A/N. My apologies for the long wait. Thank you for your patience. Won't bother with excuses - I could take all day.
Much of the following is informative to help tie in what's been happening - I've confused all of us long enough! More on POTH, Malvado and the Hermione imposter. And in the end, Hugo-Harry. (No fortune teller yet - that'll be for the next scene.)
I've injected a couple more non-English words into the story. Pronounciations are generally phonetic and meanings if you're interested -
Hiwaga - mysterious, mystical.
Pag-asa - hope
Kapalaran - fate, destiny
Manananggal, maranhig and kapre are actual mythical figures and were in many scary stories I heard as a young girl.
By the way, the first part of the Portkey Forums Spotlight interview came out weeks ago. I had fun answering the questions - some of them were really difficult. For those who are interested - check it out (link below); for those who aren't - ignore the shameless plug.
This is long...
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STAFF ANNOUNCEMENT:
We'd like to thank those of you who've contributed questions for BB Ruth's interview here. Please log in Portkey's forums to read it. J We've updated it yesterday.
Thanks too to BB Ruth for being ever so accommodating.
- PK Spotlight project staff
***
XXXXXXXXXXX
Chapter 49 - The POTH
Flavius Belcher was on his way to work. His magically enhanced Muggle bicycle weaved in and out of London traffic at a hundred kilometers per hour, easily avoiding cars, buses and pedestrians. He ran a red light and almost got clipped by a Muggle bus from behind but that was nothing. Flavius was used to near crashes and minor brushes with accidents. His transport was equipped with very reliable automatic steering and anti-collision devices, so reliable that for five years his bicycle got him safely to and from work.
Five minutes out from the Ministry his ride suddenly veered off the pre-determined path.
"Smoking dragons..." he muttered moments before he crashed into a lamppost, "Aaaaah..."
He screamed as the impact sent him flying off the bicycle seat and into the air. Ill prepared for the malfunction he had no means of protecting himself. His wand was burried in his rucksack and all he could do was scream some more and brace himself for impact
"...Ahhhhh...ah?"
The impact never came. He opened his eyes in time to see that he was hovering inches from the rocky ground and then softly landed on his belly.
"Are you okay?" a man with a wand approached and asked.
"Yes, kind sir," Flavius replied exuberantly, picking himself up, "Thank you so much for your intervention."
Odd, the stranger laughed lightly and then answered, "I don't think you should be thanking me. I'm sorry but it's kind of an emergency. This isn't personal."
It was only then when he noticed that the wizard's wand was pointed at him. Flavius' facial expression turned from relief to utter confusion to complete understanding. He went over to where his bicycle was, repaired it, and, after a Geminio spell, drove one back home.
XXXXXXXXXX
Ron was still reeling from being dropped down an elevator shaft by some freak impersonating Hermione. His timely cushioning charm was the only reason he was still in one piece and he was pissed off by the fact that he had no idea what was going on. The Ministry Mediwizard had just cleared him when he was ordered to come into the 2nd level main Auror interrogation room.
What he was subjected once he got there was unreal. The past twenty minutes have been an ultimate test of patience and this is counting his experience dealing with a hormonal teenage daughter.
Trussell was red in the face, as angry as he was, their conversation getting nowhere.
"I am asking you one simple question! Did you or did you not assist Ms. Granger's escape?!"
Ron was long past his limits. He had it with Trussel's impertinent interrogation.
"First of all, I wasn't informed that her dead body was under some sort of house arrest! And secondly, how stupid can you be?! She cursed me, disarmed me, turned me into a human shield, and sent me down an elevator shaft! What about that says I helped her escape?"
"She talked to you. What did she say?" Ex Head Auror Humptail was in the room with Trussell, his role in the investigation still unclear to Ron.
He held no punches, "She said not to trust anyone. I think she meant you and you and she's usually right."
"Careful Weasley," Humptail threatened, glaring at him, trying to save face as other Aurors and MLE were watching from behind the window in front of him, "You do know you are talking to a superior."
"Sorry. I couldn't tell you were a superior from how this investigation is going," Ron returned his glare, "Can I have my wand back and do some work now?"
"That's it. Arrest him," Humptail ordered.
"What?!" Ron exclaimed incredulously.
"What?" Trussell, looking very confused, said the same thing almost at the same time.
Humptail wasn't too pleased with Trussell's hesitation. He took out his wand and pointed it at Ron.
"Incarcerous!"
Metal restraints wrapped around his wrists and ankles before he could avoid the hex.
"What the fuck...?!"
"Merlin..." Trussell stammered, unsure about it's necessity.
Ron was livid, the chains clattering against each other as he pulled on them, his voice breaking as he yelled at Humptail, "On what grounds are you arresting me?!"
"For starters, disrespecting a superior, section 17.5.6 of the 2012 revised MLE code of conduct, which coincidentally your ex-wife authored."
"Rubbish! She'd know better than writing something like that! Half the department would be cited if that were fact, including her!"
