"The Headmaster is waiting for you and Mr. Longbottom in his office, Mr. Potter," Professor McGonagall announced to them over lunch.
Both Salazar and Godric turned to the High Table; Dumbledore wasn't there. They understood that he required them immediately.
"What's the password, Professor?" Salazar asked.
"Chocolate Frogs."
"I would never have thought of such a thing," Godric murmured.
"We'd better go," Salazar said. "Come on, Neville."
"But you're still eating!" Ron objected, surprising everyone at the surrounding tables.
"It doesn't matter, Ron. Don't worry," Salazar assured him.
They took one of the secret passages to get to the Headmaster's office as quickly as possible. They remained silent. Salazar imagined that it had something to do with the capture of the rat; after all, according to Kingsley, they had had to mention Salazar's statement to the Headmaster and those who came from the Ministry. Salazar expected that a man like Dumbledore, who wanted to have control over everything, would want to call him to discuss it. Salazar just remembered how reluctant Dumbledore had been to let him speak to Amos Diggory after the Hippogriff incident. What Salazar didn't know was whether Godric had something to do with all this, or why the Headmaster had summoned him too.
"Chocolate Frogs," Godric said loud and clear at the gargoyle. "It's a clever password."
"Yes, if people don't know that you like sweets."
"Everyone likes them."
"But not everyone uses it as a password. Last year's password was Lemon Sherbet; and I heard from the prefects that every year it's a different sweet."
"That being the case, we already have a way to get in. We just have to guess," Godric said, amused.
"That's something we can use to our advantage, of course."
That conversation ceased as soon as they reached the end of the spiral staircase. They knocked on the office door and waited outside until they heard authorisation to enter.
"Did you send for us, Headmaster?" Salazar said in a calm voice.
"Yes, come in. Madam Pomfrey mentioned to me what happened last night. Do you have any explanation?"
"It's just a practice that got out of hand," Godric said. "My grandmother wants me to be as good as my father; so I asked Harry for help."
"I understand. I'm glad to see that you help each other among your colleagues. Twenty points for Gryffindor. That was what I wanted to clarify. Next time, lads, speak to a teacher to supervise you."
"Yes, Headmaster," they replied in unison.
"Mr. Longbottom, you may retire. I would like to discuss one thing with Mr. Potter."
"See you in the common room, Harry."
Salazar remained silent, waiting for Dumbledore to speak. Salazar imagined that the Headmaster intended to keep the conversation between them. After a few minutes, Dumbledore still did not speak, an unmistakable sign that he was waiting for Salazar to ask him, perhaps so that Dumbledore could take the direction of the conversation.
"What did you want to talk about, Headmaster?"
"We don't need to be so formal while we're alone, Harry."
"Okay, what do you want to talk about?"
"I'm curious why you turned to the Aurors instead of telling the professors or coming to me with your suspicion."
"It seemed to me the safest thing to do. I don't know if the teachers would have believed me or dedicated their time to something that seemed crazy. And... well, I didn't want to worry you. I think being a Headmaster is a lot of work, so I thought it was better to tell the Aurors."
"You're a good boy, Harry, very considerate; but the next time you have a problem, I'd like you to know that you can count on me."
"Thank you." At all times, Salazar tried to look embarrassed, which ensured that he would not have to look the Headmaster in the eye.
"You may retire."
---
Amelia closed the newspaper, The Prophet, and deposited it on the table. She knew that with the statement, the news was going to break soon, but what she didn't expect was something else besides the official statement. Not only were there speculations and conspiracy theories, but the very same article that had been published weeks ago in The Quibbler had also been reprinted. It was obvious that they had bought it from the magazine, even if it was being sold as an exclusive article. Amelia looked up and went to the door when she heard a knock.
"Can I come in?" Kingsley, one of the best Aurors in the department, asked. He looked tired.
"Come in. How is your partner?" Amelia inquired.
"She's had a bad night, but she'll recover without any problem. According to the Hogwarts nurse, Madam Pomfrey, the wound is healed. She just needs to rest."
"I'm glad. You did a good job."
"We did our duty."
"More than that. You gave justice to a man who was denied it and caught the real culprit. Although, I thought I noticed that Headmaster Dumbledore didn't seem very happy."
"I think he wanted to be the one to solve it. In fact, if young Potter hadn't sought us out, we wouldn't have been aware of what was going on."
