RELATIONS

Chapter VII

Sunday, July 7, 1996

"Tell me again what happens if I leave?"

Edward rolled his eyes. Dudley was indeed an idiot. "If we don't notice, evil wizards will come and kill you and your father." That didn't seem to have much effect. Harry rolled his eyes. Draco had been right; most of the Death Eaters had disappeared from Azkaban, including Lucius Malfoy. The few remaining Dementors had left with them. The human guards, appointed by Dolores Umbridge, had left with the Death Eaters. Harry had shown Dudley the articles, but Harry wasn't sure if Dudley's reading level was at the Daily Prophet's low level. Vernon had sworn at him and at the articles. Aunt Petunia preferred reading his Quibbler.

Edward tried again. "If we do notice, then Harry stays here until at least his birthday, and a very large number of wizards will come here to celebrate that birthday. At the end of the month," he added, since from the expression on his face it was clear that Dudley had no idea when Harry's birthday was. Edward's face and voice hardened. "We'll play 'pin the tail on the donkey.' You've been a pig; do you want to try for donkey?"

That finally got through. Dudley squealed and fled to his room and locked the door.

"Poor Vernon," Edward muttered.

"Why?" Harry asked, surprised.

"He's trying to establish a business empire; he may even succeed. However, you know as well as I that as soon as Dudley takes control, it will fall apart."

Harry merely nodded his understanding, as he really didn't care. He slipped his dress robes over his head, and his cousin did the same. They were going to make a surprise visit to Carole and her family. Edward held out a piece of rope he had turned into a two-way port key. Harry grabbed a hold of the other end, and Edward touched it with his wand.

They landed in an apple and pear orchard. A large, slightly run-down Tudor farm house was about thirty yards away. To Muggle eyes it would have appeared near-collapse, but Harry could see how it was magically reenforced.

Pain suddenly hit Harry.

"What's wrong," Edward demanded, pulling Harry down behind the shade of an old apple tree.

"Voldemort's here," Harry gasped.

"Shit." Edward looked around, and said, "Can you get up?"

"Yes." Harry stood, a little shaky. He exerted control, like Snape had taught him the year before. The pain almost disappeared.

"We're going around back, towards the barn. I think something's going on there." Harry could hear noises from that direction, now that Edward had called his attention to them.

They moved through the orchard towards the open farmyard. They quickly saw there were two masked figures holding wands on six people, five with red hair. Harry figured they were Jacob Senior, Jacob Junior and his wife and two daughters, and Carole. A third Death Eater had two full baskets of fur balls and a nearly empty third one near him. Harry watched that third person pick a puffskein out of the nearly empty basket, toss it in the air, and explode it. The two little girls were crying as they were forced to watch.

"Still no comment?" Harry recognized the third man as Macnair.

Edward waved his wand, then whispered to Harry. "A silencing spell. Since Voldemort's here, I will have to deal with these three quickly and . . . harshly. We can't be merciful and capture them. We need to drive Voldemort and his followers out, before he realizes you're here."

Harry nodded his understanding and agreement, although he was a little afraid of what 'harshly' might mean. "The two holding them look like the senior Crabbe and Goyle. They're nasty but stupid. It also means there's a good chance Malfoy's here, as well as Voldemort. The one killing the puffskeins is Walden Macnair; he executes unsafe animals for the Ministry," Harry told his cousin.

Three figures came out of the house. Harry knew them by their walk. "Crabbe and Goyle juniors; my year. The other is almost certainly Marcus Flint; he was the Slytherin Quidditch captain and a chaser a few years ago. Flint's nasty, good reaction time, not many brains, except compared to the other two."

Edward was obviously impressed. "Right. If anyone comes at us, 'stupefy,' understand? What I'll have to do is bad enough without you doing anything similar."

Harry swallowed; he hoped he would never have to use another Unforgivable. His cousin was unlikely to use an Unforgivable, but Harry knew there were many other ways of killing. "Yes, sir." Harry wished he could shut his eyes, but he didn't think it would be a wise move.

