Agents of Discord

by KittyrinnAiko

Chapter 28: Revelations

“I’m sorry,” Aurora offered a short time later as they made their way to the Gryffindor dorm. Both girls had calmed enough that their auras had diminished to that of ordinary girls and were back to the appearance of being fully human.

Aerie thought for a bit. “If we are to live through this, you can’t be second-guessing me.” Silence and the sound of their own footfalls responded. “On the other hoof, as they say in Equestria, it’s entirely possible we needed Dumbledore to find the ring. If he can be moved to action, we may just accomplish our goals without it taking seven books.”

“We?”

“Like it or not you are right in the thick of it with me. That and it’s entirely possible that you are here to keep me grounded. I can count on you can’t I?”

“Your pony form is identical to my Equestrian foster sister Nova, and you remind me a great deal of my cousin Tsuki, Hoshiko. And for that matter, I’m surprised he just stood there and took that dressing down you gave him.”

“That’ll make three of us Nova’s in this world. Any chance she’s as far away from England as can be?”

“My Uncle moved her and my Aunt to Japan. And yes, I will support you in any way I can.”

“As for Dumbledore, you may not have noticed it, but magic has weight and temperature to it. When he nearly compromised us, I got hot under the collar. Not just figuratively, but literally. You’ve done it too. Did you see him perspiring? He doesn’t have half the amount of magic that we do. Equestrians, Akkadians, just have more magic, and that includes anyone who’s been to Equestria. As I mentioned before, it changes a person. Becoming an alicorn amps up that manna level well above ordinary humans. It was all he could do to remain standing.”

“You did get kind of glowie.”

“There’s also the issue that I kind of know all the background lore. Far more than I could have learned from Hagrid. That forces him to try to figure out how I might know it. The fact that I’ve told him it was a Greek Titan has really got his mind spinning because surely a little girl wouldn't make up such a thing. Oh, it’s true. Discord really was a Greek Titan.”

When the two stepped through the entry hole into the Gryffindor Common room a hush fell over the room followed by an uproarious cheer with much clapping and stomping.

The cheering had barely died down when the questions started flying. Along with a number of rather impertinent requests.

“And do any of you announce your ethnic background!?” Aurora shouted angrily. Some of the questions she’d been getting about her pony form had been downright rude.

The room fell silent.

“She only recently figured out how to do that, and no, she is not an object for you to do whatever it is some of you seem to want to do,” Aerie stated. There’d been dozens of requests to pet Aurora. Along with some rather pervy requests as well. “And Flint is not something to be proud of. Furthermore, there is evidence he’d been manipulated. As in the Imperious curse. Ya, he’s a bully, barely above a squib, not the sharpest tack in the box, but surely even he couldn't possibly be dumb enough to try to murder me in front of an audience.

“Now, if I don’t get some food I’m going to bite someone.”

The two ate as much as they could get their hands on and still went down to dinner that night. What with the amount of magic the two had used they were both experiencing that Alicorn appetite. Only about half the Gryffindor students had come down, but most of the faculty were up at the head table that night. Quirrel was not.

The Slytherin Table was unusually subdued that night.

“Aerie,” Draco called in a hoarse whisper. “Are you alright?”

“I’m well, if that’s what you mean?”

“Did Flint really…” he left off what he wanted to say.

“So I’m to understand.” Aerie thought for a moment and decided it’d be best to keep her voice down. “I’d thanked him for breaking my fall. … He didn’t seem too happy that he had. Odd because it kind of looked like that’s what he’d intended… at first. And then he just kind of lost it. Like he wasn’t in his right mind. Listen, someone mentioned that it might have been some curse called Imperious?” Several of the older students who’d overheard stopped eating and cast glances her way.

“I’m surprised Slytherin only lost a hundred points,” one of the girls whispered.

“I lost ten for fighting. I’d asked that Slytherin house not be penalized for Flint’s actions. The points you lost were just for game infractions.”

“We will make those points back easy enough, but thanks for the thought,” A Slytherin stated. “Flint was always losing us points anyway so it’s kind of a mixed feeling. With any luck, he won’t be back. Still, though, the idea that there is someone with an ax to grind who isn’t brave enough to do their own dirty work and doesn’t care who they hurt just burns me.” Several people made a noise indicating that they fully agreed.

