"Stupefy!" Even as the white light flashed over Cedric's shoulder and on to its intended target a red light was heading towards the back of Harry's head. Realization spread across Cedric's face as his eyes followed Harry's spell to the giant magical spider that had been about to take him out. He whipped back around to call out his thanks, an apology or a warning, he wasn't sure which. It all became irrelevant as the Stunner slammed into Harry and knocked him off his feet. The momentum of the younger champion's mad dash carried him forward as his feet left the ground.
Harry was sure he was going to be able to meet one or more of his major goals since appearing in this timestream when something struck him in the back of the head. He felt himself slam into something hard. And as darkness took him he felt a jerk behind his navel.
Harry woke to an ear-splitting, persistent scream. He couldn't figure out exactly who was doing the screaming as his mind was consumed with pain. Nothing else existed for what seemed like hours. When it finally subsided the tremors and spasms rocking through his body as well as the lingering ache in every part of his body identified what had just happened and his sore throat told him who had been screaming.
As he managed to focus through the pain he realized something was holding him upright. Looking around he saw a giant cauldron. In front of it stood a hunched figure with stringy blond hair and watery blue eyes holding a squirming bundle. He was in the graveyard, tied to Riddle Sr.'s headstone. Damn it, Cedric! I was supposed to arrive here awake, you prick! Even Wormtail could beat an unconscious man and now Harry was in a situation he had desperately wanted to avoid.
"Harry Potter, welcome. I will join you in a moment. Wormtail!" At the bundles command Pettigrew walked over to the cauldron and tipped it in. Harry knew what was coming next but was powerless to stop it. Damn Pettigrew for being a traitor and Riddle for being the kind of sick bastard who uses a bloody Cruciatus when an Ennervation Charm would have worked.
"Bone of the father, unknowingly given, you will renew your son." Harry watched as the trail of bone dust floated from the grave to the cauldron.
"Flesh…of the servant…w-willingly given…you will…revive…your master." As Pettigrew's scream tore through the graveyard Harry couldn't help but wish him every bit of the pain he was feeling. As soon as the traitor had recovered and cleaned the knife he stumbled over to where Harry was immobilized. Harry briefly toyed with the idea of offering his blood willingly but had learned enough about magic to know that it was the intent that mattered and he could never actually want Riddle back in his body, torturing and killing innocents. He settled for coldly glaring and the sniveling coward in front of him.
"B-blood of the enemy...forcibly taken...you will...resurrect your foe." Harry made sure not to react to his sleeve being pushed up or the cold steel biting into his flesh. He wanted Wormtail to feel every ounce of contempt Harry held for him. The little weasel stumbled back over to the cauldron. Knowing to expect a blinding flash Harry squeezed his eyes shut. When he heard Pettigrew's gasp he opened them again and saw Tom Marvolo Riddle once again in the flesh.
"Robe me." Wormtail scurried to obey his master's command. Harry meanwhile started trying to plan his way out of this mess. Plan A had gone to the dogs the moment he arrived here unconscious. Plan B had been to rely on the Priori Incantatem effect to throw Riddle off guard and make his escape. The after-effects of the Cruciatus made purposefully aiming for one of Riddle's curses a suicidal undertaking. That left Plan C: wing it and hope for an opening to get to the cup and portkey the hell out of here. From now on that was his only objective and even that was a world away until he got out these bindings and preferably got his wand back. A whimper of pain from Wormtail brought his attention back to the dark wizards in front of him. Pettigrew was kneeling in front of Voldemort who had his wand pressed to the Dark Mark on his slave's arm.
"How many will be brave enough to return when they feel it?" he whispered, his gleaming red eyes fixed upon the stars. "And how many will be foolish enough to stay away?" He turned his gaze to Harry.
"Ah, Harry Potter. My most faithful has told me of you. Of your remarkable growth this year. When I heard of your fight with a dragon I was…impressed. I will teach you however that a dragon is nothing compared to the wrath of Lord Voldemort. Crucio!" Once again pain consumed Harry's awareness blocking out any sense of time or his surroundings. When the curse lifted Harry was desperately sucking in ragged breaths and the trembling of his limbs had worsened.
