In Times of Trouble
Chapter Fifteen
The Calm
Undisclosed Location
She had gathered as many followers to her as she could in the short amount of time, she had allotted herself. They all stood together in the ruins of a long-forgotten building of a city that long since fell. There weren't as many as she had hoped however, twenty was a decent start. Certainly, it was enough to cause them all a headache.
She stood before these men and women with a smug expression, waiting for them all to calm before she began. "A creature is responsible for all of this. Not a man, but one masquerading as one. He created the strife that has caused countless hardships for those who managed to catch his attention, however fleeting. You, thanks to his interference, have suffered the losses of home and family, money and friends. In some cases, your health. The creature has torn through your lives, then gone back to its hibernation. It left behind agents to continue to cause the trouble it craves."
She waited while they muttered and grumbled to each other. The nice thing about dealing with wizards was they were much easier to convince that a creature like this was the source of their suffering. "Albus Dumbledore, is one such betrayer. He pretends to care for the good of our people, but only lives to serve his twisted master. He summited his body and soul to its twisted will years ago."
"Wait, but Dumbledore fought both Grindelwald and He Who Must Not Be Named, why would he work for such a creature?" a man in the back asked.
"A good question I assure you. One that I cannot answer. However, I offer you a question in return. How is it that a supposed agent of good was able to defeat Grindelwald in one move? How is it this same agent was well aware of the threat to the Potters and let them die?" Dante said, pausing a moment for affect. "Now I aske you, would it not become easier to infiltrate the minds and hearts of the young as a Headmaster known for fighting Dark Wizards? What parent would question his motives then."
"What can we do then? If you're right and he's worse than either of them combined, how do we go about stopping such a man?" Another man asked.
"By the element of surprise." Dante said simply. "Should we attack now very few students, if any, would be present. I do not wish to inflict harm among them, provided to him was"
Truthfully, Dante did not care what became of the students, but it was an easier sale to get them to agree to the plan. "Remember too, Dumbledore has agents even hidden among the student body."
She watched calmly until they had settled again, she began outlining the plan. A man in the back taking careful notes, before slipping away when the crowd grew restless.
Fuhrer's Mansion
Late Morning
Edward and Roy had agreed that Edward was taking the rest of the week off. Rather, Roy had ordered Ed to stay home for the rest of the week and Ed had argued but eventually gave in. Winry worked today, which helped Ed decide since he wanted to avoid bringing the kids into the office until they knew what Dante was up to.
Riza had taken Tad with her into the office, so that left Ed with 'just' Yuery, William, Maes, and Trisha. Edward enjoyed spending time with the kids, though he admitted that attempting to chase a toddler with an infant in a sling and two preschoolers wasn't the easiest task. Trisha was thankfully sleeping through the whole ordeal. Maes wasn't that hard to catch, though wrangling him back into a training pant afterwards proved to be the hardest part.
Yuery was still sitting at the table where Ed had left them, reading his primer, however William had disappeared while Ed was arguing with Maes. A quick search found him in his playroom, dumping all of the blocks into a huge pile. "You will be cleaning that up." Ed said in a stern tone.
"Yuery can help." William said with a smile. He stood to go get his brother.
"No, Yuery is doing his work like he was told." Ed said blocking the boy's path. "You can pick it up."
"Ms. Bella will be here in the morning." William tried again.
"Clean it up or Ms. Bella won't be helping pick up your things at all anymore." Ed said. "She's here to help you, not do everything for you."
"But-but it's too much." William said, with large wet eyes.
Ed sighed and relented. "I will help you, but you have to do it." Ed said. "I always had to clean up my toys. Yuery has to clean up. Mommy. It's important to clean up after yourself Will."
"Okay Daddy." Will said while he picked up the blocks and Ed held the container.
It didn't take long to clean the whole thing up, but as Ed stood, and groaned over his spine and knee, when Yuery called from the other room "Daddy! Maes is peeing!"
