The-Lost-Twin

by Wizard909

Willow is the twin of Harry Potter. They also have a living Wizarding Grandfather they are going to live with. Takes place in the Third Book. I own nothing.

40. Shadow-Wolves-Don't-Make-Good-Pets

Willow woke up Tuesday morning in a good mood. After the weekend trip to Hogsmeade two problems that were causing some anxiety had been eliminated. She no longer had to wonder or guess at Sirius Black's motives for adopting Pansy, and the Wicca didn't think Augusta Longbottom would be demanding Neville to try and woo her anymore. Now that those two aggravations were out of the way, she could focus more on the last Taraka Assassin and the scar on Harry's forehead.

The young girl had also confirmed yesterday that her phone idea for Hogwarts could actually be possible. She used an enchanted old telephone to talk with Giles and the call registered coming from a small House in Bibury. Willow had Victor buy it for her and place the deed under the name Willow Rosenberg, in the Muggle World her name had never been legally changed. The redhead had already scheduled a meeting with Dumbledore this evening to discuss the idea.

Walking into the Great Hall the girl made her way to Slytherin's House Table. She sat down in her usual spot and waited for her friends. Lately she had been making it a habit to eat one meal a day with her brother and cousin. She switched the rotation around though so today would have dinner with Gryffindor and lunch with Hufflepuff. No one in her house had complained about the habit like before with the marriage contract and Vincent Crabbe, but Willow could still fill their resentment.

As one the Wicca's three Slytherin friends came in and sat around her. They all appeared to be groggy so not much was said as they ate. Finally, after fully waking up Pansy asked. "Willow, would you mind if I looked over your Potion's essay? I'm not sure I remembered all the uses for Powdered Unicorn Horn."

The redhead pulled the roll of parchment from her bag and handed it over. Pansy gave it a quick glance, speed reading the main body, and handed it back satisfied. The black-haired Slytherin thanked Willow as the girls packed to head for Potion Class.

Arriving in front of the classroom, the four Witches saw they were the first Slytherins to make the Dungeons. A handful of Gryffindors, of which included Harry, Ron, Hermione, were also present. The famous Gryffindor gave his sister a happy smile and walked over.

"How's your morning so far sis?" He asked upbeat.

Willow was about to respond when she felt certain emotions coming from the Gryffindors. The Wicca couldn't quite explain what the nature or reason behind the feelings were, but it made her feel self-conscious. Whatever the reason, the redhead knew it was directed at her. She glanced at the Gryffindors for a second to try and find the source and noticed it was coming from several. What concerned her the most though was Hermione and Ron felt nervous. She let it go and responded to Harry.

"I'm fine Harry. Good news actually, my phone idea works." The redhead said smiling happily. "Now we can call Aunt Petunia and Uncle Vernon."

"Oh joy, just what I always wanted to do while stuck in this enchanted castle." Harry said sarcastically.

It wasn't much longer when the other snakes and Snape arrived. As the class began taking their usual seats Willow thought she heard someone whispering. "Yeah, Harry's twin sister."

The girl quickly turned to the Gryffindor side to discover who was talking about her, but no one stood out. She sat down with Pansy and Tracy who were already unpacked. In the front Snape had magically written instructions on the board for the Confusing Concoction.

"You have until the end of class to complete the potion. You will find more detailed instructions in your textbook page 273. Get to work." Snape said in his usual no nonsense manner.

The class became silent as everyone started their individual potions. Willow was mainly going through the motions as she kept feeling the eyes of several people looking her way. Growing aggravated the redhead began to fell outward and sense the emotions of her classmates. Harry, Ron, Hermione and pretty much everyone on the Gryffindor side were concentrating with varying degrees of frustration on their work. However, Neville felt immense guilt and anxiety while Seamus Finnigan and Dean Thomas felt smug and devious.

All through the two hour period Willow desperately concentrated on the class work to avoid the various feelings that would sometimes come her way. She didn't know what it was about but knew it centered around Dean, Seamus, and Neville. However, no matter how much she thought about what those three could have in common that would affect her, the redhead kept coming up blank.

At the end of class everyone hurried to turn their potions in. For once, Neville made sure he was one of the first people in line just so he could be one of the first people out the door. Willow never had a chance to talk to the nervous young Wizard. The girl knew he was trying to actively avoid her and it made the Witch sad, Willow really liked Neville as a friend.

