Ward Weary
*****
Weeks passed and Arianna kept having to postpone her visit to Hogwarts. Harry explained briefly about his experience crossing the wards since he’d taken up the Slytherin Lordship and the guardian Gargoyle of Dumbledore’s office, and it made her wonder how the castle would react to her. But other things kept pressing on her time.
The bond with the elves was taking more out of her than she’d expected and so she spent at least a week just getting used to the drain and how it affected her magic. She wouldn’t begrudge them the magic they needed, the access to her core to perform their tasks, but it was draining, as if she were using the maximum level of a simple spell at all times. Not impossible to function and perform the tasks she needed, but she’d quickly forgone tea in favor of strong coffee to help dispel some of the exhaustion, as it was less addictive than Pepper-up potion and didn’t cause a buzzing in her ears as that was starting to. It was a switch the Americans around her loved and the British looked at with no small amount of distaste and horror. But she needed the energy. At least until she carved out time to review the genealogy books and add members to the Houses she was the only member of. Which was almost all of them….
She pushed the thought out of her head and focused on her mission. It had taken weeks and months but she’d finally managed it. She finally had enough time to visit Hogwarts.
Her guards would stay at the Den, only to respond if she called or any one of the many alert spells on her activated. No one knew the full extent of the wards and, while she may be saved from any nasty jinxes or protective measures they could produce, her guards would not be. No matter what they said to the contrary…
A quick check showed her usual dueling robes in place, her ladyship rings on her fingers, her wand out, and three cups of coffee drunk. It was time. And if she managed to see Harry, all the better.
She apparated out of the Den and to the edge of Hogsmeade. She’d talked with the elves a bit, since some had been around long enough to actually know the Founders. It had come as a bit of a shock to learn the reason for Hogsmeade village to actually be there. At one point, it had been part of the castle’s area, a place for the adults teaching to spend some time away from the students, and as a source of sometimes needed distraction for the students. There were also houses that had been meant to be used by visiting professors or professors with families, as the professor suites in the castle proper were not meant for more than one. It explained much about the lives the current professors led, often alone for most of the year and thereby forced to be friends with other professors. When she saw said houses on the outskirts, close to the Shrieking Shack and closest to Hogwarts, Arianna made note to change that policy as soon as she could, groaning a bit to herself at just how long her ‘to do’ list was getting as each bit of idiocy was uncovered…
If she succeeded in getting all the classes instituted as she hoped, the houses would be needed.
She made her way towards the castle, a disillusionment charm on her and the path chosen carefully to allow the least visibility by anyone just in case. She had no fear of the Shrieking Shack as she made her way past but knew many did. It was a vulnerability in the impressive picture the castle painted, behind its wards and walls. But just as there were ways out of it in case of a needed evacuation, there were ways in. And she knew them thanks to her father and his Marauder friends. The castle herself had added a few over the years she’d spent buried and she’d have to update the map when she got a chance. This trip would be even easier if she had her Da’s invisibility cloak, but she still hadn’t managed to borrow it from Harry. That he had it was the only reason she hadn’t cursed Dumbledore for removing it from the Potter vault to begin with. She knew her Da hadn’t loaned it to the git, too afraid of never getting it back.
The moment she crossed the wards all thought of cloaks and curses disappeared as she froze just inside them. Magic washed over her, overwhelming her mind and almost causing her to transform out of self-preservation. The wards enveloped her, wrapping around her body tightly and only after a moment caressing her as if welcoming a lost friend. So much more than what Harry described when he returned. Her vision whited out for a bit and when she came back to herself, she was kneeling on the grass and the forest was silent around her.
She fumbled a bit for her rings, trying to focus past the new overwhelming sense she had for the magic around her. Finally, she felt the one she was looking for and held it tight.
“Merlin Emrys” she whispered, to activate the wizard’s memory.
“What can I do for you this fine day, milady?” he asked as the golden glow of magic collected into his familiar form. She’d gotten much better at summoning him and speaking with him. Now, he was a friend and confidant, as well as a teacher. And she needed his expertise.
“Just crossed the wards of Hogwarts,” she said, a bit breathless. “Need a second eye on the damage. Or at least an educated eye on them. I’m no idiot, but these wards have been around a thousand years and I’m not entirely sure what they’re supposed to look like.”
