A/N: Special Services plaque for a… Mr. Potter? We'll see some forward momentum in this chapter. Skip ahead a bit and get the story moving again. Also, you'll see ahead that things with Katie did not work out. When I write these scenes with Harry and a girl I try to basically put myself into both roles and use what I know of each of their personalities that I've built up to see if they're compatible. I really did not find them compatible at all with how I was portraying Katie. Sorry for those who wanted to see more of that but this is Fling!Harry. He's gonna date around and sometimes a first date is all you need to know that someone just isn't a good fit romantically.

And Away We Go!

Chapter 22: The Fall of Lucius Malfoy and the Rise of Harry Potter

"How did you make it onto the grounds?" Amelia asked the bound blonde.

Lucius appeared to be trying to fight the Veritaserum and ground out, "Shrieking. Shack. Tunnel. Under. Whomping. Willow."

Harry nodded to himself. That'd be how he would get in and out of the school. Remus took his potion in his quarters, he knew, otherwise Lucius might have found more than he bargained for within the decrepit building.

Amelia glanced at Albus, who nodded. "Interesting. Did you receive inside help?"

"Yes," Lucius said though he appeared to be struggling harder.

"Who helped you?" Amelia asked.

"W-w-wormtail" Lucius struggled in vain to fight the liquid, and Harry inhaled sharply at the name.

"That mean something to you, Lord Potter?" Amelia asked the young Lord while she dropped one more drop of Veritaserum onto Lucius's tongue.

Harry panicked for a moment at the question. But then remembered the Marauder's Map, which he had just shown to Albus. "Yes, actually. It's just not a name I ever expected to come out of Lord Malfoy's mouth. Umm… Well I'll just come out and say it, that name is a nickname for one of my father's school friends. Peter Pettigrew."

It was Amelia's turn to gasp, "Peter Pettigrew is dead."

"You don't have to tell me that, but you can ask him" Harry pointed at Lucius.

"Is Wormtail an alias for Peter Pettigrew?" Amelia asked and Lucius responded "Yes."

"Is the Wormtail that helped you onto the grounds Peter Pettigrew?" Amelia asked urgently.

"Y-yes." Lucius tried to stop himself. Amelia reeled back. A million scenarios went through her head.

"Lord Potter I'm going to need every bit of information you know about Wormtail." Madam Bones conjured a high-backed chair of her own and sat down.

***Break***

"Animagi. Interesting. Shack. I want a tight border around the school but be discreet. We also need to check in with Hogsmeade to ensure no attack was made there." Kingsley nodded and headed for the Fireplace.

Harry eyed his pocket for just a moment in indecision, and then once more brought out the Map. "This might help, Madam Bones. I solemnly swear that I am up to no good. This is the Marauder's Map, you can see the name Wormtail here at the top, it was made by my father and his friends. It shows everyone on the grounds and in the Castle."

Harry placed the map, fully unfurled, on a table between them that he conjured with a silent wave of his wand. Albus stood up and walked over to sit with them as he couldn't see from his desk. Once more, Harry's magical prowess impressed Amelia Bones.

"An impressive conjuration." she commented idly then checked out the map.

They were silent for a moment, all of them looking intensely for the name Peter Pettigrew yet nowhere they looked could they find the name. It made Harry nervous. But they pressed on and Albus sent a few Professors to the village as well to assist with going door to door and checking on the citizens there. They were still looking at the map when Amelia gasped and pointed at a name that had appeared at the edge of the map. Sirius Black. Harry followed them out onto the grounds, lest something bad happen to his godfather.

***Break***

Sirius Black trudged slowly onto the grounds. The Dementors were gone. Blessed peace for his mind. His dog nose came down and he sniffed the earth. Harry. Werewolf. And… fear! Harry is in danger! His 4 furry black legs spurred into action and Sirius followed the trail further into the grounds. Fear, adrenaline, triumph, sadness. Each emotion produced a different smell, and Sirius had gotten quite good over the years about telling which was which. He followed the trail up a hill. Fire, burnt grass. And… Blood.

Sirius's head popped up. There. It wasn't as faint as the rest of the smells. A small hill where something was buried. Sirius sniffed around it. There were… mostly Werewolf smells and blood and silver. There must have been a battle and these are the corpses. But where is Harry?

"Sirius Black!" A Lumos spell illuminated the black dog. Aurors! Sirius sprinted for the woodline.

"Sirius! It's me, Harry!" A young boy's voice called out and Sirius paused and looked for the face. He glanced up and down the oncoming group of people. There! Sirius's tongue lolled out and he ran happily. The boy was safe! Safe and alive! Sirius let out a bark of happiness and his tail wagged as he ran. Safe!

