In Times of Trouble
Chapter Eighteen
Final Preparations
Hogwarts
Great Hall
As breakfast was being served Dumbledore rose, drawing the attention of the student body. "As soon as you have finished eating, return to your dormitories and study for your final exams. I am entrusting the Prefects to maintain order. All lessons are cancelled for the day, as are afternoon practices in the Quidditch field. No one is to leave the castle."
The room broke into questions and groans however Dumbledore sat down and returned to his meal without another word. When the students were distracted, he turned to the teachers to inform them they were all expected at a staff meeting directly after breakfast as well.
The foreigners entered the Hall together ten minutes following his announcement. They filed silently into the table that had been set aside for them and ignored the stares they received. Rumors being what they are in a high school, had pinned the change in routine on the strangers before they had entered the hall. By the time breakfast had drawn to a close, the student body was convinced that they were either 1) Auditing the school, 2) Holding the school hostage 3) About to reveal some exciting new class, or 4) Part of some secret Ministry business.
Of course, the rumors would grow wilder and stranger as the day passed, but that was not the adults concern at the moment. Their main concern was keeping the children safe. Dumbledore would also prefer to avoid telling them of the possible danger as long as possible.
No one moved, even as they finished eating. When asked to refer to the Prefects they were to wait until the Prefects led them away. As soon as Dumbledore called for them to lead the students away, everyone stood and filed neatly out of the room.
Edward leaned over to Roy to say, "It's like drills in Central."
"Well, at least we can count on that to keep them safe then." Al replied.
"Never underestimate the power of panic." Roy said drily.
Once the hall was clear of students, Dumbledore rose again to lead them to the staff room. They followed along in two neat lines, Amestrians on the left, Xingese on the right, with the teacher following behind.
Students were still moving through the halls and were opening staring at the procession of adults making their way toward the staff room. Dumbledore casually waved his wand on the way through, locking the doors and windows and effectively trapping them inside.
Normally this would bother the visitors, but all of them were sure if it came to it Edward was more than capable of making his own door. His relaxed demeanor settled the others' nerves as well. If he wasn't worried, they weren't worried. Roy, on the other hand was tense waiting for whatever trap they were walking into to be sprung.
They arrived on the ground floor staff room as children around them flowed up and down the stairs presumably to their dorms. Everyone filed into the room, before Dumbledore locked the door and waved his wand sealing them inside and blocking anyone from listening into the conversation.
They settled around the long table, clearly divided by groups. The Amestrians at the far end, with the Xingese in the middle, and the staff at the end closest to the door. Roy sat at the head of the table and Dumbledore facing him.
"Let's begin, shall we?" Dumbledore said.
"We need to ensure everyone involved knows exactly what the threat is here. It does no one any good to go into combat blind." Roy said calmly folding his hands in front of him on the table.
"Very well." Dumbledore nodded. "A short while ago, I came into the information that a woman is gathering a small force to invade this castle with the intent to kill unknown numbers. As she is a known threat to the people of Cseckless they have offered their aide in capturing this woman, and her forces."
"Who is this woman?" Professor Atlas asked.
"Who she is doesn't matter." Professor Slughorn replied. "We should all just leave."
"What would stop them from coming after us anyway then?" Professor Sprout added.
"Her name is Dante, though she goes by many aliases." Roy Mustang interrupts. "She will not stop until she has achieved her goals. She will keep coming after you, either together or separately until she has what she wants."
"What does she want?" Professor Slughorn demanded.
"To kill me. And anyone who supports me." Dumbledore said quietly.
"Why? Is she one of You-Know-Who's?" asked Professor Lane.
"No, she isn't." Professor Dumbledore said, but did elaborate.
"I get you don't want to air your dirty laundry, but they have a right to know more than you're giving them Dumbledore." Edward snarled.
"What would you know of its Edward?" Dumbledore asked.
"More than I want to know about it." Edward grumbled, and Dumbledore belatedly remembered Mustang's threat from a few months ago. That combined with Edward's hostility and Flamel's advice to send for the boy to begin with began to form together in his mind.
