Summer came over Black castle and those inside were waiting for Harry to come home. Most excited was young Phin Black, now four years old and tall for his age. His black hair was curly and hung over his ears and in fact he looked so much like his father but for his nose and eyes, instead of gray they were violet, a rare color in humans muggle or magical. Harry came promptly at tea time through the door with Sirius his satchel over his shoulder clad in jeans, trainers and tee shirt, Sirius was by him and was clad much the same, accept for trainers he had his jeans tucked into heavy buckled dragonskin boots. Phin ran to Harry and jumped into his arms so glad to see Harry as he had missed him. He had seen him at Easter break and that had been so long ago!
"Harry I missed you!" Phin said hugging him fiercely.
"Hey trouble how are you?" Harry asked him, "you did not turn your sister's hair colors again did you?"
"No, I did not turn Cyn's hair, she did that herself!" Phin said, "I did not mean to turn Lena's hair purple really I didn't!"
"Yea sure, and your father did not accidently leave the potion out." Hestia said walking up to give Harry a hug, "still too thin, you need to eat more."
"Well if I did that both Ron and I would put Hogwarts out of business." Harry laughed then he saw two girls walk up a bit shyer than their brother. "Hey girls, I'm back!"
Cynthia "Cyn" Lily Black was three years old and today she had turned her hair and eyes a rich deep purple. She was a full Metamorphmagus and was just starting to learn how to control her talents. Right now she was in a purple mood and if she was like Tonks would keep her hair that color most of the time, accept when she was in public or in school. Helena "Lena" was a carbon copy of her mother, accept with her father's gray eyes, she had her dark nearly black hair tied in two pig tails and she was clad in a gown of green while her sister was in purple. Phin was clad in jeans and tee shirt with robes of blue over them. Harry took out two sweets he gave to the girls than he laughed as Phin summoned some from his pocket with accidental magic. Accidental magic, Merlin's beard Phin was not doing anything accidentally now and Harry knew it. Still he let the imp get away with it as he was so cute and sweet too.
"I can read now." Cynthia said proudly, "and daddy flies with me now too."
"Well not too high or far." Sirius said, "mummy would not be happy with me."
"No she would not, I still remember what she did after you went a bit too high with Phin." Harry said recalling the stinging hexes used on Sirius's rear. "That had to hurt."
"Your mother was worse." Sirius said.
"Yes I remember that very well." Remus said walking up, "her stinging hexes were extremely strong, your father, well I am surprised he was able to sit most years at school."
"She didn't, at school?" Harry said laughing.
"Yes and it's not funny!" James said very nearly sulking.
"Come to tea, Kreacher does not like us being late." Sirius said, "I still don't know how he ended up head elf."
"Because the other elves and you saw how loyal and good he is." Hestia said, "he is such a good elf, getting him out of that house and the poison out of him really helped.
They headed to tea and Harry smiled that the elves had pulled out all the stops, when they were treated well it showed and no-where in Britain were they treated better than at Black Castle. In fact Hermione had seen for herself how happy they were to serve and had managed to convince Dumbledore to give the elves at Hogwarts the same brown tunics, hose, soft shoes belts and caps that many house elves in many homes now wore. Of course these were not clothes and the elves were happy to wear them with the Hogwarts crest on them and the brown color helped them blend in when they did their work.
Harry wanted to see Hermione but she had headed on vacation with her parents to the continent and he would not see her for a few weeks. He was not sure letters and talking on the phone would be enough. He wanted to go but he had duties of his own as he was taking summer lessons on his duties of head of house. The Potter family might not be in the wealth league of the Malfoys or Blacks but he had influence and that mattered nearly as much as money. Take a look at Dumbledore, why he was not really a wealthy man, most of his money went to his sweets and robes and in fact it was his brother who made far more as the owner of the Hogshead. Harry was powerful, even as a teen and as a fighter for freedom and good.
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A few weeks later the thing that everyone was dreading happened, Voldemort rose again. It was not Harry used as he was too well guarded but one of his friends, Neville Longbottom. In hindsight the order of the Phoenix should have known that when Bellatrix Lestrange escaped Azkaban she would not head after Harry but Neville. That was why Harry was so well guarded as she had been heard to mutter "I will make Potter pay" before she escaped. Instead she had managed to get a hold of Neville and used him to raise Voldemort in a new body. Neville had to watch as she did this and wait for his chance to escape. He might have been brave but he was not stupid and once the ropes were removed he used his emergency portkey to get him to Hogwarts where he met up with Dumbledore.
That same day a meeting of the order was called and right away it was clear things were not exactly going to go smoothly for Voldemort. Rufus Scrimgeour, the minister of magic was an old battle scarred Auror and a man who knew what was needed at a time like this. He was tall, stocky with a lion-like face with piercing golden eyes behind small glasses and grizzled tawny hair. Today he was clad in simple navy robes and he looked around Black castle before he headed into the private room the meeting was to take place. He took a seat and was not surprised to see Harry Potter, Hermione Granger, Luna Lovegood, Neville Longbottom and Ron Weasley seated at the table with the rest of the order. Ron Weasley was a prodigy when it came to strategy, when he had defeated the troll in his first year it was as if a light had come on and from that day forward he was changed for the better.
