Another ending

17 Planning and apologies

Jake's POV

I don't know what happened but while I was chilling around inside the ruins of the Siren colony, I felt one of my scales dissappear. However I wasn't alarmed as it was more precisely used and not destroyed. Meaning that the student wasn't in any danger.

"Hogwarts? What happened?" I asked just to be sure.

'Your scale got dissolved when it got in contact with a pensive Hadrian. Some wanted to mourn you with their memories.' was what the castle told me.

'I see.. fine then.' I thought thinking nothing more of it. I was busy talking with the Sirens and the actual kraken that resided down here in the water. The sirens are actually friendly once you get to know them, they are like tsundere Slytherin's. As for the kraken he's totally chill, reminds me of a Hufflepuff. He told me how he often wants to greet the newcomers when they come across the lake but some teachers were against it and hurt him with fire spells in return.

I decided that once the war is over I'll take care of his wish. I also promised the Sirens some things. I learned that they like Singing just as much as their relatives the mermaids but are avoided because of their looks. I proposed to get students to come and hear them with the bubblespell that Victor used. They were happy with that suggestion and we spent the rest of the day singing underwater.

Sometimes the scales I gave the Dementor ladies also activate and I help them with their troubles or questions. Most of the time I'm just their translator but I don't mind, they're quite nice. I would even willingly go to Azkaban now to spent time with them. They even asked me some things about the prisoners. They really didn't know much about the effects their presence had on them. They were sad to hear that the 'cold' aura they exude harms others but I told them something that might help.

At night they even visit me when I swim above the lakes surface or for a night flight. All in all I like it but I can't help but want to properly help Hogwarts. It makes me mad everytime when I think about it or overhear the students in the Slytherin common room about how their day went. However I have the slightest of impressions that something is afoot.

Tom's POV

We held a discussion with the Hogwarts's staff and all the students that were still present. Which was quite awkward in my opinion, we all bantered back and forth with Severus in the middle together with some of my DE's kids.

Anyway in the end it was decided that while the teachers were to go to Gringotts as well and get checked for any similar things. On our part, I openly told them about my plans of just wanting to deal with Dumbledore. Honestly, he is the only one I'm after now that Harry is presumably dead. Why I say presumably? Because I find the least thing we saw very strange, whatever he then transformed into was moving so it let's me hope that he might still be alive and just in hiding.

If that's the case all the more reason to somehow tell him that it's save or to give a sign that he is indeed alive. I also told the Longbottom's kid that I'd take a look at his parents while - seeing how he's so timid and wary of others - Lord Nott takes a look at the kids home. I'm starting to think we should do something like home inspections when we run the ministry seeing how the kids behave so.. warily.

Lucius saw my expression and allowed a small hole in his Occlumency walls so I could talk to him. 'We need to put more Child-protection laws in place once we took care of Dumbledore'.

'I agree. Some of the students here behave oddly from their houses expectations. That Neville Longbottom for example seems more like a Hufflepuff to me. It might've been Dumbledore's doing. Manipulating the students placement.. in a sense he manipulated Potter into getting sorted into Griffindor instead, which was as we had seen, the worst option for him.' he told me.

'Indeed, enough is enough. However, it's seriously beyond my expectations we might have found some allies in light wizards. And a whole school at that! Well.. except a few but those are in too deep. They might be sent to St. Mungos after Dumbledore's defeat.' I replied thinking of the others like that Ginny girl and his bad friends.

We planned a bit more while that weird student from Ravenclaw sometimes made weird comments. I have the slightest suspicion that she has potential as a seer but I won't pry on that. She once said "The lies will continue to burn till the world is laid bare." I can only assume that the profecy isn't over just yet which makes me excited.

My Pov

The students on the other hand discussed about what they overheard from the adults. The Slytherin's suggested bringing Jake into the game which attracted the other houses students attention and so they all huddled together and talked. It was odd for the teachers that sometimes looked over to see all 4 colours next to each other. With some groups they couldn't see what house they were from which got them thinking. If it weren't for the house-colours then the only thing they would see and think of would be children spending time together.

It wasn't only the teachers or staff that saw this, the death eaters also looked at the different groups where they saw their kids but didn't think anything of it as they didn't see.. The colours.

At some point they all (-Tom's group) went out of the ROR and behaved like usual to not arouse suspicions. However they very much acted with a joined plan. One that if successful, would be the puppet-masters downfall.