A/N: A few people didn't like the last scene in chapter 12, with the Prime Minister. I know that many of you think that Muggles would beat Wizarding kind in a war, but I don't. I believe that the reason why the Wizarding World went into hiding was to avoid a war that they couldn't really be bothered fighting. No matter what you think of present muggles fighting wizards, you have to admit that muggles from 1000 years ago with swords and arrows would have been completely slaughtered.
Basically, the entire scene wasn't to make myself feel good because I am (according to a reviewer) acting like a Pureblood snob, rather, to show just how much Voldemort rules over Britain by controlling the Muggle government and why Harry can't get any help from them. And the Prime Minister isn't a helpless sod, he's a Muggle faced by a sadistic wizard. Honestly, what could he do? Shoot them? We saw how well that worked out.
Anyway, Chapter 13 everybody. For those who are wondering, there are about five or six chapters left.
As usual, I want to thank the crew at DLP for their support. Then again, that's pretty much a given these days. They may have a bad rep in some circles, but they're a pretty good bunch of guys and girls, especially Nexus and Surriran, who both take the time to offer suggestions and point out ideas.
The sun was blazing brightly in the clear blue sky, casting a wonderful haze of heat over the normally cold and damp island of Azkaban. The island had recently shifted to a new location, which received much nicer weather than the previous one. At the moment, all of the residents of Azkaban were taking the chance to enjoy the sun and Filius and Harry, in a rare lax of security, had warded a small section of the beach, allowing many to have a nice swim for a few hours. But while most of the residents were generally relaxing and idling about, Harry and the five raiding parties were not.
"You're all aware of the plan?" Harry asked quietly, casting an eye over the twenty-five people in front of him. The team leaders, Ron, Flitwick, Shackelbolt, Hestia Jones- who resembled Moody these days with an artificially rapidly-spinning magical blue eye- and Jordan, who was taking up Harry's role as team leader for this particular mission, were gathered around him.
"Yes sir," Jordan said crisply, but winked saucily at Harry when he glanced at her.
Harry ignored her usual flirtatious behaviour and instead glanced at Ron, who was looking deadly serious as he mentally prepared himself.
"We make as much trouble as we can, got it," Ron answered Harry's unspoken question and grimaced. "The more chaos we cause, the more Aurors and Death Eaters that get pulled away from the Ministry."
"Good," Harry said and waved them off. "Go. I'll be entering the Ministry in about half-an-hour, so you have some time. Make sure that people get the opportunity to call for help."
The various team leaders nodded in unison, quickly striding back to their teams and apparating to their designated targets. In less than three seconds, a courtyard full of twenty-four people was empty, leaving Harry alone to contemplate his own next move.
Diagon Alley was still recovering from the last raid by the Order of Phoenix. With the increasing number of reports in the Daily Prophet and the apparently massive wave of new attacks, the atmosphere of normal dull and repressed fear had been replaced with an air of paranoia and apprehension. The wizards and witches of Diagon Alley went about their business in silence. The children, who used to fill the alley with laughter even under Voldemort's reign of the Ministry, stayed close to their parents, literally hugging their legs. Items were bought with carefully and quickly, no pleasantries and greetings were exchanged. The loudest noise was the tinkle of coins rubbing against each other and the dull thud of a particularly large bag of gold was enough to start the surrounding people and make them dive for their wands.
The presence of ten burly and dark-scowled Aurors didn't improve people's attitudes either. The residents and visitors of Diagon Alley seemed just as scared of them as they were of the Order of Phoenix. It didn't help when one of the Aurors, a large scarred blonde veteran of the recent siege of Azkaban, growled menacingly at one of the various children who drifted to close to him. The child scampered away with a squeak of fear and the Auror smiled in black humour.
Hogsmeade, on the other hand, hadn't suffered such a raid in years, most likely due to its close proximity with the fabled wards of Hogwarts. Because of this, wizards and witches laughed and chatted as they walked down the magical town. Children too young for Hogwarts laughed and screamed in playful happiness as they darted around their parents legs. Although it wasn't a Hogwarts weekend, a couple of sixth year Slytherins could be seen slinking into the Hogshead. While there were two Aurors on guard duty in the village, they were sitting down at one of the numerous tables around the Three Broomsticks, playing some form of card game.
