This is an M rated story

A/N: I know it has been three months since the last posting. I will admit that part of that was me loosing the muse for this story and spending all my efforts on Night of the Wolf. The other part was that things have been busy and I only had time to focus on one story. More updates to this story to get to the end of year one are coming. If anyone would like to PM, I am looking for ideas year 2/3 for inspiration. Year 4/5 has a bit of plot I have already worked out.

For those that have stuck around and the new Fanfic peeps since last update, thank you.

A/N: Harry Potter and his world belong to J.K. Rowling, Warner Brothers and anyone that has received licensing rights. I am grateful she gives us the privilege of playing in her world.

Chapter 28

May 2, 1992

Hogwarts, Scotland

They were sitting at the end of the Hufflepuff table. Their core group had grown to five. Daphne sat on one side of her, Neville on the other. Edmund was across from her, talking with Harry, Neville and Ron about quidditch. The Hufflepuff-Slytherin game was next weekend and that was all the boys had talked about for days.

Looking at the redhead she didn't care for, who had seemed to grudgingly accept them, she noticed he was usually wherever Harry was, while Tracey had been hanging out with Susan and Hannah quite a bit. Blaise usually was where Tracey or Longbottom were. She was having a hard time to keep track of her social group some days. On the other side of Ron, Parvati sat with Lavender, with her sister Padma and Michael Corner across from them.

"He looked at you again," Daphne said softly next to her.

She elbowed the girl. "Will you stop," she told her.

For the last few days Daphne had taken it on herself to see how flustered she could make her. Hermione was trying not to let it bother her. It was mostly because Edmund was trying to give her space by not being as close as they usually were. Hermione was finding she didn't like it how he was pulling away, but he never rejected her when she really needed him, or if she decided to sit at his feet in the common room or lean against him... it was times like this, when they would have been inseparable, that he pulled away. Not that she didn't like seeing him argue with Weasley, but it just felt different. Edmund didn't want to control her, for that she was thankful, but she didn't like feeling she couldn't just go up and hug her best mate like they always had.

Daphne smirked before turning to Neville. "Neville, did you finish that essay for Potions? I was trying to figure out what the asphodel does."

Neville had been following the conversation and making comments when he needed with the other boys. Looking at her, he nodded. "Yeah. I can show you after breakfast. I'm not going down to the pitch."

"I have another engagement this morning. After lunch?"

Hermione looked at Edmund. "No trips to the Hospital," she told Edmund.

He looked at her, knowing who she was talking too. "You think I want to see Madame Pomfrey today? Are you coming after you and Daphne get done? After lunch I am going to the library."

She felt the phantom pain in her shoulder as Professor Quirrell walked past them. Both the Potter boys rubbed their scars, Harry looking after the man, a look of concern on his face. Hermione scrunched her brow. Daphne leaned in closer. "How often does that happen," she asked. Daphne had taken a much larger interest in Harry since Easter. Hermione knew Daphne was still spooked. That didn't mean that she didn't like the boy. Hermione saw how she looked at him when she thought no one else was looking.

Hermione made sure the boys were into their conversation again before leaning into Daphne. "Not here."

Daphne looked at her for a moment. "Well, as much as I like talking about Potter winning, I think Hermione and I should be going now. Tracey, Susan, you coming?"

Tracey waved her off. "It's another half hour before we need to be there. We'll be there on time," she told Daphne.

Daphne got up and she joined her. "She really likes Hannah and Susan," Hermione said to her.

Daphne gave a little smile before taking on her mask. "They are good for her. Tracey can be shy at times. Her parents would also approve because of their Houses." She waited until they were out of the Great Hall and working their way towards the Hospital. Daphne looked around and pushed her into an alcove. "Now. Spill. How long has that been going on?"

Hermione sighed. She found that she could tell Daphne almost anything. Edmund was the only one she would tell everything too. "Hermione, your rubbing your shoulder again. What is going on," Daphne asked concerned. "It was the same spot you grabbed that night of the brownies."

She cocked her head to the side. "You are a pain, Daphne Greengrass."

