Friend Since Birth

*****
Adaya flew straight to her castle. She knew the great metal dragon that took her clutchmate to the school often took hours and hours to cross the country and bring him and his nestmates to the place of learning, but her wings were strong. She was strong. Even though this was her first flight, the ground below flew by quickly. She knew it was some time since she left her mate, but still far less time than some slow metal dragon.

Her brain knew the right words for the various things she saw as she flew, knew her smaller form would call the metal dragon a train, the fellow metal dragons that flew near her airplanes, the nests below her as houses, but her mind didn’t want to force the words. She and Arianna were close, often overlapping, but Adaya was separate enough to be comfortable in her skin. To push aside the human thoughts that she didn’t want to contemplate. For now, she was Adaya and she was going to defend her Harry.

The human bumblebee and pink toad would rue the day they dared touch her clutchmate.

If her dragon and human brain were working on a way to make that happen without giving herself away completely during the flight, Adaya would not say.

*****
“Phineas?” she called in concern as soon as their favorite visitor stumbled into her husband’s frame. “You’re back so soon! Did you speak with your descendent?”

“Something’s happening,” the black-haired man panted, forgoing his normal Black mask to stare at them excitedly. “I’d only gotten back from the house when the dragon call went out.”

“We heard it,” her husband confirmed, offering some support to the panting man. Though, why he was panting, she wasn’t quite sure. They were painted after all.

“What you didn’t hear was Fawkes saying it was a battle cry to protect a clutchmate and younglings,” Phineas Black said with a blinding grin. “Fawkes kept it from the bastard but told me as soon as the man left and he’d recovered enough.”

“Recovered?” she asked fearfully. “Recovered from what?”

“Crucio,” Phineas announced with a grimace, his tone bitter.

“I will kill him,” her brother-in-law snarled. She could hear his frame hitting the stones softly, as if he was pacing back and forth and close to knocking himself off the wall again.

“You won’t be able to recognize him she gets her hands on him,” Phineas soothed. “I have a feeling I know who’s coming and her anger may just best ours. Especially when she hears what Dumbledore was doing earlier.”

“How so?”

“Her younger brother is involved,” he said simply.

Her husband paled a little, turning to the frame next to hers, to his own elder brother. And they all thought back to the man’s response when someone had been stupid enough to attack his beloved brother. Argue they may have done constantly when they were alive, but it was understood that, against an outsider, the arguments were meaningless. Family came first.

“Aye,” he finally growled, his approval more than evident in his vicious smile that had often garnered him an unfriendly reputation. “That might just do it.”

“And we’re paintings,” she pointed out helpfully, smiling when it had the desired effect of laughter filling the small room.

*****
Luna smiled as she felt the tension building the farther into dinner they progressed. It was a slow meal, as students trickled in. She’d met Harry just before it actually started and it normally went for two hours or so. Unlike feast nights, students were allowed to eat between set hours, often staying longer to talk or work on homework afterwards. While Harry was still taking the occasional nibble of something, he was staying in his seat both from the urging of his friends and because Luna still held his hand.

She would not allow him to miss the dramatics coming.

If only so she could broadcast his reactions.

The nargles had assured her that he wouldn’t say anything that would give away secrets that shouldn’t be shared, even in his surprise.

But he would give away information that needed to be in the open finally.

And the small microphone she had in the flower pin she wore was perfect for the best reactions.

She’d have to thank Lee and Ragnok later for helping her. This night would put her Daddy’s magazine where it should have been ages ago. And put the truth out there for good.

After all, who was going to debate the claims of the dragon protector of Hogwarts? Who would believe anyone stupid enough to do so?

*****
Sirius was rushing to the Den as soon as Adaya was out of sight beyond the trees, dashing through the halls and to the nearest floo as quickly as he could. He could NOT risk alerting anyone not on Arianna’s lists in case of this specific contingency. He could hear Severus and Charlie hot on his heels, but he ignored their panted demands for more information as he quickly threw some powder into the floo and shouted for Gringotts.

They had much to do in the relatively short time it would take Adaya to get to Hogwarts.

*****
Charlie panted as he followed the mad dash of the Black lord. Everything was moving too quickly for him to really understand what was happening and all he knew was that, in all honestly, sticking to Sirius like a Swooping Evil stuck to brains was his best chance at finding out before everything was already over.

He barely noted the grim expression on Snape’s face beside him as the two struggled to keep up with Sirius through the Den and it was only dumb luck that they heard Sirius bark out Gringotts before they caught the fading green of a floo fire.

“Go,” Snape ordered. “I’ve others to inform.”

Charlie nodded and immediately followed after the Animagus.

He arrived to the chaos of the lobby of the most notoriously unflappable creatures he’d ever heard of running around almost frantically as Sirius strode purposefully past shocked magicals trying to stay out of the way of the goblins sporting sharp blades and sharper smiles.

“Charlie!” Bill called, waving to him from the doors to the inner part of the bank, Sirius’ obvious destination.

Charlie gave his brother a quick nod of acknowledgement even as he rushed across the busy lobby, dodging swords and axes and a variety of other weapons the goblins seemed to pull out of nowhere.

“What in Merlin’s beard?” he gasped when he ran into his brother to stop his forward momentum when he finally managed to make it across, only a few nicks here and there to attest to how close he’d cut some of his moves.

“Shut it and follow me,” Bill ordered, giving a last glare at the obviously interested magicals still watching closely from the edges of the bank’s usually loud lobby.

Charlie wanted to protest, but the look on his eldest brother’s face was enough for him to nod and simply follow after Bill as he made his way deeper into the bank.