The first sign of trouble that happened in both locations was the entrance of the building where the anti-apparition wards had been lifted for public convenience exploded outwards in a deafening roar. For Diagon Alley, it was the brick portal that revealed the alley itself and for Hogsmeade, it was a small red building quite close to Zonko's. From these entrances came five dark robed figures, spreading chaos and destructions with their wands.
In Diagon Alley, the civilians panicked. Wizards ducked into buildings, witches screamed in panic and gathered their children and the Aurors quickly moved to intercept. Quick volleys of various exploding, blasting and full-scale destruction curses rained from the wands of the Order of Phoenix. Windows were shattered in a rain of sparkling glass, food stands were blown away and the very ground was ripped apart, sending shards of stone and sprays of dirt flying through the air. One Auror was blown away by a powerful streak of shimmering orange magic while another simply exploded as he caught the wrong side of a pillar of sparkling white magic.
" Avada Kedavra!" One of the Aurors shouted. A deathly green coil of hateful magic burst from the tip of his wand but one of the Order members simply flicked his wand, levitating a huge slab of broken tiles from the ground, which intercepted the killing curse, saving his life.
But after that curse, the Order team retreated backward, still sending off their powerful curses and literally blowing anything that stood in their way apart. The Aurors advanced, looking particularly pleased that they were winning, sending off streaks magic that the elite Order members dodged or blocked with relative ease. Jets of light rained from both sides, striking shields or summoned or levitating physical objects. Finally, the Order members retreated back into the Leaky Cauldron. A few seconds later, there was the distinctive crack of numerous apparitions and the echoes of a bellowed incantation, before the entire first floor of the Leaky Cauldron, which was used only by the Aurors, exploded in a loud boom, jets of fire roaring from the windows. Wood snapped, was ripped apart or consumed by flames as the building wobbled, its supports destabilising, and fell down in itself with a loud thundering rumble.
At Hogsmeade, the Order members were less destructive but by no means caused less chaos. The two Aurors had been disposed off before they had even had a chance to jump up from the table and now the Order members hurled powerful blasting charms, blowing apart various stands and windows while being quite careful to avoid the various innocent bystanders, who fled amidst screams of terror. At Jonko's, the owner and the store occupants fled the shop as an Order member entered it and no less than a minute later, the entire store was alight with a roaring blaze, dark, thick smoke drifting up in the air. In the Hogshead bar, the patrons and bartender fled as another Order member entered, blasting apart the tables and chairs and bar. A carefully ball of green-blue flames caused the bar and shelves to explode and the building rumbled unsteadily, unused to this sort of punishment. The Order members retreated back to the red building soon after, apparating away as the first of the Aurors apparated in.
In a large grey room within the Ministry of Magic, a middle-aged woman with an extremely bored expression sat in her chair, her nose poked into the latest edition of Witches Weekly, especially paying attention to the newest bachelors in the Pureblood echelon. Around her, her colleagues and co-workers chatted amongst each other, although occasionally one of the many fireplaces lined in the walls would light up with green flames and a head would appear. When this happened, one of the officials would ask for the department the person wished to contact and put them through. It was the magical switchboard of the Ministry, where usually nothing exciting happened.
That was until one of the fireplaces close to the woman flared. She sighed and put down her magazine, staring at the head that appeared in the fireplace, which had a frantic expression on his face.
"Welcome to the Ministry of Magic, how may I direct your floo?" She said in a monotone voice.
"Department of Magical Law Enforcement- The Order is attacking Diagon Alley!" The man practically yelled, his face pinched up in the fear.
The woman's bored expression cleared up as she waved her wand, sending the floo channel to the Department of Magical Law Enforcement. Suddenly another fireplace flared up, and another, and another, all shouting different and panicked messages of attacks.
"… Order attacking Hogsmeade, blasting everything apart…"
"… Merlin, the Order is attacking Diagon Alley…"
"… safehouse, I repeat, the safehouse in Denver has been compromised…"
"… warehouse has been completely destroyed…"
"… just apparated into Surrey and started blasting away at one of my mansions…"
"… the Aurors here are dead or hurt, we need reinforcements…"
Within a matter of seconds, the entire centre was on their feet as messages from all over the country flooded into the room, all saying the same message. The Order of Phoenix was attacking and soon dozens of Aurors would be dispatched to these locations. Harry Potter had the diversion he wanted.
