Disclaimer: Someday, I will have ideas to call my own, but harry potter will not be one of them.
A/N: Yeah! We finally get to some sort of denouement! Sorry about all the details. Things should speed up after this! And I'll answer the question of how the Student Auror knew about Theseus's parents in this chapter.
Sedna held tightly to Theseus and her trunk. She was swirling- via side along apparation- toward Theseus's home. Carefully she gathered her balance as they hit the stone walkway up to the house. Looking up for the first time, Sedna's jaw dropped. Theseus dragged her up the stairs and knocked at the gargantuan oak doors. As they swung open seemingly voluntarily, Sedna was pulled in, after establishing that the house had three stories and wings branching out in each direction. The door slammed behind her, and she was ensconced in the warmth and candle light of the McGonagall Manor. Turning, she saw that their luggage was neatly piled and moving toward them.
"Laird and Lady is in the fire-room, Master Thesis" a tiny, but deep voice announced from under the pile of luggage.
"Thank you, Durric!" Theseus grinned "It's good to be home!" He boomed to the large marble hallway.
"Thesis?" Sedna whispered as the luggage, and the apparent person carrying it wound out of sight.
"Durric could never say my name quite correctly," Theseus seemed to Be rocked in a flood of memories, "Father always found it hilarious." He began to walk down the long entrance hall and stepped through one of the doors.
As soon as Sedna caught up, she peered around Theseus, into a room that was a delicious, warm green. The wall contained bookshelves and paintings, rather like a library, but there was a diverse smattering of furniture in convenient corners, and most of all, in front of the fireplace. Occupying the conveniently located furniture was a diverse assortment of wizards. A middle aged, tartan clad wizard with acutely green eyes occupied a rather impressive armchair on the far right of the fireplace. The next man around the circle, Sedna instantly recognized as Albus Dumbledore. She had never seen him in person, but his pictures seemed to occupy the front page of the Prophet at least once a week. Sitting next to him on the bright purple couch was a rather jovial blonde wizard who was just at the border of middle age. He seemed to be one for smiling. Finally, a raven-haired, green eyed wizard, younger than Theseus stood up from his place in a stiff looking study chair and dashed over to pound Theseus on the back. Theseus walked over in front of the fireplace and pulled Sedna with him.
"Everyone, this is Sedna," The wizards all smiled and nodded appreciatively, "Sedna, this is my uncle Neptune" Theseus pointed to the tartan sporting wizard, "This is Euripides Pomfrey" He indicated the cheery wizard, "This is my brother, Amadeus" the youth smiled, "And this is my father, Albus Dumbledore!"
"I…I…I" this last pronouncement had robbed Sedna of speech.
"Where is mother?" Theseus asked peering around the room.
"She went to show Poppy something, they'll be back soon, We didn't expect you this early…" Albus smiled, and stood to greet Sedna.
"She is well then?"
Albus turned to answer the question. But as he did, a connecting door swung open and a trio of witches stepped in. Well, one of them stepped, the second was being pushed in a wheelchair. The third squeaked and raced for Theseus.
"You're back!!" a fireball of red hair laughed as she clung to Theseus's neck.
"Daffy! We have a guest!" Theseus whispered, pulling her off.
"OH!" Daphne quickly stepped back.
"Everyone, this is Sedna" Theseus gazed worriedly at his mother's wheelchair, but continued "Sedna this is my sister, Daphne" He hugged the spindly red-head, "Poppy Pomfrey, my mother's best-friend and my adopted aunt," the rose complexioned woman behind the wheelchair nodded, she smiled almost as much as her husband, "And this is my mother, Minerva McGonagall." At those words, Sedna fainted straight onto the floor.
"Is the poor lass all right, Poppy?" Sedna picked up the faint cadences of highland dialect through the blackness.
"She's coming around!" commanded a rather stern but caring voice, "Everyone move back! That means you, Deus!"
Sedna finally managed to pull her eyes open. The rosy-cheeked woman hovered in the lower corner of her view. But by and large, it was dominated by the tense face of her love. "Theseus?"
"Sedna, dear, I'm terribly sorry! I had not the faintest idea meeting my family would be this shocking!" He massaged her hand between his.
"Well…It is rather shocking when your parents happen to be the most powerful magic couple of the age!" Poppy laughed, and several voices joined her. Oi! I fainted! And his entire family saw me! Sedna sat up suddenly. She was still in the fireside room apparently. And Theseus's family was still gathered about staring at her.
"Hello?" Sedna tried to smile as she gripped the back of the purple chaise lounge. "It's very nice to meet all of you."
"We're glad to meet you too, lass" Neptune smiled. "Why don't we go play a game?"
They helped Sedna off the couch and moved through a labyrinth of doors to a cozy kitchen area with a large wooden table. They played several rounds of muggle board games, talking and laughing all the while. At the end, Sedna had become much more comfortable with the family.
Eventually, everyone dispersed to their bedrooms. Euripides and Neptune left laughing over a not-very-hilarious joke that Euripides had cracked in the middle of the last game. Poppy questioned Sedna one last time as to her health, and then followed her husband. Amadeus and Daphne, or as they were more affectionately called, Deus and Daffy, strolled off catching up on life since they had last spent time together. Theseus showed Sedna to her rooms and kissed her good night. Then he turned back down the hall.
Later that night, Sedna decided to venture out in search of a bathroom. As she stepped out into the hall, she heard shouting coming from the main floor. Her ear detected Theseus's voice and pulled her to the sound.
"Mother, I want a straight answer!" Theseus was shouting in the fireside room, his face illuminated by embers, "Are you sick? Are you ill? Why are you in a wheelchair? That new order member, what was his name, Abbot, he said you were dying!" He brushed back and forth across the room, talking to Minerva and Albus, who sat next to her.