"I hear that at times," she said with a smile before getting serious. "Hermione, what is going on?"

"I don't know, Daphne," she told her friend, annoyed at the demand and the pain in her shoulder. "I get these pains through our bond. I can't figure why."

"You realize that it has happened four times this week around Professor Quirrell," Daphne asked her.

Hermione frowned. She had noticed that too, but it happened so many other times too, and it was the worst that night of the Brownies. "I haven't missed that, but it happens so often and Edmund feels it most of the time when we are here." It was like a low burn. She hadn't realized it until she had seen how puffy and aggravated it looked over Easter. As she thought about it, it hadn't bothered her all Easter. It was more like a wound that was swollen from the trauma but was healing. Now they were back, she had felt it through their bond all week.

"What aren't you telling me," Daphne asked her.

"It didn't hurt over Easter."

There was a silence. "Does Edmund have a scar like Harry," she asked. People said she was smart, but Daphne was on the same level as them. The girl was very observant and quick at a puzzle.

"Yes," she told her.

Daphne nodded. "It's on his shoulder. That's why no one knows about it. Isn't it?"

She nodded. They had never tried to keep it a secret, but she knew how sensitive he was about it. Especially with the fact that if he showed people, they would see the scar that went over his shoulder. She put her hand over her shoulder, not wanting to show Daphne her own scars. Only Edmund could know about those. "Yes. What ever happened that night their parents died it left a mark on both of them. Auntie Min explained to us about our bonds, the twins' bond and what I told you about Edmund and me. Daphne, I didn't tell you that Edmund's and mine bond is actually a partners bond."

Daphne sucked in a breath.

She could tell Daphne knew what that probably meant. "There is more," she said looking around as they heard someone laugh nearby.

Hermione knew her fear and hope were clear on her face to look at Daphne. Daphne took her hand. "Mother told me there was more, but I should wait for you to tell me. Hermione, isn't a partners bond a betrothal?" She nodded not able to really say more. "You don't want it, do you?"

Hermione closed her eyes. She had thought about it so much since that night. Her first letter to Daphne had been to ask if they could meet. It held some of what they talked about that day, but not everything. She hadn't really talked to anyone about this yet. Edmund wasn't ready. "I don't know," she told Daphne in a small voice. "I don't have a choice though. That night I went with you, it hurt to be separated from him." She opened her eyes to look at the blonde girl. "Daphne, he's Edmund. He's my best friend. I can't remember a time we haven't been friends or been there for each other."

"Come here," Daphne said, pulling her into a hug. "Get it out now. We can talk later. We need to be at Madame Bulstrode in ten minutes."

Hermione cried. It hurt to have Edmund pull away from her. It scared her what this meant. It scared her that she didn't want to be far from him. After a few minutes, she pulled back, wiping at her eyes and cheek. "I'm sorry," she told Daphne.

Daphne smiled at her. "Don't be. Let's go to Madame Bulstrode then we can go down to the pitch to make sure the boys get to the hospital wing."

She laughed. "We should just put their names on some beds." Daphne got a glint to her eye, taking Hermione's hand again and pulling her down the hall. "Daphne, I wasn't being serious."

The mischievous smirk she had started the gears turning in her own head. "Think we can make it permanent," Daphne asked.

She laughed again, wiping another tear from her face. "That sounds like a challenge."

Daphne smiled. "I bet you can't do it." Hermione eyed her before Daphne threw her mask up. "Time to get serious," she told Hermione.

They had walked to an old office by the Hospital. She looked around dubiously. "Isn't this a strange place to have lessons on being a Lady?"

Daphne raised an eyebrow. "Madame Bulstrode knows what she is doing, but is not always conventional."

Hermione raised her own brow at her friend before pulling herself up and trying to act as Auntie Min and Daphne had been training her. Daphne nodded and pushed the door open.

They walked into a room with a large round table with ten seats. It had a very nice lace doily, with high tea settings. A small pad of thin parchment, almost like a muggle notebook, sat next to each setting with a very fine quill made of a long thin feather. She was immediately fixated on the bound pad. She had not seen it's like yet in the magical world and she longed for her old fine point fountain pens and ring bound notebooks.

