Ponies in Hogwarts [Edited]

by KittyrinnAiko

Chapter 46: The hunt is on.

Nova, Scootaloo, and Moonie raced over the English countryside, it was after dusk, Nova and Scootaloo both had gray flight suits, goggles, and a face mask on, and both wore backpacks that included a small flexible hose going up to the facemask. Oddly enough Moonie was back to her adult form.

Why Moonie was transforming into a filly on the Equestrian side of the portal was any pony’s guess.

“Never thought I’d be flying back to Hogwarts in the middle of the night during summer break,” Scootaloo commented over the radio. They’d both, she and Nova had been supplied with new radios following a crash course on how not to crash while flying in English airspace. The primary concern is the need to not collide with aircraft. This also included the need to file flight plans. They’d both been given special designations, had to keep in touch with Air Traffic Control, and had an additional electronic device that would alert them if they were in danger of coming too close to other aircraft. Their goggles had heads-up displays and the masks were an experimental means to overcome the need to drop altitude due to lack of oxygen. All the ATC knew was that they had a special military designation and were flying small experimental Vertical Take-Off and Landing aircraft. A little something Trixie had come up with on the realization of just how many Meta Humans were flying around. Efforts were being made to get them all on the same page as well.

Now the thing that had facilitated this nighttime flight was none other than Tom Riddle’s diary. Lady Aiko had actually disabled the book by ripping the cover off followed by separating the pages. Thus damaged to the point that the spell matrix could no longer function removing the soul fragment had been ridiculously easy. The best part is that once the various spells had been rendered none operational everything Tom had written was laid bare. This included a long-winded rambling manifesto detailing everything he’d planned to do.

According to what Riddle wrote there was a good chance that they’d find a Horcrux at the school. As for finding it, they’d discovered that the small fragment that had been removed from Harry pointed to larger fragments just like a lodestone. The pieces wanted to come back together, and they’d utilized this property to create a rather unique compass.

‘A-T-C to SAM Acorns one and two.’ Squawked the radio. SAM: Special Air Movement. However, it had been suggested that their flights be labeled as Aircraft Lite. Acorn signaled that they were with intelligence, and as far as Nova was concerned A L Acorn just sounded too much like reaching for an alicorn joke.

“SAM Acorn one, A-T-C?” Nova replied.

“Can I get you to go to thirty thousand feet?”

“Negative A-T-C, that’s a little above our safe operating range,” Nova replied. They were presently cruising at twelve thousand, they could go a little higher, but it was mighty cold, and going higher would just make it colder. “We could drop down a bit?”

“Roger that. Drop down to ten thousand if you will.”

“Roger that A-T-C, dropping to ten thousand. SAM Acorn one out.”

About thirty minutes later Nova announced that they’d be dropping off-grid and not to panic when they vanish from the radar. To be true the only way Traffic Control could track them was by the signal being sent out by their transponders. They weren’t shielded from magical radiation and Nova expected the transponders to simply quit once they began their approach.

They could see the lights of Hogsmeade, but the castle was dark save for a single light that flickered in a window of Professor Dumbledore’s tower. The trio glanced at it as they glided on past and went to land on the Astronomy tower. Nova and Scootaloo transformed into human form, and Moonie vanished to reappear opening the trap door a moment later.

“Any chance Dumbledore will come to investigate?” Scootaloo asked.

“Hopefully we’ll find it before he shows up, and we can get out of here…? Nova had pulled out the Horcrux compass and to her surprise, it showed two directions depending on where she held the globe. One direction directed them down to the Seventh-floor corridor and the other pointed at Dumbledore’s own office. “Right… Moonie, stealth mode, find Dumbledore, and let us know when he leaves his office and/or comes up here.”

“On it.” Moonie climbed up, flew up into the air, and vanished a moment later.

“Let’s get going,” Nova said followed by the two mares/girls climbing down the stairs.

“It’s dark...” Scootaloo began followed by the light turning on. “Well isn’t that convenient?”

“Now how do you think Filch always knew when someone was about? The bloody lights are spelled to turn on if anyone is detected.” Nova offered under her breath. “Still doesn’t make the place any less creepy when no one’s about.”

