herumtreiber

Title: Unusual ending - chapter 21
Chapter: Confrontation in the Ministry
Author:

herumtreiber
Genre: Slash, time travel, romance, adventure
Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or related characters. Nor do I make any money from the writing of these stories.
Rating: PG-13 for the chapter
Warnings: None
Epilogue compliant? No way!
Chapter length: 4180 words
Beta: None.
Summary: Old meets new. Harry walks all over Draco's heart, and when he realizes his mistakes he does the unforgivable so Draco takes him back. Time travel. During HBP, disregards Deathly Hallows - that means everyone's alive, except Sirius, but...

Table of contents

The Haiku

After an exhausting journey flying through the south of England, Harry was ready to curse Moody's thoroughness. It had been fun flying over the Thames, but when they retraced their steps flying westward and the miles seemed to stretch forever, Harry's crotch ached, and not in a good way. He could only imagine what Tonks must be feeling, with the added stress of her pregnancy.

The wind stung his face, his joints ached and his legs seemed about to cramp. So it was with a sigh of relief that Harry saw the bright lights of Salisbury below. The group followed the meandering Avon River, and when Harry saw the slim spire of the medieval cathedral shining below, he decided he would visit it later, preferably with Draco.

They flew northwards and passed over a thick forest. Harry was flying next to Tonks, so he noticed her sudden disappearance. Harry abruptly swerved and retraced his path, worried that the journey might have been too strenuous and she might have fallen off her broom.

But it was an unfounded fear because Harry saw Tonks flying a holding pattern.

"What are you doing?" shouted the brunet. During a break in the cloud cover, Harry saw several huge monoliths bathed by the moonlight scattered on the plains below, like toys discarded hastily by a giant toddler.

Tonks approached Harry, her hair a riotous mixture of fuchsia and pink whipped every which way by the strong wind, hardly visible in the scant moonlight. "Flying over the ley lines! They're great for your health!"

Harry shook his head. Sometimes he just didn't understand Tonks at all.

The witch pointed downward with her arm. "Recognise that? It's Stonehenge!"

"Quit dallying, you two!" shouted Moody. The Auror swerved just to the left of them. He appeared to be grouchier than usual.

Harry frowned. Moody's angry because he can't get to his firewhiskey whilst he is flying.

"We're almost there, hurry!"

The group arrived at the Manor just after midnight.

Harry felt a liquid sensation running all over his body, trying to recognise him. The intent was hostile at first, but when Harry's magic reacted to the Manor wards; their magic caressed his skin in a pale imitation of Draco's fingers. Harry shivered, enjoying the ghostly feeling of the wards, it felt just like when Moaning Myrtle passed through him, but it had an erotic tinge. He felt his sex beginning to stir. The magic soothed his aching legs, acting like a magical massage.

Harry dismounted from his broom, gingerly stretching his legs. The tall hedge in front of him formed a dark passage straight to the Manor's iron wrought doors. Tonks approached him, clapping his shoulders. "All right, Harry?"

"I'm fine, Tonks." Harry eyed the young Auror, taking out his wand from his jeans, ready to cast a healing spell in case Tonks needed it. "Aren't you a bit sore? You know, from the flight?"

"That's what Cushioning charms are for, Harry!"

"Why didn't you tell me?" growled the Gryffindor.

Tonks grinned unrepentantly; there was a quality to her wicked smile that made it easy to remember that she was Sirius' and Draco's cousin. "It escaped my mind."

Kingsley touched Harry's shoulder reassuringly. "Tonks has had Auror training, Harry. She's learnt to adapt to harsh situations. We often have to endure nights in the open, chasing suspects hundreds of miles."

Moody smiled fondly at his protégé, a gesture that softened his harsh features. "Quite right. Tonks is a very good Auror, though a maladroit one."

Tonks glared at the grizzled Auror. "Not that clumsy, I'll let you know."

They arrived at the doors of the Manor. Tonks nudged Harry. "Go on, touch it! My aunt told me the wards will open for you and your friends."

Harry put his hands on the cool iron gate, noting that the wrought vines shined eerily in the starlight. The wards recognised Harry's magical signature and the door opened with a creaking sound.

The walk through the Manor's garden had a strange quality for Harry. There were all kinds of strange plants that appeared quite ominous in the night. A silver ghostly shape approached them, cooing softly. To Harry's tired gaze, it appeared to be a Patronus.

But when Moody growled menacingly at it, the figure scampered away with a clucking sound.

"Bloody peacocks!" said Moody.

The two Aurors who joined them over the Thames, Alan Swann and John Doherty, snickered softly.

