Return of the (Pint-Sized) King

The summer sun beat down on the grounds of Camelot, and eleven children were running around, shouting and laughing. Seven years had passed since everyone had been returned to childhood, and Merlynn grinned as a few memories surfaced. Gaius and Healer Griswald had not liked the fact that they had been unable to fix Rheane's eyes, so together, with the help of Severus Snape (who had been completely unaware of Rheane's identity) they had managed to create a ritual and potion combination that had managed to retore her cousin's eyesight. They had all been over the moon for weeks, but none more so that Rheane, who had spent her time doing her best to memorize everyone's faces, just in case. That had been four years ago. Two years ago, shortly before her eighth birthday, the Goblins had found one of those Horcruxes in their own bank. There had been an uproar, and another Goblin War had nearly broken out, due to the treaty being broken in some obscure manner. On the bright side, it had allowed the Gobln Nation to finally get the Ministry to stop requiring Dragon's to guard the vaults.

In a week, they would start their summer camps, starting with Weaponry. But first, Merlynn twitched as several people entered the ward line around Camelot. She could feel the Magical Races and Creatures retreat, preferring not to show themselves to the outsiders. Rheane stumbled over to her side, out of breath, vibrant green eyes sparkling with joy that was quickly dimming.

"Do I need to hide from these people, Merls?" Rheane's quiet question caused everyone else to come to a stop, and Gwaine and Percival began to hover protectively at her shoulders. Even at ten, Percival was a large child, and Gwaine had a wiry build that belied his own, fairly considerable, strength, and Merlynn shot them a grin.

"Well, why don't we sneak around and find out?" Rheane grinned at her cousin's suggestion, and soon, they were all creeping into the castle through one of the side entrances, hiding themselves strategically around the entrance. They didn't have long to wait. Merlynn had tuned the wards to alert, not only her, but her parents, Uncle Uther, Aunt Ygraine, and George as well, and soon, they were all positioned around the entrance as well, only visible. She knew the adults were aware they were there, but nothing was said, and they all grinned at each other.

George opened the door just as it appeared one of the five approaching was going to knock. Merlynn barely restrained herself from snarling as she recognized the old man with his hand raised to knock. It was Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore. Uther raised an eyebrow.

"Welcome to Camelot. Might I ask who you are, and why you have seen fit to visit our home?" A man in all black, with a very swallow appearance and an unfortunately hooked nose from a former break (or perhaps several) scowled at the term home. A woman in tartan robes with a stern demeanor and square spectacles turned towards the smallest of her companions, a man that Merlynn very well suspected had goblin in his heritage with a rather jovial attitude, and they exchanged some kind of silent conversation. The final woman, a plump and kindly looking woman with dirt stained robes that Merlynn suspected was embedded in the woman's robes due to long term gardening, twined her hands once in a nervous reaction, before she stopped and took a deep breath.

"My name is Albus Dumbledore. I am the headmaster of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. We were setting the letters to be sent, pulling any going to Muggleborn students, when we noticed that one such Muggleborn was in the same house as the daughter of Uther and Ygraine Pendragon. We thought it best to investigate, see why that was." Dumbledore went to walk further in, when Balinor raised his hand to stop him.

"That is you. Who are they?" While a successful politician, Balinor didn't see why he had to be anything other that straightforward in his own home, and it showed. Hunith was behind his shoulder, giving them a pointed stare. Dumbledore startled for a moment, before donning a look of joviality.

"Ah yes. My apologies. My deputy Headmistress and Head of Gryffindor House, Professor of Transfiguration, Minerva McGonagall. Master Duelist, Head of Ravenclaw House, and Professor of Charms, Filius Flitwick. Head of Hufflepuff and Professor of Herbology, Pomona Sprout. Potions Master, Head of Slytherin House, and Professor of Potions, Severus Snape. Four of the main subjects your two children will be learning at Hogwarts."

"Two, he says," Gaius muttered incredulously, acid green Healer's robes in disarray. George snorted from his position by the open door. All five of them looked taken aback, and Ygraine rolled her eyes as she turned away, calling for tea to be brought to the First Parlour.

"Why don't you five follow us. George, would you go find our hellions, please?" Hunith turned, giving the tapestry hiding Merlynn and Rheane a stern look as she lead them to the parlour. They waited for the ten adults to close the parlour door before all gathering around George, who was working with Merlynn to weave a powerful glamour on Rheane's eyes and scar. That done, George turned and led them to the parlour. Merlynn hid a grin at the looks of shock seen on the faces of the professors. Gwaine didn't fair so well, having to muffle his laughter in Percival's arm.