“Ya, well there’s a strong possibility Dumbledore is about, and if Filch sees lights on he’ll come up to investigate.”

“Lovely.”

Getting down to the seventh floor where the Tapestry of Barnabas the Barmy could be found took entirely too long as far as the two were concerned and then there was the issue of walking back and forth desperately seeking a place to hide things.

Finally, the door cracked open to reveal stacks upon stacks, and piles upon piles of junk.

“Great. Just great.” Scootaloo muttered.

“Close the door, and be glad we have our Jim dandy Horcrux finder, patent pending.” Nova offered with a rueful smile on her face. “Just don’t touch anything. The last thing I want is to become the next ghost of Hogwarts owing to having been buried under a pile of junk.”

“It wouldn't be too bad if we were together.” Scootaloo offered.

“We’d miss every pony else something horrible though.”

“And you are right there. What would I do without my little Rose?”

“Or me without Goldwine, or either of us without Alya, Alalme, Sweetie Belle, and Apple Bloom.”

🌃

Dumbledore had been quietly sitting in his office behind his desk, and on his desk sat a large ring with an even larger black stone from which reflected no light. The ring itself took the form of a snake with a head at each end, the mouths holding the stone.

“If I were to give it to Harry, I wonder, would it curse him or possess him?” Dumbledore mused. “No, no, I needed Harry to defeat the dark lord, and now it looks like if that’s to happen someone else needs to be possessed by a Horcrux.” He looked up at the empty bird perch. “What do you think Fawkes? - What’s that? Oh yes, she would have made a perfect stooge. A shame she’s not around anymore.” His mind still struggled to comprehend all he’d been told of that court session.

“Are you blind or have you finally lost it?” Scolded the portrait of Phineas Black. “Fawkes isn’t there anymore. She’s gone on to greener pastures and purer hearts. Hadn’t you noticed?”

“I’ll have you know that I’ll be remembered as the greatest wizard of all time.” Dumbledore declared as he slowly rose to his feet.

“Greatest has-bin of all time you mean.” Black scoffed.

Dumbledore slammed a hand down on his desk, the ring making a little jump at the impact. He then slowly walked around the desk. “I am the master of death. I have the Deathly Hallows, the elder wand, the cloak of invisibility, and now this...” he snatched up the ring. “And now I have the Resurrection stone!”

“You gave the cloak to Harry Potter who seems to have lost it, and you seem to have lost the wand as well. Which you were never master of in the first place.”

“I took it from its previous owner. That’s enough.”

“And yet you couldn't hang on to it. And I think you know why. You could never be its master because you’d already been beaten by your better. She who’s actions brought low, not one but two basilisk hybrids. One by the actions of her own hands and the other by the actions of her familiar. Not you. You could never jump in where there’s a possibility you might lose.”

“I fought Grindelwald.”

“Only after the tide had turned against him and you were sure of victory.”

“And I will still have my victory!” Dumbledore exclaimed as he fiddled with the ring in his hand.

^{Power without equal. It’s yours, take it. You are meant to have it.}

“What?” Dumbledore asked. “Did you say something?”

^{Take it, it’s yours. You are the greatest wizard of all time.}

“You didn’t face Grindelwald until you were assured of victory.”

^{You are unstoppable, no one will dare oppose you now.}

A string ensemble in a painting begins playing a soft plaintive tone with echoes of wanting. https://youtu.be/k3SYCceyyms

Dumbledore cast his eyes to the ring now sitting in the palm of his hand. That which was black without reflection now showed him himself. His true self was made ugly not by age but by years of failing to do the right thing. Failing to act when it would have been for the greater good. When it would have been the right thing to do. Always manipulating to build himself up in the eyes of Wizard kind. He’d had eleven years to find that ring and when he’d finally gone looking it’d only taken a few moments. Eleven years in which he could have saved Harry from the fate he himself had planned for the boy. He’d told himself it was for the greater good but in the end, he’d planned the murder of an innocent boy just to build up his, yes Dumbledore's reputation. He was even willing to go so far as to sacrifice himself in the process, not for the greater good, but to build his reputation so that he’d be remembered for all time as the greatest wizard to ever live. None would surpass his greatness … None would surpass his evil. Grindelwald and Voldemort had been puppets. His puppets … but then Riddle had to go outside his script and complicate things. Everything was falling apart now.

