Disclaimer: The Harry Potter Series (1997-2007) and any characters and original locations within the books belong to JK Rowling. I own my original characters and my plot twists. I am not trying to pass any of these characters or copyrighted ideas off as my own and therefore it isn't plagiarism or copyright infringement.
Chapter Four – The Other Dumbledore
A month had passed in the newly occupied Hogwarts. Leo spent several nights as Goldilocks with Shadow traveling around the castle. They soon discovered that all of the previous passages were closed off to the castle. The three eyed witch passage that linked the castle to the candy shop in Hogsmeade was the first closed. Leo never had his hands on Maunders' Map, but he was around the Weasley Twins enough in the previous years to know about the passages. They had all of them memorized after giving the map to Harry in his third year. The whole castle was under such a tight lock down that he and Nott feared being found when they traveled around the castle in their animal forms. A lion was quite telling and likely would get the Gryffindors in trouble if he was ever caught or spotted.
It was that line of thought in which found him and Nott in the Room of Requirement one late evening. They were trying to find a place where the resistance could find refuge. They set in the newly set up room which had plenty of hammocks and other supplies. Leo stared at the walls knowing they needed something else. They needed a passage, which would both let the Order in and younger students out. He wasn't sure what happened but soon a painting showed up in the room of a young girl in a blue dress. Leo approached the panting, "Things are not going well here at Hogwarts. Is there any way you could find us help?"
She nodded her head and her portrait opened revealing a secret passage. Leo looked over at Nott and nodded. The two of them decided to see where the passage ended. If it was someplace dangerous, they could use their house affiliation and Leo's dark mark to their advantage, however they hoped it would be somewhere safe. They walked in silence during both trapped in their own thoughts, however Leo's weren't as private as Theo's.
Do you really think this is a good idea? What help will you be to the Order if the two of you get caught creating a new passage by Death Eaters? Draco's ever cautious voice boomed in his head.
We have to do something Draco. I was sorted into Gryffindor for a reason. I care more about the protection of my friends and the greater good than I do about my own well being. I'm not selfish enough to have that self preservations streak you Slytherins have. Leo's thought had a bit more venom in it than he meant. He wasn't blaming his brother for his current predicament, he was just sick of being around the new Slytherin Royalty Zabini and his two body guards Crabbe and Goyle.
Draco groaned. Leo, you know that's not what I meant. I understand that you're doing this to save everyone and help bring down the darkest wizard since Grindelwald. By the way you, might want to get a copy of that new book about Dumbledore. Apparently the old man had a relationship with that wizard before he defeated him in 1945.
Leo shook his head, as he never planned on reading that Beetle's new book. However, Dumbledore had always been a bit secretive about his own life. He couldn't help but wonder why no one ever knew about any relationships he may have had. He always seemed so alone. How was it possible for someone who championed for the power of love to have never experienced it? I don't know how much we can trust in that woman, Draco.
Yes, well somehow she got her hands on some correspondence between Dumbledore and Grindelwald. I found an interesting symbol at the end of the letter between the two. I've been trying to find the meaning of it, but I have yet to find it. I'd suggest that you get a copy of the book. I think it would be helpful if you were looking into it as well. Something in my gut tells me it's of importance. I cannot help but wonder if it has something to do with that slimy bollocks of a dark wizard.
Leo and Draco's mental conversation was cut short, when the two young wizards found the other end of the tunnel. They cautiously climbed out of the portrait and soon it shut behind them. They looked around the small room, which resembled a parlor and a dining room combination. There was a large old looking table at one end of the room and a couple of worn chairs near the fire. The walls looked somewhat memorable, but Leo wasn't able to place the familiarity. A broken mirror missing a piece hung on the wall as well. Leo tried not to gasp when he saw Harry's reflection in it. Seeing the savior of the Wizarding world calmed the butterflies in his stomach. The sense of calm disappeared when footsteps sounded on the other side of the thick, ancient looking, wooden door. His heart quickened as the door slammed open and appearing before them seemed to be the ghostly apparition of the previous Headmaster of Hogwarts. Leo was silent for a few moments as he blinked trying to process the information before him. "Dumbledore? Are we in Hog's Head? It's been a while, hasn't it Aberforth?"
He stared at the two of them with a similar all knowing sparkle in his blue eyes that his now deceased brother had, "You're not who you seem, are you Leo? I'd have to say that the Gryffindor red and gold fits your bold character better than that silver and green you currently wear. I'm guessing you're impersonating that ferret you have for a twin. So, is he off hiding in some hole waiting for the war to end while you fight his battles for him? Why is it that the younger siblings always have to pay for the older one's mistakes?"
Leo raised his eyebrow, "You're brother did have a relationship with Grindelwald before their standoff didn't he?"
