Rebel Three

Its been three years since Padfoot, Moony and I are here.

In the Mage's Association Dobby found out for us. Its another magical academia or research...and political wars and backstabbings of epic proportions out of competition for budget Sirius was glad we're rich by ourselves. Sirius, as my actual magical guardian on my parents' wishes, was able to tell the goblins of what we aim to do that I needed full access to my vaults. Besides, as the Ministry Idiots decided I can participate in the Triwizard Tournament, they basically declared me a legal adult! So yes, with that loophole, I can now access my entire family fortune. And with our gold, we purchased a lot of muggle pounds for our use as Clock Tower uses muggle money.

These people call magic 'magecraft' instead. Well, they're originally human researchers in their ancestors who eventually gained the ability to do magic in the form of Magic Circuits, something three of us DON'T have as we're actual magical beings, thank you. We have Magical Cores instead. With Dobby's help, we were able to ahem, fudge our files in order to protect our secret.

Because to put it this way, Magic Circuits are factories that needed resupplying while Cores are inexhaustible, yet our limit was the strain too much castings cause in a day. And unlike magi and their circuits, we can overcome this by training every day. We had to compute in how many and what quality though, because we DO have powerful outputs that at our worst, Sirius says we can effortlessly blow up a room, as opposed to a strongest magus needing a lot of high-quality circuits to do the same and be wiped out instantly while us wizardfolk have no such issue with a mere 'Bombarda!'

And they would LOVE to get their hands on us, so yes, we tinkered with our records with good old Imperius while managing a good excuse for Moony's case. And we safely got enrolled. For now, we enrolled in two departments, seeking to tweak our way of thinking with their fundamentals since we ahem, had many arts to choose from already courtesy of Hogwarts while cheating with Time-Turners. Only, we're learning to cast without wands...even better, the Ministry cannot detect me and Underage Magic. The barriers of this place is formidable I could practice with impunity Hermione would be jealous...and this place runs on cold-blooded logic and rationality. Emotions, morals, empathy and conscience are irrelevant in the name of the goal. We don't like it but we laid down low. These people are more dangerous than us. Murder happens all the time here and nobody gives a damn.

Anyway, back to our new place...the Mage's Association is an international, self-preservative and self-defense organization formed by practitioners of magecraft for the purpose of controlling, concealing, and developing Magecraft. It is said to transcend nationality and genre of magecraft, but that is in name only. After having existed for many years, it was decided around the Middle Ages by those who foresaw the decline of Magecraft that in order to preserve their power Thaumaturgy should drift apart from society and become a secret known only by a necessary minimum number of people.

It has many laboratories and research bodies that seek to advance the progress of Thaumaturgy, as well as institutions that transmit their secrets to the next generation. Although the emphasis lies on the pursuit of knowledge, the Association also seeks to increase its own military strength and reserves the use of force to protect itself from entities that threaten its existence, such as the Holy Church, other mage organizations, supernatural forces seeking to punish mankind for meddling with areas that should not be touched, and individuals who hunt that which they consider taboo.

The Association has set up research institutions and established and enforces laws that forbid the criminal use of magecraft in order to promote the development, or perhaps regression, of magecraft. The Association is mainly concerned with the preservation and concealment of Magecraft in criminal aspects. They do not care about hideous crimes committed by Magi so long as they are not a threat that might reveal the existence of Thaumaturgy to the common public. That's quite appalling as it means, the ends justifies the means. As long as no evidence remains!

To quote Moony, they're worse than the love child of both Voldemort and Bellatrix Lestrange.

The Mage's Association and the Holy Church have a non-aggression agreement between each other for quite a while now, but armed conflict still tends to happen often in an off-the-records fashion. Atlas however, is a case in and of itself.

The Association has deemed the Magic Foundation of the Middle East and the philosophies of magecraft from the Far East incompatible with its teachings, and both schools conversely reject the Association. It has been working towards at least building a stance of neutrality between them. The mage organizations of Japan also did not join the Association.

The Mage's Association is divided into three main branches: the Clock Tower, the Atlas Academy, and the Wandering Sea. Ever since Clock Tower became the official headquarters, the Three Great Branches as they are called started to drift apart from each other.

