CH27: Keepers

November 7th

2:31pm

Hogwarts, Scotland

Harry

It was a cold afternoon, November seventh, the rain on the grounds had been constant for three days prior and had no sign of stopping on the fourth. Harry's path from the castle to the camp had taken him through muddy tracks and sideways rain. McGonagall had tried to give him the headmaster's quarters, but Harry had settled on the Head Boy's dorm as it was closer to the camp.

Harry flipped open a tent flap as he approached and rushed inside. The auror command tent had been destroyed in the attack and they hadn't found a suitable room in the castle close to the camp to hold strategy meetings. Fortunately, the twins had donated their tent and moved their products to the castle's confines. Their tent was a two story variant, with their workshop on the ground floor and their beds/bathroom on a loft that hung over the workshop. It was a tight fit, but a large circular table fit right in the middle of the ground floor which seated more than enough people for the command team.

Harry looked around the populated table and noticed the attendance of Sirius first. Seated beside Halim, the two were whispering about something and laughing. He was glad to see Sirius smiling again and even more glad he could trust him. But it wasn't all smiles. The empty seats where Damien and Elphias would sit went fully noticed. Daphne, ever the subtlety master, cast glances at the empty seat on her right whenever she thought no one was looking. Harry laid a hand on her back as he passed and rubbed it whilst he sat down.

"How did it go with Astoria?" he whispered.

"A mediwitch told her before I could," Daphne retold with a hint of relief. "She's distraught."

"She's a tough girl," Harry tried to placate her, "she'll pull through." He watched her nod almost out of habit and so he added on, "and so will you." She gave him the barest hint of a smile, joyless, but he could at least see that she was trying. "Hey," he continued, to gather her waning attention, "I left something on our bed that I think you should take a look at."

Daphne gave him a confused eyebrow raise but he merely smiled in response. Before Daphne could query him on this mysterious 'thing,' Harry stood up and addressed the room. "Alright let's get started," he said in a raised voice. The chatter died a slow death but it did end eventually and Harry sat down as it did. "Does anyone have a head count on our people?"

Kingsley cleared his throat and stood up. The senior auror was haggard, leading the rescue and recovery efforts, he'd gotten little sleep in the past five days. "There's no version of this that is easily digestible." Kingsley's words of warning went silently appreciated as he reported, "on November first, we had one hundred and fifty three combatants and two hundred and eighty seven civilians." Kingsley sighed and wiped sweaty hands on his purple robes. "As of this morning, we have eighty combatants and just under one hundred and fifty civilians."

'Half? So many…'

"If Snape hadn't warned us, it'd be much worse." Moody's assessment was unsurprisingly met with a sneer by Sirius, but the Black patriarch didn't verbally protest. "We managed to retrieve all of our food and gold–"

Bill growled and challenged the grizzled auror. "Why not the people then?" In his attempt to find his family, Bill had encountered Fenrir Greyback on the chateau grounds who had given the experienced curse breaker seven different scratches. The worst of which being a three clawed slash across the eldest Weasley's face. Bill wasn't a werewolf, but there were remnants of the curse in his bloodstream meaning he'd taken on some of the traits of those afflicted. Heightened aggression being one of the leading changes.

"Resources don't protest when woken in the middle of the night, they don't delay gathering photos of their loved ones, or put on 'proper' clothes," Moody countered heartlessly. Aside from Kingsley, Moody was probably the one who'd returned to the chateau the most, which meant he'd seen what over one hundred bodies looked like. "People do."

"With Alastor's leadership, those that remain would starve," Kingsley defended his long time comrade. "He deserves commendation for his efforts, not ridicule."

"Well done, Mad Eye." Harry wanted to nip the confrontation in the bud before the room became too heated. The atmosphere was still significantly emotionally charged but tempers seemed to be dissolving as Harry continued, "let's talk Hogwarts. How do we defend it?"

"The forbidden forest is a problem." Sally started them off. "I've sent foraging parties out to gather much needed herbs and they've faced acromantula on no less than six occasions in the past forty eight hours."

'Acromantula? So close to the castle?' Harry nodded and accepted the reality. "Then we'll have to get rid of them. We've got eighty fighters?"

Kingsley answered the question for him, "forty three are ready and able, the others are trainees or injured but on the mend."

