AN: I hope you enjoyed the last chapter! Aurora is a character of my own design (not any of the Harry Potter characters, of course!) and I am enjoying her and her brother Helios. Ares is proving a bit harder to write, but I am looking forward to his reunion with Minerva. It won't be pretty, that's all I know for now.

Hogwarts

"How long has she been like this?" Helios asked Dumbledore. The young man was kneeling next to Minerva's bed, holding his older sister's hand in his own. Her hand seemed so frail and breakable between his own strong fingers. His eyes had not left her face since being brought to the infirmary. Madame Pomfrey had come in, intent upon directing Minerva's visitors out so she could rest, but found her voice caught in her throat upon laying eyes on Helios. She remembered him from his Hogwarts days: a quiet yet friendly student, happily sorted into Ravenclaw where he excelled in his studies.

She, like nearly everyone else, had thought he died during the war with Grindelwald, a promising life cut tragically short. Seeing him walking behind Dumbledore accompanied by Narcissa and Bellatrix Black created a multitude of questions within her no-nonsense mind, which Dumbledore quietly answered after directing her to treat Bellatrix and Narcissa. She had frowned after running some diagnostic spells upon the dark, pale witch, noting the magical signature was identical to that of whomever tortured Minerva. Dumbledore released a breath at this - it confirmed what Helios had said to be true, without a shadow of a doubt. That knowledge, though, raised concerns. If Ares had indeed given his mind and soul to the dark, and his violent passions had become the rule rather than the exception, they were in for a more difficult journey towards victory than he could have ever anticipated.

"Almost a week. She apparated into my private rooms late in the evening, and since then has made no noise, barely moved aside from shallow breaths. Poppy is worried. I myself am at a loss, no potions have made any difference in her ability to heal. The only noticeable sign of improvement is her body has reacted favorably to the nutritional supplements Poppy has given her, gaining back some color to her cheeks," Dumbledore replied. The medi-witch had treated both Bellatrix and Narcissa, advising both of them to rest as much as possible. Narcissa had steadfastly refused to leave Bellatrix's side, so Poppy charmed the bed to a larger size. If she found the way Narcissa held her sister and kissed her so familiarly strange she did not let on. Her primary concern was the physical health of those under her care.

Helios nodded absently. He reached into a pocket and pulled out a wooden quill, holding it tightly in his hand and whispering softly to himself. The quill glowed a soft blue for a brief moment before returning to its muted mahogany. He leaned over Minerva's prone figure, turning the bedsheets down to reveal an undernourished body, bruises still blossoming in such abundance that nearly no skin remained its original shade. Carefully, lovingly he unbuttoned her shift, and pushed it over her left shoulder enough to expose the upper portion of her chest while still providing cover.

Dumbledore stood behind the younger man, wondering what he was about to witness. He had not seen this particular McGonagall in many years, and was unsure where his brilliant mind had taken him in terms of ability and specialization. While he himself was an incredibly powerful wizard, he was still not a recipient of ancient magical tutelage or training, which limited his abilities to some degree. After Minerva's parents had told him their plan to ensure their daughter's safety and livelihood, her mother in particular had instructed him in the powers and rites that came with the title of Breaker. It was because of this knowledge that Dumbledore refrained from asking, knowing the answers would come.

Lowering the writing instrument to the approximate location of Minerva's heart, Helios closed his eyes and moved the quill in a well memorized pattern of intricate runes. Dumbledore frowned to himself - the origin of this style of rune was alien to him. It was something he had never seen before. He looked to Helios, and opened his eyes wide in shock - the young man seemed to be bleeding from over his own heart, in the same pattern as the ink upon MInerva's pale skin. He then realized with a heavy feeling the ink in the quill must be Helios' blood. Sweat was misting the man's skin, the bleeding becoming greater, running down his chest.

After several minutes, Dumbledore looked again at the runic pattern upon Minerva. He leaned in closer, noticing the large rune was comprised of a series of impossibly small runes. Helios opened his eyes and took a large breath, banishing the quill as he did so.

