Chapter 3
"Good afternoon, Mr.s Potter-Black," Albus said calmly, adjusting his glasses.
It was the day after the Death Eaters had escaped. There were two weeks left in the term, so he'd called the twins to his office to discuss where they would stay that summer. Harrison had obviously guessed that, because he'd brought Remus, Sirius, and Severus with them.
"Headmaster," Harrison said shortly, eyes on his beard. His brother was looking around the office and bouncing in his seat, humming quietly.
"I believe you saw this morning's newspaper," Albus said, getting right to the point. Harrison didn't care for pleasantries, given the boy didn't trust him quite yet.
Sirius made a face. "Bitch," he muttered under his breath, causing Harley to snicker quietly.
"Language!" Remus hissed at him. Severus rolled his eyes.
"Says the swearwolf-"
"I did, sir," Harrison replied before the two men could continue their argument.
"And I believe your godfather told you that Voldemort-" Albus ignored Severus' flinch "-has returned?"
The two boys nodded, although Harley was still distracted by the contents of Albus' office.
"Which means the two of you are in serious danger," Albus said gravely. "More danger than you know. Voldemort will want to finish the murder he attempted years ago, and his Death Eaters will want revenge for his defeat. I would like to offer a safe house for the five of you, one under the Fidelius Charm, as well as several other wards."
"Our home is already under the Fidelius Charm, Headmaster," Harrison said blankly. "And the Blood Wards that our mother cast have transferred to our new home. There are many other wards on the residence, which I would prefer to keep secret." He shot Sirius a look, and the man pouted. Harley snickered again.
"That is good," Albus said, hiding his surprise. He'd assumed that the Blood Wards would have fallen, given that the boys never called Privet Drive their home. "The safe house will always be available if you need it, however." He straightened. "The safe house also functions as the headquarters for the Order of the Phoenix."
"My cubs are not joining the Order," Remus snapped at Albus, eyes glowing gold. Sirius and Severus had identical looks of protective anger on their faces.
"Of course not," said Albus patiently, "I only ask those of age to join. I'm only telling you this because there are several members of the Order that can protect the boys if needed, and we are all on the same side."
"Who else is a part of the Order, Headmaster?" Harrison asked after a pause.
"You wouldn't know most of them," Albus replied. "Nymphadora Tonks is a new member, I believe you know her?"
"She's awesome," Harley said with a mischievous grin. "We pranked her dad."
Albus smiled amusedly. "You have also met Kingsley Shacklebolt and Alastor Moody?"
"Briefly, sir," Harrison responded, his expression unreadable.
"Kingsley is in charge of the hunt for the escaped Death Eaters," Albus added. "Tonks is his junior partner. Alastor is a retired Auror, but he's surprisingly still spry and able-bodied." He paused. "Ah, and Augusta Longbottom is also a new member; she and her grandson are staying at the safe house."
Harrison nodded, but Albus still couldn't read his expression, and since neither boy would look him in the eyes, he couldn't read their minds, either.
"I asked Arthur Weasley if he wanted to join," Albus added, "but he declined. So did Charlie Weasley. Bill Weasley accepted, however."
"Hagrid and Minnie are in the Order, too, aren't they?" Sirius asked. He ducked Remus' swat and amended, "Professor McGonagall, I mean."
Harley snickered again, and Harrison and Severus rolled their eyes. Albus' lips twitched as he nodded.
"Are there any other children staying at the headquarters, besides Neville, sir?" Harrison asked.
"I don't believe so," Albus said slowly.
Harrison exchanged glances with his brother. After a long pause, he said, "Is there anything else you wanted to discuss, Headmaster?"
"I don't believe so, no," Albus said, a little disappointed.
"I would like to get back to studying, then, sir," said Harrison.
Albus nodded. "Severus, Remus, would you stay behind a moment? You can escort Mr.s Potter-Black to their common room," he told Sirius.
Sirius saluted and followed the two boys out of the room.
"Sirius and I aren't joining the Order again, Albus," Remus told him as soon as the door had shut.
Albus was alarmed. "Remus, you need to protect-"
"And how are we going to do that if we're constantly on missions, putting ourselves in danger?" Remus asked sharply, eyes gold again. "My wolf is more connected with me, now, anyway, and I cannot physically go against any Dark Lord. I won't join him, as my wolf won't let me do that either -- he wants to hurt our cubs -- but I can't join the Order."
"How did you connect more with your wolf?" Albus asked cautiously.
"Meditation," Remus said bluntly. "And apparently, the Wolfsbane potion is a slow poison for werewolves, so I've stopped taking that. There were wards on my office that kept my wolf from escaping the first few full moons," he added when Albus gave him an alarmed look. "Now that we're more connected, he's like a very intelligent, calm wolf. He won't hurt anyone unless they try to hurt our cubs."
