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No Outlet for Anger	By : wherdatcomfrom Category: Harry Potter > Slash - Male/Male Views: 5483 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 1
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
- 8
- 9
N:And since I'm already behind on my homework, I'll just post this next chapter. Review responses at the end. Love ya all.
Anna
Chapter Nine: Lordling and Company
After he had read over the transcript scrolls, the final reports of the aurors in charge of the cases, Percy was even more certain that there were hands dipping into the work. Hands from high up. All of these reports were signed off by one of four Wizengamut members.
Most incriminating were three specific cases. These three separate reports detailed the theft of seven artifacts that had been taken from the Bulstrode family for partial reparations. What made them significant was the fact that all seven pieces were stolen in one case, but three of them were in the second case and the other four in the third. In each report, the artifacts had been sold before disappearing and never returned to the purchaser.
The same signature was used for all three case scrolls and Percy knew the man personally. Helmutt Dorian was a half-blood of Greek descent, who had married the squib daughter of Ignatius Leland Knight. The Knight family had suffered terribly under reparations and Helmutt had purchased almost all of their assets. The family had subsequently been forced from their homes when most of the adults had been sentenced to Azkaban or laboring in one of the many Ministry post-war projects.
Percy cast a quick copying charm and packed the facsimiles into his case before sending the originals back to the archives. Now, he needed to focus on his work for the Mugwump, Mr. Artemus Fletcher, who was coincidentally Briarly's great uncle.
When he was finished, Percy packed up his desk, casting the blood-linked locking charms on it, and heading for the lifts. While he waited, he was joined by Constantine Ahlmed, who worked for the undersecretary to the Minister.
“Weasley, you're off early tonight.”
“I suppose.” Percy had never liked Ahlmed, and had trust issues with most of the Minister's staff. Thing had been so much better under Shacklebolt.
“Hot date?” Ahlmed tried.
“With a snifter of brandy and a first edition of Leonid's Alchemy . . “ Percy supplied.
“Ha ha! Oh, Weasley. You're a cut up. You should come to the Willow's Branch tonight. We've got a pool going on which one of Stimkin's new lackeys gets the axe first. Up to fifty galleons by now?”
Percy had never been happier to reach the Atrium, especially since George was headed his way with a determined stride. “Gotta go, Connie. See you Monday.”
Ahlmed looked up and groaned at the advancing ginger. “The one with the pranks? I'll be seeing you.” and he was off.
“George, what's wrong?” Percy said with a frown.
“Mum is insisting on Saturday dinner. Angelina hit the ceiling and you know how He is.”
“Won't go?” Percy asked.
“Says he hates how she looks at him. Can you talk to one of them?”
“Yeah. I'll stop by later.” Percy shifted his case and George's eyes moved to it.
“Top secret?” the twin asked with a mischievous grin.
“I wouldn't call it that, but some people might not want it scrutinized too closely.”
“Are you gonna share?”
“Let me run this by . . Stormy and Earl first. We'll come tonight, if they agree.”
“Gotcha. I'll tell Zombie this is an official visit. That might make him more pleasant.”
“Maybe I should have called you Subterfuge, Jester.”
George bowed elaborately and Percy glared at the gesture. “Your humble servant, Lordling.”
The two red-heads separated and disappeared up different floos. No one paid particular attention, since the brothers were often seen interacting like this. Once home, Percy wrote a quick note and sent it off with his owl, Omega.
It read:
Stormy,
Have information that might interest you and your guest. Floo is monitored. Come at earliest convenience. Bring Earl.
Lordling
As the owl winged his way to his destination, Percy poured himself the brandy he had told Ahlmed about and pulled his book down from the shelf. When dealing with the secretaries to the undersecretaries it paid to always speak some form of the truth, even when you must take steps to create the truth in what you've already said.
Draco was improving and Harry had returned to work, but still came back to Grimmauld to check on him daily. The color, what there was of it, had returned to the blond's face and his strength was growing incrementally. He had read the books that Potter had leant him and was itching to talk to his benefactor about one in particular.
Ginny and Lily were in Ireland, for a week, while she trained for a match and the youngest Potter visited with Luna, Rolf and their children.
Harry had just arrived and brought dinner up to the convalescent. “Potter, how many people benefited from Granger's use of that potion?”
“What?” Harry nearly dropped the tray.
“You're pants at playing it cool, so just answer the question. I remember your skill in potions, so it had to be Granger who brewed it.”