"Whenever something happens at Hogwarts, we find out late," Amelia said. "Last year, there were a series of attacks on students, and nothing was communicated to the Ministry. I found out when my niece, Susan, told me. Even then, I tried to get in touch with Dumbledore, and he assured me that everything was under control. That was around December. And the attacks did not stop."
"Perhaps I know something about what happened. Young Potter told me a few things about it."
"Really? Did you ask him?" Amelia pressed.
"The conversation simply came up."
"Would you share it with me?"
"I don't see why I shouldn't."
Amelia offered Kingsley a seat and tea. She made sure to cast a privacy charm on the door and ensure no one would come in. She listened calmly to what Kingsley was telling her. Amelia was aware that the story was a transcription of what the boy had told him, but she found it full of details and quite chilling. A Basilisk? That was completely appalling and a compelling reason to have mobilised different departments of the Ministry. Worst of all, it had been a twelve-year-old boy who stood up to the beast and protected the entire school when it should have been the teachers and adults of the Ministry who did it. What made it worse was that Dumbledore had been aware of the danger and had not warned or acted. She had the impression that he had intentionally stepped aside and let a child do his work, a child of her niece's age. That only made Amelia furious.
"What is Dumbledore playing at?" Amelia mused aloud. "He has always been considered a wise man and a suitable leader; however, with decisions of this type, it is evident that it is the opposite."
"I have been disappointed by his way of doing things. He limited our performance at Hogwarts. He didn't want us to say anything to young Potter about the threat that was coming to him, and we couldn't be seen by anyone in the castle, which greatly limited our actions."
"Dumbledore was never one to share what's going on in his head, and it's true that he has a certain reputation for acting through other people," Amelia admitted. "However, that situation was too serious not to report until the Minister, pressured by the School Board, arrested Hagrid simply for being the one who had been accused of it in the past. Even to me, it seemed strange that an Acromantula was the murderer when no traces of it were found on the bodies! The Minister did not listen on that occasion." Amelia snorted. At the time, she was not only upset with the corruption of the Ministry but with Headmaster Dumbledore's methods of completely going about his business. "How many other situations like this have occurred?" Amelia knew she had to talk to Susan. However, she knew that there was nothing she could do about it. Amelia sighed and looked away from the document Kingsley had entered the office with. "I see you spent the whole night writing the report."
"I considered that, under the circumstances, it was the most necessary."
"I thank you. Take your partner and you a few days off."
"Thank you."
---
Salazar was in the solitude of his dormitory room in Gryffindor Tower. Helga had had to leave the castle a week ago. With Pettigrew's capture and Sirius Black's innocence proven, it didn't make much sense for Aurors to remain in the castle. It was a situation that Salazar admitted had left him somewhat sad, but it wasn't as if they were never going to see each other again. At least something good had come out of all that: the Dementors had been taken away. Salazar lay down on his bed and turned his gaze to the bedside table, where what had been his mother's diary rested. Curiously, he picked it up and began to read it.
13th June 1968
Hello, journal, this is the first of my entries. Mum and Dad want me to practise writing so I have nice handwriting, so because I hate calligraphy notebooks, I told them I would write a journal.
School is about to finish, and I have good grades in everything. Well... except in Physical Education; I've only just passed that. I was never quite good at it. I've always thought sport was a silly thing. I'm really looking forward to the summer.
1st August 1968
It's been some time since I started journaling. I wanted to write every day, but I didn't remember. I have so much fun that I've been leaving it for other times and then I forget to write.
Today, Mum left Petunia and me alone in the park. She says that Petunia is already old enough and has to start having responsibilities. Petunia is eleven years old, and I am only eight. Going to the park with Petunia is no fun. She is always telling me not to fly off the swing and not to play at opening and closing the flowers. All fun scares her; she says that these aren't normal things.
3rd August 1968
Something strange happened today. Petunia and I were in the park, and I did the swing thing again. Petunia was scared, and so was I, but then a boy in strange clothes approached us. It was a certain Snape, a boy who lives in a rather disreputable, marginal area. The boy called me a witch and said I was just like him. That was annoying, but now I want to ask you. Maybe I'll look it up and ask you.
Salazar frowned when he read that entry. "Snape" was not a very common surname among wizards. It was strange. Snape meeting his mother? It seemed surprising to Salazar, but at the same time, it wasn't the strangest thing. If Snape had met his father at school, it was obvious that he had also met his mother. The strange thing was that Severus Snape and Lily Potter knew each other before Hogwarts. That was a possibility Salazar hadn't imagined.
