Two days after Bloom's birthday, Bloom, Sirius, Remus, and the Malfoys get to 12 Grimmauld Place - Dumbledore managed to secure Bloom a trial, and its tomorrow.
Sirius is fuming, and with good reason, about the whole mess - it's just another example of how corrupt the Ministry truly is now that they're using a Dementor attack to try and discredit Bloom since she refused to be under Fudge's control. The rest of the Order is already there, most reactions to the trial ranging from sympathetic to disgusted - even Snape tones down his usual snark to make way for a bit of sympathy in his tone of voice. Just a bit, he's got a reputation to keep up, after all.
Arthur goes over what she can expect to find - usually, these cases would be held in the Head of the DMLE's office, where they'd hear out the whole story, potentially seeing any memories of the incident, and then make a judgement based on whether it was showing off or legitimate self-defense.
Once the entire explanation is over, Bloom mutters "Knowing Fudge, it won't go that way and I'll have to fight just for my side to be heard. I've had to fight for just about every good thing that's ever happened to me…why did I think even for a moment that I wouldn't have to fight now?" She looks around at all the adults minus Remus, Sirius, and the Malfoys, and asks "Speaking of fighting, what's Tommy-boy been up to?"
There's an uncomfortable silence for a good minute, and then Dumbledore says "Now, Bloom, these matters are not for a child."
Bloom snorts derisively at that, and says "I'm no child, Dumbledore. To be a child, you'd have to have a childhood. Ron, Fred, George, etc. had childhoods. Draco had a childhood. Me? I had a slavehood. The Dursleys - who, let's not forget, you put me with - worked me like a damned House Elf since I was old enough to walk and cook while standing on a stool. You don't have a child clean the entire house until it sparkles, cook all three meals and clean up the dishes while barely getting scraps if their lucky, then toss them into a broom cupboard until you need them again. I had to fight for every good thing that came my way before I went to Hogwarts - hell, I had to hide my acceptance letter so they wouldn't take it away! - and before this summer I had to fight again. Troll in the bathroom? It cornered Hermione and I. I made a distraction so Hermione could get away, and then when she was gone I knocked it out with its own club. Professors McGonagall and Snape here can verify that, I only stopped when someone cleared their throat. Beating Quirrell and Riddle? After making our way through a series of traps three first years could get through - by the way, exactly who thought that would be enough to stop a full-grown, fully-trained adult? - I went and fought Quirrell for the Sorcerer's Stone you hid in the castle and then told the location of in the beginning of the year. And Quirrell, in case you somehow didn't know, was possessed by Tom Riddle's spirit, hence why he wore the turban all the time. We fought, I must've won because I woke up in the Hospital Wing three days later. Year two…I fought the Basilisk who's skeleton is in the Chamber of Secrets. Saved Ginny, destroyed Tom's first Horcrux, all of it. Something which you apparently ignored for the entirety of the school year - as if escorting kids to classes and such was going to stop a Basilisk, it's a miracle nobody died in that mess. That mess I didn't see you doing anything to fix, Professor. Year three? Oh, you know, I only had to deal with being more affected by the Dementors than anyone else in the school. Due to the fact that I was a bloody feast for them, since they so love misery and bad memories. They drain happiness from a person, remember? Two years of good and bad memories, against ten years of living hell? Not much of a competition, there - its only because of Remus that I can defend myself with the Patronus Charm in the first place! Fourth year, you knew I didn't put my name in the Goblet, yet you made me compete in the Tournament despite my protests. You brought in nesting mother dragons, which could very well have gone off and killed the crowds with ease since there were no protective charms in place, you hid people in the Merpeople's village, without even a Bubble-head Charm so they'd keep breathing, and somehow you didn't notice that the Tri-Wizard cup was spelled to be a two-way Portkey. What would you have done if you'd picked it up and it had taken you to that graveyard? If it had been one of the foreign students that had gotten to it - oh, wait, they couldn't. The man impersonating Moody over there - a man you were supposed to know so well - Imperioused Viktor Krum and had him Stun Fleur Delacour. He'd have killed her and not been able to do a thing about it if I hadn't knocked him out, freed Fleur, and shot up those sparks. When I said the whole thing was a trap in the beginning, you just went along with it, willingly playing along and right into Tom Riddle's hands. Now, you expect me to just sit back when he's doing who-knows-what?"
