Disclaimer: Don't own it. If I did, I'd have a lot more time to write!

AN: Hey everyone. I know….you haven't heard from me in a while. I'm still here and kicking. Out little world here has been hit hard this last year with the loss of Broomstick Flyer and the Master SGT. I feel this place is quite a bit diminished by their losses and like I have lost some friends. While I've never met my fellow writers, I do think of them as friends through their writings.

Anyway…I've got a laptop full of ideas to work with and that's what I'm going to try to do. I'm probably pretty rusty (not that I was that good to start with) after my hiatus so bear with me. I will be getting back to things I left unfinished soon. Hopefully, you'll enjoy this little one I'm throwing out.

Too Late for Sorry

It was late November of Harry Potter's sixth year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry and at the moment; Harry Potter was out wandering the halls alone. The students that witnessed this were still getting used to the new reality because in the past, he would always be accompanied by one of his best friends. To everyone in the school, they were known as the Golden Trio based on their rumored adventures and how close they were. There were many who were jealous of the trio but there were also an equal number who thought that the recognition they received was probably well deserved and probably were down played if some of the rumors of their exploits were to be believed.

This year had seen a distinct change in the trio. There were rough spots in the past where the trio was on the outs but now it seemed as if the relationship they shared was in the process of imploding. The female member of the trio seemed to almost hate Harry which many had thought impossible. The other member of the trio was also being met with scorn but at the normal rate shared between them. For the first time since their first year, there was a wall going up between Harry and Hermione. The division between the two was welcomed by the other girls in the castle because it now meant that Harry was finally available after they were kept away due to the rumors of them dating in secret for the last couple of years.

Many who passed him as he walked alone throughout the school couldn't blame Harry for seeking solitude away from the Gryffindor common room. The whole school witnessed at one point or another Hermione's new attitude towards Harry as they had heard the condescending and even hateful tone that she used often when speaking to him ever since the first day of classes. It was a testament to his character that he just took the verbal abuse she heaped upon him without saying a word.

The other member of the trio was not doing anything other than ignoring the other two. It was something that should have been expected as he finally found a girlfriend but the only person to take offense to it was Hermione. This surprised many in the castle as it looked as if Granger was actually jealous of Ron having a girlfriend and many were confused by the whole situation as they believed that she and Harry were a couple.

Despite her hateful attitude, they watched as Harry continued to be there for Hermione no matter what she said and did to him. If there was one thing that was obvious, it was that Harry Potter was in love with Hermione Granger and wished they could find someone that would treat them as Harry did. It was just another trait that made him more desirable. For the longest time, most of the castle's occupants thought that the feelings went both ways and that it was only a matter of time before the two publically became a couple. If anything, the recent interaction had everyone confused.

Besides her intimidating intelligence, Hermione Granger was also seen as the biggest obstacle in getting close to Harry as proven by Cho Chang the previous year. There were some who dared but they usually backed off in the presence of Hermione. It was obvious she had staked her claim in first year and they were now confused by her not acting on it.

**HP**

Harry was out in the halls instead of the common room because he was trying to clear the headache that had formed as Hermione ranted at him yet again over the potions book and whatever else she could find fault with. It was just one of many rants and he didn't understand why she kept on. He followed the notes in the book and it had been brilliant and even offered to share them with his best friends but she took offense. It wasn't like they had never used notes in books before and he did offer to share. He finally decided there must be something more going on than the book issue and his thoughts turned in that direction.

He thought about the DOM fiasco from last year and how he got them hurt. He was sure that was a part of it but the fact that he confided in Ron and Hermione on the train ride home about the Prophecy made him stop on that point. He realized that it was the piece of information that was missing to his puzzle as things began to cool between them at that point. The summer turned out to be not much better than the last but at least he heard from Ron every week while Hermione never wrote him once. He wondered if the Headmaster told them not to write him again and Ron just ignored him. If that was the case, then it did not say much for her friendship at this point.

His thoughts then turned to the ranting he'd just endured. She dug deep and pulled things he did in the past to use against him. Every mistake and error of judgment was thrown in his face. She called into question his intelligence and told him that she didn't know who he was anymore since he had to lie and cheat to make himself look better. At that moment of the rant, he had flashbacks to his fourth year and the Goblet of Fire and the pain she just inflicted caused him to flee the onslaught. He finally came to the conclusion that Hermione no longer wanted him as a friend despite all the crying she did over Ron on his shoulder. He wasn't completely sure of the reasons but had a pretty good idea that she was afraid the adventures would finally catch up to them since someone close to him had died both of the last two years.