Daphne elbowed her and she tried to keep her blush down as Daphne steered them around the table. She saw four other girls already sitting and talking. They had stopped when she walked in and were now following her with their heads. She recognized two of them as second year Ravenclaws. The other two looked like fourth years. Daphne took them towards a woman that looked many times her elder. The woman had curly white hair that sat under a wide brim hat that had a nice satin and lace top with a few flowers on it. Her robes were cut in a way that flattered her narrow frame. What caught her were the dark eyes that looked at her.

They showed to be quite intelligent. As well as hard and discerning. Unlike when the Headmaster looked at her that way, she didn't feel any malice or conniving. Daphne pulled them up short. "Good Morning, Madame Bulstrode. May I introduce Hermione Granger."

The woman looked at her for a moment before saying, "It is a pleasure to meet Ms. Granger," the woman bowed her head to her. Hermione realized the woman bowed lower than her. The woman's eyes met hers on the way back up and she could tell the woman didn't miss her reaction. "Ms. Granger, what is your peerage and rank?"

Hermione let out a slow breath. Was she part of the peerage now? She was technically betrothed to her best mate. She curtsied to the woman as she said, "I am Ward to House Ross and protected by House Peverell and House Potter, Madame Bulstrode."

The woman took in her words and regarded her. "I see we have some work to do here. What is your true peerage, my dear?"

Hermione looked at her and cast Daphne a quick look, not sure what she was missing and not liking not being in the know. After a second, Madame Bulstrode spoke up. "I thought as much. First, Heiress Peverell, you pay me a great courtesy with the depth of that curtsy. Why would you go so low?"

Hermione blinked. "I am Ward of House Ross. That was the depth I was taught."

"Which is quite correct if that were your only claim. You are protected by House Peverell and Potter, correct?"

"Yes, ma'am," she said.

"You are protected, not a vassal, indentured servant or slave?"

"No, ma'am," she said, not quite being able to keep the anger out of her voice.

The woman rose an eyebrow. "Then you are Ward of the House that you are betrothed to," she said matter of fact.

Hermione felt her cheeks burn. How could the woman know that? The other girls looked at her with wide eyes before they started to whisper with each other. Daphne stepped up. "Madame Bulstrode, that has not been made public. I am not sure they want to yet."

Madame Bulstrode looked at her. "It is public, Heiress Greengrass. Any bond or betrothal is recorded in the Hall of Records. If you know how to access it, that knowledge is public. As for you, Heiress Peverell. As far as I know, you are the highest-ranking Peerage member in attendance, and as such can start this tea today."

Hermione looked at her with huge eyes. "But, Edmund... ow," she said to Daphne as she stepped on her foot. "Scion," Daphne hissed softly.

Madame Bulstrode chuckled. "Thank you, Heiress Greengrass, but I don't think I need those methods today. Heiress Greengrass is correct. You should refer to your betrothed as Scion Peverell while attending a high tea like I have set today. In more private settings, or with people you know well, referring to Scion Peverell as Edmund Evans-Potter or whatever name you want is acceptable."

"Yes, Madame Bulstrode," she said. "Scion Peverell is allegiant to House Potter, wouldn't that make Scion Potter the highest Peerage member," she asked.

Madame Bulstrode gave her an indulgent smile. "Very observant, Heiress Peverell. When it comes to House control, yes, but when it comes to Blood or Old status, the Potters are a good five seats or more below the Peverells. Today, you are the honored guest and we will do our best to guide you through our lesson."

-oOo-

Headmaster's Office, Scotland

Minerva had finally agreed to a meeting with Dumbledore. Her temper had cooled enough that she wouldn't try to kill the man the first manipulation he tried. There was no mistaking though, she was still irate at the man now that she understood everything about her godsons' accounts.

The afternoon sun was shining through windows, making rays of lights bounce around the room as they hit glass vials or other items on shelves or inside cabinets. It made for a pleasant mosaic of color dance around the room. It was the only thing she found pleasurable looking at the man who sat on the other side of a nice tea table.

