Hi! I know a few people have noticed how many chapters have been posted today. It's been… a few. This is because I've actually had a lot of these prepared for some time and I actually thought I'd posted some of them already.

The reason they're all going up today is because I have a project that I'm preparing to post for the first time. I've been working on it on and off for some time now and in the past month or so decided to redo the entire thing.

It's called the Multiple Trios Dilemma. It features the golden trio from this fic, as well as a couple of others, and the trios from my other fics, too! It was a tiny, fun idea I had over two years ago that has slowly evolved into… more.

That being said, it isn't necessary to read that to understand anything going forward in this fic. The are chances that they reference it once in a while in mostly meaningless conversation is there, but there is absolutely nothing plot important in that fic.

I'll be posting that tonight or in the next couple of days, hopefully, so give it a try if you'd like! Or at the very least, give padfootl0ve some love because she has dealt with SO MUCH from me. I nearly lost my damn mind writing that huge ass multiverse fic, my dudes.

Anyway, enjoy! I promise not to abandon this fic once this crazy updating is over!

Chapter Twenty-Three

Harry followed Salazar through the halls of the ministry. They were both understandably tense over the meeting ahead of them. The last time Harry had spoken with the woman they went to meet, she'd been telling him he was not going to have his wand snapped and be expelled.

"We're here to see Amelia Bones," Salazar told the young secretary. The man blinked at him a few times before turning and hurrying to the new Minister's office. He came back a moment later and waved them into the room. Salazar gently pushed his son in front of him and the two entered together.

"Thank you for coming," Amelia smiled at them kindly. They each shook her hand before all three sat and she offered them some tea, which they declined. "I'm sorry to call you in on such short notice."

"Just kinda worried you've rethought and wanna send me to Azkaban," Harry half-joked, offering her a nervous grin. She laughed softly and shook her head.

"I couldn't if I wanted to, and I don't. I understand why you cast the Patronus, Mister Potter."

Harry screwed up his face. "Please call me Harry."

"Harry," she nodded. "I actually wanted to talk with you about your DA."

Harry exchanged a glance with his father. That was all? "Uh… okay. If this is about that spell I tried to teach them a few months ago, I didn't know it was dark magic until Susan told me it was."

Amelia laughed and shook her head. "No, you're not in trouble, Harry. Susan has been telling me about the group, however, and I thought there are a few things you should know about the group of students you've assembled."

"Er… okay?" Harry looked at Salazar and back at the Minister. "None of them are Death Eaters, if that's what you're worried about. I mean, I guess Theo and Draco were gonna be but they're fine now."

"Harry," Salazar said, putting a hand on his shoulder. "Why don't we let her explain?"

"Yeah, that's probably a good idea."

Amelia chuckled and grabbed a folder. She handed it over and he flipped through it curiously. "What do you notice?"

"These are… what, the parents of the DA kids?" Harry blinked, handing it over to Salazar, who glanced through it as well.

"No, Harry," she disagreed. "That is the Potter Alliance."

"The what?" Harry blinked, grabbing the folder back despite the fact that Salazar wasn't finished. He flipped through it again, confused. "The Potter what now?"

"Potter Alliance," she repeated, smiling at him fondly. "Susan and I discussed what she was learning. Through a few of these conversations, I noticed a pattern in who else was in this group of yours, Harry. Every single person in your DA is the child of someone in the Potter Alliance, save for Hermione."

"But… what is the Potter Alliance? I just- we just picked people that were good. Hermione invited them all! I didn't even know who was coming until everyone showed up. How did this happen?"

"That is what I was wondering," Amelia told him. "I assumed you hadn't heard of the Alliance since you haven't been involved with any politics up until this point."

"I've never heard of it," he confirmed. "What is it, exactly?"

"It's very old, for one. It was created a very long time ago when specific groups began forming in the Wizengamot. There was the Black Alliance, the Potter Alliance, and the Prewett Alliance. These Alliances are named after the people that made and led them, who had the most seats out of everyone."

"Seats, you mean-,"

"Votes," she explained. "So if we were voting on a law, as Lord Potter, you'd have seventeen votes to cast. Most Houses only have a few. Your House actually has the most votes in all of the Wizengamot."

"Merlin," Harry looked to his father. "I'm starting to think I should've taken a crash course in all of this before becoming Lord Potter."

