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"I can't believe you did that," Sirius voiced once they met back at the family Manor. He just came from his formal lunch with the Malfoys and the very risky secret session with Cissy.
"I know you are mad," Harry tried to comfort, as he did go against all the plans they made of staying in the shadows. "But...."
"What? I am not mad," the older wizard answered in perplexity, then smacking him on the back, he exclaimed. "That was bloody awesome, pup. You are a real pro inside the political field. So much better than me."
"Come on," Harry said, "you are the one who came up with the plot to overthrow Dumbledore."
"Yea, but you got someone on your side as Chief Warlock, got all the Death Eaters lined up to be executed, and got me my trial!"
"Mmm, well once you put it like that, I guess I am pretty awesome," he said with a grin.
"Now you did get Tobias Nott as your enemy, show a bit of your true self to Dumbledore, and display how competent you are," the man flipped his tune at the stop of his head.
"Ahhh... yes, I think I did," he slowly nodded his head, seeing the trade off he made today.
"Well who cares," Sirius smiled, "Tobias was going to be our enemy anyways, Dumbledore will find out someday we were behind all his misfortune, and it's better to show your fangs to those heartless lot."
Nodding his head along, Harry accepted all that his godfather had to say, he might look like a silly clown on the outside lusting after women all the time but he had a shrewd and cunning head just like his cousin and all his other family members. He might deny it as much as he wants, but he is a Black deep down inside.
Suddenly running into the living room they were standing in was Tobry who had a worried look on his face and a small piece of parchment in his hand.
"What wrong, Tobry?" Harry asked, not liking the look on his face.
"I just got word from the Matriarch of the Greenhill tribe. Our cargo transport of magical plants and herbs has been raided and stolen!"
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Standing right outside a warehouse deep within the shadows of an alcove, Harry glanced all over the place with Magic Sight to see if it was the correct place. Immediately he spotted over two dozens magical signatures coming from inside.
If this was it with 25 wizards acting all suspicious as they gathered up inside a long abandoned warehouse then he didn't know what was.
Recalling the conversation he had with Tobry his blood begin to boil and he prepared himself.
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"What?" Harry and Sirius asked in surprise as they couldn't believe what their ears were hearing.
"We were exporting the fourth shipment of goods when some bandits," he spat out, "killed the brownies and the few guards with them, then stole all their handwork!"
Taking a soothing breath to calm his livid heart, he asked, "Why wasn't there a better guard detail to prevent this from happening?"
"My lord, I never expected someone would dare attack our very own people and steal from us! We are the Earls of Powys."
"Yes, but all the same we are a house lead by me, a kid basically and which has been neglected for over a dozen years due to no one at the helm. Of course, there would be sharks smelling blood!"
Looking cowed by his words, Tobry had nothing to say, he was still living in the imagination that this was the household that it used to be. But now there is only him left keeping things together, of course, there would be people trying to take advantage of it.
"Where are these thieves now?" Sirius interrupted, as he looked bloodthirsty for battle.
"There was one brownie that managed to escape," the house-elf answered, "he might share with us more details."
"Then lead on," Harry said with a nod as they walked through the endless halls of the castle until they came to the medical wing. Matriarch Mal stood over a brownie who was singed thanks to some magical energy bolt he must have taken to the chest.
"Matriarch Mal," he nodded his head respectfully to the woman. She looked both worried for her tribe's men and angry that her people were brutally murdered.
"Lord Potter," she replied as she used a towel to wipe at the brownie forehead which nearly breaking out into a fervor.
"Is he the one that managed to escape from the slaughter?"
"Yes, Ranu," she answered as a tribe healer came by and started to apply some herbs on the burn.
Nodding his head to the healer after he bandaged the small little young man, he bent down over him. "Ranu, nice to meet you, I am Lord Potter."
"M-my lord," the Brownie tried to speak up in his horse voice while also trying to bow his head but he stopped him before he could aggravate his wound anymore.
Reaching up to the side of the bed, he poured a cup of water from the pitcher and had the man drink before he continued with his questions.
"Better?"
"Yes, much better!"