The man who resembled the goats he loved boomed, "Yes, my dear brother chose that mad man over me and my sister. If it wasn't for him, then perhaps my dear Ariana would still be alive. I loved our little sister and wanted to drop out of school to watch out for her, but he wouldn't allow me to after our mother died. He said that he'd protect her, and then that summer when that blonde little devil captured his heart. A three way duel broke out and Albus managed to accidently hit her with a curse, which took her life." His eyes watered as he looked up at the portrait, "My dear sister. She was never the same after those three muggle boys attacked her." He quickly wiped his eyes and turned away from the other two gawking wizards.
Leo cleared his throat, "I'm so sorry for your loss."
The man turned around with a much different look on his face, "What are you two doing here anyway?"
Leo motioned at the portrait with his head, "We were in the Room of Requirement and asked for another secret passage since the others have been closed off by the Death Eaters. I needed to find a sanctuary for the members of Dumbledore's Army. I know that those Gryffindor's are not likely to sit and wait without a fight. Well, I guess I'm technically one of them, but I have my part to play while my brother prepares to reenter the fight. I'm sure he enjoyed your comment about his cowardly ways. You see the connection between us allows him to see what's going on here while he's elsewhere. It's best that the other side doesn't find out about my true existence until the last possible moment. He's watching and waiting for when his help will do the most good."
The old man grunted, "You're babbling."
Leo lowered his head and sighed, "Yes, well I've got a lot riding on my shoulders right now, don't I? I cannot blow my cover, so I cannot be the one to lead my DA friends. So, I will have to communicate with Ginny Weasley and Neville Longbottom. The two of them are the closest to the Golden Trio left at the school and the most competent. They're both Purebloods, so that should keep them from too much torture at the hands of the Carrow brother and sister. I know that me and Theo cannot do much, but I'm sure he wants to keep his Gryffindor girlfriend safe. I fear the war will come back to the castle, as so much has already happened there and it means so much to Riddle."
The coarse bar owner grumbled, "I guess that I'll be communicating with the DA in the future then. Should I notify the Order of this development? Many of them are communicating through the wireless."
Theo's dark eyes lit up, "Do you think you could have one of those communication devices sent to the room of requirement. It may be important for us to report what's going on at Hogwarts. Well, I guess what I mean is, it will be important for the Gryffindors to report what's going on."
The old man nodded, "Send the Longbottom boy to me in a week." He turned toward the portrait, "Ariana, please show these two back to the castle." The portrait nodded and opened showing the newly created tunnel.
Leo and Theo nodded their thanks before entering the tunnel. The trip back to the castle wasn't as silent as the trip to Hog's Head. Theo cleared his throat, "Do you think we'll make it through this alive?"
Leo thought about it for a moment, "I'm sure that Neville will show his true reason for being sorted into Gryffindor instead of Hufflepuff, which is where my brother believed he should've been placed."
"Do you think that he'll believe you? Will we have a problem convincing those thick headed Gryffindors that we're actually on their side?" Worry dripped from every word the Slytherin boy spoke.
"Perhaps we should leave you out of it. I'm sure that I can convince them by simply showing them my Patronus or transforming into Goldilocks. I'm sure that at least Ginny knew about my ability to transform and everyone in the DA saw my Patronus during fifth year. It would be odd for a Slytherin to have a lion for either, right?"
Theo chuckled, "Leo, I do believe you'll be showing your true colors with those."
He rolled his eyes, "Gee thanks for your support Theo."
Another week passed before Leo found the perfect opportunity to corner the new leader of the DA. He knew the upstairs boy bathroom wasn't the best place to have a private discussion. However, that was where he found Neville and him alone for the first time. He stared straight ahead as he relieved himself. He managed to whisper, "Do you remember where the Room of Requirement is?"
He felt the usually nervous blond boy's eyes on him, as he spat, "Why are you talking to me, Malfoy?"
"Well, I guess I've accepted my true Surname, but I'm not really Draco. I'm another constellation playing a part during these trying times."
"I'm not falling for whatever trick you have up your sleeve, Malfoy," The only son of Frank and Alice grunted.
Leo did one thing that a Malfoy was never known to do, he begged, "Please Neville. I don't care if you bring every friend you have in Gryffindor to meet me in that room tonight. I can prove to all of you who I truly am because the DA members would recognize my Patronus."
Neville crossed his arms, "How about you show me your Patronus now? If you think I'm really that thick, you're mistaken. I'm not going to put any of my friends in danger just because you're being you're usual manipulative self, Malfoy."
Leo sighed, "Fine." He pulled out his wand and thought of the happiest moment he held closely during the dark times they live in, "Expecto Patronum." A slivery lion popped from his wand and gated around the two.
The other blonde's eyes popped, "I recognize that Patronus, Leo, but how?"
He canceled the charm before turning around, "I will explain everything in a more secure location. Bring whoever you trust and I'll explain everything." He quickly left the newly dumfounded boy standing in the bathroom as he made his way back down to the Slytherin Common Room.
