Chapter 11 - DMLE, Cleaning and Capture

Hogwarts Castle, Somewhere in the Scottish Highlands

November 22nd, 1992, 9:31 PM

When Professors McGonagall and Sprout and their entourage entered the Great Hall, they noticed the heavy atmosphere. The group stood at the entrance of the Great Hall. Erik, having noticed them the moment they entered the castle through the floo, decided that it was a good opportunity to dissipate the heavy atmosphere.

"Ah, it seems that the good Aurors are here. Welcome to Hogwarts! Let me just finish here and I will be with you in a moment."

He said loudly to the group standing by the doors. That had the expected result. The heavy atmosphere slowly dissipated as students were turning their head to look at the newly arrived group. Erik then continued addressing the students and staff.

"Now, the questions will have to end here today. And since the Great Hall is not ideal for you all to rest after such a delicious feast, I believe that changes are necessary. Please, everyone stand up and go stand by the walls. Staff too. Come on, start moving."

The students and staff started to stand and walk to the nearest wall. It took some time, but soon the four great tables and staff table were empty and all the students and staff were standing up near the walls. Selena, Joan and Leona were by his side. Erik then spoke in a commanding voice.

"Hogwarts' Great Hall, change configuration to Great Lounge!"

And like a switch being flipped the four great tables and staff table, together with the benches and chairs, disappeared, and in their place appeared a very big and comfortable looking lounge. The stone floor was covered by dozens of carpets. Over it was a big assortment of sofas, armchairs and colorful beanbags, all of them circling a lot of low coffee tables. And on each table was at least a tea set, some plates with assorted biscuits, and group games sets, like chess and exploding snap. Even the staff area on the elevated platform had its own group of armchairs, including a big reinforced one to the 3,5 meters high groundskeeper. The population of the now Great Lounge was awestruck. The students didn't know that the Great Hall could do that. The staff didn't know either.

"I didn't know that the Great Hall could do that!"

Exclaimed a wide eyed Albus Dumbledore. Erik didn't even look at him and answered.

"You would, if you had read the documentation available to all Headmasters."

Dumbledore did at least have the courage to avert his eyes and look ashamed. Erik continued, now addressing everyone while smiling.

"Now this is a better environment to relax after a nice dinner. Come on, everybody, take a seat and relax, there's tea and games available. Be welcome to mingle with other houses too, there's no reason to isolate yourselves to ¾ of the population. Just remember that the wards are up and already working. Professors, I leave the Great Lounge in your hands, just remember that Dumbledore is not the Headmaster anymore."

The last bit was told to the staff, the students already starting to take seats and talk.

"Professor Flitwick, Head of Slytherin House, if you could accompany me, please, we have dormitories to clean."

Both professors walked to Erik. Selena, Joan and Leona were already by his side. Erik then walked to the now Great Lounge entrance to meet the invited party.

"If you all could follow me, please, I believe that here is not the best place for introductions and briefing."

Erik exited the Great Lounge and waited for the group near the Great Staircase. They quickly position themselves around him. Erik's girls by his side. He then started the introductions.

"Good evening, ladies and gentlemen, I thank you all for arriving on such short notice. My name is Erik Ravenclaw, Lord of Ravenclaw and Hogwarts' castle. By my side, I have my wives, Lady Selena Ravenclaw, Joan of Arc, and Leona Da Vinci."

Presenting each of his ladies, Erik finished his introduction. A woman with red hair, a monocle, and red robes started their introduction.

"Good evening, I'm Amelia Bones, Director of the Department of Magic Law Enforcement. With me, I have Master Aurors Alastor Moody and Gawain Robards, Senior Aurors Kinglsey Shacklebot and Connie Hammer, and Trainee Auror Nymphadora Tonks."

Director Bones concluded, presenting each red robed member of the group, the last one being a young woman with pink hair that seemed to change the color of her hair to a darker one when her name was said, quickly returning to the pink afterwards. Taking the cue, one of three Unspeakables said, shortly.

"I'm Croaker, he is Gibber, and he is Buzzer."

'That was too short!'

Was what passed in everyone's heads.

