Harry Potter and the Foe Glass

Ch. 25 The End of the Beginning

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter

"You!" Mark yelled as he charged his unknown man with all his strength.

His adversary merely chuckled as he said, "That's right little fly, come into the spider's web".

The man was dressed in a long black coat with a hood drawn over his head, blocking the view of his face. He stood in the steadily growing twilit shadows that consumed the alleyway. His hands were kept behind his back, making everyone but Mark wary about what he might be carrying.

When the man decided Mark was to close to his proximity for comfort, he ripped his right hand out and blasted a light from his now visible wand.

The boy was blasted backwards into the wall, startled, but otherwise unharmed.

"What in the world was that?" Harry asked to Marks utter distress.

The man laughed again louder than the first time, " That is magic my dear boy!"

Harry looked at him in utter confusion.

"What's that?" the newest enemy said, "You don't know about magic! Well I must say that is a surprise given the people you keep contact with".

The young Potter continued to cock his head, "You are crazy. There's no such thing as magic. Now Murphy's Law, that I believe in."

"Please, if you don't believe me you can just ask the boy laying against the wall", the unknown man said as gears in Harry's head turned, "That's right. Let the truth unfold before you. Not that it will help you given the current circumstances, you won't live long enough to understand".

"Mark", Harry called out to his friend, "Do you know what this man means?"

Justin, who also had a look of extreme discomfort on his face, helped the other boy up.

"Oh course not Harry", Mark lied.

"You believe him?" the man scoffed at the boy, "Think hard, Potter, and remember what has been forced to forget".

The man in black shot a white light at Harry's forehead and undid all the spells that had wiped his mind.

"Wait, I remember!" Harry said in horror of his newfound revelation, "Goyle! He perfectly imitated Caine's appearance! Wait… Caine. I remember him shooting a blast at my head the… well I can't remember past that".

"You were unconscious", Mark explained.

"Mark!" Harry yelled, "You knew didn't you! You've always known haven't you?"

"Wait one moment Harry", Justin tried to calm him down a peg, "Mark was just trying to keep you safe from the dangers that lurked outside our safe little world".

"Are you serious!" Harry said, even more riled up than before, "You knew! Mark, who didn't know about this?"

"Those two", Mark said as he pointed to the two Drake brothers, who had previously been trying to edge their way out of the alley.

"You two", the dark figure said to the Drakes, "If you move any farther away I will be forced to kill you on the spot and I was hoping to have some fun with this".

"Yes we were planning on having fun with this", Crow said from right next to the man. No one had seen him move over there, not even the enemy, because he jumped to the side a little when he noticed Crow's presence.

"You get out of here", the man said as he pushed Crow to the side, "I have business with Harry and Mark".

"Who do you think you are dealing with here?" Crow said, "I've been working this for too long to let some upstart come over and take my fun away".

"You've been working this for too long? I've been trying to make my way back here for almost a year. I would have finished my business then if it wasn't for that damn American who gave me this", the man said as he lifted off his hood and revealed the face beneath.

He pointed at a large scar that went seamlessly from his forehead, over his eye, and ended at the jaw line. Other than his scar his face was conventional, dark brown eyes, short hair, and the slightest signs of stress lines on his forehead.

"It is you", Makepeace began, and "Uncle you've finally come".

"Uncle?" the others exclaimed.

"Yes, I am of the proud house of Makepeace, or I was until a bit of rotten business a few years back. Now I go by the name of William Grey, a man who has nothing to lose, but everything to gain", Grey said in an almost sad tone of voice.

Susan began to walk over to him.

"Stop there my niece", Grey said in a commanding voice as he pointed his wand at her.

"What are you doing?" she asked with newfound fear.

"I'm afraid they won't be the only ones dieing tonight", he said without regret.

"But w-what about the p-plan", she stuttered out.

"The plan was merely a ruse", he said, "Did you honestly think I would let you have an artifact as powerful as that amulet for nothing but your word that you will get me back into our family? No, you are just another pawn to be used".

"You're not serious, are you?" Susan said as she slowly walked backwards.

"As the minister at a press conference. Now allow me to show you some of my friends", he said as he brought his other arm out from behind his back and brought out a scroll.

The children looked in horror as he dropped the scroll on the ground and it began to glow. Hands shot out around the parchment and flesh-rotted figures dragged themselves out of the earth.

