A/N: Another chapter another dollar...wait I don't get paid for this JKR does, darnit.
Chapter 4: The Switch
*****************Hogwarts, Phoenix Group Headquarters*********************
June 27, 2012
6:15 pm
"Ok you two. What do you have this time?" Ginny asked, with the slightly apprehensive air of one who is standing on the edge of a ten meter diving board and is afraid of both swimming and heights, of the twin redheads standing on the other side of a stainless steel counter. Around the room, Fred and George had crammed almost everything that they could think of and some things that were probably actually beyond thinking about into the room.
On racks and shelves around the room, muggle and wizard weapons and equipment hung, everything from assault rifles with silver loaded magazines racked next to them, to ten different varieties of disguised wands, to joke items that had been modified for espionage, to a mechanical owl that looked disturbingly like Hedwig, but in shining metal, that tracked her with its yellow glowing eyes as she walked into the room. On a table off to one side by itself, a state of the art computer sat; amazingly it was actually running in Hogwarts, which since electricity didn't actually work, was weird. Not the weirdest thing in the room, but still weird. Curious, Ginny wandered over to it and saw the note proudly stuck to the wall above it:
Special Group One
Memo:
To: Fred/George Weasley.
Re: Dumbarses (memo #524 on subject)
I bloody well told you not to enchant a computer.
Signed: Your damn boss, Harry.
Ginny looked at the machine, she had one at her apartment, but that was different, this was Hogwarts. She jumped back as the screen suddenly came to life and a rendered pair of blue eyes turned to look at her, "Hello Ginny." The enchanted computer said in a soft female voice.
"Hello," Ginny replied hesitantly as the twins sniggered. "Who, what..."
"My name is Minerva, I am a Weasley Enterprises generation one sentience." The computer replied from a pair of speakers mounted to the wall.
Fred smiled and took pity on his youngest sister. "We were in muggle London the other day at a mall and saw one of these running a game and we thought it would be cool to see if we could enchant one to get it running here. We...um didn't think it would be sentient however...no offence Minerva."
"None taken" The response came from the speakers.
"However SOME PEOPLE thought it was a bad idea." George put in a bit too loudly.
"I HEARD THAT." An annoyed baritone shot back; George flipped the bird in the general direction of Harry's office and closed the door.
Fred snickered again and turned back to several items on the table. He held out his hand, "Your wand if you please, Ginny." Ginny handed him his wand, and with a flick, "IMAGIO DUPLICATA" the exterior of the wand changed from it's normal light ash color to a dark, polished rosewood. He handed it back, "There ya go; it now looks like Pansy's." With a wave of his hand he started pointing out the various objects on the table. "First," indicating a slightly bubbling flask, "the new improved polyjuice potion, we have increased the time to three days per dose from the older, few hours at a time." She nodded as he went on, "here we have a two-way mirror, it's charmed to only work if you tap it with your wand and say, 'Voldemort was a wussy'," She glared at him, "WHAAAT? No Death Eater is about to say that."
"Also, just in case you run into some of our furrier friends" George indicated the next items, "The blade on this dagger is a silver alloy and your standard issue 9mm P7 is loaded with silver hollowpoints. We still don't know why but more and more werewolves are coming over the to dark. Spells at the level most of us cast them," at that point all three of them glanced surreptitiously towards Harry and Hermione's office, "can't really affect a werewolf in animal form." Ginny nodded, having fought several of Malfoy's dark werewolves in Bristol last year.
"The normal assortment of potions, miniaturized" Fred waved at a small foldout case, and with a small breath, indicated one last item. The small talisman was carved to look like the green skull of death, the dark's symbol and an item many a Death Eater had been captured or killed with, "This is a emergency portkey, we got the idea off the beacon that Dumbledore used to rescue Snape your sixth year. Keep it on you at all times, it will either return you directly here, or if you touch it with your wand and say, 'call the cavalry', it will act as a beacon to guide us in." The twins came around the table and hugged her, "Be careful sis."
"Sure Q1 and Q2" Ginny grinned up at them and left out the door, which slid open and shut for her automatically.
