Chapter Fourteen

Albus Dumbledore had done many things he wasn't proud of over the years. People had praised him for his wisdom and magical power. In the last half century, he'd come to believe what others said about him. It was moments like this though that reminded him that he was a mortal man, just as fallible and likely to make mistakes as any other.

Lily had been right. He should've closed the school until the chamber could be located and the monster dealt with. He was about to lose three students and there was nothing he could do to stop it. He took another look at the occupants of his office, hoping something might have changed.

Mr. Evans and Ms. Lovegood sat close together as if drawing strength from one another. They seemed unafraid, more resigned to whatever happened next.

On the other side of the office was Gilderoy Lockhart. He had a triumphant smile on his face. His blond hair was in disarray sticking up all over the place from all the times he'd ran his fingers through it. He was positively dancing, flush with the capture of what he thought were the three that had opened the chamber of secrets.

The last two occupants of the office stood next to each other, glaring at Dumbledore. Cornelius Fudge, minister of magic, and Lucius Malfoy.

Fudge's portly frame was quivering; whether with rage or excitement, Dumbledore didn't know. Fudge was holding his bowler hat and was spinning it so fast it was a wonder it hadn't burst into flames.

Lucius stood calmly beside fudge. His cane was planted firmly between his feet. A slight smile curled the corners of his pale lips and a faint hint of triumph glimmered in his grey eyes. It was he that spoke first.

"Well Dumbledore? Are you going to expel these three miscreants or not?"

"I see no reason to expel them," Dumbledore said calmly. "The only crime they appear to have committed is going into a girl's bathroom. As a matter-of-fact, Mr. Evans is the only one guilty of that crime."

"I saw it," Gilderoy spluttered. "One of the sinks was a large tunnel of some sort and they came out of the tunnel."

"Indeed? Perhaps you can tell me why you were outside the girl's bathroom in the first place? That is very unseemly behavior for a professor."

Lockhart flushed. "I am not the one in trouble here. These three are tainted by dark magic, surely you can feel it?"

Luna cleared her throat. "I think I can explain it with this." She held up a mass of burned parchment, wrapped in a torn piece of her robes.

Dumbledore took the bundle and laid it on his desk. Drawing his wand, he waved it over the bundle, watching closely as a row of glowing letters appeared floating in the air. Flicking his wand, the letters vanished. Another wave and a sickly black aura surrounded the bundle.

"Well?" Fudge asked impatiently.

"Ms. Lovegood is correct. Whatever this was contains traces of powerful dark magic. In addition, there is strong evidence of sorcery."

Fudge winced. Sorcery was a dark art where a witch or wizard allowed themselves to be possessed by a demon for access to power that was normally denied to wizards. The possession could last for a day, a month, or permanently. Most wizards that attempted it were driven insane by the things the demon made them do.

Fudge stood to his full height. He barely came up to Dumbledore's breast bone. Although he was not very intimidating, the little fellow tried his best. "What have you been teaching your students, Dumbledore?"

Dumbledore's blue eyes flashed. When he spoke, his voice held a note of warning and a promise of pain. "Be careful what you say Cornelius," he whispered icily. "I will stand for many things, but you are coming very close to impugning my honor. Are you suggesting that I routinely teach my students how to call up demons? Do you really think my staff would go along with something like that even if I were inclined to do so?"

Fudge wilted. "Well," he blustered. "How else would the girl know how to do it?"

"This," Dumbledore gestured at the mass of blackened parchment in front of him. "Is not the remains of a container for a demon. It is true it contained dark magic, but it definitely housed a human soul, corrupted, yes, but still human."

"So the girl was controlled," Lucius said. "Is that what you are trying to tell us?"

"Yes, I believe whatever resided in this book was able to possess Ms. Weasley. If Mr. Evans and Ms. Lovegood are to be believed, Ms. Weasley's eyes changed color. That is a clear sign of possession."

"Nevertheless," Lucius said. "The girl was very foolish. She had to do something to cause the spells on such a dark artifact to activate. Just owning such an object would not have caused it to possess her. It is my belief she should be expelled. Let it be a lesson to her not to be so stupid again."

