wind and leave a smell of smoke. Phoenix travel. And the only person with a phoenix who would be interested in Harry is Albus bloody Dumbledore." The fact that Hermione was the one to add the expletive to Dumbledore's name told everyone who knew Hermione that the calm exterior she was showing was a controlled front, she was beyond angry and the only reason she wasn't clawing eyes out of their sockets with her bare hands was because she still hadn't worked out a way to put Dumbledore in front of her where she could reach.
Charlus put a hand on Hermione's shoulder and said in a quiet voice. "You stay here. I will go and get him back." Then Charlus stormed out of the great hall. He was headed for the front gates of the school he was making and discarding plans as he went but by the time he got to the gate and disapparated he knew exactly what he was going to do. He and Sirius were going to use their rights as Warlocks to join the raid on the Ministry.
Back in the Great Hall for Hermione dinner was completely forgotten. Ron, along with Susan, Ginny, and Hannah pulled her out of the hall; they all wanted to know what was happening. After Hermione told them all she knew, then all at once they started to plan.
"Dumbledore could have taken him anywhere but we know he will be at the Ministry tomorrow." Ron said. "How do we get there?"
"Brooms," Ginny said. "We will have to double up but we can get to London in four to five hours."
"You know if we do this there is a good chance we are waving goodbye to our Auror careers." Susan told Ron. "I'm still going, Harry would do no less for each of us, but you need to know what you might be risking."
"I'm more concerned with how we get out of the castle." Hannah asked. "We can't just walk out the front gate."
"Out is easy." Said Hermione. "Leave that to me"
-ϟϟϟ-
Harry woke up in a pretty lavish room on a rather comfortable bed. It took him a few moments to remember what he was doing before he got here. He just finished taking a leak when Fawkes flamed in and the next thing he knew he was waking up here. He sat up and immediately went for his wand only to find it was gone.
"Don't worry Harry my boy, your wand is quite safe. I just didn't want you casting first and asking questions later. Wouldn't do to make too much noise here you know." Dumbledore said from where he sat in a comfortable looking chair about twenty feet away.
"And where is 'here' exactly?" Harry asked. If Dumbledore was going to be talkative, best to get all the information he was willing to dish out. Not that Harry had much hope of it being anywhere near the whole truth.
"We are in the Ministry of Magic. The old records room for the Chief Warlock to be exact. The Ministry uses rooms under a Fidelius charm to keep certain records safe. This room was mine while I was Chief Warlock, unfortunately the original secret keeper died a few years ago. Heart attack, quite sad but when one smokes like a chimney and has a weakness for Fortescue's ice cream there is only so much magic can do. All it took was a few minor memory charms and everyone forgot about this place and I became the sole secret keeper. It was an excellent place for me to store things over the years and now that the Ministry has fallen it makes a great little hiding place right at the heart of Voldemort's stronghold."
Well that explained the whole not being heard thing. If he and Dumbledore got into it Dumbledore would probably need to make a lot of noise and that could possibly count as the secret keeper telling them where to look. But it also raised a much more pressing question. "Why have you brought me here?"
"Why my boy. Well that's simple, we are going to kill Voldemort." Dumbledore said matter of factly like he was commenting on the weather.
"Just like that?" Harry's question sounded mocking and Harry meant it.
"Well it's a little more involved than that but yes. Tomorrow when the Aurors and goblins raid this place there will be a lot of confusion. In that confusion we will slip out and when the time is right we will kill Voldemort."
"Why? Why not just let the Aurors do it. It's their job, they have trained to do this kind of thing."
"Because of destiny my boy, destiny. I suppose it's time you knew the truth." He paused for a moment. "While your mother was pregnant with you there was a prophecy delivered to me by a true seer. That prophecy spoke of you. Well, it described a number of markers and you have them all. The prophecy says that between Voldemort and yourself one of you will kill the other."
"It's an inescapable destiny. As sure as the sun rising tomorrow. The two of you will fight, and keep fighting, until one of you dies permanently at the other's hand. It's why Voldemort came for you when you were young. He learned of the prophecy and wanted to deal with you before you could become a threat. Yet we were granted a miracle, a ten year time of peace. A feat you accomplished twice more even if it only added up to three more years."
"Now with the Horcruxes being destroyed tomorrow, and Voldemort's forces about to face the combined forces of the Aurors and the goblins. It is the best opportunity you will ever have to fight him and win. Never again will the odds be so stacked in your favour. I will do everything I can to help you and should you fall, it's my hope that with the prophecy fulfilled we will have done enough damage and worn him down enough that the next person to tackle him will be enough."
Harry didn't know what to think. Dumbledore had basically brought him here to die because by some crazy logic the barmy old twit thought that this was Harry's best chance to survive.
Then Harry considered what 'weapons' he had with him. Sure he had his magic and his basilisk hide duelling robes but he had had those last time as well.
'But he had also fought Voldemort to a draw last time, while completely exhausted from the third task.'
'And he was recently restricted and hadn't fought a duel in over ten years.'
'I have the luck potion.'
'He has an army.'
'We will have an army.'
'He won't be as weak as last time.'
'We will have Dumbledore on our side.'
'but I can't trust the man who kidnapped me to throw me at a dark lord'
Point and counter point bounced back and forth in Harry's head. But the only thing he could work out for certain was that he wasn't going to get a choice in the matter. There was no rescue coming, not in the middle of the old ministry, escape was just as impossible. The second thing was that while bleak it wasn't hopeless. He had survived Voldemort multiple times in the past, maybe another miracle was in the making.
