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SIYE Time:5:38 on 29th March 2024
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Together
By glasscandlegrenades

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Category: Post-DH/AB
Characters:Harry/Ginny
Genres: Drama, General, Romance
Warnings: Death, Extreme Language, Intimate Sexual Situations, Mild Language, Mild Sexual Situations, Sexual Situations, Violence
Story is Complete
Rating: R
Reviews: 128
Summary: "I've had enough trouble for a lifetime," Harry Potter tells his friends after the Battle of Hogwarts. Life, however, is not done with Harry. The Wizarding community is left in chaos and it's up to Harry to fix it, and there's the small matter of repairing his relationship with Ginny, strained after months apart. Will Harry ever be able to settle and enjoy a simple life with the ones he loves?
Hitcount: Story Total: 59345; Chapter Total: 3028
Awards: View Trophy Room




Author's Notes:
Woo! I do believe that I set my sights too high in writing an action/adventure piece, and will likely stick to fluff from now on as I believe this is where my strengths mainly lie. I'll be honest in saying that this chapter was written in a great rush, because I wanted it to be done with, but that doesn't mean that I don't want you to enjoy it. I am so excited for the remaining five chapters of this story, because they are the ones that I wanted to write originally and what I believe to be some of my best work. Thank you, as always, for sticking with me for so long. Chapter titled after the song by Mitski. OH! P.s.) I have a request. As an American writer, I sometimes have an unbelievably difficult time with writing decent English-sounding dialogue. What do you, as a reader, think is worse: American writers using distinct American English in their stories, or American writers trying and failing to use British English? let me know lol.




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The first Monday in March was a significant one, and Harry had risen far earlier than usual to make sure it was commemorated appropriately. He'd already brewed a pot of coffee, and as he spread jam across a golden slice of toast, he contemplated the day ahead of him. He was considering visiting Hogwarts to speak to Kreacher, the house-elf technically in his service still, though Harry had presented the old elf with one of Hermione's knitted hats several weeks after the final Battle of Hogwarts, much to the creature's consternation.

It had been nearly four months since Ollivander had revealed to Harry, Padma, and Ernie that Mundungus Fletcher may have a connection to the Snatchers aiding the Lestranges, but the trio had made little progress in tracking Fletcher down. They were secretive about their work, operating on a rotation between their usual cases, staking out Barrowden, where Harry was sure the Lestranges were hiding under some sort of protective enchantment, and searching for Dung.

Harry was hoping that Kreacher may have some advice on where to find the old thief, remembering the elf's remark from nearly five years prior that Mundungus could easily avoid capture with his many hiding places and accomplices. Harry set the toast down on the table and rubbed his eyes, continuing to brood over Mundungus as he heard footsteps sounding across the sitting room.

Ginny entered the kitchen and smiled at the sight of him standing in front of a hearty spread of breakfast.

"You're sweet," she said, understanding immediately that Harry had wanted to send her off with fanfare to her first practice. She sat down at the table and poured herself a cup of coffee. "Thank you."

"How are you feeling?" Harry asked, placing his hand on her shoulder and giving it a squeeze. She was in her red and white practice robes, and his heart swelled proudly at the sight.

"Nervous," Ginny admitted, taking a sip from the mug. "Listen, we've got a scrimmage tonight and relatives can come and watch. It's at five. Can you make it?"

Harry tipped her chin up and kissed her gently. "I wouldn't miss it for the world."

"Brilliant," Ginny said, tucking in to her porridge. Harry sat down beside her and poured himself coffee, opening his copy of the Quibbler. Ginny still gently chided him for refusing to take the Prophet even though Seamus Finnegan had recently been promoted to editor. Some wounds healed more easily than others, Harry believed.

They chatted quietly about his case, Harry telling Ginny about his plans to reach out to Kreacher after finishing up with his assignments that morning.

"I think it's a good idea," Ginny said. "Why not fall back on history a bit. He found Mundungus in a few days during the war, right?"

"Yeah," Harry said. "It's just concerning that we haven't been able to track him down yet. I'm worried he's gone and died or something."

Ginny rolled her eyes. "I have a terrible feeling that Mundungus Fletcher is going to outlive us all," she said, standing from the table. "I'm going to head out. I'm due at the stadium in a quarter-of-an-hour."

Harry nodded, standing as well and kissing her chastly again on the lips. "Good luck," he said. "I know you'll be brilliant."

Ginny smiled and left the kitchen. Harry heard the front door shut behind her and a great crack sound from the hall. He settled back at the table with his magazine, but felt unable to focus on what he was reading.

He was terribly proud of Ginny, but he was slightly apprehensive of where the next few months would take their relationship. The cup was being held in Germany, and Ginny would have to be on-site for the entire summer. Her training ran from six in the morning until six at night six days a week, and if England played well, it was quite feasible that Harry and Ginny could go weeks at a time without seeing one another. It was a small price to pay for the happiness and fulfillment it brought Ginny, and yet Harry couldn't help but mourn their long days and nights together over the past year.

He left early for work, unable to stop his mind from wandering deep into the summer, and figuring that if he got his edits on the prison legislation done before noon he could visit Kreacher on his lunch. He Flooed into the Atrium, which was completely empty at this early hour.

He went straight to his cubicle after the lift deposited him at the door to the Auror office, and wasn't joined by Padma for over an hour. However, even after she appeared, it became quickly apparent that he was destined to be alone for most of the morning as Padma was called to deal with a parent who had decided to test a growth charm on his own young daughter.

