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"Let's get my Apparition license first," Harry muttered, pulling his cloak over his head and vanishing from sight.
A moment later, he Apparated straight to the Ministry.
The entrance was the same as always—crowds of witches and wizards milling about, conversations overlapping, workers hurrying between the lifts. Security was tighter than usual, though, with more Aurors stationed at the front. Not surprising. The world was in a panic, and the Ministry was scrambling to look competent.
Harry bypassed the queue, slipping past the checkpoints, and headed straight for Amelia's office. The halls were just as busy, but nobody noticed the invisible presence weaving through them. He reached the Minister's door and knocked once before dropping the cloak.
"Enter."
Harry stepped inside.
Amelia Bones sat behind her desk, surrounded by paperwork. Judging by the half-empty cup of tea and the pile of folders stacked precariously to one side, she had been at it for hours. She looked up, eyes flicking to him before she leaned back in her chair.
"Harry," she said, setting her quill down. "I was wondering when you would turn up."
Harry grabbed the half-empty cup from Amelia's desk and poured her a fresh one before setting it down in front of her. "Hello, Aunty. How's it going?"
Amelia huffed, rubbing her temples before reaching for the tea. "How's it going? The world is on fire, Harry." She took a sip, then gave him a pointed look. "You're not helping."
Harry pulled out a chair and sat across from her. "I think I am, actually."
She let out a dry chuckle. "Oh, sure. You exposed Voldemort's return, humiliated half the Wizengamot, turned Hogwarts security into a joke, and now every parent in Britain wants to pull their kid out of school. Meanwhile, I've been drowning in paperwork trying to hold everything together."
Harry smirked. "Sounds like you are doing a great job, then."
Amelia gave him a look over the rim of her cup. "I ought to make you deal with the press yourself."
"No thanks," Harry said, leaning back. "That's your job."
She set her cup down with a sigh, scanning him briefly before shaking her head. "You don't look dead, so that's something."
"I try to avoid it."
"Mm." She tapped her fingers against the desk. "What brings you here? If you say you just wanted to check in, I'm throwing you out."
Harry pulled a piece of parchment from his pocket and slid it across the desk. "Apparition license."
Amelia scanned it, then raised an eyebrow. "You're not seventeen."
"I'm emancipated."
She let out a quiet hum, tapping the parchment against the desk. "Technically true."
"Technically nothing. Legally, I can take the test."
She glanced at the papers stacked beside her. "You do realize I have bigger problems right now, right?"
Harry chuckled as he leaned back in his chair. "I am actually here to make your life easier. I figure all the unregistered Apparitions have been giving your Aurors a headache."
Amelia narrowed her eyes. "Can you already Apparate?"
Harry shrugged. "Wasn't that hard. I plan to drive a car to my driving test when I turn sixteen, too. Has a different kind of badassery to it."
Amelia exhaled, pinching the bridge of her nose. "Harry, you Apparated here to ask for an Apparition license."
"Yeah," he said, unfazed. "Might as well make it official."
She muttered something under her breath that sounded suspiciously like this damn kid, then straightened in her chair. "You do realize most people take lessons before they try, right? It's a complicated spell, not something you just pick up on a whim."
"I had some practice," he said, leaning back. "It's not that different from moving through space with portkeys, just without an item that forces you into a singularity"
Amelia's eye twitched. "I am choosing to ignore that comparison for my own sanity." She sighed and reached for a folder in one of her drawers. "Fine. You want to do this properly? You'll take the test like everyone else. No cutting corners."
Harry grinned. "Wouldn't dream of it."
She gave him a look but didn't argue, instead flipping through the forms. "The test itself is straightforward—basic Apparition, controlled landing, accuracy. Any splinching and you fail immediately."
"Noted."
She tapped the parchment with her wand, filling out the necessary approvals. "You can take it tomorrow morning. Go to the Department of Magical Transportation at nine. Not a minute later."
Harry pocketed the parchment. "Nine sharp."
Amelia watched him, then shook her head. "You are going to give me gray hairs."
"They say stress builds character."
She let out a dry chuckle. "I already have enough character, thank you."
Harry stood, stretching. "Anything else you need from me while I am here? Since I so kindly Apparated in and saved you a trip."
She snorted. "Yes, actually. Sit down."
He raised a brow but did as she asked, leaning back in the chair.
