The Headmaster Chapter 11: Lament – Part II, a harry potter fanfic

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter. You sir or ma'am are a nutter if you think I do.

Chapter 11: Lament – Part II: A Set of Useless Things

1:57 P.M. on Thursday June 27th

The entrance foyer.

Easily as magnificent if not more so than the Great hall itself. Statues lined the walls, stretching up into the darkened ceilings, ever silent and watching.

Staring at them made Harry realize he'd never really looked at them before.

The detail in each warrior was incredible; some wore elaborate headpieces with etchings adorning every surface while others held life-like weapons. He wasn't well versed in history nor did he know exactly what lie beyond the Isle of Britain, but Harry could swear he was looking at the pasts of hundreds of cultures. The pinnacle of each civilization was immortalized in these statutes and the same characteristics which made these cultures great was also huen into the stone.

"Harry, are you alright?" Minerva asked, becoming more and more concerned. Since leaving the office, he was in a sort daze and looking around like he'd never seen anything before.

"Did you say something?" he mumbled and Minerva stopped them in front of the large oak doors. It was here that Harry finally became aware of an eerie silence, "Where is everyone?"

"Outside," she replied curtly, taking out her wand and running it through the air just over his head. "The entire school was emptied about thirty minutes ago and I was requested to bring you to the Pitch. The trials are set."

Harry followed the wand's movement for a second before his eyes narrowed, "Why the health check?"

Minerva was taken back, "How did you"

"Luna helped me understand the basics. Tidbits really, just enough to recognize it and I know one or two spells for practical purposes, but that's beside the point. What's wrong?"

The elder witch sputtered, "W-what, what's wrong? You are what is wrong, Harry! You've been in a trance since I found you and you're acting… you've been… without any hint as to why!"

He said nothing but his demeanor quickly changed. With head bowed enough to hide the eyes, he moved past her. She was about to reach out to him when his voice cracked with fatigue.

"I was just told everything I've ever wanted to know about my life and everything that has gone wrong with it." He reached for the doors, "I cannot dwell on it in silence as I would have in the past; I cannot scream, I cannot weep. What else then can I do?"

Minerva realized too late what Albus' visit was likely about. She knew there were secrets and Albus held them close to the chest, a fact she was never very agreeable on. Her eyes softened and was about to offer an apology when Harry opened the doors.

The difference between inside and outside the castle was deafening. What was once silence and a haunting peace were replaced by the sun, a warm breeze and shouts of spectators.

Thousands of them.

Harry nearly let his jaw drop when he saw the stands off in the distance.

The lofting bleachers had been pulled down to the ground, high enough still to offer a vantage point but low enough to be as close to the 'action' as possible. They were divided into fours, each adoring a shade from the Four Houses and predictably, most of the students sat with their respective colors. The other spectators who weren't students sat scattered amongst the Four Houses, they too likely sitting in their old House.

Someone must have recognized him because the crowds started to shout his name, jump and make a ruckus like when the players first came out at the Quidditch World Cup. It was quite a sight to see and Harry felt his spirits lift a little. He smiled and beckoned Minerva to follow him.

"Any last minute advice, Professor?"

She eyed him warily, "Just a warning. There's a rumor amongst the faculty concerning what Severus has set up. They're saying he's changed something fundamental but no one knows what exactly."

"Useful rumor," murmured Harry and they continued their journey in silence. Once they neared the short flight of steps up to the testing platform, Minerva stopped them and bowed slightly to him.

"I wish you the best, Harry. Regardless of what comes from this, know that I will always support you."

She was relieved to see her words rewarded with a genuine smile, "Thank you," he replied softly.

Harry watched her go and after a moment his gaze turned forward. The raised platform wasn't really raised at all, maybe a foot or so off the ground. In the middle of this stage were several individuals, all of which he recognized immediately. Wisps of anger touched his mind but he beat it back.

'For Hermione.' he thought briefly before ascending the few steps and walking briskly over to the group.

Snape was standing off to the right of them, looking over various objects stationed on on a large table. Harry stared at him briefly, but paid no heed. His attention was thoroughly focused on an individual who should not have been anywhere near the school.

'Why is Umbridge here?' he thought bitterly while forcing a fake smile. "Good afternoon, Minister" he said to Fudge. "Are we ready to begin?"

"We are, Headmaster Potter" sneered Umbridge in response. "And I am the Minister as of this morning. You are speaking to Chief Warlock Cornelius Fudge and to his right, Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement, Kingsley Shacklebolt."

Harry's smile twitched, "Ah." By some miracle, he extended his hand, "My congratulations. I hadn't heard Albus or Amelia stepped down."

"Voted down and both have been marked as traitors," she smiled gleefully while shaking it. "You will notify us if you come into contact with them, won't you?"

Anger forgotten, Harry nearly reeled. This wasn't known to Albus or the Order, otherwise Harry was sure he would have heard about it during their conversation. 'It must have happened after Remus and Amelia escaped. I knew things were bad in the Ministry, but this bad?'

"Headmaster, you look troubled. Not afraid are you?"

Harry would later question how he did it but he released her hand and answered sweetly, "No, not afraid at all. Shall we get things started, Minister?"

The four of them turned to the crowds and Fudge spoke up.

"Come on Mum!" shouted little Cindy as she ran ahead of her parents through the streets of Hogsmeade. It was a glorious summer day, the temperature just right and the breeze cool enough to keep you feeling refreshed. Cindy Harper danced around her mother and father as they made their way to Zonko's for a bit of family fun.

"Afternoon, Josh, good to see you Mandy!" said one of the neighbors.

"Same to you, Finn! Hey did you hear about what's going on at Hogwarts today?" Josh said and the two men talked a bit while Mandy chased after their daughter.