Harry spent slow-passing hours going over each individual word of the revised Azkaban reforms handed back down to him by the Wizengamot. Apparently, the legislation wouldn't be passed until Harry limited the number of visitors each prisoner was able to receive. Dolores Umbridge had requested some fifty people to be added to her visitor's list, which had been deemed by the prison as a safety hazard.

Finally, finally, the clock struck twelve, and Harry stood from his desk, grabbing his rucksack and turning to exit the cubicle, but was stopped in his tracks as Padma smacked into him as she ran in, knocking him straight off his feet. Correcting herself, she grabbed him by the front of his robes, dragging him up with surprising strength.

"We've got him!" she cried joyfully as she straightened his robes.

"What?" Harry said, still processing the shock of her entrance. "What?"

"Mundungus Fletcher!" Padma exclaimed proudly. "Ernie picked him up this morning selling fake Invisibility Cloaks in Knockturn Alley! He was dressed as a witch, but when we passed through the Ministry's Anti-Concealment charm his wig and robes disintegrated, leaving Ernie with a bit more than he bargained for, if you know what I mean. But still, we've got him!"

Harry gave a cry of excitement, and without really thinking about what he was doing, brought Padma into a great hug.

She pushed him away, smiling awkwardly. "I'm glad you're excited," she said with a giggle.

"Where is he? Does Williamson know he's been brought in?" Harry asked.

"Interrogation Room Four," Padma answered. "No, Ernie's only told me. He hasn't done a report for the Invisibility Cloaks yet."

"I'm going down now," Harry said, reaching under his desk and grabbing the stack of files he'd been privately gathering on the Death Eater-related incidents since the end of the war. Though relieved that he no longer had to approach Kreacher in his quest to hunt down Mundungus, Harry still felt the pressure of a ticking clock looming over him. Lucius Malfoy's trial date was fast-approaching. Harry needed to find the Lestranges soon, or be forced to turn his intelligence into Williamson so that Lucius could be sentenced with the leniency he deserved.

Harry flew through the Auror office towards the interrogation rooms, knocking open the door to Room Four.

Ernie was sitting on the old radiator, looking rather haughty as he gazed towards Mundungus, sitting before him wearing a tattered duster and bound to the wooden chair with chains.

"Is that really necessary, Ernie?" Harry asked, setting his file down on the table. "He was selling shitty cloaks, not using an Unforgivable Curse."

"After how long it's taken us to find him, I'm not taking any chances," Ernie replied pompously. Harry rolled his eyes.

"'Ow long it's taken to find me?" Mundungus repeated, his eyes widening. "An' might I ask why 'ee was looking for me in the first place?"

"You may," Harry said amiably. "How are you, Dung? It's been quite awhile."

"Aye, it 'as," Mundungus said, his eyes shifting nervously between Ernie and Harry, but rising himself up in indignation. "I read the papers, 'Arry, and I know you took that locket off Dolores Umbridge on my very own information, you did, but no thanks I get for my contributions in the war against 'Ee-Who-Must-Not-Named."

"I apologize for the oversight," Harry answered graciously. "But we'd actually like to talk to you about something else entirely. I've recently learned that two wands were stolen from Ollivander's shop in the fall of 1999, and I was curious if you knew anything about that."

Mundungus' bloodshot eyes widened in surprise, and Harry glanced at Ernie with a smile playing at his lips as Mundungus attempted unsuccessfully to rearrange his expression into something unreadable.

"About what, now?" Dung asked in a calculatedly bored voice.

"Were you hired to steal two wands for Giles Duncan and Tarquin Stuart?" Harry asked, leaning in just a bit in an effort to intimidate. He was rewarded, however, with the strong stench of tobacco and whisky.

The mention of the wizards in question set Dung's eyes wide again, and he raised his hands as if in effort to shake the chains off.

"Look," he said. "I'm just an 'onest man, tryin' to make a living. I wasn't offered any fancy Ministry job for my work in the Order, and Merlin knows there was a lot of it, putting my neck on the line again and again - first for Dumbledore, then Moody... takes its toll on a bloke..."

"Save it, Mundungus," Harry said, raising a hand. "You know as well as I do that selling fake Invisibility Cloaks can get you a fine of two-hundred-and-fifty Galleons. Do you have that kind of gold?"

"Who the bleeding 'eck 'as that kind of gold?" Dung spat, clearly becoming agitated.

"Well, it's Azkaban if you can't pay the fines," Harry said sadly, leaning back. "Unless you want to help us track down the Snatchers…"

"I don' know where they are!" Mundungus cried. "They reached out to me, they were the ones who set the meeting places. They paid well for me to not ask any questions! You Ministry blokes 'ave no clue 'ow it's been for us simple folk after the war. The Galleon's gone down a 'ill, it 'as, no purchasing power; a man 'as to take what 'ee can get!"

"I'm sure," Harry said drily, though pleased that they were making progress. He knew Mundungus wasn't loyal enough to any person or ideology to withstand interrogation for long. "Look, Dung, if you can lead us to Stuart and Duncan, I'm sure I can persuade MacMillan here to drop the charges."

Mundungus glanced uneasily back to Ernie. "Mirrors," he grumbled.

"What?" Ernie asked.

"MIRRORS," Mundungus cried. "They 'ad some of them two-way mirrors, didn't they? I met Duncan in the Leaky, and 'ee gave me the mirrors and said 'ee'd reach out to me when 'ee 'ad need, and that if I came through there'd be more gold than I could imagine."

"Do you have it on you?" Harry asked urgently, waving his wand so the wizard's arms were released from his chains.

