-Break-

7th of February 1943

Scrimgeour POV

He breathed in the cool February air. He stood by the stone gate in this…quaint muggle village. He looked behind him when he heard a noise and saw it was one of those muggle metal carriages…auto vehicles, if he remembered correctly. The metal carriage had bottles of milk in it.

He shook his head. 'Strange' he mused before he sobered up as he returned his gaze towards the home in front of him.

The past few months had been…strange for him. The investigation that he took on from Crysander Ferlow led him Bathilda Bagshot who had been a fountain of information.

He never expected there to be actual truth to what that man was inferring…that Albus Dumbledore was not who he portrayed himself to be.

Not many people were, in truth, who they portrayed themselves, he mused but then again, not many people were probably lovers with the darkest Dark Lord in centuries or very possibly a Dark Lord themselves.

He walked through the open gate towards the door of the home. Today, he was investigating the links between this…Aurilius character that was said to be a Dumbledore. A man now in his forties but someone who by all rights should be dead considering that he is an Obscurus.

Most Obscurials were dead by the time puberty hit, their inherent magical instability because of repression of their magic destroying their very beings so a stable Obscurial was something that was considered impossible.

No doubt the DOM would love to study him. He knocked on the door and stepped back whilst he waited. Finding out where exactly this Aurilius Dumbledore came from had not been easy. In fact, only through a stroke of good luck had he considered checking the Ministry records where he found out about Nadine Dipplesworth, a woman who died in 1901 in childbirth. The boy's name was not a matter of record, only her service to the Ministry as a prison guard had resulted in the record being made in the first place.

Azkaban rarely had any female guards which did not surprise him. Rarely did any want to be a prison guard in the presence of soul sucking abominations. The pay was actually quite decent, making it an attraction for fairly unconnected individuals to take on the role. The requirements however were that guards needed to be able to cast a Patronus, a spell notorious for having a high magical power requirement.

Only those who could cast a minimum shield could get the job and evidently Nadine Dipplesworth could at least manage that. When he investigated her, he found out that her family were all killed around the time rumours were beginning to pop up about the heritage of the Obscurial, a highly suspicious event that set him on this path.

If Ferlow was right about Dumbledore…these deaths…

He breathed out deeply. Ferlow was not a good man. By all accounts, he was a dark wizard that many in Knockturn Alley were exceedingly wary off. And yet, he truly hoped that Ferlow was merely insane because if he was right…

Considering how close Dumbledore and Grindelwald were…if Dumbledore killed the Dipplesworth family just for rumours…

The door opened, breaking him out of his thoughts. An old man appeared and eyed him suspiciously. He was dressed in overalls and had a wide frame despite appearing to be somewhere between 60 to 80 years of age. His hands were dirty and his knees showed stains of mud. "You're magical" he stated simply.

"I am" Scrimgeour said, jolted out of his surprise.

Before he could ask any further, the old man asked "Why are you here? I have had no contact with the magical world by choice so that I could retire in peace." He asked sharply and rudely.

"Mr Woodman" Scrimgeour began "I'm here to ask about the Dipplesworth family if you have a spare moment of time" He walked up to the door slightly "It will only take a short amount of time" he assured the old man. Almost no one knew of the Dipplesworth family, he knew that from the Auror reports that investigated the death of the family. It had been chalked up as a revenge killing for a slight committed by the Head of House of the Dipplesworth family and left at that.

They had been unimportant, Nadine Dipplesworth being the only member of the family that did anything noteworthy and that had only been as a prison guard at Azkaban. They were a young pureblood family undistinguished in talent or power, unremarkable in the grand scheme of things and as such, the ministry did not do their due diligence.

He'd found out about Mr Woodman through the OWLS records when he'd looked into the Dipplesworth family. Every OWL examination had a section whereby the student could give feedback to the examination board, mostly intended to give some sort of sway over Hogwarts as the examination board had no real power over who taught at the school, merely the subject. As such, the feedback from the students gave the Ministry some authority over Hogwarts that stemmed from the students.

In recent times, such feedback hasn't been all too great but on occasion there were feedback that were enlightening. In this case, Mr Woodman had been excellent in Ancient Runes and Mr Dipplesworth had mentioned that his tutoring sessions with the then student had been one of the reasons for his exemplary grades.

The Dipplesworth family resided only twenty miles from here and Mr Woodman had lived here for nigh forty years. The possibility of them remaining in contact was reasonably high and he hoped for it.

The old man's eyes narrowed as he scrutinised Scrimgeour. "Why?" he asked simply.

"I do not believe the cause of their deaths were what the Aurors concluded" Scrimgeour told him bluntly "I believe it has to do with Aurilius Dumbledore"

The old man showed no further reactions before he widened the door and walked back into the house "Follow me" he bellowed from within the house and Scrimgeour dutifully did so.

He sat in a rickety chair waiting on Mr Woodman who went out back. He looked around and saw that it was deathly plain. There was a hearth and several chairs and a table but little else in this…living room. From the records, Mr Woodman was an exceedingly talented Runesmith and he wondered what happened that would have caused him to effectively exile himself to this.

He eyed the paper on the table in front of him and realised it was today's paper. He hadn't been in the office for the past week or so, having taken the opportunity to take leave with this…investigation. He'd been free to pursue this story as long as it didn't interfere with the rest of his duties. The editor hadn't pressed on what the story actually was, only required some reassurance that it would aid in restoring the Daily Prophet's place as the foremost paper within Magical Britain.

He'd been more than happy to reassure his boss about that. He doubted there would be any story that would top his if things turned out what it seemed it might turn out to be.

He leaned forward and turned the paper around.

Daily Prophet

LADY SLYTHERIN'S CLAIMS: TRUE OR FALSE?

By Andrew Cornpickle

The news of a legitimate Lady Slytherin took the country by storm and none more so than the Wizengamot and Ministry themselves. The return of the Most Ancient and Most Noble House of Slytherin was almost the mere appetiser to what proved to be a series of revelation that has shaken Britain to its core. Claims…

He pushed the paper away as the sounds of the returning old man reverberated in the home.

The old man steps clanked on the creaking wooden floors as he burst into the room and Scrimgeour looked at him as he wore glasses and clean hands. He did not spare Scrimgeour a look as he took a seat opposite Scrimgeour until his eyes snapped towards him.

"You were saying that you suspected something else happened to the Dipplesworth family?" His voice almost echoed in the room.

"Yes" Scrimgeour confirmed "I think something else happened." He hesitated for a moment.

"Spill it out." The old man demanded "I always thought that there was something fishy about the whole thing but I kept my mouth shut about it" he chuckled bitterly "It's not like they would have listened anyway."

