The Ever Changing Face of Death (unedited)

by TheL0sts0uls

After passing through a Veil archway, Hazel Potter and her adopted son Teddy discover they are in the DoM of a parallel world in 1991. Deciding to prevent the events that resulted in a nuclear winter, Hazel becomes an Operative, facing the dangers and traumas that exist in the crossroads between worlds, as she tries to build a life for herself in the new world. Female Harry Potter.

2. Chapter 11-20

Chapter 11: A New Dawn for Operations

"Hazel, wait up." Hazel stopped just outside of Acquisitions as her partner's familiar voice reached her. She turned around and smirked. "Morning Dora. Did you remember to wear your knickers?" Dora blushed and punched Hazel's shoulder. "Yes, I did. Why did you send me two pairs of knickers for Christmas anyways?" Hazel hummed happily. "Just in case you lost your bras since you don't seem to wear them. How were the boots and jacket?" Dora beamed. "They are great. I left them in the apartment because we were getting our Operative gear today. Won't cause a problem for us, though? Dragonhide jackets in maroon are for Hit Wizards and Hit Witches." Hazel nodded. "That they are, but that also happens to be our cover when we step out of the Ministry, remember? We either wear our Unspeakable Cloaks or we wear a Hit Witch's gear. Since I have a Basilisk set, I don't need a new set but you needed yours. I thought you'd like one with a bit of a personal touch, which standard issue ones lack. They tend to be more comfortable that way, especially around the bust. You can thank Quetz for working on it." Dora blushed as she pouted. "Thank you for that." The two reached the entrance and pressed their badges onto the door. Quetz looked up from her workstation and smiled as the door opened fully. "Welcome back you two. R1, your gear is in the back. Try it on. R2, get your trasero over here. I got a large assortment of knives for you. Take your pick so I can adjust the holster."

Dora looked over the table and scanned the large spread of knives. She eyed a few curved blades but decided against them. She would have to relearn how to fight with those. She held a few knives until she found a pair of slightly curved combat knives. Quetz hummed approvingly. "Not a bad pick. Good for forcing some distance or cutting someone's throat from behind. You bring your gear here every time after a mission, you hear? I ain't letting you out there with your knives rusted or dulled." Dora nodded and handed the two blades to Quetz, who pulled out a holster for them and started binding it with stitches to Dora's suit. Hearing a few heavy steps, Dora turned and froze. Hazel looked absolutely hot in the black full body suit that went down to her knees as she seemed to adjust her bracers. Dora had to turn away though Quetz gave her a knowing look before heading to Hazel. "I left some room for throwing knives in the bracers and belt for you, so try them out. Make sure you come by and restock before getting out there." Hazel chuckled, "Yes ma'am." Quetz walked around her, eying her up and down, looking for any imperfections. "Shift to your Animagus form. I want to see if any of the heavy spell resistant areas give you trouble or lose enchantment." Hazel nodded and shifted into a lynx. She stretched around, ran across the room and gave Dora the stink eye when she cooed at her, before shifting back. "A bit of a tight fit on the bracers, greaves and knee guards areas but nothing unexpected."

Quetz pulled out her wand and casted a diagnostic on the mentioned areas. She nodded. "No weakening, at least not yet. You come in and have me look them over after long missions as an Animagus." Hazel nodded as she pulled the Unspeakable grey cloak over her head and pulled down the face covering. Dora shivered a little. "Very Grim Reaper. If you weren't my partner and I ran into you in a firefight, I'd shit bricks." Quetz grinned. "Part of the game. Fear gets your enemy to make mistakes. More time for you to hit them first." Hazel pulled the lower end of the cloak off, leaving the mask in place around her head. She vanished in a second before appearing again. "Not an Invisibility Cloak but probably better than most in the market. Is the suit designed to strengthen a Disillusionment charm?" Quetz nodded as Hazel removed her face covering. "Got that right, amiga. Our eggheads found a neat balance between the two. People with the right gear will spot you, nothing we can do about that, but everyone else will see jack shit." Quetz went back to finish her work on Dora's suit as Horatio entered the chamber. "Croaker's got a mission for you two in two days. Strap those suits on and meet me at the training room. We need to get you up to speed before we send you out."

Hazel looked at Horatio with concern. "Is that wise? We only have six months of Operative training." Horatio looked between the two. "Which isn't much from an Auror's perspective. With Operations, it's a bit faster in getting results." He looked at a worried Dora. "Of the two of you, you are the less experienced, Tonks. This isn't something we can fix in a training room or with more casting and exercise. You need real life combat. You need to get a feel for what it's like and what you can do in that situation." Dora thought on his words as Hazel eyed her with concern. Dora looked between her partner and Horatio. "You aren't worried about Hazel?" Hazel sighed and had a distant look to her eyes. "This isn't my first run in with dangerous wizards and witches. I've put several in the ground already. I am guessing my learning aspect from this is working with you, watching your back and taking things a bit more slowly." Horatio nodded. "This is why we are a bit more confident sending you two out, Tonks. You have a partner with real world experience who can look after you. Listen to her, focus on your safety and the mission, and you should be fine."

Dora held her own body suit, her hand rubbing the material absentmindedly. She knew this was early and it was likely going to be dangerous. But the danger was part of the job. Horatio was right. All the training in the world wouldn't get her the experience she needed or the feel for a real mission. She would have to get her hands dirty for that. Which meant casting curses at others, killing them and repeating it over and over again. She'd done that in practice but could she do it in real life, without becoming like her aunt? Hazel's hand on her shoulder broke her though and the concern on her eyes was clear to see. "You can sit this one out if you want. It might be a bit harder but I can manage it on my own." Dora felt a new emotion build up. Guilt. Her partner was willing to go into danger alone, just to relieve her of the stress. Dora's hand clenched on her combat suit as she swallowed the lump in her throat. This was never going to be easy and while she could wait, she knew she would eventually have to make the same decision again and again. She chose to stick with this job and with her partner. She wasn't going to change that. She breathed deeply before looking at Horatio. "Get me as ready as you can. I am not letting Hazel do this alone."

Dora stared at a map of the compound they would be breaking into as Horatio paced beside her while Croaker looked on. A voice was heard from a small comm device on the table. "R1 on the rooftop. Got four guards here on assigned watches, one roamer. Assigned guards are at the four corners." Dora nodded to herself as she marked the corners with a red inked pen. "Got it." She eyed Croaker who seemed to be writing in a book, charmed for communication. She knew the mission today was a big one. Croaker had called them because he felt they could manage it with sufficient backup and it would help get them support among the ICW, who had issued the warning. The Observers under the ICW had tracked a shipping company making deliveries of illegal muggle weapons and contraband via portkeys. Because of how the sensors around borders worked, the smugglers with magical assistance had to keep the items on site until they were sure they didn't get spotted. Croaker's DoM had been tracking them for years but with no Operatives and no means to bypass permission from the top, they had no way of sending in the DMLE without getting spotted or blocked. The owner of the place apparently made quite a few large donations to the Minister too, which made warrants harder to get. Dora interrupted her thoughts when Hazel's voice came over the comms again. "Ten wizards on the 3rd floor, none wearing any resistant gear so fat. All at hallway intersections. Five on the second floor, a bit more spread out, but the same configuration."

Marking the hallways on the third and second floor floor plans, Dora also noted the amount of people per floor. A part of her had been annoyed that Hazel had been sent first but she could see why. Hazel could sneak past wards and people without being spotted. She had no idea how, but it felt like she could walk through walls. Her friend went alone ahead to get a good feel for the building and enemy placement, something that would give them the advantage they needed to avoid unnecessary complications. Dora would be called in for the strike. She felt her hands shake for a moment. She'd be killing soon. Horatio eyed her carefully. "Leave the nerves, R2. Focus on the moment. When you get back, you have my permission to shake yourself till morning. And stop thinking that this will make you like a certain witch. You know what these people are and what they do. You are going in to put a stop to it. Remember that." Horatio's words helped her settle herself as she swallowed. "Ten Wizards on the first floor, ten Muggles with assault weapons and body armour. Priority One on site as extra. R1, moving towards the basement. No sign of wardstone yet." Dora felt her nerves return a little. These men meant business if they brought muggles armed to the teeth, and the wizard bribing the Minister was on site. Croaker looked quite unhappy. "Getting permission to violate the Statute on muggle criminals from the ICW. Standby." Dora pulled the floor schematic of the basement level and waited. Hazel's voice came in clear, along with her anger. "Got ten wizards on the basement level and five muggle combatants. We have 35 civilian female muggles in states of undress held in cages, all with their hands bound. Wardstone has been located and it's vulnerable. Orders?"

Dora felt her heart sink. Human traffickers. The bastards were more than gunrunners and smugglers. They were human traffickers too. Croaker cursed. "ICW gave clearance but I am sending a revised request on breaking the Statute with the muggle victims. Get ready to plant the charge on the wardstone. R2, head to the portkey exit point and take your deployable wardstone. I am going to call in the DMLE a bit early. We need the site contained." Dora nodded and placed her hearing comms device in her ear and raised her wrist to her mouth. "R2, online." Hazel 's voice was clear in her ear. "R1, roger." Horatio's voice followed. "BM, Acknowledged. All clear. Boss has the go ahead and DMLE will be onsite as soon as the deployable wardstone is in place. Orders given, main standing order is to get back to base safely, both of you. No one gets left behind. Got it?" Dora arrived at the portkey extraction point as she pulled her hood and face covering on before picking up the deployable wardstone. They had elected to leave the cloaks behind to reduce physical limitations in the confined spaces. "Roger that BM. R2, at extraction point. All green." Hazel responded. "Roger that BM. R1 awaiting orders to plant charge on wardstone before transferring to the roof for R2's arrival. All green." Dora waited as she felt her heart beating faster and faster. Horatio's voice broke the silence. "R1, neutralize the ward and clear the roof. R2, prepare for the portkey. Mission is a go."

Noticing Hazel by her side as soon as she landed, Dora shook off the effects of the Portkey. Her eyes took in her surroundings, noting the five dead guards. She placed the deployable wardstone on the ground at the dead center of the roof. "R2, activating wardstone." Hazel felt the wards snap into place and she shivered. For a deployable wardstone, it was bloody strong. She was glad they were tuned to be able to apparate in and out of it. "R1 and R2 in position on the roof. ETA on DMLE?" Horatio's voice came in clear, unlike earlier with the local wardstone causing minor interference. "Two minutes, R1. Engage on my mark. Lethal force is authorized. Watch for collateral on the basement level." Hazel eyed Dora, seeing her a bit nervous. Her wand was shaking. "Deep breaths R2. Remember the drills. Aim for the torso, check your corners and keep moving. These people deserve worse than what you are giving them." Dora nodded, feeling a little better, before she looked at Hazel. "Any chance for fresh pizza tomorrow?" Hazel smiled to herself as she shook her head. "I'll get three." Horatio's voice came in. "DMLE on site. Engage targets on the third floor and proceed down. Avoid the red coats and stow the chatter." Hazel turned to Dora and got a nod. They descended the stairs as they heard screams and gunfire. Hazel, on point, took down two guards quickly as they made their way through, the green light of the Killing Curse flashing quickly and silently.

Dora found her breathing heavy as she followed her. She took two wizards down with a stunner before finishing them with a cyan AK each. She shuddered for a second before moving on. Hazel took down two more who tried to slip around them. Her enchanted eyes registered two more bodies moving towards them from the back and she eyed her friend who nodded. A flashbang spell and two AKs and the last two on the floor were down. Hazel spoke into the comm on her wrist. "Roof and third floor are clear. Two guards unaccounted for, probably down to the second floor." Hazel waited for a response. "DMLE is currently unable to breach the first floor. Transfer to Basement and make your way up. Aurors are preparing brooms to reach the roof." Hazel grabbed Dora by the waist and apparated her down to a safe room she had identified near the ward stone. Dora checked with Hazel the direction of the wardroom and noted it was occupied, probably with wizards trying to restore it. "Got five in the wardroom, two outside. Can't read rest because of non-combatant signatures." Hazel vanished as if disillusioned, startling Dora for a second. She shook her head to clear her mind as the door opened, Hazel standing outside as she seemed to make a cloak vanish into her stomach. "Three more down on the Basement level. Let's go." The people in the wardroom went down quickly with the two coordinating targets, before moving towards the area with the cages.

Hazel tapped Dora's shoulder. "Focus on clear targets, anyone who goes for hostages is mine." Dora nodded and the two charged into the room. Hazel's kinetic shield sprang up and Dora heard bullet fire aimed her way. She took down several targets as they cleared the room, Dora's fear and concerns evaporated at the sight of the women, some with obvious bruises on their faces. Hazel was right, the bastards deserved way worse for this. A few guards went for hostages but the spikes of metal that sprang from above their heads ended them quickly. The woman started screaming and Dora silenced them as she made herself visible, before casting a translator charm on the lot of them. "We're with the police. Stay low to the ground and no weapons. We will get you out as soon as we are clear." Dora turned slightly, her wand aimed slightly down and was suddenly sent flying into the wall. She saw a green curse strike the wall beside her as she heard a body drop. Dora stared at the wall as her heart started beating faster and faster. She had almost died. In a second she would have been dead. Just like the people she killed upstairs. She started breathing heavily, finding it hard with the mask, her hands and body shaking uncontrollably. She felt her face covering pulled aside as green eyes stared at her with concern. "R1 to BM, R2 is going into shock. Missed AK almost took her down. Orders?" Dora brought her hands to her face as her eyes grew unfocused. Dead. She should be dead. Like them. If it hadn't been for Hazel, she would be dead. She thought of her parents, how much her dying would hurt them and started to cry. Horatio's voice came in loud in her ear. "Blast it. The DMLE forces are cutting through the first floor and they got boots coming in from the roof. R1, shield R2 and clear the Basement level of hostiles. Extreme measures authorized. Watch for collateral."

Dora felt someone lift her chin. "Really wanted our first time to be different but you need a heavy dose of my magic. We will talk more later." Dora froze as warm lips landed in hers and then her mind went blank, a soft moan leaving her lips. Magic. Pure, powerful magic flooded her mind and body. It felt like she had on Halloween night at Hogwarts but this time it was overwhelming. She was drowning in magic. She felt so warm and safe. She felt herself being lowered down and saw a pair of glowing green eyes shifting to silver. Her mind registered as a cloth was placed over her head before the magic inside of her connected to the cloth. She felt so light and free. What had she been doing? That sensation remained as the area around her went silent, with sporadic bouts of noise bursting once in a while. She had no idea how long she lingered there on the ground, only that the silence eventually lasted longer. Her mind… she knew something had happened, but she couldn't place it. She did know she felt warm. So warm. She watched to touch. To be touched. She wanted those lips again. Those eyes had looked at her with something she knew was different. What was it? She felt a pair of hands touch her and the cloth was pulled away from her body. Warm green eyes looked at her and Dora felt her heart beat loudly again. "R1 to BM. Basement is cleared and Priority One is down. I have R2 in my possession. Permission to extract?" A voice sounded very loud in Dora's ear. "Permission Granted." She felt magic latch onto her and she was pulled away.

"Croaker." Saul sighed as he entered the briefing room. While the Minister and the Chief Warlock would be informed, it was best to talk to the DMLE first. He sat down as he eyed the three Aurors before focusing on one of them. "Amelia, what's the word from your people?" The greying redhead sat back, her arms crossed over her chest as she looked at Croaker, her eyes showing a rare glimpse of emotion. "Ten Aurors are in St. Mungos, most with bullet wounds and a few suffering from cutting curses, broken bones and two with blood boiling curses. Two Aurors are dead." Saul lowered his head. "My apologies. The smugglers were much more well trained and armed than what was anticipated and identified by the ICW." Scrimgeour growled. "That they were. Half of the captured wizards were foot soldiers under You Know Who. They got a light sentence ro Azkaban and went right back to the streets. Seemed they weren't as "reformed" as we had hoped." Croaker rubbed his chin. Not the expected result but those were the type of people he wanted to keep out of Voldemort's hands should he return. This little ICW mission paid off a little bit on their main concern. He noticed Alastor Moody eyeing him curiously.

"Yes, Alastor?" The old Auror grunted. "Your team did a number on the third floor but much more on the basement level." Croaker stared at the man. "I never pegged you as the squeamish type." The man snorted. "I'm not. They did fine work. All the combatants were dead by the time we got down there. Some of the victims mentioned one of your people had a problem and was removed from the fight. That's not like Horatio, sending in someone so green." Croaker sighed. "The window for interfering was short and we had the means to disrupt this network that the ICW had been eyeing for years. One of our Operatives is indeed quite new to deadly engagements and is currently receiving medical attention. We don't see any concern and we hope the experience will help them along." Scrimgeour butted into the conversation. "I am more worried about your other Operative. The damage done to the criminals on the basement level was … severe at times. Far worse than the third floor. Our Chief Warlock will raise a fuss over this. Minister too." Croaker waved the issue away. "They can complain all they want. Our BM got the word of one of ours being out of commission. He gave the order for extreme measures and the remaining Operative carried it out."

Moody chuckled. "Aye, they did at that. And quickly too. Some of my former Cadets slipped on the slick ground a few times before noticing it wasn't puddle water. Horatio swooning over this one?" Croaker sat back. He hadn't seen the damage himself yet, but he had heard Hazel's brief after action debrief. The woman took Horatio's order and followed it to the letter. Every criminal, no matter their magical talent or lack of it, got skewered by her conjured lances. He could imagine the mess left after she dispelled them. Horatio had been happy to not be on the receiving end of them on this night. "You know our BM, he's making sure we got the best. We got lucky this last year. Now, I believe Rufus touched on the more problematic aspects of what's to come. The Minister was receiving bribes from the owner of the building. Were you able to identify them among the captured criminals?" Amelia glared at him. "You know they weren't. The owner's body is in the morgue with a decently sized hole in his chest." Croaker hummed, not dignifying that with an answer. Horatio had been the one to clear Hazel to take out the Priority One target after all. He just didn't countermand the order. "Imagine that. Guess Fudge will throw a memorial. A cheap one." Rufus and Alastor chuckled which earned them a glare from Amelia. "Yes, yes. Our Minister's pockets will be lighter now. Until the next scumbag offers him the galleons. The question is what do we tell the Chief Warlock and the Minister. We can't hide this in the morning." Croaker eyed the three Aurors. "The DoM is operating under the assumption that the Chief Warlock can't be trusted." That got Alastor's attention. "What has Albus done that's got you up in arms?"

Croaker passed a file to Amelia. "Our Department was informed of improprieties done by the Headmaster. Mr. Potter's illegal living arrangements, some attempts at accessing his vault and property, the cover up of a Troll slipping past the Hogwarts wards and endangering the students and lastly a cursed artifact left where any eleven year old could find it. This all comes after he has used his position as Chief Warlock to conceal, impede and delay any investigations into the safety of everyone involved. There is a suggestion of having Mind Healers on standby should students have found the artifact, but without a clear reason to send them, the students won't get the attention they might need and definitely deserve." Amelia looked grim. "Your Department is taking measures to mitigate the dangers?" Croaker nodded. "We are, but anonymity will be important, especially from the Chief Warlock. We got permission from the ICW Observers to keep our involvement today secret. We have a cover of a special task force in the Hit Wizards that we used in the past, one the ICW can activate independently of the Minister's orders. We want to use it again. For that we need the approval of the Director of the DMLE and the Head Auror." Amelia looked at her colleagues. Alastor nodded but Rufus Scrimgeour was thoughtful. "If we get into a situation where we need highly trained Aurors, would your people be willing to get involved?" Amelia looked to Croaker, who was pensive. He looked at the expecting Aurors. "If there is a justifiable cause. We have concerns over the misuse of our Department by the Ministry. It's why we are separate from it and the Wizengamot. If you ask, you will have an answer. If it's good, you will have back-up. That is the best I can do."

Rufus nodded. "I will take it. Though if they lend a hand, make sure they go with non-lethals first. I would rather not be the one to explain to families why so many people can't have open casket wakes." Croaker nodded. "Agreed." Rufus left the meeting room but Croaker was surprised to see Amelia and Alastor remain. "Yes?" Alastor fixed both his eyes on him. "Is Nymphadora Tonks one of your Operatives?" Croaker stared back. "Can't say." Alastor gave him a crooked grin. "You train her up well. Had my eye on her from her 7th year at Hogwarts. If she can hack it under Horatio, the better." The battered man left the room, slapping Croaker's shoulder in a surprisingly friendly gesture, leaving Amelia with Croaker in the briefing room. She leafed through the report and rubbed her eyes before staring at Croaker. "My niece is at Hogwarts." Croaker sighed. "Augusta's grandson as well." Amelia held the file Croaker gave her. "I lost my brother, sister, sister-in-law and fiancée to the Order and the Death Eaters. If you are sure Albus isn't as noble as they believed him to be then I want in, Saul. If I lose Susan, I am taking the escaped Death Eaters and the Order down with me. Got that?" Croaker could see the anger in Amelia's eyes. "I will have my Operative's keep you in the loop." Amelia nodded as she stood up. "If one of them is the woman I met at Madam Malkins then send her. If you hadn't taken her in, I would have." Croaker chuckled. "If you did, the Gamot would have been in ruins by now." Amelia waved him off as she left the room. "Right now I can't bring myself to care. Half of the pricks would have deserved it."

Hazel sat quietly besides Dora who was resting on the bed after the mission. Andromeda had been mad with Horatio for taking Dora out so early in her career but Horatio had been right. She had been safe. Hazel made sure of it. She turned the page over on Horatio's book, seeing some interesting spells to try if she ever had to take on a Troll or a Dragon again. She saw a bit of movement from the bed and placed the book to the side after marking the page with a leather strap. Dora's eyes opened, those beautiful purple eyes focused on her. She couldn't bring herself to tell Dora that the shift on her eyes had slipped. She loved those eyes on Teddy and seeing them on Dora was making her feel things. "Hey Partner." Dora gave her a smile. "Watcher. What have I missed?" Hazel chuckled. "Horatio getting chewed out by your mom. Croaker went to clear things up with Amelia Bones and the DMLE. You also got some get-well gifts." Dora sat up and saw a table full of cards and sweets at the end of her bed. Dora stretched out and looked at her hands. She thought back to the mission. How she froze. A shiver ran down her spine. She felt the bed dip and an arm wrap around her waist. "Let it out." Dora turned to Hazel and felt her eyes teared up. "I screwed up. I almost got killed and you had to do the rest of the mission alone. I… should have died. I should have stayed." Hazel hugged Dora tighter. "There is a reason we don't go in alone, Dora. You could have died, but I had your back. You go out there again, I will always have your back. As for you staying, it wouldn't have mattered. Whether in the next mission or the one after, something like this was always going to happen."

Dora pressed her face into Hazel's chest and just held her. The feel of Hazel's warmth made her feel grounded again. It made it feel… alive. "Aren't I supposed to have your back too? How are you so sure you will be safe knowing I could freeze up again." Hazel hummed and Dora's body grew warmer. "I froze too. First three times my life was on the line. Back then I had no one to help me. Not really." Dora pulled back and looked her in the eye. "How did you stop freezing up? How did you get over the worry of just dying?" Hazel sighed. "I don't know if it will be the same for you Dora. You need to understand, my life was hell. The reason I froze… the reason I froze was because I didn't know if fighting was worth it. The first few times I survived by luck. The fourth… The fourth was when I finally had a reason to live. I had a reason to survive. I stared death in the face and knew that I had to live. So tell me Dora, do you have anything like that?" Dora blinked. Did she have a reason to live? She thought of her parents. How sad they would be if she died. She didn't really have any other friends. Then there was Hazel. Her partner, her friend. Would she want to live for her?

Hazel could see Dora thinking things through before she felt Dora shift in her place and her eyes looked at her. What was in those purple eyes made her pause. She had seen eyes like that before. On her ex. The desire, lust and longing. Dora pulled herself up but felt a finger press onto her lips. Hazel watched as Dora grew confused. "I… didn't you kiss me before?" Hazel blushed. She and her ex had quite a few amorous nights together. In one of those nights she learned she could pour her magic into others. Physical contact was needed but a kiss with her blood dripping into their mouths always proved to be the best method. She could also pull theirs out by taking their blood from them. Her ex had not been amused but he had deserved it. He was a bastard and he bloody well earned it for the stunts he pulled before their relationship came crashing down. Hazel nodded at Dora. "I did. To fill you with enough of my magic so that my cloak would protect you. Not even a Killing Curse would have pierced it." Dora blinked. "Oh. Wow. But…" Hazel could see Dora growing confused. Hazel bent her head down and pressed it against Dora's. "Dora, I will be blunt. I am interested in a relationship with you. But building it now, after your brush with death, feels wrong. You need time to strengthen yourself, to look inside. Find a reason to live that isn't me. I won't date you like this. Not right now. Please."

Dora frowned. "Why?" She watched Hazel close her eyes. The eyes she saw next weren't the happy eyes she knew, these were hollow. Empty. They terrified her. "Because if you did that, then you would be just like me. I lost my reasons to live, Dora. For a year I was ready to die. Then Teddy came around." Hazel's eyes brightened again. "He became my everything. I don't regret it but I can see the danger in that. I would die for him, Dora. And then what?" Dora thought for a second. Teddy and Hazel were alone. If she died, Teddy would be left behind. "You can't stand the thought of leaving Teddy behind, alone without someone to care for him, can you?" Hazel shook her head. "No, I can't. My parents did the same for me. They died trying to save me. And I hate them for it. They trusted strangers to care for me and I was betrayed and abandoned by almost everyone. I refuse to have my son live that life." Dora saw a light fill Hazel's eyes for a moment before it faded. Hazel looked at Dora. "Don't be like my parents, Dora. Don't focus on a reason to live beyond just yourself. It can easily become a reason to die. Don't ever get to that point. Please, Dora. Please live." Dora gripped Hazel's shirt and nodded. "Ok, I promise. I will. But don't think that I am forgetting that kiss."

Hazel grinned and brought her lips close to Dora's, making the young woman freeze. "I won't forget either. Trust me. If I was only interested in bedding you, I would be devouring you right now. I would make you forget that you are currently in your Mom's work area and get you to scream your lungs out." Dora's face and hair became a soft red. She was growing so warm. She wanted to kiss Hazel so bad. She wanted to let Hazel have her way with her. Hazel lifted her head up and kissed Dora's forehead. "But I want what we might have to last. I want to trust you. To know you. I want you to know me completely. Right now is not the time." Dora released a breath she hadn't known she had been holding. Looking back she could see what Hazel meant. They had fun together, they trusted each other, but they hardly knew each other. Dora nodded. "Ok. I can wait." Hazel gave her a cheeky smile. "If you ever get frustrated though, I might be tempted to help you relieve that stress. Maybe." Dora's face blushed and Hazel chuckled as she stood up. She took the cards from the table and brought them to Dora. "One's from Teddy, another from Quetz and the rest are actually from the women we rescued. Might want a written word translation charm. Pretty sure a few are in Spanish, Portugese, Chinese and I assume Russian." Dora took them and smiled. She looked at Hazel. "What's going to happen to them?" Hazel sighed and rubbed her hair. It took a moment for Dora to realise that Hazel's hair was out of a braid or a ponytail. She had shortened it for the mission. It looked good on her.

"All have agreed to minor Obliviations of all memories of magic. A few have asked for Obliviations of the worst the smugglers did to them. Mind Healers and Psychologists as well as Aurors and MI5 operatives are interviewing them, helping them out before the Obliviations are applied. The British government will see to their safe return home. The ICW has gotten in contact with Interpol too, so we could see a lot of the organization fall apart after today, from both sides." Dora blinked. "I never knew that they could all come and work together like that." Hazel shrugged. "They never did, in my experience. This mission seems to have stirred up a hornet's nest. It's scary actually. Croaker has been bloody smiling all day." Hazel shivered and Dora laughed. The door to the Medical Wing opened and a black haired missile attached himself to Hazel's leg. "Mom, you ok? Is Dora ok?" Hazel pulled Teddy up and dropped him beside Dora. "See, all fine. How about you help her with some of that candy. Dromeda probably won't let her eat it all." Andromeda huffed. "Of course not." Teddy and Dora started opening up candies and Hazel smiled at the two having fun together as Andromeda started casting diagnostics on Dora. They were home, Teddy and Dora were safe and the enemy was down. It was all that mattered right now.

Chapter 12: Moving Forward

"Are you sure that's wise?" Croaker eyed Hazel carefully. "I can understand your personal concerns Miss Peverell, but we are dealing with Dumbledore as a potential threat, as well as Voldemort. I already informed Amelia of my concerns about Dumbledore in order to secure your cover among the DMLE. Now we need to inform her of Voldemort's potential whereabouts and return. Coming from you, that should certainly help her understand how serious this is and perhaps convince her that I am not just crying wolf." Hazel frowned and Croaker noticed. "Did you have a poor experience with your Madam Bones?" Hazel ran her hand through her hair. She had shortened it for the mission but Teddy said it looked nice on her, having shoulder length hair, so she kept it for now. Dora certainly seemed to appreciate it as well. "Not exactly. I sent letters to the DMLE about my living situation but they were never answered. At first I thought I was being ignored but when I got pulled in front of a trial for trumped up charges, Madam Bones informed me that no such letters ever arrived. Her niece, Susan, did leave me with some bitter feelings. I tried befriending the Hufflepuffs in the later half of my first year but that ended when I opened my mouth and spoke snake in a Dueling Club match in my second year."

Croaker sat back. "Sounds like your mail was warded and blocked. We may need to do some redirection of mail on Harry just in case." Hazel nodded. "Since I never got a balance statement from Gringotts through the mail, I thought it was the likely thing that happened. Might I suggest a duplication of the mail? We keep a copy and see what does or doesn't filter through. I had an elf that tried blocking my mail in second year, including my Hogwarts letters. I thought I was going mad with worry as I could potentially get stuck at the Dursleys a whole year. My issues with Wizarding Britain hadn't been enough to make me want to leave it outright just yet." Croaker nodded, writing down the suggestion. "We will put the redirecting ward here, catch the mail, duplicate it and then send it out again. That should tell us a bit of what might be going on. I still suggest you go to the DMLE and inform Amelia." Hazel hummed. "How much do you want me to say? Because the Head of the DMLE pulling her niece out of Hogwarts will be a massive red flag for both Dumbledore and Voldemort." Croaker sighed and rubbed his face. "You have a point. Show her, if you have to, a memory from your Sixth year, if not at least tell her what became of her family's home. Your debriefs mentioned she died in her home after an attack by Voldemort. That will get her more worried about her home security, which will be in need of an upgrade anyway and will keep Susan at Hogwarts for the time being."

Hazel gave him a sharp grin. "She ever hears that you played her, she might come after you." Croaker glared at Hazel. "I am more worried about my sister. You haven't seen Augusta get bloody furious. She's the one I am having nightmares about not telling her about this shit." Hazel hummed. "And if Amelia recommends telling Augusta? Getting Dowager Longbottom back onto the Wizengamot might be wise. Especially as we start eating away at the seated gentry. We already have one seat left open. Might not want to let the traditionalists fill it without a fight." Croaker sighed and rubbed his face in thought. He eyed Hazel. "Discuss it with Amelia. Her and Augusta have been close over the years. The two getting together might nab us the Abbotts and eventually the Diggorys. It's not much but it's a start into the Gamot's members we can secure. We are already going to be shutting down the traditionalists that hid behind the Imperius defense and their vault contents. If we want to keep the government intact by the end, we need the Progressives and Neutrals on our side." Hazel hummed and Croaker groaned. "Stop thinking of a toppled Ministry. Might I remind you we are getting a paycheck from them?" Hazel pouted. "Spoilsport."

Standing up, Hazel stretched. "Well, guess I am heading upstairs. Any bodies I should drop on the way? I am good with leaving heads in boxes to get people in line. Worked like a charm on the Goblins. I could take out the Undersecretary and leave her head for Fudge. Might scare him straight." Croaker closed his eyes. "No bodies, no heads, no curses. I want you up there without drawing attention to yourself. If you have to bloody walk right through Amelia's door under cloak, then bloody do it. It's hard enough keeping the ruse that we are just a research department only without you leaving a trail of blood and entrails in your wake." Hazel thought for a second. "Fine, but if she sends you a Howler, you deserve it. I have a policy of not spooking law enforcement. Pissing them off when they come after me? Sure. But not spooking or seeking them out directly." Croaker nodded and he pulled out his paperwork. "Stick to ignoring them or working with them for now. You can sever heads later when we have an idea who is or isn't trying to undermine the Ministry. Now get going, R1." Hazel waved at him and left the office.

She stood at the elevator, feeling the fabric of her cloak in her hand when she heard her name being called. "Watcher, Hazel. Never seen you take the elevator before." Hazel hummed. "Never had to do it a lot. Where are you heading out this early, Dora?" The lift opened and they entered together. Hazel liked how the red coat she got for her partner looked on her, though it would probably look better with her natural eyes. Oh well. Dispelling her thoughts before she got distracted she caught Dora's answer to her query. "Horatio wants me to hit the Academy. Moody wants to give his cadets a hard lesson and he volunteered me for the job." Hazel eyed her friend. It had been two weeks since her breakdown during the mission, but she could still see some stiffness in Dora's shoulders. A good mission and a lot of stunned cadets might do her good. "Try to be careful ok? I want my partner back in one piece. The cadets might drop at the toss of a hat but Moody likes a practical lesson. He is bound to test you. The man is a menace despite the prosthetic leg." Dora eyed her and smiled. "Will do, partner." Hazel's floor came up and she tapped Dora's shoulder. "Stay safe and remember that the bone breaker hex is technically fair game."

Dora's smile eased her concerns as she found a quiet corner and vanished behind her Cloak. Dora had told her how the Cloak had felt to her and it warmed her knowing how welcoming it had been of her friend. The Stone and the Wand would always be the stubborn ones, needing a lot more of her magic in a person to get them to behave. Not that she ever used the Stone for its intended purpose. She knew how vulnerable she was mentally. She had known since her sixth year. Raising the dead for a second wouldn't make it any easier for her. Though to be fair she was sure her dead wouldn't find her here so at this point her Stone was probably nothing more than the alternative foci she always used it as. Worked quite well for sustaining shield charms which had made her question a lot as to why the Peverell Brothers kept them separate. She was personally of the opinion that the Hallows weren't theirs but their father's, Alexander. Sadly that bit of information was now lost to her. The fact the Cloak here didn't respond to her magic meant that the method of creation was probably different. There was a good chance its origins were as well. Eyeing the counter to the DMLE's main offices, Hazel cleared her thoughts before she fed her magic into the Cloak.

Slipping through the door, she eyed the mess of Aurors milling about, most of them writing down a whole lot of paperwork. The far wall consisted entirely of filing cabinets. Dora better have counted her lucky stars because she really would have hated her job. Hazel had no idea how the Ministry expected the Aurors to work with carpal tunnel on their wand hands. She navigated the mess and found the door she needed. A quick peek of her head showed that the woman was alone. She slipped fully inside the office and lightly tapped the door behind her. Amelia looked up. "Yes?" The woman went for her wand before she recognized Hazel as the cloak was removed. She sighed. "You are going to be giving me a heart attack. I might just punch Croaker for this." Hazel smiled as she stored her Cloak away. "True but as we are still getting started, we thought it best not to just waltz into your office. Not that I even know how to waltz." Amelia motioned her to sit down and she did as she felt privacy wards snap into place. The graying redhead eyed Hazel. "Should I be concerned about the incident at the docks?" Hazel hummed. "Well, if your Aurors ever come knocking on my house door, I would start ordering coffins. Fortunately I am currently living at a place no unauthorized Auror should reach, so no chances of that happening. I will be mad if your people ruin my future house though, when I get one."