"Look, Harry Potter, they have come to me. After all these years they still obey me. More than magic, this is power." With that he swept away and Harry tried to take the chance to get his body back under control. If the ropes were removed now he would likely just collapse.
Riddle meanwhile was playing to the crowd. Harry had to admit that the old bastard knew how to work a stage. He wondered to himself how much time Riddle had spent in his demented baby form practicing this. While Harry's mind wandered Riddle had moved on to torturing his minions. Harry was just grateful that the bastard was naming them. He remembered the letter he had sent a week ago and thought there was still something he could do to change the course of the war to come. Assuming he managed to once again beat the odds and get out of here alive. A flash of silver caught his eye and he saw that Wormtail was receiving his new hand. That meant that Harry was about to be dragged into this production.
"It would seem that I have been neglecting you, Harry Potter." the sibilant voice hissed. "That simply will not do for the guest of honor and I am always an appropriate host." He turned to face the gathered Death Eaters again. "For thirteen years you thought this boy could destroy me…you thought him my equal. Tonight you will be proven wrong." Harry couldn't restrain himself.
"You mean you're finally going to tell them that you are the son of a muggle and a squib and less of pureblood than I am? About time, Tommy-boy." When Voldemort whirled around to face Harry his eyes were glowing a malevolent red.
"You insufferable boy! Crucio!" For the third time that night Harry's senses where overwhelmed by pain. He hung limply in the ropes once the curse was ended. The spasms were coming fast and thick now.
"Well, Harry Potter, what do you say now?" Harry looked up at his tormentor and spit out a glob of red saliva at Riddle's feet before answering.
"Didn't hear…a 'no'...in there." For a second Harry thought Voldemort was going to curse him again, but at the last moment something changed in the Dark Lord's gaze.
"The Sorting Hat placed you well, boy. You are brave, I said as much last time we met, but you are also foolish. You survived me twice with luck and your mudblood mother's blessing. No more, Harry Potter." One long spindly finger reached out and touched him on his scar, "The touch that burned me is gone, your protection is gone; and to ensure that there will never again be doubts we will duel. Once you have begged me for death I will bestow on you the gift of finally meeting your parents. Your mudblood I will send your corpse to weep over." The last sentence set Harry's blood to boiling and he glared ferociously at his tormentor. Riddle seemed pleased to be on the receiving end of Harry's venomous look. "Very good, boy, that defiance will make you most entertaining. Wormtail!"
Pettigrew scuttled up to the two antagonists and, at a gesture from his master, tore through the ropes letting Harry collapse to the ground. His wand landed in front of him a moment later. Harry immediately reached out and grasped it. The situation had just gone from impossible to untenable and it actually made him feel a bit better. He struggled to his feet never letting his knees touch the ground. He was not going to kneel in front this psychopath if he had anything to say about it.
"Excellent, Harry. Now first, we bow." Voldemort's upper body bent slightly but his gaze never left Harry's. Harry kept his back straight as best he could with the tremors running through his body. "That won't do at all, Harry Potter, such a lack of manners. Imperio!" A feeling of calm washed over the teenage wizard. For just a moment there was no pain, no fear. It was this calm that allowed him to notice that the Death Eaters hadn't circled around them yet. They were standing behind their master in clusters, it looked like they were setting up a betting pool.
"Now bow, Harry Potter, bow before your Lord." Before his body could even begin to react Harry snapped the curse. It did however give him an opening and he started casting before his wand was fully raised.
"Confringo! Diffindo! Reducto! Coracis! Bombarda!" spell after spell he chained together. Exploding Curse. Cutting Curse. Reductor, Siege Engine and Blasting Curse. All of them extremely destructive even if they didn't hit exactly what he was aiming at. The first spell hit the ground in front of Riddle throwing up a spray of dirt and surprising the Dark Lord enough that he stumbled back a few paces. The rest tore into the waiting Death Eaters. Amid the screaming and the blood Harry ducked behind Riddle Sr.'s headstone.