Edward took a deep breath and waved his wand just as Macnair tossed another puffskein in the air.

Then Macnair's head rolled on the ground; the squealing puffskein landed next to the head.

To the startled Harry, it looked like a Muggle cartoon. There was no blood, and the body actually reached for where the head had been for an instant. Then it keeled over, convulsing. Harry could see there was skin over both ends of the severed neck and no blood. There had been no flash to give them away. Just death.

The senior Crabbe, and then Goyle, lost their heads a few moments later. Flint was already sprinting back towards the house, and the younger Crabbe and Goyle, staring at their fathers, blocked any shot at him. The younger Crabbe and Goyle collapsed a few seconds later, although their heads were at least still attached.

Meanwhile, Carole had gathered up her uncle and cousins and was pushing them out towards the barn.

Two other Death Eaters suddenly ran out of the farm house, moving towards the bodies. The larger one tripped as his head also came off.

"Wormtail!" Harry breathed, seeing who the second one was. He had already popped into rat form by the time Harry finished, and was scurrying back towards the house. The tall grass hid his escape.

"Voldemort seems to be gone," Harry said, starting to stand. Edward silently grabbed Harry's arm and pulled him down. Sure enough, Voldemort and then seven other Death Eaters popped into existence in the orchard. Edward grabbed Harry more firmly, and Disapparated.

They popped into the barn, where they found themselves covered by four wands. "Wait!" a feminine voice said. "Edward!"

"Carole. We were coming to visit."

"Edward who?" Jacob Weasley demanded.

"Edward Potter. This is my cousin, Harry Potter. Harry, help Carole. Now, if you'll excuse me." Edward apparated to the farm yard.

He stood there proudly. "Anything to say to me, Tom Riddle!"

Voldemort stepped out of the trees. "Edward Potter, I presume?"

"Exactly. Ready to meet a Potter on equal terms?" Edward's wand flashed, and three Death Eaters who had been coming through the trees lost their heads. "I mean it. Send your little fish away and fight, or go with them."

Voldemort seemed to think about that. "I wondered what was special about that girl. Now I know. She carries the next male Potter. That completes my mission."

"Was it worth nine of your followers?"

"Perhaps." Voldemort Disapparated. Three of the four remaining Death Eaters Disapparated., but Edward noticed the fourth, the slightest, port-keyed.

The Weasleys and Harry came out of the barn. Mrs. Weasley hurried the two little girls into the house, while her husband went to see to the remaining puffskeins. Jacob Senior and Carole approached them.

"You got something to tell me, missy?" Jacob demanded, turning on Carole when they got to Edward.

"Uncle Jacob, this is my husband, Edward Potter. Edward, my guardian Jacob Weasley."

The two men shook hands. "That One and his men came about half an hour ago," Jacob said in a slow drawl. "Said he was drawn here, didn't know why. Guess we know why, now."

Edward still looked a bit surprised, as he had since Voldemort's pronouncement. "You're pregnant?"

Carole shrugged. "Could be. If so, it's only a few weeks." She allowed Edward to hold her close.

"Where's Joyce?" he asked.

"Off with her fella," Jacob said. "'Bout time those two got married, same as you."

"They'll likely be back, with or without their Master. For hostages, if nothing else," Edward managed to say. Carole was now hugging him very tightly.

The farmer looked around. "This land's been ours for over a thousand years. But we can rebuild if we have to. Any suggestions?"

"I have a spare cottage for you and your son's family. There should be someplace for the puffskeins and any other farm animals, if you don't mind getting them a bit mixed."

Three Aurors apparated. "Sounds good," Jacob said.

"Let me talk to these fellows, then contact my steward."

"Ted, what did you do to them?"

"You saw what I did to them, Harry. I killed them."

Harry, Carole, and Edward were in Remus Lupin's cottage. The Potter tenants were helping to move Jacob and his family and belongings to a small farmstead, leaving the Potters to sort out their own problems. Edward was sitting at the kitchen table, his head in his hands, while Carole was trying to comfort him. Remus, as he often did when he was nervous, was making tea, while Harry was pacing a bit.