"I'm worried Fred."
"Me too, George."
***********************Norfolk, England*********************
8:00pm
Pansy Parkinson walked into a slightly rundown restaurant accompanied by her inherited bookends, Crabbe and Goyle. Ever since Draco had openly changed sides, the pair of flunkies had gravitated to her. They were basically useless for any magical combat, any decent Auror would take then down in a heartbeat, and what the Unspeakable units would do didn't even bear thinking on, no they were more for muscle anyway, to intimidate prospective adversaries. She looked up at the sign over the door, "Elizabeth's" a small pub and grill that catered to wizards. The bar was crowded with the after work crowd and she was lucky as she stepped in and arranged for a table for her and her escorts. The waitress, a young witch, came over, a pitcher of water balanced with her wand. She poured the three of them glasses and took their orders for three specials.
Across from them at the scarred wooden bar, a rather non-descript wizard sat nursing a beer. The barkeep poured him another butterbeer without asking as he emptied his first. Idly the wizard glanced around the bar, he watched the barkeep walk to the other end of the bar to get something from under it. Dropping his head, he muttered under his breath, "Leo, Furball, she's on her way." Asten took another sip of his beer as Pansy walked past him on the way to the bar. He casually glanced up, and turned with the rest of the bar to watch a broadcast of the Ballycastle Bats and the Chudley Cannons' Quidditch match being shown on a wide screen crystal in the corner, courtesy of the Wizarding Wireless network. After a moment, a witch got up from a booth and trailed Pansy toward the back of the bar.
"Bookworm has her." Hermione whispered as her hand brushed her hair back over an ear. Pansy did not look back at all but went into the restroom not paying attention to her surroundings at all. Followed a moment later by Hermione. Hermione was very lightly disguised this evening; a ball cap with the Chudley Cannons' logo on it was pulled down over her hair, and tuned backwards, the bill resting on top of her ponytail. The Cannons were playing tonight, so it was not unusual to see their fans in the bar. The rest of her outfit of jeans and a tight jumper was par for the course for a witch since the end of the Voldemort war, anymore, younger witches and wizards seldom wore robes outside of official functions.
The door swung closed behind her, and outside, an agent in coveralls hung a "closed for cleaning" sign on it. Pansy was at the sink and did not look up as the door opened and Hermione entered, and stopped at the door. Pansy finished washing her hands, and looked up into the mirror to have her heart stop. A horribly familiar shock of jet-black hair topped the face of an enemy she hoped to never see again. Her hand finally dropped to her wand, only to watch it fly from its hidden holster to Harry's hand. Pansy glanced over to the door and gulped as she saw Hermione leaning there. She turned back to Harry, "so Potter you aren't really a teacher." Pansy glared as Ginny emerged from the stall next to the one Harry had been hiding in, wearing the exact same clothes as she had on.
"No Pansy, we're not...are you going to come quietly?" Harry asked, with a little smile on his lips. She started to shake her head, "SOMNUS" She slumped to the ground as Hermione lowered her wand and crossed to Pansy.
She knelt next to the Death Eater and pulled up Pansy's sleeve, finding the Dark Mark, she nodded grimly. "That's a death sentence Harry." Hermione quickly frisked through her pockets and pulled out what she found, with a jerk she pulled a lock of Pansy's hair and tossed it into a vial of green fluid. She shook it and tossed the bottle to Ginny.
Grimacing even before the liquid hit her lips, Ginny drunk a large gulp from the bottle, shuddering as the vile liquid worked its way to her stomach. Instantly she shook and dropped to her knees as the potion took over. Her hair changed from red to black, her face changed and her body filled out slightly. In another heartbeat, two Pansies were in the room. Ginny/Pansy looked at Harry and Hermione and in Pansy's voice, "I guess I'm ready."
"Luck, Sis." Hermione replied, handing her the items they had taken off Pansy, except Pansy's wand. Hermione pocketed it instead; "INCARCEROUS" ropes appeared from the air and wrapped Pansy tightly. Ginny nodded, hugged them both and exited the room. "Furball is in play." Hermione murmured over the wireless extendable ears.
