The beginning of Dumbledore's downfall came from a rather surprising corner.
The month before Harry turned 11, just a couple of days past Draco's 11th birthday, Severus received a surprise request to talk from none other than Albus Bloody Dumbledore. It took a lot of arguing, persuasion, and bargaining with his husband to agree to allow him to go speak with Dumbledore alone.
But finally, he was allowed to go and meet Dumbledore at the Leaky in a private room upstairs. Severus was suspicious, he hadn't spoken to Dumbledore in years except to decline his yearly plea for Severus to become Hogwart's new potions professor, and suddenly he wants to chat? No, he was up to something, but Severus couldn't think of what it could be.
"Ah, Severus! Right on time." Dumbledore said jovially as Severus entered the room Dumbledore had rented.
"Hello, Headmaster. You wanted to speak with me?" Severus said bluntly, wanting to get out of the man's presence as quickly as possibly.
"Yes, yes I did. Come sit. Tea? Lemon Drop?" Dumbledore asked as he took a seat at the rickety table. Severus reluctantly took a seat across from him but turned down both, trying to keep the meeting quick so Lucius wouldn't break down the door in his worry. He knew Lucius and Tom were currently timing his meeting and if he took too long they would make a nuisance of themselves to come extract him.
"If this is another ploy to get me to work for you, then I can save us both time and tell you no. Again." Severus thought to point out, but it only made Dumbledore chuckle.
"No, you have already turned me down again this year. I am afraid I am here for a much more unpleasant meeting." Dumbledore sighed heavily in a way that if Severus hadn't known what he was truly like, might have convinced him that he was truly upset about this conversation. But Severus did know better.
"Well then tell me what it is you think will be so unpleasant so we can get it over with," Severus demanded.
"You know the new year for Hogwarts will be starting in a couple of months and as such we have been writing acceptance letters for all the new incoming first years." Dumbledore began, a knot beginning to form in Severus' stomach in suspicion of where this was going.
"I am sure you have been quite busy with that," Severus said, not even trying to hide the suspicion in his voice.
"There is no good way to say this Severus, so I will try to be blunt. We won't be able to accept your son into Hogwarts. I wanted to tell you sooner rather than when the letters go out so you will be prepared to make alternate plans." Dumbledore spoke in a grave tone, but the look in his eyes certainly didn't match.
"Why the bloody hell would he not be able to attend?" Severus growled out through clenched teeth.
"Even ignoring your history Severus, I am afraid that we are not able to accommodate your son due to his…disability."
"So you can accept werewolves but not a child with a disability?!" Severus asked utterly flabbergasted, this conversation definitely did not go the direction Severus thought it was going to.
"Hogwarts is not equipped to handle or take care of a child with such a severe and limited disability, Surely you can understand that Severus?" Dumbledore said in an almost condescending tone.
"No, I don't bloody well understand! Hadrian is able to get around on his own due to spells I and a specialized team have created, as you well know. He can also read and write with assistance spells. There should be no reason to deny him entry into Hogwarts." Severus growled out. Severus had actually become quite famous among the medi-wizardry population across the world due to his new groundbreaking spells for people with disabilities such as Hadrian.
"I am sorry Severus. But I am sure that your son will be much better suited to private tutoring anyway. Less stress on the poor child." Dumbledore chided.
"No. Do not try to mess with me old man. If you deny my son entry into Hogwarts I will be putting you in front of not only the Board of Governors but also the Wizengamot." Severus threatened.
"Severus please don't be unreasonable."
"Unreasonable? Unreasonable?! I'll show you bloody unreasonable. My son deserves the same chance to go to school with his peers and his brother as everyone else. At least he won't be a danger to the school population like Lupin was! I would burn the whole wizarding world to the ground to make my son happy, do not tempt me into action against you old man." Severus hissed through clenched teeth before sweeping out of the room so he wouldn't punch Albus in the face.
Severus apparated directly into his and Lucius' room at Malfoy Manor, still seething. It wasn't long before Lucius and then Tom found him and saw the mood he was in.
"You know, I don't think I have seen you pace this much before Severus. Except on your wedding day." Tom mused, trying to defuse the tension that was building.
"Tom, I suggest unless you have something helpful to say, don't say anything at all," Lucius said nervously, watching his husband's angry magic spark off his fingertips.
"I think I liked you better when you were afraid of me," Tom spoke blandly.
"Severus, love, please tell me what is wrong. You have me worried." Lucius spoke gently, wrapping his arms around Severus to stop him from pacing.
