I do not own Harry Potter or it's characters, this is merely a work of fanfiction.

There is discussion of werewolf packs in this chapter. I stray from the model of werewolves laid out in canon. That is on purpose. We have departed pretty far from canon in most respects, and this is likewise a departure. Hope you like it.

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Lord Arthur Weasley watched the owl swoop out of his office, and head back towards Hogwarts. He had just gotten word from his daughter Ginny that she wished to spend her winter holidays at Malfoy Manor with her good friend Lady Potter.

Apparently they had grown quite close, and Lady Potter considered her a sister.

He had of course given his consent, though it saddened his heart that he would barely see his youngest child over the break.

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Fred passed Ginny a package across the train compartment. They had pulled her in here as she walked down the train corridor. They wanted to make sure they got to give her their present in person.

"What is it?" Ginny questioned as she took the parcel from Fred.

They had a nasty habit of making prank products, and she did not want to be on the receiving end of one. George gave her a reassuring smile.

"It's not a prank, I promise."

Ginny opened the wrapping to find a journal that looked like it was handmade. It had a leather cover, and a leather tie that wrapped around it's center.

"A journal?"

"A journal she says," Fred teased, "that is no ordinary journal, baby sister. That is an enchanted journal. If you write in it, and then tap it three times with your wand, it will show up in the matching journals. We sent a copy to Charlie and Bill as well. If Ron and Perce ever stop being tossers we can make them a copy too."

Ginny didn't know what to say. It was the most perfect gift. She would be able to keep touch with her brothers even when they were separated, and no one would be able to interfere. A thought stopped her in her tracks.

"What happens if someone else tries to read them?"

"This is the particularly brilliant part," George told her, "if someone other than us tries to open the journals, it just insults them. It's keyed into our magical signatures. We got the idea from...well nevermind where we got the idea from, but it works."

"Thank you," Ginny told them with a grateful smile.

The twins shrugged, though they were gloating internally. They were ecstatic that they had finally been able to replicate some of the magic that had been used to make the Marauder's Map. It had taken hours of experimentation.

"Do you think she's going to make a terrible scene?" Ginny asked.

"Maybe Gin, but she can't make you do anything. Dad gave you his permission, and he is the head of the house. Just go and have fun with your friends."

Ginny gave them both grateful hugs. They were the best brothers a girl could ask for.

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The train was slowing down as it approached the station.

Sally rearranged herself around Holly's arm once again. She could sense the tension in the air, even if she didn't understand exactly what was going on.

"Mother and Father will be waiting for us. Just stay close to us, and it will be fine," Holly instructed.

Ginny nodded from where she sat beside Theo and Blaise. Theo had a steely glint in his eye. Blaise and he had taken a liking to Ginny. She was headstrong, and very funny.

He knew his own father, Lady Zabini, Lord Black, and the Malfoys would be present on the platform waiting for them. Lady Weasley had something else coming if she thought she could force their friend into something.

When the train stopped, Holly offered Ginny her hand, and she took it gratefully. Holly didn't want to take any chances, if she had a physical hold on Ginny, she couldn't be whisked away. Draco held Holly's other hand as he always did.

Blaise and Theo exited the train ahead of them, while Vince and Greg took up the rear guard.

The smoke was thick on the platform, but Lord Malfoy's tall form stood out amongst the crowd. He and Blaise led the group, and soon enough they were surrounded by the large group of parents.

In her excitement Holly let go of Ginny and Draco's hand and rushed to hug her Mother and Father. She never felt more safe than when she was home within the ancestral wards of the Manor, but being in their arms was a close second.

"Welcome home little one," Lord Malfoy chuckled, amused at her exuberance. Ginny watched on bashfully as Draco too went to hug his parents. They seemed so happy to see each other, and Ginny felt a slight twinge that her family did not feel the same. They must be here somewhere.

Lady Malfoy's eyes searched their group, and finally found the form of Miss Weasley standing awkwardly by herself. She smiled kindly at her, and waved her over.

"Miss Weasley, isn't it? It's our pleasure to host you this Yule."

Ginny smiled back gratefully, "You can call me Ginny."

Her robes were nicer than what she wore in Diagon Alley, and Lady Malfoy realized with pride that Holly must have helped her order them. Her hair was also up as it should be. Lady Malfoy was incredibly proud of Holly.

Theo kept a wary eye on his friend as she met the Malfoy's. He had seen The Weasley's not far off on the platform, though he knew she hadn't seen them. Draco appeared to have spotted them too, because he locked eyes with Theo and nodded. Draco had his own fears about what Holly might do if faced with an irate Lady Weasley.

Draco turned to nod at his father, cutting his eyes over to where the group of redheads stood. Lord Malfoy nodded his understanding, and began to round up the children to leave. They made their way towards the exit, when a shrill tone stopped them in their tracks.

"GINERVA WEASLEY!" a shrill voice screeched. Draco instinctively took a step in front of Holly, shielding her from danger. She flinched when she heard the scream, as she used to when she first came to live with them, and it had not gone unnoticed by any of the Malfoy's.