"Expulsion?" Fudge said. "Is that really necessary Lucius? I mean yes, the girl was foolish, but expulsion is a little harsh. She would not be able to practice magic again."

"Someone could've died," Lucius said sternly. "Think of what would've been done to Hogwarts's reputation if she had killed one of the Muggle-borns."

XXX

Ariana worked over Ginny's still form. Sigils had been painted over her chest and stomach in blood. The sigils glowed with a golden light.

"Why is this necessary?" Arthur asked staring at his Daughters motionless body.

"Multiple reasons," Ariana said distractedly.

"First, the strain of hosting Voldemort nearly killed her. This will insure she is fully healed. Second, this is the only way she will be able to continue to perform magic."

"What!" Molly gasped. "Are you saying that the possession by that monster nearly made her a squib?"

"No, but Lucius Malfoy is as we speak trying to get your daughter expelled. I dare say this was his plan all along."

"How do you know all this?" Arthur asked.

"Ariana pointed to an earring in her right ear. A small glass bead hung from it. "This is like a two-way fireplace without the fire and without the ability to travel. "I gave this to Albus in case of emergency it allows me to hear conversations in his office so long as the other bead remains intact."

"But what you are doing is blood magic," Molly said. "Blood magic was banned by the ministry."

"I am not under the jurisdiction of the ministry. I serve my queen and she knows about this magic. So long as you approve, I can continue."

"Do it," Arthur said.

"Arthur?" Molly said shocked.

"No matter what happens, she is our daughter," Arthur said. "I will not allow her to be punished for being possessed."

Molly watched silently as Ariana laid her hands on Ginny's forehead and stomach. Golden light surrounded them both. Magic crackled on the air. Sweat broke out on Ariana's forehead. The room shook violently. Ginny's back arched. Her eyes flew wide and her mouth opened in a soundless scream.

XXX

Back in Dumbledore's office, Lucius and Dumbledore stared at each other pointedly.

"So you believe Ms. Weasley should be expelled, do you? Tell me Lucius, would you still feel that way if your son had been the one possessed? I seem to recall you and your friends bullying other students when you were students here. Should you have been expelled for that?"

"Perhaps," Lucius said, "but it was because of your generosity that I was not."

"And you expect me not to extend that generosity to a girl whose only crime was writing in a book?"

"I do understand it was a mistake," Lucius argued. "However, you cannot let this action go unpunished. What happens next time? What if she brings something even more dangerous into the school?"

"He's right Albus," Fudge said. "The girl needs to be expelled. She needs to be made an example of."

Dumbledore leaned back in his chair. "You do not want me to do this. You cannot force me to take actions without consequences."

"Is that a threat?" Lucius snarled his hand tightening on the handle of his cane.

"Merely a promise," Dumbledore said. "I have been lenient on all the students that constantly insult others. If you force my hand against a girl who didn't know what she was doing and was forced to do something against her will, that leniency will be gone. I believe there are some students that insist on calling Muggle-born's Mudblood. What if they were to be expelled after three strikes?"

Before Fudge or Malfoy could respond, the door burst open. Ariana strode in followed by Ginny, Molly, and Arthur.

"This argument is merely going in circles and it is a moot point now anyway."

"Ariana?" Dumbledore said staring at Ginny.

The girl was taller. Her skin was pale and she was as slender as a rake. Her ears were slightly pointed, poking out of her hair like tiny horns on the side of her head. She moved with a liquid grace no human could match. As he watched, she strode over to stand next to Harry, leaning against him companionably.

Lucius stared at the Weasley girl his mouth opening and closing like a fish. "What have you done, woman?"

"Spoiled your plans," Lily said entering the office.

"What are you talking about?"

Lily didn't answer. Instead, she spoke to Albus. "I told you. I warned you that if anything happened to Harry I'd be out of here. All three of my students have been injured."

Hermione came into the office. Her ears were pointed and her face was covered in fur. A muzzle protruded from her face where her mouth had been.

"What happened to her?" Dumbledore gasped.

"Botched Pollyjuice potion," Ariana said. "Luckily I should be able to fix it, mostly."

