The Potter Chronicles

Chapter 5: The Conspiracy

1 day before: The Capture

Harry sat in his office at the Ministry, rubbing his eyes. Being the lead Auror was stressful. He had sanctioned some raids at the local pubs in suspicion of illegal activities. The clock showed half an hour for Ginny to arrive. 

Harry had planned to spend the entire day with her. He would take her to lunch, he would try to resolve their differences, and then, if she insisted, they would visit a doctor for counseling about his drug addiction. It took sheer willpower for Harry to suppress the urge for doing the drugs again, but he guessed, his family mattered more than getting high.

The door opened letting a fresh input of paper airplane messages. The conventional way of communication via paper planes was still not out of fashion in the Ministry. Four paper airplanes landed neatly on Harry's table. Harry laid them aside. The messages could wait. Right now he had to leave for the Floo Network Junction to pick Ginny up.

The mysterious e-mail from Cho Chang still lingered in Harry's mind. It was as if Cho was playing a cryptic clue game with Harry.

"Why couldn't she directly contact me?" Harry wondered.

He shrugged. He had better things to worry about than cryptic e-mails.

The door to Harry's chamber was about to close when an owl swooped in. Harry looked up from the file he was reading. The owl had a letter in its beak. Harry frowned. The owl communication system was not conventional anymore. The owl fluttered around the office and finally sat down on the table. Harry took the letter out of its beak. He opened the office door. The owl exited the office without waiting for a tip or a pat on its head.

Harry closed the door and went to his table to look at the letter. It was a code – red letter.

Harry had heard about code – red letters but never actually seen them. They were top secret letters used to communicate vital information. He touched the letter. Immediately the letter curled into the shape of lips and said: "Identify yourself please". Harry smiled. Voice recognition technology.

"I am Harry Potter" he said.

"Voice matched" the letter said and the enchanted red wax sealing the letter melted, opening the letter.

The letter was from the Minister of Magic, Aberforth Dumbledore. Harry had had a friendly acquaintance with Aberforth from his seventh year at Hogwarts when Aberforth had saved him from Death Eaters. The letter said:

Come to my office. Urgently. Make sure it is off the books.

Aberforth Dumbledore,

Minister of Magic.

Harry re-read the letter as the ink disappeared. He cursed. Did Aberforth have to choose this day to hold a top-secret meeting? Ginny was going to kill him if he didn't make it to her in time.

"Well, this better be important" Harry mumbled as he took his wand and focused his mind to apparate at the Minister of Magic's office.

Moments later, Harry arrived in the hallway of the Minister's office. The doors to the office were closed. Harry raised his hand to knock, as he neared the office, but the doors opened by themselves. Harry went inside. The office was cosy. The fireplace crackled, casting a fiery glow inside the dimly lit interior.

On the sidewall, there were posters of all the Ministers of Magic of UK till date. Aberforth sat behind a large mahogany desk. He wore a golden yellow robe. His blue eyes, half-moon spectacles, and his long flowing beard tucked in his belt gave him a striking resemblance to his late brother, Albus Dumbledore.