Prologue
It was well into the night when a tall, dark-haired man burst into the headmaster's office of Hogwarts. Said headmaster barely lifted his head from the tome he was reading from at the sudden intrusion.
"Albus." The man spoke quietly, evenly, but with an edge to his voice. Finally, the headmaster looked up at him.
"Severus. To what do I owe the pleasure of your presence?" The man glowered at Albus's blasé attitude.
"The Dark Lord has given me some disturbing news." Albus sat up slightly, bracing for whatever was to come next.
"What is it, Severus?"
"He has discovered a ritual that will increase his power, as well as break Potter's protection from him." Severus said, staring gravely into the paling face of Dumbledore.
"Is there anything else to this ritual?" Albus asked after a moment of silence. Seeing Snape hesitate, he knew there was at least one more piece. He dreaded it.
"It is possible that if he is able to gather the correct pieces necessary for the ritual and it is performed correctly, it could, in theory, strengthen his connection to Potter to the point where he could kill him through their connection. I do not believe that the Dark Lord is aware of this, though. I only discovered it after going through the arithmancy and making several calculations of my own on top of his. It would need to be checked by others, but the implications are… disturbing."
More silence followed this. Finally, Albus broke it.
"Since you've been able to make these calculations, I'm assuming that you have seen the necessary components of this ritual. Is there anything we can do to prevent such a thing to occur?" To his immense relief, Severus nodded.
"One key component is a male Veela." Snape supplied. Dumbledore stroked his beard as he pondered this information.
"An exceedingly rare being to stumble upon. I believe there's only two hundred living, and most, if not all, live in the security of the Flocks the Veelas have formed. Exceedingly difficult to breach. I suppose if we can warn them, it would be best to warn the leaders and ask if they would like any support." Albus said, already gathering some floo powder to contact one of the Veela Flock Leaders he knew.
"I also believe it would be pertinent to ask the Flock Leaders for the names and locations of any male Veelas that are not living within the Flocks. Knowing the Dark Lord, he will be looking for any records of ones that are not living in these Flocks. If he cannot find any, then he would move in on a major Flock. If he couldn't covertly grab one, he would go for the big offensive to strike fear into the world. We may be able to launch a surprise offensive when he goes to one of these major Flocks." Severus suggested. Albus nodded his head as he walked over to his fireplace.
"Marguerite Bellavance." He called clearly, throwing the powder into the flames. As they shone emerald, he stuck his head in.
"Monsieur Dumbledore, to what do I owe the pleasure of such a late-night call?" A voice with a lilting French accent spoke. The voice's owner was sitting on her sofa, reading a book.
"I'm afraid it is not a social call, madam. We have some news that concerns your Flocks and those living outside of them. Would it be possible for me to step through to discuss this with you? We cannot trust the Floo with such an important subject matter." Madam Bellavance's expression changed from one of interest to one of great concern at the headmaster's statement.
"Yes, of course. Please, step through." She closed her book and stood from the sofa as she said this. Albus pulled his head back and nodded to Severus.
"I will talk to you more in the morning once Flock Leader Bellavance and I have a semi-cohesive plan formed. Please send for the rest of the Order to be present for a meeting in the afternoon, We shall aim for twelve sharp." Albus ordered. Severus nodded, already moving to the door.
Albus stepped through the fireplace, feeling the world shift and move around him until he arrived at the residence he needed. Stepping through with only the slightest hitch in his step (the Floo network never came easy), he walked into the parlor of a grand mansion, with a beautiful woman standing next to the fireplace. He smiled at his friend.
"Though I wish it was under different circumstances, I must say it is lovely to see you, Marguerite." He said, taking her proffered hand and lightly kissing the back. The Veela smiled at him.
"As it is lovely seeing you, my old friend. Now, what is this information that was important enough to interrupt a Veela's beauty sleep?" Marguerite asked, gesturing for him to follow her from the parlor to her office next door. It was large and each wall was covered in shelves, filled with books, trinkets, rolled-up parchment, and photos of the Bellavance family, award ceremonies, and the Flock Leader at various gatherings. A large, ornate oak desk dominated the center of the room.
"As always, you are straight to the point, my friend. New information has come to light over plans Voldemort has. It would seem that he is planning on abducting a male Veela for use in a ritual. If he cannot capture one residing outside the flocks, I am certain that he will mount an assault against one of the major flocks in order to kidnap one. I am sure I do not have to tell you that the male Veela would not meet a pleasant end, nor would the world be in a good state if he completes this ritual." Albus explained, keeping the exact nature of the ritual to himself. Marguerite took a deep breath in, shock evident in her face. A soft murmur of French expletives escaped her lips as she closed her eyes and thought about the implications of this.
"This would be an immensely powerful ritual, no? Not to mention dark. Black, even." The Flock Leader stated. She knew the dark, twisted rituals that had wizards seeking her people, educating herself to better protect her charges. When the headmaster nodded, confirming her fears, she immediately strode across the room to grab a map she had rolled up on a shelf. She placed it down upon the large desk, unfurling it. She pointed to circled locations scattered across the parchment. "These are the Flocks across the globe. Of course, there are many, but the major Flocks are located here, here, here, and, of course, here." She said, pointing to the circled locations of Paris, New York City, Moscow, and Sofia. "There are some other Flocks that I believe should be included in the main planning as well." She pointed to a few other locations across the map.