"It is done," he said with a sense of finality. "I have provided her with part of my energy. This will help speed up the healing process. Potions cannot be used - the power of Ares' hatred, coupled with Minerva's own lack of knowledge as to her title and inheritance have created a barrier to outside material "interference;" that is, the wounds and pains she suffered from Ares must heal naturally. I have done nothing but provide her body with a natural boost of power, as well as partially unblocked the barriers in her memory. Which brings me back to my original question - why does Minerva not remember her siblings, and why does it seem she has no recollection of being a Breaker? I know you had done something to her memories at the behest of my mother and father, but she should have had those memories return by now, as well as her birthright to her title." Dumbledore conjured two chairs for them and sat down heavily.

"You are right. There was an unforeseen...problem that arose along with Voldemort's rise to power the first time. Your parents had wanted Minerva to grow not only into a strong witch, but a logical one. They had no fear of that - she is one of the most brilliant witches in the last century, if not more. I had agreed with them, and promised to unlock her memories once another Grindelwald type of wizard or witch seemed to rise again. Upon noting Voldemort's unhealthy obsession with cleansing the world of muggles, I had prepared to remove all of the blocks your parents and I had put in place. But something horribly unexpected and wrong happened." Dumbledore looked to the window, where he could see the snow falling heavily again. Helios raised an eyebrow.

"What could have prevented you from following my parent's wishes?" he asked in a tone that was not accusatory so much as curious.

"Ares. We had all thought he had died during the war with Grindelwald. Minerva had hit him with a reducto curse before being downed herself. We had not heard of or from him since that hideous day many years ago. His obsession with power, fueled by a hatred of anyone less than pureblood was frightening, and your parents confided to me they feared he would become the next Grindelwald. Your father blamed himself, for his family ancestry contained more than a handful of fanatical pureblood witches and wizards, who viewed anything less than the destruction of muggles and muggle-borns as traitorous activity.

That said, we thought Minerva had killed him. When Voldemort began his attacks, a wizard matching Ares' description was spoken of by those lucky enough to escape destruction. Finally, when I led the Order to an attack one day I saw Ares with my own eyes. I had thought to unblock Minerva's memories not less than a week from that day, but seeing him there, seeing his anger and hatred and...madness,I held off. Minerva could not have handled that - it would have destroyed her mind.

I take responsibility for that decision, and while perhaps I could have done it differently, I would not do that to her. She had become like a daughter to me, and fought bravely alongside the rest of the Order regardless of not knowing she was a Breaker. I have thought back on that time nearly every day since, examining it from every angle to see if there would have been a better way to do it. I still don't know. But this time, there is no helping it. Once she awakens, her memories will have been restored and her birthright as the first female Full-Breaker in over a millenia claimed." Dumbledore looked into Helios' eyes, noted the calm look they carried.

"Thank you, headmaster. I appreciate the honest answer. While I may disagree with your decision those many years ago, I do appreciate the difficulty you faced in making it. You too have suffered, perhaps more than anyone knows over the last several decades in an effort to make our world a better place. I promise to assist you and the Order in any capacity that I may to defeat Voldemort, and Ares," Helios responded after a moment of silent thoughtfulness. He reached his hand across the bed containing his older sister to the old wizard. Dumbledore looked momentarily surprised, but grasped it in his own and shook it.

"Now then, according to those two wizards from earlier, several people who should be here are instead with my sister. I shall collect them and bring them here. Hogwarts will once again support those in need. It is nice being back - perhaps I can now turn in the essay Professor Flitwick had assigned before I was forced to leave the country. Hopefully he won't dock too many points for turning it in late."

Dumbledore laughed for the first time in what felt like ages.

Maine, USA

It was early in the morning, barely 4:00am. All of the inhabitants of the cabin in the woods were sleeping, occupying the three bedrooms quite snugly. Aurora and Sirius were in the master bedroom, Aurora's head resting upon Sirius' bare chest, her arm thrown possessively across his strong torso. Tonks had a small bedroom to herself, and had fallen asleep nearly immediately - sleeping was something she was very skilled at. Dan and Emma Granger were sleeping as soundly as they could in the bedroom down the hall, having finally fallen asleep with the help of a sleeping potion. They had been up late discussing what was happening, how to address things in the morning, and of course how best to support their eldest daughter.