Dung looked ever-more unhappy, but reached into his frayed pocket and pulled out a familiar-looking piece of glass. Like Harry's own two-way mirror, this one was simply a small shard that was about the size of his hand.

"Right," Harry said, looking at the mirror and running through imaginary scenarios in his head. "Right. This is what you're going to do-"

"Harry," Ernie said, a note of warning in his voice. "Harry, we should discuss it with Padma first, come up with a plan."

"No time," Harry answered. "Look, this is what you're going to do. You're going to use that mirror to talk to the Snatchers. Right here, right now. Tell them that you have something good - Peruvian Instant Darkness Powder - but that you need to meet them at their place within the hour to deliver or it's no deal. Say you need to flip it for gold today."
"It'll never work," Mundungus said, his bloodshot eyes swiveling back and forth between Harry and the mirror. "They'll never give up their location…"

Harry scoffed. "They'll be chomping at the bit," he said with confidence. "There hasn't been darkness powder sold in Britain since 1997; it's a dream for a Dark Wizard, and exactly the kind of thing that would bring a Snatcher higher in the favour of a Death Eater."

Mundungus looked quite like he would rather be sent to Azkaban than attempt to fool the two Snatchers serving the Lestrange brothers.

"'Arry, listen to me," he said urgently. "If this doesn't work… they'll kill me. No questions asked, I'll be a dead man. I need some assurance of my safety."

"If you help us find where they're staying, I'll make sure you have witness privileges. I'll leave a note here with you while we go scope out the scene."

Ernie looked to Harry with his eyebrows raised, but said nothing. Mundungus didn't look like he was too keen on remaining in the interrogation room, either, while the Aurors followed up on his information, but he sighed unhappily and raised the mirror in front of him. Harry motioned for Ernie to move, and the pair stood in the doorway, out of sight.

Mundungus held the mirror close to his face, in what Harry realized was an attempt to conceal his surroundings from the person on the other end.

"Duncan," he said in the clearest voice Harry had ever heard him use.

There was a moment of silence, and Harry held his breath before a small scuffling sound echoed across the room.

"Dung," a muffled voice said. "What is it?"

"Got some good stuff over here," Mundungus said gruffly. "Peruvian Instant Darkness Powder. I'm floating around the Midlands now trying to unload it."
"I don't recall ever inviting you to solicit goods to myself or Stuart," Duncan said, his voice sounding incredibly posh. Harry was surprised. Was this some heretofore unknown brand of elite Snatcher?

Dung took an uneasy breath and spat a chunk of phlegm across the room. Ernie closed his eyes and silently retched.

"Can't hold onto this stuff long, Duncan," Mundungus answered. "Not with me priors. I have a few other interested buyers, I suppose I can reach out to 'em…."

There was silence from the mirror, and Harry took a moment to appreciate Mundungus' acting abilities.

"Can you meet in Hogsmeade?" Duncan asked finally.

"'Ave I not just told you I'm in the Midlands," Mundungus cried in irritation. "I can't be gettin' all the way up to bleedin' Scotland, can I? I'll just meet you at your place."
Harry closed his eyes in silent prayer. The room was quiet for a moment.

"Barrowden," Duncan's voice said gruffly. "The old Tuft house at the Tannery. Be here within the hour."

Harry opened his eyes and looked at Ernie, who looked even more as though he was about to vomit. Dung put the mirror down as Harry slammed a fist into the doorway.

"Harry…" Ernie warned.

"I AM GOING TO FUCKING KILL WILLIAMSON," Harry roared. "How many times have we been out to the Tannery in the last year? How many times?"

Ernie looked at his feet, and Harry knew he had seen the files too. Since the Tuft murder last April, the Department had made at least a monthly trek to the Tannery to observe the home. Harry had never been on one of the excursions, for they fell under Williamson's jurisdiction, but for the Snatchers to have been able to avoid capture in an area that was under regular Auror observation was nothing short of a travesty. Harry understood the logic of Duncan and Stuart completely; why vacate a hiding spot that was clearly so good a team of senior Aurors couldn't detect it with their noses pressed to the window.

"It's got to be some kind of Anti-Revelation Jinx," Harry muttered to Ernie.

Ernie raised his eyebrows and tilted his head towards Mundungus, who's worried expression had grown quite curious in light of Harry's anger.

"Let's not reveal all of our cards just yet, Harry," he said gently. "We'll go to Barrowden now, we just have to grab Padma."

Harry nodded, his nostrils flaring in rage, and he turned towards Mundungus.

"You stay here, and if we find them, you'll be released immediately," he said, half-a-bribe, half-a-threat.

Mundungus nodded, and the chains sprang to life, binding him back to the chair, while Harry waved his wand so the shard of mirror flew into his outstretched hand.

He and Ernie let themselves out of the interrogation room, where Padma was standing, keeping watch for any overly-curious Aurors. Harry and Ernie quickly revealed to her the events of the interrogation, and her eyes grew wide in anxiety.

"We need to go now," she breathed, and her two partners nodded in agreement. The three set off towards the lifts and made their way back to the Atrium. They decided to Apparate from the street above so as not to attract any unwelcome attention, and by the time they made it to the busy Whitehall road the clocks were loudly chiming one o'clock. Harry thought briefly about Ginny's practice match and decided to send her an owl when they got to Barrowden to explain to her that he would not be able to match the scrimmage.

Padma grabbed Harry and Ernie each by the wrist and twisted on the spot, and before Harry could truly grasp what was happening the trio was standing outside the Tannery in Barrowden. Harry hadn't seen the street before, and he took it in with an air of apprehension.

