Bee Prepared
*****
Arthur Weasley was confused a lot lately, but seeing the once severely depressed Sirius Black practically dragging a somewhat familiar scarred man through the halls in obvious glee was perhaps the most confusing sight he’d seen since Molly had come home from a trip to Diagon Alley minus their youngest son and practically seething.
That both situations seemed to involve a new arrival to Britain didn’t escape his notice.
Despite what Molly maintained, he really didn’t miss much. He was absent minded, yes, and often got distracted by his love of muggle artifacts, but he did see more than she probably realized.
Like that her hand had still been very red when she returned from the bank she insisted on visiting in search of her wayward sons. It reminded him a bit of how she’d looked when the boys were young and in need of a firm hand. One he’d never raise to them. But he wasn’t home as much as she was and, while they’d debated it frequently, he said nothing of her use of a spanking as punishment occasionally.
Or that, when Ron returned, he was very short with her and more protective of his other siblings. Even though he was the youngest boy, he was protective of the others. And that he somehow found his mother now a threat? Something had happened. Especially since he practically inhaled his little sister in his attempts to protect the others. Always keeping an eye on her, even though Ginny had proven time and again that she did not need her big brothers to watch her.
Ron just didn’t care and even agreed to fly with her three times a week in the small courtyard Grimmauld encompassed once they relocated to keep her from hexing him for his hovering. While it was not the massive open fields that surrounded the Burrow, it did allow the two lots of practice making sharp, unexpected turns, and how to maneuver with a Quaffle in close quarters. Necessary for the pair’s favorite sport.
It was perhaps the happiest he’d seen Ginny around her brothers in a long while.
It did make him wonder, but he kept his thoughts to himself. Molly was being particularly short with everyone lately and he was not willing to risk her wrath to sate his curiosity about his sons. Especially since the twins seemed particularly vindictive lately. Ron must have shared whatever had caused the rift between him and his mother with the pair because Arthur couldn’t rightly remember seeing much of them between when they’d disappeared towards the beginning of summer and when the children had returned to Hogwarts a few months ago. Their pranks, however, had only increased and turned experimental. He knew the boys when they were experimenting, the pranks much more, shall we say, obvious than normal. The picture of Molly sporting a raging nosebleed, no hair, and pink poka dots would stay with him for a while.
The young ones aside, he did notice an increase in the amount of visiting Bill and Charlie did. While the pair never said, Arthur suspected both were relocating back to Britain for a while. Bill stopped by for dinner pretty frequently, even bringing his fiancé by a few times. Though, now that Arthur thought about it, the beautiful blonde was never present when Molly was and Bill often visited when Molly had other plans…
Charlie had only stopped by a few times and the one right after the bank trip had been so tense between him and Molly that Arthur had feared a slew of spells would start flying soon.
Even Percy was visiting more than he thought the quietest of his sons would after getting his dream job at the Ministry. He’d feared a rift between them when Percy had come to the attention of Fudge, but Percy had surprised them all by passing on the ‘promotion’ to assistant to the Minister in favor of keeping his Head of the International Relations department. Personally, Arthur was beyond proud of his sometimes overlooked middle child, but it still caused a few questioning glances whenever he passed his son at work.
For a department that rarely had work due to Fudge’s inability to actually do his job, Percy seemed very busy all the time. Yet he still managed to stop by the house for dinner occasionally. And all three of his oldest tended to visit together.
Which was strange for a group of children that had until then been content to spend time alone if given the option.
Needless to say, Arthur knew something wasn’t right in his House…. He’d have to investigate more carefully.
As soon as he figured out what had Sirius dashing away so quickly, gleeful.
*****
Arianna waited in the wings of the Wizengamot chamber for a while, simply breathing and allowing the chatter of lingering members wash over her as she waited for Sirius to return. She was not unaware of how ridiculously thrilled he was with how she’d acted today but, knowing he was gleeful, and dealing with a hyperactive godfather known for pranks were two vastly different cauldrons…. She was not looking forward to keeping her temper around him, especially after such a ridiculously overcomplicated meeting…. That had gone nowhere.
Yet she would never regret taking the Meddler to task for such blatant manipulations and lies…
She was mildly surprised by the number of people that had scoffed at the thought of their Savior going dark. It was greater than she’d dared hope and she wondered briefly if Dumbledore was as beloved as he made himself seem. A few more meetings would tell her for certain. And testing the members a bit more than the experiment they’d conducted her first one would help.
“Milady?” Artair questioned after a few minutes. “The chamber has emptied.”
She sighed and nodded, allowing him to help her to her feet. She’d sent the Prewett twins back to the Den to take a look before they offered shelter to the rescues that were finally able to leave Gringotts’s healing wards. Theseus had disappeared, probably back to his wife and in-laws to discuss the meeting. And Sirius and Remus weren’t back yet from informing the goblins and mirroring Harry that she was heading back to the Den for a while to recover.
“You should not have come,” Artair muttered as he guided her gently up the many stairs to the exit, obviously concerned with how slowly she was moving.
“I’m just milking it,” she said with a pained smirk.
“And yet…” Artair teased back.
“I needed to be here,” she denied.
“Perhaps you need a holiday,” Artair suggested softly. “One that does not include sorting through centuries of detritus and flirting with your dragon handler.”
Arianna did not blush.
“I don’t have time, Artair,” she muttered, altering her protective necklace to protect their conversation with a thought. “I feel like things are speeding up. Like the truth is going to come to light soon. And we’re nowhere near ready for that. My time as a prisoner, the slander we’ve been dealing with, the silence from Voldemort? We’ve not made enough progress for me to breathe yet.”
