Forging-Alliances? (V) [Chapter 185]

~~Duncansby Head~~

Harry was staring at the ocean with a tranquil look on his face… The waves crashed against the cliff, but Harry paid them no mind. He was simply enjoying the wind against his face… His messy black hair was blowing around due to the wind, creating a beautiful sight. Moments later, several cracks were heard around him, but he didn’t even bother to turn around or raise his guard.

“You are pretty arrogant to have your back turned around toward your enemy” Amelia spoke carefully as she slowly approached Harry. She wasn’t sure if he was truly alone or not as mentioned in the letter, but it was better to be careful. The letter was a simple invitation to a meeting for a potential alliance. To be honest, she was still skeptical about the meeting and coming here was probably foolish, but she at least wanted to know what he had to say.

“Do you consider me to be your enemy, Madame Bones?” Harry asked without turning back and Amelia felt her jaw tighten.

“What do you want, boy? Why call us here?” Before Amelia could say anything, Augusta Longbottom spoke up in an impatient tone.

Hearing her words, Harry finally turned around. “Dowager Longbottom, a face I wasn’t expecting to see… Well, not that it matters” Harry pointed out blandly. “A Gray Cloak too… Quite an impressive line up I would have to say” Harry slightly turned his head and said while staring at a blank spot. Moments later, the air shimmered and Saul Croaker, who was hiding under an invisibility cloak revealed himself.

“Why did you kidnap Severus Snape?” Gawain Robards asked curiously.

“Technically I didn’t kidnap him… He came to the Malfoy Manor on his own accord, but I simply disagreed when he tried to leave, but I have removed his thumbs and I will keep pulling him apart, bit by bit until there is nothing left of him” Harry said like it was a fact written in stone, making almost uncomfortable at his words.

“Why are you doing this?!” Connie Hammer asked, looking completely aghast.

“I have my reasons” Harry answered cryptically before turning toward Dowager Longbottom. “Tell me Dowager, do you know why your son and your daughter-in-law went into hiding along with your Grandson?” Harry asked all of a sudden.

The ancient woman seemed to be displeased by the question. “They went into hiding to protect their Neville because there was reason to believe that Voldemort was looking for them” The woman still answered the question.

“That is true, but that is not the whole reason…” Harry admitted with a frown. “There is a Prophecy…” That was all Harry managed to say before the ancient woman cut him off.

“I already suspected that, but Prophecies matter very little to me” The woman declared with a huff.

“Regardless of your personal feelings, Prophecies are real and they have a lot of power. The resident Grey Cloak will be able to attest to that” Harry glanced toward Saul, who didn’t bother to say anything. “Alas, I am not here to debate if Prophecies are real or not. I am here to give you the truth. Did you never question how Voldemort came to learn of the Prophecy which was delivered to Dumbledore?” Harry asked rhetorically.

“You know how the Prophecy was leaked?” Gawain asked in an incredulous tone.

“Obviously, he knows. It was Snape” Saul spoke up for the first time.

“Thanks for your input Saul” Harry said with a smug grin on his face and everyone became tense at his words and Saul barely held himself back from attacking Harry.

“How do you know my name?” Saul asked. He could have tried to play for a fool, but he knew it wouldn’t have worked. The boy was completely sure of his words.

“I have my ways and yes, it was Snape who revealed the Prophecy to Voldemort as he wanted to be recognized by Voldemort” Harry revealed mockingly, and everyone believed it. There was no reason to argue… Some of them didn’t even know the man beyond casual acquaintance, but those who did, knew that he was a vile man, hiding behind the protection of the Leader of the Light.

“Then. Then why the hell is Dumbledore protecting him?” Tonks blurted out, looking really lost. She clearly understood the implications of Harry’s words. She knew that Albus Dumbledore wasn’t the good guy she believed him to be, but most of the senior members of their group still believed that the man was good.

“Well, he probably doesn’t know” Connie Hammer answered for Harry and Harry started to laugh at her words, confusing some of them, but Amelia, Augusta, and Saul felt chills run down their spine at his mocking laugh.

