Many thanks tot hose who reviewed, and offered genuine accolades and advice, your words were appreciated greatly, especially with the RL problems I've been having concerning my laptop having a hardware failure while away at college. even now I am writing on a backup borrowed from a generous roommate, while my primary is off to the manufacturers for repair (hurray for warrantees). as part of the next chapter, I remind people to please review, as every extra bit of encouragement to continue writing is greatly appreciates, and make a follow up invitation to ask me questions regarding the story, as I will within reason answer them, so long as they are not primarily plot point spoilers, of which I will tell you on a case-by-case basis. with that said, here is the next chapter, as we draw near to the end of the PoA year section. ~F
Chapter Thirty Eight
Schemes
Hermione left Professor Dumbledore's office later that day, her brain swimming with new information and almost into a full headache from the questions that she still had regarding it all.
Apparently, she had only ever known the very tip of the iceberg when it came to the powers of the Arcane, despite her incredible advances, as per Dumbledore's words, but through his own brilliance and the assistance of Merlin the Guardian of Avalon, and Hermione was still trying to wrap her mind around the full importance of that, had sped him to even greater heights of Arcane knowledge that she had with her time as a Mage.
And then there was the knowledge that those that had kidnapped Harry had used him to force open a portal to Avalon and free Morgan le Faye, who seemed to have her own ideas of what to do in destroying the world. Hermione had demanded to help them fight the mad witch, but Dumbledore had only given her a neutral response. Naturally the man wanted to protect one of his students, but Hermione was determined. She alone of all the other student mages was strong enough to actually lend assistance to their group, and the more Arcane wielders they had the better, she had argued.
In the end, she departed with a promise that they would at least notify her when they learned where Morgan was, and the decision on whether she would assist would be brought back up then. That was when Hermione had know that she had won, as when such a circumstance occurred, there would not be time to hem and haw over the details. She would fight and prove herself to her mentors that she could indeed live up to their expectations.
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Severus knew that Black was still working with Albus and Moody, but seeing the vile mutt here in his own office was rapidly growing too much for even his cold patience to handle. However, there was something different in the man's stance as he stood before him, and the almost pleading in his voice when he demanded his burning question regarding Potter that gave Severus more tolerance… barely.
Naturally, the big question was what to actually do about this situation. His brain told him to not say anything, and follow what Dumbledore had ordered regarding keeping the secret of Nobu'tan from Sirius, but his heart and his gut wanted to speak, in part to watch the man suffer with the knowledge and in part relieve a pitiful creature of the diabolic pain of not knowing.
Still, he also had to factor in that that more desirable option had him spending far too much of his precious time in the man's presence than he would ever wish upon himself. Black could probably see the conflict on Severus' face, but he stood there, bold as brass despite the clear ache of wanting to know the truth reeking off of him.
"That will require a great deal of information," Severus settled on saying, hoping that the man might lose his nerve and give up the quest for such dark secrets, especially getting it from Severus himself. Mostly Severus did not want to deal with the fallout of what might happen should he be the one to tell Black this information, but he forgot that Black was the Gryffindor to end all Gryffindors, and the man stood his ground. "I will hear all of what is needed to know what happened to my Godson. I know Moody and Albus are keeping things from me, and even if it's for your own sick pleasure regarding it, you will at least tell me the truth."
It was a very correct and astute assumption, Severus had to admit, but now he was truly in a bind. There was no avoiding the concept that if he refused to answer Black, the man would continue to literally hound him until he broke and angrily told him everything, with full intent to harm him as much as possible, which naturally was exactly what Black wanted.
Therefore there was only one sure method to remove the need of future contact with the mutt, although that might prove to be equally painful for the moment. "Sit…" he requested, going straight for his personal stores of Firewhiskey, he would need something to quiet the churning of his stomach at having to do this.
After, and only after, downing at least three small glasses of the powerful liquor did Severus turn back to face Black. Crossing to his normal winged armchair, Severus sat heavily, resigned to what was about to occur in his office: a civil conversation with the man who attempted to have him brutally injured or killed when they were but teenagers.
