SMH 2.08

AN: Oh. My. God. It has been a month! I've been dying to finish this chapter for you. I actually cut it short. I hope you will forgive me. I can say that thanks to my new job and my move, I am in a much better mental place than I was over the bulk of the summer. That said it is a very demanding job. And I've had to cut back on writing considerably. So I am sorry about that, I am working on getting my work/writing balance a little more…balanced. XD but I hope you like this! I was really anxious to post it. I still plan to start releasing Aquarius 2 at the end of October but this will take priority. I'm like bound and determined to write the final 11 chapters. And I am almost done with the next chapter now! If only I didn't have a bedtime. XD

Disclaimer: See chapter one

Last Time on Sailor Moon H: Bellatrix has been frustrating Setsuna to no end, and so too has the mysterious white wizard whom now seems to shadow her. Things came to a head when Akira Hino came face to face with this mysterious enemy on a patrol of Hogwarts grounds. All may not remain bleak though – Hamish Stebbins may have had a breakthrough about the Death Eaters' strategy.

Where Things Stand

Ami was sure she woke half of Ravenclaw as she ran down the tower stairs, having been awoken by one of Mina's Patronus birds saying there was trouble beyond the grounds.

She heard two of the doors below her open as she raced towards the common room, meeting Hotaru and Megumi as they too sprinted down the stairs. And above her, Ami could hear several of her dorm mates following her as well.

But there might not be time to convince them to stay behind, Ami reasoned as she and the two younger students made it to the common room. They startled Luna Lovegood, drawing in one of the armchairs. Her radish earrings swung to the side as she tilted her head, and stood from the couch, tossing her work aside. "Has there been an infestation of Warbling Wimpletons?" she asked as she ran ahead of them to the Common Room door and threw it open.

"Afraid not – trouble outside" Ami said as she, Hotaru, and Megumi raced out onto the tenth floor landing.

"A shame," Luna said as she followed them out the door. "They're much easier to deal with."

The four of them could hear other Ravenclaws behind them as they ran down ten flights of stairs, scaring Ms. Norris who hissed at them and gave chase as they ran to the catch the staircase that had moved to the opposite side of the third floor. Once down on the second floor they turned down the hall to the main stairs and then ran into the Entrance Hall, meeting a stampede of Gryffindors as they charged in from the western corridor. Usagi, Sora, and Ginny (with her sword in hand) were in the lead of that group, and beat the Ravenclaws to the front doors, which were already open wide. A whole crowd of students was gathered outside – like themselves in stockings and slippers. All of them stared southwards.

"Move!" Ginny and Hotaru shouted, and one glance at their sword and glaive saw the crush of students – Hufflepuffs and some Slytherins – diving away. The senshi and their friends rushed to the front, where Makoto was already standing, one arm around Chibiusa and her wand in her fist. She was glaring towards the Forbidden Forest.

"They're on their way back," Makoto said, pointing towards the night sky.

Which was not as dark as it ought to have been. And of them gasped when they took in the full sight of it for the first time.

Dark marks loomed over the trees, casting both the canopy and the thick clouds overhead in a sickly green. There were six that they could see, the eyes of the skulls and the snakes glaring down towards the castle.

"They're coming to attack us," several of the students behind them were whispering. All the students huddling closer together as the sentiment was passed from student to student until the hushed chatter had filled the whole crowd and the grounds, with a panic.

"Bloody Hell!" Ron Weasley's voice cut through the whispers as many students turned back towards the castle and parted to make way for Hermione Granger and the sixth year boys she'd woken up and who were running at her heels. Argus Filch, panting and scowling, was scuttling along behind them, pushing his way through the crowd that was much less eager to let him pass.

"What's happened?" Harry Potter demanded as he and the Gryffindor sixth years joined the line with the scouts and their friends.

"Dunno yet," Ginny said, glaring towards the forest just like the others. "Rei and Mina are out there, with Rei's sister."

"Are you sure she said they were alright?" Sora asked Chibiusa. Her own locket was open in her hand. "Akira!" she shouted into it.

"We'll be back soon." Akira's voice came through the locket clearly. "Nothing following us."

"That I can see," they heard Mina's voice too. "Be ready just in case."

Usagi borrowed Chibiusa's locket, speaking into it. "We are… come back safe."

"Will do." Mina said, and Usagi closed the locket, handing it back to Chibiusa.

Filch had finally broken through the crowd.

"Gonna break out the screws for the lot of y-"

"Easy Argus" Dumbledore's powerful voice silenced the crowd as they turned around once more. Dumbledore and the heads of house were making their way down the castle's steps.

Argus face looked purple in the green glow from the dark marks. "You cant tell me you're gonna let them!"
"I am," Dumbledore said. "I hardly think this warrants such measures... Professor Meioh," he prompted. Professor Meioh was leaning against the open castle doors, looking up at the dark marks from behind the four heads of houses who had assembled on the steps. All five of them bore the same, grim expressions.

"I believe the danger is past," she declared, pointing the glowing tip of her wand towards the southwest. "My students will crest the trees in 43 seconds."

It did little to ease the tension in the crowd but it seemed to calm the professors – and the scouts (though they kept their weapons and their wands trained on the trees). The heads of house and Setsuna followed Dumbledore down the steps, the crowd seamlessly parted for the group of them.

"Of course you couldn't resist an opportunity to look like a hero, Potter," Snape glowered at Harry as he and the professors broke out of the crowd.

