Prisoner of Azkaban
Chapter Twenty-Four
Preparations and Meetings
Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry
Teacher's Lounge
The staff had gathered without informing Dumbledore or Lockhart. Neither man was wanted at the meeting, as both were being discussed. Lockhart because he had become increasingly pushy and somewhat hostile since McGonagall's departure and Dumbledore because they highly suspected he was becoming unstable.
"He's apparently angry that he wasn't selected to transfer to Xerxes Academy despite being promoted." Professor Sprout said.
"Well, that makes sense, he's always talking about wanting a new adventure." Professor Sinistra shrugged.
"I doubt he would pass whatever the test is to get into the boundary. We've all heard about how hard it is to breach, even invited." Professor Sprout
"I think you have heard an exaggerated claim there. It measures your intent, as long as you are there for honest reasons and have no intent to bring harm, you may enter." Hagrid said. "I got in easy enough, after the extra protection was added."
"that's true enough, though he still would have a difficult time entering." Slughorn frowned. "We all know what he is really like."
"True. Still, if he continues to cause trouble with students and staff, we are going to have to insist he be removed." Professor Sinistra suggested firmly.
"He's teaching Defense Against the Dark Arts; he'll be gone by the end of the year even if we do nothing and we all know it." Professor Sprout sighed, "Though if we can be rid of him before then, it would make life easier. If he comes by my greenhouses one more time to tell me how to care for my plants…ugh."
"He's been doing that to everyone I believe. I complained to Dumbledore, though he didn't seem bothered by it." Professor Slughorn said in an almost whisper as if passing on a secret.
"Dumbledore isn't exactly at the top of his game anymore either. I suspect Snape was right and he's taken too heavily to the bottle. I do not know what or who he mourns, but it is interfering with his ability to run the school. That was before he sent McGonagall away." Professor Kettleburn said thoughtfully.
"We may need to contact the Ministry or the Governors to intercede." Professor Slughorn suggested. "I'm afraid the issues are too great to handle ourselves and the children are suffering for it, judging by the collective strain I see around them recently."
"Very well, we will let the Ministry handle this, and the Governors." Agreed Professor Sprout, the others all nodding.
Xerxes Academy
Headmaster's Office
Alphonse had a building headache as he hung up from the conversation with his father. Sirius Black was confirmed to have crossed the border in search of Yuery, and now it was apparent from reports he was likely headed to Xerxes unless he learned the child was in Central.
They had known this was an issue for weeks, they had also known that the barrier was breached days ago, the biggest problem then was that Black had escaped tracking. They had no idea where he was at the moment, and the English Wizards were demanding either more wizards allowed inside, or their students be returned.
Drachma was also now insisting on the return of their students, since an advisor with outside contacts had informed the leaders that Black was a mass murder of non-magical people. From what Alphonse understood thanks to Ling (who had received a similar message) the given reports made as though Black was on level with King Bradley or this Voldemort on the numbers he had killed. While Ling had his own spies, and they had gathered a much more accurate report on the accused activities of Black, he was also being pressured to withdraw the students. His Dad was getting the same kind of demands from the council of generals, as well as the Ministry of Magic.
Alphonse called a staff meeting because at this point, he saw no choice but to shut down the school and send the children home. He worried for their safety as well, with the report of Black slipping away. Selfishly, in his opinion, he also wanted to be free to join his father and brother for the upcoming inevitable confrontation. Even without alchemy, he was a better fighter than most.
Central City
Fuhrer's Mansion
Lt. Fuhrer's Office
Alex had brought Ed the bad news that the family's departure had been noticed, worse that someone had reported details on the matter though not their current location. Yuery was as upset by this as Ed had been, Roy joined them shortly after to inform them that Riza and Winry were aware and that extra guards had been posted around the house. Ed was still considering having Winry take the children elsewhere before he remembered that the spells around the house hid Maes and Trisha completely.
"Go to Winry if you think it's best." Roy said calmly as his son paced the office. "Yuery can stay with me, and we'll increase the guard. I can contact your brother and have him arrange someone to escort you, no one will know you've gone."
"I can't just leave Yuery here, Dad. What if Black comes looking for him?" Ed growled as he ran his hand through his hair. "I cannot take him either, for the same reason. We should recall the search party, split them between here and Reseembool."
"Yes, that will take time. At least a couple of hours. Your brother is closing the school for now."
"That is for the best. From what I've heard and seen this man is very unstable. We wouldn't want him to go after any other child either. Draco is secured for that reason. I had Cissy take him out of the city, down south."
"Armstrong and Breda are still stationed just outside the apartment. I increased the guard, called for volunteers for extra duty and unsurprisingly we received too many offers, enough I was able to double the detail on every shift." Roy said, hugging Yuery to his side when the boy's power flared briefly. "Even if he comes, he won't make it in."
"We said the same about the barrier." Ed sighed. "If it comes to it, I will use the wand."
"Of course, but he will never make it that far." Roy said, holding up a gloved hand meaningfully. "No one threatens my family. No one."
Central City
City Market
Everyone in the market was gossiping about the breach of the border, the Fuhrer's family being sent away, and the likelihood of Xerxes closing. The last one concerned Sirius. If they closed the school, how would he find Harry?
He was growing increasingly more frustrated as he walked along, weaving through the crowds and begging for scraps. This was terrible news, he didn't have weeks to relocate Harry, he needed to get to his godson now! For all he knew, they had already arranged to hand him over to Voldemort.
Sirius barely glanced at the newsstand as he passed before freezing and turning back. The picture on the front page was of Harry, standing beside a blond man with a dark-haired man on the other side of the blond. He looked at the headline, though the rest of the print would require a translation spell, he did recognize the word Fuhrer.
If Harry was with the Fuhrer, and the Fuhrer had sent them away, then he just had to find out where exactly it was, they had been sent. He considered the possibility that this man had sent the rest of the family away but kept the child with him… though it was his understanding from what he had understood over the last few weeks, that the Fuhrer was not a wizard himself. Still, the possibility that he felt he could keep the boy safe separate from his family was there as well.
According to the map he had seen near the train station, the Fuhrer's mansion was in the center of the city, inside what seemed to be a fortress. Who knew how many guards were present as well, so attempting to find the rest first was the best option.
First, he needed to learn as much about them as possible. It may even be posted in an article where they were taken, so he waited until he spotted someone throw away a paper before stealing it from the can and slipped away back into the alley to transform and read.
Reseembool
Elric House
Winry and Riza settle the children into their homework as they ignored the two soldiers in the room, along with the two walking around upstairs. Havoc had ordered more guards than Roy had suggested, though the women were glad for it and annoyed at the intruders at the same time.
It very much felt like they themselves were being held prisoner given the guards, because in addition to the four inside, there were two on each door as well as eight on patrol around the house. Riza was also armed, though she didn't draw attention to it Winry was well aware that her mother-in-law had at least two guns on her person.
Jean and Rebecca arrived a few minutes after the shift began to warn the women that the news had leaked about them leaving the city. "So, on top of everything else, we need to find out who in the staff decided to have a loose tongue." Riza sighed angrily. "Roy is absolutely going to insist on a new staff. Again. Not that I blame him."
"He's only ever replaced the staff once Riza." Winry reminded the older woman. "Following the attempted kidnapping, but that was years ago."
"He insists on a new staff every time there is a leak to the papers, I usually talk him out of it. Not this time though, not after this." Riza frowned before she decided to call Roy to find out firsthand what the papers were saying.