Chapter 10
The Hit Wizards lead the freed hostages out to the portrait doorway that separated the Muggle Embassy from the Wizarding one, stopping only to levitate the petrified body of Noodle from where he had fallen at the foot of the stairs.
Once the Hit Wizards and the hostages had left the high security wards of the Wizard Embassy into the lesser strength wards of the main Embassy, the team watched protectively as the Ambassador dropped the wards for the former captives to apparate to safety. The Wizard Ambassador gave Harry and the team a tearful thank you before she popped away into thin air.
Nearly an hour later, Harry smiled in surprise as Susan Bones stepped into the embassy with her German counterpart. They were there to formally identify the bodies of the terrorists for the German DMLE and Susan was there as the Embassy was British soil. The team walked through the rooms with the Ministers. Noodle was back with them, his arm in a sling. Once they had entered the Ambassador’s office, Susan was nearly sick when she saw what was left of Drechenfeuer and his accomplice.
“Merlin’s beard, that is a bit…excessive, don’t you think?” She asked the room, but looked at Harry.
Her mouth went dry as she saw that not a flicker of emotion crossed his face. Even during the War, Harry had always been brave but he felt every single death personally, on both sides. Now he looked cold and unfeeling, he only smiled when Deano answered Susan’s question with “Play stupid games, win stupid prizes, Ma’am”. What had the Hit Wizards done to her best Auror and friend?
Once the formalities had been dealt with, Harry tried to get a moment with Susan. He hadn’t seen her since the day he was told he had been selected for the Hit Wizards and he was desperate for a catch up. Just as he was about to get her attention, Perry cut him off and guided him outside to the mini vans that had the rest of Whiskey Squadron and the SAS in.
Without a word of explanation, the minivans pulled away and headed out of central Berlin.
After half an hour of driving, the minivans pulled in front of a quiet unassuming bar near the suburbs. Harry looked up and saw the name of the bar in cherry red “Pegasus Bar”. Harry smiled, having encountered real Pegasus’ in the years after Hogwarts, the name of the bar made him feel somewhat at home.
The inside was dark and smokey. Along the wall were the regiment crests of nearly every single unit in the British Army. Some were of regiments that no longer existed, some were regiments from other nation’s armies and above the bar in pride of place were the regiment crests of the SAS and the Parachute Regiment.
Everyone gathered at the bar and after a few frantic minutes, were mingling with each other with large glasses of strong German beer each.
Harry spent some time socialising with the Muggle SAS members before the crowd was quieted by Perry climbing on to a table. He tapped his glass with something metal in his hand as he prepared to make a speech.
“Gentlemen! Fucking outstanding work today, from everyone.” The soldiers in the bar cheered in response to Perry’s words.
“Especially to our new guy, Harry Potter!” Perry toasted him with a raised glass.
This was a signal to the rest of the men in the bar to hold Harry still as everyone pulled out a small bottle of brown sauce and tipped the contents all over him. Harry tried to struggle but it was futile, the brown condiment dripped down his neck and into his clothes. Once the torrent of sauce had stopped, Harry cleared his eyes and was met by Perry stood right in front of him.
Perry extended his hand and when Harry took it, he felt a small metal object being pressed into his palm. “Welcome to Whiskey Squadron, Sauce”
Harry looked at the object in his hand, it was a small badge almost identical to the Badge of the SAS, except the winged dagger was replaced with a winged wand. The motto read “Where Good Men Stand Ready”
Harry’s chest swelled with pride, even when Perry poured his own bottle of brown sauce over Harry’s head. He wondered what the significance of being covered in the stuff was until he saw several empty bottles on a table. The label read “HP Sauce”.
The rest of the night blended into a haze of drinking, celebrating and being congratulated on a successful operation. Harry couldn’t remember how or when he managed to get back to the UK, but he woke up in his bed at Grimmauld Place.
He staggered down the stairs before being nearly swept off his feet in a crushing hug from his wife.
“I missed you” she mumbled into his chest as his arms wrapped around her.
“I missed you too Gin” he replied “how did I get back here?”
“Your boss dropped you off last night. He said his name was Perry, or something like that. You were both incredibly drunk, and for some reason you were covered in dried brown sauce”
Harry sheepishly grinned at the vague memory of the celebrations in Berlin a few hours before.
“Where have you been for the past week?” Ginny asked, a look of genuine worry on her face that made Harry feel terrible.
“You know I cant tell anyone, not even you love” he almost whispered, kissing the top of her head.
Harry noticed the TV was on and rolling footage of the SAS raid in Berlin was all over the news.
Ginny noticed where he was looking and she didn’t even try to hide the fact she had been glued to the news ever since Harry left.
“Was that you?” She asked quietly.
“I am not at liberty to discuss what I did in Berlin” Harry said, his emphasis on the words ‘In Berlin’ answered Ginny’s question.
Ginny hugged him tighter “did you get them all?” She asked, almost afraid of the answer.
“Fucking right we did!” Harry said proudly.