Scrimgeour gazed at him curiously. The old man picked up on it who waved around him "Do you think that I would have retired in a place like this if I thought of the magical world as somewhere worth staying in?" He scoffed "The magical world is a corruption riddled cesspit with self-serving bastards. I'm not surprised if what you're saying about this Aurilius Dumbledore Abraxan dung is true"

"Why did you retire here?" Scrimgeour asked despite himself. "I mean…you were a talented Runesmith" he looked around "And it seems that your place is bereft of any kinds of magic" He turned to Woodman who looked tired. Woodman was only a hundred and two years of age, just over middle age – for a wizard. To retire at fifty, sixty years of age meant that something had happened to him and from the sounds of it, he blamed the magical world.

Woodman scoffed "I retired here because I would have been killed otherwise." He peered at Scrimgeour "What do you know of how new inventions are managed?"

Scrimgeour frowned "Through the ministry?" he asked carefully. He hadn't really been all that interested in whatever new fancy inventions were made. Most of them tended to be gimmicks or things anyone could make. Only a few categories of things tended to have real application that were protected by one means or another.

And they tended to be owned by families seated on the Wizengamot. Most entrepreneurial people had to have a sponsor of sorts, or a partner even, that could protect their inventions from copycats or thieves. Most of the time, they would sell their companies, at least partially or inventions to these families. He'd heard that that side of the magical world was particularly ruthless and full of backstabbers from one of his old friends but he hadn't particularly cared to pay attention to his ramblings.

The old man chuckled bitterly "The ministry is nothing but a charade. The Old families control the ministry and unless you are part of or connected to them, you're never going to have an easy life protecting your inventions" He clenched his fists "But even if you manage to do it successfully…the Department of My-" he shook his head and slumped slightly in his chair.

"Forgive my ramblings…I am bitter and older than I should be." The old man suddenly said after a few moments of pause.

Scrimgeour let the old man collect himself. He was here for information regarding the Dipplesworth but he knew when to let the conversation flow. It would make it easier later on to press people into revealing things.

"The floo network would have been a thing of the past you know" the old man suddenly said, his face contorting in such a way that made it apparent that he was reminiscing.

"The Vanishing Cabinets worked on a principle that many did not know about" He turned to Scrimgeour with pride in his eyes. He tapped his chest with his thick calloused hand "I figure it out. I created the perfect transportation system that would have changed everything." The old man's face changed into a furious expression "And it was snatched from me" he said in a furious tone, his face twisting in anger.

"By who?" Scrimgeour asked immensely surprised. Did the DOM confiscate his research? If they did…why was this man still alive? He knew that the DOM did research but what many did not know, was that the DOM had a special function within the world…all of the DOMs around the world were connected and 'protected' the magical world against dangerous magic. What they quantified as dangerous magic however he did not know. After all, there were plenty of dark curses and artefacts that were still littered around the world.

The old man shook his head "That doesn't matter." He looked at Scrimgeour "You wanted to know why I retired here? Well, the place might have been my choice, my disconnect from the magical world too but I was pushed into it, lest I die like so many others who had the creative minds to bring wonders into the world" the old man said bitterly.

Scrimgeour's eyes turned to the paper briefly and quickly turned away. Even in exile he still was keeping up, at least to some degree. He supposed turning away completely to live with the muggles probably would drive him crazy.

He wouldn't comment on it though.

He wondered if there was truth to the old man's words…that he actually found a better way to travel than the floo network. As much as he'd liked to follow up on it, he doubted it would be worth tangling in with DOM…he was already on dangerous ground. No need to turn that into deathly territory.

A few minutes of silence passed until the old man broke it "Tell me what this Aurilius Dumbledore had to do with the death of the Dipplesworth family."

Scrimgeour leaned back in his chair, his hands folded in his lap. "Have you heard of the rumours that Albus and Aberforth Dumbledore had a half-brother?"

"I have" the old man had a strange expression on his face.

"Well, I found it strange that the Dipplesworth family died not long after those rumours sprang into existence" he paused for a moment "Not only that, all of the few family friends of the family were also dead, leaving only those who only somewhat knew of the family to live. And none of them would know of Nadine Dipplesworth pregnancy" he said pointedly to the old man, satisfied when he saw something flicker in the old man's eyes when he mentioned Nadine.

Scrimgeour then knew that the old man knew something.

"I see" the old man simply said, a frown marring his face "And you think that there is a conspiracy about this?"

"I do."

"Which is?" the old man asked leadingly.

"I think they were killed to quell the rumours…to destroy the validity of the rumour." Scrimgeour said.

The old man sighed "I feared that Nadine's…indiscretion may well haunt that family, even more than it already had" he shook his head in dismay.

Scrimgeour's eyes lit up "So it is true" he said with a bit of wonder in his voice before he collected himself "Nadine did…cross the boundary with Percival Dumbledore?" he said in a more neutral tone.

The old man gazed at Scrimgeour before he nodded "She did. Her old man was this close to disowning her" he said with his thumb and index finger almost pressing against each other "In the end, I had to dissuade him, along with his wife, from that course of action. The possibility of a powerful heir to the Dipplesworth family made it too attractive in the end to carry out with it – considering the exploits of Albus Dumbledore" The old man sighed "In the end, if what you say is true, it spelled the doom of that family. The death of Nadine, the death of Mel, Nadine's sister, and the infant at sea broke Old Jack Dipplesworth's heart…only to die because of the child in the first place."

Scrimgeour digested that information before he asked "So you were friendly with that family?"

"I was…they are one of the few magical families within a hundred mile radius. I might have disavowed the magical world but at times I would need a few things from there. Old Jack would help me out with it and in turn, I'd help him out with whatever." Mr Woodman confirmed and Scrimgeour nodded.

"Who would want the rumours to be destroyed?" Mr Woodman finally asked.

"There are a few possibilities" Scrimgeour evaded. He did not want anyone to know about his…investigation. Even if the man was truly disconnected from the magical world.

"I see" Mr Woodman said with a frown that made it clear he didn't. It was for the better really. Mr Woodman gazed at Scrimgeour speculatively "Am I in danger?" he questioned.

"You're not. I only found you by circumstance. You were in the same year as Jack Dipplesworth and his Runes OWLS examination commentary mentioned you. I doubt anyone would look into you that closely." He hesitated for a moment "But I wouldn't mention to anyone about this visit"

Mr Woodman scrutinised Scrimgeour before finally nodding. "It's not as if I'm in contact with any other magicals so it's not a problem"

Scrimgeour leaned forward "Do you have anything else that you could think of that can help me narrow the possibilities of who might have wanted them dead?"

