Ch 7: Well done old chap!

Albus POV

I gathered them to my office, oh what a night it had been! Figuring out the time travel issue had been one thing, explaining it another, and then the almost drowning. In my younger years I might've laughed this off as just another night at Hogy-warts, but I'm entirely too old for this. At least things are going well with the Potters! Harry had enough possessiveness to attempt to derail Edward, if that doesn't scream 'older brother' I don't know what does!

I'm quite concerned about that first meeting though, it seems less than an ideal footing to start off. I may need to obliviate the students so the Cullen's have a chance to earn Bella's trust before we reveal her intriguing history.

Oh damn, they've all been waiting for me to start speaking. Perhaps I should.

"Lemon drop?"

Well done old chap, they suspect nothing! hehe

Hermione spoke first "Er, Professor? I was wondering what you might tell us about our guests who know Bella?"

"Ahh, a wise and succinct question Miss Granger!"

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"Excuse me Professor, but would you like to introduce us or shall we go ahead?"

"OBLIVIATE!" I roared at the quad in front of me, I was supposed to say that calmly, oh well.

"What was THAT?!" the little vampire shouted.

"Hem well, that was, I do say it was a little bit of a shock even to myself"… " The need to oblivate them was apparent, you'd never get to befriend Bella and earn her trust if they poisoned the well beforehand, "I explained, calmly.

"Why would they do that?" Esme asked, "We helped to save her."

Meanwhile, the trio and miss Weasley were slouched in their chairs like lovely little lumps of potatoes…Hmm, I wonder if we will have those divine little mashed potatoes again soon, I believe they are called duchess potatoes… yes, quite good with a roast… I'll have to ask Dobby to put in a good word with… The Cullens stared. I stared. Ginny gave a snort.

The small vampire, Alice my mind supplied, spoke next, "To take someone's memories away... for convenience... I don't know that we want to be a part of what you've got going on here, sir." She leaned into Jasper seeking comfort.

I spoke quickly then grasping all the sanity I had left for the day "Their memories, dear child, are not gone per se, I've removed them from the present forefront of their minds. I did not completely wipe their brains I've moved the memories to a storeroom, one that I'll happily unlock once the Dark Lord has been conquered, it was for the Greater Good."

Edward seemed to be mollified at that, he had been quite distracted the whole time and I wondered if he could read the children's minds. To know what Harry was thinking! Oh, that would be the ticket!

"What memory did you leave them with? There has to be a reason Belly wakes up in the infirmary." Emmett questioned.

"I simply removed you all from the equation. Harry found her, Hermione resuscitated her, and then I added Hagrid to bring her to the infirmary." I easily replied.

Ever practical, Jasper called the Cullens to order and they planned.

The plot was simple.

Integrate the school. Integrate into the Gryffindor's group. 'Wake' Bella up so I could unbind her power without driving her insane. Arrange Potter siblings vs Lord Voldemort match. Win.

Simple... very simple... nothing could go wrong there.

Over the next few hours, I lectured about the basics of magic, woke Ollivander to get them set with wands, conveniently they all had magical cores due to their own individual gifts and Carlisle's venom, explained the idea of "visiting scholars" and arranged their time tables to mirror Bella's. She was still a prefect, so it would be expected that she show them around the school anyway, it was a hop skip and a jump to assign them to her classes. They all caught up on the reading for the courses and demonstrated a few simple spells. I then woke Minerva, boy she was testy, and Filius to aid in an addition of a tower off Gryffindor Tower to serve as their chambers. While we continued the slight castle modifications, really what was another tower here and there, the Cullens spoke with the house elves about sustenance issues and preferred blood types. Who knew carnivores taste better? I wonder if we could swap in bear for dinner one night, I bet the kiddies wouldn't know! hehe

By breakfast, we were quite ready, but I decided to delay their introduction until dinner. Allowing myself, and the Cullens, a few hours more to believe that this might actually work.

BPOV

Shit! Shit! Shit! Dumbledore! Could this get any worse? Ugh, I motioned back to Harry & Gin to hide in the forest, I'm glad they saw me… sometimes those two can be so wrapped up in each other it's unbelievable. Nope, not a hint of jealousy there, not me, not ever, definitely not- Ugh, Bella stop thinking start hiding!

