Chapter 12: Harmless Hogwarts

Part I: Second thoughts

Albus Dumbledore and Kingsley had a personal arrangement. Through a system of international couriers, Kingsley could reach him in the direst of circumstances. Albus did not travel with his terminal, particularly when he was investigating issues. He preferred not to be found.

After obtaining the news from an anonymous source, Albus hoped to confront and reason with the Storm Lord. The last thing that magical England needed was for more bloodshed to occur. He therefore went to China, where the Storm-Lord was currently fighting the Triad, according to rumors.

Albus' primary concern was the magical replacement rate. It was quite low, and he hoped that eventually, the purebloods might marry the muggleborns to rectify their inbreeding issue. If Lord Voldemort died, the darker purebloods accept change as time passed. The older individuals would not change their views, but their children would be different - love could certainly could spring forward, in unexpected places. Albus was eating at a small family restaurant as he contemplated the issue, as a nondescript mail pigeon dropped off a letter. As Albus read the parchment, he frowned before his face became grave. As he finished the entire letter, he felt conflicted.

He would have to give up on his quest, because the Storm Lord certainly wasn't in China.

Hogwarts has been attacked by Bellatrix Lestrange, with a large army of one hundred and thirty one individuals. Forty were locals, and the remaining seventy individuals were werewolves and foreign mercenaries. And yet, Hogwarts had not suffered a single student death.

But blood had been spilt on the castle grounds.

The letter detailed how several of Longbottom's Defence teams had quickly overwhelmed the intruders. Ministry Aurors had even combed through all the wands that were involved, and not a single student had cast a single dark spell. However, simple spells had been cast in destructive ways. The offenders had died gruesome deaths. Cauldrons were launched into the air. Exploding furniture was made into deadly shanks of wood. Simple severing charms for Herbology had been cast successively, to barrage the various enemies. Bombardas, Reductoes and Depulsoes had been used to break the enemy formation.

Kingsley even commented that trained Aurors would have problems with confronting Longbottom's tactical genius – the news had been going around. Something about the combat methods had tickled Albus' sense of suspicion. It seemed that fighting like the Storm Lord was fashionable now. The traditionalist duellists had not survived what the trio had termed the "Phalanx" and the "Bombardment" formations.

Neville Longbottom and his two faithful friends had been trapped in Hogsmeade with hostages. From the witness accounts, Neville had goaded Bellatrix before setting off enough explosions to allow Ministry Aurors to break the wards. Then, Neville and the rest had transported the hostages via Hogwarts House Elves. Neville and the rest had evaded Bellatrix Lestrange, until the Storm Lord arrived and slaughtered all of the Death Eaters. Arthur Weasley who was shopping in Hogsmeade, had managed with Bill to corner thirty werewolves. The Weasley brothers who had broken curfew, had used some rather cleverly designed prank items to change the men into birds and ducks before they had transformed into werewolves.

Finally, was the most surprising piece of news.

Six students had been held hostage in the Slytherin common room. Daphne Greengrass and Tracey Davis had brutally stabbed and killed six men to ensure the safety of the children. Even more notable was that the children were muggleborn first years from other houses. Kingsley also noted that Emmeline Vance had gotten classified information from Amelia's open drawer. They were able to confirm that the leaked information that Albus had utilised had come from Lucius Malfoy. Amelia was also not in the country – she had been invited to deal with the Romanian instability, which had been resolved.

Hogwarts was now under a full Auror guard, and Fudge was waiting to congratulate the main heroes of the night. Once again, the Terminal complicated things. Parents had arrived and had offered to send their children home to get some time away from school. Neville and the rest of the Hogwarts heroes were at home. Kingsley also mentioned that the next Wizengamot session would be filled with missing seats, as at least twenty primary lords and scions of the darker pureblood houses had been killed.

Now Albus wondered if it was a good idea to let Neville run the Defence Club – was the boy too good at it? But what if Neville had died because of the surprise attack?

All his plans would have been torn asunder. Neville needed to survive right now, so that he could eventually sacrifice himself for the greater good.

And he had even managed to get members of other houses involved! If anything, Hogwarts in its current state never had this many people who were this talented in Defence Against the Dark Arts. Many of them would possibly become Aurors, and they would be co-opted into the Order of the Phoenix. Albus realised that the situation was rather novel too – This was the publicity story that he needed, and this would put him in good graces with the Wizarding public. Normally he would depend on cover-ups, but Albus knew that dark times would eventually arrive. Lord Voldemort was out there.

"No, regardless of what is said I must defend Neville and his friends. Daphne and Tracey, perhaps you were truly meant for Gryffindor and the hat placed you on Slytherin based on family lineage. Both of you are like Severus in this regard. No, I will have to be firm on this issue," Albus reasoned to himself mentally.

Albus also wondered how the Storm-Lord was involved. He had a habit of sending insulting letters. He was quite sure a letter would be awaiting him, soon enough. Albus then paid for his meal, and apparated to Gringotts Shanghai, He then asked to see his favourite Goblin informant. What the Goblin had to tell him, was shocking. The Goblins had already heard of some rather remarkable event that had happened in Romania.

"The Kill-Team has been reactivated, Sharpclaw?" Albus asked.

"Indeed Albus. I cannot say for how long. However, I want to believe that your Artificer and your Priestess command the team. There are whispers in Romania. A team of four powerful wizards confronted former Minister Nicu. He had kidnapped an entire school and staged a civil uprising to dispose of his political competitor. You know what happened next – it did not go well for the man. I am still trying to confirm the rumours as they are so….…impossible," Sharpclaw replied.

"What are the rumours? The impossible is very possible with this particular….group," Albus asked.

"Some exposition might be necessary. Sorina Dacian won the elections. When Lord Nicu forcefully took control of the government, she had a hard time winning back any ground. That was until weapons were provided. Guns and Vehicles. Magical shields and armour that can block all the unforgivables and similar spells. It took only four hours of sustained fighting for Sorina to take back the capital and the entire magical nation. A total of almost thirteen hundred of Lord Nicu's men were eliminated,"

"Thirteen hundred?" Albus asked, in total disbelief.

"Perhaps an account of the entire story might help to…sequence the events.

After the initial five hundred deaths occurred across the capital, The I.C.W alpha kill team were deployed to rescue the three hundred children. Nicu's family has a history with the dark arts – he summoned an entire army of wolf Inferni. Seven hundred of them. Then, he also managed to turn about twelve giants to his cause. These giant Inferni were not unsure on their feet. Witness accounts say that they were far faster and stronger. They also changed into their final wolf forms under the moonlight," Sharpclaw explained.

"Perhaps werewolf blood was used in some way. Inferni, I have encountered before. They are usually clumsy. However, if they have the agility of werewolves? That is troubling indeed…" Albus remarked.

"The I.C.W kill team initially had great difficulty, because of a ward that suppressed the magic in the area. The Priestess ran into a building and summoned a wandless shield as she held off club swings and enemies from targeting the children. Then the Artificer arrived, right before an entire tower of bricks collapsed on the group. And yet the man held the shield, even with the magic being drained from the area. A bird – perhaps the lightning phoenix conjured a streak of lightning to aid the shield. Eventually, the Artificer and the Priestess conjured an entire sky of lightning and burnt the ward down."

"A sky of lightning?" Albus asked.

"It was as if Zeus had reigned lightning from Mount Olympus. Then the group somehow adapted their armour to deal with the situation, among other things." Sharpclaw recalled.

"The group despite their brutal attacks, are quite good at defensive magic. They also only seemed interested in using powerful magic against their enemies. The idea that they can hold back an entire tower of bricks? I am not surprised. But what about the other things you have heard?" Albus asked.

"Oh, it gets even more impossible. The four of them were joined by twelve others and three dragons. The mighty beasts were anything far from feral. They were intelligent and they fought with a ferocity that would make for a bard's tale. Their armour is made from a type of living metal, and it can become anything it needs. As to how they dealt with the giants, well...a flying fortress appeared, and it summoned their own metal giant. According to the rumours it was about fifty feet tall and possessed fearsome weapons.

The Romanian Aurors who were captured, were extracted with what I think are tanks. After the Inferni were killed, the accounts say that the fortress had enough firepower to level a town. Nicu's castle was removed from existence, as the heavens roared in fury."

Albus was now silent. Did the Storm Lord use his Cyclonic missiles? So, Lord Black had not been joking.

"Such a tale sounds like the delusion of a madman. And yet it is likely to be true. I know that several things were developed recently but no more than that. His interference has caused an entire trail of bodies, and that is concerning. They are dangerous – they do not delve into the Dark Arts, but they are highly combative. Hogwarts was attacked while I was absent, and it appears that the darker purebloods are on the verge of becoming extinct. They also unleased violence, in Hogsmeade." Albus replied.

"Life comes and goes. How many natural disasters often kill thousands? Those who have perished will eventually be replaced. It is nature's way. Wizards can have more children, it is quite possible. But another thing I should warn you about – King Ragnok is not to be trusted. He has generated much suspicion as of lately," the Goblin replied.

"Is he planning a Goblin Rebellion?" Albus asked.

"No. Rather he has so much wealth that he doesn't need the support of the other Goblin enclaves. The Artificer and Priestess did something recently. All we know is that Lord Ragnok possesses enough gold to crash the Wizarding and Mundane gold economy. They also began growing their own food and everything is self-contained. Their networks of tunnels are extensive – as I mentioned we buy tunnel segments from them.

Gringotts London is planning to revamp their commerce model as they are moving to muggle style paper bills. They also have extensive investments in the muggle stock market in technology sectors we don't understand." Sharpclaw replied.

"But no overt actions that would threaten Wizards are being planned?"

"No Albus – I would argue that the Goblins are preparing for Wizard retaliation. And that we consider concerning. It would indicate that they know something that you do not. Or is there anything that we should be aware of?" Sharpclaw asked.

"I…suspect the Dark Lord might make a return. And I do not know any more than that. I did not say anything because I was still investigating. The issue will not touch Gringotts internationally, should it occur. It is a local issue, strictly within England." Albus replied.

"Ah. Well, many Goblins would be quite happy about the English Gringotts branch suffering losses. Sadly, I do not believe in such petty issues, but there is much envy among the other goblin enclaves. We guard our gold generously, and the idea that such large quantities of gold have been obtained begs the question – have they mastered alchemy?" Sharpclaw asked.

"It is quite possible. My colleague Nicholas Flamel did manage to generate gold in small mounts on a semi-regular basis. Perhaps the process was improved. Anyway, this has been a good chat, my old friend. I require a portkey my hometown – M.O.T.W. Priority travel," Albus asked.

"One more thing – this is a dagger I recently purchased. This steel is what the Artificer uses in the construction of his items. We have no idea how it was created. I am giving you this dagger, in the hopes it might aid your investigations. The blade is far sharper than anything that the Goblins can make, and the strength of the steel is far harder than diamond. The blade can vibrate and it can cut through anything," Sharpclaw explained, as he gave the pouch to Albus.