As soon as Charlie felt the wards snap shut behind the door’s closure, he started demanding answers even as he kept pace with the cursebreaker.

“Ari’s gone after Hogwarts,” Bill growled, even as he pushed Charlie and himself into what the dragon handler could only call a war room.

Goblins were scurrying with purpose in and out of a number of doors around the large room, a frankly intimidatingly large table in the center with Sirius already next to a heavily armored goblin Charlie thought was Ragnok. The familiar gleam of dragon scales in a subdued grey was the only indication that it was stronger than the shiny metals normally used in such gear and Charlie took a moment to really take in the rest of the goblins around them.

All were similarly armored.

“I knew that. But I don’t know is why. What in Morgana’s name happened? And what in the name of Merlin’s sodding bum is going on here.” He’d take a moment to think through his soulmate taking on the castle on her own later. Even in dragon form. And especially how he felt about the normal magical curses that he often used now that he’d talked to a remnant of Merlin.

“You want what Dumb-as-a-door did or the Ministry?” Sirius snarled even as he looked over a parchment with Ragnok. “Because I can’t count out the possibility that she’ll go after the Ministry itself next, wards and muggle population and possible casualties aside.”

That had Charlie wide-eyed, staring between Bill and Sirius for a moment before he let his usually quite calm demeanor slide to the wayside even as the door opened to admit Arianna’s Captain of the Guard and a number of guard itself to the chaos.

Artair stormed across the room, snarling at anything that got between him and his target with only a glance. A pair of high elves, with their elegant frames and long hair and slim, sharp swords, flanked him, their pale hair a stark contrast to his flaming red. Charlie was not far behind, leaving Bill behind in his haste to get answers. Sirius ignored his approach and therefore was taken completely off-guard when the dragon handler pushed passed the guards easily despite their large frames and battle armor, grabbed the collar of Sirius’ own fresh battle robes, and slammed him to the wall behind the Animagus.

“What. Happened!” he snarled into the man’s face. It did not escape his notice that there were tiny black scales on the backs of his hands again. He’d managed to get them to go away before, but he suddenly understood how Arianna felt whenever she had to fight to get them to go away when she was angry.

“Dumbledore forced Legitimacy on Harry and, from what I can gather, that Ministry toad spy has been using a blood quill to torture at least Harry. With permission from Fudge, if the paperwork is to be believed. His efforts at discrediting the stories that have been making the rounds since Voldytort came back in May despite the overwhelming evidence provided at Diagon Alley in July. I’m not sure if she knows about Dumble’s most recent stupidity, though. As you know, she didn’t really specify what he’d done to set her off before she took off.” Sirius said coldly, unphased by the physical threat Charlie posed.

As his words filtered into Charlie’s brain passed the automatic and all-consuming shock, he felt his own rage start to surge.

“No!” Sirius said brusquely, flicking him on the nose and successfully diverting him in the face of sudden indignation at the unexpected response. “I only have orders to deal with one rampaging dragon at a time. I will not deal with two. Not to mention, none of Ari’s plans deal with that contingency!”

Charlie cocked his head at the man, still puzzled beyond belief, but then slowly nodded and allowed his clenched hands to slowly lower the man back to the ground.

“Plans?” he asked, consciously trying to stop his voice from continuing with the multi-toned draconic syllables it had taken.

“Yes, plans,” Sirius confirmed even as he pushed passed Charlie to rejoin Ragnok at the table.

The goblin just seemed slightly amused by the exchange and Bill seemed to be taking his cues from the goblin instead of panicking at what Charlie could only assume was the lingering scales peppered across his skin. The black was a stark contrast to his freckled skin, now that he could see it.

“She has several, including what to do when she finally broke from the stupidity of the asshat that is our esteemed and self-named Leader of the Light,” Sirius explained as he started conferring with the goblin king again, pulling Artair over to join them with a simple look. “And I have to get working on my side before she gets to the castle. There’s a few options depending on how quickly she reclaims her sanity. If she gets herself together before she actually storms the castle, I’ll cry in thanks. Those are the easiest plans with the least issues.”

“What do you need me to do?” Charlie asked, instantly smoothing his robes down and joining everyone at the table.

“For the love of Merlin, stay put for once,” he ordered promptly. “I’ve got enough in my potion to deal with at the moment. The last thing I need is her panicking because her mate has been captured or killed. This is going to stir up all sides and I will not put up with keeping you safe from the Ministry, Dumbledore, Riddle, and anyone else who thinks it’s a brilliant idea to go against her when it comes to light just who you are to her. Not while we’re in the situation we are. Once we’re more public, and there’s at least five protective charms on you at all times, I’ll think about letting you out in the open again. There’s a reason you’ve been working on the Sanctuary almost exclusively since all of this started and it was not just because you are one of the most respected and knowledgeable magizoologists since Newt.”

Charlie tensed when the weight of reality crashed down on him at that.

He really was her mate. They were soulmates. And Sirius knew. And now the whole room knew. He’d suspected, hoped with their months of courting, but it hadn’t really registered just what that would mean for him.

He hated Riddle, that was true. That was the only thing that was never going to change. But it had never really occurred to him what Arianna’s stance as a third option in this war would mean for him. It had never sat right with him, the few stories his parents had told of the first war. The Light’s stance on taking everyone alive, that everyone deserved second chances. That they could only use certain spells and never to aim to kill. He wasn’t naïve enough to believe the likes of Bellatrix Lestrange and Fenrir Greyback deserved a chance. Before a year ago, he would have said there was no way another would break out. And he’d built his beliefs of how he’d react based off that idea. Now, he couldn’t, wouldn’t stay out of it like he’d thought before. Of course he’d had contingencies to get his family, friends, and anyone else he could out of the country if there was ever another dark lord. If he thought of fighting at all, it would be in defense of those fleeing or those that couldn’t fight for themselves, like the creatures he’d spent his life learning about. The dragons would hold their own, but the unicorns? The mooncalfs? Still, he’d always assumed he was far enough away that it wouldn’t matter.