He tapped his spoon on the lip of the teacup before looking at her. The man looked tired. "Thank you for meeting me today, Minerva."

Minerva was sitting with her back ramrod straight, her face cool and her body tense. She didn't trust the old fool anymore. "What is it you would like to talk about, Headmaster."

"We don't need the formalities today, Minerva. This is not about school business," he told her.

She didn't reach for the tea that the house elf had poured for her. "What is it you would like to talk about?"

She watched him reach into his robes and pull out two rolled parchments. "I can tell you are not interested in small talk today. I admit I would like to reclaim that friendliness we used to have and would offer this as a first step on that path."

He handed the parchments to her. "What is this, Albus?"

"The letter that James Potter gave me to pull funds from the Potter vaults before they died. There is also the original draft of the Potters' Will."

She took in a deep breath, her eyes narrowing. "You know a note like that is annulled upon death and any Will is not active unless read." Her hand snatched the aged parchments. Unrolling them, she scanned the letter. It Authorized Albus to pull funds from the accounts. There was no amount specified, but there was a line that said 'per our agreement'.

"What agreement is he talking about," she asked icily.

"When they went under the Fidelius, James and Lily wanted muggle-born and those needing protection to haven't. He authorized funds to be pulled to do that," Albus told her.

"How much? I doubt it was to the tune of almost nine-million galleons. You know the Goblins will not say who did this, but how could it not be you?"

He pursed his lips. "I was only trying to do what the Potters wanted. I did not realize how much I had withdrawn over the years."

"I would think it was far more than James or Lily would have thought. You realize that the amount of funds you withdrew had almost bankrupted both boys?"

He sighed. "I had not realized it. I admit I had left the management of their funds in the hands of the goblin account manager the Dumbledore's have used for a long time."

She took in a deep breath. The man was trying to lay out his defense to her. What was his game to do this? He must know now that she had been in contact with the DMLE and Bones. She was on her guard. Albus was a master strategist and manipulator. "That does not absolve you what you did. This letter does not give you the authority to do what you did."

"It gave me the authority with that original Will," he told her.

She frowned and took the second parchment that had been rolled up. It was a Will that was so much simpler. It only said the boys were to go to a loving relative, Dumbledore was to be the executor and things were to be distributed as discussed with their executor. It was so vague and sparse, she knew James and Lily would never have willingly agreed to this. They loved their sons more than themselves. It showed that night. James and Voldemort had had a duel that had blasted half the first floor away before Peter had killed James. Lily had taken the boys and Hagrid had found them out on the lawn. Tom's cloak was next to him and Peter had disappeared. Only recently had she been able to get the real story out of Hagrid. The poor man was so infatuated with Albus that he still didn't believe that Edmund was the same Edmund he had taken to the Dursley's. He truly believes that Edmund died after that night.

"Where is the Will that Lily wrote," she asked him.

"This is the Will the Goblins certified," he told her.

The anger she felt for the man boiled over. "This is not the Will Lily would have written for her boys. Maybe you could have fooled or compulsed James, but Lily would have never fallen for that. That is her Signature on this paper, but this is not what she would have agreed to. Where is the original Will. Is this why they changed it when Lily or James found out what you had done? Tell me the truth right now, Albus, or I swear that I will burn the ground around you to get what is owed those boys."

He pursed his lips hard, looking like he had been caught. "What is owed those boys, Minerva? They have claimed their Scion rings. Most of the money that could be reclaimed has been. Hogwarts and I have nothing else to give. They will be able to claim their Lordships at seventeen. They are together like you always wanted. What else is there for them to be owed?"

It suddenly struck her what he was trying to do and he wanted her to certify what he was presenting. "You are trying to fight the Goblins on the money that is still owed and the artifacts and heirlooms you took. Where are they, Albus? Are any in this room or did you sell them? If the estimates are correct, even on the black market the items missing would be worth a few million galleons." She took in a sharp breath. She had seen the ledgers for the last twenty-five years for the school. There had always been dozens of anonymous donations a year. They had added up to a million or more a year. How many of those had been from her godchildren's vaults. How many before their parents died had been from other families that had died. Had he been involved in those deaths or just opportunistic. In his position, he could have dozens of Wills sealed in this way in the Ministry.

