//------------------------------// // Chapter 27: Aerie gives Dumbledore a piece of her mind. // Story: Agents of Discord // by KittyrinnAiko //------------------------------// “I’m fine,” Aerie protested as Madam Pomfrey subjected her to one test after another. “Can someone get this pegasus out of here?” Snape protested. “Aurora, don’t you think you should switch back?” Aerie prompted. “Aurora?” Dumbledore asked, his eyebrows raising as Aurora transformed back into a human. “Miss Summers, I think we need to talk.” “Oh, you did notice,” Aurora stated. “Can I ask what you have against Professor Quirrel?” “It’s not Quirrel, it’s Riddle. He, or it, seems to be some kind of wraith. I realize the Akkadian Language is a second language for you...” “Ah, afraid I hadn’t seen that. It just looked like You were trying to block Professor Quirrel.” “We can fix the issue with Aurora, but we’ll need to break a rule to do it,” McGonagall offered. “She counts as a Princess of Eques I gather.” “It wasn’t an issue until I figured out how to transform.” “A deluxe trunk should do it,” Aerie offered. “Is Flint alright? What was that? What’d he try to do?” Like she didn’t already know. She’d even been hoping the boy would do something bad enough to get suspended. Attempting to murder her in front of witnesses wasn't exactly on her radar. Aerie had miscalculated the effects blind rage would have on a person with little to no empathy. She'd thrown up a barrier quite possibly at the same time the spell was coming in but figured that Moonie had a hoof in deflecting the spell. Even so, it was like getting hit by a sledgehammer. Granted the fact that the incident would reflect poorly on Dumbledore was a plus. “He attempted to cast the killing curse. It backfired on him,” Madam Hooch informed her. The grave look on Dumbledore's face indicated that he’d already been informed. “He’s alive. He’s been transferred to Saint Mungo's Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries.” “Professor, if you could, don’t take any points from Slytherin,” Aerie requested. “There will be a maximum of a hundred points for infractions during the game from Slytherin,” Dumbledore stated. “And to be fair, you did engage with Mr Flint.” “I’m not going to run from a fight. Not anymore.” Dumbledore cast his eyes down for a moment. “Even so, you will be getting a ten-point deduction for fighting.” “Fair enough, I suppose. He did state several times that he wanted to kill me and his actions indicate that he meant it. What about Riddle? I mean it’s entirely possible that creature, whatever it is or has become was at least in part, responsible for Flint’s attack on myself.” Aerie wanted the boy out of action, but at the same time, she didn’t want him in Azkaban. Let them think the imperious curse had been used and it wasn’t just a case of blind rage. She feared he’d become a Dementor if he were to die there. She wanted him neutralized due to his violent tendencies and had attacked the boy’s pressure points in an attempt to shut off what little magic he had. Aerie feared that Marcus Flint would just become another killer. Let him live as a squib for the rest of his life; at least that way he’d be limited, and wouldn't be able to just magic people to death. “Aye, I imagine Mr Flint may have been manipulated, and that will of course have to be taken into consideration,” Dumbledore admitted. “And what to do about Riddle,” Dumbledore said and went to sit in a nearby chair. “I’m concerned that should we attempt to confront him, we would be looking at unacceptable collateral damage.” “We can’t touch him is what you are saying,” Aerie stated. “Meanwhile he targets us one at a time. I’m pretty sure he was behind what happened with Neville,” McGonagall stated in a cold tone. “We know who he’s working through,” Snape stated. “I know, I know, but how many of our students are you willing to sacrifice?” Dumbledore countered. “Well, I’m fine. Can I go?” Aerie requested. “And I kind of feel like Aurora and I already know way too much.” “I can’t find anything wrong with her,” Pomfrey offered. “No idea how she survived?” Dumbledore asked. “What a boon it would be if we knew how to counter that spell.” “Marcus Flint was barely above being a squib,” Snape stated. “You know that as well as I do,” He switched his attention to Aerie and Aurora. “..and don’t you two dare say a thing.” “We kind of already knew,” Aurora offered. "We won't say anything about you confirming it though." “Rumor has it he was still here at school as a favor to his father,” Aerie added. “I actually hoped he’d mellow out,” Dumbledore