"So we know that Riddle is back." Scrimgeour said then stopped as he saw a pure white Cockatiel with gray eyes preening on a perch in the corner, "Draco Malfoy you were not invited to this meeting."
"I will deal with this." Severus said getting up and walking to the bird who gulped in fear, "human, now."
"Godfather I just wanted to know…. Ow!" Draco cried as he was grabbed by the ear and drug out, "let go that hurts!"
"Stay out, I know you want to know what is going on but this is for your own safety to not know." Severus said, "I thought you had agreed with me."
"I just wanted to know." Draco said sulkily. "You are so mean to me."
"Oh you brat! I will deal with you later!" Severus said giving Draco a light kick in the rear into the sitting room, "stay there, or so help me sixteen or not you will end up over my knee!"
Severus headed back to the meeting to find Padfoot and Rusty playing tag while Scrimgeour glared at them. Rusty was Ron's Animagmus form, a large beautiful Irish Setter dog, the only thing that could possibly give him away were the fact his eyes were blue, not a color found in the Irish Setter breed normally if at all. Severus took a seat and glared at Harry who had been about to turn to his black wolf form to join the romp. McGonagall sat primly and did not give into her urge to turn to Tabby and Dumbledore sat quietly his eyes twinkling and a smile on his face. True the war had started back up but Animagmus did love to show off and well who was he to stop them? Unless there was a meeting to stop Tom after all, finally the two dogs turned human and took a seat both getting glares from the women around the table.
"That was fun." Neville said.
"Yes well let's get to the meeting." Scrimgeour said, "who has not seen Neville's memories of the graveyard?"
"I think we all have." Moody said from where he sat.
"Good, we need to get the word out as soon as possible that Riddle is back." Dumbledore said.
"No, not just yet." Ron said, "I say we keep training behind the scenes and let Riddle think he still has control in the ministry, give him enough rope to hang himself."
"That sounds like a good idea, but Riddle knows minister Scrimgeour is not one to take even a rumor of him back lightly." Harry said.
"What if Neville was Oblivated?" Hermione asked. "There is a traitor in Hogwarts, Rita found out who they are."
"Yes and I want her kept in her position for now," Dumbledore said, "would you have her be the one to have Obliviate Neville?"
"No me." Ron said and everyone stared at him, "I mean outside our little group I am still a jealous prat. I let our 'dear' traitor know I am on Voldemort's side."
"Hopefully he will not want to see you." Moody growled.
"Well we will cross that bridge when we get to it." Ron said, "I am very skilled at Occulumency now and I need to do this."
"Very well, as far as anyone knows Neville is still recovering in St. Mungos." Dumbledore said, "all Ron has to do is go visit and Neville you will have to play your part as your gran has keep me away from you as I recall."
This plan was very risky but it was the only way to bring most of Voldemort's followers out in the open. If Voldemort believed Neville was compromised he might go after the prophecy and take his time instead of heading out to get it right away. Already he was very angry as Severus refused to come back to him and it was clear he was protected by Harry. Harry still had a connection to the dark lord, it was all one way and Harry could cut it off at any time but still he knew Riddle was raging that Severus chose Harry over him. The things he thought about doing first to Harry then Severus really did not make Harry happy and in fact scared him a bit. Still he could not back down now, not when they had come so far and had all but one of the Horcruxes destroyed. One more and then the dark lord himself and the world would be free of Voldemort.
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Lucius paced back and forth in his comfortable study thinking and worrying. He did not want to die but he would if needs be to get rid of Voldemort, then that is what he would do. He looked up as Narcissa came into the room, he was glad Draco was not here, he was with Sirius and had a strong bond with him and he would need it. There was a chance his parents would be die before this war was over. Narcissa went over the runes again just as Vance Crabbe and Gregory Goyle came into the room. They were sturdy men of the earth, they knew of the earth and believed in protecting their people, that was why they had joined Voldemort. They knew now he was full of lies and wished him gone and would help in any way to stop him.
"This will work?" Goyle asked, "you sure?"
"I am, but you could die, we all could." Lucius said, "you wish to risk that?"
"If it gets rid of him I am willing to help." Crabbe said, "we will stand by you."
"Very well, if this works, then we may not have a problem with dark lords or ladies for a very long time." Narcissa said.
"It will, I have faith in you." Goyle said.
"So do I." Crabbe said.
Crabbe and Goyle left Lucius and Narcissa to work on the runes and spells that would, once activated would rid the world of evil paving the way for Harry to finish off Voldemort. If they died in the process at least a great evil would be taken care of, the only thing they regretted out of this was the possibility of not seeing Draco marry and seeing their grandchildren.