But now, not only would he be fighting, but he’d be involved in the very heart of everything.

The Potter siblings were crucial to the very war itself, whether they wanted to be or not. Neither side would let them sit it out. Harry would never be allowed to simply disappear or be the child he deserved to be. Not with his status as the Boy Who Lived and the rumors going around the Order of a prophesy. And Ari wouldn’t sit it out with her brother in danger, regardless of whether the world knew of their connection or not.

And he would never ask her to. If it was Ron, or Ginny, or Fred, George, Percy, Bill, his parents, his newly recovered uncles and aunt, he would fight to his last breath to save them from this war.

He wouldn’t dream of asking that of Ari.

And he would never leave her to do it on her own.

Though, he could do without being the future Lord of all Ari’s Houses….

“Bill, give him a minute,” Sirius was chastising when Charlie focused back on the room. “I’m sure it wasn’t something he thought about before.”

“Doesn’t matter,” Charlie said. “What else can I do? Besides stay safe?”

Ragnok grinned ferally and Charlie matched it.

*****
Seraphina Picquery had long thought she was done dealing with young idiots and impulsive protectors. She’d gone into her retirement happily, having lived a long life of service to her country and the magicals who’d elected her to President repeatedly during some of the darkest days the world had ever seen, even after the scandal that had erupted when an upstart Brit had tumbled his way to becoming a national hero.

That he’d then gone on to marry one of her oldest friends and become a staple in her life was not something she readily admitted, since he was so much trouble, but Newt had proved himself much more than he appeared. And Percival was smitten even decades later, the utter prat.

And she’d obviously spent far too many years talking to British people to pick up their slang even in her own thoughts.

But she enjoyed their discussions and meeting the few creatures he rescued that were not completely illegal.

She, and a good number of the Aurors at MACUSA, tended to overlook the rest. Of all the people to have them in their possession, the governments of the world generally agreed that Newt Scamander was the absolute last person to ever use them for all the reasons they were generally banned.

In short, Newt Scamander was a trusted and beloved friend.

So when he’d called asking for a favor, she’d readily agreed.

And the more she’d learned, the more the favor seemed unnecessary. What needed done was much more a call to arms and just the right thing to do that a favor to do it was almost insulting.

Which is why, here she was, standing in front of a body she’d not visited in well over thirty years, surrounded by Newton and Theseus Scamander, their spouses, and an entire squad of goblins. Ready to address the assembly at the International Confederation of Wizards’ headquarters in Switzerland.

She stepped forward to begin her speech when a silvery doe appeared in front of Theseus and spoke in a rather stern voice. “To be delivered to Theseus Scamander in the presence of those he trusts.” She was fairly sure it was a Patronus, but she’d never seen one used in such a way. It was interesting and she made note to ask about it later. She was just about to quirk an eyebrow at the thing when it continued. “Though considering the message, it’s probably a good idea to deliver anyway.”

At this point, the doe had the sole attention of the entire body, well over a hundred magicals and magical beings, since she could just make out representatives from at least the Veela and Centaurs. Theseus eyed them all for a long moment before he turned back to address the spell.

“Please proceed.”

“Student attacked at Hogwarts. Dumbledore fucked up entirely and protections are activating. It’s time.”

Seraphina blinked in astonishment at the reaction the rather vague message garnered from the entire group. But when she really thought about it, she felt her usually dark skin pale as well.

“Please tell me that doesn’t mean what I think it does,” she practically begged, gratefully sinking into the chair that appeared behind her. She was not quite as young as she’d been fighting Grindlewald and shocks like this did not do her well.

“They’d only send that message if it was real,” Newt muttered. “There were several variants created for a few scenarios, but I admit, I was not expecting that particular one. Something very wrong must have happened.”

“We need to leave,” Graves muttered.

“And what of your plea to this body?” the interim Supreme Mugwump asked.

The only advantage anyone had been able to see with Fudge besmirching Dumbledore and Potter in the papers until that disaster in Diagon was that the ICW had elected to remove him as the Supreme Mugwump pending an intense investigation into the charges against him. An investigation that would hopefully progress faster after this meeting. And it was much easier to remove him than it was to reinstate him. Isaac Da Vinci was perhaps the best option to replace him and Seraphina truly hoped the man retained the position after everything was settled.

He was incorruptible and had spent years rotating through the various countries acting as an Auror and liaison to the ICW. Then moved up the chain until Italy had basically tricked him onto his seat at the ICW. He’d served on it for over a decade already, despite his many vocal protests and complaints about his fellow countrymen’s deceptions. His fame for being a descendant of the famous inventor and painter didn’t hurt. Well, anywhere outside of Britain. The British representative and Dumbledore had always treated him as an adorable child despite the man being over seventy simply for being so proud of being related to a famous muggle.

So if he was asking a question, it wasn’t out of spite like some would have.

“I shall address the assemblage,” she said promptly, already gesturing Theseus and Newt to follow their American spouses, who’d started striding towards the doors as soon as Graves had spoken.

Both British born wizards nodded promptly and took off after their better halves, disappearing through the ornate doors with small flares of robes and no other sounds.

When the rest of the room looked at her expectantly, she sighed.

Then pushed ahead.

