Basilisk Go Boom!

This Harry Potter story was written for fun. All rights belong to the wonderful lady (JK Rowling) who gave the world Harry Potter to read and enjoy.

Printed Word in letters and newspapers.

{Parsel tongue conversation}

'Basilisk Go Boom!' is a short story set during Harry's third year at Hogwarts, but things are not following the book. The Prisoner of Azkaban is a great book, but it always bothered me that a fourteen-year-old was given a powerful artefact to bend time EVERY DAY. Did anyone monitor her use? Did anyone warn her of the consequences of misuse? And I also wanted to do something different with the basilisk – love that Creature! Dumbledore and Ron bashing – can't help myself. Sirius bashing too – he never did anything for Harry. (No pairings)

The story begins in the summer of 1992.

Scene Break: Footnotes in Magical Beasts and Where to Find Them

#34. When dealing with a basilisk carcass, it is important to complete all processing and rendering before the next full moon after slaughter. In the great jungles hidden underneath the Sahara Desert, the indigenous wizards of North Africa will only slaughter one basilisk in a season, to guarantee that the carcass has been sealed away in airtight jars before the moon cycles through its phases. When pressed for a reason, my translation charm reported the local wizard saying, "Basilisk go boom!"

Newt Scamander, Magical Beasts and Where to Find Them Copyright Newt Scamander 1927, renewed 1947.

Delete this footnote from all future editions!

Authorized: Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore, July 13, 1965.

Scene Break: A Casual Meeting at the Ministry

The Ministry of Magic was mostly deserted on this morning with many workers on vacations along the shore or overseas. The floo system was lightly used this day so Lucius Malfoy and Albus Dumbledore arrived simultaneously in the Ministry Atrium.

The headmaster eyed the blonde wizard carefully – perfect robes and hair, wand in his walking stick – Lucius was here to deal with Cornelius for certain. With the expected twinkle in his eye, Dumbledore greeted his parliamentary opponent.

"Lucius! Good morning! How are you this lovely day?"

Malfoy did not expect to see Dumbledore in the ministry; the headmaster usually vanished for a month each summer after the school term ended. Consequently, Lucius learned to plant seeds for fall harvest while Dumbledore was absent; Cornelius welcomed bribes when not under the eye of the headmaster. With the usual formality of a pure-blood lord, Malfoy returned the greeting for his primary foe.

"A pleasant good day, Headmaster. I hope you are well…"

"I am. And your family? Your lovely wife, Necessity, and son, Drango; are they well?"

The headmaster seldom drifted into insults with his opponents; to purposefully mangle names immediately meant the headmaster was distracted.

"My wife and son are well," Lucius replied. "And your family… Forgive me, you have only a brother who loves his goats…"

Dumbledore grinned. "Perhaps you would walk with me to Cornelius's office. I believe I will enjoy our conversation this morning."

The two ministry workers who crossed paths with the pair of powerful wizards scurried out of the way when they heard the tone of the conversation – insults and banter that would make many people faint. Outside of the Minister's office, they waited for less than a moment before advancing through the door that opened with a wave of Dumbledore's hand. Percy Weasley, newly-hired and substituting for the absent secretary, sat and stared as the two wizards strode past his desk without stopping.

(Note: I know it is a year early for Percy to be here but it just fits so well…)

'But, the minister said…' Percy thought. He wondered if he should summon the Aurors to protect the minister. 'No, not against those two. They're more likely to want tea than Aurors.'

The recent graduate summoned an elf who immediately fetched a tray with tea and spirits. Percy asked the elf about the bottle and the little creature replied, "Minister Fudge always wants his bottle after visits by Mr. Whiskers and Mr. Tight-buns."

"Whiskers? Tight-buns?" Percy croaked and the elf giggled.

"Aurors calls Malfoy 'tight-buns' always and all elves in Britain know 'whiskers'.

It took a full minute for Percy to calm his own giggles before he could carry the tray into the Minister's office. Cornelius Fudge was glued to his chair behind his desk but instructed Percy to place the tray between his two visitors.

"Would you care for a finger of bourbon, Cornelius?" Dumbledore asked before Percy could escape.

"Yes, please," the minister replied and Malfoy motioned for the red-headed teenager to pour the spirits. After Percy handed the glass with three fingers of bourbon rather than one, he fled the room.

Malfoy turned to Dumbledore and said, "I see another Weasley slipping your noose."

Dumbledore smiled. "Arthur and Molly have many talented children. I continue to shape the future of the younger four."

"Gentlemen, as I said earlier, I had not expected your presence today…"

Malfoy and Dumbledore each shot an annoyed glance at Cornelius for interrupting them and the simple looks caused the flunky to turn pale.

"Our pleasant conversation is at an end I see," Dumbledore lamented. "Ah well then, to work."

He looked at Malfoy, dipped his head to acknowledge the other wizard's power and began saying, "Perhaps Mother Magic brought you here purposefully, Lucius. I wish to bring a bill to the Wizegamot in late September to claim the right of harvest of a magical creature."

"What creature?" asked Cornelius while Malfoy remained silent.

Waving a hand to dismiss the minister's question, Dumbledore continued, "With support from Lucius, my claim will be recognized."

"And my payment for supporting your bill?" asked Malfoy.

"It will be a good deed," Dumbledore quipped, making the minister choke on his bourbon. Malfoy frowned at Cornelius and turned back to Dumbledore.

"Good deeds are for Gryffindors supposedly…" Malfoy sneered. "Though an observant individual would never believe that if they followed your career, headmaster."

Now Dumbledore smiled and once again began a true conversation with Lucius, leaving Cornelius marginalized in his own office.

After a half hour of insults without sharing any truthful information and two cups of tea, Malfoy set down his cup and rose, "Perhaps we can speak again another day, Dumbledore. You lost my attention attempting to send me on a hopeless chase for the snitch."

Rising from his chair, Dumbledore placed his tea cup on Cornelius's desk and bid farewell to his parliamentary opponent before stepping over to the floo in the office, grabbing a smidgen of floo powder from the container on the mantle and calling out, "Headmaster's Office, Hogwarts" and stepping into the bright green flames.

Once Dumbledore was gone, Lucius cast several spells in the room before turning to Cornelius, "I suggest you have Aurors or Unspeakables scour your office for listening charms after each visit by that man."

"Lucius, your letter…" Cornelius began to say.

"Can wait." Malfoy turned around with the wand in his hand before sitting down and questioning the minister, "What has Dumbledore said about creatures this year?"

The balance of the summer was quiet for Lucius except for the news that t dangerous criminal – Sirius Black – escaped from Azkaban. His wife's cousin had been incarcerated in the confusion following the fall of the Dark Lord ten years earlier. The Daily Prophet covered the story every day with sightings up and down the country; evidently the muggle press covered the story as well.

Once the fall term began at Hogwarts, Lucius noticed a sadness in his wife's expression. When he inquired, Narcissa waved him off with protests about missing Draco and wishing for another child for five minutes. After the birth of Draco, when Narcissa learned that only the Malfoy heir could inherit anything – spare sons and daughters were cast out into the world without dowries, she curtailed her husband's visits to her bed.

Knowing his wife did not truly desire another child with him, Lucius turned his attention to the Wizegamot calendar. The extra efforts being made to capture the escapee Sirius Black crashed the Auror budgets with overtime.

To curtail expenses, Minister Fudge announced he would post half of the Azkaban dementors around Hogwarts rather than sending Aurors to protect the school. With the debilitating effects of dementors, Lucius considered home-schooling Draco for the year but he knew all Slytherin and half of Ravenclaw would evacuate the school if he pulled his son out. Rubbing his head to forestall a headache, Malfoy decided to speak to Dumbledore – surely the headmaster would agree to a joint resolution to make Fudge remove the creatures from around the school.

When Draco wrote to complain about an injury received at the hands of a wild hippogriff, Lucius and Narcissa used the floo to visit their son in the private quarters of Severus Snape. Narcissa examined the wound – or where the wound had been before being healed by the medi-witch – before berating her son.

"Your father and I feared you were really hurt!"

"But Mother, the beast practically ripped my arm off!"

Casting a stinging hex, Narcissa shouted, "You are perfectly healthy! There's nothing wrong with your arm!"

Lucius stepped closer and said, "Draco, if you were truly harmed, we would be furious with that half-giant, with Dumbledore and with the medi-witch."

He glanced at Severus before adding, "Professor Snape looks out for all Slytherins and would not allow you to be hurt!"

"But Father, this is a chance to force Dumbledore to expel the mudbloods!"

"How so?" asked Severus.

"Potter…"

"Potter isn't a mudblood," Lucius reminded his son. He was surprized to hear his son speak in this manner; during the Yule holiday last year they discussed the use of vulgar expressions in Draco's language.

"This will be the last time we hear that word from your mouth!" Narcissa insisted. "I don't like muggleborns either but you lower yourself with that language."

"After today, you will not repeat the claims that your arm is injured," Lucius instructed his son. "I need to hear only the truth from you in your letters. The dementors are too close to allow any exaggerations!"

"Yes, Father. I am sorry, Mother," Draco said and that was the end of the matter of the hippogriff and Draco.

In November, the Wizegamot was called into session to authorize St. Mungo's Hospital to investigate muggle methods of sanitation – bleach and disinfectants – during the discussions after the meeting, Lucius sought out Dumbledore.

"Headmaster, how are the students adjusting to the presence of the dementors?"

Albus waved away the question with a single hand, "Hogwarts is the safest place in Britain. The dementors can't touch the students as long as they remain within the school boundaries and the marked path to Hogsmeade."

"You allow the children to go to Hogsmeade without…"

Dumbledore frowned at Malfoy but the younger wizard returned the frown, "My son is at Hogwarts. I do not think these are adequate provisions for his safety."

"What do you propose?"

"The removal of the dementors from around Hogwarts. Sirius Black is less of a threat than a horde of dementors."

"We must have protections from the escaped criminal," replied Dumbledore.

"But you just said that Hogwarts was the safest place in all of Britain. How could a wizard who has been locked in Azkaban for ten years access 'your' safe castle?"

"I might consider bringing your request before the Wizegamot," Albus replied rather than answer the other wizard's question. "Sponsor my bill for harvest, and I will make Fudge remove the dementors."

Lucius immediately declined the offer, "The safety of my child is not something that can be bought."

Unable to reach an agreement, the dementors would remain around Hogwarts and Dumbledore did not yet have rights to the harvest.

The Wizegamot did not discuss the dementor attack during the Quidditch match at Hogwarts. Only Harry Potter had been attacked and the boy survived; Draco's letter had been long and accurate, mirroring the news as shared by Severus Snape.

Meeting once again in Fudge's office, Malfoy congratulated Dumbledore on driving the dementors away from the Quidditch pitch at the school but he inserted a barb and twisted it around.

"Can you imagine the backlash against the ministry – against Cornelius himself personally – if the dementors kissed the 'boy-who-lived' or another notable child?" Malfoy asked, staring at the corpulent man, shivering in his chair.

"Can you imagine what Amelia Bones would do to Cornelius, if her niece had been kissed?"

"Lucius, stop! You are frightening the Minister!" Dumbledore chided the wizard seated in the other chair in the minister's office.

Percy remained silent at the door, listening to the conversation and wanting to run away at the same time. When these two wizards appeared, everyone else vanished and left the minister to his fate; his father invited him to visit the Office of Misuse of Muggle Items whenever Dumbledore or Malfoy visited Cornelius, but Percy recognized the value of the information he heard – and he didn't share it with anyone.

Malfoy rose and left the room without additional comments; Dumbledore could continue to 'wish' for support for his bill.

Scene Break: Time Turner Woes

Remaining at Hogwarts for the Yule/Christmas holidays, Harry Potter noticed that Hermione was distracted by the holiday to the extent that she came to breakfast one morning thinking it was the week of exams at the end of the spring term. In the middle of January, he found Lavender and Padma dressed for a spring excursion to the Black Lake during the middle of a blizzard. He mentioned the strange occurrences to Professor McGonagall who dismissed the notion of there being anything wrong.

When Ginny Weasley gifted everyone with Christmas presents on Valentine's Day, Ron laughed it off as silly girl ideas. The head boy, a Hufflepuff, was too busy dealing with Fred and George Weasley's latest jinx to pay attention to Harry's questions; all the Ravenclaw students were blind for three hours. Dumbledore laughed off the joke and forced Professor Flitwick to rescind the detentions he'd assigned the twin jokesters. Harry, Neville, and most of the Puffs helped to guide the Ravenclaw students to the infirmary where Madam Pomphrey worked to calm the children and remove the jinx.

This was the first time Harry noticed that the owls were confined to their tower and could not leave with any messages from children to their parents about the incident. He also noticed that the next day, few people remembered the previous day's scary events. At that moment, Harry missed Percy Weasley – when he was head boy, the next older brother kept a tight rein on his brothers and cast hexes on them to make them reveal the cures to their hexes. It was an unpleasant Valentine's Day for most of the students in the castle.

In March, all the students noticed there was something wrong with the girls in the Gryffindor dormitory. They would arrive for breakfast dressed for summer some mornings and other mornings, dressed for the coldest of winter. Every day, the girls went to the incorrect classrooms with the wrong year students, and never with the correct books or homework.

There were many tearful mornings and afternoons before someone attempted to diagnosis the problem. The staff turned to Dumbledore and the headmaster simply blamed the problem on an innocuous 'female' condition; this infuriated the young women in all houses, but mystified the boys and young men. Supposedly that was the end of the matter, but Harry felt that something else was wrong.

When he asked to see the headmaster, Harry was admitted to Dumbledore's office and the two had a long rambling conversation about the strange happenings, the importance of his Gryffindor friends and about the events in the Chamber of Secrets from the previous year. Dumbledore asked for a copy of Harry's memory of the battle against the basilisk and for Harry's continued promise not to tell anyone about the creature, Tom Riddle, or Ginny Weasley's involvement.

"I'd hate to see Miss Weasley incarcerated!" Dumbledore reminded Harry before dismissing the boy.

Determined to find out what was happening with his friends in Gryffindor, that night when he was behind the silenced curtains of his bed, Harry Potter called for his friend Dobby. When the elf arrived, Harry explained what he had noticed and asked for the elf's help.

The excitable fellow was nervous as he attempted to explained, "Dobby says there be too many days here in one day."

Perplexed Harry asked, "How do I explain that to other people, Dobby? What does it mean?"

The little elf began to cry but managed to explain, "Yourse Miss Grangy… she drops sands-of-time from her hands each day. The steps to the sleep rooms for witches go to different days each day."

"Are the stairs enchanted to take the girls to different days?" asked Harry, trying to make sense of the little elf's explanation.

Dobby nodded. That was a new idea but it was magic so Harry accepted the notion; if a grown man could use magic to move himself across the face of Britain in an instant, why not have magic move children into different days by going up and down a staircase.

"How did it happen? Did someone cast a spell?"

Shaking his head, Dobby explained, "No, Miss Grangy wears time changer clock arounds her neck. Each time she turns it, a grain of the sands-of-time falls out to floats around Hogwarts. The Gryffindor steps for witches has more sand than anywhere else. Miss Grangy and all the girls in her house go to different days when they come down the stairs…"

"Merlin!" Harry swore and asked, "Where do these time changer clocks come from?"

"Departments of Mysterious in Magicals Ministers," the elf replied. "Mr. Whiskers gives one to Miss Grangy in Septembers… She goes to all classes every day but then sands-of-times begins to bounce her around the year… She been here for two years already."

Harry thought about Hermione's strange statements beginning in December and told Dobby, "None of the adults here will do anything. We need help but who would believe me?"

Suddenly Dobby disappeared and a second Dobby appeared. "Mr. Harry Potters, the Unspeakable #23 says he comings now with help. Mr. Lovegoods from Quibblers and Ms. Bones from Aurors coming too."

