Mastermind
by Teddylonglong

All recognizable characters belong to J. K. Rowling, and I am not earning anything by writing this story.
I am not a native speaker of English. Please excuse my mistakes.

COMPLETELY AU! Partly OOC.

It is my story, and I intend to write it the way I want it. If you don't like it, don't read it.
Reviews are very welcome, as they inspire my muse. Thanks a lot to the kind readers who commented on the previous chapter!


Only when Ron returned home late in the afternoon, knowing that he still had a few minutes before dinner, he found the time and – surprisingly – the quiet to telepathically chat with Croaker.

'Grindelwald?' Croaker asked in disbelief. 'He's supposed to be in his own prison. I don't even know if he's still alive.' However, the Head Unspeakable promised to look into the matter.

'As to the Resurrection stone, I know where it is,' he admitted, causing Ron to gasp in surprise, which only intensified, when the older wizard admitted, 'I found it together with one of the Horcruxes, and I'm keeping it safe for Harry. As soon as Harry will be ready and has a safe place to keep it, I'll give it to him.'

'Thank you Croaker and Happy Christmas,' Ron replied, knowing that he could fully trust Croaker to have Harry's best interests in mind. 'In contrary to my own mother,' he thought in absolute annoyance.

'Happy Christmas to you too, Mastermind,' Croaker replied, efficiently managing to lighten Ron's mood enough to head downstairs for Christmas Eve dinner.

HP

Over the holidays, Ron completely forgot the matters which they had been told at Gringotts. Only a month later, when Harry showed him a letter from Gringotts stating that Albus Dumbledore refused to return the Elder Wand, did he remember that there was some unfinished business between Harry and the headmaster. Buckbean suggested to give the headmaster the ultimatum of July 31, before the goblins would forcefully retrieve the wand.

"Well, it's not as if I badly needed it, is it?" Harry said, questioningly.

"If you have all three items, you're the Master of Death, whatever that is," Ron replied, pensively. "I don't know exactly what it means though," he added. "Croaker is keeping the Resurrection Stone for you in any case."

"Please tell him thank you very much, and if you have a chance, can you ask him what it means?" Harry asked, hesitantly.

"I will," Ron promised, before he became pensive. "I wonder," he said, slowly, if you should contact Madam Bones about everything that Dumbledore has done to you."

"Who's Madam Bones?" Harry enquired.

"The Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement," Ron explained, patiently. "She could get Dumbledore a trial for everything that he did with you and your accounts at Gringotts. She's the one who was mentioned in your parents' will together with Snape."

"Oh okay," Harry said in understanding. "Let's wait how everything turns out for the time being. I'm not really keen on beginning a fight with the headmaster."

Ron nodded in understanding, resolving to eventually speak with Croaker about the matter.

HP

The remaining months of their second Hogwarts year passed uneventfully. If Dumbledore had noticed that the payments from Harry's account had stopped, he did not speak with Harry about the matter. Voldemort remained equally quiet, and even the Unspeakables had no idea where the evil wizard might be hiding and if he had managed to get back a corporate body in the meantime.

HP

"Next year, we'll be allowed to participate in the Hogsmeade visits," Tracey said, when they were studying together for their last end of year test. "I can't wait."

Seeing that Harry cast her a questioning look, she explained everything that she knew about Hogsmeade.

"We need the permission from our parents or guardians though," Ron added. "If we explain about it to the Queen, she'll surely allow you to go."

"Is the Queen really your guardian now?" Tracey asked in surprise, causing Ron to realise his slip.

"Yes, but no one at Hogwarts is supposed to know about it," Harry replied in a small voice, "because it's against the headmaster's order."

"Oh don't worry, we won't tell anyone," Daphne reassured him. "Now let's get back to our charm."

HP

To Harry's relief, the Queen immediately signed his permission slip after Ron had explained the matter to her.

He spent the summer holidays at Buckingham Palace like the previous summer, alternately having Defence tutoring with the Unspeakables and meeting with Ron, Draco, Hermione and Neville. From time to time, Ron and Harry even spent the afternoon with Tracey and Daphne.

On Harry's birthday, he was allowed to invite all of his classmates, and to his surprise, everyone showed up for the party.

However, at the same time, he heard some very disturbing news. Sirius Black, the betrayer of his parents, had escaped from Azkaban.

"Some people say he'd want to get back at you for vanquishing the Dark Lord that night. You better be very careful," Draco informed him, causing Harry to give his friend an uneasy look.

"He's right, you know. You shouldn't go anywhere without having one of the Unspeakables with you," Ron told him later on, when he was the last to leave.

"All right Ron, I won't," Harry promised, sighing.

Later the same evening, he received a letter from Buckbean instructing him to come to Gringotts first thing in the morning. Recalling what Ron had told him, he floo-called his friend, who promised that either he or any of the other Unspeakables would come to collect him at nine o'clock.