It looked exactly as one would expect an old tannery to look, a small group of houses surrounding a covered structure that looked long-defunct. A sign denoting the area rested on the outside of the fence.

Ernie drew his wand, with Harry and Padma quickly following suit. The three moved down the narrow street, glancing at each tiny house, whereupon a sign bearing the owner's name rested.

'Tuft,' the sign over the last house on the alley read, and the three stopped in front, looking uneasily from one to the other. Harry took a step forward, and the crunch of his shoe on the gravel path seemed to alert the inhabitants to their presence, for the door swung open and a pale man with long, dark hair tucked behind his ears stepped out, drawing his cloak around him for warmth in the cool March air.

"Merlin, Dung, get in the house before-" the man suddenly stopped dead in his tracks as he took in the three wizards in front of him. He gave a great shout of recognition and threw his arms back, revealing his wand, but Ernie was faster, sending a neat Stunning spell straight into the man's chest.

The wizard cried out in surprise before crumpling, and there was a clatter from within the hut as another man ran forward, wand raised in defense. "Stuart!" he cried.

Their reflexes were slow, and Harry took this to his full advantage.

"Incarcerous!" he shouted, and thick cords wrapped themselves around the man's wrists, yanking him to the ground. Padma charged past the doorway as Ernie conjured binds around Stuart's wrists. Harry grabbed Duncan by the collar of his robes and dragged him into the house, Ernie following closely behind with Stuart, before any of the neighbors could get a look at the scene occuring on the quiet country road.

Harry deposited Duncan on the floor of the sitting room and took a deep breath while looking around. The man grunted against his binds as Ernie leaned over him and grabbed his wand. Padma plucked Stuart's up as well, before pointing her own wand to his chest and mumbling "Rennervate."

Stuart sat up and took a great breath as though he had been revived from a months long sleep. Duncan looked angrily at the three of them.

"I'll skip the pleasantries," Harry said. "I know Rodolphus and Rabastan Lestrange are hiding here in the village under protective spells, and I need the pair of you to tell me the address, now."

"Who says we know it, Potter?" Stuart spat, earning himself a kick from Ernie. Harry threw his partner a warning glance, but Ernie shrugged.

"Why don't we tell you how this is going to go?" Padma said, stepping forward with her wand outstretched. "You are formally under arrest and will be charged with aiding and abetting in the attack on Ronald Weasley in the summer of 1999, to which there were five witnesses, three of them standing before you. Thorfinn Rowle faced the same charges last year and was sentenced to life in Azkaban. Or, you can choose the same route as your associate Mundungus and help us find the Lestrange brothers."

Duncan shifted his gaze towards Harry. "We've heard of your bargains, Potter. Has it occurred to you that perhaps the Lestranges have made more enticing offers than you could imagine?"

Harry laughed. "Gold, you mean? It seems to have gotten you far," he said, glancing around at the sparse furnishings, which looked as though it had all come from a second-hand shop that was particularly lax about its standards for donation.

"We don't require instant gratification for our services," Stuart said, straining against his bonds.

"Perhaps you should," Harry mused, praying that Duncan and Stuart's arrogant way of speaking wasn't reflective of some deeper intelligence. He was relying on their limited status as Snatchers to indicate that they weren't powerful enough to be inducted into Voldemort's inner circle. "Anyways, the Ministry has other ways of extracting information it desires."

He gave Padma a meaningful glance. "The Veritaserum, Patil," he said dramatically.

Padma glanced between Harry and Ernie. "The wh-?" she began before Ernie stepped quickly on her foot. Padma cleared her throat in understanding. "Yes, yes of course," she said. "I'll just go to my bag," she said, turning away from the others and walking for the door.

Harry nearly smiled in satisfaction as the eyes of both Duncan and Stuart widened in fear. "Padma is a particularly good hand at potions," he said mildly. "Of course, it would be much more beneficial to you to comply with our wishes so you have control over what information is revealed. If not, who knows what you'll say under the effects of the serum?"

The two Snatchers glanced at each other. Each seemed reluctant to be the one to reveal the secret. Padma returned, carrying a flask of what Harry knew was likely water.

"We can't exactly tell you," Stuart said finally, and Duncan let out a great breath. "There's some kind of spell cast over the place… if we try to speak it, we get sick."

Duncan nodded seriously in confirmation. Harry hadn't thought about the possibility of a Tongue-Tying Curse, but Ernie had already conjured parchment and a quill from thin air and handed it to Duncan.

"Try writing it," he said, not unkindly.

"You'll have to let us out of these ropes," Stuart growled. Harry waved his wand and Duncan's right hand sprung free from the cords. He took the parchment from the Snatcher's hand and pressed it against the wall of the sitting room, gesturing for him to use this as a surface with which to write the address.

Duncan looked to Stuart unhappily, before shrugging and walking to the wall. He wrote something on the parchment before giving a great shiver. Ernie walked over and secured the man's bonds for the second time as he yanked the parchment from the wall.

"The barn at the St. Peter rectory," Ernie read. "The rectory has a barn?"

Stuart shrugged, a rather humorous sight to behold, given that his hands were still tied behind his back. "It's a farming town," he said. "Everywhere has a barn."

Ernie handed the parchment to Harry, who glanced back to Padma, still holding the glass of water.

"What are we waiting for?" he asked.

"What are we meant to do with these two?" Ernie wondered.

Harry glanced back. "Leave them here," he said. "Do you trust your incarceration spell?"

Ernie nodded, glancing back to the Snatchers uneasily. Padma held up their wands.