His thoughts finally turned to what he should do about this whole situation. After a few more minutes of weighing his options, he let out a sigh and stopped. It was like he had been agonizing over a decision and now that his mind was made up, his shoulders straightened and he turned back to the common room satisfied with his solution to the problem. He hurried along as he had a detention with Snape in about an hour and wanted to get everything ready before the appointed time.

When he arrived in the common room, he saw Ron in the corner with Lavender and grinned. He was happy for his friend and envious. The reasons for both were the same. Ron could do something he could not. He could live a normal life without the threat of this prophecy and Voldemort hanging over his head. Harry shook himself out of his thoughts and moved towards the stairs but before he could get there, Hermione was blocking his path. He turned and gave her a smile before it faded away due to the expression on her face.

What followed next was a fifteen minute rant where she once again pointed out every mistake and quality flaw that she saw in Harry. The common room quickly started emptying as the young witch made her very vocal points. Everyone felt sorry for Harry as he just stood there and took it. It was a red faced Harry who turned to look to his other best friend for backup but soon noticed that he and Lavender had left as well. It hurt that Ron hadn't tried to help but he really couldn't blame him as Hermione had a full head of steam going. When he decided that had heard enough, he held up his hand and cut Hermione off in mid rant. If anyone else had still been in the common room, they would have been amazed at the power he showed which had her sputtering. "I have heard quite enough Miss Granger."

He looked at her stunned face for a minute before he walked up the stairs. When he got to his bed, he sat down heavily. The decisions he had made and the berating he just took from Hermione were enough to not only steel his resolve but to move up the timetable. He stood and went to his trunk where he picked up a bottomless and weightless bag that Sirius had given him. He began to go through his trunk and pull out his text books and anything he thought he would need. When he was done with that task, he went to his nightstand and started pulling out other things. The map, the cloak, and the photo album were quickly placed inside as well. He looked at the clock and saw that his time was running out so he made his way to the bathroom and collected his toiletries. When he was satisfied that he had everything he needed, he took a good look around at the room he had shared with the guys for the last five years and smiled as he thought about the good times they had. It was then he realized he had one last task to perform and he went to his desk and pulled out a piece of parchment.

Hey Ron,

I don't really know what I should say but I guess it all boils down to this. Thanks for being my friend. Don't worry about running off with Lav just now…I would have done the same thing in your place and have if you remember. Run off when Hermione started ranting that is.

We've talked about it so many times in the last few months but it has become too much. The Prophecy, Tom, the Headmaster, and everyone else all want me to do something that you and I both know I'm not ready for. We have been very lucky in most of our adventures but I'm not so arrogant to believe that it was any real skill on our part. In fact, most of our successes have been a whole lot of stupidity blended with some obscure (You liked that word didn't you? Granger would be amazed that we know words like that) spell that Hermione pulled out of that massive brain of hers.

Anyway, I've come up with a plan and intend to see it through. When I complete it, I think I will be much better prepared for what lies ahead.

I've also came to some realizations. The first is that without me around, you and Hermione can start to live normal lives again. Seeing you with Lav makes me envious of you but also proves to me that this is the right thing to do. You may not agree with me but you both would have been put through a lot less if it wasn't for me.

I need a favor from you; I need you to take over the Quidditch team in my absence. I know your eyes just got big at that but the truth is…this is goodbye for now. I know I'm rambling but how do you really say goodbye to someone you think of as a brother? Well, I'm not going to say it because I believe we will meet up again one day.

I do have one more request of you. Please tell Hermione goodbye for me. I would do it myself but well…she's not exactly someone I can talk to at the moment.

Your Brother,

Harry

Harry read over the letter one more time and while it wasn't the best, he knew it would be good enough. He took out an envelope and folded and placed the letter inside. After writing Ron's name on it, he stepped over and slid it under Ron's pillow. He took another look around and then made his way to the rack on the wall which held their brooms. He lifted his Firebolt and then opened his bag. It caused a smile to form on his face when he still found magic amazing as the bag quickly swallowed his broom. In his last act before he left, reached up and pulled a necklace off and stuck it under his pillow.

