Friend Since Birth

*****
Surprisingly, Ginny didn’t pause to consider what she was doing before a spell left her wand, streeking toward the man that she’d once admired.

Dumbledore seemed surprised, but he was quick to throw a shield up, stopping her jinx easily.

Ginny didn’t give him time to recover, sending spell after spell at the manipulative bastard. No one silenced her brothers but her. And whatever Fred needed to say, she knew no one would like it, least of all Arianna Potter. But it needed to be said.

She had seen quite clearly the man sending the silencer at her brother and in that moment had made the decision she’d put off for months.

It felt right to defend her brothers, to stand with them against this evil man. She only hoped they’d forgive her once she explained everything.

*****
Arianna stared in a bit of awe as the youngest Weasley battled the elderly Headmaster, spells precise and brutal. She recognized some of them, though most were cast silently, and it was an impressive range. They were all pretty powerful as well, and aimed only at the man that was her target.

Dumbledore, however, was not aiming as carefully and other students and professors had to deflect more than one stray spell, despite Ginny’s concerted efforts to counter them. Members of Harry’s defense lessons had shields around as many others as they could hold, just in case, and Arianna could see the professors trying to get over their shock at what was happening.

Umbitch was huddled under the Head Table, pink skirt smeared with dirt and a terrified expression on her face for the first time since Arianna had arrived.

Finally, the reality of what was happening broke through her stunned curiosity and she roared in fury. Her control snapped and she allowed the transformation to take her over, confident Hogwarts wouldn’t mind making the Hall large enough for her to to not damage anything important.

Like Gringotts, the walls expanded to allow her enormous Animagus form to appear, house tables and those seated at them or hundled under them pulled to safety by the castle. The sudden appearance should have stopped the battle, but all it did was give Ginny a spell proof moving shelter that she gleefully dove behind before the leg-locker curse could hit her.

Adaya just as gleefully lowered her head to roar again at the man trying to aim around her bulk. If it also successfully covered the remaining sliver of the girl behind her, she would not protest. Dumbledore finally seemed to recognize what had happened and paled at the scaly face in front of him, wand arm dropping slightly as he took in her full form.

The professors that had been about to subdue him immediately backed away, unwilling to get between a dragon and her prey.

And no one questioned that Dumbledore was now her prey.

She didn’t know what Fred wanted to tell her, but things had happened too quickly for her to remove the silencer and find out.

Something that his brother seemed willing to do instead.

“He oblivated Harry,” George called loudly.

The sudden silence in the chaotic room was deafening.

Her next roar rattled the windows and caused quite a few of the younger years to squeak in fear before she’d even moved. But she didn’t care at the moment. At the moment, she was most concerned with grabbing the bastard in her claws, uncaring of any damage she may inflict, and magically ripping his title of Headmaster from him with a manic glee.

When the castle upheld her silent verdict, she spun on her claws, careful of her long powerful tail, and made her way out of the room with her captive held tightly. She made her way out of the castle and when clear of the large doors, tall and wide enough to accommodate her without needing to expand like the Great Hall, she gave a powerful leap and took to the air.

*****
Arthur quickened his pace at the latest roar, louder than all previous and quite clearly signaling a dragon close to a blind rage. He was glad to be almost at the gates. He could see them now, but had to freeze when he spotted what waited for them there. A large Opaleye was just landing at the gates, the Headmaster clutched in her front right claws. The man was dishelved and pale, his colorful robes torn in a few places. Arthur could see the man’s wand clutched tightly in frozen fingers.

Arthur prepared to send a stunner at the rampaging dragon, sharing a quick glance with those that had come with him.

He froze at the words, words, the dragon spat out.

*****
“You are UNWORTHY!” she roared, sending her displeasure far and wide as she used her voice to its full advantage. “You are unworthy of the trust that has been placed in you. Unworthy of titles you hold. I strip one from you and hope others see your evil and strip the rest. Leave this place. You are unworthy of spilling blood on my lands.”

She threw the old man past the wards she held, strengthening them as soon as the last of his disgusting figure fell through. He would be unable to step foot in her territory and if she found any were helping him gain information from her lands, she would exile them as well. She was so disgusted with him she could taste it and she would need to wash her claws thoroughly after having to touch him.

