etunia picked up the baby on her doorstep. She carried him into the living room, laid him on the couch. She opened the letter and was fuming. ~How dare that man!~ She knew her sister didn't want their child here and in all honesty, neither did she.
She looked at the letter, thinking. They didn't want her to teach Harry about magic, about the magical world, or his parents. That was interesting, why? She sat down on the couch, looked at her nephew, she smirked. Dumbledore was going to regret this.
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"Draco, they're staring." A dark-haired boy named Orion quietly spoke.
"I know. They have been following us around, again." Draco and the rest of his friends weren't sure why the Weasley family was following them again. "We will tell our Fathers."
Everyone was shopping for their first-year books. Theo, Blaise, Pansy, Daphne, Greg, and Vincent were with Draco and Orion. They meet with their parents. Orion pulled his father aside. "The Weasleys have been taking pictures of everyone."
Augustus Rookwood glanced around, and seeing the Weasley family, he saw they had the newer kind of instant photo camera. He guided his son back to his friends and went to speak quietly with a few other parents around the Leaky Cauldron. Lucius, Theo Nott, Sr, and the rest of them discreetly pulled out their wands and sent a few spells designed to destroy photos. They knew what was going on. "I will mention it to Severus when he comes to dinner tonight." Lucius realized how desperate Dumbledore must be getting.
Flashback
Petunia, despite what Dumbledore thought, was actually able to see the Leaky Cauldron. She had learned that she was a squib and that her parents were also ones. She had spoken the Goblins after Lily's wedding because of a theory she had heard at the wedding reception. She glanced down at the baby in her arms. She headed for the teller area, quietly explained why she was there and she demanded to speak to someone.
Once she was in the office, she laid the boy down on the floor, ignoring the glaze of the goblin. She handed him the letter from Dumbledore and her Inheritance Test. "As you can see, Dumbledore is forcing us to take the boy."
Ironclaw read the letter and the test. He frowned a bit. "I need to have three drops of his blood to confirm his heritage. Dumbledore is a powerful man, and has been informing everyone since that night that he placed Harry Potter with his only remaining family."
"We don't want him. We weren't even asked. The boy was just dumped on our doorstep in the middle of the night."
Ironclaw's fury grew. "Has he been sick?"
"He was. I gave him some medicine."
"I will have our healers confirm this, we can use it later." He pulled out some parchment, ink, and quill. "I need you to state what lead you to come here. You don't need to mention your past experience here. Just the morning you found him, while I get a healer."
"May I use my own pen?"
"Certainly." Ironclaw left his office. He went and gave instructions to the head healer. Next, he went to speak to the Branch Manager.
"Give him to his family, after verifying the information, we can't have any mistakes. We will seal it. I will arrange for the wards to be kept up at her house so that Dumbledore will not know." The Branch Manager instructed. "I will inform the King."
Ironclaw returned to his office. He read the statement by Petunia Dursley nee Evans. "I just need a drop of your blood to verify your statement for future use."
Petunia cut her finger with the knife provided. "The Healer gave him a few things. She left these instructions." She handed over a note, pointed at the potions on the desk.
"I will make sure they are aware. Now, let's do the Inheritance Test."
Petunia picked up the boy, held him as Ironclaw used a needle to prick the finger of the boy. Three drops landed on the parchment on the desk. Ironclaw healed the wound. The boy gave him a bit of a grin.
Harrison James Orion Potter
Birth 31 July 1980
Death 31 October 1981
Parents:
James Charles Potter, deceased
Lillian Lois Potter nee Evans, deceased
Sirius Orion Black, blood adoption 3 August 1980, imprisoned, ineligible for guardianship
Status: Living Vampire (Active, Dominant) -Mother and Father (inactive)
Marriage Contracts:
Severus Sebastian Snape (Living Vampire, Active, Submissive) -Status Legal, signed 9 January 1981-signors- James Potter, Lily Potter nee Evans, and Severus Snape
Ginerva Molly Weasley (Witch, Dominant) -Status Illegal, signed 1 November 1981- signors-
Albus Dumbledore, Molly Weasley, Remus Lupin, blood- Ginerva Weasley
Titles:
Wallachia (Birth-Prince, Lord)
Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen (Birth-Prince, Lord)
Slytherin (Conquest-heir, Lord at 17, Tom Marvolo Riddle defeated 31 October 1981)
Gryffindor (Blood-heir, Lord at 17, James Charles Potter death 31 October 1981)
Peverell (Blood and Conquest, heir, Lord at 17 Tom Marvolo Riddle defeated 31 October 1981, James Charles Potter death 31 October 1981)
Potter (Blood-heir, Lord at 17, James Charles Potter death 31 October 1981)
Black (Blood-heir, Lord at 17, disownment of Sirius Orion Black 25 December 1980)
Rookwood (Blood-heir, Lord Augustus Rookwood, active)
Le Fay (Magic - heir, Lord at 17, active)
Emmrys (Magic - heir, Lord at 17, Tom Marvolo Riddle defeated 31 October 1981)
"Does he know?" Petunia was a bit surprised. She was only hoping to give the boy to their magical relative.
