JK Rowling owns Harry Potter, the star of the show. She is the creator of the world I write in.

FASA owns Earthdawn, who I borrow many ideas from.

Sirius Black finally received his trial in Britain, he was cleared by an ICW months ago and now Britain was taking heat internationally for their treatment of him. Sirius had activated magical clauses in several contracts which the previous Lord Black, Arcturus, had created years ago. Exercising these punitive clauses and the reparations they required had greatly impacted the funds of the Deatheater families, impacting their ability to support Voldemort. Wars aren't cheap, and now there was a lot less money.

Amelia Bones had made public her interrogation of Peter Pettigrew and it was now clear that all Marked Deatheaters willingly took the Mark and were guilty as sin. Sadly, they couldn't be re-tried in court, but they would have definitely been found guilty by public opinion. Fortunately for Fudge, it was the previous administration that cleared them. Fudge had been shrewd enough to distance himself from the families he used to consort with, but he refused to admit that Voldemort had returned.

Harry finally recovered the 'Horcrux object' containing his father's incarnation and was able to absorb James' incarnation into himself. He also recovered and bonded with the Everliving Flower that was somehow connected to Oakheart. These key points were allowing his magic to slowly re-integrate itself after being shredded during Voldemort's revival ritual.

Harry started therapy and was beginning to realise it was not so bad. The Dursleys were also getting a bit of therapy as well. Harry managed to reach his Dreamscape again, but his parent's incarnations told him that he couldn't visit too often as his core was under 'repair'. In six to eight months, he should be healed up enough to use magic, but full healing would take longer. Monthly visits would work, but more frequent would slow his healing.

After considering leaving the Magical world, Harry was informed that he needed to at least get five OWLs to inherit his family vault and avoid being 'Obliviated'. Refusing to return to Hogwarts, Harry had begun Home Schooling with Bill, Remus, and Tonks. Due to the knowledge transfer from his mother's incarnation, Harry had no concerns about getting his OWLs. So, had switched his focus from academic topics to learning skills that would keep him alive.

Hermione was so disappointed in the Defence class, she enlisted Cedric to lead the Defence Association.

Special thanks to this story's Beta reader, 'Just William' for your help and excellent feedback.

This is where we pick up.

Chapter 25: The Calm Before the Storm

—Dance of Death—

Malfoy Manor

November 1, 1995

7PM

Lucius Malfoy was having a terrible day. Last night was even worse, he had to explain to the Dark Lord that Sirius Black had managed to stand trial and had been acquitted of all crimes, with only a slap on the wrist for being an unregistered Animagus. With his exoneration, Sirius Black had no barriers to taking full control of the Black family assets and reclaiming his seats on the Wizengamot. Seats Lucius had been holding.

When Juliette Prewett walked into the Wizengamot for the trial, Lucius nearly fainted. How…? The assassins he had hired were supposed to strike the witch while she was entering Diagon Alley from the Apparition point, just before proceeding to the Ministry. Without a Judge to preside over the trial, it would be postponed, and Sirius would be placed in a holding cell. He was, after all, still a fugitive.

Once in the holding cell, there would be an escape attempt and an accident. It had all been planned meticulously. While there was always a margin for error, this had a remarkably high likelihood for success. Unfortunately, the assassins simply… disappeared. Without a trace.

The Dark Lord had been furious. After holding Lucius under the Cruciatus for an extended period, he commanded Lucius to rise. It had taken three painful attempts before he could stand without collapsing. With a quick flick of his wand, the Dark Lord destroyed Lucius' right eye, after which, Lucius had passed out. When Lucius awoke, he was in bed and Narcissa had bandaged his face and eye socket. A prosthetic eye was to be purchased, but it would require fitting by a specialist.

Lucius hated being seen like this. So weak and dependent. Soon after awaking, he was promptly commanded by a junior Deatheater to attend the Dark Lord. With only a brief washing up, he complied. There was really no choice. Lucius was then made to collect his most treasured family heirlooms. The Dark Lord handed the most magical heirlooms out amongst his followers, rewarding them for their loyalty. He had the rest incinerated, destroying beautiful objects that had been passed down through the Malfoy family for generations.