"Professors, meet our eleven children. Ygraine and I have Leon Knight, Morgana Pendragon-LeFay, Arthur Pendragon, Lance DuLac, and Percival Strong," the five mentioned stepped forward briefly, before sitting down with cups of tea and a small plate. "We adopted Leon, Lance, and Percival. Hunith and Balinor have Merlynn Emrys," there was a start from all five of them at this, "Gwaine Greene, Gwenhyfer and Elyan Smith, and Mordred Forest. They adopted Gwaine, Gwenhyfer, Elyan, and Mordred. Gaius here adopted Lily Evans." There were many side glances at the last name, barring Severus Snape, who had met her years before. "All eleven of them have shown strong signs of magic. We expect that all of them will receive letters. Leon and Morgana, this year. Arthur, Lance, Percival, Merlynn, Gwaine, Gwenhyfer, and Lily, next year. Elyan and Mordred, in three years." Six bland smiles were directed at the five startled professors, and Uther continued before they could find their footing. "Of course, their attendance to the school depends on the school's extra curricular activities. I will not abide them being in detentions because there is not enough activity to keep them busy. They all attend Gymnastics, Martial Arts, and Weaponry classes and camps. Morgana had to start Divination Studies early, because they were the only way to control her nightmares. Leon is already learning advanced Arithmancy. So, what are their options?"

~~

"Well, that went well." Merlynn grinned at the glares directed at her by her siblings and cousins. The four Heads of Houses had started spouting out how it was impossible to allow Leon and Morgana into elective courses as a first year. Leon had shrugged and said he would continue to self-study anyway, but Morgana had nearly cried. Three weeks ago, Pandora Lovegood had died in a Potions accident, and she had been without guidance for her gifts since. She had just barely kept it together, shaking her head slightly in her father's direction when he had gone to protest.

"All we really need, professors, is a way to continue our Gymnastics, Martial Arts, and Weaponry," she had stated. But that had opened a whole new can of worms, even after Uther had offered to find people willing to teach these subjects at Hogwarts. Professor Snape had started muttering under his breath about rich kids and special treatments, and Merlynn had lost it. It couldn't be accurately traced back to her, but the man had suddenly found his skin to be a florid pink, and his hair an eye-searing highlighter yellow. His robes had turned a dark fuchsia with orange polka dots. Sha had managed to hit Dumbledore with a time delay. This time tomorrow, and his favorite sweets would taste like dung, and his terribly patterned robes would all turn drab the moment he left his chambers. And she doubted it would wear off anytime soon.

"You subjected us to an absolutely horrid combination of colors, Merlynn. That most assuredly did not go well." Morgana was rubbing her eyes, and Gwen was rubbing her back with a worried look at Merlynn, likely wondering at her sanity. Mordred, Elyan, and Leon were all shaking their heads, while Percival, Gwaine, Lance, and Arthur were looking like they had lost something precious. Rheane looked at her curiously, not at all bothered by the color combination. It had been one they had chosen together, anyway.

"What did you hit Dumbledore with?" Before she could answer, George wandered back in, and she was distracted.

"I recognize that look. Who caught your eye, George?" Heads turned, glancing between Rheane, Merlynn, and George, and George flushed. Once Merlynn turned nine, she had begun to make proper sense of her memories. She had gone through several phases as she processed the information, once spending an entire week setting traps for both Leon and George, before turning around and crying over everyone else in turn, before Healer Myala helped her come to terms with everything. To be fair, she hadn't been the only one acting out, just worst. But it also meant she knew what certain looks meant.

"Severus Snape, if you must know. I just think he needs a friend. So... one of you lot needs to end up in Slytherin, understood?" Merlynn grinned, and George faltered, also knowing most of Merlynn's looks - and this look reminded him of a shark at feeding time.

"George, darling, I will have you know that I plan to rule that house with an iron fist - and I may not cover it with a velvet glove. It all depends on my housemates." Arthur slung an arm over her shoulders and pressed a kiss to her temple.

"We know you will, Merls. We planned this out years ago. We'll each rule our chosen houses, and unite the school. Just be careful. Don't piss off your head of house before you're even sorted. That's one thing you can't talk your way out of." Merlynn's sharp grin didn't even cause Arthur to falter, so used to it he was.

