Dragons and Debriefs (Flashback)
Harry tried really hard to turn back human. He managed it, but he was so tired his bones ached. Grandad Black was on the verge of cracking his top five people with his whole dragon fire warming Harry’s bones thing. Harry leaned into the comfort of dragon fire as Tom talked everyone through his and Harry’s adventure with Dumbledore.
“Everyone” was in Harry’s clubhouse and included:
Weasleys for days
Hermione and Neville
Neville’s Parents (!!!)
Draco and Lucius Malfoy, Narcissa and Bellatrix Black (note: awkward, for multiple reasons)
Tonks and Kingsley Shacklebolt
Regulus, Sirius, and Remus Black
Kreacher
Hagrid
Severus and Fleur
And honestly, maybe a few other people but Harry was too tired to care.
He sat in the floor, in front of the sectional, propped up on a sea of cushions, with Ron and Hermione on either side of him, and let Grandad’s hand settle on his shoulder warming him through. Grandad had his other hand on Sirius, who was still chilled through from multiple hours of ward surfing.
“So, wait.” Bill Weasley asked. “Back up, Tom. You and Harry released your magic to balance the statue’s scale and Dumbledore just…died? Turned to ash where he stood?”
“Ash,” Tom nodded solemnly. “Seemed downright ovahwhelmed. He was old, yuh know. And experiencin’ that level of magic, both kinds, all at once…well. I think it ovahwhelmed his constitution. He had us usin’ this spell…can’t fuckin’ remembah, now, but thinkin’ it ovah I think it was supposed to drain all the magic from me an’ Harry. And maybe he got trapped in all that an’ his magic got drained away and that was all that was holdin’ him togetha. Eitha way, Headmastah Dumbles is very dead. RIP.”
“Great Man, Dumbledore,” Hagrid muttered from an enormous armchair Kreacher had conjured for him. “Great that we’re all shed of him.”
“Hear, hear,” came from a surprising number of people.
“How horrible to see, Harry. Are you alright?” Kingsley Shacklebolt asked.
Harry kept his eyes closed. “I didn’t see much.” Harry said softly. He couldn’t allow himself to meet anyone’s eyes. “I was more worried about myself and Tom and the weapon he was trying to make us unleash. I can’t say I’m sad he’s dead, even though that makes me feel a little weird.”
A rumble of support went through the room.
“I’m not sure anyone in the room could pretend unmitigated sorrow.” Remus said quietly. “Even those of us who would like to remember him fondly are finding that most of his kindnesses were a ruse. Or even, an illusion.”
Bellatrix Black stood from where she was huddled with Lucius Malfoy in a corner by the bookcase and walked straight over to Alice and Frank Longbottom. More than one Protego was in place by the time she knelt at their feet.
“I was in the room,” she muttered. “I was planning to question you. But the torture…I was Imperiused. By Dumbledore. And now I recall why. He said...he said he needed a spare Chosen One. And if the two of you raised him, Neville wouldn’t need him. I’ve made some terrible choices that put me in the position to be there. And I’m so sorry. But I did not and would not have done what I did without being forced to. I’ll submit to verataserum, you can look at my memories. But I swear on my magic that I am speaking the truth to you.”
Something in the wards clanged and confirmed, reminded Harry that this woman was his family now. Dammit.
Alice Longbottom stared at Bellatrix, brown eyes wide and fixed. She tilted her head slightly and her eyes narrowed. “And who are you, dear?”
The air went out of the room. Neville went pale.
Frank Longbottom snorted. Alice broke into a mischievous grin.
“Allie, love, that’s a bit far.” Frank chortled, wrapping his arm around a suddenly breathing Neville.
“Come now, Miss Black knows I owe her a bit more than that. No hard feelings, I trust?” Alice Longbottom stared down at Bellatrix with sharp brown eyes, only a hint of teasing left in her face. Harry swallowed. He decided, then and there, to be even nicer to Neville’s Mum. She really was a bit scary.
“None, Mrs. Longbottom, and I hope to be of service to you and yours however you will allow me.” Bellatrix Lestrange said and some tension in the room seemed to ease.
“Your family has already been doing that,” Alice said, gaze shifting to Sirius. “Taking care of our boy and us. However, if you personally wish to make amends, then I will let you know in the future how you may do so.”
“I look forward to it,” Bella said and skittered back over to Lucius in his corner and Draco, who sat awkwardly on a footstool halfway between them and Narcissa, who sat on the couch.
