Disclaimer: I don't own HP, I only own Evan and Iris.

Ok, I am a bit mean to Ginny in this. I didn't plan on it, but remember that Aludra is 12-year-old who almost lost her father because of Ginny's actions (and Ginny did know better than to write in the diary, not to mention figuring out she was behind the attacks but chickening out of telling anyone. It's especially bad in this 'verse, as the Aurors were there nearly the entire year, and yet she didn't speak to them.)

Chapter Fourteen

Aftermath

Aludra stuck close to Sirius' side as the small group made their way to the cavern, with a wall of debris still separating them from the others. He kept casting her concerned glances, but Aludra refused to meet his gaze.

This had been so much worse than last year, even if she wasn't physically harmed. Her father, her only, beloved parent, had come within a hairsbreadth of death, and Aludra didn't think she'd be able to get the image of his grey pallor out of her mind.

"Hmm, there must have been more damage than we assumed," Sirius muttered, eyeing the rocks, stepping forward. "Remus? Shacklebolt, Proudfoot?"

"Sirius!" Her uncle called back. "Are you and Ally alright? Did you find Miss Weasley?"

"We're and good," Sirius confirmed. "The Heir is dealt with and the basilisk is dead."

"We couldn't get a hole cleared without the whole roof coming down," Remus said. "Any ideas?"

"I got it covered," Sirius assured his brother-in-all-but-blood. He turned to Fawkes, still perched on Aludra's left shoulder. "Fawkes, can we ask one more favour? Can you help us get to others and then get out of this hellhole?"

Fawkes let out a caw, fluttering his wings, then presented his tailfeathers for them to grab onto. The world turned into a rush of red and orange before going grey again when they arrived on the other side of the wall. The Aurors and Remus had their wands pointed at the group, but lowered them after Sirius proved he was himself and Auror Shacklebolt had checked them for enchantments. The adults (save Lockhart, who was bound and gagged with conjured rope in the corner) huddled together so Sirius could give his teammates a brief overview of what had happened.

"Ginny!" Ron exclaimed, running to his sister's side and hugging her. "Are you okay? What happened, why did the Heir take you? Did he hurt you?"

"Oh she's fine," Aludra bit out before Ginny could respond. "Well enough to explain to the authorities why she didn't go to the professors at minimum when it became clear that the gaps in her memory corresponded to the attacks and why she saw fit to pour all her venom about my family into an item enchanted with Dark Magic."

Ginny swallowed audibly while Ron turned on Aludra. "My sister-"

"Nearly got this whole school slaughtered by a deadly Class XXX creature, and actually got my dad bitten by that same creature!" Aludra retorted, voice turning shrill as she thought about what might have happened. "If Fawkes hadn't shown up, Daddy would be dead right now, as would Ginny and I, and Voldemort's teenage self would be killing the lot of you! She was able to resist enough to throw the damn thing away, so why not give it to Professor McGonagall? Why did she start writing in it again when she stole it from Evan? And what was she complaining to teenage Voldemort about the whole year? The fact that Evan's my friend and not hers! The fact that Daddy is spending hundreds of Galleons supporting her family in school! She shouldn't be getting coddled after nearly killing everyone, she should be getting a Stinging Hex to the arse!"

"Aludra Scarlet Black that is enough!" Sirius barked sternly. "I understand that you're upset and I don't blame you, but there is no excuse for using that language. You are a properly raised Lady of House Black, and will act like it in all circumstances. I will be discussing Miss Weasley's actions with Dumbledore, Septimus and her parents."

Ginny, who had been crying large, attention-drawing, crocodile tears, sobbed louder. "I don't want to be expelled!" She wailed.

"The possession will be taken into account, but the fact is that you were able to throw the diary away, yet failed to inform either a member of the faculty or an Auror or even a prefect of what was going on, and people nearly died. Whether you want to or not, you need to explain that. Now, everyone grab onto one of Fawkes' tailfeathers. He'll flash us to the Headmaster's Office. I imagine the Board begged Dumbledore to return when we came down."

Fawkes flashed them to the office in two groups. There they found Dumbledore seated behind the desk with Professor McGonagall, Lord and Lady Weasley and their son and his wife, as well as the Potter and Longbottom parents.

"Ginny! Ron!" Mrs. Weasley shrieked at an ear-bursting volume, running over to engulf the pair in a bone-breaking embrace.

Lord and Lady Potter hurried over to grab their son and hug him, while the Longbottoms scooped Neville and Aludra into hugs, before allowing Dumbledore and McGonagall to fuss over their still-teary granddaughter.

"It is a great relief to see you all unharmed," Dumbledore observed, one hand resting on Aludra's shoulder as her grandmother rubbed her back soothingly.

"The only reason we're even alive is because Fawkes saved Daddy," Aludra declared, shooting Ginny a vicious look. "All of this would have been over months ago if Ginny had just handed the diary over when she made the decision to get rid of it!"