Before he knew it, he was heading down the stairs and across the common room. Hermione looked up from the paper she was working on as he walked right past her without saying a word. When the portrait closed behind him, she looked on in shock at the way he acted. She felt something in her chest that was pushing her to jump up and run after him but her anger overrode it. She still wasn't sure where all this anger came from but she felt she needed to keep tighter reins on him this year so that a repeat of last wouldn't happen again.

**HP**

After a while, the common room began to fill again as they saw that the danger was over and Hermione was back to being engrossed in her studies. Hermione actually found the buzz of the conversations going on around her comforting as she studied and only looked up when the room went quiet.

As her eyes caught the cause of the silence, she paid attention as it was rare that the professors intruded into the students' living space unless there was a problem or a meeting. With Professor Snape standing behind Professor McGonagall, she knew this wasn't a house meeting which meant something was wrong. As always, her eyes scanned the room for the normal source of trouble and only found Ron sitting there with no sign of Harry.

As soon as Professor McGonagall saw her, she made her way over to the table she was working at. "Miss Granger, have you seen Mr. Potter?"

Hermione looked at the clock. "No ma'am, he went out the portrait door over an hour ago. I assumed it was to go to his detention."

Snape stepped up. "Are you aware of the meaning of assume, Miss Granger?"

She looked at him. "I know the definition."

He smirked. "Definition and meaning are not always the same. In this case, the word you used takes on its true meaning of 'making an ass out of you and me. Mr. Potter may have left for his detention as you assume but I can assure you he never showed up."

She bristled at the comment and looked to her Head of House who remained impassive. "All I can tell you is that he left the common room but I do not know where he went after he left."

Snape smiled and started looking around. When Hermione looked at him questionably, he smirked. "Sorry Miss Granger, I was looking around for something dreadful to happen. I'm shocked that there is something you do not know, especially when it comes to Mr. Potter and his business."

Minerva gave him a glare as Hermione blushed. "No Sir, Harry and I are not on the best of terms right now and he isn't really speaking to me."

Minerva turned and started looking around the room until she found who she was looking for. "Mr. Weasley, do you know where Mr. Potter might have gone?"

"No ma'am. I've been busy and haven't had time to talk to him tonight."

Snape growled out. "Well, why don't you pull yourself away from Miss Brown long enough to go check your room?"

He looked to Minerva who nodded and Ron jumped up and ran up the stairs. Once he entered the room, he saw no sign of Harry and sat down on his bed to think. It was then he had a thought and moved to his nightstand to retrieve the map. At the least, he could point the Professors in the right direction so that he could get back to what he was doing with Lavender. As he reached into the hiding place, he found the map missing along with several other things Harry kept hidden. It was his first indication that something was wrong and he moved to Harry's trunk. Once he opened it, he saw that all of Harry's books were gone as well as some of his better clothes. He was starting to go from concerned to panic when he noticed the brand new bag given to him by Sirius last year was also missing.

He grew nervous because he didn't want to go downstairs and tell the professors anything so he went and splashed water on his face. Once he had dried himself, he looked over and noticed Harry's toiletry shelf was empty. The feeling that had been growing in the pit of his stomach clinched tightly. He was pretty sure what had happened as they had discussed this possibility before but it hurt that Harry didn't come to him first. He then started berating himself for not being there to talk to Harry today. He had seen the pressure his friend was under and should have done something but he was too entranced by Lavender's many charms and assets. When he felt a little more normal, he stepped out into their room and his eyes fell on the broom rack Harry had bought for them. When he saw the Firebolt missing, he fell to his knees as his dinner exploded all over the floor and tears fell from his eyes.

He was found in this position several minutes later when the professors became impatient and sent Neville up to find out what was taking so long. Ron managed to get the story out between heaves and it was a reluctant Neville who went back down the stairs. As soon as he hit the common room floor, he was met with a condescending tone. "Is Mr. Weasley so thick that he cannot even remember what he was sent up for?"

Neville looked at Snape for a minute before turning to Minerva. "Ma'am, you might want to send for Madam Pomfrey. Ron…he's thrown up all over the floor in our room."

"He was fine a few minutes ago and what about Mr. Potter?"

"That's why Ron is sick ma'am. Harry…he's…gone."

She gasped out. "What do you mean gone?"

"Ron and Harry, well you know how close they are. I wasn't trying to listen in but I heard them talking late at night. Everything that was happening has been pushing Harry closer to the edge and he has been talking about leaving ever since we came back to school. Ron was the only one who kept him here."

"But why now?"