admitted. “Letting him stay seems to have been a mistake.” “I think I can say without contradiction that Aerie’s power level is considerably higher than Flint’s,” Professor McGonagall offered. “And that would make the difference,” Snape offered. “Lily was likely exceptional in that regard as well.” “But Aerie was just a babe at the time,” Dumbledore countered. “Voldemort’s spell passed through Lily,” Snape announced. “Aerie was not targeted directly. And it's possible Aerie still has that specific protection.” Aerie knew better but that didn't mean she didn't have protection from such attacks. “Was that…?” Dumbledore seemed like he’d wanted to know but didn’t feel it was his place to intrude. “The memory he got from me,” Aerie filled in. “It’s not one I wish shared, and I certainly don’t want to talk about it.” “Can we go now?” Aurora asked. “I can’t see any reason to keep her here,” Pomfrey offered. “Go on back to the dorm then. They are undoubtedly having a party,” Dumbledore offered with a wave, and the two girls were off barely a moment later. “Hang on, that’s not the way back to the dorm?” Aurora asked as Aerie veered off their intended course. “Something I need to find.” “Find?” “It’s important.” So off they went up and down stairs until they reached a certain corridor. Seventh floor, left corridor to be exact, where they found the most improbable tapestry of a wizard trying to teach trolls ballet. “Barnabas the Barmy,” Aerie offered triumphantly. “That’s what you want?” “That, harmony no. What I want is on the other side of the hall.” “But there’s nothing there?” “Oh, it’s there,” Aerie offered and began pacing back and forth. “The question is, do I want it bad enough… there’s a room, a room of requirement, Also known as a room of hidden things, what I want are the things hidden by Albus Dumbledore and Tom Riddle. And I’m not going to want anyone to disturb us. A secret passage back to the Gryffindor tower might be a good idea too.” “What makes you think it’s even there?” “Oh, it’s there alright. Granted that I’m also trusting Discord,” Aerie explained as she paced back and forth. “Discord?” “Ya, crazy. The thing is, he wants me to be successful in my mission. I have to stop Tom Riddle. I’m assuming that will stop him from gaining access to Equestria. Which is something Discord wants even to the point of actually being helpful. Riddle made something called a Horcrux. Several actually. To put an end to Tom Riddle, I have to find them, and destroy them.” “But why come up here to look for it now?” “I needed time. Time when no one would miss me. And most importantly, things are happening that’s got me worried that he might come to find it and move it. Especially if he's aware that one has already been destroyed. There is no telling in his present state.” “But how do you even know it’s there?” “Because in the human world I previously lived in, all this was just a series of books. Some of the details may differ due to my being here but the plot elements are pretty much the same and no reason I have to do everything in the same order... “Oh, come on, I need the place where everyone hides things!” And there it was. A grand door was now right in front of them. Aerie frantically grabbed at the door as though it might vanish at any moment. Aerie pulled the door open to reveal a room the size of a large cathedral. Within, the place was filled wall to wall and nearly floor to ceiling in places, full of discarded and secreted items. Light shown in through high windows onto a landscape that looked a great deal like one of those movie sets of a city in miniature. Towers upon towers of items created by generation after generation of students. Piles and piles of just about everything imaginable. “Twilight would go nuts in here,” Aurora whispered as the two entered the room. Among the rows of teetering broken furniture and other assorted items were piles and piles of books. Hundreds, even thousands of books. Aerie shut the door behind them. “I can only imagine that every last book in here was prohibited at the time. Hidden here where no one would ever link it to the person who had it.” “Abelard’s Holy Trinity,” Aurora said as her eyes cast about and picked out a title. “Ars Amatoria, Sappho, Galileo, oh my Celestia, Galileo, it’s a copy of his theories about the solar system!” “Don’t touch that! The whole stack will come down on you. And don’t touch any of the potion vials either.” “So, how exactly are we to find it, what was it?” “A tiara,” Aerie offered as her eyes spotted fanged Frisbees slowly gliding overhead. “Look for a stuffed