"No, he has only taken control of the Potter and Black seats." Ironclaw reread the list. He knew the King was going to be very interested in this. "I will send for the current Lord Rookwood."
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Augustus Rookwood was a bit annoyed. He had been dealing with the mess the demise of his Lord caused. He knew Dumbledore hadn't been speaking the truth, but there was nothing he could do about it. He was also a bit relieved; his Lord was a bit insane for the last few years and knew the man needed help.
He made his way through the drunks who were still partying after over a week after his Lord's demise. He hexed a few that got in his way. He entered Gringotts and headed towards Ironclaw's office.
He was a bit surprised to find a baby and a woman in the office with Ironclaw. He thought back over the last two years and hoped it wasn't the result of that one night he had in London. No, he made sure he used protection.
"Lord Rookwood, please take a seat. I have a lot of information to discuss with you."
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Severus was glaring at Dumbledore. Dumbledore had the school in total chaos and he didn't care. Students hadn't been to classes in over a week. It was now breakfast. He has been liberated from Azkaban two days ago, and Poppy finally released him, read escaped, from the Infirmary. He was a bit surprised to get a letter. He turned it over and saw the Gringotts' seal. He put it in his pocket, he wasn't going to read it at the Head Table.
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End Flashback
Severus bowed as he entered the room. "Little Prince."
"Severus, look, I got the new potion book." Orion held up the book. "I got the last copy."
Severus made his way to where Orion was sitting. "I have some time if you and Draco want to make a potion or two."
"Draco is with Uncle Lucius. They went riding." Orion flipped through the book. "Did Father tell you about the Weasleys?"
"Yes, you know they are looking for you."
"I know, but I don't look like James or Lily." Orion was a combination of the four parents. Augustus did a blood adoption on Harry before he even left Gringotts.
Severus, Augustus, and Lucius had already discussed the idea that Dumbledore believed the prophecy wasn't fulfilled, despite all the Death Eater's marks being gone. Severus wasn't sure what Dumbledore was hoping going to happen. He had seen that Dumbledore had books on his desk about soul magic, and when he informed Augustus, the man had quickly ran a scan over his new son.
*******************Flashback***************************
"The scar is only a minor cursed scar." Augustus handed the results to Severus. "He doesn't even have any dark magic residue left. The scar is just going to fade away." His son was almost two now. He couldn't believe how fast the months have flown by.
"He isn't going to like that. I have seen him writing out what he thought happened. He seems to want to keep Harry Potter image."
"What makes you say that?" Augustus laid the blanket over his son, who was sleeping in his cot.
"He keeps going on about how we have to protect Harry Potter. He even made me take a Vow." Severus admitted. "He also keeps asking about my former mark."
"You don't think he wants to keep that prophecy alive?"
"It would make sense." Severus touched Orion. He ran a finger down the chubby cheek. "When we made the marriage contract, we did it to protect Harry. James and Lily knew they weren't going to live much longer. Lily felt something was off about Dumbledore and the prophecy, we had no idea what she meant, as she couldn't really explain it. James had a lot of misgivings. He had originally wanted to remain at Potter Manor, Dumbledore the one to insist they move. Dumbledore was the one to point out that the Mutt would be the logically choice for a Secret Keeper and suggested Pettigrew."
"Let's speak to Lucius, as I feel you are correct. Something is very off. Why would he force a magical child to stay with muggles, and deprive him of his heritage?"
"When I read that note, all I thought of was he wanted Harry to be abused, he has been pushing the image of him looking like James. He has been expecting me to still hate James, keeps telling me that we were boys and how I should let go of my anger, yet reminds me in the same breath about their treatment of me, how I was the reason Lily didn't want to be my friend after fifth year."
"We have 9 years to get ready, gather information, and work out what Dumbledore is up too."
"Agreed. I know he wants me to remain at Hogwarts."
************End Flashback************************
"Severus, are you staying for dinner?" Augustus entered the library and wasn't surprised to find his son and Severus looking through a potion book.
"No, I have to return soon to Hogwarts. I just dropped by to warn you that Dumbledore is aware that there is no Harry Potter. The letters wouldn't leave Hogwarts. He finally sent Hagrid there, after Minerva received about 100 letters in her office because the owls just flew around Hogwarts and returned. Hagrid came back and claimed that Petunia never saw the boy."
