Chapter Seventeen

Dumbledore sat in his office, preparing himself for what he knew would be a very long, difficult conversation. He'd gathered all the information he thought they should know and had made copies for all of them, even Slytherin.

He had no clue how it could've happened.

He'd been given the quick version of events. Time Turner, curse, flung back in time. He wanted to blame Draco Malfoy or even Harry for wearing the time turner. Perhaps Hermione Granger for not ensuring Harry was safe with it. Maybe Minerva for giving it to them in the first place.

But he knew it had to be his fault.

He had known, of course, that the Horcrux in Harry's head meant a connection to Voldemort. Perhaps not one that the boy fully understood as of yet, but one that someone as terrifyingly brilliant as Tom Riddle could easily manipulate.

It was why he'd pushed Harry away. He had come to the trial, of course, because under no circumstances could he allow the boy to be expelled. He needed his education, he needed his wand, he needed his friends to be able to eventually defeat Voldemort. So, he'd gone to the trial and defended his student, who had obviously done nothing truly wrong.

But aside from that, he said nothing to Harry. He knew it angered him, he knew Harry felt as if he were being betrayed by the one that had always helped him, but what was he to do? He couldn't tell the boy anything for fear of it only being heard by Voldemort.

And it had certainly been unfortunate when the kids had named their group Dumbledore's Army, though he had chuckled at it. Whether they were defying the Ministry or pledging their loyalty to himself, he was still unsure. Umbridge and Fudge certainly hadn't appreciated it, and he'd been forced to flee Hogwarts.

He looked cool doing it, too.

And he'd hidden out with his bitter and angry brother for months until Kingsley had given him news from the Order - Harry had stormed the Ministry with his friends, worried for Sirius's safety. Dumbledore had gone as soon as he could, of course. When he'd arrived, Tom was all but ready to kill Harry.

Dumbledore almost wanted him to do it. He knew Harry had to die at some point, of course. He might as well get it over with, right? But Tom had noticed him and they'd begun fighting.

It was when it was all over that he'd found out he was no longer the leader Hogwarts welcomed with open arms. That title belonged to the Founders of Hogwarts, who had come back to the future with Harry's friends.

Dumbledore had to wonder at the dynamic between the Founders and Harry. Salazar had reprimanded Harry and while Dumbledore was ready to intervene, Harry had looked truly accepting and apologetic. Like a son after he'd been yelled at by his father.

And Harry had certainly looked at Salazar Slytherin as if he was the world - as if he and his friends had taken the years of abuse Dumbledore knew Harry had suffered and fixed it all. Loved him until he was okay again.

He knew things would not go smoothly when he'd suggested they go to his office and discuss the matters and he'd been dismissed. They'd had more important matters to attend to, that much was clear to him. Even after ensuring that Harry and Hermione were alright, they'd gone off to do something else, leaving him waiting there for their return with no clear idea of when it would come.

Albus Dumbledore was unsure what the day would bring, but he knew it would be nothing good and for the first time in a long time, he felt out of control.

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"Poor Tessa," Helga whispered, staring at the decaying body of their basilisk.

"She deserved a better end," Godric agreed. "But at least it ended."

"Let's focus," Rowena told them, gaining their attention. "Where did Ron say they moved it?"

"They put a waterproof charm on it and threw it in the water," Godric said with a slight eye roll.

"That is… possibly not the best idea," Helga blinked.

"We should remember they knew we'd be getting it later," Rowena added, using a simple accio to call it to her. She dropped the spell before the chest could hit her, and Salazar caught it, levitating it until it settled on the ground. As the boys had said, it was perfectly dry, and they opened it, looking in wonder at the centuries-old papers.

"Adoption papers," Helga muttered, handing those off to Salazar, who added them to his pile. "Our wills leaving everything to them, our official statements that we'd be back this year… what else?"

"My family tree," Salazar said, frowning. "It should be in there- ah," he nodded, picking the paper up from the bottom of the pile. It had grown, updating automatically with every new Slytherin that was born. It had eventually just trailed down the Potter line, ending with Harry. "As I said. No Tom Riddle."

