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Harry was in a rather sour mood, and it didn’t help that he was in pain. He stroked his hand, the essence of Dittany soaking into his scar, and frowned. He had just come back from one of the torture sessions, masked as detention, courtesy of one Dolores Umbridge. He refused to call her professor, or madame or anything that would even hint at respect. He stared at the fire and sighed, putting some more dittany on his hand, wishing he could talk to someone. Anyone, really. Everyone was asleep, as he had gotten back well after curfew, because he ‘deserved’ the detention. He was about to go to bed when he realized something. He could talk to someone.
Harry got up and as quickly, yet silently, as possible, went to his bunk, and then into his trunk. He got out the hand sized mirror and smiled, before taking it back down to the common room. He fidgeted softly and then cleared his throat, speaking softly, but loud enough to be heard.
“Sirius Black!” He said, smiling and waiting, hopefully.
~MM~
“Sirius Black!”
Sirius Black, wanted fugitive, and self-styled ladies man, snorted softly and blinked awake. He turned his head around from his place on the bed, and squinted his eyes. Who the hell was in his room?
“Sirius Black?”
He heard it again, and then his eyes shot open. He scrambled from bed, cursing when the sheets tangled in his legs, and dove for the dresser on the other side of the room. He grunted but picked up the mirror, grinning like a loon.
“Harry!” Sirius said, and the mirror activated, both males looking at each other.
“Sirius, oh, uh… were you asleep?” Harry asked, now feeling rather ashamed of himself. It was almost midnight, and Sirius looked disheveled, more than normal.
“Yeah, but who cares?” Sirius responded, sitting up properly and smiling, beaming, really. His godson used the mirror! Even if it was late, he could sleep later. “How are you, pup? I know I saw you last week, but… well, how are you!” He said, excited, and Harry really couldn't feel ashamed for long. Instead of going into a story of his detention, Harry decided to just talk with his godfather. He was thankful the next day was Saturday, because by the time the duo stopped talking, it was nearing dawn.
“Sweet Merlin, pup!” Sirius said when he felt the rays of the sun touch him softly. “We should be getting to sleep.” The older male said, smiling. “I am glad you picked the mirror up, though… I love talking to you.” Sirius said with a soft yawn, apologizing for it. Harry smiled and nodded.
“Yeah, it was… I liked it. Maybe we can do it more often?” Harry asked, apprehensively, and Sirius nodded like an eager child.
“Of course! Anytime, Pup… and I mean
anytime.
” Sirius said, making sure to emphasize that.
“Alright… yeah.” Harry said, smiling again, then groaning. “Ugh, I should probably get to sleep, yeah… I got detention again this evening.” He said, huffing.
“Oh-ho! For what, my dear godson?” Sirius asked, grinning. “Did you steal some knickers, perhaps a snog?” He asked, raising his eyebrows teasingly. Harry snickered softly, then sobered up, shaking his head.
“No… not, exactly.” Harry said, then explained to Sirius why he had detentions, and through some coaxing, showed him the scar. Sirius frowned, but he didn’t scold Harry or anything, he just told him to call him that night. Every night he had detention. Harry nodded, and after bidding his godfather a farewell, went to bed.
“KREACHER!” Sirius all but bellowed, and the elf appeared with a ~pop~ and a grumble. He was about to open his mouth when Sirius snapped at him.
“Shut up, Elf!” Sirius snarled, not in the mood to hear anything from the deranged being. “I am going to sleep. Right now, it is five in the morning. You are to wake me up no later than twelve thirty, do you understand?” He asked, glaring at the elf.
“Yes, Kreacher understands.” The elf said, grumbling softly.
“You are to wake me up with civility, and make sure it is painless. I have important things to do.” Sirius said, and then dismissed the elf. He fell asleep after twenty minutes or so, but only because of his exhaustion, his mind was a whirl with not so pleasant thoughts.
~MM~
“Dumbledore!” Came the agitated tone of Sirius Black, from the private floo of the headmaster.
“Ah, Sirius, my bo-” Albus started, but he was interrupted.
“Can I come through, or not?” Sirius snarled, his eyes alight with rage.
“Yes, of course… of course.” Dumbledore said, flicking his wand to seal the chamber he was in. A few seconds later Sirius stepped through, in fine robes, his eyes still on fire.
“Were you aware, Albus.” Sirius started, his tone biting. “That my godson has been getting tortured nightly?” He asked, fingers itching to snatch his wand and go on a toad hunt.
“Tortured, my dear boy?” Dumbledore said, tilting his head lightly. “The lessons from Severus might not be… ideal, but I am sure it is far from torture.” He said, and then frowned at Sirius’ growl.
“We’ll get to that later.” Sirius said, and then to facilitate things, gave the headmaster a vial of his memory of the morning’s conversation. Dumbledore frowned but took the vial, excusing himself as his pensieve was in his office. Sirius nodded and sat, waiting with a snarl and flexing his fingers to keep himself occupied.