"Albus fucking Dumbledore wants to deny my son, MY SON, entry from Hogwarts!" Severus snarled, only Lucius' arms around him keeping him still.
"What would he have to gain from denying Hadrian entry?" Tom mused.
"Maybe he knows Hadrian's real name?" Lucius suggested.
"None of us know how Hogwart's Book of Names is enchanted so it could show Hadrian's birth name," Tom said slowly but nodded.
"Well this isn't ideal but it is not the end of the world. You know that Hadrian had his own reservations about going to Hogwarts anyway." Lucius tried to console Severus.
"Wait. What if we use this against Dumbledore? Even if we don't manage to get him into Hogwarts, Dumbledore denying a child entry into Hogwarts based on something he has no control over. The media will eat him alive. This could be the opening we were looking for." Tom declares excitedly.
"But then Dumbledore could release Hadrian's birth name and his connections to the Potter family," Severus spoke softly. "I do not want to put him through that. Potter could take us to court as well."
"Not likely. With the ICW still breathing down James Potter's neck waiting for him to make a wrong move, he won't want to try to face the Malfoy family in court. Especially with the possibility of his abandonment of his heir and eldest son. It would ruin the Potter name beyond what even Donovan's great-grandchildren could salvage." Tom pointed out.
"Only if Hadrian says it is okay," Severus says as he looks to Lucius.
"Of course," Lucius says, kissing Severus gently. "I will gather the board of governors to discuss what has happened after we get Hadrian's approval. Tom can meet with the Wizengamot, and you, my love, can contact nasty Miss Rita to alert the Daily Prophet. We hit him at all angles so he cannot squirm out of this."
"This won't bring down Dumbledore permanently," Severus warns.
"But this is the crack in the facade that we needed to begin his destruction," Tom said with a pleased smile.
"Well let's go round up the boys then," Lucius says a little too gleefully.
"You just want to see Draco curse in front of Narcissa again when we tell them what has happened," Severus said knowingly. Lucius just gave him a sly smirk. "Why did I marry you again?"
"Because I would have killed you both if you hadn't finally tied the goddamn knot." Tom snarked.
"You made Tom cuss, my love." Lucius glumly stated.
"Good, means I get to top tonight." Severus grinned, cheered up.
"I hate the both of you," Tom stated. "Stop betting on me to dictate your sex lives. It is disturbing."
"Aw don't worry Tom. I am sure your day will come soon." Lucius cooed.
"I think tonight we should have roasted Peacock. Let me just go get one for the house elves to cook." Tom said with an evil grin, making his way out of the Master bedroom to go find one of Lucius' prized peacocks.
"Leave my peacocks alone you menace!" Lucius shouted, chasing after Tom. Severus just sighed, left alone in the room now. They were worse than the children were. Guess he would be telling the boys alone.
He just wanted his son to have a normal childhood, as normal as he could make it under the circumstances. But he would take the next best thing, which was Hadrian's happiness and his safety.
That would have to be enough.
—-
Hadrian was in his room in Malfoy Manor listening to the film that had been taken during his parents' wedding just several months prior. Nick had been kind enough to sit in the back of the ceremony and narrate while he filmed the event so Hadrian could have his own copy. While his Dad's spellwork allowed Hadrian to see the aura of everything around him that was imbued with even the tiniest amount of magic, it did not allow him to watch anything such as muggle film.
His parents' wedding had been filled with so much magic. It was almost hard for Hadrian to pay attention to when he was supposed to hand over the bonding rings. But he had been so happy to gain a larger family, to have his Dad not be alone anymore.
Gaining Draco as a brother and Narcissa and Nick as a secondary set of parents was also another unexpected joy in his life. To go from an unwanted orphan that was starved, abused, and abandoned to now having a full family that loved him, actually loved him, and showed him that love every day was greater than any fantasy he had dreamed of locked in his cupboard. It didn't matter to him that his birth family was technically still alive, even though the Durselys had told him otherwise, in his mind the Potters were nonexistent and he was happy to keep them that way. They hadn't wanted him and he didn't need them. He had the best Dad in the world, a loving father, and a wonderful older brother.
Who the hell needed the Potters anyway? He was a Prince and that was much better.
His Dad had changed his name to Severus Malfoy, but since Hadrian was his heir to the Prince line, Hadrian kept the Prince name. One day he would be Lord Prince and Draco would be Lord Malfoy and that was a future Hadrian happily, eagerly was looking forward to.
A happy, loving family had the power to change everything.
Even prophecies.