Story: The Uprising

Summary: All is seemingly well in Wizarding Britain as the last aftershocks of the War against the Dark Lord fade away, but a series of murders lead ace Auror Daphne Greengrass to a threat that may throw her world yet again into imbalance.

Chapter 26: "Stun Them All"

With the announcement that the Ministry had been unable to enter the wards of Ynys Mon, Daniel had relaxed considerably. The wards around their cottage would last a full day, and the last thing he expected was for them to be triggered, so he was shocked when a surge of magical energy went through the cottage, warning him that the Perimeter Ward had been triggered.

He and Sandra both shot up in alarm from their bed and looked at each other.

"What was that?" Sandra asked.

Daniel answered cautiously, "I don't know. Maybe the neighbour's kid again?"

"At this hour?" asked Sandra dubiously. "Especially after an attack? No one should be outside right now."

She was right.

"I'll go check," he sighed, getting out of bed and putting on his slippers.

"Be careful," Sandra called after him. "Stay inside the wards."

He padded downstairs and walked up to his front door, feeling for his wand in his pocket. It was pretty useless here on Ynys Mon, but he still liked the comfort of having it on him. It was pitch dark outside - only the main thoroughfares were lit, and their cottage was on a side street. He would have to go outside.

He snapped his fingers and felt magical energy drain out of him, forming a glowing white ball above his hand. It pulsed, as if it were made of pure energy, but he could put his hand through it and feel nothing. It was made of pure light and didn't let off any heat.

He opened the door and stepped outside. Almost immediately, he was able to make out a figure lying prone on his front yard. He rushed towards it, making sure to stay within the wards, and turned the body over. It was a middle-aged man, ruddy-haired with specks of grey on his sideburns and beard. Daniel checked for a pulse - it was there. The wards had merely knocked the man unconscious.

If Sandra were there, she would have yelled at him. She would have told him to leave the man outside and call the Council. Later Daniel would say that he didn't know what possessed him to do otherwise. In that moment though, he touched the man's body and willed it to rise. It did so, draining at his magic once again. The man's body followed him inside, and he laid it on his couch.

With another touch to the forehead, the man was revived. Daniel stood over him, hand outstretched and palm facing him. The man spluttered and sat up.

"No funny business," said Daniel quietly. "Who are you and why are you here? I don't recognize you."

The man held his hands up in surrender.

"Relax mate. Where am I?" he asked, looking around, wide-eyed.

"In my house," said Daniel. "You set off my wards."

Understanding dawned on the man's face. "Ah yes, I remember now. Sorry mate, didn't realize I was on your property, I was just walking down the street."

He got up, but Daniel pushed him down with a shove. "Who are you?" he repeated. The man fidgeted.

"Wait," he said suddenly, looking at Daniel closely. "I know you. Your name's Bedlam, right?"

He laughed, as if in relief, and Daniel took a step back. How did the man know his name?

"Daniel?" called Sandra from upstairs. "Who is it?"

"Just a second, honey," he answered, and then in a lower voice, he hissed at the man, "how do you know my name?"

The man stood up again and held out his hand, "Name's McCullum. You might remember me as Tiberius?"

Daniel stared at McCullum in shock. Tiberius was the name the hooded man who had gotten Elizabeth into Hogwarts had given him.

"How's your daughter?" asked McCullum, looking around. "I hope I didn't frighten her. Is she set for Hogwarts?"

Daniel stuttered. He didn't know what to say. He didn't expect to see Tiberius again, and definitely not unhooded.

"What are you doing here?" asked Daniel when he finally found his voice.

"I'm a Ministry Auror," answered McCullum. "Part of the er ... invasion force that got through the wards. Lovely home you got here by the way ..."

"The Council said no one got through the wards," said Daniel.

"Oh good," McCullum said. He sounded pleased with himself. "We don't want them to see us coming, you know. Say, tell you what, I could really use a hand ... you know how to use magic around this place, right?"

"I'm not going to just ..."

"Sure you are," said McCullum, shooting him a piercing look. "Let me tell you why - your daughter's life is in danger."

"How dare you threaten ..." began Daniel.

