"The world as we know it is coming undone. Things that seem unimaginable today will seem inevitable tomorrow….trust me, even when every instinct tells you not to." - Albus Dumbledore, Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore (2022)
F
The bell resonated. Frank caught the moonlit wall, swallowing pants. Footfalls somewhere. Smaller scrambled. Portraits snapped but silenced. Frank dashed, wand ready.
"Get them!" a girl exclaimed.
A boy's shadow tripped, slumping. A frantic girl ran to his aid. Frank shot a Shield Charm over the taller boy's head. Danny Scamander darted towards Frank, but Danny got pinned to the wall.
"How's Mudgranny?" Rodolphus Lestrange appeared, wand into Danny's dark curls. "Right on time, Longbottom." He turned slightly, but as Danny panted paling.
"Says who?" Frank said flatly. "Danny?"
Lestrange jerked and Danny scrambled. Frank held his free hand out and Danny rushed forward.
"Get rid of it!" Lestrange stomped.
Footfalls behind. Frank shot another Shield Charm. Danny jiggled a coin pouch, crouching down, and tiny claws scampered.
"Come on." Frank tugged Danny's robed arm.
A spell shot. Frank deflected and pulled Danny out the far side. Pranks exploded. Camouflaged, Frank and Danny pressed down the corridor.
"Can't anywhere," Danny gasped, against Frank's shoulder.
"Aye." Frank clapped Danny's back, waving his wand.
Danny settled, breathing easier. At the end of the corridor, Frank cleared security with a friendly Gryffindor girl and she ushered Danny to another boy.
"Trouble?" she whispered, as Danny and the boy camouflaged.
"Erm, Wolfgang was expecting," Frank muttered hastily, but Danny was gone. "Bell right before."
"Too close," she said. "Hufflepuff raid, so go." She jerked her head.
Frank darted around and joined housemates.
Supremacists scattered, they kept tight around corners. Light flashed. They blocked and hurried on. Energy sprayed. Dueling ahead. Half moonlit stairs shadowed.
"No chance," Diggory muttered, pushing.
Frank shoved Diggory off. "So let them."
"Quiet," a girl hissed.
Light footfalls, distant? Diggory pulled Frank back.
"Any caught?" Frank gripped his wand.
"Let's not, old chap." Diggory tugged Frank on, after the others.
Frank stumbled, but steadied. They kept on, back down the corridors. Too quiet. Trap? Frank swallowed, pressed against Diggory. His pulse rapidly calm.
Green stink blew. Diggory threw his arm around, pulling Frank's jacket collar up. A girl nearby shrieked. Red light. And fell. Frank shot a spell, tiny bubble popping.
Doubling over, Frank grabbed at thin air but got pulled. His head rammed, but inhaled fresh air.
"Planned, Longbottom?" Rodolphus Lestrange kicked Frank's bag aside, knee sticking out of his Slytherin robes. "We nearly had Mudperks too."
Frank's muscles tightened. "Really?"
Lestrange twisted his raven skull pendant from his knitted vest, wand raised. "Broadoak seems the better school-" Frank's bubble popped, "-if it lasts without her." He pushed his arm against Frank, struggling. "How's Ilvermorny?"
"Things change," Frank spat, struggling. "Off."
Lestrange pulled his arm away. Frank coughed, pushing his tingling bum sideways. Lestrange wrenched Frank's arms around. Frank shoved, but got straightened out.
"Shame you can't even trust Diggory." Lestrange pressed his wand into Frank's hair at his neck. "Move."
Red light. Diggory slumped back down. Lestrange pushed the other way. Frank jerked, against Lestrange's snarling wolf brooch. And out the corridor. Portraits snored.
"Time till our curfew," Frank said flatly.
"Does Scamander need a full team?" Lestrange tugged Frank sideways into the next corridor. "Perhaps perfect Prewett ought to come out about his-"
"That prat?" Frank jerked, arms tight. "Never." He pushed his boots into a stone crack.
"Move." Lestrange's wand arm shifted away.
Frank turned but Lestrange shoved, right against the wall.
"Five seconds," Lestrange panted, raising Frank's starlit wand. "Whose?"
"You're already in trouble," Frank said flatly. "Big time."
Lestrange's grip loosened, dropping Frank's wand. Frank caught the wall and his wand. Lestrange's own black wand at the ready.
