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The Bittersweet Taste of Victory	By : Nerys Category: Harry Potter > Het - Male/Female > Hermione/Voldemort Views: 37650 -:- Recommendations : 2 -:- Currently Reading : 0
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.

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Warning: This chapter is from Unspeakable Sloan's perspective!

The Bittersweet Taste of Victory

What does it matter to ya,

When you've got a job to do you gotta do it well,

You gotta give the other fellow hell

You used to say live and let live.

You know you did, you know you did, you know you did

But if this ever changing world in which we live in

Makes you give in and cry,

Say live and let die

Live and let die,

Live and let die,

Live and let die.

Paul McCartney and Wings; Live and let die

Chapter twenty-five

With a bounce in his step, Liam Sloan walks across the streets of New York City accompanied by his American partner Nathania. He glances sideways to the woman. She is intelligent, thorough and a bit unstable in her mind. However, Nathania is one of the few Aurors in this country that he trusts completely, mainly because she is a firm supporter of the political regime Voldemort created. Frankly, Sloan has never seen anyone before who is such a fervent Muggle-hater. Considering that he met the Dark Lord himself, it is saying something.

But Nathania blames the discrimination and enslavement of her people on muggles. Not that Nathania's family ever had to endure any of it. She was born in a long family line of pureblood wizards and witches, who lived and still live outside the Muggle-world. But she sympathises and hates every muggle for it with a vengeance, even the Afro-American ones. According to her, they are all Uncle Toms and every muggle should just be eliminated, period. Yes, Sloan feels she is definitely strange in her reasoning. But he isn't complaining, because her reasoning suits him just fine at the moment in his quest to find the Grangers.

Sloan has always loved his job. He does it meticulously, no matter who runs the country. He has apprehended several Death Eaters among those who seemed innocent and above all suspicion under Scrimgeour's regime, and he easily switched to Order members and friends after Voldemort took over. Sloan does it all for the chase and the puzzle. The politics behind it doesn't interest him. He is used to politicians changing their thoughts on a mere whim. He is an Unspeakable, a professional, who does his job to the best of his abilities. Not for a moment does he consider what happens to those he apprehends these days; he just likes to find the people who can not be found by others. It still bugs him to this day that Granger came to Voldemort before he had a chance to find her. But he will find her parents, of that, he is certain.

Working in the United States of America has been more troublesome than he had taken into consideration beforehand. Several attempts on his life had been made already, and a couple of times, he had gone to a house, where he hoped the Grangers would live, to find it emptied out completely. Somehow the resistance movement in this country was often two steps ahead of him, making his search for the Grangers nearly impossible to accomplish.

But he has a good feeling about today and he rings the doorbell twice. After a short while, the door opens and a little girl stares directly at him. So it looks like it's the wrong house after all. Alas.

'Who are you?' the girl asks curiously.

Sloan squats down to the girl's height. 'My name is Liam Sloan. I am with the FBI,' he replies, using their normal cover that has gotten him indoors of many muggles' households surprisingly easy over the last couple of weeks.

'Cool,' the girl responds, looking at the fake badge he is holding.

'And you are?'

'I am Jaquenetta Evans,' the girl states.

'Jaquenetta, that is a beautiful name, very Shakespearian,' he says, smiling satisfied again, because maybe he wasn't wrong after all. 'And how old are you?'

'Five,' Jaquenetta says proudly.

'Five,' Sloan replies happily, doing the math. 'Wow, so you're a big girl already.'

The girl nods fervently and Nathania shuffles on her feet impatiently. 'Stop fooling around with the muggle brat, Sloan, and hurry up. I am hungry and looking forward to go home and cook a nice meal for myself.'

'Are your parents home, Jaquenetta?' Sloan asked politely, ignoring the hungry Auror.

An affirmative nod is his only response.

'Could you get them for me? I need to speak with them.'

'Mom!' Jaquenetta shouts, looking over her shoulder. 'There is a man from the FBI here!'

Sloan stands up and glares at the obviously bored witch on his side. 'I don't think we'll be going home soon. This could very well be it.'

'You say that at every house.'

'And one day I am going to be right.'

'Yes?' asks the middle-aged woman, who entered the hallway while drying her hands on a towel.

A broad smile graces Sloan's features when he recognises the woman. 'Ginny Evans?'

'Yes.'

'I am Liam Sloan,' he says, flashing his badge once more. 'Is your husband in?'

