"I tell you, there's something wonky going on with Ashworth," James complained. "And I'm going to get to the bottom of that wonk!"
Sirius rolled his eyes. "Oh, come on, James, he's a teacher for crying out loud. Just because Evans has the hots for him doesn't make him a dark wizard."
"He was sneaking around last night!"
"And you can prove this how?" Sirius grinned. "'Cause you were sitting right next to me on your bed."
James held up a piece of parchment. "This."
Snatching the piece of paper from his friend's hands, Sirius turned it over. "It's blank," he deadpanned.
"Well, yeah!" James grabbed it back and then tapped it with his wand. " I solemnly swear that I am up to no good," he intoned carefully, and Sirius watched in fascination as lines began to draw themselves on the previously blank parchment.
"Whoa, cool. Hey, I recognize this. This is our potions classroom down in the dungeons! And the dorms!"
James nodded. "Remember when I told you I was going to start working on a map of the castle?"
"This is it?" Sirius grinned widely. "Dang, that's awesome. But how's that help you figure out where Ashworth's been sneaking around?"
James smirked and then turned the parchment over. Dots began appearing on the map, labeled with names. "It tracks anyone within Hogwarts! And last night while I was working on it, I saw Ashworth sneak out of the castle, and he took your cousin with him!"
Sirius arched a skeptical eyebrow. "Bella, I can see sneaking out, but not without good reason. And to be honest, Ashworth doesn't strike me as the type to sneak out with a student. He doesn't have the spine for it."
"But the map really showed it!"
Sirius looked the map over more carefully. "Hmm… and this map's completely accurate, you say?"
"Of course."
"Then why's the girl's bathroom inside the Great Hall on your map?"
James stared. "What?"
"Here, look." Sirius folded the map over to the appropriate section. "See?" He flipped it over again. "And apparently, I'm not sitting next to you; Julie Vance is."
"Give me that!" James snagged the paper back from his friend. "Fine," he grumbled, "so it needs a little work. But I swear Ashworth's up to something, and he's dragging your cousin into it!"
Sirius laughed. "I would worry more about her dragging him into something, if I were you." He stood. "Come on, let's see if we can find Remmy and drag him away from his transfiguration homework. You'll need all the help you can get with that map of yours. It'll get your mind off your conspiracy theories." He winked at James. "And who knows, we might even run into Evans in the library."
If there was one thing Orion Black hated more than the incessant bickering of aristocrats who argued over the proper way to govern the wizarding world, it was the incessant bickering of the politicians that had taken their place. While Romulus Malfoy had used his considerable clout with the older pureblood families to weed out the trash before issuing any invitations, but the people that sat arrayed around the table were, if not openly hostile, at least eyeing each other with a considerable amount of distrust and suspicion. They were feuding families, families who held grudges, who were on opposite ends of the political spectrum, families who believed themselves superior to others. But they all had one thing in common: none of them wanted a repeat of the disaster that was Grindelwald's rise to power.
As the Black family patriarch glanced around the table, he noted with interest that some of the wizarding world's most prominent families were present while others, equally prominent, were clearly absent. He had to wonder if that was because they had shown no interest in Malfoy's invitation, or if that meant that they were in league with this new rising dark lord. He carefully hid a smile at the glares being exchanged by Richard Potter and Emily Bones. The two had never been able to stand being under the same roof ever since young Miss Bones had turned down the Potter patriarch's offer of courtship. Emily Bones was relatively young for someone of her position, having inherited the position of head of house after her father had become a victim of character assassination and taken his own life. It had only spurred her hatred for politicians, and Richard Potter was a career politician.
Potter himself was someone who Orion felt was rather distasteful to be around. The Potters were an ancient family, easily equally as old as the Blacks, and claimed to be descended directly from Godric Gryffindor. Not one of them could prove it, but that wasn't something that stopped Richard Potter from flaunting it. The Potter fortune was also one of the most intact, this being largely due to the expert care of his ancestors, something Orion could respect. In fact, he had been very good friends with Richard Potter's father, the former Potter patriarch, until his death during the Grindelwald campaign. Unlike his father, though, Richard Potter lived loud, fast, and frittered his family fortune away on women and unnecessary displays of wealth. What he was doing here, Orion didn't know, but at least that meant that what was left of the Potters' considerable fortune would likely remain out of the dark lord's reach.
Also arrayed around the table were Carl Abbott, Vincent McNair, and Davian Prewitt, all of whom held prestigious seats in the Wizengamot. A few of the minor families were also present, mostly politicians who sat on one of the councils or sub-committees of the wizarding government. In the grand scheme of things, if a dark lord wanted to take control, they were inconsequential, but if they wanted to rally the wizarding world against Voldemort, their support would prove invaluable. All in all, there were around a dozen people, enough to fill the dining hall at Orion's home. Orion glanced at Romulus; the Malfoy patriarch was sitting to his right and raised his hand to his mouth.
The sharp whistle pierced the din of heated conversation easily, and everyone quieted. All eyes were turned towards Orion. The Black family head cleared his throat and stood from his chair at the head of the table. "Ladies, Gentlemen," he began gravelly, "I am pleased that you have decided to accept our invitation."
"What's this about, Orion?" Davian Prewitt asked. The Prewitt patriarch was almost as old as Orion, himself, and the two had a long-established mutual respect for each other that stemmed from their shared dislike for the way their world was being run.
"We have asked you to meet here today in order to discuss a matter of grave urgency with you," Orion continued. "I have come to ask for your support for a vote of no confidence against Minister Thornton."
"What?" Carl Abbot shouted. "I hope you have good reason for an announcement like that, Black, because that's sounding suspiciously like treason!"
"I do, indeed, Master Abbot." Orion glanced at Romulus to his side. "We have reason to believe that Minister Thornton is no longer fit to govern."