"We'll take the trainees with us when we purge the forest of those spiders for good." The acromantula nest had caused more trouble than they were worth. 'Apart from killing Umbridge, they've been nothing but a nuisance and a plague on this school's safety.'

Sirius spoke for the first time at a command meeting in what felt like ages and said, "I heard the twins say none of the secret entrances are open anymore. I confirmed some of them for myself."

"That's good for defence," Halim began, "but it leaves us with little options in terms of evacuation."

"There isn't anywhere to evacuate to," Daphne spoke demurely. "He didn't just hit the chateau, he hit every potential safe house we might think to use at the same time."

'Bugger.' Harry grasped Daphne's hand and asked with potent concern, "your home?"

Daphne closed her eyes and sighed, "gone."

"That makes it simple then, we make our stand here." Harry looked around the table and saw that the prospect of no escape greatly worried them. 'What better place is there to determine the future of the wizarding world than the finest school in all of magical society?' Harry gave her hand a reassuring squeeze and stood from his chair. "I've got a few people I can speak with that will have a better idea on how to repel an invading force. For the meantime, we need to get a better idea of the castle. Chokepoints, dead ends and other positions of advantage."

"It's a big castle, we'd best get to work" Moody declared as he stood up and left the tent. Many stood up and followed suit, including Daphne, but Harry had business with some of their members.

"Bill, Fleur, Sirius," he addressed the three, all of which stopped in their tracks and turned to look at him. "I need your help."

"What for?" Bill asked irritably. Fleur grabbed his arm and it seemed to have the desired effect of cooling him down.

"Come with me and you'll see."

Harry led the trio through the rain and towards the castle. They entered the castle and took a right, through the transfiguration courtyard and further into the central hall. 'I followed her through here, what feels like so long ago. A secret admirer, the most arrogant and most beautiful girl I'd ever seen. You changed everything, Daphne.' Harry stopped in an alcove, right in front of an inconspicuous wooden door.

"You okay, Harry?" Sirius had put a hand on his shoulder after Harry had stopped their entourage. "You seem… off."

"In here is where I met Daphne for the first time," he answered honestly.

"I understand," Sirius patted him on the shoulder and gestured ahead of them, "lead on."

Harry pushed open the door into the abandoned classroom. It was as neat and tidy as his final repairo had left it. There was no sign of their initial duel which had broken the desks and chairs.

"Harry, as touching as this is, what are we doing here?"

Harry turned to Fleur and, at first, didn't answer her question. Instead, he reached into his pocket, retrieved a magically miniaturised sack and placed it on the desk. He tapped his wand to it once and the sack enlarged to its proper size. When he turned it upside down, three items fell from it: a goblet, a locket and a wand.

"Harry?" Sirius asked nervously. He'd recognised what Harry possessed the moment he saw the sack. It was the same one he'd used to retrieve the horcruxes at the chateau.

"It's okay," Harry told his godfather before looking at the talented couple. "These items are called–"

"Horcruxes," Bill guessed. Harry's side eye towards Sirius confirmed it for the Weasley. "Voldemort made several?"

"He did." Harry's simple confirmation seemed out of place discussing such complex pieces of dark magic but he was still getting over his shock that Bill had recognised what they were. "How did you know?"

"We've visited the academy that used to house the horcrux of Herpon the foul," Fleur explained as she reached a cautious wand point towards Harry's old wand. "This was your wand, non?"

"It was, now it serves Voldemort."

"A wizard isn't parted with his wand easily," Fleur's wand glowed a pale green, the same green that had consumed the soul of Pettigrew in exchange for Harry's life. The French girl's face turned sad. "How did this come to be?"

"Painfully." His friends cringed at his bluntness, but Harry could care less, he was the one that suffered, not them.

"So, what?" Bill asked as he drew his wand and took a ready stance, "you want us to destroy them?"

"No, Blaise is working on deciding the best way to destroy them." Harry appreciated Bill's pragmatism when it came to such things, but he had something else in mind for the soul containers. "I need your help hiding them," he explained before focusing solely on Sirius and continued with, "I want to cast the fidelius over this room."

"Harry," Sirius interjected almost manically, "no."

Sirius was a changed man, only someone of strong mental fortitude could've ferried the horcruxes alone to the castle. As Harry searched the man's pained eyes, he could see the remnants of guilt from that fateful Halloween night.