"Yours?" Frank gripped his. "You've got me."
Lestrange smiled smugly. "Lucky you got your father's genes, mostly." He flicked his wand up. "Tell Weasley we're waiting."
Frank deflected, but his legs buckled. Lestrange laughed, fading. Darkness.
Softness. He shifted against a blanket, head sore. Ringing?
A cold damp cloth. "Frankie, mate?" A red and blue blur. "You here?"
"Safe?" Frank mumbled.
Arty Weasley chuckled. "Yeah, we're fine. How're you feeling?"
"Lestrange?"
Arty scoffed, nodding. "Of course." He brushed under Frank's dark wavy fringe, and wet the cloth. "Rest, eh? Kids're safe." He raised a conjuring soft badger.
"Probably want you." Frank hugged it, warming.
"So let them search every ginger, mate." Arty flipped on his blue cloak hood. "Good work tonight though."
"Ta." Frank sunk against the pillow and badger.
Arty pecked the side of Frank's fringe, stood up, muttered with a girl, and plodded out. The curtain lifted, talk drifting from the strategy table, but a Red Cross kit unsnapped.
The next morning, Frank drowsily joined friends for the sanctuary and passed out in Advanced Maths and only got homework when he finally came around.
"Wasn't that hard," Frank muttered, stumbling beside Teddy Tonks downstairs with louder Valentine's gossip muffled. "What's next?" He fumbled in his bag. "Had it."
"Take it easy, mate." Teddy's light hair flickered. "Crusader's okay last night?"
Frank nodded, flattening his timetable. Double Anglo-Saxon Studies before lunch, then Fittleworth. He shoved it back into his bag, right into a book.
"Time before, can I help?" Teddy shifted.
"Whatever it is." Frank unrolled his half written leechcraft essay. "Hugo?"
"Worried, but did you take Serenity?" Teddy brushed Frank's Red Cross patch on his bag.
"Come to Transformation then," Frank said faintly, and dug into his bag. "Vasu?" He found his Union Jack water bottle.
"You need me, mate." Teddy waved his wand, summoning Frank's Serenity potion bottle. "Mine's working now." He opened it.
Frank popped a lavender tablet in his mouth and swigged water. They kept downstairs, werewolf talk drifting. Frank fiddled at his tucked love beads.
"Full moon's on Valentine's," a girl said glumly.
"…which Scamander's it," a different boy scoffed. "Deal!"
Two boys laughed.
Frank's elbow hit Teddy's shaky ribs, bright vest tousled.
Teddy swore. "Not that, wasn't."
"Come on." Frank tugged Teddy's robed sleeve.
Teddy fixed his cloak hood and they pressed onto the next landing. West, they took the staircase to the second floor and down the corridors away from a detention chamber, bum tingling.
After lunch in the Hufflepuff common room kitchen, flitting whispers upstairs about Advanced Conjuration on the way upstairs about Arthur Weasley and Ethan Hansen.
"…Weasley's Ravenclaw," a boy said scornfully.
"Brother's gone."
Frank swallowed, Newscap heavy. Craig McIntyre smiled slightly beside him.
Halfway through Intermediate Transformation, Fittleworth flicked his cane from Sam Abbott's twitching feathera duster tail to Frank's feathery ferret. Frank steadied his tucked beads, hands sweaty under his legs.
"Longbottom, I expected further improvement this term," Fittleworth said severely. "A month in, it is the final week anyone can transfer to another class."
"Fine," Frank said flatly, as Sam nudged Frank. "So do you suggest Intermediate Switching?"
Fittleworth raised the cane. "Do well to see me after the lecture, which I expect to see your notes on. Transfiguration is a necessary life skill after all." He swept over to Craig McIntyre and Dickon Ward ahead.
Sam turned back to the textbook. "Four months left," he whispered. "Sir, next time."
Frank wiped his hands and picked up his jet black wand. Sometime later, the ferret's nose and lightless eyes still stuck out. Fittleworth's cane thudded on the desk and everyone scrambled for their books.
"Turn your books to page seven," Fittleworth said sharply. "I do not wish to send any of you back to Elementary Transformation II. Yes, Miss Prewett?"
"Shall I read, professor?" Laney lowered a plump arm. "I don't think Frank does."