That night Leo waited in the Room of Requirement for the others to show up and to share his cover with others. He knew that it was best for everyone to believe he was Draco, but he needed allies if they were going to help Harry defeat the Dark Lord and his followers. It would also be helpful for his family if the Order knew about his family's true alliance to each other over all others. Maybe he and Draco would do enough to redeem his parents in the end, and maybe their family wouldn't be ripped away after the fall of the Dark Lord. His thoughts were intermixing with worries when the door to the room opened.
He turned around to see Neville, Ginny, and Seamus. He hoped to see Dean but then he remembered that his mother was a Muggle and that he didn't know enough about this father to prove that he was a Half-blood and not a Muggleborn. Ginny and Seamus quickly pulled their wands and pointed them at him. Ginny growled, "What do you want Malfoy?"
Leo closed his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose. "Seamus please put your wand away before you accidently blow something up." He pulled out his wand and gathered his strongest happy memory, "Expecto Patronum." The others watched the lion gate around the room.
Ginny looked at him with her quizzical brown eyes, "Leo? How long have you been impersonating your brother?"
"I guess, that's a bit of a long story. You see the summer before our Sixth year, your fifth; snake face forced Draco to join his ranks and gave him a mission to kill Dumbledore. However, he never expected Draco to succeed in his mission and planned to use him as an example for our parents. He wanted him to fail, so he'd have a reason to kill him for his failure after our father failed him numerous times. Luckily, Dumbledore knew about this mission and plan thanks to his Spy. I overheard a conversation between Dumbledore and Snape in the woods and it sounded like Snape no longer wished to kill Dumbledore like they'd agreed to. I later started working with said spy to help my brother complete the mission, and I took his place. I was never going to kill Dumbledore, as I could never cast that spell. However, he was already dying and he pleaded with Snape to give him a peaceful death instead of letting someone like Bellatrix take him out. You know, a person known to play with her food." He stopped for a moment and noticed the look on Neville's face, "I'm sorry Neville; I didn't mean to bring up bad memories."
"So, you've been impersonating your brother since the Astronomy Tower last spring. Where's Draco been?" Ginny crossed her arms and almost glared.
"You have to understand something about my brother. He never wanted to be forced to do such evil acts. He cried when he found out that his first attempt landed Katie Bell in the hospital, and by spring of last year he was a shell of a person. He wasn't sleeping and barely eating. He looked like a zombie walking around the school, just trying to find a way to succeed in order to protect the one person he loved with all of his heart, our mother. Sure, he idolized Father for the majority of his childhood, but I think he was starting to see his faults. Our mother has always been a strong base for him. Sure she seems cold in public, but she always doted on him. Not only did Riddle threaten his life, but also the lives of our parents. He couldn't threaten my life because the snake faced git didn't know of my existence. So, I was strong, and Draco was an emotional zombie. Of course, I took his place and sent him to France, so he could recuperate. Don't worry he's growing in strength and will return to the fight when our side needs him the most. I think he's waiting for when he could best assist the Golden Trio."
"You're telling me that your brother isn't as heartless and cold he's pretended to be? I don't know if you could sway our beliefs on that matter. The only one capable of proving a change as remarkable as that would be Draco himself. However, we know and trust you, Leo. I'm just a bit shocked to discover that it was Draco that left last year and not you. What are we to do now?" Ginny looked at him with hope in her brown eyes that wasn't there a moment before.
"Well, I must keep my cover with the Death Eaters who've infiltrated this school. I fear the final battle may come to this safe haven. Riddle is obsessed with this place and having control over it. He's the one that cursed the Defense Against the Dark Arts position after all. He did it when he was denied the position for a second time by Dumbledore. I can't meet with you too much, as they have to believe I'm a scared little boy who's trying to keep my nose clean, so that we don't suffer. The git has taken over our family home and expects us to serve him. I have two other things to share. Don't say his name. It's had a taboo curse placed on it. It's how they've been hunting down the true opposition. I believe the Order already knows this, but I'm unsure if the information has been passed along to you. I was at the meeting when they boasted about it. Secondly, Neville Aberforth Dumbledore is waiting on the other side of that painting in Hog's Head to give you some radio equipment so that you can communicate with the Order over the wireless. I don't think he'd mind if you bring these two with him. He's expecting you. Just speak with Ariana, their younger sister, and she'll let him know about you coming."
"Neville bring Seamus with you. I'll await your return. Leo, if this is some sort of trap, I'll find you and you'll receive my full Bat-boogey wrath. Better yet Leo, you'll wait with me here until the two of them return." Ginny threatened and the look in her eye caused him to freeze.
"Yes, ma'am," Leo just stood there as the portrait hole opened and the other two brave Gryffindors followed the tunnel to Hog's Head.
A/N: I found some inspiration for this. I figured I should probably write before it disappeared. I'm going to do a bit of a time jump in the next chapter. I hope that you enjoy. So, I've managed to write two other chapters but since this isn't one of the most popular of my fan fictions, I think I'll try to update weekly until I ran out of what I've already written. I also have the next chapter of The Joke Book Trap written. It's been that way for over a week but I've been too busy to edit it. I should be posting it tonight as well.