Dumbledore raises his hands in a placating manner that only serves to get Bloom even angrier, and says "I understand your frustration, but the adults are handling this. Your too young-"
She leans forward suddenly, slamming her hand on the table and snapping "For what? If I'm old enough to die - like I would've at six years old if I wasn't me - then I'm old enough to fight. Voldemort marked me for death when I was a year old. At fifteen, I think I'm old enough to take the fight to him instead of being on defense for once. He's been trying to kill me ever since I showed up at Hogwarts. And, I promise you, he will continue to do so. Now, either you let me in on your plans, and I help take him down with your consent, or you keep me in the dark and I eventually end up in yet another situation like I've found myself the last four years. Going in blind, wand out and hoping for the best. Either way, I'm still going to get into danger. The difference is how much danger I'll be in because of the information I'll have."
Dumbledore looks stumped for an answer, and McGonagall says "A good point. Voldemort is raising an army. Aside from humans, all manner of dark creatures. Dumbledore's been trying to get Fudge to come around, relating what you told him in the Graveyard, but he's proven singularly resistant to believe there's a real threat. Even going so far as to discredit Dumbledore and smear his name."
Bloom snorts derisively, and says "Because he's a spineless sop that will always cater to the will of the public rather than to the good of the public. That's why. He's taking the easy way out, or trying to anyway. He's trying to smear my reputation, saying I'm a liar. He's also doing so with Dumbledore, but there's nothing I can do about that."
Dumbledore asks "And, how did you manage to do something about the smear against you, Bloom?" If she did something drastic…
Bloom grins, and says "Nothing illegal, I assure you. I didn't even have to wave my wand." Her grin says she's not giving him that piece of information, which Dumbledore doesn't seem to like at all. It's very clear though that he doesn't have to like it, he just has to take it.
It makes even Snape smirk in approval at her. And Draco start drooling over her - wait, is Bloom Potter the girl he was asking for advice about in their first year?! Advice on how to get someone to slip up and leverage the mistake for more…was being attempted on Bloom Potter?! No wonder he wasn't getting anywhere. Snape raises an eyebrow at Lucius, who quickly motions that he'll fill the man in once the meeting is over.
As soon as the meeting is over and the under-age children are sent upstairs after eating, Snape drags Lucius aside and asks "Exactly what am I going to be dealing with in fifth year Potions?"
Lucius shrugs, and says "Possibly, a very distracted Draco. You noticed the staring?"
"I noticed the staring back in year one. Now, I noticed drooling. My Godson has fallen for-"
Lucius grins, and says "The most powerful person on this planet. That's no exaggeration, Severus. Have you heard how she was adopted?" He shakes his head, and Lucius says "Found in a burning building. Just appeared out of nowhere, apparently."
"I hadn't even known she was adopted. Who are her birth parents, then if she's so powerful?!"
Lucius grins, then asks "You ever hear of the Fyre family?"
Severus searches through his memories for a minute, then deadpans "You must be joking."
"Not even a little."
"They're supposed to be in another-"
"The planet got attacked. Bloom was, apparently, sent away for her own safety."
"And ended up getting attacked by the Dark Lord three months later. Though…that certainly explains the scorch marks from the fireplace."
Lucius raises an eyebrow, and asks "You were there?"
Severus just shrugs helplessly, and says "I had to see for myself. She was just sitting there next to Lily, crying her eyes out. James was near the door, Lily was right next to Bloom - there was a massive burn from the fireplace, like it had…turned into a geyser…" The memories of that night in her first year run through his head, his fireplace suddenly going ballistic and turning into a veritable geyser, all the torches burning so high and bright. It had to have been Bloom, he's sure of it.
