Chapter VIII

September 1, 1996

"Legilimens."

There was a pressure, like someone was drilling directly through his skull. Harry tried to think of nothing at all, to keep his mind free of any non-immediate thoughts, but that lasted for barely five seconds before unbidden memories rose to the forefront of his mind. Powerless to do anything other than relive them, Harry trembled from the blinding pain as he experienced the battle at the Carrows' home once again, starting with him casting a Sleeping Charm on the twins; when it ended, the memory leaped to his confrontation with Sam over their murder.

Abruptly, the mental probe ended and he caught a brief glimpse of Dumbledore lowering his wand before he slipped out of his seat, sinking to his knees and cradling his head.

"I find myself forced to apologize. You told me that you did not kill Hestia and Flora, but the possibility you were telling the truth seemed too implausible to be true."

Gasping for air, Harry slowly rose to his feet, his eyes smoldering with fury. "What the hell! You're supposed to be teaching me occlumency, not rooting around in my head to satisfy your curiosity!"

Dumbledore 'hmm'-ed, stroking his beard and sitting back in his chair. "I did warn you that it would be unpleasant," he casually remarked. "Unfortunately, the best method for learning occlumency quickly is 'trial by fire', as they say."

Still glaring down at his teacher, Harry reluctantly sat. "I don't feel like I'm making much in the way of progress. I can't keep my mind clear whenever you hit me with an attack."

"I don't think you should be so hard on yourself. Most wizards and witches never learn more than the most rudimentary form of mental protections. Now, while I doubt that you would agree, I think you made considerable progress this time."

"In what way?" Harry asked, still petulant over their session.

"When we began, your mind was open; there was no delay whatsoever in accessing your thoughts and memories. This time, you lasted several seconds before I broke through."

Daphne arrived, having gone to fetch some supplies. She took in their positions, recognizing almost immediately what was going on after three days of Harry's training. "How's it going?"

"Terrible," and "Much better," came the simultaneous responses.

"I see," she said slowly, setting down her bags and walking over to where they had two chairs pushed to face each other. Daphne came to a stop behind Harry, putting one hand on his shoulder, her fingers trailing up to the side of his neck. "Make sure you don't push yourself too hard."

Harry flinched and after a moment, she withdrew her hand. She'd been touching him more than usual lately, innocent touches to be sure, but nonetheless, it was uncomfortable, and seemingly out of character for her. "Right," he muttered, turning back to Dumbledore. "What can I do to push you out once you access my memories?"

"What you did at the Longbottom's is normally rather effective," he responded, recalling how Harry had blasted him backwards, breaking the connection. "I'd encourage you to remember, though, why you are learning this. It isn't to stop people from reading your mind."

"I know, emotional control. I'm just getting tired of the headaches."

"I'm sure that my choice of memories does not help much, either. Let's try again," Dumbledore said as he raised his wand. "Legilimens."

Harry didn't even make it to five seconds this time, and almost immediately he was assaulted with images of his last Christmas with Norm and Diane. Something was building, a pressure of some strange kind as memories flashed by of making them breakfast, opening presents, Diane's embrace-

The next thing he knew, he was staring up at the familiar ceiling of his room at the inn. He could hear Daphne's raised voice through the wall, shouting at Dumbledore. Stumbling to his feet, he gathered his bearings and returned to the attached room, interrupting his companions.

"What happened?"

Daphne seemed to bite her tongue, turning away from Dumbledore and pushing past him into the room he'd just left. Dumbledore sighed, gesturing for Harry to take his seat where they'd been practicing. "You leave me somewhat at a loss as to where we should go from here."

"Er, why's that?"

Dumbledore sat down and leaned forward, steepled his fingers beneath his chin. "I'm sure you noticed that during our sessions, I have pressed for neutral memories - your classes at Hogwarts, training at Ilvermorny, even your prior tutelage with myself."

"Until today, you mean."

"Yes," the old man nodded, wearing a look of contrition. "I already apologized for pushing for information you'd chosen not to share. I had thought-, well, after that, I'd hoped to pull up some happy memories for you."

"That doesn't explain what happened."

"I can see why you are so confused. Miss Greengrass was quite adamant that I was being too aggressive in my legilimency attacks. But that is not the case."

Harry sighed, drumming his fingers on the armrest of the chair. "Can we just get to the point? Is this going to affect my training?"

"This directly impacts your training, yes. Recall the reason we're doing this, if you would?"

"To keep my emotions in check. To suppress my anger and keep the demonic influence at bay."

"Indeed, but when we began these sessions, I had no idea just how… damaged you really are." Dumbledore held up a hand, in askance that Harry wait to object. "You relived a battle where you killed six people in close combat and where you received painful injuries, and had no emotional reaction."

"What are you talking about? I was furious after-"

"With me, yes," Dumbledore cut in. "You were angry with me for 'rooting around in your head' seeking answers, not with the memory itself."

"So what?"

"After that, I sought to find a comforting memory. Something that would hopefully improve your mood, to help you back into the mindset necessary to continue working on your occlumency. A happy memory, with your adoptive parents."

Yes. Harry remembered that. "What happened?"

