Chapter 13:

"I have found Gellert's notes on the woman. Or, more accurately, I have found her notes on us. She has written a large journal documenting what she has observed of our culture and magics. She seems fixated on two entities she believes exist here on Earth: a being called Imagination, and another called Equality. Only, from her observations, she seems to have come to the conclusion that this 'Equality' is dead, attributing the axial tilt to her fall. Could it be true? I find it a terrifying, yet intriguing prospect."

From Albus Dumbledore's Notes; 20th Century, Earth.


Harry bolted out of his room and down the stairs, Gabrielle on his heels. People who could transform into animals. What next? The Genie from Aladdin? Thomas the Tank Engine? Why oh why did his life have to suck so much?

He reached the fourth-year boys' dorm and kicked the door open. The duo rushed inside as Neville Longbottom jerked awake with a shriek.

"What's goann on?" Seamus moaned. Harry ignored them, moving to the side of Ron's bed. Sure enough, sleeping in his cage was Scabbers the rat. Harry checked the lock, then grabbed the cage. Ron remained snoring loudly in his bed.

"That it?" Gabrielle asked.

"Has to be," Harry said, then together they raced back up the stairs. Their rapid descent had evidentially caused enough of a ruckus for a prefect to stick their head out into the hallway from the Sixth-Year dorms. When he saw Harry and Gabrielle, he went beat red and slammed the door shut. Harry pushed the door of his rooms open and was greeted by the same scene he left. Fred, George and Ginny were still pointing their wands at Black, George with that odd piece of paper in his hand, and Daphne had her arms folded, staring at Black with morbid curiosity.

Harry slammed the cage down on the desk, waking the rat. As soon as it saw Black, it began to screech and writhe in its cage.

"Daphne," Harry said carefully, containing his anger, "the spell you used on Black. Do it." Daphne drew her wand, fixing it on the cage door, Ginny did the same, though the twins remained pointed at Black. Harry pulled the lock, and the rat attempted to bolt. Daphne's spell hit the creature, and it immediately transformed, just like Black had, into a man. He was short, with balding hair, and a squeamish face. His eyes were beady, and he stood hunched over.

Harry point blank stunned the man, then shot him two more times just to make sure.

"I hate my life," he said eventually. Then he picked his coffee – which had gone cold – from the table where he'd left it, and drank what remained.


The look on Professor McGonagall's face when she arrived provided Harry with all the proof he needed that the rat-man was Peter Pettigrew. When Lupin arrived, he had to be held back from punching the man. Gabrielle had taken the Invisibility Cloak, the Hat, and the files from Dumbledore's office back to the Beauxbatons carriage. Daphne had also left, intending to owl her father immediately and inform him that what could quite possibly the biggest legal case of the decade may just come to a head, and he'd probably want in on it. That left him, Ginny and Fred and George with McGonagall, Lupin, Dumbledore, Shacklebolt, Moody, a woman from the Ministry of Magic called Amelia Bones – whom Harry assumed was related to Susan – and Ron in his room, staring over the unconscious forms of both Black and Pettigrew.

"… And I lied to you Professor because quite frankly I don't trust a hair on your shiny silver head." Harry finished his improvised testimony. He had gotten a new coffee from a House Elf. He'd convinced Ginny to try one, and she'd spat it back out. He decided she'd need to try a latte first next time.

Dumbledore and Shacklebolt were both staring at him, and based on their gazes, Harry got the distinct impression that they both wanted to inflict vast amounts of pain on him. Dumbledore's look was far better concealed than Shacklebolt's was.

"Let me get this straight," Madame Bones said. She wore a monocle over her left eye, and Harry couldn't decide whether it was cool or creepy. "You came across Sirius Black, infamous mass-murderer, as he attempted to enter the Gryffindor Common Room. You stunned him with a stunning first-year spell because, and I hope I'm getting this bit right, that shackle on your arm is restricting your magic…"

"It also prevents me from leaving the school grounds," Harry added helpfully.

"Yes. Then, you dragged Black up to this room, kept him detained overnight, interrogating him until he divulged the location of this man," she gestured to the rat-man, "who was hiding as this boy's rat." Ron hickuped.

