Disclaimer: this story uses characters and settings from J.K. Rowlings wonderful creation Harry Potter. I get neither fame nor money for the stories I create off her work. All I get is the reviews my readers grace me with. This yet another collaboration with darkshadowedrose. This one is a bit of an even split the way The Day Albus Dumbledore Never Remembers is.

Yet Another Universe

Chapter 52

Elsewhere in the castle Sonia Bastain and Astoria Greengrass approached Luna Lovegood. "Hi Luna can we talk with you a moment."

"Of course you want me to not act normal, when I'm with Lex. It's sweet that you're trying to protect him."

Astoria opened her mouth, then shut it because she couldn't think what to say. That was the problem with Luna, for all her oddness she was developing into quite the seer. A talent that had only grown stronger since Draco's attack on her and her association with Lex.

Sonia sighed. "Luna, Lex loves you as you are, and he would protect you from anyone who would hurt you. But your tendency to talk about invisible creatures that no one else has seen could hurt his reputation. You wouldn't want to do that would you?"

"No, but he won't be around for your plans anyway."

"What?" Astoria blurted.

"I need to go finish my transfiguration essay. I'll see you at dinner." Luna strolled away.

Sonia huffed lightly, "That girl makes my head hurt. I don't know what Lex sees in her."

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Two weeks later the whole of Hogwarts fell off their benches at dinner when Hermione or at least they thought it was Hermione came into the Great Hall with the Slytherin Beauties. Her Lion's mane had been cropped into an attractive pixie cut and she was wearing makeup. And instead of her robes hanging like bags on her figure like normal they fitted closely enough to suggest a surprisingly fit figure. She continued to talk to Daphne and even joined the beauties as they sat down with Lex . Although her back was turned to the Gryffindor table, she smirked when she heard Ron exclaim "What! She's a Lion what's she doing sitting with them snakes. This is so not fair. That Luthor is hogging all the babes."

Hermione stood faced him and said loud enough for the whole hall to hear. "And that Ron Weasley is the reason no girl will give a mannerless lout like you the time of day. I hang out with Lex because he is my friend, and I'm not an object in his eyes."

As if Hermione's transformation, from lone ostracized lion and ugly duckling to outspoken swan accepted by the snakes hadn't been enough to provide gossip fodder for the evening, four aurors entered the Great Hall. A month ago the charm on the lemon drops had failed and Harry hadn't been able to spike the Headmaster's candy so the psychedelic afro prank was also no longer working, as such the Headmaster had returned to the Great Hall at meals. They approached the head table "Headmaster Albus Dumbledore we have a warrant to take you to the ministry for questioning in the matter of obstruction of justice charges. Will you come quietly?"

Lex bit his lip to control the urge to bust a gut laughing.

Snape noting his amusement vowed to put the unruly teen in his place.

The rest of the school was surprised but not shocked as the names on the common room walls had made the rounds of all the houses. Hogwarts students on the whole were showing signs of taking to heart the lesson of the walls. There was less bullying. More people were taking stands if they saw an injustice either in the classrooms or in the halls. There were more efforts being made by both the students and most of the staff to ensure that things were fair.

Harry could almost feel the glow of Hogwarts' happiness as the Headmaster was escorted out. One down he thought. Hopefully the absence of the Headmaster would increase Moldywarts' confidence enough that he would come to Hogwarts and bring his snake with him.

The next week during quidditch practice Harry spotted Nagini from high in the sky as she moved towards the school. He called to Adrian Puccey, "Adrian! Take my broom!" Then he let go and transformed.

Nagini never saw him coming. She had just barely registered the shadow of something flying over head when she was bathed in dragonfire. Harry wanting to be sure of the kill dived down and used all the considerable weight of his dragon form to crush the front quarter of Voldemort's familiar.

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In the cave Voldemort was using as his headquarters, Death Eaters cringed.

Severus Snape had been summoned and interrogated about who had killed the Death Eaters in Hogsmeade and who had given the aurors the information that decimated the Dark Lord's troops. When he found out it was Dumbledore's summoned Hero, every answer given seemed to infuriate the Dark Lord more. Snape had barely been able to leave when his audience was over. The only reason he'd been spared an AK, was because he was able to tell of Albus Dumbledore's summoning for interrogation, and Voldemort subsequently decided that he needed some first hand observation and dispatched Nagini to the school to spy.

His shrieks as his horcrux and familiar died echoed in the cave and his terrified followers cringed in out of the way corners and niches praying they wouldn't be noticed.