More Wondrous but Less Terrible
Disclaimer: I do not own the Potterverse!
Author's Note: Here is chapter two. It deals with the adults and their reactions but the rest of the story will focus on the teens.
Second Author's Note: Edited on 10/22/2016.
The next morning the adults woke up first. As the taller Unspeakable started to talk Cornelius Fudge interrupted, "Now see here my good man! I'm the Minister for Magic and I demand to know what's going on!"
The taller Unspeakable pushed back her hood to show a lovely face with long blond hair pulled back into a ponytail, "First of all, while I am good, I am not a man and I'm certainly not yours. Second, you should know that the head researcher of a subject in this department can give orders to anyone in their lab or project room, even the minister, if they deem it necessary to the safety or good health of those present. You three may be the heads of the executive, legislative, and judicial branches of the government but for your own safety please listen to what I have to say."
The Unspeakable took a deep breath but before she could say anything else Amelia Bones shouted, "I demand you take these three death eaters to holding cells!"
Sirius objected just as loudly, "I'm no death eater! I demand a trial and I want to give testimony under veritaserum!"
"You had a fair trial," Amelia said and would have continued but Fudge interrupted her.
"He didn't you know," Fudge said in a surprisingly mild voice. "My predecessor tried him in absentia and when he was caught he was sent straight to Azkaban. The records were sealed so that only a minister of magic could read them. He never had a, ahem, real trial at all, fair or foul."
"What!" Amelia shouted and started to leave the bed. However as soon as she lost all contact with Sirius they both screamed in pain and started convulsing. The shorter unspeakable lifted her back onto Sirius and they both sighed in relief.
The tall blonde unspeakable gestured at them, "Unless the rest of you wish to know what that felt like I suggest you be quiet and listen." She paused and when no one made to speak she continued, "All of you still here are in the process of being soul bound. You cannot reverse it and any attempt to break the bond will result in the death of both of the partners. It will only break naturally and without consequence upon the natural death of one partner. You must remain in physical contact with your partner until the first phase of the process is complete or you will suffer extreme pain until you are again contact. For adults we can accurately predict the time it takes for phase one and according to our calculations you will be past the first phase in four hours."
"Might I ask what the second phase is?" asked Dumbledore.
"You may and I will even answer," she replied with a lopsided smile. "After four hours you will be compelled to engage in coitus. You will then be able to separate for short periods of time starting with 2 hours and gradually lengthening over 3 months until you no longer need to touch at all. Primary effect will be a permanent emotional attachment and merged magical cores. Secondary effects may include being able to always find the other, mental speech, the sharing of any special talents or abilities, and your combined magic healing any wounds, new or old, you may have." She shrugged, "That's for adults. The effect on minors with still growing bodies and magic has never been studied by this department for ethical reasons. We have some records of it having happened in the past but these are largely anecdotal and may not be truthful. We will do our best for these kids but we will need to keep them here until we are certain it is safe for them to leave. In seventy-two hours we'll have a better idea and we'll report our findings."
"In the meantime I want someone with veritaserum down here to test this man and to find out everything Lucius and Bellatrix know about Voldemort's plans," Amelia said.
"We'll do better than that," was the reply. "My partner will return shortly with a colleague who studies thought. He has a spell that lasts longer than veritaserum and is as sure. No side effects from additional uses either. Now who is willing to volunteer?"
"Anyone who doesn't want an in-depth investigation," suggested Amelia Bones with a smirk.
"I think you should volunteer as well Madame Director," said Fudge.
"I shall indeed," she replied. "I hope we can rely on the discretion of you and the others? There may be national secrets mentioned today."
"You certainly may rely on our discretion Madame Director," the Unspeakable said. Her shorter colleague left quietly and the rest settled in to wait.
"What happened to Mr. Lupin and Auror Tonks?" Albus asked the remaining Unspeakable.
"They left hours ago," was the reply. "They received a lesser dose and while they may end up together it is not certain but depends greatly upon their individual choices."
When the shorter Unspeakable returned she had her hood back as well and a bald, white bearded gentleman with her. "This is Robert Bruce, Head researcher on the subject of thought and specialist in truth. Now who is first?"