"Not from me, you bozo," cut in McCullum. "I'm an Auror, I'm not going to go around hurting little kids. She's in danger from your government - from the Council. They're planning to blow up the Hogwarts Express, did you know? No, I bet you didn't. I bet Justin doesn't talk about his plans that widely, eh? But we heard about it, we got the news. That's why the Ministry attacked today. It was a preemptive strike. We want to make sure the kids are safe tomorrow - including your daughter."

Daniel did what must have been an excellent impression of a fish.

"We're not the bad guys here," said McCullum softly. "I'm a Muggleborn, like you. I know it's not great in Britain, but we don't kill kids there."

Daniel swallowed. "What do you need?"

McCullum held out his hand and grinned as Daniel shook it. "We need to set off some fireworks."

****** TU TU TU TU TU TU ******

"Let's do this properly," said Justin. There was a wild smile on his face that unnerved Harry. "You remember that duelling club we had in second year, Potter? When you set that snake on me? Let's do it the way Snape and Lockhart taught us. George, would you be so kind as to put up a Shielding Ward for us?"

A man Harry remembered as being from the Council stepped forward and touched the altar. Immediately, a Shielding Ward flared into existence, surrounding most of the area of the village square and leaving only Harry, Justin and George inside. George stumbled, and then staggered back to the edge of the square where some of his friends helped him sit down. Spells were expensive on Ynys Mon, Harry observed.

"Come Potter," Justin said, standing over the altar. "Let's agree to our terms."

Harry edged slowly towards the altar. Justin had his right hand placed on it, and after a moment's hesitation, Harry did the same.

"Do you agree, Potter, to respect the result of our duel and stand by the terms we agreed on?"

"I do," said Harry quietly.

"And I do as well," said Justin, and the altar flared with a blinding magical energy that made Harry stagger backwards. It took all his effort to keep his hand pinned on the altar. When the light faded, he and Justin stepped back, and Harry saw that Justin seemed imbibed with the same magical energy Harry could feel coursing through his veins. Ynys Mon had made them equals.

They stepped into position, each facing the other. Doubt raced through Harry's mind - was he right to have promised what he promised? Especially on Hermione's behalf, without consulting her?

"Count us down, will you George?" called Justin.

George got up shakily. Harry sent out tendrils of his magic, reaching out to the land beneath him. Ynys Mon responded to him playfully, whispering to him in words he didn't understand, and he felt the island's strength reinforce his.

"Three, two, one, begin!"

Justin smirked and dashed his palm on the ground. The Magic of Ynys Mon stopped being playful and screeched, full of warning. Harry jumped and rolled out of the way. He was glad he did, for a sinkhole opened up where he had been standing. Justin's face contorted in anger. Before he could do anything, Harry fired off three stunners that Justin had to dive to avoid.

"How are you using British magic?" raged Justin.

Harry didn't answer. The Magic of Ynys Mon continued to sing to him, and he had no time to wonder about why it responded to him the way it did. He fired off another stunner that should've caught Justin, but Justin sent up an earthen wall in the nick of time to defend himself. The spell impacted the wall harmlessly and dissipated away.

The wall broke into two massive boulders that hurled themselves at Harry.

"Confringo!" shouted Harry, and one of the boulders blew up, showering him with debris as he ducked to avoid the other.

Another boulder followed, and then another, forcing Harry to duck under one and dodge the other. He had to use another Confringo on the third, and he suddenly felt tired after the spell's use. It drained his magical energy faster than the Island could replenish it, he realized.

He shot another barrage of stunners, forcing Justin to put up another shield, and the hail of boulders stopped, allowing him to catch his breath. He was panting heavily, his breath coming in deep gasps. An idea struck him, and while Justin was still hidden behind his physical shield, he called on the Island to hide him. He felt its magic wash over him, and gasps from the crowd told him it might have worked.

Justin's shield came down and he prepared to hurl another boulder, but then stopped when Harry was no where to be seen. Harry started edging slowly towards Justin.

"Where are you, Potter!" roared Justin heavily. "Where did he go?" he demanded, turning to look at the crowd. Harry took advantage of his distraction and shot a stunner Justin must have sensed it coming because he darted to the side, whirling around to smack the ground.

Again, the magic warned Harry, and he jumped, dancing around as Justin opened up sinkhole after sinkhole near where Harry was standing. Realization dawned slowly on Harry. Ynys Mon was helping Justin the same way it was helping him. But why?