"Cindy! Come back here! Daddy's talking to Mr. Marcus, we should wait for him!"

The little girl squealed as her mother gave chase and the townsfolk watched with knowing smiles; just another summer day in this Wizarding village. At the same time, a large black dog studied the young girl and her mother carefully. He sat unmoving, invisible within the shadows cast by one of the shops. His canines were slightly exposed, a smile if one looked at it a certain way.

A noise came from behind in the alley, bringing the dog to full attention. Instead of looking to find the source, it acted less like an animal and more like a man by sniffing the air without moving, hoping to discover the intruder's intent.

There was a scent of spruce in the air, something out of place with the alpine surrounding the village. There was also a touch of sunflower mixed in, not something you'd find in the wild unless you were surrounded by sunflowers let alone in Hogsmeade.

Having recognized the scents the dog huffed and left its hiding spot, trotting into the darkened alley before morphing into a man with a black tattered coat and an overall poor appearance. Physical looks aside, his eyes were sharp and after getting sufficiently away from the main road, he called out.

"Remus, you're starting to smell more and more like my dear cousin every day. At some point, I won't be able to tell the difference."

He smirked as Remus jumped up from behind a large barrel, "And you Sirius are becoming more of a mutt with each passing second. It's a wonder you haven't attracted any flees."

Safety phrases out of the way, both men drew close, "What's the word from Albus?"

Remus shook his head, "Not good. Bella refuses to say anything and all she does is laugh when the silencing charms are removed. I've never seen him so frustrated before."

"You're telling me. Blew up my mother's dresser a few days ago, just Poof! Splinters everywhere. I didn't care for it much but still, it's not like him."

"Have you heard the news lately?"

"No, I've been in the dark since this venture started. What's happened?"

Remus shook his head, "More than you could ever imagine."

Sirius sighed, "Typical. Mind filling me in?"

Remus was quick about it and gave an abridged version, glassing over the main topics of Voldemort and Hermione, Tonks and Amelia and the spectacular departure from the Ministry.

"Bloody hell. I take it everyone is alright since I wasn't called back?"

Remus shrugged, "Up to this point in time, yes. Can't say about Harry, Albus didn't give me a chance to ask. He had me run a few a few errands before coming here and left to speak with him before I got back. No news is good news I suppose and if something did happen, I can't imagine Albus not saying something."

Sirius breathed deeply while looking in the direction of the castle, the tops of the towers just barely visible from their viewpoint. "I hope he's alright."

The werewolf clapped a hand on his shoulder, "You know he is and I'd go with you."

Sirius returned the gesture, "But we can't, I know. Don't suppose you caught a whiff of what they might have talked about?"

"No idea but I'm sure it wasn't pleasant."

"Last minute visits from Albus rarely are."

A dark cloud descended between the two men, Sirius having hit upon the night of James and Lily's death. Everything was quiet for a few moments before laughter rang out from the main road and it brought the two friends out of their memories. It also put things in perspective; his godson was protected at the castle, but these people had no such line of defense.

"So Bella's said nothing? No word, even after the last few days?"

"Nothing and Albus looked ready to drug her with Veritaserum before I left."

"Really? He's that desperate?"

"So it would seem. Have you found anything?"

The Black growled, "Not a whiff. I've searched the town inside and out with a two mile perimeter and there's nothing. Four days of scouting and not a bloody thing. Is Albus certain Hogsmeade is the target?"

"I don't think so, which is why Tonks and Amelia are looking into Saint Mungo's. With Harry at Hogwarts that covers the major bases. Before the trials this morning I had a little trek through the Ministry and I didn't find anything odd either. Collectively, I'm sorry to say, we've come up flat."

Sirius thought for a moment, "Amelia's out and about already?"

Remus nodded, "Damn good news if you asked me. She was a wreck when we left but she bounced back. That woman's got a temper, let me tell you."

He chuckled, "Don't let her hear you say that." Sirius scratched his head, "Given what you've told me and what's happening today, I'd bet Hogwarts was the primary objective. Beside the regulars, anyone else there?"

"Mundungus was supposed to look after the entrance and there's a few scattered amongst the crowd but that's it."

Sirius cursed, "Dung? Oh that's fantastic."

Remus shrugged, "Not much of a guard I agree, but with our numbers as is we can't really complain."

Another sigh, "Well, since you've showed up I assume new orders?"

The werewolf grinned, "I'm here to provide support. My nose is a little better than yours and it might," Remus stopped and began sniffing the air, "Do you smell that?"

Sirius mimicked his friend, "No, what is it?"

Remus started walking further into the alley which took them closer to the outside of the village. "I'm not sure to be honest, but its everywhere."

"Are you bloody serious? What the hell was the point of me being here if you picked it up within seconds?"

"It's faint, very faint but it's there. Your nose wouldn't have caught it and I'm surprised I noticed actually."

Sirius said nothing as Remus took the lead. They darted and weaved behind various objects until they stood at the back of several buildings and looked out to the vast wilderness around Hogsmeade. Being summer, the magical village was surrounded by green hills and few trees grew this far up into the mountains so you could see for an appreciable distance.

"I don't see anything, do you?"

"No," replied Remus, "but there's something here." He sniffed again, "I'm certain because it smells of Old Magic."

Harry felt nauseous.

The lies Umbridge and Fudge spouted were so sickening it made his stomach coil. Their 'remorse' over Amelia's betrayal was palpable, bringing a rotten taste to his mouth which was then amplified by their promises of vengeance and swift action for Dumbledore and his supporter.

Yet not a word was spared for Voldemort or his ilk.

'Convenient that,' he thought miserably as Fudge began comforting the crowds. 'I thought they were here to just get things started, not campaign for positions they already stole.'

