Harry Potter and the Emerald Sceptre

~~~~ Chapter 15 ~~~~

The Human Shield

"Wands out, d'you reckon?" asked Katie.

Oh no, thought Harry. Please God, not déjà vu. After saying those simple words, Cedric had not lasted sixty seconds. The image of his friend spread-eagled on the ground, his eyes glazed over and deathly cold, swepinto Harry's mind. Harry tried desperately to put the image out of his mind; he had bigger fish to fry.

It happened before either of them could draw their wands. The cave suddenly lit up. What had been pitch black was now brilliant white. Harry screwed his eyes shut and tried to cover them with his forearm. The light was so intense that he was completely blind. He couldn't see a thing.

"Get the medallions!" screamed a voice.

Suddenly, something large and hard hit Harry in the stomach. It was like a rugby tackle. It launched him off his feet and slammed him into the hard, cold stone ground of the cave. Coloured blobs appeared in his vision. He still couldn't see a thing. He felt two large, cold, hands rip his robes away from his chest and nails graze his chest as his attacker wrenched the Phoenix Amulet away from him. He could feel the nails digging into him. He had probably lost a few layers of skin there. He heard several screams, announcing that Katie was receiving the same treatment.

"Lie still, Honey-Bunny," hissed a man's voice. There followed the sound of a loud smack. The man had just hit Katie.

"Leave her alone!" shouted Harry. Next thing he knew, a pair of hands were roughly frisking him. They started at his shins and moved up and then along his arms. He felt the hands remove his wand from up his left sleeve and then he was thrown roughly to the ground. He landed hard, knocking the air out of him. There was water on the ground, which instantly soaked his robes, making him shiver. The light dimmed slightly, enough for him to be able to see again. Harry paused for a second, trying to catch his breath.

Blinking, Harry tried to sit up. He was still gasping for air, and clutching his aching head. He touched the back of his skull. His hand came away dry. He was not bleeding, but it hurt like hell. His attacker stood and walked away, taking Harry's only hope of escape away with him. The Amulet was an emergency Portkey, his ticket home. That was how he could escape; without it, he was done for. His eyes came into focus and he could see around the cave. There were magic balls glowing white all around the cave, illuminating it well enough to nearly blind Harry. He saw about twenty Death Eaters doing various things about the cave. It looked as if it had been used as a hideout for some time. Shelves and makeshift chairs were positioned around the cave. Foldaway wooden tables covered in all sorts of boxes were arranged along the far wall. Harry and Katie had been thrown into a semi-circular cove on one side of the cave. It was on the far side of the cave from what looked like the exit. It was cold and a layer of water covered the bottom of the cave. Harry shivered. His robes absorbed the freezing water. Katie's thin robes wouldn't help. She was in danger of hypothermia. As Harry's eyes adjusted to the brightness and he could once more see clearly, he glanced around at those without masks. He didn't recognise anyone; it was painfully clear that Voldemort had been doing a lot of recruiting lately. Was it by threatening their families? Harry wondered. Standing over them were three Death Eaters in masks. Each had their wand a few centimetres from Harry's face.

"Katie?" Harry rolled over so that he was facing Katie. She was lying still on her side, facing away from him. She wasn't moving.

Oh, please, no! prayed Harry.

He shakily reached out and gently took hold of her shoulder and rolled her over. She had a large red mark over her left eye, which in time would swell into a huge bruise. Someone had smacked her around the face. Her lip had cracked on the left side of her mouth; a trickle of blood was running down her cheek.

Son of a...! Harry jumped to his feet and dived at the nearest Death Eater. He never got near him.

"CRUCIO!"

The curse hit him in the ribs, pain instantly spread to his entire body. Excruciating pain ripped through his flesh; agony the likes of which no one should ever have to feel. Harry gritted his teeth together, trying not to scream. He curled up into a foetal position trying to block out the pain but it was no use. The curse ended as suddenly as it had come. Harry's body was steaming as he struggled to roll over and see who had attacked him.

Bellatrix Lestrange had just materialised in the middle of the cave. Harry felt a hand wrap itself around his arm. Was Katie holding him back or holding onto him for protection? She was conscious again, which was a relief. Bellatrix took one glance at Harry, smirked and then walked over to him.

"Don't worry, Harry," she sneered. "We can't hurt you. Our day is over, remember?" Those in the cave erupted into laughter. She stood back up and tapped her head with her wand. Her hair, which had been blond, reverted to its usual black. That must have been how she got into the ministry. She just had to make her hair blond and she was a close enough copy of her sister to get into the Atrium. Narcissa Black was on the guest list, after all. Bellatrix smirked at him once more than walked across the cave to Harry's left and out of sight. Every Death Eater followed her aside from the three guarding the prisoners. They retreated a few metres and sat down on some boxes. Each opened a small case and removed a sandwich and began to eat. Since they were too far away to hear whispers, Harry turned to Katie.

"Are you alright?" he asked.

"More or less."

"Can you Apparate?"

"I am not leaving you!"

"Could you 'pop' over there and fetch our wands?" asked Harry.

Katie nodded. "No worries." She looked over to the tunnel down which the wands had been taken.

"Whenever you're ready," whispered Harry, trying to keep sarcasm from his voice.

"I can't Apparate."

"What?"

"There must be an anti-Apparation jinx on the cave. Harry, they took the Amulets; we're stuck here."

"Shhh. If they find out what they do we'll be up the creek without a paddle. Getting them back is our only hope." Harry pulled off his cloak and wrapped it around her. She was shivering again, due to the lack of warmth provided by the dress robes. Harry had a jumper and jeans underneath his robes so he was all right. The water on the floor was making him shiver but he shrugged it off. She was more important than he was. That thought led Harry to decide on another course of action. Harry pulled his arms back up inside his jumper.

"What are you doing?" whispered Katie.

Harry managed to get his arms right up inside his robes. He unzipped Moody's flak jacket and then pulled his jumper up over his head enough to conceal the removal to the vest. He slid it out of the bottom of his jumper and slipped his arms back out of the armholes. The guards were too busy eating to notice this.

"Put this on," said Harry as he passed it to Katie.

"You put it on, it's yours," Katie replied defiantly.

"There is no time to fanny around. They could come back any second. Please, put it on," begged Harry. Katie sighed and then strapped it over her torso and wrapped both hers and Harry's cloaks over the top of it to make sure it wasn't seen.

"Any thoughts?" asked Katie. "Aside from 'we're in the shite'."

"Not yet," said Harry. "I wonder what they're up to. Where is the logic in kidnapping us and then ignoring us?"

"There is another thing," said Katie thoughtfully. "They knew exactly what the amulets were or they wouldn't have taken them. You know what that means."