"Stupefy!"

***Break***

"I want him to have a trial!" Harry yelled at the portly Minister.

"He needs to be Kissed! His crimes are too great!" The Minister yelled back. "And you do not have the authority to call a trial!"

"I don't care! At least wake him up and give him Veritaserum! Let me hear the truth of what happened that night!" Harry felt like socking the Minister, thumbing his hat like the man wasn't being a right pain in the ass. Stupid. Dumb. Corrupt.

"Madam Bones has already used her Veritaserum!" Cornelius felt like socking the spoiled brat, thinking everything can go his way all the time. Snotty. Egotistical. Stuck up.

"Gentlemen, please." Albus said from his desk. They were in the Headmaster's office where they had brought Sirius after they had stunned him. Harry and Cornelius had been fighting for almost 5 minutes now. The angry pair before him whirled at his words, both breathing heavily. "You both can cry until the sun comes up but, quite frankly, I don't care. As Chief Warlock, I call for a trial."

"You're just coddling your Golden Boy! As bad as the rest of his little fan club!" Cornelius shouted at Albus. He breathed a few more times and then deflated. Like a hot air balloon, Harry joked in his mind. Harry nodded to Albus and mouthed thank you.

"There. Now that we've settled that, not that either of you were in a position to be deciding anything about the fate of a convict, I pass the floor to you Amelia. How do you want to proceed?" Albus reclined in his seat and with a slight twitch of his finger summoned a Lemon Drop into his mouth to alleviate his headache. 'Finally some fucking quiet in my Merlin be damned office,' Albus thought to himself.

"I think a trial will give everyone what they want. Lord Potter will get his wish to hear what Black has to say. The Minister and I will get to show that our manhunt was a success. And the people will get some peace of mind. If you want the Kiss so bad, Minister, let's get that as the sentence for Black and be done with it." Amelia rested her head back just a hair. The Minister was hard to deal with on a good day but it seemed the man had some sort of issue with Lord Potter who, in her opinion, had been nothing but fair and just.

"Perfect. I'll get with Marchbanks and we'll set a trial date for Black and Malfoy. Will that be all?" Albus jotted the note down, lest he end up forgetting. No one spoke up, and Harry went through the office door while Amelia and Cornelius headed to the Floo.

***Break***

The Common Room exploded into noise as soon as Harry stepped inside. It was about an hour after curfew and most of the students had been concerned when Harry had not come back after the battle. But seeing the tall redhead step through the entrance, with only a scratch on his cheek, prompted the students into cheering.

"Harry!" Katie yelled from her place on the couch and ran over to give him a tight hug. Her eyes had tear stains, as did more than a few others Harry noted.

"Katie, I'm alright but if you keep squeezing me like that I might not be" Harry struggled out. The 4th year had quite the grip.

"Shut up." Katie said to him in a low tone. Harry chuckled and returned the hug. Fred and George stepped up and clapped him on the back, carting a few cases of chilled butterbeer from their room. Angelina and Alicia joined into the hug and Harry almost choked from the force if the idea of being surrounded by cute girls didn't bolster him.

"Guys, what is happening right now?" Harry addressed the room. There were smiling faces everywhere, and the butterbeers were passed out.

"You did another stupid heroic thing, Harry" Hermione said to Harry with a smile, she rescued Harry from his dogpile and motioned to a seat. "Most of the school is talking about it. They swarmed the upper walkways to watch when the first howls were heard in the hallways. Pretty much the whole school saw or has heard about what you did."

"What?" Harry asked in disbelief. The whole school?

"Single handedly thwarting a Werewolf attack on the first day of school, Harry? People were bound to see it" Even Astoria chimed in.

Bollocks. Harry grimaced, he hadn't wanted people to see that. Didn't even occur to him that of course the school had heard the series of howls from Fenrir's pack. He had killed people and the Gryffindors wanted to drink in his honor. The mere thought made him sick.

"No. We're not celebrating this." Harry said firmly, and his voice cut through the building excitement with an efficiency that would have made McGonagall quite impressed. "I did what I had to do. Nothing more. I'm going to bed."

***Break***

Lucius Malfoy Arrested for Assault on Hogwarts! Sirius Black Captured!

In what would have normally been a regular first day back to school, we are as surprised as our readers to report the day was anything but regular. Just before curfew, 10 PM, last night while out on a stroll Lord Harry Potter was the first of many to hear Werewolves howling into the night. Not just one or two, readers, but reports of as many as 50 Werewolves were on the grounds of our own Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. This would usually mean that we would be reporting tragedies but in a shocking turn of events there were only 2 injuries to students. A bite of one student, name currently unknown, and a mere scratch to the cheek to one Lord Harry Potter who heroically rallied the Hogwarts Professors while fending off the attack single handedly. Lord Potter has declined a recounting of the events. Our esteemed Amelia Bones has this to say.

