GET UP, HARRY!! TODAY OUR LIVES BEGIN!”
He opened his eyes just in time to see a wild redhead bounce onto his bed.
Harry groaned. He attempted to ignore the evidently excited boy and fall back asleep, but when that didn’t work, he sat up.
“I can’t believe I’ve made it, mate.”
“Me either.” Ron laughed. “I thought the battle was going to be the end of me, mate.”
“I thought Quirrel was the end of me back in first year, honestly.”
Ron cast the time spell with his wand-tempus-and Harry thought that was just as good a hint as any from his friend to “get a blasted move on.”
Neither of them wanted to chance being late on the first day.
So he pulled on some clothes, tucked his wand in the new holster he’d gotten as a graduation gift, through the kitchen-where Hermione and the elves yelled at them as they skipped breakfast-and outside, where the pair popped away.
A round of applause greeted them the moment they entered the Auror department.
“It’s Harry Potter!” A female Auror said in awe. “Thanks for saving us from You-Know-Who!”
Harry rolled his eyes at the way people still couldn’t say his name, but grinned good-naturedly, wanting to be polite.
“Don’t forget Ron Weasley! Another Hero of the war!” A male Auror nodded.
He didn’t miss the way his friend’s chest puffed out at this.
“Harry! I love you!”
The surrounding witches and wizards suddenly rushed forward to shake their hands.
“Please, Harry Potter, would you sign my-“
But then a louder, deeper voice broke the spell on the group, and a path was made-leading up to a large office at the front of the room, where a lone man stood with a grin-for them.
“Mr. Potter, Mr. Weasley,” he said, a twinkle in his eyes. “We’re pleased to have you join us! Now, follow me, if you would. You’re to go out into the field this morning.”
“Already?!” Ron whispered, excitement lighting his face.
The head auror reminded Harry of Kingsley Shaklebolt. Gawain Robards was tall, with darker skin, the only difference from the minister of magic being his dark colored robes and thinning salt and pepper hair.
The office was bare, except for a few newspaper clippings about the ended war plastered to the wall. Harry was pictured in almost all of them, and both Ron and Hermione in a select few. On his desk were only a quill, a few parchments, and three different colored-red, yellow, and green- spheres, only one of which was blinking rapidly. Neither boy knew what they were for, but figured it would be explained to them at some point.
The man before them introduced himself.
“Pleasure to meet you, sir.” Harry nodded as the head auror handed a few parchments over to them.
“Though I’m sure you don’t need the help, as it’s only a single casualty, I’m sending a more experienced auror with you. The rules, as you might be well aware.”
“Payne!” He barked loudly enough for Harry to flinch slightly.
A blonde haired witch poked her head into the room.
“A witch has been attacked by a creature. I want you three to investigate this. Don’t screw this up, Potter, Weasley. I’m trusting you. Payne-“ He nodded in acknowledgment at the witch. “-has been here for 20 years and will help you. Do what you need to do.”
“Yes sir.” The two recent graduates walked right back out again to find Payne already at her desk, a map from the locator spell she’d obviously done hovering in the air.
“Nice to meet you boys. I’m Violet Payne. The friendly witch said. “Wish I was meeting you under less gruesome circumstances, but this is the job, I suppose.”
“Good to meet you, Payne.” Harry nodded.
“Please, call me Violet.” She replied kindly.
“Oh, this can’t be good.” Ron groaned, eying the map.
Harry privately agreed. Though it was good that the attack hadn’t been in a muggle area, he recognized the highlighted manor even though he’d never been there. A Gryffindor in their year lived there.
They popped away from the office, instead appearing before an iron gate which granted them entrance immediately.
“Anyone home?” Ron called once they were inside, breaking the silence that had fallen on the group.
No answer.
They found the victim lying on the floor in the sitting room. Her whole body was ashen gray, looking almost like a deflated balloon. The older woman’s eyes were closed, and she didn’t seem to be breathing.
Payne knelt next to the woman, felt for a pulse, and frowned. “She’s not dead, but she’s not alive either.” Then Violet gasped, turning the lady’s left arm to face the boys.
“Is that-?”
“Drained or turned?” Ron asked grimly.
