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Duplicitous actions are a foot! As always please read, review, and enjoy!

The weeks and months went by with it the seasons and more students were the victims of the mysterious petrification. With each student, including Hermione Granger, Justin Fletchley, and Nearly Headless Nick, Gilderoy became more boastful about knowing about the Chamber and how to stop it. Dahlia tried to reason with him, that if he did in fact know where the Chamber was and who was behind it he had an obligation to stop it. All her pleading fell of deaf ears. Worst of all Severus was keeping his distance from her, so her only source of comfort was her uncle; and even that was being threatened to be taken away.

"You can't be serious!" Dahlia protested at the ludicrous suggestion that Dumbledore step down.

Lucius Malfoy sneered at Albus' niece, "This does not concern you, child."

"As she is part of the faculty Lucius, this does concern her," Dumbledore retorted.

"This is not up for discussion," Malfoy fumed, "I will see you removed," his voice was never above a whisper but the threat could be heard reverberating around the office. His grey eyes found the lilac haired girl again, seething at her as he stalked closer to the girl. He pulled her close to him, the grip on her wrist was firm on the verge of being painful and Dahlia winced, she was in fact scared of him. "I will take great joy in your downfall Miss Dumbledore," the words hissed out and slithered into her ear. The threat was not one of banning her from Hogwarts, it was against her life, a deeper threat that she knew.

"Please unhand my niece," Albus said calmly.

Lucius turned from the girl and thundered out of the office slamming the door behind him. Dahlia crumpled onto the well worn couch shaking and visibly scared. For the first time since the odd happenings at Hogwarts tears fell from her light blue eyes but no sounds escaped her mouth. None of this seemed real, Muggle-born students being petrified, Hagrid being threatened with time in Azkaban for his supposed involvement, Malfoy openly threatening both Dahlia and Albus.

Before words of comfort could be thought of the door to Dumbledore's office opened and Fudge walked through it. His bowler in his hands and a concerned expression plastered on his face, no doubt being made to do this, pressure from the governors and the Ministry. He nodded to Dahlia but didn't look at her or Albus, "It's time."

"Understood," Albus stated he looked at his niece extending his hand, "Help an old man across the grounds my dear."

The assistant took a deep breath and wiped the moisture from her face, "Yes Uncle," she took his hand as the trio made their way across the courtyard to the Game Keeper's hut.

The walk to Hagrid's home seemed long and with every step the night turned colder. This was really happening, what next? Dahlia cast her red eyes to her uncle, would he really be removed? If Malfoy could convince the governor's or at the very most threaten them to remove Dumbledore, what would happen to the school? What would happen to her? Be sent back to Godric's Hollow to wait? Stay at the castle until the new regime was assembled and then she'd be removed? The questions and possibilities were endless and each more despicable then the last.

Albus knocked on the door, apparently startling the Game Keeper as something clattered on the floor and Fang, Hagrid's less than brave dog barked at the sound.

"C-come in," Hagrid bellowed from inside.

The three entered the small dwelling, "Good evening Hagrid," Dumbledore said a bit solemnly.

There was a noise like a whisper and Dahlia looked over to the corner but there was nothing there. She narrowed her light blue eyes at the corner, something or someone was privy to the conversation that shouldn't be. The teaching assistant crossed her arms as Fudge spoke.

"Bad business, Hagrid. Very bad business. Had to come," his sentences were broken up it pained him to do this. "Four attacks on Muggle-borns. Things have gone far enough." he paused again the rim of his bowler tightly gripped in his hands and he did not look at the half giant, "Ministry's got to act."

Hagrid realizing what was happening, "I never…You know I never, Professor Dumbledore, Sir…" his words weren't quick enough to keep up with his racing thoughts, it was clear all he was seeing was Azkaban.

"I want it understood Cornelius, that Hagrid has my full confidence."

Fudge turned to Albus, "Look, Albus, Hagrid's record's against him. I've got to take him."

"Take me?!" Hagrid asked dread filling his voice as it rose in volume, "Where? Not Azkaban Prison!"

"For a short stretch only. Not a punishment, Hagrid. More a precaution. If someone else is caught, you'll be released with a full apology," the Minister pleaded.

"Not a punishment?!" Dahlia asked, "He's being sent to Azkaban, where the worst of all Wizards and Witches are kept."

"Dahlia, please," Albus grasped her shoulder warmly. She turned to him to protest but his eyes sparkled and the air felt different.

There was a hard knock on the door and in walked Lucius again, "Already here Fudge? Good," he glared at the purple haired girl; the malcontent dripping off him was palpable.

"What're you doin' here?! Get outta my house!" Hagrid bellowed, enraged that he would dare to set foot on his property.

"My dear man, please believe me, I have no pleasure at all in being inside your…" Lucius paused wrinkling his nose, "do you call this a house? I simply had an issue to take up with the Headmaster after our last meeting and was told he was here."

"And what exactly did you want with me Lucius," Albus calmly asked as Dahlia seethed behind her uncle.

"Dreadful thing Dumbledore," he smiled wickedly flashing his stunningly white canines at Dumbledore's niece, "but the governors feel it's time for you to step aside. This is an Order of Suspension." The teaching assistant tried to lunge at the haughty man but was held back by Albus and Hagrid. "You'll find all twelve signatures on it. I'm afraid we feel you're losing your touch. What with all these attacks, there'll be no Muggle-borns left at Hogwarts. And we all know what an awful loss that would be," his voice was full of misaligned glee continuing to stare down Dahlia almost daring her to make a move handing over the parchment to Fudge.

"Yeh can't take Dumbledore! Take him away an' the Muggle-borns won' stand a chance! There'll be killings next, mark my words!" Hagrid shouted.

"Calm yourself Hagrid!" he said soothingly to his friend, "If the governors want my removal, Lucius, I shall of course step aside," he told Malfoy.

"Uncle, no," Dahlia whispered and the grip on her hand tightened.

"However…you will find that I will only truly have left this school when none here are loyal to me. You will also find that help will always be given at Hogwarts to those who…ask for it," Albus looked to the corner that Dahlia had heard whispering and she narrowed her eyes again, trying to see what he was seeing.

"Admirable sentiments," Lucius stated with a rather bored affectation, "This of course means that Miss Dumbledore is to be removed from Hogwarts as well. We shall all miss your highly individual way of running things, Albus, and only hope your successor will manage to prevent any more, um, 'killin's'," he grinned evilly at Dumbledore and his niece as he exits Hagrid's home.

Albus holds the door for Dahlia and waits for Fudge and the Game Keeper but the gentle giant pauses for a moment, "If anyone wanted to find out some stuff, all they'd have to do is follow the spiders. That'd lead 'em right. Tha's all I'm sayin'," and he shuffled out of the hut.

Dahlia walks with her uncle her head down in defeat, "Who was in there with us?"

A comforting arm was placed around her shoulder, "All will be revealed my dear niece, come let us pack."