OOOOOOOO WEDNSDAY OOOOOOOOO

00000 Theo, Harry, & Blaise 00000

Harry, Theo, and Blaise were in an abandoned classroom going over spells with each other. Thankfully it was empty of any desks or equipment, and big enough for them to move around. At the moment Blaise was teaching his friends a low powered illusion spell that his mother taught him. It only lasted for about 5 seconds, but that distraction could be used to set up their opponent for the win.

"Theo, make the swish a little sharper and faster. This is a short-term spell and the speed is needed for it to be in range of the person you're using this against. Harry, you need a wider arch at the beginning of the wand movement. You don't want the spell latching on to you as well."

"I thought that this was a small illusion spell?"

"It is, but it's also training for the more invasive illusion spells that show a person's fear and draw on the other person's magical core. The more afraid the person is the harder it is for them to break out of the spell." Both boys looked at Blaise with a confused and slightly disturbed look on their face. Theo was the first to break the silence.

"Why in the bloody hell is your mother teaching you to become a Dementor?"

"Dementors feed on misery, not fear thank you very much. And she's teaching me the multiple branches of illusionary magic. It's not as widely taught and could be useful in getting information." Both looked at him before looking at each other with similar thoughts.

"Blaise, your mother is scary. Wicked, but scary."

"Yes, she is. And if you choose Professor Snape as your guardian, you'll be in the same predicament. Now let's get back to this spell. I want to learn that mummy spell that tomb raider taught you." Harry let out a sigh before he and Theo started practicing the wand movements again.

00000 Warding Team 00000

Doris and Minerva were by the fireplace in the Headmistress' office waiting for their first guests to arrive. The warders were going to arrive first and then the Ministry team a half hour later. Both women were hoping that the teams would have only a little bit of work in their respective fields. If not, it would be another strike against the former Headmaster, who was facing more than enough backlash for his actions.

Neither of them may feel sympathy for him, but that didn't mean they wanted to clean up any more of his messes. Their schedules were already busy, even with Minerva giving up one of her positions, and adding more would eat into their already limited sleep.

Green flames brought the ladies out of their thoughts. Five people came through the fireplace with an assortment of bags and tools. Minerva was surprised to see one of the Curse Breakers a recent graduate; his younger siblings were going to be in for a surprise when they saw him.

"Ladies and gentlemen, thank you for coming so promptly. I am Headmistress Doris, and this is Professor McGonagall, whom I am sure most of you remember from your time here. Could I please know who is the leader and the members of your team? I unfortunately don't recognize anyone from my time as a student here." A tall, grizzly man that looked to be in his sixties stepped forward.

"Headmistress Doris, I am Walter Slaughter. I will be heading up this team during our time here. From left to right we have Alice Brandon, Renna Thyme, James Ranger, Bill Weasley and Tombs Hopstone."

"A pleasure to meet you all. Is there anyone else coming later?"

"No ma'am. We have everyone and everything to start working."

"Good. Let me show you to your rooms to get settled. Afterwards, I'll show you to the ward stones and anchors so you can start working first thing tomorrow morning. I would like to introduce you to the students tonight at dinner; so, I would like to ask all of you to attend tonight. After that, it is your choice to join us in the Great Hall at meals or have them in your quarters.

"Just so you know, we are hosting Healers for two weeks, and a team from the Ministry's Creature Regulation Department. Unfortunately, I don't know how long they will be here, but I will be introducing them as well tonight at dinner. Hopefully, you and the Creature Regulation team won't cross each other while you're doing the external wards."

"That shouldn't be a problem, but thank you for the warning and your hospitality. We'll most likely take most of our meals outside of the Great Hall. We don't always follow a set time with meals. It depends on what we're working on and if we can stop or not." Doris nodded at that; she really didn't expect any of the visitors except the Healers to regularly eat in the Great Hall with the rest of the students and faculty.

"I understand, but the offer is there. We have set up another table if anyone decides otherwise. If you all will follow me, I will show you to where you'll be staying. And if anyone has any family staying, you can visit them after I show you the wards." Most smirked at that while Bill and Tombs chuckled.

"Before I forget, Headmistress, Tombs here is the appointed guardian of Mr. Potter. So, if there is anything that requires his guardian, you can save yourself the parchment."

"Good to know. And before I forget, Mr. Weasley, if you can find a way to prevent your brothers from making too much a ruckus during their pranks, please let me know." Bill had the decency to blush while his co-workers laughed. They've all heard about their pranks when the twins would write Bill about their latest achievements. Minerva couldn't help adding in her two sickles after being quiet during the whole transaction.

