Fairy Tales

by Perceval23

Harry failed to learn the Power the Dark Lord Knows Not, so he, with Luna's guidance, must undertake a journey to learn the true history of the Wizarding world, and find himself in the process. Multi-crossover.

22. Longbottom Hall

A/N: Regarding where Neville is from, fans from both Yorkshire and Lancashire lay claim to him, and both have very good arguments. So, I'm splitting the difference. Folks who are familiar with Lancashire might think the description of Longbottom Hall seems familiar. That's because I'm modeling it on Leighton Hall, as that's what one thinks of when it comes to mansions in north England. Similarly, I modeled Potter House on a house in Kensington; and Thelema on two Frank Lloyd Wright designed houses in the US, Fallingwater in Stewart Township, Pennsylvania, and Ennis House in Los Angeles. You may have seen the latter in movies and TV shows such as Blade Runner and Buffy the Vampire Slayer (Angel's house in Sunnydale). It just seemed the kind of place Andromeda would make her home. :)

Speaking of Buffy, some of you will recognize a certain group in Devon.

While there wasn't a historical Charles Longbottom or Cassius Malfoy involved in the events leading to the Battle of Bosworth Field, there really was Joan le Strange.

Some other things described are, minus the involvement of wizards, very real, as well.

Dr. Fu Manchu created by Sax Rohmer.

---

Chapter Twenty-Two

Longbottom Hall

"Do you begin to see, then, what kind of world we are creating? It is the exact opposite of the stupid hedonistic Utopias that the old reformers imagined. A world of fear and treachery and torment, a world trampling and being trampled upon, a world that will grow not less but more merciless as it refines itself. Progress in our world will be progress towards more pain. The old civilizations claimed they were founded on love or justice. Ours is founded upon hatred. In our world there will be no emotions except fear, rage, triumph, and self-abasement. Everything else we shall destroy - everything."

-George Orwell, 1984

---

After their shower following their first yoga session, Harry, Luna, Hermione, Dora, Dorothy, and Ozma joined Andy, Ted, and Xeno for lunch. Afal had already returned to Longbottom Hall, where Harry, Luna, Hermione, and, as Harry's bodyguard, Dora, would be visiting Neville.

Harry had made a floo call to Neville the previous day, asking if there was a convenient time they could get together and talk. He needed to bring Neville up to date on recent events, and tell him some things he thought Neville needed to know, such as the prophecy they'd raided the Department of Mysteries for. If Voldemort had chosen a different target that Halloween night in 1981, Neville would have been the prophecy's subject, the Boy Who Lived.

Harry also wanted to see if they could arrange another way to keep in contact with Ron without tipping off Dumbledore besides via Hermione, since it was only a matter of time before the Headmaster learned of her involvement with what Harry was up to. Bill was going to visit Fred and George to learn where they stood, and, if it was favorable to all parties, arrange another method of communication with Ron.

As it turned out, Neville had wanted to contact Harry, to bring him up to date on his activities, with some information he thought Harry needed to know. So, a visit to Neville's home was scheduled. Andy was giving them instructions.

"Dress nicely, but informally. You're just going for a visit, a tour of the grounds, and tea, after all. Be open with Augusta Longbottom. Be yourself, but very respectful. Augusta's a hard woman, but honest and good. She's an ally you'll need in the Wizengamot."

"She's a member?" asked Harry.

"Of course, and a highly respected one. Dumbledore's charms won't work with her, nor will he be able to intimidate her. She's... a classic Lancashire matriarch would be the best way to describe her."

"What's that mean? All I really know about the north is my Uncle Vernon hated everyone from there, which says something good about them, I think."

Ted said, "It means she's a stone cold hard-ass."

Andy snickered, and said, "I was going to say that your typical Lancashire matriarch has seen her family through wars and all the other challenges life has thrown at them with a grim lipped determination. They're very strong. But yes, she's also a stone cold hard-ass."

Hermione asked, "Even more than Professor McGonagall?"

Harry asked, "You're calling your favorite Professor a stone cold hard-ass?"

"She wouldn't be Professor McGonagall if she wasn't, Harry."

"True..."

Xeno said, "In answer to your question, yes, more than Minerva McGonagall. They were both in the year ahead of me at Hogwarts. They were friends, but Augusta was always the more stern of the two."

Hermione said, "I keep forgetting how old you actually are. You don't look it."

"Morgan was even older, and she never looked it. One of the perks of being Fae."

The mention of Morgan's name, and that other bit of information, reminded Harry of something he'd been wondering, and was going to ask Luna about, later. But now, he needed to focus on the subject at hand.

"So, what should I tell her? How much should I keep... confidential?"

Andy replied, "You can keep the details of your love life confidential, since she wouldn't want to hear them, anyway. Other than that, tell her everything."

"Everything? What Dumbledore's doing? What we're doing?"

"Yes. She can be trusted, and she needs to know so she'll know how and when to act. I know Dumbledore has grilled keeping important information secret from people who can help into your head for years, but his doing so hasn't exactly been in your best interests, has it?"

"No, definitely not."

"Don't worry about some of the things that make you feel vulnerable. As I said, she's a good woman. She's had to deal with a lot of bad things over the years. She won't compromise you, to anyone."

"Well... She's not going to be the only one of Neville's relatives there. His Uncle Algie will be there, too."

"Algie?" Andy asked, looking thoughtful. "Interesting."

"You know him?"

"We respect each other. By all means, be open with him, as well. Another thing Augusta Longbottom can do for you is apply some pressure with the Daily Prophet."

"How?"

"The Prophet was founded by the Lestrange family. It's publisher, Rowena Vane, was born a Lestrange. Oh, don't worry, she's not pro-Voldemort, very anti-Voldemort, in fact. Unfortunately, she's also very anti-me."

Ted added, "Rowena Vane finds us very dark and scandalous. And far too sexy."

"However, the Longbottoms and Lestranges were allied families going back centuries. Rowena's brothers doing what they did to Frank and Alice Longbottom was, aside from the obvious, a betrayal of a centuries long family alliance. Augusta will feel the Lestrange family has a debt of honor to pay to the Longbottom family."

"And," asked Hermione, "Rowena Vane would feel the need to honor that?"

Xeno answered, "Most definitely. She's very ashamed of the dishonor her brothers brought to the family name."

---

Given his love for plants, Neville Longbottom understood the importance of roots, not just the plants he grew, but his own.

The roots of the Longbottoms in north England were in the Norman Invasion. Despite what the Malfoys wanted people to think, the Longbottoms, not them, were the most important British magical family rooted in the Normans. William de Percy, a companion of William the Conqueror, was nicknamed Algernon. The name was revived in the 15th century for his descendant Henry Percy, and adopted into other families connected to them, such as the Longbottoms. Neville had a great-uncle named Algernon, though he just called him Uncle Algie. The Percys and Longbottoms were Lords in Yorkshire, the Longbottom name originating from the long valley in west Yorkshire where they were first seated.

Being Lords in Yorkshire wasn't always pleasant. The Norman invasion faced stiff opposition from this region, resulting in a bloody and brutal crackdown from William the Conqueror. The death toll resulting from what would be called the Harrying of the North was over 100,000. The Normans' scorched earth policy laid waste and depopulated much of the land, the Norman strategy being that anyone who survived the first massacre would be starved to death in the Winter. The land was salted to destroy its productivity for decades, the survivors reduced to cannibalism.

Then, there were the wars between England and Scotland. Just decades before the Normans arrived, one such conflict led to the founding of Hogwarts. The Anglo-Saxons and Celts had been enemies for centuries. The Celtic King Arthur's primary enemies had been the Saxons, and this continued after the Anglo-Saxons had taken what became England, with the Celts holding Scotland, Wales, and Ireland. A raid on the Scottish border led to a terrifying retaliation from the sorceress known as the Ravenclaw. North England came to fear the Ravenclaw's armies with their blue and silver standard depicting a black eagle, her ravens and crows that would darken the sky, and the silver eyed eagle that led them, the Ravenclaw, herself. English wizards and muggle Lords alike feared a personal visit from the silver eyed eagle, who would take the form of a beautiful, nearly naked (and sometimes more than nearly) Ravenclaw, her body painted blue, in the old Celtic warrior tradition.

Godric Gryffndor and his friend and companion, Salazar Slytherin, were called upon to defend England. While they were determined to stop her campaign against the English, they understood her reasons, as England had attacked her people, first. It was a fellow Celtic witch, the Blessed Hufflepuff of Wales, that negotiated peace. The four agreed to found a school for magic that would teach witches and wizards from all of Britain, in a place in Scotland selected by the Ravenclaw, belonging to the Seelie Court, who would allow the wizards use of the land.

Knowing the fickle nature of people, and having been taught by history that later generations might not feel the need to abide by agreements their ancestors made, Gryffindor and Slytherin agreed to the conditions the Ravenclaw, Hufflepuff, and the Seelie Court placed regarding the magical mortals' use of the land that was now known as Hogwarts, Hogsmeade, and the Forbidden Forest. Slytherin, believing any violations of the agreements would come in the form of muggle armies, built a chamber, where he placed what he saw as the most valuable magical tomes items, and records that he thought future generations would need, with a basilisk to defend it, and the school itself, if need be.

Hufflepuff was of the opinion that wizards would be more direct in their violation, and acted on a prophecy of the Ravenclaw, creating the Blessed Grove. There, she planted an apple tree from seed from Avalon, itself. With the Ravenclaw's help, she enchanted the tree so that all trees grown from its seed, and all trees grown from their seeds, continuing perpetually through the generations, would share the soul of the first tree, a newborn Dryad she named Afal. Hufflepuff raised Afal as though she were her own child, and gave her a special task. She would be a guardian, but a different kind than Salazar's basilisk. She was the protector of the knowledge of the Founders, and would act if those given charge of their school violated their intents. When such a time came, the Gentle One would come.

Godric Gryffindor took a different approach. He realized that, despite the Anglo-Saxon conquest, the language and culture they had imposed, and the name of their country being England, the English people were still primarily British Celts. He felt they shouldn't see themselves as a different race than the Scottish, Welsh, and Cornish people, that they were all British. To that end, he sought to build on a single British heritage, and looked to the reign of King Arthur for inspiration.

He went with the Ravenclaw to Avalon, to visit her ancestor Morgan le Fay, to get her blessing for what he wanted to do, form a magical order of knights modeled on Arthur's Knights of the Round Table. From there, he founded the Knights of Walpurgis, a chivalric Order of wizards and witches dedicated to protecting Britain and making certain the old ways and knowledge were never lost. As was customary for secret societies, he took a new name for when he was acting as Grand Master, Lord Leo, a tradition that would be kept by his successors. He fashioned an ornate golden sceptre topped with a representation of a lion's head that would be held by the Order's Grand Master, signifying the office he held.

The Order of Walpurgis served magical Britain well for centuries, until it was dissolved following a dispute several members had with its final Grand Master, Lord Voldemort. Those loyal to Voldemort became his first Death Eaters.

What Lord Voldemort did with Gryffindor's sceptre was unknown, though former members of the Knights of Walpurgis such as Andromeda Black-Tonks were certain he didn't destroy it. He seemed very attached to it.

The founding of Hogwarts brought peace between the English and Scottish magi, and kept them, for the most part, out of later wars between the two countries. That said, magi in Yorkshire were still affected by those, being so close to the border. It was another series of conflicts in which the House of Longbottom would play a major role, though, the Wars of the Roses.