"They won't get far without these," she said. Harry nodded and cast the charm over the two Snatchers for a second time. The three backed slowly out of the house, locking the door behind them.

"The churchyard is just around the corner," Ernie said. Harry nodded, following the others up the tiny street. There were few structures on the road in front of them, making St. Peter's clearly visible at the end of the road. Harry could see the parsonage from where they were, situated at the end of the cemetery, but there was no barn. He turned back to Ernie and Padma.

"They lied!" he cried in anger.

"Give it a moment, Harry," Padma said gently. "Really think about the barn. Envision it."

Harry tried to calm himself for a moment, thinking deeply and clearly about the barn as they moved towards the rectory. Harry glanced back behind him towards the Tannery, and when he looked back, he saw the tiny rectory again, but this time another roof was jutting out from behind.

"Look at that," Ernie breathed. Harry felt his hand tighten around his wand as his heart rate accelerated.

The three walked closer and closer to the cemetery, reaching its gate in just a few moments. Harry could see that the grounds to the old barn were separated from the cemetery by an old pasture fence. The trio walked through the kissing gate of the old cemetery and immediately made their way towards the pasture fence, weaving their way around crumbling headstones and overgrown roots.

Harry reached the fence first, and seeing no gate, attempted to scale the iron bars of the structure, only to be thrown back by some invisible force. He glanced back to Padma in confusion, who looked over towards the rectory.

"I think… I think we're meant to go through," she said, steeling herself and raising her own wand just slightly. Ernie nodded in agreement. Harry grimaced before nodding at the others.

The walked to the right and approached the tiny door to the parsonage with great hesitation. The door was made of old wood and seemed on the verge of rotting away. Only one of them could fit through at a time, and Harry boldly raised his wand and heard the lock click as the door swung open.

Harry took a deep breath and entered the tiny house, followed by Padma and then Ernie. The door swung shut behind them and locked with a click, and before Harry could process that no one in his party had cast the spell, a tall, thin man with long, dark hair stepped into the hall and raised his wand, a look of surprise mingled with excitement on his face.

"Hello, Potter," Rodolphus said, waving his wand and sending a jet of red light soaring towards the trio. Harry deflected the Stunning spell easily before sending another one straight towards the Death Eater, who ducked with great agility and cried out.

"RABASTAN!" Rodolphus shouted. "WE HAVE COMPANY!"

A great crash echoed from the back of the house as an equally thin man shot into the hall. Harry stomach twisted at how prepared the brothers were for battle. Ernie sent another jinx towards the Lestranges, but Rabastan deflected the spell and turned, running from the hall towards the pasture, Rodolphus following behind.

"Don't let them Disapparate!" Harry shouted, charging after the brothers, bombarding them with spell after spell. Padma was just beside him with Ernie bringing up the rear, and as they spilled out of the kitchen door into the pasture, Harry caught the sight of a robe whipping around the side of the barn.

Ernie raised his wand towards the sky above them, unusually blue for March, and Harry heard him quietly cast an Anti-Disapparition Jinx. Harry silently prayed that they wouldn't find themselves in the same terrible position as their last trip into Barrowden. Beside him, Padma raised her wand offensively.

"We could set it on fire," she suggested. "Smoke them out into the open."

"There could be evidence as to what they were doing with Dagmar's gold inside," Harry said, glancing up the building. "Do they have a vantage point from here?" he asked.

"There aren't any windows," Ernie said.

"We're going to have to go in," Harry said, pushing back his sleeves and raising his wand. Ernie and Padma had both paled slightly, but nodded. They crossed the threshold, looking around. Harry took in the sight of a desk littered with papers and a large trunk in the corner. There were no animals to be seen, and Ernie flicked his wand wearily at the trunk. The lid sprung open, revealing a glittering pile of Galleons. Harry sucked in his breath.

The Lestranges were nowhere in the vast room, and Harry looked uneasily upward. He was quickly rewarded by the sight of Rodolphus' matted hair and waxen smile, observing him quietly as if curious what Harry would do next.

Roldophus' gaze was fixed on Harry as he raised his wand arm, but with the reflexes of only a seeker, Harry noticed the Death Eater's wand shift imperceptibly to the left as a jet of green light shot out from the tip, hurling itself towards Padma. Harry cried out and slammed into her, knocking both of them into a hay bale.

Ernie shouted in distress and sent another Stunning Spell towards the rafters at the same time Harry sent a severing spell towards Rabastan, who had peered over the edge of the loft. Harry heard a yelp of pain as his spell hit its target.

Rodolphus waved his long, thin arm outwards towards Ernie and cried, "CRUCIO!"

Ernie's body flew from the floor of the barn with a screech of pain, and Harry watched as his partner reached out blindly in attempt to escape the sensation. Harry raised his wand towards Rodolphus again and attempted to disarm him, but missed, drawing the Death Eater's attention back towards him as Padma sent an Impediment Jinx towards Rabastan. It missed again, and Harry realized it was no use with the brothers having higher ground than the Aurors. Just as he was about to give the order to fall back, Rodolphus met his gaze and murmured an incantation.

The air in front of Harry suddenly changed terribly and he blinked desperately. He wasn't in the barn at all, but a great stone dungeon with sculpted serpents twisting up pillars.

"No," Harry cried, desperately looking around in an effort to find the Lestranges, but he was alone, all alone, in the Chamber of Secrets. He could hear Ernie and Padma calling out for him, but their voices were quiet and far-off. He whipped his head to the left and a flash of red caught his eye.