Amelia drank from her coffee. "I will make sure to leave a note. I don't want my successor to get mad at me if they ever make that mistake." Hazel winced and Amelia noticed. "What?" Hazel took a deep breath. "If I told you I know a different version of you, one that died on the job at the hands of Death Eaters, what would you say?" Amelia eyed Hazel carefully. What was it about those green eyes? "You aren't a Peverell." Hazel glared. "I am. Probably the best person to carry the accursed name. But if you're wondering what my birth name was when I was born I can say it wasn't Peverell. It was Potter." Amelia stilled, her mind realizing what she was looking into. Lily's eyes. "How?" Hazel sat back. "A long story, to which I will give you the highlights because everything else is just crap. In my world things started as they did this year, with me going to Hogwarts under Dumbledore's thumb. Every year since then my life was endangered and in June of 1995, one You Know Who came back from the dead. He gave you the honor of a personal visit a year later, which left your Manor in ruins, you in a closed casket and your niece inconsolable." Amelia closed her eyes and clenched her hands. "You think it's going to happen again. Here."

Hazel sighed. She told the woman of the signs of trouble in her world, the growing trend of Traditionalist policies passed and the indifference to the plights of the muggleborns who simply couldn't get into any positions to change their fate. Amelia took it all in. She sat back. "You wouldn't be here or under the DoM's employ if Croaker didn't believe you." Hazel snorted. "Walking, or in my case, dropping face first out of the Archway in the Death Chamber certainly made him a believer. The few pensive memories and the confirmed parallels made it all quite real." Amelia eyed Hazel. "Where is Voldemort now? This wraith of his?" Hazel hummed. "Observing and looking for an opportunity. He is more interested in recovering a body than sowing terror. We are keeping an eye on him and will intervene when the situation changes." Amelia could tell she wasn't getting much else from Hazel. She nodded. "That will have to do. My Department isn't staffed enough to fight another war and the Academy just saw its biggest group of washouts in decades. Your services are going to be in much demand. Can I ask you not to leave a trail of carnage in your wake?"

She couldn't help herself, Hazel grinned. "Dumbledore already giving you a hard time over the op?" Amelia glared. "First time he ever gave me his "I am disappointed in you" look, as if I had done it myself. It was insulting." Hazel giggled. "I got that look every year until he dropped dead. Pretty sure he had it on in the afterlife as I kept on going, refusing to die or be another one of his Order's pawns." Amelia straightened out her back. "How sure are you that our Dumbledore is like yours?" Hazel sighed, running her hand through her hair. "Either he has a long game planned out for Harry or he is waiting to see what Voldemort does next. We can both agree, whatever his intentions, that Harry's situation is enough of a concern. Croaker was able to secure a copy of the boy's medical file. I don't have to tell you what he found." Amelia nodded, since she too had seen that file. Nothing. The file was empty. No vaccinations or St. Mungos trips. Even after August 1st. Amelia breathed deeply. "Agreed. In that at least there is no doubt of criminal interference, neglect and child endangerment. His reputation will protect him from facing charges, unfortunately. What are you planning to do about Harry Potter?"

Hazel tapped her fingers on her arm. "Right now it's simply damage control. I intend to improve his living situation at the Dursley residence, gather evidence of his mistreatment and see he at least gets his vaccinations. I was going to ask Andromeda Tonks to handle that, as his extended family. Our issue of a stalemate is what bothers me. I would love for Harry to go to the Tonks family, but the Malfoys have the law and the galleons on their side to win a court case. Dumbledore's negligence aside, Harry is being kept out of their hands." Amelia rubbed her chin. "I will keep an eye on the situation. I could use my authority to grant temporary custody to Andromeda if it comes to it. Her license and work as a Healer will ensure that no one will contest it for a time." Hazel nodded. "Much obliged. Speaking of the Malfoys…" Hazel filled Amelia in on what Croaker had said about the situation in the Wizengamot and the concern over the currently opened seats. Amelia eyed Hazel. "Do I have your permission to inform Augusta and my friends in the Wizengamot? At least about the danger identified by the DoM and the need for a stronger response?" Hazel grew pensive.

"Careful what you say and to whom. We can't have Dumbledore secure his defences early, get informed by a supporter or get Voldemort to act out of turn. I would suggest after the academic year ends. If things go as predicted Dumbledore will try to cover up something of concern and the fallout of his lie will serve as cover for the Gamot reorganizing." Amelia glared at Hazel. "Do I want to know what's going to happen?" Hazel shivered under her gaze. "Probably not. Susan and all the children will be kept safe, I can promise that." Amelia settled down after that. "Coming from a mother, I can take your word for it. Just make sure nothing that happens can hamper our activities or lead back to you. I have marked the Special Forces division as active, with the members and identities kept secret for now. Make an appointment with your partner to get your DMLE identification. It will hold up under scrutiny better." Hazel stood up. "Will do. We will be in touch, Madam Bones." Hazel pulled her Cloak out and Amelia eyed her. "Don't be surprised if you get an invitation from me or Augusta for tea. We have a lot to plan for." Hazel nodded and pulled the Cloak over body, vanishing from sight.

Tonks felt her muscles and bones aching along her back. She breathed deeply as she kept her eyes trained on the hallways around her. The first day back with Horatio had been a nightmare. Horatio took her freezing on the mission personally and trained her until she felt pain everywhere. He did the same for two more days. On the fourth, the bastard had set up a mock infiltration scenario for her that went south. The moment she saw a wand pointed at her and a green flash of light, she froze again. Hazel had been by her side the whole day after, with Teddy and Leafsby making her some great tasting cookies. She had screamed into her pillow that night, bothered by her inability to get past her fear. Horatio kept up his training, pushing her harder and harder before testing her out again. She had the Disillusionment charm down perfectly and her silent casting of even the Killing Curse was now done. But she kept freezing whenever she felt cornered. The time frozen was getting less and less, which she figured was the point, but it still left her feeling shitty for the day. She made sure that Hazel and Teddy knew how much their support meant to her.

Horatio had called her in earlier in the day, telling her that Alastor Moody had called from the Academy. While the mad Auror wasn't the Academy's Head, he was the chief instructor. The best Aurors the force had to offer over the last 30 years were all his students. Everyone questioned his sanity but never his results. He was aware of her status and had called for her personally. The mad man wanted to see what his Cadets could do against a single Operative Recruit. So Horatio signed her up. The moment she stepped into the Academy she felt so strange. This had been her goal for years at Hogwarts. Now… now the DoM Operations Division felt like something else. It was a job, sure, but something else. Something that overshadowed the Academy. She had trouble placing the word. She drew her wand on instinct when she felt her hairs stand up on the back of her neck. "Horatio's got your instincts up. Good. If you are going to be among the hotshots, you need to know when a person is looking at you funny." She turned slowly and saw an old friend. "Watcher Mad-Eye. Sorry about missing out as your protégé."

Moody waved her comment off. "Nothing to apologize for, Lass. Your Battlemaster is the reason I am what I am. I was a Recruit once, like you. Made it a year before getting reassigned to the Hit Wizards. Would have taken it personally if I hadn't been too much of a hot head myself." He tapped his massive staff on the floor. "Now, I have a dozen Cadets that need to be shown that they still have a lot of work to go through still. Think you can take them all repeatedly in a confined setting?" Tonks thought for a second. This sounded a lot like how her mission had gone down. Had Horatio planned this? One way to find out. "Sure, I need the exercise." She followed the old man into a building she knew was reconfigured all the time to test the Cadets on how to breach enemy locations. Moody eyed her as they arrived. "Breaching is important, but defending a building is just as necessary for an Auror. The Cadets are in there, waiting for a signal. A stunner to the face sounds like the appropriate wake up call. What do you say, Lass?"

Hazel had been right. Dropping Cadets had been relatively easy. At least the first time. She went through seven Cadets before the rest realised they were under attack, and she hadn't used her disillusionment charm yet. She and the Cadets were sent out again and again, every fight getting harder and harder. She had a moment of panic when one guy bursted through a door and casted at her but she dodged out of the way and shot back. She could feel herself getting winded, her vision getting blurred. She buried her nerves and kept going, pushing harder and harder. She wanted to be better than this. She wanted to not be afraid of failing. Of not making it back to base. She wanted to keep her promise to Hazel. That she would find a reason to live. To always come back, no matter what. After stunning another Cadet, she checked her corners and pushed deeper into the maze of hallways. She took down another Cadet before she saw a wand pointed at her. She growled and lowered her body, swung her wand around and casted a wide banishing spell. The Cadet got launched into the wall and she checked her corners before stunning him proper.

Tonks stepped out of the building, seeing Moody limping towards her. "Had enough, Lass?" Tonks took stock of herself. Her arms felt tired and she knew if she casted again it would be less than fifteen spells. She frowned for a second. Moody had said a dozen Cadets. She was sure she started hitting more and more people. She glared at the gruff Auror. "You were adding more than Cadets in there, weren't you?" Moody gave her a wide grin. "Damn right I did. You started with Cadets, then we added some Aurors. Even a few Senior Aurors decided to have a crack at you. Last few added were Hit Witches and Wizards. So, how was it? Fighting the best of the best we have? A bit disappointing?" Tonks took deep breaths. She could feel her exhaustion taking in, the fatigue. No wonder Horatio worked her to near collapse. "They did great. Just happy I can head to work without telling Horatio you got someone to take me down." Moody nodded and looked behind her. "Is that your shadow?" Dora blinked and looked over. Hazel was standing there, her eyes looking everywhere. "Yeah, my partner."

Moody chuckled. "You got a good one then. Showed up midway through the exercise and followed your movements the whole way through over and over again. This last match one of my Hit Witches got a bit creative. She tried to take you down from one floor below. Might want to think about that next time you're in a building with multiple floors. Your shadow casted a stunner that blew holes straight through the walls before taking the witch down. Pretty sure her teammates are having trouble waking her up right now." Dora couldn't help it. She smiled. There was no feeling like it, having someone looking after her back. "Might want to try overpowering the resuscitation spell. My partner hits hard and she might have overpowered it to cut through walls." Moody chuckled. "Will let them know. You did good today. Remember the feeling and keep a good feel for your body. In the middle of a fight it will feel like you could take on an army, but there is only so much punishment you can take and spells you can cast. In time, you stop, even if your head doesn't. Keep that in mind." Dora nodded. "Thank you for this, sir." Moody smiled at her.

"Don't worry, Lass. Pretty sure you and your partner will pay me and my Aurors back in time. We gots loads of Dark Witches and Wizards out there. Can't let them have their way all the time, right?" Dora laughed as she walked away and waved goodbye. She neared her partner who eyed her before drawing a wand. She felt her clothes knit back together. "You look like you went through the Forbidden Forest on a dare." Dora smirked. "Nah, if I did I'd have been streaking. I would have left my nice clothes back home too." Hazel lifted an eyebrow at that, giving Dora a once over that left her blushing. "Teddy has been studying all day. Want to grab some Mexican take out? My treat, of course." Dora beamed. "Your bloody on!" Dora's stomach grumbled and she blushed. "Maybe a triple serving for me? I'll pay you back." Hazel shook her head and held out her hand for Dora. "Are you good to go or do you need more of a breather?" Dora took Hazel's hand. "I'm good."

Amelia pulled her niece into a hug. She was thankful that Hogwarts had their Easter Recess, especially after the visit she got from Hazel Peverell. She had a few more meetings with the woman since their first, discussing anything they needed about the goings on. One of the things mentioned had been the difficulty in getting information out of Hogwarts. None of the Staff had been on the DMLE or DoM payrolls and they would be unlikely to offer any valuable information even if they got anyone to work with them to begin with. Part of the issue was getting information from around Harry Potter as he was just a student and the Professor in charge of him was known to back Dumbledore. Which is where the current plans came into play. Amelia hated it but she understood the importance. The fact the plan included a safe method of communication for her and her niece had made it more appealing to her. She eyed her niece who had worn her hair loose today. "How has your winter term been so far, Susan? Are you and Hannah having any more issues with Defence?"

Susan nodded sadly. "Professor Quirrell still stutters a lot and he seems to be under the weather more often. He has been assigning readings and written assignments more which has helped out a lot. Hannah still has trouble with a few spells but she is getting better." Amelia nodded and pulled Susan to the Floo Terminal. "Bones Manor." The two flooed into the entryway of the Manor and Susan looked around, seeing wood panels removed from the walls, showing runic script etched in stone underneath. She eyed her Aunt. "Redecorating?" Amelia sighed. "There was a warning of unrest which includes some potential threats against certain families. I had to commission a Wardsmith from the Ministry to do a very thorough reexamination of our wards. The changes are from some new additions. We might have a rotating password on the floo access soon. For now, things aren't too different." Susan looked at her Aunt. "Are bad people going to come for us?" Amelia knelt down. "One day, but right now we are making sure it's harder for them to get in and easier for us to stay safe. I promise Sue, you won't be worrying about me not coming home." Susan hugged her and the two went up to Amelia's office.

Amelia sat Susan down and brought two items with her. "Now Susan, I do have something to ask of you. It's nothing too serious but I need you to be honest and forthcoming. First thing, was there a Troll at the school on Halloween and did you send any letter about it home?" Susan nodded. "Professor Quirrell ran into the Great Hall and screamed "Troll" before fainting. The Headmaster ordered the students back to the dorms while the staff handled the Troll. I said all this in a letter, but you never brought it up." Amelia sighed. She hugged Susan. "No I didn't Susan. Because the letter never arrived. We think someone is screening letters at Hogwarts which is why I brought this." She placed a wooden letter box on Susan's lap. "This one is tied to a network of people, myself included. We are seeing if Neville Longbottom can be added in and we are looking for people in Ravenclaw and Slytherin that can be trusted. We need to hear about things happening in the School, things like the Troll that no one hears about because of the issues with the mail. You write the name of the person on the Envelope, add the letter, seal it and place it in the box. Once the lid closes, the letter will be transferred to a hub to be copied before it is sent out again to the intended recipient. This is all for safety. Understand?"

Susan touched the box and looked thoughtful. "So, any important letters are sent through here?" Amelia nodded. "Send regular letters to me so it doesn't look like anything is different, but anything super important needs to be through the letterbox. Store it safely in your trunk. When you come back in June, we will go get a new trunk with plenty of compartments. It will make storing stuff easier and safer." Susan smiled, looking forward to having more space in her trunk. Amelia placed the last item on Susan's lap. "This is an enchanted Diary. You can choose whether to take this with you or not. There are two other diaries tied to it. One is here with me, the other is with Croaker. You remember Croaker, right?" Susan nodded. "Scary guy we shouldn't talk about?" Amelia chuckled. "Yes, him. He's the one managing all the new security measures. If you're interested, you can use this as a diary. Write down anything you hear that you either know it's true or believe it's true. Even if you don't think it deserves a letter. If something happens and I read about it, I can respond quickly by writing in the book or by the letter box. We want to ask if you could do this because even little things could be important. For example, what do you make of Harry Potter?"

Amelia watched Susan blush. "He seems nice. He isn't as brash or annoying as the other Gryffindors. He's a bit like Neville, except with flying. He's great on a broom and got to be a seeker for Gryffindor. Cedric is a bit jealous since he can't be Seeker until our Seeker graduates at the end of the year. Harry does his work ok in Herbology. Hannah and I actually partnered up with him and Neville a few times when repotting the larger plants. We have DADA with him too and he always seems to have a bit of a headache. Other than that he is really polite. Don't know why he is friends with Ron Weasley though. Probably too polite to tell him to leave." Amelia hummed. It sounded like he was less like James and a lot more like Lily, minus the temper. "Any rumors about him that might be true?" Susan thought for a second. "He gets into fights with Draco Malfoy a lot, though it's mostly Weasley stepping in and dragging him along. He stayed at the Castle for Christmas and I think I heard he was sneaking out after Curfew from my friends. He has spent a lot of time with Hermione Granger at the library. She and him became friends after Halloween when she was found unconscious near the Troll." Amelia raised an eyebrow at her niece who flinched.

"Sorry, I wrote that in the letter. Granger was knocked out in the bathroom where the Troll was found. She thinks she saw someone there with her but can't be sure. When she woke up, the Troll was dead from its own club and there was a thin layer of water on the floor. None of the Professors know what happened. Weasley tried to give Harry the credit but Harry said it wasn't him. That a wall appeared and kept them from seeing the bathroom until the Troll was out." Amelia hummed. Sounded more like Croaker's Operatives got there just in time and kept the kids safe. She needed to chat more with Hazel and actually try to get her to talk about Hogwarts. "That sort of thing is what we want to know about, Susan. We think someone is trying to hurt Harry and we want to keep him and the other students safe. Either write it in a letter for the letter box or in the diary if you think it might just not be enough for a letter. Detentions, talks among the Professors and anything the Headmaster might say. Are you willing?" Susan nodded. "Sure. I always wanted to try out a Diary and this way my friends are safe. I'll use the box too. Can I use it for letters from Hannah to her parents?"

Amelia shook her head. "Not right now. I haven't had a chance to tell them. If Hannah or your roommates ask, say it's your Auror Aunt being paranoid. I will see if the Abbotts can be added to the letterbox network. Now one last thing. Do you remember the woman with white hair from Malkins this last summer? Dark leather jacket and a son with black hair?" Susan nodded. "Sure. I remember Ted. That's what he asked me to call him. He looks a bit like Harry too." Amelia had no doubt about that, considering the boy was Hazel's, blood adoption or not. "They are related actually, through the Potters. Here." She passed her a note with Hazel's name written on it. "If at any moment something happens to Harry, something serious, send a letter straight to her and let her know. She's taken to protecting the boy but can't be at the Castle all the time, especially while raising her own son. She's working for Croaker and with the Aurors. I will introduce you to her more in the summer. Might even ask her to give you some tutoring in Defence." Susan beamed. "Sure, I'd love that! She was really cool and it looked like she knew a lot of weird stuff."

The rest of the evening went quietly for Amelia who took the warning from Hazel to heart. Hazel's Susan had adored her Aunt but she always felt like that world's Amelia took her job much more seriously than her niece. When that particular Amelia died, Susan had apparently withdrawn into herself, feeling equal parts guilty for fighting with her Aunt about how much time she made for work and mad at her for never trying to be more like a family. Amelia looked back at the last few years and had felt such shame. She had done the same to her niece. So she got in touch with her secretary, renegotiated time with Rufus and made sure she was there for Susan for as much as possible. The world Hazel Potter had seemed exactly like she described it. Hell. A nightmare that devoured good people and broke them apart. She could see traces of that on Hazel herself, the moment she brought up certain people Hazel's eyes would darken. Whatever her world's Shacklebolt did, Amelia hoped it wasn't repeated. There was a lot of hate directed at that man. She personally sat with her niece by her bed that night and wished her a goodnight. She had a lot to make up for.

"Welcome to Longbottom Manor, Lady Peverell." Hazel bowed her head slightly. "I am afraid any titles associated with my family ended some time ago, Dowager Longbottom. We are just a mother and son bringing life into an old name." Augusta gave Hazel a measured look. "Nevertheless, you are a Lady, even if you have nothing to show for it currently except your blood. And this must be the young man Amelia spoke about?" Teddy bowed his head and kissed Augusta's knuckles. "A pleasure, Dowager Longbottom. Edward Peverell, Ted to friends." Augusta eyed Hazel. "A charmer." Hazel chuckled. "His Grandmother's influence, I'm afraid. She spent much of her time homeschooling him while I worked and brought food to the table. After her passing, I made sure to keep him educated, though how his manners survived with me I have no idea." Augusta smiled. "Then he learned well and you did what few could manage in trying times. Please follow me. I had our elf prepare for our get together near the greenhouses. Getting Neville to stay out of them is practically a full day's job." Teddy eyed Hazel who mouthed "later" to him.

The three walked through the Halls of the ornate Manor, bringing memories of the Malfoy estate to Hazel's mind. The Longbottom were more in keeping with her expectation of an old family's house; more Victorian than Medieval. Or it could just be the differences between their worlds. Despite the difference she could feel a sense of cold detachment from the house. It felt less like a house and more like a Mausoleum. She remembered what Croaker told her about his sister and Hazel had to agree. Maybe a more aggressive approach was required. She'd play it by ear. Soon they reached a massive glass solarium that covered the back of the manor and Hazel could see her son's eyes looking over the plants through the glass. A boy opened a glass door and wiped his knees as he approached. Hazel blinked at the differences between the boy she saw and the man she knew. Rather than Sandy blonde, the boy had dark brown hair. He also seemed a bit more closed off and sheepish. He moved to his Grandmother's side and bowed. "Hello. My name's Neville Longbottom. Welcome to our solarium." Hazel and Teddy nodded before Teddy approached Neville. "What kind of plants do you keep in the Greenhouses? The ones I have sketched and studied are the ones for practical potions and food. Do you have cosmetic plants or herbs that serve as stabilizing agents?"

Neville blinked a bit before he smiled. "We have a few plants that are just cosmetic. My Mom had a really elaborate flower garden. I've restored most of it. Want to see?" Teddy turned and saw his Mom pulling out his sketchbook from an expanded pocket in her jacket. "Don't go too overboard. If Dowager Longbottom doesn't mind we can come over in the summer." She handed him the book and his sketching pencils. Teddy beamed. "Thanks Mom!" The two boys vanished out the glass doors, leaving behind a surprised Augusta. "I knew Neville had a passion for plants but it always seemed such a solitary thing." Hazel eyed her carefully. "It can be but a love for plants can get even the oddest of people together. From what Saul says Frank and Alice didn't see eye to eye until Alice tossed him on his ass in a Dueling match. He then grew to appreciate plants, though most were aimed at wooing a certain girl." Augusta had a fond smile. "Yes, I suppose some hobbies can bring some people together." The two sat down and Augusta served Hazel some tea. Hazel went to drink for a moment before she noticed the odd behavior of the tea.

She eyed Augusta. "Not very trusting of your brother, if you feel the need to dose his employees with Veritaserum." Augusta shrugged her shoulders. "I have been around for many years, Lady Peverell. The Croakers learned early on not to trust easily, even with family." Hazel placed the cup of tea down and crossed her arms, her fingers lingering on her throwing knives. "You wouldn't happen to be related to Umbridge or the Selwyns? I hear they have a similar policy." Augusta flushed with anger. "I am nothing like that toad of a woman or those Death Eaters." Hazel eyed her carefully. "And yet, wars are fought by remarkably similar people. They all just happen to disagree on a few things. So tell me, Augusta, what would it take you to step out of your Mausoleum and get back in the fight?" Augusta magic raced closer to the surface. "Lady Peverell, you are-" Hazel cut her off. "Being direct. In the brief glimpse I had of your house, only this area shows any sign of life. Your grandson thrives here but looks so shy and diminished the moment he exits the glass doors. You tell me Augusta Longbottom, have you been raising your grandson or do you continue to mourn the fate of your son, keeping your home in an everlasting wake?"

For a second Hazel considered raising a shield when Augusta looked about to curse her before she seemed to deflate. "You don't know what it's like, to watch a child you raised into a man wither away, his mind trapped or lost." Hazel nodded. "No, I don't. Then again, the woman who raised me taught me that a swift death can be quite a mercy. I have been rather fond of granting people a swift death ever since. I would offer you one for Neville's parents and for yourself if Croaker wouldn't take offense or if it didn't leave your grandson alone in the world. We both know Croaker is no father figure." The old Dowager stared at Hazel right in the eyes. "You are no Auror." Hazel stared back. "No, I am not. I have left plenty of them dead, actually. Death Eaters too. Like you, I had a life that depended on me. I chose to nurture that life because he deserved a mother that loved him, even if I could drown in the blood of the people I have personally slain. What will you do from now on for the life your son entrusted you with? The Potters trusted outside of family and were betrayed. Will you trust another to raise the future Lord Longbottom as you join your husband in the grave? I would be more than happy to assist you."

Augusta lowered her eyes, her hands shaking in either rage or guilt. "I… can't. You are right. Neville deserved better. Frank deserved better from me." She sat back and sighed, seeming to age a few years in just seconds. "You are a contradiction, you know? I have seen that look in your eyes among the men and women that took my family from me, but the care and gentleness you show your son is very much like Alice's." Hazel loosened her grip on her knives. "Before Teddy I was no different from a Death Eater, I simply lacked any faith in any human being, even those that fashioned themselves as saints or gods. I would have easily died as I would have killed. But a stubborn woman named me the godmother to her son. She knew of the blood on my hands, she had heard the stories of the horrors I perpetrated. She didn't care. Because in a war we are all killers. We are also all somehow still human. She saw something in me that I didn't believe existed until she passed on and a life depended on me. There are days that I still have trouble believing. I still wake up and make my son his breakfast, I make sure he studies and grows. I make sure he knows that he is loved."

Hazel watched Augusta remove her hat from her head and looked at it. Where did she even get a bloody vulture for it? She placed the hat on the table. "It seems I have a few things to change around here. If Saul sent you, I imagine he wants something from me?" Hazel nodded and drank the Veritaserum tea, catching Augusta by surprise. "The Death Eaters aren't as dead or buried as we would like and two old chess masters are moving to take their seats at the table again. Your brother has asked me to help end the threats that endanger his family that still linger in the shadows of this world. But that's not enough to save it or make it a better one. I am no saint or leader. I have no voice, only a wand that kills as easily as it saves a life. Amelia can't handle the Wizengamot alone. So, Augusta Longbottom, interested in getting onto the board yourself? At the very least if the people responsible for your families suffering ever leave Azkaban, I promise to end their lives. If it pleases you I might even take my time with them." Hazel watched some of the fire return to Augusta's eyes. "Tell my brother I will be at the next Gamot Session. I'll get in touch with Amelia. Now, what exactly is going on that you are preparing for war?" Hazel smiled. "You are going to need more tea, and I am going to need an antidote for this later. So, where do you want me to start? With how Voldemort ain't dead yet or how Dumbledore seems to enjoy breaking the law as much as he demands of others to follow it?"

Hazel dropped onto the couch back at her home and she felt a knock on her appartment's inner door. "Enter." Dora popped her head in and frowned. "I had a long session with Horatio on body language and slipping weapons into my hands without getting noticed. My back feels like it's going to snap from how stiff I had to hold my pose in a bloody dress. How do you look so much more tired?" Hazel eyed her partner. "Any chance Horatio took pictures?" Dora gave her a sultry smile. "I can go get the dress and slip it on for you, if you like." Hazel shuddered, feeling her body growing warm. What was it about Dora that made her feel like a teenager again? "Best not then, I might get too interested in taking it off." Dora walked in and sat besides Hazel. "Maybe later?" Hazel eyed her wearily. "Later. As for me being tired, I went into a game of 20 questions under Veritaserum with the Dowager Longbottom. Croaker bloody owes me, his sister should have been an Unspeakable." Dora hummed. "I remember Mom talking about how Augusta made Alice go through a thousand loops just to agree to Frank courting her. Guess the old crow is still in for the overkill."

Dora watched Hazel take off her boots and sigh. "Still is but we got what we needed. We now have Director Bones and the Regent Longbottom on our side. They will start reshaping the Gamot as soon as summer comes around, though recruitment will start early. We also now have eyes inside the Gryffindor and Hufflepuff Common Rooms." Dora hummed. "So if any more dangers appear around Harry Potter, we now have a means for a faster response." Hazel stretched her toes and Dora heard them snap. "Yup. Getting eyes and ears in Slytherin will be the hard part. That group of students can be a downright cult sometimes, your mother excluded." Nymphadora smiled. "Much appreciated. I know the Malfoy and Nott families hold the most political power. Zabini are mostly Neutral with a capital N. If something bad happens, they will flee to Italy. Only families that might listen are Greengrass and the Davis, the latter maybe being more open minded. There was a bit of a riot when the Heir that was named was a Halfblood. Problem is that those two families are like the Bones and Abbotts." Hazel hummed. "To get one, you need to get both, starting with the more political. I'll leave it to Amelia to work on that in the summer though."

Dora eyed Hazel. "Why the summer?" Hazel sighed and looked Dora in the eyes. She missed those purple eyes. "How's your Occlumency coming along?" Dora pouted. "Better than it was a year ago. Mom says I will be fine in a year, maybe by Christmas." Hazel nodded. "Then I tell you all by Christmas or next summer." Dora rested her chin on her hand. "What about you, how is your Occlumency?" Hazel stretched out her arms. "It was shite. Until I learned some neat workarounds. My mind was either damaged beyond the use of Occlumency, which seems likely, or I simply never had the gift. Found some interesting Blood Magic books about warding the mind and found that they worked on me. I can let someone in safely but I recommend no one tries to bruteforce it. Wouldn't suggest it for you though, it's a bit nasty." Dora remembered something her mother said. "This have anything to do with you refusing to see a Mind Healer?" Hazel eyed Teddy's room. "I can't trust anyone with my mind Dora, not unless I am sure they will never hurt me or Teddy, even by accident." She turned to Dora. "Besides, my issues are something I want to deal with on my own." Dora leaned onto Hazel's side. "If you ever change your mind, I am here for you." Hazel nodded against her. "You get those Occlumency defenses up, you got yourself a deal."

Chapter 13: A Walk in the Forbidden Forest

"Did you ever get detention for sneaking a baby dragon within the school grounds?" Hazel blinked at Croaker. Why bring that up? "Sure. My first real detention, I guess. Snape gave me one every month for sabotaging Cauldrons and attempting to kill my fellow students." Croaker looked at her oddly. "What the hell were you doing in Potions?" Hazel bristled. "Nothing! Because the prick never taught a damn thing! I thought I would love the class because I actually enjoyed cooking despite never getting more than near non-existent leftovers. Instead all I got was half the classroom sabotaging me, the other half ignoring me like the plague and a teacher who was looking for any excuse to have me scrubbing Cauldrons without magic. The bastard even left me corrosive residue in many of them. I spent every night after detention in the Hospital Wing and the bastard got away with it because I was somehow incapable of vanishing it, after he forbade me from bringing my wand to detention in the first place! The only reason I picked up wandless magic was so I could get through that shit at all." Silence filled the office as her boss looked at her. Croaker didn't expect to hit a nerve. Wishing to end the awkwardness, he cleared his throat. "Well then, let's add inspecting Mr Potter's detentions to the list of things to check on and move on."

Hazel felt her eye twitch for a second before she tried to calm herself down. "Sorry, there are at least four people I will happily murder given the chance if I run into them here without witnesses. He is one of them." Croaker added Voldemort and Dumbledore to that possible list. Which left one more. "Do I want to know who else you are planning to murder?" Hazel rested her chin on one of her hands. "You'll know when I come back late and drunk." Croaker sighed. Her drinking was not a good sign, as she never seemed to touch the stuff. He might need to warn Nymphadora about that. "Anyways, detention over a baby dragon." Hazel dug up the memory in her head. "Hagrid somehow got a Dragon's Egg. No idea how or why. He hatched it in my presence because he felt bad about how I was being ignored. I actually cared a bit about the lovable oaf, so when I learned his little stunt was illegal, I found someone to take it off the school grounds. They did but we all got caught. I lost my house 150 points and earned myself detention. For the rest of the term, I was vilified as the troublemaker that lost Gryffindor House a shot at winning the House Cup." Croaker could see there was more to it than that. "Anything of note in detention?" Hazel thought for a second. "I scrubbed every bathroom in the school clean repeatedly over two months after the dinner feast and before bed."

Croaker winced. Even he could see that was an exaggerated punishment. "Susan Bones reported that Mr. Potter and two of his friends lost Gryffindor a few points too. So did Draco Malfoy for Slytherim for being out at night after curfew." Hazel blinked. "Oh, right. Malfoy was there too. His punishment was handled by Snape, so no clue what happened to him. Probably nothing but practicing potion making." Croaker pressed on. "Mr. Longbottom mentioned in his last correspondence that the detention has been set for just as Curfew is ending. No idea where, though it isn't being handled by a Professor." Hazel frowned. "That leaves Filch or Hagrid. If it was Filch, the detention would be spread out over days. If he's anything like the man I know, he loves sticking it to the magical kids by making them do his job without the aid of magic." Croaker nodded. "We suspect it's Hagrid as well. Harry's friendship with the man would seem to negate any potential danger, until we looked back at another report from Susan. Hagrid had been complaining to Professor Kettleburn about Unicorn deaths in the Forbidden Forest and having trouble finding the culprit, something a third year friend of hers overheard."

Hazel eyed Croaker. "And?" Croaker sighed. "Snape did you no favors. Unicorn blood can be used to sustain a person who is near death. Taken by violent means, it behaves very much like a curse. It will sustain them while weakening them at the same time. Getting Unicorn blood, willingly given, is a Potioneers wet dream." Hazel blinked. "Huh, ok so we have a Unicorn killer around Hogwarts. You think this is Voldemort?" Croaker lowered the report and leaned back in his chair. "You mentioned the possibility of an incomplete possession. My other Unspeakables concur that this might be the case. Miss Bones noted to her Aunt that Quirrell was looking ill recently. We believe the incomplete possession is killing Quirrell. He can't get the stone on time but he can kill Unicorns while he accomplishes the theft. If Hagrid is tasked with finding the killer, while he has three students on a late night detention, what would you do if you weren't really thinking about the consequences?" Hazel stared at Croaker, realization dawning on her. "He isn't that dense, is he?" Croaker shrugged. "Maybe not, but it's a possibility. It's why I asked you here. You are to go to the Forbidden Forest and protect Harry Potter if he is out there at all from whatever he runs across without being compromised."

Rudding her hand over her face, Hazel looked at Croaker. "My partner?" Croaker shook his head. "Not as easy to conceal in the environment. Casting spells will be suspect even under disillusionment. You are our best at close range combat. You also informed me about that talent of yours. This seems like the perfect mission for you." Hazel felt her eye twitch. "This is about me lighting a fire under your sister's ass, isn't it?" Croaker grinned at her. "Her renewed zeal is appreciated, if she weren't harassing me at every opportunity. The fact she has to move quietly until summer isn't making her anymore agreeable." Hazel sighed as she stood up. "I am going to go find either Andromeda or Nymphadora to spend the night with Teddy. He gets nervous when he can't feel me nearby at night with his magic." Croaker waved his hand. "Go ahead, though the boy will be going to Hogwarts close to a year from now. He will have to get used to it." Hazel growled slightly. "I know that but between now and then I am going to make sure he gets a good night's sleep. He spends enough of them worrying about me as it is." Hazel exited the office and slammed the door.

Never in all her years had Hazel ever wanted to kill Hagrid. Until tonight. Because of course the Half Giant took four preteen kids into a deadly forest with nothing more than a crossbow and a useless dog. She personally would have used the Cerberus to hunt the Unicorn killer down herself. Nothing like a three headed dog the size of lorry to clear the forest of all the nasty monsters hiding in it. Hazel was pretty sure Hagrid refrained from doing that because of the Acromantulas. The colony might be a wreck after that massive mutt ran into it, Aragog or not. But no, Hagrid took the four kids into the forest and then proceeded to split them up, leaving Harry and Malfoy with the useless dog. Well, maybe not useless. He was either an alarm or a meat shield. She never really liked Fang and the feeling had been mutual. He only got tolerable after the First Task. Bathing in Dragon's Blood and stinking of it for weeks probably had something to do with that, though Andromeda was sure her Magic had changed too. Maybe the legends about Fafnir weren't hogwash afterall.

Hazel, taking on the form of a dark brown owl, flew from tree to tree, watching the disaster waiting to happen as the two kids moved along the dark woods. The sudden glint of moonlight on white fur caught her eye, as well as a sickly sweet scent. The fact that the boys stumbled on a dead unicorn didn't make her pause, as that was the unfortunate point of the evening. The fact there was a hunched over figure in a black cloak did, as it seemed to feed on the creature's blood directly. Watching Malfoy scream like a coward was amusing but Harry seemed frozen in place, backing up slowly as the cloaked figure spotted him. Hazel had seen enough. She jumped into the air and shifted. The cloaked figure stilled his movement at the sight of a full sized Griffin landing in front of it before Hazel screeched and reared up, exposing her talons. A swipe to its midriff caused the cloaked figure to scream, the voice that of a man as he retreated back into the shadows of the woods. Making sure he was gone, Hazel sniffed her wet claw and nearly gagged. The scent of the blood on her claw was that of a rotting corpse. She swiped it against the ground before turning to the Unicorn on the ground, watching its side lift up slowly. It drew shallow breaths, its life fading before her eyes. Harry came up beside her and approached the downed creature, unaware of how dangerous that could be with a real Griffin. She needed to send him a copy of Newt's Book as it might save him some future grief. Maybe the annotated one with a larger section on Dragons.