"Quiet, you two!" grunted Moody.

"See, you even scared the poor bird," said Kingsley in his rumbling baritone voice.

When they arrived at the door, Tonks got a hold of the huge dragon's head that served as a door knocker and pushed it against the oak door.

A small house-elf opened the door. She had thin green arms that poked out of her toga-like garment. Peering closely, Harry realised the elf was dressed in what appeared to be a Roman toga. The elf squeaked excitedly when she saw the group. "Mistress waits for you in the parlour, sir Potter!"

"Please call me Harry."

The elf bowed her head until her large nose was perpendicular to the floor. "As master Harry wishes, Curly will show sirs and madam the way."

Whilst the group made their way to the parlour, Curly's big eyes scrutinised Harry. The brunet squirmed and finally asked the elf, pointing at the frayed toga. "Where did you get that?"

Curly puffed up her thin chest proudly. "These are master Draco's first Quidditch robes." Curly poked her chest with a long finger. "Dobby and Curly took care of young master Draco. After Dobby escaped, master gave me his robes."

Harry laughed, imagining Draco playing Quidditch with those tiny robes. The Slytherin must have been five for them to be so small.

Narcissa was reading a book whilst she waited for them. She stood up and walked regally towards the Aurors and Harry.

Kingsley bowed shallowly and touched the shoulders of the two Hufflepuff Aurors. Looking sideways at Moody, he said, "Mrs. Malfoy, we have to return to London. Albus is expecting us."

The Aurors walked towards the door but Narcissa's voice stopped them. "Why don't you Floo directly to the Ministry, gentlemen?"

"Indeed, we might do that, Mrs. Malfoy. The flight was exhausting," said Kingsley.

"Curly, please show the Aurors to the Floo."

Moody's feet shifted restlessly on the wooden floor. Finally he said, "I'll go with you, Kingsley. I leave Harry in the capable hands of Tonks."

Moody took his hip flask and took a healthy swig of firewhiskey, unmindful of Narcissa's censorious look. Then he limped towards the Aurors and the group left the parlour led by Curly.

Harry blushed when his stomach rumbled. While the Dursleys treated him more carefully after Moody's warning, they weren't precisely liberal with their food. Only the care packages thoughtfully provided by Mrs. Weasley kept him somewhat full.

"You can order a late snack in your room, Harry," said Narcissa, smiling at Harry. The blonde woman exchanged a knowing look with her niece. "The elves cleaned a room next to Harry's for you-"

Observing Tonks' scowl, Narcissa tried to hide her smirk. I don't know why Nymphadora dislikes her name so much. It has so much class.

"- my dear Tonks."

Narcissa looked at Harry's tired visage. "Harry, I took the liberty of inviting your two friends, Mr. Weasley and Miss Granger. They'll arrive tomorrow, I trust that's all right?"

Harry beamed. "Thanks, Mrs. Malfoy!"

When Curly returned, Narcissa said, "Now the elf will take you to your rooms. Have a good night!"

In the Wizengamot, Blaise's boredom had finally forced Draco to accompany his friend in an impromptu tour of the Ministry.

"Those bloody old coots can't stop talking!" Blaise stopped in front of the elevators, fidgeting with his robes.

Draco put his hand over his mouth, yawning discreetly. "Political deliberations take time, Blaise."

Blaise stood on his tiptoes, glaring at his best friend. "They could stop insisting that only they know precisely how Merlin would handle our present troubles and just say plainly what they intend to do!"

Draco shrugged nonchalantly. "You know politicians; they love to hear their own voices."

Just before the elevator door opened, Blaise mumbled, "Like someone I know!"

"What did you say, Blaise?" Draco stepped into the elevator behind his Slytherin friend.

"Nothing, Draco. Nothing you want to hear." Blaise punched a button at random, and when the elevator jerked sideways, he grabbed Draco's waist.

The blond smirked whilst he held to the metal cord hanging from the ceiling with his left hand. "Thankfully Harry isn't here or he might get jealous."

Blaise started to say something, but right then the elevator lurched to a stop.

The two Slytherins stepped into a darkened hallway. The black stone walls seemed to shine unearthly by the light of the sconces.

"Don't care what Potter does, I can take him!" Blaise smiled deviously, looking in both directions of the corridor.

Draco sauntered to the left of the corridor, turning to smirk at Blaise. "Would like to see you try to fight him!"

They bantered back and forth until they arrived at a huge circular hall, with doors forming the spokes of a wheel.

Blaise looked at the gloomy hall, sighing. "This place is creepy. Can't wait to get out of here. The old coots might..."