Neville glanced at Hermione with a hardness she had never seen in the boy before. "I guess that something or someone pushed him over the edge tonight. If you'll excuse me, I'll go see about taking care of Ron and getting him cleaned up."

He turned and walked back up the stairs. Minerva watched for a minute before she looked over her charges. "Does anyone know what was so special about tonight that caused Mr. Potter to walk out?"

Minerva noticed a lot of eyes glaring at Hermione. Seamus finally said "Why don't you ask Granger? She's been the one tearing strips out of his arse all day." With a final glare at Hermione, Seamus and Dean walked up the stairs and disappeared into their room.

Hermione sat there in shock. Had she really been that bad to Harry? Her mind ran back through today and then started going backwards for the term and her conversations with Harry. She let out a loud sob and jumped out of her chair with wild eyes. Minerva saw the panic in them just before Hermione ran up the stairs towards the boys' dorm.

Minerva turned to Severus. "Perhaps you should go alert the Headmaster while I deal with things here."

Snape didn't make a sarcastic comment as she expected. "I think you are right."

Minerva let out a sigh and moved up the stairs. Hermione was at the door and staring at Harry's bed. She felt drawn to it and was unnerved by the implications. She moved woodenly towards it just as Minerva reached the door. She looked around and saw that the boys had taken care of things and were helping Ron to his bed. All eyes turned to Hermione as she went to the bed and slowly reached under the pillow. When she withdrew her hand, she was holding a Celtic knot on a leather strip. Hermione pulled it close to her chest and broke down completely as she fell onto Harry's bed and curled into a ball.

The boys all looked at Minerva with fear in their eyes at seeing a crying girl. She gave them a half smile. "I appreciate the good job you boys did here. If you will continue to watch over Mr. Weasley, I will return Miss Granger to her own bed and tend to her."

They breathed a sigh of relief as she levitated the distraught Hermione out of the room. Neville pulled up a chair and placed his hand on Ron's arm as he lay there staring at the ceiling. It was a few minutes before he moved and when he did, he made a face like something was bothering him. He lifted himself up and reached under his pillow. When his hand came out, he was holding a letter.

He hurriedly opened it and started reading. Neville watched as he nodded and then gave a brief smile. The next emotion Neville saw was surprise and then something they had never seen before until tonight. A tear started making its way down his cheek and he laid his head back.

Neville asked. "You okay?"

Ron rubbed his face. "Yeah…well I will be. I knew this was coming but I didn't expect it this soon. I thought I could keep him grounded a little bit longer but…well…it's my fault…I haven't been spending any time with him lately. He's been so different since the night Sirius died. It was my job as his friend to make sure he was okay."

Dean came over and sat down. "I saw Harry tonight and he was happy for you. He always did wish he could be normal like everyone else. Do you think he'll be okay?"

Ron sighed. "Harry has an advantage over most of our world. Like you, he knows the muggle world and can blend in with it easily."

Dean nodded. Seamus said "Yeah that makes his movements harder to track but what about this world. I can do that as well."

Ron nodded. "Yeah but he has one advantage you don't."

Seamus sat there for a minute before he said. "You're right. He's a Potter. He has the money to do whatever he wants."

Everyone looked at Ron expecting him to tense up. "Don't worry…one of our talks…he made me see things from his point of view. He told me that I was a lot richer than him because I could always go home to my family. It was something he wanted more than anything and that all the gold in Gringotts couldn't buy what I had."

Ron looked at Neville and handed him the letter. "Would you go tell Lavender I'm okay and will see her at breakfast? You might want to have her give this to Professor McGonagall but tell her I want it back."

Neville patted his shoulder. "Sure…you gonna be okay?"

"Yeah…I'm better now. Harry's letter helped. I'm glad he wasn't upset with me."

Seamus said. "We'll see him again. He's like a bad Knut, he always turns back up."

Ron smiled and then hit Seamus with a pillow. "Don't talk about my best mate that way."

Dean sat on Harry's bed. "What are you going to do about the other one?"

Ron's eyes dropped. "I really don't know. In a way, I'm kinda mad at her for pushing Harry so hard and in a way; I'm kinda glad she did." He looked up at them. "Don't make sense does it?"

"So do we shut her out?"

Ron said. "NO! We help her and we try to move on unless you want Harry to come back here and kick all our asses."

After that, Ron lay back in his bed and rolled towards the wall. Dean and Seamus moved away so that he could deal with Harry's leaving in his own way.