"The goblins used a memory charm on her and her husband when they visited to add the wards. I, frankly, have wondered why he hasn't noticed before now. Those blood wards he tried to establish crashed within months."
"It explains the Weasley family taking pictures today. They were following us again." Orion didn't like Ron Weasley. The boy was a bully and loud.
"Interesting. So he really must want to make that prophecy happen again." Lucius had visited the Hall of Prophecies a year or so later. They held off because they didn't want to alert Dumbledore. He had found the tag of the orb had a charm on it. When he informed Augustus, they decided to go together and see if they could break the charm. It was a bit of work, but they did it and the tag stated that the prophecy was fulfilled, however, the orb remained on the open racks. Augustus ran a scan and found that Dumbledore had added a sticking charm to the Orb.
"It fits with his policies of how the Dark Lord will return." Severus had listened to years of Dumbledore making plans based on that ideal. It was how Dumbledore was able to still sit on the Wizengamot. He lost the Chief Warlock position about five years ago when some of the Lords died and passed their Inheritances over to Harry Potter. Not that Dumbledore was aware of that. All he knew was that the Lords had passed over.
"Which means he is going to be looking for me."
"Yes, but he can't do anything. I think he had the Weasleys there to see if he could find anyone who had the features of James Potter. He might believe a Muggle-born is now Harry." Augustus knew they would need to make sure the Slytherins were protected if Dumbledore was going to try and find Harry Potter.
"True, he already has the stone." Severus warned. They had already discussed what the stone meant. They knew it was going to be a test for Harry Potter. "He also had arranged for Molly Weasley and her brats to be on the other side of the station to "assist" Harry Potter."
"After having Harry met Hagrid, who is a rabid Dumbledore fan."
"Great, if I had followed his plans, I would be a Gryffindor, believing everything that man said, with Weasley as a friend." Orion didn't even want to think of that.
"What I found interesting is he is also pushing a muggle-born girl by the name of Hermione Granger as being the brightest witch of her generation."
"That is interesting. So we would have a bully who hates Slytherin, doesn't like to read. A Muggle-born he is setting up for a reason, with his Order members staged to guide Harry Potter." Lucius stated from the doorway. "Sounds like the man is going to make sure that Harry Potter only has those he approves of as friends. You know Weasley will make sure no one, without Dumbledore's approval, would be friends with Harry Potter."
"You say I have issues with control." Orion muttered to Severus, who didn't bother to hide his smirk.
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"Draco, Weasley is going by the door again." Pansy saw Draco look up from his book.
"Yes, still looking for the elusive Harry Potter, I believe." Orion gave them a slight smirk. None of them knew he was the former Harry Potter.
"This is going to be interesting. So far Granger-" They had already endured her rant about toads, books, classes, Dumbledore, and being a Muggle-born. "has passed by three more additional times, while Weasley is clearly looking for a specific someone. He has been trying to look at people's foreheads when he passes them." Blaise informed them. "I caught him doing it by the loo."
"Gryffindors." Orion huffed.
Everyone laughed, they knew they were going to Slytherin.
Chapter 2
Orion was standing surrounded by all his friends, watching the other students. He could see Weasley and Granger were trying to talk to everyone they believed might be Harry Potter. Granger going on and on about Hogwarts: A History, while Weasley warned about Slytherin and Death Eaters.
Draco rolled his eyes as Granger started going on about the Potters after one of the muggle-born didn't know about Harry Potter. "It's going to get worse." Pansy warned. All of the future Slytherins knew the next few years were going to be a battle with Dumbledore and his recruits trying to find Harry Potter.
Granted the only ones who knew he was Harry Potter were Severus, the Malfoy family, and his father, Augustus Rookwood. There was still the Death Eaters but they weren't official. They weren't organized like before, they were friends. While there weren't any Death Eater raids or even attacks, but there was still a political agenda.
The sorting went exactly as expected. Orion and Draco visited Severus the next morning informing him about the train. They all agreed to just sit back and watch Dumbledore and his goonies try to figure out what was happening.
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Nothing happened except everyone knew that Granger and Weasley were trying to figure out what was on the third floor, and kept trying to drag poor Longbottom off on adventures. Fluffy put Longbottom into the infirmary, causing the Board to wonder why a dangerous animal was in the school. Dumbledore removed the animal only to replace it with another one, a Griffin.
Severus knew Dumbledore was going nuts, he was determined that Voldemort was trying to return. Severus found his logic very illogical. Dumbledore believed that since Harry was to start at Hogwarts this year, it would draw the Dark Lord to Hogwarts, especially since the Stone was here. Minerva and Severus pointed out the flaws in this idea. There wasn't any new staff and the only ones caring about the Stone were Granger and Weasley.