He knelt down against the creature, rubbing its fur. "Is there anything we can do to save it?" Hazel blinked at the boy. A visit with a Mind Healer would seem to be in order too, as she had no idea if actually expected an answer from her. Mentally sighing, Hazel knelt down and looked the Unicorn in the eye. The creature glanced at her, it's dark eye searching hers and Hazel knew. The creature knew what she was. It nodded at her, closed its eyes and presented it's neck. Hazel used her wings to shove Harry back and did her best to obstruct his vision. Her talons sank deep into the flesh of the gentle creature, allowing death to come swiftly. She could hear the boy take a breath and she cursed in her head. Seeing no way of forcing him to leave without blowing her cover she knelt down and unfurled her wing. Clearly bothered by what she did, the boy still pulled himself up onto her back. She started walking away from the Unicorn and closer to where she last saw Hagrid. Hazel felt tears land on the feathers of her neck and back. "There wasn't anything we could do to save it, was there?" Hazel shook her eagle head and the boy hugged her. They continued walking along the forest in silence for a bit before Harry spoke to her again. "I keep feeling like I have a guardian angel watching over me ever since I got to Diagon Alley. Hedwig, the Troll, a book about my family and now this. Are you… are you here to protect me?"

Hazel stopped and turned her head so he could see her eye. He stared at her and his breath caught as he saw the eye was as green as his in the mirror. "Mom?" Hazel shook her head. Harry seemed to be saddened by that. "A friend?" Hazel nodded her head and the boy smiled. "Thank you." Hazel gave a light positive screech and continued to walk towards the edge of the Forest. She heard the lumbering footsteps of the Half Giant before she saw him. "Harry!?" Hagrid appeared from behind a tree, his crossbow still in hand and stilled at the sight of her. "How… where… are you ok, Harry?" The two boys and the girl gaped at Harry as Hazel lowered herself to the ground before extending out her wing. He patted her neck. "Thank you." Hazel nodded her head and watched as he got down to the ground before pulling up her wing. The boy looked at her as she pulled back. She moved towards Hagrid and unfurled her wing, pointing behind her. Hagrid looked from wing to Hazel before Harry chimed in. "She's pointing to the Unicorn we found. It's dead now." Hagrid closed his eyes and nodded. "I will take care of it." Hazel pulled her wing back and turned around. If she looked at the other three she might be tempted to end them. She found a suitable gap of trees and took a running start before taking flight into the sky. With enough of a distance away from sight she landed and shifted to human form. She eyed the castle, it's windows darkened this late at night. Fitting really, as it made it look haunted. There were real monsters in those halls and they had nothing to do with the giant snake sleeping underneath the Castle. Her thoughts drifted back to the man she herself knew, here driven to a most desperate act, as she made her way home.

OW April 1992

"You insufferable girl. How dare you drag one of my students down with you. I ought to speak to Filch and have you clean my cauldrons every day for the rest of term. Maybe then you'd learn a thing about Potions. Did you hear a word I said? Of course not. Hazel Potter has no time to hear about anything that inconveniences her. If you were in my house I would…" Hazel listened as the man went on and on, feeling her emotions cracking. It wasn't fair. Hagrid was given an illegal egg by a stranger. He would have gone to prison if she hadn't helped him. She had remembered Weasley talking about his older brother from the Dragon Reserve and asked him for help with the Dragon. She had no idea that they would get caught. No, she did have a thought that they would have gotten caught. What she didn't expect was the treatment that came from it. The entire house now hated her because they wouldn't get a cup that only their teacher would look at. They weren't the ones who had to clean bathrooms by hand for the foreseeable future. All she did was help Hagrid. So why? Why was she punished for making sure her friend didn't go to prison? Why?

"Professor." Snape stopped talking and Hazel felt her nerves go down. Quirrell rested his hand on Hazel's shoulder for a second. "I believe the Deputy Headmistress has already decided on the punishment of Miss Potter and while I disagree with the severity of it, I do consider it to be settled. Your student's punishments are already under your discretion. I suggest you go see that he learns his own lesson. I will escort Miss Potter to her next detention. If you would excuse us." Snape stared at Quirrell before glaring at Hazel. He turned around and marched away, his cloak billowing behind him. Hazel lowered her eyes, her voice soft and tired. "He hates me." Quirrell pushed her gently along the hallways. "Yes, I am afraid he does." Hazel looked at the man. "Why? I was one the last time I was around wizards. What did I do?" Quirrell sighed. "I am afraid that you did nothing. Your father and his band of Marauders, however, did antagonize him for much of his school life." Hazel frowned. "But that was years ago. They were all just kids." Quirrell nodded. "And yet old wounds linger, perhaps worst of all when inflicted on a child."

A shiver went down her back as Hazel listened to her Professor speak. There was such… feeling behind his words. Like he lived the same painful things he is trying to tell her about. She thought of Snape and his issues with her. "If he hates me for something like that, then there is no point in me asking for forgiveness or peace from him, is there?" Quirrell eyed her. "In a way that depends on you. His past has shaped who Snape is as a person. Does that excuse his behaviour and merit some conciliation, or does it damn him as being petty, immature and self centered? Unfortunately, Snape is unlikely to make any gesture of goodwill. Meaning it's now in your hands. Could you forgive him for being so vile for a sin you have no blame for, or will you condemn him for being no different than the people who tormented him in the first place? The answer, as with many in this world, isn't an easy one." The two walked silently for a bit until curiosity got the better of Hazel. Maybe the Professor would know? "Sir, why was I so harshly punished? The dragon is safe with Handlers and no one was hurt. So why did the Deputy Headmistress, my Head of House, punish me as she did? It… doesn't feel right." Quirrel looked at her with a sad expression. "No, I don't suppose it does. McGonagall, for all her talent as a teacher, is divided in her duties. As a Head of House, your wellbeing should be her top priority."

Hazel's snort made the Professor smirk. "Yes, she is clearly failing there, isn't she? As your Deputy Headmistress, she needs to set a precedent. You, as an 11 year old, were out past curfew, bringing a dangerous creature into the castle and handing it off to visitors that didn't check in with the Administration. For one large but ultimately harmless offence in your actions, she levered several penalties onto you. Separately it would have been fine, but the amount of detentions and the damage the point reduction did to your standing in your house has turned a well planned punishment into an abuse of her power. Sadly, this is all too common, even more so when your action was born of good intentions." Hazel frowned. "Then what's the point? If you're bad you're punished, if you're good you're punished. How does this make anyone want to do the right thing?" Quirrell stopped just outside of the next bathroom as Filch dropped the mop, bucket and scrubbing brush infront of her. Quirrell turned to her and gave her an understanding look. "I am afraid that such a system doesn't encourage much good behaviour at all, Miss Potter. Everything is left to the individual and as you said, what good is it if you know you will be punished for either way? In this case, the choice falls to you. The next time you are asked to decide for yourself what you should do, what will your choice be? Time will tell."

NW April 1992

"Well, you certainly managed to maintain your anonymity." Croaker dropped the letter onto the desk in front of him and Dora picked it up. "Harry Potter saved in the Forbidden Forest by a Griffin!? How did you manage that?" Hazel glared at Croaker. "Now you are being mean on purpose." Croaker chuckled merrily. "You could have picked something else." Hazel rolled her eyes. "Like what? A Grim? A Nundu? A Wyvern? What other choice did I have?" Croaker drank from his coffee. "There are Hippogriffs and Centaurs in the area." Hazel waved that comment away. "And Hagrid knows all of them. I needed something that would chase that thing away without leaving me with a kid begging not to be eaten or get my cover blown. As a Gryffindor, I expected the mascot of his house's founder to be among the list of creatures he might not fear. The fact he had no fear whatsoever, while heartwarming, is a point of concern. A real Griffin or even a Hippogriff might tear him into ribbons if he isn't careful." Croaker nodded. "You have a point. At least Dumbledore hasn't reported the issue, so that helps our cover."

Dora sat down and glared. "How are you able to become a Griffin? You were a lynx in Acquisitions." Hazel eyed Croaker who shrugged. She sighed and turned to Dora and shifted. Dora blinked as she looked at a pretty kitty cat before it turned into an owl, before it turned again into a pup before one last time into a dragon hatchling. She even shot a burst of fire at her partner, making the metamorphmagus jump back. Hazel shifted one last time into her human form, a little winded. "Like that?" Dora blinked at her. "I've never heard about anyone doing that… ever!" Hazel shrugged. "Because I am hundred percent certain only a Metamorphmagus can do it." Tonks blinked. "None have done that before! We aren't supposed to have an Animagus transformation at all!" Hazel rested her chin on her hand as she crossed her legs. "That's the fault of the process. The animagus transformation most people use isn't designed for a Metamorphmagus. It looks for a singular form, not an infinite number. You need to adjust the transformation or force a particular form into your mind to get the first transformation in. Once you get through the first transformation, changing forms is no different than applying a Transfiguration to yourself, just like you do to change your hair."

Hazel watched Dora slump in her seat. "Say's the only person in the room with a Transfiguration Mastery." Hazel blushed. Croaker and Horatio had forced her to take her NEWTs in December, which came back as a surprise. She got O in Defense, Charms and the rare Dueling elective, while she scored O in Transfiguration. Horatio dragged her in front of a panel of oathbound observers and demanded she go crazy as soon as he got the results of her tests. She did. The judges looked terrified at the level of detail she could manage, especially as she created several magical creatures with their magical traits replicated to near perfection, her spell resistant fire breathing Wyvern being quite the specimen. They gave her a Mastery on the spot. The spooks tried to get her to do the other NEWTs but she refused to make a fool of herself. She knew she would barely pass Herbology and Care, she had no way of passing History of Magic and she refused to touch Runes and Potions. Hazel sighed. "If you are interested, Dora, I would be happy to teach it to you, on the condition I am no longer singled out on missions for Animagi once she gets it down." Dora's face lit up. "I'll take it!" Croaker looked amused. "Go right ahead. Having another rare Animorphmagus under my payroll would be most welcomed."

Dora grinned before she remembered something, "So, what was that cloaked figure you chased away?" Croaker nodded to Hazel, who then turned to Dora. "Voldemort ain't dead. Best guess is that he is a talking head attached to the back of Professor Quirrell who is now so deteriorated from a failed possession that he is forced to depend on unicorn blood to survive." Dora looked from Hazel to Croaker repeatedly. "Well, shit. Our orders are to end him?" Croaker shook his head at her language. "Yes, but in his current form that is not advisable. Instead we are focusing on keeping him from harming anyone and diminishing his pool of recruits. We will remove the possessed Professor as soon as the right opportunity presents itself, our new allies in the Gamot will slow down or impede any laws that give further aid to his supporters or could add more supporters to him, and we will selectively intervene where a less delicate approach is needed." Dora looked at Hazel. "I am guessing you have a few more secrets that I need my Occlumency defenses for?" Hazel nodded and Dora sighed. "Well, I am going to tell Mom to crank up the exercises before I head to bed. Goodnight Boss. Later Partner."

Hazel hugged Andromeda. "Thanks for watching over him. I know it was a bit last minute." Andromeda pulled back and smiled. "Not at all, I was happy to look after him. Dora even managed to make an appearance. I had her do some Occlumency exercises while Teddy distracted her. Quite effective." Hazel chuckled. "I can imagine. Just to let you know, Harry is perfectly safe. He even got to ride a Griffin." Andromeda eyed her carefully and shook her head. "Of course he did. At least the boy has a pleasant memory attached to this night. Thank you, as always. Now, I need to head home. Ted is probably waiting up on me. Have a goodnight, Hazel." Hazel walked her to the door. "Goodnight, Andromeda." Hazel closed the door and after checking that the door that led to Nymphadora's apartment was locked, she walked into her son's bedroom. She could feel he was still slightly awake so she sat next to him and played with his hair. Teddy turned towards her and smiled, his eyes a bit sleepy. "Hi mom." Hazel smiled. "Hi, Teddy. Mom's home in one piece." Teddy smiled and hugged his pillow tighter. "I'm glad. Did you see Harry?"

Adjusting herself better to lie down on the side of the bed next to him, Hazel nodded. "I did. Bad guy tried to hurt him but I chased him away. Did it as a Griffin too." Teddy pouted. "He got a ride on your back, didn't he?" Hazel chuckled. "He did. Want to scare Dora tomorrow when she comes over for dinner? I can shift into a small Hebridean Black Dragon and you can ride my back." Teddy brightened at that. "Promise?" Hazel kissed his head. "It's a promise if you go to bed soon. Mom's Boss is being mean and wants Mom bright and early. Dora also asked me to teach her how to shift into animals so you can ask her for rides later too." Teddy yawned. "Ok. I'll go to sleep. Night, Mom." Hazel got up from the bed and turned off the lights in the apartment. "Night, Teddy. Pleasant dreams." She checked the rest of the apartment and the wards before heading into the shower. She spent a lot more time than usual cleaning her nails and hands since she carved into both a Unicorn and a rotting body.

She laid back onto the bed and thought of Harry. If the reports out of Hogwarts were accurate and the boy she had a silent conversation with was being genuine, then the differences between his life and hers were already having a marked difference. He was a lot more mature for his age, understanding that there was nothing left to do for the Unicorn and not being terrified of her, even though she would be sending him Newt's most detailed book so that he wouldn't walk up to the next Griffin he saw. That he was friends with Ronald Weasley concerned her a bit. She might need to ask Financial if they can check the Weasley finances. She had discovered that her world's Ronald had been receiving payments from her Trust Vault since her first year, even though she hated the boy. How she ever believed him as a possible friend in her final year was something she had trouble understanding. A potion maybe? Her doubts always came the longer she went without being near him after all. Hermione Granger was the mystery. Hazel assumed she was encouraged to be her friend after the Troll incident and she had been a good friend until after the Triwizard Tournament. Did that mean she was still innocent now?

Hazel wasn't sure but for now she would let things play out until Croaker sent her in to take care of Voldemort. She then had a summer to spend inspecting the situation Harry had at home, documenting everything in case Amelia had enough for a case to get him away from the Dursleys. Any Blood Wards repurposed by Dumbledore would be all too easy for her to adjust. As she was technically Harry's family, her wards could be stronger than the butchered ones Dumbledore probably applied. Time. That was the only thing that would be in her way for a bit. Waiting for time to march on. She thought of Teddy and smiled. She would accept all the time she still had left with her son. She still had a little over a year's time before he went to Hogwarts. His last name, any of them really, would cause a stir in the Castle. She needed to secure anything she could manage of the Peverells of this world. The moment Dumbledore heard that a Peverell was up and about, he would start looking for threats. He was holding the Elder Wand after all, Croaker confirmed as much. Her only concern was if he dared to threaten Teddy. If he did, death would be off the table for him. She would show him what pain really was if he ever dared to harm her son.

Chapter 14: Right Back on the Horse

"Name?" Dora swallowed briefly. "François d'Éon here for the evening with my guard." The man looked over his list and nodded. "Wands?" Hazel, disguised as Dora's buff male guard, pulled her wand out from a vest pocket and handed it to the Bouncer. She knew her friend was protective of her real wand so she was glad Quetz had basic spare wands in Acquisitions that could last for centuries. The Bouncer turned to Dora, also in the form of a much older man in a modern mix of a suit and robe, and she shook her head. "Sorry young man but I never bring a wand to events like this." The Bouncer smirked. "Smart man. Need to check for a holster on you and your man. Turn around." After a thorough check, Dora and Hazel were allowed to enter the establishment with further delays. Dora's eyes scanned the large open space and mentally cringed. Leave it to Wizards to have an illegal Dueling Circuit look like it was being held at the most high end of establishments. The place was dripping with crystal chandeliers, rooms decorated with gold reliefs, expensive seats and a whole lot of booze that Dora was sure she had never heard the brands off. There was also the smell of tobacco everywhere. She wanted to gag. "This way, Monsieur."

Dora followed Hazel's direction and she sat down in a viewing gallery overlooking a lower floor and a large cage. She watched as two young wizards stepped up to the dueling platform as the announcer introduced them. She saw the spectators discuss among themselves as the last few people went to place their bets before the match officially started. "Not interested in placing a bet, Monsieur d'Éon?" Dora swallowed her nerves as the man who approached her, Sir Leon Burbage, the owner of the club, spoke to her. Dora stood up as Hazel gave the man a respectful bow. "Sir Burbage, it is a pleasure to finally meet you. I would love to provide some funds to your establishment, but I never bet not knowing the odds. Most unsightly. I prefer to see the caliber of a man before betting on them." Sir Burbage nodded at him and looked to the fighters. "A wise policy. I personally enjoy our selection of Irish duelists." Dora nodded back. "Most grateful for the recommendation. I look forward to seeing a grand performance from them." The older gentleman bowed and left to check on the other guests. The two wizards in the ring fought each other, casting spells no Dueling Circuit would allow. Blood and limbs flew across the platform until one man collapsed and the referee called the match.

"A most impressive display. Wouldn't you agree?" Dora stilled. She knew that silky smooth voice. She noticed Hazel took a more aggressive posture. "I am afraid we haven't had the pleasure, sir?" The blonde man bowed his head, his snake headed cane in his hand. "Lord Lucius Malfoy." Dora bowed her head in response. "Monsieur François d'Éon." Lucius gave him a calculated look. "Not familiar with your family's name." Dora waved her hand dismissively. "We had withdrawn from the political arena some time ago. The Napoleonic Wars left much bad blood between my family and others. Wouldn't you agree? If my memory serves, your family was chased out of the Continent under some unpleasant and clearly trumped up charges at about the same time." Lucius gave her a satisfied smile. "Yes, France isn't what it once was. Seeking to expand into Britain? I know quite a few men here who would welcome business with families of good stock." Dora sighed. "Not today, I am afraid. The wife is looking at the offerings of Edinburgh's Magical District. I will be here in a week from now, if you are interested. I will be more inclined to discuss business then. Today I am here to unwind from a long shopping trip."

Lucius chuckled. "Indeed, my wife can also leave one seeking the company of good men and fine drink after a day in the Alleys. A pleasure, Monsieur. I look forward to doing business with you." Dora watched as Hazel's eyes followed the man's movements before he sat next to another man. She knew him to be Lord Nott, who looked less than pleased to be sitting next to Malfoy. She scanned the crowd haphazardly, knowing Hazel's position as her guard made her the best bet for scouting the area. She felt her stomach recoil as several more matches took place, watching blood spray across the floor from men and women alike. She would have nightmares from this, she was sure of that. Feeling Hazel tap her shoulder, Dora relaxed as much as she could. The gruesome sight continued to get worse and worse, as the organizers refused to clean up the blood splatter on the floor. After several hours watchung she had enough. She stood up and buttoned her suit jacket as she headed for the men taking the bets. She placed fifty galleons and gave two to the man. "Fifty as a donation to Sir Burbage for the fine evening. The two are for you." The man nodded and counted the coins before sending word. The teller returned. "Sir Burbage is most grateful for the donation and would enjoy seeing you return at a future event. Good evening, sir." Hazel retrieved her wand from the Bouncer and the two made their way further out into London's dark streets. "I need a bath and I feel sick." Hazel nodded as she took Dora's arm, preparing for an apparition to the nearest safehouse. "Same here."

Croaker and Horatio eyed the reports and the memory vials. "This is worse than expected. The establishment has Muggles and Wizards mingling and placing bets on a bloodsport. Are you sure some of those fights were rigged?" Hazel, back in her typical form and wearing her open backed halter top, nodded. "They picked guys with similar looking skill sets but it was clear who the favorites were. Pretty sure they use Polyjuice too, letting them mix fighters and get different results from everyone, especially with how unbalanced the fighters were at times. Everyone but the crowd favorites, of course. Those get the royal treatment and the big bets." Horatio grunted and lifted one of the memory vials, eyeing it carefully. "I will look the memories over but I trust her judgement. I wouldn't be surprised if they had death matches later on. Gods damned vultures." Dora sat back, looking ill. "So, what happens now?" Hazel gave her partner an understanding look. "We go back next week and keep documenting everything. By the time they get arrested we can slap several ironclad charges on the spectators and the establishment. The more names we get, the larger the dent we can do to the illegal operations, their finances and their wider recruitment operations ."

Dora shuddered. "I don't fancy another night of this." Worried about Dora's distress, Hazel turned to Croaker. "We should switch who takes the d'Éon persona. Dora isn't used to mindless violence and while she may get numb to it, it's not going to be soon. I can last longer, though I might be needing some stress relief brawls before and after. If I have to deal with Lucius Malfoy, I am going to be suppressing a lot of my instincts." Croaker eyed Dora and Hazel. "Are you sure you can manage not to go against orders and kill any of them?" Hazel sighed. "Get me exhausted and the temptation will be lowered. I would drink but that would be a bad idea and I made Teddy a promise about when I am about to drink. I am not breaking it over the scumbags." Croaker turned to Horatio who nodded. "I will help R1 decompress before and after the missions. R2 needs more practice spotting exits and potential threats, as well as reading body language. These missions will help her with that if she takes the guard role." Dora nodded slowly. "I should be fine by the next infiltration. Switching every week should work." Croaker sat back. "Then it's decided. Despite everything, good work you two. I will get in touch with MI5 and the ICW. We will see just who was attending and how to approach this from a legal perspective."

Horatio touched Hazel's shoulder. Hazel looked at him and followed the gesture on his head. She nodded. Stretching out of her seat, she walked behind Dora and gently lifted her up. "Come on partner, I think you need that bath we talked about. I got a few tricks to help you unwind." Dora nodded and stood up. Croaker watched them leave, Dora's movements rather stiff. He sighed. "This might have been too much too soon for Nymphadora." Horatio nodded. "I don't disagree. She is a bit gentler in nature than we typically look for in an Operative. Seeing witches and wizards gut each other while the members of high society cheered them on was too much." Horatio eyed Croaker. "After this mission is concluded, I would suggest you put them to work for Amelia as Hit Witches for the Aurors. Let them walk around guarding people, just mingling. It will do Nymphadora good and Hazel can learn to relax." Croaker snorted. "Good luck with that. Without her son, relaxing seems unlikely." Horatio hummed, his eyes back on the door where the two witches just left through. "Perhaps not."

Nymphadora felt numb. She had never seen people be so vicious or brutal with each other. The worst part of watching the illegal circuit fights was the audience. For every limb lobed off they cheered, for every near death they cheered louder still. The bastards waited until the people were displayed like prized bulls before placing their bets, some even going higher if the winner ended up killing the competition before the referee called the match. Dora was glad no one died tonight. The audience, once the bets were placed, would then just sit back and watch the slaughter. Half the time they didn't even seem to mind if they lost their bets, if it meant they got to see a good show by the end. Their definition of a good show made her sick. The worst part is that the d'Éon mission had been offered to them both, as the guard would be focused more on scanning the room and the audience, getting as much detail as possible for identification purposes. They spent weeks perfecting their performance, looking up the appropriate behaviours and vernaculars, just so that they wouldn't be singled out as a fake businessman from France. That part had gone flawlessly. Even Lucius bloody Malfoy took the bait. No, Dora knew exactly what she was walking into. Hazel had warned her just before they apparated next to the place. She said she would hate it completely. Dora had believed what her friend had said and thought she could handle it. She thought wrong.

Dora blinked lazyly as she looked around her apartment. How did she get here again? The noise of a locking door drew her attention to Hazel, who approached from the opening to her own apartment. "Sorry, I needed to tell Teddy I would be here with you." Dora nodded numbly. She felt Hazel move her towards the bathroom and then she felt something odd. She felt her clothes dropping to the floor. She eyed her friend as the woman undressed her. "What did you say about waiting?" Hazel looked up at her and Dora blinked. Those green eyes weren't filled with any emotion other than concern. "Since we are both adults and I have already seen you in your knickers, I hope you don't mind if I strip you. A shower and a bath aren't as comfortable with clothes on and while a bathing suit might work, we aren't children." Those gentle hands never strayed, never lingered. They pulled every article of clothing off of her and then she felt herself being pushed into a shower stall Dora knew was bigger than she remembered. There was also a bench on which Hazel pushed her down onto. "Hazel, I can shower myself." She heard a snort behind her. "Right, and leave you to spend hours as you try to drown yourself under a shower? Not happening. Now sit quietly."

Hazel then proceeded to wash Dora's back who went from silent to groaning as muscles she hadn't known to be sore suddenly ached. Hazel rubbed and massaged her way over the next hour until she washed Dora clean with water. "The bath is set. Get in and soak. I will be back soon. Just get your mind off everything from today. And I do mean everything. I know Andromeda has you on the relaxation exercises for Occlumency. Go through those now." Dora, covered up to her neck in scented water after stepping into the bath, nodded absentmindedly and closed her eyes. She pushed aside everything from today and focused on the feeling of the warm water. The warmth felt so comfortable, her mind just started to wander. Eventually she just fell asleep. She had no idea how long she slept. Dora woke up when she felt a gentle hand on her cheek. It felt warm. Those pretty green eyes were back and she smiled. "Did I oversleep?" Hazel smiled softly. "A little. Time to get dry. Dinner will be ready soon." Dora nodded and got up. She blushed a little when she realised she just gave Hazel a full view of her naked body. She then noticed that Hazel wasn't wearing regular clothes. It looked like a one piece swimsuit. "You wore that the whole time, didn't you?" Hazel raised an eyebrow. "No Dora. I didn't get naked with you. Get that mind out of the gutter for the next two hours. You can get it back in there as soon as your head hits a pillow and you slip into your dreams."

Dora's hair and face were a soft red as Hazel helped dry her off. "Not that I am complaining but why?" Hazel proceeded to dry Dora's hair. "Something I learned on my trainwreck of a life. A little human warmth goes a long way to help dispel some of the numbness. Teddy can tell when I have a bad day and would cuddle up with me. His Grandmother and I… we were never romantic or physically close. But on a night like today, when I got home feeling numb from the things I saw or did… On those nights she would drag me into the shower and do to me what I did to you. It's hard to explain and I am sure some people would call it silly but there are moments when you need physical reminders of kindness and warmth. My Godmother who practically raised me for all of three years did something similar, spending hours with me after a warm bath just brushing my hair and talking. The world can be a cold place without the small reminders that people care." Dora felt warm all the way to her core as Hazel dropped her off in her bedroom. "Wear something comfortable. I need to shower. Cross to my apartment and bring your toiletries. You're spending the night." Dora nodded and picked some of her pajamas that she wore at Hogwarts. They were a bit tight but an expansion charm made them comfortable.

The moment she opened the door to Hazel's room her nose was assaulted by a hefty smell. Teddy jumped down from a stand he and Leafsby used to reach the stove top and grabbed Dora's hand. "Mom made beef stew and mashed potatoes. Do you want lots of vegetables or few?" Dora smiled at the kid. "I'll take an equal serving of both." The elf nodded. "Mistress Peverell made plenty. Mistress Peverell also brought out some bottles of wine." Dora blushed and looked at Teddy. "Hazel mentioned she doesn't drink as a promise to you. This isn't a problem, is it?" Teddy shook his head, his purple eyes full of warmth. "Mom says you had a bad day and might need a drink. We agreed to one bottle of wine for today and you get to share. Mom get's weepy on a full bottle but she should be fine." Dora rubbed his hair. "So your mom is a weepy drunk. Good to know." A voice from behind made her smile. "He shouldn't have told you that. I swear, if you repeat it or try to get me drunk on purpose, I will ask Andromeda for all your dirty secrets."

Teddy giggled as Dora pouted. The three sat down and dug into the meal, even if it was mostly Dora and Teddy eating. Dora breathed out deeply after finishing her glass of wine. "How is it you never eat as much?" Hazel shrugged. "You two have a high metabolism, I don't. I also don't go around changing my appearance as much." Hazel drank a little from her wine and Dora waited. Sure enough a blush became visible on Hazel's neck and cheeks by the end of the meal. Dora sat down with Teddy and the two went over Hazel's vinyl collection, the two sharing their favorites and Hazel playing a few while they chatted. While Dora stuck to her opinion of liking the Weird Sisters, she had to admit to enjoying a few of the other artists. Hazel played the Scottish Folksong disc Dora sent them for Christmas and Dora watched as Teddy started swinging from side to side. Hazel led the kid to his room. Her friend returned and sat by her on the sofa. "Big meals like that make Teddy sleepy. He's out like a light. I am glad I asked him to shower before dinner." Dora nodded and after a few minutes listening to relaxing music, Hazel started turning off the lights. Then Dora got pulled into Hazel's room. "Won't Teddy be mad?"

Hazel shook her head. "I asked him for permission and he gave it to me. He also said you aren't allowed to steal me, but he might eventually agree to sharing." Dora giggled. "Weird kid." Hazel playfully slapped her shoulder. "No, he is perfect. Now get under the covers and sleep." Dora did as she was told and got under the covers. Sleep came slowly as the warm presence of another body in her bed, while nothing new, was making her feel extra warm. "You're allowed to cuddle but those hands aren't allowed under my clothes." Dora swallowed and reachout to hug Hazel. She spooned her and the moment she closed her eyes, she felt a peace settle into her. As she felt sleep take her, Dora realized what Hazel did for her today. She treated her as family, showed her the warmth she could get from just any other day. An ordinary day. No violence, no bastards, no plots. Just a comfortable day with family. She felt something inside of her shift and she breathed deeply. As she slipped fully into sleep she wondered to herself if this was something she would enjoy for the rest of her life. She wanted it to be.

A cold wet nose kept poking her on the face as the light of the morning pressed into her closed eyes. Dora grumbled as she tried to fall back asleep but the nose kept insisting. She opened her eyes and stared at a pup. A wolf pup. She blinked. Right. She had fallen asleep in Hazel's apartment. In the same bed as her partner. Her work partner. Her exceedingly hot and steamy dreams notwithstanding, Hazel was her work partner, who also admitted to wanting a relationship with her but not wanting it right now because Dora was vulnerable. Dora really wanted to jump her bones right now. Except there was a wolf pup currently eyeing her from atop the bed. Had there been a wolf pup in the apartment last night? Dora couldn't remember but after last night and the few drinks she had, she was sure she could have missed it. "Hazel, when did you get a pet?" She felt the bed next to her shift a little. She could see from the corner of her eye that Hazel had turned to look at her and then eyed the wolf pup. She lifted her blanket and the pup shot under it. Dora was about to ask again until a raven haired boy popped his head. "Morning." Dora blinked. "Morning. How are you an Animagus? You're ten."

Teddy's tenth birthday had been a surprisingly quiet affair as it landed during the Easter Break. Hazel had gone out with Teddy for most of the day, having fun at an amusement park and just enjoying the day out together. Dora and Andromeda had been invited to a short dinner with birthday cake afterwards. Ice cream birthday cake. Hazel had been amused watching Dora and Teddy essentially competing for who could eat the most cake. Dora won, but just barely. She partially regretted it later, as the sugar high kept her awake for most of the night. Hazel had apparently predicted a similar thing with Teddy and the two went out to an Arcade in London, which sufficiently drained Teddy's sugar high. Hazel had looked at her dead tired friend with a bemused smile the next day and Andromeda refused to give her a Pepper Up Potion. Horatio had not taken it easy on her at all right after. Still, Dora couldn't be mad with Teddy about the cake. She could be jealous though. Because the kid was barely ten years old and was an Animagus. Dora eyed Hazel. "Is he an Animorphmagus too?"

Hazel chuckled and kissed her son on the cheek. "Nope, not yet. He had some stray magic in him from his sperm donor that reacted oddly with his Metamorphmagus trait. He was essentially a natural born Animagus in the form of a wolf. One day he might learn to shift between them but he is comfortable with his form currently, so there is no urge to find another form." Dora blinked at the two before she sighed. "At this point I should just give up expecting to understand you two." Teddy giggled and then he turned to his Mom. "You keeping her?" Dora pouted. "Oi, I am not the pet in this household." Hazel chuckled. "That might be a no, Teddy. Though if things are still bad she can stay over a few nights. Work will be rough for a while." Teddy nodded and hugged his mom. "Ok. Leafsby says breakfast is ready." Teddy shifted back to his wolf pup form and ran out the room as Dora watched Hazel lay her head back. Those green eyes focused on her and Dora felt her hair shift all over the place. "Want to talk about it?" Dora ran her hand through her hair. "It's a lot to take in and I am getting such mixed signals from you." Hazel pulled herself up into a sitting position and leaned towards Dora. "Let me fix that."

Dora froze as her partner leaned in and kissed her on the lips softly before deepening it, causing Dora to moan. Hazel pulled back, enjoying the blush on Dora's face. "I am interested in keeping you in my bed, Nymphadora. At the same time, you went through trauma. Again. I care about you and I will make sure you come out of this a better person but I refuse to take advantage of you or your feelings. If we get together I want no doubts between us. We will be together because we want to be together. For now, just know that I am here for you as a friend and a partner. One day I hope it will be as a lover. But not today. Are we clear?" Nymphadora nodded but she leaned forwards and kissed Hazel back. She could see desire in Hazel's eyes as she pulled away but it was buried quickly. Dora smiled. "I understand. But don't think I will make it easy on you anymore. I want you and after all of this I want you even more." Hazel glared. "You tease as much as you want, but if you traumatize my kid, we will have words." Dora shivered. Why did her mind find that sexy? "Noted. Teddy stays innocent."

Teddy's shout of "Mom!" got both of them out of bed. Dora salivated at the stack of blueberry pancakes on her table. She and Teddy devoured their stacks before Dora felt a spoon smack her head. "Hey!" Hazel eyed her and then Teddy. "Teddy, Grandma taught you how to eat properly and I haven't discouraged that, especially since you know eating too fast can make you sick. Please don't forget that. Dora, you're an adult and Teddy is a kid. Don't encourage him or I am calling Andromeda." The two Metamorphmagus ate in a more sedate manner and finished up their breakfast. Dora laid back on the couch nursing a cup of coffee. "Sorry about earlier." Hazel sat beside her and sighed. "To be fair, it happens some days. There is a reason I whacked you though. Teddy likes you and wants to be a bit like you too. If you do decide to pursue me, remember it's a packaged deal and that Teddy will come first." Dora could see that and nodded. Hazel kissed Dora's cheek. "Though that doesn't mean you will be second, just tied for first. Eventually. Got that?" Dora smiled and drank from her coffee. "I think I am going to go see Mom. I need to talk to someone about what we saw."

Hazel drank from her own cup. "And since I was there, it's not enough. I understand. I meant what I said, Dora. You need me and I will be there. We are partners in this and I won't abandon you." Dora nodded and finished her coffee. "Thank you for everything since yesterday, Hazel. I am going to change and head home." Hazel nodded and Dora left for her apartment before heading out. As she rode the elevator up, Dora took deep breaths as she felt some of the numbness from the day before settling back in. She knew the job she signed up for would be bad. Being an Auror might have been simpler but it was probably even more dangerous. She could see that now. She could see how despicable people could be. Being an Auror would have left her feeling exactly what she felt now: powerless. But as an Operative? She could get better. She could do more. She could make a real difference. Dora steeled her mind as the elevator ride ended at the main lobby. She would seek her mother's help in dealing with everything her job threw at her, but she refused to give it up. She had a great partner that cared for her and a chance to make a difference in her world. She wouldn't give any of that up.