Lady Molly Weasley appeared in front of them, her husband approaching behind her, a look of great frustration on his face.

"How dare you not come home for Christmas! Do you know who these people are?!"

Ginny rolled her eyes. Her Mother always was one for hysterics. Lord Weasley came to stand beside his wife, their children hanging back a bit.

"Molly, leave her alone. She is free to spend time with her friends, if she wishes."

"But-"

"No," Lord Weasley interrupted her, "that is quite enough. Ginny, have fun. We love you, and will see you in the summer."

Lord Weasley could see a reporter from the Dailey Prophet further down the platform, and he hoped to avoid a scene that would land them in the paper.

He nodded at Lord Malfoy. He didn't like the man, but he had clearly taken good care of Lady Potter and Heir Malfoy. He would make sure Ginny was well taken care of while in his care. Lord Malfoy looked surprised for a mere second before he returned the nod.

Holly watched from behind Draco's shoulder. She hadn't felt this vulnerable in ages, and she hated it. When she heard Lady Weasley scream though, it had been an automatic reaction, something she couldn't help.

As they turned to leave, Lady Weasley made to grab Ginny by her elbow and wrench her back, but her bracelet activated and threw her mother backwards. A flash of light went off as she flew backwards down the platform.

The Daily Prophet reporter had snapped a photo just as Lady Weasley was thrown back.

Lord Weasley was shocked by his wife's behavior, and by Ginny wearing a protection bracelet. It wasn't tied to his magic, so it must be tied to another family's magic. So much had occurred that he had no idea of. He knelt beside his wife, who seemed unconscious but otherwise unharmed.

He turned to look at Ginny who was standing there in shock. She held onto the hand of Lady Potter. He assumed the bracelet must be tied to her family's magic.

"Go Gin, it's okay," he said softly. He didn't know what had occurred between his wife and daughter, but clearly they weren't on good terms. Protection bracelets didn't react like that unless the person was threatened.

He would get to the bottom of this if it killed him. Ginny was his daughter, and he would protect her as well as he could.

Ginny nodded tearily, and followed the Malfoy's out of the station.

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Ginny was thrilled with Malfoy Manor, it was absolutely gorgeous. When she was shown her rooms, she gasped in open shock. She was pretty sure that her bedroom was bigger than the kitchen and living room at the Burrow combined.

She was still shaken from the interaction at the platform, though she tried to hide it. She had never had such a hostile interaction with her parents, though she was pleasantly surprised by how her father had defended her.

Lady Malfoy offered her a sleeping potion after a splendid dinner and she took it gratefully, sleeping into a peaceful slumber.

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Holly sighed as she sat down on the sofa in her father's study.

"Are you okay?" Draco asked, as he sat beside her. Holly had tried to act as if everything was fine, but he noted the tension in her shoulders, and the occasional sparks in her braids. She was stressed.

They had come to the study after Ginny went to bed so they could talk about family business privately. They may like Ginny, but that didn't mean she needed to know all of their secrets.

"I don't like feeling helpless," Holly admitted with a shrug.

"You are never helpless, dear. Remember that," Lady Malfoy told her from her spot on the facing sofa.

"But I just stood there behind Draco," Holly protested.

"And what were you supposed to do?" Lord Malfoy questioned. "Attack a fully grown witch in public, in front of scores of witnesses? No, no, there's no need for that. The protection bracelet did it's job, but even if it didn't, you have us. There's no need to fight battles on your own."

Lady Malfoy nodded her assent as she took a sip of her drink that Mipsy had so kindly provided. Holly took a sip of her hot cocoa, and thought about their words. Maybe they were right. Her acting rashly would surely only end in disaster.

"Now, my dear, I believe you asked me to look into the Longbottom's."

Holly's eyes snapped to Lord Malfoy. She had been wondering about this.

"Now, it has been hard to arrange, but I have managed to have Healer Tonks appointed to do the Auror physicals this year. He will thoroughly check them for enchantments, and potions. If anyone has tampered with them, we will know by the end of the week."

Holly sagged in relief. She was sure there was something not right there. The Alice her mother had written about was strong, brave, and honorable. She never would have allowed Holly to live with the Dursleys, and she certainly never would have neglected her son.

"Thank Magic," she muttered as she took a sip of her cocoa.

"Lord Nott will be coming over to collaborate with you later in the break. He has located his journal from the year Tom unlocked the Chamber, and is doing some research."

Draco nodded. He hated all this business with the Chamber, but supposed it couldn't be avoided.

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Headmaster Albus Dumbledore groaned as he looked at the front page of the Daily Prophet. There for the entire magical world to see was a moving photo of Lady Weasley being blasted back from her own daughter after attempting to grab her by the elbow. The young girl had used no magic, both her hands were visible and there was a wand in neither.

It was the protection bracelet that she wore on her wrist that had dealt the blow. In the background were the Malfoy's, who the girl was clearly travelling with. Lady Holly Potter stood behind Heir Malfoy as if she was scared of Lady Weasley.

It didn't paint a good picture of the long time Dumbledore supporters. Her credibility was ruined.

