Chapter 92: A New Mission
Harry Potter and all of its characters belong to J.K. Rowling.
I own only the original characters I create.
"Dialogue"
'Thoughts'
-Author notes-
Chapter 92: A New Mission
When he returned to the castle, he found Dibble waiting for him in the entrance hall.
"Master Harry is back!" the house-elf said, his large eyes bright with relief. "Dibble was so worried."
"I'm fine, Dibble. I only left for a bit. There is nothing to be worried about." Harry responded.
"The other day, Master Harry was attacked while shopping at Diagon Alley." The house-elf pointed out.
"Right..." Harry did not argue against that.
He was a wanted person now. So every outing was a risk...that much was true.
But his mind was already somewhere else. "Dibble, I need you to take me to the headquarters of the order. There is something important I need to discuss with Tom."
Dibble nodded, his expression turning serious. "Dibble will take Master Harry immediately."
He extended his small hand, and Harry took it. The world twisted around them, and a moment later, they reappeared in the familiar underground facility of the Knights of Walpurgis.
The place was much emptier than the last time he visited. Since there was no scheduled meeting, the other members must have had things to do. After all, they all have their own lives.
"Harry?"
He turned his head to one side and found himself staring at the massive form of Rodolphus Lestrange.
The man was carrying a crate of supplies, his powerful arms flexing under the weight. But what caught Harry's attention was the large, black eyepatch covering his left eye...the one he had lost during the Azkaban rescue.
"Mister Rodolphus," Harry said, his voice softening. "How are you doing?"
Rodolphus set down the crate and shrugged, a faint smile playing at the corners of his lips. "As well as can be expected. The healers say the wound has healed as well as one could hope for a cursed one. The eye is gone, but the pain has faded at least."
"I'm sorry about that," Harry said.
"Bah! dont worry about it, Harry. I still have my good eye." Rodolphus pointed at his other eye and winked at him while smiling. " And I knew the risks when I joined the Knights. I knew what I was fighting for." He tapped the eyepatch. "This is a small price to pay for the freedom of our country."
Harry nodded, though he still felt a pang of guilt. Maybe, if he had been stronger, Rodolphus would still have both eyes, and Dolohov would be alive. "Are you planning on getting one of those magical eyes?" He recalled Alastor Moody and his all-seeing eye.
Rodolphus shook his head. "I dont know, I haven't thought about it. Those eyes look very creepy."
"That...may be true. But they can be very useful." Harry paused. "Or so I heard."
Rodolphus's smile widened. "I'll consider it after asking Bella. Oh, and...what brings you here today?. I dont think there was any scheduled meeting."
"I came to see Tom. Is he here?. I came without warning, so..."
"Mmm...looks important," Rodolphus muttered. He picked up the crate and pointed to the corridor he had just come through. "Tom is in the main meeting room over there. Bella is with him. They've been discussing some future project or something like that."
Harry nodded. "Thank you, Mister Rodolphus."
"You can drop the Mister already. The man paused and looked back over his shoulder. "You're a good lad, Harry. Take care of yourself."
"Thank you. You too." He waved and walked away.
Tom and Bellatrix were in the main meeting room, poring over maps and documents. They looked up as Harry entered, their expressions shifting from surprise to concern.
"Harry? I thought you were in France," Bellatrix said, rising from her chair. "I wasn't expecting you here today."
"I know," Harry said. "But I have something important to tell you. Something that couldn't wait."
Tom gestured to the chair opposite him. "Sit. Tell us."
Harry sat, his hands clasped in his lap.
"I spoke with Sebastian Greengrass in his cabin," Harry began. "He told me something that made me worried."
Tom's expression did not change, but his eyes sharpened. "Go on."
Harry took a deep breath. "He said there's a traitor within the Knights of Walpurgis."
Tom's expression did not change, but his eyes sharpened. "Go on."
Harry took a deep breath. "He said there's a traitor within the Knights of Walpurgis."
The words hung in the air.
Bellatrix's hand tightened on her wand. "A traitor? That's impossible. Everyone in the Knights has proven their loyalty."
"Have they?" Tom asked quietly. He leaned back in his chair, his fingers steepled. "Loyalty can be faked. Allegiance can be bought. Or coerced. We ourselves have a couple of spies in the Ministry. It's not surprising to think that Albus Dumbledore had also managed to get one of our own."
Harry nodded. "Sebastian said someone has been feeding information to Dumbledore."
Bellatrix's face paled and turned to Tom. "You knew about this?"
"I think there has been a traitor with us for a long time, yes," Tom said. "And I think they are still among us."
Harry felt a chill run down his spine. "Who do you suspect?"
Tom shook his head. "I suspect everyone. That is the only way to be safe." He paused. "But I will not act without proof. If we start accusing our own people, we will tear ourselves apart before Dumbledore even lifts a finger."
Harry nodded slowly. "So what do we do?"
"We play our hand with the idea that Dumbledore could already know what cards we hold," Tom said.
Harry realized that his urgent visit had been completely unnecessary. "You knew all of this already. So my information wasn't...new."
"No," Tom said. "But it was good that you came to me with it. It shows that you trust me. And trust is important, especially now."