The Wars of the Roses between the House of Lancaster and the House of York, so named because of the emblems of the rival Houses, the Red Rose of Lancaster and the White Rose of York, contending for the English throne naturally saw some battles in Yorkshire. Ironically, it was the House of Lancaster that was based in York. The House of York was based in London.

The House of Lancaster was founded by John of Gaunt, a son of King Edward III, who became the richest, most powerful, and most hated man in England. After his death, he became the most honored. He didn't have many victories on the battlefield, was often blamed for the various problems during the reign of his nephew, King Richard II, and had offended many nobles by taking his long time mistress as his third wife, Katherine Swynford, the sister-in-law of his close friend Geoffrey Chaucer, writer of The Canterbury Tales, and someone not considered of high enough birth. He angered those nobles even more by legitimizing the children they had before their marriage. But, he was the man who worked to keep England united, negotiating peace when it seemed the country would fall into civil war.

After his death, it did. The usurper who seized the throne from Richard II was John's oldest son, Henry of Bolingbroke, who imprisoned and later murdered Richard II and had himself crowned King Henry IV. His son, Henry V, revived the conflict with France known as the Hundred Years' War in part to keep the nobles who saw him and his father as usurpers too busy to revolt against him, as they had against his father. His experience fighting these rebellions served him well in France, where he won a great many victories, forcing France to recognize him as heir-apparent to their throne. His sudden death at the age of 35, however, left his infant son on the throne as King Henry VI.

Centuries before, the great wizard Merlin had written many prophesies. Among them was one about Gaul, the land that became France, saying that it would be threatened, but would be saved by a Maid from the borders of Lorraine. The prophecy was fulfilled by St. Joan of Arc.

Henry VI, born as the heir to two kingdoms, lived to see it all lost. The French, under the inspiring leadership of St. Joan, turned the tide of the Hundred Years' War. Losing the war drove Henry VI into insanity. He recovered, in time, but that, and the economic problems resulting from the massive debts the failed war in France had produced, led many of the nobles to back Richard, the Duke of York, who had a better hereditary claim to the throne than the House of Lancaster did.

The result was thirty more years of war. During Henry's bouts of insanity, his wife, Queen Margaret, a niece of the French King Charles VII, ruled as regent. One such bout saw Henry laughing and singing while the Second Battle of St. Albans raged. Given how often Henry's madness happened, she wound up leading the House of Lancaster through much of the Wars of the Roses. Some would say that Henry's incapacity was caused by sorcery. The Malfoys, who sided with the House of Lancaster, have, for centuries, accused the Longbottoms, who sided with the House of York, of being responsible. But, that's a question no one has the true answer to, except possibly the Longbottoms.

The Duke of York had been killed in battle, but his son, Edward, took over leadership, deposed Henry VI, and was crowned King Edward IV, with Henry, Margaret, and their son, also named Edward, fleeing to exile in Scotland. Within a few years, Henry was captured and imprisoned in the Tower of London.

However, Edward IV had a falling out with one of his most powerful supporters that had been instrumental in his rise to the throne, his cousin Richard Neville, Earl of Warwick. Feeling betrayed and insulted by the king he had put into power, Neville formed a secret alliance with Margaret to restore Henry to the throne, and married his daughter, Anne Neville, who had been betrothed to Edward IV's brother Richard, Duke of Gloucester, to Henry's and Margaret's son. He then forced Edward IV into exile, just as he'd help do years earlier to Henry, and restored Henry VI to the throne. Deposing and crowning two kings gave Neville the nickname the Kingmaker. However, the years of hiding followed by years of captivity had taken their toll on Henry, who wasn't exactly capable of effective rule to begin with. So, the true ruler of England was now Richard Neville.

His power was only to last six months. Neville overreached, declaring war on Burgundy, which then assisted Edward IV in his bid to reclaim the throne. Richard Neville was killed by Edward IV in the Battle of Barnet, with Henry VI's more capable son, Prince Edward, killed following his capture a few weeks later. Prince Edward's wife, Anne Neville, was then married to Edward IV's brother, Richard, to whom she had previously been betrothed. Henry VI died a few weeks later in prison.

Queen Margaret was kept prisoner for a few years before being ransomed by her cousin, King Louis XI of France, where she lived her remaining years as a poor relation to the king. She was entombed next to her parents in Angers Cathedral, but her remains were removed and scattered by revolutionaries who ransacked the cathedral during the French Revolution.

Edward IV, with all the direct Lancaster line gone, was now able to rule in peace, the only remaining challenger from the Lancasters being the young Henry Tudor. Henry Tudor's claim as the heir of Lancaster and therefore to the throne was through his mother, Margaret Beaufort, a great-granddaughter of John of Gaunt and his third wife, Katherine Swynford, the mistress he married and had fathered children with, who he legitimized after the marriage. Thus, Henry's claim was considered tenuous, given the questionable legitimacy of the Beaufort line. He was therefore considered little threat to the House of York.

Edward IV's own choice of wife, Elizabeth Woodville, had caused much controversy, itself, his decision to marry her being what began the rift between him and Richard Neville, who Edward eventually killed in battle, and whose daughter, Anne, was now married to Edward's brother Richard, Duke of Gloucester. Edward's and Elizabeth's mutual friend, the wizard Charles Longbottom, strongly supported the union, however.

Edward IV's death at the age of 40 was sudden and mysterious. He quickly fell to an increasing number of ailments that his doctor, a friend of Richard's named Cassius Malfoy, couldn't seem to cure. He just got sicker and sicker. Knowing he was dying, and with his oldest son and heir only 12, with Cassius Malfoy always at his side, he named his brother Richard as Protector to serve as regent until his son, soon to be King Edward V, came of age.

As soon as Edward IV was dead, Richard and Malfoy quickly disposed of potential allies to the young new king, and secured Edward V and his younger brother in the Tower of London, supposedly to protect them. Richard then declared his brother's marriage to Elizabeth wasn't valid, claiming Edward IV had been contracted to marry one Eleanor Butler, and therefore Edward's and Elizabeth's children were illegitimate. He and Malfoy made certain he had enough support in Parliament to where it didn't matter that, in all those years, no one had mentioned this supposed marriage contract before then. Parliament declared him the rightful king, as Richard III. A pair of killing curses from Malfoy insured Longbottom wouldn't be able to rescue the young princes and restore Edward V to the throne.

Charles Longbottom swore revenge on the child murderer Malfoy, took Edward IV's widow Elizabeth and her daughters under his protection, and helped her organize an alliance with Margaret Beaufort and her son, Henry Tudor. Henry was then betrothed to the oldest daughter, Elizabeth of York, named for her mother, and swore to unite the Houses of Lancaster and York.

Henry arrived in Pembrokeshire in Wales, his birthplace, with a small force of French and Scots. Wales had always been a Lancaster stronghold, and Henry's Welsh roots helped gain him strong support, there, and he recruited more troops and archers to his cause.

Charles thought that, had Richard III been a wizard, the Sorting Hat would have had difficulty deciding on which house to place him in. He had the qualities of both Gryffindor and Slytherin, brave and daring, while also ruthless and cunning. While he was also a very good administrator, fair to the common people, his murderous path to the crown outweighed any of his good qualities. To beat him, they would have to be as brave and daring, as ruthless and cunning, as he was.

Henry and Charles decided that, since they would be outnumbered by Richard's forces, they would have to strike quickly and decisively. Charles would deal with Malfoy, by luring him to Wales.

Cassius Malfoy received word from his spies that Charles Longbottom was preparing a secret magical weapon in Dinas Emrys in the Snowdonian Mountains in northern Wales, and thought to ambush his old rival in a surprise attack. What he found waiting for him was a sleeping red dragon.

Several centuries before, there had been two brothers, Ambrosius Aurelianus and Uther Pendragon. They were the exiled sons of the British King Constantine, the throne having been stolen by Vortigern. They were children when they were exiled, and as they grew to manhood, Vortigern had brought the Saxons in from Europe to help secure his control of the British Celts.

Vortigern went to Dinas Emrys in the Snowdonian Mountains in what is now northern Wales to build a fortress. He had had difficulty getting it to stay up, so he consulted his Druids, who told him, "You must find a child born without a human father, and put him to death."

His envoys found such a child, whose mother was human but whose father was something else, a Fae. The child's name was Merlin.

Before the sacrifice could be carried out, Merlin discovered what was causing the construction problem, an underground pool that was causing the foundations to crumble. Digging, they discovered two sleeping dragons in the underground pool, one red and one white.

It seemed that long before the Romans came, the dragons had been in a pitched battle that was ravaging the land. King Lludd dealt with the situation by building a huge pit, filling it with mead, and covering it with a huge cloth. The dragons drank the enchanted mead and fell asleep, covered in the cloth.

By excavating the pit, Vortigern had awakened the dragons, who resumed their fight, eventually won by the red dragon. Merlin told Vortigern that the red dragon represented the people of Britain, and the white dragon represented the invading Saxons. The red dragon also was a sign, prophesying the coming of a great king.

Ambrosius and Uther returned and defeated Vortigern, making Ambrosius king, though the Saxons would stay a constant threat. The great king of Merlin's prophecy would be Uther's son, Arthur Pendragon, and the red dragon would be his standard.

The red dragon would go on to be the symbol of Wales.

Cassius Malfoy was a man of many prejudices, and one of the things he especially hated was the Welsh. And here was their legendary symbol asleep before him. He was so focused on the dragon that he didn't notice the compulsion charm cast on him by Charles Longbottom, who had hidden himself.

The Welsh founder of Hogwarts, the Blessed Hufflepuff, came up with Hogwart's motto: Draco dormiens nunquam titillandus, meaning "Never tickle a sleeping dragon," in honor of the red dragon of her homeland. Hufflepuffs were another thing Cassius Malfoy hated.

The compulsion Charles had charmed Malfoy to do was act on his impulses and hatreds without concern for the consequences. So, as a show of contempt for both Hufflepuff House and Wales, he cast a tickling charm on the dragon.

The dragon woke, and burned Cassius Malfoy to a crisp. Charles Longbottom, having a way with dragons, then coaxed the great beast to go back to sleep.

Flying the Welsh red dragon banner, Henry Tudor's forces met Richard's in the Battle of Bosworth Field. Though outnumbered, Henry's and Charles's strategy worked to perfection. Richard crossed the fine line between bravery and foolhardiness by charging alone to battle Henry. He failed to consider one crucial detail about some of those on his side, Baron Thomas Stanley and his brother Sir William Stanley.

Baron Stanley happened to be the husband of Margaret Beaufort, Henry Tudor's mother. Because he had his nephews murdered in pursuit of his own ambitions, Richard assumed all others were like him, his fatal error. He couldn't conceive that Baron Stanley would be loyal to his wife and stepson, and his brother would be loyal to him.

There was also the matter of Richard holding the Baron's oldest son, George, Baron Strange from his marriage to the Baroness Joan le Strange, hostage to insure his obedience, not considering that all Baron Stanley had to do to win his son's freedom was eliminate Richard. Indeed, offending the magical members of Joan le Strange's family convinced them to act as spies for Charles Longbottom, and help him in setting the trap for Cassius Malfoy.

So, when engaging in combat with Henry, Richard found himself surrounded by Sir William Stanley and his forces, discovering quickly that they weren't there to protect him from Henry's forces while he dealt with his rival. Ten wounds, eight to the head, including losing part of the back of his skull, and the reign of King Richard III, and the Wars of the Roses, ended. Richard had worn his crown into battle. Lord Stanley recovered it and placed it on the head of his stepson, now King Henry VII.