"Oh, but Arthur. It couldn't be traced. Now," she turned to Leon and Morgana, grin never faltering, "Dumbledore won't allow our extra curriculars to continue, not this year. We'll figure something out next year when most of us are together, even if they don't allow us, officially. Even with his protests, Professor Snape saw that Uncle Uther had a good idea. Dumbledore won't allow us to test out of the classes we already know. You two get to start it. Get known as knowing everything, and get known as being unable to sit still. Gana, they won't allow you to consult with their Divinations Professor, and don't try. She's a Prophetess, not a Seer, nothing will work for her, and she won't accept that. Her name is Sybill Trelawney. I did my research a few years ago." Mordred, hanging off of Leon's shoulders, started to laugh. Elyan, on the other hand, sighed and turned his head into Lance's side. Everyone else gave her varying stages of grins. Her research had unearthed the professor’s great-grandmother, Cassandra Trelawney, a well versed Seer of her time, but forever thought to be a liar until after the fact. "Don't let them silence you at night. Let them know it's by Dumbledore's creed that you can't control your nightmares, and sleep tonics don't help. We are going to destroy him." Arthur tightened his arm over her shoulders, and Rheane grinned from her place between Gwaine and Percival.

"This, Merls, is going to be fun. We are going to take back the school, bring back the vision your children had." Rheane had been informed of what they now considered their past lives, and had been very excited to realize that she could learn so much more than what schools and tutors could teach her, and it would be more accurate too. In fact, their Weapons Master loved them, because all he had to really do was help them build strength and stamina, and teach them the more modern weapons - Gwaine really liked the sniper rifles, and was trying to find a way to modify one to shoot preset spells.

~~

Mum, Dad, Uncle Balinor, Aunt Hunith, and George,

Leon and I are in Ravenclaw. We gave it two weeks to get an idea of the workload and curriculum. We are including a copy of each syllabus, and we will be keeping close track of what each assignment is. Our predictions were correct: we already knew everything. Leon and I have had three detentions each - and each time, we proved that all our homework was completed. We also have been able to prove that, quite technically, we were not doing anything wrong, though apparently, loitering outside the teacher's wing containing personal quarters of the staff (not that we were aware of where we were, since we were exploring and got lost, not that they believed us - and this was the most recent detention) is enough to warrant immediate action.

We hope everyone is doing well, and we miss everyone, and Camelot. We cannot wait for Winter Holidays.

We love you,

Morgana, Leon

Siblings and Cousins,

We're both in Ravenclaw. Gana has screamed the Tower awake every night for the last two weeks. Cinders was very helpful in making sure no one could place any silencing or muffling charm. After a week, I was escorted quite forcefully by the Prefects to Madame Pomphrey, the school nurse, who gave me increasingly strong, yet useless, sleep related potions. Finally, after Dreamless Sleep did nothing, she gave up and told the house to let the nightmares run their course. Of course, Gana is showing signs of sleep deprivation even worse than everyone else. I set off alarms the first night when I tried to rush to her side. Turns out boys can't get into the girls dorms, but girls can get into the boys dorms. When I explained that I was just trying to go to wake her up, every girl in the Tower discovered that her magic dictates who can approach when she's asleep. They were not pleased. I am. Leon is too. We have been busy trying to map out the castle, and we've made some friends in Gryffindor tower. Twins, a year ahead, Fred and George Weasley. You'd like them, Merls. They give off the same type of barely-contained insanity vibe that you have.

Speaking of other houses, things are worse than we expected. There is a serious divide here. Ravenclaws are "stuck up bookworms with no sense of anything but academics" and I'm about to blow my lid. Gryffindors are "heroes and/or reckless fools." But I don't know which has it worse: Hufflepuff, or Slytherin. Hufflepuffs are, and I cannot believe they think this, "leftovers, with no real talent, so they get lumped together, but at least they're loyal fodder." Yeah, no. I near cried. Me!But Slytherins. Oh Merlynn, you are going to have a conniption. They're "evil bastards and absolute Dark Wixen." You have a lot of work ahead of you, Merls.

We'll see you at the Winter Holidays, if we haven't been suspended or expelled since then. We love you!

