The great hall was buzzing with the news of yesterday's duel. He'd managed to begin the disinformation campaign that Luna had insisted was the best course, but he didn't like it. Tom fought the urge to roll his eyes as the fools joked about his accidental magic issues.

"You don't want them to fear you, Tom." Millie frowned at him. "Fear does not breed loyalty."

He glared at Luna as she blithely ate her cinnamon roll. The girl had orchestrated all of this nonsense. He picked at his eggs.

"It will be okay." Neville shrugged a shoulder. "They'll get their jollies, and Hermione will get a day or two to recover."

"I don't care about the moronic twits nattering on about things they couldn't begin to understand." Tom glared down at his plate. "It's the long game that's concerning me. I'm fairly certain we haven't assessed the whole board."

"We haven't seen it yet." Luna nodded. "Soon, though."

"Soon enough?" Greg pushed his porridge bowl away.

"Is it ever soon enough?" Luna frowned. "Professor Pettigrew is fairly late. I wonder if he ran afoul of Crooks?" Mille smirked and took another bite of her toast. "It would be a treat to see the bastard tucked up in the infirmary."

"I wish Crooks would just eat him." Neville pushed his plate to the middle of the table. "He was always the awful one of my parents friends. Too friendly. If Gran hadn't hated him..."

Tom closed his eyes. It was all too easy to understand Neville's allusions. A child abuser was one of Dumbledore's preferred. How far off his onion was the man?

Remus Lupin glared up at the towers of the castle he hated. His lover's patronus had arrived hours ago, but it had taken him far too long to arrange the portkey from Salem.

The Americans were quite fond of their red tape, but they didn't fuss about blood status or his furry issues.

Remus grimaced as he watched his former head of house approach the gates to retrieve him. He didn't want to put on his polite face. He wanted to rip into them for allowing this to happen.

"Mr. Lupin." The tartan clad witch nodded her greeting and opened the gate. "It's good of you to come."

He could smell the lie. The sour scent of dishonesty irritated him further. It was one day until the new moon. Did she think he would run wild and hurt her beloved students?

"I'm no happier to be here than you are to have me." Remus sighed. "Nothing ever changes at this mouldering pile of rocks."

"Hogwarts served you well." Professor McGonagall sniffed.

"No, Durmstrang served me well when this place spat me out for the actions of others." Remus took a deep breath.

"The headmaster arranged that for you." She narrowed her eyes and gestured him toward the opening doors. "The best was made of a bad situation."

"You shipped off the victims." He ran his hands along his well tailored robes. "That we survived and thrived in exile has nothing to do with you. I am not interested in your justifications or any of the other lies you tell yourself that enable you to sleep at night. I promise not to run amuck and gobble up your students. May we head to the infirmary? I'm sure you won't let me make my own way. I'm far too dangerous."

He enjoyed watching her spine stiffen as his sarcasm hit her. It was petty. It was mean. He smirked at her perfect posture. He could live with it.

The infirmary was unchanged since his last visit. He glared at the last bed he'd ever slept in while attending school here.

"Remus." Severus' voice cut through the morass of self pity and dragged him forward to the current crisis. He turned and took in his lover's haggard appearance with a frown.

"Severus." Remus stepped closer, but decided not to be openly affectionate here. Why load the cannon for others to use? "How is she?"

"She's a mess." Severus sighed. "Another Potter driven bit of insanity."

"We can deal with that later. You need to get some rest." Remus rubbed his thumb along Severus' stubble. "I'm sure the old tabby cat has arranged a rooms for us."

"Lily will have summoned your former friends. I don't want to leave her unprotected." Severus frowned. "There's her young man, too."

"Which has you more concerned?" Remus chuckles as Severus growled at him. "I promise to watch over our girl. Go. Get some sleep. Can't make them quake in their boots if your dozing off."

"Fine. I will lie down on the bed next to hers." Severus leaned in against him and pressed his lips right next to Remus' ear. "You can watch over the both of us."

Remus nodded slightly as lover pressed a gentle kiss just below his ear. Being back at Hogwarts might not be so gods be damned awful after all.

Peter hated this assignment. If he was honest, he hated most of them, but this one had earned a special place in his heart. Dumbledore never took the bloody risks. He didn't have to face the horror of it all.

Two kneazle mixes were running him ragged in some elaborate game only they understood. He had no idea how to escape the wards. The small gap he'd slid through was closed now. The girl had cast wards that automatically reset. How in bloody hell did a fifth year manage that?

The orange beast was closing in. Peter felt his lungs burn as the feline neared. The creature's fetid breath surrounded him with the ranks scent of rotted fish. He managed to miss the claws, but the breeze of the passing paw was horrifying all the same. His little rodent heart couldn't take much more. He was out of options. He didn't want to be their supper, so he'd have to take his chance with the wards.

He let his body resume its natural form and managed one breath before the wards activated and sent him crashing to the floor in an insensate heap.