Frank flicked a feather away, smiling. Sniggers stifled. Craig grinned but turned away.
"Read from the top of the page, Miss Prewett," Fittleworth said dully. "Mr. Longbottom may have to."
After the lesson and Frank had flatly reading two paragraphs, a few Ravenclaws went up. Frank rolled his mostly written essay up and some Hufflepuffs scuttled out about Defense.
"Longbottom!" Fittleworth called.
Frank shoved his book away, buckling his bag.
"Seven o'clock," Sam whispered.
Frank dropped his bag on the desk, picked up his essay, and joined Craig. Several sniggers as people passed but a few smiles.
At the front desks, Craig stayed back and Frank dragged himself up to the pile of scrolls on the teacher's desk, cane on the wall. He shakily held out his essay.
Fittleworth summoned the scroll, unrolling it. "We shall see." He rolled it up and sent it to the pile. "What precisely would you be absent from if we were to meet tonight?"
People headed out but others lingered.
"Red Cross Club." Frank steadied his chest, Newscap heavy. "Detention isn't helping, sir."
"Quite. We will be discuss Transfiguration progress rather than sorting, never mind your inappropriate uniform," Fittleworth asserted, as Frank fiddled with his beads. "Do expect a note at dinner and come well prepared to demonstrate. Is this understood?"
"Yes, sir," Frank said flatly.
Fittleworth turned towards the class. "How many of you have lessons?"
People scrambled. Fittleworth turned back towards Frank.
"I'm in Combative Arts." Frank rejoined Craig.
"Place the same care in Transfiguration, Longbottom. Despite it, Professor McGonagall is impressed with your progress in Elementary Vanishment."
Frank and Craig exchanged glances and set back through. The few friendlier Ravenclaws had gathered at the door. Frank took his bag from Sam and they joined Craig and Dickon out, Ravenclaws behind.
In the entrance hall, Sam and Craig dashed for the marble staircase and Frank indicated on for the library. More Weasley comments and Prewetts whispers.
"Casual stuff, mate," Hugo Leach said, after lessons at the strategy table in the Defender's Room. "Is Fittleworth more concerned about your behavior or assessment?"
"Both probably." Frank flipped through Intermediate Transfiguration. "I already missed coaching with McGonagall this week."
"Threat." Hugo tousled his growing afro. "I've got patrol duty, mate. You good?" His fingers drifted from his scratched prefect badge.
Frank chuckled. "You made it worse, aye."
"The best choice left." Hugo clapped Frank's back. "Ta-rah." He stood up and swung his bag on, half camouflaging.
"Ta-ra." Frank brushed through his wavy neck hair, dark chestnut hair thick "Bernie?"
"Stay alert." Hugo plodded off, magically fixing his robes and hair.
Frank squeezed his heart peace pendant. Laney Prewett, maybe, but perfect Molly?
Fittleworth gave Frank another chance in Intermediate Transformation, being unsuited elsewhere. In double Antidotes the next morning, Teddy Tonks sat across the table blocking Lestrange at the front and before lunch, Professor McGonagall gave Frank homework.
"You need more distraction, mate." Arty Weasley fumbled over parchments at a table in the D.U. Communications HQ off the Room, after Frank got back from Guitar Club. "So you going with friends?" He held out a new scroll, pushing his glasses up.
"Definitely. Alice Fortescue and Marla Moody then?" Frank unsealed it. "Marla hasn't replied."
"Security," Arty mumbled, barely pinker. "Not that Rupe's here."
Frank unrolled the scroll, to typed:
Be more careful in the corridors and keep away from younger ones.
"Hugo could've said." Frank vanished it. "Cozied up tomorrow probably."
Arty's peeking ears went pink. "Sure. Who needs girls?" He chuckled, busying with a code book. "Ted got someone?" He smiled vaguely.
"However he does it, aye," Frank said lightheartedly. "But I'll talk to Hugo."
Arty nodded distractedly. "Have fun, mate."
"You too, lad." Frank headed out, beam fading.
The next morning, the Hufflepuffs bundled up and headed upstairs for breakfast to the cheerful Great Hall. Over cereal, some Muggin advocate Gryffindor and Hufflepuff first and second years laughed but faces hidden, a few dark curls peeked.
Teddy roared delightfully, rushing forward between the Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff tables. Trevor Fortescue waved, bulging round face shadowed beside Hugo Leach.