"Oh yeah, I really felt like playing hero in my pants," Harry snapped, drawing his cloak a little closer to cover his boxer shorts. "Really how I want to be remembered."

"Don't underestimate the appeal," Ginny murmured, though she kept her eyes and her wand trained on the sky. Her eyebrows shot up. "I see them!"

"Over there!" Luna Lovegood said. The whole crowd followed the light at the end of her wand as she pointed it.

Over the black silhouette of the forest, twinkles of orange and a larger silvery shape crested the tree line. The avian forms of Rei's and Mina's patronii were circling their brooms, ushering them and the smaller figure on the back of Rei's broom safely onto the grounds.

But the lights of the patronii could not nearly match the cool, eerie green the serpentine sentinels cast over the lake and the grounds. And when the patronii faded (as Rei and Mina prepared to land) not even those lights remained to disrupt the way Voldemort's mark overwhelmed the night.

The students converged on the riders as their brooms began to circle lower and lower to the ground, crowding in behind the ring of senshi and their friends. Even Dumbledore and the heads of house had some trouble working their way through the crowd this time, and Filch was stuck in the back.

But they managed. Neville made room beside himself for Mcgonagall and Dumbledore when they pushed their way to the front, Snape elbowed past Ron and Harry, Sprout hovered behind Makoto and Flitwick ducked in between Luna and Hotaru. Setsuna slipped into Usagi's place in the circle as the blond broke into the middle, rushing at her three friends as they landed. She grabbed Rei's arm as her feet touched the ground, looking between the three of riders. The three first years ran forwards along with her. They rushed to Akira as she slipped off the back of Rei's broom. Sora Kaioh reached her first, crushing the first year Hufflepuff close.

"Are you alright?" Chibiusa demanded, she and Megumi hovering next to them.

"Yeah," Akira nodded, though her subdued tone certainly suggested otherwise.

"You're cold," Sora muttered. "Why are you cold?"

"Dementors," Mina answered, scowling back at the dark marks as Usagi pulled her into a hug too. "Ran into a gang of them."

"They attacked more muggle villages," Rei said, reaching out to put her hand on Akira's shoulder, her other hand was trapped in Usagi's hug.

Dumbledore waved his wand, the shape of his phoenix patronus appearing before streaking off to the south as fast as a shooting star. "There will be aurors on scene to assess the damage," he said. "They can also put out the dark marks." He nodded to the three of them. "Twenty points to each of you. I believe you've put yourselves in potential danger to protect this school many a night this year."

Argus Filch shouted in disgust: "You're giving them points!" He was still wadding through the middle of the crowd. "They left school property! And gotten half the castle out of bed!"

"Not the time, Argus!" Mcgonagall snapped.

"I believe there's been enough consequences from this midnight sojourner that punishment would be fairly superfluous," Dumbledore added.

It certainly appeared so on the students' faces. Harry Potter, shoulder to shoulder with Ginny Weasley, had as tight a grip on his wand as she did on her sword. And to her left, Neville and Luna appeared equally tense.

"Who did this?" A voice trembled at the front of the crowd, and everyone turned away from the dark marks to look. Hannah Abbott's blond ponytail blew in the chill October wind, and her arms were crossed tightly across her chest.

Mina and Rei traded looks. "Bellatrix Lestrange," Mina finally said, and it caused gasps throughout the crowd. The students erupted in more frantic whispers than before. Several first years began crying.

"At ease." Dumbledore's calm voice carried over the crowd, silencing the whispers. "This display is meant to frighten you, but neither Voldemort nor any who follow him threaten the safety of those here."

"He is right," Professor Sprout said, turning to look at all the students in the crowd, particularly the first years. "This castle's well defended. No dark creatures or dark wizards will breach the grounds tonight, nor any time soon."

"What's stopping them?" One first year girl, a Slytherin, snapped. "Just the trees – and whatever dark creatures live in the forest and would probably join them."

Sprout squared her shoulders. "Why we're stopping them – as is every other professor in this castle whom, I will remind you, is a master of their discipline. Those trees," she nodded towards the forest. "Are a plenty good defense as long as I'm here – or your Tranfiguration professor, for that matter."

"Professor Sprout is more than correct," Dumbledore said. "And we are not alone – the castle itself is safer than even the Ministry. It has a thousand years of defenses keeping it standing. And you should not underestimate your friends." He looked to the scouts, and the other older students. "Some of them have also dedicated themselves quite passionately to Defense. Your head students and your prefects are very capable castors themselves." He looked to the other professors. "That said, I hope you and your peers will not be overly disappointed if tomorrow's Hogsmeade trip is canceled. I think, given the activities so close to our borders, it would behoove us not to put added stress on the village of Hogsmeade this weekend."

Though several students' shoulders sagged, there were no shouts of protest. All the excitement for the first trip of the school year seemed to have been stolen by the dark marks in the sky.

"You will all be safest," Dumbledore said, "back in your dorms. We'll make sure there's plenty of hot chocolate waiting in your common rooms before you return to bed."

"But Lestrange could come back!" one of the Ravenclaws said. "There's other dark creatures in the forest."

"Like Werewolves!" one of the Slytherins said.

"She could have a whole army." Another whispered.

"I assure you that nothing will breach the grounds," Sprout said, gravitating towards one large swath of Hufflepuffs.

But it was not her words, nor those of the other professors, that got the bulk of the students to move.

