Chapter Fifteen:

Emerald Blade Book One: The New Trainees

Disclaimer: Harry Potter and co. don't belong to me. Assassin's Creed and co. don't belong to me. I'm just taking some credit for the plot and original characters. Fire Lizards belong to the talented Anne McCaffrey. In no way, shape or form am I making money from this.

Main Story Warnings: A.U.-severe-, characters are OOC, canon is only a minor guideline, crossover, swearing, violence, gore, character death, Light Grey!Harry, Assassin!Harry, modern technology, OC's abound, Ron!Molly!Ginny!Bashing, Dumbledore!Bashing

Pairings: James/Lily, Sirius/OFC, Remus/Surprise, Harry/Luna, Neville/Hermione, Dean/Millicent, others to be decided

Author's Note: Whelp, this is it: the very last chapter of this installment of the series. This will be a slightly longer chapter given everything that needs to be wrapped up and needs to happen. However, there will be some things left unanswered that will be answered over the length of the entire series. I don't know yet how long this series will continue and I won't tell you what I have in store just yet! I have to keep you all wanting to come back for more! It's been great for me as an author writing this first 'book' since it's brought back a lot of my missing inspiration. It may be a while before the second 'book' is up. I have another story I need to pay attention to that I had pushed back due to the sheer amount of ideas and inspiration I've had for this story. So, for now, I'll see you all next time and I hope you enjoy this last chapter!

Challenge: DZ2's Way of the Warrior challenge. For more information look to the first chapter or DZ2's forums.

-Thoughts-

[Parseltongue]

[Telepathic Speech]

Emphasis on words/Spells

Text

Chapter Fifteen:

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Delilah gasped as she woke up from her sleep, her eyes wide and her chest heaving as she looked around the dark room. Beside her, Lucas stirred and sat up, frowning sleepily at his wife as he rested a hand on the middle of her back.

"De? What's wrong?" He asked, his voice husky from sleep as Delilah pressed a hand to her chest in an attempt to calm her racing heart.

"I…Something feels wrong, Lucas." She said, throwing the covers back and getting up from the bed.

Lucas watched with a worried frown as Delilah hurried from the room. Delilah hurried down the hallway until she came to Eliza's room. She listened closely in an attempt to hear if something is wrong before reaching out and gently opening the door. Peering into her daughter's room, Delilah was able to make out the restless form of Eliza. Stepping into the room, Delilah winced slightly as her daughter suddenly shot up in bed and turned towards her.

"Mummy? Something's wrong with Harry." Eliza said, distress in her voice as Delilah's eyes widened.

"You-"

"I can sense it. It hurts; my shoulder and leg." Eliza said, shielding her eyes as her mother summoned a small ball of gently white light.

"He'll be okay, sweetie. Severus, Minerva and his friends are there at the school with him." Delilah said, catching Eliza as she hurried towards her and hugged her tightly.

They were slightly startled when Lucas suddenly hurried into the room, his hair disheveled as he looked at them.

"I've just gotten a messenger patronus from Minerva. Harry, Dean and Fred were injured going after the Stone. They've just arrived at the hospital wing where they're receiving treatment from the healers." He explained, watching as his wife and daughter looked at each other in worry.

"Should we go there?" Eliza asked, blinking when Lucas and Delilah reluctantly shook their heads.

"No. We don't want to give away any…inkling that we have inside knowledge about what is happening in the school. We need to wait until Albus or one of the professors contact us." Delilah said, distress in her voice as Eliza shifted in her arms.

"Severus has a good feeling that it was the kids' Defense Professor Quirrell who was working for Riddle. He's not sure since the boys aren't awake yet. From what they've seen, however, the fake stone was destroyed and it looks as if Quirrell is dead." Lucas explained, making Delilah sigh and shake her head.

"That's twice that our son has had to…kill." She muttered, soothingly rubbing Eliza's back as her daughter shuddered.

They talked for a little bit longer about what needs to be done once they receive news from Hogwarts before heading back to bed. It didn't seem like much time passed at all before Lucas was being woken up by one of the House Elves who informed him that Professor Dumbledore passed on a message that something urgent has happened at Hogwarts and it'd be good for him and his wife to be there. Lucas woke up Delilah, Eliza and sent a House Elf to get Cassie up since her son was involved as well. It didn't take long before they were all ready; including Sirius who had learned of what happened by overhearing Delilah and Cassie talk about it. Taking turns, they flooed over to The Three Broomsticks where they all hurried up to the school. Lucas frowned when he saw Minerva waiting for them at the entrance to the school and saw the scowl on her face.

"Minerva?" He asked, his voice soft as she looked at him.