“Well, I do,” Merlin said with a smile. “I was a student here not long after the Founders moved on. We were all taught what the wards look like, how to help with them and such.”
She beamed. “Perfect. Can you see them now?”
“I can,” he agreed. “Shall we?”
Instead of answering, she allowed her new sense of the wards to examine them quickly. Together they took stock of the weaknesses and size of the current wards, Merlin comparing them to the ones he was familiar with.
Then she had to cast a quick silencing charm as she devolved into cursing at their findings.
Curse Dumbledore! Was there no end to his ineptitude?
The wards were so incredibly weak a poorly aimed curse with enough power could crash them. Wards that had stood for a thousand years. The reason the village was no longer protected was that the wards had retreated to prioritize the castle over the village in order to conserve energy, deeming the vulnerable children more important than trained magicals that populated the village. Over half the forest itself was also forgotten, dooming the creatures there to little protection and opening the forests to muggle loggers…. Only the castle’s remote location in the northern parts of the country saved the trees and creatures.
And as they studied more, they discovered the compulsions woven into the remaining wards, compulsions she would remove as soon as she could, since they compounded the compulsions Harry had suffered, but on a larger scale. Almost everyone in the castle was affected by the spells. However, she could do nothing but take on the wards at this point unless she wanted it clear to Dumbledore that things were afoot. Up until now, they just recognized their Lady and allowed her access to see and study them.
Now that she had a better understanding of them, she reached out to touch the magic, sucking in a deep breath when the magic strands snapped around her, accepting the change in holder and flaring to show the shimmering net of magic even clearer than before. She stared in awe for a few seconds, taking in the intricate patterns and the dome over the entire grounds and stopped just short of Hogsmeade. She would see about adding the village back into the wards once she was able to fix them, but for now, the wards were hers. A quick adjustment had them pretending for Dumbledore but asking her permission before implementing any changes the Headmaster wanted to make.
When they had time to fully assess the wards, they would. And hang the man finding out. With a war building, protecting the children took precedent. Even to the mild fear she had being so close to where she’d spent the last decade buried alive.
“Thank you, Merlin,” she said once they’d documented their findings quickly.
“It’s no trouble, milady,” he answered before fading away. She pointedly ignored the feminine snickering she could hear echoing in her head.
With the wards sorted, she decided to take a stroll through her once home. Far from her former prison. In the halls that housed her dear brother and had been hope and home for her parents and uncles. She apparated to her favorite nook without thought, the wards bending for her magic easily. She spent a few minutes apparating around, refamiliarizing herself with the castle for future visits before setting up a meeting room off the entrance hall and sending a patronus to summon her brother.
*****
“I am not imagining things, brother!” her husband shouted at the man beside her frame. “I felt the wards accept a new caretaker.”
“And I’m telling you, you over excitable idiot, that it will be a problem if you’re right!”
“I know that,” her blond beloved bellowed, rattling his frame and startling her sister-in-law when the frame swung enough to bump hers. “But I also know I am getting tired of not having a say in what’s going on!”
“If you think for one moment any of us feel differently,” the usually gentle woman snarled, showing her more protective side in a way they hadn’t seen in years. “Then you will need another lesson in just exactly why no one quarrels with me.”
She wanted to laugh when her husband visibly swallowed and eyed the edge of his portrait warily, as if afraid the spells that kept them confined would fail enough to allow the normally even-tempered woman to attack him.
“My, my, and what has the four of you so animated?” a loathed voice interrupted before her sister-in-law could continue to threaten her idiot of a husband.
As a group, they quieted and simply glared at their captor.
“Now, now, no need to be hostile,” the man said with a gentle smile. “I’ve come to give you an update! Surely you’re interested in how things have progressed since we last spoke.”
She narrowed her eyes but said nothing, wary of just what exactly he’d done now. Yet their hostility didn’t seem to matter and by the time the monster was done talking, they were all fuming.
“Black!” her husband bellowed, once the man was done gloating and had left. “Get back here! We need to talk!”