"Someone in the Order is playing for the wrong team."

"Malfoy?"

"No, I don't think so. Something about her makes me trust her. I reckon it's Snape."

"That's what you want to believe but what evidence is there?"

"You're probably right. I wish we knew who it was."

Harry cut her off. "Shhh! They're coming!" Bellatrix Lestrange came back into the main part of the cave. The light caused her to squint a little. She turned to one of the guards.

"Has it arrived yet?" she asked rather loudly, given that the guard was three feet from her.

"Not yet, Ma'am," said one of the guards.

"Call me when it does." Her eyes shot over to Harry, her expression remained emotionless. "Harry," called Bellatrix. This time she wasn't using her baby voice, nor did she sound angry. Instinct told Harry to take everything she said as being a lie. "Are you enjoying your stay?" She was trying to sound polite, even maternal, but was far from convincing.

"Service could be better," said Harry, not taking his eyes of Bellatrix.

"I'll pass your complaint on to the manager," Bellatrix replied innocently. Harry found this 'nice' Bellatrix even more annoying than the baby-voiced Bellatrix. "Harry, whatever your name is," she added pointing at Katie. "I am afraid the two of you are going to have to wait a little while longer. The package will arrive soon and then you can go, but we have to wait just a little while longer."

"Don't suppose we could have a cuppa while we wait?" asked Harry.

"We're out of PG tips," smirked Bellatrix. "However, you can have a sarny." Being nice was not what she was used to and it showed. She looked at Harry with a stare that said, 'I really want to hurt you, but my hands are tied'. Why does Voldemort want us kept here, but not hurt? wondered Harry. Bellatrix opened a box, the same one from which the guards had taken a sandwich. She pulled out two and threw one to Harry and one to Katie. It was more of a throw at Harry than to him, but he caught it. "Now, my darling," she cooed at Harry. She had adopted the baby-voice once more. "You are going to have to stay the night. Don't worry, young lady, I'll call your mummy to let her know that you're safe and that you'll be home tomorrow. And Hawwy...you haven't even got a mother, so problem solved," smirked Bellatrix. She had let the façade slip. She is not going to get a BAFTA for her performance, thought Harry.

"Why are we here?" called Harry.

"Curiosity killed the cat," said Bellatrix. "Good night, sleep tight, don't let the bed bugs bite!" She flicked her wand and the lights dimmed a little bit. With that she left, leaving Harry and Katie alone with the three guards.

"That's her, then?" asked Katie. "That's Lestrange?"

"Yep."

"What do you reckon they want?"

"I don't know," replied Harry softly. "I can't see any reason for kidnapping us and then letting us go. Even if they want me out of the way, they still have to deal with Dumbledore and the Order."

"Are you going to make a run for it?" asked Katie

"No," replied Harry. "Too dangerous, especially for two of us. Then, even if we get out of the cave, we don't know where we are, so we can't Apparate. Plus, we are outnumbered, unarmed, and freezing. We'll have to wait it out."

"I'm freezing my tits off," said Katie. Harry could hear her teeth chattering, and his were starting to do the same. There was a cold wind coming in from the entrance. "We'll freeze to death before the morning," muttered Katie.

"Pull your dress down."

"What?" she asked, her eyebrows flying up.

"Pull the top half of your dress down to your waist."

"This is hardly the time," she hissed.

"That's not what I mean," whispered Harry. "I am trying to keep us warm. Incidentally, in Russia to keep warm, couples often..."

"I don't want to know."

"Please, pull your dress down."

"Harry, I'm not wearing a bra!" she hissed.

"No one will see!"

She relented and removed the body armour and then pulled the top half of the dress down to her waist. Harry could see that the material was soaked with the muddy water on the floor. Harry looked admiringly at her. Her pale skin was covered in goose bumps, her nipples were hard due to the cold...Stop it, Harry! Get a grip; this is not the time! Harry pulled off his on T-shirt and pulled Katie to him. Her skin felt really cold against his, and he was pretty sure, judging by her gasp, that his felt the same to her. He held her tightly to him, wrapping his arms protectively around her. This was supposed to conserve body heat, but his back was still freezing. Harry wrapped both of their cloaks around them. Hopefully their body heat would dry the cloaks enough for them to offer some protection from the cold.

"Harry," whispered Katie. "When you woke up this morning, did you imagine that by nightfall, you'd be in the middle of a dirty puddle with a half naked woman in your arms?"

Harry snorted in laughter. Her head was resting in his chest. His cheek was against her forehead.

"We'll be alright," he whispered. He gently kissed her forehead.

"I know," she whispered back. "This is one of the few places I feel safe."

"A cold wet cave in the middle of nowhere?"

Katie laughed. "No, in your arms." She looked up, and kissed him firmly on the lips. As she pulled back, Harry could see in the dim light that her lips were beginning to go blue. Both of their teeth were chattering and Harry, who was lying on his back in the icy water, with her on top of him, couldn't feel his back.

"Oh," said Katie softly. "I meant to tell you. You know those careers interviews that McGonagall set up."

"Yep."

"I had mine on Wednesday."

"Where are you going?"

"I've got a week with the Met."

"The Met?"

"The Metropolitan Police Department."

"A week in the life of Plod," said Harry trying to stop his teeth chattering.

"Yep. I get to say, 'ello, 'ello 'ello, what's goin' on 'ere then?" said Katie softly.

"Ho ho for the robbers, the cops and the robbers, ho ho?"

"I used to love that book!" whispered Katie. "My dad used to read it to m..." she trailed off. Harry kicked himself for bringing up memories of her father.

"Shhh," he comforted her. "Get some sleep." He pulled her head gently down to his chest, and wrapped the clock around her. Their body heat had warmed the water in the cloak, so it felt warm around her. It was like putting on wet clothes: At first, they are freezing, but once your body warms them, they are pleasantly warm. It was nearly half an hour before he felt her gentle breathing slow to what he knew was her sleeping. Her rhythmical breathing soon had Harry off to sleep. He was cold, wet and had Katie on top of him. It was not surprising that he didn't sleep well that night. He woke up seven times in the space of five hours. His back was numb, his head ached and he was desperate for a drink. He woke, for the final time, to the sound of someone dropping something in the cave. The two guards were watching them as attentively as Harry watched Eastenders. They were playing rock, paper, scissors, and occasionally throwing them a glance. Harry rubbed his eyes with his stiff arms and looked around. By the sound of it, the other Death Eaters in the cave, though not in the same chamber as Harry and Katie were beginning to stir.

"Katie," whispered Harry. "Kate, Kathryn!" He gently shook her, until her eyes sprang open.

