Harrigan Peverell scowled at the innocent floor of a random corridor in Hogwarts. He was on his way to the Headmaster's office, the man having summoned him like one of the regular staff, no doubt to throw a fit at the arrival after the holidays of a newly-bonded and obviously pregnant Sirius Black-Malfoy. Luckily he had been able to give Orion a head's up that this was likely to happen, so he had sent a flash of Floo powder to the Black Manor, a pre-arranged signal that he was being summoned.

No doubt the Headmaster thought he would be able to question and railroad Harrigan on his own. He would be getting a rude disappointment in the arrival of Sirius' very protective sire and a reminder of whom Harrigan represented. Harrigan's bad mood was only enhanced by his current work, he had been interviewing students that the Marauders and their Slytherin friends recommended and he was getting an alarming picture of the going ons in Hogwarts these days.

Reaching the gargoyle that guarded the Headmaster's office he glowered at the creature. He refused to use the silly password passed on by Professor Filius Flitwick, instead snapping, "Lord Harrigan Peverell, representative of the Board of Governors."

The door sprang aside, seeming to sense his growing bad mood. Harrigan stalked gracefully up the winding staircase, reaching the door and giving one firm rap to announce his presence. A cheerful 'come in!' made him stop, take a deep breath and force the tense muscles in his body to relax.

He strolled into the room, giving away nothing of the fact that he had wanted to just draw his wand and hex the old man into oblivion moments before. The room was cluttered with books and trinkets, the revered Sorting Hat delegated to being squashed on a shelf, bent almost double. Next to the desk covered in papers and a large bowl of sweets was a wood perch upon which rested Fawkes, a phoenix of legend. Harrigan studied the bird's brilliant plumage for a moment before he strolled up to the Headmaster's desk.

Noting the absence of chairs he flicked his wand, transfiguring an elegant wood chair with a high back. He sat, noting with some pleasure the discreet flick of annoyance in the Headmaster's blue eyes. "You summoned me?" Harrigan asked dryly.

Albus cleared his throat. "Yes, I did. I couldn't help but notice the elder Black's new ring and obvious condition. Now Sirius Black has always been--,"

"Black-Malfoy," Harrigan interrupted smoothly. "As you said, the ring is quite new, but he deserves the courtesy of using his proper name, even if he is absent."

The annoyance in Dumbledore's eyes grew. "Yes," he flicked his hand as if it were inconsequential, "Black-Malfoy. Now, as I was saying. Sirius Black-Malfoy has always been a favorite student of the staff, he is talented in the field of Transfiguration as well. As it stands, however, it is against school rules for a pregnant student to attend Hogwarts. As is, he will have to leave the school. I do feel for him, seeing as he is scheduled to graduate this June, but the rules must be kept."

Harrigan was just opening his mouth to reply to the bunch of lies Dumbledore was spewing when there was a firm rap on the door. He closed his mouth, just keeping the smirk from his lips. Perfect timing.

"Who is there?" Dumbledore called impatiently.

The door opened. Harrigan would not have missed this moment for anything to see the expression that crossed Dumbledore's face when the elegant, impressive form of Lord Orion Black was revealed behind the door. Disbelief and irritation chased each other across the man's face for a moment before irritation dominated, only doubling when Orion strolled up and conjured a duplicate of Harrigan's chair.

"Lord Orion, your timing is impeccable. We were just discussing Sirius. The Headmaster seems to think that it is against school rules for a pregnant student to attend Hogwarts. He was just about to kick him out and refuse his graduation."

Orion scowled, an openly annoyed expression on his face. "I don't know who you think you are, Albus, but the school charter holds the rules for the running of Hogwarts, not each individual Head. All of us in this room know that there is nothing in the Charter against a pregnant student finishing out the year. As it stands, the Board of Governors interviewed my son and has agreed that he may graduate so long as he passes his tests, which he will. His practicals have already been scheduled since the unborn will be messing with his magic by May, but he will easily sit the written exams with his fellow students."

So there! Harrigan added in his head, greatly amused by Orion's annoyed/scolding tone. Albus looked increasingly unhappy and finally stated in a dismissive tone of voice, "So you have reminded me. Thank you, that is all."

Orion scowled at the rude dismissal, but Harrigan stood gracefully, looping his arm through Orion's and steering the slightly hot-headed Lord away from an infuriating old man. They exited the office, walked down the spiral staircase, and only once the gargoyle closed did Orion let go of an explosive, angry sigh.

"That man needs to be removed," he growled furiously, once Harrigan had thrown up a quick privacy shield.

"He will be," Harrigan soothed, touching his fiancé's arm. "With the information I have been getting over the past few days from the Board he will be out of here just after Sirius and the rest graduate. We will have to wait until then, I want that report to have the most possible impact. First, we need to get him out of the Wizengamot and we both know he'll do that himself easily enough."

Orion relaxed. "It's that damaging?"