“Then you obviously don’t know Albus Dumbledore… He knows. There is a reason he considers himself to be the Light Lord. He does have some lines he wouldn’t cross as he doesn’t want to lower himself to the level of common people or the Death Eaters, but beyond that, everything is a fair game” Harry revealed with a chuckle.

“He considers Snape to be a necessary evil to gain an upper hand in the upcoming War and now that he has lost his spy, he is running around like a headless chicken” Harry continued to chuckle.

“Madame Bones, you never caught the ones who killed your brother and your sister-in-law, did you?” Harry asked curiously and Amelia felt something ugly rear its head inside her mind.

“Was it Snape?” Amelia asked while gritting her teeth in anger. The Ministry and the DMLE could get fucked for all she cared as long as she could have her revenge on the bastards who killed her brother and his wife. Their deaths were anything but pleasant. The Death Eaters ambushed them on an Order mission and both her brother and his wife were easily subdued. Then the Death Eaters took his brother’s wife one by one right in front of him while they made him watch.

According to the Autopsy reports, her sister-in-law was violated by those scum at least 10 times before she breathed her last… Her body was completely brutalized and Amelia still remembered the look of anguish on her brother’s face. Susan still believed that her parents' deaths were instantaneous and if it was up to her then Susan would never know the truth… It was better that way and the reason why she threw herself into work was to distract herself from vengeance.

“He sold them out and he was there when it happened, but it was Dolohov who was leading the group” Harry revealed in an indifferent tone.

“Who else was there?” Amelia asked while clutching her hands in anger. The look of fury on her face was pretty clear.

“Here you go. I made a list for you” Harry pulled out a note from his pocket and levitated it to Amelia. Amelia snatched the paper from the air and read the names… Her fury intensified as most of the names on the list were still walking free as they were so-called Imperiused victims. Amelia looked away from the paper and glared at Harry. She wasn’t foolish enough to think there were no strings attached. When something seemed too good to be true, then it probably was.

“What do you want?” Amelia growled out, but she was quickly getting a hang of her temper.

“Nothing… Do you think I would hold something like that over your head? There are no strings attached… Think of this as a gift from me. Now what you do with that list is up to you” Harry shrugged his shoulders. That wasn’t the truth obviously as he knew that Amelia was only bark and no bite… There was nothing that Amelia could do to the people on the list. Dolohov was in Azkaban. She could probably have him killed, but that was not her style…

Severus Snape was currently enjoying his hospitality and the rest on the list were the so-called upstanding citizens of Wizarding Britain. Amelia would need rock-hard proof to make a move against them and if she tried anything, she would only face a massive backlash if she tried… The list would slowly poison her mind. After all, there was nothing she would be able to do and that would eat away at her mind until she finally snapped.

Then she would reach out to him… After all, there was nobody else who would or could help her out with her revenge…

“Oh… I have another gift for you” Harry said while looking at Augusta Longbottom before he snapped his fingers and the air beside Harry shimmered, revealing a gaunt and malnourished man and except for Tonks, everyone recognized the man in an instant. “He was the one who entered my name in the Tournament and I obviously caught him. Dowager Longbottom, I believe you have unfinished business with him” Harry gestured his hand toward Barty Crouch Jr.

The woman looked apoplectic and she snarled in anger and pointed her Wand at the man to cast something obviously lethal and horrible, but she was stopped by Gawain Robards. She turned around to glare at him venomously… “Unhand me this instant or you will join him” The woman snarled before she dropped her bag and pulled out a long dagger only to hold the dagger at Gawain’s throat in a flash. Harry had to admit, the woman was quite fast for someone a century old and unlike Amelia, she had that bite in her.

Augusta was so fast when she drew her dagger that Gawain didn’t even notice it and to be honest, he wasn’t expecting to do something like that in the first place… Tonks and Connie immediately pulled out their Wands and pointed at his Augusta, but the ancient woman paid them no mind. Amelia was in no condition to dissuade the situation as she was still trying to get a grip on her anger.

Gawain gulped nervously. “Barty died in Azkaban… He is someone else…” Gawain explained carefully and Augusta turned toward Harry and Harry grinned internally. Gawain basically handed over Augusta Longbottom to his side on a silver platter…