Alright, Giant Squid, here comes Bella!

Merlin! This lake is so effin cold. My heating charm really isn't even helping… well, I suppose that's what I get for being out after curfew. If you can get used to the freezing, it's actually quite lovely down here. Peaceful even.

Damnit! Spoke too soon, I think I've pissed off the grindylows.

I always sort of laughed at Fleur's inability to handle them, but now I get it. Out of nowhere there were hundreds of them. Spinning & biting, I had no idea which way was up or down & I can feel my legs getting caught in the kelp pulling me down…

"Arghhhhh!" I bolted up and threw the heavy stack of warming blankets off of me. A dream, it was just a dream. At least it wasn't the one with the red eyes and the darkness. I'll have to brew another round of those pepper-ups for Harry and me. As I began to relax again I realized I was not in my own bed.

I wasn't in my bed, but I was in a familiar bed.

Get your head out of the gutter.

Pomfrey bustled out just then "Oh good, you're awake!" I'll never understand how that woman puts up with all the nonsense we put her through. I'll need to bake her something soon. I wonder if she likes lemon scones…

"Good morning Madame Pomfrey" I croaked. My chest HURT and my lungs seemed weak. "May I ask what happened?" I quipped in my usual manner, I'll be honest it left something to be desired in the delivery- I just didn't have it in me this morning.

Her cheerful eyes grew a bit sad at my attempt at mirth before she replied, "According to your friends, dear, you decided to jump into the Black Lake in November rather than be caught by Professor Dumbledore out of bed and past curfew. I do say he and the squid have a similar jovial temperament, but if I were you I'd judge the Black Lake not by the squid but instead by the selkies and the temperature." she finished.

Oh, drowning wasn't a dream. Awesome.

Yup, I remember that. Sneaking out with a plan to get Harry smashed. Climbing down the tower, Ginny with the broom, walking ahead to meet Ron and 'Mione. All there. Why does it feel wrong then?

"Sounds about right" I laughed out.

Pomfrey wasn't finished though "You also apparently took a nasty run-in with a pod of grindylows and got caught in the kelp, young Mr. Potter saved you. He was so distraught when he pulled you out that he attempted the muggle resuscitation protocol on you and broke some of your ribs. Miss Granger resuscitated you with 'resuscitatio', which is a third-year Healer's spell, by the way. We are all very lucky Miss Granger likes to read ahead… quite a bit… and was talented enough to properly cast the spell."

The witch in question ran through the door with Ron, Harry, and Ginny not one step behind her.

"DON'T YOU EVER DO THAT AGAIN" Hermione reprimanded me, soon followed by " I can't even tell you how terrified I was! Harry wasn't even thinking straight when we got to you!", she finished in sniffles. Gin had crawled up onto my other side while I smoothed back 'Mione's mane. The boys looked on from the foot of the bed. Each staring at me as if I were going to vanish at any moment.

Ron spoke, "If you really want to date Dean, I'll back off, I can't promise what the other's 'll do but I'll back off."

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eloquent as ever I gwaffed, "Uh...What?" and before I knew it we were all in giggles. The boys were laughing so hard they were doubled over, I soon began to wince and felt the strain on my lungs. Everything quieted down then and Ron tried to explain "I just don't ever want to see you like that again, I'll literally do anything to never see you that broken again. If that means being less objectionable to boys that like you, I'll do it...I love you, Bells."

And like that, I was crying. "Love you too Ronniekins!" he promptly scooted Gin off to the side and hugged me too hard, but I wasn't going to complain. Harry came over next.

He didn't speak a word, his eyes were glassy so I think he might've cried if he did. He just held my hand.

We all hung out for a bit after that and played some wizarding chess, ate breakfast in bed, told stories, and debated the success of the pro-quidditch leagues.

They were soon ushered out for classes and I needed to stay and drink a bunch of horrible potions to heal my bones and lungs.

That feeling that I was missing something was stronger than ever, but I was starting to think that would be ever-present.