Finally, Hermione and Julie were in the last bedroom, both asleep in the incredibly comfortable beds. Hermione had thought sleep would never come, but once her body had nearly melted into the soft mattress, the stress and worry of the past few days finally caught up and she fell into a blissful slumber. Julie had stayed awake longer, mulling over what Aurora had told them, and more importantly (to her, anyway), what her sister had revealed – being in a relationship with her professor. Julie had smiled herself to sleep, thinking that at last something had pulled her tight-assed sister out of her shell.

Hermes, unaffected by the time change between Scotland and the eastern coast of the U.S, apparated into Aurora's living room. He was one of only three who had the ability (and knowledge) to apparate directly to this cabin hidden deeply into the woods. Hermes yawned and stretched his limbs, relishing the cracking noise as his back arched. Long-distance apparations always left him feeling drained, along with an odd craving for scrambled eggs. He wandered into the kitchen, pointing to the tray of eggs on the counter, a skillet hanging from the rack in the ceiling, and a whisk. Quickly he had the eggs cooking themselves, and turned his attention to the kettle and coffee beans. He preferred his coffee very strong, no sugar or milk, with a dash of honey to help cut its acidity.

"I am fairly certain I only keep the eggs for you, dearest brother," a husky voice said from the doorway. Hermes did not bother looking up from measuring the beans, grinding them with a thought and adding them to the French press.

"What do you and Sirius eat? Or do you order take away?" he replied softly, hesitant to wake the others in the house. His sister let out an undignified snort.

"Yes, we have a preferred pizza delivery restaurant. However, none have ever made it through the wards. Sirius has taken to a pub not far from here; we put on a glamour and go there most nights for dinner. Excellent shepherd's pie, really. But I highly doubt you are here to discuss my eating habits. Particularly at 4:00am. What are you doing here, Helios?" Aurora asked with another yawn. She moved to the table and sat down, rubbing her eyes in an effort to dispel her sleepiness.

Helios poured a large cup of coffee for his sister and placed it before her. Turning back to the stove, he stirred the eggs in the skillet. "I have just come from Minerva's bedside. She is unconscious still...Ares had tortured her for several weeks. I am amazed she is still alive, to be honest. But she is a stubborn one."

Aurora's head shot up. "Where is she?" Aurora demanded, any tiredness gone from her voice and eyes. Helios spooned the eggs onto a plate and sat across the table.

"Hogwarts," he replied before taking a bite of his food. "In the infirmary. Madame Pomfrey nearly passed out when she saw me. I came across Dumbledore, and two other wizards just outside the Forbidden Forest. I think one of them is Sirius' friend, Remus Lupin? They seemed agitated about a portkey gone awry."

Aurora glared at her brother over the mug of steaming "How is Minerva? What did that arsehole of a brother do to her?" Helios tapped his head, inviting Aurora to use legilimency to obtain her answers. A minute later her eyes opened slowly, unshed tears threatening to cascade down her pale cheeks. While it has been years since she saw her sister, none of the love and admiration she felt for Minerva had waned. The abuse she had suffered because of Ares was appalling.

Helios held up a hand before Aurora could speak. "There is more. Do you remember Bellatrix Black? She was a first year Slytherin our the year we left Hogwarts." Aurora seemed confused by the sudden change in subject.

"Yes, of course; we were in the same house after all, and she is Siri's older cousin. A smart girl, but she always seemed on edge, haunted by something aside from Peeves." Aurora frowned. "The last I heard of her she had married that bastard Rodolphus LeStrange in an arranged marriage. The joys of pureblood society." This last bit was said with a sneer of contempt; while she herself may have been a pureblood, she abhorred what she viewed as archaic practices still maintained within the older families. Helios nodded.

"Well, it seems Ares has used polyjuice over the past several decades to take on her appearance and engage in destructive activities - such as the torture of the Longbottoms, attempting to kill Sirius by pushing him through the Veil, and most recently torturing Minerva." Aurora's scowl deepened, and Helios thought to himself how grateful he was to not be the recipient of such a glare. "She was also tortured by Ares, and from what I have been able to ascertain she has been kept in a state of mental and physical servitude to Voldemort, Ares, and other Death Eaters since her marriage.