Amelia reached into her desk and pulled out another file, flipping it open. "Your stunt at the tournament kicked up a storm. The Wizengamot is still arguing over how to handle it. Some of them think Dumbledore should be held accountable for letting a Death Eater run around Hogwarts for an entire year. Others are trying to downplay it like it's just another unfortunate incident." She rolled her eyes.
Harry wasn't surprised. "And where do you stand?"
She scoffed. "That everyone involved is an idiot. But more importantly, we need to prepare for what comes next."
He tilted his head slightly. "You mean the war."
"Yes," Amelia said. "The war has already started. People just don't want to admit it yet."
She leaned back in her chair, rubbing her temple as if the weight of it all had finally settled on her shoulders. The piles of paperwork on her desk looked like they were breeding overnight, and the deepening lines around her eyes said she hadn't slept much.
Harry picked up the tea cup he'd given her and took a sip for himself. "They'll have to accept it soon enough. The Dark Mark will start showing up again, people will disappear, and suddenly, everyone will remember how this goes."
Amelia sighed. "Most of them are still hoping this is just some elaborate hoax. That Voldemort's return is exaggerated, that you faked the recording, or that he is too weak to matter."
Harry snorted. "Right, because I got nothing better to do than start mass hysteria for fun."
"Some of them genuinely believe that," she said dryly. "Or they pretend to. They are scared, Harry. That means a lot of them are going to do exactly what they did last time—keep their heads down and hope it blows over before they have to pick a side."
"Yeah, well, that didn't work out too well for them last time, did it?" Harry tapped his fingers against the desk. "They had years to prepare. Instead, they'll panic when it's too late, start running around screaming about how no one warned them, and then blame whoever is convenient."
Amelia gave him a tired look. "You sound like me these days."
"Someone has to be realistic about this," he said.
She exhaled through her nose, then shifted some of the papers in front of her. "I am putting together a response team—properly trained, properly equipped. No more relying on idiots who barely passed their Auror exams."
"Good idea."
"That includes you," she added.
Harry raised an eyebrow. "Does it?"
"Don't act surprised," Amelia said. "You're already more prepared than most of my Aurors. You've been handling yourself in situations that would have killed half the Ministry. And I don't just mean fighting." She tapped one of the folders. "You know how to think ahead. You understand strategy. You see things coming before everyone else does. That is valuable."
Harry leaned back, considering it. "You want me working with the Aurors?"
"I want you working with me." She watched him, her expression sharp. "You're not a normal case, Harry. You never have been. You've got skills, knowledge, and connections that the Ministry doesn't. And unlike half the bureaucrats I have to deal with, you actually know what you are doing."
He studied her for a moment, then nodded. "Fine. But I work on my own terms."
Amelia smirked slightly. "I would expect nothing less."
She reached into her desk and pulled out another document, sliding it toward him. "Sign this, and you'll have full clearance for restricted spells, combat training, and classified intelligence. You'll report to me directly. No one else."
Harry glanced over the paper, recognizing it for what it was—official but flexible. He wouldn't be tied down like a regular Auror, but he would have access to everything that mattered.
"You didn't even hear my terms yet."
Amelia sighed, setting her quill aside. "Fine. Out with them."
Harry leaned forward. "I'll create my own team. Some of them you already know. Some will stay masked until this all blows up. If they survive, I'll reveal their identities to you. Not before. They'll answer to me, and I'll answer to you. I'm not going to be at your beck and call, but I'll be on your side. No matter what. Second—"
Amelia raised a brow. "That was just the first term?"
He smirked. "Second, I'm going to train my friends next year at Hogwarts. Closest group only. I got the means, space, and the capability to do it. But I'll need a decent Defense Against the Dark Arts professor. Moody's not coming back, right?"
She let out a dry huff. "No. He's still recovering, and honestly, I doubt he'll set foot back in that school anytime soon. He's too paranoid now—thinks it's compromised. And to be fair, he's not entirely wrong."
"Figured. You got anyone lined up?"
Amelia tapped her fingers against the desk. "Kingsley and I were looking into it. Most of the good candidates either have too much baggage or aren't willing to step into the chaos. We could try Dawlish, but he's more of a brute-force duelist than a proper teacher."
Harry snorted. "Last thing I need is my friends picking up bad habits from that idiot."
Amelia gave a faint smirk. "I thought the same. I could ask Tonks, but she's still green. Great potential, but teaching's a whole different beast."