Frank hurried over. He dropped in the popping seat on Teddy's other side, filling a plate with food.
"Marla Moody?" Frank poured pumpkin juice.
"With Allie in the village already, mate." Trevor swallowed harshly, shamrock and stars pendants half tucked in his usual yellow vest and cloak. "Can I stay?"
"After or before Valentine's, maybe," Hugo said, as Teddy stuffed his face. "You crowd in a tiny castle?" He turned towards Trevor.
"Well, last month was mad." Trevor shrugged. "I tried to bring my trunk."
Hugo and Trevor kept talking, but Teddy's chewing too loud. Frank spread honey on his usual heart cut toast and Teddy ushered for the strawberries.
"Okay, mate?" Teddy put the bowl down, but a girl passed Polish apple pancakes down the table.
"You seem anxious." Frank took a few strawberries. "What's today?"
"February tenth?" Teddy gulped, paler. "Anything special?"
"Shouldn't be by now," Frank said faintly, scooping eggs. "I meant…"
"Yeah, I gotcha, mate," Teddy said. "Look, my date won't last forever so I'll come find you."
"I might as well go find Nellie's and Dromeda's friends then." Frank's whiskers sticky. "We're dividing again."
"Yeah," Teddy muttered, blushing. "Up to them though." He stuffed his face, splattering ketchup on Trevor's hood. "What happened?"
Trevor turned. "Irish Ministry's better off. Did you-?" He tugged at his hood but Hugo pushed it back on. "I'm not here," Trevor pouted.
After breakfast, Teddy hurried off for his date, his hair settling brown. Hugo stepped over and clapped Frank's back.
"Dating's more than snogging, mate," Hugo said. "Hope you find Marla."
"Did Arthur and Alice ever?" Frank wrapped his scarf.
"Both've moved on looks like." Hugo held a bruised hand out. "Nobody's asking you to stay," he breathed.
"Get out there, eh?" Frank stood up.
Hugo patted his pocket, smiling, but flipped his cloak hood on. They bid goodbye and Hugo rejoined his chattering roommates. Frank trudged off, waves tickling under his scarf.
Frank, Sam, and Craig pressed together after friends, chatter muffled into the crowded entrance hall. Chill drifted and a front door shut. Frank's bum itched.
"We clear our names and leave," Sam said. "Right?"
"Aye." Frank pulled his gloves on, wrists odd.
"Aye," Craig said.
Group by group, finally the girls ahead scuttled for the doors. Pringle sneered, quickly fading, snow fluttering over. He turned back on them, clipboard raised, but no cane peeked off his back.
Frank and Craig swallowed sniggers.
"Names?" Pringle said.
"McDonald." Craig grinned. "Merriweather and-"
"Abbott, Longbottom, and McIntyre," Sam said stiffly.
"One day." Pringle checked them off. "Freezing out there." He jerked his head back.
Frank, Sam, and Craig hurried out.
Down the frosty path, they filed out the open gates past the guarded Hogsmeade station. People pushed for the Three Broomsticks but law enforcers called about maximum limits.
"If we get ill," Sam shivered, "better be worth it."
Frank and Craig pressed against Sam and they kept down High Street. Warmth drifted and the door to Honeydukes shut to a crowd.
"Everywhere'll be," Craig said. "Hog's Head?"
Sam turned harshly. Frank ushered them along.
"The Shrieking Shack's haunted," Sam hissed at Craig, after they'd warmed up in the ancient carpenter's shop.
"I need practice," Frank said, "but we can go later."
"It'll be dark by then," Sam panted. "Moved earlier for reason."
"Just spirits, lad." Frank patted Sam's back.
Sam nodded, relaxing. People flitted past shops, wrecked this month?
They saw Sam to Abbott cousins, but sunset wasn't until five thirty anyway. Snow fluttered. Scars tingling, Frank and Craig pressed on.
"Boggarts today, laddie?" Craig said.
"What's left?" Frank reached under the Newscap, chocolate frog card warm. "Who?" He slipped it out to Teddy Tonks' E.V.F. coded message:
FootballChef: Ended horribly. Whatcha up to?
"What happened to Vasu?" Frank pocketed it.
"We all need space," Craig said. "Anything more, from what happened before Christmas?"
Frank rubbed his wrists. "Nowt like used to."
