The Battle Standard
by Jardyn39
Chapter 20 - The Committee
Harry crossed the almost deserted Ministry foyer over to the security desk. Since he had left the hilltop viewing area he had been deciding how he should approach Scrimgeour. The Minister had offered to help, but somehow he had to make sure all the Ministry's resources would be dedicated to the protection of Hogwarts.
He hoped he would not need to ask Kingsley Shacklebolt to stop the Aurors dividing their numbers to protect the Muggles.
For himself, Harry was determined to return to the battlefield. He hoped he might make a little difference, but in truth he was expecting Miss Alice's forces to be comprehensively defeated.
He also knew he would hold Mice Alice personally responsible for the deaths that would be suffered in a few short hours.
"I'd like to see Minister Scrimgeour, please."
"He's not seeing anyone," said the watch-wizard sharply without looking up.
"Please tell him that Harry Potter would like a word. It really is urgent."
The guard looked up and said, "Hang on, I think I've a message here for you."
He shuffled through an odd assortment of papers with no success and them seemed to remember where he'd left the message. He dived under the counter and emerged with a small scroll of parchment.
"Right. This was left here this morning. It says here you are to go up to Level Four as soon as you arrive."
"Thanks," said Harry, turning away.
"Hang on! I still need you to check your wand in."
*
Harry stepped off the elevator at the Fourth Level. He'd shared the short ride with an extraordinary number of flying memos.
It was only when he stepped out into the lobby, when he wondered why Scrimgeour wanted to see him here. He supposed that the Minister wanted to keep their meeting quiet.
Harry pushed open the pair of doors and went inside.
There was a small reception desk with an "Enquiries" sign, but no-one was about.
Harry was about to see if anyone was in one of the offices, when the doors were pushed open again and someone else entered.
"Sorry to keep you, dear," said the smiling witch, sitting down behind her desk. "I just popped out to deliver a report and I'm afraid we got gossiping."
Harry smiled and said, "The security desk downstairs sent me up here. I've come to see Minister Scrimgeour."
She frowned slightly and asked, "What name, dear?"
"Harry Potter."
"I'm sorry, but you're not in the appointments book and I wasn't expecting to see Minister Scrimgeour today. Let me just see if I can find someone who knows what is going on. Wait here, would you, dear?"
She got up and hurried along to the end of the corridor where she knocked gently at an open door.
"I'm sorry to disturb you," Harry heard her say, "only there's a young man here."
Harry didn't hear the response from inside the room, but she answered, "Harry Potter."
She turned and waved back at Harry with a smile.
"Mr Potter? Would you like to come this way? You are expected, after all."
Harry smiled and headed towards her.
*
Harry drifted in and out of consciousness. In his more lucid states, he tried to make sense of what had happened.
He remembered walking towards the smiling witch.
She had offered him tea, which he had refused.
He had looked into the open doorway, expecting to see Scrimgeour. Instead, an elderly looking wizard had stood and shot a stunner right at him. No warning had been given at all.
Harry had dived and the witch screamed as the spell narrowly missed her.
He remembered her shouting, "What are you doing, Henry?"
Harry stunned the old man before he could respond but then he'd been hit several times in his back by more stunners.
Finally, Harry succumbed to sleep.
*
Harry woke with a start. He was lying awkwardly on a cold floor.
"Where am I?" he asked himself.
"Ah, you're awake?"
Harry rolled over and got up at once. He was in a small room. Before him sat the old wizard who had fired at him, sitting at a desk scratching notes with a long quill. They were separated by a metal grille with solid looking bars.
Harry leaned against the bars and looked out.
The desk seemed to be in a corridor that looked very much like the Ministry corridor.
"Why did you fire at me? I must see Scrimgeour at once," he demanded.
"It seemed a reasonable precaution at the time, given your reputation and the seriousness of the charges against you. As for Minister Scrimgeour, I'm sure he must have better things to do."
"Charges? What charges?"
"I've been waiting here patiently to take your statement, Mr Potter, so don't try my patience. I've had to let Gladys go early, so I'm having to do this myself. You rather upset her."
"How did I upset her?"
"Well, she doesn't approve of firing at one's back."
"Good for her. Who did fire at me, anyway?" Harry asked darkly.