Harry considered it. "Tonks isn't a bad idea. She's competent and less likely to make things worse. If nothing else, she's good at adapting."
Amelia seemed to mull that over. "I'll reach out. Can't promise anything, but it's worth a shot. Now, what's your third condition?"
Harry glanced around the room as if he expected someone to be listening in. "This stays between us," he said, his tone flat.
"Of course."
He leaned forward.
"What do you know about Horcruxes?"
Amelia blinked once. Slowly. "You're going to be the death of me."
Harry smiled. "Not if I get to him first."
When Harry left the Ministry an hour later, Amelia definitely had a few more gray hairs, but at least she wasn't arguing with him. He didn't stick around or wander off, just went straight to the Leaky Cauldron and booked a room for the night. Rest was probably a good idea before dealing with his license test in the morning.
The next day, Harry made his way to the Department of Magical Transportation right on time. The place was buzzing with wizards and witches coming and going, some looking nervous about their own tests. He approached the front desk, where a bored-looking witch barely glanced up.
"Name?"
"Harry Potter."
That got her attention. She did a double take, looking like she wasn't sure whether to be shocked or ask for an autograph. "Uh—right. Apparition test, yes?"
"Yeah."
She snapped out of it, shuffling through some paperwork before nodding. "Room three. Examiner will be with you shortly."
Harry nodded and walked down the corridor, pushing open the door to the designated room. It was mostly empty except for a few chairs and a small, marked area for testing. The test room was layered in anti-splinch fields and reinforced containment charms—standard precautions in case a student turned themselves inside out. A tall wizard with graying hair stood near the window, scanning through a clipboard.
"Mr. Potter, is it?" the examiner asked, not looking up.
"Yeah."
The man finally looked at him, giving a quick once-over. "You know how this goes, I assume? Apparate from one marker to the other without splinching yourself. Accuracy and control are important."
Harry just nodded.
"Right. Whenever you're ready."
Harry didn't waste time showing off or making a big deal of it. He just focused, visualized the other spot, and with a quiet crack, appeared on the mark. The examiner barely reacted, just scribbled something on his clipboard.
"Again," he said, pointing to the original spot.
Harry did it again, just as smoothly.
The man nodded once. "One more. Across the room."
Another crack, and Harry was there. No fuss, no showboating.
The examiner finished writing, glanced up, and nodded approvingly. "Good control. Smooth transitions. No splinching. You're cleared." He hesitated, then smiled. "You're rather good, my boy. Want to take the full license?"
Harry raised an eyebrow, giving the man a once-over. He'd already checked him with Astral Sight before entering, but the offer still sounded fishy. "What would that require of me?"
The man chuckled, seemingly unfazed. "I'll Apparate us both to a location, and you'll Apparate us both back. Basic side-along test. Should be a breeze for someone like you."
Harry didn't let his expression change, but internally, every instinct was telling him to be careful. This had "trap" written all over it. To be safe, he murmured, "Analyze."
[System Message: Alastair Camp - Senior Apparition Examiner. Competent and meticulous. No malicious intent detected.]
Harry relaxed a fraction but kept his guard up. "Fine. Let's get it done."
Alastair gave him an approving nod and moved closer, placing a firm hand on Harry's shoulder. "Hold on."
There was a crack, and they appeared in a small, quiet courtyard tucked away behind a row of terraced houses. The air was cool and smelled faintly of wet stone.
"Right," Alastair said. "Now, your turn. Take us back to the Ministry."
Harry didn't bother dragging it out. He tightened his grip on the man's arm, visualized the Ministry's designated arrival point, and they vanished with another crack, landing smoothly back in the examination room. Alastair stumbled just a bit, but Harry didn't even twitch.
The examiner straightened his robes, clearly impressed. "Well done! Most people wobble a bit with side-along on their first try. You made it look easy."
Harry just shrugged. "I practiced."
"Good practice," Alastair said with a grin, pulling a stamped form from his clipboard and handing it over. "Take this to the main desk, and they'll print your license. Shouldn't take more than a few minutes."
Harry took the form, giving the man a nod before heading back out. The front desk witch from earlier didn't even look up when he handed her the form, just wordlessly took it and started typing. A minute later, she handed him a small, laminated card.
He glanced at it, checking the details. His full name, birth date, and a small emblem signifying his clearance for both basic and advanced Apparition. Good enough. He pocketed it and left without a word.
"One more thing done. Now for the ring."
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