"Aye, but whoever's next…" Craig shifted closer, but Frank recoiled. "Sorry."
"Can't even," Frank said thickly. "Butterbeer?"
In the Three Broomsticks, Frank and Craig joined Muggin advocates but the young adults had already left. Frank slumped into a chair and inhaled the steam, buttery warmth easing.
The next morning, Frank slipped out Newt Scamander chocolate frog card hazily from under his pillow but rubbed his eyes, from Marla?
Songster: I'm really sorry, I thought I'd replied. Valentine's I expect. No invite to next weekend's ball but Sunday lunch?
"Where?"
Frank tossed on his beads and clambered through his matching curtain. He swung with the rope and slid down the ladder, pulled his bead curtain aside, and Patches and Rex wheeked from behind their half raised screen.
"Everyone's scatterbrained." Frank pulled up the pet screen fully, his guinea piggies already at their fresh hay. "Ey up, lads. How's breakfast?"
They squeaked distractedly. Frank smiled, stood up, and grabbed clothes off his art easel.
Monday, easy. Valentine's hearts and cards spread. Teddy Tonks landed himself in detention exploding at Fittleworth during Elementary Conjuration for befuddling everyone with a floundering fish.
"Then gone!" Teddy slapped the round table beside spicy fried rice, at lunch in the Hufflepuff kitchen down along. "Scales flying. The look on Fabian Prewett's face though-"
Vasu chortled. Frank poked smoked fish bits in his soup.
"What's after lunch, laddie?" Craig said cheerfully.
"Art." Frank ate a potato chunk, onion strong. "What more can Nellie do?"
"We need to give them more chances," Sam said. "The Malfoys earned pay back after all."
Frank and Craig grinned.
At the back of Drawing and Painting from the opposite table, Nellie Malfoy smirked and turned away, slapping supremacists with her fair curly ponytail.
The girls yelped. Frank sniggered, etching a star over emptiness. He pulled over a landscape book and flitted to a lake. By the ringing bell, stars half glittered a pond.
The ball, obviously at the Malfoys. Crusader's Guild was moved a day earlier for full moon precautions. Professor Dumbledore urged all gatherings to be over by eight o'clock, and every castle exit would be triple locked before sunset.
"It's a special lesson tonight, if you haven't got plans," Laney Prewett said, as she and Frank laid wild flowers ahead of knarls and hedgehogs in Magical Creatures Club on Tuesday evening. "Nellie wishes she could get you an invite," she said quieter.
"What, the ball?"
A knarl scuttled away from the flowers.
"Bad place, I know." Her strawberry blonde wavy flip flecked with grass and snow. "Not that I know anyone more devoted to magical creatures."
He chuckled, but a hedgehog nibbled at the flowers. "They've got lives like us, struggles and all."
"I suppose so." She shifted. "Of course they do, but it won't change easily."
"What's up?" He smiled slightly.
She blushed. "I hardly know my cousins, all right?"
He held a hand out to the hedgehog, but it flitted off. "I don't really either."
She sighed heavily. "Nellie says hello." She picked up a few flowers and crawled away, tucked beads dangling.
He swallowed and twirled a flower. Really sorry. He gathered up the flowers and settled them where the other hedgehogs were mingling. He crawled away, robed knees muddy.
"Who asks Longbottom out?" a familiar boy said dumbfounded, sometime later as Frank and Craig spread brown leaves and food for waking snails.
"I'm not them!" Laney cried.
"What happened?" Craig dropped a worm.
"Then what?" Frank caught it.
"It's about to die anyway, laddie," Craig said disgruntled.
"So you just shove it on a hook?" Frank settled the worm on the ground and it squirmed away.
"Naw, but gently." Craig scattered leaves. "She asked you out?" he dropped his voice.
"Barely, but we've got other-" Frank gathered leaves and slowly crawled towards baby snails, father gone, crouching to the cold ground. "Ey up."
Craig flopped down. Frank settled on his side gently, and laid out the leaves. A few snails came over and Professor Kettleburn called to finish up distantly, but the snails nibbled on the leaves.
"Don't worry, I'll be Daddy right now," Frank whispered. "Life's scary, innit?"
Eons later, people left and the snails took cover in a puddle. Familiar footfalls trudged over.
"Frankie," Sam Abbott said. "It's nearly sunset."