"Such a shame. Mr. Thomspson was a crowd favorite. Though it seems you won your bet, Monsieur d'Éon. Enjoy your winnings and we will see you again next week." Hazel nodded and followed the movements of Burbage and his guards as they returned to his private viewing gallery. She turned her eyes back to the arena floor, watching as a man she was certain was under a Polyjuice Potion, was dragged away, a gaping hole in his chest. She tried her best not to grind her teeth as she checked on her partner, Dora's male face being quite composed, even if her body language showed some stiffness still. This was their fourth visit to the underground Dueling Circuit, though "dueling" wasn't what any of her companions were calling what was actually happening. As expected, several fights ended with casualties and Hazel had to spend a few more nights consoling Dora. Croaker was looking for a way to end this assignment with the largest possible arrests, but getting enough intel on other criminal activities beyond watching an illegal duel wasn't easy. They did get a few interesting leads that could be used later in the year. Lucius Malfoy had admitted to owning a large collection of dangerous magical artefacts that he was willing to sell that simply didn't fall under family heirlooms. Therefore they were highly illegal. Lord Nott, on the other hand, was proving to be a mystery. It was clear he didn't enjoy the spectacle as his fellow companions did and didn't bet much on the fights. Croaker wasn't exactly sure what to make of the older gentleman from a traditional family highly associated with Voldemort in the last war but as this was the fourth visit they had nothing to go on. Lord Nott simply sat at the viewing gallery and didn't approach anyone. They would have to keep a closer eye on him.

Hazel turned to look at Dora who nodded. Her partner was getting better at handling these events, though a lot of that had to do with her getting dragged around London by Teddy and Andromeda, with Hazel close behind. Andromeda had spent many long days talking with her daughter, using her Mind Healers training to just help Dora speak of her troubles. Having her mother supporting her and then taking her out to dinners with her father was helping Dora get better. She had also slowed down her alcohol intake, though the fact she would try and make Hazel share drinks with her had been exacerbating as much as amusing. Another change had been Dora taking her Occlumency and Physical training much more seriously. Hazel could understand the feeling. Watching someone die made a person feel weak and powerless. Doing it repeatedly only reinforced that feeling. Dora was doing what any person in her place could. Work harder to be able to make a difference. Hazel knew she was looking forward to tearing this place down. She was too. A voice on Hazel's earpiece made both of them still. This mission was supposed to be radio silent. Even so, they always carried their communication devices, the earpiece stored safely in the wristwatch before being placed in the ear, a notice-me-not charm keeping it from being spotted.

"BM to R1 and R2, Aurors are launching a surprise raid on the location. Someone made an anonymous call and the force is on its way. Neither D or HA have authorized it." Hazel eyed Dora who shook her head in exacerbation. Great. This wasn't how they wanted to proceed. Hazel casted the smallest privacy ward she could, around her watch and mouth as she leaned in, appearing to have a closer look to the match while blocking the view of her lips. "Orders?" She felt Dora move into a more covered position. Haratio spoke up. "The owner is too highly placed to be detained properly for this. Eliminate Priority One target. Decide who is better suited." Hazel turned to Dora and saw the surprise in her eyes. Horatio was letting her go for a kill. Dora thought for a second and closed her eyes. She had recently redoubled her commitment but was she ready to kill in cold blood again, especially after all this? She opened them and looked at Hazel, shaking her head slightly. Not yet. She wasn't there yet. Hazel nodded softly and turned forward again. "R1, on task." Horatio's voice responded, sounding soft and understanding. "Roger. Get to work." Hazel stood up and buttoned up her jacket. She made her way towards the bathroom when an obnoxious voice cut her off. "Leaving so early, Monsieur?" Hazel gave an awkward smile to Lucius. "Not at all. My wife simply dared me to try the Haggis during lunch in the Highlands. It doesn't seem to have settled well with me."

Lucius gave him an understanding look. "One would think our love for foie gras would translate well to that and other odd culinary concoctions, but it doesn't. My condolences. I hope you don't miss much of the entertainment." Hazel nodded weakly. "Indeed. By your leave." Lucius nodded and Hazel walked down towards the bathroom in a less than dignified gait. Once inside she picked a stall, checked for surveillance and placed a small ward around her and Dora. "Guard my stall. I will try to be quick." Dora nodded and Hazel closed the stall, taking off her shoes and pants and leaving them on the toilet, using a bit of magic to conjure some fake legs to fill them. She pulled on her magic, shifting her appearance back to normal while transfiguring her clothes into an approximation of her tactical suit, while willing the Cloak to manifest around her. Hazel connected her magic to it and slipped through the wall behind the stall. She crossed the viewing platforms and passed into Sir Burbage's personal suite. With four conjured knives in her offhand Hazel positioned herself behind Burbage until she slit his throat with the knife in her main hand. The gurgling noise drew the eyes of the guards and Hazel launched two of her knives into the chests of the guard in front, followed closely by those behind her. She casted AKs at the four guards, ending their lives before they could fight back, dispelling the blades in process.

Hazel eyed the room and felt something off about the ambient magic. She neared the desk, pulled open a once locked drawer and grinned. Casting a small ward, she spoke into the comm. "Priority One down. Located building wardstone. I can trigger a partial lockdown. Orders?" Horatio sounded like he was discussing it with Croaker, before he responded. "Do it. Seal all exits minus primary entrance. Return to R2 and blend in. Maintain cover." Hazel eyed the dead Burbage. "R1, acknowledged." She dispelled the ward and conjured a glove that she then wore on her hand. One blood soaked glove on a wardstone later, and Hazel had bypassed its control scheme and sealed all the other exits. A few minutes later Hazel, looking like the d'Éon persona again, walked out of the bathroom stall, a toilet flushing behind her. "Remind me never to have Haggis again. Ever." Dora nodded and Hazel washed her hands before they both returned to their viewing gallery. After a few more gruesome minutes watching two witches curse at each other, the crowd started to move and shove each other as the doors bursted open. "This is the police! Everyone, kneel on the ground now! You are hereby arrested for participating in an illegal dueling circuit. Wands and firearms down!"

Dora kept a stoic face as she and Hazel were cuffed and pulled out of the building and slapped with a portkey. After the disorienting ride they looked around at the detention cell they were dropped into. "So, fancy a few games of Blackjack? Loser pays for dinner?" Dora chuckled. "Sure. But you better not cheat." Both Dora and Hazel shifted their hands and wrists and slipped the cuffs off their arms. Hazel conjured the deck of cards and the two sat down for the long wait. One exceedingly long hour and a half later and their cell door was opened, revealing a set of familiar faces. "All right you two, you can drop the shift." Hazel and Dora shifted back to normal and both sighed in relief. "Thanks Boss, wearing that form was getting tiring." Croaker shook his head and turned to Amelia and Rufus. "Rufus, meet R1 and R2. They will be in your employ temporarily starting summer as Hit Witches. Try to keep them away from certain properties. This last mission has both of them itching to exact some payback on the people your Aurors just arrested today." Rufus eyed them both before looking at Croaker. "How long were they in cover?"

Croaker raised an eyebrow. "Four undercover missions, four weeks of work, not counting the months of preparations prior, all partly wasted with your Aurors jumping the gun. Your Department will be lucky to see any of our intel on this." Rufus winced. "I will bring in Shacklebolt and Proudfoot. Can't punish them too hard but an extended stay of desk duty should get them to understand that the chain of command is there for a reason." Hazel spoke up. "Who was the person to call the Aurors? Were you able to identify them?" Croaker turned to Hazel. "A witch who had been looking for her missing brother. He was one of the duelists, a lucky man to have survived the circuit for three weeks. She's staying by his side in St. Mungos currently, and admitted to calling the Aurors as soon as she heard the place was an illegal dueling circuit after failing to enter through the door." The group went quiet after that as Amelia eyed Hazel and Dora. "Should I even ask if you two were responsible for the five corpses found, one being Burbage, the owner." Dora and Hazel looked at each other before turning to Amelia and speaking in stereo. "Can't say." Amelia pinched the bridge of her nose and glared at a grinning Croaker. "Take them back to your basement and send them our way once they are free. With a few Aurors now being assigned to desk duty, we need some boots on the ground in Diagon Alley." Croaker nodded and turned to his Operatives. "All right, Recruits. Mission Complete. Let's get your debriefs done so we can all call it a night." Hazel nodded and grinned at Dora, "Dinner?" Dora sighed. "I'll get it."

Chapter 15: Twisted Reflections

Hazel read the letter Susan wrote to Amelia about the latest news from Hogwarts. "Is this confirmed?" Croaker sighed but nodded. "It is. Dumbledore left Hogwarts Castle for the Ministry. We just don't know why. He has no duties today as Chief Warlock or as Supreme Mugwump as of this moment. He left the Castle under the care of his staff." Hazel snorted as she handed the letter back to Croaker. "Right, the staff. One of whom is currently possessed by a wraith that is eating away at his life, another who is likely to trust her mentor blindly and another whose motives are suspect. Any word from Neville?" Croaker pulled open a charmed book. "A mention of Harry and his friends acting concerned over something. He thinks they are worried about the item stored in the Third Floor Corridor. The three students visited Professor McGonagall's office but returned to the common room unhappy and talking to each other in whispers, with Harry being unsure of what to do, while Ronald Weasley seems to be more excited over whatever is happening." Hazel frowned as she crossed her arms and thought about Dumbledore's actions. "Term is about to end in a week. Dumbledore had no reason to leave but he did and Harry Potter reached out to a staff member and was rebuffed, with his acquaintance potentially pressuring him to act. This doesn't bode well. It is exactly the sort of behaviour. It is exactly the sort of behaviour we were concerned with in the first place." Hazel eyed Croaker who noticed her change in look. He nodded and looked towards Dora. "Are you feeling up to potentially fighting a Dark Wizard again, killing him without being targeted first?"

Dora stared at her boss, her heart suddenly beating faster. Her words came out unsteady. "I'm not sure. Why are you asking?" Croaker sat back in his chair. "We have an inkling as to how events will play out in the next few hours, at least in the immediate vicinity where Flamel's Stone is located. We also have a plan in place, one that has Hazel acting as a decoy. You will be her backup and in this case the primary force behind the execution. Are you feeling up to it again?" Dora frowned and thought about killing again meant to her. She had already killed people before but it was on that first botched mission, with Hazel acting as the Operative on point. Though she tried to rationalize it all, her feelings had remained mixed. She had worked out a lot of her problems with what happened with her mom since her near death experience but the guilt of killing people had lingered in the back of her mind. It had been so easy to kill before, like she was made for it. She hated that feeling. To do it again, potentially striking someone in the back with a Killing Curse… "Whose the target?" Hazel sat back. "Professor Quirrell, who currently has Voldemort sharing his body." Dora blinked as she did a double take. They weren't asking her to kill just anyone. They were asking her to kill the vessel of the madman that wrecked their world. Was it enough of a reason? Or was this just that next big temptation? She knew once she justified it again there was no going back. She could justify them all. She eyed Hazel. Her partner killed all too easily. Did she want to become like that? She was attracted to her, sure, but did she want to become a killing machine like Hazel? Like her Aunt?

Hazel's words came back to her, asking Dora to be a better person than what she was. Hazel didn't want Dora to be like her. She wanted Dora to be different. To be better. Did that mean not killing as often as she did or perhaps knowing when lethal force was needed? Dora took a deep breath. Her partner would always be the power and muscle of the two, that much was growing clear from their training exercises. She would have to be something different. She could be the heart and mind that looked deeper, the conscience to her partner. In this case though, was there a point to hesitate? Voldemort was at Hogwarts, threatening the lives of all the children in the Castle. Teddy popped into her head and her heart stilled. Hazel. Hazel did kill often, but never without reason. Her motivation was clear whenever they walked into Hazel's apartment. Teddy. Hazel killed to keep Teddy safe, to give her son a better life. Dora looked inside and was surprised to find that she would be ok with killing to protect Teddy too. The kid had grown on her and if she wanted a life with Hazel beyond partnership, she knew he would be a part of it. Somewhere along the way she had accepted that. She swallowed and took a deep breath. "I'll do it." The smile on Hazel's face made Dora feel warm. Croaker nodded. "Very well. Here is the plan."

Hazel levitated the three unconscious kids and moved them inside of an unoccupied classroom. She and Dora barely caught up to them as the trio tried to unlock the door on the Third Floor Corridor. Dora casted a cushioning charm on the ground beneath the kids and Hazel conjured some pillows and blankets on them before sealing the door shut, placing a strong notice-me-not on it. Dora lifted her wrist up. "R2 to BM. The children are secured." Horatio's voice came in with noticeable interruptions from ward interference. Had Dumbledore raised the wards to a higher level, they would be hearing close to nothing. "Roger that… Proceed with the mission… Comm silence starts now." Hazel and Dora shifted their appearance into that of Harry Potter and Hermione Granger respectively, transfiguring their regular outfits to Hogwarts uniforms before heading to the third floor corridor. One unlocking spell later and they were face to face with the Cerberus, the creature waking up as the harp stopped playing. Dora swallowed, trying to remember what she could about her Defence course on the creature and partly regretting not taking Care. "So, what do we do?" Hazel casted an enchantment to the harp but nothing happened. "The harp has a partial ward. I can't enchant it unless we strip the ward first." Dora looked throughout the room. "We could disillusion ourselves and mask our sound and scent." Hazel nodded but she pointed at the trap door. "It's a bit of a problem if he doesn't move, though."

Dora looked around the room again, looking for means to bypass the beast, while Hazel eyed the creature. It stared at her warily, its three heads focused on her and only her. A thought entered her mind. That could work. "Do you think you could clear the harp and get it to play again? If you weren't concerned with a Cerberus trying to bite your head off?" Dora eyed the harp. "Maybe. Why?" Hazel released her magic a bit. "I want to test a theory. Go for the harp. The pup is mine." Dora nodded and headed that way. The Cerberus eyed Dora for a second until a pulse of Hazel's magic made it turn its attention back to Hazel. Hazel's eyes glowed emerald for a second before shifting to slitted red eyes. "So tell me, is it fear or something else that draws your eyes to me, Fluffy?" Dora, her wand waving over the warp, groaned. "Tell me that's not it's name." Hazel smiled. "Ask Hagrid when you have the chance. He is quite proud of it." Dora sighed. "Of course he is." The Cerberus stepped slowly away from Hazel as she placed herself between it and Dora, while also forcing the beast to step off the trapdoor. Music started playing and Hazel gave Dora a questioning look. "Brahms' Lullaby? Really?" Dora blushed. "It was the only complete relaxing tune I could remember fully that came to mind."

Hazel pulled her magic back and the two watched as the Cerberus yawned before it fell asleep. Happy to have avoided that can of worms, the two made for the opening on the floor. Dora lifted the trap door and looked down into the darkness. She frowned, "That doesn't look like stone." Hazel lowered her head, launched a light charm and smelled the air. "Earth and plant matter, plus fertilizer. A trap made by Sprout probably." The charm casted into the room showed a mass of vines. Dora shuddered. "Devil's Snare." Hazel eyed her. "Bad memories?" Dora shook her head. "More like a recurring nightmare as a kid." Hazel blinked at her. "Right then. Ignis Obscuras." The black flame that launched from Hazel's outstretched hand landed on the vines and instantly started eating away at the magical plant, the mass emitting an unnatural screech. Both Hazel and Dora winced at the noise, Dora looking to her partner. "So, not a fan of Herbology?" Hazel smirked. "I can pass the OWL thanks to Teddy but nothing else. If it's a plant that can kill me, magic eating cursed flames will do the trick." Dora nodded as they watched the entire floor of plants die to the flames. They leapt down once it was cleared, their fall softened by a featherweight charm. The moment they opened the next room they stared at a mess of flying keys with brooms lined up along the walls. Dora looked from the door to the keys. "So, I'm guessing we need the right key." Hazel smiled and pulled out her wand. "Sure, but I don't see Voldemort mounting a broom. Accio keys. Finite."

Dora looked at the mass of keys that gathered almost instantly above Hazel's wand and watched all of them drop to the floor as the charm on them failed. "This doesn't feel like a trap for a Dark Lord." Hazel pulled a large key out of the mess and handed it to Dora. "Nope, more like a test of a first year. I thought about blasting the door down but that might draw too much attention." Dora nodded in response and unlocked the door. She looked around the new chamber, her wand held up, before eyeing the floor and the figurines that filled the room. "I don't suppose you play chess?" Hazel gave her a disgusted look. "No, I gave up after a colleague and my ex kept beating me. It wasn't fun. On the plus side, this was made by McGonagall. Only person in the Hogwarts Staff with this much Transfiguration skill, minus the Headmaster." Dora eyed her. "And it's a benefit, why?" Hazel approached the massive chessboard and the Black pieces made to represent their side of the board. She tapped her wand on the nearest piece, a rook, and hummed. "Not bad. For anyone else this might be a challenge. The broken pieces on the side of the room show that Voldemort did play it. His ego must have compelled him." Dora looked to the walls and saw a lot of broken black pieces. "Aha!" Hazel pulled her wand back like a fishing rod and Dora saw the whole grouping of the chess figures shudder. They then reformed into slabs of stone.

Hazel smiled in triumph. "Sorry Minerva, but you got lazy. She kept the Transfiguration separate from the wards governing the chess rules, the enchantments designed to prevent tampering or attempts to bypass the trap not covering the Transfiguration all that well at all since no one usually makes a chess set worth of pieces this large. Too bad the trap is worthless without the pieces being in their proper form to fight back, as the enchantments needed them to be in their transfigured forms to either move the pieces or attack. That's what you get for giving me a bloody Acceptable for all six years of classes." Dora looked at Hazel. "Holding a grudge?" Hazel huffed. "After I got my Mastery in the subject? Damn right I am. I worked hard for my grades. Not my fault my wand wasn't attuned to me from the start." Dora winced. "Oh, yeah. That had to suck." The two slipped past the slabs of stone and opened the next chamber. They wrinkled their noses as they passed a clearly dead troll and entered the next area. The moment they stepped over a threshold, flames leapt up around them. Dora eyed the potions and read the note next to it. "Ugh, a logic test. Mom made me study these for a while. So annoying." Dora watched Hazel eye the flames before she waved her wand around. The floor closed over the gap where the flames were being sustained from, the fire going out or being covered over. Dora sighed. "No doubt about it. This test was made for kids." Hazel hummed and eyed her partner. "Ready?" Dora pulled out Hazel's Invisibility Cloak. "Ready."

OW June 1992

Hazel blinked as she opened her eyes. The last thing she remembered was being in Professor Quirrell's Classroom for her usual Defense lesson. She had been so happy when Quirell successfully taught her how to cast wandless magic. The next few weeks she had watched Snape scowl at her as she cleaned the Cauldrons in record time, without so much as a burn on her hand. He accused her of bringing a wand but found no proof of it. He eventually gave up giving her detentions, though he switched to point reductions. There was nothing she could do about those. Most of her classes required her to use a wand and she could barely cast a spell with it. She had hoped wandless magic would give her an edge, that she could just leave her wand aside and rack up points with well casted spells. No such luck. While she could cast spells wandlessly, they were hardly better than when she used her wand, just more likely to succeed. She had been very saddened by that, though Quirrell encouraged her to keep trying. Her skill with it should get better someday. Today she was supposed to try out a spell she read in a Curse Breaker book from the Restricted Section. Being invisible to all was a great way to get into some serious reading material. After her run in with the mirror, Hazel had become concerned with running into other cursed objects. The book held a spell designed to devour magical objects, though it warned it was a hard one to learn. It would be perfect if she could get it working. So why was she on the ground?

Looking around her eyes landed on her Professor, standing just the side of her, his arms crossed as he stared at her. They then focused on the Mirror behind him. Hazel frowned. "Professor? Did you bring the mirror so I could practice on it?" Quirell gave her a small smile. "I am afraid not. We aren't in my classroom, Miss Potter. This is the Third Floor Corridor. You see, I need your services." Hazel stood up, brushed away the dirt from her skirt and blinked at her mentor. "Did you stun me? Why?" Quirrell looked sad. "Because I wasn't sure if you would help me willingly, let alone if Dumbledore could learn of my intention. You have heard quite a few hints from the Headmaster about this place. But you never came." Hazel snorted. "Of course not! What would I want with a corridor guarded by a Cerberus? I may have a hard time in class but I am not stupid." Quirrell smirked a little at that. "No, you are not. Which is why you are here. Dumbledore sealed an object in this mirror. The Philosopher's Stone." Hazel found that name familiar. "As in Nicholas Flamel's Stone? Cool. Alchemy sounds interesting but it needs Potions as a requirement. I thought about eventually taking the course but I don't see Snape giving me the grade that I would need for it." Quirrell chuckled. "No, he wouldn't. Now would you be a dear and get it for me? It's in the mirror."

Hazel eyed the Mirror. "Dumbledore said you can't go through the mirror. That it's an illusion." Quirrell agreed. "Yes, and therefore the perfect place to conceal an object. Anyone who wants it can see it inside the mirror. Removing it is the hard part." Hazel eyed the Professor. "Why do you need the stone?" Quirrell sighed and waved his hands over his form. "Because this isn't my body. I am just borrowing it. The Alchemic properties of the stone will be able to rebuild a body for me. One better suited to my needs." Hazel felt something in her breaking. Everyone recognized her Professor as Quirrell. If he wasn't really Quirrell… "If you aren't Quirrell, then who are you? Who has been teaching me for the whole year?" Quirrell drew his wand and kept it lowered to his side. "Someone who lost it all on Halloween of 1981. Just like you. Only from the other side of the conflict." Hazel stared at him, her heart breaking into pieces. "Voldemort. You are Voldemort." Quirrell eyed her, those eyes now shining red in the darkly lit room. "I am. Assist me with this and we can part amicably, Miss Potter. I could even restore your family to you. But to do all of that, I need the stone." Hazel eyed the man she thought she knew and then the mirror. She could see her parents' faces looking at her, calling to her. A lie. It was a lie. The Mirror… was a lie. And so was the offer. So was everything else. Everything Quirrell had been to her, it had all been a lie. He wasn't interested in teaching her. He was only looking after himself, to use her for his ends. The images on the mirror faded away, her heart shifting. "No."

Quirrell sighed, "I didn't want to do this but you are the only one Dumblrdore would have made an exception for regarding the stone. Imperio." Instantly, her mind was filled with a joy she never knew, one that left her heart feeling fully and giddy. It was bliss. She wanted to roll around in it. She wanted to laugh herself silly. "Look into the Mirror and retrieve the Stone." She walked up to the mirror and looked. Then she paused. Why was she happy? She had never been happy. The happiest she had been when she got her letter. But that memory had soured since she arrived at Hogwarts. She had no reason to be happy right now. So why? Why was she suddenly happy? "The stone." Her mind cleared up instantly as another emotion overpowered the curse. She wasn't happy. She was heartbroken. She had been lied to and betrayed. Again! She looked in the mirror and sought her new heart's desire. The mirror showed her what she had to do. She closed her eyes and focused on her rage. Her pain. Her sense of betrayal. The memory of her parents' faces and the pain they brought to her heart. She reached out with her hand and touched the cold glass. "Ignis Obscuras." The black flame latched onto the mirror as Quirrell screamed. "No!" She was hurled away from the glass as Quirrell tried to dispel the flame, his turban falling to the floor.

Hazel eyed Quirrell and the face sticking out of the back of his head. He had betrayed her worse than Dumbledore. She had thought of him as a friend. A mentor. But instead she was just a pawn to him. If he didn't get what he wanted, he simply forced it out of her. He was no different than Dumbledore in that regard. She rushed to him and gripped his robes before delving deep into the pain of Quirrel's betrayal. "Ignis Obscuras." She felt a hand strike her face and she fell to the ground. She then heard the screams. She looked up from her position on the floor and watched as the screams continued to come from the body being devoured by black flames, the wand burning up instantly. Eventually the flames covered him completely and the screams ended, charred flesh showing beneath the flickering light. She watched as the body crumpled into itself and stilled, the flames eventually dying out. Hazel stared at the pile of ash as a thought entered her mind. She had killed him. She had killed someone. She started to cry. She was a murderer. "It seems we really are very much alike, Hazel Potter." She looked up as a dark shadowy form appeared from within the ashes. "I wonder if perhaps you would be a suitable vessel. Let's give it a try, shall we?" The wraith shot towards her and entered her body. Hazel felt her mind being assailed, a massive headache overwhelming her thoughts, as a voice spoke to her in whispers, trying to force her to give in to him. She focused on her rage. "Get out!" A cold magic responded to her as rage leaked from within her heart. It touched the wraith, causing it to scream in agony.

The black faceless mist left her flesh and vanished through the opened door. Hazel dropped onto her back and cried. She brought her hands up to her face and cried louder. From the moment the letter had arrived, she had one final desperate hope. That she meant something to someone. That she wasn't really alone in the world. She had a whole world of magic that tied her to her parents. A school that they had once studied in. A House that nurtured them into the Head Boy and Head Girl of their year group in seven years. Instead what she found was a hat that didn't know where to place her, a House that hated her very existence, a whole school's worth of staff that looked down on her and ignored her when she asked for help. She was alone. The one person she had trusted had betrayed her and she had felt so angry. Now that person was dead and the man responsible for her life fled as a spirit. So she cried. She cried because in one whole year of being in the school she found nothing that gave her meaning. Nothing that called to her other than a Cloak that hid her from the eyes of the world. In one year, she didn't find anything to make her want to live in this world. Only a reason to kill. She was a killer now. So Hazel cried. She cried because she knew the truth. There was no going back. At eleven bloody years of age she had stopped being a child. She was now a murderer. She had no idea what she was supposed to do with herself now.

NW June 1992

Hazel, looking like Harry Potter, was manhandled by this world's Professor Quirrell before the Mirror and Hazel blinked. Well, that was unexpected. "Tell me, boy. What do you see? Do you see the stone?" Hazel wanted to laugh. Because the Mirror wasn't showing her anything. It was black. Pitch black. Rather than spending time with Quirrell explaining anything about what a black Mirror meant, she focused instead on her memory of the night she first ran into it in her world and brought that image to her mind. "I see my parents. They are smiling at me. Calling me to them." Quirrell shook her by the neck. "Focus! Focus on the Stone!" Hazel closed her eyes and focused on the stupid stone, if only to shut him up. In her world it had been devoured along with the Mirror by her first casting of black flames. Her version of Dumbledore had been exceedingly disappointed in her even as he concealed the death of Quirrell from the school and the country. She had honestly not cared for a damn thing he said to her back then, even as he claimed that she might have doomed two people to their deaths after killing another. Hazel was certain she had been in shock at that moment but Dumbledore clearly didn't care. Her return to Privet Drive hadn't led to any great changes for her either. She had just wallowed in depression while Vernon kept her and Hedwig locked in her room. At least her owl didn't have a problem. Wandless unlocking spells were dead useful.

After focusing on the rock, Hazel opened her eyes and saw a reflection on the mirror. Odd, as it showed her as she had been at eleven years of age and not as Harry. She saw a smile she knew she never carried back then and watched as she padded her pocket. A pocket that instantly grew heavy. Neat. She turned to Quirrell. "It won't let me pull the stone out." A disembodied voice spoke out. "Let me speak to him." As Quirrell started unwrapping his turban, Hazel looked over his shoulder at the slight shimmer in the room. "Anytime now." A wand appeared from between the seams of the Invisibility Cloak and a cyan curse struck Quirrell in the back. Hazel opened her mouth to say something but she was silenced as soon she got a face full of ash, as the professor disintegrated into dust as soon as the curse struck him. She heard a familiar scream as the wraith launched itself at her but the sudden flooding of her magic through her body caused it to flee in agony. Hazel slowly opened her eyes and saw a very apologetic Dora, the Cloak slightly pulled open. "Sorry?" Feeling a great many emotions at the moment, Hazel simply turned towards the Mirror and silently casted her black cursed flames spell at it. She kept her mouth shut as they sealed the third Floor Corridor and dispelled the magic on the kids before they exited the Hogwarts wards and apparated away from underneath Honeydukes.

With both of them back at the DoM Operations Medical Wing, Andromeda took a few samples of the ash still covering Hazel's body while Dora looked at her partner, still a bit squeamish. Croaker had an intrigued look on his face as he examined Hazel's state, his hand rubbing his chin in thought. "Interesting. The Unicorn Blood must have deteriorated his body to the point magic alone sustained it. The Killing Curse ended that protection and he just turned into ash on the spot." Hazel felt one of her eyes twitch, her voice coming out with some bitterness. "Fascinating. How about you and your eggheads make that deduction as a prediction next time? That way I don't end up with human ashes in my mouth." Dora turned green and even Andromeda shivered at the thought. Croaker hid his face behind his papers. "The Desk Clerk in reception noted that Dumbledore left the Ministry a few minutes ago. We did get a message from Neville stating he had been petrified by Miss Granger in their successful attempt to leave the Gryffindor Dorms, despite his best effort at dissuading them. A Gryffindor Prefect released him from the spell's effects. Both Susan and Neville have been informed to send us any further information but we did inform them that their fellow students are safe and the danger has passed."

Andromeda finished taking samples. "We have a decontamination shower here. Go use it. Nymphadora can fetch you some clothes from your apartment and let Teddy know you're ok." Dora shot out of the Medical Wing quickly as Hazel got into the decontamination shower, stripped her clothes off and shifted back to her normal form. Said clothes were promptly incinerated wandlessly. Almost an hour later she finally stepped out of the shower wearing a black shirt and a set of jeans. "I think I'm going to be showering and brushing my teeth longer for a month." She eyed Dora, who looked at her with guilt, and sighed. "Quit looking at me like that. I gave the order and you did your job. How are you feeling? I know you weren't too fond of casting that spell again so soon." Dora shrugged. "Not bad. Seeing the wraith come out from the ash pile and try to possess you made any reservations of mine feel stupid in the moment. I am just glad you are ok." Hazel turned to Croaker. "Anything else we need to do for today or can I go be with my son?" Horatio, who was standing beside his boss, shook his head. "You two are cleared for tonight but we will have you remain on standby over the next few days, in case something unpredictable happens." Hazel nodded and she and Dora left the Medical Wing. The nastiness of the ash she got covered in vanished when her kid hugged her as soon as she opened the door. She was home.

"Madam Bones? What can we be doing for ye today?" Amelia smiled at Hagrid. "DMLE Business I am afraid, Hagrid. We got word out of Hogsmeade a Professor went missing here last night. We are here to investigate and find out why we had to hear it from a concerned citizen who watched the Castle light up late in the evening. Open the gate." Hagrid nodded at her and unlocked the gate for her and Moody as well as two other Aurors. "Alastor." Moody grunted. "Hagrid. What's this about Fluffy being inside the school proper?" Hagrid looked sheepish. "Dumbledore asked fer him. Got his own room and everything." Amelia eyed Hagrid as they made their way up the path. "What would Dumbledore need of a Cerberus in the school for?" Hagrid looked between them. "Dumbledore asked me not to say anything about it." Amelia sighed. "This is likely to become a criminal investigation, Hagrid. Dumbledore's request won't be accepted as an excuse for you or anyone not to answer." The Half Giant grew pensive at her words and nodded. "Fluffy was placed there to guard the Stone from Nicholas' Vault. We got it out of Gringotts just in time too."

The Aurors reached the Main Doors and they entered the Castle as Amelia looked to Hagrid, stopping at the area in front of the Great Hall. "And where exactly did Dumbledore hide a valuable and dangerous artefact in a school of children, especially if he knew someone was after it?" Hagrid looked between the two and sighed. "Third Floor Corridor on the right hand side. Fluffy is right in the door." Amelia pinched her nose before she turned to her Aurors, gesturing to two of them. "You two, escort Hagrid up there and remove the Cerberus carefully with him. Hagrid, take that pet of yours to where you would normally keep him outside of the Castle. If Dumbledore illegally stored an artefact here then we need to investigate this area of his in case the Professor disappeared because of it." Hagrid nodded and left with the Aurors just as two more people came up to the group. Amelia was already feeling a headache building up as she eyed the approaching Headmaster and his Deputy. "Care to tell me why you failed to report a missing person to the DMLE, Albus?" Dumbledore waved his hand dismissively. "We aren't even sure if he is missing, Amelia." Amelia growled. "And if the person were a student? What then, Headmaster? This is a school full of children, meaning anything going wrong could be dangerous to everyone. If your Professor is missing then we must make sure no student goes missing either."

McGonagall looked properly mortified and Albus simply looked resigned. "Still, to investigate a section of the school we have sectioned off…" Alastor tapped his cane on the ground, drawing the attention of the Professors. "Is the most logical step. Clearly you closed it for how dangerous the contents were. Why wouldn't your missing Professor be there, then? Serious Albus, did you have some Befuddlement Potion this morning?" Albus grew quiet after that as the group of people walked up the stairs and entered the now empty chamber. Some conjured stairs made entry past the trap door easier for Amelia and Alastor, while the rest of her Aurors kept guard over the entrance. Amelia looked at the charred remains at the bottom of the trap door. "What was here?" Minerva spoke up. "Devil's Snare provided to us by Pomona." Amelia eyed Minerva, her eye twitching. "Underneath a Cerberus. That's two magical threats that an eleven year old could easily die to, one right after the other." Albus blustered. "Now, Amelia, no child…" Amelia glared back at him. "Albus, I am going to ask you not to speak too much out of term. I am already furious as my own niece could have been down here in danger by a stupid dare or a flight of fancy. If something had happened to her, I would have greeted you with curses, not words. Now, what else do we have here?" Minerva showed her to the Flying Key Room, though the keys were all in a pile on the floor, rendered inert. Amelia looked around the chess set in the next room, all the pieces still turned into slabs.

"Minerva, so far you have shown me traps that a seriously determined person could easily disable. Someone clearly did. Or am I to assume you all disable these in your search for the missing Professor?" Minerva shook her head. "I have not been here since I installed the chessboard." She eyed what was left of it. "Clearly my contribution wasn't as effective as I had hoped." Amelia spotted the broken slabs at the side of the room, as did Alastor, but kept quiet about them. They walked past the dead Troll and arrived at an empty chamber with potion bottles sitting on a table. She looked around. "Was there a trap here?" Albus looked speechless as Minerva looked around. "There was. Professor Snape designed it. May I?" Amelia saw her pull her wand and nodded. Minerva casted spells over the ground and frowned. "I believe someone transfigured the floor over the trap. It was supposed to be cursed flames that could not be extinguished or frozen by any means." Alastor's eye peered through the ground and grunted. "They are still there, just covered over by the stone floor of the Castle, which has its own degree of magical resistance. Your infiltrator was not amused by this trap." They entered the last chamber and saw the melted Mirror. Alastor drew his wand and got to work scanning it for magical traces. "This ain't your typical Mirror. Albus…" Dumbledore sighed. "It was the Mirror of Erised."

Amelia eyed him. "And you stored a dangerous cursed artefact here because?" Looking between the two Aurors Dumbledore saw no point in lying. What was done was done. "Nicholas' Philosopher Stone was no longer safe at Gringotts. I stored it in the Mirror with an enchantment to prevent a thief from taking it." Alastor kept scanning the slag of metal and melted glass. "Can't say if it's in here or not. Either it was destroyed with the mirror or the thief somehow took it before destroying the evidence." Albus nodded sadly. "I sincerely hope it's the former. The stone in the wrong hands is a grave concern. I will have to notify Nicholas and Perenelle over it." Alastor moved to the pile of ash next to the Mirror and casted diagnostics on it. His eye rotated in his socket and latched onto Dumbledore. "Albus, you might want to call off your search. This is a pile of human ash. Someone got roasted with the Mirror." Amelia looked at the two Professors. "Anyone else missing within the Castle or from Hogsmeade?" They shook their heads. "Any witnesses?" Albus shook his head again but Minerva looked unsure. "Three of my students were found in a classroom nearby, asleep. They had come here believing the stone was in danger. Someone or something impeded them and left them behind, unharmed." Albus looked at Minerva with surprise. "Now, I don't believe it's fair to involve them in this investigation."