"When Albus found Potter back in the ruins of Godric's Hollow, something was drastically different…" he began, almost monotone to show his displeasure at relaying any of this information, but Black did not comment. Instead he sat listening, captivated; trying to find any sort of hidden meaning or whatever else he was seeking.
Only three times throughout the entire retelling did Black interrupt to ask a clarifying question, and Severus took it in stride, despite wanting to grind his teeth until they shattered at hearing that man's voice in his private sanctuary. But dutifully, he explained, and continued, wanting to get through the traumatic experience for the pair of them as quickly as possible.
When he finally arrived at the summer between Potters second and what would have been third years, and the events that led to the boy's abrupt escape from the school, Black grew very still, listening as Severus described the black magic that the boy performed, the creature he had summoned, which Merlin had later confirmed as an imp, one of the scouts of the Legion.
Everything snowballed from there: the battle at the Ministry that Albus and Moody attended, the attack at the isle of Avalon, the release of Merlin and Morgan, and the resultant battle at the edge of the sea where Potter and his band of Fel magic users aided them in defeating the madwoman and driving her away to who-knew-where.
"So that is the answer, then?" Sirius stated after several long moments of silence following Severus finishing the tale. "Harry, little Harry that I carried on my back when he was only a year old has been turned into some power-hungry dark wizard, hell bent on destroying our world for some unknown reason, betraying us all to a ravaging horde of demons that seek to literally burn the universe…"
Severus could see the fractures forming in the man's mind without the use of Legilimency, but there was little he could, or wished, to do regarding it. "I've sated your curiosity, Black, now I suggest you return to wherever it is you are hiding before some student comes to speak with me and discovers a mad murderer in my office…"
But Black didn't move. If anything he seemed to just slump further in upon himself. "I've failed them all over again," he mumbled, speaking more to himself than Severus, but the words froze his heart nonetheless.
He knew exactly what the man was referring to. As Potter's godfather, it was his responsibility first and foremost to care for Potter's spawn in the event that he and sweet Lily died, and instead he set off on a path of petty revenge, that denied him his freedom for twelve years and led to all this madness. In a sense, all this could have been avoided if the man had taken his responsibilities more seriously, and not gone after Pettigrew.
But then, in the same vein of things, it was equally Severus' fault, having told the Dark Lord about the prophecy that had the madman target the Potters in the first place. He wasn't about to share this with Black of all people, but the guilt scorched like a branding iron, worse than any pain Severus had experienced from the Dark Mark that he had born like a traitors symbol for the same twelve years.
Finally, it seemed that the man did manage to pull himself somewhat back together, and solidified his resolve. "Yes, Albus has the right idea then," he said firmly, "this Legion must be stopped… Harry must be stopped, and we will capture him back and cure him of these delusional ideas, and make absolutely sure that he is healed of this dark magic."
Severus said nothing, knowing that Black was on one of his mad schemes, which were a force to be reckoned with, that is if his seven years at Hogwarts were anything to stand as firsthand knowledge. "Thank you, Severus," Black said, pronouncing his name correctly for the first time since the pair had known each other, and Severus couldn't help the shudder of revulsion that rampaged through him at hearing his rival and hated enemy name him with anything but loathing, but Black had already crossed to the door, shifted into his mangy canine form, and departed.
Severus quickly closed the door, wondering what on earth he had just unleashed onto the world.
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Nobu'tan was greatly pleased with the prospects of the Fel Veela. The gift that had been provided by the blood of a Pit Lord greatly changed their dispositions, and made them perfect tools to add to his growing number of allies and pawns. The Legion was slowly granting him the strength to make a stand, as they probably could sense through his ties to the Fel powers that he was nearing the culmination of his goal.
He wondered if Gul'dan would be proud to see all that his apprentice had accomplished in three short years. In time, Nobu'tan hoped to show the orc warlock all these things firsthand, when he was at last reunited with the one who had granted him all this knowledge and power in the first place.