"Your magic reacted. I must ask - do you have any happy memory not tainted with hatred and grief? Do you ever think of the people you love and not hate yourself for losing them?"

The tapping of his fingers abruptly stopped. Harry didn't-, couldn't reply.

"I fear that I must share a portion, however small, of the responsibility for this. I should have demanded you spend time with mind-healers years ago. I'm sorry."

Several moments passed with Harry staring at the floor, avoiding Dumbledore's measured stare. Finally, he spoke again. "We should probably get back to it."

"No, I think not."

"What? But you said before-"

"You're broken, and I don't know how to fix you. For all that's happened, I suspect you'd be more comfortable continuing to fight than coming to terms with your own grief. You understand, loss is a part of life, yes? For all the tragedy you've endured, you are far from the only person to suffer. You have to let go, to move on."

"Stop- just shut up!"

A sad smile crossed Dumbledore's face. "We can talk more tomorrow. I am no healer, but even so, I think it would be beneficial for us to discuss this more. Now, Miss Greengrass was most distressed at our earlier training-"

"Why?"

"I hit you with a mild Sleeping Charm when I felt your magic rising. It felt unfair to you to explain to her my reasons for doing so. I have no doubt she expects an explanation."

"And what am I supposed to tell her?"

Dumbledore shrugged. "She is your apprentice, is she not?"

"Right," he mumbled. "Fine."

"I will knock on your door for dinner."

With a nod, Harry returned to his room.


Seeing Harry enter, Daphne grabbed his hand and immediately asked, "What was that? Why did he hit you with a spell?"

"We're not doing occlumency training any longer," Harry said, apparently choosing to skim over Dumbledore's reasoning. He pulled his hand out of her grasp.

"What's the matter?"

"Nothing."

"I was just worried about you," she said, somewhat crossly. "Sorry."

"It's just-, I don't know. You've been, uh, different lately."

"How do you mean?" She knew, of course, but hadn't thought that it was so obvious.

"You, uh, you've been touching me more."

"So? I mean, we're friends, and this trip has been pretty terrible. I thought- well, I mean, I could use the support. I just thought you could, too." Harry looked a little unsure, so she continued, "Can I ask you something?"

Now he looked really uncomfortable. "Okay."

"Here, take my hand," she commanded, feeling that pleasant sensation the moment their skin touched. "What do you feel?"

"What do you mean?"

'Oh no' she thought miserably. "You don't feel anything?"

"I feel your hand…?"

Daphne pulled out of his grasp, stepping away from him and sitting down on her bed. "Okay."

"What? What is it?"

"Nothing," she said, waving away his questions. "It's nothing. So what are you going to do next?"

"I don't know. We've still got more than a month until we can meet Dumbledore's contact with the ICW."

"You're just going to give up on occlumency?"

He shrugged. "If Dumbledore won't help, I don't have much of a choice. It's not like I can do it by myself."

She mulled over that statement. "You know legilimency, don't you?" He nodded. "Well, why don't you teach me, and then we can work on your occlumency, together."

"You?"

"Why not?" She challenged. "It's like Dumbledore said, you're not learning this to repel mental intrusions, you're trying to increase your emotional control. All you really need is someone to help you attain proficiency at shielding yourself from your own, uh, instability."

He looked at her side-eyed at that, and she couldn't suppress a laugh. "Okay, that makes sense. Say, what has Dumbledore been working on with you, anyway?"

"Charms. He says that I might be able to manage a more finesse use of magic than just transfiguration and conjuration."

"I guess if anyone could teach you how to do that, it'd be him."

Daphne didn't respond, her thoughts wandering back to her discovery that whatever magical connection she had with Harry, it wasn't reciprocated. 'How much more unfair could this be?' she thought despondently. Why was it that every brush, every touch between them affected her so, but meant nothing to him?

For the first time, she wished she'd never joined this expedition. Everything would have been easier if she'd stayed in Britain. Daphne felt more alone than she had since she left Erra's enslavement. She couldn't talk to Harry, and somehow she doubted Dumbledore would offer the sort of sympathy she was after.

"Hey, Harry?"

"What's up?"

"I was going to mirror-call Tori, would you mind giving me some privacy?"

"Sure. I'll go give Dumbledore a hand with dinner. Tell her I said hello?"

"Of course!" She waited until the door between their rooms closed before fishing the mirror out of her trunk, holding it up to her face and whispering "Astoria Greengrass" into its surface. A few minutes passed, feeling like an eternity before her younger sister's face appeared in the glass surface.

"Hey, Daph!"

"Hi, Tori. How are you?"

Her sister's face didn't look much better than her own. "Okay, I guess."

"What's wrong?"

Tori looked away for a moment, then met Daphne's gaze with a forlorn look. "What… what do you do when you want someone who loves someone else?"

She tried to hide her surprise but quickly realized that her sister was talking about herself. "Tell me what happened."

"It's just so unfair! She comes waltzing back in, and brings back a whole heap of trouble, and he takes her back like nothing happened!"

"Who?"

"Granger." Daphne blinked at the vitriol in Astoria's voice. "She's ruined everything!"

"I'm sorry," she replied. "How is everything else?"

Astoria shrugged. "Pretty normal, I guess. Tracey and Blaise asked a lot about you. They figure you must really be over the moon for Potter to run off with him like that!"