Narcissa had also been forced to watch this transpire. The Dark Lord then excused everyone except Lucius. Lucius was instructed to eradicate Sirius Black and gain the properties of the House of Black by the years end. Failure would result in his family being punished. They would be handed over to Greyback for punishment. Lucius knew what this meant. Draco would either take the mark and be scarred or he would be bitten and infected with Lycanthropy. Narcissa would… fare even worse. And he would have to watch his wife being savaged.

Narcissa found Lucius brooding in the library. He was still quivering from the extended Cruciatus he had been under the night before. The potions helped, but they had their limits. Lucius knew she had entered the room, but he refused to look up. How had he failed them all so badly? Could he recover?

Narcissa approached him and placed his hand on his shoulder. "Dearest. I'm so sorry…" pausing a moment, Draco asked, "What can we do?"

Lucius just shook his head, saying nothing.

"Lucius? Surely we can…"

Lucius leapt out his chair. "Don't you dare tell me what 'weshould surely do', you pampered little…" Lucius suddenly realised what he had said. Narcissa had stepped back in trepidation. Her face was a mixture of shock and determination. Her wand was out.

"I'm… I'm so sorry, my Darling. I don't know what came over me… Please forgive me." And Lucius broke down in tears. How had his perfect life fallen so far into ruin? What could he do? He collapsed into his chair, weeping.

Narcissa looked at her broken husband. She had never seen him like this. Quietly, she collected her thoughts and put her wand away.

Walking over to the sobbing and broken man, Narcissa asked, "Tell me what has happened."

Collecting himself, Lucius shared what he knew. "The assassins were somehow stopped. Juliette Prewett presided over Sirius Black's trial and he was acquitted. He is the new Lord Black and is recognised as such in Magical Britain and the Wizengamot now. "

Narcissa already knew this. She had seen the effects of Lucius' punishment. His eye destroyed and their family heirlooms ransacked. She knew Lucius was having to liquidate assets to fund the war effort and it was draining their vaults. Lucius had more funds and assets than the other families, but he could only hold out so long. They needed the Black family assets to maintain solvency.

Quietly, she said, "Lucius, I know all this. What else has happened? You're not telling me everything." She almost didn't want to know.

Lucius collected himself. "I have until the new year to gain control of the Black family assets."

Narcissa waited, but he said nothing further. "And if you... are not successful?" She didn't want to say the word 'fail'. Lucius didn't need to hear that word from his wife.

Lucius broke down again. After a moment, he managed to pull himself together again. "He will punish both you and Draco."

Narcissa stopped breathing. This was what she had feared all along. "How so?" She asked in a whisper.

"Draco would take the mark and allow himself to be scarred or… he'll be bitten and infected with Lycanthropy."

With a shock, Narcissa exclaimed, "No… Lucius, we can't let that happen…" After the shock subsided slightly, Narcissa asked, "And what of me?" She had spoken the question so softly; she wasn't sure Lucius had even heard her.

Eventually Lucius said, "If I fail, y-you will be… given to Greyback." He squeezed his remaining eye shut and bit his own lip to prevent himself from breaking down again.

Narcissa gasped. "No… Oh, Merlin. Not that." Lord Knott had failed the Dark Lord in the previous war and his wife had suffered the same fate. She didn't survive the experience. It had been horrible, and her husband had been forced to watch. Thankfully, young Theodore was still an infant and had been spared, but Draco would not be so lucky.

Narcissa stood beside her husband. She took Lucius' head and pulled him against her stomach while he broke down in tears once more. Narcissa recalled the way Greyback had leered at her that morning. It sent a shiver down her spine. She still loved her husband, but she had to find a way out. Not just for her, but for Draco as well. Lucius couldn't protect them.

She had until the end of the year…

—Dance of Death—

Harry's Dreamscape

Late November 1, 1995

Harry sat and listened to his father's incarnation explain how illusion magic was all about embracing the 'quasi-real' world. Most people saw illusion magic as little more than simple glamour charms, but it was the basis for so many advanced magical principals. Apparition, Portkeys, Vanishing Cabinets, Invisibility Cloaks, Disillusionment and so much more. In fact, it was also used in Switching charms. It paired naturally with Transfiguration and greatly enhanced the casters effectiveness in combat when paired accordingly.

