Hear Me Roar
*****
Romulus Lupin followed his brother as he moved quickly across the grounds of a castle he’d only heard about. But Remus knew every inch of. The more time he spent with his twin, the more he realized how different their lives had proven to be. Romulus would not trade his life with his adopted family for anything, would not deny the love he’d received or the schooling he’d received. He would, however, have gladly kidnapped his brother so they could be raised together.
Romulus had spent the last half a year getting to know his brother again. He knew Remus loved his friends, the ones that hadn’t betrayed him and gotten one of his best friends killed, but he would never forgive the fear and pain he’d spent years dealing with. With no one seeing it. And it all centered around this breathtaking castle.
He would be forever grateful to that young woman that had pushed and prodded the right people until he’d been found in that damned ward across the ocean from what he thought of as home. It didn’t matter that he’d been born only a few floors away in the same hospital, with his brother not minutes before him. It mattered that he’d found a home in the family that had adopted what they’d thought was a little baby all alone in the world. Never mind that he’d had an entire family for years before his mother and father had died and that he had a brother that was ostracized for something he’d never had a choice in or control over. Romulus’ family would have taken them both in if they’d known at any point.
And prejudice in the States was significantly less than in England. Newt Scamander resettling there had done a great deal of good involving the laws and regulations of ‘creatures’ in the country he’d come to call his own. If England didn’t have so many strict laws on ‘creatures’ resettling outside the country, many would have fled long ago, to escape the intolerable conditions slowly overtaking the land.
If Romulus had known he had a brother there, he would have done everything in his power to get him out.
That he stayed to protect a little boy from a distance wouldn’t have mattered.
Romulus would have just arranged for the boy to come as well. He didn’t even care that said boy was so famous in magical Britain that he’d have to smuggle him out creatively.
But from what he’d been told and seen as he spent time in the country, many, if not all, of the troubles currently facing the population derived from two men. One of which had spent almost all his time within these walls and grounds.
And may be responsible for the other.
It caused more than a few swearing sessions his mother would chastise him for, then make him clean something thoroughly in punishment.
She was sweet like that. And Romulus was half-tempted to set her loose on the entire country. When she’d heard he was alive and apparently had a twin, she hadn’t even paused before ordering him to give her a size for his shirt and promise to bring him around for a visit. Remus had been a little overwhelmed by the set of sturdy sweaters the woman had presented when he’d finally brought him home. And had actually cried when she gave him a firm hug only to pull away, say simply that they were both too skinny, and proceed to feed them excessive amounts of homecooked meals.
Remus had protested, but the tiny Italian woman had only scoffed and waved him away, pushing him after Romulus and telling them point blank that any pranks were to be kept out of her kitchen.
Just imaging her reactions to the various people Romulus was coming to care for was enough to send him into sniggers his brother felt the need to check on.
“Just thinking of mom coming here,” he offered in response to the quirked eyebrow as they made their way inside the castle finally.
Remus winced but nodded.
“I always thought Molly Weasley was like that, but I suppose your mother is much more how I imagined.”
“Our mother,” Romulus corrected immediately. “She may not have adopted you at birth, but you’re hers now.”
Remus just flushed with a small, pleased smile. Then they entered what Romulus could only imagine was the ‘Great Hall’ and immediately flinched at the harsh screeching shout.
“What do you mean, you’re in charge, Sirius Black?!”
*****
Adaya grumbled at the feeling of discomfort that finally reached her. It came across her link with her clutchmate and she was certain it was because her anger had finally abated enough that she could feel it. It was muted, as if her clutchmate was still asleep, but it was growing. He was waking. And in some pain.
She finished her latest lap of the grounds that were now hers completely and made her way back to the nest. A quick thought had the wards locking down even further. She was unwilling to allow anyone in or out of her territory at this point in time. Not only did she not want the manipulator back, but she did not want to allow anyone inside the chance to escape the cleansing they were due.
She didn’t have to turn on her mage sight to see that many, if not all of them, were tangled in webs of harmful magic. She could practically smell it. And her small companion agreed, thrilling in anger and distress on her shoulder, just by her wing joint.
He’d grumbled the entire way, ranting and raving about the things he’d witnessed over the last hundred years. Apparently, the manipulator had taken a lot of pleasure in tormenting him with the things he had done when the firebird had been unable to get away. Tied to the man in one of the blackest of rituals, the firebird had only recently begun to gain any freedom to act on his own. But after saving her clutchmate in his twelfth year of life, the manipulator had decided the firebird couldn’t be trusted any longer.
So he’d imprisoned the bird. He had a lot to say, now that he had an attentive audience and someone who could understand him. It was a rare thing, to hear him tell.
She listened, promising herself she would write what she remembered down and get the small flame to repeat whatever she missed. Or maybe a pensive? She wasn’t sure how that would work with dragon memories…
But she needed to see what her clutchmate was doing and the borders of her territory now smelled strongly of her scales, proclaiming to all that it was hers. She would need to refresh it frequently, until it was clear who protected this place, but for now, it would be sufficient. She could return to the younglings and see what had happened after she had removed the greater threat.
And she could deal with that offensively pink creature that dared touch her clutchmate and his menaces.
*****
Harry felt muddled. He knew he was waking, knew Arianna was close, knew his head was cradled in someone’s arms, but he still felt like there was cotton shoved in his head. And he didn’t like the shouting that was coming from close by. Or the dead silence in the rest of the large room.
For a very brief moment, he thought he was back at Privet Drive, but a quick squeeze from his living pillow assured him he was not. No one there would reassure him. That didn’t mean he didn’t want to wake up fully to see what was going on.