“Turned.” A familiar crack sounded, nearly washing out her answer, but both Harry and Ron heard it all the same.
“That would be Neville.” Harry sighed, just as grimly. “I’ll go warn him.”
Harry turned back the way he came, finding Neville appearing almost breathless by the gates. Harry hated to end the excited light in his eyes.
“Harry? What brings you here? That doesn’t matter—mate! I’ve got to tell ya! I was just on the most amazing date of my life! I think Luna’s-“
“Neville..” he interrupted slowly. “There’s been an attack. Your gran will be okay, but…”
“Where is she?” Neville asked importantly, eyes wide.
“Sitting room. But, Nev-”
The gryffindor ignored Harry, rushing past the gates and all the way to the sitting room.
“Gran?!!” He voiced uncertainly. “What’s wrong..? Is she okay?”
“Not exactly...” Violet answered, her voice trailing.
He gasped when the witch showed him his arm.
“Is that—-a vampire bite?”
“I’m sorry, Neville.” Ron’s sympathetic response must have been as most of an answer as he expected.
“She…she won’t like this.” Neville muttered, looking shocked and at a loss for words.
Payne contoured her patronus, a tiny little bunny rabbit, and sent a message to both the Minister and Robards.
“You were a Hufflepuff?” Harry guessed.
“How’d you know?” She grinned playfully. “My rabbit always gives it away! Anyway, Shaklebolt and Robards will be here soon with backup. There’s a special ward in st. Mungo’s for her, that’ll do for now.”
Neville opened his eyes, yet his expression seemed more closed off than before. “What happens now?”
“I think we’re going to send her to St. Mungo’s.” She told him honestly.
A round of familliar cracks not far from where they stood told them that Kingsley Shakleblot, Gawain Robards, and various other witches and wizards selected for backup had arrived.
“What’s his name?” The head Auror asked roughly.
“Augusta Longbottom.” Harry answered. “She was bitten by a vampire.”
Robards sighed. “Turned, I presume?”
“Yes.”
“Alert St. Mungo’s of the situation.” Kingsley said to the surrounding backup team.
A few witches went outside and popped away.
Payne locked eyes with Robards. “You know what we need to do now, right?”
Harry thought they might be having one of those mental conversations with the way they were looking at one another.
“Fine.” He sighed. “You might as well, considering…” he paused, shifting the parchment in his hands. “There was another creature attack. This one’s a triple, and…I’m thinking it might be the same.”
She took the information from him, looked down at it, and then said, “You can handle things here?”
“We’ve got it, go on.”
“Let’s go, boys!” She cried, marching out the front door.
Harry put a hand on Neville’s shoulder. “Let me know if you need anything, mate.”
“Thanks, Harry..” He responded quietly.
Ron waved before exiting along with Harry. “See ya, Neville.”
“Oh, Auror Payne?” Robards called just before the group popped away.
She poked her head back inside. “Yes sir?”
“Use the one at Diagon Alley. I don’t want any of our Ministry friends to know who you may have been speaking with.”
“Yes sir. I understand.” Violet turned to Harry and Ron. “We’ll meet at the Leaky, then?”
And then she disappeared. Harry quickly followed, ignoring the way the dark, tube-like sensation made him want to squirm.
Thankfully then it ended nearly as soon as it started, and the Leaky Cauldron was in front of him. A familiar redhead stood beside him on one side, a dark skinned woman with waist-length dreads on the other.
It was almost like they were going for school supplies again, instead of a super secret auror mission. Sans Hermione, of course.
“So what was that all about?” Ron demanded of Payne as the three of them went in. “Who exactly are we speaking to?”
“And where are we going?”
“To-“
“Ah, Miss Payne! And Misters Potter and Weasley! What can I do for you today?” The barkeeper boomed, interrupting their conversation.
“Tom! Just the man I was hoping to see!” She grinned. “We need you to lead us to your super secret international floo upstairs. We’ve got permission from both the head auror and the minister himself! Auror business, you see.”
He squinted at her for a long moment. “Fine. Right this way.”
They climbed up a rickety, curving staircase, leading to a brown door at the top.
“We’re going to Forks, Washington, in the states. In this room-she opened the door-is an international floo, used for emergencies only.”
