"Is this all you can get?"

"I am terribly sorry," Grindelwald said. "It has been a little difficult to work without getting into anyone's notice, especially since they formed strong governance after Tom's defeat."

"They're looking for you?"

"I am afraid that they are," Grindelwald said. "There are aurors everywhere."

"Surely you can defeat them."

"I can but unfortunately something happened when they all came for Tom," Grindelwald said.

"What?"

"Two of them can manifest their divine beasts and so can the third," Grindelwald said.

"And what of him…that boy?"

"He is still a mystery," said Grindelwald. "With what he has inside of him it will be impossible for him to manifest its powers for usability far less control."

00000

Harry woke up to the sound of birds chirping outside. The sun fell on his face as he groaned realizing he'd slept late and had missed his morning exercise. He'd forgotten to set the alarm for early morning and he was also tired since he'd gone to bed late last night.

He got off his bed and headed for the bathroom before going to the living hall where Sirius and Susan were already up. Despite the Voldemort problem gone Harry had asked them to live with him in the manor as it was rather big and it felt alone living here by himself. Both Sirius and Susan had agreed to it as it would give Susan some company as well while Sirius could look after the two.

Daphne had gone to live with her family as she'd said it clear that she won't be living with Harry in his manor until after they'd graduated from Hogwarts and had a proper wedding or a ceremony of sort that would signify their marriage and adulthood. Harry had no problem in accepting that. Besides, she would be living with him in their shared quarters at Hogwarts once the school re-opens.

"You had a late sleep?" asked Sirius.

Harry nodded. "Hey, listen," he said having Sirius' attention. "I will be leaving for a few days."

"Where are you going?" Sirius asked.

"Just spend some days with Draco," he said.

Sirius looked at him for a while. "Is this about the Yayu?" he asked.

Harry nodded. "He's agreed to help me to the best of his and Selandra's capabilities," he said. "No one else would help me here so I thought why not ask him. Neville and Griffin won't even talk to me about the Yayu and Celia is just worried and afraid for Luna's safety in case I let the Yayu lose through me like it happened at the department of mysteries that day."

Sirius nodded remembering their weird day spent in the department of mysteries which was actually a trap laid out for them by Voldemort. "Just be careful," he said.

"I will," Harry replied as he bit on his toast.

00000

Dumbledore apparated outside the entrance of the castle's ward limits. After convincing her a lot Minerva had finally agreed to allow him into Hogwarts one last time since the new ministry had deemed him a criminal.

He looked at the castle, the one place he'd truly begun to call home. It was quiet everywhere as there were no students. The castle was closed until the new term would start in a few months, which is why he felt lucky as this way no one would see him.

He walked through the ward's entrance and towards the castle, looking around and drinking in its beauty. His plans had been ruined no thanks to Harry. That brat and Severus…both of them knew about the real prophecy…Draco. Who could've thought that out of everyone it would be a Malfoy to defeat the most feared dark lord in the history? Certainly not Dumbledore as it was the final blow to his already crumbling plans which he'd spent over a decade trying to perfect.

As he neared the entrance of the castle he saw McGonagall standing there looking at him with an expressionless face. Dumbledore smiled a little but got no response from her as he came and stopped a few feet away from her. "Hello, Minerva," he said.

"The aurors are arriving at ten today morning to confiscate everything you own as part of their investigation on you so I suggest you make this quick," she said before turning around and walking inside the castle.

Dumbledore said nothing although he did feel annoyed by her behavior towards him. She should better know where she stands compared to him but in the end she was the new headmistress of Hogwarts and with everything that had happened, her reaction towards him was genuine and rather expected. Dumbledore was only surprised that she had somehow agreed to let him come here and not ambush him with the help of aurors.

Walking inside he looked at each of the classrooms, the great hall and other rooms and offices which were between the entrance and the head office as he finally stopped at the phoenix's gargoyle around the round stairs which lead to the head office. McGonagall accompanied him all the way as she spoke the password and the gargoyle began to move upwards.

They arrived at the head office as McGonagall stopped outside the door. "I haven't been in there yet," she said, "so your things should be where you last kept them. I suggest you hurry because if the aurors arrive I will do nothing to help you."

"I cannot thank you enough, Miner…"

"Stop!" she said cutting him off. "You don't have to say anything. I am holding myself from cursing the hell out of you as it is. Don't make this even harder for me. Just get on with your work and leave."

Dumbledore looked at her sadly for a moment before nodding as he pushed open the door and walked inside. McGonagall stayed there, outside the office just in case the aurors decided to arrive early while Dumbledore was still here.

The moment the doors closed behind him Dumbledore went straight to the perch where Fawks used to sit and found he wasn't there. He looked into the ash filled bucket wondering if he'd burnt to be reborn but he wasn't there either.

Panic filled inside Dumbledore as he looked around. "Fawks?" he called the phoenix but no response came. "Fawks!" he called again before walking towards the door and opening it. He saw McGonagall there. "Minerva, do you have any idea where Fawks is?" he asked.

"I don't know," she said. "Like I said, I haven't been in there since the day you left. I thought if Fawks wasn't in the office than he might've left with you."

Dumbledore sighed, barely able to control his frustration and anger. Where could that damn bird go to? He couldn't leave the vicinity of the office without Dumbledore's allowance because of all the wards he'd laid in order to keep the bird trapped. "Did anyone else come into the office?" he asked.

"No one," she said. "You should really hurry, Albus," she said.

"Yes, yes, I get that!" he said sounding a little frustrated before deciding that he really couldn't risk staying here as the aurors were no longer using incapacitating spells to subdue those they came after to arrest. Thanks to the new law passed by that good-for-nothing government formed by those good-for-nothing Wizengamot members if a criminal resisted the auror were allowed to use the unforgivables on them and Dumbledore sure as hell didn't want to experience something like that.

