DISCLAIMER: Harry Potter belongs to J.K. Rowling, who isn't me. The only profit I get from this is personal satisfaction.

Imitation Parchment

Dumbledore received an owl that had two pieces of parchment attached to it. The first was a note from the Weasley twins.

Dear Professor Dumbledore,

The Saintlike One wants to talk to you. He has suggested that you make your own copy of the parchment attached that he has made his main way of talking to us now. We'll both be watching what happens between you two because we still think he's pulling the wool over your eyes.

Signed,

Fred Weasley

And George Weasley

Dumbledore sighed to himself at the discord still going on between the Weasley twins and the Saintlike One and began examining the attached parchment. Within seconds, he had his own copy and he tested the connection to make sure it worked by writing a short message.

Hello,

This is Albus Dumbledore. Is this parchment copy working properly?

A few minutes later, Dumbledore watched the Saintlike One's answer appear.

Well it looks like there's hope for me and the twins after all. Have you made any progress on the Horcrux Hunt?

Dumbledore dipped his quill into the inkwell and wrote his reply.

You would understand that I am hesitant to make an attempt without your approval.

Fair enough, the Saintlike One wrote. What do you want to try?

I thought it might be wise to ask for Andromeda Tonks' assistance in obtaining the Horcruxes in Black possession.

Does Gringotts even know that Bellatrix is in Azkaban? the Saintlike One asked.

That is unlikely. Perhaps Andromeda can enlighten them? Dumbledore suggested.

And if Narcissa hears about Andromeda trying to get hold of Bellatrix's assets? No, I think you'd be better off having Nymphadora impersonate her aunt.

Dumbledore considered the idea for a moment before he saw that the Saintlike One had written more.

Question: can Andromeda legitimately give Kreacher orders?

I'm afraid that only Sirius Black has any power over his family House-elf, Dumbledore replied. If Narcissa were on our side, Kreacher might be sympathetic, but I doubt that she would change and it is unlikely that Miss Tonks would be able to convince him that she is someone he knows and adores.

Nymphadora's better than you give her credit for, the Saintlike One wrote. But I have an idea that will take care of something I've wanted to do for a while that will get us the locket. You get the cup first and as soon as it's taken care of, I'll do something that would have tightened security in all the wrong places had I done it before the cup was safe.

Dumbledore's eyebrow rose. What are you planning? he wrote.

I'd rather not say in case the twins get ideas about stopping me. the Saintlike One wrote back. Let's just say you've made a faulty assumption and leave it at that.

Very well, Dumbledore wrote reluctantly. And the diary?

Let's just focus on getting the cup for now. Malfoy's security isn't going to change much after I get the locket. Oh, and did you take possession of the diadem?

I said I was waiting for you, Dumbledore reminded him.

Right. Well, since I have a slightly better idea of what to look for and a lot of it will just be busy-work, I'll get the diadem while you get the cup. Sound good?

It is agreed. But you've forgotten one of the Horcruxes: Mr.

The Saintlike One spilled ink on the form of address before Dumbledore could finish writing Harry Potter's name and finished it himself, in Dumbledore's hand, with, the Parselmouth.

Dumbledore was surprised that Harry had inherited the ability to speak to snakes, but upon reflection, it did make sense, given the connection between him and Voldemort. It was far more noteworthy that the Saintlike One could mimic his handwriting—perhaps not well enough to throw off magical inspection, but certainly well enough to fool any casual observer, such as two eleven-year-old boys. And, of course, his desire to hide Harry Potter's status as a Horcrux.

He can wait for last, the Saintlike One wrote in his own hand—or rather, George Weasley's hand, as he was still hiding all clues to his true identity. It's probably for the best to let Voldemort cast the Killing Curse on him. And before I forget, you should probably be aware that if Quirrell goes on Sabbatical next year, he'll probably get possessed by Voldemort while he's dancing through Albania. You can decide whether or not you want to stop it.

Would the manner of Quirinus' possession be similar to your own?