The impromptu speeches, lies though they were, gave Harry an unexpected insight into the public's mindset. The young Headmaster was relieved, in a manner, to see the looks of horror and the many white faces in the crowd before him. Despite everything he had once believed about the general public, they were at least making a showing of their true colors.

'Come to think of it,' thought Harry. 'I didn't really get a taste for what the people actually believed. Albus rerouted any and all mail, including howlers, so I wouldn't know anything about their opinions. Most of my beliefs were based off my experiences with the Ministry and the… Prophet…'

He stumbled at that. If he could so easily be influenced without actually having any direct contact, then who knows what the public could really be lead to believe. Harry was quite surprised to discover he had been doing it too: assuming without evidence. Fortunately, one couldn't assume on what was happening right in front of the eyes and as he scanned over the crowds again, the reaction was pretty clear.

Everyone was scared out of their wits.

To their credit, no one had started screaming once the 'worst' of the news had been given. Fudge's rallying words, no matter how untrue or twisted to his goals, brought the people out of their immediate fears almost to the point of confidence, if Harry was reading them correctly. He glanced behind to see how widespread the effect had been.

'Credit where it's due: Fudge is a good speaker.'

The clapping and usual niceties given to leaders in this situation began as Fudge finished up. The clapping in itself also gave everyone a boost and they had more or less calmed down but Harry could see they were paying far more attention than before.

A thought hit him, 'Oh… Fudge is a lot better than I thought.'

Everyone was alert and watching now. By design likely, Fudge had made the people that much more interested in today's events. With the future uncertain and something as important as the Headmaster's position and what it meant for the many students and their parents, all had very real concerns for understanding the outcome of these tests.

'If I fail, the backlash is going to be terrible.'

Harry wasn't given any more time to ponder because the Warlock called Snape to the forefront.

"Without further adieu, I give you Professor Severus Snape!" Fudge turned to Harry as the crowd clapped politely, if a little forced, "Good luck then, Headmaster. We are eager to see what you are capable of."

Harry managed a curt nod and watched as the three Ministry officials left. Snape pointed his wand to his throat and spoke to the assembly.

"Ladies and gentlemen. I have been tasked with making three challenges that will verify Mr. Potter's capabilities and prove he is the rightful owner of the title, Headmaster of Hogwarts. Since protocol dictates I am to create these tests as I see fit, I have decided to deter from the expected number of three and instead combined them all into one."

There was murmuring, but Snape didn't let up.

"This single task will expound upon the three traits every Headmaster must have: Strength, Knowledge and Leadership. Should Mr. Potter find himself lacking in any of these three areas then I will be forced to make a vote of no confidence."

They applauded Snape's surprisingly insightful words while Harry grumbled under his breath. 'I wonder what aspect I'm lacking in, apart from all three of course.' Snape continued to speak what sounded like words of persuasion, to further the crowd to his manner of thinking but Harry had stopped listening.

The noises around him faded away and Harry felt himself drawn horrifically forward. There were a dozen or so objects on this large table he had ignored in favor of staring daggers into Snape's back when he first arrived. They were small trinkets, spaced evenly apart from the other and having little if any worth or relation to one another.

A set of random and useless objects with no point or purpose to anyone.

Anyone but Harry.

The first object was a small caldron full of yellowish liquid. The color and consistency was not something he'd soon forget, nor its taste.

'A Flame Retardant potion - the 'Firefighter's Shield' and the very same substance I sipped before facing Quirrel.'

Sitting next to that was a blood stained fang, another item he'd been personally acquainted with in the past and whose bite still remained fresh in his mind. A time turner was next, dangling in an elaborate stand and taunting him - a wordless message that his time had run out.

The fourth was a miniature dragon, the very same he held in his hands before the First Task. The fifth object was a broken spear from the tribe of Merpeople hiding away in Black Lake. Beside that was the Triwizard cup itself and the last little trinket was a carving knife, still stained in blood and sitting on top of a broken slab of granite.

'Bloody hell, there's seven. Albus guessed at there being seven horcruxes. Is this another message? An 'I-know-you-know' kind of thing?'

Harry took a calming breath and reigned in a galloping heartbeat.

'No - no that's not possible. Albus said he spoke to no one of his fears and I was the first. Snape doesn't know that Albus is on to Voldemort's methods. At the same time though, this does declare Snape's true allegiance. Most of these were kept under lock and key by Albus if not the Ministry and Snape stole them all.'

Harry blinked, realizing the full extent of his situation. 'Oh bloody hell. This is a trap and there's no means to disable it.'

Every move he made was being watched, judged by Ministry officials along with the entire school and countless members of the public. If he made a move to disarm Snape now, it would look like a total disregard for Hogwarts and a power play. It'd be the end of it and no one would be the wiser. His only possible hope depended on someone putting together the puzzle pieces and seeing what these objects really represented.

There were minds in the audience capable, but no one held the entire puzzle.

Hermione was bed ridden, Luna by her side and there went the two people most likely to see the pattern. Ginny? Maybe, but she didn't know about the fang or the time turner, same could be said with Ron or Neville.

Snape finished his speech with a much louder applause and he turned to Harry with a gleam in his eyes.

"Ready, Mr. Potter?"

Harry ground his teeth, "I"

'Be still!' whispered a voice in his ear. 'There is but one advantage, you mustn't lose it.'

"Mai," he whispered and steadied himself.

"Must I hand deliver an invitation?"

Harry stifled a retort, "I'm ready," he said instead. "What is this task?"

"Weren't you listening? Oh never mind: one of the objects before you is cursed. Find it, properly dispose of it and then bring the object back to me. Not that you'll understand, but this will demonstrate your knowledge of detection, show your magical prowess and the safe return of this object correlates to your leadership over a school of children. Is that sufficient?"