Harry thought that the house was actually quite nice as he broke into it, subverting the standard household wards with ease. The house had been built on the outskirts of York amidst a large industrial sector. If the muggles hadn't been driven away by the repelling wards, they would have wondered in curiosity why there was a small white house with a well kept green garden amongst the dirty smoke-chugging factories, although recent developments in muggle technology had rapidly lowered the pollution rate. As a couple of muggles dressed in dirty overalls walked past, an unseen Harry flicked his wand one last time standing in front of the property within the repelling wards and sending a shower of red sparks that tore through the last flimsy ward. He grabbed the doorknob and faintly smiled as he opened it and walked inside.
Walking past a shiny and Dursley-clean kitchen, he approached the fireplace and grabbed a handful of powder from the mantle. With a subtle wave of his wand, more of a twitch than anything, the fireplace exploded to life with a smattering of flames. Throwing in the floo powder and taking a deep breath, he stepped in the now-green flames and muttered his destination.
"Ministry of Magic- Department of the Control of Magical Creatures!"
Instantly, he was sucked into a whirling vortex of fire, ash and dazzling colours. He closed his eyes, squeezing them shut in order to avoid the dizziness that he usually felt when he used the Floo. It was a mode of transportation that he had never really gotten used to nor used very often, especially once Voldemort had gained control of it. As he zoomed through the floor, he suddenly felt himself come to an abrupt and shocking, though not very painful, stop. He opened his eyes and saw that there were seventeen tiny beacons of light in the distance all around him just as a feminine and monotonous voice echoed around the void he was in.
" You must state the proper phrase allocated to your destination or you will be transferred to the Department of Magical Law Enforcement for immediate processing."
"Purity," Harry said clearly.
There was a second of silence as the voice processed the password before Harry suddenly felt himself moving. His body twisted as he was pushed towards a particular grate, which zoomed closer and closer¸ the speck of light turning into a view of a cosy and empty office. Bracing himself, he felt himself get launched from the Floo and the network, coming back to the real world at a stagger as he tried valiantly to regain his balance. He was barely successful as he leant on the desk for support, already analysing his situation. He was in one of the various offices and as he peaked through the window, he saw robed wizards and witches hovering over desks, scrawling on pieces of parchment or reading a report with a slight frown. Turning his vision back to the office, he saw a large and baggy robe as well as a magical cosmetic kit lying on one of the chairs and an appreciative came over his face.
In order for Voldemort to invade and takeover the Ministry of Magic building, he had to tear through the wards with numerous teams of cursebreakers made up of powerful wizards and even some rogue goblins who had been bribed from the neutral stance that Gringotts had took and still took to this day. After the battle and successful coup, Voldemort had the wards and defences upgraded and reconfigured in a completely different manner in order to stop the same thing from happening to him. One of the new wards that he included was a unique ward that acted similarly to the underage detector of magic except that it contained a list of known magical signatures, including Harry's. Magical signatures were a wizards or witches unique connection to magic and easily identifiable as a fingerprint. While Harry and the Order could mask their signature from the long-range detectors of the Ministry, Harry was doubtful of doing the same with these wards so this mission had to be performed with a limited amount of magic, which was why he had brought some extra equipment along with him in order to complete the task, including a dagger made of Basilisk fang, guaranteed to both kill Nagini and destroy the Horcrux inside of her.
After shrugging on the robe over his tight and charmed battle robes, he used the kit and the potions inside to change the colour of his hair to blonde, change the colour of his eyes to blue and change the structure of his face into more pureblood features. While these potions were mainly used by woman to remove sharp chins or angular cheeks that they found attractive, they also had their use in disguise and stealth. After donning his disguise, he took a deep breath and stepped outside the office. He was largely ignored by the wizards and witches who all had better things to do then stare at a rather plain-looking wizards and this gave him the chance to scout out the department. As his search came up with nothing in the first five minutes, he reached into his robes and pulled out a golden pocket-watch, flipping it and noting that the time was 1:29 pm. Nagini was due to arrive at any moment. He slipped into an empty desk and rested his head on his arms, closing his eyes and pretending he was weary as he extended his senses.
Sensing and feeling magic was a by-product of being a particularly powerful wizard. Although there was no official name for the talent, all wizards and witches of significant power could sense the magic around them by instinct. In Britain, Harry doubted that there were more than two-dozen people who could do the same thing without using their wand. Although there was a large pulsing web of magic throughout the room, Harry ignored the dark and tingling magic. He was looking for a specific signature, a specific taste, if you could call it that. Horcruxes radiated their own dark power, which was both unique and distinctive in feel. Suddenly Harry's eyes snapped open as he felt something at the limit of his senses, a dark and rotting sense of magic that had suddenly emerged. He stood up and briskly walked out of the room and towards the magic.
