Scorpius Malfoy and the Salem Witch Trials by Hotrav
Summary:

The third story in the Scorpius Malfoy and the Sins of the Fathers series.

Lucius Malfoy took control of the wizarding Criminal organization of England in the second story and has vowed to get revenge on Harry Potter and to set Scorpius up as the next 'Dark Lord'. However, first he must hewn his minions into a weapon strong enough to bring the 'whelp' Potter, his Aurors and the Ministry they serve down.

Meanwhile in the United States, Scorpius, Rose, Albus, James, the Jones cousins (Kaitlin and Rhys) and Geoffrey Grindus are the members of the United Kingdoms under-15 Quidditch team competing on the campus of the Salem Witches Institute. The U.K. is one of 36 countries competing in the first Junior World Quidditch Cup Tournament.

Beta Reader - Chapters 1 - 15 by Maple_and_PhoenixFeather


Categories: General Fics Characters: None
Warnings: Mild Profanity, Violence
Challenges:
Series: None
Chapters: 20 Completed: Yes Word count: 82454 Read: 44389 Published: 02/24/13 Updated: 03/06/15
Chapter 11 - Morton's Fork by Hotrav
Author's Notes:
Zabini's name is mis-pronounced by the Minster on purpose and is not a typo.
Tower of London

Ron Weasley looked up having just finished calling the roll. A total of twenty Aurors had answered the emergency call to come to the Tower of London. The Aurors looked up to him waiting to be given a reason for the gathering or orders for them to follow. Ron had no orders to give. Harry had not arrived yet. The mumbling about the normal Ministry hurry-up-and-wait was just beginning, when Harry arrived to join his men. When they saw the look on his face, the murmuring began to die down. All eyes were fixed upon him, if Potter was here; it wasn’t some kind of a half-arsed drill. Harry looked out at the twenty and gave them a little wave of acknowledgement. Harry took a deep breath as he looked down to gather his thoughts before briefing his team.

After the call went out, Harry went directly to Minister Lee’s office to give him the particulars. Lee, as was his practice, made him wait for fifteen minutes before allowing him to enter. Harry pulled out the letter and began to give an update from the note he had received and the additional bits of information he had confirmed on his own. Lee, looking frustrated, quickly turned toward a small portrait in the corner of his office and told the wizard inside the portrait to contact the Muggle Prime Minister and that he would be there within the hour. Marsh Lee and Harry locked eyes and Harry saw an almost mad glint in the career politician’s eyes. He figured that if he hadn’t been ‘The Great Harry Potter’ he probably would have been sacked on the spot.

Ron handed the scroll with the roster on it to Harry. He pocketed the list and turned to face his charges. When Ron saw Harry’s face he leaned in and whispered, –How bad did Lee take it?” Harry didn’t say anything, but the look on his face told Ron everything he needed to know.

–No doubt, many of you have already heard the news or gossip about what occurred here late this morning.” The mumbling began amongst the Aurors. He let them have their little say and he slowly raised his hands palms out. –I can confirm the worse and-–. Harry stopped talking because from the back of the group, Anthony Goldstein wearing his perfect Muggle attire quickly strode through the group. Goldstein pulled Harry and Ron aside so he could brief the two.

–I had to use a spell to convince the Yeoman of the Guard and MI-6 blokes that I was bringing in a special top secret SAS group that deals in international terrorist crimes. I have photos of what their uniforms would look like. I think your men should create outfits that will pass casual review.”

Ron looked at him. –Do you think they will buy it? I mean the Muggle Press surely will be all over this.”

Anthony twisted his face and answered, –I convinced the authorities that you need to keep your SAS unit identities secret, so you will be allowed to enter away from the press. I think that will mollify them for a couple of hours. After the spell wears off, I don’t know how much access you will have. I’m so sorry, Harry.”

Harry and Ron looked at Anthony who was looking crestfallen. –The two prisoners that Malfoy’s men grabbed from Wandsworth Prison. One was a pickpocket that was chased through the bowels of the tower before his capture and the second prisoner had been a member of the military unit that guards the treasure tower. It was so obvious, how could I have missed it?”

Harry patted Goldstein on the shoulder. –It’s not your fault, we missed it too.”

–Yes, but I’m the Muggle expert. I should have put two and two together and anticipated the crime.”

