Author's Note –

An "Unmentionable" is someone who works in the Department of Mysteries.

+ + is speaking in Cantonese.

Breakfast was an unusually frantic affair as word of the attack on the Ministry of Magic had kept most of the student body and the staff from getting much sleep the previous night. A vast majority of the students appeared to be running on adrenaline alone while the rest were dragging themselves to their respective tables. Even his own apprentices were… well, off.

The revelation of the prophecy that linked Harry (and possibly Neville) to Voldemort, and which had caused them both to lose their parents was devastating. The news that Neville's parents had been murdered did not help their situation. He'd canceled the morning practice and all of his apprentices had not shown up in the Great Hall for breakfast.

That Dumbledore had taken such great measures to protect the prophecy (beyond what the Ministry of Magic and the Department of Mysteries had lent) baffled the young professor. Yes, knowledge could be power, but knowing the full wording of the prophecy versus knowing the context of the prophecy was hardly worth the effort in Ranma's mind. To him it was more valuable knowing that Voldemort and his followers were trying to get the prophecy then actually having it.

The attack on the Ministry of Magic was perhaps inevitable, but it had been clearly staged. Ranma had met Sirius Black and knew the man to be a caring if somewhat egotistical and full of himself. He was not one to follow the belief of pure-blood superiority, especially given that he had been banished from his family for not embracing such tenants.

The story being spread was that Sirius Black was now leading the recently freed Death Eaters. Enlisting the aid of some mysterious foreign witch/wizard and werewolves, they had assaulted St. Mungo's. A foreign wizard had apparently brought unleashed several werewolves who had been staying at St. Mungo's free, allowing them to ravage the hospital and drawing much of the attention of the aurors, leaving the Ministry of Magic virtually unguarded. The depth and scale of the attack on the Ministry of Magic had yet to be addressed but Dumbledore's sources had informed him that the Voldemort himself had reached the Department of Mysteries before retreating. That they had gone after the prophecy had been evident as the Order of the Phoenix had undertaken the task of guarding the prophecy unbeknownst to the general public. Emmeline Vance had been one of the half-dozen casualties. Some speculated that she had been chased down there once the fighting had broken out but Dumbledore and the members of the Order knew better.

For perhaps the first time in his life Ranma Saotome did not have an appetite. Setting aside his plate and the half-eaten food he dismissed himself from the staff table. The werewolves had struck the Janus Thickey Ward for irrevocable spell damage, mauling all of the patients that resided there including one of Ranma's predecessors Gilderoy Lockhart, and Neville's parents Frank and Alice Longbottom. Professor's prophecy was becoming reality – his enemies were his student's enemies and vice versa.

It did not even bother him that the early descriptions of the foreign mage resembled that of one of his rivals – Mu Tsu. His involvement hindered the East Asian dealings with the English Ministry. What bothered the DADA professor though was the callous disregard that his rival had. It sickened him to think that someone trained in the art was using the art as a tool for murder. Yes, there were times when killing was necessary, but clearly the aurors had been outclassed by Mu Tsu, yet he had felt the need to take their lives. The viciousness and savagery of the dark magi's attack turned his stomach.

"Professor," it was Parvati Patil. Most of the Gryffindor fifth years had been absent at breakfast, along with the rest of Ranma's apprentices. They had closed ranks around Neville once word of the severity of the attacks at St. Mungo's had been reported. All knew that Neville lived with his maternal grandmother but few knew why.

"Yes?" he replied, not wanting to butcher her name.

"Is, well, is he really back?" she asked nervously.

"Of course he isn't!" Umbridge replied, her shrill voice filling the side corridor purposefully. "This was the work of a deranged mad man and his foul lot of fanatics! Sirius Black is just following his late master's orders."

"I think he's back," Ranma said defiantly. "Regardless of if he is or isn't, I will still be here to teach you how to protect yourselves and your loved ones as best you can. The one thing I can't do for you is to tell you who to trust and believe – those are things that you will have to decide for yourself."

The squat little toad looked like she was about to explode as he turned into one of the multitude of corridors. Once she was well behind him he slowed his pace, "You know where they are?"

Even keen, trained eyes missed the slight distortions as the demiguise traversed the castle's corridors. The shy creature would only be seen if it wanted to be seen. Its ability to blend in anywhere combined with its limited precognitive ability made demiguises hard to capture.