Dumbledore dropped the ring with a start as an alarm sounded to let him know a sneak thief had entered the castle. The visage in the ring had frightened him, but now he had other things to occupy his mind. Who would dare sneak into Hogwarts?

Dumbledore rushed down the steps into the hall below only to be alarmed further by the sound of children laughing.

“Who’s there?!” he called as the hairs on the back of his head rose up. He was answered only with laughter and a strange rustling like the sound of the softest leather folding and unfolding. He looked about frantically as dark shapes drifted past silently overhead.

More laughter could be heard further down the hall. “What ill omen is this?” Dumbledore muttered. “Have my sins now come back to haunt me?”

Still, the laughter beckoned, and follow he did. Onward and down from one dark hall to the next until they had brought him to the great hall.

Dumbledore stood transfixed in the center of the hall listening to the sound of children’s laughter, and sometimes, if he turned quickly he would catch a glimpse of many glowing eyes watching. He stopped turning, pulled out the school wand he’d been forced to use, and ignited the candle chandeliers which revealed that the hall was full of Thestrals. Hundreds of them, young and old, foals and aged. Some even wore armor black in color with a gleaming slotted eye in the breastplate.

He ducked low when they all sprang into flight at once while calling to each other in shrill voices filling the air with their high-pitched screeching. They circled the hall and with a rush of wind were out the open windows. Was that a white foal with a gray?

Now it was quiet. Until that moment he’d never fully comprehended just how alone he was.

Come morning The school's staff would find that the Thestrals had not returned.

🦇🦇🦇

Nova and Scootaloo having located the Horcrux in the form of a Diadem and further having been informed by Moonie that Dumbledore was presently preoccupied, teleported straight to Dumbledore’s office on Moonie's news concerning what Dumbledore had dropped.

“Princess? You shouldn't be here,” the portrait of Phineas Black cautioned. “What is that?”

Nova had pulled out her compass.

“We discovered that the crystallized fragment from Harry’s skull could be used as a sort of compass.” Nova offered as she bent down to look in the direction the compass pointed. “A locator if you like.”

“You always were a clever girl.” Black offered as the other portraits watched.

Nova pulled out a cloth that seemed to be coated in a glittering substance.

Nova slowly picked up the ring within the cloth and passed it to Scootaloo who’d a small box to put it in.

“A piece of Tom Riddle’s soul is housed in that ring,” Scootaloo informed them. “We found a Diadem in the room of requirement.”

“Anyone who would dare to put them on is guaranteed to be cursed, maybe even become a new dark lord.” Nova offered.

“Destroy them!” Commanded the portrait of the former headmaster Brutus Scrimgeour senior. “And I fear Professor Dumbledore is no longer right in the head.” The other portraits who were awake nodded in agreement.

“I fear he was never right in the head,” Nova replied as the box was stowed in one of their packs. “And yes, we will destroy them so that the creature known as Voldemort may never return to this plane of existence ever again.”

“One thing more before you go.” Black offered. “If you know the whereabouts of young Sirius Black I believe the family house-elf may have something of note at Grimmauld Place.”

“We’ll be sure to look into that.” Nova offered with a smile.

“We ready to go?” Scootaloo asked.

“One thing more.” Nova offered, went to the cabinet that held memories, retrieved one with her name on it, and placed it on Dumbledore's desk. “Now we can go.”

“Which memory is that?” Black asked.

“The one where I kill the great wyrm that had resided in the deeps beneath the castle. I want him to know what I’m capable of.”

“Oh, I think he’ll find that one quite enlightening.” Brutus Scrimgeour senior offered with a wry amused look on his face. “Quite enlightening.”

Nova smiled not truly understanding what he meant, transformed to her pony form, followed by Scootaloo transforming to her pony form, and a moment later they were gone in a flash of light.