"When I received the first Floo call from Hogwarts I was expecting a blood bath, reports of murder, and a long night for our St. Mungo's staff. What I found upon my arrival instead was news that the Werewolves had retreated, the situation had been contained, and Lord Lucius Malfoy had been taken into custody. An investigation into the scene resulted in the capture of Sirius Black as well. The DMLE is pleased to report that there were no reports of attacks to citizens of Hogsmeade, thanks to a concerted effort from the Hogwarts Staff and our own Aurors on the scene. What Lord Potter did that night was nothing short of exemplary work."

Lord Potter continues to amaze and impress us all folks. But another Lord has done the opposite. Lord Lucius Malfoy was arrested for wearing the uniform of a Death Eater and admitting, under Veritaserum, that he orchestrated the attack and brought Fenrir and his Werewolves onto the ground. A crime many would have attributed to the depravities of escaped convict Sirius Black who, until last night, had evaded the summer long manhunt. Head of the DMLE Amelia Bones interrogated Lucius Malfoy herself and a trial has been called for Lucius Malfoy to answer for these crimes. Further information on Page 7 regarding the Lord Malfoy's trial date and format.

There has been no news as to the degree of involvement Sirius Black had on the attack but his capture is welcome news for our readers at home that the manhunt is over. Sirius Black would normally be thrown right back into Azkaban, under even further scrutiny, but in another shocking turn of events Chief Warlock Albus Dumbledore has called for a trial to be held for Sirius Black as well. One has to wonder what can be gained from this. Further information on page 4 for Sirius Black's trial date and format.

***Break***

Breakfast was much the same as the Common Room had been, if even more so from the article in the Daily Prophet. Harry was clapped on the back, thanked, and congratulated. It made him furious. Remus had a guarded look on his face and was eating his breakfast without a word to anyone. It tore Harry up inside, knowing that Remus was one of the lucky ones but one who understood all too well the struggle Werewolves had today. A First Year Gryffindor, the same one Harry had saved, was the final straw for Harry.

"Thank you, Harry! I thought for sure those monsters were going to get me!" The young boy had said. Harry stood up and his fist slammed down on the table hard enough to cause the plates to bounce.

"Enough!" Harry roared in frustration. "Stop bloody thanking me for murder!"

The Great Hall went quiet. The Gryffindors, at least those not in the Hospital Wing last night, had backed off after his words last night, but Harry knew that the rest of the school likely wouldn't follow. He took a deep breath.

"Fenrir Greyback is a monster. Preying on children. On Muggles. Get them young, he would say. Teach them hatred, fear, anger towards Wizards." Harry's words carried easily through the Hall. "Every year more legislation is passed to dehumanize his victims. Fenrir offers them false security, safety. Protection from the bad Wizards who would treat them as less than human. What you all saw last night. What you all want to celebrate and congratulate, was murder. I killed people. Men. Women. Young teens just like us. Hogwarts has been forbidden to teach how to brew the Wolfsbane Potion by legislative actions. Yet, if that Potion was readily available like it should be I would not have had to kill these people. They would not have been so scared for their life that they felt safer following Fenrir. I did what I had to to save the lives I could. Not because I feared them turning into Werewolves. But because they would have felt hated. Less than human. Because all any of you apparently see is someone who changes 1 night out of a month. A condition that is completely manageable if we had a shred of empathy."

Harry felt his anger grow even hotter when he saw Remus tearing up, and he knew he had to drive his point home. "14 Werewolves are dead and buried because of me! People! With dreams ripped away from them by the cruelty of one man! I didn't win! Fenrir still lives! He will turn more people! More children! Who here has a younger sibling? A niece or nephew, a cousin? How will you feel if they get turned next? Are you going to happily eat breakfast and cheer when they get killed because their Pack Leader presses them into a fight? You all make Fenrir's job so easy."

Harry's last words radiated across the room. And the very clear disappointment in Harry's eyes as he cast them around the room was not misunderstood. He glanced at his plate, scattered by his earlier outburst. Harry's appetite was ruined anyways. He moved from the bench and headed for the doors. The Hall doors were closed, but they slammed open when Harry flared his magic as hard as he could.

"Don't those doors open in?" Fred asked George, his voice loud in the silent Hall.

"I think they open both ways now, brother" George said in response.