Instead, it was one prefect, standing on her toes to speak over the crowd.

"Quiet!" Hannah Abbott shouted. And everyone did. She gulped, and looked towards the Dark Marks, then at Sprout. She closed her eyes for a moment. And the whole crowd waited until she opened them again. "Professor Dumbledore and Sprout are right." She said. "We're safe here – safer than we'd ever be out there." She squared her shoulders. "And anyone who thinks they don't know enough yet to protect themselves you have us – all the prefects. We can even do extra patrols tonight, every night, if it makes people feel better."

"There's no need for you to do that, Hannah," Sprout whispered.

"I know," Hannah Abbott said. "But... I had a Hufflepuff Big once. And he was a Prefect." She cleared her throat as her voice turned a bit hoarse. "And he taught me you do what's right, not what's easy. Everything right now is… harder," she said. "And scary. So we've all got to do a little bit more." She put her wand over her heart. "And I've got to do something."

"I'll patrol with her!" Ernie Macmillan, her fellow sixth year prefect shouted.

"I will too!" Susan Bones said. "I mean… I'm not a prefect, but I know how to fight!"

"A lot of us do," Neville said, drawing all the professors attention. "I mean last year we… well we had a sort of club – Harry taught it."

"Allegedly!" Hermione chimed in.

"Which I am still 'allegedly' eager to get more details about," Mcgonagall said, turning her sharp eyes towards Harry who was shifting uncomfortably under his cloak. He pulled it even tighter around himself as he seemed more aware than ever that he'd run out of the tower in only his pants.

Thankfully, Dumbledore swiftly drew the crowd's attention back to himself. "The commitment you all show to the community here is exceptional by every measure," he said. "I believe for tonight we will leave it to the prefects. That said, Mr. Longbottom, Miss. Bones… all of you who have been here through the trying times of the past few years…" He looked at all the sixth years. "You know that Hogwarts is safe, you know that you can play a role in making it so. We will discuss whether those of you who are coming of age could play a role like that of a head student or a prefect in patrolling its halls.

"For now, what I need all of you to do, is set an example." He gestured to the masses of younger students. "Help your housemates back to bed, along with your heads of house. Assure those waiting in the windows of your dorms that we are safe tonight. We will surely have updates from the aurors for you at breakfast." He tugged his beard. "And for tonight, I think additional prefect patrols would be welcome – thank you Miss Abbott. Could you start by ensuring all those in your house make it safely back to their beds?"

Hannah's gaze flicked once more to the Dark Marks. And she nodded. "Of course we can. Come on" she said, motioning to the students behind her. "Let's go." And though she stood a mere five foot one, they did, even some in Gryffindor and Slytherin began to drag their feet back towards the castle.

"We should go too," Akira whispered.

"I guess so," Makoto said, though she was reluctant to move. As were the other scouts, as Severus, Flitwick, and Mcgonagall attempted to corral the more stubborn of their students. Snape was having the easiest time, with only eleven Slytherins having followed Chibiusa out of her dorm.

"But!" Sora protested, holding tightly to Akira's arm as she tried to follow the Hufflepuffs. "But wait! We should go with you!"

"It's okay," Akira said, giving all her friends a small smile. "We can meet up tomorrow." She looked at Megumi and Chibiusa. "And then I can tell you what happened."

Chibiusa's and Sora's eyes widened, making all the scouts frown thoughtfully. But Megumi's face betrayed nothing. She only nodded. "We can meet first thing tomorrow… if you can all get out of bed that early."

"I can," Sora declared. "Easy."

Chibiusa looked towards Snape, who had enlisted Argus Filch to lead the Slytherins inside. He was waiting on the steps, glaring towards her. "I dunno," Chibiusa said. "I might need help getting up. The dungeon's always dark."

"Don't worry," Sora clapped her hands together. "I'll make sure you're awake."

"Good," Megumi said. "Tomorrow Morning."

"Then we need to go inside now," Akira said. "Snape looks like he's about to take points from you, Chibiusa."

Chibiusa made a face. "He can try." But then again he also looked like he was in the mood to dole out detentions cleaning the Owlery, and she'd heard enough from Flora Carrow to know that was not worth any sneaking about. She noticed Hotaru resisting Ami and Luna's encouragement to move back to the dorms and walked up to her. She grabbed her hand. "Come on," Chibiusa told her, tugging her along after her first year friends. They fell into line behind the first years and the Gryffindor sixth years. Usagi slowed her walk to meet them.

"I want to know if they're still out there," Hotaru said. "I don't like the feeling tonight."

"What feeling?" Usagi and Chibiusa asked at the same time. All the students around them, and the professors turned a head to hear.

"There's something corrupted out in the forest," Hotaru said. "Dark magic… it's fresh."

"Rei felt it too," Mina said, falling into step with them. Rei was ascending the steps ahead with Makoto and the first years. "It was one of the dementors."

"Only one?" Usagi asked.

Mina nodded, "Lestrange did some magic on it… according to Akira."

"What ever it was it was really bad," Hotaru said, pointing across the grounds. "Look."

In the green glow from the dark marks, they could see gleams of silver flashing against white as tall equine forms dashed through the edges of the trees and around the castle, towards the highlands in the north.

"Unicorns," Usagi breathed.

"There's thestrals too," Saturn noted. And Chibiusa could see, if she squinted other creatures: big black shapes charging across the grounds.

"The birds were all fleeing the forest as we flew back," Mina said.