"I doubt anything short of their mother being here to watch over them will stop those twins from making mischief. But if Mr. Weasley would like to try in between his workload, he is welcome to try. Although, if I remember correctly, Mr. Fred and George Weasley learned some of their pranks from you."

"I wasn't that bad." Minerva's pursed lips almost made him rethink that if he didn't see her lips twitch a little.

"No, you were not, otherwise I would have retired before they started." Everyone laughed at that before Doris was finally able to lead her group to their rooms. Minerva could handle the Ministry employees when they arrive.

00000 Ron Weasley 00000

Ron Weasley was in the infirmary waiting to be released. He was one of the last first years to be tested yesterday and got stuck here overnight and most of the morning. Even though he didn't go to classes, he still had to do the homework and make up the classwork starting this weekend. He also wasn't happy about taking the potions that made him go to the bathroom most of the night. If that wasn't bad enough, his parents were called in and where talking to the Healer about the treatment he needed for some stupid stomach parasite.

Even after having it explained to him, he still didn't understand what the big deal was. So, he had to eat more than what was normal for his age, the parasite would eat the excess and prevent him from gaining much weight. The only bad thing he could really complain about was being gassy with certain food like carrots and green beans, which he never liked in the first place.

Ron's stomach grumbled again, making him run to the bathroom again. Two more days of this made Ron almost miss waking up early for class.

00000 Mr. & Mrs. Weasley 00000

Arthur and Molly Weasley were seated in Poppy Pomfrey's office with Healer Kathy Grain

"Mr. and Mrs. Weasley, thank you for coming so quickly. I hope that my owl didn't alarm you too much when you received it."

"What exactly is wrong with my son? Is it lethal?! Shouldn't he be at St. Mungo's?!"

"Molly! Let the Healer explain before getting worked up. I'm sure that if it were serious, Ron would be at St. Mungo's and we would have received a Floo call instead of an owl."

"That's correct Mr. Weasley. The reason your son is being treated and you've been called in is because of a magical stomach parasite."

"What?!" Molly shrieked in fright for her son. "Is Ronald going to be okay? Are you sure he shouldn't be at St. Mungo's?"

"Ma'am, I know you are worried about your son, but interrupting me will not help you learn anything about the situation. If you cannot help yourself, you can visit your son and your husband can tell you everything discussed between us. Is that understood?" Healer Grain said with steel in her voice and a look that promised retribution if the woman in front of her didn't pull herself together. Molly, once in her life, seemed to get the message and tamped down her natural impulses. Seeing that, Healer Grain nodded her head before continuing.

"Like I said before, Ronald Weasley has a magical stomach parasite. Thankfully, it is one of the weaker ones and it was caught before permanent damage could be done. At the moment, your son is getting his stomach flushed. It causes him to relieve himself constantly, so we are keeping your son here to make sure he gets the nutrition he needs and he doesn't become dehydrated.

"From the test we were able to run, the parasite got into his system about 18 months ago. At the time, it would have been mistaken as a stomach flu or food poisoning, so most don't visit a Healer unless the initial symptoms were severe. Are there any questions so far?"

"Yes." Mr. Weasley said in a calm voice. He may be worried about Ron, but that didn't mean that Arthur couldn't be calm in stressful situations. "How did Ron catch this parasite? And is it possible that our other children caught the same type of parasite? I only ask because I remember about two years ago most of our house seemed to have caught a stomach bug just like you described."

"To answer your first question, I see this type of parasite usually around those that have chickens or other poultry living near themselves. If your children have frequent access, then it is possible that they caught the same parasite. I will insure they are tested for this type of parasite, and if you have any other children still at home, you should have them tested at St. Mungo's. And if you have children that no longer live at home but were home at the time, you should owl them to be checked out if they don't already through their jobs. With that said, most parasites of this strain usually die before they can attach to the person's stomach lining.

"This brings me to my second point. The parasite, although minor, causes the patient to always feel hungry, irritable, and possibly violent toward others. The parasite feeds off both the stomach contents, robbing the host of nutrients, and the person's magic, causing them to be easily irritated or angered. The longer this happens, the possibility of a violent crime from the host increases." Molly gasped at this and even Arthur blanched. Grabbing Molly's hand, Arthur asked what both of them were wondering.

"Will the irritability and anger stop after the treatment? And will Ron need any nutrition potions or a special diet?"