"What?" she yawned. She looked up and then let her head slump back onto Harry's chest. "Bollocks," she sighed. "It wasn't a dream."

"Put the flak jacket on and get dressed," whispered Harry. She sat up and quickly pulled her dress up.

"Wahay!" called one of the guards, catching sight of her exposed breasts. She glared and gave them the finger in response. She pulled the dress up, and after throwing on one cloak and turning so the guards couldn't see, she stepped the body armour back on. Lastly, she put the second cloak back on. Harry managed to awkwardly sit up and put his wet T-shirt back on. He shivered as the ice-cold material touched his bare skin. He couldn't feel most of his body and his teeth were chattering.

"Jesus, Harry," breathed Katie. "You look like hell, why didn't you say something?"

"I'm alright, Kate," replied Harry.

"You're evidently not, Hare," she replied with a grin. "Why are you suddenly calling me Kate?"

"I felt like having my own name for you. And I'm too lazy for more than one syllable words."

"Fine; I'm too cold and achy to argue with you at the moment."

"Morning campers!" called a voice, announcing the return of Bellatrix. She once again was trying to act politely. This niceness was unnerving. Harry found himself wishing for the old spiteful Bellatrix to return. Why would Voldemort kidnap us and then released a few hours later? thought Harry to himself, again. He couldn't see any logic behind it. "Sleep well?" asked Bellatrix with a supposedly innocent smile.

"No."

"Awww," she cooed, struggling to suppress a smirk. "McCloud!"

"Yes, Mrs Lestrange!" called a voice. A familiar looking figure came running over to Bellatrix.

"Fetch our guests a cup of tea each," she ordered. "Sugar, Harry? And you, Miss...whatever your name is."

"One lump," said Harry.

"None," said Katie through a glare. Neither bothered with manners, though Bellatrix didn't notice. 'Please' wasn't even in her vocabulary, so she wouldn't miss it.

"Three cups; two with one lump, one with none," ordered Bellatrix. "And no spitting in it!"

"See Harry, we are not completely uncivilised," she said. "And to make life easier, what is your name?" she asked Katie.

"Katie."

"Don't worry, Katie," said Bellatrix, trying to appear kind but failing. "You and Harry will be released in-" she checked her watch, "-two hours."

Harry checked his watch; it read 06:14. What happens at eight o'clock?

"What are you up to, Bella?" asked Harry. "Why not kill us, hand us to Big Tommy R or...I don't know, do something more Death Eater like?"

Just then McCloud returned with three mugs of steaming tea. He handed one to Bellatrix and then to Katie and lastly Harry.

"You looked better with the parrot hat, Marvin," sneered Harry as he took the cup. He was pleased to see that Marvin glared at him and looked like he wanted to hit him, but couldn't do anything with Bellatrix so near.

"Is Marvin even your real name?" asked Harry with a smirk to rival Draco Malfoy's.

Marvin looked him in the eye, and mouthed two words silently to Harry. The first began in 'F'; the other was 'you'.

"Oh, yes," said Bellatrix. "I forgot you two know each other. I hear you actually managed the Cruciatus curse on him, Harry."

"I did nothing of the sort," said Harry hotly. "He fired the curse, I reflected it back at him. You, on the other hand, you I wanted to hurt."

"What are you talking about?" asked Katie.

"Doesn't she know, Harry?" smirked Bellatrix, an evil grin spreading over her face. Her adopted persona went right out the window as the old Bellatrix returned. She put on the baby voice. "Doesn't she know about our 'ickle encounter in the Ministry? Doesn't she know that you used an Unforgivable on me?"

"Oh, that," sighed Katie. "Yes, he told me. You deserved it, by the sound of it." Instead of falling, Bellatrix's face spread into an even wider smile.

"You've got some spirit, girl," she laughed. For a fraction of a second, Harry saw a glimmer of Narcissa in her. The same smile that Cissa had worn when Harry had seen her strolling around the castle with Remus. For a second, Bellatrix reminded him of Narcissa. "You remind me of...me, when I was your age."

"Now you're just being rude," smirked Katie.

As Harry drained the last of his tea, a question popped into his mind.

"Bellatrix," said Harry softly. "Can I ask you a question?"

"If you must."

"How were you recruited?"

"Why?"

"I'm curious. It's just that...how did Voldemort represent himself to you? You were among the first. He wasn't a worldwide name back then, just an obnoxious, arrogant wizard. What tempted you to become a Death Eater?"

"I've never been a fan of Mudbloods, that's pretty obvious," smirked Bellatrix. She had completely given up on the act of pleasantness. "I wanted to rid this world of the filthy little Mudbloods and Muggles. I wanted to do my part. I want the whole world to be like Hogsmeade. Look me in the eye and tell me that you don't want more places like Hogsmeade in the world. Anyway, when the opportunity came along, I took it."

"When you saw your old friends and you chat about what you're doing now, doesn't your reply set off alarm bells? I work for the Dark Lord. Doesn't the term Dark Lord and Dark Arts imply that it is wrong, hence should not be done. Wasn't it a subtle clue that you were in the wrong when every Auror in the country was given a warrant for his arrest and yours? When you were taught the Dark Arts, did the term Dark Arts not set alarm bells of in that head of yours? Did you not connect the word 'dark' with 'evil'?"

"You think you're funny, don't you, Harry?" asked Bellatrix rising from her seat. Her anger was clearly bubbling over.

"On occasions," shot back Harry.

"What makes you think you could understand me, you puny little Half-Blood?"

"Better a free Half-Blood than a lapdog to a Half-Blood. Don't you know, Bellatrix? Voldemort wasn't only raised by Muggles, he is half Muggle."

"YOU LIE!"

"Call it," said Harry confidently. Bellatrix was so utterly committed that no matter how much logic Harry put behind his argument, he would never win her over. That and the fact that she was a few balls short of a snooker set. She would never believe him, but Harry was beyond caring. Seeing Bellatrix angry brought back memories of her face when Sirius had fallen through the veil. He felt his anger rising, and his voice along with it. "If Voldemort was so committed to his cause, then when he heard of the prophecy, why did he choose to come after me and not a Longbottom? He knew it could have been either of us, and he chose me, the Half-Blood. Why? Did the high and mighty Dark Lord fear a Half-Blood more than a Pureblood? Or did he see himself in me?"

"You are nothing but a filthy little Mudblood, Potter," spat Bellatrix.

"Perhaps, but I still managed to lock your husband and your brother in law in Azkaban. Rest assured Bellatrix, Azkaban may be gone, but there is still a cell with your name on it."

"Look, Potter," snapped Bellatrix. "If I were you..."