"So does a condemned man at least get a decent last meal? You kidnapped me right before dinner." Harry asked more to hopefully buy himself more time to think than because he particularly felt like eating right now.
"Of course my boy. What would you like? I can have my personal elf whip us up whatever you want."
-ϟϟϟ-
Hermione clung to Ginny's waist, trying not to think about what she was currently doing, as the younger girl controlled the broom they were on. Sure Hermione had passed flying class and could fly herself but there were only three decent brooms they could lay their hands on without raising questions: Ron's broom, Ginny's broom, and Harry's. Ron and Susan were on Harry's, as they were the heaviest load and Ron had lent his to Hannah. That left Hermione clutching onto Ginny as she tried to ignore the mile between her and the ground and just how much the wind was whipping Ginny's hair into her mouth.
Getting out of the castle had been easier than even Hermione had suspected. She had intended to ask the elves to pop them out of the castle. She had expected to have to convince them but Harry's friend Dobby, it turned out, worked in the kitchen. He was a little unhappy with the new headmaster because he had cut Dobby's pay. The elf was still technically free but had nowhere else to go. Upon hearing that Harry was in trouble and with Hermione promising to talk to Charlus about higher pay, the elf was more than happy to pop them right out of the castle.
Now it was late and they were approaching London. "Were should we go?" The shout came from Ron who was now flying close to her and Ginny. Hermione almost suggested her home but that would be the first place anyone looked for them. "What about Fred and George's new shop? Isn't it in Diagon Alley?"
Ron looked at her for a second and nodded. "You're going to have to direct Ginny. You're more familiar with finding your way around London than any of us."
Hermione didn't like it but understood. "Gin just keep going southeast until you hit the river. Then fly west until you see the bridge with two castle towers, it also has a castle on the north side of the river. I can point you where to go from there."
The instructions were simple enough to follow and it wasn't long until the five of them were flying along the street disillusioned by Hermione until they found the Leaky Cauldron.
Sneaking into the alley was actually easy; they flew down into the alley still disillusioned and landed right outside 'Weasleys Whizzing Wizzpops.' Apparently Sirius had convinced the two it was better business to establish themselves in fireworks first and then branch out into pranks. Something about pranks being divisive and having an established brand to fall back on if they failed.
Fred and George weren't exactly happy with being knocked out of bed at what turned out to be a little past one o'clock in the morning. They were more than ready to hex their little brother until he explained what was going on with Harry.
The twins started up on their old switching between each out for every sentence trick.
"So let us get this straight."
"Your plan is to go bursting into the Ministry."
"A ministry full of death eaters."
"death eaters fighting for their lives."
"Snatch Harry from Dumbledore."
"And escape in the middle of an Auror raid."
Then they finished together. "Are you insane?"
"Actually." Said Ron. "I have a plan, one that should split the death eaters up and give the Aurors, Harry, and even Dumbledore an easier time down there."
"Oh, and what exactly is this wonderful plan of yours, oh brother mine?" One of the twins asked.
So Ron told them exactly what he was planning.
"That just might work. But you know if we let you go through with this, sod mum, dad will kill us."
"Yeah I do. That's why Hermione is behind you." Ron said with a grin.
There were two quick flashes of light and Susan and Hannah each caught a twin as they succumbed to the full body bind hex and ended stiff as a board while Hermione pulled off Harry's invisibility cloak. "Told you your brothers would try to be responsible."
"Yeah. I can't blame them and this way mum and dad won't be able to blame them either. They can honestly say they tried to stop us. Now we can just lay low here until tomorrow."
Hermione levitated the twins up to their beds and after stunning each of them undid the body bind. This way at least when they woke up they wouldn't be all sore from living perfectly flat for hours.
-ϟϟϟ-
Charlus was angry but he kept his anger controlled, like a weapon ready to be unleashed. Amelia Bones however was his perfect mirror, just as angry but she was throwing things against the walls.
It had started with Charlus informing her of Dumbledore's kidnapping and his assumption that the old fool was going to drag Harry into the middle of tomorrow's operation.
"So let me get this straight, not only am I going to have two civilians running around an active combat zone tomorrow fucking everything up, I also have to assume that the false lord now knows we are coming because who knows just how badly Dumbledore and an unwilling kid have fucked up our operation security."
It had only gotten worse later that night when Amelia and Charlus had received owls from the school informing them Susan and Hermione along with several other students had gone missing. All Harry's friends.
"Stupid girl, I told her to stay put and that I would handle it." Charlus had growled out only to be matched by a similar sentiment from the head of the D.M.L.E regarding her niece.
"You know I can't change the operation this late right? We know where they are, how to get in, and how to kill him for good. There is too much momentum behind it now. Hell if I tried to call it off the goblins would probably go in without us. They are viciously excited about the opportunity to reclaim their home."
"I know. And we don't have any idea where they are now or have the time to try and find them. But maybe we could send them an owl. Hopefully they will read it and do as they are told and stay away" said Charlus only he didn't sound hopeful.
"We can at least try. And I can circle the word about what's going on to both our people and the goblins. Hopefully they will run into our people first and get arrested before they can get into trouble." Director Bones said as she wished there was more she could do.