The second Dobby disappeared as a third Dobby appeared. "It be dangerous Mr. Harry Potters, but Dobby swept up three sands of times to send to get help. Puts into three stasis jars." The elf handed Harry three glowing tubes that felt full of magical power – Harry understood the attraction of the power of time instantly. To control time…

Again, the elf disappeared as a fourth Dobby appeared. "Dobby knows that we must go to Underspeakables, Quibblers-man, and Lady Auror Bonesy. Dobby will gathers three sands of time as proof – wizards not believe if not sands-of-time in their hands."

When Dobby disappeared again, and a fifth Dobby appeared with muggle paper and pens, Harry grabbed them to write letters to Unspeakable #23, the publisher of the Quibbler and Director Bones. With each letter Harry included a stasis jar with one grain of the sands-of-time, and a plea to come save the girls of Gryffindor tower from remaining lost in time.

"Dobby…" Harry called once his letters were complete but the little elf did not appear this time. Waiting five long minutes, Harry called again but Dobby still did not return.

With a loud pop, an unfamiliar house elf appeared. "I be's Apollo from Hogwarts. Lady Rowena Ravenclaws says that Harry Potters needs letter delivered."

Harry stared for just a second before handing the first letter and stasis jar to the elf. He smiled timidly and said, "Please take this to Unspeakable #23 at the Ministry of Magic in London."

The little elf bowed his head and vanished without a pop as another unfamiliar elf appeared. "I be's Zeus from Hogwarts. Lord Salazar Slytherin says that Harry Potters needs a letter delivered."

Handing over the second letter without pausing, Harry said, "Take this to Xeno Lovegood in…" Hesitating Harry swallowed, "I don't know where he is."

"Zeus will ask Miss Sees-all in Ravenclaw tower where her father be's," the elf said before he vanished.

The next elf who appeared was grinning and leapt across the bed to hug Harry. "I be's wanting to meet Harry Potters for three years! I be's Hercules from Hogwarts and Lord Gryffindor sends me to help Great Harry Potters!"

Harry returned the elf's hug and asked, "Will you take this to Director Bones at the ministry? I don't know her personally."

"Hercules finds her tonight and gives her letter…" The elf took the letter and stared at the stasis jar for a moment. "So, this is where our sands-of-time come from…"

He popped away and a fourth elf appeared with a gentle smile and a curtsey, "I be's Athena from Hogwarts. Mistress Helga Hufflepuff asks me to help Mr. Harry Potters. You must leave this bed tonight. There's be too much time under these covers."

Sighing but nodding his head, Harry slid from the bed. He noticed it was the middle of the night with silence surrounding the castle.

"How much time…"

"Times be not right tonight. Yours elf Dobby pulled time out of joint in Hogwarts to gather three grains of sand. He must rest tonight," Athena said and offered her hand to Harry once he found his slippers and his robe. Taking the elf's hand, Harry found himself led through a secret door and down a passage way to a comfortable chamber with a few old-fashioned torches, and a warm, inviting bed.

"Harry Potters sleeps until morning," Athena said tucking the boy in and pulling the covers up to his chin.

"Will Dobby be okay?"

Athena smiled. "Dobby elf be here in morning for Harry Potter. Youse must make him your elf then."

Nodding in agreement, and feeling safe and warm, Harry fell asleep instantly.

Harry woke in the morning to find Dobby waiting for him with new robes, new glasses and a smile for his Mr. Harry Potters. Once Harry rose from bed, he surprized the little elf by dropping to his knees and hugging him.

"I'm glad to see you this morning, Dobby. I was worried last night when you didn't appear there at the end."

"Dobby was in too many same times and had to rest," the little elf explained as he cried. No wizard had ever hugged him before. He knew Harry Potter was a great wizard and now…

"We need to hurry back," Harry said, looking for the door to the passage back to his dorm.

"No's Mr. Harry Potters. We has all times we need. Youse get nice hot baths, new clothes and spectacles-glasses. Then we walks back to dormitories to goes to breakfast."

Once he was in the bath, Harry noticed that his scars and aches vanished. Dobby handed him a potion to drink that helped him to relax and the water in the tub swirled around him, remained warm, and made him feel better.

When he stepped from the bath, Dobby handed Harry a large towel that was warmed and scented. Once dry, he dressed quickly and then took Dobby's hand to find the secret passage open to him once more. He came out of the secret door into his dormitory just as dawn was breaking and he woke Neville Longbottom, Seamus Finnigan, Dean Thomas, and Ron Weasley. While the other boys stumbled to the bathroom, Harry followed Dobby down the stairs to the common room, out the porthole and through the halls of the castle to the Great Hall.

Unspeakable #23 was furious! To hear that someone ('Don't blame me' Dumbledore) placed a time-turner into the hands of a third-year witch without proper supervision and the regular harvest of the sands-of-time were grounds to have the wizard arrested and erased from history. Anyone using a time-turner created a few grains of the sands-of-time and there were strict rituals to follow and gather every single grain of sand.

In 1883, a witch – the first person erased from time in modern times – had attempted to manipulate time and caused the explosion at Krakatoa that killed almost one million magical people in Asia. The catastrophe took the form of a volcano and only this protected the statue of secrecy. In 1908, when – well, no one remembered his name because he had been erased – used a time-turner to excess in Russia, the magical city of Tunguska exploded. This time the muggles blamed an asteroid. Just fourteen years earlier, the Magical Time Research Centre in Mount Saint Helens exploded on 18 May 1980 and ended all experimentation with time turners and the 'sands of time' by international agreement. When the IMF learned of this transgression – by the Grand Mugwump himself – they'd probably erase him from history!

As dawn broke, twenty of the Unspeakables from the Department of Mysteries descended upon Hogwarts.

Not ten minutes later, Amelia Bones arrived at Hogwarts with every Auror not on duty in Azkaban. Each Auror carried a sand-of-time detector and stasis jars to begin the harvest of every grain. Back in London, healers from St. Mungo's Hospital prepared to floo into Hogwarts to diagnosis and treat the children and staff for time contamination.

Cornelius Fudge threw up when given the news – he'd denied the news until Amelia thrust the stasis jar into the minister's hands. He'd very carefully returned the jar to the Director of the DMLE, signed the warrant giving her unlimited powers at Hogwarts for the next thirty days, and stepped away from his desk to empty his stomach into a potted plant. The minister went home and returned to the ministry only after several hours necessary to calm his nerves. He never wanted to touch anything that contained a grain of the sand…

Percy Weasley proved his worth this morning. He protected the Minister from his cronies – he sent Delores Umbridge to the minister's home just after Cornelius returned, convinced Pius Thickness to go to the Department of Mysteries and ask the head Unspeakable for an update, and distracted his own father from gathering information to give to Dumbledore.

The young Undersecretary prepared a report for Cornelius recommending the diversion of all funds from the forthcoming Tri-Wizard Tournament to pay for overtime for Aurors, and for medical treatment for the children at Hogwarts. Dumbledore had padded the budget excessively and now the minister would get credit for paying for everything to rescue the children.

Amelia Bones and her Aurors went everywhere in the castle; the Great Hall, the offices, the Library, the dorms and the classrooms. Once informed of the circumstance, Madam Pomphrey stepped aside as healers from St. Mungo's exited the floo and quickly began an examination of every student in Gryffindor as the Aurors brought each child to the infirmary. Each girl from the second, third and fourth years were whisked away from Hogwarts to the hospital's time chambers. There were minor problems with a few of the boys but they had not slept in the dormitory where the sands-of-time were present. From the faculty, Minerva McGonagall had a mild contamination that would require a few potions to stabilize, while Madam Prince in the library was whisked away to St. Mungo's before she could protest.

Three Unspeakables levitated the time-turner from Hermione's unconscious form and into a powerful stasis jar. One of the Unspeakables called for an elf, and Harry recognized Zeus when the elf appeared but the teenager remained silent.

"Take this jar to the Department of Mysteries," the Unspeakable commanded and the elf grinned before disappearing with the stasis jar.

"You just made a mistake," Harry explained to the Unspeakable who decided to humour the boy who'd warned them of the sands-of-time.

"How so? What mistake?"

"I think Zeus is an elf from another time," Harry explained. "He was able to help me last night because of the sands-of-time scattered about."

"I still don't see the mistake," the Unspeakable explained.

Harry grinned, much like the elf and said, "You didn't specify the 'time' for the delivery. The elf could take it to the past or the future."

"Oh bother!" the Unspeakable exclaimed and then called for the elf to return. When Zeus didn't return and none of the elves who did appear knew the elf being called, the Unspeakable went to his other fellows to share the information. Two went through the floo to the ministry to check and another came to speak with Harry about his interactions with the elves from the past.

Before this Unspeakable could approach the teen, Dobby and four other house elves popped into the room and placed themselves around Harry.

"Hoggiewarts says that Unmentionables will not harm Mr. Harry Potters," Dobby said quite forcefully with the Unspeakables making note of the placement of the elves at the points of the compass and beside the boy.

"We only wish to hear his tale," the wizard assured the elves.

In the boy's dormitory in Gryffindor, the rat called Scabbers slipped from his warm bed and scurried through holes in the walls to a deserted hallway. With a weak spark of light, a dirty, unkept man appeared – he'd stayed a rat too long and his features were long, his eyes beady… He drew a wand from a worn robe and cast the spell to move the statue of a witch aside and escape the castle. The Unspeakables and Aurors roaming everywhere made him unusually nervous so he decided to escape. It was time to find his master and once he made his way south, surely the weather would be warmer.

"The elves were named Zeus, Athena, Apollo, and Hercules?" the Unspeakable asked, kindly but firmly.

"Yes, Athena took care of me last night when…" Harry stopped for a moment, "…when I was exhausted by the sands-of-time."

The Unspeakable recognized the formidable mind defences protecting the boy and the healthy magical aura that surrounded Harry Potter. The founders had apparently touched the boy and the Unspeakables would begin helping him if needed.

"Those are the names of the first house elves. They were created or bred by the founders of Hogwarts and are known for appearing at Hogwarts from time to time."

"That's not in 'Hogwarts, A History'," Harry insisted.

The Unspeakable nodded his head. "People edit many things out of history."

Scene Break: Messages

Dumbledore acted as though nothing was wrong and the headmaster ignored the Aurors and Unspeakables in his castle. Amelia Bones and Unspeakable #23 corralled Severus Snape to bring Slytherin House to the infirmary where the students were examined. Two of the girls – Daphne Greengrass and Tracy Davis – were mildly contaminated. They shared the arithmancy class with Miss Granger. Draco Malfoy began to make remarks about mudblood contamination until Snape cast a spell that sealed the boy's mouth shut for an hour.

"I shall personally inform the families," Snape said as healers led the two girls toward the floo.

"Likely they have gained three months of growth," the Unspeakable said. "Our greatest fear was that some young woman might be pregnant. The sands-of-time are unforgiving on a child in the womb."

Severus paled until the Unspeakable assured him, "Madam Pomphrey monitors all the girls and none are pregnant. It was the first thing we checked."

"But how did none of us notice this time contamination?" Severus insisted. "Even McGonagall failed to notice her cubs were lost."

"There is a general confundus charm on the Great Hall," the Unspeakable explained. "Bones is furious – Amelia's niece is contaminated and the girl's been sent to St. Mungo's. I believe that Dumbledore is hiding from her."

"How did the messages get out?" Dumbledore asked the portraits of the former headmasters. "I have control of the elves and the owls. Nothing about time-turners or sands-of-time can leave the school!"

"Your experiment to slow time has failed!" Phineas Black exclaimed. "Hogwarts herself saw to it."

"What do you mean?"

There was a loud pop as an unfamiliar elf appeared in the Headmaster's office with a portrait frame that he enlarged. Once of suitable size and placed against a bookcase, the four founders walked into the portrait. Helga Hufflepuff stepped forward and announced, "Albus Many Names Dumbledore, your tenure as headmaster ends with the end of the spring term. As of today, you have no control over any monies or accounts, house elves, portraits, suits of armour, or members of the faculty. The wards have moved to the shoulders of a member of the faculty as of now."

There was a subtle shift in the colours of the room from the headmaster's perspective. He'd seen Hogwarts through the wards for more than forty years and now, he noticed the wrinkles on his hands, the sullenness in his phoenix…

"You can't do that to me! I am…" the wizard began to protest.

"Yes, yes, we've heard your names and accomplishments listed entirely too many times in the last forty years," Godric said, waving away Dumbledore's protests. "But you forget; Hogwarts can dismiss the headmaster when his or her service places the children in danger."

"But I must be here to guide Harry Potter! He will face the Dark Lord again next year and the boy isn't prepared."

Rowena flew up from her chair and blasted the headmaster, "The boy is abused, kept confused on your orders, and has received no training! We know you plan to sacrifice Harry Potter and then kill Tom Riddle yourself."

Helga calmed Rowena, Godric spoke, "Albus, you are the worst headmaster in the thousand years of history at Hogwarts."

"No! I am the greatest headmaster!"

"It is history and time that judge 'greatness'," said Salazar from his chair; the founder of Slytherin speaking for the first time. "I take no joy in today's events; I am the founder who sponsored you to become headmaster after Dippet. For the last twenty years, I've wished I listened to the others and offered the position to Newt Scamander."

"History is written by the victors!" Dumbledore argued.

"And you are the loser! Others shall write this story – how will the wizards of the world judge a careless wizard who gave a child the sands-of-time to spread about a school of children?" Godric demanded.

"Bah, the mudblood just mis-used the clock," Dumbledore said. "There's no harm."

"You asked how the news of your carelessness reached the ministry," Rowena said to interrupt the headmaster. "The sands-of-time reached back to our time. You changed history Albus Dumbledore. Our house elves came to Hogwarts and carried the news to the ministry and to the… what is the word?"

Helga answered, "The press. The Quibbler and the Daily Prophet have reporters at Hogwarts today. Albus, you must use every favour and bit of blackmail now to remain out of Azkaban."

"He is ruined anyway," Phineas Black said. "His personal accounts hold only a million Galleons. With the ruination of his reputation, he'll be poor by Yule."

"And the ICW will erase Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore from existence," Dippet predicted. "In the future Hogwarts will be forever known as the school with the banished headmaster who no one remembers."

"SILENCE!" commanded Dumbledore as the elf vanished with the portrait of the founders – there was no appeal to their decision. They only appeared to appoint a new headmaster. The board of governors would be notified by the elves of the 'retirement' of Albus Dumbledore and the ICW would be informed that with the change in leadership at Hogwarts. A second communication from Hogwarts would formally decline hosting the Tri-Wizard Tournament during the next school year, and furthermore, Hogwarts would not participate if the tournament was held at another venue.

In the silence of his office, Dumbledore noticed the portraits of former headmasters were empty, Fawkes was absent, and the flame in the floo was a feeble light… the colour was gone from his life. With the end of the term approaching, he had only weeks left to secure a fortune for his retirement.

The floo at Malfoy Manor flared as Anthony Greengrass and Martin Davis stepped through the flames. They waited patiently in the room for an elf to appear and lead them to Lucius Malfoy's office.

Rising from his desk, Lucius was surprized to receive the half-bow from the two wizards who opposed him in the Wizegamot on occasion. Worse, they were men with growing bank accounts at Gringotts while the Malfoy fortune shrank. Associating with the Dark Lord had ruined several Malfoy business concerns and he'd not had time to make new investments.

"Thank you for seeing us, Malfoy. There's a matter we must deal with immediately!" said Greengrass.

Davis nodded, "St. Mungo's contacted us – Hogwarts is contaminated with the sands-of-time. Both of our daughters are in isolation at the hospital to correct their place in time."

"Sands-of-time?" Lucius asked with a growing concern. "How bad is it?"

"The contamination is mostly confined to Gryffindor tower," Davis explained. "My wife is at St. Mungo's as a healer and she keeps me informed."

"Dumbledore provided a time-turner to a muggleborn girl in third year. She's bounced all over time for the last eight months at Hogwarts and dragged many of the girl's in her year with her."