"That's a serious accusation you're making, Orion," Prewitt commented. "What exactly are you basing this on?"
"I have recently become aware of evidence that Minister Thornton may be involved in corruption and efforts to undermine the government," the Black family head replied coolly.
"That's preposterous; why would Thornton do such a thing?" McNair said, inserting himself into the conversation. The man was large and muscular, someone who didn't exactly look like a politician. In the present crowd, he was one of Thornton's staunchest supporters, having campaigned with her for her last two terms.
Romulus took that as his cue. "We have uncovered evidence that Minister Thornton has been involved in tax evasion and has used the state treasury to unlawfully enrich herself. We also have evidence linking her to money laundering activities."
"I ask you again," McNair glared at Romulus, "why would she do such a thing? I have known her for fifteen years, and she has always put the welfare of the state first."
"Greed is a powerful motivator, Vincent," Orion replied evenly, ignoring the hostility in McNair's tone. "Even the purest of souls can be corrupted when enough money is in play. What matters is that evidence has come into our hands that implicates Minister Thornton in several illegal activities. We now have to decide what to do."
"I would be interested in hearing exactly how this evidence made its way into your hands, and who you got it from," Potter added. "Especially since I haven't heard anything of the sort, and I work with the treasurer."
"Maybe it's because you're helping her," young Emily Bones told him acerbically.
"Oh please, I don't need to take money from the state," Potter replied arrogantly.
Orion held up his hands, forestalling the Bones matriarch's angry response. "We have copies of the documents that we were given right here. Expense reports from Minister Thornton's travels, copies of her personal accountant's notes, and communications between Minister Thornton and her personal accountant regarding several of these expenses. We also have the book for some of the businesses Minister Thornton was using to launder the money."
"How much exactly are we talking about here?" Prewitt asked apprehensively.
Romulus rifled through the papers, before handing them over. Prewitt's eyes widened in shock. "Seven million galleons? How did she ever move that kind of money without anyone noticing?"
"The businesses she was using as a front had a lot of small denomination cash traffic," Romulus answered. "As a result, she managed to get a lot of it in circulation, effectively removing any chance that we could trace it after the fact. This is merely a tally of all the inconsistencies between her accountant's personal records and the actual expense reports submitted to the treasury."
"And we're supposed to just believe you?" McNair asked.
"Not us," Romulus said, "the evidence." He handed the man the stack of papers.
"Who did you get this from?" McNair asked, paling visibly after glancing through the pages.
"A source that would like to remain anonymous, for now," Orion told him. "A sensible precaution, as there may be those seeking retribution for exposing these kinds of activities, if our informant's identity became known."
"Understandable," Prewitt agreed.
"Let's say we take this evidence to be true," Abbot said, "then why did you ask just us? You could have brought a formal petition to the Wizengamot, and have requested a hearing on the matter. Why do this off the record?"
Orion and Romulus shared a glance. They weren't quite ready to reveal the news of a new dark lord rising to the others just yet. "We have no idea who else may be involved. So far it appears that it is just Minister Thornton and her personal accountant. However, she has many friends and allies in the courts, and the Wizengamot. In order to bring this matter to a swift closure, we felt it best to bring an immediate vote of no confidence before the Wizengamot, followed by a formal investigation, instead of the other way around," Orion replied.
"I see…" Emily Bones said.
"So, what do you propose, Orion?" Abbot asked quietly as the papers made to round and found themselves in his hands. "If we bring a vote of no confidence before the Wizengamot, you need to have a successor lined up. We're in the middle of the term."
"Obviously, it would be best to not hand control of the government to anyone currently involved in the Thornton administration," Orion explained with a pointed look at Potter. "However, we have as of yet not decided who our nominee will be. This matter just recently came to our attention, and part of the reason why we asked you here was to ask your opinion on that matter, in addition to asking for your support on the vote."
"I need to think on this," McNair said.
"Of course," Orion acknowledged. "I think it would be best if you all did. This is a lot to take in."
"Can I take a copy of the papers? I would like to look at them myself."
"Of course. I will have a copy made for each of you."
One by one, the guests filed out of the room until only Davian Prewitt was left. "I don't know if this has anything to do with what you've just told us, Orion, but I heard a few things about that Ashworth fellow you've been dealing with lately. I heard that he's of particular interest to one of the Aurors. Moody is his name, I think. Alastor Moody."
"I know," Orion replied quietly.
"You also realize that I know Jerome Ashworth? He lives near Brisbane these days, but he's got access to the family register. Oddly enough, when I asked him about it, he told me that there was no one named Harry Ashworth on the family register. In fact, no one his age exists in the family."
"You're saying Ashworth is a fake name?"
Prewitt shrugged. "I don't know. Maybe he's using a glamour charm to make himself appear younger. Maybe he doesn't want to be found. Whatever the case, watch your back around him, Orion."
"I will. Thank you for your concern, Davian."
With a tired sigh, the Black patriarch watched his friend walk out the door. The clink of glassware announced Romulus's return with a carafe of firewhiskey and two snifters. "Well," he began, "it went better than I thought it would."
"That it did." Orion took one of the glasses and poured himself a shot. "No one seemed to question the validity of our evidence."
"It took a lot to have all that forged on such short notice."
"You made sure there were no gaps?"
"Naturally. The forgers did excellent work, even if the price was completely unreasonable."
Orion nodded gravelly. "That it was, but time is of the essence. We have to push this vote forward. Our current administration is nowhere near prepared or capable of fighting a war against a dark lord. Not after the last war."
"Grindelwald was a complete disaster. I can't fault the government for not wanting to acknowledge the existence of a new dark lord. They're scared of what'll happen, and it's easier to just pretend everything is going to be fine." Malfoy swirled his glass around and stared into the amber liquid thoughtfully. "They did have a point, though. Who do you think should succeed Thornton if the vote goes through?"