"Albus is refusing to call the Aurors. Martha Winters, the other Defense professor, was attacked as well. Harry must've heard about it during his confrontation against Riddle and had Mira go and help her. Poppy said that Mira teleported in with Martha who was injured and unconscious earlier last night. Harry has saved Martha; she could've died from some of her injuries and she had been hidden in a spare classroom." Minerva said, leading the group towards the infirmary.

"That old fool." Delilah snarled, the others nodding in agreement.

"What about the Weasleys?" Sirius asked, knowing very well that Molly and Arthur would be distressed if they found out that one of the twins had been hurt.

"He hasn't alerted them yet." Minerva said, making the group scowl.

Reaching the infirmary they were quickly shown to the back of the large room which had three beds curtained off. The sight of a nervous Neville, Hermione and George gave away who was behind those curtains. Hermione shot to her feet and hurried over to the group where she was quickly hugged by Delilah and Eliza.

"I didn't know! We knew that someone might be waiting in the last room but we never-!"

"It's okay, Hermione. There's no way you could've known that Riddle had possessed Quirrell." Lucas said, his voice soft as the girl nodded tearfully at him.

Pulling back the curtains, Delilah and Eliza hurried over to Harry's bed and began checking over the wrapped injuries. Cassie, meanwhile looked over her son and was relieved to see that there doesn't appear to be too many injuries unlike Harry. She's grateful that her son wasn't badly hurt, but she also worried about Harry and what injuries he had sustained. Looking over to the other bed, she moved over to Fred and smiled when she saw his eyes flicker open. In an instant George was beside her peering worriedly down at his twin.

"W-What happened?" Fred asked, his voice rough and scratchy as he looked at the pair.

"You got hit over the head by one of the chess pieces you bloody prat." George said, distress and worry in his voice as Fred blinked a few times.

"The others?" He asked, turning his head and spotting Harry and Dean which only increased his worry.

"They'll be okay, Mister Weasley. You had suffered a minor concussion." Healer Briggs explained, making everyone jump at the man's sudden arrival.

"It was easy enough to heal you though Poppy and myself placed you in a healing sleep to ensure no harm will come." He said, pulling out his wand and running it around the redhead's head.

"Where's our parents?" Fred asked, frowning lightly as Madame Pomfrey bustled into view and scoffed.

"Albus didn't see the need to contact them because neither of you were in 'dire' situations." Poppy said, pulling out her wand and scanning Dean.

"What happened to him?" Cassie asked, concern in her voice as Poppy glanced at her.

"He's suffered exposure from massive amounts of 'wild' magic which caused his own magic to deplete. Not only that, but he had a broken arm. I banished the bones and he spent the rest of the night re-growing them. He had a few magical burns on his hands but that's all." Poppy explained, watching as Cassie nodded and relaxed slightly.

"What about our son?" Delilah asked, worry in her voice as Poppy sighed and moved over to the other boy.

"He's suffered from a concussion, two broken ribs, a broken leg and wrist, a magical burn on the side of his face and also two stab wounds. Severus and Minerva found him pinned to the wall by two large glass shards." Poppy explained, Lucas, Delilah and Eliza listening in horror.

The sound of the door to the infirmary opening drew their attention and Lucas and Sirius became angered when they saw the serene look on Albus' face. Both men drew themselves up to their full heights and waited until the aged Wizard got closer. Albus, for his part, didn't feel too bothered by the hostile looks he was getting…up until he was a few feet away and Lucas' and Sirius' magic flared. He wisely stopped walking forward and the smile slipped off of his face.

"What the bloody hell are you playing at, Dumbledore?" Lucas growled, anger in his voice as he stalked towards the man.

"Now Luc-"

"That's Lord Othello to you." Lucas growled, narrowing his eyes as Albus' eyes flashed with frustration and disappointment.

"Why haven't you contacted Mister Weasley's parents? As you can see, we brought Heir Tomas-Woods' mother with us." Sirius said, making Albus look towards Cassie before looking back at him.

"I thought it would be best-"

"And you are wrong, Dumbledore. Misters Weasley have both been through a traumatic experience and their parents should have been contacted as soon as possible. Not only that, but I see that you have failed to contact the Aurors." Lucas drawled, sneering at the old man.

"Now Lord Othello, I doubt that this matter is one that calls for the involvement of the Aurors." Albus said, watching as Lucas and Sirius glared at him while Minerva whipped around and stared him down.

"Albus if you don't contact them then I will!" Minerva snapped, making the older man flinch slightly.

"One of your own staff members was attacked, Dumbledore and two First Year students are currently unconscious and a Third Year student has just recovered from a minor concussion and yet you claim that there's no reason to involve the Aurors?!" Sirius said, surprise and disbelief in his voice as Albus looked at him.