Though her sister said that with a giggle, Daphne's expression didn't change, that same melancholy from before washing over her. "Daphne? What's the matter?" It was the sole advantage that Floo calls had over the communication mirrors - the flames typically disguised expressions. "Oh gods, don't tell me-"

"It's not what you-"

"You said you didn't have feelings for him anymore!"

"I don't! I mean, it's not like it was before!"

"But you do, now?" Daphne wished she could reach through the mirror to smack the smugness off Tori's face. "So, what's the problem?"

"Ever since Azkaban, something's going on with my magic when I'm around-"

There was a sudden commotion in the background. She heard a door slam open, and Astoria looked away from the mirror in alarm. She heard an unfamiliar man's voice call her sister's name, and saw Tori glance down at her sister once more. An instant later, the picture spun, and Daphne saw a nightstand quickly approaching before the mirror went dark, the image returning to her own reflection after that.

'What- what just happened?!' Daphne thought in a panic. Was someone there to hurt her sister?

"HARRY!"


Six hours earlier

Sirius smothered a grin as Astoria stepped closer to him. The crowded train clearly made the young pureblood nervous, and he could sympathize wholeheartedly. The press of people on the London subway was like nothing in the Wizarding World, and his first time on the Tube he'd felt just as uncomfortable.

"Imagine if the Express were this crowded!" he whispered to the girl, and she giggled in reply.

"I'd make you drop me off in Hogsmeade if that were the case!" she said brightly, and he smiled in turn, glad to have seemingly cheered her up a bit.

It felt like some sort of weird daydream, him escorting Astoria to Platform Nine and Three Quarters in a bizarre reverse of the last time he'd ridden the Tube. That time, he'd been nervous and Harry had made jokes to ease the tension. He'd been unfamiliar, and nearly made a fool of himself when the train stopped; this time, he guided Astoria's hand to the safety rail and instructed her to hold on tight.

Sirius wondered how his godson was faring. News was tightly controlled in occupied Britain, with Harry's name not having been mentioned in months, oblique references to 'fugitives' offered instead, and always referring to places inside the country. Selfishly, he wished that he'd kept the communication mirrors for himself and Harry, as Daphne was apparently hoarding use of the items. Tori had confirmed that not even she had spoken with Harry since they'd left.

'What was she playing at?' he wondered silently, unable to conceive of any reason for her to restrict his godson's interactions. There was so much he wanted to tell Harry, so much that the young man needed to know.

The doors of the train slid open, the announcer's bland voice reciting the stop. "This is us."

They stepped off the subway, Astoria pulling her trunk behind her and Sirius fingering his wand. No sign of any aurors, though a simple glance wasn't enough to be certain. "All set?"

"I know the way from here. You shouldn't come any closer, it isn't safe." Astoria seemed to read the skepticism on his face because she rolled her eyes and gave him a gentle shove. "I'm serious! I came out the hidden entrance to say hi to Harry years back. I can find it on my own."

"I don't know… I really should make sure that you get to the platform-"

"You know that's not safe. Go, I'll see you for Yule Break."

With a reluctant nod, Sirius gave her a light embrace. "Be careful, and have a good term. Stick close to Neville, okay?"

"I will. Bye, Sirius!" In moments, she was gone, disappearing into the crowd of muggles on her way to the entrance to Nine and Three Quarters.

Sirius hopped onto the next train, unconcerned with his destination. He wouldn't be taking the Tube home, merely riding different trains for a while to ensure that he hadn't picked up a tail. Once he was positive that there were no wizards following him, he cast a swift Notice-Me-Not and spun in a circle, vanishing from the random station he stood in to return to Tonks' flat.

Instead, he landed flat on his back on the unforgiving pavement. Shaking off the cobwebs of bouncing off of unexpected wards, he pulled himself to his feet, ignoring the shocked cries and suspicious murmurs of the muggles around him. He was only about a block away and, sprinting towards the flat, felt the icy hand of terror grip his insides. A disapparition jinx meant only one thing.

'How had they found them?' Skidding to a halt as he turned the corner to where his young cousin's building was, Sirius was halted by a muggle auror who had a baton drawn.

"Sorry, sir, this street's closed, official business."

"What's going on?"

"I said 'official business', mate, now move along." He didn't need to be Dumbledore to recognize the glazed sheen in the muggle's eyes, a tell-tale sign of the Imperius.

Turning around, he swiftly walked back around the corner, finding a nearby alley, crouching behind a dumpster and tapping himself on the head, waiting a moment for the Disillusionment Charm to take hold. Tamping down on his anxiety, Sirius forced himself to move slowly and methodically back the way he came, slipping past the Imperiused muggle and easily penetrating the muggle-repelling wards.

He was too late. Before he could come within fifty paces of the building, American aurors emerged, dragging a surprising figure with them. They came to a halt before a rather bland, unremarkable man in robes bearing the ICW insignia.

"Lord Black," he said with a tight smile. "At last we meet."

"What can I say? Lots of people want to make my acquaintance. I'd have made time for you, after I worked my way through all the fit birds, that is." Wearing a roguish grin and his own form, Tonks watched the ICW official approach. "What's this about anyway? You Yanks already searched my house."