Henry married Elizabeth of York, officially uniting the Houses of Lancaster and York, beginning the Tudor dynasty. Their emblem, the Tudor Rose, combined the Red Rose of Lancaster and the White Rose of York into a double rose, white over red. Peace, at last, came to Britain after a century and a half of almost constant warfare.

The Tudor Rose is part of Coat of Arms of both the United Kingdom and Canada.

The Red Rose is now the emblem of the County of Lancashire, while the White Rose is the emblem of Yorkshire. The city of Lancaster, Pennsylvania, in the United States, uses the Red Rose as its seal, and in its flag, and is nicknamed Red Rose City. The city of Montreal, Quebec, Canada includes the Lancaster Red Rose in its flag, along with the blue Fleur-de-Lys of the French House of Bourbon, a shamrock representing Ireland, and a thistle representing Scotland, representing the city's cultural legacies. York, Pennsylvania uses the White Rose as its seal, is nicknamed White Rose City, and its minor league baseball team is called the York White Roses. York University on Toronto, Ontario, Canada has the White Rose in its crest.

In football, the rivalry between Lancashire's Manchester United and Yorkshire's Leeds United is called the War of the Roses, with each team's colors corresponding to the respective rose representing their historic county, Manchester United wearing red, with Leeds United wearing white.

John of Gaunt's magical descendants would take Gaunt as their surname, and were a wealthy and powerful family in Wizarding Britain until bad financial decisions and their fondness for marrying too closely within the family left them ruined and impoverished.

The Kingmaker Richard Neville's magical descendants would marry into the Longbottom family.

Not that things were entirely peaceful. There were still a few rebellions, with various people making claims to the throne, which were quickly suppressed. The reformed judicial system centered around Court of the Star Chamber and Justices of the Peace further reduced the power of the nobles, and introduced several laws and legal proceedings that are part of our modern court system.

The next war that affected the Longbottoms was the Rising of the North. Henry VII's son, King Henry VIII, had sought to divorce his Queen, Catherine of Aragon, due to their inability to produce a male heir. The Pope refused to allow this, so Henry broke England off from the Catholic Church, forming the Church of England, with himself as its Head. He began viciously persecuting the Catholics, even in Ireland, where he ordered the Flame of St. Brigid in Kildare snuffed out. Brigid's Flame dated to pre-Christian times, kept alive by St. Brigid and the abbesses that succeeded her.

Despite his efforts, Henry VIII couldn't snuff out this symbol of the Divine Feminine forever. It would be reignited in 1993, and has been kept burning, ever since.

The persecutions were continued by his daughter, Queen Elizabeth I. The Rising of the North was led by the Nevilles and Percys, defiant Catholics hoping to replace her with Mary, Queen of Scots. The Longbottoms sided with their kinsmen, so their old enemies, the Malfoys, finally thought they had the opportunity to destroy the Longbottoms once and for all. They were unable, however, to replace John Dee as the Queen's most trusted wizard.

Following the defeat of Mary's supporters, there were many beheadings ordered by Elizabeth. The Longbottoms were forced out of Yorkshire and into hiding in France, not to return to England until Elizabeth's death, ending the Tudor dynasty, and the crowning of King James I. With their lands in Yorkshire confiscated when they went into exile, they relocated to the other side if the Pennine Mountains in Lancashire.

The next war that affected the magical branch of the Longbottoms was the Civil War, which had some significant battles in north England. The triumph of Oliver Cromwell and his Puritans began a dark time for the magical peoples of the British Isles. Cromwell was determined to exterminate them all.

Armand Longbottom and his close friend Richard L'Estrange became part of the forces seeking to restore the Monarchy. They led the Knights of Walpurgis in their alliance with the Seelie Court against the tyranny of the Cromwell regime, working to help Morgan le Fay and St. Brigid infiltrate Cromwell's base of operations to bring an end to the dictator.

The Longbottoms stayed in Lancashire, near the mountains. Longbottom Hall was built in the mid-1700s, though it had undergone remodeling, and a few additions, many times since. While it would be described as a manor house, most who owned such houses didn't call them "manors." That was considered pretentious, like you thought you were Royalty. Most such homes were therefore called "Place," "House," "Hall," or something else, altogether. Examples in the magical British culture included Longbottom Hall, Potter House, Lestrange Place, Eden, Thelema, and simply "the London house" of the Blacks. The Malfoys named their home "Malfoy Manor," but that's the Malfoys for you.

Also, unlike the Malfoys, the Longbottoms didn't have to buy their influence, though they certainly had the money to do so. They were influential because they were respected. This created much resentment from the Malfoys over the years, who wanted respect and admiration above everything. Draco Malfoy would never admit it, of course, but that was the core reason for his hostility towards Neville Longbottom. Draco constantly talked about his family's wealth and connections... well, at least until the Malfoy name was disgraced by his father being caught red-handed at the Department of Mysteries as a Death Eater and sent to Azkaban. Neville never talked about his wealth. He didn't feel the need to. Everyone knew who the Longbottoms were. He just wanted to be as brave as his Auror parents.

His parents had been in St. Mungos for years, since he was a year old. They'd been tortured into insanity by Death Eaters; Rodolphus and Rastaban Lestrange, Rodolphus's wife Bellatrix, and Barty Crouch Jr. His grandmother had, since, spent years trying to mold him into his father. She'd even made him use his father's wand, rather than buying him a new one for when he began his schooling at Hogwarts, even though all the experts on wands said a wand chooses the wizard, that someone else's wand will never work as well for them.

He wasn't his father, though. For one thing, he sucked at Potions. So much for becoming an Auror like his father... not that he really wanted to be.

The Sorting Hat placed him in Gryffindor, the house known for bravery. He didn't consider himself particularly brave, though the Hat obviously disagreed. But, there was more to being a Longbottom than fighting battles.

The Pennines were known for their natural beauty. The Longbottoms felt a connection to this land. They were a part of it, and it was a part of them. So, the Longbottoms often produced witches and wizards with a special connection to the plant life, who seemed to have an almost magical, way with it. Longbottom Hall was known for its gardens and orchards, lovingly developed and maintained for centuries. When it was built, a member of the family taught Herbology at Hogwarts, and brought to the house seeds from the Blessed Grove, gifts from Afal o'r Bendigedig, which grew into an apple orchard producing fruit every bit the equal of that of the trees the seeds came from. This was, of course, because they, like the apple trees of the Blessed Grove, were Afal.

Neville had inherited that particular family trait. Between his grandmother driving him to be his father, his awkwardness, his insecurity, and his difficulty with controlling his magic, he had a stressful childhood. His teen years weren't much better. But, walking the gardens, tending to the plants; walking around the grounds; walking outside the property taking in the view of the mountains... This brought him peace and contentment. The greenhouse was his sanctuary. There, he could work his magic, making things grow, helping to create and nurture life.

His favorites, for reasons he couldn't explain, were the apple trees. Granted, they produced the most delicious apples he'd ever tasted. His great-uncle Algie said there was a very special dryad that was the soul of the trees, which was why their fruit was so good, but Neville never took that explanation seriously. Uncle Algie said a lot, after all. Neville, normally not the most daring of children, loved climbing the apple trees. For some reason, he felt safe and protected in their branches. Every year at Twelfth Night, he would do the traditional Wassail ritual for the apple trees, the centuries old British ritual that officially ends the Christmas season and begins the Carnival season in which the trees are woken and given ritual gifts to assure a good harvest in the Fall.

His grandmother disapproved of his love for plants, thinking it made him soft. She didn't even want him to take NEWT level Charms because she considered it a soft and worthless subject, though his Head of House, Professor McGonagall, told him she would drop his grandmother a line reminding her that just because she failed her Charms OWL didn't mean the subject was worthless. His grandmother also didn't seem to realize that at least an Exceeds Expectations in NEWT level charms was necessary to be considered for Auror training, the very career she was insisting for Neville. Neville feared she might take the greenhouse away from him. He even once had a nightmare that she destroyed his plants in the greenhouse on a rampage.

What Augusta Longbottom didn't understand was her actions, including sending Howlers to Hogwarts when he displeased her, and constantly demanding he uphold the family honor, were doing more harm to her grandson than good. It left him always tense, nervous, and completely lacking in self-confidence.

He also wasn't the handsomest boy as a child. Oh, he wasn't ugly, and anyone objective, which the self-conscious Neville was not, would have described him as above average in looks. He was a bit chubby, sure, but not obese. His ears stuck out a little, though not nearly as much as his father's did. His hands and feet were larger than most boys', though, which added to his awkwardness and self-consciousness. He also discovered, in the showers of the Gryffindor dorms, that another part of his anatomy was larger than most boys'. Of course, he had no idea that that wasn't going to be a disadvantage for him.

His fifth year at Hogwarts changed everything... well, except his Potions marks.

He'd grown out of his chubbiness, and had grown tall. Due to circumstances, he found that Gryffindor bravery everyone had assured him he had, and fought Death Eaters in the Department of Mysteries, though we wound up with both a broken nose and broken wand for his efforts. Any worries he had about how his grandmother would react were settled when she sent him a letter after being informed of what happened. While the letter did chastise him and his friends for charging into the situation half-cocked and without a plan, she, for the first time that he could remember, wrote of how proud she was of him, and how proud his parents would be.

When he wrote back explaining that his father's wand was broken during the battle, she replied, in her next letter, that if that wand had to be broken, it was only right that it be destroyed fighting Death Eaters, and the ones that had put it's first owner in St. Mungos, at that. They'd get him a new wand as soon as he returned from Hogwarts.

Then, at Midsummer, Luna and Professor Flitwick took him to the Blessed Grove to meet some Fairy Queens and Kings. One of them was Queen Alice of Wonderland, the woman who Neville's own mother was named for. She made him an offer, suggesting his poor marks in Potions might have more to do with the teacher than the student. She suggested her fellow Wonderland monarch, Mirana, the White Queen, teach him.

It was here that he was properly introduced to Afal, the Dryad of not only the apple trees of the Blessed Grove, but those of Longbottom Hall that he loved and cared for. She had come to love him in return. And, well, she was a Dryad. Neville couldn't resist. After all, he'd known her and loved her for all his life.

That was going to be the difficult thing to explain to his grandmother, that he'd fallen in love, and entered into a relationship with, the Longbottom Hall apple trees' Dryad. His grandmother was a very traditional woman, and he knew, without having to ask, that she hoped Neville would find himself a normal, sensible, traditional girl. Dryads were anything but. Well, their ideas of normal, sensible, and traditional weren't the same as his grandmother's, at any rate.

As Neville expected, when he introduced Afal, his grandmother wasn't happy. What he didn't expect was what she said.

"Your uncle Algie said this might happen."

"Huh?"

"I'll ask him to come. There are things he'll need to tell you about. He'll probably congratulate you. Oh, and it's an honor to meet you, Afal."

Afal replied, "It's an honor to meet you, as well, though I've known you since you first came here."

"Yes... Of course."

Neville asked, in surprise, "You knew about Afal?"

"I knew what I was told by your grandfather about the apple trees on the estate. He told me about where the seeds came from and the Dryad, but I had never met her until now."

Neville had mixed feelings toward his great-uncle Algie. The man had, at least Neville thought, put his life in danger to prove he was a wizard and not a Squib. The man insisted Neville was never in any danger, though, and he was just trying to push Neville into releasing his magic. Other than those scary incidents, his grand-uncle had been very supportive of Neville, especially his interest in Herbology, sending him rare magical plants from around the world.

"He's got a gift for it," he told Neville's grandmother. "That gift should be nurtured."