"So, Ranu can you tell me what happened."
"Yes, my lord, we left the castle ground with a Portkey heading to the Market to sell our good. Along the way, we were attacked along the road as if they knew we would be taking that path to sell our goods."
"Continue," Harry said as the man took a deep swallow remembering the battle.
"Two of the Griffin legion men were taken down by surprise, the remaining three men guarding us tried their best to defend us as they each made a good accounting of themselves taking 2 and even three for each that fell but they were over run."
"How many enemies were there?" Sirius asked.
"I... I don't know my lord," the little brownie answered shakily, "it was chaotic and messy."
"It's alright," Harry comforted.
"Did you make a good accounting of yourselves?" the Matriarch asked in a stern voice.
"Yes, Herb Mother," the young brownie answered with a brisk quick nod. "My brothers and sisters fought with what they could but..."
Harry understood, brownies were not a war like race much more preferring the outdoors and nature. Plus with the Bans of wands to any other race except for wizarding kind, they could only count on their own innate magic which really only had to do with plants and herbs, nothing offensive in nature.
They could have used magical items, but they are not candy to be handed out to everyone that wished to have it. So in essence they were defenseless and vulnerable just like how wizards wanted them. Meek as cows!
"I got stuck by some spell which incapacitated me and I think they thought I was dead so they didn't give me a second glance. After they... slaughtered everyone, they took the magical plants and fruits which I think they were after all along."
Nodding his head, Harry and Sirius took turns asking him every question of use like what was their level of proficiency, what gear they had, how organized they were, and so forth. Anything that could of use really.
After they were done questioning the poor fellow who looked dead tired on his feet and still haunted about what happened, Harry told him to rest since that got all they could have.
Stepping to the side with the Matriarch and Tobry, she was first to speak, "I do not pretend to know about matters concerning war. We have left that to your family and your army. But I can not stand for the brutal slaughter of my people."
"I am with you on that, Matriarch," he nodded his head as fury burned in his eyes. He felt like calling the Legion down on whoever dared to mess with him and wipe them off the face of the earth.
"This was specifically targeted towards the shipment," Sirius noted. "Someone wants these goods." Turning to look at the house-elf who took care of these mater, the older wizard asked, "how much was that shipment worth exactly?"
"You must understand Master Sirius the brownies only grow the most rare and sought after magical fruits and vegetables. Each one has to be worth hundreds of Gallons. In total, I would estimate that was nearly a quarter-million galleons(250,000)."
Whistling out loud, Harry never imagined that his crops were worth that much, but he guessed if you had an apple that could add a few months to your life, people would be willing to pay any price for it.
"So what do we do, swallow the lose?" Harry asked, not looking please by that outcome especially with the cold blooded murder of his people.
"What choice do we have, my lord?" Tobry asked with a downcast look. "This was well coordinated as they knew where we were. They must have put anti-tracking spells to cover their tracks, who know where they could be now."
"All is not hopeless yet," the Matriarch spoke up.
"What do you mean?" Sirius asked.
"Well us brownies have a special connection to the fruits we grow on that extends to tracking down them. I do not think they ever had in mind to put protections against our natural ability."
"No, I don't think they did," Sirius grinned a wolfish grin.
"It seems like magic is on our side," Harry chuckled darkly. "I will call the legion, and we will show those misbegotten bastards that you do not mess with HOUSE POTTER!"
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"Are you ready men?" Harry asked the 50 gathered Legionnaires and Lieutenant Alex who was right on his left while Sirius was on his right hand side.
The Commander was only able to spare these men at such a quick notice, plus he had the Lich Pass to keep on guarding. Anyways this was more than enough men to crush any resistance, and these were the most senior soldiers who even held some action in Voldermort's war.
"Yes, my lord," Alex replied with a nod.
"Ranu, you can return to the castle now," he said as he turned to the brownie that led them here. He was the most recent one to be in contact with the magical plants so he had the strongest connection to them, plus he was most adamant to lead us here to the enemies.
He had to accept that over the Matriarch demanding to send some aid with him which he refused on the spot. There was no way he was going to have more death on his hand especially from people who do not know what they are getting themselves into.