He and Teg'Ramm had quickly returned to Malfoy Manor after that fateful ritual night, leaving the newly form clan of Veela to their own devises for the time being, knowing that he had complete control over them now if whenever he chose to call them into his service.
Normally he would have wanted to make use of these new servants as quickly as possible, but he had little choice with Dumbledore still in Britain, no doubt trying to keep an eye on his whereabouts even as Merlin strove to locate Morgan.
That was another sore point for Nobu'tan. The dark powers that the ancient witch served were quite unlike anything that he had expected or experienced, corrupting and vile, utterly repulsive to Nobu'tan by their very nature, albeit their similarities to some of what he wielded and was taught by Gul'dan.
"Shadow magic…" he said, the name springing to mind in a flash as he walked the grounds of Malfoy Manor, lost in thought over what had to be done in the near future. That was the only possible name for such a power, and its darkness was nearing a total eclipse. Where the warlock sought fire and death through demonic might, these Shadow wielders, Morgan and her abominations seemed to be set to utterly annihilate everything, themselves included.
What madness was it that drove one to such ends, he wondered. Nobu'tan was broken out of his thoughts be someone walking toward him, boots crunching the gravel of the path between several decorative plants.
Looking up, Nobu'tan gazed curiously at Lucius as the other man approached. "What news?" he asked. There was little that would make Lucius immediately seek him out when the man knew Nobu'tan to be on his property, usually waiting until they ran into each other, either at meals or in the room where the other members of the Order met regularly.
"I've reached the end of any research that I could possibly make to find the Elder Wand, my Lord," Lucius said, pride in his voice. He then began a short tale of how he had searched through the forgotten lore passed down by generations of wizards, each recording some Dark Lord who claimed to have an unstoppable wand, tracing it through history until it just vanished into legend, until a certain wand maker on the continent started to claim possession of the great Elder Wand, and was seeking to learn how it was constructed.
"I went and found this man, Mykew Gregorovitch, in his little village, and spoke at length to him regarding his claim to the wand. And he confirmed that he indeed had such a item in his possession, before it was stolen from him by a young man in the early 1900s, a young man that wizarding communities would know quite well as the Dark Lord Grindlewald. There comes a great reputation as to the man who had defeated this particular Dark Lord…"
"Dumbledore…" Nobu'tan finished, guessing where the idea was going. "You suspect that Dumbledore has the Elder Wand, the last item we seek to open this world to the Legion."
"I do indeed, which leads to a great many complications…" Lucius agreed.
A great many problems was an understatement to say the least. Not only was Dumbledore impressively powerful as a wizard, but Nobu'tan could feel the brilliant man's mind even as he tapped into the powers of the Arcane, the old man rapidly sealing the gap of power that separated Nobu'tan from the rest of the magic users on this planet.
"I will need more power if I am to fight Dumbledore himself over the control of that wand, but I certainly hope that your information is false somewhere along the line. The less interaction we have with that old man, the better for us all…" Nobu'tan said, seething inside. He may hope it wasn't true, but he greatly suspected that Lucius was right in his assumptions, as the pureblood Lord was rarely incorrect, and wouldn't share such information unless he was strongly convinced of it.
He would have to converse with his benefactors in the Legion, and see if he had any other options left if it came to a full out duel between him and the old man. Surely there was another option, but for the time being Nobu'tan could see little others available to him.
"For now, I believe it is time I resume my place at Durmstrang," Nobu'tan declared, catching the attention of Lucius.
"Return to Durmstrang, for what reason? I was under the impression that it served its purpose in hiding you for a short time," the man asked.
"And it most certainly did Lucius," Nobu'tan responded, "but now I believe there may be something else waiting for me when I arrive, not to mention that several of my possessions still remain in that castle, and I want them back."
Lucius said nothing, and Nobu'tan knew that the man had little say whether he chose to depart or not, and thus wisely held his tongue. "I don't intend to remain there for long. I need to be on hand when Morgan is found, as I doubt that Merlin and Dumbledore have the numbers to defeat her and her monstrosities on their own. They will call for me, and loath as I am to help them, this is an unacceptable threat that must be dealt with."
