Shattered Images

Chapter 11

Chapter 11

Disclaimer: Harry Potter in no way belongs to me, no matter how much I wish it did.

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The room was dark, yet surprisingly comfortable. A couple dozen or so people stood within, waiting for the one who had called them there to arrive. They had been walking to the room in groups of one or two, not wanting to arouse suspicion, and now that they were all finally there, there was nothing to do but wait.

The door suddenly opened and shut in quick succession, and the room was flooded in light from Harry's spell. He had come last so that the aurors wouldn't be around for everyone else's arrival, and now finally the meeting could begin.

Harry scanned the room, putting faces to names as he did so. Pansy and Millicent sat opposite Flora and Hestia Carrow, apparently murmuring quietly amongst themselves. The five Slytherin boys in Harry's year were nearest them, staring expectantly at Harry, much like the rest of the Slytherins in the room – about 7 students from different years, if Harry was correct.

Finally, the eight remaining students sprinkled throughout the room looked vaguely nervous as the observed their leader. There were five from Ravenclaw, two from Hufflepuff, and one seventh year Gryffindor.

Harry finished his scan and spoke softly, but with great authority, "You are all here because of your or your family's allegiance to the dark. You were deemed trustworthy and useful to my cause here, and I expect each of you to fulfill your duties without fault.

"I, of course, am not naïve enough to simply take you at your word for your loyalty, and so I have prepared an... insurance measure, if you will." Everyone in the room looked up at those words, wondering what that could be.

Harry responded by pulling the vials from his pocket, and laying them out on the table before him, "Each of you will take this loyalty potion, which will ensure that you cannot betray me or my cause, under threat of being stripped of your magic.

"If you refuse to take it, you will be obliviated of this interaction, and be permanently labeled as an enemy of the cause.

"Now, who's first?" Harry held up a vial and smiled.

One by one, every student in the room went up to take the potion, then swear an oath to seal the effects. The Hufflepuffs went last, and once the final girl had downed the shimmering liquid, Harry stowed the remaining two vials back into his pocket.

"Now," He said, once again addressing the room, "You have been determined to be the most loyal in the school to the cause. There are, of course, others who will be aiding us, but you are to be the most vital. You all have unique and important roles to play in this mission. We need to find out all we can on the most secret and inner workings of the Order of the Phoenix.

"In order to do this, we must not only spy on Dumbledore and other Order members, but also get into their offices to gather physical information and find a way to observe meetings. And, of course, we must never get caught. One slipup will mean not only the demise of the mission, but also that of the person responsible.

"Are we clear?" Harry made eye contact with each person in the room one by one, internally smirking as some of the more skittish shied away a bit.

Everyone nodded, putting on a determined face, ready to serve the cause they had now firmly committed themselves to.

"Excellent. Theo?" Harry gestured to his Slytherin counterpart.

The hazel-haired boy immediately began magically projecting their maps and plans onto the far wall. The whole room turned their attention to the first document – an outline emblazoned with the title Mission 1: Weaken Auror Surveillance.