"Ma'am, Wormtail's here," came the voice of a Death Eater. "He's got your package."

"Bring it here," called back Bellatrix. "Saved by the bell, Harry." She was only inches away from him, her wand was out and Harry knew that had the Death Eater not interrupted, he would be writhing in agony at this moment in time. The Death Eater came in through a side tunnel carrying a long, flat box. He hoisted it up on to a desk and opened it. He put on some rubber gloves that were already on the table. The hinges of the box were on the side nearest Harry so he couldn't see a thing. The Death Eater reached inside the box and picked something up. Then he walked around the side of the table, and what he was holding came into view.

It was a sniper rifle. It was huge. It was over a metre long and was topped with a large telescopic sight. He walked slowly over to where Bellatrix and Harry were standing. However when he got a few feet from them, he slipped over small jut of rock, he came tumbling forward and the rifle flew out of his hands as he hit the floor.

Harry reacted in an instant; he brought his knee up into Bellatrix's stomach knocking the air out of her. He dived forward and grabbed the rifle. As he rolled back up onto his feet he pivoted and raised the rifle to Bellatrix's chest in one motion.

"What are going to do with that, Potter?" asked Bellatrix in a bored voice. "Are you going to kill me?" She took a step closer, taking the barrel of the gun gently in her hand and moving it up to her chest. She held it in place over her heart. "Look into my eyes," she whispered. "Now, end my life! Kill me, Harry. I killed Sirius; I took him from you. I..."

Click!

Bellatrix's words had caused Harry's blood to boil. He felt the same anger that had prompted the Cruciatus curse last year. Harry had pulled the trigger. The rifle was empty.

"I never thought you had it in you," smirked Bellatrix, raising an eyebrow. "I could almost have a tiny bit of respect for you. Almost. Anyway, thanks Harry, thanks for the fingerprints. You're about to kill the Minister of Magic. Expelliarmus!"

The rifle shot out of Harry's hand and the Death Eater caught it with his gloved hands.

"You know what you must do," said Bellatrix, not taking her eyes off Harry, nor the smirk off of her face. "Canamarro Square. He'll be on stage at quarter past eight. Be ready."

"I'm on it," said the Death Eater as he put the rifle back in the case. He slung it over his shoulder, smirked at Harry and then left.

"Now, Harry," smirked Bellatrix. "You just sit tight here for a while. Once I have confirmation that Fudge is dead, you will be released. Now be a good boy and don't do anything stupid."

"Do you really think that anyone would believe I did it?" called Harry.

"The rifle will be found with your fingerprints on it. Death Eaters use wands, not guns. You are known to dislike Fudge, you are known to sympathise with Muggles and you are depicted as a disturbed little boy. Not to mention the handgun and letters from known Squib Activist groups, that will shortly be found in your wardrobe at school."

"You're lying!" hissed Harry.

"No such luck," laughed Bellatrix. "After failing to kidnap the Minister with the Portkey at the OM ceremony, you go to plan B and murder him. You're a very naughty boy!" she smirked. "Have a nice day, Harry."

"Oh, Bellatrix," called Harry as she was leaving. She paused and looked back at him, her characteristic glare once again on her face. "Just so you know; I've been practicing." It was a hollow threat, but Harry wanted to make it absolutely clear to her. She will pay for what happened to Sirius.

Bellatrix's face broke into a smirk. "Until we meet again," she nodded and left.

"What now?" hissed Katie after Bellatrix had gone.

"We have to alert the Order," hissed Harry.

"How? They have the Amulets. I can't Apparate."

"We have to get the Amulets back."

"Can't you just summon them wandlessly?"

"Not without being seen, anyway I don't know where they are. Even if I could get them away, they still have our wands. We don't know where we are and we can't help the Minister if we are stunned trying to escape."

"Hey! Potter!" called one of the guards. Harry suddenly realise that he had been talking a little loudly. "Shut up! I am trying to think."

"Haven't you mastered thinking yet?" shot back Katie. Harry really wished he had one of those quick wits. The smirk of the Death eater melted into a glare. Harry felt a glimmer of happiness, seeing that Katie's confidence was returning. She was slowly picking up the pieces of her old life. Before Malfoy.

"Why don't you put that sharp tongue of yours to better use, bitch," he snarled pointing to his crotch.

"Is that why you became a Death Eater?" asked Katie. "You like the power. It compensates for your tiny cock!"

"You think you're funny, bitch," snarled the Death Eater, standing and marching over to them, his partner one step behind him.

"You think you're macho, stud?" she smirked. Harry was beginning to get worried. She was playing with fire. The Death Eater looked ready to smack her around the face. To give her another black eye to match the one she already had.

"This your girlfriend, Potter?" spat the Death Eater.

"This yours?" asked Katie pointing to the second Death Eater.

"STUPEFY!"

The spell came from the second Death Eater; it struck Katie right in the stomach, knocking her backwards off of her seat. She twisted in mid air, hitting the ground face first.

"BASTARD!" shouted Harry. He jumped to his feet, but both Death Eaters had their wands aimed at him. Harry took a few paces backwards before his back came against the cold hard wall of the cave.

"See the price of resistance?" spat the Death Eater who had stunned Katie. "Resistance is futile. The Dark Lord cannot be beaten." Harry realised that he was in a very tight spot. He was unarmed and both Death Eaters had their wands aimed at him. If he stunned one the other would kill him. If he were stunned then he wouldn't wake in time to warn Fudge. Just then, Harry noticed a small movement out of the corner of his eye. Katie was moving again. Of course! She was wearing Moody's magical flak jacket. It had absorbed the stunner. The Death Eaters were facing Harry and were completely oblivious to what she was doing. She stood and walked calmly and quietly over to the table with the Amulets. She pocketed both of them and after a brief glance around, disappeared down a tunnel.

Where the bloody hell is she going? thought Harry desperately.

Just then she reappeared holding two wands. One he recognised as his, the other as hers.

"Oh, boys!" she called. The Death Eaters spun around at the sound of a voice. Their eyes grew wide as they realised what they were seeing. Harry instinctively grabbed the nearest thing to hand, which happened to be a silver candelabra, and swung it at one of the Death Eaters. It impacted right on the top of the cranium. The Death Eater didn't even make a sound; he just collapsed to the floor. The second one turned, caught between two evils. He collapsed a second later due to a stunner from Katie. She fired a stunner at the one Harry had hit on the head; just to make sure he was out for the count.

"You owe me one," said Katie. She threw him his wand and amulet.

"I certainly do." He caught the two items easily and then pulled her to him giving her a deep, firm kiss on the lips.

"I love it when you do that," she sighed.

"Come on back to HQ." She nodded and clasped the amulet.