“We have got to do something before something worse happens,” McGonagall groused up at the head table.

“What we don’t need to do is escalate the matter,” Dumbledore countered. He’d already had communications from the Ministry wishing to send Aurors. “Voldemort has done something to himself that makes it impossible to finish him off.”

His announcement had caused several individuals to take a sharp intake.

“Professor,” Hagrid started with a hesitant tone. “I couldn't help but notice the local pegasi have been trying to drive off the local unicorns.”

“For their own safety, I’d imagine. He’s out there. They know he’s out there. He wants what I have protected. About all we can do is keep him from getting it.”

“Is there nothing we can do?”

“Not at the moment, no.”

“We’ve some time before curfew,” Aurora casually mentioned as they made their way back to the dorm.

“Out through the attic?” Aerie suggested. “Provided our rings still work?” she then touched the gem and was delighted when it made her finger vanish.

“Mine still works,” Aurora announced, and when they got to their room they used Aerie’s broom to hoist themselves up to the hatch in the ceiling.

“It’s alright, it’s just us,” Aerie offered as she pulled herself through. Aurora followed and was surprised to find a rather nice apartment. LT Mouse was giving a report to Nova Silverwood.

“Aerie, how are you?” Nova asked.

“I’m fine, we want to stretch our wings.”

“I’m itching for some air time,” Aurora added.

“Aerie, are you sure you are fine? I hear Flint tried to use the killing curse on you.” Nova asked.

“He didn’t have enough manna to get through my shield. It was the knockback that got me,” Aerie offered and then transformed into her pony form. She’d a number of feathers out of place so decided to do a bit of preening. Aurora followed suit.

“We got the Horcrux that was hidden here,” Aerie offered. “Ended up having to tell Dumbledore what I’m trying to do. He’d come to investigate.”

“I think I should tell you I don’t trust him.” Nova offered.

“With any luck, he’ll find the ring. I’m assuming you’ve been unable to find anything.”

“I was able to locate Tom Riddle senior’s home, but that’s about as far as I got. The place is full of traps.”

“I think it’s located at the Gaunt estate.”

“And that’s proven a little harder to locate.”

A short time later the four were outside and soon found themselves joined by Lea and about a dozen members of her family. Around the Hospital wing, and out to where Hagrid’s hut was located. They saw him headed for the forest.

“What’s he do out there anyway?” Aerie called making sure to use old ponish.

“Unfortunately these Scottish Unicorns are a stubborn lot. Hagrid is out there hoping to find one of Riddle’s victims. As the Game Warden, he’s allowed to help himself to whatever he finds.”

“Any chance there’s a giant spider colony out there?”

“Oh, we kill anything he sets loose.”

“That’s good.”

“I’ve threatened to skin him alive.”

“Is he really that bad?” Aurora asked.

“Afraid so,” Mouse replied. “The locals have taken to putting the creatures he lets loose on spikes and dropping the spike out in front of his hut so it sticks up like one of them props they liked to do in old movies about headhunters.”

“He doesn’t take hints very well.”

“Aerie, better get back in,” Selena informed her as she glided up.

“Alright. Come on Aurora.”

Aerie and Aurora dropped back down to their shared room just as Idda Peverell came looking for them.

“What were you two doing up there?”

“That little gray is actually an Akkadian Auror,” Aerie offered. “Truth is she was posted there to keep an eye on Hagrid because he keeps releasing dangerous creatures into the forest.” A statement that wasn’t entirely untrue. “She’s been keeping an eye on us too but hasn't been able to isolate the person who’s been jinxing brooms.”

“OK, fine. There are ministry Aurors here who want to see you. Just Aerie.”

“They aren’t going to arrest her are they?” Aurora asked.

“I doubt it very much and I’d suspect there would be a general uprising if they did. A late edition of the paper came in after you left the dining hall. They are calling you the girl who can’t be killed.”

“I’m not too sure I like that,” Aerie replied and then followed Idda downstairs.

Idda brought her to an unused classroom that looked more like a conference room than a classroom leading Aerie to think it might be for advanced studies. Indeed the large library arrayed along the walls certainly helped with that image. There were also several gentlemen and a woman there. Dumbledore, Madam Hooch, and McGonagall were there as well.

“Aerie Potter, we meet at last,” Stated a portly wizard as he stepped up to her and took hold of her hand to shake it. Suddenly someone had taken a picture.