But as much as she wanted to kill him, she would not. She would not make a martyr out of him. She needed to make the man bleed, show the world he was not the god they’d made him out to be. And it was time to do so as publicly as she could manage. Ragnok would get his permission to release certain documents and the entire population of her school would be tested by the end of the day.

It may take weeks to cleanse all of them, but they would know the truth if she had to cut every one of them herself.

“Hogwarts is closed to you, manipulator. Go attempt your games on others,” she snarled when the man immediately tried to get back through the edge of the wards just past the gates. “But know this. Your reign of pain and fear will end by my claws. And soon.”

She wanted to smirk when the portkey deposited a host of goblin warriors at the edge of the wards, but dragon lips didn’t allow for many of her normal facial expressions. As it was, she let loose a rumble of pleasure as Ragnok took one look at the situation and ordered his warriors across the line, making the situation even more one-sided as they faced Dumbledore, to his astonishment.

And to the shock of the group of villagers that stood frozen on the other side of the gate, but still within the wards. Arianna thought she spotted a head of red hair among them, but the wands pointed at her were of more concern. Her pleased rumble cut off as she eyed the group warily, but the goblins just scoffed and moved to form a solid line along the gate, effectively cutting Hogwarts off from both threats.

“Now, see here, Goblins, you should not be here and have no right to keep me out of that school,” Dumbledore immediately said, voice stern like he was addressing disobedient children and not the seasoned warriors in front of him.

Ragnok just scoffed and turned to bow low to Arianna.

“Lady Hogwarts,” he greeted, ax already drawn but at his side pending any indication from her that she was out of her mind.

Adaya approved of the caution and gave a gravelly laugh.

“King Gringotts,” she answered back, giving a feral grin when he jerked slightly in surprise at the formal address.

The gasps of surprise from the watching magicals was not her goal.

“We have answered the call for help from Hogwarts’s Protector. How may we be of assistance?” Ragnok asked, obviously well versed in the protocols she was only aware of due to a persistent castle whispering frantically to her. Protocols that had been neglected so long it was only the long-lived races such as goblins that would even have a clue they existed at all, let alone be able to follow them.

“We have discovered a traitor to Hogwarts and I have taken steps to remove it. He has already been stripped of his title of Headmaster. A title I question him earning. He is to be considered a direct threat to those within my protection and should be kept from the lands I call mine. I have closed the wards to him,” she advised, lifting her gaze from her friend to pin Dumbledore in place with eyes that practically glowed red in her fury. “Leave, Manipulator,” she growled. “You will gain no support here.”

She could see the moment the man gave up this battle. His mask of dotting grandfather fell away long enough for his sneer to flicker across the wrinkled face, before he apparated away.

“Lady, do we have your leave to enter the grounds and secure the safety of the children?” Ragnok asked. She could tell he was still wary of her, but he was following the plan, trying to gain all the information that would let him pin down the exact one she was following.

“You and your warriors are granted access,” she agreed, tacidly leaving out the specific race of his warriros. That would give him leeway to bring Bill and other magicals in should he need.

He bowed in acknowledgement and she smirked when he gave her an exasperated eyeroll at the loophole she’d left him.

When the troop was across, another arrived, this one containing Eir. The female took one look at her and planted her hands on her hips, chastisement easily seen. But Adaya didn’t back down. This was a worthy addition to her thunder, but she would not be intimidated by such a small morsel. She wouldn’t be.

Eir didn’t say anything, well aware of their audience, but she did narrow her eyes in a way that made Adaya know she would be in serious trouble when she returned to her smaller form. Perhaps she should spend a while in her scales.

*****
Regulus Black stood in the room, frozen in shock and disbelieving his eyes. For such an empty room, that shouldn’t be possible. There was only a large, soft chair perched in the corner by the door. There were no windows and the only light came from a sconse on the wall that had the scorched look of a perpetually burning flame. Other than that, the room was relatively bare.

But what had him frozen was the set of four paintings on the two walls. Paintings that had been believed lost generations if not centuries ago.

There was no plaques to identify the occupants, and none of them were speaking, but there was no mistaking who they illustrated.

“Founders,” he breathed, hand still clutching the doorknob. It was probably the only thing keeping his feet under him.