"This should be proof enough," Rowena said, gazing at the other things in the box. "From what Hermione told us, the family trees are essentially legal documentation."

"Let's go, then."

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The door opened before Dumbledore was notified that anyone was there, a fact that already had him on edge. The Founders filed into the room and came to a stop in front of his desk, and he couldn't tell a single thing about what they were thinking. It was rather unnerving, in his opinion.

He needed to take control of the situation.

"I'm glad you made it," he greeted with a smile. "I must admit, I am still shocked. I apologize that my students uprooted you from your rightful time."

"Our students," Helga said, pinning him with a look. "Came to us with problems they did not know how to solve, and a danger much too large for them to take on alone."

"We came here because we wish to protect them," Rowena continued. "And save our school."

"I don't believe it is in any danger," Dumbledore denied stiffly. What had the trio told them?

"Oh? And what of Voldemort? What of his followers in the school that you allow to curse your students in the hallways?"

"There is a war brewing, you must understand-,"

Salazar held up a hand, a calm fury behind his eyes. "We have much to discuss, Dumbledore. First of which is the treatment of Harry Potter."

"Harry has had a very hard life."

"He has," Salazar agreed with him. "But it would have been much easier had you not interfered in his life the way you have."

"You placed him with his muggle aunt and uncle," Godric said, glaring at the headmaster. Dumbledore had to admit that his anger stung more than the rest- he was a Gryffindor, after all.

"In an abusive family," Salazar said sharply. "Where he was hated and barely survived. When he tried to speak with you about it, you sent him back. When Hermione's parents asked if they could look after him, you turned them down. When Ron's parents asked if they could look after him, you turned them down. You very deliberately have kept him locked up with his muggle family, completely aware of his abuse."

"You must understand, there were blood wards that needed to be maintained," Dumbledore tried, but Rowena pinned him with a glare.

"You could easily have placed stronger wards around a happy home. You were raising him to die."

"That is preposterous!"

"He got rid of the Horcrux."

Dumbledore froze in his seat, his eyes drifting over to a red faced Helga Hufflepuff. "How?"

"Oh, you despicable man," she spat, reaching for her wand. Godric put his hand on hers to stop her.

"You have neglected your other duties," Salazar said, calmer than any of his friends had expected. "I suggest you work on minimizing the damage to the Wizarding world from your position as Supreme Mugwump and Chief Warlock. We will be retaining control of the school from now on."

"You cannot do that!"

Rowena pulled parchment from her robes and pressed it down on the table. When he looked down, he saw wills claiming the castle was left to Hermione Granger, Ron Weasley, and… Harry Potter-Slytherin?

"What is this?"

"Ah," Salazar said, pressing another document down onto the table. Dumbledore felt horror rush through him at the sight of a certificate of adoption between Salazar Slytherin and Harry Potter.

"I see."

"All control you have over Harry has come to an end," the dangerous man declared, his eyes sharp.

"But the blood wards-,"

"Have already fallen," Godric informed him. "We checked upon returning to this time."

"How?"

"Harry and his friends spent a full year with us," Helga explained to him. "The wards have fallen."

"He cannot stay with Sirius," Dumbledore tried, feeling all control over the situation slipping. "Sirius is still a wanted man."

"Perhaps you left too soon," Rowena raised an eyebrow. "Minister Fudge cleared Sirius's name with a little bit of convincing."

"Besides, we will not be staying there," Salazar said. "We have plans. Now, Dumbledore, I would very much like if you would leave our school."

"This is- you cannot do this," Dumbledore tried, desperate. He had other positions, sure, but Hogwarts was his only way of keeping an eye on the students and who was to become Death Eaters, as well as who he wished to approach to join the Order. "I've spent my life protecting this school!"

"Then perhaps you should've done a better job."

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"What do you think they're doing?" Ron asked, following Harry and Hermione through the seventh floor to the Room of Requirement where they'd called a meeting of the DA. Though she hadn't told them, Hermione had also invited three others that were to arrive after them.

"Tearing him to pieces, I hope," Harry muttered to his friends.