**HP**

In the sixth year girls' dorm, Minerva placed Hermione on her bed and was sitting beside her rubbing circles on her back. When Hermione calmed down enough to talk, Minerva asked. "What's that you're holding onto for dear life?"

She sniffed. "I gave it to Harry in our fourth year. It was the first Hogsmeade weekend after the Goblet and it was only me and him. We walked around for a bit and wandered into one of the shops. The lady had a whole assortment of Celtic jewelry and it caught his interest. Before I knew it, he grabbed up one I particularly liked and took it to the counter. In the meantime, I found one that had a lot of meaning for me from what I learned in Runes and took it up as well. As we were paying, the lady said we could tie the pendants to the person who meant the most to us. It was a way of always having that person with us. All it took was a drop of blood and it was done. Once we paid, he put the one on me that he had bought and I did the same. We promised each other that day that we would always be there for each other and would never take them off. As far as I know, this is the first time he has ever taken it off."

She reached into her robes and pulled out the one she wore for Minerva to see. It was a Celtic Triquetra with an emerald within the circle of the knot. "He knew the standard meaning of the knot but I told him there was an alternative meaning and said it was a symbol of respect, love, and protection. I also told him that the circle represented eternity." She broke down in tears again and it was a while before she settled down. She finally got out what was making her so sad. "Harry would have only taken it off if he thought I no longer wanted to be his friend. Harry took things very literally and for him to remove this means that he felt that I no longer cared."

"Why? You two have always been so close."

It was then that Hermione began her confession that began at the end of last year and her decisions and actions ever since. Minerva felt sorry for the girl as she let her wonderful mind control the one thing that made her so special in Harry's eyes… her heart. The way Hermione had ignored him, berated him, and insulted him was so shocking to Minerva that she sat there in silence at all the girl did to drive Harry away. If anything, this would be a very real example to Hermione of being careful what you wish for.

She was at a loss what to do and was thankfully saved by Lavender bringing the letter to her. After reading it, she cast a disappointed glance at Hermione before rising saying she needed to get the letter to the Headmaster. As she left the room, she charged Lavender with making sure Hermione was watched over.

As soon as Lavender stepped out for a minute, Hermione softly said "Dobby?"

She heard a pop and looked up to see a teary eyed Dobby standing in front of her. "Do you know where Harry is?"

An indignant looking Dobby stared back at her. "Why should Miz Bushy care now? Miz Bushy has left Master Harry alone all summer and then yous made him feel bad ever since he comes back to Hoggywarts."

She sniffed, "I know Dobby but I can't tell him how sorry I am if I can't talk to him."

Dobby glared at her. "Master Harry not wanting to be talking to you. Master Harry says enough is enough and has left because Master is tired of being poodooed on."

She wailed. "I need to tell him I'm sorry."

"Dobby cannot help Miss. Goodbye." With a pop, she was alone again and sobbing uncontrollably. She kept at it for another hour until she finally cried herself to sleep. Her room mates were never far away but weren't especially willing to spend any time with her after what she had done. Once she was asleep, they crept into the room and got ready for bed making sure they didn't wake her up.

**HP**

Despite the best efforts of the Order of the Phoenix and numerous others, Harry Potter disappeared as if he never existed. The only news anyone had of him was when he appeared in Gringotts the next day and withdrew everything from his trust vault. The only other thing they heard about that visit was that the account manager for the Potter family pulled him into a conference room for an hour. When he left the meeting, he went straight to a teller and had all his gold converted to pounds and then left the bank.

Dumbledore wasn't able to assemble the Order in time and give them assignments so they missed Harry at Gringotts by an hour. From that point on, anyone looking for Harry Potter was chasing ghosts as any reports that came in for the next year was mere speculation and guesswork.

When the Order met back up after a long day of searching, all of the information they gathered was given to the group as a whole. It was then that Remus informed them that Harry's trust vault also held a chunk of the Black family fortune since Sirius left it to Harry in his will. It was quite clear that Harry now had the resources to disappear for as long as he liked. He also said that in Sirius' attempts to keep the Black family assets out of the hands of his beloved family, his will passed the remaining titles, money, and properties to the vaults of the House of Potter after leaving some for him, Dora, and her mother.