"Will you need anything to take with you, or shall I simply send for the ogre magi to escort you?" Lucius said, trying to be helpful.
"No, I should be safe enough on my own this time," Nobu'tan said, waving the man off from trying to hover over him like a pseudo-parent. Turning slowly, the warlock summoned a surge of Fel magic and carved his dark portal into the very air, opening the tunnel of space to his room in the tower of Durmstrang. Stepping through and allowing it to collapse behind him, Nobu'tan quickly waved his hand, channeling Arcane energy to animate many of the objects, so that they began organizing themselves for him and preparing for his departure, meanwhile Nobu'tan himself left the room to explore the halls of the school once more, and see what his presence might turn up.
Unsurprisingly, little had changed about the northern school, although it seemed that many of the students had taken note of the extended absence that Nobu'tan had taken well past the end of the winter holidays. Many of the students looked up at him as he passed, and a few even greeted him casually, but the best reaction by far was from the small collectives that had congregated in classes that he had sat in upon during his first stay, peppering him with typical teenage questions.
Nobu'tan indulged them for a short time, actually enjoying the sensation of being welcomed back to their school for a bit, and informing them that he was only returning for a short time before leaving again, but perhaps he would return in the near future. And that was partially true, as there was little for him to truly do once Morgan was defeated and they waited for an opening to seek the Elder Wand, outside of gathering more allies.
The same collectives that had flocked to him in hopes of learning the power of the Fel returned to his side, escorting him through the halls as their passing periods between classes allowed, and Nobu'tan was suitably impressed with their collective progress without his direct presence. Nowhere near what Granger or Draco had accomplished in a similar amount of time, but impressive nonetheless.
Once Nobu'tan was satisfied that his presence had been noted by most of the school, he made his way back to the tower where his private room was located, to finalize his preparations to return to the manor, only being stopped once as Karkaroff appeared around a corner.
"Ah, Mr. Potter, finished with you business back in Britain I presume?" he asked silkily, the same sickening desire to preen before the young warlock making Nobu'tan itch to ease the man's passing quickly.
"Not quite, I was simply returning to collect some important items I had left behind in my haste to go the first time, but I intend to return once that business is finally completed." He responded, and the ex-Death Eater turned Headmaster nodded, completely misunderstanding the reasoning that Nobu'tan had given or implied.
"Well, I hope you well on whatever it may be." He said, turning to depart, and Nobu'tan wondered if the man actually did know what the warlock was up to with Lucius, but was simply wise enough to keep silent.
Shrugging off the thought as unimportant, Nobu'tan entered the chamber, where all his items had long finished assembling themselves and shrinking down to fit within one small trunk, which was waiting for Nobu'tan to close and shrink further so that it could be carried upon his person.
Doing so quickly, Nobu'tan then glanced at a small timepiece that was upon a mantle in the room. The entire trip, including his lengthy walk about the castle, had taken less than a few hours at most, giving him plenty of time before he was expected back at Malfoy Manor. Smirking to himself, the warlock weaved a new portal of darkness, leaping through to the dirty side streets of Knockturn Ally, casually pulling his hood over his face and enchanting his voice to sound old and decrepit to anyone who did not know him personally.
Dark robes flowing around him as he walked, Nobu'tan enjoyed the familiar views of the dark portion of the wizarding shopping center, the winter cheer all but dead within the winding side street. Most he encountered subconsciously moved aside to let Nobu'tan pass, unable to recognize him but sensing a powerful individual, and knowing that it was best not to cross him.
Sadly, there was little of magical importance that caught the warlock's eye this time through the place, and he wandered until he came upon a seedy looking tavern, with dimmed candlelight within and a haze of some sort that shrouded many of the patrons. Little did Lucius or most of the Order know, but despite his young age, the nature of an orcish background had given Nobu'tan many extra experiences that likely, if known, would have made the younger members green with jealousy. One such was that Nobu'tan was already quite familiar with the taste and power of alcohol.