“You don’t take the time, and you’ll not be around to deal with the issues,” Artair chastised.
Arianna sighed but nodded. “I’ll work on it,” she agreed.
“Actually work on it, or ignore the necessity long enough for us to ambush you again and do it for you?” her guard asked dryly, even as he gently helped her the last step.
“Sass…” she muttered.
“Sounds like my kinda guy,” Sirius chirped as they reached the exit.
“You, good sire, are fully taken,” Artair denied. “Despite no official service, you are no longer eligible.”
Arianna burst out laughing at the shocked expression on Sirius’ face. As if he’d not really considered it before he’d taken that step with Remus. And was not sure if he liked being taken.
“Eh,” he finally settled on, waving a dismissive hand at them. “Doesn’t mean I can’t flirt and look.”
“Good luck with that,” Arianna said with another laugh. “I’m not sure how willing wolves are to share. Even attention.”
She laughed again when Sirius paled a little.
“Mean pup,” he grumbled even as he took Artair’s spot so he could help her back home and Artair had a hand free to protect her if needed.
“You love me anyway,” she said airily.
Sirius just gave indistinct grumbles.
*****
They arrived at Badger’s Den to a flurry of house elves eagerly rushing around tidying up last minute messes. All of which froze at the sight of their mistress back.
“Mistress!” came the chorus of greetings and Sirius winced slightly at the volume of squeaky voices.
He smirked when his burden was immediately taken away by a gaggle of babbling elves, laughing her fool head off at the overlapping demands for where she was and if she was hungry and did she need any potions and and and.
“She’s going to be the death of us,” Sirius muttered to his fellow.
“No, Lord Black,” Artair denied. “She’s going to be the life of us.”
Sirius couldn’t argue with that.
*****
In one of the tallest towers in one of the most magical castles, a blonde girl sat straight up in her bed, woken from her nap. She gasped in sympathy, ignoring her fellows and the tears slowly leaking down her face.
“Oh, Harry,” she muttered before quickly getting up and starting to rummage through her trunk.
She needed nice clothes for dinner tonight. She only hoped they hadn’t wandered off today.
In the end, the only bits she was missing were the matching shoes she loved that her father had gifted to her after she’d brought home the latest little oddity she’d found on her wanderings.
Fully dressed to meet the coming guests, she bounced down to dinner, ignoring the sneers that followed her like usual.
*****
Harry walked to the Gargoyle that guarded the Headmaster’s office with trepidation, wishing he’d spoken with Sirius and Remus after he’d received the short note from Dumbledore so he could get their opinion. He was not only aware of the fact that the Wizengamot met today, but he couldn’t quite contain his worry for Arianna. This morning had been difficult enough, with her rescue and subsequent healing. That Draco confirmed his father hadn’t been able to make it just made everything worse. And now, for Dumbledore to insist on meeting with him to discuss his holiday plans? With assurance that Professor McGonagall would be there?
With his classmates all in their last lessons of the day, his gut was screaming not to trust any of this.
But he still went. He had to keep up appearances. If the twins were watching him like a hippogriff on the map, with the mirror ready and waiting, well, he wasn’t as stupid as he’d been for years when his gut churned this much.
He almost sighed in relief when it seemed Professor McGonagall really was going to join them. She stood by the entrance to Dumbledore’s office, a confused and stern expression evident.
“Mr. Potter,” she greeted before turning to the Gargoyle and muttered the password.
They rode the moving staircase in silence and Harry’s unease just grew. Professor McGonagall was rarely this dismissive of him and he wondered not for the first time when they’d get the chance to cleanse the staff at Hogwarts.
He was really looking forward to the day the castle was home again. And not a place he had to constantly be on edge. Or under attack.
“Stupefy!” the familiar tones of Dumbledore snapped as soon as they were fully in the room and the door clicked shut.
Harry ducked on instinct, muscles instantly remembering the drills he’d been leading in the RoR for their defense lessons.
But the spell wasn’t aimed at him and he tensed as his Head of House dodged right into the path of the spell and dropped like a stone.
“Harry, my boy, please come out from behind the chair,” Dumbledore urged, voice that sickly sweet reassurance that had at one point actually put him at ease.
“You’re barmy if you think I’ll come out into the open after you just attacked one of my professors,” Harry couldn’t help but snap back.
He hissed in anger when the chair just levitated away and darted to the next available hiding spot. He was not naïve enough to think he could get to the door or that the door would be unlocked. If he could get to a window, though, he could unshrink the broom Ari had sent and fly off.
But he didn’t account for Dumbledore still being as quick as he was. The moment he made to run for the nearest large piece of furniture, to make his way to the large window to the left, a familiar spell hit him and his limbs snapped together. He toppled to the floor, face first, and he heard the crunch of bone that meant he’d broken his nose…
Eir was going to be so pissed…
*****
Phineas Black literally growled as he watched the boy try to get away. He was impressed with the boy’s almost instantaneous movements when he realized the threat, but that did not undo the fact that he was a boy going up against a battle hardened and wizened wizard. Who’d been at this game for over a century.
When the boy was finally caught, Black again thanked every star in the sky and his family that his paranoia was enough to ensure he’d cast the spells he had on his portrait.
After all, his was the only one awake to witness the headmaster stun his own deputy and then put a full Body Bind on a student, causing injury.
When he levitated the boy onto a table, Black tensed further, eyes narrowed in fear for the boy.
However, what Dumbledore chose to do from there was perhaps worse than he’d expected.
He forced the Potter boy’s eyes opened and muttered a soft Legilimens.