"His father never held a special interest in Herbology," his grandmother replied.

"And he's not his father. You have to let him be his own person. He'll make the family proud, trust me."

Uncle Algie had always tried to convince Neville's grandmother that the boy needed his own wand and not his father's, to no avail.

"Augusta," he said, "I really don't know why you never listen to me about wands and how they're most effective. I am in a position to know how magic works... well, in a better position than most, anyway, since there are still a lot of mysteries we haven't solved."

"And, you're not to talk about that," his grandmother replied.

Neville had always wondered about his enigmatic great-uncle. He was always traveling to various places around the world, and would always tell Neville about the sights and people of those places, but he never said why he travelled so much. And now, according to his grandmother, he needed to know about Neville's Dryad girlfriend, immediately.

Afal told him, "Don't worry about it, love. Algie will be pleased."

"You know Uncle Algie?"

"Yes. Since he was a baby."

"Oh yeah... Um, maybe I should rephrase. He knows you? I mean, besides knowing the apple trees?"

"Yes, though we haven't talked for many years. He was always the curious sort, you see, so one day, as a child, he tried to communicate directly with the Dryad he'd been told about."

To Neville's surprise, Algie was at Longbottom Hall the next morning, for breakfast. Afal joined them. Neville noticed that if his grandmother was bothered by a green-haired woman barely covering her "naughty bits" with leaves being at the breakfast table, she didn't show it. Interestingly, their house elves, Lanny and Yorky, seemed delighted by Afal's presence.

"Good morning, Neville," said Algie. He rose and kissed Afal's hand, and said, "Afal... It's the greatest pleasure to see you, again. You're as beautiful as ever, though I can't say the same for me."

"It's a pleasure to see you again as well, Algie, though I was quite cross with you, several years ago."

"Ah... Why was that?"

"You terrified Neville."

"Yes. My apologies for that, and to you too, Neville. But, it was just to awaken his magic. Sometimes, if the reason someone's magic is blocked is due to emotional harm, a shock will awaken it." He paused, and added, "It did work, in my defense."

"I still like you, Algie," she said.

"Thank you," he replied, noticeably relieved.

After they sat, Algie said to Neville, "Now, down to business... You're curious about why your grandmother called me."

Neville replied, "I assume it has to do with Afal."

"Partly. And, my congratulations. I'd hoped to win Afal's heart in my youth, before I fell in love with your great-aunt Enid, of course, but I wasn't who your lovely lady wanted, it seemed. I had a feeling, watching you grow up, that you'd win her love."

"And you were correct," said Afal. "How could I not love him?"

"Indeed. My other reason, which actually relates to that, has to do with work."

Neville replied, "I've never known what it is that you do, exactly, besides travel all over the place. Anytime I've asked, everyone's been vague and changed the subject."

"Yes, well... You recently visited my workplace with some friends of yours, just before Midsummer."

What? That meant...

"You're an Unspeakable?"

"Yes. Don't know why no one told you... If you'd just asked me..."

"Aren't they not allowed to talk about it?"

"We're not allowed to talk about what we do, what are assignments are, and so forth, but it's not violating anything just to say someone works in the Department of Mysteries. And, there are sometimes exceptions to the first rule. It has to be very special circumstances."

"I won't ask, then."

"This happens to be one of those very special circumstances."

"Ah..." The surprises just kept on coming...

---

Stepping through the floo, Harry, Luna, Hermione, and Dora found themselves in the large entrance hall of the Longbottom home. Neville was waiting.

"Hey, guys," said Neville. "Welcome to Longbottom Hall."

He introduced them to his grandmother, who wasn't wearing her notorious vulture hat, but was nevertheless, Harry thought, stern looking and imposing.

She told Harry, Hermione, and Luna, "Neville has spoken highly of the three of you. I'm pleased he's found such good friends and compatriots. He's said especially good things of you, Mr. Potter."

"I probably don't deserve it, but I do my best, like he does."

"Humility is a good trait, Mr. Potter, one Neville shares. I'll leave you to catch up, and for Neville to show you the house and grounds. When you return, we'll have tea, and chat."

So, Neville began their tour. Where they were was very elegant, with a curving staircase leading to the next floor. Harry noticed that whoever designed it had a fondness for arches, which were part of window frames, door frames, everywhere they could make something arch shaped.

The house, itself, was similar in size to Potter House and Thelema, though the interiors were designed in a different style than either of the two large mansions Harry had been in. Unlike either of those houses, Longbottom Hall had its own chapel. Harry was curious about why they needed a private chapel.

Neville explained, "Longbottom Hall was built towards the end of the period of great country houses, and those often had their own chapels. The Longbottoms were what was called 'landed gentry,' meaning they made their money from the large amount of land the owned. It was mostly agricultural up here, and tenant farmers rented land and worked the fields. That all declined with the Industrial Revolution, but we still make our money from real estate, so I guess we're still pretty much landed gentry. Same with the Malfoys."

Dora said, "That was Mum's side of the family, too. You've inherited most of the old Black family land, Harry, and are getting a lot of rental revenue from it, including Godric's Hollow."

"Where my parents died," said Harry.

"Yeah, and Godric Gryffindor's birthplace, though it wasn't called that at the time, of course. Gryffindor was eventually granted that land for service to the Crown, and it came to be named for him. It came into the Black family when the lines were merged. That's why the Sword of Gryffindor is part of the Black Coat of Arms."

"Wait... Does that mean Sirius was... well... the heir of Gryffindor?"

"Yeah, for whatever that matters. You've inherited the property that Mum and Aunt Cissy didn't get from Granddad."

"What about Bellatrix?"

"She got disinherited when Arcturus Black, the Head of the family, found out she was a Death Eater."

"Didn't Sirius get disinherited?"

"Given that he owned the house and the main portion of the family fortune and property, no."

"But his mother blasted his name off the tapestry -"

"Along with Mum's. Didn't matter. Wasn't her call to make, but Arcturus's."

"Mum served with Arcturus Black in World War II," said Luna, "during the final battle with my great-grandfather on Dad's side."

"Better known as Gellert Grindelwald," said Dora.

"Grindelwald was your great-grandfather?" asked Harry.

"I'm afraid so, though Dad never met him, and neither have I."

"He's still alive?"

"Yes, in prison in Europe."

"Well, we all have relatives we're not proud of. I guess I have to visit Godric's Hollow at some point."

Neville replied, "You should check out what you own, certainly. The West Country has a lot of magical history. The Diggorys were landed gentry, too, and still make their money from real estate. The Weasleys owned a chunk of Devon and Cornwall at one time. Too many kids meant too many people inheriting, though, so they're left with just a few properties here and there. Then, there's a piece of the Devon countryside that we know is owned by magical folk, but it's all pretty mysterious about who, and what they use it for."

Luna said, "Oh, that would be us, if you're referring to what I'm thinking of."

"Us as in the Lovegoods, or us as in the Fae?"

"A little of both. That's where Madcaps is, and we have an Earth Magic based coven of Fae descendants that the Ministry doesn't consider witches, though they are very powerful in magic."

"If they're powerful in magic, why doesn't the Ministry consider them witches?"

"Their definitions of what makes up a magical core are very limited. Everyone has a bit of magic in them, but can't do what are defined as officially 'witches and wizards' can do. But, they can draw powerful magical energy from the Earth."

"Doesn't the Ministry consider that Dark Arts? Why don't you have any legal issues over it?"

"That's where the bigotry in the system works in our favor. They're 'muggles,' as far as the Ministry is concerned, and therefore not worth investigating. If they knew what these so-called 'mere muggles' in the Devon Coven could actually do..."

Hermione asked, "Anything like... what I'm being taught?"

"Yes, and you'll meet them. The countryside is beautiful."

"Hmm," said Neville. "I think I know what your favorite part of our estate will be, then. The house was originally in the Georgian style when it was built around 1760. The woods and park were added a couple of years later."

"Woods and park?" asked Luna.

"Yeah. I think you'll like those. The facade was redone in the 1820s when the Gothic Revival style became popular."

It was when they went outside that Harry was amazed at what he saw. The grounds were huge and breathtaking. Forests, gardens, streams, with a view of the mountains in the distance.

"How big is this place?" asked Hermione.

"About 1500 acres," answered Neville. "We don't maintain it all ourselves, of course."

"I wouldn't think so."

"We're not going to have time to walk through the whole thing -"

"Or the energy," said Dora.

"But, I can show you some of the gardens, including my favorite spot. You can probably guess what it is."

Harry and the others guessed correctly when they came to the apple trees.

Harry and Hermione were surprised to see the beautiful green-haired woman just seem to materialize out of one of the trees, crouched on a branch, nude, as she'd been that morning at Thelema.

"Hello, again," she said, smiling before she landed in front of them.

Harry said, "And Hermione's curse struck again, this morning."

"Hmm?" said Neville.

Hermione answered, "Harry thinks I've cursed him."

Harry explained, "I accidentally saw her naked when she was in the hospital wing, and told her it was the most beautiful sight I'd ever seen. She said I wouldn't be as impressed if I saw other girls naked. Since, I've seen a lot of naked women. First Luna, of course..."

"Of course," said Neville.

"Then Dora. Then Andromeda, then her friend Emily. Then there's been Fleur, Princess Dorothy, and Queen Ozma. And now Afal. But, as I told Hermione, I'm still impressed with her, naked."

"You call that a curse?"

"So I've been asked."

"It's more the company you've kept," said Dora. "Your girlfriend, your bodyguard, and now your Guardians are Fae."

"We can dress very nicely," added Luna, "but Fae often don't worry about clothes when they don't have to."

"Hey," said Harry, "I didn't say I minded."

"I certainly don't mind Afal's state of dress," said Neville.

As they explored the grounds, they talked. Harry and Neville brought each other up to date on what they'd each been up to since they left Hogwarts for the Summer holiday. This meant telling Neville what the circumstances were that led him to the Tonkses.

It was a lot easier opening up to Neville than Harry thought it would be.

"God," said Neville, "I thought I had a rough childhood. We'll need to let Gran know."

"Yeah, Andromeda said to tell her everything... that she could be trusted."

"She can."

"I just don't want anyone's pity, you know?"

"Yeah... Gran thought I was ashamed of my parents since I never told you guys about them, and what happened to them. It wasn't that..."

"You just didn't want anyone feeling sorry for you."

"Yeah..."

"Andy said we could tell your Uncle Algie everything, too. Is he really trustworthy?"

"You're not the only one who has some major secrets to share. It's going to be full disclosure, all around."

"Meaning?" asked Hermione.

"You're going to learn a lot of things most witches and wizards don't know about. The Department Uncle Algie works for are usually not allowed to talk about what it is they do."

"You mean... he's an Unspeakable?"

"Yeah."

"Wow."

"That was pretty much my reaction. Now, we had no idea what you'd want for tea, so, knowing Lanny and Yorky, they'll make a little of everything. Don't worry about not eating it all. We recycle food for compost."

"Very green," said Luna. "I approve."

"Thanks. So does Afal."

When they re-entered the house, with Afal adding some leaves to just cover what needed to be covered, they went to what Neville called the tea room. It was much more relaxed and casual than the dining room they'd seen when Neville was showing them around, but it was still very posh.

Sitting next to Augusta was a distinguished looking older gentleman with grey hair.

He rose, and announced, dramatically, "Hello. Allow me to introduce myself. I am Algernon Longbottom, and I represent an organization that has taken great interest in you."

Harry replied, "The Department of Mysteries, we know."