Albus stood up from his seat with a proud smile. "I want you all to think about Mr. Potter's words, for they have a heavy truth in them. Werewolves are very misunderstood beings. Many Werewolves have led fruitful lives, raised families, and never harmed another person. Great would be the day when that could become the rule, and not the exception. Do not let the fear mongering methods people try to apply to those who suffer from this curse color your opinions. If the Wizarding world could come together in support of those who get bitten, rather than chasing them away with torches and pitchforks, it is likely that the curse itself could be gone within a few generations. What a wonderful event that would be."

***Break***

Dear Madam Longbottom,

I write to you today to request your assistance in a matter. My recent actions at the school, which have made today's issue of the Prophet, have produced repercussions I did not want and exposed a dangerous mentality in my fellow students. I would like to inquire about the current environment towards Werewolves in today's Wizengamot. I know that there has been a string of legislation impacting the quality of life for Werewolves in recent years, and though I do not know your own stance on the matter, I was hoping that I could count on your assistance with providing your impressive knowledge on these things. Fenrir Greyback is still alive and well, and if the wrong message gets sent I fear that my defense of the school, though necessary, will only bolster his ranks for future attacks.

Thank you,

Lord Harry James Potter.

***Break***

Harry Potter grimaced as he settled into his seat. The plum colored robes were itchy, and Dobby had starched them so fully that Harry felt that they would stand up on their own if he took them off. He might have to spearhead the idea of a plum colored suit or something less… stiff.

"I feel like an excited teenager's sock," Harry grumbled to himself. A stern look from both Amelia Bones and Madam Longbottom nearby made him huff and settle further into his seat. A discrete wave of his hand removed the starch from his robes and Harry immediately felt better. He looked around the room in interest, seeing a few faces in the visitor's stands that he remembered from his walk along the Platform at the beginning of school. Today's trial was a public one, an irregular occurrence in high profile cases like this. He was surprised not to see Narcissa in the stands but likely they were avoiding the public eye.

"Bring in the accused" Amelia's stern and, quite frankly, booming voice made Harry look down in interest. He had never been on this side of things before. Harry hoped that a quick study session and a few letters from Madam Longbottom would prevent him from making a fool of himself. Albus had given him special permission to be out of school today, and the week and a half of classes leading up to this had been frustratingly slow for Harry who was still frustrated at the students who were still praising his actions. The Hogsmeade weekend had been cancelled in the wake of the attack and rescheduled for later. Harry and Katie had talked during the week and decided to break things off. Their talks during that night had let them both know that they made better friends than anything else. They did snog a bit, and found that a physical attraction was there, but that was the extent of it. Harry was glad that it was mutual and actually found that the experience had brought them closer together as friends than before. Harry ended his inner rambling when the doors to the left of the stands opened.

Lucius Malfoy looked so different in prisoner's robes and without his oiled hair. Almost gaunt looking. Skinny and frankly not that attractive. The blonde man was guided to the chair at the center of the floor and, once placed into it, was firmly bound by the chair's enchantments.

Amelia Bones said the opening words, leading Harry to believe she would be leading this trial. A fact that actually made him relax a bit. The court scribe, a young redheaded witch, blushed when she caught Harry's eye and he smiled at her with a wink.

"Is there a witness for the defense?" Amelia asked the courtroom. No one stood up. "Moving on. List of crimes for the accused. Premeditated assault and attempted murder. Terroristic acts and involvement with the terrorist group known as the Death Eaters. Providing false testimony claiming Imperius for crimes in the past. Criminal trespassing on the grounds of Hogwarts. Possession of terrorist paraphernalia in the form of a Death Eater mask. Orchestrating the assault of Hogwarts with known convict Fenrir Greyback. How do you plead, Lord Malfoy?"

"Not. Guilty." Malfoy ground out. His usually silky voice was hoarse. Harry was honestly intrigued by the man's defiance in the face of insurmountable evidence.

"Very well. The trial will proceed. First Item, False Testimony claiming Imperius. Administer the Veritaserum." Amelia started.

***Break***

The trial was going exceedingly well, Harry had to admit. Amelia had started at the earliest crimes, ones from the previous war that Lucius had evaded. Already they had received the names for a few Death Eaters. None of Voldemort's inner circle that Harry could remember but it was progress. Still, though likely there were defenses put into place on higher ranked Death Eaters, there was nothing to implicate other high ranking Death Eaters. That didn't sit well with Harry.

"Moving on to the 15th item. The Assault on Hogwarts last Thursday, September 2nd. You were found on the grounds and stunned by Lord Harry Potter during his defense of the school. You also mentioned, under Veritaserum, that you were assisted by a man with the alias Wormtail."

As though the name triggered something, and as if the world was in slow motion, Harry saw a few people stand up with blank looks on their faces and lift their wands. "Avada Kedavra!"