"Finally, you apprehended the rat and turned him back to a man. Only then did you decide to inform a staff member."

"That's correct," Harry confirmed cheerfully as he took another sip of coffee.

"Mmmm. This is good coffee. Professor Dumbledore, your House Elves are to be commended." Madame Bones raised an eyebrow. Shacklebolt looked ready to draw his wand. Moody was grinning so widely you could easily mistake him for a kid in a candy shop. Professors McGonagall and Lupin were leaning against the wall in the corner of the room, whispering quietly to each other as they stared at the unconscious men.

"And you didn't inform the staff because…"

"The staff, whom I hold in high esteem – all except Snape at least – are obligated to go to the Headmaster with any potential threat to the school they discover. I don't trust the Headmaster as far as I can throw him. Therefore, I didn't tell anyone I had Black here. The only danger was to myself, and it was a danger I was willing to take on to obtain the truth. Black seems to have limited cognitive faculties, so getting any useful information out of him took a great deal of time. As soon as I determined that Black was innocent, I contacted the relevant authority figures." Harry raised his hands as if this was obvious, then took another drink. He had never thanked Nylah for her stuffy language more. It made you sound sophisticated and mature, which was definitely what he needed right now.

Madame Bones stared at Harry for several minutes. It might have been mildly frightening, if Mak wasn't floating around the woman's face trying to use her monocle as a mirror.

"Very well. I suppose I ought to thank you for the apprehension of two dangers to your fellow students then," Madame Bones said, a slightly flustered tone present in her voice.

"No need to thank me, Madame. The knowledge that my colleagues are safe is more than enough for me." Moody actually barked out a laugh at that one. Shacklebolt's hand moved for his wand.

"Nonsense. You caught him. That means the galleon reward goes to you. The DMLE will have the reward delivered to your Gringotts account by the end of the day." She flicked her wand, and both bodies floated up into the air.

"Moody, Shacklebolt, let's go." Then she stared flatly at Dumbledore.

"You and I will be having words." She turned on her heel and walked out the door, the Aurors trailing after her.

"Professor McGonagall," Harry said, drawing the rooms attention back to him, "if you don't mind me asking, what became of the incident last night?"

The Transfiguration Professor, who looked incredibly worse for wear – numerous wisps of hair hanging free of her bun, bags under her eyes and a slumped posture – sighed.

"Letters have been sent to the parents of all those involved explaining the incident and what caused it. Fifty House points have also been taken from each individual." She looked positively ill as she said it. Harry respected that.

"Okay. You should also know that it has come to my attention that Ginny's roommates were ostracising her, forcing her to sleep on the opposing side of the room to them and not speaking to her. I've taken the liberty of moving her belongings to the Head Girls room until such a time as you, as Head of House, can decide what to do concerning the situation. I couldn't in good conscience allow her to spend the night in the room given the general attitudes demonstrated last night." McGonagall was instantly on her feet. She rushed over to Ginny, who was looking at Harry with a shocked expression, and pulled the girl into a hug.

"I'm so sorry, Miss Weasley. You should have come to me when all this started, and I would have fixed it as quick as a fiddle."

"It's… alright, Professor. Really," she said a bit breathlessly. The looked Harry in the eye and mouthed, 'thank you.' He and Gabrielle had moved Ginny's trunk next door and made it so the bed looked slept in after Harry and Daphne returned with Black. It had been Gabrielle's idea, and the Head Girls room was connected to the same hallway his was, so it hadn't been hard to move her stuff to the room.

"Harry?" Professor Dumbledore said, "if you wouldn't mind, I'd like a word outside." Mak began rapidly shaking her head, but Harry nodded and followed outside. Ron had vanished, but Fred and George had taken McGonagall's seat beside the silent Lupin. George was fiddling with that piece of parchment.

Harry closed the door behind him and stood in the hallway, looking Dumbledore in the eye.

"Harry, you realise the position that lying to me in this way forces me into?"

Harry rolled his eyes. He'd known this was coming.

"I was considering, given your apparent devotion to your studies, the removal of the Binder. However, your actions here today, while noble, were reckless and posed a great threat to yourself and others. I cannot trust you enough to remove the Binder, and as such, it will have to remain." Harry yawned.

