Protection

"Let's go to the Duel Room and I'll test you," Albus said, getting up from his seat. "How do you usually practice?"

Lily, Cecile and Remus got up too. "The two of them against me, but they can beat me now," Remus replied.

"Do you use Protegos?"

"No, we tried not to do it to practice agility," Cecile replied.

"Perfect, I see that Prince has taught you well, he is going to be a magnificent commander," said the Headmaster. "He has left me astounded by how he has organized sixty people in two minutes, counting only half. I'm looking forward to half past nine and to see the training."

"You won't be able to see him one hundred percent today, Albus," Cecile said. "Remember that they broke his arm less than two days ago."

"Sure…"

"But maybe tomorrow yes."

"We will study if it is convenient for them to train tomorrow at the Lake," Dumbledore said. "If the Daily Prophet's here, it's better not."

"Yeah."

They had gone out into the room.

"All yours, show me what you know to do," Albus asked. "Remus, use Protegos if you're in a bind to keep the fight even."

They fought for ten minutes. The old man stopped the fight. "Wonderful. Remus, seventh-year level, and you both girls sixth-year advanced. You three could beat five malefics as long as they are not training on their own, and if they are camouflaged I don't think they are."

Lily thought, (Five, booah… how come Sev didn't tell me about this?)

"They aren't training, Albus. Prince told me," Remus said.

"Can you tell me their names now, to know if they are studying Defense NEWT?" the Headmaster asked.

"They're not doing it either, all the Ravenclaws who take it are in the Guard, and the two Gryffindors aren't doing it either."

(Ugh… three Raves and two Gryffs, at home,) Lily thought. (And this is all information from Lauren, she must have been reading the whole school since her parents put her in on the secret.)

"Tell me the names of the two Gryffs, they are the most dangerous," Dumbledore asked.

(He has read us about abbreviating House names. This Albus…)

Remus told him. Cecile and Lily knew them by sight. "Those two?" Cecile asked, alarmed.

"Well, yes, the ones you least expect," Remus replied.

"They have got up in the Great Hall, Remus, have you noticed?" the Headmaster asked.

"No, they haven't. I don't think they were even at the table."

"Okay, so they haven't infiltrated at first. But I'm sure they'll go out to watch the training, and so will the Raves. Tell me their names too."

Remus did.

"There have been some Rave upper-years risen at the moment," Dumbledore said. "Maybe they are. Has Prince revealed this information to the other commanders?"

"Maybe to the Slys, but the Raves don't know that he reads."

"Well, he should have. Nothing, there is still danger, but there are only three against more than sixty. And if he himself has read them, he already knows who they are. He must have also noticed if they got up and he will know how to deal with them. It will serve him to try them, to know the level they have and the danger they pose. And he will read them to find out if they have plans against him and warn the rest of the Raves to keep an eye on them. So in principle you only have to worry about the Gryffs, because I am convinced that the Slys have all left, and if they have not already done so, they will soon do so, the rest of their House is going to make their lives miserable."

(Lauren…) Lily thought.

"What a triumph guys," Albus continued. "Alright, strategies. First, spread the word at home that these two Gryffs are camouflaged malefics, pretend that you have caught them talking, so that the others will ignore them and see themselves isolated and discovered. Second, do you also read?"

"A little," Cecile replied.

"How much is a little?"

"Recent thoughts and their motivations."

"And you, Remus?" asked the Headmaster.

"Same thing," Remus replied.

"And you, Lily?"

"I do read deep ones," Lily replied.

"Perfect. Without wand?" asked the old man.

"Yeah."

"In the eyes or without looking?"

"In the eyes," Lily replied.

"How far?"

"About ten feet."

"Good. Keep practicing the distance," the Headmaster advised. "If they go for you, you will catch them looking at you when you meet in the Common Room, and it will be easy for you to know if they are thinking of doing something to you, they will be immediate thoughts. If you already read deep ones, a few seconds will suffice. And obviously, if they're after you, it's because they're associating you with Prince, so you'll also be able to read if they're planning to do anything to him. You're going to have to act as a spy, but it's for your own safety. If you discover anything, let me know immediately."

"How, Albus?" Cecile asked.

"Do you know how to conjure a Patronus?"

"Of course."

"What a stupid question," Albus said.

(He's read that in us too… we can't trust him.)

"You are in fifth year, it's in the OWLs syllabus," the Headmaster continued. "You see, it's a spell of my invention, the talking Patronus."

"Wow…" Cecile said.