"Damn... Neville already told you?"

Luna answered, "Uh huh."

Algie sighed, smiled, and said, "And I was hoping to make a properly dramatic introduction."

"He was," Augusta confirmed. "He was even rehearsing it before you came in."

"Oh well... Have a seat and everybody introduce themselves."

After introductions were made, Algie told the group that they had a lot to talk about, much not only he needed to learn from them, but what the Department of Mysteries had to tell them about.

"I work in the field, mostly," he said. "Lots of travel, investigating sites, meeting people, and so on. That includes when we have to tell people outside of the Department of some important business."

"I thought you weren't allowed to tell anyone outside the Department what you do," said Hermione.

"Except under certain circumstances, you're correct. You happen to fall under those certain circumstances. You need to know some things that are vitally important to the future of our people, and we can offer it."

"Sorry about that," said Harry to Hermione. "Special circumstances seem to follow me around."

"Don't be. You know I'm always delighted to learn new things."

"First, let me say that anything we discuss here will be kept confidential. We'll tell no one outside the Department without your permission. We expect the same from you, though you may tell Mr. Potter's guardians, as we've consulted with them in the past about various things. Andromeda Black-Tonks is Europe's leading Alchemist, so we've established a relationship with her like we had with Nicolas Flamel."

"That makes things easier," said Harry.

"You'll also need to learn Occlumency, if you haven't, already. I've been teaching Neville."

"Hermione and I are learning. Luna and Dora already know it."

"Good, because there are secrets you'll want to keep from others, including our Chief Warlock."

"Yeah, we've found that out, lately."

"First, let me tell you a little about the Department. We don't even know its complete origins. You've seen the Veil and the chamber that's always locked. Those have been there for thousands of years. What eventually became the Department of Mysteries was built around them, and, eventually, the Ministry of Magic building was built on top of what became the Department of Mysteries. You've likely guessed what the Veil is."

"A passageway from this world to the next."

"Yes. It was kept by the Druids in ancient times. Unfortunately, before the Romans came, nothing was ever written. All knowledge was passed down orally. By the time records were being kept, the Druids had too many contradictory legends about how the Veil and the locked chamber got there, and how long they'd been there, deep underground, for us to even develop workable theories."

"And the locked room?" asked Hermione.

"I'll ask Miss Lovegood a question... What did you feel when you were close to the locked room?"

"Something very similar to something in Avalon."

Harry thought about Luna's answer, and recalled his own feelings about the locked room. It was very similar to the Grail. So, he asked.

"Is it related to the Holy Grail?"

"A very good question," Algie answered. "Having never had access to the Grail, I can't say, personally, that the feeling is similar, but the energy that's there is much like the descriptions of the Grail's effect that I've read. It's a chamber that is kept locked, because those who have entered it don't want to leave it. Between that and the Veil, it's one of this island's greatest centers of power. It drew England's kings, even if they didn't know why. So, they built palaces in what we now call Whitehall, and, from there, it became the center of British government. We've studied it for centuries, trying to understand its mysteries as best our mortal minds can."

"But," asked Hermione, "is everything you study... of the good?"

"What do you mean?"

"The brains in the tank... Did you create those? And, if so, why?"

"We didn't create those brains. That would be... monstrous."

"Who did, then?"

"Someone who is monstrous. We recovered them from a laboratory belonging to... one of the worst evils magical Britain has produced."

"Rotfang," said Luna. "That sounds like him."

"Precisely," said Algie. "Of course, you know of him."

"Wait," said Harry. "We've got another powerful dark wizard out there? Why haven't we heard of him?"

"The International Confederation of Wizards has done its best to keep his existence and activities classified."

"Is he with Voldemort?"

"No. Voldemort and Rotfang are at cross-purposes, though Rotfang was one of Voldemort's mentors. Voldemort wishes to impose his vision of order. Rotfang seeks to make our world complete chaos."

Hermione asked, "So, he's not into destroying Muggleborns?"

"He'll kill them as easily as he will anyone else, but no. Not every dark wizard is born into our culture. Some of the most dangerous, like Rotfang, have been Muggleborn. He draws most of his inspiration from the muggle world, in fact."

"Hmm... That would explain the brains, I suppose. That's more mad scientist than dark wizard."

"He's an expert on many subjects, magical and non-magical. He studied the research and methods of Dr. Fu Manchu, including the method of maintaining his youth, a perversion and imitation of the Elixir of Life."

Luna said, "Fu Manchu didn't discover the true Elixir, given his lack of what is needed for that. But his imitation of it is flawed, and just warps the mind, over time."

"Yes, and Rotfang is a perfect example of that. But, again, he knows a great deal on many subjects, and for what he doesn't know, he hires those that do. He makes his money through his international criminal organization. Everywhere there's an equivalent of Knockturn Alley, he has an interest in it. But, that's what the muggles would call his day job, how he pays for his more ambitious projects."

"And what are those?" asked Hermione.

"They vary, but he considers himself an artist of chaos. The world is his theatre and he is putting on a grand performance. He once said, 'I'm putting the art back into the Dark Arts.' He labeled the tank with the brains the 'Think Tank,' to give you an idea."

"What was he doing with the brains? And... did he grow them, or... acquire them?"

"It was his idea of experimenting with brain power. He got them from a variety of subjects, magical and muggle. He partly wanted to see how energy was used by magical and muggle brains, what the differences were, what they had in common. He wanted to see if that energy could be harnessed as a power source. We haven't figured out why he made them able to do... what you saw them doing. Often, his plans make sense to him, alone."

"Like trying to take over the Ministry with gum disease?" asked Luna.

"Yes. All I can figure with that one is that he wanted to do something that tied to the name he'd given himself."

"Did he have the brains attached to a large super-computer, by any chance?"

The Unspeakable looked surprised, and said, "Yes. How did you discern that from what I told you?"

"You said he draws most of his inspiration from the non-magical culture. 'The Brian in a Vat' is a philosophical concept, the idea being that if you were to take a brain from a body, put it in life-sustaining liquid, and connect its neurons to a super-computer that would give it electrical impulses identical to those the brain normally receives, the computer would then be simulating reality."

Hermione piped in with, "So, the brain in the vat wouldn't realize it was a brain in a vat. It would be experiencing whatever environment the computer was giving it, say, walking on a beach on a sunny day, as though it was reality."

"Exactly. If we were at Hogwarts and I was your instructor, you'd both have just won points for your respective houses."

Harry was feeling sickened at the thought that someone would capture people, cut out their brains, keep the brains alive, and do... those things to them, and more than a little horrified. He'd thought Voldemort was as bad as it got. Neville looked how Harry felt, as did Afal. Luna, sensing his tension, squeezed Harry's hand, gently.

Luna and Hermione, Harry noticed, were maintaining detachment, as Luna always did in these situations, and Hermione did when she was trying to figure something out and how to resolve it, especially in a crisis when someone needed to maintain a clear head, something Harry had never been able to do. Dora was also detached, but she was an Auror, so she was no doubt used to hearing about the horrific things dark wizards could do. Augusta Longbottom wasn't betraying her reaction, but Harry could tell the woman was upset. She simply hid it well. He also noticed something else about the exchange.

He said to Hermione, "I would have expected you to refer to the facts you read and Luna to come up with a conclusion, not the other way around."

"I haven't read a lot of Philosophy," Hermione replied. "I would have done it that way, otherwise."

Luna asked, "So, since when the brains were hooked up to Rotfang's super-computer, they were thinking they were living normal lives in human bodies... what are they thinking, now?"

Algie answered, "As near as we can figure, they're dreaming. There were a couple of incidents, though... One, you lot were involved in."

"Ron," said Harry. "A Death Eater curse made him loopy, and he summoned one of the brains, which attacked him."

Hermione asked, "Could that have had any long term effects on Ron? Since those tendrils are made of... thoughts..."

"According to your school nurse, there's no lasting damage. We wanted to do a more thorough examination, but his parents wouldn't allow it. It seems the Headmaster advised them against it."

"Why?"

"That's a question only Dumbledore could answer. Has he behaved in any unusual way, since?"

"Not that I could tell. Harry?"

Harry replied, "He's been the same old Ron."

"In that case," said Algie, "anything long-term is likely deep in his subconscious, perhaps some memories or thoughts from the brain that attacked him. But, again, we'd need to examine him to determine that."

"And the other incident?" asked Hermione. "You said there was a couple."

"The other was on Midsummer Eve. Nothing major with them, just being more active than usual. It would seem they sensed what our instruments were picking up, an anomaly in space and time, caused by some large bit of Fairy Magic." Looking at Luna, he said, "I suppose you'd be the best person to ask about that."

"I suppose I would be, as well," she replied.

After a few moments of silence, Algie sighed, and asked, "So, what was that about?"

"The Seelie and Unseelie Courts learned of a nightmarish future that would come about if they didn't act to prevent it."

"I see. And what would this future involve?"

"Dumbledore's plans fail, Voldemort eventually kills Harry, which prevents Harry from being able to act against Lilith and her Black Coats, allowing them to turn the world into a Dystopia, a dehumanizing, tyrannical, Waste Land."

"Lilith... Yes, all the signs have indicated that the Black Coats are ascending."

"Lilith?" asked Hermione. "I've heard the name..."

"Lilith is the Mother of Demons, the First of the Damned, and the most powerful dark being walking the Earth. No one knows how old she is, exactly, her origins lost in contradictory myths, but she's several thousand years old. The Black Coats are the center of her organization, a group of dark wizards and witches, among other beings, who act primarily outside of the magical community, and have manipulated world events for several centuries. The Fascist movements earlier in the century were among their projects, developed by Grindelwald when he was one of them. They infiltrate Governments and other centers of power and influence, especially large corporations."

Luna said, "You've probably noticed the massive decline of manufacturing jobs in Western countries. Those jobs are moved overseas, to sweatshops where they don't have to worry about paying fair wages, safe working conditions, or limits on the number of hours someone can work in a day without breaks. It wasn't that long ago that Western industries would never have done that. For example, Henry Ford, the American auto manufacturer, developed the eight hour work day with scheduled breaks that became the standard of Western industry. He paid his employees based on what one of the cars they were manufacturing cost to buy. Having employees paid well enough to buy the cars they were making served several purposes. They were putting their best efforts into the job, and being paid and treated well kept Ford's employees very loyal to him. Plus, he had that many more customers.

"Ford's practices becoming the standard of industry in the West is why the States became the 'Arsenal of Democracy' during World War II... that's what the Grindelwald War is called by everyone but witches and wizards, Neville... where they were able to shift most of their manufacturing output to the war effort, supplying the Allies with vehicles, weapons, food, clothing, and so on, while Germany and Japan couldn't keep up, their own factories being constantly bombed and destroyed while the American factories were located safely in the middle of North America where Axis planes and missiles couldn't get anywhere close to them.

"After the war, it took some time to rebuild, but the well paying manufacturing jobs meant those people had money to spend, which led to other businesses prospering, which led to the most prosperous period the Western nations have ever known. Your average Londoner, by the 1960s, had more disposable income than they had ever had.

"But, the seeds had already been planted by the Black Coats before their Nazi project fell to make their next power grab in the West. It was industrialists and bankers they influenced and controlled that helped them put the Fascists in power in Italy and Germany. Oswald Mosley, who was Hitler's friend and puppet who sought to make Britain Fascist, had the support of the Daily Mail and Daily Mirror for a while, their owner, the Viscount Rothermere, being a friend and supporter of Hitler. He wrote an article for the Mail titled 'Hurrah for the Blackshirts' and one for the Mirror titled 'Give the Blackshirts a helping hand.' He encouraged his readers to join the British Union of Fascists and printed an address where they could send membership applications. His papers also planned a photographic beauty contest looking for Britain's prettiest woman Fascist. He also wrote Hitler a letter congratulating him for the invasion of Czechoslovakia."

