Chapter Twelve

Disclaimer: All the characters mentioned from the Harry Potter books belong to JKR. All other characters mentioned in these pages belong to Velvet Song or myself. No monies changed hands during the writing of this story.

Author's Notes: This is the sequel to Velvet Song's "Damsels and Dragons" which she allowed me to complete and post to this archive. If you have not read the first story, I strongly encourage you to do so in order to avoid any confusion while reading this story. The first chapters by Velvet Song can be found here: http://www.thepetulantpoetess.com/viewstory.php?sid=18337, and my concluding chapters can be found here: http://www.thepetulantpoetess.com/viewstory.php?sid=19501.

Thanks to noybate for the prompt beta.

Chapter 12

Minerva rapped the table with her knuckles, bringing silence to the room and everyone's attention on her. "Does anyone know where Hagrid is?" she asked, noting the Care of Magical Creatures teacher's absence. "He wasn't at breakfast either," she noted.

"Friend Hagrid is missing?" Athair asked Severus.

"Apparently so," the wizard thought back. "Minerva," he said aloud. "Perhaps someone should check on the man, considering we had an unwelcome visitor last evening."

She pursed her lips. "I would have to agree," she said. "Perhaps you and Lucius? Is that agreeable?"

"Quite." He looked over at his friend, who nodded in agreement. "We'll check his hut. If he's not there, he's probably in the Forbidden Forest, so we'll need to involve the centaurs."

"Ask Firenze," Hermione said. "He'll be more amiable than Bane since he's an instructor here."

"That would be a given," Severus said as the two men got to their feet. "We'll send a Patronus when we find something."

"Just tell Athair," Hermione said. "He can tell me faster than you could send a Patronus."

"Yes! I want to help find friend Hagrid!"

Severus winced. "You don't have to shout," he told his alter ego. "I can hear you quite well."

"My apologies, friend Severus."

Athair sounded more smug than contrite, but Severus didn't argue with him. As he and Lucius went out the door, he could feel his hearing sharpen as well as his eyesight. "Excellent idea," he thought to the dragon. "Thank you for thinking of it."

"You're welcome. Will we have to fly as well?"

Severus thought about it on the way to Hagrid's hut. "We might," he finally admitted. "Let's see what we find here first."

Lucius paused with his hand on the latch to the door. "Are you coming?" he asked as Severus lagged several feet behind.

"We're coming," Severus said. "We were discussing strategy."

Lucius shook his head. "I need to get used to the fact that there are now two of you living in your head."

"Indeed," Severus said. "So do we."

§§§§§§§

Inside Hagrid's hut, the fire had been extinguished, and with the only light coming from the door, it was difficult to see. What wasn't so difficult to see was the huge body laying in the middle of the floor.

"Athair, tell Hermione we need Poppy," Severus shouted as he raced forward, Lucius not far behind.

"Done!" Athair replied. "Hermione wants to know if friend Hagrid is okay."

Severus struggled to turn the body over. Athair added an influx of strength and suddenly the half-giant lay on his back. Laying his fingers against Hagrid's throat, Severus felt for a pulse while Lucius checked out the rest of the hut.

"I've got a pulse," he said, breathing out a sigh of relief. He'd never let the larger man know it, but Severus respected his acumen with magical creatures, if not his enthusiasm.

"I told Hermione," Athair passed on to him. "They are on their way."

"Very good. Lucius?" Severus looked at the other wizard. "Poppy's on her way. Did you find anything?"

Lucius looked up from the results of the spells he had cast. "Someone used a great deal of power here last night," he said. "So far, I've found three Stupefy and two Incarcerous. I'd say Hagrid put up quite the fight."

"And we wouldn't have heard a thing," Severus snarled. "This place is too far from the castle."

"I would not have heard either," Athair said with a touch of pain to his mental voice. "I was too far away as well."

Severus felt the pain and winced. "We cannot expect to do everything," he reassured the dragon. "Remember, we're still getting used to one another."

"This is true," the dragon agreed as Poppy, Minerva, and Hermione crowded through the door.

