Here we go once more. Thanks again to Lady Starlight for her gracious work
Chapter 26: Higher Education
**********************Castle McDuer, Kirkcaldy, Scotland*************
October 7, 2019
A tall hooded presence swept in the doors of the ancient castle that the 'winning' side had appropriated for their new Wizarding School. Several figures wearing black cloaks emblazoned with a green skull insignia swept in at his heels and spread about the room forming a perimeter between their lord and master and the students assembled waiting for his to grace their presence. A large, stocky Death Eater tossed an old, wrinkled woman out of his way and to the floor when she was too slow to get out of his way. She looked up at him from the floor with curiously hard; black eyes then dropped them and eased out of the way around a corner and out of sight.
The tall man dropped his hood, which was part of a richly appointed, embroidered deep black traveling cloak and looked about at the assembled students. The host of children, none over sixteen or so was dressed identically in black and dark green school uniforms; the only difference was the girls were wearing skirts. Not an inch of variation of length or a tie out of place among them, in other words, little soldiers. He nodded almost absently, then as he scanned back, his hard grey eyes flared, their irises glowing with a sullen red fire. "Delores," Lucius hissed suddenly, as he waved his hand and a short, fat, toad-like woman floated across the several feet between them to fall at his feet, "where are the rest of the students that should be here?"
"Sire," Umbridge looked around fearfully and glanced back at the assembled students, but there was no help to be found, "many did not return, especially the first and second years...I think that they may have gone to...Hogwarts my lord."
"Hogwarts is destroyed Delores," Malfoy laughed and flicked his fingers. A searing yellow bolt snapped into her and flung her back, writhing and crying out in agony as the Cruciatus took hold. No one approached her as she screamed for a solid minute until he canceled the curse and paced off to the left, down the main corridor of the castle. "Bring her Xavier," Malfoy commanded behind him and didn't notice as Hamilton picked her up from the floor with a spell and yanked her to her feet. The odd procession followed along behind as Malfoy strode to a large statue of himself that stepped out of his way at a wave to reveal a large, oaken door, blackened with age.
He entered the room, Umbridge's office with a sneer on his lips and settled behind her desk as the Death Eaters following him tossed the simpering toad to the floor. He leaned back and steepled his fingers in front of his face, "I came here, Delores, to...discuss with you the quality of initiates that we have been receiving." She looked up at him through small, beady eyes filled with pain as he idly examined the office. In many ways Umbridge had tried to replicate Dumbledore's office, the large, two-level circular room was lined with books that Malfoy knew that Umbridge didn't understand the concepts in half of, and various gadgets or mementos. An utterly horrible collection of plates covered with images of frolicking kittens sat in a corner cabinet under pictures of the woman with various dignitaries before the fall.
"Sire I cannot make wheat from chaff..." Delores pleaded from the floor, looking up at beseechingly.
"You have the children of the cream of Pureblood society Umbridge, that is the wheat," Lucius flicked a wand again casually and Umbridge was once again screaming before he cut it off with another wave. "You will provide better soldiers and officers...and companions to my forces or I may have Xavier return to...discuss the matter with you." Umbridge grew even paler at that prospect as Lucius stood and paced the door, his retinue following behind him.
Malfoy swept down the halls, and inspected the gathered students; occasionally he would remark something about at particular student to Bariss, who had remained silent, pointing out ones that he thought would make good troops, officers, or those female students who could serve in other ways, secretaries, house-mistresses, and other functions.
Eventually he left, after his followers gathered the indicated students and bundled them off to retrieve their processions in the case of the boys and a small bag that might be suitable for carrying a change of underwear for the girls.
He was not all seeing...as they left, the old woman from before, stood straight, the bend vanishing from her spine as she glared at him and carefully extended one, single finger towards his back. She stepped into the shadows, pressed a slightly protruding brick on the wall and vanished.
*********************************Hogwarts*******************************
7:00 pm
Emilia sighed and swept a black curl back behind one ear as she picked up a large box of utterly identical white mice and dumped them into a cage. She frowned as she picked one up by the tail, and dumped it squealing into the box, "One." She picked up another, and dropped it into the box, "Two."
"Honey...what are you doing?"