Amelia pointed at the two death eaters who'd been very quiet since waking up restrained, "Either of them."
Lucius spoke for the first time, "Well I guess you aren't going to ignore me until I get a chance to get loose and apparate away so can I ask a question before I get interrogated?"
The taller Unspeakable shrugged, "Why not? Everyone else has."
"Why did the magic allow me to brought in here with Bellatrix?" Lucius asked. "I don't even like her."
The shorter Unspeakable laughed, "That's what I said! However you are compatible with her all the same. You do realize you are now married to her?"
Bellatrix snorts in anger, "We are already married elsewhere and as soon as I am released I shall punish him for the temerity to touch me as he has then leave him."
"What about the pain? You must have heard the other two scream."
"Hah! I am no stranger to pain. I welcome it like a lover and gift it to others in great quantities! No one who has survived the pain of our dark lord's displeasure can be frightened by any lesser pain!" She sneered at the others, "You will all die when the dark lord reigns ascendant!"
The Unspeakables both rolled their eyes and cast simultaneous stunning spells on her then stunned Lucius as well.
The older Unspeakable had stopped at the door and refused to enter despite assurances from the tall, blond Unspeakable that she could, now that she was on-site and prepared, suspend the requirement for entering with a compatible mate.
"It's not that I disbelieve you Claudia," he said. "It's merely that I know how very tricky your subject of study can be. I can read minds and certainly cast spells from out here. In fact there is a lovely one I've been meaning to try that will allow me to share the thoughts I find with a group as if we were all in a pensieve. Saves on tedious question and answer sessions afterward."
"I rather like that idea," Albus said. "If I have to share my thoughts I'd like full value in return and this seems a most excellent way to ensure that we all receive exactly the same information. Don't you agree Amelia?"
Amelia nodded, "If there is also a way that we can either direct the inquiry or ask questions of you during it I will agree it seems best. I could wish we had it over at the MLE offices but I imagine it's a very arcane sort of spell."
The old man smiled into his beard, "Oh yes, quite tricky but so elegant and lovely. The numbers work out just beautifully. So are we all agreed?"
Fudge scowled but nodded and Claudia, the taller female Unspeakable also agreed.
The old Unspeakable started with Lucius and soon Fudge was red with both embarrassment and anger as he saw how he'd been dismissed as a fool and what Lucius truly thought of him. Privately he made up his mind to resign as soon as possible after taking care of the fallout from this evening's events.
The contents of Bellatrix's mind disturbed everyone and the spell was cut short.
"I can't imagine how she still functions as broken as her mind is," said Amelia. The others agreed wholeheartedly.
"I'd send her to St. Mungo's instead of Azkaban if I didn't think she'd get loose and kill her healers," Fudge added looking pale.
Albus spoke, "I'm worried about what Umbridge may be up to with the children now that we know she is working for Voldemort." He gestured toward the teens, "Would it be permissible, do you think, to scan Harry's mind and see if she has harmed him or any of them?"
"I will scan him but not show the results as we have been doing," the ancient thought expert said. "He deserves his privacy and is neither a criminal nor has he given consent. I am well able to keep his secrets and still answer your valid concerns for the student's safety."
He concentrated on Harry from outside the doorway and after some few minutes he turned to Amelia, "Director Bones you need to arrest that woman as soon as possible. She has not only harmed the students, she has scarred them physically and mentally. She has also at least attempted to kill both Mr. Potter and the Deputy Headmistress as well as having cast at least one Unforgivable. They last saw her shrieking threats at the centaur herd stallion so by now she may have embroiled us in an interspecies war." He shook his head, "Cornelius Oswald Fudge, how could you not have seen her for what she was?"
Fudge hung his head, embarrassed by his gullibility, "I will step down as Minister once we are finished dealing with this night. I have made too many mistakes. Within two weeks at the most I will announce my retirement."
The others were pleasantly surprised. They had been expecting him to hang on until the very last second rather than bow out gracefully.
"If you do that I won't prosecute you for anything you've been an accessory to," Amelia said. "However anything you have personally done must remain fair game."