“Did I ever tell you that memory has a nested memory?” Brutus Scrimgeour senior asked of Black.

“I can’t as recall you ever did?” Black replied. “What’s in it besides her killing a monster.”

“A memory of the forces of day and night aligned to battle a great host of evil. I’m to assume they prevailed.”

The forces of light and darkness in a common goal to defeat evil. I dare say Professor Dumbledore is going to have a hard time with that one.”

The portraits had gone back to sleep by the time Dumbledore returned to his office, his first thought to find the ring. Nor did it take long for him to end up on his hands and knees as he used his wand like a flashlight to illuminate the dark corners of the office. “Where is it? It has to be here … somewhere?” But no matter where he searched he could not find that oh-so-precious ring. The last of the deathly hallows and he’d let everyone slip through his fingers. “It can’t be gone?”

Dumbledore sat back on his legs as weariness threatened to overtake him. He cast his eyes about the room, but nowhere did he find his precious.

“Nasty ponies, they’ve taken it,” Dumbledore grumbled his eyes finally coming to the vial on his desk. He slowly lifted himself up from the floor, went to his desk, and picked up the vial. Nova Moon 1903.

“Does she mean to taunt me, I wonder?” He slowly turned the vial in his hand wondering how she could have known the ring had been in his possession. For a moment he thought to inquire of the girl’s location, but couldn't see as that would do any good. No, he was meant to see the memory. Sure he was being manipulated. After all, he was the master of manipulation. Being the one who was now bound up with strings controlled by another was leaving a bitter taste in his mouth.

Dumbledore went to the Pensieve, poured in the silvery liquid, and slowly lowered his face into the water. He’d be found wandering the streets of Hogsmeade in a near-catatonic state the next morning.

Author's Note:

Well, I've raked Dumbledore over the coals this time.
I expect I'll get some hate over that, but keep in mind that I never saw Dumbledore as dumb or foolish. As a young adult, I loved the first book. I never questioned any of the logic of the plot, but as I got older and the books progressed, I began seeing more and plot holes, inconsistencies, and contrivances. I began to get less enjoyment out of the books. Why tell anyone that Harry had lived? Wasn't it enough to tell them that Voldemort had been undone by his own misuse of magic? Why did Dumbledore never expose Riddle as the fraud he was? Why wasn't the accidental Horcrux in Harry's head not removed? Why wasn't Harry hidden away with a new identity somewhere where he could grow up just like everyone else? Why did Dumbledore sit on his hands for 11 years when he'd known that Tome Riddle was interested in making a Horcrux? That's 11 years to find them and see to it the Dark Lord could never come back. Given Dumbledor's history with both Riddle and Grindawauld, it suggests to me that Dumbledore wanted a world in turmoil so that he could place himself as the savior of all mankind. That or he really was a fool trusting too much in prophecies. In this, I've tried to present him as a person clinging to the prophecies even to the detriment of his own sanity. Things aren't going the way they are supposed to and as a result, the world he's built up around himself is falling apart.

When good people fail to take a stand and put convictions into action then the bad people will win every time.

Adding a note: If you play the music and then use text to speech they should end right about the same time from that point. It really gives it an extra flair.

Comments

[harts fire]

Well, I've raked Dumbledore over the coals this time.

as he should be he is just a wizard grasping at power playing with the big boys and girls that are totally out of his ability's

in short he is a ass hat.

this story just keeps growing on me it is just that amazing.

[Georg]

>Why tell anyone that Harry had lived? - Because all of the wizarding world already knew. Godrick's Hollow was a wizarding enclave, and the Potter attack had people all over it in minutes (most probably right after Snape left).

>Wasn't it enough to tell them that Voldemort had been undone by his own misuse of magic? - In a way, he was. The Killing Curse used by Voldemort killed every single person he attacked, until the baby. Harry was an instant hero to every good wizard, and earned instant hate from every surviving Death Eater (except Snape). Nobody except Dumbledore understood it was Lily's love that defeated the Dark Lord, and nobody but Dumbledore knew that Tom was going to return.

