Harry Potter and the Odd Rebellion
~~ODD~~
A/N: Thanks to my wonderful Beta, LtsHrIt4ThBoyz.
Thanks to Alix33 for her kind and helpful remarks. Sending you virtual chocolate chip cookies.
Disclaimer: Harry Potter is owned by JKRowling. It is our understanding that it is illegal to sell fanfiction. Why people publish other's work as their own mystifies me. We own nothing.
~~ODD~~
Welcome to the Fireside. Jam will bring snacks and warm beverages for you soon.
~~ODD~~
Scorecard of what has happened so far:
This story is AU: Harry has been put into serious training for defense, but when in the clutches of Dumbledore, still didn't know what to do yet. How will he react to this latest attack?
Lord Potter is using a time turner to repeat days. He winds up using some of this extra time in quiet reflection holding Bets, playing with Teddy or flying with Aquilus, Marmalade's registered name.
Behind the scenes: After a cleanse, Gran Crouch is better but feeling sheepish. She won't be making trouble again anytime soon.
Hermione was miffed to be kept away from advanced lessons, but Harry is back into her good graces with sweets, flowers, and different lessons. Whew!
After getting in trouble for looking into more deadly poisons, Harry has been given a limited-use international auror badge from the LoMN. Should he ever have the opportunity to face Dumbledore, he will be protected from legal reprisals for it. In fact, if he is successful, he will be up for top level awards of bravery. Harry is not in this for a shiny.
Severus Snape kidnapped Harry from flying class; what will the fallout be?
O.D.D. (Order Defying Dumbledore) With the attacks increasing in volatility in America, ODD is trying to step up their planning to get rid of Dumbles. The efforts in helping others escape horrific death have been successful, and few targets have been captured. After this latest attack, the Americans will be getting more involved.
Arglwydd means Lord in Welsh, it's in the notes below. Ar glue eeth. Thanks to Fenchurch1 who wrote: Arglwydd is pronounced Ar glue eeth with a hard th like in' then'.
Back to the story.
~~ODD~~
Chapter 22 Recovery
Previously:
He hugged her. "I'll meet you at the paddock in a negative few minutes." Then, just like in his own keep, found a hidden house-elf door.
Luna nodded. She was here when Harry needed her to be, and the world didn't end. Good.
Luna took another door heading outside. She needed to hurry. Once she got there, she took the warm colorful clothes from her bottomless bag ready to pass out. The young witch was prepared.
~~ODD~~
Nearly a year back, Madam Bagshot had recruited two pranksters to help her. Those pranksters turned out to have the map. THE map of Hogwarts.
It showed the name of everyone in the castle. Even in the deepest dungeons where people really shouldn't be.
Especially when they were dead, and the map didn't show ghosts.
Harry didn't think about the consequences here; He had been itching to do this ever since he saw the name. And now he had the chance.
He made his way to the dungeon. His memory was very good, as was his sense of smell. It reminded him of the charnel barn. When he got to the right place, he found the door was locked, not surprisingly. When Harry went to cast, the lock opened and sprung off before he had cast; As if the castle itself did not approve of the woman being imprisoned within her. The door swung open.
The lovely lady with long dark hair looked far too pale. She was sitting beside a small table with the leftovers of a recent meal. How she could have an appetite to eat with the smell nearby, he didn't know. She wasn't being starved at least. Potions were there as well.
"Elaina something, Carmen Isabella, something, sorry, Cordero? Is that right? I'm Harry Potter ma'am. I'm here to res…uh…get you out of here. I wasn't sure if you were really alive. Your husband and son seem to think you died."
"I know. He told me. Are you sure it's safe to leave? I mean…"
"No, we aren't safe until we get out of here. Please, we don't have much time left."
The woman stood. She had forced herself to pace her cell every day, building up strength in case this event ever happened. Harry didn't notice her cringe as they passed a ritual circle in the stone but his later memory had noted it, even while focused on his path.
As they left the dungeon, Harry put his hand on the castle's stone wall. Somehow he knew it was sentient. "Thank you."
The deep response was felt more than heard: a feeling of great longing. Harry felt the castle ask for help when he was a bit older; as in when he was an adult. Then words formed in his mind, 'Please return, young warrior. Please. When you have gained sufficient knowledge. Sufficient strength.' Apparently, old magic was patient, and recognized Harry as a child still.
Harry patted the stone gently, in comfort for having to wait, wishing he were ready now, "Yes. I promise."
The magic of the castle wrapped around him for a moment and he felt love, and knew when he did return, he would have an ancient ally. But Elaina shivered, and the moment was broken. He then continued the path he had memorized to get out.
The woman followed him out the secret passage that ended outside in the thestrals' barn. Elaina shivered in the cold air. But there was Luna, with thestrals waiting patiently.
Luna soon had them all toasty warm. The raiment might not be what Elaina would normally pick, but she was truly warm for the first time in years. Harry helped the ladies mount. Mrs Cordero really was Ricardo's mum, as she seemed more than competent to be flying to escape here.
Before they left, Luna asked, "They love pulling the Hogwarts carriages. Please let some of them return for Yule?"
Harry smiled crookedly, "I'll think about it."
~~ODD~~
Snape had little time. He wrote a note and sent it with his personal elf. His arm felt like it was being burned off; when he pulled up the sleeve, he couldn't believe it: The dark mark, previously barely visible, was writhing, shrinking. It appeared to be dosed with acid or something.
Very glad to have the excuse of 'nearly being killed', Severus quickly changed, took a pain potion, and crawled into bed.