troll.” “You mean like a plush toy?” “No, an actual troll,” Aerie offered and then picked a random direction. Fortunately, everything was stacked in nice neat rows with gaps. “A lot of these books look like they are from non-magical printers,” Aurora offered as they slowly made their way into the stacks. “Brought to school by someone from a mixed household or Muggle, and then feared what might happen if anyone discovered the book thanks to wizard attitudes about the non-magical community.” “I see your troll. What kind of person does that to another sentient being?” “Likely used in the DADA class,” Aerie offered. "As for sentient, that's kind of up for debate." “Aerie?” Aurora asked as Aerie pitched forward. Her jaw hung slack at what she saw. Aerie had shrunk down and transformed into a little white fox with wings like a snowy owl’s. Her legs, muzzle, and the tip of her tail were black, her hair had gone white but still sported the purple and vermilion stripes. Vermilion and purple were also evident in her tail feathering. “Pick me up.” “Pick you up?” “There isn’t enough room to get airborne here. I know we are close, but it may still be three or four blocks away.” “How’s my picking you up going to help?” “I want you to toss me up nice and high. Just give me a good yeet.” Aurora just looked at her without saying a thing. “Seriously? And for that matter, what exactly are you? I thought you were a pony?” “I am, it’s my heritage. My default form on going through the portal is a Celestial Fox. Except when Discord dumps me on a bench at the zoo for some reason. That and the world I lived in as Mrs Nova Arthol. Any other human world and I become a fox. I can change into a pony, but I’m thinking that doing that in here might be a bad idea just now.” “OK, I can see that,” Aurora offered, reached down, and picked Aerie up. “Cuddle later, yeet now,” Aerie teased. Aurora laughed, lowered Aerie, and tossed her up as high as she could. Aerie spread her wings and climbed clear of the piles of things. “Without the glasses, it should stand out as something truly polluted,” Aerie called. The downside is that a bunch of this stuff is kind of polluted. It should be somewhere in the vicinity of a cabinet.” Aurora turned down the right path, spotted a large cabinet down another path to the left, and went in that direction. On opening the cabinet, she saw nothing. Her senses, far keener than any normal human told her there was an enchantment on the cabinet but she'd no way to know what. “Don’t go in that, it looks like a portal gate of some kind,” Aerie called. “On the other hoof, paw, and or hand, we are getting closer. Aha!” Aerie dropped down and transformed as she did so she could land on her feet and stand up. Next to her was a large cupboard. Inside was the skeletal remains of something with five legs inside a cage. It had a bulbous body with a skull recessed into the body. Red shaggy hair was evident on what remained of the hide and looked like it probably walked in much the same fashion as a crab save on clubbed feet that looked as though it could grasp as well. One leg was badly mangled. “What is that?” “No idea, it’s not in the introduction to magical creatures. And by the looks of the cage, I suspect it was still alive when it was put in here.” Indeed there were signs it had been gnawing on the bars, and may very well have chowed down on itself in hunger-induced madness. “Poor thing.” “Kind of looks like it would eat us given the opportunity. Anyway… let's see, bust wig… and that’s not a wig.” “What do you mean it’s not a wig?” “It’s a scalp.” “Scalp?” “As in they cut someone’s hair off, skin and all. And there it is.” This time Aerie did turn into a pony. She immediately snatched up the old forgotten tiara with a soft blue telekinetic beam. “A little help,” Aerie called. “Let’s play tug of war. Light it up!” Aurora dropped down and transformed into pony form. “You know, you are a dead ringer for my cousin and my adoptive sister. A bit younger though. At least in build.” Aurora offered as the tiara lifted up. Aurora’s magic was golden, and between the two the tiara now looked like it was engulfed by a Yin and Yang symbol. “Are you trying to jerk it away?” Aurora asked. “Nope, it’s doing that all on its own. Let me just turn up the fox fire.” Aerie’s beam grew brighter, flames now erupting from it, and then she was engulfed in the blue fire herself. “Are we trying to destroy it?” “Purify it,” Aerie offered, sounding as though she was struggling. “It was all I could do to purify the cup and don’t be afraid to damage it. Far better to destroy it