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Independence Day	By : Tumshie Category: Harry Potter > Het - Male/Female > Harry/Hermione Views: 41288 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 2
Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter, nor any of the characters from the books or movies. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.

Chapter List
- 17
- 18
Disclaimer: Harry Potter and other canon characters belong
to JKR I�m only having some fun

Chapter 18 The Bigger They Are.

Room of Requirements

The Room of Requirements was currently looking like the
Master Suite at Potter Manor and the two occupants were getting dressed, having
enjoyed some of the together time they had needed.

Their befriending of the first year Gryffs had led to them
tutoring them, but had cut into the time they could spend together, so they had
sneaked out under the Invisibility Cloak after everyone had left the Common
Room and gone to bed. Their fellow Gryffs had thought nothing of it as they
were now used to the pair being the last to leave the Common Room.

With a final kiss, they pulled the Invisibility Cloak over
themselves and made their way back to Gryffindor Tower.

When Harry sat on his bed he heard a noise from the portrait
of �Sirius� on his bedside table and turned his attention to it. He saw Phineas
hold a finger to his lips, so Harry took the portrait behind his curtains and
cast a silencing charm round his bed. No one would be suspicious as most of the
boys used such charms on a regular basis to ensure that no one could genuinely
call them a wanker.

Harry expanded the portrait as they had discovered that the
shrunken form couldn�t speak loudly or clearly enough, and waited.

Phineas quickly reported on all that had happened in
Dumbledore�s office, including the report on Snape and him ending up being
roomies with Lockhart and the Longbottoms. While he could appreciate the poetic
justice of it all, he somehow felt that Snape had escaped lightly, but more
importantly he now had the name of another Dumbledore spy within the D.M.L.E.

Very quickly he wrote out a report to pass onto Filch and
then to the Unspeakables, he knew that they wouldn�t reveal Gold�s spying to
the D.M.L.E. unless it became necessary, but maybe they would be able to use
him to sow some disinformation.

The next morning Harry sent Crookshanks off to Mrs. Norris,
who managed to trip him up outside the Great Hall as he entered for breakfast.
As he picked himself up he looked into the scowling face of Argus Filch and
waited.

�Potter, why are you attacking my poor defenceless cat?�
sneered Filch, the man could have won Oscars for his acting. �Detention with me
tonight at seven in the Trophy Room.�

Filch reached out and grabbed Harry by the hand and pulled
him to his feet, covering Harry palming him his report, they�d have to be
careful not to use this method too often, but that�s what detentions were for.

�Yes, Mr. Filch.� replied Harry, �Seven o�clock in the
Trophy Room.�

�If you�re late it will be two nights.� hissed Filch, in
their word code this meant bring Hermione.

As normal during breakfast the Post Owls arrived and along
with them the owls delivering the Daily Prophet, a silence descended on the
room as those who could see the front page headlines realised what they said,
then the murmuring started as the word was spread to everyone else.

Former Hogwarts� Professor a Death Eater (See page 2)

Wizengamot To
Question Hogwarts� Hiring Policy (See Page 4)

Who Is Educating
our Children (Editorial Page 5)

The main article described how Snape had been sacked from
Hogwarts for assaulting a student and contained statements from many former and
even a few current Hogwarts� alumni.

Several parents had also given quotes about how they�d
lodged complaints against Snape over the years and how someone had blocked them
at every turn.

The article also covered the arrest of Snape and that he�d
been caught wearing Death Eater robes and carrying a Death Eater mask with his
name etched inside it, the final paragraph mentioned that he�d been found in
his cell, a barely living shell and was now a patient in St. Mungo�s alongside
the Longbottoms and Gilderoy Lockhart.

Harry�s peripheral vision glimpsed Crabbe and Goyle stand
and begin to raise their wands, he took in where they were looking and
surreptitiously cast a shield in front of the Hufflepuff table. Two
�Sectumsempras� were cast by Dumb and Dumbest and rebounded back on them before
anyone at the Head Table could react. The two lumbering Slytherins collapsed in
a heap, bleeding profusely from their self inflicted wounds.

Pansy Parkinson paled and fainted at the sight of the blood
and several other Slytherins turned a sickly green colour as did many of the
other students who could see the rapidly spreading pool of blood.

Harry and Hermione had crossed the room and were trying to
staunch the blood flow before Poppy�s reflexes snapped in. Along with Newell,
she aided her students as they tried to save the lives of two people who were
responsible for an unprovoked attack on two other students.