“Now see here!” Bellowed another wizard.

“Aerie,” Dumbledore cut in. “This is Cornelius Fudge, Minister of Magic.”

“I thought I’d be answering questions to Aurors?” Aerie asked.

“So did I?” Idda replied. “What’s going on?”

“Amelia Bones,” Offered the woman who’d been with the men. “Sorry about this. Things seem to have gotten a little out of hand.”

“Aerie, Bartemius Crouch, Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement,” Dumbledore started in again, introducing her to the people there. “Rufus Scrimgeour, Head of the Auror Office, Ms Bones, also an Auror, and Broderick Bode, Department of Mysteries.”

“Mam, gentlemen,” Aerie offered and made a polite curtsy.

There were two more men, one had a camera, and the other, a large stocky man with a scar on his face who looked like an elder version of Flint. He made a grunting noise to remind Dumbledore he was there.

“Oh, and this is Lord Marcus Tiberius Flint.” Dumbledore's tone was less than amiable towards the man. “And the gentleman with the camera is Mr Pressman.”

“So this is Snape’s little love child,” Flint senior sneered.

Aerie’s face didn’t exactly fall in dismay. No, more of a case of mild surprise followed by disgust. After all, if it creates more chaos, Discord would do it.

“Lord Flint, I thought we agreed not to bring that rumor up,” Dumbledore corrected.

“Oh, but it’s not a rumor, it’s in the public record. For anyone willing to do a little digging.”

“Curious that my alleged father isn’t here for this little meet and greet,” Aerie stated.

“Her legal father is James Potter,” Dumbledore corrected. He wasn't exactly disputing what Lord Flint had said. “Curious thing, I discovered that the Evans family are a squib line of the Borealis family. Wizards to the Sun King of France prior to the revolution. I must confess I’m not entirely sure why we don’t teach their history. The French, it would seem, managed to achieve the very ideals Gellert Grindelwald wished to achieve. And then lost it all when the muggles decided they’d had enough.”

Aerie couldn't help but wonder if the Evens family really were descended from the Sun King or if it was just more of Discord’s machinations?

“My son has lost his magic,” Lord Flint Bellowed.

“Which appears to have been his own doing,” Fudge pointed out.

“Miss Potter, we would like your account of what happened,” Amelia Bones prompted.

“I suppose I should start with the fireworks,” Aerie offered. “We suspected that the incident with Neville Longbottom had been a trial run and that it had been a line of sight curse. During the game, someone cursed my broom no less than three times.”

“Ah, yes, of course,” Dumbledore said butting in. “A simple but effective way to block the curse would be by blinding the castor. Go on.”

“Well, Lord Flint, your son took his quidditch very seriously and was a player to be reckoned with. I’ve no doubt if not for this incident he could have easily gone professional,” Aerie caught a glimpse of Dumbledore rolling his eyes. “When my broom finally succeeded in bucking me off, Marcus Flint, your son raced up and caught me. He saved my life. At least from my perspective, that seems to be what happened up to that point.” Flint senior knew his son well enough to know his son would never bother to save anyone but he was willing to listen. After all, it did his reputation no harm. “Unfortunately he lost control of his broom and we crashed.”

“And that’s when he attacked you?” Scrimgeour asked.

“Oh, no sir. There was a delay. He seemed sensible enough at first, and then he just started behaving erratically. Take into consideration that I had no trouble fending off the attacks of a young man three times my size. He just wasn’t sensible anymore. And I will admit it was rather frightening because I couldn't understand why he’d save me, and then switch to trying to kill me?”

Dumbledore was pretty sure Aerie was bending the truth quite a bit but decided that for Lord Flint’s sake it would be a necessary little white lie.

“It did look like he’d saved her,” Madam Hooch offered. She knew that wasn’t true, but she was more than willing to go with a little white lie and even she was having trouble understanding why the boy would attempt to use a killing curse in front of so many witnesses. Just because they were actively weaving a little white lie didn’t mean there wasn’t some truth in it.

“So, what you are saying,” Flint senior began. “Is that someone, some coward, who has destroyed my family just because they wanted to do what You Know Who failed to do?”