"No!" Harry shouted, throwing his body towards Ginny. She was lying on the wet, dark flagstones, but even as he reached her, he realized it wasn't the Ginny that had departed their flat that morning for Quidditch practice, but the eleven-year-old girl who had been brought down to the Chamber by Tom Riddle nearly ten years earlier.

It was with a sickening sense of dread that Harry realized what was happening; the incantation Rodolphus must've used, and he made every effort to close his mind to Rodolphus' Legilimency, but the scene around him changed again to a Hogwarts corridor being blasted apart, and Fred Weasley's body flying through the air before hitting the ground with a sickening crunch. Harry cried out and his surroundings changed once more to Lupin and Tonks' funeral, where Harry tried desperately to feed a squirming and miserable Teddy. Harry could still hear Padma and Ernie crying out to him, screaming now, and he closed his eyes, trying with all of his might to block out the influx of memories, raising his wand in defense only to have it be ripped from his hands.

The images continued to whip around Harry like a terrifying slideshow; Dumbledore being blasted from the parapet, Sirius falling through the veil. The sights didn't abate even as Harry felt a rough pair of hands grab him and pull him upwards; it was all he could do to follow blindly.

And suddenly he was in the barn again, his wrists bound behind him and a Body-Bind Curse holding him in place. He moved his eyes to the left and right, seeing Ernie and Padma beside him, both similarly inhibited. Harry wanted to scream; how could he not have known that Rodolphus was a Legilimens; how could he have neglected his duty to learn Occlumency so thoroughly? Ernie and Padma were looking at him, and though their eyes bore no trace of resentment, Harry couldn't help but feel as though he failed them.

As if reading his thoughts, Padma blinked twice, but a tear fell down her cheek. Harry closed his own eyes, the only movement he was capable of, and hoped that whatever end they were about to meet came quickly. He allowed himself to think of Ginny. He had likely missed her practice match by now, and he nearly felt sick with the thought of how worried she would be when he didn't show up, but he was distracted from his misery by the sound of hay rustling from below.

"We could kill the other two," one of the brothers suggested, and Harry imagined it was Rabastan, for Rodolphus seemed the clear leader between the pair.

"Never kill a potential bargaining chip," Rodolphus replied condescendingly. "They're Aurors, they have value."

"I don't see why the Minister needs Potter alive," Rabastan grumbled. "Potter dead is easily worth the Galleons we were going to pay him for the giant army."

"I've told you a hundred times," Rodolphus said, slamming something shut. Harry turned to Ernie, whose eyes were wide. "The Belarusian Minister isn't secure in his position, and he wants to figure out exactly how Potter managed to defeat the Dark Lord, through whatever means necessary. Potter alive and primed for questioning is worth more to him than the ten thousand Galleons we were going to pay."

"You talk to me like I'm stupid," Rabastan replied. "Do not forget, brother, that it was I who brokered the deal in the first place. If you believe we cannot kill Potter and still exchange him for the giants, I don't see why we can't have a little fun with him while we wait."

"Rabastan," Rodolphus said. "I warn you, if his memories are disturbed, we will have to pay the money regardless."

Harry heard their voices growing closer, and the ladder at the end of the loft creaked ominously. Padma closed her eyes, another tear falling down her cheek.

"Perhaps, brother, we can put both our skills to use," Rabastan said with a dark chuckle. "If you can bring his memories to the forefront, and I use my particular brand of interrogation effectively, we may be able to recover the information the Minister needs and avenge the Dark Lord."

Rodolphus had no reply, and by now Harry could hear that the brother had nearly clambered their way into the loft.

Harry saw Rabastan's head appear first over the landing, followed by his long-haired brother. His stomach lurched at the sight of them. The two brothers stood in the middle of the loft, regarding their prisoners quietly.

"Potter," Rabastan said quietly, and Harry remembered Narcissa's warning about the Lestranges losing everything they had ever lived for, and how dangerous this made them.

The Death Eater walked slowly over to Harry, looking somewhat hesitant, which, despite Harry's terrible circumstance, did bring him a moment of pleasure. These men still feared him, just as Voldemort once had. Rabastan reached the spot where Harry was stuck, and wearily reached a hand out, pushing back his hair so he could trace the scar above his eye.

"Potter," Rabastan repeated. "I feel obligated to tell you how extraordinarily happy it makes me to have you here."

Clearly a fan of brevity, Rabastan stepped back, raised his wand towards Harry, and cried, "Crucio!"
Harry had known it was coming, and even as the pain hit him like a thousand white-hot knives stabbing him all over his body, he refused to cry out. He didn't know if he could scream even if he wanted to, for the Body-Bind Curse was still in effect, but he gazed at Rabastan steadfastly, willing the brother to understand that he couldn't effect Harry.

His teeth were clenched, and he struggled not to tear his gaze from Rabastan, even as he saw the terror in Padma's eyes from the corner of the room as Rodolphus approached now, raising his own wand.

"The Dark Lord counselled me on your weakness to Legilimency before you struck him down, Potter," Rodolphus said quietly. Harry closed his eyes, even as the pain engulfed him further, making him wish that the end was near, that death would bring him back to King's Cross, where he could board a train and forget all this misery. He was too vulnerable; a weak Occlumens even in the healthiest of mindsets, this level of pain left him defenseless.

"Legilimens," Rodolphus said quietly, and Harry felt his eyes fly open against his will as he was again forced to relive his life's most trying moments. The images of death, loss, and despair were easily a hundred times more unbearable than the physical torture being inflicted on him.

This venture into the depths of Harry's mind didn't last as long as the first, and as Harry was hearing his mother beg and plead for his life, the great mists of his memory cleared and he was staring up at Rodolphus' thin, pale face in the loft of the barn yet again.