Hogwarts was a large castle but given the number of students and staff it was no surprise that there were many corridors and classrooms that most ignored or forgot about. The isolated classroom was hard to reach under normal circumstances as there were no stairs to connect the tower to the eleventh floor of the main castle and the enchantments at the base of the tower prevented one from using brooms to reach the next landing. While Martin was unable to fly, his strong, nimble fingers were able to find purchase along the wall that allowed him to climb to the landing. It was but a simple jump for Ranma, a feat that his apprentices were also capable of achieving.

"Watch them," he said, turning his back to his familiar. The three boys were each facing their own dilemmas - Harry with the prophecy involving Voldemort, Neville with the death of his parents, and Theodore with the disappearance of his father. They needed time to process their emotions and thoughts. They needed their friends to comfort him, not their sensei to make them push their issues aside.

A strong hand gripped his shoulder, preventing him from leaving. Martin was his familiar, but the clever demiguise had yet to steer him wrong.

"Fine, fine," he sighed. In a single fluid motion he turned around and leapt up to the landing.

Nearly invisible stairs lined the circular wall of the tower. At the top of the tower was a decent sized room with wood fire heater and several windows. The couches and pillows had been conjured/drawn by the students for their own comfort.

Hermione was seated next to Neville, her hands on his arm as he stared into the fire of the heater. Harry was sandwiched between Ginny and Ron with Padma beside him. Parvati was talking with Theodore near a window along with Su and Helen. Dean and Seamus sat opposite Neville, each occasionally glancing at Harry and Theodore.

"I still remember the feeling I had when I thought that Akane had died," he said as he approached the group. "I'd been fighting the phoenix king Saffron – we'd leveled an entire mountain range and the valley was in ruins, but all I could think of was that Akane had died." Though he had told many stories of his past battles, he rarely spoke of the incident that had caught the Headmaster's attention. "It was the worst feeling I'd ever had."

"Was?" Of course it was Hermione who had to ask.

"We managed to restore her," he added with a sigh. "Still, I have an idea of what you're feeling, though what I felt then may pale when compared to what you're currently feeling. I have noticed though that the things you feel, especially when it's the first time, may seem overwhelming, but it's only because this is the first time you're feeling something so intense. It's like being cut or having a bone broken – the first time is always worst, but over time it won't hurt as much and the next time it happens it doesn't hurt as much.

"And there will be more. Voldemort is still working from the shadows, but his forces are gathering and getting bolder. What do you think will happen once it becomes an open war?" All eyes were on him as he stood tall over the younger magi. "This was way before my time, but during what the No-Maj call the Second World War, the international magical communities were also fighting a war. During the First World War, Grindelwald rose to power, but his forces were scattered and he was imprisoned briefly before returning to Europe and establishing a firm base of operation. Eventually the Headmaster, then the Transfiguration Professor, dueled and defeated Grindelwald. With their leader defeated, the witches and wizards that supported him were rounded up and imprisoned.

"Then there was the First Wizarding War in Brittan which ended less than four decades later. Europe's magical community was decimated as a result of the wars. When you walk around Hogwarts you see a few classrooms full, but how many more are empty? How many 'secret' or unused rooms like this one are there? There was a time when the castle was full of students and staff, when there were two or three professors teaching each subject.

"The magical world as a whole was decimated. Everyone that survived lost someone they loved, in some cases entire families were wiped out. I can't prepare you for dealing with that, but I can prepare you, all of you, so that when push comes to shove, you are more likely to survive then to be killed. Sometimes you'll need to run, sometimes you'll have to fight, but regardless, I want you to survive, even if that means that you'll have to live with the fact that some of your friends and family may not have."

He did not want to admit that he was afraid. He could not afford to let them see that he was afraid. He was their sensei, their teacher. "Now, I've got a class to prepare for." Turning, he casually descended the stairs, maintaining the mask of confidence that he always presented. He was afraid – not for himself, but for his apprentices; his pack. Dark times were on the horizon and the threat was like nothing that he had ever faced before.

It did not help that the English Ministry of Magic still refused to accept the fact that Voldemort had returned. Still, by acknowledging that there were dark magi on the loose was a start. Unfortunately that seemed to be the extent of their ability to protect everyone. Many of the alleged Death Eaters that had escaped imprisonment had strong ties to the Ministry, some were even notable figures or even headed departments. Of the recent batch of escapees there were a number who had been high ranking ministry officials. It was not impossible for them to have intimate knowledge of the Ministry and its dealings. No, it was more likely that individuals or families could not rely on the Ministry for their protection.