Lucius paled. "Just the girls?"

Greengrass nodded, "The boys were not affected – girls still congregate at thirteen. And the dormitory was the worse place."

Trying to remember the girls in the Gryffindor tower, Lucius decided to wait for a report from Draco and Severus. "How can I help you gentlemen?"

"We want Dumbledore out of the headmaster's office and out of Hogwarts all together!" Greengrass declared.

"You are on the Board of Governors and can push the governors to force the school to dismiss the man!"

Nodding, Lucius said, "If the castle agrees, he'll be gone at the end of the year."

"What do you mean?"

"The governors advise the headmaster and we bring pressure through approving budgets but the spirits of the four founders select the head of the school," Lucius explained. "I believe they've hastened the death of several headmasters but I've never heard of them expelling one."

"If Hogwarts won't expel Dumbledore over this, there won't be any students there next year!" Davis said. "The parents won't send their children back there with sand-of-time contamination and the man who allowed it to happen."

With that Greengrass and Davis headed to St. Mungo's to visit their daughters themselves. Twenty minutes passed as Lucius wondered how to share this information with his wife when he felt the wards tingle again to announce that a powerful wizard wished to visit; Albus Dumbledore had come to call.

Scene Break: The Deal

Lucius went to the floo room to welcome Dumbledore to his home; meeting with the wizard here would also restrict his presence in that room. He'd be a fool to ever allow the headmaster into the halls of his home, his office or any other room. When the flames flared bright green and Dumbledore stepped through he found the master of the manor waiting for him.

"Be 'guest welcome' in this room, Albus Dumbledore," Lucius said, motioning toward a pair of comfortable chairs. Tea or other refreshments would not be offered in this early part of the visit.

"I thank you, Lucius Malfoy," Dumbledore responded fully without qualification and this caught the other wizard off guard. Sitting in the offered chair, the headmaster immediately made his purpose known.

"Matters at Hogwarts are pressing me into retirement, Lucius. I come today to ask for your help with the claim to the creature's carcass."

"I have had visitors who made me aware of your problems at the school of children," Lucius replied. "What are you offering to earn my assistance?"

"As the chief warlock of the Wizegamot, I am aware of the many philanthropic donations the Malfoy have made. And I pay attention to tax collections as well. I imagine your vaults are not a flush as they once were."

Without any chance in his expression, Lucius dipped his chin just a tad to acknowledge the truth. "My efforts to guide the government have not been kind to my vaults."

"Then I offer you an equal share in the fortune that waits to be made from the carcass of a basilisk."

"Basilisk?" Lucius asked, never having expected to hear this news.

"Indeed, it will be the largest basilisk ever harvested."

"Where is this basilisk? Who killed it?"

"The carcass is accessible through Hogwarts, but allow me to show you. Do you have a pensive?" Dumbledore asked. Lucius nodded, summoned an elf and sent for his pensive.

Albus recognized the pensive as being an heirloom of the Black family but said nothing as he withdrew a memory from a vial and placed it into the pensive. Lucius slipped his fingers into the memory and did not emerge for a half hour.

"Tippy, bring fire whiskey!" Lucius called. He sat back in the chair and said, "So the Dark Lord isn't dead?"

"No and Harry Potter must confront him over the next three years before Tom Riddle can be killed."

"You know of the Dark Lord's origins?" Malfoy asked and trembled to see Dumbledore incline his head to confirm the question.

At that moment, the elf returned with the tray bearing a decanter and two glasses. Lucius poured for his guest and for himself. He raised his glass to acknowledge the headmaster's coup and Albus downed the fire whiskey without hesitation. Malfoy was a 'reformed' Death Eater but he was pure-blood and the forms of being a host and guest were sacred.

"We can discuss how to deal with Tom Riddle on another day," Malfoy said to dismiss the problems with the events he'd seen in the memory. Now Lucius stared at Dumbledore and said, "How do you plan to compensate the boy?"

"I am his guardian. I can dispose of the carcass however I wish. And I wish to give it to myself… and share equally with you."

"Do you want to use the goblins to harvest and sell the carcass?"

"Yes. I know they will charge a premium price, but they will not cheat us once a price is agreed," Dumbledore argued. "With their worldwide connections, they can sell the pieces of the carcass gradually over the next few years, generating up to fifty million Galleons by my estimate. Even if we must pay ten million in fees and bribes to the Goblins, we each will receive forty million Galleons."

"What did you base this estimate on?"

"A conservative estimate from an old friend I visited on vacation last summer," Albus explained. "My reading on uses of basilisk parts and venom in potions make me think it will rival the twelve uses of dragon's blood I discovered in my youth."

Scene Break: Beltane at Gringotts

On the morning of Beltane, Lucius received an owl from Hogwarts. In the letter, Dumbledore insisted that Malfoy meet with him at Gringotts that morning to discuss the disposition of the basilisk carcass. Immediately disgruntled to hear that his Beltane observances would be interrupted, Lucius recognized that the headmaster made this choice to leave his 'partner' irritated. Smiling and calming himself, Lucius explained to his wife that the headmaster was being his usual manipulative self and demanding attention.

With her husband's departure for Gringotts, Narcissa grabbed floo powder and followed him through the flames. Her sister Andromeda greeted her on the other side of the flames, with a wild-eyed man sitting at the table eating breakfast.

"Sirius!" Narcissa cried, rushing to take her cousin in her arms. "Oh, Siri, what did they do to you?"

At Gringotts, goblins quickly escorted Lucius to the meeting chamber used by Chief Ragnock when he met with the bank's most important clients and visitors.

"Greetings Mr. Malfoy," Ragnock said with a half bow.

Always displeased to deal with goblins, Lucius simply nodded his head and replied, "Ragnock."

He looked around the room and observed, "And the headmaster is late… again."

"Headmaster Dumbledore is known for the entrance he makes with his late arrivals," Ragnock replied. "He believes it heightens his importance that everyone must wait for his appearance."

One of the goblins asked, "Perhaps we could begin without the headmaster."

"No," Malfoy explained. "We need the headmaster. This is his charm today."

Ragnock offered their visitor tea but no biscuits. Malfoy's vault balances had fallen so low that he was no longer one of the top ten clients of the bank. If Malfoy and Dumbledore lost their power in the Wizegamot, they would not be able to arrange audiences with the Chief of Gringotts.

Dumbledore arrived after another ten minutes and no one acted as though they were irritated with the manipulations of the headmaster.

"Greetings Lucius," Albus said when he walked into the room. After exchanging greetings with the other wizard, the headmaster finally turned to the goblin and said, "Ah, Ragnock. So good of you to see us this morning."

"I set aside time in my schedule for you, Headmaster Dumbledore," the goblin stated to rub salt in Dumbledore's wound of losing his position. The goblin smiled, revealing his sharp teeth for the wizards' benefit.

"I shall make this a valuable meeting for Gringotts," Dumbledore replied. "Time that will be well-spent with profits for your vaults."

The headmaster's statement drew the attention of every goblin and Ragnock signalled for the other goblins to remain silent. Dumbledore smiled, enjoying the attention of the grasping creatures and no doubt, the admiration of Malfoy for handling the goblins.

'Now I know where that idiot Lockhart found the inspiration for his showmanship,' Lucius realized.

With his audience captured, Dumbledore said, "I have the rights to harvest the carcass of the largest basilisk ever seen."

He motioned to Malfoy and added, "My friend and I will fund the recovery, processing, and sale of the beast."

"Basilisk?" asked Ironstream, one of Ragnock's closest advisors. "Where did you find a basilisk in Britain?"

"I have the memory here for you to view," Dumbledore said, offering the little glass vial. Immediately, the goblins were suspicious with the memory from a vial rather than harvested from Dumbledore's mind.

A house elf popped into the room with a pensive where the memory was poured and the goblins viewed the memory in groups of three. Ragnock waited until after the second viewing to dip his finger into the pensive and see the memory.

Once all the goblins had viewed the memory, Lucius dipped his fingers into the pensive to watch once again as Harry Potter sparred with the basilisk and eventually killed it with the assistance of the phoenix and the sword of Gryffindor. Immediately, he noticed the memory had sections chopped out; it wasn't altered but there were leaps in Potter's memory of the battle in the Chamber of Secrets.

'The headmaster wanted to hide the soul jar from the goblins?' he concluded and wondered if that was a wise move.

After viewing the memory again, Lucius realized the battle occurred during Draco's second year – his son had been in Hogwarts with that basilisk loose in the hallways for most of the school year. The book he saw in the memory the first time was certainly the artefact he'd sent in the possession of the Weasley daughter, and the sliver of the Dark Lord's soul caused the creature to be released upon the school. He would make certain Narcissa never learned of this connection – with her family history, she'd kill him for placing her son in danger.

"Now that everyone saw the size of the beast, we can progress to negotiations for the harvest and sale," Dumbledore said, directing the conversation with the goblins.

Motioning toward Lucius, the headmaster continued, "My partner and I wish to hire Gringotts to harvest and sell the parts."

Lucius noted that the goblins did not offer refreshments; it would be proper thing to offer a substantial tea with the prospect of future profits; the creatures must be waiting for a visit to see the carcass in person. He narrowed his eyes and glanced at Dumbledore; he wondered, 'Can the headmaster open the Chamber of Secrets?'

"Headmaster, how was it that the boy-who-lived came to battle a basilisk at the safest location in all of Magical Britain?" asked the goblin named Ironstream.

"That is not relevant to the disposition of the carcass," Lucius interrupted. "The Wizegamot has recognized Albus Dumbledore's claim to the carcass."

Ragnock snorted, "And Laws of Merlin? Are they to be ignored?"

Pursing his lips, Malfoy knew that the goblins would ignore Merlin's laws, the guiding principles for British magical beings, when it suited them. Now that they had cited the words of the founder of Magical Britain; Dumbledore, Malfoy, and Gringotts would have to follow the guidelines or suffer magic's judgements. Each wizard wondered what the other had done to insult the goblins, not realizing they had both offered several insults to their hosts since walking into the room.

"After viewing the memory, Gringotts believes that the disposition of the basilisk must include proper compensation for the boy-who-lived and for Hogwarts," Ironstream announced. The goblin's statement immediately cheered Dumbledore; as guardian of Harry Potter and headmaster of Hogwarts, he would control these funds.

"But that is a matter to settle later," Ragnock said. "Gringotts wishes to discuss this proposition until the full moon. We shall keep all information in strictest confidence and only discuss how to proceed with the most profit for all parties."

Without consulting a calendar, Ragnock bowed, "We invite Headmaster Dumbledore and Mr. Malfoy to return to this chamber on 25 May at three in the afternoon."

"Certainly," Lucius agreed before Dumbledore could press for further discussion today. The headmaster lost the twinkle in his eye for only a moment before nodding, rising and making his way out of the bank. Lucius followed without speaking to anyone and once he was in the alley, he apparated back to his home. The walk from the gates allowed him to clear his mind, evaluate what he had seen that day in the memories, and what he'd heard in the meeting room at Gringotts.

However, Lucius remained lost in thought for the rest of the day and he failed to notice his wife's improved mood. She enticed him to her bed that evening to complete the celebration of Beltane and with the distractions of his day, he failed to notice that she did not cast the contraceptive spells.

Returning to Hogwarts, Dumbledore ignored the Unspeakables casting spells to gather the sands-of-time blowing about the castle.

'The harvest could have waited until the summer,' he thought but kept the notion to himself. Most days it appeared the entire corps of Unspeakables descended upon Hogwarts and tramped up staircases, down hallways and investigated every corner of deserted classrooms as they harvested the grains of sand that escaped from the time turner. Aurors were in the library all night, every night, opening each of the thousands of books and scrolls looking for every grain of sand!

'And they closed Gryffindor tower! I had to open the guest quarters to all seven years of boys and girls from Minerva's house!' he fumed. 'I know they'll steal the sheets and pillow cases.'

Minerva was very touchy with ten of her lion cubs carted off to St. Mungo's Hospital. Only four girls remained there after a week and the healers would save them.

Approaching the guardian to his office and private rooms, he noticed the graffiti on the wall; 'Time to go Dumbledore!' Ignoring the colourful writing, he gave the gargoyle his password, 'Sour Lemon Drops' but the stone guardian was slow to move aside and the rotating stairs were stuck in place so he had to climb the thirty steps to his chambers.

Dumbledore had learned he could not scour the graffiti from the walls with his spells, and the elves refused to obey him and remove them. It delighted Flitwick and Sprout that the headmaster failed to recognize Minerva's handwriting – her slogans were prominent in the halls leading to the headmaster's office and in the Great Hall.

Sighing with resignation, Dumbledore sat at his desk and consulted a calendar. The school year ended in mid-June and the Board of Governors would meet the next week. He was dismissed from his position as headmaster and the governors would meet to approve his pension; Ravi Patil had three votes secured to take away Dumbledore's pension to pay for the clean-up of the castle, and Rufus Brown had bought three other votes to support the notion. Lucius was the only remaining vote and their agreement to share the proceeds of the basilisk would not continue one minute beyond the delivery of the Galleons from the goblins.

Scene Break: Gringotts Discussions

Ragnock watched the two faithless wizards leave his public meeting room without comment. Once the door was closed, a dozen goblin magicians entered the chamber to begin scouring it for Dumbledore's compulsion charms, listening cantrips, and thought-threads. The headmaster had mastered the ability to leave a few threads from his garments behind after each meeting. The threads would gather conversations and thoughts until he returned to the same room and gathered them. His garish robes were magical magnets for these threads and the goblins had learned of them only through substantial pecuniary loss twenty years before.

Only when they were certain that the room and the occupants were clear of compulsions and recording charms, did the true discussion began.

"Look at the memory; the boy was a year smaller," Ironstream said. "That means the carcass has lain there for a year!"

The Goblin chieftain sneered, "Dumbledore is a fool. To wait twelve months to harvest the valuable carcass of the basilisk!"

"Dumbledore cannot access the Chamber of Secrets!" Ironstream insisted. "He needs my client to open the chamber for the harvest! I insist we force some compensation from the wicked wizard before Dumbledore makes a single Galleon."

"There is more!" Ragnock insisted. "Read the footnotes in Magical Creatures and Where to Find Them. The wizard who wrote it was no fool and he clearly stated that the basilisk must be harvested before the next full moon or it becomes poisonous."

"They become explosive!" Steeltoe said as he remembered the notes in Scamander's definitive work on magical creatures.

"And consider Potter's basilisk," counselled Ironstream. "With the extraordinary size of the carcass, there'll be an explosion that shatters the Chamber of Secrets."

"Will it destroy the castle?" asked Ragnock.

After 'counting numbers' in his head, Ironstream frowned, "Doubtful. I believe the explosion certainly will destroy the Chamber of Secrets, but not the castle."

"And every wizard in the chamber!" Steeltoe gleefully announced.

"But no goblins! We shall not be present!" insisted Ragnock.

"Something that bothered me was the way the memory of the battle was chopped up. There were minutes missing and the boy kept glancing toward others in the room but they never were seen in the memory."

"How can we see the full memory of the battle that the headmaster forgot and left in our pensive?"

"Get Bill Weasley!" ordered Ragnock. "If any curse-breaker can restore the memory, it'll be that red-headed devil."

"We can get a new copy of the memory from the boy," Ironstream said. "We must move to free him from Dumbledore's control this summer."

It took four days for Bill Weasley to unravel Dumbledore's charms that hid parts of the memory from the Chamber of Secrets. Bill was sick to his stomach several times but when he was prepared, he asked to project the memory into the room with Ragnock, Ironstream and Steeltoe.

At different points in the memory, Bill stopped the projection, freezing the memory so the four of them could walk around and discuss the scene.

"This is the Dark Lord Voldemort as a teenager named Tom Riddle!" Bill insisted pointing to the teenaged wizard who taunted Harry Potter. "My sister was possessed by his soul jar and the horcrux would have taken her life to give him a new body."