As long as they don't possess a Sealing Designation, a Magus may leave the Association at any time without facing any restrictions. However, this is rarely done, since the Association provides its members with great amount of resources, stored knowledge and other benefits as long as they can pay. And so many Mages from all over the world gather and devote themselves day and night to the study of Magecraft, while at the same time, are busily tripping over and being tripped over by other factions and competing for power and budget. The organization is anything but harmonious and has a complicated bizarre structure, but the magical research there is without doubt the leading edge. Despite its academia facet, the Magi of the Association rarely share the result of their own researches between each other.

Here we are, to the Academia Facet of Clock Tower.

Ironically, very little actual teaching occurs here, as magi are very protective of their ideas (and also don't believe education does much to improve magical ability). Instead, lecturers usually use classes as a smokescreen to scout prospective research assistants or subjects. As far as teaching went ANYWAY, only the two Fundamentals Departments actually teach anything. Other departments don't care for education at all. You'd be lucky to be taken in as an assistant or if your luck sucks, you're a guinea pig in their lab so we always cover ourselves in protective charms. But as long as you're safe, you can still graduate if you're careful AND smart.

From the outside, Clock Tower appears to be an appealing and welcoming place, but the truth is not so bright.

Clock Tower is currently under the control of a pseudo-aristocratic elite called the Lords. Each Lord holds great political power within the Association just by himself, and there is also those who associate themselves to other talented Magi or an important Magi lineage in a sponsor-sponsored relationship so to increase their influence.

Maybe due to this elitist background, preconceived and discriminatory behavior is somewhat widespread inside Clock Tower.

Admission of new members also involves exams to test one's knowledge of Magecraft, but is possible to bypass this through letters of recommendation or if one is the successor of a distinct lineage of magi. Said outstanding-and I say that sarcastically-individuals receive special treatment such as individual rooms in the dormitory or the right to bring along a couple of apprentices. The apprentices won't have to pay for enrollment or go through the examinations themselves, but they won't be seen as members of the Association either.

There are two types of rankings in the Clock Tower: the ordinary ranks that serves to grade one's capabilities as a magus and the colored titles that represent the uniqueness of a magus' craft.

The ranks of Brand, Pride, Fes, Cause, Count and Frame. Brand is the cream of the crop, and Frame is given to utter dunces who graduated incompetent but lucky to survive the tower, and students who are Frame by default but can get promoted if they work hard. However, the rank Crown is given to individuals with incredible special abilities on top of being a Brand.

The Clock Tower is built atop Spirit Grave Albion, the corpse of a mountain-sized dragon that did not venture to the Reverse Side of the World with the coming of the Age of Man, and later died trying to dig down to the Reverse Side. Built like a labyrinth, Spirit Grave Albion is the source of many supplies for the magi of the Clock Tower, and also home to magical beasts. The deeper you go the stranger things get, as you grow closer to the Reverse Side of the World.

Clock Tower is actually a City divided into twelve departments.

The architecture varied depending on the district. The Mage's Association divided mysticism into 12 departments. In other words, this city reflected the specialties of each faculty. The Twelve Faculties were ruled by the Twelve Lords. The majority of the magi studied General Fundamentals and then enter the Faculty that was associated with the lineage. Magi might also enroll in other Faculties as associates to help further their studies in their own Faculty. Also, there was great unity within each dormitory. If an outsider stepped into the college, it was not uncommon for interpersonal conflicts to evolve into inter-college wars. If a college of a major Faculty is associated with the Barthomeloi, then it would have its own private police.

Currently, we live in Mystile District as we juggle Mystile and Solonea Departments for our fundamentals thanks to Time Turners. We only have two years here to train and study in before war happens after all...we also gave the twins a Time-Turner in order to do the same, so that when the time comes, if the twins are interested, they too, can attend Clock Tower if they want to.

The other Departments are:

Spiritual Evocation of Eulyphis Family, Mineralogy under Zelretch the resident friendly vampire, Zoology of the Chimera Family, Anthropology of the Brishisan Family, Creation of the Valuay Family, Curse of the Jigmarie, Archaeology of Astaire, and Modern Magecraft Theories of the Norwich Family. Each department takes years to master.

Fundamentals are basically, Basics for Dummies, one year each along with grueling physical training if one wants to be a combat-oriented magus. We took the 'P.E From Hell' as I call it. We trained hard, and have the benefits of medical services with it...since we paid for it and we got not only peak health, but also 'looks we didn't know we had'. Thus Sirius and Remus who are 'dried husks' from Malnutrition, are looking age-appropriate now...not to mention, a dark curse was detected on her...with a piece of a soul inside the Medical Services had to call Eulyphis over to sort me out. Lord Rufulus Nuada-Re Eulyphis was intrigued with how I got it...