"How could Harry have put together a group with the same people that are in this Alliance?" Salazar asked Amelia in concern.

"I believe it has to do with the old vows," she began explaining, sitting back in her chair. "They're vows that everyone in the Alliance took many years ago. They function as a sort of bond. They pulled the students together through Harry."

"Is this Alliance still functioning?" Harry asked with a small frown. "What do they do?"

"It is, to an extent," she said slowly. "We try to stay united, but we don't hold meetings anymore. We haven't done so since your grandparents died and your parents went into hiding. We are lucky in that we all vote on the same things most of the time, mostly because we are well aligned in politics."

"And I just happened to accidentally create a group made completely out of Alliance members' kids," Harry muttered, sitting back in the chair. "And now I'm Lord Potter, so… you think I should bring it together again. That's why you called me here."

"Exactly," she confirmed. "Now more than ever, we need a united front. With someone leading the Alliance, with your votes in play again, we will get much more done than ever before."

"And you think these people will listen to me?" Harry wondered. "No offense, but at least two of these people were all for expelling me."

"We will set up a meeting," Salazar told him. "Discuss this Alliance with them. Their goals, our goals, and how to go about meeting them."

"Brilliant idea," Amelia smiled approvingly. "I can set up a dinner, if you'd like. I have worked with all of them before."

"Only if their kids are there," Harry decided suddenly. "But quick question, why aren't the Weasley's in here?"

"They lost their seat some years ago," she explained with a sigh. "It was unfortunate. Arthur's father gambled it away."

"Well… can they get it back?" Harry asked. "Where did it go? What happened to it?"

"It doesn't have a home right now," Amelia realized. "It went to Barty Crouch, but with his death last year, it's been sitting there. I believe if you suggested it, enough people will vote to bring it back in."

"And can people join the Alliance? Like Sirius?"

Amelia hesitated, considering the question. "The Black regent was recently fired, I know. I assumed Sirius would not place his votes on the side of the dark, but to abandon his own Alliance… it would destroy them. To join yours… there would be an almost uncomfortable amount of power. Unless the light and dark, the opposing forces, united, they wouldn't have a chance to win anything. It would likely lead to more light leaning Houses flooding to your Alliance and-,"

"What are you saying?" Harry asked, leaning forward. "It would work?"

"Normally, I would be very against this," she told him seriously. "That amount of power to one party is dangerous. During wartime, however, taking as much of their power away as possible is the most important thing…. Yes, it would work."

"Let's do it," Harry grinned. "I can let the DA know about the dinner, so see if you can set it for next Saturday."

OoOoOoOoOoOo

Sirius and Remus got to Hogwarts at ten to noon the next day. Harry had invited them both with a scarily Marauder-esque grin and told them to be in the Professors' office at that very specific time.

When they got there, they found Harry and Godric talking together. "-I do know, Uncle, I'm just saying, they have a right to-,"

"They do not," Godric disagreed firmly. "Helga will never allow it, Harry."

"So she won't know," Harry insisted. "Please. He's been a complete asshole to me for the past five years and they had to go to school with him! Just let me give them this."

Godric sighed and waved Harry toward the room that used to be Dumbledore's living quarters. "Keep them in there. Make no noise and do not come out until everyone else has left."

"Yes!" Harry grinned excitedly. "Thank you."

Godric shook his head fondly and walked out of the office to go find his friends and the man in question. Once he was gone, Sirius and Remus stepped out together.

"Pup," Sirius raised an eyebrow. "What's going on?"

"I've got something you won't wanna miss," Harry promised him. "But Uncle Godric says you have to stay quiet and up there, so let's go."

The two men, for lack of understanding, followed Harry up the stairs. Once they entered the room, he slammed the door shut behind them and put up a couple of spells so that, should they make noise, they wouldn't be heard.

"Harry, what are we doing here?" Remus asked warily. "What are they doing?"

Harry waved him off and looked through the small window in the door. Helga was the first to enter the room. She took off her outer robes and set them neatly on her chair, taking a seat. After her came Rowena, who did the same. Her hair was a bit messy in a bun, somewhat similar to how Hermione looked after hours of fruitless research in the library. Finally, Godric and Salazar walked in together, talking quietly together. Salazar's eyes flew to the door and met Harry's.