Someone had gathered their wits, however and sent a Blasting Curse at Harry's cover blasting it into rubble. The fact that the force of the explosion sent Harry bouncing back several yards made him think it was probably Voldemort who threw that. The rest of them soon followed their master and a veritable avalanche of spells was heading for Harry as he scrambled to find some more cover. Between dodging and shielding he managed to avoid most of the curses but he didn't have perfect control. Half a dozen curses splashed against his armour and dissipated before his luck ran out and the armour started giving out. A cutting curse glanced across his back feeling like someone had laid a red-hot piece of iron across his skin. He flung up his left hand to catch a Bone Exploding Curse that would have left his head looking like it had been used as Fluffy's chew toy. A blasting curse hit him just as he was diving for cover and flung him behind a different tomb than he had been planning to use. Since fire was now being concentrated on his intended hiding place Harry was actually considering placing that curse in his 'good luck column' for the night. I need a way to hide. The thought passed through his mind and Harry almost slapped himself before tapping himself on the head with his wand. Thankfully he had worn his robes over his armour allowing the spell to take hold there rather than being broken up by the dragon-hide's spell resistance. As he slowly faded from view he forced himself to get up and keep moving. Every so often he would throw a curse at the Death Eaters who had spread out and were clearly annoyed at the fact that their prey was proving so elusive. His use of silent casting meant that it took them a moment to locate the source of the curse allowing him to move on safely.
Since he had no idea where the Tri-Wizard cup was Harry didn't dare summon it. He couldn't take the chance of his ride out of here being shredded by the hail of curses flying every which way. He was back to desperately searching for a glint. Just as he thought he saw something by the giant cauldron he heard a hiss behind him and flung himself to the side. Nagini's fangs flashed through the air where he had been a second earlier. Harry saw the snake's tongue flick out as it gathered itself after the failed strike. Shit. Snakes hunt their prey by tasting the air with their tongues. She won't care that I'm invisible. Just as Nagini raised herself for another strike Harry managed to get over his shock.
Harry's curse flew true and the snake's head went flying. Nagini's death meant the end of another Horcrux. Unfortunately killing the Horcrux the usual side-effect: an ear-piercing shriek of agony. Harry couldn't wait any longer and broke into an all-out sprint towards the cauldron. The curses fell silent around him as everyone stopped to identify the scream. Judging by Voldemort's face he already had a fairly good idea.
"Get over there! Sssurround the little ssshit! If you let him essscape I will take it out of your hidesss!" The Dark Lord was so furious that he almost slipped into parseltongue as he hissed out his orders. In the face of their master's rage the Death Eaters rushed over to surround the area the scream had come from and started waving their arms in front of them trying to find an invisible teenager who was no longer there.
Harry in the meantime had reached the cauldron and was looking around desperately for the glint he had seen earlier. Something flashed to his right and the seeker whipped around to it his wand coming up, a summoning spell already on his lips. That changed as he registered that it was a silver hand, not a cup. Wormtail had apparently stayed behind to 'provide cover'. The red flash of Harry's stunner lit up the night as it slammed into the cowardly traitor. Diving for the body of one of his most hated enemies Harry gave up all pretense of stealth and shouted out "Accio Cup!" hoping that the glint he had seen earlier had indeed been the cup and not Pettigrew's hand. The relief he felt when the cup soared towards him from the base of the cauldron mere yards away was intense.
The flash of spellfire had not gone unnoticed however and every Death Eater was watching Pettigrew's collapsed body when Harry's first vocalized spell in minutes gave his position and intentions away. A hail of spells rained down on Harry and Pettigrew. Several missed them all together, one or two slammed into Wormtail and a few struck Harry; only one made it through the remaining protection of Harry's armour. He felt Riddle's Bone Shattering Curse hit his right knee just as the cup slammed into his shoulder. His grip on Wormtail never loosened as he was dragged away by a hook behind his navel. The last thing he saw as he disappeared was Voldemort's enraged countenance and a green light that wouldn't reach them before they vanished.