All he wanted to do was throw the covers over his head.
~~ODD~~
Not only was House Potter getting its lead thestral stallion back, Harry saw not a few of the leathery-winged mares following their mate.
Wait, would they leave the hippogriffs alone? Maybe he should just send them to Wales. That sounded like a good plan.
Luna pointed out a small magical hamlet near Hadrian's Wall. Harry landed next to the grocery cart. Ricardo's mother was still with them, clearly feeling like this wasn't really happening.
Harry walked up to the vendor, but got distracted, "Hey! I think I made that bowl. See?" He showed Luna his sigil. "Oops, we're here for the portal, ma'am. If you'd be so kind?"
"While I call for transport for ye, can ye sign it for me?" the Scottish matron asked.
"Happy ta do so." Harry tried to sound like Moody. Then he remembered, and snapped open his mirror while she summoned help.
"Dan? You heard I was kidnapped, I see."
"Yes, we watched you on the map ever since the alarm went off. I'm more proud of you than I can say for getting yourself out of there. Cordero? Well, we'll talk about your unexpected guest later. Ian's wife, Sabrina, thinks we should do this ritual we have planned down there, where you just were."
Harry shuddered, but assured, "I can help! I want to help!" Dan wasn't alone; Ian and others were with him. It looked like they were in Ian's basement in Hogsmeade.
"No son. Go home, you aren't ready for this. The protections have to be taken down before anyone can touch him. This just moved up the timetable on that. We were hoping…nevermind. Please! For all our sanities' sake, stay safe!"
"Yes sir. Potter out." Harry snapped his mirror shut and put it away. He knew Dan was right, but felt a coward for running away.
Remus came trotting out of the portal, followed by Juniper. They both hugged Harry then Juniper popped away, the look on her face causing fear to both wizards.
The werewolf looked Harry over, hugged him, smelled him, then hugged him again. Luna then stepped up.
"Who do we have here?" Remus asked.
"Luna Lovegood, future student of Salem. My application has been accepted. Daddy will be just about done setting up the press." The young witch said dreamily.
Remus then noted the pale lady on the thestral, and for a moment, thought he'd seen a harbinger of death.
Harry waved to the witch to dismount, and helped her down, "Seneschal Lupin? May I introduce Alejandro's lovely wife? Ma'am, this man will help bring you to your husband and son."
"We were worried you were…and then you…but I thought she…" Remus broke off as Harry was talking again.
"Moony? I think Mrs Cordero needs a healer, but shouldn't we get her to Salem first? Don't cha think?" Harry asked quickly, "Can you take care of Luna, and arrange to get the thestrals to Wales? I have a maths test in forty-five minutes!"
Remus went into emergency mode, "I'll send for help to take care of the thestrals, Harry. You get back home. Luna, you can't show up at the same time. I'll send her to the American Embassy so we can do this right." He then turned to Elaina. "Are you really Ricardo's mother?" At her stunned nod, Remus patted her arm and continued, "I think a quiet entry is best. We can sort out legal issues with our friends later. Harry, please take her home with you. Don't worry, cub. I'll take it from here."
Moony looked around, seeing the number of thestrals there for the first time. It appeared the whole herd had come. Magnificent! They would be welcomed back gladly. The shopkeeper didn't seem aware of their presence. Ah, how fortunate for her to have not seen death.
Help arrived in the form of several Welsh workers, ready to lend a wand or a hand with the herd.
Remus gave Harry another quick, sincere hug.
Harry turned to the stallion and gave him some liver treats from his pocket, saying "Thank you for the rescue. You go with Mr Fenwick, he'll see you home. I'll come visit you later. You are magnificent."
The stallion pawed the ground and nuzzled the lad with his huge head, about knocking him over.
Remus, with Harry's and the others' help, got the supplies out of the portal. Luna waved goodbye as she twirled away to the American Embassy with one of the workers who'd shown up to help. Harry and Mrs Cordero walked into the portal.
After Fenwick mounted the stallion and the thestrals took off, Remus cast a small charm on the clerk who had been a bit bewildered during this exchange. No one needed to remember Harry or anyone else being there, outside the regular delivery crew.
They were off, and the cart worker was surprised to find a signed bowl from the Boy-Who-Lived himself! The lad's work was certainly improving. She pulled out some coins, and purchased it for herself at full price.
It was a treasured item all her days.
She never noticed the hoofprints near her, and the sudden squall of rain soon dispelled that evidence of their passage.
~~ODD~~
The portal point was aimed at the pottery workshop. Harry, walking out of it on a school day, got attention. The unusual apparel he wore was also noted, and Mrs Morris planned to have a little talk with the new Lady Black about it. There was nothin' wrong with the Arglwydd's work ethic, as opposed to Lord James, but unlike his father, he would occasionally dress beneath his station.
Then a wan-looking witch walked through who no one knew. More than one of the workers drew a wand, and the shouting began.
Alejandro happened by, on the way to the racing barn, stopped in his tracks. "Elaina? Elaina?! It can't be! Are you a ghost?" He ran to the woman, tears streaming. Then they shared a deep embrace. She was clutching him in joy; deep, wracking sobs escaping her, but she was rapidly losing strength. Her legs gave out, but Alejandro for all that he was shorter than most, was incredibly strong. He swung her up in his arms, holding her close, dotting her face with tender kisses returned with interest.
Llewellyn Elam looked at the jockey, and cleared his throat. "Excuse me, Mr Cordero. Would you be willing to introduce us?"
