Obligatory Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or any character, story element or plot item originally published in the Harry Potter books or movies that I may refer to in this story. I'm merely playing in the sandbox.

Brahm had barely made it down the stairs when he was grabbed by the elbow. "I am tired of having these conversations…" The word "conversations" had barely left Dumbledore's lips before he was hurled over Brahm's shoulder, landing hard on the stone floor.

"Don't ever put your hands on me, old man." Brahm snarled the words out, torn between cursing the man and shifting to his leopard form and biting him.

There was a gasp in the corridor and several students were visible as Brahm lowered his wand, drawn in his off hand. McGonagall and Sprout hurried in from the Great Hall, far more quickly than before, he noted.

"Mr. Evans, what is going on here?"

"I was coming down to dinner, tired from the event in Hogsmeade and healing Hannah when someone grabbed me. I threw them, then saw it was this." He gestured, tone dripping with disgust. "Adding assault to your list of offenses? In the States, your contribution to the abuse of your students would have seen you fired, if not jailed."

"I was coming to escort him for questioning," Dumbledore wheezed.

"You are over a hundred years old, and you grab someone for…questioning? For what? I didn't even cast offensively in Hogsmeade."

"Your attack on the Malfoy boy." By this point, the old man was struggling to his feet. No one had helped him, Brahm noted.

"That was over a month ago."

"No, boy. It was today. I know what you did."

Brahm eyed the old man, wondering if he'd been hit over the head, then turned to McGonagall. "As I was in Hogsmeade, then the Infirmary all day, would you care to tell me what he's talking about?"

"Someone struck Mr. Malfoy over the head, shoved him down the stairs and broke most of the bones in his legs and arms."

Brahm shrugged. "When?"

"He was last seen in his Common Room an hour ago and was found ten minutes ago."

Brahm shook his head, then cast a Patronus, sending it back to the Infirmary. "I was with Hannah and Madame Pomfrey until five minutes ago. I don't know or care about your little pet inbred, Headmaster."

A few moments later, the nurse arrived. "I can confirm that Mr. Evans was helping me with Miss Abbott until a few minutes ago. He did not attack Draco Malfoy."

"You have been seen in every event affecting him this year. I find it hard to believe that you're not involved with this one."

Brahm glanced at the old man. "Every event? Every trip to the toilet and homework assignment and such? I've put him in the Infirmary a few times, yes. We fought. I didn't do this." He didn't bother adding that he didn't care who did, instead simply glancing back to the Deputy Headmistress. "Am I free to go eat now? I missed lunch."

With her nod, Brahm turned away, then spun, wand in his dominant hand as he batted away a curse. The old man stared at him in shock, then fell still as McGonagall took the wand from his hand. "You know, Dumbledore, you may be powerful, but you're an idiot. There are witnesses…were you going to Obliviate them?"

"You mean like you did Malfoy?"

Brahm snorted. "I was protecting a life. You were attacking me in the back." He turned again, this time Professor Sprout at his side. "You pay too much attention to little orphan boys, Headmaster. Careful lest someone looks into what kind of pervert you really are."

He didn't wait for the response; McGonagall was already reaming the old man out as they walked in the other direction.

"This is getting out of hand."

"I only acted in my defense."

"I don't mean you, Mr. Evans."

He nodded and the pair separated as they entered the Great Hall. A plate appeared in front of him, heavier food than a typical lunch. "Thanks, Dobby."

A couple third year boys sat in front of him. "Did you duel Dumbledore?"

"No, he had a wand malfunction. It happens at his age." Brahm said. There was laughter from some of the older boys.

"How's Hannah?" Justin asked, reaching out and taking a grape from the fruit plate on the table.

"Stable, currently being worried over by my adopted little sister and my girlfriend." He eyed the third years for a moment. "Which of you hit Malfoy?"

The smallest one held his hand up. "I bent my defense book."

"I stunned him on the way down…and stomped on him when he landed," Justin said, shrugging. "I'm surprised Dumbledore went after you, though."

Brahm shrugged. "I've been…making a nuisance of myself with the Death Eaters here. He seemed to take issue with that."

