"Harry!"
Harry started from reading his book and looked up to see Dean Albert at the doors of the Hall. He quickly stood from his seat as the man hurried forward, out of breath and flushed in the cheeks. The Great Hall went quiet around them before the noise picked back up.
"What?" Harry snapped as he hurried from his seat.
"The Ministry," Albert gasped and Harry quickly threw up a silencing charm around them. "You-Know-Who!"
"Slow down," Harry offered as he grabbed the thin man's shoulder. "What has happened?"
"You-Know-Who appeared in the Auror Department," Albert puffed as he laid his hands on his knees, it looked like he'd run all the way up here from the castle gates. "He's taken control there and is working his way through the Ministry. Some have managed to get out and we were lucky that he chose after hours to attack-"
"Are there Death Eaters?"
"Yes," Albert replied. "We're not sure how he was able to get around the wards but he has. We have sent out a warning to any Ministry worker and are gathering any Aurors that were not at the Ministry at the time."
"Greengrass?"
"He's safe," Albert told him.
Harry stood back as he glanced around the Hall. The students were hissing between each other while Albus stood at his seat and was watching them. Then the owls arrived, hundreds of them. Harry lowered the silencing wards and gently coxed Albert to a seat at the Hufflepuff table. He grabbed up a glass and poured him some water.
"We can't do anything at the moment," Harry told Albert as the man drank the water. "Is the Department locked down?"
"Yes," Albert replied. "That is the safest place in the Ministry at the moment."
The students went silent around them as Harry grabbed up one of the notes that the owls had delivered.
Effective immediately; all magical persons are restricted in all movements unless they have an exemption. Stay where you are and do not leave. The Ministry of Magic has been locked down and all magical institutions, villages or shopping areas have been locked. Do not leave your homes or businesses. Ministry code 404.
"Professor Swift?" Albus called out over the hall.
Harry threw the note back down on the table in disgust. His eyes running over the students and the fear on the air. All that note would do was cause panic and it wasn't even the end of the school year. He sighed as Severus came to stand beside him with James, Sirius, Remus and Lily on the other side of him.
"Fuck," Harry swore and Albert nodded in agreement.
"Professor Swift," Albus called again.
Harry glanced up at the Headmaster but he couldn't shake the thought that Lucius Malfoy had been right. The Dark Lord had been planning something at the Ministry. They'd been warned and yet had still been blindsided.
xXx
Harry sat at the back of the large warehouse with Severus to his left and Albus to his right. The place was packed with Aurors and other people as everyone scrambled to get information on how Voldemort had just taken the Ministry of Magic. They were here to work out how to handle the situation and get back what they'd just lost.
Greengrass stood at the front of the room with floorplans of the Ministry of Magic on a board. Paper planes flew around as information came in from both people still in the Ministry and out. From reports, the takeover had started in the Auror Department and spread from there. As far as they could tell, Voldemort hadn't taken over the main entrance and people were still getting out but it wouldn't be long until that was stopped.
Harry's eyes caught on the group of goblins to the side of the room. If you wanted powerful wards, the goblins were the ones to lay them. The Ministry was no different and the Dark Lord had still managed to get around their wards. It made for an angry and disgruntled group of magical creatures.
"How did he get in?" Severus asked softly.
"My guess would be that the Aurors had collected something from Riddle Manor," Harry replied. "A possible gateway magic. We won't know for sure unless we retake the Ministry."
"How likely is that?"
Harry shrugged a shoulder as he looked at the maps of the Ministry on the boards. They were the floorplans that the goblins had at Gringotts but with magic anything was possible.
"Even on the darkest night there is light," Albus remarked and Harry snorted.
"Always the optimist," Harry grumbled.
"Attention everyone," Greengrass called out and the room hushed. "We have come to a decision and have decided to take the Ministry with force. All Aurors will be called on and we'll be focusing our attention on the main entrance. Minister Albert will also be opening a way through the Department of Mysteries. If everyone could break into their squads or departments and we can get this plan into action."