'No idea, I've had that stupid scar since I was an infant and my family murdered.' Fenris scowled. 'But who's that dumb to tear their soul and with it their Circuits apart and put it on somebody else?'

'Beats me, but I'll keep this specimen. I've never seen anything like it.' said the elderly principal, taking the soul with him in a nice jar before it dispersed and he left with his pay for exorcising who's clearly the Dark Lord off her. That Dobby was sent to Sirius' ancestral home to get books about the topic...and that's after Sirius taught him well to get around safely AND deal with Kreacher...who turned out to know what they were after and he was safeguarding the other one until he could destroy it.

Thus, they had to get books regarding Eulyphis to study in order to track down more of these Horcruxes, after figuring out the locket in Kreacher's possession.

We also kept track of happenings through Dobby.

Dumbledore and I are slandered by Fudge and everyone agrees out of denial he's back. Buuuut as I went missing...and apparently Dudley and his pals are dead via Dementors in Little Whinging, an event that got Amelia Bones investigating as to WHY Dementors left Azkaban to attack muggles.

Apparently, Delores Umbridge wanted to assassinate me for her 'dear Cornelius' who was focused on slandering and ruining their names.

Well, that got her and Fudge under hot water and Dumbledore was angry. And on the Daily Prophet was the history between mum and her sister, as Aunt Petunia was inconsolable, blaming Dumbledore for getting them in danger by putting her in their 'perfectly normal family' and 'GO TO HELL AND DIE SO WE CAN GET OUR SON BACK YOU FREAKS!'

She also gave an interview as to how she ended up with Petunia's Family in the first place so now there's further inquiry in court and 'the girl herself is missing'.

Sure, Vernon and Petunia are given compensation money straight out of Umbridge's small fortune but it didn't do much for the damages done by murder, and the woman herself chucked to Azkaban and Fudge barely hanging onto his position as a result of Umbridge's crime and considering 'Sirius Black is still at large and Fenris Potter went missing three days after school term ended, we can only fear the worst...'

Unrest thus stirred.

The only ones who knows three of us are OK, are the dastardly twins who built a Joke Shop with me as their financier. They also received magecraft books and a long letter as the twins can safely practice, considering they ARE of age, and has since, moved out of the Burrow so they have no fears of anyone nosing through their stuff. They were using Dobby to send letters as Hedwig is at risk thus she is now a pet and companion, no longer a Carrier Owl for her safety.

And right now, two years after we left, we graduated the two Fundamentals and now, we're on a new topic.

'Sooo Dobby, can you still go inside Malfoy Manor?' Fenris asked Dobby.

'Dobby still can Fenny Potter!' Dobby said excitedly. 'Anything Dobby can do?'

'Yup! Spy on the dark side for us and stay invisible, that nobody, not even your fellow elves can sense you.' said Fenris. 'Oh yes, and another thing...capture Peter Pettigrew for us. We got something special...right guys?' she asked the Marauders with a dark smile.

'You bet we do.' said Sirius, his and Remus' smiles, just as dark. 'Just don't be seen by the bastard so they won't upgrade their wards.'

'Okie-dokie sir Paddy! Dobby be gone!' and Dobby was gone...and soon came back with an unconscious Peter Pettigrew.

xxx

Diagon Alley...

Peter Pettigrew was tied to a stake with only one arm free. His left arm with the dark mark exposed. On his neck was a Magic Suppressant Choker, emphasis on the Choker as it was uncomfortably snug on his neck.

Needless to say Magical England had fun with this one as Aurors quickly got him and an improptu trial was held as the man who's supposedly dead, is found tied up in Diagon Alley and has a Dark Mark! Then a large note stuck on the man that read, 'You can't sweep this under the rug this time, you fudging idiot!'

Needless to say the truth came out...that Sirius was now a free man, and Pettigrew now occupied Sirius' old cell, unable to use magic ever again as nobody could figure out his choker but it was still a suppressant to keep prisoners in prison. Only, Pettigrew had no idea how he got in court when he was in Malfoy's Mansion...with a few noteworthy people...and the Dark Lord too! So Amelia Bones asked the right questions...and somebody had to take Arthur Weasley to St. Mungo's out of shock with good reason.

