Harry Potter and the Wrath of the Fallen

Chapter 26: Winter's End

The snow was still falling regularly as the end of February approached, and Harry and Ginny had settled back into an enjoyable routine of teaching, studying, and spending time with each other.

As Ginny had predicted, school life had returned to normal within days of their return to Hogwarts, but Harry had noticed a marked change in the attitude of the older Slytherin students. A few of the Slytherin students, including Klein, had taken Minerva McGonagall's advice and had left the school since the start of term feast, while most of the others had adopted a resigned demeanour, finally accepting that the war was over and that it was time to move on. Only a couple of students still bothered even glaring in Harry's direction, but none were game to make any further trouble for him.

In the Great Hall at Hogwarts, Harry was again the major topic of conversation, but to Harry's relief, it was not because he had been attacked this time. Copies of the Quibbler were far more prevalent than usual, as Harry's interview with the paper was contained within. The interview had been conducted a week ago in Hogsmeade, Harry having used George's flat above the Weasley's Wizard Wheezes shop to give the interview, as it provided the most privacy without actually bringing a reporter into Hogwarts castle.

The interview itself had been a rambling and haphazard affair, with the Quibbler reporter, Ebony, swinging between breathless awe at finding herself in Harry's presence, and random whimsical observations as she took note of the objects scattered throughout George and Verity's flat, the young reporter again reminding Harry of Luna Lovegood. Somewhere in the middle of all the surreal moments, a series of very pointed questions had been asked and answered.

While the interview was originally supposed to be about the year Harry had spent on the road with Ron and Hermione, Ebony had suggested that everybody already knew all about what Harry had been doing during the war, and she would prefer to cover his experiences since his return to Hogwarts.

They had discussed his success after sitting the N.E.W.T. exams early, and his enjoyment of teaching, particularly the pride he felt for his students after their great results in the first year exam. Harry had also spoken at length about his student's role in the King's Cross attack, and his gratitude for what they had done that day.

Ebony had used that opening to ask Harry about the attacks which had occurred over the holidays. Harry had spoken of his regret at the outcome of the King's Cross attack; both for the victims and for the two deaths he had caused.

As for the attack on the Burrow, Harry omitted the details of Draco Malfoy's actions, as he suspected Lucius and Draco were keeping themselves informed of developments within the magical world by reading the papers.

Instead, he had deliberately used Lucius Malfoy's name in full at every opportunity, as he talked about the frustration he felt at the lack of progress being made in the ongoing search for Lucius and his followers. Harry had also spoken vehemently of the help he was willing to offer to anybody who assisted him in bringing about an end to the ongoing situation.

As Harry had talked with Ebony, the time had passed by quickly, and Harry had become hungry enough that he had summoned Kreacher and asked him to bring some food for both himself and the reporter.

Ebony had been fascinated by the house-elf, and had listened in wonder as Harry had told her about inviting Kreacher to Christmas dinner. As Harry had talked about how Kreacher had formerly belonged to the Black family, a rather bold idea had occurred to him.

It was this idea that now found Harry preparing for a meeting with Arthur Weasley and Kingsley Shacklebolt in Minerva McGonagall's office. He had already discussed his idea with Ron, Hermione, and Ginny, as he had some misgivings about it, but they had all encouraged him to talk to Kingsley about it. After all, it had worked for them before.

                                                               *

 

Draco Malfoy was a worried young man. He sat on the floor of the warehouse and read the Quibbler article with mild interest, silently thanking Harry Potter for having the good sense not to mention his actions at the Burrow.

He sympathised with Potter's frustration, as he found himself reaching the end of his patience with his father; but unfortunately the situation had become far more complicated since they had made their escape from the Burrow following the failed attack.

To Draco's dismay, news of the attack had actually drawn several more of the less than reputable members of the magical community to Lucius, instead of discouraging others as Draco had predicted. Apparently some people were impressed that Lucius had even tried to attack Potter and the Weasleys.

Draco had watched with a growing sense of despair as his father's mood had improved and his zealous desire for revenge had been reinvigorated by the arrival of these new supporters. These new followers were mostly people who had lived on the fringes of the magical community, but now found their livelihoods had been taken from them as the Ministry cracked down on all those who dealt in the so called dark arts.

Now Draco found himself listening as his father proposed a series of plans, each more elaborate and ludicrous than the previous one. He had begun to regret his decision to stay with his father and try to reason with him. His father now treated him with barely concealed contempt, and he had begun to realise his father was lost to him.

All Draco could do now was watch and wait for an opportunity to get another message to the Ministry officials, warning them of the increased size of the group they now faced; but as they hadn't moved from the warehouse yet, he had been unable to leave a message burned into the floor again.

                                                               *

 

"That's an intriguing idea, Harry," said Kingsley, as he shared looks with Minerva, Arthur, and Gawain, as they sat by the fireplace in Minerva's office at Hogwarts.

Gawain looked at Harry with a raised eyebrow. "Do you think it could work?"

Harry shrugged his shoulders. "I don't see why not. Kreacher was able to track down Mundungus Fletcher for us when we were hunting for Horcruxes, and Mundungus was very good at staying hidden. Kreacher may be able to find the Malfoys for us as well."