Humptail ignored his logical retort, "By refusing to cooperate with our questioning you are also impeding an active investigation, obstructing justice and aiding the escape of Ms. Granger."
"I am cooperating! It's not my fault you gits don't like my answers!"
"And lastly, undermining the Office of the Minister?"
"You've got to be kidding me!?"
"Potter obviously has information that is vital to the Borgin and Burkes murders that he hasn't shared," Ron was shocked at his knowledge, "You are helping him hide information vital to national security and to the protection of the Office of the Minister. That is treason."
"You are out of your mind!" Ron screamed at him, "You washed up asshole! You were dismissed for good reason and now you're trying to slither your way back into office! On whose authority are you making this arrest!"
"On the Minister of Magic's," Humptail smiled taunting him.
Humptail then turned his back and made his way to the exit followed closely by a flabbergasted Trussell.
"Come back here! I want legal! I want my one owl! Harry Potter is still the Head Auror!"
Humptail and Trussell ignored him, making him angry even more. Several Interior Affairs MLE filed into the room as Humptail opened the door and the former Head Auror barked out orders.
"Put him in lock-up, no visitors, no owls, and no phone calls until I say so. Then gather up the rest of Potter's spies and lock them up too. Anyone caught fraternizing with them or sympathizing with Potter gets the same VIP treatment."
"Isn't that illegal?" Trussell wondered out loud.
"Auror emergency powers are legal during perceived threats to the Office of Minister and to national security, at least until the Wizengamot convenes and decides otherwise."
"What about Harry?"
Ron overheard them. He racked his brains for ideas on how to get word to Harry overseas. But before he could come up with something, more people came into the interrogation room. Crap. Triple crap. It was the Ministry Legilimiens team.
XXXXXXXXXX
After escaping from a London Ministry freezer and eluding British law enforcement, disguised IMP Maria Ortega Portkeyed out of Great Britain and transported back to a town in the province of Kapalaran in the Philippines, a country of seven thousand islands and about one hundred million Muggles, non-Muggles and beings. She made a few rounds through the crowded market area then, after diligently assuring nobody followed her, found a secluded nook and morphed into her preferred appearance. She completely blended in with the local folk. Though she had not lived here in decades she was born in Hiwaga some seventy-five years ago.
Despite her real age she did not look a day over thirty, a perk of being what she was. She hailed a jeepney, a four wheeled Muggle mode of public transportation, and hopped on with the twenty others already on board. While there were quicker and more comfortable means to get to her ultimate destination, Malvado's men and his Muggle spies were always watching and monitoring unusual magical activity. Apparating would be risking detection and compromising the safety of others. An hour into the bumpy ride she asked to be dropped off halfway down a stretch of unpaved road coursing between two heavily forested mountains.
A couple of passengers, older folk, glanced at her through the billowing dust as the jeepney rolled away. She'd have to let the others know that the more sensitive Muggle folk were beginning to sense them in the area and that unless they neutralized Malvado soon a move would be most wise.
The jeepney disappeared at the bend up ahead. She walked down a short path that curved around the largest weeping willow tree. Now hidden from the main road and under forest cover, she looked to her right, to her left and behind, then scanned the area for magical presence. Detecting the expected, she gazed up the willow, her eyes settling on the portion where the branches were thickest. There she made out the long limbs and piercing orbs of the crouched tree-dwelling, tobacco-smoking giant, Kapre Tonyo, the assigned lookout that afternoon. She nodded slightly in greeting and it was returned in kind.
There was no one around but her and the kapre so she took out her wand, tapped on the bark of the weeping willow and muttered an incantation. A big breath in later she was walking straight into the wide tree trunk without hesitation. In an instant, she was completely immersed in green Revelato potion, stripping off the unnatural portions of her body and propelling her down a slippery, body-hugging chute. During the five-second slide she felt the tightening grip of the wards around her, confirming her biological identity before releasing her in one dry piece to the other side.
She exhaled quickly then inhaled the same time she morphed back to her younger and more anatomically complete version. She hated the journey in every time but the security was necessary. Standing in the midst of the arrival pit the guards above gave her a long stare and then cleared her.
Maria did not use the steps. Walking was a waste of time compared to flying. When she got to the top the sight before her impressed as it did every time she came here. She still couldn't believe that such a place could exist and stay hidden for so long.
The Being village of Pag-asa, eighteen months old and counting, was just like any magical village except for the fact that very few knew of its existence. It was relatively quiet that afternoon. Many of the residents were nocturnal beings and were likely sleeping inside their wooden dwellings that intermittently interrupted the blanket of trees and plants on the face of the earthy slope. They numbered around two hundred here, families of beings of all sorts from different parts of Kapalaran and of the neighboring provinces, from vampires to werewolves to elves to kapres (tree-dwelling giants) to half-breeds and other human-like creatures like her. Pag-asa was a refugee camp for those who were on the Malvado destruction list, rewarded for their refusal to pledge allegiance to the dark wizard.