Harry felt a strange mixture of relief and embarrassment. He had thought he was bringing crucial information, only to find out that Tom already knew.
"I've already taken measures," Tom continued. "I have people watching the most likely suspects. I have wards in place that will alert me if anyone tries to contact Dumbledore. And I have a plan to deal with the traitor when they reveal themselves."
Harry nodded slowly. "So I don't need to worry about it?"
"You don't," Tom said firmly. "Your focus should be on your training and the upcoming mission. Leave this traitor to me."
Harry wanted to argue, but he knew Tom was right. He had enough to worry about without adding a traitor hunt to his list.
"Okay," he said. "I trust you."
Tom smiled. "Good. Now, let's discuss the next mission."
"A new mission?" Harry asked.
"Indeed," Said Tom. "And it is going to be a very crucial one."
"We are preparing for another assault on the Ministry," Bellatrix said, unrolling a large map across the table. " One that hopefully is going to cripple Dumbledore's power base."
Harry leaned forward, studying the map. It showed the layout of the Ministry of Magic...the Atrium, the Department of Magical Law Enforcement, the Wizengamot chambers, and the lower floors that descended into darkness.
"How?" Harry asked.
"The Wizengamot," Tom said. "Dumbledore's most loyal supporters sit on the Wizengamot. They pass his laws, enforce his decrees, and silence his critics. If we remove them, Dumbledore's grip on the Ministry will weaken greatly."
"I thought Dumbledore was in full control of the country," Harry said.
"It is not as full as he would like to," Bellatrix said. "Yes, he controls most of it, but there are still many individuals who would oppose Dumbledore's rule if they were given the chance. If we can eliminate his most loyal and powerful supporters and followers, we will create an opening for a proper rebellion against his tyrannical rule."
Bellatrix pointed to several names on the map. "Arthur Weasley is the Chief Warlock. He is Dumbledore's most powerful ally. Then there is Lord Longbottom, Lord Bones, and Lady Diggory. They are all loyal to the Headmaster."
Harry frowned. "So, do you want to...kill them?"
"Perhaps some of them. But we may not need to go to such extremes," Tom said. "Some can be... persuaded. Others need to be removed by force. But the goal is the same...to break Dumbledore's hold on the Ministry."
Harry nodded slowly. "When?"
"The last day of the school term," Bellatrix said. "Dumbledore will be at Hogwarts, overseeing the end-of-year feast. He won't be able to assist the Ministry in time. That will be our best chance. The Ministry will be at its weakest."
Harry's heart pounded. It was a bold plan. Dangerous. But if it worked, it could change everything.
"I remember," Harry said slowly, "there was an attack on the Ministry during my first year. It was how I was able to sneak into Dumbledore's laboratory."
Tom nodded. "That attack was orchestrated by Bellatrix. We knew what you were planning, thanks to Dibble. We wanted to give you a window."
Harry looked at Bellatrix, surprised. "You did that for me?"
Bellatrix smiled. "We believed in you, Harry. We still do."
Harry felt a warmth spread through his chest. But then a thought struck him.
"Wait...there's something else," he said while looking at the map before him. "The Re-Education Center. It's beneath the Ministry, isn't it?"
Tom's expression flickered. "Yes. On the lower floors. Why?."
"My friend...Pansy might still be there," Harry said. "I never forgot about her. If there's a chance to rescue her, I need to try."
"Parkinson's daughter..." Tom was silent for a moment. Then he nodded slowly. " Very well, we will include a visit to the Re-Education Center in our plans. If Miss Pansy is there, we will bring her home. It's the least I can do for a loyal friend."
Harry felt a surge of gratitude. "Thank you."
<><>
The next few weeks passed in a blur while Harry prepared.
He returned to Potter Castle and threw himself into his training once more.
He spent hours in the grimoire's inner library, learning new spells and refining his technique.
He practiced Apparition in the training room, focusing his will on a specific destination and disappearing from one spot to reappear in another.
"Focus," the Founder had told him. "The destination must be clear in your mind. You must see it, feel it, know it. Then, and only then, can you move through the void."
Harry practiced again and again. At first, he splinted himself...leaving small pieces of skin behind. But with time and patience, he mastered it.
He also learned new combat spells...spells designed to incapacitate rather than kill, to give him an advantage without crossing the line into darkness.
<><>
When the day of the attack arrived, Harry stood in the entrance hall of Potter Castle, his dragonhide robe concealed beneath his travelling cloak, his wand holstered at his thigh.
The Invisibility Cloak was folded in his bag, and the amulet Dibble had given him was hidden beneath his clothes.
Dibble appeared beside him, his large eyes glistening. "Master Harry is ready?"
"I think so," Harry said.
Dibble nodded, his ears drooping. "Dibble will wait for Master Harry to return."
Harry knelt and placed a hand on the house-elf's shoulder. "Thank you, Dibble. For everything."
Dibble nodded, unable to speak.
Harry then walked outside his castle until he crossed the ward, took a deep breath, and lifted his wand.
"Let's do this...wait for me, Pansy. I'll get you back." He focused his will on his target location. He saw it in his mind, felt it, knew it.
Then he disappeared.
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