A/N: As always, thanks to Bonnie for beta reading this and making it much better than it would have been had I simply been left to my own devices. Thanks as well to all those who have reviewed, followed, and favorited this story. I'm glad that people have been enjoying it. If you have questions or concerns about what's going on, feel free to include them in a review or a PM — I'll try to answer.
Recommendation: The Shadow of Angmar, by Steelbadger. The Witch King of Angmar wants to bring Morgoth back to Arda. What he gets instead is Harry Potter, the Master of Death. Harry is tortured for a year until Angmar falls and he is freed. Little more than a shell of a man, he makes his way across Middle Earth, learning how to use magic again and of course getting into all sorts of trouble.
Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter, JK Rowling does. I don't own Wonder Woman, DC does.
Chapter 07 - Ready for the Shuffle, Ready for the Deal
Monday, August 26, 1996. Gringotts Wizarding Bank, Diagon Alley.
"Kobaloi!" Diana muttered under her breath as soon as they'd entered the lobby. "I suspected when we saw the guards, but they were wearing too much armor to be sure. Now, though..."
"What's a kobbyloy?" Rose asked.
"Kobaloi, plural of kobalos," Diana corrected. "They're imps from ancient Greek stories. Trickster beings who might offer to help you, but who usually ended up deceiving you and leaving you worse off and poorer than you were before. Very dangerous. They all disappeared at some point, and none knew what had happened to them. I'd never have expected them to become bankers."
"I'm not sure that it's all that much different from what they were doing before," Hermione observed. "Just better organized. And now people wait in line to pay for the service."
"My mother will want to hear of this," Diana murmured softly, earning her a curious glance from Hermione.
"Excuse me," Rose said when they reached a free teller. "I'd like to talk to someone about my account."
The goblin glanced briefly up at her scar, then looked carefully at her again before nodding. "Someone will be with you shortly. Wait over there."
After a few minutes they were led through a maze of winding hallways to an ornate office that wouldn't have been out of place in one of the better muggle banks. Inside was a well-dressed goblin whose neat suit would have likely made any muggle banker green with envy. There was no mistaking him for a muggle, though — not when Rose considered his long ears, his hooked nose, or his fierce visage. Whereas muggle bankers looked at home holding a pen, this goblin looked as though he'd prefer to be holding a sword or axe.
"Miss Potter," he said, "you may call me Goldsack. What can I do for you?"
"It's Mrs. Potter now, actually. Or Mrs. Potter-Black. I got married in America a few weeks ago and was wondering if that meant that I was emancipated now. Or if Gringotts at least would treat me as emancipated."
"Emancipation is a legal issue and not one our bank deals with," he said with a frown. "Regardless, why would your emancipation be in doubt? It should follow automatically. It would make no sense for someone to be married but still under the legal guardianship of others."
"Because she married me," Diana answered, holding the goblin's gaze without a hint of shame or fear.
"I see," Goldsack said slowly. "That does change things, doesn't it? I have no idea what your Ministry will do, though I can guess. Gringotts doesn't care who you marry. We have branches in the United States, so we are obligated to respect American laws when it comes to the status of our customers there. Since you were married in America, you're married as far as the bank is concerned, and that means we'll treat you as emancipated, regardless of what the British Ministry says or does."
"Thank you," Rose said.
"Do you intend to officially register your marriage here in Britain?" he asked as he began to sort through some parchment.
"We're not sure," Diana said with a glance over to Rose, who shrugged. "Probably not. We'd like to avoid the publicity for as long as possible."
Goldsack nodded as he pulled sheets of parchment out of a file. "That may be wise. Emancipation won't result in a huge change for you, Mrs. Potter, since you're already sixteen and thus less than a year from being of age anyway. You'll get access to your family's vault a little early and... yes, that's it."
"Family vault?" Rose asked. "I thought I only had my trust vault."
Goldsack shook his head. "Your trust vault is just that: something placed in trust for you. It never represented all of your family's assets. Your family was never wealthy, mind you, and they lost much during the last war, but there is enough in your family's vault to live comfortably for some time, especially if you're frugal." He pushed some parchment over to her. "Sign here to make it official."
"I'd also like to give my wife access to my vaults."
"Of course. I'll need to do a blood test to verify identity, then we'll add her."
Diana gave him a hard look when he held out a ritual knife. "You said we can call you Goldsack, but is that actually your name?"
The goblin grinned toothily at her. "For the duration of this meeting, it is."
"And what about the rest of the time?" Rose asked.