"I doubt they'd attack him so clearly, no matter how much we all want them to," Hermione disagreed. "He is still a powerful ally that we need."

"I still don't understand what we're doing," Ron admitted, looking to his bushy haired friend. "What are you planning to tell them?"

"Nothing about the Founders," she assured them. "Are you ready?"

"Yeah."

They opened the door and stepped inside, stopping short at the crowd gathered in front of them.

"Merlin," Harry breathed, looking out at all of their nervous friends.

"Harry," Cho called, looking apologetic. "Is this… safe?"

"Oh, yeah, we got rid of Umbridge," Ron replied for him. "All good."

"Oh, Dumbledore is back?" Dean called with a grin. The trio exchanged a look.

"For now," Hermione nodded slowly. At their looks of confusion, she bit out a sigh. "It'll make sense in a few days, I'm sure. But, uh, we're still waiting for a few more people."

"We are?" Harry asked her in surprise. She blushed and nodded, and he narrowed his eyes at his friend. "Hermione, who is coming?"

"So, something happened the other day," she said, addressing everyone. "Malfoy and Harry got into a duel. He had a time turner around his neck, and Ron and I grabbed onto him just as Malfoy hit the time turner unknowingly. We vanished, but he thought he'd killed us. And he… went a bit crazy."

"Why?" Neville asked. He had his arm in a sling from the battle earlier, but was otherwise unharmed. Harry thought there was a good chance that, had he not chased down Bellatrix, Neville probably would have done it instead. Not that he necessarily blamed the boy. Harry had just been looking for his friend while Neville wanted to avenge his parents.

"Because - and this is the part you'll have a hard time believing - he doesn't actually want to fight us."

There was an outburst from almost everyone, including Harry and Ron. Much to her surprise, however, Luna simply nodded.

"Have you lost your mind?" Ginny asked her. She looked at her friend's sharp blue eyes and shook her head.

"No! I know it's hard to believe, okay, but he doesn't. Theo and Blaise aren't like that, either."

"And how would you know?" Parvati asked her with a scoff. Hermione resisted the urge to hex her roommate and glanced at her friends.

"Well, when we got back from… our little trip, we ran into Theo. Apparently, Malfoy lost his mind and decided to hex Umbridge and called her a cow. He confirmed as much to me when we found him."

"How did you know he wouldn't just curse you?" Angelina questioned. She smiled a little and pulled her daggers out from the sheath, something that had a disillusionment charm on it, just like Harry and Ron's.

"I threatened to stab him."

"Merlin, Hermione," Seamus let out a laugh, looking to Harry. "Did you know she was this scary?"

Harry shook his head. "We all learned how to handle muggle weapons like that, but she actually already knew. She won't even tell us why."

"Because boys are fucking assholes and her mom is a badass," Ginny called out. Ron looked to his sister in surprise, but the girl just shrugged. "She actually likes talking to me, Ron."

"Can we get back to the point?" Hermione interrupted, exasperated. With a few nods, she bit her lip. "Right. Well, they're on their way here now. If any one of you hexes them, I'll put something much worse than sneak on your forehead."

"Why the hell would you invite them here?" Justin asked her in disbelief.

"Because, I'd like to make sure you don't go on hexing them with the rest of the Inquisitorial Squad."

The door opened behind her, and instinctively, she put up a shield in front of her, Harry, Ron, and the three Slytherins as they entered the room. At least five spells were absorbed and she turned to glare.

"You're all very lucky I don't know who did that."

"Look, Hermione, we trust you," Katie told her slowly, eyeing the Slytherins. "But if they attack us-,"

"They won't-,"

"Then we will hex them within an inch of their lives."

"Message received," Theo raised an eyebrow. "Our wands aren't even out, for the record."

"His is," Neville said, pointing at Blaise, who was twirling his wand in between his fingers, something that seemed to be a nervous tick.

Theo scowled and smacked his friend. "Put that away, dumbass."

"Okay," Hermione said, looking nervously at her best friends, who looked betrayed. "Draco, can you please explain what you told me yesterday?"