"The girl will still need to be expelled," Lucius snapped.

"You don't have to worry about that," Lily said. "We will be leaving. You want us gone, so we'll be gone."

"What about her wand?" Fudge said. "It will need to be snapped you know."

"She is no longer your concern," Harry spoke for the first time since entering the office. "She is fae now. That means she is no longer under your jurisdiction. She is under the protection of my Mother."

Fudge froze. "Impossible," he croaked. "A wizard cannot become a fae."

"If there is a sufficient amount of fae blood in their bloodline they can," Ariana said quietly.

"So she isn't being punished for her stupidity?" Lucius growled.

"Why Lucius?" Harry said. "Didn't Voldemort put you under the imperius curse? Should you be punished for the actions you were forced to do while under the curse?"

Lucius's mouth snapped shut. He knew there was no way he could win this argument now. All his carefully laid plans were in ruins. He stared at the Evans boy in impotent rage before spinning to face Dumbledore.

"This isn't over."

"No," Dumbledore said. "I advise you not to allow anymore of Tom's possessions to enter the wrong hands though."

Lucius sneered at Dumbledore. Turning to the door, he swept from the office without another word.

Lily watched him go before turning to Lockhart. "Since you seem so keen on seeing my son leave, why don't you be the one to explain to the public why we are leaving? While you're at it, you can also explain why you were in a girl's bathroom."

"Lily," Dumbledore began.

"No Albus," Lily snapped. "I told you before this year began that I would not put my son in any more danger. We're leaving."

"I am afraid I must leave to," Ariana said. "My duty is to protect the prince and the queen."

"Ariana," Lily said gently. "I hate to take you away from your brother. You may stay if you wish."

"No," Ariana said. "Malfoy will want revenge for his defeat today. I'd better come with you. Odds are I'd be asked to leave before too long anyway. Besides, Madam Pomfrey knows what she needs to in order to heal any fae that might show up here. My work is done."

"I just got you back," Dumbledore said sadly.

"I may be leaving, but I won't be dead," Ariana said gently. "You and I can still visit."

"What about Ms. Granger," Dumbledore said.

"Unfortunately, the potion she took has altered her right down to the molecular level. I won't be able to heal her completely. However, I should be able to restore most of her humanity."

"I'd like to go with you," Luna said. "You are my only friends and I don't want to be left behind."

"If your Father agrees," Lily said smiling. "I'd love to have another student."

"You are going to need a bigger house," Ariana said.

"We have a few connections in the Muggle world," Lily said.

Ariana smiled. "Hopefully we can reopen the gates soon. Muggles tend to get suspicious of people that don't age."

"That's what Glamour is for," Harry said.

"What about my parents," Ginny said. "Will they get in trouble because of me?"

"I do not believe so," Dumbledore said. "Lucius Malfoy was forced to admit that you were possessed. That means he cannot say that you did this on purpose. Your Father's job is safe for now."

"Good," Ginny said sighing in relief.

Dumbledore looked at Lily. "What do I do about a Charms professor? You are leaving me in a bit of a bind."

"Ask Flitwick to return for the remainder of the year. It's only six months and that should give you the time you need to find a new professor. I'd start looking for a new defense professor as well. You know how they have a tendency not to last long."

Lockhart paled and shuffled his feet nervously.

With a glance, Lily gathered her three students and Ariana. At the door, she turned back. "We'll see you again Albus."

Albus watched as Lily and her son exited his office. It would be ten years before anyone in the Wizarding world saw them again. By that time, a new dark Lord would've risen and the magical community would be in the midst of a civil war.

XXX

Aeval sat up on her throne as Voldemort appeared in front of her. She smirked as he flinched at sight of her.

"Well," she said. "Look who failed me, again."

Voldemort said nothing. What could he say? He had failed her. There was no denying that. He was resigned. All his plans, all the deals he'd made had been for nothing. He knew this was the end for him. Worse yet, he knew where he'd end up once she severed his tie to the mortal world.

It was what he deserved. He'd known that from the time he'd chosen this path, but to know all his work had been in vain was a bitter pill to swallow. He raised his head and stared into Aeval's blue eyes.