****** TU TU TU TU TU TU ******

As the fireworks blazed in the air in response to Harry's, Daniel couldn't help but feel exhilarated. He had been a Ravenclaw at Hogwarts, always one to follow the rules and toe the line. This was an exercise in daring and adventure that was beyond anything he had experienced.

"Good job," said McCullum to him as they gazed up at the showers of sparks filling the sky. "I thought maybe I could set off two or three one after the other, but setting off a full dozen? And all together? Pretty impressive."

"Well, I've been here a while," said Daniel modestly. "I do have some ability with the Magic of the Island."

He spoke almost reverently of the magic, and McCullum must have picked up on it, because he asked, "Is it that different from British Magic?"

"Oh it is," nodded Daniel emphatically. "Once you learn to feel it, once you realize you're communicating with an almost sentient being, it's hard to go back to using British magic. British magic, it's self-contained. Except for maybe Potions and Runes, you use your own magic, and that's it. That's why you need to use wands to amplify the magic within you cores. It's weaker magic, but it's more sustainable. You can do a lot of it without feeling even slightly tired. Ynys Mon magic, it takes a lot out of you, but it's much much more powerful - it's not just your magic, you see, it's your magic and that of the environment."

"But you have to do some kind of sacrifice to get the environment to assist you?" asked McCullum.

"Precisely," said Daniel. "It's a transaction with the environment, not just with your own magic. But like I said, once you feel it, it's hard to go back. It's almost ... intoxicating. And it's beautiful. If not for this war, I wouldn't leave it. I would stay here, but I have to think of my daughter ..."

"Understandable," soothed McCullum. "I've a niece you know; she's Muggle, but she's the world to me. Couldn't imagine bringing her out here, not with constant attacks and conflict. War isn't good. It's never good, not for anyone, and especially not for the kids."

"Amen to that," said Daniel. He thought back to his wife. Sandra wasn't happy that he was insisting on helping the old Auror, but he told her he had to do it, for Elizabeth. There wasn't much he wouldn't do for his beloved daughter, and his wife knew when she wouldn't win an argument.

"Is there a way to get off the island?" asked McCullum suddenly.

Daniel looked at him strangely. "Why? You don't think Potter's bluff will work?"

"It's a shot in the dark," admitted McCullum. "If things get out of hand, I would like to be able to leave. Preferably with them."

"Everyone on the Island gets an emergency portkey," said Daniel, tapping his chin as he thought. "But they're usually small items ... like a pencil or a badge or a small stone. It's something you can keep in your pocket at all times. Sandra and I both have one each - I could give you mine, but I'd have to explain how I lost it ..."

"You're leaving the Island anyway," pointed out McCullum. "I don't want to force you, but ..."

"No you're right," said Daniel with a sigh. He pulled out a pencil from his pocket and handed it to McCullum. "We'll use Sandra's portkey to leave. This should take you to a Muggle safehouse somewhere in Britain, but I assume once you're off the Island, you can apparate to London."

McCullum accepted the pencil gratefully. "Thanks, Bedlam," he said. "I really appreciate it. I know this is a shot in the dark, but if it works, you know, you'll be a hero."

Daniel gave him a tired smile. "I just want the world to be safe for my daughter," he said. "In the end that's what most of the people here wanted, a safe place to raise their kids. Pity it got out of hand."

"Pity indeed," said McCullum. "I say, what's that?"

He was pointing in the distance, close to where Potter's firework had come from. A giant dome was shimmering in the sky.

Daniel shrugged. "Looks like Potter's getting a reaction. I don't know what that is, though."

"Let's see if we need to go bail them out," said McCullum with a grunt.

They hurried towards the dome. Once or twice, McCullum almost took a wrong turn, but Daniel guided him aright as they zigzagged through the narrow streets towards the dome. The narrower streets gave way to larger streets, and the dome appeared bigger and bigger, right until they reached the Village Square.

"Holy cow," muttered Daniel, staring in wide eyes as the shield surrounding Potter and Justin as they duelled inside.

"I guess the bluff worked," said McCullum. "They managed to force a duel."

"It did," a disembodied voice near them said, making Daniel nearly jump out of his skin. "Potter offered himself and Granger as stakes against the surrender of Ynys Mon. Who's your friend?"