"Now, while I was waiting I have written down the pertinent facts for your statement. I only need a couple more details and then you can sign it."
"How can it be my statement then?"
"How long has the house elf Kreacher been owned by you?"
"What?" asked Harry in confusion. "What business is that of yours?"
"This is an official investigation, Mr Potter. The Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures takes a very dim view of non-co-operation and this is likely to be reflected in their sentencing."
"I'm not signing any statement."
"Really? Well, you obviously can't be in much of a hurry to leave then. I can detain you indefinitely until you provide me with a statement."
Harry thought of Scrimgeour and wondered how long he'd been kept here already.
"What time is it?"
"I'm asking the questions, Mr Potter."
"Go to hell."
"Tsk. Tsk," said the old man, standing and picking up the lantern. "The Department Committee will be most disappointed with your attitude. I'll have no alternative but to recommend the severest penalties."
He walked away and the corridor and the room Harry was in became dark.
Harry tried to Disapparate himself out but his head was still spinning. He wasn't sure if he was being prevented from escaping or not. He also wondered dimly where his wand was.
He found the rear wall and slid down to sit on the cold floor.
He'd known that the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures would not approve of the way he treated Kreacher, but he wasn't aware of actually breaking any laws. Of course, he had no idea what the laws relating to house elf ownership actually were.
What bothered him more, however, was how the Committee had learnt of this.
His thoughts kept drifting back to Mrs Longbottom's disapproving comments about Kreacher. He couldn't believe that she would turn informant, but who else was there?
Gradually, Harry began to doze off to sleep.
*
Harry woke with Voldemort's high unnatural laugh still ringing in his ears. He wiped the sweat off his forehead and tried to recollect the dream he'd just had.
Voldemort had been standing over Miss Alice. She was bound and lying at his feet as he laughed and mocked her stupidity.
Voldemort had tried to read her mind, but all he could see was an image of the giant red cauldron.
Miss Alice twisted painfully to look up defiantly.
"If you want to read our minds, you'll have to actually destroy that cauldron. It's in a bunker under Muggle military control. You'd need an army to get down there"
"Oh, but I have one now!"
"Unfortunately, what's left of them is heading in the wrong direction."
"You seem terribly sure of yourself," observed Voldemort lightly. "Unfortunately, you are only partly correct. I'm about to join my forces and we will travel north together. We'll be starting out from London, of course."
"What?"
"Yes, dear lady. London."
"But-"
"Crucio!"
*
Harry found himself being shaken awake.
"Neville?"
"Harry, are you okay?"
"I'm not sure," he said as Neville helped him to his feet. "What are you doing here?"
Harry found his legs were stiff and shaky from lying on the cold floor for so long.
"Well, Gladys Bains who works here, has a sister called Norma. Norma was a friend of my Mum's. She still visits her sometimes in St Mungos and always sends me a birthday card. Anyway, Gladys tried to contact Minister Scrimgeour but he's gone missing."
"Missing?" Harry repeated thickly.
"Yes. Gladys contacted Norma to ask what she should do. She was afraid that if she complained to the security watch-wizard she might be arrested if he was in league with the Committee."
Neville managed to get Harry out into the corridor which was now normally lit. Harry began to come to himself and leaned on the corridor wall a moment.
"Norma contacted Gran straight away and asked her to tell Professor McGonagall what happened," continued Neville. "I was there when she got the message. We decided we ought to come and get you."
"We?"
"Yes. Come on, we should hurry up and get out of here."
Harry staggered along the corridor, shaking his head to clear his mind.
Ron emerged from an open doorway and grinned at him.
"There you are. What kind of an idiot would come here unescorted and allow himself to be captured?"
Harry snorted and nodded, knowing he deserved that rebuke.
Ron handed him his wand.
"Thanks."
"I've tied up the Committee members that were here, obviously, but you'll probably need to get Scrimgeour to make them drop the charges against you."
"No," said Harry firmly. "Are they here?"
"Er, yeah. They're in there."
"Are they conscious?"
"Yes, but I can soon knock them out if you want?"
Harry walked into the room. Before him was a long table and about half the seats each held a bound and struggling Committee member.
Seeing him, they stopped struggling and stared fearfully at Harry.