"Indeed, and no sign of Potter was found."

"So what's the deal?" Tonks asked, "And how'd you find me, anyway?"

"I paid a visit to your cousin. I'm afraid that St. Mungo's will have some shifts to cover for the foreseeable future."

"My m-! You-, you bastards!I"

The ICW official laughed. "Yes, yes. Fear not, Lord Black, this will all be over soon."

"What does that mean?" Tonks' attention shifted, her eyes glancing over to him, drawn by the movement of Sirius drawing his wand.

"You'll be joining a few others for a photoshoot. I can't guarantee it will be the most comfortable of settings, but if you looked happy and healthy, it would rather defeat the purpose, wouldn't it?"

There were way too many aurors for him to fight, over twenty by his count. "Publicizing torture? You ICW chaps really don't know much about public relations, do you? The people won't stand for it."

"Ah, but that's where you're wrong. You see, this isn't for domestic consumption. I wonder what Potter's reaction to seeing his godfather and his friends in ICW captivity will be? Why, I wouldn't be surprised if he came running back to Britain at the first opportunity. He has so few loved ones left, after all." All Sirius needed was a big enough distraction, something to take their eyes off Tonks and let him grab her-

"NO!" Her shout, along with her eyes locked onto his disillusioned form stopped him in his tracks. "Don't. Don't do it."

The smug, self-assured piece of shite cocked his head in confusion. "I'm not sure why you think you have any say in this. Take him to the Ministry, Commander; I'll return soon with the rest of our quarry."

Sirius squeezed his wand, jaw clenched in frustration as he watched the aurors activate their portkeys, taking Nymphadora away. What was he supposed to do now?


Neville glanced up expectantly when the compartment door slid open, raising his hand in greeting as Astoria stepped inside.

"Hey, Tori, good to see you," he said, hoping that his disappointment wasn't too transparent.

He failed. "I take it I'm not who you were expecting."

"Sorry, I really am glad to see you, it's just-"

"You're waiting for Granger."

"Yea. We haven't really had a chance to talk since that whole mess in Diagon."

He stood and lifted Astoria's trunk onto the rack for her, then they both sat down. "Well, do you know anything about the new teachers?"

"Just that it's a bunch of Americans. They disbanded the Board, so Gran didn't know much beyond Hogwarts was reopening."

There was quiet for a bit, punctuated by the occasional croak from Trevor the frog, before Astoria brushed her hair back, took a deep breath, and sat up straight. "Neville, I-"

The compartment door slid open, and Hermione Granger hesitantly stepped inside. "Hi."

"Hermione!" Neville sprang to his feet, quickly gathering her into a tight embrace. "Here, sit down."

She pulled her trunk into the compartment, and as Neville lifted it onto the rack next to his and Astoria's, he heard his girlfriend introduce herself. "Hello, I'm Hermione Granger. I saw you outside of Flourish and Blott's, but-, well, there wasn't really a chance for introductions."

"This is A-"

"-someone who was just leaving," Astoria interrupted, her mouth set in a firm line.

"Tori-" but the younger girl, head held high, walked out of the compartment, not bothering to close the door behind her.

"Who was that?"

Neville, who stood to close the door, stared blankly at the glass for a second longer before turning back to Hermione. "Her name is Astoria Greengrass. She's a Fourth Year, in Slytherin."

"Oh. Are you two- uh, I mean, did something happen while I was…?" She didn't seem to want to finish the sentence, but Neville caught her meaning, a furious blush breaking out on his face.

"No! No, we're just close friends. Her parents were killed during the last war, and her sister got mixed up in some of the things that happened last year. Now that she's gone, I, uh-, I…" Neville didn't know how to finish that sentence.

"Daphne Greengrass is her sister? How did she die?"

"She's not dead, she's just out of the country."

"Why didn't she take her sister with her?"

He could detect a foreign tension in Hermione's voice, but didn't see any reason for it. "It wasn't safe for Tori to go with-"

"'Tori?'"

Shooting an exasperated look at her, Neville sat down next to Hermione. "What is this? Did you come here just to pick a fight with me?"

"No, it's just-, it seems like a lot of things have changed."

He tried to rein in his irritation. Really, he did. "That's not surprising given how you've been gone for years."

"I just wanted to protect my parents!"

"And Tori stayed behind because Daphne wanted to protect her!" He took a deep breath. "She's important to me and to Harry, I don't appreciate the way you're talking about her."

"I should have known he was mixed up in this."

Stony silence was his only reply, and they sat together for several minutes, thick tension permeating the compartment. Eventually, Parvati and Ron, holding hands and wearing big smiles, opened the compartment door to happily reunite with their old Housemate.

The train sped north, pushing on to Hogsmeade.


"There's our girl!"

"Hey Trace, hey Blaise."

"What's up, squirt?"

Tori flopped down on the seat next to Tracey and leaned on the older girl's shoulder. "I miss Daphne."

"Where is she, anyway?"

Astoria looked between the two of them, trying to decide how to answer, eventually deciding on the truth. "She's on the Continent."

Tracey made a face, while Blaise merely raised an eyebrow. "What's she doing there? Did she even take her OWLs?"