“Young man,” they all greeted with a slight bow or curtsy, their accents just slightly off.

“I’d suggest you sit down, before you fall, Heir Black,” a familiar voice ordered with an audible smirk.

Regulus then noticed his ancestor, Phineas Black, leaned against one of the frames, arms crossed in a rare show of relaxation. Regulus wasn’t sure he’d ever seen it before in the normally stoic and sometimes cruel man. But if there was one thing Blacks had in common, with the exception of Sirius, it was an almost instant response to orders or suggestions from older generations.

Regulus sat in the only chair.

“Well, now, that’s interesting,” one of the paintings commented with another audible smirk. Regulus turned to the man and almost squeaked at the man.

“Salazar Slytherin,” he gasped.

The dark haired man smiled gently and Regulus had to take a moment staring at the flagstones, curled around his belly and trying very hard to remember how to breathe.

“As much as I’d love to give you to time to overcome this shock, child,” one of the women soothed. A quick glance showed Helga Hufflepuff smiling at him with the sort of smile that seemed like sunlight through clouds. “There is a task you must perform very quickly, before that manipulative bastard son of a black annis returns.”

“What task would that be, milady?” he asked automatically, his pureblood manners almost a comfort in this strange reality. Helga Hufflepuff, founder of the kindest, most patient House in Hogwarts, was not meant to swear.

“To correct a grave injustice on one of Hogwart’s guardians,” Rowena Ravenclaw announced grandly.

“To free my familiar.”

“Familiar?” Regulus could only ask breathlessly.

“Fawkes,” Headmaster Black said bluntly.

“Oh,” Regulus couldn’t help the soft noise of almost panic.

“We’s be helping, Master Reggie,” a soft squeak issued from the crowd of elves he’d left at the door.

Hogwarts had dropped the protego she’d thrown up for him and the little faces were clustered around the door, obviously unwilling to enter, but still able to see the paintings hidden within.

Regulus did notice the franky terrifying anger he could see burning in them and Kreacher was perhaps the most furious. But the wizard could only nod agreement, too overwhelmed by everything to really do much more than that. When Kreacher popped to his side and helped him up, he only followed numbly.

Apparently it was time to take the man down. He didn’t know what was going on downstairs, didn’t know what had prompted the elves to come to him when he needed to stay hidden, but he knew that if it wasn’t Arianna storming the castle, it would be as soon as he could speak to his husband. This was the last bit of knowledge he could handle. It was time for a change, even if he had to do it himself.

*****
The instant the scaly tail disappeared out the door, the Great Hall erupted into sound and chaos. Severus didn’t even hesitate to stun the Ministry spy, leaving her collapsed on the floor beneath the Head table where she’d huddled in fear when the young Ms. Weasley had battled the former Headmaster. And it was former. He’d known the moment the man’s connection to the school had snapped. It was perhaps not the best way to do that, but it was well within the Lady’s rights and power to remove such a threat. And attacking students like the fool had was guaranteed to lose him quite a few followers among his loyal shadows.

Now that the second most dangerous threat was dealt with, he set about establishing some form of order to the room.

“Silence!” he roared, a quick sonorous letting his voice carry in the din of frightened and excited children. When he had the undivided attention of the room, he issued his orders. “Prefects, collect your students and begin a list of those that have been assigned detention by Umbridge. Be sure to obtain photos of any scars or fresh wounds and an estimated time of each incident. I do believe Mr. Creevy brings his camera to most meals so see if he has it at hand. If not, send a House elf to get it. I will say this once; I do not care what House you come from or your thoughts on the entire situation. You will do so. Use of a blood quill like that is strictly forbidden for a reason and will be addressed. The words you write are binding, which is why they are only meant to be used with goblin supervision upon contracts. I will have no student in these halls tied to whatever words that witch had you brand yourselves with, no matter how I feel about you individually. Anyone that has not had detention will help those who did. We will collect the evidence the Aurors will need. Once that is completed, please settle in for a long wait. House elves, bring blankets and pillows. No one will be leaving this hall until further notice.”

“Well said, Lord Prince,” a familiar voice interrupted any protests. Severus smiled at the goblin king as he stood in the still opened doors Adaya had rushed out not ten minutes previous. “We are here to guard those in the castle per request of Lady Hogwarts. I have brought healers.”

