The Kemmynadow Betrayal
by Jardyn39
Chapter 14 - Privet Drive
Dudley shrugged himself away from Harry's grip as soon as he could.
"Where the hell are we?"
"Don't you recognise the place?" asked Harry, lighting his wand and shining it around the dark room.
"What happened?"
"Well, to be honest it wasn't in great shape when I left here," admitted Harry, looking at the smashed windows and temporary plywood security boarding beyond. "But it looks like some uninvited guests have been here too."
He shone the wand light over the fireplace at the chimney breast.
Sure enough, there was a painted outline of a skull with a snake in its mouth.
"What is that?"
"That is Voldemort's sign. They call it the Dark Mark. He just wanted us to know that he knows where I lived and who you are."
"So, you weren't just making it up like Dad thought?"
"No, Dudley."
"What was the one I hit trying to do?"
"Yes, I wanted to ask you about that," said Harry, conjuring two tall candles which he placed on the mantelpiece before lighting them.
The feeble candle light was enough to see by. All the furniture was in splinters and something had been poured onto the carpet.
"Tell me exactly what you heard and felt," said Harry.
"Well, everything began to go all misty," began Dudley. "I suddenly felt really relaxed, like I hadn't a care in the world. Then he said something like I'm your friend, I'm going to help you."
"What else?"
"Well, I wasn't about to let someone like you to tell me that he's my friend. The mist went and I could see him clearly. I stepped over and clocked 'im one."
"Yes, I saw that part. What I can't figure out is how you managed to break the spell so easily. It took me a few goes before I could do it."
"But, it is possible?"
"Oh, yes. But not everyone can resist. That's the reason why it's important. If you were under someone's control, you wouldn't be able to help yourself from doing exactly whatever they told you to. That could include killing me-"
"He should have just asked me then," Dudley interrupted, laughing.
"Or even," continued Harry seriously, "killing your parents."
Dudley stopped laughing immediately.
"Is the rest of the house like this?" he asked.
"I imagine so," said Harry, who had been watching Dudley's eyes vary carefully. There was no indication at all that he was under the influence of the Imperious Curse. He certainly doubted that the wizard had ordered Dudley to step over and punch him.
Dudley turned to kick over a broken picture frame and shifted his left arm awkwardly. Harry realised he was concealing something under his jacket and grabbed his arm. Several video cases fell to the floor.
"Dudley, I didn't get you away from there so you could steal those videos!"
"Hey, I might've been on my way to pay for them, for all you know."
"How were you even going to play them?"
"Well, I know where I can get rid of bent gear for cash."
"Most enterprising."
"Yeah, I thought so," said Dudley with a sneer. He bent down to pick them up again, but Harry was too quick for him. The tapes burned quickly and melted into what remained of Aunt Petunia's precious living room carpet.
Furious, Dudley straightened up and drew his arm back ready to throw another punch. As he did so his jacket opened, making Harry gasp.
"How long have you had that T shirt?"
"What?" said Dudley who was clearly distracted. "I found it. I assumed it was yours. One of the elf things resized it for me."
Emblazoned on the back was a large Weasleys Wizarding Wheezes logo and right underneath it were the words, "I'm shielded. Don't you wish you were?"
"Let's go back," suggested Harry, extinguishing the candles. "Come here, I need to grab you again."
"What's that smell? I mean other than the melted plastic."
"I'd rather not know," said Harry, dowsing the remains of the tapes in water from his wand tip.
There was a smashing sound from the back of the house. Harry didn't hesitate. He grabbed Dudley's arm and Disapparated them away.
They Apparated onto the steps immediately outside the front door to Number Twelve. Harry unlocked the door and pushed Dudley inside.
They were immediately grabbed by Aunt Petunia.
"Oh, I was so worried!" she said tearfully.
Dudley managed to shrug her off but her other arm held onto Harry. He realised she had mistakenly thought she had only caught Dudley and waited for her to realise her mistake. Aunt Petunia had never hugged him once; not in his entire life.
"Thank you, Harry," she whispered hoarsely, bursting into tears.
*
"Well, at least we know that Fred and George's shield clothes actually work," said Hermione smiling. She and Harry were waiting alone in the underground Briefing Room.
"True."
"Harry, I'm really sorry. I had no idea he was even in the lobby. Still, I should have been more careful."
"Apparently he'd been hiding and waiting for someone to come in all day," said Harry. "He arranged for the Troll's leg to fall over as the door opened to create a distraction so he could get away un-noticed."
"I was more worried about anyone getting in than getting out."
"Well, I don't think he'll be wanting to go out again for a while. I took him back to Privet Drive and it looks like you were right. Voldemort knows where I lived now."
"If only your Aunt had been prepared to tell me the truth instead of waiting for you to get back."
"Well, I think it was a while before she realised he was missing herself. She persuaded Kreacher to open the door for her. I think she was hoping he would come back before any of us knew anything about it."
"Perhaps you should have just forbade him, especially after he opened the door before."
