A/n -Hey-ho! This took a minute, because every time I'd sit down to write it, I'd lose the motivation. I have really enjoyed writing this story and do not want it to end. That being said, there should be one more chapter following this one, it will likely be shorter than most, but who knows. I've thought that before and been completely wrong. Don't know until it's written. Once again if you read something familiar, there are parts from the deleted chapter sprinkled in this one.
I do this alone, so please forgive any spelling or grammar mistakes. If they are really bothering you let me know and I will endeavor to fix it. THANK YOU!
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Hermione sat annoyed in Dorea's room, reading quietly to her. While Sirius, Harry, and Regulus took the three Horcruxes to an undisclosed location. Everyone was hopeful that with a bit of progress the stress of everyone involved would diminish. Harry was also impatient to see the Horcruxes as far away from Dorea and Potter Palace as possible. Everyone agreed. They had no reason to believe that Voldemort would be able to feel their destruction, since he was likely still a spirit in the woods far north from them. Thus, destroying the Horcruxes was the best course of action.
While one group went to destroy the objects they had, Remus and Draco had gone to retrieve the Ring. Remus as a werewolf would be able to easily overcome any compulsions on the ring, and Draco had vast knowledge of the dark arts. With only Draco to keep from putting the ring on, the task, assuming they were able to subdue Nagini, who guarded it, would be easy. Hermione was confident in them, since they each knew exactly what to expect. The relationship between to the two would help as well. Moony would not allow any harm to befall his mate.
Once they had the ring, they were to move to the location where Harry's team would have already destroyed three of the Horcruxes. The Ring's death would follow and everything would finally be in their favor. With just the cup left of Voldemort's soul, the fight against the Dark Lord felt almost won.
They were to meet up back at Potter Palace, as soon as the last of the Horcruxes was gone. That was what Hermione and Dorea were waiting for, the return of their family. She was in the mood to celebrate their success, even with one Horcrux left to destroy. There was still the worry in the back of her mind that something would go wrong, and it would all be for nothing. She ran her fingers through Dorea's locks while she slept. The little girl was the only motivation any of them needed to achieve the impossible. They had not told anyone the full trauma that Harry had experienced, or what they saved Dorea from soon after their arrival. Though everyone was committed to making sure no harm fell upon the child. If there is to be War, it should be fought by adults, not children.
Hermione would spend the next several years trying to figure out how Dumbledore knew of their plans. Mostly how he knew that they were leaving Hermione and Dorea alone in Potter Palace. She would learn that Dumbledore knew the location of their home, thanks to an over trusting James Charlus Potter. With that knowledge he placed a ward that informed him of when someone left and returned. Since they had never opened the Floo, he knew everything. Hermione would do her best to not hold some bitterness for the father of her best friend, however she was never one to lie to herself. She settled for slapping him, when she met him on the Other Side. It was the least she could do.
Dumbledore had been waiting and hoping that the Potters would get careless and bring Dorea out of the house and into the public, or at least to someone he had some influence on. Andromeda Tonks was not a woman he could work on. He had never developed any plans specific to her, knowing that as a disowned daughter of the Blacks, it was unlikely she would be of any use to his plans of saving the Wizarding World. A grave mistake, he soon found out. He could not have known that Potters would appear out of the ground like weeds, along with a Black Scion not under his control. With the disappearance and then reappearance of Regulus Black outside of the Hogwarts Dungeons, and even the Malfoys now following into set with the two Outsiders, Dumbledore was desperate.
The only way to bring about the end he wanted was to take matters into his own hands. He needed to take a much more direct approach to handling the situation of those who did not listen to him. He would be heeded. Dumbledore had needed to retake control of the path everyone was on. If he could not manipulate things with suggestions and a gentle nudge, a more permanent solution was needed. Something to make certain all of his plans were followed.
Corrective action was necessary for the safety of my world.
Dumbledore had documented everyone who entered and left Potter Palace since they had moved in. By his calculations, only Dorea and the Lady Black nee Potter were home. He had checked that the Wards were closed fully, preventing anyone from entering or leaving, first. Dumbledore thanked the Potter boy for adding him to the wards, and for the newest Lord Potter for not removing him. Dumbledore had a good laugh about that fact. The supposed, holier than thou Potter, must not know how the Wards work specifically, and trusted the Goblins to take care for him. Family Wards are thus for a reason, the full knowledge was passed from family member to family member. Since Harry Potter had not been raised by Potters, his knowledge would be lacking. Dumbledore grew smug at the idea that sending the children away had not been as perfect as Fleamont and Euphemia had likely thought.