McCullum let out a low whistle.

"High stakes for him," he said, then he gestured Daniel forward. "Daniel Bedlam. Muggleborn, Ynys Mon resident, he helped with the fireworks, and has a portkey for us in case things go south."

"Thank you, Mr Bedlam," said the voice politely. "Your assistance is appreciated."

"You're welcome," murmured Daniel. He figured, by now, that McCullum had an invisible friend somewhere, and thought it prudent not to ask questions, choosing instead to observe the Village Square. It looked nothing like how Daniel remembered it - the ground had deep gashes in it near where Justin stood, and the other side was littered with rocks and boulders. In the midst of it all, the altar stood, glowing a brighter golden than Daniel had ever seen it glow. He let out a low whistle.

"What is it?" asked McCullum.

"Check out the altar," said Daniel. "It's absorbing all of that excess magic and glowing."

"From the duel, you mean?" asked the disembodied voice.

Daniel shifted uncomfortably, not sure where to look when addressing the voice. Finally deciding to keep looking at the duel, where Justin was hurling another boulder at Potter, he answered, "Yes. There's excess magic here, much like Hogwarts, and the altar siphons off that excess magic to strengthen the wards. That's why it's next to impossible for the Ministry to break through the wards."

The two Aurors said nothing, though Daniel saw McCullum raise an eyebrow in the general direction of where the voice was coming from.

"So the altar," began the voice cautiously, "it's some kind of focusing agent? Like a wardstone?"

Daniel shrugged. "I don't know the magic behind it."

They fell again into silence, watching the duel unfold. Daniel wondered what the Aurors had in mind. Frankly, he didn't know how they were going to get to Potter, and have the three of them portkey away without someone realizing what was going on. He wondered if he should slip away in the night and use Sandra's portkey to get to the mainland, and hopefully never see these Aurors again. He had a feeling though, that it was too late, and he was already too deep in the middle of things. There was nothing to do, but see it through. For Elizabeth's sake, he told himself. He had to do it for Elizabeth's sake. Taking a deep breath, he pushed these thoughts from his mind and resumed watching the duel

****** TU TU TU TU TU TU ******

Justin was beginning to pant as he threw another boulder at Harry. Harry himself was feeling tired and his back was beginning to ache. This was by far the most physically strenuous duel he had been in - Voldemort and his Death-Eaters had tended to stand in one place and just shoot spells, but Justin kept moving and he kept you moving.

The magic he was using was largely physical too. Large chunks of rock from the ground being heaved at Harry, sinkholes appearing under him, it was all magic that forced him to duck and jump and avoid. He hadn't cast a single protego that duel. Silently, he thanked Merlin for the physical regimen Daphne had put him on.

He threw another volley of stunners at Justin, followed by a few Leg-Lockers, but Justin just brought up another boulder and blocked them all. Harry almost rolled his eyes as he dove to the right to avoid that boulder. This was getting repetitive.

And then something happened. Justin slipped, and a Cutter that Harry had aimed at Justin cut through his forearm, exposing blood and bone. Justin cried out in pain as blood gushed from his arm, spurting on the ground. Harry shot another stunner at Justin, who moved out of the way with effort. He stumbled, awkwardly, towards the altar, and by the time Harry realized what was going on, it was too late.

Justin put his bleeding arm on the altar, which glowed even brighter as it absorbed the blood and paid Justin back for his sacrifice with Magic. Harry's eyes widened. Desperately, he shot hex after hex, curse after curse at Justin, but each of them was absorbed by a blue shield that appeared between him and Justin. The Island, he realized, didn't want him beating Justin. Justin was feeding its magic.

"Avada Kedavra."

The words tasted like poison as they left his mouth. Never, not even against Voldemort had he used that curse. Shocked gasps went through the crowd, but he knew it was the only curse that could break through the shield.

The blinding green curse fled from Harry's wand and towards Justin, who stared at it with wide eyes. And then, with a loud clang, it hit the shield and fizzled away.

Cheers reverberated from the crowd, and Harry staggered back. Never, not once, except for when he himself had defeated Voldemort as a baby, had the killing curse failed. And now, here on Ynys Mon, that one instance had become two. Some part of his brain registered the fact that he himself had resisted the curse due to his mother's sacrifice. Was that a product of some Celtic Magic, he wondered. Had his mother discovered some long forgotten ritual or spell?