Flashback

Slytherin House was slowly disintegrating, the glue of fear
that had held it together when the self styled Prince of Slytherin had ruled,
had been loosened by his arrest and imprisonment. Malfoy had ruled through the
power of his father�s name since his first year, only one student had stood
against him and after a mysterious fall sent the seventh year to the Hospital
Wing for a week, all resistance had disappeared. True, not every Slytherin
followed or even agreed with the Death Eater�s views, but quiet and safe was
preferable, especially when Malfoy let slip who his Godfather was.

The split in the House between those who openly supported
Voldemort and those who were in Slytherin because they were truly ambitious was
growing, the names Nott and Zabini didn�t hold the same fear as Malfoy�s and
the removal of Snape as Head of House had furthered the split.

At the breakfast table the owls delivered the Daily Prophet
and Pansy read the article to her two goons, they could have read it
themselves, but it was quicker this way. As she read she suggested that
Costello was responsible for Snape�s sacking and that their Lord would reward
them for taking revenge, so they stood only thinking of glory in the ranks of
their Master, forgetting the students and staff in the Great Hall.

Simultaneously they drew their wands and aimed at the
Hufflepuff they held responsible for the loss of their Head of House and
started to cast the spell he had spent weeks teaching them. Their eyes opened
wide in a mix of horror and terror as they saw it reflect off an unseen barrier
and back towards them. The spells hit them just below their ribs and cut them
deep and they fell to the floor.

End Flashback

Nott and Zabini looked on in horror and shock, as their
enemy tried to save the lives of someone who wouldn�t have thought twice about
killing him, they looked at each other and nodded, they�d found a weakness,
Potter had compassion, even for those that didn�t like him.

Daphne Greengrass fought down the bile in her throat, she
wouldn�t show weakness in front of anyone, if she was weak she would become
prey within Slytherin, it was hard enough to survive, especially trying to get
Nott to leave her alone, somehow he�d got the idea that she would be his and
was pressurising her. She needed a way to retain her families fiercely held
independence.

The Greengrass family was an old neutral family, they
weren�t pro Muggle but neither were they supporters of the anti Muggle faction,
but had long realised the symbiotic relationship between the two worlds. The
Muggles supplied the food and other materiel needs of the Wizarding worlds (via
Muggleborn and Squib intermediaries) and the Wizarding world kept the Muggles
safe from dangerous magical creatures.

Millicent Bulstrode had a gleam in her eye, the sight of
blood aroused her, inflicting pain or watching others in pain, it made no
difference to her, her career in sadism had started with her pulling the wings
off flies and the legs off spiders, the only thing she found more arousing was
having pain inflicted on her.

Poppy Pomfrey was battling two things, she was fighting for
the life of Goyle and fighting back the tears for another young life wasted.
She hadn�t always been a School Healer, after training she�d been a Combat
Healer in the war against Grindelwald. What she�d seen during that war had
truly sickened her, and at the end of the war she�d resigned from the Auror
Combat Corps and signed up as the Healer at Hogwarts. Her best kept secret was
the Order of Merlin 2^nd Class she�d been awarded for going into a
battle zone and saving the life of Alastor Moody, it had cost him his leg, but
better alive with a peg-leg than dead. During the first war with Voldemort,
Dumbledore had refused to let her rejoin her old unit but had used her skills
for healing members of the Order, keeping them clear of the records St. Mungo�s
kept and the Ministry had access to.

Goyle�s blood was flowing slower, but it was due to the
blood loss rather than anything Hermione and Pomfrey were doing, with a final
rattling breath, the little light that was left in his eyes faded and the two
ladies were treated to the stench of faeces and urine as the body voided itself
of it�s waste.

Newell and Harry weren�t having anything better happening
with them as they tried in vain to staunch the blood flowing from Crabbe, they
knew what they were up against, the Sectumsempra curse was a real nasty. Crabbe
died shortly after Goyle, another casualty of the indifference of Voldemort and
his followers.

Sectumsempra had almost become the fourth Unforgivable after
the first war with Voldemort, but the freed Death Eaters on the Wizengamot, who
were rather fond of it, had blocked the vote. The reason the effects of the
curse was difficult to heal was due to the damage it did to any blood vessels
it came into contact with, it literally shrivelled the edges of them making
them impossible to heal, all four of those working on Crabbe and Goyle knew
what they were doing was really only for the comfort of the witnesses.