than to fail.” Aurora turned up her heat as both fillies started to look like a pony version of a phoenix. Things around them were starting to scorch when they heard the ping of metal cracking. The room was filled with the sound of an agonizing scream. “Don’t stop! Pour it on!” Aerie shouted. Things around her were starting to scorch as black smoke began to billow out of the tiara. “Diamond would have a fit!”Aurora shouted. “To bad!” Aerie shouted and then shouted out, “Makoto! Jin! Gi! Meiyo! Chu! Rei! Yu!” Things around them were burning now. “I call upon the virtues! I call upon the Elements of Harmony!” Aerie shouted followed by the two being engulfed in rainbow light. The black smoke vomiting forth from the tiara suddenly went white and spread out with the force of an explosion. The tension was gone, and the two released their hold to allow a now warped tiara with the remnants of shattered gemstones to clatter onto the floor. Both sat down. “That was intense.” Aurora offered up. “In – indeed,” added the voice of Professor Dumbledore. The two looked to see that not only were they now at the center of what looked like an impact crater, but Dumbledore was also several yards away with his wand out. Behind him little had been disturbed. Elsewhere, many of the stacks had toppled outward the length of three and a half Celestials. That’s Princess Celestia’s wing length. Beyond that everything was undisturbed. “I thought I closed the doors?” Aerie asked Aurora, her ears going down flat. Due to the amount of magic they’d been using both their horns are visible. “I was afraid we’d get locked in.” Aurora offered. “And Riddle?” Aerie asked. “I especially didn’t want him to know what we were doing.” “Wards indicate he’s out hunting again.” “Hunting?” Dumbledore asked. Aerie transformed herself back into her human form. “I guess we are fine then. I mean, I hate what he's doing, but... if Mrs Silverwood's battalion in the forest can't stop him, I doubt we'd do much better.” “Aerie?” Dumbledore asked astonished. “I was put onto the task of finding Riddle's Horcruxes by none other than Prometheus himself,” Aerie informed him. Her tone was scolding. “And that was a Horcrux, one of Riddle’s. Something you yourself must surely have known was a possibility. Or why insist that he’d be back? Why would you be so unwilling to confront him unless you knew it would do no good?” “Prometheus?” Dumbledore asked. “I thought you said Discord?” Aurora asked. “That’s who Discord is. The Greek Titan Prometheus. They are one and the same.” Aurora changed back to her human self. “Discord is Prometheus?” “Grogar did a number on him. It eventually gets sorted. I'm not really sure how other than a good beating,” Aerie explained and got up off the floor. She looked off in the direction she’d seen the mirror of Erised with a little disappointment. With Dumbledore there, she’d not be able to do what she wanted which troubled her greatly. Aerie had had an encounter with a future version of Nova Silverwood who had confirmed that the mirror was indeed a gateway to Equestria. Aerie also now understood why she would always redirect conversations about that Aerie person she’d mentioned having shown up. Too much foreknowledge could be dangerous. That and if she wasn’t going to make it home again, she didn’t want to know. “Professor Dumbledore,” Aerie said addressing the man. “Prometheus feared that without intervention Riddle would win and that it would eventually lead to the destruction of all life. I’ve asked someone I trust to look for Marvolo Gaunt's ring as that may well be one of Riddle’s Horcruxes. Should you find it, for god’s sake don’t put it on. And if you do, I’d suggest cutting your own arm off before the curse spreads. We’ve already one wraith to deal with.” “You, um, you seem to know quite a bit.” “Including that it's Quirrel who’s been killing unicorns. He's been possessed by the thing Riddle has become. That's why my fire flares around him.” “Oh, dear god. It’s worse than I feared then.” “Afraid so,” Aerie replied taking a couple of steps, bent down, and picked up the tiara. “Were you planning on doing something with that?” “I’ve got a deal with the Goblins. I’ve agreed to return anything I find that was Goblin-made,” Aerie offered as she placed the tiara in her purse. “Perhaps…” “If I give it to you, if anyone knows, if anyone finds out, he will learn what I’m doing and double his efforts to kill me, and possibly move the remaining Horcrux. It is crucial that that doesn’t happen. And not just because I don’t wish to die any time soon. Oh, and I know that you