Maria had been in the region for three weeks on an unofficial capacity. The IMP had already lost many against Malvado that it was a strategic decision not to send anyone else in and the reason why they contracted out the project to Warren and others. When Warren's team was exposed and Warren went off the grid, she was one of those sent to bring him in but Warren could not trust anyone from the IMP. It was Jean who succeeded where no one else could. It was also Jean who convinced him to ask her for help when it was clear they couldn't do it on their own.
Malvado was a dark wizard like no other. Having already attempted to take Malvado out many times and failed, she joined Warren and infiltrated his gang to find out why he was invincible and how to terminate him. They had nothing, except for his claim about being a half-breed, the son of Death, something they had no way of proving or disproving. To the local beings he was a maranhig, an immortal who will only die if he chooses to pass his immortality to someone else who would willingly receive the 'gift' - not happening in Malvado's case.
His sudden interest in the Peverell Hallows was curious too, which she thought mysteriously coincided with Jean's renewed presence in the area. It had been years since the Mistress of Death was in these parts and Jean had been meticulous about keeping her true identity a secret then. Many beings here still remember her and her deeds and hold her in high regard. That night, meeting with the Being Council of Elders as the Mistress of Death although she no longer was, was a very bad idea, even if it was to convince them to help fight the Malvados.
Maria headed for her hut near the top of the hill and removed the protective wards she had around it. In the privacy of her room she morphed off the fabricated half of her body, floating in the air as the closet opened. Out came trotting her real lower half in a checkered wrap around skirt, her two parts meeting halfway and combining seamlessly.
She gave her toes a quick wiggle, relieved that they responded immediately. Three days was the longest her halves had been apart and the Healer who fixed her up then strongly advised against prolonged natural separation. Anything longer than twenty four hours could make the separation permanent and eventually kill her. She had good reason to be pissed at Warren for not rescuing her from the Ministry morgue sooner.
As human as she looked in most countries including here she would be classified as a being without rights even with her reasonable wand skills so she chose to live as a witch. Maria came from generations of the manananggal, beings unique to this part of the world who possess the ability to divide their bodies at the waist. Inherently predatory and difficult to kill like vampires, the manananggal's aerodynamic and resilient upper half was meant to hunt for prey while their weaker lower half was left somewhere safely hidden and far away from danger. Although she hated being called what she was, it was this being trait and her acquired biomorphic talent that made her special and perfect for IMP mercenary work before that program was scrapped in favour of more acceptable methods. Substituting for Jean during the attack, while last minute, was a no-brainer.
"Maria!"
A woman called out to her as she stepped out onto her porch. They spoke in the vernacular.
"Thank God you're all right," Gracie said as she approached her.
"Did Jean make it?" Maria asked to the point, hungry for news.
"She's...um...alive," the vampire replied tentatively, then, sensing that she was about to go on a tirade, headed her off, "Look I know you're upset. It's..."
"Upset? I just spent two days in a fridge. Why would I be upset about that?" she retorted with sarcasm, not hiding her ire, "Him, I can understand not caring but I would have thought you would do something!"
"Things got complicated and busy," was Gracie's lame excuse.
"Do I look like I care? He was supposed to replace me with a permanent corpse after forensics was done with me. What if I was too damaged to regain consciousness?" Maria couldn't contain herself and then asked, looking at the dwelling a couple of huts over, "Where is she? Where is he?"
"She's, um...not here and he um...went to make a delivery."
"I want to talk to him, now," Maria demanded.
As Gracie sent Warren a coded message through one of those hard-to-figure-out antiquated Muggle hand-held radios, she scanned the rest of the village. Her eyes narrowed at the sight of two Caucasian human-smelling teenagers in the clearing who appeared to be teaching wand use to several younger beings. The more she looked at them the more familiar their features became and the first thought that came to her as she finally recognized them was that Jean would never have allowed this. She turned to Gracie who was already sporting this guilty and anxious look on her face.
Maria said to her in a chastising tone, "Tell me they're not who I think they are."
XXXXXXXXXX
Meanwhile, inside the Minister of Magic's Office, Deputy Head Auror Hank Trussell was debriefing Minister Jericho about the breach.
"What are you saying?" the Minister asked.
"I'm saying that Hermione Granger has risen from the dead," Hank replied.
"Are you certain?" the DOM Head Max queried.
"I fought her myself," Hank countered boastfully, although Leo doubted that very much.
"So why did she leave? It doesn't make sense that she didn't stay to talk," the Minister said to himself.
"Who cares if she doesn't want to talk?! It makes less sense that she's alive after almost three days in an ice box," Ex-Head Auror Hector Humptail pointed out.
The Minister had brought in the retired wizard to consult on the Malvado case and already he was regretting his decision. There was something unsettling about the ex-Auror's tone, like he was taking over. His departure from office had been unpleasant and Hector had always blamed Hermione and, to some extent, Harry for his early retirement
Hector added, "But then again we shouldn't be surprised. She was lured by the Dark Arts before. This only means that she is in fact working with Gates and Malvado."