"Soul jars do not work!" Steeltoe insisted and Bill nodded in agreement.

"The pharaohs of Egypt discovered this four thousand years ago," the curse-breaker said. "The wizard doesn't return with much power and within six months, the construct collapses. But wizards keep trying…"

"How would Dumbledore not know this occurred in his school?" asked Ironstream.

Ragnock growled, "Wizards are fools! I am sorry Weasley but your nation places all their children in this man's hands for ten months of the year. No wonder Magical Britain is falling apart."

"I agree sir. And the Daily Prophet reported this morning that the spirits of the founders have 'retired' Dumbledore at the end of the term. He will be gone from Hogwarts before the new school year begins."

"And we shall scour Britain for any remaining soul jars!" Ragnock said. "Beginning with the vaults of the known Death Eaters!"

"A wise move," Bill agreed.

The three goblins exchanged glances and said, "There is something more. We anticipate that Dumbledore will need the boy – Heir Potter – there at Hogwarts to open the Chamber of Secrets, but you must remove him from the castle with all speed once the door is open."

Bill was obviously concerned by this requirement as Ironstream explained, "As Heir Potter is my client, I must have him here as quickly as possible that day to perform an inheritance test…"

"An inheritance test, why?"

Steeltoe handed Bill his worn copy of Magical Beasts and Where to Find Them. He turned to the indexes and pointed to the relevant copy. Watching the man read the full entry, the goblins were surprized when the curse-breaker began laughing.

"Is this correct? I've never seen these footnotes before!"

"That book is an earlier copy before the ministry edited out information and the footnotes on all the creatures."

"Basilisk go boom!" Bill explained. "We must make that our slogan next year!"

"We'll make a goblin out of you yet, Weasley," Ragnock said. "But I will carve that on Dumbledore's tombstone… if there's enough of him left to bury."

"Now for the unpleasant parts of our conversation," Ironstream told the curse-breaker. Bill closed the book and gave the Potter accountant his undivided attention.

"First, Heir Potter saved all the students and faculty members at Hogwarts from the Dark Lord at least twice since he became a student there three years ago."

"Twice?" asked Bill, his horror growing with the stories the goblins told him.

"The Dark Lord was there in the guise of the DADA professor Quirrell in your brother Ron's first year. Harry Potter was forced to kill the possessed man and banish the Dark Lord once again. Then there is the battle last year with the basilisk and Tom Riddle's soul jar in the Chamber of Secrets."

"The life debts are piling up for the Weasley family… four brothers the first year, and the brothers and you sister in the second year… that's at least nine life debts owed to Heir Potter."

Bill nodded and said, "My brother works at the Ministry. He told me that Harry Potter was the source of information for the Unspeakables and Aurors about the sands-of-time this year. The students and faculty owe him again."

Steeltoe caught Bill's attention and said, "Can you imagine how powerful this boy will be when he reaches his majority?"

"With the proper tutors over the next few years, he will rival Merlin for his accomplishments."

Bill's head dipped once in agreement, "I agree but you are still hiding some Galleons under the blanket."

Ragnock smiled and said, "Under Albus Dumbledore's guidance your parents entered into a betrothal agreement with the Potter family five summers ago. The contract has been accepted by magic and is binding on both families."

"Merlin! Will the Potter family magic accept a betrothal or kill everyone involved?"

Ragnock cleared his throat and pointed toward the memory in the pensive, "Your sister is not a suitable candidate now or possibly ever. If she tried… if your parents press Heir Potter to name her as the candidate, the family magics will certainly kill her. The Dark Lord's possession and now the sands-of-time contamination make her unlikely to make a successful match before she is twenty-five."

"There's nothing wrong with a witch waiting until she is twenty-five to marry and have children!" Bill insisted.

"True, goblins wait until we are fifty to begin courting and a full century old to begin our families."

"And why would my sister not…"

"And he is thirteen," Ironstream said. "He cannot be obligated by his guardian to any contract without his explicit consent and there can be no coercion."

"What will force Dumbledore to allow Mr. Potter to break the betrothal?"

The goblins grinned and explained, "There are other agreements that Dumbledore needs signed by Heir Potter that day. Unless he is free to do as he wishes with betrothal, then none of the other agreements will be valid."

"Then he can break the betrothal agreement?"

"We hope to persuade Heir Potter to change it to a guardianship agreement. We want you to ingratiate yourself with the young man so he will name you as his new guardian. That will protect Heir Potter's rights and vaults until he graduates from Hogwarts in four years. We will post you at the school – you can work as a professor and tutor Heir Potter in potions, curse-breaking, and transfiguration. Flitwick will accelerate his charms work this next year and we will insist on arithmancy and runes. The boy will be a spell crafter for certain," explained Ironstream.

"Gringotts will sponsor all this Weasley," Ragnock confirmed. "It is too important for the future of the goblin nation and for all magical peoples."

"Still, this must be Harry's choice!" insisted the curse-breaker.

Scene Break: Full Moon (Wednesday 25 May)

Lucius was not certain of the significance to the goblins of the full moon and he waited impatiently for the day to arrive. He read everything he could find on Merlin's Laws – they did require 'fair compensation' for the land and the hunter when a carcass was harvested. In a heated conversation, Lucius and Dumbledore finally agreed to each provide one million Galleons to be divided equally between Hogwarts and Harry Potter.

"This will leave us both without enough gold to buy new wands!" Lucius fussed.

"Just until Gringotts begins the sale of the potion ingredients from the carcass," Dumbledore reminded his partner.

When the two wizards met with the goblins in the afternoon following the full moon, Ironstream began the conversation by saying, "Before we agree on the price for processing and selling the carcass of the Hogwarts Basilisk, Gringotts insists on protection for the rights of the school and for the boy-who-lived with suitable payment."

"What do you consider suitable payment?" asked Lucius.

Ironstream grinned, "One quarter for the boy, one quarter for Hogwarts, and then you two can squabble over dividing the rest."

"That is not agreeable," Dumbledore replied immediately.

"But headmaster, Mr. Potter slayed the beast. Hogwarts itself housed the creature for a thousand years…"

"Mr. Potter is wealthy already and Hogwarts is financially stable."

"Hogwarts teeters on the brink of bankruptcy, Dumbledore. If the minister… if the Wizegamot were to learn how you have mismanaged the funds for the last forty years, you will spend the last of your days in Azkaban."

Before the blonde wizard could join the argument, the goblin turned to Lucius and said, "There might be inquiries as to your involvement, Mr. Malfoy. I know you would regret having to spend a few years there."

Malfoy sneered, "What do you suggest?"

"Ten million Galleons each…"

"Not possible!" Dumbledore grumbled. "You know exactly how many Galleons that Lucius and I have in our vaults."

"A million each then," Ragnock said. "A million for Hogwarts and a million for Mr. Potter."

"These funds will be placed into new vaults for Hogwarts and Mr. Potter on the same day that the agreements are signed," Ironstream said.

"And how do you propose that we manage until the carcass begins to sell? How are we to pay for food and new robes?" asked Lucius.

"You both have adequate funds to pay for expenses until we begin the harvest in July."

"July? Why are you waiting for so long? Start tomorrow!" Lucius insisted.

"We cannot harvest the basilisk with the children in the school," explained Ironstream. "As the parts of the carcass are removed, there could be spills… the children would be exposed…"

Glancing at Dumbledore, Ragnock asked, "You don't want to give the Ministry another reason to investigate or penalize you, do you headmaster?"

Hearing his new money threatened, Dumbledore flared his aura and everyone – Malfoy and the goblins – stepped back.

"The Hogwarts school year will end early. The students will take their OWLS and NEWTS at the ministry!" the headmaster declared.

There was a storm of protest in the emergency staff meeting held at Hogwarts before the dinner hour. Minerva rose from her chair and cast petrification spells that just missed Dumbledore while Flitwick chose to set the headmaster's beard on fire. Sprout and Snape merely stepped back, their wands ready to cast shields and healing spells.

"I hope they crack a few of his bones!" Pomona told Snape. "Poppy is out of skele-grow and he'll have to wait a couple days for the iron plant to mature before you can make more."

"And my crystal stirring rod is missing," Snape added. "Any skele-grow I make will have too much iron and cause the patient additional discomfort."

When Dumbledore managed to disarm Minerva and to petrify Flitwick, he flashed his aura and quelled any additional notions of disagreement with his announcement.

"The spring term will end on 31 May. Students will take their OWLS and NEWTS at the ministry at their leisure in June!"

"And when is your last day at Hogwarts, Albus?" asked Phineas Black from his portrait.

Dumbledore said, "By tradition, the last day of the Hogwarts year is 30 June."

"But you've thrown tradition out the window with the potion cauldrons," Dippet reminded his successor. The portrait appeared to hear other voices for a moment and then said, "Hogwarts ends this school year on 15 June, Dumbledore. That is your last day in the castle. Minerva McGonagall has full control of the school at noon on that day!"

There were many unhappy fifth and seventh year students at Hogwarts that evening. Their schedules for revising before OWLS and NEWTS were thrown away and they scrambled to write letters home to their parents – there'd be limited number of seats at the ministry each day to take the exams and each family's summer schedules were disrupted.

At the Gryffindor table, Harry held his head – he'd have to return to the Dursleys earlier – he'd be locked up longer this summer.

Scene Break: Harry Potter Must Sign!

On the first day of June, Lucius and Dumbledore each received an owl from Gringotts that their presence was required at the bank. Dumbledore received his owl at breakfast and he hurried from the Great Hall – Minerva was meeting with the staff about spending time at the Ministry to assist with the testing programs for OWLS and NEWTS. The two notes were identical.

There is a small matter that must be addressed before we sign the final documents this afternoon. Arrive at Gringotts before 11AM this morning.

Ragnock, Chief of the Gringotts Horde

When the door to the chief's office opened before them, Lucius and Dumbledore strode inside.

"What is this 'small matter'?" asked Lucius, his displeasure obvious for goblins and wizards to see.

"Welcome Lucius Balthazar Malfoy! Welcome Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore!" greeted Ironstream.

"Yes, yes… Thank you for seeing us today," said Dumbledore. "What is the purpose in this meeting?"

"Gringotts wanted to make certain that Harry Potter will be present this afternoon to sign the disbursement of monies."

"Mr. Potter's presence is not necessary. I am his guardian," said Dumbledore, confidently.

"The boy is thirteen years of age and per Merlin's Laws, Harry Potter must sign all treaties and agreements made in his name," Ironstream said. "While you are his guardian, he can't be committed without his own signature now. Much like the betrothal agreement you are trying to arrange…

"Betrothal?" asked Lucius. "No doubt with the Weasleys…"

The goblins made no comment, and the headmaster waited silently while Lucius continued, "I understand they are your vassals Dumbledore but the old families will not be pleased with Weasley blood in their ranks. The Greengrass girl would have been a better…"

Ignoring Malfoy, Dumbledore told the goblins, "Send Bill Weasley to retrieve Harry Potter from his relatives."

Without delay, Steeltoe left to follow the headmaster's command.

"With your permission, Ragnock, I will send a patronus to Molly and Arthur to come today and we can complete all the documents at one time."

"Certainly, Dumbledore," Ragnock said with graciousness that should have alarmed either of the wizards if they had paid close attention.

Scene Break: Leaving Privet Drive (May 31)

The plans of the goblins and Curse-breaker Weasley would have impressed Dumbledore – Harry Potter was already in Hogwarts.

Bill had gone to the Dursley home days earlier to identify Vernon and Petunia Dursley. This afternoon, he'd hidden at the train station to make certain Dursley collected Harry and left London. He apparated into the town and ran to the house where he waited under an invisibility cloak until Vernon arrived home with the boy. The fat man had just closed the door when Bill made his way to the front door.

The adult wizard heard the smack of a hand hitting a face and the uncle's voice shouting, "Freak! What did you do to come back a month early?"

Knocking on the door with three quick raps, the curse-breaker heard stern whispers before the door opened just a crack and a narrow-faced woman said, "Who are you? What do you want?"

Bill grinned, pulled out his wand and said, "I've come to take Harry away from here – if he wants to go."

The woman turned pale and fearfully said, "You can't be here!"

But the curse-breaker pushed his way into the house, and both the uncle and the aunt drew back from the lighted tip of Bill's wand.

The uncle shouted, "Get out! I won't have another freak in my house!"

"Who are you?" asked the teenage boy who was crouched low on the stairs. His trunk stood beside the door and his white owl fluttered and fussed in her cage where it lay on the stairs.

Formally bowing, Bill grinned and said, "Mr. Potter, I've been sent by Gringotts to collect you. There are matters regarding your vaults that must be addressed immediately."

"What's a vault?" demanded Vernon. "Does the boy have money? We're his guardians and manage his money!"

"No!" Harry shouted. "You abuse me and work me like a house elf."

Bill cast a single spell that petrified Vernon and Petunia before he pulled Harry to his feet and cast a healing spell at the black eye. "There's nothing better than 'sana' for a fresh wound. It's the first spell I was taught by my mother with all my brothers running around."

Harry glanced at the wizard's wand and sighed, "I don't need trouble with the ministry tonight. They watch for spells here all the time."

It was less than a minute before a ministry owl appeared through the open door and dropped a letter on Harry's lap. Bill grabbed the letter and pointed the owl toward the back of a chair.

"Wait for a response," the curse-breaker told the bird. He glanced at Harry with the letter in his hand, but the boy nodded to go ahead.

Bill opened the letter and grinned as he read aloud, "The Ministry is notifying you that you have violated the rules against underage use of magic… Hopkins doesn't know who she is dealing with here!"

The wizard summoned dozen sheets of paper from a drawer and cast spells to make each page a special type of howler. While he worked, he asked, "Have you ever heard my mother's howlers at Hogwarts? I know Ron, Fred and George receive at least one each week."

"Are you Bill Weasley?" Harry asked.

"Yes," the wizard said as he folded the pages in half and handed them to the owl.

The bird flew away and Harry asked, "What now?"

"We're off to Gringotts," Bill replied. "You'll be healed and protected this summer."

Harry righted Hedwig's cage and reached for his trunk but Bill shrunk it and allowed Harry to put it into his own pocket.

"Let your owl fly free," Bill said. "She can find the owlery at Gringotts. Is there anything else in this house that you want?"

After shrinking the cage giving it to Harry to also put in a pocket, the teenager went to the cupboard under the stairs and pulled out a few broken toys and a ratty child's blanket along with a few drawings that he carefully folded and placed in his pocket. Bill followed the boy to the cupboard and saw the scribbles on the wall – 'Harry's Room' before he turned to the two muggles.

"There's a place in hell reserved for you two!" he hissed and with his wand cast a spell at Vernon and then another at Petunia.

"What did you do?" asked Harry.

Bill frowned and announced, "Permanent flatulence. They can't be in a crowd without blasting everyone with a noxious gas."

Vernon and Petunia vibrated with fear though they couldn't move, while Harry shrugged, "Yeah, you're a Weasley for certain."

The curse-breaker led the boy from the house, closing the front door.

"We'll apparate to Diagon Alley and be in the bank in five minutes." Away from the house, Bill explained, "I didn't really cast that spell on your relatives. I'm not like my brothers and after I file a complaint with the DMLE, the Aurors will investigate and arrest your aunt and uncle."

"But you cast a spell at them…"

"I protected the cupboard. Your aunt and uncle cannot open the door or do anything to it," the curse-breaker explained.

Taking Harry's hand, they disappeared from Privet Drive.

Cornelius Fudge and Delores Umbridge hurried to Melinda Hopkins' office – her paper aeroplane reported that Harry Potter had cast underage magic with his wand. They would expel the boy-who-lived from Hogwarts and from Magical Britain tomorrow.

"Where's the report?" Delores demanded when they entered the office. Before Melinda could reply, her owl returned, dropped the smoking howlers and fled back out the window.