Fools
Dumbledore stood just outside the Potter Wards, knowing that he only had a set amount of time before the others returned from where ever they had gone. He had hoped that it would not have come to this, but the Greater Good was at risk with the selfish actions of those standing against him. He passed through them easily enough, but felt the Potter Family Magic attempting to push him out. He batted it aside like James had shown him ages ago; it fell silent. The Potter Magic, while clearly upset, begrudgingly let the man through. The Potter Scion had been a great boon to the aging Headmaster, wanting to please and assist as much as possible. Before he entered the house he pressed into the magic and remained still until he knew the house elves to be asleep.
Too bad these new Potters hadn't been as easily swayed.
He silently cursed Fleamont and Euphemia for keeping their children from Hogwarts as each step grew harder and harder, as the Family Magic fought against his assertion that he was supposed to be there. He smacked it away again. The magic twisted like an abused animal, locked in a cage too small to hold it. It was easier to lay foundational influence on those within his charge. If they had gone to Hogwarts along with James and Lily, Dumbledore would not be having to enter their house against their will and set the trap for the family. He could have just said a few words and gotten what needed to be done, achieved. Dorea would be with her mother's relatives, growing up meek and without self-value. The perfect child to manipulate and control. Instead, here he was, Fighting family Magic that should bend to his will, just like James had.
"Dumbledore." The girl Potter was standing before him, eyes burning with hatred. The Family Magics discontent likely drawing her to him. He smiled warmly. She was saving him from having to search for her. "Get out of my HOUSE!" Hermione cast a charm meant to blow her opponent backwards, instead she found herself slamming against a wall. Her spell backfiring. The Potter Magic flared to life around her, confused and unsure what to do. The magic that harmed her was her own. It lashed at the bars trying to contain it.
James had keyed Dumbledore into the Foundational Wards, there was nothing anyone, but the Lord Potter, could do to remove him, and luckily, Dumbledore trusted, Harry did not know how. His faith in the ignorance of Wizards raised outside of Hogwarts paid off, no matter how misguided.
Hermione tried to lift her arms and found herself unable to. Her only comfort at that moment was that she had hidden Dorea in her room, the space surrounded by Wards, enchantments, and so much more. No one was getting to the child of her House. She blinked a few times, her vision blur from hitting her head. Dumbledore looked down at her smugly.
"I wish there was time to gloat, my dear, but time is of the essence." Hermione stared down his wand, pointed at her chest; her eyes filled with defiance. Dumbledore paused for a moment and admired the beauty of them. He had seen the look other times before; on Lily, when he let slip knowledge of the prophecy, Griswald as he cast the finishing spell, Regulus in the dungeon, and now this child outside of his control. Dumbledore frowned. He raised the spare wand he kept in his desk at Hogwarts. It was the first wand he ever owned, but it felt wrong after handling the Elder Wand for so many years. Dumbledore knew on some level that the Elder Wand had forsaken him the minute these Potters appeared, but he could not fathom why. He had chalked it all up to magic, not wanting to waste vital energy.
Pity.
He cast a binding charm, putting her to sleep. She still had her purpose to fulfill, he whispered to the voice in his head, telling him to kill her. That look spoke of the trouble she would be if she escaped; just like the others. Dumbledore flicked his wand, causing Hermione to float behind him. He only had a moment more to find the little Potter, but as long as he had the Lady Black, his plans could continue on.
"LET MINE GO!" the small green eyed black hair daughter of Lily and James Potter stood at the center of the hall, body trembling either in rage or fear, Dumbledore did not care. The child was nothing but, a lamb to be raise for a purpose. Just as everyone grew, a purpose to achieve the Greatest Good. She was just destined for a darker one. One she shared with her mother and father, and all the Potters eventually. Only one would be left out of his control after this.