So deciding on collecting his other items he went back inside the office leaving McGonagall standing there.

[A few days ago…]

Minerva sat in her office when the wards alerted her of someone's arrival at Hogwarts. She was surprised when she found out that it was Neville and Luna along with Augusta, Sirius and a few other aurors. Letting them in she wondered if they were here for Dumbledore but even if they were why did the two kids have to come.

"How can I help you?" McGonagall said as she welcomed them at the castle's entrance.

Augusta stepped forward, having known McGonagall for a very long time considering they went to Hogwarts in the same year. "There is something we need from Dumbledore's office," she said.

McGonagall looked from Augusta to Sirius and the aurors. "Is this regarding the investigation on Albus?" she asked.

"Yes and no," Augusta said. She then looked at her grandson and Luna. "These two need something from his office."

McGonagall looked at the two kids in surprise. "I am sorry but I don't think I can allow children into the head office," she said.

"Sure you can," said Augusta. "You are the headmistress now so it falls under your jurisdiction."

"I haven't received the formal letter for it from the education board," said McGonagall when Neville stepped in front of her.

"Professor," he said, "it is very important that we get into the head office."

"Can I know the reason for that, Mr Longbottom?" asked McGonagall.

"Making her understand will take too much time so I think it's better that you just show it to her," Augusta said looking at her grandson.

Neville nodded before stepping to the side and crouching on his knees and hands and much to McGonagall's shock and horror a monstrous lion manifested out of the boy taking its physical form, standing almost half as tall as Hogwarts. It wasn't just the lion as McGonagall recognized the beast. It was the very sigil of house Gryffindor – a gryphon, with a lion's head and body along with the claws and wings of an eagle.

She kept looking at it as it shrank down to the regular size of a lion as it flapped its wings and gave a loud roar vibrating the very lands of and around the castle.

"That is a gryphon but I guess you know that already," Augusta said looking at McGonagall who still couldn't help looking away from the gryphon that had come out of Neville. "But that is not all." She looked at Augusta. "What do you know about the divine beasts, Minerva?"

It was an hour or so later that McGonagall, Augusta, Luna, Sirius, Neville and the accompanying aurors headed towards the head office. McGonagall still couldn't believe what she'd been told about those beasts. To think that there was something like that out there…and in here…the very castle…was astounding and shocking if nothing else.

She opened the door and stepped aside. "I won't be going in," McGonagall said looking at them.

Augusta nodded before looking at her grandson and Luna who both walked in and straight towards Fawks' perch. The phoenix looked at them with its tilted head before fluttering its wings and trilling in what sounded like a happy/joyous tone.

Luna caressed the majestic bird's feathers before looking at Neville. "There are strong wards preventing him from leaving this office and this castle without Dumbledore's orders," she said.

"Then I guess we need to break down those wards," he said.

"We shouldn't, though," she said. "If he returns he will know that with the wards and Fawks gone it was the work of someone in possession of the divine beasts."

"So what do we do?" asked Neville.

"We re-erect the wards once we rescue Fawks," she said.

"But that's some complicated magic," he said.

"Nothing too complicated for either Griffin or Celia," Luna said with a smile as her let palm shimmered with bright magical energy before a powerful shockwave escaped her hand followed by a loud shattering noise which surprised everyone who was outside the office as they all peeked inside.

Neville walked ahead, breaking the thin chain around Fawks' leg as the bird fluttered its wings before trilling joyously and taking a flight inside the office until it came and sat on Luna's shoulder who scratched its wings. "I guess our work here is done," Neville said.

"Thank you." Suddenly the two heard a voice inside their heads as they looked at Fawks who looked back at them with its twinkling black eyes. "I know it sounds impossible for a divine beast to be trapped by a mere wizard but Albus Dumbledore is quite strong magically and well-versed in some of the ancient arts of magic. He was able to keep me entrapped, trying to find a way to take my powers for himself. You both have freed me."

"Sure, just go ahead and thank them." Another voice sounded inside their heads as both Luna and Neville smiled at the familiar voice of Griffin.

"We can always catch up later," Fawks said. "For now, I would really like to leave this place but first, have you talked to Agairus?"

"We haven't but you know what he will say," Celia's sound now voiced inside their heads. "He loves this place and he lives here for a reason."

"I understand," said Fawks.

"If the catch-up is done can we all leave?" asked Neville.

Luna smiled before the two along with Fawks sitting on Luna's shoulder walked out of the office where the adults all waited for them. McGonagall couldn't help but be surprised seeing Fawks comfortably sitting on Luna's shoulder and looking a lot lively than she'd ever seen him before.

"The wards are in place so he shouldn't doubt about it but we need you to not tell anything about what happened today to him at all, professor," Neville said.

McGonagall nodded. She knew Dumbledore would come to Hogwarts. He'd been asking her to let him in so that he could pick up some of his personal belongings. All of this was too much to handle but she was just going through all of this. She couldn't wait for the school to re-open for its new term. Hopefully things would get a little normal after that.

00000

Harry walked through the gate as he looked around. He could feel her power resonate through the very air as Draco walked out and stopped, looking at him. Harry saw Selandra slither from behind him to curl up beside Draco, raising her head a little and looking down towards Harry as she flickered her tongue. He noticed that she had shrunk down to the size of a large python. He knew divine beasts could do that from what Luna had told him.

"Thank you for doing this," Harry said.

"Let's not waste any time, then," said Draco as he stepped aside and signaled Harry to move ahead.

00000

Thanks for reading…