By the time they'd reached the top of the steps, all who'd lingered outside had stopped to watch the exodus of creatures from the forest.

"At least Arogog's staying where he is," Ron muttered, though his freckles stood out more starkly on his face than earlier in the evening.

"Or he ran in the other direction," Harry muttered. He leaned in the doorframe. "Reckon he'll end up at Hagrid's having tea."

"Oh stop," Hermione said, thwacking his shoulder. She swept her gaze across the grounds and bit her lip. "Even the wolves are running."

"Didn't know we had wolves," Ginny commented.

"Why do you think they ran?" Neville wondered.

"Unless a Rampaging Rhinofern scared them off," Luna said, reaching the steps alongside Ami and the remaining Professors. Snape had by now disappeared down to the Slytherin dungeons. "I suspect it was some dark magic."

"Or me," Akira whispered, mostly blocked from view by Rei, Makoto, Megumi, and Sora (who still held fast to her arm). "I did sort of… melt everything."

"Accidental magic," Hermione surmised. "That's quite lucky."

"D'you reckon you got Lestrange too?" Ron asked.

"The woman?" Akira looked up at Rei and Makoto, who nodded. "No. She only showed up after. I got the wizard that was with her – in the white cloak." She made a face. "They got away."

"Damn," Ron said. "Would have been nice to have her out of it… or you know. With a taste of her own potions."

No one contradicted him. No one even spoke – not even Argus Filch who paced the crowded entrance hall. His breath was rattling through his teeth as he seethed in impatience. Save for that and the whistle of the wind, the front steps were silent as they watched the larger creatures of the forest flee across the grounds.

When the last unicorn had gone, McGonagall sighed, face growing stern when she looked to the ground floor windows and saw the faces of her students pressed against the glass. "I should know by now they never listen the first time. Miss. Granger, Mr. Weasley," she said, "If you could help me ensure all your housemates make it back up to their beds without any further detours or incidents."

"Actually," Setsuna said. "Miss. Granger and Mr. Weasley will have to escort them themselves." She raised her wand, and everyone with a view of the grounds saw the Time Doors materialize at the foot of the steps. "There are other events it is prudent certain of us catch up to speed on."

"You mean with the Ord-ow!" Ron winced as Ginny and Hermione elbowed him in the ribs. Hermione jerked her head around: several students unaware of the light resistance were still within earshot, and while no one thought the likes of Justin Finch-Fletchley or Seamus Finnigan were death eaters, they did have a penchant for talking quite a lot to everyone with ears.

"Of that nature yes," Setsuna said to Ron. "And Minako if you would accompany us."

"Only her!" Sora exclaimed.

Mina bit her lip. "I mean… no I should do it," she decided, all the inner senshi nodding at her in encouragement. "I'll tell you all tomorrow."

"We know you will." Makoto said, stepping between Sora and Chibiusa and ruffling Akira's hair. "Come on," she said. "You need chocolate if you saw dementors – and so do you," she said to Rei.

"Can't we stay in Hufflepuff for tonight Mako-chan!" Chibiusa tried to beg.

"First years will go straight to their dorms," Mcgonagall said with a sharp look.

"It's okay," Akira told her friends. "I'll be fine."

"It won't matter anyways, remember" Megumi whispered, tapping the small watch she kept round her wrist. "First thing tomorrow."

"Precisely," Dumbledore said. "At a more sociable hour, perhaps once you've all had a good breakfast – no better meal for recovering from a shocking night."

Sora and Chibiusa looked at the scouts and their two friends and sighed. "Fine."

"Good," Setsuna nodded. "Then the three of us had best go." She waved her wand and the Time Doors on the steps swung open ushering a wisp of fog across the castle's steps. Setsuna waved Mcgonagall and Dumbledore onwards and beckoned Minako. "There's plans we all need to be aware of."

"Meet at seven tomorrow, Great Hall," Mina whispered to Ami and Usagi, and hoped they would relay it to the others. Then she walked away from their group, through the giant stone doors.

~SMH~

Friday October 4th ended with half the castle's students, still panicked from the scene on the grounds, fearful and anxious as they returned to their dorms. They continued tossing and turning in their beds well past midnight. Thus, Saturday October 5th began with an air of restlessness still lingering in the castle's stones.

That restlessness was felt most of all by the first year who had slipped out of Gryffindor tower at 00:01, the same time that, in the Dungeons and in the tallest tower, two other students crept out of their beds.

After all, though aurors had yet to vanish the Dark Marks from the sky, it was now, technically, first thing in the morning.

The first year Gryffindor, despite her nerves, had the easiest route down to the ground floor. She was seen only by Ron Weasley, who distracted Hermione Granger long enough to let her pass. Which was strange, given she hadn't talked to the prefect much.

Then again, Sora considered as she slid down the last banister and stumbled to her feet on the ground floor, maybe he knows where I'm going.

She had to make a detour first though, to the north side of the castle where Chibiusa's stairs down to the dungeons were. She had no sooner opened the door to the stairway than seen why Chibiusa had said she might need help: a feline shadow prowled across the dungeon stairs. Sora gulped. Mrs. Norris could always be counted on to have Filch or a teacher behind her. She wondered if the evil cat would wake Snape.

I'd have detention for months, Sora thought. She pressed her back against the wall when she saw the cat's ears twitch. Mrs. Norris hissed, and the cat's claws clinked as they stepped onto a higher stair.