Everything was over in less time than everyone realised, a
shocked silence descended on the place, then as the shock started to ease students
started sobbing. Dumbledore just sat in silence while everyone waited for him
to take control. McGonagall took in the glazed look on the headmaster�s face
and stepped into the breach.

�Prefects, lead the students back to the Common Rooms,
Professor Shacklebolt, contact the Aurors and then keep everyone out of the
Great Hall until they arrive, Professor Hooch, contact the Board and then guard
the entrance to Gryffindor Tower. Professor Sinistra please guard the entrance
to Slytherin. Professors Flitwick and Sprout please guard your Houses.
Professor Newell, Madam Pomfrey, Ms. Granger and Mr. Potter, please help me
take the Headmaster back to his office, all other staff please patrol the
corridors, Hagrid, lock up the Owlery and patrol the grounds please.�

The prefects and staff quickly went about their duties,
Sinistra Mobilicorpused Pansy and slowly the Great Hall emptied. When
Shacklebolt returned and informed McGonagall that the Aurors were on their way,
she gently led the Headmaster and the others towards his office, the group
walked in silence, Hermione with her face buried in Harry�s shoulder.

Dumbledore was still in a daze, his brain was trying to make
sense of what had happened, he knew only too well the damage a Sectumsempra
could do, and also knew how hard it was to totally block and knew that a third
year couldn�t have done it.

As the staircase slowly raised them to his office some sort
of sense came back to him and he tried to take over.

�We mustn�t let the Press hear about this, now how can we
cover this up?�

�We can�t.� replied McGonagall. �The Aurors are on their way
and the Board has been informed, and one of them is bound to inform the Press.�

She stepped over to Dumbledore�s fire and threw in some red
Floo Powder which immediately closed down all Floo Communication to the outside
world.

Auror Headquarters

The communications officer at Auror Headquarters did a
double take when his former colleagues head appeared in one of the
communication Floos.

�Shack, good to see you, what gives?�

�Sorry, no time for pleasantries, we need an Investigation
Team at Hogwarts, two students have been killed.�

The comm�s officer�s training cut in and he hit the general
alarm which brought the Duty team to the comm�s room along with the senior
staff present. As the team assembled Madam Bones joined them and just stopped
herself from scowling at the head in the Floo.

�Report!� she barked out.

�Two student deaths at Hogwarts, Professor Shacklebolt
reported it on orders from Deputy Headmistress McGonagall.�

�Anything to add Shacklebolt?�

�Nothing we want to say over the Floo, Ma�am.�

�Fine, we�ll be there ASAP.� Replied Bones as she turned to
the surrounding Aurors.

�Okay, primary investigators, Tonks and Jones. Forensics,
Gold, Killick and Wood. You five, she pointed to random Aurors, interviews with
witnesses. Keep a news blackout until the victim�s families have been
informed.�

As always two shadows disappeared to contact their true
masters, one message going to Voldemort, the other to the Unspeakables. The
message to the Unspeakables of course merely confirmed a message already
received from Argus Filch.

Voldemort�s Headquarters.

Death Eaters were creeping around trying to do their duties
without drawing attention to themselves. They�d been trying to confirm the news
from their spy at Auror Headquarters but the Floo at Hogwarts was down, those
in the know realised there must be some truth in the report. Several of them
were concerned, they had children at Hogwarts and even though they would happily
murder Muggle or non Pureblood children they did actually love their own
children.

Hogwarts

The squad of Aurors, having collected the tools of their
trade, had arrived at the Apparation Point outside the School Gates, the gates
were locked shut and they could see Hagrid striding towards them an ugly
looking crossbow in his hands, the most observant noticed it was loaded and
cocked.

Hagrid checked each and every I.D. badge before he opened
the gates, he only opened them wide enough to let them through one at a time,
when the last one was through he led them up to the castle.

Harry had watched from Dumbledore�s window with amusement as
his large friend had let the Aurors through the gates, Hagrid really took his
responsibilities seriously, as the group got closer to the front doors he
informed Professor McGonagall of their progress.

To the casual observer it would have looked like Harry was
ignoring the procedures in the Headmaster�s office, but everyone there knew
from his responses that although he was watching out the window he was still
concentrating on the conversation.

McGonagall left the group briefly and went to meet the Auror
squad, everyone of them had been taught Transfiguration by her and some had
been in her House. She greeted them and gave them a brief synopsis of what she
had seen.