"I shall see if my Professors can uncover anything. To the apparition platform?" Albus asked.

"Yes, please follow me, Albus," the goblin replied, as Gringotts China cleared the portkey with the English Ministry of Magic. Albus waited for a while, before he was transported to the village where he spent most of his childhood. Albus materialised in Mould-on-the-Wold and looked at the small, sleepy town.

"Fawkes!" Albus commanded, as the phoenix materialised in the middle of the moonlit filled sky. Fawkes alighted on Albus' shoulder and let out a long mournful cry.

"Yes, my friend. Hogwarts was attacked. And many lost their innocence tonight. Neville is such a brave young man. He led all of them, in our greatest hour of need.

I have thought of sacrificing myself so that he may live. Perhaps I have had a long life – maybe the prophecy might need re-examination. I only hope that Lady Magic allows me to change the fates. The boy has inspired me to try to intercede. To Hogwarts, old friend…" Albus remarked sadly.

Fawkes gave Albus an approving cheek rub as Albus apparated into his bedroom. He proceeded to open the door and descend the stairs, into his office.

Part II: The man of the hour!

Albus soon found Cornelius Fudge in a rather jovial mood.

"And it is the man of the hour! Albus! The news is going around – your policies have resulted in the safety of Hogwarts!" Fudge pompously declared, as Dolores Umbridge became a pink baboon. Minerva looked on at the spectacle and reasoned that Dolores did look like Jabba the Hutt. She had asked Fred to obtain a picture of the character for her amusement, and she still had it under the box with her brand new robes from the Storm-Lord, in her quarters.

"Thank you, Cornelius. The news arrived via my Terminal, and I made my way back from China, immediately. It pains me that such terrible things happened, and some of my students had to suffer such high burdens.

You must understand this Cornelius – I went to China to track down information about the Storm-Lord and the Rune-Priestess. They have been silent, and nothing has been heard from them. I believed that such an endeavour was worthwhile. You did request that any information that I found was to be shared with you," Albus explained.

"Have you found anything of consequence, Headmaster?" Dolores Umbridge asked rather sweetly.

"Sadly, nothing undersecretary. I am quite talented at tracking magical signatures. That talent allowed me to corner Grindelwald. They leave nothing behind. And yet I must work upon rumours and whispers. I am aware that they arrived tonight, in Hogsmeade," Albus replied.

"No matter Albus. They are not important right now. Neville and his comrades are to be celebrated! I also understand that Ms. Daphne Greengrass and Ms. Tracey Davis performed a daring rescue that was deserving of Godric Gryffindor. Of course, they stabbed known Death Eaters, but that can be overlooked!" Fudge replied, with a wave of his hand.

"And you believe that Lord Malfoy and the others will sit quietly and accept this? You do understand that two young women committed murder, Minister? And where was the Ministry in all this, that students had to see to their own security?" Professor McGonagall asked crossly.

"Professor, I understand your concern. However, the public is a fickle beast. Nobody wants to remember the last Wizarding War. The idea that Death Eaters were dispatched? No, this is a great victory for all of us. Lucius Malfoy cannot hope to defend the actions of Death Eaters. But more importantly, what will Lord Black do? Findlay and Tonks have already filed a self-defence case and twenty of the best retainers in the world are waiting to pounce. I would rather not have a Ministry altercation with a retainer firm that is highly regarded by the I.C.W. That would be an international embarrassment!" Fudge replied.

"Albus, might I suggest that we should speak to the parents? They are here, and are waiting outside of the office. I think we have many young heroes to thank!" Pomona beamed – Cedric and Perkins had done admirably. The image of Hufflepuff had changed, as of recently. Why would she not celebrate her badgers?

Albus nodded, as he made a check on Hogwarts wards and found nothing out of the ordinary.

"I think that is a good idea. But what about our young heroes? Can we convince the parents to summon them? I understand that they were sent home. Surely, they deserve awards?" Fudge asked.

"Perhaps. I think some time off is well deserved. Many of our heroic students are writing NEWTS and they will need time to prepare. Mr. Longbottom, Ms. Lovegood, Mr. Ronald Weasley, Ms. Davis and Ms. Greengrass were given special accommodations to write NEWTS directly. They already wrote three of them last year with all Outstandings. They consider their education important, and I think we should leave them alone until examinations are done." Albus replied.

"And why were they were facilitated in this manner? This is not exactly standard procedure?" Dolores asked, as she was not pleased with anyone skirting the rules.

"Why is the academic accommodations of some of the most talented students that we have seen in centuries, any of your business? I was not aware that you were an educator. I can remember when you were here at Hogwarts. You were academically subpar?" Minerva asked the woman, crossly.

"How dare you! That is…"

"Dolores, that is enough. How the Headmaster runs Hogwarts is his prerogative. Bellatrix Lestrange is a feared Dark Witch and Mr. Longbottom, and his friends were able to hold her off. Many of my senior aurors would quake in fear. It is all in good hands. I think I want him and his friends, as soon as they are finished, for the Auror program," Fudge replied, as Albus opened the doors to his office.

Albus was greeted by the parents of his star students, and many others. Included were parents of the various students who had participated in the school's Defence force. Albus prepared himself, as the remaining wee hours of the morning would be anything but easy.

Cyrus and Reginald were pissed. Along with Augusta, they represented the Hogwarts Board of Governors. Albus thanked the parents for their understanding, as he highlighted that the children were at the very least, well versed in magic. He was not shy to explain that by his judgment, he saw how Neville could add value to Hogwarts. Now, those who had risen in defence of the castle were perhaps not invincible, but talented enough to outclass many Aurors in the years gone by. He also insisted that he would take a firm stand in the Wizengamot, and that he would not allow anybody to threaten or manipulate any of the students who had contributed to the safety and security of the school.

"Albus! Two girls had to commit murder tonight! I am aware that you facilitated the Defence Club with your blessing. Good! My grandson and his friends thought everyone well. What do you Cornelius, have to say about the Ministry's incompetence?" Augusta questioned.

"Bellatrix Lestrange has been quite difficult to…." Fudge began, before Augusta cut him off.

"Look Minister, what I want is simple. I will cut you slack, but House Longbottom will require accommodations. If I had lost the final heir of House Longbottom, there would have been Blood War! And what about if Lord Greengrass and Lord Davis had not sent their girls to Martial Arts class? I think those people who have proven themselves in service of the nation should be allowed to carry additional weapons besides their wands. Openly." Augusta replied, as she decided to see how much she could push the issue.

"Dame Longbottom, that is unnecessary! Why would they…" Albus continued.

"For the same reason why Daphne and Tracey always carry daggers on them, were able to use the weapons to disable the Death Eaters. Sometimes you need a sharp edge. I also would not like to make this only for our families. I see no reason why the older students like Cedric, Violet and the rest should not benefit. Heroes need to be facilitated.

We already lost Harry Potter! No, give us the tools to fight!" Augusta insisted, forcefully.

Cedric and some of the seniors who were in the office, smiled. While he was leaving Hogwarts, the idea of his friends being allowed to carry weapons, did sound like a reasonable idea. They certainly felt like heroes, and Augusta was now staring Cornelius into submission.

"I will personally sign the decree!" Fudge replied, as the entire body of parents and Ministry officials became dead silent. Albus was unpleased – Augusta had once again used the Harry Potter card, and the public already had bought into her narrative. Albus listened as the older woman continued with her explanation:

"Some would say that I have no right to call the boy's name. He was my grand-godson. We are fighting for him! If the Auror core is replenished, then the decree that I am requesting can be rescinded. Who were Bellatrix Lestrange's co-conspirators?

The Dementors Fudge! Where are they? You have moles in the Ministry, and that is my issue!

Are they still at large? Do they have any designs upon us? If there is at least one person in the Ministry of Magic who is sympathetic to them, we cannot be lax about this issue!" Augusta thundered.

"I will personally pass this decree, and I will have some of our best Aurors vet the people to whom we are giving these accommodations. The Ministry will have to make the right concessions for those who have served the nation. I will ensure that this is honoured," Cornelius replied, as he sought to cover for himself.

Cornelius understood that Augusta could turn the public against him. She could force him to justify why Hogwarts was attacked in the first place, and that would not be good. He certainly did not want a second round of howlers flooding his office. Albus sighed, as Augusta managed once again to weasel something out of the situation. Albus also wondered why Lucius and the rest were absent. He figured that they were reeling from the titanic loss, and that they were figuring how to navigate the issues.

The absence of the darker houses was not a coincidence – they had not received any news because all of their messages had been blocked by Invictus. Drones had also been deployed to track owls that were attached to the darker families. The feathered delivery birds were held in a stasis bubble as their messages were destroyed.

Gravity tractor beams were a handy thing, after all.

"This one time my eyes could not see, and this happened. Never again. Enjoy your temporary victory, until your world comes crashing down," Invictus whispered, as he delegated multiple copies of himself to purely monitor communications.

"My name is Invictus Peverell. I hear all and see all. Magic is holy. Science is Reason. Technology is our tool. Righteousness triumphs…" Invictus whispered, as he looked on.

The Slytherin common room was still unsettled.

Horace had not left the room, and Atticus and his squad were assigned to keep an eye on the students. Cornelius Fudge had already ordered the removal of the bodies. Emmeline Vance as a former Slytherin, was responsible for carrying out the task and vanishing the blood. Everyone could tell that the suspense was still in the air.

Earlier, the darker pureblood houses were convinced that they had control of the situation. That was until Neville Longbottom and his two faithful friends had attacked Bellatrix, and she was now missing. The Slytherins also knew that the Storm Lord had arrived. He had made blood run red with impunity in Hogsmeade. Those who had seen Bellatrix at the Christmas dinner, were honestly more terrified of 'Longbottom' now.

Daphne and Tracey were now two of the most dangerous snakes in House Slytherin. They had killed six well accomplished pureblood Lords with hardly any challenge. Daphne and Tracey had even demonstrated the ability to disarm people wandlessly. Their manner of fighting was brutal and ruthless. It made many of the students wonder if it was wise to cross 'Greengrass' and 'Davis'. The darker purebloods also wondered if the Guilds that the girls had been promised to, would come to take revenge. After all, if just a couple of years of training resulted in that kind of power….what about their betrothed partners?

Draco had tried to message his father, but the terminals were still out of order.

The implications made Draco wonder about his position in Slytherin house. Daphne had demonstrated that she was the most powerful. She was excellent at magic, was a Triumvirate member and had even killed to fulfil her goal. Draco wondered if the other students might lose respect for him – he would have to ask his father what to do. The smaller, darker houses were not even looking at Draco anymore. He as the self-styled Slytherin prince had lost his crown. The silver haired boy was also annoyed by Pansy, as she had spent most of the last hour sobbing. Then, Jade Ethro had been hospitalised, after Tracey had beaten her to a bloody pulp.