"My parents' greatest mistake wasn't trusting you, Sirius, it was trusting Dumbledore." Whilst he was speaking cold hard facts, he could see that it had been an incredibly emotional revelation for Sirius who's mouth had gone agape as he took a step back and tried to process Harry's words. Harry took that time to ask Bill, "can you do it?"

"It'd be a first, but we can," Bill answered after sharing a look with his partner, "Fleur's a better enchanter than I am, she'll cast the spell."

Harry nodded his thanks to Fleur and turned to his godfather. "Will you do it?"

Sirius for the most part looked more uncomfortable about the whole thing than anyone else. Godfather and godson held each other's gaze, Sirius uncertain, Harry resolute. After a moment, Sirius closed his eyes and took a deep breath in and out before he spoke. "I will."

"Good," Harry placed the sack on the desk and walked past Bill, "I've opened the wards to allow further enchanting. Pass along the secret when it's done."

"Will do."

Harry left the classroom and went about his day. At dinner, in between spoonful's of his vegetable stew, he felt like he'd forgotten something of importance but chalked it up to the stress of war and finished his meal in peace.

November 8th

10:11am

Hogwarts Castle, Scotland

Daphne

On her third pass by an unassuming wall on the seventh floor, a large door carved itself into the stone and opened at her behest. The room of requirement had heeded her commands to a tee. A simple green lounge in front of a fireplace. Her and Harry had a similar set up in the head boy's dorm, but everyone knew she was staying there, if she was going to get through the next few hours, she would do so uninterrupted.

Daphne took off her shoes and sat on the three seater with her legs outstretched across the cushions. In her lap sat a heavy tome with parchment jutting out from the sides that had various notes and placeholders for topics she hadn't even begun.

'Victory in Unity,' she read as she placed a longing hand on the front cover, 'of course you'd name it something dramatic.'

Harry had left the book on their bed just like he'd said with a little note that said 'from your father.' When Daphne saw the sheer size of the book she knew what he'd left behind, a handbook that would see the wizarding community rise from the destruction Voldemort had wrought. The tabs labelled different sections and from just first glance she saw economics, law and politics. Further into the book Damien seemed to have tackled reconstitution and unification, hence the title.

My dearest daughter, Daphne,

As I am writing this I am reminded of a time perhaps long forgotten to you. When we sat together on a bench on the grounds at home, you were eleven, ready to take on the world with your ambition and determination. I asked you if you were ready for Hogwarts, but you turned it around and asked if I was ready that you were going to leave.

I could scarcely imagine it, but you had already begun to outthink people thrice your age.

I couldn't answer you then, I had been confronted with every parent's fear; that you might have outgrown the need for me. I wasn't ready, Daphne, you had grown up too fast and now, I see that in you again. As heir to the family, you were always going to have a lot of responsibility thrust upon a burden no one should carry.

Right now, you might be getting a little annoyed, thinking that I'm going to berate you. I won't. You are your own woman now, with the weight of the world on your shoulders. What you did or what you've done, they are your matters to bear. Astoria told me what you said to her, and through her I know, no matter how much you've changed, you're still capable of so much good for this family and this country.

Inside this book you will find my research pertaining to the reconstruction of this society. It is not a step by step guide, but a tool for inspiration when you need it most. I spoke to many, yet there are more voices that need be heard, voices that will ridicule and belittle, roar and rage, plot and scheme. But also voices who will sing your praise, champion your values and go silent to listen. Find the courage to be a leader, rise when the world wishes for your fall.

In the end, if you decide your path lies elsewhere, never fear. You'll still be the only thing I've ever asked you to be – my daughter.

Your proud father,

Damien Greengrass

Daphne let out a shaky breath she didn't know she was holding. Soon after she tasted the salt on her lips of unnoticed tears. Her father had done so much to prepare her for the world, acting on her every whim. An eleven year old Daphne wanted to speak to the leading scholars in the study of a wizard's core? He'd make it happen. A thirteen year old Daphne wanted to practise new spells in his office even though he was busy? He couldn't be happier.

Their recent tensions had made her temporarily forget the fierce love and nurturing he'd shown her in every facet of life. That reminder made her misery all the more potent. Daphne closed her eyes tight, squeezing more hot bullets from her tear sacs. With the ring in her hands and loss enveloping her psyche, she flung her hands out and threw the object of her grief from them.