"So, Lord Ravenclaw, you can start by explaining the reason for the call, I mean a complete one. I got a resume from Professors McGonagall and Sprout."

Nodding his head, Erik started the explanation.

"You see Director Bones, this is the situation that we have in our hands… "

And Erik started to explain the first attack on Halloween night, the attack that occurred yesterday, his arrival, the student's interrogation, and his reactivation of the castle's wards.

"... And the main group of wards after being reactivated returned some disturbing results. The Slytherin's monster can wait right now, our main concern is the safety of the students. And for that to happen we have to clean the dormitories. We have an animagus hiding in Gryffindor tower, some minor malicious artifacts and two class 5 dark artifacts, and one of them is in the Gryffindor tower too."

Director Bones was ready to explode. The other Aurors were wearing serious faces, understanding the situation very well.

"Lord Ravenclaw, are you saying that there were two attacks in the castle that imitated a series of attacks that happened forty five years ago that ended with a dead student and no auror was called?"

"Yes. That is exactly what I'm telling you, Director Bones. That, the hiding animagus, and the dark artifacts."

"I seriously doubt that my Susan would not have written about the first attack to me. Where is Headmaster Dumbledore?"

She spoke the man's name with venom in her tongue. Erik calmly answered her.

"Albus Dumbledore is currently in the Great Lounge, and he is not the Headmaster of Hogwarts anymore. He was suspended indefinitely for breach in the school charter, and I'm seriously thinking of charging the 'old boy' with almost 700 counts of child endangerment. And about 'your Susan's' letter, you haven't read about it because of one of the wards that I took down earlier. Its objective was to control information. It applied a notice-me-not charm in certain parts of the letter pertaining to certain information, in this case, the attacks that happened in the castle."

"I will strangle that man with his beard!"

Director Bones righteously said.

"Director Bones, while I agree that the man needs a 'wake me up' kick, he is not going anywhere. The Great Lounge is sealed with a barrier that allows nobody to enter or exit without being authorized by me. No means of transportation would work. We need to focus on securing the Dormitories for the students. When they are safe, then you are free to kick the man's ass to kingdom come if you want."

Erik said, trying to calm the woman and make her focus. Amelia took a deep breath and managed to calm.

"Thank you, Lord Ravenclaw. Let's start then."

Erik noded to the woman.

"You're welcome. Let's start, shall we? Gryffindor Tower first!"

All members agreed with him, and followed Erik up the stairs.

Climbing to the seventh, the group walk through a long corridor passing by dozens of portraits and tapestries. The portraits all waved to Erik and Selena, who greeted them back. Arriving almost to the corridor's end, the group stops by the big portrait of a big lady wearing a pink dress, the Fat Lady portrait, and Gryffindor's Common Room entrance.

"Good evening, Elizabeth, would you please grant us passage?"

"Good evening, my lord, my lady. Of course I would! And welcome back to Hogwarts."

Answered the excited portrait, opening with a 'click' sound.

Erik entered the Common Room, followed closely by the group. He immediately waved his hand, sealing the male dormitory, while looking around the lavish red and gold decorated room.

"It hasn't changed in the last 240 years…"

He commented in a low voice. The Aurors that heard that, cocked their heads wondering how he would know that. Turning back to face the group, Erik retrieved a pair of dark blue leather gloves from a pocket inside his suit and said while wearing them.

"Aurors, please, prepare an evidence bag."

Finishing, he looked up to the room's chandelier and a blue aura encompassed his body. He started floating and quickly reached the chandelier height. Maneuvering, Erik approached the chains that held the chandelier to the roof and removed a big metallic hook that was hidden between the links in a way that the people below could not notice.

Floating back, Erik cautiously dropped the big metallic hook inside a plastic like zip lock bag that Auror Hammer was holding while dumbly looking at him. The other Aurors were the same. The Unspeakable' faces couldn't be seen, while the professors were almost immune to Lord Ravenclaw's antics at this point.

"That's minus one… Two to go."

Director Bones woke up with that.

"Right. Auror, catalogue the item. Croaker, could your boys have any idea of the objective of the artifact?"