“Biscuits?” Remus asked, levitating a tray around.
“I should really start on dinner,” Molly Weasley said, starting to rise.
Kreacher shook his head. “Not tonight, Mrs. Weazies. Kreacher has all well in hand. If it goes bad, we will call for dreadful muggleses foods called takeout. Dark Lord Sirius Black says even Kreacher is to work as little as possible and if he feels tireds we can get the pizzas. Kreacher is afraid of the pizzas.” He whispered and then hurried over to rest his little head against Grandad Dragon’s arm.
(Side note: Kreacher is positively ancient and knew Grandad Dragon from a thousand years ago. Additional side note: never annoy Kreacher. Third note: Smuggle Kreacher into History of Magic exams?)
“So, anyway, Tom, where were you?” Remus asked.
“Oh…um. Statue, I think? Anyway, the magic balanced out and the whole fuckin’ thing stahted droppin’ into thuh floor. Me an’ Harry was like ‘oh, no!’ but well. Whadya gonna do? So we rode thuh thing down, it was spinnin’ round and round, I thought Harry was gonna bahf…”
“You could tell? I thought all you could think about was the holes under the castle!” Harry sat up indignantly before the exhaustion caught up with him and he slumped back against Grandad.
“Nah, it was supah clear, Har. Everybody knows yeh got a delicate stomach fuh motion.”
“Do they? Or are you the nosy-est bloke in recorded history?” Harry sighed.
“Ah, who’s tuh say? Anyway, our little platform keeps spinnin’ right? And we get through this little tunnel into a fuckin’ stadium! Like fuh real, you could play a great game a soccah, sorry, football with about 100 thousand of yeh closest friends watchin’. And now, really, I’m being so fuh real right now, is the fuckin’ castle stable? I get everybody’s goin’ home for a bit, but should they come back before we fix thuh fuckin’ foundation? I got a uncle…well, I might still have an old uncle who could…”
“Tom, please,” Harry sighed.
“What’s the problem?” Sirius asked with a yawn. Harry looked back at him and had to smile. His Dad was wrapped up in a blanket, squashed between Remus and Grandad and looked about ten years old and wildly sleepy.
“Tom is worried about the structural integrity of Hogwarts?” Remus asked, blinking steadily. “Which is not a concern I was expecting from this little debrief, to be honest.”
“It’s holding just fine, Tom.” Grandfather Black spoke up. “But you’re right. It is dependent almost solely on ancient founders' magic for that. It might be wise to send in a crew to reinforce it physically.”
“I’m sorry; I believe I missed this introduction.” Bill said, in a kind of friendly sternness, that Harry didn’t know that he’d ever heard from him before. “Bill Weasley, the younger redheads are my siblings, and the older ones are my parents, Arthur and Molly.”
“Orion Oberon Black,” Grandfather Black said. “I would shake hands, but they are occupied warming my kin.”
“Um…okay.” Bill said, “sure. And um…you just arrived for a visit when all of this…”
“Bill, we’ll get there.” Harry sighed. “Just let Tom finish. Promise him someone will look at the foundations before the kids go back and we’ll get a lot further with this, I promise.”
“It’s a fuckin’ hazuhd.” Tom muttered.
“Lucius, you still on the Board of Governors?” Sirius called wearily.
“I…unofficially, but I still have some say.” Lucius murmured.
Sirius nodded and snuggled back down. “There you go, Tom. We’ve got Founders and Heirs and Governors and all kinds of shit in this room. We’ll check the fuckin’ foundation, I promise. Now get to the dragon.”
Most of the room reacted. Harry sighed and leaned back against Sirius’ legs. They still felt a little cold even through his blanket and trousers, but damn if he didn’t feel comforted as Sirius’ hand rested on his head.
“Look, look,” Tom was saying. “Damn. We’ve all seen some shit in the last twenty-four hours or so. I’m sure everybahdy’s got some crazy ass stories. Mine an’ Harry’s just happen to include a tail-choppin’ statue, a big-ass dragon poured in the concrete, some dragon healin’, a baby dragon, a basilisk resurrection, and figurin’ out that Fawkes is pro’bly Godric Gryffindor's animagus form. That’s about all we had goin’ on. Any questions b’fore we move on?”
The room erupted with questions and Harry sighed and felt himself fall back to sleep.