"She went with Harry-"

"Oh, Merlin, here we go again. That girl has it bad!"

Blaise nodded in agreement. "Shame she never developed better taste in men. Or even a sense of self-preservation, really. The girl isn't much of a Slytherin," he finished with a grin.

"Hey!" Tori said sharply, ire raised at his passing comment. "Shut up. Daphne's a hero; you know she was at the Battle of Azkaban, don't you?"

The Sixth Years' jaws dropped. "What? What was she doing there?"

"Saving the whole sorry lot of you, that's what," Tori answered, a hint of smugness in her voice. "So maybe cut her some slack, yea?"

Tracey slung an arm around her shoulders, giving Tori a light squeeze. "Okay, okay, jeez. We were just funning around a bit. When will she be back?"

"I don't know."

"If she's with Potter, I hope for her sake she lets things cool off. The ICW is desperate for his head."

"It's so unfair. Harry's done so much, and they just won't leave…" she trailed off as Blaise narrowed his eyes at their compartment door, drawing his wand and opening it with a wave.

"You got a problem, Nott?"

Theo, who'd paused outside their compartment with his eyes locked on Astoria, slowly shook his head. "No. No problem."

"Well, last I checked, you're not a prefect and we're not interested in sharing our compartment, so either speak your mind or keep walking."

Theo dragged his gaze over to Blaise, who was staring with a hard expression, nodding his head and moving up the carriage, sparing one final glance to the youngest Greengrass. Blaise slid the door closed behind him.

"What was that about?"

"I don't know. I've barely said two words to Nott the whole time I've been at Hogwarts," Tori said with a shrug.

"We'll keep an eye on him for you. It's the quiet ones you have to watch out for."

"I can handle myself, Tracey."

Blaise reached across to pat her knee. "Maybe so, but it doesn't hurt to have a couple extra wands at your side."

That show of support was enough to bring a smile to her face, and the rest of the train ride passed by with more pleasant conversation.


Manny tapped his foot nervously, watching the Sorting slowly proceed. He clapped as enthusiastically as he could whenever a new Gryffindor was sorted, all the while alternating his gaze between Aurora, seated further down the table next to Babbling, and Longbottom, who seemed to be engaged in a quiet but contentious conversation with a bushy-haired girl seated next to him. 'Must be one of the newblood refugees' he thought idly, given that she was clearly an upperclassman who wasn't at Hogwarts the previous year.

Aurora glanced his way, her eyes full of loathing before looking back as a student was sorted to Slytherin. He followed her gaze, catching sight of the young woman that Sinistra was responsible for handing over to the ICW. He absentmindedly wondered if she'd told the other faculty what Reilly had asked of her.

It was bad enough, seeing his fellow countrymen forced into this occupation; Manny had overheard plenty of angry mutterings over the draconian measures that the American aurors had taken. But sending children to be interrogated, using potions and the Mind Arts?

'This is wrong'

The last student, a Wood, was sorted to Gryffindor and Reilly stood to make a few remarks.

"Welcome back to Hogwarts. You may notice there are a few changes this year, but I assure you that is all part of an effort to bring this school up to international standards, standards which have unfortunately been neglected over previous administrations. If you have any questions, your Head of House can provide you with more information. Rest assured, you are in able and responsible hands, and you can trust that your safety and education are our highest priorities. Enjoy the Welcoming Feast!"

The new Care of Magical Creatures instructor tried to make conversation with him, but Manny wasn't much in the mood. He couldn't stop thinking about what he was expected to do after dinner, what would happen to Longbottom and Greengrass once they were taken away.

His grandfather always said duty above all else. He'd shed blood for the MACUSA, spent years battling to secure the Statute. Had he also, in service of those ideals, been forced to violate his conscience? Had he ever questioned his orders, or had he been able to ignore that small voice screaming at him to stand up and resist?

The Feast came to a close, and Reilly dismissed the students into the care of their prefects, signaling him to approach after he'd completed his remarks. "You understand your assignment?"

"Collect Longbottom and bring him to your office."

"No-, well, it occurred to me that I cannot guarantee that Sinistra will obey my orders. I will therefore be accompanying her to the Slytherin dorms."

"I don't think that's really necess-"

"You will meet me there, and provide assistance should there be any complications," Reilly interrupted. "Do you understand?"

Manny hoped he was successful at disguising the look of loathing he wanted to aim at the Headmaster. "I understand."

"Good. I know I can count on you, Manuel." Reilly clapped him on the back and turned away to grab Aurora's arm before she could leave the Great Hall. 'That son of a bitch'

He turned away, reining in his fury at seeing the Headmaster put his hands on her, and slowly made his way up to Gryffindor Tower, feeling like his legs were made of lead the whole walk. Giving the password to the Fat Lady - 'Seclusion' - he stepped into the raucous common room of his House.

Brown was the first to see him, nudging Patil, who turned and then whispered to Dunbar. Silence fell over the room in a slow wave.

"What do you want?" MacLaggen, a Seventh Year brashly asked.

"I know that I'm not who you'd have chosen as the Gryffindor Head of House, even if events weren't what they are these days. I just wanted to say, I'm still the same professor you had last year, and that I'm here for you if you need me."