"No, I couldn't show him any less trust than I have with Dobby, especially given the number of restrictions I've placed upon him as it is. Besides, what if they really did need to get out in an emergency?"
Hermione looked at him wide eyed and said, "Do realise what you just said, Harry?"
"What if there was a fire or something?"
"No, Harry. You said you couldn't show Kreacher any less trust."
"So?"
Hermione smiled widely at him and said, "If you're not careful you'll get a reputation for trusting people when others would not."
Harry shrugged and looked down, for some reason not entirely comfortable to accept the compliment she was paying him.
"I do wish you could have come back to the Burrow last night, though," she continued sadly.
"Aunt Petunia seemed keen for me to stay." Harry smiled and asked, "How's Mrs Weasley?"
"Still mad at me for leading everyone down Knockturn Alley," Hermione admitted. "Ron wouldn't even dare to go home last night. He insisted upon staying in the Room of Requirement after we dropped all the books off."
Harry laughed.
"Still, at least Ginny let me finish off blasting her stake before dinner."
"Hey, that was their homework!"
"Well, there was hardly any left. Luna had finished hers and Neville's was almost down to the ground."
"Yes, I was thinking earlier how much better they have got," said Harry. "Is Ron ever planning to move out of the Room of Requirement?"
"I didn't give him a choice," said Hermione. "I told him I would hex him if he hadn't gone home to apologise before we got there tonight."
"Thanks. The last thing we need is another family split."
"Yes, the same thing occurred to me. But to be honest, I wanted us to have the Room alone tonight. Harry, I really do need to bring you up to speed with the things I've found so far."
Harry nodded as the door opened and in came a distracted looking Miss Alice.
"I also wanted," began Hermione in an urgent whisper, but she trailed off seeing Miss Alice's expression.
She placed a large folder on the table and said solemnly, "I think I'm going to have to call the Archive mission off."
"Why?" demanded Harry. "Has anything happened?"
She looked up and said, "I can't think of any way that we can read the Archive. Even if we got in there, what would be the point?"
"Well," said Hermione slowly, "I've been giving that some thought."
Miss Alice perked up immediately as Hermione opened her bag and brought out several pieces of parchment, an ink bottle and a quill.
"I've been doing as much reading as I can about magical methods of copying documents. I thought you'd like to see a couple of small demonstrations?"
Miss Alice nodded enthusiastically, and dragged her chair closer.
"The wizarding world does not use paper made from timber pulp. Instead we use cotton and also Papyrus occasionally.
"The interesting thing is, I always thought that the paper types were because of tradition. However, it turns out that cellulose based paper is difficult to copy magically. The same is true of writing other than in traditional ink.
"Now, copying individual pieces of paper can be done fairly simply, in a number of ways."
Hermione wrote two simple sentences on a blank piece of parchment and then held up her wand.
"We can either transfer the writing to another piece of paper," she said, placing one sheet above another blank one and waving her wand over the first sentence. "As you can see, the manuscript is duplicated quite easily. Even First Years can do this kind of copying with a little practice."
Harry mused, remembering how long it had taken her to teach him how to do it.
"The second simple method is a little more advanced," said Hermione, waving her wand at the parchment. There was a crack and a faint wisp of while smoke as the single sheet became two. Hermione pulled the sheets apart and held up two identical looking pages.
"This method duplicates the paper as well as the text. Now, what I didn't realise until recently was that both these methods are almost impossible with cellulose based paper and ball point pen ink."
"I see," said Miss Alice. "Kingsley told me about that kind of copying."
Harry smiled. Of course she would have quizzed Kingsley endlessly on this.
"Did he also explain about mass duplication?"
"He knew there was a difference, but not much more than that."
"Well, these methods of duplication are fine for small amounts of copying, but there are situations when something more efficient is called for. For instance, if a book needs to be duplicated."
"Or the Daily Prophet?" said Miss Alice.
"Exactly. The Daily Prophet uses a system very similar to traditional newspaper printing, except the paper is manufactured to allow moving images to be reproduced. The ink used is charmed to be compatible with the paper. The really clever part is the engraving plates upon which the text and pictures are formed in reverse."
"Those are metal sheets, aren't they?"
"You are thinking of Muggle presses, but actually yes, they are a kind of metal. The main difference is that the surface isn't fixed. It is charmed to vary so moving images can be reproduced. They need a new set of plates for every edition."
"But that isn't how the Archive would work, is it?"
"No. I managed to find a brief paragraph in one reference that made it clear that the Archive does not store physical paper."
"Oh, dear," said Miss Alice. "I was afraid of something like this. So, there really is no chance of us copying it."
"Hang on," said Hermione. "I didn't say that. The Ministry sends paper and receives paper back. There has to be a point where one format is converted to another."
"And you think we can access that process?"
"Not really," admitted Hermione. "You see, if the Archive is in Kent, it wouldn't really make much sense for the paper to be converted outside of the Ministry."
"So, we should be planning to raid the Ministry?" asked Harry doubtfully.