Croaker noded to another Unspeakable, Gibber, who moved to the bag holding the artifact. He took his wand out and waved it silently over the bag that Auror Hammer was holding. Fifteen second after he stopped the motions and went back to his place while saying.

"It's a distrust artifact. Long exposure to the field that it emanates results in increased distrust of the exposed to a target."

Auror Hammer noted everything said in a parchment and stuck it to the bag, depositing it inside a mokeskin pouch that Auror Robards were holding.

"The animagus now? Professor McGonagall, follow us too, please."

Director Bones nodded and followed Erik to the male dormitory entrance, signaling her Aurors to follow. Professor McGonagall was behind them. Before starting the climb, Erik remembered them.

"Please silence your shoes. Most animals have enhanced senses."

Director Bones, the Aurors and the Professor did exactly that with a wave of their wands. Auror Hammer stood behind, waiting, just like the rest of the group.

Erik, Amelia, Robards, Shacklebolt, Moody, Tonks and Minerva climbed and walked silently until they arrived at a door that had on it a plaque reading '2nd Year'. With a minimal wave of his hand, Erik sealed the room and addressed the followers.

"The room is sealed, no sound enters and no one exits. The show is yours, Director Bones."

He then moved behind the group, together with Professor McGonagall. Amelia noded and signaled her Aurors.

"Take 'break in' formation. Minerva, what can we expect inside."

"The room is circular, with five poster beds, each with a bedside table, a small closet, an individual table, and a chair. Probably a trunk at the foot of the beds. Three of the five students that live inside have pets, one is in the owlery, and I suppose the other two are in the room."

Hearing the expected layout and in position the Aurors receive Amelia's signal and breach the room. Shacklebolt goes first, shielding the entrance, Moody goes in second, right behind casting a wide area live revealing charm. Then Robards and Tonks go in, casting stunners in any signal of life revealed.

"Clear!"

With a shout from Moody, Amelia enters the room followed by Professor McGonagall and Erik.

"Two results, lass."

Said Moody. In Tonks' hands were a stunned toad. And in Robards', were a stunned rat.

"Moody, identify them."

Moody casts a spell on the toad that makes it glows green, then turns to the rat and casts the same spell, resulting in a red glow this time and making Robards secure the rat more firmly in his hands. Robards then says, while Tonks deposited the poor stunned toad back in his terrarium.

"The rat was in that messy bed behind me."

"That would be Ronald Weasley's bed."

Erik notices that of the five beds, two are well made, and one of them was the bed of the toad's owner. The rat owner's bed was the messier one.

"Director, there's no rat animagus registered in the ministry."

Shacklebolt says to Amelia, who nods at that.

"Let's undo the transformation in the Common Room, there's more space there."

Amelia says and the Aurors nod, exiting the room and walking to the Common Room. Erik and Minerva follow them.

Arriving in the common room with the rat, Shacklebolt puts the rat on the floor in the center of the common room and the aurors form a circle around him, while Erik, his three girls, and the four professors are in the back, watching. The Unspeakables are at the side, observing with wands in hand.

"Ready?"

Amelia asks, and with the Aurors pointing their wands at the rat, she casts a spell to revert the animagus transformation on the rat. The reversal happens in a bizarre show, revealing a ratty ugly balding wizard, and Moody, being Moody, fires another stunner at the ratty wizard.

"Constant Vigilance!"

He says with a snarl to his trainee and protegeé, Tonks.

Professor McGonagall, seeing the face of the ratty man, gasps.

"That's impossible!"

"What's impossible, Minerva?"

Amelia asks her.

"That's Peter Petigrew, he should have been dead!"

One of Amelia's brows goes up at that, and Professor Snape moves to have a better vision. Looking at the double stunned ratty man, he nods.

"Indeed, it is Petigrew. It seems that Black is incompetent as ever."

Having the identity of the man confirmed, Selena says from the back, at Erik's side, and with mirth in her eyes.

"He seems very alive to me~."

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a/n: Please notice that Erik knows what the artifact did, and which 'pet' was the animagus. He didn't say anything because he knows that the Aurors must follow protocol, and he wanted to observe if they would. It was kind of a test for Amelia and her Aurors.