9th August 1968
Today I spoke with the boy. His name is Severus, and he is much nicer than he seems from his appearance. He told me about magic and about a castle called Hogwarts. A magic school! Sounds funny, I want to go, but I have to wait three years to be eleven to be able to do it. At home, I haven't said anything. They wouldn't believe me. Even I found it hard to believe it! I can do magic!
Salazar turned the pages, reading each one of them. Apparently, Severus Snape had been an important friend to his mother, a childhood friend. That made it pointless for Salazar to treat him poorly just because he resembled his father, given that Severus had been a friend of his mother; unless there was something more to all that. It was a question that Salazar thought he would clear up at some point, and his mother's diary seemed to be a good source; at least a much better one than questioning Snape directly. Salazar turned the pages and continued reading. He found the diary fascinating. It was, after all, a way of getting to know his mother, since everyone used to talk more about his father than about his mother.
11th June 1971
I'm very nervous. I can't wait for the letter from Hogwarts. Sev says it has to arrive this summer. Every time we talk, Petunia keeps coming up to call us weird and say that Hogwarts doesn't exist.
15th June 1971
The letter has finally arrived! Petunia has been scowling all day. Early in the morning, a very serious woman dressed in green arrived and introduced herself as Professor McGonagall. She explained to us about magic and about Hogwarts. Dad and Mum were very surprised; they didn't believe it until she turned the furniture into a pig. It was very curious. She has given us directions on where to go to buy the materials. Tomorrow, I'll go with Sev; Mum will take us.
16th June 1971
Diagon Alley is fascinating. We exchanged money for gold coins in a bank that was run by goblins; Gringotts, it's called. The shops were all nice and interesting; I lacked eyes to see everything! I've already started reading my new books, and I plan to have at least two or three chapters studied from each one before I get to Hogwarts. There has only been one thing in the Alley that has scared me: the wand shop. Ollivander is very strange; he had bulging eyes and a crazy air. I can't wait to get to Hogwarts.
Salazar continued reading. He could not find anything new in all that summer reported in the journal, unless Petunia's increasing jealousy of Lily was counted. Petunia had tried to be admitted to Hogwarts; in fact, she had even sent a letter to Dumbledore, whose response had been to inform her that she did not have the magical abilities to enter Hogwarts. That explained the hatred his aunt had for him; it was all jealousy for the skills she wished she had and didn't possess. Would Petunia have had Dudley's feelings too if Lily had turned out to be a witch, or had she been proud? It was something Salazar couldn't answer.
2nd September 1971
I'm finally at Hogwarts! Yesterday I didn't write because I was late and very tired. So I will summarise the two days in these lines.
Yesterday, I took the Hogwarts Express at ten in the morning. It is a locomotive, like the old steam trains! The sad thing is that I fought Petunia again; she called me a monster. On the train, I joined Sev, and then two very idiotic and nasty boys came into our compartment: James Potter and Sirius Black. They were very mean and mocked Sev when he said he wanted to enter Slytherin.
The Sorting is good. Sev entered Slytherin as he wanted, and the Hat put me in Gryffindor. Although before announcing my house, it told me something strange: something about one of those who returned would come from me. That doesn't make much sense. I like my new house; the bad thing is that Potter and Black are also in Gryffindor.
Today we have started the first classes; they have been very interesting, and I am already looking forward to knowing what the others are like. I've spoken with Sev; we're not going to let being in opposing houses separate us. Professor McGonagall is the Head of Gryffindor House; that's... something like the teacher who is a tutor of a specific class. If we have a problem, it is to her that we must turn. At breakfast, she gave us the course schedules. In them, it says when we have each class and with which house we share that class. It's a pity that I don't coincide with Sev in all classes, but that's also positive; so I can meet more people.
"Harry, it's time for dinner," Ronald Weasley's voice announced.
"I'm going," Salazar replied.
Salazar placed a marker on the page of the journal where he had left off and closed the journal, quite advanced for the time he had been reading.