Seeing a bit of the split between the two, Amelia pressed on. "But I do. As their Head of House you will be present, Minerva, to ensure their rights aren't ignored. Alastor, I will leave you to these chambers." The only thing she got from her mentor was a grunt. Dumbledore tried to slow Amelia down as she and an escorting Auror went up to Gryffindor Tower. "Now Amelia, I must protest. These students…" Amelia glared at him. "Were at the very least assaulted in your school. I find your protests far more worrisome. You will remain out of the interviews or I will charge you with obstruction of an official investigation, one into the disappearance and likely death of your Defence Professor and the assault of three students. The Board won't look kindly to these charges, Dumbledore." Albus was left outside the Gryffindor Common Room with the Auror as Amelia entered the Gryffindor Common Room. Amelia interviewed both Miss Granger and Mister Weasley first separately within McGonagall's office before interviewing Harry. She sat down on Minerva's desk and looked at the young man. He was a shoe in for a young James, though his eyes showed a restraint that his father lacked. He was also quite similar to Hazel in some ways, though she looked closer to Lily and the harshness of her left had left a mark in her posture and presence. "Now Mr. Potter, your Professor here tells me you felt someone was threatening the Philosopher's Stone?"

Harry nodded softly, his hands on his lap. "Yes, ma'am. I told Professor McGonagall but she said it was perfectly safe." Minerva shrunk away under Amelia's glare before she looked back at the boy. "Clearly you felt different. According to the others, Miss Granger petrified a fellow student and the three of you broke curfew in an attempt to safeguard it. Then what happened?" Harry fidgeted uncomfortably in his seat. "We just reached the door of the Third Floor Corridor when I saw a bright red flash. That's all." Amelia nodded. "That's consistent with a stunner. Then what?" Harry looked at her and shrugged his shoulders. "We were woken up by a Prefect in a classroom with pillows and blankets around us. The Castle was awake and looking for Professor Quirrell by them. Was he the person going after the stone? We thought it was Professor Snape." Amelia watched the dicta quill record his words. "We are unsure. Everything is still a mystery. Severus Snape is seemingly accounted for and Quirrell is not. I find it interesting that your assailant took great care in your comfort." Harry had a fond smile on his face. "I think it was my guardian angel." Amelia blinked at his remark. "Explain." Harry looked at her, his smile never leaving his face. "Ever since I came here, I felt like someone has been watching over me. Protecting me. I had a bad feeling yesterday about leaving Gryffindor Tower but it felt like we were doing the right thing. Someone must have stopped us, for our sake." Amelia had stopped the dicta quil before it wrote about Harry's guardian angel. She didn't want Dumbledore hearing about that. "Then it seems you were fortunate. Do try not to tempt fate again, as Guardian Angels, whatever form they take, can't be there all the time. You are free to go, Mister Potter."

Amelia watched the boy leave and asked Minerva to sit down. "Your dismissal might have cost him his life, as well as the lives of the other two." Minerva slumped in the chair. "I realize that now." Amelia tapped her quill on the table. "I have been speaking to a former Gryffindor quite a bit lately. It has been quite insightful in many ways. It might surprise you to hear that they actually hated their house. And you." Minerva looked up at that. "I don't recall anyone like that. None of my students have expressed any such concerns to me." Amelia nodded in agreement. "They learned to hide their displeasure, as well as their feelings. Their greatest complaint concerning you, Minerva, was that you acted as a Deputy Headmistress all the time. Never as the Head of their Hogwarts House. Whenever an issue came up requiring a gentler touch, a person to step in for a parent, or for their Head of House to take them seriously, they never found the person assigned to them to be of any help at all. Sound familiar?" Minerva paled and she lowered her face. "I…" Amelia pulled all her paper into her bag and stood up. "I won't say that you ought to change how you do things, Minerva, but do know that you are failing a quarter of the school. You are failing the students that need you the most and the ones you made your greatest commitment too. You almost failed Mr. Potter just last night, in a potentially fatal issue. What of the next six years? Think about that before you decide what to do with yourself." Amelia and her Aurors left the Castle soon after, with both Dumbledore and McGonagall left in deep thought on what was to come.

Chapter 16: What Was Hidden is Often Found

"Wow. When you said the man was like a walrus or a whale you weren't kidding." Dora heard a pleased hum from her side of the car and sighed. "Hazel, stop stroking your wand. We are not killing them." Hazel pouted, storing her wand away. "It would be so easy. A sliced brake line, sabotaged emergency brake, a busted accelerator set to go faster and faster. The moment he picks up speed, he is pretty much gone. No magical trace or anything. No one would ever know." Dora whacked her partner on the shoulder. The times she got so bloodthirsty were few and far, but Dora still had to nip them before Hazel went for it. "They die, Harry goes to the Malfoys." Hazel nodded. "Sure, but only if they are alive by then." Dora rubbed her face. "How does Teddy get you to behave?" Hazel blinked and glared at Dora. "Not with logic." Dora reached over and held Hazel's hand. "Then please, let the lot of the Dursleys go. The plan will work. Trust it. Harry will be safe." Hazel eyed Dora and did her best to bury her own feelings. Her hate for her relatives never did get a resolution in her world. Dumbledore and the Order protected them till the end. She took a deep breath. "Fine, but if I find they went and brutalised the boy, I am apparating straight into that car and ending them."

Dora, seeing that was the best she was going to get, nodded. "Deal." The two sat back as the Dursleys, all three of them, got into their car and took off. Hazel eyed her wristwatch. "They will be out for a bit. Traffic and the Hogwarts Express will keep them out for a few hours. Keep an eye on the cats walking around. Pretty sure they are kneezels. Dumbledore has someone watching the house. Full stealth set of spells and wait for me to give the signal. I need to see if I can co-op the wards." Hazel watched her partner nod and they both got out of their car. A notice-me-not followed by Disillusionment, scent masking and silencing charms and the two walked up to Number 4 Privet Drive. Hazel strafed the outer edges of the wardline, her hand stretched out and interacting with it. A smile grew on her face, even if no one could see it. "Oh Dumbledore, you really should have used runebased wards." Hazel shook her head. While she could bypass said wards, she often needed the blood of the person controlling them. Had Dumbledore done that here, he might have gotten away with it. Charm based wards, casted via a wand, were inherently more fragile and easy to manipulate. Something Hazel learned to do as she casted them over and over again over the years. Practice does make perfect and she had a long time to spot a lot of vulnerabilities in her work.

Hazel tried to feel if Dumbledore had established any other wards. She found a life monitor, fire suppression, and even a magical transportation detection ward. She blinked as she traced an odd ward just as she found the blood ward that Lily Evans-Potter casted. This one was different. It felt slimy. She frowned. It felt like Snape's magic. Something clicked in her mind. A Dark Mark repulsion ward, using Severus Snape's Dark Mark as the sample. Interesting. She closed her eyes and summoned a rock to her hands. Had she been any good at Arithmancy and Spell Creation, she might have been able to duplicate it later. She did, however, know how to copy the ward, or more precisely, carve a chunk out of it. She pulled on it and attached it to the stone until the rock felt heavy with magic. She disconnected the rock from the ward and found a sliver of it remained. She pocketed it for later. Feeling the other wards, Hazel noticed that Dumbledore used the Blood Ward as the anchor for the others. Bastard weakened a fragile ward even further without realizing it. It did give her the opening she needed, so she didn't complain. Much. She pulled the blood ward onto her skin and felt it latch onto her magic.

Suffusing the ward with her magic, Hazel was able to do what any Head of House could if a Blood Ward was created by a family member: she took control of it. Making sure that Dumbledore retained some feedback, she warped the magical recognition aspect of it and added her Peverell magic to it. It would guarantee Teddy and her safe entry. Since Dora still had a trace of her magic in her, she would be safe to enter too, for now. She pulled her magic back from the wards, allowing the Blood Ward to linger. "It's safe. Make for the backdoor." Hazel waited by the fence until she felt it move as Dora clambered over it. She followed suit. Hazel scanned the house but found no other means of observation. Both Dora and Hazel dispelled their stealth magic, leaving only the notice-me-not charm. Hazel went straight for the cupboard and unlocked it. She heard Dora suck in a breath. "I take back what I said. At the first sign of them hurting Harry, kill them. Bloody hell." Hazel nodded, not daring to speak. Because everything had ceased to exist for her.

The cupboard under the stairs looked just like hers, except for the crayon written note on the wall calling the place Harry's Room. Hazel pulled out a Wizarding Camera and started documenting everything. Once she was sure they got everything, she lifted up the blanket. She felt a mix of feelings. There were blood marks on the bare mattress but they were few in number. At least compared to hers. Dora growled beside her as they took more pictures. Finding everything they were going to get, they closed the cupboard. "The second set of letters supposedly showed a slightly different address. Smallest bedroom on the second floor." Dora nodded and went up the stairs first. A long string of expletives preceded Hazel as she followed her up. She eyed the door and knelt down, running her fingers through the fine dust on the floor. "The sawdust is still fresh. They were getting ready to welcome him home." Hazel felt Dora's magic leaking out. "I am tempted to kill them myself. This isn't a kid's bedroom, it's a prison cell." Hazel couldn't disagree. Seven locks on the outside of the door and a cat flap for food on the door didn't bode well.

A series of photographs later, they opened the door to the room. Hazel ran her hand over the bed, noting how rough it was. The dresser was clearly old and beaten down, as was the desk. The chair looked like the legs had been replaced. Once they were done with photographing the bedroom, Hazel led Dora to the Master bedroom. An unlocking spell later and they went through all the Dursleys financial documents, duplicating everything. Hazel froze over a bank statement. "Dora, does your Dad keep a bank account with Gringotts' Muggle front?" Dora came up beside her and looked at the paper. "He does. Londinium First Bank. That's Gringotts alright." Hazel duplicated the bank statement. They stored everything back into the safe and locked back up before replacing the painting on the wall. "Guess that's all." Hazel was about to agree as they walked down the hallway to the stairs when the attic hatch caught her eye. "Wait." Dora stopped. "Did we miss something?" Hazel shook her head as memories flooded her mind. She remembered being forced to clean the attic. An attic that held a very particular item. Lowering the ladder she went up. Under the light of a lumos she scanned the cramped space until she saw a ghost of her past. L.E. The initials were carved into the trunk with great care. She felt her body shaking as the memory became clearer and clearer. She heard Dora's voice call out her name after her knees hit the ground before her head followed suit.

OW July 1992

"Stop! Please stop!" Vernon growled as he pushed her away and Petunia bound her arms behind her back. Her Aunt's voice made her heart break further. "I knew I should have burned that the moment I got it from my parents. Wouldn't have been proper after they died. Doing it now seems right." Hazel fought her, reaching out to kick her. Her Aunt lifted her up and slammed her face into the grass. She felt pain on her nose and tasted blood in her mouth. The thought of burning them alive like Quirrell came to her mind but her hands couldn't reach them. Even if she did, she was sure Dumbledore would find a worse place for her. She was trapped. Her eyes flooded with tears as she screamed, "Stop! Please Uncle Vernon! That's all I have of Mom! Please! Stop!" Veron threw the empty bottle of lighter fluid away. "I am already tolerating your freaky stench, girl! I won't have you keep another trunk full of your people's freakishness in my house. I told you to stay in your room but you didn't listen. This is all on you."

Hazel screamed until she felt a shoe covered foot slam into her jaw. She was sure she felt a tooth break. She stared as Vernon threw a lit match onto the trunk and watched it catch on fire. She sobbed. At school all anyone ever talked about was her parents and how much of a disappointment she was to them. The moment her Aunt had sent her off to the Attic, she had still been feeling off about what happened with Quirrell. Finding her mother's school trunk, seeing the pictures inside and the handwritten notes, had made her feel better. She had almost gotten caught when her Aunt called her back down that first day. Not wanting to lose the trunk and not being able to safely bring it down the stairs, she had taken to sneaking out of her prison cell everynight. She had eventually been caught coming down the ladder. The moment she saw her Aunt drop the trunk down from the Attic, she knew her brief moment of happiness had ended. She had hoped to convince Vernon to just let her keep it in her room. Instead he brought it to the backyard.

She felt her heart breaking again. Inside of the trunk had been her mother's journal of Hogwarts. She had been reading it every night, feeling a part of her growing closer to her Mom for the first time since August. She had wanted to bring it to her room and store it on her own but Vernon had hidden her trunk somewhere, saying she would get it back for when she went to buy her school supplies and no sooner. She hadn't found it yet. So she kept the journal in the Trunk. As the leather outside began to peel off, she knew she just lost her last connection to her mom. She had been a Muggleborn witch. There was no way she had anything else. Everything from her later years had probably been destroyed after Voldemort attacked their home. Hazel sobbed. Why? Everytime she found something to tie her to her parents, it was stripped away. What deity did she cross to be denied what every other child takes for granted? She felt her Aunt let her go and then heard the backyard door slam closed. The deadbolt lock soon followed, locking her outside for that night. The garden hose stopped the flames but it was too late. Everything inside the trunk had been ruined.

The neighborhood was a buzz the next day and somehow her relatives got everyone to believe she had set the fire herself, screaming lies to earn everyone's sympathies. How easy it was for everyone to think the worst of an orphaned girl and not of the people caring for her. She ordered Hedwig the next night to fly back to Hogwarts as she wasn't safe there. The owl didn't listen to her and stayed in the trees nearby. She would call to Hazel on the nights from the neighbor's roof, the iron bars Vernon screwed into her window the night after the fire preventing her from returning to Hazel's side. Hazel spent many a night considering what to do. Her hand held the familiar black flame as she stared into it, her eyes empty of all emotion. She had tried lighting herself on fire. Back at Hogwarts she would learn why that had failed. The flame consumed magic but not the one who conjured it. It was warm to the touch but that was it. She had considered burning the house to the ground but Dumbledore had warned her about the wards on the place. Even if she did it, the old man would just arrive and put it out. So she waited. When she returned to Hogwarts she would find more ways to protect herself. If the means of protection happened to inflict harm on her relatives, all the better.

NW June 1992

"Hazel!" Dora shook her partner's shoulder, speaking her name. She eventually felt her move. Her breath caught in her throat when Hazel's eyes focused on her. Her friend's eyes stared at her, hollow of all emotion. They slowly grew warmer until she gave Dora a weak smile. "Sorry. Lost my head for a moment. By the way, your eyes are much prettier in your original purple. Not judging, just making an honest statement." Dora pulled back and sighed, her hair shifting from yellow to pink. "I'll take it under advisement. What happened?" Hazel shook her head. "My life and Harry's… are very much alike. Pretty sure I got it worse and I am going to try and make sure it stays that way. Think you can lower that trunk down? Pretty sure it's his mom's." Dora popped her head into the attic hatch and saw the trunk. They brought it into Harry's closet and Hazel got to work warding it to the extreme. Nothing short of Fiendfyre would destroy it and only Harry could move it or open it, or anyone else with Peverell Blood in their veins. She felt bad for excluding Lily's blood, but both Petunia and Dudley would have been able to open it. She added some of Dora's too, so she could lift it as well. Before she left, Hazel pulled out a wrapped gift from her extended pocket and placed it inside the trunk. A bit early for his birthday but getting the book on Creatures to him was important in the coming years.

The two made it back to the car and Hazel started the engine. "Still floors me you, of all people, know how to drive." Hazel shrugged. "I had to hide with Teddy as a babe in a muggle neighborhood for a while. No magical travel, no tracing. Only left after Teddy's Grandmother died. Her last known address was ours so our safehouse got outed." Dora winced and eyed her partner. Hazel kept her eyes on the road. "I am not breaking again, Dora." Dora frowned, worried about her. "You sure you don't want to see a Mind Healer? Mom could do it. Maybe a muggle psychologist?" Hazel gave out a long sigh. "Mind Healers are a lost cause for me, Dora. The moment I have an episode, the defence I casted with Blood Magic triggers. It's designed to cut down anyone in my mind. I don't have control of it when my mind is occupied elsewhere. It's a defence designed to guard secrets to the bitter end. As for a psychologist, I actually tried. Went to one for a whole year before I had to Obliviate them. Some doctors don't take kindly to finding out their patients are serial killers." Dora sighed. "Is there anything you can do to stop them? These episodes?" Hazel hummed, her finger tapping the steering wheel. "Only advice I got was to live outside of the memories. When my mind is busy elsewhere, it buries my issues. For the most part."

Dora leaned her head onto Hazel's shoulder. "If you need someone to talk to, I am here. I have your back. Always." Hazel fought the desire to close her eyes and lean onto Dora's head. She also buried another desire. "Thank you. Now let's return this rental, apparate to London and finish this before you tempt me to do some less work related activities." Dora grinned. "You sure?" I've never done it in a car before? You?" Hazel shivered at the sultry tone of Dora's words. "Nymphadora, our first time won't be in a car. It won't be in an alley or in a shower. It will be in a bed where I can hear you scream all night long and taste every inch of your body. I won't be satisfied until you are in need of healing spells to even walk straight. Got it?" Dora shivered in delight as Hazel's words painted a very tantalizing image. "I am going to hold you to that." The two reached the car rental place and dropped the vehicle off before apparating away. Hazel's mind would linger on the trunk she left for Harry. She had resisted opening the Journal inside of it. Instead she found a loose bit of parchment and wrote on it, telling Harry about what the trunk meant to him. She signed it as always, making sure he understood he wasn't alone. Not anymore.

"Mr. Vernon Dursley?" The large man turned and Dora gave him the most stoic look she could muster, especially after seeing what the bastard had done to Harry. Her mother may have been disowned but she made sure Dora knew what it meant to be a Black. The real meaning for Toujours Pur wasn't about blood, it was about purity as a family. To always be a Black, no matter what. A Black always cared for their family. Andromeda made sure she understood that. Harry was family and Dora did everything she could to restrain her need to slug the man, let alone curse him. The man looked at her and smiled. "What can I do for you, sir?" Dora wanted to throw up. She had worn a typical lawyer's attire for this, looking like a redhead version of her dad a bit. She pulled off her hat. "I have a business proposal for you. A lucrative one, but it comes with certain conditions. You understand, of course." Vernon nodded and looked around the Train Terminal at King's Cross. The Hogwarts Express would arrive within half an hour. He motioned for an open table at the cafe and they sat down. "What kind of business brings a man like you looking for me here?"

Dora opened her briefcase and pulled out a stack of papers. "The legal kind. You see, my client has recently taken over legal representation of a relative of theirs. One Harry James Potter?" The rotund man made to stand up but a burst of magic drove him back into his seat. He was lucky it was Horatio and not Hazel or Andromeda. Hazel had made it clear she would drop Vernon with a petrification spell onto the tracks prior to a train running him over. Croaker wisely pulled her off the mission and sent Horatio in his Unspeakable gear out with Dora instead, after verifying Dora wouldn't kill the man. After Surrey, it was a harder promise to make. Dora stared at the man she now knew was a child abuser. "Let me be clear, Mr Dursley. This is a courtesy. My client isn't above leaving your wife a widow or your son an orphan. We have reason to believe Harry Potter has suffered malnourishment, neglect and physical abuse under your care. The legal situation around the boy's custody is a mess my client isn't exactly capable of cleaning up at this moment. Instead, much to our displeasure, we are willing to negotiate a deal that should help ease my clients violent tendencies." Dora pulled out a contract and dropped it in front of Vernon.

"That is a binding Contract. The boy will be recognized as your charge, under several conditions, in exchange for a sum of money paid to your bank account every month until the boy is no longer under your care. As the boy is spending 10 months of the year at a boarding school, we have found a work around that was acceptable. During the two months he is with you, my client will double what you are receiving from Harry's Trust Account already." Vernon blinked, "And the rest of the year?" Dora stared at him. "Half of the amount. This money isn't free, though. You and your family are required to allow him a full meal three times a day of his choice, you are barred from any physical, verbal or emotional attacks on his person, his family or his property. You aren't allowed to impede his education, means of communications in any form or prevent him from leaving his room or the house." Vernon looked furious. "And if I refuse?" Dora pulled the paper back. "You will be charged with the aforementioned crimes against Harry Potter, along with embezzlement of a child's welfare payments. You will be arrested, your wife charged with aiding and abetting your crimes and your son will be placed at the mercy of Child Services."

Vernon growled. "My sister…" Dora cut him off. "Ah, yes. Marge Dursley. She will be charged with the use of a dog to inflict bodily harm on a minor and you and your wife will be charged with aiding and abetting her. Almost forgot about that. You are also forgetting one thing, Mr. Dursley." A wand tapped the man's face and he visibly paled at the sight of it. "My client doesn't have to follow the rules. A house fire is quite a common thing, as are devastating traffic accidents. Who knows, you might even fall down the stairs in your home, breaking your neck. A fitting end for a man who locks a child in a cupboard under the stairs for ten years of his life, wouldn't you say?" Vernon looked ill, realizing that the person in front of him wasn't bluffing. They knew too much. Still… "Dumbledore…" Dora snapped her fingers. "I knew I forgot something else. Any attempts by any member of the Dursley family in its entirety to bypass the agreement, inform a third party of the agreement, attempt to maneuver a third party to discover the existence of the agreement in any way, renegotiate the agreement using a third party or attempt to break the agreement via a third party will be regarded as an instant breach of contract. Mr Potter will be retrieved, you will be charged and your safety will no longer be guaranteed. This includes contacting the police, Albus Dumbledore or God himself. Are we clear? If not you can stand up and walk, but I won't guarantee you won't slip and fall onto the tracks."

Dora watched as the man clearly tried to find any loopholes he could exploit. The document had been made by her father and the entire staff of the DoM Legal Division. They had all been happy to write an ironclad binding contract when it was announced the person was a possible child abuser. Eventually Vernon took the enchanted fountain pen and signed, causing the document to magically bind him. "Congratulations, Mr. Dursley, you get to live a bit longer. My client expects you to remove the locks on Mister Potter's door by tomorrow. We will be instantly notified if any breach occurs. Might want to speak to your wife and especially your son. Word is he is quite fond of verbal and emotional attacks against Mr. Potter. Wouldn't want him to unknowingly break the contract, now would you?" Vernon started to sweat. "No, of course not. I will get to that right away." He stood up and made to leave before Dora spoke to him one last time. "And Mr. Dursley. Please remember. We are always watching. You got away with harming our flesh and blood for ten years. That will never again be tolerated. Remember that." Vernon nodded and ran off as fast as his legs carried him to speak to his wife and son in the parking lot.

Horatio, no longer disillusioned but hidden by a notice-me-not charm appeared beside Dora. "Well, that should curve Hazel's murderous intent a bit." Dora nodded and looked at him. "Should I go and see Harry? Tell him about the changes?" Horatio shook his head. "The incidents around Mr. Potter at Hogwarts have concerned the Headmaster. He seems to have stationed a watch on the boy at the Platform." Dora sighed. "Then how will he know he is safe among those people?" Horatio smiled at her. "Your partner is handling it. She can approach him safely after all." Dora sighed in relief but she started to frown. "She is hurting. A lot more than I realized. She collapsed inside the house for a few minutes." Horatio hummed as they walked towards the exit of the station. "Her life wasn't easy, Tonks. Most people would have died in her place. I am pretty certain she tried ending her own life a few times." Dora turned to him, horrified. "I…" Horatio pulled her arm to move a bit faster. "You wouldn't know because she hates showing weakness. Especially now that she is a mother. Her son means almost everything to her and in a lot of ways the boy has saved her as much as she has saved him." Dora looked back in her memories and saw the devotion they had for each other. She nodded. "Then what can I do to help?" Horatio smiled at her. "Exactly what you two have been doing. Trust each other, care for each other, be there for each other. That's all anyone can do at this stage." The two found a secluded corner and apparated away.

As soon the scarlet engine pulled into the Platform, Harry Potter pulled his trunk along as he stepped off the train. He waved at his friends goodbye and on seeing Vernon he squared his shoulders and took a deep breath. As he walked among the mass of kids and parents he felt a hand touch his and squeeze him gently, pushing a paper into his hand. A woman's voice spoke into his ear, warm and comforting. "Your relatives can't harm you anymore. Be respectful and read the note in your room at home. You are not alone. You will never be alone ever again. Remember that." The hand released him as Harry closed his eyes, feeling them growing moist with tears. "Thank you." He felt a hand ruffle his hair before the presence left. He approached his Uncle, seeing him having a hard time not clenching his jaw. "Come along, boy. We will be pulling over for some drive-thru along the way home. Start thinking about what sort of Hamburger you want." Harry blinked a bit but nodded. "Thanks, Uncle Vernon." He got inside the quiet car and looked out the window as they pulled away, wondering if this might be his best summer yet.

Hazel opened the door to Croaker's office. "If this is about our assignments today, I have already been chastised by my son, my partner and her mother about not killing and I expect Amelia to do the same when I go upstairs, so I would save it, Boss." Croaker, sitting behind his desk with a grin in his face, raised an eyebrow. "Good to know, but I called you here because someone wanted to meet you." Hazel blinked as a very old man stood up from the chair facing away from her before turning, his movements stiff even with a cane. She was sure he was ancient as his eyes, a pale blue, looked at her with curiosity and merriment, his white hair as vibrant as much of her own, matching his white clothes quite well. "Ah, so you are the young lady who retrieved one of my stones. Tell me, were you not tempted to keep it?" Hazel's mind froze at his words for a second before she smiled. "Gold and eternal life have value, but there are more important things in life. In the end even death has its value. In some ways taking death off the table is a far worse fate." The man eyed her with greater curiosity. "A wise outlook on things, my lady… ?" Hazel bowed her head. "Hazel Peverell, Mr. Flamel." The man seemed to look at her more closely. "Strange, my student still carries the wand of the eldest, yet here you are claiming the family name." Hazel was unsure how to respond. "What do you mean?"

Nicholas waved his hand. "Legends spoke that the Peverell line would end soon after the birth of the Hallows and it did. Antioch died without a child, Cadmus' line married into the Gaunts and the line of Ignotus ceded the Peverell name and house to the Potters. The legend was clear that none would carry the name Peverell until the Hallows were reunited once more. Yet here you are. I can feel the magic in you, young lady. The same magic from a certain group of Brothers." Hazel narrowed her eyes. "You are older than the stories claim then, to have met them in person." Nicholas smiled. "I am. Where are you from, young Lady Peverell?" Hazel sighed. "From a world consumed by an endless winter, the last gift humanity gave to itself." Nicholas hummed. "Curious. Most Curious. To see a Mistress of Death before me. I certainly did not expect this today." Hazel shook her head. "Sorry to say I have no mastery over death. At least no more than any other witch. What you know of the Hallows does not apply to me. The Hallows I have are not the same magically as those here already." Nicholas walked closer to her. "But is the difference from their creation, as you believe, or from your presence here? The answer might surprise you. Tell me, if I were to ask you, what would you consider my greatest treasure?"

Hazel smiled. "The love your wife has for you." Nicholas chuckled happily. "Then you are wiser than most, young Lady. To know that it isn't the possession or the people, but what is shared that truly matters most. Speaking of my wife, I need to find a nice gift for our anniversary. As pleasant as having this stone returned to us, it doesn't make a good gift." Hazel eyed the man before making a decision. She pulled her bag from around her shoulder and dug inside of it. "I have something here. A bit clichéd but it might do." She pulled two potted flowers contained in glass cylinders and wandlessly levitated them to Nicholas. He eyed them curiously until his eyes widened. One of the flower's petals was a brilliant white, the other a vibrant lavender. Hazel grinned. Curious indeed that he should recognize them. "Where?... " Hazel shrugged. "An Island in a Lake. The magic protecting it weakened enough to let me and my son in. We found refuge and an escape into this world there. It seemed a shame to let the flowers there die. We repotted as many as we could and placed them in stasis, saving them as we ourselves were saved. A flower may be an old staple, but one from the Isle of the Blessed should help keep her from killing you after missing your hundredth anniversary in a row." Nicholas laughed. "Oh, Perenelle would indeed be capable of it. This, however, is a truly special gift. One that deserves a bit in return." Hazel shook her head. "There is no need, sir."

Nicholas gave her a gentle smile. "Nothing too grand my dear. Only some words. You are the Mistress of Death, but never forget you are not Death itself. Life still clings to you, however faint it may be. Cherish it, my dear, as with all things, it must eventually end." Hazel stared at the man but eventually nodded. "Thank you, sir. I should be on my way as should you. The flowers may be a great gift but nothing is grander than a soulmate's love." Nicholas got a dreamy look in his eye. "Indeed. Remember that, young lady, for when love claims you as well." Nicholas turned to Croaker. "I should be on my way." Hazel checked her clock. She eyed the Alchemist and an old story came to mind. "As should I. Farwell, White Mage. The Blessing of the Isle ever be with you." Those blue eyes focused on her again, a bit curious as to her words. He seemed to like what he saw in her, as he seemed to grow a bit younger to her eyes. "A Blessing from the Isle indeed. Go in peace, Blessing from another world. Our paths may just cross again. Someday."

Chapter 17: Summer Days

"Hazel, you're with me." Hazel followed Madam Bones out of the Auror Department. "There a problem?" Amelia looked at her and shook her head. "Not exactly, I just have a bit of a different plan for you today. Plus I needed to get you out of there. Most of the wizards and quite a few of the witches were salivating at the sight of you." Hazel looked at Amelia with surprise. "Really? I thought the white hair turned most of them off. Haven't had a person accost me since I tried out red hair." Amelia eyed her and smirked. "You would look a lot like Lily if you did. And I meant your bloody jacket. Everyone wants a custom dragonhide jacket but that's a Hit Wizard or Witch prerogative only. Yours being blackish green is a surprise to them all. Many former Slytherins would probably kill for it." Hazel hummed. "Would they be interested if they knew if it was from Salazar's Monster? Might need to warn Dora about the jacket too. Where did you send my partner anyway? She was supposed to go ahead of me this morning." Amelia grinned. "Moody called dibs. He had been eyeing her as a protégé before Horatio, so he is going to use her to get his Cadets and Aurors in shape." Hazel chuckled. "Poor Dora, even here she can't escape Mad-Eye."

Amelia threw Floo Powder into the terminal and called the address to her home before sending Hazel through. Hazel eyed the high ceilings as soon as she arrived, trying her best not to lose her footing. "Was your home formerly a church or is the family interested in indoor Quidditch?" Amelia groaned. "Please don't bring up that accursed sport. Susan has finally given up on playing it at Hogwarts. I don't need you to rekindle her interest." Hazel waved her hand. "I personally hate the sport. Took a Bludger to the chest in second year and I was just in the stands. Never went back to the pitch again." Amelia winced. "I am glad to hear that but sorry about the hit. My brother, Edgar, loved the sport. Best beater Hogwarts ever had with his twin sister as his companion. I have dreaded the day Susan decides to follow her father's footsteps. This way and welcome to Bones Manor." The two women went down a set of stairs and entered a large open space. Hazel whistled and heard an echo in return. "Nice. So, what do you need from me, Director?" Amelia looked at her, a bit unsure. "The incidents at Hogwarts have shown that the students are not as safe as we would like them to be. For now Dumbledore holds too much power politically for me to intervene directly outside of a criminal investigation. I want my niece safe and you are the most likely to show her how to stay safe."

Hazel eyed Amelia carefully, crossing her arms over her chest. "As someone who trained herself to not feel vulnerable I can understand the sentiment. The question is how far do you want me to go. I killed my first person at the age of eleven. I don't think you want me to go that far." Amelia winced. How bad did her world fail Hazel that she killed so early in life? Shaking her head Amelia walked towards Hazel. "Not that far. Stunners, shields and any tricks you know that she can protect herself or others. Nothing she can't undo either. The Abbotts have agreed to have Hannah study with Susan but they don't expect her to gain much out of it except self defence, as Hannah has no real interest in being an Auror or a Duelist. Are you in?" Hazel gave her a long sigh and pulled her hair back, causing it to shorten it to close to shoulder length. "Sure. Just know I am going to ignore the Hogwarts Curriculum. I am going to teach them spellwork that I know can be useful in a fight and that they should be able to manage at their age." Amelia nodded and moved towards the stairs. "I will go get them." Hazel eyed her as she left. "Make sure they wear clothes for ease of movement. Robes can be death traps and I want to see their footwork, not a swinging cloth."

Turning back to the empty space, Hazel drew her wand and started casting. She didn't need it but the girls wouldn't be casting wandlessly. They needed to see her wand movements, even if she cheated with most of hers. Raising and lowering the floor in several areas, Hazel crafted a pretty good obstacle course, a good balance of open air, stone walls and uneven ground and narrow openings. "Oh, wow! Auntie wasn't kidding when she said you knew your stuff." Hazel turned and saw the surprised look on the two girls. "Just a bit of Freeform Transfiguration. Depending on your skill with the subject, I might teach you both how to do it. You'll never need to learn a silly incantation for turning a beetle into a button again. Might get McGonagall mad at you but she takes things too slow for my taste." Susan giggled. "It isn't my best class. Does Teddy know? Freeform Transfiguration I mean." Hazel nodded. "With him I started with it directly. He took to it well, though I have him use it to replicate the coursework Minerva will ask of him." Hazel eyed Amelia standing in the back. "Give me a schedule when I am going to be here training these girls. I want to bring Teddy along. He's learning fast but he needs a bit of a bigger place to practice. It takes a lot to get my boss to let him practice with us at work."

Getting a nod, Hazel turned to the girls. "Let's start with the basics. Can either of you do the Stun Jinx?" The girls shook their heads. Hazel conjured two wooden training dummies behind her with a wave of her wand. "It's a point and cast spell. No wand movements. Incantation is Stupefy. Focus on an image of hitting a person and watching them crumple to the ground. That's what you want to happen. Power and intent are what you need for this. Try it." Both Hannah and Susan stood in front of the dummies and spent a few minutes casting, to no success. Hazel looked at the two girls, trying to see what emotional cue could get their emotions to aid in the casting. "Susan, your Aunt is on the ground, a Dark wizard pointing his wand at her. Feel that image, let it fuel you. Her life depends on your next spell. Cast!" Susan shivered at the image but did as Hazel told her. She took a deep breath and narrowed her vision on the target, her wand in hand. "Stupefy!" A red beam of light struck the dummy, the piece of wood falling to the floor. Hazel casted a diagnostic and nodded. "Congrats, you got it. Remember the feeling of the spell and cast it repeatedly. Eventually you wont need to think about the motivation, it just happens. Your turn Hannah. Your friend Susan is down and you are the only thing keeping her from being in the Hospital Wing or worse. Cast!"

Most of the morning was spent getting the two to practice both stunners and shields repeatedly until Hazel called a stop to the practice. She eyed the two girls. "You got your spell work down. Good. Now you need to learn how to do it right. The school teaches you to cast on a chair or on your feet. Now, you need to cast on the run." Hazel conjured several very realistic looking Death Eaters. She saw as the two girls shiver a little at the sight of the masks. "They are going to chase you. They touch you, that's it for you unless your partner knocks them off you. You both go down, the training is done. You need to stun and block and you need to move. Go!" The Death Eaters lunged forward and Susan and Hannah ran into the obstacle course. Hazel made sure the golems were slow at first, letting the girls find their footing and get a feel for the course before speeding them up. Hannah got caught a few times but Susan was always there to get her out of trouble, stunning the simulacrums quickly. Hazel did eventually notice the two getting tired and after checking her wristwatch, she vanished the course and the golems. "Good work you two. I believe it's lunch time." The growl from Hannah's stomach made the girl blush and Susan giggled, prodding her friend with her elbow.

Following the two up the stairs, Hazel walked into the dining room and sat besides Amelia as the girls dug into their meals eagerly. Amelia looked at them and smirked. "Got them to work up an appetite." Hazel took off her jacket and sat down. "Casting for 1st and 2nd year students is a lot more draining, but with enough practice it becomes second nature." Amelia ate from her plate and eyed Hazel's halter top. "May I ask why you wear so little clothing?" Hazel chuckled. "Worried about me being a bad influence on your niece?" Amelia sighed. "I was … raised a certain way. I have been more relaxed with Susan, but there are expectations on all of us." Hazel snorted. "I stopped caring about expectations a while ago. The only one whose expectation matters to me is that of my son's. As for my choice of clothes, it comes with my strengths. If you bother to study magic properly as a form of combat, loose clothing can be an issue. There are also other ways that exposed arms are helpful, including having a clear view on injuries that can sneak up on you. As for my back…" Hazel shivered, feeling an echo of her beatings at the thought. She eyed Amelia. "I was in the care of a man who made sure my back was covered in scars and blood for the first ten years of my life. When my scars vanished, the idea of hiding that part of me felt wrong. I could say I was free from that life without speaking a word. So when the weather permits or I am inside a building, I will wear this type of shirt. Because I can without feeling a lick of shame."