What would it say to the public that Lady Weasley's own daughter saw her as a threat?

Nothing good.

Perhaps it was time he prepared to pursue his goals outside of Hogwarts, at least until Lady Potter got older, and could understand sense.

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Healer Tonks took a deep breath as he entered the Ministry of Magic. He didn't come here often, and he didn't want to. He couldn't care less for politics. He was a private Healer for a handful of wealthy families, mostly ones that he had connections to in some way.

Lord Malfoy had asked him, to take this job, as a personal favor. He couldn't refuse, the man was his brother-in-law, and one of his best clients. Apparently Lady Potter had expressed concern about the well-being of her godmother.

Lord Malfoy told him in the strictest confidence that she suspected Headmaster Dumbledore had orchestrated the whole thing.

It was possible. He and Andromeda had never put much faith in the man, and had stayed out of The War as much as possible. He had certainly tried to guilt Dromeda enough to garner his suspicion.

He made his way up to the Auror Department quickly. He adjusted his bag on his shoulder, as the lift rose. He had brought a broad spectrum of antidotes, just in case Lady Potter's worst fears were justified.

He found the Head Auror's office and knocked on the door.

"Come in!" a voice beckoned him. He entered quickly, and shut the door behind him. He found Head Auror's Lord and Lady Longbottom sitting at their desks. They were both reading over parchments, and only bothered to look up for a cursory glance before returning their eyes to their work.

Well that was more than a little rude. Perhaps they were just busy with work.

"Which one of you would like to go first?"

Lord Longbottom raised his hand, and Healer Tonks went to his desk. The Head Auror continued scribbling at the parchment in front of him. Healer Tonks took out his wand and ran the diagnostic spell he always did when examining a new patient.

Physically, things looked normal, excellent even, but something was off in the Head Auror's mental scan. Something had been done to him. The scan couldn't detect the origins, but Healer Tonks would guess it was a mixture of a powerful spell, and potions.

He pulled out his wand and sent his patronus to three Auror's- Lord Shacklebolt, Mad-Eye-Moody, and his daughter Tonks. He knew he could trust them, and he would need their assistance. The treatment itself would make the Longbottom's very sick before it took effect.

Not only that, but he needed someone else to be able to verify his results. A moment later Auror's Lord Shacklebolt, Mad-Eye-Moody, and his daughter Nymphadora strode into the office.

"What's all this?" Lord Longbottom asked. His wife paused in her scribbling and looked up at their visitors.

Healer Tonks showed the results of the test to Mad-Eye-Moody, who looked at it in shock and outrage.

"Someone's potioned you Frank. The healer will have to treat it right away."

Healer Tonks pulled several antidotes out of his bag. It would take a combination of things to fix this, since they didn't know the source. It wouldn't be pleasant for the Longbottom's, but it would heal them.

"That's not possible!" Lord Longbottom raved, rising to his feet. Lady Longbottom rose to hers as well, but before either could do a thing, Lord Shacklebolt had disarmed them both.

"Sorry, Alice, Frank, but I'll tie you up if I have to. This is a security risk until you've been healed, and the source found."

Healer Tonks handed three vials to Lord Longbottom who took them with a scowl.

"Fine!"

He downed the bottles quickly. For a few seconds he was fine. Then he turned suddenly, and ran to a waste basket next to his desk, and started hurling violently. Lady Longbottom looked on in shock. Healer Tonks was already beside her, running the same diagnostic spell he had run on Lord Longbottom.

He handed the results to Mad-Eye-Moody who scowled. The scan showed even more clouding in Alice's mind than in Frank's. Someone must have really dosed her.

"Prepare yourself," Moody grunted out. This wouldn't be pretty.

Lady Longbottom took the bottles when she was handed them, and downed them quickly. She too ran to her wastebasket, and began to expel the contents of her stomach.

Healer Tonks went to stand beside the assembled Auror's.

"They're going to be like this for a while," he told them.

"Any clue who did this?" Moody asked.

"Lady Potter has expressed concern that Headmaster Dumbledore may have been involved. It was actually thanks to her that I was even sent here today. There's been some kind of unpleasantness between them, but no one quite knows why. It's very obvious she doesn't trust him."

Mad-Eye looked at Lord Shacklebolt, and then his young protege. Neither seemed shocked by this news, and instead considered it credible. He rarely partook in idle gossip, but if Nymphadora thought it was credible, he might better pay attention.

"I think it's time we get the Minister of Magic involved. We'll need his help if we're to have a fair trial or investigation. Nymphadora and Kingsley, you stay here. I'm taking Healer Tonks with me to see the Minister, and then we're going to arrest the Headmaster."

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At Longbottom Manor, an owl pecked on the window of Dowager Longbottom's bedroom. She rose from bed, and made her way to the window. She opened it, and a burst of cold air flew in with the owl.

Dowager Longbottom wrapped her robe tighter around her body, and removed the letter from the leg of the owl. It quickly flew back out the window into the cold, and she closed it tightly behind him.

She read it quickly, and when she was done she dropped it on her bed and rushed to her closet.