Harry swallowed as he felt his anxiety increase. He had just proposed that he have Kreacher try and locate the Malfoys, but a few doubts still nagged at him at the back of his mind. Arthur was watching Harry carefully, and he could see the doubt in his eyes.

"Harry, son, are you sure about this?" asked Arthur.

Harry sighed heavily. "Mostly," said Harry. "I'm not very comfortable asking Kreacher to do something that might put him in danger."

The idea of using Kreacher to try and locate the Malfoys had occurred to Harry while he was in the middle of giving the Quibbler an interview. At first it had seemed like the perfect solution, but as Harry had thought through the possible ramifications of his idea, it had started to become a far riskier proposition than he had originally envisaged.

Beyond his worry about the danger involved, Harry had also had his concerns about sending the house-elf anywhere near people who were related to the Black family. Harry knew it was probably a baseless concern, but he could feel the doubt niggling at him as he thought of how Kreacher had betrayed Sirius. Of course, Kreacher was no longer recognisable as the same miserable soul that had been so badly mistreated by the Black family for years, but Harry was all too aware that Kreacher could certainly stretch his orders to breaking point.

Eventually Harry had dismissed his concerns about Kreacher's loyalty, as the little elf had only really ignored his orders recently so he could save Harry from dying on the floor of a bathroom within the Grimmauld Place house. Harry was confident that Kreacher would not be lured back to the Black family.

"I won't ask Kreacher to do anything more than locate the Malfoys," said Harry seriously. "He has already suffered enough at the hands of wizards."

"Of course," said Kingsley. "We understand your position, Harry. Personally, I think it's an idea that is too good to ignore. We have been achieving precious little up till now with our search for Lucius, so I would be grateful for any chance at finally resolving this problem."

While Gawain and Minerva readily agreed with Kingsley's position, Arthur remained silent as he looked thoughtfully into the brightly burning flames within the fireplace. Harry watched Arthur with interest. This was the side of Arthur which was reserved for his work, and Harry had rarely seen it before. The man he had always thought of as fun loving and eccentric when they had spent time together at the Burrow, became serious and introspective as he turned his thoughts over in his head.

Arthur looked up from the fire. "If Kreacher really could locate the Malfoys, perhaps he can also be of further assistance."

Arthur continued quickly as he saw Harry's eyes narrow.

"We are still trying to locate the mole within the Ministry. If the mole is contacting Lucius directly, Kreacher may be in a position to identify the mole for us."

Harry wasn't sure he liked this idea, or saw the need for it. "Why can't someone else watch for the mole once Kreacher has located the Malfoys?"

"Because Lucius is using a set of wards and charms to conceal his location from us," explained Arthur. "He may also have alarms in place to alert him to the presence of other magical people. Kreacher however, is not affected by wards like we are, so he could remain undiscovered until the mole reveals himself."

Harry knew that what Arthur was suggesting made sense, but he could already feel the guilt building as he contemplated asking Kreacher to spend who knew how long waiting outside in the cold for somebody who may or may not show up.

"I'll have to think about that, Arthur," said Harry guardedly. "Maybe we should just see if Kreacher will be able to find the Malfoys first?"

Gawain nodded. "Then I suggest we get started," his enthusiasm obvious.

"Alright," said Kingsley. "Harry, whenever you're ready, go ahead and set the task for Kreacher. Just remember, it is imperative that Kreacher is not detected."

Harry nodded his understanding. "I will set the task for him tonight," Harry informed the group, "but don't expect immediate results. It took Kreacher three days to track down Mundungus."

Harry saw the looks on the faces of the people around him fall a little as they contemplated the nervous wait they would now have to endure. Harry took a deep breath before he spoke again.

"There is one more thing. I will be asking Kreacher to return to me once a day just to check in; and to make sure he has one decent meal each day," said Harry, hoping the others would understand his position. "I know it may mean dragging his task out for longer than you all had hoped, but I want to try and minimise any discomfort that Kreacher may suffer."

To Harry's surprise, the others in the office were regarding him with smiles on their faces.

"Of course, Harry," said Kingsley. "Do whatever you think is best for Kreacher."

Harry breathed a sigh of relief. "Thank you for understanding"

With that the meeting came to an end. Kingsley returned to the Ministry, while Gawain headed to the Great Hall with Arthur, who was going to take the opportunity to catch up with Ron and Ginny while he was here. As Harry started to follow Arthur and Gawain, Minerva asked him if he could spare a minute to have a few words with her.

As the office door shut behind Arthur and Gawain, Harry resumed his seat across from Minerva by the fireplace. As he looked at his Headmistress, Harry was startled to see an apprehensive expression on her face.

"Is everything alright?" asked Harry quickly.

Minerva fixed Harry with a piercing stare. "I was going to ask you the same question, Harry. I read your interview in the Quibbler today, and I just wanted to see how you were feeling, as you did have a fair bit to say about the deaths of Pansy and the snatcher."

Harry felt a stab of guilt run through him as Minerva referred to the second person he had killed as 'the snatcher'. To Harry's continuing unease, the Ministry had not been able to identify the man he had killed, and to date; nobody had come forward to claim the body.

As Harry's mind swam with his regret and guilt, he realised Minerva was looking intently at him as he had failed to respond to her. He brought his thoughts back to the present as he shrugged his shoulders.