**HP**

The holidays were very subdued for most of Harry's friends. The only one who wasn't completely depressed was Ron. When asked about it, he would only say that while he missed his best mate, Harry told him long ago that if he left, follow the guideline that no news was good news. No news meant his plans were running their course and he hadn't been found yet. It wasn't much but it gave Ron hope as he was the only one who knew that Harry wasn't gone so much as off training and he could live with that.

Hermione went home for the holidays but not by the train as Minerva personally took her to her parents' home by portkey. Her depression was so great that Minerva wouldn't risk sending her on the train where she would be vulnerable to the taunts of others as she had been at school. When she returned for the second term, she was a little better but not by much. That term was a pale comparison of the first five and a half years of her education. Hermione would do her work but it was with less enthusiasm than ever before and her normal earning of massive amounts of points due to her preparation for class dwindled down dramatically. By the end of the year, her grades and emotional state had removed her from the running for Head Girl for her seventh year.

The end of that year also saw one of Harry's warnings come true. Without Harry there, Draco Malfoy was allowed to work unmolested and as an end of the year treat, Voldemort snuck some of his forces into the castle to cause some mayhem. In an act that had the whole castle reeling from betrayal, Albus Dumbledore was killed in a joint effort of Draco Malfoy and Severus Snape.

**HP**

Dumbledore's death was the beginning of the end for the light side. Without Harry there to oppose him, the entire magical world of Great Britain was under Voldemort's control including Hogwarts within a year. The Order of the Phoenix became a hunted group of people and soon Voldemort turned his attention to their headquarters. The Fidelis charm was simple to bypass when Severus told him to look between number 11 and number 13 Grimmauld Place and it wasn't long before Voldemort had every curse and ward breaker in his service banging on the formidable wards surrounding the former home of the Blacks.

Tom could have ordered the whole block to be set on fire therefore destroying the house in the process and it probably would have been the more prudent and expedient method to end the threat of the remaining order members. As it was, Tom's arrogance was at an all time high and he would have nothing less than the remaining members of the Order kneeling at his feet in supplication.

Voldemort was single minded in a lot of things and would not begin his move to take over the muggle world until he had the magical one totally subjugated. Despite the high he was riding due to his success, the small failures weighed him down as several old light sided families managed to escape his reach.

He received reports that the two Longbottoms in St. Mungos had disappeared along with Neville and his grandmother and threw a fit because he wanted to personally end the Longbottom lone for their defiance. A week later, several of his followers lost their lives when it was reported that the Bones and Abbott families escaped to America where they were out of his reach until his recruiting efforts had some success over there. He was further plagued when many of the muggleborn witches and wizards just disappeared. Their houses were visited by his forces only to find them empty. Even Potter's former girlfriend and her parents had disappeared.

These failures drove him like never before and wasted three months as that was how long it took before the ancestral home of the Blacks fell. The members of the Black family were punished often due to the wards that remained strong despite his best efforts. They speculated that the only way for the wards to be still standing was if there was still a Head of the House of Black. The Malfoys long maintained that Draco would inherit the title and realized their mistake a minute too late as Draco fell to the AK. Narcissa fell an hour later when the wards still stood strong.

It was true that the House of Black still had a head but that knowledge was only known to the Goblins and the head of the house himself. Fortunately, Gringotts refused to comment on the matter even though they knew it would eventually draw Voldemort's attention to them. They welcomed the challenge as they had pulled enough Goblins from around the world to have an army of five thousand waiting in the catacombs of the bank until they were needed. If there was one thing Gringotts knew it was wards and the added numbers only strengthened the wards over the bank. Voldemort would find the bank a bigger death trap than the one he was experiencing at the House of Black when he attacked.

Grimmauld Place finally fell three months after it was attacked. The witches and wizards they dragged out of the house were exhausted and worn. Their success at holding out as long as they did was due to Bill Weasley and his vast knowledge of warding thanks to the Goblins. He used a method they taught him and tied the magical cores of everyone in the house to the wards making them that much stronger. It was a week after they exhausted their food that the wards finally fell. A procession of Death Eaters surrounding the last of the Order was led into the atrium of the Ministry for all to see the elimination of the last light wizards in England.

They were lined up and forced to their knees where they remained for an hour before Voldemort decided to come and gloat. The faces he saw made him happier than he had been in a long time. He walked down the line and pulled up their chins one at a time. Hermione Granger, Ron Weasley, Lavender Brown, Ginevra Weasley, Charlie Weasley, Bill Weasley, Fleur Weasley, Fred Weasley, George Weasley, Molly Weasley, Arthur Weasley, Angelina Johnson, Alicia Spinet, Katie Bell, Filius Flitwick, Minerva McGonagall, Remus Lupin, and Nymphadora Tonks. He said each name as he looked them in the eye.