intended to use me as a sacrifice. But the thing is, that won't work. It might have worked when that bit of Riddle was still in my forehead, but it’s not there anymore. That’s what I pulled out. Not a piece of shrapnel. It was a small bit of Riddle that was already weakened, and you just saw the effort it took to destroy a large piece.” “As your magic matured your body rejected it. I can see that. What with being of Akkadian decent it would seem. And a winged unicorn no less. I must confess I’d no idea that the Evans family had such ancestry. Though, I did know of that Silverwood Woman’s involvement with your mother.” “Wizards don’t track the families of Squibs. After all, once they leave the wizarding community they are considered to be muggles. The Finch-Fletchleys are such a family. The fact I can turn into a winged unicorn is what makes me a princess of Eques. It’s all been explained to me.” Aerie’s pride wanted to say pegasus with a horn. “Princesses are not chosen based on bloodline. They are chosen by fate. It’s our pony form that elevates us to that status, and that comes when our magic blossoms. Not who we know or who our family is. Oh, and I knew about the issue with the Wards. I broke the rules to avoid that issue. I must confess I didn’t know I’d be breaking a rule in the process though. I brought a deluxe trunk so that I wouldn't end up being your boss. I mean so far as the Wards are concerned.” “I actually had no idea,” Aurora replied. “Sorry.” “And we should probably get going, everyone in the dorm is likely worried about us,” Aerie suggested. “You won’t say anything about it?” Aurora asked while pointing at her forehead.” “We are a little concerned he might come after us. Who am I kidding, he’s already tried to kill me.” “And failed. Twice now it would seem,” Dumbledore offered cheerfully. “So a Titan sent a couple of little girls to clean up my mess. Which seems to be far worse than I realized. I will admit that’s not something I would have expected.” “I found out the part I was to play at the zoo last Spring,” Aerie told him. She shook her head slowly a couple of times, took in a deep breath, and let out a sigh. “I was not happy about it, I can tell you that. But it does make a kind of twisted sense. After all, who’d expect a little girl to be capable of taking on the Dark Lord himself.” “And the Horcrux, do you know how many Riddle made?” “Rowena Ravenclaw’s tiara, Helga Huffle Puff’s cup, which I’ve already dealt with.” “The cup, may I ask where it was?” “It was in a vault at Gringotts secreted there by Death Eaters.” Aerie had to think for a bit knowing she would need to give Dumbledore a little more information, “Regulus Black had learned the truth about Riddle and his mad quest for immortality. He betrayed the Dark Lord. Sirius may well have discovered what Regulus was working on, but it seems circumstances forced him to leave England before he could look into what his brother had been up to. Moonie fetched the cup from the vault it had been secreted in. She knew what it looked like from a picture, and from there she just had to locate the darkest vilest thing in the vaults. One of her primary directives is to locate and destroy the things that hide in the darkness. The cup actually turned out to be the second darkest thing in the vaults. I’d just assume not talk about the other thing she found. It wasn’t exactly our primary target.” “You mentioned a ring?” “And a locket. Don’t go after the locket.” “And why not?” “I’m to understand it’s been moved from its original hiding place, but I’ll say no more other than Regulus died during the retrieval.” “You don’t trust me.” “You’ve given me little reason to. Oh I know you will go after the ring, what with it being one of the Deathly Hallows. Yes, I know about that too. I’m afraid the reality might not stack up to the legend. Take into consideration that you’ve got an entire flock of thestrals and could make all the elder wands you want. You don’t because you know it’s not worth the effort. You’d have a bunch of wands no one can use, and yet people would willingly kill each other to get one. The truth of the matter is that to master that wand, and I learned this from Mr Ollivander, it takes raw power, confidence, and excessive testosterone. That’s it. Lack any of the three, and it just won’t work. It has to be forced. It has to be forced because it doesn't match the core of the people using it.” “And you, it would seem, are not lacking in power.” “I held back. For years I held back. A girl can only get pushed around so much before she breaks and you are damn lucky