They talked for what seemed like hours. All the while, his mother's incarnation watched happily. It felt like a real family. James' incarnation had passed on much of his knowledge through the standard greater incarnation ritual, but he was intent on talking Harry through it. In a few months, Harry could even practice it. Together with his mum and dad, Harry had managed to build three enhanced spell matrixes with a fourth in development. The healing was under way.

"Son, your mother did you a huge favour in training you to be ambidextrous. Fighting with two wands is an amazing accomplishment and a worthwhile goal to focus your efforts on. Most witches or Wizards are so used to only using one hand, they become unable to cast with the other. Tell me about the training you're getting now."

"Well, I am taking Boxing classes. Kind of a muggle fighting style. It pairs well with footwork and agility. Remus, Bill, and Tonks are training me to sense and react to magic when I feel it coming. I've always had the ability, but I'm so much more sensitive now… "

James nodded and said, "Excellent! That'll keep you from being surprised. What else?"

"I'm still practicing wards and arithmancy. Hopefully when my magic returns, I can become a Journeyman curse-breaker. Maybe an Enchanter, too." After thinking a moment, Harry added, "I'm still reading a number of excellent combat books. Ironically, one of the best was given to me by Mrs. Figg. She said her husband owned it. It's wicked good."

James looked at Lily and she just shrugged. "I never would have expected that. Her husband died in the 1940's fighting Grindelwald. Amazing." Harry noted a strange look in his father's eye. Something like disbelief.

Lily chimed in, "It's not that rare a book, Harry. I had a copy once. Dear old Penelope McKinnon gave me a copy as well. I think I loaned it to… Marlene? Back in those days, we were so starved for defensive magic. And that book was one of the best."

James was still a bit confounded, "So, how do you know Mrs. Figg?"

"I go over there from time to time. I keep her yard trim and help with her cats. When she breeds Kneazles and cats, any solid Black or Solid White cats don't live long. I try to make them comfortable. She bakes me Cupcakes and Muffins. She's one of the sweetest ladies I have ever met."

James huffed, "The Arabella Figg I knew was an old battle axe. Nice to know someone dulled her edge…"

Lily's temper flashed. "James! She's been nice to Harry, that's all that matters. You're just sore because she never bought into the 'Potter Charm'."

James just laughed. "You know me too well, Lily-flower." And he pulled her into a hug.

Harry tried to look the other way. "I'm going to walk around a bit. I'll be back soon." Harry excused himself and went outside to give them a bit of privacy. The fact that it was all happening in his 'dreamscape' made things more than a little awkward.

Harry walked about around the house on the edge of the recently grown forest. Harry loved these visits. His parents were teaching him magical theory. His dad was brilliant with Transfiguration and he'd been given an incarnation for Illusion magic. The knowledge transfer was underway. His mother's knowledge had been mostly passed on. She was a master of Charms, Potions, and Elemental Magic. Both parents knew their Arithmancy. Harry couldn't wait until he could freely start casting again. He had a lot to prove.

Seeing movement just inside the woods, he slowly went into the newly grown forest. Five feet inside the woods was a beautiful girl who appeared to be about his age. Her hair was a very dark brown that had a tinge of red and her lips were a vibrant crimson. Her skin was a light green colour and covered in thorns. Her eyes were a perfect match for Harry's. Wait, she wasn't wearing any clothes… What the hell?

Harry instinctively knew who this was. What this was.

"You're the flower I merged with. The one helping me connect with Oakheart. Right?" She smelled like a fresh rose. He could smell her from seven feet away.

"Hello, Harry. We've made great progress." She looked around as she said this. Her voice was hypnotic and beautiful. Harry agreed. Once his entire Dreamscape had been in ruins, now it was a majestic forest. "Soon, I'll introduce you to Oakheart."

Harry noticed she didn't blink. That was a bit off-putting. She suddenly looked directly at him and made a long and exaggerated 'Blink'.

She then asked, "Is that better?" She smiled and her teeth were both beautiful and somehow… sharp. She was a definitely some kind of Rose person.