He hissed. "Each of you could have joined me but instead, you chose to defy me. I hate wasting magical blood but you have left me no choice. You have given others help and hope which allowed some to outrun my reach and for that you will pay. Tell me, what became of the Lovegood girl. I so much wanted to find her so that I could all but eliminate the fabled Ministry Six?"

The ever defiant Ginny said "She and her father escaped with the Longbottoms despite your best efforts."

Voldemort smacked her across the face for her defiance bloodying her lip. He then turned to Hermione. "And you girl, where are your parents? I so want to end your line once and for all."

"They left the country like I asked them to."

He looked her in the eye again. "No, I don't think so. They are much like you and are too stubborn to leave. No matter, I'll find them eventually and will take great pleasure in killing them myself for daring to produce an insolent child such as you."

He stepped away to decide how he wanted to eliminate them as a threat. But like everything else, his mind was locked onto his total victory and he wanted to savor the moment and enjoy the fear that showed in their eyes.

As all this was going on, the floo activated and a man in Unspeakable robes stepped out. He took a quick look around and then moved forward. For the common witch or wizard, the Unspeakables were just as frightening as the Death Eaters. Everyone moved out of his way, including the Death Eaters but not one made a move to stop him for they knew if he wore those robes, then he was far more dangerous than they would ever be.

The Unspeakables accounted for the majority of the Death Eater losses in this and the last war but no one knew that. When they went into battle, they took off their robes and used polyjuice to hide their identities and their involvement wouldn't lead back to their organization. They took pleasure in the fact that at the same time they were killing his forces, Voldemort was trying to entice them to join his side.

The man who walked into the atrium was a union of both worlds as each had their hand in his training. If meeting up with an Unspeakable was enough to give someone bad dreams, this man was their worst nightmare and a product of a new anti-terrorist unit created by Her Majesty's government. It was this very man who convinced the non-magical government of the necessity of such a unit as it would operate in both magical and non-magical worlds. This unit was the first SAS/Unspeakable unit in the world and was already credited with a dozen successful anti-terrorist missions between both worlds even though it had only been fully activated less than two months.

As the Unspeakable approached Voldemort, Tom took in the amount of pips denoting rank on his robes and knew he was dealing with a man in authority. He was confused by the strange patch he wore over his breast as he had never seen it before but that was a far as his gaze went. His eyes never noticed the muggle combat boots and pants that were sticking out beneath the robes.

In a rare show of respect, Voldemort gave him a small nod. Voldemort could almost feel the smirk underneath the hood as the Unspeakable did not return the show of respect and just crossed his arms. Tom's reaction was swift and confirmed why Voldemort was a wizard to be feared. In the blink of an eye, Voldemort's wand was up and an emerald green beam of light flashed out and struck the Unspeakable in the chest. The magical backlash took everyone off their feet and when they stood back up, the Unspeakable was standing over Voldemort as he looked up in shock.

"How?"

The Unspeakable chuckled. "Some people are immune to your pathetic little curse."

"Impossible!"

The Unspeakable reached into his robe and pulled out a bag. He then gave a snort and threw the bag at Tom. Tom was still looking at him strangely when the Unspeakable motioned for him to look inside. Tom glanced down at the bag and then opened it. When he looked, his eyes grew wide as he saw what was inside. When he looked back up, the Unspeakable was reaching in his robes once again. When he pulled his arm back out, Tom was facing a Glock 20 and before he could even blink, the Unspeakable squeezed the trigger twice. The 10 mm bullets tore through the spot between Tom's eyes and left a large splatter on the ground behind him.

The members of the Order were amazed by the speed shown by the Unspeakable. Ron looked wide eyed at the reflexes of the man as he turned before Bella and Lucius could react and placed bullets between their eyes as well. The bodies of the two Death Eaters were on the floor before the echoes of the gunshots abated in the Ministry atrium. In the next moment, a wand ejected into his hand and without a word, Severus Snape's wand was taken from his hand as he stood gaping at the two bodies lying on either side of him. The Unspeakable stepped up to the greasy haired man and went face to face with him. He allowed a momentary glimpse behind his hood and Snape's eyes went wide.