Watching as the little man nodded his head and took a Portkey back to the castle, Harry was much at ease now.
"Let's go then," he said.
Dividing his men into three smaller units, he gave them to both Sirius and Lieutenant Alex and had them come from different entrances. The name of the game was stealth, he wanted to see how they would like it when they are on the opposite end of an ambush!
Nodding his head to one of his men who bent down at the door to first check for any wards so that they were not notified of their enemies that they were here.
Seeing that there were only a few weak proximity alarms set up, Harry had them tear it apart with ease. Then giving the signal for his men to finish up any last preparations and to steel themselves, he too reader his wand as he held it up in a defensive stance and felt a bit more assured with his Battle Robes on.
The piece of gear just came in a few days ago, and at the most opportune time, he must say. He had to say the goblins did some wonderful work with the basilisk corpse. It was a beautiful piece of attire black and gold just like his family colors with his family sigil even inscribe.
From Magic Sight he could see a whole bunch of enchantments that he was still getting used to, and thanks to the basilisk corpse being such a perfect conduit that it can hold a lot of enchantments, he could see that they were always very powerful.
Before opening the door, Harry made sure to cast a bunch of spells to silence their footfalls, block their magic signature, their body heat, and so much more that would allow them to enter quietly.
Opening the door as silently as he could, three soldiers stepped in front of him to keep him safe and check for any danger. Following them, he could already hear that someone already got a start on the attack as explosions and spells being fired echoed from one direction.
Signaling to his man to hurry up before they lose their whole element of surprise, he came upon some men getting up from their table which they were gambling on and reaching for their wands in alarm.
Before they could even react, he and his men opened fire on them as they rained down a multitude of spells on their enemy. Some were quick enough to find shelter while other were able to put up some sort of protection, but the bulk of them fell down to the first volley as either acid chewed them up or fire burnt them to a crisp, and so many more creative forms of death.
"Defense," Harry shouted then all of a sudden shielding spells appeared around his men and himself, plus a small earthen wall that made a small fort for them, and even an elemental absorption spell.
"Support," he then commanded as all sorts of buffs were cast from Bark Skin, to Haste, Fortified Mind, and other useful spells.
"Attack- Disperse!" he shouted as a mini earthquake shook the earth making the enemies fell to the ground and howling winds swept through the place leaving the enemies shattered.
"Attack- Kill," he gave the final command as this time he joined in too as he begin to use some spells he picked up from his family grimoire like Catena Fulgur (chain lightning) which was a spell that cast a large bolt of lighting that jumped from enemy to enemy.
Looking at his downed enemies, he nodded to his men to let down the earthen wall and had some men finish off the last remaining few that lead on the ground already dying.
This was the advantage of a highly trained force. Instead of just having a mob who did whatever they wanted, an army, a True army acted as a unit, a wheel in a spoke. Tasks were divided up, so instead of worrying about having your shields up, casting some support spells to help you, attacking the enemy those jobs were divided up and each person was either told to do one thing and the other something else.
Thus you became a single machine of killing, bringing ruin to your enemies and fear into their hearts.
[I am talking about Dumbledore army, if you didn't get the sly comment!]
'Good job men," he called out as he spotted Sirius moping up his rest and Alex giving the gathered last few foes in the center death.
"Come on," he said, "let's finish up those last few bastards!"
Charging at the last remaining small group where a man who seem to be the leader was giving commands. Harry rush at them from the flank, however the leader seem to spot them and see how hopeless things were, then took out some magical whistle from his pocket and blew it.
He heard no noise come from it, but he did hear the answering growls and barking noise. Turning to look in the direction the noise was coming from, his jaws nearly dropped when he saw Keythong come running out of the deeper recess of the warehouse.
The only question on his mind was, 'What the fuck were his family bonded bests doing here!'
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5 soldiers make a Contubernium lead by a decanus, 10 Contubernium make a Century lead by a centurion, 10 Centuries make a Cohort lead by a lieutenant, 10 Cohorts make Legion leader by a Commander.