Harry looked over at Hermione, then down at their prisoner then over at the door. "Mione?"
"Yeah Harry?"
"How the hell are we going to explain Ginny being gone this Wednesday at the family dinner?" Harry asked, as Hermione shrugged in perplexed response. Harry shrugged as well, and in another heartbeat, they vanished along with the captured Death Eater.
***************************Somewhere in Europe***************************
"Sire...we have brought her." Lucius Malfoy turned from the window and regarded the new arrival. The Death Eater that had spoken; bowed and exited without another word. Lucius slowly walked around the new arrival, noticing her black hair, still in the same pageboy cut Pansy had favored at Hogwarts, the same figure that had presumably entertained his disavowed son.
"Pansy..." Lucius smiled darkly, his eyes glowing slightly in the morning light from the window. "I have brought you into my inner circle after your dedicated service since you left that accursed school.
"Sire, I..." She replied hastily, dropping her head.
Lucius spun to her and grabbed her chin, roughly forcing her to look up at him, "It does not matter Pansy, only that you are loyal; you will find that I have a short way with traitors." He stepped back, "BRING HIM IN."
With that command, a man was dragged before them. He was beaten and bloody. Both legs were obviously broken as was his nose and his left arm. Even ten feet away, Ginny could see the lingering after effects of the Cruciatus curse, and saw the lifelessness in the man's eyes. Lucius sneered and walked around the prisoner, his wand bouncing in his hand lightly. "Alexander here; thought he would betray my location to that old mudblood loving fool, Dumbledore...as you can see he was mistaken. IMPERIO" Lucius snapped and any remaining life vanished from the man's eyes.
Reaching into his robes, Lucius took out a dagger and flipped it underhand to land point embedded in the hardwood directly in front of the traitor. "Pick it up." Alexander quivered a bit but bent and pulled the knife from the wood. Lucius smiled, "slit your throat." The knife rose, slowly, inexorably to his throat and with a quick slice, blood fountained over the floor. Nauseous, Ginny turned her head as the man collapsed to the floor.
"Go Pansy, I will give you your instructions later." Ginny left as quickly as she could without seeming too rushed.
**************************The Burrow****************************
June 30, 2012
The Burrow was an odd residence for a Minister of Magic, but it was one that Arthur and Molly would not give up. There were small differences of course, the old ramshackle house was now in far better repair than it had ever had been, the garden was professionally degnomed these days, and a permanent Auror presence was stationed here. But otherwise it was as Harry had first seen it when he was twelve, escaping from the Dursleys.
He waved at the duty Aurors as they responded to his and Hermione's apparation onto the lawn. They turned back to looking about, ever vigilant. They were definitely Moody disciples, which wasn't a bad thing as the Burrow had more than once been subject to attack. Percy had died here, Molly had been tortured here and not six months later the Death Eaters had attacked again only to be repulsed by the much stronger defensive contingent escorting the Minister of Magic. Normally Arthur traveled with about ten or so, and there was another five or so on duty here at all times, especially after the assassination of the Senior Undersecretary last year, by a Death Eater ambush.
Hermione smiled up at him and led their stampeding children towards the kitchen and the cookies that no doubt awaited them, "HORRY, EM" Molly shouted gaily as the door opened and Harry smiled. He walked around the corner of the house to the back yard to find Ron, Fred and George all standing around, nursing beers.
"OI" Ron yelled and tossed Harry a beer without asking. Harry caught it, uncapped it with his wand and took a draught. He came in close and stood in a little huddle with the rest of the boys, Ron clinked his bottle with Harry's and took another drink. They all turned to watch Arthur trying to light the grill with a pack of muggle matches. "Think we should help?"
"Nahh," Put in George.
"He's having fun," Fred replied.
"I'd like to eat today" Ron retorted, "Harry...please."