"I'm okay. I still wish I hadn't caused those deaths, and sometimes I have nightmares about the attack, but it's getting easier to deal with as time goes by."

Minerva gave Harry a look of sympathy. "You should make sure you don't let it get on top of you, Harry. Talking to someone about your feelings will help," advised Minerva.

"I talk to Ginny and Ron," said Harry, almost defensively.

"I know, Harry, but they do not understand the nature of what you are going through," said Minerva softly. "Perhaps you should consider talking to Gawain or Kingsley about it. They have both dealt with the same issues you now find yourself dealing with."

Harry lowered his head, starting to become uncomfortable with this conversation.

"Really, I'm okay, Minerva," said Harry weakly, his eyes fixed on the floor.

Minerva eyed Harry warily, unconvinced by his claim, but she let the matter drop as she didn't wish to upset him.

"Very well," replied Minerva. "Just remember you don't have to do this alone."

Harry nodded as he made to stand up.

"Just before you go, Harry, I thought you might be interested to see something," said Minerva, brightening up considerably as she stood and made her way to her desk.

Harry's curiosity got the better of him as he watched Minerva extract a long piece of parchment from her desk and held it out for him. Harry took the parchment and scanned it quickly, seeing a list of names and signatures running down the parchment.

"What's this," asked Harry.

Minerva gave Harry a sly smile. "That, Harry, is another petition by students to be taught by Dumbledore's Army. This time, the petition was sent in by the third year students."

Harry grinned as he tried to hide his embarrassment. "Sorry."

Minerva laughed. "You have nothing to be sorry for, although my other Professors are starting to display signs of having ruffled feathers."

Harry didn't know what to say to that as Minerva peered at him.

"Harry," she asked, her tone becoming serious again, "have you ever considered a career in teaching?"

Harry focussed on Minerva, trying to see if she was joking. Once it became evident that she was serious, Harry felt a little anxious.

"Um... no, I haven't," stammered Harry.

 "Well, you might want to think about it. I believe you would be an exceptional teacher," said Minerva cheerfully.

Harry grinned at his Headmistress. "I think Gawain and Kingsley might have something to say about that," warned Harry.

"Oh, don't worry about what other people want, Harry," advised Minerva. "You must do what is best for you."

Harry suddenly felt nervous as his mind raced. "I still want to be an Auror, Minerva."

"I understand, Harry. It's just something to keep in mind."

With that, Harry thanked Minerva for letting him use her office for the meeting, before he said his goodbyes and made his way down to the Great Hall to meet Arthur, Ginny, and Ron; his thoughts a complicated mess as the idea of teaching settled in the back of his mind.

                                                               *

 

Meanwhile, in the Headmistresses office, Minerva was smiling broadly as the portraits of Dumbledore and Snape both regarded her with wildly varying expressions.

Severus Snape's portrait was indignant at the very idea of Harry Potter becoming a teacher of a standard class.

"He is too young, and highly prone to overreaction," protested Snape. "Previously he has only taught a foolhardy group of teenagers; and now he instructs a very small group of children, of which he is only one of six teachers if I understand the arrangement correctly."

"He is the primary teacher for the muggle born class," replied Minerva patiently, trying not to smirk as Severus Snape glared out at her from his frame on the wall. "He has also produced some astonishing results, and I see no reason to deprive other children of his talents if he were to choose a career in teaching."

A serenely smiling Albus Dumbledore was listening to the conversation with mild amusement.

"Ah, but Severus, surely you do not still bare your grudge towards Harry now?" enquired Dumbledore.

"This is not personal, Albus," said Snape loftily. "I won't deny that Potter has achieved remarkable things, although I must point out that those remarkable acts were rarely carried out alone. He has been very fortunate in his selection of friends."

"Some might suggest that ability is an exemplary skill in itself. If only we could all be as fortunate in our choice of friends as Harry is," said Dumbledore, his blue eyes twinkling as he grinned at Minerva and Severus.

"Preposterous," snorted Severus. "His arrogance will only be encouraged further if you start to flatter his ego with thoughts of teaching, Minerva. Potter lacks the maturity to deal with children who are, after all, not much younger than he is. He may do well with a small group, but a full size class would be beyond him."

Dumbledore rubbed his chin and brushed away a few threads of long white hair which appeared to be tickling his face.

"As a matter of interest, Minerva, why did you ask Harry if he had considered becoming a teacher?" asked Dumbledore.

Minerva sighed as she looked at both portraits of her former colleagues. "Because I believe Harry would be an excellent teacher, of course."

Dumbledore held Minerva's gaze, until she realised he was waiting for a more substantial answer.

She sighed deeply again. "Harry has been so focussed on the Dark Arts for his whole life, and now he is determined to continue that pattern as he joins the Aurors. I was hoping I could show Harry that a future away from the dark and violent world he has grown up in was a real possibility."

Minerva continued as she began pacing between the two portraits. "Aside from becoming an Auror, teaching is the one thing I have seen him show a real passion for. He has a natural flare for it, particularly with the younger students, and I believe he would be an exceptional role model for the next generation."

"I know I will probably be hexed by Gawain Robards and Kingsley for planting the idea in Harry's mind, but I wanted him to know that a peaceful life was always an option; not that Harry would consider Hogwarts the most peaceful place he has known, of course."