"Names have power," Diana answered as she took the knife.
"Indeed they do," the goblin said evenly. "And I choose not to give you any further power over me."
Diana pricked her thumb with the knife, then placed a drop of blood in the center of a piece of parchment that had been specially charmed. Goldsack sat back and watched Diana's family tree appear. It didn't take long, and the account manager was left gaping in surprise as he looked back and forth between the parchment and the princess.
"This... this is truly unexpected. We thought your people lost long ago... when you disappeared, we simply assumed..."
"And we thought the same about you," Diana replied. "Imagine my own surprise when I came in here today and found you working as bankers, of all things.
Goldsack chuckled. "It was a difficult transition, I must admit, but we have thrived because of it." He gathered up several pieces of parchment, including the charmed one which Diana had just used, before stepping away from his desk. "Now if you'll excuse me, I'm going to need to get my supervisor's approval on this."
"I'm missing something important, aren't I?" Hermione asked once they were alone. "I knew of course that you didn't tell me everything about the community you came from, and that's fine. But clearly there's more going on here than people living in seclusion."
Rose looked at Diana with a pleading expression, and after a moment, Diana nodded. "My people are an all-female community which originated in ancient Greece. Our culture continues to adhere to that era's customs..."
"Amazons!" Hermione exclaimed, her eyes wide with excitement. "You're an Amazon, aren't you? And that means... but you can't really be..." Her voice went down to a barely-audible whisper. "Wonder Woman?"
"Rose was right about how quick you are," Diana said, clearly impressed. "Yes, I am. I was sent as an emissary and ambassador to Patriarch's World, but recently I encountered... difficulties. My marriage to Rose has created new options, and I've committed myself to joining her here, where I can help her fight."
"But why wouldn't you tell anyone? That's so incredible!"
"We decided to conceal the full truth of who and what I am so that people would underestimate me. We're at war, and in some ways I'm not sure that Voldemort is our only opponent."
It only took Hermione a moment to put it together. "You're talking about Dumbledore, aren't you? You said earlier that you don't trust him."
"And you know why, too," Rose said. "I'm sure we'll tell him eventually, but not until he's earned enough trust from us."
"So you won't say anything?" Diana asked.
"Of course not!" Hermione exclaimed. "Even if I didn't see where you have a point, I wouldn't say anything. It's your secret to keep or to tell, not mine."
"Thanks," Rose said as she reached out and gave Hermione's hand a squeeze. "That means a lot to us."
Before they could talk further, the door banged open and Goldsack returned. "Everything's been taken care of," he announced once he was back in his seat. "I have new keys for the both of you, plus an official copy of our lineage test, in case you need it." He pushed several items across the desk. "Take care, though, because your lineage test shows your marriage to Miss Potter here."
"Thank you," Diana said as she accepted the keys and parchment.
"I don't want to detain you, since I'm sure you have much that you need to get done," Goldsack continued. "However, when you have time, there are several managers here who would like to meet with you about reestablishing ties between our peoples."
"I would be honored to begin discussions on that topic."
"Excellent! I have a clerk waiting to show you out."
"That was a bit more interesting than I'd expected," Hermione observed as they exited the bank and passed the goblins standing guard at the door.
"Never a dull moment when you're with me," Rose said with a lopsided grin, causing Hermione to roll her eyes as they started down the steps. "Want to stop at Fortescue's before we continue shopping?"
"What's Fortescue's?" Diana asked.
"Only the best ice cream in the world, Mrs. Potter-Black!" Rose declared.
Diana brightened considerably at that, then suddenly she shouted, "Get down!" as she dragged both girls to the ground with her. Rose felt as much as heard spells pass above them. Up the street, a few yards from the Gringotts steps, were three black-robed figures standing with their wands drawn.
"You fools! You cast too soon!" one shouted. "Get them!"
"Back into the bank!" Rose cried as she and Hermione cast shields. They tried to move backwards up the steps but stumbled and fell over something in their way. To their horror, they discovered it was the bodies of the two goblin guards. One was clearly dead, his head shattered by some sort of curse; but the other had been hit in the chest where his armor protected him from most of the effects of the spell.
Both witches had lost their shields in their moment of distraction, but no spells even passed by them, much less hit.
"Holy Cricket!" Hermione exclaimed. When Rose looked, she saw what had so surprised her friend: Diana was standing in front of them, her white robe billowing as she blocked spell after spell with her bracelets. Most ricocheted harmlessly into the walls of surrounding buildings, but she was able to return enough spells to the attackers to ensure that the three Death Eaters had to keep moving, lest they suffer from their own curses.