Mr Woodman crossed his arms and looked at the ceiling in thought "Well…"

-Break-

8th of February 1943

Minister Spencer-Moon POV

"Lady Slytherin" Chief Warlock Gore intoned, his voice carrying through the silent chamber with power. The Chamber was silenced, deadened despite it being packed to the brim with observers and the press, all intent on witnessing today's proceedings.

"Please come forth and take the stand" Chief Warlock continued and she did as he bid, her dark green robes flowing with each graceful step she took looking every bit a pureblood Lady as her black strands of hair swayed in line with her step, a picture of grace and poise.

She halted at the podium at the centre of the chamber, her eyes fixed on the Chief Warlock. "Honourable Chief Warlock of the Wizengamot" she spoke with firmness yet with a degree of softness that captivated the room "I thank you for calling me forth on this auspicious day" her eyes roved around the Wizengamot, her eyes meeting the eyes of the men who demanded she present herself to the Wizengamot before they returned to the Chief Warlock "Even if I was called to attend in a…" she paused for a moment before a tiny smile grew on her perfect porcelain face "hasty and sudden manner." her smile turned positively sharp, her eyes were calculating and she'd set herself up straighter.

She looked like she belonged…and she was not even yet of age.

He suppressed a snort before he sat back in his chair, leaning on his right arm as the room descended into not so quiet whispers and hubbub.

To state that she was called to attend was understating the seriousness of this session. Despite her claims being verified with Gringotts, the demand for her to come here this evening was anything but standard and as he eyed her, he knew that she knew and it didn't bother her at all.

The Wizengamot Charter allowed for the body to call upon its members, to bring them account for one thing or another. It was an Ancient law, one that hadn't been used since 1776 when the then Lord Gamp was found supplying the rebel American army with British made muggle armament in exchange for a profitable plot of land and gold. Under the threat of seizing of his family's seat, he'd been called to answer for his interference in the muggle world when he'd been away from the country.

Whilst it was not the same situation, to be called in such a manner was incredibly provocative even if there was no penalty attached. There were several different ways that this could have happened and yet the Chief Warlock was petitioned by the minimum number of Lords to call as he did, invoking this law.

He surveyed the Wizengamot Chamber from his Ministerial seat, his eyes returning and fixed on the girl standing confidently and at ease in front of him as if nothing fazed her.

He supposed, in a way, there likely wasn't much that would faze her, not since that interview took the country by storm. The confidence it must have inspired her…

He wasn't certain what to think of it, the return of an ancient bloodline amongst them was a cause for celebration. Over the years, distinguished bloodlines, ancient bloodlines have withered and died, either through being hunted to extinction or through disasters and tragedies, which tended to be more often than not a purposeful end.

And yet, it didn't sit well with him…not least that she decided to come forth now, at a time where the country was…perhaps not in turmoil but certainly at unease with the way the war against Grindelwald was going, even if Britain elected to stay behind.

His eyes turned to the seat holders that were above him and as expected, their attentions were firmly on her, even the ones who'd backed the option remaining out of the war. Given her…link with the Sayre Lord, the balance of power within the Wizengamot was set to be changed, this much was clear to him.

He knew that today's proceedings, the call for Lady Slytherin to address the Wizengamot had Black's finger tips on it. Whether or not he directly was responsible didn't matter, not when so many in the Dark Faction were included in the petition.

Despite Arcturus Black leading a significant section within the Dark Faction, or traditionalists as they might prefer to be called, the Dark Faction were not aligned when it came to war…Arcturus Black having refused to whip the faction in accordance to his own personal desires.

From what he understood, Arcturus Black's position within the Dark Faction was secure and clearly its leader but he did not have the clout or power to press the Faction to his will, not at this early stage of his Lordship. At least, that was the way it was explained to him. He doubted that version of the story. The Blacks were utterly ruthless and it was a badly held secret that Blacks had something on most families and despite the claims of the majority of the Dark families, it was certain that the Blacks would have something on them, financially or otherwise.

If he so desired, the vote for war would have happened, favours and bribery would have secured it for him had he so desired.

The most sensible reason he could think of revolved around the fact that this generation of Blacks did not have significant number of male heirs and the death of Arcturus would throw the House of Black close to perilous waters…not unlike what the Selwyn family were going through, he mused.

That was another situation that he could do very little about. The Selwyn family, its heir at least, tied itself to the Blacks, entering an alliance with the family that was extremely lopsided. It was, in all but name, vassalage and yet it was the best outcome for the heir that seemed to have a high chance of a short life.

There was little he could do, even as Minister when it came to the families that sat in the Wizengamot. Interference with a Most Ancient family, even a measly Noble family would not be received well and would have set him on a path of being forced to resign. For all of the backstabbing, politicking and bribery amongst themselves, the Wizengamot rarely took any kind of interference with their business kindly, regardless where they lied in the political spectrum.

As such, the threats the poor boy and his sister faced were nothing he could do about without seeming like he was taking advantage of the heir to the Selwyn family.

It was a shame, the prospect of having bound such a powerful wealthy family to his Ministership was enticing, especially one that he could use to his own purposes for the exchange of protection from his more nefarious cousins.

In any case, the Dark Faction's allegiance to the Blacks may well be tested with the return of House Slytherin, a house that is venerated within their families.

Whilst it wasn't mentioned specifically, the call for her to stand in front of the Wizengamot was because of perceived slights but he knew better.

This was mostly about Hogwarts and her interference in the school, overruling the decrees of the Ministry and the rules set by the Governing Board, no other real reason would allow such a wide spread agreement to call her forth, across the political spectrum.

House Slytherin had never exercised their right to influence Hogwarts, whether it was by choice or deliberate, he did not know. Given the Houses that had a vested interest in ensuring their place at the school, he would not put it past them to ensure that the school remained untouched by House Slytherin.

It had an added dimension to it as well…

A House that is set to be married into House Sayre, a vocal voice for war and action where its Lord is at the front lines fighting against Grindelwald and successfully at that.

Should she possess the same kind of politics, the chances of Magical Britain joining the war was going to be high…very high.

And that…he was powerless to do anything about, should she prove to be as worthy to be a descendant of Salazar Slytherin, the man who valued ambition, power and cunning above all else.

There were many reasons for this call to have been made and the interview she did…well, it certainly caused members of the Wizengamot to stand and pay attention.

The interview caused incredible uproar from the populace of Magical Britain…the return of House Slytherin, the claims she made regarding Salazar Slytherin whilst at the same breath all but admitting she was not a pureblood and yet she was of the bloodline that most believed to have espoused pureblood beliefs.