"Oh, shit," Harry whispered. Luckily, Salazar only frowned in disapproval but said nothing. "Thank Merlin. That was close. I'm definitely gonna get a lecture for this later."

"For what?" Remus questioned again.

"Shh," Harry waved at them as the door to the office opened again. This time, Snape walked in. Upon sighting him, Sirius moved closer.

"Snivellus?" he asked curiously. "What is he-,"

"Quiet," Harry hissed. He pulled up a familiar product, holding the Extendable Ear for all of them to listen to.

"Snape," Rowena greeted curtly. "We thought we might have a talk with you."

"Obviously," Snape drawled, looking between them. His eyes settled on Salazar, which was the wrong move. "What am I here for?"

Salazar considered him. "We've been informed of your… teaching style, and we deeply disagree with it. I was told of an incident in which you forced a student's toad to drink a ruined potion?"

"Mister Longbottom refused to listen to the simplest of instructions. He could do nothing right and-,"

"And that is another problem," Salazar interrupted sharply. "You clearly hate children, and you verbally abuse them constantly, but no one more than my son."

There was a pause.

"You won't defend yourself?" Godric asked him angrily. "What, you save those sharp words for mere children?"

"Beyond that," Salazar continued. "You are an abysmal professor. While you taught them some important things, you also did not manage to tell them some of the most basic facts that would save them so much trouble. It was almost as if you wanted them to fail."

"It is not my fault they're horribly inept," Snape snapped at them. "If you believe you'd do so much better, I implore you to do so."

"I will," Salazar confirmed. "Because you're fired."

"Holy shit," Sirius let out a bright laugh, grinning.

"You cannot-,"

"We can," Helga interrupted. "And we have. At the end of term, please take your things and go."

Snape, furious, turned on his heel and sped out of the room. Once he was gone, Sirius grabbed Harry in a hug and spun him around excitedly.

"You are the best Marauder of us all," he declared. "I can't believe you let us watch him be fired!"

"I figured you'd enjoy it."

"That was cruel," Remus disagreed. "He's just lost his job, Harry. Everyone needs to make money."

"Sure, but he's loaded," Harry shrugged. At the looks he got, he blinked. "What? He's the Prince heir. They're super rich."

"Still… his job, Harry."

"Remus, he cost you your job," Harry reminded him. "One that you liked! With the way he treated students, his Slytherin favoritism, and poisoning Trevor, he deserved this."

The door swung open and Harry, who had been leaning on it, fell flat on the ground.

"Ow."

"Harry," Helga gasped.

Harry pulled himself to his feet and smiled sheepishly at his father. "Athair, I just thought that they-,"

"I know what you thought," Salazar assured him. "But you should have hid it better."

"Yeah, Pup, haven't you heard?" Sirius asked with a grin. "Don't get in trouble, but if you can't manage that, don't get caught."

"It's what your grandmother told us," Remus explained at the incredulous look Harry gave Sirius. "We took her advice quite often."

"She was a Slytherin," Sirius commented, glancing at Salazar. The man nodded in approval.

"I don't mind that you were here, Harry-,"

"Sal!"

"-but you got caught immediately. Have we taught you nothing?"

"Uncle Godric told me where to hide," Harry defended. "I just did what he said."

"Godric!" Helga exclaimed. "You two are horrible influences. Harry shouldn't be celebrating anyone's misery."

"Well, in all fairness, he was awful to me," Harry defended. "He celebrated my misery, so I thought it was fair I do the same."

"Well, Remus, since you're here," Rowena smiled, brushing the subject aside for another time. "We did hope to speak with you."

"You did?" Remus, Sirius, and Harry asked together.

"Yes," she chuckled. "We hoped you would be open to taking your spot as Defense Professor back."

"But… the curse," was all Remus could manage as he was overwhelmed by emotion.

"We spoke with Minerva and we aren't sure that it is real," Salazar admitted. "I suppose this could be a test."

"I would take it up myself, but there are more students," Godric explained. "I will help, of course. We can work out a schedule."

"If you think there is no curse, I would love to," Remus told them before pausing. "What about… I'm a werewolf."

"Well, it's not like you're lacking Wolfsbane," Sirius patted his shoulder. "As much as I enjoyed our teenage shenanigans, I don't particularly feel like running around once a month, play fighting a werewolf. Nah, I'll keep you supplied."