Walking into the Great Hall for lunch, the redhead almost decided to go sit with Gryffindor. However, she didn't want to hurt Dudley's feelings and knew the large boy didn't like eating at Harry's house table. The tension between both her cousin and brother was still rather high. The Wicca had managed to guilt both boys into spending some time together, just the three with no friends for distractions, but almost every get-together ended in an argument or reminder of harsh treatment. Once Harry had suggested a game of Dudley Hunting that had almost caused a fist fight. Shaking her head at the memory, Willow walked over to Hufflepuff.

She sat down next to Justin Finch-Fletchley and across from Dudley. Next to her cousin was his friend Wayne Hopkins. "How has your day been going so far my favorite cousin?"

The overweight boy gained a confused look thinking hard about something. Willow was getting worried something was wrong until the blonde boy asked. "Aren't I your only cousin?"

Justin and Wayne both snorted but tried not to laugh. The redhead smiled sweetly and explained. "Yes Dudley, that was the joke."

The only son of Petunia and Vernon Dursley thought it over a second, then started chuckling. Willow always tried to be as supportive of Dudley as much as possible even if it was difficult. She had actually managed to get her cousin interested in being a Beater for the Hufflepuff Quidditch Team. Maxine O'Flaherty and Anthony Rickett, the current team Beaters, were both graduating this year, so the blonde boy had a shot next semester.

The food arrived soon, and everyone began eating. Willow gave Dudley a stern look and pointed to the vegetables. Reluctantly the blonde boy grabbed some of those up as well. With the stern hazel eyes of the redhead glaring at him, Dudley quickly ate the unwanted peas and carrots. The last time he refused the healthy food Willow had cursed his mouth to not allow sweets in for a day. He had looked very stupid smearing chocolate cake all over his face.

All through lunch Willow kept feeling eyes on her. She felt curiosity, smug contentment, revulsion, lust, and a host of other skin crawling emotions all aimed at her person. What the hell was going on with Hogwarts today.

After lunch Willow made her way to Transfiguration. She and a few other Slytherins arrived just before the bell. The redhead looked around bored as her three friends came in and sat down. The redhead quickly noticed the girls all looked uneasy.

"Something wrong?" Willow asked concerned.

Pansy, Tracey, and Daphne shared a scared look, each one begging the other to speak. Finally, the redhead's first true Slytherin friend sighed and said gently. "We may have a problem, Willow."

The Wicca gave Pansy her full attention and the girl continued. "During lunch Draco asked me, Tracey, and Daphne very pointedly if you being a lesbian had anything to do with the breaking of the Potter/Crabbe Marriage Contract."

Willow's jaw dropped in complete shock. She then asked dazed. "What did you tell him?"

"What do you think we told him?" Tracey said quietly freaking out. "We said we had no idea what he was talking about and to mine his own business!"

Daphne leaned forward and explained in a more calmer manner. "Nott then went on to explain Seamus Finnigan was overheard telling a Hufflepuff that Neville and Harry discussed your 'sexual proclivities' after your Hogsmeade date this weekend. Apparently you told Augusta Longbottom you were gay when she tried to bring up a marriage contract."

'Oh come on Neville, you knew my secret for less than twelve hours and you told the whole damn school!' Willow thought with tragic humor. She looked around the classroom to see several kids whispering to one another. The redhead could honestly care less about being outed really. Also, now that she knew what was generating the mass emotions directed at herself, the empath could block them out. There was one concern about publicly leaving the closet that did worry her a little, even if it was kind of petty.

She looked at her friends a little worried and asked. "Do any of you care that everyone knows?"

Daphne looked offended and said a little hotly. "Of course not, I told you my family is neutral in most matters and I really doubt Lord Black will give Pansy a hard time about socializing with you. If anything, he'll probably encourage her to be a better friend and not turn on you because of Slytherin bullshit. As for Tracey and her family, I doubt they will care one way or another."

Tracey looked sheepish for a second. There was something she hadn't told Pansy or Willow regarding herself; a personal truth Daphne had figured out all on her own. The brown-eyed girl gave Willow a sad smile and said. "Maybe I should have told you this sooner, but I'm into Witches as well."

Pansy looked annoyed. "Yeah, I knew a while ago. I figured it was why you were so hung up on Daphne's marriage contract. I'm also sure the great and all powerful empathic Willow Potter knew the moment she first met you."

Willow just smiled and nodded. "I figured you would tell us when you became more comfortable. It wasn't anyones business but your own. I'll definitely be having a talk with this Seamus Finnigan about keeping his mouth shut later after dinner."