Morgana, Leon

~~

Unsurprisingly, Morgana and Leon survived the year tied for first in their entire year, and known as the children who couldn't settle, but still did all their work, and Merlynn grinned as they stepped off the train. Mordred was straining for Leon, his favorite climbing post, while Gwenhyfer deftly dodged Lance's grip to tackle Morgana. Ygraine, Uther, Balinor, Hunith, and George were standing back, chuckling. Standing with the two could only be the Weasley Twins, who were actively ignoring their mother's calls for the moment. Morgana, face drawn and eyes sunken, but with a wide grin, hooked an arm through each of theirs, and started to tug them around.

"This is Arthur, Lance, our Percy, Gwaine, Gwen, Merlynn, and Lily. They'll be joining us next year, same as your younger brother, Ron. And these are Elyan, Gwen's younger brother, and Mordred. They'll join us a year after Ginny. Mum, Dad, Uncle Balinor, Aunt Hunith, George, this is Fred and George Weasley. Can they visit this summer?" The twins grinned, not even phased by Morgana's whirlwind introductions. By this point, the Twins' family had made their way over.

"That would depend entirely on their parents. You know none of us have an issue with friends coming over." Uther had enough time to answer with a relaxed grin, Ygraine and Hunith chuckling merrily. Balinor was glaring at the crowded station, while George was quickly reviewing the summer schedule.

"Fred, George, quit bothering these people. It's time to... go... home..." The shrill voice trailed off as Balinor turned his glare on her.

"Mum, this here," they turned, gesturing towards Morgana, "is the lovely Morgana Pendragon-LeFay. This is her brother, Leon Knight. Ravenclaws. Percy probably wrote to you about our budding friendship." Merlynn grinned as the two bounced back and forth verbally. Leon was right. She liked these two. Arthur and Rheane gripped her arms to keep her from bounding over to interrupt.

"Good afternoon, I'm Ygraine Pendragon-LeFay." Ever the politician's wife, Ygraine stepped forward, and it seemed like the whole station came to a stop. She held her hand out daintily, and received a flabbergasted handshake in return.

"Oh. Oh dear. Molly Weasley, Molly please. I do apologize for my sons. I don't what they were thinking, trying to say... oh..." Molly trailed off at the perfectly poised eyebrow. "What I mean to say is that I am so sorry my sons have been trying to corrupt these two. My son, Percy," she indicated a slightly older lanky redheaded boy with a pinched look on his face, "told me that it seemed my sons were dragging your children into much trouble - and many detentions - and I am so sorry." Ygraine held a hand up to stall Molly.

"Nonsense. Leon and Morgana are perfectly capable of not only telling someone to leave them alone, but of getting into their own trouble. Within the first two weeks, they had three detentions each for exploring, even though they had finished all their work. And this was before they started hanging out with your twins. So, no, there was no corrupting. It seems these two have the same problem all eleven of ours do - too much energy, not enough outlets. I know during the summer we sign ours up for many different camps to keep them from destroying the house and killing each other. We'd be more than happy to have yours along, at no cost to you we promise. We can see that our children adore their company." The oldest boy, a stocky youth about seventeen or eighteen, stepped forward, placing a hand on his mother's shoulder. Merlynn could hear what he was saying despite the whisper.

"Mum, Gred and Forge actually calmed down a lot and focused on their studies after becoming friends with Morgana and Leon. Yes, the number of detentions did not decrease, but their grades shot up, and I heard they chose some good electives - Arithmancy and Ancient Runes." He backed up, and Molly glanced around at her children.

"I... I believe I will consider it. I suppose I better actually read those reports sent by Professor McGonagall first about each detention, before I make a decision. I would also need to know what kind of camps... Do you have a floo?" Molly reached into her purse and pulled out a crumpled quill and a scrap piece of parchment. "Here is our floo address, we can talk it out over tea one day?" Ygraine plucked the offered parchment, and Hunith stepped forward after a long look at Balinor and Uther. George stepped with her, offering the planner and a quill.

"Actually, Molly, I'm Hunith, by the way, Hunith Emrys, it might be easier to invite you over. Bring all your children, there will be plenty of room. Would the sixth of July, around noon, work?" Molly hemmed a bit, before...

"Tentatively, yes. That's a Saturday, my husband, Arthur, will be home that day. I'll send a letter?" Hunith nodded, taking a pencil stub from behind her ear, and making a mark in the offered Planner.

"Okay. These little devils have their first camp starting on the eighth - Gymnastics. I'll have Leon or Morgana forward some pamphlets through Fred and George. Now, I'm sorry, we must get moving, before any of them explode for standing in one place too long. Molly chuckled weakly, having finally met her match in a force of nature, and dragged her children towards the floo. Each of the Camelot household gathered around a long piece of rope, and with a word, the portkey was activated.