"I don't know," Remus shook his head. "I could've killed Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Snape. I forgot my potion."

"Well, we're Animagi now," Harry told him, surprising both of them. "And we'll make sure to remind you now that we know."

"You're- what? I don't- but I could hurt someone?"

"D'you think this is what his conversation with Dumbledore was like?" Harry whispered to Sirius, who nodded.

"Probably lots of 'I could kill people! I'm extra furry sometimes and eat lots of chocolate once a month!'"

"Hey, I did not-,"

"So, you'll do it?" Harry asked, interrupting his denial. Remus looked at him, staring into the eyes of one of his closest friends. Imagining Lily being there did nothing to help him - he knew she'd beg him to help protect her son. With a long sigh, Remus nodded.

"Yes, I will."

"Yes!"

OoOoOoOoOoOo

Hermione sat in the library with a book in front of her, though she wasn't reading it. She stared at the pages, not comprehending a word, as she tried to process what all had happened since getting back.

She'd stopped avoiding her friends, for one. After Harry and Ron waited for her in the Room of Requirement, she'd admitted to herself that she was certainly not being the Gryffindor she was. And she had missed her friends, that was for certain. After spending so much time with them, relying on them and growing together as people, she felt it was unfair of her to stay away so purposely.

She was, however, still avoiding the founders. Draco had warned her that they were looking for her and what they'd questioned him about. She did trust them, and she did want their help, but she felt… angry, she supposed, that they had kept something so important from her. She thought she understood Harry's anger with the adults in his life.

"You haven't turned the page in ten minutes."

Hermione took a moment to breathe before she looked up from the book at Theo, who was standing by the table looking at her curiously. She resisted the urge to just turn back to her book and instead closed it. "I wasn't reading it."

"If you're going to pretend to read a book, you should remember to turn the pages," he suggested, sitting down next to her. He glanced at the title of the book and nodded. "'Souls and the Magic Within.' That won't help you."

"Clearly, I wasn't reading it," she leaned back to cross her arms. "So either I already figured that out, or I didn't expect it to."

"You didn't expect it to," he said after a minute. "I assume Draco told you there's no cure."

"He's made that very clear to me along with Sirius," she muttered, avoiding his gaze. "I don't need you to tell me as much, too. I've got it."

"There's no cure," he told her, ignoring her words. She looked up to glare at him, but he put his hand up. "Not yet. I can try."

"I'd appreciate it if you didn't try that whole false hope thing," she requested. "From what Sirius told me, this… this is going to mess up my entire life and put me in a lot of danger. I want to be aware of that, not hold out some hope for you to… fix me."

"I'm serious," he insisted. "I've been practicing curse breaking since I was a toddler, Hermione. I've found cures for incurable things before. Nothing this serious, but I'll try."

"I won't take Sirius's money, so I don't have much to offer you-,"

"Don't worry about it," he waved her off. "I wasn't going to ask and Draco already offered."

Hermione furrowed her brow. "Why does he care so much, exactly? He hated me before."

"He did not," Theo disagreed. "He pretended to. He has been fascinated with you for five years, Hermione. You're one of the very few people who are a challenge to him. You make him better."

"That's ridiculous," she shook her head. "He just saw me upset and felt bad for me."

"Draco doesn't feel bad for people," Theo said truthfully. "He might not be a bigot, but he's still an arse, Hermione. Whatever he saw, he didn't feel bad for you."

"That- of course he did."

"I've known him for twelve years," Theo scoffed. "If you know him better than I do, then I'm impressed."

Hermione shook herself. Her friendship with Draco was not what was important. "You're staying with us this summer?"

"That's what I've been told."

"Can you get whatever books you'll need from Nott Manor first?"

"I can," he assured her. "I'll be going home while my father is gone and leaving once I have my things."

Hermione breathed out and sat back. "Okay. Then… I guess I should talk to the professors and let them know."

"Quick question," he said, his lips twisting into a smile. "When I ran into you, you'd just gotten back from… the past?"

"Sort of," she confirmed. "We ended up with Sirius first. After that, we came straight here and came out a secret passage. That's when you ran into us."

"And what Potter and Weasley were getting was…"

"Paperwork," she explained. "For the professors. Their wills, Professor Slytherin's family tree, things like that."

He shook his head at her. "And I was concerned with Draco hexing Umbridge."

OoOoOoOoOoOo