Amelia looked away from her. She felt a bit of shame for asking. Susan, feeling the heavy atmosphere, tried to defuse it. "Teddy said you were in Gryffindor but that you hated it. Would you really pick Hufflepuff? The other three houses at school make fun of us a lot." Hazel snorted and bit into a piece of toasted bread. "Not surprised. I went to Gryffindor because the parents I never met were from there. Didn't get much out of it other than cold shoulders and backstabbers. As for being made fun of by others, just remember this. Each House has something that the Founders valued. Even Helga. But if the story is true, Helga took in all wizards and witches equally. She didn't care about blood, ambition, intelligence or bravery. She cared about the children learning magic, no matter how long and how difficult it was for them. That should tell you that she knew something the other Founders forgot. All children are important. To not consider them worthy is an insult to Magic, Life and goes against what Hogwarts stands for. Study hard and care about your fellow students, all of them, and you might be surprised by who comes to your aid." Susan grew pensive. "Did you have a friend out of Gryffindor?" Hazel had a bitter smile on her face. "Yes. We got close in my sixth year but with the war everything fell apart. Being a Slytherin and a git didn't help matters."

The lunch ended and Hazel brought them down to the training room. She taught them the summoning and banishing spells. Both struggled with them for a while but the girls eventually learned them. Hazel had them play a pillow fight against each other until they got it down. Hazel watched as Amelia entered the room. "You are free to go for today, but tomorrow I am needed at work and Susan will be with the Abbotts. Expect a bit of guard duty out on Diagon Alley or at the Ministry. I'll let you and your partner know when you arrive at the office." Hazel nodded. "Sure. Anything to say about our training? I know you could see us. That's one nifty scrying security system you hooked up." Amelia blushed. "To be fair, it's everywhere on and in the house minus the bedrooms and bathrooms. As for your training, my only complaint was your first training exercise." Hazel turned to look at the girls and sighed, rubbing the back of her head. "Sorry about that. Not having much of a childhood doesn't give me the tools to teach children Defence all that well." Amelia looked at Hazel and nodded softly. "I can understand. Perhaps these sessions will help you out as a teacher too. Your son learned from you and you two managed to come out of everything mostly intact. You're welcome to bring him along next time." Hazel hummed. "I will ask him."

"Humph." Dora felt a weight settle onto her back. She had to bite back a curse because, unlike at the Academy, she wasn't allowed to curse in Hazel's apartment. At least not within earshot of Teddy. Ever since the end of June, the two had been dragged onto guard missions at the Ministry and at Diagon Alley, whenever Amelia didn't sequester Hazel to train Susan. Those days, like today, ended with Dora at the Academy. She needed to find Horatio's birthday and send him a gift. He was a better instructor than Moody ever was, seeing as she had to visit the Medical Wing every time she left the Academy. One time though they were posted as guards for the Wizengamot. Amelia learned that day never to do that again with Hazel. Whenever someone Hazel hated spoke up, the person's voice would suddenly be replaced by an animal vocalization. Dumbledore was particularly irked as he kept getting his voice turned into that of a goat, which was often as the Chief Warlock. The guards and everyone else's wands were checked, to no avail. The fact no one considered a wandless caster in the room, except for those in the know, was absolutely hilarious to Dora. As was hearing Lucius Malfoy try and complain about the DMLE raids searching for dark artefacts. Said complaints turned into peacock noises. Amelia had glared at Hazel afterwards but her partner didn't budge. "Be glad all I did was prank them. I was half tempted to set Dumbledore on fire."

How Hazel somehow became the perfect mother after a day like that always surprised Dora. She could go from breaking a man's nose at the Alley for trying to cast the Imperius on someone behind their back to stirring a pot of Mac and Cheese for Teddy in a second. Speaking about Teddy, Dora was pretty sure the kid was currently on her back. "What can I do for you, kid?" Teddy giggled. "Mom's birthday is at the end of July. I was wondering if you might help me celebrate it. I thought about asking Dromeda but while she is great, I think Mom would like less people around. Besides, she likes you." Dora hummed. "Just how much do you think she likes me?" Teddy shifted his position on her back. "Not telling. Besides, Mom says you aren't done with Occlumency yet." Dora lifted herself up and sat against the sofa as Teddy, off her back, slid into the seat besides hers. "Spoilsport. So, Hazel's Birthday. How does she celebrate it usually?" Teddy frowned and looked at his lap. "She doesn't. Mom almost never celebrates it. I only know it's her birthday because Grandma asked me to remember. Grandma tried to celebrate it a few times but Mom wasn't happy. Once she left and didn't return till midnight the next day."

Dora sighed and ran her hand through her now much shorter pink hair. With summer this year being quite warm, Dora decided on leaving her hair short and messy. "Aside from taking care of you, cooking or hurting bad guys, what does your Mom like to do?" Tedy thought for a second. "She reads but most of those are for work. Other than that, not much. Mom never liked sports and she only plays games for me." Dora had a hard time seeing how to find a good birthday party for Hazel. "When is her birthday exactly?" Teddy kicked his legs playfully. "July 31st." Dora nodded and rubbed Teddy's hair. "Ok, if nothing bad happens then I will get your Mom to celebrate it. It won't be flashy but it will be a birthday, ok?" Teddy shoved her hand off and straightened his hair, smiling at her. "Thanks Dora. So, Mom can't tell me anything about Hufflepuff proper. Think you can?" Dora felt a smile grow on her face. "Oh yes. First things first, the Common Room is very close to the kitchens. If you find a painting of food in the Dungeons, just tickle the pear. The Hogwarts elves are very friendly and can even prepare food for parties. We had some of the wildest parties in the castle when we beat Slytherin for the Quidditch cup. Sure it only happened one year, but it was worth it."

The two talked for close to an hour about Hufflepuff until the Apartment door opened and Hazel came in with a bag of groceries. "Teddy, I'm home." Teddy launched himself off the sofa and hugged her waist. "Welcome home, Mom." Hazel rubbed his hair and looked at Dora smiling at her. "Hello Dora. How was Moody?" Dora pouted. "Awful. Though by the time summer rolls around I should have the ability to breach buildings down to an artform. He also had us do a hostage rescue mission with me as lead hostage retrieval. It's weird but interesting running drills with over a dozen Cadets as back up. How were the kids?" Hazel placed the groceries on the table. "The usual. Susan is a ball of energy and gets the spells more instinctively. Hannah takes her time learning the spell better. They are both getting much better. Their teachers are in for a surprise. Leafsby, let me separate the ingredients for tonight before you transfer everything into the fridge." Dora smirked. Leafsby had taken to doing their apartment work with great zeal. Dora loved it but Hazel was Hazel. She got exacerbated quite a few times, especially in the kitchen. Said green eyed witch looked at her closely. "I was going to try a Bolgnese pasta with Tofu as protein. Interested? I can use regular meat too if it's not to your liking."

Dora hummed. "Regular meat." Hazel saw that Teddy nodded in agreement and she pulled out the ingredients, "Leafsby, store the tofu and soy sauce. If you want to help cook, slice the vegetables. I'll work on the meat and the spices." Dora watched as Hazel and Leafsby worked side by side in the kitchen until they were just waiting for the food to heat up. She thought about Teddy's request and how to make it so Hazel wouldn't turn tail. Maybe they didn't have to make it a spectacle. Hazel looked and felt so at home in the apartment with them. Dora would also admit that she herself enjoyed being with them both. She knew she wasn't close to being ready with her Occlumency for anything significant to change, but maybe… maybe a little more of the same. "What are you scheming?" Dora grinned at a clearly glaring Hazel. "Nothing. Just thinking. Everything else is not kid friendly." Hazel sighed and went back to the kitchen, Dora's eyes following her partner's hips. She really needed to get through her Occlumency fast.

"Amelia." The graying redhead stood up and hugged her friend. "It's good to see you again, Julia. I am sorry we haven't gotten together since you married your husband. How's life as the Widow of the Greengrass estate?" Julia Greengrass sat down, smiling at her school friend as she brushed a blonde lock of hair from her face. They had been an odd pair as a Ravenclaw and a Hufflepuff but their grades never suffered for it. "Better than as a wife. Cassius was a lot of things, but a loving husband and father wasn't one of them. Good thing father is in the grave too. He might have tried to convince me to marry again. So, why did you ask me to visit your home today? I doubt it's just to get reacquainted." Amelia looked sad. "I do want to get reacquainted but there is a bit of politics at play. How many traditionalists are breathing down your neck right now?" Julia eyed her old friend carefully. "Too many. Daphne, goddess do I love her, but she didn't do me any favors by getting sorted into Slytherin. I am hoping Astoria goes to another house in a year's time. Even Gryffindor would be worth it. I am getting betrothal contracts from the typical Slytherin crowd and it's disgusting." Amelia nodded, knowing Julia would never force her daughter's into one. Not willingly.

"A few of my Wizengamot friends are getting a coalition together. Right now it's mostly progressives and some neutrals, but we aren't being picky as to who gets in. What we want is a united front. Better safety and academic conditions for our children, an end to extremist behaviour and to hold the Ministry accountable to its laws." Julia hummed. "Reasonable and wide enough to draw some traditionalists to your side. The question is why get it started in the first place?" Amelia drank from her cup of tea. "What have some of the Traditionalists said about You Know Who? Especially about a likely return?" Amelia watched as her friend's attitude shifted quickly. Julia cursed under her breath. "Damn it Amelia. Tell me Lucius is just spouting bullshit. Tell me my daughters won't have to deal with Death Eaters trying to get them to marry them the moment they graduate." Amelia sighed. "We hope it won't come to that. That's part of the reason we are organizing. My allies have notified me that there is a possible threat of Voldemort's return but they are working on diminishing his support and eliminating him early. But we can't do this alone. We need a strong Wizengamot, one capable of keeping Lucius' rhetoric out of the law books and his galleons out of the Minister's pockets. Are you interested?"

Julia glared at her. "You know I am. That peacock bastard has been trying to get my youngest into a betrothal contract with his son. Astoria isn't even at school! You help me keep him and the other vultures away from both my daughters, then you can have my full support." Amelia nodded though she felt some embarrassment about the peacock comment. "Let's not talk about Lucius as a peacock please." Julia looked at her and smiled. "Oh, you know who humiliated Lucius, Dumbledore, Fudge and Umbridge? Do tell." Amelia glared. "I know because I thought putting the person in the room would be a good way of testing her restraint. All I got was the clear indication they will just ignore the point by finding a different way to screw with people. I spent half the Session glaring at her." Julia laughed. "O goddess, please tell me I get to meet them. They made the Session bearable to me. I know for a fact Lord Nott cracked a smile with the spells on both Dumbledore and Lucius." Amelia frowned. "Isn't Lord Nott a traditionalist and former Death Eater?" Julia drank from her tea. "He is a traditionalist but not a Death Eater. At least not exactly. Cassius said he was part of the original Knights of Walpurgis group but he never took the Dark Mark. His son, unfortunately, did. Lately he has been … quiet. I think he wants out but he isn't likely to go looking for pity."

Amelia placed her cup of tea on the table and thought about Lord Nott. "Would he be willing to join the Coalition if we went to him politely?" Julia snorted. "Maybe. He will be open to it, at least. I think he is more worried about his grandson, young Theo. The boy is in Slytherin but for the moment he is keeping his head down. It won't be long, though, when the Malfoy spawn tries to exert influence on him. Same with Daphne. Any idea who will be spearheading the Coalition?" Amelia shook her head. "Right now it's just us getting started. We want a triumvirate in charge: a progressive, a moderate and a traditionalist. That way all voices can be heard and we can try and get everyone's approval. It will weaken the Wizengamot's established blocs too." Julia hummed approvingly. "Then Nott will be a good ally to get, even if he doesn't join the Coalition officially. He can swing people away from Lucius but he can claim the high ground in that he never was part of the extremists." Amelia nodded. "Augusta and I will go to him. Right now it's us representing the core groups. He will have an idea of what we want. We might even have a negotiation on the new Dark Artefacts law, giving Nott a chance to help shape it into something we can all agree on."

Julia watched Amelia look at a mirror for a second before standing up. "One last thing we can offer you. Or more specifically your daughters." Julia followed her down to the basement and stared. She watched as Susan and Hannah trained together against a white haired witch with her back and arms exposed. A wave of a hand and a slab of stone shot up, blocking Susan's stunner. Hannah slashed her wand. "Sectumpetra." A large gash split the stone slab in half as Susan casted towards it. "Depulso!" The slab launched towards Hazel who quickly stepped aside of it, her movements seeming to show her being as light as a feather. Susan and Hannah sat on the ground, breathing heavily. "How aren't you tired? You've been transfiguring stones the whole time! And how did you dodge that so fast!" Hazel shrugged. "Practice and a good idea about how much the stone needs to answer my intent. As for moving, a featherlight spell on my person and a depulso casted wandlessly from my offhand for propulsion. I would teach these to you too, if they weren't a bit magically taxing. Give it two years and we will see if you two are still interested. Now, good job on the teamwork between you two. Hannah, while cutting the block was a good idea as an improvised weapon, but you might want to give some thought to Transfiguration. Susan… "

Amelia watched Julia close her unhinged jaw before the blonde turned to her. "Where did you get her?!" Amelia chuckled. "Department of Mysteries. Croaker is getting into the game with You Know Who out there. He lent her to me over the summer after a particular mission left a bad taste in her and her partner's mouths. The woman has been at it for a few weeks and is already teaching them some really complicated magic. Not all are standard dueling spells but all are useful in some way. Had to stop her from teaching Susan a Siege Engine spell though. I don't need a hole through my walls. Not yet, anyways. Think Daphne might be interested? Astoria is welcome too, but please keep her away for at least a year. Hazel has no problem teaching underage kids spells they shouldn't be learning." Julia turned to look at Hazel again and smiled. "Daphne will be thrilled. She was disappointed in Quirrell as a teacher. She might just ask this Hazel of yours for every spell in her repertoire." Amelia winced. "Remind me to tell her to not share the more dangerous curses. She makes killing way too easy." Julia eyed the woman, her tongue licking her lips. "Is she a witches' witch and single?" Amelia groaned. She knew she forgot something about Julia.

Teddy looked around feeling a bit intimidated. There were four girls looking at him with varying degrees of curiosity. "How are you so happy wanting to be a Hufflepuff? I can understand Hannah and Susan, their both airheads." An indignant "Hey!" from the two Hufflepuff's made the dark haired girl snicker at them before looking back at Teddy. "But you clearly could do better. Have you seen your Mom cast?! It's like watching a force of nature at work! You have to have some of that talent!" Teddy smiled. His Mom had come from her first training session with Daphne Greengrass looking quite sheepish. Not only did the girl want to learn everything Susan and Hannah had also learned but she wanted to be taught how to do it wandlessly. Though Teddy was sure that her Mom had been much more bothered by Julia Greengrass' advances on her. Telling the Lady Greengrass that she was in a relationship, which wasn't exactly the full truth, didn't seem to dissuade her apparently, much to Dora's amusement. "Mom has taught me a bit but she says no dangerous stuff till I am at least at school. Really dangerous stuff, like curses, are supposed to wait till I am fifteen, with the worse ones after I turn seventeen. And I happen to like Hufflepuff."

Daphne sighed and looked at her little sister. "You better make it to at least Ravenclaw. I can tolerate a Ravenclaw sister. But please don't be a Badger or a Lion. I won't be able to handle all the looks the Slytherins will send my way. Even Tracey will start poking fun at me just to get a reaction." Astoria gave her a knowing smile. "Not my fault you went with the whole Ice Queen idea. You should have thought about all the things that could go wrong with keeping an impassive persona up all the time before you did it. Besides, what's wrong with Gryffindor? Neville here is one of them." The girls turned to the boy in question who just shrunk into himself. Daphne snorted. "Please. No offense intended, but Neville isn't your typical Gryffindor." Neville nodded. "It's fine. I know I am not. The Hat wanted me in Hufflepuff at first too." Daphne blinked for a second before she paled. "I am surrounded by Hufflepuffs. How did this happen?" Astoria giggled, "You wanted to learn Magic from a powerful witch that works for Amelia." Daphne glared at Astoria. "Traitor."

The young blonde giggled but looked at Teddy. "Your Mom looks a bit bothered by our Mom's attention." Teddy looked to the adult table and had to agree. His Mom looked as if she wanted out of the table. Fast. Julia Greengrass kept making advances at her and Amelia just looked exacerbated while Augusta was just amused. Teddy giggled. "Mom doesn't like to be around people a lot. Your mom has her very confused. Especially since she knows mom could hurt her. She never met a witch who isn't scared of her like that. Except Dora." Daphne at one of the sandwiches on the table. "That's the woman that she won't cheat on?" Teddy nodded. "They're not together because Mom refuses to get in a relationship without the other person knowing her fully. She's waiting for Dora to finish her Occlumency training." Daphne hummed. "Sounds like a Badger to me." Teddy smiled and pumped his fist. "Yes!" Daphne pouted. "It wasn't supposed to be a compliment." Hannah and Susan giggled, while Astoria smirked. "Sorry sis. You're outnumbered here."

Daphne gave Astoria a mock glare before turning to Neville. "So, how is having Harry Potter as a dorm mate? Draco has been saying a lot of unpleasant things about him." Neville smiled. "He's ok. He's really shy and quiet but he isn't afraid to stick up to people. Though he is bothered by everyone calling him the Boy Who Lived. Especially Ron." Daphne shuddered and turned to Astoria. "Ron is your typical Gryffindor. Loud, obnoxious and a bit of a bully to Slytherins. Though to be fair, Draco isn't helping. Those two have been at each other's throats since the start of school. Good to hear Harry isn't like that. Right?" Astoria blushed. "No comment." Susan and Hannah looked at Astoria. "Oh, Astoria has a crush on Harry? You sure she won't make it to Gryffindor?" Daphne glared. "She better not. I won't have a night's rest from my house if she does." Astoria glared. "I think I am just going to let the Hat pick." Daphne groaned. "You aren't supposed to know about the Hat." She thought for a second, reviewed her earlier conversation and glared at a sheepish Neville. "I knew I heard something off. You weren't supposed to tell her." Teddy smiled, feeling a bit more comfortable now as Neville said "sorry."

His Mom had been worried about him not having many friends or just being around kids and had asked if he might like to spend time with them. He agreed, even if he was a bit worried. At least they were all nice. Even Daphne. He felt someone looking at him and turned. His Mom gave him a questioning look and he smiled. She grinned and nodded before getting back into the conversation, though it looked like she didn't talk much. "So, what's it like? Being a Peverell?" Teddy blinked and turned to Daphne. "Nothing special. It's just a name." Daphne sighed. "It's not just a name. The Peverells are Ancient. Everyone assumed the family was extinct, especially after the Potters married the last Heiress. They are infamous for slaughtering lines of Magical Families that go Dark and target innocents." Teddy shrugged. "Mom was born with another name outside of a Magical family. She learned of the Peverells when getting a Family Tree made. Her Boss suggested she take the name and she did after I agreed." Daphne pouted. "Does she know about them?" Teddy nodded. "She has the Family Grimoires and reads them. She also got a book on them at Christmas from Bathilda Bagshot." Hannah and Astoria lit up and they both managed to speak at the same time. "You know Professor Bagshot?"

Teddy cringed a little bit. "We met her in Godric's Hollow. Mom wanted to honor the Peverells buried there and the woman showed up. She chatted a bit with us and left. She and Mom have exchanged letters since." Hannah sighed. "You meet the most reclusive witch at a graveyard. You have some weird luck." Astoria eyed Teddy. "Can we see the book? Family books made by her are super rare. Mom got one as a wedding present. She said it helped her avoid a Blood Curse that had been plaguing the Greengrass family for centuries." Teddy hummed. "I have to ask Mom. She has been reading from it since she got it. We sometimes read it together before bed. She might not be done with it by next year." Daphne blinked at him. "Wait. Your Mom is a slow reader? How is she so good at magic?" Teddy shrugged. "She reads a few parts and runs with it. She actually hated Transfiguration until she got sixth year books. When she tried Freeform and Conjuration, she never went back. She refused to teach me regular Transfiguration." Daphne pouted. "Great. Now I need to read sixth year books to catch up to you. I swear if you get to be top student of your year, Ravenclaw should feel ashamed. Especially if Story is there." Astoria's indignant "Hey!" made the table laugh. Teddy smiled. Being around other kids actually felt nice.

"Come on! You could do it! A Peverell in the Wizengamot would be a great change of pace. We have plenty of empty Seats, as an Ancient and Noble Line, you could claim one." Hazel growled. "No! I am not getting into politics. That's your bloody job. We are also not a Noble line. We got the funds for a plot of land and a house, maybe a few years of living expenses but that's it. I am not making any large donations to the Wizengamot to get the bloody title back. They aren't worth it." Augusta hummed over her tea. "You might not have to. As an Ancient House alone, you could still claim a Seat and Vote, even after your family gave theirs to the Potters." Hazel turned her attention away from Julia and focused on the older woman. "That's not the point. I hate politics with a bloody passion. I spent years of my life being played around by two bastards who only saw me as a pawn. I am not going to sit in a chamber full of the same type of people again for several days a year, unless I am allowed to turn all the pricks into animals or I can bring a barrel of oil and light the place on fire." Augusta pinched her nose and looked at Amelia. "What possessed you to send her there as a guard in the first place?" Amelia drank from her tea to hide her embarrassment. "A moment of insanity, it seems."

Julia waved them off. "Ignore those two, that session was the absolute best we had in years. Dumbledore looked like he was going to blow a gasket." Hazel grinned at the memory. "Getting him to bleat was great. Especially when I added a tail to him. He knew it was there but couldn't dispel it." Julia cackled. "So that's why he kept shifting in his seat. Amelia, please get me to convince her to join us." Amelia and Augusta glared at Julia, "I think Hazel might have a point." Julia pouted. "Spoilsport. You two can't deny we need the votes." She eyed the white haired witch and grinned. "And the entertainment." Hazel shuddered. "Stop looking at me like that." Julia pouted. "I need to find this partner of yours. We need a girls night. I promise it will be fun." Hazel eyed Amelia. "You give her any info on my partner and she somehow agrees I am dragging you into this. No way you two were friends for so long that she never did drag you into one of her girls' nights." Amelia closed her eyes. "Julia, you stay out of my DMLE." Julia went back to drink from her tea. "In all seriousness, the Peverell vote would be nice to have, eventually."

Augusta sighed. "Agreed. The name is somewhat worthless politically, but the Peverells do have a symbolic value. Between the founding of Hogwarts and the end of their lines, they were known as some of the best Dark Wizard Hunters in the Isle of Britain. If the Seat is restored prior to the Traditionalists getting their Dark Lord, it could cause many to hesitate. The progressives would gather behind the name, same as with the Potter Family." Hazel glared. "If I were to take a Seat, I would not be sitting in it. What do you expect me to do?" Amelia lowered her cup of tea onto the table. "A Proxy. Get someone to go to the Sessions, vote the way you want them to and be amicable about it." Hazel thought for a second. "I don't trust anyone enough for that. Not yet. Any restrictions I should know about Proxies?" Amelia shrugged. "They can't hold another seat at the Gamot. Only a Head of House can have two votes maximum, as a Head of House and as a Director for a Ministry Department. I barely got permission for both of mine because I am a Regent, not a Proxy. The moment Susan is of age, I either quit as Director or quit as Proxy." Hazel sighed. "Fine! I'll think about it. But let's keep the Peverell name out of the open discussions. I will petition for a Seat as soon as Teddy is at Hogwarts, no sooner."

Julia smiled. "Good. Speaking about your son. Think he would be willing to look after Astoria? They are going to school in the same year." Hazel eyed Julia. "And?" Julia's eyes turned serious. "I am not foolish enough to think you didn't or wont be teaching your son how to defend himself or others. Astoria won't be part of these training sessions until after she gets her wand next year. That means she will be vulnerable for at least a year. Daphne will keep the Slytherins off her but the Ravenclaws have their own problems. I should know, I was often targeted for my association with Amelia and with several other students. I want my daughter to be safe within her own House." Hazel sat back. "He won't be in her house." Julia nodded. "He won't but he will be looked over. Nobody bothers with a Badger until they find themselves in the middle of a mauling." Hazel eyed the kids. "I will ask him but it's up to him. I refuse to force him to do anything." Julia smiled. "I am fine with that." Amelia squeezed her friend's hand. "Susan will look after her. Hannah might as well." Augusta looked at the kids. "I would offer Neville but his skill with a wand isn't there yet."

Hazel eyed Neville. "What's his issue?" Augusta sighed. "Poor power, no finesse. Most of his spells fail outright." Hazel frowned and looked at Augusta. "Have you checked his wand?" Augusta blinked at her. "It works fine. It was his father's." Hazel felt a headache building. "Augusta, the kid won't get far with his father's wand. Poorly tuned wands are dangerous." Augusta huffed. "Nonsense. The boy can grow into it." Hazel sighed as she pulled out her Holly and Phoenix wand. "This wand of mine was poorly tuned to me. It stayed that way until my fourth year. It didn't magically start working better. I had to go through a severe mental shift for it to finally accept me, and it was in the middle of a life or death situation. It could never have happened just as well. You want to risk your grandson's life in the hope that one day he runs into a Death Eater and somehow becomes Frank or do you want him to grow up into his own person?" Augusta eyed the wand in Hazel's hands before turning to her grandson. She spent a moment in quiet thought before she sighed. "Very well. I will take him to Ollivander's soon."

Amelia shared a look with Julia and the two smiled, before she looked back at Hazel. "So, anything else we need to discuss?" Hazel eyed the kids. "What's the word on the new Defence professor?" Amelia eyed the dimension traveler carefully. "Already selected." Julia sighed. "Dumbledore will be bringing them to the Board soon. The revised book list should be out by July 31st." Amelia noticed a change in Hazel's mood. "Is there a book signing programmed for the 31st in The Alley?" Julia frowned. "I think I heard of something like that. Why?" Hazel eyed Amelia. "Your kids might learn jack this year. Dumbledore might be playing one of his games. That or he is just as stupid as everyone who reads the man's books." Amelia paled as the identity of the professor became clear to her. "Please tell me you are joking." Hazel eyed her. "Can I get a free pass? Might make it look like an accident too." Amelia glared back. "As much as I hate the man, you aren't ending him." Hazel hummed. "And if he acosts or sexually abuses a student before he Obliviates them?" Amelia and Julia growled, though the former responded. "Get evidence to me. If you can get conclusive evidence, then you can deal with him."

Hazel sat back. "Fine. But if he sexually abuses a little girl, it's on your head, not mine. I have a few things on my mind but I won't have a girl being raped because you had to have evidence of a crime be part of my issues. I can't be at Hogwarts enough to catch him in the act. He tries it and I happen to spot him, he is dead. Got that?" Amelia wanted to protest but Julia's glare and her own concerns for Susan stilled her tongue. She closed her eyes and sighed. "Fine, but I want you to try to arrest him first, if only to ease my conscience as an Auror. If the arrest doesn't stick, he is all yours." Hazel nodded. "Agreed." The women all turned to the kids. Julia looked at Hazel from the corner of her eye. "It doesn't bother you, killing for them?" Hazel shook her head. "I… would probably kill for hardly a good reason. With Teddy… He is my conscience and my heart. For him I would raise the world to the ground, but I know he won't want that. So I do what I can. I am a killer Julia. The kids just make it so I don't aim at the wrong people." Julia hummed. "Is it bad I find that super hot?" Hazel groaned. "Not this again!" Augusta and Amelia laughed at Hazel's discomfort. Amelia eyed the kids and smiled, happy to know someone was looking after them, no matter what kind of a person they were.

Chapter 18: Crossing Paths in the Alley

Hazel looked over the report Croaker gave her and whistled. "This is a lot of mail." Croaker leaned back. "We actually had to assign an elf to manage it. They are storing it and organizing it by date in one of our warehouses. Unsurprisingly there are a few dangerous packages in there. We got them from Bubotuber Pus to Essence of Death." Hazel eyed Croaker. "I am guessing the latter is near instant death on contact?" Croaker shook his head. "A long and painful death, actually. The potioneer modified the original recipe. Nasty piece of work." Hazel eyed the report closely. "Ok, so we can at least attest that redirecting the mail was understandable, safety wise. What about his Gringotts vault statements?" Croaker nodded. "Those are being redirected as well. While not utterly illegal for a Guardian, Dumbledore is the Magical Guardian, not the Legal Guardian. He can't withhold the mail the boy receives for legal or financial services. Prior to his eleventh birthday this should have been acceptable. Afterwards, not at all. However, we did notice a change in the mail being intercepted as of late." Hazel looked up, a partial smile on her face. "No mail has reached Harry?" Croaker eyed her carefully. "Indeed. The intercepts are happening around the Dursley household." Hazel shook her head. "Sounds like Dobby. The Malfoy's house elf tried to stop me from returning to Hogwarts after overhearing a discussion between the Lords Malfoy and Nott."

Croaker tapped his fingers on the desk. "And this is good why?" Hazel chuckled. "Because he can be our eyes and ears on the kid. Dobby hates the Malfoys because of their mistreatment of him. We set him free, we can have an elf dedicated to Harry full time." Croaker hummed. "I see your point. He won't be traced to us or the Ministry. The issue is setting him free. Lord Malfoy won't be willing to part with him." Hazel waved her hand. "Leave that to me. Our main issue is tomorrow. If Harry is in the Alley, we need to observ-" Croaker watched as Hazel's eyes grew distant and leaned back in his seat. "Someone at the Dursley wardline?" Hazel nodded. "Three magical signatures, besides Harry's. One of which I am somewhat familiar with. The hell are the Weasleys doing at Privet Drive at four in the morning?" Croaker eyed the mail report. "There was an uptick in mail from the Weasley's youngest boy in the last few weeks. They might have noticed the intercept and went to check on him." Hazel eyed Croaker. "At four in the bloody morning?" Croaker shrugged. "Not the usual time, sure." Hazel was going to add something when she felt something shift from within the ward, causing her to stand up. "Harry has left the wards. Same as the other three. I'll go check what the hell is going on." Croaker nodded as Hazel left the office.

Safely outside the Ministry Wards, Hazel apparated to a point near Privet Drive before Cloaking herself. She eyed the somewhat lit house and looked up as she perceived an odd noise. Hazel spoke into her comm. "Boss, is there a registration of a flying car with the Ministry, potentially under the name Weasley?" Croaker's voice answered her through her earpiece. "There is. I am guessing you have eyes on it and that Mr. Potter is currently inside. Follow it at a safe distance." Hazel sighed. "I am going to be sore later today." Under the effects of her cloak, Hazel assumed the form of a Wyvern and took to the skies. She stayed below the car, following it further and further away from the urban landscapes as the hours passed by. She eventually spotted a dilapidated wooden structure in the middle of a large field of grass as the sun rose in the horizon. Hazel sighed and shifted her form to that of an Owl before finding a sturdy enough branch that could handle some weight as she returned to her human form to report in. "R1 here. The vehicle arrived safely at Ottery St. Catchpole, the Weasley residence." A familiar voice responded, though with a yawn in her voice. "Good Morning to you too, Partner." Hazel sighed. "Morning, R2. Sorry for the early wake up call." Croaker's voice chimed in. "Arthur Weasley is still checked in at the Ministry after going after several homes for Dark Artefact Raids. This wasn't him."

Under Cloak, Hazel moved closer to the house and looked through the window, spotting Harry's black hair, with three very young redheads guiding him through the messy home. "Seeing the three youngest Weasley boys with Harry. Oh, there's the mother." Mrs. Weasley's scream made Hazel wince before she brought her hands to her ears. She waited patiently until the woman stopped speaking before blowing air out of her nose and popping her ears. Croaker's voice was the first thing she heard afterwards. "R1, how's your hearing? R2 is currently trying to clear her ears." Hazel chuckled. "Same here. Get you eggheads to work on sound dampening on the comm for certain volumes. We don't need an audio concussion for the whole crew." Croaker, the only one who kept his comm on the table, chuckled. "Agreed. Oh, Mr. Weasley just checked out of the DMLE. He should arrive at the homestead shortly." Hazel stayed beneath the window frame in the lower floor before she heard a person arriving through apparition. "Arthur's here. What do we do? We don't have proper surveillance or wards here. What I am getting from the house are the types of wards a Curse Breaker would set for practice."

Croaker responded quickly. "Probably the work of the eldest son, William. He is a Curse Breaker, currently on assignment in Egypt. You might as well stay and observe the family and their interactions with our VIP. R2 will be on standby should anything happen. I will get Quetz to have your Auror gear ready as soon as you need it if they make their way to Diagon Alley." Dora groaned. "Great. Here is hoping this won't take all day." Hazel sighed at Dora's tone. "We will deal with it if it does. In the meantime, Dora, you and Teddy can work out the details for the birthday party you two are setting up for later today." A long silence stretched out after Hazel's words, until Dora responded, her voice showing some of her nerves. Hazel smiled, enjoying the fact Dora had a hard time lying to her. "What party? We aren't planning any party." Hazel hummed merrily. "So I should tell Leafsby to not get started on the cake?" A few quiet seconds later Hazel heard a soft sigh. "Fine. I will go make sure Teddy has everything set for later in the day." Hazel leaned back against the outside wall and waited for anything new to happen. As much the situation inflamed some mixed feelings within Hazel, she had a feeling today was going to be a long day.

"Of course you had Leafsby tell you everything we were planning." Dora pouted as the two walked the streets of Diagon Alley. When all the Weasley's left with Harry via Floo, Hazel apparated there and met up with Dora, donning their Auror gear. Hazel bumped Dora's shoulder. "To be fair, he has a standing order to inform me of every request he gets from Teddy. I did tell her not to inform Teddy I knew of the party. Also, it wasn't hard to notice, as you two were awfully secretive this last month." Dora shook her head. "Should I stun you then, because when this mission is over, you are going straight home." Hazel glared but eventually looked sad. "I don't like my birthday, Dora. It never meant anything good to me. Not for a long time." Dora bumped Hazel back. "But it can mean something good now. So, do I stun you or are you coming quietly?" Hazel sighed. "Fine. I will go quietly. I already planned to, just so you're aware. I didn't want to make Teddy cry. Not because of me." Dora beamed. "Great, so you stay here and I will look in on the going ons at Flourish and Blotts." Hazel watched as Dora tried to navigate the mess that was the book store. A familiar face stared back at her from the window display. She really wanted to punch him in the face and break his teeth, which was why Croaker ordered her not to enter the store.

As far as Hazel was concerned, Gilderoy Lockhart was a ticking time bomb. A man who had no restraint when it came to taking from others with a gift for Obliviation made him likely to have caused a great deal of harm. Croaker was able to get Legal to piece together a path of Obliviations, all tied to the man. The trouble was proving it, as most of the memories were lost, the price of nof catching the Obliviation fast enough. Despite Julia's complaints about how the man would make a spectacle of the DADA class, a majority of the Board of Governors certified his hiring. Hazel eyed the Alley carefully and watched as Lucius Malfoy entered the bookstore, but not Lord Nott, who was nowhere to be seen. When Amelia mentioned they had approached Lord Nott for the Coalition, Hazel had been concerned. She knew the Diary arrived at Hogwarts through his actions here today. Yet in this world he wasn't the same fanatic that he had been in hers. She eyed Lucius' platinum hair. Was he the one who received the Diary? There was no way she could check right now and her initial check of his manor didn't turn up anything. She would have to wait for later in the night to check if the item was dropped off. Much later if she wanted to make sure Teddy was happy with the Birthday party they were planning. She was glad it would be a private one, as this bloody day came with too many bad memories from too many years. She dearly hoped she didn't break down later.