Dumbledore chuckled softly as he listened, and Minerva couldn't help but notice that even Snape smiled at her observation. Minerva stopped pacing and drew herself up to her full height.

"Others could protect the world if Harry decided to do something else with his life; something else that I believe would be just as beneficial to the community as catching Death Eaters."

As Minerva finished talking she brought her eyes up to meet Dumbledore's, a look of defiance on her face. To her surprise, it was Snape that spoke first.

"Very well," said Snape resignedly. "Just make sure you know what you're doing?"

Minerva smiled as Snape began to mutter under his breath. She turned back to find Dumbledore peering at her.

"I know I have said this before, Minerva, but I think it bears repeating," said Dumbledore, a smile playing upon his lips. "You are certainly a worthy successor to this office."

                                                               *

 

Harry sat on the edge of his bed, Ginny by his side, as he carefully regarded the wide eyed little house-elf standing before him.

"Do you understand, Kreacher?" asked Harry nervously.

"Yes, Master," replied Kreacher, even though a look of disbelief was etched on his face. "But it is not necessary."

Harry sighed. "I know, my friend, but I would feel a lot better knowing you are returning to Hogwarts once a day and having at least one hot meal."

Beside Harry, Ginny was struggling not to let her amusement at Harry's current predicament show. She had sat quietly and let Harry explain, in sombre tones, the task he wanted Kreacher to perform, his voice heavy with regret as he did so.

Ginny has watched as Kreacher puffed out his little chest and declared that he would be honoured to help Harry locate Lucius and Draco Malfoy. Worry had filled Ginny's mind as she saw the look of pride on Kreacher's grizzled old face turn to one of malice. She found herself contemplating whether or not Kreacher realised just how much he had been abused by his previous owners, now that he was treated so kindly by Harry. To Ginny it appeared that Kreacher could see revenge as a possible outcome of his task.

Meanwhile, Harry had carefully explained the task to Kreacher, hoping he had closed any loopholes in his instructions which may allow Kreacher to act of his own volition. While Harry had initially worried about Kreacher's loyalty, he instead found himself trying to make sure the house-elf didn't take matters into his own hands when it came to handing out punishment to the Malfoys.

Eventually Kreacher had acknowledged Harry's instructions, promising he would locate but not contact the Malfoys, and now he also agreed to return to Hogwarts once a day.

Harry breathed a sigh of relief. "Thank you, Kreacher. We really appreciate your help."

Kreacher gave Harry and Ginny a low bow, his bat-like ears touching the stone floor. When he brought his head back up there was a large smile on his face.

"You're welcome, Master. I will set off immediately," croaked Kreacher, holding up his hand in preparation to snap his fingers and disappear.

Before the house-elf disappeared, Ginny interrupted him as she spoke rapidly.

"Why don't you have dinner with us before you go, Kreacher?"

Kreacher had frozen in place as he stared at Ginny. "I must perform my task, Mistress."

Harry quickly intervened. "I think your task can commence in the morning, Kreacher. How about you join us for dinner in the Great Hall, and then have a good night's sleep before you set out to find the Malfoys?"

Harry and Ginny both watched the little house-elf nervously as they awaited a response. All three of them were still trying to adjust to the complications of treating a house-elf with respect. Harry vowed to himself that once the search for the Malfoys was over, he would try and find a way to grant Kreacher his freedom, without the house-elf feeling like he had been abandoned.

Finally Kreacher beamed at Harry and Ginny. "Can I have ice-cream?"

Harry and Ginny both laughed as they stood from the bed.

"You can have anything you want," said Harry, his laughter fading as a potential problem occurred to him.

"Kreacher, how will the other house-elves in the castle react if they find out you were eating in the Great Hall?"

Kreacher shrugged before he started scratching his bald head with a long finger. "I do not know, Master," said Kreacher apologetically.

Ginny took Harry's hand. "If they have a problem with it, then we will just have to ask all the house-elves to join us."

Harry grinned at the thought of a hundred house-elves suddenly appearing in the Great Hall for dinner.

"Let's go and find out," said Harry, as he made his way to the door.

                                                               *

 

Draco Malfoy was trying to find out just how committed his father's new followers truly were. It was one thing to talk about revenge when you could remain safely anonymous, but another thing entirely when it came to taking real action.

Lucius's new supporters seemed reluctant to discuss their personal motivations with Draco, and he found himself flying blind as he tried to evaluate just how big a threat the Ministry now faced.

For starters, the numbers that had flocked to Lucius were genuinely startling to Draco. They were back to their original strength of ten, and this particular group of disgruntled malcontents were definitely a huge leap forward for his father as far as intelligence went. Draco doubted they would have the ruthlessness to attack children, as Goyle and Crabbe had done, but he was beginning to fear just what sort of damage they could inflict if they put the appropriate amount of effort into drawing up a realistic plan.

Draco sighed as he shook his head. If nothing else, their new group of companions had been able to provide decent food while they all waited for Lucius to announce his intentions. Draco just hoped it would be soon, or he really would have to take matters into his own hands; a prospect that terrified him beyond even the threat of Azkaban.

                                                               *

 

The crowd babbled excitedly as they watched the scene before them. Kreacher was devouring ice-cream so fast he appeared to be inhaling it, while Harry had buried his head in his hands in embarrassment as he sat beside the house-elf.

