Reconstruction of a Death Eater

Chapter 38 - The Best Defence

Staring blindly at the stacks of folders that lined his temporary office, Percy let out a huge sigh and scrubbed at his face wearily. Of the fifty people he had so innocently come to liberate only a week ago, twelve had been unlawfully Kissed and seven were in no fit state to be returned to wizarding society, all the life drained out of them completely. The rest would be better served with a long rest and treatment in St Mungo's special ward for the various traumas and neurosis their stay in Azkaban had instilled in them.

The other prisoners had suffered too, many of them Kissed or drained, all of them insane to some extent or another. Only the bloody convicted Death Eaters had been spared to the greater extent, protected by being cast deep down on the twelfth level of Azkaban as if that was the worst thing possible. How had one of the guards put it, 'being entombed alive in living rock', the blind idiot! The Dementors only voluntarily went down as far as the sixth level, which was why Percy had left the seventh level as a laundry and the eighth level as a kitchen, reserving the lower four levels for less important criminals and remand people. Oh, it had taken some fancy footwork, but he had pulled all the Death Eaters out of 'L' level and remodelled their cells, adding toilets and a shower block, a common room and a small reading room before transferring the prisoners that were still alive enough to register from the 'A' level down to their new accommodation on 'L' level. It was warm, a constant twenty-two degrees Celsius, and the lighting charms made it as bright as day, dimming to waning moonlight at night.

The Death Eaters had protested vigorously at being moved out of their cosy cells and thrust into cells containing those who had been Kissed. The usual wizarding horror of the living dead made them cringe or attack, depending on the nature of the prisoner, but they all served their purpose. When the hungry Dementors came they found fresh sources of nourishment and the convicts learned a new level of terror as the gliding, icy creatures invaded their cells and took what they wanted of the condemned. Some thought to toss their pre-Kissed cellmates into the path of the Dementors, but the creatures were neither corporeal nor to be denied their sustenance. It was all very ironic and not a little daunting as some of the Death Eaters joined the ranks of the unofficially Kissed.

Julia Danvers brought her boss a cup of tea and placed it quietly on his desk. She had been horrified at the carnage they had found in the prison and admired the older man's abilities to adapt and organise under such trying conditions. She realised they had a public relations disaster on their hands and wondered how any of them were going to come out of this situation with their jobs, never mind their reputations untarnished.

"Oh, Julia, thank you," Percy muttered, flashing the young woman a vague smile as he bent to stare down at the mugshot staring back at him from the folder on his desk. The boy, barely old enough to shave blinked back then bit his lip to stop the tears that threatened to fall. He was barely seventeen when he had been taken into custody, a child who had a big mouth, a large fortune and an aunt who had been living on the proceeds while he was too young to protest. He had been sent to Azkaban on the word of his aunt who declared he was a danger to society with his Death Eater sentiments and if he did join them he would be taking a lot of money to the cause. Now he was a neo-corpse in cell three, A-level, Kissed by a Dementor perhaps six months before. It was so unfair, and so.... "Damn it all, this is a right royal pig's breakfast, this is," he commented grimly.

"Pity the Death Eaters couldn't just attack the prison and..." She trailed off as Percy slowly lifted his head and turned to stare at her with a dropped jaw.

"Merlin's Arse! That's it! Brilliant. If we had an attack by the Death Eaters, come to break out their compatriots, bringing the rogue Dementors with them to take out as many people as they could, it would be perfect! Of course, we all fought back furiously and very few actually escaped, but alas, quite a few casualties, particularly the civilians. Merlin's beard! We'd have to do some very fancy memory charms on those who survived the attack, remove the past few months and replace them with well crafted delusions, but that could work, it really could! Superb! You know what they say, the best defence is a good offence, and this is the perfect melding of both."

~~*~~

"Severus, my dear boy, why did you not tell me?"

Severus stopped the shudder stillborn and turned carefully to face the Dark Lord keeping his expression a baffled neutrality. "My Lord, I...." The scream was jerked out of him involuntarily, so unexpected was the attack, here in the Malfoy family sitting room. Narcissa, peering around the Dark Lord almost smiled to see her most treasured enemy brought so low, again.

As the Cruciatus curse lifted, Severus managed to get his knees under him but could not lift his face from the Persian carpet covering the mahogany boards. "I have always told you all I have to tell," he managed to say between gritted teeth, the taste of blood in his mouth helping to revive his wits, even if it was his own blood.