*****
Fred was getting worried. From what Ron had said, Harry hadn’t made it to their meeting with the snakes on the first day of classes and had collapsed in bed as soon as he returned from his detention late that night. And he’d been quieter than usual the last few weeks. The twins knew Harry had been pissed to miss the Quidditch try-outs the first week due to more detentions, but there wasn’t much to be done. Angelina hadn’t had a problem offering her suggestions on who to add to the team and acted as his assistant with no issues while he held the title. The independent study for Defense had been denied by Dumbledore overriding the Heads of House, not that it mattered much to anyone. No one would voluntarily sit through one of the toad’s lessons and news had spread quickly that anyone and everyone was welcome to the study sessions Harry organized regardless in the library, working with lesson plans provided by Lupin. Because next to no one showed for her lessons, especially the fifth years, the accurately dubbed Umbitch took to strolling the halls, looking for excuses to give students detentions and, despite the other professors hotly protesting, Dumbledore did nothing about it.
As school progressed and more and more students had detention with her for one reason or other, no one noticed Harry spending at least a night a week at her mercy. No one but the Twins. Even Ron and Hermione seemed to miss it, working hard to lead Defense lessons for the young years and helping their own catch up to where they should be for their OWLs. Even if the tests weren’t to take place until the end of the year, with the piecemeal education they’d gotten so far, many students were well behind where they needed to be and the Golden Trio of Gryffindor were taking it upon themselves to fill the gaps on top of the already grueling schedule all OWL students suffered.
Even the Slytherins were joining, to everyone but the Twins’ surprise.
Fred had seen the Malfoy brat even helping a few of the younger years, even if they were purebloods. Small steps. He had to celebrate the small steps. Malfoy protecting their little Harry was the only large step the blond had made and Fred wouldn’t fault him for the choice.
Fred and his twin were even protecting the snakes with some of their best pranks, if he did say so himself. And he was so very proud of themselves for some of them. Aside from the pixies, the color changing hex on the entrance to the Great Hall had been particularly fantastic. It had included dying the person one color completely, the color altering each time someone went through the doorway while leaving a small portion of the previous color somewhere. They’d been going for everyone being a mix of the house colors, in equal parts. If it was set to be particularly pointed for certain individuals, no one said anything.
The pair of Ravenclaw seventh years that had gone after a small first year Slytherin had ended up their least favorite color from tip to tail, no matter the number of times they tried to undo it. And it only got brighter the more attempts they made.
Umbitch had ended up a rather revolting kaleidoscope of colors.
Dumbledore had ended up a somber grey.
The snakes had found it incredibly entertaining and had figured out a way to either undo it or glamor it as a group within an hour.
His absolute favorite, however, had been the bouncy balls Arianna had pointed them towards during an excursion into Muggle London after a trip through Diagon. They’d ended up clearing the store out of all the different kinds they had and then visited another four to get the number they wanted.
McGonagall had not been impressed by the army of rubber bouncy balls bouncing around the corridor outside her room, spelled to multiply any time someone tried to banish them and to not stop until they hit grass. It had started in the Transfiguration Hall, but once the balls had hit the Grand Staircase, it was over. There was no containing them.
Only a few were charmed to find the more recent bullies and the bruises had been marvelous.
They’d gotten a smile out of Harry for that.
And that was it.
Despite all the efforts, Harry was getting quieter and quieter the longer the school year progressed. It was a drastic change from the outgoing, laughing teen they’d gotten to see most of the summer, the one who’d shown a perchance for pranking they’d missed somehow. And he and his twin were determined to find out why. They could understand Arianna not noticing. From the sounds of things, Harry was still mirror calling her frequently, but she was busy as she worked to sort through her Recalls and plans.
Apparently, Sirius had made his appearance at the Auror Department, courtesy of one Mad-Eye Moody and had been immediately welcomed by his cousin and Theseus. Which had more than a few Aurors greeting him warmly. He’d also set upon the department with a vengeance and the assistance of Graves, Theseus, and Mad-Eye. That had garnered a slight less warm welcome. So far, the reports had at least half spelled to the gills and the other half potioned so much it was a wonder they weren’t dependent on the things. They were working through cleansing everyone and ferreting out spies.