James Anderson was a newly inducted Death Eater and had been raised through the Auror ranks on pure heritage alone. He could quite proudly say that he could trace his lineage back twelve generations of pure-blooded wizards and witches and his family was closely linked with the wealthy families, like the Malfoys, the Avery's and the Notts. But his first assignment as a Death Eater was considered to be demeaning, so he was scowling furiously as he stalked through the Department of Control of Magical Creatures, trailing behind a shimmering dark green and gold snake as it slithered its way to its feeding room.
"Merlin, you look angry," His fellow Death Eater said with a laugh.
"I am a Death Eater and I am a pureblood with twelve generations of history," He spat out angrily. "I don't see why I should be babysitting a bloody snake!"
"That snake is owned by the Dark Lord," The slight man beside him said in amusement. "It deserves an escort."
"I know," Anderson said with a petulant scowl. "I just don't see anybody daring to attack the snake, especially if the Dark Lord owns it. What, is the Order going to infiltrate the Ministry with sole purpose of killing the snake?"
The other Death Eater covered a snort as they passed a group of shaking wizards, who eyed the snake with fear as it slithered into its feeding room, which consisted off a 4 by 4 metres room with a bloody centaur carcass in the centre. Nagini hissed in pleasure and slithered to the carcass, opening her mouth to reveal very sharp teeth, her mouth lashing out to tear into the flesh.
The two Death Eater's watched with wide eyes as Nagini literally tore into the dirty half-breeds corpse with very un-snake-like motions. Anderson swallowed and glanced at his partner, who was gaping in surprise.
"Er… I didn't know that- that snakes could eat like that," Anderson mumbled weakly.
"I-I don't think that that is natural," The other Death Eater murmured weakly.
Suddenly a plain-looking wizard entered the room, his blue eyes widening with surprise at the sight of the snake tearing into the carcass with the vigour of a snarling dog.
"What are you doing here?" Anderson growled, feeling quite glad to have somebody helpless to take his anger out. "This is a restricted area."
The wizard seemed to stutter for a second, his face paling rapidly as Anderson advanced, raising his wand on the unarmed wizard while his partner rolled his eyes in annoyance. Suddenly the wizard moved with a blur, lashing out at Anderson with a wicked-looking blade made of bone. Anderson gurgled in surprise and pain as the dagger slammed into his chest, his eyes dimming with death as the combination Basilisk poison and a sharp blade piercing his chest killed him.
The other Death Eater opened his mouth, preparing to shout in alarm as his wand flew into his hand with a quick, fluid movement, but the blonde wizard was faster and the knife retracted from Anderson's chest and the wizard had flung himself at the Death Eater, slamming the knife into the man's head with brute force.
Nagini was enjoying her fresh meal, tearing into the bloody carcass of the centaur with considerable enjoyment, her pleasure at her new teeth and jaw from her master increasing with every second. As she revelled in the still-warm flesh and the acrid taste of blood, she suddenly smelt something extremely familiar. A scent she had not smelt for quite some time. The small part of her that her Master was tingling in alarm, aware of what was happening, but she was still a snake and watched with detached interest as her escorts were brutally murdered by a plain-looking wizard with his not-tooth.
" I know you. You grass-eye" Nagini hissed as she placed the scent, coiling up as she regarded the human in front of her.
The plain looking wizard glanced at her impassively, gripping his not-tooth tightly. "Nagini"
" You know me still" Nagini hissed with slight pleasure and felt the searing sensation of her potent poison flooding to her fangs, the dark enchantments her Master had placed on her heightening her deadliness. "You are here to hunt me"
" Yes" Harry answered back in parseltongue.
" I will not let you" Nagini hissed back menacingly. "Master will hunt you if you do"
" Your Master already hunts me and has never caught me" Harry responded and raised his blade. Nagini hissed in anger, her crimson eyes glowing with anger and dark magic as she lunged at Harry, her mouth snapping at his leg. At the same time, Harry tried to jump back and thrust his knife into Nagini's thick scaly body at the same time. He felt his knife slice through her, easing past the natural dark enchantments of the Horcrux and destroying it instantly. Nagini let out a powerful dying roar, sounding more like a bear than a snake, but her mouth latched onto Harry's left leg and dug in deep, pumping her potent poison into living flesh as her last act.