"ShitCrap." Ed said as he rushed back out of the room to find his youngest son proudly urinating on the shoe rack. Ed let out a loud groan as he scooped up the boy, and carrying him by his armpits, took him into the bathroom. "We pee here. Not on the shoes." Ed said to the boy.
"Okay." Maes said brightly, but apparently, he had already emptied his bladder so a few moments later Ed once again wrestled him into a pair of training pants and went to the hall to clean up the mess.
"I'm getting to old for this." Ed groaned a little while later as he sat tiredly at the kitchen table after serving the boys lunch. He picked up his own sandwich wedge, left over from his attempts to cut the sandwich in the correct way to be deemed editable by William. As he moved to place the piece in his mouth a tiny hand reached out of the sling to snatch the sandwich. "Good morning to you too, Trish."
Ed pulled the baby from the sling and cleaned the mangled sandwich off of her hand before warming her bottle. She wasn't old enough for the food no matter how good she was at snatching it from her tired father. At four and a half months, they were considering adding cereal to her diet. Especially with the way she glared at her parents while they ate.
"Daddy. William is feeding Franklin." Yuery said seriously.
"William eat your food. Franklin already had her lunch." Ed said in a tired tone.
"I can't." William said calmly.
"Why not?" Ed asked, not sure he wanted the answer at this point.
"It's wrong. It's chicken, lettuce, cheese. It has to be cheese, lettuce, chicken." William said seriously.
Ed sighed before taking the boy's plate. He carried it over to the counter where he carefully placed the pieces onto a new plate, flipping each piece over so that the chicken was now on top. He brought it back to the picky boy and set it back down. "There you go, now it's on right."
"Daddy. Gotta go." Maes said just as Ed picked back up his sandwich.
"Okay." Ed said as he stood up. "Yuery, please watch Will and make sure he doesn't run off again."
Maes stood to follow his Dad, but then said never mind and sat back down, ignoring the puddle that had appeared next to his chair. Ed seriously considered finishing his sandwich before dealing with the mess. He went so far as to pick up a piece. Then he set it back down, laid Trisha in her seat, and mopped up the floor before taking the boy to change again.
It wasn't until much later that Ed remembered his own missed lunch and returned to the kitchen to find that someone had helpfully set his plate on the floor to make it easier for Franklin to eat. He highly suspected William, though Yuery was also a possibility. He looked down at Trisha sleeping again in her sling before saying. "Really, you're the only one who isn't a suspect. Only because you can't move yet."
Maes, William, and Yuery barreled into the kitchen in hopes of getting a snack. Ed picked up the lunch dishes and handed each boy a slice of cheese and handful of grapes. He then got to work on the dishes, while listening to the boys' chatter behind him.
Hogwarts
Headmaster's Office
Dumbledore frowned once his spy finished outlining what the woman had said in her meeting, before thanking them and dismissing them. He took a few moments to gather his thoughts before calling an emergency staff meeting.
Snape was the last to arrive, the fireplace in the office springing to life as the others settled. No one made comment of his strange attire, though most of the other teachers stared at him ass he made his way over to the table wiping soot off of his tan suit. He had taken to dressing like his neighbors to blend in and hadn't had time to change into his robes before rushing to the safehouse to use the flue network.
He noticed the stares and said simply. "I'm on holiday in a muggle city, it wouldn't do to stand out and raise questions."
"Professor Snape is on an extended mission at my request. Blending in is a necessity. I would thank you not to question him." Dumbledore added before anyone could anything.
Minerva nodded, assuming correctly that it had something to do with the Boy, and quickly asked what was wrong to distract the others. Dumbledore nodded thankfully to her before beginning. "In a fortnight, there will be an attack on this castle. It is being planned as we speak. The target is to destroy this institution and those who run it." Dumbledore said in a serious tone." We must prepare for this siege, set powerful boundaries that cannot be breeched and consider options on removing the children quickly if it comes to it."