Add to that, construction had started on her sanctuary for the magical creatures in her vaults after they’d found the perfect location. There had been a space in the Aiaia forgotten holdings in the Mediterranean, a chain of islands with thousands upon thousands of wizarding expanded islands that the muggles couldn’t see and existed in a partially parallel space. A quick lesson from Merlin had explained how the magic allowed that to work, that it was still going strong and would for a long time, and most importantly that it was safe. So she, Charlie, and Newt were busy finalizing the inventory of creatures and working with the contractors in setting up the natural areas for the endangered species that would soon make the sanctuary home.
Add in the preparations she was making for her entrance into the Wizengamot, her continued efforts to help the rescues she was sheltering, getting to know her uncle Romulus, directing her elves, fielding reports from Percy on his efforts in his department and subtly reaching out to other nations, dealing with the two adult sets of pranking twins...
She still made time to talk to them all, but Fred could tell she wasn’t really focused as much as she had been during the summer.
Understandable but didn’t help with the current dilemma. It was nearing Halloween and Harry was acting more like he’d done during his first year than he had since finding his sister. Ron and the others were obviously chalking it up to the Quidditch ban and having to give up his captaincy to Angelina, but that didn’t seem right. And with the news that had broken that morning, that the Defense group was going to be banned as well, Fred was concerned and so they’d already prepared a possible solution.
“Gred,” Fred muttered, looking at his twin with a significant look to his pocket.
“I’m right there with you, Forge,” his twin agreed.
They nodded at each other and then swooped to their little lion, easily snatching him from the Hufflepuff table where he’d decided to sit today to talk to Justin Flinch-Fletchly and dragging him with them out of the castle. The raven-haired teen protested weakly but allowed the pair to manhandle him.
“Now, Harrikins,” Fred said sweetly.
“We know we can’t,”
“Make you tell us what’s wrong,”
“But that doesn’t mean we can’t,”
“Try to make you feel better,” Fred finished.
He then dug in his pocket for his plan and smirked at the excited look in green eyes when he spotted the three shrunken broomsticks.
“How’d you get them?” he asked, his body already wiggling in anticipation.
“Can’t say,” George said sweetly.
“That would be giving away trade secrets,” Fred smirked.
“Now, are we flying or interrogating?” George said, holding out Harry’s Firebolt with pride before kicking his broom into the sky and darting off across the grounds towards the Quidditch pitch.
Fred was glad it was a Saturday, so there would be less chance of getting in trouble. And also glad they’d checked to make sure no one was using the pitch for practice. After all, the rules said nothing about simply flying. Just the three of them playing Quidditch. And there was no way Fred and George were going to allow Harry to fall into a depression when they could easily earn the whoop of excitement the teen just gave as he pushed his broom to its fastest to dodge around the stands and hoops. It would be worth the extra lines they’d have to write if Umbitch took offense.
The three of them sped around, goofing off and allowing Harry a few hours to relax, before they called an end to the flying. Fred was pleased the plan had worked and the tension Harry seemed to carry was eased as they made their laughing way back to the castle. Then Harry froze for a moment, focused on something enough that his eyes went unfocused.
“Harry?” George asked in concern.
Harry seemed about to answer then arched as if in pain and collapsed into Fred’s arms. Fred cradled the unconscious teen to himself, staring at his brother in shock before quickly sweeping Harry into his arms and starting quickly along the path to the castle. The pair of rushing redheads froze in shock when they caught sight of a familiar whispy dragon standing hidden near the entrance to the castle. Arianna had made a point of explaining message Patroni to them in some of their conversations and had shown them hers quite often. The twins were still a bit awed that Harry could produce a fully formed one and had plans to learn it themselves, but one thing they knew. Patroni couldn’t be that corporeal far from their caster. Arianna was at Hogwarts. And she was much more likely to be able to help Harry with whatever just happened.
They exchanged a look and then made for the dragon, following it as it led them to a hidden door in the bricks around the corner from the main entrance. A hidden door they knew for certain hadn’t been there before.
They gave each other an excited glance before smiling wickedly.
*****
Arianna waited in the hidden room for her guests to join her, smiling when she noticed her Patronus leading a familiar pair of redheads. Then she swore when she noticed the limp form Fred was carrying.
“Shite!” she cursed, hurrying to her brother and casting diagnostics on him as soon as he was in range. She took a moment to transfigure a bed for Fred to set him down gently on, but then she was back to casting spells. “I figured the reverted wards would affect him, but I didn’t expect this,” she muttered.