~~

Merlynn sighed quietly as everyone lined up around the Floo entrance. She disliked formalities, but in the Wizarding World, even the families considered Blood Traitors stood on certain ceremonies, particularly when families of higher standing were involved, and they were, much as they didn't usually act it, of a higher standing. The Weasley family would be joining them today, and Uther and Balinor (and even after eight years, that amount of sternness from her normally laidback father was surprising) had insisted that they wear good robes over their summer clothes. Gaius was at his clinic, having slept there for a week and a half now while dealing with a pox breakout - nothing life threatening, but definitely serious, and many clinics as well as St. Mungo's was swamped, but George stood stiffly at the floo, ready to start clearing away soot as each person exited the floo.

Molly was first, with a young girl - Merlynn estimated her to be just a year younger, Ginny if Morgana and Leon had the right name - who looked completely unhappy to be there. A young man, tall and lanky with longer hair and a dragon-fang shaped earring stepped through next, followed by the stocky boy who had calmed his mother at the station. Percy followed with a sniff, stepping aside swiftly, and pulling the two before him out of the way. Fred and George tumbled through, and Merlynn started to shake with laughter, as did everyone else. An older man, as lanky as the first man and Percy, stepped through last with another thin and lanky boy, though he looked to be about their age. The last man, after startling briefly at the swift removal of soot, stepped forward, hand out. He was beginning to bald, but what hair was there was a red as everyone else's, and he had thin wire frames. His face was given to smiles, Merlynn realized, where Molly's wasn't.

"Arthur Weasley. Thank you for inviting us into your home. My wife Molly," he gestured as she leaned forward to hand over the basket she had been carrying, "and some of her homemade fudge. We hope you enjoy it. Our eldest, Bill," dragon-fang earring offered his hand, and Merlynn couldn't contain her gasp.

"Daddy, that earring contains Goblin magic!" For once, Merlynn could barely contain herself, bouncing in place as she turned back to Bill. "Has the ministry managed to keep their hands out of the security of Gringotts? Dad was telling me-" Gwaine, next to her, had reached around the back of her head and clamped a hand over her mouth. Bill chuckled.

"Why don't we wait on that conversation, yeah?" It was a laid-back warning, and Merlynn stilled with a sheepish look. Gwaine slowly released her.

"I'm sorry. I got excited. Normally, I can contain myself, I promise." She glanced at her parents, who rolled their eyes, and Arthur Weasley smiled.

"That's okay, we all get excited at times. Our next sons, Charlie," the stocky man from the station waved from where he was holding his sister, "and Percy," there was a sniff, but a perfectly polite greeting from the boy. "I believe everyone has met, even briefly, Fred and George. This is Ron and Ginny." There was a flutter of greetings, and Merlynn got the feeling that Ron and Ginny did not want to be here at all. Uther stepped forward.

"To be perfectly honest, we are three separate households. I am Uther Pendragon. This," Ygraine stepped forward, wrapping a hand around Uther's elbow, "is my lovely wife, Ygraine Pendragon-LeFay. We have five children: Leon Knight, Morgana Pendragon-LeFay, Arthur Pendragon, Lance DuLac, and Percival Strong." Merlynn shuffled to the side as five of her cousins stepped forward with short bows. Balinor stepped to the side, drawing attention.

"My name is Balinor Emrys. This is my wife, Hunith." She stepped forward, hands folded demurely in front of her, and gave a gentle smile. "Our children: Merlynn Emrys, Gwaine Greene, Gwenhyfer and Elyan Smith, and Mordred Forest." Merlynn stepped forward with her siblings, and she could sense Rheane's nervousness at being left alone. Hunith placed a hand on her shoulder and took a breath.

"My brother could not be here today; he runs a clinic, and there's a pox going around, so he has stayed there for the time being to be close at hand and to keep it from the household. But he adopted our distant cousin, Lily Evans. And beside you is our house Seneschal, another cousin of mine, George Evans. We were thinking that, since it’s such a nice day, we could have a picnic lunch, so that the kids could easily run around.” Hunith’s carefully earnest look saw an agreement from the elder Weasleys, and so George swiftly turned and led the way. A grin swept through Merlyyn’s siblings and cousins. A science experiment had gone wrong, and the wing with the dining rooms had been shut down and were in need of fumigation. But now, Merlynn supposed if they wanted to cause a… pest issue… they knew how. She figured it could come in handy one day, and honestly, they’d found the timing hilarious. The adults hadn't, over all, but still...