"That's the most ridiculous thing I've ever heard," Leo couldn't believe what Hector was saying, "It was Malvado who killed her, or tried to anyway."
"Or so we are all being made to believe," it was Hector again, "What if it was all a ruse? Think about it. With her death and resurrection your Head Auror has all but abandoned his post, her ex-husband has, I suspect and will soon prove, aided and abetted in her escape, your constituents are confused, and she is on the brink of turning into some legendary deity. In the meantime our forces are scattered and our defences are considerably weakened. Dark wizards and witches have already taken advantage of our misguided priorities. Even if she isn't working with Malvado, she might as well be for she is causing exactly what Malvado wants, chaos in your Ministry and in your country. It shows your weakness, exposing to the people so they will clamour for change..."
"Enough!"
"Leo, I'm just saying, the robberies, the murders, Malvado, people are more likely to blame you for mishandling that more than they will Potter, unless you do something about it."
"What are you suggesting?"
"Take charge of your Ministry and that includes the Auror department," Hector encouraged. "Tell the people the truth; that Granger has gone off on her own and that Potter abuses his power, that he has been using Ministry resources, using his position, to advance personal agendas. The Auror office is not his private army."
As if on cue Trussell handed him official Ministry documents - terminations, transfers, and appointments. The very first one was the sacking of Harry Potter.
He hesitated. He needed Harry to get Malvado off his back but at the same time he couldn't be Minister for much longer if Harry remained the Head Auror. This moment was an opportunity, one that would discredit him and, with his hands full with Malvado, he wouldn't be able to fight it. If the Minister waited until the dust settled he would likely be too late.
As for Hermione he didn't care much about her then so he didn't care now. He was fighting for political survival. Sensing his lack of decisiveness, the wizard he trusted most in the room spoke up.
"I caution against this. Are you certain you have your bases covered?"
"You're either on our side or Harry's side," Hank challenged Max, "Pick a team."
Max wasn't ruffled, "I am on my side which is the Minister's side. I'm just pointing out that Potter is popular not only with the public but also with his men and the Wizengamot. I trust that you two can handle the Aurors and MLE. But we all know that it is the Wizengamot that determines who sits in this office. A misstep will cost you your job and all of us our jobs. Do you think it is a good time to re-tool the MLE and Auror office now when there are murders to be solved and Malvado is on the loose?"
"The Malvado problem is not here but halfway across the world," Hank clarified, "And Harry is using our limited resources to chase the guy down because of some personal vendetta. It is clear that his judgment is severely impaired."
"But will the Wizengamot buy it?"
Hector responded, "It is the truth. Why wouldn't they?"
Having heard the arguments and with not much choice, Leo magically signed the documents revamping the MLE and the Auror office effective immediately. He summoned his assistant, told her to get in touch with the Supreme Mugwump and to set up a meeting as soon as possible.
Then he turned to his new Head Auror Trussell and ordered, "The Wizengamot will convene tomorrow. I want a sense of normalcy by then. Institute the changes to the Auror ranks immediately and as quietly as possible. I don't want any trouble from his men."
"There won't be trouble. Dissenters will be terminated and if necessary, incarcerated," Hank reassured him with confidence, "And don't worry about the press. They know to print the truth."
"Good. Good."
In the back of his mind Leo wondered what Malvado would think of this move. He hoped the dark wizard wouldn't see it for what it was or that he would be too busy tracking down the Peverell cloak to notice.
XXXXXXXXXX
Harry shifted the blinds slightly and looked out the window. From twenty stories up he watched the tiny dots of people filing into the fair grounds on Luneta Park across the street. They were in the Phillipine metropolitan city of Manila, checked into a local Muggle hotel after finding out that the fortune-teller wasn't in until nine that night.
It was just as well. They both needed a rest. Hugo was on one of the double beds fast asleep. It was half past seven local time and the travelling to and from Britain and Canada had finally caught up with the teenager.
Refreshed from a three hour nap himself, he Impertubed himself a corner and got in touch with Ted.
"How is she?" he enquired.
"The same," his godson replied.
It was a letdown. He was hoping Ted would have better news. Already he was questioning the sanity of not taking her to St. Mungo's right away but he had acquired some of Warren's paranoia and he couldn't leave her at the hospital unless he could be there.
He contemplated how long they were supposed to wait and then a horrible thought crossed his mind. What if she never woke up? What if not taking her to a Healer now was making her worse?
Harry was so tempted to go back to London. The truth of the matter was he was sceptical that this fortune-teller or the information that Hugo's friend had given them was going to help. Hermione was key to all this. If Hermione didn't wake up soon he'd have no choice but to challenge Malvado blind. Not that he was afraid; he just preferred to be somewhat more prepared and not to be blatantly stupid.
Ted interrupted his thoughts, "Gummy came. He's here."
The second Ted mentioned Gummy's name his Auror instincts took over.