"It is about invoking the person with whom you want to communicate and the message you want to convey. The Patronus moves to the place where that person is and communicates the message with your own voice."

"Wow... how useful," Cecile said, admired.

"Better if you hide to do it, but if you find yourself in a bind, do it wherever you are, it will reach me in a few seconds and I will break the spell of the school that does not allow Apparating inside it to get to you. Let's practice it."

They did it for half an hour until they got it. Albus then left the Dueling room to another room far away inside his own quarters, asking them to send it to him. They repeated it several times, when they got it the Headmaster sent them his. A silver phoenix passed through the door of the Duel room and communicated to them, "Alright guys, you are wonders. I have received five Patronuses of each. I'll be right back with you."

Albus came back. "Next teaching, which would be impossible to do if you were not already good friends. I have never tried it, it is about Ancestral Magic, one of the books that have disappeared from the Room of Requirement."

(He already knows the books are missing, Sev has a good grasp on him,) Lily thought.

"Luckily, I've spent my life studying them and I know them by heart," Dumbledore continued. "It is about creating a magical Bond between several people. It's wandless magic. You should only use it if you are really cornered, because it is dangerous for its existence to be known, as you can understand, that is why it was removed from the R.S."

(He has also read us about abbreviating the R.S.)

"It is about creating a Bond between the three of you, which will be equally effective if only two of you are present," the Headmaster added.

(The Bond that appears in the Red Magic appendix in the Clanship section.)

"Do you take Ancient Runes?" Albus asked.

"Yes, all of us," Lily replied.

"Perfect. I am going to repeat the incantation several times."

Albus spoke in runic and they understood, "We are one whole, we are one unit. We are willing to give our lives for others and for that very reason we acquire the power to protect ourselves and all those we love."

After three times he asked them, "Do you have it?"

"Yes," they answered.

"Repeat it separately."

They did it, all three of them got it the first time.

"Okay, now all three together, until you get the rhythm of pronouncing it at the same time," asked the Headmaster.

They did it three times, it worked out, because in runic it rhymed and had a rhythm, it was like the lyrics of a song or a poem.

"Perfect. The next thing is that you unite closely, holding hands, or better yet, if you are confident enough, which I imagine so, hugging the three of you and even putting your heads together," Albus explained. "The ideal would be to do it undressed, that was how it was done in the old days, before Christian morality was imposed on us. If it don't wort out dressed, we'll try to make you undress at least from the waist up."

The three of them hugged.

"Hold hands behind the back of the third and put your heads together, skin to skin is essential," the old man asked them.

(Like Druid Magic.)

"Very well, invoke the spell," Albus continued. "As you are three, three times. You must put intention, really feel it, otherwise it's not worth it."

They did it. Lily thought, (Wow… I feel close to them like never before, even closer than when we did the fir tree ritual. Too bad Sev isn't here.)

"We are going to test if it has work out, you can separate," said Dumbledore. "Stand about two feet apart, all invoke desire to protect yourselves, simply."

They did it. A massive shield was created around them, similar to the druid spherical shield, but encompassing all three of them.

"Wonderful!" Albus was beside himself with joy. "What a find, guys! I had never seen anything like it, let me try it."

He drew his wand and sent spells, even curses, green, at them.

"That's it, it works, also against Dark Magic, just as the book says," the old man continued. "Let's also try in pairs."

They did it and it worked out. As Remus and Lily did, he told them, "Try casting spells with your wands, in theory they will go through the shield without it breaking. Also some curse, to the wall, I'll fix it later."

They cast various defensive spells and curses, which effectively pierced through the shield without breaking it.

"Wonderful! Being able to defend yourselves while being protected at the same time. Unmatched power," said Dumbledore.

(Red Magic, the Magic of Love. The Most Powerful Weapon Against the Dark Arts,) the three were thinking.

"You are wonderful," Albus appraised them. "If you have no choice but to do it, pretend that you do it with your wands. In theory you will also protect everyone who is close and any of you also love. Let me try something else. The Bond also has implications related to the Mind Arts, let's try one of them. Do it, you two, you're a couple," he said to Remus and Cecile. "Try to penetrate each other's thoughts, as if you wanted to read each other, but not exactly that, but rather how to merge your thoughts into one. You may need to look into each other's eyes to achieve this."

Cecile and Remus did. And yes, they did, bond their coordinated thoughts. It wasn't like reading, it was something else, like two minds thinking as one.

"Have you got it?" Albus asked.

"Yeah…" Cecile said excitedly, still looking at Remus.

"Now try each one with Lily."