Hazel watched with some amusement as a fight broke out in the store, with the kids cheering on their parents. She could honestly say she never expected Lucius to throw a punch. Voldemort yes, he grew up in Muggle London, but Lucius grew up in the Wizarding World. Eventually the fight broke up and everyone went their separate ways. She saw Harry look towards her for a minute and she gave him a gentle wave. Harry tapped Mr. Weasley and pointed towards her. Hazel blinked as Harry walked up to her. "Excuse me, are you an Auror? Is Mister Weasley going to be in trouble for that fight?" Hazel grinned at him. "Depends on what my partner says. She was inside with everyone, while I watched the Alley. Though at worst he will probably get a citation and note on his Ministry file for improper behaviour and a bout of violence." Harry looked worried and Hazel bent down a bit. "You know Quidditch?" Harry beamed, though he looked at her eyes with clear curiosity. "I play Seeker at Hogwarts." Hazel blinked at the boy. Ok then. She wondered if the love of Quidditch was like the British love of Rugby. She was glad she avoided that fate. "Well, think of it like a foul. He gets a penalty and he goes free. It's only a problem if he makes a habit of it. Too many times and he gets fired just like a player gets expelled from the game. Tell him to watch his temper next time, even if Mr. Malfoy insulted him."

Harry looked at her oddly. "How did you know he did that?" Hazel chuckled. "Mr. Malfoy has a reputation for colorful language so it's no surprise he did it again. Now come on." Hazel walked him back to Mr. and Mrs. Weasley as they were having a discussion. Hazel recognized who was talking with them. "Everything alright here, Mr. And Mrs. Weasley, Mr. Tonks?" The two men turned to her and Ted smiled. She wondered how much Andromeda and Dora told the man about her since he clearly recognized her. Then again, she was the only adult whose white hair wasn't the result of age within the Alley. "Not at all, Auror. Mrs. Weasley simply seemed to have forgotten what a legal order is. Mr. Potter is required to attend a physical at St. Mungos and Mrs. Weasley has tried to refuse." Mrs. Weasley turned to her, giving her a once over before frowning. Hazel resisted the temptation to stun the woman. She had been on the receiving end of her disapproving glances since the first moment they met. Her world's Mrs. Weasley was fortunate enough to have her husband restrain her, especially after she sent back Bill Weasley bloody, beaten and wrapped in Christmas wrapping paper. Hazel hated the itchy wool sweaters she never asked for so she felt an unwanted present was deserving of another after she caught the moron trying to break into the Tonks residence.

William's wife apparently grabbed him by the balls afterwards, since she never saw him coming after her ever again. Then again, she and Andromeda moved out of the place soon after. "There is no need for any of that, the boy is perfectly fine, if a bit thin still." Hazel felt Harry tense up beside her. She looked down at him and drew his attention to her. "Have you taken any shots to avoid diseases?" Harry grew pensive but shook his head. Hazel nodded. "The law is clear on this. You need to see the Hospital, get vaccinated and get a physical. Your legal guardians should have done it by now." Harry looked embarrassed. "They are Muggles." Hazel hummed. "Then you should have gone last year with your introduction to the school curriculum. When muggle-raised witches and wizards join the Magical World, the law requires them to go through St. Mungos for a physical and inoculations. Some nasty diseases out there that if you are caught off guard can make the rest of your life quite the struggle, magic or not. Trust me, compared to the diseases, the innoculations are nothing bad. My partner gets worse injuries than that about once a week. Price of being a training dummy." An indignant voice rang out somewhere over the many heads in between them. "I heard that!" Hazel gestured with her head. "That would be my partner." Harry chuckled at her as she turned to the Weasleys.

"Mr. Weasley, if you are not Mr. Potter's Legal Guardian, you simply can't refuse the order. Neither can a Magical Guardian for that matter. Either bring Mr. Potter to St. Mungos when specified or be prepared to suffer some fines and an Auror visit to your home. After your less than stellar behaviour inside the bookstore, said visit can be costly for your career with the DMLE." Arthur sighed. "Very well, it's in Harry's best interest anyways. He will be there tomorrow." Ted Tonks handed him the papers. "Deliver these to the Healer who checks him. A good day to you, Arthur. Molly. Auror." Harry went to stand by Arthur, but he looked back at her. "Will you be there?" Hazel shook her head. "No, but my partner might. She has a Healer as a family member and takes patrols at St. Mungos at times to have a chat." Hazel dug into her pocket and pulled out three Galleons. She handed them to Harry. "How about you and the Weasleys go to Florean Fortescue's and get some ice cream, on me. As a birthday present." Arthur looked at her oddly, knowing three galleons was well above the price of the ice cream that they would all be buying. "We can't possibly…" Hazel waved his concerns away. "It's no problem." She looked at Harry and smiled. "My birthday's were never very pleasant. The least I can do is let someone else have a better one than me. Especially since we both share the same day." Harry beamed. "Thank you. Happy Birthday, Miss." Hazel nodded. "Happy Birthday, Mr. Potter. Take care."

Hazel walked up to Dora as the Weasleys moved further down the Alley. Hazel noticed a weird look in her partner's eyes and followed her line of sight. She added one more man onto her kill at opportunity list, though Croaker loved to order her not to pursue said targets. Concentrating a bit on her magic, she snapped her fingers, dispelling the charm. Dora shook her head and looked at Hazel. "What?" Hazel glared. "One; you were eyeing another person, despite our agreement to not pursue others until we settled what we have. Two; you just got owned by a Glamour charm. Let me guess, you didn't manage to spot anything suspicious at all." Dora blushed, her hair turning light blue. "Sorry. I guess I need to pay more attention." Hazel huffed. "That you do. Come on. A few more rounds on the Alley before the Weasleys take off. Then we can go home." Dora watched Hazel take some very long strides. She sighed and followed behind her, trying to keep up and apologize. Hazel eventually forgave her as her eyes lingered on Harry, not seeing any erant magical signatures on him beyond the scar. She would have to check him later. They eventually made their way back to their apartments and Hazel was instantly tackled by Teddy. He smiles up at her. "Happy Birthday, Mom." Hazel hugged him warmly. "Thank you, Teddy."

Dora watched as Teddy and Leafsby brought out a massive cake and enjoyed watching as Hazel squirmed in her seat as they all sang her the Birthday song. Dora groaned when she tried the cake. "Teddy, you and Leafsby might want to consider a business. This is good." Teddy blushed as Hazel smiled. "Let him decide later. Best we get some exclusive meals first." Teddy giggled and Dora smiled. The three spent the evening together and even went out for a stroll along the Hampstead Heath Circular Walk, enjoying the cooling afternoon air and the natural woodland sights. Hazel even wrapped her arm around Dora's waist, leaving the metamorphmagus' skin feeling quite warm. They eventually returned to their Apartments and Hazel tucked Teddy into his bed. Her son hugged her around the neck. "Did you like your birthday, Mom?" Hazel leaned in and kissed Teddy's hair. "Best birthday ever. Thank you Teddy. I love you." Teddy yawned. "Love you too, Mom. Good night." Hazel turned off the lights, wished Teddy good night and showered briefly before knocking on Dora's door. Nymphadora opened the door and felt her brain melt as a pair of warm lips latched onto hers. She moaned and pulled Hazel against her body before the white haired witch pulled away from her. Those green eyes stared at her, full of warmth. "Thank you for today, Nymphadora."

Those warm lips returned for a second before Hazel pulled away. Dora's eyes were fixed on those swaying hips before Hazel returned to her side of the door, a cheeky grin plastered on her partner's face. The moment the door clicked shut, Dora groaned, her hand coming up to rub her face in exacerbation. She was sure this was Hazel paying her back for falling victim to Lockhart's glamour spell earlier. And Dora had just gotten out of the shower too. That night Dora took longer to fall asleep, after making sure her libido was properly settled down. She cursed the fact that Occlumency took so long to master as she knew Hazel would not make it any easier for her in the coming months. That slight infatuation on Lockhart the charm placed her under was nothing compared to the affection and desire building in her for her partner. The fact she knew Hazel wanted and cared for her back was driving her insane. At least the summer would be over soon, which meant less Auror work and more Operative missions. She couldn't wait to get started again.

OW July 31st 1992

"What do we have here? Hazel Potter slinking away? So much for the outrageous Gryffindor." Hazel sighed. She had been glad that the Wizarding World had a very different idea on who she was, as it seemed to provide her with some measure of anonymity. She managed to sneak into the bookstore, buy her books and was just on her way to leave when she ran into one of the many reasons she was tempted to miss out in the school year. "Good afternoon, Heir Nott. May you and your family have a productive day." Hazel was sure Theodore Nott was about to respond with a bit of snark, though Malfoy had him beat in that regard, when he suddenly found himself at a loss for words. She was glad she had found an old etiquette book in a weird room full of junk on the 7th floor. She knew the Slytherins would be an eternal thorn on her side because many of them grew up on stories of the Great Lord Voldemort. Hazel figured they would at least have a harder time pestering her if she was civil to them. Though she wondered if they really knew the real Lord Voldemort and not some aggrandized vision of a man. Would they still serve him if they knew the man would probably force them to do anything they found distasteful if it served his interests? A part of her wanted to say that they wouldn't but she didn't want to lie to herself. Everyone else was already doing that after all.

"My, my Theo, you never said she knew of our ways." Hazel stopped in her tracks. She looked up and felt her heart stop. "Good afternoon, Lord Nott. A productive day to you and your Heir." The older gentleman raised an eyebrow though he had a thin smile on his face. "So you do know a bit of our ways. Curious. I was under the impression Dumbledore sequestered you amongst Muggles." Hazel kept her head low. "I was under the care of Muggles, sir. I simply don't think it's wise to not know how to behave myself, especially in a culture so different from the non-magical world." Lord hummed. "A wise policy indeed. Though I must say, I am surprised." The man stuck his hand into Hazel's shopping bag and pulled out her books, a few showing the strain of being kept open, the pages yellowed further than what regular parchment tended to be. "I thought the Potter's were far better off that you could afford new copies of school books. How much has that Noble line wasted away. Though as the only family member, I can understand being careful. There is no one to bring the galleons home, is there?" Hazel didn't dare alter her posture. "I am simply making sure my parent's money isn't wasted, sir. Just because I am of a Noble line doesn't mean I can be wasteful with what money my ancestors and parents worked to acquire."

The man returned her books to her bag and looked Hazel over with a more critical eye. "Perhaps you aren't as ignorant as your parents. One wonders what they would say to you now." Hazel didn't rise to the bait. "I wouldn't know sir. Rumors, whispers and tall tales do nothing to fill in the absence. I can only make my own decisions based on my own expiriences. Nothing more." She dared to look up and saw something odd on Lord Nott's face. Was that a bit of respect? "I believe you're quite right. Good day to you, Miss Potter." Hazel bowed her head and left the store quickly. She wanted to bite her tongue. Her studies had worked but she hated every minute of it. Lies. None of these people cared about her well being. Not the Aurors, not Lord Nott and certainly not Albus Dumbledore. She had been concerned about her finances after the end of the school year and the possibility of never being able to return to Hogwarts, so she went to check with the Goblins. They said she had been receiving monthly statements since forever. To ask for a recent one would have cost her extra. Hazel asked if they knew who might be receiving them and they merely stated it was probably her Guardian. She knew her Uncle would have extorted her for money if it was him. They were willing to give her a list of her guardians, for a price.

Feeling the information was at least worth it, Hazel paid the galleons. What she found made her feel worse about her situation. The paper listed her grandparents and parents, all dead, which was to be expected. Her Godfather, which surprised her as he shared a last name with her classmate Neville, was dead too. Her Godmother was somehow still alive but imprisoned. Which left her with one last name as Magical Guardian. Albus Dumbledore. She had stuffed the paper into her bag and had set out to buy her stuff for the coming year. At least the man had sent someone to check on her when she didn't respond to any official letters. She didn't really notice that none had arrived until a few days before her birthday. Worried Dumbledore might intervene with her finances, Hazel decided to not splurge in her academic needs. She would buy used books when it was possible, as long as they were legible. The only thing she bought that wasn't used were her clothes, though she made sure to bring her old sets to sell them back. She knew someone else less fortunate could use them. Hazel held her extended shopping bag to her chest and looked back down the Alley. Hagrid had walked off somewhere, probably to the tavern again. She was alone, watching as parents led their children around from one shop to another, the kids smiling or pouting as they entered store after store.

She looked at Ollivanders and lowered her face, doing her best to not show how painful the old man's words had been. The Ollivander had no other wand for her to use at all. None worked for her as well as the Holly and Phoenix feather did. Except it hardly worked at all. The old man had been stumped with her situation and his only advice to Hazel was to push on. That one day it would suit her. Hazel wasn't looking forward to going back to classes and barely managing to cast again. McGonagall was especially displeased with her. The woman even deducted points from her when she tried to do a spell wandlessly. At least her wandless magic was getting better, with all the practice she was doing at home, her flames being easier to control now. Her mind wandered back to her list of Guardians as she made her way back to the Leaky Cauldron, in hopes of finding Hagrid. She had enough of the Alley for today. She thought about her imprisoned Godmother, the only person still alive with any ties to her family. Did she remember that Hazel existed? Did she care? Hazel shook her head and rubbed away some moisture from her eyes. She couldn't afford to hope. She had been constantly disappointed all year long. She couldn't bear to think that the last person she could trust in would disappoint her too. Hope in the form of someone else was just another lie waiting to be uncovered. She was so tired of lies.

NW August 1st 1992

Andromeda watched as the young boy walked into the examination room she had been provided by St. Mungos, his eyes searching the room out of curiosity and some hesitation. She smiled as soon as his eyes landed on her face. "Hello Harry. My name's Andromeda Tonks, I will be your examiner today. Please take a seat on the medical bed, I will be right with you. Mr. Weasley, please wait outside." Arthur nodded and left the room as Andromeda raised the privacy wards. She turned to Harry. "Now Harry, everything I find from my scan is private. You should only share it with people you trust fully or with family, understand?" Harry nodded and Andromeda drew her wand. "I am going to cast a diagnostic spell. You might feel it a bit but it's just checking to make sure you are ok." Harry nodded silently again and Andromeda casted the spell, activating her dictaquill. What she found bothered her. Signs of malnutrition, broken bones that didn't get reset properly, no vaccinations and some signs of anemia. She had the dicta quill write all that down. "There was something off about your back. Can you show me?" Harry tensed. Andromeda kneeled down and held his hands. "I know it's hard and it's embarrassing. You don't want to seem weak. It feels like you will let the people who hurt you win. But not dealing with it will only hurt you longer. They will win longer if you let it linger. Can I see?"

Harry nodded and took his shirt off, revealing his back. Andromeda bit back a curse. Hazel had been right. There weren't a lot of scars but enough to make the boy anxious and self conscious. Andromeda casted a spell over them. "Harry, are you willing to let Madam Pomfrey see these? I can recommend a treatment for them. Some discoloration might linger but they will be fully healed over. The treatment will be an ointment you would have to have applied on your back at least weekly." Harry took a while to answer. His voice came out soft and unsure. "Ok." Andromeda made her notes and wrote a medical order for Pomfrey. She allowed Harry to put his shirt back on. "Last thing, let me look at that scar on your head." She casted a spell on it and frowned. Someone was playing games, that's for sure. She casted stronger and more in depth scans. Most showed nothing, which told her someone had casted a masking spell. A few showed some magical traces on it. She remembered Croaker taught her a specific diagnostic spell and she casted it. She bit back a curse. The spell was designed to detect magical signatures. Aside from Harry's, there were three couldn't place them all, though if Hazel's report was accurate, one was Lily's and the other was Voldemort's. She guessed the last one could be Dumbledore, as he was the last to see Harry before he was sequestered away.

Andromeda pulled out a crystal and looked at Harry. "There is a lot of magic on your scar. This will essentially give me an imprint of what's there. I can't heal it now but it should help me find out how to do it later. May I?" Harry nodded and Andromeda applied the crystal. She casted the spell again and waited for the crystal to stop glowing before pocketing it away. "Any symptoms with the scar?" Harry thought for a second. "At school, I felt a headache every time I was close to Professor Quirrell. I thought it was the garlic he kept in his turban but it didn't stop. It happened again in…" Andromeda watched him stop himself. She sighed. "You remember the paper the lawyer gave Mr. Weasley?" Harry nodded and Andromeda gave him a smile. "I work for the same people, Harry. The people who have been keeping you safe all year. I know about the cloaked figure in the forest and about the Griffin. Is that when your scar acted up?" Harry looked at her closely now. "Yeah." Andromeda nodded. "That's all we needed. Did you read the note you got at the station?" Harry smiled. "It's weird seeing the Dursleys not being able to be mean to me again, but it's better than before." Andromeda was happy to hear that. "And they won't. If they break the contract, they lose custody. Want to know a secret?"

Harry nodded and Andromeda smiled. "Your Grandmother on your father's side was my great aunt. Your Godfather also happens to be my cousin. If they break the contract, I am named as your next guardian. So hold out as much as you can, but if they break the contract or we clear up your custody mess, you won't be with them much longer. I have been trying to get you into a better house for years. I am sorry that this is the first chance we get to talk." Harry smiled at her. "Ok. I hope you don't mind if I would rather be with you sooner." Andromeda hugged him. "I don't. It makes me happy to hear that Harry. For now, know you aren't alone. You have a family who genuinely cares about you and one day you will have a home. A real home. I promise." Andromeda had him lie down and she administered some potion to heal his bones and the vaccines carefully until he had all of them, a few driving him a bit loopy. She made sure all the papers were in order to be filed away before she turned Harry over to Arthur. "He needs a lot more iron in his system, so if he spends the rest of the summer with your wife, make sure he eats. He has his vaccines right now but keep him away from anyone who may be ill for at least two weeks." Arthur nodded. "Molly will probably make a lot of beef the next few days after hearing that. Thank you, Healer Tonks. Let's go Harry." Andromeda watched him walk away. She had no choice but to let him go. For now, she had a crystal to send to Croaker.

Harry stared into the ceiling of the room the Weasley's had leant him. The shelves were full of books on dangerous magical creatures, particularly Dragons. He had actually looked up the Griffins after his encounter in the forest. He was grateful that the Griffin from that night had been so friendly, because according to the books he should probably have been dead on the spot. The whole year had been the strangest one of his life. From discovering he had magic, to being seen as this person everyone knew about. It was terrifying a lot of the time. Still, being at Hogwarts was the best thing that had ever happened to him. While he couldn't say everything was perfect, he honestly couldn't complain. Not with his life at the Dursleys being his only point of reference. He touched his back, remembering the last few months. While the absence of letters had bothered him, he couldn't exactly complain about the silence at Privet Drive either. His relatives had been a lot more careful about how they treated him, which left him a lot more comfortable. He still helped to cook the meals but now he could eat a proper portion of the meal. But the best part was what he found in his new closet.

The trunk had belonged to his mother and he spent days upon days reading her journal. It was so surreal reading about how she too found herself drawn into the magical world, learning everything about magic for the first time. The fact she kept complaining about James Potter made him smile as he knew what would become of them. The weirdest thing had been reading about Severus Snape and the friendship they shared. The two were clearly close friends and grew up together, which only made Harry all the more confused about what became of them that Snape seemed to despise him with every breath. He read a few of her homework assignments and notes on charms and potions and promised himself to do his best to match her level of academic achievement. He wanted to make his mother proud, that he could be more than just the Boy Who Lived or the Gryffindor Quidditch Seeker. Hermione would probably be surprised he did his homework on time and everything before he delved deeper into his mom's journals and notes. He even found her old scarf and had placed it, the potions notes and the journal in his own trunk. He did leave the notes he received from this mysterious "friend" in his mother's trunk for safe keeping. The vagueness of the letters and the secrecy made him feel that there was a reason for it all.

Learning that Andromeda Tonks, the woman who gave him his physical, was not only family but had desperately been trying to check on him and get custody had warmed his heart. That she knew about the Griffin from the forest meant that she and the lawyer were both trying to help him. To keep him safe. They might even be working for this "friend" of his. Dumbledore had pulled him aside and told him that he believed Voldemort had been possessing Professor Quirrell and that something happened to them both the night he had been stunned. He had felt such relief knowing that someone else had stopped him from facing the man that killed his parents. He was only eleven years old at the time. What could he do against a trained Defense teacher and a Dark Lord? This mysterious friend, however, seemed to care more than just about his safety. They cared about him personally. The book on his family had been a favorite of his the moment he found it at the base of his bed. He had no idea that the Potters had been around for so long or that they did so much for Wizarding Britain. That a few had taught Transfiguration, Potions and Defence made him all the more self conscious about his own scores in the courses. He felt guilty about how he barely applied himself to his studies in the last six months. While Ron complained about Harry being a lot more studious after the New Year, Harry simply couldn't let it go, especially now after seeing what a studious person his mother was.

Feeling a bit too awake to fall asleep soon, Harry raised himself up on the bed and went to fetch a book from his trunk when he stilled at what he saw moving inside of it. His trunk was open and a snake was slithering about, it's tongue tasting the air. He moved closer but kept a safe distance from the creature. "Hello. Looking for some warmth?" The greenish snake turned its head towards him. "Ssspeaker! To find a ssspeaker here. Sssnake isss pleasssed." The snake looked around before it slightered closer to him, moving out of the trunk. "Ssspeaker must be careful. Other two legged onesss will not like him ssspeaking our tongue. The sssound ssscaresss them." Harry frowned. "I am speaking a different language?" The snake nodded it's head. "To you it may not sssound different but othersss hear a sssnake's hisss. They will fear ssspeaker. They have forgotten and condemn asss a curssse what once wasss a gift." Harry looked around before he sat on the floor in front of the snake. "But why? Why have they forgotten?" The snake coiled itself into a disc, it's head lifted up and focused on Harry. "Ssspeakers usssed the gift to harm other two legged onesss. They hunted the ssspeakers who didn't agree. Only bad ssspeakers remained in the end. Other two legged onesss hunted ssspeakers too. Not many remain. You are rare. You mussst ssstay sssafe. Do not ssspeak before other two leggersss. They have forgotten the Naga'sss gift. They will ssseek you harm. Ssspeaker mussst be careful."

Harry was sad to hear he couldn't share this part of himself but if people were harmed because of the gift, perhaps it was for the best it remained a secret. "Very well. I will remain sssafe. I will not ssspeak of thisss to anyone." The snake nodded. "Good. Then sssnake isss happy. Ssspeaker is safe. Ssspeaker's friend will be happy." Harry stared at the snake. "What do you know about ssspeaker's friend?" The snake slithered closer. "They worry. Old bad ssspeaker, the one who harmed ssspeaker's family. He ssstill huntsss for you. Othersss who claim to help ssspeaker ssspeak only but do not act. Friend isss worried. Friend wissshes ssspeaker to be careful. There are sssecrets buried in the old cassstle. Sssecrets of Ancient Ssspeaker of the Houssse of Sssnakes. Be careful of the Ancient Ssspeaker's Sssnake. If awakened it will hunt among the hallwayssss and within the wallsss. Ssspeaker must ssstay sssafe." Harry sat back and thought of the snake's words. "Isss ssspeaker's friend hunting the Ancient Ssspeaker's sssnake?" The snake nodded. "Ssspeakers friend will hunt but sssnake hidesss. Friend wantsss ssspeaker sssafe while they hunt." Harry sighed in relief. "Tell ssspeaker's friend I will be careful and ssstay sssafe." The snake stared at him, "Friend will know. May sssnake leave through the window? Two leggers don't like sssnake."

Opening the window, Harry watched as the green snake slithered onto the desk before turning to him. "Friend wissshes ssspeaker a sssafe year at cassstle." Harry nodded. "Thank you." The snake slithered out completely and Harry watched it climb higher onto the roof. He remained confused as to why it headed up instead of down until Hedwig landed on the window sill. "Hello Hedwig. Good night for a flight?" His owl screeched merrily and turned to look out the window. A brown owl landed besides Hedwig and seemed to speak to the bird with hoots until it flew off, circling in the sky. Hedwig turned to Harry and he petted her chest feathers. "Go ahead and fly with your friend. I won't mind." The snowy owl took off and Harry watched as the two owls chased each other across the sky, diving and gliding in the air. Eventually Hedwig returned to the window and she and Harry looked back as the owl circled above them a few more times, hooted merrily and then flew away into the quiet summer night. He went to sleep that night, thinking back on the last few days. His last thoughts were on the Auror that he met at the Alley and her familiar looking green eyes.

Chapter 19: An Old Friend

"Go on Percy. We will be late!" Dora watched with some amusement as the Weasley's arrived at the entrance to Platform 9 and . While technically back on duty with the DoM, Croaker had placed her and Hazel at the two ends on the gateway at King's Cross. With everything that happened of late around Harry Potter, they were making sure he and the rest of the students made it safely onto the train. The eldest of the Weasley children went quickly through the portal and Dora watched as the twins started playing rock-paper-scissors before Molly Weasley screamed at them to hurry up. The one closest to the portal went first before the other followed quickly, laughing to themselves. The youngest, Ginerva, looked nervously at the wall, which made Dora think about another person. Next year it would be Teddy's turn to go to Hogwarts. They would be dropping him off and waving goodbye for ten months of the year. Dora's mind crashed as she caught herself saying "they." Ever since she and Hazel had partnered up, Dora felt herself growing closer to Teddy. She could see the kid was picking things up from her too, much to Hazel's horror and amusement. Dora shook her head as her thoughts kept circling back to Hazel and the kisses they had shared. A lot of her nights were ending in cold showers.

"Come on Ginny, let's find you a cabin." Dora watched as the elder Weasleys crossed through the portal with the girl and her attention landed on Harry. She had to smile. The boy looked a lot happier than when she first saw him a little over a year ago. He was filling out a bit and his eyes lit up more. Hazel's gift of ice cream on his birthday had been great to see as everyone tried a bit of Florean's varieties of ice cream before they each picked their own. She hoped he had appreciated the trunk of his mom they left behind for him. Seeing Hazel collapse on the floor had grown into a recurring nightmare for Dora ever since that day. Poor Moody had to send quite a few of his Cadets to the infirmary as Dora had been having trouble holding back as she endeavoured to be better able to protect her partner. Getting her mind back on track, Dora watched as Harry raced down the platform towards the portal and… smashed right into a solid wall with his trolley. That looked like it hurt. She intercepted a local guard with a confundus charm and went to check on the kid. "Let me look at you." Harry noticed her maroon jacket and pink hair. He smiled. "Hello." Dora chuckled. "Fancy seeing you here." She pulled him up and as he picked up his trunk she turned towards the closed portal, lifting her wrist up to her mouth.

"R1, this is R2. Portal is sealed. Will be apparating the two onto the platform." Hazel's voice came in clear in her ear piece. "Acknowledged, R2. I found the Gremlin that locked it. We can fix it but not before the train leaves. Bring them up." Dora casted a notice-me-not on the spot and motioned for the kids. "Come on. I'll bring your trunks over afterwards." She grabbed them both by the arms and apparated to the other side of the portal. The two kids dropped to the ground, shuddering as they tried not to puke. Pressed for time, she barely had a second to rub their backs. "The feeling will pass. Wait here." Dora apparated two more times to bring their trunks over and pushed them both to the train. "Get on you two. The wait at Hogsmeade for a missed train isn't that great. Now get going." The kid's jumped onto the train as it's whistle blew. The trunks were levitated after them and onto the train just as the Hogwarts Express left the station. Breathing a sigh of relief Dora turned to the closed portal. She spotted her partner, her boot tapping on the stone floor impatiently while an elf moved its hands. Eventually the elf turned around. "Portal is fixed. May Dobby go, scary lady?" Hazel sighed. "No, you may not. You see, I have a proposition for you. We get you free from the Malfoys, in exchange it's your job to protect Harry Potter. Our way."

Dobby looked at Hazel with big hopeful eyes. "Dobby would gladly accept but Dobby is bound to serve the Malfoys." Hazel nodded. "You are. For now. Leafsby." Hazel and Dora's elf arrived. "Yes, Mistress." Hazel pointed at Dobby. "Show him the magical workshop I am using for my personal projects. Make sure he can either respond to my calls or you are able to retrieve him. We got an elf being mistreated by his family and I know how to break the binding magic to prevent one of your kind from suffering further dishonor." Leafsby nodded. "Mistress is kind to elf. Leafsby is showing the young one to the workshop." The two elves popped away. Dora looked at Hazel. "Are you sure that is a good idea?" Hazel sighed. "We got missions coming up and a really dangerous threat at the school. We need eyes and hands at Hogwarts. An Elf formerly associated with the Malfoy's will work perfectly. Besides…" Hazel grinned towards Dora. "We are potentially taking Malfoy's elf before dinner." Dora chuckled. "Oh, now that is just cruel. I approve."

OW June 1996

Hazel sat in the room that had once been her godmother's, hugging the jacket she had commissioned for her. She cried onto it, unconcerned with getting it wet. What did it matter to her? Her Godmother was gone. She watched her fall through the Veil and vanish. She hated herself so much now. Hazel had rushed to the Ministry to save her and now she was dead. It was all her fault. She cried for hours, unwilling to leave Grimmauld Place. If she left she was afraid. She was afraid she would forget what she had lost if she did. She lost her Godmother, the woman who had promised her a home. This home. Sure it was full of dangerous curses, mad paintings and weird elf severed heads but this was supposed to have been her home. There was no chance of that now. Dumbledore, the bastard, would never allow it. It had felt so satisfying tearing his office apart and blasting the old man into the wall. The only reason she didn't kill him was because she couldn't bring herself to do it then, not after losing her Godmother. Voldemort wouldn't hesitate to come after her if Dumbledore was dead too. Especially not now. Now that they both knew the truth of their bond.

Her Godmother's face flashed in her mind and she hiccupped. She hadn't hiccuped while crying in years. Not since she met her Godmother. Not since she was protected by her. Hazel stayed in the room until small arms hugged her gently. She lifted her head and tried not to cry. "Hi Dobby. Hi Kreacher. Oh, Kreacher. I am so sorry. Your Mistress is gone. Because of me. I am so sorry." Tears kept falling from her eyes as the elder elf tried to comfort her. "Mistress cared for her goddaughter. She was a Black. She fought to protect the young mistress. So the young mistress should not weep. The Lords and Ladies will welcome her beyond the Veil. She was a Black to the very end. Kreacher's young mistress shouldn't be worried for Kreacher." Hazel shook her head. "But the house will go to another person. It might go to the Malfoys. They will hurt you for helping us. They will use you to get to me. I can't let that happen." Kreacher smiled at her. "Young mistress should not worry. Mistress knew. She knew and prepared. Kreacher serves the Noble House of Potter now. Mistress also left behind an order with the Goblins. The Tonks will be brought back into the family. Malfoys won't be the owners of Grimmauld. Kreacher knows. Young mistress will end them before that happens."

Hazel eyed them both. "But Kreacher, you are the elf of the House of Black. And Dobby, won't you be mad? You wanted to be my only elf." Kreacher shook his head. "Kreacher serves the House of Black by serving the House of Potter. Kreacher is happy to serve the young Mistress." Dobby nodded. "Dobby is happy too. Dobby wants to serve Great Hazel Potter. Dobby doesn't mind sharing." Hazel tried to not cry. She forced a smile on her face, though she was sure it was a bad smile. She wasn't sure if she could ever smile properly again. "Thank you, you two. You think we can seal this place up? I… I don't want to leave. Not until the term starts again. If I do… I might never come back. Drop any Order of the Phoenix junk at Hogwarts, except for Dora's. If you can leave it all in Dumbledore's office, then all the better." The elves nodded their heads and popped away as Hazel felt the wards shift. She stared blankly into the mirror and shivered at the feel of a memory. Her eyes watered. She would never again feel her Godmother brush her hair. She slumped onto the bed and closed her eyes, trying to stop the tears from returning. She had two elves to look after her. She needed to be strong for them. Even as she doubted she'd ever be happy again.

NW September 1992

Dora tapped Hazel's shoulders and felt her snap out of whatever memory she got lodged in. She watched her friend clean her face and turn. Her eyes were still red. "Everything good at Hogwarts?" Dora sighed. "Yes, the kids arrived on time and the feast started without issue." Hazel nodded and stood up from her seat, noticing a bit of stiffness on her legs. She closed her eyes and pushed her magic down until the stiffness vanished. She froze as Dora was looking at her quite intently and closely. "Be honest with me. Should I be worried? I need to know, Hazel. I am trusting you with my life and you are trusting yours with me. Tell me these moments aren't a problem." Hazel closed her eyes and breathed deeply before opening them again. "I don't get them on the job, so you don't need to worry out in the field. When I have time to think… The mind is a terrible thing." Dora hugged Hazel, never breaking eye contact. "Will you ever trust me enough to tell me what it is you are seeing?" Hazel gave her a playful smile and leaned in, brushing her lips with Dora's. "When you are free to enter and leave my bed without permission, I will try and trust you with them." Dora's hair shifted color before returning to pink. "Tease."

Hazel chuckled. "For you? Always. Ready to free an elf?" Dora pulled back and nodded. Hazel drew a red chalk circle and a pentagram before picking up a bowl and a brush. "Dobby." The elf popped in and looked around, his eyes opened wide at what he saw. "Scary lady works with Blood Magic. Scary lady knows the Olde Ways." Hazel nodded. "To a degree. I can sever your connection to the Malfoys if you are willing Dobby, but only if you are willing. The Druids made sure these rituals could never act against the will of the elf, as no elf would ever betray a loving family. Will you forsake the violence of the Malfoys to protect another whose life is endangered by forces he cannot protect himself against?" Dobby nodded. "Dobby wishes to leave bad masters. Dobby wishes to protect the great Harry Potter." Hazel chuckled internally. The boy hasn't faced Voldemort a second time and Dobby still idolizes him. She wonders how much that is Dobby's warped perception or if he likes the idea of the person Draco hates the most as being greater than his old family. It's probably both, she mused. "Step into the circle, Dobby." The elf did so and Hazel chanted in Druidic, activating the circle. She knelt down and drew Druidic Script with her blood using a brush made of her hair. She noticed the change in Dobby, as he seemed to recognize her magic.

The little elf kept quiet as Hazel drew the necessary script across his body, with Dora watching from outside the circle. Hazel stood up and drew the final script on her hand before placing the small bowl and brush at her feet. She held her hand over the elf's head. " Ceridwen, goddess of change and rebirth. Take pity on Dobby, child of the woods and of magic, bound by the craft of mortals and restore him anew. Sever the bonds that tie him to his oppressors, who betray the oath of family and honor. Set him free so he may seek his own future once again. This I ask of you. " Magic flared inside of Hazel and she felt it settle into the blood sigil on her hand before transferring into Dobby. The elf shivered as he appeared to regain mass as the magic filled him, until he looked healthier than before. Hazel, feeling the magic complete, severed the connection and the circle collapsed, the chalk outline broken. Fighting through the sudden weight of exhaustion, she knelt before the little elf, watching as his eyes searched hers. "I am Hazel Peverell. I share blood with the Potters. I seek the safety of Harry James Potter and the end to the danger within the Hogwart Castle's walls. Will you Dobby, a free elf, lend aid to us? Will you become an elf to the House of Potter through me to protect and care for the rightful Heir?"