"I don't know. But it must not be one of the politicians. They would be just as bad as Thornton."
Malfoy nodded. "Aye, they would be. It's a shame that we need to end Thornton's career like this. She may be a politician, but McNair was right. She always acted for the good of the state, even if it cost her the support of her party."
"At least chances are good she will avoid a jail sentence. The evidence we concocted is just enough to pass the vote of no confidence, but a good lawyer will be able to argue that most of it is speculation."
"You're taking a big risk with this. We could've had more direct evidence falsified, instead."
Orion shook his head. "I know, but sending Thornton to Azkaban for things she didn't do is not something I am eager to be an accomplice of. This entire matter is distasteful enough, as it is."
"You never liked subterfuge," Malfoy chuckled. "However, what do we do if the vote does not go through, because the evidence wasn't strong enough?"
"Then we will have to consider other alternatives. For now, let us hope that what we have set in motion is enough."
Lily Evans was angry. Rumors had been flying around, ever since a disheveled-looking Harry Ashworth had stumbled late into the Great Hall for breakfast followed shortly by an equally disheveled-looking Bellatrix Black, two days ago. Actually, her appearance had been impeccable, as always, but she had looked tired, as if she'd spent the entire night awake and doing… Lily shuddered, not even wanting to think about it. It was bad enough that he spent so much time around that Black girl, but now this ? She stomped her way to her next class, completely unaware of her surroundings, at least until she walked right into someone, and almost came crashing to the ground.
"Watch where you're going, Evans," a female voice said coldly.
"Then get out of my way, Black," Lily shot back as she stepped backwards.
Bellatrix gave her a curious look. She was aware that Lily didn't like her, but the outright hostility in the Gryffindor girl's tone was something new. "You got a problem with me, Evans?" Bellatrix crossed her arms. "If you do, just say so."
"It's none of your business."
"Fine," Bellatrix shrugged. She didn't much care for Lily, anyways, and it didn't really bother her if the girl wanted to make like a popsicle around her. "See you later, Evans." With a casual wave over her shoulder, Bellatrix wandered down the hall. In the direction of Professor Ashworth's private quarters, Lily noted with chagrin. Huffing in anger, she continued to march down to her Charms class.
When she walked through the door, a couple of minutes later than usual for her, a handful of people were already sitting in the room. Much to her annoyance, that included James Potter and his group of marauding misfits, who were huddled over something on one of the benches, apparently trying to cast charms on whatever it was they were working on. Another prank, no doubt, Lily dismissed as she took her seat, as far from them as she could.
"Hmm… you think so?" one of them asked timidly. Lily reckoned that was probably Peter. She didn't know any of them well, but aside from Remus, he was the most soft-spoken one.
"Come on, James," Remus intoned, "you're talking nonsense. There's nothing going on between Professor Ashworth and Bellatrix. So they're friends. From what I heard, she was the one who showed him around when he got here, so it's natural they hang out a lot."
"Yes, but on a Friday night? After curfew?" James chuckled. "I think we all know what's going on there, him sneaking around with her after dark."
Sirius cuffed him upside the head. "Oh shush, there's a lady present," he pointed over James's shoulder at Lily, causing his eyes to widen comically. Oops, he mouthed. "And didn't I tell you, I'd be more worried about her seducing him, in any case? Ashworth's kind of a wimp."
"Aha!" James cried out in triumph. "So now you're admitting that there might be some of that going on, after all!"
Sirius groaned at the wide opening he'd left for his friend. "No, but even if there was, it's none of our business. And you have no proof, anyhow, and Ashworth's only a temp. He's gonna be gone at the end of the school year, anyway."
"But I do have proof."
"That map?" Sirius rolled his eyes. "Remus?"
The third Marauder shrugged his shoulders. "It's… sort of working. I think a couple of the charms are interfering with each other. But I'd say it's mostly reliable. We should be able to fix it up in a couple of days."
"See?" James grinned.
"But like I said, there's still some irregularities. I have no clue how you managed to get the map charm to show the girl's bathroom in the Great Hall," Remus concluded. James's smile fell.
"Lighten up," Sirius clapped him on the shoulder. "You're probably making a big deal about nothing. I really don't think Ashworth's up to something sinister. The guy's a total gimp."
"Professor Ashworth is not a gimp!" Lily exclaimed angrily, her temper flaring after catching bits of the boys' conversation.
Sirius looked over and smiled apologetically. "Sorry, Evans, I meant that in the nicest possible way."
"Still," she insisted, "you shouldn't be talking like that about a professor."
Sirius shrugged. "Well, James here thinks just because he thinks he caught him sneaking out the castle Friday night that he's up to something dark and devious."
"He's a professor," Lily said, as if that explained everything.
"Hey, all I'm saying is that he doesn't strike me as the whole cloak-and-dagger kind of type. I'm actually with you on that, I don't think anything bad is going on. Maybe he just wanted to get some fresh air," Sirius raised his hands placatingly.
"And take your cousin with him?" James interjected.
"Oh, quit it already with your conspiracy theories, James," Sirius groaned. Any further reply was pre-empted by Flitwick entering the room, followed by more students. The class passed in agonizing slowness for Lily, who usually always liked Charms. She even failed to answer two of Flitwick's questions, which was highly irregular for her. Her distraction almost caused her to miss Flitwick's dismissal of the class, and she had to scramble to get her books together in order to make it to her next class-potions. The dungeons were empty at this point; there was only one class that was being held down there, and most everybody avoided it, if it all possible. Lily was much the same-the narrow corridors, the enclosed spaces, the lack of windows, the flickering torchlight even if it was bright daylight outside, it all creeped her out.
"My uncle wants to talk to you, Ashworth."