She stood from the chair someone had conjured for her and took the podium provided, double checking that the requested courtroom pensive was within easy reach and the necessary memories and documents were in the order she needed. It was perhaps a blessing her fellows had asked her to do the bulk of the talking since she was much more familiar with the longer serving of the ICW.

“Magicals of the world, I had planned to come before you with the testimonies of those that are at the heart of an issue that has far reaching consequences,” she began, standing tall and making eye contact with the few she knew would be an issue, no matter the evidence provided. Those that believed Dumbledore could do no wrong. “As many of you know, the news coming out of Britain over the last year has been troubling. Those of you who can remember the rise of Grindlewald may remember similar stirrings before he rose to power. Both times. There were similar stirrings before the man known as the Dark Lord Voldemort rose in the seventies. And they have started again. There are many similarities, most of which have only increased as time has gone on.”

There were nods around the room, some looking highly uncomfortable and others concerned. And then there were a few that were simply furious, glaring around at their fellows in obvious temper at the body itself.

“What I wish to address is just how much those stirrings are both troubling and inaccurate,” she said bluntly.

She had wanted to set the stage, describe the situation more. And then that little brat, the young Mr. Weasley, had said bluntly that shock and awe is perhaps the better method when wanting to get results. And that nothing quite gave that impression than the memory used to shock Magical Britain into believing their savior. That the boy’s memory was astonishingly detailed and graphic and that they needed to use it as much as possible so no one could ever forget it.

Since they’d been planning this entire plea without the knowledge of either of the siblings at the direct center of so much, she’d be hesitant to allow the use of such memories, but Ron Weasley had simply gone to his best mate with a vague request and come back with an entire box of copied memories and written permission to use them however he saw fit. Harry Potter had no idea who would be seeing them or how they would be used. He trusted his best friend enough to allow the young man to cast magic on his mind to copy the memories without question.

It had been humbling and more than a little startling how much the “Golden Trio” trusted one another.

But it had also clarified to her just how horrifying the boy’s life had been. To trust so much to the first person who’d been kind to him. That Weasley either didn’t see or, more likely, didn’t care to take advantage of that trust had her acquiescing to the teen’s idea.

And so the memory of Voldemort’s resurrection played out on the wall behind her as she glared at the room around her.

“This, my good magicals, is the resurrection of Voldemort,” she began as the memory ended with the boy portkeying away with a dead body. “And took place not even seven months ago. And yet, when I say that this is one of the lesser horrors in that young man’s life, I am not even exaggerating.”

She next put up the test that has sparked a revolution.

As she worked through the rest of her information, and the time turned to hours, she kept note of the faces. Some had believed her from the beginning, but the longer she spoke, the more were on her side.

After she presented the information about Sirius Black, she paused.

And Isaac asked the question she’d been waiting for.

“This is all horrifying, Madam Picquery,” he began slowly, as if puzzling something out for himself. “Yet throughout the entire telling, you’ve not yet once stated what you want from us in regards to any of it.”

The smile she shot him was a little more vicious than intended, but she was furious herself after the long recitation.

“Supreme Mugwump, I want just one thing,” she said bluntly, noting the goblins gripping their weapons in anticipation.

“And that is?”

“I want to know how Albus Dumbledore was able to hide all of this from this body, since he is directly responsible for each and every piece of information I have related today. Including the call to arms my friends received and responded to in front of you. The note was to inform them that Albus Dumbledore directly attacked a student at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry and that the thousand-year-old school protections built into the very stones of the castle and over countless years of war and danger have never been needed activated to prevent further issues.”

Silence greeted her words before the denials started flying.

“NO!” she roared loud enough to shake the rafters without a sonorous charm applied. “It was within every bit of evidence I provided. He was listed on the very first piece of parchment I showed you, verified by more magic than can even be contemplated. And originally cast by goblins. It has been in every memory provided by Harry Potter, his friends, his godfather, his schoolmates, and the few adults in his life that haven’t abused, neglected, tortured, or manipulated him. And reiterated through the lives of more children then I can count. And this is just what directly relates to that boy. I have literally hundreds of additional tests from the others that consented to have their tests shared with others. That’s just those that consented. There are perhaps a thousand that didn’t. And we’ve only been testing in secret. The flood of tests and cleanses coming is staggering when it becomes public knowledge. Which I have no doubt will happen in days at this point. Anyone even tangentially related to someone in Britain or who have ever even once come in contact with Albus Dumbledore should be tested. There is no denying that he is guilty. None. There is only a full list of charges to be compiled. We are already working on one. What is to be decided is the international community’s response. Those in Britain that are legally and mentally able to understand what has come to light are begging for help. Are we to ignore them? When it was one of our own that perpetrated this mess?”

Her charge set, she sat back and listened as chaos erupted.

*****
Ginny made her slow way to dinner, mind still whirling. She knew she’d be late, but she had been fighting herself about this for too long and she wanted to come to a decision soon.

 She knew a lot of things, things her mother had planned, things Dumbledore had planned. She’d been a key factor in a lot of those plans. Plans that involved a certain green-eyed teen she knew saw her as a little sister. At least now he did. And with the way he was looking and spending time with her brothers, always would.

And she couldn’t stand to see him hurt.

Not after actually getting to know him.

When she’d been little and her mother had cooed stories to her, of the goodness and purity of the boy, of his courage and light, she’d fallen, and it hadn’t been a hardship to imagine and wish for the life her mother promised her. She’d even promised to help however she could to make sure she earned the life she was promised as a Lady and wealthy and powerful and loved. She’d kept the knowledge she had from everyone but her mother as she’d been practically trained to do. Even her nosy, interfering brothers that wouldn’t understand because they were wizards…. They’d try to stop the plans, even if they were for ‘his own good’.

