Chapter II –Rebels’ Strike–
Chapter II
–Rebels’ Strike–
Monday, 7 February 2000
HP’s POV
Harry arrived the kindergarten with a crying Teddy. The teacher took the boy puzzled.
“Night terrors.” Harry offered as he massaged his own eyes.
The teacher nodded and lullabied Teddy.
“His Gran?”
“Monday. Day everyone remembers to get sick.”
Teddy started to relax and finally set his head in the woman’s shoulder, making Harry’s mouth fell down.
“Next time you can come to us. You have a fulltime timeline contract.”
Harry smiled thankfully and she entered with his precious burden. He hurried to the cafeteria and set up two coffees before entering the lift to descend to the last floor. Minister was inside the lift when he entered, He accepted his own cup and looked at Harry apprehensively.
“Trouble sleeping?”
“Teddy.” Harry argued. “It won’t happen again.”
Minister showed his cup.
“You showed up on time and prepared both our drinks perfectly. So far I see I have no reasons to argue.”
Harry blushed and they left the lift, walking to the office.
“This morning you start with a meeting with the rebels’ representative.” Minister groaned at the reminder against his cup. “Your idea, Sire.”
“I haven’t forgotten.” Minister argued almost petulantly.
Harry smiled amused and finished his coffee before throwing his disposable cup to the garbage. He picked his agenda and looked through everything needed to be done that morning.
“Please duck, Sire.” Minister ducked and a hex missed his head. “These attacks are becoming too obvious.”
Harry pinned the man to the wall and gave Minister the attacker’s wand.
“Even with little sleep you are still able to stop them.” Minister argued before the Aurors stormed in. “It’s the fifth this month alone. What kind of job are you doing that even when I have a meeting with Rebels to reach an agreement, I’m still attacked by Rebels?”
The Aurors stuttered and took the attacker from Harry’s hold.
“We’ll enlarge security.” They argued.
Minister huffed and resumed the road to his office.
“Harry!” He called and Harry shared a look with the amused Aurors at Harry being called like a dog, before he hurried to follow the Minister. “How did he bypass security?” He added quieter.
Harry glanced backwards towards the black Auror among the others.
“There’s Rebels among the Aurors.” He eventually agreed.
Minister hummed but didn’t demand to know who it was. Harry knew it was just a question of time.
–MoMsL–
Friday, 31 March 2000
Harry was having the Minister sign the last scrolls before the end of the day. It was just a couple more and several people would be able to get their jobs improved. Rebels could say whatever but Minister cared for every single person… maybe not the Muggles but that was the point: Segregation.
Then they both heard the lift’s doors, followed by running. Minister looked up at Harry, who approached the office’s door and opened it.
“Rebel?” Minister asked.
“Mediwizard.” Harry argued confused.
“That can’t be a good sign… if an attack happened get ready for extra hours this weekend.”
“I’ll send a Patronus towards Andromeda if that is the case.” Harry agreed.
He let the Mediwizard in, who arrived out of breath.
“My apologies, Minister, but the rebellion attacked the hospital.”
Minister stood, pulling his outing robe over himself with a nod.
“Any casualty?”
“Rebels don’t kill.” Harry argued. “They want the people’s approval.”
“One confirmed casualty.” The Mediwizard agreed and Harry raised his hands in surrender, what made the Minister have trouble hiding his smile. “Healer Tonks.”
Harry froze.
“You certain?” Minister asked and Harry saw the Mediwizard nod. “Leave the office for five minutes.”
“My Lord?”
“I need to get ready!”
The Mediwizard stuttered and left, closing the door after himself. Then two hands were set on Harry’s neck on each side of his face. Harry gasped as his magic was forced under control.
“My apologies, Sir.”
“It wasn’t a random attack.” Minister agreed with a sneer. “It’s too much of a coincidence that your own relative would be the rebels’ first official casualty in a decade after three months of you starting to work for me.” Harry’s eyes watered. “I’m giving you time off.” Harry opened his mouth to argue. “I won’t hear it! You can barely focus on me. You aren’t capable of being neutral right now.”
Harry nodded sadly.
“Yes, Sir.”
“Are you capable of sending your Patronus?” Harry focused on his magic and then hummed affirmatively. “Tell the Lestranges to meet me in the atrium.”
Harry was released and, while Minister got everything ready, he sent a speaking Corporeal Patronus to the Lestranges brothers and Bellatrix.
{Attack at St Mungo’s Hospital. Minister wants you at the atrium immediately.}
They left the office and entered the lift with the Mediwizard, Harry forcing his magic to stay under control. They arrived the atrium to find the three Lestranges by the lifts.
“Harry, go to your child.” Minister ordered and Harry blushed when the others stared back confused. “Your twin sister was the only victim of the attack so far.” The Minister added towards Bellatrix.
Bellatrix sneered.