Em's eyes grew wide as she turned and found Hermione leaning against the doorway of the Transfiguration classroom. She smiled as the eleven-year-old jumped up and ran to her, staggering her a bit as her arms wrapped around her waist. "Mum...when did you get back? Where's dad? Did you find anything? Can we go with you..."
"Hold on, there Em," Harry's amused voice said laughingly as he eased into the room, and let out a soft, "Umph" as his daughter crashed into him. "Merlin, you did inherit your mother's hugs," he muttered as he pretended to rub his ribs.
"Dad."
"You never did answer me what you were doing down here Emilia Jane," Hermione put in with an upturned brow as she leaned back against Harry who had moved next to her. She looked around the room pointedly at the scattered boxes of mice and matchsticks, a large cage of iguanas, several pans of buttons and a large tub of what looked to be teacups. Hermione crossed her arms and looked down at her, with a moderately lethal glare...she knew of course what was going on, and she was glaring to keep a straight face.
You're not supposed to torment our own children dear, Harry muttered as he wrapped his arms around her from behind. Emilia didn't quite smile as she dropped her eyes to the floor.
Oh hush, this is the one of the fun parts...and you're ruining the effect, she sent back peevishly, as her gaze automatically lessened.
You want me to stop?
Are you touched in the head? "Well?"
"Detention," Emilia admitted, and showed her age as she flopped to the floor next to the cage of mice she had been trying to count. "McGonagall said I had to do the inventory of all of the first year supplies, and I couldn't do magic," she huffed and crossed her arms and glared at the mice, as if it were their fault. Crookshanks sauntered in, looked at the box of mice as if he were deciding if it were worth his trouble to jump in the box, looked up to see Hermione give him a small shake of her head, and flopped down on his side in front of Emilia and purred. Em reached out and started rubbing his belly automatically.
"Aw yes," Harry replied knowingly, "We know this one well." He grinned at Hermione whose eyes widened suddenly as a shared memory flitted across her thoughts. Her mouth opened in a silent "O" and a tinge of color darkened her cheeks. "We had this one for a week seventh year."
Emilia glanced between them, "What did you do?"
Hermione turned back and looked at him, pointedly. She smirked slightly as, Well, dear, are you going to explain what we were doing to get that detention?
When she's fifty maybe, Harry retorted with instant horror, and Emilia's ears perked as she heard Hermione giggle softly behind her raised hand, Bloody hell, love, I'm just glad that Minerva thought we were ONLY snogging back in the back. And if I remember right, that was your idea anyway.
I was horny...you went along with it, Hermione retorted and Harry shrugged, as Emilia rolled her eyes, and started counting mice again while she waited.
I was seventeen, Harry reasoned, I would have gone along with you if you had asked to go at it on her desk.
You're thirty-one, now dear, and I doubt you'd not go along if I'd ask today, Hermione replied with a smile and kissed him, turning back to Emilia. "Let us help you with that." Hermione walked over to her daughter and dropped into an easy lotus in front of the box of mice, Harry sat down next to her and grabbed a box of buttons. "You pick them up and I'll count them.
"What about dad?" Emilia muttered out of the side of her mouth as she started picking up mice and dropping them. Crookshanks sat up on his hind legs and batted at the mice as they started falling into the box in a steady rhythm. She looked back towards the door to the classroom, "And won't Professor McGonagall get mad, mum?"
"Let us worry about her, honey," Harry replied easily as he kept counting buttons, "We're used to her being angry at us." Behind them, in the door to the dimly lit hallway, a grey and black tabby stopped and sat a moment in the door. It shook its head and paced off without a sound. "What did you do to get Detention?" Harry asked lightly as the clink of buttons and the sound of angry mice filled the room.
"Got caught," Emilia muttered looking down at her box of mice. Hermione glanced back at Harry who shrugged.
"Obviously," Hermione said dryly, "at what?" She picked up a mouse and looked at it funny, she could have sworn it was acting like an Animagus. She held it out to Crookshanks, who purred, she shrugged and tossed it back into the box.
Emilia flushed slightly, but looked up at her anyway, "Xander and I were running a chase through the towers on our brooms in Flying Class. McGonagall caught us...I think Granddad saw us, but he didn't say anything." She reached down and picked at a loose thread on the hem of her jeans, "She gave me a week of detention...and," she looked up with a huge grin, "the Seeker's slot for Gryffindor."
"That's my girl," Harry announced jubilantly and Hermione reached out and punched him in the arm.