A loud, clear voice boomed through the ministry department, "Melinda Hopkins and all who hear this message, you have interfered with a Gringotts operation! You are in violation of the treaties that keep the peace between the bank and the ministry! Your vaults will be audited for questioning a Gringotts curse-breaker on official business!"

The dozen sheets of paper folded themselves into origami goblins who latched onto the nearby witches and wizards. The paper goblin would ride their shoulders until they presented themselves at Gringotts for an audit of their vault and all transactions.

Cornelius fainted when two of the paper goblins settled on his shoulders, while Delores ran as fast as possible away from the office. She would deny ever being in the ministry today but a goblin pulled on her ear and danced happily; the hated toad would pay for her remarks about 'nasty creatures'. Melinda Hopkins cried – she hated goblins with a passion and now the little buggers would audit her vault! There were stories of penalties, theft of heirlooms…

Bill and Harry landed on a landing platform in a quiet, isolated part of the bank.

"When you learn apparition, you'll be taught to focus on visualizing your destination. That's how you keep from splinching yourself."

"What's splinching?" asked the teenager.

"When a wizard apparates while too excited or when they're not paying attention, they can leave a leg, an arm, or more behind…"

"More?" asked Harry incredulously.

"A few decades ago St. Mungo's managed to put a wizard back together after he split himself in half when trying to escape from a rogue dementor," the curse-breaker explained. "Our limbs can be reattached with a few spells and potions at St. Mungo's."

The two wizards reached a room where healers approached them and began to examine Harry. Ironstream, Ragnock, and Steeltoe joined them when the healers had results.

"Someone has recently healed Mr. Potter," the healer told the goblin leaders. "He has a powerful aura that indicates he was recently under the care of a healer with great power. Mr. Potter has a tale of the founders and their house elves helping him."

"He was exposed to the sands-of-time at Hogwarts," Steeltoe said.

Bill frowned. "My sister is still in the time chambers at St. Mungo's and will be there for many months to come."

"How is your sister?" Harry asked. "Ron never talks about the letters from your mother."

Later as Bill and Harry shared a meal in the curse-breaker's apartment, they discussed what the goblins knew of Dumbledore's plans.

"The headmaster – soon-to-be former headmaster – is planning to harvest the basilisk in the Chamber of Secrets."

Harry looked confused for a moment but Bill pushed ahead. "Dumbledore has chosen Mr. Malfoy as his partner. To have the 'right' to harvest the carcass, the two wizards will pay one million galleons to Hogwarts and one million to you."

"Why would they pay me for killing that monster?"

Bill frowned and explained, "The parts of a basilisk can be used in many potions."

Harry looked at the curse-breaker closely. "What are you not telling me?"

The look of surprize on Bill's face made Harry laugh.

"I know when Ron, Fred and George lie. You have the same 'tells' as your brothers with the twitch of your lips. I don't think you're lying but you're not telling me everything you know."

"You don't want to know everything," Bill said. "You're a kid and this shouldn't be something you have to deal with."

"I always have to deal with everything at Hogwarts!" Harry argued.

Harry laughed when Bill nodded. "Tomorrow, my boss will summon Dumbledore and Lucius Malfoy here to the bank. Ragnock will tell Dumbledore that you must be here at the bank to sign the agreement."

Harry nodded his head once before Bill continued, "I will be sent to 'retrieve' you so that you can sign the document. When we 'return', we'll enter a fancy room with Ironstream, Ragnock, Steeltoe, and the wizards. They will ask you to sign a document but make certain you read every page – every footnote – and ask questions before you sign it."

Harry sighed, "So why did you bring me here today? Why not tomorrow? Now my aunt and uncle know I have a vault and Vernon will beat me until I give him every piece of gold I have."

"No, I told you I would go to the Aurors."

"Dumbledore always interferes and sends me back to Surry," Harry argued. "I beg not to be sent back every year!"

Bill frowned with the revelation but explained, "Dumbledore is no longer headmaster at Hogwarts. He… this is his last attempt to fund his retirement."

Harry seemed to be lost in thought for a moment before he asked, "Can I read the document tonight? That'll make it easier tomorrow…"

The curse-breaker nodded, impressed with the boy's idea. "I'll get the form and ask Steeltoe to meet with us. He'll explain any parts of it that you don't understand."

Two hours later, Steeltoe and Bill were even more impressed with the questions that the boy asked about the agreement. The goblin recognized that the curse-breaker wasn't telling Mr. Potter everything and Steeltoe regretted to push the issue but thought he must.

When Bill finished answering Harry's questions, Steeltoe cleared his throat and said, "There's more."

Both wizards were surprized by the goblin's statement and he continued before any questions were asked. "What do you know about betrothal agreements, Mr. Potter?"

"I will not…" Harry sputtered once Steeltoe explained the agreement's conditions and names.

He glared at Bill Weasley before he stood up and said, "I hoped… thought you weren't like Ron and Fred and George! They lie to people every day."

Harry's aura flared out from his body as his temper boiled over, "But you're just trying to trick me to get my vault! I won't marry your sister!"

"Harry…"

"No! I won't listen to you!" the teenager shouted before he ran from the room.

Steeltoe shook his head and said, "This is my fault Weasley. I will keep him safe tonight and have him in your office when the meeting begins. You can deliver him to Ragnock's office tomorrow when the time is appropriate."

Late in the evening, Steeltoe prepared for bed and said goodnight to his visitor. Harry had written a long letter and sent it off with his amazing white owl. Then the boy spent an hour reading and rereading everything he could about basilisks in Scamander's book – he even read the indexes and footnotes. The boy didn't ask any questions, he was just thanking Steeltoe for his help when a little house elf appeared for the first time, wrapping Harry Potter in his little arms and hugging him.

"Hello, Dobby." Harry smiled for the first time since running away from Bill Weasley, and Steeltoe noticed the house elf brought pillows, blankets and hot chocolate for his visitor.

"My Mr. Harry Potters must have good night's sleep," the elf gently insisted as he made the sleepy teenager comfortable on the low couch with gentleness and care.

"Hello," Steeltoe greeted the little elf as Harry drifted off to sleep.

The elf bowed, "Dobby pleased that Steeltoe son-of-Ironstream takes care of Mr. Harry Potter. Hogwarts sends Dobby to guard the Boy-Who-Lived."

Scene Break: Signing Agreement (1 June)

The door to Ragnock's office opened and Bill led a quiet Harry Potter into the room. Lucius was struck by the boy's appearance – last year the street urchin at Hogwarts didn't look promising. This morning, Potter was healthy, taller and walking confidently. The boy's eyes would not settle on anyone for long.

'He's taking the measure of everyone as if they were all opponents. How Slytherin!' Lucius realized.

"Ah, Harry, my boy!" Dumbledore called in greeting. "I hope your Aunt can bear to part with you for a short while today. There are a few papers I need you to sign."

"What papers, sir?" Harry asked politely.

"We're giving you one million Galleons for killing the basilisk at Hogwarts last year."

The boy's head popped up and a grin broke across his face. "A million Galleons! Professor Dumbledore, that's great!"

Bill Weasley hoped no one was watching him; his surprize at the boy's acting skills was plainly evident on his face. He quickly schooled his features again and prayed that no one noticed if they viewed their memories at some future time.

"And Hogwarts will receive one million Galleons," Ironstream added. "The money will be used for scholarships and more professors."

"Who is signing the document for Hogwarts?" Harry asked innocently.

"I will sign as headmaster," Dumbledore replied but then Ironstream coughed. Everyone looked at the goblin who motioned for the door that opened to allow Minerva McGonagall and Filius Flitwick to enter.

"Minerva? Filius?" asked Dumbledore, surprized at the appearance of the assistant headmistress and the charms master.

The new headmistress smiled coldly, "We received an owl this morning from… well it doesn't matter who… Hogwarts is to receive a million Galleons as our part of the carcass of a basilisk in the Chamber of Secrets."

"It is only proper that the new headmistress," Filius said motioning first to Minerva and then to himself, "and the most senior member of the staff sign for the school."

"Yes, we wouldn't want the founders to question you about the accounts in the last weeks of your tenure, would we?" McGonagall asked.

Everyone heard Ragnock 'whisper' to Ironstream, "Flitwick must be teaching that witch how to be a goblin."

The documents for Hogwarts and Harry Potter were produced; Lucius Malfoy and Albus Dumbledore quickly affixed their signatures and handed the papers to Minerva, Filius and Harry to sign.

"What are you doing?" Lucius asked as the trio began reading the documents.

"We're reading the agreements," Filius explained slowly as though teaching a charm to a first-year student. "Surely, you didn't think… Mr. Malfoy, you did read the document before you signed it, didn't you?"

"We finalized the documents last week," Lucius replied.

"And this is the first we're seeing them," McGonagall said, her eyes glinting. "Do you object to us reading ye documents before we affix our signatures?"

"Even muggles know you read a contract before you sign it," Harry agreed, turning his attention to his document once again.

Dumbledore motioned for Lucius to refrain from additional comments and settled in his chair with a confident air and serene mask hiding his nervous stomach.

After fifteen minutes, the door opened again to admit Molly and Arthur Weasley. The Weasleys were blind to the tension in the room and Molly made a point of greeting Dumbledore and then approaching the teenage boy.

"Harry! You must come stay with us at the Burrow! I'll feed you properly!" Molly assured the boy as she moved to hug him. Steeltoe placed himself between the boy and the witch.

"Mr. Potter must study an important document, Mrs. Weasley. You may greet him later."

"Important document?" asked Molly, attempting to read the paper before the teenage boy.

Bill appeared at his mother's elbow and guided her away from the table to seats on the other side of the room.

"I don't understand… He should just sign it!" she was heard to tell her son before he cast a privacy spell to speak plainly. Everyone glanced over occasionally to see Molly waving her arms while Bill stood his ground, his arms crossed and his head shaking.

"Mr. Potter, are you satisfied with your agreement?" Filius asked after he and Minerva had read and examined the Hogwarts agreement.

"Yes, the gold is transferred into a new vault that only I can access."

"And your guardian?" Minerva asked.

"No, my guardian can't access this gold."

"What?" asked Molly Weasley.

Bill cast another privacy spell as the goblins began laughing. Minerva and Filius signed the Hogwarts Agreement and Harry signed his agreement. Both documents glowed brightly and disappeared.

"Congratulations, Mr. Potter," Steeltoe told the boy. "Your new vault is filled and only you can access it."

Their part in the drama complete, Minerva and Filius left the room to return to Hogwarts. Both professors promised to send Harry some interesting books for his summer reading.

"Now… there is one more document for Mr. Potter to sign," Ironstream said as he pulled out another agreement and laid it on the table.

"What is this?" asked Harry as he picked up the document.

Dumbledore smiled and said, "This will make the Weasleys your family."

Molly vibrated with excitement – in just moments the Boy-Who-Lived would belong to Ginny… Arthur frowned, this was moving very quickly and Bill swallowed nervously. Lucius Malfoy watched with an eye to future gossip in the ministry.

Ironstream grinned, flashing his fangs at Dumbledore, "This is your betrothal agreement, Mr. Potter."

"A betrothal agreement? With who?" demanded Harry.

Dumbledore attempted to calm the boy by asking, "Do you know what a betrothal agreement is?"

"Of course, I know!" Harry yelled. "Ginny talked about them all year when she wasn't visiting the broom closets with different boys!"

"How dare you! If a pure-blood offers to marry you, it's a great honour half-blood!" shouted Molly Weasley, breaking away from Arthur and reaching for Harry.

Steeltoe petrified Molly but the expression on her face made Ironstream move to stand beside Harry, a knife in his hand with the blade aimed at the witch.

"According to the document, your future wife will be Ginevra Molly Weasley, the youngest child of Arthur and Molly Weasley," said Ironstream. "You merely need to sign the document and it will be official."

Dumbledore explained, "Harry, you need to be anchored into strong family that supports our cause. To give you that family, you will marry Ginevra Weasley the day after you turn sixteen."

"Sixteen? Ginny would only be fifteen? Why would they marry so young?" Bill insisted on knowing.

With his usual confidence, Dumbledore explained, "The year after, there will be developments with… with the Dark Lord. It is important that Harry Potter leave a child as heir."

"No!" Harry shouted. "I won't marry that fangirl!"

"You don't have a choice, my boy," Dumbledore argued. "You must marry Ginny."

"I won't marry her!" Harry insisted.

"You will!" insisted Molly Weasley, breaking the goblin petrification but stepping away from the knife in the goblin's hand. "Once you are betrothed, I'll be your guardian and I'll straighten you out!"

"You just want my Galleons…"

"You have millions!" Molly said.

"We need help to pay for Ginny's treatments at St. Mungo's," explained Arthur.

"That's not right! Hogwarts…" Harry said and cast an eye at the headmaster, "You should sue Dumbledore for failing to do his duty. He should pay for Ginny's treatments."

"Sue me?" asked Dumbledore, amazed at the notion that anyone would sue him or… threaten him? Molly looked offended at the idea but Dumbledore saw Arthur Weasley was considering the idea seriously.

"Sign the damn agreement!" Molly shouted and Dumbledore pulled out his strange wand to compel the Boy-Who-Lived to sign the paper.

"Everyone hold!" commanded Ragnock. "Dumbledore, Gringotts tells you that if you force Heir Potter – or allow anyone else to compel him – to sign the agreement, it will not be valid. And it will invalidate all other agreements he signed today."

Dumbledore's face turned pale as the goblin continued, "Heir Potter is thirteen years of age. He must be free of compulsion to sign these agreements – for the basilisk and for the betrothal!"

"If he doesn't freely sign all the agreements, then none of them are valid. You'll not have the basilisk…"

Quietly Harry spoke with Ironstream and the goblin pointed to the two key lines of the agreement. Calling for Dobby, Harry asked for one of his muggle ink pens that the house elf provided from a pocket in a vest. The goblin and house elf watched as the Boy-Who-Lived struck through two parts of the agreement and then wrote in new text. He asked the goblin for one more piece of information and then wrote something down.

"I, Hadrian Jameson Potter, do make this a Guardianship Agreement that reflects my wishes. So, mote it be!"

"Guardian! I am your guardian!" Dumbledore shouted.

"No more, Albus Dumbledore! You're no longer my guardian."

"Who did you name as guardian?" asked a hopefully Molly Weasley.

"Mr. Potter has selected 'Steeltoe son-of-Ironstream' as his magical guardian!" announced Ironstream.

"What!" screamed Molly Weasley as her husband grabbed her arm and pulled her down into the chair she had launched herself from only moments before.

"The Wizegamot will not allow a goblin to be guardian to a wizard… Especially not to the Boy-Who-Lived!" Lucius announced. He grinned and said, "I would be willing…"

"No," Harry declared. "If anyone – Dumbledore, Malfoy, or Weasley makes a stink about this – I will go before the Wiz-ag-doodle and tell them that you finagled this deal to steal the basilisk from me and Hogwarts."

"Why should I agree to that?" demanded Molly. "I need money to pay for Ginny's treatment and there's no one offering me a purse!"

"The hospital won't allow Ginny to stay much longer," Arthur said.

"Albus, help us!" Molly insisted. "We've been loyal to you for years!"

When the headmaster stood up, he smiled. "Molly, Arthur, I am certain that with the care of her loving family, Ginevra will be fine in time. The last Galleons in my vault have been spent to pay Mr. Potter and Hogwarts for the right to harvest the basilisk…"

"Then give us some Galleons when you sell…"

"Alas, there is no guarantee that the basilisk will bring in that much money."

Lucius locked eyes with Harry Potter at that moment. The teenager's face was devoid of emotion but there was a fire in his eyes that led the older wizard to fear for his continued existence. Spontaneous combustion was not possible in the muggle world but there was accidental magic in their world.

"Enough!" Lucius declared to break the tension of the moment. "Perhaps Mr. and Mrs. Weasley can apply to Hogwarts later in the summer for an award to pay for the treatments. I believe McGonagall will be sympathetic to your claims."

Molly began crying as Arthur led her from the room; Bill spoke briefly to Steeltoe before he followed his parents.