"This doesn't seem like a good idea, Granger," he said, eyeing the crowd of Gryffindors, Hufflepuffs, and Ravenclaws. There was a distinct lack of the fourth house, if you didn't count Harry.

"Just do it," she snapped, narrowing her eyes at him.

"What do you wanna bet she still has that dagger?" Theo asked, relishing in the uncomfortable look Draco took on.

"Fine," he glared, turning to look at Hermione as he spoke, unwilling to look out at the skeptical people he'd been chasing and spying on for the better part of the last nine months. "When I was younger, my father told me that purebloods were rulers of the world and that muggleborns and muggles were beneath us- dirty. My mother fought this ideology at every turn, and she convinced me he was wrong. Unfortunately, just before I began school, he found out. Ever since, he has held… certain leverage over me to be certain that I behave how he wishes me to."

"Leverage?"

"He threatened my mother's life."

"Oh."

"The other day, when I thought I'd killed Potter, I knew it would mean my death… by the hands of the Dark Lord. I'll admit, I may have had a small breakdown-,"

"You were bloody unbearable," Theo corrected, Blaise chuckling at his friend's irritation.

"And I decided to go hex Umbridge, because I didn't want to follow something I absolutely did not believe in if my life was ending soon. Unfortunately, Potter lived-,"

"Hey!"

"Which means that my little breakdown was pointless. And that would've been fine, had Nott calmed me down on his own instead of bringing Granger to me."

"I'm sorry, you're mad that I know you're not a bigoted toerag?" Hermione looked at him in disbelief. Harry shook his head.

"You gotta stop saying that, Mione. No one gets it."

"Sure, but he knows I just insulted him."

"...fair."

"What I mean is that now my life is more complicated," Draco said, speaking over them. "More dangerous."

"Assuming we believe you," Ginny said, glaring at him. "What's the point? Why are you here?"

"Because I thought perhaps you could use someone with information on what Voldemort has planned."

Harry, Ron, and Hermione exchanged glances.

"If that's the case," Harry said slowly. "Then there's probably someone else you need to talk to."

"Not bloody Dumbledore."

"No," Ron shook his head. "Someone… else."

"Going back to the issue of if we believe him," Oliver Wood spoke up. "Do you have any proof?"

Draco pulled his wand, and Hermione was joined by Harry and Ron this time when she put up a shield to stop the reactive curses coming his way.

"Relax," Draco rolled his eyes, holding his wand straight up. "I, Draco Regulus Malfoy, do swear on my wand and magic that everything I have said to you all just now is true."

His wand lit up, signifying his magic was satisfied with the oath, and the room went quiet.

"Well, fuck," Dean complained. "Now we can't even deny it."

"So, are you all done hexing me?"

"Maybe."

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With Sirius being cleared of all charges and declared a free, innocent man, his first act was to finally do what Remus had been nagging him to do for weeks- become Lord Black.

It was a simple and quick ritual which consisted of Lord vows, a drop of blood on the ring, and someone in the to seal it that was blood related. In the end, he'd called Harry back from Hogwarts to help him out.

But with that done, he had a lot more to do before the Wizengamot meeting the next day. Which was why he called a family meeting at Black Manor, a place that had been empty for five years since his grandfather, the previous Lord Black, had died.

When everyone arrived, they were escorted to his office by elves, which had a sitting area in it as well, including two couches and a couple of chairs, a coffee table separating all of it.

He stood nervously outside of the room with Hermione and Remus, adjusting his robes needlessly for the tenth time. "Suddenly this feels like a horrible idea. Maybe we should reschedule, or like… cancel forever."

"Sirius," Remus frowned. "You know we need to do this. You won't be alone. Harry is already in there, and so is Tonks."

"Yeah, but I haven't seen Dromeda for years," Sirius reasoned. "What if she thinks I'm evil?"

"Then set her straight," Hermione stared at him impatiently. "Come on. It's too late to back out."