"I know that. . . ."

"There were too many to take out all of them. . . ."

"You didn't kill the two Harry's age," Carole pointed out.

"I really should have, but I just couldn't kill someone underage."

"I never heard of that kind of hex," Remus mused, then flushed. "Sorry."

"That's alright." Edward sat up. "I had to do it, but it doesn't make things any easier."

"I'm sure the Ministry's not very happy," Remus said with a frown.

"No, but there's not much they can say with the Weasleys' evidence," Edward said. "Old Fudge still hasn't understood all the ramifications of the Dark Lord's return. And he certainly sent the wrong person to gather the statements for the Ministry!"

"Why?" Remus said puzzled. "Who did they send?"

"Percy," Harry spat.

"Oh -- still acting the jackass?"

"Still as pompous as ever," Harry said, "and almost as patronizing as he's been all year. You'd think, after having been proven totally wrong, he'd at least have the decency to be ashamed!"

"I thought your uncle was going to stick a pitchfork in him," Edward said with a slight smile.

"The little prick would have deserved it! Talking to Uncle Jacob like he was a ignorant peasant!" Carole shook off her distaste for her cousin. "I'm sorry you had to do that, Teddy, but you did have to. We're grateful."

"I know," Edward admitted. "It's not easy to kill, even when you're not using the Killing Curse." He paused. "Actually, that's a more humane way of killing than most. . . ."

"It's NOT," Remus stated firmly. "It causes less pain and suffering than most other ways to die, but it affects the caster, as you very well know. It's addictive."

"Addictive?" Harry asked.

"Addictive," Remus confirmed. "It gives the caster a feedback of a feeling of power and even omnipotence. Many find it very addictive."

"Which is why I was . . . less merciful. To answer your unasked question, Moony, I used a very old medical severing charm. For almost any powerful medi-wizard or healer, it would sever a partially damaged limb while healing the wound. Few could get it to do what I did. It was used a long time ago, before they discovered how to heal serious injuries with potion/charm combinations. Only specialized severing charms are used now, like for docking a crup's tail. This was the generalized spell that preceded those modern charms. Less accurate, unless used by a Master."

Remus frowned. "That must have been a long time ago." He already knew that Edward was one of the very few wizards of their generation who operated on that high a level.

"Millennia, to be exact." Edward looked up. "I found . . . no, that's not accurate. I was revealed a cache of knowledge. Some of it is Dark, but most Light or neutral. Voldemort was very lucky he ran. I'm not just more powerful than he is, I'm much more knowledgeable, except in some Dark areas. I may not be able to kill him, but I can defeat him and I can cripple him, and he knows it."

"And I'm your weakness," Carole said.

"You are my strength and center," Edward said. He turned and put his arm around her waist and leaned his head against her arm.

"Why did you kill those last three Death Eaters?" Harry asked. "Why not Voldemort?"

"It's just a medical spell, Harry," Edward replied. "I'm sure Voldemort could have dodged or blocked it. If he'd blocked it, then he would have realized how weak a spell it actually is, in terms of real power. Right now, his bunch are probably pissing themselves in terror."

"Oh, that makes sense. What will happen to Crabbe and Goyle?" Harry asked.

"Since they're underage, it's hard to tell," Remus said. "There are some non-Dementor wizarding prisons, but I doubt they'd take them. Best guess, expulsion from Hogwarts and barring them from the N.E.W.T.s, and probably having their wands snapped and barred from legally using wands for a time. They both scored the minimum O.W.L.s, so they won't be disenfranchised permanently."

"I wonder if Draco was there with Daddy and friends," Harry mused.

"Shortish, slight git with the usual Malfoy white-blond hair, rather girlish in length?"

"Yeah."

Edward nodded. "He was there. Port-keyed out. I hope the Aurors catch up to them with the younger Crabbe and Goyle's port keys, but I doubt it."

Edward sighed and stood up. "Sorry, Harry, but we need to get you back to Privet Drive."

"I know." He turned to Carole. "Sorry we didn't meet under better circumstances, Carole." Carole hugged him, as did Remus.