"Very well," Albus said with a sigh. "I am sorry that you won't be able to return. I will have Severus warn you if we discover something that puts the boys in danger, however." He would also have to find a way to manipulate both of them to join the Order again. "We also have to discuss the prophecy, even if you can't rejoin the Order."
"Not here," Remus said shortly. "Harrison and Harley can stay at the Headquarters the weeks around full moons," he decided. "I'm still exhausted and irritable around those times, and I'm sure they'll want to spend time with Neville." He glanced at Severus with a look that Albus couldn't read, and the potions Professor nodded slightly after a pause. "We can have short discussions when Sirius and I drop them off and pick them up. Otherwise, you will not discuss Order business with us, unless it puts my cubs in danger."
Albus nodded. That would have to do for now; and he could manipulate and keep an eye on the twins without their guardians watching. "I would like a word with Severus alone, Remus."
The werewolf nodded shortly and left the office.
"Severus," Albus said, "what do you think of Professor Belanger-Reid?"
To Albus' surprise, the man blushed faintly. "He is intelligent, quiet, and patient; he treats the students with gentleness and warmth; he is also clever, cunning, and watchful," Severus replied.
"You like Alaric," Albus said. Severus went even redder. "I thought you were in love with Lily."
Anger and pain flashed across the man's face. "And bisexuality does not exist," Severus said in a biting, sarcastic tone.
"Calm down," Albus said gently, "I meant no disrespect. What do you know of his parents?"
The look Severus gave Albus told him that the man knew everything of the man's parents, both biological and preferred.
"I want you to keep an eye on him for me," Albus told him. "I will be gone a lot this summer, and I won't be able to do it myself. I need to be sure that he is not like his father."
"He isn't," Severus said at once. "And I am not just saying that because I-" he flushed darkly "-because I like him, Headmaster. I know the Dark Lord intimately-" he grimaced faintly "-and the only similarities between Alaric and the Dark Lord are their intelligence, cleverness, and cunning. I believe you can trust him."
Albus nodded. "We'll see. If you still reach the same conclusion by next September, I might even ask him to join the Order; he seems to despise Voldemort."
Severus flinched. "Stop saying his name," he snapped.
Ignoring that, Albus said, "There is another thing I wanted to discuss, but it needs to be in a more secure place. Headquarters will be empty tonight; perhaps we can meet around ten thirty?"
"Fine," Severus said sourly. He swept out of the office without another word.
"Rowena!" Salazar exclaimed in glee. "Helga! Godric! Where've you been?"
Severus, Harrison, and Harley hung the three portraits beside his. There was a flash of magic, and the portraits combined to form a huge painting of a sitting room, with four chairs around a crackling fireplace.
"Why am I last?" Godric wailed. Helga smacked him and hugged Salazar. Rowena and Godric joined in.
"You are a dramatic brat," Salazar snorted, feeling unbearably fond of the idiot. "I can see how Harley is descended from you."
"Hey!" Harley and Godric exclaimed in unison. "Mean!" Harrison and Severus snorted.
"We're not dramatic!" Harley said with extreme indignancy, looking incredibly wounded. Helga and Rowena laughed.
"Mean," Godric pouted again. He collapsed into one of the chairs by the fire. "What have you been up to?"
"Protecting his snakes," Rowena responded, sitting down opposite Godric. Helga sat down beside her, curling up like a cat.
"Right as usual," Salazar drawled. In one movement, he swooped Godric out of his seat and sat the younger man on his lap. Godric went bright red. "What about you three?"
Smiling amusedly at the two of them, Rowena replied, "Waiting for our heirs to return us."
Helga cooed at them. "Rowena was waiting," she corrected. "I slept, mostly, and Godric pined away for you-"
"I did not!" Godric spluttered, turning even redder. Salazar smirked.
"You did," Rowena said with a grin. "And don't deny that you were pining for Godric as well, Sal. We know you."
"I don't know what you're talking about," Salazar said mildly, running his fingers through Godric's hair. The man relaxed.
"Your diary didn't say anything about you and Grandpa Ric fucking," Harley said bluntly.
Godric spluttered loudly, his face tomato red, and Salazar gave Harrison a resigned look. "Your brother," he complained.
"I am aware," Harrison drawled, earning a dramatically betrayed look from said brother.
Severus rolled his eyes again. "Professor Ravenclaw, you told my godson you had much to tell him?"
Rowena straightened. "Rowena, please," she told the three humans. "You are my descendant, after all."
Harrison and Severus took seats, while Harley lay down on the ground, feet towards the door, and blinked up at them innocently. Godric laughed.
"Sit up, dear, you'll get a headache," Helga scolded fondly. Pouting, Harley climbed onto the couch beside his brother.