“I thought only the Ministry had one?” Ron asked, grabbing a small handful of powder from the pot on the mantle.
“Well, during the war, when floos started being Traced, one was placed here for Aurors and Hit Wizards who didn’t want people to know who exactly was traveling internationally from the Ministry. Now, have both you boys used one before?”
They nodded. “Speak clearly, Harry!” Ron laughed.
“Yes.” Violet said seriously. “You don’t want to end up in the middle of the ocean. She handed them parchment slips. “The address.”
She stepped into the floo and dissappeared.
“Cheers, mate.” He grinned, before he too read off the page and left.
Harry stepped into the enlarged fireplace. “1527 Northwind Pine!”
He was unceremoniously thrown onto the ground, which turned out to be a forest floor of pine needles, pinecones, dirt, and leaves. Ron smirked at him as he rose and Vanished the dirt off himself.
“Were we spit from a tree?” Harry spluttered,
turning to look st where they’d come from.
“Magic never ceases to amaze!” She quipped.. “Their home is just down the street.”
“Who, exactly, are we meeting?” Harry asked skeptically.
“A group of vampires.”
Ron yelped and Harry froze. “What?!”
“Relax. I’ve known this coven for a long time. Or,
my father has. They don’t drink human blood.”
“How can a vampire not drink human blood and still exist?”
“Animal blood.” Harry breathed after a moment.
“Exactly.” Violet grinned. “Why not let them explain, hmmm?”
“I won’t question anything if they can help us.” Harry muttered.
She knocked on the large black door.
A shorter girl sporting a pixie cut and had wide, golden brown eyes opened the door. “Yes?”
“Is Carlisle here?”
“Actually, he is. Come on in.”
No sooner had they entered the foyer than a tall blond man entered the room, followed by several teenager-looking vampires and a brown haired woman.
“And who might you be, Miss…” He asked kindly.
“Payne. Violet Payne, daughter of Gawain Robards.”
“You’re the head auror’s DAUGHTER?!” Ron cried, and Violet ignored.
Carlisle smiled. “Gawain Robards, huh? It’s been a long time since I’ve heard that name.”
The small pixie haired girl and a taller brown haired boy suddenly gasped. Harry didn’t know why, but judging by their wide amber eyes and their glances at each other, they had somehow suddenly learned about the wizarding world.
Sure enough…
“What does the Wizarding World need help with this time?” His easygoing smile at the question ad Harry to believe that he wasn’t mad at the idea of it and that he’d helped in the past.
“A vampire is attacking our people. We were hoping you and your family would be willing to help us find them before more are turned.”
“Hmm.” The tall blond man grinned playfully. “Why don’t we start with introductions? I’m Carlisle, of course, and over there is my wife, Esme.” He gestured towards the brown haired woman.
The taller brown haired boy who gasped stepped forward. “I’m Edward, and this is my wife, Bella.” Harry guessed that Bella, a shorter brown haired teenager, had been recently turned, because her eyes had just a hint of redness to them. The way she was clinging to Edward though told him that she’d wanted to.
Another boy the size of a bear stepped forward, introducing himself as Emmett, and the pretty blonde woman next to him as his “mate”, Rosealie. The girl with the pixie cut was apparently Alice, and the boy next to her was Jasper.
“Harry Potter,” he said, awkwardly waving.
“Ron Weasley.”
“Harry Potter…Carlisle mused. “You were the one to save your world from that evil wizard, weren’t you?”
“Yes, sir.” Harry felt awkward again.
He turned to his family, all sporting determined looks on their faces.
“Okay.” He said finally. “How do we get there?”
—
“Tom,” Harry walked up to the counter back in the Leaky cauldron. “A butterbeer, if you would, please?”
Payne raised a brow. “What? I need something!
And I can’t have alcohol on the job!”
She rolled her eyes and pulled out the parchment from Robards. Violet cast the locator spell, and a golden map hovered in the air.
Eyes wide, Harry walked towards it. “Ron, mate, you may want to skip this one.”
“Why…” he shoved Harry aside. “Mum! Ginny…”
“I’m not staying behind, Harry..”
“Okay.” Harry said. “I’m sorry, mate.”