"Isn't she amazing?" Rose gushed, gazing up in wonder.
"Rose, we need to help!" Hermione shouted in exasperation, smacking her friend on the shoulder.
Rose shook herself. "Uh, right. Can you shield for both us and this goblin?" As Hermione got to it, she started firing off a string of offensive spells. "Bombarda! Reducto! Bombarda! Confringo! Confringo!"
The three attackers immediately cast their own shields, which gave Diana enough of a break that she was able to back up behind Hermione's defenses. "Are you injured?"
"No, but one goblin guard is dead and the other is pretty badly hurt," Hermione said, wincing as her shield got hammered by several nasty curses.
Diana raised her voice and called, "Surrender, and you won't be harmed!"
"Avada Kedavra!" was the only reply, and suddenly a sickly green curse was rushing towards them. Everyone dove behind the large stone columns in front of the bank, and Rose was relieved that she'd taken the time to explain to Diana about the unblockable killing curse. They knew from their brief testing that Diana was somewhat resistant to magic — a stunning spell barely had any effect on her — but they doubted that they'd be so lucky with darker spells, and especially the Unforgivables.
Several more killing curses struck the columns, sending sharp bits of stone everywhere. Rose looked longingly at the doors behind them, but she knew she couldn't abandon the injured goblin, and Diana certainly wouldn't.
"Give me a distraction," Diana hissed as she rushed out from behind cover.
Hermione banished the stone rubble in the direction of the Death Eaters while Rose cast several explosive curses at their feet, sending up more stone and dust. In a single motion, Diana dove and rolled, grabbing the dead goblin's short sword and shield in the process. She rose to a standing position on the far side of the bank's front steps, now fully armed. She threw the goblin sword at their attackers, cleanly severing the arm of the Death Eater who'd cast the first killing curse.
He looked down in mute horror at the bleeding stump of his wand arm as he collapsed to his knees. Then the screaming began. The other two were only slightly less shocked, though it didn't take them long to recover and begin casting curses again, including more killing curses, almost all of which were focused on Diana.
Before the Death Eaters could wear her down, spells started coming at them from a new direction, and Rose realized that it was Tonks, who had taken cover in a store entrance ten meters away. This forced the two attackers to split their attention, allowing Rose and Hermione to work together against the one who was trying so hard to kill Diana.
"Bombarda!"
"Confringo!"
Stone chips sprayed up all around the Death Eaters, forcing them to move away from Gringotts.
"Confringo!" Rose's spell blasted the wand arm which the Death Eater had instinctively raised against the flying debris.
"Incarcerous!" Hermione's spell followed immediately after, shooting out magical ropes that sent the Death Eater tumbling to the ground in a heap.
"Alecto!" cried the other attacker as he turned to look at his companion, giving Tonks the opportunity she needed.
"Stupefy! Incarcerous!"
Now both were down, just in time for more aurors to arrive.
"Robards, Jones!" snapped a grey-haired woman with numerous scars and an eyepatch. "Secure the prisoners and see to the wounded. Auror Tonks, report!"
"Ma'am, I arrived to see these three Death Eaters attacking people on the steps of Gringotts. I assisted as best I could from behind. One Death Eater was already badly injured before I could get into position, and a second was incapacitated just before I stunned and bound the third."
"Why in Merlin's name would they attack Gringotts?" asked one of the aurors.
"I think they were attacking me, actually," Rose said as she stepped forward.
"Rose Potter?" the older woman asked. "It seems we only ever encounter each other in difficult circumstances."
"Ma'am?"
"I suppose you may not remember me — we only exchanged a few words at your trial last year. I'm Amelia Bones, head of the DMLE."
"Oh!" Rose exclaimed, finally recognizing her. "Sorry, but, uh, yeah, I was rather distracted at the time."
"Quite understandable," Bones said as she looked around the scene, then focused on the people standing to either side of Rose. "And you two are?"
"Hermione Granger."
"Diana."
"Just Diana?" Bones asked, one eyebrow raised questioningly.
"It's complicated."
"Yes, well, it seems that we have quite a few 'complicated' things going on here." Bones said. "You're an American, aren't you?" Diana nodded. "And that complicates things even further. I'd like it if you'd all come to the Ministry with me."
"We're not in any trouble, are we?" Diana asked.