>Why did Dumbledore never expose Riddle as the fraud he was? - Because Riddle was not a fraud, he was a deadly wizard who could beat any other wizard except Dumbledore (Albus cheated and had the Elder Wand).

>Why wasn't the accidental Horcrux in Harry's head not removed? - Because it was a part of him, and nobody knew part of Riddle was in the child (except Dumbledore suspected). Like white and black paint making grey, it was impossible to see where one started and the other stopped.

>Why wasn't Harry hidden away with a new identity somewhere where he could grow up just like everyone else? - Because one of the remaining Death Eaters would have tracked him down and killed him, his foster family, and everybody within blocks. The only way he could be protected was by Lily Evans' sacrifice, and Petunia Evans/Dursley's acceptance (although grudging) as the only family he had left.

>Why did Dumbledore sit on his hands for 11 years when he'd known that Tom Riddle was interested in making a Horcrux? - He didn't know. Horace Slughorn was the only one who knew about Horcruxes, was *agast* at the thought of somebody making more than one of them, and went as far as to modify his own memory out of the sheer guilt of having directed the soon-to-be Dark Lord. Dumbledore only discovered this at the end of 1997 school year when Slughorn returned to teach, and Harry Potter convinced him to give up the memory. Considering that Dumbledore died later that year, he only had the knowledge for a few short months, as well as an educated guess that Voldemort had intended on making seven of the deadly little things.

(watch as Daniel Ratcliff does that little head-stretch that Voldemort does.)

It isn't until the very end when Harry realizes he is one of them.

[KittyrinnAiko]

10085685
Dumbledore already knew Riddle had made a Horcrux. In the books, finding the diary confirmed his suspicions. Suspicions meaning he already knew. He also knew Riddle liked to collect momentoes. What he didn't know was how many were made. Even so, Slughorn's memory was decidedly not needed. Dumbledore could have figured it out without the memory.

“I have been hoping for this piece of evidence for a very long time,’ said Dumbledore at last. ‘It confirms the theory on which I have been working, it tells me that I am right, and also how very far there is still to go …”
_{^{- Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, Chapter 23 (Horcruxes)}}

In the end, the only reason to get the unaltered memory was so Harry would know. It's entirely possible that the only reason Dumbledore never tried to find any of the Horcruxes is that he likely believed that only Harry could do it. After all, it had to be Harry so the prophecies could be fulfilled.

Edit: Some additional points.
In the first book when McGonagall objects to leaving Harry with the Dursleys she brings up that Harry will be famous.

"Exactly," said Dumbledore, looking very seriously over the top of his half-moon glasses. "It would be enough to turn any boy's head. Famous before he can walk and talk! Famous for something he won't even remember! Can't you see how much better off he'll be, growing up away from all that until he's ready to take it?"

It wasn't the wizards who stormed into the Potter house. Hagrid collected Harry per Dumbledor's orders.

"No, sir -- house was almost destroyed, but I got him out all right before the Muggles started swarmin' around...

Harry was famous, and his whereabouts not entirely unknown.

...strangers in the street seemed to know him. Very strange strangers they were, too. A tiny man in a violet top hat had bowed to him once while shopping with Aunt Petunia and Dudley ... A wild-looking old woman dressed all in green had waved merrily at him once on a bus. A bald man in a very long purple coat had actually shaken his hand in the street the other day ... The weirdest thing about all these people was the way they seemed to vanish the second Harry tried to get a closer look.

Wizards knew him, knew more or less where he lived. On his first trip to Diagon Alley, he shook hands with Professor Quirrell.

"P-P-Potter," stammered Professor Quirrel, grasping Harry's hand, "c-can't t-tell you how p-pleased I am to meet you."

Harry was not untouchable, and Dobby proved that he was locatable. Only Voldemort or someone joined with Voldemort was unable to touch him. I might also point out that those Death eaters who would have actively gone after Harry were all in Azkaban. In the end, what really protected Harry was the very indifference of his Aunt and Uncle. Anyone casually visiting the house would not have seen any indication that Harry actually lived there unless they just happened to look in the cupboard under the stairs.