Although, due to his magical nature and strength, he had never been inebriated by what few drinks he had had in his life thus far, and the addictiveness of such beverages was completely void when it came to him, but occasionally there was a desire to just sit in a place that was less than clean and have a small drink.
Entering the tavern without a second thought, Nobu'tan weaved through the many wizards and creatures that seemed to be less aware than those who were outside in the street. The smell of various brews was heavy in the air, and Nobu'tan detected a few that he was more familiar with seeing around the Wizarding World, but nothing that he was familiar with tasting before.
Therefore, he went with a safer route, and ordered a simple malted mead, before carrying it to a far corner and sitting with his back to the walls so that he could watch the entire room as he partook. The sweetness of the drink was not as bad as the sweetness of the candy he had ingested since coming here, mixed as it was with some bitter herbs that made the flavor more palatable.
The groups around the room seemed to be divided off in sections of what they were desirous to do in spending their time here. Many were gathered around tables, playing cards or other various forms of gambling, while there were others on the far side that had females among their company in private booths. Nobu'tan was more or less aware of what was happening over there, but chose not to pay attention to it, more focused on observing the room at large.
There were others that were copying his stance, backs pressed to the walls as they watched for potential danger or other problems, and a few eyed Nobu'tan himself warily. The warlock knew the reasons why, especially as he had designed these robes for just such a purpose.
He was a potential wild card of magical ability, so thoroughly disguised by the jewels and other ornaments that gave off their own auras, distorting and masking his own magical presence quite effectively. Not to mention his size was somewhat concerning to most, being significantly smaller than the average adult human male, but that also was masked by the aged voice that Nobu'tan had used to order his drink, which added a sense of power and wisdom to his persona.
Yes, most were wary of starting anything in his direction, as there was little to no knowing who or what was under his cloak, and the less they knew, the better they felt about it. Nobu'tan smirked to himself as he took another long drink, feeling the pleasant warmth of the beverage sliding down into his stomach.
Unfortunately, it seemed that many of the others were not as adept or powerful to hold their liquor, or they simply had had far more of it than the warlock, as eventually at one of the tables with card players a dispute started up. Nobu'tan had seen these sort of gambling altercations before… one of the parties was losing so badly that they made wild accusations about the others cheating, as how could they possibly have such bad luck as to lose so many times in a row.
It was idiotic, but such was the nature of beings it seemed. Everyone in the tavern suddenly was on edge as chairs were throw aside and a pair of burly men engaged in physical violence, much to the displeasure of the tavern keeper, who shouted at the pair to knock it off or he'd banish them into the street and let them fight there.
Unsurprisingly, this did little to actually stop the brawl unfolding before him, and Nobu'tan watched in slight amusement as it escalated, friends of the two combatants jumping in to assist their respective side, until a good section of the entire tavern was in a cacophony of fists and feet, the drunk men swinging at almost anything that got too close.
Twice someone was shoved roughly toward Nobu'tan, and he had to sidestep quickly or be caught up in the increasing madness, before finally the tavern keeper went through on his threat, and with a slash of his wand forcefully sent the dozen or so drunks tumbling out of his establishment, leaving the room suddenly far quieter than even before Nobu'tan had entered the first time.
Returning to his secluded corner, Nobu'tan paused when he realized that it was no longer completely vacant. Another cloaked and hooded figure was there, slender and tall, betrayed by her figure that it was a woman. Nobu'tan sat however, once she turned and spoke to him, her red eyes peering out of the hood she wore.
"I wondered if we would meet again under friendlier terms, little rescuer…" Morgan le Faye said with suppressed giddiness, probably from the surge of violence that had just passed.
"Lady Morgan," Nobu'tan greeted with a small nod, "to what do I owe the pleasure?"
She smiled widely, all the mad glee twinkling in her eyes as she spoke, "I know that we did not part on the best of terms, nor did we truly meet well again after that business in Avalon, but I had not thanked you properly for making it so I could escape and continue the work that I had nearly finished so long ago."
