Redemption

Chapter Ten

Wufei went over everything Harry had told him of the Leaky Cauldron in his mind. Thankfully, he had a good memory, and was soon able to find the street it was in. He remembered that he had to be looking for it to find it, and so he concentrated on the name, not knowing what it looked like. He wasn't sure if it would work for a non-magical person, but he had to try.

He was just beginning to worry when a sign swinging in the wind caught his eye. It sported a picture of a bubbling Cauldron and read: The Leaky Cauldron. Sighing in relief, he made his way across the street and pushed open the door.

Walking inside, Wufei was a little overwhelmed by the place. Most of the patrons were wearing strange robes and hats, and although Harry had told him that this was what the wizarding community normally wore, he had expected that being located in London, the attire would be more, well, normal.

As he walked towards the bar, many people were already giving him funny looks, and a lot of the friendly conversation had softened to whispers and pointing. Growing more and more self conscious, Wufei once more doubted his decision, thinking that perhaps this was a bad idea after all. He sat down on a stool in front of the bar and immediately the barman approached him.

"Anything I can get ya, lad?" The man obviously didn't like the look of him and watched him warily through narrowed eyes.

He was saved from replying by a tall red-headed man who sat beside him. "He'll have a butterbeer, Tom, on me."

The bartender, Tom, didn't seem to think this was wise but when in doubt, the customer is always right. "If you say so, Arthur."

"I do, Tom," the man answered and once the barman gave up his attempt at subtle staring, he turned his attention to Wufei. "I think its obvious to say that you aren't from around here, but there's no way you would have found you way to this place if you hadn't known what you were looking for. Correct me if I'm wrong but might your name be Wufei Chang?"

Thanks to the instincts honed by being an underground operative, the only outward sign of Wufei's surprise was the slight widening of his eyes.

"You are?" he asked nonchalantly.

"Arthur Weasley. Ministry of Magic, Misuse of Muggle Artifacts Office," the man replied.

Wufei let down his guard a little and sighed in relief. "You're...uh, Molly's husband?"

"That's right. She told me she met you on the platform."

"Yes."

"Well, you're a lucky lad; I just stopped in to pay a visit to old Tom about an offender who may have stayed here last night." Mr. Weasley smiled and nodded politely at Tom, who was watching suspiciously as he arrived with Wufei's butterbeer. "Its okay, Tom. You can relax; he's a friend of Harry's."

Wufei was surprised when that seemed to alter the man's attitude completely. "Why didn't you say so in the first place? Muggle or no, if you're friends with Harry Potter, then you're alright by me," he proclaimed loudly which gained the attention of several patrons who had been watching closely.

Wincing, Wufei accepted the drink. Harry had mentioned butterbeer before and apparently it was very nice. "Thank you."

"No problem and you can keep your money, Arthur. This one's on the house." Tom smiled and excused himself as a man entered with his luggage.

"Perhaps we should take this somewhere else," Arthur suggested. "I think Tom's declaration may have done more damage than good. Come on, I'll take you into Diagon Alley where it's more crowded and less close."

Wufei nodded and followed the man through the tavern and into an alley behind. He watched in awe as the brick wall literally unfolded to reveal a bustling street filled with wizards and witches.

Once they had immersed themselves amongst the crowd and chatter, Arthur spoke once more. "So, what brings you to our world, Wufei?"

The boy considered his answer for a moment and decided that this was a lucky break. "I... had nowhere else to go. I've heard so much from Harry that I hoped I could stay at the Leaky Cauldron for a wile."

Arthur watched the boy's face as he spoke. He knew there was more to Wufei's story, but he was sure that it was nothing threatening to Harry or their world in general. "Well, come with me to Gringotts. The first thing we'll do is exchange your money, and then I'll take you back to the Burrow by floo. There's no need for you to stay in an inn. We have plenty of room in our house since all of the kids, except Bill, are living away from home at school or work."

This time the surprise did show. "Are you sure? I have plenty of money. Enough to stay at the inn for quite a while."

"Not only am I sure, but I insist," the wizard replied. "For starters, it isn't safe for a lone Muggle in our world now that He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named is back."

"Then, I'll pay rent for as long as I am under your roof." Wufei bowed to show respect and gratitude. "Thank you for your kindness."

Mr. Weasley laughed. "There's no need to be so formal. As long as you're going to be staying with us, you're nothing short of family."

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"It's good to see you again, my dear Milliardo. It has been quite a while since you graced us with your presence," the headmaster chuckled lightly, "although, I do wish the circumstances had been a little better." The group of five were still in the hospital wing, although Madame Pomfrey had already healed Milliardo's leg. Hagrid had returned to his duties, but the curious trio had insisted on staying with the man who had arrived so mysteriously. "Harry, Ron and Hermione, meet Milliardo Peacecraft. Former Ravenclaw and Head Boy of Hogwarts."

More than anything else, the words 'Head Boy' made Hermione relax, and Ron and Harry rolled their eyes. "Well, that settles it, then," she whispered. "I trust him."

"You know, Tom Riddle was Head Boy, too," Ron muttered. "That's beside the point, though. If Dumbledore trusts him, then so do I."

"You never said that about Snape," Hermione grumbled.

Ignoring her, Harry smirked and said, "I told you so," to both of them before speaking in a louder voice to Milliardo. "So, now that we know who you are, what are you doing here?"

"Now, now, Harry. It isn't polite to ask too many questions upon one's first meeting. You of all people should know that," Dumbledore chided merrily.

"It's okay," Milliardo said to them both. "Actually, I'm here to speak to you about something rather important, Headmaster."