The constant slurping and happy humming of Kreacher had Ginny holding her sides as she fought to keep herself under control, while Harry's students had long ago abandoned any attempt at politeness in favour of raucous laughter.

Vicky and Mary sat opposite Kreacher as they also shared a bowl of ice-cream between them, while they chatted to Kreacher, asking him all manner of questions about house-elves, particularly about female house-elves.

When Vicky had asked Kreacher if he had a girlfriend, Harry had almost choked on his dinner, and he could have sworn he had seen Kreacher blush as the little house-elf lowered his gaze back to his large bowl of ice-cream.

As Harry tried to pretend he had not heard the question posed by Vicky, Ginny had nudged him in the ribs. Harry raised his eyes to look into the red face of Ginny. She pointed over his shoulder in the direction of the staff table.

"Do you think Minerva looks upset?" asked Ginny, her voice on the verge of laughter.

Harry had turned and looked at the Professor's faces arrayed along the staff table who were now watching him with interest. Despite the bushy beard, Harry could see that Hagrid was beaming at him, but it was Minerva McGonagall's face which Harry sought.

Minerva was regarding Harry without any outward sign of annoyance, but her impassive face was troubling Harry. He tried to give Minerva a small smile as he cocked his head to one side, hoping that Minerva could sense his apology through his look.

Harry had known Kreacher would attract attention if he ate in the Great Hall, so he and Ginny had purposefully sat at the back corner of the Gryffindor table, trying to shield Kreacher from view so as not to create a scene. In this endeavour, they had failed spectacularly.

The moment Ron had entered the hall with Hermione, their secret was out. Hermione had gasped and clutched at her chest, before she practically shouted Harry's name. The nearest students had turned in their direction to see what the commotion was all about, only to discover a house-elf sitting in their midst enjoying a plate full of food so big that it didn't look like it could all fit inside the little elf.

After that, Harry and Ginny had received a steady stream of visitors as they ate, all coming up with one false pretence or another as a reason they urgently needed to see Harry or Ginny. They had all stared at Kreacher in varying degrees of wonder, most of them never having seen a house-elf up close before.

That had changed when Harry's students had arrived, who made no attempt to conceal their curiosity. So now his students talked to Kreacher, who seemed pleased to discuss almost anything; while Harry looked for any sign either way of Minerva's feelings regarding his actions.

Finally Minerva's lips had twitched and curled into a smile she tried to hide, and Harry felt the relief run through him. He turned back to Ginny.

"Perhaps we should wrap this up before we push our luck too far," whispered Harry in Ginny's ear.

Ginny nodded while she giggled at the sight of Kreacher talking so animatedly with Vicky and Mary.

"That's probably a good idea," said Ginny, standing from the table. "Kreacher, it's time to go. Say goodnight now, kids."

Kreacher hopped down from his chair and bowed to each of the children, smiling as the children returned his gesture with bows of their own. Their goodnights complete, Harry, Ginny, and Kreacher made their way from the Great Hall and back to their quarters.

Once back inside their room Kreacher addressed Harry and Ginny.

"Thank you for the meal, Master and Mistress," croaked the house-elf. "I will now begin my task."

"Kreacher, you don't have to start until tomorrow," protested Harry.

"Yes, Master, Kreacher understands, but I will begin now. I will return each evening, only appearing before you, Master."

Harry nodded his agreement as he felt his throat burn and tears well in his eyes.

"Promise me you will be careful, Kreacher. Don't let anything happen to you," said Harry, a pleading note in his voice.

"I will be very careful, Master. Farewell," said Kreacher, before snapping his fingers and disappearing, leaving Harry with a strange sense of loneliness.

                                                               *

 

As Harry and Ginny had flouted a thousand years of tradition at Hogwarts by taking a non-human magical creature to dinner; far to the south, on the outskirts of London, another member of the magical community was also taking great risks.

This person however, was not acting out of nobility and decency, but was instead looking to bring about Harry Potter's downfall.

The man scurried quickly through the poorly lit industrial area, keeping his face covered and constantly looking back over his shoulder, as if expecting to see somebody following him. The man's paranoia was not without good cause.

This man had given Lucius Malfoy the secrets surrounding the security protecting the Burrow, and now he intended to aide his old benefactor one last time; not that he had been able to acquire any useful information to this point.

Over the last several weeks he thought he had spotted the same person following him around, and he knew he was probably being watched as he was one of the people who had known the security arrangements of the Burrow. The Ministry obviously knew somebody from the inside had been involved in the attack on the Weasley family home, and it was only natural that he would now be a suspect.

Just how much of a suspect he was at the moment, was an issue that was starting to get the better of his nerves. He glanced over his shoulder again as he dashed through the light being thrown by the grimy street light above. He looked back down the street and thought he saw movement. He pressed his back against a brick wall in the darkest area of the street he could find, as he peered back in the direction he had come from.

Finally, seeing no signs of movement in the distance, the man breathed out again. As he regained his composure, he told himself it was probably just the eerie shadows being created by the street lights that had caught his eye, causing his moment of panic. He continued to make his way towards his rendezvous with Lucius, starting to wonder if the time had now come to abandon his double life and make his stand with the Malfoys.