Scepticism, scorn, awe and not a little amount of fear was clear to determine from the reactions. The challenge to their beliefs had many in a crisis, ideas that formed their core were attacked by the very person who should share similar ideas.

Despite it all, their anger and scorn was not directed at her, at least publically…No, that was directed towards the Light faction, directed at several Lords who publically stated she was false, a liar seeking to sow chaos within their society.

The International Magical Press had been excellent at controlling the narrative, the follow up articles that showed entries from Salazar's diary had captivated the audience of Magical Britain. It seemed it was all anyone could talk about…from the grungiest pub to the most palatial of homes.

If she wanted the attention on her, she got it. He'd looked into her claims, into her lands of Little Hangleton and the investigations had proven to uncover almost nothing about her paternal family.

The entire town had been obliviated of any mention of the Gaunts. Unfortunately, the obliviations were done too long ago for it to be reversed, not even the DOM could recover those memories, such was the extent of the removal of memories. The only link the girl had to the Riddle family were documentation that allowed her to claim the title and lands in the muggle world on the basis that she was the last Riddle alive.

Documentation that was easily forged. The only thing that seemed to be easily verifiable was her links to the Gaunt family and of course the Slytherin family.

"Silence!" Gore bellowed, his voice cutting through the noise. He turned and peered his eyes at Lady Slytherin.

"You have been called today to explain yourself, Lady Slytherin" His eyes were inquisitive, no doubt as intrigued as most people within the chamber were today.

She tilted her head slightly as she stood, her eyes turning hard for a moment, just a brief moment that he almost thought he was imagining it "Explain myself?" she murmured softly, still loud enough for her voice to carry within the chamber, her face morphing to one of consideration "You may have to expand on that, Chief Warlock, for I do not quite understand what I have to explain." She tilted her head slightly "Am I being accosted for simply existing?" she questioned in a mild tone.

Chief Warlock Gore narrowed his eyes "That is not at all why you have been called Lady Slytherin"

"I see" she said calmly "And yet, none have ever called to this body in the manner that I have been without having acting against the interest of the country, against the interest of the people" she smiled a little "Quite curious…" she trailed deliberately as she met Gore's eyes who Leonard could see was far from pleased.

He doubted that Gore was pleased having to enact the ancient law in the first place but would be even less pleased with the current way she was leading the proceedings.

He was little more than an observer in proceedings such as this…the ancient laws of the Wizengamot ensured that Lords and Ladies were the only ones capable of judging a Lord when this law was enacted. Criminal proceedings would happen after a verdict was reached, just as it was for Lord Gamp in 1776 when a significant portion of his assets were seized as punishment, even if he skirted treason to His Royal Highness.

Low whispers rang through the chamber as they watched the proceedings with complete attention.

"If I may?" Leonard swivelled his head towards Lord McKinnon who stood up.

Chief Warlock waved him on "You may, Lord McKinnon"

Lord McKinnon nodded to Gore and turned his gaze to Lady Slytherin. "The…domain in which you announced to the world of your heritage was inappropriate." He gestured towards the rest of the chamber "For us to discover the return of such a distinguished and ancient bloodline from the papers speaks of indecorum towards your fellow Lords and Ladies."

The hubbub rose as McKinnon finished.

"So I have been called, this body having invoked an ancient law that brings Lords and Ladies to account amongst their peers because of the…perceived slight…that you were not made aware ahead of the rest of the country?" She asked a lightly, her tone betraying the incredulousness she seemed to radiate.

Lord McKinnon seemed to struggle containing himself from the way his face pinched. "Lord McKinnon perhaps tangled his words more than he intended" someone intervened and Leonard craned his neck towards the familiar voice.

"It is traditional for heirs to take up their Lordships…or Ladyship in your case in front their peers and Lord McKinnon surely meant to ask whether or not it was necessary for you to announce the return of your distinguished house in such a public way." Lord Sykes said soothingly. He turned to Lord McKinnon "There is no perceived slight, at least on my part and the Lords I have spoken with, Lady Slytherin" he turned to her "Do not view this as an attack on you and your House, it is not meant as such" Lord Sykes said, defusing the situation expertly.

"Thank you Lord Sykes, your words do much to quell the concerns I held" she inclined her head to the perfect angle, to the perfect depth.

"My coming forth through the paper was merely the most opportune situation." She smiled charmingly "There no doubt would have been many question as to where I came from and I found it prudent to simply give an interview that would answer many of the questions." Leonard suppressed raising a brow. Curt and to the point. And it didn't truly answer, at least to the satisfaction of the Wizengamot.

He heard a scoff "You do your ancestor proud" a sneering tone called out and Leonard turned and saw that it was Lord Cornfoot, a typically Gryffindor family.

"Obfuscating everything and manipulating the population with honeyed words and charming smiles" he said harshly, resulting in angry reproaching shouts and none too little murmurs of agreement.

"SILENCE" Gore bellowed as he slammed his hammer down, the sound of it cutting through the noise the crowd created.

Gore sent a disapproving glare at Cornfoot "Do not shout from your seat Lord Cornfoot. It is unbefitting of this chamber"

Cornfoot's eye twitched but nodded curtly.

He heard soft chuckles, the sound reverberating in the chamber. "Obfuscating? Manipulating?" he heard her speak.

He turned to her, his eyes widened as he was taken aback by the change of stance in her posture. Where before she was regal, now…now…she seemed poised for action.

"Since when is simply telling the truth a matter of obfuscating or manipulation?" She posed to them before she shook her head "No, My Lords, My Ladies, there was no manipulation or attempts to hide. I am proud of my heritage given what my ancestors have done much for this great country."

Leonard pursed his lips.

"And yet you have not made any movements to take up your seat within this body" Gore questioned. He continued "You leave the seat unattended despite having a right to it, something that would have been addressed had you put forth the correct proceedings of taking your seat. Aside from the…irregularity of the method of confirming your heritage and taking up the Ladyship, it puts a question as to what your intentions are, the main reason why you have been called today."

"I have not made the proceeding to take up the seat because I have not yet any use for it" she smiled sardonically "I'm still a Hogwarts student after all"

"Easily circumnavigated by assigning a proxy, so why don't you?" Gore pressed.

Her lips thinned "I was not aware that interference with House business was an accepted prospect now" she tilted her head. It was dangerous territory, which most recognised.