Harry concentrated on preparing and delivering a plate to his patient and then settled nearby to take a few sips of the coffee he was drinking tonight. He wished he had brought something stronger. After a few stalling sips, he put the cup down and took a deep breath. “Five. There were five. Well, six actually, but one person didn't last long.”
Draco stared for a long time, his hands fidgeting with the spoon in them and his eyes drilling into their subject. Finally, he spoke, “You brought six people back from the dead and no one knows about this?”
“Well, they know, just not that they were really dead. The papers printed that they were severely injured and recovered.”
“And how did you manage that?” the blond sneered.
“Ministry.” Harry spoke quickly and grabbed up his coffee again. “The Ministry had some control in the months that followed the war. They kept things out of the papers, and only allowed some information to leak. It was a hectic time, you know. There was a lot of confusion, so when the questions were asked, they just claimed that the deaths had been reported in error.”
“So, you saved the lives of six people.” Draco leaned back and dropped the spoon onto the plate in his lap.
“You could say that.”
“Who?” the question was so direct that Harry had to look up to be sure that they were alone.
“Remus and Tonks, she was your cousin Nymphadora. She's the one that didn't make it. She lasted a year, but there were complications. See the potion isn't perfect. There are side-effects and stuff.”
“Right. Who else?”
“Fred Weasley and Colin Creevey.” Harry was most interested in the reaction to the final recipient. “And Snape, like I said.”
“You didn't say! You said you researched it to help him, not that it worked. So, he is alive?”
“Yeah. He likes his privacy.”
“And that is where you went - that day?”
“What? No. I do go see him, but that's not what that was about. Why do you ask?”
“When you came back, you were muttering about cranky old men and stupid, unnecessary potions. I figured it was something to do with a potions master.”
“No. A few years ago I was called in to St. Mungos when a wizard I know had been ill. He had a stroke, see. He would only let them call me, cause he had no family left and wanted to name me as his beneficiary. It has to do with life-debts, you know. I ended up being declared his next of kin and responsible for him. Now, I help him with his rehabilitation.”
“And this wizard is?”
“Mr. Ollivander. He's had to retire and I've hired someone to run his shop, so his income is still good. He can't make wands anymore, but he still likes to make potions. Weird potions, too. That day, he brewed the Elixir of Entertainment. Have you heard about that one?”
Draco blushed to his ears and Harry nodded. “I suppose he still has needs. Did the potion work . . . . I mean, did the brewing go well?”
“It came out . . the potion was perfectly brewed. So, what else did you want to know before you'll eat?” Harry steered the subject away from Ollivander and his quirks.
“What are these side-effects that the potion causes?”
“There are several. Mostly, it can change the appearance, or cause mood swings. There are levels of how well it restores life, or doesn't. Sometimes it leaves the victim with a bum limb or bad eyesight, but in the case of Tonks, she was paralyzed. Other potions don't help, either.”
“Is that all?” Draco narrowed his eyes and lifted the spoon dramatically to get the other wizard to continue speaking.
“Fevers and chills. Ticks and twitches. Mostly those are subtle. It's like there's a trade-off. Life for health. Other than Tonks, everyone is all right with the results. Remus was sad, for years, but he's dealing with his loss.”
“Professor Lupin? Why?”
“Tonks was his wife.”
“I see. That makes him family, you know. Does he ever come to see you?”
“Yes, but not here. Did you want to talk to him?”
“No. I'd like to see Professor Snape, though.”
“Not likely to happen, and he hates being called that. If he comes here, call him Severus or Mr. Snape, or just Snape. He lets me get away with that, though that might be because Hermione and I saved his life.”
“I'd still like to see him.”
“Then, you'll need to get well. Eat up.”
“Fine, but while I eat, tell me about the rest.” Harry sighed and began his recount of the details of the potion, the effects on each patient and how they had found the book as well. When he finished, he took the tray away and headed down the stairs to clean up.
Draco took out the book and flipped back to the page where the information took on a new meaning to the reader.
The potion required three days to brew. The patient must be dead for less than a month and any burial had to have followed specific guidelines. Cremations and muggle-type embalming would ruin the corpse and make it ineffective for reanimation.
Draco wondered how Potter had managed to convince the families of the deceased to forego these practices. His knowledge of Potter being given charge over Snape's body as part of the man's will answered that question, as well as Lupin being like family to the other man. This didn't tell him about the Weasley twin, the muggleborn boy or his own cousin.
Well, she was easiest. The Black family didn't practice embalming. The bodies of the dead were placed in the mausoleum in Hendrick's Field, just one hundred yard from the Malfoy crypt. That would make it possible for the Chosen-one to access her remains.