Ron looked over at Anthony. –Did they really get all of them? All of the Crown Jewels.”

–Not quite. A scepter and sword were being cleaned and restored by the Crown Jewelers for an upcoming Knighting of a cinema actor and a few smaller items are on loan to an Egyptian museum as sort of a payback for all of the Egyptian artifacts we have in the British Museum.”

Harry asked the question he already knew the answer of, –Are we really sure, it was Malfoy and not some Muggle mastermind?”

Goldstein reached into his shirt’s breast pocket and pulled his little Muggle electronic device out. After pushing a button and rubbing a finger across the glass a couple of times until an image appeared on the small screen. Harry squinted down and saw burned into the wall next to the empty display area was the phrase ‘Magic is Might.’ Anthony looked at his old school associates and answered the obvious, –The military guards were all found dead in the Jewel House with not a mark on any of the bodies. The guards didn’t even have a chance to fire a single weapon in defense. Who else would have the audacity and ability to commit this crime and leave behind that message as a clue?”

–No one,” replied Harry.

Behind Harry, he heard a wave of voices growing louder and angrier. He turned to see Aurors Adams and Sterling pushing a familiar light brown skinned man with high cheeks bones to the front of the group.

Zabini pulled his right arm away from Sterling’s grip. With a face full of distain, Blaise looked at the men in front of him. –Potter. Weasel-King. Goldstein? My, it has been quite a long time.”

Harry ignored Zabini and looked for answers from Adams and Sterling. Sterling, the senior of the two, answered his chief. –He walked right up to us and said he had a message for you from Lord Malfoy.”

Ron snorted as Harry responded, –Lord Malfoy. Only the Queen can make someone a Lord, and I doubt she will after what he’s done today.”

Zabini’s smile was too quick and too large. Harry felt a tingle in his spine as the hair on his neck seemed to rise. –What are Lucius’ terms?” Damn, this Lord Malfoy crap.

–Come to the Gaunt shack and surrender. If you do it quickly and peaceably, he will ensure that you will get them all back alive.”

–What? Get the crown jewels back alive-– Harry froze. He accidentally elbowed Ron as he thrust his right hand into his waistcoat’s fob pocket and pulled the pocket watch out. The lid opened and the face appeared showing Greenwich Mean Time was revealed. The Quidditch team would have been back in America an hour ago. Zabini’s look of extreme pleasure made something snap, he leapt on Zabini clutching the man’s throat in his left hand and shoving his wand into his temple. A voice, reflecting all of the fear, anger and frustration he was feeling, rasped out into one shout. –What has he done with my family?”

Ron and Anthony pulled Harry’s hand off of Zabini’s throat. Zabini gasped for air for a minute. When he had recovered from the shock of the attack, he reached into his robe pocket and pulled out an item and opened. The small item included a mirror. After examining his neck for damage, he turned toward Potter and shrugged. –That was all he told me. You have until midnight on all-Hallows eve to surrender.” Zabini looked at the men who had brought him to Potter.

–I am expected back.” The man walked through the crowd of Aurors and disappeared.

Ron looked at Harry. –You can’t surrender. He plans on killing you on the day to commemorate Voldemort’s first attempt on you. If he kills you, he’s proven he’s the new Dark Lord.”

Harry looked up at Ron. –They have our families!”

Rory Smythe intervened. –Aren’t they in America? How could anything happen to your children surrounded by all of that highly ballyhooed American security?”

Harry froze Rory with a stare and spat out, –The same way Lucius Malfoy could steal the crown jewels out of the Tower of London full of Muggle military and protected by the best charms the Ministry could devise to protect them over the last three centuries and have no one notice.”

Harry and Ron gave the Minister of Magic a tour of the Jewel House. The glassed off area where the jewels had been acted like a vacuum that continuously seemed to draw their gazes back.

–Well, Potter, what is your next step?”

–Some of the gems are magical and one of the swords was definitely goblin made. We are having the Department of Mysteries and other Ministry experts try and divine the location of the magical objects.”

–Minister, I must go to America and check on the safety of our youth in the Quidditch team.”