Mark readied himself and took position in the front, "Anyone that can fight, step up. These things are bloody hard to kill and we aren't, so brace yourselves".

"Aw, so the American knows about inferi, how lovely. It will make it all the more fun when I see them rip your hides apart", Grey said softly, "Realize that I wasn't just going to let you all fight me off one at a time. Even a motley lot like you could prove dangerous in numbers".

Justin, Carter, Harry, and Mark got ready to fight while Crow sat in the shadows pouting and Susan cowered next to the injured Victor.

There were seven inferi in total, one for each child. It seems that they each knew their targets as well, given that they ignored all but one person each.

"So, you think that you can fight off the undead? Well, let us see how long you last", Grey sad as he gestured his hand casually giving the order for attack.

~Meanwhile in the Headmasters office~

Serverus Snape had seen just about enough after the inferi had been summoned. He got up and prepared to exit the grounds for apparation.

"Where are you going Severus?" Albus asked from behind his desk.

"The children are going to be killed. They are too valuable. All I need to do is apparate to Little Whinging and set fire to the inferi. I will make sure that no one sees me", Severus said as he put his traveling cloak on over his regular robes.

"You will do no such thing. This is the final preliminary test for our young wards. If they succeed then they will have earned the right to be my pawns, but if they fail no help will be given to them", Dumbledore explained.

The potions master looked at his master as he if he was the craziest person on the planet.

"Sir? You realize that they are children, correct?" Snape asked with desperation.

"Why of course Severus, but what purpose do they serve if they aren't good enough to fight when they need to?" Dumbledore answered with a question.

Snape slammed his hands on his master's table, "They shouldn't have to be good enough! They are children! They shouldn't have to worry about this kind of event for years. Or at least until they have been properly trained!"

"Do not leave Severus", the headmaster said coldly, "If you, do you will not live long enough to help them".

Snape sat back in his seat and reflected upon how his life became so corrupt.

~The alley behind the school~

Mark lifted his sword and slashed at the nearest corpse. William took particular note of his sword.

"Is that what I think it is? If so then that is worth the trip by itself!" Grey exclaimed, "You! (He pointed at Mark) Where did you get that blade?"

Mark dodged a strike from his inferi while at the same time slashing the arm of the one charging Victor. The poor Drake had managed to get to his feet and was trying to beat his inferi back to death with no luck.

"Why should I tell you?" Mark yelled back at his enemy.

"Because if you do I might let you live", Grey called to his adversary.

Mark contemplated the offer. He knew it was a complete lie, but he had to take any chance he could get.

"Alright, I'll tell you. In a previous endeavor I took it off the squib known as John Goyle", he screamed out as he stabbed an inferi's head.

"Then it is", Grey spoke softly, "You have no idea how valuable that blade is do you? Well as you fight for your life I will explain it to you".

Although he was still in the heat of battle, slashing and cutting for his life against a hoard of undead, Mark still perked his ears.

"You see, nearly a millennia ago the ancient pureblood families of Great Britain came together to the prospect of crafting a weapon. It cost a rather large portion of each family's wealth to pay the Goblins to make such a thing, but the end result was worth the cost", Grey explained.

"What else is there to know?" Mark yelled as he kicked the inferi to his left to the ground.

Around him everyone was steeped in combat. Even Susan was trying to fight her undead enemy. Crow was just somewhere hiding in the shadows, his inferi went in, but it didn't come back out.

"Simple, after the goblins crafted this sword it was deemed the basilisk blade, given that the blacksmith that forged it claimed that it was powerful enough to pierce basilisk hide. Things went on peacefully for many centuries as the families had yearly competitions to see who would own it", Grey continued as his eyes darted between his inferi.

Mark kicked his inferi in the chest and knocked it to the ground, he took the opportunity to pull out an explosive potion and shove it down its undead throat. He continued to attack Carter's inferi, given that he was by far the worst fighter in the bunch.

"Continue your tale before I run out of undead to kill", Mark said to his greatest enemy.

"Calm down you fool", Grey said from his position at the other end of the alley, "Well after many years of peace the blade disappeared from the world. It was rumored that the Goyles had stolen it, but only a hand full of people knew about this, namely the Makepeace family".

"How did the Makepeace family know about this?" Mark asked as he handed Carter a couple explosive potions, "Find a hole and put these in them".

"What hole?" Carter asked.