"Yeah, I guess. Did you just read my mind?" She was something wild.

She laughed. Her laugh was a hypnotically beautiful as her speech. More beautiful even. "Harry, we share the same space. There are no secrets between us. You can call me 'Rose'."

Harry smiled. Not very original, but it fits. "It's nice to meet you Rose."

"It's nice to 'be' you Harry." She was still smiling. Still not blinking. This made him feel a bit like he was a Gazelle staring at a Cheetah.

"I probably should head back in." Thinking a moment, he added, "Will I see you again?" He wasn't sure what answer he would prefer. This was a lot to take in.

"Only when you want to. Or when I want to." Seeing Harry becoming nervous, she added, "I'm here for you, Harry. You will do so many great things… Purifying Oakheart is just the beginning."

Harry wondered, 'How do you respond to that?'

After a moment he said, "Thanks. I'll… see you around, Rose."

Harry then left and went to re-join his parents.

In his dreamscape.

While he slept.

Yeah. Nothing weird about that.

—Dance of Death—

Hogwarts

Gryffindor Common Room

November 2, 1995

~8PM

Ginny settled into a chair to begin writing a letter to Harry. The day had been miserable. Gryffindor lost the opening match against Slytherin. Ron completely fell apart as the keeper and Angelina was furious. She had passed on Cormac, but now was regretting her decision. Ron started out fine, but once he missed a couple of blocks, his confidence went right out the door. The game was riding on Ginny getting the snitch before the score blew up. As a seeker, Ginny made an excellent chaser. Yes, she beat Malfoy to the snitch, but during the chase, Ron missed a critical shot, resulting in Slytherin beating Gryffindor in first game. Had she been faster or Ron more focused, it would have been a tied game.

The Slytherins had taken out both Alicia and Katie, limiting the Gryffindor scoring to just Angelina. Ginny longed to be a chaser, but she was stuck as a seeker. She was better than Malfoy and Chang, but no one could spot the snitch the way Harry could. Malfoy had been so angry about missing the snitch, he picked a fight with Ron. Soon, the twins jumped in and it became a free-for-all. Umbridge had been unbelievably unfair and blamed the Gryffindor team for inciting the brawl. More specifically, she blamed the Weasleys. All their brooms were impounded, and they were banned from playing the rest of the year.

Ginny hated dropping it all on Harry, but she was so angry, and she needed to vent. She hadn't even participated in the fight, but now Harry's Firebolt was impounded and in 'lock down'. Talk about a lose-lose scenario. Malfoy taunted and insulted her family, but her brothers and she had been the ones punished. The woman was horrible.

Hermione's Defence Association was going well, but they had to be careful not to get caught. Ginny was certain the Slytherins were practicing somewhere, but they seemed exempt from the rules. Cedric was good and had taught them a great deal, but Ginny decided to leave that out of the letter. She still harboured ill feelings toward Cedric and Cho. No doubt Harry did too. Ron was fairly good at defence and was helping Hermione and Cedric teach the others… If only he was as good a Keeper as he was a teaching assistant.

Everyone loved the 'Harry and Hedwig' cartoons. They were light-hearted and fun. Ginny put a few clippings in her letter with a commentary. It was nice of Harry to allow the Quibbler to use his 'image'. Luna had confessed to the subscriptions more than tripling since the cartoons were introduced. She was constantly asking Hermione to consider a 'Hermione and Crookshanks' cartoon. Something based on a Muggle cartoon called 'Garfield'. Hermione flat out refused each time. She was familiar with the Muggle version and did not find the comparison to the cat's owner flattering in any way.

The Prophet had tried something similar with a Harry Potter cartoon, but the Black family lawyers chewed them up. They now steered clear of Harry all together wherever possible. They still alluded to him in unflattering ways, but nothing overt. Unfortunately, Dumbledore was fair game. And the articles featuring him had been brutal. They were intent on denying the return of You-Know-Who and slandering anyone who said differently.