"Theseus, you have no right to yell at your mother!" Albus stood, clearly affronted.
"No, Albus, he's right," Minerva sighed and struggled to stand from the chair, "We should have told you sooner, I suppose. Something this major would attract the attention of quite a few people." The witch stepped over to her son and put a hand on his arm, "I am not dying. I will give a formal announcement of exactly why I agreed to that dreadful contraption tomorrow at breakfast. But for now, simply know that I am in no immediate danger." She stretched to kiss her child on the nose, and then turned to sit by her husband on the couch, watching the light seep from the fire.
Theseus left only half satisfied. Sedna caught him on the stairs. "Is everything all right?" She asked as she followed him up the stairs, "I was up looking for the WC and I heard…"
"It's down the hall, third door on the right." He disappeared into his room.
The next morning, Minerva and Albus sat side by side at the head of a long dining table in a stately marble hall. Sedna could sense the awkward anticipation flitting around the table as each person ate their breakfast. Deus and Theseus were both steeling glances at their mother, whose wheelchair was waiting for her a few feet off. Neptune and Euripides were mumbling at the far end of the table. Both Poppy and Daphne were suspectly silent and uncomfortable. Once the dishes had been banished to the kitchens, Albus stood.
Before he could open his mouth, however, the door exploded open, and a bolt of flaming orange and red shot into the room. Neptune immediately groaned and lowered his head to the table. Minerva stood too quickly, knocking over her chair.
"Hello darlings! Aren't you just thrilled to see me?" The blur stopped and became defined as a flamboyantly dressed woman covered in bright scarves and bangles that totally disrupted the stately decorum of the mansion.
The shock was too much for Minerva, who collapsed with a loud thud. The entire room broke into action. Neptune and Daphne ran over to confront the intruder, backing her into the corner. Poppy trailed after Albus who was all ready carrying Minerva to their bedroom. His face a furious scarlet, Theseus jumped up to follow, Poppy, his father, and his unconscious mother.
Sedna, Euripedes, and Deus remained awkwardly poised, debating where they would be most useful. Deus decided to visit his parent's bedroom. Euripedes was about to pull Sedna away out into the hall, but she stayed. She was here to meet Theseus's family. And this woman seemed to have so connection to them.
A very serious interrogation was going on in the corner where the impressive Neptune towered over the interrupter. Daphne cringed in between, trying to dodge the sparks flying between the two.
"What are you doing here, Hestia?" Neptune glowered, "Why did you come back now?""It's nice to see you too, dear brother." Hestia stretched up to mockingly kiss his cheek. "I was simply back in the country and thought I might drop by to family home and share in some Holiday cheer."
"And you expect us to believe that?" Neptune spat, "you have refused to speak to us mere witches and wizards for the past 10 years. You spoke to us precious little before that!" Hestia smiled and tried to respond, but her brother continued, "We have our own problems right now."
"I can see that," attempting to veil her concern with an acidic tone. She stared over Neptune's shoulder and up the stairs. "But the mysteries of the temporal plain demand the highest devotion. After all, I have a rare gift."
"Sedna saw Neptune's shoulders tense, "Well, Hestia, while you have been exploring the temporal plane we have been living in the real plain. We have been fighting Dark Wizards, dealing with losses, and growing up! Mother and father died not knowing if you were alive or dead. You have few family members left and Minerva seems to be fighting a dangerous illness herself. It's time to wake up from your hallucinations!"
"I have the gift of Sight! I KNOW what will happen, I KNOW what has happened!" Hestia screeched, discarding her lofty tone, "And your limited perspective of life can hardly compare to the things I have Seen!"
"Did you see your father and mother die at the hands of Grindelwald? Did you watch as your love died? Did you see your niece and nephews graduate from Hogwarts?" Neptune glared.
"MERLIN! There is no reasoning with you mortals!!" She threw up her hands was walked past him, only to be interrupted by a Deus coming back into the room.
"Mother would like everyone to come up to the bedroom," He announced, in his deep rumbling voice, "She has an announcement to make."
Cowed, everyone filed silently up to the room.
Minerva was sitting up in the bed, surrounded by mountains of pillows, Albus sat next to her, holding her hand. Minerva looked nearly as white as the pillows. Everyone moved into the room and held their breath for the news.
"I think that recent events merit an explanation of my condition," She swallowed, and scanned the group, "I'm pregnant."
There were was a deep silence, in which Minerva continued to scan the eyes of those around her bed. Suddenly, Deus stepped forward and quipped, "Hold on! You're serious?"
Minerva opened her mouth, but Poppy intervened, "Well, I think it's wonderful!" She moved to the side of the bed and gave Minerva a hug. "Congratulations, darling!"
Awkwardly, the rest of the group filed behind her and began to embrace the pale woman in the bed.
As everyone left the room, Daphne caught her Aunt Hestia slinking off to an obscure room. She followed and closed the door once inside, "What's wrong?" Hestia was curled up in a corner looking up at the portrait of a past McGonagall. She looked deeply disturbed, and began to shiver convulsively.
"I never thought I would be right." She whispered so softly, the wind outside nearly drowned out her words.
"Right about what? What have you Seen?" Daphne was slightly anxious. She had never dealt with a Seer before, and all of her relatives had warned her against this one in particular.
"A calamity is coming. Soon, your mother will need me. Your entire family will be in terrible danger! And blood, I see fields of blood!" Her eyes were wide and distant.
"When? Where?" Daphne dove down by her aunt's side and shook her shoulders, "How long before this happens?"
"I do not know!! The Temporal plain is not so easily measured!" Hestia sobbed, "But your mother's babe will play a direct part in it! Even before it is born, its future is swathed in blood!"
A/N Wow, that took forever to post! PLEASE PRESS THE REVIEW BUTTON!