"Are you sure it's him?"
"His signatures check out and we don't have any reason to think otherwise," Ted reasoned, "He allowed me into his mind and he seems understanding enough that the elves have him at wand point and won't let him near Hermione."
That didn't prove anything. He didn't like the fact that someone uninvited was in Grimmauld with them.
"Why did he come?" Harry asked.
"He says someone told him to and to stay until the others arrived?"
"Who told him?"
"He couldn't say."
"Which others?"
"He couldn't say either. I sense he's waiting for the rest of the POTH but he should know by now that almost all of them are dead," Ted answered, He's not exactly a chatterbox. To be honest I'm not sure if he is all up there, if you know what I mean. Aside from what he said about someone telling him to come here all he says is, 'he can't say, he's not the keeper'. He won't talk about himself, not about the murders, not about POTH, and not about Malvado. And I couldn't pick anything up from voluntary Legilimiency. There's a mental barricade of some sort I can't get through."
Ted was good but not that good yet. If Hermione was indeed involved in the POTH and Gummy was POTH then this was likely her handiwork. He was exasperated at the lack of progress they were making.
"Is Ron there?"
"Not yet."
"When he comes in get him to talk with Gummy. He might be able to get through to him," he suggested, already thinking that if not, he would have to interrogate Gummy himself. He cautioned Ted, "Keep a close eye on him and don't let him anywhere near Hermione."
"Gotcha."
"Any news about Neville?"
"Still in the Hogwarts infirmary. He's fine, just shaken up. Too bad he has no recollection of what happened after putting the Snitch in his pocket," Ted replied.
When Harry first heard of the Snitch he could only think of the possibility that it contained the Resurrection Stone although it was unlikely to be the exact same Snitch Professor Dumbledore had bequeathed him years ago. And while Harry realized the Snitch could be valuable, retrieving it was not a priority at the moment.
But knowing who took it was. Already he was thinking that Leo or Malvado or the POTH had something to do with it. Ted read his next thought.
"Do you want a memory specialist to see him?"
Harry couldn't think of anyone at the Ministry they could trust, "Who do you have in mind?"
"What about Unspeakable Boots' sister?"
Parv, Padma's twin, was a St. Mungo Healer who specialized in afflictions of the mind. He was hesitant to bring her in because she was married to the Leo's grandson. Parv would do it but he didn't want to put her in a complicated situation unless there was absolutely no choice. Right now, there was no choice.
"Have Padma talk to her and ask her if she wants to be involved."
"Okay," he heard Ted scribble something on parchment, "Speaking of Unspeakable Boots, she and Dennis found out that Boris Dovalov is a Durmstrang alumni. He went to school with..."
"Max and Burkes Jr.," Harry completed for him, easily making the connection.
"Right. In school they founded this group called the Defenders of the Genius of Gelwert Grindelwald. They wanted to educate the less informed of the Dark Wizard's brilliance while at the same time acknowledging the fact that he was evil. George tracked down the retired Professor who was their group's adviser in Vladivostok. He said the three used to be inseparable. Max and Burkes continued to be close friends after Durmstrang, but not Dovalov."
"What happened?"
"There was a fall out of sorts just before graduation. George is at Durmstrang to dig up more facts."
George Bones was one of his best investigators. If there was something amiss, George would find out. He remembered Dennis' description of the conversation. Max appeared angry at the Russian Auror but the question was, what about?
"Remind George to be very careful and to let you or Ron know if he finds he's in way over his head," he said, then he noted it odd that Ron still wasn't at Grimmauld, "Ron should really be there by now."
"He must be um...stuck at the Ministry," he heard Ted hesitate then continue, "The Minister wants all MLE to report back. Jessie was also called in but she says she's staying here. I'm staying too."
He did not get any such message. Something was up and he had a good idea what. Harry recognized the risk Jessie and Ted were taking ignoring Leo's order and expressed his gratitude, then asked Ted to use his other Ministry connections to snoop around. He also advised his godson to give his wife the heads up so she wouldn't be the last to know, which reminded him that he should give Ginny a call too.
Harry did the second Ted hung up.
"He's predictable as always. He'd do anything to save his hide," Ginny assessed accurately, "He figures he should get to you before you get to him."
"It'll get a bit hot."
"I know," she wasn't worried; she was too angry at Leo to be.
He felt the need to reassure her, "I'll fix it."
"I know you will."
Ginny said she'd explain it to the children. After he hung up he thought about what Leo was attempting to do. For the plan to work Leo would need the support of others within the Ministry and a majority of the Wizengamot, particularly the Supreme Mugwump. And for that to happen they'd have to pin something bad on him, like ineptitude or treason.
Anything was possible. It wasn't hard to fabricate stuff and make anyone look bad. Harry wasn't concerned. The murders in London, the attempted murder on Hermione, they were connected to the POTH, Warren and Malvado. Getting to the bottom of that was his priority. And while much of the real investigation was covert, his chosen method was justified because it involved the Hallows, the Minister of Magic and his Office.