Tracey was a little shocked by this revelation, but Professor McGonagall came in before the light brown-haired girl could comment. The cat Animagus took roll call and discovered Malfoy, Crabbe, and Goyle weren't present. She said sternly. "If they don't arrive before the bell I'll take five points apiece from Slytherin."

Willow began to get worried at the absence of the Slytherin Trio. She could also feel Harry's anger rise and knew he had found out about the rumors. The Wicca really hoped he wouldn't do anything stupid. Her hopes and dreams were smashed when the redhead felt the famous boy's temper explode. This wonderful sensation was quickly followed by a phantom pain in the jaw, rips, and knuckles. She suppressed a groin and raised her hand. A little worry set in as she felt Harry's magic flare up briefly in a violent way.

McGonagall, who was just about to begin class with an explanation about Species Switching Spells, looked at Willow curiously. Usually the girl only raised her hand to answer a question. "Yes Ms. Potter."

"May I be excused Ma'am? I'm pretty sure Harry just got into a fist fight about me with another Gryffindor." Willow explained.

"How could you possibly know…" The older Witch started to ask until it dawned on her. "Oh, your over-the-top magical twin connection."

All over the classroom excited whispering could be heard. The Wicca tried her best to ignore the talking but it was driving her nuts. McGonagall looked to be about to say something when she was interrupted by the loud voice of Albus Dumbledore coming from thin air. "Professor Snape and Professor McGonagall to the hospital wing. Please also Ms. Willow Potter to the hospital wing. Thank you."

The older Animagus looked aggravated as hell. "Class dismissed, you will turn in a two foot essay by next week Tuesday on Species Switching Spells; positives, negatives, and historical uses."

Willow told her friends she would see them back at Slytherin House later while magically packing her belongings. She then quickly hurried after the Transfiguration Professor. The older Witch looked down at the redhead that was easily keeping up with her and asked. "Do you have any idea what the fight was about?"

Sighing aggravated, Willow explained. "During the weekend, I went on a dinner date with Neville Longbottom. His Grandmother was also there and tried to discuss matching the two of us up. I told her I couldn't marry Neville because I'm gay, and yes that's true. The dinner was great, and we all left happy. Pore Neville decided to talk about me with Harry in their dorm room. Apparently Seamus Finnigan was there as well and overheard the whole conversation. He then proceeded to tell the whole school."

After Willow got through explaining the issue, McGonagall just shook her head at the shared stupidity of young Wizards. "I'm sorry Willow, but unfortunately I can't punish Mr. Finnigan for spreading gossip unless it was a malicious lie. I can go a little easier on your brother though."

Both teacher and student continued walking in silence. Arriving at the hospital they received a shock. They had been expecting to find two Gryffindor Wizards with bloody noses. They weren't expecting Harry, Ron, Draco, Crabbe, and Goyle to be laying in beds with bloodied bruised faces and knuckles. The two biggest Slytherin boys were unconscious and looked to be the most banged up. Hermione was there to, standing in between her friends. McGonagall looked at the bush-haired Witch and asked concerned. "What on earth happened?"

"We were informed to not say anything until all the Professors arrived Ma'am. We're still waiting on Professors Dumbledore and Snape." Hermione said worriedly.

Just thin the main door burst open and the before mentioned Professors came in quickly fallowed by Lucius Malfoy, Garret Goyle, Rigel Crabbe, Sirius Black, Victor Whitehall, and Arthur Weasley. Willow began to worry a little at the sight of so many adults. Just what happened between the Gryffindor and Slytherin Wizards? The various fathers went to stand by their sons. Black and Whitehall went to check on Harry. Willow continued to stand with the Professors and Healer in the middle of the floor. Hermione continued to stand by her friends.

"Seeing as we are all here, let's get started." Dumbledore began seriously looking around at everyone. "Ms. Granger, can you give us an account of the events that lead to this confrontation?"

"Just a moment Dumbledore." Lucius growled. "Seeing as my son and his friends were the ones harmed most, and Draco is still conscious, I would like to hear what he has to say first."

McGonagall also interjected. "I would also like to hear from Mr. Draco as well. Perhaps he can explain why he and his two friends were absent from my class. I believe this would be the 3rd year Gryffindor's scheduled time for Defense Against The Dark Arts. No Slytherin had any reason to be down in that part of the castle at this time."

"Minerva," Dumbledore said gently. "We can discuss that later. Right now, we need to address the physical altercation first as it is more pressing issue. Now Hermione, please tell us what happened."