Theodore was the most controversial person of the moment – he was missing, and it probably had to do with Greengrass. Draco realised that sometimes you could not even trust those who were close to you. Theodore's betrayal honestly cut Draco. Draco had always seen the boy as an equal, and Blaise as a convenience. However, it seemed as if the tables had turned. Blaise could be trusted to do the work of the Dark Lord, and he had risen to their defence.

The worst part was that the Bloody Baron had made it his business to laugh at the deaths.

"Oh, how Salazar would be unpleased by many of you. Salazar would have considered getting children involved to be unsportsmanlike. I do think he would have been quite proud of how the issue was handled – small girls with big, long knives. I did not see the altercation but six dead bodies after a sneak attack? He would have laughed!

Men with strong, hard backs, crumpled by young girls!

As for the rest of you who collaborated with the witless idiots this evening, this is a great lesson for you to learn. Being a Slytherin and understanding politics is also calculating the long term costs of certain decisions. What if you had actually won the evening? What were you prepared to do in the long term if the entire public got involved? Bah, you think people will make the same mistake as the last time, you bunch of morons…." Reinbern commented, as Atticus spoke to the ghost idly.

"I might prefer they remain hard of hearing. Oh boy, the Wizengamot bench is going to have a lot of empty seats, next week!" Atticus replied.

"You know, if Longbottom took on Bellatrix and managed to keep her off, I don't have much hope for the rest of the old Moldywank's supporters. She was supposedly one of his best. The man made his proclamations as a first year, and he delivered. Longbottom tends to be very consistent about what he promises. As for the other 'Unalive Munchers', some of our third years in our squad can take that lot on!" Rothley barked, before the Neutrals began to hoot at the members of their strike team.

"Excellent points my snakes. I have been getting acquainted with Wizengamot politics lately. Oh, I do want to see Lord Black's reaction. Actually, by some of them dying could possibly default their estates. That is a common thing with loans from even back in my day. That will be fascinating!" Reinbern commented, gleefully.

Draco had a murderous look on his face, and many of the darker purebloods were fuming. However, others were evaluating their options. Many of them firmly believed that even if the Dark Lord was returning, it would make no sense to support him. Some of them remembered the Storm Lord's threat – he had told many of them that he would arrive and pass judgement, after the troll incident. Not everybody obliviated painful memories like Draco. Better to run if things became complicated. And if their parents wanted to support the Dark Lord? Perhaps that was not a bad thing. If they died, many of them could inherit the estates. As long as they did not instigate any violence, the Storm-Lord would not reply in kind.

Slytherin house had fundamentally changed that night. Many would not be aware of the desires and plans that were in the minds of their housemates.

Meanwhile, the rest of the school was celebrating. House Gryffindor was aware that the entire of Weasley family had left, along with Neville and Astoria. However, the other Gryffindors who had accompanied Percy had retold the tale, with great exaggeration. It included over-the-top impersonations of Percy's "CHARGE!" and graphic descriptions of the Death Eaters falling to their death.

In the Ravenclaw common room, Fillius Flitwick sat in the common room as he monitored his house. Fillius reasoned that Penny, Luna and Padma's disappearance was related to Harry Potter – he was glad to explain that they were away by familial request. Violet and Carina were the stars of the show as they explained how they had held off the Death Eater squad. Many of the Ravenclaws were having a change of heart. Those who were not involved in the Defence Force, decided to attend the Defence Club from next year. Helena Ravenclaw had openly congratulated her Ravenclaws. She even suggested that even in the heat of battle, there were many places to apply intellectualism.

Fillius messaged Moody as they made their plans.

"Tomorrow?" Moody asked.

"Yes. And I believe our friends already know. I hope we will be warmly received. I want to see the son of my best charms student after all," Fillius replied.

Invictus was alerted, as he collated the information between both of the men. He looked on for the next fifteen minutes, as he ascertained that Flitwick had figured out everything. Invictus then cleared the visit with Harry. He and Hermione were surprised, until they considered that Flitwick was quite observant. Hermione even mentioned that Moody could benefit greatly from a brand new leg. As Flitwick and Moody spoke to each other behind the privacy word, Invictus inserted himself into the call.

Both men observed as 'GIP-III' joined the call.

"Night Professors. Invictus Peverell the 2nd, at your service! Harry said that tomorrow afternoon would be good for him and the rest. I must admit my grandson is quite excited to meet you, Professor Flitwick," Invictus replied.

"A pleasure. We do look forward to meeting the ringleader of the operation. And you have our word that we will keep your secrets," Fillius replied.

"Indeed. Come, we can talk. I have time. Moody, Amelia suffered an injury, but our armour saved her life. Do you want transport to see her in France?" Invictus asked.

"Yes, I would like that." Moody replied in his gruff tone of voice.

Fifteen minutes later, Moody was in the critical ward in France, as he kept Amelia company. Priya continued to monitor the situation, as Flitwick chatted away with Invictus excitedly. Priya had introduced herself as Harry's adoptive mother, and explained that a new leg was on the way. Meanwhile, Amelia offered to show Moody combat footage. Next to Amelia's bed was Luis and the other Aurors, flanked by Bill, Fleur, and Gabrielle. Moody was quite interested in Priya's wandless magic, as he found her methods that involved the use of religious prayers, interesting.

"I think your son has done the right thing. Never agreed with Albus and his soft policies. Do you have Bellatrix?" Moody asked.

"We do, actually. She is being saved for an execution. If there is one thing I can tell you, I don't want to even ask what will be done to contain her. All I will say is that it will be horrendous. I don't judge Harry however, not when he has done so much good out there..." Priya replied.

"Some would say that is the wrong to do. I say, make an example out of them," Moody grinned with a bloodthirsty smile.

"Sometimes that is quite necessary," Priya replied, as she continued to rework Amelia's spinal cord. Merely three years ago, her capability would have been impossible. However, Priya had learnt much during her time in India. Timothée and Antoine stood impassively with the rifles in their hand, as they guarded the entrance to the secluded room. Andreea was also being monitored and she was saddened by the deaths of her five brightest and youngest Aurors. However, she reasoned that it could have been much worse.

"You did say by the hook or the crook," Andreea whispered.

"I can't say I rescued you girlie. I can say that I…tried," Amelia laughed.

"Works for me," Andreea laughed, as she listened to the rest of the conversation, and put the pieces together. The night had been interesting enough.

As the conversation occurred in the I.C.U, Guillaume was already being heaped with praise. He was the man who had solved the Romanian issue, protected the statute and had been responsible for rescuing the children. Guillaume did not hesitate to explain that he had only facilitated his "team". Their combined expertise had dealt with the issue. The news travelled quickly enough.

Albus meanwhile in England, realised that the Frenchman had played him. He wondered how he might be able to weasel information out of the French Minister of Magic.

Aliénor had gotten access to the battle feed, only much after the battle was finished. She was currently on a call with the boy, and she had very much intended to give him a good tongue lashing.

"You could have died!" she yelled, behind the privacy ward.

"I had no choice, my dear. If I had to go, I rather it be honourable. However, my dragon would not have abandoned me. And Harry and Hermione would not have abandoned me. Neither would Ronald, in particular. And Mr. Brooding is always next door!"

"I suppose I cannot ask you to stop fighting?" Aliénor asked sadly.

"You can, but would it be right? Those children and everyone else will see their loved ones. My mother's blessing and the All-Father was enough. I am hoping you will forgive me. I was careful but eight metre giant zombies were not part of the plan," Týr commented.

"I want to fight with you, but I am not capable of that. Perhaps I can sit in the missions, as a handler?" Aliénor asked.

"That would work. Maybe you can act as the French liaison to the team. It would not be a conflict of interest as your father gives us the missions?" Týr suggested.

"Then we will do that, my handsome. I will have to keep an eye on you. How is your brother?" Aliénor enquired.

"My family is so big now, that brothers and sisters is more accurate. Vi, is okay. He is having a chit chat with his mother. Harry and Hermione are going to build something, so they are fine. Ronald is taking a well deserved rest – he was quite the wild thing tonight. Everybody knows he and Hermione are the next thing, and he gave his woman support in a life and death situation, without hesitation!" Týr laughed.

As the French girl spoke to her boyfriend, merely outside the office conversations were afoot. Lorenzo continued to stand by his initial comments – if they had a criminal problem in their countries, they certainly knew who to call. Some of the diplomats explained that they would have to clear the necessary information with their Minister of Magic. Others had permission to act on their own accord, and Guillaume made a list of some of the other troubled spots of the world. Slowly, suggestions about where the next set of missions could take place, came forth. Everybody understood the new rules – the I.C.W Alpha Kill Team were not the boogeymen.

They were the people who you called, to kill the fucking boogie-whatever.

Lorna sat by and continued to use the recorded video footage to advertise the weapons. While Harry and Hermione did not need any money, that did not stop the sales. Many countries bought small amounts of non-critical military hardware to test, with the promise to buy more. Lora often loved to divert her sales commission into her humanitarian projects.

Part III: The Surprise

Vasilka Krum was elated when she heard the news – her precious daughter had been rescued.

When the news of the kidnapping had reached the woman, her only son had already left for Romania on his broom. He had no idea where he was going, but he had promised his mother that he would rescue his sister. Vasilka did the only thing she could do – she prayed and hoped that Lady Magic would bring her family home. The presence of Ivaylo and Kosta gave the woman some hope. They did not see Victor Krum as a Quidditch superstar. He like them, was trying to cope with familial responsibilities. Victor wanted to fix the castle, and Ivaylo and Kosta were hoping to provide for their families. While they were not poor, they were anything far from rich, either. Both of them they wanted a place of their own, and they wanted to give their parents a long well deserved rest. She knew that the boys were honourable, and that they would stick to her son.

Vasilka had heard the story of the English witch who had helped her son in the Russian mountains. Many times, she had encouraged her son to reach out and ask for assistance from the girl. However, her son was adamant that he was in her debt, and he would rather not put himself in a situation where something was owed. He had explained that after seeing the girl utilize wandless magic so easily, he was properly terrified of the woman. Simona however, loved her brother's tales. She would ask him to retell the story ever so often. Simona loved to hear particularly about how the girl had sat in the snow for hours without feeling cold, and she had conjured enough energy to apparate up the mountain while causing an avalanche.

When she finally heard from her son, she was relieved. Her son had not contacted the mysterious witch – rather she had arrived of her own free will. Victor had to relate his harrowing story over the Terminal. Vasilka was not surprised - the Nicu lineage had a history with the Dark Arts. They had several cadet families and other allies who had tried to push into the Krum territory, across many centuries.

The explanation covered the melee weapons and powerful wandless magical attacks. There was also a mention of the dragon riding men. Finally, another wizard summoning enough thunder to blot out the sky. Finally, was a flying fortress and a metal giant that had rescued not only his sister, but the entire school. Vasilka had wondered if her son had gone mad. However, she knew that her boy was not a liar, and she was curious to hear about the world's deadliest group of wizards. The I.C.W Kill team in her time, had been known for being the best.