Frank indicated to the bush. "What d'you see then?"
"They're safe and you're cold." Sam held a gloved hand out. "Craig's coming around."
Frank took it and stood up.
"My fault," Frank muttered, as Sam wrapped him in a cloak.
Sam guided Frank on and they rejoined advocates. Craig glanced over somberly.
By dinner in the Great Hall, Frank and Craig made up but Craig still urged Frank to go find Laney Prewett but teased about Penny Whittle, never here.
"Shut up," Frank muttered, chewing warmer ravioli.
Craig grinned.
"Go find a partner," Sam said sternly.
"Watch me." Craig got up and headed off.
"If she was, she should've been more obvious." Frank tossed his fork down, wiping his dripping saucy chin. "Was it like this last year?"
"Less free." Sam glanced up the table, vaguely dazed.
Frank crunched on a carrot.
"It will take more time." Sam gently prodded shrimp. "Proper exposure is only the first step."
"You know why." Frank stabbed pasta, but endless laughing redder heads at the Gryffindor table. "In Paris, like we've said."
"He's long deserved it," Sam said kindly. "There's time."
"Better be." Frank swallowed harshly.
Once back to the common room, Frank locked himself in Warblewood and changed into old tie dye getting covered in paint until Sam trudged in about bedtime.
Frank plopped into bed with his sketchbook and a pencil and lit his wand to his Moonhunter sketches. Purple cape fluttering, werewolf masked, and trusty dog?
Another pat. Frank mumbled, pillow warm, and bundled in his quilts.
"Sorry, marra, you awake?" a familiar northern voice said wearily.
"Max?" Frank rolled over, Stripey gone.
Max Brown nodded heavily, slouched over Frank's ladder, wand dimly lit his patchwork jacket. Snores outside.
"Tell Craig or Dickon you're gone," Max whispered, matted fair hair sticking to his face, "but it's a top security matter."
"Arty or Hugo?" Frank managed thickly.
"Get somethin' warm on, marra," Max exhaled and climbed down.
Darkness. Frank wrapped on his wool brighter patched jacket, tucked his sketchbook, and followed. Max steadied Frank and passed a pair of bellbottoms shakily.
"Max." Frank put a hand on Max's shoulder, steadying. "How bad?"
"Can't be." Max summoned Frank's boots. "Team's waiting."
Frank tugged them on and Max set out, door sealing behind. Frank dimly lit his wand, Dickon's yellow hangings drawn just off, and crossed the dormitory carefully around Sam's neat loft bed to Craig's, messaging.
Frank pulled Craig's crafty fishing net aside, heart hammering. Craig breathed heavily, shifting in his Selkie quilt, and Frank nudged him.
"Craig, lad?" Frank said, but Craig stirred. "Craig."
"Wit?" Craig pushed at an elbow. "Laddie, what's up?"
"Top matter." Frank gripped the ladder. "Team's outside, just so you know. Password locked."
"Blimey." Craig glanced up from his watch on the tabletop. "Four am."
"If I'm not back…"
"Aye," Craig said. "More important things than girls."
Frank shifted down a step. Craig nodded and Frank climbed down.
In the fifth year tunnel, Frank joined older refugee boys out, one staying. Down the archway for the connecting tunnels. Out into the kitchens barrel room, they opened a locked one into the Room's stone passage.
Finally across to the spiral staircase. Two flights, legs aching. And out into the sanctuary, noise drifting past the bell towers' entrance.
"What 'appened?" Frank took a dirt colored glass of water from the Russian boy.
He shook his head grimly. "Muggle Studies."
To the dead end corridors, they cleared into the Muggle Studies classroom corridor. Frank cleared again with a girl for the password into the classroom, door sealing behind.
Still camouflaged through the classroom, talk muffled under the churning printing press from the open tiny hall. Frank stepped inside, messaging at the closed library door. It unsealed and Frank edged inside.
"Top security?" Frank said flatly, slipping the Newscap away.
"Apparently everyone knows," Max said disgruntled half turned at Hugo Leach, at the blackboard behind the empty strategy table. "Could've been you!"
"Right now, I don't trust Prewett's Crusader's corps." Hugo leaned against the blackboard. "That includes Diggory. I would've had Craig or Dickon come but for Ted's sake, we need them there."