"Get me out of here," she said softly. In a flash of blue light, she was gone. At least the amulets work properly, thought Harry as he did the same. The emergency Portkey landed Harry right in the middle of the lounge at Grimmauld Place. Katie had landed a second earlier and was standing to one side. Harry's entire body was still stiff and aching. He was covered in dirt and his lips were blue.

"What now?" she asked.

"Now we get Fudge out of harm's way," said Harry. He clasped his amulet again.

Alastor Moody! He thought.

There was nothing. Come on Mad-Eye. Answer the amulet! Harry tried again.

Kingsley Shacklebolt!

Again he got no answer. They must have taken them off or something. If they were on the close guard duty, they wouldn't want distractions.

"Kate," said Harry after ending his call to Kingsley. "I can't get through to Moody or Kingsley."

"Me neither," she said, after trying each of the Aurors. "Does this mean we're going to do what I think we're going to do?"

"Kate, I..." began Harry.

"Don't you dare tell me to stay here, young man," snapped Katie. "You'll have to stun me to do it, because I am not letting you go off by yourself." Harry didn't have time to argue with her. Anyway, he knew it was futile; she was one of the most tenacious people he knew, next to Hermione of course.

"Fine," said Harry. "Do you know Canamarro Square? That's where Bellatrix said he was going to be."

"I've been there once, it's the Edinburgh equivalent of Diagon Alley."

"I don't know where it is. Can you think of a way to get me there?"

"Apparate? I've seen you do it."

"I haven't been there and that's the only type of Apparation I know."

"OK, focus on me, imagine you are standing in front of me. Apparate to me, exactly when I Apparate to there and with a bit of luck we should come out together."

"Sure?"

"Piggyback Apparating is illegal since you don't have a full licence and I am not a trained instructor but this is an emergency."

"Fine. Transfigure your dress robes into something more practical and then we can go."

She muttered a spell and her elegant, yet dirty dress robes became a pair of back trousers and a long sleeve t-shirt which was also black. She also still wore the Flak jacket that Harry had told her to put on. Harry did the same, transforming his green robes into black trousers and a jumper. Katie tied her hair back with an elastic band she found in a desk drawer, and they were ready.

"OK, let's go!" said Harry.

"Concentrate...Now!"

"Apparacius!"

They landed in a corner of what was essentially a large square. It was like Trafalgar Square, except that the column in the middle was a small memorial from the first war. It was made of marble and was about ten feet high. Over the base were several wizards and witches. There was a crowd of several hundred, crowding around a stage and a podium, which was mounted in the centre. In the front were photographers and reporters.

Jesus, thought Harry. This will be on the front page of every paper in the world. This is what he wants.

"Look for the shooter!" said Harry to Katie. Harry looked up at every window. The square was wide open and surrounded by building. There were loads of windows. The Death Eater could be in any one of them. Then there were the roofs and alleys. He could even be in the crowd. No, he couldn't, not with that size gun.

"Harry!" called Katie. Harry followed the direction of her gaze to a small black shape up on top of one of the buildings. It looked like someone lying down with a cloak draped over them.

"Get Fudge off stage!" shouted Harry. "I'm going for the shooter!"

Katie nodded and set off through the crowd. Harry turned and shoved his way roughly through to the base of the building. The shop was closed for the afternoon, probably due to the speech. The door was firmly locked and didn't even move when Harry gave it a hard kick. He was locked out. He couldn't get to the top of the building. He couldn't Apparate. He was stuck.

Harry looked around, desperate for inspiration. Suddenly there was a roar from the crowd as Fudge emerged onto the stage. Harry was running out of time. He looked up; a thin tube was already protruding from the edge of the roof. Harry looked around; there was no ladder, no fire escape, nothing. He couldn't get up there, he couldn't' get in. The door to Quality Quidditch Supplies was locked. Then it occurred to him. In the middle of the window was a Firebolt (As flown by Harry Potter). Robbery was something that Harry had never even considered before, but this was an emergency. He flung himself at the window, expecting it to shatter, but it held fast. He felt the window bend under his weight and then gently repel him away. It was protected by magic.

He pulled out his wand.

"REDUCTO!" he shouted, his shout went unnoticed by the crowd due to the volume of the cheers. However it worked. A large hole appeared in the glass. Harry reached in and removed the Firebolt. He swung it between his legs and kicked off.

"LADIES AND GENTLEMEN," began Fudge, his magically amplified voice filling the square. He had begun his speech. The shooter would fire any second. He was waiting for the optimum shot, when Fudge was at the podium; he wouldn't wait much longer. "THANK YOU ALL FOR COMING, TODAY."

The Firebolt remained horizontal but shot vertically upwards. It was like a lift, hoisting him directly upwards. Harry managed to stand up on the broom and maintain his balance. This was his little party trick, he had mastered it during Quidditch practises and now it finally had a use. The broom soared higher and higher. The barrel of the gun came closer and closer.

"LET ME FIRST SAY, WHAT A PLEASURE IT IS TO BE BACK IN EDINBURGH!" continued Fudge. Where was Katie? Why was he still on stage?

Harry was ten feet below the barrel; it was getting closer every second.

"...THE LAYOUT HAS CHANGED, THE SHOPS ARE A LITTLE DIFFERENT..."

Five feet; almost there!

"...BUT THE PEOPLE OF EDINBURGH...

Two feet; just a few more inches!

"...ARE JUST AS WELCOMING AS EVER BEFORE!"

Fudge was standing at the podium, his arms raised above his head. The crowd roared its approval. A girl dressed all in black broke through the security and ran up onto the stage, heading straight for the Minister. "Get down!" she shouted.

This was the optimum shot.

BANG!

Pigeons took to the sky; screams erupted from the crowd as the sound of the gun echoes around the alley. Harry had caught the barrel just as it had fired. Luckily, he had used his sapphire hand or the barrel would have burned his hand. The bullet had missed; it had taken Fudge's green bowler hat off his head. Luckily it missed his head. Every eye in the square turned to face the building behind them, what they saw was astonishing. They saw a teenage boy jump from a broom, thirty metres above the ground onto a building, landing on top of a cloaked man with a huge gun.

Harry landed hard on top of the man, his arms grabbing the rifle around the butt and the barrel.