"Yeah, I know," he muttered, opening the door. His entire living family sat in the room together, in their own little sections. One couch held Andromeda, Ted, and Mini Tonks, with Harry awkwardly placed by her side. Another couch held Narcissa and Draco, a sight that filled him with relief. He'd been worried she wouldn't show. Aside from them was an empty space where he knew Bellatrix should have been. She'd been invited, of course, but he figured it was probably better she didn't come.

He stepped inside, Hermione and Remus flanking him fiercely. He looked around, tense.

"Oh, I bloody knew it," Tonks called out with a grin. "Good job!"

"Sirius," Narcissa breathed, her eyes widening only a fraction. "I heard you were cleared. I see you have finally taken up your rightful spot as Lord Black."

"I have," he confirmed, offering his cousin a soft smile. They hadn't been close since just before her wedding when Lucius had caught him trying to sneak into her room to kidnap her. He'd been forbidden from seeing her again, apart from family meetings. "I'm glad you're all here. We have… a lot to discuss."

"Granger is here," Draco said with a slight frown.

"We will get to that," Sirius confirmed, waving for the girl to take her seat. Unfortunately for her, the only open seat left was next to Draco. He made room for her, looking somewhat uncomfortable the entire time, though she didn't look to be doing much better, either. "Firstly, I'd like to say that I'll be making some changes in order to bring this House back to its former glory. The first change is making up for a wrong done many, many years ago. Andromeda, if you'd like, I would greatly appreciate it if you and your family joined us once more."

"I would," she smiled brightly at him, tears forming in her eyes. "Thank you."

"Good," he grinned, his gaze turning to Ted and the young Auror. "You call all do the ritual at the end."

"Thanks," Tonks said, offering him a genuine smile. She was happy not for herself, but for her mother. It had always been painful for the woman to talk of her family, and she'd known her mother had always missed at least one of her sisters, but they'd been forbidden to speak since she was disowned.

"As for you, Narcissa," Sirius said, his gaze turning to the woman, who looked suddenly nervous. "I've been informed that Lucius has spent years threatening your life in order to keep Draco obedient. Is that true?"

"Yes," she said so softly that he almost didn't hear her. Andromeda looked at her younger sister in horror, and Sirius felt his heart clench. He'd never wanted this for her.

"He has ignored the rules of your marital contract, as well as the rules of this House, which has primacy over the Malfoy House."

"It does?" Draco asked, interrupting in his surprise. Sirius nodded at him.

"The problem is that no one was willing to enforce it," he explained. "My grandfather did nothing in his old age. It's why I was never officially disowned. After Andromeda, he retreated to the Manor and wasn't seen again until his death date on the bloody wall showed up.

"Now, however, I'm here," he said, his eyes falling on Narcissa once more. "Lucius has caused you and your son great emotional damage and has threatened your safety. Because of Lucius, harm has come to a daughter of this House. For that, your marriage is being dissolved and the dowry is being brought back into Black accounts."

Sirius didn't think Narcissa had ever looked more relieved in her life.

"Thank you, Sirius," she whispered. He offered her a genuine smile.

"I tried to save you from him once, Cissy. It didn't stick then, but it will now."

"Isn't he dead or something?" Harry asked, earning himself a glare from Hermione. It was true that he'd died instead of Sirius at the DOM, but that didn't make dissolving the contract pointless at all. It simply made Narcissa a Black once more and cut her ties to the Malfoys, something she was obviously grateful for.

"What about me?" Draco asked, gaining his attention.

"You will be a part of our House," Sirius confirmed. "Since we have primacy over Malfoys, any children born to the marriage will be returned to our House. Now, I won't insist you change your surname, but officially, you are no longer a Malfoy."

"Good," Draco nodded once. "Glad to be rid of it."

"As for Bella," Sirius said, his eyes scanning the room. "She has decided not to grace us with her presence, as well as her husband, but I can do this in their absence. I call down Judgement upon Bellatrix Lestrange née Black and her husband, Rodolphus Lestrange."

Andromeda and Narcissa gasped, though everyone else in the room was clueless.

Magic gathered in the room, tense and dangerous and setting everyone on edge. There was a sharp silence that no one in the room was willing to break as the magic snapped into place and more filtered in before dissipating into the walls. The wards were stronger, and the family magic felt harsher than before.