~~

Once away from the adults, they tried to set up a game of football, when Ron had started trying to push Morgana, Gwenhyfer, Merlynn, and Rheane away, saying they weren’t allowed to play with them because Girls are too delicate. Ginny was pouting, and Merlynn wished Bill and Charlie had joined them. The two were still socializing with the other adults, and Percy Weasley was over there as well, reading a thick tome that just looked boring, and Merlynn liked reading. Then, something Ron said caught her attention, and she scowled.

”In what universe do you think an eleven year old girl will consent to marry anyone, particularly someone she doesn’t know, huh? This isn’t olden times when girls are bartered off at her first bleed like cattle at an auction.” Merlynn was hissing her words now, causing her siblings and cousins to back away, but Ron was either brave, or stupid. She was leaning towards the latter.

”Professor Dumbledore said there was a contract in place. She’ll have no choice.” A hand fell onto Ron’s shoulder, startling them both, and the looked up into Bill’s unamused face.

”You know, when Ginny came running over to say you were being mean, I didn’t expect to hear such words come from your mouth Ronald. I know for a fact that there is no such contract in the family paperwork, seeing as I oversee the family file at Gringotts due to working there, and if the Headmaster is claiming there is, then it’s illegal. Come on, we’ll see what Mum and Dad have to say about this.” His hand shifted to grasp the back of Ron’s neck, and he turned, using that grip to physically haul Ron back to the tables. Percy had moved to a shaded tree, and Charlie was making his way over with Ginny. Merlynn waved them closer, and Arthur finally turned to pull out the football, everyone else running to set up the goal nets and paint the field. Fred and George hovered, and when joined by they’re siblings, Merlynn finally explained the rules of the game.

Gwenhyfer got the whistle, used only when she believed there to be a serious issue, and set up the score board. She turned and grinned, holding the two different colored vests. She was their regular Referee, being the fairest, despite her ruthlessness and love of chaos. She knew the rules and plays of all the sports they liked to play, and could play with them, but she didn't get so much joy out of playing the sports. Refereeing, on the other hand, gave her a lot of joy.

”All right you lot. Line up and close your eyes. You are not to open them until I say so. There will be no changing of teams. Today, we have enough people to allow for the use of goalies. Once you have your team colors, you have ten minutes to determine who is in which position. The first twenty minutes of the game, I will allow changes to be made if we find any of our greenies,” she smiled at the Weasleys, who grinned, quite obviously ready to try this new game, “would be better off in a different position. We will try to keep the chaos controlled this time,” she stressed, glaring at Merlynn and Rheane, who grinned unrepentantly at her. They’re last match had devolved into some kind of competition that they could barely remember now, but had enjoyed nonetheless. “Now, eyes closed, and I will pass out the vests.” She waited until they did, and started walking down the line, alternating who had which color - reflective yellow, or reflective orange. She grinned as Fred and Charlie were placed on one team, and George and Ginny were placed on the other. The vests had been charmed to, once donned, stop all forms of mental communication after everyone had learned the druidic trick of mind speak. “Open your eyes and don your vests. You have ten minutes.” 

The afternoon had passed quickly, with three different games of football played. Apparently, the parents had no idea about the ideas Dumbledore had planted in Ron’s head. But more importantly, they had no idea where Ron had gotten the idea that it was okay to verbally bully anyone. He wasn’t allowed to leave the tables, and Molly even kept him from eating the whole time, causing an epic explosion of temper after tea. But overall, everything went well, and the Twins and Ginny, once they learned that Pandora Lovegood's daughter, Luna, visited often, were allowed to visit and join in the various summer camps. Apparently, the Weasleys and the Lovegoods were neighbors. They went home every weekend, but it was the beginning of a change.

~~

By the time the last week of July came around, Fred and George stumbled upon the second largest secret of Camelot, Rheane’s identity. It happened during breakfast, with the arrival of the Hogwarts Letters in the mail. While the owl took off with eleven replies, Fred and George having also received theirs at Camelot, they noticed that, instead of being addressed to Lily Evans, it was addressed to Rheane Potter.

”Honestly, my legal name is Rheane Lily Potter-Evans. I just drop Rheane Potter in public to avoid attention. It sucks, honestly, to be famous for being an orphan.” Rheane’s shoulders were hunched, mimicking the raising of a cat’s hackles.

