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Chapter 4 – The Truth
As soon as Albus arrived to his office he found all four head of houses and a very anxious Healer waiting for him.
"I should have known you'd be here," he stated as his eyes gave off a weak twinkle.
"Well? Was she there?" Severus asked cutting off any possible chit chat.
He nodded grimly, "Yes, we've found Haley and she is currently in a coma at St. Mungo's. She doesn't even know she's left the dungeon."
"It was really bad, wasn't it?" Filius questioned.
He nodded and took a seat in his chair across the desk. "She had been tortured, starved. She weighed no more than someone half her age. Auror Tonks and I were the ones to retrieve her from the dungeons."
"What? Why you?" Pomona asked.
"We didn't know if she would be conscious so just in case she sent the people that seemed the least threatening. An old man and a young lady with pink hair," Albus explained.
"Other than obvious malnutrition and mental trauma was there any other permanent damage?" Poppy asked.
"Not that I know of. There was a magic overload so they couldn't take proper readings. They need to check again in the morning after the magic has taken time to settle."
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Tonks was the first one back to the hospital the next morning. She felt much better after seeing her mother and was ready to get to work. Kingsley was grateful when she returned and took his leave to get some sleep.
She took the now vacant seat beside Haley and just watched her breathing.
Albus showed up not long after she had and Minerva had insisted in coming along. They all sat in silence while Minerva took her first look at the girl that she used to babysit for James and Lily before they went into hiding.
She had been such a beautiful baby. She was always smiling and playing. It was hard to believe that happy little baby was the broken girl in front of her. She did all she could to keep from crying as the nurses came in to prep Haley for testing. They once again levitated her onto a gurney and gently guided it to the same room they used the previous night. Tonks to her place standing guard beside the door while Albus and Minerva sat in chairs across from her.
Everything seemed to be going fine until Rita Skeeter waltzed into the wing like she owned the place with her photographer tailing her.
"Ah Albus, just the man I'm looking for. Rumors have been traveling around the Ministry about why Lucius Malfoy was arrested. Is it true that he kidnapped Haley Potter? Is that why you're here?" Rita asked.
"Ms. Skeeter, you have to leave. This is a private wing," Tonks informed her politely.
Rita turned to her, "And what exactly are you? Half munchkin?"
"My title is Auror Tonks and you will leave this hospital wing immediately before you are arrested for trespassing!" her voice boomed.
Rita just glared at her before turning away and storming off.
Albus gave Tonks a small smile, "You are very good at your job, Nymphadora."
Tonks faced twisted in dislike at her first name but nodded her appreciation at the compliment. The next two hours were mostly spent silent in suspense.
"I thought this was going to be a quick testing," Minerva finally spoke out loud but no one knew what to say. They were all concerned about what could possibly be taking so long.
When the door finally swung open they were hoping it would be Healer Vandele with an explanation but instead it was one of his nurses. She was about to walk right passed them when Tonks stopped her, "Excuse me but we've been waiting for word for hours. Could you tell us what's going on?"
"The truth is we're still not completely sure ma'am. The Healer will inform you whenever he can but he has requested that I get a Goblin here immediately. However, Haley is in no danger." With that she rushed to the floo network.
"What on earth would they need a Goblin for?" Minerva muttered loud enough for them to hear.
"This is one of the rare occasions that I am completely stumped," Albus said standing up and pacing once again.
It only took about fifteen minutes for the nurse to rush back with a Goblin holding a briefcase at her side. This time no one stopped to ask questions. They figured they would get more answers when the Goblin had finished his job.
As they waited Minerva went to the cafeteria and got them all tea and biscuits. The truth was she needed to get out of the hospital wing for a few minutes. She took her time going down to the cafeteria. She momentarily stopped when she saw familiar faces in one of the rooms. Two of her old students, Alice and Frank Longbottom. She sighed and moved forward. Neville had lost his parents the same time Haley lost hers.
She had seen the Longbottom boy several times in the past. He looked a lot like his mother. Minerva couldn't help but compare the happy, shy boy she cares for to the broken, traumatized girl in the bed upstairs. It could have easily been him. Her heart broke at the thought of Neville being hurt the way Haley had. They were both so sweet and innocent yet horrible things kept happening to them.
It wasn't long after she had returned to the others with their tea that the Goblin left the room alone. He knocked to them before going on his way.
"I don't recognize that Goblin," Tonks stated.
"He must have a specific position at Gringotts instead of being a teller," Albus said thoughtfully.
"Yeah, but don't Goblin Healers only work on other Goblins? Why would it be seeing Haley?"
Instead of answering Albus just took a bite out of the biscuit Minerva brought him and washed it down with the warm tea.
Finally the next person to exit the room was Healer Vandele.
"Oh Healer, can you please tell us what is going on?" Minerva asked.
The healer rubbed his forehead and said, "Well, we finally learned what caused the magical scans to come up as unrealistic magical levels."
"And?" Tonks said trying to hurry the explanation.
"There was a spell on her. A powerful spell. It had been there for years. It was grew with her," the healer tried to explain.
"Is it dangerous?" Minerva asked worried.
"No, just confusing… and very disturbing."
"Oh spit it out!" Tonks snapped.
"It was a glamour."
"A glamour? Why the bloody hell would they put a glamour on her?" Tonks asked.
"I don't think they did. The magical signature didn't match Lucius in anyway but seemed very similar to James Potter's."
"James put a glamour on his baby? For what possible reason?" Albus asked.
The Healer sighed, "That's what confused us as well. So we removed the glamour and underneath… Well she didn't look anything like James or Lily."
"Are you saying she's not the real Haley Potter?" Minerva asked.
"She is The-Girl-Who-Lived if that's what you're asking. The scar is still there. However she is not the Potter's biological child."
Albus' eyes went wide, "That's why the blood wards didn't form. She's not related to Lily!"
The Healer nodded, "This is why we called Ripcook here. He's the head of lineage testing at Gringotts. We thought it would be best to learn whose daughter she is."
"And the result?"
The healer pulled out the test and handed it to Albus whom hesitated for a moment before reading out loud, "Ava Molly Weasley."
"Oh my god," Minerva gasped.
"It's her?"
The Healer nodded, "To be honest it wasn't all that surprising. She looks like a Weasley."
"What now?" Minerva asked.
"We'll be taking Ava back to her room. She is healing very well and will most likely be able to wake in a couple days. In the meantime, I suggest one of you informs the Weasleys that their daughter has been found alive."