"Chief Warlock" Lord Potter interjected who Gore signalled to continued, tiredly. "It would be counterproductive to continue this way. She has given her reason and whether or not she activates the seat now or later, is up to her as Head of House"

Lady Slytherin gave him a nod of the head in respect before he continued "The other concerning matter is the matter of your overruling of the Board of Governors at Hogwarts" Lord Potter said with a stern look on his face.

She smiled at Lord Potter "Ah but Hogwarts is a privately owned Castle, owned by Lords Gryffindor and Slytherin." She told him as much with a raised eyebrow "It is entirely within my rights to demand the return of many dropped subjects that have steadily been happening over the centuries"

This caused murmurs in the chamber.

"The ban of traditions within Hogwarts is something the Wizengamot decided" Lord Brown intervened with a frown.

"Something that has no legal basis" she pointed out as she put her arms behind her arms "Hogwarts is a private institution, something that the Wizengamot, and its predecessor agreed upon, respecting the ownership of the castle and its lands. The only rights that the Ministry has with respect to Hogwarts is the qualification of the subjects and the banning of Dark Magicks which fall under the perview of criminality.

Traditions has not…yet" she said with a pointed look "Been banned from these Isles, merely the suppression of it and the reduced influence it has within society. And even so, most of us here today practice some of our forebearers rites and traditions either within the family home or at sites where congregations have been organised. Hogwarts for centuries has been an important bridge between Wixen people." She paused momentarily as she eyed the room "Hogwarts is more than a simple magical school, it is an institution that brings together members of families from all kinds of backgrounds, whether your part of the traditionalist or progressive faction or even new blood. And the cutting of traditions and rites from Hogwarts has isolated many of the children in the school"

She smiled slightly "Whilst Hogwarts serves as an institute to teach the children of Magical Britain, I am well within my rights to reintroduce traditions as owner of Hogwarts."

Leonard glanced at the Dark Faction. He could see many of them were pleased with what she was saying, though he could spot looks of disapproval from several members of the Board of Governors.

"And you believe the reintroduction of these traditions at Hogwarts will cure that?" Lord Potter questioned sceptically.

"I don't" she admitted "Not completely. But Hogwarts is ultimately a reflection of Magical Britain. What does it say about Magical Britain if we celebrate muggle holidays as opposed to our own which is thousands of years older than their own?" She posed to them.

"Traditions have not been suppressed, merely considered to be outdated" Ogden said in a pompous tone. "Many of them stem from Druidism, something that hasn't been even truly practiced since the days of Merlin"

"And it is that reason enough to replace Yulitide traditions with muggle ones?" Lord Prince returned heatedly.

The room descended into chaos, shouts of recriminations, accusations rang in the chamber as tensions that were kept away were brought out.

"SILENCE" Gore bellowed as he banged his hammer furiously. The room quieted down.

Lord Sykes stood and was given leave to speak "We are detracting from the true issue – whether or not Lady Slytherin has the authority to affect change as she is" Lord Sykes said after a moment of consideration.

"The laws of inheritance says that she does" Lord Yaxley said contemplatively as he stared at her "But it poses a dangerous situation. As far as I know, no Slytherin Lord has ever interfered with Hogwarts, even if they might have had the right to"

"True" she acknowledged "But things have changed since then. Most Slytherin Lords likely had no desire nor reason to change Hogwarts, even though they had the mandate with which our House can affect Hogwarts. Right now, there is little to change academically, beyond perhaps reviewing the subjects that have been dropped over the centuries that have left Hogwarts a little behind the rest of the world in terms of subject range. I have no desire to change more than what I have already tasked Headmaster Dippet to include in the incoming academic year."

'Right now' Leonard mused as he eyed her carefully.

The rest of the proceedings went at pace, she answered questions ably and with guile when needed. As time continued, he saw that she set most of them at ease, especially when she'd answered regarding muggleborns and half bloods, answering that nothing would change, that Hogwarts was always for the magical people of Britain and even if they did not grow up in Magical Britain, they were part of it as soon as they accepted the invitation to the school.

The proceedings ended and he was in his office with Lord Malfoy. "Did you know?" he questioned of the man.

Lord Malfoy's eyes flashed for a moment before they dimmed and were distant "No…not as such" Lord Malfoy answered. "But I had my suspicions that there was something about her."

"Your son?" Leonard asked.

Lord Malfoy nodded slowly "He'd told me that she was…special…that he didn't believe she was a mudblood" he smiled thinly "Too powerful and pureblood like to be a mudblood" Lord Malfoy shook his head "To think she was a Slytherin in all the ways that mattered this whole time." He stopped for a moment before he continued

"I wasn't happy with the way I heard she effectively owned Slytherin House, even before her being fostered with Sayres."

Leonard said nothing for a moment.

"She's not a pureblood." He stated.

"No she's not." Lord Malfoy said in a tight voice before he sighed "But she is the last blood of Slytherin. One worthy of the title when many of her kin were not." He eyed Leonard carefully.

"What is your view on her?" Lord Malfoy asked.

"She's a politician" Leonard answered simply and Lord Malfoy nodded in approval before Leonard continued "I fear that she's only shown but a fraction of her guile and cunning" Leonard laughed sardonically "The quintessence of Slytherin" he mused.

"The power to boot too" Lord Malfoy said grimly.

Leonard eyed him curiously "That powerful?" he questioned.

"Suffice to say my son believed her to be the most powerful teenager in the world until Sayre" Lord Malfoy said much to Leonard's dismay.

"Two of them…" he whispered. He was more than glad that he changed direction on the Sayres.

Lord Malfoy smiled grimly "Even if she is a half blood, any child of theirs will likely be just as powerful."

That was a disturbing thought. He already had concerns about the future should Grindelwald be defeated and Sayre being key in it. The boy's influence would skyrocket and would be able to do what he liked. A dynasty of that family…

"…Is she a threat" Leonard asked tentatively.

Lord Malfoy thinned his lips "Only to her enemies" he answered with a glint in his eyes.

"And where do you stand?" Leonard asked with an intense look in his eyes. Malfoy above all else was someone who sought advantages wherever they might be. It was a trait of their family, one that allowed them to climb to the upper echelons of society and within the Ministry itself despite being a relatively young House.

Malfoy was his thumb on the pulse of the more traditionalist faction. In return, he ensured that he didn't pay too much attention to the more…questionable sources of income of the Malfoy family.

It didn't help that in his early career he'd been funded by Malfoy which put him in a bind when he ascended to Ministership. At this moment in time, they were too entwined to come out undamaged should they part on more…antagonistic grounds.

"My son is allied with her" he answered simply and that was that. As close to approval he'd get.

Leonard sighed. He glanced at Malfoy "I'm surprised you've accepted the direction your son is taking."