Not at all. He'd be fully conscious of Voldemort being stuck to the back of his head. If Harry kills Voldemort again and Quirrell is involved, Quirrell will end up dead.

I would prefer to not put any lives at risk needlessly, Dumbledore wrote. I will figure out what I will do about the situation on my own time and get back to you.

Well, I don't have much more to say at the moment besides this to the twins: Hi! Thanks for letting me talk to Dumbledore! We're going to save a lot of lives together.

For one quick moment, Dumbledore considered not returning the original parchment to the Weasley twins, or at least removing all traces of this conversation, but he knew that the Saintlike One wanted to prove his trustworthiness to them and the Headmaster shouldn't get in the way of that. He placed the older parchment on the leg of the owl who was still waiting for Dumbledore to finish and sent it to the twin boys.

The next time he looked at his copy of the Saint's parchment, there were large letters on it in Fred Weasley's handwriting.

DUMBLEDORE! YOU ARE NOT ALLOWED TO USE THAT PARCHMENT WITHOUT OUR PERMISSION!

The Headmaster decided to consider the statement to not be an order to relinquish his access to the Saint's parchment. He needed the Saintlike One's help and he was going to use it as long as he could. He had a feeling that the Saintlike One wouldn't use Patronus communication again (if indeed the Saint had used it—Dumbledore wasn't entirely sure whether he'd hallucinated the whole thing) because, coming from his true body, it would have his true voice and the Saintlike One would not dare divulge a clue to his true identity. Dumbledore still couldn't figure out why the Saintlike One was so insistent on secrecy, but the Headmaster had already decided that he would trust and so he would continue to trust until he had a very good reason not to.

Tonks didn't expect to be approached by a couple of first-years. Nevertheless, the twin brothers of Charlie Weasley approached her on her way to dinner.

"You're Nymphadora, right?" the Slytherin one asked.

"It's Tonks," she corrected as her hair reddened a bit in annoyance.

"Dumbledore is going to ask you or your mom to break into Gringotts sometime soon," the Gryffindor one said. "We thought we should warn you."

"That's the craziest thing I've ever heard."

"No, the craziest thing you've ever heard is that the guy who possesses me sometimes is the one that told Dumbledore that you've got to destroy a cup in your aunt's vault."

"I stand corrected," Tonks said. "Will you go bother the younger students if you're so intent on convincing people you're both crazy?"

"Only if Charlie tells you that we're lying," the Slytherin Weasley said.

Tonks sighed and the sixth-year and two first-years went over to where the Gryffindor Seeker was eating dinner and took him outside the Great Hall, where they wouldn't be overheard. She did not want to become a laughingstock in front of everyone.

"Wotcher, Charlie. So I hear your younger brother is possessed," she said nonchalantly.

"You told me you wouldn't bring him back," Charlie hissed to the twin boys.

"We didn't," one of the boys replied. "We just let Dumbledore see the parchment he gave us at Christmas. George has been himself since that one detention back in January, but that git still thinks he can mess with us."

"Are you telling me that they're telling the truth?" Tonks asked.

Charlie nodded. "I didn't believe it at first either, but little Georgie's got himself haunted by a man who is crazy and dangerous—and has somehow gained Dumbledore's trust. That git deserves even less trust than Snape, yet Dumbledore either gives trust out like candy or something dark is influencing his decisions. There is absolutely no way that the Saintlike One is a good guy."

"The Saintlike One?" Tonks asked.

"That's what he calls himself."

"Well, if your brothers are right," Tonks said, "Professor Dumbledore is going to have me do something for this Saintlike One that will involve breaking into my aunt's vault."

"If you can at all avoid it, stay away from all of this," Charlie advised. "Or if you absolutely can't, try to get the Saintlike One to give himself away somehow. He doesn't know that you know about him, right?"

"He shouldn't," the Gryffindor twin said. "But that doesn't mean he doesn't. He's probably got some way of spying on us that we don't know about."