"You missed, arsehole!" shouted Harry. It took a second to recover from the shock of a boy appearing from nowhere and diving on top of you. In this second of confusion, Harry drove his knee hard into the crotch of the Death Eater. The man roared in agony, his hands releasing the rifle. It was once again in Harry's hands. The Death Eater was holding his injured crotch with both hands. Harry threw the rifle over his shoulder and down to the street below. The man looked up, and Harry saw that his pupils were dilated. This man is under the Imperius Curse! Harry also noticed something else. This was not the Death Eater who had taken the rifle. He was wearing a short sleeve T-shirt and Harry could see that neither of his arms bore the Dark Mark. Who is this guy? Harry looked down at the crowd; he caught a glimpse of the stage out of the corner of his eye. Several figures in red robes were wrestling the Minister off of the stage. The crowd had erupted into panic. People were running everywhere; most were trying to escape. It was pandemonium, parents looking for children lost in the stampede, Aurors trying to protect the minister and get a shot at the perpetrator.

This second's lapse in concentration was all that the sniper needed. Just as Harry turned back to him, his fist came up and slammed into Harry's left cheekbone. White spots appeared over his vision. Harry felt himself topple backwards towards the edge. It served as a strong reminder that he was still thirty metres above the ground. Harry found himself wobbling on the edge. As he struggled to regain balance, the sniper took another swing. Harry saw it coming and managed to duck but in doing so, he lost his balance.

Time slowed as he felt himself begin to fall, he saw the manic expression of victory in the sniper's eyes, he saw the thinned out crowd still stampeding for the exits, the flashes of camera as journalists had stayed in search of a story. To Harry it felt like ages. His body slowly arced off the roof of the building. Then he saw his salvation, just above him was the broom, hovering exactly where he had left it. Desperately, he reached out with his right hand. If he missed, it was all over. His sapphire fingers closed around the wooden handle.

Hanging there, thirty metres, up and with no net to catch him, Harry felt more terrified than he had in the company of the Death Eaters. It was very rare that he was scared for himself. His fear was for others getting hurt of his behalf. Now, looking down he felt genuinely scared. He was on a broom; this should be like another Quidditch match. However, Harry had frozen. It happens to the best of us; fear took him. Harry was hanging by one hand from a broom, which he couldn't control from this angle, nearly thirty metres off of the ground. If the sniper so much as looked over the edge, he would see Harry and he would be done for. Harry had come so close to dying just now, it scared him beyond belief. He closed his eyes, but all he saw was the ground coming up towards him, faster and faster. He opened his eyes. He was still hanging from the broom, thirty metres up, but he couldn't think about anything except falling. He felt sick, he...

Just then, the wall next to him, exploded into a hundred pieces of brick and mortar. The explosion snapped Harry back into consciousness. Blinking, he looked down. An Auror had tried to hit the sniper with a spell, but he had succeeded in nearly hitting Harry. Summoning all the energy he could muster. Harry swung his legs, again and again, higher each time until he managed to get one over the broom. His left leg swung over the top and he found himself in control again. He rose the few metres he needed to bring him in line with the sniper. The sniper must have seen him out of the corner of his eye because he turned. Harry saw the astonishment in his eyes for a fraction of a second before he gunned the broom towards him, throwing his weight backwards in the process. The broom rocketed forwards, striking the sniper in the centre of his chest. Harry rolled backwards, off the end of the twigs and landed on his feet on the roof.

Harry removed his wand from the holster beneath his jumper. He aimed it at the sniper who was rolling on the floor, trying to get his breath back. Harry had probably broken one of the sniper's ribs. He could see the man coughing up bubbles of blood. The broom may have caused some internal bleeding. The sniper managed to roll onto his front and climb up onto his knees.

"Don't move!" ordered Harry.

Before he could react, the sniper shot his leg out towards Harry. His steel capped work boot smacked into Harry's forearm, causing him to loose grip on the wand. Harry saw it fall from his hand and roll towards the gutter. The sniper grabbed something from the case that had once held the rifle. It was about a metre long and four inches in diameter. It looked like a long green cylinder. He swung it at Harry who raised his sapphire hand in time to block it. Both men had a secure hold on the cylinder. Both were trying to wrestle it out of the other's grip.

"What the hell is this?" growled Harry.

"Plan B," smirked the sniper. Because of the way the cylinder and their arms were positioned, Harry never saw it coming. The sniper kicked him hard in the gut. Steel capped boots once more connected with his flesh, instantly knocking the wind out of him. Harry lost his grip on the cylinder and clasped his stomach, gasping for air. At least one rib was broken, if not more. He buckled and fell to one knee, grasping his ribs in pain. The next thing he was aware of, a pair of hands grasped him by the back of the jumper and then...he was airborne.

Time slowed once more. Harry saw the terrified faces of the few remaining occupants of the square. A handful of journalists were standing to his left, snapping pictures as he fell, none raising a finger to help him. He saw the huddle of red robes, pulling Fudge trough the door, through which he had entered minutes before. He saw a few Aurors staring, watching him helplessly as he sailed towards the ground. Beneath him was the hard stone floor of the Square. A fall of thirty metres onto a floor like that would kill him instantly. At least it won't be painful, thought Harry. His life began to flash before his eyes.

Suddenly, hope filled his heart as the sound of salvation filled his ears. The magical sound of Phoenix song filled the square. Harry was vaguely aware of a flash of blue light above him before two claws grabbed the back of his jumper. He felt himself slow as Arwen, his pet phoenix, lowered him safely to the ground. She dropped him the last few feet and he landed on his feet. There was a stampede of feet as the journalists followed by an Auror and Katie, surged forward.

"Are you alright?" screamed Katie as she threw her arms around him.

"Near enough. Is Fudge safe?" coughed Harry.

"He's in the café behind the stage with the Aurors. They're trying to Floo out but the system is blocked."

"Café?" Harry looked back up at the rooftop. He couldn't help but wonder what the green cylinder was. It didn't look magical, but if they were using a rifle, it wouldn't have to be. What did he mean 'Plan B'? Then his questions were answered. There was a screech and a whoosh. Sparks and smoke erupted from the top of the building, where the sniper was. With a whoosh, the smoke trail rocketed towards the café that Katie was pointing to. The weapon made a thick, black smoke-trail leading from the top of the building, directly towards the café.

"GET DOWN!" shouted Harry as he grabbed Katie and threw himself downwards. He rolled on top of her and covered her head, just as the café exploded. The rocket had hit its mark. Two burned bodies came crashing through the window as the building erupted into flame. Glass and debris rained down on them as the contents of the shop were redistributed by the explosion.

Harry had failed. They may not have succeeded in blaming Harry, but they had removed Fudge from office. He had been in there when it went off, so had Mad-Eye and Kingsley. Harry rolled off of Katie, who was shaken but unharmed. He could feel the heat of the flames and smell the charred flesh from his position, twenty metres from the café. Around him camera sounded.

Bloody vultures! They were loving this; this was their story, it would make them money! How could they be so cold? Harry rose to his feet, his ribs complaining at every movement.