"Lord...you are all qualified wizards..." Harry stretched his fingers towards the grill, "Incendio." Flames erupted from the coals just after Arthur had dropped another unlit match on them, causing him to jump up and down and do a little dance. The head of his protective detail, an old grizzled Auror named Jacob Wells, turned and gave Harry a tiny clap. Harry shook his head and took another gulp of his beer.
HARRY, Hermione's voice suddenly echoed in his mind, come in here and bring Arthur...Molly wants a word.
Harry's eyes spun towards the kitchen, but not getting any more information from that quarter he shrugged, "I think I'm in trouble" The rest of the boys laughed as Harry walked over the grill and pulled Arthur to the kitchen along with him, Jacob following along. He was the only member of the security detail that had the clearance level that Harry or Arthur enjoyed, and he knew what Harry and the rest really did.
Harry and Arthur, along with his shadow came into the room. Molly looked at the three of them and scowled. Hermione was sitting at the kitchen table, a butterbeer of her own in her hands, looking at the rest of the room. Harry crossed to her and perched on the table next to her, "Get off the table Harry, " Molly snapped and in a flash, Harry flowed into the seat next to his wife, she giggled until Molly shot her a dark look.
"Sorry mum." Hermione muttered.
Molly nodded and turned to Arthur, "Does Jacob have to be here?" Her hands were on her hips as she looked at the Auror.
"Jacob I'll take responsibility" Harry said quietly and the Auror left to go stand outside of the door, Harry pointed a wand at the door, "Silencio." A brief white flash lit the walls.
Molly looked at the three of them, a curious fire in her eyes. "Where the bloody hell is my daughter? I seem to see her son outside with the rest of my grandchildren." She looked at Hermione apologetically, "Hermione you are mine as well, child." Hermione nodded, she hadn't taken offence.
"Working" Harry replied vaguely.
"Harry James..." Molly snapped.
"Molly...mum, I can't tell you, I haven't even told Arthur though if he orders me to I will." Harry muttered a slightly pleading note in his voice.
"Harry I bloody well know that you lot aren't only Professors and definitely not Aurors in the conventional sense, I'm just concerned. Do you think that I would tell anyone?" Molly whispered slightly desperately.
"No, mum" Hermione put in, softly, "But if someone got a hold of you they could get it out of you." Molly started to retort, but stopped at a hastily raised hand. "You are not a trained occlumes, nor trained to resist the Cruciatus or Imperious, we are, all of us are. And even that might not be enough, if they really had time to work."
"Please Molly," Harry interjected, "we can't...sorry."
Molly nodded and turned from them, she looked out into the yard and watched Harry and Hermione's kids interacting with the adults and with Ron's daughter Harriet, and the newly arrived children of Lupin and Tonks, and Elliot, Ginny's son. Sirius was laughing over something Remus had just said as the original surviving marauders wandered over to Ron and the twins. A small smile graced her lips as she watched Luna and Tonks chasing, or rather herding the children in the direction of the garden. Without turning from the window, "why Harry, why can't any of my family lay down the sword? You know what this has already cost us."
"Yes, Molly I do." Harry whispered, she heard him just fine however. He stood, and headed out the door, his hands in his pockets as he walked off into the woods. He did not look up past his feet as he headed down the same path that had seen his first animagus transformation; the same path that he had chased Hermione down after she had run from her father after she and her parents had fled here following a Death Eater attack. The same path where his heart finally beat it into his brain that he loved the witch that was even now pounding after him, with all his heart, even if that brain still held off matters for a few months longer. Finally, he reached a long familiar clearing and sat heavily on a fallen tree that was charmed within an inch of its existence to be as comfortable as a living room couch.
He did not look up either, as Hermione eased down next to him and grabbed his hand. "I hate secrecy Mione and here I am, I deal in it every day, I can't even tell my family what I do for a living." Hermione didn't respond with words, but just wrapped her arms around his shoulders.
**********************Headquarters, SG-1, Hogwarts************************
July 1, 2012
5:00 am.