"First," Frank said. "What happened?"
"Love?" Hugo chucked chalk at the blackboard. "Gryffindor or Ravenclaw, they would've had to sneak out," he panted, leaning against a chair back. "We had security at every corner, so it must've been Prewett."
"Arthur and-?" Frank swallowed.
Hugo nodded. "Molly's fancied him for ages, him too. Stargazing tonight. Quiet enough through letters last term, and we, we thought it'd be enough with all the dates goin' on."
"Hewey, sit down." Frank pulled himself over on the chairs. "Where's Arthur?"
Hugo slumped in the pulling out next chair.
Max lowered his wand. "Hospital wing now, nasty."
Frank flopped into a chair. "The protection act."
"Dad's gonna have a word," Hugo said strained. "Luck they got Arthur?"
"Proper luck?" Frank's tongue sticky. "Oso?"
"Orson's and Kay's dorms're password locked," Max said. "Arthur didn't get close to Ravenclaw Tower."
Frank leaned back. "What're they printing?"
"Everything to distract," Max said. "If you've got owt."
"Werewolves?" Frank dropped his sketchbook on the table, tiny spots danced. "Super ones?"
"That's risky, marra," Max said.
"Here, mate," Hugo helped Frank with water.
Frank swigged it, dripping. "Orders from Leo Potter, if owt gets horrible."
"Can I see?" Max tugged himself over down chairs, wincing. "Super?"
Frank flipped through his sketchbook. "I've got comic books back in the dorm, but-" He shakily passed it to Max.
Max wiped under his fringe. "Last resort, but it's somethin'."
"World'll never be ready," Hugo said.
Max slid it back to Frank. "We'll all talk first, marra, but it's good. Mean it." His lip twitched weakly.
Hugo, pushing up, and stumbled for the hammocks, collapsing in the closest.
"You haven't been up all night?" Frank flipped through to other advocacy posters.
"Hugo had a safe date in sanctuary," Max said. "Stuff about Molly's unofficial but it's our only way to keep Arthur's leadership down."
"Let us." Frank carefully tore out a poster of colorful attired people holding hands around a globe. "We're asking for loads've graffiti."
"Backlash or forgetting?" Hugo said half-muffled. "D'you notice the Jewish food at our table anymore?"
"You've got-"
Hugo sat up. "Do you?"
Frank set down the poster. "Getting normal."
"Exactly." Hugo turned on Max. "Make them remember."
Max stood up. "This poster then, Frank?" He indicated to it.
Frank nodded. "Aye. Hugo, I didn't mean about-"
"I know, mate," Hugo said, as Max trudged out camouflaging with Frank's poster. "Too lucky."
The door sealed.
"And we're all in charge." Hugo sat up. "Think about it, but Arthur's down right now so we'll need someone willing for deputy."
"Was Rupe really vice?" Frank shifted, bum sore.
"Get up there if you dare, but I know you could." Hugo smiled weakly. "At least, help me keep Max from getting too rash before leaving."
"He's next though."
"You bet." Hugo clambered out, black vest disheveled and no badge. "Proxy's still an officer, mate."
Headmaster Dumbledore had swept in for the two D.U. security teams that'd raided the second floor detention chamber and got Arthur to the hospital wing. And the E.V.F. let all girlfriends loose. After dawn, only Uncle Tim and Aunt Cedrella had rushed upstairs.
"Are you family?" a blue robed witch at the hospital wing corridor persisted, in the hospital wing corridor before breakfast.
Frank raised a childhood photo of all seven of them boys. "Good enough, right?"
The witch crossed her arms. "Possibly."
A hospital wing door opened and Uncle Tim trudged out. "He's my godson and good as family, madam."
"Of course, I needed to be certain."
Uncle Tim waved over as Frank hurried past her.
"Alright, son?" Uncle Tim steadied Frank, brushing his vest. "Cadan only just settled down."
"Can't be that bad," Frank muttered.
Uncle Tim flinched. "Been awhile at least, but Arthur's under good care."
Frank shook his head.
"Mostly old wounds bandaged," Uncle Tim muttered. "He's okay, asleep. Your godmother's upstairs."
"Nobody else?" Frank fumbled at the door handle.
"Not yet," Uncle Tim breathed. "How've you been?"
"I don't remember." Frank swung the door open.