Scene Break: Gringotts Regrets

Albus and Lucius spoke briefly before rising to leave the chamber but then both wizards noticed that none of the goblins had left.

"Was there something else?" Lucius asked of the goblins.

"Yes, one more item," replied Ragnock, who motioned for Ironstream to step forward. Dumbledore frowned; this was the goblin who helped Harry to escape from his plans to reward the Weasleys. After today, Dumbledore knew he could not count on any help from Arthur, Molly or their horde of children.

"Mr. Dumbledore and Mr. Malfoy, as of this morning, your account balances have fallen dangerously low. You are no longer among our largest clients; therefore, Gringotts regrets to informs you that we are unable to front you any monies or workers to harvest the carcass of the basilisk in the Chamber of Secrets."

"But, you know the carcass is worth fifty million Galleons at least!" Dumbledore exclaimed, his aura flaring – it was bright blue but not as strong as it was once upon a time.

"To quote your own words, 'Alas, there is no guarantee that the basilisk will bring in that much money.' Gringotts feels that the risks are too great."

Lucius Malfoy gripped his cane in his hand; not drawing his wand but dangerously close to casting spells at the lying, nasty creatures!

"Gentle wizards, remember where you are! Draw your wand against a goblin and you will spend the rest of your miserable existence in the dragon pens at the bottom of the bank!" shouted Ragnock.

"We had an agreement!" Dumbledore argued.

"Based on account balances of over two million Galleons between you."

"But you let us…" Lucius said but then stopped as his mind raced. He turned to Dumbledore and said, "Headmaster, let us retire to my home. I have an alternative solution."

Once the two wizards left, and goblin magicians had cleared the room of Dumbledore's spells to listen to conversations, the goblins noticed the look of satisfaction on Harry Potter's face.

"Mr. Potter…"

Harry stood and bowed to the three goblins before he said, "Thank you! I appreciate your help with the Headmaster."

The three goblins returned the bow before Steeltoe led the boy from the room. Once they were alone, Ironstream turned to Ragnock. "Do you think the boy knows about the coming explosion?"

Ragnock shook his head, "The ministry edited Scamander's notes out of the book twenty years ago. I doubt there's a wizard in the whole of Britain who knows the moment someone breeches the basilisk's hide; the carcass will explode."

Scene Break: Harvest Preparations

Once the two wizards were safely apparated to Malfoy Manor, Albus asked, "What is your idea? How can we harvest the basilisk without the goblins?"

"Do you still have the memory of Potter fighting the creature?"

"Of course,"

Lucius smiled, "We shall have to give some 'shares' of our find to obtain help from other wizards but we can sell the carcass through the dwarves in Munich. They will deal with us fairly to put one over on the goblins in London and Paris."

"Who do you want to sell shares to?"

The Death Eater sniffed, "If we want loyal wizards to help us, we can show the memory of Tom Riddle in the chamber to his other followers. I will vouch for you and tell them we'll resurrect the Dark Lord."

Albus looked faint before Lucius continued, "But I have no intention of actually bringing him back – or allowing them to live past their usefulness in the Chamber of Secrets. I will arrange… we will arrange for poison to kill them or close them off in the chamber, unable to be freed."

The two wizards took the measure of their opponent at that moment; Albus admired Malfoy's plan and Lucius disparaged of Dumbledore's blindness.

"Who do you recommend?" Albus asked.

Scene Break: Harvest Begins (June 9, 1994)

When the letter from Albus Dumbledore arrived at Gringotts, Steeltoe read it carefully before going to find Harry. This time of day was reserved for duelling, he knew his ward and Weasley would be throwing spells at each other, practicing shields, and tactics battle. But today, he found the chamber in shambles but silent and quickly located the two wizards in the infirmary with broken bones.

"And what spell were you learning today?" asked Steeltoe.

Harry ducked his head but admitted, "I overpowered my bludgeoning spell."

"We have to get him with Master Barkteeth immediately to learn to manage his core," Bill said as the healer set his broken legs before casting spells. "When we removed the shard of that wanker Riddle from Harry's scar, his core expanded exponentially. He can't help it until he's had some training."

"I'll arrange it immediately," Steeltoe agree. "No return to the duelling chamber until Barkteeth agrees."

"But…" Harry began to argue.

Steeltoe interrupted his ward, refusing to hear a teenager's lament, "I have received a letter from Albus Dumbledore this afternoon."

The goblin eyed the curse-breaker and his ward, "If you are healthy tomorrow morning, the wizards plan to proceed with the harvest of the carcass of the basilisk. Heir Potter's presence is required to open the doorway for the first day."

"How will they get in after the first day?" Harry asked.

"The former headmaster can still make portkeys to move through the wards of the castle until 15 June. They expect to have the harvest completed in just three days."

"Tomorrow is the Queen's Birthday," Harry groused. "The Grangers were going to take us to see the ceremony at Buckingham Palace…"

"That's not until noon," Bill reminded Harry. "What time do they want Harry at Hogwarts?"

"At eight o'clock," Steeltoe said after checking the letter again.

"Can we use the floo network?"

"Yes, you will arrive and leave through Headmistress McGonagall's office," Steeltoe said. He frowned and added, "We understand that the headmistress and other faculty members are very nervous about the crew they've selected for this harvest. They're all Death Eaters."

"I'll get Harry in and out with time to spare," Bill assured the goblin.

Minerva McGonagall escorted Harry Potter and Bill Weasley through the hallways of Hogwarts to the second floor.

"The ministry sent a representative to oversee the harvest," the new headmistress informed her visitors. "Madam Umbridge has been kind enough this morning to advise me of a dozen changes I should make at Hogwarts."

Harry stared at his transfiguration professor for only a moment before he noticed that she sneered with each word about the undersecretary. At the doorway to the girl's lavatory, they were met by Walden MacNair and Thorfinn Rowle. Harry noticed Bill's wand remained in his hand the entire time and he never took his eyes off the two Death Eaters.

"Where are Lucius and Albus?" Minerva asked.

"They're around somewhere," replied Rowle who didn't meet the eyes of the curse-breaker; he kept his eyes on the boy who killed the Dark Lord. MacNair frowned but stepped back, he knew either of the adults could overpower both Rowle and himself; and the boy was reported to be even more powerful.

"Do you have the door stop I requested?" Harry asked Walden.

The Death Eater handed over a large, muggle crowbar, a heavy iron metal rod. The boy handled it easily, and then he stepped up to the sink with the snake carvings where he hissed the parseltongue command {Open}.

Instantly, the sink's façade broke apart and fell away, leaving a large, gaping hole. Again, the boy hissed and this time lights and steps appeared. Then he hissed one last time and wedged the crow bar into the corner of the opening.

He stood back, hissed again, but then stopped and shook his head before saying, "I told the doorway to stay open for the next twelve hours. After that, the sink will crumple the crowbar and seal itself up."

"Why can't I use the memory of you speaking in parseltongue to open the doorway again?" asked Rowle.

Harry shook his head, "It won't work! Parseltongue is magic. You can't use the memory of anyone speaking a spell to cast that spell again."

"Prove it!" insisted MacNair.

Harry stared the Death Eater for a moment before the man sneered, "I didn't think so."

The teenager grinned and the Death Eater felt a shiver run down his spin when the boy said, "No, I'm just trying to decide what command to give you; confess your murders, sign away all your vaults to charity, or marry Delores Umbridge… Which will it be?"

"You can't do it! It's not real!" MacNair shouted.

"Make him dance," Rowle suggested.

Glancing at Bill and McGonagall who continued to watch the two Death Eaters carefully, Harry hissed, {Walden MacNair, dance to the Great Hall and back. If you see Delores Umbridge, dance around her, and pinch her butt.}

The instant the teenager stopped hissing, MacNair's feet began a Scottish jig that led him out of the lavatory and down the hall, his feet in a constant tapping that many the headmistress purse her lips to keep from laughing.

"Hogwarts, don't let him fall on the stairs," McGonagall commanded as the wizard's dancing took him out of their sight.

Rowle frowned; the boy's magic was powerful.

"I wonder if I can kill with parseltongue – without using a wand," Harry said staring at the Death Eater who paled and backed toward the stairs into the Chamber of Secrets.

"Harry, we have an appointment in London," Bill said to break the tension in the girl's lavatory.

"Certainly Curse-breaker Weasley," Harry said. "I hope we don't met again, Mr. Rowle."

Minerva left the room first, followed by Harry and then Bill who backed out of the room, his wand at his side the entire time. Rowle heard the boy telling McGonagall, "And my parseltongue magic works even if I have been silenced."

Standing in the bathroom, Thorfinn remembered the memory Malfoy showed him of the boy killing the basilisk. If it was as big as the memory appeared, he would never tangle with the boy again. There were enclaves of dark wizards in the Balkans, Africa and India where he could live comfortably with his share of the Galleons from selling the basilisk.

"That was nauseating," Harry confessed as he walked down the stairs with McGonagall and Bill.

"Can you really do all those things, Mr. Potter?" asked Minerva.

"Yes, professor. Parseltongue is very powerful and I don't think the Dark Lord every realized it."

"Thankfully," Bill added. "Steeltoe and I have Mr. Potter working on Occlumency to protect his mind and control his temper, Headmistress. He will be safe with other students this year."

"Yes," Harry said. "They bring Ron to see me every third day to test my control of my temper. I haven't turned him into a toad but three times…"

"He's kidding! He's kidding!" Bill said.

"Yeah, it was only twice," Harry admitted. From ahead of them in the entrance to Hogwarts, they heard a woman's high shrill scream.

"How dare you touch me!" the voice yelled. "I am the Undersecretary to the Minister! You will go to Azkaban for this!"

McGonagall sighed, "Today I have to watch Death Eaters, Albus Too-Many-Bloody-Names Dumbledore and 'that woman' traipse around Hogwarts as if they were the founders themselves. Death Eaters walking out with a basilisk!"

"Who else is here?" asked Harry, suddenly concerned for his professor's safety.

She nodded back up with stairs, "We are prepared and safe, Mr. Potter. Now I suggest you hurry into my office and use the floo to escape unless you wish to deal with Dumbledore again. I hear him approaching…"

"Thank you, professor," Harry said as he and Bill hurried to her office.

"Minerva! How good to see you this morning!" Dumbledore exclaimed as a troop of Death Eaters passed with several house elves carrying large trunks filled with clinking glass jars following behind.

"Albus," Minerva replied as Lucius Malfoy joined them. His elves followed the other wizards toward the second floor.

"Did the boy open the door?" Lucius asked.

Nodding, Minerva said, "He did and he went so far as to ask for stairs and lights."

"How thoughtful of him," Malfoy said.

Dumbledore smiled, "Just as I asked him to do."

"What?" Minerva fussed. "Don't you dare attempt to claim…"

Dumbledore looked insulted and Malfoy looked amused but McGonagall frowned and motioned the two wizards away. Then Walden MacNair danced down the hallway, trying to return to the girl's lavatory on the second floor before he collapsed in exhaustion. Behind him came a screaming Delores Umbridge, her weak wand out, attempting to cast hexes at the man who had pinched her posterior in front of Dumbledore and Malfoy.

The new headmistress watched silently as Alecto and Amycus Carrow, Antonin Dolohov, Corbin Yaxley, Vincent Crabbe, Dexter Flint, Jacob Travers, and Hank Goyle hurried up the staircase. They would harvest the basilisk over the next four days but they would use portkeys to travel back and forth after today and not drag their booty through the castle's halls.

'And the wards will be fully powered to prevent any marked Death Eater from entering this castle again,' she swore. 'Albus was all for second, third and fifteenth chances; I'm not.'

It took another hour for the final preparations to be complete, for Rita Skinner to arrive with her photographer, and everyone to climb down the stairs to the chamber of Secrets. Delores was devastated to learn that the Hogwarts house elves could not be called into the Chamber – she would not be having tea and biscuits this afternoon.

There were a series of photographs made and sent to the Daily Prophet via a small owl before it was time for the work to begin.

"One more photo!" Rita demanded. "Get a shot of Malfoy stabbing the beast!"

"Go on Malfoy!" called Crabbe. "Let's get started!"

The photographer from the Daily Prophet stood ready: Lucius Malfoy, Albus Dumbledore and Delores Umbridge stood together at the head of the carcass – the huge carving knife in Malfoy's hands ready to plunge into the basilisk. Unlike the other wizards who had bubble head charms around their heads, Delores Umbridge kept a scented cloth at her nose. The Carrow twins levitated jars into position to catch the blood, while Dolohov and Yaxley watched everyone – who could they eliminate to increase their share of the wealth.

"Are you excited, Mr. Malfoy?" asked Rita Skinner. "You're about to make history!"

Lucius placed the tip of the blade against the skin of the basilisk and plunged forward.

In the Great Hall, Minerva McGonagall felt a tremor in the floor, the ghosts rushed into the hall, and the elves began popping in, asking for instructions.

"What happened?" she demanded to know. The elves and ghosts all wailed without answering the new headmistress and she tried to understand the many voices crying out when Filius ran into the hall.

"It's the Chamber of Secrets!" the charms professor announced. "Something just exploded!"

The new headmistress and the charms professor ran toward stairs to the second floor with every intention of investigating. They each sent their patronus with messages to the ministry; Minerva sent her messenger to Amelia Bones and Filius sent his messenger to Percy Weasley. Once they reached the second floor, they found the girl's bathroom had collapsed into the tunnel. There were large cracks in the walls and stones fell from the ceiling and walls.

"What's above this bathroom?" Minerva asked.

Filius shouted, "The Divination Tower!"

"Send a patronus to Trelawny to flee!" the headmistress shouted as she sent a second message to the library, telling Madam Prince to put the library in stasis.

The two veteran professors retreated from the second-floor bathroom as the ceiling collapsed into the gaping hole leading to the Chamber of Secrets. More and more stones fell and the dust rose; suddenly, two elves popped into the hallway to grab the professors and pop away. In the entry hall, Minerva and Filius met Severus and Pomona.

"What in Merlin's name happened?" asked Pomona.

"The Chamber of Secrets blew up!" Filius yelled. "We have to get out of the castle!"

There were loud pops as ministry Aurors began arriving on the lawn.

"Miss Kitty! Miss Kitty!" shouted an elf. "There's be poison gas! We's got to leave!"

"Get the paintings!" Minerva ordered the elves. "Hogwarts, seal the offices!"

The Hogwarts elves popped away to grab paintings. Minerva, Filius, Severus and Pomona ran for the front door but the castle picked them up and popped them out on the lawn as a green gas rose from the Chamber of Secrets to fill the hallways and classrooms throughout Hogwarts. The few paintings not removed by the elves dried up and the pigments flaked off as their magic was sucked out by the poisonous fumes of the basilisk.

The spell from Amelia's wand began opening the front door of Hogwarts when she saw the green gas floating across the hallway toward them. Quickly, she slammed the door shut, and turned around. She shouted, "Run! There's poison gas! Run!"

In the great library, with a thousand years of priceless magical knowledge collected in scrolls, hand-written books and journals, Madam Prince heard Minerva's patronus message. She glanced around at 'her' library and took the necessary steps to protect it. She drew her wand and began pressing it against runes carved into the walls in a certain sequence to activate the large stasis spell. The doors sealed to keep out the caustic gas and then each window was also sealed.

Checking that none of the secret passageways were open, and all the apparition points were shut down, Madam Prince hurried to close the floo in her office. The whiff of the gas that slipped through the floo just as she closed it was enough to sear the librarian's nose, throat, and lungs. Her pain lasted thirty seconds before the gas entered her blood stream and killed her. Her last protection for the library was that her body absorbed the gas and neutralized it.

In and around Hogwarts, the poisonous gas from the exploding carcass of the basilisk found every remaining sand-of-time wedged into cracks in the stones and fused to the wooden doors, and melted them away.