"GET UP" a man in black snapped as he flung the cell door open and dragged Pansy from her cell. The constant harsh white light from the cell spilled out into the dim hall. She blinked as she tiredly looked up at a wizard and witch, both in black with no insignia on their cloaks. The witch was dark skinned with a shock of pure white hair and the man was almost swarthy and walked with a gait that gave evidence to long hours in a dojo, but beyond that she knew nothing. She had no idea what time it was or even what day it was, and certainly not that she was currently about fifty meters below the Slytherin dorms. Meals had arrived at random times, from what seemed like hours apart, to mere minutes. Her escorts tossed her into a room, all white, and lit from nowhere and everywhere at the same time. A large mirror took up one wall and she cackled at it, "come out Potter...or your mudblood, or maybe your traitor friend."
"Will I do?" Hermione asked softly as she conjured a table and single chair for Pansy, she waved for Pansy to sit. Pansy just glared, "SIT DOWN BITCH." Hermione snapped. Whether it was her tone, or the flash of her eyes or what, Pansy sat. Hermione crossed to the other side of the table, and leaned on it facing Pansy.
"I want my solicitor" Pansy snapped suddenly, Hermione looked at her for a long, incredulous moment, and then laughed.
"You are being held under The Defense of the Magical Realm Act of 2006 Pansy, you have no rights. Death Eaters like yourself should pay attention to the papers, the Dark Mark allows us to hold you forever if we want. Anyone else even we would have to show just cause for detaining past a few days, but the mark gives us all the proof we need." She grinned, without a single trace of humor lighting her eyes, "Pansy we have you on conspiracy to murder, theft of magical items, kidnapping, assault, and I'm sure it won't be a strain to find something more. We don't send Death Eaters to Azkaban anymore, we put them against a wall."
"You don't have anything on me, sure I fought at Hogwarts, but that was war...even the Wizengamot has ruled that declared combatants were..."
"My parents you little bitch. We've a witness that confirms that you were the one who set up my parents to die." Hermione snarled. Her eyes grew dark as she leaned over the table. A sudden silence fell over the room, only to be interrupted by Pansy.
"Oh muggles, I forgot." Pansy smiled sweetly. Hermione's form blurred as she MOVED. Picking up Pansy, she slammed her against a wall and held her there, one handed, while the other crackled with energy. A loud sound of a door slamming open echoed in the room and the beat of several pairs of hurried boots slapped the ancient stones of the floor. Pansy suddenly dropped to the floor as Harry arrived and pulled Hermione from the Death Eater. He waved the rest of the team that had entered the room back out and forcefully led Pansy back to her chair and sat her down in it, hard. Hermione watched her balefully from a corner as Harry glared down, his hands on the table, leaning forward. Pansy looked up at him and sneered, "Oh Potter, so this is what, good Auror, bad Auror?"
Harry grinned at her, but there was no mirth in the expression, "No more like kill you right now Auror, vs. beat you for a while first then kill you Auror, you decide which." Harry replied bluntly, and the color faded in Pansy's already pale face. "Hermione was correct, any Death Eater is up for the high jump when caught, unless they prove useful. The question is, are you useful Pansy? Honestly there are few whom my wife would rather see caught, but I expect she can put up with the disappointment, if say you give us information on Lucius' whereabouts, Or even Narcissa's or any of the others. Think about it." Harry gestured with a couple of fingers over his shoulder and the pair from before dragged Pansy from the room.
"Sorry Harry," Hermione whispered apologetically as she came over.
"Don't be, I killed Pettigrew remember." He turned and put his hands on her shoulders, "Dumbledore should have let you take care of her at Hogwarts." She gave him, a small, half-smile that she more or less meant. "Let's go, I think Ron has a briefing for us."
***************************SG1 Headquarters*****************************
8:00 am.
After a nice breakfast, there were definite advantages to having the Headquarters hidden at the school, provided by the now paid Hogwarts house elves. An early reform that Dumbledore had pushed through the board of Governors. Harry and Hermione walked back to the hidden chambers in the Hogwarts dungeons. Passing easily through the entry security they entered a large, white room. An oval table was in the room, surrounded by several comfortable chairs. A large, round crystal sat in the center of the table, strange patterns of light dancing in its depths.