The spells weren’t showing anything and she felt along the sibling bond for more information. But all it showed was that he was exhausted. Not uncommon for a teen pushing himself to overcome decades of prejudice and poor teaching on top of lingering issues from his healing over the summer…. She knew she should have kept a better eye on him. There was only so much Snape could tell her when he was dealing with a pregnant mate, teaching, his Head of House duties, brewing for the hospital wing, his own research, and subtly testing the professors. So far, they knew McGonagall, Flitwick, Sprout, Vector, and Sinistra were potioned and they had plans to offer cleansings to everyone at the winter break. But that didn’t excuse her leaving Harry to his own devises so much.
She’d come to Hogwarts to help, not overwhelm him…
“What’s been going on, really?” she asked the twins.
“We’re not sure,” they muttered together before George took over explaining.
“He’s been more withdrawn lately, what with the Umbitch targeting him for some reason. He’s got detention a lot and the ‘educational decrees’ seem to be focused on anything and everything he’s doing specifically. The only reason the defense lessons weren’t being affected is that McGonagall and Snape are defending them. They’re not allowed to do practical testing where Umbitch is watching, but that just means they’re utilizing a few unused classrooms warded to the rafters.”
“Anything to explain why he’d react to me taking full control of the wards?” she asked as she transfigured a bed for him with a wave of her wand.
“He did notice a few things with the wards when we first arrived, but other than that, there’s been no indication about them,” Fred offered.
“Well, I’ll be able to tie him in when he wakes, so he can hold them while I’m gone,” she muttered darkly. “I’m not going to be able to reverse all the issues we discovered, but I’ll be visiting more now that we’re making good progress on the sanctuary and the group in the trustworthy people in the Auror department are making good progress on the Azkaban front. So far they’ve found another three illegally imprisoned and are working to get them treated in St. Mungos. I shudder to think how much of a fight that would be if Amelia hadn’t been cleansed within a week of Theseus arriving.”
“And Percy?” they asked. They hadn’t heard from their brother in a while and they’d started to grow concerned.
“He’s getting better. There was a bit of a depression when he found out Wood was the father, but the pair of them are talking again and hope to be able to be in the right shape to press charges soon. Apparently, he’s pretty popular since he joined Puddlemere United and he attended one of the gatherings Percy’s been throwing for foreign dignitaries in Britain in an effort to rebuild some lost respect. With Percy being cleansed, their soulbond flared as soon as Percy saw him again. He was cleansed the next day and the bond they share is helping the depression. They’re working on rebuilding it to where it was when they were in school,” she muttered as she carded her hands through her brother’s long hair. He was still refusing to cut it, she noticed. Maybe he’d take to pulling it into a leather tie as Sirius tended to.
She missed Fred and George choking at the news that their former Quidditch Captain had been with their brother… Was basically their brother-in-law now.
“Harry, darling,” she called, trying to rouse her brother. She had to talk with him still and she didn’t have long left this afternoon.
“Five more minutes, sis,” he grumbled sleepily before he seemed to realize. “Arianna!” he shouted excitedly, bolting from the bed and almost knocking her over as he lunged to envelope her in a hug.
“Hello, kiddo,” she said with a laugh. “I’ll have to remember that when I visit again. I don’t relish knocking you unconscious every time I touch the wards.”
“That’s what that was?” he asked curiously, voice muffled a bit by his continued press to her side. “Felt like being simultaneous sat on by a dragon and shoved through the floo.”
Arianna winced in sympathy.
“Sorry,” she apologized weakly. “I hope that doesn’t happen again.”
“It won’t, Lady Hogwarts,” a voice offered, startling the group and causing a hex to fly at the ghostly figure floating over their heads. Arianna stared in shock at the ghost, as she was fairly sure this one had never been serious in his life.
“Peeves?” she asked curiously.
“The one and only!” he greeted, offering an exaggerated bow. “And Lady Hoggywarts needn’t worry about young Master Slytherinness being affected by the wards again. Hoggywarts is waking and she’ll not allow her Master to hurt again. She slept long and is mighty protective.”