Malfoy smiled thinly as he sat back "My son is as expected" Leonard heard a tone of fondness in his voice "He meets my expectations, exceed them even. I can trust his judgement."

Leonard looked at Lord Malfoy amused "It helps that any child of the Sayre Slytherin pairing will be pureblood and likely to be exceptional powerful. Any betrothal agreements would elevate the House that manages to bind itself to them"

Lord Malfoy's lips curled upwards but said nothing further.

Leonard turned serious as he straightened himself up "I need to know what the Dark Faction is thinking with regards to the incoming changes. I need to know what influence she has" Leonard's eyes bored into Lord Malfoy.

"It will cost you" Lord Malfoy said after a moment as he met Leonard's eyes.

"Name it"

Lord Malfoy smiled in a way that didn't reach his eyes.

-Break-

8th of February 1943

Aurilius Dumbledore/Credence Barebones POV

He crossed into the room, the soft moans that emanated from the few unlucky who were at the very least semiconscious rang in the room. He peered around in the room that almost looked like it could pass for a hospital room, the sterile white walls and the beds with wheels gave off that appearance.

But he knew that this was far from a place of healing and De Galle's sense of cruel, wicked humour were fully in force here. Men, women and children were all in this vast room, tied to their beds with several wizards performing diagnostics or worse on them. As he walked passed, he saw several with their bodies cut open, their organs fully in display as they prodded in their bodies.

He saw one even fully conscious, his face frozen in helpless agony and as his eyes met Aurilius', he looked away as soon as he realised the man was truly aware.

He refused to look at any of the children who were unfortunate enough to be here…in De Galle's playpen. What he had seen in the other rooms…the rooms where the truly horrific experiments were being performed…

They were better off dead, there was no doubt in his mind. The thoughts of burning this place to the ground had entered his mind, his conscience hammering against his rational mind, when he saw the despair and hopelessness on their faces…the defeat that they resigned themselves to and he hated himself for it…hated that he could do nothing…would do nothing.

At what stage was he as damned as De Galle, in doing nothing, in ignoring their plight, for the wickedness De Galle has wrought onto this world…the evil he has brought and nurtured as the innocent, magical or muggle, suffer at his hands or those of his equally sick disciples?

Magic had freed him from the wretched life he had been and yet, here he was, standing amongst those who have been consigned to a far worse fate than he'd ever been in…thanks to magic.

Perhaps that was not the right line of thinking…magic was not responsible for the horrors he's seen here today.

Magic, for all its wonder…for all its power, did nothing to douse or fan the flames of hatred and evil that lied in the hearts of man, the monstrosity that can be brought into this world when power was unequal, perceived or real, when morality meant nothing but an obstacle to be passed.

He'd lived the first half of his life as a muggle, the latter half as a magical and he could not see the difference between either race…between either people.

He reminded himself why he was here, why he endured this depravity that tugged at his soul and heart. He would have Nagini cured and leave both worlds to their fates, leaving to their hate and their violence that seemed unending, that seemed insatiable.

No…he'd take Nagini and live off the coast of the Philippines, the secluded place he'd heard her describe when she'd talked of the better days of her childhood, before her mother succumbed to the Maledictus, a blissful beach far from civilisation and humanity.

His heart firmed…his resolve hardened. For her…for her he'd do anything, bear anything, no matter how heavy it lied on his soul and conscience.

He finally spotted De Galle who was conversing with several individuals in an animated way. Aurilius looked De Galle over. The man was adorned in white robes, his dirty blond hair was cut short and neatly whilst the horse rimmed glasses framed his face. He looked every bit like he imagined a muggle scientist would be but with a wizarding theme. Passionate but ultimately harmless. A false conception that was by far one of the most dangerous one could make.

Out of all of Grindelwald's men, Aurilius was most wary of him and he despised him as much as he has come to despise Grindelwald. He might well be immortal in his Obscurus form but if anyone could come up with a way to kill him in that form…De Galle would be the man, such was the depth of his creativity with regards to death and cruelty.

"Ah, Aurilius" De Galle said in an exuberant tone as he scuttled over towards him. He waved off his companions who left him as he walked towards Aurilius. A moan from a bed nearby annoyed De Galle and before he could even blink, De Galle whipped out his wand and silenced the unfortunate woman.

"Sorry about her rudeness" De Galle chuckled nervously as his eyes looked at him in a manic way, his mouth parting to show perfect rows of teeth that glistened in the dim light. "Sometimes it gets quite annoying when patients don't appreciate all the work that goes into helping them" he said in an exasperated tone.

Aurilius said nothing as he stood uneasily, watching the insane, cruel man with every bit of his attention. De Galle shook his head in an exaggerated way, as if to indicate 'what can you do?'

"Ah" De Galle dismissed with a lazy wave of the hand "No matter, you're not here to listen to an old man moan about his patients" De Galle's eyes gleamed in calculating observation as he eyed Aurilius.

"No" Aurilius said a little stiffly, more than he wished to show. "Our Lord has requested my presence here in anticipation of the ICW attack. We've received intelligence that it will be a large one, fully intending to wipe out this base."

"And so he sent his favourite…follower" De Galle said in a mirthful tone before he shook his head, walking past Aurilius, chuckling all the way.

Aurilius narrowed his eyes for a moment before he followed. As he caught up with the man, De Galle spared him a glance "Even after all this time, you're so easy to read…so easy to understand your feelings" De Galle said the last word with vicious mocker as his face morphed into a dangerous smirk.

"This place disgusts you doesn't it?" De Galle mused more to himself than he asked of Aurilius whilst they walked the halls towards the aft of the building. He didn't wait for Aurilius to respond "You must think me a butcher…a monster in human skin" De Galle's eyes glinted in madness "But what is madness but the human default? What is madness when sanity is but subjective, a lonely island in a sea made of the void?" De Galle broke in a mirthful chuckle, as if he was sharing a joke.

"You claim you're not mad?" Aurilius couldn't help but bite out.

De Galle halted his step and swivelled his body towards Aurilius in such quick fashion that Aurilius immediately went for his wand and took a defensive stance.

De Galle ignored it as he gazed into Aurilius eyes, for the first time since he met up with the man showing uncommonly high intelligence "I am the sanest of them all, my dear Obscurial friend" he said in a careful, measured tone as he slowly, deliberately closed the gap between them, his intense eyes were piercing, cold and devoid of empathy.

Aurilius scoffed "I doubt that very much" he said in a contemptuous tone "No sane man would do what you do to these people."