She suddenly felt like she was in more danger than she ever had been. Would she be able to take him in a duel? How would she get help?

Albus gave her a hard, piercing look. Was she showing her thoughts that much? "Minerva, months ago you asked for a counting of the Accounts. Hogwarts accounts are now at about one million three hundred thousand. If you persist with the Goblins attempt to regain the missing amount, you will bankrupt Hogwarts. The normal donations and tuition would only allow us to open next year for about seven-tenths of the current students. All those unable to afford tuition would be required to seek alternate schooling or comply with Ministry rules on wands for those that have not achieved their OWLs by the end of the year. Do you want to be responsible, or your godchildren to be blamed?"

Her eyes bugged out of her head and she handled her wand in her pocket. Albus hadn't even moved towards his. He looked supremely confident in his blackmail. Given the documents he had shown her, he probably had a right to. It would clear him of most items that would send him to Azkaban. He would still be facing the veil though for what he did to Harry. The man obviously didn't know everything he was facing. If he did this though, she couldn't fathom the hurt it would do to her godchildren. All of them.

It was going to be imperative to get Hermione to Gringotts as soon as she could, even if she needed to miss classes tomorrow morning. The girl would need the protection, besides what she already had. David and Amelia would too. Harry and Edmund would need to claim them as Wards. Once she passed the future Ladyship to Hermione, she would not be able too.

"You will not succeed in this route, Albus," she said in a low voice.

He smiled. "I think I have, Minerva. Now, the next topic is to discuss where the Potter boys live and who their Guardian is to be," he said.

She shook her head. "Albus, I will tell you right now to stop. I am their Guardian and blood relation. You know this and the Will you have will hold sway in the Wizengamot if you persist."

He took a sip of his tea. "Minerva, as I told you before. There are things you do not understand. I must ensure they are under certain protections and guided."

"Guided to what, Albus. Protected from what! You have said that for years and you have never described what that meant! Those boys are not going to leave the family they have and I will never give up my rights over them. Even if you find a way to take me out of the picture, Albus, I have already put safeguards in place to make sure all my godchildren will never fall into your hands."

Albus smug expression fell some. "That is not how this is going to work, Minerva. There are ways that the Chief Warlock can use to sunder your rights and what ever protections you have," he told her.

She snorted. "Albus, you may be the most brilliant wizard in a thousand years, but there is much you don't know. I challenge you to try this course of action if you persist. What will happen will be far worse than anything you could do to drag their names through the mud and be the person responsible for shutting down Hogwarts. I know the finances of this school. In 1970, this school turned a profit of over G700,000. In 1971, that dropped to G210,000. By 1975, the school was in the red to almost six-hundred thousand galleons a year."

"It was you that ended the sales of potions and herbology supplies that the Newt students used to make or grow. The general plants and supplies grown in the greenhouses used to supply eighty percent of what was needed to teach students or supply the Hospital. Now it is only about thirty percent with almost half the students at this time. That was also with a staff three times what we have now. Do you really want to go down this road of blaming my godchildren or trying to claim guardianship over them?"

"That does not include the drop in OWL and NEWT scores in several classes over the years."

Albus face soured. "Those records are sealed. You have no grounds to release any of that information."

"They are not sealed, Albus. Do you not remember making me responsible for the budget? Part of that requires me to submit a review to the Governors every three years. I assure you that it is filed in the Ministry and is available to public knowledge. That includes every receipt or budget you signed, Albus. It also includes all staff lists, withdrawals and transfers of Hogwarts properties, including the material grown or brewed on these grounds. I know more of your secrets, Albus, then you may even know about. My Oaths to you prevented me from revealing this before, my trust from questioning you, but I am not bound by them anymore," she said standing up. She had taken her wand out of her pocket and it sparked.

He looked at her for a few moments. "If you take me down I will take you with me, and all your brats."