"Ronald Weasley will not need nutrition potions, but he will be on a diet for the next two months. He'll have another appointment where we will see if he needs to stay on it. His magic will fluctuate for the next few days, but will level out without any issues. His emotional state on the other hand is my concern. I will recommend that he sees a Mind Healer to help him. Even though the cause of his emotional turmoil is gone, the behavior has become a part of his everyday life. The Mind Healer will work with Ronald, and any of your other children if they need it, to temper his irritability and anger. Since he is so young and already going through the start of puberty when this happened, he will always be a little irritable and quick to anger but the Mind Healer will give him the tools to cope with those issues. Do you follow me so far?" Molly was worrying her bottom lip in worry and Arthur wasn't fairing much better. Molly looked at Arthur before turning back to the Healer with tears in her eyes.

"Healer Grain, we might not be able to pay for the Mind Healer to help treat Ron." Molly started crying uncontrollably at the thought of not helping her son. The treatment alone could wipe out the little savings they did have.

"Mrs. Weasley, the school will be providing a school Mind Healer after the physicals are done with no cost to the parents. That also includes the treatment he is going through as well. This is covered by the tuition paid to the school. It was Headmaster Dippet that stopped the practice, but the money was still set aside. The only time medical treatment would not be covered by the school is if it was so severe that the student needed to go to St. Mungo's and it was absolutely no fault of the school. Since this is a minor issue, Ronald Weasley's treatment is covered." That caused Molly to cry harder in relief and Arthur to sag.

"What if he needs a Mind Healer over the summer holidays?" Arthur asked after calming Molly down and pulling himself together.

"Unfortunately, you will have to cover that until the new school year. But everything else is covered unless you want someone other than the Mind Healer the school provides." Both parents seemed to relax at that, although Arthur was already thinking of ways to save even more in case Ron, or any of his children, needed extra help during the summer. It should be a lot easier since Ginny was the only one home now.

"Before I let you visit your son, have any of your other children exhibited any symptoms beyond the initial?" Both thought a moment before shaking their heads 'no'. When thinking about it, Ron was the only one who had a sudden appetite change, although they brushed it off as him being a growing boy.

"That's good. We will still test the others to be sure. I will owl you the results of your children's tests and any change in Ronald's treatment."

"Thank you, Healer Grain. My wife and I will visit Ron before going home. I'm sure our daughter is waiting for us to return." Healer Grain nodded and escorted them over to the bed that Ron was lying in.

"I'll leave you two here, but I have to ask to not visit more than 30 minutes. We are preparing for the next batch of students to test." Arthur voiced their thanks while Molly was already fussing over Ron. Healer Grain walked back to her temporary office and slumped after closing the door. High strung parents reminded her why she never went into pediatrics. Shaking herself, Grain straightened up and prepared for the next appointment.

00000 Minerva McGonagall 00000

Minerva only had to wait 15 minutes before the Ministry's Regulation Team came through the Floo. It was a team of six males, all in their Ministry uniforms of dark blue robes. The various trunks and bags reminded her of the first years' belongings before they were sorted into the various Houses.

"Gentleman, I am glad that you were able to come in such a short time. For those that don't know me, I am Minerva McGonagall, the Transformation Professor. The Headmistress sends her apologies that she isn't able to great you herself, but she is showing the Warders around the castle before they start their work tomorrow. May I have your names before I show you to your quarters?"

"Yes, ma'am, and thank you for the welcome. My name is Patrick Swain and I am the leader of this team. Behind me is my second Mark Jones. Next to him are our two Nathans, Conn and Gore. my right is Stephan Scorn and James Titan." Each male nodded their head while being introduced. Minerva nodded to them in return before turning her attention back to Patrick Swain.

"I'm glad to meet you all. I will show you to your rooms and go over the area where the colony is reported to be. If you'll follow me, please." Minerva turned and started walking out of the office while still talking to the team. "Headmistress Doris would like to introduce you to the students tonight at dinner, so they know who you are. They have been warned against getting in your way, although not the true reason you are here. So, if any becomes bothersome or underfoot, please let us know at once."

"That's good. This is going to be difficult enough without worrying about 'adventurers' trying their hand at our jobs."

"Indeed. Although, we were hoping that you would speak to the students about your job some time while you are here. We'll understand if you are unable, though, or wish to wait until a later time."

"If the colony isn't as bad as we've been led to believe, then us doing a talk sometime while we are here is possible. If not, a written request to our department, or any other for that matter, will possibly get you a date where we can talk to your students." Minerva had a thoughtful look on her face while leading the team down to the second floor where their rooms would be. Considering they would be outside most of the time, quarters near the main entrance was best for them.