Chaos ensued. Again, nobody wanted to believe it but one, this is a Veritaserum-Trial. Two, what comes out is the truth, and a supposedly-dead man was alive all this time. And three, that note on the not-quite-tragic-hero...it was obvious to WHOM it referred to...that Rita Skeeter had fun with it that again, Fudge's position was more in danger than it ever was when Madam Bones demanded answers while chaos was stifled in court.

Thus another speculation happened.

What if Fenris was with her Godfather all this time, believing her claims that HE is back, and took her away to safety and they hunted down Pettigrew for Black's legal freedom? And where did they get a Magic Suppressant Collar?

Letters were sent, but owls flew around confused, unable to find him and Fenris.

Only Fred and George was in contact with her, but 'Not even we know where they are but Fenny mails us.'

'Oh? Why you and not her two usual friends?' Rita Skeeter asked gleefully.

'Cuz' they can't keep a secret when she's concerned yet they get her to keep THEIR secrets which is obviously not fair! So naturally, they'll tell the Headmaster on her and she'll get shackled to the Dursleys again! Ain't it obvious days ago they hate each other's guts that she ran off with Black than stick around? I mean, we once rescued her in a freaking cupboard under the stairs with bars on her window and let's just say her home life is a grim reality so best throw away those stupid fairy tale books about her into the trash. Even she would agree with us on that one.'

Needless to say Skeeter investigated the Dursleys and the picture...was indeed, nasty. While adults agreed with the Dursleys, the teenagers around Fenris' age and school teachers...did NOT. And the fact Dumbledore forces Fenris to live with them caused yet another ruckus. That Fenris was a bright student on her first year in muggle school, grade one but after a term, her grades suddenly plunged and she 'is often sick' every after quizzes and tests when she does well. Sick because she always wears filthy clothes too big for her, and if her cousin was seen stealing a clearly meager school lunch, they can clearly tell she's 'not eating well' at home and is always bullied by her cousin and his gang. Not to mention potential friends are bullied away from her so she has a lonely childhood with no one and most of the adults in the neighborhood, gullible enough while the kids and teachers know better.

And teachers, the Principal said, 'tried to confront the Dursleys' on his instructions when they tattled to him but they 'suddenly mysteriously get relocation promotions they could not refuse' and leave, thus the matter was always unsettled for the poor girl. All he could do was give Fenris real exams in the guise of detentions, and showed Rita Skeeter her REAL report card grades, while instructing her Homeroom Teacher to give the 'dummied one' to the Dursleys. And in detentions, they feed her well before sending her home and sneak 'breakfast breads' in her school bag for the next day to eat on the sly. And they got wind she was made to cook for the Dursleys at a very young age...or else, so she was the first to wake up in the house at the wee hours of dawn!

They wanted to report it so bad but they feared an 'or else relocation' so they sneak around for the 'poor girl'.

'So that explains her mediocre grades in Hogwarts if the Dursleys 'makes her sick' whenever she does well and we have no idea what exactly, that meant. Upon seeing her real school grades, she was actually good enough to score the equivalent of Os in school but her Hogwarts grades are constantly an A.' to quote Skeeter. 'The Muggle Teachers and Principal weren't stupid, they knew something wrong's going on they just can't tell what. And considering what happened to who tried to help Fenris Potter getting promotions they can't refuse, they fear the Dursleys have Mafia connections they can't even tell the police as police CAN be bribed or threatened into silence, and considering she was forced to stay with them...does Dumbledore have a hand in it?'

Sooo yeees...chaos part II happened and Dumbledore had trouble explaining THAT away...

As for Ron and Hermione who saw the Prophet regarding Fred and George's part in it. They were indignant and there was a Weasley Sibling War at home as a result...

xxx

For now, they were safely in Clock Tower, not really caring now that they got what they wanted. And celebrated in fact.

'This is a big blow to the Dark Side thanks to our man of the moment!' Sirius cheered as Dobby found himself being thrown a party in his honor, something that never happened to and for a House Elf, EVER Dobby was in utter tears, touched and happy he was appreciated. And found himself bound to Sirius Black as Fenris was too independent. Though they also took in Winky just so she'd stop drinking and work for a Pureblood who actually gave a damn as Winky's family always worked for Purebloods she could not work for a half-blood lest it dishonors her more to her family after being fired by Crouch Sr...which was why she drowned herself in Butterbeer out of depression.