Severus nodded and immediately pointed to the small huddle of students at the Gryffindor table. “Start there.”

Ragnok nodded and signaled a pair of goblins to follow Eir as she hurried over.

“Severus?” Minerva questioned, shock evident in her tone as she allowed him to issue his orders. He was, after all, doing her job.

“It will be explained if I have to pin that female down myself and wring every little bit of information out of her myself,” he hissed.

“No need.”

Severus would deny the sigh of relief he issued at hearing the once hated voice of Sirius Black to his dying day.

*****
Adaya waited patiently until the manipulator disappeared with a pop. Then she waited some more until her pointy part of her thunder had disappeared through the walls of her nest, off to help the most vulnerable parts of her treasure. Next to the creatures she scented every chance she got that the pointy ones had guarded so well in her ancestor’s horde, the younglings behind her were the ones most in need of protection. And most affected by the previous lack of any.

She rumbled her displeasure and then noticed the small group of fully grown ones in front of her shifting nervously. They’d slipped her mind momentarily but she decided to ignore that. She was well capable of defending those she called her own and a slight distraction was not enough to stop that. So she bent closer, sniffing delicately to see just who these aspiring protectors were.

One smelled like her mate and the pair of tricksters that were her clutchmate’s. And the distracted one that worked for the pointy ones that the fire fairy had claimed as her own. This was their sire. And he was terrified.

Terrified and determined.

He saw a threat to his thunder and wouldn’t let his fear stop his defense of it. She approved.

But there was another that smelled slightly like the manipulator.

She growled at him and he froze.

The phoenix that flashed in to hover in front of her was a surprise.

‘Peace, young one,’ the male thrilled to her, flapping battered wings to keep himself aloft.

She rumbled back, concerned. So the male fluttered to her snout, allowing himself a rest while still maintaining her attention.

‘This one is not like his brother,’ the bird twittered. ‘He is unable to defy the other’s orders. Much like I was until moments ago. A youngling freed me finally.’

She would see to that young one being well praised. When she caught a whiff of who exactly it was, she rumbled louder in pleasure. Thunder. Clutchmate of her favored adopted sire. Good thunder.

The phoenix thrilled with her and the grown ones clustered near the gate finally gathered the courage to approach it. She allowed it, watching carefully. When one raised a stick at her that she knew she should fear, one of the pointy showed himself and barked a warning, proving they were not all gone.

Then her adopted sire strode forwards with another group of grown ones.

“Really, milady, you couldn’t wait?” he grumbled and growled. “We were almost ready.”

“No one harms my thunder!” she roared, crouching down to do so right in his face and ignoring the indignant squawk of protest from the bird on her nose. Her claws dug into the soft soil under her and her tail lashed across the ground behind her. If there had been trees around, she would have knocked them down in her agitation.

“And I would have helped,” he practically shouted back, his canine creeping into the noise.

She inched closer, eying him, then proceeded to lick him from claw to horn in approval.

He sputtered and groused but allowed it. Then used his stick to flick away the slight amount of drool she’d left.

“Go patrol or something,” he suggested, waving at her and ignoring the incredulous looks he was gaining from the original group.

“Yes,” she agreed, already shifted to turn without knocking anyone down with her scales. “Must see about those in the forest that could be threat to my thunder.”

The dog just nodded and turned to address the entire group of grown ones.

“And do not allow those in my nest,” she added as she finally shuffled off, her tail clearly pointing to the group from the village. “I do not trust them yet.”

She ignored the groaning from the dog and the hot protests from the villagers.

*****
Despite his own irrigation at Adaya’s actions and decrees at the gate, Sirius could tell the moment Minverva McGonnagall lost the last of her patience at the vague and confusing events going on in quick succession by the way her lips pursed. He’d once dreaded that look. But he was a veteran of almost ten years of war and twelve years of Azkaban. He wasn’t the rambunctious teenager that thought he was so clever he could get away with anything at school. It didn’t send the shiver down his spine of terror at being expelled and sent home in disgrace. No, it only hardened his resolve that he would make sure this woman was returned to the protective lioness she once was.

Not the shadow of herself, obliviated of all her normal ferociousness.