                                                               *

 

John Dawlish was a very experienced Auror, which was why he was now chastising himself as he crouched down behind a large metal waste bin in a dark alley, hoping he had not been spotted by the man he was following tonight; a man who just so happened to be walking through a deserted industrial area when he had no obvious reason for doing so.

Dawlish sighed inwardly as he stood up and prepared to move again. His boss, Gawain Robards, had seconded him out to assist Arthur Weasley's team try and identify the suspected mole within the Ministry, and after weeks of tailing clearly innocent workers, this was the first time he had seen anything even remotely suspicious.

He peered around the corner, scanning the darkened street. His heart began to race as he could no longer spot the man he had been following. He eyes darted frantically as he tried to see through the gloom. Just before he was about to begin swearing at himself, a far distant movement caught his eye. The suspect was on the move.

                                                               *

 

Harry and Ginny lay curled up together on the sofa in front of the fire. Harry was feeling miserable as he thought of the cold night he had sent Kreacher out into, while Ginny was silently hoping that Kreacher would reappear with good news any minute now. She knew it was unlikely, but she could almost see an end to the threat Harry and her family faced, and she wanted it to be over as quickly as possible.

While Harry expected Kreacher's task to take days, if not longer, Ginny was still unable to fully relax as they began their long wait. Ginny looked up at Harry and could see the concern on his face.

"He'll be alright," she said reassuringly.

Harry bit on his bottom lip as he continued to stare at the flames. "I hope so," he said finally.

Ginny stood from the sofa, holding her hand out towards Harry. "Come on, let's go for a walk," suggested Ginny. "I can't sit around here just waiting all night."

Harry gave Ginny a small smile as he took her hand and stood up. Together they made their way out of their room. As they walked along the corridors of Hogwarts, Ginny had startled Harry as she grabbed hold of his arm and began speaking rapidly to him.

"I forgot to tell you, Dad was talking about the Burrow before you joined us earlier," said Ginny.

"What did he say?" asked Harry as he saw the light in Ginny's eyes.

"It's almost finished being rebuilt. Bill has been overseeing the last bits of work and he told Dad it would be ready within a week."

Harry grinned at the good news. "That's great, Gin."

As they continued walking, Harry listened to Ginny's happy banter as she talked about how much she was looking forward to seeing the Burrow again. At the same time, Harry was reminding himself to send an owl to Bill to make sure the extra work he had requested had been completed. Until tonight they had been communicating privately using Kreacher, but now that Kreacher was performing a much more important task, Harry didn't want to interrupt the house-elf. Instead, he would use Cyril.

                                                               *

 

Dawlish was now swearing under his breath. The man he had been following had disappeared without a trace, and Dawlish couldn't figure out how the man had done it.

He had trailed behind his suspect from a distance, and he had lost sight of the man when he had turned down a narrow alley to the left, about fifty metres ahead of him. Dawlish had rushed towards the alley's entrance as quickly as he dared, but as he cautiously peered around the corner and looked down the alley, he could see no sign of his target.

Dawlish was vexed by the mysterious disappearance, particularly because the alley was a dead end. The two walls which lined the alley were both over two stories high, and only one wall contained a door recessed into it. There had been no telltale 'pop' of apparation to announce his suspect's departure, so Dawlish surmised that the man was within the warehouse which bordered the alley.

Just to be sure, Dawlish drew his wand and cast the spell, Homenum Revelio, to reveal if any other people were present. To his consternation, the spell revealed he was alone in the immediate area. He rubbed his forehead as he thought about what he should do. He had a good lead here, but he was alone with no idea of what he might be walking into. Caution was his best option now, so Dawlish backed slowly down the alley way and out into the street, before apparating to the Ministry to organise some assistance.

                                                               *

 

Lucius Malfoy was aiming his wand at the chest of the man who cowered before him. In his other hand he held a gently buzzing sensor which was alerting him to the presence of the unwanted visitor out in the alley.

"You were followed, Randall," spat Lucius.

The man before Lucius said nothing, realising now that it wasn't just shadows that had caught his attention as he made his way to the warehouse Lucius and his group were still hiding in.

Lucius glared at the man before him for another moment, before he turned on his heel and stalked across the warehouse floor, heading towards Draco and his followers.

"Everybody prepare to leave," he ordered, his angry voice echoing throughout the building.

The buzzing sensor suddenly went quiet, and Lucius regarded it with interest. Whoever was outside had now departed the area. He knew his time was short.

"Hurry," urged Lucius, as he started dragging people to their feet. "Our helpful friend has led the Ministry agents right to us."

That was all the motivation the group needed. Packs and bags were hastily filled with anything useful which still remained in the warehouse, while Draco hung at the back of the group and waited for his moment to act.

                                                               *

 

Harry and Ginny were looking very pleased with themselves as they presented their potion and its antidote to Professor Slughorn.

"Oho, this certainly looks correct," said Professor Slughorn excitedly. "Good colour and consistency. I wonder, would either of you be willing to test your own work."

All trace of satisfaction was wiped from Harry and Ginny's faces as they contemplated what Professor Slughorn had just asked them. Harry looked over his Professor's shoulder and could see Ron trying not to laugh. Thanks, mate.

"Ahhh... actually, I'd really rather not if you don't mind, Professor," said Harry, starting to inch backwards away from Professor Slughorn and the two phials he was holding.