Harry was surprised he even bothered to ask, "It's good enough."

Snape actually smiled, "Begin."

"Ah bloody hell, trolls, uh, wild goblins, mountain giants, any of those?"

"No," replied Remus, "but right class. It's earth based and *sniff* and, there's something else. I'm not sure what though."

Sirius wanted to hex something. They had circled the town twice and weren't able to pinpoint the source of the smell. Remus just kept saying it was all around them. The elder Black looked down the main road and glanced at Remus, "We've checked everywhere."

"Except in" and the ground rumbled followed by screams down the road.

"Bugger it all, let's move!"

They ran for it, charging past others who were trying to get out of town. As they got closer to where the screams first started, the ground shook again, this time violently and several nearby houses collapsed. After rounding the last bend into the main square, they discovered the source.

"Whoa!" shouted Remus and he jumped back, barely missing a large stone fist crushing the wall he used to be standing next to.

Sirius was gobsmacked, "An Earth Golem? Where the hell did that come from?"

Remus was about to reply when several more houses from the opposite side of the court were blown apart and two more of these creatures trudged into the square. They stood at least two stories tall, their heads slightly under the rooftops and they were made almost entirely of earth. They weren't thin either, their stance stretching six or seven men wide and that was assuming fairly sizable men. After the dust settled, the three monsters stared at one another: each sizing the other up as either friend or foe.

"How did they get here?" hissed Sirius, "and why didn't you know what they smelled like?"

The werewolf's eyes were wide and feral, but his body perfectly still. "They're bloody golems," he growled between tight lips. "Do you have any idea when these things were last seen?"

All three creatures sniffed the air loudly and they turned to look at Remus.

"Move!" he cried and the golems all charged at once. The trio split, two going after Remus and the last one trying to flatten Sirius. The man-now-dog was ducking and swerving around falling debris as fast as he could and nearly got his tail pinned by the fist of the creature following him. Sirius' efforts did not go without reward, as the golem growled in frustration, it slammed the ground harder than before, disturbing its own momentum. It allowed Sirius a split second change in direction and from there, he led the golem out of the courtyard and to the edge of town.

Remus wasn't so lucky.

He dipped underneath a haymaker but got caught in a surprise attack from the other golem and was thrown like a rag doll, hitting hard against a deck post from one of the nearby buildings. The two golems looked at each other, the one irked by the other's success. The distraction was a welcome moment Remus used to get back to his feet.

"Never thought I'd be happy to be a werewolf," he groaned, taking out his wand and snarling at the ancient beings.

Their small heads swiveled to look at him and their eyes blinked in an eerily naive way. It gave the impression of little intelligence but of all the rock monsters Voldemort could choose from, he sent in the smartest. There was a reason two of them went against Remus: they knewa werewolf could be trouble.

'Aqua Procella!'

Water burst from the tip of his wand like a waterfall, drenching everything within seconds. The suddenness of the attack and the force of the water was enough to stun the golems and Remus put some distance between them but never turned his back.

He coughed, spitting out a glob of blood and cursed as the creatures shook off their daze and looked to him in anger.

'They're old. A blast of water should weaken them or at least slow them down but they've been around long enough for their bodies to have hardened. I hope they're more dirt than rock.'

The one golem roared at him while the other quickly grabbed a stone bench from nearby and chucked it. Remus dodged easily enough and on instinct ducked and rolled further out of the way. The maneuver saved his life, as the golem that had roared was already upon him and smashing the ground.

'Buggers are fast!'

As Remus continued diving and dodging the hunks of earth and stone, Sirius was having issues of his own.

'How fast are these things?' he panted as he sprinted across an open field.

Since getting out past the last of the houses, the golem had been right behind him the entire time, keeping up almost too easily. It occasionally stretched out its limbs and hit the ground, forcing Sirius to alter his course at a moment's notice.

'I hate magical creatures,' he grumbled.

Golems were raw magical beings, nothing less would animate the inanimate and because of that, they were gifted with abnormal qualities. You never did know what you were fighting against until it was too late. A ledge up ahead forced the dog's mind back into the fight.

He leapt off it, landing in a small stream and as he scrambled away, he heard a loud thud and risked a look to see what had happened. By luck, this golem wasn't quite so nimble with elevations and landed face first into the creek.

But what really caught Sirius' attention was the large chunk missing from the golem's left shoulder.

'This one's young!' and in an instant, he was a man again.

"Aqua Signa!" he bellowed and the water in the stream began to pool and surround the creature. It realized the danger it had fallen into and tried desperately to get out of the water, but the enlarging bubble followed its every move. In a panic, it spotted Sirius and started to charge.

"Infernum Duratus!"

The ball of water froze solid and slammed onto the ground. As the ice splintered, a screeching wail took Sirius by surprise and just as the block of ice cracked apart, the screaming stopped. The Marauder hunched over on his knees.

"Now that, was lucky," he gasped before forcing himself back up. He took a few more seconds to regain his breath and with a pop! was gone. The ice melted away almost immediately and Sirius didn't see the remaining dirt fall off the creature, exposing what lie underneath.

Back in town, Remus was having a bloody field day.

Divots littered the bodies of the golems and their eyes burned in rage at being chipped away so thoroughly. The werewolf sported his own wounds, a nasty gash down the side and his left eye was swollen shut. Even so, a manic grin never left his face; he was as close to the wolf as he could be without the moon's assistance and right now, he needed every advantage.

"ITCTUS!" he bellowed.

The nearest creature roared as another chip of its body was punched away and Remus allowed himself a chuckle, courtesy of his own inner monster. Unfortunately, both man and wolf knew something wasn't right.