Scene Break: Karma

It was late evening as a rat-faced man scurried toward the Crouch home. In his arms, the Death Eater clutched an infant-sized bundle of rags. A high-pitched voice came from the rags with continual orders, "Hurry! Be careful! Don't drop me! Slow down!"

Wormtail had apparated across Europe in careful stages. Using the Dark Lord's wand, he cast Point Me spells that brought him ever closer to his master. They found each other in the magical forests hidden in the mountains of Albania and Voldemort directed his only Death Eater how to create a homunculus form from the bodies of dead infants stolen from graveyards. Once he settled into the corpse and animated it again, Voldemort used his wand to guide Wormtail about like a horse. They had travelled back to Britain and tonight, they would contact Barty Crouch, Jr. – Voldemort knew this loyal Death Eater was near London, in his family's ancestral home.

Stepping carefully through the failing wards, the rat man reached the door but before he could knock, a wizard leapt from the shadows to cast an over-powered reducto spell, while screaming, "Die Father!"

The rat-faced man's head separated from his neck. The infant-shaped bundle hit the ground and screamed, "Crucio!"

The hidden wizard fell to the floor screaming and writhing, as a little house elf, trying to protect her beloved 'young Barty', banished the bundle into nothingness, just as the Auror arrived. Voldemort's spirit vanished into eternity – who knew Winky was born on the last day of July to elven parents who had defied the Dark Lord three times?

"Barty!" called the voice of Alistair Moody. "Is that you?"

Everyone at the ministry understood that Barty Crouch Sr. was at Hogwarts today to witness the harvest of the basilisk. Alistair had been at the Department for Magical Monitoring when the runes there registered a sudden burst of magic at Crouch's home. Apparating to a nearby street, Moody hurried to investigate, found the figures lying on the ground near Barty's front door, and cast a spell to identify the two wizards. The little elf hid but Alistair's magical eye saw her and banished her to a nest inside the house.

"No! Go away," mumbled a shaking voice. "Go away!"

Alistair cast a spell to petrify the speaker and approached the front of the house. He cursed loudly and sent his patronus to Amelia Bones. She never replied before Alistair returned to the ministry with his prisoner and the corpse. He secured Barty Crouch, Jr, a criminal thought to have died ten years earlier at Azkaban, in the most secure cell available – only Amelia could open the door. He placed the dead wizard into stasis in another secure cell; the hippogriff feathers would fly when Bones saw the corpse of Peter Pettigrew, another wizard thought to be dead for the past ten years.

"Where is Director Bones?" Alistair demanded of the only Auror at the command desk. At this time of day, a shift change should be occurring and the department should be overrun with wizards and witches.

"There was an explosion at Hogwarts," the first year Auror explained. "Something terrible happened and the entire castle is collapsing…"

Checking that St. Mungo's Hospital had been notified, Moody apparated to the gates of the castle. He saw Bones and her Aurors running toward the gate and waving at them to back up.

"Back! Get back! There's poisonous gas!" she shouted.

Beyond the gates, the house elves popped onto the lawn with the magical portraits. Severus Snape, Minerva McGonagall, Filius Flitwick and Pomona Sprout apparated from the castle, all of them coughing and collapsing to the ground. Elves popped out and back one last time but refused to return to the castle again. The wards flared and Minerva began to cry as well as cough.

"The wards are holding," she explained. "The Chamber of Secrets has been destroyed! All the wizards in the Chamber of Secrets… Albus Dumbledore… they're all dead."

At Gringotts, Harry's anger left Steeltoe nervous – the boy's power lifted the furniture in the room and shook the floors.

"You knew this would happen!" the boy yelled at his guardian and Ragnock. "A lot of people died today because I opened the Chamber of Secrets!"

"You are not the reason there was an explosion in the Chamber of Secrets!" argued Steeltoe. "The wizards entered the chamber freely. They failed to do their due diligence – their investigation – into the requirements to safely harvest a basilisk."

"And Hogwarts is damaged!" Harry shouted. "The Daily Prophet cover shows one of the towers has fallen!"

"The Divination Tower collapsed into the Chamber of Secrets. The tower with the DADA classroom were sucked into the hole."

Harry paused. "Will the school reopen? Is Hogwarts going to be okay?"

"Yes, your beloved school is okay and will reopen. Once the poison gas dissipates, Hogwarts will be repaired and reopen."

Bill arrived and Harry turned to the curse-breaker, "Did you know?"

The red-head nodded, "I did know and knew there was nothing I could say to anyone."

"You could have told Dumbledore!"

"He wouldn't believe me," Bill replied. "He wanted the treasure from the carcass too much to let the facts distract him."

"I want to help!" Harry told Steeltoe once he'd calmed down and the furniture returned to the floor.

"You will once the danger is passed. Reports are that the castle is full of poison gas now."

"Who died?" Harry asked. "Is Professor McGonagall okay? Flitwick? Sprout?"

Bill frowned, "I haven't heard. Director Bones will make a statement at the ministry later."

"Madam Pomphrey is in Margot visiting her family," Steeltoe said.

The destruction of the Chamber of Secrets changed the profile of Hogwarts; the DADA classroom and the Divination Tower collapsed into the cavern created by the explosion. Sybill Trelawny, her sherry bottles and incense infused robes were swept away by the collapse; her devotees claimed she'd accurately predicted her demise during the many years of her tenure in the castle. The curse that Voldemort cast on the position of DADA instructor vanished with the destruction of the classroom. Minerva renamed the class 'Magical Arts for Défense and Offense.' (MADO)

Every day for weeks following the catastrophe, the wizards of Britain came to see their school. The wards kept everyone away from the castle though builders did fly over the castle to examine the damage. The divination tower's collapse had filled in the hole created by the explosion in the chamber and new walls would soon shore up the damage. Once the poison gas had dispersed, wizards, elves and goblins were summoned to the castle to examine the damage and begin repairs – walls and ceilings would be repaired before the return of wintry weather.

There were many separate memorial services around Britain, and one remembrance service at Hogwarts. None of the bodies were recovered and the new ghosts were forced to behave by the older spirits. The ghost of Lucius Malfoy was particularly foul and after one week, the spirit was confined to a vase in Severus Snape's office where the potions professor stored pickled eye of newt. The ghost of Albus Dumbledore appeared in his old office one morning and refused to believe he was dead. Eventually, Hogwarts bound the headmaster's ghost to the hallway on the third floor where he'd once hidden the Philosopher's Stone. Students avoided that hallway except on Halloween and the anniversary of the explosion – Dumbledore told the best jokes and stories of any spirit in the castle on those two occasions.

A plaque was mounted on the reconstructed wall on the second floor where the entrance to the chamber once lay hidden. The families of the dead could hang magical portraits in that hallway but none of them ever woke.

Scene Break: Distractions

With the destruction of the Chamber of Secrets and the deaths of many notable wizards, no one paid attention to the news of the reappearance of Barty Crouch, Jr and his capture by the Aurors. The convict was brought before the Wizegamot for trial where he was convicted of escaping. The Wizegamot sentenced Crouch, Jr. to the veil and the Aurors carried out the sentence just ten minutes after conviction.

The Wizegamot elected Amelia Bones as the new Minister of Magic and Augusta Longbottom as the Grand Witch. With the public unrest following the explosion and deaths at Hogwarts, the Ministry could not spare Aurors to guard prisoners; they were needed for crowd control at Hogwarts, in Diagon Alley and Hogsmeade where wizards congregated and complained about the time-turner illness that still affected the children…

Two days later, there was second trial in the Wizegamot. Amelia Bones used the sudden appearance of the body of Pettigrew to distract the public again – she held a trial for Sirius Black in absentia using the corpse of Pettigrew to prove the innocence of the former Auror. Narcissa Malfoy nee Black and Andromeda Tonks nee Black petitioned for the trial and escorted their cousin into the ministry that morning. Upon the declaration of his innocence, the three Blacks stood before the Wizegamot and without a bow or curtsey, turned their backs on the members to walk away.

In the Daily Prophet, Sirius announced that his cousins had returned to the Black family. Draco Malfoy would be his ward until the boy turned seventeen. His cousin Narcissa Black was pregnant with the Black heir, and his cousin Andromeda and her family had returned to the fold. When it was time, Sirius would select a suitable husband for his cousin's daughter, Nymphadora Tonks, from the ranks of wizards with no familial relationship to the Blacks.

Two days after the article in the Daily Prophet, Sirius Black appeared at Gringotts Bank and demanded to speak with the Potter Accountant.

"How can Gringotts be of assistance this afternoon, Lord Black?" Ironstream asked.

The wizard frowned and explained, "I want to examine my godson's accounts."

"I am aware that the Black vaults are almost empty, but Gringotts will not allow you to pilfer the Potter vaults. Heir Potter's accountants are the prevue of the heir and his guardian," the goblin replied.

"Who claims to be my godson's guardian? How did that happen?" Sirius demanded to know.

"Unfortunate as it was, for almost twelve years Headmaster Dumbledore was recognized as the guardian of the 'Boy-Who-Lived' for ten years and looted the estate. Fortunately, earlier this month, Heir Potter voided a betrothal agreement and named a new guardian."

"Betrothal? I signed no such agreement and I know that James never approved of them. Merlin knows that woman he married would destroy any wizard who obligated Harry to an arranged marriage."

"Indeed, you are correct, Lord and Lady Potter did not enter any betrothal agreement for their son. It was Albus Dumbledore who created the betrothal agreement.

"He is not…" Sirius attempted to shout.

"When prompted to sign the betrothal agreement, Heir Potter declined. In the unique circumstances of the day, Gringotts arranged for the agreement to be changed to a new guardianship agreement, voided the betrothal, and secured a million Galleons for the boy from the headmaster and Lucius Malfoy."

"Explain!" Sirius demanded.

"When it became clear that Dumbledore and Malfoy wanted to harvest the carcass without compensation for Hogwarts or Heir Potter, Ragnock invoked the Laws of Merlin to force the wizards to pay a million Galleons to Hogwarts and a million more to Heir Potter."

"And the betrothal agreement fits in here how?"

Ironstream smiled, a dangerous thing for any wizard in front of that goblin, "Heir Potter did not know about the agreement. We forced Dumbledore's hand to bring the boy to Gringotts – at thirteen, contracts in Harry Potter's name MUST have his signature affixed. Once here in Gringotts we completed the agreement to secure a million Galleons for the heir. Then we revealed the betrothal agreement to the boy."

"Who did Dumbledore betroth my godson to?"

"He wanted to betroth Heir Potter to the daughter of Arthur and Molly Weasley."

"Weasley? Isn't the girl in St. Mungo's insanity ward? What are my godson's options?"

"Heir Potter declined to betroth himself to the girl. And Miss Weasley owes Heir Potter two life debts; she could never marry him."

"Two life debts?" Sirius asked in confusion, not understanding the goblin's announcements.

"Yes, Heir Potter saved Miss Weasley has year when he killed the basilisk and the shadow of the Dark Lord Tom Riddle for the third time. And this year, he recognized the danger with the sands-of-time at Hogwarts before anyone else. I understand the spirits of the founders themselves intervened to help Heir Potter save the lives of many students."

Frowning, Sirius asked, "What happened with the betrothal agreement?"

"When he heard Dumbledore's instruction to sign the agreement with 'Ginevra Molly Weasley' as his future spouse, Heir Potter refused." Ironstream smile grew broader with the memory of the expression on the headmaster's face when the boy defied him.

"Dumbledore threatened the boy but then Ragnock reminded the headmaster that unless the boy completed the form without compulsion, then none of the agreements completed that day would be valid."

Sirius demanded, "What happened?"

"Heir Potter used a muggle pen to strike through the word betrothal, then wrote 'guardianship' and the name of my son Steeltoe as his guardian," Ironstream admitted.

"I am the godfather of Harry Potter. No guardianship trumps that!" Sirius shouted, standing and threatening Ironstream before he was petrified.

Lord Black was forcibly ejected from Gringotts immediately following the meeting with Ironstream. The wizard waited until he was outside the bank to pull out his wand and then he apparated to the law offices of his cousin's husband, Ted Tonks, to discuss ways to break the guardianship agreement.

Ted listened to the angry Lord Black for five minutes without attempting to interrupt him. Then Ted asked, "Sirius, have you talked with your godson yet? Heir Potter can tell you if he wants this guardianship or not."

"Want it? He's thirteen! He can't make this type of decision!" Sirius said. "I won't allow it!"

"I don't…"

"I'm his godfather! He will do as I tell him!"

Harry heard Bill enter Steeltoe's suite of rooms in the upper floors of Gringotts Bank. A resident for the remainder of the summer, Harry came out of his room, to find Bill standing at the door with Steeltoe and a muggle.

"Harry, this is Dr. David Granger. He came to the bank with news about his daughter and wanted to speak to you."

Stepping forward, Harry offered his hand to the dentist.

"Mr. Potter, my wife and I want to thank you for everything you did to help Hermione. She is getting better and hopes to be healed in time to return to Hogwarts next year."

"That's great! We'll all help her with any tests she needs to be in fifth year with us."

"The healers tell her that she can begin to practice her magic again after the first of the year and we're having the house warded by Gringotts to allow her to practice for a few hours each day."

Harry asked, "That's great but how can the goblins ward Hermione's home?"

"The ministry is making an exception for the Grangers," Bill explained. "Their lawyers are very good with liability laws apparently."

"I understand the 10 Downing Street and Buckingham Palace both have taken an interest in the 'sands-of-time' at Hogwarts," Dr. Granger explained.

Bill was proud to explain, "It was Percy who wrote the report for the muggle government and he told the truth. Minister Fudge fainted twice but Director Bones revived him and allowed Percy to deliver the report to Her Majesty and the PM."

"That's a feather in Percy's cap for sure!" Harry agreed.

"Mr. Potter, my wife and I wanted to ask if you would write to Hermione this year," asked Dr. Granger. "She'll be lonely on many of these days."

"I will," Harry agreed. "The other kids will too! Do you have an owl window in your attic or back porch?"

"No," Granger admitted. "But I can arrange for one to be cut out on the back porch."

"Ask the goblins to ward it against the weather," Bill suggested. "Then the owls can come and go without making you get up to let them in and out."

Once they were alone, Bill explained the visit of Sirius Black to Gringotts and the man's claims to be Harry's guardian.

"I don't know him and won't trust him with my money," Harry stated firmly. "We're struggling to find the gold that Dumbledick looted while he was my guardian. Why does Black want to be my guardian?"

"Apparently, Lucius Malfoy was able to access the Black vaults and spent them down as well. Your godfather is concerned about cash for the first time in his life and he wants to see if your vaults are full."

To change the subject, Harry asked, "What's the news from St. Mungo's? Since the explosion, no one asks about the girls anymore."

"The ministry wants to keep people's minds off the sands-of-time," Bill explained. "I meet Mr. Granger there today and his daughter goes home in another week. The Brown girl and Patel twins were released yesterday."

"What about Ginny?" Harry asked carefully.

Bill paused for a moment before admitting, "The healers aren't sure that she'll ever be healed without a special treatment by a different type of mind healer."

"Is it just a matter of money?"

Bill looked embarrassed, "My brothers and I – Charlie, Percy and I – are going to take a loan from Gringotts to pay for her treatments. I'll be a curse-breaker here for twenty years."

Harry nodded. "Would you let me give you the money? Just don't tell anyone?"

"I can't take your money…" Bill insisted. "I was never after your money!"

Harry nodded. "I understand now. Steeltoe explained that you're very honest."

The teenager looked at the fireplace and the flames for a moment before he said, "I never had money; I never had enough food to eat before I went to Hogwarts and still don't have good robes. I don't trust your mother or brothers, but… Let me pay for Ginny's treatments while you get the credit."

"Harry, that's the more than anyone could ever ask of you," Bill said. "How can I repay you?"

"You can give me extra defence lessons this summer!"