He had no time to be contacting the Supreme Mugwump or the key Wizengamot elders to inform them of what was going on. And really, at the moment he couldn't care less. Politics was the least of his worries. He was confident that the Aurors and MLE loyal to him would know what to do and he figured the truth about Leo would come out once he got to Malvado.
But this recent development only added to Harry's frustration. The list of people he needed to speak with was growing; Gummy, Dovalov, Max and Neville to name a few, all of them on the other side of the world. The reality was he was limited to resources and manpower he could trust, a rag-tag team of good friends and an underage partner who shouldn't be with him.
He could have done better without the latter but Hugo would never have stayed at Grimmauld and this was the only way Harry could keep an eye on him. Coming here to meet with the fortune-teller, while interesting, was likely going to be a dead end. Hugo insisted and Harry had to pick his battles. He could hardly wait to get this over and done with although for Hugo's sake he did hope the woman would get them closer to the bottom of what Hermione had been up to or maybe give them ideas about how to stop Malvado.
Harry looked at Hugo, the sharp barbs of his words still stung badly. As unjustified Hugo's aversion for him was it was understandable. It didn't matter that Harry didn't know about him or that he wanted to be his father now. The fact that he chose to leave his Mum then and by extension anything that had to do with her Hugo would have to object to him on principle. Accepting him would be tantamount to betraying his Mum. If he were thirteen and had survived this long without his real father in these terms he'd rather not have anything to do with him either.
There was a knock on the door. It was room service. As he let the man in Hugo got up and without a word headed for the washroom. He didn't say a word when he got back either. He changed into a clean shirt, sat on the edge of his bed and began looking at the information Isa had given them. Harry didn't take silent treatment well.
"We should eat first before we go to the fair," Harry told him, "Pepperoni okay?"
He had been unsure what to get and for a moment he was concerned that Hugo did not like pizza. He barely knew Hugo and hadn't been paying much attention to what he ate while he was at the Burrow. But after going over the selection a few times he figured all teenagers ate pizza. Hugo's lack of enthusiasm made Harry wonder though, maybe he was vegetarian? Wishful thinking.
"I'm not hungry," Hugo replied without emotion, "Thanks."
Harry couldn't think that was true. The last time they had anything to eat was more than twelve hours ago and Hugo just hit puberty.
"You should eat anyway," he suggested.
Harry took a slice, began eating and tried to ignore Hugo, figuring that smothering him would only make things worse. If he was hungry he'd feed himself. Turning on the handheld device and navigating through Isa's collection of information seemed easy enough. They settled into relative silence and Harry found himself immersed in Isa's document.
Reading the compilation he found out that contrary to the information his office had, Malvado's origins were not local.
According to folklore, Malvado was born more than fifteen hundred years ago during the Dark Ages. His mother died at childbirth and his religious (and quite insane) father, believing he was the son of Death, threw him into the mouth of Mount Kopernik, a now dormant volcano in Siberia. Malvado supposedly lived within the earth in the fires of hell until Mount Benedictine in the north of Italy erupted in 1521 and he was spat out from within it. Hardened by a miserable existence, he terrorized most of Italy and France until he was sent back months later into a still smouldering Benedictine by a talented law enforcement wizard. He was not heard from again for almost five hundred years until 2005 when he walked out from the active Taal Volcano in the northern part of the Philippines. Locals have come to believe that he is the Son of Death and that he is a 'maranhig', a being with the gift of immortality, one who will die only if he chooses to give his imoortality up to someone willing to accept it.
For years he created his empire of evil in Southeast Asia, choosing this multi-island nation off the coast of the mainland as his primary base. Discovered by Spain at the height of its power, the Philippines was occupied by Spaniards for three centuries before the Americans took over in the early nineteen hundreds. It was also briefly under Japanese control during World War II and ruled by a dictator for more than twenty years. Filipinos are a generally amiable, complacent, and easy going people, religious and fatalistic, tolerant of most things and resilient to adversity. The country's Muggle and Magical leadership are as laid back. They generally are chosen by popular vote and many are in office on a platform of personality rather than substance. Not one leader in the past ten years has made a serious attempt to get rid of Malvado.
Isa's theory, and Harry agreed, was that it was for this reason Malvado chose to build his headquarters here and thrived for years undetected. He wondered though why Hermione would want to set up an IMAN in a country where there was known Dark Wizard presence. Scrap that. He could imagine Hermione purposely choosing the Philippines, if only to stir the pot a little and make it a bit more worthwhile.
The description of how things stood between the Malvados and the citizens of the Philippines was the most detailed and controversial depiction of the relationship he had read so far, Isa's remarkable insight due to the fact that she was born and raised here. He did hope that Isa's overall impatient tone with the country's tolerance of the Malvados was not unique to the teenager and that many others if asked to make a choice would choose not to be on the Malvado side.
"Is she awake yet?" Hugo asked unexpectedly.