Harry Potter
Dumbledore wasted no time knocking the little thing back. She slammed into the cold hard ground of the tiled hall. He ignored the smack of sound as she slid in to a wall, leaving a bit of blood behind. She didn't need to be at her best, she was supposed to die eventually, and right now he only needed access to her mind. Once her destiny was achieved, he, Albus Dumbledore, would stop the second greatest dark wizard of his age. Prophecy needs to be respected. He smiled down at her unconscious form, easily levitating her up as well.
He relocated them to the little girl's room, a few books scattered on the ground, likely discarded when the Lady Black sensed danger. The little girl left eh door ajar, giving him unlimited assess. Once they were both sitting up frozen on the window seat. Dumbledore awakened the little girl first, smiling warmly as he slid into her weakened child mind and placed a few small compulsions. They would make sure she would be receptive to his suggestions in the future. A word to draw her to him, locked in place deep inside her subconscious. He erased himself from the manor, and then he put her back to sleep.
The Lady Black would be a harder nut to crack he was certain. The woman had proven to be a master of mind magic, but Dumbledore had a trick up his sleeve. He cast a charm to hide his true form, appearing at Lord Potter instead. Hermione opened her eyes, gasping awake and reaching for her wand that was beside her. When she saw Harry, she stopped and began warning him that Dumbledore had been in the manor. She got three words out, before Dumbledore slipped into her mind. The walls caving to the feelings of being safe with her brother and in Potter Palace.
Dumbledore did not bother to look at her memories or knowledge, thinking she knew nothing he did not; if he had, he would have seen a different Him, a different Hogwarts, and so many of the plans of the Potters would have unraveled. Dumbledore would never become aware of this mistake, one of several grave mistakes when the two Potter siblings were involved.
He erased himself from her home, easing the memories to the back of her mind, hidden away where they would only be found if someone knew to look for them. With a huff, he pulled from her mind, shaking himself off as if he had smelled something disgusting. The Family Magic hummed around him, unsure what he was doing, but unable to do anything about it. Dumbledore healed the two witches, and took his leave from the house. Hermione would wake up a few minutes after he left, feeling disorientated but chalking it up to her pregnancy and lack of sleep. She'd tuck the sleeping Dorea into bed without another thought, and sought out some tea.
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Harry stared at the charred remains of the Horcruxes, while they waited for Remus and Draco to bring the ring. He had been happy to see the objects out of his home, but now there was a strange feeling of unease sparking off and on in the back of his mind. He had first felt it when they were in the middle of stabbing the locket. It faded with the death of the piece of Voldemort's soul. The feeling once again appeared each time they destroyed one of the pieces. At the moment there was no Horcrux being destroyed, no reason for the feeling, yet there it was. Badgering him in the back of his mind, demanding attention, but not explaining exactly what it was he needed to do.
"Sirius..." Harry called over his Godfather and explained the feeling, hoping the older man would have something to add to the small amount of information the unease was giving. Regulus joined them, listening intently in case he could add something of value. Sirius gave it a bit of thought, but had much idea of what it meant as Harry himself.
"It could be from simply being in the presence of the Horcruxes. Unease is a feeling I would not be surprised to have." Regulus had his hand on his chin in thought. "It could also be your Family Magic. Though if it is just unease, that could be explained by the Horcruxes as well. Your magic would not want you near such corruption." Sirius and Harry gave Regulus's words some thought, letting the silence settle between the three men. A pop of apparition echoed in the silence, eyes drifting to the two new additions to their group.
"Good evening." Remus sounded exhausted, but well enough. Draco was beside him, face red, and a bit of ash dust in his hair. "I have good news, and bad news. Which would you like to hear first?" No one moved. "Alright, good news first." Remus took a breath smiling twistedly at the trio. "We destroyed the ring and were able to retrieve the stone." he held up the blackened stone, as a peace offering.
"The bad news?" Harry asked after several seconds and taking the stone in hand.
"Voldemort definitely knows about our mission... or he will shortly." Remus wrapped his arm around Draco's waist when he staggered. Sirius moved forward casting charms to check the purebloods healthy, following up with a few healing spells.
"Do I want to know?" Harry looked between the even paler than normal Draco and his werewolf lover.