Fudge nodded, "I volunteer to be next for the new truth spell." Nothing new came to light. He had really been most oblivious, only caring about the perks of the job and not even noticing half the corruption and manipulation going on.
After Fudge was Dumbledore, and he was surprised at how angry the others became at his decisions. "Everything I did was for the greater good."
"Whose?" Sirius asked bitingly.
Dumbledore looked at him sourly but before he could reply Amelia interrupted, "He has a point Albus. We have formal, written laws rather than just doing whatever we think is best for a reason. It is too easy to rationalize something you want as a good thing for all and everyone makes mistakes." She gestured to the man upon whom she sat, "Sirius' case is a good example. People believed him guilty and circumvented the law to do what they no doubt also believed was for the 'Greater Good' but if they had followed the law they would have realized their mistake." She absently stroked Sirius' chest as she continued, "Beyond the obvious benefit to this poor man we would have been looking for the correct man, Pettigrew, and almost certainly caught him before he was able to gift Riddle with his new body in that graveyard. Thus keeping him a shadow of his former self and avoiding all the troubles this year and, not so incidentally, the death of one of your students." She shook her head, "If you had shared your information much of what happened could have been avoided. If I were either of you two gentlemen I'd worry that young Harry would find out and challenge you to duels when he comes of age."
"If I shared everything I know then Tom Riddle would also know it," Dumbledore said.
"Oh and he doesn't already?" Sirius replied. "Are you quite sure? I find your judgment somewhat suspect Chief Warlock. It seems I am finally to be cleared, no thanks to you, and once I am I'll be Harry's guardian. I'll have to think carefully about what will be best for him. Especially considering that prophecy you kept from us." Sirius held up a hand to stop Albus' objection, "Before you say something like, 'it might fall into the wrong hands' may I remind that you didn't even share the part that you knew Riddle heard? Heard from a marked death eater you then employed to teach children? If you want to risk your neck to play spy vs. spy with Tommy boy that's fine for you but you don't get to risk the safety of minors entrusted to your care on the off chance your double agent might give you a leg up on the enemy!"
Albus went red in the face, "The safety of the students is my first priority!"
"Tell that to Cedric Diggory!" Sirius shouted back. "Because Amos sure won't believe it."
"Now fellows," Fudge said. "Shouting and recriminations get us nowhere. I propose that as long as we are confined here for a few hours yet that we let this gentleman finish his last two spells and get back to his research. Then we can decide, calmly I hope, what to do next. Is that agreeable to all three of you?"
It was and shortly the aged Unspeakable was done, "Thank you all for the opportunity and I am glad to be of assistance. Mr. Black if you decide your ward needs to defend his mind I will be available to teach him personally. Consider it my contribution to the war effort. I am most impressed with what I know of him and I daresay I could arrange for others here to do the same." He pulled out what looked like a business card and held it out, "Claudia? Would you be a pal and pass this to Mr. Black?" Looking at Sirius he said, "This will allow you to contact me when you decide. I will of course be willing to discuss teaching his bondmate as well." As Claudia took the card to Sirius he waved farewell, "Thank you again for the interesting learning experience."
Amelia looked at the shorter Unspeakable, "May I ask your name dear? If it's not done I understand but I'd prefer a name to go with the pretty face and gentle nature."
"I am named Maria Director," the woman said.
"Thank you," Director Bones replied. "I also thank you for bringing Mr. Bruce to us but might I trouble you for further assistance?"
"What do you require Director Bones?" Claudia asked.
"To make productive use of my time," she said with a smile. "If you have parchment and quill on you I'll write a short note that will let one of you into my office to bring my seal and official paperwork so we can start on what we have to do."
Cornelius sighed and nodded, "I think I'll do the same. I have a pardon to write and I think I'll have the Prophet print an official apology to Mr. Potter as well as Mr. Black. I owe it to him."
Albus nodded, "I'll send a few notes as well. I think that with twelve members of his inner circle either dead or in a cell it would be the best time to try and push through some anti-death eater legislation."
Maria smiled, "I do not mind. I'll go snag a clerk and get him to run errands." She suddenly looked mischievous, "Maybe I'll even find a matched pair and get them to ... come in. We can always use more data." With that she turned and left.