The end of the year was approaching and Orion informed Severus that Granger and Weasley were convinced that Severus was going to steal the Stone. Severus decided to keep a closer eye on the duo. They had been having a lot of adventures which resulted in Longbottom in the infirmary a few times, the boy didn't learn after being bitten.
"Severus, I think they are going after the Stone, tonight. I heard them trying to get Longbottom to join them." Orion poked his head into Severus' office.
Severus sighed. "Merlin, are they really that stupid?"
"Hope you aren't expecting me to tell you anything differently?" Orion thought Granger was book smart but limited because she only read what Dumbledore would allow in Hogwarts.
"Go and stay in the common room. Tell everyone to stay there, if anything happens I don't want Dumbledore to try and blame any snakes."
"You know he will find a way. That man is blind." Orion headed out to the common room.
Severus sent a house elf with a message to Minerva and Filius. The three of them met at the entrance and found the Griffin eating what looked like hundreds of pounds of meat.
"Mr. Weasley must have asked the house elves, only he would think of food." Minerva was going to kill an old man.
"The Devil's Snare is burned." Filius looked down the opening, he was holding onto the trap door.
"Mr. Longbottom." They all knew who was the plant person and would explain why the duo dragged him along. Filius cast a cushioning spell, as Minerva transformed the remaining vines of the Devil's Snare into a rope type staircase. They would have to jump the last few meters.
They groaned as the found Weasley knocked out on the giant chessboard. Filius summoned a stretcher while Severus poured some pain reliever down the boy's throat. "I will take him to Poppy." Filius lead the stretcher away. "I wonder where Mr. Longbottom is?"
"Help! I'm up here." They all looked up and saw Longbottom sitting on one of the rafters, with a broken broom.
"Stay there, we will get you down after we find Miss Granger." Minerva was thankful, for a change, that Longbottom wasn't laying on the ground bleeding or unconscious.
They entered the next room and found Granger on the floor, convulsing. Severus rushed forward, thankful he always carried his potion pouch. "Minerva, I will need some blankets, the cure will drop her body temperature. Poppy will be able to counter that, but we can't do it for ten minutes after I administrator the cure." Severus saw the woman start conjuring blankets, while he crammed a bezoar down Granger's throat. Once the bezoar was in her stomach for ten seconds, Severus forced the cure down her throat. "Minerva, wrap her up."
They worked together wrapped in her blankets and adding heating charms to them. Severus conjured a stretcher, while Minerva sent a warning to Poppy.
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"I see." Dumbledore was sitting at his desk. He had arrived back at Hogwarts, only to discover the Stone was still in the mirror, and the three lions were in the infirmary.
"No, you don't. Miss Granger almost died tonight. If Orion hadn't heard them, come and told me, she would have."
"Merlin, Albus that course was easy to get through. It was pure luck that they didn't. Except for Severus' removing the solution and replacing it with a similar looking poison, Miss Granger would have. Mr. Longbottom was only in the rafters after they opened the door because he couldn't figure out how to dismount. Mr. Weasley only lost because he said he saw his flaw after he made his move, costing him to surrender himself."
"The Griffin was so hungry that is was having a feast instead of guarding the trap door." Filius couldn't believe Hagrid let the beast starve.
"Hagrid was sent on an assignment this week that is why that poor animal was so hungry. You better cover yourself, Albus. The Board won't be happy when they hear about this."
"There is nothing to report. Three students got hurt breaking the rules; everyone was warned to remain away from that floor."
Severus wanted to curse the man. He was going to blame the three dunderheads. Dumbledore's hands were technically clean.
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Second year:
Despite Dumbledore hiring Lockhart, nothing happened. The man went back to writing, while Severus had to teach his Slytherins that year's DADA requirements. No snake believed that Lockhart did those adventures, especially after seeing the duel between Severus and Lockhart.
Severus tried to ignore all the adventures the idiot duo tried to create. Honestly, believing that Ginny Weasley was possessed. Granger and Weasley kept insisting that Ginny Weasley was in danger. That she disappeared for hours at a time. It turned out the girl was writing in a journal because she was homesick. She only disappeared to get away from her brother and Granger drilling her about her journal, which was a simple black leather bound journal.
Third year:
"You want to what?" Severus was ready to kill Dumbledore.
"It's all set; Lupin will join us this year as the DADA professor."
"The man almost killed me." Severus couldn't believe it. "No, don't even say that the Mutt didn't mean it. Don't even try to say it's a slight misunderstanding. I spent my learning years here being terrorized by them, and now you want to bring the wolf back into what I consider my home?"