“Students and professors of Hogwarts, please follow Lord Prince’s directions. We have been sent quite a bit of information that causes great concern and his instructions will help correct the issues. Once you have checked in with your prefects, please go to a free Auror or gobin to give your statement on any detentions with Umbridge. They will take photos of any rememnats of the quills and then request you take a test we have prepared. If photos have already been taken by Mr. Creevey, please let them know.”

The Aurors he’d brought with him included his cousin and Moody and he nodded to both before explaining about the test they wanted to do.

“And if we refuse?” one of the Slytherin seventh years asked with a sneer. Sirius could almost recognize him and he knew the boy’s father was a confirmed Death Eater. Whether voluntarily or not was up for debate, as it was with the entire population that hadn’t already been tested and cleansed.

“And nothing. It is your right to refuse. But we will be posting a guard on you in that case. The goblins are still sending warriors and I am currently waiting for another group myself. We have made a number of discoveries that make you a threat unless proven otherwise. Whether you are aware of it or not.”

“Mr. Black! These are children,” McGonnagall exclaimed.

“It’s Lord Black. And children fought and died before in this school alone, Lady McGonnagall. You should know better than most that age does not disqualify you from being a threat. And with the number of potions and compulsions and spells I alone was under the entire time I attended school here, administered without my knowledge, would have made me a threat to almost everyone, including myself, with only a single word. As the Heir Black. That should tell you how serious this is.”

He had no qualms about airing his dirty laundry at this point. It was a quick and dirty way to illustrate how pervasive this was. Black paranoia was not exaggerated, even with the white sheep of the family.

Something Minerva seemed to understand, as she paled and Severus reached out in case she needed to be caught. But she only took a deep breath and nodded.

The students around them were pale and silent at the exchange until a small blonde he could only imagine was Luna Lovegood popped joyfully up from the seat she’d spent the entire confrontation in and danced her way over to Hannah Abbott and started detailing her detentions. That seemed to be the needed prompt, as there was a slow trickle of students towards prefects or the Aurors he’d brought. A few brave young ones even approached one or two of the goblins, obviously young enough that the prejudices that usually developed as they got older were absent.

“Sirius?” McGonnagall asked, recovered enough to approach him warily. “Potions?”

“At the least, Minnie. And not just me. I have files of dozens of people affected. And these aren’t the normal childhood potions of vitamins and immune boosters. These are potions and spells and compulsions that would have the caster Kissed.”

That seemed to confirm something for the next moment, the woman was glaring and furious again. “It was that manipulative traitorous wanker Dumbledore, wasn’t it?”

Sirius only quirked his head.

“What makes you think that?” he had to ask.

“Sirius Black, I am not an idiot. If what young Mr. Weasley said was true and the man oblivated Harry Potter, he would be capable of much worse. Using that spell on anyone when one is not properly trained and licensed is incredibly dangerous and could have resulted in severe damage to Mr. Potter. And it makes me wonder what happened that required obliviation.”

“Apparently, it’s not his first time doing so on a student. And far from the first time he’s done it to someone at this school,” Sirius said with a shrug, hoping she’d pick up on the not so subtle clue.

“And how many times has he oblivated me?”

Sirius tried not to smile at that. Even with potential permanent damage to her memory, she was as sharp as he remembered.

“At least every month for the last twenty years. I can’t guarantee anything before I started teaching,” Severus offered.

She winced but nodded. “Then it is a good thing the dragon removed him from the grounds. I would not be responsible for my actions if he was near right now.”

“Which is precisely why Lady Hogwarts has thrown him out and blocked him from returning,” Ragnok reported as he joined them by the Head Table. “She is currently patrolling the perimeter of the wards with a phoenix to ensure there is no gape he can slither through to return here. And there is currently a group of villagers on their way from the gates that will need to be updated and put to work. She finally allowed them after her second pass, provided they are accompanied by the latest group of goblins.”

“Good,” McGonnagall agreed. “We can use all the help we can gain to deal with this mess.”

Sirius sighed, realizing he’d have to be clear about how the evening would proceed. McGonnagall was a formidable woman and she would not appreciate what he’d have to say. So he only took a bracing breath and started.

It was time to show their hand and do away with the balancing act of war Britain had been teetering on for decades. But do so in a way that would end the war before more bloodshed.