"You're not the same, not to us!" That came from a red-faced Weasley, who sat back down when Patil yanked on his arm. "You're not one of us."

"I know that. But I'm here, and this is the situation we're all in right now. Hogwarts should be a sanctuary from everything going on in Britain right now; I want to encourage everyone to focus on your studies, and to do your best to forget everything going on outside the castle walls while you're here."

There were some angry murmurs, but no other exclamations so he went on, adding, "Mr. Longbottom, I'd like you to come with me."

"What for?" The same brunette who'd sat with him at the Feast asked.

"Don't go, Nev!"

"Where are you taking him?"

Neville stood up, and held out his hands for quiet. "It's all right everyone, I'll be fine." He pulled away from the brunette's hands and walked over to Manny, pausing at the entrance portal and turning back to face his Housemates. "You should listen to Professor Jimenez's warning. We don't need to bring the violence outside into this school. Just keep your heads down and go to class. I'll be okay." His eyes landed on the brunette again, then he pursed his lips and turned to leave the Tower.

Walking alongside him, Neville didn't seem at all concerned. Manny envied that attitude, practically bouncing off the walls with anxiety and nervous energy. He led the Sixth Year to the staircase, descending down into the dungeons.

"So what's this about?"

"The Headmaster asked to see you."

"Last I checked, his office was on the Sixth Floor, not in the dungeons." How could he be so damnably calm?

"We're meeting him in the Slytherin dorms first."

"I see."

No more conversation was exchanged and before long, they reached the section of wall that hid the Slytherin entrance, which opened with a tap of Manny's wand, stepping into a scene of pandemonium. Most of the upper years were hovering around the staircase leading to the girls' dormitories, with the notable exceptions of Nott and Warrington calmly observing the proceedings from the common room sofa. Davis and Zabini had their wands drawn, as did Reilly; standing between them was Aurora with her arms extended, voice hoarse from shouting.

"What's going on?"

"Had to call in your spy, did you? You're not taking her away!" Davis shouted, having caught a glimpse of Manny entering over her shoulder.

"What's going on?" Neville asked Nott, who merely looked curious at the Gryffindor's presence in his dormitory.

"The Headmaster and Sinistra came to take Greengrass away. We heard something shatter in her dorm, and Davis came down and rallied the troops."

Manny had started to make his way forward, still listening to the conversation with one ear. "You don't seem too concerned, Theo."

"Why should I be? Some Slytherins my House turned out to be; might as well send 'em up to stay with you, Longbottom."

"Come along, Neville," Manny ordered, and he waded into the crowd of students. "Everyone! Settle down! Don't make this worse than it has to be!"

"It's too late for that," Reilly snarled. "They threatened the Headmaster of their school with drawn wands!"

Sinistra closed her eyes for a moment, taking a steadying breath. "They're young, they merely had an emotional response. You needn't take out your irritation on th-"

"Irritation?! I don't know what sort of madhouse you've allowed to fester here, Sinistra, but I will not abide such hysteria in my school. Professor Jimenez, please restrain Miss Greengrass and escort Mr. Longbottom to my office. The Confederation's representative has no doubt already arrived. I will deal with these… miscreants mysel-"

A series of thumps sounded, as Reilly slid down the stairs from the girls' dorms, coming to a halt inches away from Manny following the impact of his Stupefying Charm.

Total silence fell over the dorms, and even Nott and Warrington's masks of indifference giving way to open-mouthed shock. Taking a deep breath, Manny looked up to meet Sinistra's calculating gaze. "Where is Greengrass?"

"She's in her dorms. Do you have any idea what you've-"

"Bring her down here. Obliviate." Manny removed the memories of the Slytherin students' resistance from the Headmaster, replacing it with Manny walking in and stunning him unannounced. "Hurry!"

Sinistra came down with Greengrass in tow, the girl jumping into Neville's arms the moment that she saw him. "I was so scared!"

"It's okay, we'll be alright."

"What's going on, Professor?" Davis asked, approaching with Zabini. "What do they want with Tori?"

"I don't know, though I believe that Professor Jimenez can tell us," Sinistra replied, looking at him expectantly. "I hope you know what you're doing."

"Reilly wants to hand over Longbottom and Greengrass to the ICW because of their connections to Potter. I don't know what will happen to them, but I'm not willing to find out; throwing innocent kids in prison because of who they're friends with is where I draw the line."

"So what's the plan?" Neville asked, one arm still around Greengrass. "Are we going to take back the school?"

"Absolutely not-" "Don't even think about it!" Manny and Aurora said at once. He gestured for her to speak, and she said, "We're not bringing the war into the school. This is a place of learning, not a battlefield."

"Listen up, everyone! I've modified the Headmaster's memories to remove any recollection of you standing up to him. When he wakes up, he will only remember that I walked in and hit him with a spell. Keep your heads down, and don't bring trouble on yourselves." Lowering his voice, he looked to the two students that he'd been charged with securing. "Longbottom, Greengrass, we're leaving."

"What?"

"I have to get you both out of here. The ICW may already be in the castle, they're not going to give up. Say your goodbyes, Greengrass; Professor Sinistra, will you help me gather her things?"