Lily stopped dead in her tracks as she heard the faint voice. The potions room was usually under lock and key unless there was a class in there because of the expensive and dangerous ingredients in the storage shelves. Usually, the potions teacher arrived early and unlocked the room. But now, the door was unlocked. Whoever was inside apparently hadn't closed it properly. It leaned open by just a tiny crack. Carefully, Lily leaned in closer, peering intently through the opening.
"What about?" She located Harry easily enough. He was standing behind his desk at the front of the room, sorting through stacks of books.
"What happened on Friday night." Lily was close enough to recognize the voice. Gritting her teeth, she resisted the urge to storm in the room and wring Bellatrix's neck. So the rumors were true, she thought to herself.
"What happened on Friday night was a one-time deal. It will not happen again." Harry's voice seemed to harden at that.
"Cut the act, Ashworth." Bellatrix snorted in amusement. "You know that you wouldn't even be here if it wasn't for me. I'm in, whether you like it or not."
In what? Lily wondered.
"It's dangerous. While I can leave the castle at night without problems, you cannot. Sooner or later, someone's going to get suspicious."
"They already are. Haven't you heard the rumors?" Bellatrix chuckled. "I told you to straighten up after we got back, but no, you had to come to breakfast looking like you'd just frolicked with an orc."
"You didn't look much better."
"At least I didn't look like I just had a roll in the hay."
Harry paused for a moment. "What exactly are they saying?"
There was another pause, and Lily could just imagine Bellatrix rolling her eyes. "Apparently, you and I had a late-night tryst in the woods. Congratulations, Ashworth, you now have a reputation as a womanizer and a cradle-robber."
"I'm not that much older than you, you know."
Bellatrix shrugged. "So? You're a teacher. I'm a student. It's still a big no-no. Fortunately for you, though, there's no proof, no matter how much that Potter brat wants to go on about his magical map."
"Magical map?" Ashworth asked in a decidedly neutral voice.
"Heard it from my no-good cousin. Apparently Potter and his posse have been working on some magical map of Hogwarts of some kind." Bellatrix idly picked up one of the books and rifled through it. "Thankfully, Potter is miserable at Charms, so he fouled it up pretty good."
Harry looked up from the book he was going through. "Do you know everything that's going on in this school?"
"No." Bellatrix shrugged. "Just most of it. If you ever bothered to actually keep your eyes and ears open and listen to what people are talking about, so would you."
Harry let out a long-suffering sigh. "I don't suppose there's any way I can change your mind? Your father and uncle are going to kill me if anything happens to you."
"Give me some credit, Ashworth. I can take care of myself." Bellatrix flipped her hair over her shoulder as she turned around. "Besides, you still owe me a duel. And a spell."
"Yeah, well, things have been hectic the past couple of days." Harry put his books down. "What's your uncle planning?"
Bellatrix shrugged and glanced at him over her shoulder. "I don't know. I reckon that's what my uncle wants to talk to you about. Tonight, at seven."
"All right. And Bellatrix. Stay out of trouble."
"Don't tell me what to do, Ashworth," she replied snidely.
"I mean it. It's dangerous."
"I figured that the moment we were being chased through the forest. I can take care of myself."
Lily hastily scrambled away from the door and around the corner the moment she saw Bellatrix moving to leave the room. She watched silently as the raven-haired young woman disappeared up the stairs, idly contemplating what to do next. Clearly there was something going on between her and Harry that went beyond the usual teacher-student relationship, but it didn't really sound like an affair. For a moment, she considered talking to the headmaster about it, but she discarded the thought quickly. She didn't want to get anyone in trouble in case she had misunderstood something. Maybe talking to Harry would be best.
The thought crossed her mind that it might be none of her business, and that, since it wasn't an affair of any sort, she didn't really have any right to butt in, but her curiosity got the better of her, and she slowly pushed the door to the potions classroom open. It creaked loudly, causing her to wince.
Harry looked up from the stack of textbooks on his desk as the door opened. "Miss Evans, what brings you here? Your class isn't until another half-hour." Harry would love to be able to say that he was using this opportunity to talk to his parents, to get to know them better, to be a part of their lives. But he couldn't, not really. Instead of the family reunion, the instant "clicking" he had imagined when he was younger, it was much more awkward than he had thought it would be. His parents were nothing like what Sirius had told him about, or what Dumbledore had told him. It made sense-this was before the war, before they had finished school. They were very much still children right now.
And as much as he didn't want to admit it, they were, in the end, strangers. Having no real memories except for a few vague, blurry images and voices of his parents, Harry hadn't known what to expect. He didn't know how to react to see his parents running around younger than he was. So, he kept his distance from them, content to watch from afar and find comfort and amusement in their antics he did recognize. The pranking, for instance.
"There's something I wanted to talk to you about…" Lily shifted uncomfortably as she stood inside the door frame.
"Okay." Harry looked at her in bewilderment. "Come in, have a seat." He waited until she had done so. "What's this about?"
"I didn't mean to eavesdrop, but I couldn't help but hear what you were talking to Bellatrix about just now." Lily hung her head.
Harry stared at her for a long moment, working his jaw, but unable to utter any sound. Shit, he thought. This wasn't something he was prepared for. He reckoned he could count himself lucky that she'd decided to come to him first, instead of going straight to Dumbledore. "I see," he finally managed.
"I mean, people have been talking about you," Lily stammered. "You two seem to spend a lot of time together, so they thought…"
"They thought that her… and me?" Harry chuckled. He had wanted to laugh hysterically when Bellatrix had originally recounted the rumor to him, but he had figured that it would hurt her feelings. The thought of him and Bellatrix as an item was just too absurd, especially since every time he looked at her, he could almost see a shadow of her older self lurking behind her. He knew it was wrong to associate the two versions of her that he had known, but he couldn't shake off the memories of fighting and trying to kill someone who had been such a mortal enemy for so long. Aside from Voldemort, Bellatrix was the only one he had ever really hated because she had taken Sirius from him.