"No, not at all. You need to be officially interviewed about this incident anyway, and it will give me a chance to talk to you about some things." She paused to glance around at the growing crowd of people which had gathered, their whispering increasing by the minute. Considering how many were pointing at Rose, it wasn't hard to guess what they were saying. She turned back and added, "It might also be a good idea to get off the street."
Rose noticed the onlookers and quickly agreed. "Will we have to deal with Fudge?"
Bones' lips twitched. "I'll see what I can do to save you from that."
"Excuse me," came a voice, and when they turned they found a well-dressed goblin behind them. "I was informed that the three of you protected our injured guard while you," he looked at Diana, "used the deceased goblin's sword to... disarm one attacker."
"Yes, we did," Diana answered. "Is that a problem?"
"Not at all," he replied, then snapped his fingers. Another goblin approached, carrying a bloody sword from where it had been retrieved on the street. "Because of your actions, you have earned the dead warrior's weapon."
Diana looked carefully at it, then back up at the goblin. "Is it still the case that a fallen warrior's family receives their weapons?" When the goblin nodded, she bowed and continued, "Then I thank you, but I must respectfully decline. I would not take his family's inheritance from them — it would feel too much like stealing." She then presented him with the shield, which she was still carrying. "Here, I return this so it, too, can be passed along as it should be."
The goblin seemed satisfied as he accepted the shield and handed it over to his companion. "Yes, perhaps this is not the weapon for you after all. I am pleased to see that Goldsack was correct in his report about your meeting with him." He waved one hand, sending the other goblin scurrying off with the dead one's gear. "I look forward to speaking with you again." At that, he gave a quick bow himself before leaving.
They turned back to find Bones eyeing them with undisguised curiosity. "Complicated indeed," she murmured.
Ministry of Magic, London.
They were each given to a different auror to be interviewed about the incident, and once done they were all ushered into Madam Bones' office, where she was waiting for them.
"Before we get started," she said as she looked through the files she'd been given when they came in, "I'd like to thank you, Miss Potter, for teaching Defense to some of your classmates last term. Susan tells me that it helped her a great deal with her OWL exam."
"It wasn't a big deal—" Rose tried to say, but she was immediately cut off.
"I'd say it was a big deal. Our home was attacked by Death Eaters earlier this summer, and her help was crucial in keeping us alive until auror reinforcements arrived. As it was, I needed nearly a month in St. Mungo's to recover."
"Oh, I had no idea!" Rose exclaimed, now understanding why she hadn't recognized the scars and eyepatch.
"So, it's true that you weren't in the country," Bones observed. "You couldn't have been here and not heard about that attack. We were lucky that we only had to deal with several of his veterans. I shudder to think of what might have happened had You-Know-Who come himself." She paused when she opened the third file, then looked up at Diana. "My auror records that you still refused to give a last name in your interview. Mind telling me why?"
Diana looked questioningly at Rose, who nodded. "Because my full name is Diana Potter-Black, though I'm going by Diana Black in most situations."
The head of the DMLE frowned in confusion. "Potter-Black? I didn't think you had any living relatives — not in the Potter line, at least. And why Black?"
"I don't have any Potter relatives," Rose admitted. "Diana is my wife."
Bones' eyebrows shot into her hair as she leaned back heavily in her seat. "Wife?" she finally asked. "So... you were in America, then?" Rose and Diana nodded. "That explains the accent. But... married? Merlin, this is going to complicate things horribly. And what about Black?"
"Sirius Black was my godfather," Rose said. "My innocent godfather. I came to the Ministry at the end of last term thinking I needed to rescue him, but it was a trap and he had to come rescue me instead. He never got a trial — not a real one at least — and Fudge had been trying to murder him."
Bones raked a hand across her face and sighed. "Maybe you'd better start from the beginning. First, tell me why you think Black was innocent, and then the full story of why you were in the Ministry in the Spring."
"Weren't you given a report on that?" Hermione asked.
"No, Dumbledore has blocked every attempt I've made to talk to those involved, and all Fudge cares about is that damned prophecy." Something seemed to occur to her then. "If you think he was trying to murder your innocent godfather, then there's no way you'll want to work with him the way he hopes, is there?"
"When hell freezes over," Rose growled, and Diana squeezed her arm in an attempt to calm her.
"This is turning out even worse than I'd thought," the older woman muttered as she set up a special quill to record their words. "Why don't you start from the beginning, then." And they did, telling her all about their encounter with Sirius Black in third year. They skipped over how they broke the law to free him, as well as their interactions with him since then, moving immediately to Rose's visions, their trip to the Ministry, and the ensuing fight.