Lucius looked like he would interrupt again but stopped when Dumbledore gave him a stern look. Hermione nervously began. "I guess it would be best to start from the moment we left the Great Hall after lunch. Neville Longbottom had come up to us because he had something important to tell Harry."

Here the young Witch stopped and looked cautiously at Willow. Snape grew impatient and snapped. "Well, what did Mr. Longbottom have to say that was so important!"

Willow sighed in exasperation. "It's fine Hermione, by now the whole school knows anyway."

The bushy-haired Gryffindor smiled apologetically and continued. "Willow had confided in Neville, during their dinner date in Hogsmeade, that she was gay. Neville had then proceeded to discuss this fact with Harry in their dormitory. Seamus Finnigan had overheard the conversation and proceeded to tell anyone that would listen all day Monday and today. An older Ravenclaw Witch had asked Neville before Potion's Class if it was true that Willow confided such a secret to him, and he explained this to Harry on the way to Defense Class. Neville was scared and didn't know what to do about it."

The Gryffindor Witch paused to let everything sink in. Dumbledore looked thoughtful. "What lead up to the confrontation dear."

Hermione cleared her throat and continued. "Malfoy, Crabbe, and Goyle approached us in the hallway. We were alone because Dawn Summers lead Neville to class sense he was upset after talking to us. Malfoy started in on Harry by saying rude things about Willow, how this explained why she broke the marriage contract. How Willow couldn't handle a real piece of wood which was why she preformed most magics wandlessly."

Hermione blushed after finishing explaining the insult. Willow couldn't help but chuckled at her friends red face. Realizing everyone was giving her surprised looks the Wicca apologized still giggling. "Sorry, but you see your face Hermione."

"Please continue Ms. Granger." McGonagall said sternly while shooting Willow and Draco hard glares.

The young Muggleborn Witch composed herself and continued. "I'm not sure what reaction Malfoy was hoping to get, but Harry didn't really give him a response. This seemed to anger Malfoy, so he insinuated that Willow being a lesbian probably meant Harry was also gay. He insinuated Harry must have enjoyed the dreams he had about Crabbe, the ones the Elixir Of Sweet Dreams induced. Harry was trying to walk around the Slytherins to head for class but turned around quickly at Malfoy's insult and slugged him in the face, knocking him to the ground."

Lucius Malfoy gave Hermione a questioning look. "So, you say it was Potter that started the fight?"

"No sir, your son started the fight with his words and insults." Hermione clarified giving the man a defiant glare. Lucius's hand gripped his cane so hard the man's knuckles turned white.

"Enough!" Dumbledore barked scaring everybody. It was a rare thing for the Headmaster to raise his voice. "What happened after Harry struck Draco?"

Hermione took a moment to gather her thoughts and began again. "Crabbe and Goyle started attacking Harry and Ron. I tried to stop them with the Immobulus Charm but Malfoy knocking my wand to the floor as he rushed past me to help his friends. Ronald managed to tackle Malfoy to the ground. They were wrestling around when a large growling was heard. Claw marks appeared around Harry, then Crabbe and Goyle were both smashed hard into the hallway wall. The boys stopped fighting after that seeing as how Crabbe and Goyle appeared to be seriously hurt. I used the Full Body Bind and Levitation Charm to get them both here as safely as possible. Several of their bones were broken."

Everyone silently processed Hermione's accounts. Willow was no longer giggling as she realized Harry had lost control and almost killed two students. Dumbledore looked over at the Slytherins and asked. "Do you have anything to add Draco."

The boy looked at his bedsheets deep in thought. The truth was he had never expected things to go this far. Insults and minor curses were the norm when it came to goading Potter and Weasley. However, the moment his arch nemesis had turned to face him after hearing the final insult, Draco had seen his eyes turn pitch black. He had seen Willow's eyes do the same thing once, the time with the Hippogriff during the first day of school. He understood enough to know this meant they were accessing tremendous amounts of Dark Magic. The problem was Potter had Willow's power but not her control. Granger was correct that he had rushed past her to get to his friends, but he was trying to break the fight up before Crabbe and Goyle got hurt. The idiot Weasley tackled him thinking he was attacking Potter.

Figuring there was no good excuse to explain why they had been in the Defense Corridor, but not wanting to admit to any guilt, Draco explained. "Me, Goyle, and Crabbe were on our way to class. We got turned around because we were discussing all the gossip and happened upon Potter and his friends. It just happened."