"You're his apprentice, aren't you?" Dumbledore asked quietly.
"What the hell old man? Of course, I'm not! I'm no one's apprentice, and when I was, I trained under Izumi Curtis." Edward said affronted.
"Then why are you so invested?" Dumbledore asked.
"…When was the last time you spoke to Flamel Dumbledore?" Edward asked instead of responding.
"I receive correspondence on a regular basis, the last time was just a few weeks ago." Dumbledore said.
"I'm done with this meeting. Dad, let me know the plan." Edward said as he stood. "Dumbledore let me out or I'll let myself out."
Dumbledore waved his wand again and Edward stormed out of the room. Al stood a moment later and said as he rushed from the room "I'll calm him down."
"What in Merlin's name was that about?" Professor Binns asked.
Everyone stared from Dumbledore to Mustang then back again. When Dumbledore said nothing, Mustang sighed. "It is not my story to tell. None of it. However, the threat you're facing is known to you by the name Perenelle Flamel. Wife of Nicolas Flamel. She has been going insane for the last few years and it seems she finally reached her tipping point. She has vowed to destroy anything and everything Nicolas helped to build."
"Why doesn't Flamel stop her then?" Binns asked. He was well versed in the Flamels as the history professor.
"He has never been one to stop her from anything. He prefers to stand back and let her handle her own matters." Dumbledore said.
"How involved was Flamel in this school?" Professor McGonagall asked.
"He was Potions Master no less than six times." Professor Binns provided. "He was considered a close confidant to five of the Headmasters, and of course Professor Dumbledore was his apprentice."
"So, she intends to destroy Hogwarts because she's mad at her husband at the moment? They're immortal, surely she can see that this whatever it is, is not our fault." Professor Lane said.
"You're assuming she's sane. The years have robbed sanity from her I'm afraid." Roy said calmly. "No matter. She intends to attack this school and that is the issue here. I felt everyone would need to know who the threat is, and now we are all on the same page."
"Is she an alchemist like her husband?" Professor Binns asked, "The texts have never been clear on that."
"Somewhat. She is not very powerful on her own, however she is a master at manipulating others." Roy said.
"I do not know much about her, I confess. I have only met her three times. They were all brief meetings." Dumbledore said. "Perhaps he was keeping her under lock and key, and she escaped."
"I have it on good authority that she was never a captive." Roy said simply. "She began this campaign by burning down her house and faking her death."
"Why would anyone believe she'd died in a housefire?" Professor McGonagall asked. "She is a recipient of the Philosopher's Stone."
Everyone noticed Roy stiffen at this statement, and Marcoh pale. Roy said, almost too quietly to be heard. "Add fire enough times and the stone breaks." Then he added in a louder voice, "Some of us were not fooled, however, it was an alias that was declared dead. Dante. She was supposedly a near hermit living in a mansion alone with her servants and occasionally visited by her husband."
"Why would she not just disappear, instead of faking her death?" Professor Lane asked.
"To cover up the destruction of her husband's library. She wanted to keep it away from anyone who came in search of his studies." Roy said.
"Wouldn't his library be magically protected though?" Professor McGonagall asked. "It's standard for researchers to imbed their research to revert to their vaults in case of damage."
"Vault?" Marcoh asked.
"Gringotts Bank is the safest vaults in the world. They have never been breached. Most vaults are sealed with a blood seal so only the owner or their direct kin can enter." Professor McGonagall said.
Mustang nodded before redirecting the conversation to the matter at hand. He made note of the information however, because if the books Edward needed had survived and were in the vault, it seemed the boys would be able to access them. "I believe it would be in the best interest of the student body to send them away. We will make a stand here, however, I would prefer to minimize civilian casualties."
"Never in the history of this institution have the inner walls been breached. Hostile forces can and will be kept at bay, and we will continue the time-honored legacy of carrying out the children's education as planned." Professor Dumbledore said.
"You would endanger these children for your pride?" Roy demanded.
"I will not allow fear to reign in this institution!" Dumbledore declared angrily.