Then she’d met the awkward youth at the train station when Ron had started at Hogwarts, too stunned and awed and falling even harder for the shy, polite boy who looked so lost.

 She was not proud of herself for how she’d acted the next two years. Especially for the poem she’d written with help from a certain diary she’d had for most of her first year at Hogwarts.

Then she’d almost died and her dream husband had saved her, so her brothers wouldn’t lose her.

It was an awakening experience.

Not only had she been possessed, which was an experience she would not recommend to anyone, but she’d come far too close to killing quite a few people, including her brother’s best friend. She’d also put her promised future in jeapordy if Harry had been formally accused of being the one responsible as the Heir of Slytherin and had to face charges for the attacks she had unknowingly committed.

And Harry had saved her.

You would think that would only feed her obsession. But it did the exact opposite.

She wasn’t worthy of the pure boy who had risked his own life, had actually almost died thanks to an unfortunate sword placement in a battle he never should have had to fight, to save hers.

There was a life debt owed now and she knew her mother was thinking of it in the back of her mind in the off chance the potions and spells he was under ever broke. After all, it was common in the past for life debts to be paid with a marriage of the eligible girls in a family to the one owed. And as the only one in the Weasley family in generations, she was literally the only option.

But she didn’t want to be sold. Didn’t want that to come to pass. Didn’t want Harry forced to wed her. She wanted him to love her and if he married her like that, there may be love at some point, but not the burning passion and all-consuming love they both deserved. And she wasn’t sure she would find that with the pure boy that was too good. Or any boy, if she was honest.

It was that realization that forced her to see how her mother’s plans were utter dragonshite… Harry would never expect her to be sold to him and respected her too much to force her to be someone she was not. And if she was a lesbian, even if a marriage was forced in any way, he’d be too much of a gentleman to force her to have sex with him. Or cheat on her. So all that history and family magic would die with him. And they’d both be miserable the rest of their lives.

It was so disturbing to her she’d instantly lost any obsession she’d had with him and was finally able to see him as the brother he’d someday be.

So she’d spent the last few years playing along with her mother and Headmaster’s schemes, not going against them blatantly, but collecting evidence for the inevitable chance to use them. As nothing was actively hurting Harry, she knew it was best to wait. At least until he was old enough to claim the lordship the two adults coveted so much. That way he would be protected and she could be the sister she should hace been since the start, not the fangirl she’d been made into.

She honestly didn’t care so much for herself if the potion soured afterwards. She could take care of herself. She’d learned young, after all. Her eldest brother had long hair and a love of absentmindedly poking magic that could literally kill him. A second eldest brother whose love of dragons had started before she was born and often overrode his ability to socialize properly. Percy was just Percy and she loved him, but he was a git a lot. The twins needed no explanation and she had defended their pranks and seemingly careless actions more than once since she was a first year. And Ron was far more obsessed with Quidditch and chess than she’d ever been in Harry. And that was saying something. To put it bluntly, her brothers needed far more looking after than she did.

Even if she was the youngest.

So she’d easily pulled Harry into her sphere of protection and tried hard not to curse her mother or the meddler for what they spoke of with her in the room, firmly of the belief that she was still willing to follow their lead. Even if Harry hated her once everything came to light, she’d be able to live with herself that she’d done the right thing in the end.

Though, she had not quite realized just how bad it was until this summer, when a certain non-Weasley redhead had handed her a parchment that had killed whatever lingering love for her mother she had.

She was horrified by the list of spells and potions he’d been on, shocked by the implications of the marriage contract she’d not known about, and absolutely terrified of what would happen if she revealed she knew in any way about any of it. Her own potions and blocks must made it so much worse.

So she’d kept her mouth mostly shut and quickly agreed with her brothers to help however she could. And she’d dusted off the notebook she’d started keeping at twelve of the things she knew until she’d stashed it away at the beginning of her fourth year. And since then, she’d filled pages more of the suspicions she had, until she was grateful for the charm that added pages when it got close to being full. It added fifty more pages whenever it came close and had already expanded twice more.

And she could not help but think it was time to hand it over. She now knew in her bones and her magic that Arianna was cautious, protective, and fair. It was obvious in ever interaction how much she cared for those around her, how willing she was to fight for anyone, even those that might not be worthy of the protection. And how much she cared for her brother. It was even obvious how much Ginny herself was cared for. Never once had anyone in the know attacked her for the marriage contract or judged her for any possible involvement in the actions of others. Her brothers were, if anything, more protective of each other and her than ever before and it warmed her right up that they didn’t even hesitate to guard her closely when she’d been cleansed. She suspected Arianna was cautious of her, but she’d never felt even close to a trapped rat with the older sister of her once crush. Whereas she had with Dumbledore after he’d found out Harry had disappeared from his relatives.

But the stirrings in the castle were causing her no small amount of anxiety. She didn’t know what the roar of anger they’d all heard was for, but she knew it foreboded some form of change. And perhaps it was her sign that it was time to come clean.

She entered the Great Hall quietly, still undecided.

*****
Regulus stepped away from the door he’d discovered in a little used corridor on the fifth floor of one of the towers when he sensed the buildup of magic in the castle. He’d been wandering the Chamber, trying to map the many, many, many tunnels, staircases, and caverns he’d found in his time there. This room was at the pinnacle of one of the stairs he’d found, with heavy warding for some reason, and he’d just about started on starting to dismantle them when he felt the castle start to tense.