"Not feeling so brave today, Harry?" asked Professor Slughorn, raising an eyebrow as he grinned. "Oh well, I guess one must lead by example."

With that, Professor Slughorn tipped the contents of the phial containing the potion into his mouth and swallowed. The entire class gasped in shock as they watched their Professor grimace at the taste of the potion.

"I'm not sure that was such a good idea, sir," said Harry worriedly.

"Not to worry, my boy," said Professor Slughorn brightly; despite the fact his face was beginning to turn blue.

"Ah, sir," said Harry urgently, "I really think you should take the antidote now."

A knock on the door of the Potion's classroom startled everyone. Harry looked at the door as it swung open and Minerva McGonagall strode into the room. Harry spun back to face Professor Slughorn.

"Professor, please..." began Harry, until he noticed that Professor Slughorn had already emptied the phial which contained the antidote into his mouth.

Professor Slughorn's normal colour returned quickly, and Harry couldn't help but notice the look of relief which crossed his Professor's face.

"Well done to you both," said Professor Slughorn, starting to chortle as he saluted Harry and Ginny with the empty phial.

From the doorway, Minerva McGonagall saw the tense looks on the faces of the students start to relax. Whatever was going on, she thought she would probably prefer not to know.

"Excuse me, Horace," said Minerva politely. "I'm afraid I must ask Harry Potter to accompany me to the Headmistresses office."

Professor Slughorn waved a hand towards Harry, as if dismissing him. "Of course, of course, off you go, Harry. Miss Weasley can pack up your equipment for you."

Harry grabbed his Potions book and gave Ginny a sympathetic look.

"Actually," said Minerva, "Ginny should also attend my office with Harry." She turned her attention towards Ron and Hermione. "Ron, you should probably join us."

As Ron grinned, Hermione managed to give Minerva McGonagall a look that reminded Harry of a sad puppy dog. Evidently Minerva had also noticed Hermione's disappointment.

Minerva sighed and rolled her eyes. "And Miss Granger too. I may as well complete the set."

Harry, Ginny, Ron, and Hermione all hurriedly packed their essential equipment into their bags, leaving behind a smelly mess which Professor Slughorn directed Seamus and Cho to clean up. Harry grinned and dodged a kick from a scowling Seamus as he made his way out of the classroom with the others, following Minerva to her office.

                                                               *

 

During the long trek through the castle from the dungeons to the seventh floor, the four friends had been unable to extract any hints from Minerva as to why they were being summoned to her office.

Harry had suggested that Kingsley would be waiting for them, but even this had failed to elicit a reaction from Minerva. Instead, Minerva had simply informed them that it was unwise to speak openly as they walked through the corridors.

Finally they had arrived at the Headmistresses office, and as the door swung open Harry was proven correct, as Kingsley Shacklebolt sat by the fireplace. However, the number of other people assembled in the room did come as a surprise to Harry and the others.

Kingsley turned towards the door and stood up as Harry and the others entered the office. His expression remained serious, rather than displaying the large smile Harry had become used to receiving from Kingsley when they met in this office. As Harry looked closer he noticed that Kingsley was obviously very tired.

"Come in, everyone," said Kingsley by way of a greeting. "We have some developments to discuss."

Harry made his way to the sofas by the fireplace and immediately realised there would not be enough seats for everyone. He drew his wand and conjured a number of small wooden chairs which he, Ginny, Ron, and Hermione all sat down on.

Harry looked around at the assembled group. Arthur Weasley and Gawain Robards both looked haggard as they sat leaning back into the comfortable sofas, while a man Harry recognised but couldn't remember where from, also looked like he would dearly like to go to sleep where he sat.

"Before we get started, let me introduce you to John Dawlish," said Kingsley as he looked at Harry, Ginny, Ron, and Hermione.

The unknown man's head jerked up and Harry could see him blink a few times as he focussed on Harry and the others. The man called Dawlish stood up and extended his hand to the four friends.

"It's a pleasure to meet all of you," said Dawlish, before he sat back down heavily onto the sofa.

Harry now remembered that he had first seen John Dawlish in this very office a few years ago, and again following the mock battle earlier this year.

 "John is one of the Aurors that Gawain lent to Arthur to aide in the task of identifying the spy in our midst, and last night he achieved our first breakthrough in the case," explained Kingsley.

Harry exchanged looks with Ron, Hermione, and Ginny. None of them spoke, but the curiosity was now clearly etched on their faces.

Kingsley continued. "As part of our efforts to identify the mole, John was following one of our suspects last night, when he was led to an industrial area on the edge of London. John lost the suspect at that point," Harry glanced at Dawlish and saw the Auror's head fall at the mention of his failure, "but not before he had trailed his suspect to a familiar location."

Harry tried to sit patiently, but he just wanted the facts quickly. As Kingsley resumed his story, it seemed Harry wouldn't get his wish.

"That location was the old warehouse the Malfoys had hidden in prior to the attack made on the Hogwarts Express. When John informed us of where he had been, I must admit I thought he was mistaken. I could not see any sane reason for the Malfoys to be back at the warehouse, but John was adamant, so last night we raided the warehouse again."

Harry sat bolt upright. "I thought you were going to take us with you if you found the Malfoys?"