"A likely story." McGonagall said outraged. "Two and a half years in this castle and you truly think anyone here believes you just lost your way and happened upon the Gryffindors in the Defense Corridor?"

"Minerva." Dumbledore said to gain the woman's attention. The angry Head Of Gryffindor gave the old man a sour look. "Again, we can address this further in a moment, but for now it is not the most pressing concern."

The old Headmaster then looked to Harry and Ron. "Do either of you have anything to say?"

The freckled faced boy folded his arms and looked away; he wasn't about to say anything that could get the Gryffindor Trio in trouble. Harry looked up at Dumbledore sadly. "I'm sorry that Crabbe and Goyle got hurt, it was never my intention."

"Sorry won't cut it boy." Lord Rigel Crabbe snarled. "You almost killed my son and Gregory Goyle." The enraged Pureblood then rounded on the Headmaster. "I want him expelled immediately!"

"Hold on!" Sirius exclaimed angrily. "I know the two boys were hurt bad, but they were also the ones out-of-bounds. Had they gone to class like they were supposed to this incident would never have happened. Even if they just got turned around there was no reason to banter words with other students in a deserted hallway. If anything, they should have realized they were in the wrong place the moment they saw Gryffindor red and gold ties, and hightailed it for Transfiguration."

"Lord Black is correct." Whitehall said also coming to Harry's defense. "Your son and his friends are the the ones that started the fight with their slander and insults."

Arthur Weasley looked uneasily around at the angry Lords present. "Hold on." He said trying to ease the tension. Everyone looked his way and he continued. "I would like more information about this ability of Harry's before we make any decisions."

Dumbledore thought it over and turned to face the California Witch. "Willow, this is your area of expertise. What can you tell us dear?"

'Wow.' Willow thought. 'I doubt that is something the Great Albus Dumbledore rarely says.'

The young Wicca had no problem explaining in detail more about her and Harry's abilities to people she trusted. I this room that pretty much meant everyone except the Pureblood Lords and their heirs. Unfortunately, she also knew there wasn't really a choice either.

"As some of you know, I have undergone several rituals to gain various powers over the course of my life." Willow began to explain.

Lord Malfoy decided to throw his two since in and clarified coldly. "Dark Magical Rituals you mean."

"Yes." Willow said with no shame. "When me and Harry celebrated our thirteenth birthday we reestablished our magical twin connection. This gave Harry some of my abilities. One of the rituals I used was the Powers Of Night. I won't explain in detail how the right itself is conducted, but I will explain the abilities it grants. I gained the ability to transform into mist and several nighttime creatures."

"Multiple Animagus forms!" McGonagall asked shocked.

"No Professor." Willow clarified. "Animagus is the ability to transform into your inner soul animal. The forms I take have nothing to do with myself. They are representatives of the Power Of Night."

"So how does this connect with what happened in the hallway?" Mr. Weasley asked.

"Despite what I had originally hypothesized about Harry gaining abilities from the multiple rituals I have undergone, my brother only gained access to my night powers. His are different than mine though."

"When I first researched the Night Powers Ritual during my preparations, I learned of a powerful Demon Hunter in the seventeen-hundreds that used it before me. He gained the strength and agility of a Master Vampire but lost his eyesight to the power of echo location. He saw the world like a bat, the full echo outline of whatever was around him in hearing distance. These magical echoes were so powerful they could even detect ink on paper allowing him to read like normal. The Sorcerer had been one of the most formidable hunters that ever lived."

"Harry's powers are like mine sense he can transform into mist. However, he can't take the form of animals. The compromise he received was the ability to manifest a large Spirit Wolf. This is a form of celestial creature that can become temporarily corporeal when it's Master is in jeopardy. My brother unconsciously unleashed the thing when Crabbe and Goyle jr. overwhelmed him two on one."

"From what Hermione described and my own knowledge of the Spirit Wolf, I would have to say it pinned both boys to the wall with its forearm. The front two legs of the wolf are more like arms and his front feet are actually clawed hands, not paws. It's shoulders have the same range of motion as a human's. Despite its odd front appendages, the creature is still a four-legged animal."

Lucius Malfoy gave out a pompous huff. "So, we know what the Dark Magic is, but it still doesn't excuse your brother's actions."

"In a way it does Malfoy." Arthur Weasley said sternly. "Willow just explained that the beast materialized when Harry became overwhelmed. Had your son and his friends not caused the fight the creature would have remained docile."