"Yes, and you've proven yourself to be a wonderful judge of character." Roy sneered. "Is there a way to evacuate the student body without drawing attention to their absence?"
"We have over a thousand students. No. Should we send them home, it will be noticed." McGonagall said. "Though the risk should be measured again the danger if they should stay."
Shore of the Lake
Edward had stormed out of the castle, making a doorway near the locked front door, though he had been thoughtful enough to seal it behind himself. He then stomped down the hill toward the lake he had seen on their way up to the castle the night they arrived.
Once he reached the shore, he threw himself down onto the grass, uncaring of the stains he put on his uniform. He knew he could clean it in moments once he had calmed down. Alphonse sat gently next to him a few minutes later, staring silently out across the water until Ed was ready to talk.
"How'd you get out?" Ed asked.
"Broke the lock, fixed it on the way out. You?" Al answered with a shrug.
"Made a door. Put it back." Ed replied.
"I know he's a liar and a murderer and who knows what else you've dug up, but she's also manipulative." Al said as Ed turned his head to look at Al instead. "It's possible, isn't it, that he's still getting letters from HIM and thinks they are from HIM, but they are actually from her?"
"Or he lies so often he can't bring himself to be honest even to save himself and the rest of these people." Ed said.
"Or he was magically bound not to tell anyone that HE died." Al said.
"… Dammit." Edward said.
"I think, probably, she's writing him still. Think about it. What she did that almost break any chance of you and Teacher trusting each other again." Al said. "She loves to cause pain. I don't know why he chose her. Well, I do know why, but I don't know why he kept her."
"Why did he choose her? You said you had to tell me in person, but it was important." Ed asked.
"She eliminated the competition." Al said. "As you know, he always chose from the Flamel line to help hide his deception. Well, the family is in on the secret of course. When they got the letter saying he was coming to pick his new wife, she got rid of every other girl in the right age range, so she was his only option."
"Okay. Wow." Edward said. "I see your point. If she wanted to, she could trick him into thinking Flamel was still alive…maybe."
"It doesn't matter either way. This is about stopping her and keeping the kids here safe." Al said as he stood up and brushed off his pants. "Now, let's get back in there. We can't let Dad have all the fun."
"You're right. It wasn't fair of us to leave him with that mess." Ed said as he stood as well, clapping his hands to clean his uniform.
"You learned that trick getting mustard out of the jacket, didn't you?" Al asked as they started back up the hill.
"I will not confirm or deny that." Ed said.
Al snorted a short laugh before he froze. He looked in the direction of the gate. Ed stopped to stare as well. "Come on Al. We need to get back now." Ed said. "We're out of time."
The brothers rush back up the hill, Ed clapping as they approach the door before he slams his hands onto the thick wood. The locks let go, the door flying open as they rush through, before they take a moment to shove them closed and relock them. Ed seals them shut as an added measure before they sprint back to the staff room.
Again, Ed claps as they make their way down the hallway, his heavy bootstep echoing nearly as loud as the clap itself before slamming into the door. Barely breaking a sweat, Edward skids to a stop in front of the table, everyone staring at him. "The time for planning is over, they're here. Five minutes out from the front gate. Everyone gets into place now!" Edward demands.
To their credit, the wizards follow the command nearly as quickly as his own men. Everyone jumping to their feet to rush from the room. Slughorn muttering "But we were supposed to have at least another week!"
"We don't have time to get the children out. Will they be secure in their dorms or do you have a safer place for them?" Roy demanded before Dumbledore could slip away.
"Heads of House!" Dumbledore demanded, and waited just long enough to have them look in his direction. "Have your students relocate to the dungeons Gryffindor, Ravenclaw. Have your students make room for them Slytherin, Hufflepuff?" The teacher nod before they rush off.
"My own men, you promised a secure location for my support staff." Roy demanded, even as the rest of the group spilt off to find their positions.
"They can hide in the kitchens; the house elves will keep them safe." Dumbledore said. Before dropping quick directions and disappearing.
"Did you get that?" Roy asked, turning to the others.
"I did." Breda said before leading the way.