Draco grabbed Blaise's robes and pointed at the intersection of the two spokes in front of them, about sixty feet ahead. Blaise squinted, seeing a ghostly figure hurriedly opening a door, its head white as snow.

"That's the old man who rescued me! I wish Harry were here!" Draco sprinted ahead, turning to look at his friend. "Let's see what he's up to!"

Harry tossed and turned in the comfortable bed which felt as soft as if it was made of feathers. The bedroom felt strange, too spacious compared to his small one at Privet Drive. A thousand thoughts whirled through Harry's mind. I wonder if Draco's ok. Won't the Death Eaters try to revenge themselves, especially that bitch, Bellatrix?

Realising he'd lost the battle to fall asleep; Harry crossed his hands behind his neck and stared at the ceiling. I hope Ron is taking good care of my hedgehog. Frankly I didn't like the looks Hedwig sent Hector's way. And leaving him with Hermione was out of the question. Crookshanks has a bad reputation regarding rodents. Though how I wish he'd eaten Wormtail!

Harry yawned. A few minutes later he was falling asleep until a loud popping sound woke him up.

"Sir!"

Propping himself on his elbows, Harry searched for his glasses on the night table and put them on. He peered at the dark room dimly illuminated by the light of the sconce until he espied two big eyes that were gazing at him adoringly.

"Dobby! What's going on?"

"Sir's friend, the Malfoy boy, needs him!"

Harry stood up and opened the dresser, reaching his hand to grab the jeans and robes he'd taken off an hour ago.

"Draco! What happened to him?" Harry dressed rapidly. He went to his trunk and opened it to grab the Invisibility Cloak.

Dobby fingered the ragged edges of his sweater. "Dobby was following him. He's at the Ministry, and..."

"Take me to him, Dobby!"

Harry frantically threw the Cloak over himself and Dobby. The elf smiled nervously at Harry and grabbed his hand, taking them out of the Manor by elf apparition.

Harry felt the usual wrenching sensation and after the world's ghostly pattern shifted into place around him, he saw through the Cloak the figures of Draco and Blaise.

Blaise was tugging Draco's robes. "Don't go inside! He might be dangerous!"

Harry took out the Cloak and touched his boyfriend's shoulders. Draco jumped into the air, and turned to the newcomers, clenching his wand with his fingers.

The blond sighed in relief when he recognised Harry. He glared at the brunet and the elf. "You scared me out of my wits!"

Blaise commented sarcastically, "As if he has any!"

Draco scowled at the Slytherin. "You wait till I tell Pansy!"

Blaise shivered and tried to shrug nonchalantly. Harry held up his arms, a frown on his face. "What's going on? Dobby said you were in trouble."

Draco frowned at his former elf. Dobby stepped nervously backward, touching the hem of his garishly coloured sweater. "Dobby heard the Malfoy boy said he wished sir Harry Potter was here!"

Draco huffed. "Dobby, you're still following me around?"

Trying to stave off the confrontation Draco-Dobby, Blaise explained, "Draco and I are following an old man that this twit-" Blaise pointed to his scowling friend.

"-Recognised whilst we were strolling."

Harry looked around, realising they were in the Ministry, near the Department of Prophecies. He lifted an eyebrow, asking sarcastically, "You just happened to arrive here?"

The black Slytherin crossed his arms. "What can I say? We were bored with all those silly politicians babbling on and on."

Draco pointed with his right hand to a door with a silver doorknob which was shaped like a round snake. "We're waiting for the old coot to step out of the room. I suspect he's behind the vote of no confidence."

Harry shook his head wonderingly. "What vote of no confidence?"

Blaise shrugged. "Someone's trying to get rid of Scrimgeour. Smart move, if you ask me!"

Draco smacked Blaise's shoulder. "No one's asking you, Blaise. I just have a bad feeling about the old man."

Harry's head followed the bickering Slytherins as if he was watching a tennis match. He moved towards Draco and pointed a finger at the door. "The old man who..."

"Rescued me when I was hurt in Voldemort's lair, Harry. The same one," replied Draco.

Harry touched his wand, securely lodged inside his pocket, and with a swift movement, he took it out. It's time we get some answers from the old man. I reckon he is too much the Slytherin. After Dumbledore's strange behaviour, I don't trust old men.

At that moment the strange doorknob turned, gleaming by the light of the sconces. The three boys followed intently the figure of the old man as he stepped gingerly into the hall.

The old man, Antares, froze when he noticed the three. He made to run away but Harry jumped on him, followed an instant later by Draco and Blaise. The boys piled on the white-haired man wearing dark glasses, and the four fell to the floor, their limbs tangled.