'Why? What is going on?'

'I am afraid we have received information that drug-money is being laundered through your practice by one of your accountants and we need to ask you both to come with us, so we can go through the paperwork together and sort this out.'

'Drug-money is being laundered through our practice?' Mrs Evans replies shocked. 'Ronald!' she shouts and she walks away from the door, beckoning them indoors.

Satisfied, Sloan turns to the bored Nathania. With a flick of his wand, he sends a message away to the United Kingdom and he smirks widely as his silvery mouse speeds away.

'I guess today is my lucky day,' Sloan whispers smugly.

'What did you just do?' Nathania asks, staring down the street where the emissions of his message still remain apprehensively.

'I contacted the Dark Lord,' he replies smugly, watching Nathania's eyes widen even further.

'You did what!' she hisses angry and a bit frightened. 'Are you absolutely certain these people are the Grangers, because if you are wrong…'

'I am not wrong,' Sloan replies certain of himself.

He steps indoors to shake the hand of Ronald Evans, who came down the stairs after hearing his wife holler at him.

'Liam Sloan,' he introduces himself to Hermione's father, but Ronald doesn't get a chance to respond.

'Expelliarmus!'

The spell strikes Sloan in the back and his wand leaves his pocket when the force of the Disarmament Charm tosses him across the hallway into the kitchen. Frightened shrieks from the Evans's and Nathania's reassuring words to them reach his eardrums as he scrambles to his feet. He sees the woman cast a Memory Restoring Charm on the two muggles before turning to face him. Nathania smirks as she has her wand aimed directly at him.

'You, it was you,' Sloan hisses. 'You were the one who hindered my investigation.'

A small inclination of Nathania's head is all the responds he gets to his statement from the traitorous Auror, while she looks satisfied in his direction. 'Have a seat, dear Liam. You're going to need it when the Dark Lord gets here and you have nothing to give him.'

With a smoothly cast spell, he is dumped into one of the kitchen chairs before the disloyal woman plants her wand at her temple and a silver tiger speeds away. This is just one more thing that he really doesn't like about Americans. They can never do as they are told. He will be so happy to leave this country behind him. Sloan turns his attention to the muggles and he notices the Grangers are looking utterly confused. He is very interested in their responses to everything that is about to happen. Rose has taken her scared daughter Jaquenetta on her arm, while Hugo is whispering to her vigorously.

'Don't worry about Him coming,' Nathania says over her shoulder to the Grangers. 'We're going to get you out of here in a heartbeat. My people are closer by than the Dark Lord is. They will get the message before he does.'

'What's going on? Who are you?' Hugo Granger demands. 'Where is my daughter?'

Two cracks follow and a tiny wizard monk along with a tall, pink haired woman Apparate in the kitchen. 'Mr and Mrs Granger?' the monk asks.

'Yes,' replies Hugo annoyed, 'mind telling me who you are, bouncing into my kitchen like that.'

'I am … uhmm… Yoda,' the monk answers, 'and I believe Hermione may have told you about Nymphadora Lupin-Tonks?'

'Well, that is a bit of information the Dark Lord will be most interested in hearing about,' Sloan thinks, taking in the figure of Tonks, who stumbles forward, tosses over a lamp in her path, and takes the hands of both Hugo and Rose Granger to shake them vigorously.

'It's an honour to finally meet the parents of Hermione,' she says happily. 'We were having such a hard time finding you.'

Sloan snorts.

'Oh, we are more than willing to give you the well deserved credit for it,' sneers Nathania. 'Do you want me to leave a note for Him?'

'Hermione?' Rose asks Tonks worried. 'Is she alright?'

And both the Grangers are now alternating their eyes between Tonks, Yoda and Nathania. Yoda is the one who steps forward and responds. 'We will explain everything to you once we have gotten you to safety.' And he nods towards Tonks. 'You know where to take them.'

'Now, wait a second,' Hugo interrupts and he pulls his arm away before Tonks has a chance to take a hold of him. 'Yoda?' he asks, puzzled.

'It's how your daughter named me. My true name is rather … difficult to pronounce,' Yoda responds smiling.

'Hermione named you Yoda?' Rose asks frowning and she shares an understanding glance with her husband.

'Well, at least it isn't Darth Vader or the Emperor,' Hugo mutters softly.