"Mary, mother of God," gasped Katie behind him. Harry started to move forwards, but she grabbed his arm. "There's nothing you can do! They're dead!"

"I have to make sure," said Harry, struggling to keep the tears from his eyes. "Call the Order. We need backup here, now." Harry broke from her grasp and started forwards. Aurors were standing around at a lost for what to do. Their commander-in-chief had just been killed and they didn't have a clue what to do. This wasn't what they joined for. When they joined, Voldemort was an unpleasant memory; the dark times were over. They weren't in it for this. "AURORS!" shouted Harry. "Two of you get up there and find that bloody sniper! The rest of you try and put out these God damned fires. There may be survivors!"

They looked at him flabbergasted for a few seconds then nodded. Harry, leading by example, summoned his wand from where he knew it had fallen. It came sailing over to him. He caught it and pointed it at the fires.

"Fluvius!" he shouted. His emotions were running so high at the moment that it came out like a pressure hose, which was in fact what was needed. He heard the same spell muttered behind him. Several jets of water lapped onto the fires. The heat was intense, Harry felt as if his skin were melting. He could feel his clothes sticking to him due to the sweat. The smell of burned flesh was ever more intense. He inched further forward; with every step the heat became twice as intense.

Harry ended the spell; it was pointless. There was noting that he could do. The flames weren't subsiding, not with this much oxygen available. Those inside were long dead. Fudge, Percy, Mad-Eye, Kingsley, Umbridge. Did she get out? This was on her head. She had called this in. Hopefully she died in there. Hopefully she got her comeuppance. Harry felt his anger boil up inside him. That woman. That bitch. She had killed his friends! She had killed her boss, her piers, Aurors and everyone, just so she could come to office. BITCH!

"AAAAARRRRRGGGGGGHHHHHHH!" With a scream Harry let it all out. All his anger discharged in a blood-curdling roar of rage.

Just then something very odd happened. The whole shop froze, literally. Ice covered the walls and the floor. The flames that had one second been so intense that Harry couldn't go within ten metres of the porch let alone the café itself, were now non-existent. A white mist flowed from the shop; water vapour was coming off the ice. There were gasps about him as the reporters and Katie took in what they were seeing. An inferno had become and ice cube in a split second. Had Harry done that? Was it him or some magic in the shop? He wasn't that powerful, surely. It must be an anti-fire spell built into the shop.

Harry cautiously got to his feet and edged closer to the café. He pulled his jumper tightly around him. It was freezing inside. Ice covered everything, though it was now slush. It was melting as he entered. He was splashing in mush after two paces over the threshold. Everything was black. The paint on the wall had melted and dripped over tables and counter. The cookers were covered in soot. Pots and pans littered the shop. Those on the stove had been upturned, their contents burned to a crisp and welded to the stove and the floor. There were bodies strewn about the place; crisp, black bodies. Harry couldn't tell who was who. They all looked the same. They looked like something from a horror movie. Black. Charred. Unmoving. Some even leaked blood from gaps in the crust that used to be their skin.he smell was horrific. Harry felt like he was going to be sick. Burnt hair, burnt flesh; it was the stench of death. At his feet was a charred bowler hat, black with soot and part of it burned away. Just above the brim on two sides were two small holes, where the bullet had passed through.

He had escaped once, but Voldemort's wrath had caught up with him in the end. In broad daylight, in front of the country's press, Harry Potter came to realise; it was hopeless. Despair took him. He leaned against a wall, and as his knees gave away, he slid down it. Resting his head on his knees, not even noticing that he was sitting in an inch of slushy ice, Harry began to cry. Tear broke through and for the first time, since Sirius, since his Aunt and Uncle had left, since the train, since the rape. Harry began to cry. He had bottled it up to too long. It all came out with vengeance. He realised that nothing he did mattered. If he took down a Death Eater, then twenty more would take his place. Whatever he did, it meant nothing. It was hopeless; Voldemort would kill him and then kill everyone else. They had lost the war.

"AHHHHH!"

Harry was so startled when someone grabbed his foot that he cried out. Tomorrow's newspapers would already be full of images of him trying to fight the fire. Hopefully they hadn't taken or wouldn't print him despairing. His cry had however lured them back in. Harry was so startled that he smacked his head against the burned wall and received a shower of ash down the back of his neck.

A burned, crisp body had grabbed his foot. Every inch of the body was blackened and fried. His clothes were welded to his skin. How he was still breathing was a miracle.

"Minister," said Harry weakly. "I'm sorry, I tried!" tears filled his eyes and overflowed down his cheeks.

"Harry," coughed the minister, unable to speak properly. His hair had burned away; his skin was burned and cracked. It cracked further as he moved, leaking more blood onto the floor. Harry could smell his flesh still smoking. "Take...this, y...you will ne...ed it!" he summoned his remaining strength. With his last breath, the Minister of Magic pulled a necklace containing a key out from inside his clothes. "For...give me...!"

The key used to be silver but was now smeared black. Sticking to it were sections, not only of the ministers charred clothing but also of his skin. Harry felt sick as he reached out and took the key.

"Harry?" came a soft voice. Katie had joined him in the remains of the café. Aurors were moving around, sealing off the café while removing bodies. Harry saw Mad-Eye's remains being carried out towards the door. Harry hoped that they weren't to be paraded in front of the cameras. "Harry, are you OK?"

Harry looked up, straight into her eyes. Tears were still coming.

"I tried," whispered Harry between tears. The ash on his face mixed with each tear, dark streaks ran down his cheeks. "I tried!"

"I know, Harry. There was nothing you could do," she soothed.

"I tried to help...pretty God damned useless!" He picked up Fudge's bowler hat. It was blacked, part of the brim had been burned away and there were two holes where the bullet had passed through.

"It wasn't your fault."

"It's over."

"What?"

"I can't go on, Katie. Voldemort has won. I can't fight his. I can't beat him. I'm not strong enough." He stuck a finger through one of the holes in Fudge's hat.

"I don't believe you!" said Katie firmly. "You are strong enough."

"No, I'm not. I can't do this, Katie."

"You are strong enough, Harry. I believe it; they believe it. You give hope to those who have none. You can't stop now. People view you as a kind of Human Shield against the darkness. If you quit, all hope will fade. You must keep on fighting, Harry. You're stronger than he is, you can win this. You're stronger than you ever imagined. You can't give up now. ON YOUR FEET, SOLDIER!"

Two hands grasped Harry and hoisted him to his feet. She was stronger than he ever imagined, but he wasn't. Harry looked around; death and destruction were spread out before him. This is the price of failure.

"Ohhhh" came a weak moan.

"Listen!" hissed Katie. "Shhh!"