5 of the sickly green spells fired from the stands, all from different angles and not from the people that Harry would have expected. A few Order of Merlin recipients with no known ties to Death Eaters that Harry could remember, who were seated along the bottom row of the stands. As Order of Merlin recipients they were given seats on the Wizengamot and allowed their wands, unlike visitors. The spells were attempted to be blocked but they impacted Lucius as well as his 2 Auror guards who tried to prevent the prisoner from being executed.

The world seemed to regain its normal speed and the courtroom was in a stunned silence. One moment they had been interrogating a criminal and the next they had people firing Killing Curses. But then the events caught up with the gathered Wizengamot and there was a cacophony of noise and movement from those gathered. Harry jumped up when he saw the wands that had fired the curses come up again, only this time aimed at themselves.

"Expelliarmus!" Harry fired at the closest one, seated just 3 rows down from him, hearing cries of Diffindos and other suicide spells ring out from the others. The spell threw the woman's wand into the air before she could finish her own suicide spell. Harry jumped over Tiberius Ogden below him and landed next to the woman. She had pulled a knife from her robes but Harry bound and silenced her as well as spelled her mouth open as he had seen Kingsley do to Lucius. The Aurors were evacuating the Visitor's stand while Amelia stood tall and tried, with Dumbledore, to bring order to the court.

***Break***

"What in Merlin's name happened!" Amelia stomped over to her Aurors, "We lost 2 men today, and a high profile criminal, because you lot can't draw a wand faster than a 13 year old student?! And that same student was the only one able to secure one of the perpetrators?!"

Amelia was furious. The whole Wormtail case, up in flames. She was kicking herself starting with last war's crimes but that was the way the law read. Start at the beginning, work your way forward. And what did they have to show for it? 2 new names, 4 already in Azkaban on unrelated offenses, and a stunned woman who had no recollection of what happened. Even under truth serum the only thing they could find out was that someone had come up behind her a few days ago and got her with an Imperius.

"Get me those low level Death Eaters, and let's scrounge what we can from this." Amelia sighed heavily. No one moved and she looked up with a fierce expression. "Now!"

"Yes Ma'am!" The gathered Aurors saluted and headed out. Harry felt sorry for them, they didn't have the advantages that he did and the comparison wasn't as fair. Amelia came up to Harry's side and he turned to acknowledge her. The Courtroom had only a few people present, Harry staying to give a statement on his actions with his own wand.

"Where did you get your skills, Mr. Potter?" Amelia asked him out of the blue.

"Here and there." Harry responded idly, a guarded expression on his face.

"Hmm" Amelia settled into a random seat and motioned for Harry to join her which he did. "I ask because the skills you display don't seem self taught yet I can't think of a trainer outside of the force that could instill that level of drawing speed."

Harry sighed. Albus had asked him a similar question when trying to pry about how Harry had successfully and single handedly thwarted the Werewolf attack, as well as his resultant Breakfast rant afterwards. Luckily he had had time to come up with some explanations. "Wandless Switching Spell."

"Wandless magic? It's a rare and hard to train skill. Can you show me a demonstration?" Amelia eyed his hands keenly.

"I guess." Harry brought a button out of his Inventory for the sake of actually doing this the legit way. She couldn't be told about the Inventory system but Harry knew the 'correct' way could still be trained.

"My wand is always in my wrist holster, so that I know where it is. I keep something simple in my hands. Usually a Disillusioned button or something small and fasten it to my Lord Ring with a Sticking Charm. When I need my wand, I just wave my hand like so" Harry did as he said, his Wand appearing in his hand easily with an actual Wandless Switching Spell. "And my wand is at the ready. It's fairly simple, and just a hair faster than the wrist-release function of the holster itself. That hair, however, has saved my butt on a few occasions. If you get used to it it's also harder to bungle than the wrist-release method for those who might miss the release since your hand can already be gripped."

"Interesting. I think we may need to update our curriculum for Auror trainees then. Have you considered the Auror career as something you'd pursue in the future?" Amelia asked the young and talented Lord.

"It's crossed my mind more than a few times. Trouble has a way of finding me, I've always thought it might be nice to be the one to find it first sometimes." Harry admitted with a shy grin. Telling Katie about his aspirations was one thing, but telling the current Head of the DMLE about it was a whole other beast.

"I'm glad to hear it. The force could use a few more like you, with Moody retired the lack of unique thinking has been all the more apparent. I'm always looking to recruit talented individuals who thrive in stressful situations." Amelia smiled at him when he blushed at the praise. Comparing anyone to Mad-Eye was high praise.