Shortly thereafter they were able to start conducting business. Amelia wondered if it was the magic of the room that made it so easy to become absorbed in work and ignore her nudity and the fact that she was sitting on a naked man's lap with only a lap-table covering either of them. Maybe it had just been so long since there was anything in her life but work and her niece that habit was stronger than the shock. She preferred to believe it was a measure of the maturity of the group that three of them ignored each others nudity and the occasional off color comment from Sirius as they quickly sent orders and received reports via the clerk Maria had found. He never stepped into the room and they kept the door closed but Maria was willing to ferry notes from inside the room to the corridor outside and back in between taking readings with odd looking pieces of equipment and writing down her observations.
By the time the four hours mentioned by Claudia had passed they had formally issued orders for the arrest all the still living followers of Tom Riddle in the Ministry including Lucius and Bellatrix but also those known to either of the two who were not marked but served as spies and undercover agents.
They had sent a strong team of aurors and ministry officials to Hogwarts to find out the fate of Dolores Umbridge and arrest any member of her inquisitorial squad who was over 17. Those under seventeen were not charged as a favor to Dumbledore but were warned that this was their one and only second chance. The MLE now knew all their names and any further instance of law breaking of any sort would see them arrested and the inquiry into their actions reopened.
The search for Sirius Black was officially called off and the Dementor's kiss on sight order was rescinded as well. He was issued a full pardon for any crimes committed while on the run and the Daily Prophet was directed to run "Sirius Black Innocent!" as it's front page headline. That and the minister's public apology to Harry were the price Sirius demanded for not suing the Ministry or Fudge and for agreeing not tell anyone how he'd managed to escape.
Once all that was taken care of however Amelia started finding it hard to concentrate on anything but Sirius and the others were feeling the same.
"I wonder how Lucius is enjoying his cellmate?" Sirius wondered aloud. "I can't tell you how lucky I feel to have gotten you Amelia instead of Bella."
Amelia snorts, "Damning me with faint praise? I've heard you had a silver tongue Sirius Black, is that just another lie?"
He grinned, "Well it has been many years since I've put my tongue or the rest of me to the service of Eros with a lovely woman so forgive me if I'm out of practice. I am sure it all come back to me." He chuckled, "Are you in practice lovely Amelia?"
She smiled, "No, I can't truthfully say that I am. But the muggles have a saying, 'just like riding a bike'. I believe once you've learned to ride a man you never forget how." She conjured privacy screens while he cast silencing spells and then the proceeded to, as Claudia put it, "engage in coitus".
Afterward all four remaining adults were allowed to dress and leave. They would have liked a few days to get to know each other and this new bond but in the current emergency this was impossible for three of them and Sirius had hours of paperwork and formalities to endure before he could leave the ministry, a free man for the first time in 15 years. He was joined shortly by Amelia who was feeling the pull of the bond and followed it straight to him after telling her assistant to send an owl if anything truly important came up.
"Well? Where to now that you can go anywhere again?" she asked taking his hand.
He grinned, "There's a hotel in Oslo I want you to see. It's five star all the way. Elegance, class, and all the amenities, truly a luxurious experience."
"I can't be that far away from work until things settle down," she said and sighed. A honeymoon would have been nice. "I'm afraid that unless you want to go somewhere in Great Britain you'll have to go alone."
"Ah, but I can't," he replied. "Or do you not remember that we have to touch every two hours?"
"I'm sorry," she said.
"Don't worry, I'm sure we are both going to take a little while to adjust," he replied. "I'm sorry I didn't anticipate your need to stay within reach of a fast owl just in case." He thought briefly of places he'd stayed when younger, "If the Hotel Continental in Oslo is out then I guess we'll just honeymoon in Muggle London. It's reachable by owl in emergencies but nobody will be looking for either of us there."
"Alright," she agreed. "Where?"
He grinned, "The Athenaeum. It has suites that look out over the Palace and they take fine dining to the next level. Their honeymoon suites are reputed to be first rate. Shall we see if that's true?" He offered her his arm.
She took it and smiled, "That sounds lovely Mr. Black. Let us go."