"The short of it, the ring's compulsion was stronger than we thought. To stop Draco from putting it on... Moony... umm... tossed him out of the shack and cast Fiend Fire." Regulus choked on a gasp.
"You can cast Fiend Fire?" Regulus was shaking a little. His own activities from the day catching up to him. Remus shrugged, tightening his hold on Draco who seemed one moment away from passing out.
"I would have said in theory before today... but yes... apparently I can." The three other men let out breaths of relief and surprise. At least the ring was gone. Harry ran his hand through his wild hair, worsening the messing locks. He knew that the Cup was likely in the hands of Voldemort or one of his followers. There was little they could do about that. He was worried that like in his world, Voldemort would create a Horcrux they would not know about. He would hate to think he had defeated the Dark Lord, only to have him return when Dorea was grown. He did not want her to experience anything he had.
"What's done is done." He sighed, rubbing the bridge of his nose. The unease refused to leave, pushing him to return home; to the safety of Potter Palace. "Let's head back and figure the rest of this out tomorrow after a bit of sleep. I don't know about you lot, but I am going to sleep much easier, without those things in my house." They all nodded in agreement. While the Horcruxes were under heavy enchantments and protection, the worry Dorea would stumble on them, or their influence would leak out and damage those in the house were ever present.
The Harry, Sirius, and Regulus returned to Potter Palace while Remus and Draco went to their home, wanting time alone. Sirius joked that the wolf would not fully settle until he inspected every part of his mate for damage; only Sirius laughed. Harry immediately went to Dorea's room, the unease letting up some once he was home. He knew that once he laid eyes on his sister, it would go away entirely. Regulus leaded heavily against a wall and called for Kreacher. The House elf appeared immediately and whisked his master home to bed. Sirius sought out his wife.
Hermione was settled into a warm bath, bubbles around her covering every part of her body but her head. The room smelled of earth and rain. Hermione had learned the hard way that her body did not appreciate the smell of flowers since becoming pregnant. The house elves worked together to create her a unique bubble bath that did not harm her sensitive nose. She had her head leaned back against the edge of the large tub, hmming some off beat tune, Sirius couldn't recognize.
"May I join you?" Sirius was propped up against the doorframe when she turned, her brown, green speckles eyes lighting up when she spotted him. She sat up, eyes hooded in desire. The bubbles from the bath clinging to her chest now above water, sliding down her skin in a way that made him jealous. She nodded, shifted forward to invite him to take up space behind her.
(I removed the smut to meet fanfiction guideline, if you'd like to read the unedited version, the link is available on my profile.)
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Snape jumped awake in the hot shack he was forced to reside while waiting for orders from one of his masters. Dumbledore had been surprisingly silent; while the Dark Lord barked orders, that were more habit than things that actually had to get done. He'd force Peter to get some strange plant from the woods around them, but never use it. The snake with them, a white enlarged thing that looking nothing like it was meant to, would be milked daily to feed the little baby creature form Voldemort occupied.
None of that was what awakened him. The Dark Lord was screaming in a mix of Parseltongue and nonsense. Peter was trying to calm him, but nothing seemed to work. Suddenly, he stilled, eyes burning red in anger and hatred.
"We will return to Britian and get me out of this form! Someone has destroyed at least one of my Horcruxes." Snape swallowed, pleased that none of his unease showed on his face. Dumbledore's plan would need to be in acted soon, and Snape did not want to do any of it. Seretly he hoped the new Potters and their allies would stop the Dark Lord before the Prophecy would need to be fulfilled. He knew what had to be done to save the world, but he did not like the idea of being party to killing the child of Lily Evan. Taking in a breath, he did is part. There was no turning back now.
"I might know a way into Hogwarts." The baby creature looked at him, thoughtfully. "It would be much easier to tempt the Potter child to the school. Stealing her will be impossible with the way her relatives are protecting her." Snape kept a straight face as the Dark Lord smiled with his ugly little mouth. "I can convince them to bring her." Snape returned the smile as best he could through his own disgust. "After all, there is no safer place then Hogwarts."
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A/n Boom! An update! There is going to be one more chapter. It will be bitter sweet with the end of this story. I am really happy I decided to come back and work on it more. This is way more satisfying compared to the previous version. Once again, thank you all for the reviews, reads, and all that JAZZ!