"The first thing I must tell you," Rowena continued, "is the most important: the piece of magic connected to your scar is a piece of Voldemort's soul."
Harrison stared at her. "The Aura Test said it was harmless," he said slowly.
"It is, mostly," Rowena agreed, and Salazar could see that there was something she was hiding, something she couldn't tell the boys. "I cannot tell you why you need to remove it, but you will want to."
"The test said we couldn't remove it," Harrison replied, eyes glittering.
"The goblins couldn't," Rowena corrected. "Only Tom Riddle can. I know of a ritual he can perform; bring him here tomorrow."
"He'll be really excited to meet Grandpa Sally," Harley grinned. Salazar rubbed his face, grumbling, and then smacked Godric, because the man was snickering.
"What else do you need to tell us?" Harrison asked, steering the conversation back to the main point.
"I know the full fake prophecy," Rowena told them. "And the real one, which was spoken the day before, during Trelawney's real interview."
Severus cursed loudly. Harrison's expression went cold and dark. Harley looked like he wanted to stab something.
"I cannot tell you the true prophecy yet," Rowena added. "But both you and Tom will need to know the full fake prophecy, to understand the Headmaster's plans.
"The one with the power to vanquish the Dark Lord approaches...."
Nautilus was enjoying a quiet cup of hot chocolate by the fire when a familiar raven crashed through the window and collapsed at his feet.
"Dorus!" he exclaimed, rushing to the now-human man and knocking his mug to the floor. "Mipsy! MIPSY! Fetch Narcissa Malfoy!"
There was a popping noise as his son struggled to keep his eyes open. He'd clearly flown straight here from the prison, which was hundreds of miles.
"Dad..." he rasped. "Bella... kill... Potter-Blacks-" he fainted.
"Fuck!" Nautilus pulled up his sleeve. His master had removed the burns after his return and had instead placed the Dark Mark on a charm bracelet. Nautilus held the tiny black snake charm in his right hand and concentrated. A moment later, the charm flashed blood red briefly, indicating that his master would be there in a moment.
Mipsy returned with an alarmed Narcissa in tow. "What happened?" she asked as she Levitated the unconscious man onto Nautilus' couch.
"I think he flew straight from Azkaban, or close to it," Nautilus rasped. "He said your sister wanted to kill the Potter-Blacks."
Narcissa blanched.
"I've summoned the Dark Lord, he should be here soon."
A few minutes later, Mipsy led the Dark Lord into the drawing room. He blinked in surprise when he saw Theodorus. "What happened?" he asked Nautilus worriedly.
"He said that Bellatrix wants to kill the Potter-Blacks, my Lord," Nautilus said at once.
The Dark Lord's protective, angry magic filled the room, but the man's face was calm. Narcissa paused briefly in her healing, eyes wide. "She's going to be in for a surprise," he said dryly. "She's going up against a budding Dark Lord and an assassin with the Black Madness."
"Assassin -- do you mean Chaos?" Nautilus breathed.
"How do you know that name?" the Dark Lord asked with a frown.
"The Aurors don't know the name, but are familiar with his... work," Nautilus said carefully. "Those in the Underground know his name. Nobody is aware that Chaos is a bloody twelve-year-old boy."
Narcissa dropped her wand. "What?" she exclaimed. "My son is friends with an assassin?"
"Harley doesn't hurt children, Cissa," the Dark Lord promised. He paused. "Nautilus, did I not tell you to call me Tom, outside of meetings and missions?"
"Old habits," Nautilus apologized.
Dorus stirred at that moment, blinking sleepily. "Cis?" he mumbled.
"You've overworked yourself, idiot," Cissa scolded. "You shouldn't have flown so far and so fast."
"My son," Dorus insisted. He spotted the Dark Lord and frowned in confusion.
"Theodorus," Tom said, and Dorus' eyes widened in shock, "your son is safe. Bellatrix and the others won't get close to him."
"My Lord?" Dorus whispered. "You look..." He blushed darkly.
"Normal?" Tom drawled, earning a choked laugh from Nautilus. "Yes, I'll explain later. Narcissa will have my head if I don't let you rest. I'll come talk to you tomorrow at lunch."
"Okay?" Dorus said in bewilderment. Tom laughed, and Dorus looked even more surprised. Nautilus didn't blame him; his laugh was no longer high and cold, but low, smooth, and warm. No wonder Severus was in love with the man.
"Out, he needs to heal," Narcissa ordered, although in a slightly more respectful tone than she'd used with Nautilus and Dorus.
"Yes, of course, Cissa," Tom agreed. "Nautilus, I'll see you tomorrow." He swept out of the drawing room.
"Father?" Dorus began. "How?"
"He'll tell you tomorrow, son," Nautilus said gently, kissing the top of his boy's head. "Get some rest. Cissa, call for Mipsy if you need anything."