Dumbledore went to his office, and was surprised to see Severus there. He raised an eyebrow but shrugged, and went over to where he kept his ancient pensieve.
“Viewing old memories again, headmaster?” Severus said, his tone silky and smooth as always.
“Not exactly, Severus… join me, perhaps?” Dumbledore said, figuring it would be good for his most trusted friend to see what Sirius had been talking about. Severus shrugged softly, but nodded, it was a Saturday, he didn’t have anything terribly important to do this week. Dumbledore poured the memory into the stone bowl and then both he and Severus dipped into it.
It was a few minutes before the emerged, and the looks on their faces were different. Severus was pensive, with quiet contemplation etched on his features, and Dumbledore… his expression was frightening. His face was contorted in rage, his wand hand flexing softly as he registered just what he had seen.
“Where is Black now, Headmaster?” Severus asked, and he got a gesture to indicate his room. Severus nodded and when he left the sight of the headmaster, he shuddered. The power coming off of the man! He would be surprised if Umbridge made it as more than a stain on the wall of her class. He entered the room and was subject to a glare from Sirius.
“Before we start with the pleasantries we usually divulge in, I wish to say my peace.” Severus started, and Sirius glared for a moment before nodding sharply.
“I wish to… apologize for the caustic attitude I have shown you.” Severus said, and Sirius looked surprised. He got a scoff from Severus before the man continued. “I will not greet you with hugs and kisses, Black, but I shall refrain from spouting vitriol at you.” Severus said, and Sirius nodded, in acceptance.
“Thank you, Snape.” Sirius said, before getting up and fixing himself. “I trust Albus is… going to take care of things?” Sirius said, and he saw Severus shudder, before nodding.
“Yes, Black… of that you can be sure.” Severus said, before Sirius got up and left. He would find out tonight, and as much as he wanted to stick around, he did not want to get sent back to Azkaban, or kissed. It wouldn’t be good for his pup.
Severus sighed and went back to the headmaster's office, blinking when he saw the man was absent. Where… oh no, the door was wide open. Everyone was… in the great hall for lunch. Merlin, this could be bad.
~MM~
“Detention, Potter, for being late to lunch!” Prof. Umbridge said, and Harry flinched softly, before nodding sharply. Umbridge smirked and when she got to the head table, took a seat. The four house tables were then spread apart, to their closest walls, making the students cry out in alarm. Then a dueling platform raised in the middle, just as the doors slammed open.
“Dolores Jane Umbridge!” Came the rage furious rage filled voice of one Albus Dumbledore as he entered the hall. His robes billowing in a way that showed the power that he possessed. “I, Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore challenge you! I challenge you to a duel of honor, in the claims that you have none! ” He said, stepping up to the platform with his wand out, his hard blue eyes boring into her frightened brown ones. “Do you accept?” He finished, barely keeping a snarl from his lips.
“On… on what grounds do you dispute my honor, Headmaster?” Dolores managed to stammer out from her lips. She leaned further back at his hardened glare.
“On the grounds that you torture students, disparage their learning, for your own twisted enjoyment.” Dumbledore said, his tone no longer roiling, but it held a calm rage… and that was even worse.
“Who told you such lies? Was it Potter?” Dolores said, glaring, and then she yelped when she was tugged to the platform by magic, Dumbledore’s wand still at his side.
“It seems the castle answered my question for you, Dolores. Prepare yourself.” Dumbledore said, wand at the ready, muscles tense and prepared. Dolores, for her part, did what she could to reel in her fear. The filthy half breed Flitwick was a master dueler, but this was Dumbledore… and he had power (that she could now literally see as a visible aura), and it was going to be directed at her.
“Standard dueling rules!” Flitwick said, coming up to the platform, McGonagall and Severus (Who just arrived), putting up dueling shields. “Nothing dark, or lethal. As it is a duel of honor, whoever fails will lose the honor of their name, and whatever rank they may possess to the victor.” Flitwick said, and both duelers nodded, Dolores straightening herself out. If she… could outlast the much older man, she had a chance. She’d be chief Witch, Headmistress, and Supreme Mugwump!
“On my mark!” Flitwick started, and then he stepped back. “Duel!” He lowered his wand, a shower of sparks indicating the start.
Dolores barely managed to avoid the first spell, hair on end as it sizzled past her at remarkable speeds. She turned back just in time to toss up the strongest shield she could, staggering back when it was shattered like glass to a rock. She was immediately, if not more so than she had been, on the defensive as Dumbledore fired spell after spell at her. He was usually more in control, and had he had his normal persona about him, the duel would already be over, but he was in no mood for that.