However, Fenris will not tolerate the elves wearing Filthy Tea Towels. She designed clothes, gave the elves an Alchemy book for clothesmaking and shoemaking and told them what to get to make their working outfits...and considering where they'll live from now on, they have to learn to speak properly, not to mention write legibly.

xxx

'Well, we accomplished two big things.' said Fenris. 'We found out his nasty secret thanks to Padfoot's little brother that we finally have an edge in this war.'

'Yeah, we have a nice gadget that can help us out, too.' said Sirius, as they eyed a large compass on the table, made out of magically-treated silver using Slytherin's Locket as it's core to locate its fellows and it'll be the last thing they'll destroy. 'But for now, we give our invention to Dobby for safekeeping until we graduate.' he said. 'We need to be stronger. Not to mention he's still spying for us.'

Indeed, their time in Clock Tower was well-spent.

They learned and got proficient in wandless magic, sparring with each other, taking other training methods every after school and re-mastered their Hogwarts Studies...and reluctantly studied what's deemed 'Dark Arts' when Witchcraft is exactly that. Cursing targets.

They also found the magus' idea of Witchcraft hilarious. Who the heck makes elaborate rituals just to even use a weak curse when they can do better than that?

After graduating the two Fundamental Studies, they were promoted to the rank of Count because they just finished what's basically 'Basics for Dummies'. To really get their rankings, they have to graduate in another department and shine there. But they have war to worry about, so they left Clock Tower to start...Horcrux Hunting.

By this time, Fenris was almost 17 years old.

From the short waif she used to be, thanks to Clock Tower she's blossomed into a beautiful, stacked and shapely young girl while the Marauders got toned and trim and looking younger than they should, especially with no facial hair. And all three are at the peak of their health and fitness.

And when they returned, the war was on.

'It started this year when ol' morty attacked Hogwarts.' Fred and George had them for guests in their home above their shop.

'We know. We had Dobby spy on them the whole damn time.' said Remus. 'We just couldn't do anything since we were stuck in school. We're just glad the teachers can fend off their former students, but still...'

'They're caught flat-footed some kids are in St. Mungo's to this day.' said George. 'But its official now. The Order's gathering, even we got recruited but we're under watch since that ahem, article. They were trying to find out how the heck are we contacting you mum's nosing through our stuff AND us that we used a muggle war trick.'

'Yeeeah, thanks for that.' Fenris giggled. 'Considering how they made my life hell, I'm not sorry one bit. Wait, muggle war trick?'

'We shrunk that two way diary, put it in a tube and we uncomfortably have it in our bum.' Fenris, Remus and Sirius choked on their tea in shock. The twins willingly stuffed themselves in THERE?!

'Well, nobody's gonna think of checking THERE would they?'

'W-wow! I knew I could trust you guys, but...you can't be serious?!' Fenris squeaked in horror. These guys basically sodomized themselves!

'Sirius is over there...' Fred who was in a maroon suit with a yellow tie pointed at Sirius unrepentantly. George has a yellow-orange tie. Sirius snorted.

'Fred!'

xxx

Meanwhile, in Clock Tower...

Many Magi were screening the Fundamentals Department for list of graduates who have high scores for use as Assistants when they found something weird...

Normally, students can attend one faculty at a time. The Fundamentals take two years each to study and master hence many magus families start their children young on that matter that upon arriving in the tower, they can choose a Main Department to study in immediately.

However...

'What, is this?'

Fenris Potter, Sirius Black and Remus Lupin have odd school records.

They enrolled in two departments at the exact same time, attended same classes at the exact same time and graduated at the exact same time.

How the hell were they in two places at once?!

Lecturers swear they were present in their classes and they had no idea they were also in another classroom at the time.

The trio clearly possessed a mystery that enabled them to be in two places at once, effectively cheating the system by shortening the time needed to learn in departments which was...incredible.

Not only that, the two men were legal guardians of Fenris Potter so its a family art they cannot barge in on...but it was intriguing. It was the debate of those who saw their files. It helps that all of them have powerful, high-quality circuits and dual-elemented, a rare thing, as rare as Average Ones. Their families are just as mysterious, but clearly of an old lineage to afford their circuit quality and quantity!