Professor Sprout then approached the group. "Miss Tonks, the Headmaster has requested that you take an audience with him at his office once you are finished with your supper. As it appears that you are finished, will you please come with me?"

"I haven't eaten yet, professor," Tonks told her Head of House. "The twins ambushed me before I could even start. I'll try to be out quickly."

Sprout nodded and stood by the entrance to the Great Hall while Tonks and the three Weasleys reentered it.

"Fred, George, tell Tonks everything you know about the Saintlike One," Charlie whispered. "She needs to be ready for whatever he throws at her."

"Miss Tonks, if you would have a seat?" the Headmaster asked.

"What do you want, Headmaster? I haven't done anything wrong," Tonks said, trying to give no indication that she had earlier warning of what to expect. Her previous encounters with Professor Dumbledore were usually of a disciplinary nature, so an uninformed Tonks would probably have assumed that someone was blaming her for something she didn't do.

"No, no," Dumbledore said with a wave of his hand. "I had you come so that I may ask a favor. How much do you know about your Aunt Bellatrix?"

"I know she's crazy and in Azkaban for supporting You-Know-Who," Tonks said. "I don't remember ever meeting her and frankly I'm grateful."

"Do you have any photographs of her?" Professor Dumbledore asked.

"Why would Mum hold onto any? The Blacks disowned us. And why are you asking?"

"I may have to ask too much of you, but you may be the only one who can do this." Dumbledore sighed. "It has come to my attention that Bellatrix Lestrange was placed as the guardian of something very important to Voldemort. As long as that object exists, there is a strong possibility that he will return."

"But You-Know-Who died," Tonks said. "Nothing can bring the dead back to life—haven't you always said that?"

"Voldemort, as an ally has put it, is only mostly-dead," Dumbledore said. Tonks assumed that his "ally" was the Saintlike One; she wished she could have learned more about before this meeting, but even Fred and George probably would never be able to prepare her fully. "The object I seek prevents his soul from traveling on."

"So, let me get this straight," Tonks said. "You want me to impersonate my Aunt Bellatrix to get this object that lets You-Know-Who come back? Am I right in assuming that getting caught doing this is illegal enough to land me in Azkaban for the rest of my life?"

"The object is, to the best of my knowledge, in Bellatrix's vault at Gringotts. As you are not your aunt, you accessing it would technically be illegal. The most legal route would be to have your mother claim inheritance of Bellatrix's assets, but as my aforementioned ally has noted, the likelihood of your mother obtaining those assets is slim while Narcissa Malfoy is the obvious heir."

"Who is this ally of yours?" Tonks asked. She figured that two mentions were enough for her to inquire further about the Saintlike One.

"He does not want his identity widely known," the Headmaster explained. "Rest assured, however, that he knows what he is talking about. Miss Tonks, I will not pretend that if you go through with this plan you will not be in any danger. Quite the contrary," Dumbledore said as he extended his hand, which Tonks now noticed was a sickly black. "I did not seek advice from my ally and this was the price I paid. Your price could be higher, but now that my ally is actively helping us, I daresay that you are most likely to come from this ordeal unscathed."

"Can't I meet this ally?" Tonks asked. "It might help me decide whether I really want to do this."

"I cannot force him. But I will ask."

"Thank you. And if that's all, I've got some homework I need to do."

After Aberforth went to bed, George snuck into Hogwarts again. He went straight for the Room of Requirement and started looking through all the junk. Unfortunately, all he knew about the Horcrux was that it was a diadem. There wasn't a souvenir of it in anyone's closet, as it had been destroyed by the Fiendfyre, so he had absolutely no idea what it looked like.

There were a surprising number of things in the room that looked like a diadem that didn't feel dark enough to be a Horcrux. Even after several hours of searching and making a pile of the wrong tiaras, he still didn't find it. Honestly, Harry was beyond lucky that he'd used the diadem to help him find something else or he'd never have found it in time. Maybe Harry naturally identified with Horcruxes or something. In any case, George wasn't going to find anything tonight, so he'd have to try again some other time.