The spells were powerful, they came fast, and Dolores was getting more and more used to the idea of crawling into a hole and never leaving. The fury in this man’s eyes, just because she taught Potter a lesson, it was nearly excrement inducing. She yelped when she felt her feet unable to move, and looked down to see the platform swallowing her from below. She screamed when her wand was wrenched from her grip, and then a burst of light, as thick as she was, slammed into her. Only the dueling shields saved her from injury, but she was out cold before she even hit them.
“Victory to Dumbledore!” Filius exclaimed, and then he continued. “He is now Hogwarts High Inquisitor, Defense Against the Dark Arts professor, and Senior Undersecretary, as per the laws of the honor duel.” He finished, and Dumbledore sighed before his face dropped. He looked ashamed, not at Her dropped from, but at his own acts. He ran a hand over his face, after taking his glasses off, the platform sinking into the floor, until his feet touched the stone.
“I… wish to apologize to you, my children.” Dumbledore said, his voice tired, sorrowful. “I let my anger get the better of me, and you had to see me in such a state.” He said, looking up, soft tears in his eyes. “I hope never to show that again, and that it does not keep you from… from seeing me as I have always been to you my students: Kind and welcoming.” He finished, before nodding to Flitwick, and leaving.
The students, for the most part, held in their awe, but it was difficult. Not only had they witness a duel with Dumbledore as an occupant, it was him defending them from their terrible Defense professor. There were those that were fearful of him, now understanding why he was the only one the dark lord had ever feared.
There were those that recovered quickly, and the cheering started. They were done with the professor, and her terrible mannerisms, and everything about her. Dumbledore heard the jubilation, and the subsequent cheering of ‘Dum-ble-dore!’ from the great hall, and through his personal sorrow at his terrible display of control, he smiled. He would have to be better, for his children.
~MM~
Furious Fudge, that was what they were calling the minister when he laid into Dolores in the middle of the ministry atrium. The humiliated witch had been brought there by Dumbledore, and Fudge had been informed of everything. He had grown pale at each new declaration, and when he heard she had used a blood quill to torture students? That was when he had lost his mind to his own anger. He had berated her in the middle of the atrium, and then had her taken away (screaming at him) by the aurors. He had then mumbled out some kind of apology to Dumbledore, who then forfeited his titles, except that of headmaster and Supreme Mugwump, to the minister. He would be paying much, much more attention to his students from now on.
~MM~
“Potter. Get in and close the door.” Snape said, as it was time for the now bi-weekly Occlumency lessons. He turned to the slightly agitated boy and his eyes narrowed, before he schooled his own features. “The headmaster insists we continue these lessons… and I will do as he asks.” The dour man said, and Harry reluctantly nodded. “However… before we begin, I would like to apologize.” He said, and Harry blinked a few times, dumbly, before speaking.
“Sir?” Harry said, and it almost made Severus wince at how timid he sounded.
“Yes, Potter… apologize.” Severus said, before taking a deep breath. “I have been less than… kind to you these past years, even worse the past few weeks of lessons.” He said, and Harry didn’t say anything, but Severus had enough time around children Harry’s age to see the unsaid ‘Tell me something I don’t know.’ It was subtle, with Harry, but he caught it.
“I will not say from here on out we shall be… friendly, but I shall be civil with you.” Severus continued, and Harry nodded. “The first act of my… olive branch, so to speak, is teaching you proper Occlumency.” He said, and then took out a book. He handed it to Harry, and said boy looked down to read it’s cover: ‘Occlumency: Your mind belongs to you.’
“The dark lord has had decades to perfect his attacks, his abilities… to believe you could master such a finely tuned art is an insult to your intelligence.” Severus said, slipping behind his desk. “I want you to go back to your tower, spend the next lessons we are to meet reading instead of coming to my office. Follow the instructions in that book, and you will feel the presence of the Dark Lord lessen. It will not leave you, but you will be able to block his more… subtle probes.” He said, and then looking at the dumbstruck boy he glowered. “Go! Before I change my mind, Potter!” He hissed out, and Harry yelped softly before leaving, thanking the man as he did so.
“I do this for you… Lily. For your son… for our world.” Severus said to no-one, but he could have sworn he felt a brush of a hand to his cheek as his eyes closed.
~MM~
The days turned to weeks, and the weeks to months and soon it was time for O.W.L.’s. Hermione had been a wreck, but after some shoulder and neck massages from her new boyfriend, Neville, she calmed down. He seemed to be able to get her to relax, not with heavy snogs, or anything over the top… just with being himself and reminding her that she needed sleep from time to time. They were not the perfect couple, but really, who was? It also have Harry and Ron time to relax themselves, though Harry did kind of get on Ron’s ass to do a bit of studying, just not as heavily as Hermione would have.