Surprisingly, to Merlynn at least, they took it well, staring for ten minutes as their minds whirred, before grinning, ready to get moving for the day. On her birthday, the twins presented her with a journal containing ideas and formulas for prank products. When questioned, Rheane smiled and said that she had spent the last month helping them refine their ideas.

They went to Diagon Alley the next Saturday, finally putting plans in motion that has been set and primed eight years ago. Then, she had been unable to authorize the reading of the wills, being only a toddler. Now, being eleven years old and aware of the situation, Rheane was considered sound enough to be listened to. She came back, clinging to a quietly furious Gaius, her own expression dark. When asked, they shook their heads, indicating that they would tell the story once back in the safety of Camelot.

A quick stop at Madame Malkin's saw their previously placed order of slacks, skirts, ties, vests, jumpers, and shirts picked up, but none of them got any robes. Leon and Morgana taken a look at the rule books and supply lists last summer, and noticed that all one needed were Black Work Robes and Madame Malkin simply sold the accepted work robe for this culture. They preferred the close-cut, yet still loose, styles of various other cultures - Rheane preferred a more Nordic robe, usually, though could occasionally be found in various robes of the many Indian cultures, while Merlyyn, Morgana, and Mordred preferred a more Asiatic cut of robe that worked well with their build, while yet still, Gwenhyfer and Elyan were often drawn to a more African style, and Gwaine, Percival, Leon, Lance, and Arthur jumped between styles on a weekly basis, so long as they had plenty of movement. But they had plenty of robes that fit the decree of black work robes that they would use instead. In fact, Merlynn suspected the uniform pieces would rarely get used for most of them, but better to have them and not need them, then to need them and not have them.

It didn't take long to get supplies, simply because they already had most of the items to begin with - telescopes, cauldrons, potions kits, phials, stationary and journals, quills and ink. They just needed to top up on ink and stationary, and their quills were still in good condition. Their cauldrons did not need replacing yet, though they did get back up cauldrons to be safe, since their current ones were two years old. They were allowed to get a carrying case for their quills and ink, and an expanded storage box for their loose parchment. They each picked up a new homework planner, before they headed to the apothecary to get the ingredients they couldn't gather in Camelot.

They skipped Olivander's, due to having had to make their wands (actually, just Rheane's, since the rest of them had had Merlynn make theirs before they were de-aged, but all were done in the same process) custom to fit the magic of the Old Religion, and bound by blood. That left-

"We want the lot of you back at the counter in thirty minutes," Uther commanded. "And no more than ten non-textbook related books. We will take care of your book lists. Go." The adults smiled as they turned and scampered. It was pretty much the same process every time they visited a book store. And they easily went through their books before their next visit. And this started after the adults had realized they had read through almost the entire Library Merlynn had amassed over the years - and only almost because Alexandria kept them from certain texts based on their ages.

Leon and Mordred went straight for the Arithmancy, but Merlynn knew they would end up in the Transfiguration and Defense sections too. Lance, Morgana, and Gwenhyfer moved for the Defense section first. Gwaine, Percival, and Rheane made for the Ancient Runes section, though Percival was making noise about Creatures, and Gwaine wanted another Arithmancy book himself. Elyan, as per usual, was scouring the scant section on Magical Crafts, looking into enchanted blacksmithing. She grabbed Arthur's hand. Today, she wanted to check the Magical Religions section. They would swing by the Combat and Dueling for Arthur, before everyone congregated in the Fiction Literature section for their last few books. They got plenty of ideas, both prank and otherwise, from those books. Plus, Florish and Blotts had a section of ficiton from the Muggle World, and they were waiting for the next book in Robert Asprin's Myth Series - M.Y.T.H. Inc. In Action. It had technically come out last year, but they had been unable to find it; they were hoping for better luck this year.

~~

After dinner, they gathered in what they considered their Council Room, and Gaius sighed, pulling Rheane into his side.

"The Reading of the Wills brought a lot of things to light. Like who the Secret Keeper for the Potter's was when they died. Turns out, it was Peter Pettigrew, not Sirius Black. The Goblins also have proof that there has been activity on Peter Pettigrew's account - and seeing that they have blood security measures, they know it is actually him, not someone else. This, combined with the fact that Sirius Black never received a trial, will shake up the Ministry... and the Wizarding World. Sirius Black is her godfather. It was stated, in both Wills, that he was to receive custody of Rhea. Now, I did legally adopt her, so I shouldn't loose custody of her, but it could potentially be a legal battle, because he did the same the day after she was born. I know we don't want to lose her, but..." Gaius sighed, drawing Rheane even closer, and she in turn gripped his robes tight and climbed into his lap, curling up under his chin. Ygraine leaned forward.