"I'm guessing from your reaction that the two of you aren't together?" Lily asked shyly, almost hopefully.
Harry shook his head. "Heavens, no. We're… friends, I guess. Though I suppose I do seem to see her a lot. She's taken to just barging into my quarters or my office whenever she feels like chatting. I actually find it rather funny; she didn't really strike me as the chatty type." He looked at her sharply. "But that's not really what you wanted to ask, is it?"
"No. I know it's not really my place to ask, but it seems that you're doing something quite dangerous, and she's trying to involve herself in it."
"And you want to know what it is?" Harry frowned. If she really had overheard his conversation with Bellatrix, then she knew nothing of value, except for the fact that there was something going on. That alone could cause a lot of trouble. He silently berated himself for not placing a silencing charm on the room, locking the door, or doing both.
"I don't know." Suddenly, Lily felt rather uncomfortable. It seemed she had inadvertently stumbled into something important, something that no one was supposed to know about.
Harry briefly contemplated lying and telling her that he was working on some secret project for Dumbledore, but discarded that idea soon. It would cause too much trouble if she accidentally blurted something out to the headmaster. He couldn't very well tell her the truth, either. If it became known that there was a dark lord on the loose before they were ready… Bad things would happen, he noted grimly. Or they could call me an attention-seeking lunatic again .
"You're putting me in a very difficult position, Miss Evans," he finally said, pacing behind his desk.
"I'm sorry, Professor."
"I understand your curiosity, but as you might have realized, the matter I discussed with Miss Black is rather… delicate. It has to do with the reason her uncle decided to grace me with his favor and arrange my appointment as a substitute teacher at Hogwarts. Let's just say it involves politics, and leave it at that. He also does not want her involved in it, because he deems her far too young to be involved in the scheming and plotting of politicians." Harry smiled wryly. "As you might figure, he's not very fond of them."
"I see," Lily nodded briefly. She could tell there was more to it, but she was smart enough to realize that pushing wouldn't get her anything else. While Harry's tone was amiable enough, the set of his jaw and the distant look in his eyes told her that this was as much as he was going to tell anyone who asked. "I understand; I won't bother you about it anymore, Professor. I'm sorry I asked about something private."
Harry smiled, partly out of relief. "Don't worry about it, Miss Evans. I understand your curiosity. Now, is there anything else I can do for you?"
"Well…" Lily reached into her book bag and pulled out her homework. "I was wondering about the potion you'd assigned us…"
"Ah, Mr. Ashworth. Please, go ahead, come in." Orion Black waved Harry inside as the young man stuck his head through the fireplace. A moment later, Harry tumbled from said fireplace to land in an undignified heap on the rug in front of it.
Harry straightened himself up and brushed the soot from his cloak. The living room of the Black estate was impeccable, as always, but this time the furniture had been cleared away, leaving an empty space in the middle of the room. Aside from him and the Black family patriarch, the room was deserted, and the mansion was quiet, though Harry was sure there were house elves lurking nearby, waiting for a command from their master.
"Bellatrix said you wanted to talk to me."
"I did." Orion turned to Harry, a glass of firewhiskey in his hands. "Romulus and I have come to a decision. We will be bringing a vote of no confidence against the Minister. With a little luck, we will succeed, allowing us to install someone in power who will be more favorable to opposing this new threat."
"That's great," Harry agreed. "How did you manage to rally support for that so quickly?"
"We have our ways," came the vague reply. "However, that still leaves the question of who should succeed Minister Thornton in her office." Orion placed the glass down and moved his other hand from beneath his robes, revealing his wand. "However, that is not why I have asked you to come here."
"Then why?" Harry carefully hid his nervousness at the carefully choreographed movement. The meaning was clear-it was a challenge.
"This coming conflict," Orion began, "and I have no reason to doubt your and Bellatrix's word that there is, in fact, a danger coming, will likely shape the wizarding world for years to come. Sides will be chosen, battles will be fought. Ideologies and beliefs pitched against one another. Whoever emerges the victor will no doubt determine the course our world will take. We all must choose the side that we can stand behind. Some will choose to stand with those they believe will be victorious. Those are the cowards. Others will stand with those whose values they believe to be right. Those are the righteous fools. And others will choose to fight them all in order to do what's best for this world, our world. Those are the idealistic old men."
He shifted the glass around the table as he spoke, his voice low. "In order to succeed, we must choose our allies very carefully. We must find those we can trust. We must find those who are willing to fight for our cause, who are willing to die for our cause. Now tell me, Mr. Ashworth, which one of these are you?"
Harry was silent for a long moment, observing as Orion swirled the amber liquid around his glass. "I like to believe that I do what's best for our world," he finally replied.
"Is that so?"
"Yes, sir."
Orion looked up sharply. "Who exactly are you?"
"Excuse me?"
"Who are you?" The Black patriarch took a step forward. "I know you're not Harry Ashworth. No one by that name exists. For all intents and purposes, you've lied to me about other things, as well." Another step. "I understand that there are certain people out there who would prefer that their past not find them. But there's a storm brewing, and I need to know who I can trust. Can I trust you, whoever you are?"
Harry swallowed hard. This just wasn't his day. "How did you find out?" he asked.
"The documentation you have is extremely well done. For all intents and purposes, you created a near-perfect identity for yourself." Orion nodded, almost as if in approval. "Whoever you selected to do the forgeries did an extremely good job. However, while they did include a birth certificate for you, there is one thing that cannot be forged. The family registry. Each family member is magically linked to it, so it is constantly updated with births, deaths, and other significant events. Imagine my surprise when upon contacting them, the Ashworth family in Australia found no record of anyone named Harry. No one of your age, even."