De Galle chuckled softly "Is that what you truly think?" he tilted his head in amusement "That this is the work of insanity?" He brought his hands to his head, his fingers wriggling at his head "That I'm quite a few sickles short of a galleon?" he said with a slowly growing grin.

"No…my friend" De Galle said with mocking "Insanity is not responsible for what is happening to these people. Insanity implies innocence, in a way, something that I am bereft of for a very very long time. No…what I am is merely humanity unleashed, unfettered from the expectations and morality that society has chained on us." His voice was hard and unyielding, his words were spoken with absolute belief "You may even think that this is evil, that this is truly inhuman but I disagree. To be human…truly human, regardless if you have magic or not, is to be free and I am the freest of them all…thus the sanest of them all." De Galle's face turned to stone, his eyes were unmovable.

"These people serve a higher purpose than their insignificant lives would ever amount to. They should be honoured that they have the opportunity to elevate research to previously unreached heights" he said with a flourish, his arms wide, his eyes glinting in triumph "What better to leave an impact on this world as an individual who advanced humanity? What better than to assist in elevating humanity beyond what it is currently?" De Galle continued impassioned, his eyes wild with fervent belief that sent chills through Aurilius' spine.

This was what he was bound to. This was what he subjected himself to for the one he loved.

"How many?" Aurilius asked, his voice nearly wavering, the weight of his purposeful ignorance setting on his soul, more than it ever did.

"I lost count" De Galle said flippantly as he brushed it off dismissively before his eyes rounded back, gazing into Aurilius horrified eyes "If you must know, certainly well over a few thousand" he paused for a moment "Perhaps even over ten thousand" he mused to himself before he shrugged it off, his eyes brightened for a moment.

"Himmler is sending more my way so that'll be quite a few more" De Galle laughed bemused as he looked at Aurilius with a small grin "Now that is a muggle that I can actually admit I like."

BOOOOOOOOOOOOM!

Aurilius shook where he stood, his mind awhirl, his sense of awareness was off.

He felt a pat on the back, he swirled around, his wand firmly in his hand.

"Save it for the enemy, my dear Obscurial" De Galle smiled cruelly "It seems our friends are at the gates of Troy." De Galle laughed as he walked away at a fast pace.

"Time to SHINE my American comrade!" De Galle shouted as he melted away into the crowd of men that were heading his way.

Aurilius gritted his teeth before he took a deep breath, centring himself even as explosions rang around the building.

"Sir!" one of the men called out, breaking him from concentration. His eyes turned to the men.

"It's time. Get the men ready for battle" he said commandingly "Go to Lemoort and tell him to proceed as planned"

The man saluted "Yes sir" and left at running speed.

Aurilius gripped his wand tightly for a moment before he headed out to the direction of the explosions, his walk felt more like a walk towards execution than it did anything else.

In a way, it was. For what could he say when he was fighting for a cause he no longer believed in, in a man he no longer revered, a cause that conducted and allowed experiments that horrified him to the core?

"You are an abomination, cursed and damned by God for you are a piece of the Devil. There will be no sanctuary, no haven, no peace for the damned, the creatures that consort with the Devil will be denied the Lord's embrace in Heaven, in Paradise. You, Credence, are damned and cursed and I go to my end happy knowing of your eventual fate…"

Mary Lou Barbone's voice rang in his mind, a haunting and bewitching feeling seized at him.

"She is not right" he murmured quietly to himself. "She is not right" he intoned forcefully to himself as he continued to walk towards the battle, his mind unfocused and in conflict, his obscurus tugging at his core, just as in chaos as he was.

-Break-

8th of February 1943

Ramirez POV

The purple spell splashed against the shield he raised before he twisted his wand just as the shield collapsed and sent off a blindingly fast spell chain as he strode forward, meeting the columns of men that were battling against he and his men.

"Jackson!" Ramirez bellowed as he ducked under a spell, his eyes directed to his left where he knew Jackson was.

The battle had hundreds if not over a thousand men fighting against each other, the organised combat quickly dissolving into pockets of battles.

"SI?!" Jackson shouted back questioningly.

"We need to advance in a staggered formation" Ramirez said as he neared Jackson.

"That would decrease our exposure to mass army spells" Jackson noted "But sir, any kind of organised battle now is going to be difficult to achieve"

Ramirez swept his wand in a wide arc, a cascade of explosions sailed through the air directly in front of the group of enemies that sent several of them sprawling away and others weakened as their shields shattered against the concussive and explosive power of the spell.

"I know" Ramirez snarled "But we have to ensure to we keep some of our men in some kind of organisation."

"Fine, fine" Jackson acquiesced as he showed wand forward, ripples of fire grew from the tip of his wand until it cast of balls of fire into the mass of enemies.

The battle waged on, Ramirez and his men bobbed and weaved their way closer to the Compound they've come to assault, cutting through the mass of enemies little by little.

It was not to say they were not taken on casualties, they were but slowly but surely, they were closing the gap and increasing their manpower advantage as they cut more and more down.

He came to face a young woman, his wand low at his side as the tip of his wand glowed from when he swatted away a drilling curse. She continued to send a constant stream of curses that seemed to be firing from her wand like a submachine gun that had Ramirez straining to keep up.

"Impressive" he couldn't help but voice out as he acclimatised to the duel as he pressed on in the moment.

She said nothing but he could see a glint in her eyes. She raised her hands and the ground around him shifted as animals were raised from the ground.

He hastily conjured iron chains as he manipulated it them to like whips, expertly wielding it, destroying construct after construct as his chains smashed into them. Her eyes widened at his display before he raised his hands and wielded the chains like mere extensions of him.

It was his affinity, conjuration at such a high level. He set her back on the defensive as he conjured chain after chain, vines after vines that she burnt, cut or shielded against.

She snarled as one of the hardened tips of the vines cut her in the shoulder before she blasted away several chains that got destroyed into shrapnel before she shouted out "Cercumversio Petrum!" which rose in the air and into a deathly storm before she sent it careening towards him.

"Puto" he swore as he raised his wand "Corporis Protego" he intoned softly just as the shrapnel arrived. His shield was pelted with the shrapnel, cracking his shield but not quite penetrating.

He ducked out of the just in time as he dodged a sickly yellow red spell that burnt out the insides before he whipped his wand and sent a piercing, cutting and binding spell spelling chain that flowed seamlessly from each wand movement.

She dodged the piercing curses but was nicked at the heel as she cried out in pain before the binding spell bound her and he snapped off his wand and stunned her.