He wasn’t sure if it was because he’d become so sensitive to the old girl in his months living in the Chamber, a place so saturated in the magic of the castle that he was surprised more people hadn’t found it, or because Hogwarts herself was warning him, but the magic around him practically thrummed in eager anticipation and warning to the heavily pregnant man.

“So, should I leave this for later, then?” he asked almost rhetorically.

The not so subtle shifting of stones under his feet forcing him to stumble closer to the door answered his question and he raised an eyebrow at the castle in exasperation.

“You could have just said, milady,” he grumbled. It was odd, the way she was waking. He’d always thought there were things about her that implied a sort of sentience, but lately, it was things like this that made him realize she really was alive. Harry had babbled something about it at some point, but he hadn’t been really listening. He’d have to ask the teen about it later. Even if it was strange, he really did like her personality the more it shown through in her actions. Teasing and motherly at once. And she was a fan of Regulus. No doubt about it. “Alright, then, on to cracking these wards then…”

He set to work, trying not to think what Dumbledore wanted hidden so well. The wards were all but screaming his magical signature and there were Notice-Me-Nots woven throughout them. If Regulus hadn’t come from the passage he had, letting him out basically on the threshold, he’d have missed it. And they were not simple wards. Again, he thanked his need to study the wards at Grimmauld Place as a child for his training as the spare heir. Otherwise, he would never hope to be able to tackle these and he doubted the eldest Weasley would have time to sate his curiosity. As it was, these would take a while if he wanted to keep his magic up enough to keep the baby calm.

It was ridiculously restless usually, made worse by excessive magic use he’d found out, and he wanted to blame his brother for it somehow. He wasn’t quite sure how he’d do it, but somehow his and Severus’ baby’s love of keeping him up at all hours by dancing on his various internal organs was Sirius’ fault.

But for now, the little one was silent, probably sleeping.

And he had some impressive wards to take down.

*****
Minerva McGonagall wasn’t an idiot.

She had known when three of her four most troublesome students had managed to become Animagi. After all, it was hard to miss the idiots trying to sneak a truly pissed James Potter in stag form through the halls, invisibility cloak thrown haphazardly over his body and therefore having a disembodied head floating between an equally pissed Sirius and Remus as they stumbled their way up a frankly ridiculously large number of stairs to the Gryffindor common room, the small form of Peter perched on his antlers. She’d figured the effort and stairs were punishment enough, really, when they were that drunk. If it also saved one of her favorite students from losing himself in his monthly transformation, a transformation she herself often oversaw in her cat form, all the better. The paperwork was overrated anyway. And Moony was rarely gentle when they tussled the first few years. She knew it had been in play, but she was too old to be tossed about so much.

She knew Harry and his friends were training basically the entire school in DADA this year, even after she’d had to tell him in no uncertain terms that the High Inquisitor had forbade any further study groups, even with her supervision. That she’d seen more than one student glancing at a sickle intently for some reason was of no concern of hers. And if Harry had found a few books from her private shelves on exactly how to best teach multiple levels of ability in one class, well, no one would know.

She knew Albus was responsible for a great many things that caused her to question her loyalty to the man. She knew she was missing memory and she had her doubts that anyone else could be responsible for it.

She knew that little Arianna Potter had not been a figment of her imagination. She didn’t know where the Potters had stashed their eldest, born just after the pair graduated from her care and before their wedding, but she’d been there when Arianna had taken her first steps, when she’d thrown a carrot at Sirius and managed to get the vegetable stuck in the man’s nose somehow, when she’d met her little brother for the first time. She’s seen her first bout of accidental magic, making her little stuffed Prongs into a tiny real deer that had scared James about out of his mind when he’d almost stepped on the thing. She would treasure that memory for a very long time.

She also knew someone had taken great care to erase the girl from the history books, to have everyone focused only on little Harry. Even she’d been unable to find her.

And it enraged her.

She also knew she was not alone in that. And if the roars that had rattled the castle twice already were indication enough, whoever else was angry had finally reached a breaking point.

She was not naïve enough to think the dragon roars, the sudden reappearance in England of the Scamander brothers, the return of the Prewett twins after they’d been declared dead, and the introduction of a new, ancient Lady, well-connected and already managing to bring changes to the magical world, as anything but related.

She suspected things she’d considered earlier in the year were about to come to light in a typically Potter spectacle…

She just hoped she was able to hex whomever had obliviated much of her memories of the last few decades.

If it was that interfering, manipulative old coot, she’d probably step up to full on curses….

*****
Bill kept a close eye on his little brother as he followed the barked orders of the goblins. He was used to their brusque manner, having worked with various levels of the bankers for years now. He also knew they were a bit irked with his constant attention on Charlie. Yet he couldn’t help himself as he worked to cast protective wards on the various objects they brought to him as one of the only wizards they trusted to magic their crafted treasures. Granted, that trust had been hard earned and after none too little instruction on the proper way to spell goblin-made objects so the spells didn’t just automatically fall off because of the protections they already had. It had been a proud day when they’d finally deemed his instruction enough to satisfy. It was a rare request most of the time, and when a request did come in, it was often for goblins to use in their private lives so questions were hardly welcome.

Today he’d been shoved in a chair and told to spell whatever they brought him. It was an easy job, the spells coming to him quickly and almost unconsciously. But all of the things thrust at him were pointy and sharp…. So he had to at least partially pay attention or he’d end up with an impressive wound Ari would fuss over. Then rat him out to Fleur…. He didn’t know when exactly the two had met, but Arianna had quickly gained Fleur’s adoration and the two were menaces whenever he did something stupid.