The written parts of the exams were harder for Harry and Ron, as opposed to the practicals which were just… good to do. It let them exert their magic, show off what they had learned from an actual professor. Dumbledore was amazing, and that was understating him completely. The only issue had been during his History O.W.L. He had been writing about the fourth goblin war, when he was attacked mentally by Voldemort. As it was a direct attack, it went through his still developing shields like tissue paper. He screamed, so loud it startled the visiting instructor, and he dropped to the floor. His scar was bleeding, it hurt so much, but that didn’t matter to Harry. No, what mattered was that Sirius was being tortured. Sirius was tied to a chair, screaming in agony as the cruciatus was put upon him by Bellatrix, and Voldemort.
He passed out, he knew that, for how long that wasn’t sure. He woke being levitated to the hospital wing, and his eyes flew open. He flicked his wand and dropped the levitation charm, and broke out into a run away from the hospital wing, on his way to the common room. He yelled the password to the fat lady, and she screamed and ducked from the portrait, opening it in the process. He raced up the stairs, taking three at a time, and flung his trunk open.
“SIRIUS BLACK!” Harry yelled at the mirror, and not five seconds later, his godfathers worried, clean face came into view.
“Bloody hell, what’s wrong, Harry?!” Sirius asked, seeing the fearful, teary eyes of his godson.
“Oh…. oh good Merlin… you’re alright.” Harry said, dropping to his knees, holding in a soft sob. His godfather wasn’t being brutally maimed. He sniffed softly, and then held the mirror to his chest just as Dumbledore burst into the room, having heard about what happened. He glanced behind him, seeing Snape behind Dumbledore.
“He… he sent me a vision. He was… he was torturing Sirius. I had… I had to be sure.” Harry said, sniffing and showing the mirror, with the very worried godfather.
“You know what? Screw this! KREACHER!” Sirius said, and with a muffled conversation, and the mirror going out, Sirius appeared next to Harry with the agitated, old elf. Harry clung to his godfather, and sobbed his stressed little heart out.
Dumbledore nodded, and then sealed the room, allowing the two distraught males to console each other. Soon, Harry was just breathing softly, holding tightly still, but Dumbledore spoke softly, kneeling next to them.
“Where, my boy? So that we might know… so that we can end this before it goes too far.” Dumbledore asked, and Harry shuddered, before speaking himself.
“I… I am not sure. There were glass orbs everywhere, It was where Mr. Weasley got attacked.” Harry said, and Dumbledore frowned, before nodding and standing.
“Thank you, Mr. Potter.” Dumbledore said, getting up and letting out a soft sigh. “Severus, I have things to attend to. Should my fate be that I do not return, you have my orders to go to the next step.” He said, and Severus nodded stiffly, somberly.
“Very well… Albus.” Severus said, before Dumbledore called Fawkes and they were both gone in a flash of brilliant flame. Severus hoped that Dumbledore returned, for their worlds sake.
~MM~
“Show yourself, Tom!” Came the bellowing voice of Dumbledore, having arrived right in the middle of the ministry. His aura was projecting, his power at it’s very pinnacle. The atrium of the ministry was emptied in a scant few minutes, and it didn’t take much longer for Tom to show himself with a snarl. He then paused at the fury rolling off of the man, his wand up like a striking cobra, firing off the first of what would be a symphony of magic that day.
The few that were courageous enough to stick around watched in unadulterated awe as the two traded spells, as they fought a battle so monumental that it shook the very ministry. Flashes of green, red, gold and even black, filtered the halls as they dueled each other to the very end. It was a fight of legends, a fight that would be heard and spoken of for generations to come. In the end, however, there could only be one victor. Only one to stand triumphantly over the body of the other.
For the benefit of the wizarding world, that one was Dumbledore. Using an very old, very dark spell, he bound what remained of the dark lord’s soul to a piece of marble, and banished it through the Veil of Death. He was exhausted, but he was alive… and that was what mattered. The world was safe again, and he was alright with that. He asked his companion to take him to the hospital wing, and was not surprised when Poppy immediately had him on a bed.
“Ah, thank you, Poppy… I am surrendering to your tender mercies.” Dumbledore said, before a potion was put to his lips in which he drank it obediently.
“What did you get yourself into, Albus?” The mediwitch asked exasperated.
“Nothing of merit to note, my dear Poppy. Hmm… dreamless sleep? Marvelous.” Dumbledore said, before he slipped into the peaceful embrace of Morpheus. Poppy huffed and got to work, healing the various wounds, and countering the vicious curses littered upon his form. She was glad he was such a strong wizard, as his core was already refilling to aid in her healing techniques. She snarled when the door flew open, and was about to berate the intruder, when she saw it was Severus along with several Aurors, Madam Bones, and the minister himself.
“He is asleep, and I am healing him. You have at least twelve hours before he wakes.” Poppy said, and then Severus smirked and mumbled to himself.
“The power the dark lord knows not, indeed… Albus.” Severus said, and he could swear Dumbledore’s lips twitched into a soft smile.