"I'll definitely keep my options open, but Auror is high on the list of possibilities" Harry nodded at his words.

"Could I make it higher? I'd actually like to see if you could pass the Hit Wizard aptitude test to get a license." Harry gaped at the words.

"Hit Wizard? That's a strong offer. I haven't even made it a month into my 3rd year." Amelisa grinned back at him.

"And yet you've out performed my Aurors on multiple occasions. The Chamber of Secrets, the Death Eaters at the beginning of summer, the public Duel and the resultant debacle at Greengrass Manor, a Werewolf assault on Hogwarts, and securing the only scrap of evidence we have left regarding Wormtail. Quite frankly, I thought about skipping the aptitude test altogether but there'd be enough exceptions just getting you in the door." Harry pondered the words for a few minutes, debating in his heads the pros and cons.

Hit Wizard. That could be useful. He had read about them in another life when he was researching Aurors. They weren't necessarily the grunts but they weren't the investigators. Instead they would be called upon to assist in arrests or to help control a scene. An interesting proposition. And it sounded as though Amelia merely wanted Harry to get the license, not be an active member of her force. It could provide her a small measure of control over Harry, but the benefits outweighed that and he could simply rip up the license if she pressed him into anything he did not want to do. It's not like he needed the money that the career would provide him.

"And what will the license allow me to do? Or will it prevent me from trouble?" Harry asked, still debating.

"A Hit Wizard license will allow one to engage in battle with anyone who is an active risk to society. It provides protections for such things. It will not allow you to arrest people on suspicions of crimes. It also won't make you immune to the law by any means, and non-lethal measures should always be taken first if applicable, but it will allow certain freedoms should you get caught up in a fight like you so often seem to do. It also makes the paperwork after those fights much easier. You've had some of my Trainees doing overtime just to keep up with the paperwork your collateral damage has caused" Amelia said the last part with a laugh, a booming sound that was surprisingly pleasant Harry thought.

Pleasant sound aside Harry still grimaced, an apologetic look on his face. "Really didn't mean to cause trouble." He said as he scratched the back of his head in a sheepish manner.

"No trouble at all. And I'm not saying I'll be pulling you from school or anything, but I think that a license will actually help us both in the long run. You'll get a little more leeway and a way to contact the force with a badge. Honorary Hit Wizard, we'll call it, to keep the public from thinking throwing spells at anyone they think is a problem can land them a career. And I'll get a little less paperwork and someone reliable on the inside of Hogwarts." Amelia misphrased her intentions, and Harry eyed her with a harsh look.

"I won't be a spy for the Ministry." He said heatedly.

"That isn't the intent. I mean that since things keep happening at Hogwarts it will be good to know I have someone who can call us at the first sign of trouble. Albus Dumbledore means well, but he prefers an internal way of handling things. I'm of the mind that a quick response from the Aurors can do a world of good for everyone involved." Harry nodded at her words, but was still unsure.

"Can I think about it?" Harry asked her, he wanted to speak to Hermione, and even Dumbledore, before he accepted.

"Certainly. I can't force you into it and the offer isn't going anywhere. I'll owl you with details about the aptitude test, and push it through Logistics. You just let me know if you're interested." Amelia stood up and shook Harry's hand. Harry nodded and headed to the Portkey location in the Atrium. He had a fair bit to think about.

***Break***

"A Hit Wizard? That'd be great Harry!" Hermione said as Harry settled into the Common Room couch. Astoria was in the Library at the moment and Ron was facing Neville in a game of chess so their conversation was more isolated than usual in the Common Room. The Dementors were gone and a few Aurors had received stations in Hogsmeade so the students were outside enjoying the afternoon air. The trial had been held in the morning but already news of the execution of Lucius had reached the Hogwarts grapevine and was spreading fast.

"You think so? It does interest me, I just… don't want to stray from my loyalty to Hogwarts. And I don't want to send the wrong message." Harry pondered his decision, as he had been doing since he walked out of the courtroom.

"I don't think that it will conflict with your time here at Hogwarts. You said yourself Madam Bones didn't seem intent on pulling you out of school. But you have to admit that a way to contact the Aurors for things like the Chamber or like the Werewolf attack might have helped." Hermione turned her head when Harry waved at someone over her shoulder, and waved at Fred and George in the corner.

"More than might have. It could have let me save a few people or even capture Greyback." Harry admitted the logic her words provided. "I'll talk to Dumbledore about it."

Hermione nodded at Harry who stood up and decided to do just that.