—Dance of Death—

4 Privet Drive

Little Whinging, Surrey England

November 25th, 1995

Saturday

Harry's Boxing and Physical Training had come an awfully long way in five months. Lou was talking about a possible place in the Amateur Leagues. Harry had taken to Boxing the way a fish takes to water. All the duelling training gave him strong foundations. Add in his desire to win and survive, and you had a very driven young athlete. Dr. Gaines said it was an excellent way for him to vent his frustrations, but she still had him discussing his problems twice a week. She said he had made great progress.

Lou's 'street fighting' training focused on down and dirty fighting, but Harry always had to make a conscious effort not to use those dirty tactics in the ring. Now that his magic was more stable and he could reliably adjust his perception*, avoiding blows was a snap. It was like people were moving at half speed. Harry preferred to train without the enhanced perception, but he would use it in the ring regularly enough to make it a natural part of his 'tool kit'.

Tonks enjoyed training with Harry, but she focused more on exercising and trying to work through her natural clumsiness. She and Harry had a natural rapport and they behaved very much like siblings. Yeah, she was six years older, but they still got along phenomenally. Remus once said Harry brought out her maternal side. He only said in once.

Harry and Tonks jogged in from their regular workout and arrived at the Privet drive home mid-morning. It was a lazy Saturday and getting kind of cold, so after showering, Harry came downstairs and went to work on his Bike. He and Sirius had completed 90% of his Corsair and were waiting on a few parts to finish the build. Once finished, Sirius had planned to add a few enchantments to complete the design. It would be a flying motorcycle with Disillusionment charms. It was never going to have the speed or the thrill of a racing broom, but it could be ridden on Muggle streets. And they had built it together. It was a real bonding experience.

Sirius had begun therapy and in six months planned to petition for Adoption. Despite all the bad things in their world, Sirius wanted to adopt him. They hadn't told the Dursleys. But given their plans to move to Boston, it shouldn't be an issue. Ironically, Vernon seemed to like Sirius. He saw Sirius as a maverick and Tonks as a 'tough broad'. They all could curse up a storm and Harry frequently blushed at their comments. Harry knew Vernon, Sirius and Tonks were joining him for an afternoon round of Golf so he hoped to get in a few hours of motorcycle repair. It was the last round they would play this year, Harry thought it was already too cold. But he knew he'd have fun.

Sirius was a terrible golfer, but he had enchanted a few clubs to help him out. Harry suspected he just liked to put on crazy clothes and wear them in public. The plaid hat and Golf shorts made him question Sirius' commitment to the game. And where did he get those crazy socks? Rational human beings don't dress like that. Sirius loved to use his driver. It was called a 'Great Big Bertha' and Sirius always loved to make a crack about a fat lady singing.

Tonks was rather good at putting and chipping but couldn't drive to save her life. Harry, on the other hand, had no short game. That meant she and Harry could play together in a 'best ball scenario' and hold their own. Today would be fun. Cold, but fun.

"Alright, Pup! What've we got going on?" Sirius had entered the garage in full golf apparel.

Harry couldn't help but chuckle. Petunia would freak out when she saw him wearing cleats in the house.

"Love the outfit Sirius! Just tweaking my bike. In two weeks, she'll be done."

"You worked hard pup. Just think, we can go riding around through London to bring in the New Year. Good times." And he smiled that rebellious rock star smile that only Sirius Black possessed.

"Well, I need to be 18 to have a licence, but we can always fly together." Harry realised he sounded a bit like a… rule follower?

Sirius laughed, "Bollocks! We'll get a small card and put a Confundus charm on it. If you get pulled, it'll get you out of trouble. Guaranteed. Prongs and I used to cruise around all the time. Good times, Harry. Good times."

Harry grinned back at his 'soon to be father'. Yep, good times.

—Dance of Death—

12 Grimmauld Place

London, England

December 5, 1995

Sirius and Albus were both glaring at one another. The meeting had been one argument after another for the last three hours. The rest of the order were rapidly becoming irritated. Fortunately, only about half of the members attended. Sirius kept pushing Albus to be more decisive and to make bigger moves while Albus firmly held to his 'wait and see' approach. He was far more cautious than Sirius felt he should be.