Bones skimmed the transcript once they were done. "I know you glossed over a few things," she said without looking up, "but I won't press. I can see now why you think Black is innocent." She set the parchment down and eyed the two young witches carefully. "You've made some risky decisions, though. I'd take you to task for them, but I'm not your mother." Despite the apparent reprieve, they squirmed a bit under her relentless gaze.
She turned then to look at Diana. "The same goes for you. I can't say that I understand or approve of two witches marrying — especially when one is technically underaged! — but we have bigger issues to deal with. All of Wizarding Britain is in an uproar over that damned prophecy. More and more people are demanding that Miss Potter be forced to do something about You-Know-Who, once and for all."
"They're afraid," Diana noted. "Fear can cause people to do many irrational and even terrible things."
"And do you—" Rose asked, but Bones immediately shook her head.
"Absolutely not! I think it's absurd for people to place all their hopes on the shoulders of one sixteen-year-old witch! Even if the most direct interpretation of the prophecy is true, and you're the only one who can vanquish You-Know-Who, that still wouldn't justify the calls to send you out to do battle with him — not with how little training and experience you have. And on top of that, nothing in the prophecy says that you're destined to face him alone! It's our job normally to deal with criminals and Dark Lords, so we should be the ones tasked with leading the efforts, not you."
"How many people here share that sentiment?" Diana asked.
"Not many," Bones conceded. "And some only pretend to agree. Fudge, for example, talks a lot about getting you to work with the Ministry, but that's only so he can gain politically from being associated with you, not because he wants to commit the Ministry's resources to the fight."
"So what is your plan?" Diana asked.
"Internally, I'm doing what I can without Fudge's knowledge or approval," Bones said. "I won't be able to accomplish as much as I'd like, but I hope that by the time I need to do more, we'll have better leadership, one way or another."
"And what are your plans for me?" Rose asked.
"Nothing that you're unwilling to do," Bones said. "I don't want to force you into anything, and I certainly don't want you getting in our way. If the time comes that you can contribute, I hope you will. Until then, we can't exactly ignore the prophecy — I'm sure You-Know-Who is taking it seriously. So I'd like to assign you protection. Unfortunately, I've yet to come up with a good way to do that. I can't assign aurors to Hogwarts without Dumbledore's approval, and I'm not sure I can spare them anyway."
Both Rose and Hermione immediately looked to Diana.
"Is there something I need to know?" Bones asked.
"Well, to be perfectly honest, I already have protection," Rose explained. "We haven't figured out how to get her into the castle yet. And we're running out of time, actually," she added, a worried look crossing her features.
Bones eyed Diana more critically. "I would of course expect you to protect your spouse, but why do you think you're sufficient protection against all those who mean her harm? I'm not merely talking about Death Eaters, but also those who would try to sacrifice Rose in an effort to fulfill the prophecy. I'll admit, the initial reports make it sound like you acted competently outside Gringotts, but..."
Diana hesitated for a moment, then pulled out a piece of parchment which she handed over.
"Is this genuine?" Bones asked in shock.
"It's an official copy from Gringotts."
"I... I thought your people were a myth," she said, looking up. "And your training?"
"I have extensive training in all manner of combat arts. There are few on this planet who can truly stand against me in a fight."
"That explains how you were able to resist three Death Eaters without using a wand. I'm curious why you didn't kill that Death Eater when you had the chance."
"I abhor killing," Diana explained. "I won't hesitate to kill if I'm convinced that I have to, but my standards for having to are high." She looked meaningfully at Rose before continuing, "Your Voldemort certainly seems to qualify, and I have no doubt that a number of Death Eaters will as well before this is over. But I won't kill simply because it's convenient to do so."
Bones leaned back in her chair for a moment, apparently lost in thought, then abruptly she stood and strode over to a shelf where she pulled out a large, ancient-looking tome. She spent some time flipping through it, stopping every so often to read something before moving on.
"Aha!" she finally exclaimed, tapping one page with a finger. "I knew it!" She looked up at the other three and said, "I agree, you'd probably be a better guard than anyone I could send; and while you may not have a way into the castle, I do. There was a time when security for witches and wizards was much more tenuous, so wizarding leaders assigned security to Hogwarts. This was back before the Ministry even existed and was part of the practices and traditions which were automatically incorporated into Ministry law. This particular mandate has never been repealed."
"So you can assign her to the castle yourself?" Hermione asked.