"If that's all Headmaster? I am rather tired after my vigil over the night. If you don't mind, I will endeavour to get some rest." There was no sparkle in Dumbledore's eye. His lips were pursed, and his posture was very straight. He did not like being dismissed.

"Very well, Harry. Enjoy your rest." Then he turned on his heel and strode down the stairs. Harry caught the sound of people shuffling out of Dumbledore's way as he moved. It was no surprise, really. All this would do was add to his legend. Rolling his eyes and suppressing a very real yawn, he went back into the room. He considered finishing his coffee but instead opted for the warmth of his blankets. They were one thing he certainly preferred about life at Hogwarts.


2 years ago,

Ginny sat on the floor of Moaning Myrtle's bathroom, crying her eyes out. This was the third attack. First, it was Mr Filch's cat, Mrs Norris. Petrified and left hung on the wall beside the blood writing. Blood she was now sure was her own. The cut on her wrist she didn't remember making was the only answer. The second attack was Colin. Colin had been her friend. Now he was petrified, lying frozen in the Hospital Wing. Now, Justin Finch Fletchley was dead. The teachers had kept it quiet, saying he'd just gone on holidays early. But Ginny knew. She'd started having thoughts that weren't her own when she came near any of the muggleborn students.

Mudbloods!

Go away!

She was losing weight, no matter how much food she ate. And she… she was undergoing changes. Changes she knew shouldn't be happening yet. She'd had her period a few days ago, and had asked Ron's friend Hermione for help with it. Hermione had provided her with some muggle products to help while she got used to it, then a list of spells to try once she was more comfortable with her magic. She'd been a lifesaver.

It wasn't just that either. Ginny was getting taller. A lot taller. At least an inch a week. Her body shape was changing rapidly too. In another month she'd probably need to owl her mum for some bras.

It made no sense, and she was getting terrified. The only person she could talk to was Tom. Yes, Tom would know what to do.

She pulled the Diary out of her bag and balanced it on her knees before digging out a quill and ink.

'Tom,' she wrote, 'I think I killed someone.'

'Nonsense. You wouldn't hurt a fly,' Tom replied.

'Something is happening to me. I'm… changing. It's scary.'

'You shouldn't be scared. I'm sure you're worrying about nothing. Now, last time we spoke, you mentioned a boy called Harry Potter. Is he a student?'

Ginny breathed a sigh of relief. She was worrying about nothing. Change was healthy, and she should be excited by it, not scared.

Relaxed, she continued writing to Tom about the story of Harry Potter. Tom really was the best thing that ever happened to her.


The Present Day

Gabrielle exited her room, dressed in a fresh set of robes, intending to head for Madame Maxine's cabin. She wanted to tell the Headmistress about Harry's capture of Sirius Black. Gabrielle's mother was on the Beauxbatons school board, so she knew there had been significant debate on whether to go through with the tournament after Black escaped. If Madame Maxine knew that Black might be innocent, and that he'd been apprehended, she'd surely sleep easier at night.

That, at least, was her plan. However, as soon as she closed her bedroom door, she was accosted by her friends Leanne, Beatrice, Jacque and Eleanor.

"Gabrielle! Everyone's talking about it, you have to tell us how he was?" Eleanor asked, bouncing up and down. The blonde was a terrible gossip.

"How who was?" she asked, confused.

"Harry Potter!" Gabrielle started her walk towards the Headmistress's quarters.

"What about him?"

Leanne, a short brunette, rolled her eyes.

"People saw you with him last night, then you disappeared after the feast. Didn't even come to Fleur's party. We were worried!" Gabrielle snorted. She very much doubted that.

"Then, the rumour is that you came out of Hogwarts this morning, late this morning, wearing a boy's shirt and carrying your robes!" Jacque exclaimed.

Gabrielle gritted her teeth. She'd carried her robes in a bundle to hide the things Harry had stolen from Headmaster Dumbledore. She didn't have any intention of giving his shirt back, though. It… smelt nice. She supposed that was an odd thing to think, but it did. And she had slept on his couch the whole night.

"So! What was he like! You have to tell us!" Eleanor repeated. Gabrielle sighed.