:-:-:-:-:
The Portkey slammed Harry and Pettigrew into the ground in front of the maze hard enough that he couldn't suppress a cry of pain as the shards of what used to be his knee and hand were ground into the surrounding flesh. All around him people were running around in a panic caused by Cedric Diggory coming out of the maze yelling that Harry Potter had been Portkeyed out by the Tri-Wizard cup. Even in that chaos though there was one person who not only heard his voice, but recognized it as well.
"Harry!" It was just as well he was already flat on his back as Hermione Granger, smartest witch of the age, slammed into her boyfriend at high speed drawing another whimper of pain from him. "Oh, god. Oh, Harry, are you all right? Are you hurt? What happened?" Her hair was bushier than he had seen it in a long time, her eyes were red, puffy and still overflowing with tears and worry and her cheeks were tearstained. In that moment Harry thought that there had never been a more beautiful sight.
"H-hey, M-m-my L-l-lady." he managed, trying to smile reassuringly through the spasms. His girlfriend just tightened her hold and buried her face in his neck as she completely broke down. Behind her the message was flying fast through the crowd: "Harry Potter is back!" Eventually this drew the running forms of Professors Dumbledore, McGonagall and Snape.
"Mr. Potter!" The relief in Minerva McGonagall's voice was obvious to everyone within hearing distance. "Are you alright? What happened?"
"All in good time, Minerva. I believe that mister Potter could do with some medical attention and a little privacy first." The twinkling eyes of the Hogwarts headmaster told the world that he too was undeniably grateful to see his student back in one piece. "Perhaps we could get the rest of the students moving to the Great Hall? It is more comfortable and they can all share in the comfort of a cup of warm cocoa. I shall fetch Madam Pomfrey."
At that suggestion the teachers started shepherding the students away from the portkey landing site. Professor McGonagall took one final look at the two teens entwined on the ground as if to make sure that Harry was really back and not going anywhere before she joined the rest of the staff. No move was made to pry Hermione away from her chosen position.
As the crowd started to disperse around them Hermione felt Harry's body relax slightly. She didn't even consider letting go though. Not when he was warm and there and alive! Their contact was a reassurance she desperately needed. She was surprised when he tensed up again at the approach of uneven footsteps. Confused she looked over her shoulder but she only saw Professor Moody hobbling up to them. On second thought the grin on his face was disturbing but maybe he felt in his element with all this chaos and mystery. What really disturbed her was the way his real eye widened and the grin slid off his face when caught sight of a living Harry. His hand shot into his pocket and he didn't even have his wand all the way clear before he began his incantation.
"Avada-" He never finished it though as several red bolts shot out from around her hip. Two of them slammed into the retired auror. Two of them slammed into ministry workers she didn't recognize but who were clearly hanging around for the free show. The last one sailed clear over everyone and everything. Shocked she glanced down and realized that her boyfriend was still holding his wand in his trembling hand. Looking up she saw that his eyes had gone hard as he looked at their Defense Professor. Wondering what else she had missed in her worry over him she started analyzing their surroundings and quickly found something that needed explaining.
"Harry. Is that…is that Peter Pettigrew?" The pained grin on Harry's face told her everything she needed to know. The same could apparently not be said for other people.
"What?! Pettigrew is supposed to be dead!" Hermione reflected that it is hard to keep a hold of someone lying on the ground who certainly wasn't making any moves to get up and keeping an eye on your surroundings. "And why is Moody stunned?"
"Professor Moody was drawing his wand on us and had already started the incantation for the Killing Curse when Harry stunned him. We found out that Pettigrew was alive and a Death Eater last year but the minister wouldn't believe us when we told him. How Harry managed to capture him, I have no idea." Hermione had her own wand out by now and was standing protectively over Harry, eying the woman in front of her speculatively. She had short grey hair, a square jaw and a monocle in one eye. She was surrounded by several people who, judging by their robes, were aurors for the ministry as well as several people wearing grey cloaks with their hoods up. "Who are you, ma'am?"