“Recent information has confirmed Mrs Silverwood-Swan’s account of what happened that night,” Dumbledore offered. “And it’s looking like the Potters were targeted out of a case of mistaken identity. The Killing Curse was never directly targeted at Aerie, and Aerie was never the child of the prophecy. The curse that hit her passed through her mother, and it’s entirely possible that incident has made her resistant to the curse.”

“It’s a dangerous spell to use either way,” Flint Senior offered, his anger abating. “So, where exactly is Snape?”

“He’s running an errand,” Dumbledore offered. “I don’t expect him back until late.”

“I’m to understand that right before the incident Professor Snape had been actively trying to counter the spell being used on Aerie’s broom,” McGonagall explained. “Owing to the nature of the broom she is using, had she been thrown from it we might not have suspected anything had there not been a previous incident.”

“One of our first years had a broom shoot straight up even though they’d been trying to get it to go down,” Madam Hooch offered. “At the time we thought it an ill-conceived prank on the part of one of the older students.”

“We did investigate, but came up with no suspects,” Dumbledore offered.

“And you’ve no idea who it is,” Amelia Bones asked.

“We have got a good idea who they are working through, but we’ve yet to catch that individual in the act,” Dumbledore informed them. “There is also the concern that they will escalate if they know we are on to them.”

“Next you’ll be saying it was You Know Who,” Fudge suggested in an almost sarcastic tone.

“Do you remember a boy named Tom Riddle?” Dumbledore offered.

“Aye, I do,” Flint replied. “He was in first year when I was in seventh. Something about him, he was bright, but there was something rather unsettling about him.”

“I remember him too, you’re not saying it’s Tom, are you?” Fudge asked. “Bright young lad, but as Lord Flint here said, there was something off about him. He seems to have vanished following the Death of Hepzibah Smith.”

“Mrs smith had in her collection two items, one a cup believed to have belonged to Helga Hufflepuff and a locket attributed to Salazar Slytherin. Both of which went missing,” Bartimus Crouch offered in a hushed tone.

“What I can tell you of Riddle is that he was the son of one Tom Riddle senior, an affluent English Muggle who lived in the village of Little Hangleton. He married Merope Gaunt. And there is evidence that Riddle senior wasn’t given much say in the matter because it looks very much like Merope wanted to play house … with a muggle.” Dumbledore made sure that little tidbit would sink in.

“Disgusting,” Flint said in nearly a snarl.

“Just as soon as Riddle Senior found out Merope was a witch, assuming she wasn’t using some sort of artificial charm on the man and it finally wore off, he left her.

“Merope abandoned and alone gave birth to a son she named Tom. She died shortly after giving birth from a fairly minor complication that could have been avoided had she gone to Saint Mungo's to have the child. To date, I’ve no idea why she hadn’t been admitted there. Young Tom Riddle was placed in an Orphanage, which I regret to say is where I found him and brought him to Hogwarts.”

“So now he wants to make a name for himself, is that it?” Fudge asked.

“I’ll get to that,” Dumbledore admonished. “Young Tom, I’m afraid to say, had certain obsessions. One overarching obsession was with immortality. The other may well have been the untimely death of his mother and a desire for vengeance on the Wizarding community as a whole.”

“Immortality?” Flint asked. He could remember Voldemort making claims of Immortality. But then again, where was he now?

“Indeed. Immortality,” Dumbledore repeated. “To this aim, he sunk into such dark arts few would dare to tempt. I now know that what he achieved was the inability to die. Not true immortality. He simply can’t die. After…” Dumbledore trailed off. “He’s not human anymore. I also believe that he is either directly or indirectly responsible for the string of unicorn killings. He is desperate to restore himself. To undo some of what he’s done to himself.”

“Vol…” Flint started to say as a sinking horror filled him. Dumbledore rose his hand to forestall him.

“I was recently reminded that that self-appointed title is in fact what is colloquially called a ‘Snitch’ spell. Say the word and he’ll be notified of the who, what, and where. A shame I didn’t make that clear from the start because we could have used it to our advantage.”

“You forget that I…” Flint Senior began.

“Imperious curse wasn’t it?” Dumbledore asked.

"And you're saying he's become some kind of wraith that can't be killed?"

"We will simply have to find a way."

“A pity you couldn't get the non-magical community prattling off that word,” Aerie offered. "Bound to be plenty of people with just enough magic to trigger the spell."