"I see." Harry sighed. He hadn't yet thought about what to do about his fake identity. He had known it couldn't last forever, but it was early enough that he hadn't made plans for this particular eventuality, yet. "And you want to know who I really am."
"No."
"No?" Harry looked up in surprise. This wasn't exactly what he had expected. He'd expected questioning, demanding answers, about things he wasn't ready to tell.
"As I said, there are people who prefer their past to remain unknown. I respect that. However, if we truly are going to be fighting this dark lord together, I must know if I can trust you. I must know if I can trust you with my niece's life."
"Why don't you ask her, then?" Harry offered, figuring that it wouldn't hurt to tell him that Bellatrix was trusting him of her own free will. Granted, she was in it because it would benefit her in the long run, but still. "She knows that Ashworth is not my real name. In fact, she helped me set up this identity."
Orion hid his surprise well. "I'm assuming her story about how you two met is a fake, as well, then?"
"Not entirely. You could say it's an abridged version of the truth."
"Interesting," Orion said, inclining his head. "I would be most interested to know why Bellatrix decided to trust you, a complete stranger, the first time she met you. Why she thought you were important enough to bring you to my attention."
"I don't know," Harry replied honestly.
"And tell me, young Mr. Ashworth… you knew about this dark lord, well before Bellatrix informed you, yes?"
Harry hesitated a long moment before answering. "Yes, I had my suspicions. It was one of the reasons I came here." It was close enough to the truth to not be a lie.
"And what exactly were your plans for this dark lord? To join him, or to fight him?"
"To fight him."
"Most interesting." Orion looked Harry up and down. "Why?"
"Why what?"
"Why choose to fight him. Obviously, you could have moved elsewhere, far away. Why involve yourself in this conflict? And do not insult both of us by lying to me. I know that doing what's best for the wizarding world is not your true motivation. If not that, then which is it? Greed? Ambition?"
"Vengeance." Somehow, Harry managed to put all of his hatred for Voldemort into that single word. And it truly was what he wanted, more than anything else. He wanted vengeance for his parents, for Sirius, for everyone Voldemort had killed and would kill. For all the friends taken away, for a childhood denied, for a life burdened with the hopes and fears of an entire nation.
"For a loved one?" Orion asked gently.
"Not just one," Harry managed to grind out, earning himself a look of pity from the elder wizard.
"I see."
"I don't think you do," Harry replied evenly, without thinking. "He has taken everything from me. My family, my friends, my childhood. He took them and laughed. He delighted in it. He's caused pain and misery for more people than I can count Believe what you will about me, but I am going to stop him. I will kill him. With my bare hands, if I have to."
"Ah, at last, an honest reply." Orion chuckled. "Very good, very good."
"What?" Harry stared in confusion.
Orion withdrew his wand and explained. "What we are going to be doing is a very risky undertaking. Taking on a dark lord is inevitably linked with great losses and suffering. Choosing the right allies is vital for our success. I had to be sure that you were trustworthy, that if we were to work with you, you would be willing to see it through to the end."
"I understand… I think," Harry said slowly.
"Good, good." Orion returned to pick up his glass. "Now, I have heard from Bellatrix that you have been working with her on your duelling skills?"
"A little," Harry admitted.
"If this war is going to escalate into open fighting, I would very much like to be certain that those closest to my family know how to take care of themselves." Orion cleared the remainder of the furniture away from them with a casual wave of his wand. "Why don't you show me, then, what you are capable of?"
"I'm not sure I should," Harry replied apprehensively, perplexed by the ease with which the elder wizard apparently changed topics, and the ease with which he had gotten out of having his brains picked because his false identity had been revealed. Or maybe I've just been hanging around Dumbledore too long, Harry mused.
"I insist," Orion affirmed. "If you truly wish to make good on your oath, then it is in both our best interests to make sure you are as well-prepared for that task as possible."
Harry fingered the yew wand inside his robes. Ever since getting it from Ollivander, he had tried to avoid using it as much as possible. Even when forced to use it, he had attempted to limit the spells he had cast. Harry knew it was utterly illogical. Voldemort wasn't corrupted through his wand. If anything, the wand was just a tool, something incapable of being inherently good or evil; it was the wielder who made it such. But something held him back from using the wand that Voldemort had used in his time. Despite this, whenever Harry did cast a spell, however minor, he couldn't deny the fact that it felt utterly right, just as his holly wand had. It felt as if it was his, as if it belonged to him .
"Why the hesitation?" Orion asked curiously. "You had no trouble working with Bellatrix."
"Nothing," Harry finally replied after a few moments, and slid into a basic dueling stance that he'd picked up from Bellatrix during one of their sessions. "Just some silly thoughts."
"Really? I have found that most thoughts are anything but. They may appear that way first, but upon deeper inspection, they reveal that they are far more." Orion responded in kind, raising his wand. "Would you like to talk about it?"
Harry wondered if he should as he reflexively parried a casual stunner from his opponent's wand. It couldn't hurt to talk to someone about it, especially someone as knowledgeable as Orion. If it had been Dumbledore, Harry would have been much more leery; there was no doubt that the Black patriarch would clearly wonder why Harry was asking this particular set of questions, but given their recent conversation, he felt much safer that Orion wasn't going to press the issue.
" Protego," Harry called up a shield as he side-stepped a hail of fist-sized bolts of magic. "Sure, I guess."
"Interesting choice of spells," the elder wizard commented idly as Harry's return fire splashed harmlessly against his own shield.
"Hypothetically speaking, when two wands share the same core, but go to two different wizards-" Harry stopped short as he wordlessly ducked underneath a barrage of spells, then pointed his wand at the ground. " Effumidus," he muttered, causing a billow of smoke to erupt from the tip of the yew wand. The smoke quickly grew to darken his side of the room. Using it as cover, he slid around to the side. A flick of his wand sent random trinkets from around the room flying at his opponent.