"I sincerely hope you are going senile rather than you're purposely dismissing the fact that there had been a very real threat that had actually harmed two children and one of your own staff. That would make you out to be a foolish and rather cruel man." Lucas said, his voice holding a clear warning that Albus couldn't help but hear.

Wisely, Albus turned and headed back out of the infirmary, though he looked rather angry. While they waited for him to return, they talked quietly amongst themselves about what could've possibly happened. Poppy explained that she wanted Harry and Dean to rest for the rest of the day before waking them up tomorrow afternoon. Jillian, Eliana, Millicent, Susan, Hannah, Daphne, Tracy and Blaise all hurried in, though they looked surprised and a little overwhelmed at the sight of all the adults. However, that didn't stop them from checking on Fred, Harry and Dean. They looked greatly relieved to hear that their friends will be okay, though it was clear that they wouldn't be able to relax until their friends were awake and released from the infirmary. They talked about their classes and the rumors that were already spreading throughout the school as to what had happened. Thankfully there are no more classes or else that would be rather hard to explain as to why both Defense Professors aren't able to teach. The group only stayed for a few minutes before they headed off after promising to be there later to visit. Hermione, Neville and George remained behind as all three of them had played a part in what had happened the night before.

It was only a few minutes after they were left alone once more when Albus arrived with Arthur, Molly, Amelia, a dark skinned man and another woman with short black hair and intense blue eyes. With a cry of her sons' names, Molly rushed forward and enveloped George in a rather smothering embrace before she headed over to Fred's side and began fussing over him. Arthur looked worried and slightly angry, in which he sent dark looks towards Albus.

"What happened?" Amelia asked, looking sharply at the group.

George, Hermione and Neville looked at each other before glancing towards Lucas who gave them a meaningful look. They instantly knew to give Amelia a…censored version of the story; a version that didn't involve any mention of the Brotherhood or the mission that Harry and Dean had been given. Together, the trio explained everything they had learned about the trials behind the locked door on the third floor. Amelia and her two aurors along with Molly and Arthur were shocked and horrified in learning about the Cerberus and the various dangerous trials, in which Albus slowly paled when he saw the raw fury in Amelia's and Arthur's eyes. The three teens talked about what made them go to the third floor in the first place in which they explained that they just had a horrible feeling that something was wrong and their gut instincts were telling them to go beyond the trapdoor. Of course none of them could explain what had happened behind the door to the last chamber, though Minerva told them about the carnage she and Severus had rushed into.

"What the bloody hell were you thinking, Albus?!" Amelia demanded, her eyes blazing as the elderly man looked at her.

"Now, Amelia, things were under-"

"They weren't under control, Albus and you know it. A group of students managed to get past your traps and two made it to the final chamber which you just so happened to ward so no one could leave but yourself or two others. It seems like you were planning on having someone go into the chamber." Amelia said, narrowing her eyes as Albus' eyes lost their famous twinkle.

"Now, I want to know who is the person who you laid this trap for." She snapped, watching as Albus shifted.

"That's an easy answer, Madame Bones."

All of them turned towards the only occupied bed on the right side of the room. Martha shifted in her bed and sat up, smiling faintly at Poppy as the woman walked over and checked her. After accepting a glass of water from the healer, she cleared her throat and began speaking.

"For the last few months I had notice that Quirenus was acting strangely. I followed him and caught him talking with seemingly no one a few times. However, he discovered me following him one time and I was forced to confront him. All of us knew about the trials and what was at the end of them. I soon put the clues together and figured out that Quirenus was after the Sorcerer's Stone. I also discovered one of the cloths that he used to wrap around his head. It was heavily enchanted to prevent whatever was underneath it from being detected. I'm a former Curse Breaker and Enchanter so this raised some flags. Sadly, when I went to confront Quirenus he attacked me. H-He became a completely different man. He was much stronger than I had ever thought he was and he quickly overpowered me. I remember he casted some kind of curse at me before I was knocked out."

"You had the bloody Sorcerer's Stone inside a school full of children?!" Amelia roared, her eyes blazing in shock and anger as Albus actually took a step back.

"Now Amelia-"

"You'd better have a good reason before I arrest you for child endangerment!" She growled, her two companions taking a step towards the older Wizard in case they needed to restrain him.

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Amelia sighed as she leaned back and closed her eyes. With the Hogwarts report finished, for now at least, she's finally able to maybe relax since she had gotten the floo call from Albus yesterday early morning. When Albus had initially called her, she had sensed his reluctance in even calling her and he had been very…hesitant to even say why he needed her to come to Hogwarts. However, she's seen the political scene enough times to know not to trust the old man which is why she had grabbed Kingsley and Melissa to come with her. Learning about the incident that happened beneath the third floor had shocked and horrified her. How could a supposed 'great' man like Albus bloody Dumbledore keep such a dangerous artefact such as the Sorcerer's Stone inside a school filled with children, many of which are related to some of the most prominate families in their world! Not only that, but according the Weasley twins, many students had gone into the 'forbidden' room thinking the professors had made a kind of obstacle course for them to try out. She had seen the shock on Albus' face and knew that the old man had thought everyone would simply listen to his words of warning and not try and check out the forbidden corridor to see what was so dangerous about it.