The Unspeakable moved incredibly fast and in another blur of movement, a K-Bar combat knife flashed and ripped the former potions master from grin to groin. Snape looked stunned for a half a second before he joined his comrades on the floor. As the Unspeakable loomed over him, he just shook his head. "You're not worth the cost of the bullet."

While a normal knife would not be able to cut through a body that easily, Harry prided himself on its creation after watching the movie called Blade. With the aid of runes and a Goblin craftsman, the knife's edge had a permanent cutting charm attached to it that was activated by Harry's magic as soon as Harry grabbed the hilt. Harry often found his superiors' reactions humorous when they realized that he had his own Q Branch who had created all kinds of nasty toys for his team to play with.

With the remaining Death Eater's attention on the scene in front of them, they never noticed the rest the strike team moving up behind them. Bullets, knives, and well placed punches or kicks were the weapons of the day as the Death Eaters began dropping to the floor. The terrorist group was decimated to a man before the Order members and spectators saw the blacked-out Special Forces men standing over the bodies that lay on the floor with growing puddles of blood spreading out around them. Their MP5s were held at the ready in case anyone else decided to do anything.

The leader stepped back over to Voldemort and placed several kicks between his legs. When Tom didn't even flinch, he nodded to himself and then waved his hand over the four bodies he had just eliminated. As the bodies rose into the air, the leader began walking towards the stairwell that led down to the Department of Mysteries. The only people to watch the next event were the Unspeakables assigned to defend the department. They were also the witnesses to Tom and his top three lieutenants being passed though the Veil. After a nod to his fellows, the leader climbed the stairs to the atrium and made his way towards the exit as everyone watched. The Special Forces men used his distraction to melt back and disappear into the shadows as if they were never even there.

The Unspeakable passed near Ron and waggled his fingers. Ron looked at him confused until he saw a flash of light and felt something in his hand as well as his bindings release. Ron tentatively brought his hand up and saw a golden snitch there as the Unspeakable walked towards the floo. When Ron's eyes saw what was in his hand, he quickly looked to the floo just in time for the Unspeakable to remove his hood and cloak. Once it had dropped to the floor, they were several gasps as they saw a raven-haired man with glowing green eyes. He gave Ron a smile as he caught his eyes before whispering a destination and stepping into the fireplace and disappearing.

The shock of who they had just seen left them stunned and before they could react, the floos started activating again and Madam Bones along with quite a few of the Aurors who had been driven into hiding stepped out.

Tonks stepped forward. "Madam Bones, you're a sight for sore eyes."

"It's good to see you too Auror Tonks."

"What brought you back now? You just missed the show."

"Yes, well Her Majesty assigned me to put things back together. If you are ready to resume your duties Auror, we have a lot of work to do."

She looked over at the Order members and stopped on Arthur. "It is good to see you as well as you are Arthur. I hope you are ready to work because you just volunteered to be my Undersecretary."

Arthur started to protest but she waved off his statement. "I know you all have gone through a rough time so how about you all go home, eat, and get some rest and then return tomorrow. We could really use all of your help in restoring our world."

Tonks and Arthur remained to speak with Madam Bones while the others left to return to Grimmauld Place. The only person to linger for a moment was Hermione as she went over and picked up the dropped cloak and hugged it close to her as she left. Tonks finally asked. "Madam Bones, was that really Harry Potter?"

Amelia turned to her. "Yes it was but now he is known as Agent Potter of MI-5 of Her Majesty's Secret Service."

Tonks hopefully asked. "He would be a big help in doing this."

Amelia sighed. "Yes he would but the magical world is not filled with the most pleasant memories for him. He was only here today under orders."

Arthur nodded his head understanding more of Harry's mindset from his long talks with Ron. "But he just came back and killed Voldemort to save us all…again."

Amelia nodded. "Yes he did but it wasn't because of some prophecy or loyalty to the magical world. He did it because Voldemort was a threat to the security of Great Britain which he has sworn to defend. As we were preparing for this day, I got to talk with Harry and as far as he is concerned, the only tie he has to this world is your son Ron. He couldn't care less about anyone else since they never showed any care for him."

That news rocked Arthur back as he felt he and his wife always did the best for the young man but evidently Harry felt differently. It may be a question he needed to ask his son about in the near future. In the meantime, he was looking forward to rebuilding the Ministry and try to do for others what he had obviously failed to do for Harry. His only hope was that he gets a chance to talk with Harry after all this time if only to inquire about a young man he thought of as an adopted son.