"I knew this day would come."

"Pardon?" Aeval said raising one dark eyebrow.

"Ever since Abaddon showed up I knew I was on my way out. You've been waiting for the perfect reason to justify kicking me to the curb."

Aeval nodded. "You have failed me twice. Both times you were provided with a body and you still failed. You have had every opportunity to succeed. The boy was even in your grasp and you still failed. Do you know what I think, Tom? I think you didn't want to kill the boy. I think deep down you regret the things you've done for power."

"And if I did. It is too late now. My fate is sealed."

"Yes," Abaddon said stepping forward. "It is."

Voldemort turned to face him. "What do you want?"

"Well," Abaddon said stretching like a cat in the sun. "I need time to build an army. It's going to take years to do that, but before I even begin, I need a way out of Elphame."

"Good luck," Voldemort said. "The gates are closed. Oberon's spell has seen to that."

"You are correct, but where there's a will there's a way. My dear," Abaddon said turning to the bushy haired woman. "If you please?"

The bushy haired woman waved a hand. Voldemort felt himself being pulled through the halls of Elphame. He went through corridors so fast he barely had time to register anything. When they stopped, he was standing in front of a set of silver gates. The metal was pure with no sign of tarnish anywhere.

"Of course this isn't really silver," the woman said. "This is just how our minds interpret something far too complex for mortal eyes."

Voldemort was slammed up against the gates. Spectral nails pierced his hands and feet pinning him to the gates like a frog on a dissecting board. He couldn't help it. He screamed. The pain was unlike anything he'd felt before.

"Now now," Abaddon said soothingly. "There is no need to carry on so. All your pain will be over soon enough." He leaned closer to Voldemort. "I've seen many versions of you," he whispered.

Voldemort stared up at him. "What?" he said. "What are you talking about?"

Abaddon continued as if he hadn't heard. "I guess no matter what world I go to I am destined to destroy you." Stepping back, he took the hands of his two companions.

"The soul is eternal and immortal," Abaddon said. "What most people fail to realize is that it is an enormous source of energy. With you attached to the gate like that, we can pry it open just enough for us to slip through. Of course," he smirked. "It probably won't be too pleasant for you."

Pain ripped through Voldemort. He screamed again as his soul was melted fast to the gate. The trio's cruel laughter echoed in his ears. He felt himself being pushed forward as the gate moved slightly. First, he saw the redhead slip passed him followed by the brunette. As Abaddon started to follow them, Voldemort spoke.

"Who are you?"

Abaddon stopped. He turned slightly and smiled. "In my world, my name was Harry Potter."

XXX

Oberon pulled Voldemort to his feet. In the distance, they both heard the massive boom as the gates slammed shut.

Voldemort looked down at his hands. There were no wounds. There was not even a scar to show where the nails had pierced his flesh.

"Why did you save me?" he stared at Oberon.

"Honestly? I thought you may be useful." He frowned. "And I was told to."

"By who?"

Oberon shrugged. "I don't ask questions like that. Point is it's going to take years for Abaddon to prepare for his takeover of the Wizarding world. I was told to offer you a deal."

"What sort of deal?"

"A chance at life. You will have the opportunity to go back and relive your life without any memory of this one at least at first."

"What do you get out of this?"

"No clue, I'm just doing what I was told."

"How can I help? Even if it takes five years for Abaddon to build his armies, I'll barely be out of nappies by that point."

"Reincarnation doesn't work like that. If you agree, you will be reborn before this time."

"Okay," Voldemort said slowly. "I agree, but before I go, I have a question."

"Just one?"

"Harry Potter," Voldemort said.

"Ah," Oberon said. "I can't tell you much, but I can tell you that he comes from another world. He's been going from world to world killing alternate versions of himself for their souls and power. He is more of a monster than you ever were. If he hadn't committed so many atrocities he could almost be pitied."

"Why?"

"He once fought against an alternate version of you, but he was betrayed and decided to overreact."

"What can I do?" Voldemort said. "I wasn't exactly able to do anything to him this time."