"Madam Amelia Bones, Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement. Mr. Potter sent me an owl asking me to attend tonight as there had been several, ah, mistakes since his name was entered under suspicious circumstances. It would appear he was right to be worried." Hermione's eyes went wide as she remembered the message that Harry had sent off a week ago with Hedwig. Bones had turned to one of her aurors, "Check Moody's wand before you wake him up."
"N-n-no. S-s-spy." Harry had apparently decided to make his opinion known, earning him a stern look from the head of the DMLE. Just as she was opening her mouth she was interrupted by her own auror.
"Ma'am! Mad-Eye's last spell was the Imperious!" Bones' monocle popped out of her eye when she heard that tidbit. "What the hell is going on here?! Secure him! Pettigrew too! We are getting to the bottom of this, no matter what!" Four of the aurors moved as if she had scalded them, immediately casting binding spells and summoning wands, portkeys, potions and anything else that could help their prisoners get away. Once they were done they levitated the two men away. Bones in the meantime returned her attention to the person who seemed to be at the center of all this drama. "Mr. Potter are you able to talk about what happened tonight?"
"T-t-take m-memory. D-d-dumbledore h-has P-p-pensieve."
That statement shocked everyone who heard it. One of the grey-cloaked figures stepped forward. "Does he now? That is very interesting." Hermione was about to ask what a Pensieve was and why the headmaster having one was so interesting but never got the chance as everyone was distracted by a commotion at the rear of the group. The source was soon found as Madam Pomfrey appeared, shoving aurors away in her haste to get to her most frequent patient.
"Move it, you lumps! There is an injured student here!" To Hermione's great surprise and amusement the aurors that jumped out of the matron's way managed to look sheepish doing it. Her amusement lasted right up to the point that she herself was pulled away. "I need room to work, girl. If you want to help you can hand me the potions I need!" Hermione decided that was the best she was going to get and wrenched open the bag the healer had brought with her.
In the meantime Professor Dumbledore, who had followed behind Madam Pomfrey, was being confronted by the men in grey cloaks. "Chief Warlock we have learned that you have in your possession a Pensieve. A restricted item that our department only loans out under certain conditions and always keeps very careful track of. It just so happens that one was stolen some fifteen years ago. Care to comment on that?" Dumbledore's face showed his shock that anyone knew about his Pensieve.
"Mr. Potter is currently unable to give testimony about what happened tonight and has offered us his memory of events. We're going to need that Pensieve regardless of how you obtained it." At that revelation the headmaster's gaze turned towards Harry who was currently on a stretcher being levitated by a very worried looking Pomfrey.
"He'll not be hanging around here for you to play around with." she snapped at the onlookers. "You can bring whatever contraption this is to the hospital wing and if it won't interfere with his healing you may let Mr. Potter use it." She and Hermione left the pitch at a run floating Harry ahead of them.
"Bode! Go with them and explain the memory retrieval process to Madam Pomfrey." One of the cloaked figures nodded and hurried off after the retreating women. "Chief Warlock, the rest of us will be accompanying you as you retrieve the device so our property does not become…lost…on its way to your hospital wing. Madam Bones, we will see you there." The rest of the Unspeakables left with a very chagrined looking Dumbledore. Madam Bones and the aurors following behind them. On the way to the castle a voice caught their attention.
"Madam Bones! Madam Bones! What is going on here? The French and the Bulgarians are demanding explanations for the mess this turned into. I will not have the ministry looking bad over this!" Madam Bones managed to restrain a sigh as Minister Fudge came running up to them, face red with exertion and one hand on his green bowler hat to keep it in place.
"We are heading to find that out now, Minister. Perhaps you would like to join us?" She was not prepared to ask him about what that girl had said about Pettigrew. She wanted more information before she waded into that mire.
"Yes. Yes, I think that would be best." Madam Bones somehow also managed to find the willpower not to roll her eyes at her superior's pomposity.