"I may not know the Wizarding laws as well as I should," said Harry calmly, "but I'm fairly sure that you all acted illegally this evening. Whether or not you did break the law will be a matter to be decided later.
"As for the charges against me, I have no intention of getting them dropped. If I have broken any laws, I'll take full responsibility for my actions, as must you. If you have a complaint, you will use lawful means to pursue it.
"I'm going now. There will be a battle tomorrow and many lives will be lost. I'll be fighting on the side against Voldemort."
Most of the Committee members shuddered and emitted muffled noises.
"Right now, I'm prepared to give you the benefit of the doubt and regard your actions as officious rather than actually working for Voldemort's interests.
"However," he added darkly, "if you ever obstruct or interfere with anyone working for the destruction of Voldemort, you may expect to answer to me."
Harry turned and exited the room. Neville closed the door as Harry walked to the lifts.
He turned before pushing the pair of doors open and was surprised to see that neither Ron nor Neville had moved. They both stared at him.
"What?"
"Harry, mate," said Ron weakly. "They're only stupid Committee members."
"Y- You sounded like you would kill them," stuttered Neville.
Harry didn't know what to say. He honestly didn't know what he would do.
"Let's go. I promised to be back before dawn. What time is it?"
*
Harry walked purposely out of the lift with Ron and Neville hurrying to keep up. Ahead, lying on the polished hardwood floor was the watch-wizard Ron and Neville had knocked out earlier. He was just beginning to wake up.
Harry pointed his wand out and summoned the hapless guard. He slid across a few feet and then Harry hoisted him into the air before him, his back and arms forced back painfully until he cried in pain. His wand clattered uselessly to the floor.
"Where is Scrimgeour?" demanded Harry.
"I don't know," the guard responded between gasps of pain.
Harry flicked his wand making him twist back further and forcing him to cry out in pain.
"He's gone to join the Aurors, but I don't know where they are."
Harry lifted his wand and the guard collapsed to the floor in a heap.
"I want both of you to go to Hogwarts and get everyone ready for an attack. Get Professor McGonagall to send messages to Hogsmeade. They need to evacuate as soon as possible."
"No, Harry," said Neville. "I want to help."
"Yeah, me too," added Ron.
"Listen," said Harry firmly. "The battle will be lost before it even starts. At best all we will achieve is a slight reduction in their numbers. The full force will attack Hogwarts direct. Please believe me when I say you will be of more use if you help protect the school."
They were silent for a moment before Ron said quietly, "Okay, Harry. Whatever you say."
Neville remained silent, but Harry didn't push him for a response.
The guard made a sudden grab for his wand but Harry had blasted him with a stunner before he could aim it.
"I had another vision tonight," said Harry. "I'm not sure, but I think Miss Alice has been captured. I'm going to the battleground now. I'm hoping that Scrimgeour and the Aurors will be at Hogwarts. If they are at the battleground I'll try to get them to go to Hogwarts before the fighting starts."
Ron nodded and headed over to the fireplaces.
Neville stood rooted to the spot.
"It wasn't Gran, Harry," he said seriously. "She promised me she didn't inform on you to the Committee."
Harry nodded and smiled.
"I think the Committee is the least of our worries right now, Neville. Don't worry about it."
Neville looked like he wanted to say something further, but Ron called to him and he made his way over to the fireplaces. A moment later they were gone.
Harry closed his eyes and tried to calm himself.
Something was happening within him that he neither understood nor liked. Both Ron and Neville had seen it too.
Somehow a coldness and ruthlessness that perhaps had always been part of his nature, but now no longer felt quite so uncomfortable.
He took another long, deep breath.
There was no longer any doubt in his mind as to what he must do now. He had been worried about whether or not he would know the moment he stepped over the line and become what he detested.
He smirked to himself, remembering his older counterpart's description of himself having taken a running jump towards the dark side.
He too was about to take his own running jump at that line.
He wondered what price he would pay, although he half knew already.
Hermione must have seen it in him for ages now. No wonder she was so upset.
As his feelings of bitterness grew, he felt the Kemmynadow curses stir deep within him like a coiled snake preparing to strike.
With a last look at the gold ring that seemed to confirm his emerging status as a Dark Wizard, Harry Disapparated away.