(Jo… why isn't Sev with us?) Lily thought.

They did it and it work out.

"Also?" asked Dumbledore.

"Yeah…"

"Then you no longer need that Muffliato, you can communicate without words. Practice it without looking at each other and from a distance. Now that we have verified that it works, I am going to explain another of the mental implications of the Bond, so that you can also practice it, the Tracking. It is about invoking the person you want to locate, thinking intensely about them. You will know where they is and if is in danger, and vice versa, if you are in danger and you invoke a bound one, they will know where you are. Practice it first at a short distance, for example in the Common Room without being in direct sight of each other, then with some of you in the bedrooms and the others in the Common Room, and little by little increasing the distance, until you can locate each other in anywhere in the castle. In theory there is no limit to the distance at which you can do it. You could be one here and one in London, perfectly. As soon as you can Apparate, it will help you instantly go to the place where any of you need the others. Practice it from now on. Thanks to the shield, it is no longer necessary for the three of you to be together to protect Lily, it is enough for any of you to accompany her, and of course, you can do without the other three."

(What a relief…) thought the three of them.

"Remember," Albus summarized. "First choice, ward spells and non-killing curses and no Unforgivables, while you send me a Patronus. Second option, protection through the Bond. There is also a way to create a protective shield for only one, it is another Ancestral Magic, which comes from Nature, but the power must be acquired through a ritual in a sacred natural place, such as the Forbidden Forest."

(The spherical shield.) They three looked at each other.

"Magic is governed by a lunar calendar and is acquired in contact with a sacred tree corresponding to each calendar date," the Headmaster explained. "From today until the twenty-fourth of May it is the chestnut tree, which fortunately grows in the Forest."

(If that doesn't matter…)

"We'll find the right time to go there and perform the ritual, I know that it works, I've tried it myself," Dumbledore added.

Remus questioned Lily with a look. She shook her head slightly and asked, "Albus, do you plan to do it with Prince too?"

"Yes, of course, with him above all."

(Okay, let him tell him if he thinks it's convenient,) the three of them thought.

"Before the end of the year I will also teach you and Prince to Bond as a Couple, so that you can protect yourselves together or separately, and also young Beamy during the summer," the old man continued. "If you were to be put on trial for using magic outside of school, I would defend you myself so that you would not be expelled."

"Thank you Albus."

"Thank you for the great team you have formed. Well, that's it for now as far as Defense goes. Over time I will teach you Projection, what I did this morning to communicate with you, Lily, so that we can all also talk at a distance, but don't take advantage of it to tell on exams."

(This we can't tell him at all, Lauren has taught us,) Lily thought.

"Thank you Albus. We won't," Cecile replied.

"Not today, because it would be too obvious, but as you learn, you should think about changing places in the Great Hall, to be closer to me and reach me to project, and also to Prince, who will surely change to the area of the Steed group," the Headmaster added.

"Sure, Albus," Lily replied.

"Thus, by the way, you get rid of the others."

The four of them smiled.

Albus checked his watch. "Let's go back to the office, it's a quarter past seven. We have almost three hours ahead of us."

They entered.

"Remus, sit with me now," asked Dumbledore. "Girls, now maybe you'll be bored for a while, because Remus is going to teach me. Do you have the map with you?"

"Yes, always," Remus answered. "Except when I'm in a crisis."

"Yeah, what a stupid question, that's why Prince was caught just on Thursday, full moon. What a weight you have taken on your shoulders, my boy. You've certainly more than made up for all the wrong you've done him in the past. Let me study it and in the meantime you tell the girls what it's about."

Remus took out the Marauder's Map, rested his wand on it, and uttered sheepishly, "I solemnly swear that I'm up to no good."

Albus laughed. "Well, my boy, you are up to the best. What a contradiction."

The Headmaster unfolded the Marauder's Map, taking in what the castle looked like at a quarter past seven in the morning, while Remus explained to Lily and Cecile how they made it and why.

When he finished, Albus told him, "Wow, all the passages also appear, some that I don't even know myself. Nice scouting job too."

"Yes, we did that between the four of us," Remus clarified.

"In the end, those three useless have turned out to be useful for something."

Remus thought, (Merlin… should I tell him they're Animagi and we'll get rid of them at once? I don't know… it makes me feel bad, I'm going to ruin their lives.Sev's and Lily's birthdaysare in January. I have next month's moon left and Cecile might already manage to be an Animagus when she returns from holidays. She can register in September, although I don't know if she could control me by herself, but at least accompany me, I won't attack her. If we go running together through the Forest I will burn the energy and I will not hurt myself. I'll wait until then, we'll always have time to report them if they think of attacking Sev again. I don't think they dare to do it anymore, with all the people who support him, and they have run out of their eternal excuse.)