:-:-:-:-:
In the hospital wing Hermione was sitting next to Harry's bed under Professor McGonagall's watchful eye. Experience had taught the Gryffindor Head of House where to expect this night to end and she had come to learn what had happened to her charge and exactly what had gone wrong this time. In a corner Unspeakable Bode was doing his best to convince Madam Pomfrey to hold off on giving her patient a Dreamless Sleep Potion until after the memory of the night was extracted and having limited success at best. Harry was drifting off as it was, barely able to keep his eyes open now that the adrenaline was fading and his injuries were healing. Bode was in luck as the doors to the infirmary opened and a small army trouped in.
As the pensive was being set up at the foot of Harry's bed the lead Unspeakable came over to talk to him. "Mr. Potter, I will need you to remember what you wish to show us. Really focus on it. I will place my wand to your temple and cast the retrieval spell. Do you understand?" A weak nod was his answer. A second later Harry closed his eyes and the Unspeakable gently placed his wand where he said he would. As he drew it away a long silvery thread followed it. Hermione was a little disappointed that she hadn't been able to learn more of this spell but mostly fascinated with the whole process. The silver strand was dropped in the Pensieve.
"Mr. Potter do we have your permission to view this memory?" Another nod.
"Good, if that is all, Mr. Potter needs to take his potion now." Clearly madam Pomfrey was done postponing treatment as she immediately placed the vial she was holding to Harry's lips and poured it in. She hadn't even lifted it away when his body went slack, finally getting the rest it desperately needed. That done the adults all gathered around the Pensieve and extended fingers to touch the silvery substance within. One by one they disappeared from the Hospital wing until even Madam Pomfrey and Professor McGonagall were gone. Hermione gaze flicked between Harry and the Pensieve until her curiosity became too much and she reached out her own finger.
:-:-:-:-:
Hermione landed in what she realized must be the maze. Hedges towered over her on either side. Ahead of her the group of aurors, Unspeakables and teachers were following along behind Harry. Well, Memory-Harry at any rate. This was absolutely fascinating, she was actually walking in one of Harry's memories. A quick pass of one hand through a hedge confirmed that she couldn't interact with this world. Of course I can't. It's already happened.
Hermione hurried to catch up to the other observers. As she turned the corner she froze. Harry was facing off with largest damn skrewt she had ever seen. If that thing hurt my Harry I'm asking Bones to destroy the rest! She needn't have worried. Harry was magnificent. Hermione was especially impressed with his mastery of the Water Making Charm, they weren't supposed to learn that until sixth year. If she was reading Professor McGonagall's face right she was equally impressed though that could be down to the casual use of transfiguration on his shoes proving that he was really internalizing her teachings.
Harry's encounter with the Boggart confused her even if she felt he acquitted himself brilliantly. She saw that several of the Unspeakables were agitated at its second form and couldn't help but wonder why. There was a group that was really kicking her curiosity into high gear. When they came to the mist she hoped Harry would be smart enough to not run headlong into an unknown static spell. He surprised her with the use of yet another N.E.W.T. level spell. Harry, you've been holding out on me. Judging by the comments from the group ahead they were just as impressed.
All conversation was abruptly broken off at the screams that suddenly sounded through the maze. Hermione almost sighed as she watched Harry act exactly as she might expect in that situation: he rushed to the rescue. Watching him with Fleur made her a little uncomfortable. She knew he was only helping someone in need but couldn't stop her insecurities from playing up as she concluded that Fleur looked unsurpassably beautiful, even after being tortured. She appreciated the French girl's encouragement though.
She had to stifle a small snicker when she saw that Harry had apparently had enough of playing by the rules. She didn't actually have to worry about being overheard as several aurors were braying with laughter at the display. She thought most of the adults looked amused even if the Unspeakables were hard to read with all their covering. She was disappointed that she didn't get to hear the riddle of the Sphinx but thought Harry's solution put Oedipus to shame. She was glad the Sphinx thought so too as she wouldn't have wanted to witness a battle between the two.
Finally she saw Harry sprinting for the cup and was surprised to find herself silently urging him on. She almost cursed when she saw Cedric burst out of the passage. Several of the aurors did curse when they saw the acromantula. Harry managed to kill the damn thing with a spell she had never even heard of. You are tutoring me when you are up and about again, Potter. As she watched the red stunner hitting Harry's head and slamming him into the cup she made another resolution: Cedric Diggory was going to get slapped. The colours around her started to swirl before everything went black except the people who had entered the Pensieve. She hoped cover would soon reemerge as she had nowhere to hide if her professors decided to start looking about.