"I will let the Headmistress know. I'm sure she'll appreciate getting different speakers for the students. Hopefully, it will cause many to take their studies more seriously. But that is for another time. Here are your rooms. The first two on each side will be yours to use. These three will be sleeping quarters, while this last room is the council room to prepare for the colony.

"If you will pick your rooms, I'll be in there to show you where we believe the colony is residing." Patrick nodded his head before he and his team split up. The trunks they brought followed Minerva into the council room while they put their bags down in the rooms they chose for themselves.

Even though the rooms were simple with two beds, dressers, two small desks, and a doorway that lead into a private bathroom, it was much better than the usual sleeping arrangement. Tents could only do so much when dealing with dangerous animals, beings, and creatures that could kill you in an instant. And the less said about spiders, ants, and flying bugs the better. Repellant charms can only hold for so long in some areas, that many trainees would quit within the first three months. So, these rooms were resorts after coming from similar cases.

Making their way out of the rooms and into the council room, they saw that is was quite impressive. In the middle was a big, circular table with a map in the middle. It showed the castle and the forest with the approximate area the acromantula colony was located. There was a side table against one wall and cabinets for the tools they might use on the opposite wall. Everyone took a seat while studying the map.

"I was told that the number of acromantula was around 200. Is that number correct?" Patrick asked while studying the terrain. Minerva blanched at the number, even though Headmistress Doris had warned her beforehand.

"At the moment, that is the number we have. Hagrid never did an official count and the staff only found out recently. It seems that the area isn't usually traveled, either by student or by visitors who have business in the forest. We've been lucky in that regard."

"Indeed. Acromantula have a hunting radius of at least 100 yards. More if they've overhunted the area or have a large colony."

"And is this considered a large colony?"

"Considering that most known wild colonies usually don't go over 150, yes. Since we already know that the population is around 200, with the possibility of more, this could be the biggest colony we've dealt with."

"Will you have to terminate the colony then?"

"Not necessarily. We have to get an exact number. Once we have that, we can make quiet inquiries with licensed acromantula farms. If they are able to take parts of the colony, we won't have to kill the colony. If they can't though, we will most likely have to burn that section of the forest and hunt for any stragglers."

"I see. In either case, the children should be out of your way, but please tell me if any decided to be reckless." Minerva said while standing up with the team copying. "Please let the staff or elves know if you need anything and we will try to help. I will leave you gentlemen to your planning in the meantime. Please be at dinner by 7pm so we can introduce you."

"Yes ma'am." Minerva gave a sharp nod before letting herself out. Everyone sat down again and just stared at the map for a moment.

"So, any chance everything goes to plan, and the kids don't find out?" Multiple snorts were the answer to Stephen's question.

"Alright, men, let's go over this map and see how we're going to get the numbers while also corralling giant spiders. The forest is too thick for us to fly in safely, and the castle wards will prevent our usual safety precautions, so ideas?"

00000 Neville Longbottom 00000

Neville was sitting in the Gryffindor common room going over his homework, or at least trying to. Professor McGonagall had asked to see him after the will reading to talk. It seemed that his reaction to it caused the professor to worry.

Letting out a sigh, Neville placed his quill down on a scrap piece of paper. The talk with Professor McGonagall was uncomfortable, but made him realize that Harry wasn't the only one with family issues. Even though he didn't say much to his Head of House, he realized that he needed to say something to somebody about what happened to him.

His uncle trying to force his magic out probably wasn't the best thing for him; Neville wasn't even sure if his grandmother knew everything that happened with him and Uncle Alphard. And that scared him, because a part of him was scared that she did know. If she willingly turned the other way while Uncle Alphard, and some of his other family members, tried to make his magic come out, then she willingly let them almost kill him. Neville shivered at the thought.

Letting that thought go, Neville thought back to what Professor McGonagall told him. The Headmistress was asking for Mind Healers to be stationed at Hogwarts for the year. It would probably be the only way to talk to someone without his grandmother knowing. Considering she reviewed every knut he spends from his trust vault, that he only had because his parents opened one before going into hiding, she would ask why he was talking to a Mind Healer. She wouldn't accept that it was private; the only thing she would care about is that his father never needed a Mind Healer.

Letting out another sigh, Neville took out a sheet of unused parchment and picked up his quill. He was going to let Professor McGonagall know that he wished to see the Mind Healers as soon as one was assigned to Hogwarts. The thoughts going around his head was giving him a headache.