"Gerroff me, silly boys!" shouted Antares in a very angry voice.

"Not until you tell me what you intend!" yelled Harry.

"Why do you want to get rid of Scrimgeour?" added Draco.

Antares scowled at Blaise, who was holding him by the lapels of his robes and drawled, "And you, what do you want?"

Blaise shrugged and stepped aside. "Just answer them, ok?"

The man batted away the hands of the Seekers and gingerly stood up, scowling at them from behind his glasses.

"I don't want to get rid of the Minister," growled Antares. "In fact, I want to derail this vote, and you-" He pointed his fingers accusingly at the boys.

"-might have changed the future in ways I didn't intend." Antares brushed his robes with a certain grace, and Draco noticed that the old man was wearing that strange silver ring shaped like a snake eating its tail. Draco was sure the ring was safely in his room at the Manor.

"How did you get back the ring?" Draco pointed at the man's left hand.

Antares shrugged, lifting the rim of his glasses with his right pinkie. "Doesn't matter. What I want to know is, did you get rid of the locket?"

Draco gulped, shrinking from Antares' evil frown and Harry's questioning gaze. "I forgot about that dratted locket! With all that was going on with my life. I just..."

"What locket?" asked Harry.

"Do you have it?" interjected Antares.

Draco crossed his arms, gripping his wand nervously. "Actually, no. Someone stole it from me. I swear I had it with me when we returned to Hogwarts, but after-"

Harry cocked an eyebrow, and prodded his boyfriend. "After?"

"You know, Harry!" Draco mumbled low under his breath, "The blow job..."

Harry blushed whilst Antares tapped impatiently with his left foot. "So the locket's gone! I knew I shouldn't have trusted horny teenagers in such important matters!"

Draco scowled ferociously at the old man. "And what is your part in the vote?"

"There's a faction of unrepentant Death Eaters that want to topple the government and set up a new Minister of Magic that will grant them what they want." Antares strolled leisurely away from the door, and the boys followed behind him.

"You must beware of your father, Draco," warned Antares. Turning to look at the fuming Slytherin, the old man added, "You might think he's changed his ways, but it is not so. He needs more time to digest the news of his Lord's downfall."

"Can't believe that!" replied the blond irately.

"You'd better. You know how stubborn Lucius can be. Give him more time," said Antares, straightening his robes.

"I don't trust Scrimgeour," said Harry whilst he gently took Draco's hand. "He wants to use my fame to prop up the Ministry!"

The old man turned to look at the brunet. "Everyone wants your fame, Harry. You can consult your Gryffindork friend, Hermione. While you're at it, you might also remind her of the curious incident of the cat in the night-time."

Antares waved a finger in his direction. "And there are worse things that a Minister can do, Harry."

Out of the hall, they arrived at an intersection of three corridors. Antares stopped abruptly as Harry was asking, "But what can the Death Eaters do now that Voldemort's gone?"

"My bloody luck is getting worse!" growled Antares. The old man opened a door and in his haste, his glasses fell to the floor.

Blaise picked them up and when he was about to hand them over to the man, he noticed his eyes glinting in the dim light of the overhead sconce. They were a very light colour, almost the same hue as Draco's.

Before he could do anything, Antares closed the door with a bang.

Blaise fumbled with the doorknob and opened the door. "Hey, you forgot your glasses!" When he peered into the gloomy, cavernous room full of strange silver devices, Blaise realised that the old man had disappeared. "Blimey, the old coot is fast!"

Shrugging, the Slytherin pocketed the glasses. "Who wears dark glasses at night?"

Draco and Harry entered the room, staring at the shiny whirling objects, not unlike those in Dumbledore's office.

Harry jerked Draco's sleeve. "What locket was the old coot talking about?"

Draco shrugged nonchalantly, turning to smirk tiredly at the Gryffindor. "The man, Antares, told me to destroy it."

The blond poked Harry on the ribs, winking. "Who knows? It might be one of those mysterious Horcruxes of yours. The ones that cause all kinds of mischief!"

Draco laughed quietly whilst Harry fumed. Granted, Harry had come up with the notion of the Horcruxes in the spur of the moment, but that didn't give Draco the right to laugh at him!

Dobby timidly tugged Harry's trousers. "If sir doesn't need Dobby anymore, can Dobby return to Hogwarts?"

Harry nodded whilst he glared at his smiling boyfriend. "Sure, Dobby. Thanks and sorry for all the trouble!"

Dobby nodded and stepped back, disappearing with a loud popping noise.