The world erupted around her accompanied by the most heart-wrenching screams she had ever heard. The source was easily identified. Harry was bound to a massive tombstone and thrashing about clearly under the effects of the Cruciatus.
"Harry! NO!" Her cry burst from her lips before she could stop it and she started sprinting towards him. Everyone turned to look at her in surprise, but she didn't care. Harry was suffering, she needed to help, she needed to do something.
"Miss Granger! Hermione!" Suddenly her cheek stung and she blinked. She realized her Head of House was standing in front of her, holding her shoulders and clearly worried. Somewhere in the back of her mind she noticed the screaming had stopped and Harry was using the ropes around himself to keep himself upright. "Miss Granger, you should leave here. This is unlikely to be pleasant." Hermione just shook her head.
"If Harry had to live through this I can manage watching." Her voice was determined even if it contained a slight quiver. Professor McGonagall looked like she was going to overrule her student before examining her for a moment. Whatever the elderly professor had been looking for she apparently found before nodding and slipping an arm around Hermione's shoulders and drawing her along to the rest of the group. They ended up standing next to a female auror with pink hair who looked over at her and winked before turning back to the ritual that was being performed. The Unspeakables and several older aurors hadn't stopped scribbling down notes on what they were seeing.
Voldemort's rebirth caused exclamations of fear, revulsion and horror from the group. Harry's second Cruciatus of the night was met with screams of abuse at Voldemort, mostly from Hermione. When the Dark Lord lifted the curse Hermione noticed that the ropes were supporting all of Harry's weight now. She missed most of the interaction between Voldemort and the Death Eaters, busy as she was trying to catalogue every change of expression on Harry's face. The aurors were scribbling faster than ever trying to record every last name and crime mentioned. Voldemort hadn't had the time to cast the Imperius on anybody yet so these scumbags were here of their own free will.
Harry's goading of the Dark Lord and his response to the third Cruciatus had many of the aurors looking at him with serious respect showing on their faces. Hermione saw that Professor McGonagall and Madam Pomfrey had tears streaming down their faces. Voldemort's declaration that they would duel brought hisses from most of those present. One grizzled auror spat on the ground.
"Aye sure, torture the lad before ye dare 'n face him. Coward." He got several grunts and quite a few looks usually reserved for dangerous lunatics. When Harry stood on trembling legs Hermione heard the pink haired auror gasp.
"Circe's tits. He's still going to get up and fight?" The awe and respect rang clear in her voice. Hermione thought the people who didn't know Harry personally might be reaching a saturation level from their exposure to the inhuman force of will that was Harry James Potter. Their reaction to his breaking of the Imperius never made it over the sounds of battle. Hermione was horrified watching her boyfriend fight for his life as death flew through the air in brightly colored lights. The snake's fate caused everyone a lot of confusion except for the headmaster who felt only surprise and satisfaction that another Horcrux was gone. The swirling colors that signaled Harry's escape were met with raucous cheering. Even some of the ever stoic Unspeakables got in on the act. The greatest surprise to Hermione would always be her Head of House screaming something that sounded like a Gaellic war-cry, not that she planned to ask. At this point she just wanted to get back to Harry. She had to hold him to make sure he was alright. After what she had just seen Madam Pomfrey's scans could take a long walk off a short pier as far as reassurances were concerned.
Hermione's reaction to Harry's arrival at Hogwarts earned her a soft punch in the shoulder and a slight smile from the pink haired auror.
"That's it, girl. Get your man." Hermione couldn't quite manage a smile in response. Moody clearly starting a Killing Curse caused some hard looks to be exchanged between the aurors. That was also the last event Harry had submitted for the pensieve and everyone felt themselves rise out as the memory ended.