"Potter has a girlfriend!"

The Potions Master knew he looked completely gormless as he managed to stare up at the Dark Lord, then a very inappropriate giggle left his mouth. He almost said 'jealous?' but managed to keep that behind his teeth as he snapped his jaw shut and sneered. "The amorous adventures of that idiotic Gryffindork are not something I find particularly riveting," he muttered into the rug in disgust then managed to raise his head enough to look his Lord in the eye once again. "My Lord, I believe I told you some five months ago that he and the Weasley girl were close."

"Not the Weasley, the Lovegood girl," Lord Voldemort snapped, and Severus jerked as another Cruciatus curse blasted his nerve ends.

By the time it ceased, Severus was panting hard, wondering where the hell the Lord got such dodgy information. "My Lord, he was snogging the Weasley girl when I left yesterday afternoon, if he has changed alliance then it is a very recent development and as I have been here for the last twenty-four hours, then I am afraid I can neither confirm nor deny that fact."

Lord Voldemort snorted and turned away, the mutter of Crucio making Severus flinch before he realised he was not being hit. Narcissa crumpled onto the floor, a high pitched squeal reverberating around the room as she writhed. Severus managed to make it to his knees while the Lord's attention was thus distracted and gulp down a fortifying potion before he was again subjected to the Lord's scrutiny.

"Gossip, gossip! Why am I surrounded by fools and gossips! I ask for useable information, I want certain things accomplished and all I get is a disaster on my hands!" A window blew out under the force of the Dark Lord's anger, chips of stone and wood flying in a whirlwind of backlash to strike at them all. This was a full blown tantrum, and both Severus and Narcissa ducked behind a heavy sofa, thankful that the Manor's furnishings were so well built.

"What set him off?" Severus muttered, keeping his head down.

"He was feeling a bit futile and at a loose end after his Ritual last month so I thought the latest gossip would cheer him up. It was in Witch Weekly, how was I to know how he would react?" Narcissa wailed quietly then winced as half the ceiling moulding fell down around them.

Severus shook his head slowly. This was ridiculous! Perhaps.... "My Lord, I do have an idea I thought you might appreciate," he called over the storm of magic.

"What is it, Ssseverusss?"

"I was wondering if it would be of any use to see if we can liberate the Death Eaters incarcerated in Azkaban, even though they are not of any particular importance to the cause, a 'just because I can' type of raid, playful, almost." The tall Potions Master prepared to duck and cover if his suggestion met with the wrong type of reaction, but the Lord stopped his raging, seeming to be intrigued with the suggestion and Narcissa let out a silent, thankful sigh.

"Your words have merit, my Severus. I will think about it!" There was silence then the feeling of absence.

Lifting their heads slowly, Severus and Narcissa turned and collapsed onto the floor, propping their backs against the sofa that sheltered them. He had gone, and they both sighed in relief. "You know, Narcissa, I am too old for this game, really I am," Severus remarked softly without opening his eyes.

"Thank Merlin your brain hasn't lost any of its youthful agility," she commented, not moving either. "Why Azkaban?"

"Why not? You said yourself, he needs an outlet for his fidgets and Azkaban is far from here, a whole new target. He has attacked and all but destroyed the Ministry; he has repeatedly attacked St Mungo's and reduced it to a half activity clinic. The Wizengamot has to hold its sessions in a warehouse rented from Muggles. Stonehenge has been invaded by Muggles trying to recreate the stones, which has rendered it pretty much useless. There are only four places of power left to finish off, Azkaban, Diagon Alley, Hogsmeade and of course Hogwarts. If he attacked Diagon Alley, the Aurors would swarm over us as they are like a stirred nest of hornets after the attack on the Wizengamot looking for something to sting. Hogsmeade, the people would simply withdraw into Hogwarts and if he attacks Hogwarts prematurely, then he will not succeed as quickly and as devastatingly as he hoped but would have to engage in a long and protracted siege situation. That was not ideal in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries and would be even less likely to succeed in the late twentieth century. Of the four, I think Azkaban is the easiest target, even though it is hardest to get to, and a successful raid would increase our troop numbers as well as our morale. So, Azkaban would give him a neat target that would be a stunning victory and it would undermine the confidence of the Light even further."

Narcissa blinked then smirked at the dark man beside her. "Well, saying you are a chess player," she remarked, pushing herself to her feet and surveying the damage to the family living room with jaundiced eyes. "Much as I respect and revere my Lord, I do wish he wouldn't vent his temper on my home."