The world turned dark for a split second when they apparated away. When the light returned, the Burrow sat before them in the Leaky Cauldron’s place.
“Mum!” Ron cried, running inside.
Harry, Violet, and the Cullens followed swiftly behind, stopping only when they got to the sitting room, where two witches and a wizard lay on the floor.
“Mum…Ginny? Dad..?” Ron sank to the floor beside them, lost for words. He checked all of their arms, and gasped when he found what he was searching for. The bites almost looked like holes in the arm, just like Neville’s gran.
“Carlisle.” A deep voice said. “Nice to see you again.”
“Never thought I would hear from you again, Gawain.” He replied, and the two men shook hands.
“A mighty thank you to you and your family for being willing to help us out.” Robards replied with a smile. “Might find out who is attacking faster, at any rate.”
“Just happy to help! So, how many attacks have there been so far!”
Silence for a beat. Then…”This is only the second.” Violet admitted. “But I realized, why would our attacker turn only a single person? It didn’t make sense to me. So, I figured they would be turning others-and apparently they are-and I thought it would be better to bring you in sooner rather than later.”
“Well deciphered, Miss Payne.” He nodded. “Has there been any connection between the two cases?”
“Wow.” Robards muttered. “Maybe we should offer you a job within the Ministry.”
“We can talk about that when all is said and done.” Carlisle responded gently. “Miss Payne?”
He looked surprised, like he thought the man shouldn’t have been able to hear that-did he forget that he’s talking to a vampire?-but shook it off in favor of Violet’s answer.
“No.” She answered slowly. “Except for the fact that all of the victims are of magical origin.”
“Okay.” He nodded. “Jasper, Alice, and Emmett, it’s been enough time, I believe?” When the three of them nodded, he continued, “why don’t you start hunting this attacker. Call me if you find anything.”
“Wait-muggle devices tend not to work in magical areas.” Harry said.
Carlisle opened his mouth to speak, but Alice beat him to it. “We have our ways.” She winked.
Before another word was said, they were gone.
“What do-where-are my mum, dad, and sister going to go to St. Mungo’s too?”
“I think-“ Robards started.
“No.” Carlisle interrupted. “Once they wake, we can teach them how to…control what they are. Survive off animal blood. Like us.”
“If they’ll listen to that.” Edward added, a touch of uncertainty to his voice.
“They would rather die than hurt another person.” Ron assured them.
“Perfect.”
An alarm blared from Robard’s wand. He pulled it from his holster to see yellow sparks emitted from it.
“There’s been another one.” He said heavily.
“You got the fort, here, Robards?”
“Of course, Payne.” He said. “You can stay with your family if you’d like, Mr. Weasley.”
“Thank you, sir.” He said quietly. “Will you let my brothers know?”
“Already informed them.” Robards answered gently. “Carlisle, Esme, stay with me. Edward, Bella, with Payne and Potter.”
It was easier, with less of the vampires to side-along, to head to the next location.
Which happened to be a place Harry well knew:
Fred and George’s shop in Diagon Alley. It was George and Hermione now, mostly, since Fred had died in the war.
Weasley’s Wizarding Wheezes was in shambles: though the closed sign had been put up, the door was wide open. Products spilled all over the place (which, true to the twins personalities, was actually quite funny to see), and the place was in a general disarray.
The chaos continued in the apartment above: chairs were either overturned or destroyed and there were holes in the ceiling and wall corners.
By the cuts on their faces and other general body parts, they put up quite a fight, which was true to the nature of George and Hermione.
Judging by the unconscious, ashen gray state and the bites on their necks, they lost the war.
Hermione wouldn’t be happy about that, he knew.
He wanted to scream. Not Hermione!
Hopefully, they’d catch the attacker soon.
Instead of screaming, he settled for summoning Ron with his patronus. He’d want to see George.
Robards, who had shown up while he’d been internally screaming, was speaking with Payne in low tones. Bella and Edward were inspecting-and sniffing?-the bodies.
“I’m going to see how the search is going.” Harry announced, his righteous anger giving way to pure fury. “Bella, with me. Edward? Can you help them when they wake?”
He nodded once, and so Harry apparated away with the brunette vampire by his side.