His own father, when he was finally allowed to die after his years of half-life after the kiss, would be put there, as well. This potion would be of little help there, since his father's soul existed only in the belly of a dementor.
The cruelty of the Ministry had even amazed the young heir to the Malfoy family, when they had been informed that his father would have to live out his sentence, both the first one from fifth year, the additional five years for his escape, and the twenty years that his trial after the war had added. The kiss was administered when the first two were completed, but he would remain in his current state for eleven more years from the anniversary when he and his mother had visited the shell of the man just last year.

Harry felt the owl enter the wards even before he saw it winging its way towards him. He read the note and put in a quick call to his old partner, Lee Jordan. Lee had been assigned to him when Ron was promoted to his new position with the Missing Wizards and Witches Division. Lee had later moved on to work with illegal potion ingredients and other forms of poaching and import/exports.
“Lordling calls.” Harry said and Lee nodded. Harry went upstairs and checked on Malfoy before he got ready to leave. “I've got to go. I'll be back later, but I didn't want you to try calling for me, and get worried if I didn't come.”
“I'm not a child, Potter. I can entertain myself.”
“Do you need anything, before I go?”
“I've read these. Could you bring up something else? Anything that doesn't deal with new laws or standards for behavior that is.”
Harry took the two books, noticing that the last was pushed back like Malfoy was afraid he'd snatch it away. “I'll see what I can find. You need to take the green potion in about an hour. I'll bring some tea to rinse it down with.”
“Thank you, Potter. I'll remember.”
Harry delivered tea, three books from the library and the day's copy of the Daily Prophet, then left the house to apparate to his destination. Once there, he met Lee on the corner and they entered the building together. Percy met them on the stairs.
“Good to see you. Hurry along.” the ginger man said and the two aurors followed silently. When they entered his flat, he quickly closed his protective wards and opened his case. He went over the cases, explained the others he had researched and stood back to let the other men have access to the scrolls.
“Have you talked to anyone else?” Lee was first to begin, but this was usual for the group.
“No one as yet. I've mentioned the possibilities to Jester, and I suppose he will be conferring with others.”
“So, Fred and George know?” Harry smirked and lifted one of the sheets. “We should talk to Millicent Bulstrode. She's the only member of the family that's not in custody.”
“Can't just walk in there. She'll clam up the minute an auror or a . . . politician comes sniffing around.” Lee could always bring up the challenges to their cases.
“I think Harry's right, but he may have a way to endear himself to the Slytherins.” Percy suggested and Harry frowned.
“I could bring along a friend.”
“No.” Percy snapped. “You bring two pures together, for any reason, those fires I told you about get stoked. Best to get what information you can and go it alone.”
“Gotcha. What's our first move?”
“We go see a few of our operatives. Besides, Mum wants a Saturday get-together and Fred says . . . emphatically 'No!' I need to talk to him, anyway.”
“Right. So, you want back-up?” Lee suggested and Harry burst out laughing.
“Let's go. Should we call in more help? You know how Zombie gets.” the latter suggested and Lee joined in the laughter.
“As a matter of fact, I thought that this might be a good opportunity for us to bring in Fireball, Creeper and Domino. Leave Bishop out, since he would be a bit too finicky about the object of our investigation.”
“Yeah, Ron's not much for looking into Ministry hoodwinks. I'm with you on this, Lordling.”
“Thank you, Earl. Stormy?” Percy turned to Harry.
“Yeah. I'm already keeping things from Ron, so I'll go along. I don't much care to have too many people in on my domestic issues, though.”
“We'll keep him out of it if we can,” Percy said in a whisper and Lee conveniently looked away. Their confidentiality had been the glue that kept their subterfuge dealing together for the past seven years. The group knew things about each other, and knew when to keep out of their companions' affairs.
It was barely ten when they landed outside of the modest home that the twins lived in with Angelina and the children. Neville, Bill and Charlie stood inside of the gate and watched them as they came up the street.
Once inside of the wards, the men greeted each other and went into the house.
“Glad you could get away, Creeper. Anything new with the two little snakes?” Harry asked and Neville snorted a laugh.
“Oh, they keep active, but Montague has them under watch. He's assigned some seventh years to monitor them. Keeps them out of trouble. Malfoy's son was sick for a time, but he seems much improved the last few days.” The herbology teacher responded.
“Good to hear.” Harry said with an internal sigh. “There's Fred.”
The sight of the twins had stopped shocking most of the family over the years, but some people still stared when they were together. George had gotten older and his hair now covered his missing ear, but Fred was a different case altogether.