---
Sirius was nervous. A few days prior, he had completed a series of medical tests that were very important to him. His physical health was not, nor had it ever truly been, a problem, as the nutritional deficiencies caused by Azkaban had begun to be corrected from the moment he ran into Harry, Helga, and Godric. By following a proper diet and taking certain potions, he would fully recover by the beginning of summer. What truly worried him were his mental health examinations. He needed them to be favourable in order to demonstrate his competency to acquire custody of his godson. Custody that, at the time, had not been granted due to his illegal imprisonment, and as soon as his innocence was proven, it had been denied due to the argument of some members of the court that his mental stability was not guaranteed.
Sirius opened the envelope as soon as he received it, reading its contents in a bundle of nerves. He sighed calmly when all the examinations had come back favourable. It didn't take long for him to contact his solicitor to initiate all the necessary procedures to legally acquire Harry's custody.
Sirius ignored Dumbledore's thirteenth letter; he had already stopped answering him after the third. It was the same message every time. In those letters, Dumbledore reminded him of the measures he had taken to ensure Harry's protection and how convenient it was to leave things as they were, maintaining his distance in the role of "cool uncle." Sirius didn't think that leaving Harry at Lily's sister's house was protecting him, as Petunia hated Lily and magic in general; it was not a good environment for any person, magical or not, to develop healthily. It might be that, as Dumbledore claimed, Harry was protected from other wizards, but not from what Petunia's contempt could do to him.
The fireplace in the living room of his cousin Andromeda's house soon roared to life; that was where Sirius was staying for the moment. He turned to see who it was: his solicitor.
"I just got your message. I must tell you that we have a strong case. We can get custody of your godson. Probably before summer."
"Excellent. I want to give Harry the childhood he should always have had."
"There's more. I have received insistent messages from both Albus Dumbledore and Remus Lupin. They both want to see you."
"I'll write to Remus. As for Dumbledore... can I report him for harassment?"
"I don't recommend it. I advise you to see what he wants and resolve it."
"The same as in the letters I showed you, I suppose. Managing Harry's life." Sirius ran his hand over his face in distress. "I suppose it's best to make an appointment, though I don't want to see him alone."
"That will be done. May I suggest this afternoon?"
"I like that. It will take him by surprise. Let it be in Diagon Alley, in the most public place possible."
Hours later, in a visible area of Diagon Alley, Sirius waited with his solicitor for Albus Dumbledore. Sirius had been advised by his solicitor on how to proceed in that meeting; basically, it was about being correct and remaining calm. Losing his temper in public could work against him, and they feared that Dumbledore would try to take advantage of Sirius's explosiveness. His solicitor also advised him to make Dumbledore believe that he would do as he asked. If that served to make Dumbledore leave him alone, it would be excellent. Both Sirius and his solicitor had preferred a public place to an office or something similar. Both options were double-edged swords.
"Sirius, my boy, I'm glad to see you so well." Dumbledore's voice was gentle. "Your circumstance was a disgrace."
"An avoidable misfortune," Sirius corrected.
"Yes, that's right. They were not good times, nor were they good decisions."
"Headmaster Dumbledore, what did you want to talk about?" Sirius pressed.
"Sirius, my boy, there is no need for haste. I can wait for you to finish talking to your friend."
"He's my solicitor. He will be present during our meeting."
"Sirius, that's not necessary."
"I think so, Headmaster. I assumed you came to talk to me about Harry and what's best for him, to convince me not to take him out of the house you left him in."
"You have to understand..."
"I answered the first of your letters, and also the second. Harry is my godson, and I'm going to do my duty."
"It could be dangerous for him."
"Why?" Sirius challenged. "Twelve years have passed. Voldemort is dead, and his followers are not going to risk losing the good name they've earned during this time. It's a shame they're still at large, but there's nothing to be done."
"Voldemort is still alive, and when Harry returns, he will be his target, so he must return to the Dursleys. It's the only thing that can protect him."
"That's what you think. I differ."
"If something happens to him, it will fall on your conscience."
"I'm his godfather. I'm in a position to protect him, and I didn't like the way that last bit sounded. Was that a threat?"
"No, but..."