"Albus, he does have a point. It's not right. Just because you're hoping he might smell Harry, it's not the way to do it." Minerva and Severus were in Dumbledore's office. "You let the Marauders get away with a great deal, including Black sending Severus out to the shack. Look at where your forgiveness landed Black. He clearly didn't learn from you allowing it be considered a slight misunderstanding."
"Not to mention blaming me." Severus wasn't going to mention how he was threatened into not telling about Lupin. Dumbledore would deny it.
"There hasn't been anyone else that applied." Dumbledore leaned back in his chair, his hands smoothing down his beard.
"You mean that you demean light enough. I know three people that have applied almost yearly but you turn them down, so we end up like this every year. Wasn't the pompous buffoon enough?" Severus wasn't about to mention they happen to be ones that Lucius and he wanted to get into the school. The biggest issue was that the three weren't fans of Dumbledore. They weren't former Death Eaters, so Dumbledore couldn't use that excuse.
"I agree. The three of them are former students. Two are from Ravenclaw." Minerva knew the Slytherin would never be hired for the DADA position.
"Lupin already agreed to take the position." Dumbledore needed Lupin to find Harry.
"Albus, I'm in agreement with Severus, and I'm sure the Pomona and Filius will support that. The Board won't approve of him either."
Severus was going to make sure the Board didn't. He would have Lucius show the rejected, but better qualified, applications to the Board.
"We'll see."
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Rolf leaned over to Severus at the Welcoming Feast. "I see he hasn't changed."
"No, if anything he has gotten worse. He wanted to hire Lupin."
The newly formed Idiotic Trio drove Severus and the staff nuts. If they weren't trying to spy on the new DADA professor, they were off with Lupin, who was there on the weekends to aid Hagrid. What did Lupin really do? He set up Quidditch matches and other games, all while looking for Harry Potter.
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"Orion?"
"Severus, I keep finding this rat in the common room." Orion held up a cage. "I know it's the same rat as it's missing a toe."
"Indeed. Well, I need a new test animal."
"That is why I brought it to you. He is an escape artist."
"I have the perfect cage. I used it when we caught Nagini." Severus dumped the rat into a magically reinforced cage that was coated on the inside with a potion to nullify magic.
"May we work on that new potion now that we have something to test it on?"
"Certainly, I was going to go and buy a rat before Saturday, you just saved me some time and money."
Fourth year:
"This is going to be a mess." Severus summed up the idea of the two visiting schools. The students would be attending Hogwarts, but yet only the two headmasters were going to be at Hogwarts, which meant they would have more classes, more work, but no added help.
"I will help you brew."
"I'm counting on it, Orion."
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"What?" Orion looked at Draco, who was clearly as confused as he was.
"How?" Was heard before long whispers of cheating broke out.
"Mr. Longbottom, please join the other champions." Dumbledore beamed a smile.
Severus knew Dumbledore was now determined to have Neville Longbottom became the new Savior, despite all the failed trials.
Chapter 3
Everyone was rooted to their seats as the doors to the Great Hall where thrown open and in stormed Lady Agatha Longbottom, with Lucius Malfoy and other Board members. She saw her grandson sitting at the breakfast table, clearly miserable. She glared at Weasley and Granger. She knew they were making her grandson's time at Hogwarts miserable. "I'm withdrawing Heir Neville Longbottom out of this contest. As his legal magical guardian, he needed my permission to enter, and he never even asked."
Neville had written home last night informing his grandmother what had happened. He didn't know how his name had been entered, and he had tried to talk to Dumbledore about withdrawing. He also told her how Weasley started a fight with him. Granger and Weasley also accused him of cheating and lying.
"I didn't want to be in it." Neville rose. "I told the Headmaster I didn't enter my name, and I didn't want to be in it. He told me I had no choice." He had put up with Granger and Weasley all morning, both lecturing him about cheating and now being a coward for backing out.
"No, you don't because I am refusing your entrance." Lady Longbottom stood at the end of the Gryffindor table. "I know you didn't enter and I will find out how you were entered, especially since we were reassured that no one under 17 could enter."
"I believe it's a slight misunderstanding. Perhaps we speak in my office." Dumbledore wasn't expecting the old bat to show up here and rescind Neville's admittance. He had counted on her using a private chat where he could have used a compulsion spell on her. "Minerva, Severus, please join us."
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Lucius took the drink from Severus. "He seemed surprised she showed up." The meeting had been short. Dumbledore didn't have much in the way of power, so Lady Longbottom withdrew her grandson and made sure that Dumbledore was well aware that she wanted answers.