"Don't encourage her," Hermione growled, however the light dancing in her eyes belied the statement. She reached out and pulled Emilia into a hug, "Congratulations, Em. You'll have fun..."
Em looked at Harry, he shrugged as she came over to get her hug from him. "Um...Hermione, what about no crashing into the pitch or having a Bludger break an arm or?" Harry asked as he and his daughter looked at Hermione oddly. She just shrugged and flicked her wand. A pair of chocolate ice cream sundaes appeared with a small pop. She scooted one over to Emilia and leaned against Harry to share the other with him.
"I doubt Minerva said anything about eating, dear." Hermione commented with a grin and took a bite of her ice cream. "And don't crash into the pitch or have a Bludger break your arm," she paused in thought for a moment, "Don't have Dementors try to crash your game or let Dobby try to 'protect you' or jump off your broom, or land and punch the opposing seeker in the face, I can do that for myself, thank you. Do try to stay away from the Whomping Willow as brooms are expensive these days and please, please try to keep from being cursed while on your broom by a reincarnated Dark Lord..." She looked at Harry, "Anything I've missed?"
"Pretty well have it all I think," Harry replied, laughing.
"Mum, dad, we have our first game Saturday," Emilia bit her lip slightly as she looked between the two, "Will you guys be there?" she asked softly, hesitantly. "Horry's playing Keeper and Harriet's a chaser..."
Harry looked at Hermione, she smirked slightly, "We already knew, honey," Hermione admitted, "We already saw your brother." Emilia rolled her eyes at their 'joke' and neither of them missed the muttered, 'parents' that didn't quite escape her lips. Emilia finished her sundae and looked back at the mice, "Seventy two mice dear. How are you liking school?"
"It's alright."
"It doesn't sound like it Emilia," Harry replied after a moment. He picked up a quill and marked down two hundred and ten under buttons on Emilia's piece of parchment and sat back, scooting back until his back was against the leg of a table.
"I like it well enough..." Em protested softly, she picked at a couple of miniature chocolate frogs that had been on her sundae, "It's just that...we, it's boring, I've already read all the topics that they go over in class, Defense isn't so bad, at least we get to duel every so often and the creatures are kind of neat...but...Xander and I were bored with Transfiguration, I mean honestly, how many times can you go over Switching Spells. It's not like they are hard or anything, and they're in the book, after all..."
Oh, this sounds familiar.
"Em, dear, it's not just the school work, but...you know being with kids your age, too." Hermione said softly, ignoring Harry, "It can't just be about schoolwork, or books." She ran her bottom lip through her teeth as she leaned back against Harry slightly, "I don't know what I would have done if I hadn't had your father and Ron to drag me out of the Library every so often."
"I know mum," Emilia replied exasperatedly, so much so that Harry laughed. She looked around, at the boxes, and grinned, "I think we're done, thanks, mum, dad."
"No problem."
***************************London*******************************
A black flag, emblazoned with the green skull of the Dark Mark fluttered above the palace as Lucius paced into his opulent throne room and sat. Torches lit the walls, and reflected oddly in the polished black granite floors. A dozen Death Eaters braced to attention as he passed, their eyes fixed straight ahead. Bariss and Narcissa trailed him, she sneered at a petite, seventeen-year-old girl kneeling at the side of her throne.
She sat and looked over at the girl, a frightened young blond girl, "Go; await Lord Malfoy and I in our chambers." The girl looked like she was close to tears but went anyway. Lucius gave her a small nod as he settled in his throne, set slightly higher than hers and crossed his legs. A half dozen Death Eaters filled in led by Xavier Hamilton and knelt in front of the thrones. Bariss settled at Malfoy's ear and held a notepad and quill ready.
"Report," Lucius commanded flatly. His eyes fixed on the black uniformed Death Eater next to Xavier, with a pair of small five star clusters on each collar. Gregor Anderson looked as if he had lost a great deal of weight since the night he had meet the Potters. His leg might have shaken a bit as he looked at Lucius, and nodded fitfully.
"Sire...I regret to report that we have made no progress in Scotland," Anderson kept his head bowed as he reported. "The resistance is very powerful, and the foreign forces are operating openly as well. I have only a battalion of Death Eaters available." He glanced back at a tall, black-cloaked figure, with dark spiked armor. "Perhaps if the X'Sheen forces could be directed..."