"You lay a hand on any of them, and I swear you will be walked through the Veil," she hissed at him.

They stared at each other.

"Minerva, the Dark Lord is not dead."

She blinked and shook her head. "Excuse me, what was that?"

Albus looked at her before sighing. "I have trained you for years to take over as Headmaster when I finally die. I can see I have done to well a job at it. If we were to take this feud outside this office, it would destroy this school and other parts of the wizarding world we both do not want to see that way."

"I don't care about that, Albus. What do you mean You-Know-Who is not dead," she asked. She felt that saying the name was now a taboo subject.

Albus turned serious. "It is obvious that over the last year, you have outplayed me at every turn when it comes to your godchildren. Even now, you turn around a ploy I admit should have cowed almost anyone else. Harry is destined to conflict with the Dark Lord."

"What about Edmund and Hermione," she asked. For the first time in years, she could see the old Albus she knew, the one that would be honest with her. She would not be fooled by him, but this was to important to believe that some of what came out of his mouth wasn't truth. The best lie is told with truth. "Will you make a wizards vow that what you tell me now about my godchildren is the truth? The entire truth. No omissions. No skirting the truth with truth. You will tell me what is going on."

Albus sighed and reached into his pocket. She eyed the wand he pulled out. He was fast. She was about the same, but the man had power she could only dream about her. The man held up his wand. "I swear that I have a belief and some evidence that the Dark Lord, known as Voldemort, is not dead. Harry Potter is involved in a prophesy with Voldemort. It is my belief that protecting and preparing Harry for this is the highest priority for the boy."

His wand glowed blue and she pursed her lips. Magic would hold his words. "Was leaving the boy in an abusive house part of preparing the boy?"

Albus held her gaze. "I knew that he wasn't happy, but I was not aware of the amount of abuse he sustained."

Her nostrils flared. "Did you check up on him," she asked.

"Yes. As you have seen, he has scars that look like a normally active boy would gather. I thought he was making it up."

Her heart thudded in her chest at the anger at the man. "Albus, you know that Pomona and the St. Mungo healers found broken bones that had healed on their own? There are no records he ever saw a healer after his first birthday. Where did you take him?"

Albus looked disgruntled.

"That is immaterial, Minerva. The important point is that by removing him from his relatives, the blood wards that were protecting him have fallen. Harry is vulnerable now to Voldemort and any of his followers that are still out there," he said.

"The treatment of Harry is not immaterial." She felt like she was just barely holding in her magic. Albus eyed her with trepidation. "That treatment has to a boy that was just about broken when he came to this school. You just about broke a twin bond. Do you really know what happens if that happens Albus?"

"They go on not knowing they had a twin," he said. "You are not seeing the larger picture Minerva. Harry has a prophesy that he is to defeat Voldemort."

She spat at him as she yelled at him. "You old daft fool, Albus. A prophesy has many meanings and many ways of fulfilling! Most are never fulfilled, the terms to start the Prophesy never met. Now you are telling me Harry is destined to defeat You-Know-Who, but in your brilliant ignorance, you just about killed him and Edmund. A normal twin bond they may be able to get over, but not what they have. Hermione has a partners bond with Edmund. That is no typical twin bond and Harry has something in him that whatever you did has hidden it so well the Healers at St. Mungo's can't figure out what it is. Is that part of the prophesy?"

"What do you mean that is not a normal twins bond and the other two are too young to have such a bond," he said. "Minerva, listen."

"No! You listen, Albus! For once don't believe you have all the answers and know everything. You have tortured those three with whatever you think this is. As much as I wish it wasn't, Hermione Granger is in a partners bond with Edmund Potter. It is to the point it is a betrothal bond. Do you understand what that means? What ever happened that night You-Know-Who died or disappeared, it enhanced their bond to the point they could transfer physical damage over fifty miles. It was pretty much Harry pushing it to Edmund. From there, it goes to Hermione. Do you get that?"

Albus paled as though she had finally gotten him to listen. She was telling him stuff about her godchildren she never wanted to, but if what he said was right, then he had almost condemned them all.