§§§§§§§

"As far as I can tell, Hagrid will be fine," Poppy reassured the witches and wizards crowded around the doors of the hospital wing. "He needs to rest, but he should be up and around by tomorrow."

"Thank you, Poppy," Minerva said, breathing a sigh of relief. She turned to the other teachers and clapped her hands. "Let's go back and finish our meeting, why don't we?" she said, starting to move towards the stairs.

"Minerva?" Poppy called. When the Headmistress turned around, she pointed to the doors of the hospital wing. "Hagrid's awake, and there's plenty of room. Why not hold the meeting here so we all can attend?"

"An excellent idea," Lucius pointed out. "Perhaps he can tell us what happened last night."

Minerva nodded in agreement. "All right, everyone. Go inside and take a seat. Winky!"

The little house-elf appeared, her Hogwarts tea towel freshly washed and ironed. "Headmistress call Winky?"

"Yes, I did," Minerva said. "Would you go and fetch me the papers I left on the table in the staff room? Just a moment," She turned and looked into the hospital wing. "Does anyone else need anything from the staff room?"

"I'll need my bag," Hermione piped up. "Oh, and the letter from Gabrielle, if you would, please."

"I'd started the minute notes," Lucius said. "I'll need those."

Minerva nodded. "Anything else?" When no one else spoke up, she nodded at the house-elf. "I guess that's everything."

"Winky get right away." Seconds later, the house-elf was back, her hands filled with papers, and Hermione's bag hanging from her arm. "Here are things from staff room, Headmistress. Winky fetch anything else?"

"Yeah," came a hoarse voice from the bed nearest one of the large windows. "If'n one of you's could find me Fang an' make sure 'e gits fed?" Hagrid struggled to sit up. "'E's been out there mos' o' the night. Must be starvin' by now."

"Winky get others to help," the little creature said, bobbing her head. "We find Master Hagrid's Fang for him."

Hagrid slumped back into his bed. "Thankee," he said with a sigh. "That'll ease me mind."

"All right, everyone," Minerva said as Winky disappeared. "Let's find our seats and get this meeting started." She moved forward, her hand outstretched. "Hermione, here's your bag and the letter you wanted. Lucius, here are your notes. Find a table. Poppy, you need to sit down as well." Marshalling her forces, Minerva observed the room and nodded. "Excellent. Let us begin."

§§§§§§§

"Now, I believe we've covered almost everything," Minerva said an hour later. "Hagrid, you're sure you didn't see your assailant?"

"No, 'Eadmistress, ma'am." Hagrid was miserable that he had failed his employer. "I let Fang out like alwus. Next I knew, somebody was throwing 'exes me way. Din't 'ear nothin' neither."

"That fits with what Hermione and Severus said about Hermione's attacker last night," Lucius pointed out. "Nothing seen or heard."

"That's not quite true," Hermione interjected. "I did hear someone running away."

"Audible but not visual," Susan murmured. When everyone looked at her, she blushed. "Sorry," she apologised. "I was trying to think of where I had seen that before. It's a powerful Invisibility Charm, and I know I read something about it not too long ago."

"Keep thinking, dear," Minerva said. "Severus, did you or Athair hear or see anything last night?"

Severus closed his eyes, his mind communing with Athair. When he opened them, there was fury flashing in his dark pupils. "We heard the thump of Hermione hitting the wall," he said. "Unfortunately, we were more concerned about Hermione's state of being than listening for intruders." He struggled visibly to retain control.

"Severus would not let me pursue the male," Athair spoke, surprising everyone but Hermione, who had heard him last night. "He ran up to the high place. I heard him."

Severus forcibly wrenched back control from the dragon. "He may have heard something, but I most assuredly did not. Whoever the intruder was, he was no longer in the school."

"That's it!" Susan shouted, her exclamation drawing the attention of everyone in the room. "It's a spell developed by the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures."

"My dear, are you sure?" Minerva asked, picking up the Ministry letter she had received at breakfast.

"Uh-huh. It was in last quarter's edition of Challenges in Charming." Susan was so excited, she was bouncing in her seat. "I can't remember just who wrote the article, but the author talked about how it would revolutionise the observation and cataloguing of many magical creatures because the person casting the spell can't be seen or smelt, even if the observer was upwind of the subject." She paused, obviously trying to remember the rest of the article. "The only limitation was that the observer had to be careful not to make any noise and had to watch where he or she stepped because they were invisible, not weightless."