"Well, why don't we offer him an alternative. He's going to be in a poor place, mentally, anyway, if he gets out of Azkaban - and he will, on the technicality of never receiving a trial in the first place - due to the dementors. We get him the help he needs, physically and mentally, likely through the Goblin Nation, and allow him in Rhea's life, but only so long as he understands that she is our family. Eight years we spent raising her and loving her as a family. He may be her godfather, but she is our daughter and niece." Nods and hums went around the room and Rheane started to relax, Gaius looking up in relief at this easy solution. "Now, that can't be everything. I know we've been unable to help her maintain the accounts since we couldn't get the Wills read. They've been sitting, unchecked, for nearly ten years." Gaius' demeanor changed, growing quite furious, and Rheane let a little growl escape.

"Oh there is quite a bit of work to do... and a couple heads rolled before we even left that office. Dumbledore set up payments, using his ill-gotten and false placement as her so-called guardian, to Ronald Weasley, though the account has gone untouched, Remus Lupin, also untouched, and himself. He was even kind enough to place memos on each payment. Ronald was being paid to ensure he'd become her friend. We had the payments stopped and the account closed, with the money returning to her accounts. To Remus Lupin, it looked like he was paying him to keep him from trying to find her, but he never knew of the payments. Since he is a werewolf who technically lost all five pack members in one night, he has been barely surviving. His wolf is killing itself, and him, trying to get to the one person who he can reach, but at the same time, due to our wards protecting against tracking, can't - Rhea." Rheane leaned forward.

"I asked dad earlier, but I was wondering if we could invite him here, eventually. I could send him a letter, introducing myself, get to know him that way, and hopefully that will help his Wolf heal enough that he can be trusted on the full moon." Balinor leaned back, head weaving back and forth as he thought about it. When it came to Magical Creatures and Races, outside of Merlynn, Balinor knew best.

"It could work. Potentially. Make sure the parchment is saturated in your scent each time. It should help. But it may take longer than a school year." Rheane nodded, sitting back, and Gaius ran a hand over her braided curls.

"We stopped those payments too, but after some debate, and some of the information gleaned from the Wills, decided to leave the account open. With the laws being what they are, I'm sure he's had a hard time finding and keeping a job, and he was a close friend of her fathers. Would have been named a guardian if it weren't for the laws. Now, the payments to Dumbledore were an immediate stop. The memos said they were for taking care of Rhea's childhood expenses. The account the payments were going to was nearly drained each month, funneling, as far as anyone could tell, into his personal accounts. He had also, and this is the reason heads rolled, managed to take Potter heirlooms from the family vaults and into his own personal vaults. So, once the heads rolled and a new manager appointed, we managed to use this knowledge to press a freeze and audit of Dumbledore's account and belongings. And an audit of hers. Who knows how long it could take, but we intend to get back every item, if not every knut, that she has not authorized, even retroactively. We managed to get her heiress rings, as well as a few pieces of enchanted jewelry, and now she's protected against mind magics, including Legilimency, Obliviation, and Compulsions, as well as poisons, mind-altering potions, and love potions. She also now has the Potter Family Grimoire. That's the barebones of it. I have a copy of both Wills, and her bank statements. She has stated that she does not mind any of you looking over any of this." Gaius placed the folders on the table, before standing to leave. "I think I should get started on a draft of the letter to Black, and perhaps Rhea should go start on the letter to Lupin." Merlynn watched as they quietly left the room, and turned to glance at the folders. She didn't need to see those. She could see that the other nine had the same thought. No, they needed to have responses ready for Lupin, and possibly Black, about how Rheane was theirs now.

~~

August passed swiftly, camps coming and going, and their training advancing. Fred and George were close to them now. Close enough to be on the family calendar of events. Ginny and Luna were finally brought in on Rheane's identity, and Ginny laughed for ages, before they made plans to visit Mordred and Elyan during the school year. Mordred's birthday heralded the end of the summer, and was a bittersweet day, but they held strong. Tomorrow, well, tomorrow was the start of their main plans, and that alone made Mordred grin.