She nodded and followed him up the stairs, waiting until they were in the empty dorm room before speaking. "I'll take them, you should stay here."

"What?"

"I can stun you, leave you with the Headmaster. It's better this way."

"Why?"

"The Headmaster obviously trusts you, regardless of how misplaced that trust is. You can protect the other students better than I can. It doesn't make any sense for you to leave."

He leveled an intense look at her. "I- fine. You're right. But I will escort you to the gates. You can stun me there."

Using magic to pack Astoria's things and shrink her trunk, she nodded. "Very well. Let's go."

"Wait, Aurora," he reached out, hesitating before actually touching her. "When you've left, seek out Wally Jacobs. He's an American auror but you can trust him. He's a good man, he and I go way back. I'll send him an owl and make sure that he's expecting you."

"I'm not going to hand them over to the aurors!"

"No, I'm not-, that's not what I mean!" He shook his head in frustration. "He can help you. If you can't trust me now, after everything that just happened, who can you trust?"

He felt the weight of her gaze, before she said, "We're wasting time, let's go."

They returned to the common room, where Greengrass was embracing Davis and Zabini. "Are we ready?"

Neville nodded, and the four of them hurried out of the Slytherin dormitories, racing to the Entrance Hall to make their way outside. The doors were in sight, and just as they opened, a man in plain but expensive robes came around the corner.

"What's this, now?" He said in an amused voice. "Did I stumble upon some students out after hours?"

Manny looked at Aurora, seeing fear spread across her features.

"I believe those are the students that I came for, Professors, though I can't fathom for what reason you'd be taking them outdoors. Come along, the Headmaster's office is this way."

Keeping his eyes locked on Aurora, Manny reached out and squeezed her hand.

"Run!" He turned and drew his wand, already casting.

Stupefying and Disarming Charms shot towards the man and were easily batted away. Manny raised a Shield Charm as a Banishing Charm lanced out, barreling through his shield and sending him careening out the doors.

Manny jumped back to his feet, sparing a quick glance over his shoulder to see Aurora pulling at Neville, who had his wand out and was trying to join the fight. Tilting his neck from side to side, he rolled his shoulders once and grinned at the ICW official who had followed his spell by walking outside.

"What's so funny?" The man had an unusual accent, one that Manny was unable to place.

"Hogwarts is a magical castle; each stone was enchanted in its construction."

"So?"

"So, transfiguration is exceptionally difficult inside of it. But now that we're outside, let me show you what a Transfiguration Master is capable of."

Without another word, a sheet of rock burst out of the ground behind him, obstructing Aurora and the two students from their battle.

"Your accent; you're an American. What reason do you have to stand against me?"

"I won't let you harm these children."

A slow smile spread across the man's face. "I'm going to enjoy this."

A wampus grew out of the ground, charging forward while Manny swept his wand to the side, conjuring a dozen needles and launching them forward. His wand a blur of motion, the needles grew and expanded in mid-air, until by the time they reached his opponent they'd taken the shape of almost thirty iron pikes.

The unknown man tapped his arm with his wand before gesturing over his head, a blue band of energy from a focused Shield Charm intercepting the pikes, which rattled as they fell to the ground. The wampus rushed at him from below, its jaws closing around his arm and clamping down.

Before his transfiguration could drag the man to the ground though, a Blasting Hex blew it apart. "You're not the only one that can transfigure," he said, tapping his forearm, a clear clink of metal sounding through the courtyard. "I can't tell you how nice it is, after so many months on this miserable island, to finally let loose!"

Manny threw himself to the ground as the barrier he'd rose between them and his fleeing students detonated, showering him rock shards. From the ground, he gestured with his wand, and a half dozen stone spikes shot out of the ground in a loose circle around the man, splintering and snapping against an almost instantaneous shield.

Aiming an overpowered lumos directly at the man's face, Manny used the distraction to jump to his feet. Already planning his next attack, he'd just raised his wand to cast when a bright silver light rocketed out, separating his arm from his shoulder.

He was still staring disbelievingly at his severed limb, wand clutched in its fingers when three rapid-fire Piercing Curses drilled through his chest. Manny didn't even have time to fall to the ground before a Blasting Hex struck him, sending him hurtling backwards to land heavily in the grass outside the courtyard.

'Shouldn't dying hurt more?' he thought dazedly. Aurora's face swam in his vision, silhouetted by a blinding white light. He could even hear her voice, calling his name again and again. This was nice, he thought; he liked hearing her call for him. She was just so beautiful…


Sinistra was crying, leaning over his dying professor and screaming for him to hold on. Astoria stood quietly, huddled to the side of her, unable to look away from his gruesome injuries. Neville, though, kept his eyes locked on the Confederation's representative, the man approaching his lamassu and poking it with his wand in obvious curiosity.

"This isn't over," he said, locking his gaze onto Neville.

"No," Neville responded, quiet fury laced through his tones, "It most definitely isn't."

Looking back, he gestured to Astoria to collect Sinistra. Professor Jimenez had clearly expired, the gaping wounds on his body no longer bleeding. Tori had wrapped up Sinistra in her arms, whispering soothing words through her own quiet tears and guiding her towards the gates.