Harry let out a cry of pain as he staggered back, lashing out with his right leg and kicking the corpse of Nagini away from him violently. His vision was blurring and his hands were shaking as he felt the poison flow through his body, the minuscular amount enough to kill him. With trembling hands, he reached into his robes and pulled out a small black stone, a bezoar. He placed it on the tip of his tongue and instantly sighed with relief as the burning sensation in his chest dulled, but stiffened with worry as it didn't die completely. Swallowing the first, he pulled out a second bezoar and placed it in his mouth and swallowed it. The burning sensation dulled once again until it was less than a tingle, but the mere fact that the poison hadn't disappeared was enough to frighten him. He needed to leave now so he could get properly healed and the magical detections wards at the Ministry mean that he couldn't even perform the basic healing spells on himself. With a last look at the two dead Death Eaters, he exited the room and shut the door before walking back down the corridor to the office he had entered with a bad limp in his left leg.
On the other side of the Ministry of Magic, in a grand and decorated room, fourteen well-dressed wizards and witches sat in ornate oak chairs around a thick and luxurious mahogany table covered completely in expensive and rare food. Thirteen of the wizards and witches talked softly with each around the side of the table, all bearing some form of aristocratic and well-defined features. Beautiful witches dressed in revealing and silky dress-robes while proud wizards sat tall in pride, occasionally glancing at the head of the table with glances of awe or deep respect. Darkness shrouded the head of the table, where a dark cloaked figure sitting in an ornate and majestic throne-like chair. Gleaming red eyes flickered from beneath a hood stitched with an ornate dark mark and he was dressed in elaborate black and silver robes. A gleaming golden locket hung around this figures neck and long and spindly, pale hands occasionally toyed with it. In front of the figure lay a plateful of steaming food but the figure had long shed the need for sustenance and one of the many prices of his immense power was his ability to taste and smell. The expensive and succulent meal in front of him had the taste of ash and his emerald-crusted golden goblet was filled with well-aged wine was no more appetizing than the food.
Lord Voldemort attended these lunches for numerous reasons but the food was not one of these reasons. He enjoyed the effect his presence he had on the most arrogant and powerful wizards. He enjoyed how they bowed down to his immense power, how they acted cautiously around him as if he could strike out at them at any time. He especially enjoyed the looks of awe and wonder many of the newcomers had when they saw him.
"Ms Avery, how are you enjoying your meal?" He asked silkily. He watched as a flitter of emotion flickered over the woman's face next to him, her blue eyes widening at straightening in a split-second. A gentle touch of Legillimency brushed over the woman's powerful Occlumency shields and the woman, who noticed his soft prod and obediently. Immediately, feelings of deep awe, respect and unquestionable loyalty flooded into Voldemort's mind and his lips twitched. Perhaps she had slightly overdone it but Voldemort acknowledged her lowered Occlumency shields with a slight incline of his head.
"I am enjoying it immensely, milord," She answered with a deep bow of her head.
"Your recent efforts against the Order of Phoenix have not gone unnoticed," Voldemort hissed softly, his voice holding a strange allure over the table as they stopped their talking and eating and straightened to listen to him. "You will be rewarded."
Avery bowed her head once again and Voldemort directed his attention further down the table, where Pansy and Draco Malfoy sat with stiff backs, their posture proud yet subservant to his power.
"And Mrs Malfoy, I do hope that you are enjoying the wine," Voldemort commented quietly, his crimson eyes flaring softly. "I had it especially brought in for your presence at this table."
"You flatter me, milord," Pansy bowed, lowering her eyes to avoid his. "I am honoured that I was invited to dine with such prestige company, milord, especially your own. Let me compliment you on your magnificent robes and that beautiful locket of yours." "
Voldemort let nothing show but there must have been a subtle change in his posture because Pansy's flattering smile was suddenly strained. He smiled thinly, his sharp, pointy teeth gleaming slightly and watched as the Malfoy wife shuddered with unconscious revulsion. "Yes, I'm sure you are enjoying my company immensely. The locket you see used to belong to the noble founder of our very own Hogwarts, Salazar Slytherin. As his heir, I bear the right to wear it," He hissed softly and added. "And I do hope that my physical appearance has not caused you undue discomfort."