Justin stepped away from the altar. His arm, Harry noticed, was healed and he looked refreshed, completely refreshed. He was suddenly incredibly aware of his own ragged breath, coming in gasps.

He knew it was coming before it came - he didn't know if it was intuition, or if the island telling him to expect it - and so he threw up the strongest shield he knew. Justin raised his arm, and a visible stream of magic shot out of his hand and hit Harry's shield so hard, he was forced to take several steps back.

Justin shot him a vicious smile, not letting up his attack in the slightest. Harry could feel his own remaining magical reserves draining slowly, beginning to diminish. On the other side, Justin still looked fresh, and he knew, then, that this was a battle he couldn't win.

****** TU TU TU TU TU TU ******

Harry was losing. Daphne knew she couldn't let Harry lose ... there was too much at stake. Whatever had happened to heal Justin had lost Harry the upper hand and unless he chopped off a limb, there was little chance that Ynys Mon would help him.

"Should we do something?" asked McCullum in a low voice. Worry lined his face. Bedlam, too, was looking distinctly uncomfortable.

She stared at the scarred Village Square weighing her options.

"Bedlam," she said, "what can you tell me about this shield that's surrounding the square? Is it the same shield spell used in international duelling tournaments?"

Bedlam shrugged. "Close enough," he said. "It'll keep most spells inside the shield from harming spectators, and it'll prevent people from interfering from the outside."

"What about physical objects?"

"I'm not sure," he admitted.

Harry was down on one knee now, fighting to keep the shield up. She didn't have much time. In international duelling tournaments, she knew organizers typically put up two shields - one to keep out spellfire, and one to keep out any physical objects being hurled by the audience. There was only one shield here. Take a deep breath, she closed her eyes and stepped through the shield.

It worked. She went through. She took aim and hurled her vial of Exploding Potion, not at Justin, but at the altar in the middle of the Village Square. The loud explosion caused Finch-Fletchley - who was closer to the altar - to falter and stumble forward a few steps. Harry took advantage of the break in onslaught to drop his shield and catch his breath as he scrambled several feet away. The altar, though, remained pristine, showing only the stains of Finch-Fletchley's blood which were beginning to fade.

"Who's there?" bellowed Finch-Fletchley. "Potter, you cheat, you had someone on the inside all along, didn't you? Insurance, just in case you were going to lose? I call this duel forfeit, I claim your life as mine!"

And he shot his hand out and aimed it at Daphne, forcing her to jump to avoid the stream of magic. As she did so, she slipped, tripping on her Invisibility Cloak, and she was exposed, there for the whole crowd to see.

Cries of "Boo!" emanated from the crowd. They all clearly thought Harry had cheated.

"Well well," said Finch-Fletchley. "What do we have here? A dirty, Pureblooded Slytherin, the Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement herself! Why, Potter, you do love consorting with the enemy!"

Daphne knew she only had one shot. She clutched her vial of Fiendfyre even as Justin raised his hand. Harry shot several hexes and curses at him, but Justin used his other hand to raise a shield to block them. Harry's magic was so spent, he could do little to overcome the shield.

She threw the vial, following it with her eyes. Finch-Fletchley too followed it, surprise showing in his eyes when he realized it wasn't aimed at him, and then they widened as he realized where the vial was headed.

It descended on the altar, breaking on impact, and a large inferno emerged. With little fuel around it to sustain the fire, it burned hotly and only for several seconds. She could feel the heat even from where she stood. Finch-Fletchley was much closer to the altar and he had to cover his face to protect it.

Then they heard a loud crack and the very earth under them rumbled in response. The shield that surrounded the three of them shimmered and then flickered out of existence. The shield Finch-Fletchley had pointed towards Harry disappeared, the flames surrounding the altar died away, and Daphne saw that it had been reduced to a lump of molten metal.

"Fiendfyre," whispered Daphne, more to herself than to anyone else. "Cursed fire."

FInch-Fletchley shot out his left arm at Harry once and then a second time. Nothing happened. Then he tried again with his right arm, the one that had been pointed with Daphne. Nothing happened. His magic wasn't working, she realized.

"Locomotor Mortis!"