"Choose your favorite, but I would avoid the lower regions. To much rotting you know", Mark, said as he turned his attention to the other Drake.

"Well if you are still paying attention, the reason that I know about this is because I was a Makepeace. To answer your next question, the reason that I know the Goyles have it is because they paid me for it", he laughed, "My dearest niece, ever wonder why I was banished from our family? It's because I cost our family an unearthly sum of money".

"You monster!" she said, "You are the cause of our family's fall from prominence! You are the reason that we are now no wealthier than a common blood traitor".

"Silence my niece! If it your damn father hadn't banished me then I would give a damn about our poor circumstances, but as the case remains you won't live long enough to feel the full ramifications of these actions", he said.

The group continued there fight as long as they could, for a while it seemed that they might survive, but then as soon as the last inferi was killed things turned for the worst.

"Well you think that you may win now that you have killed the first wave inferi? Well I have a surprise", Grey said as he opened up his coat and showed the inner contents.

Along the interior of both sides of the cloak were rows of scrolls, all just like the first. He grabbed one to put in each hand.

"So as you see, I came a little better prepared than you lot", Grey laughed in triumph.

"Oh really", Mark said as he took off his loose outer shirt to reveal an interior one.

Marks shirt was covered in vials of potions put together in strips. Each strip contained at least one hundred of the little vials and they came in differing sizes and types.

"Mark?" Harry asked, "Why did you choose today to bring all those things to school?"

"Simple Harry", Mark said with a smile, "I always walk around with this stuff. I'm surprised nobody ever noticed, honestly, I carry around a three-foot sword wherever I go and no one ever notices".

Grey frowned slightly, "So that is how this is going to go is it? Well then so be it".

Grey tossed ten scrolls down onto the ground and around each; seventy inferi crawled from the dirt. They looked at their master in expectance.

"What do you have to say about that?" Grey asked with a smile.

"Crow!" Mark yelled out.

They heard a response from the now pitch black evening shadows, "What is it Mark! I'm still going to kill you and all that, but I'm trying to knit inferi intestine at the moment!"

The other children shuddered at the concept that someone would not only kill an undead, but knit with its intestine.

"If you help us to your fullest ability… I huff will admit that you're my best friend", Mark said swallowing his pride.

"YAHOO!" Crow yelled as he jumped from his place in the shadows and dived head first into the inferi ranks.

The psycho whistled and his wolf companion instantly joined into the battle. Before the other fighters could even do anything, at least six of the undead had been mutilated.

William Grey sighed and gestured to his hoards. They advanced in a disorderly mass.

Both sides attacked with the intensity to kill, the inferi, because it was their only purpose, the children, because if they didn't then they would be beaten to death.

"Everyone get back!" Mark yelled as he prepared an explosive potion between each finger.

"Mark, you can't possibly be planning on using all of those here!" Harry yelled.

"What is it Harry? He's killed about a dozen of those things with the potions, isn't this a good thing?" Justin asked as he kicked an inferi in the chest, knocking it, and several others behind it, down.

"Justin let me answer that question by asking another", Harry began as he pulled the same move as Justin, "Did Mark ever tell you about that time on Christmas Eve when we inadvertently destroyed the park? He's using vials about twice as large as that time".

"Everyone Dive!" Justin yelled the revelation that this was going to be big.

The other six and Atticus ducked onto the ground while Mark tossed the vials into the air.

"Brace for impact!" he yelled as he joined the others on the ground.

"I will exact my revenge for this Mark Dumbledore!" Grey yelled from the other side of the alley.

A fraction of a second before the explosives hit, they heard the sound of like a gunshot echo threw the alley.

Then it happened.

They awoke several hours later, all inside Dr. Caine's cottage on the outskirts of town. Well except for Crow, he mysteriously vanished before the doctor found them.

Harry opened his eyes to see all his friends and enemies alike sitting around him with bandages on their tattered bodies.

"Finally, you're awake", Mark said cheerfully from the recliner he was sitting in.

"Your last name…" Harry said weakly, "…its Dumbledore".

Mark walked into the kitchen where Caine was heating a kettle for tea. He took a seat near the table.

"Why does Harry remember my name?" Mark asked.

"Well what is the problem with that in the first place? Like knowing your name is such a big problem. I once met a boy your age that used his last name as a tool to gain prestige, what was his name? Mofly? Nolfoy? No those aren't right, but I digress", Caine said.