Albus sat back in his chair, his eyes to the floor. She was ready to blast the man into the next century, but she couldn't if what he said was correct. "This complicates matters," he said before looking back up at her. Her stare was hard and unyielding.

"What does this complicate, Albus," she asked him with steel in her voice.

"Are the Healers at St. Mungo's investigating Harry's scar?"

"Yes."

He sighed and closed his eyes. "Have they discovered what is in the scar yet?"

"No." She was too angry to say much more.

Albus opened his eyes and got up. She watched him carefully, like a serval would a tiger. He put his hand back into his pocket and walked over to a cabinet. "What are you doing," she asked him.

He opened the cabinet and she recognized what those orbs were. Some had gone dark, while a fair number of them glowed. "Minerva, did you know that Sybille Trelawney is a seer?"

"I knew her grandmother was," she told her. "I didn't know it had passed to her daughter or granddaughter.

He spun the round shelves until they stopped at what she assumed he had been looking for. He closed his eyes again and bowed his head. "As far as I can tell, her entire line for the last eight generations have been seers. It was why I was interested in hiring her." He took out the dark orb, then another before taking out one that still glowed the eerie blue-white of a memory.

"Are you telling me that she has made prophesies?"

"Eight, as far as I know. The first recorded one was the night I went to interview her. It was why the Potter's went into hiding," he told her.

She felt some of her anger deflate. "They knew about it."

Albus nodded. "They knew there was a danger. That they and their boys were targets. As were several others. As you said, most prophesies fail because the terms are never met. But if the potential remains, then the prophesy can remain inactive, sometimes for thousands of years. This one," he said holding up a now dark swirl of mist. "This one, Voldemort managed to find out about part of it. It was why he targeted the Potter's. Harry was born at a time and his parents had defied the Dark Lord in ways that fulfilled the terms."

She sat down. "They didn't know the entire prophesy? Did they?"

He shook his head. "No. I was trying to avoid the prophesy from happening." he told her.

She frowned. She knew he must be speaking the truth, but she felt there was something big missing. "It has gone dark. So that means it has been fulfilled or something else has happened to change it."

"Yes. It went dark the day the wards were broken on 4 Privet Drive." He held up another one. "This one went dark the day Harry took his Scion ring."

"And what is the third one," she asked him.

He placed it on his desk and took his wand out of his pocket. When he touched it, a silvery Sybill Trelawney, who looked much younger, with glasses that were half as thick and with only a single shawl on her shoulders, appeared in miniature on top of the orb.

"The Dark Lord approaches. He shall choose a child to mark as his equal... Born as the seventh month closes, or the eight month is born, they shall be born to parents that thrice defied the Dark Lord...born of power... the children shall mark a third. Together they stand to defeat the darkest of Dark for a thousand years... apart they threaten the doom of all… When House of the dead is Born again... When child of the House lost to time is found... When child of the Founders is recognized... The Dark Lord shall be banished, never to rise again."

There was a silence.

Minerva blinked as the visage of Sybill faded. After a few, she looked up at Albus. "The other two were similar?"

Albus shook his head. "No. The first two spoke only of Harry. Either the child born at the end of the seventh month or the elder twin. Sybill made these three within a fortnight, all the month before the Potter Twins were born."

"I still don't understand why you condemn the boy and steal from them," she said.

Albus snorted. "You still don't see the bigger picture. Sometimes it is not about the individual, Minerva. This is about the greater good. This is about saving the wizarding world. Now your three godchildren are all involved in it because you would not listen to me."

"Do not blame me in any of this and do not spout that tripe that Grindewald used to use as a recruiting slogan. They are children, not pawns. All I heard in that prophesy is that there is hope to keep them together. From this point on I will need to get them more involved..." She was so riled up, she didn't see it coming.

Albus flicked his wand and she snapped her hands to her side and fell over stiff as a board. He had done this to rile her to the point she would be too distracted. Her eyes burned in her head with hatred at the man. He walked over to her. "I'm sorry, Minerva. I was hoping that by me telling you about this, you would become an ally to guide them. What you propose would bring the approaching war to a pitch that would cost both sides much. I can not allow that."