Lucius gave Mr. Weasley a cold glare. "It is obvious this power makes the boy to dangerous to be around other students. For the sake of every other child attending Hogwarts, Potter should be expelled or at the very least kindly asked to leave."

Both Black and Whitehall seemed to be preparing to argue on Harry's defense but paused when Willow spoke up. "Wrong."

Once more everyone gave the Wicca their full attention. "Look around this room Lord Malfoy and tell me what's missing."

Everyone but Dumbledore seemed confused by the question. Willow gave the Pureblood Elite Lords smug looks and explained. "Aurors. Dumbledore didn't contact the Americans or the British Ministry Of Magic, despite my diplomatically protected brother possibly facing legal action, because he didn't want to get anyone in any serious trouble. He wants to settle this in house for Harry and Vincent's sake."

Rigel Crabbe gave the Headmaster a confused look. "What's she talking about."

Dumbledore sighed wearily and explained. "Young Vincent was out-of-bounds. If you remember the rulings made after the Elixir Of Sweet Dreams assault, your son can only leave Slytherin House Dorms when attending class, having meals, or serving detention. If we expel Harry it will become public knowledge as to what occurred. The Americans can bring assault charges against Vincent on the grounds he has already admitted to Magical Assault on Harry Potter once already. There is also the fact that he has admitted to Magical Assault against Ronald Weasley as well, which could bring legal trouble from our own government."

Dumbledore looked towards the Pureblood Lords and continued. "If you press this Harry Potter might be expelled, there is no guaranty of that happening. That outcome would be of little inconvenience for him as he was still defending himself, so his wand won't be snapped. His expulsion would just be on the grounds of accidentally using Dark Magic while defending himself and hurting a fellow student. Ilvermorny, and several other American Schools, have sent several letters to the A.R.W.K. International Magical Affaires Office explaining how they would love to enroll both Potters free of charge. There are also several schools in Europe that would also love to have both brother and sister attend. Their education would resume uninterrupted."

The old Headmaster then directed his hard gaze upon Rigel Crabbe. "Your son Vincent will be far more inconvenienced than Harry. He will be expelled and his wand snapped, meaning he will be legally band from ever using magic again. He could face jail time in an American Magical Juvenile Detention Facility all because he decided to banter words in a hallway."

Lord Rigel looked lost and glanced towards Lucius for guidance. Lord Malfoy was furious, this was a golden opportunity to publicly humiliate the Potter Twins and they couldn't do anything with it. The long white-haired man snarled. "Fine, we won't pursue action regarding expulsion. However, we at least want to see some punishment."

Dumbledore nodded in agreement, to him that was only fair. "How about one month's detention and one hundred points from Gryffindor?"

"Fine." Lucius angrily agreed thinking the matter closed. Sirius and Victor looked angry but said nothing. All three Gryffindor Students looked dejected and non-argumentative. No one looked like they would protest the punishment, until Willow got angry and looked to the Headmaster growling. "No."

Dumbledore gave her an impatient look. "Willow, you have to understand we can't simply let this go. There must be consequences."

Willow gave the old man a cold look and explained. "If there must be consequences Headmaster, then they shouldn't just fall on my brother alone. Had Draco and his friends not started the stupid argument in the first place, this wouldn't have happened. If you give my brother detention than you have to give everyone involved detention. If you take house points from Gryffindor than you have to take them from Slytherin as well."

Snape had enough of being silent. "That's enough Ms. Potter, your out of line talking to the Headmaster that way. It is not for you to decide how we conduct our disciplinary punishments to students. Besides, Vincent Crabbe is already serving detention to the end of the school year, he can't possibly serve more."

"Exactly." Willow told the Potion Master coldly. "It's a domino effect, punish Harry and you must punish everyone. Vincent is already at max punishment. Therefore, the only thing you can do is expel him, as that was the clearly stated consequence if he got in trouble again because of the Elixir Of Sweet Dreams incident. Professor Dumbledore has already explained what will happen to Vincent if that happens."

"Even if it's just a loss of house points, you have to expel him because of the severity of the act that caused the point loss. It wouldn't be fair to give him a lesser punishment than the others just to avoid expulsion either. The American Aurors may question everyone involved themselves to find out what happened, especially after I log a complaint. They would have the right to investigate sense this incident involved Harry and someone that has already attacked him once already. If that happened they could still bring Vincent up on charges, expulsion or no expulsion. They could even bring Dumbledore himself up on charges for trying to cover it all up and protecting Vincent Crabbe."