"We didn't have sex, Eleanor! There's nothing to tell!" She couldn't help the blush that rose on her cheeks at the implication. It certainly hadn't been on her mind at all the previous night. She'd been too preoccupied with Ginny. Then that morning they'd interrogated a murderer! But… well… she wouldn't have said no. He was very good looking after all.

"You did! Liar! Come on, give us the details!" Gabrielle blushed even deeper.

"I did not! We didn't do anything of the sort. I was helping Ginny, the Hogwarts Triwizard Champion. Turns out, Harry put her name in the Goblet of Fire – breaking the age line – so he can test her. If she does well in the tasks, he's going to take her under his wing for his secret missions." Gabrielle said, repeating the lie Harry had started the previous night. It was clever. His legend was so massive now that nothing he supposedly did would come across as far-fetched. And considering he was about to get credited as having captured Sirius Black and exonerated him… well, he wasn't going to become any less popular any time soon.

"Okay, fine. Let's say I believe that," Jacque said, "why didn't you come back to the carriage then?"

"Ginny was getting massively bullied by the Hogwarts kids. I helped Harry get her settled into a new room. By then, it was too late to come back to the carriage."

"Where did you sleep then?" Beatrice asked.

Gabrielle flushed. There was no good way to answer that.

"Well… um… I…"

"See. I told you! Oh, come on you have to tell us! Was he good?!" Eleanor asked again, practically springing with each step. Gabrielle failed spectacularly in containing her blush.

"Ooo. He was good. I knew it!"

"Eleanor," Gabrielle hissed as they reached the open common room, "I told you we did not sleep together. I crashed on his couch. That's it."

"And came back wearing his shirt. Sure, Gabi, sure."

Gabrielle was saved from further embarrassment by Fleur, who, upon seeing her, quickly rose and rushed over.

"Fleur! Congratulations on making Champion!" Gabrielle beamed, "You've got this in the bag. I'm sure…" Fleur slapped her across the face.

"What were you thinking!"

Gabrielle, and her friends, were so stunned by the outburst that none of them so much as twitched.

"I cannot believe you! You slept with Harry Potter! You gave yourself to that rude pig…"

Gabrielle snapped. After seeing the lengths Harry went to rescue the faeries. Witnessing his devotion to protecting Ginny, in spite of her complete exile from the rest of the school, and the kindness he'd shown that morning. Listening to his story about the harshness of the life he'd lived, and what he'd do to protect the innocent – even people like the policewoman who he didn't even know. No. Gabrielle was not going to let anyone bad mouth him. He deserved better than that.

"He is not rude! Or a pig! He's one of the kindest people I've ever met! You're just mad that he resisted your allure. News flash Fleur, you don't always get what you want! I don't know where this attitude has come from, but I suggest you lose it. Fast!"

"My attitude?" Fleur said, stepping even further into her personal space so that Gabrielle was forced to look up at her big sister, "I'm not the one who threw herself at the first boy who bats his eyelashes at you!"

"I didn't throw myself at anyone!" Gabrielle snapped, "And even if I did, I'm certainly not obliged to explain my actions to you." With that, Gabrielle pushed Fleur backwards and stormed out of the room, headed for Madame Maxine's office. As she passed a window, the sun flashed green.


Albus sat at his desk, staring into the midday light, not really seeing anything. The Sorting Hat, the Invisibility Cloak, and several pages of notes on his plans had been taken in the night. The only conclusion he could come to was that another person had broken into his office was neither Black nor Harry. Black wouldn't have cared for the items taken. Harry certainly would have taken his mother's jewellery box and his father's House Ring, both of which were still in James' trunk despite the theft of the cloak. It had to be a third party. Perhaps someone from Silverlight? A servant of Odium? Or another world hopper? Either way, his plans may have been discovered, and he'd lost two of the splinters. Now, instead of the five he'd had, he retained only three. They'd been so close to their goal too! He would have to check the Resurrection Stone's hiding place.

He sighed and took hold of one of the spindly silver objects on his desk. It was shaped like a solar system. He placed his hand on the sun and twisted. The sphere locked into its new position and began to glow red.

Outside his window, the sun flashed green, indicating another shift in the axial tilt. Albus breathed a sigh of relief. His work was always easier when the world was set to goodness.