With a deep sigh, Albus tried to bridge the divide. "Sirius, until Voldemort comes out of hiding, the wizarding community will not believe he is back. Your 'direct action' will result in arrest warrants and the dissolution of the resistance. It will play directly into the hands of our enemies." Sympathetically, he added, "The public simply does not want to believe the dark times are returning."

Sirius slammed his hand down on the table, "Then we make them believe! We can't just sit around waiting to be attacked. We tried that last time and look where it got us. We know where he's at! We know who supports him! Why are we just talking?" Sirius had his lawyers quietly reaching out to a few mercenary groups to begin preparing for the inevitable but had not made any definitive moves yet. Yes, he was ready.

Kingsley Shacklebolt shook his head, "You have only recently won your freedom. Why are you so eager to throw it away?" He had grown tired of the back and forth. Sirius had a point, but the timing was wrong. The traditionalist families were expecting something like that. Minister Fudge had even placed the Auror force on alert to watch for Dumbledore followers.

Severus Snape laughed. "By all means Black, throw your life away." Then added in a disgusted voice, "But leave the rest of us out."

Arthur and Molly sat quietly, looking at each other. They hated all the conflict and they were torn on Sirius. Neither felt he was a good potential guardian for Harry, but they also knew he was funding the resistance.

Bill had had enough. "Sirius, when the moment is ready, we will act. But rash moves now will only work against us. We need to draw Voldemort out into the open. Then we'll have the public support. Then we can finally act."

Dumbledore was thrilled to have William in the Order. Not only did Sirius listen to the man, but he was close to Harry as well. Arthur and Molly were fine and upstanding people, but William was a force for change. A force that knew patience due to years as a curse-breaker. No one knew the dangers of acting rashly and unprepared better than a curse-breaker.

Sirius deflated a bit at Bills words. "So, we just wait. And hope he sticks his neck out." Pausing a moment, he asked, "What plans are there to lure him out?"

Remus placed a hand on Sirius' shoulder. "Albus, what can you tell us?"

Normally, Albus liked to play his cards close, but he was losing his support. "I half expected an attempt on Ms. Prewett, but no attempts were made. We still have the prophecy he wants. He will be hesitant to act until he knows the full prophecy." Turning to Severus, he asked, "Severus, what can you tell us about the Voldemort's activities." Finally, the meeting was progressing.

Severus Snape clearly didn't like being a spy, but he was good at it. He had made a magical vow to aid and assist the Order against Voldemort and to protect Lily's child. The weariness he felt at being in this position was wearing on him.

"The Dark Lord needs funds to prepare for his war. He is reaching out to the Werewolves on the mainland and gathering mercenaries. But he lacks the funds to do more than make overtures. He is also rebuilding his old political block through bribery and coercion. But the coercion must be moderated and the funds are short since Black drained the liquidity of the traditionalists. He's forcing his supporters to sell off assets as quickly as possible. They are focusing on their overseas assets first, but eventually they will be forced to sell their Great Britain assets as well."

Albus nodded, this was not new, "How successful has they been?"

Severus answered with apathy, "His impatience is working against him as his supporters are afraid to refuse any credible offer. They are liquidating their assets for Sickles instead of the Galleons they would get if they could hold out and negotiate."

Albus sensed more was afoot here. "Who is buying up these assets?"

"No idea." Severus looked over at Sirius with a scowl, "Likely some impetuous and opportunistic investor."

Sirius smiled back, saying, "Well, someone's getting a bargain and preventing the Deatheaters from getting their hands on the real value of their assets. Sounds good to me." His lawyers were collecting the properties under subsidiary holding companies as fast as the Deatheaters were selling them. Always at a fraction of the value. The best part was that he was using the galleons the traditionalists were forced to pay him to do it.

Severus smiled maliciously, "Perhaps we could use Lord Black to draw him out. He… lusts after the wealth of the Black family."

Sirius laughed mockingly directly at Snape, "I suspect he's not the only one." The insinuation was clear.

Albus knew he had to break the two childhood enemies up. "Severus, why wasn't there an attempt made on Madame Prewett? She was an obvious target and we were well prepared…"

Severus seemed a bit concerned. "Someone interfered. It seems the assassins Lucius hired simply… vanished." He looked pointedly back at Sirius.

