Seconds later there was the sound of an alarm as healers, medi-witches and -wizards and other staff hurried to where the four DMLE staff and two aides were down and unconscious on the floor. As for Dumbledore, there was no sign of him.
The Dark Lord known as Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore, 'Ol' Twinkles', the 'White Whiskered Wanker', the 'Manipulative Old Fool/Bastard/Arsehole', was apparently on the loose. And only the four DMLE personnel on the floor and unconscious, plus a young Dicta-quill operator Auror Second Class, knew him to be anything but Mister Dumbledore. Even the medical staff of the DMLE-secured ward of Saint Mungo's did not know he was a declared dark lord.
_‗_
―==(oIo)==―
ˇ
At the same time Madam Bones was walking into the DMLE secure ward at Saint Mungo's to collect her prisoner, the students of Hogwarts were excitedly making ready for their day by getting down early to breakfast.
By no means the first to finish breaking their fasts, the 'Heirs' were done well before the end of the breakfast period.
Almost surreptitiously they had watched both Nott and Malfoy quickly finish their own breakfasts and 'leg it' out the door.
Malfoy still had his pair of bookends with him, plus Parkinson; while Nott had a couple of fifth years, Fergus Cowley and Thomas McGruder, walk out with him. Both groups had looked over to the Gryffindor table to ensure for themselves their quarry was right where they expected him to be.
"Two Fifth Years, Harry," said a worried Daphne. "Neither, I'm led to understand, is a slouch with a wand."
Calmly, Harry said, "It's alright, Daphne. All you need to do is shield. Let me worry about going on the offensive."
"And Hannah, Susan and I will be there within seconds; once the attack starts," said Neville.
While worrying at an edge of a page of the Daily Prophet, Hermione fretted and said, "I still don't like it."
Susan said, "Harry's right. Until they actually do something, they can't be touched. There is nothing illegal about saying to a friend you want to do someone an injury. You actually have to attempt it."
_‗_
―==(oIo)==―
ˇ
The seven waited until five minutes had passed before they rose and made ready to go to Hogsmeade for the day. Well, at least until either Nott or Malfoy made their move.
All seven knew that, for Harry at least, his day out would be over right then. He'd have to return to the school so investigations could be made. Therefore, Hermione and Daphne were determined to get Harry into as many stores as needed to get what they needed, first; then onto the stores where he could get what he wanted, but didn't necessarily need. Hopefully, he could get all that done before Nott or Malfoy made their moves.
So, with Neville and his ladies leaving five minutes earlier - and Tracey already leaving with her friends and dorm-mates, Millie Bulstrode and Alana Runcorn - the Potters were walking out the door and on their way.
A quick ride on one of the carriages between the castle and the entrance to the village, the three were quickly off and heading for the shops.
_‗_
―==(oIo)==―
ˇ
Lying on stretchers in the corridor immediately outside the secure DMLE ward at Saint Mungo's, Madam Bones snapped awake with a jolt. And immediately recognised she'd just been enervated.
Quickly sitting up she looked around.
"Easy, Minister Bones," one of the attending Healers chided her. "You've just been enervated after someone magically attacked you."
"I'm aware," she snapped back.
She could see her two Aurors, Master Healer and the two burly aides also beginning to try to get to their feet, but couldn't see who she really needed to see.
"Where's Prisoner Dumbledore?" she snapped.
Her two Master Aurors and Master Healer both also looked about and turned back to her with somewhat masked expressions of horror.
"Not here," growled Moody.
The healer who'd chided her a moment earlier said, "He's gone. You four were the only one's here seconds after the magical blast went off."
"Anyone know what happened to him?" she demanded.
"No one," replied the healer. "This part of the hospital had been cleared, as per your orders."
Wincing, Bones climbed to her feet and looked to her three supranumeraries. "Check the site directly outside the door of the secure ward. What happened, happened there. I want forensics."
Moody and Robards gave nods back and immediately moved back down the corridor to the site of the attack. Both were casting as they went.
Looking to Pockridge, she asked, "You're alright?"
"You're all alright," said the healer, cutting in. "However it was done, by whomever did it, they just caused an explosion that was all bright light and noise. We believe it was meant to stun only. It temporarily robbed you of both your sight and hearing, but with no lasting damage.
"We believe it was some form of ultra-bright Lumos and Cannonblast charm, combined; though one of our muggle-raised referred to it as a 'flash-bang' and something muggle made."
"Right," sighed Bones, when she saw her two senior aurors return. They both shook their heads. It meant no worthwhile magical trace could be found.
"Thank you, Healers and staff," she said, before putting all her attention to on her own staff. "Back to the DMLE. We need to track down our escaped prisoner before he does any more harm."
_‗_
―==(oIo)==―
ˇ
In somewhere unknown to most Dumbledore was awake, but unable to do anything as he was still manacled and still had some large black bag over his head and down to his elbows. He was sitting on what felt like a hard wooden or metal chair. His hands were still manacled behind him and felt as if they were through a gap between the chair back and seat.
He did not know if his sight had returned, but suspected it was as his hearing was back. He had tried to call out for someone's attention, but heard in response.
However, from the echo of his voice he knew himself to be in a moderately sized room with either furniture or light sound baffling on the walls. The echo of his voice had that slight muffled sound that comes from when in a room that has furniture. Mind you, he had not thought about the effects of the hood, but suspected it was of reasonably thin material considering how it's weight felt upon his head.
He had also tried to get off the chair he was sitting upon, but discovered he couldn't. Someone had stuck him to it with a sticking charm on both his bum and his back.
He had been sitting there for almost half an hour since he woke when he was startled by the bag being yanked off his head and torso in one quick movement.
Blinking the bright light out of his eyes he found himself sitting before a desk and back about five feet. A few seconds later and he realised he was sitting in what could be thought an office, except there was just the desk, two chairs and a few pictures on the walls.
But it was who was sitting on the other side of that desk that surprised him.
"Algernon?" he blinked.
"Dark Lord Dumbledore," the Head of the Unspeakables quietly said back.
Dumbledore visibly winced.
"A misunderstanding, I assure you," he quietly said. "Now, if you can see yourself to removing these manacles from my wrists I can get on with the very important tasks I need to complete."
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