The couple stopped kissing, and the woman waved shyly. Elam conjured a bench for the couple and they sat, with her in his lap.
Harry, in a hurry, calmed the cautious people, "This is Alejandro's wife. The same man who's hunting me tried to kidnap me this morning. Well, did kidnap me, actually. I was locked up in a tower and he had her locked down in the dungeon. I think he's going to be mad at me: I stole her and I kinda stole my thestrals back as we left."
"You escaped, young Arglwydd?" one of the workers asked. "And rescued this lady in the process?"
"Yep, and flew on thestrals to a cart. We called for a pick up. We best warn the Welsh crew that Dumbles is going to be extra cranky for a time."
"Ya think?" Sirius asked, showing up to hear the last bit.
Harry and he shared a long, warm hug. Padfoot wiped tears, and pulled the boy into another hug, kissing his forehead gently. "Dan went to…well, we saw you on the map." And hadn't that been a scary thing. Then Abigail was called to school for a missing student – but the House already knew what was up.
Sirius' newest version of the Marauder's Map had alarms. And search functions. And hadn't he been grateful for the notification, if terrified. The team was assembling to get him back, and then he rescued himself! At least Dan knew Harry was back safe.
Carmen had joined the couple on the bench and was chattering at warp speed with her cousin in their native tongue, all the while sharing awkward hugs in their joyful, tear-filled reunion. Alejandro was not letting Elaina go any time soon.
"They made us think you were dead! Oh, I am so glad you are not!" Carmen shared in Spanish.
Then Agent Addams arrived–Moony must have called her–and the welcome celebration was interrupted for a time. Something was said in a foreign language, and it looked like Abigail and Carmen were having their first fight.
Good. Maybe this would be a good time to sneak back to school. Hermione would be frantic! Then the she-wolf turned and pegged him with a glare like a bug. How did she do that?
Harry was worried that he was going to be late for maths class. No, math class. Though he did try to beg for the interrogation to be brief so he could make it back in time. He already had had enough drama with the teachers, he didn't need any more.
Then all of a sudden, Harry was struck by a wave of tiredness. He asked Sirius what time it was. His other him was just getting rescued by Professor Snape. Was it something there, then affecting him now? That didn't seem to make sense. Harry yawned.
"Padfoot? I need to lie down, please." Harry looked ready to faint.
Llewellyn conjured a second bench for the arglwydd. He and Sirius helped get him settled before he fell down.
Sculls, who was feeling very guilty about losing his master, was there in a moment to help, but Abigail needed information. She tried to make it quick, but Harry was fading fast.
Harry knew what this attack meant though and sent Sculls on a mission for him, "Send Dan the snack container. It's important, Sculls." In all of their war planning, Harry didn't count on not being able to act.
The elf nodded, and popped away to do his master's bidding.
"Ricardo! Where's my baby?" Elaina shouted. "I need to see him."
"Do you feel up for a carriage ride? I can ask you a few questions on the ride up to school." Abigail asked very politely, eyeing Carmen.
Alejandro shook his head, "My wife needs a healer. You can ask questions later. Lord Black? Would you be willing to call for Healer Marius? As soon as he is here, I'll go get my son. Our son."
Sirius shook his head, "The healer will be here soon. For Elaina and Harry. I'll go get Ricardo."
Abigail shook her head, "No, I will go sign Ricardo out. The school might be in lockdown, and I have to reassure them that Harry is back, unharmed."
Healer Marius showed up and Harry waved him to see the lady first, "I'm just tired."
Alejandro, carrying his wife, led the healer to their modest tent.
Abigail, who quickly apparated to the school, signed Ricardo out for the day, letting them know Harry was at home. What would the school be thinking?
"What's going on? Is Harry alright? I've been so worried. Everyone has." Ricardo demanded, but he was cut off.
Jam popped him home before she could answer him, much to Agent Addams' consternation. She'd hoped that by escorting him back to the couple, she could get in a couple of questions. Defeated, she headed back to her office, grumbling.
Harry was still on the bench, talking quietly with some of the people when his friend was popped in.
"Harry! Are you alright?" Ricardo gushed in concern.
"I'm fine. You won't believe me when I tell you what happened, but you have a very nice surprise waiting inside your home." Harry shared.
"You didn't need to get me anything! You do too much." His friend objected.
Harry just smiled some more.
Sometimes, his strange, scary life was alright.
~~ODD~~
As soon as Ricardo left to go home, Harry really felt it: He needed a good lie down.
Sirius, seeing the issue, carried Harry like a baby towards the house. Lord Black's strong magic wrapped around the Heir like a blanket. Harry rubbed his face into his godfather's strong shoulders, snuggling deeper in.
"What happened pup? I didn't hear." Sirius asked.
"Was kidnapped, and then Professor"…yawn…"Professor Snape helped us. Glad to be home."
Sirius held him closer. Elves opened doors, and turned down Harry's bed, popping him into pyjamas.
Marius stopped by to check on Harry, "The Corderos are going to the hospital; she needs more help than I can give, but she should be fine. I need to meet up with the team."
Marius' wand was rapidly in motion, "The lad hasn't been bespelled or poisoned... Harry, you're just magically drained, so you need to avoid using magic for a day or so. Pottery is fine when you're rested."
Harry nodded, glad he had an excuse to not go back to school.
The man took his leave, likely timing it too since Harry was pretty sure he'd seen those robes earlier in talking to Dan.
"Sirius? Call Hermione? Tell her I'm"...yawn…"Okay? Oh! And please, give the school my reasons for missing math today?"