Martha Winters' tale chilled her to the bone and she had ordered Albus to take her and her Aurors down to the chamber. It was hard to believe that such simple trials had been created an attempt to protect one of the most powerful and dangerous artefacts in their world. Albus explained that he had made them so simple so others wouldn't think that he'd be foolish enough to hide the Stone at the end of it. It wasn't that surprising to her or the others to see that it obviously hadn't worked. Seeing the carnage for herself had been shocking; even more so when Minerva pointed to the pile of dust that was the remains of Quirenus Quirrell. She had also been shocked to see a fine red powder and red stone fragments near the remains along with the almost decimated remains of the Mirror of Desire. She had gotten especially pissed off when she had seen the remains of the mirror, which was another dangerous artefact inside a school filled with children. Albus had claimed that it was to keep the artefacts safe, but with the carnage around them his argument was very weak.

Understandably Lord and Lady Othello had demanded to be allowed to spend the night in the school so they'll be there for when their son wakes up. Miss Thomas demanded the same and the last thing she saw was Minerva showing them to guest quarters near the infirmary. Before she left she had Poppy and Aaron promise to get her when the boys wake up; not Albus. The man had tried to protest but she firmly reminded him that this is an official investigation and it is above his standing as Headmaster. She had no doubt that he'll try to be there during her talk with the boys, something she doesn't want.

"Madame Bones?"

Amelia looked up and blinked when she saw Courtney Higgs, her sectary, standing in the doorway.

"Yes?"

"Madame McGonagall called. Heirs Potter-Othello and Thomas-Woods are awake." Courtney said, making Amelia nod as she stood.

"Thank you Courtney." She said, the younger woman nodding and stepping out.

Pressing a button on an intercom on her desk, Amelia called for Kingsley, Melissa and Rufus before pulling on her robes. The three Master Aurors were soon being let into her office and she quickly explained where they're going. Minerva had told her last night that they can come through her fireplace in her office so they won't have to travel from the front gates and alert Albus to their arrival. She also explained that the three of them are to remain outside of the infirmary and are to only allow in Minerva, Severus, Hermione, Neville and the twins. They were surprised when she ordered them to keep out Albus but they were quick to agree to her orders at the hard look they gave her. Pulling out a floo powder container, Amelia walked over to the fireplace in her office and tossed in a pinch before stepping in and giving the address.

Minerva looked up and nodded when she saw Amelia come out of her fireplace followed by three other Aurors. Standing up, she gave them curt greetings before swiftly leading them through the hallways. Of course the appearance of three Aurors and the head of the D.M.L.E. made the students who were awake and wandering around stop and stare, though they were smart enough to keep their mouths shut for the moment and to move out of the way for the group. Reaching the main floor, they headed to the hospital wing and saw the Othello's and Dean's mother heading inside the wing followed by the twins, Hermione and Neville. Amelia nodded lightly, glad that they had gone inside so she wouldn't have to have anyone go and get them. However, she was rather surprised to see Severus walk up to them and share a look with Minerva who nodded. Instead of saying anything, they continued to the hospital wing.

Reaching the double doors, she followed the two professors inside and her Aurors closed the door behind her. She was instantly drawn towards the sounds of hushed voices coming from the far end of the wing. However, the closer she got to the beds, the quieter the voices became before they completely stopped. Coming around the curtains, she was relieved to see both Harry and Dean sitting up in their beds looked healthy though the right side of Harry's face, which had been covered yesterday, is covered in light pink, new skin.

"It's good to see you both up and talking." Amelia said, the boys smiling lightly.

"Thank you, Madame Bones." Harry and Dean said, the woman nodding as she sat down in a spare, conjured chair.

"Now, I'd like to hear what happened in the chamber against yourselves and Quirrell." She said, watching as the boys looked at each other.

"Before that, Amelia, there are a few things that I believe you should know. However, this is a matter of upmost secrecy and thus, we'll need a Witch's Oath from you." Lucas said, watching as the woman raised an eyebrow and looked at him.

"Oh?"

"In order to hear the entire, un-edited story, we need the oath. If you don't take an oath then we'll still tell you, but it won't be the entire story. This is to protect a few hundred of people. Neville's grandmother and his parents know of the secret as does Cassie here and Hermione's mother." Delilah explained, watching as Amelia thoughtfully looked at the ground.