“Where are we going?” She asked when they landed.
“We need to find Carlisle.”
They found him at the top of the hill next to the Burrow talking on his cell phone, Esme pacing at his side. Speaking with Alice, Harry figured. They only had to wait a few minutes for him to slam the cell phone shut. He looked unsurprised to see Harry and Bella there.
“They’re at the Leaky Cauldron. “They’re hot on his tail, but they need help closing in on him.” He reported.
“Then let’s go. Let’s gather the others and go after him together.”
“They’ll meet us there.” Bella said confidently. Too confident.
“How do you know? We’re all separated.”
“Edward can read minds. I’m positive he’s been reading ours to find out the plan.”
“And Alice can see the future.” Carlisle informed him. “She told me about your friend. I’m sorry. This is a hard life to be condemned to.”
“What?! Where was all this information earlier?!”
Harry demanded. “I could’ve used all that!”
“Sorry, I guess we just didn’t…think about it.” Carlisle shrugged.
“What about you, Bella?” Harry asked as they walked. “Do you have any…special powers?”
She laughed, a musical sound that made the tense air seem somewhat lighter for just a moment.
“Basically, my mind is a shield. So Edward, and vampires with other mental abilities, can’t use their “gift” on me.”
“That’s neat, actually.” Harry wondered if she’d be able to resist any spells such as Obliviate or even the unforgivable Imperio, and whether she was already a Master Occlumens. A question for another day, maybe. “Carlisle?”
“Sadly, I have none. But I am lucky that my children got all of the good powers.”
“So Emmett would be…”
“Brutal strength. He’s strong even by Vampire standards.”
“And Rosealie…”
“Her beauty.”
“Jasper?”
“He can sense, as well as manipulate, the emotions of others around him. So of someone’s sad, he can literally force them to feel better.”
“Wow. That explains why I was so calm when he was with us.”
Harry found a safe place to apparate, and soon, they were back at Tom’s pub. True to Bella’s word, Edward was there, as was the rest of his siblings.
“I’m confident that our attacker is a male vampire and that he is”-Alice closed her eyes for a brief moment-“still in Diagon Alley.”
Without another word, the group turned and ran to the brick doorway that held the magical streets. Impatient, Harry tapped the correct bricks with his wand, and Diagon Alley appeared before them.
Alice, apparently, was the leader. The group followed the shorter girl through the street, all the way to—
Rosmerta’s pub.
It looked like their guy was in there, judging by the double doors hanging by the hinges.
“Aright,” Harry said quietly. “Edward, through the window on the left, Bella, through the one on the right. Alice and Jasper, go around the back. The rest of you, with me. Stay silent and stealthy, everyone.”
Holding his wand in front of him, Harry lead his team in through the front doors “Point me,” He whispered, and his wand obeyed.
They collided with the others in the attic, where they found their attacker in the center, clearly about to bite Madame Rosmerta’s neck. The witch’s wand lay in two broken pieces at the other end of the room.
Harry made eye contact with the other Cullens.
And then it happened quicker than a lightning strike-Alice yanked Rosmerta away from the vampire and grabbed him by the hair as Emmett pinned the guy’s arms behind his back and Esme grabbed his legs. Bella put a hand on each side of his face and snapped his neck.
“HARRY! FIRE!” Alice yelled and Harry immediately understood. He set a small chair in the corner on fire and they threw the pieces of the vampire’s body onto it.
From then on, everything went more smoothly than anyone could have ever expected.. Everyone who had been bitten easily accepted the Cullens’ animalistic lifestyle, and in response, their coven officially grew. Because of that, they chose to stay in England, where George, with Hermione’s help, would continue to run the shop, at some point when they were ready.
Harry was surprised at the ease and grace that Hermione accepted her new reality. He thought she’d see this as a major setback in her quest to becoming Minister for Magic someday, but her response was, “maybe this will help people become more accepting.”
Trust Hermione to put a positive spin on anything.
Because the Cullen’s moved to London, the Minister himself created a special forces department just for them. The crime rate was a lot easier to handle after that.
Harry’s life became a lot more chaotic, but also a lot more fun.
Really, what more could he expect as an auror with a family full of vampires?