Golem's were supposed to be resistant to all forms of attack, both magical and physical yet these weren't. They were also surprisingly clever in their methods to corner him, maybe too clever. By the time he noticed the pattern in their movements and in his, it was too late.

Sirius popped into the square just as Remus got himself up, shoulders square and ready for the death blow. The Black directed his wand and pushed his magic into action. From his efforts there was a surge, the likes of which were easily detected by magical creatures.

"Sirius!" Remus gurgled, coughing up more blood. "Get the hell out of here!"

"Come on over here, little rocks," Sirius grinned, scarily like his mad cousin. "Uncle Grim's got a present for ya!"

The creatures glanced at each other before charging their new target. Remus let his mouth drop in surprise, 'No golem would yield to a still living enemy,' and as he summoned his magic for one more spell, the two golems disappeared into the ground.

"Gotcha!" cried Sirius. A few flicks of his wand, some water and ice later, and the same screeching cries met their ears. The triumph he felt was dimmed by the look of Remus' concerned and bloodied face as the werewolf hobbled over to the pit. When he joined Remus, both looking down into the magically dug hole, neither could believe their eyes.

Rotting limbs and flesh outnumbered rocks and stone in the now mass grave. A stench of death wafted up and forced the two of them to turn away.

"What… what is going on?"

Remus gasped for breath, being overloaded by the stench, "No idea, but *wheeze* that explains the weirdness."

"How do you mean?"

"Did yours fall just as easily?"

Sirius' look said it all, "They weren't the real thing."

Remus risked another glance, "They looked it and nearly acted like it, but last I checked, golems were more dirt than dead bodies." At that Remus paled and so did Sirius.

"You thinking what I'm thinking?"

"Necromancy!"

"Shit! Remus, this shouldn't be possible. It isn't possible to make those kinds of changes, to create a golem? Out of the dead! That's… that's worse than Undead. It's… No, it's not possible."

The wolf fully receded and the adrenalin wasn't enough to keep Remus going so he collapsed. Sirius was shaken from his rant and managed to catch his friend before he completely slumped to the ground.

"Albus needs to know this. Now," panted the werewolf. "He'll want to see it."

Sirius nodded and began focusing on his destination.

Had it not been second nature, the two remaining Marauders would have died. No sooner had Sirius consciously desired to apparate, the sound of disapparation flooded the area and for a split second, two men gazed upon dozens of Death Eaters.

Snape actually smiled, "Begin."

Harry pushed down his growing unease and stepped forward.

They were, all of them, the originals. He had no proof, but Harry was sure of it. Knowing should have been an advantage but this was Snape. For all Harry knew, Snape could have been aware of everything.

'Then again, maybe not. Is this the advantage Mai spoke of? He doesn't know I'm onto him.'

He withdrew his wand and settled it over the bubbling potion. 'Pity it doesn't feel like an advantage. Oh bugger it all, to task Harry.'

Three short tugs of the wand in a quick flourish and the detection spell was cast, just like Luna showed him. Nothing happened to the vat of potion, a sign which could mean the item was safe. Unfortunately, there were probably a dozen or so ways to alter it without magic, all of which were beyond him and since a potions master was the arbiter of this contest, he'd have little hope of figuring it out.

'Right, you expected that. Moving on.'

He turned his attention to the Triwizard cup. Again, a few motions with his wand and this time there was a sudden burst of fire.

'Blue flame… Don't know about the fire but Luna said blue meant...' He blinked in shock. 'Portkey.'

His hesitation was noted, "Problem, Potter? Surely you don't think the cup is a portkey do you?" With the Soronus charm removed, the crowds would never hear them and Snape seemed to be taking full advantage.

Harry bit his tongue and checked the dragon just as he did the cup. The spell produced a tiny puff of amber smoke, so faint he almost missed it.

'I don't know that one,' he thought helplessly and the fear of failure began to emerge.

Harry cast the spell twice in succession, on the knife and time turner with similar results. Each emitted a smoke, barely detectable and in a combination of colors he did not understand. Sweat started pouring down the side of his face but he continued examining the objects.

He had to keep trying.

"What is wrong, Headmaster? You seem out of sorts. This meager challenge isn't affecting you, is it?"

'Shut up, Snape!'

Another swish, 'Orange mixed with yellow,' the next object, 'blue and silver,' and now all seven items had been tested. Out of the seven, there was only one that did not admit any hint of magical tampering: the potion.

'No way, there's no way!' he argued. 'This is Snape. It's probably so thick with poison a drop would do me in under a second.'

The spectators were starting to talk amongst themselves. Harry couldn't make it out and he honestly didn't want to. Ironic that in front of hundreds of people, the real Boy-Who-Lived would finally be revealed. Something on any other given day he might have welcomed but now the timing couldn't have been any worse. He forced the impending notion of failure from his mind and started back at the beginning, this time altering the spell just a bit like Luna had talked about. It was still a detection charm, but she stressed even the smallest change in the effort could produce a vastly different result in the end.

It wasn't about getting a specific color of smoke or sparks although knowing the art and what reaction meant what certainly helped. She said it was more the strength of the reaction that was the real prize. The response had to be strong, meaning you wanted the greatest feedback possible. This translated to the biggest puff of smoke or the brightest color and from there, you could deduce what the curse and or hex was. Luna also said something about magic behaving like currents and having frequencies but it was too advanced for too short a time.

Harry's lack of experience on how to 'throw the magic' as Luna described it, was also a problem. Throw it the wrong way or if your luck was really bad, throw any at all, and you'd get quite the fireworks display. Granted it would have been entertaining from a distance, being so close as he was meant caution over flair. Which left him and his meager skill to just emit very short, low intensity bursts to 'flirt with whatever was there.'