"Better than venting it on our bodies," Severus remarked quietly before he apparated.

~~*~~

The plans were laid; those who were to become 'casualties' of the 'Death Eater Raid' had been carefully selected and cleaned up, given a few good meals and generally reconditioned so that they did not look as if they had been mistreated so much. House-elves were pressed into the service of the casualties, handling the soulless hulks with care and ease, making them eat and keeping them clean. Those who were to survive the raid were also cleaned up and well fed, the Unspeakables taking each one and Obliviating them before adding a very specific series of memories over the last few months. The remaining Dementors were kept on their part of the island by the use of charms and shield spells, which Percy thought should have been installed in the first place, as soon as the main body of the Dementors had been freed.

Surveying the changes he had wrought and comparing them to his planned timetable, Percy sat back in grim satisfaction at a job well done. They should be able to announce the raid by Death Eaters next week and be very convincing. The Daily Prophet would stir up a storm of protest and patriotic hatred of Death Eaters and all would make the Ministry look very good, which was the whole point of the exercise. Julia Danvers looked up attentively as he rose and stretched, her smile indulgent. She was about to make comment on his dedication to the job as the lights went out and the prison guard on the lower stairs screamed.

"What in Merlin's name..." the young minister asked, poking his head out of his office only to duck back in shock as a group of eight black cloaked figures portkeyed into the space below.

"Spread out and find our people, kill anyone you don't recognise!" one of the intruders snapped, wand swinging in an arc. "They keep the 'horrid Death Eaters' in the lower vaults. Keep your Patronus ready as there are still a few Dementors around and the Lord will be bringing in a couple of tame ones, too. Let's go!"

An Unspeakable wandered out of the complex lower down to see what the noise was, six hexes throwing him off his feet into an almost unrecognisable heap against the wall. Even as he died another portkey bearing eight more bodies flashed into being. Percy goggled then remembered his mother's words, carefully closing the door behind him before slipping over to the balcony rail and staring down in horror. Dementors were gathering, the two prison guards stood no chance against the mixed attack force. One was already a bloody wreck on the floor, the other shambling mindlessly much to the gathered Death Eaters' amusement.

The crippled alarm system obviously partially disarmed, finally squarked out an ineffectual warning which made Percy wince. His slight movement drew the attentions of one of the Death Eaters, a curse blasting toward his position almost by reflex. Percy was lucky the wall took the brunt of the hex, the stone and door shattering into a thousand flying splinters. The young Minister went over backwards, his wand arm shattered to uselessness. A Dementor, drawn by his cry of pain, glided out of the gloom, a wave of creeping horror heralding its approach. Unable to do more than groan and try to focus his spinning senses, Percy knew he was dead until a glittering silver pony galloped over his head and exploded the approaching Dementor very handily.

Julia Danvers would never allow something like that to attack her boss, not while there was breath in her body! She scrambled forward and dragged Percy's half-conscious form further into the room, regardless of the splinters on the ground, then turned to fling a handful of floo powder into the fire, yelling for the Minister. Nothing happened and she almost cried in rage and fear until she remembered that Scrimgeour was not the Minister but the Head of the Aurory. Trying again she was rewarded by a very startled young Auror who was acting secretary for the older man.

"This is Azkaban, we are under attack by Death Eaters," she gasped, hoping the stupid child would stop gawping and do something constructive with his time.

It took a few seconds for the incredible news to register, then he was off, bellowing for assistance, and Julia slumped back onto her heels then scrambled back to Percy's side, lifting his head into her lap and carefully stroking his bright red hair away from his forehead; help would be here soon, she hoped.

~~*~~

Scrimgeour hadn't wanted to believe Fredrickson when he burst into his office, but he knew Weasley had not planned to announce the attack until next week. He immediately stuck his head into the Floo and was rewarded by a hex that flew past his temple and impacted on his office wall. He brought his wand up smartly and blasted the figure in the doorway of the shattered office, over the head of the girl who seemed to be defending her boss with very little help or cover. An impatient hand indicated that Fredrickson should sound the klaxon and alert the rest of the Aurors to the raid while he slipped ahead and helped the girl drag young Weasley into a relatively safe position behind his desk.

"I saw sixteen Death Eaters portkey in, but more may have arrived since then," Weasley managed to gasp. "They have brought more Dementors with them."