"Who is doing this?" Minerva asked. "You Know Who's followers are still scattered in disarray last report."
"I never would have agreed to this tenure had I known I'd have to deal with their attacks!" Horus proclaimed with a glare.
"Why not just remove the children now? Move up the exams and have them out of here before the attack?" Poppy demanded.
Dumbledore raised a hand and the others fell silent. "Voldemort and his followers have nothing to do with this. The threat comes from an ancient being who has recently become rather unhinged. She does not have enough support to take this castle, no matter what she thinks. We will be fine. I will consider the option of moving up final exams."
"So, you've discovered her plot then?" Severus asked quietly.
"Part of it at least. Nothing of her intent toward our mutual acquaintances." Dumbledore replied. "However, my agent is still watching for word on her plots in that direction."
"I think perhaps it would be best if I were to reconsider my return from retirement." Horus said grumpily.
"Professor Slughorn. Think it through. Professor Dumbledore has assured us the is no threat to the children. At least stay long enough to sit through their finals. You owe your students that much." Minerva said in a scolding tone.
"I'll consider it." He said grumpily.
"Very well. Severus. I think you would do well to pay a visit and a bit of a chat don't you?" Dumbledore said, dismissing the younger man who stood with a nod before returning to the fireplace. "I will continue to receive reports, when a solid plan is in place, I will inform you. For now, you all have lessons to teach."
Everyone filed out of the room until Minerva was the only one to remain. He waited until the sound of footsteps faded completely. "Ask what you must." He said tiredly.
"Who is this threat? Do you know her or just of her?" Minerva asked.
"What I must tell you can never leave this room." He said and waited for her to nod.
"When I was young, eighteen I believe if I remember correctly, it's been too many years now, I became an apprentice to Nicolas Flamel. This is a well-known fact in the wizarding world. I help him on several projects over the years." He began in a tired tone. "The threat is Perenelle Flamel. She has become unhinged."
"Why is she targeting this school? Because you work with her husband?" she asked, confused.
"Shortly after I began my apprenticeship, Nicolas also took me as a lover. Our affair, on and off, lasted until about three years ago." He said in a sad tone.
"When you began drinking heavily. I had wondered what- "
"He died. No one can know. His final request to me. No one can know. I must carry on as if he still contacts me with new information." Dumbledore said. "He entrusted me with his most prized artifact. The Philosopher's Stone. With the promise that I will never touch it, and only use it when it is needed the most."
"Does she attack for revenge or for the Stone?"
"Perhaps both. Perhaps neither. He warned me she had gone mad. To avoid her completely." Dumbledore said. "I certainly have never sought her out, though recently, she has come to me. She feels I am indebted to her."
"What will we do?"
"Fight her. If it comes to it."
Fuhrer's Office
Roy had managed to convince his wife to leave their son in his care after his noon feeding for the afternoon. He promised he had no more meetings for the day, and that he would finish his paperwork. Riza may have been more skeptical, if not for the months that he would keep Yuery in the same manner.
In an attempt to prove he could handle both, Roy tended to actually be more productive with a baby in his lap. There was a trade agreement sitting in his inbox that had needed his attention for the last week, so Riza agreed to leave their son so that it would meet the deadline.
Tad was currently napping in Roy's arms as he read through the agreement. Twenty pages of tightly typed text, outlining a three-year agreement with Creta that not only opened trade but promised no outbreaks of hostilities on the borders. On the surface it sounded perfect, which is why he was reading it so carefully.
Tad snuffled in his sleep and Roy patted his back and began to hum as he turned a page. He still had ten to go and hoped the boy would sleep through them. He read another page, now gently rocking his son as he stood to read it. Tad shifted again; Roy sighed. He's been through this before. The only way the boy was going to stay asleep was if he laid down with the child.
Roy took one last look at the document, now on the last page. It all appeared to be in order. He signed the paperwork and stacked it in his outbox before laying on the couch with the boy on his chest. He intended to read another file while lying there but had fallen asleep himself shortly after laying down.