Sora hastened to get her wand out of her pocket and squeezed her eyes shut. "Please work." She whispered. "Please, please, please work." She took a deep breath, heard the snick of Mrs. Norris claws coming ever closer, and pointed her wand far down the hallway at the easiest target: the suit of armor gleaming beneath a bright candle. That'll work! "Bryonia!"

A pink light shot from the end of her wand and there was a soft chime as it hit the metal.

Mrs. Norris hissed, then yowled. And her claws scratched sharply against the stones as she leapt up the last ten steps and bounded down the hall, her tail flicking as she stopped at the suit of armor, sniffed its boot, and meowed, twining all around it.

"YES!" Sora grinned, digging her locket out of the neck of her pajamas. "All clear," she whispered. "Where'd you learn that spell, Chibiusa?"

"It was carved on my bed," Chibiusa whispered back. Down below, Sora thought she heard the creak of a door being eased open. "Lots of the beds in our dorms have them."

There was a crash down the hall, then the clatter of metal rolling across the floor. Sora winced. Mrs Norris had hopped up on the suit of armor's shoulders and knocked off its helmet. The cat yelped as she dropped through the hole in the neck of the armor. And then Sora could hear her purrs echoing off the inside.

Why didn't I aim the catnip charm at the tapestry, she thought. She spoke into the communicator again. "Hurry!" I think I messed up!" she winced as the armor's shoulder piece clanged against the stone floor.

"You did fine," Megumi's voice spoke through the locket. "It's drawn Filch's and Flitwick's attention: that frees me up to get to the main stairs. Meet you in the entrance hall."

"Right!" Sora said, and heard Chibiusa's response from both the locket and from down the stairs as Chibiusa's slippered feet padded up the steps.

"Thanks!" Chibiusa said when she emerged from the dungeons. The two of them made quickly for the corridor that wound under the north tower and towards the entrance hall. "She's been outside our door the past three weeks!"

"Why?" Sora asked. She'd assumed the patrols were more random than that.

"Cause there's some older kids who keep sneaking out. We found her paralyzed outside last week. She's gotten a lot sneakier since then."

"Have you been sneaking out without us every night then?" Sora asked. That wasn't fair. She'd tried to sneak out several times to practice on the stupid school brooms. But she'd only made it all the way to the pitch twice without getting caught.

"Well… yeah." Chibiusa grinned. "Don't be mad – I've been visiting with Usagi and Hotaru… and Usagi's really good at sneaking out."

"That doesn't make sense," Sora said. "She's…"

"As loud as you?"

"Yes!" Sora exclaimed as Chibiusa shushed her. She clamped her hands over her mouth. "Sorry," she whispered.

Both their communicators chimed. "Walk a little faster," Megumi said. "Couple Slytherin prefects will catch you otherwise."

"Which ones?"Chibiusa asked.

"Parkinson and… and Pritchard."

Chibiusa frowned.

"What?"

"Pritchard's a fifth year," Chibiusa explained to Sora. "Parkinson's sixth."

"And usually they patrol by year… who's the other sixth year?"

"Malfoy…" Chibiusa whispered back.

Sora scowled. "From the train… I don't like him!"

"Neither do I."

"Faster," Megumi's voice cautioned again.

They had to wonder about Malfoy silently after that, as both of them hastened into the Entrance Hall. Megumi was leaning against the doorway to the cellars when they skidded out of the north corridor.

"They're looking for you," Megumi whispered as they descended the cellar stairs. "You've both got to take a different route back later."

"And so we'll worry about it later," Sora said, noting the way their footsteps echoed on the cellar stairs. She hastened to the door at the bottom and threw it open "Come on!"

The door was closed again by the time Nearly Headless Nick swept into the Entrance Hall, the sound of footsteps in the cellar halls blocked by its wood.

The first years still stayed as silent as they could in the dim cellar halls. Sprout's rooms were down here somewhere, and their soft footfalls echoed down the corridors like a heavy rain. Megumi stayed in the lead, navigating them through the tunnels which all of them were beginning to think might be shifting like the staircases did. Especially the second time they passed a hallway stacked with flour sacks.

"Just one more turn," Megumi whispered. "Then we'll – "

Chibiusa yelped. Sora screamed, and there was a thud as she scrambled back into the flour sacks, knocking them over. Megumi whirled around with her wand drawn.

"Goodness Gracious!" a warm, wizened voice exclaimed. Megumi squinted and looked up, it was the Fat Friar, hovering near the ceiling. "What on this blessed Earth are you three doing out of bed!" the kindly ghost worried.

"Well what are you doing phasing into people!" Sora snapped, appearing a bit ghostly herself as a sack of flour had exploded on her. She held her wand shakily leveled at the ghost, even as Chibiusa grabbed her hand and hauled her off the mess of flour sacks.

"Well that was an accident. And you're…not even Hufflepuffs," the Friar realized, plump features turning down in disapproval. "Off to bed with you, I say – I'll have to fetch Professor Sprout."

"No wait!" Chibiusa ran in front of him as he turned to fly through the wall again.

"It's no night for juvenile games," he tutted at her, simply moving to hover over her head, moving towards the stone wall.

"W-Waddiwasi!" Sora squeaked.

So did the Friar as the spell hit him. It jerked him down by the hem of his habit and dragged him into the keyhole of a nearby closet. The lock rattled once. And then quieted.

"Woah," Chibiusa whispered.