***Break***

Harry left Dumbledore's office with a smile. The man had agreed instantly, saying that it was a wonderful chance for Harry and that he trusted the young Lord not to abuse the privilege. Harry decided some fresh air was in order since it was still Saturday and he had already finished his homework. A quick route through a few secret passages put Harry onto the Astronomy Tower where he took a deep breath, and stared out at the grounds. And at the small hill he could see where Harry knew the Werewolves to be. He released the breath with a forceful push.

The spell was silent, but Harry felt it impact him. His limbs froze and he couldn't move. Likely an Immobulus.

"Hmm. The Mighty Harry Potter. You've been up to a lot lately and it's only the second Saturday of term." A voice came out behind him. Peter. Though the tone was much different from the sniveling cowardly man he knew before. It was confident, smooth. The rat stepped around Harry to where he could see him and hopped up onto the parapet where he swung his feet.

"Sad about killing some monsters? Just like your father, always seeing the good in people. There's no good in those beasts." Peter idly checked a fingernail, "Yet, you grieve for them. Why?"

Peter paused as though expecting Harry to answer, then hopped off the parapet to get into Harry's face.

"Oh, silly me, you're frozen. But you seem like the shouting type so I'll talk for now. You're overstepping, Harry. Pressing your luck and your nose into business you shouldn't. First the Greengrass puppet and now Malfoy? You're making enemies in the wrong places. Enemies with connections, with power you could only dream of. Lucius has already received a taste of that power, oh yes, so easy to orchestrate his murder. Knew too much, he did. Make sure you watch yourself, Harry, as Lucius should have. Lest a … knife find you." Harry would have hissed if he could as the sickly feel of a knife was pressed through the flesh of his skin. He could feel every detail of the blade as it slipped between his ribs slowly. Peter's cold laugh gave him chills. This was not the same rat he thought he knew.

You have been poisoned! Rate of poison, 5 HP per minute. Effects: Loss of Mobility and Loss of Consciousness.

"I really should just outright kill you, you know? But you did me a favor taking Lucius into custody, and ultimately killing him by doing so. Such a troublesome blonde ponce. And… I need you alive so that I can revive my Master. He would welcome you to his side, Harry. Give you the Dark Mark and let you rain fire upon your enemies. Give it a thought." Peter's knife patted Harry's cheek, painting it with blood. Then it retreated, only to slide into another gap in his ribs, the next one up.

"You should remember this moment, Harry. For all your magical prowess. For all your money. For all the good you think you can do. When it counts, you'll be powerless. Useless. That's how I felt before I met the Dark Lord. Such a beautiful visage of power. He taught me to be stronger. Faster. Smarter. Nothing like my useless friends who only ridiculed and belittled me. But they didn't know me." Again the knife slipped into Harry, oh so slowly, climbing another rib higher as though a ladder leading to Harry's heart. Peter chuckled into his ear.

"Your mother knew me. What a fiery feisty woman. Your dad was a lucky man. Those lips, that hair, that lovely backside. Ugh, that was a night to remember. The night I became a man and discovered the joy of taking what I wanted. Obliviate is such a great spell. So is Imperio. Or… Crucio" Peter's wand pressed into Harry, right over his heart, and he felt the lightning-hot spell dance through his nerves but still he could not move.

"Ooo, I hear someone on the stairs! Guess our fun is over! So sad! Make sure you look after those wounds Harry, I put a little something extra in there just to help drive home how close you came to dying this day. Oh, I hope it's not a student on the stairs though. That'd be a… right shame." The way Pettigrew's voice grew cold as he finished his sentence chilled Harry to the core. The spell holding him down ended and he whirled in place, gasping in pain at the movement, and Peter was nowhere to be seen.

A shriek of fright made Harry panic. The cry came from the stairs. Harry bolted for the door, ignoring his bleeding wounds and the hitch that his breath had. Harry ripped open the door and came face to face with Daphne who jumped in fright.

"Harry! I've been looking everywhere for you and there was a rat o- Oh!" Daphne's rambling words stopped when Harry collapsed in front of her. "Harry!"

Harry's mouth refused to move, and he could only stare up into Daphne's eyes as she crouched next to him looking terrified. "Harry!"

She shook him to try and get him to move, then with a stuttered Wingardium Leviosa lifted him up and ran to the Hospital Wing.

***Break***

Draco Malfoy was miserable. The Hospital Wing had that sickening too clean smell associated with sterilization. He held the Prophet, reading the headline. Lucius Malfoy Arrested for Assault on Hogwarts! His father. The man Draco had looked up to his whole life. Who had taught Draco so much. Draco hadn't listened though. Petulistic habits had goaded Malfoy out onto the grounds that night. Petty revenge on Harry. Maybe a Tripping Jinx or a Jelly-Legs to send his nemesis into the mud.