Edward took out the port key.

Three hours later, Severus Snape was a very worried man. He'd thought he had Voldemort's organization well-mapped. He also had thought he knew where he stood with the other Death Eaters, even if his own position with Voldemort was still very shaky. He had thought he stood second in the personal power scheme, if rather distant in terms of closeness to the Dark Lord Himself, but it turned out there were more supporters than he'd known about, and one of them was perhaps equal, if not superior, to the elder Malfoy.

Another of the newcomers was also interesting. Snape didn't know the man's name, but he knew the man worked in the Ministry's museum and records division. He also finally knew the powerful Dark Wizard that he'd just seen actually existed (something he'd been trying to find out for months; he'd hoped he'd been wrong in his deductions), as the two were put in charge of researching whatever spell Potter had used to behead some six or seven Death Eaters.

Snape almost shivered at the power of the hex described. And at how it had probably taken the heads thirty seconds or so to really lose consciousness.

"Now what should we do with young Goyle and Crabbe," Voldemort mused. "What say you, my dear Professor?"

"Do they really know anything worth saying, my Lord?" Snape asked. "If not, they may yet be handy muscle in the future. They are likely to only suffer having their wands snapped."

"Lucius, even though you are now exposed, they do know something you do not wish revealed, do they not?"

"Yes, my Lord."

'I was afraid of that,' Snape thought.

"It is of no concern of mine if the boy's position is revealed; he has shown himself unequal to the task of acting on his own at this time, except for intelligence gathering. The young men might be useful as extra muscle. Still, if you wish to incur a debt to my associate here, and lose the closeness with your two late associates' families, feel free to do so." Voldemort turned away. "Wormtail! Come! You must retell me all you know of Edward Potter. The rest are dismissed."

Lucius Malfoy sighed, and went to ask a favor that Snape knew he could not stop being . . . executed. Snape merely hoped the unknown Dark Wizard would want a price higher than Malfoy was willing to pay.

And worst of all, the Dark Lord had called this new wizard his 'associate' -- not a term he would have used lightly in this gathering.

THE DAILY PROPHET Tuesday, July 9, 1996 AMAZING DISCOVERIES IN CHAD! AN AMAZING RETURN!

A research team, led by American archeologist Hugh Johnson, spent 21 months in Chad, exploring the ruins of a series of previously unplotted ancient cities.

These ruins pre-date ancient known cities and sites in Africa by nearly 1000 years, nearly equaling the ruins in ancient Mesopotamia. More importantly, these are the oldest known magical urban sites so far discovered, dating from between 6,500 to 4,000 years ago.

The team was able to fully plot the sites and do preliminary field work. The sites are only accessible at equinoxes, and returns are only possible on solstices. A full expedition will be mounted in September. Professor Johnson will again lead the team, drawn from members of the American Magical Archeological Institute and associated institutions.

Perhaps equally astounding, the expedition's #2 wizard, up-and-coming archeological star Edward Harold, has been revealed to be none other than Edward Harold Potter, the younger cousin of the late James H. Potter and of Harry Potter, The-Boy-Who-Lived. Edward Potter, last heard from at his leaving Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry in 1982 (where he had resigned as Head Boy shortly after the death of Lily and James Potter), is rumoured to have had many disagreements with Headmaster Albus Dumbledore, who has had his own troubles these past months.

Dr. Potter has announced both his marriage to Miss Carole Weasley, also a member of the expedition to Chad, and his appointment as Professor of Runes at Hogwarts. When asked to comment about his appointment, his cousin, and his marriage, Dr. Potter merely said that he expected to have a professional relationship with Headmaster Dumbledore, that he would use this opportunity to finally get to know his cousin, and that his wife and he were happy. There has been no comment from Dumbledore, Harry Potter, or Mrs. Potter.

Monday, July 29, 1996

Severus Snape marched angrily towards the old Black house. He wasn't sure why it was still being used, now that Black was . . . gone.