The conversation meandered between the woman and her son – Victor spoke about sharing some of the family history. He explained that his new friends understood his burden and they had offered to help, on the condition that he would help others too. He explained that his new 'friends' were bringing heavy equipment to fix the castle and requested a 'very late-night dinner' for a large group of twenty eight. That was no problem for the woman, as she apparated to a small village in the valley and bought some meat and vegetables. She was quite excited, as she liked having company. Living alone in the mountains left little time for mental stimulation. After she prepared everything, she put her pots on the several coal stoves, and sat in the courtyard with her favourite sweater.

Eventually, blinking lights entered her periphery. As she squinted into the distance, the aircraft slowly approached, and the woman began to conceptualise the size of the ship. The sleek predatorial looking transport jet silently approached, as the illumination on the craft lit the area in brilliant white light. Spotlights flared as a grav lift was illuminated and Victor and the rest of the visitors were transported down to the front yard. Then the top hatch of the 'fortress' opened as the dragons slowly hovered out and began to fly around the area.

Finally, Tracey was dropped out of the aircraft bay. The Titan assembled and she propped herself on the flat plateau, before switching on her floodlights. Vasilka's jaw hung open temporarily until Simona broke away from the group and appeared in front of her with a beautiful wand and grinned.

"Lampa!" Simona shouted, as her mother looked on at the ridiculously strong bulb of light. In this moment she knew – her daughter had been healed.

The woman looked on at the others as she attempted to figure out who and what, had been brought to her humble little home. While the large metal giant was a weapon, it was here to do unearthly amounts of construction. The old woman became excited, as she wondered what would happen.

Vasilka did not need to wonder who the girl was, from the Russian mountains. Nor did she have to wonder who the other people were. While she did not know the names, the relations seemed obvious enough. The boy was her brother. The tall man was an uncle, and the shorter man was the boy's father. The grizzly looking man was the girl's father and the others were close friends of his. She even picked up on the pretty blond and the redhead, who were the romantic interest of the boy and the girl. The other redheads were certainly a single family, and the dreamy girl and the proud looking one were also the leader of their little clique. The other two pale boys had to be from far up north – they looked distinctly like Scandinavians. The other girls were either friends or relatives of the group.

Vasilka had never seen a phoenix, but she managed to guess that the blue bird was one – she looked too royal and regal to be anything else. The bird looked around inquisitively at the mostly darkened place. Then, she decided that she wanted to enjoy a nighttime stroll. She rubbed her owner's check before she excused herself, quite politely. Vasilka somehow imagined that the blue looking bird was a huge sass-pot. Victor approached and caught up to his sister, while Ivaylo and Kosta stood not too far off.

Vasilka hugged her both children before she waited for her son to introduce the visitors.

"Hello Mother. I would like to introduce you to Viminal Artificer Hadrian Peverell and Siðasveinn Hermione Granger. And this is….."

The woman did not hesitate to plant many kisses on the faces of her visitors, after hugging Kosta and Ivaylo. The woman was given a small tour of the non-critical areas of the Raven, as it had landed. Invictus now had access to programmable matter, and he made a physical avatar of himself. He was quite happy to give a small tour. Then the dragons found some choice spots to relax, after they were introduced to the woman. A small holo-table was summoned as the group got seated on various chairs, and Victor looked at the shimmering sand.

"You know Victor, you got a nice place here. Choice location. Just needs some structures and you could have an easily defensible spot," Hermione commented.

"My great ancestors reasoned as much. The weather however, is not…..hospitable." Victor replied, as his mother listened on.

"We can make something for the climate. We should get it soon. Daphne is going to generate some different possibilities, with the materials on the table. You will pick the ones you like and then we will narrow them down," Hermione replied, as Harry began designing the weapons package.

Soon after, a small shield generator was placed at the top of the castle, and the cold was dispelled. Many of the miniature drones began to flash fabricate small infrared emitters at scattered locations. The castle became warm, as the other bug like drones ran improvised copper cables, and routed power through the walls. Arrangements were made and thousands of tonnes of stored plastic, graphcrete and aggregates were diverted. The materials were teleported, and the drones began to utilise them. Forcefield augers were sent deep into the ground, as graphcrete and steel rebar was sent down the empty fifty metre tunnels. Large amounts of magic were used as the concrete was hardened immediately, and massive amounts of dirt were moved with gravity emitters. Now there was a pile foundation that could rival a modern building – what had been built was not moving anywhere, even with an earthquake.

Soon enough Daphne provided an A.I. generated set of structures that Victor liked very much. The buildings would offer Victor enough space to grow his own food and host a small market inside the castle walls. Also included was a rugged shelter, a hangar, and all of the other usual things that were common at Peverell Manor. There were also several upgrades to the stone walls in the castle. They featured point-to-point transporters, large, illuminated surfaces, cabinets, shelves and other modern conveniences.

"How are you going to build all of this?" Victor asked.

"See for yourself. We are calling number 42, to do the job!" Harry grinned.

The bug 'supervisor' flew over to Harry, gave a salute with one of his many spindly arms, and began chirping at the rest of the ship. The bug had advanced his own design and looked like a winged caterpillar, crossed with claw like appendages and multiple eyes. For Victor, the sight of the creature was somewhat uncomfortable, but that was expected – Harry and Hermione had moved away from square boxy designs. However, the binary chirping that came from the creature was almost melodious, and the mannerisms of the creature were relaxed – he looked like an older gentleman who was on a mission of great importance.

Every single manufacturing drone in the Peverell Arsenal was summoned, as they emptied from the aircraft's circulatory system. Other drones were apparated from Gringotts, and the Peverell and Granger Manors. The drones soon communicated with each other and disseminated the improved algorithms that Daphne had designed. The drones even asked Invictus to access the optical computer and some of his processing space, as they began to shape the teleported material.

Then, they began with the flash fabrication of multiple permanent small reactors and the additional steelwork. Plastic blocks were interlocked, and graphcrete was flowed by the metric ton, as it was quickly hardened. Tracey's multiple limbs were disassembled into separate drones, as they sprayed massive amounts of hardened plastic and other construction materials. Eventually the main reactor was started, and the entire castle was now cloaked, shielded, warm, and full of brilliant illumination. Daphne continued to tweak the algorithms as she even saw certain improvements that could help the Hogwarts retrofits. When the turret towers and clusters were completed, the group of visitors retired inside the castle. Now that the crucial structures were in place, the drones could be left to do their work in an interrupted manner. Invictus delegated an instance of himself to monitor the drones and the Titan, as Tracey exited the pilot pod.

Preparing the large meals were not an issue – Mipsy and Tipsy brought the rest of elves, and they assisted Vasilka, while they gladly learnt a new recipe. The entire night was full of laughter as Vasilka decided that embarrassing her son with stories of his childhood exploits, would make good entertainment. William Granger decided that his daughter was too deeply respected by everyone, and the parents traded interesting memories. Sirius and Remus chipped in, as Harry was appropriately but gently, humiliated.

The dragons loved the mountains. While the place was pitch black, they reasoned that place was probably quite spectacular in the daytime. Vasilka was given a deeper introduction to the Nordic boys as they spoke about being from 'up north'. They also explained that they were recent to the magical world, outside of Norway. The pair understood Victor and the rest easily – the cold was difficult to deal with unless you were behind powerful wards. Victor decided to talk about Quidditch, and Charlie did not hesitate to mention that he was the English seeker. Ronald, however, was suspiciously silent and Fred and George found this unusual.

"I will see you for the World Cup then?" Victor asked, as he and Charlie shared a joke. Ronald almost appeared to be…..uninterested.

"I hope so. We are a brand new team and we haven't had any luck so far. But I want to think we will give them hell this time," Charlie explained.

"We might see you later in the year. The Tri-Wizard tournament is being held this year. And that means that your school and Beauxbatons will be visiting Hogwarts," Daphne explained.

"The Tri-Wizard tournament is being restarted?" Victor asked incredulously.

"Yes. I would suggest if you know who wants to represent Drumstrang, that you might pass along a message. Unless you want to represent your school?" Neville asked.

"Maybe? I do not know. I like a challenge?" Victor laughed.

"Come and hit our obstacle course. If Harry and Hermione teach you to fight, you will need nothing else. In any case, you are probably stocked full of dangerous weapons now. You will need training to operate them," Luna suggested.

"That would be….welcome," Victor replied.

The conversation droned on, as the families exchanged oaths. Even Victor had heard of the legend of Harry Potter. However, Harry did not hesitate to explain that he had struggled for a long time with hardly any help, until his adoption. Victor understood Harry partially – he had been in great pain, and now he fought for others even with his faults. Hermione filled in with some recollections of their first two missions which had caused the boys to become silent. Somehow the armour and the impossible hardware that the visitors possessed made sense – it had been evolved on the battlefield.

"I think the world needs people like you. I would have died earlier, and I would have carried my friends to their deaths. I do not know much about your war, but if you ever need us….call us and we will come to your aid," Victor explained.

"And we will help you with getting your community sorted out. We want magicals to travel internationally easily. We want them to trade. We want them to talk to each other. I think this castle will work as a good waypoint.

We plan to establish several gateways that will take wizards anywhere they want to go. But we can't put those artefacts in the wild. So yes, we are happy to equip you with whatever you need, because we see the here as a good place to run the right types of tests. However, there is the possibility that the infrastructure might attract trouble if the public are visiting regularly. That is why I have insisted on weapon emplacements, and an armoury." Harry explained.

"That has always been an issue, even right now. Many want our land and our property. They come regardless. No, let them understand that here will not be taken easily," Victor explained.

The night passed easily, as the entire group considered the gathering to be therapeutic. Harry and the rest appreciated it very much – the murder of the young woman and her two children was still on their minds. While Albus continued to negotiate with Augusta and the rest, the group lost themselves in laughter and food. The Monopoly and Scrabble were brought out, and Charlie and Ginny offered to race Victor for straight line speed. Daphne and Harry explored the castle, as they supervised the fabrication and added features as necessary. Most importantly, Hermione spent a fair amount of time walking Simona through basic spells, as she taught the girl all of the optimised cantrips and advanced magical theory that she had discovered. Simona had quite a quick head – she took to the tuition like a fish to water. Ginny already had designs upon the girl – the Bombshell Babe squad according to Ginny was recruiting for their 4th member. Sirius and Remus looked over everyone, as they checked in regularly with Priya. Luis, Amelia and Andrea were coming along well enough. Invictus was monitoring all the channels, and it was quite hilarious that Lucius Malfoy and the rest were in the dark.

By the time the morning had arrived, the castle had been retrofitted and expanded greatly. The castle could easily resist a siege and possessed several clusters of pulse turrets, stun cannons and a couple of miniaturized rail guns. There was an impressive wall that had several observation posts, and internal barricades. Behind the imposing walls was the original stone castle, where several generatively designed polymer structures had been created and integrated into the stone.