Lucius Malfoy stood shaking in anger next to the confused Lords Crabbe and Goyle. Snape didn't know wether to be angry or impressed by the very Slytherin cunning Willow was using, today she clearly showed why she belonged to the house of snakes. Dumbledore was sadly looking at the redheaded Witch hoping she would stop this dishonest act but knowing she wouldn't. Arthur Weasley, Sirius Black, and Victor Whitehall stood in stunned disbelief at what was happening. McGonagall was thinking along the same lines as Snape, though not in a particularly good way. Every grownup, except for Crabbe and Goyle senior, had figured out just were the inevitable conclusion of this conversation was going.

Madam Promfrey shook her head in disbelief saying. "I guess I'll write this up as an accident. All five boys fell down a flight of stairs. Draco Malfoy's bruised jaw was the result of Ronald Weasley flailing his fist, not a deliberate punch. Both Vincent Crabbe and Gregory Goyle broke multiple bones as a result of being on the bottom of the pile. As all this was an unfortunate accident, there is no need for anyone to be punished."

Crabbe and Goyle senior looked at Promfrey in disbelief. They both appeared to be about to protest but Lucius gave them a glare that clearly said shut up. Lord Malfoy then stated darkly. "Fine, if there is no way to punish the Potter brat without condemning Vincent Crabbe unfairly, we have no choice but to let this slide."

He then gave Willow a cold look while addressing everyone. "However, know this, I will be keeping a close eye on both Potter Children. If I see evidence they are a danger to this school and their fellow classmates, I will pursue legal action."

Dumbledore sighed sadly. "Very well then. Lucius, Rigel, Garret, will you accompany me and Severus to my office. There are a few more things to discuss."

All three men left angrily fallowing the Headmaster and Professor. Willow walked to her brother and closed the curtains around his and Ronald's beds to close the area off while placing a soundproof barrier. McGonagall joined them and gave the young Wicca a stern look and said frostily. "I don't think you've made a friend out of Headmaster Dumbledore today, Ms. Potter."

"I was making sure everyone was treated fairly." Willow said looking McGonagall in the eye. "Sorry if I inconvenienced the Headmaster, but I'll not see Harry punished just to make a bunch of Purebloods feel better. The tactic I used was no different than anything they would have used. I like to think it was just a taste of their own medicine."

"Here, here!" Sirius exclaimed jovially. McGonagall gave him a stern look that made him shut up quick. She still had a powerful effect on her former Gryffindors.

Willow ignored everyone as she stared blankly at her twin. "Harry, despite the fact I came to your defense in the face of the Pureblood enemy, I want to know what you were thinking. You could have killed those two idiots."

"What do you mean Willow?" Victor asked concerned. "You just said the wolf appeared because your brother was being overwhelmed."

"Grandpa, use your head." Willow said annoyed. "If Harry being in danger was all it took to call the creature forth, then it would have appeared in Hogsmeade the day the first Taraka Assassin tried to kill Ginny."

"I wasn't about to reveal anything negative about the ability in front of people I don't trust. I had no problem saying anything in front of Professor Dumbledore and Professor Snape, but I wasn't about to reveal pertinent facts to Lucius Malfoy and his friends. The truth is the Spirit Wolf is connected to Harry's mental flight-or-fight response."

"When the Demon attacked, Harry became scared and his flight response kicked in. This is understandable as all living mortal creatures, be they magical or otherwise, have an inherited primal response to flee in the presence of a Demon. Sense Harry wanted to run away from the danger instead of fighting it, the wolf was completely unable to manifest."

"Today in the hallway Harry wanted to fight." Willow explained with some heat returning to her voice. "That alone was not enough to call the celestial creature. So, I want Harry to tell me what thought crossed his mind."

The green-eyed boy sadly looked up at his sister. "I was angry. After Neville told me what happened with Seamus Finnigan, all I wanted to do was fined Finnigan and hurt him. Then Malfoy came up and started in on me about you. I tried to keep my temper in check like you told me to Willow, but then he made that comment about the potion and I lost it. Two and a half years of bad blood between us, my desire to hurt Seamus turned on the Slytherins."

Willow held her face in the palms of her hands after hearing Harry's explanation. She looked up scared and asked. "Do you realize that the only reason they didn't die was because you only wanted to hurt them? If the thought of killing them had crossed your mind for one second, even if it was something you only thought in anger but never truly meant, the Spirit Wolf would have complied. It would have crushed both Crabbe and Goyle to death against the wall and lunged forward to bite Malfoy in half. Had Ron been in the way he would have been bitten in half to. I told you when the wolf first manifested that it was primarily an attack dog, not a guard dog."