"Sure, pup. Sleep well. I need to…" but Harry was already asleep.
~~ODD~~
As Harry was put to bed, a new family was getting settled.
Luna was disappointed to not be able to claim the bedroom at the top of the tower as her own. It was locked to all but Harry, Sirius or Remus.
No fair!
Since her father was going to be living there as well, they were given a family suite; both with their own rooms.
Xeno had just finished setting up the printing press when she arrived. He headed to the office at SAM to complete her registration. He carried a small bag of gold. He had never paid Luna's tuition and had been expecting her back home very soon. He didn't believe a school as good as Salem's would be free.
Xeno loved the new little print shop that would do more custom work like they had done with Harry's cookbook. Magical banners, posters, all sorts of work awaited, hehe! Of course, he would still be publishing the Quibbler.
He had a new source for selling those as well. Those clever little carts were everywhere!
~~ODD~~
When Moony got back from his tasks in the UK, the first thing he wanted to do was make sure Harry was physically okay. He'd been babbling a bit back there.
He tracked down his mate on the mirror who was working this new case.
"Marius told me he sent the Corderos to the hospital. Elaina appears to be in fairly decent shape for being kept a prisoner for so long." Abigail informed him.
"But how's Harry?" Moony demanded.
"Tired. Marius reported in. He's going to give us a fuller report later on, just as I will investigate your actions today in-full unless something unusual happened during the pick-up. I'll talk to you at home, my mate. Forces are moving now. Protect our cubs." Abigail requested very solemnly.
~~ODD~~
Dumbledore discovered the boy gone after dinner. He came into the infirmary and demanded to see Harry, ready or not. Then Poppy claimed not to know anything. Naturally, he demanded that Luna Lovegood be questioned.
Poppy tried to confine him to a bed to run invasive tests on the senile-appearing wizard.
Luna Lovegood had not been there, nor had Harry Potter. No one the man saw had ever been there that day. As far as she knew, Harry Potter had never been in the castle.
Of course, that led him to Professor Snape's quarters. He hadn't come to dinner either.
"Where have you been! I sent you on a very important mission!"
"I tried, Headmaster. I tried. I was flung from the wards, breaking the bones in my arm." He shared, holding his left arm in a temporary sling. "Apparently, they have added safety measures against dark marks". (They did afterwards, for certain) "I feel quite ill, but am treating my injuries on my own, adequately, thanks to my potions stock."
The younger man certainly looked as though he'd been through a magical ringer.
"Have you seen Miss Lovegood?"
"Not since last week's class. Headmaster, may I remind you that you had me prepare substitutes for today in case I was injured in this attempt? I was in Quebec by 10 PM local time last night. I was able to follow the path you suggested perfectly. Well, until I tried to break into the school's air space. Honestly, I'm grateful to have gotten back in one piece." He shared tiredly "I hope to be able to teach by Monday. That Potter brat is as slippery as an eel. I nearly died trying to get him." He finished.
'And would have if you had actually hurt him due to my actions,' Severus thought to himself. Fortunately for him, Dumbledore had no real proficiency in the mind arts, and couldn't detect what he was thinking even if his shields were down.
Albus nodded, "I think the Lovegood girl stole at least one thestral. She's likely flying home. I have a house-elf watching their strange residence, but her father is behind on tuition payments anyway. Best just let her be. Silly witch." The kindly façade was back, but he had yet to express any sympathy or apologies for Severus' fate, however falsified.
The potions master was happy just to see the back of the old dictator.
~~ODD~~
Just outside Hogsmeade, starting earlier that night just before dinner
Dan's team was assembling quickly. 'He dared to kidnap a child from a school? His protege? No!' The green light was given to try again. One of his sergeants was positioned at the side, studying the advanced Marauder's Map that Remus and Sirius had made. The commander was on the mirror, "You can't join us Moody. The Queen's Wizard and other troops are coming. If I fail…"
Moody shook his head, "We'll meet at the Hog's Head at the appointed hour. Be there, Granger."
"Harrington in truth."
"As in Lord Harr…" Moody recovered quickly and focused. "Doesn't matter."
The men had their weapons, supplies, and even fresh snacks that Harry had prepared. Nice of the boy to be concerned about the men.
The minute the headmaster and most of the students were assembled in the Great Hall, the men were in the tunnels. Fortunately, they had a working map. They were watching for allies and enemies alike.
Someone, likely Marius, cast a spell to mask the stench of the dungeon.
They were now in place, with some of the soldiers not understanding their orders. They were told to eat their snacks, and not worry about the litter too much. They were going to use it to detect invisible people walking around.
It made more sense to the full wizards in the group, rather than the Adepts, but they did as they were bid.
Not a few of the Black Watch arrived using a similar but different secret passage. They were passed warm, hot snacks from a house-elf, shrugged, and enjoyed.
A pair, not belonging to either the military group or Black Watch showed up, so Dan went over to them. Ambrose was setting up; a vial of crimson liquid in his hand.
"Is that blood, Healer Marius?" Ian MacMurrary asked, looking a bit green.
"Sadly, yes. Such a waste." Byron Ambrose answered, "Have no fear that we are doing dark magic here. No, we are undoing dark magic. Decades of it, I fear."
The sergeant watching the map gave the warning, and everyone went to their assigned positions.
And then the first crunch of the night was heard.
~~ODD~~
Why were the torches off? The stupid castle seemed to be more at odds with him, lately, than ever before, going on and off as he descended to his sanctuary. Ah, how the dark magic sang to him.
He looked to the right. Normally, once he got this far, the charm on the dungeon cell would broadcast the tears of his little royal captive.
