The French Connection

Cecil Croaker looked at the report he'd been sent by his French counterpart. The Death Eaters are trying to buy lodestone and a lot of it. That concerned Cecil a great deal. Lodestone on its own was just a harmless natural magnet. It was used in nearly every ward scheme around due to its ability to hold onto magic in the atmosphere. But the amount uncovered when the French Ministry went to the location on a map in the pocket of the now deceased Amycus Carrow was astounding. No one needs that much lodestone unless they are warding a building the size of Hogwarts...or they are summoning something.

Summoning spells were a class of ritual magic not taught at magical schools. Cecil rose from his desk and went to his floo. Using the powder kept inside a small silver snuffbox he stuck his head into the green flames. "Harry! I need to speak with you immediately!" He looked at the empty office, "Harry damn it, where are you?" Cecil sighed with relief when he saw Harry come from the classroom door. "The Carrow twins are in France buying lodestone, do you remember Voldemort using lodestone in your timeline?"

Harry shook his head. "I never saw any."

Cecil frowned. "I am going to have a sample of the lodestone brought to my office. When it arrives I will ask you to come here. I get the feeling he's planning something big. The purity of the lodestone will tell me if I'm right." The call ended as abruptly as it had begun.

Harry stepped back from the fireplace. He needed answers and he knew where to go to get them. He went to the door and stepped out of his office. He rubbed his temple as he saw who was standing there. Twelve-year-old Severus Snape wasn't as aggravating as the abusive jackass he remembered from his timeline. His friendship with Lily Evans meant that he wasn't quite as enraptured by the Dark Arts at this moment in his life. Harry had, under the guise of checking on Sirius, spoken with a few of the other professors about him. Slughorn thought that Snape was a brilliant student, though he admitted that the boy would win no friends with his acerbic nature. Minerva as well considered him a contender for the number-one spot for this batch of second-year students.

In fact, Harry had only found one professor who did not like him at all, Trevyan considered him too keen a student in the Defense course. He's far too interested in what we are teaching him to defend against Trevyan had told him when he asked about the second year students.

"Mr. Snape, may I help you with something?" Harry asked, trying his best to keep his irritation with being kept from his planned visit to Salazar out of his voice.

Snape, to his great surprise, seemed concerned, "Professor, I have overheard plans by one of the other Slytherin students. Corban Yaxley has brought a corrosive potion and plans to replace the ink in a Gryffindor students supplies." He explained, "If I were to go to Professor Slughorn with this information, it would be known that I am the one who supplied it."

"And knowing that I am on good terms with the future Lord Black you decided to tell me?" Harry supplied. To his surprise, Snape shook his head.

"It is because I believe you would be the most effective person to deal with this. You have several duels under your belt, some against wizards deemed a threat by credible sources." Snape told him, "I am reasonably sure that you would be able to stop him and do so in a manner that would prevent others from thinking it was a good idea."

"The student he's planning on using an extremely dangerous potion on wouldn't happen to be one Lily Evans would it?" Harry asked and Snape's silence answered him. "Why would a sixth-year harass a girl four years younger than himself?"

Scene Break

The answer to Harry's question was actually very simple. Corban Yaxley hated Lily Evans on principle. She was, in his opinion, far too enamored with herself and her abilities. He didn't like the way she acted like the magical world should change because she didn't like something. Hurting Evans was his ticket into a new group of witches and wizards that would bring back the old ways. Mudbloods would be forced into hiding, at the least and more likely they would be enslaved. But to join, he had to bloody a muggleborn student. Preferably kill, but they were willing to accept a painful assault. The next stage had come when he used his fat lump of a cousin to put Evans in the right spot. They were in the Library studying together, Evans was on the left side of Peter Pettigrew, on his right was Patricia Parkinson. It had been sheer luck that Parkinson had became friendly with Peter, knowing how Evans liked to lord her knowledge of Charms over other students, it had been easy for Corban to get his brother Conner to convince Peter to get some extra studying time with the ginger bint.

If he'd have noticed the second-year leaving the Common Room, he might have postponed his plans. But, caught up in the excitement, Corban Yaxley made mistakes. The biggest mistake, of course, was not noticing Snape's departure. The next biggest was in choosing Lily Evans.

He made his way to the Library from the Slytherin Common Room. He found his target, however, it wasn't just Peter at her side. It was an entire study group made up of Peter's entire circle of friends. Including Jane Thornton and Alexandra Tate, two girls a year under him. Damn it. There's no way I can get Evans without them noticing. He thought angrily. He continued to watch as Snape put a note in his book. Jane stood up and ruffled the hair of the boy beside her before walking out of the Library. Corban didn't like the look the brown-haired witch gave him as she stepped past him but paid no notice as he turned to leave himself.