Before hitting the sack, he took one last look at his Saintlike Parchment, as he decided to call it. Dumbledore had left a message again.

I have discussed it with the young Weasley twins and they have granted permission for you to convince Miss Tonks to cooperate with our plan to retrieve Hufflepuff's Cup, as she is wary of the situation. The act of possession, however, is still forbidden so you may not use that to speak with her, but you may use other means. I believe Miss Tonks would be most partial to a meeting in person and I would ask you to put the necessity of destroying Horcruxes above your desire to keep your true self a secret.

George grimaced to himself and began to write a message back. I'm not revealing myself before I said I would and that is final. If you really want to wait until September to retrieve the cup, be aware that you use valuable time unwisely. If you prefer Nymphadora to know everything, you can show her your copy of the Saintlike Parchment, but please note that too many people knowing too much is inadvisable. I'd much prefer that Nymphadora take me on faith, but she probably would trust me about as much as if I told her that she was destined to marry a werewolf and get murdered at Hogwarts right after giving birth.

As usual, the decision I leave to Fred and George—and if you can think of something that doesn't violate my conditions, I'll consider it.

In the end, they decided to just use the Saintlike Parchment and erase all of the previous conversations off of it. At least, that's what the twins said that had happened. Dumbledore simply gave Tonks a blank piece of parchment and told her that she could use it to talk to her the following midnight.

Is anyone there? Tonks wrote at the appointed time.

Hi! the Saintlike One wrote back. I understand that you are wary about the plan to rob your aunt. What exactly is it about the plan that troubles you?

Um, how about the fact that it means me breaking into Gringotts? Tonks asked. Or the part where I pretend to be a Death Eater?

Valid points, the Saintlike One wrote. But I think that you shouldn't have to worry so much. The hardest part will be getting Bellatrix's identification, and I think I'll have to use my own resources to get that for you. Have you ever morphed when accessing the vaults at Gringotts before?

I'm always morphed, or at least my hair is, Tonks replied. But I was forced back to what I was born with after going through the Thief's Downfall. Once I was through, though, I could change back.

And if you wear a hooded cloak—which you should wear anyway to prevent any human workers from recognizing you—the goblins probably won't notice anything. You're perfectly safe. The Saintlike One paused a moment before writing more. Though there is the dragon by the Lestrange vault, but in a worst-case scenario, you could probably ride that thing out of there.

Tonks grimaced. That isn't exactly reassuring.

I'm just letting you know what you're getting yourself into, the Saintlike One replied. Someone has to rob Bellatrix's vault sooner or later and if it isn't you, then whoever does will have to escape on that dragon. You, however, merely have to walk in, avoid touching her treasures (since they might burn you and duplicate), use Gryffindor's sword to destroy Hufflepuff's cup, and walk out with no one the wiser.

Wait, what?

Oh, did Dumbledore forget to tell you something important? Go ahead and get the whole plan from him, then I can fill in any missing details. I can wait.

You're asking me to destroy a priceless relic of my House's founder, Tonks wrote.

I guess that means there'll be poetic justice, the Saintlike One replied. It isn't a pure relic anymore—Voldemort corrupted beyond any hope so it has to go.

Why would he even do that? Tonks asked. I thought You-Know-Who hated Gryffindor, not Hufflepuff.

Voldemort thought founder relics were cool and the cup just happened to be the first one he found. Anyway, are you up for destroying it?

You are asking me to risk my life and freedom while risking hardly anything yourself, Tonks wrote.

She waited several long moments before the Saintlike One wrote his answer.

Alright. I'll put myself at risk to assuage your fears. I won't tell you how, yet, but by the time you enter the bank, you will know. If you still aren't convinced by then, you can abandon the plan with no one the wiser. Is that okay?

Tonks smiled as she wrote her reply. I guess we'll have to wait and see. Give me some time to get ready at the very least.