"Well I'm not going to use my name as an excuse to be a idiot. This is serious because of the prestige of the only other Dumbledore", Mark thought out loud.

"Well just live with it. He's had to much memory adjustment for me to do anything for a long time and that means your actually going to have to be competent for the next two months of summer", Caine said in response.

"Well if you're going to be no help, I might as well just do some damage control out there. What does everyone think happened?" Mark asked.

"I adjusted their minds so they would think a gang attacked you all. Makepeace and you are the only ones with unadjusted minds", the doctor explained as he handed Mark a tray of shortbread and tea, "I sent the Drake boys home after I did the best to lessen their injuries. They should go home and be healed completely before their parents come home".

"Okay thanks", Mark said as he brought the food into the den.

Mark navigated the large table into the room and placed it on the table in the middle of the room.

"So Mark, your last name is Dumbledore. That's kind of an odd name", Justin commented, "Why didn't anyone know about it?"

"Well… I kept it a secret and the only people that knew were Makepeace over there, Crow and Makepeace's gang member uncle", Mark waited for them to ask why he called them a gang member, but they never did.

"That was some wicked good thinking though, using those fireworks to scare them away", Harry said as he devoured a piece of short bread.

"Harry do you ever eat? You look like your starving", Justin commented.

"No not really, remember who my guardians are?" Harry responded as he laughed at his own misfortune.

The others joined in the joke, as they all knew what it was like, except Susan who sat with a blank look on her face.

"You all right Susan?" Mark asked the girl.

"Hmph?" she looked up, "Oh, yes I'm quite fine. I just need to go home, to my real home".

"So you're leaving?" Justin asked.

"Yes, I've long outstayed my welcome and have no reason to stay here", Makepeace said as she stood up.

"You're not leaving now, are you?" Harry asked, "It's the middle of the night".

"I contacted my mom when I woke up an hour ago. She will probably be at my apartment by now", she said as she walked out of the house and into the warm may knight.

"Goodbye and good luck Susan", Harry said.

The three remaining boys sat in silence as they sipped on their tea. Then Caine walked in.

"Alright gentlemen, I would appreciate it if you kindly get out of my house. I nursed you children back to health, but I don't think it would bode well for me to invite a group of little boys to spend the night in my house", the doctor said as he opened the door.

"Well Caine, if you're letting us go then maybe you aren't a pedophile after all", Justin said as he got up.

"Why thank you-"

"Well on the other hand, you did drag us back to your house after we were knocked out instead of bringing us to a hospital", he thought out loud.

"Whatever, just get out", Caine said in frustration.

"Goodbye, Caine", Mark said as he walked out the door.

The three walked out of the house with flashlights provided by the doctor. They made their way to the end of the block in silence, and then started talking.

"So guys", Justin began, "I have this weird feeling that we aren't remembering things correctly. Its almost like my memory was altered".

Mark gave him a dagger look and Justin shut up about the topic, sadly, Harry did not.

"You know, I understand what you mean. It could just be because its past midnight, but I feel like I'm forgetting something. I feel like I was mad at you two for some reason, but I can't remember why", Harry thought out loud.

"Its probably nothing", Mark said changing the subject, "Your house is down that way right?"

"Yah, I can get there alone, you guys can go on to your homes", Harry said as he walked down Privet drive.

He turned back before he was out of voice range, "Guys, we're still going to be friends even thought next year we will be apart, right?"

Mark's heart nearly burst containing his secrets, "Oh course Harry. Though we may be apart we will never forget each other".

"Thank you", the boy who lived said as he walked the short path to his house.

"Bye Harry", Mark said.

"See yah", Justin said.

The other two walked over for a while, and then continued talking.

"You still remember everything, don't you?" Mark asked as he turned a corner.

"Amulet", Justin answered in one word.

"I figured as much. Well it would actually be nice to have an ally that knew everything that I was talking about", Mark said thoughtfully as they walked.

"What do you mean would?" Justin asked.

"Even though I can't stop you from remembering it doesn't matter. I'm still leaving in about two months. If it is any consolation, once we leave I don't think you will have to worry about any threats from our dear friend, William", Mark said.

The two stayed silent for the rest of their walk. Mark bid farewell to Justin once they passed his house.

"Mark why are you going towards outskirts of town? I thought your house was in the opposite direction", Justin asked.

"I have somewhere I have to go".