The use of the Necromatilla potion and its lasting side effects, were something that Harry and Hermione thought were worth it if the person was returned to their lives. George, and the rest of the family, agreed - but the public could be a lot harder to convince. Fred certainly didn't care that he was shorter than his brother, had to wear a brace on his back and now sported a head of dirty blond hair.
George claimed the color suited his brother. Harry had to agree.
“Let's get started.” Percy said and the group gathered around the table in the large kitchen. Angelina came in, after checking on the children and reinforcing the silencing spells that kept them from hearing the meetings in their home. The two boys, George's sons, were quite rambunctious for seven, and Lilah, Fred's daughter, was about as inquisitive as a five-year-old could get. Angie hoped their next child, the one she carried at the time, would not take after its father.
“I won't be able to help much, but I'll need to know what trouble you lot are getting my men into.” she said as she took her seat with difficulty. Fred jumped up and pushed her chair in, especially concerned after the last pregnancy had taken so much out of the woman.
“It's okay, Goddess. We won't be going into anything dangerous, this time. This is all high ranking trickery.” Percy began, but Harry stood and the group turned to give him their attention.
“I think we need to all understand that this is more than just trickery. How many of you know about the Named Line Residency Law?” he said. “There is more fouling our world than just pure-blood hatred,” he began.
The group stared back with interest as he outlined the laws, implied the Ministry abuses and turned to Percy who brought out the document scrolls. The group broke up around two in the morning, to go about their separate tasks and meet back in two weeks.
Two days later, Harry was following Robards through the Department of Mysteries on a routine inspection tour. He had managed to get the detail when the Head Auror had asked for a volunteer to do the tour with him and no one else had offered. Harry knew why, too. Robards was a complete bore and the halls of this particular area were odd and dangerous.
Briarly watched him pass through the entry and did her best to look busy as she followed behind them. They were directed away from that corridor, as she knew they would be, and into the rooms where some of the experimental weapons were analyzed and perfected. The Ministry was always looking for ways to make their law enforcement more efficient and keep aurors from getting injured, or killed, in the line of duty.
The tools that were arrayed before them were mostly failed attempts to do things with artifacts that were faster accomplished with spells. Harry grew bored and wandered into an antichamber where a small library was housed. Here he browsed the book titles and made mental note to look up some of these in the rare book stores he knew of.
In a back corner, kept dark with something like the twins special darkness powder, he noticed a large podium with an ancient book spread on its surface. When he leaned closer, he noticed that the words were written in a strange text.
The smile on his face would have frightened many viewers, but he was still alone in the room. Carefully he closed the cover and took in the title and author of the book.
When he rejoined Robards, Harry's smile was gone, but his eyes no longer had the hard edge that made the other man nervous. Harry followed dutifully for the rest of the tour, reacting only slightly when a hand pushed something into his pocket and a body brushed past him. He recognized the walk of the unspeakable from previous encounters and put his hand over the pocket to feel the crinkle of parchment inside.
“Draco! Draco?” Harry called as he rushed up the stairs and burst into the bedroom where the blond had spent the last two weeks. The bed was empty, but the sound of water running in the bathroom told him the blond was not far. He leaned against the door and tapped on the wood. “Are you going to be long? I have something important to tell you.”
The response was a grunting and the water stopped. “I'll be out in a minute, Potter.”
Harry returned to his usual chair near the bed and waited until the blond returned, his hair wet and his robes done up wrong. He kept his smile to himself as Draco climbed back into the bed. “I need your help. We're going to get Astoria, but we'll need to bring someone with who can reassure her that we mean her no further harm. Before you say it, it can't be you.”
“What do you want, then?” Draco gritted out at him.
“I mean to speak with Millicent Bulstrode and enlist her help. She won't trust me, so I need to know of a way to gain her trust. And it needs to be fast, since we've only a few days before this has to take place.”
“Millie? Why, Potter? Why her?”
“Two reasons. First, she knew Astoria, right? She was important. I know this because Percy told me that it was crucial I not take you to see her. He wouldn't have cared if there wasn't already a connection.”
“She's my son's godmother. Astoria chose her out of their friendship from the mines. Millicent was special to Astoria.”
“Second, there's some information that Bulstrode has that I need, so this will help me after the rescue is completed.”
“What do you . . . is this a trick, Potter? What are you planning? How does Millie fit into your . . .”