'I believe that position is already filled,' Nathania snickers, making the Grangers chuckle briefly as well.

The four others in the room are watching the exchange dumbfounded. They have absolutely no idea what the fun is all about, but no explanation is being given.

'If my Hermione named you Yoda, you must be a good person,' Hugo says and he holds out his hand to Yoda, who shakes it. 'So how is my daughter?'

'I am certain she is fine,' Yoda replies to Sloan's utter astonishment. 'I will fill you in more extensively once we arrive at the safe house.'

'Hermione will be there too?' Rose asks hopeful.

'Of course not,' Sloan replies annoyed, and before the others have a chance to speak. 'They aren't taken you to your daughter. They can't.'

'While you vile, low some, evil sneak,' Nathania hisses, 'Duro!'

Shocked, Sloan sees the Into-Stone-Turning Hex hurtle toward him, but Yoda swirls around. A dash of bright light flies around Liam and the hex extinguishes. Nathania turns to Yoda astonished. 'You're protecting that piece of shit here?'

'We are not in the business of attacking defenceless people,' Yoda says calmly.

But Hugo Granger steps forward. 'What did he mean when he said you can't take us to Hermione?' he asks, concerned.

'Because she is a prisoner of the Dark Lord,' Sloan says quickly and to great irritation of Nathania. But he already knows now that Yoda will protect him, so he feels relatively safe.

'Wha… at?' Rose stutters, devastated.

'Mommy, you're crushing me,' Jaquenetta squeaks painfully.

'Is that true?' Hugo asks Yoda upfront.

'I'm afraid so, but…'

'If you ever want to see your daughter alive again, you will stay here with me until the Dark Lord arrives,' Sloan interrupts Yoda. 'I can assure you he will punish Hermione if…' But suddenly he is no longer able to utter another word and he looks at the monk, whose hand is raised, with some fear.

'You can't stay,' Yoda says to the Grangers. 'He will use you against Hermione if you do.'

'But we can't leave her. She needs us,' Rose objects.

'You will not do her any favours by staying,' Yoda replies warningly. 'I understand you're concerned about Hermione. So am I. But going over there as his prisoners will make her life a lot more difficult and …'

Yoda's eyes widen. In an abrupt move, he turns away from the Grangers and swirls his hands through the air. A bright light emanates all around the kitchen, protecting those present. 'Get out, all of you, he is already here.'

A thundering noise sounds, muffling Yoda's warning words, and darkness hits the outer wall of the building, trashing it to smithereens before they can even blink an eyelash. It collides violently with Yoda's Light Force and the air cackles with magic so forceful Sloan feels his skin crawl. Lord Voldemort has arrived. His imposing figure is standing in the street and a smirk graces his snakelike features when he sees the monk and the others in the now 'exposed to the elements' kitchen. Tonks grabs a hold of the Grangers and Sloan is incredibly pleased when she seems unable to Apparate out with Nathania. It appears the Dark Lord has raised an Anti-Apparation Ward before attacking. Dark sparks fly everywhere and Yoda is struggling to keep them out.

'GO!' Yoda shouts over the thundering noise of the colliding magic. 'I can't hold him off forever.'

'We can't!' Nathania yells. 'Some ward is preventing Apparation!'

Concerned, Yoda looks over his shoulder. His hands are still raised to hold of the darkness that is surrounding them. However, this bit of information makes the tiny monk close his eyes and bend his head to concentrate.

'Get ready to go,' Yoda tells the others in the room.

'Now!' Yoda shouts and one hand retreats from blocking Voldemort's magic and flies up in the sky to trash the ward that had been set there.

Five people Apparate out, just before Yoda gets thrown through the kitchen and plummets into the cabinets on the opposing wall, unable to hold of Voldemort's attack when he had to split his magic between two tasks. Voldemort Apparates in front of the monk and aims his wand.

'Goodbye old fool,' the Dark Lord hisses. 'Avada…'

'Crack.'

A scream of fury leaves the Dark Lord's lips when Yoda is no longer there and he swirls towards Sloan, raising his wand wrathful at the only one left in his presence. The one, who has summoned him in vain.

'No, my Lord, wait,' Sloan thinks, because he is still unable to make a sound. The Unspeakable is shaking his head frightened and he raises his hand in the air as a futile means of defence, hoping to prevent the inevitable.

'Crucio!'

He is unsuccessful.

...
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The Bittersweet Taste of Victory