Harry actually had to stop and allow himself a smile. Luna had used those exact words and it produced a smile then just as it was now. He was about to start his efforts over again when Snape grew too annoyed to stay silent.

"What are you smiling about, Potter?" he grumbled. "Surely you've noticed it by now?"

Harry stopped. 'He's giving you an out. Intentional or not, this could be it.''

"I suppose that would depend on your perception. What did you want me to notice, Snape?"

The man laughed, truly laughed. Loudly. The spectators grew quiet and wondered what was going on.

"The point was to make you realize something and then to make everyone else realize it too. Every object here is cursed, or did you miss that with your feeble attempts at feeling the magic?"

Harry's nerves were frayed and they betrayed him through his expression.

"Ah, so you did notice! I must admit, I did not think you would get this far. Regardless though, the so called progress is not sufficient but then again, I didn't expect it be."

Snape recast Sonorus and turned to the crowds, "Harry Potter has failed!"

The gasp was gut wrenching and Harry flinched from it. Many eyes looked at him, all filled with disbelief.

"I claim this child unfit for duty! As proctor of these examinations I hereby strip you of a position that was never yours to begin with!"

'Now Harry,' whispered Mai. 'Raise your wand and show them.'

He felt something stir within and then around him. Taking a leap of faith, he did as Mai suggested and was rewarded by the gasps of the crowd.

The tip of his wand lit to show he was casting and a thin, similar colored shield appeared around the castle.

"I still have a lot to learn, this much is true." His words carried through the stands without a Sonorus. "The castle however, recognizes me as Headmaster. Though I may not yet posses the knowledge some may deem required, Hogwarts believes otherwise."

On instinct Harry jumped back, missing a Reducto curse by inches. The blast from the curse shattered the table and scattered the objects all around him where he landed from the dode.

Snape apparated back several yards, "No matter," he grinned. "My Master wishes your Death and who am I to deny him?"

All seven items surrounding Harry exploded.

Snape called out and cast another spell, this one tearing the stage apart and creating a deep pit where Harry was last seen.

People had already started screaming. Snape quickly swept his eyes over the stands and was quite satisfied at seeing their looks of horror. Turning back to the ruined stage and where Harry once was, he smiled.

"Finally where you belong," and he turned his wand to the sky, "Morsmordre!"

What little order remained was lost as people panicked and tried to get away. Black wisps danced among the edges of the stands, forcing people to stay where they were as additional Death Eaters apparated into the grounds. To restore some order, several of the intruders fired curses into the exits and managed to get the people's attention.

"Everyone if you would please sit back down and we may perhaps not lose all of you today. My Lord has high hopes for you." Snape was in his element and it disgusted those who used to work with him. He had played them all for fools.

Minerva in particular was frothing at the mouth, "Filius! Is there not a single thing we can do?"

The half-goblin growled as he waved his wand in several motions before stopping abruptly.

"He's done something to the anti-apparition wards and I can't reverse it. The traitor is letting others in but not out which includes us and I'm afraid, Minerva, we are at the mercy of those guards."

The Deputy wanted nothing more than to blast them apart but reluctantly held her wand down. There were far too many Death Eaters in front of them to put up any means of a fight and so far, none of the students were seriously hurt. There were injuries, but no lives were yet taken and she had no desire to give them a reason to change that.

The dust cleared from Snape's trap and he walked casually up to the edge of the pit. Before he was able to look down and see his handy work, one of the Death Eaters approached him.

"Severus, the preparations are slow going. We expected to have more with us but the assault on Saint Mungo's is going poorly. We've already lost forty men."

The ex-professor thought for a moment, "Send word to retreat from St. Mungo's and I want all available hands here immediately. If we're going to pull this off, the runes must be in place within ten minutes."

"Yes, Sir," and he went about his assigned duty.

'We don't need as many as the Hogsmeade team, courtesy of the castle, but that doesn't mean it'll be easy.' Snape turned back to the pit and frowned at what he saw at the bottom.

"Ahhh" moaned Harry as his ears continued to assault him. By his reflexes alone he was able to throw up a full body shield, another last minute study that saved his life. While not as good as it could have been, the shield took the death blow and left him with noise, disorientation, and the feeling of being run over by the Express.

For a brief moment, he marveled at the swirling colors of brown and the blotches of red which was most certainly his blood.

'Funny, now isn't this familiar…'

"I see you managed to survive," barked Snape from above. Harry couldn't tell but it seemed he had fallen quite a distance. Sure felt like it. "Before I finished with you I thought you'd like to know this pit was a favorite of your Father's. Fitting how a spell of his creation would mark your end."

That gave Harry some strength, "Oh," he rasped out. "So does this mean you know the view from down here?"

Harry coughed violently and missed the scream of anger, "Ask him yourself!"

The ground shook and the walls caved in.

"No, no no! Harry!" cried Luna who turned and ran towards the exit of the medical ward, her omnioculars forgotten. She had barely contained herself when Snape triggered the explosions and just a few minutes later to see dirt fly up out of the hole meant only one thing.

She was just passing Hermione's bed when Mai appeared in front of her. Luna stopped and pleaded with her friend, "Mai, please! You must help him!"

Her twin shook her head sadly, "I can't, you know that and besides, it doesn't matter anymore."

Luna couldn't breathe, "W-what do you mean?"

Mai shivered with tears in her eyes, "She's so angry, Luna."

Several seconds passed by and with no sign of life from the now filled in pit, everyone started to grieve as quietly as they could.

"Move it!" shouted Snape, "We're running out of time!"

A great surge of magic stormed its way out and away from the castle, the force so strong it pushed the Death Eaters, making them take a few steps to regain balance. When they did, they were not prepared for the sight that greeted them.