“Hold up. Look, I don't have time to fill you in right now. I've got to go see Bulstrode. Try to trust me. It's not a trap for you, or her, or any of your friends. I want to help, how can I prove that to you?”
Draco sighed. “Just the knowledge of her status should help. Not many know that she's Scorpius' godmother. Also, you'll need to get to her. If she thinks of you as an auror, she'll disappear or just shut up. First, you get to her without letting her go into hiding. There's a spell that can weave an opening in the wards. Just speak it, at the point you want to go through, and you're in. Only a Slytherin would know it, and she's certain to have put the protection into her wards that the spell breaks.” Draco went on to outline a few details that would endear Harry to one of his former associates and after they had their lunch, Harry left to speak with the woman.
Briarly apparated just outside of the town of Willow's Overlook and scanned the main street. She saw the man she was meeting and rushed up to throw her arms around his neck, squealing in delight. “Oh, Darling! I was afraid you could get away.”
The man in her arms, held her lightly, and stiffened under her onslaught, but he was experienced in ad lib and took on the proposed personality within seconds. “It was difficult. Mother is quite observant. We should find someplace less open to talk.” he suggested and she followed him to a small pub. Inside they took a back table and huddled close. “An interesting technique to throw off suspicion. Did you intend to make us a spectacle?”
“Of course, I never do anything accidently,” Briarly explained.
“Your methods are always interesting, Unspeakable. Why are we here?” Remus asked.
“I'm in need of some help with an extraction. Stormy has contacted me about a patient of the department and we have limited time. We met yesterday and he said you were perfect for this mission.”
“I'm in. Who else will be coming?”
“Stormy will get us an old friend of the woman, but I don't know who, yet. Less is better for this. He's also coming, but I don't like that fact. He was insistent, but high profile aurors tend to be noticed.”
“Stormy has ways to keep his nose clean. Don't worry. When do we do this?”
“Has to be tomorrow. One more day and it'll be too late. Before ten is too early, but there is a lapse in the roster that will give us a window of about thirty minutes.”
“Fill me in on the particulars.” They continued to talk, and Briarly would occasionally get close enough that they would appear to be kissing. The crowd would have quite a bit of gossip to fill their days with after this visit. Remus Lupin was listed as the most eligible of the heroes from the war and this girl was also known by to be single and in demand.
Harry arrived at the Bulstrode estate, well cottage would be an exaggeration for the house, so he thought he'd refer to it as their home. He checked his chrono and it was half four, still early enough to avoid interrupting the meal, and late enough that there would be little possibility of a raid. He stepped up to the border of the fence, expecting the tingle that indicated a soft ward on the property.
“Lethio.” he said and the tingle faded away. He walked up the path and knocked on the door. The portal flew open and a glaring Millicent Bulstrode stood in his way.
“Who told you that spell?” she snapped and Harry smiled.
“A mutual friend.”
“We don't have any of those.”
“We didn't. Now, we do. I'm here to talk to you about a few things near to your heart.” Harry lifted a hand, palm up to show his wand was not in it, and gestured into the house. Millicent backed up and let him through. In the hallway, Harry noticed that several doors were halfway disallusioned to appear to be solid walls complete with frameless pictures hung there. A frame would denote value and likely be confiscated. A very Slytherin move, taking them out of the illusions. “How long has it been since you've seen Astoria Greengrass?”
“Mrs. Malfoy and I do not socialize. I haven't seen her in years.”
“How many years?” Harry probed.
“Ten. I was invited to see her son, when he reached his first year.”
“You are the child's godmother, am I right?”
Millicent nodded and leaned back. “So, you've been sent by Astoria.”
“No. Her husband is who sent me. I'm attempting to recover the woman for him.”
“Astoria is gone? Speak now, Auror. Tell me what you know!”
Harry quickly outlined the events of the last few months, the information he had about her property and his concerns about: the woman, the pures and the machinations of the Ministry elite. She was silent and attentive and only asked questions when he paused to give her room to. When he left, they had an understanding and she had been given a special name.
Millicent Bulstrode would be known as Lordling's new Mirage.
Review responses:
Kain: not sure about foreshadowing, but it's important. Hadn't planned this as an MPreg, so I need to make arrangements for what's coming along. I think I'm gonna have to show that pure-bloods aren't innocent, but it's the idea of generalizing that gets me. Look at McLaggen, for one. Hope to get this to a completion, so I can let it go, soon.
delia cerrano: I hope you meant Dumbledore, cause I'm trying to keep the little Potter spawn as likeable. Mystery person revealed, as well as a few more surprises. Now, let's just see what's coming up, kay?
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