"Um, Sirius," Harry said with a frown. "What was that?"

"That was a very, very old form of family magic," Sirius said, explaining to everyone that didn't understand already. "It judges a person's actions and if they are found lacking, it takes their magic from them and returns it to the House."

"Wait, I don't understand," Hermione spoke up. "It takes their magic?"

"It does," Sirius confirmed. "I won't be surprised if both Bellatrix and her husband are dead by the morning."

A silence settled over the room, and he barely wanted to break it.

"I only know a fraction of the things Bella has done," he said, feeling judgement from a few people, including Harry and Hermione but excluding Draco, who had grown up with the crazy witch in his life. "But when I was sixteen, she tortured me for three hours with my mother's permission, trying to force me to join Voldemort. I'd have died if Regulus hadn't shoved me into the floo and sent me to the Potters.

"In 1981, Bellatrix, Rabastan, and Rodolphus tortured Alice and Frank Longbottom into insanity. They still sit in St. Mungo's to this day. And in 1971, Bellatrix tortured a daughter of this House for daring to marry a muggleborn man," Sirius said, looking to Andromeda. "For that, the contents of her vaults will be transferred into yours for reparations. I know it can't erase what she's done, Dromeda, but it's something. You deserve something."

"What about the Longbottoms?" Andromeda asked, though he could see tears in her eyes.

"I will give them the dowry and match it," Sirius shrugged. "We've got a shit ton of money, if you hadn't noticed."

"She's really going to die?"

Sirius looked over at Narcissa, who was still and quiet. He felt sympathy flood him. Bellatrix had always been cruel to both her sisters, but he knew Narcissa had never wanted anything more than approval from her older, deranged sister. "I'm sorry, Cissa. It's what she deserves. Magic judged it."

"I know," she breathed. "I just wish I could… see her once more."

"We can hold a private memorial," he said, though he hated himself for doing it. No one in the house wanted it aside from Narcissa, but having missed so many years of friendship with his cousin, he wanted to make her happy.

"Thank you."

"What about your heir?" Draco wondered. Sirius's eyes lit up.

"Yes! See, this was a hard one for me. I'd have picked Harry, of course, but he's going to accept Lordship over the Potter House tomorrow, and he refused to be Lord of two houses."

"I don't even know enough to be Lord over one!" Harry defended. Sirius heard him mumble something about Lordship over Slytherin and moved on quickly as Hermione shot him a glare.

"Which left me with two options. You'll forgive me, Draco, for not picking you since this is the first time we've met," Sirius shrugged.

"Who is the other option? There's no one left," Draco frowned in confusion.

"That's not true," Sirius grinned. "Because a certain muggleborn girl helped me escaped the dementor's kiss a couple of years ago, igniting a guardian bond."

"Granger?" Draco gaped, his eyes flicking over to the girl in question. "He's your magical guardian?"

"Yep," she nodded with a sigh. She still hadn't managed to ask Sirius why he'd never bothered mentioning it. She added it to the list of things she needed to talk with him about.

"So, Hermione will be adopted into the House of Black, and she's my heir!"

"Merlin's sake," Tonks let out a laugh. "What about her parents?"

"I had a talk with them," Sirius said. Hermione's smile dimmed at the memory. "I might have convinced them to move to Australia until this war is over."

"It was my request," Hermione spoke up. "They already know something is happening. We've been fighting about it, and I had to come stay with Sirius last summer because they wanted to keep me from Hogwarts. I just… want them to be safe."

"And I assured them that she would be safe and they gave their consent for her to be adopted," Sirius explained. "So, Hermione is heir. The adoption will be after the Wizengamot session since we couldn't do it with quite such short notice."

"And what is the plan for the House?" Andromeda asked him.

"Fighting this war," he told them. "Fighting the discrimination against muggles and muggleborns as well as against Beings. We will talk more of it after tomorrow's Wizengamot session."

"What is to happen then?"

"A lot," he grinned. "As a matter of fact, you should all come just to see the looks on their stupid faces."

"I'm sure we'll all be there."

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