"Here is Prince sleeping in the Infirmary," Albus was saying. "I'll change his name in mine."

Dumbledore pulled out a map of the castle and unfolded it. He Summoned a scroll of the same size and copied it, all without his wand and without saying a word. "It's your turn, Remus, explain to me."

Remus spent the next two hours explaining to Albus how to make the Map using Arithmancy. Meanwhile, the old man was taking notes at mental dictation. Lily was thinking, (Ugh, Remus' one doesn't show the inside of the other houses, but Albus' does. He's going to have Lauren under control. She's not going to be able to meet Sev or Jack, maybe just in a Fidelius, like ours, or in the Room of Requirement, which doesn't appear in his either, but in that case, he can see them get there, and the same if they are Disillusioned in the Common Room of the dungeons. Once they disappear won't appear on the Map, but he can see them disappear together.

(It was a mistake for Sev to give Remus permission to teach it to Dumbledore, it wasn't that necessary to protect me, and now Lauren is going to find herself tied hand and foot and all alone for two more years. I'm not going to say any of this to her at the moment, just waiting for Sev to talk to Albus, otherwise she's going to have a terrible time.)

They finished. "Excellent work, Remus," said the Headmaster. "I hope I'll have it in less than a week and I'll be able to control the movements of those five malefics myself."

(And those of Lauren.)

"Ten past nine, right on time. Let's all observe together what is happening in the Great Hall on your map," said Dumbledore triumphantly.

(What a pity that Sev is not here,) Lily thought.

"Too bad we're missing Prince," Albus said.

At nine-fifteen sharp, the twenty-eight names in the Guard began to move in unison. "What a coordination!" the Headmaster exclaimed, amazed.

"Prince didn't see it, he was shooing the owl away," Remus said.

"I already noticed."

The Guard reached the back and formed up.

"There he stood on the bench. What a courage!" Albus commented. "Goodbye forever, vipers!" He was laughing.

Sev was moving towards his location at the head of the Guard.

"What a surprise he gave to the whole school…" Albus continued. "Here the tumult began. Nobody moves yet, that's when I projected to him... Look how Sly's bad guys shake, trying to protect themselves from the leftover food," laughing. "Pay attention now, they start to get up, to see if the malefic Raves have done it. Not at the moment, the ones that do are the Slys, running away." He laughed. "Let's keep looking if they get up… they haven't, and anymore Raves didn't. Now the Gryffs begin. Six, what a triumph."

"The Longbottoms are missing, eight," Cecile said.

"Yeah, I'm surprised they weren't the first to do it."

"They were trying to convince two others," Lily said.

"Right, they already have... Look at the three little Sly, running," Dumbledore said.

"Yes, probably Beamy's friends."

"Let's see, now the organization. What a born leader," with admiration. "What a good idea, for years, all mixed and with a similar level."

(Lauren's idea. Luckily he's not noticing that she stayed at the table,) Lily thought.

They watched the Guard's orderly movements.

"He had problems with the three Sly little ones, but he also could with them," the Headmaster concluded. "Well, guys, at least the malefics didn't show up for training yet. I must get ready to go out, stay here until a few seconds to ten and return to the Duel room. You will see the four of us from behind and disappear. Then you calmly leave the office and go to see the training as well, as everyone will be doing, it would be suspicious if you didn't. What excuse have you made to the other Gryffs?"

"That we were going up to the house for a moment," Remus answered.

"Have you told them what happened?"

"We haven't."

"Wrongly done… suspicious," Dumbledore rebuked. "Well, you'll be learning from Prince. I left you the Time Turner, I will project to you when and how you should use it. We will take advantage of school hours, so that no one sees you walking around the castle."

"All right, Albus," Cecile said.

"Keep looking at how they train until ten o'clock and look where the three malefic Raves are positioned, so you already know them by sight too, we are many steps ahead of them. If you can, too, Remus, check once in a while to see if anyone's going up to the owlery. Maybe with the expectation no one will write until the afternoon and we'll get rid of the Daily Prophet tonight. If they do, after lunch you hide for a moment and send me a talking Patronus, around half past one."

"Okay, Albus," Remus replied.

"If there is something urgent, I will project to you during training or lunch," said the old man.

"Thank you Albus."

"Thanks to you guys. You are true heroes."

(The true heroine will never be recognized,) Lily thought.