She could hear the truth in their voices and knew that whatever secret they're keeping is very important. It was…unnerving that they'll need an oath from her but she does understand. It's obvious that whatever this secret is, it's huge. Yes, she could go with the edited version…but at the same time her curious nature and her need to know the whole truth demanded that she take the oath. Nodding to herself, she popped her wand out of its holster and pointed the tip at her heart.

"I, Amelia Nichole Bones, so do swear on my magic and life that I will not reveal any secrets that are told to me today. I will only discuss these secrets with the people present in this room or those who they allow me to. So I say, so mote it be." She said, her body flashing as her magic recognized the oath.

Speaking quickly, Delilah and Lucas told Amelia the truth. The woman was shocked in learning that Assassins and Templars are, indeed, real and out there. She was more than a little worried in learning that the children were all trainees, though she understood the need to train them young and get them protected before any Templars learned of their abilities and snatched them up. She completely understood the need for an oath and couldn't blame them for all the secrecy. It didn't really surprise her when she learned that Voldemort had been a part of the Templars and it especially didn't surprise her when Lucas and Delilah explained that he likely wanted to gain the Templars' trust before attempting to turn on them. However, she was shocked and horrified in learning that Voldemort had taken measures in preventing his death. Of course she knows what Horcruxes are, but learning that the Dark Lord had created more than one was…it was insane! Due to this information, she completely understood why Lucas and Delilah had taken Harry in so quickly and why they were training him so much. If the poor boy had been a target before then it's very likely he'll be a target once more should the Dark Lord come back.

Amelia sat enthralled as Lucas and Delilah talked about what the Brotherhood stood for and couldn't help but agree with their ideals. She was also rather alarmed in learning about the prophecy that involved Harry and Voldemort and made a mental note to speak with Joseph Croaker, the head of the Unspeakables, to see if such a prophecy actually exists. The children added in their views on a few things, in which Harry explained that he was very interested in learning advanced combat and Defense in the near future to better prepare himself for his confrontation with Riddle, whenever that may be. She quickly offered herself as one of his trainers, to which Harry beamed at her and Lucas and Delilah smiled in thanks. Hearing about the mission from Flamel himself was shocking, especially when she learned about the sheer planning that had gone into the mission. Of course she didn't like the fact that the entire mission had rested on the shoulders of two boys but she understood their reasoning to an extent.

"Now, what happened in the chamber?" Amelia asked, making Lucas and Delilah look at their son as well.

"It'd be best to show you." Harry sighed, shifting lightly as the group looked at each other.

Lucas quickly summoned a House Elf and had his pensive brought in along with a small table. Harry pulled out the memory of the events in the chamber and dropped it into the swirling, silver liquid. Eliza, Hermione, Neville and the twins practically demanded that they be allowed to view the memory as well. Soon, all of them had a hand placed inside the swirling liquid and their eyes became white as they were mentally transported into the memory. While the others were viewing the memory, Healer Briggs and Madame Pomfrey checked them over and had them drink a few more potions. Harry also had to deal with Mira who was still cross with him for making her leave him and Dean during their time in the final chamber. Yes, she understands that Miss Winters needed to be saved, but still. Dean also had a very upset Ricki on his chest as the fox glared at him one moment before nuzzling up to him and whining and asking for attention. Ricki eventually curled up on the center of Dean's chest, his eyes closed as if he were sleeping though his ears kept twitching at every little sound.

When the group came out of the memory, the two boys and their familiars watched as the adults and their friends sat down in surprise and alarm. Harry and Dean looked at each other; knowing that none of the adults had ever thought that Riddle would possess a professor. They had certainly been surprised and it had been sheer dumb luck that they hadn't been killed. Hermione and Eliza hurried over to the two boys and hugged them tightly, making Harry and Dean awkwardly hug them back.

"So…Vol-Riddle was possessing Quirrell and had some control over the man's body from what we saw." Amelia said, her voice soft as she sat down before her legs gave out.

"You both did a good job. You held out until Quirrell/Riddle got the upper hand. You also played along as much as possible." Delilah said, pride in her voice as Harry and Dean nodded.

"You still have the Stone?" Lucas asked, Harry nodding as he pulled the Mokeskin pouch from around his neck.

He reached into the bag and pulled out the wrapped Stone. Lucas pulled out his own Mokeskin pouch which he opened and deposited the Stone into. Amelia watched the whole thing with awe; though she was glad that the Stone was going to be returned to its rightful owner and safely destroyed.

"Now what?" Dean asked, gently stroking Ricki's ears as he looked at the adults.

"None of you need the press to know what happened here. I believe Albus will be very…agreeable with us when we mention that we don't mind if nothing comes of this. You're not to answer any of the headmaster's questions. This is an official investigation thus, it's out of his hands. However, I'm not saying that you all shouldn't be rewarded for preventing the resurrection of the Dark Lord." Amelia said, looking to Minerva and Severus.