Residences for Ivaylo and Kosta had been built. They were not single rooms – they were large houses for their families. While there was a lot of additional work to be done, Victor now possessed scaled down versions of the more common facilities at Peverell or Granger Manor. This included Hydroponics, Greenhouses, a shooting range, a shuttle pad, a workshop and finally two trainer Thunderbolts. Electricity, backup generators, and most of the common appliances had been installed. Storage rooms, and various pantries were stocked with most of the common products that most wizards did not know about – Victor had taken quite a liking to Coca-Cola.

The armoury was built in a centralised location. It included most of the common guns that Harry and Hermione currently offered. Also were armour kits that would protect the boys from most forms of combative magic. The boys were also provided with Phoenix transporters, new Terminals with connections to Invictus and any number of jetpacks and jet cycles.

The final touch was an internal market and stall system. A flash fabricated transport shuttle had been built - It was not heavily weaponised, but it was heavily armoured. It could carry fifty people easily. There were several hover trucks, that could haul heavy loads. Several joystick based small mechs were built to assist with construction.

Victor was given a tour, as he looked at the completed castle with tears in his eye. He had only used six hundred thousand Orbo to pay for everything. Harry had insisted that no payment was necessary, but Victor insisted he was buying the Thunderbolts and other smaller items at least. More importantly, the castle now had everything that he needed. He had been saving his money to renovate the castle, and he had expected to spend at least ten times the amount he had spent tonight. Had he gone the traditional route, he would not have gotten anything close to what had been constructed. Technically, Harry had kept his promise - everything was dead cheap. As Victor listened to Harry, he also reasoned that the offer had been made, because he wanted to test something. Apparently, he was planning to make a far bigger structure, and he was using tonight as a 'testbed'.

"Well Harry and Hermione, what do you think?" Daphne asked. Victor listened on, as he was curious. For him, the place represented something that was much beyond his initial vision. And yet he felt contented – now he could help the other villages, nearby and even offer them jobs.

Harry as usual, began with his complaints to management.

"I am surprised we got this far, this quickly. About sixty thousand tonnes of material in six hours. Not bad. But that means that the upgrades to Hogwarts's physical defences would still take too long with even one hundred times the drone count. I want to place about one hundred and eighteen million tonnes of material there. I need to do one million tonnes of material, per hour. We are kinda…far from that?" Harry asked.

"Are you planning to rebuild Hogwarts? Do you have any idea what ridiculous numbers you are throwing about?" Hermione giggled.

"Kind of? I am not touching the castle. It is for additional structures. Take a look at this?" Harry suggested, as he displayed his personal project. The holo-table became alive, and everyone reasoned that Harry had a lot of ideas that made perfect sense. Ronald whistled – Harry's ideas for Hogwarts almost looked like Minas Tirith.

"You know Harry? I like it. Make the project openly available to everyone. We will add in our suggestions. Makes Hogwarts look rustic and space age at the same time. Good riddance with those pesky wooden bridges," Neville replied.

"We could eventually get there – we managed to speed up our programmable matter production almost by ten thousand times in less than a night. What we need is a fleet of construction frigates. Imagine about twenty Normandy SR-2 frigates emptying concrete at the same time, in a minute?" Daphne suggested.

"Ah – The Lilly Potter as a construction ship? That could work. We could make the smaller ships, dock into it. Could even keep the material onboard there. All that asteroid sand has to go somewhere. That would be in line with her existing mission plan?" Harry suggested.

As the conversation droned on, Theodore was quite quiet. He looked on and realised that Victor's new castle would become a hub of commerce. Suddenly, he felt inspired. Maybe he and Larissa could do something like this for others? As the twilight hours made its way into being, Theodore had made up his mind. He decided that he would live in Brazil, but work with Harry to win the war. Then he would reforge House's Nott identity into something admirable. Something where people could look upon his house, as others looked at House Peverell and House Granger, and felt hope. He understood that his father would have to go. Certainly, he was not ready to deal with that issue yet, but he felt that the turning point was with him.

This is what real power was – the power to bring hope to others.

The group was now preparing to return home. Everyone was sleepy, and Victor and the rest hugged the visitors, as they assembled in the courtyard. As the sun broke from the horizon, the absolute masterful architecture of the wok was now on display.

"Promise me you will visit?" Victor asked Harry and Hermione.

"Certainly. And we expect you to visit us, and many other places. Those transporters can take you anywhere worldwide. Fleur, Gabrielle and are with their father, but we will introduce you eventually. You haven't all of the parents either, except my father. It is a very big group." Hermione replied.

"You won't be short on friends. While we had an interesting night in Romania, we had an attack at Hogwarts. We are rushing home to deal with that – I imagine the headlines are already on the way…" Harry replied.

"And we need to get back to Durmstrang. We technically broke out of school!" Kosta laughed.

"Not to worry. I was able to pull a location that is close enough for you to make it the rest of the way with your brooms, after you teleport across. Come on you lot, time to head back home," Hermione replied.

The Titan was loaded into the Raven, and all of the drones were summoned back into the craft. The dragons who had been taking a small nap, alighted into the craft, as the entire party took the grav lift into the sleek looking object.

"Gramps? No high speed flying. Jump us home," Hermione replied, as Invictus powered the jump drive.

As the craft teleported it arrived above Peverell Manor. The ship's airlocks were opened, and the Titan was unloaded and left powered but locked, as it stood impassively and gazed at the obstacle course. The various Thunderbolt-IIIs were then transported into the area and began to land gently on the grass. Harry and the rest went into a special decontamination shower, which had been erected externally. Then, they were sanitised of any material that could have possibly been brought home, for the second time. The group had decontaminated before arriving in Bulgaria, but Harry decided to double check for peace of mind. When everyone passed the decontamination test, everyone except Daphne headed off to their homes, respectively.

Harry and Hermione were excited – two visitors had arrived to see them, and it represented other key players, in the coming of the war.

At Drumstrang, Kosta and Ivaylo were assumed to be sick, for a couple of days. Victor and the rest arrived at differing times, and nobody was none the wiser that three of their students had an entertaining night. However, the girls at Drumstrang noticed that Victor seemed unusually happy. The surly expression had disappeared from his face, and there was a wide smile. Ivaylo and Kosta were also quite pumped - they had arrived home and explained that all the financial issues had been sorted out, before transporting to school.

Later that afternoon, Vasilka had company in the kitchen as Ivaylo and Kosta's mothers began hatching plans on how to utilise the facilities.

"Might I recommend a visit to the Weasley-Singh kitchen? There are two women that I think you should meet in particular?" Invictus suggested, through the intercom at Krum Manor.

While Wizarding England was on fire with the accounts of Neville and the rest, Molly and Amba were quite happy to meet the women. The visitors soon got introduced to the small network of witches and wizards who worked in the Weasley businesses. Vasilka was quite the cook, and the women began to trade ideas.

Part IV: Severus Snape and the Headlines

Severus Snape unknown to most, had continued to work at Hogwarts. He often maintained the potion cabinets and marked essays. While he did not like the Data slates and the Terminal systems, he had no choice but to use the items. Not being interrupted by frequent knocks, seemed to be a better option. Some days, he even worked from home, as he remotely corrected assignments, that had been passed on via Horace Slughorn.

Like any self-respecting wizard, Severus Snape also ate at the Leaky Cauldron. He was pleasantly surprised with the new offerings. While he was certainly a wizard of great standing with the darker houses, people often forgot that his mother had accepted a non-magical man, as her husband. That also meant that his mother had learnt several 'muggle' dishes, and she would often prepare these items for her son, particularly if he was upset as a child.

Fish Fingers and a Chip Butty were one of the few things Professor Snape often had at the Leaky Cauldron - it gave him comfort and warmth.

It often reminded him of his mother, who had passed away when he graduated from Hogwarts. She had fallen ill from the continuous stress of being in an abusive relationship. Her magic and her life had faded away because of depression. Later that week, Tobias Snape committed suicide, and Severus Snape had to fend for himself. Meanwhile, he listened to the rumours of Lilly Potter, who was planning to marry his hated enemy. Eventually, after feeling kicked down for too long, he decided to lash out against the world.

Severus pondered the entire sequence of events, as he felt regret even in the moment.

As he sat down with his midnight meal, he listened to the rumours. He soon realised that the darker houses had been busy. Apparently, Bellatrix had been recruiting, and she had chosen to attack Hogwarts. Severus became alarmed but continued to listen intently as he controlled his emotions. Neville Longbottom had managed to tangle with Bellatrix, and he had escaped. Many other Hogwarts students had formed Defence teams, and they had killed the Death Eaters who had penetrated the castle, on the spot. Even more alarming, was a hostage situation that had occurred in the Slytherin common room. Daphne Greengrass and Tracey Davis had slain six men with merely a dagger and had rescued all of the hostages. According to the Ministry Aurors, 'it was a damned bloodbath.'

As soon as Severus was finished with his meal, he apparated directly to Malfoy Manor. He found Narcissa pacing up and down. Lucius also seemed agitated, and he was confused.

"Are you sure wife?" Severus overheard, as Narcissa spoke to Lucius.

"Yes. I know. I still have a faint link to my house magic. My sister has been captured, and he passed judgment on her!" Narcissa replied, before Lucius greeted Severus.

"Severus." Lucius replied curtly.

"I….have….news," Severus replied, with his signature set of pauses.

Lucius and Narcissa listened to a summary of the story, as Severus explained what he had at the Leaky Cauldron. Lucius then messaged Jugson, Gibbon and the rest. Eventually, Pyrites arrived and began to work backwards.

"No…something went wrong. She would have succeeded easily and returned triumphantly. We need information from the Ministry," Pyrites replied.

"Let me check with Malfada, husband," Narcissa suggested, as she immediately took the floo to the Improper Use of Magic Office.

Mafalda Hopkirk was a favourite with Narcissa. She was easily swayed by small gifts, and she often dreamed about climbing the social ladder. She as a pureblood generally preferred to provide information to purebloods, on the basis that she got something in return. She did not have any particular fascination with 'blood purity' as an ideology, but she had a talent for extracting information from unusual sources. Malfada was able to piece together the rumours from a disgruntled Dawlish, and she soon told Narcissa the finer details.

The men at Malfoy Manor waited impatiently – the idea that they had lost tonight was frightening. Tonight, was supposed to mark the death of Neville Longbottom. Tonight, was the night that they would send a message to the impure. And after all was said and done, Neville and his friends had outperformed their aggressors. Lucius decided that the law would be amended to arrest Neville and even Amelia, on false charges. As for the Storm-Lord, he would meet his end soon enough in the upcoming Tri-Wizard tournament.

Lucius wrongly believed that a Nundu would do the job.