Harrigan chuckled, "Love, if he is not thrown out on his arse without so much as a severance pay I will be very surprised. And no, I can't show you the details," he added at the man's hopeful look.

"Tease," Orion grumbled, but he was looking much happier.

"You love it," Harrigan laughed back.

Orion sighed, kissed Harrigan firmly, and said, "Be careful, I imagine he's in a foul mood right now."

"Oh, I would bet on it. Don't worry about me, you just concentrate on convincing those last few Lords we need to get him out."

Orion departed, leaving Harrigan in the corridor. He removed the privacy shield and headed for his office, not only to resume work on his report but to grade a few papers as well. He crinkled his nose slightly, at least these papers were older years. They shouldn't have as many grammar and spelling errors. Hopefully.

________________________________________

All of their planning, all of the research and it was going to end like this. Harrigan wanted to burst out laughing, but it would be strange with the serious mood that had fallen amongst him and his companions, not to mention the Aurors that would be arriving soon would look at him like he was going insane. Instead, Harrigan leveled his wand carefully, pointing it directly into the eyes of his defeated opponent.

Eyes filled with crazed hatred, silky black hair, fine features. If not for the spark of insanity in the blue eyes (blue? No, crimson, bright, and bloody), the man who called himself 'Lord Voldemort' might be considered handsome. Such an odious, strange title for a half-blood wizard with a decent given name. Harrigan mused on what had made Tom Marvolo Riddle decide on his title, other than the fact that it was a convenient anagram of his full name.

He wondered what moment of insanity had given Riddle the idea that he could attack and take Black Manor of all places. Sliding a glance sideways at Cygnus Black, pinned on his knees with Orion's wand in his face, his doubt slid away. Greed had been Cygnus' downfall and he had dragged his precious 'Dark Lord' with him. Harrigan snorted to himself, staring at the upstart little 'Lord' himself.

Charismatic he may have been, but his campaign had been short-lived, to say the least. Harrigan wondered what fate awaited Riddle, it was a shame he had started this fight of hate and intolerance to begin with, a man like him could have gone far in just about any career. Prefect, Head Boy, top of his class, the last direct descendant of Salazar Slytherin himself. The world could have been his oyster.

The fight had been short but brutal, the moment Orion had realized his wards were being attacked he had called Lucien and Abraxas over to the Manor, then Harrigan. Abraxas had brought Lucius with him, the young man proving that he was talented and dedicated to his dueling abilities. Harrigan was very glad that the men around him had not been converted to this terrorist's campaign. He had the Selwyns, Crabbes, Goyles, and Parkinsons but none of these families stood out to wizarding society, the Crabbes and Goyles hardly had a brain between them.

Those four pureblood families, in particular, had just committed social suicide. While they may eventually be able to slide back into their former places of the hierarchy, not one of the other families would ever forget that they had been part of the failed attempt of a madman, bowing at the feet of a half-blood no less.

The Aurors appeared in a series of rapid 'cracks', breaking Harrigan out of his musing. A man with dark eyes and hair moved rapidly in his direction, bearing a few scars across his face and arms. He stared at the man in front of Harrigan and exclaimed, "Voldemort!"

"Thomas Marvolo Riddle, actually," Harrigan stated casually, "a half-blood. We've been doing a bit of research into his background. We hoped to be able to take him out on his own turf, but he rather foolishly decided to attack Black Manor instead."

"Well done, I'm thoroughly impressed," the man growled. He looked around, spotting the rest of the man's so-called 'Death Eaters'. "Got the whole lot of them, seems like. This will be a big relief to the Ministry. Alastor Moody, Head of the First Response Auror team."

"Lord Harrigan Peverell, a pleasure I'm sure. Now, not that I am attempting to do your job for you, but do you happen to have magical restraint cuffs for this particular individual on hand?"

Moody barked out a laugh. "I sure do, and I don't blame you for making sure. I doubt you want to have to do this all over again."

"No, not particularly," Harrigan replied dryly, keeping his wand focused on Riddle while Moody applied the cuffs. He handed over the man's pure white wand, moving in Orion's direction. The man had a shallow cut on his shoulder, superficial at the worst.

He let go of a sigh of relief and wrapped his arms around the man, ignoring their company. Orion's returning grip was just as strong as always, maybe a bit more so as he got over the shock and adrenaline of the sudden battle.

As their other companions gathered around Harrigan turned in Orion's arms enough to watch the Aurors gather together the heads of families and their precious 'Lord'. After agreeing to give a statement tomorrow at the latest the Aurors departed, prisoners in hand.

There was a moment of silence before Harrigan stated, "Did any of you think it would end up being this anti-climatic after all of our research?"

A bubble of slightly hysterical laughter broke out as they all reacted to the relief of it being over. Just like that, the minor threat that had been 'Lord Voldemort' was removed on February 23rd, 1978.