A dark, orange dome began to form around the ancient structure. Lightning of the same color ran along the shield's outer surface and a low rumble echoed from somewhere deep within the castle. The ground shook and black stone pillars erupted from the surface, one per corner of the stands. Within seconds, they too were being shrouded, magic arching off from the pillars.

"Severus! What is this?"

"Spread out!" cried Snape, "Ready yourselves!"

'Betrayer!' whispered a woman's voice in hatred, one that only Snape could hear. 'Your promise has been broken! Never were you to harm those who dwell! Never!'

The ground under Snape shot upward, throwing him high into the air. He flailed about before landing with a sickening crunch, yet refusing to cry out in pain.

"I swore one Oath and that is to my Lord!" he growled and tried to stand. Several yards behind him, where a trap once stood, the earth erupted again but this time the pit was emptied. Snape was able to turn his head just enough only to go slack jawed at the sight.

Harry was down on one knee, his head bowed and being carried up and out of the pit by a stone platform building itself; bricks turned and tumbled into place, green light shining from between their cracks. The platform rose until it was a foot or so above the ground and then stopped. Harry looked up and glared at his former teacher, feeling the ancient anger hum beneath his fingers, mixing with some of his own. He lifted himself up, his hand breaking contact with the stone and when it did, the glow between the bricks dimmed considerably.

"You have broken your Oath of Office, Severus Snape," he said calmly but his voice was amplified so that all could hear. "You're actions have endangered the lives of those who dwell. I am not sure what you were planning to do, but Hogwarts clearly does not approve and she has told me so."

"Lies!" cried the Death Eater who found the strength to stand. "The castle does not live! It is a structure built of stone, nothing more! Sectumsempra!"

The platform moved with life again, building a wall in the blink of an eye to shield Harry and then disassembling just as fast. Snape was dumbfounded, unable to grasp what was happening.

"As Headmaster of Hogwarts, I remove you from your duties and hereby banish you from the grounds. Never again will you find shelter here."

"Get him!" many a Death Eater cried as spells of all sorts rocketed towards the Headmaster. Harry fell quickly to his knees and with both hands, touched the platform which produced another dome, this one of white magic. It flickered for a second before rushing out in all directions and as the spells came into contact with it, they were absorbed. It flashed several times before shrinking back into Harry.

Glowing white eyes met Snape's, "Be gone."

Thick torrents of magic shot off the platform and ran along the ground, crackling and burning as it went. Nearing Snape, the magic fractured into hundreds of splinters and spread out towards the Death Eaters. Upon contact, the wizards screamed to the heavens as the magic gnawed angrily at their cores and it brought many to their knees.

Snape too was caught within the web and his screams were the loudest.

Harry stood and the magic dissipated.

All the Death Eaters who managed to remain standing fell, moaning in pain. The barriers flashed before fading away and the stone pillars folded back into themselves, shrinking into the ground. Without a wand, he spoke to the spectators and they all heard him.

"Those who wish to leave may do so now. The wards will permit you to your destinations but will not allow you back in. I will have the house elves deliver your possessions to your homes should you not be staying."

Everyone was wide eyed and staring at him.

"Anyone who wishes to remain for tonight's closing feast may do so. I will permit parents and students to leave afterwards and to those who wish to stay the night, the Hogwarts Express will leave early tomorrow morning."

"This is not over!" gurgled Snape, choking on blood. His body badly burnt, he struggled to point his wand at the now exposed Dark Mark. The tip barely grazed it and every Death Eater on the grounds, including himself, disappeared.

"Tck, stupid, Harry," he murmured to himself before calling again for attention. "They are gone now and I do not expect them to come back anytime soon. Please, everyone calmly find your way to where it is you wish to go."

Albus stood motionless, his gaze unrelenting.

Before him were the remains of the golem Sirius fought and won against. Since that time, less than fifteen minutes ago, it morphed into something Albus had never seen. The dirt was turned to ash, some of it being washed away by the water and what he suspected were once limbs and flesh, was now a grotesque, gelatin like substance. The weather was warm but not stifling hot and yet this material was bubbling, emitting an unnatural heat. Even the water from the river would not wash it away; steam was actually billowing up around it.

'Tom... What on Earth are you doing?'

"Hey, Eddy! Should be over there!"

A Death Eater crested the ledge overlooking the small creek, "Found it! Right where Izen said it would be."

"Bloody 'ell!" said Diddy, joining his pal, "What a mess, ain't it?"

The two circled the remains, "Sure is. I wonder what brought it down? Izen said something went wonky with the monitor and then that was it."

*Baahahahaha*

Eddy looked over his shoulder, "Diddy, over there! A wild goat!"

His friend smiled, "Watch it Edd, it's taken a like'n to you."

*Baahahahahaaaa*

Eddy looked disgusted, "Shut it, Diddy. Let's get this over with."

"Righ't."

The two of them started waving their wands in synchronization and after several incantations, the material disappeared.

*Baaaahahaha!*

"I'm sure that'll keep Izen busy for a few days."

Diddy chuckled, "I'll bet he's pissed. He hates have'n to switch to a new one."

"Ya, but I'm more worried over what our Lord will do about this."

They both shivered.

*Bahahaha*

Eddy rolled his eyes while Diddy turned to the goat, "You shut it now eh, goat? Reducto!"

Both Death Eaters burst out laughing as dirt erupted around their target. They turned back to their assignment, looking over their cleanup one last time and then started back.

*Bahahaha munch munch munch*

Eddy turned around startled, "Did you bleedin miss, Diddy? From this range?"

"Miss? No, I didn't miss ya git!," but he looked unsure of himself. "Lookit, he's even eat'n now, not caring a whim about us be'n here."

"Chew on this, Reducto!' cried Eddy and the scenario repeated itself except this time, the goat didn't bother announcing its presence.