"Forty points each for ensuring the safety of the school." Minerva said, pride in her voice as the group looked at her in shock before looking at each other.

"B-But-"

"-that means-!"

"We'll be tied for the House Cup!" Hermione gasped, having quickly added up their totals and realizing that the one-hundred and forty points will push them ahead.

"Five points each for having come up with a sound plan that ensured the safety of each other." Severus said, a smirk spreading across his face as the group cheered.

"Now Severus, I thought you wanted to see Slytherin win the House cup this year." Minerva said, grinning at the other man who scoffed softly.

"Please, we've already won the Quidditch cup. The last thing I need to deal with is the sight of my students parading around the school with their noses in the air. They already do that enough for my tastes." He said, making the others laugh while Amelia shook her head.

"You won't be saying the same thing when school starts up again, Severus. My son plans on trying out for the Quidditch team as Seeker." Delilah said, pride in her voice as Harry flushed while Severus raised an eyebrow.

"Well then I look forward to seeing those matches." He said, the others chuckling lightly.

Amelia, with Harry's permission, took a copy of the boy's memory. Lucas and Delilah confirmed that she's now a full ally of the Brotherhood, which also meant that she would be allowed to see the estate. Harry asked about Susan, in which Lucas and Delilah promised that they'll speak about Susan and their other friends learning about the Brotherhood over the summer. Amelia explained that she needs to speak with Albus still in hopes of making the man back off from questioning Harry and Dean about what happened. She also wanted to make sure that Albus knows that if something similar happens then she won't be so willing to keep the knowledge from the Wizengamot and he might find himself summoned before them in court on trial for child endangerment. Lucas called on a House Elf once more and had the pensive removed before they all said their goodbyes and hugged Harry and Dean.

The adults talked quietly about a few things as they made their way to the doors of the hospital wing. Amelia was surprised to learn that Madame Pomfrey and Healer Briggs know of the Assassins and Templars, though what was even more surprising was learning that Poppy's daughter had been an Assassin but had tragically lost her life in the war. Aaron had a cousin three times removed who is an ally of the Brotherhood so it only made things better now that he knows since he's able to better understand why his cousin is so…reclusive. Both of them had given oaths to not reveal anything they had learned today which is why they had been able to discuss what they had freely and without worrying about being overheard by either healers. When they reached the door, Delilah removed the privacy wards that had been placed on them before opening the door. They weren't that surprised to see Albus being barred from entering by the three Aurors Amelia had brought, though the shock on the old Wizard's face at seeing Severus and Minerva among the group was particularly delightful to witness.

"Severus? Minerva? What is the meaning of this? I told you to inform me when Harrison and Mister Thomas-Woods were awake." Albus said, anger in his voice as he looked at his two staff members.

"And I was informed by Madame Bones that this was a sensitive case that shall be handled directly by her. I happen to agree with Madame Bones, Albus, so I informed her when they were awake." Minerva said primly, making Albus scowl at her.

"I agree with Minerva and Amelia, Albus. It's pointless for you to try and butt your way into this matter." Severus said, hiding his inner glee at the shocked look he got from the elderly Wizard.

"Which reminds me, Albus: you and I need to discuss some...important matters in your office." Amelia said, watching as the headmaster paled slightly before he seemed to gather himself.

"Surely it can wai-"

"No it cannot wait, Albus. I have already informed you that you are not, legally, allowed to question Heirs Potter-Othello and Thomas-Woods. Now, shall we adjourn to your office?" Amelia asked, her eyes glinting as Albus cleared his throat.

"Of course, of course. I was merely concerned about the welfare of two of my top students." He said, his tone holding a note of disappointment as if he was disappointed in them for not allowing him into the hospital wing.

"I can personally tell you that both boys are well on their way to being as good as new so to speak." Minerva said, Albus nodding lightly.

"Very well, Amelia, if you'll follow me." He said, turning and leading the woman down the halls.

"I'll show you to my office so you can floo back to the estate." Minerva said, nodding to Severus who nodded curtly back before sweeping off towards the dungeons.

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Albus sighed in frustration as the fire in his office's fireplace turned back to its normal orange/red flames. The meeting with Amelia hadn't gone the way he had hoped for. The woman was ruthless and precise in her instructions and made him very much aware that, should he attempt to question Harry and his friends, then he could be arrested for tampering with an ongoing case. He couldn't afford such a thing, especially since nearly all of his political clout had been removed thanks to Minister Matthew's laws preventing people from holding more than one important political position. Yes, he still sits on the Wizengamot as Lord of the Dumbledore family, but that's it. A woman by the name of Diana Finch had replaced him as Chief Wizard while someone from America had become the Supreme Mugwump in the I.C.W. Another person had been elected as Britain's representative for that body as well. Yes, he's still Headmaster but that could easily be stripped from him as well if Amelia decided to dig into his past or if he, as she had put it, stepped out of line.