"I think he was. He was most likely expecting her to arrange a private meeting. He had asked me for a compulsion potion. He claimed it was for someone with a mental health issue that he wanted to keep quiet about." Severus brewed a lot of potions to help the mentally ill. He knew the compulsion potion used to prevent suicides.
Severus thought how the two of them had sat at the meeting and listened to Agatha Longbottom rehash the last three years where Granger and Weasley pulled her grandson into stupid adventures that the boy didn't want to go on. She had wondered how he made it into the house of the lion.
"You don't think he used a compulsion on Neville to go to Gryffindor?" The boy wasn't a Gryffindor. Hufflepuff perhaps, or maybe with the right instructions, a Ravenclaw.
"You were reading my mind, Lucius. I was just wondering that myself." Severus knew the tests were originally designed to test Harry Potter and make him into Dumbledore's Savior.
"He hasn't tried to drag anyone else into this mess?"
"No, he hasn't. He seems to be focused on turning Neville into some Savior. He really hasn't noticed Orion, Draco he pays attention to because of you. He believes that because Orion is the son of Augustus, that he is in Slytherin, not Ravenclaw. Something about how he is a pureblood." Severus closed his eyes briefly. "I will need to inform Orion." Severus knew he had to. He knew he couldn't keep secrets from him, the boy always knows.
"What does he think about all of Dumbledore's moves?"
"He thinks the man is an idiot, but Augustus and he have an idea, and I agree with it. Since Dumbledore is now going to be focused on this tournament, and distracted by finding Harry Potter, it might be a good time to start pushing for more laws and classes. Especially if we set the sessions when he is going to be involved in whatever events Hogwarts will be hosting." They really had much of a chance to meet since school was in session. Yule was really the next time they could gather, form plans, and be themselves.
"Agatha seemed more willing to listen to my ideas on the way over here." Lucius thought for a few minutes. "If I get the rest of the board, it will make it easier to get them passed through the Wizengamot. Fudge will bow down to the pressure of the Board."
"Augustus will be able to provide reports backing up anything we want. I know we have slowly been moving into place but it seems now is a good time. Dumbledore is distracted, people are wondering about the adventures with this event is the latest."
"I agree. I will talk to Augustus. We have enough power and we can make the big moves now." Lucius was mentally reviewing all the people they had, in what places, and where. While Dumbledore had left a lot of people to rot in Azkaban, he never was able to get a lot of the Death Eaters and supporters convicted. It was time to make a move.
"Dumbledore will be expecting plans from the Death Eaters. He is set for the Dark Lord to return. I believe this is his attempt to make it happen."
"You don't think he is trying to bring him back? He knows a lot of old magic. He might try to create a golem or something." Lucius always felt that Dumbledore was darker than anyone thought possible.
"He hasn't hinted at it but I will keep an eye and ear open. I haven't seen anything in his office, but knowing what he has done in the past, I wouldn't be surprised." Severus had watched Dumbledore for years. He had been at first shocked at how dark the man was.
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Orion watched Weasley and Granger. They were giving Longbottom a hard time for allowing his grandmother to withdraw him from the tournament, while everyone else believed that Neville did the right thing. They now believed he didn't enter the tournament.
Thomas and Finnegan were protecting him. Ginny Weasley was suddenly interested in Neville, while Luna was interested in Neville too. Neville seemed to like Luna too. "Love Gryffindor style?" Draco appeared next to Orion. While they weren't friends with the Gryffindors, they did watch them.
"Yes, I need to speak to Severus. It seems they are going to try a different route." Orion wasn't sure what Ginny Weasley was to do, but he knew it had to be on the orders of Dumbledore.
"Luna and Neville are a good match." Pansy added from where she was standing next to Draco. They had been outside watching Hufflepuff practice their Quidditch moves. Orion had followed Weasley and Granger from the library.
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Severus entered his quarters and saw Orion sitting there. "Little Prince, I wasn't expecting you."
"I saw something interesting." Orion put his potion journal on the small table next to the chair.
"Something you think Dumbledore is doing?"
"Yes, Ginny Weasley is suddenly interested in Neville." Orion explained how what they had seen earlier. "It was really strange as Longbottom clearly didn't want the girl around him. Luna seemed a bit confused, but I think Luna can handle Ginny."
Severus sat down in his favorite chair. "That is interesting." He looked at Orion. "Luna might be considered off by some, but yes, she can handle Ginny Weasley."
"Exactly, I had wondered about the two of them lecturing Neville after his grandmother withdrew him, but I think it's part of having him be comforted by Ginny."
"It would be something he would do. Since he hasn't been able to find Harry Potter and no Dark Lord. Lucius is moving forward with the plans." Severus, Lucius, and Augustus had been leading the dark faction in the shadows for a long time.