Pansy's face, which had been filled with awe at the locket, blanched over but smoothed back to neutrality quickly. Still, the brief flick of horror in her eyes satisfied Voldemort greatly and he gave a tiny exhale of pleasure, letting his eyes flick over to her husband, who watched the proceedings with a carefully structured face.
"Mr Malfoy, your work with the Department of Magical Law Enforcement is much appreciated, especially during this last few weeks. Trust that you will see the fruition of your labour in due time," Voldemort said and watched as Draco bowed his head, showing none of the nervousness that Pansy was, his Occlumency shields tightly wrapped around his emotions.
"I thank you, milord," He muttered gratefully, just as the doors to the room opened and a young Auror trainee entered, bowing quickly as he approached Draco Malfoy and handed him a scroll, studiously avoiding Voldemort's gaze and leaving just as quickly as he came, all the while bowing deeply.
"Is something the matter?" Voldemort asked silkily and dangerously.
"Milord, the Order is attacking Diagon Alley…" Draco started, before the doors opened again and the same Auror trainee entered, this time at a run and with several scrolls bunched in his arms. He dropped them in front of Draco, who immediately flicked his wand and simultaneously unravelled and levitated the scrolls to hover in front of him. "… and Hogsmeade, two of our safehouses and one of our warehouses. We've sent in all available teams to deal with them."
"All targets at once, you say?" Voldemort inquired softly.
"Yes Milord. These initial reports seem to indicate that they're using a vast array of blasting and explosion charms to cause a significant amount of damage, but there's nothing about the Orders intentions."
"It is a diversion," Voldemort interrupted softly. "They are causing chaos and discord in order to separate and divide the Auror forces. Their true target has not been struck yet. And do not look so surprised, young Malfoy; I am well versed in such… tactics."
Voldemort smiled coldly as Malfoy paled under his Lord's gaze and was about to turn to Bellatrix when he felt something painful tug in his chest. He gave a short hasp of pain, clutching a pale hand to the front of his robes as a burning flare of pain swept through his body. Exhaling softly in pain, he ignored his companions as he stood up on shaky legs, his mind wandering to his connection with his most faithful, Nagini, the fifth part of his soul. Unlike the rest of his Horcruxes, he had bonded quite closely with Nagini in order to keep watch over her and her precious cargo. That connection had just been painfully severed and as his mind quickly put together what had happened, combined with the diversions and the removal of most Auror personnel, he growled softly in anger.
"Milord? Master?" Bellatrix asked, her voiced laced with the devotion of both a servant and something else, something deeper.
"Nagini," He hissed softly, his eyes flaring up as his magic started to respond to his growing rage. Dark magic flickered over his form, soft, cackling waves exuding his malice and power. Most of his servants drew back; their eyes wide at the power that their normally stoic master usually kept under tight control, but Bellatrix approached him with concern in her eyes, the darkness of her insanity threatening to sweep over her at his command. "She has been killed."
Bellatrix's eyes went wide, surprise and dread flooding over her face. She was one of the privileged few to know of Nagini's true status and role in his life and her mind immediately begun to wonder what had just happening. In the split-second it took for realisation to wash over her, Voldemort had already apparated away from the room with a soft crack, his spindly hand clasped tightly around a thirteen-inch yew wand.
He reappeared in Nagini's small feeding room, his crimson eyes analysing the scene before him in an instant. Two Death Eaters lay dead in a pool of their own blood, but Voldemort dismissed their corpses as he focussed on his familiar, his beloved snake, one of the few things that Voldemort held true affection for. Her body lay on the ground in a crumpled heap and wondered briefly how the dark enchantments and rituals that had enhanced her body had been subverted. He strode from the room; his black cloak flapping in the unseen winds produced by his rage, and glanced up and down the corridors, his mind hell-bent on revenge. He flared his nostrils, trying to smell the magic behind the one responsible for this. One of Voldemort's many powers was that he was capable of smelling the magical signature of a person and at that moment, he could smell the residual magic of a very familiar aura. He hissed in fury and stalked down the hallway, his nostrils flaring every few seconds.