Narcissa returned a half hour later, and she was ghastly white. She was even terrified, and Lucius found that to be shocking. Purebloods were taught to be careful about what emotions they publicly expressed on their face, as it could have dire consequences. And yet, Narcissa who was the epitome of a neutral face, was very unsettled.

"Wife?" Lucius asked.

"Husband…..I have inauspicious news. The majority of our forces were killed by several students. I do not have all the details, but Neville Longbottom was responsible for training a small militia. His 'Defence Teams' managed to repel and even kill our troops. Blood was spilled in Hogwarts and the mudbloods did not show any mercy. My sister is missing, and we do not know where she is!" Narcissa explained, with her voice wavering in terror.

"They were killed? How is this possible? There were at least one hundred of them!" Lucius asked, with his voice almost curious at the turn of events.

"We have lost at least twenty more noble houses. Many of those who dined with us last Yule, are now dead. The Storm-Lord and the Rune-Priestess appeared in Hogsmeade and rescued Neville, before slaughtering everyone. The hostage situation in the Slytherin common room was resolved because Daphne Greengrass killed Lord Ryland, Lord Hornbeam and Scion Lysander Lyptus. Tracey Davis killed Lord Everglade, Scion Sebastian Sterling, and Scion Linus Elderberry. They used wandless magic, combined with daggers and…..muggle fighting!" Narcissa replied before Lucius stopped her dead in her tracks.

"They…killed them? With daggers?" Lucius asked, in total confusion.

"The Slytherin common room was painted red with blood. The Guilds that they were promised to, they are not to be trifled with! Now we may have to contend with foreign blood feuds if today's events are traced to us! They have been tutored by foreign wizards. Powerful ones!" Narcissa replied.

"What about Dumbledore?" Pyrites asked – he was shocked that his plan had fallen apart.

"The Headmaster himself filed a motion, to demand Veritaserum in the trials just a mere hour ago. He has that power, as the public is in an uproar. Many people suspect that we are involved. Fudge can do nothing. There is now a Ministry wide manhunt, as those who are related to the deceased are going to be held for interrogation. Lord Black has already asked my traitorous sister to use her retaining firm to apply leverage to the situation. The blood traitors are legally protected under the provision of self-defence. And my sister is missing!" Narcissa replied.

"Why did we not receive many messages from our children?" Lucius asked.

"The artefacts had a problem this evening. I understand that the Guild were under attack, from some unknown force?" Narcissa replied.

"Is it possible that the hooligan and the hag in their attack abroad in Romania, damaged the Guild in one way or the other?" Lord Jugson asked.

"Perhaps. We do not know the outcome of that battle. If we have lost Lord Nicu too, today is a dark day for those who follow the old ways. Our world is being burned down, little by little. My sister-in-law is missing too. The sudden push by the headmaster is very concerning. Dumbledore has been using Longbottom to raise a mudblood army!" Lucius replied.

"They are all traitors! What will we do?" Lord Gibbon asked.

"All of our options have not been exhausted yet. I have some dominion over Cornelius Fudge. I will force him to provide a way out of this mess, otherwise I am taking him with me. I know enough of his skeletons, and I will make his secrets known to the public," Lucius explained. Suddenly, there was a call from Bellatrix on Narcissa's terminal. Narcissa's eyes became hopeful, as she quickly swiped at the holographic button.

"Sister mine? Are you okay? Where…."

"Quiet Cissy! I am taking a risk to call you. I am on the run. I managed to amputate the Storm-Lord's right arm. That bitch the priestess lost her left leg. Their sycophants are on my heels! I can't come to your home otherwise they will find you…" Bellatrix explained, in a barely audible whisper.

"Bella, you can…" Narcissa replied, before she was cut off.

"No Cissy! I will work towards finding our Lord. The Guild unofficially reached out to me and helped me tonight. They can be trusted. Do not be fooled by their public appearances. I have to go now, I have to destroy my terminal. Trust that I will manage. I am loyal to my Lord. Bye Cissy!" Bellatrix whispered, as the call terminated.

"See wife, you worry too much. Your sister is safe, and she managed to handicap the hag and the hooligan! If they have lost limbs, they will not be effective fighters regardless of what weapons they possess!" Lucius replied, as he walked towards the liquor cabinet.

"Now we can be assured that when the Dark Lord returns, that he will triumph. It is only a matter of time! Some of our brothers were sacrificed tonight, in this costly victory but it will pave our way forward!" Pyrites explained.

"Tomorrow I will visit Cornelius and remind him of the power that I hold over him by knowing his secrets. And then, we will decide what we are doing. Wife, ask anybody who could be implicated to go to various safe houses. We have suffered heavy losses, but tonight we will drink in their name…." Lucius replied.

Severus who was looking on quietly, immediately became concerned. Bellatrix was known for being crazed. Something did not seem right. Why would Bellatrix who used the same tactics and spells as the rest of the Death Eaters, have success against a person who could block the killing curse? And how could Bellatrix penetrate the Artificer's armour? His most primitive armour was almost impenetrable, and Albus had explained that the designs had advanced considerably. Unless….

The voice was not Bellatrix. The Guild was not friendly. Either the guild had been ousted by the Storm-Lord and the Rune-Priestess or…..

There had never been any Guild. It had all been a game. The Storm Lord and the Rune-Priestess had designed everything. They owned everything.

Severus immediately exited the Malfoy residence, as he explained that he was going to see what he could find out from Albus Dumbledore. As Severus left, he made his way to his home, and he decided that he would rest. Then, he would arrive at Hogwarts in the morning to share his suspicions with Albus Dumbledore.

"Good morning, Severus. How are we?" Albus asked, as the last of the parents left. Severus observed the hostile look that Augusta had given him, and he found himself thinking about the little smirk on her face.

"Concerned…Headmaster," Severus replied.

"Go on?" Albus asked.

"Narcissa Malfoy received a call, last night. Bellatrix insisted that she had disabled the Storm-Lord and the Rune-Priestess. However, I do not believe that the call came from her. They were being mislead. The armour of the Storm-Lord would already offer them adequate protection, and Bellatrix does not have a vast repertoire of spells. The Guild is involved..." Severus explained, before he was cut across.

"Why would the Guild participate in such an action?" Albus asked.

"Simple Headmaster. There was never any Guild. The Storm-Lord and the Rune-Priestess own everything. It was always meant to divert attention. And if you were to assume that they can spy via these devices, then they already know everything. We are being played for fools. I believe that if we could confirm that the Storm-Lord and the Rune-Priestess are indeed uninjured, this will solidify my claims….." Severus replied.

Suddenly, Albus began to realize that he had been played for a fool. Why bother to hide, when you could stay in plain sight?

"Headmaster?" Severus asked.

"Thank you, Severus, for your astute observations. We have not spoken for quite a while, and I will have to appraise you of Lord Black's new project, and Hagrid's new residence. I know that the Storm-Lord and his associates were deployed in Romania, to quell civil unrest. I do know that their technology has advanced much, and they flattened the castle with a missile. Naturally, such items would require advanced muggle computers. The Terminal that we have was probably developed as a tool for their use, before it became a public item. Severus, the situation is quite grave."

"Indeed headmaster. Why were they in Romania? Why interfere in international affairs?" Severus asked.

"They by I.C.W decree, have been designated by the French minister of Magic as the new I.C.W Kill-Team. And the Storm-Lord and Rune-Priestess are indirectly in contact with Daphne Greengrass, the Patil twins, Neville, and the rest of his friends, via secondary means." Albus explained.

"Which explains the brutal tactics that were used tonight. Never in Wizarding history has magical combat been this ruthless. One hundred combatants is the approximate size of a small magical army. And yet they were repelled. The aggressor's location could have been provided beforehand." Severus explained, as Albus cross referenced the details that the students had provided.

"I have not sensed any deception in any of our students, however. They are being manipulated against their will. It is almost insidious. Could you have possibly missed something?" Albus asked.

"No, I am sure of my mental probes. It is sensible that our manipulators would use stealth and subterfuge to accomplish their goals. Such is the Slytherin way." Snape replied.

"Grandson?" Invictus explained.

"Hmm?" Harry replied.

"Snape figured it out. I want to suspect he has figured out that we can fool him?" Invictus replied.

"No, he believes that his mental probes are sound. You see, I had planned for this. Snivellius sees the world through the perspective of a pureblood, and he assumes that Hermione and I are operating like Slytherins. And we want him to think that.

There are some simple tests that he can do, to ascertain that our folks are mentally protected. But once again, the trap is in understanding the opponent. He could take a deliberate action that he knows is factual but secret, and probe their minds to see if all of the stories that are offered by Morgana's protection are the same. And then the random fabrications would reveal themselves. Idiot.

Anyway, it doesn't matter. Neville and the rest are beyond him, in any case.

The World Cup and the Tri-wizard Tournament will sap away Albus' time. The final designs for the Lilly Potter are undergoing their final tweaks, and we will start to build her soon enough. We are currently running scans for Horcruxes. The Hufflepuff cup checked out, and Lord Ragnok is sending the item into containment. We will continue to monitor the situation, and we are sending drone patrols to track the rest down. Let Snivellius have some breadcrumbs. I want him to feel the terror." Harry explained.

"Done, grandson." Invictus replied.

Part V: Fillius Flitwick

Fillius Flitwick and Alastor Moody had explained that they needed a drink at the Leaky Cauldron, the following morning. Albus was finally finished with the negotiations and was expecting a reply from the darker houses. He decided to let Alastor and Fillius off. After all, both men had assisted with the defence of Hogwarts, and Fillius had been a boon when placating the parents of the students.

However, by the time Flitwick had informed Albus of his excursion, different arrangements had already been made. Moody had already returned from France and possessed a hardshell case with two transporters. Moody had gotten instructions from Invictus, and he had swept his quarters for any of Dumbledore's enchantments, Hogwarts elves or anything else. When the area checked out as being clear from any eavesdroppers, the paranoid Auror called the Ravenclaw Head of House. After the diminutive man arrived, both of them listened to Invictus' voice across the comms device in their ears.

"Right gentlemen, I am transporting you across to Peverell Manor. Prepare for transport….." Invictus hinted, before the familiar lightning enveloped the skin of both of the men.

Fillius felt the very smooth apparition process. Even the magic that was summoned felt sure footed, and resolute. The magic also felt elegant and efficient. Fillius even observed that Albus did not have this level of refinement. Soon enough, both he and Alastor suddenly appeared in the Scottish Highlands. While the general area was quite cold, Flitwick could feel the warmth of the various Infrared emitters. Alastor could feel the powerful complex enchantments that hid place, and the constantly maintained forcefield did not go unnoticed. Several defence towers were laden with cannons, along with smaller drones that often scanned the perimeter. While the place was quite large, both men doubted a mite could get by without Harry's knowledge.

"Quite a place Potter inherited," Moody replied.

"Indeed. What do you think about the security?" Fillius asked.