Snape had disliked Sirius Black for as long as he could remember. When they'd gone to Hogwarts, he'd quickly come to hate Black and his sidekick James Potter.

Yet, despite what many (probably most) of his students thought of him, Snape got no pleasure over the fact that either man was dead. He had seen too much death, and as much as he had hated both men he would have preferred them alive and helping in the struggle with the Dark Lord.

In a very real sense, both men had died from their flaws, especially Black's flaws. It had been Black who had thought of the double-bluff that failed to protect Potter and his wife. It had been Black who had refused to stay where he should have stayed, getting himself swept behind the Veil.

Snape very much wished he could totally convince himself that the second was all Black's fault, instead of mostly Black's fault. That he didn't share at least some small share of the blame.

So far, he hadn't succeeded.

Snape went up, and started to ring the bell of #12, Grimmauld Place. The door opened before he could, for which he was grateful. He hated hearing his aunt rave on.

At least Snape was grateful until he saw who opened the door. "Potter," he snarled softly.

"Snape," Edward replied simply. He escorted Snape into the dining room.

"Why was I ordered here, and why are you here?" Snape asked in a more normal-volume sneer. 'At least the bastard isn't still calling me Snake!' he thought.

"There are several reasons," Edward replied. "Shall we go over the nasty things we have to do first, or the things we'll really hate?"

"As you will. Who else is here?"

"Remus and Arabella will be here in about three hours."

"What do we have to do?" Snape was puzzled.

"For the nasty things? We have to dispose of six items. You're here, because you have the last say in the disposal of five of them. Only you and I have the nerve to deal with the last."

"That sounds ominous."

Edwards ignored the sardonic tone. "Here we have three of the six items."

"My Aunt's and parents' double wedding photo, and two framed photos of them? Black didn't throw them out?"

"Sirius hadn't thrown them out, he set them aside for you to decide."

Snape destroyed them with a flick of his wand. "I think I can guess what the other items might be." Snape nearly smiled at the thought. He followed Edward into the drawing room.

"Ah, that damn tapestry. Black never destroyed it, hey? I wonder why? I know he couldn't have been sentimental about it."

"He tried. He and Remus would have destroyed it . . . well, later that week, if he hadn't died. It will take precision reductor curses from two powerful wizards. Unless you want it?"

"Hell, no! My Aunt merely married into the family, I'm not closely enough related to be on it!"

"You can if you want to claim it. It's a simple charm."

Snape got a sick look on his face. "Do you think I would want to be? My mother was a drunk and my aunt was one of the nastiest women I have ever met!"

"That says a lot, considering what Harry says the school went through with Umbridge."

"Umbridge would have needed a few more decades of marinating in her own poisons to match Black's mother!"

"Shall we, then?"

Snape hesitated. "Shouldn't Tonks do it? It's hers, isn't it?"

"Do you want to stand opposite her while she tries to be precise?"

Snape sighed. "Good point. Let's do it."

"Care to count it off?"

"Three. . .two. . .one. . .Reducto!"

They had the tapestry reduced to ash in a matter of seconds.

"What are the blood traitors doing! How dare. . . ." A flip of Edward's wand froze Kreacher in place.

"I didn't think elves could be petrified," Snape commented.

"They can't be with a human spell. I know some elfish magic, too." Edward levitated the elf and took him to the front hall.

"May I?" Snape asked.

"Who is there!" Mrs. Black demanded from behind the curtains that kept her hidden.

Edward gestured, and Snape whisked the curtains aside.

"Well, two blood traitors, I take it. I know you, you sniveling little bastard! I wish my sister had taken to drink earlier; maybe you would never have been born!" She turned to Edward. "Who are you?"

"I am Edward Potter. Shall we?"

"Three. . .two. . .one. . .Reducto!"

Sirius Black's mother managed one more curse, before she disappeared.

"I always wanted to silence that woman," Snape admitted, while Edward broke the charred frame. "What's the last item."

Edward pointed at Kreacher.

Snape paled. "What? You mean that Dumbledore. . . ."