Biting his lip, Neville hoped that he wasn't making a mistake. It wasn't like he had gone through anything like that again since he received his Hogwarts letter.

OOOOOOOOOOOO THURSDAY OOOOOOOOOOO

00000 Severus Snape 00000

Severus Snape was working three large cauldrons and two medium cauldrons making the new potions needed for the school. His skill and precision were the only reason he was able to handle so many potions at once. Bone Mending and Regrowth Potions, Dreamless Sleep Potion, Nutrition Elixir Level 2, Scar Reducer Potion, and Dark Magic Siphoning Potion were bubbling away in a symphony that only a Potion's Master could appreciate. Slicing one ingredient, crushing another, this calmed Severus like nothing else.

It allowed him to think about everything that's happened since Harry Potter came back into the wizarding world. Albus' treachery, Crouch's stupidity, and Black's innocence was the main things on his mind.

Severus always knew that Albus wasn't as light as many thought he was, but even he was surprised at what Albus had done. The betrayal that Severus felt was great, but not as great as he thought it would be. After serving between two masters that never cared about their pawns, he wasn't surprised as he should be about Albus' less than stellar activities.

Crouch on the other hand did surprise him. That man had no problem with throwing away a son that was bright, driven, and only looking for a father's attention. Barty Jr. was two years above him at school, in Ravenclaw, and was one of his few friends besides Lily. He and Barty would talk about magic and politics, even though Barty never wanted to follow his father into politics. All Barty wanted from his father was attention paid to himself and his sick mother. Both loved the man, but Barty Sr. only saw them as a way to further his ambitions. Severus wasn't even sure if the man even loved his family in any sense of the word; but, considering the man didn't give his son a fair trial, Severus doubted it. Shaking his head, Severus stirred a potion twice clockwise and three time counterclockwise.

Even with all of Barty Sr.'s faults, Severus never thought that he would break his son out and keep him under the Imperius Curse. You would think a man that decried the use of Dark Magic, even though he authorized the killing of Death Eaters that resisted arrest, would think of another way to keep his son under control. But thinking about that, most ways were considered dark by the Ministry as well, so Severus could understand Crouch going the 'least of two evils' route.

Even though the whole Crouch issue made him mad, the Sirius Black issue pissed him off. That man tormented and endangered most of the students around him during his time at Hogwarts, including himself. The fact that he was never brought to heel caused many to join Voldemort considering the 'Light' didn't give a damn about them. All because they didn't follow Albus Dumbledore, they were all fair game for the Marauders and other bullies.

Severus was honest with himself when admitting that he didn't care that Black was innocent. The 'pranks' that he had pulled was dangerous to the extreme; especially when he did them alone. His own experience proved that. Thinking that a werewolf, that happened to be one of your best friends, during a full moon was a good prank for a school yard 'enemy' was twenty different levels of wrong. And doing that before even taking one's O.W.L.s and having no remorse about it made the whole situation worse.

They may not have liked each other, but Severus could honestly say he never seriously thought about killing any of the Marauders. And he had the spells to do it if he caught them one of the few times they were separate, but he never took it that far, unlike Black. And he may hate Lupin for not doing his job as Perfect, but even he knew that if he mauled or killed anyone, no matter of status, Lupin would have been executed. If Black hadn't bragged to Potter, and thankfully Potter had a conscience and common sense, then blood would have been on Black's hands. And even if Albus hadn't covered for them, Lupin would have been the only one punished because he wasn't from an old pure-blood family and trusted the wrong person with his secret.

Severus might be able to forgive Potter and Lupin, to a point anyway, but he could never forgive Black for knowingly putting multiple lives at risk because he had parental issues and took it out on everybody else; especially the Slytherins who didn't have the family protection like Black did.

In Severus' mind, Black deserved his time in that Merlin, be damned prison for what he did to everybody he tormented when his 'friends' weren't holding him back. The fact that he would have to deal with that man because he was the godfather of a student of his was going to be a test of his temper. Usually, that wouldn't matter, but when said student could have been his responsibility, and the son he always wanted with the woman he loved, Severus would have to act with some form of civility.

Cutting a root with a little more force than necessary, Severus couldn't help his mind circling between the three people who made his life a living hell, one way or another. He was trying to be a better man for the boy that might come to him, and already had once after dinner for tea and went remarkable well considering who was involved, that didn't mean he could change overnight.