She is also involved romantically with Narcissa Malfoy, nee Black. I believe Lucius was involved in Bellatrix's treatment, though that is pure conjecture. However, he was always the jealous type, from what I've heard." Aurora growled before suddenly standing up and leaving the room. Helios simply continued to eat the eggs, conjuring a third mug at another seat around the table.

Aurora came back in with a semi-awake Sirius in tow. Helios nodded to the former fugitive and waved the coffee over, filling the empty mug. Sirius glanced in confusion at his lover's brother before sitting down and taking a long sip of the strong liquid.

Quickly relaying the information he had just told Aurora, Sirius appeared livid when all was told.

"That son of a whore! How dare he treat my cousin! I knew something was wrong, before she married LeStrange she was never so deranged, so sadistic...and to harm Minerva McGonagall! She taught me and James and Remus and so many others...how the hell could her brother - I don't even - FUCK!" Sirius yelled, forgetting the guests currently staying at the cabin.

The loud commotion woke Hermione and Julie, who ran down to the kitchen; Hermione led them, wand pointed in front of her, Julie behind holding a vase she had picked up along the way. When they entered the room the three adults looked up, and Aurora grinned seeing Julie and Hermione ready to fight.

"I knew Minerva would choose a brave person to love - it's good to see it runs in the family," she commented with a laugh. Upon the confused look in Helios and Sirius' eyes, Aurora explained. "Hermione is in a relationship with Minerva. It is all on the up and up, particularly since there are some...special rules and exemptions on record for Full-Breakers. Wait until Minerva finds out - she will go spare seeing all of the "goodies" she gets access to." Hermione's eyes widened with the nonchalant mention of her (to her knowledge) illicit relationship with the older McGonagall sister.

"Really, Hermione? With McGonagall? I both happy for you, and wish I could ask how she is compared to Aurora here within the bedroom -" Sirius was stopped from that line of questioning by a quick smack to the head by the aforementioned woman.

"Pervert. That is a highly inappropriate question, not to mention Hermione is your godson's best friend! Show some self-restraint, you hounddog, regardless or your interest in my sister's...'abilities," Aurora chastised Sirius who had the grace to look chagrined. Helios simply raised an eyebrow towards the young woman lowering her wand, even as a blush rose to her cheeks.

"Hermione, Julie, please let me introduce you to my twin brother Helios. Brother, this is Hermione Granger and her younger sister Julie. Julie is a muggle, as are her parents. Due to a mix-up with a portkey the Grangers are here, as is Tonks instead of Arthur Weasley and Remus."

Helios stood up and walked to Hermione and Julie. The younger Granger took a step back, intimidated by Helios' height and sheer presence. Hermione, however, stepped forward to meet him halfway, hand extended. If Helios was surprised by the young witch's action he did not show it. His emerald eyes met her brown ones. He reached his own hand forward, and engulfed Hermione's hand within his own.

"Hello, Hermione. I am Helios, Minerva's younger brother. It is lovely to meet you." Hermione smiled shyly at the tall man with the familiar eyes, and nodded in agreement. Though she felt overwhelmed with suddenly meeting two of Minerva's siblings in as many days, and learning the hardships her lover had been through because of another sibling, she was also happy. Minerva would be ecstatic upon waking to see her younger brother and sister. Hermione did not let the nagging thought of what if she doesn't wake up linger - Minerva would wake up, and when she did Hermione would make sure her lover knew just how missed she had been.

At that thought the young witch's cheeks flushed lightly, but the early morning darkness and candlelight betrayed nothing. Aurora sighed audibly and took another large drink of coffee.

"So, Helios, you've visited Minerva, she is recovering from her wounds at Hogwarts, and now you are here…I am guessing there is more to this early visit than that," Aurora said. Helios turned to her, motioning for his coffee mug to come to him.

"Dumbledore has directed me to connect your fireplace to the Hogwarts floo network, and to collect everyone here. I believe your help is needed to rouse Minerva from her current state, and of course we must prepare for the next onslaught from Voldemort."

Julie finally spoke up. "We are going to use a fireplace to get from the U.S. all the way to Hogwarts?" The witches and wizards nodded. Julie grinned. "Bloody brilliant!"