'I can't, I don't want to see it.'

When Daphne opened her eyes, she realised the room had shifted on its own. What was once something akin to a common room, looked more like a junkyard. Piles upon piles of random items surrounded her, ranging from a thumbtack to display cabinets. One could sit in a single spot and look in one direction and still fail to identify every single thing in their view.

'The ring!' Daphne shot up from the couch and rushed in the general direction she thought she'd thrown it. In her frantic state, she didn't even consider summoning it. She came upon a tower of knick knacks and doohickeys of an indescribable nature. Except for a single green flash about halfway up the column where her father's ring lay. 'Thank Morgana.'

Daphne grabbed hold of a cabinet and climbed on to it, using a box labelled 'DUNGBOMBS - DO NOT OPEN' as leverage. From there she reached as high as she could, getting on her tiptoes and stretching her arm to its limit. She'd forgotten one key detail, she was still in her socks and the cabinet was barely stable on its own. It buckled slightly under Daphne and that slight variation caused her to slip and collide with the pile. Daphne watched the ring teeter precariously on the edge of the horizontal lampshade, back and forth it went whilst she tried to remain as still as possible.

Left. Right. Left again. And…

It fell.

In perhaps her most astonishingly unconsidered action, Daphne jumped after it. Arm outstretched, suspended in the air, she closed her hand around the ring and braced for gravity's retaliation. Sure enough, the floor came up fast and Daphne's shoulder bore the brunt of the pain. She winced but didn't think anything was broken.

'That was silly,' she chided herself. Not about the leap but throwing the ring in the first place. She raised the ring up to eye level in the palm of her hand and spoke to it as if she was speaking to her father himself. "I'm sorry, I won't let that hap…"

Her apology trailed off as she caught a glimpse of something past the ring at the bottom of a pile of junk. Daphne got off the hard stone floor and put the ring back on her finger as she walked over to the curious object. It was silver, so shiny that it was almost white and encrusted with sparkling blue gems.

'A diadem… why would anyone leave such a beautiful piece of jewellery in here.' Daphne reached down and picked it up from the case that it was nestled in. Along the side of the piece, there was an engraved message. "Wit beyond measure is a man's greatest treasure…" she read out loud as she inspected the writing.

An urge not her own overtook Daphne and she found herself raising the diadem up above her head.

'I could really use some help right now,' Daphne thought desperately as she placed it atop her head, 'what can you offer me?'

I offer wisdom, child. I offer certainty.

November 8th

4:27pm

Hogwarts Castle, Scotland

Harry

"Open," he hissed at the sake laden door. The magical locks clicked open and the door creaked as it swung outwards. Harry climbed into the chamber and began the unnecessarily long walk towards the statue at the end of the other end of the Slytherin's retreat.

In a bored tone, Harry enunciated, "speak to me Slytherin, greatest of the Hogwarts four." Absent-mindedly, he noticed the stark contrast in the way he'd said those words two years ago. 'A lot of hassle for some stairs,' is all he could think as he descended into Slytherin's secret study.

"Is that you, boy?" an angry called out from further in the office, behind shelves and scrolls.

"It is," Harry answered as he turned the corner around one of the bookshelves. Nestled on top of a mantle piece, Slytherin's portrait stood with his hands on his hips and a scowl on his face.

"How long, boy, how long has it been?" Slytherin was angry, the snake on his shoulder was coiled up and ready to strike. It wasn't like the time he'd come to mope in the chamber and contemplate his mortality. Salazar had been miffed but sympathetic, Harry didn't see any sympathy now. However, Harry had nothing to regret.

"Six months, maybe," he answered easily. There wasn't exactly a time he could've safely come to visit, with Azkaban, getting captured and everything after, he'd had his hands quite full.

"Half a year?!" Slytherin shouted. The portrait rattled on the mantelpiece as his anger heightened. The ancient founder raised an angry finger and pointed it at Harry "We conducted a ritual–"

"I conducted that ritual."

"We," Salazar corrected irritably, "conducted a ritual of the soul and I didn't see you for a half a year?"

"I had to leave in a hurry," Harry said with a shrug, "there's been a war to fight."