Releasing a breath while slowly adding the root to two of the potions, Severus tried to recapture the calm he felt near the beginning of his work. He got the Lordship he was denied, Albus and Crouch were being punished for their actions, and Black lost ten years of his life. Severus now needed to focus on the potions for the infirmary and individual students, his new lordship, and finally reading the letters from his grandparents.

Severus couldn't stop the groaned at the thought. It seemed that him mixing potions wouldn't have the usual calming effect. Shaking his head, the Potions Master got back to work before breaking open a bottle of Firewhiskey and reading those blasted letters. If he could lie to the Dark Lord without flinching, then he can read some letters and find out what really happened between his grandparents and mother.

00000 Albus Dumbledore 00000

Albus Dumbledore was sitting in his Ministry cell miserable. He was in striped, prison robes with his hair in tangles. Ever since his first trial, he's been dosed to spill everything he knew before the very people who use to look up to him. Now they were looking down on him like he was a Death Eater, or worse, a Dark Lord.

He should be brought before his interrogators soon, and Albus could admit to himself that he was tired. Tired of people looking at him in disgust and horror. Tired of all his hard work being undone because people couldn't understand the sacrifices that he made for them all. And especially tired that his reputation was being driven through the mud and his riches stolen from him.

"Prisoner Albus Dumbledore, stand and place your hands in front of you." The harsh words of the guard made Albus jump in surprise before scrambling to comply. He did not want to be dragged out like the last time he tried to refuse questioning or took too long to comply. Once his wrists were secured, he was marched out of the holding cells. One guard was holding his arm while another was behind him. It took Albus a moment to realize that they weren't going toward the interview rooms like usual.

"What's happening? Aren't I to be questioned like usual?"

"No, you have been questioned fully and now will be meeting your lawyer for sentencing. Afterwards, you will be sent to Azkaban for your crimes against Lord Black, plus any additional time you are given." Albus blanched at this and couldn't help momentarily stopping. Being yanked by the guard holding him brought him out of his shock.

"Keep moving." The guard behind him said without any feeling.

"There has to be some mistake. I'm not meant to go there. I'm not like everyone else that's sent there." Albus hated that he could hear the fear in his voice, but he couldn't help it. The thought of being near Dementors without the ability to drive them off terrified him. Losing his sister, his lover, having his brother hate him and everything else that happened after the worst day of his life would destroy him. Neither guards showed no reaction to his fear and lead their prisoner to the courtroom.

The full Wizengamot were already in their seats and the press box was full. The only other person was his lawyer who was standing by the defendant's chair. He did not look pleased and it worried Albus even more. Albus was forced into the chair and the chains wrapped tightly around him. Madam Bones stood from her seat and addressed him.

"Prisoner Albus Dumbledore, you have been found guilty of multiple crimes. We will allow you time with your lawyer before he speaks in your defense. Know this, you will automatically be serving forty-one months in Azkaban for your illegal imprisonment of then Heir Black. What we will be going over today is your punishment for crimes found out during your trials and subsequent questioning. You have five minutes with your lawyer." Madam Bones sat down, and a modified privacy ward activated. It allowed the Aurors to see them, but prevented anyone from hearing them. Albus turned to his lawyer.

"What's happening?"

"They've found you guilty of three counts of mail tampering, two counts of child endangerment, three counts of dereliction of Headmaster duties in accordance with the Hogwarts' Independence Treaty, two counts of Lordship interference, four counts of forgery, one count of monetary interference, two counts monetary line theft, one count of assisted line theft, two counts of judicial interference, four counts bribery, one count sexual assault after the fact, one count forced imprisonment of a minor, and one count of betrayal of amnesty." Albus was beyond pale; he knew how much time each count offered and there was little chance someone his age would live through sentencing. "I'll let you know right now that there were more charges, but I managed to either have them dropped or have you pay a fine. The charges presented today have the possibility of jail time that I wasn't able to reduce."

"I'll never live through whatever they decide." Albus would have slumped if the chair would have allowed it. His lawyer couldn't help but wince at that. Even if he got the minimum amount of jail time and fines for everything, Albus was looking at least twenty-nine years in prison and over G100,000.

"If you have any information that can be used in exchange of jail time, you need to tell me know. Even with me trying to get everything down to the minimum, you'll be looking at twenty-nine years, but we both know that's not realistic."

"I'll be lucky to get fifty years at best, the Dementor's Kiss or the Veil at worst."