Orion didn't want to know too much information in case Dumbledore ever discovered who Orion was or tried to slip him an truth serum. Severus had been teaching him how to shield his mind for years, but since their magic was still growing, Severus and Augustus didn't push too hard. "Do you think he is going to try and bring the Dark Lord back?"
"We aren't sure. We are aware of the problem. However, I am not sure how he would explain the lack of a dark mark unless he brings the real Dark Lord back." Augustus had done a lot of research into the marks, even if Dumbledore managed to bring the Dark Lord back, their marks wouldn't return. The Dark Lord's magic wouldn't be the same and the connection was broken.
"Doesn't the missing marks means he is gone?" Orion had grown up hearing all about the Dark Lord, Dumbledore, and Harry Potter. He had known the truth, Severus, his father, Lucius had never lied to him.
"Yes, he is fully gone. So it would take a necromancer ritual, which Lucius and Augustus are searching to make sure it can't be possible. I haven't seen any black magic books in his office, nor the signs of him indulging in them."
"I don't trust him."
"Neither do I. We are watching him, Orion. We will stop him." Severus reassured Orion. He knew the boy hated Dumbledore, not that he blamed the boy.
Chapter 4
Orion and Draco were trying to keep their dinner down as they watched Ginny try and attract Neville Longbottom. Since it was the weekend, Ginny wasn't wearing her school reform. Ginny was wearing a low cut shirt, the showed a bit of her braless breasts, with a barely there mini-skirt. She looked like she should be walking the streets.
Luna was sitting on the other side of Neville. "Tart." Everyone looked at Luna.
"Are you calling me a tart?" Ginny stood up, glaring at Luna.
"No, I just wanted some tart." Luna held up a spoon. "Do you think you are a tart?"
"What? Why would I think I'm a tart?"
Luna tilted her head her eyes went from the top of Ginny's head to her feet and back to the top of her head. "I'm sure the answer will come to you."
Orion and Draco, as well as most of the Slytherins, covered their mouths so they could cover their laughter. Orion watched Weaslette, she was trying to figure out if Luna insulted her or not. Ginny decided that retreating was a better idea and retook her seat next to Neville who moved closer to Luna.
Orion glanced at Dumbledore who looked a bit surprised by the reaction of Luna and Neville. He seemed to believe that Weaslette actions would work. Orion looked at the other end of the table and watched Severus. Severus wasn't very happy with something. Severus finally noticed him, their eyes met and Severus tilted his head. Orion raised an eyebrow, and Severus nodded.
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Orion waited until he was sure Severus was finished with any detentions he might have had and headed toward Severus' quarters. He gave the password and sat down in his favorite seat. He began to read his potion book.
"My Prince." Severus knew Orion would be waiting for him. He released his students from his detention.
"Severus. So I take it Dumbledore is really going to go through with the Neville and Ginny plan?"
"Yes, he wants to get Neville back under his control. He hasn't tried to bring the Dark Lord back but has been pushing that he will return and that this event is a key part of it. Lucius and your father have set up some dark magic wards for Hogwarts and the Dumbledore land holdings."
"Do you think he would try it here?" Orion hoped Dumbledore didn't but he also believed that Dumbledore was off his rocker. Dumbledore was pushing too hard for Neville to be the Savior and for the Dark Lord to return.
"He might, in an area that students won't use. He can take down the wards."
"True. He can. What do Lucius and my father think?"
Severus smiled. "It's time. We can use this and Lady Longbottom hasn't been quiet about her grandson being forced into the tournament by Dumbledore. Lucius and your father have been speaking to her about classes and other Board related issues. She has been open to the changes."
"So we have the Board now?"
"Yes, which will make Dumbledore unravel some more. He has been losing control as he loses control over the Ministry, the Board, and Hogwarts. Minerva was mentioning how Dumbledore is pushing Lady Longbottom for a marriage contract between Neville and Tarty."
Orion and Severus laughed. "I'm going to remember the look on her face when Luna said tart."
"I honestly didn't think Miss Lovegood had that much of a Slytherin trait. Minerva is going to be speaking to the girl about her attire. I'm going to alert Lucius to the fact that Dumbledore wants the marriage contract." Severus was also going to mention to Narcissa the idea of having her host a tea and invite Lady Longbottom.
"Do you think it's time to push for the classes to be returned?" Orion and the rest of the Slytherins, with some Ravenclaws and Hufflepuffs, took lessons outside of Hogwarts.
"I'm going to mention that to Lucius. Your father has been gathering the information."