"My brethren cannot force the barriers human, you have allowed the Phoenix Wizard too much time. He has erected the barriers the Founders placed with the establishment of their fortress." It paused and its depthless hood turned to Malfoy, "Perhaps if we may summon the entire host..."
Malfoy laughed, "Do you think me a fool, you forget your place." He slowly pulled a glowing red orb from within his robes and held it aloft. The X'Sheen bowed its head but did not fall to its knees, if it indeed had them. Lucius frowned, and looked back to Anderson. "I have grown tired of your excuses, Gregor. AVADA KEDAVRA." A green beam snapped across the fifteen feet between Malfoy's throne and the Death Eater. He flew backwards several feet before skidding to a halt against a gold statue of a hooded serpent, dead. Several ragged House Elves appeared with a pop, picked up the body and vanished just as fast.
Lucius did not comment as he turned to a tall, blond witch in leathers. She nodded and waited. "How goes the invasion of the rebel lands?"
The field commander for the South Pacific frowned, but did not lower her gaze. Michelle Prichart, did not fear death, for she was already dead. She had been turned in 1791 in the south of France near the village of St. Angelo by a living immortal, Andrew O'Connor, a rogue member of that family. She had been at the near death of the O'Connor clan in the heyday of Voldemort, and had only missed destruction by chance as a small, blonde whirlwind exploded out of a closet, killing her Death Eater partner and vanishing into the night. "We have yet to land a significant force, my Lord, the damnable American Fleet and devil weapons prevent it."
Malfoy pursed his lips and stood. "I will be in my chambers, Narcissa, attend me."
****************************Hogwarts********************************
October 8, 2019
9:20 am.
Harry leaned up against the open back door to the Potions classroom and watched his childhood nemesis walk around the classroom with the help of a slim, ebony cane that Harry knew to contain a thin but quite effective sword blade. Draco looked up at him and nodded before continuing to pace about looking at the student's efforts. The Slytherin, spy, bad guy, good guy, traitor, friend, had yet to fully recover from the effects of his imprisonment at Azkaban alongside Harry. He had not had the magical strength or abilities to heal himself without a wand, or potion and the Death Eaters had not had the unspoken threat of annihilation hanging over their heads if he were to die. He reported to Poppy once a week to take an IV of a thick, burning potion that was trying to rebuild the nerves in his left leg, with so far, only limited success.
Harry smiled slightly as Hermione came up behind him and placed her chin on his shoulder as she wrapped her arms around him from behind. They watched as Draco paused next to Horatio and Harriet's table, bent down between the kids and pointed out something in Horatio's caldron, and then used the tip of his cane to point at the directions on the board. All three of them laughed at something he said before he moved on, unconsciously straightening his robes, which were of the finest fabrics and his hair was impeccably coifed. Its kind of scary how good he actually is at teaching.
Yeah, he's better than Severus was any day. He might not know as much, but he's leagues better at actually imparting what he does know, Hermione agreed as she pulled one her arms up enough to see her watch. We have to go Harry, Albus wants to see us.
Harry nodded as she slipped her arms from around his waist and took his hand, a brief flare of power lit the fabric of the universe in the hallway, unnoticed by any in the class except two, and they vanished without a sound.
They reappeared in the second floor hallway, next to the stone gargoyle guarding Dumbledore's door and it jumped, rattling nearby windows in their frames and sending several random pets scurrying out from behind suits of armor. It glared at them for a solid minute before it stepped aside and bowed them up the stairs muttering under its breath. The ancient oaken door stood ajar at the top of the stairs and as they entered, Hermione lurched to a stop in disbelief as she looked up. Harry barely managed to avoid her, dancing to the side. The reason for their shock was obvious, about as subtle and unexpected as an anvil falling from heaven.
"'Arry, "ermione." The floor shuddered as huge feet about the size a kitchen sink apiece thundered across the room, and trashcan sized hands at the arms approximately the diameter of decent sized tree trunks picked them both bodily from the floor and swung them around as if they were still eleven.
"Hagrid," Hermione squeaked, with unabashed glee, and not a modicum of shock as the huge half-giant noticed them turning slightly blue and let them down gently. "Where...how..." she reached up and wiped tears from her eyes, and glanced back to find Harry similarly effected.