Dobby's eyes lit up. "Scary Mistress is of the Old Family. She wields the Magics forgotten. Dobby will accept. Dobby will protect Harry Potter." Hazel pricked her finger and presented it to the elf. "As I am Peverell, only my blood ties me to the family of Potter. If it pleases you Dobby, become an elf to House Potter." The elf touched the blood droplet and Hazel felt the magic snap into place, much as it did before, so many years ago. She closed her eyes as tears threatened to return, memories of her little friend flashing before her eyes. Regaining control, she looked at Dobby. "Your Orders, Dobby, Elf of House Potter. Observe Harry Potter from a safe distance. Come to me if something is amiss. I will either intervene or tell you how to intervene. Never allow Harry to be harmed by your protection or inaction, only by forces beyond your influence. Should I be busy, reach out to Andromeda Tonks née Black, the blood family of Harry Potter who seeks to aid him. Ask her as you would me. Do not reveal your presence to any of the Hogwarts staff or elves, the latter without securing their silence. Do all this without harming yourself or driving yourself to harm or exhaustion. You are of House Potter and the Potters care for their own, no matter what."

Hazel watched as the elf nodded. "Dobby understands. Scary Mistress is wise. Dobby will go and protect Harry Potter." The elf popped away and Hazel sighed. Dora came up behind her and found her skin cold. "Those Blood Magic rituals drain a lot of magic?" Hazel nodded. "The priests and priestesses of ages past had a stronger connection to the raw magic of the Earth than we do now and could perform these sorts of rituals easily. Much has been lost of the Old Religion that could strengthen one's connection to life and magic. For now, this and a few other spells and rituals are the sum of my knowledge of the Olde Ways." Dora hummed. "Come on, time to get you home. Teddy will be mad if you arrive late for dinner." Hazel groaned. "Damn it. I don't have anything planned. Leafsby!" The elf popped in infront of them. "Yes, mistress?" Hazel felt her eye twitch. The elf was just as bad as Kreacher sometimes. "Get six chicken fillets out of the freezer, wash them in water and salt them. I'll add the rest of the seasoning. Put a pot of water to boil with enough water for five servings of pasta and a frying pan. Leave cream, butter, olive oil, parmesan cheese and some grounded garlic on the table. Start dicing the vegetables and mushrooms."

Dora looked at Hazel as the elf vanished. "You just made a full course meal plan in a minute." Hazel blushed. "Ehh, a bit of a habit. I spent a year having a hard time getting food for Teddy so whenever I got a bit of meat I had to come up with a full meal plan on the fly, not to mention figuring out what I could safely precook for the coming days after." Dora shook her head. "Since it's with so much food, am I invited?" Hazel raised an eyebrow. "Your welcome to ask Leafsby to cook you something else." Dora gave Hazel a pleading look. "Please, can I eat with you? Leafsby is good but you get it just right." Hazel huffed. "Fine, but you are not making too much of a problem of me being tired in front of Teddy. He will tell I am exhausted, I don't need you getting him more worried as is." Dora nodded. "Fine." At the apartment, Dora settled in and helped Teddy with his studies while Hazel cooked. She noticed that Teddy would look at his mom a few times and Hazel would turn around and smile at him. She smiled at the sight of the two. They clearly cared and looked after each other and were so in tune that they knew when something would bother the other.

Later in the night, stomach just short of bursting and her body fully washed, Dora threw herself onto the bed and thought of the last few months. She hardly visited any concerts, drank less alcohol and somehow it all felt like it was the best time of her life. Being around those two wasn't as exhilarating as a Weird Sisters concert but she never felt exhausted either. She felt content. She thought about Hazel. Dora's Occlumency training was nearing its final months. She could feel it. Would learning all about Hazel make her change her mind about what she felt for her? She sighed and turned over and prayed it didn't. She cared about Hazel and Teddy. She… she wanted to be a part of that life, permanently. The times she dreamt of being back in the bed, kissing her and doing more. Dora moaned as she tried to stifle the more intimate thoughts. New Years. She would corner Hazel and ask her for a serious relationship starting New Years. Dora closed her eyes and dreamed of more than just green eyes. She dreamt of a warm place that always welcomed her with a smile and a hug. She slept well that night.

Dora, looking like a middle aged Muggle in hoodie, made her way cautiously to the men at the edge of the park. She leaned against the wall beside one of them. "I could use a bit of something to have a good time. You offering?" The man beside her straightened out. "What are you in the mood for? Upper, downer or something for the bedroom?" Dora hummed. "Upper. Heard about a new one that keeps you up for a week. Boss is a bit of a son of a bitch and has us working like dogs. Do you have any of that? If you do, I might know a few more boys who'd like. Coffee ain't doing it for them no more." The man eyed Dora and she knew what he was looking for. Signs she was a cop. She kept her body relaxed and her hands nervously tapping against the wall. The man noticed the seemingly irrational movement. "You off one?" Dora gave him a sheepish look. "Took an upper several times over the last week. Held up like shit and left me with the jitters." The man nodded and pulled a vial from his jacket pocket. "I got you something. One swig, a bit of alcohol to wash it down, keeps you good for a week. Running price is at 500 pounds a vial." Dora blinked. "You must be tripping me. I'd sell that for more."

The man shrugged. "I would like to but the boss sets the price. He wants people to get a good taste of it, maybe raise the prize later. Are you interested now? Might not have it this low in a week." Dora fished in her pocket and pulled out ten 100 pound bills. "I'll take two then. Won't be having a break in a while." The man nodded and handed her two vials. "Pleasure doing business. you send those coworkers here. I'll fix them up real good." Dora nodded. "If this is as good as you say, I might need more soon. I'll let the boys know." She walked away after pocketing the vials. She made sure she walked nervously, checking over shoulder and down the roads. The men went back to talking, feeling safe that they got off a sale with someone who wasn't working for law enforcement. A short apparition away to a safehouse and Dora placed her ear piece back on. "R2 here. Got two vials of the stuff." Horatio's voice came in clearly through the comms. "We heard. Good job maintaining cover. R1 is on the roof looking over them now. We got a runner fetching the vials. Use the agreed upon codewords." Dora stayed against the entrance wall until she heard a knock at the door. "Line?" Dora smiled. "Hook. Here is the catch." Dora turned over the vials to the Unspeakable who apparated as soon as the door was closed.

Horatio spoke up a few minutes later. "Potions and Alchemy will look them over, but if it's this juiced up Pepper Up potion that has been hitting Europe of late, we got ourselves a problem. Selling potions to Muggles isn't technically illegal unless they don't know squawk about the Magical World. This is a major breach of the Statute Amendment from a century ago." Dora hummed as she activated the security cameras. As most DoM safehouses were outside of Magical neighborhoods, it was safer and more efficient to go with Muggle security. Kept them from breaking the Statute too if the safehouses got breached by the police, since they also tended to be in less than ideal neighborhoods. "R2 to R1. Getting chilly up there?" A bit of a pause followed before Hazel's voice came up. "Could use some Chili or maybe some hot noodle soup right now. This is a cold September." Dora looked at the temperature gauge and cringed. "No kidding. Stay safe up there." Hazel responded quickly. "Acknowledged." Dora sat down and focused on her Animagi and Occlumency exercises. They were surprisingly similar in that they required a person to clear their minds a bit. The Animagus one was to hear the beast inside while the Occlumecy was directed at creating gaps and barriers that the Legilimens would have trouble navigating.

In Dora's case, she was following Hazel's modified Animagus exercises, focusing on a specific animal, making the creature's voice come from her own thoughts. She had to study the animal deeply and feel what it felt, replicating its behaviour and body language as well as their visual appearance. Hazel had her working on a non-magical creature without any predatory instincts for the moment. Building up magic and directing it by instinct was something way too advanced for Dora right now. "R1, going in pursuit with a magical tracker. Check maps and mark points where I circle. Off comms in 1 minute." Dora rushed to the table and pulled out her map of London and its neighboring areas. She activated her part of the tracker and watched as the glass weight moved across the table. "R2, map and echo tracker in place." Horatio spoke up. "BM, back up map and echo tracker in place. Proceed." What followed was a whole night of watching the map and marking the areas where Hazel spent time circling. While the observers would check it out thoroughly, Dora noticed a few warehouse districts. She wondered which were for the regular street drugs and which one was where the magical supplies were stored. Horatio's voice broke the silence. "Potion is confirmed as the illegal Pepper Up type. R1, disengage. Your flight courses are getting erratic beyond wind considerations."

Dora grew worried. The DoM got some recent computer equipment that allowed them to access information easily. Weather patterns were part of what info they had access to. That Hazel had been having trouble in the air was a bad sign. They had been at it for almost twelve hours. Dora felt some shame for not anticipating how tired her partner would have to be by now. A bit of heavy breathing entered the comms. "R1, off pursuit. Tired. Can make the jump to the safehouse but no further. Recommend potential… shifts in the future. 8 hour rotations max." Horatio chimed in. "Agreed. R1, get to the safehouse. R2, bring R1 home. You two did good today. We will infiltrate these hot points later. Get some rest." Dora jumped at the loud apparition pop and reached for Hazel, who was clearly off balance. She supported Hazel on her shoulder. "R2 to BM. Have R1 in possession. Permission to portkey." Horatio responded quickly. "Granted. Go to sleep you two. BM out." Dora grabbed the keychain. "Brighid's blessing." The portkey activated and deposited them at the DoM medical platform. Andromeda came up to them quickly and started casting diagnostics. "Physical and Magical Exhaustion. Take her back to her Apartment. Quetz is with Teddy right now."

Hazel felt Teddy latch onto her leg as soon as she was through the door. It was enough to get her a second wind. "Mom's ok, Teddy. Just tired. Dromeda sent me to bed. Doctors orders and all." Teddy smiled and nodded against her as she moved through the room and onto the sofa. Quetz looked over at her. "Damn, amiga. You look dead tired." Hazel chuckled. "Feel it too. Spent twelve hours as a falcon gliding the air currents. Might want to check the bracers and the rest of my guards. If they had any chance of suffering fatigue under the animagus form, this was it." Quetz helped her get the bracers, greeves and knee guards off. "I'll look this over at the workshop, but it's only minor deterioration. Teddy got through his Astronomy and Care homework. See you back on the clock, amiga." Hazel waved at her. "Later Q." Dora helped her up and Teddy followed behind them as she dropped Hazel onto the bed. She eyed her partner before turning to Teddy. "Your mom shouldn't sleep in her work clothes. Wait outside while I get her out of them." Teddy left the room and closed the door as Dora bit her cheek as she pulled Hazel out of the suit. The moment she was done, an arm pulled her to the bed and a pair of warm lips kissed her own, eliciting a groan out of her. "Thank you. See you tomorrow at breakfast, Nymphadora."

Dora left the apartment, red in the face, as Teddy jumped on the bed with his mom. He looked at her closely. "Are you sure you are not hurt?" Hazel turned over. "Nope. Just tired. Think you can get ready for bed on your own?" Hazel switched out of her dirty underwear and casted a scourgify and some freshening up spells on herself before she crashed onto the bed again. She felt the bed dip a little as Teddy snuggled up with her. Hazel took a deep breath and felt her magic settle down with Teddy nearby. In a year she knew he would be at Hogwarts and she would be away from him. She thought of the threat that lingered under the castle, one she knew, at least in her world, had been twisted and warped by time. She would have to get rid of it soon. She'd ask Croaker for a chance to inspect the castle soon enough. For now though she settled her mind and allowed sleep to claim her beside her 10 year old son. She would make him some fresh blueberry pancakes in the morning to make up for worrying him again.

Hermione sat on her bed and pulled out a black leather book. Ginny had apparently gotten it as a gift but she chose not to make a diary at Hogwarts. Ron had apparently told his sister about her love for books and the redhead just gifted her the book on her birthday. While Hermione wasn't a fan of second hand books, she wouldn't grudge the gift from Ginny. She knew the Weasleys were short on money and Ginny was being nice to her. Hermione usually only wrote in her notebooks and the parchments for assigned work but writing a journal seemed like a good idea. She wrote down her name, the date and about her day with the Gryffindors at Potions, noting Harry's improvement. Professor Snape had looked at him oddly the whole class and didn't deduct any points from his work. She went to re-dip her quill in ink when she frowned as the words she wrote vanished. Then new words appeared in some very tidy handwriting. Hello Hermione Granger. My name is Tom Riddle. A pleasure to meet you. Do you mind telling me about everything going on at the castle? I haven't been told anything new in over 50 years. Is Grindelwald's war over at last? Who won? Hermione stared at the pages, a smile growing on her face. She dipped her quill in the ink and proceeded to respond, thinking she had just found a new font of information on the Wizarding World. She wrote to Tom well into the night.

Tom, for his part, remained courteous. While a muggleborn student wasn't ideal in discovering the state of the Wizarding World, something that had proved difficult even for him as a halfblood in the 1940s, he did discover the fate of his counterpart. He had no idea how a boy in his diapers would have bested him and instead focused on the actions of the boy's parents but the girl couldn't explain further. It made him think of Dumbledore and his information tampering. At school, the old man loved to conceal the truth from him. Despite knowing he was of Salazar's line, he found almost no information beyond what the students of Slytherin knew. The rest he discovered in Slytherin's Chamber, after spending the majority of his time translating the Druidic Script and Old Futhark Runes. It was in a text from Herpo the Foul that Salazar brought over from a stint in Egypt that he discovered the key to his immortality. If only his counterpart had been more accommodating about the book's placement. Wherever he had been before the girl received the Diary he had never been spoken to and he was left to just think. Now… now he had a chance.

He needed time to pull from the girl as much magic as possible before influencing her. The fact she was so close to the boy who supposedly vanquished him and in Dumbledore's old House meant he had to be careful with his possessions of Hermione before he dared to devour her magic and essence entirely. He thought of Slytherin's Basilisk and grinned. Removing Dumbledore from Hogwarts would be the key to his success, but he knew it wouldn't be easy. He needed to cause chaos and damage that the old man would inevitably try to conceal. Then he would strike a target that would blow the case open in the eyes of the Ministry. Dumbledore would be called to testify before the Wizengamot and then all he had to do was keep sowing chaos. The moment the school was in danger of closing, he would drag the girl to the Chamber and Feast on her lifeforce. Tom lowered his quill over his version of the diary and sat back in the recreation of his room in the Slytherin Dorms. He smiled. He had the means and method of making the students panic and if he timed it right, no one would suspect his new puppet. For now he would gather information on his enemies and build his magic reserves. Until he was ready to begin again.

Chapter 20: Halloween Scares

OW September 1992

So Dumbledore hasn't changed in over 50 years? I don't know whether to be happy the world hasn't developed beyond my comprehension or saddened by the man's lack of progress. Hazel chuckled to herself. Finding Tom in the diary had been a great stroke of luck, though she was sure that Lord Nott had something to do with it being in her bag. She had been weary at first of it being a cursed object but the diary hadn't tried binding to her magic yet and her magic didn't seem to react violently to it either. She was glad that even though her wand skills were still poor, at least her magical sensitivity had gone up. Quirrell had taught her that it was important to feel the magic around you as a way of understanding whether enchantments were a threat or not, at least magically speaking. She honestly missed her old Defense professor as Lockhart was a wackjob in every sense of the word. How the magical population of Britain fell for his charms and lies was a damn mystery in her mind, especially when she caught his magic trying to influence her. How no one seemed to notice did bother her but she honestly couldn't care less about them. They all believe Dumbledore's grandfatherly persona too so she would just ignore them. Hazel also refused to call Quirrell by the other name he gave her. It made it easier to look back on the last year a bit more… fondly.

She dipped her quill in the ink and did her best to write neatly while sitting on her bed. She had been trying to improve her handwriting with the antiquated instruments at least. "Did he have someone follow you all the time too? Pretty sure all the paintings stop what they are doing to follow me with their eyes everywhere. I am so glad for my family's Invisibility Cloak. I can avoid them all at night." Hazel swore she felt some amusement from the book as Tom's words appeared on the page. Usually when he was out of class. As the Deputy Headmaster he couldn't order the portraits to spy on people. At least not at first. When some odd things started happening around the castle he convinced Headmaster Dippet to give him some control in hope of catching the perpetrator. That cloak must be a treat. I had trouble learning the Disillusionment charm by the time I made the Diary. I do hope my true self succeeded with the spell soon after. My family left me a few things but no Invisibility Cloak. Hazel frowned. "Because of how annoying Slytherins have been, I have been trying to pick up a few things, including looking up the magical families. If it wasn't for a room full of old books on the seventh floor, I was sure I would never have found anything on the subject. Though, I don't remember Riddle being one of the old magical families. Was yours a recent family or are you talking about your mother's family?"

Hazel waited for a bit and noticed he didn't answer straight away. "My question was insensitive, wasn't it? I am sorry Tom." Words sprang up on the page. You have some good instincts to notice that, even if it was after you wrote the question down. I never met my father. As for my mother, I assume she was a Gaunt but I never got her name. She died giving birth to me and only spoke my name to the nurses that attended to her. Hazel remembered that family name from her own research into her family. "They are descendants of the Peverells and Slytherin lines too, right? I found out I have some Peverell ancestry but not much. Do you speak to snakes too?" Hazel noticed a large ink drop appear on the page before Tom's words appeared, a bit less tidy than normal. Did you mean to write "too"? As in, you can speak to snakes as well? Interesting. My ancestors were indeed of the Peverell and Slytherin lines. Maybe a Slytherin or a Gaunt married into yours. Have you found anything in the castle? Legend speaks of a chamber left by Salazar for his descendants but there aren't any reports of it being real. Hazel tapped the quill feather onto her lip before writing down. "Not really. There might be more stuff in the Dungeons but I am hesitant to spend time down there. The Head of Slytherin House hates me and would be all too happy to make me spend all my free time scrubbing cauldrons and organizing his ingredient stores."

Tom wrote quickly. That doesn't sound like Professor Slughorn. He was my Head of House and Potions Master. He was strict but friendly and kind. He took me under his wing, even though I wasn't all that good at Potions. I owe a lot to him. Did he retire? Hazel sighed. Tom's Potion Master sounded perfect. A part of her wished she had studied under him. Maybe he would have helped her out. "I think so. The Potions Master and Head of Slytherin currently is Professor Snape. He favors the Slytherins ridiculously in class, giving points for mediocre potions while deducting points from us for just being there. He's personally sabotaged my potion over half a dozen times. I have to keep my hands over the cauldron for the most part now, to block any ingredients he and the Slytherins throw my way. Your Professor sounds like a dream." Hazel felt a mix of mirth and concern from the book's magic. Slughorn was a great teacher and Head of House. It bothers me how much Slytherin has changed. While I studied at Hogwarts, there was no tolerance for mediocrity within our House. It's why Slughorn gave me tutoring lessons for potions, some with older students, but mostly with him. He wanted all Slytherins to score Exceeds Expectations in his course. We all did, thanks to him, but we earned it the hard way. Your Professor shouldn't be at the school at all. Maybe Dumbledore's handywork?

Hazel hummed as her quill touched the parchment. "I think so. The old goat trusts the Professor over everyone else at the school." Tom took a second to respond. Sounds like he has him there for another reason. A shame, really. By the way, aren't you feeling tired? We have been at this for a while now. Hazel looked at her wristwatch before she responded. "Not really but it is late and tomorrow is Astronomy. I might fall asleep in class again. It's been great talking to you, Tom. Take care and I will write soon." Tom wrote back. Yes, do rest up. I remember those Astronomy late night classes. Pleasant dreams, Hazel, and see you soon. Hazel closed the diary and wrapped her leather strap around it before placing it in her trunk. Buried under the covers she turned over and thought about Tom. Her time with Quirrell had left her anxious around new people and Dumbledore and Lockheart were both driving her up the walls. Tom seemed nice and she was glad they had so much in common. That he was distantly related to her was nice too. She allowed sleep to claim her, hoping that this time she had found a real friend. Even if he was stuck in a book.

NW October 31st 1992

Hazel washed her face before looking at her reflection in her bathroom mirror. It had been years since she dreamt about the diary. Like Quirrell, those memories were not particularly unpleasant until the end. Hazel brushed her teeth and thought that perhaps it was her anxiety over the coming months acting up. Croaker and her had been sharing information about the Chamber and the Basilisk afterall. She had to disappoint the man in his hope she could potentially control the creature. While she could speak Parseltongue, she didn't have the gift of Parselmagic. She couldn't force snakes to obey her as Tom could, something she discovered later for herself after several late night writing sessions with Tom. The git had conveniently forgotten to mention that particular fact before she encountered a snake in the dueling club Lockhart ran. At least she, or anyone else for that matter, hadn't needed any antivenom. Still, her little search of Harry's trunk hadn't shown any books that looked or felt like Tom Riddle's Diary, only Lily Evans' Potions notes and her journal. She hoped the kid was making good use of them. That particular treasure trove of information had been denied to her. After she rinsed her mouth and started to dress, her thoughts went back to the Chamber.

Salazar's Chamber had been more than just the lair of the Basilisk. It had been Salazar's personal repository. Every book he deemed important to his legacy was stored there, though the man had made sure only the diligent could find it and study it. It had been a good thing that her Chamber had had multiple entrances and exits, or she would never have found the repository. Dumbledore had discovered the one that had been used to drag the last victim into the Chamber and, after the Basilisk had been killed, sealed it. Hazel conveniently forgot to mention the entrance she knew existed in her Sanctuary. She had snuck into the Chamber and explored it with Dobby, recently freed after Hazel played Lucius like a fiddle, before they settled down and rendered down the Basilisk. The skin, fangs and venom had been preserved just in case they could one day be used. The meat had been harder to deal with. If she sold it, word might have spread of someone having access to the Chamber. Hazel had nearly gone insane trying to think of a way to use it without drawing attention to herself, as leaving it to rot felt like such a waste. Dobby had suggested the Goblins but Hazel knew Dumbledore had spies there. He would also see the sudden influx of funds to any accounts attached to her vaults, as her being a minor prevented her from making an independent account. In the end she reached out to the Centaurs and just gave it to them, in exchange for them never bringing it up to the Headmaster. They never did and she was granted a measure of protection with them for the generous offer.

Hazel eventually found Salazar's repository of books, only for her to groan as she had no way of reading them. She scoured the place and had breathed a huge sigh of relief when she found a book that helped translate Druidic Script to Modern English. She had smirked happily at the time, knowing the book was probably something Tom had left behind. Dumbledore's constant watch on him after Myrtle Warren's death had forced the boy never to return to the Chamber, something the Diary had no idea about. Neither of the two Tom's came back to hide their notes. So for the end of her second year and every year after that she could, Hazel studied the books in Salazar's repository, learning the Druidic Script and discovering the uses of Blood Magic. She knew Voldemort had some basic understanding of Blood Magic and had possibly studied it on his own after he left Hogwarts. She refused to let him have an edge over her. The thing that had surprised her the most were Salazar Slytherin's journals, as well as the journals of the first Gaunts. The man was very different from what the racists kids in his House believed him to be. She had eventually regretted the death of the Basilisk, learning that Salazar had never intended for her to kill muggleborns. Hazel had wished she could have revealed the truth in her world.

Sadly, the pureblood racists would have ignored the truth that Salazar's Basilisk was left behind to guard the school from outsiders, not muggleborns, just as they constantly ignored the dangers of inbreeding and the threat that the Muggles and their Weapons of Mass Destruction posed to the entire world. Even presented with undeniable physical proof and evidence, they would simply ignore it. So Hazel had stored those books away where she found them, with her own notes added in the hope that the next Parselmouth learned the truth and built on it as she had. With her world devoured in the Nuclear Winter, that hope had been extinguished. She prayed that in this world things with Salazar were similar enough. That the repository existed at all. She knew the Unspeakables would kill for the chance to read the notes of a Hogwarts Founder and to potentially publish them. The DoM hardly ever published its findings but when they did, people had a hard time ignoring them. Maybe, just maybe, Salazar's true legacy, not the propagandist illusion, could be restored. But for that to happen she needed to get into the Chamber. She had a lot of places in the Castle to explore and she hoped her old entrances worked just as well here.

"Hazel! Horatio called. We have a mission later in the night. Quetz has volunteered to look after Teddy for the afternoon. Hurry up here. We're starving." Hazel heard her son speak to Dora, though she didn't catch what he said to her. "Ok, fine. I am starving and Teddy is just hungry. Stop pruning your eyebrows and get out here." Hazel felt her eye twitch. "Sure, I will be right out, Nymphadora. Just so you know, you just got your breakfast reduced to one serving." Dora tried to complain but Teddy must have stopped her as the only thing she heard was a muffled noise and some giggling. Fully dressed, Hazel stepped out of the bathroom and glared at Dora. "Morning, Nymphadora." She smiled at Teddy and kissed his hair. "Morning Teddy. Good work on the silencing charm." Teddy beamed as Dora pulled out her wand and dispelled Teddy's charm. "Hazel, your kid is an Animagus, is studying way ahead of his peers and can do some wandless magic too. What haven't you taught him?" Hazel smirked. "The nastier hexes and curses. I still need to give him "The Talk" too. Another comment like the one earlier, and it will be your job. Under Andromeda's supervision, of course." Tonks paled and leaned back into her chair. "Noted. No more jokes early in the morning." Hazel got back to work on the stove, a smile on her face. "Good."

Dora lowered her head as a hail of bullets shot up the wooden crate she was hiding behind. "R2, getting shot to hell over here." Horatio spoke up through the comms. "R1 isn't doing much better on the roof, R2. Except with less grumbling. Stow the chatter and return fire with your wand. Keep to stunners. And don't think I didn't hear that curse out of your mouth, R1. I know you can stun them so do it before you set the ward stone down." Hazel responded, with clear irritation in her voice. "R1, Acknowledged." Dora casted a kinetic barrier that Hazel had taught her, before looking over the crate and aiming her wand over the shield. Two more gunners fell to her stunners, one apparently keeping their finger on the trigger, as the gun went wild, bullets impacting the walls and some of his comrades as he went down. Dora dropped the shield as more bullets rained onto her crate. She was really glad the stuff inside was thick enough to take the bullets safely for her. She had barely managed to sneak into the warehouse through the open loading dock, before she tripped some electronic alarm. The Unspeakables were going to be researching how that happened when she got back to base Dora did curse her and her partner's luck on hitting one of the warehouses manned exclusively by Muggles. Wizards were easier to take down and Horatio almost always gave the kill on sight order with them.

After their first mission, Croaker made sure his Operatives were more cautious in their missions concerning Muggles. MI5 and NCIS had jurisdiction when it came to Muggle criminals and while MI5 wasn't always squeamish, NCIS was. As the building turned up to only be guarded by Muggles, they had to follow the recently established NCIS guidelines, as they were the ones usually handling drug enforcement operations. Which meant no magical deaths. Dora was seriously considering taking up a firearm after this. After she finished her Animagus and Occlumency training first. The lights of the warehouse went out as Dora felt the wardstone activate. With only the emergency lights lighting up the place, the criminals slowed down their fire. "R1 to R2, prepare for apparition on your left. One minute." Dora adjusted her position and Hazel apparated silently beside her. "Roof targets all down and wardstone safely positioned. We only have to deal with the punks here." Dora looked over the crate, watching the criminals moving in closer, their weapons drawn. "Any ideas, partner?"

Hazel hummed as a grin grew on her face. "R1 to BM. Are we cleared to use spells for non-injury distractions?" Dora eyed her partner as Horatio sighed. "Yes, you are cleared for that." Hazel chuckled as she drew her wand. "I am going to enjoy this. Disillusion yourself as soon their fire is aimed elsewhere and stun them, partner." Dora nodded and her eyes grew wide as Hazel got started on conjurations. The criminals screamed in terror as hellhounds, giant bats and zombies appeared out of thin air and attacked them. Dora went out and stunned the criminals, seeing Hazel do the same from her side of the warehouse. They took cover a few times when the bastards started spraying bullets everywhere but the bats latching onto their faces and the hellhounds and zombies tackling the gunmen down kept the danger to a minimum. Seeing the criminals were all stunned, Dora removed her Disillusionment charm. She heard a body slam against a desk and turned around quickly, her wand raised with a stunner ready to cast. Hazel visually appeared just outside an elevated office door, a man's body slumped over the railing of a staircase that hugged the wall. "Watch the three dimensions, R2."

Dora sighed in relief, lowering her wand. "Thanks again, R1. I will remember that." Hazel nodded and held her wrist up. "R1 to BM, targets neutralised. All stunned though a few might have some horror inspired nightmares in the future." Dora heard Horatio give an exasperated sigh. "Acknowledged. We will have our liaisons and Obliviators on site just in case. NCIS and metropolitan police are on their way. Wait for their arrival on the roof, retrieve the wardstone and return to base. Good job. BM out." Dora "eeped" as Hazel apparated her to the roof and the two sat under a notice-me-not charm as they waited for the sirens that were growing louder as the vehicles made their way through the streets. Dora thought about the monsters Hazel conjured and chuckled. "Nice thinking earlier." Hazel smiled. "Thanks. Seemed like a good idea if we couldn't trust our stealth to avoid getting shot. Especially when you triggered the alarm." Dora nodded and felt a smile grow on her face. "You got any VHS' at the apartment of scary movies? We could have a marathon tonight." Hazel shrugged. "A few, but we're sticking to the old black and white classics. Teddy isn't ready for the Hammer Horror films or the American slasher flicks." Dora rested her chin on her hand as the sound of sirens came closer, the sky dyed purple and orange by the setting sun. "Fine, but I am dragging you on a date for a scary movie one of these days." Hazel sighed. "Deal."

"Another!" Hazel sighed and rubbed her eyes. "Dora, I think we created a monster." Teddy pouted as Dora and Quetz chuckled, the blonde waving her hand. "Come now, amiga. Let the squirt have his fun." Hazel glared softly at the DoM's Crafter. "You say that when you won't be the one dealing with his nightmares after tonight." Quetz shrugged. "Fair point. So, that was the Mummy. We still have the Invisible Man, The Wolf-Man or Creature from the Black Lagoon." Hazel stood up. "Put in Black Lagoon. I am going to get some more popcorn made." Dora spoke after her. "Make sure it has loads of butter this time!" Teddy shook his head. "White cheddar popcorn is better!" Quetz laughed. "No, no. Caramel popcorn is the best." The disgusted looks on Dora and Teddy's face made her laugh as Hazel pulled a pot onto the stovetop and got to work. Quetz skipped ahead to the opening credits while Teddy and Dora tried their best to imitate the appearance of Bela Lugosi and Boris Karloff from the Mummy, Dracula and Frankenstein, much to Quetz entertainment. The blonde headed to the fridge. "Oy, Dora. You want a beer?" Dora eyed Teddy and Hazel. Teddy shrugged. "You two get drunk, Mom will kick you out the front door and Leafsby might lock you out of your Apartment."

Hazel hummed as she listened to the kernels popping. "What he said." Dora looked to Quetz. "Just one for me. I'd rather make it to my bed tonight." Quetz opened the fridge and pulled two bottles out before returning to her seat and handing Dora one of them. Hazel brought in two bowls of popcorn and the four settled in to watch the next movie. Halfway into the film, Dobby popped in. "Miss Hazel. Someone has been petrified at Hogwarts." Hazel stared at the elf. That had happened too early in the year. She knew Tom had trouble feeding from her in her old world but to be able to manifest enough after two months? "What's the Headmaster done to safeguard the students?" Dobby rubbed his hands nervously. "All students have been sent to their dormitories and the prefects have been ordered to watch them. The Professors are searching the Castle for the culprit." Hazel sighed. "And Harry?" Dobby smiled. "The Great Harry Potter wasn't near the petrification. He was safely returned to his dormitory. He hasn't been anywhere near what happened." Hazel thought for a moment before looking at Dobby. "Keep watch over the Griffindor Dormitory for tonight. Croaker will want to wait and see what Dumbledore does tonight and in the morning before sending us in. Be careful you aren't spotted. The elves and the portraits will be looking out for anything out of place."

Dobby nodded. "Dobby will go watch the Lion dorms. Dobby be careful. Hogwarts elves know of Dobby and won't betray. They know Hogwarts isn't safe. Dobby is going now." Quetz stood up, finished her beer and turned to Hazel after the elf popped away. "Sounds like you two will have a full day of work tomorrow. I'll take my leave. Thanks for movie night and dinner, amiga." Hazel nodded. "Later, Q. I'll stop by in the morning to check on your protective lenses. Can't be too careful with a Basilisk." Quetz ruffled Teddy's hair. "Later, squirt." Teddy waved at her as she left. "Later Quetz." Hazel pulled Teddy up from the floor. "Go shower. You can come back, watch the rest of the film and then go to bed." Teddy nodded and rushed to the bathroom as Dora looked at Hazel. "A Basilisk?" Hazel sat down, her eyes seeing something other than the living room in front of her. "Slytherin's monster. Controlled and unleashed by a Parselmouth." Dora frowned. "Didn't know that a Basilisk petrified people." Hazel nodded. "Not many do. Indirect line of sight from its eyes or if ordered otherwise, it won't kill outright." Dora rubbed her face. "Great. Our suspect pool includes over a hundred kids." Hazel eyed Dora. "And one cursed book."

Earlier…

"I really wish Lockhart would drop it. He keeps picking me for his silly scene reenactments." Ron shrugged. "Come on, Harry. It's not that bad. Things could be worse." Harry glared at Ron. "How?" Ron swallowed the large chuck of chicken meat he just pulled from the drumstick in his hand. "Snape could be dragging you in for detention for one. He's left you alone since the start of term." Harry sighed as he ate another bite of food from his plate, his eyes looking towards the Staff Table. He had a feeling he knew why Snape had stopped attacking him in Potions. Ever since he got his mom's Potion Notes, he did his best to follow them, making sure he understood why she made all those changes to the standard potions procedure. The results had been uncanny as most of his potions came out as the Professor demanded them to be or just a bit off. He constantly felt Snape's eyes on his back whenever he prepared a potion but the dour man never spoke a word to him he didn't need to. Lily Potter's journal also included a few mentions of Snape in them, helping her out with her assignments. That they had been Potions partners and friends had made Harry feel so conflicted and the man's change in behaviour, while appreciated, made Harry all the more confused as to why Snape acted the way he did the past year.

Shaking his head, he turned to Hermione who ate from her meal at a slow pace. "You ok?" Hermione turned and gave him a shy smile. "Yeah, just not sleeping as well. There is a lot more work this year. The upper years also say it gets worse with the electives. I was thinking of registering for most of them but after this last month, I better not." Harry hummed. "Same. I have been reading a bit ahead. Arithmancy and Runes sound nice but Care just sounds fun." Ron coughed into his plate of food, getting disgusted looks from the other kids near him. "You two are talking about electives now? We are almost a year away from that. Also, Arithmancy and Runes are the hardest electives one can take. Are you mental?" Harry turned at Ron and shrugged. "What, some of it is interesting. Except maybe Arithmancy. I took Math in primary but I don't miss it, so I might go with Runes and Care. Helping Hagrid with the creatures is fun as is." Ron shook his head as Harry thought back to the birthday present he found in his mother's trunk. The note on it had been quite right. Scamander's annotated edition was a lot drier to read than the one he found in the library, but the man went into so much detail on things to do and not do with all the creatures, Harry felt it was worth the headache. He was really looking forward to Care for Magical Creatures. "You two are bloody mental." After Ron's comment, Harry turned to Hermione who eyed him carefully. "What?" She shook her head. "Nothing, it's just nice seeing you enjoying classes more."

Harry smiled for a second before he frowned. "I would be better if we didn't have Lockhart tomorrow. I can't stand his assignments." Hermione giggled and Harry was about to admonish her about his suffering being amusing to her when a Ravenclaw prefect rushed into the Great Hall. "Headmaster! Come quick. Something's happened to Mr. Filch on the Second floor." Harry watched as the students rushed out of the Great Hall, ignoring the Headmaster's orders. He followed the pack until they reached the second floor, being careful not to slip on the wet floors. "I said everyone was to stay at the Hall. That will be…" Dumbledore's voice trailed off as he came up on the scene that had the students dead quiet. Mr. Filch held his cat in his arms, his face stuck in a horrified expression. Both the man and his cat were as still as statues against the wall, where a message had been written, the letters dripping with what appeared to be blood. Let Hogwarts rejoice and my enemies tremble. The Heir of Slytherin has returned.