Harry's face paled as the blood left his cheeks. He began to tremble in fear as tears came to his eyes. Everyone looked on shocked as it finally became clear just how bad this could have been. Willow sat down on her brother's bed and held him close, silent tears falling down her face. Somehow, she had to teach her brother control or next time things could turn out far worse.

Meanwhile, Dumbledore and Snape had reached the Headmaster's Office with Lords Malfoy, Crabbe, and Goyle. Albus sat behind his desk and Severus stood next to him. The three Lords stood in front of the old Wizard and refused to take a seat.

"Dumbledore." Malfoy began angrily. "This cannot stand, the Potter boy deserves punishment."

Albus fixed the man with a quelling look over his half moon glasses. "I want to assure you Lord Malfoy that I agree with you regarding the need for disciplinary action, though not just against Harry but all five boys. The only reason I didn't do anything was because Vincent Crabbe would have ultimately been expelled, then possible jailed. I was content to only punish Harry, strictly because of how badly the three Slytherin boys were hurt, but Willow forced us all into a corner and won the argument. Truly she is worthy of the Slytherin green and silver."

Malfoy bristled at being reminded of how Willow used his own underhanded tactics against him. He calmed down as he thought it over and said cautiously. "Sounds like you and I have a common enemy Headmaster. Did you bring me here to propose an alliance?"

Dumbledore sat back in his chair never taking his eyes off the evil man. "You and I may have been on the same side in this three way argument Lucius, but let's not forget there were three opposing sides. I may not agree with everything Willow Potter does, but I can understand the reasons for her actions. She sought Dark Magic for the power to protect those she loves and the world from pure evil threats, unlike some Wizards I know who sought the same type of power simply to gain money and ward off legal prosecution."

"Let us not confuse a Dark Magic Witch with an Evil Sorceress, nor a young girl twisting her advantages to protect a brother with an evil mastermind plotting nefarious acts. Willow Potter acted no differently in that situation than any other sibling with the means and brains to save their family from punishment. Also, she wasn't entirely wrong in saying Harry would have been unfairly punished when no one else was. That's why we both conceded the argument Lucius."

Malfoy bristled ones more at Dumbledore's words. His hand twitched as if you pull his wand, but he made no attempt to do so. Instead he snarled. "Good day, Headmaster."

As the man and his companions made for the door, Dumbledore called out again. "I'm rather curious, what sort of protections do you think young Willow could have placed on the homes of her friends without anyone knowing. I'd rather say I wouldn't want to be the Wizard that tests them."

Malfoy glared back at Dumbledore then left slamming the office door behind him. Snape looked down at Albus questioningly. "Was that entirely necessary? I highly doubt Lucius would have stooped to going after Willow's friends."

The Supreme Mugwump looked at his Potion Master seriously. "Severus, I have not forgotten one atrocity that man committed during the war. I have not forgotten the small number of young Muggleborn Witches he murdered in horrific fashion. I gauged his reactions to Hermione Granger when she explained the incident. The way his anger grew when the young girl challenged him by saying Draco was at fault instead of Harry was present for all to see. I know Lucius Malfoy is a very clever monster, otherwise he would be in Azkaban instead of walking around free among school children. However, should his darker side over come his better judgement, I truly worry that he will find a far great monster in Willow Potter waiting to annihilate him. If only for the sake of all children involved, not Lord Malfoy himself, I won't to insure Lucius's more cunning side keeps a tight hold of his darker half. It will be a long time before he forgets just how easily he was humiliated today."

Snape thought it over and realized the truth in Dumbledore's words. More often than not the old Wizard was right. "What of Vincent Crabbe, this was an opportunity to be rid of a potential problem and you let it slip through your fingers?"

"After all these years Severus, I'd hope you would know me better than that." Dumbledore said sadly. "Despite what Willow told us of the boy, I can't give up on him just yet. You yourself traveled that dark path and were pulled from it. How can we possibly say the same can't happen for young Vincent?"

Snape said nothing even as he thought just how blind Dumbledore could be at times. He and Vincent Crabbe came from two vastly different backgrounds. It did pain him to admit that only death would ever stop that boy's waltz down the dark path the Headmaster spoke off. The Potion Master was also no fool, yes he had stopped walking that road but that didn't mean Snape hadn't traveled a fair piece of it. The Youngest Professor Hogwarts ever had dreaded the day he would be made to stand before his maker and Lily Potter.