Hermione asked, "How do you know all this?"

"Dad's a journalist, remember? We know about publications in the non-magical world, though I do wonder how the Weekly World News in the States gets by with violating the Statutes of Secrecy so often."

Algie replied, "It's what we call the Alice Loophole. Most muggles believe they're making it up."

"Ah, that explains it. Anyway, Mosley strutted around in his black outfits trying to be a British Hitler, made a lot of noise, with his Blackshirts causing a bit of violence, but he got nowhere. He really tried to copy Hitler's movements and mannerisms during his speeches, but... Well, Brits just can't pull off ranting and raving like Germans can."

Hermione said, "We are a bit too reserved to do that, effectively."

"We're Brits," Dora added. "Stiff upper lip, and all that."

Augusta replied, with a slight smile, "Keep calm and carry on. That was my favorite of the motivational posters put out during the Grindelwald War, but it was the least popular with the public."

"Still good advice, though," said Luna. "We should find the original poster design and revive it. We could create all sorts of merchandise. Posters, t-shirts, coffee mugs, you name it."

"Don't be silly," said Hermione. "That would never sell."

"Be that as it may, once the war started, Mosley was imprisoned, thus ending his ambitions to be Dictator. In the States, a group of industrialists, bankers, and Wall Street types conspired to overthrow the democratically elected Franklin Roosevelt and install a Fascist government modeled on Mussolini's and Hitler's. That failed before it could even really get going. And, of course, World War II put an end to Fascism, at least on that large a scale and using that name."

"From what you and Algie are saying, though, that didn't put a stop to Lilith and these Black Coats."

"No," said Algie, "sadly it didn't. They've been doing this sort of thing for so many centuries that they have agents, everywhere. They just move on to the next situation they can take advantage of to take power."

"But," Harry replied, "if they're mainly wizards, and this Lilith is obviously magical, why isn't the magical community doing anything about them? Isn't that part of, well, the job of the Ministries of Magic around the world?"

Hermione suggested, "Because the Black Coats are primarily operating in the non-magical communities? The magical community, at least here, pays as little attention to the rest of the world as possible. Maybe they think that, as long as the Black Coats aren't open about using magic, it's not their problem, and the Black Coats aren't considered a threat?"

"Very good, Miss Granger," said Algie. "That's how those in charge of our culture view the situation. You'd think that Grindelwald would have taught them the error of that viewpoint, but, as I'm sure you have noticed, our culture tends to ignore what it doesn't want to acknowledge or face."

"That's true," said Harry. "I found that one out, last year. Voldemort was back, I tried to tell everyone, and the Ministry kept denying it. They seemed to think Cedric Diggory just dropped dead of his own accord."

"A very good example. Fudge was so fearful of the very idea of Voldemort's survival that he ignored any and all evidence of it. We'd been telling him for years that Voldemort's survival was a possibility, since no body was found. Dumbledore argued the same thing. So did some of the DMLE, including Amelia Bones. Then, when two Hogwarts students disappeared at the end of the Tri-Wizard Tournament and one returned dead, with the survivor reporting that Voldemort was back... Well, that was certainly enough grounds to open an investigation, at least. Fudge refused to even consider the possibility, and became very upset when anyone pointed out the simple fact of a dead student. Of course, none of us knew how Voldemort had survived..."

"Dumbledore did."

"Really? Please tell me how."

Harry remembered what Luna had said her mother told her about Horcruxes, and how it reminded him of something from his second year at Hogwarts.

"In my second year at Hogwarts, the year of the basilisk attack, there was a diary that belonged to Tom Riddle... that's Voldemort... that contained a part of him, a piece of his soul."

"A Horcrux..."

"Yes. I damaged it, destroying the soul fragment... or sending it wherever it goes, at any rate... but he obviously has more of them out there."

"And Dumbledore knew of this diary?"

"He did after I brought back the damaged diary and told him what happened. He also knew who planted the diary in the school in the first place after I figured it out, if he didn't know, already."

"And who was that?"

"Lucius Malfoy."

"Ah... And he didn't feel the need to tell the DMLE of this physical evidence that Voldemort was alive, and trying to regain power, and the identity of who was helping him do it. In fact, he used his authority as Chief Warlock to prevent the DMLE from investigating the attacks on students, or to do any follow-up investigations. Considering students lives were in danger, he was being downright reckless refusing to allow an evacuation of the school until the cause was found and dealt with. But then, he did the same thing the year before."

"That was Voldemort, too. He was possessing a Professor."

"He what? And Dumbledore knew this?"

"Yes."

Harry thought, from the cold, angry, look in Augusta Longbottom's eyes after hearing this bit of information, that he understood why Neville was so intimidated by the woman.

Algie asked, "Is Dumbledore trying to help Voldemort?"

"No, he just has this extremely convoluted plan to beat him that obviously sees the students of Hogwarts, especially me, as expendable cannon fodder."

Augusta said, her cold anger increasing, "His first responsibility, above all others, is the safety of the children we've trusted to his care."

Hermione said, "He seems to see it as a life-size chess game between him and Voldemort, with the students as his pawns."

"Children are not pawns to be sacrificed."

Algie said, "I need you to tell us everything, but after we finish with the subject we were on before we got sidetracked, Lilith and the Black Coats."

"Oh yes," said Luna. "Where was I?"

Hermione answered, "What the Black Coats did after they lost World War II."

"Thank you. In his farewell address before he left the White House, President Dwight Eisenhower warned of what he called the Military-Industrial Complex, and it gaining too much power and influence over the Government."

"Ah, that's something I know about."

Harry teased, "You haven't studied philosophy, but you know politics."

"Yes. Well, this, at least."

"Would you care to enlighten those of us who don't?" he said with a smirk, knowing full well she lived for this sort of thing.

"Basically, it boils down to the modern need for a strong military with increasingly advanced weapons being a standard thing rather than mobilizing a peaceful country in time of war. The military is supplied by corporations they have contracts with. These corporations want more money, so they lobby lawmakers to increase military spending. Lobbying politicians tends to be done the way Lucius Malfoy lobbied Fudge and others in the Ministry."

"Bribery."

"More politely called campaign contributions. It costs a lot of money to run a successful campaign for office. These people supply the money, so they get what they want. The taxpayers foot the bill for all the military spending, which is very high. So, it's best to have a war going now and then to justify all that spending of their money to the taxpayers."

"But," said Luna, "that's not the real problem, or the biggest, anyway. The Black Coats made it even more corrupt and shady. Western governments became involved with the worst sorts of people under the guise of fighting the Communists. The Black Coats built a network of drug running, money laundering, mobsters, and Dictatorships working with the Intelligence communities they'd taken control of. So we had, in the 1980s, the US Government announcing a 'War on Drugs' while being allied with Manuel Noriega, Dictator of Panama and a key player in the Medellín Cartel.

"Then, they lobbied to remove many of the regulations overseeing financial institutions, allowing the people running those institutions to loot their own businesses, creating a rather nasty economic situation in the 80s."

Dora said, "Capitalism is you create a product or service and sell it. You hire people to help with that. I'm all for that, and so are my and Luna's parents, since they're business people, and all. But, what we have now isn't Capitalism. These days, you have these big corporations run by Boards of Directors who don't care about the long-term health of the companies they run. Instead of thinking long-term with building a healthy business that provides steady profits that last for decades, they're into the quick cash-in. Their single-minded obsession is to award themselves large bonuses, and if they have to run their own companies into the ground to do that, then so be it. This, naturally, leads to a lot of businesses closing, and a lot of people being put out of work. It also helps that they've bought enough politicians to keep it all legal, and even reward them with tax breaks for it. Capitalism can only work if there are ethics, responsibility, and accountability."

"Then," said Luna, "there's moving almost all the manufacturing jobs overseas. The justification for putting their countrymen out of work and into poverty is it's cheaper to pay someone in a sweatshop in Asia three and a quarter pounds a day than it is to pay someone in their own country a proper salary. They don't have to worry about pesky little things like breaks or abuse or child labor laws, either."

"Child labor laws?" asked Hermione, dreading the answer.

"Most clothing and a lot of toys sold in the West officially made by Western corporations are made in sweatshops under practically slave labor conditions, often by children between the ages of 7 and 14. They're denied an education. They're often confined and beaten. Some aren't allowed to leave the sweatshop and go home to their families. Some are even abducted and forced to work."

Augusta Longbottom said, calmly, but with grim determination, "I don't care how bloody powerful Lilith is, she and her minions have to be taken down."

"It's no better for the adults. About 90% of adults who work in sweatshops are women, but men as well as women are routinely subject to verbal, physical, and sexual abuse, and are sometimes trapped in the factory and forced to work overnight through multiple shifts.

"So, we have the dual effect of these companies profiting from practically slavery, and the loss of jobs and creation of massive poverty in their own countries. Don't be surprised if, in the next couple of decades, we start seeing once prosperous industrial Western cities reduced to bankruptcy."

Harry said, softly, "I was about to say these people were being treated as bad as Dobby was by Lucius Malfoy, but it sounds like they're treated worse."

He was barely containing his rage, and he knew why. He noticed Luna, Hermione, Dora, and Neviile were watching him, sympathetically, with Luna again squeezing his hand.

Neville said, "It's OK, Harry. You can say it. I told you Gran needs to know."

"Know what?" Augusta asked, looking to Harry with concern, and, for the first time he'd seen since he met her, gentleness.

"I wonder," asked Harry, grimly, "if they manufacture drills in those sweatshops, too? If so, I know where my uncle got his ideas of how to raise me."

Augusta's eyes narrowed, and she asked, "What did he do?"

So, Harry told her, including the reasons Dumbledore gave him, which required explaining the Prophecy.

"And that... is the safe home Dumbledore placed you in... Did he know what you were being put through?"

"If he didn't before, he knew by the time I got my Hogwarts letter."

"Then that's something else he has to answer for. If I had any idea... Neville, what did you know of this?"

"Nothing," said Neville. "If I'd known, I'd have told you. He just seemed too... confident for me to suspect anything."

Augusta winced at the implication Neville didn't even know he'd just made, and silently swore she'd make it up to him. When the guests left, she'd apologize. But first...

"Miss Tonks, my thanks for what you've done, and thank your parents for me, as well."

"I will," said Dora. "Mum will appreciate that. She has a lot of respect for you."

"One thing I don't get," said Hermione. "Don't the Black Coats realize that by impoverishing the West, their corporations are wrecking their own countries, long-term?"

"Yes," said Luna. "That's part of the goal."

"But... why?"

"It's about power."

Algie said, "I think I understand. Miss Granger, have you read Orwell?"

"Yes, and I'm pleasantly surprised that you have."

"Like you, I like to learn new things. Miss Lovegood, you said earlier that the danger that the Fae are planning to confront, besides Voldemort and our other problems, is the Black Coats making a Dystopia of the world."

"Yes."

"Many potential Dystopias aren't intentional. However, one can be created deliberately, which sounds like what the Black Coats are doing. It certainly fits Lilith's long-term aims. The society that Orwell wrote about in his novel 1984 was designed to be corrupt, its purpose being to harm the lower and middle classes while benefiting the very rich. Keeping the population impoverished and therefore unable to rebel is, itself, a form of governance."