"Very well, follow me, and we'll have a little chat in my office," Dumbledore answered, clasping his hands together and smiling. "As for you three, it's a wonderful day, so run along and play outside." He shooed them towards the door, with Milliardo following behind on his newly mended ankle. As an afterthought, Dumbledore added, "And do try to remember that the 'Forbidden Forest' is named that way for a reason. Next time you see a horse, tell Hagrid."

"Yes, sir," the three answered in unison and then headed off down the opposite direction of the corridor.

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"Good kids, those three. A slight penchant for rule-breaking but they mean well," Albus told Zechs once they'd gone.

"You said that about me once, if I remember correctly," the animagus answered.

"So I did. So I did," muttered the older wizard, an indulgent smile on his features.

They reached the stone gargoyle guarding the Headmaster's Office, and it sprang aside at the words, "Willy Wonka!" They continued up the spiral staircase and into the office, where both men took a seat.

"Now, what is this rather important matter you wish to speak of, Milliardo?" Albus asked, most of the mirth now gone from his voice.

"Sir, I'm afraid I have a confession to make, and a story to tell before the matter can be addressed," he answered, eyes lowered to the desk.

"Then, by all means, go ahead. I do so love a good story," Dumbledore told him. "The necessary preparations have been made for you to stay at least for tonight. We have plenty of time."

"Very well, sir." taking a deep breath, Zechs began to relate his story. "You may recall my disappearance from the wizarding community several years back..."

...Milliardo Peacecraft had been a very gifted and fortunate child. A pureblood wizard and heir to a fortune, he had often been remarked of as being 'blessed'. This assumption was quickly turned around, however, when his family was the first to be struck by Voldemort's power-hungry hand. He and his sister Relena had been the soul survivors of their large family. With everything they'd ever known taken from them in one horrific night, both brother and sister were taken in by the Ministry of Magic and given special permission to live at Hogwarts until their tuition ended. However, Zechs had just graduated from Hogwarts when Voldemort struck once more and Relena was stolen from Hogsmeade, raped, and then murdered by a gang of Death Eaters. Unable to bear the loss of the last thing he had to hold onto in this world, he disappeared from the wizarding community and assumed the alias of Zechs Marquis. Under this new name, he became close friends with an ambitious Muggle named Treize Khushrenada, who grew to become a well known political figure across many continents. This, of course, was of no interest to wizards, except a handful of ministry workers who dealt with keeping tabs on developments in the Muggle world. No one ever guessed that Khushrenada's right hand man was the very same boy who had gone missing several years earlier and presumed dead. This, of course, worked in the senator's favor, and, having learned of the hidden world of magic from his trusted confidant, he resolved to observe the continuing struggle with the dark wizard who was asserting his claim to power, one family at a time. Having cast aside his old life, Zechs stood aside and watched as the senator put his plans into action, but before his ambitions could be reached, Voldemort disappeared entirely and everything screeched to a halt. In light of this new development, Treize kept one eye on the wizarding world whilst he continued to gather power in his own. He had watched with interest as Harry Potter grew older each year and eventually attended Hogwarts, while, at the same time, Voldemort's vestiges began to gather and strengthen. Finally, the Dark Lord had been resurrected and had begun to move once more. Zechs watched again, this time noticing the change in his friend. Treize seemed almost as though he was drawn to the darkness. Little by little, it began to control him and settle into his mind until he could no longer see that he had become the proverbial puppet...

"...and now here I am. I can no longer sit back and watch as a world I once loved is destroyed by that vile creature who calls himself a wizard."

"That is quite a tale, Milliardo. It seems that you have not been completely idle in your absence." Dumbledore was staring off into the distance; his fingers laced together, indexes resting on his lips. After a short while, he stirred and looked once more at the man before him. "Now, for the matter of which you spoke..."

"Yes, of course, sir," Zechs felt as though time had disintegrated, and he was a student once more. As Head Boy he had had many conversations with Dumbledore and they always made him feel so small and insignificant compared to the wizened old wizard. "Having spent so much time with the enemy, I have been privilege to Treize' plans and have at least an inkling of Voldemort's true intentions."

"Of course... Of course." Dumbledore held up a hand. "Forgive me for interrupting, but I am curious as to Senator Khushrenada's knowledge of your whereabouts."

"He knows that I am here at Hogwarts, and also, I believe, that I have betrayed him. I understand your concerns in this, but his plans will not change. In fact, I suspect that he knew all along what would happen. My interference on your side will make no difference concerning his personal ambitions, only those of Voldemort. You see, there is still enough of Treize left to put his own plans above those of the man he considers his inferior. My presence here is to ensure the safety of Harry Potter, alongside those who will come from the Muggle world. They are his ultimate targets, as, in his eyes, their existence poses the only true threat to his struggle for power," Zechs explained.

"This is interesting news, Milliardo," Albus replied after a brief pause. "Thank you for confiding in me. You are welcome to stay as long as need be. I'm sure something can be arranged to explain your presence here."

Just then, the door flew open and Ginny Weasley tore inside, desperately trying to speak through her panting breaths. "Headmaster... Remus...Professor Lupin, he's-he's tried to...to-" the girl broke down in tears, still trying to convey her message through wracking sobs.

Dumbledore drew her into his arms and stroked her hair lightly. "Take your time, Miss Weasley."

Once the sobs had calmed a little, she stepped back and looked up into the headmaster's face.

"Professor Lupin... he tried to commit suicide, sir." Once she finally got the statement out, fresh tears began to flow.

"Milliardo, please take Ms Weasley to the Hospital Ward, and send Madame Pomfrey to the Defense Against the Dark Arts office at once."