Lee looked shocked. –No, you must stay and lead this investigation, yourself. If what this Zambini said was the truth, it’s up to the American’s to straighten it out. If you go it’ll be an international incident.” Marsh Lee squinted at Harry. Harry could almost feel the Occulmency occurring. –If I even hear of an owl sent to America by anyone even remotely attached your office, you can send a second owl to me with your resignation.” Lee looked Harry up and down in disgust before leaving the room to report to his Muggle counterpart.

Harry and Ron looked at each other. Ron smiled at Harry. –It’s obvious isn’t it.”

–What!”

–Lee told you to stay and run the investigation. He said nothing about me. Did he?”

Harry shook his head. –No, it’s got to be me.”

Leaning in and whispering, –Harry, it’s what Lucius wants. The timing of all this wasn’t an accident. You’ve been forbidden to go, I haven’t. Before you forget, they’ve got my Rose too!”

Harry felt so much blood rush into his face he half expected to see it leak out somewhere. –I’m going. I’ve got to organize this somehow. Meet with Grindus, Draco, and maybe Bill, George or some of the D.A. You have to stay here and run the office or Lee will put someone like him in charge.”

At that moment pushing his way past the Aurors stepped Hoyle Grindus and the hired wand who Harry had interviewed about his battle in Maine. Grindus’ face was greyer than his hair.

–Potter, they have my grandson! Lucius sent a barn owl saying wants half-a-million Galleons for his life! I tell you, Potter, I’m going to America and kill my old friend, Lucius Malfoy.”

Ron answered the angry, old man. –Malfoy’s not there, he’s probably somewhere safe in England drinking stolen Brandy and smoking a pipe.”

–Well, if he’s not there when I rescue the kids, I’ll Crucitatus every minion of his, that I let live, until I get to Malfoy and I will personally squeeze the last breath out of his worthless blonde corpse. Draco is joining me. Potter, I’ll let you know where to safely pick up the kids and also where the kidnapper’s corpses can be found.”

Without missing a beat, Harry added, –I’m joining you.”

–No! I’m not going to be following Wizengamot rules of niceties or proper evidence. I’m busting down doors and letting all forms of magic flow. You’re a Gryffindor, Potter! You best leave this to Slytherins, because this is a job for Slytherin-style justice.”

Speaking in a hard, flat voice, Harry looked Hoyle in the eyes and said, –I’m going, because you might need me to run interference with the Americans and he’s got my family. I’ll be damned if I sit behind a desk and let someone threaten my family.” Turning toward his best friend he added loud enough for all of his men in the Jewel House to hear, –I place you in charge of the investigation, Auror Weasley.”

Harry walked up to Grindus. The two men looked into each other’s eyes measuring. Grindus shrugged and said to Harry, –I’m paying the bills and I’m in charge. If I have to fight you and the kidnappers I will, Potter. Do you accept my conditions?”

Harry silently nodded not looking away or quibbling with the man about tactics. Hoyle grimly patted him on the shoulder and they joined the hired wand to leave the Tower of London and the lawmen behind. As the trio walked out of the tower, Sarah Broomwright arrived putting on the fake Muggle uniform. She stopped when she saw Harry.

–Auror Broomwright, ready for duty.”

Harry smiled, jerked his head over his shoulder towards inside the tower and said to her, –Report to Auror Weasley, he’s in charge for now.”

–Sir?”

–Do as you were told, Sarah.”

The young woman straightened up and entered into the Tower. Harry looked to Grindus.

–Where to?” Grindus clasped Potter’s arm and they disappeared from London and reappeared in an office. Draco and another man (that Harry did not know) were placing items into a small bag that was resting on a large work table. When Draco saw Harry, he was not confused by Potter’s presence.

Draco walked over to Harry and they shook hands. –I told Hoyle, that you’d resign before you’d let someone else go on this mission. Did you resign, Harry?”

Harry gave a slight shrug and responded to Draco. –Not yet. However, when news gets out about this I assume the Minister will save me the trouble.” Draco nodded and went back to his packing.

A map of the area of the campgrounds sat on the desk. Harry reviewed it.

The decision of family and duty versus a job had been so easy. What good is a job, if you have no one to go home and share it with those you love? He saw the smug face of Zabini. He hoped Zabini was in Maine. In his mind’s eye, he saw Lucius wearing Blaise’s cocksure smile. He reached into his pocket and clasped his wand.

If they’ve hurt even one of them, Hoyle Grindus will have to run to beat me to the throat of Lucius Malfoy.

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