And yell a bit himself at his sister for stunning him.
“And I ask again, Lord Black, what gives you the authority to take over this school? I am Deputy Headmistress for a reason and am in charge whenever Albus is gone.”
That was definitely McGonnagall and she sounded furious.
But Sirius was cut off before he could respond. The anger in that familiar voice was enough for him to push away the last of the clouds and sit up, grateful to Fred for simply shifting so he could move without falling.
“I give him charge,” the dual tones of a dragon echoed in the room.
Harry studied the woman closely, something he hadn’t done earlier and now wish he had. Arianna had said she was playing with her Animagus form, but he’d not known it was possible to have such mixed features or only partially transform. Sirius never did anything like that, but then again, it was possible he didn’t know it could be done. Self-studied and all. Or too embarrassed at the inevitable mess ups. Now he was picturing Sirius with a tale he couldn’t get rid of while learning. Or his dad with antlers loudly proclaiming it a prank to prevent questions as he strutted to class.
Regardless, there was his sister, glistening pearl scales covering a majority of her skin while the rest was pale as cream. Her hair was flaming still, though it had died down in intensity. She wore a simple white dress that almost matched her skin, were it not for the shimmering rainbows on the scales. She was still barefoot, but the tail that followed her was smaller and twitching behind her as she marched through the hall. Her wings were pulled close to her back and he noticed a very familiar golden red bird perched on her shoulder, nuzzled into her flaming hair and thrilling happily. A path erupted around her instantly and Harry could see more than one student study her warily as they moved.
The adults around were far more cautious, wands raised and tracking her every move.
Harry’s instincts were to jump to his feet and get between his sister and the threats to her, but he knew he couldn’t. Not that the ring of Weasleys protecting him would let him. Ron was practically vibrating in anger and George looked like he had sparks flying off him. When Harry reached out to sooth him, he found out he really did.
“Ouch,” he muttered, pulling his hand back to stick his shocked fingers in his mouth and managing to gain the attention of those around him.
Neville’s excited exclamation drew the rest.
“Hi,” he muttered, giving a little wave and instantly forgetting the strangeness with George in favor of trying to hide in Fred’s neck in response to a wave of shyness.
It didn’t hurt that his head was throbbing and his hand was sore.
“Do not hide, little one,” the familiar rumble sounded much closer than he expected and he flinched farther into Fred’s comfortable chest. Adaya made soothing sounds and gently pried his hand from the death grip it had on Fred’s robes. “Little one, I understand why you did not come to me,” she murmured. Harry tensed, but she only ran a warm finger down his cheek, the skin almost too hot, but easing his fear that she was mad at him. “You have often struggled alone, had those who should have helped ignore your pain and do nothing to make your life better. Even when you gather the courage to reach out, you are pushed aside. We shall work on that, hatchling. You are not alone and will never again face such cruelty with the belief that you are unworthy of help and protection. You are far more than worthy.”
The assurance had the unintended side effect of causing his eyes to water, relief making him almost boneless. Nothing else she said could have done that. He pulled himself away from the comfort of Fred’s strong arms and threw himself at his sister, blatantly ignoring the thought that they had a secret to keep. He needed his sister in this moment and the last hour, last day, last week, last month, last year had been so hard.
*****
Adaya caught her clutchmate eagerly, pulling him close and holding him tightly in her arms. His magic was fluttering his distress and she was cognizant of the various indicators of an accidental outburst. While there were no places set at the various tables, there were a number of cups and lingering trays of nibbles left over from the supper she had interrupted. The elves must have collected the majority as soon as she’d left the hall earlier. But the ones that remained were beginning to float as Harry’s distress increased.
Before she could latch onto his magic as she had done to the dog when he lashed out all those months ago, the bird on her shoulder, who had simply swayed in place when she caught the teen, began to sing.
*****
The creature filled his song with his own happiness at having his bonded’s descendants back in the castle built so lovingly for those carrying the fate of future generations on their shoulders, at having the master manipulator removed from power, at being free of the chains that had held him prisoner for years. He allowed the song to gain power as a phoenix song is meant to, pulling from the magic around him to carry it far farther than a non-magical bird could hope to achieve. It was a rising of hope, a release of joy that he wanted to share.
And the effects were felt throughout the castle, to the lowest creature to the most powerful magical. From the dungeons empty of their normally cunning children to the highest tower missing its rambunctious daredevils. And when the castle herself took the song and allowed her stones to add to it, glad of the return of the long missed sound, it spread farther, bolstered by the magics Hogwarts had stored from generations of youth. She had enough power and freedom now that her wards were strong, her halls were warm, her students well protected. She also had enough left for some tricks of her own. She’d proven that often over the last few months as she gained strength. Her former master had put far too many restrictions on her and now she was as free as her phoenix guardian. So she took the song and pushed it farther. All needed to know that they were no longer slaves to the manipulator. The threat to children. The spreader of lies and death and poison.
So the song carried from the castle far into the north, far to the south, east and west, until it rang all over Britain. Echoed over the sea to Ireland and France. Was heard as a whisper on the wind in the States and as far east as Drumstrang, where a familiar face turned west and whispered a quite oath to make his way there soon. Then turned back to the practice he was neglecting.
In a neglected and run down manor in Little Hangleton, a nightmare of a man hissed in anger at the sound. It was too pure for his mangled soul to hear without pain and, being so close to the castle it issued from, it was almost too much for the man.
When it finally fell silent, the man cursed more and then set about showing his displeasure to those around him.