The boys made their way to the elevator. Once it was going up, Harry turned to Draco and smiled. "Your mother invited Ron and Hermione to the Manor, she's very nice!"

Draco scowled angrily, stabbing the button of the Wizengamot floor repeatedly. "Bloody hell! Now I've got to share my house with the Weasel and Granger!"

Harry shook his finger at Draco. "You must admit you admire Hermione."

"Well, she has a thirst for knowledge that I can certainly understand," drawled Draco.

"Nerds!" muttered Blaise. He and Harry exchanged a wry smirk.

Draco turned and glared at his best friend, smacking his shoulder.

"The prince can't take a joke," mocked Blaise. Raising his voice, he added, "Since Ron is going to be at the Manor, I might visit you, Draco."

The blond raised his arms to the ceiling. "Great! Now Pansy will probably come, too!"

Draco took out his wand and twirled it around his fingers. "What's with you and Weasel anyway?"

Blaise said softly, "When we were kids, Ron and I were best friends, but suddenly he stopped visiting. He didn't come over to play anymore."

Harry raised an eyebrow inquiringly.

"When we were at Hogwarts, we just pretended we didn't know each other." Blaise scratched his head. "Can't figure out why he became so distant all of a sudden."

The elevator screeched to a stop and the boys got out. Once they'd reached the Wizengamot, they found that most people had left.

The Headmaster was whispering to Minerva McGonagall. When he noticed the boys, Dumbledore coughed discreetly.

Harry started to say something but Dumbledore interrupted him. "I can't imagine why you're here, my boy. But since you are, may I request the pleasure of your company for a little expedition?"

Draco stepped in front of Harry. "Where are you taking him?"

"To do something that desperately needs to be done if we are to continue to enjoy peace," replied the Headmaster calmly.

Remus stepped softly behind the boys, squeezing Harry's elbow.

Trying to diffuse the tension, Blaise asked, "And the vote? Did they force Scrimgeour out?"

Remus answered softly, "The vote was close, but ultimately it was defeated. I was looking for you, Draco, to go back to the Manor. I see Harry managed to find his way here."

Harry blushed, mumbling, "Actually, Dobby brought me here."

Remus smiled indulgently. "I must say Agricola Ogden seemed a little subdued after the result of the vote was known."

Harry snorted. "What a ridiculous name! Can't tell if it's a man or a woman."

Draco glared at his boyfriend. "For your information, Harry, that's a proper pureblood name!"

Blaise held up his hands. "Can't you two stop fighting for once?"

Remus touched his moustache with his right hand, trying not to snicker.

When the Seekers turned to glare at the Slytherin, Blaise added, "You sound like a pair of old coots that have been married for years!"

Remus coughed behind his hand, trying to repress his chuckles whilst Dumbledore laughed richly.

The blond and the brunet blushed, scowling at the Slytherin who suddenly espied his mother. "Mom's here. I'll see you later, Draco and Harry."

Remus took out a cigarette case from his left pocket. Observing its gleaming surface, he said, "I don't know about you boys, but I'm very tired. I intend to use this Portkey and sleep in a warm bed next to my wife. Are you coming?"

Draco touched the metallic case as did Harry. With a nod to the Headmaster, Remus muttered the password and the three were whisked away by the Portkey that took them to the Manor.

In the Old Barnes cemetery in Wandsworth , three cloaked figures were standing around a desecrated grave. The slim woman held her wand aloft, its tip glowing with the light of the Lumos spell.

The fat man bowed subserviently to the woman, whose hair blew wildly with the strong breeze. The man held a bone in his silver hand. "You are magnificent, Bellatrix!"

"I don't need your praise, scum!" growled Bellatrix Lestrange. "Just make sure that unworthy bone is safe, because we'll need it for the final resurrection of the Dark Lord."

Wormtail bowed again, holding the slim bone as if it was a precious thing.

Bellatrix glared at the bulky silhouette of a man. "And you, Slughorn, are you sure you heard correctly?"

Horace Slughorn bowed obsequiously. "I heard it with my own ears, Bellatrix. Just after that brute tried to crush me with his immense weight, he mentioned that Dumbledore's wand was the most powerful of them all."

Bellatrix snorted angrily. "So what? Dumbledore still has it. We'd have to storm Hogwarts to get it, and we are weak at the moment, bereft of the Dark Lord's magical strength!"

Slughorn smiled evilly. "You are wrong, Bellatrix. Hagrid distinctly said that the wand now belonged to the person who disarmed Dumbledore-" The portly man snorted in disgust.

"-That crazy Auror, Alastair Moody."

The spider's web