As he rounded the corner, Corban found Professor Fawkes standing there, as if waiting for him. "Mr. Yaxley." Harry said, "Would you mind coming with me? There's an incident I need you to discuss with me." Corban Yaxley had been a regular threat to Harry in his old days. He hadn't been especially strong, instead, his threat had come from the fact that Corban was difficult to kill. He had a knack for shrugging off curses that should have killed him, enough that when he finally was killed Bill Weasley had spent weeks examining the body trying to find runic tattoos that could have made him semi-impervious but hadn't found anything.

"What sort of incident?" Corban asked cautiously. There was, in his mind, no sense in bringing up anything that the Professor didn't know about.

Harry looked at him evenly, "Someone reported that you brought contraband into the school. If you can prove to me that you do not have said contraband then I will deal with that student." Harry motioned to him, "Turn out your pockets, all of them."

Corban froze. Someone ratted me out! But who- It had to be that fifth-year Thornton! Miserable little bitch. "I haven't done anything, and I demand that you let me go back to my Common Room! My father is Deputy-Director of the DMLE and he will hear of this!" Corban said, his hand twitching as if he wanted nothing more than to draw his wand.

"I tried to be reasonable about this. I really did." Harry said flicking his wand and sticking the teenager to the wall. "I need a House Elf please." With a pop, one appeared at his side. "Hello Wobbly, will you please bring me Professors Dumbledore and Slughorn?"

The Elf vanished and Harry looked back at the still struggling Yaxley. He leaned against the opposite wall and waited. "You know," Harry said quietly, "I was really hoping you would have cooperated. I was hoping that my source was wrong. Not out of any sort of affection for you, you're a dunce in my classes, but rather because my source isn't my favorite person."

"What do you think you are going to get out of this?" Corban asked him with a sneer, "My father-"

"Isn't here." Came the voice of Albus as he and Professor Slughorn appeared around the corner. "Professor Fawkes, I believe you wished to speak with us?"

"Why is Mr. Yaxley stuck to the wall?" Professor Slughorn asked, "What is going on here?"

Harry stopped him with a hand held up, "I was informed by a student earlier this evening that Mr. Yaxley here had brought a corrosive potion that he planned on putting in the inkwell of Lily Evans. To that end, I asked Miss Evans friends to assist in setting a little trap for him. When he arrived, one of them came to see me." He looked back at Corban, "I asked him to turn out his pockets but he refused."

"And you are sure he has such a potion?" Albus asked him, the tone of the old man's voice made it plain that he was really asking was this student a Death Eater in your time? When Harry nodded, Albus shook his head sadly and drew his wand. A silent summoning spell brought a coin purse and a small vial out of his pockets and into the hands of Albus. "Horace, would you mind telling me what this potion is?" He asked, handing the vial to Slughorn.

Slughorn didn't open it, instead, it tilted the bottle and allowed its contents to swirl around. "Judging by its color and general viscosity, I would have to say it is a combination of manticore venom and something else. The light indigo color is clearly from the manticore venom." He looked at the Slytherin sixth-year, "Why would you have this?"

"I don't have to answer to any of you. My father will have you put in Azkaban for assaulting me like this." Corban spat defiantly. Even if Corban was expelled, his father would merely move him to Durmstrang by the time anyone came for his wand.

Albus sighed sadly, "I see there is no sense in trying to talk to you. I am afraid that the only course left to me is to summon the Aurors." Dumbledore used his wand to un-stick Corban from the wall and with Harry and Professor Slughorn behind the boy, the foursome walked towards his office.

Scene Break

During the same time, Jane reentered the Library and retook her seat beside Remus. "Everything is working. Professor Fawkes was waiting when Yaxley turned the corner past Charms." She smirked and re-opened her book. "Hopefully by tonight, the little dicksnot will be-"

"He won't be anywhere except in detention if he's clever or in his own bed if he's not," Alexandra said cutting her off. "He's a well connected little wart." She really hated the fact that Corban Yaxley would have most likely been one of her superiors, had he not shot himself in the foot tonight. The Yaxley family was one of the worst pure-blood families around. They had approached her parents about a marriage contract, but luckily David and Rebecca Tate had no interest in joining their families together. Her mother had especially taken issue as she had attended school with Cedric Yaxley and had nothing good to say about the man.

Sirius looked over at Snape, "Thank you." He said quietly, "If it hadn't been for you-"

"I didn't do it for you Black. I did it because Lily is my friend." Snape said. After a moment under the gaze of his red-haired best friend, however, he crumbled, "I- accept your thanks."

It still irked Snape when he saw Sirius holding hands with Lily. It could be worse, it could be Potter. He thought as he watched that very thing happen across the table. Being with Lily had changed Sirius, he wasn't as impulsive with his pranks. They still happened, but now it was more 'turning someone's hair blue' instead of 'making them sweat toads blood', he had never been able to get that stain out of his shirt.