Nobu'tan said nothing, not sure if he wanted to know what her idea of 'thanking' him entailed, until the woman produced a think, ancient tome from her robes and slid it gently across the table.
"All the knowledge that I acquired for the brief time I too served the Legion, before the call of greater powers woke me to the weak minded thoughts that those titan controlled fools delighted in." she explained, stroking the cover gently with one hand, the nails filed to razor sharp points.
Nobu'tan knew that conversing with this madwoman was tempting danger, but the longing for more knowledge to hopefully defeat Dumbledore when the time came if and when he had to take the Elder Wand from the old man was too great. He gratefully accepted the tome, noting the ancient script and recalling the incantations for his translation charms for when he would need them. He had no desire to reveal too much of himself to this woman, "Thank you for the freely given knowledge," he said diplomatically, "but I hope you understand that we likely will face again as enemies after this, due to our differing allegiances…"
She smirked, "Oh, I know that, but hopefully in time you will fully read that tome and understand what makes the Legion tick, and then you too will wish to see them destroyed…"
Nobu'tan wasn't sure what was with everyone he met trying to dissuade him from trusting in the Legion's promises, but it was starting to grow tiresome. Having finished his drink during the brawl some time ago, he pushed the mug aside, leaning back and casually observing those around them.
No one was paying them any sort of attention, so he relaxed a touch, rising to his feet. "I need to get back before I am missed…" he said casually, eager for any excuse to get as far from this woman as he could when alone. The ancient witch did nothing to stop him, but Nobu'tan could feel her eyes on him the entire way out of the door, and somehow the sensation did not leave even when he was out in the street and crossing to a secluded side street of the dark alleyway.
Concentrating on the problems at hand, Nobu'tan easily and quite mindlessly formed a portal to the grounds of Malfoy Manor, slipping through to the rose gardens and tastefully lit greenery and shutting his rip in space as he contemplated.
He could easily use his sighting of Morgan to assist in narrowing the search for her hiding place, if he collaborated with Dumbledore and Merlin immediately, but the problem was that the woman made such an excellent distraction for them that he couldn't see a useful reason to betray her location.
Having the mages run in circles, searching for a different enemy than himself was proving to be the most productive time that the warlock had had since arriving on this world, even if he was still wanted by and being inadequately searched for by the British Ministry.
He was already preparing to tie everything together once he found the final artifact he needed, and then finally the Legion would arrive, allowing Nobu'tan to at last received his long awaited reward, and return to the world he was raised in.
Going to his personal room, rather than the room devoted to the Order of the Black Harvest, Nobu'tan took out the book that Morgan had gifted him, wondering what it possibly contained. Unable to resist the curiosity for long, he cast the translation charm rapidly, his mind working to absorb the information as quickly as possible. The book had no title, but its introductory sections told Nobu'tan everything he wanted to know regarding its contents. This book was a record of the Legion's dealings with the mortals of this world, and how that had shaped their history.
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Draco was concerned with what he had just seen. He had been lurking just out of sight to Severus' offices, keeping a lookout so that the other members of the Order could pass without interruption, as their Head of House had taken to arbitrarily questioning them on various things, primarily things that could potentially lead to him learning the whereabouts of Nobu'tan, and they were growing tired of the inquisition every time they met him.
But even still, while quietly watching, Draco saw the door swing open quickly, and just before he could duck out of sight a man exit the dungeon office and immediately shifted into the form of a massive black, grim-like dog, and bounded away toward the Entrance Hall.
The problem with this was Draco had seen the man's face before he had changed, and he knew enough from the pictures that his mother had showed him of the Black Family before the rise of the Dark Lord to recognize his uncle, Sirius Black, the infamous fugitive, without any degree of doubt in his mind.
The real question was why Black would be in Snape's office, out of anywhere in the castle, especially with the professor inside it at the time. Draco had been waiting for almost an hour, and knew for a fact that the man had not left via the front door all this time.