She took in a deep breath. "If you do anything to hurt them, you will walk through the Veil." She felt the sharp pressure in her head signifying the attempt to breach her mind.

"How are you able to talk under a full body bind," he asked her, intensifying his gaze. "And why can't I get into your mind."

She glared back at him. The headache was forming, but he was in for a nasty shock. "You won't be able too," she said, her voice sounding labored. He frowned.

She moved her fingers just a little. Albus didn't understand that being godmother and blood relative to two out of the three children in the prophesy that she could call upon the magic of their Houses. Like that night a month ago, the magic responded to her will and she slammed back on the needle sharp probe the man was using. "Aaahhhhhh," Albus cried out as her hammer slammed into his mind. Albus stumbled back and she felt him release her of the body bind. She rolled over to grab her wand and swung it up. Albus saw it and flicked his wand. Two inch long golden tubes had formed around him, but she was forced to transfigure several silver daggers into harmless dust, which she blew back at him.

He swiped it away as though it was cobwebs he was clearing. She had already started another transfiguration as he swung around and flicked his wand down. This time she did what she wanted and the thick golden ropes lashed out and wound around his wrists as a rope shot out at her. She wasn't quick enough to deflect all the rope. It cut through her robes like they were water and she felt the sharp pain in her leg of a deep cut. Bringing her arm down, the golden ropes pulled him down to the ground. He muttered something and one of the ropes started to stretch. He flicked his wand up. She caught the movement and a fire lasso came out of his wand. She moved and slashed it with a stream of water. Her ropes were holding.

The man looked livid at her. "How dare you attack me in my own school," he said moving his wand like he was tossing a ball. She twirled and fell as her leg gave out from the pain. She fell, his spell missing her and destroying a cabinet behind her. "Minerva, what is this," he snarled as the golden robes started to smoke. She turned to put up a shield. It was a good thing she did as some nasty red spell hit it and ricocheted to the ceiling. She didn't answer him as she flicked her wand and ropes pulled tight again. He went down, his arms collapsing and his face smashing into the floor.

He was too good at dueling though. He had gotten a spell off as he went down. It hit her in the chest and she flew back as though hit by many stunners. She slammed into the wall next to his desk. Her breath rushed out of her lungs and she slumped to the floor. Pain in her side shot through her.

"Get me out of this," he said angrily at her.

She got up on an arm, feeling dizzy. After taking in gasps of air, she wheezed. "It was a Ross that made the condemned manacles in the lower courtroom. This is a special variation."

Shakily, she pulled herself up to the desk and onto her feet. "Let me go. You still don't understand. Tom can not be allowed to go unchecked. Harry and now your other brats need to be prepared. Let me go."

He was on the floor, his arms below him and pulled to the opposite sides of his body. His wand was near his hands, but not close enough to grab. His face was pressed to the floor and blood was trickling out of his nose. Before she did anything else, she cast a patronus. "Tell Amelia Bones that I am in the Headmaster's Office and he just attacked me. Come immediately."

"You bring the DMLE into this and they will take all of them. You want that to happen," he said angrily.

She tried to take a step, but had to sit in a nearby chair instead. Opening her robes, she could see the blood staining her underclothes. She ignored him as she ran her wand over the wound and closed it. She would need to see Poppy when this was done. When she was done, she returned her attention to Albus. He was still in the same position, but had managed to get his fingers close to his wand. She flicked her wand and his came zooming into her hand. "I want my godchildren to live long, happy lives. Now that I know of this prophesy, it can be determined the best course of action. As for you, Albus Dumbledore, I want you to rot in Azkaban if they don't send you through the veil."

"If they take me away you doom us all," he spat at her.

"If I keep you here, you doom more than just my godchildren," she retorted. Her chest was starting to burn. She was suspecting that she might have a few broken ribs.

For close to ten minutes they sat there before there was a blast at the door. On the second blast, it flew open and three Aurors burst into the room. They pulled up short to see Albus stuck to the floor. She was breathing heavily and lolled her head towards them.