“Can’t say I ever thought of that,” Dumbledore admitted. “Bottom line, he who must not be named, when we don’t want him to know what we are up to, was a fraud. Mud blood, I believe, is the term you’d use, Lord Flint? What’s more, is the effects of what he did to himself, the knockback he received from the Killing curse when it backfired on him, and whatever it was Mrs Silverwood-Swan did to him, he’s not even human anymore. The results of dark magic and repeated assaults on his body. He’s a wreck of a man, a wraith of diminished capacity. He or I should say it, sustains itself off the blood of unicorns and is presently obsessed with Aerie. He cheated death but at the cost of his humanity.”

All but Aerie looked on in horror. Aerie took hold of Idda’s hand and gave it a squeeze.

“You can’t be serious,” Fudge stammered out. “And to say it with that child here in the room?

“I already knew,” Aerie offered. “So does the muggle government. I knew because I was told it was a possibility if I came to Hogwarts. Yes, Professor Dumbledore, they put the pieces together when they were informed about the killings and given an image of him. They already had a file on him and knew quite a bit about him. Yes, he’s gone to great lengths to cover his tracks but didn’t account for muggle paper trails. They listed him as a mutant. And yes, I knew he’d come after me. In fact, it’s a miracle he didn’t come after me sooner. What with how many witches and wizards seemed to know where I lived? Seems to be mostly the crowd down at the Leaky Cauldron though.”

“Hagrid’s doing, I’d imagine,” Professor McGonagall offered.”

“I suspect that in its diminished capacity and form, Riddle simply dared not go to places where such information might be learned,” Dumbledore said softly. What Aerie had just said had shaken him considerably. “Couldn't, I’d think. I’d imagine that Riddle is unrecognizable in his present form. Wizards and witches, ally and foe alike would have hunted it down.

“Now here’s the tricky part, we have to keep this quiet.”

“Aye,” Flint offered softly. “Well, the only lot who’d willingly follow him now are either dead or in Azkaban.”

“And his most loyal follower is a rat in a cage,” Aerie offered perhaps a might bit too glibly, but then again, the atmosphere did need a little warming up. Oddly enough, Flint was the only one to see the humor in her statement. Oh, and yes, there had been plenty of news articles calling for a proper investigation.

“If I were to assume that Snape is out there looking for information on how we might deal with this problem, might I be correct?” Flint asked.

“You might,” Dumbledore offered.

“And what about Miss Potter’s safety?” Mr Bode asked.

“Riddle and his co-conspirator aren’t likely to go after her, at least not directly while she is here,” Dumbledore offered.

“And when she’s at home?” Mr Bode pressed.

“The home she has landed herself in is Unplottable,” McGonagall informed them. “I couldn't even see it until a local muggle pointed it out to me.”

“I thought she was living with muggles?” Fudge asked.

“She was adopted by the Finch-Fletchley family. Two old families that went squib and have only just produced an heir capable of magic. Turns out the house isn’t on any maps anywhere. I must confess I was skeptical when Aerie suggested that it might be an old wizard home, but it turns out that it is and only the locals can see it.”

“Well, I’ll be,” Dumbledore replied with a smile.

“And since Hagrid Doesn’t know where it is…

“He can’t gab about the location,” Dumbledore offered. “As for Riddle, I suspect he’ll lay low for a while. Wait for people to drop their vigilance.”

“Which should work in our favor,” Crouch offered.

“But you can’t be seen to be helping, or Riddle would surely get wind of it.”

“Indeed, indeed. At any rate, we are done with Miss Potter,” Crouch suggested.

“If we are in agreement, Aerie and Miss Peverell can go then,” McGonagall seconded.

“I’ve no reason to ask her any more questions,” Flint offered. Save one. Which broom was she riding?”

“The widow maker,” Madam Hooch informed him. “Seems to be an old family heirloom. Yes, of course, Lily used the same broom as well. I’d forgotten about that.”

Aerie had to smile as she wondered if discord had just added that little detail or if it was indeed true. Knowing that she was right about the property certainly didn’t hurt either. She and Idda were dismissed and were back on their way.

Comments

[harts fire]

and the plot thickens.
sadly there are too many people that know the truth there will be a leak and if i had to guess it will be the rat in the cage or Crouch.

[KittyrinnAiko]

11421108
Neither knows what Aerie knows. Nor do they know that she knows. Ya know?

[harts fire]

11421132
Ah yes i know.