"We will need to notify the other Flock Leaders, but try to maintain a level of secrecy. We do not wish for Voldemort to learn of our plans or that we have any suspicions as to what he is seeking. Major movements will raise his suspicions. Will we be able to fortify the defenses of these positions?" Dumbledore asked, peering at the map.
"I am certain we will be able to. Allow me to summon the other Flock Leaders. Please, make yourself at home." Marguerite answered, already walking back to the fireplace.
After hours of deliberation, strategizing, and discussing possible outcomes, the Flock Leaders and Albus were confident enough to say they had a decent plan, though they agreed to meet again the next night to fortify this plan.
"I have one issue though." The New York Flock Leader, Helena Finch, stated before the group could leave. "I have one male Veela that is a bit different." The group stared at her, waiting for clarification. "His father is a no-maj." Gasps were heard around the table.
"That is most unusual, but I do not see the problem that this may present." Professor Dumbledore stated.
"He is nonmagical in the sense of being able to perform spells, but has innate Veela magic, and even has better control over this magic than many other Veela. He attends a no-maj school, and has little interaction with the magical world, so I am afraid that taking him away from his school may open an opportunity for the Statute of Secrecy to be broken should the leave be for an extended period of time and the no-maj's start to question his absence. As you well know, Professor, in America, the Statute is taken very seriously, and with complicated cases such as this, I am worried for this member of my Flock's safety, both from the Dark Lord and the government. The American government is going through a rather disturbing time, despite the strides taken in the last thirty years, and I cannot be sure that there are no sympathizers to Voldemort's cause that may use this as an opportunity to either get on his good side and give him this Veela or kill him for breaking the Statute." Helena explained, causing the others to take pause and consider the situation. They all knew that the Flock Leader was correct, but no one was sure what they could do to counteract the situation. Professor Dumbledore sat, stroking his beard in deep thought for several minutes before stopping and smiling.
"I have a wonderful idea. If this gentleman cannot be taken to protection, then protection shall be taken to him. I can send a member of the Order to protect this member of your Flock, Flock Leader Finch, and stay with him around the clock." The Headmaster stated, leaning back in his chair.
"How is that possible? Won't the no-majs question the presence of someone new popping up and sticking around my Flock member?" Helena asked, trying to foresee any issues with the solution. The professor shook his head in the negative.
"Not if he is an animagus." Dumbledore responded. Helena sat back and pondered this for a moment, before nodding.
"A fantastic idea, Headmaster. We can go over the finer details together after this meeting, if that is no bother to you?"
"Not at all, I prefer being thorough."
The meeting wrapped up shortly afterward with the Flock Leaders making sure they had all their Flocks accounted for and promising to reconvene after checking in with their constituents. Helena stayed behind with Marguerite and Dumbledore as the others left. They walked into the parlor, Marguerite having one of her house-elfs fetch them tea.
"I must thank you for your willingness to assist in this matter, Professor." Helena stated as the three sat down on the couches within the parlor. "This matter is especially personal to me."
"Of course, my friend. We must all assist each other in these trying times. The only way we can get through them is together." Dumbledore replied, his eyes twinkling.
"You are correct. I should also inform you that this Flock member we have been talking about is also my nephew. I care for him a great deal, and any assistance you and your Order can offer is greatly appreciated." The Flock Leader said, wringing her hands to stop the shaking.
"I can assure you that we are sending one of our very best to protect your nephew. In fact, this will also help us with one of our own issues, keeping him far away from England."
"How is that possible, Albus? I would believe that having all our fighters close would be more to your benefit, though I cannot say I mind them protecting my nephew." Helena asked, confusion coloring her words. The Headmaster took a long sip of his tea.
"That would be true in most cases, but not this one. To further our efforts to cease Voldemort's rise to power, I believe having this fighter outside the country is the best option, hiding away one of his main targets. I am sending Harry Potter to guard your nephew." The Flock Leaders stared at him as though he had finally lost his mind.
"You are sending a teenager to protect my nephew? The 'Chosen One' no less?" Helena asked, skepticism clear in her voice.
"A teenager in age, yes, but I can assure you that Harry is indeed one of the best fighters the Order has to offer."
"How is that possible? And how is he an animagus?"
"Harry has been in training from a young age, and his training included becoming an animagus, among other things. I cannot go into specifics, but please trust me when I say that Harry Potter is more than qualified to protect your nephew." the Headmaster assured, his eyes conveying his truthfulness to the two Flock Leaders. Helena leaned back on the couch, not taking her eyes off of him as her mind went through the situation. Finally, she nodded.
"I trust you, Headmaster, and am grateful for your assistance and honesty." They all stood, moving to the fireplace. "Well, I must be off to tell my Flock of these developments and to talk to my nephew. I shall see you both again tonight." With that, the New York Flock Leader walked into the Floo.
Dumbledore and Marguerite exchanged their goodbyes, and the Headmaster stepped through the fireplace himself. Once in his office, he made his way to the ornate cupboard on the opposite side of the room. Opening the doors, his Pensieve floated out, the silvery mist-like fluid swirling inside. Holding his wand up to his temple, Albus extracted a copy of his memory of this evening and placed it into the Pensieve, staring solemnly into the swirling liquid.
"I hope we will prevail. Failure is not an option."
AN: I hope you all enjoyed this prologue to what I envision will be an exciting journey! I am pumped to be writing this finally after having this idea banging around in my head for the last year.