[RDDash]

What do you mean 'as a fraud he was'? What Dumbledore was supposed to do? Forbid him to study magic at magic school? Tom Riddle was so charismatic that no one suspected him, ever. (Why only Dumbledore was suspicious? maybe so the story could happen)

Besides, Dumbledore and Grindelwald was both homosexual wizard fascists, and by the time Dumbledore switched 'gears' he already lost his sister.

[KittyrinnAiko]

10091758
It was Voldemort who was the fraud. Made up name, half-blood, his mother could even be considered a blood traitor by the purebloods. If any of his followers knew his true identity it was a precious few. The books don't come right out and say Dumbledore had recognized Riddle right away, but he did figure out who he was. If the wizarding community as a whole had known the truth of Voldemort's identity he'd have had far fewer who would have been willing to throw in with him. The truth can be a very powerful thing. And yet, Dumbledore insisted on calling him Voldemort with the excuse that we should never be afraid of a name, while at the same time the name Tome riddle seldom crossed his lips. The best way to take a bully with a made-up name down a few notches is to make sure everyone knows who they really are. Never use the made-up name if you can help it because that's what the bully wants.

Aside from that Dumbledore knew what sort of person Riddle was. He knew Riddle liked to torment the other children at the orphanage. Granted that the explanation we are given is that Dumbledore honestly thought he could redeem Tom Riddle. Which makes me wonder if Dumbledore knew what a psychopath was? Granted for the story to happen Dumbledore had to give Riddle a chance.

[RDDash]

10092086
Wasn't it because British wizards called Voldemort by honestly stupid moniker You Know Who , and Dumbledore just wanted to stop Harry call him that.

There won't be much of a point in trying to prove that Tom Marvollo Riddle was Voldemort because people in the know already knew who is who (like death eaters) and pretty much didn't care.

[KittyrinnAiko]

10092118
The reason people didn't want to use Voldemort's name was because there was a spell attached to it that would immediately alert the death eaters. And yes everyone saying "You know who" is just as bad if not worse because it makes it that much easier for the Death eaters to locate the few individuals brave enough to actually say the name. But then again it makes just as much sense if more so to call the man by his true name. If everyone was saying the man's name then Riddle and his followers would have no way to tell who's part of the opposition and who's just gossiping. As for how many people knew, it's likely only his inner circle knew. Riddle, that is to say, Voldemort, went to great lengths to cover up his past.

Granted that if I'd a mind to completely rewrite the original book I'd place a little more separation between Dumbledore and the start of the career of the men who would start two wizard wars. First Grindelwald and then Riddle. Kind of makes Dumbledore look like a patsy who simply didn't understand the depths to which Grindelwald and Riddle could sink. Far better if Dumbledore is trying to clean up somebody else's mess. Especially with Riddle.

In reading through information about the books I discovered that the first run had some interesting mistakes that had to be fixed. There's one mistake that still hasn't been explained and still in the books. The attack on the Potters took place on the night of October 31, 1981. Dumbledore had monitoring spells on the Potter family and dispatched Hagrid to fetch Harry. There's no explanation as to why Dumbledore knew that Hagrid wouldn't run into opposition. He was taking a huge risk if he didn't already know. Had any of the Death Eaters still been there that would have been the end of Hagrid. We also know that Sirius Black had arrived only a short time before Hagrid, so there is no way he could have sent word to Dumbledore. Hagrid encountering Sirius also provides Sirius with an alibi of sorts. Had he been a Death Eater he'd not likely have been so cordial and could have easily finished harry off. One doesn't need magic to kill a baby and we already know that the protection Harry had only applied to Voldemort. Also no explanation as to why Dumbledore didn't go himself or where he was. If I were to speculate I'd say Dumbledore and Hagrid were both at Hogwarts and that Dumbledore simply couldn't get away. But that's not the big issue. Harry wasn't dropped off at the Dursley's until the night of November 1, 1981. There is at the very least a twelve-hour gap in which we have no idea where Hagrid and Harry were and JKR has never offered any kind of plausible explanation such as they secreted him away somewhere. And you can bet I'm going to take advantage of that.

Edit: Reading the book the gap is actually closer to twenty-four hours.