Sirius Black insisted on meeting with his godson but it took a week to arrange. Lord Black refused to return to Gringotts and Harry refused to visit the Black family home. Hogwarts remained closed for fumigation and repairs. None of the taverns in Hogsmeade or Diagon Alley offered sufficient security. When Bill approached his brother, Percy, about a secure location within the ministry, Minister Fudge offered his office as the meeting place.

Heir Harry Potter arrived first accompanied by Steeltoe, Ironstream and Bill Weasley. Shortly after being ushered into the room, they were seated at a large table in the Minister's office with Cornelius Fudge and Percy Weasley representing the ministry. They spent many minutes waiting for Sirius Black to appear so the hosts and guests spoke of the latest news from Hogwarts.

"The Unspeakables assure me that the castle will be clear of all poisonous gas in early August. Minerva and the house elves will have thirty days to clear the air and return all the paintings and statues to their original locations."

"What happened to the portraits of the headmasters?" asked Bill. "I thought they could not be removed from Hogwarts."

"Minerva reported that Hogwarts sealed the headmaster's office," the minister explained. "We won't know for certain until the castle reopens."

"I wonder if she would allow me to ask Professor Dumbledore some questions?" Harry asked aloud.

"If she does, ask her to remain in the office and to explicitly instruct Dumbledore to answer your questions fully and truthfully!" Percy said. "The portraits must obey the current headmistress."

Finally, the door opened as Sirius Black, Ted Tonks, Narcissa and Draco Malfoy filed into the room. The members of the Black family took seats opposite of Harry, the goblins, and Bill. There was silence for a long minute as Sirius simply stared at the teenager – the boy was a clone of James except for the green eyes of his mudblood mother. And those eyes were filled with fire; where was the joy at meeting his godfather? His own memories were of a happy baby.

Dismissing the memory, Sirius declared, "I am Sirius Black, your godfather and I invoke my rights to direct your education, vaults, and life."

Harry's anger was obvious now as he asked, "Who are you? Until five minutes ago, I've never seen you. I don't know you!"

"Your father chose me to be your godfather," the dark-haired man replied.

"So, you say… But again, I don't know you and the first thing you announce when we meet is to 'invoke your rights'…"

Sirius frowned, "I was incarcerated for ten years.

"And you've been free for the last year! In all those months, I didn't receive a letter or message from you. There were rumours at school, but I didn't know your name until a few weeks ago. I still don't know what a godfather does."

Sirius stood, close to losing his temper until Narcissa lay a hand on his arm to calm him. He sat back down and refused to look at the boy.

"What is the objective of this meeting, Sirius Black?" asked Ironstream. "Your attorney requested this sit-down."

Ted began to explain, "My client claims his right to manage the vaults and affairs of his godson…"

"No," Harry replied. "I refuse."

"You're a boy! I have the right…"

"No!" Harry yelled. Now it was hand of the red-headed curse-breaker that reached out to settle the boy. "No one will pilfer my vaults again, and the only person I will listen to is Steeltoe!"

"A goblin is not a person! He's not a suitable guardian for the heir of great house!" snarled Sirius. "And neither is Weasley here! He is less than ten years your senior, certainly not suitable to guide Heir Potter!"

Ironstream stood in his chair and cursed Sirius, "You are a fool, Black! Magic accepted Heir Potter's wish to appoint Steeltoe as his guardian."

"Lord Black, what is your objection?" asked Bill. "Gringotts agreed to oversee all transactions from Harry's accounts with a close eye. Steeltoe took him into his apartments and assumed all of his expenses except for school fees."

"Harry can't live with the goblins! They're not human!"

"So, my godfather is a narrow-minded fool!" Harry growled equally loud. "My choices will be my own. Dumbledore's betrothal agreement would have left me…"

"Dumbledore is dead!" Sirius interrupted.

Harry smirked and asked, "Do you understand that Dumbledore agreed to your incarceration? He had to sign off on you not getting a trial."

Sirius frowned and Harry continued, "He sent me to prison as well with my relatives but I am free of the headmaster's sticky fingers at last. I won't let another wizard in need of Galleons access my vault."

Narcissa nodded toward Ted Tonks who turned to the younger goblin and asked, "Steeltoe, Lord Black regrets that you were forced into this guardianship agreement by his godson. If you will renounce the agreement, Lord Black will see that you are compensated for your time…"

The goblin bowed formally but said, "I must decline. It is a great honour to be the guardian of the Boy-Who-Lived."

"What about you, Weasley? Will you help us convince Harry to allow Sirius to be his guardian?" Ted Tonks asked. "You'll be compensated."

Bill sat silent for only a moment before he shook his head, "The Weasley family owes the young man at least nine life debts – every family with children attending Hogwarts the last two years owes Heir Potter one or more life debts."

Ted Tonks frowned as Bill connected the dots for everyone in the room, "Yes, Tonks, that includes your daughter, Nymphadora Tonks, who graduated in 1991! And Heir Malfoy as well."

Draco's face grew sour, if he owed life debts to Potter, magic would force him to be agreeable with the son of a mud… The life debt kicked in at that moment and Draco's brain refused to continue with the thought.

At Steeltoe's prompt, Harry turned to Narcissa and said, "Cousin, I offer my blessings on your coming child. I wish you a safe delivery."

Surprized, Narcissa could only nod in acceptance. As head of the family, it was up to Sirius to acknowledge the blessing but the wizard ignored Harry's words and asked, "Why are you blessing my cousin's babe?"

"The Blacks are my cousins," Harry said. "My grandmother was born a member of the Black family."

The distant cousins sitting across from Harry frowned to be reminded of the connection as Bill asked, "Have you any idea how great Harry Potter is?"

Steeltoe added, "With the proper training when he is grown, he'll be as powerful as Merlin."

"Merlin!" sneered Draco. "The Boy-Who-Lived believes the stories in the press! He'll claim he can open the doorway to Avalon next!"

"Avalon? Are you filling my godson's head with that nonsense?" shouted Sirius.

"It is your ward who mentioned Avalon," Bill explained. "But I wouldn't be surprized…"

Sirius went for his wand, but Harry beat him to the draw and cast expelliarmus, taking the wand. He also cast a shield that protected Narcissa and the witch placed her hand on Draco's wand hand and pushed it down.

"Gentlemen! Lady!" Minister Fudge declared. "Peace! This chamber is for words only!"

"He cast first!" Sirius whined once the petrification spell was removed.

Ironstream snorted, "Heir Potter has very quick reflexes. Any memory will show that Lord Sirius Black attempted to draw his wand first, and the whole of Magical Britain will learn that the fourteen-year-old outdrew you and cast first. I will post a photo of my memory in the lobby at Gringotts for every wizard to see while in queue."

"I wish I'd never heard of Harry Potter," muttered Draco. His mother frowned at her son but then glanced at Tonks, who was also deep in thought.

After a moment, Ted turned to his client and said, "Sirius, I advise you to renounce your role as Potter's godfather. That will solve magic's demand on you to be involved in Heir Potter's life."

It was a tense atmosphere at St. Mungo's when the Healers and Unspeakables requested a conference with Arthur, Molly and Bill Weasley to discuss Ginevra's recovery.

"How soon will Ginny be able to return home?" Molly asked immediately. "There are only a couple weeks before school begins and she'll need time to pack her trunk."

Healer Davis said, "Mrs. Weasley, Ginevra won't be returning to Hogwarts this fall. She has several more months of recovery ahead of her."

"But why?" moaned Molly. "The Mudblood has been released. She'll be going back to Hogwarts I bet."

"Molly!" Arthur scolded his wife. "Don't use that word!"

Unspeakable #23 spoke up, "Mrs. Weasley, your daughter is recovering from contamination by the sands-of-time and possession by the Dark Lord. IF you had sought treatment for her last summer for the possession, her recovery this summer would have been much easier."

"Ginny was not possessed!" Molly argued. "Headmaster Dumbledore said it was a confundo spell by some of the Slytherin students that made Ginny do those things…"

"Mrs. Weasley, we must continue or Ginevra will not recover."

"No!" Molly protested before Bill cast a spell to make his mother sleep.

"What can you tell us about my sister's state of mind," Bill asked as his father settled Molly into a comfortable chair.

"Your sister is lost in her mind; some days she thinks she is five years old, other days she is Lady Potter with three children. In the beginning, we thought she was a seer and providing accurate predictions of the future. But lately she mentions a son named 'Albus Severus' and we cannot imagine that a person would do that to their child."

"The treatment we're beginning will heal her mind," Healer Davis assured the Weasley family. "The Austrian mind-healer has come twice now and his spells are making a difference."

"I thought this was very expensive," the Unspeakable added. "The ministry won't pay more than for healing the damage by the sands-of-time."

"Money is not a problem," Bill explained. "A benefactor has already paid for the mind healer through Gringotts."

The healers and Unspeakable looked surprized at the statement from the curse-breaker but he ignored their faces and asked, "What about my mother's state of mind?"

"She's still denies that Dumbledore is to blame for the time-turner or the possession," Arthur admitted. "What can you do for her?

Healer Davis nodded, "Mrs. Weasley can stay here at St. Mungo's with Ginny for the next two months. The potions and spells we provide will help Mrs. Weasley see the truths and accept them."

Arthur shook his head, "She can't accept that our little girl was possessed by the Dark…"

"Or that Dumbledore was a manipulative niffler!" Bill hissed.

Scene Break: Hogwarts Opens (1 September 1993)

The crowd at Kings Cross was as large as ever with parents, children, trunks and owls moving about, shouting to each other and slowly making their way onboard the Hogwarts Express. The shiny engine, the carriages, and the station looked the same and this constancy reassured Harry and the other students. Hogwarts would be different this year but it would also be the same.

Magical Britain was different: the goblins used the remnant of the soul-jar in the diary (brought to Gringotts by Dobby) to find soul-jar in Bellatrix LeStrange's vault, the one in Harry's scar, the locket in the Black home in London, and a ring in a deserted shack in northern England. Once Hogwarts was declared safe to enter on 3 August, the goblins and their curse-breakers found Rowena Ravenclaw's Diadem in the Room of Requirement. The goblins cleansed each soul-jar of the piece of Tom Riddle's soul in the ritual chambers of the bank. Harry benefited from the removal of the soul shard in his scar – wandless magic was simple for him now.

Ironstream and Steeltoe gifted the teenager with a rare potions book as a gift for his fourth year at Hogwarts. Ragnock came to shake his hand as he left the bank for the station this morning. Now, he stood at the train station, his trunk shrunk in one pocket, and his invisibility cloak and broom readily available in another. A few friends waved 'hello' and Harry felt a strange twist in his stomach.

"I've never been sorry to leave before," the teenager confessed to the red-headed man beside him. The curse-breaker looked puzzled for a moment before Harry continued, "Gringotts became home this summer. Living with goblins has been strange but good."

"And your duelling tutor?" Bill asked.

Harry grinned. "He's okay most days."

"Let's see if you still feel that way at Yule," Bill suggested. "Enjoy your vacation on the Hogwarts Express. Steeltoe expects daily reports and I'll be waiting at the other end as a surprize for my brothers,"

Grinning, Harry asked, "Do you think they will like their brother as the new transfiguration professor?"

"They'll be fine with transfiguration. They will like me less as their tutor for the mandatory remedial potions classes on weekends."

"Snape agreed to that?" asked Harry.

"McGonagall offered him a laboratory and only the sixth and seventh year students to teach. Martin Davis will teach the first, second and third year students. Anthony Greengrass is coming to teach fourth and fifth year classes." Bill was proud of the way that British wizards stepped forward to begin correcting the problems at Hogwarts. Gringotts sponsored his coming year at Hogwarts as the transfiguration professor and head of Gryffindor; Steeltoe wanted the curse-breaker close to keep an eye on his ward.

Through the train station doorway walked Draco Malfoy, escorted by his mother and her cousin, Sirius Black. The Blacks ignored Harry and Bill, leaving the boy shaking his head while Bill kept his eye on the former godfather of the Boy-Who-Lived. Draco kissed his mother's cheek and shook his guardian's hand before scrambling to board the train. Sirius and Narcissa left immediately and they never made eye-contact with Bill or Harry.

"They're not worth your worry," Bill assured the teenager.

Harry sighed, "I would like to have a family someday."

To change the subject, the man asked, "Now, where is my family?".

"Weasleys are always late," Harry said just as Arthur led his three youngest sons through the portal. George, Fred, and Ron were subdued; their father ran the house now with their mother 'staying' at St. Mungo's to assist with Ginny's treatments. Ron looked forward to returning to school to escape the daily lessons and poor suppers. Fred and George were on probation; if they didn't perform well in the fall term, they'd be leaving Hogwarts at Yule to go to work.

Following the events at the end of the spring term, the new headmistress made home visits to many families. McGonagall's visit with Arthur about his three youngest sons and their continued attendance at Hogwarts had been eye-opening for the father and painful for the boys. Fred and George slept standing up for a week in August – he made them experience their painful jinxes and hexes and refused them any rest. Ron still didn't understand that if he failed his classes this year, there'd not be a fifth year for him; it would be home study and taking his OWLS at the ministry, or having his magic bound and living as a muggle for the rest of his life.

Arthur greeted his eldest son as well as the young wizard.

"Morning Bill, Harry," Arthur said. "The boys took their time getting ready this morning."

"Like usual," Harry said with a laugh. He reached up to stroke his owl but Hedwig jumped to Bill's shoulder and nuzzled his ear, distressed to be separated from one her 'chicks' even if only for a few hours.

"Take care of him, Hedwig," Bill told the owl as he handed her back to Harry. Several witches smiled watching the handsome curse-breaker and the Boy-Who-Lived.

"Oi, Bill! Can't you say anything to your real brothers?" shouted Ron jealous that his eldest brother spent entirely too much time with Harry Potter. But Ron fell silent as Lavender Brown and the Patel twins hexed the youngest Weasley's mouth shut. Since their recovery, the girls had been Harry's strongest advocates. He had saved them once again and the girls sighed every time they saw the Boy-Who-Lived or the handsome curse-breaker; their imaginations fuelling their whispered conversations.

"Shut it, Ron," his father ordered when his son tried to protest the treatment by the girls from Gryffindor. "We don't have time to break the curse if Harry turns you into a toad again!"

"Anything Harry Potter wants to do is fine with us," Lavender said. "He is great and you are a goober!"

"What's a 'goober'? Is that a muggle thing?" Ron asked.

"Come on, Ron." Fred called. "The train leaves in ten minutes."

"Where's your trunk?" Ron asked Harry who merely patted his pocket.

"I have to learn that spell!" George insisted, pulling his trunk behind him.

"Why do you get to shrink your trunk?" complained Ron. "None of the rest of us…"

Ignoring Ron, Harry grinned and waved goodbye, before stepping into the crowd of students boarding the train.

Arthur turned to Bill and said, "I understand they couldn't find any school interested in hosting the Tri-Wizard Thingee…"

Bill watched his brothers and Harry climb onboard the Hogwarts Express. "You're right Dad. The ICW is convinced Dumbledore placed compulsions on the membership to want to participate."

"I suppose every problem will be blamed on Dumbledore for a time."

"Perhaps it is a legacy he would appreciate," Bill said as the train pulled away.

Contents

Scene Break: Footnotes in Magical Beasts and Where to Find Them 1

Scene Break: A Casual Meeting at the Ministry 1

Scene Break: Time Turner Woes 7

Scene Break: Messages 14

Scene Break: The Deal 18

Scene Break: Beltane at Gringotts 20

Scene Break: Gringotts Discussions 24

Scene Break: Full Moon (Wednesday 25 May) 28

Scene Break: Harry Potter Must Sign! 31

Scene Break: Leaving Privet Drive (May 31) 32

Scene Break: Signing Agreement (1 June) 38

Scene Break: Gringotts Regrets 44

Scene Break: Harvest Preparations 45

Scene Break: Harvest Begins (June 9, 1994) 46

Scene Break: Karma 53

Scene Break: Distractions 57

Scene Break: Hogwarts Opens (1 September 1993) 67

Contents 71