~At Stan's grave~

"Well Stan, I faced my greatest challenge today and nobody died. Well the 'package' is safe and inside his wards. I'm a bit beat up, but non worse for the wear", Mark said to his friend's grave.

"Non worse for the wear indeed", said a cold yet welcoming voice from the shadows.

Mark, who was in no mood for sword fights after the day's events, adopted his old fighting stance.

"No need to fight my friend, I am just here to give some advice", said the hidden man.

"Who are you?" Mark asked as he slowly relaxed.

"My identity is an even better guided secret than your own, but you may call me the shadow", he said as he stepped into the full moon light.

The shadow wore a long black cloak very similar to the one that Grey had been wearing earlier that day. The difference is that hood may have been up, but the upper half of his face was visible, the lower half was covered in a black mask.

"Shadow, if you don't mind me asking, who are you and why have you come?" Mark asked the mysterious man.

"Simply put, I am a man of many sins who wished to make amends, in the process I became more sinful than before. I since became a wanderer and defender of justice", the shadow said softly.

"That might seem safe from your prospective, but the last person that told me that has repeatedly tried to kill me. Now why have you come", Mark explained as he walked trying to get a better look at the shadow.

He had brown eyes and curly black hair. He wore large combat boots and had a walking staff as tall as he was.

"Well I traveled a long distance in order to help protect the boy who lived. Though very few of us know that he is here, word does travels fast and after hearing of the increasing dangers that faced you two I made the trip. Now I find that you have taken care of everything, Mark Dumbledore", The Shadow said calmly.

"What kept you for so long?" Mark asked.

"When I was passing threw Amsterdam I was delayed for a couple months, but that is another story", Shadow commented.

"Well if you're a wizard powerful enough to help us then can you possibly answer some questions?" Mark asked.

"Shoot".

"Well… a thought has been plaguing my mind for a while now, ever since we fought William Grey earlier", Mark began, "He used inferi to try and kill us, but why didn't he use the unforgivable curse like he did last year?"

The shadow laughed a hearty chuckle, "Simple, much like when Harry's mother selflessly gave herself to save him as an infant, when Stan sacrificed himself in one last effort to stop Grey the previous year he created blood magic. The difference between this time and then is while Harry's mothers sacrifice placed a protection that perfectly defended him from Voldemort, Stan's magic placed a curse on Grey that removed his ability to use the unforgivables".

"That is amazing!" Mark exclaimed as he turned to look at the full moon, "How long will it last?"

"As long as you live", The Shadow said.

"What?" Mark asked.

"Simple the curse is bound to your life, Stan gave his life to protect you", The Shadow began, "Now I must make my leave, but fear not, I will be around".

Mark quickly turned around, "Wait!" But he was already gone.

The young American smiled with newfound optimism.

He looked back at the full moon, the wind rustled with an early summer wind and the sky was clear. Street lamps began to blink out as he left the graveyard.

As Mark walked home his thoughts went to the Foe Glass, he had a feeling that it was going to be empty.

Severus Snape stood, drunk in the room of Mark Dumbledore, overlooking the young boy as he slept with his wand drawn and pointing at the boy's head.

~Flash Back~

Dumbledore laughed to himself as he watched his great nephew once again save the day and Potter's life. He treated himself to a lemon drop.

"I did tell you Severus, didn't I?" Albus said with a warm smile, "I knew that he would too stop that cursed death eater, and after fighting a hoard of inferi too".

"Truly remarkable headmaster, now perhaps he may finally live in peace", Severus remarked.

"Yes, yes, but only after he has his memory erased", Dumbledore said casually.

"What!" Severus exclaimed.

"Yes my friend, this was merely a test. It won't hurt him to lose memory, in fact it might increase his humility", the headmaster thought aloud, "Besides, we can't have him knowing about all these threats. He might put two and two together regarding how so many people found him".

"But erasing his memory? Won't that almost make everything that occurred over the last year pointless?" Snape asked.

"Severus, it doesn't matter what you think", he said with renewed aggression, "You will do it! And you will do it this night when he comes home. I have covered you classes for the last week, now make preparations to leave".

"Yes Headmaster", Snape said as he made his exit.

~End Flashback~

Snape began the charm, "Oblivi-"

He put down his wand. This is one time he would have to disobey his master.

Book one is complete. I'm going to write a series of random one shots featuring my favorite OC. Book two will come out once I've had my fill.