As the day wore on, Hogwarts students approached him between classes. Most were from mixed or No-Maj families whom Voldemort and his followers detested, though a few were from families that had long opposed the dark witches and wizards.

"Wards are useful but not infallible," Ranma said as he looked at his final class for the week. The double Gryffindor/Slytherin fifth years were always fun. That three of his apprentices were present and helped as aids during the practical half of the lessons made his work all the easier. "Those of you in runes and arithmancy should be able to put up better wards then the others, but you should also be able to spot the flaws in other's wards given a reasonable amount of time. When layering wards it makes things even more complicated, which is why most magi would rather strengthen existing enchantments.

"Who can tell me the difference between an enchantment and a ward?"

It was of course no surprise for Hermione Grainger to raise her hand, but she was not the only one. "Malfoy."

"Wards are temporary, and they require less energy than enchantments," the Slytherin Prefect stated. It was not the textbook definition, but it was close. "Enchantments also employ runes that are etched into a solid surface whereas wards are glyphs that are drawn or painted on and thus can be removed or undone if someone were to simply scratch or erase part of the glyph."

"Two points to Slytherin for a good answer." With a wave of his hands he signaled to the class that the practical half of the lesson was over. He normally enjoyed his lessons, but having the High Inquisitor sit through it without saying anything was a surprise and irksome. He knew that she'd wait until the class was over to inject some snide remark about what he taught and then question the relevance of his lesson. "I want you to work on your wards – I'll probably unleash some doxies or pixies on the class to see how well you can deter them from invading your personal space."

As their last class for the day, both the Gryffindors and Slytherins were in a rush to gather their things so that they could enjoy the weekend. "Longbottom, Nott, Potter," he called out to his three apprentices before they could exit the classroom. "I need to have a word with my apprentices," he added to Umbridge as she tried to assert herself into the conversation. Though his words kept her at bay, she still hovered about.

"Sir," Harry said as he approached.

"Sensei," both Neville and Theodore said.

"Harry, Theodore, tell the others that there will not be a lesson tonight. I will be accompanying Neville." The rest did not need to be said. Even Umbridge seemed to hesitate though Ranma couldn't imagine her being close to her parents unless they were as spiteful as she was. "Neville"

"I understand," there was a hint of pain in his voice. Neville quickly glanced at the ground, gulping or swallowing as he regained his composure. "When do we leave?"

"We will need to be at the Headmaster's office in half an hour," Ranma replied.

"I'll take your things to the dorm," Harry offered.

"Thanks mate," Neville shrugged off is bag.

Neither said anything as they rushed to the Headmaster's office, though Ranma was relieved that the High Inquisitor had not opted to try and follow them.

If there was one thing in the magical world that Ranma Saotome hated, it was transportation magic. He was fine with brooms or carpets, but the floo network, disapparating, and portkeys were unbearable. The latter two were disorienting and could cause nausea and vomiting to even the most seasoned travelers. It was why he'd opted to actually cross all of Asia and most of Europe on foot with Happosai instead of taking a portkey to England. Had the circumstances not warranted such travel, Ranma would have opted for more conventional travel.

Just as he was about to touch the goblet, Martin touched his hand. It was rare for the demiguise to reveal itself, rarer for it to share the vision that it had.

"A demiguise," Dumbledore said in the way that only he could so as not to come off as surprised even though he was.

"It's a trap," Ranma stated as he processed the images that flashed through is mind. "Twelve death eaters, three captives – they're expecting us."

"They're expecting you, but they won't expect me," Dumbledore stated. They were the only ones in the Headmaster's office. "Brutus – find Professor McGonagall and inform her of the situation. Phineas – inform the Order."

"Yes, Headmaster!" the two portraits shouted before vanishing.

"I'm going too!" Neville said as he gripped the goblet.

"Ready yourself," the Headmaster said as he gripped his wand.

"Martin – find Shampoo," Ranma instructed his familiar as he grabbed hold of the goblet. "Keep your eyes closed."

It felt as though he were being pulled inside-out by the teleportation magic. For a brief moment his feet were off the ground, but when they hit the ground again he knew that the teleportation was complete.

"Accio!"

Ranma could feel the goblet turned portkey being pulled from his hand. The moment it left their hands a blinding flash of light filled the room. The element of surprise lost, the Death Eaters shot off their spells carelessly.

"Crucio!"

"Exumai!"

"Bombarda!"

"Immobulus!"

"Incarcerous!"

"Incendio!"

"Crucio!"