:-:-:-:-:
The large group once again filled the Hogwarts Hospital Wing as the Pensieve disgorged an emotionally wrung out group on the floor. Hermione and Madam Pomfrey were the first to recover as they raced to Harry's side to make sure he was really alright. The rest of them slowly gathered themselves.
"We'll need to prepare for war. Send out notice to every auror, reserve and Hit Wizard we've got. We're about to be so deep in it we'll need every hand on deck." Madam Bones had seen enough in that pensieve to convince her that the wizarding world could be on the brink of destruction within months. "Get me warrants for the arrest of every dirt-bag in that cemetery tonight. I want them on my desk by morning. Speaking of that cemetery, find out where it is and go do damage control. The muggles won't know what to think with the place looking like a sodding battlefield." Aurors were already starting to move to obey her when another voice sounded.
"NO!" Everyone turned to see the red-faced, furious Minister for Magic, "We will not be wasting valuable ministry resources on some deluded boy's fantasy! It is impossible for a dead man to come back. All aurors stand down. You will not be getting warrants to disturb some of the most respected members of our community. If anyone should be arrested it's that boy." The shock was universal. Here was the most powerful man in Magical Britain denying the evidence of his own eyes.
"Are you suggesting that Mr. Potter's Cruciatus exposure came from some kind of daydream, Minister?" Professor McGonagall's scorn was as pronounced as her accent when she addressed the little man in front of her. The Minister only floundered for a second.
"It was probably Black. He tortured the boy and Memory Charmed him. It's the only thing that makes sense."
"Cornelius, surely you can see that-"
"AHEM!" A very angry Madam Pomfrey was glaring at everyone in her ward not currently in a bed. "If this is going to turn into a political discussion you can all bloody well find somewhere else to hold it. This is a Hospital and my patients require peace and rest. Get out!" It took Dumbledore gently guiding the minister out to get things moving in the end. Next were the Unspeakables who took the pensieve with them. Just before they left the leader turned to Madam Bones.
"You may call upon the Department of Mysteries, Amelia. That was no forged memory." With that they all left. Before any of the aurors could move to leave the grizzled one who had spit at Voldemort's treatment of Harry spoke up.
"Madam Director, I would like volunteer meself for the guardin' o' the lad. He'll no need it when he's awake but he en't learnt to cast while sleeping yet." This got some chuckles from his colleagues. "I'll make sure as none get to him save his Healer an' that lass o' his. I en't for tellin' him I laid hands on his miss after all that." That got more chuckles and the pink haired auror raised her hand.
"I'll volunteer as well, Madam Bones." Bones simply nodded.
"All right, Montrose, Tonks. I'll send relief in the morning. No one except for Poppy, Minerva, myself and the young lady comes near him. Not even the Minister or Dumbledore, got that." Montrose snorted.
"If'n the fruitcake wants the lad arrested he can try it his ainself. He'll no be getting' help from any as hear what happened tonight. As for Dumbledore, I figure the grey cloaks'll keep him busy. Otherwise we'll give Minnie a call." He finished with a wink at McGonagall who rolled her eyes at him.
"Have ye no changed yet, Ambrose?" she asked him with a smile, getting a grin in return. Madam Bones decided to wrap up.
"Right, I'll go try and smack some sense into the fruitcake, I mean the Minister. The rest of you start notifying anyone who you're sure isn't in the Minister's or You-Know-Who's pocket. Now, move out." With that all the aurors who weren't standing guard over one of the most dangerous fighters they had ever seen left the hospital wing and quiet descended once again. It was broken very quietly by Madam Pomfrey.
"Minerva? What should we do about that?" Minerva looked where the Hogwarts Healer was pointing. There, sleeping in the bed next to Harry Potter and holding on to him like he might float away at any moment, was Hermione Granger. Minerva almost groaned. She didn't actually want to deal with this. Finally she decided to leave well enough alone and simply enlarged the bed and conjured a frame around Potter's knee to ensure nothing disturbed the healing process.
"Let them know tomorrow that this exception is only because of the extraordinary events they've been through tonight. I have to go address the Great Hall since Albus is off playing politician. Oh, and Ambrose, stop smirking." Her command had precisely no effect on the old auror.