"I told you," Oberon said patiently. "You will be fully grown. You won't be getting your memories until the time is right. Because of your passed, we feel that you may know something that can stop Abaddon before he destroys everything."

"Why would he want to destroy everything? If he only wants to kill this version of himself, why does he want to rule the Wizarding world?"

"He doesn't. He just wants to start a war that will destroy the world. He's been doing this for ages just for the simple pleasure of watching humanity tear itself apart."

"You mentioned my past actions, why am I being given this chance? Surely there are others that are more qualified. I thought each soul was given one chance and that was it."

"You were dead, but not departed. You have no knowledge of what comes hereafter. For that reason, you are being allowed a second chance, but only one." Oberon held up one finger. "If you screw this up, there's not going to be a third."

"Alright," Voldemort said. "So how do I do this?"

Oberon gestured and a pool of water appeared in front of him. "Just walk into the water."

Voldemort slowly entered the pool. The water was cool and refreshing. He walked deeper into the water. As he walked, all his worries and cares faded from his mind. He heard Oberon speak, but it sounded far away.

"Good Luck, Tom Riddle. You are going to need it."

The ground dropped out from under Voldemort's feet. He didn't even have time to scream before he was engulfed by a blinding white light.

XXX

Dumbledore sat bolt upright in his bed. His mouth yawned open and he screamed in agony. "No," he whispered. "What have I done?" He collapsed back on his bed sobbing. An unknown amount of time later, he sat p, his blue eyes full of a steely resolve. He threw back the covers and arose. "It's time to go to work."

XXX

"I like the hair," Lily said running her fingers through Harry's hair. They were all enjoying a late breakfast the morning after leaving Hogwarts.

The Grangers had been understandably horrified at what happened to their daughter. They were relieved to learn that Ariana would be able to make her more human.

"Mum," Harry said blushing and leaning away from her fingers. "That tickles."

"You have my eyes now."

"Yeah, I merged with my wolf and it changed some things."

"What are we going to do now,' Ginny asked glancing at Hermione who was ignoring everyone, focusing all her attention on her food. "We need to fix Hermione and something tells me Voldemort isn't gone forever."

"We have time. Since Voldemort's gone for now. We'll continue our training, but we're going to live. Since you won't be returning to Hogwarts, we're going to fix Hermione, continue your training, and enjoy life. I'm done hiding. That is no life for any of you. No that you all know the basics, I'm going to concentrate on your specifics.

Harry, FOR YOU it will be your elemental and light magic. Ginny, for you that will be transfiguration. Hermione, I think warding and runes will be your specialty."

"And for me?" Luna asked.

"You definitely have fae blood. I think your specialty is going to be your mind. We have plenty of time to figure things out."

"Sounds good to me," Harry said smiling.

"Yeah," Ginny said.

Hermione just nodded, still not being able to speak.

Their conversation was interrupted by a flash of flame. A piece of parchment fell out of the air.

Lily caught the parchment and unfolded it. As she read, her expression darkened.

"What is it?" Harry asked.

"Dumbledore wants a word as soon as possible."

XXX

"Why now Albus?" Lily asked. "Why offer to train Harry now? You've spent all this time trying to train Neville. Why do you have an interest in Harry all of a sudden?"

Dumbledore looked at Lily seriously. "We have a lot of work to do and not much time to do it in. Something is coming and it will plunge the Wizarding world into a war the likes of which we have never seen before."

"Voldemort?"

"Worse," Dumbledore said.

Lily stared at her former headmaster in silence. There was a resolve in his eyes she'd never seen before.

"Alright Albus," she said. "You have a deal, but I'm not coming back to Hogwarts."

Dumbledore nodded. "I'll come to you. It is time I stepped down anyway. McGonagall can take over Hogwarts."

"I'll see you soon then?"

"Yes," Dumbledore said. "See you soon."

XXX

Abaddon stood in a filthy back alley. His head was tilted back, his eyes closed in pleasure. It was so good to be in England again. "So," the bushy haired girl said. "What are we going to do now?"

Abaddon smirked. "The same thing we do every night, take over the world."