"Wonderful," Minerva said. "At least we know our assailant must have read the article."

"More than that, Minerva," Susan was quick to point out. "Whoever it is has to work for the Ministry, because the spell wasn't included in the article. He had to have gotten it directly from the Ministry because they're the only ones using it at the moment."

Minerva held the letter close to her chin in contemplation. "Perhaps someone associated with the Department itself?" She perched her eyeglasses on her nose and snapped the letter open. "This is from Amos Diggory. Please listen before you make any comments."

Minerva McGonagall

Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures

"Why that pompous old fool!" Lucius sputtered. "Just who does he think he is?"

"Apparently the person charged with removing Athair from the school grounds," Minerva said evenly. "There is just one problem."

"He'll have to find Athair first," Hermione said with a wink, looking at Severus.

The wizard in question smirked. "I believe the book you read stated that Shadow dragons cannot be found if they don't wish to be."

"And Athair has the best hiding place of all," Draco said. "If he doesn't do anything to draw attention to himself..."

"Quite."

§§§§§§§

"I also have a letter," Hermione spoke up, "and it's going to happen sooner than Mr Diggory's visit."

"How do you mean?" Minerva asked as she folded up the letter from the Ministry.

Hermione picked up the pink envelope she had received at breakfast and weighed it in her hand before looking at Harry and Neville. "It's from Gabrielle," she said finally. "Which means it's also from Ron. She's asking if they might come to tea this afternoon."

"I don't see why not," the headmistress said. "Mr Weasley and his wife are always welcome here."

"She's asking that the guests include Harry, Neville, and..." Hermione paused, weighing her words. "... and Severus."

He blinked. "Mrs Weasley is asking me to attend your tea party?"

"Mm-hmm," Hermione hummed, looking up from the letter. "I'm trying to read between the lines here, but I think they want your advice."

"Mr Weasley and I have never been on the best of terms, Hermione," Severus said. "Why the devil should we start now?"

"I said I was just guessing, Severus," Hermione retorted. "Shall I tell her you'll be there?"

"Yes, yes, I'll be there." Severus waved away the slight suggestion that he might not attend.

"Good. Harry? Neville?"

The partners looked at one another then back to Hermione. "We'll be there," Harry answered for both of them. He grinned at Severus. "If only to protect Ron from being hexed by Snape."

"Send your note, dear," Minerva said. "Be sure you explain about the extra precautions as well. In the meantime, we need to ward the school against brooms landing as well. Lucius, Remus? If you'll come with me?"

Lucius stood and made a formal bow to the headmistress. "I am yours to command," he quipped.

Not to be outdone, Remus also stood. Instead of bowing however, he curtsied, causing gales of laughter to ripple through the room. "Always delighted to be of service," he said and grinned broadly.

Minerva hid a smile behind the bustle of picking up her notes and papers. "Hagrid, I expect you to follow Poppy's orders," she instructed the half-giant, still laying in the hospital bed. "I want you on your feet when Amos Diggory comes snooping around tomorrow."

"Is that wise, Minerva?" Severus asked. "I don't want to find myself whisked away to some dragon reserve in Wales."

"This is my home!" Athair asserted. "I am not leaving!"

"I fully agree with you, dragon," Severus said. "Perhaps, if Hagrid is feeling up to it, he might leave this afternoon and go to visit his brother? On the other side of the forest."

Minerva eyed Hagrid. "That might be for the best," she said, considering the pros and cons. "Poppy? Would Hagrid be up to a trip by this afternoon?"

"I believe so," Poppy said, smiling at Hagrid. "What do you say, Rubeus?"

"If'n it'll 'elp Athair, I'll go ter see Grawp," he answered. "Mind you, though, I expect ter be told wot 'appens while I'm gone."

"Agreed," Minerva said solemnly. "We'll get you started on your way this afternoon." She clapped her hands briskly. "All right, people, let's get started. We've a lot to do before morning."