Harry was so engrossed in his reading that he didn't notice that Hugo had devoured the rest of the pizza. The fact that his son had eaten gave him such a sense of accomplishment. Every little bit was a big deal and it took every ounce of his willpower not to break out into a smile. Putting things in perspective, the kid just ate pizza. He was hungry, more hungry than proud at the moment. It was not a big deal.
"Did something bad happen to her?" Hugo rephrased his question, his eyes somewhat wider, his tone more anxious.
"No, she's not any worse but she's not any better either."
Hugo turned away but not before Harry saw the crestfallen look on his son's face. He couldn't leave Hugo thinking that way. He dug deep to find something encouraging to say, something he too needed to hear.
"Your Mum is a fighter. She'll pull through. She has many times in the past."
The teenager brushed off what Harry knew were tears. He saw a slight nod, but whatever thought it was that set Hugo off wasn't letting up. His shoulders began shaking and he was losing the battle not to cry.
Hugo stood and made his way to the bathroom, the only place he could get privacy. Harry didn't let him run off this time. He got in Hugo's way, putting both his hands gently on the younger man's shoulders. Unable to contain himself, Hugo began sobbing. Harry drew him closer, held him and let him.
"Sshhh...", was all Harry could say as he stroke Hugo's back gently.
"What if...she doesn't...wake up?" Hugo asked the very question he did earlier.
He replied what he too was working on, "Right now we have to believe that she will."
Hugo nodded in agreement and sobbed some more. After a while, Hugo pulled away.
"I'm sorry," he said, not making eye contact, embarrassed.
"What for?"
His son was sniffling, looking down at his feet when he answered, "For crying, for not being strong enough for her."
"Your Mum will be so proud when she hears of how strong you've been all this time," Harry said to him honestly, "And crying isn't a sign of weakness."
For the first time that night Hugo looked him in the eye and made an unexpected request, "If - when she wakes up, please don't be mad at her. I'll understand if you are. You have every right to be that she didn't tell you about me but just don't be mad at her. Don't make her feel more guilty than she already feels."
Hugo had tears pooling in his eyes again as he looked at Harry expectantly, waiting for a good reply.
"You don't need to worry about that," Harry assured him right away.
That addressed Hugo's anxiety somewhat and lifted their spirits instantly.
"I'm still hungry," his son admitted, blushing so much that Harry had to chuckle, "You don't mind if I..."
"Go ahead. Call room service."
"That would take forever," Hugo commented, "I can run down and grab something from the burger joint across the street."
"Here," Harry dug in his pocket.
"No, it's okay. I have Muggle money. Do you want anything?"
He didn't. Hugo was out the door right after disguising himself as a local boy. Harry would have to ask him how he does that so easily. And since Gracie's restaurant, Hugo continued to be cautious about being seen in public as himself. Harry sensed that there was more to why Malvado's men were looking for him aside from the fact that he was Hermione's son. He bet that Hugo was more aware of it than he was leading him to believe. He'd have to figure out a way to find the truth about that too.
With Hugo gone Harry mulled over his answer to Hugo's request. It came out so spontaneously it felt odd that he didn't even pause to think about it.
In truth Harry hadn't really thought about it, about whether he was angry at Hermione or not. Since finding out about Hugo he certainly had not felt the righteous indignation against her that he was entitled to. The only time he felt anything close was when Ginny told him that she knew about Hugo. He harboured no such rage towards Hermione and interestingly enough, he felt Ginny more responsible than her.
He could only think that it was because of what they went through together and how they had always been with each other. He had no expectations from Hermione, she was not accountable to him. She had given him so much it would be criminal to ask for more. She chose what she felt was right for her and Hugo and he could not blame her for choosing to exclude him. After being burned so many times it was only natural for her to not think it possible that coming to him with the truth would work out well. And even though he disagreed with her decision and could argue that what she did was wrong, he knew in his heart that she did it because she felt it was for the best, only it didn't work out exactly the way she thought it would either.
No, he was not angry at Hermione and couldn't imagine himself being so when she woke up. If there was someone he should be miffed at it should be him, for not giving her enough reason to trust that he would do the right thing. And besides, being angry at her wouldn't achieve anything. They have a son who needs them both and they would have other more important things to talk about.
He thought about Hugo, about how he was the one who should be angry at his Mum but wasn't. Although Harry had nothing to do with how he grew up, Harry felt proud that at such a young age the kid was understanding and forgiving and that he stood up for his Mum. In spite of everything Hugo was a solid kid. It would take time but Harry was confident that eventually he would come around.
Harry steered his mind back to the task at hand. After spending a few more minutes on other Malvado facts he turned to read the Isa's paper on secret organizations. She wrote about quite a few. He scanned through and pages later he found the topic he was looking for.
My Day with a Real Life Hallows Quester
Of the many magical myths in existence none is more legendary than that surrounding Beedle the Bard's Tale of the Three Brothers. I spent a day with Pontificus Putnam, Canadian historian and long time Hallows quester. While he did not give specifics, he gladly took me through the basics of what it's like to be hooked on the Hallows.