Soon enough Snape himself appeared, also going towards the stairs leading up to the rest of the castle, and Draco beckoned behind him for the others to move, and head toward their usual hiding spot in the deeper section of the dungeons that was mostly unused and abandoned. Meanwhile, Draco himself returned to the common room, urgently fishing for parchment and a quill from his school bag, and hastily writing a coded message to his father.
This was something that would be immensely useful in distracting Dumbledore's faction, especially if the Ministry was involved. The Aurors may currently be after Nobu'tan and their band of followers, but Fudge still listened intently to Lucius' advise, and knowledge that Black was spotted inside Hogwarts itself would set a fire under the man that would blaze right out of control, taking most of Dumbledore's attention to extinguish.
Summoning a house elf from the manor, Draco handed the creature the letter, with orders to immediately deliver it to his father, before joining the other students learning to be warlocks in their secret hiding place.
Entering with a large smile on his face, Draco was unsurprised that he garnered a great deal of attention. "What is it?" Theodore asked, even as Blaise approached as well, and the three Council leaders stepped aside of the others for a few spare moments.
"I believe I saw something that will of great use to keep the Light off our backs for a short while longer, perhaps the rest of the year at least…" Draco said with a smirk.
"Well, don't leave us in suspense, what did you discover?" Blaise said, his typical lack of patience shining clearly in the relaxed setting of his fellow warlocks.
"Sirius Black was inside the castle, speaking with Professor Snape…" Draco revealed, and the other two third year students couldn't resist the wide grins that appeared on their faces as they came to similar conclusions that Draco had.
"I trust that this was an actual sighting, and not you just coming up with the story now?" Theo said, holding up his hands in surrender when Draco shot him a glare at even suggesting that he was lying.
"No, he was here; I'd recognize him easily enough from all I have learned about my family. The question is how will the Ministry respond, and what other fallout there will be regarding this entire matter. If Black was here, and speaking to Snape of all people, then he is clearly working together with them in order to find Nobu'tan…"
"This is likely our one shot to stall them as long as possible." Blaise said, still smiling at all the possibilities.
"I've already written to my father, to inform Lord Nobu'tan on how they might proceed, but I wouldn't be surprised if we had Aurors showing up tomorrow regarding this 'rumor'." Draco speculated, and the others smiled again, knowing that they had done all they could do for the time being. It was up to the others outside Hogwarts to make such a plan come to fruition.
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Lucius had never been more proud of his son when he read the hasty note, hand delivered by Dobby, his personal House Elf. The boy was fulfilling his role as the second member of the Council of the Black Harvest well, both in leading the newest generation of Warlocks as they learned in relative secret under Dumbledore's nose, and still managing to spy for them, uncovering true gold in all its controversial glory.
Lucius walked the letter straight to Nobu'tan's guest room, and knocked politely before letting himself in. Nobu'tan was there, writing scroll after scroll in what appeared to be a green-blue ink that sparkled and smell faintly of the sea as he did so.
"There is news from Hogwarts, something I think you will be most pleased to learn of, if not concerned about other aspects." Lucius declared.
"Please, read on," Nobu'tan said, focusing on the writing he was doing to finish the latest scroll. There were already around two to three dozen lying in piles on the floor, but it seemed that the young warlock was intent on having a powerful stockpile of whatever magic was entrapped by the enchanted ink for their uses.
Clearing his throat once, Lucius read, skipping a few of the more personal aesthetics that had been added as part of a proper letter, which Lucius himself had trained Draco in writing for every letter and note, no matter the haste required to generate it, as part of it being an official letter from the future Head of House Malfoy.
'I must inform you of new developments that have sprung up in secret at the school. It appears, from what our many watchful eyes have gathered, that one supposed mass murderer, Sirius Black, had entered Hogwarts at least once, and been received by staff without any attempt to subdue or arrest him made.
I speculate that this man is actively working with the Order of the Phoenix, whether in an official or unofficial capacity, and is definitely in open communication with the Headmaster. This presents a rare and wonderful opportunity for us, to distract them along with the Ministry, as to my knowledge the Minister is still hoping to capture Black to save his own image, so I leave this information with you, as well as the decision of how best to proceed with it.