"Ohhhh"

"Someone is still alive!" gasped Harry. Immediately, he shoved the hat into his pocket and began sifting through the rubbles, throwing aside pieces of brick and wood, trying to find the moaner. Harry threw aside a fallen rafter. Nothing. He couldn't hear the moaning anymore, not because of the crashes they were making, but because it had stopped. Was he too late, again?

"Harry! Over here, help me!" called Katie. He crossed over to her. He was trying to move a fallen cupboard. It was large and made of wood. Harry grabbed the opposite side to Katie.

"One...two...three. Heave!" together they managed to throw off the fallen cupboard, the top half of which used to hold shelves. When it had fallen it had covered one of the occupants of the room. Beneath the wreckage, burned but still alive was Percy Weasley.

He had burns on his right arm and half of his face. Some of his hair was missing and he was bleeding from another wound beneath his robes. His glasses were cracked and at an angle.

Harry reached under his neck to check for a pulse. He found one.

"He's alive!" he said to Katie who managed a smile. Harry managed one too before shouting to the Aurors. "WE'VE GOT A LIVE ONE, HERE!" Almost instantly, several Aurors came charging into the cafe, to aid the Junior Undersecretary. They pushed Harry and Katie aside and conjured stretchers. As the Aurors hoisted Percy onto a stretcher and carried him out, one of them turned to Harry.

"Just so you know, Mr Potter," he said softly. "We got the sniper." Harry just nodded and the Auror left.

"Bloody hell," coughed Harry as the Aurors removed the minister, past the line of photographers. "I need a rest."

"Where are the Order?" he asked Katie.

"I told Tonks five minutes ago. Dumbledore would have sent Aurors so I cut out the middleman. Come on, let's get out before one of us is sick." Harry was grateful to her. He was beginning to feel sick. Death had followed him every step for the last five years, but he had never been this close to utter devastation. The smell was unbearable and he couldn't force Fudge's last words out of him mind. He hadn't even lived to hear Harry say 'I do'.

Katie stood and offered Harry a hand. Harry was just about to grab it when he heard his name. He looked up to see a figure in red Auror robes run into the shop. The hood fell away, revealing the worried face of the woman who, despite having normal coloured hair, was recognisable as Tonks.

"Merlin, Harry. We've been worried stiff! There is no sign of Moody or Kingsley, you and Katie disappear in front of everyone, what happened?"

"They're dead, OK?" shot back Harry. He suddenly felt that she was to blame. If the Order had come quickly then this wouldn't have happened. They knew about the attempt on Fudge's life. Putting a man on his guard was never enough. There was pregnant pause, and then Tonks spoke.

"Dead?" she echoed her voice trembling.

"Mad-Eye, Kingsley, Fudge, Umbridge, five Aurors," said Harry unable to keep his voice steady.

"Dead?" was all she could stutter. She was completely lost for words. Harry thought he saw something deeper than shock in her eyes, something more like fear but he realised he couldn't see properly anyway because of the unshed tears in his eyes.

"They're all dead. Mad-Eye is dead. Kingsley, too. They got the Minister. The only one who lived was Percy," said Harry, his voice cracking as he spoke.

"Come on," said Tonks, regaining her composure. "We're leaving. Can you walk?"

"Just about," said Katie. "I think Harry has a broken rib. Other than that, it's all bumps and bruises."

"Come on, back to Hogwarts," said Tonks. Both she and Katie tried put one of Harry's arms over their shoulders, but he shook them off.

"I'm fine," said Harry.

"There is a saying in the Aurors," said Tonks. "Fine, stands for Fool In Need of Examination. Basically, it means that you really should be seen to. You need to be seen to by either a Healer or a shrink, but you're too much of a fool, or too arrogant to go."

"I'll bear that in mind," muttered Harry. As they exited the shop, Harry found that even more journalists had arrived. A swarm of them surged forwards as he emerged. Tonks took the initiative.

"Back up!" she shouted. "Move!" She took out her wand and several small explosions like firecrackers went off at the tip. The reporters backed up a little allowing Tonks to steer them through. She led them through to the nearest pub and then over to the fireplace.

Harry checked his watch. It read 08:34. Since it was a Saturday, the school would just be having breakfast. Harry had been up half the night. He also had a Quidditch match this afternoon. He and Katie were going to be in no fit state to play today.

"Dumbledore's office?" asked Harry.

"No," said Tonks. "Go for the Great Hall. It is the only one available to the outside. We shut down all other external links after last year. Now, you can only Floo to Dumbledore's office from Grimmauld Place, or somewhere inside the school. Unless you're Dumbledore; he can Floo to it from anywhere, as he is Headmaster. Anyway, that's beside the point. You go first, Harry."

He stepped into the grate and took a handful of powder.

"Hogwarts, Great Hall!" he croaked. There was a flash of green flames and he found himself...back where he started. "That's interesting," said Harry.

"Bugger!" cursed Tonks. "Of course, the first thing is to shut down the Floo system to prevent too much escape. Come on, we'll have to Apparate to Hogsmeade. Oh, can't do that either with Harry. Bugger."

"We can," said Harry. "I can Apparate to somewhere I know." A small smile spread over Tonks' face.

"As an Auror, I'm officially authorising you to Apparate," said Tonks. "To Hogsmeade, ready."

"No, Apparate to me," said Harry. "I can take us straight to Hogwarts."

"How?"

"Long story. Ready? One...two...three. Apparacius!"

Harry experienced a sudden whoosh and found himself buried beneath Tonks and Katie on the cold, hard floor. His ribs were crushed and in serious pain. They quickly rolled off of him and, looking up, he found himself in the Great Hall at Hogwarts.

They must have scared a few people when they appeared. Half of the students in the Hall were on their feet; upturned bowls of cereal and plates were all over the tables. The three of them picked themselves up. Harry and Katie were covered in mud, ash and soot. Katie had a black eye and cracked lip, while Harry was clutching a broken rib. Tonks was lightly sprinkled and to top it all, Harry had another black eye, and was coughing up blood. Students were sat at tables; they had been eating but were now staring in astonishment at the trio of new arrivals. Tales of his exploits had reached them all, but they had never seen him fresh from one, covered in blood. Harry was not a knight in shining armour who vanquished evil and come out unscathed. Harry could see Ron, Hermione and Ginny on their feet near the end of the Gryffindor table, wide-eyed and staring. At the head of the Hall, the teachers were all on their feet and Dumbledore was walking swiftly towards them.

"Harry, what...." stuttered the Headmaster, apparently lost for words.

"Two men down," said Harry softly, his voice breaking again. He took the remains of Fudge's hat out of his pocket and threw it at the Headmaster's feet. "The Minister of Magic is dead."