The room was silent in shock. Both at the poltergeist actually helping and at the news that the castle was waking.
“And why would you help?” she asked warily, unwilling to trust the trickster’s word completely yet.
“As Lady Hoggywarts, you have the power to banish lil’ old Peeves and Peeves isn’t too happy with the current Heady. Lady Hoggywarts has Peeves’ loyalty and will have Peeves’ undying love if she allows Peeves permission to prank certain professors that wear far too much pink, even for Peeves,” the ghost explained.
Arianna blinked, then smiled wickedly, thinking to the progressively colorful rants Harry had been giving her. She may have been busy, but she still listened to him. “This professor wouldn’t happen to teach Defense, would she?” she asked, a plan already forming.
“Why, yes, yes, she would,” Peeves agreed, already grinning right back and causing the twins to bracket Harry warily.
“And wouldn’t it be prudent to show the school just how ineffective a certain teacher’s philosophies are when put in a real life situation of constant attack?” Arianna asked.
Peeves positively cackled and nodded.
“Then I see no reason not to allow Peeves permission to prank Dolores Umbridge as he sees fit, as long as the pranks do not cause permanent harm to the other inhabitants of the castle,” she offered, sensing magic accepting the permission and watching in amusement as a thin golden thread tied her to the ghost before disappearing. Peeves seemed awed and bowed low to the group before starting to float away, already plotting aloud.
“Oh, and Peeves?” she called before he could disappear through the wall. He paused and turned to her. “If anyone finds out I’m here from you, I will revoke that promise and see about that way to banish you permanently.”
Peeves nodded at the threat, seemingly unfazed, but Arianna could see the slight fear and respect shinning in his eyes. A respect she wasn’t sure any had seen in the ghost before.
“Wicked,” the twins chorused.
“Now, let’s see about you, brother mine,” she muttered, scanning him again with her mage sight just to verify what the poltergeist had said and being very careful to only look at him. She may have better control over the skill than when she’d been a student here but she’d almost gone blind the last time she’d tried looking at the magic of Hogwarts with her sight. Not something she’d risk. “Well, I still can’t find anything wrong, but we won’t know for certain until I leave and come back again.”
Harry’s panicked expression told her quite plainly what he thought of that idea.
“I’m not going anywhere just yet, little griffin,” she soothed. “I’m actually here to see to the wards and check on you. Sometimes, the mirror calls just aren’t the same as having you in my arms. And this room is protected from any and all others,” she said, wrapping her brother in her arms tightly and pressing a kiss to his messy hair.
He nodded and snuggled closer, ignoring the exchanged look of worry that passed between his menaces. Arianna didn’t, though, and the look she sent the pair was enough of a warning for the interrogation they’d get later.
“Please don’t go,” Harry muttered fifteen minutes later, when Arianna started twitching.
“I’ll be back,” she said, just as softly. “But I’ve got a meeting at the Den and I don’t have time yet to dedicate to the wards or clearing the school. Sirius is bringing a group of Aurors to Gringotts for cleansing and we’re working on removing the Dark Mark still.”
Harry grumbled, but did eventually pull away, giving her a sheepish smile when she searched out the slightly red rimmed green eyes. “I just miss you,” he admitted.
“Oh, Harry,” she said with a wince, pulling him in for another tight hug. “I miss you too, but we’re getting there. Soon I may even be able to visit as Aiaia. And we’re getting so close to me being able to claim you as my brother. Just a few more months and we’ll have a solid base to work from.”
Harry nodded but Arianna could tell his heart wasn’t in it. She ached to be apart and swore to finish everything she could that much faster.
“Alright, I’ve got to get going, kiddo,” she said reluctantly. “I’ll be back in a few days. A week at most.”
Harry nodded again and Arianna sighed but got up. As she passed the twins, she pulled Fred aside.
“Keep a close eye on him,” she ordered. “I’m worried now. I’ll move some things around and be here more. This room will still be here when I leave. It’s a hidden antechamber for the Founders and only those we trust can even see it. Right now, only the three of you can, so use it wisely.”
Fred nodded and returned to their little soulmate. Arianna gave a huff of displeasure, but made her way to the edge of the grounds so she could apparate to the Den. She had a lot of work to do so she could return sooner than planned.