*munch munch munch*

Not on purpose anyway.

"Bleeding goat!" screamed Eddy, I hit you! I hit you dammit!"

"Screw this," growled Diddy, "Avada!"

Both men were blown back by a spell that took no form. Dumbledore stood where the goat had been on the water's edge and he was munching on a blade of grass. He smiled whimsically at their unconscious forms and began his short trek into town. The closer he got though, the more dread seeped back into his system and by the time he reached the perimeter, his mirth was completely gone.

Runes were inscribed in the ground, most of which had been drawn in blood and it made Albus' skin crawl.

'Restriction fields, with triggers on the outer edges? Ah, containment. They're meant to.' He paused in disbelief but quickly stepped through the barrier and hurried along. 'They're meant to keep something in, but they're too concentrated for magicals. Anyone trying to get out would perish.'

His movements were quick and silent through the eerily empty streets. Remus had spoken of people yelling and crying for help during his struggles but now, there wasn't a soul around. No birds chirping or nesting in overhangs, no dogs, no sounds of little critters or even a breath from the wind.

He came up near an intersection of the two main roads through town and noticed another, different set of runes on the ground. Two in fact.

'Sound inhibitors and… is that a blast barrier?'

As he stepped over them, his ears were accosted with the cries of many villagers. He flattened against the wall and peered around the edge.

"Alright you lot, listen up!"

There was a crowd of survivors, their backs to him and whoever was speaking must have been on the other side of them.

'Curious that no guards would be on this side.'

"You saw what happens: resist and you'll die. Leave town and everyone dies, we square?"

The villagers were huddled together in groups and everyone was trying to hold onto another in hopes of drawing comfort. It broke Albus' heart to see so many lives aching for safety and it hardened his resolve to aid them. As he carefully began stepping through the clustered groups, he noticed each of the villagers also had runes inscribed into their skin: some painted on and others were carved.

'What in Merlin's name is going on here?'

He caught sight of the ring leader standing with his back currently turned, watching dozens of his men continue carving runes into the ground. Much to Albus' dismay, he didn't recognize any of the attackers.

'New recruits as well?'

Several Death Eaters eyed him at once and for a moment he grew concerned, but then their gazes passed over him and he let out a mental sigh of relief. 'Too close for comfort. Much too,' and he paused.

Over the steady hum of mourners around him, he picked up the sound of a little girl, also crying. It didn't take him long to find her: she was lying on the ground, not far in front of him. Her hands were outstretched, reaching towards two other bodies. One a man, the other a woman. Both were motionless and just out of the little girl's reach.

"Albus, please!"

The air was torn from his lungs.

"Brother! Stop him!"

Shocked at such clarity, Albus stumbled forward and out of the crowd, towards this little girl. The guards watched in amusement, figuring the grandfather just discovered his granddaughter on death's door and decided to have a little fun.

"Oh just you wait, pops! We got something special for her!"

"You'll see her again."

"But she'll have put on a few stones by then!"

The people behind him wailed louder while the Death Eaters laughed but Albus wasn't listening to any of it. Since he heard her cries, the hair on the back of his neck had stood on end: there was something familiar about her, something that reminded him of…

She turned her head, sensing a presence behind her and eyes of blue oceans pleaded to him. The past came alive and every fiber of his being burned in a horrible blackness.

"Please! Please Brother! Help me! You must stop this, stop Gellert! Please! Help Mommy! Help Daddy! Stop him Albus, for Merlin's sake, stop him!"

A pulse of magic briefly ripped him from this nightmare and Albus saw the red glow of runes underneath the girl and on her skin as well, but much more dense than the others. His voice cracked with unformed words as he tried frantically to understand while runes flared all around him.

A small part of Albus was amazed.

Everywhere he looked on the ground, a rune was carved. It should have taken hours to prepare this large of a ritual but they had done it in minutes. He could already feel the magic pooling above their heads.

'It's not that simple!' his mind roared, 'There's too much preparation, too many layers! What is his purpose, what is he trying to'

"Please!" cried the girl, her voice a siren against the chaos.

"You must finish this!"

"Please!"

"Brother! For all our sakes!"

"Save Mummy and Daddy!"

After gathering the remaining Professors together, Harry and the staff did their best to usher inside those who wanted to stay and help the ones wanting to leave do so. He had just finished giving directions to Pomona when Rolanda landed on the ground next to them.

"Headmaster, just did a quick sweep of the stands. That appears to be"

The sky overhead grew dark and a gale force wind blew around them.

"Get inside!" shouted Harry and he nearly started in himself when he spotted Fawkes, flying overhead. He watched for a split second before something urged him into action, "Rolanda your broom please. See to it that everyone is safely inside and tell Minerva I'll be joining you shortly."

Rolanda Hooch had been one of the few professors on the fence regarding the matter of Harry as Headmaster. It was nothing against him, it was just for such a young man, this was an exceptional burden, Boy-Who-Lived or not. Before today, she would have questioned but after what happened, she held out her broom without another thought.

"Be careful, Harry."

He mounted and kicked off, speeding towards the darkened sky. From the ground, it looked like nothing more than a surprise storm but once Harry was up and over the castle, he saw something else entirely.

Black clouds moved out in a perfect circle, slowly consuming the otherwise clear blue sky. The wind was biting cold and Harry could see his breath and the air felt like knives. If only that had been the worst of it.

Burning the sky in the center of the ring, monstrous and suspended high above Hogsmeade, was a black Phoenix.

A/N: Slight clarification: the part where Albus is reliving the past. There's a mix of his memories and what the girl is saying to him, indicated by the change in font style. The girl is regular, memories are italics. I wanted to point this out because it's a critical moment for Albus and what's to come.