Noise took over the warehouse as everyone broke off and formed their teams. Harry stayed where he was as he stared at those plans on the board.
"You have something in mind," Albus remarked. "I know that look."
"We need something to draw the Dark Lord to us," Harry responded. "He seems to have a unique hatred towards you Albus."
"You want to use me as bait to draw out a Dark Lord?"
"Think of it as a distraction," Harry remarked and stood. "Greengrass!"
Everyone looked over at Harry's call as Greengrass stood amongst a group of Aurors.
"We need to talk," Harry called as he headed towards the man. "I have an idea."
xXx
Harry and Albert appeared in the apparation room in the Department of Mysteries and stepped into the circular room without hesitation. The door behind them closed and the doors spun.
"What's your plan?" Albert questioned. "If the Aurors come through here then they will have to come through in small groups."
Harry nodded his head then called out, "Harry Potter's office."
The doors spun and Harry headed that way with Albert on his heels. He stepped into the tasteful office and Albert closed the door behind him.
"Harry?" Albert pressed.
"I have an idea," Harry replied as he rummaged around in his drawer before coming up with a badge. "We have one thing in common, Dean."
"What would that be?" Albert sighed and Harry held up the badge.
"We are both the Head of the Department of Mysteries," Harry replied. "Just in different times."
"How will that help us?"
Harry smirked and walked back towards the door to the office. Albert blew out a breath and followed him. They stepped back into the circular room.
"I need your badge," Harry requested and Albert pulled it out.
"Will I be getting it back?" Albert questioned.
"Hopefully," Harry replied and Albert groaned. "The problem that we have is that we need to open two doors at once and have you allowing people through the Department."
"Yes," Albert agreed. "How are you planning on doing that?"
Harry grinned and held up the gold marble that had brought him to this time and Albert stared at him.
"The only way that two doors can be open at the same time is if the times are fractured," Harry replied. "Then twisted together by one thing."
"The badges," Albert reasoned. "They tie us together as the Head of the Department with the same permissions."
"Correct," Harry answered with a frown. "One minute out of time should do it then I'll have to link it back around."
"Why a minute?"
"That is long enough for me to call out the destination and tie it together," Harry replied. "No one will notice but this will only work one way. Once they walk through here, they won't be able to use it to get back."
"I hope you know what you're doing," Albert grumbled and Harry gave him a grin.
"After over two hundred and forty years," Harry stated. "I still can't answer that question."
Albert just groaned but Harry could see the faith that the man had in him. He just hoped that didn't change by the end of this.
"Just make sure that it's by one minute and not two hundred and forty years," Albert warned.
"Yeah, can't have the Aurors waiting that long for a door to open."
Albert just glared at him.
xXx
Harry finished the spell and handed the piece of paper to Albert. The thin man took it in his hand with more care than Harry thought that it warranted.
"When I give the word," Harry told him. "Then you can start sending Aurors through."
"Good luck," Albert offered.
"And you," Harry said with a nod and faced the door that led to the circular room. "I'll send you notice when Albus needs to move."
"And if I don't hear from you?"
"Then move on to plan B."
Albert snorted behind him as Harry opened the door into the circular room and stood in the doorway. He held up the two badges together in one hand while he held the marble in the other. He'd been studying the marble in depth since the moment that he'd stepped into this time. He closed his eyes as he focused his mind. He tuned out Albert behind him and what he may face once he stepped into the Ministry. He could feel the magic in his hand from both the marble and the badges.
Power swirled around him as he held the badges and tapped into the magic already there. The link that held them together as the same and yet not. He could sense the connection to Dean Albert and to himself. He grabbed a hold of that as he stood in the doorway.
"Nexum ad tempus," Harry cast as he stood there and the magic zeroed in on him.