Bones nodded. "You'll be the Castle Warden, responsible for overseeing all security. The salary is small, I'm afraid, since nothing about the position has been updated in several centuries..."
"It's alright, I don't need to be paid," Diana said.
"Oh, but you do," Bones insisted. "Being paid means you're an employee, which gives you legal authority to act. It also establishes the chain of command, which in this case means you're answerable to me and me alone. Like I said, the parameters of the position haven't been updated in centuries, so the modern Ministry bureaucratic structure is bypassed entirely. I'd get you diplomatic immunity too, if I could, but I doubt I'd be able to get that through the relevant Ministry departments without a fight."
"So Dumbledore can't stand in the way, and Fudge can't interfere?" Rose surmised.
"Exactly," Bones said. "Only the director of the DMLE can give you orders or fire you — and the only orders I'd give are the ones I know you'll be following regardless. You'll have to work with the Headmaster, of course, but he won't be your superior."
Diana looked pleased at that. "Very well, I accept."
"Good. It will take a couple of days for me to finalize the parchment work for this — there isn't anything standardized, obviously — but in the meantime you can consider yourself the Hogwarts Castle Warden." Bones hesitated then. "I'm not sure if it's any of my business, but do you intend to register your marriage officially with the Ministry?"
Rose shook her head. "We're not going to hide it or lie about it, but we thought that trying to make it official would cause more trouble than it's worth."
"That's probably true. It would force people to react, not to mention give them openings to interfere on an official basis. Until then, all they can do is complain or spread rumors, which they'll do regardless."
"Will we be facing any charges from what happened today?" Diana asked.
Bones sighed. "Based on what I've read so far, you shouldn't, no."
"But?"
"But... given that Rose was involved, I can see Fudge or one of his lackeys trying to use it as leverage over her." She frowned for a moment before continuing. "It won't be easy, but I'm going to have to bury some aspects of this incident to keep your involvement quiet for as long as possible." She then turned to look at Diana. "That will only keep Fudge's nose out of this, and only for a while. You can assume that sympathizers to You-Know-Who saw what happened and will report back. Even if you weren't going to work at the castle, he'll know about you. There's no turning back now — you're committed."
"I was committed the moment we were married," Diana replied firmly, and Bones gave an approving nod.
"Madame Bones, is there any chance that Sirius could be pardoned? Posthumously, I mean?" Rose asked, trying to sound as offhand as possible.
Bones' brow furrowed. "Perhaps. There would need to be an inquiry. If the evidence for his guilt is as thin as you say, and if he never had a trial, then a posthumous pardon is a possibility. I can't promise anything, though. We have too many other priorities right now, and Fudge probably won't see any political advantage in it."
"I know. I'd... I wouldn't want his name to go down in history as a traitor," Rose said, regret tingeing her voice. "He died to protect me, after all."
"I understand, and I'll see what I can do. Now, let's get you out of the Ministry before Fudge learn you're here."
Grimmauld Place, London.
It was late afternoon by the time they finished their shopping and arrived back at Grimmauld Place, and they were all tired from the long day. Diana turned out to be as much of a bookworm as Hermione, and the two spent a lot of time bonding over books in Flourish & Blotts, much to Rose's chagrin. Madam Malkin agreed to create a couple of new robes in the same style as the white one Diana was wearing, a modified toga that incorporated elements of both styles of dress and which was reminiscent of Hippolyta's royal toga. She also created several that would provide Diana with greater freedom of movement in a physical fight, something that wasn't at all common in the wizarding community. Towards the end they visited Weasley Wizarding Wheezes, where they chatted with the twins, tried out some of their joke products, and kept a close eye on Malfoy when he was spotted walking by outside.
Their enjoyment of the day was brought to a screeching halt when they emerged from the floo to find Albus Dumbledore standing there, his expression stern.
"I believe I left strict instructions that you were not to leave headquarters. It is much too dangerous out there right now."
"In case you've forgotten, Headmaster, I'm an adult, and free to do as I wish," Diana said, meeting his gaze directly. "I do not shrink from danger, nor will I consent to being caged."
"And I'm married, so I can also do as I wish," Rose added, causing Dumbledore's frown to deepen.
"And while I may still be a student," Hermione put in quickly, distracting the old wizard, "I'm less than a month from my seventeenth birthday. Plus, my parents have not forbidden me from going to Diagon Alley."
"Nevertheless, your actions today were as foolish as they were dangerous, as demonstrated by the fact that you opened yourselves up to attack."