"It is sufficient – Potter gets me. This is what Ministry security is supposed to look like!" Alastor barked.

"I can tell here is better guarded than Hogwarts. Suddenly a lot of things I have noticed, are quite explainable. I believe our favourite student group, have been travelling liberally." Flitwick replied.

"I suspected that Potter's group do not stay at the castle. There is a certain kind of body language that comes with living in your own flat, as a newly appointed Professor. And they all look like that, as students." Moody considered.

"I am excited to see what research or lore they have discovered! My dear Lilly was so far ahead of her time, and I wonder if her work would be realised. But it seems Harry is doing a good job, if he hasn't already surpassed his dear mother. She would be proud of him." Fillius replied.

"You know Professor, I would say that everyone contributes in one way or the other. Hermione was always the other half, until Daphne got involved. And yes Alastor, we have a new shiny leg for you!" Invictus laughed as a countdown began on both transporters.

5….4…3…2…1…

Fillius and Alastor observed as the Raven-II materialised with the crackling of lightning. The seventy metre vessel was quite large even by mundane standards. The silence of the craft, and the black tinted Auramite looked menacing. Fillius was quite aware that the Beauxbatons Carriage was a source of pride for the French, as it represented the largest flying artefact in the world.

However, this object was at least three times bigger.

As the sleek predatorial craft held still, its airlocks opened. The limbs of the giant mech emptied from within the gunship and erected itself on the lawn. Invictus booted the control systems and was able to deploy the sentry algorithm to the item. The Titian powered up its cannons, and began scanning the environment for threats.

While it was not necessary, Invictus like Harry loved drama. And, there was no better time to play the game.

Then the arrival of the Thunderbolt-IIIs followed, as there were at least twenty flashes of lightning. The bombers continued to set down into the general area of the Peverell Lawn. All of them were coloured with unique designs and patterns, and the tints encapsulated the Hogwarts House colours. It was quite easy to see which families owned the impressive gunships. Finally, the Raven-II landed and a small box hovered into the area and attached itself to the troop transport.

Seeing the various 'contraptions', was almost like looking like the mobilisation of an entire army. It even looked like a military parade, as the 'Metal Giant' stood impassively against the sunlight. The sheer scale and size of the armaments caused Flitwick and Alastor's mouths to hang wide open. Fillius had always suspected that Harry had surpassed everyone, but after seeing this?

"Once again, good morning gentlemen. I know we are gawking at the hardware, but I can assure you that a lot of hard work that was carried out to develop what you are looking at. As for Harry and the rest, they are decontaminating for the second time, as we had a run in with some Giant Inferni. We would rather no dark magic travelled home with us…." Invictus replied.

"Giant Inferni?" Fillius asked.

"I can promise my grandson is good entertainment. As soon as we are clean, Ms. Greengrass will give you a tour, and maybe we can show you some battle footage from last night's mission. But yes, some madman decided to flirt with necromancy and used giants as the starting material," Invictus replied.

"Did Potter smash the undead giants into oblivion with that?" Alastor asked, excitedly.

"Actually, Tracey Davis is our Titan Pilot. She is definitely Ms. Athletic, and her performance last night was nothing less than spectacular!" Invictus laughed. Fillius considered what he had heard of the girl and commented:

"I can think of no finer choice, then. Can I ask if Miss Greengrass and Mr. Potter are an item? She happens to daydream in my class most of the time until you ask her a question...…"

"Everybody else is hoping that they will become a thing. Meanwhile, they continue to dance around each other. But it is to be expected, and there is some good entertainment to be had, while we all egg them on!" Invictus replied.

"Both their mothers will be pleased. I always knew Lilly and Ophelia were friends," Fillius replied.

"Harry always said that you never missed anything, at all. You do have the eye of an eagle. Ah, so a change in plans. Some of them decided to stay. And yes, do not be alerted by our dragons…" Invictus sniggered.

"Did you say drag….." Alastor continued, as his words were cut short – he was so flabbergasted by what revealed himself. The top hatch and bottom ramp opened, as the three dragons made a small harness assisted hop. The creatures assembled on the lawn and began to stretch their wings. Two of the dragons headed off to a nearby pool, and the other one flew into a specially designed structure. As Fillius wondered if the dragons were domesticated, all of the tanks from within the Raven exited the back ramp. As the tanks drove themselves, they parked in formation. Alastor looked at the massive juggernauts, and nodded with approval, as the main workshop gate opened and Peverell Manor adjusted itself accordingly. The moment of the great unveil had arrived - a small ramp of flowing steel materialised, and a small group began to walk towards the visitors. Fillius as a teacher, already knew most of the members.

Remus Lupin. Sirius Black. Daphne Greengrass. Ronald Weasley – these people were immediately identifiable.

However, both of the men looked curiously at the other eight individuals. Fillius and Alastor could tell exactly who was Harry Potter – his glinting emrald green eyes were almost luminous. There was a beautiful bird on his shoulder, and Fillius guessed that it was his infamous phoenix.

"Potter already looks like he is approaching nineteen. He is a huge strapping lad!" Alastor replied.

"Perhaps they are a product of intensive training. If we consider that Harry and the other one, set the standard for physical fitness of our best students?" Fillius wondered.

As the group approached closer, the runes on Hermione's arms and face could be seen. The visitors even appreciated that Sirius and Remus had changed – the former casanova was a rippling agile mass of well-conditioned muscle. Remus could easily be the biggest man, in the entire of magical England. His gait was almost aristocratic, and yet something hinted that there was a savage beast behind the well controlled expression on his face. There were the two brooding young men, who had to be Scandinavians with their pale complexions.

Fillius soon realised that the remaining four men were definitely their mentors in one way or another. Fillius could easily identify the grizzly looking man, who was the Rune-Priestess' father. Harry then stopped in front of Fillius and Moody before he gave both men a polite but very firm handshake.

"Well, the cat is out of the bag. Welcome to Peverell Manor…." Harry replied, as Daphne and Ronald gave polite waves from behind the assembled group.

The first thing Harry had done, was to give Moody a cutting edge bionic leg.

It featured neural force feedback, and a plethora of battlefield features. For Moody, the experience was humbling – the phantom pain had gone, and he could balance easily. While Daphne and Hermione had installed the item, Fillius had an intimate opportunity to observe nanoscale surgery. Soon after Harry had called for some wine, as he began with his entire story, after the appropriate oaths were taken. Hermione naturally filled in, as Invictus streamed himself into the new AI core in the manor.

The men soon began to appreciate the immense contribution of Priya, Lorna, and the Singh Family. William explained how he had gotten tangled up in a brand new world, and even Daffodil came by to say hello after a short nap. The entire manufacturing facilities were toured, and Fillius almost lost his mind as he examined the drone fabrication systems and examined the recorded battle footage. Remus and Sirius chipped in also, as they explained how they had changed. Sirius considered himself Harry's father, and he had decided that Harry would have whatever he needed, without question. Remus was the person who had left the fold of Dumbledore's influence, as he saw himself as the guardian of the son of his brother and sister, James and Lilly Potter. Grace, of course, had no issue with razing Harry Potter, and even preferred to use Daphne as her messenger.

Late into the night, Fillius withdrew every single memory of Lilly Potter he could remember and gladly provided it to the boy.

Part VI: Man-meat

"Well, that was fun. Fillius really likes you." Daphne asked.

"I was happy to talk about mum's work, that I advanced. I gave him access to our notes. Moody too, should not have any problems. What did you want to talk about, by the way?" Harry asked.

"Well….I am not going to lie to you. I was on my way to ask you something and I overheard a piece of conversation between you and Hermione before I immediately left. I honestly could not believe it. Yes, I know that you like me, just as much as I like you. That conversation." Daphne replied.

"Oh." Harry replied, as he became pink like a tomato.

"Look, I am here to collect my two hundred plus pounds of man-meat. With the rather fantastic performance I demonstrated recently, I decided that I could claim a voucher for one Harry Potter. And I believe that you had a valid point about who I know. So no, the voucher is not for Hadrian Peverell or even Hadrian Singh. Not even the rascal.

So here it goes…..

My name is Daphne Ioana Greengrass, and I would like a date not with the businessman, or the man who saved my sister. Not the Kill-Team operative, the warrior, and not even the engineer. I want a date with Harry Potter, somewhere around his old childhood neighbourhood, even if it wasn't the greatest set of memories. I understand that some of those things, aren't nice but you can trust me. I trust you, in any case. Willing to trade my embarrassing stories in return, to sweeten the deal?" Daphne asked, with a grin on her face.

Harry almost seemed pensive for a moment before he scratched his chin. Suddenly his face lit up like a Christmas tree. He stood up and grasped Daphne's hand almost playfully.

"Woman, you drive a hard bargain. I am glad you asked because I would not have gotten the courage to do so. Yes, I have moments of cowardice. How about if we start with St Grogary's primary. In fact, I am going to show you where Hermione busted in on us. And then I can show you my favourite swing where I still go sometimes - how about right now?" Harry asked.

"Why not? Maybe I can show you the charm school I attended, as a child. I always hated that place. You might want to wear your disguise, when we are out there? I like the Hari Patel look?" Daphne replied, as Harry immediately conjured the glamour.

Both of them disappeared in a flash, as Invictus continued to grin. Invictus then sent messages to Ophelia and Cyrus, and soon the Greengrass parents knew that Harry and Daphne were on an official date. Invictus then contacted Priya, Sirius, Remus, Lorna, Ved and Amba, just to cause a scene. There were nods of approval, with Amba even insisting that both of them could come by for tea. Priya's laughter was so wholesome, that even her colleagues in the French I.C.U had to stop to admire her happiness. Finally, Invictus messaged Astoria privately.

"Hello you. So, it is happening." Invictus explained.

"What is happening?" Astoria messaged.

"Your sister and Mr. Potter are out on their first date," Invictus replied.

"That is what they get for being too clever. Did they have to overcomplicate the entire thing?" Astoria asked.

"I say yes. We Peverell's like complicated" Invictus replied, as he laughed.

The initial date started with Harry breaking into the Dursley home, as nobody was present. Daphne had been terrified to see the cupboard. While it had been renovated, Daphne knew enough from Astoria's descriptions to understand what had happened. Harry also took her on a tour of his humble attic. Everything had been left in place, and it was even cleaned quite regularly. Then, Harry took Daphne to the tool shed and showed her around the backyard, and even Ms. Figg's place. Here he talked about his first experiment with broom development.

Then Harry arrived at the swing in his favourite park, before he carried Daphne to his favourite ice-cream place, within his community. Mr. Smith lamented - he was hoping that he and Lisa would be a thing. Daphne giggled, as she had no idea that the man was speaking about Lisa Turpin, a fellow Hogwarts student. Harry even offered to carry Daphne to his tombstone, and the couple took silly pictures.

"I don't care what you say, Harry. You have had a colourful childhood. I would have loved to see the Dursley lawn in full action when you used to maintain it. Although you did a fantastic job at my place?" Daphne joked.