She had given him orders to tell the students that Professor Quirrell had taken ill and was at St. Mungo's. He's also to remove all of the traps on the third floor during the summer and the Cerberus is to go to a reserve in Ireland for Magical Creatures and the Troll was to be released back to its clan in the mountains. Amelia had also explained that she'll be returning with a specialized team to examine the final chamber and try to figure out all that had happened. Of course he had offered his services to her but she had curtly turned him down and said that this was matters for her department, not for the headmaster of a school. Yes, he had tried to remind her that he had extensive knowledge that she doesn't and might be able to help her more than whatever team she put together. However, Amelia had rather brutally slapped that idea down by explaining that the team is comprised of people from all over the world who know various branches of magic that he has likely never studied before.

Sadly, he has no choice but to listen to Amelia less he be taken to court. Lucas and Delilah are even less forgiving than Amelia and he knows that they've been informed of the times he's requested to meet with Harry. All of his plans have come unraveled thanks to the Othello's adopting Harry. He's aware of his station in their world, is highly confident and has friends that are firmly out of his circle of influence. The only thing that has been going for him is that the Weasley twins have befriended Harry and his other friends. Admittedly Ronald wasn't the most…subtle of people and has been severely heavy handed in his attempts to befriend Harry. Sadly, however, the twins are very free spirited and don't follow their mother's strict instructions. They're more like Arthur in that aspect and he's also been speaking with Molly and has learned that Arthur has begun cracking down on her and what she's able to do around the house.

It's not the most comforting of thoughts but he'll have to rely on young Ginerva getting close to Harry and his friends in order to have any semblance of influence in the boy's life. Minerva and his other professors have all reported that Harry is one of the top students of his year with Miss Granger having the top spot. Hopefully Ginerva will be a touch more subtle in her approach to befriend Harry and the others. Yes, a lot can go wrong, especially if Ginerva fails to get close to Harry, but it's worth a try. He needs to be able to control Harry and guide the boy down the path he needs to take.

"Where did I go wrong?" He muttered, frowning as he leaned back in his chair and looked out the window which looked over the lake.

How had the Othellos even known about the Dursleys? Or even the Potters for that matter?! Yes, Lucas and Delilah had been in Hogwarts, though Lucas had been four years ahead of Lily, James and their friends while Delilah had been three years ahead of them. Delilah was in Ravenclaw while Lucas was in Slytherin; something which had greatly worried him when he had learned that they had adopted Harry. The only time he had seen Lily hanging out with either of them was when Delilah had offered to tutor Lily in Ancient Runes and Defense. They never really seemed to spend time together outside of their tutoring sessions and Delilah and Lucas had been betrothed in Delilah's Sixth Year. Obviously he had missed something, especially since Delilah and Lucas appeared to have been close to Lily and James somehow. It was also rather disconcerting seeing Minerva and Severus interacting with them so…easily.

He had fully expected Severus to loath Harry given the hostile relationship between him and James. Yes, Severus had sneered and muttered rude remarks when Harry had been sorted into Gryffindor. He had also scoffed and rolled his eyes during staff meetings whenever the other staff members mentioned Harry's high grades. However, lately he's seemed to have calmed down in his attitude towards the young boy. Of course he's glad that Severus seems to have dropped the grudge he's held against James Potter.

"How do I get Harry under my influence again? If he doesn't listen to me then it could spell the destruction of our entire society." Albus muttered, reaching over to the glass bowl on the edge of his desk and grabbing one of the lemon drops.

As he popped it into his mouth a gentle trilling sound filled the air. Albus blinked and looked over to Fawkes' perch. His familiar trilled again, causing his worries to sooth slightly. However, his moment of peace was interrupted when a flash of golden flames startled him. His eyes widened when as a gold and white colored Phoenix flashed into his office and hovered above his desk. The Phoenix trilled lightly before dropping a letter onto the stunned Headmaster's desk and flashing away once more. Fawkes remained silent, his eyes locked onto where the other Phoenix had appeared. Albus, however, was very worried. The only other person who had a Phoenix besides him is Nickolas. Nickolas had found Asha when he had been a young boy and they had bonded instantly. Since then they had been inseparable and he had been inspired by his former mentor when he had first laid his eyes on the beautiful Phoenix. Fawkes is actually Asha's offspring and he had bonded with Fawkes a little after he defeated Gillert.