The conversation shifted, but Brahm didn't participate, eating quietly as he thought about one thing: the whisper that had warned him of the attack. It was the same bodiless voice that seemed to speak to him when he cleansed the ring. The wand was definitely the third Hallow.

"It warned you?"

"Yes," Brahm said, sitting on the couch in the tent. Algie sat in a conjured chair. "It was the same voice. I reviewed the memory and realized it was three voices, like those of the brothers."

"This…"

"It's a good thing, Algie."

Sarah sat next to him but wasn't holding his hand as customary. She was silent, hands steepled as she thought. "Are you sure?"

Brahm nodded. "This isn't a compulsion. The rings would tell us both that. These are the artifacts themselves. I think the whole idea of combining them to become Master of Death was the fact that they were meant to be used in conjunction somehow. They can't work against each other. Voldemort could hurt me, but his Cruciatus wasn't the worst pain I've ever been through. The ritual to remove the Horcrux fragment was. Even being bit by the basilisk was worse."

Algie sighed. "Not a happy topic of conversation…but what about the possession?"

"He had a foot in the door there, remember?" Brahm tapped where the scar would have been.

Algie was silent for a long moment, then he nodded. "If you had tried to use the ring, I would be more concerned. Now, on to other business." He took a drink from his coffee. "So, we've been analyzing a few attack points and looking for something, anything, that would guide us. We were given an 'anonymous' note to look at the ward anchor points for the school."

"Anonymous? Who sent it?"

"Snape, we think." Algie shrugged. "It seems that he's happy to guide us. He sent it to me directly but tried to cover his tracks. He failed."

Brahm nodded. "I think he really hated me as Harry Potter, but hates Voldemort worse. He warned me about Bellatrix."

Algie nodded. "That note led us to realizing we know his target, if he can get there."

"The Chamber?"

Algie shook his head. "No, this particular ward anchor is secure. He either doesn't know about or hasn't thought of the tunnel."

Algie waved his hand at the table and the scroll sitting there opened, an illusionary image appearing of the grounds. The Chamber was shown. "Slytherin's anchor stone is here, somewhere in the statue, I think. Ravenclaw's was in the tower but had been moved to the peak of the school during an expansion on the building in the 1600s. Gryffindor's is hidden in the grounds itself, but Hufflepuff's is more exposed."

"Why?"

Algie sighed, "Poor planning by recent Headmasters. I know that Hufflepuff is ignored by much of the school, it was even in my time. This extends to maintenance, as well, and the Hufflepuff anchor stone is not cared for as it should be. The others are well within the wards, but Hufflepuff's was used to extend them out to the Forbidden Forest, giving it less native magic to feed from."

"Where is it?"

"In the remains of Hufflepuff's Forge."

Brahm frowned, looking to Sarah, who paled. "Another reference."

"Her husband was a blacksmith." Brahm said. "He made several artifacts, including the Diadem and the Cup. The Sword was brought in by the Goblins as a gift. Slytherin had commissioned a piece, but the smith destroyed it." He sighed. "Hufflepuff was married to a half giant."

Sarah nodded. "Like your dream."

Algie looked surprised. "I remember that dream, but I hadn't made the connection."

"I've been doing some research. When I found out about the blacksmith thing, I had a feeling, but didn't know they'd moved her anchor stone."

"Someone thought it was poetic to put it in her husband's smithy, under the foundation, but no one recorded where exactly the foundation is, so after the move, it has become lost."

"The centaurs may know. They are here because of loyalty to her. She saved one of their clan leaders once. She was a healer of some renown." Sarah said.

Brahm nodded. "I'll go shooting tomorrow. I can fire a message arrow out into the forest. I have a few from the American clan. They'll recognize it."

"They'll speak with an Unspeakable. We work together frequently, despite their hatred of wizards. We respect them. I'll go under one of our cloaks." Parchment and ink came out from a bag at his side, and he drafted a note. "Please send this with your arrow."

Brahm took the message, then slipped it into his pocket. "Just hope you don't find Bane."

"The herd is getting tired of Bane. We're aware of that. He's apparently been seeking an escape from the forest to a new locale."

The conversation turned to lighter matters and Brahm sat back, letting Algie and his niece catch up. He was thinking of the interaction between the Hallows and hoped it would be the advantage against Dumbledore he thought it would be.