Draco looked down at the bandages across his abdomen. Flashes of pain and fear. The Werewolf had come from a different angle than the rest. It had been smaller too. It had grabbed Draco and bitten him like a chew toy. Crabbe had hit the Werewolf with a Relashio. Quick thinking for an otherwise dense boy. They had all fired spells at it until it had retreated. Goyle had carried him up the hill, running to the Courtyard like Harry had told them to. Pansy had held the wound until a swarm of Dementors had gotten too close. That had almost cost them their lives. Until his father had come to their defense. Draco couldn't believe that anyone would have willingly flown into a horde of Dementors and Werewolves like that. Potter he could expect that sort of reckless behaviour from. But his father had shown Draco another side last night. Crashing a broom into a Werewolf and fighting side by side with Harry.

Draco gave a shaky sigh. He knew what the ugly teeth marks across his stomach meant. He was a Werewolf. A monster. Disgusting and cursed. All because he wanted to pick on Harry Potter for spurning him in 1st year. A childish rivalry had cost Draco his future. The tears came slowly. But they came. And as though his eyes had realized the dam had broken the tears came faster. And faster. Shaky sighs turned into shaky sobs and Draco hid himself beneath the covers to try and mute the sound. He had heard about his father's death just that morning, having been bed bound since the attack as the curse settled into his body. He'd been visited by Pansy and a few other Slytherins but once they realized that it had been a bite they didn't visit as often.

"Madam Pomfrey!" Daphne's voice broke through Draco's covers and he slowed his breathing to feign sleep.

Draco was listening intently to the words as Madam Pomfrey burst into the room from her office. "There! Bed 3! What happened?"

Daphne's voice hitched, "I don't know. I was looking for H-Harry and found him on the Astronomy Tower. He c-collapsed and then w-wouldn't move."

Silence. Long silence. Then Madam Pomfrey, "He has multiple stab wounds and a poison inside him. Accio Bezoar. Head to my office and Floo call Professor Snape in case this doesn't work. Hurry Ms. Greengrass!"

The sound of urgent footsteps. A whoosh of fire, and faint conversation. Another whoosh. "Poppy. Was the Bezoar a success?"

"Not an immediate one. It's still registering on the scan, though it does appear to have slowed it." Pomfrey's voice once more. Then the sound of drawn curtains and silence other than Daphne crying quietly somewhere in the room.

***Break***

Severus stared down at the prone boy in the bed. This reeked of an assassination attempt yet Potter had been allowed to live. Why? A quick scan of his own made him stare at the readings he was getting. He scanned again.

"This is a poison of my own design from... my youth." Severus said to Poppy. She was well familiar with his past, and glanced at Harry in concern.

"Hopefully one you designed an antidote for?" She was also never one to dance around an issue. Upfront and to the point was more her style.

"Of course, I'm not a buffoon. If I design a poison I make the antidote as well. Less chance of having it used against me. But still for this recipe to make it into Mr. Potter's wounds... I trust your discretion in this matter?" Snape side-eyed Pomfrey, and the woman nodded without hesitation. He nodded in return and reached into his robe pocket. He had grabbed all of his antidotes out of habit, but he didn't expect to be using this one. One of his old… friends must be active and in the school. This did not bode well for anyone as the only people given this recipe were part of an elite group within Voldemort's minions, an elite group that even many of the Inner Circle had been kept unaware of beyond a small mention during a raid briefing. Indeed the only time Snape had even seen one of this elite group they had been covered from head to toe in robes and had a different mask layout than the typical Death Eater. They were Voldemort's bastardization of the Unspeakables. The only things that Snape knew was that Antonin Dolohov had led them, and that wherever they went reports of "accidents, mysterious disappearances, and unexplained deaths" soon followed.

"Severus?" Poppy's voice snapped Snape out of his inner thoughts and he brought out a vial of orange fluid. Tilting Harry's head forward just a little he fed the boy the potion and almost immediately Harry regained some color. Poppy sprung into action now that the poison was being neutralized and Vanished Harry's robes only to watch in astonishment, Snape as well, when the wounds on the boy's chest were already knitting together at a rapid pace.

"Merlin…" Poppy whispered, having never seen the like of it before.

*Fin*

A/N: Hmmm. An interesting chapter to write. I actually wrote 2 chapter 22s, with different themes and scenes, and then kind of merged them together with snippets from both. I hope you all enjoyed it, as well as a teaser at a smaller, more secretive elite group besides the Inner Circle. They will be playing a role in the future so let me know what you all thought. The chapter was a little… all over the place, but it got what I wanted into it.

Reviews are still troubling me but I am reading them via email. Thank you all for the support!