Roy sighed heavily as he made his way to the Headmaster's office. He had agreed to watch from up there, since he could see the entire grounds from the top of the tower, and if necessary, aim. Hopefully it wouldn't come to that. The last they had heard the group was only twenty-one including her and a spy. However, the last they heard they still had ten days to plan for the attack, so there was more than enough reason to question the information they were working with.
Roy reached the tower, just as Dumbledore shot off a Patronus and the invaders reached the front gate. Roy followed Dumbledore silently until they reached the observation deck at the top of the tower. Everywhere they looked the added enchantments were rippling across the grounds and castle, as plants grew and twisted into an additional wall.
"Impressive. One of yours?" Dumbledore asked even as he waved his own wand to add to the magic rippling in the air.
"That would be Verdure. Plants are his specialty." Roy said as he watched the gate disappear behind a thick wall of thorny shrubs. "Strongarm should be adding his own touches any moment now, ah there we go." He added as stone walls rumbled from the earth, adding an additional solid ring around the wall, blocking the gate as well.
"Really, I thought that would have been Edward's contribution." Dumbledore asked.
"Ed hasn't started yet. He's letting the others worry about defense. He'll be on offense." Roy said calmly. "Who did you send for?"
"Snape and Lupin. They need to know there's a threat to the school." Dumbledore said calmly. "I know you have at least already guessed they still work for me."
"Of course." Roy said. "They are also not the only ones, there are members of my staff that were sent by you."
Dumbledore does look surprised for a moment before carefully schooling his expression back to a blank mask. "I suppose it is to be expected that you found the other one as well."
"One you say. Last I checked, you had four. In command alone." Roy commented coolly.
"Yet you allow them to remain." Dumbledore observed.
"Of course. You did not think you were alone in sending spies, surely, you're smarter than that. Even with your drinking habit." Roy said. "Every ally we have has spies in Command."
"I see." Dumbledore said, suddenly uncomfortable with the conversation. It seemed that Mustang once again felt the need to threaten him, this time in a roundabout way.
"You have spies everywhere that interests you Dumbledore. You wouldn't have remained on top this long if you hadn't. Just don't forget, you aren't alone in espionage. Forget that and topple quickly."
"Is that advice or warning." Dumbledore asked coolly as the magic finally began to settle.
"Take it as you will. Perhaps today, you will get a chance to see what we are truly capable of." Roy said with a shrug. "I have a feeling Flamel shielded you from most of it."
Before he could respond, Dante's voice echoed across the grounds. "Albus Dumbledore. This is your chance to prove you are more than the sniveling coward hiding behind those better. Come. Face me yourself or watch the light fade from the eyes of the youth entrusted to your care."
"She'll kill them all, even if I should surrender." Dumbledore said, dread pooling in his stomach. "The moment I lower the shields to step out, she'll kill them all. She's taunting me, attempting to make me look like a coward."
"Don't think for a moment you're the only one who see's through her taunt Albus. Everyone standing here does. The children are secure. She'll never make it as far as the castle, I assure you." Roy said. Sympathetic to the man for the first time since their introduction. "There is nothing harder than watching your men fight. Believe me, I know. Trust them."
"If your done holding his hand through his latest self-loathing crisis, we really should worry about the woman attempting to breach the walls." Snape said from behind them.
"Ah, Severus, how good of you to join us." Dumbledore said as his mask of self confidence fell back into place.
"It was deemed necessary. I hardly think you'll need me, however. You brought what, six? Seven? Alchemists. I thought anything over three was considered overkill." Snape said.
"Anything over one is considered overkill in most circles actually." Roy said. "Unless they are a matched set like the Tringhams or the Elrics…even then they are overkill. Just expected overkill. However, she isn't exactly sane herself."
"This is true." Snape agreed.
"She is a threat to my sons. I take threats to my children seriously and with prejudice." Roy said.
"Fear not. I've arranged aide from an enemy, with them none the wiser." Severus replied with a smirk. "They should be here any time. We just need to keep her out of the castle until then."
Down on the grounds, the battle had begun as spells hit the barriers and bounced off and the Earth rumbled into new forms to counter the attacks.