HP

Ron made his way to the Unspeakables Office a few minutes before the beginning of the morning meeting at eight o'clock.

He discussed the matter of a possible escort for Harry with Croaker, and the Head Unspeakable immediately agreed that Harry should not go anywhere without an escort.

"Today, I'll accompany him to Gringotts myself," he informed his Mini Unspeakable. "The meeting is about the Elder Wand, which the goblins forcefully took from Dumbledore yesterday."

"Is Dumbledore all right?" Ron enquired. Not that he was worried about the headmaster. It was rather that he wondered by which means the goblins had taken back the wand.

"Oh, let's say he should be well by the beginning of the school year," Croaker replied in apparent amusement. "Buckbean was so kind and informed me about their little fight. You may come along if you wish."

"I'd like to go," Ron eagerly accepted the invitation.

HP

Harry registered in surprise that Croaker and Ron both came to accompany him to Gringotts, and his astonishment even increased, when he did not only receive the Elder Wand from Buckbean but also the Resurrection Stone from Croaker.

"Put it into a safe place in your own room at Buckingham Palace," Croaker instructed him. "While you should carry the Elder Wand with you, preferably hidden in a second wand holster, you should leave the stone at your home at any time. Don't take it to Hogwarts with you."

"Excuse me, sir, but what does it mean to have all three Hallows?" Harry enquired, eyeing the Unspeakable with curiosity.

"It means that you're the Master of Death," Croaker explained. "Since there hasn't been one for a few centuries, I'm not exactly certain about the merits or consequences though. Immortality could be one effect, but that's only an assumption, not any certified knowledge. I'm certain that you'll find out over time though, and it might help you in your future fight against Voldemort."

"You haven't heard from him, have you?" Harry queried, nervously running a hand through his unruly hair.

"No," Croaker replied, shaking his head, before he turned to Buckbean. "Have the goblins any news concerning Voldemort?"

"No sir," Buckbean replied and informed Harry that three goblins had gone to see Dumbledore the previous afternoon. Since the headmaster refused to return the Elder Wand, one of them had cast a goblin spell at the old wizard that made his muscles freeze, causing him to drop the wand, so that it could be retrieved. "Unfortunately for Dumbledore, the humans don't know the spell let alone the counter spell, so that it'll have to wear off by itself, which will take less than a month," he added, smirking

'Oh well, it's his own fault,' Harry thought, feeling very grateful towards the goblins and the Unspeakables for their invaluable support.

"For all the crimes committed towards you, Dumbledore is now locked out of Gringotts for a year. His account has been frozen for the time being," Buckbean continued, making Harry and Ron gasp.

Harry profusely thanked Buckbean and Croaker and gratefully accepted that Ron popped him home.

HP

At the Welcoming Feast, Dumbledore was obviously completely back to normal, even if he seemed a little tired and pale. 'Well, it's his own fault for messing with Harry and stealing from him,' Ron thought, as he observed the Sorting of the new first-years. 'For us it's better that he was incapacitated anyway,' he thought, knowing from Croaker that the headmaster had wanted to place Dementors around the school to possibly capture Sirius Black. Making use of the situation that the headmaster was not able to arrange any such thing, Croaker had seen to it that two Aurors were placed at the school for the time being. 'Thank Merlin, that's much safer for us than Dementors anyway,' he thought, wondering if the headmaster was slowly getting too old for his position.

He was brought out of his musings, when the meal popped up on the tables, much to his pleasure.

HP

During the house meeting in Slytherin, Snape held his usual monologue, before he motioned the first-years to introduce themselves. After he wished everyone a good night, he stepped over to where Ron and Harry were sitting together with Draco and Blaise and addressed Harry.

"Harry, Professor Dumbledore instructed me to tell you that you're not allowed to participate in the Hogsmeade visits."

"What?" Harry blurted out, seemingly shocked and angry at the same time.

Snape let out a deep sigh. "I'm sorry Harry, but the headmaster believes that it would be too dangerous for you with Mr. Black on the loose."

"What if one of the Aurors accompanied him?" Ron suggested, giving their head of house a pleading look.

"Or one of the Unspeakables," Snape replied, pensively, causing Ron to eagerly nod. 'Please ask the Unspeakables,' Ron heard the professor speak into his mind.

"All right sir," he replied, aloud.

"Very well, we'll speak about the matter again in a week then," Snape relented and sent the boys to bed.

HP

Croaker promised to send one of the Unspeakables to invisibly follow Harry through Hogsmeade, and Snape was able to convince the headmaster that it would be safe enough for the boy to participate in the Hogsmeade visit.