Salazar straightened and grew inquisitive. "It is over then. You've defeated Tom?" Harry couldn't tell if there was a hint of sadness in Salazar's tone, maybe there was grief for Tom's potential before his descent into madness.

"No," he dejectedly replied. The desolation of his home and their headquarters was still fresh in his mind. "But we will, with your help."

"My help!" Salazar yelled. The snake on his shoulder dropped to the floor due to its master's outburst and hissed but Salazar's tirade had only just begun. "Tell me, has there been a time you've come to see me when you were not asking for my help?"

"You helped a psychopath achieve immortality; you'll get no sympathy from me." Harry pushed aside centuries old parchment on the desk so that he could lean on it. "Now you're going to help me defend this school."

"The protective enchantments–"

"Won't be enough," Harry interjected. Harry tapped Riddle's old notes on Salazar's desk and gave the portrait a pointed look. "What else can I use?"

"You've changed Potter." Salazar stroked his long beard whilst giving Harry the meanest side-eye. "The castle's statues are beholden to defend the school in case of attack, but they are no warriors." Harry nodded his head in appreciation, at that information. If there was one thing they were lacking it was the numbers, anything to even the odds were welcome. "What's more, Rowena and I designed the castle specifically to withstand a siege, muggle or magical."

'Specifically designed?' Harry thought back to his many years in the castle navigating its halls for classes and conspiracies alike. He thought of the congested halls and staircases when a class would finish. 'It would be worse when we had to go to the other side of the castle. Quidditch practice after lunch was a nightmare.' That's when it hit him, there was a reason getting to the other side of the castle was such a hassle, there were only three…"Bridges. The viaduct, rope and Ravenclaw," Harry realised.

"Indeed."

"That could work," Harry's hand came to his hair to run a hand through it, 'but it still won't be enough.'

"Good," Salazar remarked oddly, only to tack on, "now, you may leave."

Harry looked up, surprised, and gestured towards the exit. "I was going to take you with me."

"I have no desire to aid you." Salazar's voice was that of a man scorned and Harry could hardly fault him. "Twice, you've forgotten me. The first was forgiven, the second is the last."

But just because Harry couldn't fault him, didn't mean he was going to accept Salazar's resignation without argument. "You're going to abandon the castle? Your school?"

"I would abandon you, Potter." Harry felt the sting of rejection that he was becoming used to experiencing. "I saw so much of Godric in you when you first came to me but now, now I see more of me and so much of—"

Harry had already begun walking towards the door when Salazar had outright refused to help him but, seeing where Salazar was going, he slammed the door behind him, cutting off Salazar's sentence before he could finish it. Harry flexed his hand to cool his anger, 'the audacity to lecture me when he created that monster. Maybe another year in solitude will change his mind.'

Harry left the chamber in a hurry, eager to put some distance between Salazar and himself. Slytherin was bound to serve his heirs and Harry knew he could force him to help with but a few words. But something had stopped him, the small voice that had grown smaller by the day had told that it was wrong. For the first time in a long time, Harry listened.

Authors Note

First off, sorry this wasn't on schedule, my sleep cycle is so bad at the moment that I genuinely don't know what day it is sometimes.

The first thing this chapter introduces is loses and another set of stakes. The loyalists are wounded and have nowhere to run.

I closed off Sirius' redemption by taking him back to where it all went wrong. Six months ago, Sirius wouldn't have been able to take on that responsibility but now he can (if uncomfortably).

Now, with Daphne, I needed her to be at her most vulnerable for this next arc to work. So, having Damien leave her a little heartfelt note served well to get her there. More on the diadem in the next few chapters.

I've said before that the way I've handled Salazar has been poor. Shoehorn him in for plot progression then discard him. Am I doing the same here? Sure. But it at least makes sense. Harry has treated Salazar the same way I have, equally s unintentionally. However, this also mirrors what was happening when Daphne was losing her grip whilst Harry was captured. People started abandoning her and for good reason. Now Harry has lost McGonagall and Salazar's aid, two adults that harry actually respected. Like Daphne, Harry will need to pivot if he hopes to win the war.

I also think its interesting that Harry goes from deep depression in being compared to Tom then now he is dismissive of anyone who cares to think they're even slightly the same…

That's all for now… thanks for reading!

RevanchistVII