�I was sitting at the staff table having breakfast, the Post
Owls and the Prophet Delivery Owls had just left when two students rose, drew
their wands and fired Sectumsempra curses.�

�Where are the perpetrators?� cut in an eager young Auror
called Wood, this was his first major case and he wanted to make a good
impression on his senior colleagues.

�If you would let me finish Mr. Wood, you always were hasty,
the curses were reflected off a shield and struck the casters. Two other
students reacted quicker and started administering Wizard�s Aid. They were
joined by Healer Pomfrey and Professor Newell, our new Potions Professor, but
were unable to save their lives. The attackers killed themselves. We called the
Aurors and informed the Board, the school staff are either patrolling the
school or guarding students, Professor Shacklebolt is guarding the Great Hall.�

�That remains to be seen.� Growled Auror Dawlish who still
held a grudge against McGonagall for the censure he�d received for attacking an
unarmed civilian during Hagrid�s arrest earlier that year.

Tonks and Jones looked at each other and decided to enforce
their positions as lead investigators.

�Dawlish, take over from Professor Shacklebolt guarding the
Great Hall, what do you want him to do Professor McGonagall?� said Tonks.

�If you could ask him to assist Professor Hagrid, Mr.
Dawlish, that would be much appreciated, thank you Auror Tonks.� Said
McGonagall with a sweet smile that covered her feelings. She hoped that Dawlish
had noticed her calling him Mr. while addressing Tonks by her title.

Hestia Jones spoke. �Well then, Dawlish, no dawdling, you
heard Professor McGonagall, get to it.�

From that point until his retirement many years later,
Dawlish was nicknamed Dawdling.

�Auror Jones, the two students who tried to save the lives
of the attackers are in Dumbledore�s office along with Madam Pomfrey and
Professor Newell, do you want them to stay there or can I release them to their
dorm?�

�Our forensics team will need their clothes and those of
Madam Pomfrey and Prof. Newell, we also want to interview them before they
rejoin the general population.� Said Tonks. �Jones and myself will start the
investigation in the Great Hall, Wood and Gold start forensics in the Hall,
Killick, collect the clothes from the people in Dumbledore�s office, everyone
else, start interviewing witnesses beginning with those in the Headmaster�s
office. Follow that by interviewing the students House by House, start with
Hufflepuff, finish with Slytherin. Remember, if the student is under seventeen
the will need a member of Staff present. This needs to be a watertight case, so
no fuck ups?�

Looking at the still unmoving team Jones shook them out of
their reverie. �Come on folks, we�re not getting any younger here, MOVE!�

The teams set about their tasks.

The first thing that Jones, Tonks, Wood and Gold noticed
when they entered the Great Hall was the stench of warm blood mingled with the
discharges of bowels and bladders, Wood started taking photos, sending one of
his cameras into the air to take overhead shots.

Gold started casting identification spells on the tables,
mapping out who was sitting where, when they got to the bodies Jones started
dictating into her wand as Tonks photographed and removed the wands lying
beside the two bodies.

�Investigation into the deaths of,� she looked round at Gold
who said.

�According to the identification spells, Gregory Goyle Jr.
and Vincent Crabbe Jr., bloody inbreds, no imagination, if it�s not been in the
family a hundred years it�s not a family name.�

�Vincent Crabbe Jr. and Gregory Goyle Jr. as identified by
the spells cast by Auror Gold.� continued Jones. �Both bodies are lying in a
pool of blood, there are two sets of what appears to be footprints and kneeling
marks beside each body, two sets of prints lead back to the Staff table, the
other two sets come from the direction of the House tables. This is consistent
with the information supplied by Deputy Headmistress McGonagall in her initial
statement.�

Jones cast a spell on each body and grimaced. �Spell residue
round the wound on Mr. Goyle�s body indicates he was hit by a Sectumsempra
curse, there are also residues from Healing spells. Spell residue round the
wound on Mr. Crabbe�s body also indicate he was hit by a Sectumsempra and he
also shows residue from healing spells. No further investigation is possible on
scene. Report ends.�

Tonks had just finished recording her report and the two
swapped wands and listened to the others reports. Jones listened carefully.