Draco,'
Nobu'tan, who had finished his scroll in the middle of Lucius reading, looked both somewhat confused and unaware of the full scope of the plot Draco was suggesting. "Sirius Black was arrested and put into Azkaban for the crime of leading the Dark Lord to your biological parents, and indirectly killing them." Lucius explained, to which Nobu'tan gave a nod of sudden comprehension.
"Ah," was all he said.
"So," Lucius continued, "With Black not only having escaped from the wizard prison, Azkaban, but actually infiltrating Hogwarts and communicating openly with staff there, Fudge would easily have an aneurism at even the rumor of such a thing. The dementors around the school would probably be given the go ahead to search the grounds, possibly even the castle, which would be a nightmare for Dumbledore, who has resisted their placement around the school since the beginning of the idea during the summer."
"So, the Ministry is preoccupied controlling these creatures and searching for Black, along with whatever connection he may or may not have to the school, and Dumbledore is distracted by keeping the beasts out of the castle, and the political fallout of the accusation." Nobu'tan summarized.
"Precisely," Lucius all but purred. This was simply too good for them to pass up, even if it proved to be a wild goose chase for the Ministry. Already he was drafting an unsuspecting letter to Cornelius, posing as some villager from Hogsmeade, spreading the tip that Sirius Black was seen on the Hogwarts grounds, entering the castle, and then the paranoid Minister would do the rest of his own accord.
Lucius was always pleased at how tenacious the man could be when his reputation was supposedly on the line, but then again, Lucius himself had been the one to constantly remind the man that he was watched at all times, his enemies waiting for one sign of weakness to begin launching campaigns to impeach him. Fear really was one of the best motivators, in Lucius' humble opinion.
Nobu'tan seemed to finally grasp in full the prestigious usefulness of this scheme, and smiled widely. "I approve of this tactic, go ahead with it, and I'll expect you to take charge regarding it Lucius, as you have the most expertise with these matters."
"Of course, my Lord," Lucius said, noting how easily the title slipped out when he spoke. But then, if there was anyone worthy of the title he had once given to the madman he had previously served, Nobu'tan probably was the one.
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Albus was interrupted from his copious amounts of paperwork mid March by the charm to his office staircase. "Enter," he called as whoever it was, Minerva presumably, arrived at the top step. Who he did not expect to come through the door in an angry rush was Cornelius Fudge, Minister of Magic. "Ah, Cornelius, what a pleasure, what can I do for you. Have a seat," Albus said cheerfully, inwardly wincing at the presence of the man. He did not have time for whatever inane prattle that the politician had now, "Lemon Drop?" he offered, as part of his usual invitations.
"No, thank you," Cornelius said, eyeing the crystal tray of candies suspiciously, and refusing to take a seat, preferring to stand stock still in the center of the room, which was not a good sign. "Albus I came as more of a courtesy than anything else, but in light of the information the Ministry has received, Hogwarts needs to be searched…"
"Searched… by whom and for what?" Albus said, growing highly suspicious. Just what had happened to make the normally mild mannered Minister this jumpy?
"Searched for Sirius Black, who was seen entering the castle multiple times by eyewitnesses from the village, and by the only guards we have on hand at the moment." Cornelius said, and Albus' blood froze.
Foremost, he knew Sirius was better than to allow anyone outside the castle spot him in human form, he was brash but not a fool, which meant that someone inside the castle had seen him and reported it. Secondly, and far more dire, was the ramification of the Ministers second piece of information.
"Cornelius…" Albus warned, his tone growing cold as stone, "I will not permit those beasts from entering this castle, call for Aurors if you wish, but no Dementor shall enter these walls while I am Headmaster."
"I was afraid that you would say that," Cornelius said, pulling out a small stack of papers and setting them gently on the desk. Glancing at the top sheet, Albus' sagged slightly in his seat. It was orders for temporary suspension of the Headmaster, signed by all the Governors of Hogwarts, with Lucius Malfoy's name easily three times the size of any other right in the center.