Getting his mind back to the task at hand, he worked as quickly and efficiently as he could, trying to get as much done before Sirius and Ragnok called a stop to the preparations. That their suspected destination was his former school was not far from his mind, but he didn’t let it affect his casting. He was well practiced at casting these specific sets of spells, after all. Even with a less than focused mind.

But he couldn’t get Charlie’s face out of his mind. He’d never seen his little brother a more disturbing mix of emotions in his life and it worried him. Charlie was usually the calmest of his brothers. He had to be to do the work he did, even more so than Bill. At least Bills’ work didn’t bite. Often, anyway. And Bill’d gotten to know him even better over the last few months of close work as they emptied the Aiaia vault of the creatures there.

Yet, Charlie’s fury, concern, realization, and a number of other emotions had shown on his face and in the way some of the pieces of parchment Ragnok had been working with had fluttered. The goblin king had simply taken a few knives to pin the pages to the table as he and Sirius reviewed the plans Arianna had left for them, choosing to ignore the slight showing of a magical losing grip on their magic. Something that shouldn’t be possible with a wizard of Charlie’s age and profession. The cleanses were still having an affect, it seemed. As was Charlie’s recently revealed Animagus.

When he looked closer at the parchment in front of Ragnok, he glimpsed plans for Hogwarts and Hogsmeade that looked to be original blueprints of the castle and village…

It was perhaps good that the task he was given was so easy as he was fairly sure if he’d been working to break a curse, he would have made a mistake by now and caused no small amount of damage to himself and others.

He was only broken out of his contemplation by the arrival of the Americans.

*****
Theseus Scamander was often accused of frightening new Aurors, either during his stint as Head Auror of the Ministry of Magic or as a trainer at MACUSA under his brother-in-law Graves. A man who had his own reputation for being fearsome that dated back to his response to Grindelwald’s attacks on his husband and kidnapping/impersonation of him. Both reputations were well-earned and rarely forgotten by smart members of the magical communities of the world.

To see both storming through the lobby of Gringotts not ten minutes after Sirius Black and the eldest two Weasleys had caused their own scene was nothing short of terrifying for those brave souls still trying to do business with the goblins.

Fenrir Greyback was neither the smartest nor the stupidest magical in the world. But he was smart enough to realize how bad this was. Therefore, he cursed his luck at choosing this day to try and get some gold out of his Lord’s vaults to pay for some supplies for his continued stalking of Black even as he slunk to the nearest shadow…

He tried to stay out of visual range of the various powerhouses that were scaring the daylights out of the filth that frequented the goblins’ halls, even as he tried to listen to the barest whispers of rumor so he could provide his lord with a more complete picture. Perhaps he’d even be rewarded with that upstart witch they’d had in their hands for a week not too long ago if he could catch some juicy tidbits.

She’d gotten his blood going in a way no one had since that mudblood Evans girl had been around. He’d have a lot of fun breaking that beautiful face and biting that delectable throat. She’d bear him absolutely gorgeous and powerful pups to carry on his line. His lord would make great use of her obvious wealth and would gladly take those titles away from the bitch. No woman really needed those. They were too emotional to really make use of that much power and his Lord would gladly assume the Houses.

Now, if only he could snatch Black for his lord… He was guaranteed a beautiful reward for that.

*****
“Report,” Theseus snarled, ignoring his brother’s minute flinch from where he was pressed to the wall in the corner of the room, his famous case clutched to his side and trying as much as he could to stay out of the way.

“She’s gone after him,” Artair responded, pointing to a part of the blueprints in front of him and not sparing the former Auror a second glance.

Theseus devolved into a string of curses, pushing his way to the main table and pulling his brother-in-law with him.

This was going to be a long day and he was grateful Severus had thought to send them a Patronus. The fire call following had been much more appreciated.

“Severus is sending people as he can contact them,” Graves reported softly from his side. Where Theseus tended for explosive rage, Graves was more the silent and deadly sort.

“Good,” Ragnok reported. “We are almost prepared to assist in the event of worst-case scenario.”

“What’s worst-case?” Theseus demanded. He’d not been read into every minutiae of Arianna’s many plans. He’d been more focused on cleaning out the Auror Corps and working with young Percival Weasley to start work on the International Relations department to concern himself with the frankly alarming number of plans Arianna had. As long as reports were that she was eating, sleeping, and working, he hadn’t really cared.

She was a grown woman now, after all. And he’d learned it the hard way with Newt that no matter how much was done in the name of concern, stifling the people he cared about with his worry would only lead to them rebelling. And he didn’t want Arianna rebelling enough to put a larger ocean between them. Like Newt had once done.

There was a reason, when James Potter had called upon Sirius’ friends in America to protect his daughter, Queenie and Jacob had been given custody, after all.

Speaking of, he backed away slightly so Queenie could put a huge tray of muffins on the table, interrupting discussions to pointedly push people to take some food. Jacob wasn’t far behind her with another tray, this one filled with pasties.

“Worst-case is that this triggers Voldyshorts to think he can take the school while Dumbles is distracted by a rampaging dragon and the Ministry decides to send the Auror Corps in as backup. Worst-case is that this becomes an active war in twenty minutes rather than the cold show of strength it’s been so far,” Sirius summarized.

“She thought that was possible?” Graves asked.

“She thought a lot was possible,” Ragnok admitted. “I’ve never seen a magical with as much creativity for the absolute worse in others as she has shown in these plans. It’s almost goblin like,” he grumbled.

“There is a reason you named her Goblin Friend,” Eir agreed and announced her presence at the same time.