Sora had begun walking backwards down the corridor, keeping her wand trained on the keyhole. Megumi and Chibiusa rushed to catch up with her.

"You okay?" Megumi asked Sora, putting a hand on her shoulder.

Sora shrugged her hand away. "Yah think?" Though she did stow her wand. Her hand was shaking "And," she glanced at Chibiusa. "It was Mina's spell."

"Well you did it good," Chibiusa assured her, walking ahead. "Come on – we are close, right?" she asked Megumi.

"Just one more turn," Megumi said. "How long will he stay in the keyhole?"

"How should I know!" Sora snapped "Do you think I wait around to see when Peeves and them pop out again!"

"No!"

"Sora!" Chibiusa whispered. She stopped short in the hallway making both of them bump into her. "Cool it."

"But she said we were in the clear!"

"We were!" Megumi whispered back. "I can't see ghosts."

Sora looked quickly at her. "Really?"

"Yeah." Megumi looked back to check the keyhole. "Time doesn't govern people after they're dead."

"Oh." Sora ducked her head, blushing. "Sorry – I don't like them."

"They're creepy," Chibiusa agreed, beginning to walk again. There was a fork in the tunnel ahead, to either side of a large painting of fruit. "Which way?"

"Left up here," Megumi answered.

They did make it the rest of the way without incident. Megumi stopped them shortly thereafter in front of a long wall of wooden barrels.

"Don't touch them or they'll soak you in vinegar," Megumi advised before Sora could try kicking them. "She's coming."

Three seconds later one column of the barrels began to spin, rolling up the sides of the others and up to the top of the pile as a bright light streamed through the gap they left: illuminating a wide, low ceilinged room with plush black couches and a roaring fire that lit the knit yellow rugs in a warm orange hue.

Akira poked her head out from the side of the doorway, beaming at them.

"Come on in!" She beckoned them inside, over to the warm, yellow rug that lay before the large fire. "I got Mama and Mako to cast a charm over here," she said, settling on the rug directly in front of the flames, turning her back to the heat. "It'll make sure no one notices we're talking."

"Did you tell them we were coming?" Chibiusa asked as the three of them settled in a circle with her.

"I was gonna," Akira shook her head. "But then they'd want to join in, so I lied." She made a face. "I said I wanted to meditate."

"Don't feel bad about lying," Megumi said. "They've got their own work to focus on – we can tell them about ours once we know more." She looked up and they all copied her, looking twice around the common room to make absolutely sure no one was around.

Chibiusa started talking first. "You look better," she said to Akira.

"Did they get you chocolate?" Sora asked.

"Yeah – my friend Winky gave all of us tons." Akira smiled. "But the fire helped most." She looked down at her hands, which she was wringing in her lap. "I saw him," she confided. And her friends gasped. "The change maker – he's working with that lady named Lestrange."

"What'd he look like?" Megumi demanded, leaning forwards and bracing her hands on the rug.

"He kept his face covered – white cloak," Akira shook her head. "And he's young – really young. Here," she turned away from them, holding her hand out towards the flames.

Immediately they stretched higher, colors of white, green, and black lacing through them until the fire formed an image of the Wizard in White – as he'd appeared looming over Akira in the forest.

Sora grabbed her shoulder. "He got that close?"

"Yeah," Akira said, looking over her shoulder. "It's okay – I handled it." She looked back at the flames as the image began to waver. "I think I melted his face."

"Good," Sora and Chibiusa said.

Megumi remained silent. When they turned around they saw she had stood up. She was staring at the man in the flames and worrying her lip between her teeth. Her hands were clenched. "He looks… corporeal," she said finally.

"He was," Akira said. "And… Megumi he didn't know me at all," she said. "He didn't even mention Chibiusa or the Queen… just the White Moon."

"But if he didn't know you at all," Sora realized. "Then that's… really, really young."

"But it was him – Megumi was right," Akira said, all of them still staring at the image in the fire. "I know he looks different, but his voice was the same."

"Oh," Megumi whispered behind them, and all of them turned round again as she sank back onto the rug, tugging strands of her curly hair out of its bun. "Oh no."

"What?" All three of them asked.

Megumi closed her eyes, moving her hands to her temples. "I hate being right," She muttered as she thought.

All of them waited (Sora bouncing her knee) until Megumi was done thinking.

Finally Megumi sighed, and pinched the bridge of her nose. "I wanted this to be a future version of him traveling back in time and changing things," she said. "But this is linear him – uncorrupted, whole, beginning of his timeline him."

"Younger, less magical him," Sora summarized. "And he's meant to be here anyways."

"No – he's meant to be in prison under Mt. Fugi," Megumi said. "And clearly he's not that much less magical." She looked up at all of them. "This means the changes we were seeing in the future – they weren't him changing time, they were him here – now – doing it unintentionally."

"How's that different though?" Chibiusa asked.

"Because he's doing what he would have done anyways," Megumi ranted. "Going about the correct timeline at a faster rate, thus fundamentally affecting the rest of the dimensional space around him which is operating at a slower rate… and there's no way to change the rate his timeline is happening at because there's things he's meant to do, don't you see?" Megumi groaned and put her head in her hands. She muttered: "Redirect him too soon and we become the paradoxical element."

Sora patted her hand on Megumi's shoulder, a puzzled look on her face. "Um…" she said and shook her head. "I can't translate all of that into non-time-traveler."