Such a marvelous song.
Now, as he got towards the end of darkened steps, he heard a crunch. Was that a mouse skeleton? Then he stepped again.
He really shouldn't have cast a banishing charm. As anyone knows who has tried to clean up from monkey nuts, as they were called locally, or peanuts, the shells and the dust and the debris just got everywhere.
The lights came up, and Ian acted.
As the dark wizard opened his mouth to cast again, it was suddenly filled with the prepared and preserved peanut butter. Not conjured, no. It was real Harry Potter ™ Peanut Butter on a silver spoon.
Albus really should thank Harry for the privilege of having that hold his lips together: There were much worse things that could have been used.
Unless of course, one was allergic to peanuts.
As the man fell, several burly military men acted. They lined up the man in the middle of the well-used ritual circle. The bindings worked on him as they were strictly muggle in nature - no magic at all.
The man was choking. A medic took the spoon out, but the peanut butter was left behind.
Ambrose had them all step back so that he could start the ritual. A dozen wizards were surrounding the dark circle.
Dumbledore tried to scream in protest, but he had no air. He was turning blue, fighting bindings, and clearly very angry. He tried to hold up his arm, like he was calling a phoenix, but nothing came. No one came to rescue him.
Byron took that moment to cast a spell, and pocketed a vial, but no one knew what he did as it wasn't obvious.
Healer Marius, Byron Ambrose, and Ian himself chanted the words that would attempt to revoke the blood protection the old wizard had stolen. Ghosts from the castle started to show up, first to protest, but then just to watch.
A loud bell rang out, likely waking the sleeping students, but it was clearly a warning. Something important was about to happen.
And the sound was heard for miles around.
The long-held protections were breaking. For a moment, the man's beard seemed to disappear, the face changed, but it reappeared quickly, longer than before. The man screamed in pain and broke free. No!
The wizards around the circle moved back and into formation; so they wouldn't hit their allies, and lined up to face the angry elderly man. Sirius' magical shield protected them from death from the man's wandless magic, but nothing was being very effective against Dumbledore: They had failed!
Then the old mage summoned his wand back from the medic who had pocketed it.
The Queen's magician saw the danger, and activated the group portkey, but not before two things happened quickly, in succession:
Marius spelled forgetfulness draught into the old wizard. He wouldn't be able to remember the last half hour.
The second action was that Dan got one non-magical shot off. It went a bit wide as the portkey activated, but Dan saw that it was still being deflected. The shot had come closer than in the past before being blocked. But the old man's shield held.
The discouraged team left, but they had done more damage than they realized.
~~ODD~~
The man was getting old, and must have nodded off at his desk. He had no idea that an elf had cast a sleep charm on him and popped him up here, cleaning off all evidence from the failed fight. He woke angry and remembered nothing except the Lovegood chit's theft.
Scowling, Albus wrote a note to the head of the DMLE about the theft of the thestrals; that had disappeared and were reportedly seen in Wales. This was when his bad day went worse. An old report showed that Seneschal Lupin claimed Hogwarts had failed to pay the rental fees for the beasts, and the school also failed to return them. That initial report was more than a decade old!
Albus was fined, for the last eleven years, and was told that if House Potter allowed the thestrals to return, he best allow them passage to return home, or the Black Watch would be called out!
'Director Scrimgeour' wasn't as afraid of Albus as he should be for his own health and welfare. Luckily, this was 'weary grandfather' day. The fine was paid, and the head of the DMLE was allowed to leave without further consequences.
Nothing had gone right that day!
Then, when he poured himself tea with a bit of milk, he spat it out. The milk had gone off, and his snack was cold.
Stupid elves. He looked forward to the day that all of them could be exterminated like the rodents they were.
~~ODD~~
The next piece of hideous news was a letter. Albus received a notice from one of his friends in Romania. He said that 'payment for the last cycle had not been sent, and thus, he was no longer under contract. He doubted if his brothers wanted to continue working for someone like him, either.'
No! First the Austrians, and now the Romanians? Was he going to be left with no troops, no soldiers at all? He was no longer handsome or charismatic. How could this old man gain new followers? He wanted to weep in frustration.
Another letter waiting for him had the Gringotts stamp: The goblins were still demanding rent on a property he no longer regularly resided at. He ignored it.
And yet another letter. In this one, he was threatened by a criminal from America, and warned to leave his little girl alone. Only he didn't name her. Didn't the man realize that a bit more than half of the wizarding population was female at birth, and the percentage rose as he killed those that annoyed him? How could he avoid her if he didn't know what her name was?
Maybe he should take some tea and calm down. Purchased tea. He'd send a human servant. Or maybe ask Poppy for some. She had her own elf here.
By the next morning, he really didn't remember seeing Potter. A specific obliviate potion, made by Severus, served in his earlier replacement tea had done its work. After hearing Severus' tale of the previous day once again, he was convinced he had just dreamed of success.
And had a nightmare about being bound and having peanut butter stuffed into his mouth. Awful!
He hoped for a moment the correspondence had been dreamt as well. Sadly, those nightmares proved unchanged.
Professor Snape hid his small smile of success and pretended to need potions all weekend. And tried to convince Dittany to explain to the castle elves why they had to pretend to cooperate with the headmaster, otherwise, he would figure out the elves were taking revenge for Harry's kidnap; He would realize he'd been fooled.
She reluctantly saw his point, and talked to Juniper. No elf was happy about it, but they would obey the potions master, as they viewed he was really in charge of the castle. He held the wards after all.