"He will want to serve Narcissa Malfoy, since no other family member will show up by the time the House Mourning ends that he would consider his owner. He certainly won't obey Tonks! We can't keep him here; we can't free him. Even though the Headquarters is partially compromised, it may still be useful. Like I said, you and I are perhaps the only two who could do this."

"I can't," Snape said. "How can you?"

"I can, because he helped lure Harry and those other students to the Ministry; because he helped kill Sirius. And because he is as much a threat to the Order and our fight as any active Death Eater. The first two probably aren't major items for you, but they are for me."

"Then kill it."

Kreacher's head fell to the floor. The body couldn't convulse, since it was petrified.

"That's how you killed. . . ."

"Your former colleagues? Yes."

"That should be an Unforgivable!"

Edward shrugged. "Perhaps. Only Voldemort, Dumbledore, Harry, and I have the power to get it to do that, and they don't know the spell."

"Good! I'm glad your nephew doesn't!" The thought terrified Snape.

"He's too young."

"I heard he flung one Unforgivable already!"

"Against Sirius' murderer? Yes, he did. Do you blame him?"

"No," Snape admitted slowly, "no I really can't. He partially blames me, doesn't he?"

"For telling Sirius to stay, when doing so was the one thing that would drive Sirius to go?" Snape winced. "Yes; and for actually making him more open to Voldemort's influence with the Occlumency lessons as well."

The blood drained from Snape's usually pale face, then flushed back. "Damn! Why didn't the little whelp tell me that! I was trying the fastest methods! We could have done it in other ways if he'd opened his mouth and admitted what was going on!"

"Because he was fifteen!" Edward yelled back. "Do you think he can show any weakness to you! Be honest! Could he really? Not as an academic exercise in logic; could he really dare show any weakness around you? You of all people?"

"No," Snape hated to say it, but he did. "No, he could not. But there was no one else who could teach him, under the circumstances."

"I know that, but I wouldn't have believed it at fifteen, and you wouldn't have, either." Snape looked doubtful. "Would you want a child of yours to show weakness to James or Sirius?"

"No."

"Now, I'm going to surprise us both, and say 'thank you.'"

Snape's eyebrows went up at that. "Why?"

"Because you did teach Harry the basics. It took me less than thirty minutes to get it working, and that couldn't have happened without you."

"I . . . thank you."

"You'll have to test him sometime in August, to make certain."

Snape grimaced. "That will be fun."

"Now, we're never going to like each other, but do we work together or fight?"

Snape made a face like he'd tasted a particularly foul potion. "Work together. You were right, none of the others could have killed the elf, but he needed killing. I would have done it, if Dumbledore asked. Are you going to mount it with the others?"

Edward shuddered. "No. Remus will get rid of the other heads. I'll dispose of this."

"Since your cousin just scrapped his O.W.L. in Potions, Minerva has prevailed upon me to take him on for the N.E.W.T. I expect you to help him understand how to behave. Is that too much to ask?"

"If you'll just ride him for the mistakes he makes in class, not for every one James and Sirius made in their dealings with you, yes."

Snape's face hardened. "What did he tell you?"

"That during your training, he got a glimpse of James treating you very badly, but he won't say what."

"And what did you tell him?"

"That you were in a nasty bunch that harassed weaker students, Muggle-borns in general, and even the half-bloods in your own House. That you and Sirius disliked each other at birth and you and James hated each other from the first time you met. That James and Sirius fought you for bullying those other students, and when your older protectors graduated, they made your life hell in return until Sirius went too far."

"Well, I wouldn't say that was totally accurate, but there's some truth to that." Snape shook his head. "That's another reason he loathed me so much at the end of the term -- I'd finally blasted that image he had of his father as a saint."

"James was a good man, but no, he was almost as far from a saint as you or I."

"Alright, Potter. Edward?"

"Severus," Edward agreed.

"I'll take that," Snape pointed at the body. "I need it for some potions."

"You're welcome to it."

Snape looked at his colleague. "That was hard for you, wasn't it?"

"Very."

"Good. Killing should never be easy, just as we shouldn't hesitate when we need to."