"There are so many people you care for, Potter," Rodolphus said quietly. "I cared for someone once. I had a wife, I'm sure you know. Your girlfriend's mother killed her."

Harry attempted to close his eyes again, knowing what was coming, but Rodolphus raised his wand once more. Harry felt his eyelids pull back, and watched as Rodolphus' dark eyes bore into his own as the Death Eater cried, "Legilimens," for the third time.

Harry prepared to be whipped again from the barn, but the scene in front of him remained the same. Rodolphus smiled at Harry, whose vision was starting to go fuzzy around the edges as he continued to be subjected to Rabastan's torture.

"Your girlfriend will suffer just like you, Potter," Rodolphus murmured, stepping aside to reveal a figure lying on the ground behind him.

Harry's heart seemed to fail as he took in the sight of Ginny, in the exact same position as she had been in the Chamber of Secrets nearly ten years before, but looking as she did now, her hair a long wild mane in an ever-growing pool of blood as her body lay broken and twisted before him.

Harry tried with all of his might to close his eyes, to shut Rodolphus out, but it was too much, all too much, even though every rational bone he had left in his body was telling him that it was the Legilimency, that Ginny was safe, safe at home, far, far away from here.

"You may not look away, Potter," Rodolphus said. "You must watch, as I was forced to watch my wife and my master die within mere moments of one another. You've a strong will, Potter, not many can survive the Cruciatus Curse and Legilimency at the same time, and yet you still fight."

He stepped around Ginny, revealing another figure behind her, this one conscious and much, much smaller.

"But, make no mistake, I will break you," Rodolphus said, as the image of little Teddy Lupin wriggled against invisible ropes and cried out to his godfather.

"Harry, please," the child cried as he writhed in pain. "Harry! Harry!"

Harry couldn't couldn't hear himself screaming in reply, though he knew his mouth was open, all the air forced from his lungs. He couldn't move, couldn't go to either of them; not Ginny, lying in a pool of blood, her hair fanned out beneath her, skin pale as snow; not Teddy, reaching out and screaming in terror, begging for his godfather. Harry attempted to move his hands to cover his ears, attempted to block out the sound of Teddy's screams, but they were still bound behind his back. He tried to screw his eyes closed, but they were held wide by some invisible force. He couldn't bear it.

The fire in his veins, the pulling on his limbs dulled as Harry forced his consciousness into the deepest recesses of his mind, a safe place where there was no Ginny, no Teddy, no Ron or Hermione, no home. He started to pull away from himself, from Harry, and as he forgot his own being he felt a warmth envelope over him.

"Good," a voice said, though he couldn't identify who it belonged to, for it was far off and distant. "Good, Potter, I can sense that you are beginning to lose yourself. Let go, Potter."

Letting go sounded like bliss, Harry thought. Let go, let go. He felt himself give over, closing off from the pain and the memories. The figures in front of him vanished, he was in an unfamiliar place, surrounded by unfamiliar voices, which had raised abruptly.

"Rodolphus," one of the voices said. "Rodolphus, do you hear-"

And suddenly there was a great bang that exploded around the room, followed by a scuffling sound and a yelp.

"Fuck!" a new voice, this one a woman's, cried. "Stupefy!"

"Petrificus totalus!" a man shouted. He sounded achingly familiar, and Harry had a flash of a warm room with a plush sofa in front of a great stone fireplace.

Harry felt the binds on his wrists snap, and he fell to the ground like a marionette with its strings cut as whatever enchantment had been holding him upright fell away. He looked up at the rafters above him as jets of light soared overhead and voices cried out around him.

And then suddenly there was a great, silent gap in things, and Harry felt the air around him shift and tilt. He could hear feet running, the floorboards beneath him creaking ominously. A red-haired man suddenly entered his line of vision, hovering over him in concern. Harry knew this man, and he opened his mouth in an effort to identify him.

The man noticed this and put a gentle arm on his shoulder.

"Don't speak, mate," he said. "We're going to get you out of here, we just have to make sure the others can move."

The others. Who were the others? Harry turned his head and saw a woman with long, dirty blonde hair holding out her wand and murmuring over a man lying prone on the floor, seemingly unconscious.

"Ron?" a woman called, and suddenly the red-haired man above him had a name. Yes, Harry thought, Ron. Ron, who had sat with him on the sofa in front of the warm fire. "Ron," the woman said again. "Is he alright?"

"I don't know," this Ron said apprehensively. "He looks out of it."

Another head popped into view, a waterfall of hair tickling Harry's face as it's owner peered into his eyes. "Harry?" she asked, her voice shaky. "Sweetheart, can you hear me?"

A small, warm hand reached out and brushed the hair from his forehead, and Harry was flooded with a deep sense of comfort. His mouth opened, almost against his will.

"Ginny?" he croaked, his throat burning as he tried to sit up. "Ginny, are you alright?"

Ron laughed and Ginny's face broke into a great smile. "You're asking me if I'm alright?" she asked incredulously.

"Did they hurt you?" Harry asked. "Did they hurt Teddy?"

Ginny's eyebrows knotted in concern. "No, sweetheart, I'm fine. Teddy's fine, he's at home with Andromeda. Hermione's just getting in touch with St. Mungo's and we're going to get you out of here."

Harry grimaced. Why did she keep calling him sweetheart? "I can't go to St. Mungo's," Harry told her, trying to sit up again. "I need to arrest the Lestranges."