And unlike his bunking off, in reality, Severus was feeling better than he ever had in his life and gladly responded to the message received from the warriors in the group.
He rested and waited for notification on when to act. Excellent.
~~ODD~~
Harry didn't want to waste the whole day in bed, so when midnight came, he happily spun the turner back to be awake and aware when Hermione was getting home.
He needed to hug her and reassure himself she hadn't also been taken. He was a bit shaky himself.
He dressed carefully, and was just taking the last step when she burst in the door ahead of everyone else.
"Harry! Sirius called…" They hugged for a long moment. Both wanted to share sweet kisses, but kept it to cheek kisses with Hermione and warm hugs shared all around with everyone else.
"They're saying you flew away because of the math test." Neville shared, very glad to see his godbrother unhurt. "I didn't see what happened as I was busy.
"I did it Harry! I got my flying license. Not that I plan on doing anything more than framing it for my mother. She's terrified of heights. Oh, she can fly, and does, but doesn't like it."
The rest were all trading different theories of Harry's disappearance when Emma came in right then, "Harry? Aren't you supposed to be resting? Snacks are ready. Come, get some tea, and then you can lie down until dinner."
After eating, he really was tired, and was happily chivied off to bed.
~~ODD~~
Friday, Oct 30th still, Black Keep
Xeno looked at the clock.
He'd best hurry. He'd missed both lunch and dinner, and didn't want to miss the family meal together.
Time travel, even muggle time travel, hurt his head, so he tried not to think about it too hard.
He'd already been questioned by the local authorities. He really wasn't surprised to see more than one uniform at the table.
"Where's Alejandro?" Harry was worried, though he felt nearly human after his second afternoon nap.
Alice shared, "The whole family is at the hospital, godson. Don't worry. It's likely for only a couple of days, and they'll be back. Now, can you let us know just what happened to you today?"
And boy howdy did the lad have a story for them! Dan wasn't back yet, and the others didn't normally dine with them so weren't missed.
~~ODD~~
After dinner, Amelia took Bathilda aside. Abigail saw, and asked to come along. Dan had shared a bit with just the adults over the mirror: Marius and Ambrose would work on a solution, and wanted to talk with Elaina once she was out of the hospital.
The former DMLE Director asked the elder, "Did ever hear any rumors of Albus doing this terrible ritual?"
Madam Bagshot shook her head, "Goodness me! I remember him as a boy. Smart. Always reading. Got invited to work with the Flamels. Oh, my, he seemed to be on his way to greatness.
"Then Gellert came to visit…Well, that's not important. I just thought if anyone…well, like I said, it's not important.
"That was a very long way to say 'no' wasn't it? I'm feeling tired. I'll see you two young ladies tomorrow. I'm so sad that such potential has chosen such an evil path. But we can fight him, and we will defeat him."
Abigail was concerned about the old woman, but Amelia hadn't noticed anything odd at all.
~~ODD~~
Sirius' monitor ward went off. Poor Harry! Marius had warned him that Harry would eventually come to grips with his kidnap. The animagus was quickly at Harry's side, holding the sobbing boy.
"Why couldn't I just take care of him right then? Why didn't I…How could he do this to me? What did he plan for me? What does he want with me?"
No one had yet told Harry that the ritual to reclaim the blood protections had failed. No one knew it had been partially successful.
"I didn't realize it at the time, but her cell was next to an open stone area. The smell! I had a nightmare where I was the one bleeding in the center, the magic leaving me…"
Sirius pulled him close, and cast a warming charm on the boy silently. He wanted to hush him, to not hear the horrors involved, but had to let the boy talk.
Harry shared a few more details of his nightmare, and the reality of the situation the day before. Padfoot just held him and patted his back in comfort.
When Harry ran out of words he just quietly cried. He had never been allowed to just cry when he was younger. When the tears were ending, Sirius spoke up.
"You went through something terrible, but you also learned some things about Hogwarts and about yourself. Everyone who has faced a battle or difficult situation can torture themselves with 'if only'. I think we should see your mind-healer as soon as possible.
"What no one is going to tell you is 'just get over it'."
Harry realized that Sirius was likely talking of himself. As a student, had Padfoot gone to friends and had them tell him that? Walburga was known for dark rituals: Harry was not going to ask Sirius what he'd seen or suffered through. He could only hope his godfather had been allowed to voice those demons with his own mind-healer.
"In my dream, I messed up the stupid math test horribly. She saw me crying part-way through and thought I was faking! It made me so angry, and so humiliated, and so…something. I felt helpless, Padfoot. It wasn't, but it felt real. And I did try to insist on getting back to school. Why would it matter? Why wouldn't I just stay home? It felt important to get back and pretend everything was alright. I'm glad I got to stay home.
"I really, really want to do something nice for Professor Snape. He buys stuff through Lord Greengrass. I want him to have something as a reward. I can't just ignore what he did. He couldn't warn us about this; he'd break his oath. But you have to be nicer to him at ODD meetings."
"Snivellus is the one that kidnapped you?! I didn't know that! When I get my wand on him…"
"NO! Stop! Don't you see?! He risked everything. And unlike any other person at Hogwarts, he feels he would never be welcome here because of YOU! I love you, Padfoot, I do. But you're not twelve anymore, and you really need to grow up and get over whatever happened between you two. Please! He rescued me! He saved my life! Please, I have to do something nice for him and you need to be nicer."
"Okay! Okay! I'll try, pup. I promise." Sirius hadn't watched the memory yet of the kidnap, but Remus had and had said much the same thing.