He was woken sharply about an hour later by the arrival of Severus Snape. He heard the man claiming it was urgent, and Fuery informing him that Roy wasn't taking visitors this afternoon. Roy sighed as he glanced down and saw Tad looking up at him. He sat up and gently set his son in the playpen, before gathering the paperwork that had slid to the floor during his nap.
Then he glanced at his reflection to ensure he didn't look like he had just been napping before opening the door to his office. "It's alright Fuery. Snape can come in. Please rush this file down to General Braun."
He showed Snape into his inner office and took a seat behind his desk next to his son. Snape elected to continue to stand. "I am sorry to disturb you, Roy. I had intended to speak directly to Edward however I was informed he is out of the office for the remainder of the week and did not wish to disturb him at home."
"Thank you, Severus. What news do you bring this time?" Roy asked, the only reason for Severus to seek him out after failing to contact Edward was if something important had happened.
"Dante has made her first move. She plans to attack Hogwarts in a little over two weeks with a small gang she has gathered. They intend to kill anyone they encounter." Severus said.
"Have you found where she is currently hiding? We can attempt to intercept her before she can launch her attack." Roy asked in a deceptively calm voice. Years of receiving bad news had taught him how to control his reactions.
"Not at this time, I am still attempting to locate her. She met with them, and Dumbledore's spy managed to get invited along, however, the meeting took place in a location unknown to any of them since they arrived via portkey, as is my understanding."
"She does know how to cover her tracks well." Roy said with a sigh. "Very well, I will speak to Edward this afternoon. We will assess what assistance we can offer."
"Thank you, Roy. Several of the teachers are encouraging Dumbledore to empty the castle of students before the planned attack date. With any luck, they can convince him. Since he stopped the drink, he has become more open to reason." Severus said. "Although, he can be very stubborn, and I believe it is impossible to completely understand his reasoning."
"Assuming he is actually thinking any of these things through." Roy said, still angry over his conversation with the older man a few months earlier. He was unwilling to simply forgive someone who threatened one of his children or grandchildren.
"I have absolute faith in Minerva's commitment to keeping the students safe." Severus said. Then he sighed. "I hope, for the sake of the school, that he has finally turned around this destructive behavior he has indulged in far too long."
"He was sober when my son met him. I don't hold a lot of hope for his overall behavior." Roy said.
"Understandable." Severus said, not holding any faith in the man himself. "My concern is for the children."
"Meet me here again on Monday, I will get Edward up to speed and he will sit in on the meeting." Roy said, before Severus nodded and excused himself.
Roy looked over at his pile of paperwork before picking up his son and leaving the office. Fuery scrabbled to his feet, followed quickly by the rest of the staff. Roy gestured for them to sit before informing them that he was taking the rest of the day off.
He then walked down to his wife's office and waved at her assistant, Sheska Harris on his way into her office. "Riza. Good news. We're taking the afternoon. Come, we're going immediately."
"What's wrong Roy?" Riza asked a bit alarmed even as she stood to gather her things.
"Dante." Roy said, before he paused and picked up her phone. He dialed quickly, "I need to get Winry home too. As quickly as possible." He explained as he handed their son over to his wife.
Paninya answered the phone but informed him that Winry was currently with a customer. He hung up, before dialing again. A few minutes later, he had arranged for Heymans Breda to pick up Winry as soon as she could leave.
He wondered if he was being paranoid, but with no hint on what she was planning he wanted his family close, at least until they came up with a plan on how to handle the unknown. He also knew that as soon as Edward heard what Severus had told him, he was going to want to find a way to help which was going to lead to an inevitable guilt spiral at the idea of Edward going to Great Britain, so he was going to need both Riza and Winry to tell him the children would be safe while he was gone.
Roy had no doubt that Edward would insist on going, not with children at stake. Dante likely knew this as well. Roy had considered that may very well be part of her plan, however, he couldn't keep this information to himself either.