"Olympe and me've been hiding...her school was destroyed lass, 'e've been running ever since, until Fawkes 'ere showed up with a letter, from Dumbledore, saying it was time." She hugged Hagrid again and stepped back as Harry gave him a hug before they walked to Dumbledore's desk at the ancient wizard's gesture. They leaned Harry perched on the edge of the desk, with Hermione more or less on his lap, not because of anything other than there was no room. Harry and Hermione looked around, speechless as almost the entire staff of when they were here as students was crowded into the room, Filius Flitwick was perched on a windowsill, Madame Sprout had come from somewhere, last they had heard she was in retirement, Vector and Glyph shared a conjured couch, and even Sinestra had arrived. Hagrid was leaning against the back wall looking on.
Ron, Sirius, Luna, Remus and Tonks were all scattered wherever they could find space looking around at those, who for most of them, had been their teachers. Dumbledore smiled, his ice-blue eyes twinkling as they did more and more these days, "I do not think introductions are necessary." He looked at Ron, "No offence to your teaching abilities, Harry, Hermione, Ron...others," he nodded at Sirius, Remus and Tonks, "But I felt that your...talents would be more useful in other pursuits." Dumbledore gave Luna a small nod, "I am afraid that we might have to call on you to teach a few Divination seminars...I feel that a full class would be a waste, but perhaps a demonstration or two." He added with a raised finger.
"However, even with the students that we have here now, and a most outstanding turn out that it was...I think it is a severe insult to my school that so many have chosen Delores to teach their children." His blue eyes hardened to tiny, sharp blue diamonds. "In your absence, Harry, Hermione, Ronald has developed a plan to liberate that school from that...person. I will not stand by and have children treated as that...creature does." Dumbledore didn't rise from his chair, but it was suddenly as if he towered over them all. A shocked silence passed around the room as a black folder was passed from hand to hand. Hagrid's great beard quivered in rage, as Flitwick muttered dark implications under his breath. McGonagall had already seen the reports from their agents, crystal balls and Tonks' daring infiltration during Malfoy's inspection.
Ron nodded and flicked his wand. The windows darkened and a glowing, floating diagram of an unfamiliar castle, perhaps two-thirds the size of Hogwarts. Ron pushed off from the wall, Luna's hands trailing after his arm for an instant. "This is Castle McDuer. It is situated on the Firth of Forth near Kirkcaldy. Which was a poor choice." Ron pointed his wand at the image again and several small glowing dots appeared. "For obvious reasons we can not directly assault this castle. I believe we could take it, particularly as Harry and Hermione have returned, and the fact that as of this morning we will have a battalion of Enchanted Armor by Friday." A few feral grins answered that announcement.
"Fred and George are not here, as you might have noticed," Ron put in a touch sarcastically; no one could miss the absence of the jokesters. "They are with the first battalion of Royal Marines working up the armor. Seems that there were more than enough of them out of the country or that managed to E and E to constitute a battalion. Unfortunately...they are reserve only for this operation. We cannot use them in the castle, without undue risk to the students." He sighed and reached back to pull on his red pony tail, they will be in position about four miles away if we really need them, we are of course concerned with a possible X'Sheen counter if we are held up too long."
"You are proposing going in at night Ron?" Harry asked as he and Hermione stood and walked to the projection to look at more closely. Ron nodded and waved at Tonks.
"Seemed safest from my recon Harry," she agreed, "Umbridge has organized her school differently than Hogwarts. The students that are underage are all confined to a large, singular dorm after hours. She does not have the students divided into Houses as they are here, more so because the majority of the students under age are there as hostages to their families' behaviors..." Tonks muttered a dark curse under her breath as she looked over at Remus to find his slow nod. He put his hands on her shoulders as she fought to say something she obviously did not want to say. "It seems that sometime after the students turn of age...they are pulled from their normal dorms and placed in the older ones, one for the girls, one for the boys, and they are given the Mark...and if they don't want it...they are convinced."
Harry's eyes flared and a crystal ball on a side shelf shattered with a BANG. "Very well, Ron...work it up for execution Saturday evening...we take the school, evacuate the students that can be saved...and terminate or capture any Death Eaters we find. Delores is to be taken alive, and held on charges of Murder, Torture, conspiracy to commit same...and whatever else we find. We get the kids out, and drop the castle around their ears."
AN: Dum, De Dum....