I didn't go over to Slytherin.” “I can’t help but notice you never say Vol-” “Don’t you dare! Don’t you fucking dare!!” Aerie shouted, now truly angry. The very fact that he was going to say it when he should know what it was, had her so angry she’d gone all the way up to the Canterlot voice as energy rippled off her. Things that had been teetering chose that moment to fall, and Dumbledore staggered back as he cringed. The moment she took in a breath to recover from her outburst was punctuated by the sounds of things falling. “It’s a fucking snitch spell. Say that word and it notifies him who, what, and where. And you of all people should know that. No! Don’t give me a lecture about not being afraid of a name. It’s not a name. It’s not his name. It’s a self-appointed title. His name is Tom Riddle, but you know that. You just got it into your head to tell Riddle what I’m up to just so you could rush in and save the day. Didn’t you!? You fucking piece of shit!” Aerie’s wings were out in an aggressive posture. “Now see here?!” Dumbledore had stumbled further back. “No!” Aerie was still quite heated, her wings going to full ‘T’ pose for dominance. “How many people died because you couldn't be bothered to take a spider from Hagrid. Yes, I know about that too. Sure, he’d have been suspended anyway but at least the investigation would have looked for other culprits and possibly put a stop to Riddle before anyone else died. I know all about it! How many people died because the truth of who You Know Who was, was never revealed? Do you honestly think the Pure Blood fanatics would have had anything to do with him if they’d known his father was a muggle? His mother a Blood Traitor? They’d have dismissed him as an upstart. Possibly even done him in themselves and saved us all a whole lot of pain and suffering. “Keep in mind we are talking about the potential for the extermination of all life. Or so I was lead to believe. That’s what Prometheus warned me about, should I fail. You want to be remembered as the greatest wizard of all time, don't you? Well if I fail you can look forward to being remembered as the greatest wanker of all time. "Prometheus may be a wanker himself, but he’s not going to lie about something so dire and give me everything I need to succeed just for a joke. He typically just gives us little challenges with little to no information but he's pulled out all the stops on this one. No more games. We can not afford mistakes!” Aerie gave a quick glance at Aurora who was looking quite contrite. Aerie was also glowing white hot by this point. “Alright, alright. I get the point,” Dumbledore offered. And quite possibly hoping to calm her down as the realization dawned on him that this girl could potentially fry him to a crisp right there on the spot. After all, an angry child with that kind of power was nothing to fool around with. “And don’t talk to me about the greater good. You wouldn't know the greater good if it bit you! Your the one who took a psychopath out of an orphanage and taught him how to use magic instead of taking his magic from him and putting him in an institution.” “Can we go now?” Aurora asked plaintively. Only then did Dumbledore seem to realize that he was blocking the only easy way out. He let out a sigh. “Yes, of course. And I suppose I deserved that. Yes, I knew what was attached to that name,” he offered as he stepped aside. “And in hindsight, I’ll have to admit that you are right on several counts.” “If everyone would say it, he’d be overloaded and the spell would become an annoyance worse than useless. I understand that. But we dare not say it when we don’t want him to know what we are up to,” Aerie offered as she made her way through the rubble and past him. Aurora followed. “Oh, and there’s a vanishing cabinet in that rubble.” Aerie gestured in the direction she’d last seen it. “I’m to understand its twin may be found in Knockturn Alley.” “I suppose I should do something about it then. Assuming that blast hasn’t finished it off. One of Riddle’s contingency plans I’d imagine. Probably wouldn't be a bad idea to do something about all of this... Oh, don’t worry, it’ll be taken care of discreetly.” “Sorry I blew up at you,” Aerie offered as she and Aurora made their way to the door. “That’s quite alright. I imagine I had it coming.” "Just one more thing, I've found my quest item and the only thing keeping me here at this school are my friends." "Un... understood," Dumbledore stuttered out. Not only had he been outmatched, but to have Aerie Potter leave his school was something he did not wish to contemplate.