Crouching low, he allowed the first volley of spells to fly over his head before he launched himself at the closest masked wizard. Some of the spells had bounced off of the walls though others blasted bits out of the wall and ceiling.

Only his memory of Martin's vision allowed him to actually find the closest Death Eater. His strong hands grasped the wrist of the wizard, snapping the wrist as though the bones were but mere twigs even while sending the wizard flying towards another Death Eater. A swift kick shattered the knee of a third assailant, throwing the wizard's spell high as he toppled backwards. Hearing the first wizard colliding with two more figures, Ranma punched the wizard guarding the captives.

"Crucio!"

"Crucio!"

"Immobulus!"

Things had worked out just as Martin's vision had foreseen. Unfortunately the brief flashes were far too brief as the battle had just started.

Behind him Neville had ducked and dove between two Death Eaters, allowing them to blast each other as they still fought blindly.

"Crucio!" the lone witch shouted. Her spell connected with Neville. His body shuddered and convulsed as the unforgivable curse sent waves of pain through him.

With a flick of his wrist Ranma sent several spell tags flying at her.

Forced to choose between continuing to inflict pain and defending herself, she opted for the later. With her wand she tried to brush aside the tags but only managed to get the tags to explode, filling the air with a smoky mist.

+I had a feeling that you'd have some tricks up your sleeve.+ It was Mu Tsu. The robed Amazon wore no mask as he descended. In a flash, steel filled the gap between the two rivals as hundreds upon hundreds of throwing knives and darts were unleashed only to be met with a powerful blast of wind that knocked the weapons aside.

"I'll take care of foreign wizard," Ranma proclaimed as Dumbledore bound two of the Death Eaters.

The element of surprise was gone for both sides as the remaining Death Eaters slowly regained their senses. Of the original dozen only half were still on their feet. Four dueled Dumbledore with the other two trying to revive or free their defeated comrades, leaving Neville to gather his wits before moving to tend to his grandmother and uncles.

Though he had faced Mu Tsu many times before, the stakes were different this time. The Undetectable Extension Charms on the sleeves allowed Mu Tsu to pull out any number of weapons, though he favored another barrage of thrown/banished weapons. Ranma responded with a blast of water from his wand, knocking the projectiles off course and forcing his rival to dodge to avoid having his curse triggered.

+Once I kill you, Xian Hua will be mine!+ Twin meter long hooked swords reinforced the Amazon's proclamation. Ranma ducked and spun before delivering a palm strike to the ribs that threw off his rival's footwork and balance.

"Withdraw!" the lone witch Death Eater shouted. A chorus of pops filled the room as the Death Eaters sought to retreat.

+Next time Saotome!+ Mu Tsu grumbled as he pulled out a vial of water. With one fluid motion he tossed the vial into the air, cut it with his hooked swords, threw said swords at Ranma, and allowed himself to be splashed with the water. Rather than one single duck seven appeared. Four flew straight at Ranma and the remaining three flew away. Forced on the defensive, Ranma leapt back, grabbing some of the deflected throwing knives and launching them at the approaching fowl. Three of the offending birds flew over the knives, while the other third was hit squarely. An explosion rocked the room, disorienting the remaining occupants. In the confusion the other three fowl also exploded – showering them with more throwing knives and projectile weapons. Between the debris from the explosion and the sheer number of projectiles, it would have been impossible for him to dodge everything. Fortunately he did not need to block or dodge them all as he countered with a four point barrier, placing two spell tags on the floor and two on the ceiling to create an impenetrable magical wall that shielded him and those directly behind him from some of the barrage. In theory the ward/shield was useful, but Mu Tsu had anticipated such a tactic as this barrage was more than just throwing knives and dart. Throwing stars and boomerangs flew around Ranma's barrier. With more knives and darts coming Ranma could only watch as his apprentice pulled off his robe and spun it around to create a makeshift barrier. It wasn't enough.

Was the last of the blades were knocked aside either by Ranma's barrier or Dumbledore's wandwork, Ranma rushed to his apprentice's side.

"Neville?" the old witch said weakly as she looked up at her grandson. Several boomerangs and throwing stars had cut through his school robes and shirt leaving the clothes unusable.