Dumbledore spent the next few minutes trying to persuade Sirius to leave Harry at the Dursleys' house and take advantage of his newfound freedom by enjoying a life without obligations. Then, when he saw that he couldn't do it, Dumbledore tried to get Sirius to leave Harry in that house for at least a month so that the protections wouldn't be weakened. Sirius wasn't going to leave Harry there for a minute, but he wasn't going to tell Dumbledore either, so he opted to put his solicitor's last advice into practice: to make Dumbledore believe that he had achieved a small victory. The irony of the situation was that his mother would have been proud of him. Sirius also recounted how he had handled the matter of receiving compensation from those directly responsible for his illegal imprisonment, Mr. Crouch and former Minister Bagnold. Both had to pay expensive compensation that, at least for Crouch, who came off worse, left him practically broke, with all his accounts empty and having to subsist only on the salary of his position in the Ministry. Sirius had not wanted that money, but he had still collected it, all to order it to be deposited in his godson's account. He had spent twelve years in prison, and his reputation was just beginning to be repaired, but the worst off had been Harry, completely removed from his true family ties at the mercy of someone who seemed to have gone from brilliant wizard to puppeteer.
"I'll keep that in mind, Headmaster Dumbledore." These were Sirius's last words before the meeting ended.
---
Hermione was surprised. Each time, Harry and Neville surprised her more. At the beginning of the course, she had seen them a little more studious, and now they seemed to have reached the level of study that she was following and had even achieved something that she had not: to get Ron to study seriously and consistently. Was Hermione jealous? She was a little jealous at first, but not now. They had different methods than hers that seemed to work well. Although Hermione had seen Harry a little distracted these days, and that had worried her; was her friend returning to his irresponsible former self?
"Is something wrong, Harry?" Hermione asked.
"I'm going to leave the Dursleys in the end. I'm going to live with my godfather." Salazar replied.
"I'm happy for you. Moving this summer?" Hermione asked.
"I hope so." Salazar said.
"You don't seem to be able to concentrate much now," Godric told Salazar, and Godric stopped studying as well. "Better rest a little. And before you say anything, Hermione, yes, we know that exams start tomorrow, but remember that having a clear mind is the key to success, and that can only be achieved with adequate rest. Besides, you already know everything."
"Okay, but only this once," Hermione conceded.
At the end of the exam week, they were all exhausted in the common room, waiting for their classmates to return from the Divination exam. Ron arrived calmly with a smile. Godric looked somewhat disturbed. Luckily, Hermione had not had to undergo that exam, since she had dropped the subject at the end of March. Hermione considered it one of the best decisions she had made that season.
"It's because of Professor Trelawney. He said..." Godric began.
"That woman is a fraud, Neville. You don't have to listen to what he says," Hermione interjected.
"This time it was different," Godric whispered. "He went into a kind of trance."
"What did he say?" Salazar asked.
"Really, Harry?" Hermione asked, incredulous. "Are you going to believe him?"
"Neville says it was different this time." Salazar shrugged, staring at Godric.
"It's going to happen soon. The faithful vassal of the father's yoke will be free and will go to his master. The powers of the lord of darkness will be restored, and he will rise again as mighty as before he fell," Godric recited, his voice distant.
"It looks like a riddle," Ron said. "He has taken great care this time. A good farewell to the course."
"It sounds more elaborate than the nonsense he usually says, I don't deny it," Hermione said. "But it's still a scam. One more way of giving the note."
"If it weren't for the fact that she put on a harsh voice, her eyes rolling, and then she didn't remember what she had said, I wouldn't believe her either," Godric said, defending his position.
"I still think that is all an act," Hermione insisted.
"Act or not, words are not very cheerful," Salazar said. "What if we go down for dinner?"
For a moment, it seemed to Hermione that Salazar was exchanging a worried look with Godric, but she dismissed it. It must have been a matter of the fatigue from the exams.
They received their exam scores a week later. Hermione's were excellent as usual, all 'Outstanding' except for the non-presentation of Divination, which she did not care too much about, and both 'Exceeds Expectations' in Potions and Defence Against the Dark Arts. In Potions, Hermione would never have the grade she really deserved as long as she had Snape as a teacher, and in Defence, no matter how hard she tried, she would never surpass Harry, who seemed to have an innate ability in that matter; especially if they were rated by a decent teacher like Professor Lupin. The sad thing is that they would no longer have that teacher next year. He had had to resign because a certain professor exposed his status as a werewolf in the middle of the Great Hall. People had been scandalised by it. What did that matter if he was a good teacher? Damn society, full of prejudices! Those things made what Hermione wanted most was to change the world. That was one of her determinations at the end of that course; the other was to return the Time-Turner to Professor McGonagall. Hermione didn't think she could endure another year of madness like the one she had had. It hadn't been sensible to be using it; too much wear and tear.