"I think I can," Akira said, hands moving as she spoke. "You said he's supposed to be in prison… so something changed to break him out early and now he's doing what he was supposed to do later… now… and if we put him back in prison he won't get to finish doing those things."

"Yes," Megumi nodded lifting her head up. "He was meant to be in prison until after the Great Freeze."

"But he's out," Chibiusa gasped. "Lestrange must have changed it – like when she killed Hotaru's dad!"

"Probably," Megumi said. "She's the one Sailor Pluto can't see." She shook her head. "And neither can I."

Sora stared at her. "There's someone you and Mama-Suna can't see?"

"Mhmm," Megumi nodded. "Pluto even gave me a Draught of Clairvoyance last week – but I still can't see her." She made a face. "Something's masking her from us." She looked up at Akira. "You saw her right? What's she look like."

Akira turned back to the fire. The image of Bellatrix Lestrange as she had appeared in the forest formed in the flames: right down to the red light glowing at the end of the Death Eater's wand. "Seen her before?"

Megumi frowned. "In the original timeline… no. She participated in some larger fixed events but not majorly."

"Then maybe he's made her into a change," Sora said.

"What were they doing in the woods?" Chibiusa asked.

Akira frowned, waving her hand. The colors in the fire flickered. Now they could see the two as she'd first seen them: casting the spell on the Dementor. "He was teaching her how to do this when I found them."

The four of them watched the black and pink light appear in front of Bellatrix, and a bit of the pink split off, filling the dementor.

"Show it again," Megumi whispered. And Akira did, glancing back. Megumi was biting her lip, and Chibiusa had gone pale.

"What happened to the dementor?" Sora asked.

"It was really powerful after," Akira said. "Like it… got a super form or something." She turned back to them, the images in the fire vanished. "The energy felt… like his in the future. Not as strong, but the same kind."

"Then she is a change," Sora whispered. "We find her we take her out." She smacked her fist into her palm

"We can't," Megumi said, shaking her head. "Can't you see – he's teaching her his magic. They're working together. If we stop her from changing anymore it could make him run, and we could lose track of him." She bit her lip. "The prophecy might be the only way to neutralize the changes she makes, while allowing him to carry out his normal timeline."

"Wait," Chibiusa held up her hands. "I thought you wanted to stop the prophecy."

"Yeah," Sora said. "You said prophecies suck."

"They do," Megumi sighed, hugging her knees. "But time clearly wants this one to happen." She furrowed her eyebrows. "I just wish I could see."

"Hey," Akira said. "Don't worry," She clapped Sora on the shoulder. "We can use our powers too."

"You're not totally blind," Sora added.

"And even if its not your favorite method," Chibiusa added. "Maybe letting the prophecy happen means other changes won't happen."

"I hope so," Megumi sighed and asked quietly: "is anyone still diffusing."

All of them checked each other first, relieved to see Chibiusa shake her head.

Akira looked at her hands and shook her head as well. "There was only once, and I think I dreamed it."

They all sighed, and then looked to the last member of their circle. Who ducked her head low. Her turquoise hair fell over her eyes and she drummed her fingers on her knee.

"Sora?" Megumi asked, sharp gaze focused only on her.

"It's just because they're not at Hogwarts," Sora said. "They're out fighting all the time, where there's more variables." She looked up at Megumi. "Right?"

Megumi bit her lip. "As long as it's not happening a lot." She said. "But yes. Uranus and Neptune can take care of themselves… And I'll make sure Pluto knows to pay extra attention."

"And why do you call them that?" Sora blurted out. "You'll call Mercury Aunt Ami, why won't you call them Mamas or Papa?"

"Yeah… it was okay for us to tell the truth," Akira cocked her head to the side. "Why can't you?"

"Because you make sense to them!" Megumi snapped. "I don't make sense to the Eternal Guardian of Time. Not yet." She looked into the fire. "Calling her Sailor Pluto… makes it easier to lie."

She wasn't looking, so she jumped when Sora leaned over and hugged her. And then Chibiusa and Akira.

"She asks about you whenever we have tea," Chibiusa said. "So whether you can tell her the truth or not… She cares about you a lot."

"And you're gonna mend the timeline," Akira promised. "And we're gonna send the change maker back where he belongs."

"And I'll try really hard to do what you say," Sora added. "Even if it's nothing."

"Because we all know that's your strong suit," Megumi mumbled from the middle of the huddle. She sniffed, wiping both eyes. "For now it's nothing." She said as they pulled back "Except figure out why Pluto and I can't see Lestrange." She took a breath. "And trust them to win their war…"

~SMH~

By 00:01 on October 5th, an emergency meeting of the Order of the Phoenix had gathered. It was comprised of only twelve members who leaned over the war map in Grimmauld's kitchen. All of them: from the Hogwarts professors and Mina at one end of the table to Tonks and Moody at the other end, had their tense arms braced on the tabletop as Hamish Stebbins moved his single, brown hand over the silver models that Rigel Fawcett was levitating over the map. His excitement was making his voice sound nearly jovial as he explained.

"Snidget's Guard," Stebbins said, moving the floating figures so that the larger, human ones hovered in a circle around the smaller silver sphere. "It's where you send your largest players – regardless of position – to be a physical block around the snitch. It's a footnote in most playbooks – really unconventional. Only time you'd do it's if you had a really dynamic defenseman and only if you were within catch distance of a win and the other team's seeker was faster or the other team's got bludger control or –"

"Get to the Death Eaters, boy," Moody snapped, banging his hand on the table and glaring his normal and his magical eye towards Stebbins.