The spell raced from Harry's wand, hitting Finch-Fletchley in the chest. His legs snapped together as the Leg-Locker took hold.

He grasped at his pockets, but came up empty. He didn't have his wand on him.

"Seize them!" he roared. Several in the crowd stepped back, but several still stepped forward, wands in hand.

"The wards, Daphne," said Harry suddenly.

"Huh?" she asked, not understanding what he meant.

"The wards are down."

Understanding flooded through her. She eyed Finch-Fletchley uncertainly, and then the advancing crowd.

"If we leave, he might escape," she whispered. And then out loud, "McCullum, get backup."

McCullum exchanged a quick word with his friend and then disappeared. No one in the crowd even noticed - Finch-Fletchley was screaming at them hysterically, demanding they attack the pair.

The first stunner came, and Harry batted it away.

"Protego!" cried Daphne.

Warmth rushed from her magical core and through her arm as a shield flared into existence, protecting her and Harry. She shivered in delight, feeling not unlike she had when she had cast her first spell with her father's wand. It was no wonder Marcus had been willing to sacrifice himself - she had no idea how anyone could live without magic.

Her shield caught the second stunner, and then Harry reinforced it, just in time for a barrage of hexes and curses. Their shield barely held - Daphne didn't think they could survive more than a couple of more spells, and she opened her mouth to tell Harry to apparate away when -

Pop, pop, pop. Two dozen Aurors apparated to the square, wands out. The crowd faltered. Even Finch-Fletchley shut up his ceaseless ramblings.

Daphne smirked. "Stun them all," she said coldly.

Jets of red light hit the villagers attacking them, as the Aurors took them down with military efficiency. A handful were quick enough to realize they could apparate away, but most of them were downed within seconds. A handful tried to fight back, but they were no match for trained Aurors. Daphne herself took great pleasure in stunning Justin herself.

"Anti-apparation, anti-portkey wards," she said. "Now."

Trevor, the Wardmaster's assistant who had helped them get into the island stepped forward. Daphne was glad to see that he and survived. Moments later, the wards went up, and she cast a Sonorus on herself.

"Citizens of Ynys Mon," she said, her voice loud to her own ears as it carried all over the village. "Your Village is now under the control of the Ministry of Magic of Britain. Your Magic has been rendered ineffective. Your Council has been defeated. You will all now make your way to the Village Square, where you will submit to Ministry Aurors. If you comply, you will have clemency. If you don't, if you try and fight, you will face a long sentence in Azkaban. If you try and run, we will catch you, and you will face a long sentence in Azkaban. You have 15 minutes to comply. For your own sakes, for your families' sakes, make your way to the Village Square."

They came, stragglers at first, in ones and twos, and then in groups of threes and fours, and then in larger crowds. They came, quietly surrendered their wands, and allowed the Aurors to handcuff them and escort them to the Ministry. They would be held overnight - Daphne had prepared the cells in advance, against the off chance that they actually succeeded - and then most of them would be let go.

She took a deep breath and sat down in a corner of the square, allowing McCullum and Madam Bones to take over.

"I can't believe that worked," she said to Harry, who came and sat with her.

He grinned at her. "You were the only one who thought it would work," he said. "No one else did. Just you."

It had worked, she reflected as she surveyed the Village Square. Men, women and children, Muggleborns of all kinds were standing in line, waiting to be processed. They came ashen-faced, in their nightgowns and in their casual Muggle clothes. There were couples, holding each other close, groups of friends, families with children. All of them had terror and resignation in their eyes, some looked as if their dreams had been shattered. Others still refused to look up at all.

She would be famous now, she knew. Her name would carry clout in the halls of the Ministry, and she decided, then, that she would use that clout to protect these people. There had to be a way to educate them, to integrate them into Wizarding Britain without oppressing them so much that fanatics like Finch-Fletchley could rise and take control. As Daphne leaned against Harry and closed her eyes to rest, she resolved she would find a way.

****** FINISHED ******

AN:

The End! I want your imagination to tell you how things would've played out. In my mind, with Harry, Malfoy and Daphne wielding much political clout, the Ministry will be forced to appeal to disaffected Muggleborns. But tell me what you think! What do you think will happen? I am considering writing an epilogue later to describe some kind of aftermath, but for all intents and purposes, the story is complete.