Remus also pointed out something else. Aurors never showed up at the cart while he was there, so the fake arrest report seemed to have been taken care of. They could have all been captured a second time, or started a battle. Moony forgot about that in concern for Harry.
"Can I sleep with you tonight?" Harry asked in a small, ashamed voice.
"Of course. Just let me give Carmen a heads-up. She'll want to.…brush her hair." Sirius stated.
Harry couldn't help but giggle. Was that the new code for putting on a dressing gown?
Feeling much better, they headed for the Master's suite. Harry slept on the very, very comfy couch, while the adults transfigured armchairs into recliners, and the elves brought extra blankets; they all slept well until morning.
~~ODD~~
Saturday, Oct 31st, Black Keep
Higgs Weaver was back in time for breakfast, as was Abigail. The Lupins mostly ate in their own cottage in the mornings, so today was an exception.
Their wedding might have been as quiet as could be, but it seemed like everyone knew about it in the area, and now everyone knew about little Teddy too. The fact that she was keeping her name didn't surprise anyone in the village - hers was an old family name.
Teddy must have picked up on something, and was practically sitting in Harry's lap. No one better be mean to Hawwy around Thomas Lupin!
Abigail and Higgs were going to be escorting Harry to school starting on Monday for the time being. They just wanted to make sure he was alright.
"Because of Snape's trick with making the Hogwarts matron forget you'd been at the castle, everyone is treating this as a need-to-know event. We don't want Dumbles knowing you really were there by us lodging an official complaint.
"Only Coach Brown knows what happened, but he'll keep it quiet. The story going around school is that you fled an unwanted failing grade in math class. Please, don't fight it."
Harry nodded, accepting that Dumbledore had to be kept in the dark: he more importantly wanted to preserve Snape's life as well as the twins, even if they were no longer at Hogwarts.
Then Alice lowered the boom. None of the students living at the manor, especially Harry and Ricardo, were going to be allowed to fly brooms at school anymore. At least not on the pitch. The wards clearly didn't cover that area well, and until the security-hole was addressed, they had to be careful.
Harry tried to come up with an argument against this unfair action. 'No!'
Neville and Sally-Anne shared high-fives while Hermione glared at the parents. Couldn't they see how upset Harry was? He was born to fly!
Luna just hmm'd and reminded everyone they could always fly in the arena at home. It didn't require a pegasus to enter. Oh, and they'd be by on Thursday or so.
Neville spun his head around, "And just who are you?"
~~ODD~~
Healer Marius felt very depressed. Had they gotten the ritual wrong? Or done the wrong ritual?
Byron Ambrose was studying the script. They were there! At the original site where Dumbles had gotten the protection…then he hit his head. "What had Carmen said? About stealing her grandmother's blood back?"
Marius swore. "We need to tell Moody. We're going to have to find the other places. But how are we going to get Dumbledore there?"
Ambrose smirked and pulled out a vial. "We don't need the whole man. Just some blood."
"But the protection?!"
"Didn't protect him from getting potions, or having a medical charm performed." Byron smiled most evilly. "And you, taught me that spell."
"There's a chink in his armor then! We did it! We did it!" Marius hugged his long-time friend.
Ambrose smiled, and pulled out his mirror to call Moody.
~~ODD~~
Sunday, Nov 1st, Black Keep
Ricardo ran up to Harry as he was feeding some of the non-racing stock. Cordero still bowed to the stallion in his stall. Polite was polite.
Then Ricardo lunged towards Harry.
"HARRY! You did it! You did it! I always wondered what happened to my mother! We didn't know…you saved her! Thank you, thank you, thank you for being my friend!"
Harry smiled, "I'm glad something good came out of this. It must be great getting her back. And I bet your mother can help too, once she's better. I mean…sorry. That was very unkind…Sorry."
"No, she's as feisty as Cousin Carmen. Dad says it was Lady Magic that brought us here; brought our family together, but I think it was a Higher Power. I will never forget. Never!"
Harry pointed at Alejandro's old wand holster that Ricardo was still using, "What about your mother's wand?"
"I gave it back to her. I'll be using the one the school had made for me. I didn't want to use it at first because it was…oh Harry! I don't need it because I have her!"
Susan came in just then, "Hi Ricardo. Wow, amazing news about your mum! Aunt Amelia is going to want to talk to her when she's feeling better. Just to give you a warning."
Then the redhead looked at Harry, "You are nothing like the story books. You are so much better. I'm really sorry about flying lessons. I've already complained to Moody. I pointed out that we need defensive and offensive flying training."
"You are not letting Alastor Moody conduct strafing runs in the new arena! Alice will….no. Just no. Dan might approve though." Then Harry thought of something.
Many of the coaches at school did private tutoring. They gave out cards and everything. The flying coach wanted to help Harry and Ricardo! Harry had Wagner Brown's card here somewhere.
"Uh oh, I know that look. Hold on, Ricardo; Harry has another idea." Susan teased.
"Yeah, I do. But it's a good one, and both of you will benefit."
Ricardo was still grinning, "I trust you, Harry. Whatever you have in mind."
"I solemnly swear, I am up to no good." the junior marauder promised.
~~ODD~~
Luna added not only another witch to the mix (Harry, Ricardo, Terry and Neville were feeling outflanked), she added a bit of whimsy and mayhem.
She liked pranks nearly as much as Padfoot, and that was saying something.
But she was never vicious nor did she hurt anyone.