Walking to the head of the table, Harry dropped into the chair waiting there and leaned back. Hermione sat at his right, and sat a notepad on the table in front of her. At the other end of the table, Ron was looking over some notes in a folder, his wedding ring making little tinking sounds as he tapped his left hand on the table absently. Fred Weasley was sitting next to him, doing something with his wand that Harry probably didn't want to know about, while across from him Draco Malfoy scowled into a cup of coffee.
He was looking down at a potions text, no doubt working up study plans for his cover job. Normally, as his usual field partner, Ginny Weasley would have been sitting next to him, but she was obviously gone today. Through trial and error, they had discovered that the only one who could put up with him on a regular basis was Ginny; she only tried to kill him twice, so she got stuck with him.
Instead of her, today a newcomer was present. Valerie Sommers was a short, honey blond girl that had been recently brought into the group to take over the interrogation section. As a rule, with the exception of the founders of this team, the Aurors, hit-wizards and Unspeakables that found themselves transferred into one of the Special Groups had several years of active duty under their belts, Valerie was a special case.
She was an interrogator. She was one of the few that could go into the minds of incapacitated suspects and rip thoughts out, and insert memories in, with the ease that other wizards might show with something as trivial as a levitation spell. She was a natural Occulemes and Legilmens, and of all those present in the castle, the only ones who could resist her full powers were Harry, Hermione and Dumbledore.
They were recruited young, as they tended to not last long before they had to go on sabbaticals to recuperate their powers, and their sense of selves. In most ways these natural interrogators, were often somewhat less powerful than the average wizard and were occasionally little better than Squibs. Valerie was again a special case, as were they all, she had actually lasted four times longer than the last one so far, and her magical powers were actually rather substantial, on the order of the average Auror's.
Harry looked up, and with a glance, the doors to the room closed. "Ok, lets get started, Valerie, you're up."
The blond looked up, and nodded, she knew better than to try to probe him even by accident. She frowned as she looked over her notes in front of her, "Sir, I did not get much from the subject, I am sorry to say. She did not resist much, however I do not think she was aware of much as well."
"Anything at all, Val?" Ron inquired, taking a sip from a cup of coffee at his elbow.
She shrugged, "Maybe, she didn't know where Lucius was at the time of her capture. She had heard of a possible plan against the Quidditch World Cup this year, as you know England is hosting again. However in her thoughts she was asking why they would bother. Also she has heard rumors, of corruption of certain Ministry officials, but we have heard those same rumors, and she really didn't know of any for sure. That's about it, sorry boss." She shrugged, looking down the table at Harry. A sudden thought crossed her mind, "Oh now that I think about it before I go, Harry can I take off a couple of weeks in August to flit over to the Colonies to visit my sister? She's working for the American CIA these days."
"Yeah sure Valerie, and why you bring it up, everyone please make sure that your reports are using their vacations. As to work, Ron use your contacts in the Sport and Games division to see if we can get some agents in place for the World Cup, just in case. It probably won't amount to much, the Death Eaters have threatened every year since that last one in England." He turned his head to his right, "Mione you want to go?"
"What about the kids?"
"Take 'em?" Harry shrugged. "It's probably safe enough. Like I said, it gets threatened every year."
"So we can be the irresponsible parents with little kids performing underage magic and flying on training brooms in front of muggles...sure." Hermione replied with a grin.
"Uh hem," Ron coughed from the other end of the table, "We have other topics today...sir." His eyes twinkling.
Harry sighed, as his thoughts went back to current events, "Yeah we do, we need to have a twenty four hour watch on Ginny's beacon, if she triggers it we go. Hermione has the field agents, Fred get with George and have a full loadout prepped for the teams. Make sure that we're loaded for bear, we have been getting rumors that Malfoy has enlisted Vampires and Werewolves in addition to his standard Death Eaters." He sighed, looked around, "Ok that's it, get going."
A/N: Ok there's your weekly allotment of the train slowly rolling downhill....