"But, won't there be some people in the media to tell the public?"

Dora said, "That's something else you can expect in the next couple of decades, a lot of mergers and consolidation of the media. Any independent voices still left will be shouted down by a much larger propaganda campaign and what the non-magicals call a witch hunt."

"Witch hunt?" asked Augusta. "I thought they'd stopped that, centuries ago."

"Not a literal witch hunt," said Hermione, "though those still happen in places like Africa and Asia. The old witch hunts, and the modern literal ones for that matter, were more about someone wanting to steal something from someone else, so they trumped-up witchcraft charges to create a moral panic. Or, it would be, again, about power. Someone trying to gain or maintain power would create a threat, whip up the people into a panic, and he'd lead them into stamping out this threat he made up, the victims usually being innocent of any wrongdoing. In the 1950s, an American politician, who, from what we've been told about today, probably had the Black Coats behind him -"

"Joseph McCarthy," said Luna. "And yes, he was with them."

"I figured as much. He was using the worries about Communists during the Cold War to promote himself by making false accusations of subversion and treason against large numbers of people. He and his followers destroyed the lives of a lot of innocent people in the process. Since it was compared to the Salem Witch Trials, 'witch hunt' became the common term to describe this tactic."

Luna added, "It's always been a favorite tactic of the Black Coats, so the modern term for it is ironic considering who they are. Accusing people of being Communists had been around for decades before McCarthyism. It was used against the people pushing for reforms in child labor laws and the right of women to vote. It was used against Franklin Roosevelt's policies to get the U.S. out of the Great Depression. But, it had never been used on the scale it was in the 1950s. It would go on to be the popular accusation against Civil Rights activists, anti-war protesters, and nonconformists of any sort. It's fallen out of use, but, if the Black Coats succeed in creating a massive economic crisis in the next decade or so, expect them to revive it for use against anyone who criticizes their non-magical servants that are in the public eye."

"If that happens," said Hermione, "they can call me what they want when I've got a ton of protesters at their financial centers."

Dora said, "Depending on when it happens, there might be alternatives to the major media outlets. According to Dad, mobile phone and the Internet should develop over the next decade or so to where you'll be able to film videos with phones and put them immediately on the net. This kind of technology will be a lot more common by this time, too."

"So I could organize mass demonstrations in cities all over the place... Hmmm..."

Harry said, "You're a bit scary when you're plotting. I'm glad you use your powers for good."

"As are we all," said Luna.

"But," said Dora, our hosts are probably lost with all this tech talk, so let's get back to the witch hunts."

"Yes, of course," said Luna. "Another thing they'll look for is a scapegoat to divert attention from what they are doing when too many people notice something is very wrong. They won't be able to use the Jewish people, this time, so they'll probably blame people who aren't white enough, especially immigrants. Play on old bigotries so people aren't paying attention to who is actually profiting heavily from society's ills."

Neville said, "Like the Death Eaters do with Muggleborns."

"Exactly."

Augusta said, "And what Dumbledore is doing with the Fae."

"Yes. That's closer to how the Black Coats work, actually, since he's in a position of power and authority."

"That's one of the things we need to discuss. Instead of 'witch hunt,' the term our future generations might use is 'fairy hunt.' He's called an emergency session for the Wizengamot for Thursday. His attempt to take advantage of Ollivander's disappearance by cutting him out of the wand manufacturing business in Britain has gone nowhere, but he stressed the supposed 'menace' of the Seelie Court, and the need to evict them from our society."

Algie added, "The fact that the Seelie Court have been the most effective against Voldemort notwithstanding."

Harry replied, "This is probably going to be about me. He can't be too happy about my new guardians."

"He wants you in an abusive home?" asked Augusta.

"Among other things. He wants complete control over my life. He especially wants to remove my free will to be able to make any decisions, about anything."

He then told them about the incident at the Burrow, the attempt to dose him with love potions, and the unusual behavior of both Mrs. Weasley and Ginny, suggesting they hadn't been acting entirely of their own free will.

"Hmm," said Algie. "We were discussing Dystopias. Not every potential Dystopia is built through malevolent intent. Sometimes, the person developing it thinks he has the public's best interests at heart. They want to make everyone happy, and consider removing free will a necessary sacrifice to that end."

"Brave New World instead of 1984," said Hermione.

"Ah, you are well read, Miss Granger. Has the DMLE been contacted?"

"Yes," said Harry. "Madame Bones talked with me, herself, and the Healers she assigned checked me out and confirmed the abuse from my aunt and uncle."

"Good. We'll need them on this. I agree that your change in Guardianship is what Dumbledore will really be after. Augusta?"

"I'll be fighting Dumbledore on this, among other things. Regarding his intention to remove the Seelie Court... It's not as though I could rightfully evict Afal, even if I wanted to. She's lived here far longer than I have. And, I'm going to mention that to the rest of the Wizengamot."

Neville asked, "What about the Blessed Grove? Will he likely go after it?"

Afal replied, "He'd be violating Hogwarts's charter if he does."

Harry said, "Given who we're talking about, that won't likely stop him from trying."

"I'd better speak with Pomona. If I may take my leave?" Afal asked Mrs. Longbottom.

"Of course, dear."

With that, Afal kissed Neville and... Harry couldn't call it disapparating, but she disappeared with a rustling sound, leaving the leaves she'd been wearing in her wake.

"Miss Tonks," said Augusta, "I suggest you call your parents about this, immediately."

"Just what I was planning to do, as soon as the opportunity arose."

Dora called her mother, and told her of Thursday's Wizengamot session.

"I know," said Andy. "Amelia just told me. As near as I can figure, this isn't just about wanting to get rid of us, though he certainly wants to. My guess is his plan is to banish us, then use that to try to take custody of Harry from us."

"That's what Harry and Algie think, too."

"Ozma and Dorothy left to go have a chat with Queen Elizabeth about it, so I expect the Wizengamot will soon need a new Chief Warlock or Witch. Still... He's bound to know the Queen will side with us, so I'm wondering how he thinks he can pull this off, how he expects the Wizengamot will support him."

"Mrs. Longbottom said she's going to fight him on it. Afal is going to visit Professor Sprout, since Neville figures Dumbledore is going to try to raze the Blessed Grove if he gets this passed."

"And evict the merpeople, as well... Of course, he wouldn't see any problem with insulting a Hogwarts Founder and desecrating their sacred place as long as it's not Gryffindor. Also, Ozma and Dorothy would like a copy of our law books."

"What do they have in mind?"

"I don't know, but since you're an Auror..."

"I've got 'em, yeah. There should be some in my room there, actually. I'll find 'em when we get back."

"Good."

"Mrs. Longbottom said to thank you and Dad for what you're doing for Harry."

"Give her my appreciation for anything she can do to help."

"Of course."

After finishing her conversation with her mother, Dora updated the group.

"You know," said Harry, "when I first saw the magical community, I just... noticed the magic, I guess. It seemed so much better than the non-magical world. But, the more I learn about it the more it seems like it has all the same problems the non-magical community does, only magnified."

Algie replied, "Yes, we don't do anything halfway. When we screw things up, we do it big. Oh, something we haven't discussed, but I know is of primary importance to the Fae that the Black Coats are doing a lot of damage to: the Environment."

"Yes," said Luna. "We're headed to something catastrophic at this rate. They refuse to respect Nature, and disrespecting Nature is calling on the wrath of God, literally."

"Reaping the whirlwind, as you said, possibly literally. But, again, that fits Lilith's profile."

"The Black Coats' agents are always trying to undermine environmental laws, as well as doing everything they can to block development of non-polluting energy sources. Of course, they have a large financial interest in oil companies."

Hermione said, "That's why we have so much trouble in the Middle East. We're dependent on their oil. If we didn't need that, we could just stay out of their affairs. As it is... That'll probably be where our next big war is."

"Probably."

Algie said, "Neville told us he'd been given an offer by the Fae. Mr. Potter, given who your guardians and your girlfriend are, would I be correct in assuming you've been given a similar offer?"

"Yes, and Hermione, too."

"Ah... We'd hoped to recruit Miss Granger into the Department of Mysteries, but it sounds like she may have a better offer. My recommendation would be to take it."

"We were planning to, but why are you supporting it?"

"Our world needs all the help it can get, and we in the Department can only do so much. We're reaching a crisis point, and the forces protecting the Earth and all who live on it need to be strong, ready, and unified. The Department of Mysteries would also like to renew the ties with the Fair Folk our predecessors had. That's my professional reason. My personal reason is I want to see my grand-nephew find his path and achieve his full potential, and have love and happiness. I've never seen him as happy as he's been since he met Afal."

Neville replied, "I've never been as happy as I am with her."

"And, if he undertake this journey with his friends, so much the better."

Luna asked, smiling, "We're friends, Neville?"

"You still scare me a bit, but yeah, I hope we're friends."

"We are, then. And, Mrs. Longbottom?"

Augusta was silent for a moment, and answered, "I admit I was very taken aback, at first, though Algie suggested this might happen. It's not what I'd planned for Neville. But, I must say I'm proud of the young man he's become, and I accept that he must make his own decisions about his life. He'll be heroically serving the world, just not in the way I thought he would. And, Afal is a long-time member of this family. I must admit, she does seem the ideal girl for him. I just hope I live long enough to see great-grandchildren from them."

Neville said, "Thank you, Gran. And don't forget Harry and I still have our parents to avenge and Voldemort to take down, once and for all. That's going to be a big job, itself."

"Indeed. One thing, though, that we need to consider, considering today's revelations... I don't think it's safe for any of you to return to Hogwarts while Albus Dumbledore is Headmaster. To that end, I'll be pushing the Hogwarts Board of Governors for his removal. It would help if I have support from other parents and guardians."

Dora said, "You'll have my parents' support. Luna's too. And I'm pretty sure Amelia Bones will agree, since her niece goes to Hogwarts. And let me tell ya, Hufflepuffs can organize when they want to."

"Yes, I'll need to contact Amelia as soon as possible, so we can discuss what we're going to do Thursday, and beyond."

"So," said Algie, "what are your plans for magical Britain beyond destroying Voldemort?"

"Well," said Hermione, "Voldemort isn't the disease infecting magical Britain, just a symptom. The issues that created Voldemort will still be there after he's gone."

"Very good, Miss Granger. You are right. Voldemort is a symptom, as is Rotfang, as is Dumbledore. We must stop simply treating the symptoms and seek to cure the disease, itself. The Statutes of Secrecy are necessary. Completely divorcing ourselves from the rest of the world is not."

"I think we, as Magi, have a responsibility to the world at large. Not to the same level the Fae have, of course, but we can do things others can't."

"Yes, and we have a responsibility to use our gifts wisely the same as any gifted person does."

"And our gifts aren't better than those of a gifted scientist, engineer, artist... Andromeda pointed out that witches and wizards have never traveled to the moon and back."

Neville said, "You'd be surprised at how many of our people don't know the muggles have done that. I probably wouldn't know about it if we didn't go to the cities so often. Vacationing in Blackpool, well, you''re going to know a little more about the outside world than the folks who don't step outside of ours any more than they absolutely have to."

"Indeed," said Algie. "I dare say that many Purebloods would outright deny that the muggles have traveled to the moon and back on the basis that if wizards haven't done it, then muggles couldn't possibly do it. I'll have to bring some photos of the Earth taken from the moon, Neville. You'd like them, seeing our world from that perspective. No borders created by Man, no divisions, just one big blue marble, as some creative muggles have called it. It can change your viewpoint, make you look at things not in terms of tribes and nations and races, but as a single whole we all share, and how we need to learn to get along."