"Exactly. If you know anything that didn't come out during your questioning, now is the time to use it. This is the only way we could possibly swing you only serving the improper imprisonment of Lord Black and the rest of your time under house arrest." Albus seemed to think for a moment before taking a breath.

"I know of several Death Eaters that were never prosecuted, with a number of them being members of the Wizengamot or Ministry. I have guaranteed evidence that I kept separate from the papers at Hogwarts under a modified Fidelius Charm. If you get me the house arrest after the mandatory forty-one months, I'll give over the information."

"Why haven't you presented this evidence before?"

"I thought that they should get a chance to redeem themselves. They weren't like the Lestranges or any of the other more violent Death Eaters." His lawyer closed his eyes before nodding his head.

"After this, never contact me again. I won't represent you again if you get into trouble." Albus nodded in agreement. "And be prepared to swear a vow about the information being true to your knowledge and worth you being put under house arrest." Albus nodded again. His lawyer brought down the ward and faced the court.

"Representative, are you and your client ready?" Madam Bones asked sternly. Usually the Chief Warlock would preside over trials, but they hadn't been able to vote on one with everything that was going on.

"Yes, Madam Bones, we are."

"Then before we go over the punishments for each count, is there anything else we should take into account?"

"Yes. Madam Bones and members of the Wizengamot, my client had evidence against Death Eaters that escaped justice. The evidence is in a hidden location, under a modified Fidelius Charm. Mr. Dumbledore is willing to release the evidence if certain conditions are met." The whispers that broke out amongst the Wizengamot members was immediate and immense. There were those that were angry that this man kept that kind of information to himself, like Augusta Longbottom. Others were nervous and wondered if they were connected to the person or people about to be incriminated.

"Order! Order! We are members of the Wizengamot, not school children." That quieted everyone down and the only noise was the scratching of quills against parchment from the press box. Madam Bones turned her attention back to the man she really wanted to hit at the moment, but reminded herself that she was a law enforcer.

"Representative, what kind of deal are we talking about?"

"After the mandated forty-one months in Azkaban, we request the rest of his imprisonment be carried out under house arrest." There were many hisses throughout the room, but Amelia ignored it.

"And why should we let him go on house arrest when the charges are serious and severe? And how do we know the information is worth such mercy against your client?"

"All good questions, Madam Bones. The answer is my client is willing to claim a vow about the truth and validity of the evidence he has. As to why house arrest should be granted, some of the Death Eaters in question are members of the Ministry and Wizengamot, and since these vaulted members are a part of a terrorist's organization, they are held to a higher degree since most have access to sensitive or classified information." The outbreak of noise would make many believe there were five times as many people than there were. Minister Fudge firing off a couple cannon blast added to the noise until everyone calmed down again. The first one to speak wasn't Amelia Bones like many expected. Cornelius Fudge stood from his seat with fire in his eyes.

"Albus Dumbledore, why didn't you come forward with your evidence before now?! You were a member of the Wizengamot yourself at the time and were honor bound, at least, to bring forward any findings of terrorist infiltration. How many more lives can be lain at your feet because of your inaction?!" Silence so profound carried throughout the courtroom. Everyone was looking at a man that was once an Auror during the end of the British War reemerge from an easily brought politician. Most started looking at Albus when he didn't respond immediately.

"When I got the evidence against them, it was when many were trying to move beyond the pain and terror from Voldemort's reign. There were Death Eaters who were proven to be forced into being one, and some that weren't." Albus licked his dry lips and looked around nervously. He knew that this was a long shot of him not dying in Azkaban. He still had much work to do to move the Magical World towards the Greater Good.

"I may have been the Chief Warlock, but I was as busy as everyone, more so since I was Hogwarts' Headmaster and ICW representative. But even with that, I could see that those I gathered evidence against could be given a second chance against their mistaken path. And many did, they turned toward the Light." The silence that followed was filled with emotion; you could feel people's confusion, disbelief, and anger. Madam Bones rose from her chair and looked down at the man that caused many guilty men to go free.

"Their punishment or freedom was not your decision to make. We will take your request into consideration. But no matter our decision, you will never hold a position in the Ministry or any company, private or public, that involves children. Also, if we deem that you knew someone was actively committing crimes, we will fine you and possibly jail you depending on the crime. And when I say jail, I mean Azkaban. Is that understood Prisoner Dumbledore?"

"Yes, Madam Bones."

"Then we will discuss. Court is in recess for thirty minutes." The Wizengamot members filled out into their antechamber to discuss the deal presented to them.