"Was somebody taking a gander, when Neville and I were consulting for the lawn?" Harry asked.

"I have been gaping at you for three years. I am an expert at that now?" Daphne smiled.

"Your confession and your candour are very much appreciated," Harry replied.

"You know what? We are going to my charms school, as you have no idea what such a place might look like. What do you think?" Daphne suggested.

"This ought to be interesting? A magical primary school, eh?" Harry asked.

"It is a torture camp, because it is the most boring place on earth?" Daphne replied.

"So, you like difficult and exciting then?" Harry asked.

"Sure, look who I am with?" Daphne replied.

"OI! What are you…."

And the both of them began to fight like a married couple.

When they arrived at the Charms school, they were warmly received. The news of Daphne's heroics had travelled quickly. Harry was already wearing his disguise as Hari Patel, when Daphne was invited for tea with her old Charms teacher. It was approaching late afternoon, and Daphne explained that she had taken some time for herself. She knew that not everybody at the Charm school could not be trusted, so she mentioned nothing of any particular significance. Daphne discussed her work with the Guild, and her old charms teacher was quite impressed with Daphne's knowledge of theoretical magic. The story of Daphne's wandless disarm of the Slytherin Death Eaters was already a big hullabaloo, and both Daphne and Harry engaged in small demonstrations. Of course, Daphne enjoyed snuggling up to Harry, as she advertised him to all the other young pure blooded graduates who would surely carry the gossip back. The other staff members took pictures, and Harry was immediately notified by the monitoring algorithm, and Invictus.

"Honey, what are we going to do?" Daphne asked mentally.

"Honey. I like that. Love, let the girls have a peek alright? Otherwise, they are going to fall in love with only my mysterious personality before I ever arrive in magical England. They haven't seen me and all of them want to know who am I?" Harry replied.

"I almost think they are already in love with you. Too bad your ass is stamped with property of Daphne Greengrass!" Daphne replied, mentally.

"Coming on a bit strong, are we?" Harry asked.

"As strong as The Shamen in the Comin' On music video. I revisit the video once a month to see an oiled Jason Statham dancing in his underwear. I wonder what I can do to cash in a voucher, to see you that for me?" Daphne asked.

"You are indeed a sophisticated woman, a true icon of enlightened child rearing practices. What happened to pureblood you?" Harry asked.

"She became competent, confident, and got in touch with herself. Pureblood Daphne was a girl who had to stay within the chains of her society, pretending to be Slytherin. Daffy is a girl who has enough power to understand that she can do as she pleases, and she is beyond a ridiculous house system as the basis for her personality. She chose to be a coffee extraordinaire, an avid Reddit reader, sometimes an assistant engineer, more Runemathimancer vibes mostly, that type of thing. And she is happy to be herself and work towards lofty goals, which is the most ambitious thing for any individual...…" Daphne replied.

"I am beginning to understand the nature of this relationship. I am in trouble, am I?" Harry asked.

"Relationship? What if after this date I don't want you?" Daphne replied.

"Then don't touch the goods before you purchase them?" Harry replied.

"Making sure that the goods pass quality control…...what if I need a refund?" Daphne asked.

Both of them argued childishly with each other, and they enjoyed trading comments. The small facial expressions appeared almost as if they could read each other's mood instantly. Even the charms teacher found the pair to be rather endearing. Daphne and Harry had flirty eye language that carried its sub-context under their mentally uttered words. There were several cheeky squints too, as they both insulted each other, and went in places that others would not ever dare to go.

Everyone could see that they were smitten with each other.

It didn't take too long for the Slytherin girls in Hogwarts to distribute secret pictures of Daphne and Harry. Soon enough, the pictures from the Charms school staff were being spread around in circles. Even in the pictures that had been sneakily taken, both of them looked dreamy. Harry was quite tall, and was a mass of rippling muscle. He also had a very low percentage of body fat, and he looked like a svelte model. That aided in making him ravishing, in his photos. Even the huge veins could be seen in his arm, along with the formidable biceps.

The pictures soon became their own type of contraband, and they reached Ophelia and Narcissa Malfoy. Ophelia was over the moon, and Cyrus was just laughing. He was amused because he always believed that his little princess was capable of anything. That included capturing the affections of Harry Potter. Of course, the Neutral girls who had attended the Greengrass dinner had huddled and giggled about 'the individual'. Atticus cued Cedric and the rest into the pictures, for their own speculation. They already knew who the person was in the photo. His eyes looked almost old and experienced – he had a warrior's eyes.

When Ronald heard about what happened to the pair, he even became jealous.

"Love, look at them. Having open dates already! Daphne won't take long to find out our secret!" Ronald explained to Hermione.

"Well, what about if we assume that they know….and then we double prank them? A prank to match their prank? Neville and the rest are only giggling when they see us, I think we have been made!" Hermione suggested.

"Shit. I really wondered, you know. That could work. We need to come up with something interesting. Maybe we can pretend we were getting divorced and act out a drama scene?" Ronald replied.

"Hey! That is the greatest idea ever. We can get a spot and practice it. Harry won't be fooled, as he can see our magic. A nice lunch from somewhere will buy his silence easy…" Hermione suggested.

"I love when you tell me stories from the days of the null-box. I think Harry likes to eat more than me, but you don't think about it because he is surrounded by his gadgets?" Ronald suggested.

"That is quite true. I didn't think about that. Hell, I could be guilty too?" Hermione replied.

"Anyway, everyone is staring at Harry's photo. Even Madam Prince came over to look at him! This is getting out of hand!" Ronald joked, from a corner of the Hogwarts library.

"Harry can be quite sly. He knows that Severus and Albus have suspicions about 'the Guild'. They had a discussion this morning, and they figured out that we own everything. This is a deliberate jab at them. Severus will try to track Harry down, and Albus will assume that Hari Patel is an unwitting pawn. Finally, Harry will get his date and his cuddle too, that one is overdue. They already have the wedding ring?" Hermione giggled.

"I suppose you and Harry as introverts love ruthless efficiency. I am a humble man who will feed you and squeeze your head when you overthink things. I will also talk to the crowds when you have exhausted the introvert interaction piggybank. I am reliable like that?" Ronald messaged.

"You have no idea how much I need that a lot of the time. You know to say I love you three different ways. Why thank you, dear." Hermione replied.

"You are welcome. Although I like to think I did not too badly for myself. I had it bad for you when you arrived at my house!" Ronald laughed.

"And after you had it bad, and there was no risk I still could not tell you at the beginning of our camping. Nah, I am the more incompetent one, sometimes?" Hermione joked.

Pansy found herself jealous – she could not stop staring at the photo. The same Pansy who generally liked making racist comments about the Patil twins immediately wondered if she could hatch a plan to take Daphne's betrothed away from her. Even some of the pure-blooded girls who would not ever consider a 'muggleborn' were sizing Harry up. The pure blooded guys were even angry. But what could one really expect? Hogwarts was also a secondary school, and sometimes young people's hormonal issues were far more important than politics.

"Yeah, I would give him a chance. He could do me whatever he wanted!" a girl giggled.

"Hey if the other side is producing them handsome like that? I don't care sign me up for blood traitor status!"

"That is a nice pair of arms on him. I wonder what those hugs are like?"

"Not just the arms. Every bit of him is like that. I could get my clothes off for that, easy. He probably is an experience in bed!" somebody rambunctiously whispered.

"I don't like Greengrass that bitch. But I have to admit I envy her. They are madly in love with each other, and they care. That is better than these shitty contracts, that we usually get?" another girl said.

"If muggleborn guys all looked like that, yeah I might ride him all night long?" another girl whispered.

"Maybe we could offer him a chance to take turns on us. Stun Greengrass, and then we could share him up. A common alliance towards a mutually beneficial goal. He probably has the stamina to handle all of us!" was heard from a muted whisper.

"Greengrass just killed three men the other day. Do we want to go barking up that tree?"

"We could rent him. Hell, I would shag Greengrass and him, just to get some of him!"

Invictus was listening to the conversation and transcribing every line. Soon enough Harry and Daphne read all of the rambunctious lines and laughed, as they looked at their heads up displays in their sunglasses. The conversation got even more perverse, and Invictus sent selected pieces of the conversations to Neville, Hermione and the rest. Tracey was the ringleader and she even made notes about which girl preferred what type of fantasy. Now she had enough material to write about things that would probably melt Wizarding England into oblivion.

"You ladies want a harem story? You fantasize, and the love doctor will deliver!" Tracey giggled, as she and Parvati began to plot once again.

Even Minerva and the rest of the staff had gotten in on the action.

"Oh Albus, he is quite handsome! Strangely he reminds me of James Potter. He has the look, on him?" Minerva replied.

"Ah. Perhaps they have a similar facial structure. However, that is a fantastic beard. I have tried to speak to the young man, but I believe that his masters are aware of me. He was very polite, and he tried to share what he knew. A polite and well educated boy from a charming little village in India. What a contrast to Daphne Greengrass?" Albus replied.

"Opposites do tend to attract. He has quite an arm on him. That is the biggest arm I have ever seen, even when we consider Mr. Ronald Weasley. I do not doubt that anyone truly harassed Daphne, that he would march into Hogwarts and beat them into pulp. I wish them all success, I suppose?" Horace replied at the staff lunch table.

Eventually, the news arrived in the healer wing Padma and Parvati had no problem playing along. According to them, Daphne was dating 'their cousin, Hari'. Very soon, the whole of Hogwarts knew, and suddenly Susan had suspicions.

"Is that him?" Cedric asked after Atticus shared his suspicions.

"Yes, but he is using a glamour for sure." Susan replied.

"How are you so sure?" Atticus asked, via the parchment.

"I never saw his face behind the helmet, but he sits in that exact manner. I also saw his biceps too that night. That is his arm, but it looks a little bigger. He changed his complexion, and his appearance. But that is him. I don't think he would ever let his real picture out into the public. He tends to be ten steps ahead?" Susan replied.

"So, him and Daphne, eh. I guess they are the power couple?" Hannah replied.

"You are supposed to spy for us. You and Tracey only make out and smooch, now! What is taking you so long to get classified intel?" Susan asked, jokingly.

"Their information is protected by magical oath?" Hannah replied.

"How do you know?" Atticus asked.

"I just asked if she knew Daphne's bf and she said she could not say anything because she took oaths for the Guild. So, we have to find some other way?" Hannah replied.

"Ah, shit..." Atticus replied.

In a quiet corner of the healer wing, Su Li looked at the height and the general size of the person. She reasoned that Harry Potter was wearing a disguise. Lisa Turpin looked at the picture, and she was able to confirm that it was him, based on body dimensions.

"Should we tell Terry and the rest?" Su Li asked.

"No. Harry and Mione are on a mission to save everyone. We keep their secrets, and we will help Padma and the Defence club?" Lisa suggested.

"Deal." Su Li replied.