Hermione said, "It is a thing to see... Earth looks so beautiful and peaceful in those pictures. I do have a request for everyone present, about what we've been talking about. Can we use some other term than 'muggle'? It sounds too much like a racial slur beginning with the letter 'n' that I won't use even under circumstances explaining my objection. My parents certainly take it as one. It's condescending, at best."

The Longbottoms were silent for a moment, surprised, before Algie spoke.

"Ah... And here we have yet another symptom of the disease infecting our culture. I'd never considered that the word is a racial slur. We've just used it so commonly for centuries. You're quite right to object to it, and I apologize."

"Like you said, you didn't know any better."

"But now I do."

Luna said, "Like the song Amazing Grace says, 'I was blind, but now I see.' It was written by a former slave trader turned outspoken Abolitionist."

"That's very apt," said Augusta, "and a lovely song, as well."

Algie said, "This also demonstrates how deeply and for how long the disease has infecting magical Britain. Mr. Potter, you had a very good point when you said our problems are like the rest of the world's, only magnified. I'd say that makes our culture a very good place to start."

Hermione said, "We also need to do something about the educational system here."

"No kidding," said Harry. "What I've learned about magical history, alone... The deliberate lack of teaching us about it..."

"Indeed," said Algie, "though I understand Burbage teaches at least a watered down version of Andromeda's theory of magical genetics. What part of it she teaches is probably the limit she's allowed."

Neville said, "That there's really no such thing as Purebloods or... Muggleborns until we come up with a better word. Every witch and wizard has both magical and non-magical parents. So, there's actually more to it?"

"Yes, according to Dora's mother. And, as near as we can determine, her figures are correct."

"Basically," said Hermione, "Dumbledore is trying to kick out the people the British inherited their magic from."

"Yeah," said Dora. "Magic in normal humans came from... mating with what we'd call Divine beings, gods and so forth. The Fae are the main ones Celtic people inherited magic from, but by now we've probably got a few Pantheons represented in our genetics. If you can trace your family tree back far enough, you'll find gods, eventually. Zeus especially got around. This is true of everyone in the world."

"Indeed," said Algie. "The people obsessed with so-called pure blood would consider Miss Lovegood a half-breed because her mother was a Fae..."

"So was Dad by the time I came along," said Luna, "but I know what you mean. Mum was born a Fae."

"Another reason the people in charge of our culture don't like the Fae. But, what I was getting at was they list you as a half-breed, but, given the source of our magic, you actually have the most pure magical blood at Hogwarts."

"Not that it really matters," said Luna. "Fresh additions to Britain's genetic pool create more powerful witches and wizards, from what I've seen."

"Well, we'll take care of the situation," said Neville. "Besides, if worse comes to worst and we get kicked out of Britain, it wouldn't be the first time the Longbottoms have had to leave the country and go into exile for a while."

"It shouldn't come to that," said Algie. "This Queen Elizabeth is on our side, unlike the first one."

Augusta said, "We do need to consider alternatives to Hogwarts, if I'm unsuccessful in removing Dumbledore."

"I think the threat of losing so many high-profile students will convince the Board of Governors, especially once student safety becomes a known issue. If not, well... We do have Europe's leading Alchemist as Harry's Guardian, and an Unspeakable in myself. I can also safely say that, under the circumstances, my Department would be more than willing to supply some tutors for an exceptional group of young people. Amelia Bones could supply some talent, as well."

"Remus Lupin," said Hermione. "He was our best Defence Professor, and he'd be loyal to Harry, I'm sure. We need to find him."

Harry replied, "We need to find him even if things with Hogwarts go our way."

"Yeah," Dora added with a nod, not sounding at all enthusiastic about the idea, "he does know his stuff, no matter what else."

"Look," said Neville, "just because he's a werewolf..."

"It's not that."

Hermione held Dora's hand, and whispered, "It'll be OK."

"I'm obviously missing something," said Neville. "It wouldn't be the first time."

"Nothing major," said Dora. "Had a huge crush from when I was a kid. The reality doesn't compare to the fantasy. I've found someone better for me... I hope, if that person's willing."

Harry said, "Ready, willing, and able would be my guess."

Hah! He got Hermione to blush, again.

Yes, Harry thought, everything was going according to plan.

"One more thing," said Harry, "getting back to the Horcruxes... When Luna's mother died, she was working on a method of identifying Horcruxes and using them to find others the person has made. The Ministry took all her research and sealed it somewhere in your Department. It would be very useful if we could retrieve it."

Algie replied, "It was ordered sealed by the Chief Warlock. We're not even allowed to study them."

"Why am I not surprised?"

"Unfortunately, in cases like these, it requires both the Minister for Magic and the Chief Warlock to release the documents. While I think I could convince the Minister..."

"Dumbledore won't let it happen."

"So, we'll likely have to try alternative methods of getting Morgan's research."

"Like what?"

"Haven't figured that one out, yet."

---

Pomona Sprout, Professor of Herbology at Hogwarts, and Head of Hufflepuff House, was what one would describe as the embodiment of the gentle Earth Mother. Usually, she had a hearty, supportive, smile, and could nurture any plant.

When one angers the gentle Earth Mother, though, she can be quite ferocious. Albus Dumbledore was learning that, the hard way.

"Pomona, I understand your dedication, but you must understand that this is for the greater good."

"The greater good my arse, Albus!"

"Pomona, language."

"You're wanting to desecrate a sacred place."

"Sacred? That's a bit of an exaggeration..."

"No, Albus, it's not. The Blessed Hufflepuff and the Ravenclaw were both initiates in the Mysteries of the Celtic Church."

"The Celtic Church is heresy..."

"No, it is not. It was one of the first Christian Churches. The Church of England respects it. In fact, Queen Elizabeth I cited the Celtic Church, Joseph of Arimathea, and Glastonbury to justify the Church of England's independence from the Roman Church."

"I'm not an Anglican."

"The Church of Scotland does, as well."

"How far the leadership of the Presbyterians has fallen away from basic principles doesn't surprise me, but my actions are for the protection of Hogwarts, the wizards and witches of Great Britain, and our way of life."

A familiar voice to Albus from one of the portraits said, "If I may interject?"

"You have something to say, Phineas?"

"It is our duty as earlier Headmasters to advise the current one, is it not?"

"Yes, Phineas, though I am not obliged to follow any advice you give."

"Obviously, since you rarely do. But, it is my duty to remind you of the Hogwarts Charter, the agreements that allowed the Founders to build this school, here. You seek to violate the Charter."

"The Statutes of Secrecy override any old agreements."

"The Fae are not violating the Statutes, so you can't apply that."

"The Statutes give us the power to do what we must to keep the magical species residing here under control. Prophesies aren't set in stone. They can be prevented. I will prevent Ravenclaw's from coming to pass. The so-called Blessed Grove was created because of the so-called Gentle One. The Gentle One can't come if she has nowhere to come to."

"Or, any actions against the Blessed Grove might hasten her arrival. Did you ever consider that?"

"By then, we will have the authority to drive her off, since she'll no doubt be a Fae."

"You may or may not have the authority, by are you certain that you can?"

"We have enough power to deal with the Seelie Court, if necessary."

"Who is this 'we' you speak of? Your staff doesn't seem convinced your course of action is the wisest."

"We'll have enough support after Thursday's session of the Wizengamot. The traitors won't matter, after that."

"Traitors?" Pomona responded. "You've gone too far, Headmaster!"

"On the contrary. I haven't gone far enough. While I'd hate to see you go -"

"One of us is going, Dumbledore."

"You forget your place, Professor Sprout."

"We'll see about that," she said, before leaving the office, leaving him alone with the portraits of past Headmasters and Headmistresses, and a phoenix, who trilled sadly.

"Yes, Fawkes. It is truly saddening that we are surrounded by treachery."

---

When Harry and the rest returned to Thelema, they updated Andromeda, Ted, and Xeno.

"Good," said Ted. "I was hoping we'd have the Unspeakables' support."

"Algie's a good chap," said Xeno, "if a bit eccentric."

Hermione replied, "I've come to the conclusion that all the best people are a bit... eccentric."

"That's what my godmother says," said Luna. "Well, she uses the term 'mad'..."

"She'd know," said Harry. "Neville's also agreed to be another go-between for us and Ron."

When Bill and Fleur returned, they told the group about how their visit with Fred and George went.

"They're a bit shocked, obviously... Then, Angelina took them to task for selling love potions in the shop..."

"Good for her," said Hermione.

"That's what I told her," said Fleur.

"They agreed that it didn't sound like Ginny to behave that way," said Bill. "They said they'd figure a way to convince Mum to let Ron visit the shop, regularly, and we'll be able to keep each other up to date about things, maybe even arrange some get-togethers."

"Like old times," said Harry. "Except not."

"Constant plots against you?" asked Hermione. "Sounds like our usual get-togethers, to me."

"So, we just get ready for Thursday, then."

"Not quite," said Hermione. "First, I need to be a Gryffindor, throw caution to the wind, and do something completely reckless like snog someone senseless in front of their parents."

She then walked up to Dora, threw her arms around her, and did just that.

"Hermione," said Dora.

"I have to go home, tonight. But.." she turned to Andy and Ted, and said, "If it's all right with you, may I stay tomorrow night?"

"Of course," said Andy. "You're always welcome to stay when you like."

And Harry would have felt the monster in his trousers roar in triumph, you know, if they did that sort of thing, which they don't, because that would be weird.

After Hermione left, Harry and Luna returned to their room and undressed. They went to the hot tub in the Garden Room before dinner.

Harry looked to the waterfall, the mist, and the tunnel leading to Avalon behind it, and decided this would be a good time to ask what he'd been wondering, earlier in the day.

"Luna, this is going to be a strange question..."

"Remember, Harry, there are no strange questions, only strange people."

"I'll keep that in mind. Your mother built that tunnel to Avalon. You were able to call the Holy Grail to you..."

"Not physically."

"Nevertheless, it was the Grail, the real Grail. And, your dad mentioned that your mother was older than he was. And, she was named Morgan."

"Mm hmm."

"Was... OK, I'll ask straight out... Was your mother Morgan le Fay?"

"I was planning it as a surprise when we got to Avalon."

"Why didn't you ever tell anyone?"

"Think of the implications. Mum was Queen of Avalon."

"Which... makes you Fae royalty... The Lordly Ones, as the House Elves called you..."

"Harry... I want people to like me or dislike me for me, not because of who my family is. Knowing who my mother is would... pretty much overwhelm anything else with how most people would approach me."

"Kind of like being the Boy Who Lived," Harry said, in understanding. "People see the dark hair, the glasses, and the scar, and..."

"And you're no longer a person, but a myth."

"Let's just say I'm a bit jealous of Dora's and Andy's shape shifting skills, sometimes."

"So..." she said, softly, "does this change how you see me?"

"It makes as much difference to me as my being the Boy Who Lived means to you."

Luna smiled, brightly, and very relieved.

"Thank you, Harry," she said before embracing him and beginning a meeting of the tongues.

Harry took things further, moving himself into a position where she could straddle him.

A few minutes later, Jeeves arrived with the intention of telling them that dinner was ready, but decided not to interrupt them.

"We'll just have to set aside some plates for them," he said quietly. It was far from the first time he'd come across this situation in this house.

---

A/N: Yes, I'm having Hermione as the mastermind behind the Occupy movement, as it just seemed like something she'd do. So, I planted the seed in her head, here. :)