OOOOOOOOOOO FRIDAY OOOOOOOOOOO

00000 Headmistress Doris Irlam 00000

Doris looked over the Great Hall during break fast pleased that everyone seemed to be here on time. All four student tables were full, and, looking at the newest table beneath the high table, the Warding Team, Healers and Regulation Team sat there talking amongst themselves before starting their day.

Thankfully, the announcement last night went well, and she felt that most got the message not to get in the way of either teams. Hopefully, the self-preservation instincts would remain throughout the year and nobody would believe they're smart enough to help. Releasing a sigh, Doris rose from her seat and getting everyone's attention.

"Students, I am glad that you have all welcomed our guests. I am also glad that everyone is working with the Healers and attending your appointments. With that, I would like to remind you not to get in the way of the Warding Team or the Creature Regulation Team that will be starting their work after breakfast. If you have any questions, please let the staff know and we will answer what we can.

"The Warding team will be here most of the year, and, because of this, have agreed to have a lecture sometime before the winter break. The lecture will include what their job entails, O.W,L.s and N.E.W.T.s needed, and any job training they went through. A question and answer portion will follow afterwards. We will post a date closer to that time.

"The Creature Regulation team on the other hand will be here between two and three weeks. Because of this, and the amount of work they have to do in that time, they will not be able to hold a lecture while they're here. I will be seeing about them coming back to have a lecture when they have time in their schedule.

"On that note, I am happy to announce that I've written to different Ministry departments to see if they are willing to send any of their workers over to lecture about their jobs. I will also write to private businesses, reserves and researchers to see if they are willing to come and talk to us. Once I hear back, I will be posting dates on the message board in your common rooms. It is your choice if you want to come, but I suggest you make use of every opportunity.

"With that said, I will let you enjoy the rest of your meal. For those that have appointments with the Healers today, please don't be late." Doris sat down again and watched as the students chatted with each other.

"I'm glad that one of the teams were able to talk to the students." Minerva said while pouring more tea in her cup.

"So am I. Let's hope I get some others to join in. It'll be good for the students to focus on something other than the upheaval going on around them."

"I quite agree, Headmistress." Filius said happily. "And if you want, I can send letters out to some of my old dueling friends to see if they'll talk as well."

"Thank you, Filius. That's a great idea. Please do and let me know if any agree. And if anyone else has contacts that might be interested, please let me know. Hopefully this will help the children in their studies and career options."

00000 Tombs 00000

Tombs was walking with the rest of his team toward the main ward stone when he saw Harry going to his morning class with his friends. Catching Harry's attention, Tombs walked over to him.

"Hey, kid, you doing okay?"

"Yes, Tombs, and why didn't you tell me you were a part of the Warding Team?"

"Surprise. Would you like to introduce me to your friends?" Harry blushed before nodding.

"Tombs, this is Blaise Zabini, Neville Longbottom, Theo Nott, Susan Bones, Hannah Abbott, and Millicent Bulstrode. Everyone, this is Tombs."

"Hello, everyone." Everyone returned the greeting back before Tombs turned his attention back to Harry. "I just wanted to let you know that I'll be here with the Warding Team. So, Hedwig won't have to take a long trip."

"You just want to keep your bacon, don't you?"

"She'll probably still demand some bacon from me anyway." Multiple snorts and chuckles happened at the statement, and Harry blushed again.

"Not my fault you got me a strong bird." Tombs chuckled before speaking again.

"True, but she seemed perfect for you. I better rejoin my team before they started. See you around kid, Kid's friends." Tombs nodded a goodbye before meeting up with his team.

"He seems cool."

"Yeah, he is, but we should start heading to our respective classes before we're late." Everyone agreed and said goodbye to Hannah and Susan, who had different classes than the Slytherins and Gryffindors.

00000 Fred & George Weasley 00000

Fred and George were putting the final touches on their prank. The suits of armor would perform a short musical number before the suits started dancing out of the hall singing the Hogwarts' song. It would be big, loud, and funny to everyone. Not to mention it not interrupting any of the teams, meaning little chance of them getting more than a week's detention if they get caught.

"Hey, George, how about we put different dresses on the suits? Wouldn't that be funny?"

"Yeah, but it'll take more time to do that. How about we do it for a Yule musical. Petty coats and feathered hats would be perfect."

"You're right. And we can make a backdrop, place it outside, and set it off before everyone leaves for the train. It'll be a great send off."

"A gift from us to the student body. We'll put our name in the sky. No way we'll get detention for it!" Both brother high fived before getting back to work. Dinner was going to be fun.