The Necromancer

Chapter 43

After a few more bold proclamations on how he was going to see Harry Potter thrown in Azkaban for life for daring to escape Britain and build his own country, Fudge stormed out of Dumbledore's office, his simpering pink lackey on his heels.

"Fudge is a fool," Barty as Moody grumbled, his good eye narrowing while his artificial eye gave a few aimless spins in its socket. Bones rolled her eyes in a way that indicated she was already well aware of that fact. "We cannot arrest the leader of another country without very good reasons. The ICW would eat our ministry alive."

"Ah." Dumbledore leaned forwards in his seat, looking very much like he knew something the rest didn't, the conceited old tosspot. "But Harry's new country isn't officially a country recognized by the ICW yet."

"Harry said they were in the process of applying for that at the ICW," Tonks muttered, appearing thoroughly confused and just a bit shaken by everyone's extreme reactions. Severus wondered if she even had what it took to work as an Auror, and an undercover one at that. What he'd seen of her so far in her job didn't fill him with a lot of confidence.

"Paperwork can easily get lost, Miss Tonks," Dumbledore said with an amused chuckle, eyes crinkling with obvious pleasure.

"Why?" Barty as Moody took a step closer to Dumbledore's desk and leaned one gnarly hand on it so he could loom over the headmaster. "Do you really want to arrest Potter for no reason at all? Building a new country in international waters isn't illegal as far as I know."

Bones shared a knowing glance with Tonks, both apparently sharing Moody's sentiment that there didn't seem to be a true reason to go after Harry Potter at that time. Severus was thoroughly impressed that Barty as Moody was able to question just about every single one of Dumbledore's suggestions without ever appearing out of character. Alastor Moody had always been a stickler for the rules, no matter how paranoid he became in his old age. The real Moody wouldn't tolerate anyone, not even Albus Dumbledore, skirting the law to try to see an innocent man punished without reasons.

Dumbledore's bushy brows drew down in a genuinely annoyed frown as he stared up at Moody. "Apparently Sirius Black, a convicted criminal, is on the loose in Harry's country."

"Sirius Black served his sentence," Barty as Moody pointed out with a challenging grin that drew even more attention to the deep, disfiguring scars that marred his face. "He was sentenced to be tossed through the veil, which he was."

Dumbledore seemed at a loss how to respond to that while he ran a hand down his beard. Then his eyes started gleaming again. "Harry Potter is a self-professed necromancer, Alastor. That is the darkest magic there is. He should not be allowed to lead anyone, let alone a whole country."

Moody snorted and rolled his good eye while shaking his head. "I despise Dark Magic, as well you know, Albus. But in the end I'm a law enforcement officer for the British wizarding world. Do you know how many countries around the world allow Dark Magic? Do you know how many international leaders are Dark Wizards? Far too many, that's what." Moody took a few steps away from Dumbledore's desk, as though to distance himself from his old friend and his unwelcome opinions. "I don't bloody well care what anyone does in a foreign country, as long as they don't do it on our shores. If Potter sets foot in Britain and performs Dark Magic, I'll be the first in line to arrest him, but until he does I suggest we just leave the boy alone." And with a huff Moody crossed his arms and gave Bones a questioning look, clearly wanting to see if she agreed with him.

Bones was a witch known for her unfailing sense of fairness, so Severus wasn't at all surprised when Bones gave an agreeable nod. "Quite right, Alastor. As long as Potter doesn't break our laws in our land, we will not arrest him, no matter what you or Fudge thinks, Headmaster. I for one am pleased that Mr Potter made the effort to not break our laws, first by actually studying our laws and later by creating his own country once he understood our laws were too restricting for his tastes."