But true to his house, the Hufflepuff alumnus did not seem rattled. "Sorry," he shrugged, his grin mirroring Rigel's across the table. "But it makes sense, see: they have something that's valuable to their winning – like a snitch. And we're the faster seeker. They know that, we proved that at the Ministry in June." Stebbins hand shifted down to the map and their eyes followed as Fawcett transfigured his models back into cutlery. "Because look where the largest defenders on V-Voldemort's side are." His hand ghosted across the line of blue markers dotted up the western coast between Cardiff and Liverpool – Giants.

"And across the sea," Remus noted. "Between Waterford and Dublin,"

"So," Moody growled. "He's also got a whole troop of fifty them out there threatening to terrorize every settlement between York an' the midlands. That's what Giants are," he said. "A big, hard-to-placate threat to distract us every time we get to close to raiding something important." But his magical eye was darting around furiously in its socket, trying to find whatever only Stebbins could see.

"Yes – but I also remember from the NEWT," he said. "They're one of only a few magical beings with a natural defense against apparation and portkeys. It's impossible to use either to access a giant's territory directly.

"But these giants have moved," Moody said. "These aren't their home lands – that effect would not cover a very large distance."

"Unless they all physically blocked a territory," Stebbins said. "Then the effect can be amplified."

"And what area would that be, Mr. Stebbins?" Dumbledore asked. "Given that the giants you've pointed out on the coasts are separated from each other."

"They're not though." Stebbins said, grabbing a piece of charcoal off the table. "Look." And steadier than he'd yet drawn anything in his left hand, Stebbins drew a circle connecting the line of giants on the British and Irish coasts, the arcs of which traversed the waters of the Irish Sea and St. George's Channel. Sirius, Tonks, and Haruka swore as Michiru whipped her mirror out to check.

"We haven't seen any above the surface," Rigel said. "But muggle sources have reported very rough waters and incidents: ships unexpectedly floating off course, docking in Tramore here where they meant to reach Rossfare Harbor…" he waved his hand. "The coordinates match these lines enough to indicate there's some defense under the water."

"They're right," Michiru said, showing the mirror to Haruka and Setsuna. "They look like they're sleeping."

"Could it be like the enchantment they used in the Triwizard?" Rigel Fawcett asked Dumbledore. "Could that let them stay underwater indefinitely?"

"Cast properly it certainly could," Dumbledore mused, tugging his beard. "Which might make it possible to swim past them, though I suspect Voldemort or Bellatrix," he nodded to Setsuna, "As I'm assuming you've been seeking, would have put other defenses below the water."

"I could get through with the Time Doors," Setsuna assured him, "Provided enough of the Giants were taken out beforehand." She nodded to Mina.

"Right," the blond said, putting together what she and the inner senshi's role in this might be. "Twenty feet tall and resistant to magic," she combed back her hair. "Piece of pie."

"But what are they guarding," Remus asked, frowning at the parchment expanse of the Irish Sea. "Why such an elaborate defense?"

"Whatever it is," Rigel Fawcett said. "It's affecting the water temperature. The muggle sat-satellites," he checked with Setsuna. "They're showing the temperature's dipping below freezing, well below freezing. It's too early in the year for that." He waved his wand. And blue began to fill the charcoal circle on the parchment and ink map, the color darkening into rings of different shades. "Darker is colder," Fawcett said. As the blue continued to fill the circle, a very dark patch growing more and more distinct close to northern Wales.

"Bloody hell," Tonks whispered. "There's no island there, they must have made one."

"Got a theory to share, Black," Moody asked, his normal eye trained on Sirius.

Sirius had crossed his arms over his chest, glaring at the dark blue mark on the map. "It would be very funny is all," Sirius said. "Make an island in the middle of the sea, fill it with all the missing pure and half-bloods, surround it with dementors that change the temperature." His mouth twitched into a smirk. "Azkaban for the Blood Traitors."

"Is that… funny?" Stebbins asked.

"Prison humor," Sirius said. "And if I know her at all, I'd say my dear cousin's humor."

"Then Timothy Abbott could be there," Setsuna determined.

"I would say time is of the essence," Dumbledore said. "If your past attempt at a rescue is any judge."

Everyone in the room nodded.

"Tomorrow night," Mina said.

"Round three," Moody growled, "When they're all sleeping under their hats and they're aim's gone to shit."

"I can get the prisoners off the island," Setsuna said.

"I can pass the dementors," Michiru added.

"We need a way inside," Haruka said. "We've no idea what kinda defenses they've got on whatever that is."

The chatter around the table picked up quickly, ideas being bandied about across the war map, running into eachother, voices rising as ideas flew half-formed from their mouths.

Until Tonks extended her left arm across the middle of the table, and then the whole group fell silent as she rolled up her sleeve.

Her pale skin darkened, a tattoo of a snake and skull appearing between her wrist and elbow.

"I'm your way in," she said. "Bone's will cover for me at the office."

The tense energy in the kitchen shifted immediately from anxiety to excitement as a plan formed – each piece building perfectly off of the next. A solid plan. A good plan. Set for Sunday, October sixth, at 3:00 am – 27 hours away.

27 hours and, Setsuna thought, they might at last free the likes of Garrick Ollivander and Timothy Abbott.

~I Solemnly Swear I Am Up To No Good~