Orion arched a curious eyebrow at the smokescreen, then side-stepped the counter-attack of flying knickknacks, his keen eyes taking in every move Harry was making. " Ventulus," he replied, the spell parting the smoke easily, leaving Harry exposed. "Keep going," he said.
"What does it mean when a wand picks a different wizard?" Harry finished, dropping to the ground to avoid a staccato of icy javelins that disappeared harmlessly before they could hit the wall behind him. He leveled his wand at the other side of the room and summoned it to him. Physics caught up, and caused him to be displaced instead, as he slid across the ground along the floor. "The same wand, I mean," he explained before hastily leaping to his feet and causing the floor to break upwards with a wave of his wand.
The makeshift barrier tore up the ground of the living room, but went up just in time to intercept a massive concussive blast the elder Black had sent at him. The loose rock, marble, and dirt held together by Harry's magic wavered and crumbled around the edges, but held firm as the blast expended itself against it. Harry let out a relieved sigh, having caught the wand motions his opponent was making just in time to put up his frantic defense. Orion was clearly aiming to escalate the fight, forcing him to use more of his instincts and more devastating spells.
Orion cocked an eyebrow in interest. "One wand, two owners, you say?" He idly deployed his own shields around the room, watching from behind the translucent barriers as Harry's spells pounded his defenses. "Curious. Is this the situation you find yourself in? I thought Bellatrix had you acquire a new wand from Ollivander's."
"I did." Please don't pry any further, please don't pry any further, Harry thought to himself as he banished loose pieces of debris towards his opponent. "I was just asking hypothetically." He followed the makeshift missiles in with an actual magic missile, before apparating across the room.
"Interesting hypothesis, then," Orion smirked as he batted away the renewed assault with ease. He found himself rather impressed with Harry's abilities. While he was obviously lacking variety and had clearly never been officially instructed in the dueling arts beyond basic training, he was more than making up for it with the raw power he could throw behind even the most basic of offensive spells. Not to mention his creative use of non-combat spells. While the attacks were doing very little to whittle down Orion's shields, the barrage was intense enough to force him on the defensive. The Black patriarch wasn't sure if that was intentional because most of his opponent's fighting tactics seemed to occur on an instinctive level. Keeping that in mind, the elder wizard decided to up the ante.
Harry opened his mouth to utter the incantation when the room erupted into bright white light. Reflexively, he dropped to the ground as an ultrasonic shriek pierced the air, his eyes clenched shut against the impossibly bright flash of light. He couldn't see or hear anything, but had the presence of mind to scramble away from his current position. His ears still ringing, Harry forced his eyes open, but the only thing he could see was pure white. He could feel the searing heat of a fire spell passing by him as it missed, and hastily threw up the most powerful shield spell he knew. He could feel it crack and whine under the strain as Orion opened up and went on the offensive, and knew that he was in trouble unless he did something… right now .
In desperation, as he felt the magical buildup from the elder wizard across the room, Harry reached into his mind's eye and imagined himself standing at the other end of the room. Right as the bolt of concussive force leapt from his opponent's wand, Harry disapparated silently. Time seemed to stand still for him as he felt the room blurring past him until he appeared in the location he'd imagined, knowing despite being unable to see that he was looking right at the Black patriarch's exposed back.
" Tenerio Dextera !" the binding spell blasted his opponent. Orion turned, the spell clipping him instead of catching him full-on. The elder wizard's brow furrowed in concentration as he fought with the magic of the spell. By the time he recovered, however, Harry could see again, though his vision was still spotted and blurry. Taking advantage of his opponent's temporary immobility, the youth flicked his wand, sending a pair of stunners screaming in high and low. Another quick motion sent more pieces of debris flying at Orion as his combat reflexes took over.
His renewed assault, however, expended itself harmlessly against a shimmering barrier, causing Harry's jaw to drop. He had never even seen the elder wizard raise his wand to cast the spell. His eyes narrowing, Harry arced his wand around rapidly, causing random pieces of furniture and rock to orbit around them in a seemingly chaotic pattern. The flying debris took occasional nosedives at his opponent, preventing Orion from doing much more than arch a curious eyebrow behind his shield.
Orion was about to wave his wand and dispel whatever charm Harry had placed on the makeshift missiles when three of them converged on his location at the same time. Shifting stances, Orion altered his wand motion fluidly, blasting the incoming projectiles with bolts of magic.
" Orbus Solis !" The roar of magic behind him alerted Orion to the fact that he had run into one of Harry's traps, as the blazing sphere of fire expanded rapidly, encompassing half of the room. The only thing he could do was reinforce his shields as sheets of flame washed across it, blocking his vision. It was an impressive spell to know for one so young, he mused. But I had better stop this before we damage the room. Further.
With a grand sweep of his wand, Orion sent a wave of concussive force outwards, instantly extinguishing the magical flames. "Enough," he said. "I have seen enough of your performance for one night, Mr. Ashworth. I must admit, it was quite impressive." If a little crude, he added to himself quietly. Harry visibly relaxed. The boy has talent, and he's clearly fought before, but no one seems to have taken the time to properly teach him. But his way of fighting is most intriguing. He makes use of mundane spells… very creative, very unique. Very effective… I can see why Bella would have trouble countering it.
"Thanks," Harry replied uncertainly as he glanced around the destruction they'd wrought. "Sorry about the room," he added sheepishly.
"Not to worry." A wave of his wand restored the floor to its former marble glory. Scorch marks and blast pockmarks on the walls erased themselves. The carpet returned, and within moments, the room looked as spotless as it had when their duel had begun. "One of the benefits of living in an ancient magical home," Orion explained. He smiled easily as he returned his wand to his robes and settled in a chair.