"Don't touch the handles," Ranma ordered the survivors. "Make sure you have dragon hide gloves on before you pick the weapons up." Pulling out his own pair of basilisk gloves he eyed the cuts on Neville's shirt. It was a good sign that none of the weapons that had hit him had embedded themselves into his arm or chest. The special clothes that he'd provided his apprentices with had done as expected, protecting the young wizard even in the face of non-magiced weapons. Other than slight discolorations from the poisons Mu Tsu employed, the basilisk hide had been marked by the assault. Even the best goblin blades could not pierce an adult basilisk's thick hide so easily.

"Is everyone alright?" the Headmaster asked as he eyed the hundreds Longbottoms.

"We're fine," the old witch replied.

"Just a bit rattled," one of the wizards added. "I suspect that they weren't expecting much resistance from you lot and if they did then they thought they could use us as leverage."

More pops in the courtyard indicated that the Ministry or at least the Order of the Phoenix had finally arrived.

"I suspect that the Death Eaters were able to enter because some of them are distantly related to you," Dumbledore surmised. "It might be best to have the wards and enchantments changed and enhanced."

Word of the Death Eater's attack on the Longbottoms had reached Hogwarts well before Neville had returned from the planning for his parents' funeral. While the others had questions, they knew that he needed some time and space to process all that had happened. His mind was racing even as he tried to comprehend all that had happened.

Being hit by Bellatrix Lestrange's Cruciatus Curse had been eye opening. It was the spell that had broken his parents and it was performed by one of the individuals convicted of attacking his parents. The pain had been unbearable. Only his sensei's intervention broke the spell.

But it was the foreign wizard's attacks that had opened his eyes. For the briefest of seconds he could see his life pass before his eyes as he felt several blades hit his chest and arm. Had the basilisk shirt and gloves not stopped the blades, the curses and poisons would have killed him. Yet in that moment when time seemed to stand still he realized what his magic circle needed to be complete.

With the other boys in his dorm acting as a buffer between himself and the rest of the Gryffindors, Neville rushed up to their room.

"What happened?" Harry asked as Hermione closed and charmed the door.

"The Death Eaters forced their way into my gran's house," Neville explained. "Professor Dumbledore said it was something to do with the wards on the house allowing some of them in because they're distant relatives."

Dean and Harry were the most startled by the idea.

"Most pure-blood families are related," Ron muttered. "I'm distantly related to Draco, Harry, and Neville because a cousin married a Black."

Ginny nodded.

"So the protective wards did not keep them out because they were related," Hermione repeated.

"They subdued gran and two of my great-uncles, and they were waiting for us to show up," he added, still unsure how much he was allowed to share. Familiars were fairly common, but having a magical familiar such as a demiguise was unusual. "They didn't expect Professor Dumbledore to come with us."

The others seemed to relax a bit.

Slowly, carefully, he retold the others all that he was allowed to tell about the attack, leaving out only the bits about Professor Saotome's familiar, and that the three of them had touched the portkey knowing that they were entering an ambush. Though it had been his first battle, his training had allowed him absorb as many details and information as he could. Still, it had been his first fight against more experienced opponents and he knew that he'd have to do better next time. Had his sensei and Dumbledore not been present the fight would have gone differently. He knew that he couldn't rely on having them watch his back every time.

It was well after midnight when the others had finally stopped asking him to retell his account of the fight. Ginny and Hermione had vanished, leaving the boys alone to prepare for bed. Even after hours of discussion, Neville's mind was racing – not with thoughts on the fight, but on the flash of inspiration that had hit him when his life seemed to have flashed before his eyes.

"I need to get something to eat," Neville muttered as the other boys prepared for bed.

"That sounds like a great idea," Ron instantly perked up at the mere mention of food.

It was too late, and given what had just happened, unlikely that the other boys would leave him alone for too long. "You guys want anything?"

Dean yawned while Seamus shook his head. Only Harry gave him a curious look before shrugging his shoulders.

With all that had happened over the past week, it was no surprise that the common room was still packed. Using a spell tag, Neville turned himself invisible while Ron simply donned his Prefect's badge. Only another Prefect or one of the staff would ask why a Prefect was out and about. He followed Ron closely, not wanting to get separated from the redhead as Ron passed through the common room unimpeded before exiting the portrait hole.

"Blimey," Ron muttered, "you're getting too good at that."

Pulling off the tag, Neville shrugged.

The two quickly made their way through the castle, avoiding the few patrolling Prefects that were supposed to ensure that none of the students were out of their respective dorms. "Where are we really going?"

"You're going to get some food," Neville said as he pulled out another invisibility tag. "I'll be going to the Room of Requirement. Meet me there after you've stopped by the kitchen."

A/N

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Years!

Dreamingfox