Harry felt she took lessons on deportment from the fairies she traveled with. Harry didn't remember 'rescuing' a giggle of fairies, nor a small herd of unicorns, yet both were now in residence.
~~ODD~~
Harry and Hermione cautiously approached the pasture. They were trying to track down a missing 'griff foal, and didn't want to scare it into hurting itself.
How had it gotten into the unicorn paddock? Were the wards not working?
Watching a baby unicorn, all golden, trying to make friends with Vendaval's latest foal was just too precious for words. Especially with them both trying to fly!
Hermione went over and offered pets and treats to both babies, not realizing they had drawn a crowd watching them. Someone even got some pictures.
It was just what the family needed after the terrible scare they had suffered.
~~ODD~~
Harry had only heard Alejandro raise his voice a few times in his life. He was facing down Agent Addams and some of her crew. Amelia Bones was standing shoulder to shoulder with Abigail.
"How dare you practically attack her?! Have you no sympathy? No compa, compa…compasión? Do you not care? My wife has been a prisoner for years! She will tell you her story in her own time, in her own way."
Harry put down the saddle he was carrying, and went to stand next to the jockey. "I thought you and Elaina were taking off to the Island for a while?" Harry hinted.
Harry thought it a bit unfair that Black Island was warded well enough for others to visit but not him. He couldn't go anywhere!
At least this meant he finally got a real sleepover with Ricardo. The Cordero son was officially staying in the manor, as if anyone could stop a friend of Harry's from being welcome.
Alejandro relaxed a bit. "We are, but Elaina wanted to spend a couple of days with Ricardo first."
Harry listened intently, keeping one eye on the father of one of his best mates and the other on the three leos, "Reasonable. And it's not like Elaina was the attacker or an evil, vicious dark-magic user."
After she had been healed, Elaina had gone through the first of several planned cleansing rituals.
"No, of course not, Lord Potter. But if she can provide…" Mr something-I'm God's-Gift's replacement had not been introduced before, but Harry presumed he was here after a thorough check. He was old, much older than the ladies, and Harry thought someone had been brought out of retirement.
Harry stepped between the law enforcement officers (leos) and the Latin couple. With a hard stare, but an overly-friendly tone said, "Thank you for dropping by and expressing your concerns. The Corderoes are leaving soon, and will be happy to make an appointment to see you when it's convenient. For them, that is.
"Sculls, Pepper, Jam. We have guests who were just leaving." Arglwydd Potter commanded, and they snapped to.
House-elves truly had ways beyond words to let you know you had angered them. Again.
Before Abigail could open her mouth to complain, she was popped back into her own comfortable lodge, pushed into a chair, and magically stuck to it. Livy delivered a tray of tea. Cold leftover tea from the hall, with a few limp pastries from breakfast.
Amelia was taken by Sculls to her office in City Hall and left with nothing to eat or drink. The door appeared to be stuck and didn't open for an hour. She couldn't apparate out due to the wards at HQ, and didn't know how to use the telephone there yet.
The old man, who was new, and had just been reactivated, was returned to the MFBI main office without injury, but seemed to have been dragged through the pond first.
"Oops. Pepper most sorry. Pepper still learning. Please forgive." Pepper then delivered a mug of his special hot chocolate to the older man.
It was cold, but had a lovely peppery taste.
The couple was now at Black Island. Ricardo would be back for the next school day. After spending a few days with his parents on the island, and away from pushy law enforcement.
Time travel. Gotta love it for situations like this.
~~ODD~~
Harry was doing an advanced piece with Gran Elsbeth while Hermione worked on the wheel with Mrs Helena's help.
She had been having problems getting the walls of her pot too thin and having them collapse in. It took time to build up skills and her teacher was being patient; showing her carefully.
Harry planned to do something nice for Mrs Helena, for all her help. She really was a great teacher for the basics.
When they were done for the day, and washing up, Hermione's face was beaming. She had successfully made a pot for growing plants. It was currently drying, and she was debating colors and glazes in her mind.
Harry gave her a warm hug. Of all of his friends, Hermione was the only one who had stuck it out and was happily participating in lessons. Pottery wasn't easy and she didn't have what others called a natural affinity for the clay like Harry had.
He figured his gift came from the Family Magic and Hermione would do better once they were married. Wait. Had he just voiced that thought out loud?
Hermione kissed his cheek. "I think we should wait for another year or two before doing that, but I'm sure it will help."
Her chocolate eyes were laughing, not at him, but with him. "Thank you for not killing me, Hermione. I really do like you."
"I know." She kissed his cheek before whispering, "I really like you too."
~~ODD~~
A/N: edited after Alix33 comments 22 Feb 2024
ODD (Order Defying Dumbledore)
A/N: My bestie MelJ recommends: Gone Fishing - Writing Post Cards By: Ebenbild
There's a *sirius* situation taking place in Azkaban. The wardens see just one way out of imminent insanity: they ask the Minister for sick leave. In Azkaban, it has always been a one-against-all mentality, now, there can be only one - either the wardens or Sirius Black. Sadly, it seems as if the Black insanity is winning. Crack. AU! Sirius in Azkaban story.
s/14245110/4/Gone-Fishing-Writing-Post-Cards
A/N: Your story recommendation here -
~~ODD~~
ƺ parseltongue
₲ galleons
₰ sickles
ķ knuts
Ɠ Goblin language
O.D.D. (Order Defying Dumbledore)
Copyright: The original books are all owned by JK Rowling and her associates. This piece is the intellectual property of the writer VashonBeader and her beta LtsHrIt4ThBoyz and is not to be used or sold elsewhere under any other name.