Sirius shrugged, "Don't look at me. I didn't have anything to do with it. Not that I have an issue with their disappearance."

That concerned Albus… He had wondered about Sirius as well, but the man was genuinely surprised. The Black family lawyers were notorious for unseemly behaviour, but they would not have acted without Sirius' knowledge.

Albus looked at Severus for a moment, "Severus, is there possibly a third party involved? A new player on the scene with their own… ambitions." One Dark Lord was enough, two would be awful. The only benefit was that rival Dark Lords tended to target each other above all others. However, there were always innocents caught in the crossfire.

"That's what the Dark Lord wonders as well." Pausing and considering, he added, "Lucius has been punished severely for failing to have Madame Prewett eradicated. Soon, his wife and son will be forced to pay for his failures…"

Bill asked, "What do you mean, Severus?" That sounded ominous.

Severus looked far wearier at the thought of what he was about to say. "Draco will be forced to take the mark and Narcissa will be… she'll meet the same fate that Lady Nott met."

Bill watched the older members in the room begin stirring and mumbling. Arthur looked sadly at his wife. Whatever this was, it had to be bad. Draco taking the mark was practically expected, but whatever happened to Lady Nott must have been horrible. He made a point to ask his father about it tonight.

Sirius spoke up, "Hey! Lady Nott was just as bad as her husband. She wouldn't have lost a moments sleep if any of the women in this room or the wives at home were dealt her fate. Narcissa is the same exact way. She'd just as soon murder any of you. Trust me, I know." She left him in Azkaban, knowing he was innocent. She knew!

Severus just glowered at him. Obviously, he disagreed. "And my godson? Should a fifteen-year-old boy be forever branded with this… curse?" For dramatic effect, Severus rolled up his sleeve and presented his writhing tattoo. "Because, if he refuses the mark, he will be bitten and… turned." He made a point to stare at Lupin as he said the last part.

Sirius was about to launch into a verbal attack when Albus interrupted.

"Enough! Severus, if Lady Malfoy asks for protection, she will get it. Draco as well. It wouldn't be the first time the Order has provided protection and I dare say it won't be the last." Giving a withering look to Sirius he continued, "The prophecy in the Department of Mysteries is our best hope for luring him out. I've drawn up a watch schedule. Saul Croaker has agreed to... look the other way."

Albus passed around the schedules. When Sirius read it, he exchanged a glance with Remus.

Sirius rubbed his forehead. Looking up he said, "Albus, you can't ask untrained members to put themselves in dangerous positions. If there's a problem, they won't be able to defend themselves. Remus and I have spoken, and we'd be willing to sit in for a few of the members with… other talents."

Albus wasn't sure what to say. He knew the order had lost many of its best fighters in the last war, but there were only so many members able to perform these duties.

Bill looked about and immediately declared, "Count me in. I can cover for a few others." Looking over at Sirius, he added, "Between the three of us, we should be able to make this work." He really didn't like seeing his father on a shift.

Albus sadly shook his head, "No, William. I need you to stay and protect Harry. What excuse could you give for being in a government building? You're not on the Wizengamot and you don't work for the ministry… Remus, the same applies for you. You cannot be found cavorting about the ministry, especially the Department of Mysteries. It would be too suspicious."

Remus sadly asked, "So I do nothing?" Remus and Bill had a similar look of disappointment on their faces.

Albus shook his head, "You both continue to train Harry. He must pass his OWLs."

Sirius scoffed, then quietly said, "Albus, you're laying a trap and manning it with non-combatants." He shook his head and sadly said, "You're going to get someone killed."

Notes:

No, I didn't get to the first tragedy. By the time I set the scene, it was a full chapter. This story was originally only going to be about 12-15 chapters, but it seems to have other ideas. Sorry.

*Different animals perceive the world differently. Birds tend to perceive the world with heightened perceptions and that means we all appear to be moving at half speed. It's closely tied to vision but applies more to how images are processed. This is not fiction, it is real. Humans perceive at 60 Hz, Dogs Perceive at 75 Hz, Birds are around 100 Hz, a housefly is perceiving movements around it at 250 Hz. Note that this doesn't mean the animals move faster, they just see everything moving around slower. If you want to read more: do an internet search on 'Dogs, see us move in slow motion'.