"No," they both answered at once.
Harry decided he should go back to listening in silence.
"I think there must be a form of control at the Archive; one that accepts instructions, telling it either where to store a record or what record to retrieve. The instruction won't be anything physical, but from the descriptions I've found about an earlier reference library at the Ministry, it sounds like something visual."
"So, if we were able to install a video camera in the right place?" suggested Miss Alice.
"Yes, in theory we'd be able to read all incoming and outgoing records."
"But, how could we recall records?"
"I wondered about a light projector? It would need to be controlled remotely, and would have to close down as soon as a real message came in."
"Yes, otherwise the Ministry would know," agreed Miss Alice.
Their deliberations were interrupted by a very loud growl.
"Sorry," said Harry, rubbing his stomach.
Miss Alice looked down at her watch and asked, "Have you two eaten yet? The canteen should still be open, but there may not be much on offer."
*
They entered the large white tiled dining room and walked up to the serving counter that contained absolutely no food at all.
After a moment, a rotund fierce looking bearded man in a chef's uniform came through the archway leading to the cooking area. As wide as the arch was, he only just managed to clear the opening.
A small smile appeared on his face as he shook his head in mock pity.
"You know this kitchen operates twenty three hours every day. We close for cleaning only one hour, and you always manage to want feeding in that hour, don't you?"
Miss Alice just crossed her arms and waited.
"Oh, alright. Come through and I'll see if I can't find you something."
He exited through the archway and they rounded the end of the long counter and followed. Harry was amazed to find the kitchen in full operation. There were rows of giant steaming kettles and he could feel the heat on his face from the ovens as they passed. The smells reminded him strongly of the school dinners at his old Primary school.
Miss Alice went straight through the kitchen and into a glass-partitioned area with a small table and six chairs. There was benching around the edges and another door that was open. Harry could see lockers beyond.
"You'll eat in here," said the Chef. "I don't allow people in the Dining Area while we clean," he explained as they sat. "Now, what do you want? Chicken or lamb? You'll have it as it comes. No chips and the salad isn't washed yet."
They gave their selections and Harry watched interestedly through the partition as the Chef set to work, leaving his dozen assistants to continue cooking the scheduled meals.
"He makes a fuss," said Miss Alice quietly, "but he actually loves any excuse to cook individually."
This certainly appeared to be true. Within minutes their meals appeared and Harry couldn't quite believe that such a delicious meal could be prepared in a canteen kitchen.
"You were saying, Hermione?" said Miss Alice as they began to eat.
"Oh, yes. Are you sure it's okay to talk here?"
A loud laugh came from the locker room and the Chef reappeared.
"You'd be amazed about the things that have been discussed at that table," he said as he exited into the cooking area. Harry noticed that the single door wasn't quite wide enough so he had to do a kind of sideways shuffle to get through. He closed the door behind him and shouted something about carrots.
Hermione placed her fork down on her plate and continued.
"Even if we assume I'm correct, there are several problems that need to be considered. Foremost, is the problem of finding a camera and projector that will work in a magical environment. As I understand it, conventional electronic shielding is useless."
"We think we have an answer to that," said Miss Alice. "We have a video camera that works in the vicinity of magic. It doesn't work very well, admittedly, but it does work."
"Remember, we expect this place to be steeped in magic," said Hermione. "Have you really tested it in extreme conditions?"
"We have tried it at Hogwarts."
"Everywhere in Hogwarts?"
"It worked in the grounds."
"How about inside the castle?"
"It worked quite close to the castle, but not at all inside. The technicians suspect it was the cables rather than the camera that needed additional shielding."
"Well, I suspected there would be all kinds of problems," said Hermione "I seriously doubt whether any amount of shielding would work. I've had an idea, though."
Miss Alice's eyes lit up.
"What we need," said Hermione carefully, "is a magical means to transfer the images to a location where there is less magic and from where your camera might work."
That is when it hit Harry.
"Mirrors," he said simply. Hermione nodded and smiled at him.
"How?"
"Mirrors," repeated Hermione, pulling a small cloth package out of her pocket. "I'd seen these before, but I didn't realise they were twinned until Dobby told me about them."
Harry nodded as Hermione carefully unwrapped the bundle to reveal two individually wrapped small square mirrors. She proceeded to open each delicate package.
"Dobby found Sirius' one only recently," said Harry. "I repaired the other one then. I was surprised I was still able to repair it, actually. It had lain broken in the bottom of my school trunk for over a year."
"I read what it said on the back, Harry," said Hermione gently. "I'm so sorry."
"I'm sorry, but how will these help?" asked Miss Alice, who had no idea of the personal significance of the mirrors to Harry.
"These are twinned mirrors," explained Hermione. "They are incredibly rare."
Harry reached over and took one of the mirrors.
"Look into the other one," he directed, standing up and holding the mirror up.
Miss Alice held the mirror up to her eye and gasped.
"If you could find a video camera and a projector around here, we could given them a try," suggested Hermione.