Disclaimer: I own neither Harry Potter nor The Dresden Files.

Of Wands and Staves

Chapter Twelve-

As it turned out, the Ministry was so eager to make friends with the newest Signatory of the Accords that they sent a formal note of apology, as well as a small token of their appreciation to John. The apology swore that there would be no more attempts to remove Harry Potter from his obviously more than adequate care, and the gift was priceless, or so Harry assured him. Basilisk venom was incredibly rare, and had uses in dozens of impressive potions.

John didn't care about the gift and was certain that Harry would know how to use it appropriately. The apology, however, was worth more than anything to him. He had his lawyers make copies of the document and secured them in several different places, just in case the Ministry ever decided to go back on their word.

The apology, unfortunately, turned out to be the best news the Harry and John would receive while their little lightning bolt was at Hogwarts for the end of his first year. It wasn't that they received bad news, no, on the contrary, they received no news at all from the school. Oh, Harry still sent them letters, but they were almost entirely free of any information.

John was very unamused, especially when he received his third letter in a row stating that everything was just fine and that Ron and Hermione were helping to make sure that Harry did all of his homework.

March 3rd

Dear Dad and Uncle Harry,

School is going great. The Professors have all been really nice, except for Professor Snape who never is. I won my last Quidditch game. We're going to be playing for the House Cup! Isn't that cool?

Ron and Hermione are keeping me company and helping me to finish up all of my homework. As the end of the year approaches, our teachers assign us more and more of it. I think they get a kick out of it or something. I tell you, I'd be lost without Hermione! She's a lifesaver. Great at organizing, and at finding information.

I'm looking forward to the end of the school year, and to seeing you both again! All my love to Mouse and to the two of you!

Love,

Harry

"Do you think that he's being forced to write these letters?" John asked, as he and Harry stared in consternation at the entirely uninformative letter. It wasn't just the lack of information that bothered him, it was the fact that it was almost the exact same letter that they'd already received twice over. The fact that it was only the third letter they'd received in as many months was also concerning, considering how many letters Harry'd sent before the break.

"I think that Dumbledore realized that you weren't a man to be trifled with when you signed onto the Accords for the sole purpose of keeping Harry from him," Harry answered after a few moments of silence. "I can't imagine that he would be stupid enough to cross you twice in a row."

"I can't imagine that anyone would be stupid enough to cross him the first time," Bob pointed out. "No offense, boss, but you picked a really scary guy to have a fling with."

John snorted. "If we're going to call a five year relationship a fling, I suppose you have a point." He ignored the fact that five years was drop in the bucket for a wizard and that their relationship could probably be considered a fling. Technically.

He picked the letter up and placed it into the same file he'd kept all the others in. It really wasn't even worth keeping, but if it did turn out that Harry was being forced to write such generic letters than he wanted there to be at least some evidence of the fact. Not that there was much they could do at the moment.

"We could go visit the school," Harry suggested, his frown pretty severe as well. "I mean, I think that they have to let a child's parents in to see them."

"What good would it do? If he isn't being forced to write these letters, there's nothing we can do, no matter how much I don't like that he's keeping things from us," John muttered. He rubbed at his forehead, hoping to dislodge the tension headache forming there rapidly.

He just wished that Harry would write them a real letter with some substance before he lost his goddamned mind. Was that really so much to ask?

ooOOooOOoo

John was officially forever and always going to remember that no news was good news. Because after five or so months of no news, what they were receiving now wasn't good news, and he was terrified.

He and Harry had received a letter informing them that their presence was required at Hogwarts because Harry had been in an accident of some form. The Headmaster's letter had been short, to the point, and had included something called a Portkey that had whisked them to the school's hospital wing, where they were sitting by Harry's bedside and waiting for anything resembling news.

The little one looked so tiny on the pristine white bed, his lightning bolt scar bandaged and his eyes closed peacefully. He looked so fragile.

"What happened?" John asked the Headmaster through gritted teeth. "Because somebody told me this school was safe, and so far it seems like it's the exact opposite." He didn't blame Harry of course for that. His wizard couldn't know everything, especially not about a group of wizards so very different from the White Council.

"The school is safe," the Headmaster answered wearily, and he sounded so sad that John almost felt sorry for upsetting him.

And then John remembered that this asshole had tried to take his son away, and oh, look. There went his pity. "Really."

"Yes, really. It was my fault, really. I didn't notice... one of our teachers was possessed by somebody that I doubt you've heard of. He's since been dealt with, but I'm afraid he gave Harry quite the fright." The Headmaster shook his head in sympathy and added, "But Harry performed a great deed tonight, keeping the Sorcerer's Stone safe from Voldemort."

ooOOooOOoo

Harry couldn't believe what he was hearing. "You had the Sorcerer's Stone in a school? Are you out of your mind?" he snarled. The stone was the most wanted piece of rock in any realm. With the ability to create the Elixir of Life, and the ability to make gold, it was invaluable. Any criminal, ranging from the petty to the murderous, would be after it had they known it was at a school.

"It was the last place that anyone should have thought to look for it!" the old man answered defensively. "It was perfectly safe here!"

"Until somebody tried to take it," came the sudden, choked whisper from the bed. Their little one was awake, and he was crying. "Daddy, he touched me and he burned," little Harry whispered through his tears.

John immediately scooped Harry into his arms and began to soothe him softly.

"We're going to take him home," Harry said flatly. This wasn't even up for debate. "And I don't think he'll be coming back next year."

"You can't do that! Dearest Harry still hasn't had the chance to say goodbye to his friends! And if you withdraw him from the school, well, I can't imagine what the Wizengamot might try to do. It would be a disaster," Dumbledore said with a frown that didn't come close to fooling Harry. He saw the threatening glint in the old man's eyes.

"And I thought we'd established that it was a really bad idea to threaten me," John snarled, and Harry was a little sorry that he didn't get to do the threatening. "Besides, your Ministry has already sworn to leave Harry in my custody."

Harry grinned. "And did you really want to tell the world that you were hiding something like the Sorcerer's Stone in a school? People would go mad, Dumbledore. They'd have your head for hiding something like that around children."

Harry had the joy of watching Dumbledore pale until he almost resembled a ghost. Obviously, he knew that he shouldn't have had the stone at Hogwarts. "Then I suppose Harry can go home with you," the old man whispered. "But I beg of you, don't remove Harry from the school. He's been doing so well here. And I swear, he'll be safe here next year."

John hummed in consideration. "We'll see what Harry wants," he said finally. John stood, then, and hefted little Harry into his arms. "Now. You're going to make us another of those Porkey things, and Harry, Harry and I are going to go home."

Dumbledore swallowed, looked down and away, and nodded. He waved his wand over a cup he grabbed from off of the mediwitch's table, and murmured something that Harry couldn't quite catch.

"I do hope that you change your mind," the old man murmured, just before handing the portkey off to Harry and John. The school's medical wing whirled away, and Harry hoped that would be the last they ever saw of it.

Somehow, he knew it wouldn't be quite that simple.

A/N: I want you to know that I had quite the internal debate over whether to call it the Sorcerer's Stone or the Philosopher's Stone. In the end, I went with what I'd read as a little girl.