Kingsley held up a hand to calm Harry. "There was no time, Harry, and I still couldn't believe that the Malfoys would have returned to a known hiding place. I was wrong. Evidence was found that the Malfoys had been there very recently; in fact they had probably only left after John had been in the vicinity."

"So we have missed them again?" asked Harry, trying to keep his frustration under control.

"Yes, we have," said Kingsley, before sighing deeply, "and thank Merlin we did. It would have been disastrous for us if they had still been there when we raided the warehouse."

Harry was confused now, and a glance at the others told him he was not alone. "Why, what's going on?"

"We found another message for us from Draco," said Kingsley simply.

Arthur withdrew a photograph form his robes and handed it to Harry. Harry noticed this photograph was much clearer than the last one. As he read the words, Harry suddenly understood what Kingsley meant when he said it would have been disastrous.

11 strong. Randall. DM

Harry was stunned. "How did they get so many? I thought there were only four of them," asked Harry.

Kingsley shrugged his shoulders. "Evidently their numbers have grown. The size of the team I sent on the raid would have been overwhelmed very quickly if they had run into that number of prepared opposition."

Harry nodded his understanding while internally he fought back his sudden fear. Lucius now had a group that was stronger than the one he used to attack the Burrow with. As Harry was lost in his thoughts, he was interrupted as Hermione spoke.

"Who's Randall?" she asked, looking up from the photograph.

"The name of the man John was following last night is Randall Chormley. We are now confident that he is the mole that has been providing information to Lucius Malfoy," explained Kingsley. "He has not shown up for work today, and we have now discovered that he and Lucius were old schoolmates at Hogwarts. They were not in the same house or year, but that is the only connection we have identified so far. It is still unclear why he bears such a grudge towards you, Harry, but now that we can concentrate our efforts on just one man, I'm sure the reasons will come to light soon enough."

For the first time since Harry had entered the room, Kingsley smiled. "All in all, I'd say we had a very successful night."

Harry rubbed his face with his hands. "But we don't know where these people are," he said weakly.

"True," agreed Kingsley, "but we know who the mole was, so now we also know what other information he may have had that concerns you or the Weasleys, and we know how many we still face."

"Thankfully John had the good sense to return to the Ministry and seek assistance, instead of charging into that warehouse and getting himself killed. We did miss them, but we didn't lose any of our people unnecessarily either. Trust me, Harry, it was a good result."

Harry considered what Kingsley was saying. "Okay, so now what?" asked Harry.

"Now, we wait for your house-elf to find Lucius."

Harry nodded. "Kreacher left last night. We should probably tell him about the warehouse. It would be a good place for him to start from."

The group seated around the office all agreed. Once Harry had called out for Kreacher, the old house-elf appeared with a 'crack', bowing as he stood in front of Harry.

"Yes, Master," croaked Kreacher, before he raised his head and looked around at all the people now staring at him.

"Kreacher," began Harry, "we know where the Malfoys were last night."

Kreacher nodded. "London, Master. Kreacher is tracking them."

The stunned silence filled the office. Eventually Harry found his voice again.

"You have found them already?" he asked incredulously. "Why didn't you contact me?"

Kreacher shook his head. "No, Master, I haven't found the Malfoys. There was no reason to contact you, Master"

"Then how did you know they were in London?"

"They revealed themselves as they departed, Master. I could sense Lucius Malfoy and his son. They were in London but no longer; now they are moving rapidly."

Harry regarded Kreacher with awe for a moment. House-elves truly were amazing creatures, and he told himself he should try and learn more about them in the future.

"Do you think you will be able to find them when they stop running?" asked Harry, as the rest of the assembled group all leant in, eagerly awaiting Kreacher's answer.

Kreacher gave a small shrug as his ears fell. "I believe so, Master, but the Malfoys are shielding themselves very well."

Harry rubbed his temples as he thought. Kreacher was already making progress, but evidently some obstacles still remained. They would need to find a way around the wards that Lucius was using if they wanted to speed up their progress. Harry had no idea how to do that, but for now he was just glad that Kreacher was achieving anything.

"You're doing really well, Kreacher. Would you like to take a break for a little while?" asked Harry kindly.

"It is not necessary, Master. I will continue my task," croaked Kreacher.

"Very well," said Harry. "Thank you, Kreacher."

Kreacher bowed. "You are welcome, Master."

Once Kreacher disappeared, Harry looked up into the face of a smiling Kingsley Shacklebolt.

"You know," mused Kingsley, not talking to anyone in particular. "The Ministry really should look into employing some house-elves. They're incredibly gifted beings."

Harry smiled as he heard Hermione gasp beside him.

"So what's our next move?" asked Ron.

"We wait for Kreacher to find the Malfoys, and we continue our own efforts to track them," said Kingsley. "I'm afraid those are the only options left open to us, unless Mr Chormley returns to work of course," concluded Kingsley.

After that the meeting broke up and people headed off. Arthur had stayed for a few minutes and talked excitedly about his impending return to the Burrow, and Harry could see his relief now that the mole had been identified and the threat he posed removed.

Finally, Harry and Ginny made their way back to their room, Harry feeling a sense of confidence as he thought about the new developments and where they might lead. Winter's end was upon them, and as the seasons shifted Harry could sense an end to this frustrating time approaching.