More background story followed. It mentioned the items central to the story, why they were so desirable, the Questers and their origins and how there were those who did it for sport while others who did it for potential gain. He was about to write off the school report when Isa finally wrote something of interest.
Between the years 2003 and 2006, the Questing world was inundated with shocking rumours that the Hallows had been finally united. A human was supposedly walking in the shadows, bearing the cloak, the stone and the wand, battling elements of the dark world in North and South America and in Asia. Though never confirmed to exist and widely thought to be mere government propaganda to scare off dark wizard wannabes, she was referred to by those who believed as the Mistress of Death.
Her name is still whispered with god-like reverence in certain parts of the world but according to this serious Quester, sightings of her significantly decreased in number after 2006. Some of those who believe she existed go on to say that she met her match and perished in a wand-fight in Europe in early 2008. Others believe she burned out and has relinquished possession of the artefacts. Still others believe she is alive and well, fully intending to be Mistress of Death for all of eternity, waiting for a moment when she is needed again.
Such is the legend of the Mistress of Death. After her seeming departure from the Questing scene fifteen years ago, many hopefuls rejoined the search for the elusive artefacts. Emboldened by the stories of the unification, there was a rise in zealots, those who stop at nothing to acquire possession of Death's Hallows, particularly the Elder wand. There was a surge in the number of murders and thefts and it angered the more sensible believers like Mr. Putnam. This led to the advent of policing initiatives and the creation of the Organisation of Questers (OOQ).
It went on to describe what the OOQ was about. Harry read further down and near the end, briefly mentioned was what he was looking for.
Zealous questing in recent times has brought about zealous opposition to questing as well. Mr. Putnam mentioned one particular group of beings who operate under a cloak of anonymity and is unique in that its methods border on unlawful. The first time they were heard from was in 2010 when a Bulgarian quester turned himself into authorities, admitting to masterminding a plot to violate the tomb of Gellert Grindelwald. He served six months in Nurmengard. At his interview with the OOQ after he was released he spoke of his unpleasant encounter with a menacing selection of cloaked individuals. With his admission, many other scary and embarrassing run-ins with them were admitted by fellow questers. The group's intentions were clear; they actively inhibited questing and the spread the word that questing was futile because the artefacts were well hidden. By 2015 they were thought to be responsible for dozens of Obliviations, memory charms and, in cases of obvious criminal activity, anonymous tips to authorities that led to arrests.
The group was nameless at first but at each encounter they always left a symbolic signature, the triangular image known to represent the stone, the cloak and the wand barely visible beyond an enclosure formed by seven interlocking pillars. It is not known what the seven pillars stand for but many think that they represent the seven members of the group, prompting many to refer to them as the Pillars of the Hallows or the POTH. Still others prefer calling them Pests of the Hallows.
Harry clicked on the link to Isa's notes and found more interesting information there. It contained names of possible POTH members and supporters as theorized by her interviewee. Since evidence was circumstantial Putnam had requested Isa to keep his list off the record. There were about a dozen on it but three names stood out for him.
First there was Caraktakus Burkes, Jr.. The murdered shop owner was apparently a former quester turned very vocal anti-quester. He had denied involvement with any such group in front of OOQ but Putnam thought he was a logical POTH member if not one of the supporters, postulating that the change in heart must have come from an encounter with the group.
Surprising to him was seeing Professor Flitwick on the list. The diminutive Charms professor was recognized by a couple of witnesses but his stature and reputation in the magical community made many from the OOQ think it unlikely so he was never interrogated about possible involvement.
The third was interesting in that his name seemed to be cropping up a lot lately. The retired Russian Auror Boris Dovalov sure had a lot to explain. His anti-quester stance made sense though, particularly knowing of his hands off role during the Gaunt case years ago. Harry wondered about Rasputin, if the Healer was still alive and a player, seeing that Dovalov obviously was.
Was Dovalov indeed POTH and if so why was Warren trying to hide the Russian's involvement? Was he the Keeper? Was Rasputin?
It was also curious that Hermione's name wasn't on it. From Isa's parting remark to Hugo he expected it would be. How did Isa come to the conclusion that Hermione was POTH?
Harry glanced at the clock bedside. Hugo had been gone for quite some time and it was almost nine.
The thought that his son ditched him briefly crossed his mind. No, he wouldn't. His pack was still...nope, his pack wasn't on the floor beside his bed anymore. Cunning, sneaky little...
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A/N. I know it's a lot to take in.
POTH and Malvado - any thoughts?
I've limited it to names of places and introduced other types of magical beings but wondering if the use of non-English words was distracting and too much?
Harry is about to lose his job (maybe), Ron is about to be interrogated (and potentially leak what Harry has been trying to hide - including Hermione's location) and Hermione is still asleep.
Hugo may be up next but you guys already know I'm as reliable as a weatherwoman when it comes to such predictions :).