The Malfoys: To be clear, their situation is awful. But had Sirius been murdered and if Draco had successfully claimed the Black family wealth and assets, Lucius would be a smiling and happy Deatheater. Just as he was in canon. Narcissa would be right by his side, sneering with her nose in the air. Again, just like in canon. But things are different now. They are the victims and not enjoying it one bit. Walking a mile in someone else's moccasins had not been fun.

Dumbledore's 'wait and see' policy is not as bad as it seems. The Order really is limited in what they can do. Sirius wants to be more aggressive and possibly use mercenaries, but Albus and most of the order think that would very quickly blow up in their faces. No, Sirius does not like to wait. But he always was one to take wild chances. Sirius absolutely resents Narcissa as she knew he was innocent and let him rot in Azkaban. In his mind, she stopped being a Black and became a Malfoy when she made that choice. After all, he was the legal heir. Sirius is not a very forgiving person and his resentment was well founded.

Severus Snape has personal ties to the Malfoy family and is protective of Draco, his godson. The idea of Draco being forced to take the mark was repugnant to him. The possibility of Draco being turned into a Werewolf was even worse. Severus was also friends with both Lucius and Narcissa and the thought of Narcissa being given to Greyback was horrifying to him.

World Building: Gringotts - Reprint from 'Casting Shadows' story:

Why do Wizards and Witches use Gringotts? Goblins are nasty little bastards who would feel zero remorse killing Wizards or Witches. They have little loyalty outside of their own clans and tend to enjoy harassing non-goblins. Why not just have a ministry approved bank run by Wizards and Witches from the Ministry?

The answer is simple - No one trusts the ministry with their money. Goblins have a series of treaties that ensures their own survival and autonomy. In return, they are oath-bound through magic to watch and protect the vaults in their care. The agreement was made prior to 1066 when the Wizarding Families were facing attackers from both the Nordic invaders and the Norman invaders. They need a safe place to store their belongings if they had to re-locate.

The oaths pre-date the ministry and therefore the ministry has no say on how the Goblins manage the vaults. This means, a corrupt Bastard like Minister Fudge can't get his hands on the vaults belonging to families he is opposed to. Like the Black Family Vaults. Once you descend ten feet below street level, you are in the Goblin Kingdom and the Ministry has no influence.

The old families know this and keep their most valuable objects well out of the ministry's hands. By agreement, House-Elves can withdraw objects, but Gold/Currency must be managed through Goblin intermediaries – for a fee. Legal documents are also stored this way to prevent the accidental 'miss-filing' at the ministry. What this means is, every time currency changes hands, the Goblin Nation gets a small percentage.

Families that wish to have contracts with punitive clauses tend to anchor the contracts 'magically' to ensure all parties honour the agreements. This way, a family bound by a magical contract cannot simply bribe a few officials to get out of the obligation. The Ministry cannot over-rule a magical contract, but it must be protected to ensure it is not destroyed. For security, the magical community will store said contracts within Gringotts to ensure they stay intact.

The ministry can still exert influence above street level. They can assign high fees to activate a seat in the Wizengamot. They can re-allocate seats by Proxy where an heir has not been designated or has not claimed a seat. For Example, the Black Family votes/seats were overseen by the Malfoy family before Sirius returned and claimed them. The ministry can also refuse to research Wizengamot seats that have gone dormant, in refusing to find distant cousins, etc. But the ministry cannot re-assign the content of the vaults. That would require an inheritance test. However, should one of those 'distant cousins' happen to walk into Gringotts and ask for an inheritance test, the ministry would be forced to recognise the holder.

So, why do business with Gringotts? Goblins may be a bunch of unpleasant and cut-throat Bastards, but they're a neutral third party and your assets are guaranteed to be protected. The ministry is only as honest as the people running it. Which is to say, not very honest at all. Better to deal with queues than to trust in a corrupt ministry.

Also, this arrangement with the Goblins of Gringotts has worked for nearly a thousand years. If it ain't broke…