Severus knew his fourth years were ready to take their NEWTs and they would be at the end of the year for subjects not at Hogwarts. All his fourth years had since he took charge of Slytherin. Since they weren't taught at Hogwarts, and the students weren't in their fifth year, the results were sent to their parents and not Dumbledore. Lucius and Augustus would be using that information.
"Granger and Weasley are still giving Neville a hard time about not doing the tournament. Neville finally gave them a hard time yesterday by asking them to make up their minds if they are mad at him for not doing the tournament or if they still think he cheated to enter?" Orion and the rest of the school were confused by the trio's actions. Weaslette sudden interest Neville, and the way Granger and Weasley kept changing their minds about Neville, especially with Granger's lecturing the boy on first being a cheater then switching to him having to compete in it.
"Granger earned a detention for hitting him again. Minerva mentioned her habit of hitting Neville and others." Severus knew nothing would change. Granger and the Weasleys would remain the same, and nothing would change it unless Dumbledore was removed.
"Severus, is it time to completely remove him? Before he tries to bring the Dark Lord back?"
"I had an idea on that. As you know the title belongs to you by defeating, we could start using it."
"What is the plan?"
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Dumbledore threw a candy dish across the room. He had tried to get a marriage contract for Neville and Ginny, but the old battle ax wouldn't sign, nor would her brother. He didn't even want to think of the outfit that the girl wore in the Great Hall. He was going to have Hermione speak to her.
Dumbledore inhaled deeply. Where did everything go so wrong? Why couldn't he find Harry Potter? Where was Tom? What was going on? When did he lose control of everything? He looked down at his chessboard. He had no idea what was he going to do. Neville wasn't even in the tournament now and he needed him to be. How else could Tom return if he didn't have someone to use? He added the boy's name to the Goblet so that he could show that Neville was the Savior, at least until he found Harry.
He was still trying to figure out what happened to Harry. He had visited the Dursleys and they had no memory of Harry being there. He had tried the goblins and they would release nothing. He had even tried to have all the muggle-born boys pictures to see if he could find Harry that way, nothing. He went to the half-bloods but nothing again. He knew no pure-blood would have blood adopted Harry, they were too rigid with their blood purity.
He needed to figure out what was happening. He didn't have any control in the Wizengamot or the Board. Lady Longbottom was doing everything in her powers to get him out as headmaster. Lucius wasn't doing anything out of the normal. He had Mad-Eye check for the dark mark and nothing.
Severus hadn't been summoned, hadn't even shown a reaction beyond a scowl when he said Voldemort. None of the students had been marked in over a decade. He had the wards set to alert him and nothing.
He looked at the pawns. There was another failure. They certainly weren't popular like the Marauders. They were actually very unpopular. He had hoped his pawns would be friends with Harry, but even if he found Harry, he wasn't sure he wanted them attached to Harry. Hermione was making a lot of people upset with her attitude. Ginny, he closed his eyes, he wasn't sure what to do with her. She would never be accepted by the quality members of the wizarding world. Ron, he rolled his eyes, the boy was dumber than a box of rocks.
He thought about the purebloods in the school. His three pawns made a lot of enemies with them. Orion Rookwood and Draco Malfoy were the top two, which was very bad. Rookwood was the current head of the DoM, while Malfoy was the Chief Warlock and head of the Board. Hermione would never be accepted into a good position unless her attitude changed.
He knew that Ron would never make it as an Auror, as he wanted him to be with Harry. Harry needed to be an Auror to help promote and force people to remember the Potters and that the Potters died for their Savior. He would need to find a way to tie the Weasley family to Harry, but he wasn't sure exactly how.
He frowned at the board. He had to figure out who was leading the dark faction. He knew it wasn't Lucius. The man would be strutting around like the peacocks he owned if he was the leader. Lucius would take great joy in marking his followers, however, Lucius would be smart enough not to do it on the arm.
He had been trying to figure out the leader of the dark faction for a long time. He knew it wasn't Severus. Severus was his spy and owed him too much to go against him. He had thought it was Rookwood, but he wasn't sure even sure if the man had been a Death Eater. He also knew the man didn't speak to Cornelius unless he had to.
Dumbledore looked at the stack of books on his desk. He really had to figure out how the Dark Lord planned on returning. His name was taking a beating with the man not making an appearance. He had been looking into ways of having someone play the Dark Lord, but the marks would give it away. The darker faction would out that plot.
He had thought about bringing Voldemort back but no ritual he found could or would protect him from the dark taint the magic would require. No matter what he had read, everything stated his soul and magic would be tainted and nothing could remove that taint. The taint would show up in his magic. He couldn't allow that to happen, as it would lead too many questions.
Dumbledore needed to find Harry, find the Dark Lord, and get things back to the way he wanted them. Why couldn't people cooperate with him and his goals?