"An attack which we survived," Rose countered.
"It was a risk, but not an unnecessary one," Diana said. "We had business with Gringotts that we alone could conduct. We might have returned immediately afterwards, but that was when the attack occurred, and it was unlikely that there would be a second."
"Be that as it may, I and the Order have gone to great effort to ensure your safety. Instead of taking advantage of that safety, however, you have shown a penchant for running off — first to America when the summer began, and then to Diagon Alley as soon as you returned. I cannot stress enough how irresponsible that was. Perhaps it's for the best that the Quidditch captaincy for Gryffindor had to go to Miss Bell when we couldn't locate you."
Diana noted how Rose stiffened at that news, so she stepped forward to force Dumbledore to focus on her instead. "And in the time that you accuse her of being irresponsible, has she not proven to be at least as safe as she has ever been in your school?"
"Hogwarts is the safest school—"
"The same school where she's nearly died several times a year, every year, and often through no fault of her own?"
"It is true that we've had more problems recently than I'd like, but the fact is she has been well taken care of. All the students have been, in fact. Even if someone doubted the protections throughout the castle, my own presence has a well-known deterrent effect. You, on the other hand, won't be with her come September, so she won't be able to simply rely on your help. I advise you both to consider that carefully the next time you decide to throw caution to the winds." He turned stiffly and strode away.
"Why didn't you—" Rose started to say, but she stopped when Diana held up a hand. With a gesture the Amazon invited the two witches to follow her, and only once they were in the couple's shared bedroom did she speak again.
"I assume you wanted to know why I didn't say anything about my appointment as Warden?" Both girls nodded. "For one thing, I don't technically have it yet. I know Madam Bones assured me that it would happen, but I wouldn't feel comfortable announcing it when it's still being worked on."
"That would give him more time to find a way to interfere, too," Rose said thoughtfully.
"Exactly," Diana agreed. "It might be best to only confront him with the situation once it's too late for him to overturn it. I don't normally approve of keeping secrets like this, especially from someone who deserves to know what's going on, but in this case I think it's probably for the best. He'll learn the truth soon enough."
"Like... maybe just before the Opening Feast?" Rose suggested, a grin breaking across her face.
"The thought had occurred to me," Diana admitted, trying and failing to look innocent.
"Oh, sweet Merlin," Hermione muttered. "Now there's two of you!"
That night at dinner they got an earful from Mrs. Weasley about being irresponsible and running off into danger, but she was shocked into silence when she heard how Diana had stood tall on the steps of Gringotts, protecting Hermione and Rose from the spells of Death Eaters.
"Did you really?" Mr. Weasley asked. "Those cuff things of yours deflect spells?
"I wasn't willing to try them when I had the killing curse cast at me, but they deflected everything else."
"She was pretty incredible," Tonks chimed in. "I only saw the end, mind you, but she was moving faster than the eye could follow. Those Death Eaters were in as much danger from their own deflected spells as their targets were."
"Amazing!"
"That's putting it mildly," Rose commented.
"Oh, you poor dear!" Mrs. Weasley cried as she bustled around the table and pulled a surprised Diana into a hug. "Thank you so much for doing that! You must really love Rose to do something so brave! Both of them, in fact!" She pulled back slightly and fixed the younger woman with a stern gaze. "And risky, too! You simply must be more careful!"
Only then did she seem to notice the shocked stares she was getting from around the room.
"What?" she said a bit defensively. "She's only just gotten married — she should think about how Rose would feel if she got hurt!"
This acknowledgment surprised Diana even more than the hug. Mrs. Weasley had been rather cool towards the two of them ever since their announcement — not overtly hostile, but not particularly friendly, either. Risking her life for Rose had apparently raised her considerably in Molly's regard. As overbearing as the woman could be, Diana was glad to see that she at least had her heart in the right place.
"Can anyone use bracelets like those?" Ginny asked, eyeing Diana's forearms.
"It takes a great deal of training to be able to use them effectively," Diana said, "but they are only worn by members of my community. They are a symbol of when we were once enslaved and a reminder about the importance of fighting for freedom for everyone."
"Well said," Mr. Weasley declared. "That's what this war with You-Know-Who is about, after all: freedom from domination and enslavement."
"That makes me even more relieved that you decided to go with Rose," Mrs. Weasley commented as she waved her wand to bring additional serving dishes floating over, causing the table to groan under the weight of it all. "I still don't like it when you get yourself into danger, but I feel better knowing that you're protecting each other."