That seemed to shock his brother and Theseus made a mental note to ask Newt why when this was all over. He was unfamiliar with the practice but then again, it was possible Newt had rambled about it at some point and he’d tuned it out like he did frequently with Newt’s enthusiastic speeches about creatures and magical beings…

He loved his brother, he really did, but only Graves seemed to have the patience and attention to listen to Newt constantly without complaint. And actually listen, not simply grunt at relatively regular intervals like Theseus did.

Well, Graves and a small redheaded girl that had sorely missed her family and her little brother.

“If I know Ari,” Charlie finally interrupted the murmurs of those around the table. “We don’t have much more time.”

“Correct, you are, Heir Weasley,” Ragnok agreed. “Finish preparations and prepare to travel to Hogwarts. Any way this plays out, the Horde will be on the grounds in support.”

Theseus nodded, already making his way to his brother and the case that held all of their battle robes. It was a hold-over from the many trips they’d taken together and the habits of a lifetime married to or related to people who often found themselves in need of spell-resistant wardrobes. Or healing. He’d never live down the healing…

Newt had never complained and had just created a set of closed off areas for each person he carried robes and weapons for. And added a small infirmary well stocked with potions and muggle first aid supplies.

“I’m coming with you,” Tina practically snarled as she finally made her way to the room, rushing over to Newt as well.

“As if I’d stop you,” he agreed, simply handing her easily into the case and Graves’ waiting helping hand.

That was his wife, alright. No clue what was actually going on, but willing to go to war with him regardless.

*****
Newt made sure the case was out of the way of the still bustling goblins, against the wall as much as he could make it before he followed his family into the case. Once inside, he made his way to his own little nook, contemplating the creatures he currently had in his case.

“You don’t have to come, Newt,” Theseus said softly a few minutes later, leaning against the pole of the separating screen Newt had put into each of their nooks.

Newt didn’t look up from his own battle robes, nervously biting his lip.

“I know,” he said just as softly as his brother had spoken. “But I want to. They’re ours.”

He didn’t know how else to explain his burning need to defend the Potter siblings. His creatures had always been easiest for him to understand, to communicate with, and it didn’t matter how much his brother and he tried. That would always be true. They’d gotten better over the years, yes, but things were always simpler with animals. There was hardly ever the nuances of emotion humans applied to things. Emotions he never really could articulate well.

How could he possibly explain that he’d fallen in love with the pair almost upon meeting a tiny redhead that just wanted her Moony and Padfoot and her da and her ma. Had about cried when she whimpered for her Harry like a momma crump searching for her pup. That he loved them as much as he’d loved his own children when they’d been this age. As much as he loved his grandchildren that were this age. That he felt like the protective nundu he’d startled when he’d returned her injured cub to her. Like the terrifying wampus he’d spent a literal year trying to coax out of his case after she’d adopted the litter of hippogriffs he’d rescued. Like any and all of the many, many, many mother creatures he’d sheltered at the worst time in their lives?

Like the angry dragon he was sure his little Ari apparently was right now? And wasn’t that extraordinary? He’d have to examine her Animagus form at some point.

But Theseus seemed to understand, for the first time in their long lives. He seemed to get what Newt was saying with few words but was plain in his actions.

“We’ll keep them safe, Newt,” his brother reassured, even as he came into Newt’s nook and wrapped his long arms around his little brother.

Newt stiffened for only a moment before he hugged his brother back.

“And damn whoever hurt them,” he promised right back.

“So, who are you riding in?” Graves asked from the door knowingly.

“I thought I’d ask Addy,” he said with a vicious grin.

If both the Aurors he knew that had battled Grindelwald directly flinched at the gleam in his eye, he said nothing.

After all, no one messed with his family. And Addy the Zouwu was fiercely protective of him. She’d been ever since he’d rescued her decades ago.

*****
Ron could feel the buildup of tension as dinner continued. It didn’t escape his notice that the Twins had finally come down, their eyes immediately spotting him. But he had ignored the thunderclouds that were his older brothers in the face of keeping Harry from having a panic attack in the middle of the Great Hall.

Whatever Arianna had planned, he hoped it happened soon. He didn’t think Harry would last much longer with the growing tension.

Not that he blamed him.

But he was not going to be responsible for the damage he’d inflict on whoever had the bright idea to stand between Harry and Arianna at this point.

And if that pink toad died in the process, all the better.

*****
As the last of the roar faded away, Gideon Prewett exchanged a look with his twin and soulmate before starting to pack a bag quickly. It was time to move to the Den. The goblins would need every bed they could get ahold of and the other rescues were either home or moving with them. After all this time, the majority of the rescues from St. Mungos were firmly of the idea that Lady Aiaia could be a raising Dark Lady and they’d still follow her because she treated them with respect, didn’t require they give up their ideals, and only asked that they not ask others to do so. That she was slowly showing them that true integration with muggles was just not possible or that dark didn’t automatically mean evil were side benefits.

At least as far as Gideon was concerned. Fabian and Marlene were in agreement and they’d already sworn they’d follow Arianna.

Having a third option in this war was proving quite helpful to a number of families, not the least theirs.

*****
Arthur Weasley felt it in his bones that things were about to happen that he’d want to know about. He wasn’t sure how he knew or what was about to happen, but he knew. So, he packed up, done for the day at work and having enough leeway to leave an hour or so early, and made his way to the atrium so he could apparate to Hogsmeade. Maybe speaking with Rosmerta about his boys and Ginny and their Hogsmeade weekends would help. After all, there were no rules about him visiting the boys and it was almost Yule. A quick visit wouldn’t be an issue.

Molly just didn’t need to know.