The man had given up his inspection of the lamassu and abruptly spun on his heel to head back to the castle. Neville was tempted to dismiss his protection spell and make the bastard pay for what he'd done, but now just wasn't the time. Not when Astoria and Sinistra needed him.

He quickly grabbed Sinistra and between him and Tori they practically dragged her outside of the school grounds. By the time they were on the road to Hogsmeade, she'd recovered, pulling them to a halt at the town limits.

"Wait, stop."

Astoria was out of breath from the long walk pulling her Head of House along but Neville was more put together. "We're going to the Hog's Head."

"No, it's too dangerous. I can side-along each of you to my flat-"

"Where I'm sure that aurors are already waiting," he interrupted. "Come on, we don't have time to waste."

"How is going to the Hog's Head going to help us?"

Neville had continued walking, forcing the other two to follow in order to keep up. "I'm part of a, uh, a group of like-minded wizards and witches, who stand against the occupation-"

"I knew it!" Astoria practically shouted.

"Wait, wait. You're saying you're a member of the resistance? The ones that fought at Bones Manor?"

"I'll explain later," he said, as the seedy bar came into view. "Hagrid!"

The half-giant squinted in the darkness. "Who's tha'? Neville? You ought'ta be in school- Aurora?" He hurried over, glancing around to make sure there were no eavesdroppers. "Wha' 'appened?"

"Can we talk inside?"

Wearing an apologetic look, the mountainous man shook his head. "'Fraid it's a full house tonight."

"Can you contact Sirius?" Astoria asked.

"Black's already been by tonigh'. Said aurors found 'is flat, captured lil' Nymphadora."

"They got Tonks?" 'This was a disaster!' Neville thought in dismay. "We need to talk to Abe."


Octava, flanked by Quinctus and Iugo, exited the lift and walked down the corridor to the Department of Mysteries. The skeleton crew of surviving Unspeakables kept their heads down and ignored them as they swiftly passed through the various research areas, making their way down into the bowels of the Department.

Arriving at their destination, she looked around, taking in the chamber, barely the size of the Minister's office. Every visible surface was covered in rooms, covering even the floor and ceiling. This was a centuries-old actuator, the controller for Britain's areal magics. The foundations of this chamber descended deep underground, a subterranean wardstone tapping into the leyline that ran beneath the Ministry of Magic.

"Wait outside, this may take some time while I familiarize myself with their layout." Her two escorts nodded, taking up positions on either side of the entrance while she removed a set of enchanted glasses and began examining the carvings.

'Some time' ended up being nearly seven hours, though Octava hardly noticed, consumed with cataloging the differences between the Albion magics and Tutela Silenda's own areal controller. Her curiosity satisfied, she removed her wand, chanting while tracing a long string of Etruscan, Jiaguwen, and Sanskrit runes in mid-air; ancient symbols from pre-Roman Italy, ancient China, and India, respectively. Her task completed, a section of wall no larger than a shoebox briefly glowed, the runes shifting and altering.

She stepped out of the chamber, clearing her throat. "Your portkey," she demanded, holding her hand out to Iugo, who fished out a feathered quill and passed it to her without question. "Let's go," she said, practically vibrating with excitement.

Quinctus and Iugo were forced to lengthen their stride to keep up with her half-jog. Taking the lift back to the main level, they exited the Ministry, via an emergency hatch, stepping out into muggle London.

"Is it really necessary to be out here in order to test this?" Iugo murmured, swiftly withdrawing his wand and setting up a Notice-Me-Not.

"I want to be sure that there are no wards interfering with our portkey. If this doesn't work, I want to be certain that the areal magics are the cause." She snapped the quill, and rather than a flash of light and a jerk behind her navel, there was a minor, sputtering blink. Nothing more.

Quinctus observed the portkey's failure with a pensive expression. "I assume it was a success?"

Octava giggled, though it came out more as a cackle. "Indeed. Nothing magical can enter or exit the British Isles without our permission. The Blockade is in place."

A/N: Before I talk about this chapter, I'd like to plug the fact that I have started working on an original fiction! It's a fantasy/adventure. If you like ASAoV/WaR, you'll likely really enjoy that story also!

Figure there'll probably be some questions about the Blockade, so I'll try and answer them here.

First, credit to Nauze, my beta for coming up with the initial idea. Basically, the idea emerged from the question - How do different Ministries regulate international travel? There has to be some way, or else the entire concept of national boundaries has little point. That isn't to say that the boundaries are impermeable - the same way that in the real world (depending on where you live), border controls are never absolute. So, prior to the Blockade, most international travelers would get an international portkey (regulated travel), but you could theoretically fly a broom - or ride a bicycle, or take a train like Harry and Sam did.

What differentiates the Blockade is that it establishes a 'wall' using the same magic that regulates international portkeys, blocking anything magical from coming in or out. So a muggle can walk across the Blockade no problem, but for anything magical - even a post owl - it's like walking into a wall. Naturally, the people who are operating the Blockade can create portkeys that exempt themselves from its restrictions (*cough* the Umbra *cough*).

We're closing in on the end of what I'll call "Act II" of WaR; probably 1-2 more chapters before we move onto the next act.

As always, reviews are very, very much appreciated. Stay safe, happy, and healthy! ~Frickles