There was a flicker of gold and Harry knelt down as he pushed the door as open as he could. He wedged Albert's badge into the gap with a whispered sticking charm for good measure. He placed his hand over the badge.
"Nexum ad tempus," Harry whispered again as he held the connection to the two badges.
He felt something settle into place and stepped through the door, which stayed open behind him. He looked around at the doors spread out around the walls but they didn't spin. Harry had the idle thought that, after his spell work, he may be the one to break the room as he stood there. He closed his eyes and focused once more. This was the hard part.
He gently teased the marble in his hand and the time magic that he could feel there. Something gold flickered at his fingertips and he slowly counted a minute then released what he held. Something shifted and he blinked his eyes open and glanced over his shoulder. Albert didn't stand in the room behind him and he sighed in relief.
"Tempus saltum," Harry intoned as he held both his badge and the marble together. "Ministry of Magic."
Something groaned and he focused his magic at the door across from the one that he'd propped open. He could feel the spell fighting back and he held onto where he wanted to go as well as the connection to the two badges. Something dark rose within him as he held the magic. He was ripping a tear in time itself here and he had to focus. There was a ringing in his ears then a pop. The door across from him swung open.
Harry hurried across the room and wedged his badge under the door to hold it open with a sticking charm to keep it in place. He still held the connection to the badge in his hand as he let the time magic go.
"Tempus lignum unum," Harry whispered and the connection flared then settled.
He let everything go and stood up. He looked at the open door to the apparation room before turning to take in the corridor that led to the Ministry of Magic. It had worked. The Department was still locked down, which this corridor was the start of the Department. They could fill it with Aurors before Harry brought down the lock. They would be able to take Voldemort from two fronts.
Harry grinned as he slipped the paper out of his pocket.
'Carry on,' Harry wrote on the paper and watched as it disappeared.
It didn't take long for the first of the Aurors to appeared and Harry grinned. Now the real fight would begin.
xXx
Albus didn't hesitate as he stepped through the fireplace and into chaos. Ministry workers steamed around him as two squads of Aurors appeared and tried to enforce order. It worked in their favour that the Auror department was situated so far away from the Foyer or Voldemort would have already taken over here. Albus held up his wand and a loud bang sounded through the room. People cried out and hit the floor around him.
"Order," Albus called out. "Everyone will get out."
People slowly pulled themselves to their feet as their eyes darted around. The Aurors quickly took over at Albus stood there. He then started when Severus stumbled out of the fireplace.
"Mr Snape," Albus admonished.
Severus just tilted his head back as he lifted his chin up in challenge and Albus knew that the boy wouldn't be swayed. Albus also knew that Harry would never forgive them if Severus was killed this day.
"Stay with me," Albus ordered.
"Yes, sir." Severus replied as he palmed his wand.
Albus held up his wand and cast a powerful protection charm around the room. Something to tease the Dark Lord to the room. But Albus was in no doubt that Voldemort was already on his way towards them. Albus just wanted to make sure that the man wouldn't be distracted by any magic that Harry would be casting until the time was right.
"Will he come?" Severus questioned from beside him.
"Let us hope," Albus replied. "For we are the bait in this little trap, Severus."
Albus looked at Severus beside him and the hard look in those dark eyes. He reached out and clasped a hand to the teen's shoulder. It wasn't often that he put his faith in other people but as he watched the Aurors regain order. He had to put his faith in Harold Swift, the son of Lily and James Potter.
xXx
Harry stood before the door at the end of the corridor with Aurors crowded around behind him. Kingsley stood to his right and Greengrass to his left. He glanced at both men before turning back to the door.
"Ready?" Harry asked.
"When you are, Harry." Greengrass replied.
Harry nodded and focused as he grabbed the handle and broke the spell in place. He pushed the door open and hurried through with his wand in his hand. He pulled up sharply as he took in Lucius Malfoy standing there with a dozen Death Easter behind him.
"About time that you got here, Swift." Lucius remarked with a smirk. "We've been waiting for you."