A/N: I'm not making any money from this. This is J.K.'s world, I'm just playing in it.
With a crack, she landed outside the gates of Hogwarts and smiled up at the castle. She had loved every minute she had spent there, it really was a home away from home. She could see Professor Flitwick approaching the gate and she waved excitedly at him. Charms had been one of her favourite subjects and she and the little teacher had had many discussions about the mechanics of Charms and how they could be modified, so she was eager to see him again.
"My, my, Alexandra, look at you!" squeaked Flitwick as he opened the gate with a flick of his wand. "A Lady of Houses Potter and Black and a Master Curse Breaker! Something tells me we need to have a catch-up one of these days, my dear! It's been far too long!"
Alexandra giggled and bent to hug her old professor. "I agree, Professor, we must meet again when Harry's back at school and I am not so busy!"
They began the walk up to the school at an ambling pace, looking out at the magnificent stone castle and the Black Lake beyond. "Albus is expecting you my dear and myself and Minerva will meet you in her office, I trust you remember where that is?" teased Flitwick as they walked into the Entrance Hall and stopped.
"Of course I do, Merlin knows Charlie, Sienna and I spent enough time in there!" she laughed, and bid her professor goodbye as they each went their own way. Walking through the corridors of her school was like entering a memory- she could almost see her younger self talking to her friends in different places: the broom cupboard she had locked Sienna and her crush into, the hallway that she often took as a shortcut to the pitch, the Library where she had spent most of her fifth and seventh years locked away in- it all seemed so long ago.
Soon she arrived at the golden griffin that protected the Headmaster's office and her mood turned sour as she remembered her first meeting at Gringotts and the Healer's report from this morning. Gripping her wand, she transfigured her romper into a knee length black dress and applied a slick of red lipstick. The look she was going for was cold and detached and she narrowed her gaze at the griffin.
"The Lady Potter-Black, here to speak with the Headmaster." she announced, standing tall and lifting her chin. The griffin bowed and turned to let her pass and as she ascended the staircase she fingered her Black ring, hoping to gain inspiration from her Dark family and in response she felt the ring emit a small amount of cold energy that forced her back to be perfectly upright and lifted her chin. Merlin, I'm loving this family magic, it's like it's almost sentient!
Alexandra knocked on the oak door once before entering and her vision turned red as the door swung shut behind her. Albus Dumbledore looked up from behind his desk and smiled at her. "Alexandra, my dear, welcome back. Please take a seat."
She swallowed back a rude response and instead nodded graciously, gliding forward to sit opposite the old goat. "Headmaster Dumbledore. It is good to be back."
"Sherbet lemon?" he asked, offering her the bowl and she quickly denied. I wouldn't be surprised if they were laced with something.
"Now, my dear, what is it you wanted to see me about?" he asked, settling into his chair and folding his hands in his lap. The benevolent way in which he smiled at her made her skin crawl but with another pulse from the Black ring she arched an eyebrow.
"As I said in my letter, Professor, I wish to discuss the security of the school. It has been brought to my attention of the events that took place both this year and last, and I am concerned for my cousin's safety as he was directly involved in both series of incidents. I wish to see the plans you have no doubt made to increase the school's security." she stated imperiously, staring at Dumbledore with an unyielding gaze. The old man had a good poker face and the only thing that betrayed his shock was a slight widening of his eyes before his face became blank once more.
"Well, you see, Alexandra, myself and the professors feel that there is no need for any more security to be added- the wards of Hogwarts are ancient and powerful and cannot be broken."
Alexandra stared in shock. I can't believe him. No more security? He has got to be kidding me!
"No need, Professor? Then please explain to me how exactly a teacher here was possessed by Voldemort himself and then you allowed the blundering fool the world knows as Gilderoy Lockhart to go after a basilisk? I do not believe that you didn't know what Slytherin's monster was- there is only one creature powerful enough to petrify a ghost after all. And also, Headmaster, I would ask you to explain how three first-years were able to get past traps that were supposed to keep out Voldemort."
The Headmaster grew paler and paler as she spoke, her voice growing until she spat out the name of the Dark Lord at the end of her inquisition. His eyes narrowed and she felt his mind reach out to touch hers, and with a burst of anger she slammed up the walls around her mind with power she did not know she had.
"Headmaster, I would appreciate it if you would stay the hell away from my mind. Using Legilimency on an unconsenting individual is a crime that will put you in Azkaban, and as an attack on a Lady of two Ancient and Noble Houses, I can bring down the full power of the Wizengamot upon you." she warned and smirked as he grew purple with rage.
"Listen here, my Lady, I do not appreciate you coming into my office and telling me how to run my school and threatening me!" he thundered, and glared at her furiously. This was a side to the old man she had never seen and part of her was frightened. He was a powerful wizard and his rage was something to be avoided, but she knew that her family magic was old and strong and would protect her if she called it. Actually that's quite a good idea. Should make him put a sock in him for a while, at least.
"Familia magicae praesidio." replied Alexandra and smirked at the old man as the Potter griffin appeared on her left and the Black cobra on her right.
"I apologise for the threat, Headmaster, but you should count yourself lucky that I didn't invoke the family magic to judge you, only protect me."
"You have no grounds on which to do so!" he cried, and she laughed coldly at him.
"Headmaster, I tire of this game. I want to talk about Harry's security while at school. I request that Hogwarts pay the goblins to set up better protection around the school during the summer- I am a Master Curse Breaker and I would be more than happy to assist with the procedure. Nothing is more important to me than the safety and happiness of my cousin." she explained, with a raised eyebrow.