Severus curses under his breath, then says "If Albus knows-"
Lucius says "He must. The prophecy specifically stated she has the Fire of Life inside her."
Severus pales almost to the point of Lucius' hair, and mutters "How is the castle still standing?"
"Because she was using her magic since she was six, Severus. Because she learned a modicum of control in that time. And because she'd regularly vent her magic to prevent what she called a back-up of it that would result in a smashing headache that would make her lose control. Those haven't happened anymore, but she's also matured a great deal since she started doing as much."
Severus nods, still pale as Lucius is naturally, wondering about the chances of the Fairy of the Dragon Flame not only being on Earth at all, but being adopted by Lily - and Draco being head-over-heels for her. And, from what he saw at the party…it doesn't seem to be unrequited.
Unlike in the past, she actually seems to be rather close with Draco - in the past, she's only ever been close with Hermione Granger and Ronald Weasley. And the other Gryffindors in their year started taking a noticeable interest in her in their third year, but they were kept at arms-length even then.
Before Lucius leaves, he casually mentions she's got the ability to remove the Mark from his arm if he wishes - by burning it off, he warns. It'll hurt her as well as him, but he hasn't slept so well since Voldemort came back.
Once he's alone, Severus groans and mutters "I suppose that explains her extreme stubbornness…"
The Fyres - the rulers of Domino - were legendary for two things, aside from being thought of as myths by most of the Muggle-borns simply because no mortal person should have that much power at their command.
The first is the power at their fingertips - the Dragon Flame, the Fire of Life, which is likely the reason Bloom is still alive since it grants the Holder a healing rate unheard of in anyone else and will even keep its Holder in a kind of suspended coma-like state to heal if their condition is bad enough.
The second is the vein of sheer willpower and stubbornness you can find in every single member of the family by blood - and, to a somewhat lesser extent, those that they marry, since you'd have to be rather strong-willed yourself to handle a Fyre successfully.
That stubbornness is likely in response to the fact that they can't actually DIE. The Dragon Flame will bring them back again and again - and they'd only have to be brought back if it was a very fast death. A slow demise, such as starvation, is physically IMPOSSIBLE for Bloom Potter. Hell, even Basilisk venom would have a hard time killing her. And, even if it did, it'd be magically purged - or burned off, perhaps - when the Dragon Flame immediately brought Bloom back to life. Bloody hell, Voldemort is doomed…
Of course, all that would also explain Moody's reaction when he walks in late and his magical eye lands on her. He nearly Hexes her right then, first saying she's an imposter…and then saying she's no normal Witch. Which, technically, is perfectly accurate. Crouch must've been terrified all through last school year, then.
AN: Hello, everyone - I'm so sorry i missed a week, but I've been DROWNING in stuff to do. When they canceled physical classes and made everything online, my Lab got a lot more complicated. The exercise we were supposed to do this week was going to be done in class - yeah, not happening. I've got to do it along with all my homework...and the rest of my projects they sorta dumped on me all at once. I've been wanting to tear my hair out for a bit, really.
Anyway, off of me and my school-related troubles...yeah, getting into OotP now - and a bit of silliness about Moody's Eye, since it can see through the Cloak and all. The reason behind the reaction being that he still had both eyes back when he met Bloom, and never actually saw her with his Eye until right then. On the bright side, he'd probably never question her about her identity!
Anyway, enjoy! More updates are coming soon! Please review!
PS. As a side-note, i'm changing my schedule to once a week instead of every Thursday - with all my classes being online, its really screwing with my homework hours. As did the detail that the dishwasher here broke last night, and we spent most of today taking it out and trying to keep the pipe from leaking everywhere. My grandfather can fix a lot of things. He hates plumbing. With a burning passion. So, naturally, it took from about eleven in the morning to six forty at night to finally get it fixed.