Regina looked at James and shook her head, "Your families are both well connected, can you do anything at all?" She asked James.

He thought for a moment, "I'll send an owl to my father. He knows Director Crouch, he could try going over Yaxley's head." However, James didn't think it very likely. Fleamont Potter was politically very cautious. It was more likely that he would try to get Cedric Yaxley through his contacts at the Wizengamot, but even then the Yaxley family was very well-connected.

"The only person I could talk to already knows." Sirius said, "Professor Fawkes is the Regent for my family. I'm sure he will do what he can, but he doesn't know anyone."

"He's Lord Slytherin, that has to stand for something." This came from Patricia, seated beside Peter. "He could leverage that name and form a Bloc, especially with the Blacks behind him."

"The Blacks and the Potters. He's also a Peverell, so there's a name he could throw into it." Peter said quietly. The fact that he'd been used by his cousins weighed heavily upon him. It cemented something in his psyche that he'd always secretly known: he was the weakest link in his group. He was gullible and that had very nearly cost one of the few girls to tolerate his presence her health.

"You lot realize that-"

"-Unless Professor Fawkes can read your minds-"

"It's not likely that your war council here will do anything?" The twinspeak came, appropriately enough from the Prewitt twins. Fabian and Gideon each sat down at the table, "You were very vocal-" One of them began.

"So we couldn't help but overhear-" started the other.

"-also we were eavesdropping." Finished the original twin.

"We are planning to talk to him," Lily said glaring at the twins. "Believe it or not, you two aren't the only ones capable of thinking up plans."

"Heaven forbid-"

"Perish the thought!" The twins said in unison, before the one on the left spoke again, "We would never assume that twelve-year-old's don't have a firm grasp on politics."

"Oh, never Fab." Said the one of the right, Gideon, unless they were lying about who was who. "We are only here to swear allegiance and tell you that-"

"Should you go to Professor Fawkes-"

"We will also send a letter to our dear Mum and Dad."

Alexandra frowned at the idea of bringing in the Prewitt Twins. "Why would we want your family involved?" She asked them. "Your family was ready to abandon Peter when he didn't show his magic."

"Right family name, wrong branch." Fabian, or perhaps Gideon said to her.

The other twin continued, "Petey-boy had nothing to fear from us. Albert and Martha are backwater relations at best."

With that, her distaste was somewhat alleviated. She had no further objections and so the twins slid into the conversation. By the time curfew was called Harry was the unknowing recipient of a potential alliance that would bring Houses together that had never been on the same side before.

Scene Break

Amelia and Diana arrived at Hogwarts to take custody of Corban. "You know we're going to get fired for arresting him?" Diana said quietly.

Amelia nodded, her lips growing thin with distaste. "I do, but I also know that we can appeal the decision."

Diana rolled her eyes, "When has that ever worked?"

"We are only bringing him in for questioning. It's not like we are going to end up breaking his jaw." Amelia said defensively. But the truth was in order to prevent his son from going before a court, Cedric Yaxley would argue that anyone and everyone had been involved in setting up his eldest. They were the Aurors assigned to Hogsmeade which meant they were the ones who dealt with students who needed to go into a holding cell.

They would be the scapegoats of his rage. If they managed to survive his anger enough to stay employed they would probably never leave the tiny village again. "Crouch won't let him fire us." She said to Diana, trying to convince them both.

"Crouch hates witches in his department," Diana said miserably. "Are you sure we can't just slit his throat and say he ran away?" Amelia didn't answer and Diana knew why. "I'm just trying to get your mind off of it." Off of him had gone unsaid.

Amelia had been on a very unsuccessful date with a young reporter. Xeno Lovegood had been removed from the Daily Prophet and was now a freelance writer. He was talented and handsome enough, but the problem lay in the fact that he had been the single oddest man she had ever met.

Love never came easily to Amelia. She was much more comfortable punching or hexing her problems away rather than talking. The time for introspection was gone however as they were greeted by Albus. "Thank you for coming so quickly Aurors Bones and Spencer."

"Headmaster, what seems to be the problem? You sent your House Elf to tell us that you had a problem with Corban Yaxley." Amelia began, "I take it this is something that can't be solved with detention?"

"You are correct Auror Bones. Mr. Yaxley was caught with an illicit substance that we believe he was planning on using to harm another student." Albus said, leading them inside. "You will need to hurry and get him to London. Deputy-Director Yaxley will be here soon as Professor Fawkes and I have summoned him to talk about his other sons part in the events tonight."

"You're giving us a chance to get him to a holding cell and let Moody interrogate him aren't you?" Diana said to the older man. Albus merely smiled and led them onward. He'd learned from the mistakes the other him had made. He wouldn't be so trusting that people could change. Not when they were willing to burn the face off of a twelve-year-old girl.