"Ron," Harry addressed his best friend, when they left the professor's office. "Are we going to go together with Tracey and Daphne, or should we ask Hermione and Neville? Perhaps we could go all together?"

Ron sighed before casting Harry an apologetic look. "I'm sorry Harry, but I have a date for the first Hogsmeade visit. Sphinx and I decided to go to Hogsmeade together," he admitted, hesitantly.

"Sphinx?" Harry asked in apparent surprise. "Have you finally found out who she is?"

Ron blushed profusely. "No, I haven't," he replied, feeling thoroughly annoyed. "Whoever she is though, she's my best friend apart from you," he continued, smiling.

Harry could not prevent himself from chuckling. "Oh well, maybe you'll manage to find out on Saturday then. Considering that you've been working together as Mini Unspeakables for more than three years now, it's really funny."

"Yeah, I can't wait to find out who she is," Ron agreed, eagerly, hoping in vain that no one else would be present if he found out who the girl was.

HP

"Let's meet at the Three Broomsticks at lunchtime," Daphne suggested during their study group on Friday evening, giving Ron and Harry a questioning look.

"I'm sorry," Ron replied, hesitantly, "but I've a date for tomorrow, and I don't know…"

"That your date is with me?" Daphne enquired in apparent amusement.

"What?" Ron blurted out, staring at his friend in shock. 'You're Sphinx?' he asked, telepathically.

"You only realised that now?" Daphne asked in clear disbelief. "I figured it out during the Sorting. Oh wow, boys are really daft, even if they're supposed to be a mastermind."

"Sorry," Ron replied, uncomfortably, not able to keep himself from blushing. "Will you still go to Hogsmeade with me?"

"Of course," Daphne replied, smiling.

"What?" Harry spoke up, questioningly.

"Boys," Daphne groaned in apparent annoyance.

"Well Harry, shall we go to Hogsmeade together then?" Tracey suggested, and Harry nodded in apparent relief. "If you want, we can invite Hermione and Neville to go together," she offered.

"I'd like that," he replied, smiling.

HP

Ron was barely able to fall asleep that night. The thought 'Sphinx is Daphne' kept him awake for hours. He had known Sphinx for more than three years now and Daphne for two years, however, he'd never have imagined that they were one and the same person. 'I wonder if that's really true,' he thought in spite of knowing that it had to be. Daphne was not one to joke about such an important thing. 'Oh well, it doesn't really matter,' he thought. 'I like Daphne, too.'

To his relief, his date with Daphne went well, and he realised that the girl was indeed the same person as Sphinx. They spent the whole day exploring the village and only went to meet their friends at The Three Broomsticks at lunch time.

"Thank you Ron. That was much fun," Daphne told him, when they were on their way back to the castle on time for dinner.

"Yes, it was," Ron agreed, grinning. "If you don't mind, we can always repeat this the next time," he added, hesitantly.

"I'd love that," Daphne replied, as she followed him inside the castle.

HP

While not only Ron but also Harry had completely forgotten about the matter with Sirius Black, someone tried to break into Gryffindor tower on Halloween, and everyone in the castle feared that it was indeed Sirius Black.

"Why would he try to get into Gryffindor if he wanted to get to me though?" Harry asked one evening, when he was together with Ron, Daphne and Tracey.

"Maybe he doesn't know that you're in Slytherin," Tracey guessed. "The Potters are generally known as Gryffindors."

"Harry, since you're the owner of Hogwarts, maybe you'll be able to somehow speak with the castle," Ron said, pensively.

"Yes, maybe if you touch the wall at an empty spot, you could talk to her," Daphne immediately agreed.

Giving his friends a look of absolute disbelief, Harry stepped towards an empty spot on the wall and placed his hand against it.

"Hogwarts, can you hear me?" he whispered, only to flinch back in surprise, when a soft voice penetrated his mind.

'Of course I can hear you,' Hogwarts replied. 'I was wondering when you'd try to speak with me.'

"I'm sorry Hogwarts, I didn't know that it was possible," Harry whispered. "May I ask you a question, oh no, two questions in fact," he quickly corrected himself.

'Of course dear,' the castle responded.

"Do you know if Sirius Black was here last night?" Harry enquired.

'Yes, I could sense him within my walls,' Hogwarts confirmed.

"Can you please alert me if he comes again?"

'I can do that,' Hogwarts promised.

"There's a curse on the Defence Against the Dark Arts position, is that correct?" Harry asked his second question.

'Yes dear, Tom Riddle cursed the position,' Hogwarts told him. 'Do you want me to try and break it?'

"Oh that would be great if you could do that," Harry said in excitement.

'I'm not sure if I can,' Hogwarts said, slowly. 'Please try to push as much magic as you can into my wall to assist me.'

Harry did as he was asked, and it took a little while, before Hogwarts informed him that the curse on the position had been lifted.