"Now, to return to your question about the wands… it is not unheard of for a wand to have two owners. Although this usually occurs after the previous owner dies, and someone else inherits the wand. It's usually re-sold, as the chances of the inheritor matching the wand are rather slim." Orion peered intently at Harry, who was shifting uncomfortably, and knew that his answer was about to hit very close to home. "But as you were asking about brother-wands, the matter is a little more complicated. You see, wands are more than just the sum of their components. They are more than an amalgamation of the wood, the core material, and the binder and catalyst that connect the two. Each wand is unique. Even in the case where two wands share the same core, they will usually be uniquely different, and hence, pick different owners. They are usually not compatible with the other wand's owner, either."
"I see," Harry began.
"No, I don't believe you do," Orion replied evenly. "You see, no one really knows what makes a wand choose a particular owner. There has been speculation about that ever since the first wands were made. However, if a wand is compatible, exactly compatible with two different owners, it usually means they are connected in some way. Not by blood, not necessarily by their actions, but by something more. Something deeper. Some people would call this something fate. I prefer to think it is just the way magic works. Whatever the case, it usually means those two are destined for something." He didn't need to ask, he already knew that Harry's hypothetical situation was much more than that, but he figured that he had put him through enough for one night. Whatever hidden agenda Harry Ashworth-or whatever his real name was-had, Orion was suitably convinced that it lined up well enough with his own.
"You're a mess."
Harry glared at the young woman who was sitting in his armchair as he stepped out of the fireplace in his quarters at Hogwarts. It was late at night, probably just before ten. Curfew would be in a few minutes, which made him wonder what Bellatrix was doing in his private quarters. That thought was quickly followed by the question of how exactly she had gotten into his private quarters without him letting her in.
"For your information," he told her, "your uncle is a mean duelist."
"I know. He used to be one of the best in his youth." Bellatrix smirked. "He trained me."
"That explains a few things," Harry muttered to himself.
"So, how badly did he wipe the floor with you?" she asked gleefully. Harry wondered if maybe this had been a ploy of hers all along, in order to get revenge for losing to him all the time.
"It was a draw," he said."
"What?" Bellatrix jumped out of her chair. "No way!"
"Believe it. We stopped because we didn't want to blow up half the building while we were at it." Harry wisely decided not to mention the fact that, had the battle gone on any longer, he would almost certainly have lost. While he was younger, Orion had the skill and experience-and, most importantly, the variety-to keep him on the run the entire time.
"So, what do we do now? What's my uncle's plan?"
Harry idly noted that Bellatrix seemed to have inherited her uncle's ability to change topics without batting an eye. He took off his robe and carelessly tossed it over the back of his desk chair. "Your uncle is going to bring a vote of no confidence before the Wizengamot. He's planning to replace Thornton with someone more capable."
When Bellatrix remained silent, he turned to look at her. "What?"
"And what exactly is your plan?"
"Aside from lying down and getting some sleep?" Harry narrowly dodged the kick at his shin. "What was that for?"
"I told you to stop monkeying around, Ashworth!" Bellatrix spat angrily. "Need I remind you that you were the one who told me that this was serious, and dangerous? I really hope you have a plan to deal with this dark lord, because now my head's on the line, too!"
"Relax, I've got a plan," Harry assured her. "And yes, it's still a work in progress. And you should be glad that it is, because if I didn't adapt it to whatever Tom is doing, it wouldn't be a very good plan, now, would it?"
"Well, then, care to clue me in, Ashworth?" Harry had to chuckle at the pose Bellatrix was striking. Back straight, fists stemmed into her hips with a defiant glare, she was the complete antithesis of her future self.
"It depends on how much support your uncle can rally. If the vote passes, then I can operate much more freely, under a government that will actually sanction any actions against Tom. If he doesn't, well…" Harry shrugged. "It wouldn't be the first time I've had to operate under the radar."
"Under the what?"
"Radar." Harry shrugged. "Sorry, muggle expression. It means-"
"I got the gist of it, Ashworth. No need to go all muggle studies on me." Bellatrix frowned at him. "Back to my question. What now?"
"For now, we'll keep our ears to the ground. Undermining Tom's support with the pureblood families is top priority. He may be able to attract all the young folk to him, but I'm willing to bet that their parents aren't going to be so quick to jump on the bandwagon. If we can deprive him of access to their fortunes, half the battle's won."
Bellatrix shook her head. "Not likely. Hate to break it to you, but if he throws them the same pitch as he did the kids last week, then there'll be quite a few families who'd be willing to join them. A lot of them resent the current government for stripping them of their titles, and they blame the loss of their wealth and influence on anyone but themselves."
Harry shrugged as if it didn't concern him, knowing that it would annoy her. "Plan B, then."
When he turned around and Bellatrix was still there, staring at him expectantly, he carefully hid a grin. "What?" he repeated.
"Well, what is it?" she almost sounded whiny. Impatient. Harry enjoyed it for a brief moment.
"Obviously, Tom is working in secret because he's not ready for a large-scale attempt, yet. He's not ready to show himself to the world. Maybe it's because he doesn't have the resources, or enough support. Maybe he's not quite done with whatever dark magic he's studying. Whatever the case, he's got a reason for staying hidden. All we need to do is give him a better reason to come out." Harry smirked at the incredulous look on Bellatrix's face.
"You want to lure a dark lord out on purpose ?" she just about shrieked. "Are you bloody nuts ?"
"I'm perfectly sane, thank you," Harry replied with a hint of amusement. "Think about it. If we draw him out before he's ready, we can engage him while he's off-balance. He won't have all the support he's expecting. He won't be strong enough to carry through with whatever plans he's made originally."
"And how do you propose we do this?" Bellatrix asked, her voice heavy with sarcasm. "Just walk up to him and ask him nicely to come show his face?"
"I have a few ideas," Harry replied vaguely.