“Bring your child to the Malfoys. Cissy will help you watching over our sister Dromeda’s grandson.” She offered as she took her stance besides the Minister instead of Harry without needing prompting.
Harry nodded thankfully and re-entered the lift.
“Rabastan.” Minister said and the youngest Lestrange brother nodded and joined Harry in the lift, before it closed.
“I’m in control.” Harry argued embarrassed.
“For now. You think you can travel with a toddler, though?” Harry only blushed brighter. “Our Lord likes you. He normally wouldn’t care if you were capable or not. Only more reasons to fire you.”
Harry nodded as they left the lift. They walked to the kindergarten and Harry left Rabastan Lestrange explaining what happened, while he entered and picked up his boy. When they arrived Malfoy Manor Mrs Malfoy, Fenrir Greyback and an unknown woman were waiting for them. Rabastan nodded and apparated away, probably into the hospital. Greyback approached and picked Teddy from Harry to give him to the stranger, who entered with him. Then Greyback took hold of Harry’s neck.
“His magic is out of control. You may want to leave the room while I calm down Pup.”
Mrs Malfoy hummed and left the two alone.
“Wha…?”
“Domesticated Light Wolf or not, Remus was still my Cub.” Greyback explained. “Pack is always Pack. No matter what.”
Harry opened and closed his mouth several times.
“I’m not taught in Werewolf Idiomlogy. Or Lordship / Inheritance for that matter.”
“What has Cub Remus taught you?”
“That you turned him against his will around his six-year-old and so are his Sire…”
Greyback growled low on his chest.
“I shouldn’t have allowed Lupin to steal my cub.” Harry frowned confused. “Did Cub Remus tell you that Lyall Lupin was a Non-Human Hunter?”
Harry choked up in a mixture of gasp and hiccup as he cried.
“I didn’t… he named me godfather but we were never close. Even though he used to be my parents’ friend… he was my Professor for a year so I always called him by surname.”
“By a Hunter’s surname I gather.” Harry somehow felt himself blush as he cried for so many people’s deaths. “You were Pack, that’s why he gave you the rights over his son.”
Greyback leaned his head forward and set his forehead against Harry’s. Harry closed his eyes and let himself be forced under control by the Werewolf.
–MoMsL–
Monday, 3 April 2000
Harry woke up to the sound of Teddy babbling words in an almost conversation. Just as he was about to move for his glasses, someone else spoke back. Harry froze, recognizing his boss’s voice immediately.
“Thank you, Edward.”
Teddy babbled again and Harry just knew he was smiling widely. Harry’s eyes watered and he forced himself to move and seek his glasses. Then he was being offered them. Harry accepted and put them on. Minister was sitting on a chair before the bed Harry was laying on, a paper in his hand that Harry could see had Teddy’s drawings on it. Had his godson just offered the Minister of Magic (known for hating everything Muggle) muggle papers?
“Awy.”
“Hey, Kiddo.”
Harry sat up only to blush at realizing that he was chest naked. He peeked under the covers to make sure he wasn’t completely naked. Only then he stood and put on the clothes left for him over the bedside table opposite the Minister’s side of the bed.
“How do you feel?”
Harry looked back at the man uncertain, as he changed trousers under the robe. Minister was looking back with almost as much dark eyes as that time he had to make a magical fork…
“I’m capable for work, Sir. Greyback helped me get through the mental block I had raised.”
“That’s not what I asked.” Minister argued and stored something in his own pocket, before picking up the eager Teddy and standing.
“I’ll live.”
Minister hummed, accepting this answer more than the original. Harry finished changing and passed a quick brush through his hair, while ignoring the smirk in his boss since Harry’s genetic hairstyle was always something teased by the older.
“Ready?”
“Yes, Sir.”
Minister picked Harry’s agenda from his own pocket and gave it back. Harry accepted it and the two left the room, Teddy in the older’s arms.
“I added several meetings and press conferences.” Minister explained. “Neither of the others could understand what your notes were.”
Harry snorted.
“You are the one who said to keep it codified, Sir.”
Minister smiled, he actually smiled. It spoke more than if he had actually used words. People always said how cold and detached he was, how it was impossible to work for him… yet, Harry loved working for him.
Harry checked the marked page to realize he’d slept two days.
“I slept the whole weekend?”
“Next time you ask for time off, I’ll remind you how you would’ve spend it sleeping.” Minister agreed, making Teddy laugh.
Harry’s lips tilted upwards as he had trouble hiding his smile. They arrived the free-apparating room and Minister side-apparated them all to the atrium of the Ministry of Magic. Both bypassed the showing up journalists and walked to the lifts.
“Potter, how do you feel that of all the deaths it had to be your family?”
Minister set a hand on Harry’s shoulder and kept him walking, the other arm holding, a hiding his face in His chest, Teddy close. They entered the lift which was opened up for them by a group of Ministry workers and that let them enter alone.
“I’m sorry for that.” Minister whispered at Harry, who shook his head.
(TBC)