Voldemort approached the main work offices of the Department of the Control of Magical Creatures, his crimsons eyes gleaming with malice and desire. One of his Horcruxes may have been destroyed, but it will have been well worth it if he can destroy Harry Potter! He approached a closed wooden door and as he came close, slammed his palm on it, using his inhuman and unnatural strength and vigour to blast if off its hinges in a spectacular show of power. He stalked inside, ignoring the various Ministry workers- some who had grabbed wands but quickly lowered them in fear- as his nostrils flared. The wizards and witches in front of him froze and cowered under his deadly gaze, shivering in fright and horror as he stalked through the room, his cloak flapping madly in his whirlwind of magic.
He reached out with his unnatural senses, his vast powers tuning into the room, and sensed movement behind him. Somebody was walking- no, limping, into one of the offices. A brief flare of his nostrils indicated who that person was and less than a second later, Voldemort had whirled around with a grand flourish of his wand.
Although no words were spoken, a streak of blinding green light, radiating icy-cold death and magic so vast that the very hairs on the spectators heads and arms stood up on end, blasted from the tip of his yew wand, accompanied by a loud roaring wind and the smell of rotting and decayed corpses. The streak of intense light zoomed through the air as the wizard threw himself into the office, flying over his head and impacting on the desk visibly from the doorway, which exploded under the force of the spell in a shower of glowing dark sparks and silky bright green flames.
Voldemort quickly and silently apparated to the entrance of the room just in time to see the wizard standing in the fireplace, an elaborate knife clutched in his hands, its tip pointed straight at Voldemort. A destination was already fading from his lips and light blue eyes met their crimson equal for a split microsecond. Voldemort easily penetrated the simple yet effective disguise and his thin lips curled in hatred and anger as he recognised the emerald eyes and dark hair of his most hated enemy. An instant later, Harry Potter was gone, but the knife was not and it rocketed with great speed towards Voldemort. For one brief moment, Voldemort idly thought of moving, but his mind was focussed on the repercussions of yet another destroyed Horcrux and how exactly Harry Potter infiltrated the Ministry that it slammed into his chest, digging into what remained of his natural heart- now a twisted wreck and mockery of a human organ.
Seconds later, a small number of cracks and pops filled the room as the guests from the lunch apparated into the room, their wands out with determined and grim expressions on their faces. Draco and Pansy Malfoy also apparated in, their eyes scanning the room for some clue as to what had just happened, while Bellatrix approached Voldemort with a horrified expression on her face.
"Master… you are injured…" She breathed in horror and concern.
Voldemort smiled thinly at her, his crimson eyes softening for just a brief moment at her concern for his wellbeing as he glanced down at the dagger protruding from his chest. With one deft movement, he fingered the hilt and yanked it smoothly from his heart. The wound oozed with a thick black liquid that resembled tar more than blood before the pale skin beneath the robes rippled with unholy powers, closing in and knitting back together with ease.
"A basilisk fang remade into a poisoned dagger," He hissed softly to his captivated audience, who trembled before his awesome powers. "It is a most deadly weapon, perhaps one of the most potent weapons in existence." He redirected his gaze at Bellatrix, who, even after serving her master for close to seventy years, looked stunned and in awe. "Fear not Bellatrix, mortal tools and poisons such as these lost their effectiveness long ago. Lord Voldemort does not take injury so easily."
"Master, who would dare try to strike you down in this manner?" Bellatrix breathed as insanity twisted over her features. But a sharp look from Voldemort was enough to quell the inevitable outburst of madness and she bowed her head low under his gaze.
"Harry Potter," Voldemort hissed softly and watched with a morbid curiosity as Bellatrix and Avery both hissed with hatred at the name, while many of the watching wizards and witches hissed with fear at the name. He looked around the room, his crimson eyes searching for guilt, for betrayal, yet found nothing. "He has become most troublesome of late."
"Yes Master," Bellatrix breathed; her violet eyes wide with the ecstasy generated by her master's presence.
Voldemort finally addressed the crowd that had silently watched their boss, their lord and their Master regenerate from a fatal injury in less than a second. "Somebody has failed me," He hissed softly, yet his words seemed to echo around the room. "Harry Potter infiltrated this Department and destroyed a valuable commodity, my precious Nagini. Tell me, how was this allowed to come pass?"
Nobody moved an inch as Voldemort casually strolled from the doorway of the ruined office, his face reflected with the green flames of the burning desk. He stalked past various witches and wizards, all who literally quaked in his powerful presence, before stopping in front of an older woman in her seventies.
"Mrs Nott, you are the Head of this Department, correct?" He asked silkily.