Shaking himself, Albus swallowed thickly and picked up the letter, wincing when he saw that it is indeed from Nickolas. Picking up a letter opener, he cut the envelop open and pulled out the letter inside.

Albus,

You promised me and my wife that the Stone would be safe! The monitoring device that we had linked to the Stone broke the night before last which should only happen if the Stone was destroyed. I can't believe that I actually listened to you when it came to the Stone and its safety. I blindly trusted you because of our friendship and you've betrayed that trust. Please tell me you at least had the Stone in a secure location within the school. I also thought that you had the backgrounds of all of your staff members checked? Unless someone managed to sneak into the school?

Thankfully we have enough elixir left to put our affairs in order and ensure that none of our notes wind up in the wrong hands. My great-granddaughter will be taking over as Lady Flamel and has deemed the alliance between our Houses as null and void. You should be receiving a letter from Gringotts and from our lawyer concerning the details and the fact that you will be expected to pay back all debts owed to our family.

I had high hopes for you, Albus. But lately you've been proving me wrong. Consider this the last time I will be contacting you.

Lord Flamel

"Damn it!" Albus growled, slamming the letter down onto his desk as the portraits of the former headmaster and headmistresses complained about the outburst.

Was the entire world against him?! First the Othellos adopted Harry which ensured that the boy was out of his sphere of influence, then Ronald botches up every attempt to make friends with the lad while Harry makes friends with people he can't control, and now Amelia has completely blocked all possible routes to ask Harry and Dean what happened in the final chamber. How had the Stone been destroyed? Had Harry released a burst of powerful accidental magic that destroyed the Stone or had he somehow tricked Quirrell into hitting it with a powerful spell? Was Quirrell working alone or was he working with someone? How had the Mirror been destroyed?

"There are too many unknowns." Albus sighed, dropping his head into his hands as his mind whirled with various thoughts.

Sighing, he lifted his head and turned slightly, spotting a calendar hanging on the wall nearby. Like all calendars which are used by professors and general business men and women, each date was filled in with something that had to be done. The nineteenth was circled in gold with a note below it marking it as the end-of-the-year feast. The feast used to be held not long after the main school exams were finished. However, recently he had decided to change it so it was held on the day before the students went home in the morning. The graduation ceremony was to take place on the eighteenth and the Seventh Years will get an honors breakfast and lunch which they can have their parents, relatives and guardians attend. He just hoped everything went well for the last few weeks of the school. Shaking his head, he looked over at the miniature House points counters and his eyes widened. Just this morning before breakfast, Slytherin had been in the lead by over a hundred points. Hufflepuff had been in second place while Gryffindor and Ravenclaw had been tied for third. However, now Gryffindor is ahead of Slytherin by a good amount, which didn't make much sense…unless Minerva had given Harry and his friends points for some reason.

Reaching into one of the drawers of his desk, Albus pulled out a thick book and set it down. Opening it, he flipped through the various pages until he reached the Gryffindor points tally for the year. Records of the House point system are kept in this book for the entire year, which meant he was able to see how many points were lost or gained and for what reason. He generally had no reason to look through it as Minerva has the same book in her own office where she was able to give or take points and overrule another professor in point addition or removal. He only looked through it whenever one of the professors asked him to.

"Now, how did Gryffindor gain a lead…" He muttered, flipping through a few more pages until he came to the most recent entry.

His eyes widened when he saw that Minerva had awarded forty points to Harry, Hermione, Dean, Neville and the twins this morning. However, what truly shocked him was the fact that Severus had awarded them five points each. Yes, Severus has become more…relaxed when it comes to awarding points. The head of the Department of Education had spoken with all of the staff members about what was expected of them when Minister Matthews began implementing the various changes which will affect the school. He could only assume that the head of the department had strong words with Severus about his performance as a professor here which made his dour potions master 'relax' so to say. It was also worrying that Severus was keen to listen to Amelia rather than tell him what had happened. He knows that Severus is now aware of what had happened in the final chamber and he had attempted to read his potions master's mind in front of the infirmary but Severus had firmly kept him out and warned him not to make another attempt.

"What use is a spy when he refuses to inform me about what is going on?" Albus growled, scowling down at the points book before slamming it shut.

"Severus is a Slytherin, Albus, or have you forgotten? He obviously knows that it's far better to listen to the head of the D.M.L.E. and save his own hide rather than sooth your ruffled feathers."

Albus scowled and turned his head, looking at the portrait of Phineas Black. The thin man raised an eyebrow at Albus, though didn't say anything else as Albus scowled at him.

"I know he's a Slytherin, Phineas." Albus muttered, making the other portraits look from him to the least liked headmaster in Hogwarts' history.

"Then it shouldn't be a shock to you that he would rather save his own skin than obey your every command like some kind of cur." Phineas said, a sneer on his face as Albus glared at him.