Ginny shook her head. "Don't worry about them," she said, taking his clammy hand in her own. "They're not going anywhere. Please, Harry, just rest for a moment."

Harry nodded, comforted by their intertwined fingers. He let himself fall back for a moment as Ginny brushed her thumb against his knuckles again and again while murmuring to him quietly, and before he could really realize what was happening, darkness had overtaken him.



The lights above Harry were uncomfortably bright, and he screwed his eyes even more tightly shut in an effort to avoid the intrusion. He suddenly realized that he wasn't in his own bed, and he sprang up as the encounter with the Lestranges flew to the forefront of his thoughts. He reached out and sought his wand, opening his eyes and taking in the bedside table next to him where the stick of holly sat next to a potted plant.

"Oi!" a voice called, and Harry glanced over his other shoulder to see Ginny, sitting at his bedside and holding a cup of coffee. "What do you think you're doing?"

"Ginny," Harry said. "Where are the Lestranges? Where am I? Are Ernie and Padma alright? Rodolphus, he's a Legilimens, I never knew…."

Ginny reached out and placed a gentle hand on Harry's chest, pushing him softly back onto his pillows.

"Relax," she said firmly. "The Lestranges are in custody and you're in Spell Damage at St. Mungo's. Ernie and Padma are down the corridor; they're fine."

"Spell Damage?" Harry asked, looking around the room. The fluorescent lights illuminated his bed and the bedside table behind him. There was another empty chair on the opposite side of the bed from Ginny. "Why? I feel fine."

Ginny looked as though she was trying very hard not to roll her eyes, though she was exceptionally pale, and Harry could see that her hands were shaking as they clutched the cup of coffee.

"How long have I been out?" he asked softly, taking a moment to recognize what he'd likely put her through.

"Not long. It's Tuesday morning," Ginny said, sitting back a bit. "We found you near midnight."

"Tuesday morning!" Harry cried, trying to sit up again, though it was hardly an easy feat. "You're meant to be at practice."

Ginny's eyes narrowed at him, and he knew she was furious that he would even suggest such a thing when he was in hospital.

"I'm sorry for worrying you," Harry said, picking at his bedding.

"Worrying me?" Ginny asked, giving a dry laugh. "I just about had a nervous breakdown. You'd clearly been tortured for hours, and when you didn't recognize Ron I thought you were past the point of help."

She took a deep breath and turned to look at the blank, white wall of Harry's room. He could tell she was trying very hard not to cry.

"Ginny," he said, reaching out and grabbing her hand. She laced her fingers through his and placed her other hand on top of them both. "I swear, I'm fine."

"I know," she said. "I just hate seeing you like that, is all. They gave you Dreamless Sleep Potion when you got here, but before that you were crying out for me and Teddy, begging and pleading. It was just awful. Ron had to leave; he couldn't stand it."

Harry thought of the image of Ginny, lying in the puddle of her own blood, and Teddy screaming in pain. He shook his head as if trying to dislodge those terrible thoughts, but he knew they would linger.

"How did you know?" Harry asked. "How to find me?"

Ginny smiled. "You missed my scrimmage," she said simply. "I knew you wouldn't have forgotten if you hadn't found Mundungus, but as it got later and later and I hadn't heard from you, I grew worried. I got in touch with Hermione and she was able to track Dung down to the interrogation room where you were holding him in the Ministry. We spoke to him and he told us about the mirrors and the Tannery. Hermione Flooed Ron, who got in touch with Neville, who was visiting with Luna, and we all met in the village and retraced your steps from there."

"I can't believe you got them," Harry said. "I can't believe it's over."

Ginny gave him a small smile. "It was Neville who brought them down in the end. He's gone back to the school, though. It was… it was hard for him, I think."

Harry nodded.

"Well," he said. "Thank you for finding me."

"You're not getting away from me that easy, Potter," Ginny said, finally allowing a tear to trickle down her cheek. "I'm so proud of you. It's been so long, and now it's done. Kingsley was here earlier. They found all of Dagmar's gold and coded letters to other governments all over the world in that bloody barn. He's got codebreakers working on them now, but we know who the Lestranges were aiding, and vice versa. They had some deal where they were trying to buy a giant army from the Belarusian Minister of Magic. Anyways, Kingsley's just about had enough. He went over Proudfoot and Robards to give Savage and Williamson the sack this morning. Said something about the old Aurors never being willing to get their hands dirty."

Relief flooded through Harry's veins. Could it really, really be over? After nearly four years of uncertainty and anger, he felt a sudden contentedness settle over him. He relaxed onto the pillow.

Ginny smiled at him. "I'll find a healer," she said. "We'll get you home; I can see that you still have all your faculties." She grinned wickedly for a moment. "Well, as many of your faculties as you had before you found the Lestranges."

Harry smiled. "Stay," he said, pulling on her hand. She took the hint and stood, leaning over him and pressing a kiss to his dry lips.

"I love you," she said, reaching up again to brush his hair back. "Do me a favor and never scare me like again."

"I can't make any promises," Harry said softly. "I love you, too."

They were still for a moment, likely thinking of the other possible outcomes of Harry's rush into Barrowden, contemplating the nature of his work.

"Perhaps you should become an Auror," Harry said after a moment, flashing his girlfriend a small smile. "You've been on enough cases at this point, you might as well be getting paid for them."

Ginny laughed. "I'll stick with Quidditch, thanks. Being an Auror's not nearly dangerous or exciting enough for me. But I think you're right," she said, leaning back with a wink and making for the door. "We work much better together."

And with that she left the room, leaving Harry to lie back on the pillows with a sweet, floral scent in his nose.
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