"How dare you insult my daughter and blame her for this?!" Mrs. Weasley began to yell, face reddening, only for her mother-in-law to silence her with a sharp jab of the wand. She continued to yell soundlessly at the distraught and angry girl, before she realized she had been hexed and turned her rage on Cedrella, who pointedly ignored the other woman. Cedrella and Septimus had never liked their son's wife, and often been suspicious that Molly's 'fake' story about love potioning Arthur had more truth to it than she would admit. After all, as Heir to an Ancient family he was a desirable catch, even if several wastrel Heads had ruined their finances. Unfortunately, Molly had grown quickly to resent the struggle with finances her family dealt with, and the Prewett wealth was denied to her, held in trust for her twin sons to inherit on coming of age and denied to their mother by the Will of her late twin brothers, who'd had their own suspicions about Molly's love potion habits. The two grandparents had managed to counteract the venom Molly spewed against richer families for most of their grandchildren, but unfortunately Ginny and Ron, the babies who'd spent the most time with their mother, had lapped it up, resulting in the pair being self-absorbed, selfish and greedy, with bucketloads of jealousy towards anyone richer or more popular than them.

"Now," Dumbledore said mildly, going to sit behind his large oak desk. "Sirius, if you could please explain what happened?"

Sirius gave a brief report to the Chief Warlock, Aludra going back to him for comfort at the memory. Sirius rubbed her back and rocked her gently even as he kept a professional tone and expression while delivering his account. Neither of the Blacks noticed the looks the Potter parents were giving them, but Remus did and shot them a warning glare, silently ordering them to leave the pair alone, which they did reluctantly.

"I see," Dumbledore said at last, when Sirius was finished. "Well then, if everyone except for Professor McGongall, the Weasleys and the Blacks would please leave, we have private matters to discuss."

Arthur shifted uneasily. "Headmaster, surely you don't intend to expel Ginny, do you?" He protested, Ginny starting to cry again at the suggestion. Ron started to rage, only to be silenced like his mother by his stern grandmother. "She was being possessed."

"We will speak in private once everyone else is gone," Dumbledore repeated calmly. The others left the room, and he went on. "While I am reluctant to punish a child for succumbing to the magic of Lord Voldemort's teenage self, the fact remains that Miss Weasley was able to resist the possession enough to dispose the diary, but did not go to a Professor about her experience. Mr. Potter wrote in the diary and was back to normal within hours of being separated from it. Miss Weasley, therefore, should've been released from its power within a few days. Yet still, despite knowing the diary was there to be found by anyone, she failed to report it at all during the four weeks she was without it. That requires discipline of some sort.

There is also the fact that Miss Weasley, due to her possession, has essentially missed her entire first year, which fits with her academic reports. A decision must be made on her future based on all these factors."

"If you will allow us?" Lord Weasley spoke up. "I suggest that Ginny be suspended for the rest of the year, and repeat first year next year. It may be better for her socially, too. Friend groups have already been formed for her current year. This will give her the chance to make new friendships."

"I can accept that," Dumbledore agreed. "Professor McGonagall?"

"Yes, that will do," she agreed, before turning to Lord and Lady Weasley. "While you're here, my Lord, my Lady, we need to discuss Mr. Ronald Weasley's academic scores for the year. After we've escorted the children to the hospital wing, would you please come to my office?" She didn't bother to discuss it with the child's parents, as they'd already ignored her previous pleas to intercede with their youngest son over his abysmal grades, so to the Head and Consort she turned.

Lady Weasley pursed her lips, giving her youngest grandson a perturbed look, as Lord Weasley tiredly agreed. The Deputy Headmistress escorted them from the office, leaving Sirius and Aludra with her boss.

"Chief Warlock Dumbledore," Sirius said gravely. "I must speak with you privately."

Dumbledore inclined his head gravely and turned to Aludra with a gentle smile. "Aludra, my dear girl, would you kindly wait outside for your father and I to finish please?" He said, though it was clearly not a request.

Aludra, clung to her father's arm determinedly. "I won't listen," she stated, giving Sirius a pleading look. He gave her a firm smile and ran a hand over her messy braid.

"Aludra, I need to speak with your grandfather now," he said sternly, in that tone which said more clearly than any words that he wouldn't accept any questioning. She huffed and reluctantly released her grip, padding quietly from the room while casting anxious glances over her shoulder at her father, as if he would disappear or drop dead should she look away.

Sirius hid a frown at Aludra's uncharacteristic actions. She wasn't usually so clingy. Clearly she wasn't taking his near-death experience well, and he wasn't very surprised. He'd been hurt before of course. He was a high-ranking Auror, and he hadn't gotten to where he was by sitting behind a desk. But Aludra had always been shielded from his injuries, kept unaware until afterwards when he was either fully or almost recovered, and the details of his injuries were never explained to her. Maybe it was a mistake to coddle her that way, but he'd never wanted her to dread him not coming home.

"She may need a Mind Healer," Dumbledore remarked woefully. "It has been a difficult year for her."

"Agreed," Sirius echoed distantly, turning from concerned father to stern Auror and Lord. "Dumbledore, we need to talk about Voldemort's diary. Do you understand what it is?"

Dumbledore eyed his shrewdly. "I take it you do?" He parried, avoiding the question.

"A Horcrux," Sirius spat the word, feeling a bad taste in his mouth. "I don't know a lot about them. Even Walburga thought they were the worst type of magic, a corruption and a sin against Lady Magic. But we were told the basics."

"I have had many theories as to how Voldemort survived," Dumbledore sighed. "Including Horcruxes. But none were confirmed. Not until now. The question we must consider, Sirius, is this. You and Aludra have destroyed one of these abominations. Are there any others?"