Uncle Tim caught Frank's back and guided him in.
Kay's leather jacket on an empty bed. Arty's rough breathing drifted from bed screens. Kay dragged out, shaggy light copper pompadour flopped.
Frank pressed over, hands out. Kay squeezed them, pulse steadying.
"Like last time?" Frank breathed.
"I dunno," Kay inhaled, pale face slack.
Frank patted Kay's back. Kay glanced back and Frank guided Kay towards his dad. Uncle Tim nodded and Frank stepped into the gap.
Arty's back heaved unsteadily, face almost matching his pillows and matted hair dirty. Frank slumped into the chair, against Uncle Tim's patched maroon suit jacket.
"Frankie?" Uncle Tim's footfalls, but a black and red blur.
"We won," Frank managed thickly.
"A huge step, yeah," Uncle Tim whispered. "He'll be okay."
Frank wiped his face with his sleeve and Uncle Tim came up with a tissue. Frank dabbed his face.
"Rupe?"
"Better he's abroad right now, eh?" Uncle Tim patted Frank's back.
Frank pushed at the chair but took Uncle Tim's rough hand. They made it out and Uncle Tim closed the screens, Arty's breathing muffled.
"Frankie?" Kay said smaller.
Frank sniffled, stepping over. "They've asked for it," his voice oddly deeper.
Kay's jaw set.
"Reasonably, boys," Uncle Tim said. "Cadan, there's breakfast in the staffroom, if the Great Hall isn't smart."
Kay turned on Uncle Tim.
"We don't know what happened on Fabian Prewett's part, son," Uncle Tim said. "I don't want this rivalry to get out of hand."
"We're rising up," Kay asserted loud enough. "Everything they're against."
"Hmm, let's find your mum first."
Kay turned on his heels and tossed his jacket on. Frank joined Kay's side for the doors.
"I don't care how tiny," Kay muttered furiously, "Prewett let something slip last night."
"Maybe, but still his duty to protect," Frank said faintly.
Kay pulled a door open and Frank held it, and followed.
They joined security and past fresh posters among the torn. People's faces turned on the staircase and Frank and Kay pressed on along staring portraits.
"Not perfect Molly?"
"Or her advocate cousin?"
"Minister will step in."
Torn newspapers along the entrance hall and sniggers. Frank gripped Kay's arm.
A poster fluttered above and stuck on a Great Hall door, and Kay's arm tightened. Exaggerated tall figures: Rupert Weasley's strawberry blond, Sanders Blackburn's dark, and Nat Kowalski's curly mop tops together. Orange bolded underneath:
ONLY THE BEGINNING
STICK TO YOUR OWN KIND
Kay shot up orange sparks into a 'W'. More sped up. Frank and Kay rushed into an advocate group for the Great Hall. Red heads, brownish red, and some fair ahead filed in. Jeers distant.
"Quiet!" Professor McGonagall snapped across the hall. "I want respect!"
Kay strode ahead and Frank pressed against him. Squeezed around, they went in.
Silence. Stares. No Dumbledore. Scattered smiles at the Ravenclaw table but Fabian Prewett stood at the Gryffindor table closest. Kay crossed his arms.
"I ensured everything I could," Prewett stated, fixing his inner tartan robes. "I swear it on my grandfather's soul."
"The mad one?" Kay scoffed. "Still your duties plummeted last night." He jerked his head around for the Hufflepuff table.
Frank and Kay filed for an empty side of the Hufflepuff table, grabbed food, and sat down among advocates. Kay plopped the pumpkin muffins onto his plate. Frank nodded and Kay put one on Frank's.
"Keep an open mind." Frank cut strawberries onto his Racuchy pancakes.
"Yeah." Kay squirted honey onto his muffins and sprinkled raisins. "Any bunny sweets around?" he called lighter, and took a gummy bunny package from a boy.
"And to everyone else," Frank muttered, Newscap heavy, but clinked his glass loudly enough with his spoon.
Down the table, Hugo Leach raised his glass and people followed. Most of Gryffindor and clinks right behind, and more down the hall. Frank and Kay tapped their glasses together.
"Shalom," everyone breathed heavily, and drank.
A/N: Please note heavy topics will continue and worsen as story goes on, though not graphically. There are a few canon changes/twists, but mostly canon. Also cross posted on Archive of Our Own.