Dumbledore went to stand, but with a hiss from the cobra he sank back into his seat with a sigh. "Very well. I will consult the goblins, although I must ask how you knew of the events of the past two years at the school."
Alexandra smiled innocently and stood. "I am in regular contact with my cousin, of course. He is a member of my House, is he not?"
With that, she stood and headed for the door, the griffin and cobra following, but she paused by the door to look back at the old man. He glared at her and she resisted the temptation to stick her tongue out at him, and opted for a nod instead. "Good day, Headmaster." she said, and with that she left the room, closing the door behind her and dismissing the family magic after thanking them.
She skipped down to the corridor and nodded to the griffin and began walking towards McGonagall's office. Alexandra changed her clothes back as she went and thought over her meeting with Dumbledore. That went well- I got what I wanted, I reminded him I was powerful, the family totems scared him and he still doesn't know that Harry's living at the Manor. Now all I have to do is convince McGonagall and Flitwick about what the old goat has done to Harry.
Shaking herself out of her thoughts, she found herself at the bottom of the Defence against the Dark Arts Tower, where McGonagall's office was and she quickly reached out to knock.
"Come in." called McGonagall and Alexandra grinned at the sound of her old teacher and pushed open the door. McGonagall and Flitwick were sitting in armchairs around a small coffee table laden with tea and biscuits and a third chair sat empty for her.
McGonagall got up when she entered and smiled brightly at the younger woman. "Alexandra it's so good to see you!" she cried, wrapping her in a tight hug.
"It's great to see you, Professor, you're looking very well! How are you?" replied Alexandra, releasing her teacher and they both moved to sit down on their respective seats, while Flitwick poured her a cup of tea, which she gladly accepted.
"Call me Minerva, my dear- you're graduated now and you're Head of two Houses! I'm very well, thank you- it's been a busy two years but enjoyable. Now you wanted to talk about Harry, is that right?" said the older witch, casting an appraising eye over the other woman.
"Yes, I did- I was wondering if you both could fill me in on how he's doing in school?" she asked, taking a sip of the tea and frowned when the two Professors exchanged a look. "What is it?"
Minerva made no reply apart from raising her wand and erecting silencing and privacy wards around the three of them, and Alexandra quickly drew her own wand to add to them, leaning forward in her seat. Could it be that the two of them were suspicious of Dumbledore as well?
"Well, Alexandra," began Flitwick, "we don't trust Albus very much. He seems to be fixated on something, but we can't figure out what and it's not healthy. He doesn't really care about the students anymore, and we're worried that he's well…he's using Harry."
Alexandra grinned, much to their surprise, and set down her teacup. "Wonderful. I don't trust that old goat as far as I can throw him, and it's worse than you think."
Once more she told her tale of her Gringotts meetings and learning of Dumbledore's illegal embezzlement and offences against Harry and the House of Potter: sealing James and Lily's wills and putting Harry with the Dursleys; not to mention using Ron, Ginny and Molly to weaken Harry and manipulate him. She had come up with a reasonable excuse as to how she knew that Molly was brewing loyalty and compulsion potions for Harry- that Ragnok had placed the Weasleys under mild surveillance and discovered her intent. She would write to the goblin King soon and ask him to do this in order to double check Dispater's information and to keep an eye on the scheming three.
When she was finished, both teachers wore identical expressions of horror and fury, and Alexandra sighed.
"The worst part is… Harry was abused at the Dursleys. He is malnourished, scarred, his growth is stunted and Dumbledore placed a magical suppressor on him. Harry thinks that he is a freak, although I'm sure that being at Hogwarts has helped him to move past that because he has only showed that sort of attitude once in my presence."
Minerva swore violently and Flitwick turned purple as she spoke and the Transfiguration professor turned to her with fury in her eyes. "What do you need from us? Name anything."
Alexandra smiled and reached out for her hand and grasped it tightly. "Firstly, I am forming an alliance that will stand against Voldemort and Dumbledore. I believe that we have not seen the last of the Dark Lord and I intend to be ready when he comes. I would ask you to join us. I am training Harry, Neville and Draco this summer, and I intend for Hermione to join us before long.
"Augusta Longbottom- my first ally- is helping me to spread the alliance to other Houses in the Wizengamot and I will begin work within the Ministry shortly. I need Harry to be protected at Hogwarts; this will be easier when more Houses join us and I can ask the Heirs to look out for him, but I would ask you to keep an eye on him."
Minerva and Filius nodded and reached out their left hands to her. "Swear us in, Alexandra."
Once they were formally added to the alliance, they sat down and began to discuss Harry.
"Harry is bright and hard-working and maintains average grades in everything but Defence. However if he has a magical suppressor I expect that he will soon accomplish anything we ask of him in third year." explained Filius, and Minerva nodded in agreement.
"Yes, in the House he has proven himself a natural leader and a kind person- the younger years like him and trust him despite the Heir of Slytherin debacle and I believe that in a few years' time he will be a strong contender to be Prefect."
Alexandra beamed at the two Professors. "That's great! I've been going through first and second year work with him and Neville and they're both doing very well- Harry's a natural at practical work and Potions without Snape around and Neville's got a good head for theory and I think that he could be quite good at Arithmancy if he tried."
Minerva asked about Harry's training and she explained all her plans to them, and the two Professors added input whenever they could. Minerva offered to tutor their Animagus training and Filius offered his expertise on charming the journals. Needless to say, Alexandra apparated out of Hogsmeade with a smile on her face and a bright hope for the future.