"Right." Scrimgeour nodded tersely as his forces began to jump out of the fireplace. It was not the most ideal beachhead to work from but it was all they had, and he quickly sent his people scrambling through the door and out into the body of the prison. A melee quickly developed on the floor of the main level, hexes splattering off shields and Patronuses scattering advancing Dementors. There were more than sixteen Death Eaters, that was evident, some ragged and dirty but most healthy and vicious as they fought the forces of the Aurory.

Someone raised their voice with Sonorous and the Death Eaters were suddenly forming clusters that swirled away in a vortex of magic, the Aurors' following and tracking spells deflected handily, a wild and mocking laugh all that was left amid the carnage. The broken bodies of the wounded, both Auror and prisoner as well as a couple of Death Eaters were mute testimony to the severity and harshness of the short skirmish.

Shaking his head in disbelief and disgust, Scrimgeour made his way down to the floor and began assessing the casualties, assigning fit bodies to accompany the wounded back to St Mungo's. He flagged the dead with a deep sigh; they could wait for later processing. While his body dealt with his casualties, his mind screamed through the scenarios trying to decide how the Death Eaters had managed to circumvent the wards, where they had acquired portkeys and how they had worked out the coordinates in the first place. Azkaban was under what amounted to a Fidelius Charm as well as being unplottable.

"Dementors," a pain wracked voice said from behind him, and he spun on his toes, wand out defensively before he realised Weasley was there, leaning on his secretary and even paler than usual. "The Dementors led them here," Percy clarified seeing Rufus' incomprehensive look.

"Explain?"

"The Dementors are not subject to our charms and curses, or at least, not many. So, if one of them came here and collected some bits of rock to take back to You-Know-Who then he could make them into portkeys with no problem. We have to ward against portkeys as well as apparition from now on. I would also suggest we go back to using the Dementors as guards to reduce the power of the prisoners. At least that way we would have some control over the blasted things, instead of allowing them to randomly attack anyone they like, including the warders."

"Wish we'd thought of it earlier. Right! Looks like we bring your plan into action a little early and hope we can turn this incident to our own advantage. Are you fit for it?" the head of the Aurory asked, seeing the grimace of pain on his Junior Minister's face.

"If I have need of another hand, Miss Danvers here is more than capable of supplying it," he said without fanfare, the girl blushing vividly under his no-nonsense praise.

"Very well, let's announce it," Scrimgeour said decisively, his lion-like head rising to the challenge.

~~*~~

News of the disastrous raid on Azkaban hit the news stands that very night, banner headlines screaming the destruction for all to read. The most secure prison in the wizarding world had been violated, security spectacularly breached and the worst prisoners ever incarcerated had been freed to return to their master at full strength.

"Dementors: Friend or Foe?"

"Over one hundred and fifty casualties, victims of both hexes and unauthorised Kissing by Dementors..."

"Valiant Aurors and staff overwhelmed by sheer numbers of invaders, most gaolers killed, visiting Junior Minister, son of war hero Minister Arthur Weasley, and aide badly hurt."

"Sixty convicted Death Eaters and a hundred suspected Death Eaters now fleeing to their Master's side in the biggest breakout in the history of the wizarding world."

Dementors are now back as guards in Azkaban to help stop any further possibilities of a mass break out in the future. "We must curb the prisoners' magic and ability to plot and plan in the future," Junior Minister Weasley told our reporter during an interview from his hospital bed.

Wizengamot holds emergency sessions all night. Consultation with Heads of Departments puts the wizarding world on a war footing. Questions were asked in the session regarding the security of Hogwarts and the likelihood of a Death Eater victory in the near future. Minister Constantine Clearwater refutes the possibility saying the wizarding world has not yet begun to fight!

Harry Potter, the Chosen One, the Boy-Who-Lived, told our special correspondent that 'now is the time that all brave witches and wizards must come to the aid of their free society or be forever cast down into the darkness of tyranny under the unrelenting heel of the murderous Death Eaters and their soulless, merciless leader the self-styled Lord Voldemort. We will fight them on the streets; we will fight them in the air and on the playing fields of Hogwarts until they are wiped from the face of our fair land forever.'

Harry Potter, staring at the article with a spoon full of porridge balanced mid air, was utterly horrified and bore the teasing of his friends with something like stoicism until Seamus laughingly accused him of plagiarism, then the porridge was launched across the table in the first salvo of the war.