"Is something wrong?" Diana asked softly when she saw a sour expression pass across Rose's face.
"I don't feel like I did any protecting," she replied. "You did all the work while Hermione and I had to cower behind you."
"That's not true at all!" Diana insisted. "The two of you helped a great deal — first by shielding the goblin so I didn't have to worry about him, then by casting spells yourself, ensuring that they couldn't focus entirely on me."
"So we were merely a distraction?" Rose summarized, looking even less happy. "I think that might be worse than how we performed in the Ministry. If I can't fight a couple of Death Eaters..."
"You going to start up the DA again?" Ron asked, preventing Diana from responding. "We could all improve over how we did in the Ministry."
"Which you will not be doing again!" Mrs. Weasley shouted from the other end of the table.
"I hadn't thought about it," Rose answered. "If we have a good professor, I don't suppose it would be needed, would it?"
Ron shrugged. "I'd come, even if the professor this year is good. You taught us more practical stuff than we ever got with any of the other teachers, even Professor Lupin."
"I guess if there's enough interest, I might. What do you think?" Rose looked to Diana.
"Given the threat that exists for everyone here, more practice would be a good idea," Diana said. "You never know when people will be forced to fight for their lives. Look at how much your lessons helped Madam Bones and her niece." She didn't add that she'd be happy to help, since most of those at the table had no idea that she'd be at Hogwarts in the first place.
"You got to talk to Madam Bones?" Mr. Weasley asked. "Almost no one has been able to see her personally since the attack, not even after she left St. Mungo's. The aurors have been especially protective of her."
"Not only did we talk to her," Hermione answered, "but we talked to her about you, Sirius."
"How so?"
"She's willing to look into getting you posthumously pardoned, but she couldn't make any promises."
"They're obviously a bit preoccupied right now," Rose added.
"That's great news!" Mr. Weasley pronounced, clapping a dumbfounded Sirius on the back. "Maybe this will be what finally changes things for you!"
"Is she going to do it?" Sirius asked hoarsely.
"She said she'd try," Rose replied. "All we can do now is wait and watch."
"Dumbledore said he'd do something for you," Diana pointed out. "Maybe you can give him a little push, now that someone else is looking into the matter?"
"Yeah, I might do that," Sirius said distractedly.
"I suppose I'll have time to do the DA again, won't I, since I won't be Quidditch Captain," Rose groused, sounding suddenly angry and depressed.
"I forgot to ask about that, but what is Quidditch?" Diana said.
Dead silence fell around the room as they all stared at her in astonishment and pity. All except for Hermione, who rolled her eyes, apparently having long given up the argument.
"Rose didn't tell you about Quidditch?" Ginny asked, scandalized.
"It's only the greatest game in the world!" Ron exclaimed. Then he, Ginny, and Rose began to describe the intricacies of flying dozens of yards in the air on thin sticks of wood while avoiding cannonballs weighing over 100 pounds each and travelling at eighty miles per hour.
"Are you insane?" Diana demanded once the explanations had been made. "I'm all for sports competitions, and I love testing my skills against others, but the sport has to at least make sense. And not involve equipment that tries to murder the players!"
"Thank you!" Hermione said. "I'm glad someone else here has some sense!"
"I just catch the snitch — I'm not involved in most of that," Rose assured her, waving a dismissive hand.
"Not that that's stopped you from getting injured every year," Hermione muttered under her breath, but Diana heard her quite clearly.
"And if catching the snitch wins the game, what's the point of the other players?" Diana asked. "It's as if there are two entirely different games being played on the same field, and you all just try to avoid running into each other too much!"
"No it isn't! The strategy is actually complicated," Rose insisted. She, Ron, and Ginny proceeded to explain different Quidditch tactics, which devolved into a debate over the best tactics and equipment, which eventually devolved into Ron arguing why the Chudley Cannons was the best team ever. As usual.
"Does that game make any sense to you?" Diana asked Hermione once it was clear that the others had become lost to their disputes.
Hermione shook her head. "No, it never has, but you'll not get through to anyone here. Wizarding Britain is Quidditch-mad. Still, it makes Rose happy, and that's what's important. I only go to the games to watch her, even if I'm constantly terrified that she'll get hurt again."
Diana sighed and looked back at the argument, wondering how difficult it would be for her to watch her wife fly around on a broom while chased by cannonballs — to watch, and not interfere. She could tell how much flying meant to Rose, and she of all people understood how liberating the feeling of flying could be.
But really... cannonballs?