He sighed in relief as sweat dripped off his head. He quickly surveyed the battlefield and saw that most of the fighting was slowing down and he saw several men breaking into the compound. He spotted one of his men that just finished off one of his opponents

"Eric!" he shouted and the man turned around, wand at the ready before he saw who called him. Eric came towards him as Ramirez stood sentinel over the young woman's stunned body.

He eyed her carefully. She was at most in her early twenties, perhaps even late teenage years. Why she was here amongst some of the most vile men was a curiosity that he couldn't help have…especially given her skill.

"Sir?" Eric asked tentatively and Ramirez turned to him. Eric sported some injuries but for the most part seemed to be alright, other than what he saw as some exhaustion.

"Take her back to our camp." He said before he turned back to the bound body "She is a person of interest." He commented.

"But sir"

Ramirez's head swivelled before his narrowed eyes bored into Eric who stiffened.

"Yes sir" he said mechanically before he levitated the girl and walked away.

Ramirez sighed. An hour later he met up with Jackson as they pushed on towards the compound, the end almost in sight.

"We're almost there men!" Ramirez bellowed as he conjured bolts after bolts that he sped towards their enemies as others struck with a myriad of piercing, concussive and explosive curses.

Unbalancing the enemy from their positions and formations were more important than striking at each individual, especially when the enemy was more interested in sending off killing curses and high powered dark curses.

He saw one of his men fall to a killing curse and Ramirez in a snarl ran forward, magic rippling from him as he sprinted before he raised his wand above his head and created a massive cloud of acid that he turned into a turbulent maelstrom before he whipped his wand towards them, grimly satisfied as their sounds of pain and agony sounded off in the air.

"Damn, comprade" Jackson shouted over the sounds "What was that?" he questioned as kept his eyes focused on one of the men he was fighting against.

"A family spell" he responded absentmindedly as he sent a barrage of spells towards the faltering formation in front of him.

"Ah-" Whatever Jackson was about to say was cut off as something broke through one of the walls of the compound, almost halting the battle that was almost won.

Dread filled Ramirez's stomach as a massive swirling mass of ball, made of black wispy strands broke through, the ash and dust of the broken stone parting, just as Grindelwald's men hastily moved away, cheers sounding out from them.

"Jackson! Martinez!" Ramirez shouted "Spread out, SPREAD OUT NOW" he bellowed as he sprinted away.

"Roger!" Jackson said after a moment passed.

When dealing with Obscurials, it was a necessity to spread out as much as possible. Their capacity for destruction was immense only through sustained damaged by over a dozen people could even do the slightest bit of damage.

But this…this was not a normal Obscurial. No…the ICW had a different classification for the man, Credence Barebones. As dangerous as Grindelwald himself.

The ball of swirling mass of black ash and strands, suddenly and alarmingly sped forward, eating through the earth, leaving a trail of destruction as it moved towards him. Ramirez's mouth was dry, his heart pounding in his chest.

He sent a burst of magic towards the Obscurial which was followed with streams of spells sent towards the Obscurial by the rest of the men but it bounced on the ground, it's impact sending a tremor through the ground as it rose in the air to dodge the spells before it somehow, managed to return to the Earth with unnatural physics.

It tore through several of his men, cutting through shields, cutting through constructs as if they were nothing, leaving nothing but a trail of flesh and bones in its wake.

The human enemies weren't idle either as they were emboldened by the appearance of the Obscurial. His men were now under the assault of both the Obscurial and the over several dozen remaining enemies.

"Martinez" Ramirez shouted "Take down the enemy men down with extreme prejudice. Take a quarter of the men and go. Jackson and I and the remaining men will deal with it"

Martinez said nothing but accepted the order as he lead men away towards the compound whilst Ramirez and Jackson ensured that the Obscurial kept its focus on them.

Jackson and Ramirez directed the men under them with precise coordination as they slowly encircled the Obscurial.

"Everyone! Use Prosmedios" Jackson shouted. Prosmedios was a light spell that negated dark magic. It was used to cleanse wounds from dark spells and in this case it would slow it down.

Streaks of light hit the Obscurial and an almost ear shattering shriek emanated from the dark black mass before it lashed out in fury, several men being flung high into the air, often in pieces.

Ramirez ducked as the Obscurial made its way towards him but it would be too late as it rampaged towards him. He felt himself flung away, he winced in pain as the spell hit him in the mid rift but it was enough for him to clear away from the marauding mass.

The Obscurial shifted and made his way towards Jackson who'd sent Ramirez away.

"LUX SANCTUS" Jackson bellowed and a wide glowing beam of white light erupted from his wand and hit the Obscurial dead on, causing it to screech in pain before it continued on its path, despite the pain it was caused.

"Jackson!" Ramirez cried out, his voice tinged with pain and exhaustion but it was for naught, the Obscurial tore through Jackson, leaving nothing but limbs and torn pieces behind.

In a scream of rage Ramirez and the few surviving men sent barrages of spells at the Obscurial, the ground melting and warping from the devastating curses and spells that were directed at the Obscurial. The dust, ashes and embers of fire obscured the battlefield, obscured where it was and he raised his hand, signalling his men to seize their attack.

He watched with furious eyes as the dust began to clear and he gritted his teeth at what he saw.

The obscurus recedes, the strands of blackness, the strands of magic perverted made way for a figure to slowly reappear. Ramirez could taste the magic in the air, magic roiled from him in obscene amounts.

He strode forward in a indomitable manner, oozing power and strength. His eyes were hard as they gazed calculatingly around the remaining men who surrounded him.

He could understand why he was the only stable Obscurial. He was an abomination, a manifestation of all that was wrong with magic and he had complete control over it.

He'd never battled against Grindelwald so he could not compare but he'd seen Xavier Charleston fight and he was reminded of him. But that was all…there was no nobility, there was no honour in this thing.

Credence strode forward, his uncaring eyes meeting Ramirez' hateful ones, even as he was surrounded by his men. He was dressed in black robes, his pale face stood out amongst a sea of black hair that surrounded his face and neck.

"Barebones" Ramirez snarled. He saw Barebones' eye twitch at the name. Good he thought savagely. He'd heard of the ridiculous rumour that he was a Dumbledore, a delusion if he ever heard one.

"Leave" Barebones said calmly as his wand dropped to his hand.

Ramirez laughed mockingly as he glared murderously at Barebones "Not going to happen Barebones. We know what you and your men are doing here and by the end of the day, you'll be stopped like the monsters you are"

Barebones eyes narrowed for a moment before he almost…looked defeated? Ramirez ignored it.

"So be it" he said as he raised his wand and settled in his posture.

Ramirez raised his wand, as did the eight other men that remained. His eyes flashed murderously.

'Barebones will die today' he vowed to himself.

-Break-