�Investigation into the Deaths of,� a hesitation while
Gold�s voice identified the bodies in the background, �Gregory Goyle Jr. and
Vincent Crabbe Jr. After casting identification spells on two wands found next
to the bodies the wands were identified as Wand one 12� inch Birch with
Flobberworm sinew core, belonging to Gregory Goyle Jr. last spell cast,
Sectumsempra, the tracking charm has been removed from this wand. Mr. Goyle is
not seventeen years of age. Wand two, 10 inch Hazel with Plimpy skin core,
belonging to Vincent Crabbe Jr. last spell cast, Sectumsempra, the tracking
charm has also been removed from this wand. Mr. Crabbe is also not seventeen
years of age. Both wands should be tested further to possibly identify who removed
the tracking charms and to obtain a history.�

Their colleagues indicated that they had finished their
forensics. Two body-bags were produced and more gently than they had ever been
treated while they were alive, the shells that had housed Crabbe and Goyle were
levitated into them and prepared for transport to the Aurors Autopsy lab.

Jones and Tonks secured their recordings and the photos and
went to see how things were progressing elsewhere.

Dumbledore�s Office

While Jones and Tonks were in the Great Hall, those in the
Headmaster�s office had been interviewed, house-elves had been sent to get
clean clothes for the four who had attempted to save Crabbe and Goyle�s lives
and they had gladly changed out of their stained clothes.

Hermione and Harry were interviewed last and second last so
as not to contaminate McGonagall�s evidence as she had insisted in accompanying
both of them even though Harry had reminded her he was emancipated. Minerva
McGonagall may be a housecat Animagus, but she was a Lioness when defending her
Gryffindor cubs.

Hermione�s interview was fairly straightforward as had been
the other three, Dumbledore was still slightly catatonic and hadn�t been
interviewed, but the interviewer couldn�t quite believe what Harry was saying.

�So let�s go over that again, Mr. Potter. In your own words
what happened?�

�As I told you the last four times, Auror Mitchell, I was
sitting at the Gryffindor table with Miss Granger, the Mail and the Prophet
Owls had just left and we were talking to some of the Gryffindor firsties when
I noticed Crabbe and Goyle stand up from their table.�

�How did you notice them, from the position of the tables it
must have been very difficult?�

�I�m a Seeker, I have very good peripheral vision and very
quick reflexes. As I said I saw them draw their wands and aim toward the
Hufflepuff table. I cast the strongest shield I know in front of the
Hufflepuffs. The spells rebounded onto Crabbe and Goyle and they dropped.�

�Why did you go to their aid?�

�No one else had moved at that point, I had to try
something.�

�What did you try?�

�I cast a diagnosis spell, but even by the time I got there
Crabbe had almost bled out, I was joined by Professor Newell, Madam Pomfrey and
Ms. Granger tried to help Goyle.�

�If I test your wand what spells will I find?�

�The last two will be a concave mirror shield and a
diagnosis shield, before that a weeks worth of school and combat training
spells.�

�Okay, Mr. Potter, we may need to interview you again, thank
you. I must ask you to stay here until we interview the rest of Gryffindor
House.�

�No problem.�

The interviews took the rest of the day, most of the
students hadn�t seen anything until they saw Harry and Hermione rush across to
the Slytherin table and be joined by Madam Pomfrey and Professor Newell. Some
of the Slytherin students tried to blame those damn Gryffs, right up until they
were told they would be interviewed under Veritaserum if they were thought to
be lying.

Goyle and Crabbe Homes

While the staff at Hogwarts were meeting to try and work out
how to deal with what had happened two Auror teams were involved in
simultaneous raids on the Crabbe and Goyle homes. The boy�s fathers weren�t
present, but two women sat and wept for their lost sons and cursed the arranged
marriages they�d been forced into.

When the Aurors left they dried the tears and informed their
husbands that their sons were dead.

Voldemort�s Headquarters

Vincent Crabbe looked down at his family elf, and took the
letter dismissing it in his usual manner, a swift kick up the rear end.

He opened the letter and read.

Dear Mr. Crabbe,

Our son has managed to kill himself at Hogwarts, he
attacked someone but his curse was deflected back at him and he died from it.

Don�t return home, the Aurors are watching the house.

Your Obedient Wife

Mrs. Crabbe

They really took the formality to the extreme in the Crabbe
house.

Goyle senior had received a similar letter from his wife and
the two friends sat and congratulated each other for having had a son who was
brave enough to die in the service of their Lord.

Voldemort sat and shook his head, these two fools were proud
of their sons who had just messed up things at Hogwarts, surely even Dumbledore
would take steps to weed out any other Junior Death Eaters.
- 17
- 18
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Independence Day

Former Hogwarts� Professor a Death Eater (See page 2)

Flashback

End Flashback

Auror Headquarters

Hogwarts

Dumbledore�s Office

Goyle and Crabbe Homes

Voldemort�s Headquarters