"Thank you so very much," Harry replied, feeling very happy at the news.

'You're welcome my boy, and please contact me again soon, so that I can tell you where the founders' quarters are. Just now, I'm too tired though,' Hogwarts told him.

HP

"The curse on the Defence Against the Dark Arts position is gone," he informed his friends, who shared his sentiment.

"Thank Merlin," Tracey was the first to speak up. "Professor Lupin is the best teacher we've ever had."

"Should we inform the headmaster?" Daphne suggested, causing the others to refuse vehemently.

"No, leave it," Ron replied. "He doesn't have to know that Harry's able to converse with Hogwarts."

HP

It was a few weeks later that Hogwarts suddenly thought into Harry's mind, although he was just studying together with his study group, not having his hand against the wall.

'Harry, I have captured Sirius Black in an empty classroom,' she informed him. 'Please go there now. I'll show you the way.'

"Hogwarts has captured Sirius Black," Harry quickly informed his friends. "Will you go with me?"

Everyone agreed, and the four third-year Slytherins quickly left the common room, noticing in surprise that small arrows appeared on the wall of the dungeon corridor.

HP

Ron quickly contacted Croaker, as he followed his friends half-way up to Gryffindor, before they came to stand in front of an unused classroom.

"Hi Croaker," he said, gratefully, when the Unspeakable popped up right next to the small group.

"What's up?" Croaker enquired, causing Ron and Daphne to quickly inform their boss. "All right, let's go in then," Croaker decided and tried in vain to open the door in front of him.

"Maybe I need to ask Hogwarts to let us in," Harry suggested and laid his hand against the wall.

"Hogwarts, we're here now and would like to speak with Mr. Black. Will you please let us inside?"

'Of course my boy. Please be careful,' the castle replied, and a small click alerted them to the fact that the door was now unlocked.

HP

Croaker was the first to step through the open door, closely followed by everyone else. Like the others, Ron remained, stunned, at the sight in front of him.

A large, black dog was sitting on the floor with a rat perched between his teeth.

"That's Scabbers," he suddenly recognised the rat, "Ginny's rat."

"Reveal yourself," the Unspeakable ordered the dog in a strict voice. "Are you Sirius Black?"

Ron immediately pulled his wand, seeing from the corners of his eyes that Harry did the same, when the dog transformed into a tall, unkempt man.

"I am Sirius Black," he confirmed, holding his empty hands up to show that he was unarmed. Pointing to the rat, which was stunned, lying in front of his feet, he continued, "Please hear me out. I'm not the traitor. The rat here, he's Peter Pettigrew. He's the one who betrayed Lily and James to Voldemort, and he's also the one who blast up the street and killed all the muggles. I've done nothing of all the things that I've been accused for without ever receiving a trial."

"Is that true?" Croaker asked, sharply. "You never received a trial?"

Sirius nodded.

"Would you be willing to take Veritaserum and allow me to question you?" Croaker prompted.

"Of course," Sirius replied, letting his eyes wander over the small group, before they came to linger on Harry. "Harry," he said, his expression changing to a huge smile. "Do you know that you're my godson? Only the thought of you kept me sane, when I was in Azkaban."

"Well, let's see if you're really innocent. Otherwise, I don't have anything to say to you," Harry replied, seemingly torn between believing the man and making him responsible for his parents' deaths.

"Very well," Croaker said, pulling a small phial out of one of his inner robe pockets. He administered the Veritaserum and began the questioning.

Just a few minutes later, it was clear that Sirius was as innocent as he claimed, while Peter Pettigrew's questioning proved that he was guilty on all accounts.

'Scabbers,' Ron thought, horrified. 'He was Percy's pet for so many years and now Ginny's. It's really hard to imagine that he was a criminal in hiding all this time. I can't believe it. Percy and Ginny will be shocked for sure, thinking that they allowed him to sleep in their beds.'

"I'll speak with Madam Bones and see to it that you'll receive a trial during the next couple of days," Croaker promised. "Until then, I can either take you with me or advise you to hide well. I'm going to take Pettigrew into custody in any case." Picking up the rat, he transfigured it into a wooden rat, which he slid into his robe pocket, seemingly contented.

"I know where he can hide," Ron blurted out, glancing at Harry. "Harry, you said something that Hogwarts offered to show you the founders' quarters. Maybe Sirius could remain there for the time being."

Nodding, Harry stepped over to the wall and asked the castle, who once again led him and his friends, accompanied by a black dog, through the corridors by small arrows on the walls.

The whole group had to stop, however, when someone stepped in front of them, blinding them with the bright light from the tip of a wand and said in a stern voice, "Stop! Where do you think you're going? It's already after curfew."

"Can you please let your wand sink first?" Daphne was the first to reply, seemingly annoyed.