The dark-haired woman nodded shakily, her features twisted in fear and dread and her azure eyes shining with unshed tears as she contemplated her fate.
"Did you allow Harry Potter access to this department?" He hissed softly, his crimson eyes flaring. "And do not lie to me woman- Lord Voldemort has powers beyond your comprehension and knows when he is lied to!"
"N-N… No!" The woman stuttered, her mouth twisting out the word in her fear as she started babbling, tears of fear started to trickle from her eyes. "I-I am loyal, a-always loyal Master, I-I would n-never b-b-betray you!" She sobbed and fell to her knees. Voldemort watched with a sense of enjoyment as the proud pureblood matriarch crawled towards him, placing tentative yet devoted kisses on his robes. After a few seconds, he felt his lips curl and let his eyes flicker over the crowd, who were all avoiding the sight of their boss begging for her life, although Voldemort was certain that anyone of them would do the same.
"Rise, my faithful servant," He hissed softly. "You uttered no lies and Lord Voldemort will reward this honesty with your life. You may keep it."
Nott, rising to her feet, fell back down to her knees and prostrated herself, the sheer relief evident on her features and in her voice. "Thankyou Master, you are merciful, you are too merciful and you honour me with your grace and power!" She uttered in a shaky voice, but Voldemort ignored her and turned back to his dinner companions.
"Come. We have something to discuss," He said silkily. They all bowed in unison and it was then that Voldemort struck. Moving with speeds far faster than what was humanely possible, he darted forward with the air of a striking cobra and grabbed one of the companions, a high-level Death Eater, by the throat with his right hand, easily lifting the wizard off the ground.
"You, however, were tasked to protect Nagini," Voldemort hissed in fury, his pale hand squeezing around the brown-haired man's neck, crushing bones and arteries. Blood trickled from the man's open orifices, his eyes, ears, nostrils and mouth, as his wordlessly begged for his life with his dark eyes. Voldemort kept on squeezing, revelling in how wonderful it felt to personally watch somebody in death throes caused by his own hand. The man's neck suddenly snapped and Voldemort pushed the man away from him, watching his body as it flew through the air at a great speed, striking desks and chairs with audible cracks. The body slammed into the wall and crumpled to the ground in a mess of twisted limbs and Voldemort could sense the fear and horror that suddenly radiated through the room and hissed in pleasure. Only Draco Malfoy, Avery, Bellatrix and one another Death Eater from the lunch remained emotionless, their faces blank behind hard eyes.
"Come Bellatrix," He said quietly. "We may have punished that man for his incompetence, but there is still somebody left to punish for their betrayal."
Bellatrix wordlessly bowed her head as Voldemort disapparated from the room with a soft crack and followed her Master. There was a smattering of cracks and pops as the witches and wizards related to the Death Eaters and Aurors disappeared, leaving four of the lunch guests to gaze at the body in horror, including Pansy Malfoy.
The trip from the cottage he had broken into to Azkaban was little more than a blur in his mind. The poison had suddenly tripled in intensity from Voldemort's presence and abandoning all protocol, he apparated past the wards, which recognised his magical signature, and into the Azkaban foyer, where he crumpled to the ground and closed his eyes. Voices seemed to shout above him and Harry felt waves of healing magic wash into him, confronting the vile poison in him and dissipating. A second later, he felt the familiar tug at his navel as he was portkeyed to a different location, a location he instantly recognised as the hospital wing by the smell. He opened his eyes as he felt himself levitate, seeing a blonde blur in front of him that quickly morphed into Luna's concerned face, her vapidness disappearing behind her concern.
"Poison… Nagini… two Bezoars didn't work…" He muttered before he closed his eyes again. Distantly, he heard Luna mumbled a powerful diagnostic charm and summon several potion bottles, pressing them to his lips. He felt the cool liquid slide down his throat as the powerful healing potions entered his body, unable to counteract the poison but revitalising and healing the damaged and dead tissue within him. As he slid off into darkness, he could vaguely hear Luna's voice as she talked to somebody.
"… poison, mixed with powerful dark magic, some kind of rotting curse….yes, like Dumbledore's arm… should be able to counter it, since we've encountered this before… get a cursebreaker up here, we'll need the… Flitwick should be able to… take an international portkey to Salem… phoenix tears will help… no permanent damage if we work fast…"
He slipped off into the darkness as relief entered his mind, knowing that he was in good hands.